Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on June 24-25/2024
De-escalation eludes Lebanon as Israel and Hezbollah gird for all-out war
Pentagon Fears Iranian Reaction to Israeli Attack on Lebanon
Netanyahu warns Lebanon war could be next
Freeing the Hostages is Israel’s Priority, says Gallant
Report: Arab efforts underway to pacify south Lebanon front
Vatican secretary of state to attend 'spiritual and national meeting' in Bkerki
Al-Hassan: Over 300,000 Arrivals Recorded in June
Hamiye Announces a Revaluation of Maritime Properties
Transport minister Hamieh denies Hezbollah weapons at Beirut airport
Lebanon's Nabih Berri sounds alarm over southern tensions: 'A decisive month ahead'
Hezbollah and Israel Engage in Psychological Warfare Amid Military Conflict
Legal Review Underway for Lebanon's Potential Lawsuit Against The Telegraph
Prolonged Presidential Vacancy: Efforts for a Unified Christian Front in Lebanon
US Defense focuses on diplomatic resolution for Lebanon-Israel border tensions
Lebanon's Nabih Berri sounds alarm over southern tensions: 'A decisive month ahead'
Civil defense member injured as Israel strikes al-Taybeh
Growing Discontent Within Hezbollah
Berri: Lebanon Is Facing a Crucial Month
Israel offensive into Lebanon risks Iranian military response, top US military leader says
Lebanese party on despite threat of war
Jumblat says Telegraph report 'shameful' as airport tour begins
Tensions in Ain el-Helweh as security forces member assassinated
Journalist Faces Life-Threatening Campaign by Hezbollah Partisans
Away from home, Israeli evacuees wait as Hezbollah tensions spike
Situation between Israel and Hezbollah very concerning, German minister says ahead of Lebanon visit
American Mideast Coalition for Democracy/AMCT Supports President Trump’s Mideast Agenda

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June 24-25/2024
Netanyahu says he won't agree to a deal that ends the war in Gaza, testing the latest truce proposal
Israeli military confirms death of hostage held in Gaza
UNRWA is sued by Israeli victims of Oct. 7 Hamas attack
Blinken to urge Israeli Defense Minister to develop post-war Gaza plan
Israel visitors have new stop on tours: Hamas' destruction in the south
Heads of churches say Israel demanding property tax, upsetting status quo
Democrats wrestle with whether to attend Netanyahu's address to Congress
Iran and Bahrain agree to start talks on resuming ties
Jordanian king, French president discuss war on Gaza
Houthi attack targets another ship off Yemen’s remote Socotra island
Interpol reports arresting 219 individuals in 39 countries on charges of human trafficking
Qatar Fund, IRC launch health project for Syrian refugees in Zaatari camp
Ukraine destroyed columns of waiting Russian troops as soon as it was allowed to strike across the border, commander says
Russia summons the American ambassador over a deadly attack that Moscow says used US-made missiles
Wildfire toll hits 15 in Turkiye as experts flag faulty wires

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on June 24-25/2024
State-building key to challenging Iran’s network of influence/Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami/Arab News/June 24, 2024
Israeli army’s options on Gaza: Marginalization or confrontation/Dr. Ramzy Baroud/Arab News/June 24, 2024
US should recalibrate its relationship with Israel/Chris Doyle/Arab News/June 24, 2024
For aid workers in South Sudan, no good deed goes unpunished/Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/June 24, 2024

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on June 24-25/2024
De-escalation eludes Lebanon as Israel and Hezbollah gird for all-out war
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/June 24, 2024
pounds existing problem of internal turmoil, political discord and crumbling economy
BEIRUT: Efforts by American diplomats to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon have hit a dead end, leaving the region perched on the edge of a full-blown war. Since the eruption of hostilities on Oct. 8 last year, both sides have intensified their military preparations, with reports surfacing that the Israeli military has authorized operational plans for strikes within Lebanese territory. Reports carried by Hezbollah-aligned media outlets indicate the powerful Shiite group has prepared extensively for a potential Israeli offensive, planning to counter various military scenarios and thwart attacks on Lebanese soil. Lebanon, already weighed down by deep political divisions and a crumbling economy, now faces the specter of a devastating conflict that could tear apart its fragile unity. As diplomatic solutions falter, the prospect of war looms larger, raising grave concerns among Lebanese citizens and the international community alike. Recent footage released by Hezbollah, showing aerial views of Israeli military installations captured by a Hudhud (hoopoe) drone, underscores the group’s formidable capabilities. However, images of Gaza, devastated by repeated Hamas-Israel conflicts, serve as a stark warning of the potential human and economic toll of renewed warfare.
Since Oct. 8, the Lebanon-Israel border has witnessed almost daily exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and allied Palestinian militant groups and Israel’s military that have left more than 400 people dead in Lebanon. Most of the fatalities were fighters and commanders, but they also included more than 80 civilians and non-combatants. On the Israeli side, 16 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed over the past eight months. Against this tense backdrop, Hezbollah’s actions affect not only Lebanon but also regional stability, hence its ability to avert or deal with a direct military confrontation with Israel will be crucial in the days ahead. Last week Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned Cyprus against allowing Israel’s military to use its airports on the island to bomb Lebanon should a full-blown war break out. This created a diplomatic crisis of sorts as Cyprus and Lebanon have had close and historic relations for decades, with the island hosting thousands of Lebanese during Lebanon’s 1975-90 civil war. Adding to the sense of impending doom are growing signs of international alarm. Several embassies and diplomatic missions in Lebanon have issued advisories urging their citizens to leave immediately, citing escalating tensions and the risk of broader conflict. Kuwait’s recent decision to advise against travel to Lebanon reflects a wider trend of concern among foreign governments. Lebanon’s internal turmoil accentuates its vulnerability. The country has been without a president for nearly two years, relying on a caretaker government unable to make critical decisions amid rampant corruption and economic collapse.
More than half of Lebanon’s population now depends on aid for survival, while the remainder struggles to secure basic necessities such as education, fuel and electricity. The gravity of Lebanon’s predicament was underscored by recent developments at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport. Reports in the UK’s Telegraph newspaper suggested that Hezbollah was using the airport to smuggle large quantities of Iranian weaponry, including short-range missiles — a claim that could potentially make the facility a target for Israeli airstrikes. In Washington, President Joe Biden’s administration has reportedly reassured Israeli officials of unwavering US support, promising to provide Israel with all necessary security assistance. This commitment comes amid reports of heightened military movements, including the deployment of an aircraft carrier to the Eastern Mediterranean — a move interpreted as a show of force and readiness to back Israel in any military confrontation.
Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, has issued a stark warning against Lebanon descending into the chaos and destruction witnessed in Gaza. The international community’s fear is palpable, as another conflict in Lebanon could unleash humanitarian and geopolitical consequences that would reverberate across the Middle East and beyond. According to Harith Slieman, an academic and political analyst, Lebanon has effectively been in a state of war since Oct. 8. He believes that in the coming days, Israel may not seek a ground invasion of Lebanon, but could ratchet up hostilities through continued airstrikes, targeting infrastructure that would inflict significant damage. “The missiles Israel intends to launch are more costly than the facilities they will destroy,” Slieman told Arab News, dismissing the notion of a “balance of terror” maintained by Hezbollah to forestall war. “Hezbollah’s drones, such as the Hudhud, primarily gather intelligence rather than posing a direct security threat to Israel,” he said. Slieman also rejects comparisons between Israel’s 1970s-80s-era conflict with the Palestinian Liberation Organization and its current standoff with Hezbollah, arguing that the former was viewed as an existential threat whereas the latter is rooted in security concerns.
Regarding the displacement of nearly 60,000 residents of northern Israel caused by the cross-border fighting with Hezbollah, Suleiman said this was a decision prompted by Israeli fears of an assault similar to the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7 on southern Israel.
He believes that even if Israel pushes Hezbollah north of the Litani River, it would not be able to eliminate the threat to its security entirely. Instead, he suggests, Israel’s strategy aims to exert military pressure on Hezbollah to force negotiations that could relocate its citizens back to safer northern areas, in a tacit acknowledgement of Hezbollah’s entrenched presence in southern Lebanon.
Slieman nevertheless paints a bleak picture of Lebanon’s governance, describing it as in a state of collapse, with Hezbollah wielding substantial influence, Najib Mikati operating as a caretaker prime minister, and Nabih Berri, the parliament speaker, remaining politically beholden to the group.
He says dealing with the Hezbollah question is a fundamentally internal political matter, and therefore only Lebanese stakeholders can resolve the underlying tensions. Political observers say Hezbollah’s outsized role in Lebanese politics and its broader regional ambitions complicate efforts to achieve lasting peace. Since the 2006 war with Israel, the group has solidified its position, emerging as a key player in domestic governance and a formidable force in regional conflicts such as Syria’s civil war. Charles Jabour, head of the Lebanese Forces party’s media and communications wing, laments the deepening polarization within Lebanese society. Since the withdrawal of Syrian forces in 2005, the country has struggled to forge a unified national identity, with Hezbollah’s influence often seen as exacerbating sectarian tensions. “The division is stark,” Jabour told Arab News. “Attempts to elect a president have repeatedly faltered, as Hezbollah asserts its own agenda independently of the state.”
Hezbollah’s actions and alliances have also invited international scrutiny and condemnation. Its rejection of the international tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Hariri, coupled with allegations of involvement in illicit activities like drug smuggling and money laundering, have further isolated Lebanon on the global stage. The threat of war has prompted religious leaders to convene urgent meetings, seeking to address the growing crisis and its potential ramifications. From the headquarters of the Maronite patriarchate, leaders from across Lebanon’s religious spectrum recently called for unity and calm. In a recent interview with Al-Hadath, Raghida Dergham, founder of the Beirut Institute, warned of Lebanon’s dangerous geopolitical trajectory, highlighted the interconnectedness of regional dynamics, particularly Hezbollah’s ties to Iran and its broader influence across the Middle East.
She said the problem now is one of interpreting Hezbollah’s claim that there is a connection between Gaza and Lebanon. Hamas leader “Yahya Sinwar has 120 hostages while Hassan Nasrallah has 4 million hostages,” Dergham told the current-affairs Arabic TV channel. “The situation is becoming dangerous. What may stop the Lebanon-Israel war is Iran more than America.” Elaborating on the claim, she said: “As Iran is currently not ready to wage war with Israel and wishes to reconcile with the US administration, I think that Nasrallah worries that some deals are being done behind his back. Therefore, he has got to be extra careful in the way he goes about the matter.” As Lebanon braces for what many fear is an inevitable conflict, the international community grapples with how best to avert or mitigate the crisis. Calls for diplomatic intervention and mediation grow louder, yet the complex web of regional alliances and historical grievances complicates efforts to find a peaceful resolution. For now, Lebanon remains on the brink — a nation hamstrung by its own divisions and external pressures. The path forward is uncertain, with the fate of millions hanging in the balance. As the world watches, hoping for a reprieve from the drums of war, Lebanon’s destiny seems inexorably intertwined with the volatile geopolitics of the Middle East.

Pentagon Fears Iranian Reaction to Israeli Attack on Lebanon
This Is Beirut/June 24/2024
US Military Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Q. Brown warned on Sunday that an Israeli offensive in Lebanon would risk Tehran’s response in support of Hezbollah, turning the ongoing conflict into a regional war, according to the Associated Press (AP).
He added that Iran would provide far more support for Hezbollah than it had for Hamas, “particularly if it felt that Hezbollah was under serious threat.”In particular, Brown pointed out that the United States would probably not be in a position to help Israel defend itself in a wider war against Hezbollah and Iran, as it had done in April to repel an Iranian attack on its territory. As a reminder, on the evening of April 13, Tehran launched hundreds of drones and missiles against the Jewish state. Almost all of these missiles were repelled by Israeli anti-aircraft defenses, heavily reinforced by American, British, Jordanian and French forces. The American official also stated that such a development could endanger all American forces stationed in the region. As a reminder, US forces stationed in Iraq and Syria as part of the international coalition against the jihadist group Islamic State (EI) regularly come under attack from armed groups affiliated with Iran.Brown was speaking on his way to Botswana for a meeting of African defense ministers.
Echoes From Iran
These statements underline the growing pressure exerted by the Biden administration on the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to dissuade it from any major action against Hezbollah, as tensions rise on the Lebanese-Israeli border.
On the Iranian side, Brigadier General Kioumars Heydari, head of the Iranian armed forces’ ground branch, said on Monday that the Tehran-led axis would not remain impassive in the event of all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah, according to remarks reported by Iranian media outlet Tehran Times. “If the Zionist regime launches an attack on Lebanon and starts an all-out conflict with Hezbollah, the Axis of Resistance will not remain passive. A severe and decisive response will be made to counter the Zionists’ malevolence”, he said.

