Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 31/2023-January 01/2024
Elias Bejjani-Video: Resolutions For the new year of 2024
Video-Text: Resolutions For the new year of 2024/Elias Bejjani/January 01/2024
Elias Bejjani-Video: Resolutions For the new year of 2024
Video-Text: Resolutions For the new year of 2024/Elias Bejjani/January 01/2024
Patriarch Rai condemns the smear campaign against Bishop Al-Hajj: We reject the extension of the war to southern Lebanon and call for the removal of any missile platform planted among homes.
Bishop Aoudi: Prepare the Way for Presidential Elections as Soon as Possible"...!
Maronite patriarch warns against ‘extending’ Gaza war to Lebanon
Netanyahu threatens, and Hezbollah renews its equation: Stop the Gaza war first
Gantz tells Berlin it can help push back Hezbollah from border
Netanyahu warns Hezbollah against 'expanding the war'
Israel carries out airstrikes in south Lebanon as Hezbollah attacks post
4 Hezbollah members among 23 killed in east Syria strikes
Hezbollah's Naim Qassem: Israel cannot impose its choices in southern Lebanon
Hezbollah's 'Professions Unit' hosts Hamas delegation, emphasizes solidarity in resistance
Sirens sounded at UNIFIL's headquarters in Naqoura, enemy bombardment of Jebbine & Tair Harfa outskirts
Lebanon targets UNESCO register for Tele Liban’s archive
Traffic and Vehicles Management Authority: Vehicle registration schedule revealed
Army Chief to soldiers: I bow before your sacrifices and your tolerance of all pressures because you adhere to your motto of "honor, sacrifice &.Loyalty.
Makary: Lebanon has always been and will remain a country of diversity & multiple cultures
UN chief closes tribunal founded to investigate 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 31/2023-January 01/2024
No end in sight to Gaza war as 2023 wraps up
Netanyahu says Gaza war will go on for 'many more months'
Israeli bombardment pushes more Palestinians into southern Gaza: ‘This is not a life’
Gazans pray new year can bring peace after ‘wreckage’ of 2023
Israeli strikes in central Gaza kill at least 35 as Netanyahu says war will continue for months
Israel seeks full control of Gaza-Egypt border
In rare apology, Israeli minister says she ‘sinned’ for her role in reforms that tore country apart
Drone attack on Iraqi Kurdistan military base
Armed drone shot down near US base in northern Iraq
Ten Yemeni Houthis killed in US airstrike on boats attacking ship in the Red Sea
US Navy helicopters destroy Houthi boats in Red Sea after attempted hijack
Houthis show no sign of ending 'reckless' Red Sea attacks as trade traffic picks up, commander says
US forces shoot down ballistic missiles in Red Sea, kill gunmen in attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels
11 senior Iranian officers killed in Israeli airstrike on Syrian airport, report says
Prague refuses to attend UN Security Council meeting called by Moscow over alleged Ukrainian attack on Belgorod
Ukraine, Stalled on the Front, Steps Up Sabotage, Targeting Trains
Russia has sentenced more than 200 captured Ukrainian fighters so far - Lavrov
Taliban say security forces killed dozens of Tajiks, Pakistanis involved in attacks in Afghanistan
More than 4,360 dead in Syria war in 2023: monitor

Titles For The Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on December 31/2023-January 01/2024
The Israel-Hamas war is complicated. Can we move beyond choosing sides?/Dona Hare Price/San Luis Obispo Tribune/December 31, 2023
'Dark Money Nightmare': How Qatar Bought the Ivy League/Robert Williams/Gatestone Institute/December 31, 2023
2024 will be a year of reckoning – the weak West must adapt, or perish/Nick Timothy/The Telegraph/December 31, 2023
As We Go into a Worrisome 2024, We Hope the Faint Light of Faith and Dreams Will Keep Back the Darkness./Raghida Dergham/The National/December 31, 2023
Mariners need protection in today’s challenging environment/Dr. Theodore Karasik/Arab News/December 31/2023
How Sudan’s devastating war can be resolved in 2024/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/December 31/2023
Look Ahead at 2024: Arab world enters the new year with a mix of hope, tension and trepidation/Paul Iddom/Arab News/December 31, 2023

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 30-31/2023
Elias Bejjani-Video: Resolutions For the new year of 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-ie8v8GOE4&t=13s
January 01/2024

Video-Text: Resolutions For the new year of 2024
Elias Bejjani/January 01/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/81879/elias-bejjani-resolutions-for-the-new-year-of-2020/
Video-Text: Resolutions For the new year of 2024
Elias Bejjani/January 01/2024
How healthy and fruitful would it be if each and every one of us is fully ready to welcome the new year of 2024 with a clear conscience and a joyful reconciliation with himself/herself, as well and with all others, especially those who are the beloved ones, e.g, parents, family members, friends, etc.
How self gratifying would be for any faithful and wise person to enter the new year of 2024 and he/she is completely free from all past heavy and worrying loads of hostility, hatred, enmities, grudges, strives and jealousy.
And because our life is very short on this mortal-perishable earthly world.
And due to the fact that, Our Heavenly Father, Almighty God may at any moment take back His Gift of life from any one of us.
Because of all these solid facts and realities, we are ought to leave behind all the 2023 hardships, pains and disappointments with no regrets at all.
We are ought to happily welcome and enter the 2022 new year with a totally empty page of our lives….ready for a new start.
Hopefully, every wise, loving, caring and faithful person would feel better in striving to begin this new year of 2024 with love, forgiveness, faith, hope, extended hands, open heart, and self-confidence.
I wish every one a Happy, Happy new Year that hopefully will carry with it all that is love, forgiveness, faith, hope, extended hands, open hearts, and self-confidence.

Patriarch Rai condemns the smear campaign against Bishop Al-Hajj: We reject the extension of the war to southern Lebanon and call for the removal of any missile platform planted among homes.
NNA/LCCC Translation from Arabic/December 31/2023
Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai presided over Sunday Mass at Our Lady's Church in the Patriarchal See, assisted by bishops Hanna Alwan, Hanna Rahme, Simon Faddoul, and Antoine Tarabay. Also present were the Secretary of the Patriarch, Father Hadi Daw, and the head of Our Lady of Lebanon-Harissa Sanctuary, Father Fadi Tabet, along with several other bishops, priests, and nuns. The congregation included Members of Parliament Ibrahim Kanaan and Ziad Hawat, former Minister Naji Bustani, Director of Medical Services at the Ministry of Health Dr. Joseph Hlou, Consul Charbel Nasr, Secretary-General of the Maronite Foundation for Spread Hiyam Bustani, the family of the late Nicolas Elias Abu Murad, the family of the late Jozaiq Al-Shartouni, and a crowd of activists and believers.
After the reading of the Holy Gospel, Patriarch Rai delivered a sermon titled "After three days they found Him in the temple" (Luke 2:46), in which he said: "I cannot find words to condemn Israel's arrogant and boastful war, with its gifted advanced weapons, against the people of Gaza – their children, women, and elderly in their safe homes, hospitals, mosques, and churches. The death toll has exceeded twenty thousand, not counting the thousands missing under the rubble. The god of the lords of this war is the idol of weapons, killing, destruction, and shedding blood. Our great condemnation is directed at the silent and timid international community in the face of this organized genocidal war, the programmed killing of innocent civilians, and their silence, whether out of fear, shame, or support.
Israel and the silent international community may think that this war will settle the Palestinian issue and end the demand for a two-state solution and the return of refugees to their land. In reality, they are mistaken. Injustice begets injustice, and war begets war. Justice, human rights, and the rights of nations come through peace that emanates from God and the human heart.
We reject the extension of this war to southern Lebanon; it must be stopped to protect the Lebanese and their homes and livelihoods, as they have not yet recovered from the disastrous Lebanese war. We demand the removal of any missile platform planted among homes in southern towns that would warrant a destructive Israeli response. Is this the intention? Let everyone respect UN Security Council Resolution 1701 in its entirety for the good of Lebanon. We regret the three successive attacks on international forces within hours in the towns of Rmeish, Taybeh, and Kafr Kila, aiming to limit their movement. In return, we repeatedly thank the countries participating in these international forces for peacekeeping in the south.
In this context, we condemn the inflammatory and offensive campaign that targeted our brother, Archbishop Moussa Al-Hajj, the head of Haifa and the Holy Land Archdiocese. He is the sixth in a series of archbishops we have known personally, including Cardinal Mar Paulos Mouche, and Archbishops Mikhael Dumit, Youssef Khoury, Maroun Soueid, and Paul Sayah. We have many Maronite followers in occupied Palestine. Archbishop Moussa Al-Hajj manages the archdiocese wisely in dealing with the reality. We reject and condemn everything written about him on social media or falsely stated on television and radio stations. All these affect the person of this dignified Maronite bishop and his episcopal dignity, and we, personally, as the "father and head" of the Maronite Church, consider them worthy of legal pursuit against those with malicious intent.
To conclude, the family, as a natural school, educates on love for the homeland. Certainly, chaos and influence lovers, violators of the constitution, and obstructors of electing a president for the Lebanese Republic continue to hinder the functioning of the two constitutional institutions: the Parliament and the government, along with public administrations, the judiciary, and the military. How long will this obstruction continue? They say the issue is with the Maronites. This is not true; the issue lies with the Parliament and its president. The Maronites believe in democracy, as it is their culture, and adhere to the preamble of the constitution, stating that "Lebanon is a democratic, parliamentary republic." It requires a democratic election. Maronite candidates are excellent; let the Parliament elect one of them if he is truly his own master! Let us strive, brothers and sisters, to protect the family and preserve its educational role for the glory and praise of God – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – now and forever, Amen.

Bishop Aoudi: Prepare the Way for Presidential Elections as Soon as Possible"...!
LCCC/December 31, 2023
Metropolitan Elias Aoudi, the Orthodox Archbishop of Beirut and its suburbs, presided over the service at St. George's Cathedral in the presence of a congregation of believers. After the Gospel, he delivered a sermon in which he said: "John openly declared that he is not the Christ, and that his baptism is not the same as the Lord's baptism, and that his person is inferior to the Lord's. John's baptism was a shadow or symbol of body cleansing, while Jesus' baptism sanctifies both the body and the soul. Saint Ambrose also says: 'Water and the Spirit do not separate, as the baptism of repentance differs from the baptism of grace, which includes both elements together, while the former is specific to one element. If the body and soul share in sin, purification is a duty for both.' In the end, John the Baptist declares that he is unworthy to extend his hand to untie the sandal straps of Jesus, but Jesus will bow His head under this humble hand, according to the words of Saint John Chrysostom: 'The hand that John declared unworthy to touch the Lord's sandal, Christ draws it onto His head.' From this, we learn that humility comes with Christ into our lives, blessing and dwelling in our entire being."

Maronite patriarch warns against ‘extending’ Gaza war to Lebanon
Arab News/December 31, 2023
BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi has condemned attempts by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah to link its southern Lebanon border conflict with Israel to the war in Gaza. In his Sunday sermon, Al-Rahi also called for the removal of Hezbollah missile launchers “planted between homes in Lebanese border towns,” warning that the presence of such weapons “invites a destructive Israeli response.” The patriarch’s address on the final day of 2023 came as Hezbollah militants and Israeli forces again exchanged fire in border areas.
Al-Rahi warned against extending the (Gaza) conflict to southern Lebanon, and called for Lebanese citizens to be protected, saying “they have not yet recovered from the disastrous Lebanese war.” He said: “We can no longer find words to condemn Israel’s arrogant and boastful war with its advanced weapons on the people of Gaza, including its children, women, and elderly in their safe homes, hospitals, mosques, and churches. “We direct significant condemnation toward the silent international community. Israel believes it can quash the Palestinian cause and end the demand for a two-state solution and the return of refugees to their land through this war. “However, we say that injustice begets injustice, and war begets war; justice comes through peace.”
An online account last Saturday posted images of two missile launchers in an olive field on the outskirts of the Christian-majority border town of Rmeish, and voiced alarm at “any action that threatens the safety of residents and exposes them to imminent danger.” In a post, the Free Patriotic Movement, a Hezbollah ally, said that Rmeish “did not object to the movement of the Lebanese resistance on its border outskirts, but rather objected to any attempt to expose Rmeish and its people to danger.” The FPM added: “The most dangerous thing is that we do not know who planted the launcher. “Is it the Lebanese Islamic Resistance, the Al-Quds Brigades, Hamas, or one of the armed factions that have repeatedly used southern lands to carry out operations to achieve objectives for a cause other than the south’s cause?
“We strongly reject unknown resistances with unknown sources and objectives.”
Father Najib Al-Amil, the town’s parish priest, later confirmed that a Lebanese army unit had dismantled the launchers.
The Israeli army continued its attacks with fighter planes and drones on Lebanese towns in the western sector, raiding the outskirts of the town of Alma Al-Shaab toward Labouneh and Naqoura.
The Israeli army said that it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure and military sites in Ramyah with airstrikes. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that “if peace is not achieved on the northern front through politics, we will achieve it through war,” Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem declared that Israel must stop the Gaza war in order for the fighting in Lebanon to stop. Qassem also warned that further shelling of civilians in Lebanon “means that the response will be stronger and proportional to the Israeli aggression.”
Hezbollah said on Sunday that it had targeted Israeli military sites, including Hanita, which “was directly hit.”
Israeli media said that sirens sounded in the Upper Galilee and Western Galilee.
Over the past 48 hours, Hezbollah announced the death of more fighters, including some killed in Syria.
Among those killed in southern Lebanon was Ali Ahmed Saad, a high school chemistry professor, who died when a shell struck his home in the border town of Bint Jbeil.
Caretaker Education and Higher Education Minister Abbas Al-Halabi paid tribute to Saad, saying that “this exemplary young man was devoted to the land and defense of Lebanon’s soil and dignity against a ruthless enemy that does not hesitate to crush civilians and demolish schools, hospitals, and places of worship over the heads of innocents in Palestine and Lebanon.” Al-Halabi appealed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to “shield educational institutions and innocent civilians from the ravages of war and destruction, and to exert pressure to stop the war that is crushing Gaza, killing its people, afflicting Lebanon daily, claiming martyrs, and demolishing homes.”
Sheikh Naim Qassem said that Israel is “seeking to show that it can keep Hezbollah and the resistance away from the south so they can be reassured, even in the middle of the battle. “We say to them: Israel is in no position to impose its options; the resistance is in a position to respond to aggression, reject the consolidation of the Israeli project, and prevent Israel from achieving its goals in Gaza, Lebanon, and the region.” Hezbollah’s response came a day after Maj. Gen. Aroldo Lazaro, UNIFIL’s head of mission and force commander, warned that “the possibility of a greater escalation in the south is ever-present.”
He added that “containing the conflict largely in the areas near the Blue Line is a sign that the parties do not want escalation, but there is always a risk of miscalculation, and UNIFIL is working hard to avert this outcome.”

