On Tuesday, Israel released dozens of Palestinians whose army had arrested them from the Gaza and northern governorates during its ground operations as part of its ongoing war on the Gaza Strip since last October 7.

This war left about 122,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 10,000 missing amid massive destruction and famine that claimed the lives of children and the elderly.

Field sources, who requested to remain anonymous, told Anadolu’s correspondent that Israel “released about 50 prisoners from the Gaza and northern governorates.”

Meanwhile, medical sources told Anadolu Agency that “33 prisoners, out of the total prisoners released on Tuesday, arrived at Kamal Adwan Hospital (north) to receive treatment as a result of the difficult health conditions they are suffering from.”

These sources, who preferred to remain anonymous, added in an interview with Anadolu Agency that a number of prisoners “show signs of torture on their bodies.”

Since last October 27, the army has been carrying out ground operations in various parts of the Gaza Strip, which has been besieged by Tel Aviv for the 18th year, and where about 2.3 million Palestinians live.

There are no statistics available regarding the number of Palestinians arrested by the Israeli army from Gaza, while human rights organizations and Israeli media reported that dozens of them were killed as a result of torture and detention conditions inside Israel.

Israel continues its war on Gaza despite two UN Security Council resolutions to stop the fighting immediately, and orders from the International Court of Justice to end the invasion of Rafah (south), and to take measures to prevent acts of genocide and improve the dire humanitarian situation in the Strip.

Israel is also challenging the request of International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan to issue arrest warrants against its Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and its Defense Minister, Yoav Galant for their responsibility for “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity” in Gaza.

Source: Anatolia

On Tuesday, the families of hundreds of Israeli soldiers working in Gaza called on their children to lay down their weapons “immediately” and return to their homes.

This came according to a letter sent by the families to Defense Minister Yoav Galant and Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy, in which they criticized the Knesset (Parliament)’s decision to approve the law that is lenient with religious Jews regarding service in the army, according to the Hebrew newspaper “Haaretz.”

The newspaper said: “Hundreds of families of Israeli soldiers addressed Galant and Halevy in an open letter, in which they criticized the Knesset’s decision to approve the law that exempts religious people from serving in the army.”

It added: “They (the families) wrote that they no longer support the fighting in Gaza.”

The newspaper quoted the families from the letter saying: “We tell our soldier sons that they must stop fighting now, lay down their weapons and return to their homes immediately.”

The European Union announced on Tuesday that more than 2,000 trucks carrying humanitarian aid and commercial goods were stuck on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip.

The European Union Directorate General for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid explained on the “X” platform that “due to the intense (Israeli) military operations, the Rafah crossing remains closed.”

EU added, "More than 2,000 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid and commercial goods are waiting in Egypt and ready to enter Gaza."

The European Union called for "the delivery of humanitarian aid in a sustainable, safe and unhindered manner."

The Directorate published a short video on “X” showing a large number of trucks carrying food supplies, lined up on a large area of land, which the Directorate said was on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing.

There was no immediate comment from the Egyptian side on this news.

On May 6, the Israeli army announced the start of a military operation in Rafah, ignoring international warnings about its repercussions on the lives of the city’s displaced people, and the next day it took control of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a war on Gaza that has left nearly 122,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and about 10,000 missing amid massive destruction and famine that claimed the lives of children and the elderly.

Israel continues its war despite a decision by the UN Security Council to stop it immediately, and orders from the International Court of Justice to end the invasion of the city of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, and to take measures to prevent acts of “genocide” and improve the miserable humanitarian situation in Gaza.

An Israeli government official said on Tuesday that the latest proposal regarding the situation in Gaza would allow Israel to achieve all its goals before ending the war.

The official, who requested to remain anonymous, added to Reuters: “Israel will not end the war before achieving all its goals, which are to destroy Hamas’ military capabilities (and end) its rule, release all hostages, and ensure that Gaza does not pose a threat to Israel in the future.”

He continued: "The proposed proposal enables Israel to achieve these goals, and Israel will indeed do so."

6 young men, Mustafa Mar’i, Ahmed Abu Ubaid, Saqr Abed, Muhammad Hazza Mar’i, Ayman Al-Adas, and Ahmad Al-Samoudi, were killed by the bullets of the occupation forces in Kafr Dan, west of Jenin Governorate, while an occupation military helicopter opened fire in the village in conjunction with an invasion of the occupation forces and the outbreak of armed clashes.

A tripartite summit was held today between Egypt, Jordan and Palestine, with the participation of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein of Jordan, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, on the sidelines of the Emergency Humanitarian Response Conference in Gaza, in the Kingdom of Jordan.

During the meeting, the leaders discussed developments in the Palestinian issue in light of the current developments, as they stressed the necessity of an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages and detainees in implementation of Security Council Resolution No. 2735 issued yesterday, June 10, 2024, and other relevant international and UN resolutions, in addition to their emphasis on the ceasefire. Immediate Israeli military operations in the Palestinian city of Rafah in light of their disastrous security and humanitarian repercussions, and their demand for adequate and sustainable access for humanitarian aid to all areas of the Gaza Strip, the opening of land crossings as it is the most effective means of delivering relief aid, and Israel’s withdrawal from the Palestinian city of Rafah.

The official spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency indicated that the leaders stressed the necessity of ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, and called for concerted international efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian issue on the basis of the two-state solution, which guarantees the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state on the lines of June 4, 1967, with its capital. East Jerusalem, and resolving the issue of Palestinian refugees in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions, as the only way to prevent the expansion of the conflict and achieve peace, stability and coexistence in the region, in addition to their rejection of Israeli practices in the cities of the occupied West Bank, and their rejection of any violation of religious sanctities or attempts to expand settlement activities.

