Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 02-03/2023
The terrorist Hezbollah continues to preoccupy the Israeli army from southern Lebanon/Elias Bejjani/December 2, 2023
Etiene Saqr/Abu Arz: No Cause Surpasses the Lebanese Cause/December 2, 2023
2 Hezbollah members and civilian killed by Israel's strikes on Friday
Israeli strikes kill two pro-Hezbollah fighters in Syria
Border clashes resume as Hezbollah targets soldiers, Israel shells south
Fresh skirmishes between Israel and Hezbollah on Lebanon border
Paris says war may go beyond south Lebanon if 'miscalculation' occurs
Lebanon is offered 'Israeli pullout' in return for 'Hezbollah pullback'
France's Le Drian fails to break Lebanese deadlock
Defense Minister and Maronite Patriarch clash over Army Leadership
Mikati meets with France's Macron in Dubai
PM Mikati to LBCI: Working to enhance health and environmental conditions
Energy Minister Walid Fayad pledges carbon reduction and energy optimization
Iran says an Israeli strike in Syria killed 2 Revolutionary Guard members while on advisory mission
Israeli shells hit southern Lebanon in second day of violence after Israel-Hamas truce ends

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 02-03/2023
Dozens dead, hundreds hurt as Israel bombs hundreds of Gaza targets after truce ends
Israel intensifies its assault on southern Gaza, causing renewed concern about civilian deaths
IDF strikes 400 terror sites in Gaza as war against Hamas resumes
‘Israel going for the absolute elimination of Hamas’
Nowhere to hide, say Gazans in south under Israeli bombardment
Mossad team leaves Qatar as talks to renew truce hit impasse
Israel-Hamas war: Mossad negotiators leave Qatar as truce talks hit 'dead end'
Harris says US will not permit forced relocation of Palestinians from Gaza
Israelis Are Angry at Netanyahu, but Chances of His Ouster Are Slim
Israel wants 'security envelope', no Hamas on border after war, official says
France's Macron says he is going to Qatar to work on new Gaza truce
Experts, advocates deeply divided on question of 'genocide' in Gaza
Turkey's Erdogan: chance for peace in Gaza conflict lost for now
Erdogan Defends Hamas Amid US Concerns Over Turkey’s Support
Protester critically injured after setting self on fire outside Israeli consulate in Atlanta
Vatican says Pope Francis' health condition is improving
Breaches by Iran-affiliated hackers spanned multiple U.S. states, federal agencies say

Titles For The Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 02-03/2023
Iran's Regime Soon to Have Nuclear Bombs; Hezbollah Is Next/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/December 02, 2023
As the military junta looks increasingly vulnerable, what next for Myanmar?/Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/December 02, 2023
‘Expo 2030’... Saudi Diplomacy’s Dynamic Victories/Emile Ameen/Asharq Al-Awsat/December 02/2023
What are the chances of a permanent ceasefire?/Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/December 02, 2023
Western policymakers should not dither over support for Ukraine/Luke Coffey/Arab News/December 02, 2023

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 02-03/2023
The terrorist Hezbollah continues to preoccupy the Israeli army from southern Lebanon
Elias Bejjani/December 2, 2023
Hezbollah, the Iranian army that has occupied Lebanon since 2005 after the forced withdrawal of the invading Syrian army, regurgitating disappointment and defeat. This party, made up of Lebanese citizens, are practically mercenaries, and there is nothing Lebanese in them and in their party, including the name, which is the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon. In the same context, Hezbollah  mourns its dead in jihadist Islamic terms and does not mention Lebanon or any Lebanese constitutional concepts. Today, the Iranian Hezbollah continued to provoke the Israeli army militarily and exchanged bombardments with it. According to the party’s statements, two of its members were killed today in addition to a number of civilians. Party leaders who are delusional and detached from reality brag about victories that do not exist except in their rotten and cancerous minds. Israel, through its senior leaders, threatens to destroy Lebanon if it commits any mistake and attacks Israel.  In the same realm  of the party's terrorism, its Iranian missions, and its complete subordination to Iran, it was reported today that two members of its militias, as well as two Iranian military personnel were killed in Damascus as a result of an Israeli raid.

Etiene Saqr/Abu Arz: No Cause Surpasses the Lebanese Cause
Statement by the Lebanese Guardians Party - Lebanese National Movement
December 02/2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/124878/124878/
As the Lebanese political references holding onto political decision-making are dull-minded and stubborn, we reiterate what we previously stated about the "Palestinian cause," that it fell from the Lebanese national conscience when it declared war on Lebanon on April 13, 1975, and raised the slogan "The road to Palestine passes through Jounieh." This led to havoc across the country for seven continuous years, causing killings, looting, and destruction. This paved the way for the entry of Syrian occupation forces, which depleted Lebanon's remaining vitality and resilience. The Syrian occupation did not leave until 30 years later, handing it over to an even worse occupation, the Iranian occupation, which dismantled the country's entity and submerged it in a sea of misery, poverty, and ruin.
Based on the above, we assert that any Lebanese reference, whether political or spiritual, declaring solidarity with the so-called "Palestinian cause," commits an act of betrayal against the martyrs of the Lebanese resistance who fell under the treacherous Palestinian bullets. This betrayal extends to thousands of martyrs among our children, women, and elders who were slaughtered like sheep with the knives of Palestinian organizations in Damour, Aishiyeh, Chekka, Beit Mlait, and other towns invaded by those gangs, committing atrocities that send shivers down the spine, including the massacres of Tel al-Zaatar and the Mongols.
What is even sadder is that the whole world stood by watching Lebanon at that time, either as a spectator or as a conspirator, turning a deaf ear to the tragedies that struck it for half a century and continue to afflict it without hearing a single word of condemnation or a single supportive stance for the Lebanese cause, similar to the global solidarity with the "Palestinian cause" or the Ukrainian cause or others. It is as if the lives of the Lebanese are cheap, and their blood is permissible!
Lebanon today is in the midst of danger, hanging between life and death. Any Lebanese reference that expresses solidarity with a cause other than the Lebanese cause, in addition to the described act of betrayal, commits the crime of political adultery against its homeland and people.
In conclusion, we say to the political charlatans among us that peoples who deny their history have no present or future.
Long Live Lebanon.
Etiene Saqr/Abu Arz
(Free Translation by: Elias Bejjani)

2 Hezbollah members and civilian killed by Israel's strikes on Friday
Agence France Presse/December 02/2023
Hezbollah said two of its members were among three people killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon Friday, as its militants resumed attacks against Israel following the end of a Gaza truce. The group identified the members killed as Mohammad Mazraani and Wajih Msheik in separate statements. A source close to the group said Mazraani was killed in his home along with his mother Nasifa, denying he was engaged in combat at the time of his death. Lebanon's official National News Agency had earlier identified both mother and son as civilians. Cross-border exchanges between Hezbollah and Israel resumed just hours after the expiry of a truce between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza that had largely halted violence at the Lebanon-Israel border. Hezbollah said its fighters targeted "a group of enemy soldiers in the vicinity of the Jal al-Allam position," an Israeli post across the border from near the Lebanese town of Naqoura. A source close to Hezbollah, requesting anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media, had previously told AFP that the group considers the Jal al-Allam position a key target due to Israeli surveillance equipment located there. The militant group also claimed four other attacks. The Israeli army said it struck "a terrorist cell" and "intercepted two launches" from Lebanon, adding that "artillery struck the sources of the fire."
- Fears of broader conflict -
Apart from a few limited incidents, a week-long truce between Israel and Hamas saw a halt to the cross-border exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah seen during the first seven weeks of the war. A source close to Hezbollah had previously told AFP that the group would adhere to the truce if Israel did. Hezbollah says its attacks have been in support of Hamas after the Palestinian group's assault on southern Israel on October 7, which allegedly killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw about 240 taken hostage, according to Israeli officials. In response, Israel has vowed to eliminate the militant group and unleashed an air and ground campaign that authorities in Hamas-run Gaza say has killed more than 15,000 people, also mostly civilians. Skirmishes between Hezbollah and Israel, which fought a devastating war in 2006, have raised fears of a broader regional conflagration. Since hostilities broke out in October, more than 110 people have been killed on the Lebanese side of the border, most of them Hezbollah fighters but including more than a dozen civilians, according to an AFP tally. On the Israeli side, six soldiers and three civilians have been killed, according to the Israeli authorities.

Israeli strikes kill two pro-Hezbollah fighters in Syria
Agence France Presse/December 02/2023
Israeli air strikes killed two Syrian pro-Hezbollah fighters when they hit sites belonging to the Iran-backed group near Damascus early on Saturday, a war monitor told AFP. The strikes near Damascus came less than 24 hours after the end of a Gaza truce between Hezbollah ally Hamas and Israel. "Two Syrian fighters working for Hezbollah were killed and seven other fighters working for the group were wounded in Israeli air strikes on Hezbollah sites near Sayyida Zeinab," said Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its northern neighbor since Syria's civil war began in 2011, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, as well as Syrian army positions. But it has intensified attacks since its war with Hamas began in October. Hamas last year said it had restored relations with Syria's government. The chief of the British-based monitor, which has a network of sources inside Syria, had earlier told AFP that Israel struck "Hezbollah targets" in the Sayyida Zeinab area south of Damascus. Syria's defense ministry had also said Israel hit near the Syrian capital, with an AFP journalist in Damascus reporting the loud sound of bombings. "At approximately 1:35 am (2235 GMT) today, the Israeli enemy carried out an air assault from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan, targeting some points near the city of Damascus," the defense ministry said in a statement, reporting no casualties. Syria state television had reported an "Israeli aggression near the capital."The Israeli army did not comment when contacted by AFP. On November 8, Israeli air strikes on the same area near Damascus killed three pro-Iran fighters as they hit sites belonging to the powerful Lebanese group, the Observatory had said. Israeli air strikes on November 26 rendered Damascus airport inoperable just hours after flights resumed following a similar attack the month before. Damascus and Aleppo airports were both put out of service following Israeli strikes on October 12 and 22. Israel rarely comments on individual strikes targeting Syria, but it has repeatedly said it will not allow arch-foe Iran, which backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to expand its presence there. Hezbollah is an ally of Damascus and has long fought alongside Assad in the country's war.

Border clashes resume as Hezbollah targets soldiers, Israel shells south
Naharnet/December 02/2023
Border skirmishes resumed Friday after a weeklong truce in Gaza brought a temporary halt to the daily exchanges of rockets, artillery shelling and airstrikes between Hezbollah and Israel in south Lebanon. While Lebanon and Hezbollah weren't officially parties to the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, a cautious calm prevailed over the border area in south Lebanon during Gaza's weeklong truce. As war resumed in Gaza, Hezbollah targeted a group of soldiers near the Israeli post of Jal al-Alam and fired anti-tanks missiles towards the Manara settlement. Israel bombed in response the al-Labbouneh, Hamoul and Rwaisat areas near Lebanon's Naqoura with artillery shells, and al-Qawzah forests with a guided missile. The shelling followed the explosion of an Israeli interception missile over the town of al-Khiam, as the Israeli army said its air defenses had "successfully intercepted a suspicious aerial target that crossed from Lebanon". The calm in the past week was interrupted by occasional Israeli violations and a constant buzz of Israeli surveillance drones. On Friday, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati arrived in Dubai to attend a COP28 climate summit shadowed by the resumption of war in Gaza. World leaders brought up the war while Iranian delegates walked out of the talks in protest over the presence of Israeli representatives and Palestinian climate change expert Hadeel Ikhmais asked "We're negotiating for what in the middle of a genocide?" Since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, the frontier between Lebanon and Israel has seen intensifying exchanges of fire, mainly between Israel and Hezbollah, but also Palestinian groups, raising fears of a broader conflagration. The cross-border exchanges have killed 109 people in Lebanon, at least 77 of them Hezbollah fighters and 14 civilians. More than 55,000 people have fled their homes. Six Israeli soldiers and three civilians have been killed on the Israeli side. Lebanese who had fled their border villages after the cross-border skirmishes began timidly to return, once the truce was announced last week.