Netanyahu threatens, and Hezbollah renews its equation: Stop the Gaza war first
Al Modon/LCCC/December 31, 2023
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that "the return of the northern residents to their homes requires us to continue the fight, and we will restore security to the northern residents. If we do not achieve security through diplomatic means, we will achieve it through a military operation." In response, Hezbollah's Deputy Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, said, "Israel cannot bring settlers back to the north, and we are in the heart of the battle. Israel must stop the war in Gaza for the war in Lebanon to stop." Tensions continue in the south between Hezbollah and the Israeli occupation army.
Hezbollah mourned the chemistry professor Ali Ahmad Saad "Jibril" from the city of Bint Jbeil. This raises the party's martyrs' toll to 130 since the beginning of the clashes, in addition to two martyrs from Saraya al-Muqawama, one martyr from the Amal Movement, and one martyr from the Syrian National Social Party. Sirens sounded in the Zar'it settlement in western Galilee today following the firing of rockets from southern Lebanon. An Israeli drone targeted the Labouneh area south of Naqoura with two missiles. Israeli aircraft also carried out five raids on the town of Ayta al-Shaab. The raids also targeted the town of Kfar Kila, Jabal Bilat, and two helicopters. The Israeli army raised a surveillance balloon off the town of Alma al-Shaab. Hezbollah announced in a statement that, "In support of our steadfast Palestinian people in Gaza and in support of their brave and honorable resistance, the fighters of the Islamic Resistance targeted the Hanita site with appropriate weapons at 12:20 on Sunday, directly hitting it." The Israeli occupation army announced that it targeted cells and infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah. It also announced targeting a rocket launch platform near the town of Khiam and military sites in the town of Rameh. Israeli warplanes continued to drop illuminating bombs over the villages of the Tyre district, the coastal area, and the villages of the western and central sectors throughout the night and into this morning. Israeli reconnaissance planes flew over the villages of the western and central sectors, reaching the outskirts of the city of Tyre. The Israeli enemy renewed its attacks this morning, launching gunfire from its positions near the town of Ayta al-Shaab on the outskirts and groves of the town. It is noteworthy that UNIFIL conducts patrols from time to time. As for the movement of displacement for local residents, it is increasing day by day, especially in recent days, as the intensity of the enemy's shelling and its targeting of civilians and inhabited homes has increased, and farmers and peasants are unable to work in agricultural lands.

Gantz tells Berlin it can help push back Hezbollah from border
Naharnet/December 31, 2023
Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz has told Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz that Berlin can play a role in removing Hezbollah’s “threat” from Israel’s northern border with Lebanon. “I emphasised that for the sake of the security of Israel’s citizens and future regional stability - the threat of Hezbollah must be removed from Israel’s borders,” Gantz said in an English-language post on the X platform, referring to a phone call with Scholz. “The State of Israel cannot reconcile with such threat, and Germany together with the international community have an important role to play in ensuring such threat is removed,” Gantz added. Since the cross-border hostilities began between Israel and Hezbollah on Oct. 8, more than 150 people have been killed on the Lebanese side, most of them Hezbollah combatants but also more than 20 civilians, three of them journalists. On the Israeli side, at least four civilians and nine soldiers have been killed, according to figures from the military. The border violence prompted Israel to evacuate some 60,000 settlers from northern Israel. Some 72,437 people in Lebanon are displaced, according to the International Organization for Migration. Israel has been pushing for Hezbollah to withdraw north of the Litani River, which lies about 30 kilometers north of the border.

Netanyahu warns Hezbollah against 'expanding the war'
Naharnet/December 31, 2023
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu overnight stressed that he is committed to “restoring security” along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon so that the Israelis who were evacuated from there can return to their communities. “On the northern border, we are landing heavy blows against Hezbollah, eliminating many terrorists and destroying the enemy’s capabilities,” Netanyahu said in a press conference in Tel Aviv. Netanyahu said diplomacy was the best option to restore security to the northern border but warned that Israel would not hesitate to act against Hezbollah should those options fail. “We approved operational plans for the continuation of the fighting. If Hezbollah expands the war, it will receive blows it never dreamed of – and so will Iran. We will act in any way until we restore security to the residents of the North,” Netanyahu stated.

Israel carries out airstrikes in south Lebanon as Hezbollah attacks post
Naharnet/December 31, 2023
Israel carried out a series of airstrikes in south Lebanon on Sunday, as Hezbollah claimed responsibility for attacking an Israeli border post, in a continuation of the cross-border clashes that started on October 8. Israeli warplanes struck the border villages of Aita al-Shaab, Marwahin, Ramia and Beit Leef, as Israeli drones bombed the outskirts of Alma al-Shaab and Naqoura. The Israeli army said it targeted “infrastructure, positions and military buildings” belonging to Hezbollah in the town of Ramia on Sunday morning. It added that overnight strikes had targeted alleged Hezbollah sites in the town of Khiam after anti-tank missiles were fired from the area at Israel’s Upper Galilee. Hezbollah meanwhile issued a statement claiming responsibility for an attack Sunday on the Hanita Israeli border post. The group also mourned its slain fighter Ali Saad, who was killed Saturday in an Israeli airstrike on the southern town of Bint Jbeil.

4 Hezbollah members among 23 killed in east Syria strikes
Agence France Presse/December 31, 2023
Air strikes in eastern Syria, "likely" carried out by Israel, killed at least 23 pro-Iran fighters Saturday, a war monitor said, reporting four more dead in the country's north. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said "23 pro-Iranian fighters," including five Syrians, four from Lebanon's Hezbollah, six Iraqis and eight Iranians, were killed in at least nine pre-dawn air strikes near the Iraqi border.
It said the raids were "likely carried out by Israel," after earlier indicating they were "likely American." A U.S. military official, requesting anonymity, said the "U.S. did not conduct any defensive strikes overnight." The Observatory said the strikes targeted military positions in Albu Kamal and its surroundings in Deir Ezzor province, adding that a weapons shipment from Iraq and an ammunition warehouse were also hit. Israel rarely comments on individual strikes targeting Syria, but it has repeatedly said it will not allow arch foe Iran, which backs President Bashar al-Assad's government, to expand its presence there. Also Saturday, the Observatory said that "Israeli missiles targeted warehouses and bases of pro-Iran groups" near airport in the main northern city of Aleppo, killing four foreign fighters.
Syrian state media, citing a military source, said that at around 5:20 pm (1420 GMT), "the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack... targeting a number of points south of the city of Aleppo."During more than a decade of civil war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its territory, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces including Lebanese Hezbollah fighters as well as Syrian army positions.
But it has intensified attacks since its war with Hamas began on October 7.
Hezbollah announced on Saturday the death of four of its fighters, without saying when or where they were killed. There have been regular cross-border exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
Early on Saturday in southern Syria's Quneitra province, near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, "Israeli ground bombardment" killed two fighters from a Hezbollah-linked group, the Britain-based Observatory said. The Israeli army said that it carried out multiple strikes in Syria after two rockets fired from the country hit areas under its control. The Middle East has also seen a surge in attacks on U.S. forces, which Washington blames on pro-Tehran groups. The majority have been claimed by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose formation of Iran-linked armed groups which oppose U.S. support for Israel. The Observatory reported attacks on two U.S. bases in Deir Ezzor province late Saturday. It said the rocket and drone assault was carried out by Iran-backed groups.

Hezbollah's Naim Qassem: Israel cannot impose its choices in southern Lebanon
LBCI/December 31, 2023
Naim Qassem, the Deputy Secretary-General of Hezbollah, affirmed on Sunday that "Israel is not in a position to impose its choices regarding its presence in southern Lebanon on the border with Israel, which has witnessed an exchange of shelling between the two sides since the outbreak of the war in Gaza."Qassem said, "Israel presents many proposals regarding northern Palestine and southern Lebanon, attempting to show that it has options to perform actions that help the settlers return to the north safely and distance Hezbollah and the resistance from the south." He added, "We say to them: Israel is not in a position to impose its choices."

Hezbollah's 'Professions Unit' hosts Hamas delegation, emphasizes solidarity in resistance
LBCI/December 31, 2023
A delegation from the "Popular Action" in Hamas visited the "Professions Unit" in Hezbollah. The official in charge of the delegation, Raafat Murra, emphasized that "the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip is engaged in an epic of heroism, redemption, and sacrifice.""It directs strong and shocking blows to the occupation, thwarting its plans and shattering its hopes of achieving any form of political and military victories," the official added. The unit's official, Hassan Hijazi, emphasized "the importance of union and popular work in supporting and embracing the resistance and confronting the Zionist project." The meeting praised "the resistance in southern Lebanon and the results it achieves against the Israeli occupation on the road to Jerusalem."

Sirens sounded at UNIFIL's headquarters in Naqoura, enemy bombardment of Jebbine & Tair Harfa outskirts
NNA/December 31, 2023
Tyre - National News Agency correspondent reported that sirens sounded at the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura this afternoon, coinciding with intermittent enemy bombardment of the outskirts of al-Jebbine and Tair-Harfa in the western sector.

Lebanon targets UNESCO register for Tele Liban’s archive
Agence France Presse/December 31, 2023
Lebanon's caretaker Information Minister Ziad Makary told AFP that Beirut would apply to have the full archives of Tele Liban added to the U.N. cultural body's Memory of the World Register, which UNESCO says "aims to prevent the irrevocable loss of documentary heritage." Tele Liban was "the first television (network) to be established in the Arab world on a state level," Makary said, adding that Lebanon had the region's "oldest audiovisual archive."The collection includes footage that dates back "to World War II and the 1940s," although Tele Liban was only established the following decade, the minister said from his Beirut office. Were it to join the register, it would sit alongside hundreds of other entries, spanning print, audiovisual, digital and other heritage from across the globe.
The only television channel in Lebanon until 1985, the broadcaster's archive is brimming with years of history, politics and culture not only from Lebanon but across the Arab world, during tumultuous decades in the region.
It counts more than 50,000 hours of recordings, from interviews and news programs to music concerts, including of Egypt's revered 20th-Century singer Umm Kalthoum and French diva Dalida. The collection captured Lebanon's "cultural and political life" and was unique in the country, Alfred Akar, Tele Liban's head of archives, told AFP.
In multi-confessional Lebanon, there is nostalgia for the now cash-strapped Tele Liban's "golden age" during the 1960s and 70s, when it featured prominent personalities on its programs, from entertainment and comedy to drama.
As sectarian tensions peaked and the country plunged into the gruelling 1975-1990 civil war, Tele Liban became a witness to the country's divisions and suffering.
Makary noted the need to preserve history, pointing to "the archive's importance in the collective memory and (its) cultural impact on the region."
If successful, its entry on the UNESCO register would have great symbolic importance and put Lebanon's "media heritage on the world map," Makary said.
The aim is to include not only Tele Liban's archive but also that of the public radio and the National News Agency, Makary said, adding that work on the official submission would begin next month. Lebanon already counts two entries on the Memory of the World Register -- commemorative stelae spanning more than three millennia at a site north of Beirut, and the Phoenician alphabet, which the U.N. body's website describes as "the prototype for all alphabets in the world." In 2010, work began on modernizing the Tele Liban archive and transferring it to updated equipment despite little financial support, in a country where dysfunctional public services have now been swallowed by a crushing four-year economic crisis. The digitization process remained ongoing, said Akar. Zaven Kouyoumdjian, author of two books on television including "Lebanon on Screen", said Tele Liban was part of a modernizing effort in the Arab world and also "brought all Lebanese together."The broadcaster's archive is "a national treasure," said the author, who is also a television personality. It "stores Lebanon's cultural identity," he told AFP.

Traffic and Vehicles Management Authority: Vehicle registration schedule revealed
LBCI/December 31, 2023
The Traffic and Vehicles Management Authority - Vehicle Registration Department has announced the reception of citizens during the first week of the new year to complete the services previously announced as follows:
A- At the main center in Dekwaneh:
-Tuesday and Wednesday, January 2nd and 3rd, 2024, by appointment reservation through the authority's website. The appointment platform will be open on Monday, January 1st, 2024, at 4:00 PM.
-Thursday, January 4th, 2024, for citizens who could not book an appointment, provided that the individuals themselves attend and representatives are not accepted.
B- In other departments (Zahle, Sidon, Nabatieh, and Tripoli), in addition to the previous services, it is possible to complete new transactions related to the transfer of ownership of previously non-operational (scrapped) private tourist cars to a new owner. The required documents must be brought for inspection, and the work will be completed according to the following schedule:
-Tuesdays for vehicles and motorcycles/ for licenses ending with numbers (structure/sequence): 0, 1, 2, 3
-Wednesdays for vehicles and motorcycles/ for licenses ending with numbers (structure/sequence): 4, 5, 6
-Thursdays for vehicles and motorcycles/ for licenses ending with numbers (structure/sequence): 7, 8, 9
Note that the department will announce the availability of new services in the coming days.

Army Chief to soldiers: I bow before your sacrifices and your tolerance of all pressures because you adhere to your motto of "honor, sacrifice &.Loyalty.
NNA/December 31, 2023
The Lebanese Army published today on platform “X” a greeting by the Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, in which he wrote: “We welcome the year 2024, hoping that it will bring with it security, safety, and stability for our country. To our soldiers who are steadfast in the face of all challenges and who believe in their oath: I bow before your sacrifices and your tolerance of all pressures, campaigns, and interventions, caring less about them, for you adhere to your motto of honor, sacrifice, and loyalty.”

Makary: Lebanon has always been and will remain a country of diversity & multiple cultures
NNA/December 31, 2023
Caretaker Minister of Information, Ziad al-Makary, wrote today on platform “X”: “Lebanon has always been, and will remain, the homeland of diversity and multiple cultures. This small land has formed a model for the world, with its people’s celebrations of all religious occasions, especially Muslim and Christian events...Lebanon, “The Message,” is not similar to what we are witnessing in terms of burning Christmas trees, restricting personal freedom, and imposing conditions for celebrations...Any attempt to go against this is another distortion of Lebanon's image, and another step in eliminating the project of a state that embraces and protects diversity, a state that champions the rights of expression, the protection of differences and diversity, and that confronts the principle of imposing one opinion over another...Peace on Earth in 2024!"

UN chief closes tribunal founded to investigate 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister
AP/January 01, 2024
BEIRUT: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has closed an international tribunal that was created to investigate the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the UN chief’s spokesperson said Sunday. Over the years, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon held in absentia proceedings and found three members of the militant Hezbollah group guilty in connection with Hariri’s death in a massive Feb. 14, 2005 truck bombing.The tribunal based in The Hague, Netherlands, sentenced the three — Salim Jamil Ayyash, Hassan Habib Merhi and Hussein Hassan Oneissi — to five concurrent sentences of life imprisonment. Hezbollah officials have repeatedly denied that members of the group were involved in the suicide attack and refused to deal with the tribunal. The bombing killed Hariri and 21 others, and wounded 226. The trial judges had said there was no evidence Hezbollah’s leadership or Syria were involved in the attack but noted the assassination happened as Hariri and his political allies were discussing whether to call for Syria to withdraw its forces from Lebanon. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement Sunday that the Special Tribunal was established to try those responsible for the attack following the adoption of a 2007 Security Council resolution. The tribunal’s jurisdiction also extended to other attacks that were judicially determined to be “connected” to Hariri’s assassination. At the beginning of 2023, Guterres extended the panel’s mandate until Dec. 31 “for the limited purpose of completion of the non-judicial residual functions” and “for the orderly closure of the Special Tribunal.” The secretary-general noted Sunday that those tasks had been accomplished and the tribunal shut down, Guterres said. “The secretary-general expresses his deep appreciation for the dedication and hard work of the judges and staff at the Special Tribunal throughout the years,” Dujarric said. He added that Guterres also appreciated the support provided by the Lebanese government, the government of the Netherlands as the host state, and member states that participated in the tribunal’s management committee.

.Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 31/2023-January 01/2024
No end in sight to Gaza war as 2023 wraps up
Agence France Presse/December 31, 2023
Palestinians end a dark year on Sunday, with no end in sight to the deadliest Israeli military offensive on Gaza that followed Hamas' unprecedented cross-border operation in south Israel. There has been no respite from Israel's air raids, artillery fire or ground fighting with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, to the despair of Palestinians surviving the onslaught. "We were hoping that 2024 would arrive under better auspices and that we would be able to celebrate the new year at home with our families," said Mahmoud Abou Shahma in a camp for displaced people in Rafah, on the Egyptian border. "We hope that the war will end and that we will be able to return to our homes and live in peace," said the 33-year-old from Khan Yunis, an epicentre of the conflict in the south of Gaza. Gaza's health ministry says the Israeli military campaign has killed at least 21,672 people, mostly women and children -- by far the heaviest death toll of any Israeli operation. On Sunday the ministry reported numerous deaths in overnight strikes on central Gaza's Zawayda and the nearby Al-Mughazi refugee camp. The fighting began with Hamas' October 7 attacks, which Israeli says left about 1,140 Israelis dead, mostly civilians. Militants also took about 250 people hostage, and Israel says 129 of them remain in captivity. The Israeli army says 170 soldiers have been killed in combat inside Gaza. An Israeli siege imposed after October 7, following years of crippling blockade, has led to dire shortages of food, safe water, fuel and medicine in Gaza, with aid convoys able to offer only sporadic relief. The U.N. says more than 85 percent of Gaza's 2.4 million people have fled their homes. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of the growing threat of infectious diseases and the U.N. says Gaza is "just weeks away" from famine. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that Israel's war against Hamas will last for "many months" -- until the Palestinian militant group has been eliminated. "We will guarantee that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel," he told a news conference.
'Every shred of hope'
As Netanyahu spoke, more than a thousand relatives and supporters of the hostages demonstrated in Tel Aviv to maintain pressure on his government to bring their loved ones home. "I hope there's going to be another deal, even a partial deal or some will be released. I'm trying to hold on to every shred of hope," said Nir Shafran, 45. Gal Gilboa-Dalal has been traumatized since the rave he attended with his brother Guy was stormed by Hamas commandos on October 7. "I was there with him and he was taken away the minute I wasn't with him. So I went with him and I came back without him and it's like time has stopped ever since," he said. In Khan Yunis, medics at Nasser hospital described severe shortages. "The hospital is receiving a lot more (patients) than its capacity," doctor Ahmad Abu Mustafa said in footage shared by the WHO. "The beds are full... and we are basically short on all sorts of medicine supplies."The fighting has put 23 hospitals and 53 health centres out of service, while 104 ambulances have been destroyed, the health ministry said. In Zawayda, Palestinians pulled the body of a child from under the rubble on Saturday after an Israeli strike. "We pulled (out) nine martyrs, who were members of a very peaceful family. Two adjacent houses were targeted," said the area's civil defence director, Rami al-Aidi.
Mediation efforts
International mediators -- who last month brokered a one-week truce that saw more than 100 hostages released and some aid enter Gaza -- continue in their efforts to secure a new pause in fighting. U.S. news outlet Axios and Israeli website Ynet, both citing unnamed Israeli officials, reported that Qatari mediators had told Israel that Hamas was prepared to resume talks on new hostage releases in exchange for a ceasefire. A Hamas delegation was in Cairo on Friday to discuss an Egyptian plan proposing renewable ceasefires, a staggered release of hostages for Palestinian prisoners, and ultimately an end to the war, sources close to Hamas said. Islamic Jihad, another armed group fighting alongside Hamas, said on Saturday that Palestinian factions were "in the process" of evaluating the Egyptian proposal. A response will come "within days," the group's chief negotiator, Muhammad al-Hindi, said. Asked about the negotiations on Saturday, Netanyahu said Hamas had been "giving all kinds of ultimatums that we didn't accept.""We are seeing a certain shift (but) I don't want to create an expectation."
Fronts multiplying
The Gaza war has intensified tensions across the region. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have repeatedly targeted vessels in the vital Red Sea shipping lane with strikes they say are in support of Palestinians in Gaza. On Saturday, the U.S. military said one of its destroyers shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired from territory controlled by the rebels. The U.S. Central Command described it as the "23rd illegal attack by the Huthis on international shipping" since November 19. CENTCOM said the destroyer had also responded to a call for help from a Danish container ship that was hit in a separate strike. Israel has also traded frequent cross-border fire with Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah. "If Hezbollah wants to extend the war, it will be dealt blows like never before, and so will Iran," Netanyahu warned Saturday. In Syria, at least 23 pro-Iran fighters -- five Syrians, four Hezbollah members, six Iraqis and eight Iranians -- were killed on Saturday in raids "likely" carried out by Israel, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Netanyahu says Gaza war will go on for 'many more months'
Associated Press/December 31, 2023
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza will continue for "many more months," pushing back against persistent international cease-fire calls after mounting civilian deaths, hunger and mass displacement in the besieged enclave.
Netanyahu thanked the Biden administration for its continued backing, including approval for a new emergency weapons sale, the second this month, and prevention of a U.N. Security Council resolution seeking an immediate cease-fire. Israel argues that ending the war now would mean victory for Hamas, a stance shared by the Biden administration, which at the same time urged Israel to do more to avoid harm to Palestinian civilians. In new fighting, Israeli warplanes struck the urban refugee camps of Nuseirat and Bureij in the center of the territory Saturday as ground forces pushed deeper into the southern city of Khan Younis. The Health Ministry in Gaza said Saturday that more than 21,600 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's unprecedented air and ground offensive since the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel. The ministry, which does not distinguish between the deaths of civilians and combatants, said 165 Palestinians were killed over the past 24 hours. It has said about 70% of those killed have been women and children. The number of Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza combat rose to 170, after the military announced two more deaths Saturday. The war has displaced some 85% of Gaza's 2.3 million residents, sending swells of people seeking shelter in Israeli-designated safe areas that the military has nevertheless bombed. Palestinians are left with a sense that nowhere is safe in the tiny enclave. With Israeli forces expanding their ground offensive this week, tens of thousands more Palestinians streamed into the already crowded city of Rafah at the southernmost end of Gaza. Thousands of tents and makeshift shacks have sprung up on Rafah's outskirts next to U.N. warehouses. Displaced people arrived in Rafah on foot or on trucks and carts piled high with mattresses. Those who did not find space in overwhelmed shelters pitched tents on roadsides. "We don't have water. We don't have enough food," Nour Daher, a displaced woman, said Saturday from the sprawling tent camp. "The kids wake up in the morning wanting to eat, wanting to drink. It took us one hour to find water for them. We couldn't bring them flour. Even when we wanted to take them to toilets, it took us one hour to walk." In the Nuseirat camp, resident Mustafa Abu Wawee said a strike hit the home of one of his relatives, killing two people. "The (Israeli) occupation is doing everything to force people to leave," he said over the phone while helping to search for four people missing under the rubble. "They want to break our spirit and will, but they will fail. We are here to stay."
MORE U.S. WEAPONS FOR ISRAEL
The State Department said Friday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Congress he approved a $147.5 million sale for equipment, including fuses, charges and primers, that is needed for 155 mm shells Israel bought previously.
It marked the second time this month that the Biden administration is bypassing Congress to approve an emergency weapons sale to Israel. Blinken made a similar decision on Dec. 9 to approve the sale to Israel of nearly 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition worth more than $106 million. Both moves have come as President Joe Biden's request for a nearly $106 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other national security needs remains stalled in Congress, caught up in a debate over U.S. immigration policy and border security. Some Democratic lawmakers have spoken of making the proposed $14.3 billion in American assistance to its Mideast ally contingent on concrete steps by Netanyahu's government to reduce civilian casualties in Gaza during the war with Hamas.
THE WAR'S TIMELINE
Blinken, who has repeatedly traveled to the Middle East during the war, was expected back in Israel and other countries in the region in January. U.S. officials have urged Israel to start shifting from high intensity combat to more targeted operations, but said they were not imposing a deadline. Netanyahu said Israel needs more time. "As the chief of staff said this week, the war will continue many more months," he told a televised news conference Saturday. "My policy is clear. We will continue to fight until we have achieved all the objectives of the war, first and foremost the annihilation of Hamas and the release of all the hostages."More than 120 hostages remain in Gaza, after militants seized more than 240 in the Oct. 7 assault that allegedly also killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Netanyahu is also at odds with the Biden administration over who should run Gaza after the war. He has rejected the U.S.-backed idea that a unified Palestinian government should run both Gaza and parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank as a precursor to eventual statehood. Instead, he has insisted on open-ended Israeli security control in Gaza, without saying what would come next.
TRADING FOR HOSTAGES
Families of hostages and their supporters have demanded that the government prioritize hostage releases over other war objectives, and have staged large protests every weekend, including Saturday. Egypt, one of the mediators between Israel and Hamas, has proposed a multistage plan that would kick off with a swap of hostages for prisoners, accompanied by a temporary cease-fire — along the lines of an exchange during a weeklong truce in November. Hamas insists the war must end before it will discuss hostage releases. Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official in Beirut, reiterated that position Saturday, but also told The Associated Press that "we have not given any final answer so far" to the Egyptian proposal. Asked about reports of possible progress toward a deal, Netanyahu said Saturday that "we see a possibility, maybe, for movement" but that he did not want to raise "exaggerated expectations."
DIFFICULTIES IN DELIVERING AID
More than a week after a U.N. Security Council resolution called for the unhindered delivery of aid at scale across besieged Gaza, conditions have only worsened, U.N. agencies warned. Aid officials said the aid entering Gaza remains woefully inadequate. Distributing goods is hampered by long delays at two border crossings, ongoing fighting, Israeli airstrikes, repeated cuts in internet and phone services and a breakdown of law and order that makes it difficult to secure aid convoys, they said. Nearly the entire population is fully dependent on outside humanitarian aid, said Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. A quarter of the population is starving because too few trucks enter with food, medicine, fuel and other supplies — sometimes fewer than 100 trucks a day, according to U.N. daily reports.

Israeli bombardment pushes more Palestinians into southern Gaza: ‘This is not a life’
Tom Bennett/The Independent/December 31, 2023
When an Israeli airstrike hit a residential building just metres from southern Gaza’s Kuwaiti Hospital, the surrounding area – overcrowded with people who have fled other parts of Gaza – sank into chaos. “It wasn’t a normal airstrike,” says Awad Mohammed Ali Al-Zain, 22, who was sitting near the building when he was hit by shrapnel from the blast. “It was terrifying,” he says. People in the streets outside the hospital dropped their belongings and ran for cover. Some crouched behind ambulances, others sprinted up the street. A father ran clutching his toddler. Young children burst into tears. A lone donkey that had been towing a cart of supplies turned itself halfway around in the middle of the road as its owners fled for cover – as a burst of further strikes hit the building just a few hundred metres behind it. Scenes like this shock no one in Gaza any more. Many of the injured were taken into the hospital screaming in agony. Some were treated on the hospital floor. Others were crowded into prayer rooms as doctors moved from patient to patient. Jamal Hams, the medical director of the Kuwaiti Hospital, tells The Independent conditions there have worsened dramatically in recent weeks. “The hospital doesn’t have the capacity to treat these patients properly,” he says. “Sometimes we have very severe injuries that force us to push other patients out [of the ward] into the courtyard or into the prayer rooms to make space for them.”“When our children are found with severe injuries to their heads or torso, when our children are brought into the hospital on the verge of death or permanent disability, this is what hurts the medical team the most,” he adds. “The innocent child sat in his home has nothing to do with this war, nor with politics, nor with security and nor with the military."
The Kuwaiti Hospital is located in Rafah, close to the border with Egypt at the southern tip of Gaza. It is one of the few places in Gaza not under evacuation orders. Airstrikes pounded al-Maghazi and al-Bureij in the centre of Gaza on Sunday, forcing more residents to flee toward Rafah.
Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that controls Gaza, in the wake of the cross-border attack on 7 October that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, with another 240 people being taken hostage. Israel’s air and artillery bombardment has killed more than 21,800 people, according to health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza, with many more feared dead in the rubble, and has pushed around 85 per cent of its 2.3 million residents from their homes. Jamal Hams says infectious diseases are spreading rapidly through Rafah and that the medical team at Kuwaiti Hospital are dealing with large numbers of cases – as well as many patients with long-term illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. “This is not a life,” says Al-Zain of day-to-day conditions in Rafah. “You can’t take a bath, there’s no food, there’s no drink, there’s nothing people want.”
The World Health Organisation has reported climbing rates of disease across Gaza, including a fivefold increase in diarrhoea, as well as upper respiratory infections, meningitis, skin rashes, scabies, lice and chickenpox. The war and lack of supplies has left 40 per cent of Gazans at risk of famine, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees has said, with Israel having blocked almost all food, fuel and medicine from entering Gaza after the 7 October attack. It said on Sunday it was ready to let ships from some Western countries deliver aid directly to Gaza’s shores after security checks in Cyprus. “It can start immediately,” foreign minister Eli Cohen told Tel Aviv radio station 103 FM when asked about the Mediterranean corridor. He said Britain, France, Greece and the Netherlands were among countries with vessels able to land directly on the shores of Gaza, which lacks a deep-water port. He appeared to suggest he expected them to do that rather than offload aid in Israel. Comments from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday suggest there will be no easing of the conflict soon. He said “the war is at its height” and Israel would have to retake control of Gaza’s border with Egypt – an area now full of civilians. Senior Palestinian Authority official Hussein al-Sheikh in the Israeli-occupied West Bank claimed via social media that Israel taking over the border was evidence of a decision “to completely return the occupation”. Umm Mohammed, a displaced Palestinian woman sheltering by the border, told Reuters: “We moved here from Khan Younis on the basis that Rafah was a safe place. There is no space in Rafah as it is overcrowded with displaced.”“If they control the border, where will people go?” she asked, saying this would be “a disaster”.

Gazans pray new year can bring peace after ‘wreckage’ of 2023
REUTERS/December 31, 2023
RAFAH: As they turn from a year that could barely have brought more bitter hardship after 12 weeks of a pulverizing Israeli assault, people in Gaza have little hope that 2024 will bring much relief. In Rafah on Gaza’s border with Egypt, which has become the biggest focal point for Palestinians fleeing other parts of the enclave, people on Sunday were more preoccupied with trying to find shelter, food, and water than by the new year. “In 2024, I wish to go back to the wreckage of my home, pitch a tent, and live there,” said Abu Abdullah Al-Agha, a middle-aged Palestinian man whose house in Khan Younis was destroyed and who lost a young niece and nephew in an Israeli airstrike. “I wish for our children to live in peace and security, to go back to school, back to university, for workers to go back to work and find a source of income,” he added. The Israeli bombardment has pushed nearly all Gazans from their homes, killed 21,800 people, according to health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave, and left survivors facing hunger, disease, and destitution. Any hope of a political settlement to the conflict and Palestinians’ 75-year quest for self-determination appear further away than ever. “Since October, we’ve been struggling in tents in the streets after our homes were demolished,” said Suzan Khader, weeping, adding that she wished the new year would bring an end to the war. “Our whole lives are now on the streets, we eat in the streets, we live on the streets, we die on the streets, and even our children are on the streets, and we’re all displaced. So many struggles in 2023,” she added. People crowd around makeshift tents in Rafah that have sprung up on streets and pavements, in empty lots and fields. UN-run schools designated as shelters early in the conflict were rapidly filled with people whose homes were destroyed.
In tents made with crude plastic sheeting, where people have only the minimum of belongings, such as blankets and cooking utensils, people look back with fond sadness on their abandoned homes and lives.“I hope in 2024 that everything is  fixed and for life to go back to normal,” said Muna Al-Sawaf, 12, from Gaza City, playing with a kitten in the rubble. “I want life to go back to normal, get dressed, rerun errands, our homes to be rebuilt.”

