English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For December 01/2024
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Mary Visits Elizabeth
Luke 01/39-45: In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the
hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and
greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby
leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she
exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the
fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord
should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears,
the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there
would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on November 30-December 01/2024
Elias Bejjani/Video & Text: Exposing Hezbollah's Sickening Rhetoric of
Divine Victories
The Terrorist Defeated Iranian Jihadist Proxy, Hezbollah Assaults Journalist
Daoud Rammal
Israel hits near Sidon anew after drone strike hurts 3 in Majdal Zoun
Several wounded in two Israeli strikes in south Lebanon, health ministry says
Israel says it struck Hezbollah weapons smuggling sites in Syria, testing a
fragile ceasefire
Will shaky ceasefire hold in Lebanon as tensions simmer in the neighborhood?
US general and Hochstein to serve as co-chairs of ceasefire monitoring mechanism
Israeli army says struck Hezbollah on Syria-Lebanon border
Israel Wants to Set up Buffer Zone in Southern Lebanon Until Army Is Deployed
Israel hits 'Hezbollah targets' in Lebanon days into fragile truce
Fishers in Tyre hope ceasefire means normal life is returning
Hezbollah again starts holding public funerals for its fallen fighters
Israelis wary of returning to north because they don't trust ceasefire
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on November 30-December 01/2024
Syrian militants sweep into Aleppo, army says dozens of soldiers killed
Syrian rebels take control of most of Aleppo city
Syrian troops withdraw from Aleppo as rebels advance
Syrian troops in Aleppo backed by warplanes battle a shock offensive by rebels
The illusion of Assad’s grip on Syria shatters, as Russia, Iran and Hezbollah
let their guard down
Iraq PM says Syria security key to Middle East stability
A top Israeli missile shield that defeated Iran's best is headed to Europe,
where the Russian threat grows
Iran to begin enriching uranium with thousands of advanced centrifuges, UN
watchdog says
Ex-minister Yaalon accuses Israel of ‘ethnic cleansing’ in Gaza
Israel military strikes kill 32 Palestinians in Gaza, medics say
Brazil conference discusses Islamic education, identity
British PM Starmer to set out detailed policy targets in week ahead
Trump names loyalist Kash Patel to serve as FBI director
Canada's Trudeau says he had an 'excellent conversation' with Trump in Florida
after tariffs threat
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources on
November 29-30/2024
Warning: No Deal Whatsoever with Iran's Mullahs/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone
Institute./November 30, 2024
Team Speedcar Audi makes it 4 as Elite takes crown in Jeddah/Yossi Mekelberg/Arab
News/November 30, 2024
Central and Eastern Europe’s bid for AI dominance/Sona Muzikarova/Arab
News/November 30/2024
The Ceasefire… the Conditions for It to Hold/Nabil Amr/Asharq Al-Awsat/December
01/2024
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News &
Editorials published
on
November 29-30/2024
Elias Bejjani/Video & Text:
Exposing Hezbollah's Sickening Rhetoric of Divine Victories
Elias Bejjani/November 30/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/11/137435/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g-1lOs00XE&t=893s
Hezbollah’s persistent claims of divine victory, particularly following its
recent devastating 64 days of war with Israel, are a dangerous mix of delusion,
hallucinations, daydreaming, self deception and sickening rhetoric
manipulations. Despite undeniable losses, Hezbollah's leadership boldly
proclaims triumph, crafting a narrative to deceive its supporters and sustain
its destructive and endless enmity against the state of Israel and terrorism
agenda.
Hezbollah's logic—that a victory is achieved merely by preventing the enemy from
achieving its goals—distorts the essence of reality. By this flawed standard,
any resistance, no matter how devastating the toll, could be deemed victorious.
Such reasoning ignores the catastrophic consequences of war: loss of life,
societal collapse, and the destruction of infrastructure.
In its recent war that lasted for 64 days, Hezbollah’s losses were staggering.
This Iranian armed jihadist proxy suffered thousands of casualties, including
high-ranking leaders, while its weapon stockpiles and strongholds were
obliterated. Southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and Beirut’s southern suburbs
were reduced to ruins, with thousands of homes destroyed. Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s
captive Shiite community bore the brunt of this devastation—displaced,
impoverished, and left grieving.
The recent ceasefire agreement with Israel, celebrated by Hezbollah as a
victory, was in reality a humiliating concession. It came not from strength but
from desperation. Hezbollah pleaded for the ceasefire to stem its losses, yet
its rhetoric portrays the truce as a triumph. Iranian Revolutionary Guard
Commander Major General Hussein Salami amplified this lie, describing the
ceasefire as a “strategic failure for Israel.” These fabrications, detached from
reality, are designed to shield Hezbollah’s leadership from accountability while
perpetuating their propaganda.
The Broader Islamist Delusion
This delusional concept of victory extends beyond Hezbollah to other jihadist
groups like Hamas, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard, and factions of the
Muslim Brotherhood. Their hollow claims hinge on Israel’s perceived inability to
achieve its goals. Yet, a closer examination of their own objectives—destroying
Israel, liberating Jerusalem, and expelling Jews—exposes their perpetual
failure. By their logic, these groups remain in a state of chronic defeat,
unable to realize even their most basic ambitions.
Comparing Losses: A Stark Reality
The disparity in losses underscores the emptiness of Hezbollah’s victory
rhetoric. During the 64-day conflict, Hezbollah lost over 5,000 individuals
mostly trained fighters, including top commanders, and more than 25,000 were
injured or permanently disabled. Entire villages and neighborhoods under their
control were decimated. In contrast, Israel’s losses were minimal, reflecting a
stark imbalance in the conflict’s outcomes.
A Culture of Denial and Manipulation
Hezbollah’s leaders remain trapped in a state of denial, refusing to confront
the magnitude of their failure. Their rhetoric, echoed by figures like Sheikh
Naim Qassem and MP Hassan Fadlallah, defies the facts, relying on fabricated
narratives of divine triumph. This denial is not just delusional—it is
manipulative, aimed at maintaining control over their captive supporters within
the Shiite community.
Conclusion
The criteria for victory among Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Brotherhood factions
and their Iranian patrons are rooted in fantasy and self-deception. Their
claims, detached from realities of capability and consequence, serve only to
perpetuate violence and suffering. By exposing these falsehoods, we can
challenge their destructive narratives and advocate for a future free from their
oppressive influence. Hezbollah’s rhetoric of victory is not just sickening—it
is a dangerous lie that continues to inflict pain and suffering on the very
people it claims to defend. It is time for the world to see through their
fabrications and confront the truth.
The Terrorist Defeated Iranian Jihadist Proxy, Hezbollah Assaults Journalist
Daoud Rammal
Elias Bejjani/November 30/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/11/137455/
The Iranian terrorist proxy, Hezbollah, has once again revealed its true colors
by brutally assaulting journalist Daoud Rammal and his family in their southern
hometown of Douer. This cowardly attack is not just an assault on a journalist
but a blatant violation of press freedom and a direct affront to the fundamental
principles of democracy and human rights. Targeting journalists is a desperate
attempt to silence voices of truth and justice, further exposing Hezbollah’s
oppressive and tyrannical agenda in Lebanon.
The Lebanese people have endured enough under Hezbollah’s stranglehold, its
illegal weapons, and its allegiance to Iran’s destructive ambitions. It is time
for the Lebanese judiciary to rise to the occasion, break free from the
influence of this armed militia, and take decisive action to hold Hezbollah
accountable for its crimes against patriotic journalists and media institutions.
Meanwhile, dismantling Hezbollah’s militia and restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty
are not just demands—they are essential steps toward reclaiming Lebanon’s
independence and securing a future of freedom and democracy.
We call on all freedom-loving patriotic Leanese to unequivocally condemn this
heinous attack and take a clear position against Hezbollah and its Iranian
sponsors. Only through collective action can we disrupt the funding and support
that fuel this terrorist organization’s crimes.
We will not be silenced. We will not bow to intimidation. We will continue to
fight for a free, sovereign, and just Lebanon—a Lebanon where the rule of law
prevails, freedoms are safeguarded, and democracy is restored. The time has come
to unite internally and internationally to end this era of oppression and
reclaim Lebanon’s rightful place as a beacon of liberty and peace.
*The author, Elias Bejjani, is a
Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Israel hits near Sidon anew after
drone strike hurts 3 in Majdal Zoun
Naharnet/November 30, 2024
A new Israeli airstrike targeted the outskirts of the southern town of al-Baysariyeh
in the Sidon district on Saturday, in the second such attack on the area since
the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire began. The Israeli army radio claimed that the
strike targeted a site containing "Hezbollah rocket launchpads."On Thursday, the
Israeli army said a warplane carried out an airstrike after "terrorist activity
was detected at a Hezbollah facility containing medium-range rockets in south
Lebanon," in the same area targeted today. "The IDF (Israeli army) is deployed
in southern Lebanon, acting to thwart any violation of the ceasefire agreement,"
the Israeli military added. An Israeli official told U.S. news portal Axios that
Israel "notified the U.S. in advance" of Thursday's strike. Earlier on Saturday,
Lebanon's health ministry said an Israeli strike on a vehicle in south wounded
three people, including a child. "An Israeli enemy
strike on a car in Majdal Zoun wounded three people including a seven-year-old
child," the health ministry said in a statement. Media reports had said that the
strike hit an empty Renault Rapid-type vehicle.
Several wounded in two Israeli strikes in south Lebanon, health ministry says
Reuters/November 30, 2024
CAIRO (Reuters) - An Israeli strike on a car wounded three people, including a
seven-year-old child, on Saturday in the south Lebanon village of Majdal Zoun,
the Lebanese Health Ministry said in a statement. Later on Saturday, another
person was injured in a separate Israeli strike on Al Bisariya, which lies near
the southern Lebanese city of Sidon, the ministry said. The Israeli military
said it had attacked a Hezbollah facility in Sidon that housed rocket launchers
for the armed group. It added that it had also hit a vehicle in southern Lebanon
loaded with rocket-propelled grenades, ammunition and military equipment as part
of its actions against ceasefire violations. A truce came into effect on
Wednesday, but both sides have accused each other of breaching a ceasefire that
aims to halt over a year of fighting.
Israel says it struck Hezbollah
weapons smuggling sites in Syria, testing a fragile ceasefire
AP/November 30, 2024
TEL AVIV: Israeli aircraft struck Hezbollah weapons smuggling sites along
Syria’s border with Lebanon, the Israeli military said Saturday, testing a
fragile, days-old ceasefire that halted months of fighting between the sides but
has seen continued sporadic fire. The military said it struck sites that had
been used to smuggle weapons from Syria to Lebanon after the ceasefire took
effect, which the military said was a violation of its terms. There was no
immediate comment from Syrian authorities or activists monitoring the conflict
in that country. Hezbollah also did not immediately comment. The Israeli strike,
the latest of several since the ceasefire began on Wednesday, came as unrest
spread to other areas of the Middle East, with Syrian insurgents breaching the
country’s largest city, Aleppo, in a shock offensive that added fresh
uncertainty to a region reeling from multiple wars. The truce between Israel and
the Iran-backed Hezbollah, brokered by the United States and France, calls for
an initial two-month ceasefire in which the militants are to withdraw north of
Lebanon’s Litani River and Israeli forces are to return to their side of the
border. The repeated bursts of violence — with no reports of serious casualties
— reflected the uneasy nature of the ceasefire that otherwise appeared to hold.
While Israel has accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire, Lebanon has also
accused Israel of the same in the days since it took effect. Many Lebanese, some
of the 1.2 million displaced in the conflict, were streaming south to their
homes, despite warnings by the Israeli and Lebanese militaries to stay away from
certain areas. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that an Israeli
drone attacked a car in the southern village of Majdal Zoun. The agency said
there had been casualties but gave no further details. Majdal Zoun, near the
Mediterranean Sea, is close to where Israeli troops still have a presence. The
military said earlier Saturday that its forces, who remain in southern Lebanon
until they withdraw gradually over the 60-day period, had been operating to
distance “suspects” in the region, without elaborating, and said troops had
located and seized weapons found hidden in a mosque. Israel says it reserves the
right under the ceasefire to strike against any perceived violations. Israel has
made returning the tens of thousands of displaced Israelis home the goal of the
war with Hezbollah but Israelis, concerned Hezbollah was not deterred and could
still attack northern communities, have been apprehensive about returning home.