Fresh skirmishes between Israel and Hezbollah on Lebanon border
Naharnet/December 02/2023
A new round of clashes erupted Saturday morning between the Israeli army and Hezbollah in the Lebanese-Israel border region. In a statement, Hezbollah said it fired rockets at artillery positions in the Khirbat Maer Israeli post near the border. The Israeli army later said that shells were fired at the Shomera area in northern Israel and that it responded with artillery fire. Israeli shelling meanwhile targeted the outskirts of the southern Lebanese border towns of Tayr Harfa, Naqoura, Maroun al-Ras, Yaroun, Blida, Alma al-Shaab and al-Qawzah, Hezbollah's al-Manar TV said. Hezbollah meanwhile announced the death of one more of its fighters, identifying him as Khodor Abboud, who hailed from the southern town of Deir Ames. Two Hezbollah members and the mother of one of them were killed in Israel's strikes on south Lebanon on Friday as the hostilities resumed following a weeklong truce between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Paris says war may go beyond south Lebanon if 'miscalculation' occurs
Naharnet/December 02/2023
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna has warned against “miscalculation” and “escalation” on the Lebanese-Israeli border, as the war resumed in full force between Israel and Hamas in Gaza following a seven-day truce. “The situation between Lebanon and Israel is more dangerous than in 2006,” Colonna said, in remarks to Al-Arabiya television. “Any miscalculation might drag Lebanon into an escalation that might spread beyond its south,” Colonna warned. Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops have clashed along the border since Oct. 8, stoking fears that the Hamas-Israel war in the Gaza Strip will spill over into the rest of the region. Though the clashes have been intense, with both combatants and civilians killed on both sides, they have remained largely contained to areas near the border. Hezbollah was not officially a party to a seven-day truce between Hamas and Israel that took effect last Friday and ended today, but calm has largely prevailed on the Lebanon-Israel border since then.

Lebanon is offered 'Israeli pullout' in return for 'Hezbollah pullback'
Naharnet/December 02/2023
French Special Presidential Envoy for Lebanon Jean-Yves Le Drian has called on Lebanon to “implement” U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 by “ending the presence of armed appearances within a 30-kilometer-deep area so that it serves as a buffer zone,” a media report said on Friday. If Lebanon does not comply, Le Drian has warned that the resolution would be amended so that the U.N. forces become “more effective in their military jurisdiction” and that the international community might resort to Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter to implement the resolution “by force,” the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported. “The international pressure for the implementation of the resolution has reached Lebanese officials from several international sides, not only from Le Drian, and it is something expected to happen, especially that the settlers of the Israeli north are refusing to return to their homes without security guarantees starting by the withdrawal of armed appearances from the area south of the Litani River,” diplomatic sources told the daily. “International pressure on Lebanon will intensify as time passes with the aim of rearranging the situations in the border area, seeing as it will be difficult to return to the pre-October 7 situation,” the sources added. “That’s why the stances of the Lebanese forces are being explored regarding the issue of delineating the land border after Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied areas and the 13 contested points while halting its violations, in return for pulling back armed appearances from the area south of the Litani River,” the sources said.

France's Le Drian fails to break Lebanese deadlock
LBCI/December 02/2023
After the visit of the French presidential envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, Lebanon returned to a state of confusion on all levels and hesitancy in handling various issues. This article was initially published in and translated from Lebanese newspaper Al-Joumhouria. As expected, the visit did not bring anything substantial, described by a political source as a "visit with neither progress nor setback."The source told Al-Joumhouria: “Le Drian did not present any new or serious ideas to help advance the presidential file, maintaining the same stance as in previous visits. This implies that the presidential file remains unresolved, outside the scope of serious consideration until circumstances change.”“However, Le Drian's priority this time was not the presidency but rather a warning against being drawn into a war from the southern front,” he added. In addition, the source said: “The primary and most significant focus was the enthusiastic attempt to convince all parties of the necessity to extend the term of Army Commander General Joseph Aoun. In summary, this was the essence of the visit, nothing more and nothing less.” In this context, there is a notable French stance on the Lebanese situation, articulated by French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, who considered the situation between Lebanon and Israel more dangerous than in 2006. She warned that any miscalculation could lead Lebanon to escalate beyond its southern borders.

Defense Minister and Maronite Patriarch clash over Army Leadership
LBCI/December 02/2023
Nidaa Al-Watan learned that Defense Minister Maurice Slim requested a meeting with Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi on Friday. This article was initially published in and translated from Lebanese newspaper Nidaa Al-Watan. Slim's speech after the meeting was prepared for him by a former minister and a prominent advisor. During the meeting, the Patriarch emphasized extending the term of Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, not emptying the military institution, and aligning actions with national interest. However, Slim insisted on his stance, refusing to extend General Aoun's term and appoint a new commander, even in the absence of the President of the Republic, which aroused the dissatisfaction of the Patriarch, who rejected all the appointment proposals conveyed by Slim. Bkerke sources expressed their frustration at the intransigence shown by the Minister of Defense and those behind him regarding the issue of the army, especially since there is a group that places personal and utilitarian calculations above Christian and national concerns. Additionally, the sources indicated that Al-Rahi is making plans to move “and does not rely on the awakening of the conscience of the Minister of Defense, but rather there are several plans and paths that the extension may take.” Furthermore, he is discussing all paths with legal experts and politicians, whether through the Council of Ministers or the House of Representatives, and he will not allow a vacuum in the army's leadership.

Mikati meets with France's Macron in Dubai
LBCI/December 02/2023
The Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Dubai while he participated in the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - COP 28. However, they discussed the situation in Gaza and southern Lebanon during their meeting. They also tackled the results of the visit of President Macron's envoy to Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, and the talks he held with officials and leaders.

PM Mikati to LBCI: Working to enhance health and environmental conditions
LBCI/December 02/2023
Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, considers health a fundamental factor motivating the enhancement of a healthy climate and environment for the future of humanity. He noted that the Lebanese delegation is active in addressing critical Lebanon-related issues. In addition, Mikati stated that Lebanon will seek to benefit from the Loss and Damage Fund and contribute to developing green areas. On the situation in Gaza, he said, "The resumption of fighting in Gaza is a source of concern for officials, and everyone is working to stabilize the ceasefire. This war will remain a stain on Israel."

Energy Minister Walid Fayad pledges carbon reduction and energy optimization
LBCI/December 02/2023
Caretaker Minister of Energy Walid Fayad expressed Lebanon’s commitments to reducing carbon emissions and optimizing energy consumption. Speaking on the sidelines of COP28, he highlighted the current government's efforts to capitalize on cost reduction and increased utilization, as outlined in the Ministry's recent bill. Fayad told LBCI that Lebanon's current revival is centered on renewable energy, stressing the need for substantial international community involvement. In addition, he called for a reduction in Lebanon's carbon bill through Egyptian gas imports, continued exploration of gas reserves in the country, and the revitalization of the liquefied gas project using offshore platforms.

Iran says an Israeli strike in Syria killed 2 Revolutionary Guard members while on advisory mission
TEHRAN, Iran (AP)/December 2, 2023
Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard stated through its website that two of its forces stationed in Syria were killed in an Israeli airstrike Saturday. The report on the Guard's news portal identified the two members as Mohammad Ali Ataei Shourcheh and Panah Taghizadeh, and said they were carrying out an advisory mission in Syria. It did not elaborate on their rank, or the area where they were killed. Syrian state media, quoting an unnamed military official, said Israeli airstrikes hit several areas on the outskirts of the capital Damascus early Saturday. The strikes resulted in only “material losses,” the report added. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based opposition war monitor, said the strikes hit the southern Damascus suburb of Sayyida Zeinab, where “there are military forces working with the Lebanese (militant group) Hezbollah.” It said the strike killed two Syrian citizens and two foreigners and wounded five others. This latest development is likely to increase tensions between Israel and Iran, which has been a staunch supporter of the militant Palestinian group Hamas. Iranian officials have warned repeatedly that the Israel-Hamas war, which erupted on Oct.7, could spread to other parts of the region. Iran’s military presence in Syria has been a major concern for Israel, which has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment along its northern border. Syria has accused Israel of carrying out hundreds of strikes on targets in government-controlled parts in recent years — but Israel has rarely acknowledged such strikes. Iran has been a main supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the country's 12-year civil war. Thousands of Iran-backed fighters have been deployed in Syria where they helped tip the balance of power in Assad’s favor over the past years. Scores of Iranian Revolutionary Guard members have been killed during the war in Syria though Tehran has long said it has only a military advisory role in Syria. Since the Israel-Hamas began, Israel has carried out several strikes targeting Syria, putting the international airports of Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo out of commission for more than a month.

Israeli shells hit southern Lebanon in second day of violence after Israel-Hamas truce ends
Reuters/December 02, 2023
BEIRUT: Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants exchanged fire across the Israel-Lebanon border on Saturday in a second day of hostilities after the collapse of a truce in Gaza between Palestinian group Hamas and Israel.
Iran-backed Hezbollah said in a statement that one of its fighters was killed but did not specify when. Three people in south Lebanon were killed by Israeli shelling on Friday in south Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s state news agency. Hezbollah said two of the dead were its fighters. Hezbollah also said it fired rockets at an Israeli position. Israel’s military said two mortar bombs launched from Lebanon fell in open areas in Shomera, across the border from the south Lebanon village of Marwahin. The military said it responded by attacking the launch site and elsewhere in south Lebanon. Earlier on Saturday, shelling from Israel hit close to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) headquarters near the coastal town of Naqoura and around the border village of Rmaych, a UNIFIL spokesperson said. The Israeli military said it carried out shelling near Naqoura after spotting “unusual activity” in the area. UNIFIL also detected fire around 11 a.m. (0900 GMT) from the area of Tayr Harfa, about a mile from the Israeli frontier, toward Israel, the spokesperson said. Following the eruption of the Hamas-Israel war on Oct. 7, Hezbollah mounted near-daily rocket attacks on Israeli positions at the frontier while Israel waged air and artillery strikes in south Lebanon. But the border was largely calm during the week-long truce in the Gaza war. It has been the worst fighting since the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, a Hamas ally. Just over 100 people in Lebanon have been killed during the hostilities, 83 of them Hezbollah fighters. Tens of thousands of people have fled both sides of the border.