King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein and President Mahmoud Abbas also stressed the importance of Egypt's pivotal role in mediation efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement, and the three leaders called on the international community to exert maximum pressure on Israel to stop its crimes against the Palestinian people, adhere to international law, and stop its brutal aggression against People of Ghara sector.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced on Tuesday that his country will provide new aid to the Palestinians worth $404 million.

Blinken's speech came in his speech during the main session of the Gaza Emergency Response Conference, held in the Dead Sea region in Jordan.

Blinken said: “Today I announced additional aid to the Palestinians worth $404 million.”

He added: "Some expressed their concern about the suffering experienced by the Palestinians in Gaza, including countries that have the ability to give greatly, but which sometimes gave little or nothing."

He also stressed that "the single most effective step we can take to confront the humanitarian challenges in Gaza is to reach an immediate and permanent ceasefire."

Blinken, whose country provides absolute support to Israel in its war on Gaza, said: “We know that all Palestinian civilians suffering in Gaza are not numbers or nobody, but human beings.”

He stressed that "Israel must take further measures to reduce the number of civilian deaths and protect civilian facilities."

He said, "All countries of the world supported the ceasefire proposal in Gaza and we are awaiting Hamas' response," referring to the resolution adopted by the UN Security Council on Monday evening based on a proposal announced by US President Joe Biden last week, which he said was "Israeli."

Following the Security Council session, Hamas announced its readiness to cooperate with mediators to enter into indirect negotiations (with Israel) regarding the implementation of the principles stipulated in the Security Council resolution, the most important of which are “a permanent ceasefire, complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the return of the displaced, and the rejection of any demographic change.”

With broad international participation, the main session of the Emergency Humanitarian Response Conference in Gaza at the Dead Sea began on Tuesday afternoon, according to Anadolu’s correspondent.

In addition to Jordan, Egypt, the European Union and the United Nations are participating in organizing the conference, and it is attended by heads of state and government and representatives of international organizations.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a war on Gaza that has left nearly 122,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and about 10,000 missing amid massive destruction and famine that claimed the lives of children and the elderly.

Israel continues its war despite a decision by the UN Security Council to stop it immediately, and orders from the International Court of Justice to end the invasion of the city of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, and to take measures to prevent acts of “genocide” and improve the miserable humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Source: Anatolia

In the wake of the Knesset’s vote, yesterday, Monday, on the conscription law, which would exempt a large segment of the Haredim (religious Jews), which was opposed by the Minister of the Occupation Army, Yoav Gallant, the director of the Prime Minister’s Office launched a harsh criticism of Gallant, demanding his dismissal.

Gallant is the only member of the coalition (affiliated with the Likud Party), headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, who opposed the proposal, which was supported by 63 members of the Knesset.

After the vote, Gallant commented: “It is forbidden to carry out petty politics at the expense of army soldiers.”

Despite the silence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his lack of comment on the matter, his office director, Tzachi Braverman, criticized the occupying army minister and his vote against the proposal, saying: “Shameless, and he must be dismissed,” according to what Maariv newspaper reported.

The Israeli Knesset approved a controversial law regarding the recruitment of religious students into the army amid angry scenes on Monday, which included demands from the families of some detainees in Gaza for more measures to secure their release.

The vote and confrontations come a day after former centrist General Benny Gantz resigned from the government over a dispute over the strategic objectives of the Gaza war, which also highlights the volatile mix of forces opposing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is now increasingly dependent on his allies from the far-right.

The draft law on conscription, which still must pass further readings and hearings after the vote that took place on Monday evening, will witness the gradual entry into the army of some religiously observant Jews who have long objected to serving in the armed forces.

Although Gantz had proposed the bill in 2022 under the previous government, he now opposes this measure, which he says is not suitable for the new specifications of personnel needed by the army.

Defense Minister Yoav Galant, the last of a group of former generals to remain in the government following the departure of Gantz and his ally, former Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, broke ranks and voted to reject the bill.

In contrast, the religious parties in the ruling coalition approved the draft law despite their previous opposition to the general expansion of compulsory conscription, in the hope of introducing changes at the review stage.

The draft law allows more religious adherents to join the army, but it severely restricts their numbers and provides some alternatives to military service.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the leader of one of the pro-settlement parties in the coalition, said in a statement: “We have a great opportunity that we must not miss. We must not tighten the screws on the religious fanatics.”

The issue of lifting some restrictions on the recruitment of ultra-Orthodox Jews into the army has been a contentious issue for decades in a country where military service is widely considered one of the cornerstones of its security.

This issue, which displeases many secular Israelis, has become more sensitive than ever since the beginning of the war in Gaza, in which more than 600 occupation soldiers were killed.

Assaf Shapira, head of the political reform program at the Israel Democracy Institute, said in a statement to Reuters: “There are those who supported it then and oppose it now because they see it as a mistake for Israel now, and there are those who opposed it then and will support it now because they see an opportunity to change it.”

Today, Tuesday, the Israeli occupation authorities released 50 prisoners from the Gaza Strip.

The occupation army had arrested them from various areas in the Gaza Strip during its ground operation.

The Health Emergency Committee of the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip warned of the worsening humanitarian conditions in the city of Rafah due to the lack of health services as a result of the deliberate Israeli targeting of medical institutions.

The committee said in a statement on Tuesday that ambulances cannot enter the city of Rafah to transport the wounded and injured as a result of the Israeli aggression on the city, which threatens their lives.

It added, "We are forced to use animal-drawn vehicles to transport the injured in many areas - especially in Rafah - due to the deliberate Israeli targeting of ambulances."

