Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on February 01-02/2024
Israel and Lebanon are prepping for a war neither wants, but many fear it's becoming inevitable
U.S. defense secretary: No ‘all out-conflict’ between Israel, Hezbollah
US downgrades travel warning for Lebanon
Israel braces for potential war with Lebanon amidst talks of Gaza truce
UK's Cameron urges calm on Lebanon-Israel border in Beirut talks
Report: Le Drian to carry new ideas to Beirut
Paris may replace Le Drian as Qatari envoy meets Shiite Duo, Franjieh
Report: Hochstein resumes talks on post-war arrangements
Israel braces for potential war with Lebanon amidst talks of Gaza truce
512 houses damaged in north Israel as Hezbollah attacks continue
Report: KSA, US disagree with Qatar over Bayssari's nomination
US sanctions 3 companies in Lebanon and Turkey for 'funding Iran, Hezbollah'
Beyond the 10% tax: Companies grapple with interpretation amid budget controversy
UNRWA funding cut: Sheikh Kaouk condemns US and Western complicity in Palestinian suffering
Mikati Emphasizes Commitment to UN Resolutions and Diplomatic Solutions
Lebanese Army Commander meets British Foreign Secretary
Bou Habib: Lebanon desires complete peace, not partial solutions

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 01-02/2024
Houthi Red Sea attacks: Group claims to have hit US container ship
Houthi leader: The US sought China's assistance to halt operations in Red Sea
Missile reportedly fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen explodes near ship in Red Sea
Gunmen take hostages at US company's Turkish factory in apparent protest of Gaza war
US hints large response to Iran-backed militias is imminent as Houthi rebels target another ship
Iran pulls top Guard officers out of Syria over deadly Israeli strikes
CBS: The US approves strikes on Iranian targets in Iraq and Syria
Iran begins building 4 more nuclear power plants
Biden sanctions four Israeli settlers who attacked Palestinians in the West Bank
Israel defense minister declares victory in Gaza's Khan Younis
What is the cause of embattled Gaza’s humanitarian aid imbroglio?
UN Palestinian aid agency warns cuts may force shutdown
Mediators work for halt to deadly fighting in Gaza
Hamas won’t accept truce plan, hostage release unless Israel quits Gaza
Oil Slides on Reports of a Potential Israel-Hamas Ceasefire
Babies Killed In Gaza Are ‘Not Innocent Palestinian Civilians,’ House Republican Says
European Union agrees on a new 50 billion-euro aid package for Ukraine despite Hungary's veto threat
Pakistani troops kill 22 insurgents in southwest after coordinated attacks over Iran strikes
Journalists, lawyers and activists hacked with Pegasus spyware in Jordan, forensic probe finds

Titles For The Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on February 01-02/2024
Palestinian Terrorists, Hospitals, and Plans for Palestinian State/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute./February 01, 2024
Why Oct. 7 has bound Israeli Druze and Jews even more tightly/Taylor Luck/Christian Science Monitor/Wed, January 31, 2024
Is Israel at risk of becoming a pariah in the Middle East again? Maybe not/Tracy Wilkinson/Los Angeles Times./ February 1, 2024
Sudanese people’s dire plight should not be ignored/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/February 01, 2024
Reading Our World Through an Old Book/Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat/January 02/2024
Positioning in Sanaa and Messages to Tehran/Suleiman Jawda/Asharq Al-Awsat/January 02/2024

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published  on February 01-02/2024
Israel and Lebanon are prepping for a war neither wants, but many fear it's becoming inevitable
ABBY SEWELL and MELANIE LIDMAN/AP/February 01, 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/126607/126607/
BEIRUT (AP) — The prospect of a full-scale war between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia terrifies people on both sides of the border, but some see it as an inevitable fallout from Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.
Such a war could be the most destructive either side has ever experienced.
Israel and Hezbollah each have lessons from their last war, in 2006, a monthlong conflict that ended in a draw. They've also had four months to prepare for another war, even as the United States tries to prevent a widening of the conflict.
Here’s a look at each side's preparedness, how war might unfold and what's being done to prevent it.
WHAT HAPPENED IN 2006?
The 2006 war, six years after Israeli forces withdrew from south Lebanon, erupted after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers and killed several others in a cross-border raid.
Israel launched a full-scale air and ground offensive and imposed a blockade that aimed to free the hostages and destroy Hezbollah’s military capabilities — a mission that ultimately failed. Israeli bombing leveled large swaths of south Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs. Hezbollah fired thousands of unguided rockets into northern Israel communities.
The conflict killed some 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers.
A United Nations resolution ending the war called for withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon and a demilitarized zone on Lebanon's side of the border.
Despite the deployment of U.N. peacekeepers, Hezbollah continues to operate in the border area, while Lebanon says Israel regularly violates its airspace and continues to occupy pockets of Lebanese land.
HOW PROBABLE IS WAR?
An Israel-Hezbollah war “would be a total disaster,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned last month, amid a flurry of shuttle diplomacy by the U.S. and Europe.
Iran-backed Hezbollah seemed caught off-guard by Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel, a regional ally. Since then, Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged daily cross-border strikes, escalating gradually. Israel also carried out targeted killings of Hezbollah and Hamas figures in Lebanon.
More than 200 people, mostly Hezbollah fighters but also more than 20 civilians, have been killed on Lebanon's side, and 18 on Israel's.
Tens of thousands have been displaced on both sides. There are no immediate prospects for their return.
Israeli political and military leaders have warned Hezbollah that war is increasingly probable unless the militants withdraw from the border.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah hasn't threatened to initiate war but warned of a fight “without limits” if Israel does. Hezbollah says it won't agree to a ceasefire on the Israel-Lebanon border before there's one in Gaza and has rebuffed a U.S. proposal to move its forces several kilometers (miles) back from the border, according to Lebanese officials.
Despite the rhetoric, neither side appears to want war, said Andrea Tenenti, spokesperson for the U.N. peacekeeping mission in south Lebanon. However, “a miscalculation could potentially trigger a wider conflict that would be very difficult to control," he said.
HOW PREPARED ARE THEY?
Both Hezbollah and the Israeli military have expanded capabilities since 2006 — yet both countries also are more fragile.
In Lebanon, four years of economic crisis have crippled public institutions, including its army and electrical grid, and eroded its health system. The country hosts more than 1 million Syrian refugees.
Lebanon adopted an emergency plan for a war scenario in late October. It projected the forcible displacement of 1 million Lebanese for 45 days.
About 87,000 Lebanese are displaced from the border area. While the government is relying on international organizations to fund the response, many groups working in Lebanon can't maintain existing programs.
The U.N. refugee agency has provided supplies to collective shelters and given emergency cash to some 400 families in south Lebanon, spokesperson Lisa Abou Khaled said. The agency doesn't have funds to support large numbers of displaced in the event of war, she said.
Aid group Doctors Without Borders said it has stockpiled some 10 tons of medical supplies and backup fuel for hospital generators in areas most likely to be affected by a widening conflict, in anticipation of a blockade.
Israel is feeling economic and social strain from the war in Gaza, which is expected to cost over $50 billion, or about 10 percent of national economic activity through the end of 2024, according to the Bank of Israel. Costs would rise sharply if there's war with Lebanon.
“No one wants this war, or wishes it on anyone,” said Tal Beeri of the Alma Research and Education Center, a think tank focusing on northern Israel security. But he said he believes an armed conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is inevitable, arguing that diplomatic solutions appear unlikely and would only allow Hezbollah's strategic threats to increase.
Israel has evacuated 60,000 residents from towns nearest the border, where there's no warning time for rocket launches because of the proximity of Hezbollah squads.
In a war, there would be no point in additional evacuations since the militia's rockets and missiles can reach all of Israel.
After the Oct. 7 attack, the war in Gaza had broad domestic support, even if there's now a growing debate over its direction. Around half of Israelis would support war with Hezbollah as a last resort for restoring border security, according to recent polling by the think tank Israel Democracy Institute.
In Lebanon, some have criticized Hezbollah for exposing the country to another potentially devastating war. Others support the group’s limited entry into the conflict and believe Hezbollah’s arsenal will deter Israel from escalating.
HOW WOULD WAR PLAY OUT?
A full-scale war would likely spread to multiple fronts, escalating the involvement of Iranian proxies in Syria, Iraq and Yemen — and perhaps even draw in Iran itself.
It could also drag the U.S., Israel's closest ally, deeper into the conflict. The U.S. already has dispatched additional warships to the region.
Hezbollah has 150,000 to 200,000 rockets and missiles of various ranges, said Orna Mizrahi of the Israeli think tank Institute for National Security Studies. This arsenal is at least five times larger than that of Hamas and far more accurate, she said.
The militia's guided projectiles could reach water, electricity or communications facilities, and densely populated residential areas.
In Lebanon, airstrikes would likely wreak havoc on infrastructure and potentially kill thousands. Netanyahu has threatened to “turn Beirut into Gaza,” where Israel’s air and ground incursion has caused widespread destruction and killed more than 26,000 people, according to Hamas-controlled Gaza's Health Ministry.
Israel is far more protected, with several air defense systems, including the Iron Dome, which intercepts rockets with a roughly 90% success rate. But it can get overwhelmed if a mass barrage of rockets is fired.
Some 40% of Israel's population live in newer homes with private safe rooms fortified with blast protection to withstand rocket attacks. Israel also has a network of bomb shelters, but a 2020 government report says about one-third of Israelis lack easy access to them.
Lebanon has no such network, and shelters would be of little use against massive “bunker buster” bombs Israel has dropped in Gaza. Hezbollah has limited air defenses, while those of the Lebanese army are outdated and insufficient because of budget shortfalls, said Dina Arakji, with the UK-based risk consultancy firm Control Risks.
The Lebanese army has remained on the sidelines over the past four months. In 2006, it entered fighting in a limited capacity, but it's unclear how it would react in the event of a new Israel-Hezbollah war.
*Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel.

U.S. defense secretary: No ‘all out-conflict’ between Israel, Hezbollah
ANDREW BERNARD/JNS/January 10/2023
“How much Iran knew or didn’t know, we don’t know. But it really doesn’t matter, because Iran sponsors these groups,” Lloyd Austin said. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin addressed the media on Thursday in his first press conference following his initially undisclosed medical incapacitation earlier this month. Alternating between questions about his personal health and the widening crisis in the Middle East, Austin apologized for failing to properly inform U.S. President Joe Biden, his colleagues at the Pentagon and the American people of his hospitalization following surgery for prostate cancer in December. “I did not handle this right. I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis. I should have also told my team and the American public, and I take full responsibility,” he said. “I apologize to my teammates and to the American people.”Austin underwent minor surgery in December that required anesthesia and a one-night stay in the hospital. On Jan. 1, he was readmitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center with an infection and was transferred to the intensive care unit the following day.  Biden first learned the secretary was incapacitated on Jan. 4 and Congress and the Pentagon press corps first learned about it the following day. His doctors have called his prognosis “excellent.” While Austin said that there were “no gaps” in command authorities as he had handed over responsibility to his deputy, Republican senators have described the situation as a “chain of command crisis” that left Biden unaware of the health or location of the second-in-command of the world’s largest military.  Austin stated that he would continue to answer questions from Congress and added that new procedures were being implemented to ensure that the deputy secretary of defense and the White House would be informed immediately if the secretary needed to hand over his command in the future.
‘These kinds of things don’t happen’
Austin addressed Israel’s war against the Hamas terror organization in the Gaza Strip, as well as the efforts of the United States and Israel to prevent a wider regional war as Iranian proxy forces continue to strike U.S. forces and international shipping in the Red Sea.
“We don’t see an all-out conflict between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah. I think managing that has been artfully done,” Austin said. “We remain in contact with our Israeli counterparts to make sure that that doesn’t blossom into a war on another front.”
“We don’t see Israel engaged in a conflict with other countries in the region,” he added. Austin said the United States is “not at war with Iran,” but that Iranian proxies continue to carry out strikes like the attack on a U.S. outpost in Jordan that killed three American soldiers on Sunday. He attributed the latter to the Iran-led “axis of resistance” forces. “How much Iran knew or didn’t know, we don’t know. But it really doesn’t matter because Iran sponsors these groups, it funds these groups, and in some cases, it trains these groups on advanced conventional weapons,” he said. “Without that facilitation, these kinds of things don’t happen.”Asked about mounting Palestinian civilian casualties, Austin said that Israel needs to carry out a more “focused” phase of military operations in Gaza. “We are starting to see the Israelis shift their stance and change their approach to a more focused and controlled—controlled is probably not the right word—but a more focused effort, focused on a discrete set of objectives,” said the defense secretary.

US downgrades travel warning for Lebanon
Naharnet/February 1, 2024
The U.S. State Department has downgraded its travel warning for Lebanon from the “Do Not Travel” category to the “Reconsider Travel” category. Some parts of the country -- south Lebanon, the Syrian border and refugee settlements -- however remained under the “Do Not Travel” category. “U.S. citizens in Lebanon should be aware of the risks of remaining in the country and review their personal security plans. U.S. citizens are urged to avoid travel to southern Lebanon, the Syrian border, and refugee settlements in Lebanon,” the updated advisory said. “The U.S. Embassy strongly urges U.S. citizens to avoid southern Lebanon; that is, all parts south of the city of Saida (Sidon) … Cross-border rocket, missile, and artillery fire continues to impact southern Lebanon on a daily basis and has caused a significant number of fatalities and injuries,” the advisory adds, referring to the daily clashes between Israel and Hezbollah. The U.S. State Department had hiked the travel advisory for Lebanon to “Do Not Travel” -- the highest level -- on October 17, around 10 days after the eruption of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah and amid anti-U.S. protests near the U.S. embassy in Awkar. Several Western and Arab embassies had issued similar warnings. Since the outbreak of war between Hamas and Israel on October 7, the Lebanese-Israeli border has witnessed a daily exchange of fire between Israel's army and Hezbollah. More than 200 people have been killed in south Lebanon, over 150 of them belonging to Hezbollah. According to Israeli authorities, 15 Israelis have been killed in the northern border area, including nine soldiers and six civilians. The fighting has also displaced tens of thousands of residents on both sides of the border and Israel has warned that it is ready to use military force to return its settlers to their homes.

