分类： world

The Israeli military is reportedly preparing to initiate a renewed ground offensive in the Gaza Strip by March, aiming to expand its territorial control westward toward the coastal region. According to a Times of Israel report citing official sources, this planned operation would focus on Gaza City and represents a significant escalation despite ongoing ceasefire negotiations.

The current ceasefire, brokered by the United States on October 10, 2025, established the Yellow Line demarcation that granted Israel control over approximately 53% of Gaza territory. Israeli officials justify the planned offensive by citing Hamas’s refusal to disarm, though Arab diplomats question this rationale.

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem announced the group’s intention to dissolve governmental bodies in Gaza and transfer authority to a technocratic committee. However, Hamas simultaneously accuses Israel of repeatedly violating the ceasefire agreement, documenting nearly 1,200 violations including airstrikes, shelling, and home demolitions that have resulted in 439 Palestinian fatalities over three months.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate catastrophically. Palestinian health authorities report that Israeli forces have killed more than 71,400 Palestinians since October 2023, including at least 20,000 children, with thousands more missing beneath rubble. Rescue operations are severely hampered by inadequate equipment and deteriorating weather conditions.

UN agencies warn that recent storms have exacerbated the crisis, with flooding affecting approximately 65,000 families and over one million people requiring emergency shelter assistance. Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, emphasized that current aid remains insufficient and poorly suited to winter conditions, with non-waterproof tents providing inadequate protection.

Complicating international efforts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has opposed Turkey’s participation in a proposed stabilization force, discouraging contributions from other potential partners including Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia. Meanwhile, Israel’s announced restrictions on humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza have drawn widespread condemnation, with aid groups warning that hundreds of thousands would be cut off from essential care if implemented.

Arab and European nations are demanding Israel permit “sustainable, predictable and unrestricted” access for rights groups, particularly during the challenging winter months, as the UN humanitarian office reports damaged infrastructure further impedes aid delivery.

In the occupied East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, a profound humanitarian crisis unfolds as Israeli authorities accelerate property demolitions and settler takeovers. Fakhri Abu Diab, a prominent community activist, embodies this struggle having witnessed his family home destroyed twice in 2024 alone—each demolition compounding what he describes as overwhelming psychological trauma and financial devastation.

The architectural dismantling of Palestinian residences occurs under the justification of building permit violations, a requirement local residents argue is systematically designed for their failure. Beyond bureaucratic mechanisms, settler organizations employ both legal maneuvers and intimidation tactics to displace longstanding communities. Current estimates indicate approximately 2,200 Palestinians face imminent expulsion from Silwan, with 24 families comprising 130 people at immediate risk.

Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem characterizes these coordinated actions as government-sanctioned ethnic cleansing. The campaign extends beyond residential properties to include educational institutions and community infrastructure, fundamentally altering the neighborhood’s social fabric.

Financial burdens compound the trauma, with displaced families forced to pay demolition costs—often exceeding $100,000 for permit applications that remain virtually unattainable. The judicial system offers limited protection, with courts frequently favoring state interests according to political analyst Firas Yaghi.

Urban planning restrictions further exacerbate the crisis, with only 13% of East Jerusalem zoned for Palestinian construction. The separation wall compounds these restrictions, simultaneously isolating communities and providing pretexts for residency revocation.

This systematic displacement forms part of what researchers identify as the ‘Judaisation of Jerusalem’—a strategic effort to replace the city’s Palestinian character with Jewish settlement. Plans reportedly exist to demolish up to 45,000 Palestinian homes across the city.

Despite international condemnation, residents report accelerated actions on the ground. Abu Diab warns that without robust international intervention and legal protection, Israel will continue implementing these policies with impunity, permanently erasing Palestinian heritage from the city.

A court in Oman has delivered a decisive verdict against 59 expatriate workers, sentencing them to imprisonment and subsequent deportation from the Sultanate for their involvement in a violent protest on Christmas Day 2025. The ruling, announced by Oman’s Public Prosecution Authority on January 10th, 2026, concludes a case that has drawn significant attention to labor relations and public order in the Gulf nation.

The incident unfolded on the evening of December 25th in the Sa’al area of Wilayat Bidbid, where Royal Oman Police responded to reports of mass gatherings and property destruction near a company-owned residential complex. Upon arrival, law enforcement discovered a substantial group of workers engaged in acts of vandalism against company facilities and vehicles, including the damaging of transportation buses, which severely disrupted operations.

Despite direct orders from police to disperse and cease destructive activities, the workers refused to comply, leading to their immediate arrest and subsequent interrogation. Following comprehensive investigations, prosecutors charged the individuals with multiple criminal offenses under Omani law.

The Court of First Instance handed down convictions on four distinct charges: incitement to gather (carrying a 3-month sentence), participation in a public gathering of ten or more persons that could disrupt security (6-month sentence), damaging movable and immovable property (1-year sentence), and using information technology to produce and disseminate material harmful to public order (1-year sentence).

In addition to cumulative prison terms, the court mandated the permanent deportation of all convicted individuals from Oman and ordered the confiscation of mobile phones used in committing cyber offenses. Notably, twenty-three other defendants involved in the same incident were acquitted of all charges, suggesting careful judicial consideration of individual participation levels.

This case highlights Oman’s stringent approach to maintaining public order while simultaneously raising questions about labor conditions for foreign workers in the region. The timing of the incident on Christmas Day suggests possible cultural or religious dimensions to the protest, though official statements focused exclusively on the legal violations rather than underlying causes.

Human rights organizations are sounding alarms over Iran’s intensified suppression of widespread protests, with security forces allegedly escalating lethal tactics under the concealment of a comprehensive nationwide internet blackout now extending beyond 36 hours. The demonstrations, representing the most significant challenge to Iran’s theocratic leadership in over three years, have reportedly resulted in at least 51 fatalities according to Norway-based Iran Human Rights, though actual numbers may be substantially higher.

Amnesty International confirmed it is investigating disturbing accounts of security personnel intensifying their unlawful deployment of lethal force against demonstrators since Thursday, resulting in additional casualties. Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi issued warnings that authorities might be preparing to execute a ‘massacre under the cover of a sweeping communications blackout.’

Verified footage reveals continued protests across multiple cities including Tehran, Mashhad, Tabriz, and Qom, with participants chanting anti-government slogans and demanding political change. In response, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused the United States of instigating the unrest and denounced protesters as ‘vandals,’ while Iranian military forces pledged to ‘vigorously protect national interests’ against perceived external threats.

The internet shutdown imposed by authorities has severely hampered communication capabilities, with Netblocks confirming the blackout remains actively enforced. This digital censorship coincides with reports of significant property damage, security force deployments, and early business closures throughout Tehran. International observers continue to monitor the situation closely as both protesters and government forces demonstrate increased determination in the ongoing confrontation.