News Digest — 2/14/25
Rubio: Arab States Must Present Gaza Plan If They Reject Trump’s Proposal
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Thursday (13th) that the United States is open to hearing new proposals from Arab nations regarding Gaza, following President Donald Trump’s plan to relocate the population of the territory, which has caused uproar among Arab countries.
Rubio, who is set to depart for a trip across the Middle East, including a stop in Israel, expressed his intention to explore potential solutions during the trip, which will include visits to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
“Hopefully, they’re going to have a really good plan to present to the president,” Rubio said, referring to the Arab nations.
“Right now they don’t like the only plan – but the only plan is the Trump plan. So if they’ve got a better plan, now’s the time to present it,” he told conservative radio hosts Clay Travis and Buck Sexton as quoted by AFP.
“All these countries say how much they care about the Palestinians, but none of them wants to take any Palestinians. None of them have a history of doing anything for Gaza,” Rubio added.
While acknowledging that Arab nations are making some efforts “in good faith,” Rubio emphasized that Hamas must not have any role in Gaza’s future.
“If the countries in the region can’t figure that piece of land out, then Israel is going to have to do it. And then we’re back to where we’ve been,” he said.
Jordan and Egypt, which Trump specifically mentioned as countries he’d like to see taking in Gazans as part of his plan, have criticized the Trump proposal.
Egypt announced on Tuesday (11th) that it intends to present a “comprehensive proposal” for rebuilding Gaza while ensuring that Palestinian Arabs “remain on their land.”
Iranian Plane Refused Landing In Lebanon After IDF Threat
Lebanese authorities refused to authorize an Iranian passenger plane to land at the Beirut International Airport following warnings from the IDF, Israel and Lebanese media reported Thursday evening (13th),
The Iranian plane took off from Tehran and was carrying Lebanese passengers.
Footage of Hezbollah supporters circulated online showing the supporters blocking roads near the airport, protesting the country’s authorities’ decision.
IDF Arabic spokesman Avichay Adraee tweeted on Wednesday (12th) that Iran had been “exploiting international flights over the past few weeks with the aim of carrying out attacks against the State of Israel.”
He reiterated that the IDF is following the ceasefire agreement that was made and they have been sending information to Lebanese authorities to help thwart these Iranian transfer attempts of money to Hezbollah.
“Despite the efforts made, we estimate that some of these money smuggling attempts have succeeded,” wrote Adraee.
Israel had allegedly breached the communication network of the control tower at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport and warned an Iranian plane against landing in September 2024, prompting the aircraft to turn around and return to Tehran.
According to troops, Israel supposedly hacked into the communications system of the Beirut control tower, warning that it would not allow the landing of a plane from “Qasem Air,” Flight No.OF29964, as it was approaching to land.
Lebanon’s Transport Minister, Ali Hamieh, stated to the Lebanese newspaper An -Nahar that the IDF intercepted the radio frequency of the international airport’s control tower and warned that it would attack the airport if an Iranian civilian aircraft on its way to Lebanon landed there.
The minister reported that he quickly intervened and prohibited the landing of the aircraft.
Rocket Fired From Gaza At Israel Lands Inside The Strip, Killing Teen
A rocket was fired from Gaza toward Israel on Thursday (13th) for the first time in weeks despite the ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza and ahead of the sixth hostage exchange set for Saturday (15th). It exploded inside the Strip’s Al-Bureij area, killing a 14-year-old boy.
“A rocket launch was identified in the Gaza Strip aimed at Israel. The rocket fell inside the Strip. The IDF is committed to fully implementing the conditions of the agreement for the return of the hostages,” the military said in a statement. Shortly after, the Israeli Airforce carried out an airstrike on the launch site.
Security officials consider the presence of a launcher in the area a violation of the ceasefire agreement. Palestinian sources claimed the rocket was made from “remnants of an Israeli missile.” The last known launch from Gaza was on January 11, with subsequent sirens proving to be false alarms.
“A rocket was fired from Gaza toward Israel. Mr. Prime Minister, this is a test. A severe disproportionate response is needed to make clear we won’t return to the October 6 mindset. And for those calling for an end to the war – wake up! Our duty to Israel’s citizens and the Gaza border residents is to destroy Hamas completely,” Security Cabinet member and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Israel Katz held a situational assessment ahead of a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the IDF Southern Command joined by IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, incoming Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and other senior officials.
The rocket launch comes as mediators on the deal work at Israel’s request to accelerate the release of six living hostages included in phase 1 of the deal, who will remain in captivity after Saturday’s (15th) handover, when three more hostages are expected to be freed.
Troops Neutralize Bomb-Laden Car, Palestinian Shot Dead Near IDF Base In West Bank
Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian suspect at the entrance to a military base near Nablus on Thursday (13th), while commando forces destroyed an explosive-laden car in Jenin, amid an ongoing counter-terrorism operation in the area.
The Palestinian suspect was shot by soldiers at the entrance to the Samaria Regional Brigade’s base near Nablus, the Israel Defense Forces said.
He arrived at the entrance to the base in a vehicle and crashed into its gate.
The suspect was neutralized after moving suspiciously toward the forces,” the IDF said.
The Palestinian Health MInistry said the man was identified as 28-year-old Issa Riyad Issa Jabali.
In addition, the IDF said that on Wednesday (12th), troops of the Maglan commando unit killed three gunmen during an exchange of fire in the Nur Shams camp near Tulkarem. One soldier was moderately wounded in the incident.
The clashes came amid an offensive, dubbed Operation Iron Wall, that was launched on January 21 and that the military expects to last several more weeks.