Hezbollah began attacking Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, in solidarity with the
Palestinian militant group Hamas and its assault on southern Israel the day
before. Israel and Hezbollah kept up a low-level conflict of cross-border fire
for nearly a year, until Israel escalated its fight with a sophisticated attack
that detonated hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah fighters.
It followed that up with an intense aerial bombardment campaign against
Hezbollah assets, killing many of its top leaders including longtime chief
Hassan Nasrallah, and it launched a ground invasion in early October. More than
3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon during the conflict,
many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The fighting
killed more than 70 people in Israel — over half of them civilians — as well as
dozens of Israeli soldiers fighting in southern Lebanon.
Will shaky ceasefire hold in Lebanon as tensions simmer in the neighborhood?
RAY HANANIA & GABRIELE MALVISI/Arab
News/November 30, 2024
CHICAGO/LONDON: As a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon meant to stop the fighting
between Israel and Hezbollah enters its fifth day, experts have cast doubt on
its sustainability, the region’s future stability and the role of international
justice in holding leaders accountable for alleged war crimes. To complicate
matters, a surprise attack on Aleppo, a city in neighboring Syria, by militant
groups on Thursday breached a five-year-long truce, reigniting a long-running
civil war with an intensity not seen in years. The most serious challenge to the
government of President Bashar Assad in years, the assault has raised questions
about whether non-state actors are trying to take advantage of weakness of the
so-called Axis of Resistance alliance resulting from setbacks suffered by Hamas
in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Appearing on “The Ray Hanania Radio Show” this
week, Arab American Institute founder James Zogby and international law expert
Brad Roth offered insights into the Lebanon ceasefire agreement and its broader
geopolitical implications. The ceasefire, announced earlier this week, comes
after months of intense fighting in southern Lebanon and Gaza. While it has
brought temporary relief, the terms appear to favor Israel, with critics warning
of its instability as the two factions “remaining fully equipped” to strike.
Zogby described the deal as “one-sided,” noting that Israel retains significant
freedom to act unilaterally. “The US and France were pushing (for the
ceasefire), but the terms of the deal are Israel’s terms,” Zogby said. The
truce, brokered by the US and France, revisits the framework of UN Resolution
1701, enacted 18 years ago. According to US President Joe Biden, the agreement
is intended to establish a “permanent cessation of hostilities.” It calls for
Israel to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon and limits armed groups in
the area to the Lebanese military and UN peacekeeping forces. However, the
updated terms grant Israel extensive leeway. A “reformulated and enhanced”
mechanism, chaired by the US, allows Israel to strike Hezbollah arms shipments,
a clause that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as ensuring
“full freedom of military action” with Washington’s backing. Meanwhile, the US
has pledged to rearm Israel, restoring its military capacity to pre-war levels.
“I don’t think we have a ceasefire in the real sense of a ceasefire. It’s not
two teams agreeing to stop. There’s one team saying: ‘we gotta stop.’ That’s
Lebanon. The other team is saying: ‘We’re going to continue if we need to and
the way we want to’,” Zogby said, suggesting that Israel’s insistence on the
ceasefire was partly driven by internal challenges. “I think there’s another
reason why Israel wanted this now, and that is that their troops are exhausted,”
he said. “They’ve been fighting new fronts. Israel’s never fought a war this
long. They’re already experiencing suicides and other forms of post-traumatic
shock syndrome.”
Yet, Zogby warned that Israel’s military dominance remains unchecked. “The US
has created a monster which has incredible offensive capability and no
restraint. None. I used to compare Israel and the Palestinians to the spoiled
child and the abused child. Israel’s the spoiled child with unlimited
destructive capability, and that’s dangerous.”
In his Tuesday night announcement of the ceasefire, Netanyahu described Israel’s
military campaign as “victorious” on all seven fronts — Gaza, the West Bank,
Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Syria and Iran — claiming it aimed to weaken adversaries
and reshape the region. However, experts view his push to expand the war as a
strategy to bolster his hold on power amid a corruption trial in which he is set
to testify on Dec. 10, and to obscure the true focus of the conflict: Gaza.
“Lebanon never was the main arena. It’s always been about the conquest of the
land of Palestine for them,” Zogby said, criticizing US Secretary of State
Antony Blinken’s remarks on Hezbollah’s role in Gaza, who claimed the war in
Gaza lasted so long because “Hamas was counting on Hezbollah’s cavalry. “And I
thought, ‘how dumb, how blindsided, how short-sighted, rather, can he be that he
thinks that what’s going on in Gaza is Hamas holding out for Hezbollah to rescue
them. This has always been about Israel destroying Hamas and the US supporting
them in that. There’s never been a desire for a ceasefire or a peace agreement,”
he said. Zogby also highlighted Lebanon’s internal struggles following the
conflict. With more than 1.2 million Lebanese displaced, primarily Shiite
Muslims, tensions have escalated as they relocate to areas dominated by other
sectarian groups. “The country, after all, has been on the brink for a long
time,” Zogby said, pointing to the ceasefire’s terms, which critics say works in
Israel’s favor. Hezbollah’s decision to open a southern front in support of Gaza
had drawn significant criticism within Lebanon. Many argued it exacerbated the
nation’s economic and political crises, deepening divisions and compounding the
devastation. While the ceasefire has provided a fleeting sense of relief,
displaced Shiite residents, unable to return to their ruined homes, question
what, if anything, was gained from the war. For Hezbollah, this raises
existential challenges. Critics contend that its ability to mobilize support —
long reliant on weapons, financial sway and promises of deterrence — has been
severely weakened, leaving its future influence in the region uncertain. The
ceasefire coincides with the International Criminal Court’s move to issue arrest
warrants for Netanyahu, former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas
commander Mohammed Deif, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against
humanity. However, the likelihood of these leaders facing justice remains slim,
given Israel’s refusal to recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction.
INNUMBERS
• 3,900+ People killed in Lebanon in Israeli strikes since October 2023.
• 76+ Israeli soldiers killed in war with Hezbollah over same period.
• 44,000+ Estimated Palestinian deaths in Gaza during the same period.
Brad Roth, a professor of law at Wayne State University and an expert on
international justice, outlined the challenges confronting the ICC. “In
principle, if US forces commit war crimes or plausibly alleged to commit war
crimes within the territory of a state that is either party to the ICC statute
or has conferred specialty jurisdiction over the situation, then US forces can
be subject to the jurisdiction of the ICC,” he said.
“The US has always objected to that, but they have never had very good grounds
for objecting to it. And, of course, Israel as well is not a party and denies
that Palestine is a state and, therefore, denies that Palestine has the legal
capacity to confer jurisdiction over these territories to the ICC.”
He added that most legal experts agree Palestine satisfies the criteria for ICC
jurisdiction.
The ICC, established through the Rome Statute in the late 1990s and operational
since 2002, was designed to prosecute individuals for crimes such as genocide,
war crimes and crimes against humanity. However, its jurisdiction excludes major
powers like the US, Israel, Russia and China, creating significant gaps in its
authority. “It’s a sort of Swiss cheese here in terms of what it covers,” Roth
said. He highlighted that ICC member states are legally obligated to enforce
arrest warrants, though enforcement often hinges on domestic politics rather
than legal principles. “Then the question of whether the problem is that a state
may be bound by the treaty to engage in the arrest and may be bound by customary
international law to not engage in the arrest. And those domestic courts would
have to deal with that question, and how that would come out is anyone’s guess,”
he said.
Adding to the complexity, French officials reportedly agreed to oversee the
ceasefire’s implementation only after securing assurances that ICC warrants
against Israeli leaders would not be enforced. Roth attributed this to the ICC’s
reliance on US funding and support, which complicates its willingness to pursue
cases against US allies. “For that, you can draw your own conclusions about why
it is that a body, so heavily dependent on US support and funding and assistance
with investigation and so forth, might be reluctant to take action against the
US,” he said.
The US role in shielding Israel from international accountability has drawn
criticism, particularly during the Gaza war. While the Biden administration has
framed its unwavering support for Israel as essential for regional security,
critics argue this stance exacerbates instability. Zogby cautioned that
continued backing of Israel’s military campaigns risks undermining long-term
peace efforts, as evidenced by the resurgence of fighting in Syria.
According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor, the
militants, mainly from the Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, took control of “more than half
of Aleppo” within hours on Friday without encountering any resistance from
Syrian government forces. The official Syrian media challenged this narrative
and claimed to have captured groups of “terrorists.”While the ceasefire has
brought a temporary halt to the violence in Lebanon, the road ahead remains
uncertain, particularly on issues related to justice and accountability.
To Roth, the ICC’s efforts to hold Israeli leaders accountable may exemplify the
broader difficulties of navigating international law amid powerful political
interests. A lasting resolution, he suggested, requires a robust international
response addressing the root causes of the conflict.
**“The Ray Hanania Radio Show” is broadcast every Thursday in Michigan on WNZK
AM 690 Radio at 5 p.m. on the US Arab Radio Network and is sponsored by Arab
News. To watch the full episodes and past shows, visit ArabNews.com/RayRadioShow.
US general and Hochstein to serve as co-chairs of ceasefire
monitoring mechanism
Naharnet/November 30, 2024
U.S. Major General Jasper Jeffers of the Special Operations Command Central
arrived in Beirut on November 27 and will serve as a co-chair, alongside Senior
Advisor to the President, Amos Hochstein, for the implementation and monitoring
mechanism of the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon, the U.S.
Central Command said. The cessation of hostilities implementation and monitoring
mechanism will be chaired by the United States and consist of the Lebanese Armed
Forces (LAF), the Israeli army, the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
and France. Amos Hochstein will serve as the civilian co-chair until a permanent
civilian official is named. This group will assist in the monitoring and
implementation of the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon that
went into effect on Nov. 26.
Israeli army says struck Hezbollah on Syria-Lebanon border
Agence France Presse/November 30, 2024
The Israeli military said on Saturday it had struck "military infrastructure" at
the Syria-Lebanon border allegedly being used by Hezbollah for weapons smuggling
in violation of their ceasefire agreement. The air force launched a "strike on
military infrastructure sites adjacent to border crossings between Syria and
Lebanon that were actively used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons from Syria into
Lebanon" the military said in a statement. It said the smuggling happened "after
the ceasefire agreement went into effect."
Israel Wants to Set up Buffer Zone in Southern Lebanon Until Army Is Deployed
Beirut: Youssef Diab/Asharq Al-Awsat/December 01/2024
raeli army has been preventing the residents of southern Lebanon’s villages from
returning to their homes, warning them against going back. In a statement to the
residents, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said they are barred
from returning home “until further notice.”He warned that anyone heading to the
barred areas would be putting their lives in danger.However, the majority of the
villages and towns mentioned by the Israeli army are located north of the Litani
River. A security sources said the army’s warning “is confusing and
unacceptable, especially since it is continuing its razing of agricultural lands
in Khiam city and other villages near the border.” The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat:
“The only explanation for this is that Israel is trying to impose a buffer zone
in the 60-day period offered by the ceasefire until the Lebanese army and United
Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers can continue their
deployment along the southern border and the monitoring committee can begin its
work.” The Israeli actions are a violation of the ceasefire, which went into
effect on Wednesday, added the source. The violations demand immediate political
effort sand contacts with US officials so that they can put a stop to them and
speed up the formation of the five-member committee that will be chaired by an
American officer, he stated. Military and strategic expert General Nizar Abdel
Qader said: “Israel’s gains on the ground and its success in imposing its
conditions in the ceasefire agreement have led it to believe that it has the
final say” in the South. “True, it did not achieve a crushing victory against
Hezbollah, but it proved its military superiority and achieved major gains,” he
told Asharq Al-Awsat.” “It is preventing the residents of the South from
returning home because it fears that Hezbollah members may be among them. It has
learned lessons from its withdrawal from the South in 2000 when Hezbollah
imposed its total and sole control of the border,” he remarked. “It also learned
its lesson from its withdrawal in 2006 when it let the Lebanese state oversee
the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and soon after
Hezbollah built a much more powerful military arsenal,” he noted. Moreover,
Abdel Qader said the Israeli violations cannot be separated from what is
happening in Israel itself. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believed that it
was too soon to declare a ceasefire and he instead said that Israel did not stop
the war and can launch it all over again. The violations in the South are part
of political maneuvers that Netanyahu is using to hide his “embarrassment in
front of the Israeli opposition and are attempts to calm the extremist ministers
in his government,” he explained. Residents of the South have acknowledged that
Israel is in fact dictating their return to their homes. They said that
Hezbollah was the one who called the shots in 2006, but this is not the case
now. Sami, a resident of Yohmor north of the Litani, told Asharq Al-Awsat that
Israel has been relentlessly attacking his town. It is dangerous for people to
return to their homes, he warned, revealing that Israel has imposed a no-go zone
5 km deep into Lebanon. Israel has so far not fulfilled its side of the
ceasefire, he noted.
