1. **State the problem:** Simplify the expression $(-12 + 7) - (-5)$. 2. **Apply the order of operations:** First, simplify inside the parentheses. 3. Calculate $-12 + 7$: $$-12 + 7 = -5$$ 4. Substitute back into the expression: $$(-5) - (-5)$$ 5. Subtracting a negative is the same as adding a positive: $$-5 + 5$$ 6. Calculate the sum: $$-5 + 5 = 0$$ 7. **Final answer:** $$0$$