Israel braces for potential war with Lebanon amidst talks of Gaza truce
LBCI/February 1, 2024
 In a time dominated by talks of an imminent truce in the war on Gaza, the Israeli public and media continue to discuss an extensive war on the northern borders with Lebanon. The first signs appear with the Israeli Ministry of Justice warning its employees to prepare for power outages in Israel for several days in case of a war with Lebanon. The ministry anticipates power cuts affecting at least 60 percent of the population for a duration ranging from 24 to 48 hours, with repairs potentially taking up to 72 hours. Israelis are deeply concerned about this possibility. The "Israel Hayom" Military and Defense Correspondent, Lilach Shoval, says that the first concern in a "power outage scenario" is the population connected to a ventilator at home, who depend on oxygen to live. According to Shoval, around 30,000 citizens in Israel use such devices in their homes. Beyond the electricity issue, the war with Lebanon poses a threat to the food security of the occupying entity. According to the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture, the farms in the north, which have been largely evacuated, produce 40 percent of the fruits in Israel and 70 percent of the egg needs. Now, these areas have become areas for the Israeli army to gather and are crowded with tents and tanks, and there is no longer a place for farmers. Today, Israel is attempting to import more vegetables, but these efforts face challenges from security incidents in the Red Sea, suspension of flights by several airlines to Israel, as well as Palestinian missile attacks on several ports, such as Ashdod, which is close to the Gaza border and is the largest Israeli port. Amidst all these media and news "mobilizations," there is a "contradictory" military reality. Yedioth Ahronoth revealed on Wednesday that the army is reducing its forces on the Lebanon border, replacing them with local security units to handle security incidents. Which narrative holds the truth? Have the confrontations in the South reached their end, or has the real war not yet begun?

UK's Cameron urges calm on Lebanon-Israel border in Beirut talks
Agence France Presse/February 1, 2024
British foreign minister David Cameron discussed defusing deadly tensions on the Lebanon-Israel border Thursday in Beirut talks with Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati, the premier's office said.Since the outbreak of war between Hamas and Israel on October 7, the border has seen near-daily exchanges of fire between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, a Hamas ally. Cameron and Mikati discussed "ways to restore calm in southern Lebanon, as well as the political and diplomatic solution that is needed," the prime minister's office said. Cameron is the latest in a succession of Western ministers to visit Beirut amid concern that the Gaza war could spark a wider conflict involving Iranian allies around the Middle East. A major focus of their efforts has been to reinforce the United Nations Security Council resolution that ended a 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Resolution 1701 called for all armed personnel to pull back north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border, except for Lebanese state security forces and U.N. peacekeepers. While Hezbollah has not had a visible military presence in the border area since 2006, the group still holds sway over large parts of the south, where it has built tunnels and hideouts and launched missile and drone attacks into Israel.
Mikati discussed with Cameron "ways to implement U.N. Resolution 1701," his office said. "Lebanon supports a peaceful solution in the region," Mikati said, adding: "Lebanon supports the implementation of international resolutions to the letter, especially Resolution 1701."Cameron also met Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, as well as army chief Joseph Aoun. Berri also told Cameron that Lebanon is committed to Resolution 1701 and is awaiting its full implementation. A Western diplomat told AFP there was an increasing possibility that Israel will escalate border tensions due to internal political pressure, "but meanwhile, Hezbollah does not want to start a war". Hezbollah had previously signalled willingness to endorse a diplomatic solution, but only after Israel ends its war on Gaza. Western diplomats, including British officials, are pushing for a solution that would include "fully implementing resolution 1701 and giving new impetus" to U.N. peacekeeping forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL), said the Western official. Senior Hezbollah official Nabil Kaouk said on Wednesday that the group had "intensified" its operations "in response to Israel's escalation," Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported. His comments came after Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Monday that troops would "very soon go into action" near the Lebanese border. Nearly four months of cross-border fire have killed over 210 people in Lebanon, most of them Hezbollah fighters but also including more than 25 civilians, according to an AFP tally. On the Israeli side of the border, nine soldiers and six civilians have been killed, Israeli officials have said.

Report: Le Drian to carry new ideas to Beirut
Naharnet/February 1, 2024
French President's Special Envoy to Lebanon Jean-Yves Le Drian will carry new ideas to Beirut in his upcoming visit in a bid to push the presidential election file forward, informed diplomatic sources said. “We believe that the date of his visit is nearing and we are in constant communication with him,” the sources added, in remarks to al-Joumhouria newspaper published Thursday. Declining to reveal what the “new ideas” are, the sources said they are aimed at “speeding up the election of a president in Lebanon.”“Credible” sources meanwhile quoted senior French officials as saying that Paris is counting on Le Drian’s mission in Beirut and his possible success in “convincing the political leaders in Lebanon to engage in a presidential solution.” “It would be naive to suppose that Le Drian would come to Beirut empty-handed, seeing as it seems that he will come with a double impetus -- one from the five-nation committee according to a plan for a swift presidential solution for Lebanon and another from the Elysee, which will strongly support him given that the presidential file in Lebanon is at the heart of French President Emmanuel Macron’s priorities and because he is determined to find a quick and consensual solution for it,” the French officials said.

Paris may replace Le Drian as Qatari envoy meets Shiite Duo, Franjieh
Naharnet/February 1, 2024
Paris might send to Lebanon an envoy other than Jean-Yves Le Drian, whose performance has been “criticized by Arab and Western officials,” a media report said. Qatari envoy Jassem Al-Thani meanwhile left Beirut after a series of meetings with Lebanese forces, including Hezbollah, the Amal Movement and Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Wednesday. “It was notable that for the first time, the man did not mention names of candidates and did not carry any list. He rather focused his remarks on the idea of a third choice without delving into other details,” the daily added.

Report: Hochstein resumes talks on post-war arrangements
Naharnet/February 1, 2024
U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein has held behind-the-scenes talks with Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab, who is the official Lebanese “channel” for talks regarding the situation in the south, informed sources said. Hochstein is seeking to devise a Lebanon-Israel settlement that would follow the cessation of hostilities in Gaza and that would put an end to the daily clashes between Israel and Hezbollah on the Lebanese-Israeli border, the sources told ad-Diyar newspaper in remarks published Thursday. Hochstein had said Sunday that he “will likely head back soon” to Lebanon and Israel as part of the efforts to prevent a bigger conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. “But I think we, this is something we do every day, not just when we're in the region. We do this also when we're here,” Hochstein added, in an interview on CBS News.
Asked whether the Israeli government has set an “end-of-January” deadline for Hezbollah to pull back from Lebanon’s border with Israel, Hochstein said: “Well, I don't know about hard deadlines, but the window for diplomacy is definitely there. And that is what (U.S.) President (Joe) Biden has said: we have to try to solve this diplomatically.”He added: “I don't deny that the status quo of where we are now can't last forever. And that is why we need to make sure that we can get to diplomatic resolution.” “What we need to do now is to get to two things: one is the cessation of hostilities across both sides, so that people over almost 100,000 people on each side and Lebanon and Israel are refugees in their own countries, because they can't live in southern Lebanon or in northern Israel,” Hochstein said. He added: “We also have to make sure that Israelis and Lebanese can live in their homes with security. And that is not just a ceasefire, it requires a more intricate piece of the negotiations to ensure that the Lebanese army is in that area, that there is more parameters of security for civilians.”“Once we do that, though, we do need to start looking at how do we mark the border, an actual border, between the two countries so that we can have long term security and long term peace in an area that's seen so many rounds of conflict over the last several years,” Hochstein went on to say. Since the outbreak of war between Hamas and Israel on October 7, the Lebanese-Israeli border has witnessed a daily exchange of fire between Israel's army and Hezbollah. More than 200 people have been killed in south Lebanon, over 150 of them belonging to Hezbollah. According to Israeli authorities, 15 Israelis have been killed in the northern border area, including nine soldiers and six civilians. The fighting has also displaced tens of thousands of residents on both sides of the border and Israel has warned that it is ready to use military force to return its settlers to their homes.

Israel braces for potential war with Lebanon amidst talks of Gaza truce
LBCI/February 1, 2024
In a time dominated by talks of an imminent truce in the war on Gaza, the Israeli public and media continue to discuss an extensive war on the northern borders with Lebanon. The first signs appear with the Israeli Ministry of Justice warning its employees to prepare for power outages in Israel for several days in case of a war with Lebanon. The ministry anticipates power cuts affecting at least 60 percent of the population for a duration ranging from 24 to 48 hours, with repairs potentially taking up to 72 hours.  Israelis are deeply concerned about this possibility. The "Israel Hayom" Military and Defense Correspondent, Lilach Shoval, says that the first concern in a "power outage scenario" is the population connected to a ventilator at home, who depend on oxygen to live. According to Shoval, around 30,000 citizens in Israel use such devices in their homes. Beyond the electricity issue, the war with Lebanon poses a threat to the food security of the occupying entity. According to the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture, the farms in the north, which have been largely evacuated, produce 40 percent of the fruits in Israel and 70 percent of the egg needs. Now, these areas have become areas for the Israeli army to gather and are crowded with tents and tanks, and there is no longer a place for farmers. Today, Israel is attempting to import more vegetables, but these efforts face challenges from security incidents in the Red Sea, suspension of flights by several airlines to Israel, as well as Palestinian missile attacks on several ports, such as Ashdod, which is close to the Gaza border and is the largest Israeli port. Amidst all these media and news "mobilizations," there is a "contradictory" military reality. Yedioth Ahronoth revealed on Wednesday that the army is reducing its forces on the Lebanon border, replacing them with local security units to handle security incidents. Which narrative holds the truth? Have the confrontations in the South reached their end, or has the real war not yet begun?

512 houses damaged in north Israel as Hezbollah attacks continue
Naharnet/February 1, 2024
Israeli artillery shelled Thursday several border towns in southern Lebanon as Hezbollah targeted an Israeli post in the occupied Shebaa farms. Hezbollah said it has attacked surveillance equipment in the Radar post, while Israel shelled Yarine, al-Jebbayn, Em el-Tout, and the outskirts of al-Hebbariye. An Israeli drone had struck overnight an ambulance for the Amal Movement-affiliated Islamic Risala Scout Association in the border town of Blida, causing damage to the vehicle but no casualties. "The paramedics miraculously escaped with no injuries," the Islamic Risala Scout Association said in a statement. A Hezbollah fighter was also killed overnight in an Israeli strike on a house in Beit Lif. More than 200 people, mostly Hezbollah fighters but also more than 20 civilians, have been killed on Lebanon's side, and 18 on Israel's. Tens of thousands have been displaced on both sides. Israeli media said Thursday that 512 houses in northern Israel have been damaged by Hezbollah fire. Some of these houses - in Metula, Kiryat Shmona, Manara, Melkia, Avivim, Zar'it, Shtula, Hanita and Shlomi - have been completely destructed, the report said. Israeli soldiers usually gather inside these houses as residents have been evacuated. Israel has evacuated 60,000 residents from towns nearest the border, where there's no warning time for rocket launches because of the proximity of Hezbollah squads. In many statements, Hezbollah said it has targeted groups of soldiers gathered inside a house, inflicting casualties. In Lebanon, some have criticized Hezbollah for exposing the crisis-hit country to a potentially devastating war. Others support the group's limited entry into the conflict and believe Hezbollah's arsenal will deter Israel from escalating.

Report: KSA, US disagree with Qatar over Bayssari's nomination
Naharnet/February 1, 2024
There is a deep disagreement between Saudi Arabia and the U.S. on one side and Qatar on the other side over Doha’s continued support for General Security acting chief Elias Bayssari’s presidential nomination, a media report said. “During his presence in Beirut, Qatari envoy Abou Fahad re-proposed the third (presidential) choice as a middle-ground solution, voicing support for the nomination of Bayssari, whose candidacy is serious contrary to what many think,” informed sources told ad-Diyar newspaper in remarks published Thursday. “It is clear that Qatar is distancing itself from the five-nation group for Lebanon by promoting Bayssari, whereas Saudi Arabia and the U.S. are still tacitly supporting the election of Army Commander Joseph Aoun,” the daily quoted “credible” sources as saying.

US sanctions 3 companies in Lebanon and Turkey for 'funding Iran, Hezbollah'
Associated Press/February 1, 2024
The U.S. has slapped sanctions on three companies and one person in Lebanon and Turkey, accusing them of funneling funds to Iran's Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah. The U.S. Treasury announced sanctions on Turkish company Mira Ihracat Ithalat Petrol (Mira), which it said "purchases, transports, and sells Iranian commodities on the global market;" on its chief executive, Ibrahim Talal al-Uwayr; and on Lebanon-based Yara Offshore SAL and Hydro Company for Drilling Equipment Rental, both of which it said have sold large quantities of Iranian goods to Syria. The sanctioned companies "generated hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of revenue from selling Iranian commodities, including to the Syrian government," the U.S. Treasury said in a statement. The move comes as the region is waiting for Washington's response to a strike, likely launched by one of the region's Iranian-back militias, that killed three U.S. troops Sunday at a base in Jordan near the Syrian border.

Beyond the 10% tax: Companies grapple with interpretation amid budget controversy
LBCI/February 1, 2024
The ten percent tax imposed in the budget on companies importing petroleum derivatives remains a subject of debate between these companies, as well as how to interpret the text of the article. The draft text of the article discusses a tax on revenues, while the intention is a tax on exceptional profits that these companies may have achieved due to subsidies, considering that imposing a tax on revenues would lead to the bankruptcy of these companies. In this context, MP Marwan Hamadeh's statement called for the necessity of separating the text of the article from its interpretation in the file of corporate profit tax during the "subsidy period." The controversy is not limited to this new tax but extends to the corporate income tax, amounting to 17 percent. During the "subsidy period," companies used to sell goods in "fresh dollars" and pay this tax based on LBP 1,500 per US dollar initially, then at LBP 3,900. These companies benefited from the US dollar exchange rate difference to achieve more profits.

UNRWA funding cut: Sheikh Kaouk condemns US and Western complicity in Palestinian suffering
LBCI/February 1, 2024
Sheikh Nabil Kaouk, a Hezbollah's Central Council member, emphasized that as yesterday, today, and tomorrow, the decisive statement for the resistance is on the field, and threats do not change the equations. Sheikh Kaouk affirmed during an honorary celebration that the resistance in the region, with its integration and collaboration, is approaching the achievement of a historic and strategic victory, establishing new equations and tightening the noose on the Israeli enemy. He considered that "the decision to cut funding for UNRWA means US and Western participation in famine, genocide, and the crime of the humanitarian era against the Palestinian people." "It signifies a siege upon a siege, and the goal is for US and Western countries to break the will of the Palestinian people, who have stood heroically against hunger and the war of extermination," he continued.

