English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For December 02/2024
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Mary’s Song
Luke 1:46-55/ And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 01-02/2024
Elias Bejjani/Video & Text: Exposing Hezbollah's Sickening Rhetoric of Divine Victories
Elias Bejjani/The Terrorist Defeated Iranian Jihadist Proxy, Hezbollah Assaults Journalist Daoud Rammal
Pope Urges Lebanon to Elect a New President Immediately
Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon, but tense ceasefire holds
Trump picks Massad Boulos to serve as adviser on Arab, Middle Eastern affairs
Family Returns to their Lebanese City to Find a Crater Where their 50-year-old Home Once Stood
Israeli Strikes Hit Southern Lebanon, but Tense Ceasefire Holds
Hezbollah Faces a Choice: Adapt to Change or Return to Conflict
Israel Says It Killed Two Hezbollah Members in South, Cites Agreement Violation
Israeli Raids in Southern Lebanon Despite the Ceasefire
Families of August 4 Victims Warn Cabinet Against Corrupt Move at Upcoming Meeting
Rai Invited by Macron to the Reopening Ceremony of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris
Is the Ceasefire Owed to the Miraculous Medal?/Fady Noun/This is Beirut/December 01/2024
Élysée Sources: Macron’s Upcoming Saudi Visit Seen as Exceptional
Metropolitan Elias Audi, calls for unity, peace, and strong governance.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 01-02/2024
Syria Launches Counterattacks in Attempt to Halt 'Armed Groups' Surprise Advance
Syrian militants expand offensive after taking Aleppo
Another bleak Christmas in Bethlehem as Christian families quit West Bank
Netanyahu Says Israel is Closely Watching Syria Developments
Israeli strikes kill 15 in Gaza, Cairo holds fresh talks with Hamas
UN halts aid shipments through Gaza's main crossing after looting. It blames the crisis on Israel
Former Israeli defense minister Yaalon warns of ethnic cleansing in Gaza
UN Halts Aid Shipments through Gaza's Main Crossing after Looting, Blames Israel for Crisis
Egypt Hosts Hamas in New Gaza Ceasefire Push, Looting Halts Aid
GCC leaders call for halt to war crimes in Gaza, end of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories
UN Halts Aid Shipments through Gaza's Main Crossing after Looting, Blames Israel for Crisis
Trudeau promised Trump tougher border controls, says top Canada official

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on December 01-02/2024
Charging Netanyahu with War Crimes Shows the ICC Is Illegitimate and Not Fit for Purpose/Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute./December 01/2024
A Bird Flu Pandemic Would Be One of the Most Foreseeable Catastrophes in History/Zeynep Tufekci/The New York Times/December 01/2024
President Macron’s Saudi visit signals a perfect alignment of ambitions and visions/Fahad Al-Ruwaily/Arab News/December 01, 2024
Syria and the Domino Effect/Marc Saikali/This is Beirut

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 01-02/2024
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

Pope Urges Lebanon to Elect a New President Immediately
Asharq Al Awsat/December 01/2024
Pope Francis called on Lebanese politicians on Sunday to urgently elect a new president, to get the country's governing institutions functioning again. "I address an urgent invitation to all Lebanese politicians to elect the president of the republic immediately," the pontiff said at Saint Peter's Square at the end of Sunday Angelus prayer, AFP reported. Lebanon's institutions need to "start functioning normally again to undertake the necessary reforms and sustain the country's role as an example of peaceful cohabitation between different religions", Francis said.
Lebanese parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri has called a presidential election for January 9 in a bid to end a two-year leadership vacuum. Lebanon has been without a president since Michel Aoun's term ended in October 2022. Neither of the two main blocs in parliament -- the Iran-backed Hezbollah and its opponents -- have the majority required to elect a head of state and they have been unable to agree on a consensus candidate.

Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon, but tense ceasefire holds
Kareem Chehayeb And Fadi Tawil/December 01/2024
Israeli jets Sunday launched an airstrike over a southern Lebanese border village, while troops shelled other border towns and villages still under Israeli control, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported. The attacks come days after a US-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strike in the village of Yaroun, nor did the Hezbollah militant group. Israel continues to call on displaced Lebanese not to return to dozens of southern villages in this current stage of the ceasefire. It also continues to impose a daily curfew for people moving across the Litani River between 5 pm and 7 am. Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and the Lebanese military have been critical of Israeli strikes and overflights since the ceasefire went into effect, accusing Israel of violating the agreement. The military said it had filed complaints, but no clear military action has been taken by Hezbollah in response, meaning that the tense cessation of hostilities has not yet broken down. When Israel has issued statements about these strikes, it says they were done to thwart possible Hezbollah attacks. The United States military announced Friday that Major General Jasper Jeffers alongside senior U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein will co-chair a new U.S.-led monitoring committee that includes France, the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon known as UNIFIL, Lebanon, and Israel. Hochstein led over a year of shuttle diplomacy to broker the ceasefire deal, and his role will be temporary until a permanent civilian co-chair is appointed. Lebanon meanwhile is trying to pick up the pieces and return to some level of normal life after the war that decimated large swaths of its south and east, displacing an estimated 1.2 million people. The Lebanese military said it detonated unexploded munitions left over from Israeli strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon. Elsewhere, the Lebanese Civil Defense said it removed five bodies from under the rubble in two southern Lebanese towns over the past 24 hours. The first phase of the ceasefire is a 60-day cessation of hostilities where Hezbollah militants are supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon north of the Litani River and Israeli troops withdraw from southern Lebanon into northern Israel. Lebanese troops are to deploy in large numbers in the south, effectively being the only armed force in control of the south alongside UNIFIL peacekeepers. But challenges still remain at this current stage. Many families who want to bury their dead deep in southern Lebanon are unable to do so at this point. The Lebanese Health Ministry and military allocated a plot of land in the coastal city of Tyre for those people to be temporarily laid to rest. Dr. Wissam Ghazal of the Health Ministry in Tyre said almost 200 bodies have been temporarily buried in that plot of land, until the situation near the border calms down. “Until now, we haven’t been able to go to our village, and our hearts are burning because our martyrs are buried in this manner,” said Om Ali, who asked to be called by a nickname that means “Ali’s mother” in Arabic. Her husband was a combatant killed in the war from the border town of Aita el-Shaab, just a stone’s throw from the tense border. “We hope the crisis ends soon so we can go and bury them properly as soon as possible, because truly, leaving the entrusted ones buried in a non-permanent place like this is very difficult,” she said. In the meantime, cash-strapped Lebanon is trying to fundraise as much money as it can to help rebuild the country the war cost some $8.5 billion in damages and losses according to the World Bank, and to help recruit and train troops to deploy 10,000 personnel into southern Lebanon. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri also called for parliament to convene to elect a president next month to break a gridlock of over two years and reactivate the country's crippled state institutions.
*Chehayeb reported from Beirut.
*Kareem Chehayeb And Fadi Tawil, The Associated Press

Trump picks Massad Boulos to serve as adviser on Arab, Middle Eastern affairs
Andrea Shalal and Maya Gebeily/WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters)/December 01/2024
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday said Lebanese American businessman Massad Boulos would serve as senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs. Trump made the announcement on Truth Social. Boulos, the father-in-law of Trump's daughter Tiffany, met repeatedly with Arab American and Muslim leaders during the election campaign. It was the second time in recent days that Trump chose the father-in-law of one of his children to serve in his administration. On Saturday, Trump said that he had picked his son-in-law Jared Kushner's father, real estate mogul Charles Kushner, to serve as U.S. ambassador to France. In recent months, Boulos campaigned for Trump to drum up Lebanese and Arab American support, even as the U.S.-backed Israel's military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Boulos has powerful roots in both countries.
His father and grandfather were both figures in Lebanese politics and his father-in-law was a key funder of the Free Patriotic Movement, a Christian party aligned with Hezbollah.
His son Michael and Tiffany Trump were married in an elaborate ceremony at Trump's Florida Mar-a-Lago Club in November 2022, after getting engaged in the White House Rose Garden during Trump's first term. Boulos has been in touch with interlocutors across Lebanon's multipolar political world, three sources who spoke to him in recent months say, a rare feat in Lebanon, where decades-old rivalries between factions run deep. Particularly notable is his ability to maintain relations with Hezbollah, they say. The Iranian-backed Shi'ite Muslim party has a large number of seats in Lebanon's parliament and ministers in the government. Boulos is a friend of Suleiman Frangieh, a Christian ally of Hezbollah and its candidate for Lebanon's presidency. He is also in touch with the Lebanese Forces Party, a vehemently anti-Hezbollah Christian faction, the sources say, and has ties to independent lawmakers. Aron Lund, fellow at the Century Foundation think tank, said Boulos was well placed to influence Trump's Middle East policy after playing a small but significant role in expanding Trump's appeal to Arab American and Muslim voters during the campaign. "Boulos' Lebanese political past gives no real indication of a geostrategic or even national vision, but it demonstrates ambition and a set of political allies that will stand out in Trump's circle like a sore thumb," Lund wrote.
MICHIGAN WIN
Boulos, a billionaire with extensive business ties in Nigeria, was born in Lebanon, but moved to Texas as a teenager, where he attended the University of Houston, earned a law degree and became a U.S. citizen. His son and Trump's daughter, whose mother is Trump's second wife Marla Maples, met on the Greek island of Mykonos, at actor Lindsay Lohan's club, People Magazine reported in 2022. Trump's election win in Michigan came in part because of Boulos' help flipping some of the 300,000 Arab Americans and Muslims in the state who overwhelmingly supported Biden in 2020 but opposed Biden's policies in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon, Trump campaign officials and supporters told Reuters. "Boulos played a big role in the outreach to Muslim voters," said Rabiul Chowdhury, co-founder of Muslims for Trump. Beginning in September, the Trump campaign held weekly meetings in person and via Zoom with dozens of Arab American and Muslim civic leaders and business executives. Boulos spent weeks on the ground in Michigan, Pennsylvania and other states with big Arab American and Muslim populations, assuring audiences in private lunches and dinners that tapped his own connections to Lebanese American businessmen that Trump was committed to ending the wars in the Middle East. The Trump campaign spent tens of millions of dollars on the effort to mobilize Arab American and Muslim voters, Boulos told Reuters in an interview shortly after the election. Trump won endorsements from Muslim imams and the Muslim mayor of Hamtramck, another town near Detroit with a large Arab American population, as well as the large Bangladeshi community, and courted Iraqi Americans, Albanian Americans and others. While the events on the ground in Lebanon played a factor, the economy did too. And conservative Arabs and Muslims were concerned about what they saw as the Democrats' "far left ideology," including support of transgender rights, Boulos said. Boulos met with members of the 150,000 strong Albanian community in Michigan.
POLITICAL AMBITIONS?
The new role could offer Boulos the kind of political clout he could not achieve in Lebanon. He had a brief run for Lebanon's parliament in 2018 alongside pro-Hezbollah candidates, but since then he has not consistently aligned himself with any particular party, sources in Lebanon said.He hails from a Greek Orthodox family. In Lebanon's sectarian powersharing system, that would cap his chances at a senior role in government at the level of deputy speaker of parliament. The post of president - the highest Christian role in the country - is reserved for Maronite Catholics. While he used to travel to Lebanon frequently, he has not visited in the last four years, one of the sources said. Some people in Lebanon were hopeful about the prospects of having a friendly face in Trump's inner circle even before the announcement on Sunday. "It's a nice thing - and hopefully he will work for Lebanon. And Trump maybe is of the type who makes a promise and could possibly be more loyal to it than others," said Hamdi Hawallah, a Lebanese man in his late 70s. "So we're optimistic about him. These days we hold on to a piece of driftwood just to be optimistic."
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal in Washington and Maya Gebeily in Beirut, additional reporting by David Ljunggren;Editing by Heather Timmons and Alistair Bell)

