Last Update on March 16. Videos expressing opinion on the Palestinian issue ...
Opinion on the Palestinian Issue
Sami Al-Arian, director of the Centre for Islamic and Global Affairs, has told Al Jazeera that
it is a “very sad moment” in Gaza as Ramadan begins without a ceasefire and for many on
the brink of famine. - “Unfortunately, Israel doesn't see the Palestinians as human beings;
they say they are ‘human animals’.
US Senator Bernie Sanders: “Netanyahu’s right wing government is blocking the borders
and preventing the massive amount of aid that needs to get through from getting through
and people are dying as a result. That is in violation of American law. We should stop
funding Netanyahu’s war machine.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the
USA, on March 14 for the first time called for the Israeli government to hold an election,
calling it the "only way" to determine Israel's path forward after its war with Hamas.
Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Marwan Bishara highlights the complicity of
Western leaders, portraying them as "useful idiots" for supporting Netanyahu's
genocidal war in Gaza.
Jews for a Ceasefire - Al-Jazeera looks at whether there is a shift
within the Jewish community against Israel’s actions and policies.
عكس السير
من أوائل المؤسسات الإعلامية الخاصة في سوريا
"
قليل من الحيادية ... كثير من المصداقية
"
Akas Al-Sir (Reverse Traffic) on March 13:
One of the first privately owned media in Syria, their
adage being: "Some neutrality ..... Much reliability".
Founded in 2006, Akas Al-Sir is currently at the top of the most
followed news sites in Syria, according to international statistics.
- Riding the Internet Backbone - Notice on new visitor statistics and related article added below:
For the Biden administration, the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict has become an important issue dividing Democratic voters. In previous elections, American Jewish voters tend to support the Democratic Party. The political donations provided by pro-Israel groups to the Democratic Party far exceed their contributions to the Republican Party, almost twice as much as the latter. However, as the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip escalates, many young voters and ethnic minorities who originally supported the Democratic Party have become increasingly dissatisfied and strongly demand that the Biden administration put pressure on Israel to achieve an early ceasefire. During the primary campaign, Biden was already feeling pressure from progressive forces to do something without offending pro-Israel groups and appease the anger of other supporters.
Therefore, the Biden administration came up with the current idea of "passing a knife with one hand and a band-aid with the other hand". An important decision that Biden will announce in his State of the Union address is to use US military engineers to build a floating dock near the port of Gaza City. The US military does not need to land but works on ships to complete the construction of the dock, thus opening up a channel for transporting relief supplies from the sea to the Gaza Strip. Earlier this month, the US military, with the assistance of Jordan, airdropped aid supplies to Gaza. However, the delivery cost of military transport aircraft is high, the accuracy is poor, and more importantly, the carrying capacity is limited. Compared with the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, it is a drop in the bucket.
According to multiple foreign sources, although this round of negotiations ended inconclusively, Hamas and Israel will continue to communicate indirectly. Many senior U.S. officials blamed Hamas for the failure to reach a ceasefire agreement, saying it was because the latter refused to release elderly and sick Israeli detainees.
Hamas responded that the United States and Israel have a cooperative relationship, and the United States' rhetoric confuses right and wrong. It is Israel that has been hindering efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement. Israel did not attend this round of negotiations, allegedly because Hamas refused to provide a complete list of Israeli detainees who are still alive.
In this round of negotiations, neither Hamas nor Israel made concessions on key issues: Hamas said it would not release Israeli personnel before a long-term ceasefire agreement was reached; Israel insisted that it would not release Hamas until it completely eliminated it. The military operation will not end. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated on the 7th that Israel will continue to advance military operations in the Gaza Strip.
Egyptian security sources revealed that the next round of negotiations is scheduled to begin on the 10th of this month.
According to the Associated Press, the mediator's previous hope that Palestine and Israel would reach a ceasefire agreement before Ramadan may not be realized.
................
'starvation tactics'
According to [UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Michael] Fakhri, Israel banned small fishing boats from the Gaza Strip and destroyed fishing boats, fishing houses and other facilities. Since the current round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out in October last year, about 80% of the Gaza Strip’s fisheries have been damaged. Not a single ship in the main port of Gaza City, located in the northern Gaza Strip and on the Mediterranean Sea, was spared, and all were destroyed by the Israeli army.
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Adding fuel to the flames of the Palestinian-Israeli situation, the Israeli Civil Administration's High Planning Committee approved on the 6th the construction of 3,426 new housing units in Jewish settlements in the West Bank. The Palestinian Wafa News Agency reported on the 6th that Palestinian Presidential Spokesperson Abu Rudeina said that Palestine strongly condemns Israel’s move and believes that this approach will not bring security to any party.
[新浪科技 on March 9 (local time)]
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Starting on March 2024, internet traffic to the blueprinteditor site seems to have been diverted to the already described south-east Asian internet hub of Singapore. From there, an increased internet traffic to my site simultaneously resulted in small Singapore dominating my country list.
