As the world's attention turned to the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Brussels to demand that Western countries continue their aid to his country.

"We talked about Ukraine's defense priorities and how to survive the coming winter," Zelensky told reporters before attending a meeting with NATO defense ministers.

"We need some support from the leaders. That's why I'm here today," he added in the presence of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Zelensky identified air defense systems as one of his priorities, saying, "We need tangible things and we need them at very specific geographical points on our land."

The meeting between NATO and Ukraine ensured more assistance for the Ukrainians to face the coming winter, as Stoltenberg said that the alliance would provide more cold-weather clothing, mine-clearing capabilities, fuel, and medical equipment “to help Ukraine face another difficult winter.”

The new pledge came at a time when clashes between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) captured the world's attention. As of Wednesday, more than 2,000 people had been killed and thousands more injured on both sides.
NATO defense ministers are scheduled to discuss the situation in the Middle East on Thursday, and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant is scheduled to join them via video link.

The Commission for the Affairs of Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners warned Thursday morning of the dangerous escalation taking place in Israeli prisons and detention centers, which puts the lives of our male and female prisoners in danger and a real threat.

The Commission explained that the Negev Prison Administration’s decision to cut off water and electricity to all sections of the prison from two o’clock yesterday afternoon until this moment is a worrying step of revenge, as it is unthinkable to leave nearly a thousand detainees without water for all these hours, which exceeds the limits of logic.

The Commission calls on the International Committee of the Red Cross to intervene immediately to stop this crime, to go immediately to the Negev prison, to force the prison administration to restore water and electricity to all sections, and to pledge not to repeat these retaliatory practices that violate all international norms and conventions.

The Commission stressed that the occupation prison administration must know well that increasing pressure on the prisoners, and trying to vent its anger and the defeat of its army in the ongoing war with the Palestinian resistance factions, will lead to an explosion of the situation inside the prisons and detention centers, and the prisoner movement will not remain silent about these violations and punishments for long.

The Israeli army claimed, on Thursday, that the video published by the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, yesterday, about the settler that was captured and then handed over to the occupation, is old.

Yedioth Ahronoth quoted Israeli military sources as saying that this settler lives in Kibbutz Holit, and was kidnapped with two of her friend’s children who were killed in the attack. Minutes after being transferred to Gaza, she was left at the border and returned to the kibbutz alone, on the same day of the attack, after... Only minutes from her capture.

The sources indicated that it was not delivered yesterday, as Hamas tried to "promote" that. According to him.

Former US President Donald Trump criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday (Wednesday) for what he described as a lack of preparedness for the attack launched by the Hamas movement at the weekend, which killed at least 1,200 people in Israel, according to Reuters.

Trump, who is most likely to win the Republican Party's nomination to run in the 2024 presidential elections, said in an interview with Fox News that Netanyahu was "deeply hurt" by the attack.

He added: “He was not ready.” He was not ready and Israel was not ready. “And in the Trump era, they shouldn’t have been prepared.”

Trump's statements came at a time when Israel is still counting its dead and suffering from one of the most devastating attacks in its history, which prompted it to respond with air strikes on Gaza that killed at least 1,200 Palestinians.

Speaking to his supporters in Florida yesterday evening, Trump once again commented on Israeli security preparedness and pointed out “some things that went wrong last week.”

He continued: “They have to get it right because they are probably fighting a very large force, probably fighting Iran.”

The Israeli army admitted, for the first time, on Thursday, that there were certain indicators the night before the start of the war about movements of Hamas activists.

The Israeli army spokesman said in a press briefing that there was no intelligence warning of such an event.

Daniel Hajri said: We had no warning of such an event.. There were certain signals the night before, but not for such a step and not a warning, and we will examine it carefully, and we will investigate everything.

He added: Following the suspicious signals witnessed in the Gaza Strip the day before the surprise attack, several discussions took place in the army, but they did not reach the impression of a willingness to move against Israel, and for this reason the army did not raise the alert level in the south and did not inform the political level about it. like he said.

During the conference, Hajri claimed that the Israeli army continued its attacks in Gaza and struck Hamas targets after information it obtained from captured militants who were arrested and interrogated. According to his claim.

He claimed that Muhammad Abu Shamala, commander of the Hamas naval commandos in the Rafah Brigade, was assassinated, and Mustafa Shaheen, one of the Al-Qassam activists who documented the attacks, was assassinated, vowing to reach out to everyone behind them.

A White House spokesman told The Washington Post that President Joe Biden based his comments on allegations by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesman and media reports from Israel regarding accusations leveled against Hamas about beheading Israelis.

The spokesman said that Biden and American officials had not seen the truth about the photos or independently confirmed these reports.

The Israeli military has not yet confirmed the claim that Hamas beheaded children during the weekend attack. An Army spokesperson told The Intercept on Tuesday that they could not confirm this horrific claim.

It is noteworthy that a local Israeli journalist, named Nicole Zedek, who works for the Israeli “i24 News” network, which is close to the Netanyahu family, claimed that she witnessed this horrific scene and said on the air, “It is difficult to explain exactly the large number of victims that happened here.” “Children with their heads cut off,” but it was later dropped on the X platform.

It later turned out that the news was fabricated by an extremist Israeli settler and distributed to the media.

A US administration official also confirmed the same reports to CNN, stressing that Biden had not seen any photos and what Netanyahu told Biden had not been independently verified.

At least two rockets fell on Thursday morning in settlements in the West Bank.

According to the Hebrew website Ynet, a missile fell in the Ariel settlement in the northern West Bank.

While another missile fell in Tzur Yitzhak, which is close to the Green Line wall with the city of Taybeh.

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, claimed responsibility for firing a missile salvo towards Tel Aviv and its environs.

Israel continues to bomb the Gaza Strip for the sixth day in a row since Hamas and Palestinian factions launched a surprise cross-border attack on Israeli towns and cities adjacent to the Strip at dawn last Saturday, leaving at least 1,200 dead on the Israeli side, in addition to the capture of dozens of others.

Palestinian television reported on Thursday that 22 people had been killed as a result of the ongoing Israeli bombing of Gaza, noting that Israeli aircraft and artillery launched “violent” strikes targeting various areas of the Gaza Strip, according to what the “Arab World News Agency” reported.

Later, the Palestinian News and Information Agency reported that 15 people were killed as a result of an Israeli bombing on a house in the Jabalia al-Balad area in the northern Gaza Strip, in addition to dozens of injuries and material damage, which it described as severe.

Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adraee said on his account on the “X” platform (formerly Twitter) today that Israeli forces will continue to strike targets of the “Hamas” movement in Gaza “without stopping.”