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 02-03/2023
Dozens dead, hundreds hurt as Israel bombs hundreds of Gaza targets after truce ends
Agence France Presse/December 02, 2023
Israel carried out deadly bombardments in Gaza for a second day on Saturday, hitting hundreds of targets, after a week-long truce with Hamas militants collapsed despite international calls for an extension. Smoke again clouded the sky over northern Gaza, whose Hamas government said 240 people had been killed since the pause in hostilities expired early Friday. According to the United Nations an estimated 1.7 million people in Gaza -- around 80 percent of the population -- have been displaced by eight weeks of war which have left them short of food, water and other essentials, with their homes destroyed. The truce had allowed increased aid into Gaza via the Rafah crossing point with Egypt, but the Palestinian Red Crescent said Israel had told NGOs that "the entry of aid trucks has been suspended until further notice."Both sides blamed each other for the breakdown of the truce, which had enabled the release of 80 Israeli hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners. During an unprecedented attack on October 7, Hamas fighters broke through Gaza's militarized border into Israel, allegedly killed about 1,200 people and took around 240 Israelis and foreigners hostage, according to Israeli authorities. Israel vowed to eliminate Hamas in response and unleashed an air and ground campaign that has killed more than 15,000 people, also mostly civilians. Since the end of the pause, Israel's air, naval and ground forces have attacked more than 400 targets in Gaza, the army said on Saturday. The figure is roughly in line with the daily average number of strikes prior to the pause, according to figures released previously. Warplanes hit "more than 50 targets in an extensive attack in the Khan Yunis area" of Gaza's south, the military added. Separately, members of an Israeli armoured brigade "eliminated terrorist squads and directed fire against terrorist targets in the north of the Gaza Strip", the military said.
Fighting spreads
Since the truce expired militants have fired rockets from Gaza towards Israel. International leaders and humanitarian groups condemned the return to fighting. "I deeply regret that military operations have started again in Gaza," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on X, formerly Twitter. "Today, in a matter of hours, scores were reportedly killed and injured," U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said. "Families were told to evacuate, again. Hopes were dashed." The United States said it was working with regional partners to reach another truce. "We're going to continue to work with Israel and Egypt and Qatar on efforts to reimplement the pause," U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Friday.
Disappointment over hostages
The week of hostage-prisoner exchanges yielded tearful reunions of Israeli families with their released relatives and jubilation in the streets of the Israeli-occupied West Bank as Palestinians walked free from Israeli jails. Twenty-five other hostages, mostly Thais, were also freed in separate arrangements. The Israeli army said Friday that five more hostages had died, bringing the total number to seven, and 136 were still being held, including 17 women and children. The end of the pause meant bitter disappointment for the families of those still not freed. "We saw a chance for people to come out, be reunited with their families and resume their old lives," said Ilan Zharia, the uncle of 20-year-old Eden Yerushalmi, one of the women not to have been released. Romania said it had been told by Israel that a Romanian-Israel hostage had died in Gaza. In Dubai on Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States remained "intensely focused on getting everyone home, getting hostages back" and "pursuing the process that had worked for seven days" during the truce. The Doctors Without Borders charity said one of the only hospitals still working in Gaza's north "was damaged in a blast" after the truce ended. Guterres has warned of a "humanitarian catastrophe" in Gaza. "The health care service is on its knees," Rob Holden, a World Health Organization senior emergency officer, told journalists from Gaza as explosions were heard in the background.
'Most dangerous place'
Outside Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City, a man in a blue sweater bellowed in grief and turned his face and hands to the sky after viewing a dead boy in a body bag, AFPTV footage showed. "What did he do wrong? God, what did we do to deserve this?" he yelled. Thousands of children had already been killed in Gaza before the truce. "Today, the Gaza Strip is once again the most dangerous place in the world to be a child," the U.N. children's fund executive director, Catherine Russell, said in a statement Saturday. Visiting the region this week, Blinken, whose country provides Israel with billions of dollars in military aid annually, urged Israel to minimise innocent Palestinian casualties, "including by clearly and precisely designated areas... where they can be safe and out of the line of fire".The Israeli military published a map of "evacuation zones" in Gaza that it said would enable residents to "evacuate from specific places for their safety if required". Residents in various areas of Gaza were sent SMS messages on Friday warning that "a crushing military attack on your area" was coming, with the aim of eliminating Hamas. Among those killed on Friday were three journalists, Gaza's Hamas rulers said. Turkey's Anadolu state news agency confirmed the death of cameraman Muntassir al-Sawwaf and two others whom it did not name.

Israel intensifies its assault on southern Gaza, causing renewed concern about civilian deaths
AP/December 02, 2023
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip: The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the death toll has surpassed 15,200 and that 70 percent of those killed were women and children. The figure was announced Saturday by ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qidra, who did not provide further details. The previous toll given by the ministry was more than 13,300 dead. Al-Qidra did not explain the sharp jump. However, the ministry had only been able to provide sporadic updates since Nov. 11, amid problems with connectivity and major war-related disruptions in hospital operations. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.More than 40,000 people have been wounded, Al-Qidra said. Israel intensified a renewed offensive that followed a weeklong truce with Hamas, giving rise to renewed concerns about civilian casualties, even as the United States urged ally Israel to do everything possible to protect civilians. “This is going to be very important going forward,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday after meetings with Arab foreign ministers in Dubai, wrapping up his third Middle East tour since the war started. “It’s something we’re going to be looking at very closely.”Many of Israel’s attacks Saturday were focused on the Khan Younis area in southern Gaza, where the military said it had struck more than 50 Hamas targets with airstrikes, tank fire and its navy. The military dropped leaflets the day before warning residents to leave but, as of late Friday, there had been no reports of large numbers of people leaving, according to the United Nations.
“There is no place to go,” lamented Emad Hajjar, who fled with his wife and three children from the northern town of Beit Lahia a month ago to seek refuge in Khan Younis. “They expelled us from the north, and now they are pushing us to leave the south.”Israel’s military said it also carried out strikes in the north, and hit more than 400 targets in all across the Gaza Strip. Some 2 million people — almost Gaza’s entire population — are crammed into the territory’s south, where Israel urged people to relocate at the war’s start and has since vowed to extend its ground assault. Unable to go into north Gaza or neighboring Egypt, their only escape is to move around within the 220-square-kilometer (85-square-mile) area. In response to US calls to protect civilians, the Israeli military released an online map, but it has done more to confuse than to help. It divides the Gaza Strip into hundreds of numbered, haphazardly drawn parcels, sometimes across roads or blocks, and asks residents to learn the number of their location in case of an eventual evacuation. “The publication does not specify where people should evacuate to,” the UN office for coordinating humanitarian issues in the Palestinian territory noted in its daily report. “It is unclear how those residing in Gaza would access the map without electricity and amid recurrent telecommunications cuts.”
In the first use of the map to order evacuations, Avichay Adraee, the Israeli military’s Arabic spokesperson, specified areas in the north and the south to be cleared out Saturday in posts on X, formerly Twitter. Adraee listed numbered zones under evacuation order — but the highlighted areas on maps attached to his post did not match the numbered zones. Egypt has expressed concerns the renewed offensive could cause Palestinians to try and cross into its territory. In a statement late Friday, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the forced transfer of Palestinians “is a red line.”
US Vice President Kamala Harris, who was in Dubai on Saturday for the COP28 climate conference, was expected to outline proposals with regional leaders to “put Palestinian voices at the center” of planning the next steps for the Gaza Strip after the conflict, according to the White House. US President Joe Biden’s administration has been emphasizing the need for an eventual two-state solution, with Israel and a Palestinian state coexisting. The renewed hostilities have also heightened concerns for 136 hostages who, according to the Israeli military, are still held captive by Hamas and other militants after 105 were freed during the truce. For families of remaining hostages, the truce’s collapse was a blow to hopes their loved ones could be the next out after days of seeing others freed. The Israeli army said Friday it had confirmed the deaths of four more hostages, bringing the total known dead to seven. During the truce, Israel freed 240 Palestinians from its prisons. Most of those released from both sides were women and children. The war began after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas and other militants, who killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in southern Israel and took around 240 people captive. After the end of the truce, militants in Gaza resumed firing rockets into Israel, and fighting broke out between Israel and Hezbollah militants operating along its northern border with Lebanon.
HUMANITARIAN AID HALT
Hundreds of thousands of people fled northern Gaza to Khan Younis and other parts of the south earlier in the war, part of an extraordinary mass exodus that has left three-quarters of the population displaced and facing widespread shortages of food, water and other supplies. Since the resumption of hostilities, no aid convoys or fuel deliveries have entered Gaza, and humanitarian operations within Gaza have largely halted, according to the UN. The International Rescue Committee, an aid group operating in Gaza, warned the return of fighting will “wipe out even the minimal relief” provided by the truce and “prove catastrophic for Palestinian civilians.”Up until the truce began, more than 13,300 Palestinians were killed in Israel’s assault, roughly two-thirds of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
The toll is likely much higher, as officials have only sporadically updated the count since Nov. 11. The ministry says thousands more people are feared dead under the rubble. Israel says it is targeting Hamas operatives and blames civilian casualties on the militants, accusing them of operating in residential neighborhoods. Israel says 77 of its soldiers have been killed in the ground offensive in northern Gaza. It claims to have killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence.

IDF strikes 400 terror sites in Gaza as war against Hamas resumes
JNS/December 2, 2023
An "extensive" wave of airstrikes targeted Hamas infrastructure in the Khan Yunis area in southern Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces said Saturday morning that it struck over 400 terror sites in the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, as the war against Hamas resumed following a week-long ceasefire. Airstrikes overnight Friday included an “extensive” wave of more than 50 attacks on Hamas infrastructure in the Khan Yunis area in southern Gaza, according to the military. Naval forces also attacked Hamas terror assets in the region. Heavy ground battles were fought near Khan Yunis after intelligence showed Hamas leaders entrenching in the city, Channel 12 also reported. The IDF is widely expected to expand its ground operation to the southern Gaza Strip and has published a map splitting the area into scores of small zones, which will be used to notify Palestinian civilians of impending active combat. “The people of Gaza are not our enemies. For this reason, the IDF is leading controlled and specific evacuations in order to remove them as much as possible from areas of combat,” the military said in a message to Gaza residents. Overnight Friday, ground forces in northern Gaza called in airstrikes on several targets, including a mosque used by Palestinian Islamic Jihad to direct terror operations. The IDF also eliminated a terror cell that had ambushed troops. Earlier, five IDF soldiers were wounded by a mortar shell that struck near Kibbutz Nirim, located close to the border with the Gaza Strip and 4.3 miles east of Khan Yunis. Three of the soldiers were in moderate condition while the others were lightly injured. Air raid sirens blared across southern Israel throughout Friday, and in the country’s center later in the day, as Palestinian rocket fire expanded. On Saturday, the IDF confirmed that terrorists in Lebanon fired numerous rockets at Israel the previous night. The Iron Dome missile defense system was not activated as the projectiles hit in open areas, causing no injuries or damage. In response, the IDF shelled the area from which the launches were carried out, and fighter jets struck the terror cell responsible for the fire. Later Saturday, the military said that aircraft and artillery were striking Hezbollah terror assets in Lebanon. The IDF on Friday struck a terror cell operating in southern Lebanon after Hezbollah resumed attacks on northern Israel. Several rockets were fired from Lebanese territory at military posts along the border near Rosh Hanikra and Moshav Margaliot, and Iron Dome intercepted two rockets launched at the city of Kiryat Shmona. The IDF resumed combat operations in Gaza on Friday morning after Hamas broke a ceasefire by firing rockets at the Jewish state. Amid renewed fighting, Israel’s government said it is committed to seeing that all the hostages return home. To date, 110 people have returned to Israel. Eighty-six are Israelis and 24 foreign citizens. According to the latest numbers, 137 remain in captivity. Of those, 20 are women and 117 are men. They include 126 Israelis and 11 foreigners. Hamas terrorists killed at least 1,200 people during its Oct. 7 attack on Israeli communities near the Gaza border.