Mikati Emphasizes Commitment to UN Resolutions and Diplomatic Solutions
LBCI/February 1, 2024
Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati reiterated on Thursday, "Lebanon's commitment to the decisions of the United Nations, including Resolution 1701, which calls for a ceasefire and the deployment of the army in southern Lebanon."He also reaffirmed "the commitment to respect and implement UN resolutions for long-term stability in the region." During a Zoom dialogue with the "American Task Force for Lebanon" chaired by Mr. Edward Gabriel, Mikati stated, "UN Resolution 1701 called for a cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel and the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces in southern Lebanon. However, Israel did not respect the resolution, and we recorded 35,000 Israeli violations, including violations of Lebanese airspace, land, and sea sovereignty." He added, "The Lebanese government is working with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to maintain stability in the region and prevent any further escalation of tensions. All parties involved must respect the rules of engagement and international law to prevent further conflict."
He emphasized, "Dialogue and diplomacy are the keys to resolving any disputes or tensions in the region, and the Lebanese government is committed to working towards a diplomatic solution. However, an immediate ceasefire in Gaza is necessary for diplomacy to prevail over violence and war."
In response to a question, he said, "The presidential vacuum in Lebanon has already posed significant challenges during these difficult times. The absence of the president has led to a constitutional governance vacuum."The "Group of Five" is working to resolve the presidential vacuum, communicating with various parties and political factions to reach a consensus on the presidency file. However, political divisions and external factors have hindered these efforts, making it difficult to reach a solution. He called on "all MPs to responsibly act in Lebanon's interest and work diligently to elect a president." Regarding the talks he held with US Special Envoy Amos Hochstein in Beirut some time ago, he said, "Hochstein made it clear that a diplomatic solution allowing the people of the south to return to their cities and villages, as well as the residents of northern Israel, is required. We hope to continue working on this effort to reach a solution allowing everyone to live safely and return to their homeland."He added, "I highly appreciate the Biden administration's commitment to avoiding the extension of the conflict between Israel and Hamas to Lebanon, and I am grateful for the ongoing efforts of the United States in addressing the crisis." He reiterated his proposal, which firstly calls for a long-term ceasefire in Gaza to secure humanitarian aid for the besieged residents, allowing for the resumption of mediation for the exchange of hostages and prisoners. The proposal also stipulates reconvening tripartite meetings under the auspices of the United Nations to resolve the controversial points on the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel through the implementation of all United Nations treaties and resolutions, starting with the Armistice Agreement in 1949 and ending with the implementation of Security Council Resolution No. 1701. The proposal also calls for launching an international initiative for a just and permanent resolution to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict for 75 years, based on the two-state solution initiative to ensure fair and equitable rights for Palestinians and sustainable security for all.

Lebanese Army Commander meets British Foreign Secretary
NNA/February 1, 2024
Lebanese Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, on Thursday welcomed British Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, alongside Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, Baron Ahmad of Wimbledon, Tariq Ahmad, in his office at the Yarzeh headquarters. The meeting was also attended by British Ambassador to Lebanon Hamish Cowell. Discussions centered on the general situation in Lebanon and the region, with a specific focus on developments along the southern borders. The visiting delegation expressed their country's unwavering support for the Lebanese Army during the exceptional circumstances facing Lebanon.

Bou Habib: Lebanon desires complete peace, not partial solutions
NNA/February 1, 2024
Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Abdallah Bou Habib, on Thursday declared Lebanon's stance against partial solutions in southern Lebanon. During a conversation with journalists, Bou Habib emphasized that the Israeli project aims for Hezbollah's withdrawal from the north to enable settlers' return “a proposition Lebanon rejects.”Bou Habib then asserted Lebanon's pursuit of a comprehensive solution, delineating borders based on the 1923 demarcation affirmed in the ceasefire agreement. "We seek the restoration of Shebaa Farms and Kfarshuba Hills, which are Lebanese territories, and demand Israel cease its aerial, maritime, and land violations," Bou Habib stated.The Foreign Minister then expressed readiness for indirect negotiations but insisted on refraining from signing any agreements before the presidential election. He highlighted the potential for negotiation akin to the maritime delineation agreement, advocating for boundary clarity, a request reiterated during discussions with the United Nations Secretary-General and thirteen other foreign ministers in New York. "Lebanon desires complete peace, not partial solutions," he emphasized, referencing discussions with US officials, as well as the ambassadors of France and the US in Lebanon. Furthermore, Bou Habib discussed the matter with Hungary's Foreign Minister, stressing Hungary's interest in maintaining Lebanon's diversity and requesting support for the implementation of UN Resolution 1701. Responding to inquiries regarding the involvement of Hungary in conflict resolution efforts, Bou Habib acknowledged the challenges posed by Israel's friendships with several European nations but emphasized leveraging good relations, such as with Germany, to achieve Lebanon's objectives. Regarding the United Nations' role in implementing Resolution 1701, Bou Habib reiterated Lebanon's demands for border clarity, Israel's withdrawal to delineated borders, and the cessation of all violations. On the topic of negotiations, Bou Habib indicated a willingness to commence negotiations even without a president in place. However, he stressed Lebanon's consensus on border delineation, withdrawal from Shebaa Farms and Kfarshuba, and halting violations. Regarding the potential return of the US envoy, Bou Habib suggested significance in his return, which might hint at undisclosed developments. In response to claims of Hezbollah's exclusive control over indirect negotiations, Dr. Bou Habib affirmed ongoing dialogue between the Lebanese government and Hezbollah, with Hezbollah acknowledging the state's responsibility for negotiations.

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 01-02/2024
Houthi Red Sea attacks: Group claims to have hit US container ship
Patrick Jackson - BBC News/February 1, 2024
The Houthi movement in Yemen says it has struck a US merchant ship it named as KOI in the Red Sea in a fresh attack targeting commercial shipping. But two maritime sources told BBC Verify that the Houthi claim was fake. US and UK authorities are yet to say whether an attack took place. Security firm Ambrey said a ship located south of Yemen reported a blast on its starboard but did not name it. Meanwhile, the US launched new air strikes in Yemen. Ten drones reportedly being set up to launch were targeted in the strike.
According to Reuters news agency, the KOI is a Liberian-flagged container ship operated by UK-based Oceonix Services. The same company's fleet includes the oil tanker Marlin Luanda, which was damaged by a missile on Saturday. The Houthis regard all Israeli, US and British ships as legitimate targets following Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza, and US and British targeting of Houthi missile positions in what the two countries say are efforts to protect commerce. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said on Wednesday that the movement's armed forces had targeted an American merchant ship named KOI with "several appropriate naval missiles". The ship, he said, had been heading to "the ports of occupied Palestine", a phrase which is sometimes used to mean Israel. However industry publication Trade Winds said that the claim was "fake" and that in fact a sick crew member had been taken off the ship in a medical evacuation. Two maritime security sources supported this assessment. There has also been no word from UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which normally sends alerts when such attacks are carried out. But Mr Sarea reiterated that the Houthis would "not hesitate" to retaliate against "British-American escalation". "All American and British ships in the Red and Arabian Seas are legitimate targets for the Yemeni Armed Forces as long as the American-British aggression against our country continues," the Houthi spokesman said.
Troubled Waters: War in the Red Sea? Frank Gardner explains who the Houthis are and what they want. US Central Command said the 10 drones being prepared for launch in Yemen had posed a threat to merchant vessels and US warships in the region. All 10 were destroyed along with a Houthi drone ground control station, it said. The US added that one of its warships had shot down three Iranian drones and a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile in the Gulf of Aden. Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea have slowed down international trade, raising fears of supply bottlenecks. On 7 October, hundreds of Palestinian gunmen from Gaza infiltrated southern Israel, where they killed around 1,300 people - mostly civilians - and took 250 others hostage. Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 26,900 people - most of them women and children - have been killed, according to the health ministry there which is controlled by the Hamas group.

Houthi leader: The US sought China's assistance to halt operations in Red Sea
Reuters/February 1, 2024
Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Yemeni Houthi group, said on Thursday that Washington's attempt to seek assistance from China to mediate in order to stop Houthi targeting of ships affiliated with Israel in the Red Sea indicates that the United States and Britain have failed in their mission.

Missile reportedly fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen explodes near ship in Red Sea
SAEED AL-BATATI/Arab News/February 01, 2024
AL-MUKALLA: A missile reportedly launched from a Houthi-controlled military base in Yemen on Thursday is thought to have exploded close to a ship in the Red Sea.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency was alerted to the offshore blast 57 nautical miles (106 km) west of Hodeidah. Eyewitnesses in Yemen’s Ibb province, which is controlled by the militant group, claimed the missile had been fired from the Al-Hamza military facility in Al-Sabrah region on Thursday afternoon. An alert sent to the UKMTO described “an explosion a distance off the vessel’s starboard side. Vessel and crew are safe.”On Jan. 26, the Houthis launched a missile from the same location, but it missed its target and detonated near the launch site.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the Houthis detained four civilians in Ibb’s Al-Maitam on suspicion of photographing their operatives prepping rockets to fire. On Thursday morning, the US military launched strikes on Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen, targeting 10 drones about to be fired at ships.
The US Central Command reported that its forces had destroyed a “Houthi UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) ground control station and 10 Houthi one-way UAVs” that were deemed a threat to commercial vessels and US Navy ships in the area.
In a statement, CENTCOM said: “US forces subsequently struck and destroyed the UAV ground control station and 10 one-way attack UAVs in self-defense.” And three drones and a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis from Yemeni areas under their control were intercepted by the USS Carney on Wednesday evening. The Houthis said recent US strikes had hit Al-Jabanah in Hodeidah’s west and Saada, the militia’s heartland in the north. Over the past three months, the Houthis have seized a commercial ship and fired dozens of missiles and drones at commercial and navy vessels in the Red Sea, Bab El-Mandeb (the strait that connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden), and the Gulf of Aden in an attempt to prevent Israel-linked ships from using maritime shipping lanes off Yemen and pressure Israel into lifting its siege of Gaza. Houthi leader Abdul Malik Al-Houthi said that 165,429 Yemenis who had graduated from military training courses in the last two months would be sent to fight against Israel in Palestine. He also pledged to continue assaults on commercial and naval ships operating off Yemeni shores. In a broadcasted speech, he claimed that American officials had sought help from China in trying to urge his group to stop its Red Sea attacks. Al-Houthi said: “One indication of America’s failure is its effort to seek aid from China to mediate and persuade us to suspend our actions in favor of the Palestinian people. “The American and British attacks are ineffective and will not diminish our military capability.” Yemen’s Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak on Thursday called on the EU to designate the Houthis as a terrorist organization. During a meeting with members of the EU Political and Security Committee in Brussels, he noted the Iran-backed group’s derailment of UN-brokered peace efforts in Yemen, and crimes against Yemenis.
The minister reportedly encouraged the EU to form a “complete” collaboration with the Yemeni government to assist in the restoration of peace and stability in the war-torn country.

Gunmen take hostages at US company's Turkish factory in apparent protest of Gaza war
ISTANBUL (AP)/February 1, 2024
Two gunmen took seven hostages at a factory owned by U.S. company Procter & Gamble in northwest Turkey on Thursday, according to media reports, apparently in protest of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Turkish media published an image of one of the purported suspects inside the factory, a man wearing what appeared to be a rudimentary explosives belt and holding a handgun. Private news agency DHA said the suspects entered the main building of the facility in Gebze in the province of Kocaeli, at around 3 p.m. local time (1200 GMT) and took seven members of the staff hostage.
It claimed the suspects’ actions were to highlight the loss of life in the Palestinian enclave. Some 27,000 have been killed in Israel’s military operation since Oct. 7, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry. Ismet Zihni said his wife Suheyla was among the hostages. Speaking from near the factory, he told DHA that he had called her. “She answered ‘We’ve been taken hostage, we’re fine’ and she hung up,” he said. Police sealed off surrounding roads at the factory and were said to be trying to negotiate with the hostage-takers. P&G’s head office in Cincinnati confirmed an ongoing incident. A spokesperson said: “The safety of P&G people and our partners is our top priority. Earlier today, we evacuated our Gebze facility and are working with local authorities to resolve an urgent security situation.”P&G Turkey employs 700 people at three sites in Istanbul and Kocaeli, according to the company’s website. It produces cleaning and hygiene brands such as Ariel washing powder and Oral B toothpaste. Public feeling against Israel and its main ally the U.S. has risen in Turkey since the conflict began, with regular protests in support of the Palestinian people in major cities and calls for an immediate cease-fire.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been particularly outspoken, referring to Israeli “war crimes” and comparing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. The U.S. Embassy in Ankara issued a warning in November about demonstrations “critical of U.S. foreign policy” and calls for boycotts of U.S. businesses. The advice followed protests and attacks on outlets such as McDonald’s and Starbucks over the conflict in Gaza. The photograph of the suspect carried in the Turkish media shows him with a black-and-white Arabic headscarf covering his face. He is standing next to a graffitied wall showing the Turkish and Palestinian flags with the slogan “The gates will open. Either musalla or death for Gaza.” A musalla is an open prayer area for Muslims, usually used for funeral rites. DHA also published a photograph of some of the hostages celebrating a birthday. It reported that the staff had brought a cake into work for one of their colleagues and the hostage-takers allowed them to celebrate.

US hints large response to Iran-backed militias is imminent as Houthi rebels target another ship
JERUSALEM (AP)/February 1, 2024
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday it's time to further disable Iran-backed militias that have struck at U.S. forces and ships in the Middle East and the U.S. is preparing to take significant action in response to the deaths of three U.S. service members in Jordan. For days the U.S. has hinted strikes are imminent. While the threat of retaliation for Sunday's deaths has driven some militant groups to say they were stopping hostilities, as late as Thursday Yemen’s Houthi rebels were still attacking vessels and fired a ballistic missile at a Liberian-flagged container ship in the Red Sea.
“At this point, it’s time to take away even more capability than we’ve taken in the past,” Austin said Thursday in his first press conference since he was hospitalized on Jan. 1 due to complications from prostate cancer treatment.
Previous U.S. strikes have not deterred the attacks. Since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out in October, Iranian-backed militant groups have struck U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria at least 166 times with rockets, missiles and one-way attack drones, drawing about a half-dozen U.S. counterstrikes on militant facilities in both countries. The U.S. military also has carried out airstrikes targeting the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The U.S. has attributed the attack on Tower 22 in Jordan to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias that includes the militant group Kataib Hezbollah. While Iran has denied involvement, Austin said Thursday that “how much Iran knew or didn’t know, we don’t know. But it really doesn’t matter because Iran sponsors these groups.”Austin said “without that facilitation, these kinds of things don’t happen.” He said the Pentagon is still looking at the forensics of the drone that struck Tower 22, a secretive base in northeastern Jordan that’s been crucial to the American presence in neighboring Syria. “I don’t think the adversaries are of a ‘one and done’ mindset. And so they have a lot of capability. I have a lot more,” Austin said. "We’re going to do what’s necessary to protect our troops."In the Red Sea, the Houthis have fired on commercial and military ships almost 40 times since November. In the latest attack, they fired a ballistic missile at a Liberian-flagged container ship on Thursday, U.S. defense officials said.
The attack happened west of Hodeida, a port city in Yemen long held by the rebels, said the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a British military group overseeing Mideast waterways. It said the crew and the vessel were safe and the blast came far off the vessel's starboard side. The U.S. defense officials identified the targeted container ship as the Koi, a Bermuda-owned vessel. Its management could not be immediately reached for comment. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters. The Houthis did not claim responsibility for the assault. The Houthis say they are targeting ships over Israel’s offensive in Gaza against Hamas. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for global trade between Asia, the Mideast and Europe. The Houthis hit a commercial vessel with a missile on Jan. 26, sparking a fire that burned for hours. The Pentagon has the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower in the region, along with at least a half dozen other major U.S. warships, U.S. Air Force fighter jets and radar aircraft. It has already been regularly using those assets to conduct strikes and defend ships. Late Wednesday, American F/A-18 fighter jets struck and destroyed 10 Houthi drones that were prepared to launch, as well as a ground control station used by the rebels, the U.S. military said. The U.S. also intercepted a ballistic missile and other drones already in the air during the day.

