Today, Tuesday, settlers paved a colonial road east of the city of Bethlehem.

According to local sources, a group of settlers stormed the village of Al-Minya, accompanied by equipment and bulldozers, to pave a colonial road linking the desert of Tekoa and the desert of Al-Minya. They detained three citizens and assaulted them, including the citizen Samir Abed Shalalda.

After US President Donald Trump won the US elections, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich quickly instructed the Settlements Directorate in the Ministry of Defense and the “Civil Administration” to prepare the necessary infrastructure to implement Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, while the war of extermination continues in the Strip.

The extremist minister said, "It is time to apply our sovereignty over the West Bank," claiming that 2025 will be the year of sovereignty.

Smotrich, who himself lives in an illegal settlement according to international law, seeks to strengthen Israeli control over the West Bank, in order to abort any attempt to become part of the Palestinian state, which Israel openly opposes, and voted on a resolution rejecting the Palestinian state within the Knesset in a move that confirms its extremist tendencies and its abort of any attempt at calm and stability in the region, in order to undermine all diplomatic and peaceful efforts and international legitimacy resolutions seeking a two-state solution.

While Israel is eagerly awaiting Trump’s inauguration and his official assumption of power, it is looking forward to receiving the green light from the US president to implement the plan to impose sovereignty over the West Bank, because this is in line with Trump’s orientations and aspirations, who seeks to grant the Palestinians narrow self-rule, and therefore Trump may not oppose Israeli steps against the West Bank.

It is not limited to Smotrich and the far-right movement, but also includes the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, which is engaged in a secret plan to change the way the West Bank is governed, in order to strengthen Israel’s control over it, without being officially accused of a new annexation process.

The secret plan, which was revealed last June, is based on steps to wrest control from the army to the “Civil Administration,” which operates under Smotrich’s command, and it will be easy to swallow the West Bank under it.

The Israeli army has transferred significant powers to civil servants in Israel, in a move to expand the process of annexation and sovereignty over the West Bank, awaiting the official step from the Israeli government to begin implementing the plan.

These steps, coupled with the policy of settlement expansion at the expense of demolishing Palestinian homes and confiscating lands, are raising great controversy. In light of the talk of tensions with the Biden administration and the imposition of American and Western sanctions on a number of settlers, it seems that Smotrich and the ministers of the occupation government will exploit the vacuum in the process of transferring powers and authorities from Biden to Trump in every way and means to accelerate the pace of this step, as evidenced by the extremist Minister of Finance directing the staff of his ministry and a number of employees of the "Civil Administration" to prepare the necessary plans, which means that Israel, which continues the war of extermination in Gaza and seeks to impose sovereignty in the West Bank and separate it from the Strip, is systematically announcing the abortion of the dream of a Palestinian state.

It is true that Smotrich or even Ben-Gvir do not decide alone, but it is clear that they have a great influence on the path of extremism in a government whose only concern is to eliminate everything Palestinian, and therefore everything can be expected from a war of extermination in Gaza, sovereignty over the West Bank, and other violations and attacks.

Yesterday, Monday, our people in a number of governorates commemorated the 20th anniversary of the martyrdom of the founding leader, Yasser Arafat.

In Tubas, our people in the governorate participated in a massive march to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the martyrdom of President Yasser Arafat.

The march, called for by the Fatah movement and the Tubas Governorate, toured the city's streets, with participants chanting slogans and chants of loyalty to the martyrs, and denouncing the occupation's ongoing crimes against our people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The Governor of Tubas and the Northern Jordan Valley, Ahmed Al-Asaad, pointed out that the Palestinian people today commemorate the 20th anniversary of the martyrdom of President Yasser Arafat, and affirm their loyalty to his memory and the blood of the martyrs, stressing that the Palestinian people are today walking on a clear and unambiguous path towards independence, freedom and return.

In turn, the Secretary of the Fatah Movement in Tubas, Mahmoud Sawafta, said that the masses of the governorate are participating today in commemorating the memory of the martyred President Yasser Arafat, and through this they are affirming their loyalty to the blood of all the martyrs of the Palestinian people.

He pointed out that the Palestinian people today, through their sacrifices and loyalty to the blood of their martyrs, confirm their adherence to their fixed rights to an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

In Tulkarm, the Supreme National Committee, under the patronage of the Tulkarm Governor, commemorated the martyrdom of leader Yasser Arafat and the declaration of the Independence Declaration, with a national event at the headquarters of the region’s leadership in the governorate.

Governor Mustafa Taqatqa conveyed the greetings of President Mahmoud Abbas, pointing out what the martyr Abu Ammar represented in terms of a national, militant and revolutionary biography and path on the land of heavenly messages and civilizations in the path of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, where he carried the banner, carried the commandments of his people, and the dream of achieving freedom and establishing an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Taqatqa said: "Yasser Arafat was a decisive battle in the history of the Palestinian people, and it is the battle of national identity. He is the founder of revolutionary thought with his brothers, the first founding leaders. After him, President Mahmoud Abbas, who is steadfast on the principles, carried the banner, starting from the Palestine Liberation Organization, the sole legitimate representative of our Palestinian people in all places of their presence in the homeland and the diaspora."

He explained that the martyr Arafat led the battle for national independence and wanted to tell the whole world that he was carrying the banner towards Jerusalem, and he presented to this people an independent Palestinian national project that resounded from the land of Algeria when he announced the birth of the independent Palestinian state, and he was the one who defeated the enemies when he was besieged, with the slogan "I will not accept anything less than being a martyr."

The commander of the region, Colonel Ahmed Al-Baz, said in his speech: “Today we commemorate a painful memory in our hearts, which is the memory of the martyrdom of the leader Yasser Arafat, that man who sacrificed himself as a martyr to achieve the dream of all Palestinians for an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, this dream for which we paid the price of hundreds of thousands of martyrs, wounded, and heroic detainees behind bars.”

The representative of the National Action Factions, Hakim Taleb, delivered a speech in which he recalled the path of the martyr Abu Ammar and his national, struggle and revolutionary presence, praying for his soul and the souls of all the martyrs, especially in light of the ongoing war of genocide against our people in the Gaza Strip.

He said: "Yasser Arafat had an advanced position among all the global liberation movements and the freedom fighters and freedom fighters of this world. He adhered to the constants and was martyred while adhering to them. He did not give up or compromise. He said, the right of return is a sacred right of the Palestinian people that cannot be compromised. He was a model of steadfastness, heroism, courage, boldness, clarity of vision and position."

In turn, Faisal Salama, in a speech by the Fatah Movement - Tulkarm Region, stressed the role of the martyr Yasser Arafat, "who made the Palestinian keffiyeh a symbol and an identity. He is the owner of the idea and the initiator of the revolution, and President Mahmoud Abbas followed in his footsteps, defending our national cause."

He said: "Yasser Arafat had a station in every village and city. He returned to building the Palestinian state, raised the Palestinian flag, and gave every Palestinian a Palestinian identity and a passport."

Salama recalled the martyrs of Gaza Hashem as a result of the ongoing aggression of the occupation, and said: "We will remain steadfast on this land until the end of the occupation, the departure of the colonists, the establishment of the independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, and the liberation of the detainees from the occupation's prisons."