Family Returns to their Lebanese City to Find a Crater Where their 50-year-old Home Once Stood
Asharq Al Awsat/December 01/2024
In eastern Lebanon's city of Baalbek, the Jawhari family gathered around a gaping crater where their home once stood, tears streaming as they tried to make sense of the destruction. “It is heart-breaking. A heartache that there is no way we will ever recover from,” said Lina Jawhari, her voice breaking as she hugged relatives who came to support the family. “Our world turned upside down in a second.”The home, which was a gathering place for generations, was reduced to rubble by an Israeli airstrike on Nov. 1, leaving behind shattered memories and twisted fragments of a once-vibrant life. The family, like thousands of Lebanese, were returning to check on their properties after the US-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect early Wednesday. Intense Israeli airstrikes over the past two months leveled entire neighborhoods in eastern and southern Lebanon, as well as the southern suburbs of Beirut. Nearly 1.2 million people have been displaced. The airstrikes have left a massive trail of destruction across the country. A photo of the Jawhari family's home — taken on a phone by Louay Mustafa, Lina’s nephew — is a visual reminder of what had been. As the family sifted through the rubble, each fragment recovered called them to gather around it. A worn letter sparked a collective cheer, while a photo of their late father triggered sobs. Reda Jawhari had built the house for his family and was a craftsman who left behind a legacy of metalwork. The sisters cried and hoped to find a piece of the mosque-church structure built by their father. Minutes later, they lifted a mangled piece of metal from the debris. They clung to it, determined to preserve a piece of his legacy. “Different generations were raised with love... Our life was music, dance, dabke (traditional dance). This is what the house is made up of. And suddenly, they destroyed our world. Our world turned upside down in a second. It is inconceivable. It is inconceivable," Lina said. Despite their determination, the pain of losing their home and the memories tied to it remains raw. Rouba Jawhari, one of four sisters, had one regret. “We are sad that we did not take my mom and dad’s photos with us. If only we took the photos,” she said, clutching an ID card and a bag of photos and letters recovered from the rubble. “It didn’t cross our mind. We thought it’s two weeks and we will be back.” The airstrike that obliterated the Jawhari home came without warning, striking at 1:30 p.m. on what was otherwise an ordinary Friday. Their neighbor, Ali Wehbe, also lost his home. He had stepped out for food a few minutes before the missile hit and rushed back to find his brother searching for him under the rubble.“Every brick holds a memory,” he said, gesturing to what remained of his library. “Under every book you would find a story.”

Israeli Strikes Hit Southern Lebanon, but Tense Ceasefire Holds
Asharq Al Awsat/December 01/2024
Israeli jets Sunday launched an airstrike over a southern Lebanese border village, while troops shelled other border towns and villages still under Israeli control, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported. The attacks come days after a US-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strike in the village of Yaroun, nor did the Hezbollah. Israel continues to call on displaced Lebanese not to return to dozens of southern villages in this current stage of the ceasefire. It also continues to impose a daily curfew for people moving across the Litani River between 5 pm and 7 am, The AP reported. Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and the Lebanese military have been critical of Israeli strikes and overflights since the ceasefire went into effect, accusing Israel of violating the agreement. The military said it had filed complaints, but no clear military action has been taken by Hezbollah in response, meaning that the tense cessation of hostilities has not yet broken down. When Israel has issued statements about these strikes, it says they were done to thwart possible Hezbollah attacks. The United States military announced Friday that Major General Jasper Jeffers alongside senior US envoy Amos Hochstein will co-chair a new US-led monitoring committee that includes France, the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon known as UNIFIL, Lebanon, and Israel. Hochstein led over a year of shuttle diplomacy to broker the ceasefire deal, and his role will be temporary until a permanent civilian co-chair is appointed.
Lebanon meanwhile is trying to pick up the pieces and return to some level of normal life after the war that decimated large swaths of its south and east, displacing an estimated 1.2 million people. The Lebanese military said it detonated unexploded munitions left over from Israeli strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon. Elsewhere, the Lebanese Civil Defense said it removed five bodies from under the rubble in two southern Lebanese towns over the past 24 hours. The first phase of the ceasefire is a 60-day cessation of hostilities where Hezbollah militants are supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon north of the Litani River and Israeli troops withdraw from southern Lebanon into northern Israel. Lebanese troops are to deploy in large numbers in the south, effectively being the only armed force in control of the south alongside UNIFIL peacekeepers. But challenges still remain at this current stage. Many families who want to bury their dead deep in southern Lebanon are unable to do so at this point. The Lebanese Health Ministry and military allocated a plot of land in the coastal city of Tyre for those people to be temporarily laid to rest. Dr. Wissam Ghazal of the Health Ministry in Tyre said almost 200 bodies have been temporarily buried in that plot of land, until the situation near the border calms down. “Until now, we haven’t been able to go to our village, and our hearts are burning because our martyrs are buried in this manner,” said Om Ali, who asked to be called by a nickname that means “Ali’s mother” in Arabic. Her husband was a combatant killed in the war from the border town of Aita el-Shaab, just a stone’s throw from the tense border. “We hope the crisis ends soon so we can go and bury them properly as soon as possible, because truly, leaving the entrusted ones buried in a non-permanent place like this is very difficult,” she said. In the meantime, cash-strapped Lebanon is trying to fundraise as much money as it can to help rebuild the country the war cost some $8.5 billion in damages and losses according to the World Bank, and to help recruit and train troops to deploy 10,000 personnel into southern Lebanon. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri also called for parliament to convene to elect a president next month to break a gridlock of over two years and reactivate the country's crippled state institutions.

Hezbollah Faces a Choice: Adapt to Change or Return to Conflict
Beirut: Youssef Diab/Asharq Al Awsat/December 01/2024
In his recent speech, Hezbollah's Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem sent several messages to both Lebanon and the wider world, suggesting that the post-war era will be different from the past. While he declared victory over Israel, he also signaled a shift towards political engagement under the Taif Agreement, highlighting the changes facing both Hezbollah and the broader “Resistance Axis.”However, the victory Qassem spoke of does not reflect Lebanon's reality after the war. Former minister Rashid Derbas argued that Hezbollah may claim victory, but in truth, Lebanon—both as a state and a people—has been defeated. He noted that Qassem's remarks are mainly aimed at rallying supporters, while the Lebanese people continue to suffer. In a statement to Asharq Al-Awsat, Derbas said that while Sheikh Naim Qassem has the right to address his supporters this way, he views the overall tone of the speech as positive. Derbas highlighted Qassem’s decision to return to political work under the Taif Agreement, his call for a swift presidential election, and his push for cooperation with the Lebanese army. In his speech, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General outlined the party’s future vision, including high-level coordination with the Lebanese army, continued support for Palestine, and ongoing reconstruction efforts with the Lebanese state and international partners. He emphasized that Hezbollah’s role in Lebanon will remain politically and economically influential, with a focus on completing constitutional institutions, starting with electing a new president. The results of the war have forced Hezbollah to reassess its approach, pushing for deeper political integration in a more pragmatic manner than before. Derbas praised Qassem’s agreement to withdraw completely north of the Litani River, signaling a shift away from confrontation with Israel. He noted that Hezbollah has come to realize that only Lebanon and the state can protect it, not Syria, Iraq, or Iran. Regarding Hezbollah’s “army, people, and resistance” equation, Derbas pointed out the reality of Israel's military strength, which is linked to US weapons, and emphasized the need to rely on the state for protection. He stressed that the party must return to a more realistic approach. The tone of Hezbollah’s rhetoric after this war is different from its stance after the 2006 July War, which was more aggressive toward political forces. Political analyst Qassem Qasir noted that the party is now acting with greater rationality, coordinating with the Lebanese state and army to implement UN Resolution 1701.He called on all political groups to adopt a positive and non-provocative discourse that reflects Hezbollah’s openness toward all Lebanese factions.

Israel Says It Killed Two Hezbollah Members in South, Cites Agreement Violation
This is Beirut/December 01/2024
The Israeli army announced on Sunday evening that it had killed two Hezbollah members near a church in southern Lebanon, claiming their presence violated the ceasefire agreement. The incident is one of several reported breaches of the agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, raising concerns over the vulnerability of the ceasefire. According to Avichay Adraee, the Israeli army’s Arabic spokesperson, the army acted to neutralize threats posed by Hezbollah in the region. In a statement on X, Adraee wrote, “The army continues to work in Lebanon to thwart operations that pose a threat to Lebanon and Israel.”On the ground, tensions have escalated. Four artillery shells reportedly struck Khiam, with one shell hitting a chalet near the Marjayoun plain. Heavy machine gun fire was reported around 2 PM on Sunday from Israeli positions near Maroun al-Ras, targeting Bint Jbeil. Smoke was observed rising from the area, and homes were reportedly bulldozed in Maroun al-Ras.At dawn, a large explosion was heard in Khiam, where the Israeli army allegedly detonated several houses and buildings. Similar incidents were reported in the border towns of Kfar Kila and Yaroun in the Bint Jbeil district. Israeli airstrikes also hit the vicinity of Arnoun in the Nabatieh district. These areas lie within the border zone along the Blue Line, where the Israeli army remains stationed. According to Israeli media outlet Yedioth Ahronoth, France recently informed Israel of 52 unreported ceasefire violations by Israeli forces, warning of the potential collapse of the fragile truce. The Israeli army has continued to caution residents of southern Lebanon to avoid border areas, reiterating that movement in these regions poses significant risks.These developments follow mounting tensions in the region, with growing international concern over potential escalation.