Israel hits 'Hezbollah targets' in Lebanon days into fragile truce
Agence France Presse/November 30, 2024
The Israeli military carried out air strikes in Lebanon Saturday against alleged
Hezbollah activities that it said "posed a threat," days into a fragile
ceasefire between it and the Iran-backed group. The Israeli army said it had
also struck "military infrastructure" on the Syria-Lebanon border, where it
accused Hezbollah of smuggling weapons in violation of the truce.In a speech
this week announcing his government was ready to accept a ceasefire after more
than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had
warned that Israel would maintain "full military freedom of action" in the event
of any breach.
In a statement on Saturday, the Israeli military listed four separate strikes in
Lebanon on alleged facilities, weapons and vehicles belonging to Hezbollah,
saying it had acted "against activities in Lebanon that posed a threat to the
State of Israel, violating the ceasefire understandings." Lebanon's health
ministry said that an Israeli "strike on a car in Majdal Zoun wounded three
people including a seven-year-old child." Lebanon's state-run National News
Agency (NNA) reported "continued violations of the ceasefire" by Israel,
including an incident in which an Israeli tank "crushed a number of cars and
surrounded some families" who were later evacuated by the International
Committee of the Red Cross. Separately, Israel's military said it had launched a
"strike on military infrastructure sites adjacent to border crossings between
Syria and Lebanon that were actively used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons,"
adding that the alleged smuggling took place after the ceasefire took effect.
- U.S. general discusses ceasefire -
The ceasefire deal, which was intended to end more than a year of cross-border
exchanges of fire and two months of all-out war, went into effect early on
Wednesday. As part of the terms of the agreement, the Lebanese army and U.N.
peacekeepers will deploy in southern Lebanon as the Israeli army withdraws over
a period of 60 days. Hezbollah is also meant to withdraw its forces north of the
Litani river, approximately 30 kilometers from the border, and dismantle its
military infrastructure in southern Lebanon. On Friday, the group's chief Sheikh
Naim Qassem vowed to cooperate with the Lebanese Army "to implement the
commitments of the agreement." NNA reported that Lebanese Army chief General
Joseph Aoun met U.S. Major General Jasper Jeffers to discuss "the general
situation and coordination mechanisms between concerned parties in the south."
The U.S. military's Central Command said Jeffers arrived in Beirut this week "to
serve as co-chair for the implementation and monitoring mechanism of the
cessation of hostilities." According to Lebanon's health ministry, at least
3,961 people have been killed in the country since October 2023 as a result of
the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, most of them in recent weeks. On the Israeli
side, the hostilities have killed at least 82 soldiers and 47 civilians,
authorities say. Israel stepped up its campaign in south Lebanon in late
September after nearly a year of cross-border exchanges begun by Hezbollah in
support of its ally Hamas following the Palestinian group's October 7, 2023
attack on southern Israel.
Fishers in Tyre hope ceasefire means normal life is
returning
Associated Press/November 30, 2024
The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah brought hope for normality back to
many in southern Lebanon, including fishermen who have long launched their
single-engine wooden boats into the Mediterranean at dawn. During the last two
months of its year fighting Hezbollah, Israel imposed a siege on southern
Lebanon that kept hundreds of fishers at this ancient Phoenician port on shore,
upending their lives and the industry. While less important than destruction and
displacement, the port siege cut many people off from the key ingredients for
traditional Lebanese dishes like sayadiyeh — fish and rice boiled in fish sauce
— or fried and grilled fish eaten with dips such as hummus and tabbouleh or
fattoush salads. The loss of fish damaged a deep association with home, but now
the possibility of renewed Lebanese fishing on the country's southern coast is
helping fuel hope for a brighter future. On Friday, a few boats went out close
to the shore as fishers in the port worked on the nets of small boats painted
white, blue or red. Hussein Sukmani, 55, said Friday that he was considering
going to sea in coming days but was waiting to see how things unfold. He hasn't
dared set sail since the Israel-Hezbollah war dramatically intensified on Sept.
23. "They were days of fear and horror," he said. "They were the most difficult
days of our lives." A week ago, a drone strike killed two young fishers in the
city as they prepared their nets on the coast, and some fishermen said Friday
that the Lebanese Army told them that they if headed out it would be at their
own risk . Among those who sailed near the coast on Friday was Walid Darwish,
who returned to the port with two plastic boxes filled with mullet. "Today is
the first time that we sail," Darwish said, adding that fishers had missed the
prime season in October and November.
"We lost it," he said. The Israeli army barred any boats from an area 50
kilometers (31 miles) from the border in October and has not said whether the
warning is still in effect. Sukmani said that most of the 700 fishers who work
on the 270 boats at the port have not sailed out of concern since then.
The area around the port is a predominantly Christian neighborhood that has been
spared much of the airstrikes on other parts of Tyre that leveled buildings in
this city. In peaceful times, the port is a major tourist attraction, beloved by
Lebanese and foreigners who come for the views, the restaurants and the beaches.
On Friday, Mohammed Hammoud walked along the coast of Tyre carrying his fishing
rod. "It is enough that someone is able to stand in this beautiful area," he
said, pointing to the white sands. "Fishing is everything for me," added Hammoud,
who went to fish several times in the area north of the city of Sidon that was
not part of the siege. In the old market of Tyre, Gilbert Spiridon watched from
inside his shop as people came to buy freshly brought fish. Before the war, it
took hours to sell all his fish to people from around Lebanon. "All I wish is
that the war has ended and we are back on track to the old good days," he said.
Hezbollah again starts holding public funerals for its
fallen fighters
Associated Press/November 30, 2024
Hezbollah held a public funeral in a southern village on Friday for five of its
fighters killed during the fighting with Israel. It was the first time the
Lebanese militant group held a public funeral since after the war intensified in
late September. “My son is in heaven,” said Zeinab al-Haj holding a bag of roses
to toss them on the coffin of her son Ali Hijazi during the ceremony in the
village of Maarakeh. Hijazi died of wounds suffered in an airstrike last week.
Hezbollah’s last public funeral was held on Sept. 27, the same day the group’s
leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a southern
Beirut’s suburb. “We are people who are proud of their martyrs,” said
Hezbollah’s media chief in south Lebanon Salman Harb. “Our martyrs are the
symbol of our victory by all means.” After a ceasefire between Israel and
Hezbollah went into effect on Wednesday, the group began announcing again its
fallen fighters. More funerals are expected in the coming days including the
funeral of three more fighters in Maarakeh on Saturday. Hezbollah had announced
the death of nearly 500 fighters before Sept. 23, when the war intensified.
Since late September, Hezbollah is believed to have lost hundreds of fighters
whose funerals will be held whenever their bodies are recovered. Hezbollah is
also expected to hold a funeral for Nasrallah and other top officials, including
his successor Hashem Safieddine who was killed in an airstrike in early October.
Israelis wary of returning to north because they don't trust ceasefire
Associated Press/November 30, 2024
Dean Sweetland casts his gaze over a forlorn street in the Israeli community of
Kibbutz Malkiya. Perched on a hill overlooking the border with Lebanon, the town
stands mostly empty after being abandoned a year ago. The daycare is closed. The
homes are unkempt. Parts of the landscape are ashen from fires sparked by fallen
Hezbollah rockets. Even after a tenuous Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire designed to
let Israelis return to the north, the mood there is far from celebratory. "The
ceasefire is rubbish," said Sweetland, a gardener and member of the kibbutz's
civilian security squad. "Do you expect me to ring around my friends and say,
'All the families should come home?' No." Across the border, Lebanese civilians
have jammed roads in a rush to return to homes in the country's south, but most
residents of northern Israel have met the ceasefire with suspicion and
apprehension. "Hezbollah could still come back to the border, and who will
protect us when they do?" Sweetland asked. Israel's government seeks to bring
the northern reaches of the country back to life, particularly the line of
communities directly abutting Lebanon that have played a major role in staking
out Israel's border. But the fear of Hezbollah, a lack of trust in United
Nations peacekeeping forces charged with upholding the ceasefire, deep anger at
the government and some Israelis' desire to keep rebuilding their lives
elsewhere are keeping many from returning immediately. When the truce took
effect, about 45,000 Israelis had evacuated from the north. They fled their
homes after Hezbollah began firing across the border on Oct. 8, 2023, in
solidarity with its ally Hamas in Gaza. That triggered more than a year of
cross-border exchanges, with Lebanese villages in the south and Israeli
communities facing the border taking the brunt of the pain. During the truce's
initial 60-day phase, Hezbollah is supposed to remove its armed presence from a
broad band of southern Lebanon where the Israeli military says the militant
group had been digging in for years by gathering weapons and setting up rocket
launch sites and other infrastructure. Under the ceasefire, a U.N. peacekeeping
force known as UNIFIL and a beefed-up Lebanese army presence are supposed to
ensure Hezbollah doesn't return. Many residents of northern Israel are skeptical
that the peace will hold. Sarah Gould, who evacuated Kibbutz Malkiya at the
start of the war with her three kids, said Hezbollah fired on the community up
to and just past the minute when the ceasefire took effect early Wednesday. "So
for the government to tell me that Hezbollah is neutralized," she said, "it's a
perfect lie."
In Gaza, where Israel is pushing forward with a war that has killed over 44,000
Palestinians, Israel's goal is the eradication of Hamas. But in Lebanon,
Israel's aims were limited to pushing Hezbollah away from the border so northern
residents could return home. Israeli critics say the government should have kept
fighting to outright cripple Hezbollah or to clear out the border area, which is
home to hundreds of thousands of Lebanese. "I won't even begin to consider going
home until I know there's a dead zone for kilometers across the border," the
46-year-old Gould said. Some wary Israelis trickled back home Thursday and
Friday to areas farther from the border. But communities like Kibbutz Manara,
set on a tiny slice of land between Lebanon and Syria, remained ghost towns.
Orna Weinberg, 58, who was born and raised in Manara, said it was too early to
tell whether the ceasefire would protect the community. Perched above all the
other border villages, Manara was uniquely vulnerable to Hezbollah fire
throughout the war. Three-quarters of its structures were damaged. In the
kibbutz's communal kitchen and dining hall, ceiling beams have collapsed. The
uprooted floorboards are covered with ash from fires that also claimed much of
the kibbutz's cropland. Rocket fragments abound. The torso of a mannequin, a
decoy dressed in army green, lies on the ground. Weinberg tried to stay in
Manara during the war, but after anti-tank shrapnel damaged her home, soldiers
told her to leave. On Thursday, she walked along her street, which looks out
directly over a UNIFIL position separating the kibbutz from a line of Lebanese
villages that have been decimated by Israeli bombardment and
demolitions.Weinberg said UNIFIL hadn't prevented Hezbollah's build-up in the
past, "so why would they be able to now?""A ceasefire here just gives Hezbollah
a chance to rebuild their power and come back to places that they were driven
out of," she said.
The truce seemed fragile.
