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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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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’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.
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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.
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Former Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, calling a Gaza ceasefire deal a “historic mistake.”
Speaking to the local radio 103FM, the far-right politician said that Netanyahu’s actions were undermining Israel’s military achievements in the war on Gaza.
The continuation of this deal is “a historic mistake that will set us back,” said Ben-Gvir, who leads the far-right Otzma Yehudit Party.
“The deal prevents Israel from achieving a total victory, and every passing day proves that my opposition to the agreement was justified,” he claimed.
Ben-Gvir, who resigned from Netanyahu’s government last month in opposition to the ceasefire deal, claimed that Hamas fighters had regained power and control in Gaza.
“The amount of aid we give them…it enables them to rule,” he said. “Hamas regained control (in the Gaza Strip) because of this reckless deal.”
The extremist minister also took aim at far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, dismissing his claim that Israel had dismantled Hamas.
“I heard him say that we have taken Hamas apart, but unfortunately, the reality on the ground says otherwise,” Ben-Gvir said.
A ceasefire agreement took effect in Gaza on Jan. 19, halting Israel’s genocidal war, which has killed more than 48,200 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for 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 according to Anadolu.
