Al Mayadeen – February 12, 2025
Knesset pushes bill to rename West Bank as 'Judea and Samaria' in docs
Hamas condemns the Israeli occupation authorities' implementation of annexation and displacement plans in the occupied West Bank through settlement policies.
The Knesset, "Israel's" parliament, has given preliminary approval to a bill proposed by MK Simcha Rothman that mandates replacing the term "West Bank" with "Judea and Samaria" in Israeli government documents, the Jewish Press news website reported on Wednesday.
"Israel" occupied the West Bank during the Six-Day War in June 1967. Prior to that, the Palestinian territory was under Jordanian control since 1948.
Rothman criticized the current terminology in "Israel’s" legal framework as a "historical distortion” that must be rectified.
"The fact that the official legal language of the State of Israel still includes the disgraceful term ‘West Bank’ is an insult to the Knesset, the Jewish people, and our history," he said.
Rothman claimed that "this phrase serves a false narrative and erases our historical rights.”
The bill’s preamble asserts that "Judea and Samaria are an inseparable part of the historic homeland of the Jewish people," underscoring their deep-rooted significance in Jewish history.
With its preliminary passage, the bill will now be referred to the Knesset’s Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee—chaired by Rothman—for further deliberation before proceeding to additional readings.
Notably, a similar initiative to incorporate these terms into official US documents has recently been introduced in Congress.
Hamas denounces Israeli theft in West Bank
In a related context, the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, condemned the Israeli occupation authorities' implementation of annexation and displacement plans in the occupied West Bank through settlement policies based on the theft of Palestinian land and resources for the benefit of heavily armed settlers.
In a statement, the movement said, "the declaration of the theft of what the occupation claims to be state and absentee property in the occupied West Bank—most recently the seizure of lands in Ramallah, Tubas, and the Jordan Valley—for use in settler pastoral projects is part of the annexation and control schemes being rapidly enforced amid the escalating military aggression against the West Bank."
This campaign aims to strangle Palestinian citizens, turn their lives into a living hell, and impose new realities on the ground in favor of the settlers, the statement indicated.
Hamas further noted that the Palestinian cause is currently facing an extremely critical and sensitive phase, "under a far-right government driven by insatiable ambitions to seize more land in the West Bank, with the backing of the United States and the illusions Trump is selling to the Zionist public.”
The statement also underscored the importance of the steadfastness and resilience of the people of the West Bank and al-Quds, describing them as "the safeguard" that thwarts the occupation’s annexation and displacement plans.
Al Mayadeen – February 12, 2025
Former Turkish PM suggests that Gaza become Turkish territory
Turkiye's former prime minister minister suggests holding a referendum to see if the Palestinians would like Gaza to become autonomous Turkish land until the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Former Prime Minister of Turkiye Ahmet Davutoglu suggested holding a referendum in the Gaza Strip on whether it should become an autonomous Turkish territory "until a Palestinian state is established" arguing that Gaza was historically part of Turkiye.
"Turkiye, as the legitimate successor of the Ottoman Empire, should treat the people of Gaza as friends throughout history and fellow citizens," Davutoglu said, "Let the people of Gaza hold a referendum and join Turkiye as an autonomous region until a Palestinian state is established. The decision is up to the people of Gaza."
The leader of the opposition Future Party supported his proposal by saying that the Gaza Strip was a legitimate part of the Ottoman Empire and that the British Mandate and "Israel's" occupation of it were both illegal.
Trump plans takeover of Gaza
Trump declared last week that the United States could take over Gaza and turn it into "the Riviera of the Middle East" during a meeting with Israeli PM Netanyahu, triggering worldwide outrage at the plan which many considered ethnic cleansing.
The US president said that he would convince Egypt and Saudi Arabia to take the Palestinians in, while Netanyahu said that Saudi Arabia could take the forcibly displaced Palestinians and create a Palestinian state on Saudi land.