Associated Press reporters heard sporadic bursts of gunfire, likely Israeli
troops firing at Lebanese attempting to enter the towns. Israel's military says
it is temporarily preventing Lebanese civilians from returning home to a line of
towns closest to the border, until the Lebanese military can deploy there in
force. Though the atmosphere along the border was tense, Malkiya showed signs of
peace. With Hezbollah's rockets stopped, some residents returned briefly to the
kibbutz to peer around cautiously. At a vista overlooking the border, where the
hulking wreckage of Lebanese villages could made out, a group of around 30
soldiers gathered. Just days ago, they would have made easy targets for
Hezbollah fire. Malkiya has sustained less damage than Manara. Still, residents
said they would not return immediately. During a year of displacement, many have
restarted their lives elsewhere, and the idea of going back to a front-line town
on the border is daunting. In Lebanon, where Israeli bombardment and ground
assaults drove some 1.2 million people from their homes, some of the displaced
crowded into schools-turned-shelters or slept in the streets. In Israel, the
government paid for hotels for evacuees and helped accommodate children in new
schools. Gould predicted residents would return to the kibbutz only when
government subsidies for their lodging dried up — "not because they want to, but
because they feel like they can't afford an alternative." "It's not just a
security issue," Gould said. "We've spent more than a year rebuilding our lives
wherever we landed. It's a question of having to gather that up and move back
somewhere else, somewhere that's technically our old house but not a home.
Nothing feels the same." It's unclear if schools in the border communities will
have enough students to reopen, Gould said, and her children are already
enrolled elsewhere. She's enjoyed living farther from the border, away from an
open war zone. There's also a deep feeling that the communities were abandoned
by the government, Sweetland said.
Sweetland is one of roughly 25 civilian security volunteers who stayed
throughout the war, braving continual rocket fire to keep the kibbutz afloat.
They repaired damaged homes, put out blazes and helped replace the kibbutz
generator when it was taken out by Hezbollah fire. They were on their own, with
no firefighters or police willing to risk coming, he said. "We didn't have any
help for months and months and months, and we pleaded, 'Please help
us.'"Sweetland said he will keep watching over the hushed pathways of the
once-vibrant community in hopes his neighbors will soon feel safe enough to
return. But he predicted it would take months. Weinberg hopes to move back to
Manara as soon as possible. On Thursday, she spotted a former neighbor who was
about to leave after checking the damage to her home. Weinberg grasped her hand
through the car window, asking how she was. The woman grimaced and began to cry.
Their hands parted as the car slowly rolled out through the gates and drove
away.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on November 30-December 01/2024
Syrian militants sweep into Aleppo, army says dozens of soldiers killed
Reuters/November 30, 2024
AMMAN: The Syrian army said on Saturday dozens of its soldiers had been killed
in a major attack by militants who swept into the city of Aleppo, forcing the
army to redeploy in the biggest challenge to President Bashar Assad in years.
The surprise attack, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, was the
boldest assault for years in a civil war where frontlines had largely been
frozen since 2020. The war, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people and
displaced many millions, has ground on since 2011 with no formal end, although
most major fighting halted years ago after Iran and Russia helped Assad’s
government win control of most land and all major cities. Aleppo had been firmly
held by the government since a 2016 victory there, one of the war’s major
turning points, when Russian-backed Syrian forces besieged and lay waste to
insurgent-held eastern areas of what had been the country’s largest city.“I am a
son of Aleppo, and was displaced from it eight years ago, in 2016. Thank God we
just returned. It is an indescribable feeling,” said Ali Jumaa, an insurgent
fighter, in television footage filmed inside the city.Acknowledging the militant
advance, the Syrian army command said insurgents had entered large parts of
Aleppo. After the army said it was preparing a counterattack, airstrikes
targeted militant gatherings and convoys in the city, the pro-Damascus newspaper
Al-Watan reported. One strike caused casualties in Aleppo’s Basel square, a
resident told Reuters. Overnight, images from Aleppo showed a group of
insurgents gathered in the city’s Saadallah Al-Jabiri Square, a billboard of
Assad looming behind them.
Images filmed on Saturday showed people posing for photos on a toppled statue of
Bassil Assad, late brother of the president. Fighters zipped around the city in
flatback trucks and milled around in the streets. A man waved a Syrian
opposition flag as he stood near Aleppo’s historic citadel. The Syrian military
command said militants had attacked in large numbers and from multiple
directions, prompting “our armed forces to carry out a redeployment operation
aimed at strengthening the defense lines in order to absorb the attack, preserve
the lives of civilians and soldiers.” The militants also took control of Aleppo
airport, according to a statement by their operations room and a security
source. Two insurgent sources also said the insurgents had captured the city of
Maraat al Numan in Idlib province, bringing all of that area under their
control. The fighting revives the long-simmering Syrian conflict as the wider
region is roiled by wars in Gaza and Lebanon, where a truce between Israel and
the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah took effect on Wednesday. With Assad
backed by Russia and Iran, and Turkiye supporting some of the militants in the
northwest where it maintains troops, the offensive has brought into focus the
conflict’s knotted geopolitics. Fighting in the northwest had largely abated
since Turkiye and Russia reached a de-escalation agreement in 2020.
RUSSIAN, TURKISH MINISTERS TALK
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held a phone call with his Turkish
counterpart, Hakan Fidan, discussing the situation in Syria, the Russian Foreign
Ministry said on Saturday. “Both sides expressed serious concerns at the
dangerous development of the situation,” the ministry said. They agreed that it
was necessary to coordinate joint actions to stabilize the situation in the
country. Turkish security officials had said on Thursday that Ankara had
prevented operations which oppostion groups wanted to organize, in order to
avoid further tensions in the region. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi
told Lavrov in a phone call that the militant attacks were part of an Israeli-US
plan to destabilize the region, Iranian state media said. The Syrian Civil
Defense, a rescue service operating in opposition-held parts of Syria, said in a
post on X that Syrian government and Russian aircraft carried out airstrikes on
residential neighborhoods in militant-held Idlib, killing four civilians and
wounding six others. Two Syrian military sources said Russia has promised
Damascus extra military aid that would start arriving in the next 72 hours. The
Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which spearhead the US-backed Syrian
Democratic Forces that control much of northeastern and eastern Syria and have
long had a foothold in Aleppo, widened their control in the city as government
troops left, a senior YPG source said. Mustafa Abdul Jaber, a commander in the
Jaish Al-Izza brigade, said the insurgent’s speedy advance had been helped by a
lack of Iran-backed manpower to support the government in the broader Aleppo
province. Iran’s allies in the region have suffered a series of blows at the
hands of Israel as the Gaza war has expanded through the Middle East. The
opposition fighters have said the campaign was in response to stepped-up strikes
in recent weeks against civilians by the Russian and Syrian air forces on areas
of Idlib province, and to preempt any attacks by the Syrian army.
Syrian rebels take control of most of Aleppo city
Eyad Kourdi, Gul Tuysuz, Sophie Tanno and Tim Lister, CNN/November 30, 2024
Syrian armed rebels enter Aleppo for the first time in 8 yearsScroll back up to
restore default view. Syrian opposition forces have taken control of much of the
country’s second largest city Aleppo after a lightning advance that killed
dozens of government soldiers in a major challenge to President Bashar al-Assad.
A rebel alliance launched a surprise attack this week, sweeping eastward through
villages outside the city and reigniting a conflict that had been largely static
for years. It is the first time Syrian rebels have set foot in Aleppo since
government forces regained control during the civil war in 2016.
By Saturday morning, rebel fighters had taken control of large swathes of the
city, according to footage geolocated by CNN. Rebel fighters have been seen at
key locations, with one video showing armed men waving an opposition flag and
yelling “God is great” in Arabic at a central square. Another clip shows rebels
at the city’s citadel, which is also in central Aleppo. At least one man in the
clip is armed, as he says: “We are the first to arrive and the first to
conquer.”The rebels also claim the city’s airport. CNN is unable to verify this.
The only exception appears to be the northeastern part of the city, where
a few neighborhoods remain under the control of government forces and Iranian
militia allies. The rebel forces have declared a 24
hour curfew to begin at 5 p.m. local time Saturday, which they said was to
ensure “the safety of the residents of the city and to secure private and public
property from tampering or harm.”
Syria’s defense ministry said dozens of soldiers have been killed in the Aleppo
offensive. It acknowledged that rebel forces had entered the city but claimed
that they “were unable to establish solid positions” and reinforcements were
arriving in preparation for a counteroffensive. It
appears the advancing rebels met little resistance from the Syrian army, with
several residents inside Aleppo telling CNN that there has been minimal fighting
in the city’s urban areas. In response to the rebel advance, the Russian air
force on Friday launched an aerial offensive against Syrian armed opposition
forces in Aleppo and Idlib provinces, Russian state media reported. Video from
the western part of the city showed multiple casualties after an air strike
Saturday. It’s not known whether a Syrian or Russian aircraft carried out the
strike. The video showed at least seven bodies as well as people with severe
burns. Kurdish forces have also expanded their control
of some neighborhoods of Aleppo, residents said. Prior to this week’s attack
they held two Kurdish neighborhoods but have now moved into areas that the
Syrian regime used to control. The Kurdish militia,
known as the YPG, have a history of conflict with other rebel groups in northern
Syria. There has already been one clash Saturday between members of the rebel
alliance and Kurdish fighters inside the city, according to video analyzed by
CNN. Part of the rebel coalition says it now intends to launch an offensive
against the Kurdish groups holding parts of northern Aleppo province. Losing
Aleppo marks a significant setback for Assad’s forces. Once Syria’s largest city
by population and its economic capital, it is one of the oldest inhabited cities
in the world. Aleppo was also the main rebel stronghold until Assad took it over
in 2016. With the rebels regaining a foothold there again, they are no longer
cornered in Idlib, which could potentially trigger a domino effect.
Rebels lay out their goals
The rebels are part of a newly formed coalition called the “Military Operations
Command,” which includes a broad spectrum of opposition fighters including
Islamist factions and moderate groups once backed by the US. The coalition was
announced Wednesday ahead of the attack on Aleppo and said it was responding to
escalating attacks from the Syrian government and Iranian militias. But the
timing is also critical, with Syria’s key backer Russia focusing on Ukraine and
its other major ally, Iran, on the back foot from Israeli attacks on it and its
proxy network. The offensive is the first major flare-up in years between the
Syrian opposition and the regime of President Assad, who has ruled the war-torn
country since 2000. Syria’s civil war began during the 2011 Arab Spring as the
regime suppressed a pro-democracy uprising against Assad. The country plunged
into a full-scale civil war as a rebel force was formed, known as the Free
Syrian Army, to combat government troops. Since the
2020 ceasefire agreement, the conflict has remained largely dormant, with
low-level clashes between the rebels and Assad’s regime. More than 300,000
civilians have been killed in more than a decade of war, according to the United
Nations, and millions of people have been displaced across the region.
Syrian troops withdraw from
Aleppo as rebels advance
Christy Cooney - BBC News/November 30, 2024
Russia has carried out air strikes on parts of the Syrian city of Aleppo after
areas were seized by rebels opposed to the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.
Recent days have seen the most significant offensive against the Syrian
government in years and the withdrawal of its military from Aleppo, the
country's second largest city. Russia's air force played a significant role in
keeping Assad in power following the outbreak of the country's civil war in
2011, but Saturday's strikes were its first on Aleppo since 2016. More than 300
people, including at least 20 civilians, have been killed since the offensive
began, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). The
civil war has been largely dormant since a ceasefire agreed in 2020, but
opposition forces still controlled the north-western city of Idlib and much of
the surrounding province. Idlib sits just 55km (34 miles) from Aleppo, which
itself was a rebel stronghold until it fell to government forces in 2016. The
current offensive, which was launched on Wednesday, has been led by a jihadist
group known at Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and allied factions backed by Turkey.
HTS was regarded as one of the most effective and deadly of the groups fighting
the Assad government and was already the dominant force in Idlib. The rebels
have taken control of Aleppo's airport and dozens of nearby towns, according to
the SOHR. They also announced a curfew that came into force at 17:00 local time
(14:00 GMT) and will remain in place until Sunday. The Syrian army said rebels
had launched "a broad attack from multiple axes on the Aleppo and Idlib fronts"
and that battles had taken place "over a strip exceeding 100km (60 miles)". It
said dozens of its soldiers had been killed and acknowledged that rebels had
entered "large parts" of Aleppo. Government forces said they had temporarily
withdrawn from Aleppo, but added earlier that they were preparing a
counterattack. Pictures showed the roads leading out of Aleppo jammed with cars
on Saturday as residents tried to leave. Who are the rebels seizing control of
Syria's second city? Syria rebels launch major offensive in north-west and gain
territory.What’s the future for Syria’s divided north?
