Gaza: Europe and the Arabs

The ceasefire in Gaza remains in place despite daily Israeli violations, amidst deteriorating humanitarian conditions for residents due to the limited amount of aid Israel allows into the Strip.

Last night, the Israeli army announced it had killed more than 40 fighters trapped in tunnels east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip during the past week.

Yesterday, Sunday, Hamas political bureau member Hossam Badran stated that the movement had conducted negotiations through intermediaries with Israel to resolve the issue of Qassam Brigades fighters besieged inside a tunnel in Rafah. However, he added that Tel Aviv "stalled, presented impossible conditions, and reneged on previous proposals."

In the West Bank, Israeli forces raided the city of Tubas and the town of Aqaba, north of the city, on Monday morning. According to the European news network Euronews in Brussels, under the headline "Hebrew Media: US-Israeli Concern Over Leak of Secrets of Unexploded Beirut Bomb," a Hebrew newspaper reported that the United States has urgently requested the Lebanese government to secure the transfer of an unexploded Israeli air-to-surface bomb from Beirut's southern suburbs. The US fears the bomb could fall into the hands of Russia or China, potentially granting them access to advanced military technology. The Hebrew newspaper Maariv, citing unnamed sources, stated that the bomb in question is a GBU-39B smart glide bomb manufactured by Boeing. This bomb was reportedly used by the Israeli Air Force in the airstrike that targeted Haytham Ali Tabatabai, described as Hezbollah's chief of staff, within the party's stronghold in Beirut's southern suburbs. The website also reported, under the headline "Hebrew Broadcasting Corporation: Shin Bet and Egyptian Intelligence Chiefs Discuss Gaza," that the official Israeli Broadcasting Corporation stated on Sunday that the head of the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet), David Zinni, discussed the Gaza issue with Egyptian intelligence officials. Egyptian General Intelligence Chief Hassan Rashad discussed the Gaza Strip file and the second phase of the ceasefire agreement talks on Sunday.

The Kan public broadcaster quoted an unnamed source as saying that Zini "visited Egypt on Sunday and met with the head of Egyptian intelligence."

These developments come after Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced the promotion of the commander of the Border Police's undercover unit in the West Bank to the rank of deputy brigade commander, just one day after a video surfaced showing members of the unit shooting two Palestinian youths in Jenin, an incident the United Nations described as an "extrajudicial killing."

The Haaretz newspaper reported that Ben-Gvir went to the unit's base on Friday to inform its commander, known as "Colonel K," of his approval of the police commissioner's and senior leadership's decision to promote him. According to the newspaper, this promotion is exceptional, as commanders of undercover units usually hold the rank of lieutenant colonel, and K's predecessor in the position also held that rank.

In conjunction with the promotion decision, three Officers from the unit were summoned to the Mahash (Intelligence Police) offices in Nazareth for questioning regarding their suspected involvement in the killing of two Palestinians and the unlawful use of live fire during a security operation in Jenin on Thursday.

During the interrogation, investigators presented a video showing the two young men exiting a house in the Jabal Abu Dhahir neighborhood with their hands raised, before soldiers ordered them to lie on the ground. One of the soldiers then shot them at close range, killing them both.