The Director of Education in Tulkarm, Mazen Jarar, gave a speech in which he said: “On days like these, it was not an ordinary day in the history of the Palestinian people. The anniversary of the martyrdom of Yasser Arafat, the symbolic leader who is still alive in us, we say that Abu Ammar is not just a leader. It is a message of loyalty from this governorate. We pause in reverence and respect for his struggle to follow in his path and teach our children that Palestine is ours and we will liberate our land.”

The event included national segments, a theatrical and poetic performance presented by the students and flowers of Fatima Al-Zahraa Girls School in Tulkarm.

In Hebron, the city’s Education Directorate organized the central event to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the martyrdom of the iconic leader Yasser Arafat, at Othman bin Affan Elementary School for Boys, in addition to opening a photo exhibition dedicated to this anniversary at Hebron University.

The event witnessed official and public attendance, as it was attended by the Director General of Education in Hebron, Atef Al-Jamal, the Mayor of Taffuh, Ahmed Khamaysa, representatives of the security services, members of the local community and the Parents Council.

The event began with the recitation of Al-Fatihah for the soul of the martyr Yasser Arafat, and the Palestinian national anthem, followed by a speech by the director of Othman bin Affan School, Ahmed Erziqat, who praised the contributions of the late president in consolidating the spirit of struggle and building the Palestinian identity to achieve the national project.

Al-Jamal stressed Arafat's role in strengthening national unity and supporting the Palestinian people's cause at the international and local levels.

In a speech by the Mayor of Tufouh, Ahmed Khamaisa, he pointed out that President Arafat led the Palestinian struggle and placed the Palestinian cause at the heart of the world’s concerns, calling for the continuation of the struggle that President Arafat began.

The event also included a scouting show, patriotic poems and folk songs, which embodied the depth of belonging to the Palestinian cause and the legacy of the martyr Abu Ammar.

Hebron Governor Khaled Dudin also opened a photo exhibition documenting the life of the late President Yasser Arafat, in the presence of a number of political and security figures, and freed prisoners.

The exhibition included photos documenting the stages of the late president’s struggle, and reviewed his career in defending the rights of the Palestinian people, and his dream of establishing an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Governor Dudin said that this exhibition comes in loyalty to President Arafat, who devoted his life to defending the rights of his people, stressing that the Palestinian people will continue the path of struggle and steadfastness until achieving freedom and independence, following in the footsteps of the martyr Abu Ammar.

In Qalqilya, the Fatah Movement and the Cubs and Brownies Foundation of the Mobilization and Organization Commission, in cooperation with the Qalqilya Municipality, organized a photo exhibition today, Monday, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the martyrdom of Yasser Arafat.

Qalqilya Governor Hussam Abu Hamdeh said that Yasser Arafat was a symbol of struggle, resistance and steadfastness, and he placed the Palestinian cause at the heart of the world's concerns.

The head of the media department in the Fatah region, Tariq Al-Khatib, explained that the exhibition includes various corners, including pictures of the martyr Yasser Arafat and his stages of struggle and heroism, and another corner specializing in historical books and the Palestinian cause, and models that simulate the suffering of the Palestinian people as a result of the Israeli aggression.

The Arab and Islamic Summit is being held in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, which is considered an extension of the summit held a year ago in time and place. The summit will discuss several major issues, most notably the continuation of the war of extermination in Gaza, and the war on Lebanon, in addition to other issues of interest to the region and the region, especially the repercussions of the results of the US elections and the return of Donald Trump to the presidency of the US states, and what he promised during the election campaign, regarding the future of the region and the shape of the map of Israel.

In the same context, the Arab citizen says: What is our need for summits that do not stop the war and aggression, and are not able to lift the siege in light of the expansion of the mass famine in northern Gaza?! This prompts us to question the almost absent Arab role during the 400 days of the war of extermination in Gaza, and at the same time this war has revealed the international and UN inability, not only the Arab one, but the entire international community has failed to stop the genocide, as it has failed to lift the siege and protect international institutions in Gaza, most notably UNRWA, whose offices, warehouses and vehicles were bombed in front of the world.

The official Arab position during the war was not at the desired level, and perhaps it was expected, as the state of Arab weakness is no secret to anyone, and the divisions between countries and the conflicts were directly reflected in the unity of the Arab decision that was absent for 400 days. So what can this summit carry with all that it represents Arab and Islamic? Here, in order not to raise the ceiling of wishes, we do not want the Arabs to move their armies, nor do we want them to use the oil card, for example, but we want a collective and unified Arab position according to a vision based on Arab interests that are consistent with Palestinian interests, foremost of which is strengthening steadfastness in the face of the existing threat of displacement, and enabling the Palestinians to remain in their land and homeland, through joint Arab plans, especially since the entire region is threatened by the danger of Trump, the owner of the Deal of the Century that failed in its first round, and he may bring it back again, which calls for unified and well-established Arab policies to confront this real danger that is lurking in the region.

It is natural to find the opinion of the citizen in the Arab street indifferent to what will be issued by the Arab and Islamic summit in Riyadh. He is right in light of the ongoing war in Gaza and Lebanon, and he sees that the occupation is violating all international laws and humanitarian norms, and is protecting itself with the American veto, while no one is protecting the innocents who are being killed in Gaza and Lebanon by the fires of the occupation. In light of the continued brutality of the Netanyahu government, and the inability of Arab diplomacy to this day to stop the bloodshed and break the siege, the citizen’s voice remains honest. What need do we have for statements, demands and condemnations while the bloodshed is flowing and the hearts of the innocent are bleeding?!

Most analysts and experts in American politics point out that one of the reasons for the Democrats’ failure in the elections, after Trump’s focus on the economic situation, lies in the bias of the Democratic administration and its participation in the Israeli war of extermination against the Palestinian people, as this caused them to lose the votes of the Arab and Islamic communities, in addition to the younger generations, including a large segment of Democratic supporters, who led the uprising on American universities throughout the past academic year.

The Biden administration was a partner in the war on the Gaza Strip, without Netanyahu taking any of the American proposals into consideration, or taking its interests in the region into consideration, as Biden himself was quick to back down from his declared positions, and swallow his tongue when the occupation government turned its back on these positions, as happened in his initiative to agree on a deal, even though it turned into a resolution issued by the Security Council. This and other things indicate that the administration is not expected to be able, or perhaps it does not want, to make any breakthrough in the remaining period until Trump’s inauguration next January.

The fundamental question that dominates today for all those interested in the Middle East issue and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is that, in light of the agenda that has become clear for Trump's next phase, whether related to internal issues, most notably the US economy, or the Ukrainian war that he promised to resolve, in addition to the files of China, North Korea and the Sudanese war, is: Will Trump be able to give priority to imposing a ceasefire against the Gaza Strip and reaching an agreement that ends the Israeli war on Lebanon? And what is the price that he will seek to achieve from that?

Regarding the war on Lebanon, it is clear that the outlines of an agreement are crystallizing on the horizon, and it seems that the various relevant parties are seeking this, including Israel, which is facing serious resistance from Hezbollah forces, after the party was able to absorb the effects of the painful blow to its leaders, reorganized its ranks, and rebuilt the bases of control and leadership on the military and political levels. Perhaps the integration of the roles of the Lebanese government and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who was authorized by Hezbollah, despite the contradictions of the political map in Lebanon and the fragility of the state’s situation, played a role in opening such a loophole that could end the war, albeit according to new arrangements regarding the implementation of Resolution 1701, especially in terms of providing guarantees to prevent Hezbollah from being armed by Iran through Syrian territory, and this is what the occupation government insists on.

