Palestinian Information Center – April 12, 2025
Gaza: 21 martyrs and 64 wounded people arrived at hospitals in 24 hours
Over the past 24 hours, hospitals in the Gaza Strip received the bodies of 21 martyrs and 64 people suffering from different injuries following Israeli attacks.
According to Gaza’s health ministry on Saturday, since the Israeli occupation army resumed its brutal war on Gaza on March 18, 2025, a total of 1,563 people have been killed and 4,004 others have been injured.
The new fatalities increased the death toll from the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, which started on October 7, 2023, to 50,933 martyrs. The number of the wounded also surged to 116,045 people.
Meanwhile, efforts are underway to recover the bodies of more martyrs who are still missing in different areas of the Gaza Strip.
https://english.palinfo.com/news/2025/04/12/337205/
Hamas says dealing positively with Cairo ceasefire talks
Earlier reports said negotiations between Hamas and the Israeli regime "remain ongoing despite an apparent stalemate."
The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas announced on Saturday that its negotiating delegation, led by senior official Khalil al-Hayya, has departed for the Egyptian capital, Cairo, in response to an official invitation from Egypt.
In a statement, Hamas said the delegation would meet with Qatari and Egyptian mediators to continue efforts aimed at reaching an agreement and securing a ceasefire to end Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.
Hamas affirmed its positive engagement with any proposals that guarantee a permanent ceasefire, a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people, and the conclusion of a serious prisoner exchange deal.
Earlier this week, the Israeli Kan broadcaster reported that negotiations between Hamas and the Israeli regime "remain ongoing despite an apparent stalemate," noting that recent discussions have been conducted in complete secrecy to facilitate progress away from media coverage.
According to Israeli sources cited by Kan, proposed deals under discussion involve the release of ten captives, including dual US-Israeli citizen Edan Alexander. Hamas, for its part, has proposed the release of five captives.
'Israel' expands aggression
The Israeli occupation announced Saturday that its military had completed the takeover of the Morag axis, a strategic corridor between Rafah and Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, as part of its ongoing efforts to seize large parts of the Palestinian territory.
Security Minister Israel Katz said the area between the Philadelphi Route, which runs along the Egyptian border, and Morag has now been incorporated into what he described as an Israeli "security zone."
"IDF operations will soon intensify and expand to other areas throughout most of Gaza," Katz said in a message addressed to Gaza residents. He urged civilians to evacuate combat zones, calling on them to "rise up, remove Hamas, and release all the Israeli hostages" as the path to ending the war.
Egypt, Palestine discuss ceasefire
Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed the latest developments and Cairo's efforts to revive the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, as well as ongoing negotiations to initiate its second phase, during a meeting with his Palestinian counterpart, Mohammad Mustafa.
According to Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tamim Khallaf, Abdelatty reiterated Egypt’s firm rejection of the forced displacement of Palestinians, emphasizing the importance of preserving their inalienable rights.
He also stressed the need to work toward creating the necessary political sphere for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with the Eastern part of al-Quds as its capital.
Ongoing discussions
The meeting, which was held on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, also addressed the latest regional developments, ongoing efforts to support the Arab-Islamic plan for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip in coordination with international stakeholders, and preparations for the reconstruction conference that Egypt will host in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority and the United Nations.
The two sides also discussed the situation in the West Bank in light of the relentless Israeli raids on Palestinian cities and refugee camps.
Moreover, a senior delegation from the Hamas movement is scheduled to head to Cairo tomorrow, Saturday, a senior Palestinian official told Al Mayadeen.
The Palestinian group's delegation will discuss the latest developments in the ceasefire negotiations with Egyptian officials, the source said, on Friday.
According to the senior official, new proposals have been put forward in an effort to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
Palestinian Information Center – April 12, 2025
Hamas warns of settlers’ intent to preform Passover rituals at Aqsa Mosque
Senior Hamas official Haroun Nasiruddin has warned that Jewish temple mount groups’ declared intent to perform animal sacrifice rituals at the Aqsa Mosque reflects persistence in targeting the Islamic holy site and igniting a religious conflict
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A few days ago, temple mount groups incited settlers to try to slaughter sacrificial animals inside or around the Aqsa Mosque compound during the Passover holiday.
