Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 09-10/2024
The Killer Of Pascal Suleiman is the same criminal who assassinated Elias Hasrouni, Luqman Slim, Joe Bejjani, PM, Hariri, and many other free & sovereign Lebanese Leaders, Journalists & Activists/Elias Bejjani/ April 09, 2024
To Nasrallah, the Iranian Mouthpiece: You are the source of all the sufferings and calamities. The demise of your occupation, arrogance, and tyranny is on the Horizon/Elias Bejjani/April 08/2024
Pascal Sleiman’s Journey Back to Lebanon
LF: Three Factors Behind the Murder of Pascal Sleiman
The LF Skeptical About the Official Car Theft Scenario/Bassam Abou Zeid/This is beirut/April 09/2024
What Do We Know About Pascal Sleiman’s Murder?/Natasha Metni Torbey/This is Beirut/April 09/2024
LF says Hezbollah is at least indirectly responsible for Sleiman’s murder
Mawlawi urges Lebanese to trust security agencies, says Lebanon can't bear strife
How was Sleiman killed? Judicial official reveals murder details
Al-Rahi calls for self-restraint after Sleiman's killing
Lebanon shaken after Sleiman killing, LF says it's 'a political assassination'
Unraveling the puzzle: Investigating the kidnapping and murder of Pascal Sleiman
Unrest in Lebanon: Reactions to Pascal Sleiman's murder
The 'dark side' of Lebanon-Syria border: Understanding illicit activities, organized crime networks, and security concerns
Nadim Gemayel hits back at Nasrallah over 1975 remarks
Sleiman's murder triggers backlash against Syrian refugees
UNIFIL Fears War in Lebanon
Zahedi, Iran general killed in Syria, was on Hezbollah's top council
Israel-Hezbollah border clashes: Latest developments
Beacon of hope: Beirut's Middle East Clean Energy returns
Bassil cautions against war plot amid Pascal Sleiman's killing, warns against exploiting differences between FPM, Hezbollah
Al Tajadod Lil Watan condemns the killing of Pascal Sleiman - statement
Lebanese PM Najib Mikati adjusts duration of Eid al-Fitr holiday
Eid celebrations overshadowed by military operations in southern Lebanon
Lebanon likely to be the real victim if Iran attacks Israel/Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/April 09, 2024

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 09-10/2024
Israel strikes Syria after rocket fire on annexed Golan
Eight members of Syrian Revolutionary Guard Forces killed in attack near Al Mayadin, Syria: SOHR
Talks between the US and Israel on Rafah to take place within two weeks: White House
Blinken: We continue to work closely with Qatar, Egypt to reach Gaza ceasefire agreement
Israel's Gaza withdrawal hints at what comes next
Israel Plans Tents for 500,000 Gazans Ahead of Rafah Offensive
Israel ‘is targeting food aid for Gaza,’ OCHA says
Israel deploys C-Dome defense system for the first time
Hamas studies truce proposal six months into Gaza war
An Israeli warship shot down an enemy threat in the Red Sea with a new air-defense weapon for the first time
France, Egypt, Jordan leaders warn Israel against Rafah assault
Canadian embassy in Syria damaged in Israeli strike on Iranian embassy next door
Germany rejects allegations that it's facilitating Gaza genocide at UN court
US transfers thousands of seized Iranian guns, rocket launchers and munitions to Ukraine
Iran's FM accuses US of giving Israel 'green light' to attack consulate in Syria
Turkey imposes trade restrictions on Israel as relations deteriorate further

Titles For The Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on April 09-10/2024
The Dangerous US Rush to Save the Terrorist Group Hamas/Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute./April 9, 2024
Growing Gulf-Iraq economic ties a welcome boost for region/Zaid M. Belbagi/Arab News/April 09, 2024
Is Netanyahu leading Israel toward a strategic defeat?/Osama Al-Sharif/Arab News/April 09, 2024
Back in Memory...What Did We do Past Dictatorship?/Mustafa al-Kadhimi,Former Iraqi Prime Minister/Asharq Al-Awsat/April 09/2024

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 09-10/2024
The Killer Of Pascal Suleiman is the same criminal who assassinated Elias Hasrouni, Luqman Slim, Joe Bejjani, PM, Hariri, and many other free & sovereign Lebanese Leaders, Journalists & Activists
Elias Bejjani/ April 09, 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/128651/128651/
"Our enemies are doomed! They have robbed and betrayed, although no one has robbed them or betrayed them. But their time to rob and betray will end, and they themselves will become victims of robbery and treachery.." (Isaiah/33/01)
The ruthless act of assassinating Pascal Suleiman following his abduction by a professional team of hired killers, and the subsequent attempts to fabricate a nonsensical story about stealing his car by Syrian citizens, unequivocally exposes the true identity of the perpetrators. This same terrorist entity, Hezboollah is responsible for the murders of Elias Hasrouni, Luqman Slim, Joe Bejjani, Prime Minister Hariri, and numerous other esteemed leaders, thinkers, activists, and journalists who championed Lebanese sovereignty and freedom.
The assassins are none other than the terrorist, Hezbollah, the Iranian proxy who was behind the Beirut port explosion, perpetuate the occupation of Lebanon, instigate senseless conflicts, and boast of its unwavering allegiance to its masters, the Iranian mullahs.
The perpetrators are known, and the details of the crime confirm this reality. Furthermore, Nasrallah's blatant threats yesterday, against the Lebanese Forces, the Kataeb party, and certain media outlets serve only to terrorize the Lebanese populace. His rhetoric is a desperate attempt to silence dissent and subdue those who oppose his group's ongoing crimes, occupation, and the systematic dismantling of Lebanon as a sovereign state.
Nevertheless, Hezbollah, this oppressive, Trojan, and diabolical occupier, will ultimately fail. It will be defeated and compelled to vacate Lebanon, just as its numerous predecessors have failed, including its close ally, the Assad Syrian occupier.
By the end, definitely, the sacred land of Lebanon, cherished by its peace-loving people, will prevail.
In the realm of faith, Pascal Suleiman, the martyr, has not perished but has transitioned from death to life, like all believers who await the promise of resurrection. Though his family, his party, and the people of Lebanon mourn, their sorrow will eventually transform into joy, as foretold in the Gospel of Saint John 16/20: "Most certainly I tell you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy."
Our prayers are offered for the repose of the martyr's soul and for the souls of all the martyrs of Lebanon. Our heartfelt condolences extend to his immediate family as well as to the broader family of Lebanon and all Lebanese people.
"The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away, blessed be his name." (Job 01/21)

To Nasrallah, the Iranian Mouthpiece: You are the source of all the sufferings and calamities. The demise of your occupation, arrogance, and tyranny is on the Horizon
Elias Bejjani/April 08/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/128607/128607/
In response to Nasrallah’s boring and merely Iranian rhetoric speech of today: Mr. Nasrallah, you are the cancer, and it is either your Iranian terrorist armed proxy, Hezbollah, is 100% directly responsible for all the murders, assassinations, wars, thefts, smugglings, kidnappings, atrocities and all sorts of crimes, that are evilly inflicted on Lebanon, or indirectly they are the sole result of your Hezbollah’s mercenary Iranian occupation, corruption, and the dismantling of the Lebanese state.

Lebanese-American Organizations Condemn the Abduction and Murder of Pascal Sleiman and Hold Hezbollah Responsible
The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy/April 09, 2024
منظمات لبنانية أميركية تدين اختطاف ومقتل باسكال سليمان وتحمل حزب الله المسؤولية
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/128662/128662/
We consider Hezbollah to be fully responsible for the killing as they defied UNSCR 1559 and proceeded on to the assassination of Lebanese civilians. We demand Hezbollah be fully disarmed.”— Tom Harb, Co-Chair of the American Mideast Coalition for Democracy
WASHINGTON, DC, USA, April 9, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/
The Amer Foundation, The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy, and The World Council of Cedars Revolution all express vehement condemnation of the recent abduction and murder of Pascal Sleiman, a political activist and prominent resident of Jbeil, in an alarming incident that has rattled the local community and alerted the world to Hezbollah’s tactic of targeted assassinations.
Reports indicate that four armed individuals forced Sleiman from his vehicle at the Lahfad intersection as he was returning from a condolence visit. Hezbollah is strongly suspected to be behind this unlawful and heinous act.
A distressing WhatsApp voice note shared by a friend who was in direct contact with Sleiman during the kidnapping, captured the harrowing moments when Sleiman pleaded for his life, emphasizing his responsibilities towards his children and begging not to be harmed.
We underscore the significance of this situation, especially in a country marked by political divisions. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have issued a statement attributing the incident to a car theft gang and implicating a Syrian gang in the murder of Pascal which is believed to be a falsification of the facts. We ask the US Congress to look into this and remind them that they are funding the Lebanese Army."I have warned several times over the past few years, and communicated to members of Congress, that helping the Lebanese people to establish a free zone covering Mount Lebanon, Beirut and the north of the country is absolutely necessary. This would be an area where only the Lebanese Army and police-vetted units would ensure security and protect the population," said Dr Walid Phares, senior advisor to AMCD, and Foreign Policy Expert in Washington. "United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559 precisely orders the disarming of all militias including Hezbollah. That resolution can be applied to some areas of Lebanon where the Iranian militias should withdraw. The Lebanese populations have a full right under international law to demand a free zone and eventually to disarm the militias. The terror assassinations in Lebanon must end through the formation of a freedom zone."
[The] LAF should not run with the gang/car theft story as the official statement in the killing of Pascal Sleiman. It does not make sense, and the Lebanese people aren't stupid,” wrote Hanin Ghaddar, Friedman Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute on X. “Also, LF supporters are making a huge mistake in targeting Syrian refugees in Lebanon. They are victims of the same terrorist group (Hezbollah) that is responsible for killing both Lebanese and Syrians. LF leadership is responsible for channeling this anger toward serious political rhetoric/action. Don't fall into Hezbollah's trap.”
"Hasan Nasrallah must be brought to justice. Hezbollah is a terrorist organization on the US list and that of many other countries " said Sami El-Khoury President of the World Maronite Union.
"Given Hezbollah's control over Lebanon and the LAF's alignment with them, it is evident that Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, and their backers in Tehran bear criminal responsibility for this heinous assassination,” asserted John Hajjar, President of the American Mideast Coalition for Democracy. “They must all face justice.""I hope more members of Congress like Representative Darrell Issa clearly define what Hezbollah has done today in Lebanon as an act of terror against the free people across Lebanon," wrote Human Rights Activist and "Save Jamshid Sharmahd" Campaign President Gazelle Sharmahd on X. "Congress must take action to end the rule of terror and the brave people of Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Israel, Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan... All of the Middle East and beyond should stand shoulder to shoulder with EVERY single freedom fighter!
As part of the Lebanese diaspora in the US who have experienced firsthand the impact of the lack of government in Lebanon, we stress the critical need for a sovereign government to safeguard the Lebanese people. This killing serves as a stark reminder of how the militias' destabilizing activities are pushing the country toward further turmoil and endangering the lives of innocent civilians. "We consider Hezbollah to be fully responsible for the killing as they defied UNSCR 1559 and proceeded on to the assassination of Lebanese civilians," said Tom Harb, Co-Chair of the American Mideast Coalition for Democracy. "We demand Hezbollah be fully disarmed," "What is taking place in Lebanon is not acceptable. There is no security whatsoever and the Lebanese Army seems to be under the complete control of Hezbollah," added Joe Baini, President of World Council of the Cedars Revolution.
During this challenging period, we stand in solidarity with the family of Pascal Sleiman, reiterating our commitment to advocating for peace, security, and justice in the region. We call upon all individuals and organizations to unite in condemning such acts of violence and working towards a stable and prosperous future for Lebanon.
For media inquiries and additional information please contact team@fakhouryfoundation.org or rebecca@americanmideast.com
Rebecca Bynum
The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy
+1 615-775-6801
rebecca@americanmideast.com

Pascal Sleiman’s Journey Back to Lebanon
This Is Beirut/April 09, 2024
The ambulance carrying the body of Pascal Sleiman arrived at the military hospital in Badaro at 6:30 PM on Tuesday. The corpse underwent an examination as part of the investigation, and then the deceased’s body was handed over to his family. Earlier in the day, the Lebanese Forces (LF) announced that party-affiliated doctors would also be present during the examination. Pascal Sleiman’s journey back to Lebanon started late in the afternoon after his lifeless body was discovered on the Syrian side of the border with Lebanon. The body, which had been taken to Homs’ governmental hospital, was handed over to the Lebanese Red Cross and repatriated to Lebanese territory early in the afternoon. Upon arrival in the village of Qaa, a large crowd welcomed the ambulance carrying Sleiman’s body with fireworks and rose petals. Furthermore, in Zahleh, Pascal Sleiman was met with a heartfelt popular welcome and a traditional "zaffe,” where hundreds of residents, as well as political figures and supporters of the LF, gathered at the al-Sayde roundabout. The funeral will take place on Friday at Saint-Georges Church in Jbeil. The religious ceremony will be presided by the Maronite Patriarch, Bechara Rahi.