The committee explained in its statement that field hospitals are forced to permanently change their locations due to being targeted by Israeli army fire, stressing at the same time the sector’s need for more field hospitals to provide medical services, with the need to protect them from Israeli targeting.

Regarding the conditions in Gaza City and the central Strip, the committee confirmed that sewage water is spreading around the vicinity of Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, which constitutes an environmental and health hazard that threatens the lives of Palestinians, especially the sick and wounded inside the hospital.

It pointed to its success in reopening the outpatient clinics at Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City and other departments to provide medical services to citizens and displaced people there, especially after the Israeli army destroyed and burned the hospital buildings during its recent ground military operation.

The leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement "Hamas", Osama Hamdan, confirmed that the movement showed responsiveness and positivity towards all the ideas proposed for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, stressing at the same time that Hamas is ready for "a fair deal to exchange prisoners."

Immediately after the adoption of the draft Security Council resolution, the Hamas movement confirmed its readiness to cooperate with the mediators to enter into direct negotiations on implementing the principles that are consistent with the demands of the Palestinian people and their resistance.

“Blinken is one of the obstacles to the agreement.”

In an interview with Al-Arabi, leader Osama Hamdan said that the UN Security Council resolution, despite its shortcomings, confirms a permanent cessation of fighting and the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from the Gaza Strip.

He believed that the Security Council resolution contains points that the movement does not accept, but he stressed that the basic points are positive.

He noted that the Security Council resolution would not take effect on the ground unless the occupation agreed to it.

Yesterday, Monday, the UN Security Council adopted a draft resolution drafted by Washington supporting a proposal put forward by US President Joe Biden for a ceasefire in Gaza, while Russia abstained from voting.

Hamdan considered, “US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is one of the obstacles to obstructing reaching an agreement because he only acts in accordance with what Israel wants.”

He noted that "the problem throughout the scene is the American position, and Blinken must be more precise."

Hamdan said: “We are waiting for an American announcement to pressure Israel to agree to the proposal,” noting that attempts to pressure the mediators will be of no use in changing the position of Hamas.

The Israeli occupation forces have continued their aggression on land, sea and air against the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, resulting in the death of 37,124 Palestinians and the injury of 84,712 others.

“Netanyahu is committed to the ceasefire proposal.”

In a related context, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “reaffirmed his commitment” to the ceasefire proposal in Gaza during their meeting in occupied Jerusalem.

Blinken said: “I met with Prime Minister Netanyahu last night and he reaffirmed his commitment to the proposal,” adding that Hamas’s welcome of the ceasefire resolution that the UN Security Council voted on Monday is a sign of “hope,” as he described it.

He added: "It is a hopeful sign, just as the statement issued after President (Joe) Biden presented his proposal ten days ago was a hopeful sign," and added: "We are awaiting the response from Hamas."

Israel has also not yet officially announced its acceptance of the ceasefire proposal, which Biden revealed on May 31.

Biden presented what he described as a three-stage Israeli plan that would end the war, release all detainees, and rebuild the Gaza Strip without Hamas in power. But shortly after that, Netanyahu said it was “incomplete.”

According to the US Secretary of State, the military approach was not “sufficient, and a clear political plan and a clear humanitarian plan must be developed to ensure that Hamas does not in any way control Gaza and that Israel is able to move forward towards more sustainable security.”

Gantz supports a proposal for a truce from outside the government

Meanwhile, the leader of the National Unity Party in Israel, Benny Gantz, said on Tuesday that he had informed US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken that his party would support from outside the government the proposal to exchange detainees with Hamas and a ceasefire in Gaza.

Gantz said in a post on the “X” platform: “I met today (Tuesday) with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken,” without specifying the location of the meeting.

Gantz added: "I reiterated the necessity of exerting maximum pressure in particular on the negotiators during these times, to ensure that Hamas agrees to the arrangement for the repatriation of the hostages, and I added that the party will support any responsible arrangement in this matter from outside the government."

Gantz noted that he stressed during the meeting, "that the United States and the international community have an important role in eliminating the threat posed by Hezbollah on Israel's northern border."

On Sunday evening, Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot announced their resignation from the emergency government, accusing Netanyahu of failing to achieve the declared goals of the war on Gaza, especially eliminating Hamas and returning detainees from the Strip.

The two partner ministers in the State Camp party (12 out of 120 representatives in the Knesset) also accused Netanyahu of following policies that serve his own political interests.

On May 19, Gantz gave Netanyahu a deadline until June 8 to develop a clear strategy for the war on Gaza and beyond, otherwise he will resign from the government.

Secretary Blinken’s comment that the “ceasefire-hostage-Palestinian prisoners” deal is entirely in the hands of Hamas is not entirely correct. In his speech from two weeks ago, President Biden said that the deal would lead to the end of the war. He noted that the first 6-week ceasefire would continue even if the negotiations on phase 2 were not completed. Hamas has stated categorically that there would be no deal if there is not a clear obligation to end the war. Netanyahu has members of his government have explicitly stated that there would not be an end to the war before Hamas is destroyed.

Ending the war without a political alternative to who will control Gaza after the war means that Hamas will remain in place. The only way to enable a Palestinian alternative to Hamas willing and able to take control of Gaza is for there to be a coherent political plan linked to a clear path to Palestinian statehood for the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza. Netanyahu is far from that possibility.