Syrian troops in Aleppo backed by warplanes battle a shock
offensive by rebels
Associated Press/November 30/2024
Syrian government troops battled insurgents inside the country's largest city
Aleppo for the first time since 2016, while warplanes targeted rebel supply
lines on the city's edge, state media reported Saturday. Insurgents broke
through government defense lines in Aleppo on Friday and entered the city's
western neighborhood with little resistance. The insurgents launched their shock
offensive in Aleppo and Idlib countryside on Wednesday and wrestled control of
dozens of villages and towns along the way, including a strategic town south of
Aleppo. The pro-government Al-Watan newspaper reported airstrikes on the edge of
Aleppo city, targeting rebel supply lines. It posted a video of a missile
landing on a gathering of fighters and vehicles, in a street lined with trees
and buildings. Twenty fighters were killed in the airstrikes that targeted rebel
reinforcements, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the
country's unresolved civil war. Aleppo residents reported clashes and gunfire,
and some were fleeing the fighting. Schools and government offices were closed
Saturday as most people stayed indoors, according to Sham FM radio, a
pro-government station. Bakeries were open. In social media post, the insurgents
were pictured outside of Aleppo citadel, the medieval palace in the old city
center, and one of the largest in the world. In cellphone videos, the insurgents
recorded themselves having conversations with residents they visited at home,
seeking to reassure them they will cause no harm.
State media reported that a number of "terrorists," including sleeper cells,
have infiltrated parts of the city. Government troops chased them and arrested a
number who posed for pictures near city landmarks, state media said. On a state
TV morning show Saturday, commentators said army reinforcements and Russia's
assistance will repel the "terrorist groups," blaming Turkey for supporting the
insurgents' push into Aleppo and Idlib provinces. Russia's state news agency
Tass quoted Oleg Ignasyuk, a Russian Defense Ministry official coordinating in
Syria, as saying that Russian warplanes targeted and killed 200 militants who
launched the offensive in the northwest on Friday. It provided no further
details. Aleppo has not been attacked by opposition forces since they were
ousted from eastern neighborhoods in 2016 following a grueling military campaign
in which Syrian government forces were backed by Russia, Iran and its allied
groups. The attack on Aleppo followed weeks of simmering low-level violence,
including government attacks on opposition-held areas. Turkey, which has backed
Syrian opposition groups, failed in its diplomatic efforts to prevent the Syrian
government attacks, which were seen as a violation of a 2019 agreement sponsored
by Russia, Turkey and Iran to freeze the line of the conflict. The offensive
came as Iran-linked groups, primarily Lebanon's Hezbollah, which has backed
Syrian government forces since 2015, have been preoccupied with their own
battles at home. A ceasefire in Hezbollah's two-month war with Israel took
effect Wednesday, the day the Syrian opposition factions announced their
offensive. Israel has also escalated its attacks against Hezbollah and
Iran-linked targets in Syria during the last 70 days. Turkey's state-run Anadolu
news agency said the insurgents have seized control of large parts of Aleppo and
Idlib countryside. The 2016 battle for Aleppo was a turning point in the war
between Syrian government forces and rebel fighters after 2011 protests against
President Bashar Assad's rule turned into an all-out war. Russia and Iran and
its allied groups helped Syrian government forces reclaim control of the city
that year after a grueling military campaign and a siege that lasted for weeks.
The illusion of Assad’s
grip on Syria shatters, as Russia, Iran and Hezbollah let their guard down
Analysis by Ben Wedeman, CNN/November 30, 2024
“Our leader forever” was a slogan one often saw in Syria during the era of
President Hafez al-Assad, father of today’s Syrian president.
The prospect that the dour, stern Syrian leader would live forever was a
source of dark humor for many of my Syrian friends when I lived and worked in
Aleppo in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Hafez al-Assad died in June 2000. He
wasn’t immortal after all. His regime, however, lives
on under the leadership of his son Bashar al-Assad.
There were moments when the Bashar regime’s survival looked in doubt. When the
so-called Arab Spring rolled across the region in 2011, toppling autocrats in
Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, and mass protests broke out in Yemen, Bahrain and
Syria, some began to write epitaphs for the Assad dynasty. But Syria’s allies –
Iran, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Russia – came to the rescue. For the past few
years the struggle in Syria between a corrupt, brutal regime in Damascus and a
divided, often extreme opposition seemed frozen in place.
Once shunned by his fellow Arab autocrats, Bashar al-Assad was gradually
regaining the dubious respectability Arab regimes afford one another. Syria's
late
Was the nightmare of the Syrian civil war coming to an end? Had Bashar al-Assad
won? Certainly, that was the assumption of many, despite that fact that large
parts of Syria were controlled by a US-backed Kurdish militia and
Turkish-supported Sunni factions; that Hezbollah, Iran and Russia propped up the
regime; that the US controlled areas in eastern Syria; that Israel conducted air
strikes whenever and wherever it saw fit; and that ISIS, though defeated, still
managed to launch hit-and-run attacks. That the government in Damascus was still
standing after all that seemed an accomplishment in itself.
Yet it was an illusion of regime victory, suddenly shattered this week after the
opposition, led by the once al-Qaeda affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra – rebranded as
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham – launched an offensive out of Idlib province and in just
72 hours managed to storm all the way to the center of Aleppo. By Saturday
evening, Syrian accounts on social media were buzzing about government forces
collapsing across the northern part of the country, with rebels advancing on the
central city of Hama. It was there, in early 1982, that Bashar’s father had his
army and intelligence services slaughter thousands of his opponents, ending an
uprising led by the Muslim Brotherhood. Why, in the
span of just a few days, has the dam broken? The obvious explanation is that
Syria’s key allies – Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah – are all under pressure and
let their guard down. Hezbollah – which played a key role in bolstering the
regime during the darkest days of the civil war – pulled most of its troops back
home after October 7, 2023, to fight Israel, which has subsequently killed most
of the group’s senior leadership. Russia also played a key role in shoring up
the government in Damascus after it dispatched troops and warplanes to Syria in
September 2015. Yet now Moscow’s top priority is the war in Ukraine. And,
finally, Iran’s advisers and bases in Syria have been under frequent attack by
Israel over the last year. Beyond all this, there is the basic reality of
longevity. The Assad dynasty has been in power for 53 years, since 1971. While
its mere survival is an accomplishment, it has little else to show for it.
Endemic corruption and mismanagement were a burden on the economy even before
the civil war broke out in 2011. Since then, life for the average Syrian has
gone from bad to worse. The war has left hundreds of thousands dead, while
millions more have been either internally displaced for driven into exile. Time
and time again since 1971 the Assad dynasty has survived internal and external
challenges and lived to fight another day. Yet nothing, not regimes, not
leaders, lasts forever. Everything eventually comes to an end.
Iraq PM says Syria security
key to Middle East stability
AFP/December 01, 2024
BAGHDAD: Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani told Syrian President
Bashar Assad on Saturday that his country’s security was key to the stability of
the whole region. “Sudani emphasized that Syria’s security and stability are
closely linked to Iraq’s national security and play a crucial role in regional
security and efforts to establish stability in the Middle East,” his office
said.
A top Israeli missile shield that defeated Iran's best is
headed to Europe, where the Russian threat grows
Jake Epstein/Business Insider/November 30/2024
The transfer, planned for next year, comes amid growing concerns in Europe over
Russian missiles. Germany is expected to receive a top Israeli missile-defense
system that helped protect the Middle Eastern country from two massive Iranian
attacks earlier this year.
Israel is set to deploy the Arrow 3, a highly advanced system designed to
intercept ballistic missiles outside the Earth's atmosphere, on German soil in
2025 as part of a $3.5 billion deal announced last fall in what officials said
was the country's largest-ever defense export.
The transfer comes as Europe and NATO allies like Germany face a rising Russian
missile threat to its eastern flank. Just last week, Moscow used a new
intermediate-range ballistic missile to strike Ukraine. Arrow 3 made its combat
debut just a year ago in the early days of Israel's ongoing war with Hamas. But
the system's chief engineer told Business Insider that it had proved its worth
against two massive Iranian missile barrages in April and October of this year.
"Arrow 3 is the right answer for Germany, and, also, it'll be a part of an even
greater system to German allies in Europe," Boaz Levy, the CEO of the state-run
Israel Aerospace Industries, said in a recent interview.
The Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) of the Directorate of
Defense Research and Development (DDR&D) and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA)
completed a successful flight test campaign with the Arrow-3 Interceptor
missile.
An Arrow 3 interceptor being tested.US Missile Defense Agency
The Arrow systems are a product of IAI and the US manufacturer Boeing. They were
developed because Israel needed a way to defend itself from longer-range
ballistic missiles. Together, they make up the upper echelon of the country's
air-defense network.
Arrow 2, which was first deployed in 2000, can intercept targets in the upper
atmosphere. It was followed in 2017 by Arrow 3, which can eliminate targets in
space and up to 1,500 miles away — well beyond the ranges of the US's Patriot
and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems. Both systems use a two-stage
solid-fueled interceptor to engage incoming ballistic missiles. Israel confirmed
the first operational use of Arrow 3 in November of last year after it was used
to take down a missile fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen. But the system saw its
most serious tests against two massive Iranian attacks this year.
In mid-April, Iran fired more than 300 missiles and drones — including some 120
ballistic missiles — at Israel, which, along with partner forces like the US and
the UK, shot down nearly all the munitions. Six months later, in early October,
Iran fired a much larger salvo of ballistic missiles — about 200 — at Israel.
Most of the projectiles were intercepted, including by American warships.
Earlier this month, the Israeli defense ministry said Arrow "proved effective"
in both Iranian attacks. Levy declined to provide specific figures on its
performance. But he said the system performed as intended, adding that "the
results that we received over those attacks are really phenomenal.""We believe
that the system proved its capability during these two attacks," he said.
Arrow's demonstrated capability in the Middle East conflicts will make it a
valuable asset to Germany as Europe grows increasingly concerned with the
Russian missile threat. Moscow's war against Ukraine and its widespread
employment of ballistic missiles has prompted NATO countries to seek ways to
bolster their air defenses. Unease over Russian missile capabilities was
underscored last week after Moscow launched an experimental intermediate-range
ballistic missile at Ukraine. A Pentagon spokesperson described the weapon as a
"new type of lethal capability" deployed on the battlefield and called it a
"concern" to the US. When Arrow 3 eventually arrives in Germany, it will
complement NATO's existing network of systems capable of ballistic-missile
defense, including the American-made MIM-104 Patriot battery that has been a
workhorse in Ukraine. Part of a ballistic missile that Iran fired at Israel is
pictured near the Dead Sea after it was intercepted in April. Part of a
ballistic missile that Iran fired at Israel lay near the Dead Sea after it was
intercepted in April.ز In a statement earlier this
month, Israel's defense ministry said it has started coordinating joint
preparations with Berlin for the initial deployment of Arrow 3 next year. It did
not provide a specific date. Levy said the deployment to Germany was just a
starting point, but it comes at a crucial time as missile attacks become more
common in conflicts. "We should expect to have missile
attacks in future wars, and that's why a country that wants to defend its assets
needs to have such a sophisticated system," Levy said. "Arrow was designed for
that." "I believe that more customers will come," he added.
Iran to begin enriching uranium with thousands of advanced
centrifuges, UN watchdog says
Jon Gambrell/DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)/November 30/2024
Iran will begin enriching uranium with thousands of advanced centrifuges at its
two main nuclear facilities at Fordo and Natanz, the United Nations' nuclear
watchdog said Friday, further raising tensions over Tehran's program as it
enriches at near weapons-grade levels.
The notice from the International Atomic Energy Agency only mentioned Iran
enriching uranium with new centrifuges to 5% purity, far lower than the 60% it
currently does — likely signaling that it still wants to negotiate with the West
and the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump. However, it
remains unclear how Trump will approach Iran once he enters office, particularly
as it continues to threaten to attack Israel amid its war on Hamas in the Gaza
Strip and just after a ceasefire started in its campaign in Lebanon. Trump
withdrew America from Iran's nuclear deal with world powers in 2018, setting in
motion a series of attacks and incidents across the wider Mideast.Iran's mission
to the United Nations did not respond to a request for comment over the IAEA's
report. Tehran had threatened to rapidly advance its program after the Board of
Governors at the IAEA condemned Iran at a meeting in November for failing to
cooperate fully with the agency. In a statement, the IAEA outlined the plans
Iran informed it of, which include feeding uranium into some 45 cascades of its
advanced IR-2M, IR-4 and IR-6 centrifuges.