LF: Three Factors Behind the Murder of Pascal Sleiman
This Is Beirut/April 09, 2024
The Lebanese Forces (LF) said on Tuesday that three factors led to the murder of Pascal Sleiman, the party’s coordinator in Jbeil. A statement by the LF’s media office said, “It is firstly linked to the illegal (armed) presence of Hezbollah under the pretext of being a resistance movement, which has led to a paralysis in state institutions, paving the way for armed gangs and illegal weaponry ownership.” The Lebanese Forces consider that the main problem remains the “chaos-generating island of Hezbollah,” an allusion to the regions under the direct control of the pro-Iranian party, notably Beirut’s southern suburbs.
“As long as the situation on this ‘island’ has not been resolved, there is no point in trying to put an end to this chaos,” especially since “the absence of state institutions reinforces the presence of these gangs,” reads the text.
The second factor is “the porous Lebanese borders, which Hezbollah has transformed into a strategic route between Tehran and Beirut in the name of a united front” against Israel. “As long as the illegal crossings are not closed and controlled, these borders will remain a corridor for political crimes and the trafficking of drugs and other illicit substances,” insisted the Lebanese Forces. They stressed that “whoever maintains chaos on these borders is directly or indirectly responsible for the crimes that are committed.” The third factor is what the Lebanese Forces refer to as the “castration” of the state, including its judicial, security, military, and other institutions, which are forbidden to work in certain regions or to take up certain cases involving a personality from the axis of resistance” (Iran, Syria, Hezbollah). The Lebanese Forces also stressed that “the murder investigation of Pascal Sleiman must be clear, transparent (…), and precise.” “As long as the results are not published, we will consider the murder of Pascal Sleiman a political one,” insisted the Lebanese Forces. And they called on the Lebanese to “continue in their struggle to end the causes of these crimes.” “This can only be achieved if the state extends its sovereignty over the entire territory and monopolizes arms,” concluded the LF.

The LF Skeptical About the Official Car Theft Scenario
Bassam Abou Zeid/This is beirut/April 09/2024
The available data and evidence gathered by military intelligence support the claim that the incident involving Pascal Sleiman, the coordinator of the Lebanese Forces (FL) in Jbeil, was indeed an attempted car theft that took a dramatic turn, ultimately leading to Sleiman’s death.
Based on information from security sources, the four armed individuals in the stolen Hyundai – originally taken from the Rabieh neighborhood – tried to intercept two vehicles before taking on Pascal’s car. Despite their efforts, one car, driven by a woman, and another, driven by another individual, refused to stop. However, when Pascal Sleiman came to a stop, he was attacked and hit on the head, after which, two of the attackers got into the car and drove away. Security sources stated that based on the detainees’ testimonies, the victim tried to resist his kidnappers all while in his car, prompting one of them to strike him on the head, resulting in his death. The gang proceeded to an abandoned hotel in the northern region of Qalamoun. There, they swapped vehicles, leaving behind the Hyundai, and continued their journey in two cars, one of which belonged to Pascal Sleiman. They laid the victim’s body in the trunk and headed towards the Syrian border, where they disposed of it. Reports suggest that three of the individuals involved in the kidnapping operation were lured by intelligence operatives from Syria into Lebanese territory, where they were arrested. It has also been revealed that this mob group had already conducted scouting operations in Keserwan and northern Lebanon, aimed at car theft. Security sources affirm that investigations are ongoing to identify all those involved and whether there are any Lebanese nationals among them. They emphasize that the evidence, confessions, and circumstances surrounding this crime leave no room for doubt regarding its motive: theft. On the other hand, LF circles remain skeptical regarding the crime’s purported motive of theft, instead suggesting it carried a political message directed at the Lebanese Forces. These circles assert that in the assassination of Lebanese Forces official Elias al-Hasrouni, the perpetrators attempted to portray the crime as being a traffic accident, which could have deceived many if not for surveillance footage uncovering a kidnapping operation carried out by different groups. These same circles raised pertinent questions: What concrete evidence supports the claim that the gang attempted to intercept other vehicles? They stressed the need for transparency and demanded that the identities of the man and woman involved in this incident be revealed. Furthermore, the LF circles expressed their dismay at the fact that a car theft gang would bring along the owner of the stolen vehicle. Even if they intended to ask for a ransom, why resort to killing him under the pretext that he tried to resist them? More importantly, according to the same sources, how could such a gang have such deep knowledge of mountainous pathways, which lead them from Jbeil to Koura via Batroun, while managing to successfully avoid army checkpoints, especially the infamous Madfoun checkpoint?

What Do We Know About Pascal Sleiman’s Murder?
Natasha Metni Torbey/This is Beirut/April 09/2024
Speculation is mounting following Monday’s murder of Pascal Sleiman, the coordinator of the Lebanese Forces (LF) for the Jbeil region, while the investigation is still ongoing. As political and religious authorities advocate for calm and restraint to prevent sliding into insecurity, the imperative to understand the motives driving Pascal Sleiman’s abductors, who allegedly killed him during an attempted car theft in Al-Kherbeh, then transported his body to Syria and abandoned the abduction vehicle in Tripoli, is growing increasingly urgent. What do we know about this case?
Based on the confessions of the nine Syrian detainees, their alleged intention was to steal Pascal Sleiman’s car. “Was it truly worth it?” questions an LF official interviewed by This is Beirut. “The car is anything but luxurious and likely would not have been very profitable for those attempting to steal it,” he added, before indicating, “Considering the number of individuals involved in what I doubt was a genuine theft attempt, given the abandonment of the car used in the abduction (in Tripoli, Editor’s Note) and the driver being taken to Syria, the detainees’ account seems dubious.”
He continued, “It is mind-boggling to see so many individuals involved in the theft of an ordinary car, especially considering the owner’s inability to physically resist such a large group of abductors in an area far from deserted and unmonitored.”
The detainees’ statement contradicts this final assertion, suggesting that the LF coordinator attempted to resist the armed individuals who compelled him to exit his vehicle. Allegedly, he received an initial blow to the head, followed by additional strikes as he persisted in struggling, ultimately resulting in his demise.
“That’s not true,” claims the LF official outrageously, putting forth the argument revolving around Pascal Sleiman’s pleas as conveyed by his interlocutor, who was on the phone with him during the incident. As reported by his interlocutor, he besought his murderers, “Don’t kill me! I’m a family man! I have children!” in a desperate attempt to avoid any altercation with them. As per the detainees’ admissions, the original plan involved transporting Sleiman to a remote area within Lebanese territory and abandoning him there, intending to proceed to Syria in his car. However, unforeseen circumstances led to the loss of the family man’s life during the journey. Consequently, in a state of panic, they felt compelled to take him to Syria, particularly to the Qasr region, where another group awaited them. Moreover, the murderers claimed ignorance regarding their victim’s true identity and/or the nature of their work.
“The possibility remains that those confessing may not be fully aware of the intricacies of the orders they received, perhaps only tasked with stealing the car and, potentially, harming its owner,” estimated the LF official.
The Financial Aspect
“The narrative echoes the tragic fate of Pascal Sleiman’s predecessor, Antoine Dagher, the former Head of Group Ethics & Fraud Risk Management at Byblos Bank, who was stabbed to death on June 4, 2020, because he was dealing with sensitive dossiers,” assert the supporters of this hypothesis, underscoring that the LF coordinator in Jbeil also works for the same banking institution. They presume that Sleiman had access to similarly sensitive information. Very unlikely, explained an LF official and a colleague who has long worked with him to This is Beirut. “Pascal Sleiman served as the IT manager at Byblos Bank. Considering his position, it is almost inconceivable (though not impossible) that he would have been aware of any problematic information,” they emphasized.
The Political Message
Due to the victim’s affiliation with the LF and the incomplete nature of the available information, some speculate about the possibility of a political motive. However, such interpretations are contingent upon further analysis, as the investigation is ongoing. “Neither Pascal Sleiman’s financial circumstances, the value of his car, nor his professional position could justify a murder of such magnitude,” expressed indignantly the LF official. “We are not pointing fingers at anyone. It is for the investigation to uncover the motives and silent partners in the murder. However, if it does turn out to be politically motivated, it would not surprise us,” he went on to say. As per his explanations, considering the pro-Iranian group’s current embarrassing position locally, particularly in the wake of the war’s outbreak in Gaza on October 7, the murder of Pascal Sleiman by Syrians would serve as a diversion. Moreover, it would redirect attention from the situation in the south and the fact that Hezbollah has dragged Lebanon into a war it did not want. A political analyst closely monitoring the case echoes similar sentiments, emphasizing that “Hezbollah is in a predicament, domestically, regionally, and internationally, especially as all political forces attempt to organize themselves in light of the emergence of a new political system in the Middle East.” He analyzed, “It is within this context that Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Hassan Nasrallah, is believed to be striving to assume two roles: that of border guardian and protector of the Lebanese ‘coexistence’ formula. This is how his Monday speech could have been interpreted, according to the same source, in which he shifted the blame onto the opposing camp, accusing them of attempting to sow discord.”While awaiting further elements to clarify this matter, several questions torment us: Why Pascal Sleiman? How did the security forces fail to apprehend the abductors before they crossed the border? Why was he killed instead of being abandoned in the streets? And why did the process of handing over his body to the Lebanese authorities take so long?

LF says Hezbollah is at least indirectly responsible for Sleiman’s murder
Naharnet/April 09/2024
The Lebanese Forces on Tuesday stressed that the probe into the murder of LF’s Jbeil coordinator Pascal Sleiman should be “clear, transparent, public, frank and accurate with its details and circumstances.”“Until the results of this investigation get release, we will consider that Pascal Sleiman fell a victim of a political assassination operation,” the LF said in a second statement on the incident. It added that three allegedly Hezbollah-related factors had contributed to the crime. “The first factor is represented in Hezbollah’s presence in its current form under the excuse of resistance or other alibis. This illegitimate presence of Hezbollah has led to paralyzing the role of the state and the effectiveness of this role, which has allowed for the presence of armed gangs and armed chaos,” the LF said in its statement.
The party also blamed Hezbollah for the state’s weak control of its border with Syria and for “castrating the state’s judicial, security and military institutions through barring them from working in certain areas or on certain cases or in any matter related to any person belonging to the Axis of Defiance.” The Lebanese Army has arrested seven Syrians on suspicion of involvement in Sleiman’s murder, a judicial official said Tuesday, amid a backlash against Syrian refugees. The LF said overnight it would consider Sleiman's murder a "political assassination until proven otherwise," although the army said he had been killed for his car. Some social media users pointed the finger at Hezbollah, drawing a denial from its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. "The kidnappers admitted that their goal was stealing the victim's car," the judicial official said.
The official said the suspects told investigators they hit Sleiman with pistol butts on the head and face until he stopped resisting. They then threw him in the boot of his own car and drove him to Syria. He died on the way there. A military official told AFP that Damascus had handed over three of the suspects and was expected to repatriate Sleiman's body later Tuesday. He said the body had been found in an area of Syria near the Lebanese border which is infamous for lawlessness. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a body corresponding to the description of the victim had been dumped in an area near the border where Hezbollah holds sway. On Monday, hundreds of residents blocked roads in Jbeil, with footage circulating on social media of violence against Syrians -- many of them refugees from their country's more than decade-old civil war. Ramzi Kaiss of Human Rights Watch said Lebanon must ensure "that the investigation into the killing is thorough and transparent in light of decades of impunity in Lebanon for politically sensitive killings."

Mawlawi urges Lebanese to trust security agencies, says Lebanon can't bear strife
Naharnet/April 09/2024
Caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi on Tuesday called on the Lebanese “not to compare the murder of Pascal Sleiman” to other cases, while urging citizens to “preserve the country’s security” and show “wisdom and patience” pending the end of investigations. “The investigations will unveil the crime’s motives and they are being carried out professionally and transparently,” Mawlawi reassured after an emergency meeting of the Central Internal Security Council. Sleiman, the Lebanese Forces’ coordinator in the Jbeil region, was murdered Sunday by a Syrian car theft gang that stole his car in the Jbeil district, the Lebanese Army said. The body and the stolen car were taken into Syria after the murder and several members of the gang have so far been arrested. “The country cannot bear troubles and strife and we call on the Lebanese to show reason and depend on the work of security agencies and the judiciary,” the minister added. “We will not accept other than the full unveiling of the crime’s threads,” Mawlawi said, stressing that “Syrian presence in Lebanon should be scaled down.”“We have emphasized to security forces the need to enforce Lebanese laws on the displaced Syrians,” Mawlawi went on to say.

How was Sleiman killed? Judicial official reveals murder details
Agence France Presse/April 09/2024
Lebanese security forces have arrested seven Syrians on suspicion of involvement in the abduction and murder of Lebanese Forces politician Pascal Sleiman opposed to the Syrian government, a judicial official said Tuesday. Sleiman was the coordinator in the Byblos (Jbeil) area, north of Beirut, for the Lebanese Forces which opposes Damascus and its ally Hezbollah. The Lebanese Forces said it would consider Sleiman's murder a "political assassination until proven otherwise", although the army said the politician had been killed for his car. Social media users pointed the finger at Hezbollah, drawing a denial from its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. "The number of people arrested for kidnapping and killing... Sleiman, rose to seven, all of them Syrian," a judicial official told AFP. "The kidnappers admitted that their goal was stealing the victim's car," the official added. The official said the suspects told investigators they hit Sleiman with pistol butts on the head and face until he stopped resisting. They then threw him in the boot of his own car and drove him to Syria. He died on the way there. A military official told AFP that Damascus had handed over three of the suspects. He said Sleiman's body had been found in an area of Syria near the Lebanese border which is infamous for lawlessness. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a body corresponding to the description of the victim had been dumped in an area near the border where Hezbollah holds sway. "The body was wrapped in a blanket and had been hit on the head and chest with a hard object," the Britain-based war monitor said. On Monday, hundreds of residents blocked roads in Byblos, with footage circulating on social media of violence against Syrians -- many of them refugees from their country's more than decade-old civil war. Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the killing and called for "everyone to exercise self-control".