Trump then announced on Monday that the Palestinians would not have the right to return to Gaza, saying that they're going to have much better housing elsewhere, as his plan includes building multiple resettlement sites outside of Gaza.
King Abdullah II of Jordan discussed with Trump the future of Gaza and the displacement of Palestinians, with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi expected to meet Trump as well in Washington soon.
The United Nations condemned the US plan, with Chair of the UN Commission of Inquiry Navi Pillay telling Politico, "Trump is woefully ignorant of international law and the law of occupation. Forcible displacement of an occupied group is an international crime, and amounts to ethnic cleansing."
Five Arab foreign ministers and a senior Palestinian official denounced Trump's idea, sending a letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio proposing that they get involved with the reconstruction process of the Gaza Strip.
Egypt's Foreign Ministry countered Trump's idea with its own proposal that's focused on rebuilding the Gaza Strip while keeping the Palestinians in their homeland, adding, "Any solution to the Palestinian cause must take into account avoiding jeopardizing peace gains in the region."
Palestinian Information Center – February 12, 2025
UN: Reconstruction of the Gaza Strip requires more than $53b
A UN estimate has shown that reconstructing the Gaza Strip, which was devastated by the Israeli genocidal war, requires more than $53 billion, including over $20 billion over the first three years.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres wrote in a report prepared at the request of the General Assembly that the necessary amounts for recovery and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip over the short, medium, and long term “are estimated at about $53 billion and 142 million. Within this amount, the funding needed in the short term for the first three years is estimated at about $20 billion and 568 million.”
The reconstruction of the Gaza Strip includes several key aspects, such as:
- Basic infrastructure, including rebuilding water and sewage networks, restoring electricity networks, and rehabilitating roads, bridges, and public transportation.
- Rebuilding homes and buildings.
- Health facilities, including reconstructing damaged hospitals and health centers.
- Educational facilities, repairing schools, universities, and educational institutions.
- Revitalizing productive sectors such as agriculture and industry.
- Removing rubble and disposing of war debris.
- Clearing areas of unexploded ordnance.
- Rehabilitation of the public sector and government services.
- Israeli bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip has caused an “unprecedented level of destruction in modern history,” according to a previous UN report.
According to damage assessments conducted by the UN Satellite Center (UNOSAT) last month, as of December 1, nearly 69% of the buildings in the Gaza Strip were damaged or destroyed, totaling 170,812 buildings.
The UN health organization also stated that only 18 out of 36 hospitals (50%) are operating “partially,” with a total bed capacity of 1,800.
As of December 1, UNICEF reported that at least 496 schools were damaged, representing nearly 88% of the 564 registered facilities. Among these, 396 schools were directly hit by bombardment.
According to images taken by UNOSAT on September 26, 2024, 68% of the agricultural land in the Gaza Strip, equivalent to 103 square kilometers, was damaged due to the war.
In the North Gaza Governorate, the percentage of damaged agricultural land reached 79%, and in Rafah Governorate, it was 57%.
Destruction has affected agricultural assets (including irrigation systems, livestock farms, orchards, machinery, and storage facilities), with damage estimates ranging from 80% to 96% as of early 2024, according to a report published by the UN Conference on Trade and Development last September.
Regarding the road network, the damage percentage reached approximately 68% of the total roads in the Gaza Strip, with a total of 1,190 kilometers destroyed, according to a “preliminary analysis” conducted by UNOSAT on August 18.
https://english.palinfo.com/news/2025/02/12/333876/
Yeni Safak – February 12, 2025
Accomplices in the genocide of Palestinians
By Abdullah Muradoðlu
Many Trump-aligned politicians are hailing President Trump’s fantastical Gaza plan as the greatest breakthrough of the century. However, a few Republicans, led by Senator Rand Paul, have voiced criticism. The rest simply echo whatever Trump wants to hear.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has heaped praise on Trump’s plan, declaring, “Our goal is to achieve lasting peace for all people in the region.” But can those who claim to seek lasting peace continue to supply Israel with ammunition for its genocide? Can true peace be achieved without granting Palestinians their rights? While an overwhelming majority of the UN recognizes the State of Palestine, the U.S. remains obstinate in its opposition—followed closely by its European allies.