Netanyahu warns Lebanon war could be next
Associated Press/June 24/2024
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the current phase of fighting against Hamas in Gaza is winding down, setting the stage for Israel to send more troops to its northern border to confront the Lebanese Hezbollah. The comments Sunday threatened to further heighten the tensions between Israel and Hezbollah at a time when they appear to be moving closer to war. Netanyahu also signaled that there is no end in sight for the grinding war in Gaza. The Israeli leader said in a lengthy TV interview that while the army is close to completing its current ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, that would not mean the war against Hamas is over. But he said fewer troops would be needed in Gaza, freeing up forces to battle Hezbollah. "We will have the possibility of transferring some of our forces north, and we will do that," he told Israel's Channel 14, a pro-Netanyahu TV channel, in an interview that was frequently interrupted by applause from the studio audience. "First and foremost, for defense," he added, but also to allow tens of thousands of displaced Israelis to return home. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah began striking Israel almost immediately after Hamas' Oct. 7 cross-border attack that triggered the Gaza war. Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire nearly every day since then, but the fighting has escalated in recent weeks, raising fears of a full-blown war.
Hezbollah is much stronger than Hamas, and opening a new front would raise the risk of a larger, region-wide war involving other Iranian proxies and perhaps Iran itself that could cause heavy damage and mass casualties on both sides of the border. White House envoy Amos Hochstein was in the region last week meeting with officials in Israel and Lebanon in an effort to lower tensions. But the fighting has continued. Netanyahu said he hoped a diplomatic solution to the crisis could be found but vowed to solve the problem "in a different way" if needed. "We can fight on several fronts and we are prepared to do that," he said. He said any deal would not just be "an agreement on paper." He said it would require Hezbollah to be far from the border, an enforcement mechanism and the return of Israelis back to their homes. Tens of thousands of people were evacuated shortly after the fighting erupted and have not been able to go home. Hezbollah has said it will continue battling Israel until a cease-fire is reached in Gaza. The group's leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, warned Israel last week against launching a war, saying Hezbollah has new weapons and intelligence capabilities that could help it target more critical positions deeper inside Israel. Hezbollah already has unveiled new weapons during the low-level fighting, including hard-to-defend attack drones that strike with little warning. An Israeli soldier was badly wounded Sunday in a drone strike. But Israel says it too has shown Hezbollah only a small part of its full capabilities, and that Lebanon will be turned into a second Gaza if there is a war. Israel's army last week said it had "approved and validated" a new plan for a Lebanon offensive.
In the interview, Netanyahu said that Israel's offensive in Gaza is winding down. The Israeli army has been operating in the southern border town of Rafah since early May. It says it has inflicted heavy damage on Hamas in Rafah, which it has identified as the last remaining Hamas stronghold after a brutal war stretching nearly nine months. But he said Israel would have to continue "mowing" operations — targeted strikes aimed at preventing Hamas from regrouping. Israel launched its air and ground invasion of Gaza immediately after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, which killed some 1,200 people and took about 250 others hostage. The Israeli offensive has killed over 37,000 Palestinians, unleashed a humanitarian crisis and triggered war crimes and genocide cases at the world's top courts in The Hague. It also has raised tensions with the United States, with President Joe Biden and Netanyahu clashing publicly over the course of the war. Earlier on Sunday, Netanyahu again repeated his claim that there has been a "dramatic drop" in arms shipments from the U.S., Israel's closest ally, hindering the war effort.
Biden has delayed delivering certain heavy bombs since May over concerns of heavy civilian casualties, but his administration fought back last week against Netanyahu's charges that other shipments had also been affected.
Although the U.S. and other mediators are pushing a cease-fire plan, Netanyahu has ruled out an end to the war until Israel frees all hostages held by Hamas and until it destroys Hamas' military and governing capabilities. The current phase of the war "is about to end," Netanyahu said. "That doesn't mean the war is about to end."Netanyahu spoke as his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, was in Washington for talks with American officials about the war and tensions with Lebanon. And next month, Netanyahu has been invited to address Congress for a speech that already is dividing Washington along partisan lines. Some Democrats, angry at Netanyahu's public fighting with Biden, say they will not attend. American officials also have been pressing Netanyahu to spell out a clear post-war plan for Gaza. The U.S. has said it will not accept a long-term Israeli occupation of the territory. Netanyahu spelled out a very different vision. He said the only way to guarantee Israel's security is for Israel to maintain military control over the territory. "There is no one else" capable of doing that, he said. But he said he is seeking a way to create a Palestinian "civilian administration" to manage day-to-day affairs in Gaza, hopefully with backing from moderate Arab countries. He ruled out any role for the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, which was ousted from Gaza by Hamas in a violent 2007 takeover. Netanyahu said the Israeli army several months ago looked into working with prominent Palestinian families in Gaza, but that Hamas immediately "destroyed them." He said Israel is now looking at other options. Netanyahu ruled out one option favored by some of his ultranationalist governing partners — re-settling Israelis in Gaza. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, ending a 38-year presence. "The issue of settlement is not realistic," he said. "I'm realistic."

Freeing the Hostages is Israel’s Priority, says Gallant
AP/This Is Beirut/June 24/2024
Israel’s defense minister on Monday vowed during a visit to Washington to work to bring back hostages from Gaza, and urged close cooperation with the United States after strains in the relationship.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met with CIA chief Bill Burns, the key US point man in negotiations to free hostages from Hamas, and later met for around two hours with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “I would like to emphasize that it is Israel’s primary commitment to return the hostages, with no exception, to their families and homes,” Gallant said before starting his meetings. “We will continue to make every possible effort to bring them home,” he said. He made no further comment as he left the meeting with Blinken, as a couple of dozen protesters outside the State Department chanted to call him a “war criminal.” President Joe Biden on May 31 laid out a plan for a ceasefire in Gaza and release of hostages, ahead of talks on ending the war. Hamas, which launched the conflict with its October 7 attack on Israel, has come back with its own demands, and the United States hopes the gaps can be bridged. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has faced major protests calling for him to accept the deal, in recent days has annoyed the Biden administration by accusing Washington of cutting back arms and ammunition deliveries. Gallant took a different tack, saying, “The alliance between Israel and the United States, led by the US over many years, is extremely important.”Other than Israel’s own military, “our ties with the US are the most important element for our future from a security perspective,” he said. Biden, who has faced criticism from parts of his own base over his support for Israel, held back a shipment that included heavy 2,000-pound bombs. Netanyahu — who has close relations with Biden’s rivals in the Republican Party — told a cabinet meeting on Sunday that there was a “dramatic drop in the supply” of US weapons around four months ago. Asked about his latest comment, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said, “I don’t understand what that comment meant at all.”“We have paused one shipment of high-payload munitions. That shipment remains on pause,” Miller told reporters. “There are other weapons that we continue to provide Israel, as we have done going back years and years, because we are committed to Israel’s security. There has been no change in that,” Miller said. Gallant said he would also discuss the next phase of the war after Netanyahu said that the “intense” fighting with Hamas in Rafah was “about to end.”Miller said the United States would press Israel to work on longer-term arrangements after the end of the fighting. “We don’t want to see in Rafah what we’ve seen in Gaza City and what we’ve seen in Khan Younis, which is the end of major combat operations and then the beginning of Hamas reasserting control,” he said, referring to two other major cities targeted by Israel earlier in the war. Gallant is also expected to meet in Washington with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, senior White House official Brett McGurk and Amos Hochstein, who is focusing on tensions over Lebanon.

Report: Arab efforts underway to pacify south Lebanon front
Naharnet/June 24/2024
There are continuous Arab efforts aimed at pacifying the situation between Israel and Hezbollah in light of the latest threats and fears, an informed source told Kuwait’s al-Anba newspaper. As for the Israeli threats against Lebanon, another informed source told al-Anba that “Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is threatening on the Lebanese front with the aim of pressing the U.S. administration to release the needed weapons deal, which according to Israel would speed up the control of Gaza.”Hezbollah has said it will continue battling Israel until a cease-fire is reached in Gaza. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel last week against launching a war, saying Hezbollah has new weapons and intelligence capabilities that could help it target more critical positions deeper inside Israel. For its part Israel’s army last week said it had “approved and validated” a new plan for a Lebanon offensive. Israeli strikes have killed more than 400 people in Lebanon, including 70 civilians. On Israel’s side, 16 soldiers and 10 civilians have been killed.

Vatican secretary of state to attend 'spiritual and national meeting' in Bkerki
Naharnet/June 24/2024
The Vatican's Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, kicked off a visit to Lebanon on Sunday, amid escalation on Lebanon’s southern front with Israel. Parolin is scheduled to take part in a “broad spiritual and national meeting” in Bkerki that has been called for by Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi.
The meeting will be attended by Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan, Higher Islamic Shiite Council deputy head Sheikh Ali al-Khatib, Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Sami Abou al-Muna and Islamic Alawite Council chief Sheikh Ali Qaddour. Al-Joumhouria newspaper reported that the meeting has no specific agenda and that there is “a draft joint statement aimed at declaring a unified Lebanese stance over the domestic national issues and the regional issues, focusing on the Lebanese experience and on strengthening Islamic-Christian ties, which is a constant Vatican message.”Kuwait’s al-Anbaa newspaper meanwhile reported that the main objective of Parolin’s visit is to “exert efforts and push with all decision-makers in the country for the election of a president.”

Al-Hassan: Over 300,000 Arrivals Recorded in June
This Is Beirut/June 24/2024
The Director General of Civil Aviation, Fadi al-Hassan, said in an interview with the Sputnik agency on Monday that more than 300,000 people arrived at Beirut International Airport in June, even though “we’re not yet in the peak season.”Commenting on the issue of Israeli jamming of the GPS system since last March, he assured that “planes land at AIB relying on ground-based navigation equipment.”Al-Hassan explained that it is important today for a pilot to have two means of landing. The first is the signal that the aircraft’s GPS device picks up via satellite. The other is the dependence on ground-based navigation equipment at the airport, “which we rely on today and have not recorded any accidents or malfunctions.”

Hamiye Announces a Revaluation of Maritime Properties
This Is Beirut/June 24/2024
Lebanon’s Caretaker Minister of Transport and Public Works, Ali Hamiye, announced on Monday the formation of joint specialized commissions between his department and the Ministry of Finance to re-examine the estimated price per square meter of public maritime domain to determine the annual fee for temporary occupation of these properties. Speaking at a press conference, Hamiye said that this was “the first collaboration between two ministries on a very national issue, namely the development of public maritime property from south to north.”He recalled the importance of this issue in terms of state revenues as well as in encouraging tourism, the economy, industry, and others. “A decree was issued in 2018, when the dollar exchange rate was 1,500 Lebanese pounds, and then another followed, dollarizing the fees with the aim of providing the Treasury with additional revenue, not from the pockets of citizens but rather from optimal investment in the public maritime domain,” he said. Hamiye hoped that the land valuation would be completed within two months so that the Ministry of Public Works could submit to the Council of Ministers for approval a new decree imposing taxes at new rates to replenish the Treasury. Regarding the investigation carried out by the Lebanese army on the entire Lebanese coast, the Minister assured that it has been completed, underscoring that “the violations committed represent a total encroachment of more than one million square meters.”

Transport minister Hamieh denies Hezbollah weapons at Beirut airport
Agence France Presse/June 24/2024
Caretaker transport minister Ali Hamieh has denied that Hezbollah was storing weapons at Beirut airport, as fears grow of all-out war between the militant group and Israel. Hamieh called a press conference on Sunday to deny the allegations of "absurd articles" in the media, and attacked the British daily The Telegraph. The newspaper said the Shiite militant group is storing missiles and rockets at the airport, where "whistleblowers" had reported the arrival of "unusually big boxes". Backed by Iran, Hezbollah has been exchanging near-daily fire with Israeli forces in support of its ally, Hamas. The Palestinian movement has been at war with Israel since October 7 when Hamas militants from Gaza attacked southern Israel. "I am holding this press conference to clarify that everything that has been written in The Telegraph is false and to say that there are no weapons entering or leaving Beirut airport," Hamieh told journalists. He spoke from Beirut International Airport, located in an area south of the capital where Hezbollah is influential. Hamieh invited ambassadors and journalists to inspect the airport on Monday morning in a visit "open to all" The Lebanese air transport union condemned in a statement "simply erroneous statements and lies aimed at endangering Beirut airport and its employees, all civilians, and those who frequent it."Israel has for years accused Hezbollah of keeping precision rockets and missiles in different installations throughout Lebanon, including on a site near Beirut airport. Hezbollah denies this. More than eight months of exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israeli forces have left 480 people dead in Lebanon, mostly fighters, but also 93 civilians, according to an AFP tally. Israeli authorities say at least 15 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed in the country's north. Cross-border exchanges and tension have escalated over the past two weeks after an Israeli air strike killed a senior Hezbollah commander.

Lebanon's Nabih Berri sounds alarm over southern tensions: 'A decisive month ahead'
LBCI/June 24/2024
Lebanon's Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri expressed concern about the situation and developments in southern Lebanon, emphasizing that "we are facing a decisive month." Berri said in an exclusive interview with "RT": "I am very concerned about the situation deteriorating. We are in a sensitive and critical phase, facing a crucial month, and the situation is unsettling." He added, "We met with US envoy Amos Hochstein, and we awaited his responses post his visit to Tel Aviv, but that did not happen, which raises concerns about the US initiative [for de-escalation]." Regarding the details of the US initiative, Berri revealed that "Hochstein proposed Hezbollah's withdrawal by eight kilometers from the borders to calm the situation in the border area. In return, I demanded the Israeli army to also withdraw eight kilometers from its borders." Berri pointed out that "despite Israel's violations of UN Resolution 1701, we still adhere to its full implementation, including the withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territories." Responding to a question about diplomatic efforts to reduce escalation, Berri affirmed that they are ongoing, mentioning his inability to meet with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her upcoming visit to Beirut next Wednesday, citing scheduling conflicts. The Speaker of Parliament stressed that "the resistance is committed to the rules of engagement, but Israel violates them."Nabih Berri emphasized that the Amal Movement, which he leads, "is fighting on Lebanese territory," warning: "If there is an Israeli incursion, we will be in the forefront and on the ground with Hezbollah."In response to a question about media campaigns against the Beirut Airport, Berri said: "This is not the first time that the airport has been subjected to 'fabricated' campaigns."