Israeli Raids in Southern Lebanon Despite the Ceasefire
This is Beirut/December 01/2024
The fragility of the truce reached on Wednesday between Hezbollah and Israel continues to be closely monitored on the ground. A massive explosion was heard at dawn on Sunday in the town of Khiam, near the border, where the Israeli Army reportedly detonated several houses and buildings. The same was reported in the border town of Kfar Kila, according to the local channel al-Jadeed on Sunday morning. Israeli airstrikes also targeted Yaroun in the Bint Jbeil district, while the vicinity of the village of Arnoun in the Nabatiyeh district was bombarded by Israeli artillery. It should be noted that these villages lie within the border area where the Israeli Army remains deployed for the time being. According to the Israeli media “Yedioth Ahronoth,” France informed Israel yesterday (Saturday) of 52 Israeli violations of the ceasefire that were not reported through the monitoring mechanism, and warned of the potential collapse of the ceasefire in Lebanon. Meanwhile, the Israeli Army continues to enforce restrictions on residents of southern Lebanon. The Israeli Army spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, reiterated his call for them to avoid going to the area for now. “Anyone moving south (…) puts themselves in danger,” he warned on his X account.

Families of August 4 Victims Warn Cabinet Against Corrupt Move at Upcoming Meeting
This is Beirut/December 01/2024
The Families of the Victims of the August 4 port explosion issued a statement on Sunday condemning “the inclusion of item 26 on the Cabinet's agenda scheduled for Monday, December 2, 2024, which involves reviewing the legal and professional status of suspect Hani Hajj Shehade, possibly paving the way for his reinstatement to his position.”“This is absolutely unacceptable and must not be allowed to pass, especially that he is one of the accused in the largest crimes and was released illegally,” the statement said. “Rampant corruption and its persistence have become unbearable and unacceptable,” the statement added. Hani Hajj Shehade, a member of the Higher Council of Customs and the former Beirut Customs Regional Director, was charged, like the other detainees in the August 4 Beirut port explosion case, with felony, probable intent to commit murder, misdemeanor, negligence and dereliction of duty. The families of August 4 victims stressed that “after the war and the declared ceasefire, there is no longer any exceptional circumstance that prevents the judiciary from continuing the legal procedures and completing the investigations in order to issue the indictment in what has been termed the crime of the century.”

Rai Invited by Macron to the Reopening Ceremony of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris
This is Beirut/December 01/2024
At the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai will travel to Paris on Sunday, December 8, to attend the reopening ceremony of Notre-Dame Cathedral after five years of restoration and renovation work following the fire that devastated significant parts of this iconic monument of Paris and France. In his Sunday homily, the patriarch praised the international community, particularly France and the United States, for facilitating the conclusion of a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel. "We hope that Lebanon and Israel will be able to implement the agreement to cease hostilities," he said, adding that the 60-day truce should "turn into a lasting peace." The Maronite patriarch also expressed hope that the people of both countries could "live in peace based on the armistice agreement" signed in 1949 between Lebanon and Israel.

Is the Ceasefire Owed to the Miraculous Medal?
Fady Noun/This is Beirut/December 01/2024
The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect on November 27, coinciding with the Latin Church’s feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. For many, this timing is seen as a divine gift, strengthening their faith that the end of hostilities was heaven-sent.
The Chapel of the Miraculous Medal on Rue du Bac in Paris holds a deep significance for many Christian Lebanese, who often wear the medal as a cherished token of faith, adorning their necks or wrists. This medal was designed following detailed instructions given by the Mother of Jesus to Sister Catherine Labouré during a remarkable apparition in 1830. Inside the convent chapel on Rue du Bac, visitors can still see the chair where the Virgin Mary, revered as the Queen of Heaven, is believed to have sat during her conversation with Sister Labouré. Entrusting the young nun with the mission of creating and spreading the medal, the Virgin Mary proclaimed, “Have a medal struck upon this model. All who wear it around their neck will receive great graces. Abundant graces will be granted to those who wear it with confidence.”This profound trust in the Virgin Mary’s invisible presence is the cornerstone of her promise. The Miraculous Medal is far more than a simple good luck charm. In today’s fraught and tense times, as nuclear threats loom from Pyongyang to Moscow, the Virgin Mary is venerated as the “Queen of Peace” in the Catholic tradition. This title is tied to the messages she is said to have delivered starting1981 to a group of adolescents in Medjugorje, a small Bosnian village that has since become one of the most prominent Marian pilgrimage sites in the world. During a time when they felt utterly powerless and were subjected to manipulation and mistreatment by powerful nations, the Lebanese people solemnly consecrated their country to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in 2012. This consecration represented a profound commitment to the Prince of Peace and the Queen of Peace, embodying the ideals of dialogue and harmony – values opposed to the pursuit of a warlike utopia.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Mathilde Riachi, a remarkable woman, elevated the prayer for peace in Lebanon to extraordinary levels. Her life was devoted to fostering peace and unity.
In this crucial period of our history, as our borders face threats that call for their reinforcement against both allies and adversaries, it is crucial to recall one of the most symbolic and enigmatic chapters of Riachi’s legacy: her unwavering efforts to sanctify Lebanon’s land and maritime borders.
Relatives recall that during a particular phase of the Civil War, while foreign interventions deepened the conflict, Riachi took it upon herself to place small tin crosses, blessed by a priest, in every accessible point along Lebanon’s borders. The exact duration of this extraordinary effort remains unknown, but it is known that she entrusted military pilots associated with her organization with the task of sprinkling holy water along the Lebanese coastline. It is difficult to say whether this act made Lebanon’s borders entirely impregnable, but for many people of faith, this invisible protection, coupled with the courage of the fighters, continues to have an effect today, much like the Miraculous Medal. Lebanon’s borders are not to be violated with impunity, and its calling for peace is not to be taken lightly.

Élysée Sources: Macron’s Upcoming Saudi Visit Seen as Exceptional
Paris: Michel Abou Najm/Al Sharq Al-Awsat/December 01/2024
French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Saudi Arabia on December 2 at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Élysée Palace announced. Élysée sources described the visit as an “exceptional state visit,” at the highest diplomatic level, reflecting strong ties and a close personal relationship between Macron and the Crown Prince. Paris views the visit as a “crucial moment” in the evolving ties between France and Saudi Arabia. Both nations aim to elevate their relationship to the level of a “strategic partnership,” which will be formally announced during the visit. Macron’s upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia is seen by Paris as a pivotal moment in advancing bilateral ties. Both nations plan to elevate their relationship to a formal “strategic partnership” during the visit, reflecting shared ambitions for the next decade, underpinned by a joint action plan, according to the Élysée Palace.
Supporting Saudi Transformation
The visit comes as Saudi Arabia undergoes significant economic transformation under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030. It highlights France’s support for Saudi Vision 2030, including major projects like NEOM, AlUla development, and efforts in renewable energy and cultural initiatives. Paris views this as an opportunity to expand economic and cultural cooperation.
Tackling Regional Crises
Macron and the Crown Prince will address major challenges, including the Gaza conflict, Lebanon’s political stalemate, the Yemen war, and Iran’s nuclear activities. France aims to work with Saudi Arabia on ceasefires, peace efforts, and humanitarian initiatives, particularly in Gaza and Lebanon. In Gaza, France seeks Saudi collaboration to push for an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, and humanitarian protections. Paris also emphasizes the importance of Saudi contributions through the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to advance a two-state solution for Palestine. In Lebanon, discussions will focus on consolidating the ceasefire, supporting presidential elections to fill the leadership vacuum, and driving reforms. France also highlights the importance of rebuilding efforts, estimated at $15 billion, and appreciates Saudi contributions to recent international aid conferences. The Élysée sees Saudi Arabia’s modernization and social reforms as positioning the Kingdom as a central player in a more interconnected Middle East. France supports Saudi bids for major global events, such as hosting Expo 2030 and the Winter Olympics, viewing these as opportunities for deeper cooperation. Macron’s engagement with Iran will also be discussed, as France seeks to balance dialogue with Tehran while urging it to cease actions that destabilize the region. The French President’s schedule includes high-level meetings, a visit to Riyadh Metro, the Saudi-French Economic Forum, and cultural stops in Diriyah and AlUla. The trip underscores France’s commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia’s transformation and promoting stability in the region.

Metropolitan Elias Audi, calls for unity, peace, and strong governance.
NNA/(google Translation from Arabic)/December 01/2024
"Metropolitan Elias Audi, the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Beirut and its environs, presided over a divine liturgy at the Saint George Cathedral, attended by a large congregation. In his homily, he stated: ‘The blind man of Jericho also represents our country, blinded by the misguided leadership of its leaders and their mismanagement over decades, disregarding the advice of world leaders and then resorting to begging them. While it is true that all nations and international institutions bear responsibility for the indiscriminate destruction and mass killings we have witnessed, the most important question remains: Where is the responsibility of the Lebanese? Where is the role of the officials, leaders, deputies, parties, and people? And where is the role of those involved in the war? Shouldn’t the Lebanese be concerned with their own fate before begging for attention from abroad? The villages that were razed to the ground are our villages, the houses that were blown up are our houses, the burned fields are our fields, and the innocent victims who fell as a result of the enemy’s hatred and barbarism are our brothers. What are we waiting for to stop the periodic destruction of our country, the erasure of our history, and the killing of our people? If we had a President, a fully empowered government, a strong state, and a Parliament that understands its role and responsibility, would we be in this dramatic situation? What is the benefit of delaying the election of a President, not to mention obstructing the election? What is the benefit of clinging to obstinacy? Doesn’t the absence of a head of state serve the enemy state by keeping it weak and vulnerable? Aren’t we punishing ourselves or committing suicide? Now, after reaching a ceasefire, can we remain like the blind, our eyes closed? Or should we ask God to enlighten our sight and insight so that we may realize that there is no salvation for our country except by everyone returning to the embrace of the state and rallying under the umbrella of its constitution and laws? Loyalty should be only to Lebanon, and no flag should be raised except the Lebanese flag, and no authority should be recognized except the Lebanese army. We hope that all Lebanese will realize that the state is the first and last option, and that we are all part of one nation, not an axis, a nation with its constitution, laws, and sovereignty, in which we live with brothers with whom we may differ in opinion, but the nation remains the unifying factor among us. The Lebanese have grown tired of fragmentation, wars, and the destruction and instability they leave behind. They are tired of the weak, fragmented state, and they are tired of the manipulation of their destinies. They all yearn for peace, stability, growth, and prosperity.’He concluded: ‘Our prayer is that peace may prevail in our country and the entire world, and that awareness, reason, and responsibility may replace recklessness and adventure. May Lebanon commit to what it has pledged and have a president who works with his government to build a strong state, sovereign on its land, that extends its influence over all its territory, protects its borders, sovereignty, and all its citizens, so that we may enjoy lasting peace and a decent and dignified life in a homeland that God has given us to preserve.’”