Iran pulls top Guard officers out of Syria over deadly Israeli strikes
ARAB NEWS/February 01, 2024
JEDDAH: Iran has pulled senior officers from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps out of Syria amid a series of Israeli airstrikes that have killed at least six military “advisers” since December. One attack on Jan. 20 killed five Guards, including a general who ran intelligence for the Quds Force, which is responsible for overseas operations. The strike flattened a building in Damascus. Another strike outside Damascus on Dec. 25, killed a senior Guards adviser responsible for coordinating between Syria and Iran. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led prayers at his funeral. A senior regional security official briefed by Tehran said top Iranian commanders had left Syria along with dozens of mid-ranking officers, and described it as a downsizing of the presence. Another source, a regional official close to Iran, said those still in Syria had left their offices and were staying out of sight. “The Iranians won’t abandon Syria but they reduced their presence and movements to the greatest extent.”
BACKGROUND
One attack on Jan. 20 killed five Guards, including a general who ran intelligence for the Quds Force. Guards chiefs are thought to have raised concerns with Syrian authorities that information leaks from the Syrian security services had played a part in the lethal Israeli attacks. The precision of the strikes had prompted the Guards to move operational sites and officers’ residences, amid concerns of an intelligence breach. Iranian assets in Syria and Iraq also face retaliation from the US after three American soldiers were killed in a drone strike last week on a military base in northern Jordan. The US has blamed the attack on Kata’ib Hezbollah, a pro-Iranian militia in Iraq. US media reported on Thursday that the White House had approved plans for strikes over several days on Iraqi and Syrian targets including “Iranian personnel and facilities.”

CBS: The US approves strikes on Iranian targets in Iraq and Syria
Reuters/February 01, 2024
CBS News reported on Thursday, citing US officials, that Washington has approved plans to carry out attacks over several days in Iraq and Syria, targeting various objectives, including Iranian military personnel and facilities.

Iran begins building 4 more nuclear power plants
AP/February 01, 2024
TEHRAN: Iran began construction on four more nuclear power plants in the country’s south, with expected total capacity of 5,000 megawatts, the official IRNA news agency reported Thursday. Iran seeks to produce 20,000 megawatts of nuclear energy by 2041.
The country has one active nuclear power plant, a 1,000 megawatt plant that went online with help from Russia in 2011. It’s also building a 300-megawatt plant in oil-rich Khuzestan province, near the western border with Iraq. The UN’s nuclear watchdog said last year that Iran has increased the rate at which it is producing near-weapons grade uranium. Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in the report that Iran “in recent weeks had increased its production of highly enriched uranium, reversing a previous output reduction from mid-2023,” according to an IAEA spokesperson. Iran had previously slowed the rate at which it was enriching uranium to 60 percent purity, which is just a short technical step away from the weapons-grade level of 90 percent. The West has long suspected that Iran is acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran denies it is seeking such weapons. IRNA quoted Mohammad Eslami, the head of Iran’s atomic agency, saying it will take up to nine years to complete the new plants. The report said the four new plants are being built in the port town of Sirik on Iran’s east coast, some 1,150 kilometers (715 miles) south of the capital, Tehran. Nasser Shariflou, the head of the project, told IRNA that the project will cost some $20 billion and will create 4,000 jobs. Each plant is expected to use 35 tons of nuclear fuel per year.

Biden sanctions four Israeli settlers who attacked Palestinians in the West Bank
AP/February 01, 2024
WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden on Thursday issued an executive order that targets Israeli settlers in the West Bank who have been attacking Palestinians in the occupied territory, imposing financial sanctions and visa bans in an initial round against four individuals. Those settlers were involved in acts of violence, as well as threats and attempts to destroy or seize Palestinian property, according to the order. The penalties aim to block the four from using the US financial system and bar American citizens from dealing with them. US officials said they were evaluating whether to punish others involved in attacks that have intensified during the Israel-Hamas war. Palestinian authorities say some Palestinians have been killed, and rights groups say settlers have torched cars and attacked several small Bedouin communities, forcing evacuations. Biden is facing growing criticism for his administration’s strong support of Israel as casualties mount in the conflict, which began when Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, attacked Israel on Oct. 7. His order is a rare step against America’s closest ally in the Mideast who, Biden says, has the right to defend itself. But the Democratic president has pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to show greater restraint in its military operations aimed at rooting out Hamas. Biden has spoken out against retaliatory attacks by Israeli settlers and pledged that those responsible for the violence will be held accountable. He said in late October that the violence by “extremist settlers” amounted to “pouring gasoline” on the already burning fires in the Middle East. “It has to stop. They have to be held accountable. It has to stop now,” Biden said.
Israel Defense Forces stepped up raids across the West Bank after the war began. Hamas militants are present in the West Bank, but largely operate underground because of Israel’s tight grip on the territory. Palestinians have accused the Israeli military of not preventing attacks by settlers or, at times, of even protecting those settlers. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan met on Wednesday at the White House with Ron Dermer, Israel’s minister of strategic affairs. US officials said the Israeli government was notified in advance of the sanctions.
The order will give the Treasury Department the authority to impose financial sanctions on settlers engaged in violence, but is not meant to target US citizens. A substantial number of the settlers in the West Bank hold US citizenship, and they would be prohibited under US law from transacting with the sanctioned individuals. US lawmakers have zeroed in on the role of Americans or dual citizens in the settler violence and intimidation. In a letter last month, Sen. Ben Cardin, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, asked the White House to take action against any US citizens involved in attacks against Palestinians. He said that could include criminal charges and financial sanctions. “There’s got to be a strong message against the extreme activities taken by some settlers on the West Bank, jeopardizing the lives of Palestinians as well as the peace in the region,” Cardin, D-Md., told reporters Thursday.
Biden’s order was first reported by Politico. Officials said there are no plans to penalize far-right Israeli ministers who have defended the violence by Israeli settlers and have called for the expansion of settlements.
The new executive order comes as Biden was set to visit Michigan on Thursday to rally support from union members in a key presidential battleground state. The Democratic president has faced sharp criticism from Arab and Muslim leaders over his handling of the war with Hamas, and the shadow of the conflict has some Democrats worrying that it could have a major effect on the outcome in the November election. The president’s campaign team has already seen alarming signs of the growing rift with Michigan’s Arab American community.
Last week, the president’s campaign manager, Julie Chavez Rodriguez traveled to suburban Detroit and found a number of community leaders unwilling to meet with her. Some frustrated by Biden’s Israel policy are working to discourage voters from supporting the president in the general election. The State Department announced in December it would impose travel bans on extremist Jewish settlers implicated in a rash of recent attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.The department did not announce individual visa bans. But officials said at the time the bans would cover “dozens” of settlers and their families, with more to come if the violence continued.

Israel defense minister declares victory in Gaza's Khan Younis
Ehren Wynder/United Press International/February 1, 2024
Feb. 1 (UPI) -- Israel's defense minister said Thursday that ground forces have officially routed Hamas from Gaza's Khan Younis. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the victory comes as Israel Defense Forces have killed 10,000 Hamas fighters and wounded another 10,000. Earlier in the day, Gallant told ground troops that their actions "(bring) the return of the hostages closer, because Hamas only understands power."Gallant's statement came days after IDF predictions that Hamas' hold on Khan Younis would be broken within a few weeks. The IDF has not yet announced full operational control of Khan Younis. The military just days ago said it was on the verge of dismantling the final Hamas battalion in the western section of the city but suggested the process could take weeks. Gallant's announcement would suggest the IDF has reduced Hamas' forces by 56-75%, presuming Hamas' pre-war forces were between 30,000 and 40,000. The IDF said it has achieved significant victories in Khan Younis by limiting Hamas' ability to operate discreetly in the area. Israel's 55th Reserve Brigade concluded its mission in the area Thursday by destroying approximately 70 shafts used by Hamas for covert operations and disabling two Hamas missile launch sites. Sniper teams also dispatched several Hamas squads, according to the IDF. Gallant also vowed to drive Hamas out of Rafah, which is divided by the Gaza-Egypt border. The IDF has avoided using ground troops in the area for fear of stoking armed conflict with Egypt.
"Hamas's Khan Younis Brigade boasted that it would stand against the IDF, it is dismantled, and I am telling you here, we are completing the mission in Khan Younis, and we will also reach Rafah and eliminate everyone there who is a terrorist who is trying to harm us," the defense minister said to members of the IDF's 98th Division.

What is the cause of embattled Gaza’s humanitarian aid imbroglio?
ALEX WHITEMAN/Arab News/February 01, 2024
LONDON: Humanitarian assistance in Gaza could “collapse” by the end of February if Western donors do not resume funding for the UN’s primary aid delivery body within the Palestinian enclave, officials have warned.
Several major donors to the UN Relief and Works Agency, including Germany, the UK and the US, paused their funding after an internal investigation was launched into 12 of the agency’s own staff over allegations that they participated in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks.
To make matters worse, members of the Israeli war cabinet are reportedly considering a further reduction in the amount of aid that is permitted to enter Gaza, after Israeli intelligence reports alleged that Hamas is hijacking more than half of the aid trucks entering the territory.
On top of this, the families of several Israeli hostages have been holding daily protests at the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip, demanding that no aid be allowed to enter the territory as long as their relatives remain in captivity.
Charlotte Leslie, a former member of the UK parliament and director of the Conservative Middle East Council, condemned the suspension of funding for UNRWA and said she had “very serious concerns” about such decisions.
“If there are serious, evidentially founded allegations of the involvement of UNRWA staff in the Oct. 7 terror attack, these must be properly investigated and appropriate measures must be taken,” Leslie told Arab News.
“However, that is not a justification to deprive thousands of desperate, innocent Gazans of basic humanitarian care, which only UNRWA can deliver.”
Echoing Leslie’s concerns that cutting funding for UNRWA would only result in a “humanitarian catastrophe,” a spokesperson for Action Aid told Arab News the move by Western powers was “reckless” and effectively a “death sentence” for more than 2 million displaced people in Gaza.
A spokesperson for Oxfam told Arab News the “abrupt and arbitrary suspension” of funding had severed the main aid lifeline to Gaza.
“This sanctioning of an entire agency based on allegations against 12 individuals out of 13,000 staff in Gaza, before a proper investigation into the accusations, would be immensely reckless and irresponsible,” the spokesperson said.
“What we need is a scale-up of humanitarian aid in Gaza, not the dwindling of vital aid at this critical moment when children are starving and the sick are getting no medicine.”
The US, by far the biggest single source of funding for the UN relief agency, poured about $343 million into UNRWA’s operations throughout 2022. Germany provided the next-biggest donation of $202 million during the same period. The UK, in comparison, donated £21 million.
Although the US has suspended further payments to UNRWA, the State Department has said it wants to see the agency continue its work. Nonetheless, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that as UNRWA’s biggest donor, the US needs the UN to “take the matter seriously, to investigate, and ensure there’s accountability for anyone who is found to have engaged in wrongdoing.”
UNRWA said it fired nine of the employees allegedly involved in the Oct. 7 attacks and launched an investigation after receiving evidence from Israel.
This evidence was presented to the agency’s commissioner general, Philippe Lazzarini. On the same day the UN’s highest court, the International Court of Justice, ordered Israel to increase the amount of aid permitted to enter the Gaza Strip, as part of a series of measures designed to prevent a genocide.
Israel has since alleged that six UNRWA employees were part of the Hamas-led operation that infiltrated Israel on Oct. 7, with four allegedly involved in the kidnapping of Israelis.
Describing the alleged acts of UNRWA staff as “abhorrent,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres nonetheless pleaded with donor states to “guarantee continuity” of funding for the agency, urging them not to penalize the “tens of thousands who work for UNRWA” based on the actions of a few. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, welcomed the investigation into the allegations and said Washington will need to see “fundamental changes” before funding can resume.
A spokesperson for UNRWA warned that without the immediate resumption of funding from its two biggest donors, the agency’s operations will be unable to continue beyond February.
The latest allegations are the latest in a long history of efforts to discredit the agency. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has been especially keen to end the UNRWA’s policy of allowing Palestinian refugees to pass on their refugee status to their children, thereby perpetuating the “right of return.” Israeli officials say the policy keeps the conflict alive by preventing Palestinian refugees from fully integrating into new communities.
Casting doubt on the efficacy of the internal investigation, Netanyahu labeled UNRWA as an agency “perforated” by Hamas. “I think it’s time that the international community and the UN itself understand that UNRWA’s mission has to end,” he told a delegation of ambassadors to the UN on Wednesday.
“UNRWA is totally infiltrated with Hamas. It has been in the service of Hamas and its schools, and in many other things. I say this with great regret because we hoped that there would be an objective and constructive body to offer aid.
“We need such a body today in Gaza. But UNRWA is not that body. It has to be replaced by some organization or organizations that will do that job.”
Professor Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at Tel Aviv’s Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute for National Security, told Arab News that the suspension of funding for UNRWA represents a moment of optimism, noting that “if done in the right way,” Gaza’s civilians would not suffer. “Now the world begins to understand and acknowledge that UNRWA is no less than another wing of Hamas,” he said.
Caption
Referencing an Israeli intelligence report shared with foreign governments that alleged 10 percent of agency staff were Hamas members, Michael said he had “no doubt around the figures regarding UNRWA staff involved.”
He added: “The personnel and staff involved directly and indirectly in terrorism are much bigger. The agency must be shut down.”Given the timing of the delivery by Israel of the evidence to the UN, Jordanian analyst Osama Al-Sharif said that it was nothing more than a perpetuation of Netanyahu’s campaign to have the aid agency shut down. He told Arab News it also represented an effort by the Israeli government to “gaslight” the international community. “The allegations against UNRWA are not new and have been used on previous occasions, but this time they’re being used to deflect attention from the historic ICJ ruling that found a plausible case for genocide being committed by Israel in Gaza,” he said. “And then there is the main objective behind killing UNRWA, which is to bury the right of return for Palestinian refugees, which Israel has always rejected.”
Gershon Baskin, the Middle East director of the International Communities Organization, did not dismiss rumors of a joint US-Israeli plan to replace UNRWA after the war, but he said that with the likes of the UK, the US and other countries becoming increasingly vocal about the need for recognition of a Palestinian state under a two-state solution, such plans might prove to be moot.
He told Arab News that if Palestinian statehood was recognized by major Western powers, the need for a dedicated refugee agency would become superfluous. While it may be true that Hamas has been stealing aid supplies, it still made sense for the country to meet its obligations under the provisional ruling of the ICJ and to facilitate increased aid deliveries into Gaza, says aid exec. (AFP)
“You cannot be a Palestinian refugee inside the state of Palestine, so with recognition of the state, Palestine itself would have to take over governmental responsibility for the civil service and all the duties UNRWA undertakes now,” he said.
“At which point, UNRWA becomes a negotiating issue between the State of Israel and the State of Palestine.”
While recognizing the Israeli concerns over allegations that Hamas has been stealing aid supplies since the start of the conflict in October, Baskin said it nonetheless made sense for the country to meet its obligations under the provisional ruling of the ICJ and to facilitate increased aid deliveries into Gaza. “My own proposal was that the Israeli army should bring the aid into Gaza, and should deliver it with the Israeli army protecting it so that the goods are not confiscated,” he said. “And that aid should be brought to the areas where Israel is telling people that there will be safe zones. There are people in Israel that are beginning to talk about that possibility, so it might happen.”

