Israel to Build 1000 Settlement Units Near Bethlehem

The Israeli government issued a tender to build nearly 1,000 settlement units in the occupied West Bank, an anti-settlement group said on Monday.

The Peace Now group, an Israeli watchdog that monitors settlement building in the West Bank, said 974 additional settler homes will be built in Efrat settlement south of Bethlehem city.

It warned that the construction of an entire neighborhood in the Efrat settlement “blocks the development of the Bethlehem metropolis to the south, and if Israel seeks to annex it to Israel, it will cut off the entire southern West Bank,” according to Anadolu.

The Israeli organization accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of harming Israel’s interests and undermining the two-state solution through imposing realities on the ground.

“While the people of Israel sets their sights on the release of the hostages and an end to the war, the Netanyahu government is operating ‘on steroids’ to establish facts on the ground that will destroy the chance for peace and compromise,” it said.

Nineteen Israeli captives and five Thai workers have been released in exchange for 1,135 Palestinian prisoners under a Gaza ceasefire agreement that took effect on Jan. 19.

The international community, including the UN, considers the Israeli settlements illegal under international law. The UN has repeatedly warned that continued settlement expansion threatens the viability of a two-state solution, a framework seen as key to resolving the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land illegal and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

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Sharaa Says No to Syrian Normalization With Israel

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa ruled out any near-term normalization deal with Israel, citing its continued occupation of the Golan Heights.

In an interview with The Economist, Al-Sharaa stressed that Syria seeks peaceful relations with all countries. However, he noted that Israel’s presence in the region remains a major obstacle. “There is great sensitivity regarding the Israeli matter, especially after the big wars and their occupation of the Golan since 1967,” he said. Al-Sharaa made no mention of Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

Ahmed Al-Sharaa also addressed US and Israeli military activities in Syria. He reaffirmed Syria’s commitment to the 1974 disengagement agreement with the occupation state, mediated by the UN. He called on Israeli forces to withdraw to pre-advancement positions to allow the UN peacekeeping force (UNDOF) to operate in the buffer zone.

Regarding US troops in Syria, Al-Sharaa asserted that any foreign military presence must be based on official agreements. “We are reassessing the Russian military presence, and we might reach an agreement or not. But any presence should have the host state’s approval,” he explained.

The Syrian president reiterated that international pressure is mounting against Israel’s recent military actions. “There is near-unanimous agreement that this advancement is not right,” he said.

While Al-Sharaa did not rule out future discussions, he emphasized that Syria is still prioritizing internal recovery. “We entered Damascus only two months ago, and there are many priorities ahead of us. It is too early to discuss such matters,” he concluded according to the Quds News Network.

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A World Without America?

By Dr Khairi Janbek

Away from the condom politics which seems to be just an obsession of a Washington administration suffering from erectile dysfunction, on thought it would be intriguing to imagine a world without America, which means deep cultural, economic as well as political implications. It’s a thought experiment which forces one to imagine how the world would look like without the specific influence, history and power dynamics that the USA has shaped.

On the geopolitical and global power level, other nations would have to step in into the void, vying for influence. Europe, China, Russia and India would probably play a central role on global politics, in addition, the Security Council of the UN will start looking very different, Europe would become the dominant force strengthening its collective military and political capabilities.

In terms of culture and society, American has played a central role in shaping global pop culture, Hollywood, music, fashion and hi-tech, indeed other nations would have come in, in Asia South Korea, Japan and India would take a central role in shaping global culture, with Europe asserting itself in the arts and literature.

In technology and innovation, the US has produced Silicon Valley and leading corporations in software, hardware and AI, however without, China and Europe would fill the hitech leadership role which probably would accelerate their breakthroughs.

As for the economy, without America, the world economy would be real different, the US dollar would not be the world reserve currency, with the Euro and the Yuan, being the global standard. Trade dynamics would be rearranged and institutions like the World Bank and the IMF would have other substitutes.

Regarding military and defense, American power is unmatched , without it global security dynamics would shift drastically, NATO might not exist, while regions powers like Russia, China and India, would become more aggressive in asserting their influence.