“The Palestinian people will not condone seeing the Aqsa Mosque being targeted regardless of the sacrifices and all forms of resistance will remain an unbreakable shield and barrier against the occupation and its schemes,” Nasiruddin said in a statement on Saturday.
“Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque lie at the center of the conflict and represent the focal point of the struggle, which will stop only when the occupation is removed and the holy sites are cleansed of its defilement,” Nasiruddin added.
The Hamas official described the Israeli attempts to defile the Aqsa Mosque with animal sacrifices as a “deliberate act of provocation against the Muslim nation.”
He urged the Palestinian masses in Jerusalem and 1948 occupied Palestine to move to protect the Aqsa Mosque during the coming days, and appealed to the Arab and Muslim nations to shoulder their religious and national responsibilities towards their holy site.
https://english.palinfo.com/news/2025/04/12/337192/
Iran, US to hold next round of indirect talks on Saturday: Araghchi
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed that the next meeting would be hosted by Oman, though it might be held in a different location
Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi announced that the next round of negotiations between Tehran and Washington is scheduled for next Saturday, following what he described as a "constructive" first round of indirect talks in the Omani capital of Muscat.
Speaking after the conclusion of Saturday’s session, Araghchi said that four exchanges of messages took place between the Iranian and American delegations through Omani intermediaries.
“They said their objective was to reach an agreement, but this requires will,” Araghchi stated, adding that “the American side tried to show its willingness for a fair agreement.” He noted, however, that Tehran would still need to carefully assess the discussions.
Araghchi confirmed that the next meeting would be hosted by Oman, though it might be held in a different location. “The atmosphere of today’s session indicated continuity,” he said, emphasizing that the focus in the upcoming round would shift to the negotiations’ agenda.
Parties brought closer together
“What matters is the substance—on what basis we will negotiate,” he stressed.
According to Araghchi, the latest session brought both sides closer to agreeing on the framework of the talks.
Saturday’s talks began around 3:30 p.m. local time and lasted over two hours, concluding around 5:50 p.m. The Iranian delegation was headed by Araghchi, accompanied by his deputy for political affairs, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, deputy for international affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, and Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei. The US delegation was led by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi served as chief mediator, relaying messages between the two sides, who remained in separate rooms throughout the session.
Indirect Iran-US talks
Indirect negotiations kicked off in the Omani capital, Muscat, on Saturday evening.
According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, the talks were held at a location designated by the Omani government, with Iranian and American representatives situated in separate rooms.
An Omani source told Reuters that the talks are focused on de-escalating regional tensions, prisoner exchanges, and limited agreements to ease sanctions in exchange for controlling Iran's nuclear program.
During the opening session, Araghchi handed Oman's foreign minister Iran's official positions and reiterated Tehran's intention to reach a "fair and honorable agreement from an equal standing."
He noted that if Washington shares the same intent, the current dialogue could pave the way for a serious negotiation process. However, he stressed that the talks are, from Iran's perspective, limited solely to the nuclear issue.
While no major breakthroughs were announced, both sides agreed to continue talks next week, indicating a mutual interest in maintaining open diplomatic channels. These discussions mark the highest-level engagement between Tehran and Washington since the collapse of the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018, when the Trump administration withdrew from the agreement.
The talks unfold against a backdrop of renewed military threats, with US President Donald Trump reportedly warning of possible action should negotiations fail. In response, Iran has hinted it may expel UN nuclear inspectors if pressured, reaffirming its demand for respect and reciprocity.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/iran--us-to-hold-next-round-of-indirect-talks-on-saturday--a
Countercurrent – April 12, 2025
How The West is Using Israel to Control The Arab World
by Dr Elias Akleh
The Arab world lies in one of the most important global strategic locations, controlling most of the major commercial transportation routes. It is rich in natural agricultural and industrial resources and has always been a prime target for Western colonial powers, which periodically launched military campaigns to occupy and control our world, starting from the heart of the Arab world, Palestine, known as the Holy Land, and expanding to the Levant in the north — Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Jordan— then to Egypt, and it’s rich in its fertile Nile River, and finally to the Arabian Peninsula in the south.
When we look back in history, we find these military colonial campaigns against the Arab world—especially Palestine—were numerous, even dating back to before Christ, such as the campaign of Alexander the Great (336 BC–323 BC) and the Roman colonial rule (63 BC–324 AD). Moving on to the ages after Christ, we recall, for example, the eight Crusades over nearly two centuries (1096–1291), followed by Napoleon Bonaparte’s campaign (1799–1801), and finally the Talmudic Zionist campaign initiated by Theodor Herzl in 1896, which continues into the present day.