Hezbollah and Israel Engage in Psychological Warfare Amid Military Conflict
LBCI/June 24/2024
Through military action and bombardment, Hezbollah and Israel are engaged in a war of attrition. However, this conflict is not fought with weapons alone. Alongside the battlefield, both sides have initiated a fierce psychological war, wielding videos, rumors, and media as their weapons. Hezbollah's release of the Hudhud drone video and subsequent clips addressed "to whom it may concern" had a significant impact within Israel. Similarly, Tel Aviv's threats since the onset of the al-Aqsa Flood, targeting Beirut, state facilities, and all of Lebanon, have made a mark on the Lebanese domestic front. This culminated in The Telegraph's report alleging that Hezbollah was using Beirut Airport as a storage for weapons arriving from Iran. Although The Telegraph did not entirely deny the report, it modified it twice, eventually changing the headline from "Hezbollah Stores Missiles and Explosives at Beirut Airport" to "Beirut airport bosses deny it is being used to store Hezbollah weapons." This was in addition to denial statements from sources like the International Air Transport Association, which parts of the article had relied on. Northern front concerns: Hezbollah provocations prompt Israeli military assessment in the north
Before this article, the rumor mill was active. One rumor attributed to Reuters claimed that the Israeli army would launch a military operation on Lebanon within 48 hours, which the agency denied. Another rumor suggested Canada was conducting the largest evacuation in its history of 45,000 Canadians from Beirut, which was refuted by the Canadian embassy. Additionally, a fabricated report bearing Al Jazeera's logo claimed that the ambassadors of the UK, France, Italy, Germany, and Sweden were leaving Lebanon, which the ambassadors themselves and Information Minister Ziad Makari denied. This is not the first time psychological warfare has been employed during conflicts. Israel is not the only entity using media to increase pressure on its adversaries. ISIS is noted for its extensive use of psychological warfare, such as publicly beheading and even burning captives, which instilled fear and panic among its opponents' followers. In the midst of war and psychological battles, verifying the sources and accuracy of information has become more than just a duty.

Legal Review Underway for Lebanon's Potential Lawsuit Against The Telegraph
LBCI/June 24/2024
Lebanon's announcement of its intention to file a lawsuit against the Telegraph newspaper is currently under legal review. According to information made available to LBCI, the Lebanese government is consulting with Lebanese lawyers who are familiar with legal procedures and laws in Britain in preparation for the lawsuit, which the Minister of Public Works reaffirmed on Monday morning from the Grand Serail will definitely be filed. Which court will hear the case? According to legal experts, such a lawsuit would be filed in ordinary civil courts in Britain. While there is a consensus that winning the case is difficult, it is not impossible. The difficulty is increased by the fact that the newspaper attributed the information to airport employees who leaked the content and was careful to cite their statements in the article. The law protects the confidentiality of these sources.
One point in Lebanon's favor is related to the newspaper amending its article after the International Air Transport Association (IATA) contacted them regarding a quote attributed to an IATA official. The IATA considered the quote to be false, especially since the association did not and will not comment on the situation at Beirut Airport. This led the newspaper to remove the IATA's name from the article, thereby shaking the credibility of its content. Additionally, one expert pointed out the possibility that Lebanon might have to cover all legal costs if it loses the case, though this is not certain and would be subject to the judge's decision. Regardless of whether the Lebanese state manages to prove the inaccuracy of the Telegraph's report, some believe it is necessary to take serious measures given the damage the article has caused to Lebanon's reputation and security amidst the current wartime conditions.

Prolonged Presidential Vacancy: Efforts for a Unified Christian Front in Lebanon
LBCI/June 24/2024
The presidential vacancy in Lebanon has persisted, prompting Bkerke to raise its voice, advocating for the election of the only Christian president in the region. In this context, Bkerke seized the opportunity of the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin's visit to Lebanon, to make a new attempt to bring Christian leaders together. The proposed meeting includes Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil, Marada Movement leader Sleiman Frangieh, and Kataeb Party leader Sami Gemayel. Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai has moved through an envoy to communicate with these leaders, inviting them to a meeting, rumored to be scheduled for Wednesday. These leaders are also set to have individual meetings with the Vatican official at the embassy. Will this four-way meeting under the Vatican's auspices succeed? Initial indicators suggest that the Free Patriotic Movement does not oppose such a meeting, indicating the problem is not on their side. The Lebanese Forces, while open to discussing any invitation, maintain that nothing has changed to warrant their participation in a four-way meeting they previously rejected, as it would not alter the presidential election situation. According to their sources, the issue is not among the Christians but with those who refuse to call for consecutive election sessions. Kataeb Party sources indicate that any invitation will be discussed within the party, which has never rejected an invitation from Bkerke, especially one under the Vatican's auspices. The Marada Movement will announce its official stance upon receiving the invitation, with sources indicating no opposition to such meetings, particularly given Frangieh's personal acquaintance with Cardinal Parolin.

US Defense focuses on diplomatic resolution for Lebanon-Israel border tensions
LBCI/June 24/2024
The US Department of Defense affirmed that its efforts are focused on reaching a diplomatic solution to tensions along the Lebanese-Israeli border and preventing the conflict from escalating in the region. Regarding the issue of the aircraft carrier, Eisenhower, the Pentagon announced that the carrier will remain in the Eastern Mediterranean for a brief period before returning to the United States.

Lebanon's Nabih Berri sounds alarm over southern tensions: 'A decisive month ahead'
LBCI/June 24/2024
Lebanon's Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri expressed concern about the situation and developments in southern Lebanon, emphasizing that "we are facing a decisive month." Berri said in an exclusive interview with "RT": "I am very concerned about the situation deteriorating. We are in a sensitive and critical phase, facing a crucial month, and the situation is unsettling."He added, "We met with US envoy Amos Hochstein, and we awaited his responses post his visit to Tel Aviv, but that did not happen, which raises concerns about the US initiative [for de-escalation]."Regarding the details of the US initiative, Berri revealed that "Hochstein proposed Hezbollah's withdrawal by eight kilometers from the borders to calm the situation in the border area. In return, I demanded the Israeli army to also withdraw eight kilometers from its borders."Berri pointed out that "despite Israel's violations of UN Resolution 1701, we still adhere to its full implementation, including the withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territories." Responding to a question about diplomatic efforts to reduce escalation, Berri affirmed that they are ongoing, mentioning his inability to meet with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her upcoming visit to Beirut next Wednesday, citing scheduling conflicts. The Speaker of Parliament stressed that "the resistance is committed to the rules of engagement, but Israel violates them."Nabih Berri emphasized that the Amal Movement, which he leads, "is fighting on Lebanese territory," warning: "If there is an Israeli incursion, we will be in the forefront and on the ground with Hezbollah."In response to a question about media campaigns against the Beirut Airport, Berri said: "This is not the first time that the airport has been subjected to 'fabricated' campaigns."

Civil defense member injured as Israel strikes al-Taybeh
Agence France Presse/June 24/2024
Israeli artillery shelled Monday the southern town of al-Taybeh, targeting members of the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Committee, as they tried to extinguish a fire following an Israeli drone attack on the town. The shelling injured a member of the Islamic Health Committee in the chest, the National News Agency said. The Israeli army had shelled overnight the southern border towns of Kfarkila and al-Khiam with white phosphorus bombs, while warplanes raided Aitaroun. On Sunday, Hezbollah targeted two military positions in northern Israel with an armed drone in response to the killing of an Islamist commander, Ayman Ghotmeh, in Khiara, in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa area near Syria. For almost two weeks, tensions and cross-border fire have escalated, along with bellicose rhetoric, raising fears of a wider Middle East war. Israel and the powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, had already been exchanging near-daily cross-border fire since the Gaza war erupted on October 7.
'Severely wounded' -
Israel's military said one of its soldiers "was severely wounded" as a result of a drone strike on Ayelet Hashahar near the Israeli city of Safed, as Hezbollah struck further south into Israel. On Tuesday the Israeli military had announced that plans for an offensive in Lebanon had been "approved and validated", after which Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said no part of Israel would be spared in the event of an all-out war. Hezbollah on Saturday evening published a video showing Israeli positions and coordinates, along with an excerpt of Nasrallah's speech in which he says "if war is imposed on Lebanon, the resistance will fight without restrictions or rules". Days earlier, it had circulated a nine-minute video showing aerial footage purportedly taken by the movement over northern Israel, including what it said were sensitive military, defense and energy facilities and infrastructure in the city and port of Haifa.
The cross-border violence has killed at least 480 people in Lebanon, most of them fighters but also 93 civilians, according to an AFP tally. Israeli authorities say at least 15 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed in the country's north.

Growing Discontent Within Hezbollah
This Is Beirut/June 24/2024
Sources close to Hezbollah acknowledge that the ceasefire in Gaza will inevitably lead to a halt in military operations on the Lebanese-Israeli border. Hezbollah would therefore be working to limit complaints and feelings of discontent within its community and among its ranks, which have suffered considerable human and material losses, estimated at over a billion dollars, according to some reports. As a result, southerners close to the pro-Iranian formation are said to be increasingly furious, especially since journalists have been banned from visiting the southern border, reporting the true extent of the damage and taking photographs. Members of the press are therefore forced to stay in their headquarters in Nabatiyeh and move only within the perimeters imposed on them.

Berri: Lebanon Is Facing a Crucial Month
This Is Beirut/June 24/2024
Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri emphasized that Lebanon is facing “a crucial month with an unsettling situation.”In an interview with Russia Today, Berri expressed his concern about the escalating situation in the south and the tension between Lebanon and Israel. “I am extremely worried about things getting out of hand. We are in a sensitive and delicate phase, facing a decisive month, and the situation is not reassuring,” he reiterated. He also expressed concern that the American envoy, Amos Hochtein, had not contacted Lebanese officials after his visit to Tel Aviv, last week.
About his meeting with Mr Hochstein last Tuesday, he pointed out that the US envoy suggested Hezbollah withdraw 8km from the border to ease the situation in the border strip areas. “In return, I demanded that the Israeli Army also withdraw 8 km from its borders,” he added. “We were expecting answers from him after his visit to Tel Aviv, which we did not get and which raises concerns about the US initiative (for de-escalation),” Berri revealed. The Speaker said they remain committed to the full implementation to Resolution 1701, including the withdrawal from the occupied Lebanese territories “despite Israel’s violations.”In response to a question about diplomatic efforts to reduce tension, Berri confirmed that they are ongoing, noting that he would not meet with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her visit to Beirut next Wednesday due to scheduling conflicts. In this context, it is worth pointing out that the situation in Lebanon was discussed by French President Emmanuel Macron and King Abdullah II of Jordan, during their summit, at the Élysée Palace, on Monday. Both emphasized the need to support efforts to preserve the country’s stability and security. In Washington, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met with Amos Hochstein, to stress Tel Aviv’s determination to “change the security situation in the northern border region with Lebanon.”According to his press office, he discussed with Mr. Hochstein “measures allowing residents of the northern region to return home.” The Speaker, who also heads the Amal movement, warned that they will be “on alert and on the front lines should the Israelis decide on a ground incursion.” He stressed that “the resistance is committed to the rules of engagement, but Israel breaches them and follows a scorched-earth policy in the border strip areas.”

Israel offensive into Lebanon risks Iranian military response, top US military leader says
Associated Press/June 24/2024
The top U.S. military officer has warned that any Israeli military offensive into Lebanon would risk an Iranian response in defense of the powerful Hezbollah militant group there, triggering a broader war that could put U.S. forces in the region in danger.
Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Sunday Iran "would be more inclined to support Hezbollah." He added that Tehran supports Hamas militants in Gaza, but would give greater backing to Hezbollah "particularly if they felt that Hezbollah was being significantly threatened."
Brown spoke to reporters as he traveled to Botswana for a meeting of African defense ministers. Israeli officials have threatened a military offensive in Lebanon if there is no negotiated end to push Hezbollah away from the border. Just days ago, Israel's military said it had "approved and validated" plans for an offensive in Lebanon, even as the U.S. works to prevent the months of cross-border attacks from spiraling into a full-blown war. Netanyahu said Sunday he hoped a diplomatic solution could be achieved but said he would solve the problem "in a different way" if needed. "We can fight on several fronts and we are prepared to do that," he said. U.S. officials have tried to broker a diplomatic solution to the conflict. The issue is expected to come up this week as Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visits Washington for meetings with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other senior U.S. officials. U.S. President Joe Biden's senior adviser, Amos Hochstein, met with officials in Lebanon and Israel last week in an effort to deescalate tensions. Hochstein told reporters in Beirut on Tuesday that it was a "very serious situation" and that a diplomatic solution to prevent a larger war was urgent. Brown also said the U.S. won't likely be able to help Israel defend itself against a broader Hezbollah war as well as it helped Israel fight off an Iranian barrage of missiles and drones in April. It is harder to fend off the shorter-range rockets that Hezbollah fires routinely across the border into Israel, he said.
Asked if the U.S. has changed its force posture in the region to better assure troops are protected, he said the safety of the force has been a priority all along and noted that no U.S. bases have been attacked since February. Brown said the U.S. continues to talk with Israeli leaders and warn against widening the conflict. He said a key message is "to think about the second order of effect of any type of operation into Lebanon, and how that might play out and how it impacts not just the region, but how it impacts our forces in regions as well."
Pentagon officials have said that Austin has also raised concerns about a broader conflict when he spoke to Gallant in a recent phone call.
"Given the amount of rocket fire we've seen going from both sides of the border, we've certainly been concerned about that situation, and both publicly and privately have been urging all parties to restore calm along that border, and again, to seek a diplomatic solution," said Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, last week. A war between the two heavily armed foes could be devastating to both countries and incur mass civilian casualties. Hezbollah's rocket arsenal is believed to be far more extensive than Hamas'. Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah have exchanged fire across Lebanon's border with northern Israel since fighters from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip staged a bloody assault on southern Israel in early October that set off the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The situation escalated this month after an Israeli airstrike killed a senior Hezbollah military commander in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah retaliated by firing hundreds of rockets and explosive drones into northern Israel and Israel responded with a heavy assault on the militant group. Israeli strikes have killed more than 400 people in Lebanon, including 70 civilians. On Israel's side, 16 soldiers and 10 civilians have been killed. An escalation in the conflict could also trigger wider involvement by other Iran-backed militant groups in the region. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a speech last Wednesday that militant leaders from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and other countries have previously offered to send tens of thousands of fighters to help Hezbollah, but he said the group already has more than 100,000 fighters.

