President Joe Biden told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that continued American support for the war in Gaza depends on Israeli measures to protect civilians, in the clearest indication of the possibility of restricting military aid after nearly seven months of war with Hamas.

The US President urged the Israeli Prime Minister to reach an “immediate ceasefire,” in their first phone call since the killing of seven humanitarian workers, most of them foreigners, in an Israeli air strike in the besieged Gaza Strip, whose population is threatened by famine.

The United States is the most prominent political and military supporter of the Hebrew state since the outbreak of war with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on October 7. However, some discrepancies between the two allies have begun to appear publicly in recent weeks, with increasing pressure on Democrat Biden to do more to put an end to the war that has claimed thousands of victims and caused a severe humanitarian crisis.

In a phone call with Netanyahu, Biden called for “announcing and implementing a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, human suffering, and the safety of aid workers,” according to a White House statement.

He added that Biden “made clear that US policy regarding Gaza will be determined by our assessment of the immediate action that Israel will take regarding these steps.”

In statements to reporters, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby confirmed that “our support for Israel’s self-defense remains firm,” adding that the Hebrew state faces “a range of threats, and the United States will not abandon them.”

But Kirby acknowledged “growing frustration” with the Israeli prime minister. “Yes, there is growing frustration,” he said in response to a question about whether the phone call reflected Biden’s frustration with Netanyahu’s failure to respond to Washington’s requests.

However, he stressed that the Biden administration wants Israel to take measures to improve humanitarian conditions in the Strip, where more than two million people face the risk of famine.

“What we are looking forward to seeing and hope to see here in the coming hours and days is a massive increase in humanitarian access, the opening of additional crossings, and a reduction in violence against civilians and aid workers,” Kirby said.

- Ceasefire and hostage release -

On Wednesday, Biden criticized Israel for the aerial bombardment that killed seven relief workers, stressing that it “did not do enough” to protect volunteers who provide a helping hand to Palestinians who are “starving.”

Biden said in a strongly worded statement that he felt “anger and sadness” over the killing of seven members of the US-based non-governmental organization World Central Kitchen.

The Israeli army acknowledged that they were killed in an accidental air strike.

In their call on Thursday, the US President told Netanyahu that the raids on relief workers, as well as the humanitarian situation in Gaza, were “unacceptable.”

The statement said that Biden “stressed that an immediate ceasefire is necessary to achieve stability, improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians, and urged the Prime Minister to enable his negotiators to reach an agreement without delay to return the hostages.”

The United States supports a ceasefire as part of an exchange deal that it hopes will eventually lead to a long-term settlement.

Biden has expressed growing frustration with Netanyahu for months, but he also strongly defended Israel's right to respond to Hamas after its unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7.

Despite pressure from the left wing of the Democratic Party to which Biden belongs, the administration continues to provide military supplies to Israel even while criticizing the way the war is being fought.

The American newspaper “The Washington Post” reported Thursday that the Biden administration agreed to supply Israel with thousands of bombs, on the same day of the bombing that killed members of the “Global Central Kitchen.”

Today, Friday, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution demanding a halt to any arms sales to Israel against the backdrop of its ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip, warning of the possibility of “genocide” against the Palestinians.

This is the first decision taken by the Human Rights Council regarding the ongoing Israeli aggression against our people in the Gaza Strip since the seventh of last October.

28 of the 47 members of the Council voted in favor of the resolution, compared to six who voted against it, including the United States and Germany, while 13 countries abstained from voting, in the last session of the current session of the Human Rights Council.

The resolution condemned "Israel's use of explosive weapons on a large scale" in populated areas in the Gaza Strip, and called on Israel, the occupying power, to "fulfill its legal responsibility to prevent genocide."

Pakistan submitted the draft resolution on behalf of 55 out of 56 countries in the United Nations that are members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, with the exception of Albania. It also received support from Bolivia and Cuba, in addition to the State of Palestine.

The resolution called on Israel to end its occupation of the Palestinian territories and immediately stop its illegal siege of the Gaza Strip, and any other form of collective punishment.

He called for an end to all transfers of weapons, ammunition and other military equipment to Israel, noting the impact of explosive weapons on hospitals, schools, shelters, and the supply of water and electricity to Gaza, and condemned the use of starvation of civilians as a means of war.

He also called for an immediate ceasefire, condemned “Israeli actions that could amount to ethnic cleansing,” urged all concerned countries to prevent the forced displacement of Palestinians inside the Gaza Strip, and called on Israel to stop expanding its settlements in the Palestinian territories.

The resolution called for ensuring that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) receives adequate funding.

Although the Human Rights Council does not have any binding means to enforce the implementation of its resolutions, this resolution increases the international isolation of the Israeli occupation, puts more pressure on it to stop its continuing crimes against the Palestinian people, and places moral obligations on the countries that support it.

The Israeli army committed 5 massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, including 54 deaths and 82 injuries to hospitals during the past 24 hours.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that a number of victims are still under rubble and on the roads, and ambulance and civil defense crews cannot reach them.

The Israeli army continues its war on the Gaza Strip for the 182nd day in a row, leaving more than 33,000 deaths and 75,750 injured since last October 7.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron vowed to hold Israel accountable for the bombing of “Global Central Kitchen” workers, stressing that it must ensure that this does not happen again.

Last Tuesday, the World Central Kitchen organization announced that it would temporarily and immediately stop its operations in Gaza after 7 of its team members were killed in an Israeli air strike.

The organization said that its targeted team was moving in a demilitarized zone with two armored cars and another vehicle bearing the organization's logo, but it was bombed while leaving a warehouse in Deir al-Balah after unloading more than 100 tons of humanitarian food aid, despite coordinating the movement with the Israeli army.

The Hebrew newspaper Haaretz considered, on Friday, that almost half a year has passed since the start of the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip, but its results are still not satisfactory at all, after Israel had entered it in a terrible position through the large-scale invasion, after the attack on October 7/ Last October.

The newspaper said, as stated in an analytical report by its correspondent and military analyst, Amos Harel, that it has become clear to everyone except the fools, that there is no value in the promises of absolute victory that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes from day to day.

Harel stated that the goals of the war after that attack were to inflict severe damage on the Hamas movement, occupy territory in Gaza, force the evacuation of residents in the northern Gaza Strip, and kill the largest possible number of militants, but after all this time, the threat of Hamas’s presence has not been completely removed. .

Harel said: The level of expectations for the destruction of Hamas and the dismantling of its capabilities were very high, and within a strict time frame that does not exceed a few months, but it seems that the war will be prolonged, and it is difficult to believe in the possibility of completely dismantling its regime, even in the future, and even more so with regard to the goal that relates to the return of prisoners. It seems that it is difficult to impose a deal on Hamas that it does not want in order to liberate them, at a time when the death toll among Israeli prisoners is increasing, and any delay based on a theoretical hope of achieving the first goal of dismantling Hamas harms the achievement of the second goal.

An Israeli officer believes that what could harm Hamas is its impact on the assassination of its senior leaders, the loss of territory in the long term, and attempts to undermine its rule throughout the Strip.

The newspaper says that the Israeli army, like Western armies, wants to count the bodies excessively, and therefore it was announcing the killing of 12,000 Hamas militants, and it seems that it considered Gaza’s losses, including among civilians, as being from Hamas, in addition to the pressure exerted on the army by Higher levels to bring in bigger numbers.

It indicated that the number of Israeli soldiers killed has reached 600 since the beginning of the war, half of whom fell in the ground maneuver at the end of last October. This number is still much lower than the number that was expected to reach on the eve of what was circulated at the beginning of the war.

Harel pointed out that Hamas adopted a new tactic under Israeli pressure, by dividing the brigades into small groups. It tried to attack the forces during the ground advance, especially after they were stationed in several areas. Its most effective weapon was the old RPG launcher, which still kills many people. Of the dead, especially in soldiers' positions.

Harel pointed out the complexities of the expected military operation in Rafah, in light of the American pressure on Israel to evacuate the displaced population there, and with these complications and the possibility that its implementation will take a longer time, Israel is likely to search for other targets, and the reasonable possibility is to raid the camps in the middle of the Gaza Strip, especially Nuseirat. And Deir Al-Balah.

He pointed out that American pressure after the incident of the attack on the vehicles of the Global Central Kitchen team, criticism of the actions of the Israeli army, and its increasing failures may lead to increased pressure on Tel Aviv to reach a ceasefire agreement.

In another report, by the Hebrew newspaper, it focused on the extent of the destruction in the Gaza Strip, after six months of war.

The newspaper said in a report by its correspondent for Palestinian affairs, Amira Hass, that the human imagination is limited, unlike the imagination of war merchants and weapons developers, and because there is no other dictionary, there is nothing that can describe the destruction and losses inflicted on the Gaza Strip.

Haas added: In theory, it was enough to watch hundreds, if not thousands, of short video clips showing children trembling, unable to control due to trembling, after the Israeli bombing: in hospitals, in the street, some of them complaining and others unable to. He utters one word: This is one detail that is enough to show part of the disaster.

Haas pointed to the high number of casualties among children, women, and families that lost most of their members, in addition to the famine affecting all Gazans.

Last night, the Israeli mini-ministerial council, the “War Cabinet,” approved a series of decisions related to increasing and facilitating the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip, especially its northern regions.

The Cabinet agreed to allow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his Defense Minister Yoav Galant, and Minister Benny Gantz to take all necessary immediate steps to increase humanitarian aid to the population in Gaza.

A statement from Netanyahu's office said that this increased aid will prevent a humanitarian crisis and is necessary to ensure the continuation of the fighting and achieve the goals of the war.

He stated that it was decided temporarily to transfer aid to Gaza through the port of Ashdod, the Erez crossing, and across the border from several ports, and to increase Jordanian aid through the Kerem Shalom crossing.

This comes at the request of the US administration, which conveyed these demands to the Israeli government in recent days.

This came a few hours after a phone call between Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden, who was described as being very tense because of the war on Gaza, and Biden’s demand that Netanyahu stop the war, bring in aid immediately, and work to send a delegation to negotiations and expand his powers to make decisions in this regard.

The American website "Axios" said that CIA Director William Burns is expected to travel to Cairo at the end of this week to hold talks with the head of the Mossad and senior Qatari and Egyptian officials "in an attempt to ensure the release of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, two informed sources told the site. .

The meeting will take place after President Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call on Thursday to "enable his negotiators to conclude an agreement without delay to return the hostages to their homeland."

Biden's letter to Netanyahu indicated that the president believes Netanyahu is not doing everything he can to get the hostage deal and needs to show more flexibility.

Burns is also expected to meet with Mossad Director David Barnea, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, and Egyptian Intelligence Chief Abbas Kamel, according to the website.

A US official told the site that Biden's position is that there must be a ceasefire as part of the hostage deal and it must happen immediately, which is why the president pressed Netanyahu on the issue during the call.

The current proposal being negotiated could lead to a six-week ceasefire in Gaza and the release of 40 hostages – female soldiers, other women, men over 50 and men in critical medical conditions – in exchange for approximately 700 hostages. Palestinian prisoners, including about 100, are serving life sentences for killing Israelis.

Last week, the Israeli government recalled its negotiating team from Qatar after the ten-day talks reached a dead end.

Shortly after the Israeli negotiating team was summoned from Doha, Netanyahu's office issued a statement blaming Hamas for the impasse.

Israeli officials said the Biden administration's decision not to veto a UN Security Council resolution on Monday that called for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages led to Hamas hardening its stance.