As for the Israeli war of extermination against our people in the Gaza Strip, which is no longer hidden, it is a basic component of the liquidation war plans that the occupation government continues to implement, especially with regard to what is known as the annexation and settlement plan in the West Bank. Observers indicate that the Trump administration will engage in efforts to urgently stop military operations in the Strip, and this is what the Netanyahu government realizes, and therefore it is racing against time to impose its plans on the Strip, in terms of completing the ethnic cleansing of the northern region according to the so-called "Generals' Plan", which could include Gaza City up to the "Netzarim" axis, and confining the people of the Strip to an area that does not exceed half of it, as it seeks to implement a similar plan in the border areas of Rafah Governorate, without abandoning the displacement plans by making the entire Gaza Strip an uninhabitable area, and under Israeli security control, while continuing to give the army and settlers a free hand in daily attacks on various areas of the West Bank, especially its north.

Although Trump was the most "generous" during his previous administration in favor of Israel, as he moved the Washington embassy to Jerusalem, and presented it with what became known as the "deal of the century" under which Israel would annex large areas of the West Bank, and he also stopped Washington's support for UNRWA, which has now become a direct target for Israel to cancel its role in the occupied Palestinian territories, and its connection to trying to eliminate the refugee issue. Despite all of this, Israel, despite its warm welcome and declared support for Trump's campaign, fears what Trump might do in terms of directions that conflict with its aspiration to implement the so-called decisive plan to liquidate the Palestinian issue.

There is no doubt that Trump's relationship with the Gulf states will be a priority, and that he will seek to further normalize their relations with Israel. In this context, the importance of the Saudi role and what its foreign minister is leading in terms of establishing an international coalition for a two-state solution emerges, the achievement of which has become an irreversible Saudi condition for any future normalization process. Will this position constitute a pillar of Arab policy and its relations with Washington in the coming period? The extent to which this policy can be transformed into a working strategy requires addressing many issues in the Palestinian case, foremost among which is stopping the war of extermination against our people in the Gaza Strip, and confronting Netanyahu's policy that seeks to consolidate the separation of the Strip from the national entity, and turning it into a permanent and chronic burden, after it has constituted a basic lever for the national entity since the Nakba, and without confirming its unity, talk about the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state becomes mere talk with no basis in reality. As for the second issue related to the credibility of the two-state solution, it requires an effective confrontation of the monster of settlement expansion and the policy of Judaizing Jerusalem and complete control over its Islamic and Christian sanctities, with what this means in terms of providing the requirements for steadfastness. Here the other question arises: Does the political system of the National Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization, with the fragility of their current reality, possess the elements of the ability to confront these major national tasks, and to prevent them from being bypassed?

A quick look at this reality, and the insistence of the influential leadership on turning its back on the requirements for addressing it, including continuing to put the decisions of the Beijing Declaration in dark drawers, imposes on the Arab brothers to take this matter seriously, especially with regard to helping the Palestinian forces to immediately implement the decisions of the Beijing Declaration by unifying the comprehensive national institutions, and strengthening their legitimacy through the participation of all Palestinians in bearing the responsibility and consequences of national decision-making within the framework of the PLO, and immediately starting the procedures for forming a national consensus government according to work priorities, a reference, and a time frame leading to holding comprehensive general elections.

Implementing these decisions is what strengthens national legitimacy, protects the rights of our people and their just cause, and enables the formulation of a Palestinian, Arab, and even international plan that imposes itself on the international scene. It is what will make Trump and other international parties unable to bypass the Palestinian issue, because achieving stability in the region begins with implementing the requirements of a just solution to the Palestinian issue, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the principles of international law, which guarantee our people freedom, return, and self-determination, and not replacing them with facts of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and colonial annexation that Israel seeks to impose.

There is a great deal of controversy about Trump in his second term, and whether he will be like he was in his first term? Opinions vary between those who believe that he will be the same or worse, and those who assert that there is a new Trump who suits the current situation in America and the world, which is different from what it was eight years ago.

Now it has become more apparent than ever that the world is heading towards a multipolar world order, and this has been reflected in our region, as evidenced by the competition between three projects: the Iranian, the Turkish, the Israeli, and the absent Arab project. This competition has contributed to the convergence with the Chinese and Russian positions that Israel, which used to resolve its wars within days and at most weeks, has not been able, after more than 400 days, to resolve the war, neither on the Palestinian front nor on the Lebanese front nor on any other front. It is true that it launched a war of extermination and caused a second Nakba for the Palestinians and led to the displacement of more than a million Lebanese and the destruction of many villages, homes, and institutions, but it did not eliminate the resistance, and it is suffering great human, economic, and moral losses at all levels, especially in global public opinion, which has witnessed a major shift in favor of adopting and understanding the Palestinian narrative.

It has also not been able to release prisoners and detainees, nor has it been able to return the displaced, nor has it been able to displace Palestinians outside their homeland, nor has it yet been able to find local Palestinian agents or Arab and international parties to administer the Gaza Strip and cover up for the occupation that intends to engineer the Strip geographically and humanely and maintain Israeli control over the Strip.

The question now is: Will the far-right government, after Donald Trump’s victory, be able to achieve what it has not achieved so far, and move further towards annexing the West Bank and implementing a modified Trump deal, after deleting what it stipulates regarding the establishment of a Palestinian state on 70% of the West Bank’s area, even though it will not be a state, but rather isolated, populated enclaves, cut off from each other, through military and security zones, settlements, bypass roads, nature reserves, and religious and archaeological areas?

It is certain that the situation under Trump's second presidency will be worse than it was during his first term, because the owner of the deal of the century, whose goal is to bury the Palestinian cause, who considered that the area of Israel is small and needs to be expanded, and demanded that Netanyahu during his election campaign complete the mission quickly, and considered that the Biden administration is tying the hands of Netanyahu's government; he cannot become an angel or a new person, because he is angry with Netanyahu because he was not loyal to him and did not keep his promise to participate in the assassination of Qassem Soleimani or was not enthusiastic about peace.

Also, you cannot bet on Trump because he is volatile and unpredictable, and he is a deal-maker who does not hesitate to make a deal that benefits him and hesitates twice before taking action that might cause him loss, or because he is strong enough to control both houses of Congress, the Supreme Court, the popular vote and the Electoral College, and because he will not need the support of Zionist pressure groups and others, since he will not be able to run again and is not very concerned about the future of the Republican Party, or because he said that he will not ignite wars and will stop existing wars, but his spokeswoman Elizabeth Pipko stated that he wants to resolve the war with the Palestinians quickly but with a decisive victory for Israel.

Everyone should remember that Trump’s philosophy, expressed in his campaign slogans, is based on “America First” and “The Future is for Nationalists, Not Globalists.” Secondly, he called for abandoning military interventionism except when absolutely necessary and replacing it with economic wars, sanctions, protectionism, tariffs, and raising the contribution of everyone, including allied Europe. Thirdly, he focused on the economy, the economy, the economy.

Despite all of the above, and on the basis of it, it is not possible to act on the basis that what will happen in the region and the world after Trump’s return depends only on what he does or does not do, but rather what will happen depends on what the players in each region do or do not do, from China, which is competing for world leadership, to Iran, which seeks to preserve and expand itself, its role and influence, as well as what the Arab countries will do or do not do, specifically Saudi Arabia, the Palestinian leadership and factions of all kinds, and all Palestinian players who must not adopt a strategy of waiting and reactions, but rather a comprehensive vision and effective proactive strategies are required, and leadership must be unified and the national institution embodied by the PLO must be revived, as what will happen depends on the continuation or non-continuation of Arab policies, so the Arabs must try to seduce or force him, and this requires the crystallization of an Arab project that seeks to place Arab rights and interests at the top of priorities.