Al-Rahi calls for self-restraint after Sleiman's killing
Naharnet/April 09/2024
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi called Tuesday for self-control and restraint after the killing of Lebanese Forces Jbeil coordinator Pascal Sleiman sparked outrage and condemnation across Lebanon. After the army's investigation said that Sleiman was killed by a gang while they were trying to steal his car, the Lebanese Forces said they consider Sleiman's killing "a political assassination until proven otherwise" but called on supporters to stop blocking roads. "In these delicate and tense circumstances, we call for patience and restraint," al-Rahi said, as he called on the judiciary and security forces "to harshly punish the criminals."The Maronite League, the Progressive Socialist Party, the Kataeb party and the Free Patriotic Movement condemned Sleiman's killing. So did other politicians, ministers and MPs, including Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh, Grand Jaafarite Mufti Sheikh Ahmed Qabalan, and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati who called on everyone to exercise self-control, be wise, and not be drawn into rumours and emotions. In a televised speech Monday, Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had denied his party was involved in the kidnapping, accusing those blaming the group of stirring sectarian strife. "The LF, Kataeb and malicious TV stations have decided that it was Hezbollah who kidnapped Sleiman and we heard very detestable sectarian remarks that remind of civil war," Nasrallah said, adding that LF supporters tried to terrorize the residents of Jbeil and Keserwan and sent threatening messages. The Central Internal Security Council will hold an exceptional meeting today to discuss the security situation after Sleiman's killing.'

Lebanon shaken after Sleiman killing, LF says it's 'a political assassination'
Agence France Presse/April 09/2024
Syrian kidnappers killed a Lebanese local political official belonging to a party that opposes Hezbollah, in a case that shook the country. Pascal Sleiman was local coordinator in the Jbeil (Byblos) area, north of Beirut, for the Christian Lebanese Forces party that opposes Damascus and its ally Hezbollah -- which has been exchanging near-daily cross-border fire with Israel since Israel began fighting Hamas militants in Gaza six months ago. Sleiman's abduction sparked outrage in his Jbeil district, where hundreds of supporters blocked roads after news of his death erupted, according to an AFP photographer in the area. "Following up on the case of Pascal Sleiman, who was kidnapped, the army intelligence directorate was able to arrest most Syrian gang members involved in the kidnapping," the Lebanese army said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. The investigation found that "the kidnapped person was killed by them (the gang) while they were trying to steal his car in the Jbeil area, and they transported his body to Syria," the army added. The Lebanese army is coordinating with Syrian authorities to retrieve Sleiman's body, the statement added. The Lebanese Forces party said in a statement late Monday that they considered Sleiman's killing "a political assassination until proven otherwise".The party also called on supporters to stop blocking roads. In a televised speech earlier Monday, Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah denied his party was involved in the kidnapping. He accused those blaming the group of stirring sectarian strife. Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the killing in a statement published by his office. It said investigations were ongoing to bring the culprits to justice. "In these difficult circumstances, we call on everyone to exercise self-control, be wise, and not be drawn into rumours and emotions," Mikati added.

Unraveling the puzzle: Investigating the kidnapping and murder of Pascal Sleiman
LBCI/April 09, 2024
Is there a hidden link or a missing piece in the case of the kidnapping and murder of Pascal Sleiman, the coordinator of the Lebanese Forces in Jbeil and an IT official at Bank BLOM? Many questions arise regarding what prompted a car theft gang to kidnap, murder, and transport Pascal's body to Syria if their goal was solely to steal his car? Amidst these inquiries, intersecting security sources provide a narrative, stating: The perpetrators of the operation are four Syrians belonging to a car theft gang, led by Bilal D, known for previous thefts spanning from Mount Lebanon to Tripoli. On Sunday, they attempted to intercept two other cars unsuccessfully before targeting Pascal's vehicle.

Unrest in Lebanon: Reactions to Pascal Sleiman's murder
LBCI/April 09, 2024
Following the discovery of Lebanese Forces coordinator in Jbeil Pascal Sleiman's body in Syria, tensions surged in various parts of Lebanon, particularly in areas where Lebanese Forces supporters had initiated road blockades. Protests persisted into the late hours, spreading across multiple areas and witnessing acts of vandalism targeting shops owned by Syrians, such as those in Bourj Hammoud. Additionally, Syrian refugees became targets, as observed in Zouk Mosbeh and Jbeil, coinciding with growing calls for Syrians to leave Lebanon and for an end to security deterioration and criminal activities. As tensions mounted, communication efforts intensified across different levels, notably between the army and Lebanese Forces leadership, aiming to de-escalate the situation and prevent further escalation.
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The 'dark side' of Lebanon-Syria border: Understanding illicit activities, organized crime networks, and security concerns
LBCI/April 09, 2024
Along a stretch of 370 kilometers, the border between Lebanon and Syria extends from the Al-Arida point in the north to the occupied Shebaa Farms in the far east.  Throughout these kilometers, illegal border crossings witness the most dangerous operations, including kidnappings, human trafficking, smuggling of refugees, and even the trafficking of prohibited goods, stolen cars, and merchandise. Among the most perilous illegal crossings is what is known as the "Saqiyet Jousiye" (ساقية جوسية), which extends from Al-Qaa in the east to Hawsh al-Sayyid Ali in the west, covering 22 kilometers. There, crossings are named after some Lebanese clans. Additionally, twenty-five villages in the Syrian interior adjacent to that region are inhabited by Lebanese individuals, facilitating illicit operations through them. Among the most notable operations were the kidnapping of Saudi citizen Mashari Al-Mutairi and his subsequent release in a "qualitative operation" by the army intelligence at the Lebanese-Syrian border in May 2023, the abduction of Abbas Khayat and his release by the Information Branch at the beginning of 2022 after a ransom of 400,000 dollars was demanded for his release, in addition to the release of Joseph Mufarrej, which was conducted in cooperation between Lebanese and Syrian intelligence in May 2022. Additionally, there were operations where money was paid as ransom for the release of captives. Organized gangs composed of Lebanese individuals from border area clans worked together with Syrians who navigated through illegal crossings to carry out these operations, posing a significant threat to Lebanon. Over the years, we've heard about operations that rescued kidnapped individuals, yet gangs continue to operate openly while politicians and security agencies turn a blind eye. No one has provided a clear plan on how to completely secure the borders, how to engage with the Syrian regime to guarantee security, and how the clans should handle their members involved in these gangs.

Nadim Gemayel hits back at Nasrallah over 1975 remarks
Naharnet/April 09/2024
MP Nadim Gemayel of the Kataeb Party on Tuesday snapped back at Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah over the latter’s accusations regarding the side that started the 1975-1990 civil war. “Nasrallah is distorting history and the facts. The war in 1975 was decided by the Palestinian factions that wanted to eradicate Lebanon and wanted Lebanon as an alternative homeland,” Gemayel said in a post on the X platform. “Kataeb, the Lebanese Forces and the Lebanese Front took the decision of self-defense and confronting (then-Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser) Arafat and his cronies, after he waged his war from Kahale to Tal al-Zaatar and from Karantina to Qnat and entire Lebanon,” Gemayel added. Kataeb and its allies “took the decision to confront the mercenaries and the invaders who waged the war and rebelled against Lebanon and its army and institutions,” Gemayel went on to say.
“Our resistance did not launch fictional assistance fronts that bring destruction and ruin for propaganda objectives. Defense, resistance and resilience fronts were imposed on it and it triumphed. Amid what’s happening, Nasrallah is insisting on deviating attention from the series of his defeats and the failure of his axis -- the axis of terror,” Gemayel said, accusing Nasrallah of “launching a preemptive war on the Lebanese interior through incitement and spreading hatred and strife.”Nasrallah had on Monday lashed out at the Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb Party in connection with the case of LF’s Jbeil coordinator Pascal Sleiman, who was murdered Sunday by a car theft gang in the Jbeil region. “After the LF’s coordinator in Jbeil was kidnapped yesterday, the LF party, Katab and malicious TV stations decided that it was Hezbollah who kidnapped him and we heard very detestable sectarian remarks that remind of civil war,” Nasrallah said in a speech commemorating slain Iranian general Mohammad Reza Zahedi. Hitting out at the LF and Kataeb for criticizing Hezbollah over the war and peace decisions, Nasrallah accused the two parties of starting the civil war in 1975.
“Who took the decision back then? Was it the state or you?” Nasrallah asked.

Sleiman's murder triggers backlash against Syrian refugees
Agence France Presse/April 09/2024
The killing of Lebanese Forces Jbeil coordinator Pascal Sleiman by a Syrian gang has triggered a backlash against Syrian refugees.
"The number of people arrested for kidnapping and killing... Sleiman, rose to seven, all of them Syrian," a judicial official told AFP. "The kidnappers admitted that their goal was stealing the victim's car," the official added. On Monday, hundreds of residents blocked roads in Byblos, with footage circulating on social media of violence against Syrians -- many of them refugees from their country's more than decade-old civil war. Syrian refugee Abdullah, 21, who lives in Byblos, told AFP that the backlash had spread fear in the vulnerable community. "I hope that those responsible will be held to account, but not the entire (Syrian) population" in Lebanon, Abdullah said, asking to be identified by his first name only for security reasons. Ramzi Kaiss of Human Rights Watch said Beirut must ensure "that the investigation into the killing is thorough and transparent in light of decades of impunity in Lebanon for politically sensitive killings". But "the attempts to scapegoat the entire refugee population are deplorable and should be denounced because they threaten to fuel already ongoing violence against Syrians in Lebanon," Kaiss told AFP.
On Monday evening, Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the killing and called for "everyone to exercise self-control".

UNIFIL Fears War in Lebanon
This Is Beirut/April 09, 2024
Six months after Hezbollah opened the southern front on October 8 in support of Hamas in the Gaza war, UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti expressed his fear that clashes between the pro-Iranian group and Israel “could intensify, leading to war.”“The situation on the Lebanese-Israeli border is worrying,” he said, in an interview with the al-Hadath news channel. “The various parties must commit to respecting the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 1701,” pursued Tenenti. “There is no military solution between Lebanon and Israel” and “the spread of hostilities could be devastating,” he lamented. Noting that UNIFIL is in contact with the Israeli Army and the Lebanese authorities, Tenenti explained that the UN force “has sent messages in this regard to the Lebanese Army, which has passed them on to Hezbollah, as UNIFIL has no direct contact with the party.”“The Lebanese and Israeli parties have violated Resolution 1701 and the provisions of the Blue Line,” he argued, insisting on the need to “strengthen the capabilities of the Lebanese Army.” Tenenti added that UNIFIL was still investigating the causes of the explosion near one of its positions in Rmeish on March 30.
Intermittent Exchanges of Fire
On the ground, exchanges of artillery fire between Hezbollah and Israel in southern Lebanon persisted intermittently throughout Tuesday afternoon. The Israeli Army shelled the Marjayoun plain and the outskirts of Debel and Tayr Harfa, and raided the region stretching from Deir Mimas to Kfar Kila. According to al-Manar, the Israeli Army also fired rockets at the area between al-Aziyeh and Kfar Kila, targeting the debris of the Hermes drone shot down by Hezbollah on Saturday evening. For its part, Hezbollah announced that it had targeted the Zebdin barracks in the Shebaa Farms, the Doviv barracks, a gathering of Israeli soldiers in the Jal al-Alam area, and another near the al-Baghdadi position. The pro-Iranian group also announced that it had targeted a drone jamming device in the Al-Assi position. It also claimed responsibility for attacks on the Rweissat al-Alam position in the Kfarshouba hills and a Radar position in the Shebaa Farms.

Zahedi, Iran general killed in Syria, was on Hezbollah's top council
Agence France Presse/April 09/2024
An Iranian general killed in a strike in Syria's capital was a member of Hezbollah's Shura Council, the powerful Lebanese group's decision-making body, a source close to the movement said. The April 1 air strike levelled the Iranian embassy's consular annex in Damascus, killing seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members, including two generals. One of them was Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander in the Quds Force, the Guards' foreign operations arm. Zahedi was the only non-Lebanese on Hezbollah's eight-member Shura Council, the equivalent of the powerful Shiite Muslim movement's political bureau, led by secretary general Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the source said, requesting anonymity because the matter is sensitive. Nasrallah in a speech Monday paid homage to Zahedi and his colleagues killed in the strike, which Tehran and Damascus have blamed on Israel. In a previous speech, Nasrallah said his group "owed a lot" to the senior Iranian official. Zahedi "lived with us for long years, away from the spotlight, and provided important services to the resistance in Lebanon and the whole region," Nasrallah said Friday during a televised address. Zahedi, 63, had held a succession of commands in a Guards career spanning more than 40 years, and was the most important Iranian military official killed since a United States missile strike at Baghdad airport in 2020 killed General Qasem Soleimani, who headed the Quds Force. Tehran has promised to respond to the strike, which killed 16 people including two civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitor of Syria's years-long civil war.

Israel-Hezbollah border clashes: Latest developments
Naharnet/April 09/2024
Hezbollah and the Israeli army traded fire Tuesday as Hezbollah attacked several Israeli posts in northern Israel and in the occupied Shebaa Farms. Hezbollah said it targeted a group of soldiers and a Merkava tank in the Dovev barracks and another group of soldiers in the Jal al-Alam post. The group also targeted the Zebdine barracks in the occupied Shebaa Farms while Israeli artillery bombed Yaroun's forest. Israeli warplanes had targeted overnight the southern border town of al-Odeisseh. Israeli fire since October has killed at least 363 people in Lebanon, mostly Hezbollah fighters, but also including at least 70 civilians have also died, according to an AFP tally. The cross-border fire has displaced tens of thousands of people in southern Lebanon and northern Israel. Fighters from other groups in Lebanon including Hamas and the Hezbollah-allied Amal movement are also included in the total. Israel says it has struck 1,400 targets from air in Lebanon and 3,300 with artillery, rockets and tanks.Its military said 3,100 rockets have been fired over the border from Lebanon and 35 from Syria. Eight civilians and 10 Israeli soldiers have died in the north in Hezbollah rocket and missile attacks from Lebanon.