The White House rejected these accusations and claimed that Hamas' response was prepared before the vote was held at the United Nations.

The Israeli negotiating team headed to Cairo earlier this week and showed more willingness to be flexible regarding Hamas's main demand for the return of Palestinian civilians to the northern Gaza Strip, an Israeli official said in a press conference on Monday.

“The official claimed that the issue of the return of Palestinian civilians to northern Gaza is the main point of contention in the indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas,” according to the website.

Hamas demands the complete return of Palestinian civilians to the northern Gaza Strip and a complete Israeli withdrawal from the land corridor that separates the south of the Strip from its north and prevents movement.

President Joe Biden was particularly angry about the fatal strike (on aid workers from the International Central Kitchen Foundation), and criticized Israel in a public statement, calling for “accountability” for those responsible.

By Isaac Brick

The State of Israel is disintegrating in all areas: security, economy, society, education, medicine, and our international relations, and is turning into a “zombie” - a human being without a soul, unsympathetic, and acting automatically. Only stopping the war in Gaza now can stop the state's deterioration.

We must take a deadline, return the hostages, and prepare the army for the great regional war that is considered a real existential threat to our survival on this earth. The army and the home front are not ready at all. We must restore the Israeli economy and our international relations, return the displaced to their homes, restore unity in society, and save the state from collapse.

Continuing the fighting, which has lost its purpose for some time in the Gaza Strip, is the best way to ensure the continued disintegration of the state. Illusions, narrow interests, petty politics, and big egos, as well as internal disputes, must be abandoned instead of resorting to dialogue. We must all stand up and save our country from its destruction because we do not have another country. This is still possible.

We must maintain our military achievements so far in the Gaza Strip. We will not achieve any better. The opposite is true: the longer the fighting in Gaza continues, the deeper we sink. Dismantling the four remaining battalions in Rafah and “completely dismantling Hamas” are the biggest lie in the history of Israel’s wars, which the political and military levels are selling to us.

Unfortunately, the majority of the public falls into this trap, and believes these lies that are spread to buy time for the sake of political and military survival, and to cling to what exists as long as possible. Only recently, the Americans announced that the plan for the army to enter the Rafah camps was inappropriate and would lead to the largest famine of the century. Therefore, they would not agree to enter.

Now, we are on the brink of the abyss, and if we remain standing without taking any action and believe the lies spread by our leaders, we will not stand, we will have no way back, and we will lose the state for another 2000 years. As I mentioned previously, one decision without calculations from Netanyahu, or Gallant and Herzi Halevy, will ignite the Middle East, because I do not depend on the opinion of these three, and I have a feeling that they made this decision. We are in the hands of irrational people who pushed Israel to what happened on 7/10, and they may push it to the destruction of the Third Temple. This group is playing with fire at the expense of the citizens of the State of Israel.

By Hazem Saghieh

There is a story (that is not universally accepted) of a cheeky exchange between Gamal Abdel Nasser and the Prime Minister of China, Zhou Enlai, during the Bandung Conference in 1955 in which the "Non-Aligned Movement" was founded.

The latter, who was the most sensible diplomatic figure of the regime that had been established six years prior, posed a question to the Egyptian leader: “You Arabs number in the tens of millions, while Israel has a population of less than two million; so why don't you all march towards it, on foot, carrying whatever weapons and equipment you have at your disposal, and wipe it out without giving a thought to the number of casualties you incur? Indeed, your numerical superiority makes it impossible for Israel to kill you all and ensures that millions of you manage to liberate Palestine."

Those who tell this story might be nodding to the significance of numerical superiority in the consciousness of Chinese communists, or the strength of the impression left by "Long March" and the vast distances traversed in it according to the state’s narrative of the Chinese revolution.

Regardless of whether this incident actually happened and Nasser's response if it did, this kind of rhetoric was not alien to the 1950s and 1960s. It was commonplace for political speeches, poems, and caricatures in magazines to flirt with this idea: mighty masses attacking and "sweeping" a handful of "pariahs."

However, this rhetoric began to recede after 1967, and it then faded away, becoming limited to extremely narrow Islamist circles. Nonetheless, we have recently begun hearing something of this sort in a discourse that presents the actions of societies as though they were irrepressible natural events, with the former depicted as storming, shaking, and exploding like volcanoes...

Mohammed Deif, the commander of Hamas’s military wing, addressed "our people in Jordan and Lebanon, in Egypt, Algeria, and the Maghreb, in Pakistan, Malaysia, and Indonesia" along these lines in a recent audio recording. He called on them to "start marching now, not tomorrow, toward Palestine, and do not let borders, regimes, and restrictions deprive you of the honor of waging jihad and taking part in the liberation of the Al-Aqsa Mosque."

At the same time, Hamas political bureau member Khaled Meshaal addressed the people of Jordan, calling on them to support his movement so that their "blood blends with the blood of the Palestinian people." If, as Haniyeh put it, blending blood is the reward for those marching to liberate Al-Aqsa, as per Deif, many of the faithful prefer to pray in liberated mosques closer to their homes.

Beyond this, as Israel's genocide continues, with its killing, expulsion, and starvation on display for all to see, the response proposed by Deif and Haniyeh seems totally unrelated to the challenge imposed by the Israelis. Transnational armed retaliation ("rise as one man") is a recipe for civil war in every Arab country, and we have seen disconcerting indications to this effect in Jordan, where calls for direct engagement in the conflict are growing louder.

Growing concern for Jordan is mirrored by similar concerns for Lebanon, as Israeli political and military officials announce that "a strike is imminent" on a near-daily basis.

What are we to expect then, if Iran, following the latest slap in the face it received on foreign soil, in its Syrian "farm," decided to retaliate from foreign soil, from its Lebanese "farm"? It is not a question of regimes being "spineless" or "regressive," but of already fragmented societies being pushed from differing to total civil war.

The fact is that this essentially sums up the recent history of the Levant: amid the climate of Nasserist incitement that emerged after 1956, Syria splintered and a broad segment of Syrian society (the People's Party, Syrian nationalists, minorities, etc.) was suppressed, there was a coup in Iraq, a civil war erupted in Lebanon, and Jordan was threatened with a military coup and civil war.

Amid the climate of Palestinian incitement, a small-scale civil war shook Jordan and a large-scale civil war devastated Lebanon. Today, amid the environment of Khomeinist incitement, the countries of the Levant, as well as others outside it, are swinging between overt and latent civil conflict.

Neither this nor that is retaliation against Israel. Rather, it is retaliation against our wicked selves, in which the unleashing of sharpening kinship loyalties combines with the equally comprehensive vigor with which expressing these loyalties is repressed. With this release and suppression, we find ourselves oscillating between a state of fear-induced paralysis that prevents us from taking any initiative for fear that it could blow everything up, and taking initiatives that blow everything up and become paralyzed, paralyzing us with them.

This state of affairs allows us to say that our societies have no interior, that our interior is dysfunctional, or at best, pending. That is now becoming obvious, and nothing speaks to this state of affairs more eloquently than the astonishing silence of initiatives. There is no one to tell us what to do based on the existing balance of power, nor have we heard anything from Hamas to indicate that it will take any decision other than waiting for a ceasefire to be imposed on Israel so that the movement can then say: we have achieved victory.

We have similarly not heard anything from Hezbollah to suggest that it will take any decision other than tying the fate of South Lebanon to that of Gaza, which, in turn, is tied to the decision Israel takes.

Meanwhile, if voices are heard crying out in opposition to the war, from under the rubble in Gaza or the South, they are met with demands for restraint in an illusory resilient interior.

This immense misery encourages nothing as much as it does myths and anticipation for a savior. Victory emerges from the mouth of magic, accompanied by the burdens of our fragmented and conflict-ridden societies; we place these burdens on the shoulders of Gaza, which has enough of its own, while shouting: We are a single united nation.

Israel said on Thursday it would adjust its Gaza war tactics after killing seven aid workers in an air strike that the military called an operational accident, though the process may take weeks while an investigation proceeds.

Monday's incident has stoked Western anger at the mounting civilian toll in the Palestinian enclave, especially as the slain World Central Kitchen staff included Australian, British and Polish citizens along with a US-Canadian dual national.

Israeli leaders have voiced sorrow over what they said was a misidentification of a WCK convoy at night in a combat zone.

Some local media reported, based on unnamed sources, that the convoy was hit repeatedly from the air despite having coordinated its route in advance with the military - possibly due to a false belief that gunmen were aboard it or close by.

WCK's founder, chef Jose Andres, told Reuters he believed his food delivery team had been "systematically" targeted.

Asked to respond, Israeli government spokesperson Raquela Karamson said during a media briefing: "This was unintended."

A military investigation was under way. She said: "In the coming weeks, as the findings become clear, we will be transparent and share the results with the public."

"Clearly something went wrong here, and as we learn more and the investigation reveals exactly what happened, and the cause of what happened, we will certainly adjust our practices in the future to make sure this does not happen again."

Israel Ziv, a retired army general who formerly commanded the Gaza division, said the incident may have resulted from the military enabling more junior officers to authorize air strikes.

War fog

Whereas during quieter periods such an operation would require a green light from a division commander or a general in charge of regional forces, he said, "in wartime the situation is utterly transformed, because the number of threats is never-ending".

"If you don't allow greater latitude, further down the ranks, on opening fire, you endanger the troops and the war."

Ziv noted that Israel, which went to war after Hamas gunmen rampaged in its southern towns and army bases on Oct 7, has been fighting both to destroy the Palestinian group’s military capacity and deny it access to humanitarian aid sent to Gaza.

"That complicates the situation," he told Reuters.

As a preliminary move to make amends for the WCK deaths, Israel said it would set up a joint operational coordination room with humanitarian agencies, located within the military's Southern Command - where Gaza missions are directly managed.

An Israeli security official who spoke on condition of anonymity said ground forces in Gaza were down to around a quarter of their numbers at the height of the invasion, and focused on more pinpoint missions and securing conquered areas.

"This may have contributed to a feeling of 'sitting duck' vulnerability. Troops prefer to be on the offensive, rather than static and potentially open to attack or to seeing the enemy operate with relative freedom," the official said.

"The investigation will have to determine, among other things, whether this kind of thinking affected the judgement of whoever decided that the convoy should be struck."

More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, Gazan medical officials say. Hamas has said 6,000 of its fighters are among the fatalities. Israeli officials say the Palestinian combatant death toll is more than twice as high.

"There is no war without mistakes - quite the opposite," Ziv said. "But usually in this kind of combat the number of non-combatants killed, in relation to enemy dead, is higher than what the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) has caused (in Gaza)."

Le Monde newspaper said that the rumor that spread on October 10 regarding beheaded children is still spreading 6 months after the outbreak of the war on Gaza, raising accusations of deception against Israel.

The newspaper explained, in a lengthy investigation, that the flood of testimonies about crimes of murder, looting, and mutilation, which followed the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, during which a rumor spread that took on unusual dimensions.

This rumor states that 40 children were found with their heads cut off in the kibbutz of the Kfar Azza settlement, although this did not happen in Kfar Azza nor in any other kibbutz, as the Israeli government press office confirmed to the newspaper.

This story and its details witnessed unprecedented spread, and the White House even spoke about it, and the newspaper wondered how this false information emerged and spread.