These post-Christ colonial campaigns were primarily charged with religious fervor and can be termed as religious wars. In fact, Pope Urban II in 1095 described them as a “holy war” to liberate the holy city of Jerusalem from the “brutal” Muslim Arabs. As for Napoleon Bonaparte, who was defeated at the walls of Acca, he promised the Jews he would help them reach the “Promised Land,” holy Jerusalem, if they aided him in his colonial campaign.
Finally, at the present time, Britain, France and Germany came first, followed by all the US presidents who started supporting Zionist colonialism financially, politically and militarily to “recover” the “Promised Land” promised by a “racist” god biased towards the Jews to “rebuild” the alleged Temple of Solomon in the city of Jerusalem and to build Greater Israel.
All these colonial campaigns attempted to divide the Arab world into small, weak states by perpetrating genocides against their many Arab peoples. They destroyed and burned cities, tortured and killed civilians, and raped women, girls, and even boys, just as Zionist Israel is doing now in Palestine. However, past genocides cannot be compared to the brutality and brutality of the Zionist genocide against the Arabs of Palestine, from 1947 to the present day, due to the power of modern, highly destructive and lethal weapons.
The Arab nation was able to defeat all past colonial campaigns because of the people’s sense of belonging to their homeland and their unity, undivided by distance or borders, and led by brave, honorable, national leaders who sought the best for the entire nation.
The western colonialists noticed this inherent sense of belonging within the nation and decided to target it. After World War II, Britain, then the Great Power, agreed with France in the Sykes-Picot Agreement, to break the pact it signed with Sharif Hussein bin Ali. This agreement divided the Middle East into small states, appointing rulers loyal first to Britain and then to the current American administrations.
To further weaken these Arab states, the Western Axis powers divided the economies and financial systems of these states, rendering them alien and compete with each other. They also sowed division and religious, regional, and ethnic animosity among the Arab nation, allowing Zionist colonialism to penetrate the Arab world, beginning with Palestine.
Unfortunately, most Arab leaders failed to attempt to restore Arab unity and unify the people, economy, and currency, as the late Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser attempted to. Instead, what was spread was division, hatred, competition, animosity, and even war among Arab peoples, as has happened in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, and what is currently happening in Arab African countries such as Libya, Algeria, Morocco, and Sudan.
Worst of all is the spread of the philosophy of distancing oneself from the problems of any neighboring Arab country. Some leaders consider that the wars that take place in a neighboring Arab country do not concern them as long as these wars do not affect their country, even in the short term. We see this now clearly in what is happening in Palestine, especially the extermination of the Arabs of Gaza.
The heads of neighboring Arab countries are trying to convince their people that their national interest requires non-interference and to distance themselves to avoid destructive wars and to leave the Palestinians to resist the Israeli occupation alone.
It would be better for these leaders to warn and inform their people that Israel is a launching pad for a broad western colonial campaign aimed firstly at destroying the Arab homeland and colonizing it by planting Zionist terrorism in the form of the Israeli entity which aims to expand from the Nile to the Euphrates, from the far south of the Nile – on the Sudan borders – to the far north of the Euphrates – to the Turkish borders – to build what is called Greater Israel in the Promised Land promised by a racist land broker god to a criminal, savage, genocidal people.
Secondly, for this Zionist entity to grow from Great Israel to Greater Israel it is going to move to the south to include all of the Arabian Peninsula – to recover Khaybar and Yathrib and their dependencies – then move west to the northern coast of the African continent, extending to Morocco and control the entire Arab world, monopolizing the most important strategic locations internationally, and global maritime trade routes between East and West, including the Strait of Hormuz on the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea, passing through Bab al-Mandab Strait to the Red Sea, then via the Suez Canal to the ports of occupied Palestine, and from there to the Western world via the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. And across the Giberalter Strait to the Americas – the ultimate goal of the Greater Israel Project.
All we have to do is listen to and understand the Israeli (and American) statements, both public and broadcast, clearly and vociferously, that the goal of Israel and the West is to exterminate all Arabs, just as they did to the Native Americans—they call them Red Indians— to build Greater Israel and control the Arab world and its natural resources. The evidence of these goals is clear, such as the destruction of Iraq and the theft of its wealth, and the establishment of American military bases along the Arab states on the western coast of the Persian Gulf.