Adraee referred to a video recording broadcast by the Qatari Al Jazeera channel of the release of an Israeli settler and two children after being detained in the Gaza Strip for days, saying, “Hamas is changing the truth through the play of publishing a propaganda video through its media mouthpieces.” The truth is clear and obvious, and its features will become more clear in the coming days.”

Footage published by Al Jazeera showed a number of gunmen releasing a woman and two children in the Kibbutz Holit area, according to the network. However, it was not clear whether this step was coordinated with any party.

However, the Israeli news website “Mafzak Life” reported that the Israeli woman is Avital El-Jem and that the two children who were with her when they were detained are her friend’s children, one of whom is four years old and the other six months old. According to the website, the real mother of the two children is still detained in Gaza, and her name is Adi Vital Kablon.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced on Thursday that the number of deaths in the West Bank and Gaza had risen to more than 1,229 people, while stating that the number of injured had reached more than 5,000, according to what Palestinian television reported.

Al-Aqsa satellite channel quoted the spokesman for the Ministry of Health in Gaza as saying that the number of victims as a result of the Israeli attacks on the Strip reached 1,200 people.

Briefly storming Jenin

Meanwhile, Palestinian TV reported today that Israeli forces withdrew from the city of Jenin in the West Bank after storming it earlier.

The Palestinian News and Information Agency reported that Israeli forces stormed Jenin, while the Israeli newspaper “Jerusalem Post” reported that the Israeli army sent reinforcements to the city after clashes with Palestinians.

The newspaper quoted Israeli media reports that the clashes, which it described as violent, took place during the night between security forces and Palestinians, noting that the army sent reinforcements after the intensity of those clashes escalated.

The Palestinian Information Center later reported that the Jenin Brigade targeted Israeli forces that stormed the city with “dense and successive batches of bullets.”

The Jerusalem Post said that the Israeli army published today the names of 31 soldiers killed in the Hamas attack.

The Times of Israel newspaper reported yesterday, Wednesday, that the army announced that the number of its soldiers killed since the outbreak of fighting with Palestinian factions last Saturday had risen to 189 soldiers. With today's announcement, the total number has risen to 220 dead among the army.

A safe passage for foreigners to leave Gaza

Meanwhile, sources confirmed to the Arab World News Agency (AWP) today that there is a preliminary agreement being formulated to secure a safe passage for the exit of nationals of foreign countries from the Gaza Strip, but they stated that it has not yet been determined whether the exit will take place through the Egyptian Rafah crossing or the Erez crossing.

The sources indicated that Israel has not yet given any approval regarding the entry of food, fuel, and medical supplies into the Gaza Strip. However, a source said that the safe passage route for foreign nationals is expected to be announced this evening.

Earlier today, the American website Axios quoted unnamed American and Israeli officials as saying that the United States is communicating with Egypt and Israel in an effort to provide safe passage for Americans and foreigners to leave Gaza.

The website stated that Israel and Egypt agreed in principle to establish the safe corridor; But he said that the practical implementation of this corridor may be very difficult, because it will require some kind of ceasefire.

Yesterday, NBC News quoted officials in the administration of US President Joe Biden saying that there is coordination with other countries regarding a plan to provide a safe passage for civilians to exit Gaza via Egypt.

Israeli media quoted an Israeli army spokesman to foreign media calling on the people of Gaza to go to Egypt. But another speaker quickly denied the existence of any official Israeli call to direct the residents of the Gaza Strip towards Egyptian territory.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said on Tuesday that Egypt “will not allow the Palestinian issue to be liquidated at the expense of other parties,” after Cairo News TV quoted senior Egyptian sources on Monday warning against pushing the Palestinians toward the Egyptian border and feeding “some parties” calls Mass exodus of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

Try to unload the sector

Taher Al-Nono, advisor to the head of the Hamas political bureau, considered safe passage for the displaced in Gaza an Israeli proposal to “empty” the Strip. He said in statements to the Arab World News Agency: “Talking about a safe passage proposal for the displaced are theses proposed by the occupation with which it wants to empty the Gaza Strip... Such issues the occupation aims to create public opinion about.”

He added: “We (in the Hamas movement) have confidence in the steadfastness of the Palestinian people, who are steadfast and steadfast in their land... and we are confident that they will not accept a repeat of the experience of immigration and leaving the Palestinian land.”

In response to a question about any proposed humanitarian truce to bring aid into the Gaza Strip, Al-Nono said: “Hamas calls for the humanitarian, medical and food needs of our Palestinian people to be brought in,” but at the same time he stressed that no truce agreements of any kind have been reached so far.

Media sources reported that Egypt was discussing a proposal for a humanitarian truce that would last four to five hours a day, in which food and medical aid would cross into the Gaza Strip and wounded Palestinians would be transferred to Egyptian hospitals.

In a related context, Al-Nono stressed that his movement welcomes Lebanon’s participation in the confrontation against Israel, saying: “We welcome the participation of any party in the confrontation with the occupation and making it pay a price for its crimes and occupation. This is the battle of Al-Aqsa and our entire nation is called upon to participate in it.”

He considered the presence of more than one front to “confuse Israel and hasten victory,” as he put it.

Al-Nono said that it was too early to talk about a prisoner exchange deal during this period, adding: “We are now fighting a battle, and when it ends, we can talk about all the issues and their details and the demands of the movement... When the war ends, all the issues and demands will be talked about, especially since we “We are still in the beginning.”

Regarding Israel’s promise to eradicate the Hamas movement in this war, Al-Nono considered these threats “the occupation’s illusions, with which it only wants to address Israeli public opinion.” He said, "The resistance and Hamas are rooted in the Palestinian people."

He added: “The occupation has no ability to do this; He received a severe blow and suffered a terrible defeat on the seventh of October (October), and he wants to compensate for himself only by killing civilians, wiping out entire squares, destroying streets, and bombing ambulances, but he is incapable of a real confrontation with the resistance.”

Israel had vowed that its war on the Gaza Strip aimed to “uproot” Hamas.

Israeli Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel said: “We have to uproot Hamas, so that it cannot do anything.” There will be no choice; There is no room to even think about other options; Therefore, the world can use what happened (in Israel) as a model for future attacks.”

Immediate relief

Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, today revealed the allocation of nine million dollars to enable immediate relief efforts in the Palestinian territories.

Griffiths said on the “X” platform (formerly Twitter) that “the humanitarian conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories are deteriorating.”

At the same time, the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip warned today that health services have entered a critical stage, and said that medicines, medical consumables and fuel are about to run out.