Le Monde said that it conducted an investigation to shed light on a rumor that was organically born, from a mixture of emotions, confusion and horrific exaggeration, and Israel did nothing to combat it, but rather often tried to exploit it rather than deny it, which led to fueling accusations of media manipulation.

No confirmations

The newspaper began its investigation from what was reported by its correspondent in Jerusalem, Samuel Fourie, who participated in the visit organized by the Israeli army for dozens of journalists and foreign correspondents to Kibbutz Kfar Azza, where 60 people were killed.

Fouri said that he arrived at the place and there were still bodies everywhere, dead Israelis wrapped in bags, or Hamas fighters lying where they fell.

Faury said that the official in Le Monde called him immediately after the visit, which lasted 90 minutes, and asked him: Have you seen children with their heads cut off? He responded, “I saw the information on social media on my way back, but there doesn’t seem to be anything to confirm it.”

He continued, "No soldier spoke to me about it, and I spoke to 6 of them. I do not think this story is possible. The soldiers had been in the kibbutz since the day before. Such a terrible event could have been documented, and no soldier told it to any of the journalists."

The journalist explained that he contacted two first aid organizations, and no one mentioned the beheading or denied it, but the strong image - as he says - takes precedence over reality, as it serves to portray Hamas as the embodiment of absolute evil.

The Le Monde journalist points out that this was the basis of his message that he published on the X website (formerly Twitter), the day after the visit to Kfar Azza, but after some time had passed, he noticed that his publication was no longer available in France and some European countries, and thus it became clear to him that the children’s story Headless false information.

Because journalists cannot enter a large number of homes for fear of mines, the only Israeli bodies they see are in bags, all the size of adults. The General Staff did not mention the dead children, but they were given the opportunity to ask the soldiers and rescuers present.

Imaginary things

Le Monde continued that rescuers from the "Zaka" organization, an extremist Jewish non-governmental organization responsible for recovering bodies in accordance with Jewish teachings - as the journalist said - were found at the scene of the accident, and they discovered bodies that were no longer recognizable.

Due to the lack of medical training, some people misunderstand the identity and ages of the victims, and the press was told that a pregnant woman was disemboweled and her fetus stabbed, which never happened, as ZAKA volunteer Nachman Dikstegen confirmed to Le Monde newspaper.

"The rescuers saw a lot of dead people, the bodies of women and children, and body parts, and they probably said things they imagined," Dijkstegen added. Indeed, the NGO's spokespeople showed a shocking amount of excess.

ZAKA founder Yossi Landau said that he "saw with his own eyes beheaded children and infants," but the Israeli newspaper Haaretz later revealed that the association, which was in a precarious financial situation, tried to take advantage of the tragedy to attract donations.

Le Monde quoted an Israeli journalist as saying that the number of 40 children killed in Kfar Azza came from Michael Levy, a French-speaking reserve doctor, who categorically denied promoting that number.

But when Le Monde asked him, he confirmed that he had seen a young boy beheaded in Kfar Azza, a claim that is absent from his on-camera testimony and contradicts official reports that the kibbutz's youngest victim was 14 years old.

The rumor journey

The rumor started with the first mention of beheaded children by Israeli “i24 News” journalist Nicole Zedek, when she said in a live broadcast from Kibbutz Kfar Azza that soldiers talked about “children with their heads cut off, that’s what they say,” and she continued that “about 40 children.” They were carried on stretchers,” although she did not see anything, the newspaper says.

In the evening, Elon Levy, Israeli government spokesman, repeated the information received from the journalist, and wrote, “Hamas has cut off the heads of infants. We will eliminate it.” A CNN journalist talks about “children” and “severed heads” with a twist. Rumors.

An Israeli army spokesman condemned “the slaughter of children, even beheading them.” The French-speaking Israeli army spokesman, Olivier Rafovich, described a “real mass grave” discovered in Kfar Azza and stated that “children were slaughtered, and even their heads were cut off.”

The Western press generally adopted the novel - according to Le Monde - and it was reported by English popular newspapers. Contrary to the trend, the New York Times mentioned only 3 dead children and called for caution.

Agence France-Presse indicated that only two children were killed in Kfar Azza and called for caution. For the first time, the Israeli army said that it had “no information confirming the allegations” of the beheading of children by “Hamas.”

Israel justifies its response

In a video, the Israeli Foreign Ministry reiterated that “40 children were killed by Hamas terrorists” and pledged to “do everything in its power to protect Israeli children,” even though the rumor had never before been used so clearly in war communications.

US President Joe Biden claimed that he saw "images of terrorists beheading children" during a meeting with leaders of the American Jewish community.

Thus, this rumor has become an element of the information war, as Israel develops a dual discourse of caution on the one hand and vindictive on the other hand, even though it admitted on CNN that it cannot confirm the story of the beheaded children, which prompted American journalist Sarah Sidner to To apologize.

The Israeli army sometimes contradicts itself - according to Le Monde - by saying that it has no information to confirm these allegations, but at the same time French and English-speaking Israeli army spokesmen convey them.

Only live inside Israel

The newspaper said that Israel's exploitation of rumors has become a weapon used by its opponents. After the rumors were shared by Israeli accounts, some Internet users sought to shed light on the story of "40 children," without hiding their hatred for Israel, according to the newspaper.

Suleiman Ahmed, a widely followed pro-Palestinian influencer, referred to “Zionist propaganda” and “media manipulation,” and asked, “How many civilians did Hamas really kill? The number is low. How many were killed intentionally? It is close to zero. More importantly, Hamas "She did not kill a single child."

American political commentator Jackson Hinkle spoke about the “lie,” and said in a message that was viewed more than 5 million times that “children were not beheaded,” and stressed that “Israel lied about everyone.”

i24 News only corrected its beheading story on November 30, saying, “While the official figures have become clearer, we are correcting our initial report,” and removing the phrase “40 children.”

The newspaper confirmed that although this rumor was denied abroad, it is still alive inside Israel and the Israeli street is still talking about this story as if it were true, and questioning it means for a large part of Israelis questioning the attacks of October 7.

Source: Le Monde

The New York Times reported that US President Joe Biden rebuked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and threatened during their phone call to change US policy.

Israeli Channel 13: Biden asked Netanyahu to move immediately to address the humanitarian issue, and Netanyahu pledged to do so

Israeli Channel 13, according to informed sources:

Biden strongly criticized Israel's behavior in recent days regarding the killing of aid workers.

Biden asked Netanyahu to move immediately to address the humanitarian issue, and Netanyahu pledged to do so.

Channel 13, according to Israeli officials: Washington is extremely angry at Netanyahu’s behavior and considers that Israel is not fulfilling its obligations.

Israeli Broadcasting Corporation: The phone conversation between Netanyahu and Biden was difficult

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority quoted political sources as saying that the phone conversation between Netanyahu and Biden was more difficult than expected.

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority quoted Israeli officials as saying that the content of the White House’s message after the Netanyahu-Biden call is very harsh.

The commission also said that Biden called on Netanyahu - during the phone call - to hold accountable those responsible for the killing of aid workers.

Axios confirmed - citing an informed source - that the phone conversation between Biden and Netanyahu was tense.

Blinken: If we do not see changes from Israel, there will be changes in American policy

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said, “If we do not see the changes we need to see from Israel, there will be changes in American policy.”

Prisoners' institutions reported today, Thursday, that the Israeli authorities are detaining more than 200 Palestinian children in its prisons, including 23 children from the Gaza Strip who are detained in "Megiddo" prison, and are subject to enforced disappearance, as are all Gaza detainees, noting that this is the only information available regarding children. Gaza detainees, and the number may be higher.

The prisoner institutions added, in a statement on the occasion of Palestinian Children’s Day, which falls on April 5 of each year, that this year constituted the bloodiest year for Palestinian children, in light of the occupation’s comprehensive aggression and the ongoing genocidal war in Gaza to this day.

It indicated that after the seventh of last October, child prisoners faced retaliatory measures imposed by the occupation on various categories of prisoners in all prisons. It initially worked to completely isolate the prisoners from the outside world, isolate them from each other inside the prisons, and withdraw all electrical tools and supplies. From inside the rooms, hot water was cut off from them and their clothes were confiscated. The prison administration contented itself with providing very meager meals of very poor quality. The Israeli forces also committed torture against prisoners at an unprecedented rate.

It indicated that since the beginning of the aggression, the number of arrests among children in the West Bank has reached more than 500, as the policy of arresting children constitutes one of the most prominent policies that the occupation has pursued over the decades and up to the present day. Since the first years of the occupation of the Palestinian land, Israel has targeted children in various ways and means directly, without any consideration for any agreements guaranteeing children their rights, as Israel considers them a main target.

It is noteworthy that the Israeli state is considered the only country in the world that systematically tries between 500 and 700 Palestinian children before military courts every year, in a way that lacks basic rights to a “fair” trial.

The prisoner institutions explained, in their statement, that child prisoners had a share of the retaliatory methods used against male and female prisoners. According to testimonies of child prisoners who were released recently, Israel worked from the first day to isolate them from the rest of the prisoners and sections, and several testimonies were recorded indicating that they were beaten. Excruciating pain during their stay in prisons.

Statistics and documented testimonies of child prisoners indicate that the majority of children who were arrested were subjected to one or more forms of physical and psychological torture, through a number of systematic tools and methods that contradict international laws and norms, and agreements on children’s rights.

Under Israeli policy of pursuing liberated prisoners and constantly targeting them, the occupation re-arrested 15 freed prisoners who were liberated during exchange deals last November. Two detainees were later released while 13 were kept in detention, including 5 children, to be transferred. Two freed young prisoners were placed in arbitrary administrative detention.

These practices, according to the statement, come within the framework of the Israeli authorities’ continued persecution of liberated prisoners and the imposition of further oppression and control against the Palestinian people.

In the same context, the statement of the prisoner institutions indicated that the Israeli authorities use the policy of arbitrary administrative detention against the Palestinians as a tool for oppression and control in light of the escalating events and as a means of punishment as well, and children are not spared from this policy, as the occupation today detains in its prisons more than 3,660 administrative detainees, including 41 children, most of whom were arrested and administrative detention orders were issued against them after the 7th of October, without indictments being filed against them, and under the claim of the existence of a “secret file” whose childhood is being stolen in cells that kill their childhood and rob them of their right to education.

On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed with US President Joe Biden, by phone, the recent tensions between Tel Aviv and Tehran, in addition to the issue of the killing of international aid workers in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said that Netanyahu and Biden spoke by phone for about 50 minutes, and discussed the recent tensions with Iran, following the latter’s accusation that Tel Aviv assassinated 7 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, in Damascus last Monday.

On Monday, the official Iranian IRNA news agency reported that the consular section of the Iranian embassy in Damascus was subjected to an Israeli missile attack.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced, in a statement, that 7 of its members, including two generals, were killed in the Israeli attack on the mission in Damascus.

Netanyahu and Biden also spoke about the Tel Aviv murder case of 7 employees of the “Global Central Kitchen” organization, according to the same source.

The broadcasting authority did not talk about other details about the phone call between Netanyahu and Biden.

The last time the two sides spoke was on March 18, after a rupture of more than a month, when they discussed the latest developments in Israel and the Gaza Strip, including the situation in Rafah, south of the Strip, and efforts to increase humanitarian aid.

On Monday evening, the Israeli army targeted a convoy of the “World Central Kitchen” organization in the city of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, killing 7 foreign employees of the nationalities of Australia, Poland, Britain, the United States, Canada and Palestine.