‘Israel going for the absolute elimination of Hamas’
JNS/December 2, 2023
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated on Saturday night that the military is operating in new areas of the Gaza Strip, adding that Jerusalem’s war objective to fully dismantle Hamas remains unaltered. “In the last two days, we are operating in areas we have not been active in over the last month, and it will increase and intensify,” said Gallant. “This operation will reach every point that needs to be reached. We are going for the absolute elimination of the Hamas terror organization. “We are going until we defeat them, dismantle their military capabilities and break their governing ability, and we will need to do this by adapting to the new conditions of the terrain we are fighting in. There will be intense and precise fire,” continued the minister. Gallant said that the IDF’s offensive in northern Gaza has produced “very good achievements in the first month,” adding that Hamas battalion commanders across the entire Strip “already know very well what the IDF can do.” Large numbers of Hamas battalion commanders in northern Gaza have been eliminated by Israeli airstrikes. Earlier Saturday, the IDF announced that it had struck over 400 terror targets throughout Gaza since the war resumed the previous morning when Hamas violated a week-long ceasefire agreement by firing rockets at Israel.
In a focused operation overnight Friday, Israeli Air Force fighter jets hit more than 50 targets in the Khan Yunis region of southern Gaza. Additionally, IDF ground troops were active in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, employing tank fire and directing aerial strikes against terrorists and Hamas infrastructure.  The northern Gaza Strip saw targeted artillery fire and aerial strikes. An IAF aircraft struck a mosque used as an operational command center by Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The Israeli Navy conducted targeted activities in the Khan Yunis marina, striking Hamas assets with precision munitions. Furthermore, IDF troops thwarted terrorist cells. The IDF confirmed on Saturday evening that Col. Assaf Hamami, who commanded the southern Gaza Brigade and who had been missing since Hamas’s Oct. 7 invasion, was killed during the Palestinian terror group’s cross-border assault. The IDF has also renewed activity in the north, responding to attacks by striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. On Saturday, the IDF said aircraft and artillery were striking Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in Lebanese territory. Later, Hezbollah launched projectiles at Israeli military posts, to which the IDF responded by firing at the source. Also in the north, an airstrike occurred early Saturday in the Sayda Zaynab area of southern Damascus, with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps subsequently announcing the deaths of two “advisors.” The Alma Center, a defense research organization in northern Israel, explained in a report: “The Iranian ‘advisors’ in Syria deal with operational, intelligence, training and technology issues. They are part of the operation of the Iranian corridor to Syria and Lebanon, act as intelligence personnel engaged in building the strength of terrorist infrastructures and gathering intelligence against Israel, instruct the militias and the Syrian army in various fields, and serve as experts in the development of weapons in cooperation with the CERS Institute.” On Friday, the IDF announced that it had taken proactive steps to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza. It began distributing evacuation information and maps to Palestinians and delineating safe zones in southern Gaza to avoid during operations. The map was published on a special page on the IDF’s Arabic-language website and in a video posted to online social networks. Additionally, the map was published in announcements the military distributed in the Gaza Strip.
The IDF’s efforts have also focused on retrieving and identifying Israeli hostages, with recent operations leading to the confirm

Nowhere to hide, say Gazans in south under Israeli bombardment
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza (Reuters)/Arafat Barbakh and Nidal al-Mughrabi/Sat, December 2, 2023 .
Under aerial bombardment from Israel, people sheltering in the south of the Gaza Strip after fleeing their homes earlier in the war said on Saturday they had nowhere safe to go now.The city of Khan Younis is the focus of Israeli air strikes and artillery fire after fighting resumed on Friday following the collapse of a week-long truce. Its population has swelled in recent weeks as several hundred thousand people from the northern Gaza Strip have fled south. Some are camping in tents, others in schools. Some are sleeping in stairwells or outside the few hospitals operating in the city. A World Health Organisation official said on Friday that one of the hospitals was "like a horror movie" as hundreds of wounded children and adults waited for treatment. Abu Wael Nasrallah, 80, scoffed at the Israeli army's latest order to move further south to Rafah, bordering Egypt. Children were injured in Israeli strikes in the town on Friday. The message was delivered via leaflets dropped from the sky over several districts Khan Younis. "This is nonsense," Nasrallah told Reuters. He had heeded Israeli evacuation orders and moved from the northern Gaza Strip earlier in the war that broke out on Oct. 7 when Hamas militants crossed into Israel and killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Some 193 Palestinians had been killed since the truce expired, the Gaza health ministry said on Saturday, adding to the death toll of more than 15,000 Gazans announced by Palestinian health authorities. He and his family would stay put because they had already lost everything. "There is nothing left to fear. Our homes are gone, our property is gone, our money is gone, our sons have been killed, some are handicapped. What is left to cry for?" A mother of four, who gave her name as Samira, said she had fled south from Gaza City with her children after Israel began bombing there last month. They now shelter with friends in a home west of Khan Younis. She said Friday night had been one of the most terrifying since she arrived: "A night of horror."She and other residents said they feared the intensity of the bombing in Khan Younis and the nearby city of Deir al-Balah meant Israel's ground invasion of the south was imminent. Another man, who gave his name as Yamen, said he and his wife and six children had fled the north weeks ago and were sleeping in a school."Where to after Deir al Abalah, after Khan Younis?" he said. "I don't know where to take my family." The U.N. estimates that up to 1.8 million people in the Gaza Strip - or nearly 80% of the population - have been forced to flee during Israel's devastating bombing campaign. Israel has sworn to annihilate Gaza-based Hamas in response to the Oct. 7 rampage by the militant group, when Israel says gunmen killed 1,200 people.

Mossad team leaves Qatar as talks to renew truce hit impasse
December 2, 2023/JNS
The Israeli spy agency thanked Washington, Cairo and Doha for mediation efforts that resulted in over 100 hostages freed during a week-long ceasefire. Mossad agents negotiating the potential renewal of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas left Qatar on Saturday due to an impasse in the talks.“Due to the impasse in negotiations and following instructions from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mossad chief David Barnea ordered his team in Doha to return to Israel,” according to a statement released by the premier’s office on behalf of the spy agency. “The Hamas terror group did not fulfill its obligations under the agreement, including releasing all the women and children in accordance with a list provided to Hamas and approved by it,” the statement added. “[Barnea] thanks the head of the CIA, Egypt’s intelligence minister and the prime minister of Qatar for their partnership in the tremendous mediation efforts that led to the release of 84 women and children from Gaza, in addition to 24 foreign nationals,” concluded the statement. The IDF resumed combat operations in Gaza on Friday morning after Hamas broke a week-long ceasefire by firing rockets at the Jewish state. Barnea has repeatedly flown to Doha to hold discussions aimed at securing the release of additional hostages held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza. On Tuesday, The Washington Post reported that CIA director William Burns was pushing for a future truce deal that would include the release of male hostages and Israel Defense Forces personnel held captive by Hamas. Amid renewed fighting, Israel’s government said it remains committed to seeing that all the hostages return home. According to the latest numbers, 137 remain in captivity. Of those, 20 are women and 117 are men. They include 126 Israelis and 11 foreigners. Hamas terrorists killed at least 1,200 people during its Oct. 7 attack on Israeli communities near the Gaza border.

Israel-Hamas war: Mossad negotiators leave Qatar as truce talks hit 'dead end'
The Telegraph/December 2, 2023
Israel has pulled out of negotiations for a new truce with Hamas after they reached an “impasse”.Officials from the Mossad intelligence agency had been in talks with Qatari mediators in Doha about a new ceasefire deal that would have seen more hostages released. “Following the impasse in the negotiations and at the direction of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, David Barnea, head of the Mossad, ordered his team in Doha to return to Israel,” Mr Netanyahu’s office said in a statement on behalf of the agency. The statement also praised the “tremendous mediation efforts” of Qatar, Egypt and the CIA for securing the release of 108 hostages. Israel says 136 hostages remain in Hamas captivity.

Harris says US will not permit forced relocation of Palestinians from Gaza
LBCI/December 2, 2023
The United States reassured Egypt that it will not allow the relocation of Palestinians. According to the White House, US Vice President Kamala Harris affirmed to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi that Washington will not permit the forced relocation of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip or the West Bank, the blockade of Gaza, or the redrawing of its boundaries.

Israelis Are Angry at Netanyahu, but Chances of His Ouster Are Slim
Sheera Frenkel/The New York Times Company/December 2, 2023
TEL AVIV, Israel — Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has weathered many controversies, including accusations of corruption and allegations this year that a contentious overhaul of the country’s judiciary was a poorly disguised power grab. But he now faces the greatest crisis of his political career. The backlash to his government’s failures to prevent the Oct. 7 Hamas-led terrorist attack, in which 1,200 people were killed and more than 240 others taken hostage, and criticism of his handling of the war in the Gaza Strip are steadily growing. People inside Netanyahu’s government and those who hope to see him replaced agree that his standing has never been so low with the Israeli public. Sign up for And yet — owing to the complexities of Israel’s parliamentary system and the vagaries of war — few paths exist for Netanyahu to be ousted soon from office. His long-term political prospects and his legacy, however, rest largely on how he handles the coming days, analysts said.
In recent days and weeks, vigils for slain Israelis have turned into protests over Netanyahu’s leadership. Calls for him to take responsibility for the intelligence failures that preceded the Hamas attack have morphed into a campaign seeking his resignation.
A far-right member of his governing coalition, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has threatened to topple the government. Members of Netanyahu’s own Likud party have talked about defecting, according to two senior party members. And the United States, Israel’s closest and most important ally, has begun pushing the prime minister to limit the number of civilian deaths in Gaza. As the war entered a new phase Friday after the collapse of a seven-day truce and the start of a renewed Israeli air campaign, Netanyahu is searching for a solution — including the potential assassination of Hamas’ top leader in Gaza — that could appease his coalition, silence his critics and satisfy a population desperate for him to bring home the remaining hostages from Gaza and defeat Hamas. In a statement to reporters Friday, Netanyahu said that he was committed to “destroying Hamas.” Privately, he has told aides that he is pushing for the military to assassinate the head of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, according to a current Israeli official and a former one who have spoken with the prime minister in recent days. Netanyahu believes, the officials said, that the assassination of Sinwar, the presumed mastermind of the Oct. 7 attacks, would be enough to convince the Israeli public that a major victory had been won against Hamas and the war can end.
Israeli political analysts said Sinwar’s death could stem but not reverse the tide of public anger directed at Netanyahu. “If the Israeli military succeeded in assassinating a major Hamas figure, I expect Netanyahu would seek to take credit,” said Anshel Pfeffer, a columnist for Haaretz newspaper and the author of “Bibi: The Turbulent Life and Times of Benjamin Netanyahu.” Pfeffer added that despite the many past scandals that have rocked Netanyahu’s reputation, he has always managed to save his political skin.
For much of the past year, hundreds of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets to protest the prime minister’s plans for a judicial overhaul. Many Israelis see the changes as tied to Netanyahu’s ongoing trial on charges of corruption, though he has denied any connection between the two.
In a Sept. 7 poll by Kan, Israel’s public broadcaster, 75% of respondents said that they believed that Netanyahu’s government was “not functioning well.”In the weeks since the start of the war, Netanyahu’s numbers have steadily dropped. In a poll released Friday by the Israeli newspaper Ma’ariv, 30% of respondents said that Netanyahu was best fit to serve as prime minister, while 49% preferred his closest political rival, Benny Gantz, a former defense minister. The same poll found that support for Likud had also fallen. In Israel, governments are formed through a multiparty system based on which party can cobble together a majority of at least 61 seats in the 120-seat Parliament. Netanyahu’s coalition currently holds 74 seats. To topple him, at least 13 members of Parliament would need to leave his coalition, or a no-confidence vote would have to be held in the Legislature, with another candidate selected to replace Netanyahu. Aviv Bushinsky, a former political adviser to Netanyahu, said that neither scenario was likely. “Almost everyone you speak to today will tell you the same thing: that Netanyahu must step down from office; he cannot continue to lead this country,” said Bushinsky. “And yet, at the same time, there is a very real scenario in which he remains prime minister despite his unpopularity because of the difficulty in replacing or removing him.” Bushinsky said that some members of Netanyahu’s Likud party had spoken about splintering to form their own party, but they were unlikely to do so in the midst of a war. “People are only going to strike while the iron is hot,” Bushinsky said. “It’s not just about them leaving Likud; it is about them being able to put together their own coalition of 61 people who will support them. I just don’t see a political constellation like that which will work.”Israeli political sentiment, he added, has shifted to the right since Oct. 7. Any future election, he predicted, could be won only by a right-wing candidate who was seen as a strong military leader. Many of the Israelis who gathered Friday afternoon in Tel Aviv’s so-called Hostage Square agreed with Bushinsky. The large area outside the Tel Aviv Art Museum has become a regular site of protest, mourning and celebration for the families of those abducted from Israel and taken to Gaza on Oct. 7. On Thursday, Moran Gal, 24, and her boyfriend came to the square to cheer and celebrate the return of eight Israeli hostages. But by Friday, with the cease-fire ended and reports trickling out that some of the oldest hostages held by Hamas had been killed, Gal had tears on her face.“This is all Bibi’s fault,” said Gal, a student, using Netanyahu’s nickname. “How come he hasn’t apologized? How come he hasn’t admitted he failed us?”In Jerusalem, where almost-daily protests have been held in front of Parliament calling for Netanyahu’s resignation, hundreds gathered Thursday night to listen to Eran Litman, whose daughter was killed Oct. 7. Litman accused the Israeli prime minister of failing to protect his daughter and of returning to war in Gaza instead of saving the lives of additional Israeli hostages. “He only thinks about himself, not about his country,” Litman said. “Shame,” a crowd of hundreds thundered each time he mentioned Netanyahu’s name.