Israeli strikes in central Gaza kill at least 35 as Netanyahu says war will continue for months
Sun, December 31, 2023 at 7:33 a.m. EST
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli strikes in central Gaza killed at least 35 people Sunday, hospital officials said, as the military targeted areas in several parts of the territory a day after the country’s prime minister said the war will continue for “many more months," resisting international calls for a cease-fire. The military said Israeli forces were operating in Gaza’s second-largest city, Khan Younis, and residents reported strikes in the central part of the tiny enclave, after Israel this week made that region the new focus of its war.
The war has raised fears of a broader regional conflagration. The U.S. military on Sunday said it shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired toward a container ship by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. Hours later, four boats tried to attack the same ship, but U.S. forces opened fire, killing several of the armed crews, the U.S. Central Command said. Israel says it wants to destroy Hamas’ governing and military capabilities in Gaza, from where it launched its Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and took 240 people hostage, according to Israeli authorities.
Israel's unprecedented air and ground offensive has killed more than 21,600 Palestinians and wounded more than 55,000 others, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza. The war has sparked a humanitarian crisis, with a quarter of Gaza residents facing starvation, according to the United Nations. Israel’s bombardments have levelled vast swaths of the territory, making parts uninhabitable and displacing some 85% of Gaza’s inhabitants.
ISRAEL PRESSES ON
Israel expanded its offensive to central Gaza this week, targeting a belt of dense urban neighborhoods that house refugees from the war surrounding Israel’s creation in 1948 and their descendants. The fighting has left Palestinians in Gaza with the feeling that nowhere is safe. In the area of Zweida in central Gaza, an Israeli airstrike killed at least 13 people and wounded dozens of others, according to witnesses. The bodies were draped in white plastic and laid out in front of a hospital, where prayers were held before burial. “They were innocent people,” said Hussein Siam, whose relatives were among the dead. “Israeli warplanes bombarded the whole family.”Officials from Al-Aqsa Hospital in central Deir al-Balah said the 13 were among 35 bodies received on Sunday. The Israeli military said it was battling militants in Khan Younis, where Israel believes Hamas leaders are hiding. It also said its forces operating in Shati, in northern Gaza, found a bomb in a kindergarten and defused it. Hamas continued to launch rockets toward southern Israel. Israel has faced stiff resistance from Hamas since it began its ground offensive in late October, and the military says 172 soldiers have been killed during that time.
THE DAY AFTER FOR GAZA
The magnitude of the destruction in Gaza coupled with the war's length has raised questions about the achievability of Israel’s goal to quash Hamas as well as about its plans for post-war Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel must maintain open-ended security control over the Gaza Strip, without saying what would come next. At a news conference Saturday, where he said the war would continue for “many more months,” he reiterated his intention to preserve an Israeli military foothold in a narrow strip of land in southern Gaza near the border with Egypt. “(It) must be in our hands, it must be sealed. It’s clear that any other agreement will not guarantee the demilitarization that we need and require,” Netanyahu said. Israel says Hamas has smuggled weapons in through the Egyptian border, but Egypt is likely to oppose any Israeli military presence there. In his public remarks about Israel’s plans for the Gaza Strip, Netanyahu has also said he won't allow the internationally-backed Palestinian Authority, which administers some parts of the West Bank, to participate in any future rule over Gaza. That position has put Netanyahu at odds with the Biden administration over who should run Gaza after the war. The U.S. backs the idea that a unified Palestinian government should run both Gaza and parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank as a precursor to eventual statehood. Israeli media have reported that Netanyahu has repeatedly dodged holding meetings with his War Cabinet about the post-war possibilities.
ISRAELIS PROTEST
Israelis, who still largely stand behind the war’s goals, are showing signs they are losing patience. On Saturday night, thousands protested against Netanyahu, one of the largest demonstrations against the long-serving Israeli leader since the war began. The country, which is sharply divided over Netanyahu and a legal overhaul plan he has set in motion, has remained mostly united over the war. “It is true that the state of Israel has many enemies and threats, but unfortunately today Prime Minister Netanyahu and his continued rule is the most significant existential threat to our country and our society,” said protester Gal Tzur. A separate protest Saturday called for the release of the 129 remaining hostages held by Hamas. Families of hostages and their supporters have demanded that the government prioritize hostage releases over other war objectives, and have staged large protests every weekend. Egypt, one of the mediators between Israel and Hamas, has proposed a multistage plan that would kick off with a swap of hostages for prisoners, accompanied by a temporary cease-fire — along the lines of an exchange during a weeklong truce in November. But the sides still appear far from striking a new deal. The leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group holding Israeli hostages said Sunday there will be no exchange with Israel before the war ends and Israel withdraws its troops from the Gaza Strip, echoing Hamas' position.

Israel seeks full control of Gaza-Egypt border
AP/December 31, 2023
JERUSALEM: Israel must take full control of the Gaza Strip border corridor with Egypt to ensure a “demilitarization” of the area, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Speaking at a press conference, Netanyahu said: “The Philadelphi Corridor — or to put it more correctly, the southern closing point (of Gaza) — must be in our hands. It must be shut. Any other arrangement would not ensure the demilitarization that we seek.”He did not elaborate. If accomplished, such a move would mark a de facto reversal of Israel’s 2005 withdrawal from Gaza, placing the enclave under exclusive Israeli control after years of being run by Hamas. Netanyahu’s comments about the buffer zone came as Israeli military forces pressed ahead with an offensive that the prime minister reiterated would last “for many more months.”Netanyahu and his continued rule is the most significant existential threat to our country and our society. Israelis, still largely united behind the war’s goals, are showing signs they are losing patience. On Saturday night, thousands took part in one of the largest demonstrations against Netanyahu since the war began. The country is still sharply divided over the long-serving leader and a judicial overhaul plan he set in motion before the war. “Prime Minister Netanyahu and his continued rule is the most significant existential threat to our country and our society,” said protester Gal Tzur. A separate protest on Saturday called for the release of the estimated 129 remaining hostages held by Hamas. Families of hostages and their supporters have demanded that the government prioritize hostage releases over other war objectives, and have staged large protests every weekend. Egypt, one of the mediators between Israel and Hamas, has proposed a multistage plan that would kick off with a swap of hostages for prisoners, accompanied by a temporary ceasefire. A similar deal in November saw Hamas free over 100 hostages and Israel release 240 Palestinian prisoners. But the sides still appear far from striking a new deal. Both Hamas and the Islamic Jihad group say no more hostages will be freed until Israel ends the offensive and withdraws from Gaza.

In rare apology, Israeli minister says she ‘sinned’ for her role in reforms that tore country apart
AP/December 31, 2023
JERUSALEM: A former member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cabinet offered a rare public apology Sunday for contributing to the internal strife in Israel that preceded the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip.The mea culpa by Galit Distel Atbaryan, a lawmaker from Netanyahu’s Likud Party, was one of the first times a Likud member has accepted responsibility for the polarized atmosphere ahead of the attack, which triggered a devastating war that has continued for nearly three months. Distel Atbaryan appeared to accept the argument that the internal divisions created perceptions of weakness that encouraged Hamas to attack. “I’m here sitting and telling you, the democratic, secular public: I sinned against you, I caused pain for you, I caused you to fear for your lives here, and I am sorry for this,” she told Channel 13 TV. Distel Atbaryan added that she was taking responsibility for her role in the massive protests and civil discord that erupted after Netanyahu’s right-wing government attempted to implement a far-reaching overhaul of the judicial system. The crisis sparked mass protests, alarmed business leaders and former security chiefs, and drew concern from the United States and other close allies. “I was one of those people that caused the state to be weakened, that harmed people,” she said. “I created a split, I created a rift, and I created tension. And this tension brought weakness. And this weakness, in many ways, brought massacre.” Distel Atbaryan, who served as public diplomacy minister, was one of Netanyahu’s strongest supporters and drew attention for her harsh criticism of his opponents. But days after the Oct. 7 attack, she resigned when it was clear that other government ministries were handling her responsibilities. Distel Atbaryan said the office was a “waste of public funds” during wartime. She has remained as a member of parliament in the Likud.

Drone attack on Iraqi Kurdistan military base
AFP/December 31, 2023
IRBIL: Authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan said Sunday two drones struck a military base used by the autonomous region’s security forces, blaming the attack on “outlaws” funded by Baghdad. The attack on the base in Irbil province was carried out late Saturday and caused some damage but no casualties, the regional government said in a statement. The region’s peshmerga forces are allies of the US-led anti-militant coalition that has troops deployed in Iraq.
BACKGROUND
Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, there has been a surge in attacks on US forces and their allies in Iraq and neighboring Syria. Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, there has been a surge in attacks on US forces and their allies in Iraq and neighboring Syria. The majority have been claimed by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose alliance of Iran-linked armed groups that oppose US support for Israel in the Gaza war. A tally by US military officials has counted 106 attacks against its troops in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17. Prime Minister of Kurdistan Masrour Barzani said he was “deeply alarmed” by Saturday’s drone attack. “I condemn the outlaws and their collaborators in the strongest terms possible,” he said on X, formerly Twitter. The regional government said these groups “are funded by the federal government” in Baghdad, with which it has strained relations. The government of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani is backed by pro-Tehran parties. Sudani’s office said Sunday he “had ordered a thorough investigation into this criminal (drone) attack,” in coordination with the Iraqi Kurdish security services.

Armed drone shot down near US base in northern Iraq
BAGHDAD (Reuters)/December 31, 2023
Defence systems shot down an armed drone on Sunday over Erbil airport in northern Iraq where U.S. and other international forces are stationed, Iraqi Kurdistan's counter-terrorism service said in a statement. A group called "Islamic Resistance in Iraq" said it had launched the drone to attack what it called an “occupation base”.There were no casualties or damage to infrastructure, security sources said. U.S. and international forces based in Iraq and across the border in Syria have been on high alert amid dozens of attacks on their bases since the Israel-Hamas war broke out. Sunday’s attack came less than 24 hours after two drones were shot down on Saturday evening near a northern Iraqi military base used by the Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces, and al-Harir airbase that also hosts U.S. forces, according to the Kurdish Regional Government. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani has ordered an investigation in coordination with the Kurdish regional security forces and pledged to pursue those responsible for Saturday's attack, a military spokesman for the prime minister said on Sunday.

Ten Yemeni Houthis killed in US airstrike on boats attacking ship in the Red Sea
AFP/December 31, 2023 
Ten Yemeni Houthi fighters were killed and two others were injured in a US airstrike on boats that attacked a container ship in the southern Red Sea on Sunday, according to maritime sources in the Yemeni Port of Hodeidah.
A maritime source in the Houthi-controlled port, who refused to disclose his name, told Agence France-Presse, "Ten Houthis were killed, and two who were injured in the US airstrike on the Houthi boats that were attempting to stop a ship off the coast of Hodeidah." Another maritime source, without revealing his identity, confirmed the death toll, stating that "four survivors arrived in Hodeidah, and with them, two wounded were transferred to Al-Sammad Hospital."

US Navy helicopters destroy Houthi boats in Red Sea after attempted hijack
Adam Durbin - BBC News/December 31, 2023
Helicopters from the USS Eisenhower responded to the second distress call from a Danish container ship in 24 hours.The US Navy has destroyed Houthi "small boats" attempting to board a container ship in the Red Sea. Four vessels from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen fired upon the Maersk Hangzhou and got to within metres of the ship, the US military said. Helicopters from nearby US warships responded to a distress call and after being fired upon, sunk three of them "in self-defence". The crews were killed and the fourth boat fled the area.
Houthi forces have been attacking ships in the Red Sea since November, launching more than 100 drone and missile attacks on vessels passing through the the vital shipping lane. The Iranian-backed Yemeni rebel group previously claimed its attacks are directed at vessels linked to Israel, in response to the war in Gaza. The commercial ship attacked, the Maersk Hangzhou, is registered to Singapore and operated and owned by a Danish firm, US Central Command (Centcom) said. Maersk, one of the largest shipping companies in the world, says it has paused sailings through the Red Sea for 48 hours.
The firm had only resumed using the route a few days ago, after the US and its allies launched a mission to protect ships in the area. The four Houthi boats attacked at around 06:30 Yemeni time (03:30 GMT) with mounted weapons and small arms, getting to within 20m (66ft) of the container ship, which the crew "attempted to board". The ships crew issued a distress call and a security team returned fire, the statement said.
Helicopters from the nearby USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier and USS Gravely destroyer responded to the call for help and were shot at while "in the process of issuing verbal calls to the small boats". The helicopters "returned fire in self-defense, sinking three of the four small boats, and killing the crews", Centcom said. It added that the fourth boat "fled the area" and no damage had been recorded to US personnel or equipment. It was the second attack on the Maersk Hangzhou in 24 hours, after it was attacked with missiles on Saturday. The anti-ship missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled areas as the destroyers Gravely and Laboon responded on Saturday, according to a previous Centcom statement. A US Navy admiral told AP the missile attack was the first successful strike since a global patrol was launched on 18 December. Centcom said while the ships were responding to the distress call, two anti-ship missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled areas at the pair of US navy vessels. The USS Gravely destroyed the inbound ballistic missiles, Centcom said, adding it was the twenty-third "illegal attack by the Houthis on international shipping" since 19 November.
Centcom added the Maersk Hangzhou is "reportedly seaworthy and there are no reported injuries" on board.
Who are the Houthi rebels attacking Red Sea ships?
What do Red Sea assaults mean for global trade?
India deploys warships after drone attack on tanker
Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) organisation reported an incident in the Red Sea about 55 nautical miles (101km) to the south-west of the Yemeni port of Hodeidah. In a statement, the organisation said an unidentified ship had reported "a loud bang accompanied by a flash on the port bow of the vessel" and several explosions. No damage was recorded and all members of the crew were reported unhurt, with the vessel escaping the area to a nearby port, the statement said. The rise in Houthi attacks over several weeks has led many shipping firms, including Maersk, to divert their vessels away from the Red Sea, travelling around the horn of Africa instead. To reach the Suez Canal in Egypt - which connects to the Mediterranean Sea - ships must pass through the tiny Bab al-Mandab Strait, just off the coast of Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. The Tehran-sponsored rebels have previously claimed to only target "Israel-linked" commercial ships in response to the war in Gaza, saying the attacks are an attempt to stop Israeli attacks on Palestinians. In a statement on Sunday, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said he told Iran's foreign minister that Tehran "shares responsibility for preventing these attacks given their long-standing support to the Houthis". In response, the US launched Operation Prosperity Guardian - an international coalition to safeguard shipping in the the region. In an interview with the Associated Press, US Navy Vice Admiral Brad Cooper said the Houthis do not seem to be ending their "reckless" attacks in light of the maritime taskforce. He added that 1,200 commercial ships have passed through the Red Sea since the operation was launched, with none hit by drone or missile strikes until Saturday. After the international taskforce was announced, the US Department of Defense said the Houthis had carried out over 100 drone and ballistic missile attacks since November. These attempted strikes targeted 10 commercial ships linked to more than 35 different countries, it added. Maersk said last week that it was preparing to resume journeys through Red Sea - after diverting to the much longer route around the Cape of Good Hope because of recent Houthi attacks on shipping. Sunday's attacks have led to another 48 hour pause. The Red Sea is one of the world's most important shipping lanes as it links markets in Europe with Asia. Analysts have warned the attacks could see a rise in prices, as it is also one of the most important routes for oil and liquefied natural gas shipments produced in the Middle East.