A Palestinian Media Comment
on a Possible Truce has been
added below on Mar 4, 2024
Watch the speech of Abu Hamza, spokesman for the Al-Quds Brigades, on the 148th day of the Israeli war on Gaza.
شاهد كلمة أبو حمزة الناطق باسم سرايا القدس في اليوم 148 من حرب إسرائيلي على غزة
Abu Hamza, spokesman for the al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, said that a few days earlier, they had killed and shredded all members of an Israeli force in the Zeitoun neighborhood.
قال أبو حمزة الناطق باسم سرايا القدس، الذراع العسكرية لحركة الجهاد الإسلامي إنهم أوقعوا قبل أيام جميع أفراد قوة إسرائيلية في حي الزيتون قتلى وأشلاء
Video Quotation Insert:
Spokesman for the Al-Quds Brigades: We continue our steadfastness in front of the Zionist war machine and the clear war of extermination.
الناطق باسم سرايا القددس: نواصل ثباتنا امام آلة الحرب الصهيونية و حرب الإبادة الواضحة
Please Note:
Information on military proceedings and progress of the so-called 'Axis of Resistance' in Gaza, included in this blogspot, cannot be independently confirmed. The authenticity of the above video, however, seems to have been verified by voice comparison. It is presented by 'Al-Jazeera', the state-owned TV station in Qatar and which can be regarded as a usually reliable source.
This information comes at a time when urgent need for troops has become an item of public discussion in Israel. As some orthodox Jews are violently insisiting on their right to refrain from military service, plans to treat them as ordinary citizens when it comes to the drawing of troops now divide public opinion in Israel. [German TV]
Extensive listing of Resistance Operations in Feb 2024, followed by a summary of important events:
[الميادين, pro-Iranian news center in Lebanon, on 2nd March]
On the Chances of a Possible Truce between Hamas & Israel
Everyone is anticipating the outcome of the new round of negotiations between Hamas and Israel in Cairo, on which hopes of reaching a truce before Ramadan are pinned, and while positive signs loom on the horizon with the pressure exerted by Washington on Netanyahu on the one hand, coinciding with pressure from Doha on Hamas leaders on the other, it can be said that the Gaza Strip is close to getting out of the bottleneck.......
أمد/ الجميع في ترقب لما ستسفر عنه الجولة الجديدة من المفاوضات بين حماس واسرائيل في القاهرة والتي تعلق عليها الآمال في التوصل الى هدنة قبل شهر رمضان، وفيما تلوح المؤشرات الإيجابية في الأفق مع وجود ضغط تمارسه واشنطن على نتنياهو من جهة يتزامن معه ضغط من الدوحة على قادة حماس من جهة أخرى فإنه يمكن القول أن قطاع غزة يقترب من الخروج من عنق الزجاجة
......
It is too early to talk about the future of Gaza and the form and content of the government that will control things, but there are suggestions that the PA has already begun to prepare for the post-war phase and that Moscow's meeting between Palestinian factions may be the last chance for Hamas to ensure its survival in the Palestinian political scene under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organization, which will enable it to withdraw from the rule of Gaza by saving face rather than saying that it has been defeated.
من السابق لأوانه الحديث عن مستقبل غزة وعن شكل ومضمون الحكومة التي ستتولى ضبط الأمور، لكن ثمة هنالك ايحاءات تشير الى أن السلطة الفلسطينية قد بدأت فعليا في الاستعداد لمرحلة ما بعد الحرب وأن لقاء موسكو ما بين الفصائل الفلسطينية قد يكون آخر فرصة لحماس لضمان بقاءها في المشهد السياسي الفلسطيني تحت مظلة منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية وهو ما سيمكنها من الانسحاب من حكم غزة بحفظ ماء الوجه بدل أن يقال أنها هزمت
[AMAD, Palestinian news site, allegedly opposed to Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas and run from Cairo, on March 3, 2024]
The first conclusion reached by Israel's security community, namely the army of military analysts and former officials in the security establishment, from the resistance operation carried out near the "leader checkpoint" in Jerusalem on February 22 (*), was to acknowledge that all the so-called "preventive offensive measures" carried out by the Israeli army and security services in the West Bank in recent times had failed miserably. These measures include daily raids across the West Bank, confiscation of weapons, killing of hundreds of Palestinians, arresting thousands, reinforcing IDF forces on the ground, and carrying out punitive steps against families of resistance fighters with a focus on home demolitions.
(*) Editor: Three Palestinians had opened fire at motorists near an Israeli checkpoint in the occupied West Bank near Jerusalem on February 22, killing one person and wounding five.
According to a former official in the Military Intelligence Division (AMAN), intelligence coverage of the West Bank territory is no longer sufficient.