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 01-02/2024
Syria Launches Counterattacks in Attempt to Halt 'Armed Groups' Surprise Advance
Asharq Al Awsat/December 01/2024
The Syrian military rushed in reinforcements and struck Idlib city Sunday in an attempt to push back the armed groups from advancing farther after seizing Aleppo and surrounding strategic locations in an adjacent province in a surprise offensive. The militants led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham took over most of Aleppo on Saturday and claimed to have entered the city of Hama. There was no independent confirmation of their claim. The swift and surprise offensive is a huge embarrassment for Syrian President Bashar Assad and raises questions about his troops' preparedness. It also comes at a time when Assad’s allies — Iran and groups it backs and Russia — are preoccupied with their own conflicts. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi travels to Syrian capital Damascus later Sunday. He told reporters that Tehran will back the Syrian government and army. Arab leaders, including Jordan’s King Abdullah II and United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in calls with Assad expressed their solidarity with Damascus, The AP reported. Türkiye, a main backer of Syrian opposition groups, said its diplomatic efforts had failed to stop Syrian government attacks on opposition-held areas in recent weeks. Turkish security officials said a limited offensive by the opposition was planned to stop government attacks and allow civilians to return, but the offensive expanded as Syrian government forces began to retreat from their positions. The attack is lead by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and which includes Türkiye-backed fighters, launched their offensive on Wednesday with a two-pronged attack on Aleppo and the Idlib countryside, before moving toward Hama province. In Aleppo province, they captured a strategic town that lies on the highway linking Aleppo with Damascus and the coast.
Opposition commander Col. Hassan Abdulghani said that despite the government counteroffensive, his fighters were making gains in Aleppo. He says they took control of Sheikh Najjar, also known as the Aleppo Industrial City, Aleppo’s military academy and the field artillery college. Abdulghani said 65 Syrian troops were taken prisoner in eastern Aleppo.Elsewhere, he said the opposition advanced in the Idlib countryside, putting all of the province under their control. The United Nations special envoy for Syria said the shock push by the opposition poses a risk to regional security and called on resuming diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. “I have repeatedly warned of the risks of escalation in Syria, of the dangers of mere conflict management rather than conflict resolution,” Geir Pedersen said in a statement. He said the reality is that no Syrian party or grouping of actors can resolve the conflict via military means.
Syrian troops fortify northern Hama as jets pound Idlib According to Syrian state news agency SANA and a war monitor, the army overnight pushed back groups in the northern countryside of Hama province. Syrian state media said government resupply included heavy equipment and rocket launchers while Syrian and Russian airstrikes targeted weapon depots and militant strongholds. Britain-based opposition war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that government reinforcements created a “strong defensive line” in the northern Hama countryside. Syrian state television claimed government forces had killed nearly 1,000 militans over the past three days, without providing evidence or details. Government airstrikes in Idlib on Sunday killed at least three civilians, including two children, and wounded 11 others, said the Syrian Civil Defense, known as the White Helmets, which operates in opposition-held areas. Among the targets were the Aleppo Hospital University in the city center, though there was no word of casualties. The militants vowed to push all the way into Damascus, but life in the Syrian capital remained normal with no signs of panic.
In his first public comments since the start of the offensive, released by the state news agency Saturday evening, Assad said Syria will continue to “defend its stability and territorial integrity against terrorists and their supporters.” He added that Syria is able to defeat them no matter how much their attacks intensify. He also vowed to defeat "insurgents" by force, the official Syrian news agency reported.

Syrian militants expand offensive after taking Aleppo
AP/December 01, 2024
BEIRUT: Thousands of Syrian militants took over most of Aleppo on Saturday, establishing positions in the country’s largest city and controlling its airport before expanding their shock offensive to a nearby province. They faced little to no resistance from government troops, according to fighters and activists. A war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the insurgents led by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham seized control of Aleppo International airport, the first international airport to be controlled by insurgents. The fighters claimed they seized the airport and posted pictures from there. Thousands of fighters also moved on, facing almost no opposition from government forces, to seize towns and villages in northern Hama, a province where they had a presence before being expelled by government troops in 2016. They claimed Saturday evening to have entered the city of Hama.
A huge embarrassment for Assad
The swift and surprise offensive is a huge embarrassment for Syria’s President Bashar Assad and raises questions about his armed forces’ preparedness. The insurgent offensive launched from their stronghold in the country’s northwest appeared to have been planned for years. It also comes at a time when Assad’s allies were preoccupied with their own conflicts. In his first public comments since the start of the offensive, released by the state news agency Saturday evening, Assad said Syria will continue to “defend its stability and territorial integrity against terrorists and their supporters.” He added that Syria is able to defeat them no matter how much their attacks intensify. Turkiye, a main backer of Syrian opposition groups, said its diplomatic efforts had failed to stop government attacks on opposition-held areas in recent weeks, which were in violation of a de-escalation agreement sponsored by Russia, Iran and Ankara. Turkish security officials said a limited offensive by the militants was planned to stop government attacks and allow civilians to return, but the offensive expanded as Syrian government forces began to retreat from their positions. The insurgents, led by the Salafi militant group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham and including Turkiye-backed fighters, launched their shock offensive on Wednesday. They first staged a two-pronged attack in Aleppo and the Idlib countryside, entering Aleppo two days later and securing a strategic town that lies on the highway that links Syria’s largest city to the capital and the coast. By Saturday evening, they seized at least four towns in the central Hama province and claimed to have entered the provincial capital. The insurgents staged an attempt to reclaim areas they controlled in Hama in 2017 but failed.
Preparing a counterattack
Syria’s armed forces said in a statement Saturday that to absorb the large attack on Aleppo and save lives, it redeployed troops and equipment and was preparing a counterattack. The statement acknowledged that insurgents entered large parts of the city but said they have not established bases or checkpoints. Later on Saturday, the armed forces sought to dispel what it said were lies in reference to reports about its forces retreating or defecting, saying the general command was carrying out its duties in “combatting terrorist organizations.”The return of the insurgents to Aleppo was their first since 2016, following a grueling military campaign in which Assad’s forces were backed by Russia, Iran and its allied groups. The 2016 battle for Aleppo was a turning point in the war between Syrian government forces and militant fighters after 2011 protests against Assad’s rule turned into an all-out war. After appearing to be losing control of the country to the militants, the Aleppo battle secured Assad’s hold on strategic areas of Syria, with opposition factions and their foreign backers controlling areas on the periphery. The lightning offensive threatened to reignite the country’s civil war, which had been largely in a stalemate for years. Late on Friday, witnesses said two airstrikes hit the edge of Aleppo city, targeting insurgent reinforcements and falling near residential areas. The Observatory said 20 fighters were killed. Insurgents were filmed outside police headquarters, in the city center, and outside the Aleppo citadel, the medieval palace in the old city center, and one of the largest in the world. They tore down posters of Assad, stepping on some and burning others. The push into Aleppo followed weeks of simmering low-level violence, including government attacks on opposition-held areas. 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 same day that 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.
Insurgents raise flags over the Aleppo citadel
Speaking from the heart of the city in Saadallah Aljabri square, opposition fighter Mohammad Al-Abdo said it was his first time back in Aleppo in 13 years, when his older brother was killed at the start of the war. “God willing, the rest of Aleppo province will be liberated” from government forces, he said. There was light traffic in the city center on Saturday. Opposition fighters fired in the air in celebration but there was no sign of clashes or government troops present. Journalists in the city filmed soldiers captured by the insurgents and the bodies of others killed in battle. Abdulkafi Alhamdo, a teacher who fled Aleppo in 2016 and returned Friday night after hearing the insurgents were inside, described “mixed feelings of pain, sadness and old memories.” “As I entered Aleppo, I kept telling myself this is impossible. How did this happen?” Alhamdo said he strolled through the city at night visiting the Aleppo citadel, where the insurgents raised their flags, a major square and the university of Aleppo, as well as the last spot he was in before he was forced to leave for the countryside.“I walked in (the empty) streets of Aleppo, shouting, ‘People, people of Aleppo. We are your sons,’” he told The Associated Press in a series of messages.
City’s hospitals are full
Aleppo residents reported hearing clashes and gunfire but most stayed indoors. Some fled 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. Witnesses said the insurgents deployed security forces around the city to prevent any acts of violence or looting. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Friday Aleppo’s two key public hospitals were reportedly full of patients while many private facilities closed. In social media posts, the insurgents were pictured outside of the citadel, the medieval palace in the old city center, and one of the largest in the world. In cellphone videos, they recorded themselves having conversations with residents they visited at home, seeking to reassure them they will cause no harm. The Syrian Kurdish-led administration in the country’s east said nearly 3,000 people, most of them students, had arrived in their region after fleeing the fighting in Aleppo, which has a sizeable Kurdish population. State media reported that a number of “terrorists,” including sleeper cells, infiltrated parts of the city. Government troops chased them and arrested a number who posed for pictures near city landmarks, they said. On a state TV morning show Saturday, commentators said army reinforcements and Russia’s assistance would repel the “terrorist groups,” blaming Turkiye 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 had launched the offensive in the northwest on Friday. It provided no further details.

Another bleak Christmas in Bethlehem as Christian families quit West Bank
Mustafa Abu Ganeyeh/BETHLEHEM, West Bank (Reuters)/ December 1, 2024 at 5:42
For a second year running, there is no Christmas cheer in Bethlehem, with tourists shunning the Palestinian city and many residents seeking a way out as the Gaza war grinds on. Bethlehem's Manger Square in front of the Church of the Nativity is largely deserted and souvenir shops are shuttered.
Once again, there are no plans to put up the traditional light-festooned Christmas Tree in the ancient settlement that is venerated by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus and now sits in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. "During these difficult times that our Palestinian cities are going through, especially in the Gaza Strip, it is difficult to show any signs of joy and happiness," said Issa Thaljieh, an Orthodox priest who ministers at the Nativity Church. Adding to the gloom, many local Christian families are also looking to escape, demoralised by both the tourist slump that has ravaged their economy, and the constant threat of violence hovering over the territory northeast of Gaza. "The emigration out of Bethlehem is increasing daily and monthly, and ... this has a negative impact on the city," Thaljieh said. Christian communities have been in decline across the Middle East for generations, and the West Bank is no exception. In the last year of British rule over the region in 1947, some 85% of Bethlehem's population were Christian. As of a 2017 census, the overall population of Bethlehem was 215,514 with only 23,000 Christians among them. That puts the percentage of Christians in Bethlehem in 2017 at around 10%. Locals say the rate of departure has been gathering steam in recent months in the cradle of Christianity, with the economic lifeblood of the city no longer flowing and the Israeli occupation preventing freedom of movement around the territory. Bethlehem resident Alaa Afteem, who runs a falafel restaurant, said one of his cousins had recently moved to Australia. "Due to the bad living conditions and bad financial conditions, people have started looking for better opportunities for their children, for better education, for a better future," he told Reuters.
'THERE IS NO SECURITY'
Since the 1967 war between Israel and neighbouring Arab countries, Israel has occupied the West Bank, which Palestinians want as the core of a future independent state. Israel has built Jewish settlements, deemed illegal by most countries, across the territory. Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the land. Several of its ministers live in settlements and favour their expansion. Violence has surged across the hilly land since the start of the Hamas-Israel war in Gaza in October last year. Hundreds of Palestinians - including armed fighters, stone-throwing youths and civilian bystanders - have died in clashes with Israeli security forces, while dozens of Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks, Israeli authorities say. Difficult at the best of times, travel between West Bank cities has become increasingly fraught. "There is no security if you are commuting between districts within the West Bank like between Bethlehem, Ramallah, Jericho, Hebron," Afteem said. Munther Isaac, a pastor at Bethlehem's Lutheran Church, says local Muslim families have also been emigrating, squeezed by both financial problems and broader worries about the future. "(There is) the fear that this war might extend to areas in the West Bank, especially after the arming of the settlers and the announcement of the possible annexation of the West Bank," he said. The West Bank has been transformed by the rapid growth of Jewish settlements over the past two years, with strident settlers pushing to impose Israeli sovereignty on the area. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on X in October that since the start of the Gaza conflict more than 120,000 firearms had been distributed to Israeli settlers to protect themselves. In Isaac's church, the nativity scene has a figure of the baby Jesus lying in a pile of rubble. "We feel that this war will never end," he said.