Houthis show no sign of ending 'reckless' Red Sea attacks as trade traffic picks up, commander says
CHRISTIANSTED, U.S. Virgin Islands (AP)/December 31, 2023
Yemen’s Houthi rebels show no signs of ending their “reckless” attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, the top commander of U.S. naval forces in the Middle East says, even as more nations join the international maritime mission to protect vessels in the vital waterway and trade traffic begins to pick up.
Since Operation Prosperity Guardian was announced just over 10 days ago, 1,200 merchant ships have traveled through the Red Sea region, and none had been hit by drone or missile strikes, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper said in an Associated Press interview, although the U.S. military said that one ship reported being struck by a missile late Saturday. Cooper said earlier that day that additional countries are expected to sign on to the mission. Denmark was the latest, announcing Friday it plans to send a frigate to the mission that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced during a visit to Bahrain, where the Navy's 5th Fleet is based, saying that “this is an international challenge that demands collective action.”The Iran-backed Houthis, who say their attacks are aimed at Israel-linked ships in an effort to stop the Israeli offensive in Gaza, fired on the same container ship in two separate incidents over the weekend, drawing a U.S. military response. The narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait connects the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea and then the Suez Canal. The crucial trade route links markets in Asia and Europe. The seriousness of the attacks, several of which have damaged vessels, led multiple shipping companies to order their vessels to hold in place and not enter the strait until the security situation improved. Some major shippers were sending their ships around Africa and the Cape of Good Hope, adding time and costs to the journeys. Currently there are five warships from the United States, France, and the United Kingdom patrolling the waters of the southern Red Sea and the western Gulf of Aden, said Cooper, who heads the 5th Fleet. Since the operation started, the ships have shot down a total of 17 drones and four anti-ship ballistic missiles, he said.
The U.S. military said Saturday it shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired toward a Maersk container ship in the Red Sea after the ship reported it had been hit by a missile. Two Navy destroyers responded to the call for help, and the Denmark-owned vessel was reportedly seaworthy and no injuries were noted, according to a statement from U.S. Central Command. Hours later, four Houthi boats fired at the same ship and tried to board, Central Command said. U.S. forces on two helicopters responded to the distress call and were also fired upon before they sank three of the Houthi vessels and killed the crews, Central Command said. The fourth boat fled the area. No damage to U.S. personnel or equipment was reported. There have been about two dozen attacks on international shipping by the Houthis since Oct. 19. Austin discussed the situation with the Dutch defense minister, Kajsa Ollongren, and they condemned the attacks as unacceptable and “profoundly destabilizing” to international order and global commerce, the Pentagon said Saturday. The U.S. has said that more than 20 nations are participating in the security mission, but a number of those nations have not acknowledged it publicly. “I expect in the coming weeks we’re going to get additional countries," Cooper said, noting Denmark's recent announcement. Cooper said the coalition is in direct communication with commercial ships to provide guidance on “maneuvering and the best practices to avoid being attacked,” and working closely with the shipping industry to coordinate security. An international task force had been set up in April 2022 to improve maritime security in the region. But Cooper said Operation Prosperity Guardian has more ships and a persistent presence to assist vessels. Since the operation started, the Houthis have stepped up their use of anti-ship ballistic missiles, Cooper said. “We are cleareyed that the Houthi reckless attacks will likely continue," he said. The Houthis seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014, launching a grinding war against a Saudi-led coalition that sought to restore the government. The militants have sporadically targeted ships in the region, but the attacks increased since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The Houthi threatened to attack any vessel they believe is either going to or coming from Israel. That has escalated to apparently any vessel, with container ships and oil tankers flagged to countries such as Norway and Liberia being attacked or drawing missile fire. The shipping company Maersk had announced earlier that it had decided to re-route its ships that have been paused for days outside the strait and Red Sea, and send them around Africa instead. Maersk announced Dec. 25 that it was going to resume sending ships through the strait, citing the operation. Cooper said another shipping company had also resumed using the route. "Commerce is definitely flowing," Cooper said.

US forces shoot down ballistic missiles in Red Sea, kill gunmen in attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels
Updated Sun, December 31, 2023 at 6:04 a.m. EST
BEIRUT (AP) — The U.S. military said Sunday it shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired toward a container ship by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. Hours later, four boats tried to attack the same ship, but U.S. forces opened fire, killing several of the armed crews, the U.S. Central Command said. No one was injured on the ship. The Singapore-flagged MAERSK HANZGHOU reported they had already been hit by a missile Saturday night while transiting the Southern Red Sea and requested assistance, CENTCOM said in a statement. The USS GRAVELY and USS LABOON responded to the call for help, and the Denmark-owned vessel was reportedly seaworthy and no injuries were noted, the statement added. “This is the 23rd illegal attack by the Houthis on international shipping since Nov. 19,” CENTCOM said. In another statement, CENTCOM said the same ship issued an additional distress call about a second attack “by four Iranian-backed Houthi small boats.” The attackers fired small arms weapons at the MAERSK HANZGHOU, getting to within 20 meters (about 65 feet) of the vessel, and attempted to it, CENTCOM said. A contract-embarked security team on the ship returned fire, the central command said. U.S. helicopters from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and GRAVELY responded to the distress call and while issuing verbal warnings to the attackers, the small boat crews opened fire on the helicopters using small arms, the statement said. “The U.S. Navy helicopters returned fire in self-defense,” sinking three of the four boats, killing the crews while the fourth boat fled the area, CENTCOM said, and no damage to U.S. personnel or equipment was reported. The Iran-backed Houthis have claimed attacks on ships in the Red Sea that they say are either linked to Israel or heading to Israeli ports. They say their attacks aim to end Israel’s air-and-ground offensive targeting the Gaza Strip following the attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Oct.7. On Saturday, the top commander of U.S. naval forces in the Middle East said Houthi rebels have shown no signs of ending their “reckless” attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea even as more nations join the international maritime mission to protect vessels in the vital waterway and trade traffic begins to pick up. Since the Pentagon announced Operation Prosperity Guardian to counter the attacks just over 10 days ago, 1,200 merchant ships have traveled through the Red Sea region, and none has been hit by drone or missile strikes, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper said in an Associated Press interview.

11 senior Iranian officers killed in Israeli airstrike on Syrian airport, report says
Nathan Rennolds/ Business Insider/December 30, 2023
An Israeli airstrike on an airport in Syria reportedly killed 11 Iranian officers. The strike hit Damascus International Airport on Thursday evening, Al Arabiya reported. The officers were from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). An Israeli airstrike on an airport in Syria has reportedly killed 11 senior Iranian officers, Saudi Arabian news outlet Al Arabiya reported, citing unnamed sources. The officers were part of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and they had been at Damascus International Airport to welcome a "senior delegation," per the report. The IRGC members managed Iran-backed forces in eastern Syria, the report adds. The IRGC has refuted the claim, with Ramezan Sharif, a spokesperson for the group, labeling the report "baseless," Iranian state media agency the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported. The Israel Defense Forces told Business Insider it had "no comment" on the reports. Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the think tank the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that "should the strike be independently verified, it would be more proof of Israel being able to hold back and deter elements of the Axis of Resistance in other geographies while fighting to defeat Hamas in Gaza." Iran-backed groups in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq have launched attacks on Israel and its allies in support of Hamas. Taleblu added that "the IRGC has long seen Syria as a critical regional hub to project power into the Eastern Mediterranean" and that "it should come as a shock to no one that Guard Corps elite are operating there."It comes after an Israeli airstrike on the Syrian capital on Monday killed a top commander and senior advisor in the IRGC. The Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, said Israel had committed a "strategic mistake" by killing General Sayyed Razi Mousavi in the strike, saying it would increase resistance against the country, per the IRNA. The IRGC responded to the news by saying Israel would suffer for the killing. "The usurper and savage Zionist regime will pay for this crime," the group said in a TV statement, per Reuters.

Prague refuses to attend UN Security Council meeting called by Moscow over alleged Ukrainian attack on Belgorod
The New Voice of Ukraine/December 31, 2023
Prague has refused to attend a UN Security Council meeting called by Moscow over an alleged Ukrainian attack on Belgorod on Dec. 30, amid the Russian Defense Ministry claims that Czech-made Vampire RM-70 multiple rocket launchers were involved. “We also insist on the presence of Czech PR to the UN to explain why this country’s ammunition is being used for killing civilians in Belgorod,” Russia's First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Dmitry Polyanskiy, wrote on X (Twitter) on Dec. 30. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky, however, said his country would not attend the meeting and called Russia's statement propaganda."We refuse to be summoned anywhere by Russia,” Lipavsky wrote in response. “Czechia will not serve the lie-poisoned propaganda of the aggressor. When Russia wants to discuss the withdrawal of its occupying troops at the Security Council, we will be happy to come.”Read also: Twenty-eight people, including 2 children and British journalist, injured in two-wave Russian missile and drone attack on Kharkiv.  Ukrainian forces struck military facilities in the Russian city of Belgorod in response to Russia’s mass missile and drone attack against Ukraine on Dec. 29, Ukrainian news outlet RBC-Ukraine reported on Dec. 30, citing a source in Ukraine’s intelligence services. "These are joint measures that were the result of the barbaric shelling of Dnipro, Kharkiv, Odesa, and the killing of civilians,” the RBC source said. Twenty-two people were killed in the Russian city of Belgorod, the regional Governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, claimed on Telegram after the Ukrainian drone attack on enemy military facilities. The Ukrainian Armed Forces were targeting military facilities in Russia that day, but the unprofessionalism of the Russian air defense over downtown Belgorod resulted in casualties from the intercepted drone debris, several Ukrainian media outlets wrote, citing the intelligence sources. We’re bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Ukraine, Stalled on the Front, Steps Up Sabotage, Targeting Trains
Marc Santora/The New York Times/December 31, 2023
KYIV, Ukraine — The saboteurs managed to place four explosives on a Russian freight train carrying diesel and jet fuel, roughly 3,000 miles from the Ukrainian border. But more important than the destruction of the train, Ukrainian intelligence officials said, was the timing of the blast.
They needed it to blow up as the 50 rail cars were traveling through the 9-mile-long tunnel through the Severomuysky mountains, the longest train tunnel in Russia.
The Ukrainians were hoping to compromise a vital conduit for weapons being shipped to Russia from North Korea, at a moment when Ukrainian forces on the front are struggling to stave off relentless Russian assaults. Trains can be replaced and tracks quickly repaired. But serious damage to this tunnel, which took decades to build, might not be so easy to fix. Russia and Ukraine continue to battle on a large scale, both on the ground and with aerial strikes. Russian officials accused Ukraine of attacking a Russian city, Belgorod, on Saturday, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 100 others, in apparent response to a huge Russian missile barrage on several Ukrainian cities the day before.
But guerrilla tactics — including sabotage, commando raids, targeted assassinations and attempts to blow up ammunition depots, oil pipelines and railways — have taken on added importance as the two sides fail to make substantial advances at the front.
So at 5:20 p.m. on Nov. 29, a fire ripped through the tunnel, Russian Railways reported. Russian media broadcast footage of flames around the tunnel entrance, and officials said the explosion was caused by “the detonation of an unidentified explosive device.”
The extent of the damage is unclear. Each side gave diverging assessments of the explosion’s impact. But a second explosion on an alternate train route nearby followed within 48 hours. Combined with other acts of sabotage in Russia and behind Russian lines in occupied Ukraine, the explosions signaled Kyiv’s increasing reliance on irregular tactics to assist conventional forces desperately defending against intensifying Russian assaults.
“The war in Ukraine is changing right now, as Ukraine increases the number of guerrilla operations against Russian forces and decreases conventional operations,” said Seth Jones, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies who previously served as an adviser to the commanding general of the U.S. Special Operations Forces in Afghanistan. “The goal is to deliver death by a thousand cuts.”
Russia, with three times the population of Ukraine and a far larger military industrial complex, currently has the advantage in conventional warfare, especially with sustained Western military assistance for Ukraine in doubt. But military analysts point out that an occupying power is historically more vulnerable to attacks by saboteurs working for, or sympathetic to, the country under invasion. And Russia’s scorched-earth campaign in Ukraine continues to fuel resistance in occupied territories.
With attacks on Russian occupation officials continuing, the Ukrainian National Resistance Center, which was created by Ukraine’s military to train and coordinate partisan networks in occupied territories, said this month that Russia is dedicating a growing number of elite forces to rooting out the underground groups. Despite the heightened vigilance, Ukrainian partisans said they managed to blow up a freight train Dec. 15 as it was transporting ammunition and fuel from Russian-occupied Crimea to Melitopol, in southern Ukraine.
The earlier attacks on rail lines beyond the Ural Mountains — a natural barrier that has long kept much of the nation’s vital military infrastructure safe from enemy attack — offer a window into the shadowy world of guerrilla tactics and how they can have outsize effects.
Although Ukrainian officials often say little about operations inside Russia, this time they wanted the Kremlin to have little doubt about who was behind the attacks.
“Russian special services should get used to the fact that our people are everywhere,” a senior official with the Ukrainian intelligence service, known as the SBU, said after the second rail attack, offering details of the operation on the condition of anonymity for security reasons. The details of the attacks were confirmed by the official and two other senior Ukrainian officials familiar with the operation, and corresponded with details released by Russian authorities, videos from the scenes and reporting by Russian media outlets.
The Russian security services, known as the FSB, said soon afterward that they had detained two people suspected of organizing several arson attacks on behalf of Ukraine, including one man they said installed magnetic mines on the train that exploded in the tunnel.
Russian Railways claimed that 120 workers cleared the tunnel in a matter of days and said that train traffic had resumed. Ukrainian intelligence officials said it could take months to restore the mountain pass to full working order. It is impossible to verify either account.
Ukraine is not alone in using guerrilla tactics. Russia is also employing spies, saboteurs and collaborators, and it targets trains, as well. Polish authorities convicted 14 people on Dec. 19 on charges of undertaking sabotage and propaganda activities under the direction of Russian intelligence, Poland’s Interior Ministry said in a statement. Their main targets, the ministry said, were “trains transporting military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and preparing for train derailments.”
Trains are vital to both sides, as they were designed to be the backbone of the Soviet supply system. But the bold attack on the tunnel in Russia’s Far East is likely to be of particular concern to the Kremlin, said Emily Ferris, a research fellow specializing in Russia at the Royal United Services Institute in Britain.
“This is something that has bothered Russia for over a century — how to secure these really long and vulnerable rail lines,” she said.
There are only two rail lines that cover the vast expanse of Russia: the trans-Siberian, which stretches 5,772 miles from Vladivostok to Moscow, and the newer Baikal-Amur Mainline, or BAM, which runs from near the Pacific Ocean for about 2,600 miles before linking up with the trans-Siberian line.
They are the only lines that link Russia to China and, amid a surge in trade with Beijing, the lines are more vital than ever, economically and militarily, for Russia. But they are a challenge to guard because they traverse the Siberian plains, dense forests and the open steppes.
Russia and Belarus’ interlinked railway systems facilitated the swift movement of troops and equipment between the two countries, allowing Belarus to act as the launchpad for Russia’s assault on Kyiv, the capital, from the north in February 2022.
Strikes on that rail network added to the logistical struggles of the Russians in the early days of the war and contributed to the Kremlin’s failure to seize Kyiv, Ferris said. Since then, attacks inside Russia have continued, by agents working for Ukraine, but also including loosely affiliated groups of self-described Russian anarchist groups, she said. In November, the British military intelligence agency reported, “Seventeen months after the first incidents were reported, sabotage of Russian railways by anti-war activists continues to represent a significant challenge for the Russian authorities.”
Research by the independent Russian media outlet Mediazona found that, as of October, 76 cases of probable railway sabotage had been filed with the courts in Russia since the invasion. At least 137 people, the vast majority of them younger than 24, had been prosecuted, the agency reported.
Ukraine’s military intelligence agency said in late November that its agents were targeting rail infrastructure across Russia, claiming responsibility for a spate of fires that had destroyed structures used to house sensitive equipment that performs a wide range of operations, including platform control, train monitoring and signaling. Ukrainian sabotage efforts go beyond trains. Ukrainian intelligence officials said partisans killed the Russian-appointed deputy head of the occupied Luhansk region, Oleg Popov, in a car bombing; other agents operating in Moscow shot and killed a former Ukrainian lawmaker who defected to Russia, Illya Kyva. At the same time, Russia, which has long used irregular tactics to achieve political goals, continues to send sabotage and reconnaissance groups to infiltrate Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials said they believed Russia was behind the poisoning of the wife of Ukraine’s military intelligence chief last month, part of a campaign targeting Ukraine’s senior leadership. (Asked about the poisoning, the Kremlin’s spokesperson said, “Ukraine blames Russia for everything,” and called it “habitual accusation.”) Ferris said it was impossible to judge the lasting effect of Ukraine’s attack on the BAM line, but “the Russians would be ill advised to ignore it.”
c.2023 The New York Times Company

Russia has sentenced more than 200 captured Ukrainian fighters so far - Lavrov
(Reuters)/December 31, 2023 
Russian courts have sentenced more than 200 Ukrainian fighters to prison terms since Moscow started its military operation in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with the state RIA news agency published on Sunday. "The courts of the Russian Federation have already sentenced more than 200 representatives of Ukrainian armed formations to long terms of imprisonment for committing atrocities," Lavrov told RIA. Both sides accuse each other of committing numerous atrocities in the war that Russia started with a full-scale invasion on Ukraine in February 2022. The United Nations has found continued evidence of war crimes and human rights violations committed by Russian authorities, including torture, rape and the deportation of children. In March, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, alleging Moscow's forcible deportation of Ukrainian children is a war crime. "On our path to justice, the main result of the year is undoubtedly the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for Putin," Ukraine's Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said in a statement on Saturday, summing up 2023."A historic decision and a clear signal that no one can be above the law." The Ukraine Prosecutor General's office has registered more than 121,000 Russian crimes of aggression and war crimes since the war started, according to its website. The UN has also found several cases of Ukrainian authorities committing violations of human rights of people they have accused of collaborating with Russian authorities. Lavrov told RIA that Russia's main investigative organ, the Investigative Committee, has initiated 4,000 criminal cases against about 900 Ukrainian individuals. "They include not only members of radical nationalist associations, representatives of Ukrainian security forces and mercenaries, but also representatives of the military and political leadership of Ukraine," Lavrov said. "Those of them who were charged in absentia have been put on the international wanted list."