Beacon of hope: Beirut's Middle East Clean Energy returns
Naharnet/April 09/2024
Lebanon is facing tough times, but amidst the challenges, a beacon of hope shines bright. The 3rd edition of the Middle East Clean Energy (MECE) is set to take place in Beirut from May 8 to May 10, 2024. This exciting event showcases the latest advancements in clean and renewable energy, offering a glimpse into a greener future for Lebanon and the region. Why You Should Care About Clean Energy:
- Save Money: Imagine reducing your electricity bills with solar panels or wind turbines! Clean energy solutions can help homes and businesses become more energy-efficient, leading to significant cost savings.
- Protect the Environment: Fossil fuels contribute to climate change. By embracing clean energy, we can reduce our carbon footprint and create a healthier planet for ourselves and future generations.
- Boost the Economy: The clean energy sector is booming, creating new jobs and investment opportunities. Middle East Clean Energy brings together businesses and experts, fostering collaboration and growth.
What to Expect at Middle East Clean Energy 2024?
- Discover cutting-edge technologies: Explore the latest advancements in solar, wind, alongside innovative solutions like battery storage and smart building management.
- Meet the experts: Connect with leading companies, engineers, and specialists in the clean energy field. Get answers to your questions and learn about the latest trends.
- Find solutions for your home or business: Whether you're a homeowner looking for solar panels or a business interested in energy efficiency upgrades, Middle East Clean Energy - MECE offers a wealth of resources and connections.
Be Part of the Clean Energy Revolution:
Middle East Clean Energy 2024 is more than just an exhibition; it's a call to action. By attending, you'll gain valuable insights into the future of energy and discover how you can contribute to a more sustainable future for Lebanon. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of the clean energy revolution!
Mark your calendars for May 8-10 at the Phoenicia Hotel, Beirut and join us at MECE 2024. Together, let's build a brighter, greener future!

Bassil cautions against war plot amid Pascal Sleiman's killing, warns against exploiting differences between FPM, Hezbollah
LBCI/April 09, 2024
President of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gebran Bassil, described the killing of Pascal Sleiman as a "significant lesson."He stated that the incident serves as a lesson for those who supported the unrestricted entry of Syrians and for those who signed petitions against him and his movement, as well as for anyone who attacked them. Bassil cautioned against any plot aimed at starting a war in Lebanon, which is desired by its "enemies" and manipulated by them. Bassil stated: "If the murder was driven by political reasons, we all support the martyr, his family, and his party, regardless of who committed the act. However, if the motive was different, we still support his family and party. But should we start a war in the country?"Bassil said: "We don't want the war to escalate, but self-defense is a sacred right. If Israel attacks and wages war against us, then supporting the resistance becomes a national duty. Therefore, no one should try to exploit the differences between us and Hezbollah."

Al Tajadod Lil Watan condemns the killing of Pascal Sleiman - statement
LBCI/April 09, 2024
On Tuesday, the "Al Tajadod Lil Watan" party condemned "the heinous crime that claimed the life of Pascal Sleiman, the coordinator of the Lebanese Forces party in Jbeil, which threatens the civil peace with its repercussions."It called on the judiciary to impose the maximum penalties on its perpetrators and to inform the public of the circumstances of what happened. Al Tajadod Lil Watan also highlighted the threat posed by the unregulated Syrian refugee crisis, urging the government to tackle the issue in a manner that protects Lebanon, ensuring its security and stability. It also expressed its condolences to the family of the martyr, the Lebanese Forces party, and the people of Jbeil.

Lebanese PM Najib Mikati adjusts duration of Eid al-Fitr holiday
LBCI/April 09, 2024
Lebanon's Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati issued an administrative memorandum on Tuesday amending the duration of the Eid al-Fitr holiday. The memorandum stated that all public administrations and institutions, as well as municipalities, will be closed from Wednesday, April 10, 2024, until April 13, 2024.

Eid celebrations overshadowed by military operations in southern Lebanon
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/April 09, 2024
BEIRUT: On the final day of Ramadan, villages and towns along the Lebanese border with Israel were not as active as usual while preparing for Eid Al-Fitr, despite occasional periods of calm in fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli forces.
There was barely any Eid shopping in the markets, particularly in the big cities such as Bint Jbeil, Khiam, Naqoura and Mays Al-Jabal.
In towns farther from the border, to which residents of the frontline towns had fled, “Eid has no meaning as long as the firing of destructive rockets and shells at homes and anything that moves on the roads continues,” said Samer, a father of two. “The terrifying sounds of these explosions have instilled fear in our souls.”
BACKGROUNDS
Hezbollah has been trading fire with Israel across Lebanon’s southern border since Oct. 8, a day after Hamas launched an attack on Israel that has led to escalating regional tensions. More than 27,000 people have been displaced in the city of Tyre and its nearby areas, with hundreds living in shelters. The city’s markets reported reasonable shopper activity, but purchases were restricted to children’s clothing and food supplies. Maryam, a mother of five, said that “people are facing extreme hardships and cannot afford necessities for their children … because their salaries have been greatly affected by the economic downturn in the south. Additionally, the prevailing atmosphere of fear and anxiety caused by Israeli attacks has further worsened the situation.” During a visit to southern commercial markets, Mohammed Saleh, leader of the Chamber of Commerce, Agriculture and Industry in Sidon and South Lebanon, said that Israeli attacks in the region had caused a 40 percent fall in economic activity. Saleh added: “Today I visited the markets of Sidon and found them to be the most affected among the cities in the south, with a decline rate of 70 percent, while the decline rate in Nabatiyeh and Tyre is only 30 percent.
“The reason is that these two cities host the largest percentage of displaced people from the border areas, and they want to eat, drink and shop for their children.”
Saleh’s comments came as Hezbollah launched a series of operations against Israeli military sites in the southern border area on Tuesday.
According to a statement, the party targeted “Zibdin barracks in the Shebaa Farms with missile weapons, causing direct hits.” The group also claimed to have killed and injured Israeli soldiers and destroyed a Merkava tank in an attack on Doviv barracks. Israeli news websites reported the launch of four missiles from Lebanon toward Israeli army positions in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms.
Lebanese border towns Debl and Tayr Harfa faced Israeli artillery shelling, as did the village of Yaroun. A security source in the region noted “a new pattern of the rules of engagement, following Israeli threats of open war against Lebanon.”
The source said: “Any Israeli targeting of the Bekaa region in eastern Lebanon is met with Hezbollah targeting military sites in the occupied Golan, without claiming responsibility for the operations. “This is what happened after the downing of the Israeli drone, a Hermes 900, two days ago, as Israeli warplanes shelled Hezbollah centers in the Bekaa hours later, and the party responded the next day by launching a barrage of Katyusha rockets at the Israeli Keila barracks in the occupied Syrian Golan and targeting the Yoav barracks.”

Lebanon likely to be the real victim if Iran attacks Israel
Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/April 09, 2024
Iran has announced that it will respond to Israel’s attack on its consulate in Damascus last week, which killed seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officials, two of whom were high-ranking officers. Given the harsh rhetoric, it will be difficult for Tehran to back down. Iran is on high alert and so is Israel. All Israeli soldiers on leave were called in on Thursday. The question is where does Lebanon fall into this expected response?
In a televised Quds Day speech, Hassan Nasrallah, the head of the pro-Iran Hezbollah group, explained that a response is “inevitable.” However, how, where, when and the magnitude of the response are issues that the group does not control. Nasrallah also said that the situation prior to the bombing of the Iranian consulate was different to the one after it. He described the bombing as a turning point.
Nasrallah said Hezbollah must be ready and open to the different scenarios. He added that, if “the enemy” wants war, “we say to them, ‘Hello, welcome.’” This sentence drew the ire of the Lebanese. Most of them do not want war. Nasrallah said that Hezbollah has not yet used its heavy weaponry. He reiterated that, when the war ends in Gaza, it will also end in Lebanon.
While bracing for war, the group is still not showing any flexibility regarding the election of a new Lebanese president and the formation of a government. This might be deliberate, as it wants to call the shots and, in the case of any misfortune, it does not want to face accountability from a legitimate authority. For any Lebanese, this is very worrying.
Hezbollah wants to call the shots and, in the case of any misfortune, it does not want to face accountability.
Any significant Iranian response is likely to involve Lebanon. If Tehran wants to respond against Israel, the most convenient route is through south Lebanon. This would mean the devastation of Lebanon. Israel has already declared its intention to inflict major damage if a war broke out with Lebanon. And Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has previously described the country as being “on the front line in confronting the usurping Zionist entity.”
Iran and Hezbollah have been talking about the unity of the battlefields facing Israel. Will Hezbollah’s tit-for-tat attacks on Israel evolve into a major assault that will generate a retaliation? However, it is still Iran and Hezbollah’s preference to avoid an all-out war. Nevertheless, after the rhetoric of the last week, they need to respond. Could it be a symbolic response with no real repercussions, such as with the targeting of the US’ Ain Al-Asad base in Iraq following America’s assassination of Qassem Soleimani in 2020? That attack resulted in no heavy casualties on the American side. Iran is known to adopt strategic patience and not be provoked. However, the lack of an adequate response can be seen as a sign of weakness and this is dangerous for Iran both internally and regionally. Maybe this time a similar stunt to 2020 might not be enough to preserve the Islamic Republic’s prestige. Again, we do not know.
Talking to people in Hezbollah’s circle, they believe that there will not be an all-out war because Israel will not take such a step unless it consults with the US. Several analysts have been coming up with predictions on how severe the response will be. However, it is all speculation. No one really knows what Iran’s response will be. One thing is for sure: If Iran conducts a major response and not a symbolic one like it did with Ain Al-Asad, Hezbollah will be on the front line. This would make the group’s position even more difficult. In this difficult time for the Islamic Republic, the regime in Tehran has no one to rely on except its proxies
Endangering Lebanon for Gaza is one thing. Though it is not really accepted by the general public, the Lebanese are very sympathetic to Gaza’s plight. However, pushing the country into a major war so that Iran can have its retribution on Israel would be something else. This would be unacceptable on all levels.
Nasrallah, in his latest speech, again expressed total dedication to the so-called resistance axis and to Iran. In this difficult time for the Islamic Republic, the regime in Tehran has no one to rely on except its proxies. The pillar of this network is Hezbollah. Even Russia has not proven to be a solid partner. It did not intercept the attack on the diplomatic mission in Syria, nor did it deliver the Sukhoi Su-35 warplanes Iran wanted. Hence, Iran only has its arsenal of missiles and drones and its network of proxies. In case of a response, it will use its proxies. However, even if it did not do so, proxies like Hezbollah would be used to defend Iran from any potential US or Israeli attack.
By raising the stakes, Hezbollah has placed itself in an unfavorable position. As the group gets cornered domestically, its fate is becoming more and more closely linked to Iran. Hezbollah has no choice but to stand with Tehran whatever it chooses to do. So, in the case of a real response, it will be involved.
At the end of the day, Hezbollah and the other Iranian proxies were only founded to create deterrence for the Islamic Republic. As much as the group is precious for Khamenei, he would not have a choice but to sacrifice Hezbollah to protect Iran if needed. Unfortunately, the Lebanese people would pay the price for these regional calculations.
**Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on lobbying. She is co-founder of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace Building, a Lebanese nongovernmental organization focused on Track II.

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 09-10/2024
Israel strikes Syria after rocket fire on annexed Golan
Agence France Presse/April 9, 2024
Israeli warplanes struck a Syrian military position overnight in response to rocket fire on the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, the military said on Tuesday. The cross-border fire came days after an air strike blamed on Israel destroyed the Iranian consulate in Damascus, killing senior military commanders and raising regional tensions. The Israeli military said that "warplanes attacked Syrian army military infrastructure overnight in the Mahajjah area" -- around 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the demilitarised zone separating the opposing forces. The Israeli army said it identified a rocket launch from Syrian territory on Monday that caused no casualties. It said artillery struck the source of the fire. Israel has raised its military readiness after last week's deadly strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus drew threats of retaliation from Tehran. The April 1 strike killed seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards, two of them generals. The strike came with regional tensions already running high as Israel battles Hamas in Gaza and exchanges near-daily fire with its Lebanese ally Hezbollah. The Gaza war was sparked by an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures. Israel's retaliatory offensive against Hamas has killed at least 33,207 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Israel captured the Golan Heights in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed it in a move never recognized internationally.

Eight members of Syrian Revolutionary Guard Forces killed in attack near Al Mayadin, Syria: SOHR
LBCI/April 9, 2024
On Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that eight members of the Syrian Revolutionary Guard Forces, operating under the banner of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps were killed in their headquarters near the Al Mayadin city. Sources told the Observatory that unidentified gunmen entered the headquarters and killed the eight members using knives. "It is worth noting that this is the second attack of its kind in the same region in 48 hours," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Talks between the US and Israel on Rafah to take place within two weeks: White House
Reuters/April 9, 2024
The White House said on Tuesday that direct talks between Israeli and American officials regarding the planned operation in the city of Rafah in Gaza will take place within two weeks.

Blinken: We continue to work closely with Qatar, Egypt to reach Gaza ceasefire agreement
Reuters/April 9, 2024
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that the United States has not received the timing for a potential Israeli military operation in Rafah, the last refuge for displaced Palestinians in Gaza, adding that he expects to see his Israeli counterparts again next week to discuss the situation in the Palestinian territory. Blinken told reporters after meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron at the US State Department that the United States continues to work closely with Qatar and Egypt to reach an agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza. He added that 400 trucks were allowed to enter Gaza yesterday, Monday, the largest number since the outbreak of the war on October 7th.