The Ministry stressed on its Facebook account the necessity of urgent action to provide safe passage for medical supplies and to leave the wounded and sick “before it is too late.”

The ministry said through its spokesman, Ashraf Al-Qudra: “Hospitals are in a state of full capacity, and the wounded and sick are now lying on the ground as a result of the intensification of the Israeli aggression.”

Yesterday, Wednesday, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) requested urgent provision of $104 million to provide life-saving aid in the Gaza Strip.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement: “An unprecedented humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, and aid to civilians fleeing the bombing must be immediate... It is necessary to ensure that humanitarian aid and protection reach all civilians,” calling on UNRWA donors and partners to increase their financial support to maintain the work of UNRWA. The United Nations agency in Gaza and the region.

Yesterday, Deputy Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza, Jennifer Austin, announced that 11 members of the UN agency had been killed since the attacks began in the Gaza Strip.

Blinken meets Abbas in Jordan

On the other hand, Hassan Al-Sheikh, Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, confirmed today that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will meet US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in the Jordanian capital, Amman, tomorrow, Friday.

The Sheikh said through his account on the “X” platform (formerly Twitter): “As part of the effort exerted around the clock by the Palestinian leadership to stop this destructive war... Mr. President is scheduled to meet tomorrow, Friday, with the US Secretary of State.”

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority also confirmed earlier that Blinken's visit to Israel and Jordan will include a meeting with Abbas in Amman.

Sources connected to the United States informed the Arab World News Agency (AWP) that Abbas will demand pressure on Israel to open a humanitarian supply route to deliver aid to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

A source confirmed that there was intense pressure on Abbas to condemn the Hamas attacks in the Gaza Strip as well as his condemnation of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip. However, the sources did not confirm or deny the possibility of the Palestinian President responding to these pressures, noting his refusal since last Saturday to condemn the Hamas attack.

Blinken will also meet in Amman with Jordanian King Abdullah II.

Blinken arrives today in Israel to meet with its senior leaders. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a press conference on Tuesday that Blinken's visit to Israel will be a message of solidarity and support and to listen directly to the Israelis about the current situation.

Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi called on Tuesday for an immediate ceasefire between the Palestinians and the Israelis in light of the continued Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip.

He also called, at the beginning of a Gulf-European meeting in Muscat, for the release of prisoners on both sides and adherence to international humanitarian law. He stressed addressing the causes of violence between the two parties, and said, “Until the suffering of the Palestinians is properly resolved in accordance with international law, we will not witness peace.”

Meanwhile, Josep Borrell, the European Union's foreign affairs official, stressed that the "two-state solution" is the way to achieve progress in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, calling on the international community to work to find a settlement based on this principle.

The final statement of the meeting of the 27th session of the Joint Ministerial Council between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the European Union, which was read by Borrell, expressed concern about the events in Israel, condemned everything that is happening against civilians, and called for allowing water and food to enter the Gaza Strip.

The Omani minister said at the opening of the joint meeting between the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the European Union in Muscat: “I speak for all of us in calling for restraint, an immediate ceasefire, the release of prisoners on both sides, and adherence to international humanitarian law.” He added, “But the cause of this violence and extremism is what needs to be addressed, and unless there is a solution to the plight and suffering of the Palestinians in accordance with international law, we will not see lasting peace.”

Al Busaidi stressed that “the two-state solution is the only and best way to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East.” He pointed out that the Gulf Cooperation Council and the European Union agreed on the importance of restraint, de-escalation, and the release of civilians detained by all parties. He said: “We are committed to urgently supporting efforts to start a new and meaningful dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis for peace.”

Borrell: Towards solutions to the crisis

For his part, Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, stressed the need to unite efforts to defuse the crisis between Israel and the Palestinians.

Prior to the European-Gulf meeting, Borrell said via his account on the “X” platform that it is also necessary to “work to find long-term solutions to the crisis.”

In his speech at the meeting, Borrell stated that the world is witnessing “tragic moments in the history of the Middle East with the escalation of violence between the Palestinian and Israeli sides and the implications of this escalation on the possibility of the two peoples living side by side in peace and security.”

He pointed to the European Union's cooperation with the League of Arab States to find a joint initiative to help revitalize the two-state solution. Noting that this effort cannot replace a real negotiation process between the two parties, and everyone must actively participate to overcome the current impasse.

He stressed the need to seize the opportunity provided by the European-Gulf meeting to explore ways to do everything possible to defuse the ongoing crisis and to look beyond the current day.

The European Union foreign affairs official said: “Although peace now seems much further today than it was a few days ago, and although the chances of peace negotiations seem remote at this stage, they remain the only way to reach a long-term solution that achieves peace and security for the two peoples.” He added: “We in the European Union still believe that the way to achieve progress is the two-state solution.”

He went on to say: “It may be difficult to achieve, but we cannot imagine any other solution, and we look forward to working with our main partners to this end, and to building on what we started in New York last month. Perhaps this development and the lives lost represent a wake-up call for the international community to end this problem and actually engage in the search for a solution to it.”

Saudi Arabia, the Chairman of the Islamic Summit in its current session and the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, called for an urgent extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee at the ministerial level, to study the military escalation in Gaza and its surroundings and the worsening conditions that threaten civilians and the security and stability of the region.

For its part, the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation renewed its condemnation of the Israeli military aggression, which led to the death of hundreds of martyrs and wounded among the Palestinian people.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation stressed that the continuation of the Israeli occupation, its failure to adhere to international legitimacy resolutions, and the escalation of its attacks and daily crimes against the Palestinian people, their land and holy sites, and the deprivation of their legitimate rights are the main reason for instability.

The organization held the Israeli occupation responsible for the escalation, calling at the same time on the international community, especially the UN Security Council, to assume its responsibilities towards stopping the Israeli aggression, providing international protection for the Palestinian people, and sponsoring a serious political process in order to end the Israeli occupation, and embodying the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state. Its capital is East Jerusalem on the lines of June 4, 1967, and a just and comprehensive peace can be achieved on the basis of the vision of the two-state solution, in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative.

1. By late Wednesday, the number of displaced people in Gaza had risen by an additional 75,000 people from the figure given 24 hours earlier, reaching 338,934, the UN's humanitarian agency said.
2. 
   
3. More than 338,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in the Gaza Strip, the United Nations said, as heavy Israeli bombardments continue to hit the Palestinian enclave.
4. 
   
5. "Mass displacement across the Gaza Strip continues," the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said in a statement sent on Thursday.
6. 
   
7. By late Wednesday, the number of displaced people in Gaza had risen by an additional 75,000 people from the figure given 24 hours earlier, reaching 338,934, it said.
8. 
   