Taliban say security forces killed dozens of Tajiks, Pakistanis involved in attacks in Afghanistan
Sun, December 31, 2023 at 6:29 a.m. EST
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Security forces in Afghanistan killed a number of Tajik and Pakistani nationals and arrested scores others involved in attacks against religious clerics, the public, and mosques, a senior Taliban official said Sunday. Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, Taliban’s appointed defense minister, during a press conference in the capital, Kabul, said dozens of Tajiks and more than 20 Pakistanis were killed in the past 12 months “in operations by security forces.”He said scores of Tajiks and hundreds of Pakistanis involved in various incidents were also arrested during that period. Mujahid called on neighboring and regional countries to strictly monitor their borders. Tensions between Kabul and Islamabad spiked as hundreds of thousands of Afghans left Pakistan after authorities started pursuing foreigners they said were in the country illegally, going door-to-door to check migrants’ documentation, following an Oct.31 deadline. Mujahid also said there has been a 90% decrease in attacks by an Islamic State group affiliate in the past year. The militant group has carried out major assaults on schools, hospitals, and mosques, and has also attacked Shiite areas across the country. The IS affiliate has been a major rival of the Taliban since the latter seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021. IS militants have struck in Kabul, in northern provinces and especially wherever there are Shiites, whom IS considers to be apostates. Since taking power, the Taliban have barred women from most areas of public life and work and stopped girls from going to school beyond the sixth grade as part of harsh measures they imposed, as U.S. and NATO forces were pulling out of Afghanistan following two decades of war.

More than 4,360 dead in Syria war in 2023: monitor
AFP/December 31, 2023
BEIRUT: More than 4,360 people, including combatants and civilians, were killed in Syria’s civil war in 2023, in the thirteenth year since fighting began, a war monitor said on Sunday. The figure was an increase on 2022, when 3,825 people were killed. That was the lowest annual death toll since the conflict began in 2011 with the government’s brutal crackdown on peaceful pro-democracy protests, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. This year’s count included 1,889 civilians, 241 of them women and 307 children, according to the United Kingdom-based Observatory, which has a broad network of sources inside Syria.
HIGHLIGHTS
• This year’s count included 1,889 civilians, 241 of them women and 307 children, according to the UK-based Observatory, which has a broad network of sources inside Syria.
• Syrian government forces accounted for almost 900 of the dead this year, with other fighters including from the Kurdish-led and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. Syrian government forces accounted for almost 900 of the dead this year, with other fighters including from the Kurdish-led and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, pro-Iran groups, Islamist factions, Daesh group jihadists and foreign combatants accounting for the rest. Over the years, the country’s conflict spiraled dramatically. It pulled in foreign armies and militias killed more than 500,000 people, displaced millions and ravaged the country’s infrastructure and industry. With Iranian and Russian support, Damascus has clawed back much of the territory it lost earlier in the conflict, although large parts of the country’s north remain outside government control.Front lines have mostly quietened in recent years and annual death tolls dropped to lower levels. Nevertheless, violence persists. The Observatory reported that several people including a fighter and a child were killed on Saturday in government bombardment of “residential areas and a market” the city of Idlib. Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, a militant group led by Al-Qaeda’s former Syria branch, controls swaths of Idlib province and parts of neighboring Aleppo, Hama and Latakia provinces — the last major bastion of armed opposition in Syria. A ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkiye was declared in Idlib after a Syrian government offensive in March 2020, but it has been repeatedly violated.
Also on Saturday, 25 pro-Iran fighters were killed in air strikes in eastern Syria “likely” carried out by Israel, the Observatory said, raising an earlier toll of 23. The dead included five Syrians, six Iraqi fighters, four from Lebanon’s Hezbollah group and 10 other non-Syrian combatants, the Observatory said.
It also said eight people, including three civilians, were killed in Israeli strikes on Saturday near the airport in the main northern city of Aleppo, updating an earlier toll of four fighters killed. Israel, which has launched hundreds of strikes on Syrian territory since the war began, rarely comments on individual attacks but has repeatedly said it will not allow its arch foe Iran to expand its presence in the country.

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 31/2023-January 01/2024
The Israel-Hamas war is complicated. Can we move beyond choosing sides? |
Dona Hare Price/San Luis Obispo Tribune/December 31, 2023
For almost four years, I’ve met on Zoom with Ruth, who lives in Connecticut, to discuss, reflect on and apply Jewish texts and spiritual principles to specific character traits such as humility, patience, compassion and fear. This Jewish spiritual practice is called Mussar. The regular meetings with Ruth, the reading and reflection on a specific character trait that is out of balance and a singular concrete action of a Mussar practice provided me with the spiritual, cognitive and behavioral foundation to navigate COVID — and to lean on now.
On Sept. 25, Ruth and I found ourselves discussing Rabbi Sharon Brous of IKAR’s Yom Kippur sermon. Rabbi Brous of IKAR, a Jewish community in Los Angeles that “seeks to inspire people across the religious spectrum,” according to its website, spoke about far-right extremism in Israel’s cabinet and Israel’s expansion through the deadly expulsion of Gazans. She called out Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s governmental shift from occupier nation to one of oppressor and warned of ethnic cleansing.
Eleven days later, October 7 happened.
A few weeks ago, Ruth said that she hasn’t felt like she’s been able to breathe fully or experience joy in small things and interactions since the “pause” in the Hamas-Israel War. I caught myself holding my breath, too — for months now.
The news, images and loss of innocent life is suffocating. Whether we realize it or not, many of us are carrying the weight of the war in our hearts.
Oct. 7 took the oxygen out of our lives. Now, many of us are left wondering what the future will look like in this unfathomable reality. Uncertainty, fear and a lack of trust are in the air, as is a sense that neighbors are measuring each other up to see what “side” they’re on.
The tension even manifests in how we talk about the war and how we decide to speak out. A colleague referenced the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a Zionist organization, and I gasped, swallowing my air; during the same conversation, another colleague spoke up as “pro-Palestine,” and I felt myself holding my breath. I was unable to respond, the only though I had was, “Why are we breaking down a complicated issue into a narrow narrative with no space in between?”
This binary view and the insistence that it’s not complicated — just one side or the other — feels oppressive. The weight of the binary is smothering, and it serves to crush the other “side.” I wondered why, in each interaction, we hadn’t first established what I hope is our shared pro-peace belief and then continually reaffirmed our shared connection to encourage listening to one another.
Local organizations and municipalities are asked to pass ceasefire resolutions. Meanwhile, neighbors in San Luis Obispo are hurling epithets at each other over safe parking for our unhoused. And it makes me wonder whether we’re all simply struggling to claim some safe space as our own.
In our Mussar practice, Ruth recently asked why we aren’t looking at how our local conflicts and linear view of a complicated issue are a microcosm of the war in Israel and Palestine.
Her comment left me breathless. I had just left a discussion in which sides and battle lines were declared over a local issue. As I walked away, I wondered whether we were really discussing the issue, or whether we were just voicing our underlying beliefs about Jews, Muslims and the Israel-Hamas War.
Can we discuss any issue without the conversation being impacted by what’s happening globally?
For those directly impacted, it might feel like our SLO community doesn’t see or understand the pain Jews and Muslims carry. For a Muslim/Palestinian friend who has lost much of her family in the current war, days are rooted in mourning and just getting through. As her neighbors, are we oblivious to her pain? Or do we see her while holding tight to our own opinions?
To add to the stifling climate, there is another powerful movement that unconditionally supports Israel’s bombing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and their anticipated expulsion. This group of Christian Zionists, estimated to be 62 million Americans (more than the population of global Jews), is a branch of Evangelical Christianity that believes salvation coincides with the end of the world, when all Jews must return to Israel and play a role in the annihilation of Muslims. They believe the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 foreshadows the biblical prophecy of the “Second Coming.”
As the non-profit news organization Truthout explained back in May of 2021, “Regard for Palestinian land and life — including Palestinian Christians — is absent from Christian Zionism since Jewish rule over Palestine is key to unlocking the end times.”
Christian Zionism is a growing movement. Its power is seen in the rise of the current far-right speaker of the house, Rep. Mike Johnson, and evident in organizations such as The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem and Christians United for Israel (CUFI), the largest pro-Israel lobby group in the U.S. with more power and members than AIPAC and a big supporter of this war. Recognizing CUFI’s political power and Christian Zionism’s role in the current conflict could be a step toward informing a more comprehensive dialogue.
Naming all the strains of oppression, the history and how each group may have a vested interest in a land that is only two and a half times larger than Los Angeles County requires historical grounding, care and compassion for those with roots in Israel and Palestine.
How can we have those conversations, webinars, teach-ins and informed discussions if there is the underlying, unrecognized belief of many Americans that this is necessary spiritual warfare?
Ruth and I are struggling to sit with all this heaviness and loss. We are called to action and will continue to tell our elected officials that we do not support more military aid for Israel.
*Dona Hare Price is a local activist, facilitator of Dismantling Racism From the Inside Out and writer.