More than 600 lawyers, academics and three former judges of the UK Supreme Court have warned that “Britain is violating international law by continuing to arm Israel.”

This came in a letter they sent to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

The signatories of the letter stressed that the current situation in the Gaza Strip is “catastrophic.”

They said in the introduction to the letter: “We are lawyers, legal academics and former members of the judiciary residing in Britain. We support the rule of law and the protection of basic rights, and we are deeply concerned about the catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.”

The letter stressed that “Britain is violating international law by continuing to arm Israel.”

She called on the Prime Minister to "work for a ceasefire and impose sanctions on individuals and organizations that make statements encouraging genocide against the Palestinians."

On Wednesday, the Hebrew Channel 13 said that the British Prime Minister informed his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, that London may be forced to declare Israel a “state violating” international humanitarian law, against the backdrop of the killing of 7 aid workers working within the “World Central Kitchen” organization in the Gaza Strip. Gaza.

The letter also called for Britain to resume providing support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

It is worth noting that the British government suspended its funding to the UN agency on January 27, along with a number of Western countries, against the backdrop of Israeli allegations that employees of the agency participated in the attack on settlements adjacent to the Gaza Strip on October 7.

28 of Israel's top economic officials filed a petition with the Supreme Court on Thursday to remove Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from office.

The Israeli economic website Calcalist said that 28 senior officials in economics, technology, and academics submitted the petition to the Supreme Court.

Conflict of interests

The website added, "In the submitted petition, it is alleged that the conflict of interest in which Netanyahu finds himself lies between his responsibility to act in the interest of the state in conducting the war, and his alleged use of the war to postpone and delay his criminal trial in cases in which he is accused of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust."

It noted that this petition seeks to impeach Netanyahu “due to his alleged existence in an inherent conflict of interest between his public role and his criminal trial.”

Netanyahu is being tried for corruption in the District Court in East Jerusalem.

The petitioners pointed out that Netanyahu has used, several times since the outbreak of the war on Gaza, his preoccupation with its management as a justification for submitting requests to postpone and delay his trial.

They said, "This requires Netanyahu's removal from office or his dismissal, in light of a previous Supreme Court ruling on the issue of conflict of interest," and added, "The existence of a reasonable fear of a conflict of interest is sufficient to deprive a person of his position."

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office did not immediately comment on this petition, nor did the Supreme Court, the highest judicial body in Israel, set a date to consider the petition.

Source: Israeli press + Anadolu Agency

Leader of the Hamas movement, Osama Hamdan, confirmed that his movement is tirelessly striving to end the aggressive war on the Palestinian people, and that it is working with all national responsibility to intensify the introduction of relief and humanitarian aid, heal the wounds of our patient people stationed, and strengthen their steadfastness on the proud land of Gaza.

Hamdan revealed - in a press conference from Beirut this Thursday evening, keeping pace with the developments of the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip, that the mediators in Egypt and Qatar were informed late last night of the movement’s position, and that it adhered to its position that was officially communicated to them and delivered on March 14.

Hamdan explained: The elements of our position are the need to stop the aggression, the withdrawal of the occupation forces from Gaza, the return of the displaced to their homes, especially in the north, intensifying relief access to all places in the Gaza Strip, starting reconstruction, and a real and serious prisoner exchange process.

He said: We will remain loyal and faithful to the blood of the martyrs and the sacrifices of our people in the Gaza Strip. What Israel was unable to achieve through murder, crime and genocidal war, it will not succeed in achieving by prolonging the negotiations.

He praised the level of awareness, vigilance and national responsibility of all components of national, factional and tribal action in promoting unity and cohesion in confronting the Israeli army.

He warned against the suspicious and despicable plans that are consistent with the occupation’s malicious projects to spread confusion and sow discord among the people.

He said: On the 181st day of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, the chapters of the largest, most horrific and longest heinous crime in modern history continue, and its horrific daily events continue. Between massacre, genocide, field executions, barbaric bombing, arrest and displacement, against more than two million Palestinian citizens, most of whom are women and children.

He stressed that the Palestinian people have proven, during half a year of continuous Israeli aggression, that they are the “Mountain of Bearings,” which contains in its living memory and struggle all the ingredients of strength, will, and steadfastness, and whose great bond, patience, and resistance will be destroyed by all the plans of the enemy and its supporters on the land of Gaza.

He expressed his confidence that, God willing, the chapters of this brutal aggression would end with a conclusion befitting the greatness of the martyrs, the valor of the resistance, and the legendary epic created by the great people of Gaza over the course of six months.

We salute our steadfast and patient people stationed in the Gaza Strip, with all its segments, sects and components, who stand united like a solid statement in the face of all attempts to undermine their unity and steadfastness, as they write their heroic epic in the Battle of Al-Aqsa Flood.

Hamdan blessed the heroic operations of our people in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem, and considered them a natural response to the crimes of the Israeli occupation and support for our people and our resistance in the Gaza Strip, and an affirmation of the cohesion and unity of our people around the choice of resistance as a path to liberation and return, and we call for its continuation and escalation.

Alshifaa pyre

The Hamas leader stressed that the heinous crime committed by Israel against the Al-Shifa Medical Complex, the medical staff, the unarmed civilians, the sick, and the displaced in and around it will remain a witness to the brutality and sadism of this occupation, and a stain of disgrace on the foreheads of all those who are negligent and negligent in condemning these crimes, stopping them, and prosecuting their perpetrators.

He said: The continued international silence and inability towards these massacres constitutes a green light to commit more massacres, and targeting a convoy of workers at the World Central Kitchen Organization, south of Deir al-Balah, only reinforces that this occupation is rogue and devoid of all human values, which requires urgent measures to be taken. And immediately to deter and curb his terrorism and prosecute him afterwards.

He deplored the complete official international silence that accompanied this crime of storming and destroying Al-Shifa Hospital. This surprising silence makes us wonder how this world, with all its laws, treaties, and justice system, can coexist. With a corrupt rogue entity that tramples all laws and acts as if it is above accountability.

He stressed that the policy of terrorism, intimidation, and killing practiced by the occupation against relief teams requires a firm international stance that goes beyond the timid statements issued in response to this heinous targeting, and also goes beyond the demands for an investigation into the crime by the Israeli army, into the causes and circumstances of its occurrence. The reasons are It is clear, and the criminal declares himself, and does not care about all these statements and demands.

Torture of detainees

He said: What was revealed by Israeli and international media about horrific systematic violations and cruel torture methods committed against Palestinian prisoners from the Gaza Strip, which was confirmed by testimonies of prisoners who were released, represents a war crime added to the series of sadistic crimes carried out by the Nazi occupation army.

We hold the occupation fully responsible for the lives and safety of thousands of abductees and detainees who are subjected to the worst types of torture and retaliatory abuse. We deplore the international silence in the face of the continuation of executions and murders under torture to which they are subjected, and we call for intervention to rescue them and release them immediately.

He also held the American administration and its President Biden personally responsible politically, legally, morally and humanitarianly for war crimes. This administration will not be held accountable for its support and full partnership with this occupation in the war crime of genocide, by supporting it politically and diplomatically and providing it with uninterrupted bridges of weapons, bombs, equipment and war ammunition.

Palestinian Territory - A new Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor report titled “Killing starving Palestinians and targeting aid trucks: A deliberate Israeli policy to reinforce famine in the Gaza Strip” reveals the killing of 563 Palestinians and the injury of 1,523 more due to Israel’s targeting of people waiting for aid, distribution centres, and workers responsible for organising, protecting, and distributing aid.  

The use of starvation as a weapon has been an official political decision from the first day of the war, as declared by the Israeli Minister of Defense, and was implemented in integrated stages   

According to the report, between 11 January and 23 March 2024, 256 people were killed in the Kuwait Roundabout area, in the southeast of Gaza City, 230 on Al-Rashid Street, in the southwest of the city, and 21 due to the targeting of aid distribution centres. Documentation also shows that 41 police officers and People’s Protection Committee members who were in charge of overseeing aid distribution were killed, along with 12 aid distribution workers, two of whom were from UNRWA.

The report concludes that Israel’s policies, and the collective punishments it imposes on the Gaza Strip, directly and explicitly aim to starve the Strip’s entire Palestinian population. Israel’s policy of deliberate starvation is not only an attempt to ethnically cleanse the enclave and apparent weapon of war—a war crime in itself—but is intended to expose Palestinian civilians to the risk of actual death. These actions are a crucial component of the genocide that Israel has been committing against the people of the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023.

The use of starvation as a weapon has been an official political decision from the first day of the war, as declared by the Israeli Minister of Defense, and was implemented in integrated stages, which have included tightening the siege and closing the border crossings; preventing the entry of commercial goods; destroying all components of local production and food sources; increasing the Gaza Strip population’s reliance on humanitarian aid; and turning it into their main source of food.

Israel has been a major obstacle to humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip, targeting aid in storage and distribution facilities as well as on trucks. It has also targeted people waiting for the aid and those in charge of distributing it. All of these actions have been taken on a regular and severe basis.

This has prevented the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip from receiving aid, even just to the extent necessary to satiate their hunger or reduce their risk of dying from it. 

Additionally, Israel's targeting of personnel involved in overseeing and securing aid distribution, along with its refusal to cooperate with international organizations, has led to a persistent state of chaos and internal conflict. These actions, coupled with Israel's attempts to dissolve UNRWA, the primary international organization responsible for introducing and distributing humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip, have exacerbated the situation, further deepening the famine in the Strip.

The report states that while Israel has permitted some aid to enter the Strip, it has placed restrictions on the amount of aid, kind of aid, and locations of entry, and has targeted starving civilians waiting for humanitarian aid and those working to distribute, secure, and protect it.

According to the report, Israel also uses starvation, aid restrictions, and the killing of hungry individuals as part of its forced displacement crime against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, especially the northern Gaza Strip. As a result, famine has spread throughout northern Gaza, where nearly all food supplies have run out in the markets, resulting in a rise in the number of fatalities from starvation, malnourishment, dehydration, and related illnesses, particularly among children and infants.

In the midst of intense attacks, raids, and bombardment across the air, land, and sea—during which Israel’s army has used thousands of tons of explosives—the Israeli army methodically started targeting every aspect of life in the Gaza Strip and has not stopped. This includes bombing mills, bakeries, grocery stores, shops, and markets; destroying crops and agricultural lands; killing livestock; and targeting boats and fishing equipment, water tanks, and their extensions; i.e. completely denying access to food resources and potable water to all 2.3 million residents of the Strip, half of whom are children, and depriving them of their already limited ability to produce food locally. This comes amid a complete closure of the border crossings, which were closed for weeks before being partially reopened under harsh Israeli conditions on 21 October following the application of international pressure.

The report includes seven parts: The first deals with the number of humanitarian aid convoy victims, while the second reviews the most prominent crimes involving the targeting of starving civilians waiting for humanitarian aid. The third examines the Israeli targeting of humanitarian aid distribution centres, while the fourth sheds light on crimes related to targeting humanitarian aid convoys. The fifth deals with the targeting of workers distributing humanitarian aid, the sixth sheds light on the targeting of those responsible for securing and protecting humanitarian aid, and the seventh deals with Israel’s attempts to evade responsibility for the massacres. The report also presents a set of conclusions and recommendations.

Euro-Med Monitor’s report concludes by highlighting the significance of facilitating the entry of necessary humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip without delay in order to stop the famine from spreading there. It stresses that Israel, as the occupying power, bears the primary responsibility for supplying food, medical supplies, and other necessities to the Strip’s residents in accordance with international law.