Israel wants 'security envelope', no Hamas on border after war, official says
JERUSALEM (Reuters)/December 2, 2023
Israel will seek a "security envelope" with special zones and arrangements that will prevent Hamas from being positioned on its border after the war in Gaza is over, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday. On Friday, Reuters reported that Israel has informed several Arab states that it wants to carve out a buffer zone on the Palestinian side of Gaza's border to prevent future attacks as part of proposals for the coastal enclave after the war ends. Asked whether Israel was indeed seeking such a buffer zone, senior adviser Mark Regev told reporters: "Israel will have to have a security envelope. We can never again allow terrorists to cross the border and butcher our people the way they did on October 7." Israel has suggested in the past it was considering a buffer zone inside Gaza, but the sources who spoke with Reuters said it was now presenting them to Arab states as part of its future security plans for Gaza. "If you ask me about a buffer zone, let me be clear; you won't have a situation in the future where you can have Hamas terrorists on the border, directly on the border, positioned just to cross over and kill our people again," Regev said. "That is not Israel taking territory from Gaza," said Regev. "On the contrary, that is creating security zones where you have a special situation on the ground which limits the ability of people to enter Israel to kill our people. It's common sense." According to three regional sources, Israel related its plans to its neighbours Egypt and Jordan, along with the United Arab Emirates, which normalised ties with Israel in 2020. They also said Saudi Arabia, which does not have ties with Israel and which halted a U.S.-mediated normalisation process after the Gaza war erupted on Oct. 7, had been informed. The conflict broke out on Oct. 7 when Hamas militants crossed into southern Israel and killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in a rampage against kibbutzim and other communities. More than 200 hostages were taken back into Gaza. Israel, vowing to wipe out Hamas once and for all, responded with a bombing campaign and ground offensive which has destroyed large areas of Gaza and killed, according to the enclave's health ministry, more than 15,000 people.

France's Macron says he is going to Qatar to work on new Gaza truce
Reuters/December 2, 2023
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday that France was "very concerned" by the resumption of violence in Gaza and that he was heading to Qatar to help in efforts to kickstart a new truce ahead of a ceasefire. Macron also told a press conference at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai that the situation required the doubling down on efforts to obtain a lasting ceasefire and the freeing of all hostages. A temporary truce between Israel and Hamas collapsed on Friday after mediators were unable to extend the pause. Israel and Hamas have traded blame over the collapse. Macron also urged Israel to clarify its goals towards Hamas. "We are at a moment when Israeli authorities must more precisely define their objectives and their final goal: the total destruction of Hamas, does anyone think it is possible? If this is the case, the war will last 10 years," he said. "There is no lasting security for Israel in the region if its security is achieved at the cost of Palestinian lives and thus of the resentment of public opinions in the region. Let's be collectively lucid," Macron added. Asked for a response to that remark, Mark Regev, a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told reporters Israel does not want to see Gaza civilians caught in the crossfire as battles resume. "Israel is targeting Hamas, a brutal terrorist organization that has committed the most horrific violence against innocent civilians. Israel is making a maximum effort to safeguard Gaza's civilians," said Regev.

Experts, advocates deeply divided on question of 'genocide' in Gaza
CBC/ December 2, 2023
A growing number of academics, legal scholars and governments are accusing the Israeli government of carrying out a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
The word "genocide" is seen and heard at pro-Palestinian protests across Canada and the U.S. A rally in Toronto was attended by a coalition called Jews Say No to Genocide. In the U.S., members of the group Jewish Voice for Peace have accused Israel of carrying out a genocide in their names. Globally, too, the word is being used more frequently. The presidents of Colombia and South Africa have levelled the accusation. Last week, a group of UN human rights special rapporteurs warned of a "genocide in the making." Last month, a UN human rights official resigned from his post, calling the situation a "textbook case of genocide."
Why are some using the term?
The term was codified by the UN in the 1948 Genocide Convention and defined as "acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such." Those acts are not limited to killing members of the group — causing "serious bodily or mental harm," among other actions, can also constitute genocide. Since Hamas's Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, which killed an estimated 1,200 people, Israel has killed around 14,000 people in Gaza and displaced 1.5 million more, according to the UN. Two-thirds of the dead are estimated to be women and children. But a high death toll alone is not proof of genocide. Legal experts say one key element is intent. "The intent that we have observed is extensive and it comes from all quarters of the Israeli state," said Anisha Patel, a legal researcher with the group Law for Palestine — which provides legal analysis on international law as it relates to Palestinians. Patel says it has identified more than 400 instances "from all levels of the Israeli elite" expressing what the organization considers evidence of genocidal intent. They include statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately following the Oct. 7 massacre, in which he described Gaza as "the city of evil." "We will turn all the places in which Hamas deploys and hides into ruins. I am telling the people of Gaza — get out of there now. We will act everywhere and with full power," Netanyahu said in a televised statement. The UN, the World Health Organization, the International Red Cross and other international groups, have repeatedly stated that Palestinians in Gaza have nowhere safe to go. Raz Segal, associate professor of holocaust and genocide studies at Stockton University in New Jersey, said there are "dozens of pieces of evidence that show intent to destroy," per the UN convention. "Israeli leaders and senior army officers have done exactly what they said. So Gaza today, particularly the north but not only the north, is rubble," said Segal. "We're talking about, indeed, conditions calculated to bring about the destruction of the group."
'Elements of genocidal thinking'
Adam Jones, professor political science at the University of British Columbia Okanagan and author of a textbook in genocide studies, says use of the term has erupted since Oct. 7, but that the extremes of both parties to the conflict have shown "genocidal strands and ideologies" going back decades. "I believe that the events of Oct. 7 qualify as a genocidal massacre of Israelis. I also think that the Israeli response, and indeed long standing Israeli policy towards the Gazan population, evinces elements of genocidal thinking and increasingly practice," he said. "When we see phenomena such as the massive destruction of infrastructure, the threats to clean water supply and the increasing threat of epidemic disease, all of which is being inflicted quite knowingly and with full awareness of the possible consequences by the Israeli leadership. I think alarm bells need to be going off."
Is Canada complicit?
Canadian Palestinian Muhannad Ayyash is a professor of sociology at Mount Royal University who studies violence and colonialism. He says what's happening in Gaza is "a deliberate genocidal operation" and that Canada is complicit by having not called for a ceasefire."So it is partaking in the U.S. effort to not de-escalate the situation and give the Israelis a blank diplomatic cover so that they can carry out this operation without much international pressure. So [Ottawa is] part of the U.S. protective umbrella for the Israeli state to carry out the genocide."The Liberal government has said Israel has the right to defend itself, though Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pushed for temporary pauses in fighting and called on the Israeli government to "exercise maximum restraint."The U.S. and Canada have long stood by Israel, or at a minimum refused to condemn its actions. In October, the UN General Assembly passed a motion calling for an "immediate and sustained 'humanitarian truce'" in the fighting. The U.S. voted against the motion; Canada abstained. On Thursday, an Ottawa law firm representing Canadians with families in Gaza served the government with "notice of intention to prosecute" Canadian officials who have been complicit in or "aided and abetted in war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide."The firm "thought it necessary … given the seriousness of Israel's crimes in Gaza which include the killing of our clients' family members," said Yavar Hameed, the lawyer behind the notice.
'A number of costs'
But there are those who view the accusations of genocide as not only inaccurate, but potentially harmful. Dov Waxman, chair of Israel studies at UCLA, says that while the death toll in Gaza is "unacceptably high," he does not believe the Israeli military is deliberately targeting civilians. He says he believes there is a risk of "genocidal action," but that using the term at this point risks creating a "boy who cried wolf" situation. "In order to make those warnings credible we need to not then characterize the existing situation as yet." Accusing Israel of genocide also contributes to a narrative that portrays the country as "exceptionally evil," said Waxman. "It's particularly weighty and significant to accuse Jews of perpetrating genocide as themselves having been the victims of genocide."
'Clearly not a genocide'
The Israeli government refutes allegations of war crimes by claiming the country is acting in self defence. Several times, Netanyahu has likened Israel's fight against Hamas to the Allies' fight against the Nazis in the Second World War. The CEO of the Jewish advocacy group B'nai Birth Canada, which also lobbies on issues relevant to Israel, says using "genocide" to describe the current situation in Gaza is "factually inaccurate and it is absolutely wrong.""Every country, when faced with the horrors and the savagery of what Hamas perpetrated, would act to wipe out that threat to ensure that its civilians are safe from that threat in the future," said Michael Mostyn. "That is what Israel is doing. That is clearly not a genocide."Since 2007, Israel has maintained a blockade of Gaza, virtually cutting off the territory from the outside world. According to the UN and many human rights groups, Gaza is an occupied territory. This, along with the scale of casualties, delegitimizes Israel's claim of self-defence according to some critics including Patel, at Law for Palestine. "Even if this was their defence … It's the dis-proportionality of the attacks, the absolute lack of distinction between civilians and civilian objects," said Patel.