Lebanese party on despite threat of war
Agence France Presse/June 24/2024
In the buzz of a trendy Beirut neighborhood, the din of bars and laughter blend together, far from the border violence with Israel further south and fears of all-out war.
"I'm 40 years old, and each year they tell us that war will break out this summer," Elie, a financial consultant who did not give his last name, said in a bar in the Lebanese capital with other locals chatting beside him. "What we see in the street is different from what we hear in the media," he said. "What the foreign press is reporting makes people think that Lebanon is at war." Since the beginning of the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip on October 7, the Palestinian Islamist movement's ally, Lebanon's Hezbollah, has been exchanging nearly-daily fire with Israel over the border. Tensions have risen on the Israel-Lebanon frontier for almost two weeks, after Israel's killing of one of Hezbollah's most important commanders. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned of a catastrophe "beyond imagination," and France and the United States have been working for de-escalation. Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Hezbollah would be destroyed in "total war" and the country's army approved "operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon". The following day, the head of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, warned that "no place" in Israel would be spared by the group's weapons in the event of full-blown war. While the risk of the border conflict overflowing into the rest of the country comes up in conversations, it does not seem to bother the partiers in the Christian neighborhood of Mar Mikhael. In the Beirut neighborhood well-known for its bars, lit-up with multi-colored lights, glasses clink and customers dance to the rhythm of remixed Arab and Western pop songs played at full blast by a DJ. "This is Lebanon and this is our story. Nothing changes. We survived the July war," Elie said, referring to a war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006. "In all the past crises, people continued to stay out late, whether during the Covid-19 pandemic or the explosion at Beirut port" in the summer of 2020. The blast killed more than 200 people, destroyed swathes of the capital including Mar Mikhael, and accelerated the economy's collapse.
'Love to party' -
Elsewhere in the city, locals brought their children to a street festival organized in the center of Beirut, carrying on late into the night. "Despite all the threats, we are a people who love life," Abir Atallah told AFP, amid the laughter of children in front of the stage. While according to the United Nations more than 95,000 Lebanese have been displaced by the conflict around the Israel border, the specter of war does not stop people in other parts of the country from living normally. "We live day by day. Of course, people are afraid, but we rely on God," said Mira Makhlouf, who sells toys for children.
"Lebanese love to party," she said, adding that she has no intention of leaving the country if a full-scale war breaks out. While the biggest events held every summer in Lebanon were cancelled this year because of the conflict in the south, some organizations chose to continue with their plans. Arab singers are flocking to Lebanon to perform. More than 20,000 people in mid-June attended a concert in Beirut by Egyptian pop star Amr Diab. Foreigners continue to travel to the country for the summer festival season, despite warnings from several countries that their citizens should not visit Lebanon.
"I do not think that a war will break out, and we are not afraid. Otherwise, we would not see this crowd," Nayla Haddad said at the festival. "Every two weeks, we organize a festival in a new place," she said, smiling.

Jumblat says Telegraph report 'shameful' as airport tour begins
Naharnet/June 24/2024
Former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat has dubbed reports that Hezbollah was storing weapons at Beirut airport as "shameful" and "dangerous". In an interview, Jumblat accused the British daily The Telegraph of "promoting war".
The newspaper said Hezbollah is storing missiles and rockets at the airport, where "whistleblowers" had reported the arrival of "unusually big boxes". "Some want war in Lebanon and outside Lebanon," Jumblat said, adding that ties between him and Hezbollah are "not severed." Caretaker transport minister Ali Hamieh denied Sunday the report, inviting ambassadors and journalists to inspect the airport on Monday morning in a visit "open to all". During the tour on Monday, Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said the airport is "civilian and safe"."These are rumors," he added. "They are creating pretexts for war."

Tensions in Ain el-Helweh as security forces member assassinated
Naharnet/June 24/2024
Tensions engulfed the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Helweh in Sidon on Monday after a member of the Palestinian National Security Force was shot dead.
Annahar newspaper identified the slain member as Yassine Akl, saying he was killed in “the Ras al-Ahmar area that is controlled by Islamist militants.”The camp had witnessed violent clashes around 10 months ago between the Palestinian National Security Force and members of hardline Islamist groups.

Journalist Faces Life-Threatening Campaign by Hezbollah Partisans
This Is BeirutJune 24/2024
Youssef Diab, veteran journalist and member of the “Media for Freedom” administrative body, said on Monday that he is placing the campaign of intimidation and threats that he has been subjected to by Hezbollah’s electronic army “in the hands of the Lebanese judiciary.” In a statement, Diab described the campaign “calling for personal and physical harm on his person as unprecedented.” The wrath was unleashed on him following comments he made on Sky News Arabia about The Telegraph’s report alleging that Hezbollah is storing missiles in Beirut airport.
Asserting his patriotism and hostility to Israel, he emphasized his right as a citizen and journalist to “warn of the danger of the suspicious Telegraph report in its timing and content and that Israel could exploit these allegations and take them as an excuse to target Rafik Hariri International Airport.”
He reiterated his “clear political position in rejecting attempts to turn Lebanon alone, without the rest of the Arab and Islamic countries, into a front supporting Gaza and involving it in a war whose consequences and results the Lebanese will not bear.”
Diab, who is known for his competence, commitment and objectivity, previously stated that Hezbollah controls the roads leading to the airport, consequently dominating the airport, which makes it a target for Israeli shelling in case of escalation.
Last week, journalist Rami Naim was physically assaulted for criticizing Hezbollah. Naim’s attackers weren’t arrested and the party denied its connection with the incident.

Away from home, Israeli evacuees wait as Hezbollah tensions spike
AFP/June 24, 2024
TIBERIAS, Israel: Yarden Gil opens a reinforced metal door to enter the northern Israeli kindergarten where she works, which doubles as an underground shelter against rockets fired by Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement. She is among tens of thousands displaced from the border area by the ever-present threat of Hezbollah attacks and, increasingly, the fear of an all-out war against the powerful Iran-backed militant group. Gil, 36, and her family have left their home in Yiftah, a kibbutz community just a few hundred meters (yards) from the Lebanese border. She said there they lived so close to the border that they could often hear incoming rockets before the sirens started wailing. They now live in a single room in a hotel 50 kilometers (30 miles) to the south, near the city of Tiberias on the shores of the lake known as the Sea of Galilee. “We really don’t have independence here,” said Gil, charging that the Israeli government is “not doing enough for us to be able to go back to our home and be secure.”Dozens of northern Israeli communities have been rendered ghost towns as the Israeli military and Hezbollah have traded near-daily cross-border fire, ending a period of relative calm since a 2006 war. The spike in violence during the ongoing Gaza conflict has re-ignited fears of a wider war between long-term foes Israel and Hezbollah, a Hamas ally. The border clashes have killed at least 93 civilians in Lebanon and nearly 390 others, mostly fighters, according to an AFP tally.
Eleven civilians and 15 soldiers have been killed on the Israeli side, according to the military. Israel said early last week it had approved military plans for an offensive in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah responded with a warning that nowhere in Israel would be safe in the event of war.
With Israel focused on the Gaza war after Hamas’s surprise October 7 attack, a return home is all that is on the minds of evacuees from northern communities languishing in hotels turned state-funded shelters, away from home.The authorities have repeatedly extended accommodation arrangements, which are now set to expire in August. Some evacuees have moved out of the hotels, to elsewhere in Israel or abroad. “That’s our new reality: instability,” said Iris Amsalem, a 33-year-old mother of two from the border community of Shomera who is now staying in a Galilee hotel.
“We want peace. We want security.”
Only a few Israelis have remained on the border, defended by civilian units and military forces. Deborah Fredericks, an 80-year-old retiree staying at a five-star hotel with hundreds of other evacuees, played the tile-based game of Rummikub next to a gleaming pool and palm trees in front of the lake. “It’s really funny because I’m in the middle of a war but I’m on holiday,” she said. “I want to go back, but it won’t be for a while. It’ll be when they say I can. You can’t do anything about it.” Others feel they have been abandoned by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government as it prioritizes the Gaza war. “No one communicates with us, no one! No one came to see us!” said Lili Dahn, a resident of the border town of Kiryat Shmona, in her 60s. Gil, the kindergarten teacher, said parents had to set up their own schooling for their children after they fled their kibbutz, which has suffered damage from rockets and in fires caused by the strikes. “The government is responsible for our security and I expect them to be more interested in what happened to us,” she said, adding that some of her fellow kibbutzniks have moved as far away as Canada and Thailand. Netanyahu has pledged to return security, and civilians, to the north. Some evacuees said they believe a war against Hezbollah is only a matter of time. Sarit Zehavi, a former Israeli army intelligence official who lives near the border, said her greatest fear was that a potential ceasefire would allow Hezbollah “to preserve its capabilities and launch the next massacre,” like Hamas did. Gil’s husband, Ewdward, 39, also said he feared a similar assault to the October 7 attack on southern Israel. “It happened in the south,” he said. “Who’s telling me that now it won’t happen in the north?“ Helene Abergel, a 49-year-old Kiryat Shmona resident who is living at a Tel Aviv hotel, said: “A war must happen to push Hezbollah away from the border.” In her family’s single room, Gil had a defiant message for Hezbollah. “They can break our houses,” she said. “They can burn our fields. But they cannot kill our spirit.”

Situation between Israel and Hezbollah very concerning, German minister says ahead of Lebanon visit
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/June 24, 2024
BEIRUT: The situation between Israel and Hezbollah is very concerning, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Monday, on the eve of her tour of Lebanon, Tel Aviv, and the West Bank. Baerbock is scheduled to travel to Lebanon to engage in discussions with officials in Beirut in light of Israeli threats of an expanded conflict with Hezbollah. Her remarks came as the Israeli media said the country’s army has enough ammunition to strike Hezbollah, but that its leadership is exercising caution. The media reported on Monday that the Israeli military carried out a series of attacks on the Lebanese border area. Warplanes repeatedly raided the towns of Taybeh, Aitaroun, Kfarkela, and Khiam. Artillery and phosphorus shelling were reported on the outskirts of the towns of Tayr Harfa, Rab El-Thalathine, and Odaisseh, causing fires. Hezbollah’s Islamic Health Organization reported that the Israeli military “targeted a civil defense team in the town of Taybeh with an artillery shell while they were extinguishing a fire, resulting in one member being injured by shrapnel in his chest and transported to the hospital.”Hezbollah carried out an ambush on Sunday night in the Metula settlement, targeting a troop transport vehicle, injuring six soldiers, including an officer. The operation prompted intensified Israeli night raids on southern villages and towns. A sonic boom caused by an Israeli warplane disrupted students taking exams in Nabatieh. On the first day of the students’ official regular and vocational exams, the sound barrier was breached, and its echoes were heard in the coastal town of Ghazieh near Sidon. Despite the unsettling experience, the 1,107 students continued their exams. Israeli warplanes also broke the sound barrier in two waves over Nabatieh, causing another sonic boom. The Ministry of Education had facilitated students displaced from the border region to take their exams at centers nearer to their temporary residences. Hezbollah, meanwhile, targeted the Zebdine site and Zarit Barracks.
It was also reported that a fire broke out at the Margaliot military site following the launching of an anti-tank missile from Lebanon. Clashes on Sunday culminated after Hezbollah said it carried out “an aerial attack with a squadron of assault drones on the headquarters of the 91st Division in ‘Ayelet Hashahar’ — northeast of Safed — targeting the positions and settlements of officers and soldiers, hitting them directly, killing and wounding them.” Hezbollah also targeted the Metula site after observing a military vehicle moving in the vicinity of the site with guided missiles, “hitting it and leaving them dead or wounded.” On Monday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that the Middle East was close to the conflict expanding into Lebanon. “The risk of this war affecting the south of Lebanon and spilling over is every day bigger,” Borrell said ahead of a foreign ministers’ meeting in Luxembourg. “We are on the eve of the war expanding,” Borrell said in a Reuters report. He spoke as MP Mohammed Raad, the head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, reiterated the party’s position on how to achieve a ceasefire in southern Lebanon. He said the fate of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu depended on ongoing aggression in Gaza. “Those seeking a way to stop the aggression are coming to Lebanon. “The war in Lebanon has only been in solidarity and support for the oppressed in Gaza, so let the Israeli enemy stop its aggression on Gaza, and there is no need to discuss the matter with the Lebanese,” said Raad.

American Mideast Coalition for Democracy/AMCT Supports President Trump’s Mideast Agenda
June 20, 2024
After having supported candidate Trump in 2016 and having been part of his victory and his achievements for four years, the American Mideast Coalition for Trump, made up of Iranian, Arabs, North and East Africans, Sudanese, Lebanese, Yemenis, Jewish, and other Americans from Middle Eastern and African backgrounds remain steadfast in support for our once and future President. “AMCT knows that President Trump will support peace and stability in the region in his second term, as he did in his first, without compromising American security or our alliances,” said AMCT co-chair Tom Harb. “The Obama/Biden effort to swing American support to the Islamic Republic of Iran has been an unmitigated disaster.”“We need Donald Trump back in the presidency to right the ship and continue the excellent work he did promoting peace in the Middle East during his first term,” added AMCT co-chair, John Hajjar. “It is concerning, however, that anti-Trump, anti-Israel and pro-Iran Deal Democrats like Osama Siblani, publisher of the Arab American News in Dearborn, are seeking to penetrate President Trump’s close circles by pretending to represent Arab Americans in Dearborn, Michigan. We have monitored these attempts lately and warn the campaign that connecting via known pro-Hezbollah and anti-Israel militants is wrong and dangerous.” “We know these particular pro-Hezbollah militants want Trump to turn on America’s ally and the only democracy in the Middle East – Israel,” said Iranian-American Hossein Khorram, AMCT Board of Advisors member, former executive director, and four-time delegate to the Republican Convention. “That is not the will of the American people and not the will of President Trump’s loyal Middle Eastern base.”The American Mideast Coalition for Trump believes that support for the Arab world need not to come at the expense of American support for Israel. AMCT supports the expansion of Trump’s Abraham Accords, and the eventual normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which will lead to peace and stability in the region. The Obama/Biden policy of appeasing and strengthening the radical mullahs of Iran has resulted in the opposite – war and suffering throughout the region.AMCT lends our unwavering support for the Trump policy of peace and prosperity at home and abroad. We supported President Trump in 2016, 2020 and now again in 2024.