Netanyahu Says Israel is Closely Watching Syria Developments
Asharq Al Awsat/December 01/2024
Israel is closely watching developments in Syria, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday. "We are constantly watching events in Syria. We are determined to defend the vital interests of Israel and to maintain the achievements of war," Netanyahu said. This came during his visit to new military recruits at a base in central Israel. Armed opposition groups swept into the Syrian city of Aleppo, east of Idlib province, on Friday night, forcing the army to redeploy in the biggest challenge to President Bashar al-Assad in years.

Israeli strikes kill 15 in Gaza, Cairo holds fresh talks with Hamas
Reuters/December 01, 2024
CAIRO: Israeli military strikes killed at least 15 Palestinians in Gaza on Sunday, medics said, as Israeli forces kept up bombardments across the enclave and blew up houses on its northern edge. In the central Gaza camp of Nuseirat, an Israeli airstrike killed six people in a house, and another attack killed three in a home in Gaza City, medics said. Two children were killed when a missile hit a tent encampment in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, while four other people were killed in an airstrike in Rafah, near the border with Egypt, medics told Reuters. Residents said the military blew up clusters of houses in the northern Gaza areas of Jabalia, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, where Israeli forces have operated since October this year. Palestinians say Israel’s operations on the northern edge of the enclave are part of a plan to clear people out through forced evacuations and bombardments to create a buffer zone — an allegation the army denies. The military says it has killed hundreds of Hamas militants there as it fights to stop the faction regrouping almost 14 months since the war in Gaza started. Hamas’s armed wing says it has killed many Israeli forces in anti-tank rocket and mortar fire attacks, and in ambushes with explosive devices since the new operation started.
Prisoners, Talks
Two Palestinian detainees from Gaza have died in Israeli custody, prisoner advocacy groups said on Sunday, bringing the number of detainees reported killed since the start of the war to 47. They named the two men as Mohammad Idris and Muath Rayyan, both in their 30s.
The Israel Prison Service said the cases were not under its jurisdiction and there was no immediate comment from the military which runs detention camps. Israel has denied accusations from Palestinian and international human rights organizations that detainees have been mistreated and tortured in its jails and detention camps. Meanwhile, Hamas leaders held talks in Cairo with Egyptian security officials to explore ways to reach a deal with Israel that could secure the release of hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners. The visit was the first since the United States announced on Wednesday it would revive efforts in collaboration with Qatar, Egypt and Turkiye to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza. Hamas is seeking an agreement that would end the war while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the war will only end when Hamas is eradicated. Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 44,300 people and displaced nearly all of the enclave’s population, Gaza officials say. Vast swathes of Gaza lie in ruins. The conflict when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israeli communities on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and abducting more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli officials.

UN halts aid shipments through Gaza's main crossing after looting. It blames the crisis on Israel
Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy And Tia Goldenberg/DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP)/, December 1, 2024
The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said Sunday it is halting aid deliveries through the main cargo crossing into the war-ravaged Gaza Strip because of the threat of armed gangs who have looted recent convoys. It blamed the breakdown of law and order in large part on Israeli policies.
The decision could worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as the cold, rainy winter sets in, with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians living in squalid tent camps and reliant on international food aid. Experts were already warning of famine in the territory’s north, which Israeli forces have almost completely isolated since early October. Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, the main aid provider in Gaza, said the route leading to the Kerem Shalom crossing is too dangerous on the Gaza side. Armed men looted nearly 100 trucks traveling on the route in mid-November, and he said gangs stole a smaller shipment on Saturday. Kerem Shalom is the only crossing between Israel and Gaza that is designed for cargo shipments and has been the main artery for aid deliveries since the Rafah crossing with Egypt was shut down in May. Last month, nearly two-thirds of all aid entering Gaza came through Kerem Shalom, and in previous months it accounted for an even larger amount, according to Israeli figures. In a post on X, Lazzarini largely blamed Israel for the breakdown of humanitarian operations in Gaza, citing “political decisions to restrict the amounts of aid,” lack of safety on aid routes and Israel's targeting of the Hamas-run police force, which had previously provided public security. There was no immediate comment from Israel on the decision. Israel says it allows enough aid into Gaza and blames UNRWA and other agencies for failing to deliver it. It accuses UNRWA of having allowed Hamas to infiltrate its ranks — allegations denied by the U.N. agency — and passed legislation to sever ties with it last month. Israeli strikes kill at least six people, including children. Israeli strikes in Gaza, meanwhile, killed at least six people overnight, including two young children, ages 6 and 8, in the tent where their family was sheltering, medical officials said Sunday. The strike in the Muwasi area, a sprawling tent camp housing hundreds of thousands of displaced people, also wounded the children's mother and their 8-month-old sister, according to nearby Nasser Hospital. An Associated Press reporter at the hospital saw the bodies. A separate strike in the southern city of Rafah, on the border with Egypt, killed four men, according to hospital records. The Israeli military said it was not aware of strikes in either location. Israel says it only targets militants and tries to avoid harming civilians, but its daily strikes across Gaza often kill women and children. In a separate development, a projectile fired by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen set off air raid sirens in central Israel. The Israeli military said it intercepted the projectile before it entered Israeli territory. The Houthis said they fired a ballistic missile at the northern Israeli city of Haifa.
Former defense minister accuses Israel of war crimes
A former top Israeli general and defense minister has accused the government of ethnic cleansing in northern Gaza, where Israeli forces have been waging the latest in a series of offensives against Hamas since early October. The army has sealed off the northern towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya, and the Jabaliya refugee camp, and allowed almost no humanitarian aid to enter. Tens of thousands of people have fled, while the United Nations estimates up to 75,000 remain. Moshe Yaalon, who served as defense minister under Benjamin Netanyahu before quitting in 2016 and becoming a fierce critic of the prime minister, said the current far-right government is determined to “occupy, to annex, to ethnically cleanse.”Pressed by an interviewer with a local news outlet on Saturday, he said: “There is no Beit Lahiya. No Beit Hanoun. (They are) operating now in Jabaliya, and (they) are actually cleaning the territory of Arabs.”
Yaalon doubled down on the remarks Sunday in an interview with Israeli radio, saying “war crimes are being committed here.”Netanyahu’s Likud party criticized his earlier remarks, accusing him of making “false statements” that are “a prize for the International Criminal Court and the camp of Israel haters.”
The ICC has issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu, another former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, and a Hamas commander, accusing them of crimes against humanity. The International Court of Justice is investigating allegations of genocide against Israel.
Israel rejects the allegations and says both courts are biased against it.
Israel says Gaza ceasefire talks resume 'behind the scenes'
The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around people 250 hostage. Some 100 captives are still being held inside Gaza, around two-thirds of whom are believed to be alive. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 44,429 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were combatants. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The war has destroyed vast areas of the coastal enclave and displaced 90% of the population of 2.3 million, often multiple times. Israel reached a ceasefire with Lebanon's Hezbollah militants last week that has largely held, but that agreement, brokered by the United States and France, did not address the ongoing war in Gaza. Iran — which supports Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and armed groups in Syria and Iraq — has exchanged fire with Israel twice this year. The United States, Qatar and Egypt have spent much of the past year trying to broker a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the remaining hostages, but those efforts stalled as Israel rejected Hamas' demand for a complete withdrawal from the territory. The Biden administration has said it will make another push for a deal in its final weeks in office. “There are negotiations taking place behind the scenes, and it can be done,” Israel's mostly ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog, said Sunday. He spoke after meeting with Yael Alexander, whose son, Israeli-American Edan Alexander, is being held by Hamas and appeared in a recent video released by the militants.U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to end the wars in the Middle East, without saying how. He was a staunch defender of Israel and its policies toward the Palestinians during his previous term.

Former Israeli defense minister Yaalon warns of ethnic cleansing in Gaza
Crispian Balmer/Reuters/December 01/2024
A former Israeli defense minister has accused Israel of committing war crimes and ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip, drawing a sharp rebuke from government ranks. Moshe Yaalon, a hawkish former general, told Israeli media that hardliners in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right cabinet were looking to chase Palestinians from northern Gaza and wanted to re-establish Jewish settlements there. "I am compelled to warn about what is happening there and is being concealed from us," Yaalon told Israel's public broadcaster Kan on Sunday. "At the end of the day, war crimes are being committed."Yaalon is a former army chief of staff who served as defence minister under Netanyahu from 2013-16, and has been a fierce critic of the prime minister ever since. Netanyahu's Likud party accused him of spreading "slanderous lies", while Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, head of a small rightist party, said his accusations were baseless. "Everything Israel does is in accordance with international law and it is a pity that former minister Ya'alon does not realise the damage that he has done and retract his remarks," he told a conference hosted by Israel Today newspaper. The International Criminal Court (ICC) last month issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defence chief Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant both rejected the charges, but in a separate interview with Democrat TV on Saturday, Yaalon warned that the nation was at a crossroads with the government looking "to conquer, to annex, to carry out ethnic cleansing".
SURPRISE ATTACK
Palestinians have long accused Israel of looking to chase them out of swathes of Gaza during the ongoing conflict. Israel has been at war in Gaza since October 2023, after Hamas militants launched a surprise attack in which they killed about 1,200 people and abducted more than 250 hostages. Israel's military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 44,400 people and displaced nearly all of the enclave's population. In recent weeks, the Israelis have focused much of their firepower back on northern Gaza, saying they are targeting Hamas fighters who have regrouped, and urging civilians to leave the area until further notice. "What is going on there? There is no Beit Lahiya, no Beit Hanoun, they are operating now in Jabaliya and basically cleaning the area of Arabs," Yaalon told Democrat TV, referring to Palestinian neighbourhoods north of Gaza City. He added that hardliners wanted to establish Jewish settlement there, 19 years after Israel withdrew from the territory - a disengagement Yaalon had opposed at the time. Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf visited the Gaza border last Thursday and backed an initiative to re-establish settlements in the enclave. "Jewish settlement here is the answer to the terrible (Oct. 7, 2023) massacre and the answer to the International Criminal Court in the Hague," Goldknopf was quoted as saying in Israeli media. Most world powers deem settlements built in territory Israel seized in the 1967 war as illegal and see their expansion as an obstacle to peace, since they eat away at land the Palestinians want for a future state.

UN Halts Aid Shipments through Gaza's Main Crossing after Looting, Blames Israel for Crisis
Asharq Al Awsat/December 01/2024
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said Sunday it is halting aid deliveries through the main cargo crossing into the war-ravaged Gaza Strip because of the threat of armed gangs who have looted recent convoys. It blamed the breakdown of law and order in large part on Israeli policies. The decision could worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as the cold, rainy winter sets in, with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians living in squalid tent camps and reliant on international food aid. Experts were already warning of famine in the territory’s north, which Israeli forces have almost completely isolated since early October. Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, the main aid provider in Gaza, said the route leading to the Kerem Shalom crossing is too dangerous on the Gaza side. Armed men looted nearly 100 trucks traveling on the route in mid-November, and he said gangs stole a smaller shipment on Saturday, The AP reported. Kerem Shalom is the only crossing between Israel and Gaza that is designed for cargo shipments and has been the main artery for aid deliveries since the Rafah crossing with Egypt was shut down in May. Last month, nearly two-thirds of all aid entering Gaza came through Kerem Shalom, and in previous months it accounted for an even larger amount, according to Israeli figures. In a post on X, Lazzarini largely blamed Israel for the breakdown of humanitarian operations in Gaza, citing “political decisions to restrict the amounts of aid,” lack of safety on aid routes and Israel's targeting of the Hamas-run police force, which had previously provided public security. There was no immediate comment from Israel on the decision. Israel says it allows enough aid into Gaza and blames UNRWA and other agencies for failing to deliver it. It accuses UNRWA of having allowed Hamas to infiltrate its ranks — allegations denied by the UN agency — and passed legislation to sever ties with it last month.

Egypt Hosts Hamas in New Gaza Ceasefire Push, Looting Halts Aid
Asharq Al Awsat/December 01/2024
Hamas leaders held talks with Egyptian security officials on Sunday in a fresh push for a ceasefire in the Gaza war, two Hamas sources said, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to convene his security cabinet on the matter, two Israeli officials said. The Hamas visit to Cairo was the first since the United States announced on Wednesday it would revive efforts in collaboration with Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza, that would include a hostage deal. White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan said he thought the chances of a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza were now more likely. "(Hamas) are isolated. Hezbollah is no longer fighting with them, and their backers in Iran and elsewhere are preoccupied with other conflicts," he told CNN on Sunday, Reuters reported. "So I think we may have a chance to make progress, but I'm not going to predict exactly when it will happen ... we've come so close so many times and not gotten across the finish line."Palestinians say Israel's operations on the northern edge of the enclave are part of a plan to clear people out through forced evacuations and bombardments to create a buffer zone. The Israeli military strongly denies this and says it is fighting against Hamas. The military says it has killed hundreds of Hamas militants in that part of Gaza as it fights to stop the faction regrouping. It has also lost around 30 soldiers there in combat with Hamas fighters over the past two months, a relatively high death toll.

GCC leaders call for halt to war crimes in Gaza, end of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories
Arab News/December 01, 2024
RIYADH: Leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council on Sunday called for an end to Israeli war crimes in Gaza, the displacement of the region’s population, and the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. The leaders stressed their firm support during a meeting in Kuwait for the Palestinian cause and its sovereignty over all Palestinian territories occupied since June 1967, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. The “Kuwait Declaration,” which was issued at the 45th session of the Supreme Council of the GCC, praised the growing role of Gulf countries in addressing regional and global political, security, and economic challenges. It also praised their contribution to resolving issues that threatened peace, security, and stability, and for enhancing international dialogue and communication between countries. A statement said: “The Supreme Council called for an end to the killings and collective punishment in Gaza, the displacement of the population, and the destruction of civilian facilities and infrastructure, including health facilities, schools, and places of worship, in clear violation of international law and international humanitarian law.”GCC leaders also welcomed the resolutions of the Extraordinary Arab and Islamic Summit hosted by Saudi Arabia in November to enhance international action to stop the war on Gaza; achieve permanent and comprehensive peace; implement the two-state solution in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative; mobilize support for recognizing the State of Palestine; and lead the international coalition to implement the two-state solution. They also praised Qatar’s efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and exchange detainees. The leaders condemned continued Israeli aggression on Lebanon and warned against the expansion of the conflict in the region. They also welcomed the recently brokered ceasefire in the country. The leaders also welcomed continued efforts made by Saudi Arabia and Oman to revive the political process in Yemen.The leaders stressed the peaceful approach of GCC countries and their preference for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve all disputes in the region and beyond, in accordance with the requirements of international law and the UN Charter.

UN Halts Aid Shipments through Gaza's Main Crossing after Looting, Blames Israel for Crisis
Asharq Al Awsat/December 01/2024
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said Sunday it is halting aid deliveries through the main cargo crossing into the war-ravaged Gaza Strip because of the threat of armed gangs who have looted recent convoys. It blamed the breakdown of law and order in large part on Israeli policies. The decision could worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as the cold, rainy winter sets in, with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians living in squalid tent camps and reliant on international food aid. Experts were already warning of famine in the territory’s north, which Israeli forces have almost completely isolated since early October. Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, the main aid provider in Gaza, said the route leading to the Kerem Shalom crossing is too dangerous on the Gaza side. Armed men looted nearly 100 trucks traveling on the route in mid-November, and he said gangs stole a smaller shipment on Saturday, The AP reported. Kerem Shalom is the only crossing between Israel and Gaza that is designed for cargo shipments and has been the main artery for aid deliveries since the Rafah crossing with Egypt was shut down in May. Last month, nearly two-thirds of all aid entering Gaza came through Kerem Shalom, and in previous months it accounted for an even larger amount, according to Israeli figures. In a post on X, Lazzarini largely blamed Israel for the breakdown of humanitarian operations in Gaza, citing “political decisions to restrict the amounts of aid,” lack of safety on aid routes and Israel's targeting of the Hamas-run police force, which had previously provided public security. There was no immediate comment from Israel on the decision. Israel says it allows enough aid into Gaza and blames UNRWA and other agencies for failing to deliver it. It accuses UNRWA of having allowed Hamas to infiltrate its ranks — allegations denied by the UN agency — and passed legislation to sever ties with it last month.

Trudeau promised Trump tougher border controls, says top Canada official
Reuters/December 01, 2024
OTTAWA: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised President-elect Donald Trump that Canada would toughen controls over the long undefended joint border, a senior Canadian official said on Sunday. Trudeau flew to Florida on Friday to have dinner with Trump, who has promised to slap tariffs on Canadian imports unless Ottawa prevents migrants and drugs from crossing the frontier. Canada sends 75 percent of all goods and services exports to the United States and tariffs would badly hurt the economy. Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who sat at the head table with Trudeau and Trump, said the two men discussed additional security measures Canada would be introducing. “We’re going to look to procure, for example, additional drones, additional police helicopters, we’re going to redeploy personnel ... we believe that the border is secure,” he told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.
“It’s important, I think, to show Canadians and the Americans that we’re stepping up in a visible and muscular way, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do,” he added, promising more details in the days and weeks to come. Canada, he said, would continue to make the case that tariffs would damage both nations, given how interconnected the two economies are. “I’m confident that the Americans will understand that it’s not in their interest ... to proceed in this way,” he said, describing the dinner meeting as very warm and cordial. Trump said on Saturday he discussed the border, trade and energy in a “very productive” meeting with Trudeau. The friendly nature of the dinner contrasts with previous exchanges between the two men. Trump called Trudeau “a far left lunatic” in 2022 for requiring truck drivers crossing the border to be vaccinated against COVID. In June 2018, Trump walked out of a G7 summit in Quebec and blasted Trudeau for being “very dishonest and weak.”At the end of the dinner, LeBlanc said, Trump walked Trudeau to his car and said “Keep in touch. Call me anytime. Talk soon.”

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on December 01-02/2024
Charging Netanyahu with War Crimes Shows the ICC Is Illegitimate and Not Fit for Purpose
Con Coughlin/Gatestone Institute./December 01/2024
[T]he International Criminal Court (ICC)... should be defunded, dismantled, or both.
[By] law, the ICC is precluded from prosecuting any country that already has a valid judiciary system. This stipulation is the based on the treaty upon which the ICC was founded.
Another option that should be considered is for the incoming Trump administration's new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), to establish whether maintaining US funding for bodies such as the United Nations and its affiliates, the ICC and ICJ, all of which display a strong anti-Israeli bias, is in Washington's best interests. Certainly, without the lavish funding these bodies receive from Western governments, their ability to pursue their own twisted agenda will at least be severely curtailed.
The decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on unsubstantiated war crimes charges, shows that the body is unfit for purpose, and should be defunded, dismantled, or both.
First, by law, the ICC is precluded from prosecuting any country that already has a valid judiciary system. This stipulation is the based on the treaty upon which the ICC was founded.
US defence attorney Alan Dershowitz is assembling a "legal dream team" to contest the charges. He emphasized that it would base its argument on the ICC's lack of jurisdiction.
"We will argue that the ICC has no jurisdiction against Israel, not only because it isn't a member, but also because the treaty that established that court precludes it from considering cases against any country with a valid judicial system that is willing and able to investigate the alleged crimes.... Israel has one of the best and most independent legal systems in the world, one that is both willing and able to investigate its own leaders. The Israeli courts have convicted and imprisoned a former prime minister, a former president and several ministers. Hamas has no such judicial system."
Prosecuting Israelis also represents the growing politicisation of key international bodies, especially those associated with the United Nations, which have no interest in adopting a balanced approach to their dealings with Israel.
Ever since the idea was first mooted at the ICC of bringing war crimes charges against prominent Israeli leaders, it has been obvious that the body's main priority has been to accuse Israelis, instead of concentrating their efforts on groups, such as the Iranian-backed Hamas terrorist organisation, that are responsible for provoking the latest round of bloodshed in the Middle East.
Under international law, Israel has every right to defend itself after the horrific attack it suffered at the hands of Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, and this has formed the basis for the Israel Defense Forces' military offensive to destroy the terror group's terrorist infrastructure and leadership in Gaza ever since.
Even though Hamas and its Iranian backers are unquestionably responsible for starting the Gaza conflict, bodies such as the ICC have opted to concentrate their focus on arraigning members of the Israeli government by bringing allegations of war crimes. By doing so, the body had made a mockery of both the institution and the laws it purports to uphold.
Hamas's willingness to exploit its barbarous slaughter of innocent men, women and children by using the October 7 massacres for its own nefarious ends was laid bare by a senior Hamas leader in a recent interview.
Khalil al-Hayya, the deputy leader of Hamas and the terrorist movement's most senior leader outside Gaza, told the BBC from his safe-house in Qatar in October that the massacres were entirely justified because they were necessary to place the Palestinian issue back on the global agenda. Without it, he said, the cycle of violence in the Middle East would not end.
The breathtaking cynicism reflected in al-Hayya's comments, in which he sought to justify the slaughter of innocents to support Hamas's political agenda, provides a rare insight into the depraved mindset of those responsible for planning and executing the worst terrorist attack in Israel's history.
Using acts of barbarism to pursue political objectives is exactly the type of tactic employed by Nazi Germany during the Second World War. If any act fully deserves to attract the undivided attention of ICC prosecutors, it is the atrocities committed by Hamas fanatics on October 7 last year.
Yet, rather than concentrating their efforts on making sure all the perpetrators of these crimes -- including cowardly Hamas leaders like al-Hayya who prefer to plot their atrocities from the safety of their comfortable refuge in Qatar or Turkey -- institutional bodies such as the ICC make Israel -- the real victim in these terrible events -- the primary focus of its attentions.
No credence should be given as well to al-Hayya's nonsensical suggestion that the October 7 attacks will somehow make the Middle East a safer place.
On the contrary, Hamas's merciless October 7 assault against Israel has been the cause of one of the worst outbreaks of violence witnessed in the Middle East since the Iraq war, with Israel forced to wage war on a number of fronts, including Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
The ICC's international credibility, moreover, has been further shredded by its crass attempt to establish a moral equivalence between the barbaric actions committed by Hamas terrorists on October 7 and the IDF's subsequent military response, even though the IDF operates under the auspices of international law, while Hamas terrorists most certainly do not.
Similar criticisms of institutional bias have also been levelled against the International Court of Justice (ICJ), another UN-sponsored body, that adopted a highly biased position against Israel after the South African government, reportedly at the behest of Iran, used the body to accuse Israel of genocidal intent in its conduct of its military campaign in Gaza.
The ICC's token gesture, meanwhile, of also charging Hamas leaders Mohammed Deif, Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar -- two of whom were dead at the time -- with war crimes provides yet another example of its refusal to address the realities of the Gaza conflict. Deif, who originally faced war crimes charges together with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, who orchestrated the October 7 attacks, was killed in an Israeli air strike in August. Haniyeh and Sinwar similarly perished at the hands of the IDF.
In such circumstances, bringing war crimes charges against dead terrorists is not just futile, it highlights just how unfit the ICC is as an international body to adjudicate on highly complex issues such as the Gaza conflict.
The fact that arrest warrants issued by the ICC, which includes one issued against Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes in Ukraine, are rarely enforced will be of little comfort to Israel, even if it illustrates the ICC's overall impotence.
The decision to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant nevertheless prompted a furious reaction from the Israeli government, with Israel accusing the ICC of corruption, incompetence and more. Netanyahu's office characterised the "anti-Semitic decision" as something akin to "a modern Dreyfus trial".
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the decision marked "a dark day for justice [and] humanity." It had chosen "terror and evil over democracy and freedom, and turned the very system of justice into a human shield for Hamas," he added.
Israel can also draw a degree of comfort from the fact that the perverse antics of supposedly neutral bodies like the ICC and ICJ have not gone unnoticed by world leaders.
A statement issued by the White House condemned the ICC's decision. "We remain deeply concerned by the prosecutor's rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision," the White House said. "The United States has been clear that the ICC does not have jurisdiction over this matter."US President-elect Donald Trump is said to be considering sanctions against the British lawyer said to be responsible for persuading the ICC to issue arrest warrants for the senior Israeli politicians.
U.S. Representative Mike Waltz, who will serve as Trump's national security adviser, said the court had "no credibility" and promised "a strong response to the ­anti-Semitic bias of the ICC" when the Trump administration takes office on January 20.
Other countries, such as France, who are members of the ICC, have indicated they will not implement the ICC arrest warrants.
Another option that should be considered is for the incoming Trump administration's new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), to establish whether maintaining US funding for bodies such as the United Nations and its affiliates, the ICC and ICJ, all of which display a strong anti-Israeli bias, is in Washington's best interests. Certainly, without the lavish funding these bodies receive from Western governments, their ability to pursue their own twisted agenda will at least be severely curtailed.
*Con Coughlin is the Telegraph's Defence and Foreign Affairs Editor and a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 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.

A Bird Flu Pandemic Would Be One of the Most Foreseeable Catastrophes in History
Zeynep Tufekci/The New York Times/December 01/2024
Almost five years after Covid blew into our lives, the main thing standing between us and the next global pandemic is luck. And with the advent of flu season, that luck may well be running out. The H5N1 avian flu, having mutated its way across species, is raging out of control among the nation’s cattle, infecting roughly a third of the dairy herds in California alone. Farmworkers have so far avoided tragedy, as the virus has not yet acquired the genetic tools to spread among humans. But seasonal flu will vastly increase the chances of that outcome. As the colder weather drives us all indoors to our poorly ventilated houses and workplaces, we will be undertaking an extraordinary gamble that the nation is in no way prepared for. All that would be more than bad enough, but we face these threats gravely hobbled by the Biden administration’s failure — one might even say refusal — to respond adequately to this disease or to prepare us for viral outbreaks that may follow. And the United States just registered its first known case of an exceptionally severe strain of mpox.
As bad as the Biden administration has been on pandemic prevention, of course, it’s about to be replaced by something far worse. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Donald Trump’s pick to lead the nation’s vast public health agency, has already stated he would not prioritize research or vaccine distribution were we to face another pandemic. Kennedy may even be hastening its arrival through his advocacy for raw milk, which can carry high levels of the H5N1 virus and is considered a possible vector for its transmission.
We might be fine. Viruses don’t always manage to adapt to new species, despite all the opportunities. But if there is a bird flu pandemic soon, it will be among the most foreseeable catastrophes in history.
Devastating influenza pandemics arise throughout the ages because the virus is always looking for a way in, shape shifting to jump among species in ever novel forms. Flu viruses have a special trick: If two different types infect the same host — a farmworker with regular flu who also gets H5N1 from a cow — they can swap whole segments of their RNA, potentially creating an entirely new and deadly virus that has the ability to spread among humans. It’s likely that the 1918 influenza pandemic, for example, started as a flu virus of avian origin that passed through a pig in eastern Kansas. From there it likely infected its first human victim before circling the globe on a deadly journey that killed more people than World War I. And that’s why it’s such a tragedy that the Biden administration didn’t — or couldn’t — do everything necessary to snuff out the U.S. dairy cattle infection when the outbreak was smaller and easier to address. Last winter, when cattle in the Texas Panhandle started getting sick, it wasn’t the established public health channels that figured it out. It took the efforts of a single veterinarian, Dr. Barb Petersen, who had the foresight and the determination to get some samples and send them to a friend at Iowa State University who could test for bird flu. The results, and what has since come into view about the speed of the spread, should have set off every alarm imaginable.
Even now, however, there is little routine testing of farmworkers or close contact tracing for those who fall ill. We still have way too little information on how the virus spreads among cows. Its genetic sequences are being published very late, if at all, and without the kind of data necessary to understand and trace the outbreak. And the way the virus is spreading from herd to herd makes it clear that infected cows are still being moved around rather than isolated. One recent study of 115 farmworkers found that about 7 percent of them showed signs of a recent, undetected H5N1 infection. They’d been going about their lives — visiting markets, churches, other homes — while harboring the potential seed of a new pandemic.
Last year, when a milder strain of mpox first reached the United States, we saw a glimpse of what an effective public health response looks like. The White House appointed Robert Fenton, an experienced FEMA administrator, and Demetre Daskalakis, a high-ranking official from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to head the response. Daskalakis has extensive experience combating sexually transmitted diseases that disproportionately affect the gay community. While some right-wing critics obsessed over his tattoos, the pair led a smart campaign to vaccinate and educate, effectively ending the outbreak. For the H5N1 outbreak among dairy cattle, however, the C.D.C. has limited powers. This show is run by the United States Department of Agriculture, led under Biden by Tom Vilsack, an alumnus of the Obama administration who in between those two postings took a turn in a powerful dairy industry position. The agency had already been weakened by attacks on its scientific side during the first Trump term. This time around, at a critical juncture, it has put a higher value on the short-term profits of the powerful dairy farming industry than on the health of billions of people.
Meanwhile, worrying signs keep cropping up. Just a few weeks ago, a pig in a backyard farm in Oregon was found to have bird flu. It seems to have gotten it from sick poultry on the same farm. Pigs cause extra worry because they are considered to be ideal mixing vessels for various animal flu viruses to adapt and spread among humans. Last week, the virus was found in a flock of ducks at a pet fair in Hawaii, the one state that hadn’t previously found a case — probably transmitted by wild birds, which continue to spread the illness far and wide. Of the 34 individuals who were exposed at that pet fair, including 13 who had respiratory symptoms, all were offered voluntary testing. Five declined. A teenager in Canada was infected, and the virus showed some key mutations that bring it closer to adapting to spread among humans. This outbreak has so far been mostly mild in humans, but historically it has been deadly, and further mutations could make it so again. That Canadian is in critical condition, unable to breathe independently. There’s also an infected child in California who was not known to have come into contact with any sick animals at all, which raises the terrifying possibility that he got it from another human being. And the virus levels in the wastewater in several states keep spiking.

President Macron’s Saudi visit signals a perfect alignment of ambitions and visions
Fahad Al-Ruwaily/Arab News/December 01, 2024
French President Emmanuel Macron heads to Saudi Arabia on Monday to begin a historic three-day state visit, marking the most substantial high-level engagement between the two nations in decades. He comes on the personal invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The exceptional nature of this diplomatic mission is underscored by its formal state visit status and an unusually large delegation accompanying President Macron. The visit gains special significance against the backdrop of an extraordinary period in the Saudi-French strategic partnership and friendship.
Bilateral relations have seen steady progress in recent years, bolstered by a series of high-level summits between the two nations’ leaders. The momentum began with the crown prince’s pivotal visit to France in April 2018, which laid the foundation for a new era in bilateral relations based on sustainability and the development of strategic ties founded on friendship, understanding and partnerships driven by mutual interests.
The momentum continued with equally significant visits by the crown prince to France in July 2022 and June 2023, complemented by President Macron’s December 2021 trip to Jeddah, where he held crucial talks with the crown prince.
During these meetings, numerous topics of mutual interest were discussed and several important agreements related to the shared interests of the two friendly nations were signed, encompassing vital areas such as political, security, economic, cultural and sports matters, as well as discussions on various regional and international issues of common concern. This week’s state visit represents the culmination of these diplomatic exchanges, building on a long history of cooperation and partnership between the two nations and their peoples.
In the commercial realm, official reports indicate that bilateral trade volume reached €9.5 billion ($10 billion) in 2023, with French exports climbing 5 percent from 2022 levels to hit €4.2 billion. Statistics from the French Treasury reveal that, in 2023, the Kingdom was the leading exporter to France and the second-largest importer from France within the Middle East and Near East regions.
The trade exchanges between the two nations are increasingly shifting toward strategic and capital goods, particularly in sectors such as aviation, aerospace, renewable energy, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and rehabilitation services. Additionally, approximately 400 French companies are currently engaged in joint projects and investments with the Kingdom. Saudi businessmen and companies are also enhancing their investments and partnerships with France. The president is accompanied on this visit by a significant commercial and economic delegation that includes the CEOs of major French companies and manufacturers that are either existing partners with the Kingdom or seeking to establish partnerships. While the presence of French companies and brands is not new to the Kingdom, recent years have witnessed notable advancements following the modernization of Saudi commercial and investment regulations in the framework of Vision 2030, which was launched under the patronage of the crown prince in 2016. Saudi-French cooperation extends into previously unexplored or underdeveloped sectors, spanning tourism, fintech, cybersecurity, renewable energy, telecommunications, space technology and AI.
This vision aims to usher in a comprehensive developmental and human renaissance, encouraging sustainable partnerships that provide mutual benefits for both parties. It also emphasizes the importance of training, qualification and the exchange of expertise and knowledge. Investment regulations encourage the establishment of regional headquarters and representative branches for partner companies or those seeking to create partnerships, allowing them to take advantage of the benefits offered by the Kingdom, which include stability, economic capacity, modernized systems, a qualified young workforce, advanced infrastructure and a strategic geographical location.
French companies are rapidly establishing strong footholds in Saudi Arabia through successful and sustainable partnerships based on the “win-win” principle. Recently, there has been an unprecedented wave of French firms opening regional offices in the Kingdom to strengthen and expand these partnerships.
The cooperation also extends into previously unexplored or underdeveloped sectors, spanning tourism, fintech, cybersecurity, renewable energy, telecommunications, space technology and artificial intelligence. The partnership also encompasses environmental initiatives, including biodiversity and ecosystem conservation, coral reef protection and marine habitat preservation. While it is challenging to cover all aspects of cooperation in a brief article, taking the AI sector alone, a major breakthrough came at the Global AI Summit held in Riyadh in September, when Saudi Arabia announced partnerships with 40 leading French AI companies. Operating under the National Industry Development and Logistics Program, these collaborations encompass knowledge transfer, qualification programs, startup support and joint venture funding.
This builds on the memorandums of understanding signed during Macron’s December 2021 visit to Saudi Arabia, which laid the groundwork for institutional, economic and scientific cooperation in emerging technologies, AI and digital innovation. The Kingdom’s leadership strongly supports this sector, which has become fundamental to sustainable development within the Fourth Industrial Revolution. According to reports from the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority, AI and data are linked to approximately 70 percent of the Vision 2030 targets.
Another significant milestone was reached in September, when Saudi Arabia, UNESCO and the International Center for Artificial Intelligence Research and Ethics signed a tripartite agreement. This established ICAIRE’s Riyadh office as a Category 2 Center under UNESCO’s auspices. The Kingdom ranks among the world’s fastest-advancing nations in this field. It now ranks 14th globally in the Government AI Readiness Index, holds seventh place in AI trade metrics and leads the Arab world among the 83 nations evaluated. Looking ahead, Saudi Arabia will participate in the AI Action Summit in Paris next February, which will be hosted by President Macron. According to the Elysee Palace, the summit will address critical issues including AI’s environmental impact, sustainability and the establishment of comprehensive global governance frameworks.
This visit takes on exceptional significance against the backdrop of current regional and international circumstances. At the forefront is the ongoing Gaza conflict, where civilian casualties continue to mount and Israeli military operations persist, while ceasefire negotiations remain deadlocked and humanitarian aid access faces significant challenges. Both countries have pledged to redouble their diplomatic efforts to address these urgent concerns. In the Lebanese context, international diplomatic efforts, supported by both Saudi Arabia and France, have culminated in securing a ceasefire agreement, which both nations herald as a potential stepping stone toward Lebanon’s long-term stability, sovereignty and security. The partnership extends beyond diplomacy to humanitarian action, relief assistance, and medical support to the Lebanese people.
Building on commitments made during President Macron’s December 2021 visit to Riyadh, the two governments have established a joint humanitarian fund targeting Lebanon’s pressing needs, so as to help the Lebanese population as they navigate through their current crisis.
The two countries’ governments cooperate through close consultations in regard to regional and international issues of common interest. These consultations go beyond the regional scope to tackle topics such as the Russia-Ukraine war, which both countries are exerting extensive efforts to end. They are also promoting cooperation at the multilateral level, both with other countries and within international bodies to address global challenges that require such cooperation.
This includes the international cooperation efforts aimed at fighting terrorism, extremist ideology and discriminatory and hateful thoughts, along with preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and addressing climate change and its repercussions that lead to drought, water scarcity and the spread of desertification. In this context, the visit will coincide with the co-organized One Water Summit and the COP16 conference to combat desertification.
This reflects one aspect of the two countries’ cooperation in the important area of addressing climate change and its repercussions, as the Kingdom was at the forefront of the countries that took part in the negotiations and signed the 2015 Paris Agreement. Additionally, the two countries cooperate at various bilateral and multilateral levels in this regard through the G20, of which they are both members, and the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, with which the Kingdom signed a memorandum of understanding for strategic partnership during the Davos forum.
While the presence of French companies and brands is not new to the Kingdom, recent years have witnessed notable advancements following the modernization of Saudi commercial and investment regulations under Saudi Vision 2030.
The agreement includes boosting cooperation between the two parties in several fields, including the economy, governance and sustainability, in addition to cooperating through other international organizations, most notably the UN and its relevant agencies. Along with the government’s efforts, we also see the private sector contributing to this aspect by forging partnerships and exchanging expertise.
Macron’s visit also coincides with significant events and developments. The most notable of these was perhaps King Salman’s inauguration of the Riyadh Metro network last week. This is the largest metro network built in a single phase in the world, thus realizing the project presented by King Salman as a vital target back when he was still the governor of Riyadh and head of the High Commission for the Development of Arriyadh. The network’s construction saw a significant presence from French partners and French engineers with extensive expertise in the field, as the Paris Metro is considered one of the oldest, most efficient and most famous networks in the world.
The ancient region of AlUla in northern Saudi Arabia stands as another remarkable example of Saudi-French partnership, showcasing collaborative expertise in culture, archaeology, construction, tourism and hospitality. The success of this partnership, formalized in a 2018 bilateral agreement, was celebrated at a high-level ministerial meeting held in Paris last month. The Saudi-French Ministerial Committee’s second session praised the extensive level of cooperation achieved across multiple sectors, particularly in regard to culture and professional development, while discussing current and future major projects. Among the lauded developments was Villa Hegra, a joint Saudi-French cultural institution dedicated to the arts and culture of both nations. The archaeological program has proven particularly fruitful, drawing 150 French archaeologists and researchers to the site since 2018. The partnership between the Royal Commission for AlUla and Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne University was another to receive recognition.
French corporate involvement in the region’s development was also commended. Alstom is spearheading the development of AlUla’s tram system, while the Sharaan Resort, designed by the celebrated French architect Jean Nouvel, is taking shape under the expertise of Bouygues Group. The ministerial meeting was accompanied by a major business forum that brought together some of the heads of the largest Saudi companies and their French counterparts, who are concerned with the partnership between the two countries. They had the pleasure of being received by President Macron at the Elysee Palace in the presence of the Saudi minister of investment and his French counterpart.
I wish President Macron and his accompanying delegation the best as they enjoy a pleasant stay in the Kingdom and a successful visit that will contribute to strengthening the two countries’ friendship and partnership. As we say in Saudi Arabia, “Ahlan wa sahlan bikum” (welcome).
• Fahad Al-Ruwaily is the ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the French Republic and the Principality of Monaco and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO.

Syria and the Domino Effect
Marc Saikali/This is Beirut
Benjamin Netanyahu has warned in his speech announcing the ceasefire in Lebanon: "Assad is playing with fire." Less than a week later, the Syrian regime is collapsing on all fronts. This time, Turkey is taking the lead. Erdogan has successfully brought together a diverse coalition of militias, from Islamists to Kurds, for the operation. His goal: to dismantle the Iranian corridor stretching from Tehran, through Baghdad, Damascus, and all the way to Lebanon. Turkish officers are said to be leading the operations. Cities and villages are falling one after another, in the hands of the opposition..
Turkey benefits from strong relations with both Russia and the United States. It can be assumed that the ongoing operation has received the green light from the US, as containing Iran is a strategic objective for Washington.
The Russians, who rescued Assad's regime in 2015, are now providing minimal support. Their raids have had little impact on the ongoing fighting. Is Moscow preparing to abandon Damascus? Officially, the Kremlin denies this, but the signs strongly suggest otherwise. In exchange, Vladimir Putin may secure a favorable deal in Ukraine. The key question now is whether the decision has been made to topple the Assad family or merely to weaken it. The coming weeks will provide the answer.
There is no doubt about the losers: The Iranians and Hezbollah. The mullahs' dream of gaining access to the Mediterranean is receding with each passing day, as is the supply of weapons to the pro-Iranian militia in Lebanon. The images coming from Aleppo and its surrounding areas are revealing. Posters and portraits of (Hassan) Nasrallah, (Qassem) Soleimani, (Ali) Khamenei, and (Bashar) Assad are being publicly pulled down and trampled by rebels, who film the act as if to openly declare their enemies: Iran and its allies. In the short term, the situation in Syria is a major setback for Hezbollah, which is losing its strategic rear base. This time, there is no prospect of sending thousands of fighters to support the Assad regime. The Shiite militia is emerging from the 66-day conflict with Israel severely weakened, despite its official rhetoric.The next domino could quickly fall in Iraq. Iran holds significant influence over the country, whose central government is corrupt and struggles to maintain control, especially after many missiles were launched at Israel from its territory. In this context, we could see an unofficial, coordinated effort by the Kurds in the north, alongside a renewed US presence at the central government level. This could unfold rapidly, potentially by January 20. Next comes the biggest challenge: Iran. The ayatollahs, who have disastrously failed in their "axis of resistance," which has proven to be an empty threat, will do everything, not to protect their nuclear program, but to save their regime, which is facing a serious threat of implosion. The Iranian people are far from naïve. They have already attempted, unsuccessfully, multiple uprisings, violently crushed by the religious authorities—twice. History often repeats itself...