Turkey's Erdogan: chance for peace in Gaza conflict lost for now
ISTANBUL (Reuters)/December 2, 2023
Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said that the chance for peace in Gaza after the humanitarian pause was lost for now due to what he described as Israel's uncompromising approach, broadcaster NTV reported on Saturday."We have always emphasized that we are in favor of a permanent ceasefire rather than a humanitarian break...There was an opportunity for peace here, and unfortunately, we have lost this opportunity for now due to Israel's uncompromising approach," Erdogan was quoted as saying by NTV and other Turkish media. The truce that started on Nov. 24 had been extended twice. But after seven days during which women, children and foreign hostages were freed as well as a number of Palestinian prisoners, mediators failed to find a formula to release more. Since then Israeli air strikes and artillery bombardments hae hit southern Gaza, extending the nearly two-month-old war in which thousands of people have died. The war was triggered by a cross-border killing and kidnapping spree by Gaza's governing Islamist faction Hamas, which is sworn to Israel's destruction. Speaking to reporters on his way back from the United Arab Emirates, Erdogan said that he is not losing hope for a lasting peace in the conflict adding that Hamas cannot be excluded from its potential solution, according to NTV. "We need to focus on the two-state solution...The exclusion of Hamas or destruction of Hamas is not a realistic scenario," Erdogan said during the interview, adding that he will not define Hamas as a terrorist organisation. In a social media post addressed to Erdogan, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said he was "welcome to host in your country Hamas terrorists who aren't eliminated and flee from Gaza"."We will free Gaza from Hamas, for the sake of Israel's security and to create a better future for the residents of the region," Cohen added. Separately, sources told Reuters that Israel has informed several Arab states that it wants to carve out a buffer zone on the Palestinian side of Gaza's border to prevent future attacks as part of proposals for the enclave after war ends.Erdogan also said a contact group formed by the OIC and Arab League would visit the United States to discuss possible resolution of conflict in Gaza after meeting with authorities in London, Paris, Barcelona and the United Nations.

Erdogan Defends Hamas Amid US Concerns Over Turkey’s Support
Bloomberg/Ugur Yilmaz/December 2, 2023
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated his refusal to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization, dismissing concerns raised by a senior US Treasury official about this country’s alleged support for the group’s financial operations. “I can never accept Hamas as a terrorist organization, no matter what anyone says,” Erdogan said, responding to remarks by US Under-Secretary Brian Nelson, which expressing apprehension about Turkey’s suspected facilitation of Hamas’s financial dealings. Hamas is a designated terrorist organization by the US and European Union.
The Financial Times reported that during Nelson’s visit to Ankara for talks on Palestinian militant group Hamas and American sanctions against Russian entities this week, concerns were voiced about Turkey’s historical involvement in enabling financial access to the group, particularly following an Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Nelson highlighted Hamas’s fundraising capabilities on Turkish soil for potential future attacks.The differing viewpoints on the Israel-Hamas conflict have intensified discussions between the US and Turkey. While the US supports Israel’s self-defense measures and aims to restrict Hamas’s financial backing, Erdogan has vocally condemned Israel, labeling it as a “war criminal” and positioning Hamas as a movement for liberation. Erdogan — speaking in an interview with a group of journalists on his way back from the United Arab Emirates — also emphasized the necessity of a two-state solution to resolve the conflict in Gaza. His appeal comes amid Israel’s indication of its intention to expand its campaign in the southern part of Gaza, raising concerns about a potential deepening of the humanitarian crisis in the territory. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he told Israeli leaders not to repeat the scale of destruction seen in northern Gaza. Still, the US has not threatened to attach conditions to military and financial assistance to Israel. Criticizing Western countries, particularly the US and the UK, Erdogan urged a shift from focusing solely on the perceived Hamas threat to prioritizing a comprehensive two-state solution. Erdogan asserted that such an approach could potentially mitigate issues in Gaza and mutual threats, underlining that “excluding or eradicating” Hamas isn’t a realistic scenario.

Protester critically injured after setting self on fire outside Israeli consulate in Atlanta
Associated Press/December 2, 2023
A protester was in critical condition after setting themself on fire outside the Israeli consulate in the U.S. city of Atlanta, authorities said. A security guard who tried to intervene was also injured. A Palestinian flag found at the scene was part of the protest, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said at a news conference. He added that investigators did not believe there was any connection to "terrorism" and none of the consular staff was ever in danger. "We do not see any threat here," he said. "We believe it was an act of extreme political protest that occurred."Authorities did not release the protester's name, age or gender. The person set up outside the building in the city's midtown neighborhood on Friday afternoon and used gasoline as an accelerant, Atlanta Fire Chief Roderick Smith said. The protester was in critical condition, with burn injuries to the body. A security guard that tried to stop the person was burned on his wrist and leg, Smith said. Schierbaum said police are aware of heightened tensions in the Jewish and Muslim community and have stepped up patrols at certain locations, including the consulate. Demonstrations have been widespread and tensions in the U.S. have escalated as the death toll rises in the Israel-Hamas war. A weeklong cease-fire that brought the exchanges of dozens of hostages held by Hamas for scores of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel gave way Friday morning to resumed fighting between Israel and Hamas.

Vatican says Pope Francis' health condition is improving
LBCI/December 02, 2023
The Vatican announced on Saturday that the health condition of Pope Francis is "improving," after the Supreme Pontiff was forced to cancel his participation in the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP 28, held in Dubai, due to a respiratory infection.

Breaches by Iran-affiliated hackers spanned multiple U.S. states, federal agencies say
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)/Sat, December 2, 2023 at 1:09 p.m. EST
A small western Pennsylvania water authority was just one of multiple organizations breached in the United States by Iran-affiliated hackers who targeted a specific industrial control device because it is Israeli-made, U.S. and Israeli authorities say.
“The victims span multiple U.S. states,” the FBI, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, known as CISA, as well as Israel’s National Cyber Directorate said in an advisory emailed to The Associated Press late Friday. They did not say how many organizations were hacked or otherwise describe them. Matthew Mottes, the chairman of the Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa, which discovered it had been hacked on Nov. 25, said Thursday that federal officials had told him the same group also breached four other utilities and an aquarium.
Cybersecurity experts say that while there is no evidence of Iranian involvement in the Oct. 7 attack into Israel by Hamas that triggered the war in Gaza they expected state-backed Iranian hackers and pro-Palestinian hacktivists to step up cyberattacks on Israeli and its allies in its aftermath. And indeed that has happened. The multiagency advisory explained what CISA had not when it confirmed the Pennsylvania hack on Wednesday — that other industries outside water and water-treatment facilities use the same equipment — Vision Series programmable logic controllers made by Unitronics — and were also potentially vulnerable. Those industries include “energy, food and beverage manufacturing and healthcare,” the advisory says. The devices regulate processes including pressure, temperature and fluid flow. The Aliquippa hack promoted workers to temporarily halt pumping in a remote station that regulates water pressure for two nearby towns, leading crews to switch to manual operation. The hackers left a digital calling card on the compromised device saying all Israeli-made equipment is “a legal target.”
The multiagency advisory said it was not known if the hackers had tried to penetrate deeper into breached networks. The access they did get enabled “more profound cyber physical effects on processes and equipment,” it said. The advisory says the hackers, who call themselves “Cyber Av3ngers,” are affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, which the U.S. designated as a foreign terrorist organization in 2019. The group targeted the Unitronics devices at least since Nov. 22, it said.
An online search Saturday with the Shodan service identified more than 200 such internet-connected devices in the U.S. and more than 1,700 globally. The advisory notes that Unitronics devices ship with a default password, a practice experts discourage as it makes them more vulnerable to hacking. Best practices call for devices to require a unique password to be created out of the box. It says the hackers likely accessed affected devices by “exploiting cybersecurity weaknesses, including poor password security and exposure to the internet.” Experts say many water utilities have paid insufficient attention to cybersecurity. In response to the Aliquippa hack, three Pennsylvania congressmen asked the U.S. Justice Department in a letter to investigate. Americans must know their drinking water and other basic infrastructure is safe from “nation-state adversaries and terrorist organizations,” U.S. Sens. John Fetterman and Bob Casey and U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio said. Cyber Av3ngers claimed in an Oct. 30 social media post to have hacked 10 water treatment stations in Israel, though it is not clear if they shut down any equipment. Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, the group has expanded and accelerated targeting Israeli critical infrastructure, said Check Point's Sergey Shykevich. Iran and Israel were engaged in low-level cyberconflict prior to the Oct. 7. Unitronics has not responded to the AP queries about the hacks.
The attack came less than a month after a federal appeals court decision prompted the EPA to rescind a rule that would have obliged U.S public water systems to include cybersecurity testing in their regular federally mandated audits. The rollback was triggered by a federal appeals court decision in a case brought by Missouri, Arkansas and Iowa, and joined by a water utility trade group. The Biden administration has been trying to shore up cybersecurity of critical infrastructure — more than 80% of which is privately owned — and has imposed regulations on sectors including electric utilities, gas pipelines and nuclear facilities. But many experts complain that too many vital industries are permitted to self-regulate.
*Frank Bajak And Marc Levy, The Associated Press

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 02-03/2023
Iran's Regime Soon to Have Nuclear Bombs; Hezbollah Is Next
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/December 02, 2023
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/124874/124874/
The threat of a nuclear-armed Iran must not be underestimated. Iran's regime has frequently threatened to wipe a whole country -- Israel -- off the map, and is also increasing military cooperation with Venezuela and Cuba to threaten the US. Europe, too, remains a rich target for nuclear blackmail. Iran would not even have to use its nuclear bombs; the threat would be enough.
It is high time for the Biden administration and the European Union at least to stop Iran from selling its oil. If not, much of the planet will soon see itself either in World War III or a surrender.
It would have been so much less costly in life and treasure to stop Hitler before he sent the German army across the Rhine in 1936. Perhaps US President Joe Biden is trying to bribe the mullahs not to create any more mayhem before next year's US presidential election – but the only result of such timidity is that the price goes up – with a worse war to follow. Biden would not have won WWII.
The Iranian regime, through its proxies, has already attacked US forces in Iraq and Syria at least 74 times since October 17. US retaliation – against the proxies, not Iran – apparently could not impress Iran's regime less. Someone else takes the bullet: that is why Iran has proxies in the first place... The Biden administration is not only allowing to Iran's mullahs to create a war cost-free, it is paying them to do it.
The threat of a nuclear-armed Iran must not be underestimated. Once Iran obtains nuclear weapons, it will most likely provide some of them to its proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
Iran is closer than ever before to obtaining nuclear bombs; meanwhile, the Biden administration's only policy toward the ruling mullahs of Iran is to keep "rewarding" them with billions of dollars.
After the Iran-backed Hamas terror group launched its genocidal war against Israel and Jews, the Iranian regime ratcheted up its enrichment of uranium. The regime claims it now has enough enriched uranium to make three nuclear bombs, according to one of the two confidential reports by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and seen by Reuters.
On November 22, 2023, IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi warned in his latest report on verification and monitoring:
"Iran's stockpiles of uranium enriched up to 5%, enriched up to 20% and enriched up to 60% – high enriched uranium – have all increased since we met in September with the increase of the 60% continuing at the same rate as I reported at the time of the last Board."
The regime has also barred IAEA's inspectors from entering Iran to monitor its nuclear activities. In a press briefing, Grossi said:
"Iran has ceased to implement lots of aspects and nuclear related obligations under the JCPOA [the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] and it's not implementing mutually agreed additional measures under the joint statement of March 4th."
The European Union and the Biden administration have been turning a blind eye to the escalation, ostensibly because they reportedly do not want to add "fuel" to the current hostilities in the Middle East (which Iran's proxy Hamas started it in the first place). Nonsense. This is simply the most dangerous, disingenuous, cowardly appeasement policy in modern history. The West is basically saying, "Let's not upset the mullahs! Instead, let's allow the world's top state sponsor of terrorism to continue its march toward having nuclear weapons in the hope that it will not use them."
"There is a sort of paralysis, especially among the Americans... because they don't want to add fuel to the fire," said a senior European diplomat to Reuters on the condition of anonymity.
"The picture is pretty bleak, but the fact at the moment is that there is no appetite to provoke a reaction in Iran in the context of the war in the Middle East," an unnamed senior diplomat told Agence France-Presse.
This feckless rush to appease aggressors and abdicate of responsibility for national security is exactly that Winston Churchill warned against: "Each one hopes that if he feeds the crocodile enough, the crocodile will eat him last."
Once the Iranian regime gets access to nuclear weapons, it will most likely provide some of them to its proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. The threat of a nuclear-armed Iran must not be underestimated. Iran's regime has frequently threatened to wipe a whole country -- Israel -- off the map, and is also increasing military cooperation with Venezuela and Cuba to threaten the US. Europe, too, remains a rich target for nuclear blackmail. Iran would not even have to use its nuclear bombs; the threat would be enough.
General Hossein Salami, the commander in chief of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has made the regime's plans vehemently clear: "Our strategy is to erase Israel from the global political map," he announced on Iran's state-controlled Channel 2 TV in 2019.
In case anyone had a doubt, Iran's Supreme Guide Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, published "Palestine," a 416-page "guide to destroying Israel," and railing against "The Great Satan," the United States
It is high time for the Biden administration and the European Union at least to stop Iran from selling its oil. If not, much of the planet will soon see itself either in World War III or a surrender.
The present strategy of Western powers is no different than enriching Nazi Germany during WWII or the Soviet Union during the Cold War. For the expansionist, hegemonic Islamic Republic of Iran, concessions and appeasements mean only weakness. It would have been so much less costly in life and treasure to stop Hitler before he sent the German army across the Rhine in 1936. Perhaps US President Joe Biden is trying to bribe the mullahs not to create any more mayhem before next year's US presidential election – but the only result of such timidity is that the price goes up – with a worse war to follow. Biden would not have won WWII.
The Iranian regime, through its proxies, has already attacked US forces in Iraq and Syria at least 74 times since October 17. US retaliation – against the proxies, not Iran – apparently could not impress Iran's regime less. Someone else takes the bullet: that is why Iran has proxies in the first place. The proxies – Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, Palestinian Islamic Jihad -- are Iran's human shields. The more the US and the EU give Iran a pass, the more belligerent it will become. The Biden administration is not only allowing to Iran's mullahs to create a war cost-free, it is paying them to do it.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a business strategist and advisor, Harvard-educated scholar, political scientist, board member of Harvard International Review, and president of the International American Council on the Middle East. He has authored several books on Islam and US Foreign Policy. He can be reached at Dr.Rafizadeh@Post.Harvard.Edu
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https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20191/iran-nuclear-bombs