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June 24-25/2024
Netanyahu says he won't agree to a deal that ends the war in Gaza, testing the latest truce proposal
Tia Goldenberg And Samy Magdy/TEL AVIV, Israel (AP)/June 24, 2024
The viability of a U.S.-backed proposal to wind down the 8-month-long war in Gaza was cast into doubt on Monday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would only be willing to agree to a “partial” cease-fire deal that would not end the war, comments that sparked an uproar from families of hostages held by Hamas. In an interview broadcast late Sunday on Israeli Channel 14, a conservative, pro-Netanyahu station, the Israeli leader said he was “prepared to make a partial deal — this is no secret — that will return to us some of the people,” referring to the roughly 120 hostages still held in the Gaza Strip. “But we are committed to continuing the war after a pause, in order to complete the goal of eliminating Hamas. I’m not willing to give up on that.”Netanyahu’s comments did not deviate dramatically from what he has said previously about his terms for a deal. But they come at a sensitive time as Israel and Hamas appear to be moving further apart over the latest cease-fire proposal, and they could represent another setback for mediators trying to end the war. Netanyahu's comments stood in sharp contrast to the outlines of the deal detailed late last month by U.S. President Joe Biden, who framed the plan as an Israeli one and which some in Israel refer to as “Netanyahu’s deal.” His remarks could further strain Israel's ties to the U.S., its top ally, which launched a major diplomatic push for the latest cease-fire proposal. The three-phased plan would bring about the release of the remaining hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. But disputes and mistrust persist between Israel and Hamas over how the deal plays out. Hamas has insisted it will not release the remaining hostages unless there’s a permanent cease-fire and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. When Biden announced the latest proposal last month, he said it included both. But Netanyahu says Israel is still committed to destroying Hamas’ military and governing capabilities, and ensuring it can never again carry out an Oct. 7-style assault. A full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, where Hamas’ top leadership and much of its forces are still intact, would almost certainly leave the group in control of the territory and able to rearm. In the interview, Netanyahu said that the current phase of fighting is ending, setting the stage for Israel to send more troops to its northern border to confront the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, in what could open up a new war front. But he said that didn't mean the war in Gaza was over.
On Monday, Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant discussed tensions on the border with Lebanon during his trip to Washington with Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser to Biden. He echoed Netanyahu's comments that the war in Gaza is transitioning to a new phase, which could impact other conflicts, including with Hezbollah. During the initial six-week phase of the proposed cease-fire, the sides are supposed to negotiate an agreement on the second phase, which Biden said would include the release of all remaining living hostages including male soldiers and Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza. The temporary cease-fire would become permanent. Hamas appears concerned that Israel will resume the war once its most vulnerable hostages are returned. And even if it doesn’t, Israel could make demands in that stage of negotiations that were not part of the initial deal and are unacceptable to Hamas — and then resume the war when Hamas refuses them. Netanyahu’s remarks reinforced that concern. After they were aired, Hamas said they represented “unmistakable confirmation of his rejection” of the U.S.-supported deal, which also received the backing of the United Nations’ Security Council.
In a statement late Sunday after Netanyahu’s lengthy TV interview, the Palestinian militant group said his position was “in contrast” to what the U.S. administration said Israel had approved. The group said its insistence that any deal should include a permanent cease-fire and the withdrawal of all Israeli forces out of the entire Gaza Strip “was an inevitable necessity to block Netanyahu’s attempts of evasion, deception, and perpetuation of aggression and the war of extermination against our people.”
Netanyahu shot back and in a statement from his office said Hamas opposed a deal. He said Israel would not withdraw from Gaza until all 120 hostages are returned. Hamas welcomed the broad outline of the U.S. plan but proposed what it said were “amendments.” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during a visit to the region earlier this month, said some of Hamas' demands were “workable” and some were not, without elaborating. Netanyahu and Hamas both have incentives to keep the devastating war going despite the catastrophic toll it has had on civilians in Gaza and the mounting anger in Israel that after so many months Israel has not reached its aims of returning the hostages and defeating Hamas. The families of hostages have grown increasingly impatient with Netanyahu, seeing his apparent reluctance to move ahead on a deal as tainted by political considerations. A group representing the families condemned Netanyahu's remarks, which it viewed as an Israeli rejection of the latest cease-fire proposal. “This is an abandonment of the 120 hostages and a violation of the state’s moral duty toward its citizens,” it said, noting that it held Netanyahu responsible for returning all the captives.
In its Oct. 7 cross-border assault, Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and took 250 people captive, including women, children and older people. Dozens were freed in a temporary cease-fire deal in late November and of the 120 remaining hostages, Israeli authorities say about a third are dead. Israel's retaliatory war has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. It has sparked a humanitarian crisis and displaced most of the territory's 2.3 million population.

Israeli military confirms death of hostage held in Gaza
JERUSALEM/AFP//June 25, 2024
The Israeli military on Monday confirmed the death of a soldier held hostage by Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip for nearly nine months since Hamas’s October 7 attack. In a separate statement the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said that Mohammad Alatrash was killed during the October attack on southern Israel and his body taken captive by Hamas militants. Israeli authorities had previously confirmed Alatrash, a sergeant major in the Israeli military’s Bedouin Trackers Unit, was taken hostage on October 7. Alatrash, 39, is survived by two wives and 13 children, the forum said in a statement.
“The Families Forum will continue to support and stand by the family during this difficult time and until his remains are returned to Israel,” it said. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum meanwhile released a video showing the kidnapping of three other hostages on the day of the Hamas attack.
It showed Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Or Levy and Eliya Cohen being seized, loaded in a pick-up truck and driven away to Gaza by armed militants, some chanting “Allahu Akbar (God is Greatest).”Goldberg-Polin is seen drenched in blood after part of his left arm was blown off in the attack.
In April, he appeared in a proof-of-life video released by Hamas in which he said the captives were living “in hell.” His left arm had been amputated below the elbow. “The shocking abduction video of Hersh, Or and Eliya breaks all of our hearts and re-emphasizes the brutality of the enemy whom we have sworn to eliminate,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement after the release of the latest footage. “We will not end the war until we return all ... of our loved ones home.”Alatrash’s death raises the toll from Hamas’s attack to 1,195, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Palestinian militants also took 251 people hostage in the attack, 116 of whom remain captive in the Gaza Strip, according to Israel. Of those, the military says 42 are dead, including at least nine soldiers. Israel’s retaliatory invasion and bombardment of the Gaza Strip has resulted in the deaths of at least 37,626 people, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

UNRWA is sued by Israeli victims of Oct. 7 Hamas attack
REUTERS/June 24, 2024
NEW YORK: The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency was sued on Monday by dozens of Israelis who accused it of aiding and abetting the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. In a complaint filed with the US District Court in Manhattan, the plaintiffs said the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) spent more than a decade helping Hamas build what they called the “terror infrastructure” and personnel needed for the attack. The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages for what they allege was UNRWA’s “aiding and abetting Hamas’ genocide, crimes against humanity, and torture,” which they said violated international law and the federal Torture Victim Protection Act. UNRWA declined to comment, saying it had yet to be served with the lawsuit. The agency has said it takes accusations of staff misconduct seriously, and terminated 10 staff members accused by Israel of involvement in the attack. Two others died, it has said. UNRWA’s commissioner-general, Philippe Lazzarini, and several current and former agency officials are also defendants. The plaintiffs include 101 people who survived the attack or had relatives who were killed. While many of their accusations have been made by Israel’s government, the plaintiffs want UNRWA held liable for allegedly funneling more than $1 billion from a Manhattan bank account to benefit Hamas, including for weapons, explosives and ammunition. The plaintiffs accuse UNRWA of providing “safe harbor” to Hamas in its facilities, and letting its schools use Hamas-approved textbooks to indoctrinate Palestinian children to support violence toward and hatred of Jews and Israel. They also said the attack was “foreseeable” to the defendants, regardless of whether they knew the specifics. “We are talking about people who have been killed, lost family members and lost homes,” Avery Samet, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said in an interview. “We expect damages will be substantial.”
WARNING FROM UNRWA CHIEF
The Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants killed 1,200 people, while about 250 other people were abducted, according to Israeli tallies. More than 37,000 Palestinians have since been killed in Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip, health officials in the Hamas-ruled enclave have said. Several countries including the United States halted funding to UNRWA after Israel alleged that staff members were involved in Hamas’ attack. In April, Norway called on international donors to resume funding UNRWA, after a UN-authorized independent review found that Israel had not provided evidence supporting its accusations that hundreds of UNRWA staff were members of terrorist groups. On Monday, Lazzarini urged resistance to Israeli efforts to disband UNRWA. “If we do not push back, other UN entities and international organizations will be next, further undermining our multilateral system,” Lazzarini said at a meeting of the agency’s advisory commission in Geneva. Established in 1949 after the first Arab-Israeli war, UNRWA provides schooling, health care and humanitarian aid in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. It is funded almost entirely by UN member states. The case is Estate of Kedem et al v United Nations Relief and Works Agency et al, US District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 24-04765.

Blinken to urge Israeli Defense Minister to develop post-war Gaza plan
Reuters/June 24, 2024
The US State Department said Secretary Antony Blinken will emphasize to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday the importance of Israel developing a strong and realistic plan for governing Gaza once the war ends. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a press briefing that Blinken will also discuss with Gallant, who is visiting Washington this week, the need to avoid further escalation in the Gaza conflict and improve humanitarian aid access.

Israel visitors have new stop on tours: Hamas' destruction in the south
Associated Press/June 24, 2024
A new kind of tourism has emerged in Israel in the months since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack. For celebrities, politicians, influencers and others, no trip is complete without a somber visit to the devastated south that absorbed the brunt of the assault near the border with Gaza. Jerry Seinfeld, Elon Musk, Michael Douglas, former presidential candidate Nikki Haley, and Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are a few who have visited, at times posing for photos in front of burned-out homes. Many Israelis, including soldiers and security officials, are also visiting on organized trips. "It's our personal story, but it's also the story of all of the state of Israel," said Irit Lahav, spokeswoman for Kibbutz Nir Oz, who gives many of the tours. A quarter of the approximately 400 Nir Oz residents fell victim to the attack. Hamas militants killed more than 20 and kidnapped over 80. In the dining hall, a wall of post office boxes is plastered with stickers — red for killed, black for kidnapped, blue for released. While it's uncomfortable to open the community to visitors, she said it's important for people to "come here and smell the burned smell of death, to imagine your friends or parents here." Hamas militants killed around 1,200 people as they rampaged through southern Israel, and kidnapped around 250. Health officials in Hamas-run Gaza say more than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war that followed. Prior to Oct. 7, Lahav ran a tourism company. Now she has turned those itinerary-building skills to the kibbutz where she grew up. Her tour includes the spot in the fence where Hamas militants stormed the kibbutz, along with small details that humanize the scale of destruction, like the candy eggs that melted when the general store was torched. Many of the kibbutzim and towns that experienced the worst destruction are closed to the public, accessible only via organized tours like those for dignitaries or celebrities, or by invitation from a resident. Nir Oz decided that the guides must be residents. Rena Bazar, who lives with most of the community in temporary housing elsewhere, is among those giving tours. At first, it was difficult to return to Nir Oz. She didn't like the idea of strangers on the lawns and in the dining hall with its bullet-riddled windows. But eventually, she understood the importance of helping visitors understand not just what happened, but also what life had been like before Oct. 7.
"I want to make it less about the combat and more about the personal stories of people who were there," Bazar said. For visiting dignitaries and VIPs, trips to Israel have long included stops at famous religious or cultural sites, such as the Western Wall, Masada, the Sea of Galilee or the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and the national Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem. The visits to the battered kibbutzim and border towns are the latest way to build support and solidarity with Israel's allies abroad. Other parts of southern Israel are open to the public and encouraging visitors — both foreigners and Israelis from elsewhere. The city of Sderot runs "resilience tours," connecting groups with survivors who share their memories of Oct. 7 or highlight cultural or culinary offerings. In contrast to the hardest-hit kibbutzim like Nir Oz, most of Sderot's residents have returned.
Hen Cohen, the city's tourism director, estimated that about 200,000 visitors have come during the first half of 2024, compared with 100,000 total in a normal year. Most come via solidarity missions from abroad or are local visitors such as soldiers and police officers on educational tours.
Birthright Israel, an organization that provides 10-day free trips to Israel for Jewish Americans, said that nearly all of the 13,500 participants expected this summer will visit Sderot and the site of the Nova music festival, where at least 364 people died. These visits provide an economic and morale boost to residents, Cohen said.
The Sderot police station, where 10 officers were killed on Oct. 7 in a standoff that left the station in ruins, is a main attraction. Visitors stop at the local museum, and watch security footage of what happened on Oct. 7, then walk to the empty lot where the police station stood. Twisted metal remains. Israeli flags flutter in the wind. A sign says a memorial will be built there. "In this dark hour, I wanted to do my part to make sure the people of Israel know that the people of the United States are with you," former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said while visiting the site. Seinfeld later cried while talking about his own visit to a kibbutz, describing it as "the most powerful experience" of his life. Zehava Ben Zaken, a lifelong Sderot resident, said it has taken time to adjust to seeing visitors every time she walks by. "I'm happy they come to see this place, so they can understand and stand with us," she said. Hearing the booms from Gaza a few kilometers (miles) away, she hoped that visitors can finally understand Sderot's precarious security situation. "We're totally broken," she said.
South of Sderot, the site of the Nova music festival has become a pilgrimage site for hundreds of visitors per day. Photos of victims are arranged around what had been the main stage. Loved ones have left candles, sculptures, photos and other mementos. Standing there helped her understand the enormity of loss of life, said Naomi Hanan, a medical student from San Francisco. "It's right in front of your face and there's no denying or ignoring what you've been hearing or seeing through the media," she said. In a eucalyptus grove near the site, an organization called Triumph of the Spirit offers virtual reality tours of three kibbutzim, including Nir Oz. The tours are currently only open to soldiers on official educational visits, but an English version will be available in the coming weeks for international tourists. "I feel like I'm in Fortnite!" one soldier said as he slipped on the headset, then went silent as images of destruction appeared. The videos were created by Miriam Cohen and Chani Kopolovich, who had created such tours of Auschwitz for a Holocaust education experience for people who don't travel to Poland. "We've made it accessible to go on this tour without damaging peoples' privacy," said Pinchas Tosig, who runs the tent and has 300 to 700 soldiers visit per day. Some residents of southern Israel are looking beyond the visitors to the future. In the coming weeks, Nir Oz will start demolishing some buildings to make way for new construction. Residents wonder how to preserve what happened while making space for new lives. Some say part of the destruction should remain. Others don't want reminders — or visitors. On one tour, Bazar pointed out the safe room where she spent hours hiding on Oct. 7. Her home was mostly spared. Others were burned. She doesn't want the destruction to remain inside Nir Oz and hopes any future memorial will be elsewhere. "I don't want any child to be impacted by the ruins," she said. "Our cemetery is full. Isn't that memorial enough?"