We also witnessed how the Western colonial powers destroyed, divided, and weakened Libya and stole its wealth, then spread enmity between Algeria and Morocco, waged a war of extermination in Sudan, and then divided Syria and Lebanon, weakened Jordan, and effectively occupied it with American, British, and French military bases. All that remains is Egypt, which is subjected to economic occupation through conditional World Bank debt and by allowing other countries to purchase Egyptian land, real estate, and companies, which will ultimately lead to Egypt’s economic collapse.
Many people from all over the world, regardless of their ethnicity, religion, or language, are taking to the streets in massive, daily and weekly marches and demonstrations in solidarity with the Arabs of Palestine, against Israeli brutality, against Western countries, and against their own governments, which fund and supports Israel politically and militarily.
They wonder why the Arab peoples don’t take to the streets in solidarity with the Arabs of Palestine, demanding that their Arab governments personally intervene to protect and assist the Palestinians, instead of these governments begging for assistance from the powerless United Nations. Have the Arabs lost their humanity and solidarity with their Arab brothers in Palestine, or are they simply cowards and selfish and unable to do anything?
Dr. Elias Akleh is a Palestinian writer who contributed this article to the Arabic Al Rai Al Youm website. This is a translated piece slightly edited at the end for the sake of brevity in crossfirearabia.com
https://countercurrents.org/2025/04/how-the-west-is-using-israel-to-control-the-arab-world/
Indonesia's Gaza intervention: A humanitarian gesture or a strategic trap?
By Dina Yulianti Sulaeman
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Wednesday announced his country's readiness to offer temporary shelter to Palestinians injured in the ongoing Israeli genocidal war that has claimed over 50,000 lives in nearly 600 days.
Many welcomed President Subianto's announcement for its humanitarian value. Such a gesture is viewed as both noble and necessary, given the enormous scale of suffering and devastation caused by the Israeli-American genocidal onslaught on Gaza.
Yet, in international politics, not all humanitarian gestures are politically sound. This plan raises urgent ethical and strategic questions within the broader historical and geopolitical context.
Indeed, all forms of humanitarian assistance are inherently good. But context is critical. The analogy is simple: When Robin Hood gave money to the poor, he was praised for his generosity. But praise becomes morally complicated when that money comes from theft.
Similarly, evacuating wounded Palestinians appears to be a kind gesture until we recognize that it could, unintentionally, support a much darker agenda: the long-running effort by the settler-colonial Israeli regime and its allies to ethnically cleanse and depopulate Gaza.
The intention to empty Gaza of its native population has been openly articulated. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that there will be "no Hamas and no civilians" in northern Gaza—a chilling statement of ethnic cleansing.
US President Donald Trump and his political allies have also publicly encouraged the displacement and relocation of Palestinians, even reportedly lobbying countries such as Indonesia and Egypt to accept Gaza's population.
Against this backdrop, the Indonesian government's evacuation plan—however well-meaning—must be assessed with great care. While evacuating 1,000 people may save lives in the short term, it could unintentionally contribute to a strategic trap: making the ethnic cleansing of Gaza appear as an act of global humanitarianism.
We must be careful not to, knowingly or unknowingly, become instruments of colonial designs that seek to erase an indigenous population.
There are alternative, more principled forms of humanitarian assistance that do not require uprooting Palestinians from their land. For instance, Indonesia could dispatch a hospital ship near Gaza. This would be another test of Israel's real intentions: would it allow humanitarian access by sea? If the Netanyahu regime blocks such a mission—as it has done several times in the past 18 months—it would further expose the reality that this is not about aid or security but about control and dispossession.
Indeed, Indonesia has long been a model of consistent foreign policy, refusing diplomatic ties with Israel as a matter of principle, while many Arab governments have chosen a different path, maintaining overt and covert relations with Israel and even supplying logistical support amid the ongoing genocide.
Therefore, Indonesia needs to consider a strategic standpoint, in which evacuating Palestinians without addressing the root cause of their suffering is like giving aspirin to a cancer patient: it may ease the symptoms, but it does not cure the disease.
This approach functions more as a thin concealment for ongoing Israeli practices of apartheid and genocide with world support.