UN Palestinian aid agency warns cuts may force shutdown
Agence France Presse/February 01, 202423:15
The U.N. aid agency for Palestinians said Thursday that international funding cuts may force the shutdown of operations across the region "by the end of February". Several major donor countries to UNRWA said they would suspend funding after Israel alleged 12 agency employees took part in Hamas's October 7 attack. UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said that "if the funding remains suspended, we will most likely be forced to shut down our operations by end of February not only in Gaza but also across the region".

Mediators work for halt to deadly fighting in Gaza
Agence France Presse/February 01, 202423:15
Mediators pushed on with efforts for an Israel-Hamas ceasefire as fighting raged on in the besieged Gaza Strip on Thursday, deepening a dire humanitarian crisis. The Israeli military said troops had "eliminated dozens of terrorists" in the past day and destroyed a long-range missile launcher in the embattled southern city of Khan Younis. The Qatar-based leader of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh was expected in Cairo on Thursday or Friday for talks on a proposed truce. The group was reviewing a proposal for a six-week pause in its war with Israel, a Hamas source told AFP, after mediators gathered in Paris.
In Gaza, there was no let-up in fighting or aerial bombardment, with the current focus of combat in Khan Younis, where Israel says leading Hamas militants are hiding. Overnight, witnesses said several Israeli air strikes hit the city, while aid and health workers have for days reported heavy fighting, particularly around two hospitals. According to the health ministry in Gaza, 119 people were killed in the latest night of strikes. "There is a massacre taking place right now," said Leo Cans of international aid group Doctors Without Borders. Israel accuses Hamas of operating from tunnels under hospitals in Gaza and of using medical facilities as command centres, a charge denied by the Islamist group, which is designated a "terrorist" organisation by the European Union and the United States. Due to constraints on the delivery of humanitarian aid, the population is "starving to death", the World Health Organization's emergencies director Michael Ryan said on Wednesday. "The civilians of Gaza are not parties to this conflict and they should be protected, as should be their health facilities," he added. In its latest update, the U.N. reported heavy bombardment across the Gaza Strip, particularly in Khan Younis, while it said 184,000 more Palestinians from the city had registered to receive humanitarian assistance after fleeing their homes in recent days.
Three-stage plan
As Qatari and Egyptian-led mediation efforts intensified, Haniyeh was due in Cairo to discuss a truce proposal thrashed out in Paris last weekend with CIA chief William Burns. A Hamas source told AFP the three-stage plan would start with an initial six-week halt to the fighting that would see more aid deliveries into the Gaza Strip. Only "women, children and sick men over 60" held by Gaza militants would be freed during that stage in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, the source said, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks. There would also be "negotiations around the withdrawal of Israeli forces", with possible additional phases involving more hostage-prisoner exchanges, said the source, adding that Gaza's rebuilding was also among issues addressed by the deal. The war was triggered by Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,140 people. Militants also seized about 250 hostages. Israel says 132 remain in Gaza including at least 29 people believed to have been killed. Following the deadliest attack in Israel's history, its military launched a withering air, land and sea offensive that has killed at least 26,900 people in Gaza, most of them women and children.
The U.N. Conference on Trade and Development said tens of billions of dollars would be required to rebuild Gaza, which "currently is uninhabitable" as half its structures are damaged or destroyed.
Aid access
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out withdrawing troops from Gaza and has repeatedly vowed to destroy Hamas in response to the October 7 attack.
Netanyahu has also opposed releasing "thousands" of Palestinian prisoners as part of any deal. With scores of Israeli hostages still trapped in Gaza, there has been mounting criticism of Netanyahu's government that has triggered street protests and calls for an early election. For people in Gaza, access to aid has been further hampered by a controversy surrounding the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, after Israel accused several of its staff of involvement in the Hamas attack. The claims last week saw several donor countries, led by key Israel ally the United States, freeze funding for the agency. United Nations chief Antonio Guterres told a U.N. committee he had "met with donors to listen to their concerns and to outline the steps we are taking". UNRWA spokeswoman Tamara Alrifai told AFP the agency supports "an independent investigation" into the Israeli claims that led to the funding crisis. Netanyahu told a meeting of U.N. ambassadors in Jerusalem that UNRWA had been "totally infiltrated" by Hamas and called for other agencies to replace it. The U.S. State Department has said 12 UNRWA employees "may have been involved" out of 13,000 in Gaza and has said that it is "imperative" that the agency continue its "absolutely indispensable role". The war's impact has been felt widely, with violence involving Iran-backed allies of Hamas across the Middle East surging since October and drawing in U.S. forces among others. The White House blamed the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose alliance of pro-Iran armed groups, for a drone attack that killed three U.S. soldiers at a base in Jordan. Yemen's Houthi rebels, part of the anti-Western, anti-Israel "axis of resistance" of Iranian-backed groups, have been harassing Red Sea shipping for months, triggering U.S. and British reprisal attacks. As a result, the International Monetary Fund said container shipping through the vital trade route has dropped by about one-third this year. A missile fired from Yemen hit a merchant vessel, maritime security firm Ambrey said early Thursday, after the Houthis claimed an attack on a U.S. ship. The U.S. military said a destroyer shot down three Iranian drones along with an anti-ship missile fired by the Houthis on Wednesday. It also said it had conducted strikes in Yemen against 10 attack drones and a ground control station operated by the rebels.

Hamas won’t accept truce plan, hostage release unless Israel quits Gaza
ARAB NEWS/February 01, 202423:15
JEDDAH: Hamas will not accept new plans for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages unless Israel commits to ending the war and quitting the enclave, a Palestinian official close to peace talks said on Thursday. Qatari and Egyptian mediators have offered the militant group the first concrete proposal for an extended halt to fighting, agreed on by Israel and the US at talks last week in Paris. Hamas is studying the text and preparing a response. An initial ceasefire would last for 40 days, when fighting would cease while Hamas freed remaining civilians from about 130 Israel hostages it still holds.
In further phases, Israeli soldiers would be released, followed by the handover of the bodies of dead hostages. “I expect that Hamas will not reject the paper, but it might not give a decisive agreement either,” the Palestinian official said. “Instead, I expect them to send a positive response, and reaffirm their demands: for the agreement to be signed, it must ensure Israel will commit to ending the war in Gaza and pull out from the enclave completely.”The diplomatic progress comes despite confusion over the stance of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is thought to need the war to continue to save his political career. In public, Netanyahu insists that there will be no ceasefire until all the hostages are released and Hamas has been eradicated. However, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said: “I can’t speak to the prime minister’s public comments, all I can tell you is that the conversations we have had in recent days with our counterparts, including Israel, lead us to believe that there is real potential progress here toward getting a deal.” The number of Palestinians killed in the war passed 27,000 on Thursday, with thousands more uncounted bodies still under the rubble.
Israel launched a huge ground assault last week to capture the main southern city Khan Younis, which is sheltering hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians. Combat has also surged in northern areas that Israel claimed to have subdued weeks ago. Osama Ahmed, 49, a father of five from Gaza City now sheltering in western Khan Younis along the Mediterranean coast, said there had been fierce resistance in the city, and relentless bombardment from air, ground and sea as tanks advance. “They haven’t entered deep into Al-Mawasi where we live but everyday they get closer,” he said. “All we want is a ceasefire now and to return to our homes, end the war and humiliation.”

Oil Slides on Reports of a Potential Israel-Hamas Ceasefire
Julia Fanzeres and Sharon Cho/Thu, February 1, 2024
(Bloomberg) -- US benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude slid more than 2% to trade below $75 a barrel, reversing earlier gains, on reports of a potential ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. Negotiations to pause the conflict and free civilian hostages captured by Hamas are advancing, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Still, conversations are in the early stages, and a breakthrough isn’t expected in the coming days. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported that Qatar said Israel has agreed to a ceasefire proposal. The spillover from the war in Israel and Gaza, most notably disruptions to shipping in the Red Sea, has been among the key drivers pushing crude futures higher this year. With the US and allies striking the Iran-backed Houthis, concerns had been spreading that the conflict may widen enough to significantly disrupt oil flows. “The Israel-Hamas ceasefire proposal is the first de-escalation in the Middle East,” said Dennis Kissler, senior vice president at Bok Financial. The headlines about the ceasefire triggered long liquidation, and a breach below the 200-day moving average escalated selling pressure, he said. Futures earlier rallied as much as 1.5% to trade near $77 a barrel, largely mirroring equity-market movements. OPEC+ delegates said Thursday that the group’s members plan to decide in early March whether to extend output cuts into the second quarter. The alliance previously pledged additional curbs of roughly 900,000 barrels a day for the period as global demand growth slows and rival supplies continued to climb.Oil capped its first monthly gain in four months in January as the Israel-Hamas war dragged on and attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea gathered pace. President Joe Biden said this week he’d decided how to respond to last weekend’s assault that killed US troops, without providing details. He said Iran was responsible for providing weaponry, but Tehran denied involvement and vowed to hit back against any strike on its soil or assets abroad.

Babies Killed In Gaza Are ‘Not Innocent Palestinian Civilians,’ House Republican Says
Matt Shuham/HuffPost/February 1, 2024
According to one congressional Republican, babies in the Gaza Strip should not be considered “innocent Palestinian civilians” during Israel’s ongoing military operations. “You haven’t seen the pictures of all the babies being killed?” one activist asked Mast.
“These are not innocent Palestinian civilians across the world,” Mast replied. “What about the half-a-million people starving to death?” another asked. “[They] are people that should go out there and put a government in place that doesn’t go out there and attack Israel on a daily basis,” Mast said. A spokesperson for the congressman didn’t immediately return a request for comment. Mast, a U.S. Army veteran who wore an Israeli military uniform to Congress after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack against Israel, has downplayed even the existence of innocent Gazans before. “As a whole, I would encourage the other side to not so lightly throw around the idea of innocent Palestinian civilians, as is frequently said,” Mast said in November. “I don’t think we would so lightly throw around the term ‘innocent Nazi civilians’ during World War II.” Mast also told the Code Pink activists Wednesday that he supported the defunding of UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the main aid agency in Gaza. The United States and several other countries suspended funds to UNRWA after Israeli intelligence reportedly claimed that at least 12 employees of the agency — out of 12,000 on its payroll in Gaza — had some connection to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. In the wake of the reports, UNRWA said it had fired “several” employees and launched an investigation into Israel’s claims, which UNRWA Chief Philippe Lazzarini called “shocking.” Lazzarini said any employee involved in acts of terror “will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution.”On Oct. 7, Hamas militants killed some 1,200 people in Israel and took hundreds of hostages, about half of whom have since been released through prisoner swaps. In response to the October attack, Israel began months of airstrikes and a ground invasion of Gaza. That offensive has killed more than 26,000 Palestinians, more than two-thirds of whom were women and children, according to local health officials. On Saturday, Lazzarini referred to the defunding of UNRWA as “collective punishment,” warning that “famine looms” in Gaza.

European Union agrees on a new 50 billion-euro aid package for Ukraine despite Hungary's veto threat
BRUSSELS (AP)/February 1, 2024
The leaders of the 27 European Union countries sealed a deal Thursday to provide Ukraine with a new 50-billion-euro ($54 billion) support package despite Hungary's weeks of threats to veto the move. European Council President Charles Michel announced the agreement about only an hour into the leaders' summit in Brussels. “We have a deal,” Michel said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. He said the agreement “locks in steadfast, long-term, predictable funding for Ukraine,” and demonstrated that the “EU is taking leadership and responsibility in support for Ukraine; we know what is at stake.” It was not immediately clear if any concessions were made to secure Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s approval. He raised staunch objections to the financial aid package in December and in the days leading up to Thursday's summit in Brussels. On their way into their meeting, several fellow leaders had lashed out at Orban, accusing him of blackmail and playing political games that undermined support for Ukraine and the country's war-ravaged economy. Almost two years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the war has ground to a halt and Ukraine’s economy desperately needs propping up. But political infighting in the EU and in the United States has held up a long-term source of funding. Concern has mounted that public support to keep pouring money into Ukraine has started to wane, even though a Russian victory could threaten security across Europe.
“There is no problem with the so-called Ukraine fatigue issue. We have Orban fatigue now in Brussels,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reporters Thursday. “I can’t understand. I can’t accept this very strange and very egoistic game of Viktor Orban.”
In December, the 26 other leaders agreed on an aid package worth 50 billion euros ($54 billion) for this year through 2027. They also agreed to make Ukraine a candidate for EU membership, which Orban reluctantly accepted. But the financial package was part of a review of the EU’s continuing seven-year budget, which requires unanimous approval. Orban, the EU leader with the closest ties to Russia, is angry at the European Commission’s decision to freeze his government’s access to some of the bloc’s funds. The EU's executive branch did so over concerns about possible threats to the EU budget posed by democratic backsliding in Hungary. In response, Hungary vetoed statements at the EU on a range of issues. Orban’s also exported the problem to NATO, by blocking high level meetings with Ukraine until only recently. Budapest is also holding up Sweden’s bid for membership in the military organization. “I don’t want to use the word blackmail, but I don’t know what other better word” might fit, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told reporters as she arrived at EU headquarters. “Hungary needs Europe,” she said, highlighting the country’s own economic problems and high interest rates. “He should also look into what it is in it for Hungary, being in Europe.” Tusk insisted that there could be “no room for compromise on our principles, like rule of law. And for sure there is no room for compromise on the Ukraine question.” The recently elected Polish leader added: “If his position will dominate in Europe, then Ukraine will lose for sure.”Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said it was important for the leaders to try to seal a deal supported by all 27 member countries but that in any case “we can’t go away without an agreement.”“That war is now raging for two years. Ukraine will not be able to continue to defend itself without the support of the European Union, and we can’t leave them short,” Varadkar told reporters. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that “we want to finish what we started in December” and stressed that the planned 50 billion euros for Ukraine is “urgently necessary.”“I will make a great deal of effort, together with many others, to make a decision by 27 (member states) possible,” Scholz said.  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was scheduled to address the leaders via video link.