The European Union claims to support a two-state solution, yet does nothing to make it a reality. Even as Israel escalates its actions to the level of genocide, EU nations refuse to impose sanctions, limiting their response to empty condemnations. Contrast this with their swift punitive measures against Russia.
For years, pro-Israel politicians and commentators in the U.S. and Europe insisted that Israel had no expansionist ambitions, dismissing the idea of "Greater Israel" as an Arab conspiracy theory. According to them, the only obstacle to a two-state solution was the Palestinians themselves. They also argued that Israel had no intention of holding onto the territories it occupied in the 1967 war and was willing to return them in exchange for peace.
Yet, every agreement—including Oslo—was nothing more than a stalling tactic to buy time. For decades, Israel has systematically dismantled any hope for a two-state solution. Today, even discussing such a resolution has become taboo in Israel. With unwavering U.S. and European support, Israel has methodically advanced its annexation policies. Illegal settlements in the West Bank have expanded year after year, with neither the U.S. nor the EU taking any serious measures to deter Israel’s land grab.
The case brought before the International Court of Justice and the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant have failed to change anything. Israel remains undeterred because the U.S. stands firmly behind it, shielding it from consequences. The U.S. has made it its mission to ensure Israel's impunity. Even after Israel slaughtered over 50,000 people—70% of them women and children—the core EU states and the UK continue to bury their heads in the sand.
While Netanyahu and Gallant avoid traveling to ICC signatory countries in Europe, other Israeli government officials face no restrictions. Israeli generals still move freely through European capitals. And if Netanyahu were to travel to Europe, would these countries actually enforce an arrest warrant? Unlikely. They will do everything behind the scenes to prevent such an embarrassment, begging him not to come to avoid exposing their double standards.
After World War II, military tribunals were established in Germany and Japan to prosecute war crimes. The legal precedents from these trials are well documented. Consider the case of Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita, who was responsible for forces in the Philippines. He was found guilty and executed by a U.S. military tribunal—not because he ordered war crimes, but because he failed to prevent them. His inability to maintain effective control over his troops became the basis for his conviction. This precedent, known as the "Yamashita Standard," led to the incorporation of the "command responsibility doctrine" into the Geneva Conventions and was later applied in trials at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. The ICC, established in 2002, also adopted this principle.
Yet, while Israel commits genocide in Gaza for the whole world to see—bombing homes, schools, hospitals, and places of worship—it faces no accountability. Israel has committed every crime imaginable, and its ultimate goal is clear: the expulsion of Palestinians from the river to the sea. Trump’s Gaza plan directly serves the Zionist vision of Greater Israel. Meanwhile, the so-called liberal, rules-based international order—championed by the West—continues to treat Israel like a normal state, shamelessly enabling its impunity. The legal, political, and moral burden of Israel’s unchecked crimes rests squarely on the shoulders of the Western world.
Anadolu Agency – February 12, 2025
Gaza death toll reaches 48,222 as more bodies found in rubble
More than 111,600 injured in Israeli onslaught on Gaza since October 2023, Health Ministry says
Palestinian medics and rescue teams recovered two more bodies from the rubble in the Gaza Strip, bringing the overall death toll from Israel's genocidal war since October 2023 to 48,222, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
A ministry statement said that the toll also included one Palestinian killed by Israeli fire in the last 24 hours.
According to the ministry, nine injured people were also admitted to hospitals, taking the number of the injured to 111,674 in the Israeli onslaught.
“Many victims are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” the ministry said.
A ceasefire agreement has been in place in Gaza since Jan. 19, halting the Israeli war that has caused widespread destruction and left the Palestinian enclave in ruins.
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.
