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Saudi Arabia Holds 5-Nation Summit For Gaza

CrossFireArabia
February 17, 2025

Saudi Arabia is set to host a five-nation Arab meeting on 20 February to discuss an Egyptian-led proposal for rebuilding the Gaza Strip while ensuring that its Palestinian residents are not displaced, an Arab League official announced.

The meeting will bring together officials from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to Hossam Zaki, the Arab League’s assistant secretary-general.

In a televised statement, Zaki noted that Palestine may also be invited to take part in the discussions, which aim to establish a framework for the reconstruction initiative ahead of an upcoming Arab summit according to The Palestine Chronicle.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=vcly18dvil4%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Egypt has scheduled an emergency Arab summit for 27 February, following the controversial proposal by former US President Donald Trump to take control of Gaza and forcibly resettle its Palestinian population.

Trump claimed his plan would turn the devastated enclave into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” a proposal widely condemned as ethnic cleansing.

“The countries participating in the upcoming meeting seek to coordinate their positions regarding the Egyptian proposals that will be presented at the Arab summit,” Zaki stated.

He added that the summit could be postponed for logistical reasons to ensure maximum participation from Arab leaders.

https://www.palestinechronicle.com/israel-is-threat-to-all-arab-nations-ramzy-baroud-speaks-to-egypts-al-dostour/embed/#?secret=mqxlQ55DlN#?secret=ZpysDELW92

According to Zaki, the summit will aim to unify the Arab stance on Palestine, firmly reject displacement schemes initiated by Israel and backed by the US, and put forward a collective Arab counterproposal to Trump’s plan.

On Sunday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi confirmed that Cairo is working on a comprehensive reconstruction plan for Gaza, emphasizing that the initiative would not involve the forced relocation of Palestinians.

The discussions come in the wake of a ceasefire agreement that took effect in Gaza on 19 January, ending months of Israeli attacks that killed and wounded over 160,000 Palestinians—mostly women and children—and left much of the enclave in ruins.

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Thank You Africa

CrossFireArabia
February 17, 2025

Final statement of the 38th African Union Summit:

“Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians and must be prosecuted internationally. We call for an end to cooperation and normalization with Israel until it ends its occupation and aggression against Palestine.”

The Summit was held in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.

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Smotrich Vows to Demolish Highest Number of Palestinian Homes

CrossFireArabia
February 17, 2025

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has vowed that the occupation state will demolish more Palestinian homes than are built in the West Bank by 2025. If that is fulfilled, it will mark the first time since 1967 that Israel’s demolitions will outpace construction.

Smotrich made the announcement during a speech at a meeting of the Israeli Civil Administration’s Law Enforcement Unit on Sunday. He emphasized that the government would intensify demolition operations, aiming to increase efforts significantly by 2025.

“2025 will be the first year since 1967 in which we will destroy more than what Palestinians build,” Smotrich declared. He highlighted that controlling land is at the core of the Israeli colonial project.

Smotrich confirmed that the Israeli government will continue to block Palestinian construction in areas occupied by Israel. He pointed to the 2025 budget, which includes substantial increases for demolition operations. This will involve more manpower, new equipment, and advanced technology to monitor Palestinian construction according to the Quds News Network.

Since the start of the genocide in Gaza, Israel has escalated settlement activity in the West Bank. This is part of a broader strategy to annex more Palestinian land, despite international opposition.

Israel’s settlement expansion continues amid official statements and consensus among Knesset members rejecting the creation of a Palestinian state, defying international law. The United Nations has repeatedly called for a halt to these illegal settlements.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has intensified attacks in the West Bank and the eastern part of occupied Jerusalem, resulting in over 900 Palestinian deaths, thousands of injuries, and the displacement of hundreds. Israel’s demolition campaign has destroyed more than 1,300 Palestinian structures in Area C, displacing over 1,100 people, according to UN reports.

By the end of 2024, around 770,000 Israeli settlers lived in the West Bank, spread across 180 settlements and 256 outposts. These settlements are considered illegal under international law.

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Israel Ready For 2nd Phase Negotiation in Cairo

CrossFireArabia
February 16, 2025

Israel’s Security Cabinet will discuss the second phase of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with Hamas, when the negotiating delegation travels to the Egyptian capital of Cairo on Monday.

Israel delayed negotiations for the second phase, which was scheduled to begin 16 days after the agreement went into effect, as Monday will be the 29th day—a 13-day delay.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement on Sunday that he informed US Middle East envoy Steve Whitcoff during a phone call that the Security Cabinet will convene Monday to discuss the second phase of the deal.

According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, Netanyahu’s statement came shortly after Whitcoff said “productive and constructive” discussions had taken place regarding the second phase, despite Netanyahu’s denial of any ongoing negotiations as reported by Anadolu.

“In coordination with Witkoff, Netanyahu has, today, instructed the negotiations team to leave for Cairo tomorrow (Monday) in order to discuss the continued implementation of the first stage of the deal,” the statement added.

The delegation will receive guidance on the second phase after the Security Cabinet meeting, it added.

The announcement comes as Netanyahu faces mounting domestic and international pressure to move forward with the talks.

On Saturday, families of Israeli captives in Gaza held a press conference outside the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, vowing not to let Netanyahu obstruct the second phase for his political interests.

According to Palestinian human rights organizations, Israel is holding more than 10,000 Palestinians in its prisons.

A ceasefire agreement has been in place in Gaza since Jan. 19, halting Israel’s genocidal war, which has killed nearly 48,300 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.

Nineteen Israeli captives and five Thai workers have been released in exchange for 1,135 Palestinian prisoners under the first phase of the Gaza agreement, which took effect on Jan. 19.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

News

Gideon Sa’ar May Soon Face The ICC Wrath

CrossFireArabia
February 16, 2025

The Hind Rajab Foundation has filed an ICC complaint against Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar ahead of his visit to Brussels, accusing him of complicity in crimes of displacement and starvation against Palestinians. The foundation called on Belgium to take immediate action against him under international law, as Sa’ar is scheduled to visit Brussels on February 18.