Netanyahu’s plan is to remain in Gaza, at least militarily, for years. Netanyahu’s thinking is based on the hope/belief that eventually the Israeli army will find and kill the Hamas leaders – mainly the Sinwar brothers and Mohammed Deif. He believes that once those top leaders are killed the hostages will be released. If the top Hamas leaders are killed by Israeli forces, there is a very good possibility that the remaining living hostages will be killed. At least, this possibility should not be thought to be unreasonable. In addition, the Israeli military pressure has already led to the killing of too many of the hostages.

I believe that staying in Gaza, militarily will lead inevitably lead to renewed Israeli settlement in Gaza, especially if Netanyahu’s “full right-wing” government remains in place. Israeli continued presence in Gaza will strengthen Hamas and new recruits will join from bereaved families and from people who have lost their homes and businesses – and that is basically every person in Gaza. Armed insurgency against Israeli troops in Gaza will continue and increase.  Armed attacks against Israelis in the West Bank will increase and maybe even cross the green-line border to neighboring Israeli communities. The war in Lebanon will escalate and many Hezbollah rockets and missiles will be shot at Israel.  

Hasn’t Netanyahu already done too much harm and damage to Israel? Since 2009 he convinced Israelis and the world that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could be managed. He led Israelis and the world to believe Israel could occupy and dominate the Palestinian people for 56 years and still have peace. He enabled Israelis to believe that 18 years of economic blockade and siege of 2.2 million people in Gaza with extreme poverty and a fanatic Islamic regime could enable quiet because of suitcases of cash being transported to Gaza. He led Israelis and the world to believe that without even trying to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Israel could make peace with the entire Arab world while Palestine remains under occupation. Repeated rounds of elections in Israel confronted only one issue:   Netanyahu yes or Netanyahu no. Not once did the elections focus on the primary existential issue facing Israel – the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

For years Israelis have been lying to themselves. Israel defines itself as a Jewish and democratic state. Yet with more than seven million Palestinians and seven million Israeli Jews between the River and the Sea, Israel is neither Jewish nor democratic. On October 7, 2023 all of the lies and manipulations blew up in our face. The Israel Defense Force had become an Israeli Occupation Police Force, not even deployed on Israel’s southern border with Gaza. It was a holiday weekend, but nonetheless, the army was in the West Bank protecting illegal Israeli settlers instead of defending Israel’s borders. And even after all of Netanyahu’s lies and manipulations, he absolutely refuses to take responsibility. Netanyahu should have resigned on the night of October 7. This is what would have happened in any other genuinely democratic country. But Netanyahu has no shame and like the Trump followers in the USA, Netanyahu has a crowd of hypnotized blind members of a personality cult with their own television and radio stations who spread fake news, lies, incitement and hatred.

Now that Gantz and his party have finally left the government and hopefully fully understand the lies and manipulations of Netanyahu, perhaps the millions of Israelis who are beginning to see our reality with open eyes will take to the streets. Perhaps the lead negotiators, if they have integrity – Dede Barnea, Ronen Bar, and Nitzan Alon - will resign from leading the negotiations because it is not possible to bring the hostages home without an obligation to end the war. When I spoke with members of the negotiating team more than a month ago, I made it clear – in my assessment – that without a political end game, there is next to zero possibility of reaching a deal with Hamas that will bring the hostages home. The negotiators know, not just because I told them, that they should be negotiating for all of the hostages now and not only 18 of them. They know that the war must end. But as they told me “We cannot deal with the political issues”. Being that there is no military solution here, and there never has been, without dealing with the political issues, there is no end game.

Netanyahu not only failed to protect Israel on October 7 of last year. He continues to be the most dangerous person to Israel’s future. Now, we the people, must stand up and take to the streets and for the sake of our future and our country, we must bring down our government.

The President of the State of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, said, “The government presented its programs for relief and restoring basic services, institutional reform, and financial and economic stability, and announced its readiness to assume its duties in the Gaza Strip as well as in the West Bank, including all Gaza Strip crossings.”

President Abbas stressed in his speech before the international conference, hosted by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, at the King Hussein bin Talal Convention Center in the Dead Sea region, today, Tuesday, that the time has come to stop the genocide that our people in Gaza have been subjected to for eight months, and what they are suffering in... The West Bank, including Jerusalem, is one of the crimes of the occupation and its terrorist settlers.

He called on the Security Council and all parties of the international community to put pressure on Israel to open all land crossings into the Gaza Strip and hand them over to the new Palestinian government.

He also called on friends and brothers to support the humanitarian aid programs submitted to the “Gaza Emergency Humanitarian Response Conference” to provide relief to the stricken Palestinian people.

President Abbas stressed the need to continue efforts for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, to open the way for the establishment of the State of Palestine and its assuming its full duties.

He reiterated that the political solution based on international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Initiative requires the State of Palestine to obtain full membership in the United Nations and be recognized by more countries in the world.

President Abbas thanked King Abdullah II, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for calling for this important conference to provide urgent humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people.

Citing Israel's killing of more than 36,000 Palestinians in Gaza and its defiance of an international court order to stop attacking Rafah, the NAACP last week joined hundreds of human rights and civil society organizations urging the Biden administration to halt arms transfers to Israel.

The leading American civil rights group noted Israel's defiance of the International Court of Justice's order issued on May 24 to stop attacking the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, and the Israeli army's bombing of a refugee camp there on May 26, which led to the killing and wounding of hundreds of Palestinians, including many women and children.

The NAACP said the total death toll in the Gaza Strip reached more than 36,000 people, with another 81,000 wounded. About 500 Palestinians were also killed in the West Bank, including 117 children.

NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson acknowledged the "tragedy" that occurred on October 7, when an attack by Hamas-led militants killed more than 1,100 Israelis and others — at least some of whom were killed by Israeli fire — and took more than 240 others hostage. .