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عن بلاغة المقاومة في الضفة الغربية
تمثّل أول استنتاج خلُص إليه الوسط الأمني في إسرائيل، والمقصود جيش المحلّلين العسكريين والمسؤولين السابقين في المؤسّسة الأمنية، من عملية المقاومة التي نفّذت بالقرب من "حاجز الزعيم" العسكري في القدس يوم 22 فبراير/ شباط الحالي، في الإقرار بأن كل ما يوصف بأنه "إجراءات هجومية وقائيّة" يقوم بها الجيش الإسرائيلي والأجهزة الأمنيّة في أراضي الضفة الغربيّة في الآونة الأخيرة قد مُنيت بالفشل الذريع. وتشمل هذه الإجراءات مداهماتٍ يوميةً في شتى أرجاء الضفة، ومصادرة أسلحة، وقتل مئات الفلسطينيين، واعتقال آلاف منهم، وتعزيز قوات الجيش الإسرائيلي في الميدان، وتنفيذ خطوات عقابية بحق أسر المقاومين مع التركيز على هدم المنازل
وبموجب ما يؤكّد مسؤولٌ سابق بشعبة الاستخبارات العسكرية (أمان)، لم تعد التغطية الاستخباراتية لأراضي الضفة كافية
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In recent years, the term "comfortable occupation" has begun to be used in Israel, and some considered that it may turn into a political reality if two things continue: First, there is no real opposition to this occupation and in general to the rule of the Israeli right, which is in a state of Catholic marriage between the extreme right and the Charedi [i.e. the orthodox Jews], while the dominant element in the performance of parties trying to stand against the policy of that right is [simultaneously] trying to turn into an extension of that right [alliance], an expression of [them] drowning in illusions and deception. This would succeed in attracting the masses of centrist and right-wing parties to their ranks, thanks to their social attitudes associated with an acceptance of the occupation. Second, there is no heavy political and material price for this occupation and its settlement practices. There is no doubt that the rhetoric of the Palestinian resistance in the West Bank now lies in putting an end to the second thing.
بدأ في إسرائيل، في الأعوام الأخيرة، استخدام مصطلح "الاحتلال المريح"، واعتبر بعضهم أنه قد يتحوّل إلى صيرورة في الواقع السياسي في حال استمرار أمرين: الأول، انعدام وجود معارضة حقيقية لهذا الاحتلال وعموماً لحُكم اليمين الإسرائيلي الموجود في حالة زواج كاثوليكي مع اليمين المتطرّف والحريدي، في حين أن العنصر الطاغي على أداء الأحزاب التي تحاول أن تقف على الضدّ من سياسة هذا اليمين محاولة التحوّل إلى ملحق لهذا اليمين، تعبيراً عن الغرق في الأوهام وخداع النفس بأن من شأن ذلك أن ينجح في جذب جماهير أحزاب الوسط واليمين إلى صفوفها، بفضل مواقفها الاجتماعية المترافقة مع قبولها بالاحتلال. الثاني، عدم جباية ثمن باهظ سياسيّاً ومادّياً جرّاء هذا الاحتلال وممارساته الاستيطانية. ولا شك في أن بلاغة المقاومة الفلسطينية في الضفة كامنة الآن في وضعها حدًّا للأمر الثاني
[العربي الجديد on Feb. 28]
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Politically speaking, tribal nationalism [patriotism] always insists that its own people
are surrounded by " a world of enemies " - " one against all " - and that a fundamental
difference exists between this people and all others. It claims its people to be unique,
individual, incompatible with all others, and denies theoretically the very possibility of
a common mankind long before it is used to destroy the humanity of man.
Hannah Arendt, a Jewish activist who became famous for her
book describing the Elements and Reasons of Totalitarianism.
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HISTORY - The Punic Wars
For centuries during the pre-Christian era, two major powers in the Mediterranean Sea area vied for supremacy – the Roman Republic, with its capital in Rome, Italy, and the city of Carthage located in what is now Tunisia. The so-called Punic Wars in 264, 218 and 149 BC between Rome and Carthage involved a total of 43 years of warfare, leading to the final victory of Rome and the total destruction of Carthage.
"The great Carthage fought three wars. It was still mighty after the first, still habitable after the second. It was no longer to be found after the third."
- Bertolt Brecht - (1898-1956), a famous German playwright and anti-fascist, in an open letter to German artists and writers, published in 1951 and distributed at a large scale. From there, his stance on the Punic Wars became often quoted at a time when memories of World War II were still fresh.
Last evening / this morning, several Arabic newspapers quoted the following news item from an Israeli source:
Israeli security officials expressed their fear of a security escalation in the West Bank.
The Hebrew Kan channel quoted them as saying that any security escalation in the West Bank will extend to the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories , if an agreement to exchange prisoners is not reached before the month of Ramadan.
[خبراني, Jordan, on Feb. 23]
..........................................