As the military junta looks increasingly vulnerable, what next for Myanmar?
Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/December 02, 2023
Recent developments in Myanmar stand in stark contrast to the halting despair that descended upon the country almost three years ago. Not only did the despotic rule of a seemingly unassailable military junta usher in a period of civil unrest and violence, it also amplified pre-existing vulnerabilities, resulting in the catalyzation of a broad-based resistance movement. The People’s Defense Forces, a coalition of diverse ethnic armies and deposed elected leaders, has made sweeping gains in recent months, prompting predictions that the regime could be on the verge of collapse.
Anti-government forces have seized critical border crossings, disrupting the junta’s control over the country’s frontiers with China, India and Thailand. These developments, driven by unprecedented interethnic coordination, represent a massive blow to the regime’s staying power, and are further complicated by battles on several fronts against pre-2021 armed resistance groups and emergent ethnic forces.
Frequent confrontations and daily ambushes targeting the junta’s forces have inflicted troop losses and a decline in morale. The Three Brotherhood Alliance, for instance, has made significant strides by seizing substantial territory, including more than 130 military bases and strategic outposts in the northern Shan state. Alliance operations have led to the demise of a light infantry division commander and the surrender of two battalions. Resistance forces have also seized military equipment, further bolstering the insurgency movement. The swift fall of junta forces suggests there are significant vulnerabilities in the regime’s long-term grip on power, as a result of nearly three years of losses since its unpopular coup, coupled with internal decay caused by corrupt and self-serving senior officers. Since the power grab, Myanmar’s economy has contracted significantly, while the seizure of strategic towns such as Chinshwehaw, a major trade hub with China, has reduced trade revenues. Chinshwehaw is particularly important because between April and September 2021, more than a quarter of Myanmar's nearly $2 billion of border trade with China passed through the town.
Besides the economic fallout, which is poised to get worse as the fighting intensifies, the State Administrative Council, the junta’s administrative body, is grappling with severe financial and diplomatic challenges. Apart from Russia, China and a few Southeast Asian regimes, the junta is not internationally recognized. This lack of global acceptance, coupled with financial sanctions imposed by the US, is straining its resources and further weakening its position.
In some circles, there is a palpable sense that the regime’s downfall is imminent, a question of when, not if, provided the progress of the resistance does not stall or lose its cohesion. Naturally, the conversations around the latest developments in Myanmar have shifted to what comes next, including the role of the international community in managing the aftermath of the regime’s collapse. The post-junta period will most likely involve a combination of domestic initiatives and non-kinetic external interventions. The collapse of the regime could lead to a power vacuum that might be filled by a resistance coalition, given its high degree of coordination and its motivation to establish a new political paradigm. On the international front, there is potential for a rare collaboration between China and the US. Given its vested interests in the stability of Myanmar, China might step up its involvement in peacekeeping efforts. Beijing has been known to provide shelter to refugees, appoint special envoys for peace talks, and defend Myanmar over the crisis in Rakhine State.
Myanmar’s evolving needs have become a critical test for the commitment of the international community.
Given the recent souring of its relations with the junta, China might find an opportunity to increase its influence among anti-government forces by leveraging its ability to influence the actions of the ethnic armies, as demonstrated by its adoption of more robust measures against military-sponsored criminal activities along the border. Moving forward, with the junta’s days possibly numbered, China will likely maintain a strategic balance of support for both military and resistance forces, thereby increasing its influence on the two sides of the conflict.
While China initially adopted a wait-and-see approach after the coup, it has increased the pressure on all parties to safeguard Chinese strategic interests. Careful management of its relations and business engagements will allow Beijing to take unilateral actions, focusing mainly on border enclaves within its sphere of influence. Such steps, albeit driven by self-interest, can enhance China’s credibility among anti-junta forces and position it as a key player in Myanmar’s transition process.
The US, on the other hand, has had a limited role in Myanmar’s ever-evolving dynamics, largely as a result of Chinese opposition to Washington’s engagement. However, the Americans might elevate Myanmar in their list of priorities in Southeast Asia by adopting a posture and policies designed to better understand and counteract China’s influence, or at least add some degree of balance to it.
Given the junta’s lack of international recognition and the imposition of financial sanctions by the US, opportunities remain for Western nations to engage more actively with Myanmar’s resistance forces. Alternatively, the West could bet on shared interests: deposing an undemocratic military junta and Beijing’s desire to stabilize the convulsions in a neighboring country and prevent the contagion spreading. Such an “alliance” would make it much easier to utilize diplomatic channels, economic sanctions, and international law to sue for a settlement that would result in the junta ceding power in favor of a civilian-led interim authority. Concurrently, the opposition’s National Unity Government would also receive more generous and overt support, having proven its capabilities, while capitalizing on higher-level engagements with external actors.
Geopolitics and great-power rivalries aside, however, Myanmar is in desperate need of humanitarian assistance for a displaced group of more 300,000 people across the country. In Rakhine State alone, more than 26,000 people remain displaced as a result of the conflict between the Arakan Army and the military junta. The UN reports that most humanitarian activities have been suspended, rendering the situation dire not only for those displaced and aggrieved by the conflict, but also for more than 200,000 people affected by a devastating cyclone in May.
Myanmar’s evolving needs have become a critical test for the commitment of the international community to safeguarding the security of the population, stabilizing volatile regions, and protecting human rights.
Before debates begin about whether the patchwork of ethnic armed groups, deposed elected leaders, activists, and armed defense forces will be able to govern, or whether the country will descend into even greater chaos, Myanmar’s resistance needs to be given a chance. Otherwise, Southeast Asia will be faced with the next hot spot in a disordered world that is balanced on a knife edge.
*Hafed Al-Ghwell is a senior fellow and executive director of the North Africa Initiative at the Foreign Policy Institute of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC. X: @HafedAlGhwell

‘Expo 2030’... Saudi Diplomacy’s Dynamic Victories
Emile Ameen/Asharq Al-Awsat/December 02/2023
Saudi Arabia has won the bid to organize the oldest and most prestigious international exhibition, the 2030 World Expo, which was first held in London in 1852. This event has drawn a lot of deep discussions that go beyond the glee following the announcement and victory.
Riyadh has achieved this through the successful diplomatic efforts it has made as part of a vision of change and liberation to reach glorious heights. The Kingdom has been engaging with the world without self-deprecation or chauvinism. It has been confident and genuine, demonstrating an ability to innovate, renew, and constructively change. Just from the logo of the exhibition that will be held in 7 years' time, one can see where the Kingdom is heading, that it is pushing for the realization of sustainable development goals, through what has been called “The Era of Change: Together we anticipate the future.”
Beyond the minutiae of this precious victory, though it is important in any case, a question arises: Are we facing a coincidental, momentary triumph, or is this the result of a well-thought plan and a futuristic vision that has represented a roadmap for the Kingdom, through both words and deeds?'
These remarkable successes are certainly not random. They were achieved as a result of planning and programs, committing to implementation mechanisms, schedules, and deadlines, and the rise of a sincere nation with a government and people working to achieve them.
It's no secret that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia managed to realize this significant victory because of its focus on human capital, which has been put at the forefront of “Vision 2030.” It has produced leaders who recognized the significance of hosting the event and worked to ensure that it happened, turning a dream into reality.
A focus on youth seems to be the cornerstone of Vision 2030, and this was crucial to success. Soon, another global dream will be realized with the Kingdom winning its bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2034.
Saudi Arabia has succeeded in equipping its youths with intellectual skills and capabilities. They are proficient in all fields needed to ensure prosperity adding the “oil rents” that continue to boost growth.
Those shaping Saudi Arabia's future, who have ensured that it hosts global competitions and is striving to make Riyadh one of the top 10 economies in the world, understand that human capital is not only a question of knowledge, skills, abilities, attributes, and characteristics. It also encompasses how individuals can harness what they have learned and utilize their skills productively to grow the economy. From here, one can see how contemporary Saudi diplomacy, through proactivity and effectiveness, managed to snatch the victory from “Rome, the mother of the world,” as the competing Italians, with all due respect to their imperial history, and from South Korea, with its all of its innovation and development. Those who followed the speech of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after the announcement of the victory understood the future of the Kingdom. A leading role is on the horizon, and global confidence in Saudi Arabia is accumulating further by the day. This has made the Saudi capital, Riyadh, an ideal destination for major scientific forums, and the Expo is among them.
Nothing is haphazard about the rise of nations, who do so through a deep understanding of the present era. Eras are not with us or against us, as those with one-dimensional thinking imagine. Instead, we are the ones who determine our place in any given era. The circumstances of the era become suitable for movements of change and liberation depending on the extent to which we manage to positively adapt to contemporary conditions and realize the benefits of life's novelties. The reader can understand the civilizational shift underway in the Kingdom this way, as a process integrating the tools of the present era to achieve its renaissance.
The Saudi people have become a rising nation in tune with the developments of the era. It has done so by improving education, health, and the economy, taking them to heights unseen in the history of the Kingdom. The methodology of the Vision is to make optimal use of the state's human resources first, and its natural resources second, and through institutions that believe ”the human being is the cause... the human being is the solution.”The world awaits an exceptional and unprecedented edition of the Expo in 2030. With Saudi Arabia hosting it, the event could soar to new heights. Perhaps one of the most effective human aspects of this event - and this aligns with the political leadership of the Kingdom's belief in positive and active partnership with other countries - Saudi Arabia is prepared to allocate $353 million to support over 100 developing countries and allow them to participate in the upcoming Riyadh Expo. Moreover, the private sector and non-governmental organizations have committed to providing more support to needy countries - a move that reflects Saudi Arabia’s commitment to hosting a remarkable and pioneering edition of this international exhibition. Analyzing the announcement of the victory, some may wonder: Are we looking at a promotional campaign or a pragmatic, in the positive sense of the word, economic movement? According to trusted economic experts and global analysts, the 'Expo' has economic value for the Kingdom, which is currently seeking to diversify its sources of revenue and reduce reliance on oil. The Kingdom is preparing for this major event, and many of its platforms will remain on Saudi soil, not just remaining there for the 6 months of the exhibition. That was achieved through 68 initiatives and investments amounting to $92 billion that are intended to make Riyadh one of the most sustainable cities in the world. The organization of the Expo also boosts consumption and purchasing power, which positively reflects on several sectors, especially the service sector. As we see the following COP 28, which aims to save Earth's climate from the brink of massive ecological changes, Saudi Arabia is making progress on its green initiative for environmental protection and launching billion-tree planting projects. Day after day, the dynamics of positive change are becoming more evident across Saudi Arabia, heralding a better tomorrow for its people and for the entire world.