Pakistani troops kill 22 insurgents in southwest after coordinated attacks over Iran strikes
QUETTA, Pakistan (AP)/February 01, 2024
Pakistani security forces killed 22 insurgents this week in an operation against Baloch separatists, who had launched attacks with suicide bombers and gunmen in retaliation for Pakistani strikes on insurgent hideouts in Iran in January, officials said Thursday. Four security forces and two civilians died when insurgents launched rocket attacks before dawn on Monday on security facilities in Mach, a district in Baluchistan province. The outlawed Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the coordinated attacks, which continued until Tuesday night.
Jan Achakzai, a government spokesman in Baluchistan, said the situation in Mach was under control now after the killing of the 22 insurgents. The violence in Mach came after the BLA threatened to target security forces following Pakistan’s Jan. 18 strikes on their camps in Iran that killed at least nine people. Those strikes were made in response to an Iranian strike in Pakistan that appeared to target a different Baluch militant group with similar separatist goals. Following the tit-for-tat attacks, both sides agreed Monday to improve their security cooperation, though the two countries had earlier accused each other of providing safe haven to the groups in their respective territories. Baluchistan in recent days has seen multiple attacks. Also on Thursday, a bomb exploded in Quetta, killing one man and wounding three others. Last week, unidentified gunmen shot and killed nine Pakistani laborers in Iran, prompting Pakistan to seek a probe into the killings. The bodies of those laborers were repatriated to Pakistan on Thursday. It was still unclear who was behind the attack on Saturday in a home in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province. Three Pakistanis wounded in the attack were still being treated at an Iranian hospital.
Tehran handed over the bodies of the slain men at the Taftan border crossing, local government administrator Waqar Kakar said. He said the bodies were being flown to the city of Multan and would be sent from there to their hometowns.
Quetta is the capital of Baluchistan province, where Islamic militants also have a presence.

Journalists, lawyers and activists hacked with Pegasus spyware in Jordan, forensic probe finds
Associated Press/February 01, 2024
Israeli-made Pegasus spyware was used in Jordan to hack the cellphones of at least 30 people, including journalists, lawyers, human rights and political activists, the digital rights group Access Now said Thursday. The hacking with spyware made by Israel's NSO Group occurred from early 2020 until last November, Access Now said in its report. It did not accuse Jordan's government of the hacking. One of the targets was Human Rights Watch's deputy director for the region, Adam Coogle, who said in an interview that it was difficult to imagine who other than Jordan's government would be interested in hacking those who were targeted. The Jordanian government had no immediate comment on Thursday's report. In a 2022 report detailing a much smaller group of Pegasus victims in Jordan, digital sleuths at the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab identified two operators of the spyware it said may have been agents of the Jordanian government. A year earlier, Axios reported on negotiations between Jordan's government and NSO Group. "We believe this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the use of Pegasus spyware in Jordan, and that the true number of victims is likely much higher," Access Now said. Its Middle East and North Africa director, Marwa Fatafta, said at least 30 of 35 known targeted individuals were successfully hacked. Citizen Lab confirmed all but five of the infections, with 21 victims asking to remain anonymous, citing the risk of reprisal. The rest were identified by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International's Security Lab, and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. NSO Group says it only sells to vetted intelligence and law enforcement agencies — and only for use against terrorists and serious criminals. But cybersecurity researchers who have tracked the spyware's use in 45 countries have documented dozens of cases of politically motivated abuse of the spyware — from Mexico and Thailand to Poland and Saudi Arabia. An NSO Group spokesperson said the company would not confirm or deny its clients' identities. NSO Group says it vets customers and investigates any report its spyware has been abused. The U.S. government was unpersuaded and blacklisted the NSO Group in November 2021, when iPhone maker Apple Inc. sued it, calling its employees "amoral 21st century mercenaries who have created highly sophisticated cyber-surveillance machinery that invites routine and flagrant abuse."
Those targeted in Jordan include Human Rights Watch's senior researcher for Jordan and Syria, Hiba Zayadin. Both she and Coogle had received threat notifications from Apple on Aug. 29 that state-sponsored attackers had attempted to compromise their iPhones.
Coogle's local, personal iPhone was successfully hacked in October 2022, he said, just two weeks after the human rights group published a report documenting the persecution and harassment of citizens organizing peaceful political dissent. After that, Coogle activated "Lockdown Mode," on the iPhone, which Apple recommends for iPhone users at high risk. Human Rights Watch said in a statement Thursday that it had contacted NSO Group about the attacks and specifically asked it to investigate the hack of Coogle's device "but has received no substantive response to these inquiries." Jordanian human rights lawyer Hala Ahed — known for defending women's and workers rights and prisoners of conscience — was also targeted at least twice by Pegasus, successfully in March 2021 then unsuccessfully in February 2023, Access Now said. About half of those found to have been targeted by Pegasus in Jordan — 16 in all — were journalists or media workers, the report said. One veteran Palestinian-American journalist and columnist, Dauod Kuttab, was hacked with Pegasus three times between February 2022 and September 2023. Along the way, he said, he's learned important lessons about not clicking on links in messages purporting to be from legitimate contacts, which is how one of the Pegasus hacks snared him. Kuttab refused to speculate about who might have targeted him. "I always assume that somebody is listening to my conversations," he said, as getting surveilled "comes with the territory" when you are journalist in the Middle East. But Kuttab does worry about his sources being compromised by hacks — and the violation of his privacy. "Regardless of who did it, it's not right to intervene into my personal, family privacy and my professional privacy."

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on February 01-02/2024
Palestinian Terrorists, Hospitals, and Plans for Palestinian State
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute./February 01, 2024
In light of the aversion of the Palestinian Authority (PA), its ministry of health, and its security forces to expelling the three terrorists from the Jenin hospital, the US administration's plan for bringing the PA back to the Gaza Strip to replace Hamas and create a Palestinian state seems more than foolhardy.
In addition, a Palestinian state without Israel's consent would be a massive violation of the Oslo Accords. The nonstop actions, or rather inactions, of the PA serve as further evidence that, contrary to what the US administration believes, the PA cannot be "revitalized."
The PA indisputably has no intention of changing its policy of glorifying and financially rewarding terrorists. PA leaders continue to praise terrorists as "heroes" and refuse to halt their policy of paying monthly stipends to Palestinians who murder Jews.
The incident in Jenin is further proof – more is hardly needed – that the PA cannot be trusted to enforce law and order or rein in terrorists in the Gaza Strip, were there to be a state. The PA, in its current location in the West Bank, does nothing to stop Hamas and other terrorists from pursuing their activities to murder Jews and obliterate Israel. There is no evidence to assume that it would behave any differently in Gaza. There is much evidence to assume that it would.
On January 30, Israeli security forces found and killed three Palestinian terrorists who were hiding inside Ibn Sina Specialized Hospital in Jenin. The terrorists were planning an attack against Israelis inspired by Hamas's massacre on October 7, 2023. Pictured: Armed terrorists march in Jenin at the funeral of their three dead comrades, on January 30, 2024. (Photo by Zain Jaafar/AFP via Getty Images
The Ibn Sina Specialized Hospital is one of several medical facilities in the West Bank city of Jenin, which is under the exclusive control of the Palestinian Authority (PA). As such, the hospital operates in accordance with a license from the PA's Ministry of Health.
On January 30, Israeli security forces found and killed three Palestinian terrorists who were hiding inside the hospital. A statement issued by the Iran-backed Hamas group identified the three terrorists as Mohammed Walid Jalamneh and brothers Mohammed and Basel al-Ghazawi. Al-Jalamneh was described as a commander of Hamas's armed wing, the Izaddin al-Qassam Brigades, while the two brothers were labeled by Palestinians as mujahideen (holy warriors) belonging to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another Iran-backed Palestinian terrorist proxy group.
The three terrorists did not come to the hospital to receive medical treatment or visit patients. In reality, they had been hiding inside the hospital for several weeks because they knew that Israeli security forces were searching for them. The Israelis were not searching for them because they had failed to pay their electricity or water bills.
According to Israeli authorities, the terrorists were planning an attack against Israelis inspired by Hamas's massacre on October 7, 2023, in which 1,200 people were murdered, beheaded, raped, mutilated and burned alive. Jalamneh, the slain leader of the terror cell, was previously wounded while preparing a car bomb attack. He had been in contact with Hamas officials abroad, presumably in Qatar, Lebanon and Turkey, and provided weapons to other terrorists for shooting attacks against Israelis. Jalamneh had also served as a spokesman for the Izaddin al-Qassam Brigades in the Jenin area, and had often appeared in military uniform and a mask to read out statements by his group.
The presence of the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad gunmen inside the hospital did not surprise those who have been following and documenting the Palestinian terrorist groups' use of hospitals as safe shelters and bases for their activities. Since the beginning of the current Israel-Hamas war, it has been confirmed that hospitals are Hamas's preferred central sites for terrorist activities. The terror infrastructure in the hospitals is meant to ensure optimal protection for the terrorists during times of war, by taking advantage of Israel's commitment to the laws of armed conflict and avoidance of carrying out significant strikes on hospitals and other locations such as schools and mosques, which are protected under the Geneva Conventions (unless they are used for military purposes; then, they are no longer protected).
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have documented a consistent and systematic method of operation by the terrorist groups:
Above ground, on the floors of the hospitals themselves, alongside the normal wards that exist in every hospital, the terrorist organizations store weapons and military equipment. Among the weapons found in the hospitals were hand grenades, explosive devices, and RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades). Senior Hamas terrorists stay in hospitals during times of war, even using Intensive Care Unit wards where they are disguised as "patients" or medical staff.
In the basements of the hospitals, on the underground floors, next to offices, are exits connecting to underground operational infrastructure and Hamas command and control centers, communication infrastructure and technological equipment.
Beneath hospital complexes in Gaza is an underground network of terrorist tunnels leading from hospitals to nearby terrorist bases.
On the premises of hospitals, the IDF has discovered vehicles loaded with weapons, including at Gaza's Shifa Hospital, as well as operational tunnels under the hospitals designed to ambush IDF soldiers. In addition, Hamas has deliberately embedded terrorist infrastructure near the hospitals with the understanding that Israel would try to avoid targeting these locations as that could be portrayed as a strike on the hospitals themselves.
Ahmad Kahalot, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza, has admitted that Hamas has turned hospitals into military facilities under its control. During an Israel Security Agency interrogation, Kahalot revealed how Hamas uses hospitals for military purposes, including storing weapons, hiding its operatives, and moving members of Hamas.
Hamas, he said, even brought a captured soldier to the hospital. Kahalot, who was arrested on December 12, 2023, said he has been part of Hamas since 2010.
"I was recruited to Hamas in 2010 with the rank of Brigadier General," he revealed. "There are employees in the hospital who are military operatives of the Izaddin al-Qassam Brigades -- doctors, nurses, paramedics, clerks, and staff members."
According to Kahalot, Hamas members hide in hospitals, which they realize are "protected." "They hide in hospitals because for them a hospital is a safe place. They won't be targeted when they are inside a hospital," he said. "I know 16 employees in the hospital – doctors, nurses, paramedics, or clerks... who also have different positions in al-Qassam."
What is surprising and disappointing is that many in the international community and media, including the World Health Organization (WHO), continue to ignore -- or even deny or cover for -- the actions of the terrorists in the hospitals.
During a recent session with WHO's executive board, Israeli ambassador Meirav Eilon Shahar said that Hamas "embeds itself in hospitals."
In "every single hospital that the IDF searched in Gaza, it found evidence of Hamas's military use," she remarked. "These are undeniable facts that WHO chooses to ignore time and time again. This is not incompetence; it is collusion."
In Jenin, the terrorists found shelter inside a hospital under the administration of the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health. It is safe to assume that many of the staff, including the administration at Jenin's Ibn Sina Specialized Hospital, were aware of the presence of the gunmen in one of the patient rooms. What did hospital administrators and doctors do to remove the terrorists from the hospital? Nothing. What did the PA Ministry of Health do to make sure that the terrorists were expelled from the hospital? Nothing.
The PA, undoubtedly aware of the presence of the terrorists inside the hospital, has multiple security and intelligence agencies in Jenin; they are known for their tight grip on the city. Did the PA government order its security officers to remove the terrorists from the hospital out of concern for the safety of the medical staff and the patients? No.
Instead of condemning Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad for turning the hospital into a safe haven for terrorists and using it as a base to plan another massacre of Israelis, the PA was quick to condemn Israel for eliminating the gunmen who, by the way, belong to two groups opposed to the Palestinian Authority. PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, on a tall-tale-binge, accused Israeli security forces of "storming hospitals and carrying out field executions of patients, while intimidating other patients and the doctors."
Instead of thanking the Israeli security forces for getting rid of the terrorists who were holed up inside the hospital, Tawfik al-Shoubaki, director of Ibn Sina Specialized Hospital, also denounced the security raid as a "dangerous precedent."
Wissam Subeihat, director of healthcare services in Jenin for the PA Ministry of Health, condemned the killing of the terrorists as a "crime" and called on international organizations to "hold Israel accountable." Subeihat also claimed, falsely, that the Israeli soldiers assaulted medical staff during the raid.
In light of the aversion of the PA, its ministry of health, and its security forces to expelling the three terrorists from the Jenin hospital, the US administration's plan for bringing the PA back to the Gaza Strip to replace Hamas and create a Palestinian state seems more than foolhardy.
In addition, a Palestinian state without Israel's consent would be a massive violation of the Oslo Accords. The nonstop actions, or rather inactions, of the PA serve as further evidence that, contrary to what the US administration believes, the PA cannot be "revitalized." The PA has never acted as a peace partner to Israel. Instead, it has constantly incited its people against Israel and Jews by denying Jewish religious links to Israel, to Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, all the while accusing Jews of "defiling" Islamic holy sites and waging a diplomatic and legal warfare to delegitimize and isolate Israel in the international community.
The PA indisputably has no intention of changing its policy of glorifying and financially rewarding terrorists. PA leaders continue to praise terrorists as "heroes" and refuse to halt their policy of paying monthly stipends to Palestinians who murder Jews.
The incident in Jenin is further proof – more is hardly needed – that the PA cannot be trusted to enforce law and order or rein in terrorists in the Gaza Strip, were there to be a state. The PA, in its current location in the West Bank, does nothing to stop Hamas and other terrorists from pursuing their activities to murder Jews and obliterate Israel. There is no evidence to assume that it would behave any differently in Gaza. There is much evidence to assume that it would.
*Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East
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https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20360/palestinian-hospitals