Israel's Gaza withdrawal hints at what comes next
Sebastian Usher - BBC News, Jerusalem/April 9, 2024
The Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza announced on Sunday was greeted with widespread surprise, even as the Israeli army and government have been at pains to stress that it has no great significance. But to a world that has watched the intensity of Israel's bombardment, the idea that there was now just one brigade left in the entire enclave seemed to signify some major shift in the war. And then there was the timing of the announcement - on the very day that marked the grim milestone of six months since the Hamas-led assault on Israel ignited this latest and bloodiest phase in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. "Don't read too much into it," a spokesperson for the Israeli prime minister's office told journalists the next day. Avi Hyman stressed how small the distances involved are and that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would therefore continue to be able to take whatever action it deemed necessary, with or without troops stationed inside Gaza. As if to prove the point - just hours later, the Israeli army said it "eliminated" a senior Hamas operative, Hatem al-Ghamri, in an air strike. In the widely read and right-wing Israel Hayom, the paper's diplomatic correspondent Ariel Kahana tied the troop withdrawal to pressure on the Israeli government to agree a ceasefire deal with Hamas in the latest round of talks.
"The formal reasons offered by Israeli spokespersons for halting the war were operational in nature, but every intelligent person can see that the timing is hardly coincidental. Ahead of critical talks, the Israeli capitulation was designed - without saying so explicitly - to signal to Hamas that Israel was being very forthcoming with it from its perspective."Ben Caspit in the more centrist Maariv newspaper was even more forceful in his interpretation of the move. "If you were to ask Netanyahu (and he was asked), this was done to prepare for the promised operation in Rafah… There is a second explanation, one that has been reported all over the world in every possible language. By that account, the 98th Division's withdrawal from Khan Yunis is linked to talks for a hostage deal. "Serious media outlets around the world have reported that the conversation between President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu was dramatic. Biden led Netanyahu to understand that he wasn't a pace away from victory, but a pace away from the final destruction of the alliance between Israel and the United States."
In public at least, Mr Netanyahu has continued to ratchet up the rhetoric on Rafah, saying that a date has been set for the operation. His defence minister, Yoav Gallant, has been more nuanced, telling army recruits that now is an "opportune" time to do a deal with Hamas. But he stressed that a ceasefire would not be the end of the war: "There will be difficult decisions and we will be ready to pay the price in order to get the hostages back, and then return to fighting."The fighting is likely to continue, as Mr Gallant says, but the form it takes may change substantially. With criticism of the way the war has been conducted growing from Israel's most powerful ally, the US, the drawing down of forces in Gaza seems likely in part to be aimed at showing the Biden administration that Israel is listening to its concerns over civilian casualties and life-threatening aid shortages.
An end to bombardments that have reduced cities to rubble, as has been seen in the latest images from Khan Younis, may go some way to restoring the customary whole-hearted support for Israel from Washington. But that will undoubtedly be tested again, if the "future operations" that the Israeli army says troops are being given rest and recuperation to prepare for means a full-scale assault on Rafah where Israel believes Hamas's remaining military forces are now based, among more than a million displaced Palestinians. There may be a belief in the Israeli government and military that a significant number of that population, squeezed into barely functioning shelters, may start moving back to their homes now that the bulk of Israeli troops is gone.
But what Palestinians have found on their return to Khan Younis is mass devastation, with many of their homes reduced to rubble. They have described how Gaza's second city is now unliveable, not even fit for animals, as some have put it. So a major exodus from Rafah, which would make any Israeli operation against Hamas less likely to cause a new catastrophic toll of civilian casualties, may not be on the cards. But the "further operations" may also relate to the conflict on Israel's northern front with Hezbollah in Lebanon. That confrontation has been steadily escalating since 7 October. And there are fears that it could become far more intense, following the suspected Israeli strike in Damascus that killed several senior commanders in Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards last week. Hezbollah is closely allied to Iran and has matched the rhetoric coming from Tehran, vowing revenge. The Israeli army has recently said that it has substantially strengthened its Northern Command. So, this too may have played a part in the troop withdrawal from Gaza. Whatever the true motives were - and they are likely to have involved a number of interlocking factors - it is unlikely that Israel's military engagement in Gaza is anywhere close to coming to an end, with Hamas fighters already having shown their capacity to regroup in areas that had been subjected to the heaviest onslaught from the IDF.

Israel Plans Tents for 500,000 Gazans Ahead of Rafah Offensive
AFP/This Is Beirut/April 9, 2024
Israel is buying 40,000 tents to shelter almost half a million Gazans ahead of a ground attack on what it claims is Hamas’ last bastion in Rafah, a government source said Tuesday. Israel has invited tenders for the tents, each housing 12 people, or some 480,000 people in total, according to the proposal published on the website of the defense ministry. “I confirm that a call for tenders has been made, intended for the Gaza Strip,” the government source told AFP, requesting anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media. The Israeli Army estimates that Hamas has four battalions of fighters in Rafah, a city on the border with Egypt where more than 1.5 million people have taken refuge. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a ground assault on Rafah is planned, despite an international outcry against it. On Monday, he said “there is a date” for the offensive without saying when the assault would begin. Other Israeli officials have also claimed that a ground offensive on Rafah is being planned, after the military withdrew troops from the main southern Gaza city of Khan Yunes over the weekend. AFP correspondents reported that many Gazans have returned to that city only to find their homes in ruins. The Israel-Hamas war has so far resulted in the deaths of 1,170 Israelis, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Israel’s military rampage in Gaza has led to the killing of 33,360 people, most of them women and children, according to the territory’s health ministry.

Israel ‘is targeting food aid for Gaza,’ OCHA says
ARAB NEWS/Arab News/April 09, 2024
JEDDAH: Israel is deliberately delaying and blocking more food supplies from entering Gaza in comparison with other forms of humanitarian aid, the UN said on Tuesday. With famine looming, the claim will fuel allegations that Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war, a crime under international law.
The UN’s humanitarian agency said statistics from March showed that it was much more difficult to obtain clearance for delivering food than other aid. “Food convoys that should be going particularly to the north, where 70 percent of people face famine conditions, are ... three times more likely to be denied than any other humanitarian convoys with other kinds of material,” spokesman Jens Laerke said. Laerke also demolished Israeli claims that aid was being allowed into Gaza in sufficient quantities, but the problem was inefficient distribution. The Israeli defense ministry agency that manages the flow of aid said on Tuesday that 741 humanitarian aid trucks had been inspected and allowed into Gaza in the past two days, but aid from only 267 trucks had been distributed by UN aid agencies, of which 146 carried food. “The aid is available, distribution is what matters,” Israel said. Laerke said such comparisons were meaningless. He pointed out that the trucks screened by Israel were usually only half-full, an Israeli requirement. Once inside Gaza the trucks were reloaded, filling them up fully, before moving on to the warehouses. “So the numbers will never match up,” Laerke said.“Counting day to day and comparing makes little sense because  it does not take into account the delays that happen at the crossing and the further movement to warehouses. “The obligation is on the warring parties, and in particular ... on Israel as the occupying power of Gaza, to facilitate and ensure humanitarian access does not stop at the border.”Meanwhile Hamas said on Tuesday that an Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza met none of the demands of Palestinian militant factions, but it would study the offer and deliver a response. On the battlefront, an Israeli airstrike on a municipality building in Al-Maghazi camp in central Gaza killed the head of its council, Hatem Al-Ghamri, and four other civilians, the government media office said. The Israeli military claimed Al-Ghamri was a Hamas military operative.

Israel deploys C-Dome defense system for the first time
AFP/April 09, 2024
JERUSALEM: Israel for the first time deployed its ship-mounted defense system, called the C-Dome, against a “suspicious” target that entered the country’s airspace near the southern city of Eilat, the military said Tuesday. The C-Dome is a naval version of the Iron Dome air defense system used to shield against rocket and missile attacks. On Monday evening, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported an alert in the area of Eilat, which was targeted in February by intercepted ballistic missile fire from Yemen’s Houthis, allies of Palestinian militants Hamas. “Following the sirens that sounded in the area of Eilat regarding the infiltration of a hostile aircraft, IDF Naval forces identified a suspicious aerial target crossing into Israeli territory,” the IDF said in a statement released early Tuesday. “The target was successfully intercepted by the ‘C-Dome’ naval defense system,” it said. No injuries or damage were reported. An IDF spokesperson would not confirm whether the “suspicious” target had been a drone but told AFP this was “the first operational use of C-Dome.” Mounted on Sa’ar 6-class corvettes, German-made warships, the C-Dome uses the same interceptor as the Iron Dome, according to state-owned operator Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. The land-based Iron Dome has been used countless times to intercept rockets fired from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. That defense system costs roughly $50,000 per launch.

Hamas studies truce proposal six months into Gaza war
Agence France Presse/April 9, 2024
Hamas said Tuesday it was considering a new truce framework proposed during the latest talks in Cairo, as Palestinians returning to their homes in southern Gaza confronted the extent of destruction left after Israeli troops' withdrawal. Six months into the bloodiest Gaza war, Qatari, Egyptian and U.S. mediators have proposed another temporary ceasefire, according to a Hamas source. The three-part proposal would halt fighting for six weeks to facilitate an exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Saying it "appreciates" the mediators' efforts, Hamas accused Israel on Tuesday of not responding to any of its demands in the talks. "Despite this, the movement’s leadership is studying the submitted proposal," the militant group said in a statement. After months of fierce fighting, Israel announced over the weekend it had pulled its forces from the southern city of Khan Yunis to allow troops to recuperate in preparation for the next phase of the war, including an incursion into Rafah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday a date had now been set for sending ground forces into the territory's southernmost city, which hosts most of the displaced Palestinian population. Foreign governments and humanitarian groups have persistently urged Israel not to carry out an operation in Rafah for fear of mass civilian casualties. But Netanyahu and his military commanders have insisted victory over Hamas cannot be achieved otherwise. "It will happen -- there is a date," Netanyahu said in a video message that did not specify the timing. In response, Israel's main backer the United States repeated its objections to a Rafah operation, saying it would "ultimately hurt Israel's security", while Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant called it "the right time for a truce", even as strikes continued to pummel Gaza.
'Ruined place'
As Palestinians prepared for Wednesday's Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, those returning to Khan Yunis just north of Rafah confronted mounds of rubble where houses and shops once stood. "I came to see my home, only to find it destroyed and reduced to a pile of rubble," said Umm Ahmad al-Fagawi after coming back to the city. "I'm shocked by what I saw. Every home is destroyed, not only mine but also all the neighbours' homes."Another returnee said she had come back to find "a ruined place"."No water, no electricity, no columns, no walls, and no doors, there's nothing. Gaza is not Gaza anymore," she said. The troops' withdrawal comes as Israel faces tremendous international pressure to pause its war and allow more humanitarian aid into the starving territory. Since the October 7 attacks that launched the war, Gazans have been deprived of food, water and other basic supplies under Israeli siege. The dire shortages have been only minimally eased by aid deliveries, with humanitarian groups warning the trickle of supplies will not avert an imminent "man-made" famine. On Monday, 419 aid trucks were permitted into the territory, the most in a single day since the start of the war, according to COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body that manages the flow of aid.
Ceasefire negotiations
The war began with Hamas's October 7 attack against Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures. Palestinian militants also took more than 250 Israeli and foreign hostages, 129 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 the army says are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive against Hamas has killed at least 33,207 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The latest proposal to pause the fighting would see a six-week truce and Israeli women and child hostages freed in exchange for up to 900 Palestinian prisoners, a source in Hamas said Monday. The deal would also allow the return of displaced Palestinian civilians to the north of the Gaza Strip and 400 to 500 trucks of food aid a day, according to the source. During previous rounds of mediation, which ended in deadlock, Hamas demanded a comprehensive ceasefire, full Israeli withdrawal and control over aid deliveries. Despite months of negotiations and shuttle diplomacy, the only negotiated truce so far was in November, when 78 hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners were released. In sharpening rhetoric that suggested waning patience with Netanyahu, U.S. President Joe Biden last week demanded the Israeli leader do more to protect Gaza's civilians and reach a ceasefire. With the proposed deal now with Gaza's rulers, U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that "it's going to be up to Hamas to come through". Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told the BBC he was "more optimistic today than I was a couple of days ago" but added: "We are by no means at the last stretch of the talks." Six months into the war, Israel has faced a rising chorus of global calls to halt the fighting. Turkey will impose trade restrictions on Israel starting Tuesday on a range of products, including cement and steel and iron construction materials, in response to Israel's war on Gaza, the trade ministry said. "This decision will remain in place until Israel declares a ceasefire immediately and allows adequate and uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza," the ministry announced on social media.