If we delve deeper into the issue, will the Palestinian leadership repeat what it did during Trump’s first term in office, when it initially bet on him and asked him to present his historic deal, then was shocked by what he did, to the point of calling President Mahmoud Abbas a “son of a dog,” and cutting off American aid to the Authority and UNRWA, closing the PLO office in Washington, closing the American consulate in Jerusalem, and moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, in addition to considering the West Bank not occupied, but rather disputed lands and that settlement there is legitimate, in addition to recognizing the annexation of the Golan Heights and launching the Abraham Accords.

Trump believes in the philosophy of peace, but on the basis of achieving it through force and deterrence and restoring America to its former greatness, and taking what he wants by making deals, wars, economic sanctions, raising customs tariffs, and raising the cost on allies, competitors, and enemies, and this will increase the number of those harmed by him and those opposed to his policies.

Based on the above, the Palestinian leadership can avoid taking the bad advice given to it to choose to make a deal with Trump on the terms he accepts, which is a big mistake, indeed an unforgivable sin; that is, to accept a low ceiling, whether directly or through Riyadh, so that Palestine is part of the larger deal that will be concluded between Trump and bin Salman to normalize relations and integrate Israel into the region as a dominant player, in exchange for crumbs for the Palestinians and Arabs. It can also start now and immediately to gather Palestinian, Arab and international power and pressure cards and establish a global alliance in support of Palestinian rights and act on the basis that failure to meet them is what threatens security, stability and peace in the region and the world, and give priority to putting the Palestinian house in order and immediately starting a comprehensive national dialogue. Form a national consensus government and activate and expand the temporary leadership framework to include representatives of active groups, sectors, figures and movements, in preparation for forming a new National Council through elections where possible and adopting the appointment through objective criteria and national consensus where elections cannot be held.

The arrangement of the Palestinian house includes the unity of the political system, the unity of institutions and authority in one authority, and the unity of strategy and leadership on the basis that the first goal is to stop the war of extermination, annexation, displacement, relief and reconstruction, and the central goal at this stage is to end the occupation and embody the independence of the State of Palestine.

When the Palestinian house is put in order, or in parallel with it, the broadest Arab support will be mobilized, especially from the Arab capitals that have influence, headed by Saudi Arabia, in order to formulate a unified Arab project and position, and negotiate with Trump from a position of strength to reach a comprehensive deal.

Is it possible or difficult to put the Palestinian and Arab house in order? It is undoubtedly difficult, but not impossible. It is based on the fact that the plan is for Israel to be the central state dominating the region. This would limit the Iranian and Turkish roles, prevent the Arab role from increasing, prevent the crystallization of a unified Arab project, and build another position based on China, Russia, the countries of the South, and the old and new powers in the West that reject the continuation of the unilateral American control over the world and Israel’s continued provision of the atmosphere and push towards wars and instability, or reject the continuation of American and Israeli hegemony over the Arab region falsely called the Middle East.

There is a possibility to turn crises and serious challenges into an opportunity. Now, Riyadh and Prince Mohammed bin Salman are in a better position than they were in 2016, and its relationship with Tehran and Ankara is much better than before. Its relations have diversified across the world with Beijing, Moscow, and others, and are not limited to the United States and Europe.

Europe will also be harmed by the American isolationist policy, which will burden Europe with additional burdens, and will enable an opportunity to stop the Ukrainian war on the basis of stabilizing the status quo; that is, at least relatively in Moscow’s favor. This will make Europe or some of its countries more capable of playing a more independent role from Washington.

There is a way to turn Trump's return, which represents a dilemma and a major challenge, into an opportunity if there is a conscious Palestinian and Arab will that does not exaggerate fears or underestimate the cards of strength and ability to influence that it possesses.

The Israeli army continued its extensive military aggression on Lebanon on Tuesday, intensifying air and artillery bombardment, coinciding with the ground incursion into Lebanon for the 51st consecutive day, while Hezbollah continues to confront Israeli forces’ incursions and shell military sites and Israeli towns in the north.

Sirens sounded in several areas in the Upper and Western Galilee, and in the town of Kiryat Shmona and its surroundings, in anticipation of the infiltration of booby-trapped drones and the launching of rocket barrages from Lebanese territory.

Hezbollah announced carrying out 22 operations against Israeli targets and sites during the last 24 hours. The resistance operations and attacks ranged between shelling with rockets and artillery shells, and targeting Israeli army gatherings, vehicles, and military bases with missiles and drones.

In addition, the Israeli Air Force launched raids on the outskirts of Tyre, Deir Kifa, Srifa, and Toul, in southern Lebanon, and carried out a raid on the outskirts of the town of Shamstar, west of Baalbek, and the town of Romin in the Nabatieh district, where the Israeli raids left martyrs and wounded among civilians.

The death toll from the Israeli aggression on Lebanon since October 8, 2023, according to a statement by the Ministry of Health, has risen to 3,189 dead and 14,078 wounded, while more than 40 Lebanese were martyred and 31 others were wounded in Israeli raids on towns in Mount Lebanon and the South and Bekaa regions.

The United Nations said 85 percent of its attempts to coordinate aid convoys and humanitarian visits to northern Gaza were rejected or obstructed by Israeli authorities last month.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it had submitted 98 requests to the Israeli authorities for permission to cross the checkpoint along the Gaza Valley, but only 15 were allowed through, according to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

Dujarric noted that OCHA is "concerned about the fate of the remaining Palestinians in northern Gaza as the blockade continues there, and urgently calls on Israel to open the area to humanitarian operations to the extent necessary given the enormous needs."

He pointed out that "over the past three days, teams from OCHA, UN human rights agencies, mine clearance and other humanitarian groups visited nine sites in Gaza City to assess the needs of hundreds of displaced families, many of whom are returning to northern Gaza."

In a new report published yesterday, Monday, OCHA said that humanitarian organizations submitted 50 requests to the Israeli authorities to enter northern Gaza in October, 33 of which were rejected and eight of which were accepted, but faced obstacles, including delays, that prevented them from completing their tasks, according to the spokesman.

This comes at a time when the undeclared famine in northern Gaza is intensifying, with more than 50 days having passed since the Israeli occupation forces prevented the entry of any aid or goods to the hundreds of thousands of residents besieged there, who, according to UN agencies, are being subjected to the most violent campaign of genocide to eliminate them through killing and forced displacement.

The Israeli occupation forces arrested, at dawn and on Tuesday morning, several citizens in different areas of the West Bank.

Three citizens were arrested during the raid on the city of Hebron and the town of Sa'ir and the search of a number of homes.

Local sources said that the occupation forces stormed a number of neighborhoods in the city of Hebron, searched a number of homes, and arrested citizen Alian Al-Qawasmi from the Abu Katila neighborhood, and the freed prisoner Jaafar Al-Qawasmi and his son Ahmed.

In a related context, the occupation forces stormed the town of Sa'ir and searched the home of the family of the martyr Jalal Jabarin in the Al-Dawara area, during which they vandalized and destroyed the contents.