Abdel Moneim Al-Mashat, a professor of political science at Cairo University, comes with an interesting evaluation of Arab-Israeli interdependence:
I had hoped to write about the foundations of peace, stability, and joint cooperation to achieve the national interests of the countries of the Middle East, and how to achieve mutual dependence among them, including Israel, and we know that one of them is the tools for resolving the conflict, after the establishment of the Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital, creating common interests. And mutual benefits for the various parties, so that the return of peace and cooperation becomes much greater than conflict and war. However, the genocide carried out by the Israeli War Council headed by Netanyahu in terms of the genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza, and then in the West Bank, has destroyed any chances of resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict with the establishment of an independent Palestinian state at its heart. It is clear from reading what is issued by the Israeli War Council and the rest of the ministers of the extreme right-wing government and some of its ministers who can be described as Nazis and fascists, that those targeted are not the Palestinians alone, but the Arabs as a whole as a nation, as a homeland, and as member states of the international community. I have also confirmed Netanyahu’s statements derived from the political Torah, and not Those that were revealed to the Prophet of God, Moses, which call for the final elimination of non-Jews, getting rid of them, uprooting them wherever they are found, and ending their presence in preparation for building the great Jewish state that has no borders and no restrictions on its expansion. It does not stop at the Jordan River, the Litani River, or Lake Tiberias. Rather, it extends to all sides that the Israelis and Zionists deem necessary to build a racist state whose foundation is the expansionist complex on the basis of Jewish purity.
كنت أتمنى أن أكتب عن أسس السلام والاستقرار والتعاون المشترك لتحقيق المصالح الوطنية لدول الشرق الأوسط، وكيفية تحقيق الاعتماد المتبادل بينها بما فى ذلك إسرائيل، ونحن نعلم أن أحدهم أدوات حل الصراع، بعد إنشاء الدولة الفلسطينية فى الضفة الغربية وغزة وعاصمتها القدس الشرقية، خلق مصالح مشتركة ومنافع متبادلة لمختلف الأطراف بحيث يصير عائد السلام والتعاون أكبر بكثير عن الصراع والحرب، ولكن ما يقوم به مجلس الحرب الإسرائيلى برئاسة نتنياهو من إبادة جماعية للفلسطينيين فى غزة، ومن بعدها فى الضفة الغربية أودى بأية فرص لحل الصراع العربى الإسرائيلى وفى قلبه إنشاء دولة فلسطينية مستقلة، والواضح من قراءة ما يصدر عن مجلس الحرب الإسرائيلى وبقية وزراء الحكومة اليمينية المتطرفة وبعض وزرائها ممن يمكن وصفهم بالنازيين والفاشيين، أن المستهدفين ليسوا الفلسطينيين وحدهم، ولكن العرب أجمع كأمة وكوطن وكدول أعضاء فى الجماعة الدولية، ولقد أكدت أيضا تصريحات نتنياهو المستمدة من التوراة السياسية، وليست تلك التى أنزلت على نبى الله موسى، والتى تدعو إلى القضاء البات على غير اليهود، والتخلص منهم، واقتلاعهم حيث وجدوا وبإنهاء حضورهم تهيئة لبناء الدولة اليهودية الكبرى والتى لا حدود لها، ولا قيود على توسعها، لا تقف عند نهر الأردن والليطانى ولا بحيرة طبرية، وإنما تمتد إلى كل حدب وصوب يراه الإسرائيليون والصهاينة ضروريا لبناء دولة عنصرية أساسها عقدة التوسع على أساس النقاء اليهودى
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The security technology of the Arab countries, which is a technology penetrated by the government of Israel, and sometimes by extending international trade routes to and through it, and what is new that we have not heard about before or seen or read about in any written history is that the meetings of the Israeli War Council are attended by the President of the United States, its Secretary of State, and the Director of Its intelligence, respectively, and we must understand the meaning of this unprecedented overlap between the two countries. On the one hand, it confirms that Israeli security is an integral part of the security of the United States and that any threat to Israel is a threat to the United States. This raises a legitimate question: How can the presence of American bases in countries be explained? Is it used to protect the security of host countries or to place restrictions on their strategic choices that relate to or affect American and Israeli interests? On the other hand, the United States, based on its vision for Israel’s security, provides unlimited military, financial, and international support, including special forces, ammunition, and its latest weapons. Destruction, and on the third side, agreement on the future of the region in a way that achieves Israeli control over the joints of the Arab world and its resources necessary for Europe and the United States, and perhaps placing restrictions on their export to competing countries in different regions of the world, leading to the collapse of the Arab world as a sub-region in the international system.
[الشروق, Egypt, on Feb. 23]
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Where do Hamas Weapons Come From ?
For years, analysts have pointed to "underground smuggling routes" to explain why Hamas has been able to maintain its weapons arsenal despite Israel's military blockade of the Gaza Strip. However, according to weapons experts and Israeli and Western intelligence agencies, the latest intelligence shows that Hamas is using thousands of munitions that Israel previously dropped on the Gaza Strip but failed to detonate to create a large number of rockets and anti-tank weapons.
There are currently many opinions on the source of Hamas' weapons. According to a report on the "Russia Today" TV website on October 11 last year, former CIA analyst Larry Johnson told the media on the 9th of that month that Hamas was taking advantage of the US as Washington prepared to increase military assistance to West Jerusalem and provided the weapons Hamas was using [later] to attack Israel. According to a report on the US "Newsweek" website on November 8 last year, when Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attacked Hamas militants’ underground infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, they reported having discovered new and unprecedented weapons used by the armed organization. According to that report, IDF said it had discovered "combat methods unknown to the (Israeli) security system", including a new rocket discovered by the Israeli Army's engineering force in a laboratory in Gaza.