“We hope that those whose loved ones are still in captivity will be reunited as soon as possible,” he said in a statement, adding that “Hamas must return the hostages and stop all terrorist activities.”

Johnson stressed that "the conflict in the Middle East will only be resolved when the US government and the international community take action, including limiting access to weapons used against civilians." “The NAACP calls on President [Joe] Biden to draw the red line and end indefinitely the shipment of weapons and artillery to the State of Israel and other countries that supply weapons to Hamas and other terrorist organizations.”

This red line has changed repeatedly. In March, Biden agreed that any Israeli invasion of Rafah — where some 1.5 million Palestinians were forcibly displaced from other parts of Gaza and were sheltering alongside local residents at the time — would constitute a “red line.”

Last month, when Israeli forces invaded Rafah, Biden set his red line by saying it would only be crossed in the event of a “major” attack on the city. Since then, Israeli forces have bombed their way into the heart of the city, killing and wounding at least hundreds of civilians. More than a million people have fled Rafah, according to UN officials.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken then denied that Biden had drawn any red line in Rafah, telling NBC News' Meet the Press host Kristen Welker on May 12: “We're not talking about red lines when it comes to Israel.” ".

Democratic strategists are concerned that Biden will lose black votes because of his complicity in the Gaza massacre. Polls show that support for Biden among Black Americans has declined significantly since 2020, as has among Muslim Americans and others concerned about Palestine. According to a Ziteo/Data for Progress poll published last month, a majority of Democratic voters of all races believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

Citing a Reuters interview with Johnson, she reported on Thursday that "the NAACP's decision to speak out was driven in part by young black Americans horrified by images of dead Palestinian civilians."

“It raises a lot of questions about why our tax dollars are being used to harm civilians,” Johnson said.

Humanitarian organizations said they were facing difficulties delivering aid to Gaza amid the looting of their vehicles and disruption caused by Israeli military operations in the Strip, including a surprise raid in the Nuseirat refugee camp on Saturday that led to the rescue of four hostages but which Palestinians said killed hundreds of people.

The Washington Post quoted the World Food Program as saying that it had halted its operations on a US-supported dock in Gaza after the raid on Nuseirat in central Gaza and would not resume them until the United Nations conducted a security assessment, while the head of the World Food Program, Cindy McCain, said in an interview with The Washington Post: “We're reevaluating the safety aspects of where we need to be and what that means for us.” “It (the Israeli raid on Nuseirat camp) has made things much more dangerous. ... People are already hungry; they were already desperate, and now something like this is happening?”

For his part, Pentagon spokesman, General Patrick Ryder, repeated the US military's denial on Monday that it had anything to do with the Israeli operation on Saturday. He added that American leaders intend to continue delivering humanitarian aid via the pier on the Gaza coast as the sea state allows.

The administration of US President Joe Biden announced that the pier was reconnected to the coast last Friday after an unfortunate accident caused by strong waves, which cost more than $22 million to repair the damage to the floating pier. Ryder said 500 tons of aid flowed through on Saturday, but operations were reduced again on Sunday and Monday due to difficult sea conditions.

McCain said WFP operations were already "very difficult" in Rafah, where Israeli military operations in recent weeks had led to "intermittent closures" of roads, causing delays that prompted some people to loot. “[WFP trucks] are being looted because the current conditions of operating the trucks are difficult to deal with,” McCain said.

Scott Anderson, deputy director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), said getting aid into Gaza "remains very difficult." Once inside the area, distribution also becomes chaotic, he told The Washington Post. He pointed out that thefts occurred during the trip from the Kerem Shalom crossing to the warehouses.

While relief organizations are generally able to reach central Gaza, where much of Rafah's displaced population now lives, the number of people there makes transportation difficult. "Everyone is so crowded that it's difficult to move," he said.

He added that UNRWA is “focusing on trying to deliver aid and care for people in our shelters,” which house nearly half of the displaced population. There's also a push to start some education for children in shelters, even if it's limited to an hour a day — "just something to give the kids a sense of routine and get their minds occupied again."

Concerns about the aid came as Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with officials on Monday to discuss a US-backed ceasefire proposal, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo. Speaking with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, “Blinken praised Israel’s readiness to conclude an agreement and stressed that the responsibility for accepting it lies with Hamas,” according to a statement.

After Israel, Blinken will visit Jordan and Qatar, where he will have to address the anger of Arab countries over the operation that took place on Saturday, during which Israeli forces rescued four hostages in Gaza and caused the death of at least 274 Palestinians, according to analysts.

Blinken's visit coincided amid unrest within the Israeli government, as Benny Gantz's departure on Sunday from the war government threatens Netanyahu's grip on power and increases internal political pressure on him to accept a ceasefire proposal that seeks to return the hostages. There are still 120 hostages inside the Gaza Strip, although at least a third of them are believed to be dead, according to statements by the Israeli occupation army.

In Israel, thousands of demonstrators have been taking to the streets for weeks, led by families of hostages and their supporters who fear time is running out for their loved ones who remain in Gaza. One protest group called on Blinken and President Biden to “seal the deal,” saying Netanyahu was undermining the arrangement.

In a live broadcast Sunday night, Gantz criticized Netanyahu for his “empty promises” of “total victory,” instead of focusing on the hostage deal, working on a plan for the day after Gaza and taking action against Lebanese Hezbollah in the north.

The United Nations Security Council, by a vote of 14 to zero, approved a US-sponsored resolution to support the US-backed ceasefire plan in Gaza, while Russia abstained from voting. The Security Council supported a three-stage proposal starting with a six-week ceasefire that would include the release of all women, children, the elderly and wounded hostages. The withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas. It aims to subsequently lead to a permanent cessation of violence, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, the return of all hostages and taking steps towards a two-state solution.