'Dark Money Nightmare': How Qatar Bought the Ivy League
Robert Williams/Gatestone Institute/December 31, 2023
"At least 100 American colleges and universities illegally withheld information on approximately $13 billion in undocumented contributions from foreign governments, many of which are authoritarian.... Speech intolerance—manifesting as campaigns to investigate, censor, demote, suspend, or terminate speakers and scholars—was higher at institutions that received undocumented money from foreign regimes." — ISGAP report, "The Corruption of the American Mind," November 2023.
Qatar makes it possible for Ivy League universities to claim that they receive no funds from the Qatari state, because the donations are funneled through the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, a not-for-profit organization established in 1995 by the Emir of Qatar. This ensures that the foundation can identify itself as a private organization, which enables Qatar to conceal its state funding as private donations.
"At the time of writing, the State of Qatar contributes more funds to universities in the United States than any other country in the world, and raw donation totals omit critical, concerning details about the nature of Qatar's academic funding." — ISGAP report, "Networks of Hate," December 2023.
"We would pay them [journalists]... Some of them have become MPs now. Others have become patriots.... We would pay [journalists] in many countries. We would pay them every year. Some of them received salaries. All the Arab countries were doing this. If not all, then most of them." — Former Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim, February 2022.
The hapless testimony by three Ivy League university presidents from Harvard, MIT and the University of Pennsylvania before the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce can be traced to Qatar and its insidious campaign to buy itself influence in US academia. Pictured L-R: Claudine Gay, President of Harvard University, Liz Magill, then-President of University of Pennsylvania, Professor Pamela Nadell of American University, and Sally Kornbluth, President of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, testify before the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce on December 5, 2023. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The hapless testimony by three Ivy League university presidents from Harvard, MIT and the University of Pennsylvania before the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce can be traced to Qatar and its insidious campaign to buy itself influence in US academia.
Qatar, oil-rich and with an estimated population of only 2.5 million, is the largest foreign donor -- that we know about -- to American universities, with at least $4.7 billion donated between 2001 and 2021. Many of those billions went unreported to the Department of Education, according to research done by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP). Under federal law, colleges and universities that receive donations from foreign sources that total at least $250,000 must disclose such transactions to the Department of Education.
Qatar is far from the only authoritarian nation that donates to American universities. According to a Department of Education report from April 2023, American universities and colleges have received $19 billion from unreported sources, more than half of which has come from authoritarian and antidemocratic Middle East governments.
Flouting the law by failing to disclose foreign donations to universities has been declared a "dark money nightmare."
Former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos wrote in February 2023:
"While there's nothing inherently inappropriate about foreign-sourced gifts, there is a significant reason for concern if these gifts are not disclosed, as required by law.
"Unfortunately, the higher-ed lobby has made it no secret it opposes true transparency. The American Council on Education — the lobbying organization for colleges and universities — praised the Biden administration in an open letter for ending the investigations we launched into schools that were skirting the law and failing to report sources of foreign money.
"One major cause for concern is the high correlation between foreign gifts, especially from our geopolitical adversaries, and American universities that are home to major research laboratories, including those with Department of Defense contracts."
To assess properly the damage that Qatari influence in the US is causing, it is important to understand what Qatar stands for and promotes. Qatar has for decades cultivated a close relationship with the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, whose motto is: "'Allah is our objective; the Prophet is our leader; the Quran is our law; Jihad is our way; dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope." Its aim appears to be ensuring that Islamic law, Sharia, governs all countries and all matters.
Hamas, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, has enjoyed Qatar as its main sponsor, to the tune of up to $360 million a year, and was until recently the home of Hamas' leadership. In 2012, Ismail Haniyeh, head of the terrorist group's political bureau, Mousa Abu Marzook, and Khaled Mashaal, among others, moved to Qatar for a life of luxury. This month, likely because of Israel's announcement that it will hunt down and eliminate Hamas leaders in Qatar and Turkey, the Qatar-based Hamas officials reportedly fled to other countries.
Qatar was also home to Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood who was exiled from Egypt, until his death in September 2022. According to the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center:
"Qaradawi is mainly known as the key figure in shaping the concept of violent jihad and the one who allowed carrying out terror attacks, including suicide bombing attacks, against Israeli citizens, the US forces in Iraq, and some of the Arab regimes. Because of that, he was banned from entering Western countries and some Arab countries.... In 1999, he was banned from entering the USA. In 2009, he was banned from entering Britain..."
Qaradawi also founded many radical Islamist organizations, which are funded by Qatar. These include the International Union of Muslim Scholars, which released a statement that called the October 7 massacre perpetrated by Hamas against communities in southern Israel an "effective" and "mandatory development of legitimate resistance," and said that Muslims have a religious duty to support their brothers and sisters "throughout all of Palestine, especially in Al-Aqsa, Jerusalem, and Gaza.""
Qatar also still is home to the lavishly-funded television network Al Jazeera, founded in 1996 by Qatar's Emir, Sheikh Hamad ibn Khalifa Al Thani. Called the "mouthpiece of the Muslim Brotherhood," Al Jazeera began the violent "Arab Spring," which "brought the return of autocratic rulers."
In 2017, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, made 13 demands of Qatar: "to cut off relations with Iran, shutter Al Jazeera, and stop granting Qatari citizenship to other countries' exiled oppositionists." They subsequently cut ties with Qatar over its failure to agree to any of the demands, including ending its support for terrorism, the Muslim Brotherhood and Al Jazeera.
The Saudi state-run news agency SPA said at the time:
"[Qatar] embraces multiple terrorist and sectarian groups aimed at disturbing stability in the region, including the Muslim Brotherhood, ISIS [Islamic State] and al-Qaeda, and promotes the message and schemes of these groups through their media constantly,"
This is the kind of influence that US universities and colleges are more than happy to see on their campuses in exchange for billions of dollars in Qatari donations. According to ISGAP:
"[F]oreign donations from Qatar, especially, have had a substantial impact on fomenting growing levels of antisemitic discourse and campus politics at US universities, as well as growing support for anti-democratic values within these institutions of higher education."
In November 2023 ISGAP published a report, "The Corruption of the American Mind: How concealed foreign funding of higher education in the United States predicts the erosion of democratic values and antisemitic sentiment on campus." It found that there is a direct correlation between antisemitism and censored speech on campus and undocumented contributions from foreign governments, notably Qatar. According to the report:
"At least 100 American colleges and universities illegally withheld information on approximately $13 billion in undocumented contributions from foreign governments, many of which are authoritarian.
"In institutions receiving such undocumented money:
Political campaigns to silence academics were more prevalent.
— Campuses receiving undocumented funds exhibited approximately twice as many campaigns to silence academics as those that did not.
Students reported greater exposure to antisemitic and anti-Zionist rhetoric.
Higher levels of antisemitic incidents were reported on their campuses.
This relationship of undocumented money to campus antisemitism was stronger when the undocumented donors were Middle Eastern regimes rather than other regimes.
— From 2015-2020, Institutions that accepted money from Middle Eastern donors, had, on average, 300% more antisemitic incidents than those institutions that did not....
"Speech intolerance—manifesting as campaigns to investigate, censor, demote, suspend, or terminate speakers and scholars—was higher at institutions that received undocumented money from foreign regimes."
Qatar makes it possible for Ivy League universities to claim that they receive no funds from the Qatari state, because the donations are funneled through the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, a not-for-profit organization established in 1995 by the Emir of Qatar. This ensures that the foundation can identify itself as a private organization, which enables Qatar to conceal its state funding as private donations.
In a report published this month, "Networks of Hate: Qatari Paymasters, Soft Power and the Manipulation of Democracy," ISGAP wrote:
"At the time of writing, the State of Qatar contributes more funds to universities in the United States than any other country in the world, and raw donation totals omit critical, concerning details about the nature of Qatar's academic funding. For instance, Qatar concentrates its donations within a contained number of elite U.S. universities to maximize its influence. This targeted approach suggests that strategic motivations for instance—to advance Qatari state interests, influence the Qatari strategy—rather than pure philanthropy."
The issue of Qatar on US campuses, as serious as it is, is only part of a larger picture of Qatari influence in the US and the rest of the West.
Qatar funds US think-tanks, such as the Richardson Center for Global Engagement and the Brookings Institution, and infiltrates US media. In 2021, Qatar pledged that it would invest $10 billion in US ports. According to the US State department:
"In recent years, Qatar has significantly bolstered its U.S. investments through its sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), and its subsidiaries, notably Qatari Diar. In 2019, QIA pledged to allocate $45 billion to U.S. investments; it opened an office in New York City in 2015 to facilitate its U.S. investments. The fifth U.S.-Qatar Strategic Dialogue took place in Doha from November 2022 to March 2023 and further strengthened strategic and economic partnerships and addressed obstacles to investment and trade."
In February 2022, former Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim said in an interview, according to MEMRI, that Qatar had many journalists "in different countries" on its payroll.
"We had Journalists on our payroll. In many countries, we would pay them. Some of them have become MPs now. Others have become patriots. I know them. We would pay [journalists] in many countries. We would pay them every year. Some of them received salaries. All the Arab countries were doing this. If not all, then most of them."
*Robert Williams is a researcher based in the United States.
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2024 will be a year of reckoning – the weak West must adapt, or perish
Nick Timothy/The Telegraph/December 31, 2023
In 2024, more people around the world will take to the polls than ever before. From India to Iceland, the UK to Uruguay, more than two billion people in 50 countries will decide who governs them. And yet democracy has rarely felt more precarious.
Elections in countries like Belarus and Russia are, of course, a sham. Democracy as we understand it is diluting in India, where Narendra Modi leads what some call an “ethnic democracy”; in South Africa, where the corruption of the ANC is killing good government; and in Pakistan, where it is difficult to determine who among politicians, the military and intelligence agencies holds power. So much for all that aid spending.
Around the world, the forces of democracy face challenges greater than at any time since the end of the Cold War. The fighting in Ukraine goes on, and if Donald Trump wins the US presidential election this November, he will likely threaten to end American support for Kyiv unless President Zelensky negotiates – and cedes territory – to Vladimir Putin.
Relative Western decline and the rise of Chinese power means Taiwan, where elections this month are dominated by the threat posed by Beijing, is in grave danger. But Chinese aggression has other consequences, such as India’s growing relationship with Russia, which thwarts Western attempts to isolate Putin, and the need for the US and its allies to focus diplomatic and military resources in the Pacific.
The effects are clear around the world. If Western strategic attention had not been on China and the Pacific, Putin might not have been confident enough to invade Ukraine. Neither might he have done so without the backing of Xi Jinping, who has provided Russia with arms and economic support, nor without the knowledge that countries like India and Pakistan would continue to import Russian oil and gas.
This also helps to explain the alarming pattern of events in the Middle East, which threaten a new oil crisis and another global economic shock. Iran, determined to acquire its own nuclear weapons and eager to undermine the regional alliance of forces against it, has decided now is time to act.
The Iran-backed Hamas attacks on Israel, which formed an arc of powers against Tehran along with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, were almost certainly motivated in part to destroy the co-operation made possible by the Abraham Accords. The Houthi rebels, who, backed by Iran, have been fighting a bloody war against Yemeni and Saudi forces, have started to attack international shipping in the Red Sea. In the last year Tehran has increased its production of enriched uranium at its plants in Natanz and Fordow, prompting a joint statement last week by the US, Britain, France and Germany.
None of these events – nor others, such as Chinese exploitation of African minerals and Venezuela’s military threat to Guyana – is happening in isolation or by accident. They are all symptoms of the world in which we live today: one in which American leadership is more contested, and Western interests more openly challenged. This trend will only deepen, and there will be consequences for all our lives, and for our domestic politics.
It is already one reason why this is such a difficult time for incumbent governments across the West. In 2023, ruling parties lost elections in the Netherlands, Finland, Poland and Slovakia. In Spain, Pedro Sánchez held on only by cutting an amnesty deal with Catalan nationalists that undermined the constitution and rule of law. In Poland, the Law and Justice Party won most seats but lost its majority. In the Netherlands, Geert Wilders topped the ballot from the Right.
In 2024, we will see more of the same. In America, it is entirely plausible that Donald Trump will win the Republican nomination and then the presidency. Elections in Austria, Belgium and Portugal might see those countries turn Right, and it is probable that elections to the European Parliament will see populists elected from across the continent. In Germany, the AfD is ahead of all the governing parties, and in France Marine Le Pen and the Rassemblement National still looms large.
There are many local and specific reasons for this tumult, but some clear trends apply across the board. Voters are struggling with the consequences of global instability and, to varying degrees, their exposure to related risks caused by the policies of their national – and supranational – governments.
Some countries have better insulated themselves against the forces of globalisation than others. But even those with a better-balanced economy, with more industrial capacity, stronger exports and good blue-collar work, are starting to struggle. Rising industrial energy costs are crippling the manufacturers at the heart of the German economy. In Britain, dependent on imports for energy and much else, inflation has been harder to shake off than elsewhere.
Economic insecurity is matched by cultural insecurity. From Black Lives Matter to the anti-Israel marches, mass protests relating to ethnic and religious identity have highlighted how divided many Western countries have become. Voting blocs based on these identities are increasingly the norm. Stories of communal violence and attempts to impose de facto Islamic blasphemy laws by force are becoming more frequent, in Britain and elsewhere.
Immigration is a big part of the story. Annual net migration in Britain has reached a previously unthinkable 745,000, but we are far from the only country facing a crisis. Germany has three million refugees, including more than a million Syrians and half a million Afghans. In America, officials at the Mexican border encountered 225,000 illegal immigrants in December alone.
Some politicians and thinkers throw up their hands and dismiss these changes as inevitable. But in doing so, they only demonstrate the poverty of thought and timidity of action that is fuelling frustration with democratic politics and government. The usual way of doing business is delivering little but insecurity, and insecurity breeds instability. The challenges we face may derive from global problems as well as our own failures but that only makes the mission more important. We must sweep away the old, and build anew – better, stronger, and secure.

As We Go into a Worrisome 2024, We Hope the Faint Light of Faith and Dreams Will Keep Back the Darkness.
Raghida Dergham/The National/December 31, 2023
As we are set to navigate the uncertainties of 2024, made worse by the imprudence and strategic manoeuvrings of both major and minor players using dangerous, even ruthless, means to secure their positions and ambitions, we must reckon with the anxiety, anticipation, and fear lying ahead. Indeed, all rules have been brokens, and the laws of war and peace have been stripped of their humanitarian obligations. Yet it is not wars and reckless leadership alone that evoke our fears but also rapid scientific and technological progress with unknown implications, especially the extraordinary capabilities of artificial intelligence, which could pose a threat to our mastery over our own destinies. Despite all this, we must hold on to our aspirations and belief that faith remains the faint light in the pitch darkness. We must also keep dreaming because dreaming is a fundamental right. Indeed, this planet is a blessing bestowed upon us, and we have been entrusted with it. Our duty is to rejoice in it, and here it is imperative we do not succumb to fear, regardless of the gravity of our many woes.
This article does not intend to review the events of 2023 or predict the developments of 2024, although there are evident issues that will be with us, such as the ongoing competition between the United States and China or significant advancements in artificial intelligence. While Visions and their processes may encounter obstacles this does not mean they can be stopped, and here we mean the projects adopted by Arab Gulf leaderships to uplift their citizens from poverty, ignorance, conflict, and backwardness, courageously and competently guiding them towards catching up to the future.
These visions envisaged expanding to encompass the entire Arab region, but small and large wars have proven to be real impediments to implementing the Gulf governments’ policies planned for the next ten or twenty years. Nevertheless, these challenges will not eradicate these visions. The train has departed, and if the Arab Levant region chooses to dwell in the burrows of its corruption, wars, and power struggles, then the division and disconnection between the Gulf region and the Levant region will only entrench further.
Let us first delve into the most significant event of 2023—the unveiling of Israel’s true colours, under the leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu and his extremist government. It has become evident that the siege mentality dominates Israel's past, present, and future. The notion of coexistence with Arab neighbors is distorted in the minds of the Israeli people. Regrettably, the Israeli public is squandering a historic opportunity for coexistence and normalization, not only with Arab countries but also with Islamic nations, including Iran. The magnitude of this blunder is substantial and potentially irreversible if not rectified.
The Israeli public's acceptance of a war characterized by brutality, extermination, and violations of international laws and humanitarian treaties, all under the pretext of seeking revenge for Hamas' actions on October 7, represents a fateful investment in self-disfigurement and dropping all masks and pretenses. Once again, Arab leaders and the majority of public opinion did not hesitate to condemn terrorism and the killing of civilians by Hamas, but these condemnations fell on deaf ears for those confined to the cage of vengeance, be they Israelis or those who sympathize with their unhinged retribution.
Conversely, sympathizers with the actions of the Qassam Brigades on October 7 who also accuse those who condemned both Hamas and Israel of treason, are also part of the problem. Engaging in posturing and grandstanding, they are gambling with the future of Palestinians, volunteering twenty thousand civilian victims, half of them children, as justification for their alleged cries of conscience when they are only hiding behind their manifest cowardice.
So what will happen to Gaza, the victim of the bloody "calculated adventures” of Hamas leaders and the genocidal actions of Netanyahu's government? It is likely that the world will not unite to impose a ceasefire on Israel and force it into comprehensive settlement negotiations, allowing Israel to live in peace with its neighbors based on its acceptance of a Palestinian state alongside it. What is remarkable is the simplicity of the equation that could give both the Palestinian and Israeli people a prosperous future – the equation of the two-state solution. Israel's rejection of the two-state solution means rejecting the Arab-Islamic offer of prosperity, cooperation, and the construction of a future for the Middle East region, along with the transport corridor projects that economically and developmentally connect the East and West.
Strategically, Israel is losing, even if it makes tactical gains against Hamas, especially since Israel, once a fearful and powerful state, has turned itself into a counterpart of a militant group, not a state, in war and peace, diminishing the impression it once had and reducing its own stature. Hamas is also losing strategically, as all it wants after all this destruction and killing is to not cease existing. It has no chance of realizing its dreams of controlling the West Bank and it will not be a significant part of any comprehensive settlement deal likely to follow the challenging transitional phase.
Regarding Lebanon, it is evident that the Biden administration is determined to continue the pressure to prevent Israel from involving Lebanon in the war or dragging the United States into a regional conflict, as Israel desires. Biden's team is also indirectly engaging with Iran to restrain Hezbollah while the United States restrains Israel. It is the equation of provocation and counter-provocation that the Biden team is working to prevent, and so far, it is succeeding. The Biden administration does not want the war to expand and become regional, but it does not yet have the formula or "formula" to ensure avoiding the terrifying loop of provocation.
Regarding freedom of navigation and Yemeni and Iraqi provocation of the United States, it may also escalate beyond control. Perhaps one safety valve is the Chinese insistence on ensuring navigation security. However, the continued provocation against the United States in Syria, Iraq, and strategic waterways may lead to qualitative US operations in Syria, to disrupt projects associated with Iranian proxies.
The global war that many fear, and experts discuss, is neither entirely ruled out, nor is it looming over the Middle East in 2024. That's the current outlook. There is a fear however that a nuclear war will come to Europe's doorstep after the United States delivers F-16 jets to assist Ukraine in its war with Russia, scheduled for January 2024. These aircraft will be delivered to bases in Poland and Romania. Russia has issued official statements considering these bases as "legitimate targets." Meanwhile, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, in charge of North and South America relations, stated that Russia is ready to sever diplomatic relations with the United States.
The worst-case scenario is Moscow deciding to strike military bases in Romania and Poland, where the F-16 aircraft are stationed. Then NATO will be forced to respond militarily directly against Moscow under Article 5 of its charter, which commits NATO members to a collective response to any attack against any member state. Kaliningrad is a likely target for retaliation, and the danger lies in the nuclear facilities there.
In other words, the fear of a nuclear confrontation between Russia and NATO is not just a theory; it might be closer than we think due to the F-16 aircraft essential to prevent Russia from defeating Ukraine.
So, it will be a challenging and perilous year, especially as it is an election year in the United States, Russia, and the European Parliament. Perhaps wisdom, logic, and reason will find their way to world leaders and the people—those struggling under corruption, tyranny, and those overlooking the opportunities available to them. Perhaps divine intervention will prevent the triumph of destructive, annihilating, and terrorist tendencies.
As for me, I decide not be afraid because I cling to that faint light even in the darkest hour. I will dream of tranquillity and insist on wisdom, and I will pray for the civilian victims, but will not be asking forgiveness for the transgressors or butchers of innocent children.