Israeli forces have been operating in the Jenin, Tulkarem, and Tubas areas.
Troops have killed more than 60 Palestinian terror operatives and detained more than 210 amid the major ongoing counter-terrorism operation, the military said on Thursday (13th).
Israel Launches Three New Medical Schools To Address Shortage Of Doctors
Israel is opening three new medical schools to address the country’s shortage of medical personnel.
One, at the private Reichman University in Herzliya, welcomed its first students 10 days ago. Two others, at Haifa University and Weizmann Institute of Science, are to open in October 2025.
“The opening of new medical schools is a significant development that will greatly contribute to the future of Israel’s healthcare system. Increasing the number of medical students will help reduce gaps, strengthen public healthcare, and ensure quality and accessible medical service for every citizen,” the Health Ministry said in a statement, praising the Council for Higher Education that approved the move.
The School of Medicine at Reichman University, which opened on February 2, 2025, enrolls 88 graduate students who already have a BA degree in a four-year program.
Weizmann Institute of Science will accommodate 40 graduate students in the first year of the program. The students will undergo clinical practice in several Israeli hospitals, including Sheba Medical Center, the largest in Israel.
They will be eligible for a double degree – Doctor of Medicine and a Doctorate in Research (MDPhD).
“The vision is to create a new generation of leading physician-researchers in the field of medicine and biomedical research. These will be professionals capable of identifying urgent clinical challenges, inviting patients to participate in current clinical trials, and planning and conducting innovative studies that will lead to groundbreaking medical solutions, all with the aim of promoting public health,” the Weizmann Institute statement read.
The University of Haifa will accommodate 66 students in the first year and plans to increase enrollment to several dozen students in the coming years. Carmel Medical Center in Haifa will serve as its clinical base.
The students will also practice at the medical centers of Clalit Health Services, the largest of Israel’s four state-mandated health service organizations.
“We hope the students will stay in the north after the six-years of studies here,” Roni Malkal, the University’s spokesperson, told TPS-IL.
The shortage of medical personnel is especially acute in the Israeli periphery.
“In central Israel, the numbers per capita are close to those in OECD countries, but in the south and the north, they are up to two times lower,” Nadav Davidovich, Chair of the Taub Center Health Policy Program and Director of the School of Public Health at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev explained to TPS-IL.
According to him, Israel currently gets around 1,300 new doctors per year, with a need of around 2,000.
The shortage of medical personnel is a result of several factors, one of which is that thousands of doctors who came to Israel with the wave of immigration from the former Soviet Union in the 1990s are retiring.
The problem is not just the numbers but also the quality of education. Only about 40% of practicing doctors in Israel got their diplomas in the country,” Davidovich explained.
“The rest studied abroad because there are not enough places in Israel, including in countries where education is poor. They often end up in the Israel periphery, too”
Establishing new schools is not the only way to address the problem. Israel has also opened programs for physician assistants, who take less time than a full MD, and nurse practitioners (NPs).
According to a report published in Israel Health Policy Research a year ago, the number of physicians per capita in Israel is lower than in the OECD countries – 3.1 versus 3.5 per 1,000 population, respectively.
“There is a decrease in the supply of physicians in Israel resulting from the declining flow of immigrant physicians from the former Soviet Union, a large proportion of whom have reached retirement age in recent years. This problem could become worse because the number of medical students in Israel cannot increase quickly, especially because the number of clinical training sites is inadequate. The rapid population growth and anticipated aging will exacerbate the shortage,” the report said.
If Indians And Pakistanis Can Relocate, Why Can’t Gazans? – Sadanand Dhume
Many population transfers have taken place over the past century. In the 1920s, Greek Orthodox Christians in Turkey moved to Greece, while Muslims in Greece moved to Turkey. After World War II, millions of Indians and Pakistanis were forced to find new homes, as were ethnic Germans from Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union. In the 1970s, Uganda expelled Indians. Only in the Palestinian case has the refugee question festered endlessly.
The Egyptians, Jordanians and Saudis all appear less than enthusiastic at the prospect of an influx of Palestinians. Nevertheless, the discussion highlights a double standard. Following the creation of Israel in 1948 and the first Arab-Israeli war, 600,000 Palestinians fled their homes. Contrast this with 800,000 Jews who fled or were expelled from their homes in North Africa and the Middle East. Today the descendants of these Mizrahi Jews make up half of Israel’s population.
In 1947 the departing British carved out Pakistan from Muslim-majority areas of India. The bloodshed that followed – between Hindus and Sikhs on one side and Muslims on the other – led to two million deaths and uprooted 18 million people. No one expects Pakistan to transform its religious demography by offering a “right of return” to descendants of Hindu and Sikh refugees. Why should it be any different with Israel?
Across the Middle East, Palestinians in most Arab states face discrimination in access to employment, government services and property ownership. The Census Bureau estimates that the U.S. houses 172,000 Palestinians. That’s more than the Palestinian population in many Arab countries.
Former US ambassador to Israel David Friedman said, “In the last 100 years, populations have moved repeatedly. Sometimes, it’s not fair. Sometimes it’s justified from a humanitarian perspective. But whatever happens, when it’s over, it’s over. This [Israel] is the only place where it’s weaponized.” We wouldn’t even be having this conversation if Arab states had welcomed Palestinian Arabs the way many other countries around the world have welcomed refugees.
The writer, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, is former New Delhi bureau chief of the Far Eastern Economic Review. (Wall Street Journal)
(wsj.com)