Cascades are a group of centrifuges that spin uranium gas together to more
quickly enrich the uranium. Each of these advanced classes of centrifuges enrich
uranium faster than Iran’s baseline IR-1 centrifuges, which have been the
workhorse of the country’s atomic program. The IAEA did not elaborate on how
many machines would be in each cascade but Iran has put around 160 centrifuges
into a single cascade in the past.It's unclear if Iran has begun feeding the
uranium yet into the centrifuges. Tehran so far has been vague about its plans.
But starting the enrichment at 5% gives Tehran both leverage at negotiations
with the West and another way to dial up the pressure if they don't like what
they hear. Weapons-grade levels of enrichment are around 90%.
Since the collapse of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers
following the U.S.’ unilateral withdrawal from the accord in 2018, it has
pursued nuclear enrichment just below weapons-grade levels. U.S. intelligence
agencies and others assess that Iran has yet to begin a weapons program. The
U.S. State Department said in a statement to The Associated Press it was “deeply
concerned with Iran’s announcement that it is choosing the path of continued
escalation as opposed to cooperation with the IAEA.”"Iran’s continued production
and accumulation of uranium enriched up to 60% has no credible civilian
justification," it added. Iran, as a signatory to the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, has pledged to allow the IAEA to visit its
atomic sites to ensure its program is peaceful. Tehran also had agreed to
additional oversight from the IAEA as part of the 2015 nuclear deal, which saw
sanctions lifted in exchange for drastically limiting its program.
However, for years Iran has curtailed inspectors’ access to sites while also not
fully answering questions about other sites where nuclear material has been
found in the past after the deal's collapse. Iranian officials in recent months,
including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and reformist President Masoud
Pezeshkian, had signaled a willingness to negotiate with the West. But Iran also
has launched two attacks on Israel amid the war. Kazem
Gharibabadi, an Iranian diplomat, said in a post on the social platform X that
he met with EU diplomat Enrique Mora, criticizing Europe as being
“self-centered" while having "irresponsible behavior.”“With regard to the
nuclear issue of Iran, Europe has failed to be a serious player due to lack of
self-confidence and responsibility,” Gharibabadi wrote.
For his part, Mora described having a “frank discussion” with Gharibabadi
and another Iranian diplomat. Those talks included “Iran’s military support to
Russia that has to stop, the nuclear issue that needs a diplomatic solution,
regional tensions (important to avoid further escalation from all sides) and
human rights,” he wrote on X.
Ex-minister Yaalon accuses
Israel of ‘ethnic cleansing’ in Gaza
AFP/November 30, 2024
JERUSALEM: Israel’s former defense minister Moshe Yaalon on Saturday accused the
Israeli army of “ethnic cleansing” in the Gaza Strip, sparking an outcry in the
country. “The road we are being led down is conquest, annexation and ethnic
cleansing,” Yaalon said in an interview on the private DemocratTV channel.
Pressed on the “ethnic cleansing” appraisal, he continued: “What is happening
there? There is no more Beit Lahia, no more Beit Hanoun, the army intervenes in
Jabalia and in reality the land is being cleared of Arabs.”The north of the Gaza
Strip, which includes the areas Yaalon mentioned, has been the target of an
Israeli offensive since October 6 aimed at preventing the Palestinian militant
group Hamas from regrouping. Yaalon, 74, was the head of the Israeli army
between 2002 and 2005, just before Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza. He
served as defense minister and deputy premier before resigning in 2016 over
disagreements with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. There was immediate anger
in Israel at his comments. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir
said it was a “shame” for Israel to “have had such a figure as army chief and
defense minister.”Netanyahu’s Likud party, to which Yaalon once belonged,
slammed his “empty and dishonest remarks,” calling them “a gift to the ICC and
to the camp of Israel’s enemies.”The statement was a reference to the
International Criminal Court, which has issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu
and his ex-defense minister Yoav Gallant on suspicion of crimes against humanity
and war crimes in Gaza. The war in the Palestinian territory erupted after
Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in 1,207 deaths, mostly
civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. Israel’s
retaliatory campaign has killed 44,382 people in Gaza, according to figures from
the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry that the UN considers reliable.
Earlier this month, a UN special committee pointed to “mass civilian casualties
and life-threatening conditions intentionally imposed on Palestinians.”Israel’s
prosecution of the war in Gaza was “consistent with the characteristics of
genocide,” the committee said, in the first use of the word by the UN in the
context of the current war in Gaza.Israel has rejected the United Nations
assessment as “anti-Israel fabrications.”
Israel military strikes
kill 32 Palestinians in Gaza, medics say
Reuters/November 30, 2024
The Israeli military said it killed a Palestinian it accused of involvement in
Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel in a vehicle strike in Gaza, and is
investigating claims that the individual was an employee of aid group World
Central Kitchen. At least 32 Palestinians were killed in Israeli military
strikes across Gaza overnight and into Saturday, with most casualties reported
in northern areas, medics told Reuters. Later on Saturday medics said seven
people were killed when an Israeli air strike targeted a vehicle near a
gathering of Palestinians receiving aid in the southern area of Khan Younis
south of the enclave. According to residents and a Hamas source, the vehicle
targeted near a crowd receiving flour belonged to security personnel responsible
for overseeing the delivery of aid shipments into Gaza. Among the 32 killed, at
least seven died in an Israeli strike on a house in central Gaza City, according
to a statement from the Gaza Civil Defense and the official Palestinian news
agency WAFA early on Saturday. The Gaza Civil Defense also reported that one of
its officers was killed in attacks in northern Gaza’s Jabalia, bringing the
total number of civil defense workers killed since October 7, 2023, to 88.
Earlier on Saturday, WAFA reported that three employees of the World Central
Kitchen, a US-based, non-governmental humanitarian agency, were killed when a
civilian vehicle was targeted in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. The World Central
Kitchen has not yet commented on the incident.
Brazil conference discusses Islamic education, identity
Arab News/November 30, 2024
RIYADH: The 37th International Conference of Latin American and Caribbean
Muslims is being held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, under the theme “Shariah education
in Latin American and Caribbean countries, and its impact on preserving
identity,” from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1. Organized by the Islamic Dawah Center in
Brazil in collaboration with the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, the
three-day event brings together ministers, scholars, researchers and specialists
from Arab, Islamic, Latin American and Caribbean countries. The conference
promotes Islamic education among Muslim minorities, the religion’s role in
preserving identity and social cohesion, and addressing challenges facing Muslim
minority communities. Saudi Arabia’s presence reflects its commitment to
supporting Islam and Muslims, promoting moderation and balance, and
strengthening the connection of Muslim minority communities to Islamic values
that foster harmony, according to the Saudi Press Agency. Awwad Al-Anzi,
undersecretary for Islamic affairs at the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs,
represented the Kingdom and delivered the opening speech on behalf of Minister
Abdullatif Al-Asheikh. He said that education is the “foundation of virtuous
deeds,” guiding correct beliefs and practices, and highlighted the role of
Shariah education in clarifying concepts and combating ignorance. Al-Anzi
praised Saudi Arabia’s commitment to education, noting its mandatory education
policy and substantial investment in the sector, which has positively impacted
society. He also highlighted the Kingdom’s focus on applied sciences and
scholarships, enabling it to produce distinguished graduates across various
fields. Additionally, he underscored Saudi Arabia’s global contributions to
education, including building schools and universities, offering scholarships to
Muslim students and fostering scientific partnerships. Al-Anzi reviewed the
Ministry of Islamic Affairs’ efforts in spreading Shariah education worldwide
through its cultural and Islamic centers. Ahmed Ali Al-Saifi, head of the
Islamic Dawah Center, expressed gratitude to King Salman and Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman for their steadfast support of Muslims in Latin America and
the Caribbean, particularly in bolstering religious and educational
institutions. He highlighted the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs for its
diligent oversight of mosques and religious institutions in the region. Al-Saifi
saids that the forum aims to address challenges in teaching Arabic and Shariah
sciences, and establish Shariah and Arabic language departments in major
universities to meet the growing demand for Shariah education. He expressed hope
that the conference would produce scientific recommendations and scholarly works
that support its mission. Federal Deputy Vicentinho Paulo da Silva delivered a
speech on behalf of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, highlighting
the respectful relationship between the government and Brazil’s Muslim
community, and acknowledging their vital role in the country’s development. He
noted the strong ties between Brazil and Saudi Arabia, built on solidarity,
sovereignty and mutual respect, highlighting Brazil’s high regard for Arabs,
particularly through its relationship with Saudi Arabia. Delegation leaders
praised Saudi Arabia, represented by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, for
sponsoring the event and enriching it with contributions from ministry experts
and Saudi university professors. Hassan Musa, deputy chairman of the Swedish
Fatwa Council, expressed gratitude to the Saudi leadership for their efforts in
serving Islam and Muslims, and promoting moderation worldwide.
British PM Starmer to set
out detailed policy targets in week ahead
Reuters/December 01, 2024
LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will set more detailed targets in
the coming week to achieve the government’s five main goals on areas including
growth, health care, crime and green energy, as his party approaches five months
in power. Labour won a sweeping majority in Britain’s lower house of parliament
in July, taking power for the first time in 14 years, but has fallen just behind
the opposition Conservative Party in some recent opinion polls. Starmer said he
would set out a “plan for change” as the next phase of delivering goals
including the fastest sustained growth in the Group of Seven advanced economies,
a halving of serious violent crime, lower energy bills and less ill health.
“Mission-led government does not mean picking milestones because they are easy
or will happen anyway. It means relentlessly driving real improvements in the
lives of working people,” Starmer said in a statement released by his office.
Government ministers and officials would be told to focus on these goals rather
than individual ministries’ traditional priorities, Starmer’s office added.
Labour has not had an easy start in office. Ministers say the previous
government concealed the extent of problems in areas such as prisons and the
immigration system, contributing to what finance minister Rachel Reeves said was
a 22 billion pound ($28 billion) black hole in public finances. Conservatives
dispute this and say much of the cost overrun reflected Labour decisions to
increase pay for public-sector workers and standard in-year spending variations.
Reeves announced 40 billion pounds of tax rises in her first budget last month —
up from around 8 billion pounds in Labour’s pre-election plan — on top of higher
borrowing to halt a fall in public investment planned by the previous
government.Businesses have complained that they will bear the brunt of the tax
rises and will probably cut investment or jobs and need to raise prices as a
result.
Trump names loyalist Kash Patel to serve as FBI director
AP/December 01, 2024
WASHINGTON: President-elect Donald Trump has picked Kash Patel to serve as FBI
director, turning to a fierce loyalist to upend America’s premier law
enforcement agency and rid the government of perceived “conspirators.” It’s the
latest bombshell Trump has thrown at the Washington establishment and a test for
how far Senate Republicans will go in confirming his nominees. “I am proud to
announce that Kashyap “Kash” Patel will serve as the next Director of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation,” Trump posted Saturday night on Truth Social.
“Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has
spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the
American People.”The selection is in keeping with Trump’s view that the
government’s law enforcement and intelligence agencies require a radical
transformation and his stated desire for retribution against supposed
adversaries. It shows how Trump, still fuming over years of federal
investigations that shadowed his first administration and later led to his
indictment, is moving to place atop the FBI and Justice Department close allies
he believes will protect rather than scrutinize him.
Patel “played a pivotal role in uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax,
standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution,” Trump
wrote Saturday night. It remains unclear whether Patel could be confirmed, even
by a Republican-led Senate, though Trump has also raised the prospect of using
recess appointments to push his selections through.Patel would replace
Christopher Wray, who was appointed by Trump in 2017 but quickly fell out of
favor with the president and his allies. Though the position carries a 10-year
term, Wray’s removal was not unexpected given Trump’s long-running public
criticism of him and the FBI, including after a search of his Florida’s property
for classified documents and two investigations that resulted in his indictment.