An Israeli warship shot down an enemy threat in the Red Sea with a new air-defense weapon for the first time
Business Insider/Tue, April 9, 2024
An Israeli warship downed a drone this week by firing a new air-defense system for the first time. The IDF confirmed the "first operational interception" of its C-Dome defense system. The C-Dome is the naval version of the Iron Dome and is outfitted on the Sa'ar 6-class corvette. An Israeli warship shot down an enemy drone this week by firing a new naval air-defense weapon, marking the system's first-ever operational interception. The Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, confirmed on Tuesday that a Sa'ar 6-class corvette missile ship "successfully intercepted" a drone above the Red Sea, near the southern city of Eilat, during the previous night. It hailed the engagement as the "first operational interception" by the warship's C-Dome defense system. "IDF troops in the area operated in cooperation with the IAF Aerial Control Unit and the Sa'ar 6-class corvette," Israel's military said in a Tuesday statement posted to the Telegram messaging platform, which also included footage of the interception. The C-Dome is the naval version of Israel's Iron Dome, the most well-known component of Israel's sophisticated air-defense network. The system, which is outfitted on the Israeli Navy's four heavily armed Sa'ar 6-class corvettes, became operational in November 2022. It can defend against attacks from multiple directions at the same time and uses the same interceptor missiles — the Tamir — as the Iron Dome system, according to Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, which manufactures both weapons.
The company says the C-Dome has an "exceptionally high kill probability," although it's unclear exactly how accurate it actually is (the Iron Dome has a reported success rate of around 90%). Monday's incident involving the C-Dome marked the latest attack on Eilat to since Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre, which then triggered the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. Last week, the IDF blamed Iran for a drone that hit a naval base in the Red Sea port city, causing some damage to infrastructure. A military spokesperson said that the IDF would bolster its defenses in the area in response to attacks. However, Israeli warships have been present in the area for months now as Iran-backed militia groups, like the Houthis in Yemen, stage missiles and drone attacks in the region. "In accordance with the situational assessment since the beginning of the war, IDF missile boats including Sa'ar 6-class corvettes were positioned in the Red Sea," the IDF said Tuesday on Telegram. "The Israeli Navy is deployed in the area of the Red Sea and has both the defensive and offensive capabilities to engage with regional threats." Toward the other end of the Red Sea, meanwhile, US and allied warships have been defending key international shipping lanes from relentless Houthi attacks since November. American forces have also hammered the militants with preemptive strikes against positions in Yemen.

France, Egypt, Jordan leaders warn Israel against Rafah assault
Agence France Presse/Tue, April 9, 2024
The leaders of France, Egypt and Jordan have warned Israel against a threatened offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, urging an "immediate" ceasefire in its war on Hamas. "We warn against the dangerous consequences of an Israeli offensive on Rafah, where more than 1.5 million Palestinian civilians have sought refuge," they said in a joint editorial published in several newspapers. "Such an offensive will only bring more death and suffering, heighten the risks and consequences of mass forcible displacement of the people of Gaza and threaten regional escalation." The editorial was signed by France's President Emmanuel Macron, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan's King Abdullah II. The United States said earlier it opposes any assault on Rafah, after Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a date for an attack had been set. The three leaders urged that a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an "immediate ceasefire... be fully implemented without further delay" and that all hostages held by Hamas be released, also in line with the council's demands. "The war in Gaza and the catastrophic humanitarian suffering it is causing must end now," the three leaders said in the op-ed published by Le Monde in France, the Washington Post in the United States, Al Rai in Jordan and Al Ahram in Egypt. They called for a "massive increase" in aid being allowed into Gaza. Israel is under growing international pressure to agree to a ceasefire, including from its top ally and arms supplier the United States. Hamas meanwhile said on Monday it was studying a proposal for a truce and hostage-prisoner swap after talks in Cairo. Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said it was the right time for a deal, six months into a war with the Islamist militants in Gaza. But while negotiations continued, Netanyahu said a date has been set for sending troops into Rafah. The U.S. State Department reiterated that an invasion would have "an enormously harmful effect" on civilians, and ultimately Israeli security. The war began with the October 7 attack against Israel by Hamas militants that resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, Israeli figures show.
Palestinian militants also took more than 250 Israeli and foreign hostages, 129 of whom remain in Gaza, including 34 the army says are dead. Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel launched a retaliatory offensive that has killed at least 33,207 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry.

Canadian embassy in Syria damaged in Israeli strike on Iranian embassy next door
CBC/ April 9, 2024
Canadian officials are saying little publicly about the state of the Canadian Embassy in Damascus, Syria, a week after an Israeli bomb or missile demolished an Iranian Embassy annex next door. A source at Global Affairs Canada (GAC) told CBC News that Canada's embassy building sustained damage in the April 1 airstrike, including the destruction of at least some of its windows. Officials have not yet been able to assess the building for structural damage. The blast that destroyed the consular annex next door would have sent a powerful shockwave through the foundations of adjacent structures. Global Affairs has declined to answer questions about whether the Israeli government warned Canada in advance of the strike on the Iranian Embassy annex. The nearby Canadian embassy ceased operations in 2012 as the Syrian civil war worsened. GAC didn't say whether Israel checked with Canada to ensure that no Canadian personnel were on site when the airstrike hit. Canadian diplomats and other personnel, including RCMP officers, have entered Syria on several occasions since the embassy was closed. It's not clear whether they used the embassy as a base of operations. The GAC source told CBC News the embassy building remains the property of the Government of Canada. The Canadian Embassy is two doors down from the large and ornate mission of the Islamic Republic on al-Farabi Street in the Mazzeh district, which houses many foreign embassies. Between the two buildings was a nondescript consular annex used by the Iranian government.
Canadian embassy in Syria
On the night of Monday, April 1, that annex was hosting a meeting of Iranian generals and senior officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. The death toll from the Israeli airstrike could not be independently confirmed; the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the strike killed 16, including two civilian bystanders. Iranian Ambassador to Syria Hossein Akbari claimed that the strike had been carried out by Israeli F-35 aircraft that fired six missiles. The Iranian government announced the deaths of seven IRGC members, including two generals. Some Israeli reports claimed that a representative of Hezbollah was killed in the strike, and the New York Times quoted an IRGC source as saying Palestinian Islamic Jihad had a representative at the meeting. The most significant loss for Iran was that of Brig.-Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi of the IRGC's foreign operations arm, the Quds Force. Reza Zahedi was the only Iranian to sit on the Shura, or guiding council, of the Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah, and was widely considered to be Iran's top military official in Syria and Lebanon. Israel has a policy of not claiming responsibility for strikes conducted in other countries. An Israeli Embassy spokesperson declined to say whether Israel had warned Canada in advance of the airstrike. "Israel have not taken responsibility for the strike," Yifah Mivtach Greenvald of the Israeli Embassy told CBC News, "so I have no further comment than that." Iran has promised to take revenge. "The embassies of the Zionist regime are no longer safe," Yahya Rahim Safavi, senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, told Iran's ISNA state news agency. Iranian TV also published images of different types of ballistic missiles it said could hit Israel. The threats of reprisal have caused Israel to cancel all military leave and bolster its air defences.
Israeli officials also leaked news that their air force was practicing drills for strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, The Vienna Convention that protects diplomatic missions only prohibits host countries from acts of violence against diplomatic missions — Israel's strike on an embassy in a third country is not a violation of the treaty, although it does violate international conventions.Israel has long argued that Iranian government officials were involved in the deadly bombing of its embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992. In December, a French consular employee was killed along with family members in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza on a house belonging to another staff member of France's consulate in Gaza. "The house was hit by an Israeli air strike on Wednesday evening, which seriously hurt our agent and killed about 10 others," France's foreign ministry said. France condemned the bombing of a residential building. "We've asked for explanations as to why the house was hit," French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said.

Germany rejects allegations that it's facilitating Gaza genocide at UN court
Associated Press/April 09/2024
Germany on Tuesday strongly rejected a case brought by Nicaragua at the United Nations' top court accusing Berlin of facilitating breaches of the Geneva Convention and international humanitarian law by providing arms and other support to Israel in its deadly assault on Gaza. "The minute we look closely, Nicaragua's accusations fall apart," Christian Tams, a member of Germany's legal team, told the 16-judge panel at the International Court of Justice. On Monday, Nicaragua urged judges to order a halt to German military aid to Israel, arguing that Berlin's support enables acts of genocide and breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza. The head of Germany's legal team, Tania von Uslar-Gleichen, said Nicaragua's claims "have no basis in fact or law. They are dependent on an assessment of conduct by Israel, not a party to these proceedings."Preliminary hearings held Monday and Tuesday are focused solely on Nicaragua's request for so-called provisional measures, including a court order for Berlin to halt military and other aid to Israel and reinstate funding to the U.N. aid agency in Gaza. Closing Germany's arguments, Von Uslar-Gleichen urged judges not to impose preliminary measures and to toss out Nicaragua's case.
Tams said that Germany had licensed only four exports of weapons of war to Israel since October, "three of which concern test or practice equipment." He said 98% of military exports to Israel since the Oct. 7 attacks were not weapons of war, but other equipment. Showing judges a photo of German aid being airdropped over Gaza, Tams added that Berlin continues to provide humanitarian support to Palestinians "every single day under extremely difficult conditions, constructively engaging with international partners."Nicaragua's case is the latest legal attempt to rein in Israel's offensive by a country with historic ties to the Palestinian people, after South Africa accused Israel of genocide at the same court late last year. It also comes against a backdrop of growing calls for Israel's allies to stop supplying the country with weapons — and as some supporters, including Germany, have grown more critical of the war.
Speaking in Berlin, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told reporters that "from day one after Oct. 7, Germany has faced up to the incredible dilemma that Hamas deliberately entrenched itself behind civilians, deliberately used the human suffering of Palestinians and Palestinians in Gaza to expand its attack on Israel."Echoing comments by the German lawyers in court, Baerbock added that Germany is committed to international law, including the right to self-defense. "This means that Israel has the right to defend itself, like every country in the world, against these terrorist attacks that continue to be carried out with the aim of destroying Israel as a state," she said. At Monday's hearings, Nicaragua's Ambassador to the Netherlands, Carlos José Argüello Gómez, accused Germany of "failing to honor its own obligation to prevent genocide or to ensure respect of international humanitarian law." However, another lawyer for Germany, Samuel Wordsworth, argued that the court could not rule Germany was violating the obligation to prevent genocide because its judges have not ruled that Israel is breaching the Genocide Convention.
In a preliminary phase of the case brought late last year by South Africa, the U.N. court has said that it is "plausible" that Israel's actions in Gaza could amount to breaches of the convention. "How can it be said that there was a failure to ensure respect of a third state, if the failure on the part of that third state to respect is not established in the first place?" Wordsworth said. The court will likely take weeks to deliver its preliminary decision, and Nicaragua's case will probably drag on for years. Israel strongly denies that its assault amounts to genocidal acts, saying it is acting in self defense after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people. Since then, more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory's Health Ministry. Its toll doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants, but it has said women and children make up the majority of the dead. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Germany is second only to the U.S. in supplying arms to Israel — but it would be harder, if not impossible, for the U.S. to be brought before the court because Washington does not recognize the ICJ's power to compel countries to appear before it. The U.S. also has not signed a protocol to the Genocide Convention that allows countries to bring disputes to the court.

US transfers thousands of seized Iranian guns, rocket launchers and munitions to Ukraine
Natasha Bertrand/CNN/April 09/2024
The US transferred thousands of machine guns, sniper rifles, rocket launchers and hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition seized from Iran to Ukraine last week, US Central Command announced on Tuesday. Ukraine has been suffering from shortages of weapons and munitions on the battlefield in its war against Russia, with the US unable to send more equipment from its own stockpiles until more funding is approved by Congress. CENTCOM said the materiel transferred to Ukraine is enough to equip one Ukrainian brigade — around 4,000 personnel — with small-arms rifles. “These weapons will help Ukraine defend against Russia’s invasion,” CENTCOM said in a statement. The munitions were originally seized by the US military and its partners “from four separate transiting stateless vessels between 22 May 2021 to 15 Feb 2023,” but the US government did not obtain ownership of the equipment via the Justice Department’s civil forfeiture process until December of last year, CENTCOM said. It is not the first time the US has transferred seized Iranian military equipment to the Ukrainians. The US transferred over one million rounds of seized Iranian ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces in October, CNN previously reported. Over the past year, the US Navy has seized thousands of Iranian assault rifles and more than one million rounds of ammunition from vessels used by Iran to ship weapons to the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The seizures, frequently carried out with regional partner forces, target small stateless vessels on routes historically used to smuggle weapons to the Houthis. For the last year, the Biden administration has been working to legally send the seized weapons, which are stored in CENTCOM facilities across the Middle East, to the Ukrainians.