The report also urges the international community to fulfill its legal and moral obligations to the people residing in the Gaza Strip, ensuring that international law, as well as the rulings of the International Court of Justice, are respected and implemented, and to halt the genocide that the Court declared likely to have occurred in Gaza in January, which has been ongoing for nearly six months. It calls for immediate international pressure to be put on Israel to stop its starvation campaign against the people of the Strip, the complete lifting of the siege on the Strip, and the establishment of appropriate mechanisms to ensure the safe, effective, and rapid arrival of humanitarian supplies.

The report also demands the opening of an independent investigation into the killing of starving people, especially the horrifying massacres which Israel has tried to evade responsibility for.

This war must end now! The hostages must come home. Israel needs to put on the table an offer that Hamas won’t refuse. Both sides have lost this war. There is no winner. Both sides have been damaged and traumatized probably beyond repair for decades to come. It didn’t start on October 7; it’s been going on for over 100 years and now it must stop. On October 7 and all of the days following, we have erased moral red-lines and we have both sides done things that no human being can tolerate. There has never been a military solution to this conflict. We have been for too long competing who has the ability to kill more and to hurt more. We have caused too much pain to each other and it is time to stop.

How can any Palestinian live with the knowledge of the atrocities committed in their name against Israelis – their neighbors? Butchering, burning alive, killing children in front of their parents, killing parents in front of their children, massacring hundreds of young people at a music festival, taking hundreds of hostage including babies, people in their 80’s, young women, rape and sexual abuse. How can any decent Palestinian live with all of that?

How can any Israeli live with the knowledge that Israeli has killed 32,000 people in Gaza, most of them non-combatants? How can we Israelis face ourselves with the knowledge that Israel has destroyed the overwhelming number of homes, streets, hospitals, clinics, universities, schools? How can we wake up every morning with the knowledge that millions of Palestinians in Gaza, our neighbors have no roof over the head, no food to eat, no future? How do we carry on knowing that there are tens of thousands of new orphans in Gaza, their parents killed by our bombs and our soldiers?

Yes, the war was justified. Israel had to respond to the brutal attack on October 7. Israel failed to protect its border and with bewildering ease, Hamas breached the border and butchered, pillaged, raped, and abducted. That could not happen without a significant military response. Israel had to respond because failure to respond would pose an existential threat to Israel in this region with enemies seeking to erase Israel from the map. Israel had to demonstrate that while it screwed up unbelievably badly on October 7, it has the fire power, the strength and the determination to demonstrate its overwhelming power – sending a message to all of those who seek Israel’s destruction: Don’t mess with us! That message could have been delivered in one month. Dealing with Hamas and removing it from power, removing the Hamas threat against Israel is a common interest with the majority of Palestinians, and most of Israel’s neighbors, near and far. Israel should have used its brains rather than its brawn in mapping the way to eliminate that threat.

Getting the hostages homes is a prerequisite to ending this war. There is very little chance that continued military pressure will bring home the hostages safely. So far, the military pressure has mainly gotten them killed. If Israel had allies in the region, which it did prior to October 7, the concerted work of the neighbors together, with the assistance of the United States could have come up with a possible solution for bringing the hostages home. Yes, there would be a price tag that Israel would have had to pay, and will pay to bring them home, if Israel truly wants to bring the hostages home who are still alive and the bodies of those who are not. A regional effort to bring the hostages home may still may be the best path towards an agreement – but that is predicated on ending the war.   The Egyptians have already stated in private conversations that given the atrocities committed by Israel in Gaza, Egypt cannot serve as Israel’s lawyer in talks with Hamas. The third party mediators are helpful, but probably not enough to get the hostages home.

Many years ago, when I served as an advisor to an intelligence team set up by Prime Minister Rabin to advise him on the peace process, I was meeting on a regular basis with President Arafat’s advisor on Hamas (let’s call him Abed). Abed was the son of an important Sheikh in Gaza and had the full trust of Arafat and his senior security team.  Abed would often say to me “you Israelis have to let Hamas be our problem. When Israel hits them, they only grow in strength.  We know how to deal with them and the best way to do that is to make the peace process successful.  Hamas’s biggest enemy is peace with Israel”. What Abed said in the mid 1990’s is true today as well.  President Abbas said the same thing to me over the period of years. But since 2009, Netanyahu did not heed that advise because he knew that enabling the Palestinian Authority to successfully deal with Hamas meant advancing Palestinian independence under the leadership of the Palestinian President. The same President who won elections in 2005 after Arafat’s death on a platform of anti-militarization of the intifada, and a determination to eliminate terrorism.  I have heard Abbas say with my own ears, in public, that the security coordination with Israel “is holy!”  But Netanyahu was determined to prevent the emergence of the two-states solution and therefore; he progressively weakened Abbas and the Palestinian Authority and systematically strengthen and had Hamas funded in Gaza. This was the strategy that brought us to October 7 and it is because of this failed strategy that Netanyahu must go. He can no longer be the leader of this nation. He has committed crimes against the State of Israel and its people.

The Palestinian leadership must also go. It has been in power for far too long without giving the Palestinian people the opportunity to elect new leaders. The Palestinian leadership in Gaza and in the West Bank has failed its primary responsibility and duty to improve the lives of their people and to provide them with security, freedom and dignity. Their failure to develop partnership with the Israeli people, despite the failed Israeli leadership after so many years deems them unworthy of serving any more. The Palestinian Authority is not trusted or respected by the Palestinian people. The Hamas leadership should be placed on trial by the Palestinian people for crimes against Palestine and its people. Hamas bears direct responsibility for the outcome of its brutal attack against Israel on October 7. They miscalculated the outcome of that attack and have brought another colossal Nakba on the people of Palestine.

The leadership of both Israel and Palestine must go. It is the direct responsibility of the Israeli and Palestinian people to make them leave. But the international community must also play its part. We are no longer in the situation where the Israelis and Palestinians have to want peace more than the rest of the world. This conflict has gone beyond the borders of Israel and Palestine. This conflict threatens regional security and the stability of several of the countries in this region. The conflict threatens global shipping and impacts on the global economy. The conflict has the potential to lead to an even much wider war.

This conflict has crossed the moral red-lines that have to apply to us all. The international community needs to step up and be pro-active towards Israel and Palestine, with the leverage and force and hard decisions that are unavoidable. Those who provide weapons and bombs to Israel must notify Israel that the shipments will now stop. It is time for Israel to end this war. If Israel is attacked without provocation by Iran or Iran’s proxies, then that decision can be changed. But until that happens, Israel will need to calculate its weapon’s economy and understand that it cannot afford to use more in Gaza. The international community, or the relevant parts of it, need to impose on Hamas a deal that will force Hamas to release all of the Israeli hostages. That means that Qatar needs to notify the Hamas leadership in Doha that the welcome mat to them will soon be removed if they don’t comply. It means that Egypt, with the assistance of the US and others needs to ensure that all of the smuggling routes, above ground and underground, between Sinai and Gaza are sealed forever. The OECD countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Ireland, Belgium, Japan, Australia, Canada and others must immediately recognize the State of Palestine. The veto on Palestinian statehood held by Israel must be removed from Israel. The ultimate weapon against Hamas and its ideology is making Palestine real to the Palestinian people and making the two states solution a fait accompli to Israelis and Palestinian alike.

Gaza must be rebuilt and the whole world including Israel must contribute generously, if we want to bring an end to this conflict. The reconstruction of Gaza must be undertaken by a responsible and legitimate Palestinian leadership.  There cannot be elections in Palestine for the foreseeable future so the international community must also convince President Abbas that he must step aside, remaining President for life if he likes, with ceremonial duties, while he finds and appoints a Prime Minister who will be accepted in the West Bank and Gaza and will have full governmental authorities. That Prime Minister will appoint a government made up of professionals who are respected and accepted by Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to undertake the work of reconstruction. That new Palestinian government will also take over responsibilities of security and should invite a multi-national Arab led force to come to Gaza for a limited period of time with a clear mandate to provide security and to demolish the remaining military infrastructure of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.  Israel must speedily exit Gaza forever.

Both Israel and Palestine should be required by the International Community to undertake the mission of examining their own education curricula and text books based on agreed upon criteria (such criteria exist from UNESCO and other international educational institutions). Educational reform and combatting incitement must be the first foundation stone upon which peace will be built.  What any society teaches its children is the clearest indication of what that society truly values. Dealing with education and incitement cannot be an afterthought, it must be the first step on a new path towards peace.

The first order of the day is to end this war.  Enough!

Human Rights Watch, an organization concerned with defending human rights, said today, Thursday, that the Israeli air strike on a residential building, the “Mohandiseen Building” in the middle of the Gaza Strip on October 31, constitutes a supposed war crime.

The organization added on the “X” platform that the attack on the six-story residential building housing hundreds of people, killing 106 civilians, including 54 children, is one of the bloodiest attacks since the start of the Israeli bombing and ground incursion into Gaza on October 7.

It indicated that the organization did not find any evidence of the presence of a military target in the vicinity of the building at the time of the Israeli attack, which makes the raid random and illegal under the laws of war. The Israeli authorities provided no justification for the attack, noting that the Israeli military's track record of failing to credibly investigate alleged war crimes highlights the importance of the ICC investigating serious crimes committed by all parties to the conflict.

For his part, co-director of the Crisis and Conflict Division at Human Rights Watch, Gerry Simpson, said: “Israel’s illegal air strike on a residential building on October 31 killed at least 106 civilians, including children playing soccer, and residents "They charge their phones in a shop on the ground floor, and displaced families search for safety. This raid caused heavy civilian casualties without an apparent military target - and is one of dozens of attacks that caused a massive massacre, underscoring the urgent need for an ICC investigation." .

The organization called on governments to suspend arming Israel, support the International Criminal Court's investigation into Palestine, and impose targeted sanctions against officials involved in violations of the laws of war.

The organization indicated that, between January and March 2024, it conducted telephone interviews with 16 people regarding the October 31 attack on the residential building known as the “Mohandiseen Building” and the killing of their relatives and others. It also analyzed satellite images, 35 photographs, and 45 videos of the effects of the attack, as well as photographs and videos on social media sites. While Human Rights Watch was unable to visit the site, because since October 7, the Israeli authorities have prevented entry into Gaza through its crossings, and Israel has repeatedly rejected Human Rights Watch’s requests to enter Gaza over the past 16 years.

The organization quoted eyewitnesses as saying that the Mohandessin Building, adjacent to the Nuseirat refugee camp, contained 350 or more people, including at least 150 displaced persons, who took refuge there, fleeing bombing in other places in Gaza.

They added that 4 bombs were dropped from the air on the building at around 2:30 pm without warning, hitting it and destroying everything within about 10 seconds.

Israeli Army Radio said that the security cabinet granted the negotiating delegation additional powers after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with the families of detained female soldiers in Gaza.

Two days ago, Netanyahu's office said that the Israeli negotiating delegation had crystallized with the mediators in Cairo a new proposal that would be presented to the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).

Netanyahu's office stated that "within the framework of the talks and with constructive mediation from Egypt, the mediators drafted a modified proposal" for a truce in Gaza and to free detainees.

He added that Israel expects the mediators to pressure Hamas more forcefully in order to reach an agreement.