Why Oct. 7 has bound Israeli Druze and Jews even more tightly
Taylor Luck/Christian Science Monitor/Wed, January 31, 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/126620/126620/
The events of Oct. 7 are imprinted on Salih’s body and mind.
As he sits outside his former training base in central Israel on a crisp mid-January day, the 20-year-old Israeli Druze soldier recounts carefully the day his unit was deployed to repel a surprise Hamas attack. That day saw Hamas militants kill 1,200 people, mostly civilians, as they rampaged through southern Israeli towns and kibbutzim, igniting the devastating Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The day ended with Salih being seriously wounded in combat. He refuses to discuss certain details. But a single glance from his distant eyes offers a glimpse into the death he saw. Hamas “did not differentiate between Jewish or Druze, Muslim, Bedouin, or Christian; young or old; men, women, children,” Salih recounts, as if still processing the violence. “They didn’t care.
“This was something monstrous, barbaric, against human nature,” he says. “Go to the root definition of ‘terrorism,’ and all of its derivatives, and they all align in this organization.”
For Israeli Druze, the Israel-Hamas war is becoming increasingly personal.
Members of the Arab religious minority, who for decades have served in Israel’s security services, say the graphic Oct. 7 attack and ensuing war have been a turning point in Druze-Jewish relations, with the shared threat and an outpouring of support binding the two communities like never before.
Still on medical leave, Salih, who asked not to use his full name for security reasons, says he’s itching to get back into the fight to protect his 16-year-old sister, mother, and neighbors.
“Each one of us is defending where they live and their family. I am defending myself and my loved ones,” he says. Oct. 7 ingrained in him, and in Druze across Israel, that “terrorism takes away the people you love.”
“We must stop terrorism,” he says, clenching his jaw. “Where there is terrorism, there can be no humanity.”
An emphasis on duty
The Druze, a religious minority found across the Levant, number some 149,000 in Israel, less than 2% of the population. Much of the adult population – men and women – serve in the army, security services, or government agencies. Serving the state in which Druze live is both a civic duty and a tenet of their faith.
Druze civilians are now stepping up to support Israeli Jewish and Bedouin friends and colleagues affected by the attack. Artist Sam Halabi installed a mural in central Tel Aviv commemorating hostages held by Hamas.
“Hamas is ISIS,” he says from his studio in Daliyat al-Karmel, his anger simmering. “They are terrorists who butchered innocent people. Hamas is a cancer. We cannot live in peace and security until this cancer is removed.”
Israeli Druze believe the Islamist Hamas sees them as both “infidels” for their religious beliefs – the monotheists believe in prophets that came after the Prophet Muhammad and in reincarnation – and “traitors” for serving in the Israeli army.
“We know Hamas hates us specifically,” says shopkeeper Abu Hamad. “As Arabs who support Israel, we are doubly targeted.”
Since 1952, Druze men, like Jews, have been drafted into military service. Yet the equality they felt there didn’t always translate to life outside the army.
Druze communities in northern Israel have longstanding grievances against the state, chief of which is that much of their land is registered as “agricultural,” preventing them from acquiring building permits for homes for their children and grandchildren and from expanding their villages.
Others point to discrepancies in budgets their communities receive in comparison with predominately Jewish towns of similar size. Tensions with the government increased with the rise of the Jewish far-right. They came to a head in 2018 when a previous Benjamin Netanyahu-led government pushed through the nation-state law, which stated, “The right to national self-determination in the State of Israel is exclusive to the Jewish people.”
Druze lawmakers failed to challenge the legislation in court as discriminatory, and many today still describe it as a “stab in the back” to non-Jewish Israelis.
Yet today, these tensions – which sparked riots as recently as July – seem a distant memory, minor compared with the existential conflict that Druze and Jews say they face together.
“Any difference or gap between Druze and Jews ... completely disappeared after Oct. 7,” says Zahee Mansour, who along with his wife, Raja, runs the Druze Cultural Heritage Center in the Mt. Carmel village of Isfiya, next to Daliyat al-Karmel. “We have a closer understanding of one another, a better appreciation of one another.”
Aid to Druze communities
Helping smooth relations was an Israeli government announcement Jan. 7 of 12.5 million shekels ($3.41 million) to “strengthen the resilience” of Druze and Circassian communities in northern Israel, and of a five-year plan to develop their communities devised in meetings with Druze leaders and politicians.
In leafy Daliyat al-Karmel, the largest Druze town in Israel, Israeli and multicolor striped Druze flags hang side by side from shops and restaurants, and atop the municipality.
With several thousand Druze men serving in the war in Gaza, the impact of the conflict is being felt in these tightly knit communities across Israel.
Salih, the wounded soldier, says he feels an “absence” in his home village outside Haifa. His cousin Salman is fighting in Gaza, so, too, are neighbors and friends.
“I worry about them because Gaza is dangerous,” he says.
In Beit Jann, near the Israel-Lebanon border, Adi Malik Harb’s photo hangs from buildings and in shop windows across the mountaintop village of 13,000 people.
If you stop anyone in the street, they will eagerly tell you a story about the 20-year-old, who was killed in action Nov. 17 in Gaza.
Yet even amid such loss, members of the Druze community say they still hold out for peace.
“We can be a bridge between the Israelis and the Palestinians. We know both communities and understand the cultures and languages,” says Beit Jann Mayor Radi Najm, glancing at hand-sketched portraits of Mr. Harb on his office shelf. “The Druze community can be a bridge for peace.”
Um Rami, a Daliyat al-Karmel cafe owner, shakes her head as she scans the news on her phone.
“We need more humanity and empathy on all sides,” she says. “It was inhumane to see Hamas cart off young children and elderly in cages like animals, and it is inhumane to see children crushed in missile strikes in Gaza. We don’t want any more civilian deaths, no matter if they are Israeli or Palestinian, Jewish, Muslim, or Druze.
“Human life must be protected no matter what,” she says. “That is our spiritual belief and our national duty.”
https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2024/0131/Why-Oct.-7-has-bound-Israeli-Druze-and-Jews-even-more-tightly

Is Israel at risk of becoming a pariah in the Middle East again? Maybe not
Tracy Wilkinson/Los Angeles Times./ February 1, 2024
Since its 1948 founding, Israel was seen by Arab neighbors as an interloper in the Middle East, a hostile nation imposed by Western powers in the aftermath of World War II.
After decades of wars, diplomatic and economic isolation and ostracization rooted in a combination of politics and antisemitism, Israel in recent years began to make significant progress in normalizing relations with several Arab neighbors.
The Trump-era Abraham Accords raised hopes that diplomatic, financial and cultural ties with fellow Mideast nations would bring greater peace and stability to the region.
But the Israel-Hamas war upended that process almost overnight.
Here's a look at why Israel could again find itself isolated and what it could mean for the U.S. and international community.
Why was Israel so isolated from the start?
To Jewish people fleeing the European persecution that culminated in the Holocaust, settling in the Holy Land felt like coming home, to a region with deep religious and historical significance.
They'd been migrating for decades to what was then British Mandate Palestine. But with the creation of Israel under a 1948 U.N. declaration, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced. They were supposed to also receive a nation, but it never materialized.
What followed were decades of wars and conflicts over land, borders and refugees, with Arab nations and much of the international community refusing to recognize Israel in any form — including exchanging ambassadors, conducting trade or even permitting travel — unless Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories ended.
When did that isolation first begin to thaw?
In 1979, following meetings at Camp David led by President Carter, Egypt became the first Arab country to agree to peace with and recognition of Israel.
Fifteen years later, Jordan followed suit.
This meant Israel exchanged ambassadors with Egypt and Jordan, and ordinary people could fly between the countries' international airports.
The Jordan agreement emerged in conjunction with the landmark Oslo peace accords that for the first time established Israeli and Palestinian recognition of each other, earning the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize for signatories Yasser Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres.
Part of the agreement was a guarantee that Israel, the Palestinians and world powers like the United States would pursue the so-called two-state solution — the establishment of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state sitting next to Israel.
That remains an elusive goal today, more than a generation later.
Did that 'thaw' continue, improving Israel's regional ties?
Not even close.
Unlike Egypt and Jordan, most of the countries in the Middle East year after year insisted that until Israel ended its occupation of the West Bank and other Palestinian lands, they would not recognize or normalize diplomatic relations with Israel.
Jerusalem, especially, was a source of contention: Israelis and Palestinians alike claimed the holy city as their capital.
Efforts to pursue the two-state solution repeatedly floundered.
What changed during the Trump administration?
The equation changed dramatically under President Trump, who largely abandoned U.S. efforts to remain somewhat neutral. Siding firmly with Israel, Trump brushed aside Palestinian concerns, relocated the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to disputed land in Jerusalem and recognized Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights. His administration invited other Arab countries, especially from the Persian Gulf, to explore a new relationship with Israel. The truth is several of those gulf countries already had quiet, behind-the-scenes business and security relations with Israel. But this would be the first public display.
On Sept. 15, 2020, in an elaborate White House ceremony, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed an agreement called the Abraham Accords for "peace, diplomatic relations and full normalization" with Israel.
The UAE insisted Israel back off from any plans for a wholesale annexation of the West Bank in exchange for its agreement. But otherwise, few demands were made of Israel regarding the plight of Palestinians. Critics say Trump squandered an opportunity to make progress on the conflict, in essence handing Israel the better relations it long sought without making any significant concessions for the Palestinians.
Did the accords change things on the ground?
It was a remarkable shift in Middle East alliances.
The participating countries opened embassies and flight paths, while Israeli tourists for the first time could travel to the shopping mecca of Dubai.
At the signing ceremony, Trump announced his confidence that other nations would soon follow suit. And while Morocco and Sudan did, no other major Arab country has done so.
In this new equation, the prize was Saudi Arabia. Trump, and especially his son-in-law and special advisor Jared Kushner, had lobbied the Saudis hard. But the Saudis resisted, largely because of King Salman's lingering allegiance to the Palestinians.
His heir, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is thought to have no such loyalty and to have been eager to join the economic windfall that better relations with Israel might portend. As a result, Saudi Arabia was moving slowly toward a normalization agreement with Israel, according to U.S. officials. Saudi Arabia also had big asks, including a massive defense pact with Washington.
How has the Israel-Hamas war changed ties?
The war — which so far has left close to 1,200 Israelis and more than 26,000 Palestinians dead, according to each side — put an immediate brake on Saudi Arabia and other nations getting closer to Israel.
Bahrain, one of the countries that opened ties with Israel, recalled its ambassador.
There has been an enormous drop in tourism travel between Tel Aviv and the United Arab Emirates, although the UAE has not canceled the flights nor recalled its ambassador from Israel. The other two countries that signed on to the Abraham Accords, Morocco and Sudan, had lesser dealings with Israel all along, and have not reversed the agreement. Their acquiescence had more to do with getting concessions from the U.S. than stepping up relations with Israel. Morocco has allowed rare massive street demonstrations against Israel. Sudan and Morocco were tepid in criticism of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, but quick to join regional opprobrium over Israel's retaliation. And all of the Arab nations involved in the Abraham Accords have demanded an immediate cease-fire in the war.
What does all this mean for the fate of the Abraham Accords?
It is not yet clear if any of these countries, ruled primarily by royal families and dictators, will ever return to a path of normalization with Israel. While not democratic, they are mindful, and wary, of the anger toward Israel and support for Palestinians among their own populations. The war has only heightened those feelings. But there are lucrative business and military deals at stake, and several leaders have told the Biden administration they hope to continue to improve relations with Israel once the current crisis is over, U.S. officials say. Saudi Arabia will be the country to watch. The desert kingdom has given Israel a potential shot at opening ties, saying in recent days that it would consider such steps if a credible path to statehood for the Palestinians is established.
A senior UAE official said last month that its new strategic relationship with Israel, including economic ties, remained a "long-term" goal. Get the best of the Los Angeles Times’ politics coverage with the Essential Politics newsletter. Exclusive-Iran's Guards pull officers from Syria after Israeli strikes
Iran's Revolutionary Guards have scaled back deployment of their senior officers in Syria due to a spate of deadly Israeli strikes and will rely more on allied Shi'ite militia to preserve their sway there, five sources familiar with the matter said.
The Guards have suffered one of their most bruising spells in Syria since arriving a decade ago to aid President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian war. Since December, Israeli strikes have killed more than half a dozen of their members, among them one of the Guards' top intelligence generals.
As hardliners in Tehran demand retaliation, Iran's decision to pull out senior officers is driven partly by its aversion to being sucked directly into a conflict bubbling across the Middle East, three of the sources told Reuters.
While the sources said Iran has no intention of quitting Syria - a key part of Tehran's sphere of influence - the rethink underscores how the consequences of the war ignited by Palestinian militant group Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel are unfolding in the region.
Iran, a backer of Hamas, has sought to stay out of the conflict itself even as it supports groups that have entered the fray from Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and Syria - the so-called "Axis of Resistance" that is hostile to Israeli and U.S. interests.
One of the sources - a senior regional security official briefed by Tehran - said senior Iranian commanders had left Syria along with dozens of mid-ranking officers, describing it as a downsizing of the presence. The source did not say how many Iranians had left and Reuters was unable independently to determine that. The news agency could not reach the Guards for comment and the Syrian information ministry did not respond to emailed questions for this story.
Iran has sent thousands of fighters to Syria during the Syrian war. While these have included members of the Guards, officially serving in the role of advisors, the bulk have been Shi'ite militiamen from all over the region. Three of the sources said the Guards would manage Syrian operations remotely, with help from ally Hezbollah. The Lebanese group did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Another source, a regional official close to Iran, said those still in Syria had left their offices and were staying out of sight. "The Iranians won't abandon Syria but they reduced their presence and movements to the greatest extent." The sources said the changes so far had not had an impact on operations. The downsizing would "help Tehran to avoid being pulled into the Israel-Gaza war," one of the sources, an Iranian, said.
Since the Gaza war erupted, Israel has stepped up a years-long campaign of air strikes aimed at rolling back Iran's presence in Syria, attacking both the Guards and Hezbollah - which in turn has been exchanging fire with Israel across the Lebanese-Israeli border since Oct. 8. Israel rarely comments on its attacks in Syria and has not declared responsibility for the recent strikes there. In response to Reuters' questions, the Israeli military said it did not comment on foreign media reports.
'INTELLIGENCE BREACH'
In one of the attacks, on Jan. 20, five members of the Guards were killed, Iranian state media reported, including a general who ran intelligence for the Quds Force, which is responsible for the Guards' overseas operations. The strike flattened a Damascus building.
Another, on Dec. 25 outside Damascus, killed a senior Guards adviser responsible for coordinating between Syria and Iran. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led prayers at his funeral. Reuters spoke to six sources familiar with Iranian deployments in Syria for this story. They declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the subject. Three of the sources said the Guards had raised concerns with Syrian authorities that information leaks from within the Syrian security forces played a part in the recent lethal strikes. Another source familiar with Iranian operations in Syria said the precise Israeli strikes had prompted the Guards to relocate operational sites and officers' residences, amidst concerns of an "intelligence breach". Iranian forces came to Syria at Assad's invitation, helping him to beat back rebels who had seized control of swathes of the country in the conflict that began in 2011.
Years after Assad and his allies won back most of Syria, Iran-backed groups still operate across large areas. Their presence has cemented a zone of Iranian influence stretching through Iraq, Syria and Lebanon to the Mediterranean, helping to counterbalance Tehran's regional adversaries including Israel. Three of the sources said the Guards were once again recruiting Shi'ite fighters from Afghanistan and Pakistan to deploy to Syria, echoing earlier phases of the war when Shi'ite militias played a part in turning the tide of the conflict.
The regional official close to Iran said the Guards were drawing more on Syrian Shi'ite militias. Gregory Brew, an analyst with Eurasia group, a political risk consultancy, said the failure to protect Iranian commanders had "clearly undermined Iran's position" but Tehran was unlikely to end its commitment to Syria to preserving its role in Syria. Russia has also supported Assad, deploying its air force to Syria in 2015, and any weakening of Iran's role there could play to its advantage. "Moscow and Tehran are working more closely together but their relationship may be strained if they compete openly in Syria," Brew said. Russia said this month it expected President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi to sign a new treaty soon, amid strengthening political, trade and military ties between the two nations.