In a statement, Hamas welcomed what was included in the United Nations resolution regarding a permanent ceasefire, and said that it was ready to cooperate with mediators.

On Monday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the killing of about 300 Palestinian civilians and the wounding of hundreds by Israeli army bullets during the operation to free 4 prisoners in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.

Two citizens were injured, Tuesday afternoon, with hot pepper gas, after settlers attacked them near the Masoudiya area, northwest of Nablus.

According to the Red Crescent, two young men in their twenties were injured by hot pepper gas, after settlers assaulted them near the Masoudiya area, and they were taken to the hospital to receive treatment. They are residents of the village of Burqa.

It is noteworthy that 15 families live in the Al-Masoudia area, and they constantly suffer as a result of the attacks of the occupation and its settlers, aimed at forcing them to leave that area in favor of settlement.

US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, said on Tuesday, “The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, confirmed in my meeting with him last night his ‘commitment’ to the ceasefire proposal in Gaza presented by US President Joe Biden.”

According to Blinken, the Hamas statement supporting the Security Council resolution is a hopeful sign, considering that “the talk coming from the Hamas leadership inside Gaza is the most important and what we are waiting to see. The longer the matter continues, the greater the possibilities for the conflict to expand.”

Blinken said that talks on plans for the day after the end of the war will continue this afternoon and over the next two days.

A Hamas leader told Reuters, "The movement has agreed to the United Nations ceasefire resolution and is ready to negotiate the details."

Once again, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is a guest in the region, including Israel, to place the burden on Hamas, claiming that it rejects the truce proposal, asking the Arab countries to pressure it to achieve this goal.

What appears publicly in Blinken’s meetings with Israeli officials are merely statements related to the situation following the war on Gaza, and reaching an agreement that leads to an exchange deal and ending the war, but what is happening behind the scenes is greater than any other trend, as American-Israeli coordination is considered at the highest level, It is part of the planning that is being prepared to continue the war and aggression against our people, as happened in the Nuseirat massacre, where the United States justified Israel’s brutal operation because it wants to recover four of the hostages, which provided it with the appropriate cover to continue its aggression and genocidal war.

Many of the visits were monitored by the American minister, and simultaneously with them, a new campaign was sparked on the Gaza Strip, as happened with the beginning of the ground aggression and the launch of the Khan Yunis operation. Hence, these visits carry with them great question marks, and emphasize the pivotal role that the United States plays in planning in the course of war and killing against our people..

The cloak of international diplomacy that the United States wears can never convince anyone that it is neutral or an honest mediator, despite its appearance on the largest global stage and its submission of a draft resolution approved by the UN Security Council that supports Biden’s proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip with the approval of 14 members and Russia’s abstention. Hence, if it wants to reflect a different picture, it must implement this decision and commit Israel to it, knowing that the position of the Palestinian resistance, after the issuance of the decision, was clear and is summed up by welcoming a complete ceasefire, withdrawal from Gaza, the return of the displaced, the exchange of prisoners, and reconstruction, through negotiations. It is indirect about the application of these principles, which are in line with the desire and resistance of our people.

After all that, is it reasonable for Blinken to remain committed to his American position, through which he claims that Hamas is the one who rejects the exchange deal, to hold it responsible for the failure of the negotiations, and to give Israel a free hand to expand its ground operation in Rafah and commit more massacres?

It is time for Israel and the United States to adhere together to the Security Council resolution and end this destructive and disastrous war, instead of creating justifications and excuses for the continued shedding of the blood of our people. Attention must be paid to the course of the ongoing war in Rafah and most parts of the Gaza Strip, which may escalate soon, due to the failure of the exchange deal so far.

The Israeli occupation continues its war on the Gaza Strip for the 249th day in a row, leaving dozens of dead and wounded.

In developments, civil defense crews recovered a number of dead on Tuesday morning, and the search is still underway for missing persons from under the rubble of homes targeted by bombing by the occupation in the Sheikh Radwan and Al-Daraj neighborhoods in Gaza City.

Meanwhile, crews recovered a dead body and a number of wounded as a result of the occupation aircraft bombing a house for the “Abu Elba” family in the Abu Iskandar area in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City. The search is still ongoing for missing persons under the rubble. The martyr and the wounded were transferred to Al-Baptist Hospital in the city.

A number of dead and wounded were also recovered from under the rubble of a house for the Ashour family after it was targeted by Israeli occupation aircraft in the Al-Daraj neighborhood in central Gaza City, and they were also transferred to the Baptist Hospital in the city.

A number of citizens were killed and others were injured, tonight and at dawn today, in occupation bombing west of the Nuseirat camp.

A medical source at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the city of Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip announced the arrival of 3 dead bodies and a number of wounded when an Israeli warplane bombed a house for the Al-Talbani family in the Al-Zawaida area in the central Gaza Strip.

The source explained that the martyrs were: the two children, Reham and Musab, and their father, Hisham Al-Talbani.

4 citizens were killed and 8 others were injured by Israeli occupation forces’ bullets, Monday evening, near the village of Kafr Ni’ma, west of Ramallah.

The Ministry of Health announced that the General Authority for Civil Affairs informed it of the death of 4 citizens who were shot dead by the occupation forces in the village of Kafr Ni’ma. They are: Muhammad Raslan Abdo, Muhammad Jaber Abdo, and Rushdi Samih Ataya, in addition to a fourth martyr whose identity is not yet known.

Local sources reported that the fourth martyr was Waseem Bassam Zidane.