Iran's FM accuses US of giving Israel 'green light' to attack consulate in Syria
Associated Press/April 09/2024
Iran's foreign minister has accused the United States of giving Israel the "green light" for a strike on its consulate building in Syria that killed seven Iranian military officials including two generals. Hossein Amirabdollahian reiterated Monday Tehran's vows that it will respond to the attack, widely blamed on Israel, that appeared to signify an escalation of Israel's targeting of military officials from Iran, which supports militant groups fighting Israel in Gaza, and along its border with Lebanon. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an address Monday reiterated the Iran-backed group's support for a Tehran military response to the attack that killed Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior military official in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's Quds Force, and worsened fears of the war spiraling into the rest of the Middle East. Since the war in Gaza began six months ago, clashes have increased between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah. Hamas, which rules Gaza and attacked Israel on Oct. 7, is also backed by Iran, as well as an umbrella group of Iraqi militias targeting U.S. military bases and positions in Syria and Iraq. Though Israel has regularly conducted strikes targeting Iranian military officials and allies, Zahedi's death was the most significant blow for Tehran since a U.S. drone targeted and killed Quds Force chief Gen. Qassim Soleimani in 2020 in Baghdad. "I'd like to say with a very loud voice from here in Damascus that America has a responsibility in what happened and must be held responsible," Amirabdollahian told reporters in Damascus during a visit where he met his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad, who condemned both the strike and Israel's offensive in Gaza. Amirabdollahian also met President Bashar Assad, with whom he discussed Gaza and the wider situation in the region, a statement from Assad's office said. The Iranian foreign minister, who earlier that day inaugurated the opening of a new consular section in a nearby building, justified his claims by saying that Washington and "two European countries" did not condemn the attack on the diplomatic building.
He said that failure to condemn the attack "indicates that Washington had given the green light to Israel to commit this crime." The Biden administration has insisted that it had no advance knowledge of the airstrike. Washington is Israel's vital military ally.Israel, which rarely acknowledges strikes against Iranian targets, said it had no comment on the strike in the Syrian capital. However, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said last week that the U.S. has assessed Israel was responsible. Initially after the strikes, Iranian state media said Zahedi led the Quds Force in Lebanon and Syria until 2016. Then, in a public address Monday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Zahedi was a key figure for the Lebanese group, and had three four-year stints in the tiny Mediterranean country. Nasrallah, like Syria, and other key allies of Tehran, have said they remain committed to backing Iran. "It's a natural right for Iran. It's natural for the Islamic Republic to conduct this response (to the consulate attack)," Nasrallah said. Nasrallah said Zahedi's first involvement was until 2002, overseeing Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon, and helping Hezbollah scale up. Zahedi's second term covered some of the fiercest fighting in Syria's uprising turned civil war, where Tehran and Russia played a key role in backing Assad against opposition forces. Zahedi's final stint began in 2020 and ended when he was killed.
Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops have clashed along the tense Lebanon-Israel border since Oct. 8, the day after the Hamas attack on southern Israel. The Hezbollah leader said that the moment the clashes began, Zahedi reportedly wanted to join Hezbollah militants on the front line but wasn't permitted to do so. Earlier Monday, Israeli airstrikes over southern Lebanon killed Ali Ahmad Hussein, an elite commander of Hezbollah's secretive Radwan Force. Hezbollah announced Hussein's death, but did not give any details on the circumstances or his role with the group in line with how it makes public the deaths of its members. The killing of Hussein, one of the most senior militants slain thus far, came ahead of the Iranian foreign minister's visit to Syria. Israel considers Hezbollah its most serious immediate threat, estimating it has some 150,000 rockets and missiles, including precision-guided missiles that can hit anywhere in Israel. The group, which has thousands of battle-hardened fighters who participated in Syria's 12-year conflict, also has different types of military drones. In January, Israeli jets struck and killed another elite Hezbollah commander from the Radwan Force, Wissam al-Tawil, who fought with the group for decades and took part in some of its biggest battles. Hezbollah says it will stop firing rockets once a ceasefire is reached in the Gaza Strip that would end the Israel-Hamas war. Israeli officials have been demanding that the Radwan Force withdraw from the border area in order for tens of thousands of displaced Israelis to return home. Washington and Paris have been scrambling to find a diplomatic resolution to halt the fighting along the Lebanon-Israel border, hoping to prevent a new all-out war between Hezbollah and Israel since a month-long war in the summer of 2006.
The risk of war spreading to Lebanon has worsened existing political tensions within the country between Hezbollah and their most vocal opponent, the nationalist Christian Lebanese Forces party. Matters worsened Monday when the Lebanese military announced the death of a Lebanese Forces local official who had been kidnapped a day earlier in northern Lebanon. The Lebanese Army said they detained three Syrians accused in the kidnapping and killing of Pascale Suleiman as they tried to steal his car. The Lebanese Forces party cast doubt on the army's findings, saying they believed it was a political assassination.
Nasrallah in his speech slammed members of the Christian party and allies who had accused Hezbollah of being involved in the kidnapping. calling it "baseless" and dangerous rhetoric.

Turkey imposes trade restrictions on Israel as relations deteriorate further
Agence France Presse/April 09/2024
Turkey and Israel announced tit-for-tat trade barriers on Tuesday as relations between them further deteriorated amid the war in Gaza. Turkey, a staunch critic of Israel's military actions in Gaza, first announced that it was restricting exports of 54 types of products to Israel with immediate effect. The products include aluminum, steel, construction products, jet fuel and chemical fertilizers. Responding to the Turkish trade restrictions, Israel said it was preparing a ban on products from Turkey. The move came a day after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Israel had barred Turkish military cargo planes from joining an operation to airdrop humanitarian aid to Gaza and vowed to respond with a series of measures against Israel until it declares a ceasefire in Gaza and allows aid to flow in without interruptions. "There is no excuse for Israel to block our attempt to deliver aid by air to starving people of Gaza," Fidan said, in announcing retaliatory steps against Israel. The trade-restricting measures also come as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government is faced with intense pressure at home to halt trade with Israel. Critics accuse the government of engaging in double standards by leveling strong accusations against Israel while continuing lucrative commercial relations. Erdogan, whose ruling party has roots in Turkey's Islamic movement, has been an outspoken critic of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians since coming into office in 2003. The Turkish leader stepped up his criticism of Israel following its military actions in Gaza, describing Israel's actions in Gaza as war crimes verging on "genocide" and asserting that the Hamas militant group, considered a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States and European Union, is a group fighting for the liberation of its lands and people. In a post on X, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Erdogan was "once again sacrificing the economic interests of the people of Turkey for his support of the Hamas murderers in Gaza."In the same post, he said had contacted organizations in the U.S. and asked them to stop investing in Turkey and refrain from importing Turkish goods. Turkish exports to Israel amounted to $5.4 billion in 2023, according to the Turkish Statistics Office. Turkey and Israel had normalized ties by appointing ambassadors to their respective countries in 2022, following years of tensions between the two.

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 09-10/2024
The Dangerous US Rush to Save the Terrorist Group Hamas
Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute./April 9, 2024
Had the Biden administration maintained the strong support for the destruction of Hamas that it showed in the immediate aftermath of Oct 7, the fighting might already have subsided and all the hostages been returned. But every time the Biden administration weakens its support for Israel, it strengthens the determination of Hamas to raise its demands and threaten Israel, to the point that Israel cannot possibly agree.
Where are the threats and the pressure on Hamas, Qatar or Iran?
Although Hamas praised — indeed celebrated — the resolution, it has no intention of complying with its demand regarding hostages. Yet, it expects Israel to comply unilaterally with what is demanded of it.
Recent data show that it is not Israel that causing hunger in Gaza, it is Hamas: "Hamas, which has been hoarding food and stealing from Gazans, is the root cause of Gazans' suffering."
[Hamas] must be required to surrender and the people of Gaza must be de-radicalized. Any other endgame will only postpone a repetition of October 7. Except this time, with calls this week for "Death to America" from within the United States, just as terrorism came to a theater near Putin, this time it may be coming to a theater near you.
The Biden administration's drift away from full support for Israel will cost more Palestinian and Israeli lives. It will encourage Hamas to keep fighting and to keep rejecting proposals for the return of hostages in exchange for a humanitarian cease-fire. Recent data show that it is not Israel that causing hunger in Gaza, it is Hamas: "Hamas, which has been hoarding food and stealing from Gazans, is the root cause of Gazans' suffering." The Biden administration's drift away from full support for Israel will cost more Palestinian and Israeli lives. It will encourage Hamas to keep fighting and to keep rejecting proposals for the return of hostages in exchange for a humanitarian cease-fire. It will persuade Hamas that it can win its war, weaken Israel and create distance between the US and Israel. As former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo put it last month after the US refused to veto a one-sided anti-Israel security council resolution:
"Hamas, when they saw the abstention, were thrilled. The Chinese Communist Party? Happier than heck. The Russians? Happier than heck. The Iranians? Absolutely beyond themselves, thrilled that the United States of America refused to stand up for its ally. I think that's so telling. That's very risky for every American, when you see the United States walk away from its long-term strategic ally and friend in the Middle East."Had the Biden administration maintained the strong support for the destruction of Hamas that it showed in the immediate aftermath of Oct 7, the fighting might already have subsided and all the hostages been returned. But every time the Biden administration weakens its support for Israel, it strengthens the determination of Hamas to raise its demands and threaten Israel, to the point that Israel cannot possibly agree.
Where are the threats and the pressure on Hamas, Qatar or Iran?
The UN Security Council resolution demanded a cease-fire until the end of Ramadan, with the expectation that it would head to a permanent end of hostilities. The Security Council also called for the release of all hostages, but it did not condition any cease-fire on Hamas releasing a single hostage.
Although Hamas praised —indeed celebrated—the resolution, it has no intention of complying with its demand regarding hostages. Yet, it expects Israel to comply unilaterally with what is demanded of it.
Israel should not yield to these demands. It must destroy Hamas and its leadership, or else Hamas will keep its promise of repeating the barbarisms of Oct 7. No democracy should be required to take that risk with its citizens. If Hamas were to lay down its arms and stop using its civilians as human shields, the death toll would decrease. But Hamas, Qatar and Iran do not want this war to end with Hamas's defeat. They want to see the US and Israel grow further apart, and the Biden administration is playing into its hands and encouraging it to keep doing exactly that.
As soon as it became clear that the US would not veto the Security Council resolution, Hamas raised its demands, making a deal impossible. Why should Hamas agree to give anything when it is getting what it wants from the US, the UN, academia and the left for nothing in return? Although Hamas is losing militarily, it is achieving its broader goals of weakening Israel, while maintaining its ability to regroup and continue to terrorize Israeli civilians with its rockets and other armaments. And it's continuing to garner support among the young, naïve and misinformed.
Recent data show that it is not Israel that causing hunger in Gaza, it is Hamas:
"Hamas, which has been hoarding food and stealing from Gazans, is the root cause of Gazans' suffering. As Congressman Jim Himes, a Connecticut Democrat and ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, stated in a CNN interview: 'Hamas has a long history of stealing aid, and needs to stop that in the interest of the people that they purport to represent.'"
This support for Hamas increased when the IDF accidentally killed seven aid workers from the NGO World Central Kitchen. Conspiracy theorists claim that Israel deliberately targeted these workers. But why would they possibly do so? They had to know that the world would react negatively to the deaths of these innocent good people, as it has. Israel is fighting not only to protect its own citizens but also assure that terrorism against anyone is never encouraged or rewarded. In a display of unmatched hypocrisy, the leaders of Hamas sent a message of sympathy to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the terrorist attack on a theater that killed 130 innocent civilians in Moscow. But that and other terrorist attacks in Russia, the US and other countries were actually encouraged by the "success" of Palestinian terrorism, especially by Hamas.
If Hamas is allowed to emerge intact — even if weakened — from the war it started by murdering 1,200 Israelis, it will, as its leaders have vowed, continue to attack Israel time and again until Israel is annihilated, as well as endangering moderate Arab countries and the entire free world.
Hamas and its supporters must be treated like Nazi Germany and fascist Japan were treated at the end of World War II. It must be required to surrender and the people of Gaza must be de-radicalized. Any other endgame will only postpone a repetition of October 7. Except this time, with calls this week for "Death to America" from within the United States, just as terrorism came to a theater near Putin, this time it may be coming to a theater near you.
**Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Emeritus at Harvard Law School, and the author most recently of War Against the Jews: How to End Hamas Barbarism. He is the Jack Roth Charitable Foundation Fellow at Gatestone Institute, and is also the host of "The Dershow" podcast.
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Growing Gulf-Iraq economic ties a welcome boost for region
Zaid M. Belbagi/Arab News/April 09, 2024
The past year has witnessed an upswing in the Gulf states’ investment in Iraq. The year 2023 was a crucial one for the Iraqi economy, as the Saudi Public Investment Fund in May established the $3 billion Saudi-Iraqi Investment Company to finance multisectoral investments in Iraq. This was followed a month later by Qatari conglomerate Estithmar Holdings’ signing of memorandums of understanding worth $7 billion with the Iraqi National Investment Commission in order to develop modern cities, hospital infrastructure and tourism facilities. Estithmar also announced last August that it will construct a tourist complex in Baghdad under its brand Rixos, including luxury hotels, apartments and villas, fine dining restaurants, conference halls and tourist experiences. The UAE has also played a key role in port development and post-conflict reconstruction in Iraq, while Kuwait seeks to cooperate with Baghdad on establishing a telecommunications corridor from the Gulf to Europe. Gulf interests are, however, not limited to infrastructure and rebuilding, as Iraq’s wider potential has become the focus of foreign direct investment.
The momentum has continued in 2024. In February, the Saudi energy company ACWA Power signed an agreement with the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity to develop a 1,000-megawatt solar power plant in Iraq to boost its renewable energy industry. And Emirati petroleum company Crescent Petroleum established three contracts with the Iraqi Ministry of Oil to develop oil and natural gas fields in Basra and Diyala. This 20-year partnership should generate more than 250 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, which will significantly reduce the country’s reliance on imported gas to power its electricity grid.
Also this year, Qatari interests represented by UCC Holding signed a $2.5 billion deal with the Iraqi National Investment Commission to establish two power plants. Qatar’s national petroleum company QatarEnergy also holds a 25 percent stake in TotalEnergies’ $27 billion oil, gas and renewable energy projects in Iraq. Iraq’s geostrategic location and its historic centrality to the Arab world make it an important neighbor to the GCC states
Thus, Gulf investments in Iraq are not only restricted to infrastructure, as the country’s Gulf Cooperation Council neighbors have shown a keen interest in investing in its oil and energy sector.
Iraq’s geostrategic location and its historic centrality to the Arab world make it an important neighbor to the GCC states. However, GCC-Iraq relations underwent a period of hostility following Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990. As a rift emerged between the Gulf states and Iraq over subsequent decades, this vacuum was filled by Iran in the form of economic cooperation, political influence and a network of proxy militias.
Effectively, this raised the specter of Iran’s ability to interfere in the affairs of the wider region, with the Iraqi vacuum also leading to the emergence of militant groups, particularly Daesh, which further strained relations. However, in recent years, the Gulf states, especially Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, have found that security and economic cooperation with Iraq is key to bringing stability back to the region. Economic cooperation agreements were preceded by diplomatic engagements. For instance, between 2015 and 2019, Saudi Arabia reopened its diplomatic missions in Baghdad and Basra and appointed an ambassador to Iraq for the first time in more than 20 years. The policy premise that the Gulf states have employed is that continued stability in Iraq will enhance their own ongoing socioeconomic transitions.
Several developments in the Gulf over recent years provided the impetus for the latest investments in Iraq. As the GCC states are moving to reform their economies and seeking to forge strategic autonomy, they see the value of economic reintegration with Iraq. For instance, the 2020 reopening of the Arar border crossing between Saudi Arabia and Iraq after three decades of closure resulted in more than SR900 million ($239 million) of trade in the first half of 2023 alone.
The GCC has already seen the success of member states’ economic cooperation with Iraqi Kurdistan over the past decade, with partnership agreements in sectors such as agriculture, oil and energy. Investments in Iraq will boost the prospects of regional trade, the potential of which has not yet been fully explored due to political differences and Iraq’s absence from the GCC.
Investments in Iraq will boost the prospects of regional trade, the potential of which has not yet been fully explored. Further, a growing detente between Iran and the GCC states, particularly Saudi Arabia, has enabled an environment where Gulf-based companies can maintain a market presence in Iraq. At the same time, the Gulf states’ investments in natural gas, power plants and alternative sources of power, such as solar energy, have served as a measure to curb Iranian influence in Iraq. Baghdad has traditionally imported natural gas from Iran to power its energy grid and, at present, Tehran meets nearly 40 percent of Iraq’s energy demand.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, who took office in October 2022, has played a key role in drawing Gulf investments to the country. While his predecessors lacked the autonomy to seek closer ties with Arab allies, he has advocated for economic, trade, energy and counterterrorism cooperation with Iraq’s GCC neighbors. In February 2023, Al-Sudani met UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan on his first ever visit to a GCC state, signaling Iraq’s commitment to reviving relations with the Gulf.
Al-Sudani has also maintained the momentum of the annual Baghdad Summit, a multilateral forum that indicates Iraq’s resolve to cooperate with key international players to address domestic challenges. This comes as the country is working toward strengthening its economy, which has been impacted by years of political turmoil and militancy. Volatilities in the oil sector since 2022, including the ongoing curbs on oil production by the OPEC+ states, have also affected the Iraqi economy.
In this light, Gulf investment in Iraq is a welcome move that will herald greater cooperation, integration and regional stability.
- Zaid M. Belbagi is a political commentator and an adviser to private clients between London and the Gulf Cooperation Council region. X: @Moulay_Zaid