9. The announcement came as Israel pounded the Gaza Strip -- a densely populated enclave of 2.3 million people.
10. Israeli forces said 1,200 people were killed in the onslaught -- the worst in the country's history.
11. In Gaza, officials reported more than 1,000 people have been killed in Israel's sustained campaign of air and artillery strikes.

On Thursday morning, the Israeli occupation forces launched an arrest campaign in the West Bank, targeting at least 55 citizens, distributed among the governorates of: Hebron, Bethlehem, Jenin, Tulkarm, Nablus, Jericho, Ramallah, Qalqilya, and Jerusalem.

The Prisoners' Club said that since October 7, the occupation has arrested more than 200 citizens of the West Bank

The Prisoners' Club said that some of the detainees are former prisoners who were subjected to arrest, including those who spent years in occupation prisons.

He added that this campaign of arrests comes in light of the comprehensive aggression launched by the occupation against our people, as the arrests constituted, and continue to be, the consistent and systematic policy used by the occupation to abuse citizens, take revenge on them, and undermine any escalating resistance against it.

The Prisoners' Club pointed out that the occupation has arrested more than 200 citizens from the West Bank since October 7, the date of the Battle of the Resistance (Al-Aqsa Flood).

It is worth mentioning that since the beginning of this year, the occupation has arrested more than 5,600 citizens.

For the sixth day in a row, the Israeli occupation forces continue to commit massacres in the Gaza Strip.

Several neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip were subjected to major destruction after being bombed randomly, which led to the death of dozens of citizens, the majority of whom were children and women who were safe in their homes.

The resistance in Gaza launched rocket salvoes towards Tel Aviv, Ashkelon, Beersheba and Haifa, while the Israeli occupation announced the formation of a national emergency government to fight Hamas.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced on Wednesday/Thursday night that the number of martyrs had risen to more than 1596 and injuries to 7212 since Saturday dawn.

The Hebrew newspaper Haaretz called for an exchange deal with the Palestinian resistance under which the prisons would be whitewashed.

The Hebrew newspaper said: “We must conclude a prison exchange and whitewash deal immediately, and Netanyahu must not try to save the honor of the army at the expense of Israeli children and infants.”

Haaretz added: "We must not wait or delay, as every second puts the lives of our prisoners in Gaza at risk. We must negotiate now and pay the price."

It continued: "We must pay every price required for a prisoner exchange deal without delay, and without imaginary maneuvers or cleverness from the most reckless government in the history of Israel."

The Palestinian resistance was able to capture dozens of soldiers and settlers while carrying out the first attack of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood last Saturday.

The foreign ministers of the Arab countries at their emergency meeting at the headquarters of the League of Arab States today called for the immediate cessation of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip and the escalation in the Strip and its surroundings.

The Council of the League of Arab States at the ministerial level held an extraordinary session under the chairmanship of the Kingdom of Morocco, and at the invitation of it and the State of Palestine at the headquarters of the League of Arab States to consult and coordinate on ways to stop the dangerous escalation and aggression against the Gaza Strip.

A statement issued at the conclusion of its meeting said:

“Emphasizing the centrality of the Palestinian issue, and the necessity of fulfilling all the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, first and foremost their right to self-determination and a safe and dignified life in their independent, sovereign state along the lines of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital,

“Emphasizing its adherence to a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution as a strategic option to protect the region and all its countries, peoples and future from the danger of violence and wars and their devastating repercussions,

“Reaffirming all its previous decisions on the Palestinian issue,

“Decide

“1) Emphasizing the immediate cessation of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip and the escalation in the Strip and its surroundings, calling on all parties to exercise restraint, warning of the catastrophic humanitarian and security repercussions of the continuation and expansion of the escalation, and working with the international community to launch urgent and effective action to achieve this, in implementation of international law, and to protect the security and stability of the region from the danger of expanding cycles of violence, for which everyone will pay the price.

2) Condemn the killing and targeting of civilians by both sides, and all acts contrary to international law and international humanitarian law, and emphasize the need to protect civilians, in line with common humanitarian values and international law, and the need to release civilians and all prisoners and detainees.

3) Condemn everything that the brotherly Palestinian people have been subjected to and the aggression and violations of their rights they are currently exposed to.

4) Emphasizing the need to lift the siege on the Gaza Strip, and immediately allow the entry of humanitarian aid, lunch and fuel into it, including through United Nations organizations, especially the United Nations Relief Agency for Refugees (UNRWA), and cancel Israel’s unjust decisions to stop supplying Gaza with electricity and cut off water. about him.

5) Emphasizing support for the steadfastness of the Palestinian people on their land and warning against any attempts to displace them outside it (transfer), and exacerbating the issue of refugees whose right to return and compensation must be met, within the framework of a comprehensive solution to the conflict that addresses all final status issues, in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions and the peace initiative. Arab countries, and to collectively confront any attempts to transfer the crisis exacerbated by the continued occupation to neighboring countries.

6) Emphasizing the need for Israel to implement its obligations as the occupying power and stop all illegal Israeli measures that perpetuate the occupation and undermine the two-state solution and the chances of achieving a just and comprehensive peace, including building and expanding settlements, confiscating lands and displacing Palestinians from their homes, and military operations against Palestinian cities and camps, And attacks on Islamic and Christian sanctities.

7) Emphasizing that the way to ensure security and stability in the region is to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive peace that fulfills all the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, especially their right to embody their independent, sovereign state along the lines of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, to live in security and peace alongside Israel, In accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative with all its components.

8) Emphasizing the necessity of reviving the peace process and launching serious negotiations between the Palestine Liberation Organization, the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, and Israel to achieve a just peace, and warning that the continued absence of real political prospects for achieving a just and comprehensive peace will only lead to perpetuating despair, fueling conflict, strengthening extremism, and increasing Tension, violence, and the collapse of confidence in the peace process are a way to resolve the conflict and achieve security and stability for all countries and peoples of the region.

9) Emphasis on supporting the Palestinian National Authority politically, economically and financially.

10) Assigning the delegations of the League of Arab States and the Councils of Arab Ambassadors and the Arab League at the United Nations, to take action at the international level to communicate the content of this resolution and to work with international partners to stop the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people and their rights.

11) Keeping the Council in permanent session to follow up the Arab and international movement to implement the contents of this decision.”

M.K.

 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will meet U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday, a Palestinian official said early on Thursday.

Hussein Al-Sheikh, secretary general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, also said on messaging platform X that Abbas will meet with Jordan's King Abdullah in Amman on Thursday.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on Wednesday, in the first telephone call between the two leaders since a China-brokered deal between Tehran and Riyadh to resume ties.