What the Palestinian people truly need is not evacuation—they need justice, protection, and liberation. They need firm international support to halt the genocide, dismantle the Zionist regime and its apartheid, and reclaim their right to live freely in their homeland.
Humanitarianism must not be separated from political justice. Otherwise, it becomes an empty gesture or a tool of pacification and erasure.
The danger today in Palestine is not only military annihilation—it is historical erasure. Palestinians are not mere victims to be rescued and relocated; they are people with roots, memory, and resistance.
No matter how well-intentioned, every policy that removes them from their land must be scrutinized. Because every step in that direction risks fulfilling Israel's ultimate aim: a land without its indigenous people.
Solidarity is not about removing Palestinians from danger. It is about removing the threat from Palestine—ending the occupation, the siege, and the impunity.
True solidarity means standing with the Palestinian people where they are: in Gaza, in the occupied West Bank, in Jerusalem al-Quds—not taking them away from their struggle, but joining them in it.
Dina Yulianti Sulaeman is an assistant professor at Department of International Relations, Universitas Padjadjaran, Indonesia. She is also the founder of Jakarta based organization Free Palestine Network (FPN).
Middle East Eye – April 10, 2025
Pakistan's religious leaders announce Jihad against Israel, US over Gaza genocide
The National Palestine Conference in Islamabad urged Muslim governments to wage military 'jihad' against Israel
By Imran Mulla
Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani, one of Pakistan's most prominent Islamic scholars and a former judge of the Federal Shariat Court, has declared military "jihad" against Israel is an obligatory duty for all Muslim governments
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Speaking at the National Palestine Conference in Islamabad on Thursday, Usmani said Muslim countries had "failed to provide sufficient support to those fighting to protect" Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
"What is the use of the armies of Muslim countries if they do not engage in jihad?" he asked.
The conference gathered prominent Islamic scholars from across the country, and its official declaration on Thursday echoed Usmani's remarks - concluding that "jihad" against Israel is obligatory for all Muslim countries.
In his speech, Usmani also said that Muslims who intended to go on voluntary pilgrimages, such as Umrah, should spend their money on supporting the Palestinian resistance instead.
"We have assembled within this very same convention hall one year ago in an act of solidarity for Palestine. Yet, ever since then, we have merely done conferences and not true action."
Usmani further referenced Pakistan's first leader, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, saying: "The founder of Pakistan referred to Israel as an illegitimate state, and our stance will not be altered irrespective of how strong Israel may become."
Pakistan, which was established in 1947 - a year before the founding of Israel - has opposed the creation of the Israeli state and has never recognised its sovereignty.
Many scholars at the conference criticised the Pakistani government for not declaring war on Israel.
This comes just days after Ali al-Qaradaghi, the secretary general of the International Union Of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), an organisation previously led by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, called on all Muslim countries “to intervene immediately militarily, economically and politically to stop this genocide and comprehensive destruction, in accordance with their mandate”.
His statement, which was also backed by 14 other prominent Muslim scholars, called on all Muslim countries to “review their peace treaties” with Israel and for Muslims in the United States to pressure President Donald Trump to “fulfil his election promises to stop the aggression and establish peace”.
Opposing the 'fatwa'
But Egypt’s Grand Mufti Nazir Ayyad this Monday criticised the "fatwa" as "irresponsible".
A "fatwa" is a non-binding Islamic legal ruling from a respected religious scholar, usually based on the Quran or the Sunnah - the sayings and practices of the Prophet Muhammad.
Ayyad, who is the highest authority for issuing religious opinions in Egypt, rejected the "fatwa" and said that "no individual group or entity has the right to issue fatwas on such delicate and critical matters in violation of Sharia principles and its higher objectives".
"Such actions may endanger the security of societies and the stability of Muslim states," he added.
"Supporting the Palestinian people in their legitimate rights is a religious, humanitarian and moral duty. However, this support must be provided in a way that truly serves the interests of the Palestinian people and not to advance specific agendas or reckless ventures that could lead to further destruction, displacement and disaster for the Palestinians themselves."
Ayyad said that the declaration of "jihad" in Islam must be made by a "legitimate authority".
"In our current era, this authority is embodied in the recognised state and political leadership, not in statements issued by entities or unions that lack legal authority and do not represent Muslims either religiously or in practice," he said.
