By Sama Marwan,
Palestinian medical sources have reported the martyrdom of 13 people since the dawn today as a result of Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, with 11 of them in Khan Yunis, located in the southern part of the strip, according to what was reported by “Cairo News Channel.”
Palestinian media outlets indicate that the death toll rose to 10 martyrs in the early hours of this morning, including 4 children and 2 women, as a result of the Israeli attack on a displaced persons’ tent in the Mawasi area of Khan Yunis.
Sources explained that the Israeli occupation forces heavily targeted the tents of displaced persons in the area, resulting in the deaths of 4 children and 2 women among the martyrs who fell in the massacre in Mawasi, Khan Yunis.
Other areas of the Gaza Strip were also subjected to intense shelling, as Israeli warplanes and artillery launched airstrikes on the Old City of Gaza, in addition to targeting the eastern areas of the Al-Bureij and Al-Nuseirat refugee camps in the central governorate.
This escalation comes at a time when Israel claims that the Mawasi area is safe and encourages displaced persons to head there, raising questions about the targeting of civilians and designated shelter areas.
Ambassador Ramzy Azdin Ramzy, former Deputy UN Envoy to Syria, stated that there are three different perspectives on the region: “Israeli, Iranian, and Turkish,” emphasizing that all of them seek to expand their influence, with no clear Arab vision.
Ramzy confirmed that protecting the Palestinian people and international mobilization against Israeli occupation violations are key objectives for 2025.
He continued by stating that Iran was more influential in Syria but now Turkey is taking actions that are raising concerns, adding that the formation of a new constitutional technocratic government is the first step towards reform in Syria. He also emphasized that the situation in Syria could not have continued as it was, and no one expected such rapid developments in this manner.
The former Deputy UN Envoy to Syria confirmed that there is widespread joy in Syria, but the situation is extremely concerning. This came during his explanation of the shift in Arab-Israeli relations during an interview on the program “Happening in Egypt,” aired on MBC Egypt, hosted by journalist Sherif Amer.
In the same context, Dr. Mustafa Al-Feki stated that 2024 is a pivotal year, with a new U.S. administration and a dramatic shift in an important Arab country, Syria. The scene is still open to interpretation, with some reacting positively to what happened, while others are fearful of the outcome, saying it’s “from one pitfall to another.”
He added that this year witnessed the election of a new U.S. president and the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, assuming good faith in all cases. What happened represents a massive shift in the history of Arab-Israeli relations, harder than Sadat’s visit to Israel, and emphasized that it was a significant upheaval in every sense of the word.
In another context, Dr. Samah Ismail, a researcher in political science and philosophy of history, stressed that the concept of “kuttab” (traditional Quranic schools) was the backyard of the Muslim Brotherhood, where the teacher was a man who would sit and teach children the Quran in primitive ways. He emphasized that the kuttab system was morally and educationally corrupt.
Samah Ismail added during his interview with journalist Ibrahim Issa on the program “Cairo Talk,” aired on Cairo and the People TV channel, that the kuttab system did not lead to the creation of an educational environment that respects both ethical and educational aspects. He explained that this system entrenched the authority of an ignorant man who imposed his dominance on the village children, explaining religious sciences from his point of view and cementing them in their minds.
He explained that memorization and rote learning are linked to a culture of passive education, killing the critical thinking abilities of children at an early stage. It relies primarily on memorization and non-educational methods of teaching. He stressed that the idea of reviving the kuttab system in the postmodern era is puzzling, and the educational process must be subject to state oversight.