Meanwhile, the young man Habib Ararawi was arrested from Al-Ain camp in Nablus after being kidnapped by special forces.

The occupation forces stormed the city of Salfit, raided a number of citizens’ homes, and arrested the young man Karam Omar Al-Masry (22 years old) and the young man Ramez Maraytah.

The two brothers, Ashraf and Muthanna Salmi, were also arrested after raiding and searching their homes in Qalqilya.

The young man, Muhammad Raed Shriteh, was arrested after raiding his home and ransacking its contents in Al-Mazra’a Al-Qibliya, northwest of Ramallah.

While the two released prisoners, Abdul Rahman Hammad and Aser Shehadeh, were arrested during the raid on Qalandia camp, north of occupied Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, the occupation forces closed several entrances and roads leading to the city of Bethlehem.

According to local sources, the occupation forces closed many entrances to the city, and this was preceded by a large-scale raid on several areas in the governorate, and the firing of sound bombs and toxic gas towards citizens’ homes, without any arrests being reported.

The Hebrew radio Kan revealed, this Tuesday morning, that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in a closed session during the last few days about imposing sovereignty over the West Bank.

The radio quoted Netanyahu as saying: When US President-elect Donald Trump enters the White House, the possibility of sovereignty over Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) must be put back on the agenda.

Netanyahu thus joins other voices in the Israeli government coalition that have addressed this issue, as his Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said yesterday that "2025 will be, God willing, the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria." According to his expression.

The radio says that the annexation plan is already ready for implementation, and in 2020, within the framework of Trump's "Deal of the Century", a ministerial team was formed to cooperate with senior American officials and prepared plans and maps for that.

The Israeli occupation forces continue to commit massacres in the Gaza Strip, leaving more dead and wounded.

The occupation forces expanded their ground operation in the northern Gaza Strip to include the town of Beit Hanoun, adjacent to Jabalia and Beit Lahia.

The occupation forces stormed the shelters that house thousands of citizens, arrested the men and began interrogating them, while ordering the women and children to flee to the southern Gaza Strip via Salah al-Din Road.

They also stormed the homes of citizens near the shelters and asked them to move to the south.

This came hours after three aid trucks passed into the town of Beit Hanoun for the first time in more than a month.

The storming was preceded by a violent air strike that targeted several homes in the town, leading to the martyrdom of dozens from the Kafarna and Shabat families and others.

There are no medical or civil defense teams in the northern Gaza Strip that can help rescue the wounded and pull out those trapped under the rubble.

Israeli aircraft also launched a series of raids on Jabalia and Beit Lahia camps, and on Gaza City, leaving more dead including children and women.

A number of citizens were killed in a bombing that targeted the Abu Odeh family home in the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip.

The number of dead from the bombing of an internet point in Mawasi, Khan Yunis, rose to 11.

The Israeli occupation army announced, this Tuesday morning, the killing of 4 of its soldiers in battles in the northern Gaza Strip.

According to an Israeli military spokesman, the soldiers were killed when an anti-tank shell was fired at a house where they were holed up.

This brings the death toll to 5 since yesterday evening, after an officer was announced killed in a similar attack.

The four dead were from the Samson Battalion in the Kfir Brigade.

Israeli media reported that two people were injured in a run-over attack near the town of Al-Khader, west of Bethlehem.

The Israeli army claimed that a vehicle ran over two Israeli soldiers and fled towards Hebron.

Five citizens were killed, Monday evening, and others were injured, in an Israeli air strike on a tent housing displaced people west of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip.

Medical sources said that the occupation forces bombed a tent housing displaced people who were gathering to obtain internet service, near the southern Asdaa gate, west of Khan Yunis city, south of the Gaza Strip, which led to the death of 5 citizens and the injury of others.

Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, is seen as more ideologically fervent in her support for Israel than Trump’s former U.N. ambassador, Nikki Haley.

“I am honored to nominate Committee Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my administration as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations,” Trump said in a statement. “Elise is a strong and extremely smart fighter for America First.”

New York Congresswoman Stefanik, the fourth-ranking Republican in the House, was a staunch ally of the president-elect and a major fundraiser for the GOP.

Stefanik has played a pivotal role in launching what experts say is a “crusade” to stoke anti-Semitism over the past year, and has lavished millions of dollars on Stefanik’s campaigns with awards that have allowed her to infiltrate Trump’s political machine.

There are no obvious substantive differences between Stefanik and Haley; Stefanik has strongly denounced the Biden-Harris administration for not adequately arming Israel, has alleged that Biden has kowtowed to China—and has condemned his withdrawal from Afghanistan on principle. Nor are there any obvious policy differences between Stefanik and Liz Cheney, her predecessor as House Republican Conference chair.

According to experts, the only notable difference is that Stefanik has spent the past several years trying to get close to Trump in every way possible — politically, legislatively, in donor circles, and internationally (she went to Israel to brag about how close she is to Trump as a partner).

It is an approach that has clearly borne fruit, even if the substantive political dimension is largely irrelevant.

President-elect Trump said on Saturday that he would not invite Nikki Haley, his former ambassador to the United Nations, or Mike Pompeo, his former secretary of state, to join his next administration.

Trump's announcement on his social media platform, Truth Social, was an early sign of the president-elect's decision-making process as he navigates ideological differences within the Republican Party.

Stefanik’s selection signals a more aggressive US stance toward the UN. Stefanik has been a frequent critic of the international body, particularly over its criticism of Israel, and said last month that the Biden administration should consider a “complete reassessment” of US funding for the UN if the Palestinian Authority continues to seek to have Israel revoked from the UN.

Stefanik, the House Republican Conference chair, has for years been one of Trump’s staunchest supporters in Congress. Her aggressive performance during his 2019 impeachment hearings made her a “Republican star,” as Trump himself called it at the time. She again rose to Trump’s side after his 2020 defeat, when she objected to the House certifying President Joe Biden’s victory and promoted Trump’s false claims of election fraud.

Stefanik said she was "honored" to accept Trump's nomination and looked forward to "gaining the support of my colleagues in the U.S. Senate," which must vote on her nomination to make it official.

“America remains a beacon to the world, but we expect and must demand that our friends and allies be strong partners in the peace we seek,” Stefanik added in a statement provided to the right-wing New York Post.

The New York congresswoman does not have extensive experience in foreign policy or national security. She has served on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Since the October 7, 2023 attack, Stefanik has become one of the most outspoken supporters of Israel in Congress, gaining national attention as she led congressional hearings into college presidents’ handling of pro-Palestinian protests on campus.

The final statement of the extraordinary joint Arab-Islamic summit held in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, today, Monday, affirmed in the strongest terms the horrific and shocking crimes being committed by the Israeli occupation army in the Gaza Strip, in the context of the crime of genocide, including mass graves, the crime of torture, field execution, enforced disappearance, looting and ethnic cleansing, especially in the northern part of the Strip, during the past weeks.

The Security Council called for the formation of an independent and credible international investigation committee to investigate these crimes, and to take serious steps to prevent the concealment of evidence and proof, hold the perpetrators accountable, and ensure that they do not escape punishment.

He stressed the centrality of the Palestinian cause and the firm support for the Palestinian people to achieve their legitimate and inalienable national rights, foremost among which is their right to freedom and an independent, sovereign state on the lines of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the right of refugees to return and compensation in accordance with the relevant international legitimacy resolutions, especially Resolution 194, and to confront any attempts to deny or undermine these rights, and that the Palestinian cause is like all just causes of peoples struggling to be freed from occupation and achieve their rights.