Mariners need protection in today’s challenging environment
Dr. Theodore Karasik/Arab News/December 31/2023
Throughout the world’s waterways, fishermen make a living, including around the Arabian Peninsula. It is not a glorious life for most. Fishermen and their safety requirements in the wake of some of the events that have taken place in and around the Arabian Peninsula recently require greater attention.
In this region, fishing vessels are used by more than 100,000 fishermen in their local industry. These fishing boats include fish and shrimp trawlers (both wooden and steel-hulled), large wooden boats (dhows) with both inboard and outboard engines, and fiberglass boats. Fishing gear consists of trawls, bottom-set gill nets, traps made of wire mesh and plastic, barrier traps, hand lines and knives. It should be noted that many of the plastics come from petroleum products and pollute the mariners’ work environment.
Anthropologists refer to fishing communities as “assemblages.” According to their belief system, mariners feel the rhythm of ships coming in and out of port, as well as the fate of their contents, as determined by the demands of the city. The schools of fish they catch are determined by biology, the ocean’s tides and the Earth’s seasons. Fish coming from mariners’ efforts are only meant to feed nearby communities. They do not include the larger mechanical trawling fleets that also roam the high seas.
Overfishing is disturbing the life cycle of several fish populations and risks creating an imbalance in local marine ecosystems. The biggest fish are the most desirable in markets, but they are also the most capable of reproducing and bolstering species populations. These old communities have a way of life where seafarers stay within their own requirements. This avoids upsetting the balance of fish stocks in and around the Arabian Peninsula. In this region, fishermen cooperatives are found, allowing mariners to belong as part of their community. These differ across the region.
The current environment — with drones and missiles being fired at ships and others taken over by pirates — is raising the stakes regarding the safety of mariners and their trade. Drone strikes on shipping vessels kill and injure sailors who have nothing to do with regional politics or conflicts. On legitimate fishing vessels, they provide an important service. When they are injured or maimed by explosive ordnance or taken against their will, the entire community suffers.
There is a sharp disconnect between the requirements of the shipping industry and local fishermen.
Mariners’ welfare as a policy issue comes under the purview of the UN-supported International Maritime Organization. This is the governing body that makes most of the regulations for the maritime industry. It has been able to develop many regulations, resolutions and guidelines. The organization helps to set the pace of the policy discussion over mariners’ safety and livelihood at the supranational level.
In conjunction with the International Maritime Organization, international shipping industry organizations are dedicated to providing comprehensive maritime security guidance to companies and mariners within small communities. There are a number of international guidance documents that are useful for understanding mariners’ dilemmas and the safety and protection procedures that are in place for them. “Global Counter Piracy Guidance for Companies, Masters and Seafarers” and “BMP5: Best Management Practices to Deter Piracy and Enhance Maritime Safety in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea” both contain guidance on piracy and armed robbery that can be used by mariners around the world.Significantly, shipping industry guidance is not specifically written for the dangerous new environment. Here, local governments may be asked to boost their overall management and safety, such as by reviewing procedures. Jurisdiction in the maritime environment can become an issue and there is a sharp disconnect between the requirements of the shipping industry and local fishermen when it comes to safety and security. This issue becomes more important as shipping companies put armed guards on their own vessels. Overall, the lifestyle of mariners has greatly improved over the past decade. The changing amenities, standards of living and technology have made going to sea a much more comfortable way to make a living for some. Unfortunately, these changes have not been uniform, resulting in many merchant mariners experiencing poor treatment, unclean drinking water, little sanitation, very low wages and lengthy periods of work without adequate rest. These working conditions can lead to extreme stress, fatigue and depression.
Add in the threat of missiles, drones, piracy and other crime and it becomes clear that great attention must be paid to seafarers’ perceptions and activity, as safety comes first. They are preyed upon by smugglers, who take contraband for delivery around the Arabian Peninsula’s waterways. This is now an acute threat. Overall, a mariner’s life is often difficult and dangerous. It is not always an easy life, as it requires a lot of time away from home, family and friends, as well as hardships such as bad weather, dangerous work, poor living conditions and seclusion. Their responsibility is to feed large urban areas with the “wealth from the sea.” The people who do this job and get that hammour on to your dining plate are truly brave.
*Dr. Theodore Karasik is a senior adviser to Gulf State Analytics in Washington. X: @KarasikTheodore

How Sudan’s devastating war can be resolved in 2024
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/December 31/2023
It has been nearly nine months since clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the powerful paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces broke out in Sudan and there is still no sign of a resolution that could bring about an end to this devastating war. Despite attempts at ceasefires, the power struggle persists. This has unfortunately exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in the country. Intense clashes in various parts of Sudan have caused hundreds of thousands of people to be confronted with the painful dilemma of either abandoning their homes or choosing to remain, risking injury or even death. More than 7 million people have been displaced due to the ongoing conflict in Sudan. About 1.5 million of them have sought shelter in neighboring countries. And nearly 9,000 people have been killed in the war. Children are at particularly high risk as Sudan currently faces one of the largest displacements of children in the world. The conflict has recently spread to Al-Jazirah state, impacting its 5.9 million inhabitants, of which about half are children. UNICEF pointed out in December that the escalation in fighting in the state “reportedly forced at least 150,000 children from their homes in less than a week.” The UN agency added: “The eruption of fighting in Al-Jazirah means that more than half of the states in Sudan — 10 out of 18 — are experiencing active conflict.” Sudan has also emerged as a focal point for mercenary fighters from various regions. Countries experiencing domestic conflict often become attractive to individuals who are seeking to participate in or support destabilizing activities for various reasons, including financial incentives and ethnic or ideological factors.
The country’s borders with other nations may also provide access for some individuals looking to participate in or influence the conflict. Weak governance or challenges in enforcing laws and border control measures can make it easy for fighters to enter Sudan and join armed groups without significant hindrance.
It is worth noting that Sudan has a history of civil wars and internal strife. Previous conflicts and the presence of armed groups have been shown to create a ripe environment, which fighters from other countries see as an opportunity to become involved. In addition, Sudan’s geopolitical position may make it a strategic location for fighters. Finally, we should not underestimate the refugee crisis resulting from the ongoing war. The refugee crisis is already having a significant impact on the social, political and economic dynamics of various nations — especially those neighboring Sudan, such as Libya, Egypt, Chad, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Bringing an end to the war requires a concerted effort and the implementation of comprehensive measures. Without the international community seriously addressing the conflict and swiftly achieving a resolution, the humanitarian situation and the refugee crisis are likely to escalate.
Bringing an end to the war in Sudan requires a concerted effort and the implementation of comprehensive measures in order to create a path toward lasting peace and stability for the people of Sudan.
First of all, it is critical to focus on the humanitarian crisis. The international community ought to mobilize humanitarian assistance to address the immediate needs of the affected population. This includes providing food, shelter, medicine, healthcare and education for displaced individuals.
But this also requires viewing the establishment of a credible ceasefire as an immediate necessity. All warring factions must commit to a cessation of hostilities, with confidence-building measures then implemented to create an atmosphere conducive to negotiations. International peacekeeping forces could be deployed to monitor and enforce the ceasefire, providing a buffer for the peace process.
Secondly, it is important that the international community becomes more engaged, as global involvement is paramount in resolving such a complicated conflict. The international community, including neighboring countries and regional organizations such as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development — an eight-member trade bloc consisting of countries in East Africa — along with global powers, should actively engage in diplomatic efforts, as well as effective mediation. Cooperation between the UN, the African Union and IGAD can play a crucial role in the mediation of peace talks. It is important to point out that a successful resolution necessitates the involvement of all parties and the establishment of a framework for a thorough and inclusive political process. The omission of any party with a vested interest in the Sudan conflict, be it a state or nonstate actor, may ultimately undermine the success of any negotiated agreement. Sustainable peace requires the political grievances underlying the conflict to be addressed. Renewed peace talks in Saudi Arabia can be a viable path to ending the war. The Kingdom’s efforts to resolve the conflict currently represent one of the most promising avenues for de-escalation and potentially concluding the war in Sudan. May’s Jeddah Declaration, which commits to safeguarding the civilians of Sudan, is firmly grounded in international human rights law. It prioritizes the clear differentiation between civilians and combatants, guarantees the secure transit of civilians, safeguards medical personnel, facilitates the delivery of humanitarian aid to the population and endeavors to prevent the enlistment of children as soldiers in the war.
In a nutshell, the ongoing conflict in Sudan has brought immense suffering to the people of the country, displacing millions and creating a humanitarian crisis. Ending this war requires greater involvement from the international community and regional organizations, the engagement of all parties in negotiations to foster a sustainable peace and the mobilization of humanitarian assistance to address the immediate needs of the affected population.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist. X: @Dr_Rafizadeh

Look Ahead at 2024: Arab world enters the new year with a mix of hope, tension and trepidation
Paul Iddom/Arab News/December 31, 2023
IRBIL, Iraqi Kurdistan: As 2023 moves into the rearview mirror, the Middle East and North Africa can look ahead to the new year with a mixture of hope and trepidation. For many in the region, it has been a tumultuous 12 months, featuring some of the worst violence and natural disasters in years. While several conflicts are likely to continue into 2024, not least in Gaza and Sudan, there are some positive signs for the new year.
Unified GCC visa
Unveiled in October by Abdulla bin Touq, the UAE minister of economy, the single visa will permit travelers to visit all six members of the Gulf alliance — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The new travel permit is billed as the Gulf’s equivalent of the European Schengen visa, with the potential for transforming the region’s travel, tourism and hospitality industries.
New BRICS members
The five-member intergovernmental organization BRICS, often touted as a rival to the G7 bloc, could expand. At the bloc’s summit in South Africa last August, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, and Argentina were invited to join Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa as part of the trading body of emerging economies. At the time, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Saudi foreign minister, said that the Kingdom was studying the proposal and could become a leading member of the bloc, given its vast resources and strategically important location.
The group has set its sights on a new, multipolar world, in which financial and political institutions are no longer dominated by a few Western powers. However, Riyadh is yet to give a definitive answer, while Argentina’s incoming government has ruled out joining. Time will tell whether BRICS will expand as planned.
Israel-Hamas war
Israel has been engaged in an unprecedented war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, triggered by the killing by Palestinian militants of at least 1,200 people and abduction of another 240 on Oct. 7. Israel’s retaliatory operations have pulverized swathes of Gaza, killing more than 20,000 people and injuring another 50,000 — 70 percent of them women and children, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry — causing a dire humanitarian crisis.Despite efforts to secure another temporary ceasefire, the conflict is likely to continue into 2024. Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defense minister, has repeatedly warned that the operation will take “months” to conclude and that Israel will “not stop until we reach our goals.” Meanwhile, Hamas has said it is unwilling to negotiate the release of additional hostages until Israel ceases operations in Gaza.
While these obstacles remain, the war will likely continue into the new year.
Leadership changes
The Oct. 7 attack led by Hamas militants was a massive political setback for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, who has long depicted himself as the guardian of the nation’s security. Although it is unlikely he will be replaced while the war in Gaza continues, there is a chance he will be voted out of office once it ends. One recent poll found just 27 percent of Israelis believe Netanyahu is fit to serve as prime minister. Briefly voted out of office in 2021, Netanyahu returned to power in late 2022, leading the most right-wing Israeli government in history. He then went on to push through an unpopular judicial overhaul that led to massive protests in 2023 and threats of desertion by military personnel. It is likely that 2024 will be his last year in office. It may also be the year that Iran’s 84-year-old supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, relinquishes power in the Islamic Republic.
Amid rising regional tensions, the country may end up under the control of his 54-year-old son, Mojtaba, to ensure the continuation and survival of the clerical regime that has ruled Iran since the 1979 revolution.
Grand Egyptian Museum opening
In the first quarter of 2024, Egypt hopes to finally open the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum, situated near the Giza pyramid complex on the outskirts of Cairo.
After 20 years of planning and $1 billion in spending, the largest archaeological museum on the planet will feature more than 100,000 artifacts from Egypt’s ancient civilization, many of which have never been displayed in public before.
Sudan deterioration
Sudan has been plagued by violence since fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on April 15.
A total of 6.3 million people have been displaced since April alone, adding to the 3.7 million Sudanese who had already fled their homes during previous conflicts, along with 1.1 million foreigners who had earlier sought refuge in Sudan.
More than 1.4 million Sudanese have sought shelter in neighboring countries since the onset of the conflict. With no end in sight, the conflict in Sudan will undoubtedly continue into 2024, and possibly beyond. Sudan has topped the International Rescue Committee’s 2024 Emergency Watchlist of “countries most likely to experience a deteriorating humanitarian crisis” due to the “escalating conflict, mass displacement, an economic crisis and a near collapse of health care services.”
The first Hindu temple in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, is set to open in February. The temple will be inaugurated by Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, after seven deities are consecrated and blessed in special morning prayers.
Modi had launched the project in 2018 when he revealed the first model showing a monument with seven spires to reflect the seven emirates. Sculpting work began in 2020 and the temple’s distinct shape and carved pink stonework nowsoar from the desert landscape. The hand-carved structure is being constructed on more than 5.4 hectares of land given to the Indian community in 2015 by President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed when he was the crown prince of Abu Dhabi.
Yemen settlement
There are hopes that the truce between the Houthi militia and the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen could become a permanent ceasefire agreement in 2024. A two-month UN-negotiated truce came into effect in April 2022 and formally ended the following October. However, hostilities did not recommence. Saudi Arabia praised the “positive results” of negotiations with the Houthis in September after a visit by a delegation from the group. However, since the eruption of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, the Houthi militia has intensified its attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. While this has caused additional tensions, it is widely expected to delay rather than scuttle a ceasefire agreement that could lead to a lasting settlement to the Yemen conflict.
Iran nuclear enrichment
Another issue that is likely to continue into 2024 is the advancement of Iran’s nuclear program. Iran continued to stockpile uranium enriched to 60 percent throughout 2023, giving Tehran the capacity to quickly enrich this material to weapons-grade levels of about 90 percent. In December, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran’s foreign minister, dubbed any attempt to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, which put restrictions on the Iranian nuclear program in return for sanctions relief from the West, a “useless” endeavor. Iran has “increased its production of highly enriched uranium, reversing a previous output reduction from mid-2023,” the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement in December summarizing a recent confidential report to member states.
Water and food security
The Middle East and North Africa will continue to grapple with water and food security issues in 2024, with Iraq being particularly vulnerable. Climate change and regional tensions have reduced river and groundwater levels, especially in the country’s more arid south. The UN considers Iraq the world’s fifth most climate vulnerable country. The most populous Arab country has faced increasing food security issues over the past 12 months, which will likely drag on into 2024.
Egypt has relied heavily on imported wheat, becoming the biggest importer in the world in recent years in order to feed its population, particularly its poor, who are dependent on subsidies.
Two developments in 2023 in particular have compounded Egyptian food security concerns: Russia’s withdrawal from the UN- and Turkiye-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative and India’s decision to impose restrictions on the export of non-basmati varieties of rice and other food staples.
GERD dam divide
Egypt and Ethiopia are likely to remain locked in a simmering dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Years of stop-start talks over the shared management of the Nile river have proved unsuccessful, making open conflict a real possibility.
Egypt has long opposed Ethiopia’s dam project because of concerns over its water supply. Sudan, another downstream country, has likewise expressed worries about the regulation of its own water supplies and dams.
Ethiopia, which argues that it is exercising its right to economic development, said in September it had completed its final phase of filling a reservoir for a massive hydroelectric power plant at the dam on the Blue Nile.
In December, Egypt said that the latest talks had also failed, but it would continue to monitor the process of filling and operating the dam.
Captagon trade persistence
Syria is estimated to produce about 80 percent of the world’s supply of the narcotic, exporting it across the Middle East, with a particular focus on the Gulf market. According to Western governments, Captagon exports net sanctions-squeezed Damascus billions of dollars in much-needed revenues each year.
Regional governments have intercepted several massive shipments of the drug, often making busts of hundreds of thousands or even millions of pills. On Dec. 18, Jordan launched several cross-border air raids against Syria, targeting hideouts of drug smugglers.