Raisi and the Saudi crown prince discussed the "need to end war crimes against Palestine," Iranian state media said.

The Saudi crown prince, for his part, "affirmed that the Kingdom is making all possible efforts in communicating with all international and regional parties to stop the ongoing escalation," Saudi state news agency SPA said.

He also reiterated Saudi Arabia's rejection of targeting civilians in any way, SPA added.

Saudi Prince affirmed that the Kingdom is making all possible efforts to stop ongoing escalation.

 Raisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on Wednesday, in the first telephone call between the two leaders since a China-brokered deal between Tehran and Riyadh to resume ties.

Raisi and the Saudi crown prince discussed the "need to end war crimes against Palestine," Iranian state media said.

The Saudi crown prince, for his part, "affirmed that the Kingdom is making all possible efforts in communicating with all international and regional parties to stop the ongoing escalation," Saudi state news agency SPA said.

He also reiterated Saudi Arabia's rejection of targeting civilians in any way, SPA added.

Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to resume ties in March under a deal negotiated by China after seven years of hostility, which had threatened stability and security in the Gulf and helped fuel conflicts in the Middle East, from Yemen to Syria.

At least 140 Palestinian children have been killed in the Gaza Strip as the Israeli military launched an offensive over the weekend, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

Defense Children International Palestine has confirmed the killing of at least 74 Palestinian children in direct Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip between October 7 and 10.  DCIP continues to document and confirm Palestinian child fatalities in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip as hostilities continue as Israeli forces unleashed a massive military offensive on the Gaza Strip on Saturday after Palestinian armed groups fired rockets toward Israel and breached the Israeli perimeter fence surrounding Gaza early on October 7, launching attacks inside Israel. Israeli forces initiated a large-scale military operation dubbed Operation Iron Swords. 

“Israeli forces are intensifying air, land, and sea attacks against an overwhelmingly Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip where nowhere and nobody is safe,” said Ayed Abu Eqtaish, accountability program director at DCIP. “Rather than deescalating hostilities to rein in civilian harm, the international community is actively bolstering Israeli war efforts through increased military funding and weapons despite Israeli officials declaring their intention to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity. Systemic impunity must end.”

Israeli forces fired several missiles toward a residential building in the Sheikh Ajleen neighborhood, south of Gaza City, around 8:30 p.m. on October 8, killing 10 Palestinians, including three children: Yazan, 10, Abdulnaser, two, and Omar Ahmad Abdulnaser Shamlakh, five months, according to documentation collected by DCIP. The airstrike completely destroyed the building, which included four apartments housing three families.

Yazan Ahmad Abdulnaser Shamlakh, ten.

Abdulnaser Ahmad Abdulnaser Shamlakh, two, and his father, Ahmad.

Omar Ahmad Abdulnaser Shamlakh, five months.

Israeli warplanes bombarded agricultural land on Al-Samuni Street in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, east of Gaza City, around 6 a.m. on October 9, killing two Palestinian children, sisters Lara, five, and Mira Mahmoud Fuad Abu Ghanemeh, seven, according to documentation collected by DCIP. 

Israeli warplanes fired three missiles at a residential building at the intersection of Al-Ternis Street in the middle of Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip around 11:30 a.m on October 9, killing 69 Palestinians, including at least 15 children, according to documentation collected by DCIP. The total number of children killed in the attack is expected to rise to 17 as DCIP field researchers work to confirm the names and ages of two additional young victims. The bombing caused massive destruction due to its location in a dense, crowded residential and shopping area.

Israeli warplanes bombed a residential building without warning in the Beer Al-Najeh area of Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip around 6:45 p.m. on October 9, killing seven Palestinians, including three children: Ismail Mohammad Ismail Salah, seven, and cousins Malak Mohammad Nasser Abu Obed, 15, and Karam Yousef Nasser Abu Obed, 17, according to documentation collected by DCIP. Neighbors report that there were approximately 15 to 20 people inside the building, including some who were seeking refuge. The rubble is still being searched for victims.

Around 12:25 a.m. on October 10, Israeli warplanes targeted a residential building in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, killing two Palestinians, including 16-year-old Ahmad Ayman Ahmad Al-Asmi, according to documentation collected by DCIP. The airstrike destroyed the top two floors of the building.

At least 830 Palestinians, including at least 140 children, have been killed in the Gaza Strip since Saturday morning, according to the Palestinian Health Information Center. DCIP is working to document additional attacks and killings. Israeli forces shot and killed five Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank, including 12-year-old Ahmad Abdulnaser Adnan Rabi. 

DCIP previously confirmed the killing of at least 50 Palestinian children in direct Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip between October 7 and 9, 2023, in a report issued yesterday.

Over 187,000 people in the Gaza strip have fled their homes as mass displacement escalates with intensifying Israeli attacks, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA). More than 137,000 internally displaced Palestinians are sheltering in 83 United Nations schools throughout the Gaza Strip, while over 41,000 Palestinians, whose homes have been destroyed or damaged, are hosted by relatives and neighbors, according to UN OCHA.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said in a video statement yesterday that Israeli authorities would cut electricity and block the entry of food and fuel as part of “a complete siege” on the Gaza Strip.

More than 900 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian armed group attacks since October 7, according to news media reports.

Israeli forces and settlers have killed at least 3,752 Palestinian civilians since 2008 throughout the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, according to UN OCHA. Since 2000, Israeli forces and settlers have killed more than 2,300 Palestinian children as of October 9, 2023, according to documentation collected by DCIP.

International humanitarian law prohibits indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks and requires all parties to an armed conflict to distinguish between military targets, civilians, and civilian objects. Deploying explosive weapons in densely-populated civilian areas constitutes indiscriminate attacks and carrying out direct attacks against civilians or civilian objects amounts to war crimes.

Israeli authorities have imposed a closure policy against the Gaza Strip since 2007 by strictly controlling and limiting the entry and exit of individuals; maintaining harsh restrictions on imports including food, construction materials, fuel, and other essential items; as well as prohibiting exports. Israel continues to maintain complete control over the Gaza Strip’s borders, airspace, and territorial waters.

A video clip broadcast by Al Jazeera on Wednesday evening showed the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, handing over an Israeli settler and her two children to the occupation.

The video clip shows the settlement being handed over at the Holit settlement adjacent to the Gaza Strip.

Al-Qassam did not provide details about what happened.

On Wednesday evening, the Israeli occupation forces targeted a vehicle with several bullets while it was driving on the outskirts of the city of Al-Bireh.