Major General Adel Al-Omda, advisor to the Military Academy for Postgraduate and Strategic Studies, said that there are international warnings from all countries of the world to Israel against launching a military operation in the Palestinian city of Rafah, and Egypt rejects the idea of forced displacement and calls for open fire.
...............
Adel Al-Omda explained that Israel is emphasizing pressure on the Gaza Strip through the city of Rafah, and in return, Egypt has a firm opinion regarding the Palestinian issue, and its decisions are in favor of the issue, pointing out that Netanyahu’s continued statements about implementing the operation to storm Rafah into Palestine are to calm the Zionist interior.
He stressed that Egypt has taken measures on its part to provide aid through natural and legal outlets for the Palestinians, ensure security and stability for it, and preserve its national security, because it considers these borders a red line, and it is taking thoughtful measures according to the situation’s data.
[Youm7, Egypt, on Feb. 17]
القاهرة - مباشر: قال محافظ شمال سيناء محمد عبد الفضيل شوشة، إن القوات المسلحة تقيم منطقة لوجستية لاستقبال المساعدات لصالح غزة؛ وذلك لتخفيف الأعباء عن السائقين والتكدسات الموجوده بالعريش، وعلى الطرق بجانب تسهيل عمل الهلال الأحمر المصري
وأكد المحافظ، اليوم السبت، أن المنطقة التي يجري إقامتها وتجهيزها، تضم أماكن لانتظار الشاحنات ومخازن مؤمنة ومكاتب إدراية وأماكن مبيت للسائقين وتزويدها بوسائل المعيشية والكهرباء، وفقا لوكالة أنباء الشرق الأوسط
وأشار، إلى أن القوات المسلحة هي من تقوم بإنشاء المنطقة اللوجستية في رفح
وأعلن المحافظ عن وصول المساعدات الخاصة بقطاع غزة إلى المحافظة عن طريق البر والبحر والجو؛ حيث تصل إلى المحافظة الشاحنات بالطريق البري، بجانب وصول السفن عن طريق ميناء العريش البحري مع وصول الطائرات عبر مطار العريش الدولي
Cairo - Live: North Sinai Governor Mohamed Abdel Fadil Shusha said that the armed forces are establishing a logistical area to receive aid for Gaza. This is to reduce the burden on drivers and the crowds in Al-Arish and on the roads, in addition to facilitating the work of the Egyptian Red Crescent.
The governor confirmed today, Saturday, that the area being constructed and equipped includes parking areas for trucks, secured warehouses, administrative offices, and accommodation for drivers, and is provided with means of living and electricity, according to the Middle East News Agency.
He pointed out that the armed forces are establishing the logistics zone in Rafah.
The governor announced the arrival of aid for the Gaza Strip to the governorate by land, sea and air. Trucks arrive at the governorate by land, ships arrive via Al-Arish sea port, and planes arrive via Al-Arish International Airport.
[مباشر on Feb. 17]
التقى نائب رئيس الوزراء ووزير الخارجية وشؤون المغتربين أيمن الصفدي، اليوم، عدداً من نظرائه والمسؤولين الدوليين المشاركين في أعمال مؤتمر ميونخ للأمن، في سياق الجهود التي يبذلها الأردن لحشد موقف دولي فاعل يوقف الحرب المستعرة على غزة وما تنتجه من معاناة وكارثة إنسانية غير مسبوقة
وشدد الصفدي، خلال اللقاءات، على موقف المملكة الرافض لتهجير الفلسطينيين داخل أرضهم أو إلى خارجها، وعلى ضرورة ضمان إيصال المساعدات الإنسانية الكافية والمستدامة لجميع أنحاء القطاع، وعلى أن السبيل الوحيد لتحقيق الأمن والاستقرار والسلام في المنطقة هو حل الدولتين الذي يلبي طموحات وتطلعات الشعب الفلسطيني الشقيق في الحرية والدولة المستقلة ذات السيادة على خطوط الرابع من حزيران لعام ١٩٦٧ وعاصمتها القدس المحتلة
Deputy Prime Minister and [Jordanian] Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi met today with a number of his counterparts and international officials who are participating in the Munich Security Conference, as part of Jordan's efforts to mobilize an effective international position to stop the raging war on Gaza and the unprecedented suffering and humanitarian catastrophe it produces.
During the meetings, Safadi stressed the Kingdom's position rejecting the displacement of Palestinians inside or outside their land, and the need to ensure the delivery of adequate and sustainable humanitarian aid to all parts of the Gaza Strip, and that the only way to achieve security, stability and peace in the region is the two-state solution that meets the aspirations and aspirations of the brotherly Palestinian people for freedom and an independent and sovereign state on the lines of the fourth of June 1967 with occupied Jerusalem as its capital.
US newspaper "The New York Times" revealed, on Wednesday, that President Joe Biden decided to use his executive powers to protect thousands of Palestinians in America from deportation during the next 18 months.