Politico magazine said that the administration of US President Joe Biden has no plans or intentions to change its policy towards Israel, after Israeli army forces killed seven humanitarian relief workers affiliated with the World Central Kitchen Foundation, which is based in Washington.

President Joe Biden was particularly angry about the deadly strike, criticizing Israel in a public statement, calling for “accountability” before those responsible and demanding that more humanitarian aid be allowed into Gaza. “But two senior administration officials told (Politico) that this is... "The farthest President Biden and the White House will go is right now."

“This is all we planned,” said one official, who, like others, was granted anonymity to speak candidly about administration planning or internal reactions.

Experts said that Biden's expression of anger in his statement issued on Tuesday is considered the latest example of the United States criticizing Israel's behavior in the war it is waging against Gaza, while America remains hesitant to use its influence to impose change. Biden stood in support of Israel despite all its crimes against Israel. Palestinian civilian citizens, declared dozens of times that he "supports Israel in its quest to defeat Hamas militarily," and ignored calls from progressives and pro-Palestinian voices from his own Democratic Party to impose conditions on military aid or impose other restrictions.

The administration argues that taking punitive steps against Israel will lead the United States to lose any influence it has with Israel, which raises the dissatisfaction of voices that indicate Israel's complete dependence on the United States with weapons, equipment, money, technology, and diplomatic protection.

This has caused divisions within the Biden administration, with a senior official telling POLITICO, “It is just a process of rubbing hands and repeating this (by the administration) with the Israelis, as the American political system either cannot or does not want to draw a real line with the Israelis that they are prohibited from crossing.” "This is unfortunate."

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby confirmed on Wednesday that the United States is not planning any imminent change in its approach toward Israel. He added: “We still support their right to defend themselves and will continue to do so. “We will also see what the outcome of the investigation is,” he said in a call with reporters, adding, “I will not pre-empt decisions that have not yet been made.”

Senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, apologized for dropping bombs Monday night on the World Central Kitchen convoy.

The organization's three vehicles clearly bore the WCK badge and drove along a protected road in central Gaza, after coordination with the Israeli occupation authorities. However, Israeli forces continued to beat relief workers several times despite being informed of the convoy's movements. The group temporarily stopped food deliveries after the raid.

In his statement Tuesday evening, Biden was stern. “Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed assistance to civilians.” He added: "Events like the one that took place yesterday should not happen. Israel also did not do enough to protect civilians."

Another senior administration official expanded on Biden's message, saying: “The bombing of humanitarian aid — at a time when Israel recently agreed to do more to get aid to northern Gaza — is a huge problem.”

An initial Israeli investigation into the attack indicated that forces incorrectly identified the convoy as enemy targets. “I want to be very clear: the strike was not carried out with the intention of harming aid workers at WCK,” Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevy, IDF Chief of Staff, said Tuesday in a video message. “It was a mistake that followed a mistaken identity at night during a war in very complicated circumstances.”

In turn, the founder of the "Global Central Kitchen" organization, José Andres, confirmed on Wednesday that the Israeli attack that led to the death of seven aid workers in Gaza targeted them "systematically, car after car."

He said in televised interviews that the "Global Central Kitchen" charitable group he founded was in clear contact with the Israeli army, which he said knew the movements of its relief workers.

The famous chef said: "This was not just bad luck. Unfortunately, we dropped the bomb in the wrong place. Even if we were not coordinating with Israeli forces, no democratic country or army could target civilians and humanitarian workers."

Kirby (White House spokesman) told reporters on Tuesday that there was "no evidence" that Israel intended to intentionally kill aid workers.

“It is noteworthy that the World Central Kitchen is working with the US Army to build a temporary dock to deliver aid to Gaza, which makes the organization vital for the Strip’s 2.2 million Palestinian residents to obtain food, water and other necessities,” according to Politco.

About 200 aid workers have been killed since the war began last year, but the reaction to this incident has been much greater because many in Washington - including the Biden administration - are close to Andres and dine at his many restaurants around the capital.

Many officials across the administration were already alarmed by the growing number of civilians and aid workers killed, but “this strike had a different impact,” said a US official, who was granted anonymity to detail the internal reaction. “Everyone loves Jose World Central Kitchen and doing so seems horribly wrong and blatantly stupid.”

The US Agency for International Development said on Wednesday evening that there are still concerns about deteriorating conditions inside Gaza.

Arrest cases increased after October 7 to more than (8,030) arrests in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and included all segments of Palestinian society, those whom Israel kept detaining them, and those who were later released, while the Israeli occupation continues to carry out the crime of enforced disappearance against Gaza detainees. .

The Prisoners' Authority and the Prisoners' Club said that the arrest campaigns reflected a high level of brutality, attacks, violations, and systematic crimes, accompanied by severe beatings, field investigations with dozens of citizens, and the use of citizens as hostages, in addition to the field executions that were carried out against citizens during the arrest campaigns, including brothers. For detainees, they were martyred at the moment their brothers were arrested, and other brutal crimes and violations, and widespread acts of vandalism that affected homes, and the confiscation of possessions, cars, money, gold jewelry, and electronic devices.

It is noteworthy that the Israeli forces launched a massive arrest campaign from yesterday evening until Thursday morning, targeting at least (40) citizens from the West Bank, including three women and former prisoners. The arrests were concentrated in the Jerusalem Governorate, while the rest of the arrests were distributed among the Ramallah and Hebron governorates. Bethlehem, Jenin, Qalqilya, Tubas, and Nablus.

In another statement, the Prisoner Club explained that the arrest campaigns among women, as the number of arrests among women after October 7, reached about (270), and this figure includes women who were arrested in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, as well as women from the territories. occupied in 1948, and women from Gaza residing in the West Bank, while confirming that there is no information about the complete cases of arrest of women from Gaza.

The Central Bureau of Statistics said that the Israeli forces kill about 4 children every hour in the Gaza Strip, and 43,349 children live without their parents or one of them, due to the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip for the 181st day.

The statistics stated in a statement issued today, Thursday, on the occasion of Palestinian Children’s Day, that more than 14,350 deaths were children, constituting 44% of the total number of deaths in the Gaza Strip, and women and children also constituted 70% of the missing in the Gaza Strip. As a result of the Israeli aggression, the number of whom is 7,000 people.

He pointed out that 455 martyrs have died in the West Bank since the start of the aggression on the 7th of last October, including 117 children, and there are 724 children wounded out of 4,700 wounded since the start of the aggression, and 1,620 Palestinians, including 710 children, have been displaced in various areas. Throughout the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, due to the demolition of their homes, more than half of them were displaced during military operations, especially in the refugee camps in Tulkarm and Jenin.

In this context, during the year 2023, 1,085 children were arrested from the West Bank, including 500 children after the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, including 318 children from the Jerusalem Governorate.

According to data from the Prisoners’ Affairs Authority, the Israeli occupation is still detaining 204 children in its prisons, including 202 from the West Bank, one from the Gaza Strip, and one from within the 1948 territories, including 11 sentenced prisoners, 158 detainees, and 35 under administrative detention.

About half of Palestinian society are children

It is expected that the number of children under 18 years of age in mid-2024 in the State of Palestine will reach 2,432,534 children (1,364,548 children in the West Bank, and 1,067,986 children in the Gaza Strip), and the percentage of children in Palestine constitutes about 43% of the total population (41% in the West Bank). Western and 47% in the Gaza Strip), while the number of children under the age of 18 in the Gaza Strip was estimated at 544,776 male children and 523,210 female children, of whom about 15% were under the age of five (341,790 male and female children).

43,349 children live without their parents or one of them in the Gaza Strip

In 2020, there were 26,349 children aged between 0-17 years who were orphans (lost one or both of their parents) in the Gaza Strip, while estimates by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) indicate that about 17,000 children in Gaza became Orphans after losing their parents or one of them since October 7, 2023, and each of them represents a sad story of loss and bereavement, and this number represents about 1% of the total number of displaced people, which number 1.7 million displaced people in the Gaza Strip, and as a result they are living in very difficult conditions. They are placed in exceptional circumstances and have no real shelter, as this can lead to profound negative effects on children, including psychological and social effects such as loneliness, deteriorating mental health, and poor learning and social development.

Famine and malnutrition threaten the lives of children in the Gaza Strip

The Integrated Interim Classification for Food Security (IPC) report for the period February 15-March 15, 2024 showed a high risk of famine in the Gaza Strip, indicating that 95% of the population in the Gaza Strip (about 2.13 million people) face high levels of food security. Severe food insecurity, including up to 1.1 million people in Gaza, facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity, including an almost 80% increase in the number of people facing the highest food insecurity rating since December. The situations of these families are characterized by Living conditions are characterized by severe lack of food, famine, and exhausted coping capacities, leading to alarmingly high rates of acute malnutrition among children under the age of five, and a significant increase in the mortality rate.

The Ministry of Health reported that 28 children died of malnutrition and dehydration in hospitals in the Gaza Strip.

According to nutrition examinations conducted by UNICEF, which showed that acute malnutrition rates among children in northern Gaza and Rafah nearly doubled compared to January 2024, rising from 16% to 31% among children under the age of two in northern Gaza, and from 13% to 25%. % among children under the age of two in Rafah. The rate of severe wasting, which is the most life-threatening form of malnutrition and requires therapeutic feeding and treatment that is not available in Gaza, also increased from 3% to 4.5% among children in shelters and health centers in northern Gaza, where it was four times higher than it was in Rafah, where it rose from 1% to 4%, and in Khan Yunis, where it was found that 28% of children under the age of two suffer from acute malnutrition, including 10% who suffer from severe wasting.

It is noteworthy that the percentage of children who were moderately underweight in the Gaza Strip in 2020 was 2.1%, and 0.3% severely, and that the percentage of children who were moderately short in stature reached 9.0% at the time, and 1.8% were suffering from short stature. Sharp. The percentage of children suffering from moderate wasting was 1%, and severe wasting was 0.5%.

Newborn children of the Gaza Strip are in a struggle to survive in light of the health and food crisis

Newborn children in the Gaza Strip find themselves in a difficult battle to survive, as health data issued by UNICEF show that about 20,000 children were born under the Israeli aggression since it broke out on the Gaza Strip, and there are about 60,000 pregnant women in the Strip, with an average of 180 cases. They face many challenges giving birth every day, as a result of pregnant women suffering from malnutrition and dehydration and facing severe food poverty, so many of their children are born underweight and suffer from health problems, in addition to the possibility of them not receiving vaccinations due to their lack, and this means the emergence of diseases that have been eliminated and were not. Found among children, such as measles, whooping cough, polio, and others. As a result, the continuation of these catastrophic conditions leads to the death of many newborns, as the neonatal mortality rate in 2020 in the Gaza Strip reached 8.8 births per 1,000 live births. It is reported that the number of children of vaccination age (0-23 months) has reached 208,300 boys and girls.

More than 816 thousand children need psychological help from the effects of aggression

Given the scenes of killing and destruction as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression for 181 days, it leaves profound psychological effects on the children of the Gaza Strip. This effect can include negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, and depression, psychological shock due to continuous psychological pressure, and material and human losses, such as the loss of relatives or Homes. Aggression can also affect their behavior and daily lifestyle, such as changes in sleeping patterns, feeding, and social relationships. Children may also be exposed to painful physical injuries or the loss of loved ones, which increases their need for psychological and emotional support to recover from these painful experiences. Data indicate that there are more than 816 thousand children in the Gaza Strip in need of psychological assistance from the effects of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.