Patel’s past proposals, if carried out, would lead to convulsive change for an
agency tasked not only with investigating violations of federal law but also
protecting the country from terrorist attacks, foreign espionage and other
threats.He’s called for dramatically reducing the FBI’s footprint, a perspective
that dramatically sets him apart from earlier directors who have sought
additional resources for the bureau, and has suggested closing down the bureau’s
headquarters in Washington and “reopen it the next day as a museum of the deep
state” — Trump’s pejorative catch-all for the federal bureaucracy. And though
the Justice Department in 2021 halted the practice of secretly seizing
reporters’ phone records during leak investigation, Patel has said he intends to
aggressively hunt down government officials who leak information to reporters
and change the law to make it easier to sue journalists. During an interview
with Steve Bannon last December, Patel said he and others “will go out and find
the conspirators not just in government but in the media.”
“We’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American
citizens who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections,” Patel said, referring
to the 2020 presidential election in which Biden, the Democratic challenger,
defeated Trump. “We’re going to come after you, whether it’s criminally or
civilly. We’ll figure that out. But yeah, we’re putting you all on notice.”The
child of Indian immigrants and a former public defender, Patel spent several
years as a Justice Department prosecutor before catching the Trump
administration’s attention as a staffer for the House Permanent Select Committee
on Intelligence.
Trump also announced Saturday that he will nominate Sheriff Chad Chronister, the
top law enforcement officer in Hillsborough County, Florida, to serve as the
Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Agency. “As DEA Administrator, Chad will
work with our great Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to secure the Border, stop the
flow of Fentanyl, and other Illegal Drugs, across the Southern Border, and SAVE
LIVES,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social announcing the pick.
Canada's Trudeau says he
had an 'excellent conversation' with Trump in Florida after tariffs threat
Rob Gillies And Fatima Hussein/WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP)/November 30, 2024
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday he had an “excellent
conversation” with Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club after the
president-elect's threat to impose significant tariffs on two of America’s
leading trade partners raised alarms in Ottawa and Mexico City.
It was unclear, as Trudeau headed back to Canada from Florida, whether the
conversation had alleviated Trump’s concerns. A person familiar with the details
of the leaders' hastily arranged meeting Friday night said it was a “positive
wide-ranging dinner that lasted three hours.” The official, who was not
authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on
condition of anonymity, said topics included trade, border security, fentanyl,
defense, Ukraine, NATO, China, the Mideast and pipelines, as well as the the
Group of Seven meeting in Canada next year.
The Republican president-elect has threatened to impose tariffs on products from
Canada and Mexico if the countries don’t stop what he called the flow of drugs
and migrants across their borders. He said he would impose a 25% tax on all
products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico as one of his first executive
orders when he takes office in January. As he was
leaving his West Palm Beach hotel, Trudeau stopped briefly to answer a
reporter’s question about the dinner meeting, saying it was "an excellent
conversation." Trump’s transition team did not respond to questions about what
the leaders had discussed.
Trump, during his first term as president, once called Trudeau “weak” and
“dishonest,” but it was the prime minister who was the first G7 leader to visit
Trump since the Nov. 5 election. "Tariffs are a
crucial issue for Canada and a bold move was in order. Perhaps it was a risk,
but a risk worth taking,” Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill
University in Montreal. Among those at the dinner were Howard Lutnick, Trump's
pick for commerce secretary; North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, in line to lead the
Interior Department; and Mike Waltz, Trump's choice to be his national security
adviser. Accompanying Trudeau were Canada's public safety minister, Dominic
LeBlanc, whose responsibilities include border security, and Katie Telford,
Trudeau's chief of staff. Trudeau had said earlier Friday that he would resolve
the tariffs issue by talking to Trump. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said
a day earlier after speaking with Trump that she is confident a tariff war with
the United States will be averted. Trudeau said Trump got elected because he
promised to bring down the cost of groceries but now he's talking about adding
25% to the cost of all kinds of products including potatoes from Prince Edward
Island in Atlantic Canada. “It is important to understand that Donald Trump,
when he makes statements like that, he plans on carrying them out. There’s no
question about it,” Trudeau said before his leaving for Florida.
“Our responsibility is to point out that he would not just be harming
Canadians, who work so well with the United States, but he would actually be
raising prices for Americans citizens as well and hurting American industry and
business,” he added. To Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus at the University of
Toronto, Trump "doesn’t need convincing that new tariffs on Canadian products
would not be in U.S. interests. He knows that, but cannot say it because it
would detract from what he has said publicly. His goal is to project the image
that he gets action when he talks.”Those tariffs could essentially blow up the
North American trade pact that Trump’s team negotiated during his first term.
Trudeau noted they were able to successfully renegotiate the deal, which he
calls a “win win” for both countries. Trump made the tariff threat Monday while
citing an influx of migrants entering the country illegally, even though the
numbers at the Canadian border pale in comparison to those at the U.S.-Mexico
border. Trump also spoke about fentanyl from Mexico and Canada, even though
seizures from the Canadian border are few in comparison to the Mexican border.
Canadian officials say lumping Canada in with Mexico is unfair but say they are
ready to make new investments in border security. When Trump imposed higher
tariffs during his first term in office, other countries responded with
retaliatory tariffs of their own. Canada, for instance, announced billions of
new duties in 2018 against the U.S. in a response to new taxes on Canadian steel
and aluminum. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Nearly
$3.6 billion Canadian (US $2.7 billion) worth of goods and services cross the
border each day.
Gillies reported from Toronto.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on November 30-December 01/2024
Warning: No Deal Whatsoever with Iran's Mullahs
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute./November 30, 2024
The Iranian regime's sudden willingness to negotiate following Trump's
reelection is nothing more than a tactical maneuver. It seeks to buy time, stave
off tough sanctions, and delay decisive action while advancing its nuclear
program, while waiting out Trump.
This is a familiar strategy, designed to outlast the Trump administration and
neutralize any efforts to hold the regime accountable. Such deceptive overtures
must be recognized for what they are — a fake truce to secure the Islamic
Republic's survival and expansion.
The West must stop deluding itself into believing that any deal with such a
country can succeed. The only effective approach is one of unwavering sanctions,
relentless pressure, maintaining a military option and supporting the efforts of
most of the Iranian people, who are desperate for a new form of government.
The Iranian regime's sudden willingness to negotiate following Donald Trump's
reelection is nothing more than a tactical maneuver. It seeks to buy time, stave
off tough sanctions, and delay decisive action while advancing its nuclear
program, while waiting out Trump. A deal with the devil will only fuel its
destructive ambitions and jeopardize global security. Pictured: Ali Khamenei,
the Supreme Leader of Iran, meets with Ismail Haniyeh, then leader of Hamas, and
Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah, on July 30, 2024 in Tehran,
Iran. (Photo by the Iranian Supreme Leader's Press Office via Getty Images)
The possibility of negotiating a deal with Iran has resurfaced. Reports suggest
that the Islamic Republic's leaders are expressing a willingness to engage with
the incoming US administration after Donald J. Trump assumes office.
Reaching a deal, however, with a regime actively waging proxy wars against
Israel, most of the Persian Gulf States and the United States -- and that is
arming Russia in its war on Ukraine -- would be a monumental error.
Such an agreement would not only bolster the regime financially, but also grant
it global legitimacy. That renewed strength would only once again fuel Iran's
aggression, further destabilize the region, and embolden its revolutionary
ambitions. Negotiating with a regime steeped in terror would simply serve to
expand its reach and strengthen its resolve.
History provides a clear warning against such actions. In 2015, President Barack
Obama's nuclear deal, which granted Iran the opportunity to build as many
nuclear weapons as it is able to, marked the beginning of a dangerous
trajectory.
Once sanctions against Iran were lifted, the country gained access to global
markets and unprecedented financial resources. This newfound revenue was used
not to improve the lives of ordinary Iranians, but to strengthen the regime's
proxies and militias across the region. Iran's influence grew dramatically in
Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon and Gaza -- and accelerated its nuclear and military
advancements.
The Biden administration continued Obama's lenient policies, enabling Iran to
reach new heights of aggression, as evidenced by its ongoing war against Israel,
including direct ballistic missile attacks, and its military support for Russia.
The Iranian regime's sudden willingness to negotiate following Trump's
reelection is nothing more than a tactical maneuver. It seeks to buy time, stave
off tough sanctions, and delay decisive action while advancing its nuclear
program, while waiting out Trump.
This is a familiar strategy, designed to outlast the Trump administration and
neutralize any efforts to hold the regime accountable. Such deceptive overtures
must be recognized for what they are — a fake truce to secure the Islamic
Republic's survival and expansion.
Understanding the ideological foundation of the Iranian regime is crucial to
grasping its true intentions. Iran's government is not a conventional one, but a
revolutionary, fundamentalist regime, wholly committed to spreading its Islamist
ideology worldwide.
Iran's constitution explicitly outlines its mission, stating:
"The constitution provides the necessary basis for ensuring the continuation of
the revolution at home and abroad. In particular, in the development of
international relations, the constitution will strive with other Islamic and
popular movements to prepare the way for the formation of a single world
community."
These are not mere words; they reflect the regime's unwavering commitment to its
ideological mission.
Iran's constitution even frames this mission as "jihad," explicitly stating:
"The Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards
Corps ... will be responsible not only for guarding and preserving the frontiers
of the country but also for fulfilling the ideological mission of jihad in God's
way; that is, extending the sovereignty of God's law throughout the world."
The founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, left no room
for ambiguity, declaring:
"We shall export our revolution to the whole world. Until the cry 'There is no
god but Allah' resounds over the whole world, there will be struggle."
These statements unequivocally reveal the Iranian regime's ambitions. The West
must stop deluding itself into believing that any deal with such a country can
succeed.
This commitment to revolutionary Islamist domination at any cost was further
emphasized by Khomeini when he chillingly proclaimed:
"We do not worship Iran, we worship Allah. For patriotism is another name for
paganism. I say let this land [Iran] burn. I say let this land go up in smoke,
provided Islam emerges triumphant in the rest of the world."
These declarations leave no doubt about the regime's unyielding ideological
mission and its willingness to sacrifice its own people and land for global
conquest.
It is crucial not to fall into the trap of believing that Iran's regime has
genuinely changed or that negotiations can yield positive results. History has
repeatedly shown that deals with such a predatory regime only serve to empower
it. The only effective approach is one of unwavering sanctions, relentless
pressure, maintaining a military option and supporting the efforts of most of
the Iranian people, who are desperate for a new form of government. Negotiating
with an Islamist regime that thrives on terrorism and deception is not just
naive— it is dangerous. A deal with the devil will only fuel its destructive
ambitions and jeopardize global security.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, is a scholar, strategist and advisor, Harvard-educated
analyst, political scientist, board member of Harvard International Review, and
president of the International American Council on the Middle East. He has
authored several books on the US Foreign Policy and Islam. He can be reached at
Dr.Rafizadeh@Post.Harvard.Ed
© 2024 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Team Speedcar Audi makes it 4 as Elite takes crown in
Jeddah
Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/November 30, 2024
For a country to have any of its leaders issued with an arrest warrant by the
International Court of Justice is a low point in its history, especially when
the accusations concern war crimes and crimes against humanity. Last week, the
ICC issued such arrest warrants for the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and the country’s former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Despite
criticisms of this move, some with more merit than others, it is Netanyahu’s
reckless behavior and folly, both in terms of the manner in which civilians in
Gaza have been treated throughout the war and of his political arrogance, that
have brought this on him and his country. It was not only Netanyahu and his
political allies who have reacted with shock and anger on hearing about the
issuance of the warrants, but also opposition leaders who rallied around the two
accused to condemn the ICC judges’ decision, in complete denial that across the
world those who have witnessed the scenes from Gaza firmly believe that
allegations of such crimes should be at least thoroughly investigated. There has
never been a suggestion, regardless of how Israel treated the people of Gaza for
almost two decades leading up to Oct. 7 last year, that Israel was not justified
in pursuing Hamas and other perpetrators of that atrocity. But this was never a
green light to destroy Gaza and kill tens of thousands of civilians, including
many children, badly injure many more, turn the enclave to rubble, displace most
of the population several times over, and deprive them of basic humanitarian
aid.