For its part, security sources reported that an Israeli special force fired bullets at a vehicle near the village of Kafr Nimah, leading to the death of the four young men, before their bodies were seized.

It added that the occupation forces stormed the village after shooting at the vehicle, which led to the outbreak of confrontations.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society stated that it had received a report about injuries as a result of the occupation forces firing at a vehicle near the village of Kafr Nimah.

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution in which it welcomed the American proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, which was announced on May 31.

14 members voted in favor of the resolution, whose draft was presented by the United States of America, and Russia abstained from voting.

The American proposal, in its first phase, includes an immediate and complete ceasefire with the release of prisoners and a prisoner exchange, the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from populated areas in Gaza, and the return of Palestinian civilians to their homes and neighborhoods in all areas of Gaza, including the north, as well as safe distribution. Effective and widespread humanitarian assistance throughout the Strip to all Palestinian civilians in need, including housing units provided by the international community.

The second phase includes a permanent cessation of the war in exchange for the release of all prisoners in Gaza, and a complete withdrawal of the occupation forces from the Strip. The third phase includes a plan for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

In the resolution, the Council rejects any attempt to bring about demographic or regional change in the Gaza Strip, including any measures that reduce the territory of the Strip.

The Council reiterates its firm commitment to the vision of a two-state solution under which two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace and within secure and recognized borders in accordance with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned, on Monday, the killing of about 300 Palestinian civilians and the wounding of hundreds by Israeli army gunfire during the operation to free four prisoners in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.

This came according to what was reported by his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, during a press conference from the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Dujarric said: "The Secretary-General welcomed the liberation of 4 Israeli prisoners, but expressed his deep regret and condemnation of the killing of about 300 Palestinian civilians and the injury of hundreds of others during the operation."

Citing information obtained from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on the ground, Dujarric said that hospitals in the region were overwhelmed after the Israeli operation.

He conveyed Guterres' assertion that "the best way to return the Israeli detainees is to negotiate and return to a horizon conducive to a two-state solution."

Dujarric stressed the importance of “maximizing the protection of civilians in Gaza,” and that “every loss of life is considered tragic.”

He explained that the United Nations demands "the necessity of working on this in accordance with what is guaranteed by international humanitarian law," stressing that it is not a subject of discussion "even if prisoners are detained in places containing civilians."

In response to a question from Anadolu Agency about reports of Israeli soldiers entering the camp with aid trucks during the operation, Dujarric said that they did not have specific information regarding these reports.

On Saturday, 274 Palestinians were killed and more than 698 others were injured in a massacre committed by Israeli forces after a violent artillery and air strike targeting the Nuseirat camp in Gaza, according to what was announced by the government media office in Gaza, which caused a widespread wave of condemnation.

This came during the Israeli army's release of 4 civilian detainees who were in the hands of Hamas, while the "Al-Qassam Brigades", the movement's military wing, announced that the bombing, which resulted in the death and injury of hundreds of Palestinians, also led to the death of 3 Israeli prisoners.

Dujarric spoke about the difficulties facing humanitarian teams in introducing relief aid that is increasingly needed in the Strip as the Israeli war continues.

He said that the battles inside the Gaza Strip prevent the continued entry of aid through land crossings, pointing to the fears of humanitarian workers for their safety and the great risk that accompanies them while performing their relief duty due to the Israeli war.

He stressed the need to respect the independence of humanitarian operations and relief workers around the world, and said: “We do not surround ourselves with armed guards or members of the communities themselves, and we very much hope that this will continue.”

On the other hand, Dujarric confirmed Guterres' support for a draft resolution for a three-stage ceasefire plan in Gaza, which the Security Council will vote on on Sunday evening, local time in New York.

He said: “We will make every effort to support peace and a ceasefire in Gaza, free the Israeli hostages in the Strip, and restore dignity to the Palestinian people.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society warned of the danger of the occupation forces using a humanitarian aid truck the day before yesterday, Saturday, to infiltrate the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip, and commit a massacre against civilians that led to the death of 274 citizens, including 64 children and 57 women, in addition to wounding 700 others, according to statistics. official, which puts the safety of relief crews at risk.

The association said, in a statement, Monday evening, that the disguising of the occupation forces inside the aid truck is considered a war crime against civilians and constitutes a clear violation of international humanitarian and customary law that prohibits the crime of treachery, as the occupation forces betrayed the people and disguised themselves under the guise of the aid that the civilians longed for. 

The association called on the international community to hold the occupation authorities accountable for this war crime and deter them from continuing to commit more massacres against civilians, in addition to providing urgent protection to civilians and workers in the field of humanitarian and medical work, in accordance with international humanitarian law.

On Monday, the Maldivian Parliament approved the necessary amendment to a draft law preventing holders of Israeli passports from entering the country.

The draft law submitted by the Maldivian Democratic Party to the Council of Ministers, the country's main opposition party, was approved by a majority of votes in Parliament, according to Anadolu correspondent.

The draft law prohibits holders of Israeli passports from entering the Maldives.

The legal amendment was referred to the Security Committee for review.

It called on government and opposition representatives in Parliament to speed up the amendment process “in line with the desire of the government and the people.”

After the final vote, all holders of Israeli passports, including those with dual citizenship, will be banned from entering the Maldives.

It is noteworthy that the presidential office in the Maldives announced in early June that it had decided to make a legal amendment to prevent holders of Israeli passports from entering the country, following the escalation of popular anger in the Muslim-majority country due to the war in the Gaza Strip.

On Monday, the Houthi group announced the arrest of an “American-Israeli spy network” in Yemen.

The Houthi group said that the spy network "carried out espionage and sabotage roles in official institutions."