620 thousand students, both male and female, in the Gaza Strip were deprived of their right to school education

As a result of the continuous bombing and violent raids on the Gaza Strip, the toll of martyrs among students and teachers, and the destruction of the infrastructure of a significant number of schools, the educational process in the Gaza Strip has been disrupted since the start of the aggression, and about 620,000 students have been deprived of their right to school education for the academic year 2023/2024. The number of martyrs among students enrolled in schools in Palestine reached 6,050 martyrs, with 5,994 martyrs in the Gaza Strip and 56 martyrs in the West Bank. While the number of wounded students enrolled in schools in Palestine reached 10,219 wounded, with 9,890 wounded in the Gaza Strip and 329 wounded in the West Bank. As for the detained students enrolled in schools, 105 students were arrested, all of them from the West Bank.

On Thursday, the Hebrew newspaper Haaretz revealed atrocities committed against Palestinian prisoners from the Gaza Strip, who were arrested during the current war and transferred to various detention centers, including field ones.

An Israeli doctor working in a field hospital, during a letter he delivered last week to Army Minister Yoav Galant, the Minister of Health, and the legal advisor to the government in Tel Aviv, revealed harsh methods used against prisoners, especially in field detention centers.

According to the doctor's letter, this puts the detainees at risk, and the state itself risks breaking the law, noting that in just the last week, two detainees had their legs amputated due to an injury that started from being handcuffed, and unfortunately this has become a routine occurrence. According to his description.

He pointed out that inside the field hospital, feeding is done in abusive ways, detainees are forced to defecate in diapers, and their hands continue to be handcuffed all the time, phenomena that contradict medical and legal standards.

The doctor said in his letter: From the first days of the operation of the field hospital, until today, I have been faced with difficult ethical dilemmas, and more than that, I am writing to warn that the characteristics of the hospital’s activities do not correspond to any of the departments related to health, in accordance with the laws for the detention of illegal combatants.

He pointed out that the hospital does not receive regular supplies of medicines and medical equipment, and that all of its patients are shackled on all fours regardless of how dangerous they are, their eyes are covered and they are fed in abusive ways, and that under these circumstances and the current reality, even young and healthy patients are losing weight after About a week or two of hospitalization. like he said.

A spokesman for the Israeli army claimed that the detainees receive food according to their health needs, and that they are allowed to go to the toilets according to their medical condition, even if their movement is limited. Diapers help them do that, and tying their hands and keeping them blindfolded came within instructions issued by the Ministry of Defense. Health allows this, while a source from the Ministry said that the treatment of detainees while they were shackled began after a patient who was detained attacked members of the medical staff.

The doctor says in his letter that the hands of detainees in the field hospital are tied at all hours of the day and they are forced to remain blindfolded, and more than half of the patients there are there due to injuries that developed during detention due to the shackles that remain in their hands for a long time, which causes them serious injuries that require interventions. Repeated surgery.

The Israeli army spokesman claimed that the method of handcuffing is determined in accordance with the law, and according to an individual examination of the level of danger of each detainee with the aim of ensuring the security of the forces and the medical staff, claiming that this is done on the recommendation of the medical staff according to the detainee’s health condition, and after repeated injuries, the type of handcuffs in the hospital was changed. The guards make sure that there is space between the detainees' bodies and the handcuffs.

Haaretz learned that after a few months, the plastic handcuffs that used to bind the hands of detainees in the field hospital were replaced with metal handcuffs.

In addition to the doctor’s testimony, three sources testified in an interview with “Haaretz” that since the beginning of the war, one of the detainees had his hand amputated after he was injured due to his hands being tied with plastic handcuffs for a long period, while an Israeli military spokesman said that the incident would be investigated, and later, since there was no suspicion. Criminal case, it was decided not to open an investigation.

A source told the Hebrew newspaper that many of the detainees are in poor physical condition, and some of them were injured in battles or in the war, and sometimes their wounds were exacerbated by the prison conditions and the lack of hygiene in it, and others suffered from chronic diseases, and for several months since the beginning of the war, there were... There was a shortage of medications to treat chronic diseases in the hospital, and some detainees suffered from prolonged epileptic seizures.

According to the source, although many of the detainees suffer from medical problems, most of them are not treated in the hospital, but rather remain in tents and receive treatment by paramedics.

Sources confirm that medications for chronic diseases have increased in medicine, and that the hands of many detainees were cut off and contaminated due to the handcuffs. This is supported by photos of released detainees in Gaza, which show wounds on their hands.

The Gaza detainee camp consists of several tents in which detainees are held, and a field hospital. According to the sources, between 600 and 800 Gazans are in the newly constructed field camp, and a small number of them who need critical medical treatment are in the field hospital. , where conditions are the same as those mentioned in the doctor’s letter, and some detainees are later transferred to prisons in Israel, and others are returned to Gaza after investigation, if no reason is found to continue their detention.

According to data from the Israeli Prison Service, which was provided by the HaMoked Organization for the Protection of the Individual, the number of detainees in the prisons of the Gaza Strip on April 1 reached 849 detainees from Gaza, in addition to the detainees in the field detention center.

The field hospital is supposed to operate in the new detention center, in accordance with the amendment to the Unlawful Combatants Prison Law, which was approved by the Knesset in December, as the doctor confirmed in his letter that the hospital does not comply with the conditions stipulated in the law, including granting the right to treatment. Medical according to the health condition of inmates, their right to imprisonment in hygienic conditions and their right to have adequate sleeping arrangements that do not endanger their health or harm their dignity, as well as the right to walk for approximately two hours a day in the open air.

The doctor stated in the letter that the detainees do not receive appropriate treatment, even if they are transferred to the hospital, saying: There was no patient who was transferred to the hospital and stayed there for more than a few hours, and it happens that patients after large-scale operations, such as abdominal surgeries to remove the intestines, return. After about an hour of observation, which is carried out most hours of the day by one doctor, accompanied by a nursing team, some of whom train paramedics only, this is instead of remaining for observation in the surgical department to follow up on the case, and the existing doctor may be an orthopedic doctor or a gynecologist, and this It sometimes leads to complications and sometimes even to the death of the patient.

The doctor wrote: This behavior makes us all complicit in violating the law, and perhaps what is worse for me as a doctor is that it violates my basic commitment to patients wherever they are, and violates the oath I took when I graduated from the university 20 years ago.

An Israeli military spokesman claimed that the army and the Ministry of Health pay attention to supplying medicines and medical equipment as required to the field hospital, and patients are evacuated to official hospitals according to their medical condition and the decision in this regard is made according to professional standards only.

Israeli officials who received the doctor's letter claimed that they were taking it seriously, and were unable to confirm or deny what it said, but it is expected that an investigation will be opened into what is happening in the field hospital.

Haaretz learned that several meetings were held in recent weeks about the case, regardless of the message, while the doctor confirms that there have not yet been any fundamental changes in the nature of the work, while a committee visited the place, but it appears to have provided a legal cover for what is happening, which raises concern. . like he said.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army spokesman claimed again that his forces are working in accordance with the law, and that every procedure is documented, supervised, and implemented with the utmost care to preserve the dignity of the detainees, in accordance with the principles of Israeli and international law, according to his claim. The Ministry of Health confirmed that the care provided in the field hospital complies with international rules and treaties to which Israel is committed. According to her claim.

The Israeli army committed 6 massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, including 62 martyrs and 91 injuries to hospitals during the past 24 hours, which raises the toll of the aggression to 33,037 deaths and 75,668 injuries since last October 7.

Here are the latest developments: Two citizens were killed and a number of others were injured in a raid launched by Israeli warplanes on the Nuseirat camp in the middle of the Gaza Strip, and others in an artillery shelling in the Al-Matahin area south of Deir Al-Balah.

A number of citizens were injured as a result of artillery shelling that targeted homes in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood and the outskirts of the Tal Al-Hawa neighborhood in Gaza City.

In Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, Israeli artillery fired shells in the vicinity of Nasser and Al-Amal Hospitals, west of the city, wounding a number of citizens, and Israeli  aircraft opened fire on citizens’ homes in the Al-Qarara area, northeast of Khan Yunis.

In Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, crews and residents recovered the bodies of a number of martyrs from under the rubble after an Israeli warplane targeted a house for the Abu Daraz and Nasr families in the El Geneina neighborhood, east of Rafah.

For the 181st day, the Israeli forces continue their devastating war on the Gaza Strip, leaving more martyrs and wounded.

During the night, the Israeli forces carried out a series of raids in the city of Rafah, targeting homes and apartments, which led to the death of a group of citizens, including children and women.

The Israeli forces also bombed several areas in the central Gaza Strip, including homes and lands in the Nuseirat and Al-Maghazi camps, and the town of Al-Zawaida, which led to the martyrdom of a group of citizens.

Israeli artillery bombed various areas of Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip, as well as its center.

The Palestinian resistance launched several missiles towards the settlements surrounding Gaza.

Meanwhile, a leading Hamas source said that Israel is still evading the right to reach a prisoner exchange deal, and that what it presented in Cairo does not meet the demands of the Palestinian people.

Eitan ben Elihu

3 specific incidents occurred in 4 arenas in one day. Each incident can teach us something, and we can draw a strategic conclusion from it.

A drone crashed at a naval base in Eilat. Apparently, there is nothing new in such an incident. However, the infiltration from the east, from distant Iraq, indicates the Iranians’ insistence on continuing to work through their arms at the same time, in every square surrounding the State of Israel. Until now, we have been busy with Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and the Houthis, but now we are busy with Iraq and the roads that cross Jordan.

The drone was small and slow, flew at a very low altitude, and was constantly changing its flight path. All of this made it difficult to detect, and its absence from radars thwarted the interception process. However, its partial detection was sufficient to raise the alarm and prevent loss of life. The purpose of the attack is essentially to maintain a range of operations by Iranian agents against Israel, from every direction.

The Israeli army ended its operation in Al-Shifa Hospital. It was a successful military operation that curbed the return of Hamas. During this operation, a large number of "saboteurs" were eliminated, and a large and important intelligence material was obtained. The operation took place suddenly, and led to a small number of casualties among our ranks. Although what was intended was an intensive military operation in the hospital area, it did not lead to an exacerbation of international criticism against Israel.

The army spokesman revealed the operation in a way that positively demonstrated the Israeli army's caution in such a sensitive area. A picture also emerged of the armed soldier preparing a clean and tidy bed to receive a child. Al-Shifa Hospital is an area that had been “occupied and surrendered” a long time ago, and we had to return to it to carry out the assassination of a high-level “terrorist,” but the place was crowded with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of “saboteurs,” as if we had never been there.

The bottom line is that even the place that we occupied and “cleaned” once or twice could become a nest for “saboteurs,” and we have no choice but to assume that this matter may happen again.

In the middle of a luxurious area in Damascus, a bomb was launched yesterday that destroyed a building in a densely populated neighborhood, in an attack attributed to Israel. The targeted location is very close to two buildings: the first, where the Iranian consulate in Syria is located, and the second, which is occupied by the Canadian embassy in Damascus. These two nearby buildings were not damaged. The target was the commander of the Quds Force in Syria and Lebanon, Mohammad Reza Zahedi. This Iranian goal may not be more important than it in the northern arena (with the exception of Nasrallah).

It should be noted that the rare intelligence capability, the technical accuracy of bombs and aircraft, the performance of the pilots and the ability of the Air Force to bomb a target in the center of Damascus that has a dense air defense umbrella.