Local sources reported that the occupation forces fired bullets at a vehicle, while it was driving on the outskirts of the Sateh Marhaba neighborhood, near the “Psagot” colony established on citizens’ lands in the city of Al-Bireh, but no injuries were reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that "the calls directed to the Palestinians to leave for Sinai are not something that can lead to peace," stressing that "Gaza is part of the historic land of Palestine."

Putin said in statements reported by the “Russia Today” website, this evening, Wednesday, regarding the calls for forced displacement launched by the Israeli occupation of our people from the Gaza Strip, “This is the land on which the Palestinians live, and this is their land historically. It was also supposed to establish an independent Palestinian state.” "Including Gaza. In my opinion, this is not something that can lead to peace."

President Mahmoud Abbas received today a phone call from the Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre, during which they discussed the latest developments in the Palestinian arena.

During the phone conversation, President Abbas stressed the necessity of working with all regional and international parties to stop the Israeli aggression against our people everywhere, especially in the Gaza Strip.

He stressed the importance of providing relief and humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and securing supplies of water, electricity, and basic materials.

President Abbas appreciated Norway's positions in support of peace, recalling the role that Norway played in the peace process, and the continuing role it plays in mobilizing aid to build state institutions, advance the Palestinian economy, and coordinate among donor countries.

The President also highlighted the necessity of working towards a political solution that ends the occupation.

For his part, the Prime Minister of Norway stressed his country’s commitment to the two-state solution and that it will continue to stand by the Palestinian people in their quest for self-determination.

The Ministry of Health announced, this evening, Wednesday, that a teen  was killed by live bullets from the occupation forces in the town of Bani Naim, east of Hebron.

The Ministry said in a brief statement that the teen, Munis Ribhi Musa Ziadat (16 years old), died from a critical injury sustained by live bullets from the occupation forces in the town of Bani Naim.

With the death of the teen Ziadat, the number of martyrs in the West Bank rises to 29 martyrs and about 150 wounded since last Saturday.

The Israeli forces destroyed at least 40 media offices and 970 residential units in the Gaza Strip, documented Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor.

Israel is committing widespread crimes against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, Euro-Med Monitor said; amidst five consecutive days of its escalating war, Israel has cut off Gaza’s electricity, water, food, and fuel supplies, creating a threat of imminent humanitarian catastrophe.

Euro-Med Monitor stated that the Israeli attack has resulted in the deaths of more than 1000 Palestinians, with approximately 60% of them being civilians, including 185 children and 120 women. Around 5,000 others have been injured, with hundreds remaining trapped under rubble and along border areas.

Euro-Med Monitor added that Israel’s army is expanding its military operations in Gaza, targeting residential buildings without prior warning and causing the deaths of entire families.

“What is happening in Gaza represents a comprehensive humanitarian disaster, especially with the lack of electricity and water affecting more than 90% of civilian residents, and the disruption of various essential supplies,” the organization said in a statement. The group documented the killing of seven journalists, injury of at least 10 more, and loss of contact with two.

About 40 media and press institutions have been damaged or completely destroyed due to Israel’s targeting of residential and commercial buildings, including the Palestine and Watan towers; 56 schools and roughly 30 kindergartens have been affected.

Euro-Med Monitor has recorded the destruction of at least 70 industrial facilities and 970 residential units, plus significant damage to approximately 7,920 residential units. Fourteen water and sanitation stations have been severely damaged, the statement said, affecting services for nearly half a million people.

Israeli warplanes bombed a house belonging to the Za’anin family in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza, without prior warning, destroying the four-story building where four families lived. The bombing resulted in the deaths of all 20 civilians inside, including 11 children and five women.

In a similar incident, an Israeli aircraft, without prior warning, targeted a house belonging to the Nabahin family, east of the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza. Directly hitting residents, the attack led to the deaths of 13 people, including 10 children and two women. Additionally, another four-story house and a neighboring house were completely destroyed.

Euro-Med Monitor’s statement highlighted the events of Monday, 9 October, pointing to the Israeli army’s targeting of a residential building beside one of the main markets in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza and an area near shelters provided for the displaced. The assault resulted in the simultaneous killing of over 40 people, exposing the severity of Israeli retaliatory crimes and collective punishment against Palestinian civilians.

Significantly, teams from the Palestinian Civil Defense in Gaza have lost much of their ability to retrieve the bodies of victims from under the rubble due to Israeli attacks in various areas of the Strip, given the shortage of necessary logistical supplies for such tasks.

The Israeli bombing has resulted in the deaths of five healthcare workers and the injury of 10 more, stated the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza. According to the ministry, Israel’s attacks have targeted seven hospitals and health centers, causing direct damage to large parts of the facilities, and have forced the evacuation of Beit Hanoun Hospital—the only hospital in the city of Beit Hanoun—following repeated targeting of the building’s vicinity, which made it impossible for medical staff to enter or leave safely and damaged various sections within.

Officials from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza informed the Euro-Med Monitor team that Israeli authorities refused a request that was transmitted from the International Committee of the Red Cross to evacuate seriously injured individuals for treatment outside of the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli Security Cabinet approved a declaration of war on Gaza on Saturday evening, allowing for extensive military operations in response to an armed attack on Israel which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1200 Israelis and the capture of dozens more. Since then, the Israeli army has carried out thousands of airstrikes targeting residential neighborhoods and multi-story buildings inhabited by civilians in the Gaza Strip. Shocking scenes of extensive destruction have been observed, including the erasure of entire neighborhoods, including many central and densely populated areas.

Due to Israel’s consecutive attacks on neighborhoods, Euro-Med Monitor estimated that nearly 400,000 people, including more than 180,000 in United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) facilities, have been displaced.

Euro-Med Monitor documented damage to about 14 UN facilities as a result of Israeli airstrikes, including the direct targeting of a UNRWA school housing hundreds of displaced individuals. The organization’s statement also documented direct and severe attacks on universities, mosques, markets, banks, telecommunications companies, residential towers, and other civilian infrastructure.

The statement emphasized that Israel’s army is violating the principles of international humanitarian law in its continuous attacks on the Gaza Strip, especially the principles of necessity and proportionality, given the absence of shelters or safe areas for Gazan civilians. It stressed that international humanitarian law requires the protection of civilians in all circumstances and under any conditions, and considers the killing of civilians to be a war crime in both international and non-international armed conflicts, which may rise to the level of a crime against humanity.

“Attacking or bombarding towns, villages, dwellings, or buildings which are undefended” is prohibited under Article 25 of The Hague Regulations concerning the Laws and Customs of War on Land. Moreover, Article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states that “Any destruction by the Occupying Power of real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons, or to the State, or to other public authorities, or to social or cooperative organizations, is prohibited unless such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.”