The moral and legal imperatives of ensuring the wellbeing of noncombatants in a
war zone are self-explanatory. Nevertheless, had Israel’s government, and first
and foremost Netanyahu, behaved with less complacency and taken note of advice
from their friends in the international community, they could have saved
themselves these indictments. For instance, the ICC judges have found that there
are reasonable grounds that starvation as a method of warfare was used during
the conflict. This is a serious accusation of an act that was preventable,
unless the accused believed, as alleged, that punishing the entire Gaza
population was one of the aims of this war, or they showed extreme lack of
judgment, despite being warned. As a matter of fact, there was also an
opportunity to drive a wedge between Hamas, who have only ever brought calamity
to Gaza, and the rest of the population by sparing their lives and treating them
humanely. This is a case where morality and expediency could have been
complementary, instead of the latter path taken at the expense of the former.
One of the complaints that Israeli politicians level against the ICC is that it
has created equivalence between a democratic state and a terror organization by
issuing arrest warrants for representatives of both at the same time. This is
not necessarily the case. It is the same war, but not the same accusations that
apply. There is no suggestion that democracies cannot commit war crimes and
crimes against humanity; the opposite has been tragically on display too often
in recent decades.
The ICC arrest warrants have provided Netanyahu with more of the toxic fuel that
his politics require.
Furthermore, Netanyahu and others claim that other democracies, such as the US,
UK, and Venezuela, have been let off the hook after being accused of war crimes,
despite evidence to the contrary. Here is where Israel’s domestic divisions and
the government’s arrogance have landed it in hot water. The Rome Statute, the
treaty that established the ICC, recognizes the principle of “complementarity.”
This means that if a state linked to the alleged crimes genuinely conducts
investigations into such allegations or prosecutes for the same crimes, the
court will defer to this state and proceed no further with the case.
The statute is also based on the assumption of an independent judiciary. Back in
June, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara sent a letter urging Netanyahu to end
the procrastination over the establishment of a state commission of inquiry,
first for the obvious reasons of the need for accountability, and to draw
lessons from the disaster of Oct. 7 and its aftermath, but also because such an
inquiry would have fulfilled the “complementarity” requirement and most likely
shelved the request for ICC arrest warrants.
However, Netanyahu is terrified of such an inquiry, for what are the chances of
him surviving in power following the findings of an investigation? His fear of
facing the Israeli court in his corruption case is much greater than the
prospect of one day facing the judges of an international court.
Having said that, it cannot be denied that the ICC’s pursuit of justice might,
at least in the short run, have serious adverse consequences. The requirement to
go after any leader or country that has committed war crimes and crimes against
humanity needs no elaboration, but the main efforts in this case should first
have been focused on reaching a ceasefire followed by a permanent cessation of
hostilities. This might prevent the creation of even more victims of this war,
but the ICC’s decision might sadly achieve exactly the opposite. It has already
caused a split within the EU, and between several of its member states and the
US. Bringing about a ceasefire requires the EU and the US to work in tandem and
with a sense of urgency, not to quarrel over this ICC decision. Moreover, the
Israeli opposition felt it had no choice but to defend Netanyahu, as otherwise
it could have been accused of being insufficiently patriotic and cynically using
this development to unseat the Israeli leader. But counterintuitively, these
arrest warrants have made it more difficult for Netanyahu’s political rivals to
oppose the war and demand a ceasefire. Nothing strengthens Netanyahu and his
bunch of populist ultranationalists more than when they are able to describe any
criticism of Israel as an antisemitic act in support of those who are willing to
destroy the country. Netanyahu evoked the memory of the 19th-century miscarriage
of justice in the case of the Jewish army officer Alfred Dreyfus, who was
falsely accused of treason — a misuse of his memory and victimization, as
Netanyahu is deplorably perverting the notion of antisemitism and the memory of
the Holocaust.
Regrettably, the ICC arrest warrants have provided Netanyahu with more of the
toxic fuel that his politics require. With the support of the US, Hungary, and
the Czech Republic in his rejection of the warrants, his position has been
strengthened and might result in prolonging the war.
• Yossi Mekelberg is a professor of international relations and an associate
fellow of the MENA Program at Chatham House.
X: @YMekelberg
Central and Eastern Europe’s bid for AI dominance
Sona Muzikarova/Arab News/November 30/2024
CEE countries have emerged as innovation hubs in recent years, generating a wave
of new tech unicorns. Romania’s UiPath, for example, has become an automation
leader, enhancing workplace efficiency by freeing workers from repetitive tasks.
Poland’s Docplanner is revolutionizing healthcare access by leveraging
artificial intelligence to connect millions of patients with doctors. And while
Croatia’s Infobip, with its AI-enhanced communication platform, facilitates
seamless interactions between businesses, governments, and citizens, Bulgaria’s
Payhawk is transforming corporate finance by streamlining expense management.
Together, these companies show that AI can be a powerful force for good, driving
rapid advances in healthcare and finance and increasing workplace productivity.
The next major tech innovation could well come from a startup incubator in
Warsaw, a university lab in Bucharest, or a coworking space in Kyiv — probably
developed at a fraction of Western costs.Some might say that this wave of
innovation is building despite the numerous challenges facing the region; others
would say it is fueled by them. As they strive to maintain their competitive
edge in traditional sectors like auto manufacturing, CEE economies are also
grappling with post-pandemic financial pressures, exacerbated by the EU’s
revised budget rules. AI has the potential to help CEE countries tackle these
complex challenges, generating tremendous value across traditional public
sectors such as healthcare and education, while enabling governments to counter
foreign interference and safeguard critical energy networks.
Encouragingly, CEE countries have a strong foundation on which to build a
thriving tech sector, with a critical mass of engineers and STEM (science,
technology, engineering, and math) graduates. Company valuations in the region
increased more than sevenfold between 2017 and 2022. Moreover, the share of
investment from outside the EU rose from 9 percent in 2022 to 21 percent in
2023, highlighting these economies’ growing global appeal.
To be sure, significant challenges remain. Notably, recent research shows that
CEE economies still lag behind their Western European counterparts in both
infrastructure and investment. With a population of more than 150 million and a
combined gross domestic product of almost €2.5 trillion ($2.7 trillion),
the region has vast potential. Yet, total private equity investment fell by 40
percent in 2023, to €1.7 billion. Consequently, launching a startup in the
region can feel like trying to build a spaceship with spare parts from a bicycle
shop.
The rise of populist parties poses another serious challenge, threatening to
undermine responsible macroeconomic management and deter partners and investors.
Instead of addressing fiscal pressures through spending cuts, many CEE
governments have opted to raise corporate and value-added taxes, prioritizing
short-term relief over long-term economic stability. Despite the geopolitical
turmoil, the region has demonstrated remarkable resilience.
A more forward-looking strategy would embrace AI’s transformative potential to
drive economic growth and innovation across the region. To unlock this
potential, CEE countries should take three key steps.
First, policymakers should focus on expanding STEM education and retaining top
talent. The region’s main obstacle to becoming the next Silicon Valley is a
shortage of skilled professionals. While hundreds of promising biotech, finance,
and robotics startups have emerged in recent years, they cannot grow, let alone
become unicorns, without a robust talent pool. And, although education is a
public good, the sluggish pace of reform in CEE countries means that the private
sector must also focus on human-capital development.
Second, deeper European integration could fuel innovation by facilitating the
cross-border exchange of ideas, talent, and capital. With this in mind, the
European Commission recently unveiled its AI Factories initiative, offering
developers access to the computing power, data, and other resources needed to
train advanced AI models. Several CEE countries have also started exploring
structured technological partnerships with other European governments to promote
shared strategic priorities.
Lastly, governments must boost inward foreign investment. Despite the
geopolitical turmoil of the past two years and subsequent decline in private
equity inflows, the region has demonstrated remarkable resilience. While CEE
economies are poised to play a pivotal role in Ukraine’s reconstruction, they
must first address infrastructure gaps, funding shortfalls, and regulatory
uncertainty that could deter potential investors. Enhancing the region’s appeal
is essential not only for the tech sector, but also for advancing digital
infrastructure projects, including 5G networks, data centers, and quantum
computing facilities.
As CEE economies confront these challenges, it has become abundantly clear that
they must act swiftly to harness AI’s potential, or risk watching a generation
of talent seek better opportunities elsewhere.
• Sona Muzikarova, a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a
Mason Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, is a former economist at the European
Central Bank, a former diplomat at the OECD, and a former senior adviser to the
deputy minister of foreign affairs of the Slovak Republic.
©Project Syndicate
The Ceasefire… the Conditions for It to Hold
Nabil Amr/Asharq Al-Awsat/December 01/2024
Over the course of this conflict, one of our era’s longest, wars were
temporarily or permanently stopped through ceasefire agreements and
arrangements. They were often concluded through foreign intervention crowned by
a Security Council resolution.
The most recent ceasefire agreement was concluded just yesterday, and it went
into force in the early hours of Wednesday, November 27, 2024. It was the result
of an agreement between the patrons, Iran as the patron of Hezbollah and America
as the patron of Israel. The patrons both have an interest in a ceasefire, and
it was facilitated by President-elect Donald Trump, who agreed to grant his
rival Biden a consolation prize, something to boast about during what remains of
his presidency and life. Trump encouraged the US mediator, Amos Hochstein, to
press forward. Meanwhile, Iran did not need encouragement, as it understood that
the sixty days between now and Trump’s inauguration are critical.
When the patrons come to an agreement, their followers have no choice but to go
along with it and wax lyrical about the shining victory that made all their
losses and sacrifices worthwhile!
The war that went on for a year and two months was one of hybrid warfare, with
both conventional military strategies and militia tactics used. It was the
longest of all the major wars Israel has fought on all of its fronts, and its
surprises defined it and set it on a course that made stopping it, like stopping
any other, nearly impossible.
The surprise began with the earthquake of October 7, 2023, which was followed by
the surprise of Gaza’s steadfast militant resistance against Israel’s
retaliatory invasion. Another was the conflict's expansion from Rafah to Naqoura
to Bab el-Mandeb, which, in turn, led to the surprise of unprecedented
engagement by masses and states around the world, the surprise of the
International Court of Justice and its rulings, the International Criminal Court
and the arrest warrants it has issued, and many other evident and unseen
repercussions of the longest and most violent war in the Middle East has ever
seen.
It has been three days since the latest ceasefire came into effect, and it has
held firm due to all parties’ need for it. The sixty-day truce could serve as
the foundation for political efforts to go beyond a ceasefire, potentially
ultimately ending with the delineation of land borders. This could open the door
to peace and normalization processes that mirror the peace agreements and
normalizations that have already been achieved and endured in the region.
Indeed, this prospect was explicitly mentioned, and efforts are expected to
continue after having begun before this war.
In matters of war and peace, there is no exception to the rule that governs all
wars: ceasefires are the subject and political settlements are the predicate,
and no sentence can be sound with a subject but no predicate.
The subject in the Middle East and in all wars is the conflict with Israel, a
struggle rooted in the Palestinian cause. You may interpret its role in the
conflict however you like: you could see it as a real cause or a pretext, a
principled, ideological, tactical, or existential commitment, an economic or
commercial matter, or a narrative exploited in domestic conflicts, party
programs, and military coups. In reality, it encapsulates all of those things,
as it is a magical flashpoint that cannot be extinguished, a metal for which no
solvent has yet been invented.
However, this magical flashpoint has a feature that makes it resolvable. It
could be addressed at the root, beginning with a ceasefire in Gaza similar to
that of Lebanon, provided that the root cause is immediately addressed. I
believe that the Palestinians and Arabs are prepared to cooperate to the fullest
extent.
Egypt has made a push for a ceasefire in Gaza. It is trying to strike while the
iron is hot and seize the opportunity. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is working on a
permanent and radical settlement after having established a comprehensive
international framework for pressing forward with a sweeping solution. As Arafat
said before the UN General Assembly decades ago, "Do not let the olive branch
fall from my hand." The international coalition, strengthened by Arab, Islamic,
and global consensus, now says, "Do not waste the opportunity this time, because
the alternative is the war or wars standing behind the door."