He reiterated the full sovereignty of the State of Palestine over occupied East Jerusalem, the eternal capital of Palestine, and rejected any Israeli decisions or measures aimed at Judaizing it and consolidating its colonial occupation of it, considering them null and void and illegitimate under international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, and that Holy Jerusalem is a red line for the Arab and Islamic nations, and the absolute solidarity in protecting the Arab and Islamic identity of occupied East Jerusalem and in defending the sanctity of the Islamic and Christian holy sites there.

The final statement affirmed absolute support for the Lebanese Republic, its security, stability, sovereignty and the safety of its citizens.

He stressed the decisions issued by the first extraordinary joint summit in Riyadh in November 2023, and renewed the confrontation of the brutal Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, and working to end its disastrous humanitarian repercussions on civilians; children, women, elderly and defenseless civilians, and continuing to move, in coordination with the international community, to put an end to the serious Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law, and Israel’s endangerment of regional and international peace and security, and reaffirming the decisions of the 33rd Arab Summit held in the Kingdom of Bahrain in May 2024, and the 15th Islamic Summit held in the Republic of Gambia in May 2024.

He warned of the danger of the escalation sweeping the region and its regional and international consequences, and of the expansion of the aggression that has lasted more than a year on the Gaza Strip, and has extended to include the Lebanese Republic, and of the violation of the sovereignty of the Republic of Iraq, the Syrian Arab Republic and the Islamic Republic of Iran, without decisive measures from the United Nations and with the failure of international legitimacy.

He stressed all relevant resolutions issued by the United Nations General Assembly, including Resolution No. 10/22-A/RES/ES on the protection of civilians and adherence to legal and humanitarian obligations dated 10 December 2023, and the resolutions issued by the Security Council, and the need for the Security Council to adopt a binding resolution under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, to compel Israel, the occupying power, to cease fire in the Gaza Strip, and to provide immediate and adequate humanitarian assistance to all areas of the Strip, and to implement Security Council resolutions 2735 (2024), 2728 (2024), 2720 (2023), 2712 (2023), which call for taking urgent steps to immediately allow the delivery of humanitarian assistance in a broad, safe and unhindered manner, and Resolution No. 2728, which calls for a ceasefire, as well as resolutions affirming the right of the Palestinian people to exercise their inalienable rights, including the right to self-determination, national independence and the right of refugees to return, and resolutions affirming the permanent responsibility of the United Nations. The United Nations on the Palestinian issue until it is resolved in all its aspects; calling on the Security Council to respond to the international consensus expressed in the United Nations General Assembly resolution dated May 10, 2024 that the State of Palestine is qualified for full membership in the United Nations by issuing a resolution granting the State of Palestine full membership in the United Nations, and urging member states to mobilize the necessary support to adopt the resolution.

He stressed support for the great and appreciated efforts made by the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Qatar in cooperation with the United States of America to achieve an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages and prisoners, and to hold Israel responsible for the failure of these efforts as a result of the Israeli government’s withdrawal from the agreements reached by the negotiators.

He called on the international community to implement all the provisions of the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice dated 19 July 2024 towards ending the Israeli occupation, removing its effects, and paying compensation for its damages, as soon as possible.

He condemned the crime of enforced disappearance committed by the Israeli occupation forces since the beginning of the current aggression against thousands of Palestinian citizens in the Gaza Strip and throughout the occupied Palestinian territory, including children, women and the elderly, in addition to the abuse, repression, torture and degrading treatment to which they are subjected, calling on the member states of the United Nations to work at all levels to uncover the fate of the kidnapped, work to release them immediately, ensure the provision of protection for them, and demand an independent and transparent investigation into this crime, including the execution of some of them.

The statement strongly condemned the continued and persistent Israeli aggression against Lebanon and the violation of its sovereignty and the sanctity of its territories, and called for an immediate ceasefire and the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006) in all its provisions, stressing solidarity with the Lebanese Republic in confronting this aggression and strongly condemning the deliberate targeting of the Lebanese army and its centers, which led to the fall of a number of martyrs and wounded in its ranks, as well as the killing of civilians, the systematic destruction of residential areas, the forced displacement of people, and the targeting of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and stressing support for the Lebanese constitutional institutions in exercising their authority and extending the sovereignty of the Lebanese state over all its territories, and stressing in this regard support for the Lebanese Armed Forces as the guarantor of Lebanon's unity and stability, and emphasizing the importance of expediting the election of a president of the republic and the formation of a government based on the provisions of the Lebanese constitution and the implementation of the Taif Agreement.

He stressed his rejection of the displacement of Palestinian citizens inside or outside their land, considering it a war crime and a flagrant violation of international law, "which we will confront together."

He condemned the policy of collective punishment pursued by Israel and the use of siege and starvation as a weapon against civilians in the Gaza Strip, calling on the international community to take immediate practical steps to end the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the aggression, including forcing Israel to withdraw completely from the Gaza Strip and open all crossings between it and the Strip, and lift all restrictions and obstacles to safe, rapid and unconditional humanitarian access to the Strip, in implementation of its obligations as the occupying power, and in the same context, calling for the immediate withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from the Rafah crossing and from the Salah al-Din (Philadelphi) axis, and for the Palestinian National Authority to return to manage the Rafah crossing, and to resume work on the 2005 Movement and Access Agreement, in a manner that allows the regular work of relief organizations and the resumption of the flow of aid in a safe and effective manner.

He stressed the need to join efforts to implement the outcomes of the Emergency Humanitarian Response Conference in Gaza, hosted by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, jointly organized with the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United Nations on June 11, 2024, and to mobilize the necessary support for the humanitarian conference that Cairo will host on December 2, 2024, in the context of efforts to provide adequate humanitarian support to the sector.

He called on the international community to take effective action to compel Israel to respect international law, and to denounce the double standards in the application of international law, international humanitarian law, and the United Nations Charter, warning that this double standard seriously undermines the credibility of the countries that protect Israel and place it above accountability, and the credibility of multilateral action, and exposes the selectivity in the application of the system of humanitarian values.

He welcomed General Assembly resolution 10/24-A/RES/ES of 18 September 2024, which adopted the outcomes of the legal advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the illegality of the Israeli occupation.

He called on all countries of the world, their legislative bodies, and all international institutions and organizations to abide by the resolutions of international legitimacy regarding the city of Jerusalem and its legal and historical status, as an integral part of the Palestinian territory occupied in 1967.

The Israeli occupation authorities announced today, Monday, the seizure of 546 dunums of citizens' land northeast of Salfit.

The head of the Yasuf village council, Wael Abu Madi, said that the occupation forces issued an “expropriation order” to seize 546 dunums of citizens’ lands in the villages of Yasuf, Marda, Kafel Haris, and Jama’in, with the aim of expanding the “Trans-Samaria 505” road, where the plan extends from the Za’tara checkpoint to the Kafel Haris roundabout.

He pointed out that the lands that will be included in the seizure are Basin No. (6) in the areas of Khallet Ibn Ahmed, Al-Kharbah, Al-Wajh Al-Qibli, Al-Ras, and Al-Duwair in Kafr Haris, and Basin No. (3) in the locations of Khallet Al-Kubra, Khallet Al-Lahm, Kafayef Asfour, Wadi Qasim, Kafayef Al-Abhar in Marda, in addition to Basin No. (4) in the location of Al-Malab.