According to Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, the destruction of property that is not justified by military necessity and is carried out on a large scale constitutes a grave breach that requires prosecution. Such practices are also considered to be war crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Euro-Med Monitor further highlighted that, in parallel with systematic killings, Israel has imposed a complete closure on the Gaza Strip, which covers an area of approximately 365 square kilometers and is inhabited by around 2.3 million civilians. This closure has deprived them of water, food, fuel, electricity, and medical supplies.

Israeli Defense Minister Ya’alon has referred to Palestinians as “human animals” and vowed to act accordingly, announcing a “complete siege” on Gaza, which has already been under intensely strict restrictions since 2007.

Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor reiterated its call for the United Nations, countries, and relevant powers to exert pressure on Israel to immediately cease its unjustifiable attacks on civilians, refrain from military operations, and open all closed border crossings to ensure the flow of medical, food, and logistical supplies into the Gaza Strip.

Two young men were injured by live bullets, and dozens of others suffocated with tear gas, this Wednesday evening, during confrontations with the occupation forces, south and east of Nablus.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Nablus reported that a young man (17 years old) was injured by live bullets in the pelvis area and was taken to Nablus Specialized Hospital, during clashes at the Huwwara military checkpoint.

Local and medical sources indicated that confrontations broke out between young men and the occupation forces at the checkpoint, during which the occupation fired live bullets and poisonous tear gas bombs, causing dozens to suffocate.

In the town of Beit Furik to the east, confrontations broke out between the occupation forces and young men at the military checkpoint at the entrance to the town, during which the soldiers fired live bullets and stun grenades and gas bombs, which led to a citizen being injured by live bullets, and a number of others suffocated.

The sources indicated that the occupation forces closed the checkpoint in both directions following a gathering of settlers at the checkpoint.

Local sources reported that confrontations broke out between citizens and the occupation forces at the military checkpoint erected at the northern entrance to the city of Al-Bireh, in addition to other confrontations near the entrance to the Jalazoun camp, north of the city.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported in a brief statement that its crews dealt with two injuries from live bullets during the confrontations that broke out at the northern entrance to Al-Bireh, and they were being transferred to the hospital.

Five young men were also injured by Israeli occupation forces' bullets, during confrontations that broke out in central Hebron, following a mass march in support of Gaza.

Local sources reported that violent confrontations broke out between citizens and the occupation forces in the Bab al-Zawiya area in central Hebron, during which the occupation soldiers fired live bullets at the citizens, wounding five young men with live bullets in the lower extremities and wounding them in the abdomen. All of them were taken to Hebron Governmental Hospital.

The confrontations broke out after a massive march called by the political forces in the city in support of our people in Gaza against the ongoing Israeli aggression against them. The march began with the participation of thousands of city residents in front of the Al-Hussein Mosque on Ain Sarah Street after the sunset prayer towards the city center, during which the participants raised Palestinian flags and chanted slogans. Supporting our people in Gaza and condemning the occupation.

The Belgian capital, Brussels, witnessed, this evening a massive demonstration in front of the headquarters of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in solidarity with the Palestinian people and in condemnation of the ongoing Israeli aggression against them.

Thousands of people, including pro-Palestinians and members of the Arab and Islamic communities, marched in response to calls from the Palestinian community in cooperation with 19 Belgian organizations.

Participants called on the Belgian government to take a position in support of Palestinian rights, denouncing the European position in support of Israel, calling for boycotting Israeli products and supporting the boycott movement.

The participants raised Palestinian flags and anti-occupation banners and chanted slogans calling for the freedom of Palestine and denouncing Israeli crimes.

T.R.

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed arm of the Hamas movement, announced on Wednesday that it had bombed the city of Haifa in northern Israel with an R160 missile.

The Brigades said in a statement: “The Al-Qassam Brigades bombed the occupied city of Haifa with an R160 missile,” which is locally made and has a range of 160 km.

She added: “We attacked a parking lot for vehicles and individuals in eastern Gaza with two suicide planes,” without further details.

This is the first time that the Al-Qassam Brigades have bombed the city of Haifa, which is approximately 150 km away from the Gaza Strip, since the start of the current round of fighting.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Russia may contribute to easing tensions between Israel and Palestine.

"We have to maintain an equal distance, only this will give us the right to participate in the settlement process in the future, and Russia can and will play a role in the settlement process," Peskov said at a news conference in Moscow.

Peskov noted that Russian citizens are present on both sides of the conflict, and for Moscow, their safety is the "number one priority."

The spokesman confirmed that a visit by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Russia is being planned, but that no specific dates have been set.

In a dramatic escalation of Mideast tensions, Israeli forces have launched a sustained and forceful military campaign against the Gaza Strip, a response to a military offensive by the Palestinian group Hamas in Israeli territories.

The conflict began when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Deluge against Israel, a multi-pronged surprise attack including a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel via land, sea, and air, which Hamas said was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence against Palestinians.

In response to Hamas' actions, the Israeli military launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets within the Gaza Strip.

Israel's response has extended into cutting water and electricity supplies to Gaza, further worsening the living conditions in an area that has reeled under a crippling siege since 2007.

Ialways dread watching US news coverage of wars, and now is no exception. After Hamas’s deadly attacks in Israel and Israel’s hellish bombardment of Gaza, I checked in on MSNBC. Before long, I heard one of their reporters talk about “the violent history between these two nations” – as if Palestine were a country – and had to turn off the TV to get a break. Palestine is not a country. 

That’s the whole point. Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel all live under various regimes of organized discrimination and oppression, much of which makes life nearly unlivable, and if the US media can’t even frame the issue correctly, what use is there in even covering it?

It’s not just laziness either. The reflexive identification with Israel, by both US media professionals and politicians, always obscures the fuller picture of what’s happening between Israel and the Palestinians. On 7 October, the national security council spokesperson Adrienne Watson stated that the US “unequivocally condemns the unprovoked attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israeli civilians”. Every one of us must stand up and denounce the killing of every civilian, Israeli or Palestinian or otherwise. But Watson’s use of the word “unprovoked” is doing a lot of work here.

What exactly counts as a provocation? Not, apparently, the large number of settlers, more than 800 by one media account, who stormed al-Aqsa mosque on 5 October. Not the 248 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces or settlers between 1 January and 4 October of this year. Not the denial of Palestinian human rights and national aspirations for decades. One can, in fact must, see such actions as provocations without endorsing further murderous violence against civilians. But if you watched only US news, you would be likely to presume that Palestinians always act while Israel only reacts. You might even think that Palestinians are the ones colonizing the land of Israel, no less. And you probably believe that Israel, which holds ultimate control over the lives of 5 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza and yet denies them the right to vote in Israeli elections, is a democracy.