Heads of churches say Israel demanding property tax, upsetting status quo
Associated Press/June 24, 2024
Leaders of major churches have accused Israeli authorities of launching a "coordinated attack" on the Christian presence in the Holy Land by initiating tax proceedings against them. While Israeli officials have tried to dismiss the disagreement as a routine financial matter, the churches say the move upsets a centuries-old status quo and reflects mounting intolerance for the tiny Christian presence in the Holy Land. In a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week, the heads of the major Christian denominations alleged that four municipalities across Israel had recently submitted warning letters to church officials cautioning them of legal action if they did not pay taxes. "We believe these efforts represent a coordinated attack on the Christian presence in the Holy Land," wrote the heads of the Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Orthodox churches. "In this time, when the whole world, and the Christian world in particular, are constantly following the events in Israel, we find ourselves, once again, dealing with an attempt by authorities to drive the Christian presence out of the Holy Land." Christians are a tiny minority, making up less than 2% of the population of Israel and the Palestinian territories. There are 182,000 Christians in Israel, 50,000 in the West Bank and Jerusalem and 1,300 in Gaza, according to the U.S. State Department. The vast majority are Palestinians. The churches, who are major landowners in the Holy Land, say they do not pay property taxes under longstanding tradition. They say their funds go to services that benefit the state, like schools, hospitals and homes for the elderly. The letter said the municipalities of Tel Aviv, Ramla, Nazareth and Jerusalem in recent months have all either issued warning letters or commenced legal action for alleged tax debts. The Jerusalem municipality told The Associated Press that the church had not submitted the necessary requests for tax exemptions over the last few years. It said that "a dialogue is taking place with the churches to collect debts for the commercial properties they own." The other municipalities did not immediately comment. It was unclear if the municipalities acted in a coordinated effort or whether the tax moves are coincidental. In 2018, Christians closed the Church of the Holy Sepulchre — revered by Christians as the site of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection — to protest a move by Israeli officials to impose taxes on commercial properties in the holy city.
The Christian leaders argued that the sites — like pilgrim hostels and information centers — served important religious and cultural purposes, and that taxing them would infringe on Christian religious observance in the Holy Land. After the public backlash, Netanyahu quickly suspended the plan.

Democrats wrestle with whether to attend Netanyahu's address to Congress
Associated Press/June 24, 2024
The last time Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the U.S. Congress, nearly 60 Democrats skipped his speech nine years ago, calling it a slap in the face to then-President Barack Obama as he negotiated a nuclear deal with Iran.
With Netanyahu scheduled to address U.S. lawmakers on July 24 and his government now at war with Hamas in Gaza, the number of absences is likely to be far greater. Congressional Democrats are wrestling with whether to attend. Many are torn between their long-standing support for Israel and their anguish about the way Israel has conducted military operations in Gaza. More than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that triggered the war, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run territory. While some Democrats are saying they will come out of respect for Israel, a larger and growing faction wants no part of it, creating an extraordinarily charged atmosphere at a gathering that normally amounts to a ceremonial, bipartisan show of support for an American ally. "I wish that he would be a statesman and do what is right for Israel. We all love Israel," former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said recently on CNN about Netanyahu. "We need to help them and not have him stand in the way of that for such a long time." She added, "I think it's going to invite more of what we have seen in terms of discontent among our own."
Tensions between Netanyahu and Democratic President Joe Biden have been seeping into the public, with Netanyahu last week accusing the Biden administration of withholding U.S. weapons from Israel — a claim he made again Sunday to his Cabinet. After the prime minister leveled the charge the first time, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, "We genuinely do not know what he's talking about. We just don't."The invitation from House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to Netanyahu came after consultation with the White House, according to a person familiar with the matter who was granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive subject. As of now, no meeting between the leaders during Netanyahu's Washington visit has been scheduled, this person said. Netanyahu said in a release that he was "very moved" by the invitation to address Congress and the chance "to present the truth about our just war against those who seek to destroy us to the representatives of the American people and the entire world."
Republicans first floated the idea in March of inviting Netanyahu after Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish official in the United States, gave a speech on the Senate floor that was harshly critical of the prime minister. Schumer, D-N.Y., called the Israeli leader "an obstacle to peace" and urged new elections in Israel, even as he denounced Hamas and criticized Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Republicans denounced the speech as an affront to Israel and its sovereignty. Johnson spoke of asking Netanyahu to come to Washington, an invitation that Schumer and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York ultimately endorsed, albeit reluctantly. Pelosi, who opposed the invitation to Netanyahu in 2015 when she was Democratic leader, said it was a mistake for the congressional leadership to extend it again this time. Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who attended the 2015 address as a House member, said he saw no reason why Congress "should extend a political lifeline" to Netanyahu.
Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said it would be "healthy" for members of both parties to attend. "I think that a lot of Americans are getting a one-sided narrative, especially the younger generation, and I think it's important they hear from the prime minister of Israel, in terms of his perspective," said McCaul, R-Texas. Interviews with more than a dozen Democrats revealed the breadth of discontent over the coming address, which many feel is a Republican ploy intended to divide their party. Some Democrats say they will attend to express their support for Israel, not Netanyahu. New York Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he has an "obligation" to attend because of that position.
"It should not have taken place," he added. "But I can't control that. And I have to do my job." Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., who leads the Sente Foreign Relations Committee, has signaled he will be there. Cardin said that what he's looking for in Netanyahu's speech is a "type of message that can strengthen the support in this country for Israel's needs," but also lay the groundwork for peace in the region. Other Democrats are waiting to see whether Netanyahu will still be prime minister by the time he is supposed to speak to Congress. There have been open signs of discontent over the handling of the war by Netanyahu's government, a coalition that includes right-wing hard-liners who oppose any kind of settlement with Hamas. Benny Gantz, a former military chief and centrist politician, withdrew from Netanyahu's war Cabinet this month, citing frustration over the prime minister's conduct of the war. On Monday, Netanyahu dissolved that body. Meantime, a growing number of critics and protesters in Israel have backed a cease-fire proposal that would bring home hostages taken by Hamas. Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., said he stands with those "who hope that he's not prime minister by the time late July rolls around. I think that he has been bad for Israel, bad for Palestinians, bad for America." But, he added, he believes it his job to show up when a head of state addresses Congress, "even if its someone who I have concerns about and disagree with."Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., attended the 2015 speech and described it as "among the most painful hours" he has spent while in Congress. He plans to boycott unless Netanyahu became a "champion for a cease-fire."A large portion of the Congressional Progressive Caucus — lawmakers who are among the most critical of Israel's handling of the war — is expected to skip. Among them is Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the chair of the caucus, who told The Associated Press that it was a "bad idea," to invite Netanyahu. "We should be putting pressure on him by withholding offensive military assistance so that he sticks to the deal that the president has laid out," she said. Netanyahu's visit is expected to draw significant protests and some members of Congress are planning an alternative event. Rep. Jim Clyburn said he is in the early stages of bringing "like-minded" people together to exchange ideas about a path forward for Israelis and Palestinians that includes a two-state solution. The senior Democrat from South Carolina was a vocal critic of Netanyahu's 2015 address, which he and several prominent members of the Congressional Black Caucus viewed as an affront to Obama. "I just think that, rather than just say, 'I'm not going to go, I'm going to stay way,' I am saying 'I'm going to stay away with a purpose,'" he said. "I'm not going to listen to his foolishness. But here are some ideas that we have that might be a way forward."

Iran and Bahrain agree to start talks on resuming ties
Agence France Presse/June 24, 2024
Iran and Bahrain have agreed to launch negotiations on how to restore diplomatic relations that have been severed for nearly eight years, the Iranian foreign ministry said Monday. Tiny Gulf monarchy Bahrain cut ties with Iran in 2016, following in the footsteps of regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia after Riyadh's diplomatic missions in Iran were attacked by angry protesters denouncing the Saudi execution of a prominent Shiite Muslim cleric. Iran's acting foreign minister, Ali Bagheri, met on Sunday with his Bahraini counterpart Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani on the sidelines of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue summit in Tehran, a foreign ministry statement said. "In this meeting, the two sides agreed to create the necessary mechanisms to start the talks between the two countries to examine how to resume political relations," it added. The visit by the Bahraini top diplomat was his second in less than a month, after attending the funerals of Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi and foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who died in a helicopter crash in May along with six others. Shiite-majority Iran and the Sunni kingdom of Saudi Arabia resumed ties in 2023 in a Chinese-brokered agreement that has shifted regional alliances.

Jordanian king, French president discuss war on Gaza
ARAB NEWS/June 24, 2024
AMMAN: Jordan’s King Abdullah and French President Emmanuel Macron met on Monday in Paris to discuss the dangerous developments in Gaza and the severe humanitarian plight resulting from Israel’s war on the Strip, Jordan News Agency reported. During their meeting at the Elysee Palace, the leaders urged the international community to intensify efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza by all available means. They reiterated their commitment to providing continued assistance to the region. More than 37,500 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s war on Gaza, the majority of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. King Abdullah and Macron underscored the urgent need for a ceasefire and emphasized the protection of civilians. The discussions, attended by Queen Rania and Brigitte Macron, also touched upon broader regional issues. The king expressed concern about the potential spillover of the conflict, which poses a threat to international security. He reiterated that the two-state solution remains the sole pathway to achieving a just and comprehensive peace. The two leaders highlighted the importance of maintaining Lebanon’s stability and security while King Abdullah cautioned against the persistent targeting of relief organizations in Gaza and praised France’s support for UNRWA, which plays a crucial role in delivering essential services to nearly 2 million Palestinians in the region. Addressing the situation in the West Bank, King Abdullah condemned the violence by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinians and warned against any unilateral actions that violate the historical and legal status of Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites. The meeting was also attended by Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and the Jordanian ambassador to France, Leena Al-Hadid.

Houthi attack targets another ship off Yemen’s remote Socotra island
SAEED AL-BATATI/Arab News/June 24, 2024
AL-MUKALLA: The Houthis reportedly attacked another commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden on Monday, as the Yemeni militia appears to be stepping up attacks on vessels along key maritime routes. The UK Maritime Trade Operations, an agency that tracks attacks on shipping, said it received an alert from a ship’s master about an explosion in “close proximity” to the ship. It happened in an area 246 nautical miles southeast of Nishtun, a coastal town in the government-controlled Yemeni province of Mahra, close to Yemen’s remote Socotra island. “The crew are reported safe, and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call,” the agency said. It was the second incident in the area reported by the UKMTO in the space of 24 hours. The captain and crew of a vessel abandoned ship on Sunday after it was damaged and took on water about 96 nautical miles southeast of Nishtun, the agency said.
On Sunday, the Houthis claimed credit for two other strikes on commercial shipping. A vessel called the Transworld Navigator was attacked with an explosive-laden drone in the Red Sea, and another called the Stolt Sequoia was targeted with ballistic missiles in the Indian Ocean, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a televised statement. He accused the owners of the ships of violating the militia’s ban on shipping to Israeli ports. According to the Marine Traffic ship-tracking app, the Stolt Sequoia is a Liberian-flagged oil and chemical tanker traveling from Bahrain to France.
The US Central Command reported on Sunday night that the Houthis were thought to have used a drone to strike the Transworld Navigator, a Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned and operated bulk cargo ship traveling from Malaysia to Egypt.
“Today, at 4 a.m. (Sanaa time), the crew reported minor injuries and moderate damage to the ship, but the vessel has continued underway,” the US military said.
Since their attacks on shipping began in November, the Houthis have sunk two ships, seized one and fired hundreds of ballistic missiles, drones and remote-controlled, explosive-laden boats at commercial and naval vessels in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean in what they say is a campaign to put pressure on Israel to end its war in Gaza. Yemenis have disputed the Houthi claims of support for the Palestinian people, accusing leaders of the militia of using the public outrage in Yemen over the killing of civilians in Gaza in an attempt to divert attention from their own internal problems, including growing public resentment over their failure to pay public-sector employees, and to recruit and rally the Yemeni public against opponents in Yemen. Meanwhile, Yemenis from all sections of society and human rights organizations have launched an online campaign to draw global attention to the plight of dozens of Yemeni employees of the UN and other international organizations who are being held by the Houthis. The militia abducted about 50 people in Sanaa this month, drawing widespread criticism from the UN as well as local and international rights groups. In the online campaign, Yemenis call on the UN and the wider international community to take more action against the Houthis to secure the release of the detained workers, and to name and shame the militia for torturing and terrorizing the Yemeni people. In a message posted on social media platform X, the Mothers of Abductees Association, an organization representing thousands of female relatives of civilian prisoners, wrote: “Tolerating the Houthis will not bring peace and security to Yemen. “This silence on their misdeeds serves as an indirect justification for them. The UN must take a stronger stand and compel them to end their crimes against humanity and free all abductees promptly and unconditionally.” Yemeni human rights activist Riyadh Aldubai urged the UN and international donors to condemn the Houthi crackdown on Yemeni workers and relocate their agencies’ offices to government-controlled Aden, warning that the Houthis will continue their rights abuses if not punished.
“UN and donors must face this escalation with strength. Condemn the abductions, enforce strict measures, and relocate operations to reduce Houthi control. It’s time to take a stand,” he said in a message on X.