Despite the failed attempts of the Iranians and Syrians to say that Israel violated international law and attacked a “diplomatic target,” the pictures published in Israel show that there were no casualties, even minor ones. It was a “clean” operation, and its results will have great importance in the battle against Iran, and Israel enjoys a significant superiority in this area, with excellent results. Such operations have been carried out in the past, are being carried out nowadays, and will be carried out in the future, when the need arises, without any relation to the war in Gaza, if it continues or stops.

Examining these three points indicates the nature of the war, and the advantages and disadvantages of the Israeli army, depending on its location and the differences between them, but linking them has strategic significance for the entire battle.

These days, access to Rafah continues to be obstructed. The issue has taken on an exaggerated magnitude, as if the operation in Rafah would decide the fate of the battle: either victory or defeat. In the northern Gaza Strip, despite its occupation, the continuation of Israeli army operations in Al-Shifa Hospital is a prominent example. This is what happened during 18 years in Lebanon, and this model has been continuing for decades in the West Bank. This is what happened in Gaza, when we controlled it and established settlements there, and this is what is expected to happen after the completion of the operation in Rafah. We are prepared to defend against missiles and drones, and we know how to carry out operations to impose security and “cleanse” the area on a daily basis, and this is what we will do in Gaza, with or without Rafah.

There is one thing that cannot be reversed, which is the fate of the prisoners. Insisting on an operation with unclear results in Rafah will determine the fate of the prisoners. Rafah is not everything, therefore, our expectations must be adjusted. We must activate the main part of the political and military pressure, through the opening created by the establishment of a humanitarian port. The development and expansion of this port will “attract” the Americans to the Strip, along with other parties. The greatest threat to Sinwar will increase if another alternative authority from Hamas emerges in the Gaza Strip.

We must reduce our expectations about Rafah, focus attention on returning the prisoners, and resolve the war by removing Hamas from power and establishing an alternative authority, even if for a limited period.

By Danny Citronovic

Since the start of the Battle of the Iron Swords, Iran has been receiving blow after blow in Syria. The frequency of attacks against its members and interests in the Syrian arena, which reached its peak with the assassination of Sayyed Rezaei, who was directly responsible for transferring military equipment to Hezbollah through this arena, constitutes a major challenge to Iran’s ability to operate in Syria. But Iranian responses to these operations were very deliberate and limited. This is due to the Iranian leadership's fear that a violent and direct response to these attacks could involve Iran in the battle.

But the events that took place in recent months in Syria in general, and in Damascus in particular, are not compared to the assassination of Hassan Mahdavi [Mohammad Reza Zahedi] yesterday (4/1/2024) in a building adjacent to the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital. In many ways, the assassination of Mahdavi is not just another step against Iranian concentration, but rather an important, almost unprecedented event in the battle against Iran. Mahdavi's high status, his relations with the Iranian leadership, and the place where the assassination took place (within territories under Iranian sovereignty) cannot allow Iran to remain silent on the issue and return to normal life, even using the previous method of response.

The assassination of Al-Mahdawi exacerbates the dilemma of the Iranian leadership, which is likely to be afraid of “involvement” in the battle of the “Iron Swords”. Therefore, the Iranian leadership needs to think and make a response that deters any party from carrying out similar attacks in Syria, or anywhere else, from Without involving Iran directly in the battle. Iran fears that any step would lead to an expansion of the battle in a way that would endanger its strategic assets in this Middle Eastern region (above all, Hezbollah), and lead to a direct clash with the United States, but on the other hand, a weak response could also indicate its weakness.

Operationally, Iran, which has not hesitated to send militias to respond to incidents directed directly against it, will be forced this time to think about the validity of involving its agents, led by Hezbollah, in the response alongside the direct response from Iran. It seems that the involvement of these agents could enhance the strength of the Iranian response, but on the other hand, it could expose them to the risk of a counter-response, and lead to an expansion of the battle in the northern arena.

In any case, the assassination of Mahdawi forces the Iranian leadership to rethink the way Iran is involved in Syria. The Syrian arena constitutes a strategic target for Iran for many and varied reasons, but the succession of attacks against its presence there, especially the assassination of high-ranking people entrusted with providing an Iranian foothold in Syria, certainly harms Iran’s ability to control what is happening in the Syrian arena, and may raise questions. About its effectiveness.

In conclusion, the assassination of Mahdawi is not “just an event” in the battle against Iranian concentration in Syria. Therefore, in light of the public statements made by the Iranian leadership after the assassination, Iran, which does not hesitate to respond, and also due to its diminished capabilities in the Syrian context (and continuing failures in the ability to carry out attacks from outside Iran), may be forced to consider a response from “outside.” The Fund allows it to build deterrence in the northern arena again without being drawn into war.

In many ways, we are not witnessing the end of an event, but only its beginning, and the Iranian response will directly reflect on the chances of the battle expanding.

Report assesses damage at $18.5bn with fears it will be higher after a second evaluation

Israel has destroyed billions of dollars worth of infrastructure in the first four months of its bombardment of the Gaza Strip, according to a new report by the World Bank and the United Nations.

Describing the level of damage inflicted by Israel as "unprecedented", both global bodies said the damage is estimated to be worth at least $18.5bn - the combined GDP of the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

"The level of destruction in the Gaza Strip since October 2023 is unprecedented," said the Interim Damage Assessment report, released on Tuesday. 

"To date, 80 percent of total damages were concentrated in the governorates of Gaza, North Gaza and Khan Younis.

"The municipality of Gaza alone accounted for $7.29bn of total damage, with Jabaliya following at $2.01bn, Khan Younis at $1.82bn, and Beit Lahia accounting for $1.08bn of the total."

The report noted that significant damage was recorded in Beit Lahia and Rafah governorates and said 26 million tonnes of debris and rubble left in Gaza is estimated to take years to remove.

Since the bombardment of Gaza began, Israel has destroyed approximately 62 percent of all homes in the besieged enclave, leaving more than a million people without homes.

Public infrastructure, such as water, health and education, accounted for 19 percent of the overall damage, according to the report.

The report also said that 84 percent of health facilities have been damaged or destroyed, leaving the population with minimal access to healthcare in Gaza.

Using assistance from the European Union, the report used remote data collection sources and analytics to provide a preliminary estimate on the scale of damage to Gaza's physical infrastructure.

The report, however, acknowledges that its initial findings underestimate the scale of damage in the Gaza Strip and stresses that a second analysis will be required.

A key recommendation of the report is to increase humanitarian assistance, food aid, food production and shelter for displaced Palestinians. 

The report comes as aid agencies have paused their delivery of humanitarian assistance after an Israeli strike killed seven aid workers from the charity World Central Kitchen.

The victims included Australian, Polish, British, American and Palestinian nationals. Israel, which said the strike was "unintentional", is facing pressure to explain the circumstances of the air strikes. 

By Peter Oborne

The western media and political classes have made more noise about the Israeli killing of seven aid workers than about the 32,000 dead Palestinians

In approaching six months of genocidal horror in Gaza, the Israeli army has slaughtered more than 32,000 Palestinians, with thousands more bodies decomposing under the Gaza rubble. More than 70,000 are wounded, many maimed for life.

Among the dead are at least 90 Palestinian journalists and media workers, and nearly 200 aid workers. Some 13,000 children and 9,000 women have been killed by Israel.

And that's not to speak of the systematic destruction of schools and hospitals, the displacement of 85 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million population, nor the deepening famine.

The same attrition rate in the UK would have seen at least one million Britons dead, including approximately 400,000 children.

Until yesterday, politicians of the two main British political parties, Conservative and Labour, along with the mainstream media, have been relaxed about all this. They supported the slaughter and protected the killers.

The British media have demonised or dehumanised Palestinians, while throwing their weight behind Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

Too often the media have believed lies and fabrications told to them by the Israeli army, while suppressing or ignoring mounting evidence of Israeli atrocities. Overnight, this appears to have changed.

A media outcry

Look at the splash headline, for example, in Britain’s leading newspaper of record, The Times. It reads: "Outcry at aid worker deaths".

Spread prominently across the front page were photographs of three victims of Tuesday's Israeli strike against an aid convoy travelling through Gaza on behalf of the World Central Kitchen charity.

Seven aid workers have been killed in total in the attack; three Britons, one Australian, a Pole, an American-Canadian, and only one of whom is reported to be Palestinian.

This is the same Times newspaper which only two months ago consigned the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling that Israel should be investigated for genocide to page 42 (page three of the international section).

We need not delude ourselves that The Times, and other British papers, would have run the story on its front page had the dead carried Arab names

The same Times newspaper which two days ago completely failed to report the bombshell remark by Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Alicia Kearns that government lawyers knew that Israel had breached international humanitarian law but Foreign Secretary David Cameron had failed to make the knowledge public.

It's not just The Times which has changed its tune. Every British newspaper today has given the Israeli army slaughter of the seven aid workers the full treatment.

And of course we all know what has caused the change; the victims of the latest Israeli atrocity were, with one exception, white foreigners. 

We need not delude ourselves that The Times, and other British papers, would have run the story on its front page had the dead carried Arab names. In fact, they would probably not have carried the story at all. 

Official condemnation

How many of the Unrwa aid workers killed by Israel made it onto the front page of The Times?

As far as I can tell the answer is nil, and the only Unrwa workers given widespread coverage in Britain’s premier paper of record were those accused by Israel, on the basis of unevidenced claims, that they played a role in the 7 October atrocities.

This is not in any way to diminish the heroism and self-sacrifice of the seven World Central Kitchen charity workers killed yesterday. Quite the contrary. 

But it is deeply relevant to note that countless Palestinians, equally heroic and equally innocent, have been slaughtered by Israeli forces’ actions in the same way - with scarcely an eyebrow being raised by western politicians and negligible outcry in the western media.

It is fair to say that, among the western media and political classes, there has been more noise made in the past 24 hours about the Israeli killing of seven aid workers than about all the 32,000 dead Palestinians put together. 

Let’s take Cameron. He appears relaxed about dead Palestinians. It took the deaths of seven international aid workers - including three white Britons - for him to summon the Israeli ambassador to the Foreign Office.

Take the British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Countless massacres, along with collective punishment of the Palestinian population of Gaza, weren’t enough for Sunak to withdraw his "unequivocal" support of  Netanyahu.

Yesterday’s atrocity has finally elicited something like a statement of condemnation.

A turning point?

It is often relatively small events that change public sentiment. In 2003 it took the death of government scientist David Kelly to focus attention on the scandal of Tony Blair’s falsehoods about so-called weapons of mass destruction and the illegality of the Iraq war.

It took the revelation that Rupert Murdoch's journalists had hacked the phone of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler to bring the phone hacking scandal to public attention.

So when I saw the reaction to yesterday’s atrocity, I wondered whether it would be enough to change the mood at Westminster and Washington towards Israel’s murderous conduct.

I hope that will happen, but I doubt it. I anticipate thorough investigation - though only by Israel itself - into the narrow circumstances surrounding the Israeli army killing of the seven charity workers. We will hear from the families of the dead, and learn their life stories.

I expect that the Israeli army officer responsible will, most unusually, be punished.

But the matter will end there and life will move on. Few want to say this out loud. There were no serious official protests in Britain and the United States so long as  atrocities were confined to the Palestinians.  

The real crime in the eyes of the West was Israel’s slaughter of white people. What happened yesterday is a terrible human tragedy for the aid workers and their families. But it is also a story of western racism.