To be considered a political being you must at the very least be considered a human being. Who gets to count as human? “I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed. We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly,” Israel’s defense minister Yoav Gallant said. Human animals? How can such language and an announced policy of collective punishment against all the residents of Gaza be seen by Israel’s supporters in the United States or elsewhere as defensible? Let’s be clear: Gallant’s language is not the rhetoric of deterrence. It’s the language of genocide.

There’s the nagging hypocrisy of the war in Ukraine. So many around the world support Ukraine’s resistance to foreign occupation (as they should) but blithely deny Palestinians any way to resist their occupation. Even non-violent methods of resistance like the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign is vilified and even criminalized. Why the double standard? Unsurprisingly, such stances go all the way to the top. The Ukraine president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has twice voiced unilateral support for Israel in recent days, saying that “Israel’s right to self-defense is unquestionable”. Would he say the same for Russia on his territory? Of course not. Zelenskiy ought to see how his invaded and occupied land is more akin to the situation of the Palestinians than the Israelis. The obfuscations are everywhere.

So are the double standards. We will certainly hear a great deal in the US about the Israeli Americans killed or abducted by Hamas, as we should, but will those same voices rise to the same volume for Palestinian Americans threatened and killed in Gaza? Did they also demand answers when the Israeli military shot and killed the Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in May 2022?

The double standard may be expected considering how the plight of the Palestinians has been discussed in the past, but that doesn’t eliminate its moral darkness. It’s also particularly dangerous and tone-deaf at this moment, when we’re on the cusp of a government – Israel – using unprecedented violence on a largely defenseless and penned-in population, in part to cover for its own fatal mistakes and embarrassment.

One fundamental way this double standard operates is through a false equivalence, a two-sides-ism that hides the massive asymmetry of power between the state of Israel and the scattered population groupings that make up the Palestinian people. They’re not equal. One dominates while the other is dominated. One colonizes. The other is colonized.

At least since the Oslo accords of 1993, we have been sold various promises that the way out of this injustice was negotiated settlements; after generations of enormous human sacrifice, Palestinians would finally achieve their national aspirations. It was already clear to many of us that this had long ago become a necessary illusion maintained by the powerful. Today, a negotiated peace seems farther away than ever.

This both saddens and frightens me. We are very likely entering another long and painful era where armed struggle and violent domination become increasingly and mutually dependent on each other for survival. Yet neither can win. The Palestinians will remain. They cannot be eliminated. Israel too will continue to exist. The future is full of unnecessary and horrific bloodshed all around. Desperate western attachment to morally bankrupt double standards bears a large portion of the blame.

Egyptian sources familiar with Cairo’s efforts to stop the escalation in the occupied territories and the Gaza Strip revealed extensive communications between officials in Cairo and the American administration in order to reach urgent solutions regarding the humanitarian situation in the Strip, while a statement from the Egyptian presidency stated that “Egypt is making efforts and intensifying communication to contain the situation in Gaza".

A high-ranking Egyptian source said, in exclusive statements to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, that the ongoing consultations are taking place within the framework of humanitarian situations only at the present time, revealing that the American administration has discussed with Egyptian officials the possibility of arranging safe passage for foreigners in the Gaza Strip and those holding American citizenship to reach the port. Rafah crossing and from there to Egypt.

On the other hand, the same source explained that Cairo called on officials in Washington to put pressure on Tel Aviv to bring in urgent aid, represented by medicine and fuel.

The source indicated that Cairo conveyed field estimates to officials in Washington indicating an imminent disaster if urgent and necessary aid was not allowed to pass through, noting that there are arrangements between Egypt, Qatar and Turkey to finance urgent aid packages through the Rafah crossing if an agreement is reached with the Israeli side.

The source explained that Egypt received messages from Hamas indicating the movement’s unwillingness or inclination to push citizens toward the border with Egypt, stressing that the movement’s arrangements during the recent operation did not include allowing the evacuation of Gaza under any circumstances.

The movement explained, in its messages to Cairo, according to the source, that what is happening at the humanitarian and living level, in terms of targeting residential buildings, infrastructure, and hospitals, is beyond what citizens in the Strip can bear, which could lead to an unplanned spontaneous explosion.

According to the source, Egypt is seeking, through arranging and coordinating international and Arab efforts, to persuade the American administration to change its positions and put pressure on Israel to allow aid to pass through.

The source indicated that the arrangements at the Rafah crossing are fully prepared for the passage of aid at any moment, as long as an agreement is reached with officials in Washington and Tel Aviv.

On the other hand, another source said that although “Cairo is upset that Hamas and the resistance movement carried out that operation without any indications from Cairo, the Egyptian anger on the other hand against the occupation government can be described as great, especially since yesterday, Tuesday, after Israeli threats.” By targeting Egyptian aid trucks heading to Gaza in an attempt to prevent an explosion that would lead citizens to storm its borders again.”

According to the same source, Egypt considered the recent Israeli position as a violation of Egyptian-Israeli relations.

The source explained that there is Israeli anger towards Cairo, revealing that Cairo was subjected to great pressure during the first day of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood from Tel Aviv and Washington to issue a statement condemning Hamas and the Palestinian resistance movement regarding the operation, which the Egyptian side confirmed was difficult, and even impossible, according to the source.

The source indicated that Cairo justified its position by saying that issuing such a statement would block the way for it to play the role of mediator again, while Tel Aviv saw that in this battle it would not need Egyptian mediation.

The source revealed that Tel Aviv, as part of its reverse messages, refused to respond to an Egyptian request for coordination in order to remove the Egyptian equipment and engineering crews working in Gaza, pointing out that the Israeli side refused to provide a pledge not to target the evacuation process, justifying this with fears that any of Hamas’ leaders might be able to pass through. Those convoys.

The authority is exerting pressure to open the Rafah crossing

Palestinian diplomatic sources said that the Palestinian Authority is exerting pressure on Egypt to reopen the Rafah crossing and ensure the security of the crossing to allow the flow of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

The sources stated that the authority is currently working on arranging medical, food, and fuel aid convoys to the Gaza Strip, and that it wants to bring them in from Egypt after the occupation refused to let them into Gaza through its crossings.

The sources explained that Cairo promised to try to coordinate the entry of aid convoys into the Gaza Strip, but it used the Israeli rejectionist position as an excuse and that it did not want to strain the relationship with Tel Aviv.