Interpol reports arresting 219 individuals in 39 countries on charges of human trafficking
LBCI/June 24, 2024
Interpol announced on Monday that 219 people have been arrested in a wide-ranging operation against human trafficking conducted jointly in 39 countries. The International Criminal Police Organization, headquartered in Lyon, southeastern France, said in a statement that during the operation named "Operation Global Chain," which led to the arrests, 1374 individuals believed to be victims were found, including 153 children. The operation, led by Austria and coordinated with Romania, Europol, Frontex, and Interpol, took place from June 3 to June 9. The operation allowed Hungarian authorities in particular to apprehend a couple suspected of sexually exploiting their six children and forcing them into street begging. In Laos, Vietnamese authorities arrested a suspect who lured 14 Vietnamese with promises of high-paying jobs before forcing them to create fraudulent online accounts for financial scams. The suspect confiscated victims' documents and compelled them to work 12 to 14 hours daily. Interpol confirmed the opening of 276 new investigations following this operation and identified 362 suspects. The statement quoted Lars Gerdes, Deputy Executive Director for Operations at Frontex, as saying, "Detecting these crimes is incredibly challenging due to the frequent absence of victim testimonies, leading to a significant number of unreported cases."He added, "This is why our international cooperation is so crucial."

Qatar Fund, IRC launch health project for Syrian refugees in Zaatari camp
ARAB NEWS/June 24, 2024
AMMAN: The Qatar Fund for Development, and the International Rescue Committee have launched a project aimed at delivering primary healthcare services to over 23,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan, the Jordan News Agency reported on Monday. In partnership with Qatar Charity and the Qatar Red Crescent Society, the IRC will provide reproductive healthcare, treatment for non-communicable and chronic diseases, and vaccination services at the Zaatari refugee camp. The two-and-a-half-year project will also establish a health information system to manage healthcare data and enhance service delivery across three clinics. Sultan Al-Aseeri, QFFD’s acting director general, reaffirmed the body’s dedication to ensuring a dignified life for refugees by offering essential healthcare and easy access, which he identified as crucial for developing effective primary health systems.
David Miliband, CEO of the IRC, emphasized the severe impact of declining humanitarian funding for the Jordan Response Plan for the Syria Crisis. He highlighted how the funding shortfall had led to reduced health service availability in the Zaatari camp, compelling many humanitarian organizations to withdraw. This situation has left more than 80,000 refugees, half of whom are children, without crucial medical services. Nivedita Monga, the IRC’s country director in Jordan, said that studies indicated rising health needs within Syrian refugee camps, while primary health services were dwindling. She expressed her gratitude for the QFFD’s financial support, which will help extend essential healthcare services through IRC’s clinics and partner organizations to thousands of refugees in Zaatari.

Ukraine destroyed columns of waiting Russian troops as soon as it was allowed to strike across the border, commander says
Sinéad Baker/Business Insider/June 24, 2024
Ukraine destroyed columns of waiting Russian soldiers with HIMARS, a Ukrainian commander said.He said Ukraine targeted them as soon as it got permission to use allied weapons across the border. Military experts say Ukraine's ability to use Western-supplied weapons in Russia is aiding its fightback. Ukraine has been able to destroy columns of Russian soldiers after it got permission from its allies to use their weapons to strike military targets across the border into Russia, a Ukrainian commander has said. The artillery commander, with the call sign Hefastus, told the Associated Press that Ukrainian HIMARS started firing in the northern Kharkiv region as soon as Ukraine got permission. "The HIMARS were not silent for the whole day," he said, referring to the US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. Ukraine got permission from its allies last month to strike military targets in Russia with weapons they'd supplied, reversing a long-held restriction. "From the first days, Ukrainian forces managed to destroy whole columns of troops along the border waiting for the order to enter Ukraine," Hefastus said, according to the AP. He said Ukraine couldn't have achieved this without its new permissions, as regular ammunition couldn't reach that far. Hefastus added that Ukraine was now able to destroy Russian command centers. His claims have not been independently verified. Even so, Ukraine appears to have used HIMARS to strike targets in Russia since the restrictions were lifted. Russia has also been stationing troops close to the border with Ukraine, ready to be called in to fight. Ukraine's deputy defense minister, Ivan Havryliuk, told the AP that at least 90,000 Russian troops deep in Russian territory were readying for a new assault when the restrictions were lifted. It's not clear whether any of these were the troops said to be hit by the HIMARS attacks. In the past, analysts described Ukraine as being forced to fight with one hand behind its back, with Russia using its own territory to resupply its forces and launch drone, missile, and aircraft attacks. This changed in May when many of Ukraine's allies said it could now use weapons they'd supplied to go after military targets on Russian soil. The US, which announced its policy change on May 30, didn't go as far as some but still said Ukraine could use weapons it provided to hit into regions across the border from Kharkiv. This has allowed Ukraine to fight back more forcefully against a new Russian offensive that started in Kharkiv on May 10. Experts say this new reality has had a big impact there, particularly given the Russian border is so close to the fighting. Russia was able to resupply its forces with troops, ammunition, and equipment and Ukraine could do little to interfere. George Barros, a Russian-military expert at the US's Institute for the Study of War, told BI that within the first days, there was a "positive difference.""They've actually helped blunt the Russian offensive at the heart," he said, with Ukraine able to launch "small tactical counterattacks."Two Ukrainian officials told The Washington Post that some Russian attacks had been reduced, but they added that air bases where it was launching attacks from were out of range of what the US permission allowed Ukraine to hit. The AP reported that Ukraine's new strike abilities had "greatly slowed Russia's momentum," with local reports saying Ukrainian troops had been able to push forward and reclaim some territory — though the country's military is still under great pressure.

Russia summons the American ambassador over a deadly attack that Moscow says used US-made missiles
The Associated Press/June 24, 2024
The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the American ambassador on Monday to protest what it says was the use of U.S.-made advanced missiles in a Ukrainian attack on Russian-annexed Crimea that reportedly killed four people and wounded more than 150. Washington “has effectively become a party” to the war on Ukraine’s side, the ministry said in a statement, adding, “Retaliatory measures will certainly follow.” It did not elaborate. There was no immediate comment from U.S. or Ukrainian officials. The Associated Press could not independently verify Russia's claims about the missiles used.
Kyiv’s forces have relied heavily on Western-supplied weaponry since Russia’s invasion more than three years ago. The military aid has been crucial in allowing Ukraine to hold the Kremlin’s army at bay, with few major changes along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line in eastern and southern Ukraine for many months. Some Western countries have hesitated over providing more — and more sophisticated — help for Kyiv’s army because of concerns about potentially provoking the Kremlin. But as Ukraine has at times struggled to hold the line against Russia’s bigger and better-equipped military, Western leaders have gradually relented and granted more support. In the latest key development, the Pentagon said last week that Ukraine’s military is being allowed to use longer-range missiles provided by the U.S. to strike targets inside Russia if it is acting in self-defense. Since the outset of the war, the U.S. had maintained a policy of not allowing Ukraine to use the weapons it provided to hit targets on Russian soil for fear of further escalating the conflict. Crimea, which Russian annexed from Ukraine in 2014 in a move that most of the world rejected as unlawful, long had been declared a fair target for Ukraine by its Western allies. Russian authorities said that the dead in Sunday’s attack included two children who were hit by falling debris from Ukrainian missiles that were shot down over a coastal area in Sevastopol, a port city in Crimea. It said cluster munitions, which critics say harm more civilians than combatants, were also used.
Russia said the missiles were U.S.-made ATACMS, a long-range, guided missile. It summoned U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy to the Foreign Ministry. The targeting and “mission input” for such missile attacks is carried out by U.S. military experts, the ministry statement alleged, saying the United States bears “equal responsibility for this outrage” with the Ukrainian authorities. It went on to say that “allowing strikes deep inside the Russian territory will not be left unanswered.”Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry on Monday reported striking a “major logistical hub” of the Ukrainian military that held Western-supplied missiles and other weapons. It said the strike was carried out by warplanes, drones, ground-launched missiles and artillery. The ministry didn’t name its location.

Wildfire toll hits 15 in Turkiye as experts flag faulty wires
AFP/June 24, 2024
The death toll from a massive wildfire that ripped through Turkiye’s mainly Kurdish southeast last week has risen to 15, hospital sources said on Monday, with experts pointing to faulty wiring as a possible cause. The blaze, which broke out on Thursday between the cities of Diyarbakir and Mardin, killed 12 people outright and left five more fighting for their lives. Three of those succumbed to their injuries on Sunday, the Anadolu state news agency said. Hospital sources confirmed the toll on Monday, saying two people remained in intensive care. Hundreds of animals also perished in the blaze that roared across the dry landscape. The government said “stubble burning” was the cause but the Diyarbakir branch of the Chambers of Turkish Architects and Engineers ruled that out and pointed to faulty electric cables as the likely trigger. “The fire could have been caused by the power cables,” it said in a report released late on Sunday, indicating that there was “no stubble” in the area and that electric wires were in a state of disrepair. “The cause of the fire was not the stubble. The electricity cables and poles were unmaintained and dangerous,” it said, pointing to the absence of “fire prevention measures around the poles.”It also accused private electricity distributor DEDAS, responsible for maintaining the area’s power lines, of “replacing and repairing the poles the day after the fire, thus obscuring the evidence.”The findings came two days after an expert report sent to the local public prosecutor’s office said conductive wire “broke and ignited the grass on the ground, and it spread to a wide area due to the effect of strong wind.” The experts said the faulty wiring was on a pole in Koksalan village, where the fields had not yet been harvested.

Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on June 24-25/2024
State-building key to challenging Iran’s network of influence
Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami/Arab News/June 24, 2024
The Iranian network of influence extends across the broader Middle East. Tehran’s nonstate proxies take advantage of power vacuums in countries where state institutions are fragile. From Iran’s perspective, the network of influence is a means to find strategic depth and become an indispensable regional power, while insulating its leadership from the full risk of its actions. The use of nonstate actors allows Iran to build leverage in the region without paying the full political cost of its ideological ambitions because of the tactic of plausible deniability.
The opaque nature of Iran’s actions makes it difficult to provide an accurate policy answer that could effectively reduce the scope of its ideological ambition, while avoiding the complete destabilization of the region. To build an effective strategy to counter Iranian proxies and partners — and avoid a military escalation — the best and most sustainable option is to implement a policy focusing on strengthening statehood and institutions in weak and fragile states like Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen.
Strengthening the state and its institutions and providing some incentives and support to the process will contribute to the emergence of a local and indigenous pushback against Iran and its militias. Indeed, the recurring political crises in these countries can be explained first and foremost by the nature of their political systems. The end goal of this new strategy could be to address the grassroots cause of Iran’s regional influence.To counter Iran, a new strategy is needed beyond the use of force that has aimed to restore deterrence after every military escalation since Oct. 7. The new strategy should focus on promoting state-building after the end of military conflicts. Indeed, the military response to Iran’s regional activities is not sufficient to roll back its ideological influence in the region. The end goal of this new strategy could be to address the grassroots cause of Iran’s regional influence.
To achieve this aim, the priority should be to foster a local and indigenous pushback against Iran’s influence. The strategy should encompass the following key components. Firstly, focus on improving governance and state-building. One step in this first component could be to enhance government capacity in conflict-ridden countries through reforming public administrations. This would improve the efficiency of state institutions, while national authorities should also put in place anti-corruption measures to root out systemic corruption.
Secondly, there is a need to reform the security sector to promote community policing initiatives and build trust between security forces and local communities.
Third is a focus on economic development to attract foreign investment, while promoting a conducive environment for foreign investors. There is also a need to invest in critical infrastructure and services to spur economic growth. Eventually, the strategy should promote social cohesion and inclusivity for the sake of national reconciliation after decades of conflict. At the diplomatic level, engagement with regional powers will reduce external interference and help in promoting regional cooperation initiatives to address shared challenges such as terrorism, smuggling and environmental issues.
At the international level, fragile states should establish strategic bilateral partnerships with international powers that have a vested interest in regional stability. This will help in improving governance and reducing the influence of belligerent actors. This comprehensive approach will not only address immediate security concerns, but also lay the foundation for long-term stability and prosperity.
This situation of fragility deserves our attention because of the risk of it spreading across the region
The proliferation of nonstate actors has been evident for more than two decades because of US wars in Afghanistan (2001-2021) and in Iraq (2003-2011). The risk of a regional war amid tensions between Iran and Israel should push Arab and international actors to seek a political response to the risks posed by fragile states. This situation of fragility deserves our attention because of the risk of it spreading across the region. Local responses to Iran’s exploitation of fragility are the only possibility to avoid the worst-case scenario of a regional military escalation. These responses should cover the social, economic and political dimensions. Iran is exploiting ideological polarization in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen. Nevertheless, there is no quick fix to this fragility; a long-term investment is needed to devise comprehensive responses to internal challenges, which are also a regional concern.
National reconciliation is a key prerequisite in the quest to roll back Iranian influence for the sake of promoting national interests and going beyond the zero-sum game that has characterized regional and international competition.
Finally, national reconciliation could be fostered by a regional entente, to avoid great powers’ interests conflicting, especially at a time when regional states are seeking to reduce their dependence on external powers. This rise of Arab states’ independent agendas could serve as a model for fragile states that must focus on their socioeconomic development, rather than being part of zero-sum games. A successful strategy of state-building appears to be the only possible answer to the activities of the Iranian network of influence that could help in avoiding any risk of regional military escalation.
In addition, in the Palestinian context, there is a need for the Palestinians themselves to set their own political agenda and trajectory beyond external determinants to meet their aspirations and hopes. This will ensure that there is collective buy-in and the agenda is local, organic and in tandem with local interests and needs. This is the challenge for the Palestinians and others facing fragile conditions and crisis situations across the region.
**Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami is the founder and president of the International Institute for Iranian Studies (Rasanah). X: @mohalsulami