In Jama’in, there is Basin No. (2) in the Shaab Al-Hariq site, and in Wadi Mardah: Basin No. (3) in the Al-Awil and Al-Khala Hariq sites.

The decision also includes Basin No. (2) in the Khallet Al-Fula site in Hawara, and in Yasuf: Basin No. (2) in the Za’tara area, Basin No. (12) in the Jabal Abu Al-Suwaid site, and Basin No. (14) in the Al-Jafri site.

Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat attacked the State of Qatar on Monday evening after the Foreign Ministry in Doha announced that it had informed the parties participating in the ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza Strip of its intention to temporarily freeze its mediation until they have the will.

Barakat said in an interview with the official Israeli Broadcasting Authority: Let the Qataris go to hell, and let us replace them with the Emiratis or the Saudis.

He added: The Emiratis and Saudis know how to spend their money away from terrorism, unlike Qatar, which embraces terrorists from all over the world.

The so-called "Ethics" Committee in the Israeli Knesset decided, on Monday evening, to impose severe penalties on Knesset member Ofer Cassif after his recent statements.

According to the official Israeli Broadcasting Authority, it was decided to freeze Kassif's membership for 6 months and deprive him of his salary for two weeks.

Kassif, a member of the Knesset for the Jewish-Arab Front for Change, had accused the Israeli army of committing war crimes in Gaza.

US President-elect Donald Trump has selected Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York to serve as US Ambassador to the United Nations.

"Elise is a strong, determined and smart fighter," Trump said in a statement Monday when announcing Stefanik's selection, according to the Associated Press.

Nikki Haley, who ran against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, was among those who held the position during Trump's first term.

During a meeting of his party's faction in the Knesset today, Monday, the head of the Religious Zionism Party and Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, welcomed Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential elections, considering it an opportunity to annex the West Bank to Israel.

Smotrich, who also serves as Minister of Settlement Affairs in the Ministry of Defense, addressed his boycott and refusal to deal with him by the current US administration due to his extremist and fascist positions, and claimed that "after years during which the current administration chose to interfere in Israeli democracy and personally not to cooperate with me as Minister of Finance of the State of Israel, I expect strong joint work from the elected administration in the interest of strengthening economic and trade relations between the two countries."

"Trump's victory brings with it an important opportunity for the State of Israel. We were one step away from imposing sovereignty over the settlements in Judea and Samaria (during Trump's previous term), and now is the time to implement it," he continued.

Smotrich added, "There is now a broad consensus in the coalition and the opposition from all parts of the Knesset to oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state, which would pose a threat to Israel's existence."

He considered that "the year 2025 will be the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. I have instructed the Settlement Directorate in the Ministry of Defense and the Civil Administration to begin a collective, professional and comprehensive effort to prepare the infrastructure required to impose sovereignty."

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday that the Biden administration will continue to push forward during its final 71 days in the White House to achieve ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon, and to support Ukraine.

“Our approach remains the same as it has been for the last two and a half years, which is to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield so that it can ultimately be in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table,” Sullivan told host Margaret Brennan on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to cut off aid to Ukraine soon after taking office, and has claimed he will end the war started by Russian President Vladimir Putin in a day, without specifying how. His son Donald Trump Jr. on Saturday shared a video on Instagram mocking Ukraine.

“It should be up to Ukraine to decide for the sake of its sovereignty and territorial integrity when and how to come to the negotiating table,” Sullivan said Sunday. “It should be up to the United States and the coalition of nations we have built to continue to provide Ukraine with the means to defend itself against Russia’s brutal aggression.”

Sullivan added that President Joe Biden and Trump plan to meet on Wednesday to discuss key domestic and foreign policy issues, including “what’s happening in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.” He stressed that by January 20, Biden plans to spend the full amount of resources and aid for Ukraine authorized by Congress, as well as make the case to the incoming administration that the United States should continue to provide that aid. “Withdrawal means more instability in Europe, and ultimately, as the Japanese prime minister said, if we walk away from Ukraine in Europe, the question of America’s commitment to our allies in Asia will grow,” Sullivan continued. Asked whether Russia would face consequences for interfering in the US election, he said that helping Ukraine “already does a lot of things to impose costs on Russia,” and emphasized US sanctions on Russia.

Sullivan also spoke about how U.S. involvement in the Middle East conflict might change with the next administration, emphasizing that at this point, Hamas is refusing to reach a ceasefire with Israel in Gaza. “What we need to do is get the rest of the world to continue to increase the pressure on Hamas to come to the table to negotiate an agreement in Gaza, because the Israeli government has said it is prepared to take an interim step in that direction,” Sullivan told Brennan.

Sullivan said he believes that “at some point, the Israeli government wants to make a deal to bring its citizens home. I don’t think they’re doing it for American policy. I think they’re doing it to try to secure Israel, and I expect in the coming weeks we’ll see progress.” He also said the United States has been actively engaged in discussions with the Israeli government regarding its conflict with Lebanon.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi stressed on Monday that his country will stand against all plans aimed at liquidating the Palestinian cause, stressing its condemnation of the "systematic killing campaign being practiced against civilians in the Gaza Strip."

This came in a speech at the extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit held in Riyadh.

He added that the summit "comes amidst a very complex regional situation and ongoing aggression for more than a year on the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Lebanon, amid shameful silence and flagrant inability of the international community to carry out the minimum of its duties in the face of this serious threat to international peace and security."

He added, "Citizens in our Arab and Islamic countries, and all people of free conscience across the world, are asking, and they have every right to, about the usefulness of any talk about justice and fairness in light of what they see of the daily shedding of the blood of children, women, and the elderly."

He added: "We say it with complete frankness: The future of the region and the world is at a crossroads, and the unacceptable aggression taking place on Palestinian and Lebanese lands puts the entire international system at stake."

Al-Sisi stressed "Egypt's categorical condemnation of the systematic killing campaign being carried out against civilians in the Gaza Strip."

He stressed that "Egypt stands against all plans that aim to liquidate the Palestinian cause, whether through displacing the local civilian population, forcibly transferring them, or turning the Strip into an uninhabitable place... This is something we will not accept under any circumstances."

He added that "the necessary condition for achieving security and stability, and moving from a regional system whose essence is conflict and hostility... to another based on peace and development... is the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, on the lines of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital."

On Monday, the Israeli occupation army warned the residents of 21 villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate their homes immediately, in preparation for bombing them.

The Israeli army spokesman for the Arab media, Avichay Adraee, said in a post on the “X” platform that he is sending his warning to the residents of the villages of: Shehin, Jabin, Tyre Harfa, Abu Shash, Shama, Majdal Zun, Al-Mansouri, Zebqin, Al-Rashidiya, Al-Barghliya, Qasmiyya, Al-Bayada, Al-Naqoura, Bint Jbeil, Ainata, Kounin, Aitaroun, Al-Taybeh, Rabb Al-Thalathin, Markab, and Bani Hayyan.

He added: "You must evacuate your homes immediately and move to the north of the Awali River... You must evacuate without delay."

Adraee continued, without specifying a time frame for the residents to return to their homes: "We will inform you of the appropriate time to return to your homes once the appropriate conditions are available for that."

Since the start of the Israeli ground operation in southern Lebanon early last month, similar warnings have been issued to dozens of villages in southern Lebanon.

Several areas in Lebanon are witnessing a displacement movement, fleeing the ongoing Israeli raids.