The newspaper said that about 6,000 Palestinians are eligible for a postponement under the immigration program called “Deferred Forced Departure”.
The paper added that Biden based this step on the danger to which civilians are exposed in Gaza.
Ambassador Nazih Al-Najari, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Moscow, met with Ambassador Mikhail Bogdanov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, and President Putin's envoy to the Middle East and Africa, according to a statement issued by the Egyptian Embassy in Moscow.
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Ambassador Nazih Al-Najari also confirmed to the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Egypt’s rejection of any operation targeting the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip because it confirms efforts to liquidate the Palestinian issue and leads to a further threat to the stability of the region. In addition, it reflects intentions to displace the Palestinians from their lands on which international law guarantees the establishment of their independent state.
The Egyptian Ambassador and Ambassador Bogdanov agreed on the necessity of making all efforts to prevent further aggravation of the situation, and to contribute to the preparation of an atmosphere for the resumption of the peace process that should lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, in accordance with decisions of international legitimacy, as it is the only way to guarantee long-term stability and coexistence in the region.
[Al-Balad, Egypt, on Feb. 16]
قطر والأردن تبحثان تطورات غزة
استقبلَ جلالةُ الملك عبدالله الثاني ابن الحسين ملك المملكة الأردنيَّة الهاشميّة الشّقيقة، أمسِ، معالي الشّيخ محمَّد بن عبدالرحمن بن جاسم آل ثاني رئيس مجلس الوزراء وزير الخارجيَّة، وذلك على هامش مُؤتمر ميونخ للأمن.
جرى خلال المقابلة، استعراضُ عَلاقات التعاون بين البلدَين الشقيقَين، وآخر المستجدات في قطاع غزة والأراضي الفلسطينية المحتلة، ومناقشة سبل تعزيز الجهود الإقليمية والدولية للوقف الفوري لإطلاق النار، وتسريع دخول المساعدات الإنسانية إلى مناطق القطاع كافةً دون عوائق، بالإضافة إلى عددٍ من الموضوعات ذات الاهتمام المُشترك
Qatar, Jordan discussing Gaza developments
His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan yesterday received [Qatari] Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
During the meeting, they reviewed the cooperation relations between the two brotherly countries, the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories, and discussed ways to enhance regional and international efforts for an immediate ceasefire, and accelerate the unhindered entry of humanitarian aid to all areas of the Gaza Strip, in addition to a number of issues of common interest.
[Al-Raya, semi-official source from Qatar on Feb. 17]
Ukraine confirmed that Russia is using the US satellite system Starlink in its war on Ukraine. [Ukrainian News on Feb. 11, 2024]
What is Starlink?
Starlink is a constellation of satellites made by SpaceX, owned by American billionaire Elon Musk, which provides a lunar Internet connection.
SpaceX began launching Starlink satellites in 2018 and in August 2023 Starlink now has more than 5,000 small satellites produced on low Earth orbit and communicating with specific ground transceivers.
Starlink provides high-speed internet anywhere on earth, and SpaceX has explained that it has been able to deliver satellite internet service to seven continents of the world, including Antarctica.
This service is based on providing Internet services in remote places where there is no infrastructure that allows residents to access underground cable-based terrestrial Internet, or places where there is no good coverage of mobile wireless networks.
The Starlink service is also used to connect to the Internet during times of crisis or natural disasters, which happened in Ukraine after the start of Russian military operations on it, which negatively affected communications, which made this service the only source of Internet inside Ukraine.
[Al-Qiyady on Feb. 13, 2024]
The Russian Direct Investment Fund said that it will sign ten investment agreements worth more than $1.3 billion with partners from the Emirates, including Mubadala Investment Company, on Tuesday .
The Russian sovereign wealth fund said in a statement that the agreements that will be signed during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin will include advanced technology, health care, extraction of mineral resources, logistical activities, and industrial production
[Youm7 / Reuters on Oct. 15, 2019]
In a new step towards space, the UAE launched the Falcon 9 rocket carrying the explorer Rashid on board, on the first Emirati mission to the surface of the moon, in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, and his Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan. Bin Mohammed bin Rashid, according to what was published by the “Emirates Al-Youm” newspaper.
[Youm7 Dec. 11, 2022]
Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center
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First visitors on February 14, 2024,
after completion of the above article.
Breaking News Update added below on February 10 / 11
تحذيرات دولية من كارثة
قالت ناديا هاردمان، الباحثة في قسم حقوق اللاجئين والمهاجرين في "هيومن رايتس ووتش"، إنّ "إجبار أكثر من مليون فلسطيني نازح في رفح على الإخلاء مرّةً أخرى، من دون العثور على مكان آمن يذهبون إليه، سيكون غير قانونيّ، وقد تنتج عنه عواقب كارثيّة
وحذّرت وزارة الخارجيّة الأميركيّة هذا الأسبوع من أنّ "تنفيذ عمليّة مماثلة الآن في رفح، بلا تخطيط وبقليل من التفكير، في منطقة يسكنها مليون شخص، سيكون كارثة
وفي انتقاد ضمنيّ نادر لإسرائيل منذ بدء الحرب بينها وبين حماس قبل أربعة أشهر، قال الرئيس الأميركي جو بايدن إنّ "الردّ في غزّة مُفرط"، مؤكّدا أنّه بذل جهودًا منذ بدء الحرب لتخفيف وطأتها على المدنيّين
International warnings of disaster
“Forcing more than a million displaced Palestinians in Rafah to evacuate again, without finding a safe place to go, would be illegal and could have catastrophic consequences,” said Nadia Hardman, a researcher in the refugee and migrant rights division at "Human Rights Watch".