Sudanese people’s dire plight should not be ignored
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/February 01, 2024
The protracted conflict in Sudan, which is now in its 10th month, has caused a dire humanitarian crisis that is inflicting profound suffering upon millions, both within the country and in neighboring nations. The repercussions of this war are particularly acute for women and children, who bear the brunt of the devastating effects. As the situation unfolds, the pervasive hardships extend beyond national borders, casting a wide-reaching shadow of distress that demands urgent attention and concerted international efforts to alleviate the plight of those affected by the conflict.
Sudan currently bears the unfortunate distinction of harboring the highest number of displaced individuals globally, also marking it out as the center of the world’s most extensive child displacement crisis. Commenting on the enduring repercussions of the conflict, which began last April, Marie David, the acting country director of CARE Sudan, said: “Loss of life, mass displacement, gender-based violence, hunger, cholera are all on the rise and occurring at an alarming rate. Between 70 and 80 percent of hospitals in conflict-affected areas are no longer functional. This crisis demands more attention, and funding.” New data from the International Organization for Migration reveals a staggering 10.7 million people displaced by conflicts in Sudan, including 9 million who remain within the country. This organization is requesting coordinated international efforts to urgently enhance the humanitarian response and address the colossal displacement crisis. Among the displaced, 1.7 million have sought refuge in neighboring countries, with the majority (62 percent) of these being Sudanese.
This mass displacement is exacerbating humanitarian needs in an already deeply troubled region.
Chad hosts the highest percentage of those leaving Sudan at 37 percent, followed by South Sudan at 30 percent and Egypt at 24 percent, while Ethiopia, Libya and the Central African Republic host the remaining refugees. This mass displacement is exacerbating humanitarian needs in an already deeply troubled region. Amy Pope, director general of the International Organization for Migration, said: “As of today, one in every eight internally displaced persons in the world is in Sudan.” She highlighted the overwhelming needs of these displaced individuals, including critical shortages of food, shelter, healthcare and sanitation. This is placing them at heightened risk of disease, malnutrition and violence.
Despite the severity of the situation, the current humanitarian response falls short of meeting these critical needs. As Pope emphasized, it is important not to turn away from the millions of people who are in desperate need of support.
The protracted conflict in Sudan continues to exact a severe toll on the lives of ordinary citizens. The widespread devastation extends to critical infrastructure, encompassing healthcare facilities, educational institutions, transport networks and essential utilities such as power and water. This extensive damage has significantly curtailed access to fundamental necessities and essential, life-saving services, plunging communities into desperate circumstances. The resulting scarcity has not only led to heightened susceptibility to disease outbreaks, hunger and malnutrition, but has also exacerbated the vulnerability of the population to sexual and gender-based violence.
Women and girls find themselves particularly at risk within the prevailing chaos. This underscores the urgent need for comprehensive humanitarian intervention.
Expressing the challenges she faces, Manal Adam Yousif, a woman in her 20s from the town of Nyala in South Darfur state, told UN Women: “Unfortunately, our house and all other houses in the neighborhoods were robbed. So, I am very afraid for the rest of my family. We just fled with the clothes we are wearing … winter brings many diseases.” She went on to share the difficulties she is encountering, mentioning that her son and several other children are unwell. Yousif also highlighted her financial constraints, stating: “I do not have the money to take (my son) to the hospital. I hope the war will stop and there will be safety and stability so that we can return to our homes and families.” The international community must ensure the safety of women and girls in conflict-affected areas. Addressing this crisis requires a comprehensive and coordinated approach, including mobilizing international humanitarian organizations and governments to provide immediate and sustained aid to the affected regions. They need to deliver emergency relief supplies, including food, clean water, medical supplies and shelter, to address the pressing needs of displaced individuals, as well as initiate efforts to restore some of the critical infrastructure to enhance people’s access to essential services. Another approach would be to establish mobile healthcare units and clinics to provide medical assistance to those facing health challenges. This would address issues such as disease outbreaks, malnutrition and the general well-being of the population. It would also facilitate access to medical care, especially for vulnerable groups like children, women and the elderly. In addition, the international community must ensure the safety of women and girls in conflict-affected areas. Temporary learning spaces can also be set up in order to ensure that children affected by displacement continue to have access to education. Finally, there is a need for robust diplomatic efforts and negotiations to bring about an end to the conflict. In a nutshell, the dire situation in Sudan underscores the profound and far-reaching impacts of this conflict, particularly on the lives of ordinary individuals. There is an urgent need for a comprehensive and coordinated response from the international community.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist. X: @Dr_Rafizadeh

Reading Our World Through an Old Book
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat/January 02/2024
Around thirty years ago, six years before 9/11, "Jihad vs. McWorld" was published and widely read. It was printed in two editions, each with a different subtitle: "How Globalism and Tribalism Are Reshaping the World" and "Terrorism's Threat to Democracy."
The author of the book is the American political theorist Benjamin Barber (who died in 2017), and his fundamental theory is that our single world is divided in two: "Jihad" and "McWorld." By "Jihad," Barber was not only referring to militant Islamic political movements, but broader phenomena entrenching tribalism among vast segments of the global population through violence, bloodshed, and the spread of various forms of protectionism, religiosity, nationalism, and narrow local and identitarian loyalties. Similarly, "McWorld" transcends McDonald's. It encompasses all the products and symbols of globalization, from mobile phones and computers to communication technologies, to fast music..."McWorld" is turning our world into a global network led and controlled by large corporations, in which commerce and interests dominate and goods are standardized, rendering it a highly homogenous network. As for "Jihad World," it is fueled by local grievances that stem from the hatred for anything that falls outside "our" group, "our" region, or "our" values. "McWorld" is characterized by the prioritization of the market. Here, capitalism crushes nationalism in the way that Marx and Engels said it does in their 1848 Communist Manifesto. Every country, no matter how large, must trade with others in search of resources it does not possess. Information technology has also become among the engines powering "McWorld," through its modern, rational formation and its enlightenment symbols (which postmodernists are skeptical of). The entire world shares environmental concerns, as we all share the same environment and it affects us all, and must all share the concern of keeping it clean.
However, "McWorld's" claim that enlightenment and rational universality would create a more optimized global society driven by globalization has been contested. Indeed, globalization has come to us in a commercial guise, bearing highly homogenized, politicized, and bureaucratized fruit. Once we add the states of exception imposed by its conflict with "Jihad World," we are left with globalization that has little concern for the spread of modern values, justice, or equality in the world.
At the end of the day, the only thing it seeks from the world is trade and the profits of that trade. In turn, capitalism can coexist with all kinds of political and value systems, so long as they do not obstruct its pursuit of profit and capital accumulation. Today, we see China presenting us with one of the latest and most robust testament to this fact.
As for "Jihad World," or "the Lebanonization of the world," its forces, now called "cultures," are fractious: doctrines, sects, and communities have a stronger presence here than religions, states, and nations. Unlike the old nationalisms that unified countries and created peoples, here, we are faced with factions that fight, exchange hatreds, and splinter relentlessly. Thirty major or minor wars are raging in our world today (1995) - most of them religious or ethnic conflicts and the figure is rising.
The Jihadist zeitgeist, therefore, is one of wars that stem from identities and elevate those identities to an end in themselves, without war being politics by other means. Religion, in this world, is an arena for war to the death in which the belligerents seek to subjugate and dominate souls, as the Crusaders had. Moreover, the prevalence of fundamentalism leads to fragmentation and leaves religions with nothing left of their supposed capacity for unifying people. While "Jihad World" nurtures a sense of community among members of the in-group, outside this group, it has risen through the exclusion, persecution, and subjugation of the other. Today's (1995) nation-states are all threatened with "Lebanonization," whereby culture is pitted against culture, people against people, and tribe against tribe. The banner of jihad is raised by countless numbers of faiths, each denouncing social links, integration, civil cooperation, and any give and take with those who differ.
These two worlds are at odds with one another, and they differ on almost everything. However, they come together around democracy, which faces a bleak future. One is openly opposed to democracy, while the other is not concerned with saving it. For instance, it was notable that only months after the Soviet Union and the other countries in its bloc fell, the question of democracy took the back seat to preoccupations with markets and integration into "McWorld," just as the countries of former Yugoslavia and the Asian segments of the Soviet Union were plunged into vicious identitarian civil wars.
Barber's premise was a forerunner. It is undoubtedly more intelligent and nuanced than the simplifications offered by Francis Fukuyama and Thomas Friedman at the time, though it opened the door to other questions that crystallized over the years since its publication. Nonetheless, we are still faced with a world that is unified and divided at the same time. The conflicts of our planet, including the war on Gaza, can be placed into what the categories (among many others) presented by the book. As for those who agree with Barber's thesis, their location dictates how they should protest: those who live in the "McWorld" should directly oppose "McWorld", and those who live in the "Jihad" part should oppose "Jihad" first.

Positioning in Sanaa and Messages to Tehran
Suleiman Jawda/Asharq Al-Awsat/January 02/2024
If someone leans on a stick while walking, he is described as needing others, and likewise if he leans on another person, he is seeking the help of others along the way.
This exact meaning was present in the mind of the decision-maker in Washington, when he asked China to exert pressure on Iran to pressure the Houthi group in the south of the Red Sea. The administration of US President Joe Biden must have understood such a meaning from the beginning, and had been aware of it since it decided to strike the group’s sites in Yemen. However, it appears that Washington carried out what is called a “situation assessment” after launching the strikes, and it became clear to it that Beijing’s route to Tehran and from there to Sanaa, where the group’s members have resided since 2014, is shorter than the path of the strikes, in addition to the fact that the road that passes through China to Iran and then to Yemen is less costly at the economic level, despite its multiple curves and twists.
In mathematics, we know that a straight line is the shortest connecting two points. This is an accurate mathematical rule in theory. But in a case like the Houthi attacks on tankers passing through the Red Sea, it becomes clear that this is not the appropriate rule, and that another, non-straight path is the shortest to reach the desired point. It is not only a twisted and winding road, but it is a path that goes straight to the correct location. Washington knows that it is knocking on the right door to address the problem of the attacks. Every time one looks at American policy here in the region and around the world, he realizes what is exactly said about Washington: it does not take the right path until it has tried all the wrong ones.
When the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia warned of the danger of the group since its members entered Sanaa in 2014, the administration in Uncle Sam’s country paid no heed, and treated the matter as if it concerned the Kingdom and no one else. Riyadh did not despair and repeated the alert on every occasion, while the US administration kept turning a blind eye to the Saudi warnings.
Today, Saudi Arabia must be watching the American request to China, and thinking of the poet who kept advising his people, but they did not listen to his advice until it was too late.
But why is the government of Chinese President Xi Jinping in particular required to tell the administration of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei about Biden’s wishes? Why did the American administration not resort to another government other than the Chinese government in Beijing?
China is not the only country whose trade passes through the Red Sea, as we all know that 12 percent of the world’s trade crosses this path, so does 40 percent of trade between the south of Asia and the north of Europe.
There are two reasons: the first is that China has strong ties with Iran, and that, by virtue of this relationship, it sponsored the agreement that was signed on March 10, 2023 between Tehran and Riyadh. Since that time, it has continued to back the arrangement and monitor the extent of compliance with it, especially by the Iranian side. This is the first reason why the line is open between Beijing and Tehran, and makes the Chinese able to talk to the Iranians and be heard. It is also no secret to anyone that the axis that comprises Russia and China internationally also clearly includes Iran, and therefore, there is a common language that can be understood by the Iranians when the Chinese speak. The second reason is that China’s trade passing through the Red Sea to Europe is mostly the largest, for nothing but the fact that the Chinese economy is the second biggest in the world. Most of its movement is with the European Union economy, and this would make the stability of trade in the Red Sea a Chinese economic priority that surpasses the economic interest of any other country.
This was crystal clear to all who have read a recent report by Reuters, quoting Chinese officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity and revealed the details of a message to Iran regarding the need for stability in the Red Sea. They did not talk about politics, but rather used their usual language of economics, which they wanted to convey to the office of the Iranian spiritual leader.
China’s trade with the Old Continent cannot tolerate turning around Africa as an alternative route to the direct passage in the Red Sea. Such route not only takes a longer time but is also more expensive. As there is no justification for taking a longer time, nor paying a higher cost, the government in Beijing has communicated this message to Iran, as reported by the agency. The Chinese memo arrived in Tehran, with a warning that harm to Chinese trade in the Red Sea in any way will, in return, be reflected in the relations between the two countries. As you can see, this is diplomatic rhetoric on the outside, but in its content lies a message that the Iranian government must understand and therefore must deal accordingly with the group on the land of Yemen. The truth is that the United States is not harmed economically by the Red Sea attacks as it may seem at first glance, and that the attacks even benefit it in terms of weakening its opponents, but this is certainly another story.