After clashes with factions in Lebanon, including Hezbollah, the day after Israel launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the martyrdom and injury of about 146,000 Palestinians, Tel Aviv expanded the scope of the genocide since September 23 to include most areas of Lebanon, including the capital Beirut, through air strikes, and it also began a ground invasion in the south.

Every day, Hezbollah responds by launching missiles, drones, and artillery shells targeting military sites, intelligence headquarters, military gatherings, and settlements. While Israel announces some of its human and material losses, military censorship imposes a strict blackout on most of the losses, according to observers.

The Israeli aggression on Lebanon resulted in a total of 3,189 dead and 14,078 wounded, including a large number of children and women, in addition to about 1,400,000 displaced persons. Most of the victims and displaced persons were recorded after September 23.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said, "We are working to establish mechanisms to administer the Gaza Strip under the jurisdiction of the State of Palestine and the PLO."

President Abbas called, before the Arab-Islamic summit held in Riyadh today, Monday, to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, the complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and the return of the displaced.

Abbas said: "The international community has failed to stop the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip," noting that the Israeli attacks continue with the support provided by the United States.

He also called for empowering the State of Palestine and supporting its government in implementing its programs and pressuring the occupation to release its funds.

He added: "The international coalition must be supported to embody the State of Palestine and obtain its full membership in the United Nations," calling on the Security Council and the General Assembly to suspend Israel's membership in the United Nations unless it abides by international law.

He called on the countries of the world to review their relations with Israel due to its violations of international law.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said that "Israel's persistence in its aggression against the Palestinian people hinders peace efforts."

In a speech during the opening of the Arab-Islamic summit in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, today, Monday, Bin Salman stressed the need to "continue joint efforts to establish a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital," and stressed the rejection of diminishing the role of the Palestinian Authority.

The Saudi Crown Prince reiterated his rejection of the genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people, denounced the prevention of UNRWA and the obstruction of relief organizations from providing aid, condemned the military operations targeting Lebanese territory and violating its sovereignty, and rejected the attacks on Iranian territory.

The summit will be attended by a number of leaders and presidents, including the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and King Abdullah II of Jordan.

Also participating are Chairman of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, and Mohammad Reza, First Vice President of Iran.

Saudi Al-Ekhbariya channel reported that the summit will witness "the issuance of a final statement unanimously agreed upon by the 57 countries participating in the summit."

This summit comes as an "extension of the joint Arab-Islamic summit held in Riyadh on November 11, 2023," according to a statement by the Saudi Foreign Ministry yesterday.

One of the most important outcomes of last year’s summit was the establishment of a contact group on Gaza, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Palestine, Indonesia and Nigeria. The contact group continues to work to stop the Israeli genocide in Gaza and reach a two-state solution.

Today, Monday, the Israeli occupation forces intensified their attacks and aggression on various areas of the Gaza Strip, directly targeting hospitals, homes, health and civilian facilities, on a bloody day in which the number of dead and wounded rose rapidly.

Medical sources reported the martyrdom of Muhammad Zaher Muqdad this afternoon, after being shot in the chest by a drone near Al-Awda Hospital, in a dangerous development in targeting civilians around hospitals.

In the west of Al-Nuseirat camp, the house of citizen Shihab Abu Dalal was subjected to artillery shelling, which led to the death of three people and the injury of others.

In the same context, the occupation aircraft targeted the reception and emergency department at Kamal Adwan Hospital, which led to the injury of three of the medical staff working there, while the Israeli artillery continued to bomb the Al-Awda Hospital building in Al-Nuseirat, which put the lives of patients and workers at risk.

Earlier today, medical sources announced the death of eight citizens in the Nuseirat camp since the morning hours, with the intensification of the shelling and attacks on the area located in the middle of the Strip.

Since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, the number of dead has reached about 43,603, and more than 102,929 injured, the majority of whom are women and children. Efforts continue to recover victims from under the rubble despite great difficulties, as thousands are still trapped in places that cannot be reached due to the ongoing destruction.

Today, Monday, Israeli occupation bulldozers demolished a mosque and several facilities in the Arab al-Ara'ara community near the town of Jaba', east of Jerusalem.

Local sources reported that bulldozers demolished the mosque, an abandoned house, a guest house, and sheep pens.

Eyewitnesses also reported that the occupation forces demolished 5 sheep pens and a house abandoned since the 1960s.

The witnesses added that the Bedouin community is home to more than 80 families from the Jahalin Arabs, and that the occupation placed red marks on several facilities, apparently in preparation for their demolition.

More than 350 settlers stormed the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque today, Monday, under the protection of the occupation police.

Local sources reported that the occupation police closed the Mughrabi Gate in the face of worshipers since the morning, while allowing hundreds of settlers to storm its courtyards, desecrate them, and perform Talmudic and provocative rituals.

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

Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi has approved the expansion of ground operations in southern Lebanon, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported Sunday evening. This came after he approved new plans for the Northern Command aimed at expanding Israeli military maneuvers into new areas where Hezbollah activity is concentrated.

The new operation includes the deployment of thousands of regular and reserve soldiers, amid expectations that the expansion will lead to more intense confrontations with Hezbollah fighters in the targeted areas.

Channel 11 reported that high-level Israeli security sources indicated that expanding the operations aims to deepen "the achievements made by Israeli forces so far in Lebanon" and reach additional sites where Hezbollah is believed to be active.

Regarding the settlers, military officials told Israel's Channel 12 that returning them to the north is still out of the question at the moment. The officials justified this decision by saying that the security situation on the border remains unstable, with ongoing fears of possible attacks on northern towns.

Fires in the Galilee

On the ground, the Israeli army announced that a drone fell in an open area in the Western Galilee, confirming that firefighting crews are working to extinguish a fire at the site.

Israeli media reported that fires broke out after a drone fell and exploded near the town of Liman in the Galilee without activating the sirens.

This comes a day after dozens of rockets were fired from Lebanon towards northern Israel.

Hezbollah broadcast footage of targeting Israeli army gatherings around the border towns of Shebaa and Kfar Shuba.

Hezbollah also broadcast images of its fighters targeting the Israeli occupation army's Haifa technical base with "Fadi" and "Nasr One" missiles.

Israeli state radio said several people were injured when an anti-tank missile was fired at the town of Metula in the Upper Galilee.

The Israeli army said it had detected 10 rockets fired from Lebanon towards the Golan Heights, some of which were intercepted and the rest fell in open areas.

He also said that he had monitored about 15 rockets launched towards the Upper and Western Galilee, which fell in open areas, confirming that other rockets were intercepted.

The Nahariya Municipality in northern Israel reported that rockets fired at the east and north of the area were intercepted, while the Israel Hayom newspaper confirmed that 3 people were injured when a rocket fell in an open area near Nahariya.

Dozens killed in Lebanon

Yesterday, Sunday, Israel launched deadly raids on Lebanon, leaving at least 41 dead, including 23 in a single raid on a town north of Beirut.

The ministry said in a statement that "the Israeli enemy's raid on Almat in the Jbeil district in Mount Lebanon led, in a new toll (...), to the martyrdom of 23 people, including 7 children."

She added that "body parts were removed from the scene and their identities are being verified, which suggests that the number of martyrs may rise."

The Israeli aggression on Lebanon resulted in a total of 3,136 deaths and at least 13,979 wounded, including a large number of children and women, in addition to about 1.4 million displaced persons.