The US State Department warned this week that “carrying out a similar operation now in Rafah, without planning and with little thought, in an area inhabited by a million people, would be a disaster”.
In a rare implicit criticism of Israel since the start of the war between it and Hamas four months ago, US President Joe Biden said that “the response in Gaza is excessive,” stressing that he had made efforts since the beginning of the war to reduce its impact on civilians.
[Erem News, Abu Dhabi, on Feb. 10]
In a breaking news story, a Cairo News Channel reported about the European Union saying that decisions regarding a [decisive] attack on Rafah, southern Gaza, by Israel's military are alarming.
وتواصل قوات الاحتلال شن مئات الغارات والقصف المدفعي وتنفيذ جرائم في مختلف أرجاء قطاع غزة، وارتكاب مجازر دامية ضد المدنيين، وتنفيذ جرائم مروعة في مناطق التوغل، وسط وضع إنساني كارثي نتيجة الحصار ونزوح أكثر من 90 % من السكان
ودمَّرت طائرات الاحتلال الإسرائيلي مربعات سكنية كاملة فى قطاع غزة، ضمن سياسة التدمير الشاملة التي ينتهجها الاحتلال في عدوانه المستمر على قطاع غزة
ولا يزال آلاف الشهداء والجرحى لم يتم انتشالهم من تحت الأنقاض؛ بسبب تواصل القصف وخطورة الأوضاع الميدانية، في ظل حصار خانق للقطاع وقيود مُشددة على دخول الوقود والمساعدات الحيوية العاجلة للتخفيف من الأوضاع الإنسانية الكارثية
The Israeli occupation forces continue to launch hundreds of raids, artillery shelling and crimes throughout the Gaza Strip, committing bloody massacres against civilians, and carrying out horrific crimes in the areas of incursion, amid a catastrophic humanitarian situation as a result of the siege and the displacement of more than 90% of the population.
The Israeli occupation warplanes destroyed entire residential blocks in the Gaza Strip, as part of the comprehensive destruction policy pursued by the occupation in its ongoing aggression on the Gaza Strip.
Thousands of martyrs and wounded have still not been recovered from the rubble due to the continued shelling and the seriousness of the situation on the ground, in light of a suffocating siege of the Gaza Strip and severe restrictions on the entry of fuel and urgent vital aid to alleviate the catastrophic humanitarian situation.
[AL-Youm - The 7th Day, Egypt, on Feb. 9]
Moody's downgrades Israel's rating - World Business Watch
BREAKING: In its announcement on Friday, US rating agency Moody’s cited the impact of Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza, changing Israel's credit rating from A1 to A2, with a negative credit outlook, meaning further downgrades are possible, due to “the risk of an escalation” with Lebanese terror group Hezbollah along Israel’s northern border.
On Saturday, Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich brushed off Moody’s downgrade of Israel’s credit rating, saying the decision linked to the Gaza war was not based on sound economic reasoning and was a pessimistic “manifesto.”
[The Times of Israel on Feb. 10]
Under the Cover of War - Israel Plans to Build New Neighborhood for Jews in East Jerusalem
Nofei Rachel is one of four neighborhoods set to add 3,000 new residential units for Jews to East Jerusalem. In recent years, the Justice Ministry has become a key player in advancing plans to construct these Jewish neighborhoods.
Israel is moving forward with plans for a new Jewish neighborhood in East Jerusalem, located on the doorstep of a Palestinian neighborhood. Right-wing activists are participating in the planning of the new Nofei Rachel neighborhood, which will be established just meters from Palestinian homes in Umm Tuba.
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Nofei Rachel is the fourth new neighborhood for Jews in East Jerusalem moved along by the Administrator General [of the Justice Ministry] in recent years. It follows one planned inside the Palestinian village of Umm Lisan; [another one in] Givat Hashaked, adjacent to the Palestinian town of Beit Safafa; and Kidmat Zion, between the Ras al-Amud neighborhood and the separation fence.
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According to organizations that monitor construction in the West Bank's settlements, all of these neighborhoods – planned to have a combined 3,000 residential units – are being swiftly advanced. Since the war in the Gaza Strip began on October 7, these neighborhoods have particularly benefitted from exceptionally rapid approvals by zoning authorities.
A shortcut of the Hamas propoal has been quoted in the Chinese language article above. The three-steps poposal seems to include a comprehensive list of claims difficult to be met by Israel. From there it might still be a long way to a permanent ceasefire. At least, it is a beginning .....