Since November 19, the Houthis have been carrying out attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea that they suspect are linked to the occupying Beijing or heading to their ports, in response to the aggression against Gaza.

Meanwhile, British and American forces responded with strikes on Houthi sites in Yemen.

On Monday, the Pentagon sought to dispel what it said were false perceptions that Israel organized part of the hostage rescue operations via the US military floating dock off Gaza, stressing that this was not true and that no American personnel participated, according to the Reuters news agency. .

However, Pentagon spokesman Major General Patrick Ryder acknowledged that Israeli helicopters were flying in an area “close” to the pier that US President Joe Biden announced would be established as a means of bringing the humanitarian aid that the Palestinians desperately need.

A bilateral meeting began on Monday evening, between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who is conducting an eighth tour of the region to discuss a prisoner exchange deal between Israel and the Hamas movement.

The Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth said, "The meeting that began a few minutes ago will continue until 15:50 GMT, and will be held in Netanyahu's office in West Jerusalem," without further details.

Earlier Monday, Blinken arrived in Cairo and agreed with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to strengthen efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, and reviewed Egyptian efforts to implement humanitarian aid to the people of the Gaza Strip, according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.

Blinken said in a press conference before leaving Cairo for Israel that the plan currently on the table is the “optimal way” to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, release Israeli prisoners in Gaza, and “improve regional security.”

Blinken called on Hamas again to accept the plan, claiming that it “enjoys broad international support, and has been accepted by Israel,” according to the Associated Press.

The US State Department previously announced in a statement that Blinken will visit Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Qatar in the period between June 10 and 12.

Blinken's tour in the Middle East comes after US President Joe Biden presented, at the end of last May, the broad outlines of a proposal that he said was "Israeli" and included 3 stages of a ceasefire, ultimately stipulating a permanent cessation of hostilities and the release of Israeli detainees. In exchange for Palestinian prisoners, and the reconstruction of Gaza.

With the mediation of Qatar, Egypt and the United States, Hamas and Israel have been conducting faltering indirect negotiations for months to reach an agreement to exchange prisoners and stop the war on Gaza.

Efforts to reach the latest deal were hampered after Israel rejected it, claiming that it did not meet its conditions, and began a military operation on the city of Rafah on May 6, then took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing the next day.

The Hebrew Broadcasting Corporation reported, quoting the Minister of National Security in the Israeli occupation government, Itamar Ben Gvir, that the withdrawal of Minister Benny Gantz from the government is a great opportunity for progress and achieving victory.

Ben Gvir added that he called at all times to bomb Gaza and carry out targeted assassinations, indicating that what was important was for him to join the war council.

Ben Gvir added that Gantz's party joining the government did not achieve the desired unity.

He confirmed that he had submitted a request to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to join the war council in order to achieve victory.

The American New York Times newspaper confirmed that the majority of the remaining Israeli prisoners in the Gaza Strip will not be returned except through diplomatic means, describing the discovery of the four prisoners as “exceptional,” according to what it quoted American and Israeli officials.

Although 4 prisoners were recovered in the operation carried out by the occupation “army” on Saturday in the Gaza Strip, according to the newspaper, the complexity of the operation itself and the violence that accompanied it highlights the “challenges” facing finding and extracting the prisoners.

The New York Times quoted Avi Kalo, a lieutenant colonel in the Israeli reserve forces, who previously headed the military intelligence department that deals with prisoners of war and military personnel, as saying that the release of the four prisoners is “a tactical achievement that does not change the strategic aspect.”

He added: "Hamas still has dozens of prisoners, the vast majority of whom, if not all, will not be released in operations, but they can only be rescued as part of the ceasefire agreement."

On Saturday, Israeli media reported that the occupation “army” had recovered 4 Israeli prisoners from the Nuseirat camp, who were with the resistance.

According to data, the resistance fighters, who were with the prisoners, clashed with the Israeli force that entered the camp, which led to the killing of an officer in the “Yamam” unit.

Axios quoted an American official as saying that the American unit specializing in Israeli prisoners helped recover the four prisoners.

When commenting on the return of the prisoners, the former Air Force Commander in the occupation “army”, Eitan Ben Eliyahu, acknowledged that this event is “local, and its impact is still limited.”

In this context, Amos Harel, a military affairs analyst in the Israeli newspaper "Haaretz", confirmed yesterday, Sunday, that the operation carried out by the occupation "army" provided what he described as "a much-needed injection of encouragement to the Israeli public," indicating that it is not realistic to expect The rest of the prisoners were recovered in the same way.

On the other hand, Hamas affirmed that the Israeli army’s recovery of these prisoners, more than 8 months after an aggression in which it used all military, security and technological means, and during which it committed all crimes, including massacres, extermination, siege and starvation, “will not change its strategic failure in the Gaza Strip.”

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that achieving a ceasefire will open the door to a sustainable cessation of fighting in the Gaza Strip.

Upon his arrival in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, Blinken claimed that the Hamas movement is the only obstacle to the ceasefire agreement.

Blinken called on Arab governments to put pressure on Hamas to accept the truce proposal in Gaza, indicating continued efforts for a ceasefire and the release of detainees.

He added that the best way to recover all detainees, including Americans, is to accept a ceasefire.

He pointed out that Washington is working to bring more aid into Gaza, regardless of whether an agreement is reached or not.

Cairo is the first stop on Blinken’s eighth tour in the region since the start of the Israeli occupation’s aggression against the Gaza Strip on the seventh of last October, and he will head later Monday to Tel Aviv after...

Holding talks with the Egyptian President regarding solutions that would allow the reopening of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, which has been closed for a month, according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse.