English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For December 06/2024
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
having been laid on the bed, with the demon gone out.
Mark 07/24-30/From there he arose and went away into the borders of Tyre and Sidon. He entered into a house and didn’t want anyone to know it, but he couldn’t escape notice. For a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, having heard of him, came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. She begged him that he would cast the demon out of her daughter. But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not appropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord. Yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs. He said to her, “For this saying, go your way. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” She went away to her house, and found the child having been laid on the bed, with the demon gone out.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 05-06/2024
Elias Bejjani/Text and Video: Naim Qassem's Speech: Delusions, Illusions, Denial, Deception, Cunning, and an Attempt to Subvert the Ceasefire Agreement
'Existential threat': IDF thwarted Oct. 7-like Hezbollah raid on northern Israel, official reveals
Hezbollah leader says $77m allocated to Lebanon war displaced
Qassem stressed on Thursday that the enemy sought to crush the resistance through its aggression but was met with the “Battle of The Formidable in Might”.
Hezbollah chief says group will be by Syria’s side amid militant offensive
Hezbollah Can Resume Battle against Israeli Enemy with Long-range Missiles: Official
Lebanon: Al-Qard Al-Hasan Resumes Operations with Compensation for Partially Damaged Homes
Lebanon medics flee from border area amid Israeli strikes
US Intel: Lebanon's Hezbollah Aims to Rebuild Longer Term despite Israeli Blows
Lebanon medics flee from border area amid Israeli strikes
Hochstein to Visit Lebanon as Berri Receives Head of Committee Monitoring Ceasefire
Hezbollah Can Resume Battle against Israeli Enemy with Long-range Missiles: Official
Lebanon’s ‘all means all’ should now be ‘all are welcome/Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/December 05, 2024

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 05-06/2024
UN chief Guterres urges end to bloodshed in Syria
Syrian rebel leader urges Iraq to keep Hashd al-Shaabi factions out of Syria
Why the Syrian conflict is so important for Russia and Iran
Syrian rebels discover Assad Speedo photo in Aleppo takeover - report
UN Food Agency Says Fighting in Syria's Northwest Displaced More than 280,000 People
Syria’s Hama: Key to Controlling Military Operations
Syrian Opposition Captures Key City of Hama
'Charred body pieces everywhere' after Israeli strike sets tents ablaze in Gaza safe zone
US Says Disagrees with Amnesty International's Genocide Accusation Against Israel
Israel presents Hamas new ceasefire and hostage release deal
Israel FM says ‘may have opportunity’ for Gaza hostage deal
Palestinian security forces exchange gunfire with militants in West Bank
Ex-Shin Bet chief: Netanyahu asked me to spy on ministers, officers
Israeli court rejects Netanyahu’s request to limit how often he’ll testify
Cyprus takes delivery of Israeli air defense system, report says
Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi granted short medical leave from prison in Iran
Satellite images show Iran's new drone carrier has set sail, leaving its home port for the first time
Blinken, Russia's Lavrov clash on Ukraine at a security meeting in Malta

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on December 05-06/2024
On Siding with No One!/Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al Awsat/December 05/2024
UN’s diplomatic failure: Why the two-state solution won’t bring peace to Israel – editorial/Jerusalem Post/December 05/2024
The Race for Nuclear Fusion Energy, the Clean Fuel of the Future: Will China Eat America's Lunch?/Lawrence Kadish/Gatestone Institute./December 05/2024
France’s ambassador sparks outrage with support for Persian hegemony in Armenia – opinion/Mordechai Kedar/Jerusalem Post/December 05/2024
Christians in Aleppo: A current situation report/Edy Cohen/Israel Today/December 05/2024
Facing a Historic Test/Hanna Saleh/Asharq Al Awsat/December 05/2024

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 05-06/2024
Elias Bejjani/Text and Video: Naim Qassem's Speech: Delusions, Illusions, Denial, Deception, Cunning, and an Attempt to Subvert the Ceasefire Agreement

Elias Bejjani/December 05/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/12/137626/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuO6LVRpm1c&t=173s
Sheikh Naim Qassem's recent televised appearance was a disappointing display of rhetoric and deception. His speech, filled with baseless claims and inflammatory language, insulted the intelligence of the Lebanese people. Rather than acknowledging the reality of Hezbollah's defeat and the necessity of the ceasefire agreement, Qassem attempted to undermine the agreement and perpetuate a dangerous illusion of victory.
The content of Qassem's speech, like all Hezbollah leaders' statements and stances since the party's inception in 1982, is a bundle of lies, baseless rhetoric, delusional fantasies, and sectarian, inflammatory propaganda. This rhetoric promotes hatred, distorts history, and serves the interests of the Iranian mullah regime's expansionist, imperialist, and terrorist schemes and sickening dreams.
Qassem's primary tactic was to downplay the significance of the ceasefire. He falsely claimed that the agreement was limited to the area south of the Litani River and only concerned the implementation of UN Resolution 1701. This is a deliberate misrepresentation of the agreement's terms, which clearly encompass all of Lebanon and mandate the disarmament of Hezbollah.
By denying the comprehensive nature of the agreement, Qassem seeks to maintain Hezbollah's military capabilities and its ability to disrupt Lebanon's stability. This strategy is not only a threat to Lebanon's security but also a direct challenge to the international community's efforts to promote peace and stability in the region.
With absurdity and falsification, he asserted that the other resolutions, 1559 and 1680, lack enforcement mechanisms and are solely under the jurisdiction of the Lebanese state and its army. This is blatantly false. The agreement unequivocally covers all of Lebanon, mandates the dissolution of Hezbollah, the handover of its weapons to the Lebanese Army, and restricts the possession of arms to state entities, as explicitly stipulated in the Taif Agreement, which is enshrined in Lebanon's constitution.
Some may wonder why Hezbollah agreed to an accord that undermines its very existence and exposes its false claims about resistance, liberation, and its grandiose slogans of "throwing Israel into the sea" and "praying in Jerusalem." The answer is simple: the party faced a crushing defeat against Israel and had no other option but to surrender.
However, true to its nature, Hezbollah and its Iranian patrons specialize in deceit, duplicity, and reneging on agreements. Despite their defeat and the unprecedented calamity they have brought upon Lebanon's Shiite community and the nation at large, they mistakenly believe they can once again evade the agreement and renege on its provisions that do not align with their sinister and expansionist agenda. Qassem's speech falls squarely within this context.
Neither Hezbollah, nor its Iranian sponsors, nor any faction of political Islam, whether Sunni or Shiite, understand anything other than the language of force. If they are not deterred by power and compelled to fully and strictly adhere to the terms of the ceasefire agreement, they will inevitably revert to deceit, noncompliance, and attempts to rebuild and recover everything they have lost.
To ensure that the ceasefire holds and that Lebanon can move towards a more peaceful future, the international community must remain vigilant and hold Hezbollah accountable for its actions. Any attempt by Hezbollah to undermine the agreement must be met with a strong and decisive response.

'Existential threat': IDF thwarted Oct. 7-like Hezbollah raid on northern Israel, official reveals
Shaked Saeh/Jerusalem Post/December 05/2024
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-832120
"Terrorists in the North were on full alert, ready to act" against Israel after October 7, the official senior explained.
A surprise attack was planned on Israel's northern border in the days following the October 7 Hamas attacks, a senior military official involved in commanding the IDF's operations in southern Lebanon revealed in a Wednesday Maariv interview.
The official emphasized that a repeat or imitation of the October 7 attack is unlikely to occur along Israel's northern border at this stage of the war. He attributed this to the IDF's efforts in neutralizing terror tunnels, clearing dense brushlands, and dismantling nature reserves that had been converted into terror strongholds. Before the IDF's efforts in combatting Hezbollah and dismantling its infrastructure and weaponry, the senior official revealed that early in the operation, some 3,000 terrorists were stationed across southern Lebanon within a three-kilometer strip north of the Israeli border, ready to invade upon receiving orders. "On October 6, Israel faced an existential threat without realizing it. The terrorists [in the North] were on full alert, ready to act," the official explained. He added that what prevented a coordinated invasion was the IDF’s rapid deployment of four brigades to Israel's northern border on October 7. Destroying Hezbollah's element of surprise
"The IDF's deployment neutralized the surprise element in Hezbollah’s plan, and the terrorists realized their plan was no longer feasible since surprise was central to their strategy, just as it was in Gaza," the official added.
During the IDF's operations in the North at the start of the war, it entered Shiite and Sunni villages in Lebanon and discovered a massive stockpile of weapons, including anti-tank missiles, firing positions, and observation posts. "We destroyed every weapon we encountered, dismantled underground living quarters, and neutralized Hezbollah's capabilities to conduct its planned raid," the official said. The IDF also uncovered numerous local tunnels in southern Lebanon used by Hezbollah for storage and living quarters, according to the official. He noted that many of these tunnels were built within particularly dense brushlands—areas of thick vegetation up to ten meters high—which provided terrorists with almost complete cover. The thickets, located mainly near the Israel-Lebanon border, were uniquely dense, hiding all activity within them, including terrorist movements, weapons, and underground infrastructure. These covers also allowed Hezbollah to establish firing positions and observation posts and prepare for targeted raids on border communities. "The thickets served as Hezbollah’s nature shield," the official explained. "Within the dense vegetation, they created hidden pathways for terrorists, concealed heavy weaponry like anti-tank missiles, and even built underground living quarters for long-term storage." During the operation, the IDF destroyed all weapons found in the tunnels and living quarters. In addition to eliminating tunnels and weapons, the IDF's primary goal was to remove the concealment advantage provided by the thickets. "Hezbollah managed to operate under the radar using the thickets," the official noted. He added that this exploitation posed a significant challenge for the IDF. The official also addressed how the military has been working to prevent the area from becoming a haven for hostile activity again. "These areas have been turned into open fields," the official explained. "So, any future attempts by Hezbollah to re-establish themselves will be immediately and effectively monitored." Even after the IDF demolished these buildings and the weapons within, this was not a long-term solution, as rearming has not been a complex task for the organization in the past.
Finishing the job
"We understood that what we had done so far neutralized Hezbollah’s immediate ability to operate, but it wasn’t enough to guarantee long-term quiet," the official explained. "To prevent a scenario like October 7 from recurring, we needed to finish the job."As part of the effort, houses near the border that Hezbollah had used for storing and manufacturing weapons were completely destroyed, the official said. The IDF reportedly held a firm stance that homes in southern Lebanese villages, from the border up to three kilometers into Lebanon, would not be allowed to be rebuilt, even after an agreement. During the operation, tunnels up to 70 meters long were discovered. These tunnels were equipped for extended stays with supplies sufficient for six months."Opposite every Israeli community, a Hezbollah company was waiting to infiltrate upon receiving orders. Today, they no longer have the tunnels, underground rooms, or brushlands that concealed them," the official noted. Only after the area was completely cleared could northern residents begin to consider returning to their homes. "Residents we met expressed their emotions, saying they felt safe for the first time," said the official. According to him, the IDF has established new military outposts at the forefront of border communities. "We will not rely on Hezbollah respecting agreements or solely on intelligence warnings. The security of northern residents is based on the presence of IDF soldiers on the ground," he said. "The fighting in the North underscored the importance of coordinated and comprehensive actions, along with the determination and resilience of the reservists and their families. This was a historic campaign to restore the security of Israel’s northern border residents," the official concluded.

Hezbollah leader says $77m allocated to Lebanon war displaced
AFP/December 05, 2024
BEIRUT: Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said Thursday that his group and its backer Iran had allocated $77 million so far to Lebanese displaced by its war with Israel, with more to come. “In November, Hezbollah decided to give a monetary gift — a gift from the Iranian people and Hezbollah — of between $300 and $400 for each family,” out of more than 233,000 families who registered for its assistance, Qassem said. “A total of $57 million has been paid,” covering 172,000 families, or some 75 percent of those registered, while the rest will receive a total of $20 million, he added in a televised address. Qassem thanked Iran for “the generous support,” emphasising Hezbollah’s commitment to shelter and reconstruction. Israel stepped up its campaign in south Lebanon in late September after nearly a year of cross-border exchanges begun by Hezbollah in support of its ally Hamas following the Palestinian group’s October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel. In a report released last month, the World Bank provided estimates for damage between October 8, 2023, and October 27, 2024, saying “the conflict has caused $5.1 billion in economic losses,” with damage to physical structures amounting to “at least $3.4 billion” on top of that.It has also “damaged an estimated 99,209 housing units” — mainly in the south near the border with Israel — totalling $2.8 billion in damage, it said. Eighty-one percent of damaged and destroyed houses are in the southern districts of Tyre, Nabatiyeh, Sidon, Bint Jbeil and Marjayoun, it said.
Qassem said that in addition to the $77 million already set aside, for “all those whose homes have been completely destroyed and cannot return to them” in Beirut and its southern suburbs, Hezbollah will pay “$14,000 over one year” to cover rent and furniture. Those living in other areas will receive $12,000 for the same purpose, he added. “Most of the amount will be offered in cash by the Islamic republic (of Iran) for shelter,,” Qassem said, calling on “brotherly Arab countries and friendly countries to contribute to the reconstruction.”After Hezbollah and Israel went to war in 2006, Gulf countries led by Qatar helped with reconstruction, while Iran assisted with rebuilding bridges, roads and establishing service centers.

Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem stressed on Thursday that the enemy sought to crush the resistance through its aggression but was met with the “Battle of The Formidable in Might”.
Al-Manar English Website/December 05/2024
In a televised speech, Sheikh Qassem said, “For 64 days, we endured sacrifices, pain, martyrs, and injuries with patience, resilience, and reliance on Allah.”
According to Sheikh Qassem, three key factors contributed to Allah’s victory for us in this battle:
1. The presence and steadfastness of martyrdom-seeking fighters on the battlefield.
2. The blood of the martyrs, especially that of His Eminence Sayyed Nasrallah, which inspired the fighters to persevere.
3. The restoration of leadership and control structures within the party, enabling effective management of the “Battle of The Formidable in Might”.
Hezbollah Leader hailed the steadfastness of the displaced Lebanese people for their contribution to the victory, detailing Hezbollah plan to fund the reconstruction and thanking the Iranian-Iraqi-Yemeni financial support in this regard.
Sheikh Qassem stressed that those whose houses were completely destroyed will receive a 14-thousand-dollar pay in order to purchase a new furniture and rent a house for a year. His eminence also underlined the Lebanese government in raising the debris, treating the infrastructure problems and contributing to the reconstruction project. Sheikh Qassem pointed out that the legendary resilience of the fighters astonished the world, displaying unparalleled courage and bravery on the frontlines. “We achieved victory because the enemy failed to accomplish its objectives, marking their defeat. Our resistance remains steadfast, will endure, and will shine even brighter.”We agreed to the ceasefire mechanism outlined by Resolution 1701, which is not a new or standalone agreement, he added.Sheikh Qassem noted that Resolution 1701 mandates “Israel’s” withdrawal and prohibits armed presence south of the Litani River, adding that the provisions outlined in Resolution 1701 include mechanisms for Lebanon to reclaim its borders within the specified timeframe. “Israel has committed over 60 violations of the ceasefire agreement, and the government is responsible for addressing those breaches. The Lebanese state is accountable for monitoring Israeli violations, while the resistance provides an opportunity to ensure the success of the ceasefire agreement.”Sheikh Qassem indicated that “Israel” has no influence on our internal relationships or our ties with the Lebanese Army, adding that Hezbollah’s strength stems from supporting the rights of Palestinians and Lebanese to liberate their land.”We will evaluate the crises and war we endured, drawing lessons to improve and advance in all fields, Sheikh Qassem said. His eminence expressed gratitude to those who hosted the displaced, to the various entities offering support, whether governmental or civilian, and to the countries that provided aid. Meanwhile, Sheikh Qassem said that the aggression against Syria is backed by America and ‘Israel’, adding that the Takfiri groups in Syria were tools serving ‘Israel’ and America. Hezbollah will stand alongside Syria to thwart this aggression, Sheikh Qassem affirmed. “We face a dangerous expansionist Israeli project, and I call on you to support the resistance against ‘Israel’. Takfiri groups aim to shift Syria from its position of resistance to one that serves the Israeli enemy.”

Hezbollah chief says group will be by Syria’s side amid militant offensive
AFP/December 05, 2024
BEIRUT: Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said Thursday that his Lebanese militant group, an ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, would be by Damascus’s side as Islamist-led militants press a sweeping offensive. In a televised address, Qassem denounced “terrorist groups” who want to “destroy Syria again... to bring down the government” and “create chaos.”“They will not be able to achieve their goals despite what they have done in past days, and we as Hezbollah will be by Syria’s side in thwarting the goals of this aggression as much as we can,” Qassem said. He did not elaborate on what sort of support his group might provide, but Hezbollah suffered heavy losses in its war with Israel which ended with a fragile ceasefire on November 27, the day the Syria militants launched their offensive. Qassem accused the United States and Israel of supporting “takfiri” factions, a term the Shiite Muslim group uses to refer to jihadists or supporters of radical Sunni Islam. Militant group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), led by Al-Qaeda’s former Syria branch, and allied factions launched the surprise attack and have since seized the major cities of Aleppo and Hama. The militants’ advance in Aleppo province was in an area where pro-Iran groups including Hezbollah had previously had a significant presence, before drawing it down in recent months in the face of the war with Israel.Hezbollah has openly backed Assad’s forces since 2013. Hezbollah fighters helped Assad regain territory lost earlier in the civil war which broke out in 2011 after the repression of anti-government protests.

Hezbollah Can Resume Battle against Israeli Enemy with Long-range Missiles: Official
Al-Manar English Website/December 05/2024
Deputy Chief of Hezbollah Politburo, Hajj Mahmoud Komati, indicated on Wednesday that the mechanism of the implementation of the ceasefire deal in southern Lebanon is vague, adding that the US deliberate leniency gave the Israeli enemy the chance to violate the Lebanese sovereignty.
In a TV interview, Komati stressed that the response of the Islamic Resistance came after the Israeli attacks on the Lebanese civilians and violations of the ceasefire. The Islamic Resistance carried out on Monday, December 2, its first attack on Zionist military sites since the ceasefire took into effect last Wednesday, November 27, 2024, targeting Ruwaisat Al-Alam occupation post in KfarShuba Hills area. When Hezbollah realized that the Lebanese and American officials disregarded the Israeli violations, it carried out the attack on the Israeli occupation site, which pushed everyone to move to implement the mechanism of the ceasefire, he said.Komati pointed out that Hezbollah is waiting for and will cooperate with the committee tasked to overlook the truce implementation, but that the developments, in this regard are not satisfactory. Hezbollah will be patient for a period of time, yet can resume the battle against the Israeli enemy with long-range missiles, if needed, Komati added. Regarding the Lebanese presidential elections, Komati reiterated Hezbollah commitment to the nomination of the former minister Sleiman Frangieh, calling on the parliamentary bloc to reach a minimum consensus in this domain.

Lebanon: Al-Qard Al-Hasan Resumes Operations with Compensation for Partially Damaged Homes
Beirut: Youssef Diab/Asharq Al Awsat/December 5, 2024
The Hezbollah leadership has announced that its financial association, Al-Qard Al-Hasan, has resumed its operations by initiating a survey to repair homes damaged in Israeli airstrikes, restore them, and provide housing allowances for partially destroyed residences. According to the announcement, “114 engineering teams have been deployed across Lebanon’s Bekaa region to assess damage, estimate costs, and distribute compensation.”However, a legal source highlighted that this activity “violates Lebanese law, as the institution is unlicensed and operates without supervision from the Central Bank of Lebanon.”The announcement about the resumption of Al-Qard Al-Hasan’s operations, often referred to as Hezbollah’s “central bank,” contradicts Israeli claims that the institution had been destroyed during airstrikes targeting its offices and financial hubs across Lebanon. The most recent airstrikes targeted the association’s offices in Beirut neighborhoods such as Hamra, Zoqaq Al-Blat, and Noueiri on the night of November 26, hours before a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect. Al-Qard Al-Hasan, which serves as Hezbollah’s financial backbone, was established after the party was placed under international sanctions and barred from holding accounts in Lebanese commercial banks. It collects funds from its support base and offers loans against collateral such as jewelry. “Al-Qard Al-Hasan’s operations continued uninterrupted even during the height of the war, with the party providing assistance to displaced individuals using its own resources,” a source close to Hezbollah said. The source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the institution “will finance the restoration of fully or partially damaged homes and continue to provide rental allowances and financial aid to families unable to return to their destroyed residences. This definitively debunks Israeli claims that Hezbollah’s financial infrastructure was dismantled.”The source added that the institution’s funds—whether in cash, jewelry, or other assets—were safeguarded in secure locations far from danger. On October 20, Israeli warplanes launched 15 airstrikes in a single hour, targeting Al-Qard Al-Hasan’s buildings and offices in Beirut’s southern suburbs, the Bekaa Valley, and South Lebanon. Three offices in Beirut were initially spared but were later destroyed on November 26, hours before the ceasefire came into force.
According to the Hezbollah-affiliated source, “while Israel did destroy several Al-Qard Al-Hasan branches, it failed to harm the institution’s assets, which are stored in secure locations.”Reports about Hezbollah’s financial stability vary. A source familiar with the party’s situation revealed that Hezbollah’s cash reserves were significantly impacted during the war, with Israeli strikes destroying large sums of money and jewelry stored in Al-Qard Al-Hasan facilities. The party’s hidden reserves of cash and gold also suffered considerable damage. The source told Asharq Al-Awsat that reconstruction and compensation funds are “not sourced from Al-Qard Al-Hasan but are Iranian funds recently delivered to Hezbollah.” The source claimed that “on the first day of the ceasefire, Iran transferred $1 billion to the party through a regional intermediary. This money is being used to assess damages, compensate owners of partially damaged homes for repairs, and provide aid to families whose homes were completely destroyed and remain in shelters.”Despite concerns that Al-Qard Al-Hasan’s activities might violate the ceasefire agreement, Dr. Paul Morcos, a legal expert and president of the Justicia legal foundation, argued that the association’s financial activities do not constitute a direct violation of the deal, as long as its operations are not connected to wartime activities. He noted that reopening several branches might be Hezbollah’s way of “reassuring depositors about the safety of their gold and assets while potentially reactivating its financial resources.”However, Morcos told Asharq Al-Awsat that “this step remains largely symbolic unless citizens can fully reclaim their deposits in the foreseeable future.” Legally, the status of Al-Qard Al-Hasan remains unchanged, as it is “not licensed by Lebanon’s monetary or financial regulatory authorities to carry out such financial activities.” He explained that, regardless of the association’s social or religious motives, such financial operations must be “restricted to institutions registered with the Central Bank of Lebanon and the Capital Markets Authority.”

Lebanon medics flee from border area amid Israeli strikes
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/December 05, 2024
BEIRUT: The Israeli military on Thursday launched an attack near Lebanese Civil Defense members recovering bodies from clashes between Hezbollah and Israel by the border, forcing paramedics to leave the area. A few hours before the attack, the paramedics were subject to Israeli artillery shelling while they were looking for bodies under the rubble of destroyed buildings in Chamaa village. Several villages in Tyre, which were previously invaded by the Israeli military before the ceasefire agreement took effect on Nov. 27, remain subject to Israeli hostilities under the pretext that the Israeli military has 60 days to withdraw from the area under the ceasefire agreement. The Israeli forces prevented the area’s residents from returning until further notice and imposed a curfew on those already residing in the region. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health’s statistics, the expanded war resulted in over 4,047 deaths and 16,638 injuries, most of which were recorded during the last weeks as Israeli hostilities escalated in different Lebanese areas. The Lebanese Civil Defense headed on Thursday morning to three villages that were subject to previous confrontations, using large machinery to continue searching for bodies, most of which were Hezbollah members. They found nine bodies in Chamaa, six in Al-Bayadah, and one in Naqoura. A resident of one of the areas that witnessed the confrontations said dozens of Hezbollah members had been killed, and “we were unable to contact them for weeks to avoid revealing their locations.”The Israeli military continued on Thursday morning to destroy houses and facilities in the border area.
Its attacks included neighborhoods in Yaroun and Bint Jbeil.
The Lebanese National News Agency reported that an Israeli infantry force — backed by a bulldozer and Merkava tanks — advanced on Thursday morning to the western side of Shebaa town, where it erected earthen barriers blocking the road linking the border village to the Naqqar Pond front.
Deputy Parliament Speaker Elias Bou Saab emphasized that Israel’s attacks “are a flagrant violation of the agreement.”He added: “These attacks are unjustified. The agreement does not allow Israel to do what it is doing.”Bou Saab said Israel “tries to justify its actions to the international community under the pretext of self-defense, but in reality, these are hostile acts and a breach of the agreement.”Bou Saab affirmed that the ceasefire “was designed to remain in place and succeed,” adding that “in the coming days, the situation will change ... the committee tasked with monitoring the implementation process will become effective, and violations and attacks on the Lebanese will stop.”Representatives of the committee tasked with monitoring the ceasefire agreement’s implementation in accordance with UN Resolution 1701 have arrived. On Wednesday, the Lebanese military redeployed in three locations in Shebaa while consolidating its forces in Tyre over the past two days in preparation for redeployment in the border area following the withdrawal of the Israeli military. Also on Thursday, the head of the ceasefire monitoring committee, US Gen. Jasper Jeffers, and the accompanying military delegation met with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Berri’s media office said the meeting included “a review of the field conditions since the ceasefire took effect and the committee's tasks.”Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati received the French representative, Gen. Guillaume Ponchin, who arrived in Beirut at the head of a military delegation. Mikati’s media office said he emphasized the Lebanese priorities, which include the cessation of fire, halting Israeli violations, the withdrawal of the Israeli military from Lebanese territories, and strengthening the deployment of the Lebanese military in the south. The ceasefire monitoring committee is scheduled to hold its first official and operational meeting next Tuesday in Naqoura, a border town that hosts the UNIFIL headquarters.
Representatives from Lebanon, Israel, and UNIFIL will join.
A preliminary meeting of the committee is expected within the next 24 hours.
Lebanon is closely watching the start of the monitoring committee’s work, which relies on halting the Israeli violations, officially recorded as exceeding 100 breaches. The committee’s work under the agreement will focus on “monitoring the borders and preventing violations, with each party (Lebanon and Israel) reporting any perceived threats to the committee.”The Lebanese Cabinet is scheduled to hold an exceptional session on Saturday in a military barracks in the southern city of Tyre. This symbolic step aims to show solidarity with the areas affected by Israeli attacks, including Tyre, which lies just a few kilometers from the confrontation lines with the Israeli military. The Lebanese Cabinet will hold a special session on Saturday at a military barracks in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre in a symbolic move aimed at expressing solidarity with the areas affected by Israeli attacks, including Tyre, which is just a few kilometers away from the frontlines with the Israeli military. The session will be attended by Army Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun, who will brief ministers on the army’s deployment plan in the south. Meanwhile, Hezbollah organized a field tour for media professionals in the south, starting in Chehaybiyeh and its commercial market, followed by Khirbet Selm and Souaneh. Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad said: “The operation carried out by Hezbollah last Monday, which targeted the Israeli Ruwaysat Al-Alam site in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms, was a preliminary defensive reminder in response to the attacks and violations carried out by Israel over the past few days.”
He said Israel had left no act undone in its attack on civilian targets.
In Kfarkela, Israeli forces targeted sports facilities, and in Khiam, they continued to destroy homes and demolish roads. They have also demolished places of worship in other areas. He added: “These practices cannot be seen as adherence to the ceasefire agreement procedures. “They exceed the agreement, undermining both the established protocols and the credibility of monitoring bodies.”Fayyad stressed Lebanon’s right to defend itself and the people’s right to respond to these aggressions. “The goal of the procedures is Israeli withdrawal, not making way to villages that it did not advance toward during the confrontations with the resistance,” he added. He said that this puts the US “in a position of direct responsibility and full partnership in these violations, which undermine the implementation of the ceasefire procedures and represent a threat to the agreed-upon mechanism. “We emphasize our commitment to the declaration of the cessation of hostilities stipulated in the paper and Lebanon's right to defend itself.”Fayyad reaffirmed “the confidence in the important role of the Lebanese military, which is a pillar in protecting national sovereignty and security. “Coordination and continuous follow-up with the army are ongoing,” he said. Hezbollah MP Hussein Al-Hajj Hassan emphasized that Hezbollah “remains committed to the cessation of hostilities with Israel and to the agreement.”Regarding Hezbollah’s strength, Al-Hajj Hassan said that “the party has not weakened, and its will remains strong. “It has come out of a major aggression; no one could crush it, and it will only grow stronger. “It is not an organization isolated from its people; It has allies who stood by it during the aggression and a large parliamentary bloc with many allies.”

US Intel: Lebanon's Hezbollah Aims to Rebuild Longer Term despite Israeli Blows

Asharq Al Awsat/December 05/2024
Lebanon's Hezbollah has been significantly degraded militarily by Israel, but the Iran-backed group will likely try to rebuild its stockpiles and forces and pose a long term threat to the US and its regional allies, four sources briefed on updated US intelligence told Reuters. US intelligence agencies assessed in recent weeks that Hezbollah, even amid Israel's military campaign, had begun to recruit new fighters and was trying to find ways to rearm through domestic production and by smuggling materials through Syria, said a senior US official, an Israeli official and two US lawmakers briefed on the intelligence, speaking on condition of anonymity. It's unclear to what extent those efforts have slowed since last week when Hezbollah and Israel reached a shaky ceasefire, two of the sources said. The deal specifically prohibits Hezbollah from procuring weapons or weapons parts.In recent days, Israel has tried to undercut Hezbollah's ability to rebuild its military forces, striking several Hezbollah rocket launchers in Lebanon, bombing border crossings with Syria, and blocking an Iranian aircraft suspected of ferrying weapons for the group. US intelligence agencies assess that Hezbollah is operating with limited firepower. It has lost more than half its weapons stockpiles and thousands of fighters during the conflict with Israel, reducing Tehran's overall military capacity to its lowest point in decades, according to the intelligence. But Hezbollah has not been destroyed. It still maintains thousands of short-range rockets in Lebanon and it will try to rebuild using weapons factories in neighboring countries with available transport routes, the sources said. One of the lawmakers said Hezbollah has been "knocked back" in the short term and had its ability to conduct command and control reduced. But the lawmaker added: "This organization is designed to be disrupted."
US officials are concerned about Hezbollah's access to Syria, where Syrian opposition factions recently launched an offensive to retake government strongholds in Aleppo and Hama. Hezbollah has long used Syria as a safe haven and transport hub, taking military equipment and weapons from Iraq, through Syria and into Lebanon through the rugged border crossings. Washington is trying to pressure Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to limit Hezbollah's operations, enlisting other countries in the region to help, a senior US official said. Reuters reported on Monday that the US is weighing the possibility of lifting sanctions on Assad if he peels himself away from Iran and cuts off weapons routes to Hezbollah. Hezbollah officials have said the group will continue to function as a "resistance" against Israel, but its secretary general Naim Qassem has not brought up the group's weapons in recent speeches, including after the ceasefire was reached. Sources in Lebanon say Hezbollah's priority is rebuilding homes for its constituency after Israeli strikes destroyed swaths of Lebanon's south and the southern suburbs of Beirut. The US National Security Council and the Office of the Director for National Intelligence declined to comment on the updated US intelligence.
TRAINING CHALLENGES
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said last week that Hezbollah had not been weakened by Israel's killing of many of its leaders since January and by its ground assault against the group since early October. He said Hezbollah had been able to reorganize and fight back effectively.
However, US intelligence indicates that Israel has taken out thousands of Hezbollah's missiles in Lebanon, pushing cadres of its fighters back from the border with Israel, the sources told Reuters. While tracking the exact number of Hezbollah fighters remains a challenge, the intelligence notes that the group will likely face significant training challenges for years to come, the sources said. US officials say Hezbollah's breakdown points to a growing gap in Iran's military capacity and raises doubts about its ability to use its proxies to attack Israel and its other adversaries in the short term. Iran also backs Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip and the Houthi group in Yemen. In the past, had Israel considered bombing Iran, it faced the prospect of Hezbollah in Lebanon reciprocating, said a second US official, but with Hezbollah weakened, Israel can attack Iran directly without the same threat to its north.
In Gaza, US intelligence indicates Hamas can only sustain small, guerrilla-style tactics after having lost at least half of its fighters. The Houthis continue to launch missiles and drones from Yemen, but the US has been able to intercept most. The updated US intelligence - briefed to senior officials and lawmakers in recent weeks - emerges ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration. The US charged an Iranian man last month in connection with an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate Trump. Iran has rejected the accusation. During his first term in office, Trump embraced a "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran, imposing harsh sanctions on Tehran, its military complex and its most lucrative economic sectors. Trump in 2018 pulled the US out of a 2015 international agreement meant to deny Tehran the ability to build nuclear weapons. In 2020 Trump was responsible for a strike in Iraq that killed top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani.

Lebanon medics flee from border area amid Israeli strikes
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/December 05, 2024
BEIRUT: The Israeli military on Thursday launched an attack near Lebanese Civil Defense members recovering bodies from clashes between Hezbollah and Israel by the border, forcing paramedics to leave the area. A few hours before the attack, the paramedics were subject to Israeli artillery shelling while they were looking for bodies under the rubble of destroyed buildings in Chamaa village. Several villages in Tyre, which were previously invaded by the Israeli military before the ceasefire agreement took effect on Nov. 27, remain subject to Israeli hostilities under the pretext that the Israeli military has 60 days to withdraw from the area under the ceasefire agreement. The Israeli forces prevented the area’s residents from returning until further notice and imposed a curfew on those already residing in the region. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health’s statistics, the expanded war resulted in over 4,047 deaths and 16,638 injuries, most of which were recorded during the last weeks as Israeli hostilities escalated in different Lebanese areas. The Lebanese Civil Defense headed on Thursday morning to three villages that were subject to previous confrontations, using large machinery to continue searching for bodies, most of which were Hezbollah members.
They found nine bodies in Chamaa, six in Al-Bayadah, and one in Naqoura.
A resident of one of the areas that witnessed the confrontations said dozens of Hezbollah members had been killed, and “we were unable to contact them for weeks to avoid revealing their locations.”The Israeli military continued on Thursday morning to destroy houses and facilities in the border area. Its attacks included neighborhoods in Yaroun and Bint Jbeil. The Lebanese National News Agency reported that an Israeli infantry force — backed by a bulldozer and Merkava tanks — advanced on Thursday morning to the western side of Shebaa town, where it erected earthen barriers blocking the road linking the border village to the Naqqar Pond front. Deputy Parliament Speaker Elias Bou Saab emphasized that Israel’s attacks “are a flagrant violation of the agreement.”He added: “These attacks are unjustified. The agreement does not allow Israel to do what it is doing.”Bou Saab said Israel “tries to justify its actions to the international community under the pretext of self-defense, but in reality, these are hostile acts and a breach of the agreement.”Bou Saab affirmed that the ceasefire “was designed to remain in place and succeed,” adding that “in the coming days, the situation will change ... the committee tasked with monitoring the implementation process will become effective, and violations and attacks on the Lebanese will stop.”Representatives of the committee tasked with monitoring the ceasefire agreement’s implementation in accordance with UN Resolution 1701 have arrived. On Wednesday, the Lebanese military redeployed in three locations in Shebaa while consolidating its forces in Tyre over the past two days in preparation for redeployment in the border area following the withdrawal of the Israeli military. Also on Thursday, the head of the ceasefire monitoring committee, US Gen. Jasper Jeffers, and the accompanying military delegation met with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Berri’s media office said the meeting included “a review of the field conditions since the ceasefire took effect and the committee's tasks.”
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati received the French representative, Gen. Guillaume Ponchin, who arrived in Beirut at the head of a military delegation.
Mikati’s media office said he emphasized the Lebanese priorities, which include the cessation of fire, halting Israeli violations, the withdrawal of the Israeli military from Lebanese territories, and strengthening the deployment of the Lebanese military in the south. The ceasefire monitoring committee is scheduled to hold its first official and operational meeting next Tuesday in Naqoura, a border town that hosts the UNIFIL headquarters. Representatives from Lebanon, Israel, and UNIFIL will join.
A preliminary meeting of the committee is expected within the next 24 hours.
Lebanon is closely watching the start of the monitoring committee’s work, which relies on halting the Israeli violations, officially recorded as exceeding 100 breaches. The committee’s work under the agreement will focus on “monitoring the borders and preventing violations, with each party (Lebanon and Israel) reporting any perceived threats to the committee.”The Lebanese Cabinet is scheduled to hold an exceptional session on Saturday in a military barracks in the southern city of Tyre. This symbolic step aims to show solidarity with the areas affected by Israeli attacks, including Tyre, which lies just a few kilometers from the confrontation lines with the Israeli military. The Lebanese Cabinet will hold a special session on Saturday at a military barracks in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre in a symbolic move aimed at expressing solidarity with the areas affected by Israeli attacks, including Tyre, which is just a few kilometers away from the frontlines with the Israeli military. The session will be attended by Army Commander Gen. Joseph Aoun, who will brief ministers on the army’s deployment plan in the south. Meanwhile, Hezbollah organized a field tour for media professionals in the south, starting in Chehaybiyeh and its commercial market, followed by Khirbet Selm and Souaneh. Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad said: “The operation carried out by Hezbollah last Monday, which targeted the Israeli Ruwaysat Al-Alam site in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms, was a preliminary defensive reminder in response to the attacks and violations carried out by Israel over the past few days.”He said Israel had left no act undone in its attack on civilian targets.
In Kfarkela, Israeli forces targeted sports facilities, and in Khiam, they continued to destroy homes and demolish roads. They have also demolished places of worship in other areas. He added: “These practices cannot be seen as adherence to the ceasefire agreement procedures. “They exceed the agreement, undermining both the established protocols and the credibility of monitoring bodies.”Fayyad stressed Lebanon’s right to defend itself and the people’s right to respond to these aggressions. “The goal of the procedures is Israeli withdrawal, not making way to villages that it did not advance toward during the confrontations with the resistance,” he added. He said that this puts the US “in a position of direct responsibility and full partnership in these violations, which undermine the implementation of the ceasefire procedures and represent a threat to the agreed-upon mechanism. “We emphasize our commitment to the declaration of the cessation of hostilities stipulated in the paper and Lebanon's right to defend itself.”Fayyad reaffirmed “the confidence in the important role of the Lebanese military, which is a pillar in protecting national sovereignty and security.
“Coordination and continuous follow-up with the army are ongoing,” he said.Hezbollah MP Hussein Al-Hajj Hassan emphasized that Hezbollah “remains committed to the cessation of hostilities with Israel and to the agreement.”Regarding Hezbollah’s strength, Al-Hajj Hassan said that “the party has not weakened, and its will remains strong. “It has come out of a major aggression; no one could crush it, and it will only grow stronger. “It is not an organization isolated from its people; It has allies who stood by it during the aggression and a large parliamentary bloc with many allies.”

Hochstein to Visit Lebanon as Berri Receives Head of Committee Monitoring Ceasefire

Al-Manar English Website/December 05/2024
Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri met with the head of the US-led Committee Monitoring the Ceasefire in Lebanon, as the US special envoy Amos Hochstein is to visit Beirut in the coming days, a report said on Thursday. The meeting, attended by US Ambassador Lisa Johnson and Berri’s media advisor Ali Hamdan, focused on the general situation, particularly field developments since the ceasefire took effect, and the committee’s responsibilities, according to the NNA. Meanwhile on Thursday, Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported that Hochstein, who oversaw the negotiations for a ceasefire between the Zionist entity and the Hezbollah, will visit Beirut in the coming days for talks with the oversight body responsible for overseeing the implementation of the agreement.According to the report, the body has not yet begun work, and a Lebanese government source told the paper that “nobody understands the reason” for the delay. When meeting with Hochstein, Al-Akhbar said Lebanese government officials will ask him to pressure the Zionist entity into easing off its strikes in southern Lebanon, which violate the ceasefire and the Lebanese sovereignty.
Sheikh Qassem: Victorious Hezbollah Committed to Reconstruction and Funding Project of Housing the Displaced

Hezbollah Can Resume Battle against Israeli Enemy with Long-range Missiles: Official
Al-Manar English Website/December 05/2024
Deputy Chief of Hezbollah Politburo, Hajj Mahmoud Komati, indicated on Wednesday that the mechanism of the implementation of the ceasefire deal in southern Lebanon is vague, adding that the US deliberate leniency gave the Israeli enemy the chance to violate the Lebanese sovereignty.
In a TV interview, Komati stressed that the response of the Islamic Resistance came after the Israeli attacks on the Lebanese civilians and violations of the ceasefire. The Islamic Resistance carried out on Monday, December 2, its first attack on Zionist military sites since the ceasefire took into effect last Wednesday, November 27, 2024, targeting Ruwaisat Al-Alam occupation post in KfarShuba Hills area. When Hezbollah realized that the Lebanese and American officials disregarded the Israeli violations, it carried out the attack on the Israeli occupation site, which pushed everyone to move to implement the mechanism of the ceasefire, he said.Komati pointed out that Hezbollah is waiting for and will cooperate with the committee tasked to overlook the truce implementation, but that the developments, in this regard are not satisfactory. Hezbollah will be patient for a period of time, yet can resume the battle against the Israeli enemy with long-range missiles, if needed, Komati added. Regarding the Lebanese presidential elections, Komati reiterated Hezbollah commitment to the nomination of the former minister Sleiman Frangieh, calling on the parliamentary bloc to reach a minimum consensus in this domain.

Lebanon’s ‘all means all’ should now be ‘all are welcome’
Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/December 05, 2024
In recent decades, European politicians have been vocal about the fate of religious minorities in the Middle East and, more precisely, the Levant. There has indeed been cause for alarm and despair about their persecution and treatment as second-class citizens, especially in Iraq and Syria. Their dwindling numbers are worrisome. Europe’s history, which has been marked by horrific failures in its treatment of minorities, offers more valuable lessons than the statements of today’s politicians. The lesson is crystal clear: when minorities are excluded or lost, countries lose dynamism and opportunities for prosperity and growth.
There are many cases in European history, but I would like to focus on two that took place in France: the expulsion of the Jews and the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. These are two significant episodes in French history that brought about profound losses to the country.
Jews were expelled from France several times in the Middle Ages. The main episodes took place in 1306 under Philippe IV and 1394 under Charles VI, when their property was confiscated and their role in the economy eliminated. However, this deprived France of vibrant communities that excelled in trade, medicine and science and whose contributions could have enriched society in the long term. The French economy suffered from their loss and the country’s culture and knowledge were impoverished by their exclusion. The Jews’ return came during the Renaissance, which was a golden age for Europe.
Similarly, the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 by Louis XIV had disastrous consequences for France. This act forced hundreds of thousands of Protestants, known as Huguenots, into exile, taking with them their craft, commercial and industrial skills. France lost true craftsmen, such as watchmakers, printers, merchants and scientists, who had contributed to the country’s economic development. This decision contributed to the weakening of France’s long-term competitiveness.
When minorities are excluded or lost, countries lose dynamism and opportunities for prosperity and growth. Both events show how losing an important community that is contributing to the nation can impoverish a country. It is worth mentioning that the exile of the Huguenots greatly contributed to the rise of industry in England and the Netherlands, to the detriment of France.
Although the context differs, the loss of Muslims in Spain with the Reconquista led to a decline in the country’s knowledge of medicine, philosophy and astronomy. With that in mind, we should be wary of voices in the Levant region that portray minorities as outsiders. They are, in fact, an integral part of the Levant’s DNA. Many families that originate in the Levant have branches that span across various religions, underscoring how deeply interconnected we all are.
The reality is that the armed conflicts of recent decades have been the main reason for this loss. Religious minorities are often targeted, as we saw with Daesh’s treatment of the Yazidi and Christian communities in Iraq and Syria. In the end, the targeting of a single community brings despair and chaos to the entire country and even the region. We share the same DNA and are intertwined, so splitting apart is disastrous for all. Yet, beyond conflict, can we still live together?
Today, the Gulf countries show us how cultural and religious diversity can be a strength when managed well. These states have welcomed populations of diverse origins that now coexist and contribute to vibrant economies. This diversity has enabled the Gulf states to become global hubs of trade, finance and culture. Yet, there is a key element for this to succeed, which is order and respect of the other, aligned with vision. The Gulf countries have preserved their identity and values, while allowing others to live in security, putting mutual respect and abiding by the law above all.
The Gulf countries show us how cultural and religious diversity can be a strength when managed well. So, how do we change the negative dynamic in the Levant? How do we use this example to rebuild better? Despite the volatile situation, Lebanon could be the start of this reemergence. Lebanon lived in an age of stability and prosperity in the late 1960s and early 1970s. How and why? I see a clear answer. There is no doubt that Lebanon would not be the same without the Maronites. It was their love for and commitment to the Cedar that spread to the rest of the population.
Lebanon lived its golden age and blessed times when Maronites made up half the population. With the civil war, today’s economic pressures and Hezbollah’s kidnapping of the country, their numbers have reduced greatly and so has the prosperity of the country. I will say, once and only once, that correlation indeed implies causation.
One thing is clear, Lebanon will not continue on its current path. This much is certain. Just as in investing, there is a price barrier or a resistance point, after which a stock either increases or plummets. If Lebanon crosses the next barrier, we are heading for a Somalia-style scenario, in which the borders with Syria will mean nothing. The awakening can only come if we bring back all the lost communities and allow for their protection. Just as the protest slogan “all means all” was meant to rid the country of its entire political elite, we should push for “all means all” to allow for all minority communities to come back and live in peace, without fear. It starts with a vision, insulating Lebanon from neighboring events and protecting the borders. We all know what is necessary and need the capacity to execute it.
**Khaled Abou Zahr is the founder of SpaceQuest Ventures, a space-focused investment platform. He is CEO of EurabiaMedia and editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 05-06/2024
UN chief Guterres urges end to bloodshed in Syria
Reuters/December 5, 2024
There is an urgent need for immediate humanitarian access to all civilians in need in Syria and a return to a U.N.-facilitated political process to end the bloodshed, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday.
He urged "all those with influence to do their part for the long-suffering people" of Syria and said all parties are obligated to protect civilians. "Tens of thousands of civilians are at risk in a region already on fire," Guterres told reporters. "We are seeing the bitter fruits of a chronic collective failure of previous de-escalation arrangements to produce a genuine nationwide ceasefire or a serious political process to implement Security Council resolutions," he said. Syrian rebels captured the city of Hama on Thursday, a major victory in a week-old lightning advance across northern Syria and a devastating new blow to President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian and Iranian allies.


Syrian rebel leader urges Iraq to keep Hashd al-Shaabi factions out of Syria
Reuters/December 5, 2024
Syria's most powerful rebel leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani urged Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani not to allow the country's Iran-aligned Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) to intervene in Syria, in a video statement posted on Thursday. The PMF, known as the Hashd al-Shaabi in Arabic, contains many Iran-backed armed factions that previously fought in Syria to help Syrian President Bashar al-Assad retake territory that fell to rebels in the early years of the Syrian war. "We urge and hope Iraqi politicians, first and foremost Mohammed Shia al-Sudani... do their duty to prevent the Iraqi Hashd al-Shaabi's intervention in what is happening in Syria," Golani said. The PMF has said that it is not deployed in Syria, and commanders within it have said they would only do so on orders from their leadership. Reuters reported earlier this week that several hundred Iraqi militia fighters had deployed to Syria to help the government fight rebels who seized Aleppo last week. Golani said the fighting in Syria would not expand to Iraq and said rebel forces wanted strategic economic and political relations with Baghdad after overthrowing the current regime. (This story has been refiled to fix the spelling of Golani in paragraph 3)


Why the Syrian conflict is so important for Russia and Iran
Nathan Rennolds,Rebecca Rommen/Business Insider/December 5, 2024
Israel launches new airstrikes on Beirut, weighs retaliation against IranScroll back up to restore default view. Russia carried out airstrikes in Syria after rebels launched an offensive against the Syrian government. Russia and Iran have supported Syrian President Bashar Assad for years. Here's why Syria is so important for both Moscow and Tehran. Russia has been carrying out airstrikes on Syrian rebel fighters who are advancing through the country as part of an offensive that has seen them seize control of Aleppo, one of Syria's largest cities. The surprise offensive, led by Islamist militants from the opposition group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, marks the most significant escalation in the Syrian civil war in years — and the outcome has serious implications for both Russia and Iran.
Russia's gateway to the Mediterranean
Syria holds strategic importance for Moscow and Tehran, which have both supported Syrian President Bashar Assad's embattled regime. For Russia, which operates two major military bases in the country — the Hmeimim airbase and the Tartus naval base — Syria offers a key foothold in the region, giving its forces crucial access to the Mediterranean Sea and a launching pad for operations in Africa. Russia has sought to extend its influence across the Middle East and Africa in recent years as a counterweight to the US, forging closer ties with key Middle Eastern players like Iran and Saudi Arabia and reportedly providing African governments with security assistance through the Wagner mercenary group. Natasha Hall, a senior fellow with the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Business Insider that Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot afford to lose a Russia-friendly government in Syria for fear of losing the airbase and warm water port crucial to maintaining its influence in the region. "It's used that port and the base as a launching pad to move into Africa," Hall said. "At one point, there were at least 30 Russian warships in the Mediterranean, whereas just a few years prior, there were none."Zineb Riboua, a research fellow and program manager at the Hudson Institute's Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East, said losing Syria would be "a big deal for Russia.""Most of its plans in the Sahel and Libya revolve around supporting Russia's access to the Mediterranean, without a strong Russian military base in Syria, all of Putin's plans collapse," Riboua wrote on X. Putin's support for Assad helped boost his popularity in Africa, Riboua continued, adding that losing Syria would "make Putin not just look weak, but look unreliable to many African countries that rely today on Wagner."
Iran's network of proxies
Syria also provides Iran with access to the Mediterranean via a land corridor that extends from Tehran through to Baghdad, Damascus, and Beirut, connecting its proxies in the region. "For Iran, Syria is absolutely essential in order to maintain its proxy network," Hall said. "It now has this unimpeded route from Tehran all the way to Lebanon." Syria is particularly important for Iran's ability to support the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which for over a year has been embroiled in conflict with Israel. Israel has recently thrown this top Iranian ally into disarray, killing its longtime leader and wounding thousands of its fighters with exploding pagers and walkie-talkies. A cease-fire agreement was reached between Israel and Hezbollah last week. "Iran is deeply invested in Syria with dozens of military bases and other facilities because the country is critical to Tehran's support for Hezbollah," wrote Steven Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations think tank. Syria provides Tehran with a place to manufacture weapons and a route to transport them, as well as a command post for Iranian commanders who work with Hezbollah, Cook said. But Israeli strikes on the militant group have impacted Iran's corridor and put its position in the region under pressure. Tehran may, therefore, see the Syrian conflict as a way to reimpose itself in the region, Riboua said in another post on X. "Weakened in Lebanon and Gaza, Iran now views the conflict in Syria as an opportunity to reassert its influence by joining the Assad regime against its opposition," Riboua said. "Tehran likely sees this renewed involvement as a chance to restore its legitimacy and strengthen its control over its proxies."
Latest conflict is 'no surprise'
Russian ties with Syria trace back to the Cold War era when Moscow supplied arms to the country. The two countries grew closer under the leadership of Putin and Assad, as the former sought to expand and defend Russian interests in the Middle East. In 2015, this resulted in Russia directly intervening in Syria's civil war, which began in 2011, to prop up Assad. Over the following years, Moscow steadily built up its military presence in Syria, and by 2018, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that more than 63,000 Russian troops had "received combat experience" in the country. But following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow's Syrian operations were put on the back burner, and it reportedly redeployed some troops, mercenaries, and military equipment from Syria to Ukraine. Iran and Syria, meanwhile, have had strong relations since the 1979 Iranian revolution. Iranian troops are also reported to have fought alongside Syrian government forces in 2015. But like Russia, Iran's priorities have shifted in recent months, with Tehran locked with Israel in a series of escalating long-range strikes. For the US, that meant the latest offensive seemingly came as no great shock. Speaking to NBC News, national security advisor Jake Sullivan said that Assad's three key backers, Iran, Russia, and Hezbollah, had all "been distracted and weakened by conflicts elsewhere.""So it's no surprise that you see actors in Syria, including the rebels, try to take advantage of that," he added. For Russia and Iran, the fall of Aleppo will nevertheless come as a humiliating blow, Hall said. It shows "how weak their ally is, even after 13 years of war," she added.

Syrian rebels discover Assad Speedo photo in Aleppo takeover - report
Jerusalem Post/December 05/2024
The photo was reportedly found inside Assad's Palace in Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city, which was invaded by Syrian rebels on Sunday. Syrian rebels, who have advanced into the cities of Aleppo and Hama in recent days, obtained a photo of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from his youth in a Speedo, which was circulated on social media on Thursday. The photo was reportedly found inside Assad's Palace in Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city, which was invaded by Syrian rebels on Sunday. Almost the entirety of Aleppo is currently in rebel hands, except for a few Kurdish neighborhoods in the north of the city that still remain in SDF (the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces). The Palace was captured along with the nearby Aleppo Military Academy, during which they claimed to capture Russian air defense systems.
Yuval Barnea contributed to this report.

UN Food Agency Says Fighting in Syria's Northwest Displaced More than 280,000 People
Asharq Al Awsat/December 5, 2024
Recent fighting in Syria's northwest has displaced more than 280,000 people, the United Nations World Food Program said in a post on X on Thursday. This came as Syrian insurgents entered the central city of Hama Thursday after days of intense clashes with government forces as they push forward with their week-long offensive that brought large parts of Syria under their control. The Syrian army said it has withdrawn from Hama after opposition insurgents broke through its defenses marking another setback for President Bashar Assad, days after losing the country's largest city. The Syrian army said it redeployed from Hama and took positions outside the city to protect the lives of civilians. The opposition armed group's next target is likely to be the central city of Homs, the country’s third largest. Homs, which is about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Hama, is the gate to the capital Damascus, Assad's seat of power and the coastal region that is a base of support for him. Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the de facto leader of the Syrian insurgency announced in a video message that the insurgency reached the city of Hama in a “conquering that is not vengeful, but one of mercy and compassion.”

Syria’s Hama: Key to Controlling Military Operations

Damascus/Asharq Al Awsat/December 5, 2024
Fierce clashes are unfolding in northern Hama, with the Syrian army working to block opposition groups trying to enter from three directions: Khatab to the northwest, Maardes to the north, and Maar Shuhur to the northeast.
Hama, located in central Syria, is a key military hub linking the country’s regions. It is home to vital military sites, including Hama military airport, weapon depots, army barracks, and the Mechanized Infantry School, as well as the Military Intelligence Directorate. Hama is politically and symbolically important, as it is mostly Sunni Muslim. In 1982, the city was the site of the largest anti-Ba'ath regime protests since the 1960s. The protests were met with a harsh military response, killing and displacing tens of thousands. This event remains a key part of the city's history and played a major role in Hama’s involvement in the 2011 uprising, which was later crushed and turned into an armed conflict. Although the government controls Hama, the city remains hostile to pro-regime loyalists, who are mainly confined to government offices. There are efforts to increase their presence through official events. Hama is one of the least militarized cities in Syria, with fewer security forces and military personnel on the streets compared to cities like Damascus and Homs, where they dominate public spaces.
Local sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that while the community has resisted outside influence, recent years have seen growing involvement from Iran and Hezbollah through economic means and warlords.Iran has increased its presence in Hama’s countryside and tried to spread Shia Islam, taking advantage of local poverty, but its influence in the city itself has been limited. Hama’s strategic importance lies in its role as a key supply route between Aleppo, the coast, and the poor western countryside villages, which have historically supplied recruits to security forces. It is also connected to the coastal areas, where many senior officials come from. Militant groups are aiming to capture Hama because it provides a path to advance into southern Hama and northern Homs.
Taking Homs would allow them to cut off Damascus from the coast and block the M5 highway, which links Damascus, Homs, Hama, and Aleppo. Since the situation escalated in Aleppo and the militant offensive began, Hama has been under intense stress and fear. As militants neared the city's outskirts last Saturday, a de facto curfew took hold, with many displaced people from Aleppo filling the streets and parks. Dozens are living in cars and on sidewalks, while most businesses have shut down.
Only bakeries and food shops are open for a few hours to meet the high demand for supplies.

Syrian Opposition Captures Key City of Hama
Asharq Al Awsat/December 5, 2024
Syrian opposition factions announced capturing the key city of Hama on Thursday, bringing the insurgents a major victory after a lightning advance across northern Syria and dealing a new blow to President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian and Iranian allies.The Syrian army said it was redeploying outside the city "to preserve civilians lives and prevent urban combat" after what it called intense clashes. Opposition factions said they were preparing to keep marching south towards Homs, Syria's great crossroads city that links the capital Damascus to the north and coast.
"Your time has come," said an opposition operations room in an online post, calling on city residents to rise up in revolution. Al Jazeera television broadcast what it said were images of opposition militants inside Hama, some of them greeting civilians near a roundabout while others drove in military vehicles and on mopeds. The opposition took the main northern city of Aleppo last week and have since pushed south from their enclave in northwest Syria. Fighting has raged around villages outside Hama for two days. The fall of Hama, which was in government hands throughout the civil war triggered by a 2011 rebellion against Assad, will send shockwaves through Damascus and fears of a continued rebel march south. Assad relied heavily on Russian and Iranian backing throughout the most intense years of the conflict, helping him to claw back most territory and the biggest cities before front lines froze in 2020. The opposition insurgents have been battling to try to enter Hama since Tuesday and there was heavy fighting overnight with the Syrian army and allied Iran-backed militia groups supported by a Russian bombardment, both sides said. Hama is also critical to the control of two major towns with big minority religious communities, Muhrada which is home to many Christians and Salamiya where there are many Ismaili Muslims. The most powerful opposition faction is the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the former al Qaeda affiliate in Syria. Its leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has pledged to protect Syria's religious minorities but many remain fearful of the insurgents. On Wednesday Golani visited Aleppo's historic citadel, a symbolic moment for the opposition who were driven out of the city in 2016 after months of siege and intense fighting, their biggest defeat of the war. Aleppo was Syria's biggest city before the war. HTS and the other groups are trying to consolidate their rule in Aleppo, bringing it under the administration of the so-called Salvation Government they established in their northwestern enclave. Aleppo residents have said there are shortages of bread and fuel, and that telecoms services have also been cut.

'Charred body pieces everywhere' after Israeli strike sets tents ablaze in Gaza safe zone
CBC/December 5, 2024
Palestinians were digging through burnt debris searching for bodies Thursday after some 20 people were killed a day earlier in an Israeli strike that set ablaze tents sheltering displaced families in a designated humanitarian zone in southern Gaza. Residents carried a body wrapped in carpets out of the charred wreckage of the makeshift shelters in Al-Mawasi, near the beach west of Khan Younis, where tens of thousands of people have sheltered in the crowded tent camp for months. The tent camp was designated a humanitarian zone by Israeli authorities, who have long told Palestinians to go there for safety.
Mohamed Abu Shahla was sheltering in the tent camp when the strike hit "all of a sudden and without any warning.""It didn't spare any people or anything," Abu Shahla told CBC News on Thursday. The strike set several large tents ablaze, and the fire was worsened by the explosion of cooking gas canisters and the burning furniture of the displaced people. On Thursday, the area was strewn with charred clothing, mattresses and other belongings among the twisted frames of scorched shelters. He said displaced Palestinians were looking for some 15 children missing following the attack. "You heard the screams of women and children while they burned … there isn't a single body that's whole. All of them are in pieces," he said. Children cry as people mourn Palestinians killed in an Israeli strike at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Thursday. (Mohammed Salem/Reuters)
Majority of victims are women, children: Civil defence . Eyewitnesses said the strike on the tent camp caused a fireball to erupt. "[Al-]Mawasi is not safe … nowhere in the Gaza Strip is safe," Ahmad Al-Siqali said. Muhammad Abdul Raouf, a night director with the volunteer-run Palestinian Civil Defence group, said the majority of the 20 confirmed killed were women and children. "The place was scattered with martyrs [when we arrived], charred body pieces everywhere," he told CBC News Wednesday. Israel said the strike targeted senior Hamas operatives, whom it did not identify. The aftermath of an Israeli strike Thursday on a crowded tent camp where thousands of displaced Palestinians were sheltering. (Mohamed El Saife/CBC) "We don't see anyone from the whole world standing by us or helping us in this situation. Let them stop this crazy war that's against us. Let them stop the war," said Abu Kamal Al-Assar, a witness at the site. At a funeral in Khan Younis, where relatives wept over the white-shrouded bodies of people killed the day before, resident Abu Anas Mustafa called the Amnesty report, which accuses Israel of commiting genocide in Gaza, "a victory for Palestinian diplomacy," although he said it "came late." "It is the 430th day of the war today, and Israel has been carrying out massacres and a genocide from the first 10 days of the war," he said.
House in Gaza City destroyed in attack
The attack was one of several others across the Gaza Strip that killed a total of 39 Palestinians, according to medics. In Gaza City, medics said an attack destroyed a house where an extended family had taken shelter and damaged two nearby homes, killing at least three people. The Israeli army says militants frequently use residential buildings, schools and hospitals for operational cover. Hamas denies this, accusing Israeli forces of indiscriminate attacks and ignoring the plight of civilians in harm's way. In Rafah, near the border with Egypt, an Israeli strike killed three Palestinians on Thursday, medics said. Three others were killed in a separate airstrike in Shejaia, in eastern Gaza City, they added. On Thursday, Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya in the north of the enclave, said a 16-year-old boy who used a wheelchair was killed, and several people, including medics, were wounded by Israeli drone fire against the medical facility. There was no Israeli comment on Abu Safiya's account. The health ministry said the three hospitals that are barely operational on the northern edge of the Gaza Strip have come under repeated attack since Israeli forces sent tanks to Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun towns and the nearby Jabalia camp in October. Israel launched its assault on Gaza after Hamas-led fighters attacked Israeli communities on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and capturing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, it has laid much of the Gaza Strip to waste, forcing nearly the entire population of 2.3 million people from their homes. Authorities in the Hamas-run territory say more than 44,500 Gazans have been killed, with thousands of others feared dead under the rubble.

US Says Disagrees with Amnesty International's Genocide Accusation Against Israel
Asharq Al Awsat/December 5, 2024
The United States disagrees with Amnesty International's conclusion that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza war, the State Department said on Thursday. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters at a regular news briefing that the US continues to find allegations of genocide in Gaza unfounded, after the London-based Amnesty International human rights group in a report on Thursday said Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The 1948 Genocide Convention, enacted in the wake of the mass murder of Jews in the Nazi Holocaust, defines genocide as "acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.”Israel has consistently rejected any accusation of genocide, saying it has respected international law and has a right to defend itself after the cross-border Hamas attack from Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023 that precipitated the war. Israel launched its air and ground war in Gaza after Hamas-led fighters attacked Israeli communities across the border 14 months ago, killing 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Gaza's Health Ministry says that Israel's military campaign since then has killed more than 44,400 Palestinians and injured many others. Palestinian and UN officials say there are no safe areas left in Gaza, a tiny, densely populated and heavily built-up coastal territory. Most of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been internally displaced, some as many as 10 times.

Israel presents Hamas new ceasefire and hostage release deal
Walla/December 05/2024
An Israeli official noted, "The Egyptian and Qatari mediators believe Hamas might now agree to a hostage-release and ceasefire deal."Israel has given to Hamas, through Egyptian mediators, an updated version of a ceasefire deal proposal that involves the release of the remaining 100 hostages, two Israeli officials said. Attempting to leverage regional and international shifts—including the elimination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in mid-October, the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration in late January—the updated version of the proposal mirrors previous similar efforts while emphasizing the implementation of the first phase of the deal from August. "The Egyptian and Qatari mediators believe Hamas might now agree to a hostage-release and ceasefire deal, even if it is partial," one Israeli official noted. Key points of the new proposal were finalized during a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, involving senior ministers and several security chiefs. These points were passed to Egyptian intelligence, who then presented them to Hamas representatives in Cairo. "Egypt is currently the primary negotiation channel with Hamas, although Qatar is also involved," Israeli officials stated. The new proposal offers a ceasefire with Hamas lasting 42 to 60 days. During this period, the Gazan terror organization would release female hostages, male hostages over 50, and hostages in critical medical condition. Israel, which initially demanded the release of 33 individuals in these groups, has adjusted its expectations, citing assessments that some hostages may no longer be alive. Notably, the proposal maintains Israel's readiness to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including those serving life sentences, in exchange.
Israel awaits Hamas response
"We are waiting for the Egyptians to inform us of Hamas's response,” an Israeli official remarked concerning Hamas’s stance on the updated proposal. “Within a few days, we will know whether Hamas is willing to negotiate within the framework we presented or not," he added. If Hamas responds positively, an Israeli delegation will travel to Cairo to finalize details such as the ceasefire duration, the number of hostages to be released, and which Palestinian prisoners will be freed. In Washington, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer met with President-elect Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. "The President-elect supports a deal for the release of hostages and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, provided it is acceptable to Israel." a Trump advisor said, adding, "Trump wants such a deal to move forward quickly, without delay, and before January 20." Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told Sky News that he is in contact with Trump’s advisors on the matter. "We have heard from Trump’s advisors that he wants the hostage issue and the Gaza ceasefire resolved before he takes office. We hope both sides understand this message," he said.

Israel FM says ‘may have opportunity’ for Gaza hostage deal
AFP/December 05, 2024
JERUSALEM: Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Thursday that Israel may have “an opportunity now” to secure a deal for the release of its hostages held by Palestinian militants in Gaza. Speaking in a video message from a meeting in Malta, he said: “We may have an opportunity now for a hostage deal. Israel is serious about reaching a hostage deal and I hope we can do this and do it as soon as possible.”

Palestinian security forces exchange gunfire with militants in West Bank
AFP/December 06, 2024
JENIN: Gunfights erupted in Jenin in the north of the occupied West Bank on Thursday between militants and Palestinian security forces following the theft of vehicles belonging to the Palestinian Authority, according to AFP journalists in the city. The intense exchanges of fire began around 9:30 PM (1930 GMT) and followed the deployment of members of the security forces around the Jenin refugee camp, which is adjacent to the city and a stronghold for armed groups in the territory, according to the journalist. Witnesses reported that the Palestinian security forces set up roadblocks on routes leaving the camp. Tensions were running high in Jenin earlier in the day after a group of armed men seized two vehicles belonging to the PA and paraded through the streets waving Islamic Jihad flags. In a statement, General Anwar Rajab, spokesman for the security forces, said “a group of outlaws opened fire on the headquarters of the security services” and stole two vehicles. He said the security forces would “recover the vehicles and hold accountable anyone who committed this act.”Tensions between the PA and armed groups appear to have been exacerbated by recent arrests by the security forces. At a press conference inside Jenin camp, Mahmud Abu Talal, spokesman for a collective of local armed groups, said the PA had “abandoned its people in the most difficult circumstances.” He rejected the label of outlaws and accused the PA of “carrying out a continuous operation to undermine those who protect their people.”Jenin has long been a bastion of Palestinian armed groups and was the focus of a major Israeli raid launched at the end of August. Violence in the West Bank, already increasing, surged after the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023. Israel has occupied the territory since 1967.

Ex-Shin Bet chief: Netanyahu asked me to spy on ministers, officers
Jerusalem Post/December 05/2024
Cohen said he saw the request not as eavesdropping but rather as “using tools against anyone who is privy to the secret, including wiretapping.”Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked former Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) chief Yoram Cohen to eavesdrop on ministers and senior officers who were involved in a major security event, Cohen revealed on Thursday.The allegations stem from a 2018 incident and are reportedly connected to MK Benny Gantz, who was serving as the IDF chief of staff at the time. Cohen emphasized that he saw the prime minister’s request to spy on Israeli officials not as eavesdropping but rather as “using tools against anyone who is privy to the secret, including wiretapping.” Cohen emphasized that conspiracies arise when “a lack of public awareness” is combined with “consciousness engineering.” He connected this to October 7, 2023, asserting that “people close to Netanyahu” are actively shaping a narrative suggesting that the “failure on October 7th was entirely the military’s fault.” These two statements, that the prime minister had requested the Shin Bet to eavesdrop on high-ranking Israeli security officials and that people close to Netanyahu were allegedly working on “engineering” Israeli consciousness, follow further earlier remarks made by the former Shin Bet chief the day before. Gantz's and Netanyahu's reactions. National Unity Party leader Benny Gantz responded to the comments by Cohen, saying, "For over 40 years, I have served—and continue to serve—Israel's security in the most sensitive roles. The good of the state and its security have always been my top priority. Those who know me understand that, unlike Netanyahu, I never leak state secrets, even when my position is not accepted. There were such cases during the current conflict while I was a member of the war cabinet."
Gantz further stated, "The fact that Netanyahu asked the Shin Bet Chief to break the law and use tools intended for our enemies against the heads of security branches does not surprise me—neither then nor now. It says more about him and the criminal culture that surrounds him." The prime minister's office later responded to Cohen's comments. "Yoram Cohen, who is pretending to be naive and is deeply entrenched in a political campaign, is trying to fabricate yet another 'manufactured scandal.' The Prime Minister acted to protect a vital state secret, followed legal recommendations, acted according to the law, and did not infringe on anyone's rights." "Contrary to Cohen’s statements, the real threat to democracy in Israel does not come from elected officials but from elements within the law enforcement authorities who refuse to accept the will of the voters and are attempting to carry out a governmental coup through unrestrained political investigations that are unacceptable in any democracy," the statement added.
Cohen criticizes ultra-Orthodox draft policy
During a Zionist Right conference at the Begin Center in Jerusalem on Wednesday, aimed at halting the ultra-Orthodox draft law, Cohen noted, “If there were a possibility for the Zionist Israeli government to negotiate with the ultra-Orthodox, for them to serve the State of Israel out of their own free will, that would be preferable.” However, he said that he doesn’t think the ultra-Orthodox community would wish to serve in the army. He then emphasized that in such a case, Israel could possibly “adopt the approach of establishing a government that can decide on this matter and impose sanctions, which will also include employment.”Cohen also stressed that, in his opinion, “Arabs should also serve” in the army. He also expressed his steadfast stance concerning the establishment of a Palestinian state, saying, “There must be a clear and definite ‘no’ to the establishment of a Palestinian state. This possibility is unrealistic, unachievable, and must not be allowed. This was also true before October 7.”Regarding the possibility of joining politics, he responded, “I haven’t decided on this yet, but I’m not ruling out entering politics.” “Yoram Cohen, who is deep in a political campaign, is trying to create another fabricated ‘scandal,’” the PMO stated. The prime minister sought to protect vital state secrets, followed the legal recommendations, acted according to the law, and did not infringe upon anyone’s rights.”“Contrary to Cohen’s statements, the real threat to democracy in Israel is not from elected officials but from law enforcement authorities who refuse to accept the will of the voters and are trying to carry out a political coup through unrestrained political investigations, which are unacceptable in any democracy.”

Israeli court rejects Netanyahu’s request to limit how often he’ll testify
AP/December 05, 2024
JERUSALEM: An Israeli court on Thursday rejected a request from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to limit the number of days each week he’ll have to testify when he finally takes the the stand in his years-long corruption trial. Netanyahu’s lawyers have made numerous requests to delay his testimony, which is expected to begin next Tuesday and last several weeks. His lawyers had requested that he testify fewer than three days a week, because of the demands of dealing with the Mideast wars and the fighting in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. Jerusalem district court judges ruled on Thursday that they “found no compelling reason” to allow the request. Netanyahu is charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate scandals in which he is accused of trading favors with powerful media moguls and wealthy associates. He denies wrongdoing.

Cyprus takes delivery of Israeli air defense system, report says

Reuters/Jerusalem Post/December 05/2024
Efforts are underway to upgrade Cyrpus's "anti-aircraft umbrella," the source said. Cyprus has taken delivery of an Israeli air defense system, local media reported on Thursday, as the east Mediterranean island taps new markets to upgrade its defense capabilities after the loss of key supplier Russia. TV station Sigma said the first deliveries were made on Tuesday. Cypriot officials declined to comment on the specifics of the report. "The only thing I can say is we will and are doing everything necessary to bolster the deterrence force of Cyprus, not only because we are a country under occupation, but an EU member state in a region of particular geo-strategic importance," Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides told reporters on Thursday. Cyprus was split in a Turkish invasion in 1974, with the internationally recognized government controlling the south and a breakaway heavily militarised Turkish Cypriot state in the north. The Barak MX anti-aircraft system will complement and eventually replace the older Russian-made Tor M1. Russia has been a leading supplier of military hardware to Cyprus for decades, but deals tapered off even before a blanket ban on exports in the wake of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Those sanctions have left Cyprus's existing defense systems short of spare parts, and they cannot be upgraded, a senior Cypriot source told Reuters. "That is why Cyprus is turning to other countries of the European Union, as well as Israel. As part of that, efforts are underway to upgrade our anti-aircraft umbrella," the source said.
Cypriot officials never openly disclose procurement programs because of ongoing tensions with Turkey. An attempt by Cyprus to upgrade its anti-aircraft umbrella in 1998 with surface-to-air S-300 missiles from Russia culminated in a military standoff with Turkey, and Nicosia hurriedly diverted the system to Crete. That acquisition was not supported by either Britain or the US at the time, though relations with Washington have improved markedly in recent years as Cyprus has anchored its policy firmly to the West.

Nobel Laureate Narges Mohammadi granted short medical leave from prison in Iran

Media Line Staff/December 05/2024
Her husband, Taghi Rahmani, who resides in France with their children, criticized authorities for delaying necessary medical care. Jailed Iranian activist and 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has been granted a 21-day medical leave to recover from surgery, her foundation announced Wednesday. Mohammadi, 52, underwent surgery to remove a potentially cancerous lesion from her leg and requires extended care, though her foundation argues the leave is insufficient for proper recovery. For more stories from The Media Line go to themedialine.org “A 21-day suspension of Narges Mohammadi’s sentence is inadequate,” her foundation said in a statement, calling for at least three months outside prison. Mohammadi has been serving her sentence in Tehran’s Evin prison since November 2021, following her conviction for “spreading anti-state propaganda.” Her husband, Taghi Rahmani, who resides in France with their children, criticized authorities for delaying necessary medical care. “She needs to stay out of prison to receive adequate medical care,” Rahmani told The New York Times. Mohammadi’s health has deteriorated during her incarceration, with reports of multiple heart attacks, according to her foundation. Despite her imprisonment, Mohammadi has become an enduring symbol of female resistance in Iran. Her involvement in the 2022 anti-government protests, sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, led to her receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, which her children accepted in her absence. Protests in Iran. The protests, known as the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement, challenged Iran’s mandatory hijab laws and systemic oppression. Footage shared by her foundation showed Mohammadi returning home after her surgery, her leg in a cast, dressed in a sleeveless floral gown without a hijab. She declared, “Freedom is our right. Long live freedom! Women, life, and freedom!”

Satellite images show Iran's new drone carrier has set sail, leaving its home port for the first time
Jake Epstein/Business Insider/December 05/2024
A container ship that Iran has spent the past few years turning into a militarized drone carrier has left its home port for the first time, recent satellite imagery obtained by Business Insider shows. In an image captured on November 12 by BlackSky, which provides space-based real-time intelligence, the new Shahid Bagheri can be seen at an Iranian shipyard located along the Persian Gulf. But an image captured a little more than two weeks later, on November 28, shows the Bagheri missing from its berth at the Iran Shipbuilding & Offshore Industries Complex, just west of the southern port city of Bandar Abbas.
Open-source intelligence gathered by H I Sutton, an independent defense analyst, suggests that the Bagheri left the port to begin sea trials off Iran's coast. It's unclear if these are still ongoing. When asked to comment on the situation, a US defense official said the military does not provide assessments on adversary capabilities or actions. The Bagheri started as a container ship known as the Perarin, but in 2021, Iran began working on the vessel to transform it into a functional drone carrier for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy.At nearly 790 feet long, the Bagheri somewhat resembles a Soviet aircraft carrier with a distinctive ski-jump ramp, which was added in 2023. The ship's angled flight deck, used for launching and recovering drones, measures just under 600 feet. It's unclear what type of drones — or how many — might be included in the Bagheri's future carrier air wing. It could consist of a mix of one-way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles, in addition to reconnaissance and strike platforms that can return to the after their missions are completed. Nadimi said that the Bagheri will increase Iran's flexibility by allowing it to carry out long-range surveillance and strike missions and recover the drones used. In turn, Tehran can invest more in developing more sophisticated and larger systems that won't just be used for one-way attack operations. The Bagheri isn't the only container ship that the Iranians have turned into a military vessel. Last year, the IRGCN commissioned the Shahid Mahdavi, a modified expeditionary sea base that was formerly known as the Sarvin. This vessel can carry helicopters, drones, special forces units, and missiles. Earlier this year, the Mahdavi completed a weekslong deployment in the Indian Ocean. During this voyage, it sailed near a key US base on the island of Diego Garcia in what appeared to be a demonstration of Tehran's reach to the American military. Nadimi said that the IRGCN's push to convert merchant ships into sea bases and drone carriers reflects its desire to engage in longer-range operations farther from Iran, possibly in an attempt to mirror the US Navy aircraft carriers that regularly deploy to the region. The capabilities of the Bagheri and Mahdavi don't come close to those of the American carriers, which can launch and recover advanced fighter jets and travel with smaller but powerful warships. However, the Iranian vessels could still have an impact in an asymmetrical naval warfare role, especially if they're armed with missiles, helicopters, and drones. The Middle East has seen a sharp increase in unconventional naval warfare in recent years, ranging from Iranian harassment of commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz to the missile attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes carried out by Tehran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Heavily armed drone carriers like the Bagheri could allow Iran to engage in this kind of warfare at greater distances rather than being constrained to its neighborhood or having to rely on proxy forces. "They should be considered a threat not only to sea lines of communication and freedom of shipping and things like that but also to coastal and inland facilities and infrastructure as well," Nadimi said.

Blinken, Russia's Lavrov clash on Ukraine at a security meeting in Malta
VALLETTA, Malta (AP)/December 05/2024
— Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov clashed Thursday indirectly with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at an annual security meeting, accusing the West of risking escalation over Ukraine but walking out before Blinken and other speakers could respond. Speaking at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ministerial meeting in Malta, Lavrov accused the West of reviving the Cold War and provoking a direct conflict with Russia. He said the U.S. actions were driven by a desire to “return NATO to the political spotlight.” “After the Afghan disgrace, there was a need for a new common enemy,” Lavrov said during his first stop in an EU nation since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. “The result is the reincarnation of the Cold War, but now with the far greater risk of its escalation into the hot phase.”Blinken, who spoke after Lavrov left the room, put the blame for escalation in the region back on Russia, noting that the Russian foreign minister, the fourth speaker, did not stick around to listen to other speakers. "Let’s talk about escalation,'' Blinken said, citing the deployment of North Korean forces in Europe, the use of an intermediate-range ballistic missile to attack Ukraine, Russia's move to lower the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons, and attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. “Mr. Lavrov spoke about the sovereign right of every member-state to make their own choices,'' Blinken said. ”That’s exactly what this is about: the sovereign right of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people to make their own choices about the future, not to have those choices made in and by Moscow."Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who was the first to address the panel, walked out as Lavrov took the podium, along with the foreign ministers of Poland and Estonia. Before leaving the podium, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, called his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov a “war criminal.”“Ukraine continues to fight for its right to exist. And the Russian war criminal at this table (Lavrov) should know this: Ukraine will succeed and justice will prevail.”The visit marked Lavrov’s first visit to an EU member nation since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It has been relatively rare for Lavrov to attend forums involving senior Western officials, although he recently took part in the United Nations General Assembly and the G20 summit in Brazil. Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on her message app that Malta had annulled her visa to accompany Lavrov. The Maltese foreign affairs office said that three OSCE member countries had objected to extending the visa to Zakharova, who is under a travel ban. Lavrov is subject to EU sanctions, but faces no travel ban. Lavrov attended the event last year in Skopje, North Macedonia, but Poland denied him a visa the previous year in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Blinken traveled to Malta from Brussels, where he attended what was likely to be his last NATO meeting of the outgoing Biden administration. Ukraine’s foreign minister was also attending, after Ukraine boycotted last year over Lavrov’s attendance. Reporters Without Borders called on the OSCE to release 38 journalists detained by Russia, including 19 Ukrainians arrested in illegally occupied territories. It said in a statement that Russia is the world’s fifth-largest jailer of journalists.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on December 05-06/2024
On Siding with No One!
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al Awsat/December 05/2024
When it comes to the Arab Levant, it is difficult to take a sentence in a single direction or have it convey a single emotion. The immense relief at Lebanese Hezbollah being weakened is born coupled with fury at the Israeli war machine’s crimes against the people of Lebanon, particularly the Shiites, as well as anxiety over what the war could mean for the southern border, and more than anything else, fear for the future of civic peace and the prospect of Lebanon’s foundations, as a society and a state, breaking down. We could say something similar about what happened in Aleppo and western Syria, in light of the regime’s exhaustion, which had been exposed, even before the regime's complete silence since October 7, by a long series of Israeli airstrikes. We thus end up with a situation that engenders two sentiments side by side:
On one hand, we rejoice at the status quo established by Russia's (aerial) and Iran’s (ground) intervention years ago being deeply shaken, as well as the return of hundreds of thousands of refugees and displaced persons who had been forced out by the violence of the regime and its allies, and the release of prisoners of conscience (not all prisoners).
On the other hand, we panic about the prospect of Islamist forces "filling the vacuum"- forces known for their primitivism, fanaticism, and medieval positions on minorities, women, and education...If there is indeed a "Turkish scenario" behind the events, with influential regional and international powers colluding with Ankara, then our horror broadens to encompass the fate of the Kurdish minority there and in their other areas to the east. Attacks against them began with ferocity early on, and the same might also happen to other minorities in what could be a kind of rambling tragedy. Assuming that the Iranian influence is being rooted out of the region, if the aim, in Iraq, is to have the Popular Mobilization Forces become a substitute for Hezbollah in the assault on the Syrian people, we would find the same pairing of sentiments: cries of glee at the fates that could befall the militias of de facto control that would be accompanied by sorrow at the sectarian militias opposing them, who share their backwardness and fanaticism, taking their place. Dozens of examples that evoke these dual stances and feelings could be given, as there are no forces whose actions could safeguard states and national communities and maintain an acceptable degree of stability, respect for the rule of law, and openness to the world.
After over half a century of an oppressive, factional, and genocidal military regime’s rule, along with the cultural and moral ossification of all aspects of life, faith, and education that comes with it, the Levant now constitutes a sick and diseased space from which politics has withdrawn, with kinship, sectarian, tribal, and ethnic loyalties that share an authoritarian bent competing over power. It seems, however, that the eventual failure of three major events/developments, albeit of divergent significance and impact, has done more than anything else to deplete vigorous and promising forces, leaving us almost fated to misery
In 2003, the overthrow of Saddam Hussein did not give rise to a unified Iraq in which political life could absorb the drive for vengeance and curb sectarian and ethnic loyalties or tame them. The political elite, who rushed to broaden foreign influence at the expense of national sovereignty, played a decisive role in reinforcing and perpetuating this state of affairs. In 2005, Lebanon’s "second independence" was prevented from becoming a prelude to the development of a modern political society capable of transcending sectarianism. To that end, a culture rife with kinship loyalties colluded with a series of assassinations, and the instigation of the 2006 war which thwarted any effort to ensure reform and change.
The biggest disaster came with the defeat of the Syrian revolution, a little over a year after it broke out in 2011, as it devolved into a civil war. Modern forces that pursued peaceful civic change could not withstand the onslaught of a brutal regime from one side and insular Islamic militias from the other. Due to Syria's geographical centrality, the revolution's defeat opened the floodgates to the spread of decay throughout the Levant, not just in Syria, and that was even before the progressive agenda was hit with the disaster of “Al-Aqsa Flood” and the same old bland questions imposing themselves.
Having missed these three major opportunities, the Levant, amid the cascading collapses in Libya, Yemen, and Sudan, has become little more than a home for the "Game of Nations,” where foreign forces and local militias loyal to them hold power. While all maps seem like they could be gone with the wind, every scene revolves nowadays around a community shelling another community and masses of people wandering aimlessly in hunger, fear, and horror. Thus, we are left with nothing more than a political drought and a barren landscape. This demands some humility and that we return to the fundamental questions: What is a country? What is citizenship? What is the state? What is politics? Where does one begin? With such questions, we can reconnect with a history frozen by a combination of tyrannical repression and intellectual and cultural stagnation. As for the constellation of armed forces, whether they are allied or in conflict, none of us win with the victors nor lose with the vanquished.

UN’s diplomatic failure: Why the two-state solution won’t bring peace to Israel – editorial
Jerusalem Post/December 05/2024
The UN’s two-state solution rhetoric fails to address Palestinian terrorism and Israel’s security needs.‘Insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results,” Albert Einstein once allegedly stated. And as we approach 2025, here we go again.The United Nations General Assembly announced it will host a June conference to discuss the two-state solution, a decades-old proposal for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. UNGA President Philémon Yang announced the initiative with grandiose rhetoric, urging both parties to recommit to negotiations and a peaceful resolution.
“After more than a year of war and suffering, realizing this vision is more urgent than ever before,” Yang said. He described the ongoing denial of Palestinian statehood as a perpetrator of violence and despair, effectively giving carte blanche to Palestinian violence against Israelis – comments that echo what UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated last October, merely weeks after Hamas terrorists crossed Israel’s border and raped, mutilated, murdered and kidnapped over 1,000 civilians, including women and children, and soldiers. “It is important also to recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum,” Guterres famously said.Yang claimed the two-state solution ensures Palestinian self-determination while safeguarding Israel’s security.
But the announcement, while dressed in the language of hope, reeks of hollow moral grandstanding that ignores the realities on the ground and the UN’s culpability in perpetuating this conflict. The two-state solution, long the UN’s focus, consistently fails due to Palestinian leadership’s refusal to recognize Israel and ongoing corruption and incitement. Instead of addressing these issues, the UN has acted as an enabler. Sticking to the status quo
The truth is stark: the two-state solution has become a diplomatic euphemism for maintaining the status quo. While Yang stressed dialogue, he conspicuously omits any serious critique of the Palestinian Authority’s kleptocratic governance or Hamas’s terrorist regime in Gaza. No state should be expected to negotiate under fire, yet Israel is routinely pressured to do so as rockets fall on its cities and its citizens are slaughtered. Yang’s comments praising the Palestinian struggle and decrying Israeli actions betray a glaring bias. While he stresses the importance of dialogue, he omits the fact that Israel has faced unrelenting attacks. The UNGA’s tendency to vilify Israel while excusing Palestinian extremism makes any serious discussion about peace a farce.
Reut Shapir Ben Naftaly, representing Israel on Tuesday, also called out the hypocrisy, stating that in the coming week, the Assembly would host three meetings focused on the Middle East, centered on resolutions that exhibit a “blatant disregard for the truth.” She emphasized that, following October 7, the UN’s deeply entrenched anti-Israel bias has been glaringly exposed.
Yang’s remarks, with their selective moral outrage, ignore the hundred-plus Israeli hostages still held in Gaza whose plight has been sidelined in global discourse. It seems the UN’s commitment to human rights skips over Israeli victims when crafting its narratives. The planned June conference will likely follow the UN’s usual script: a parade of resolutions condemning Israel, sanctimonious speeches, and no real accountability for Palestinian leadership or their terrorist proxies. If the UN truly wanted to contribute to peace, it would focus on dismantling terror networks, ensuring that aid reaches civilians instead of fueling violence, and genuinely supporting Israel’s right to security. The hypocrisy surrounding this upcoming conference is particularly apparent when considering recent history. As the UN decries Israel, it continues to fund entities and initiatives in Palestinian territories with little oversight, allowing resources to be siphoned into terror infrastructure (UNRWA anyone?). The result? Billions in aid funneled into a society where martyrdom is celebrated, and peace is an afterthought. Meanwhile, Israel is expected to negotiate with a partner that not only denies its right to exist but actively seeks its destruction. The UN was founded on the principle of safeguarding peace and protecting human rights. But its treatment of Israel underscores how far it has strayed from these ideals. The June conference is a charade, a testament to the UN’s irrelevance in achieving peace in the Middle East. The organization has shown that it lacks both the will and the credibility to address the conflict. Israel, meanwhile, will continue to fight for its survival.

The Race for Nuclear Fusion Energy, the Clean Fuel of the Future: Will China Eat America's Lunch?
Lawrence Kadish/Gatestone Institute./December 05/2024
China, with at least three tokamak fusion reactors, is speeding along to win the clean nuclear energy race – and its lucrative markets.
The clean energy breakthrough everyone has been wishing for finally is here! It may not be quite ready for prime time, but a quiet nuclear-fusion energy race is underway and cannot come soon enough.
The problem is that China seems to be winning it, not the United States or the West.
It is nuclear fusion -- making atoms collide, rather than splitting them, or fission -- when two atoms are forced to combine into one new atom at extremely hot temperatures. "In order for fusion to occur on the very hot gas -- or plasma," notes euro-fusion.org, "the plasma must be heated to temperatures in excess of 150 million degrees Celsius [320 million degrees F]. " The sun does it without a container -- their combined new weight comes to less than each atom had separately.
This differential becomes a burst of energy that leaves no nuclear residue while functioning as if one had in one's car a gallon of gas which could run it for 20 years. Fusion energy produced four times the power of fission energy, and when harnessed could be used as fuel for expeditions into outer space. Soon we shall presumably be able to say goodbye to expensive, combustible, warm-weather-only and not-very-far lithium batteries, and instead travel unpollutingly along on tiny bundles of captured energy.
The good news is that nuclear fusion, which is produced through nuclear reactors, tokamaks, leaves absolutely no residue.
The bad news is that -- apart from needing further development and affordability -- the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) seems already to be working at warp-speed to develop this new form of energy for commercial and other use. China's regime has reportedly allocated $1.5 billion annually to this effort, which would appear hardly enough, but is still nearly twice as much as the US is investing.
The CCP, moreover, has also reportedly been able to remove the most major drawback: a troublesome resin that impeded the fusion by lowering the temperature needed in the reactor, an impediment that was possibly overcome last month by changing the fuels and using the magnetic fields inside the tokamak -- "the device that uses magnetic fields to confine a plasma" -- to divert the plasma into a chamber the shape of a "cored apple."
In the US, entrepreneurs such as Elon Musk at Tesla and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI (the parent company of ChatGPT), have also been in this race to harness nuclear-fusion energy. Tesla bought SolarCity in 2006, originally to explore energy storage, but apparently also produce nuclear fusion energy. Altman took a nuclear energy company public for $500 million. One of his companies reportedly "has already secured a permit from the Department of Energy to build its first microreactor at the Idaho National Laboratory."
Meanwhile, other entrepreneurs have been exploring hydrogen-generated energy. At least for now, however, it seems that the method is carbon-intensive and converting the hydrogen into energy might still require more energy than it can produce.
Meanwhile, China, with at least three tokamak reactors, is speeding along to win the clean nuclear energy race – and its lucrative markets:
"China's Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) fusion reactor on 28 May achieved another world record by maintaining a plasma temperature at 120 million decrees Celsius for 101 seconds and at 160 million Celsius for 20 seconds, a major step toward the test run of the fusion reactor. EAST is located at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Science (ASIPP) in Hefei. It is one of three major domestic tokamaks now in operation in China."
It is intensely to be hoped that the incoming administration will not allow China to eat America's lunch.
**Lawrence Kadish serves on the Board of Governors of Gatestone Institute.
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France’s ambassador sparks outrage with support for Persian hegemony in Armenia – opinion
Mordechai Kedar/Jerusalem Post/December 05/2024
Diplomatic posts from French ambassador highlight growing Paris-Tehran ties amid regional tensions. French Ambassador to Armenia Olivier Decottignies recently published two social media posts about the Blue Mosque in Yerevan, where he wrote the following caption: “In the gardens of the Blue Mosque of Yerevan, emblematic of Armenia’s Persian heritage.” The second photo is even more absurd. The diplomat copied an illustration of a map of Iran with the province of West Azerbaijan highlighted in red, proclaiming: “One of the 31 provinces of Iran, whose capital and largest city is Urmia.”The Azerbaijanis are outraged by these social media posts, as the Blue Mosque in Yerevan was built by Azerbaijanis, and trying to portray the mosque as “Persian” demonstrates France’s support for Persian colonialism in the region.
Furthermore, the Azerbaijanis are angered at the French diplomat’s attempt to portray West Azerbaijan as part of Iran. In the 1980s, present-day Armenia had a sizable population of over 250,000 ethnic Azerbaijanis, who were forcefully expelled from the region between 1987 and 1988. Following their deportation, the Armenians did everything in their power to erase all traces of Azerbaijani heritage from their country. Expansion in the South Caucasus
One of these efforts was to refer to historic Azerbaijani mosques, such as the Blue Mosque in Yerevan, as “Persian” mosques. Armenia did this because it enjoys a positive relationship with Iran but is in open conflict with Azerbaijan.
The Persians gladly accepted these efforts and used these Armenian acts of delegitimization in order to expand their colonial influence into the South Caucasus. The French diplomat not only highlighted this in his posts but expanded upon it by denying the Azerbaijani connection to Urmia, the largest city in the West Azerbaijan province of Iran and its capital city.
In the eyes of many, these social media posts highlight France’s open support for Persian hegemony in the region, in violation of the West’s interest to fight against the pro-Iranian axis, which presently spreads from Tehran to Lebanon, Gaza, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. It is critical to recall that French President Emmanuel Macron called for Western countries to stop delivering weapons to Israel, two days before the anniversary of the October 7 terror attacks. The fact that Macron is an open critic of Israel while at the same time deploying an ambassador who so openly posts on social media in favor of Tehran makes one pause to ponder – where do Paris’s interests truly lie?
“Just as Iran supports all parts of the Iranian terror axis, so are Israel’s friends expected to support Israel and not impose restrictions that will only strengthen the Iranian axis of evil,” Netanyahu told Macron about a month ago. However, in May, France banned Israel from participating in Eurosatory, an international arms show held outside of Paris. A French court overturned that decision, but the legal ruling did not come in time for Israeli companies to participate in the exhibition. This, together with Decottignies’s social media posts, shows where France’s sympathies truly lie. This comes amid Moscow’s diminishing influence in Armenia, a gap that is increasingly being filled by Iran, thus enabling Persian hegemony to expand in the region while Hezbollah is losing ground in Lebanon and Hamas is suffering severe losses in Gaza. Tehran moving into Yerevan to replace the Russian influence over Armenia has enabled the Iranian axis to stand strong against Western-imposed sanctions despite the defeats they suffered in Gaza and Lebanon. For this reason, France’s support for Persian hegemony in Armenia further aids the Iranian axis at a time when everyone in Israel seeks to see Iran’s influence get weaker; this is bad news from an Israeli standpoint. The time has come for Paris to stand firm against Tehran, rather than aiding and abetting Israel’s enemies in Iran and their proxies, Hezbollah, Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, and the Houthis.
The writer is a Middle East scholar and commentator on the region.


Christians in Aleppo: A current situation report
Edy Cohen/Israel Today/December 05/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/12/137612/
Israel Today correspondent Dr. Edy Cohen on the current developments and background to the situation of Christians in Aleppo.
The exodus of Christians from Syria continues even as local rebel groups make new progress against the regime. In the past 10 years, some two-thirds of Syria’s Christian population has fled. While Christians made up about 10 percent of the population in 2011, estimates today put that number at just two percent. In contrast to other minorities in Syria such as Druze, Kurds, and Alawites, the number of Christians has fallen from 1.2 million to about 350,000 today – and there is no end in sight. Christians are leaving the Middle East. This trend is continuing not only in Syria, but also in Iraq and Lebanon. The main reasons are the poor economic situation and the lack of personal security. Many leave seeking security and economic stability in European countries.
Before the civil war, Aleppo was the city with the third largest Christian population in the Middle East after Cairo and Beirut. In Aleppo there are around 30 churches of all Christian denominations: Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Maronite, Assyrian, Protestant, and others. The brutal and surprising attack on Aleppo by Islamist groups under the banner of “Fatah al-Sham” a few days ago has brought back memories that Christians will never forget, when ISIS and other jihadists occupied and destroyed churches. The expulsion of Christians and Yazidis in 2014, the religious persecution by Islamists, and of course the mass murders of Christians and other minorities, especially in Iraq but also in Syria, are unforgettable. The destruction of churches and Christian cemeteries was documented in detail at the time.
Those today taking control in Aleppo are essentially the same jihadists that previously conquered the city. They are mostly all former ISIS terrorists. After the defeat of ISIS, its fighters split into several factions that formed alliances with one another. This is how the “new ISIS” de facto came into being. Here are the names of the organizations that are now grouped under the euphemism “rebels” or “Syrian opposition”:
Turkish jihadists
Ansar al-Islam
Caucasian Emirate
Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
Islamic Front
Jabhat al-Nusra
Jabhat Fath al-Sham
Jabhat Ansar al-Din
All of these groups, as mentioned, have joined together to form the “Committee for the Liberation of the Levant.” They are Sunni-Salafist organizations.
Invasion and occupation
Over the past several days since the new offensive began, no exceptional incidents against Christians have so far been recorded, with the exception of an incident against a Christmas tree in Aleppo on the first day of the new occupation. Apart from this incident, no exceptional incidents against Christians or entities associated with Christianity have been reported in the city.
At the same time, however, other incidents against Syria’s Kurdish minority occurred: Ethnic cleansing in two Kurdish neighborhoods of Aleppo, Sheikh Maqsoud and al-Ashrafiyah. The Kurds were forced to leave these neighborhoods. Tens of thousands of Kurds have left Aleppo and are now living in tents in areas controlled by Kurdish militias. Thousands of houses have been cleared out and it is unclear what has happened to Kurdish property.
Back to the Christians
The Islamist groups that have taken over Aleppo want to conquer all of Syria. It is no secret that their ultimate goal is to overthrow the Assad regime and gain complete control of all of the country. These groups seek to first take all of Aleppo, then the city of Hama, then Homs and finally Damascus, to make the final battle for President Bashar al-Assad’s palace. However, their strategy is different from that of ISIS before them. These groups have been waiting for this offensive for almost a decade. The weakening of Iran and Hezbollah on the Lebanese front acted as a catalyst. In their new strategy, these groups have decided to behave respectfully toward the Christians for now, to show the free world that they are a worthy alternative to Assad’s rule. The Islamist groups are experienced and this time they are trying to prove that they do not represent “radical Islam,” despite the documented atrocities they have committed in recent days against Kurds and regime soldiers. They consider these two groups to be legitimate targets–the soldiers because they belong to a corrupt regime, and the Kurds because they are allies of the Jews.
Despite these changes, there is no doubt that Christians in Aleppo live a life of fear. Three weeks before Christmas, there are no signs of the upcoming festival, and there will probably be no decorations or Christmas trees. Even if Christian churches are not destroyed, people do not go out on the streets without their heads covered. Christian life under a radical Islamist regime that wants to re-establish the Islamic caliphate is not an option. Every Christian will choose to leave the city, especially women. In time, and it won’t be long, Muslim men will abduct, marry, and even forcibly convert Christian women. A bleak future hangs over the Christian community in Aleppo, even if it is not presently under pressure.
New packaging, old content
Only a few years ago, the whole world was fighting in an international coalition against ISIS, mainly because of its crimes against humanity. Today, Islamist groups have realized that they must change course and demonstrate tolerance in order to gain legitimacy, or at least not be fought by overwhelming Western forces. This is the new strategy of these organizations. But the videos that have been circulating in recent days prove beyond doubt that they are committing war crimes: shooting and mistreating prisoners, expelling Kurds, and many other crimes against humanity. All this proves that nothing good can be expected from these groups. Under the regime of Bashar al-Assad, minorities enjoy the protection of the authorities. It is not pleasant to praise Assad, but it must be said: under Assad, Christians are much better off than under those Islamist factions who consider Bashar’s rule heretical because he belongs to the Alawite community.
From the first day of the occupation of Aleppo, Islamist groups tried to show that they would not harm Christians and would allow them to celebrate their festivals. There are two videos: a clearly-staged propaganda video describing the relationship with Christians and another propaganda video produced by the factions to prove that they are at peace with Christians.
Explanation: A staged propaganda video shows a young man being woken up by the Islamist groups filming him. He begins by greeting them in an Islamic manner (“In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful”). Then, throughout the video, he repeatedly says his name: George (Christian) from Aleppo. He thanks the groups and says that everything is fine and repeats his name again (stressing that he is a Christian, since the groups do not harm Christians). He continues: “I woke up free, nobody bothered me, my name is George, I went to the toilet and nobody bothered me – everything is fine.” Throughout the video, the young man emphasizes that his name is George Elias, an obviously Christian name, from Aleppo.
Explanation: A journalist with links to Islamist groups interviews a Christian boy and girl named Miriam. The journalist begins by saying that he is standing next to young people decorating a Christmas tree (supposedly conducting a random interview without prior arrangement). The journalist asks the boy: “Is anyone bothering you?” The answer: “Nobody bothers us, nobody bothers us.” (Supposedly, they lead a normal life in the shadow of the holidays.) The journalist asks Miriam questions about Christmas and again the same question: “Is anyone bothering you?” Miriam answers: “No, no.” The girl mentions that she is afraid of the bombings (which are only carried out by Assad’s army and the Russians).
Despite the propaganda portrayal that Islamist groups allow Christians in Aleppo to live a normal and safe life, the reality for Christians remains one of fear and insecurity while living under the control of radical factions that aim to establish an Islamic caliphate in the long term. The apparent tolerance serves primarily to gain international legitimacy, while the actual crimes against minorities and opponents of the groups, such as ethnic cleansing and war crimes against the Kurds, continue behind the scenes. The decorated Christmas tree and staged interviews cannot conceal the dire situation of the Christian community.

Facing a Historic Test

Hanna Saleh/Asharq Al Awsat/December 05/2024
Lebanon is facing a historic test after having been dragged into a perilous war against its will. Lebanese blood was spilled, infrastructure was destroyed, and tens of thousands of families were displaced for long periods. The enemy has erased border towns, depriving residents of shelter.
All the Lebanese deserve a safe and stable life, and they are facing a historic test to reclaim their hijacked state, retrieve its power to make decisions, and reinforce sovereignty. This challenge revolves around the ceasefire that began on November 27, albeit with Israeli violations. The agreement affirms "the cessation of hostilities... and the enhancement of security arrangements toward the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701" with the aim of achieving "a sustainable end to the current escalation of hostilities across the Blue Line and are each prepared to take steps to promote conditions for a permanent and comprehensive solution.”Negotiated by Lebanon’s permanent Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, who agreed to it on behalf of Hezbollah, the agreement calls for the "disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon" in its preamble, identifies the forces allowed to bear arms, and calls for dismantling of military structures across the country, starting from south of the Litani River. The ceasefire ushers in an era in which Lebanon has a bidding obligation to bid farewell to illegitimate arms. In practice, "Chapter VII" now applies in Resolution 1701, with international powers overseeing the implementation mechanism, which is under the control of CENTCOM. This new era comes after decades where citizens had been made into victims since the "revolution" of 1958, through to the era of "Fatah Land" and the civil war, Israeli and Syrian occupation, and Iranian hegemony through Hezbollah, which play a crucial role in the defense strategy of the Iranian regime! The new state of affairs leaves no room for ploys, and reinforcing the ceasefire must take precedence over all other priorities. Israel's serious violations, which show that the enemy's appetite for killing and destruction remains unchecked, demand that the Lebanese strictly implement Resolution 1701. This resolution is seen as an insurance policy for restoring the state that, in turn, protects everyone by restoring stability and taking Lebanon on a journey toward recovery that closes the chapter of vacancies at the upper echelons of power and social fragmentation. It also demands that the era of taking decision-making hostage to the "blocking third" that facilitated the party's transformation into a transnational force be ended, which led to the current conflict.
There is no place for sly maneuvers by Hezbollah. Any attempt to maintain its status, regardless of the justifications, will be rejected. The narrative of "we protect and build," which has left Lebanon with burdens it cannot carry, has fallen apart. The arsenal outside the state's control failed to protect those who held it, bringing destruction instead. Beyond the lives lost, priceless memories, places, neighborhoods, homes, and livelihoods have been eradicated. The 60-day truce is an opportunity for Hezbollah to conduct a serious reassessment of its political and military behavior and take the decision the people are demanding: to abandon its arms.
The remnants of the government and the political class must also reexamine their actions, as everyone, albeit to varying degrees, bears responsibility for covering up the hijacking of the state and the country becoming easy prey to the enemy.
The decision to delay the parliamentary call to elect a president until January 9 is alarming: we have seen the implosion of the situation in northern Syria, which could have repercussions for Lebanon, and several calamities have hit the country. Indeed, under these circumstances, the delay reflects the authorities’ disregard for the people suffering, the overwhelming majority of Lebanese citizens. This delay, which passed without objection, is concerning because it signals, at the very least, that the president is beholden to sectarian forces. That would mean tasking him with reshaping the authorities to suit the interests of those responsible for the era of systematic plunder that impoverished the country and its people, seized justice, and brought citizens to their knees. At most, it signals the intent of the "sectarian duo" to elect a president that meets Hezbollah's conditions, allowing the party to regain the initiative and continue to control Lebanon. In this context, the lack of transparency regarding the content of the agreement seems very suspicious. It is unacceptable that the state’s narrative about the agreement seems to limit its scope to south of the Litani River... And those returning to their villages found ashes and pressure by the enemy to perpetuate displacement due to the neglect of this priority. While the implementation mechanism of the UN resolution places responsibility on the Lebanese government, the country currently has no government. It cannot be formed until after a president is elected. This situation may have negative implications, undermining political cover for the army, which has been made responsible for restoring stability, peace, and security. Lebanon has never been in this situation at any point in its history. This phase presents an opportunity to rebuild the republic and extend its sovereignty without partners. Accordingly, Lebanon deserves a president of a different caliber- someone who understands the deep-seated pain and its causes and who has a reformist vision that allows him to form a competent government that is not sullied by the sectarian-quotas power-sharing regime.
Such a government would restore domestic confidence in and global respect for the state, which could introduce a period of durable solutions during which institutions are reestablished on sound grounds that accelerate the country's recovery. This recovery should begin with a transparent accountability process, and this duty must not be neglected. To that end, it is time for Lebanese citizens to reclaim their role as political actors, fostering a mass awakening that could lead to reformation and genuine authorities through early parliamentary elections. These elections must ensure proper representation, especially after the catastrophic performance of the current parliament, which has refused even to discuss the war that destroyed Lebanon for 14 months.