Is Netanyahu leading Israel toward a strategic defeat?
Osama Al-Sharif/Arab News/April 09, 2024
Marking six months of the war on Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Sunday that Israel was “one step away from victory.” Defining “total victory” in this war has become a personal challenge for Netanyahu and an increasingly frantic Israeli public. In the early days of the war, he set out the main objectives that would deliver such a victory: routing Hamas, freeing the Israeli hostages and maintaining open-ended security control over a demilitarized Gaza Strip. More than 190 days into what has increasingly become a war without a clear end, none of these objectives have been met. On more than one occasion, Netanyahu has declared that securing the objectives would take “months, not years.” Still, it is now unclear whether Israel can qualify its victory as tactical, operational or strategic. Netanyahu’s words on Sunday rang hollow, coming as they did after the worst week of his tenure, having been scolded and publicly warned by US President Joe Biden over the killing of seven aid workers in Gaza. That tragic event brought condemnation from Israel’s closest allies and deepened its diplomatic isolation. The Haaretz newspaper said that the world was now suffering from “Israel fatigue,” while leading Israeli commentators warned that the country is becoming an international pariah.Israeli officials are now talking about painful compromises while insisting that the war will go on.
Under pressure from the White House, it has returned to the negotiating table seeking a deal that will produce a lengthy humanitarian ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages. Tens of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets demanding Netanyahu’s resignation and a swift agreement to free the Israeli hostages. Israeli officials are now talking about painful compromises while insisting that the war will go on.
Washington hopes a temporary ceasefire could become a permanent one, which would be anathema to Netanyahu and his far-right coalition partners. While Netanyahu still threatens to launch a ground invasion of Rafah, the US and Israel’s closest allies have sent stern messages that they are against such an offensive. For Netanyahu and his extremist partners, an end to the war now would mean capitulation.
But instead of victory, in any shape or form, Netanyahu is leading Israel toward what can only be described as a strategic defeat.
According to former US regional envoy Dennis Ross, Israeli military intelligence reportedly informed the country’s political leaders back in February that Hamas would survive as a terrorist group after the war. And an opinion piece in The New York Times this week pointed out that Israel is now on the verge of facing “renewed insurgency by Palestinian armed groups in northern Gaza.” David French opined that Israel is dealing with the same challenges US troops faced in Iraq in areas that were already cleared. The month-long renewed targeting of Al-Shifa Hospital by Israeli soldiers was one such case.
Yes, Hamas’ military structure has been degraded and it may no longer perform, as Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said this week, as an organization. But fighters have reemerged in areas that the Israeli army had previously cleared, such as northern Gaza, to fight another day. On Saturday, at least four Israeli commando soldiers and officers were killed by Hamas in Khan Younis, which the army had occupied for the last four months before finally withdrawing from southern Gaza.
But it is not on the battlefield that Israel has suffered its biggest losses. The contrast between the first few weeks after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and the last two is staggering in terms of sympathy and support for Israel. Global opinion has shifted attention from the atrocities of Oct. 7 to the wholesale massacre of Palestinians, the majority being children and women, in Gaza.
Netanyahu’s decision to sanction the systematic destruction of Gaza, including the demolition of hospitals and universities, the killing of medics, journalists and aid workers and the deliberate targeting of Palestinians trying to reach aid trucks, has tainted Israel’s claim of exercising the right to self-defense and forced even its most ardent supporters to change their tone. Last week, almost 40 US Democratic lawmakers, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, asked Biden to suspend arms sales to Israel. Public opinion in America is now leaning strongly toward ending the war. The UK is considering halting arms sales to Israel, while several EU countries are on the verge of recognizing Palestine as a state. Even the mainstream media in the West is lambasting Israel for creating and exacerbating an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Gaza and accusing its soldiers of committing war crimes. Images of starving children and babies dying through malnutrition and a lack of medical care have blemished Israel’s image and its claim that it is abiding by the laws of war. To make things worse, Israel is facing serious charges at the International Court of Justice of committing genocide in Gaza. Such blowback can be traced to one person’s myopic and vindictive frame of mind: Netanyahu. Global opinion has shifted attention from the atrocities of Oct. 7 to the wholesale massacre of Palestinians
After six months of war, tens of thousands of Israelis from the south and north remain displaced, while the economy is under stress as Israel struggles to deal with the rising cost of military deployment, which has surpassed $50 billion.
Making matters worse, Hezbollah remains a clear and present danger for Israel, with both sides inching closer to an open war. Meanwhile, the West Bank is reaching boiling point as the army and radical settlers increase their attacks and provocations, while the Palestinian Authority loses credibility and support among Palestinians. But the gadfly that is nagging at Netanyahu is his vision, or lack of, regarding the day after; not only in Gaza, but also in the West Bank and on the future of the Palestine question. He gambled that a war on Hamas would be swift and decisive, allowing him to create new realities on the ground while changing the prevailing discourse. His extremist partners pushed for the forced transfer of millions from Gaza and entertained the recolonization of the enclave. Instead, the world is now embracing the Palestinian cause while pressure is mounting on Israel to offer a political path forward. No matter how the Gaza war ends, there is no returning to the pre-Oct. 7 mindset. Looking back, Netanyahu’s miscalculations may defeat Israel, overshadowing its tactical and operational successes. These include the disproportionate use of force leading to a shocking death toll among civilians, the lack of a clear strategy during and after the war, a failure to anticipate international reaction to blatant war crimes and perhaps the one that will ultimately end Netanyahu’s political career is his gross miscalculation of Hamas’ threats and endgame.
It is virtually impossible to declare victory when the aggressor is trapped in a war and ending it may represent defeat. Perhaps Netanyahu’s biggest blunder was his sanctioning of the mass murder of Palestinians in a way that the world could no longer stomach or defend. Those tens of thousands of civilian casualties are the ones delivering a strategic defeat to Israel.
- Osama Al-Sharif is a journalist and political commentator based in Amman. X: @plato010

Back in Memory...What Did We do Past Dictatorship?
Mustafa al-Kadhimi,Former Iraqi Prime Minister/Asharq Al-Awsat/April 09/2024
Twenty-one years have passed since the return to peaceful Baghdad, after a forced absence that lasted more than a decade and a half. I remember those moments well, as if they were days ago. A feeling that words cannot describe. It’s like I was reborn...
I returned to Iraq a few days after April 9, 2003, and the fall of the regime. Dreams and hopes of establishing a free, democratic state were only a matter of time. That’s what we thought. The various capabilities and resources existed, and the climates necessary for this were appropriate. A country: This word and what it means summarizes our suffering, and expresses the aspirations of an opposition that worked justly - from abroad - to overthrow an oppressive, dictatorial regime.
Since my return, I did not wish to be in the spotlight. I have chosen to continue doing my personal works and pursue them on my own terms.
In that Baghdadi house, the home of my spiritual father, Dr. Mohammad Makkiya, and the father of my brother and very dear friend Kanaan, was the place of residence, work, meetings, and discussions. In the simple house overlooking the Tigris, visions, programs and projects crystallized, combining the ideas and debates of the opposition from the outside on the one hand, and working to evaluate the experience emerging from within on the other.
I remember well - for example - the letters of His Excellency the late President Jalal Talabani, His Excellency President Iyad Allawi, and President Masoud Barzani, which I have kept until this moment, and their praise of our line, ideas, and projects seeking to create a national identity away from trenches and camps. Our work was for the sake of Iraq and its people, and for the state and its institutions.
Unfortunately, this line was prevented from developing and growing, and the challenges and circumstances that followed the fall contributed to reducing its presence and effectiveness. The national line was the victim of major sectarian conflicts. It did not gain presence or resonance in light of ruling mentalities that brought about a state that did not trust itself and did not inspire confidence in it.
I was faced with difficult choices. What do I do? Should I go back to where I came from and surrender to intertwining local, regional and international circumstances? Or do I search for a new space through which I can anticipate the future?
In the face of these complications, and in the multitude of projects that came after the fall, and the accompanying and successive crises, it was necessary to document the experience that Iraq and the Iraqis endured for more than 35 years. We launched the Memory Project, to understand what happened over those years: social transformations and their effects on individuals’ behaviors, and how they have changed over the days... The fear that dominates souls and its repercussions on the expansion of individual and collective approaches to various issues.
The idea of injustice, oppression, and what happened to people was part or one of the facades of the project. But - in depth - we sought a very deep understanding of Iraqi society, which was one of the most cultured, informed and present societies in our Arab and Islamic world, and had become - within two decades - one of the most backward, closed and fearful.
The outcomes were more likely to be the natural result of mutual behavior between the regime and the people. A regime that does not respect borders and does not give weight to any consideration, and a people that was ruled by fear and controlled by it, after then was tired of bloodshed. Surrendering to reality subjugated the situation, and a lack of confidence towards anything was an inherent characteristic. What made me even more surprised was that the opposition’s behavior abroad did not differ from its counterparts at home, as if the dictatorial regime (and its ideas) had managed to infiltrate our subconscious, so we all became prisoners of the “return of the Baath,” in one way or another.
I sensed this idea in two separate places: among different segments of society, and within the ruling political class. Each dealt with it from its own perspective. We were victims, unfortunately. The victims of this fear and its repercussions. The situation has come to us - and it may continue until this moment - that we are afraid of change, and afraid to be honest with ourselves and accept reconciliation. The memory experience was based on understanding the past, contributing to establishing the future and building an all-inclusive Iraqi national identity...
But did it work? Success here is based on two levels: Individual success and collective success.
Individually, I can say that whoever worked in the institution and went through its experience took the first steps in liberation from fear, abandoning the ruling entrenchments and heading towards the other, on the basis that Iraq belongs to the Iraqis, and not to or particular faction or party.
Collectively, the memory was unable to achieve what it sought from society, and this is due to the nature of society first, and the political class and its culture in the second place. I remember well that during that period, there were (people and entities) who wanted (and worked) for Iraq to remain a prisoner of inflammatory sectarian language and a state closed in on itself, and there were those who preferred the group and took refuge in it. The consensus was to reject the idea and principle of moderation, and its concept, and the convictions revolved around the rupture and its necessity, and the rejection of any communication or talk about it for the sake of the public interest!
I saw this mentality among the political leaders, before assuming national responsibility in 2016. The lack of faith in the state and the predominance of narrow interests and gains led these leaders to create deep parallel mini-states competing with each other.
The foundations of the democratic state we wanted were destroyed in 2003, and this was clearly translated within the security and educational institutions. The result of this was “Mosul 2014” and “Tishreen 2019”.
Have we learned something? I hope so...
But the statements and interviews we followed during this month do not imply so. Some do not want to move towards others or meet them in the middle of the road. Iraq, a nation and a state, its political system and its product, that is, the political process, are governed by dialogue and not by breaking wills, or exploiting institutions to settle scores, in light of everyone’s insistence on practicing restricted democracy, and not democracy in its comprehensive sense.
After 21 years, it is time for us to learn from the past and the experiences of our brothers and neighbors, so that we do not repeat the same mistakes for the sake of our children. The promising future of Iraq - which I always hope for - is based on understanding the past and the movement of history. This requires courageous action from all those concerned, otherwise we will face new “challenges and circumstances,” as these people talk about privately here and there.