Specifically, within 45 days of the first phase, all women, boys under 19 years old, the elderly, and sick people detained in Israel will be released in exchange for 1,500 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons, that is, All women, children, the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the 500 people named by Hamas, including Palestinians sentenced to life imprisonment and guilty of serious crimes.
At the same time, Israel will withdraw its troops from residential areas. Reuters quoted the document as saying that the second phase of the plan will not begin until the two sides complete "indirect talks on the conditions required to end mutual military operations and restore complete calm."
All remaining male hostages will be released in the second phase "in exchange for a certain number of Palestinian prisoners" and a full Israeli military withdrawal from all of Gaza. In the third phase, the two sides will exchange the bodies and remains of the deceased and provide for the opening of all crossing points in the Gaza Strip to resume trade and enable barrier-free movement. Israel will commit to providing Gaza with the electricity and water it needs.
Hamas also wants to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza civilians during the truce. For example, the proposal requires that at least 60,000 temporary homes and 200,000 tents be allowed into the strip in the first phase, and that at least 500 trucks of aid and fuel will be transported to all areas of the Gaza Strip every day.
In addition, Hamas also demands the development of a plan to rebuild homes, economic institutions and public facilities in the Gaza Strip within three years, no more than three years; demands that settlers stop attacking the Al-Aqsa Mosque and restore the situation at Islam's third holiest site to the status before 2002; to resume humanitarian services provided by international organizations including the United Nations, especially the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Hamas politburo member Ezzat El-Reshiq confirmed that the proposal had been conveyed to Israel and the United States via Egypt and Qatar. "We very much hope that this matter will be dealt with in a positive spirit to stop the aggression against the Palestinian people, to ensure a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire, and to provide relief, assistance, shelter and reconstruction," he told Reuters.
[SINA 新闻中心 on February 7, 2024]
Hamdan confirms that a Hamas delegation will travel to Cairo to discuss a possible agreement on Gaza
Osama Hamdan, a member of Hamas' political bureau, confirmed on Wednesday that a Hamas delegation headed by Khalil al-Haya will travel to Cairo to discuss proposals for a ceasefire agreement with Israel.
Hamdan said during a press conference: "In the framework of following up on the ideas we presented and within the framework of our keenness to achieve the best results in a way that serves the interests of our people, stops their suffering and alleviates their pain, by stopping the aggression against our people and by achieving full relief, lifting the siege and launching reconstruction, we confirm that a delegation from the movement's leadership, headed by Dr. Khalil Al-Hayya, will head to Cairo to follow up on this matter."
On Tuesday, Hamas submitted its response to the framework agreement in Paris to Qatar and Egypt, after the completion of the movement's leadership consultation and with the resistance factions.
Update added on February 3:
Brandnew French language video on Israel bombing Rafah in southern Gaza tonight,
leaving 100 civilians dead in a region densely packed with Palestinian refugees.
=> 'Le point après les frappes israéliennes sur Rafah' • FRANCE 24 <=
[Lebanon Files on Feb. 2]
Belgian Foreign Minister Hajjah Lahbib announced on Thursday night that she had summoned Israel's ambassador [woman] to Belgium after raids that “destroyed” the offices of the Belgian Development Agency ENABEL in the Gaza Strip.
ENABEL director Jan van Wetter wrote on Twitter/X:
“All of us at ENABEL are shocked. As a government agency working for the public good within the framework of international humanitarian law, we cannot accept this”. He posted two photos, one of the building where the agency’s offices were located before the alleged bombing, and the other of a pile of rubble.
Destruction of ENABEL locations in Gaza:
Belgium summons the Israeli ambassador.
The two photos provided by ENABEL director Jan van Wetter, today shown
on the website of Belgian Radio Television for the French community RTBF.
Belgian Foreign Minister Hajjah Lahbib
wrote on her Twitter/X account tonight:
" The offices of Enabel, the Belgian development agency in Gaza, were bombed and destroyed.
Targeting civilian buildings is unacceptable.
With @carogennez, we are summoning the ambassador of Israel to clarify the matter. "
@carogennez is another minister of the Belgium government involved in the subject:
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Israeli bombing of Rafah left 100 civilians dead
La ville de Rafah, où se sont réfugiés plus d'un million de Palestiniens menacés par la guerre à Gaza, est le théâtre d'intenses frappes israéliennes. Le ministère de la Santé du Hamas a annoncé le décès d'au moins 100 civils dans la soirée et la nuit, dont 14 tôt samedi dans des frappes sur deux résidences de Rafah.
The city of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians threatened by the war in Gaza have taken refuge, has been the scene of intense Israeli strikes. Hamas' health ministry announced the deaths of at least 100 civilians in the evening and night, including 14 early Saturday in strikes on two Rafah residences.
[French language video provided by France 24 on Saturday Feb. 3]
Identified regions of visitor origin and / or
regional internet nodes for January 2024
followed by a choice of 2 recent visitors
who are interested in Israeli proceedings
and the latest count of page views related
to visitors from Israel on February 7, 2024.