What are the chances of a permanent ceasefire?
Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/December 02, 2023
After nearly seven weeks of bloodshed, terror, and horrors in the war between Israel and Hamas, the four-day pause in the fighting, which was subsequently extended by several days, was urgently needed.
To the relief of everyone, the bombardments, the rocket launches and the shootings ceased — if only for a week. The temporary truce agreement allowed for some of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel to be released, and for desperately needed humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip.These few days of calm were the first rays of hope after one of the darkest periods in the long-running conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. But now that hostilities have resumed in their full intensity, what does this mean for the likely trajectory of the war in the days and weeks ahead?
There was no guarantee that the pause in fighting would lead to a permanent ceasefire, or even to further humanitarian truces, in the near future. However, it did signal that even though this initially seemed to be a war in which Israel would not call even a temporary halt to its military operations until it had achieved its declared objective of destroying Hamas — whatever that means — it was prepared to alter its priorities to secure the release of as many hostages as possible, even if this meant giving Hamas a chance to regroup. There is no reason to believe that, through third-party negotiations, this pattern will not repeat itself.
Moreover, the truce also indicated that despite the distorted judgment of the leaders of the Palestinian Islamist organization, which manifested itself in its most extreme form in the Oct. 7 attacks, the realization filtered through to them that it was in their own best interest to release their hostages, especially the most vulnerable among them. The pause in fighting in the past week yielded political benefits for both sides. In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government had been under immense pressure, justifiably so, to prioritize the release of hostages. The joyful sight of dozens of them returning home from captivity eased some of that pressure.
At the same time, it handed Hamas the prize status of being seen as the power within Palestinian society capable of bringing about the release of Palestinian prisoners so that they could be reunited with their families. This, at least temporarily, strengthens its position in relation to the Palestinian Authority, and enhances its narrative that the only way to free Palestinians from Israeli jails is by holding Israeli citizens hostage. While the truce agreement, mediated and facilitated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, could prove to be a watershed moment in this tragic war, the final chapter is far from being written and it remains to be seen whether it will be repeated any time soon. Understandably, much of the focus over the past week has been on the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. Nevertheless, also of great importance was the fact that the pause in hostilities gave the people of Gaza a brief respite from the horrors of war, and allowed humanitarian aid to reach them: food, water, emergency medical supplies, and winter clothing. This is aid that is literally lifesaving for hundreds of thousands of people whose homes have been destroyed or who were forcibly displaced from northern Gaza to the south.
This mechanism for humanitarian aid must remain in place and functional even though fighting has resumed; that aid is essential for the survival of civilians of all ages.
The pause in hostilities gave the people of Gaza a brief respite from the horrors of war.
Negotiations for the release of the remaining Israeli hostages will only be more complex, however. Hamas has its sights set on the release of other high-value prisoners in Israeli jails, and knows they will not be freed as long as it continues to hold the most vulnerable among the remaining Israeli hostages, including children and the elderly, some of whom reportedly have serious health conditions.
The militant group is most interested in bringing about the release of Palestinians sentenced to long terms, including those Israel classifies as having “blood on their hands” and so is more reluctant to release.
It was reported that during meetings last week between Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, CIA Director William Burns, Mossad chief David Barnea, and Egypt’s head of the General Intelligence Service, Abbas Kamel, negotiators outlined five categories of Israeli hostages for future release: men too old for military reserve duty, female soldiers, male reservists, active-duty male soldiers, and the bodies of those who died before or during captivity.
This suggests future negotiations could be prolonged and much more difficult and complex than the talks that led to the phased release of hostages and prisoners in the past week, especially now that Israeli military operations have resumed in full force.
Each side has objectives that clash with those of the other. They are likely to complicate the negotiations and, to a large extent, are behind the resumption of hostilities. The Israeli leadership argues that military pressure persuaded Hamas to agree to release hostages. As true as this might be, declaring the elimination of Hamas to be Israel’s main objective does not exactly motivate the group to give up the main asset it is left with — hostages — unless a permanent ceasefire is agreed.
Meanwhile, any deal that results in Israel agreeing to free more Palestinian prisoners on a large scale could improve the political standing of Hamas among Palestinians, not only in Gaza but also in the West Bank and the wider diaspora.
Israeli officials could have done themselves a favor, at the very least for the sake of improving the chances of reaching a comprehensive exchange of hostages and prisoners, had they toned down the rhetoric about eliminating the Hamas leadership — or in threatening Qatar, as one senior Israeli Foreign Ministry official did in a comment about settling scores after the war because of Doha’s supposed support for Hamas, a statement that defies logic at this point.
Now that the war is raging again, it remains to be seen whether the international community can convince Israel that military operations cannot continue to be conducted without regard for the massive loss of life among Palestinians and the complete destruction of Gaza, and cannot go on for much longer. There are real fears for what might happen in southern Gaza, where many of those displaced from the north of the territory have sought refuge.
It might be the case — and I hope this is not simply wishful thinking — that Israel has been reassessing the methods for achieving its war objectives and might take a longer-term view. It might realize that military force is not the only way to tackle Hamas and that achieving its objectives will primarily require political and diplomatic efforts that can guarantee a better future in which everyone involved in this conflict, and future generations, enjoys equality in terms of security, rights, and prosperity.
Even if this feels like a remote possibility right now, it is not one that is impossible to achieve.
*Yossi Mekelberg is a professor of international relations and an associate fellow of the MENA Program at Chatham House. X: @YMekelberg

Western policymakers should not dither over support for Ukraine
Luke Coffey/Arab News/December 02, 2023
Winter has arrived in Ukraine, and there is no indication that this year will be any easier for civilians than the last. Russia has been holding back its air strikes against Ukraine in recent months to build up a larger inventory of missiles and drones for use this winter. In the past week, air strikes have increased noticeably. Meanwhile, snow already covers much of the ground in eastern Ukraine. Where freezing temperatures have not yet arrived, a sea of mud covers the battlefield. This makes the trench warfare in Ukraine miserable for the soldiers on both sides of the conflict.
Thousands of kilometers away in Washington, DC, American lawmakers are debating whether to send more aid to Ukraine. So far, the US has spent around $113 billion on aid for Ukraine over the course of 22 months. While on the face of it this seems like a large amount, it equates to about 0.03 percent of America’s gross domestic product during the same period. Also, approximately $70 billion of the aid will never leave the US. Instead, it remains in the US supporting the American defense industry and creating well-paid jobs.
However, what started as a bipartisan issue in the early days of the conflict has since become a partisan matter plagued by the usual politics in Washington.
Ukraine should not despair. Even though the critics of additional aid to Ukraine are vocal, they remain a minority. Between the two major parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, there remains enough support in Congress for additional aid to Ukraine. This reflects the mood of the American people too. A poll released by the Reagan Foundation this week revealed that three-quarters of Americans believed it was important that Ukraine won the war against Russia’s invasion. This included 71 percent of Republican respondents agreeing.
When asked if the US should continue sending weapons and munitions to Ukraine, almost 60 percent of Americans supported doing so, but only 50 percent of Republicans agreed. While the lower number from Republican respondents might be alarming when taken at face value, it actually paints a positive picture.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is now in its 22nd month and US support for Ukraine is viewed by most Americans as being an initiative of President Joe Biden’s administration. So, the fact that 50 percent of Republicans still support the Biden administration’s policy of arming Ukraine is extraordinary. There is no other example where such a large percentage of Republicans support an initiative being led by Biden.
For example, another recent poll showed that only 16 percent of Republicans supported his economic policies. Also, the new speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, recently signaled his support for additional aid to Ukraine. After Johnson was voted into the job last month, there were concerns he would block or delay a vote for more US aid to Ukraine. He has been one of a handful of Republicans who have, over the past year, consistently voted against aid to Ukraine.
What started as a bipartisan issue in the early days has become a partisan matter plagued by politics in Washington.
However, since taking on the speaker’s role Johnson has shifted his position. This week he told journalists he was “confident and optimistic” that Congress would pass additional aid. He said: “Of course, we can’t allow (Russian President) Vladimir Putin to march through Europe. And we understand the necessity of assisting there (Ukraine).”
There also remains strong support in Europe for aiding Ukraine. In fact, recent data published by the respected Kiel Institute showed that European commitments to Ukraine were now double that of America’s. As a percentage of GDP, 20 European countries ranked before the US when it came to the amount of aid provided to Ukraine.Of course, there are the outliers. Slovakian elections in October saw a pro-Russian populist party form a new government. This week’s elections in the Netherlands also saw a far-right party, that wants to stop aid to Ukraine, win the most seats. In both cases, coalitions with other political parties are required before forming a government.
This means that the anti-Ukrainian rhetoric voiced by some political parties during the campaign may not translate into major changes in Ukraine policy when a new government is formed. Meanwhile, support for arming Ukraine in Europe’s larger countries such as the UK, Germany, Poland, Italy, and Romania remains strong. In recent weeks, officials from these European countries and others have been visiting Washington to make the case to US lawmakers for more aid to Ukraine.
Most Americans are worried about the bread-and-butter issues of daily life. High inflation, an increase in the price of groceries, access to affordable healthcare, and good education for children are the top issues driving US voters to the polls. In fact, most Americans do not think about Ukraine or even foreign policy issues from day to day. This is why leadership from the White House and Congress is so important when it comes to maintaining support for Ukraine.
Ukraine’s highly anticipated counteroffensive that started earlier this year has not met expectations. Russia is increasing its military spending to historically high levels and has shown no desire to enter negotiations with Ukraine. It is unlikely that 2024 will be a year of peace for Ukraine. So, as winter sets in, and as Congress heats up the debate about additional aid, the war is entering a crucial period for Ukraine.
Now is not the time for Western support to be put into jeopardy or for Western policymakers to dither on additional aid for Ukraine.
*Luke Coffey is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. X: @LukeDCoffey