In terms of the environment and social movements, the US has been at the forefront of global debates on climate change, social Justice and human rights; taking note of course, with mixed results, but without it, certainly others would take the lead, for a start, Europe has been a leader in pushing for climate action , and in social action, countries like Brazil, South Africa, would fill in the gap with most probably leading to different outcomes. But , the USA has been a major donor for global and humanitarian aid, and their contribution would have to be substituted by other coalitions, which one assumes would be limited only to crisis.

Essentially, a world system without America, the international system would be less centered around one dominant great power, as power would be more diffuse with multiple centers of influence and more regional power struggles, but at the end of the day, the purpose for the use of condoms would be much clearer.

Dr Janbek is an opinion writer based in Paris

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Israel Frees 32 Palestinian Prisoners

Thirty-two Palestinians were released from Israeli jails on Saturday as part of the fourth batch of the prisoner swap deal between Israel and Hamas.

The freed prisoners were handed over to the International Red Cross from the Ofer Prison facility near Ramallah in the central occupied West Bank, in line with the terms of the cease-fire and prisoner swap deal that took effect on Jan. 19.

According to an Anadolu correspondent, hundreds of Palestinians gathered near the Ramallah Cultural Palace to welcome the freed prisoners, waving Palestinian flags and chanting in support of the Palestinian resistance and Gaza.

Despite earlier warnings by the Israeli army, the crowd gathered to receive the prisoners, who raised victory signs in defiance of Israeli orders.

Many of the released prisoners appeared in poor health, with some barely able to walk. They were taken to hospitals in Ramallah for medical checks and treatment, the Anadolu correspondent added.

Commenting on the freed Palestinians’ poor health, the Hamas group said this confirms “the brutality” of what Palestinians prisoners endure in Israeli jails.

Hamas described these violations as “war crimes and crimes against humanity that require immediate intervention by the international community, the UN and the rights’ group.”

Meanwhile, the International Red Cross staff were ‘angry’ over the way Israel released the Palestinian prisoners on Saturday as they were led out in shackles with their hands behind their heads, according to the Israeli daily Haaretz.

Earlier, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, released three captives from Gaza and handed them over to the Red Cross.

A total of 183 Palestinians are expected to be released Saturday from Israeli jails, including 111 who were arrested by the Israeli army in Gaza after Oct. 7, 2023, according to the Hamas-run Prisoners’ Information Office.

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Thousands of Egyptians at Rafah Border Protest Trump’s Proposal

Thousands of Egyptians gathered in front of the Rafah border crossing on Friday to protest US President Donald Trump’s proposal to resettle Palestinians in other countries, Egyptian media reported.

Crowds from other Egyptian governorates flocked to the border to protest Trump’s remarks about Palestinian displacement last week, which were also dismissed by several European and Arab countries.

Before Friday’s rally at the Rafah border, according to social media footage, several Egyptian governorates, including Beheira, Kafr el Sheikh, Gharbia, Ismailia, Sharqia, Qalyubia, and Beni Suef, held public protests Thursday evening against the displacement of Palestinians.

According to an Anadolu correspondent, this is the first rally at the Rafah border since Trump proposed on Jan. 25 to simply “clean out” the Gaza Strip and resettle Palestinians in Jordan and Egypt, describing the coastal enclave as a “demolition site” following Israel’s genocidal war.

While Egyptian responses have avoided directly addressing Trump, officials have consistently condemned any attempt to expel Palestinians from their homeland.

The Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Sunday condemning the plan, which was followed by comments from Parliament Speaker Hanafy Jebali on Monday and Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi declared on Wednesday that his country will not participate in any forced displacement of Palestinians, calling it an “act of injustice we cannot tolerate,” and reaffirmed his country’s commitment to a two-state solution.

Many countries, including Jordan, Iraq, France, and Germany, as well as organizations like the League of Arab States, the Organization for Islamic Cooperation, and the UN, have strongly opposed the resettlement plan.

Trump’s proposal came after a ceasefire agreement took effect in Gaza on Jan. 19, suspending Israel’s genocidal war that has killed more than 47,300 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured more than 111,000 since Oct. 7, 2023.

The Israeli onslaught has left more than 11,000 people missing, with widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis that has claimed the lives of many elderly people and children in one of the worst global humanitarian disasters ever.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year 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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