Israeli army’s options on Gaza: Marginalization or confrontation
Dr. Ramzy Baroud/Arab News/June 24, 2024
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that “there will be no civil war” in Israel. But he might be wrong.
Netanyahu’s statement was made in the context of the growing popular protests in the country, especially following the long-anticipated resignations of several members of his war Cabinet, including Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot — both former chiefs of staff in the Israeli army.
These resignations did not necessarily isolate Netanyahu, as his popularity rests almost entirely on the support of the right and the far right. However, the move further illustrated the deep and growing rifts in Israeli society, which could ultimately take the country from a state of political upheaval to an actual civil war.
The divisions in Israel cannot be viewed the same way as the political polarizations that are currently rife in Western democracies. This assertion is not necessarily linked to the legitimate view that, at its core, Israel is not an actual democracy but is, rather, due to the fact that Israel’s political formation is unique.
The rifts in Israeli society could ultimately take the country from a state of political upheaval to an actual civil war
The story began long before the current Gaza war. In February 2019, the leaders of three Israeli parties formed a coalition known as “Kahol Lavan” (Blue and White). Two of Kahol Lavan’s founders, Gantz and Moshe Ya’alon, were military men, widely respected in the country’s powerful military establishment and, thus, society at large. However, despite their relative electoral success, they failed to dislodge Netanyahu from office. So, they went to the streets.
Taking the conflict to the streets of Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities was not a decision made lightly. It followed the collapse of a strange government coalition, cobbled together by all of Netanyahu’s enemies and unified by the single objective of ending the right and far right’s reign. The failure of Naftali Bennett, the leader of that coalition, was the last straw. The terms “right” and “far right” may give the impression that the political conflict in Israel is essentially ideological. Although ideology does play a role in Israeli politics, the anger at Netanyahu and his allies is largely motivated by the feeling that the new right is attempting to reconfigure the political nature of the country.
So, starting in January 2023, hundreds of thousands of Israelis launched unprecedented mass protests that lasted until the start of the Israeli war on Gaza. The initial collective demand of the protesters, supported by Gantz and a who’s who of the Israeli military and liberal elites, was to prevent Netanyahu from altering the political balances of power that have governed Israeli society for the last 75 years. With time, however, the demands turned into a collective call for regime change.
Though the issue was largely discussed in the media as a political rift resulting from Netanyahu’s wish to marginalize Israel’s judicial institutions for personal reasons, the roots of the event, which threatened a civil war, were quite different.
The story of the potential Israeli civil war is as old as the Israeli state itself and recent comments by Netanyahu suggesting otherwise are yet another false claim by the prime minister. Indeed, on June 16, Netanyahu lashed out at rebellious military generals, stating: “We have a country with an army and not an army with a country.” In truth, however, Israel was founded through war and sustained through war.
This meant that the Israeli military had, from the very start, a special status in Israeli society — an unwritten contract that allowed army generals a special and often central seat in Israel’s political decision-making. The likes of Ariel Sharon, Yitzhak Rabin, Ehud Barak and others, including the founder of Israel, David Ben Gurion, have all reached the helm of Israeli politics, mainly because of their military affiliations.
Anger at Netanyahu is largely motivated by the feeling he is attempting to reconfigure the political nature of the country
But Netanyahu changed all of this when he began to actively restructure Israel’s political institutions to keep the military marginal and politically disempowered. In doing so, he has violated the main pillar of Israel’s political balance since 1948.
Even before Israel finished the task of ethnically cleansing the Palestinian people during the Nakba, the nascent country almost immediately entered into a civil war. As Ben Gurion issued an order regarding the formation of the Israeli Defense Forces on May 26, 1948, some Zionist militias, including the Irgun and Lehi (the Stern Gang) fought to preserve a degree of political independence.
That was the start of the so-called Altalena Affair, in which the Haganah-dominated IDF tried to block a shipment of weapons that was on its way to the Irgun, then under the leadership of future Prime Minister Menachem Begin. The confrontation was deadly. It resulted in the killing of many members of the Irgun, mass arrests and the shelling of the ship itself.References to the Altalena Affair are heard quite frequently in Israeli media debates these days, as the Israeli war on Gaza is splintering an already divided society. This division is compelling the military to abandon the historical balance that was achieved following that mini-civil war, which could have ended the Israeli state only days after its formation. The internal Israeli conflict over Gaza is not just about Gaza, Hamas or Hezbollah, but the future of Israel itself. If the Israeli army finds itself scapegoated for Oct. 7 and the failed military campaigns that followed, it will have to make a choice: between accepting its indefinite marginalization and clashing with the political institution. If the latter takes place, a civil war might become a real possibility.
**Dr. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and author. He is editor of The Palestine Chronicle and nonresident senior research fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs. His latest book, co-edited with Ilan Pappe, is “Our Vision for Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders and Intellectuals Speak Out.” X: @RamzyBaroud

US should recalibrate its relationship with Israel
Chris Doyle/Arab News/June 24, 2024
Among the slew of myths that bedevil the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is that the US-Israel relationship is predicated on Israel being a loyal ally — a reliable partner that has a shared value system. Israel has been content to receive the US’ billions in funds and also the huge transfers in weaponry, amounting to $310 billion since 1948 when adjusted for inflation. The US also provides intelligence and security assistance and acts as its diplomatic shield, vetoing endless draft resolutions at the UN Security Council. Congress has even voted to sanction International Criminal Court officials. The US has enabled Israel to violate international law at will with no cost. One would have thought this would have rendered the Israeli leadership immensely grateful.
However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in particular, has been a most ungrateful ally. President Joe Biden has plenty of reasons to resent the Israel leader. Back in 2010, when he was vice president, Biden was seething over an Israeli settlement building announcement during his visit, at a time when he was pushing negotiations. Netanyahu also embarrassed the Obama administration when addressing Congress in 2015 on the Iran nuclear deal, directly contradicting and lobbying against the White House.
And then there is Gaza.
Netanyahu has been a most ungrateful ally. Biden has plenty of reasons to resent the Israel leader. From October, the Israeli leadership has been obstinate. Biden pushed for improved aid access to Gaza but only received grudging Israeli mini-steps. Biden, rather than challenge this spoiled behavior, indulged it to the extent that the US engaged in the folly of airdrops and wasting $230 million on a pier that has so far delivered just 250 truckloads of assistance. On May 31, Biden presented what he claimed was an Israeli plan for a ceasefire for Gaza. Netanyahu denied paternity. He could not have done more to distance himself from it and to bury all hopes for a ceasefire. Biden cannot even get Netanyahu to outline any strategy for the future of Gaza. The US president’s weakness has been laid embarrassingly bare.
Netanyahu then castigated the US for pausing one single weapons shipment. “I am ready to suffer personal attacks provided that Israel receives from the US the ammunition it needs in the war for its existence,” he said. This was some cheek given the monumental pipeline of bombs the US taxpayer has been forking out for over the last eight months. The White House’s public response was that it was “disappointed, perplexed” — diplomatic code for angered. It canceled a high-level US-Israeli meeting on Iran, the second time this has happened in recent times. Netanyahu will not have broken sweat.
Unsurprisingly, Biden’s frustrations boiled over. In an interview, he acknowledged that people have “every reason” to believe that Netanyahu was extending the war on Gaza for his own personal reasons and to stay in power.
Biden is still to learn, after all these years, that Netanyahu is a taker not a giver. To exercise any major influence over his actions, he will have to be far tougher. Biden may want a ceasefire, not least for his own electoral reasons, but he will have to drag Netanyahu kicking and screaming to the negotiating table.
For Biden to exercise any major influence over Netanyahu’s actions, he will have to be far tougher. If not, the US can expect Israel to remain a liability. If Netanyahu sees it as being in his interest, he will ignore any advice from his American counterparts.
But the current spats between Netanyahu and Biden are just the tip of the matter. The Israeli leadership frequently and brazenly does not repay the US with support on key American concerns.
Take Russia. Israel has hardly uttered a word of criticism of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. In fact, Netanyahu has a rich history of summits with Vladimir Putin and has boasted of his excellent relations with the Russian leader.
Israel also has warm ties with China. Only three years ago, Israel opened a Chinese-operated port in Haifa. The US was not happy. This was not the first time Washington had objected to Chinese investment in key Israeli infrastructure. This even happened during the Trump administration, when Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made direct objections to Chinese investments in Israel’s largest desalination plant. Going back to the 1990s, the US was incandescent about Israel selling advanced US stealth technology to the Chinese. For sure, many nations engage with the US, China and Russia. But Israel is meant to be the US’ primary military and security partner in the region. Washington might expect some support.
US politicians must recalibrate their assessments of the relationship with Israel. It is a one-way deal. It is lazy and simplistic to argue either that Israel controls the US or the other way round. They agree at times, but often there are huge divergences.
But what is clear, at least under Netanyahu, is that the US has little to no influence over Israel’s choices — until such time as when whoever is in the White House is prepared to bare their teeth and change the dynamic. The costs to the US are considerable, with the international reputational harm far more potent than the financial loss.
*Chris Doyle is director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding in London. X: @Doylech

For aid workers in South Sudan, no good deed goes unpunished
Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/June 24, 2024
Escalating violence against humanitarian workers, particularly local staff, represents one of the most acute, yet largely obscured, trends in fragile, conflict-prone regions. In 2023, a troubling uptick in such incidents led to the death toll doubling to almost 300 aid workers within a single year. This surge in targeted attacks is not dispersed evenly across the globe; instead, it has emerged in concentrated pockets, with South Sudan being the most potent in terms of risk and fatalities for humanitarian personnel.
Painstaking research and investigative reports have uncloaked an unsettling reality — local aid workers, integral in the distribution of critical assistance — face elevated risks that are not mitigated by current strategies. Due to their activities in environments where safeguards fall alarmingly short, these individuals become ensnared in a cycle of increasing danger.
UN resolutions and the mandates of international humanitarian law echo all the right notes and ethos about the need to protect aid workers, both local and foreign. However, despite the uncharacteristic harshness of prepared statements and calls for decisive action, attacks continue with near impunity. Kidnappings, injuries and assaults that often target female aid workers increase alongside brutal murders, layering psychological dimensions on top of already extensive humanitarian crises.
Differential access to justice, fear of reprisals and a lack of legal instruments worsen conditions on the ground and only heighten vulnerabilities. These gaps are most evident when considering the nationality of the worker; local staff endure barriers foreign colleagues are less likely to face. Recent analyses show that 94 percent of aid workers who have died violently in South Sudan were nationals. This statistic is not merely a reflection of the work’s inherent danger, but also signals the broader socioeconomic factors at play. Aid work in a country with minimal household incomes can inadvertently elevate individuals to a position of economic prominence, making them targets for conflict-driven retributive attacks.
These local workers encounter heightened threats emanating from the sociopolitical fabric of their own communities. Their work’s visibility makes them accessible targets and the localized dynamics of the conflict entangle them further. This situation is exacerbated by questionable employment practices within the humanitarian sector, which can contribute to existing tensions and, ultimately, violence. Moreover, retribution, an unevenly scaled access to recourse and deliberately obscured paths for seeking legal redress collectively feed into a climate where accountability will always remain elusive.
Compounding these issues is the limited action from the international community in curbing conflicts or securing aid operations. Local aid workers find themselves navigating through areas sometimes either besieged or controlled by hostile forces, with international stakeholders failing to provide adequate support or protection. The implications of these failures are profound, raising questions about the responsibility and efficacy of global humanitarian practices.
Recent analyses show that 94 percent of aid workers who have died violently in South Sudan were nationals. Another issue that arises from the failure to secure aid operations is a potential complicity in enabling the conditions that perpetuate violence. As mentioned above, the skewed hiring practices and the differential treatment of local versus international staff, for instance, not only reflects inherent gaps within the humanitarian aid work, but also risks inflaming local tensions, sparking a cycle of unmitigable violence that undermines the very mission of humanitarian aid.
The global community must consider not only the direct implications of these failures, but also the broader questions they raise about the structure and intentions of international aid. This includes critical examinations of how the securitization of aid — viewing humanitarian operations through security and political dimensions — may ultimately detract from the altruistic goals of these missions.
Understanding and incorporating the perceptions and insights of local aid workers is a crucial, but often missed, “low-hanging fruit” when crafting policy and practices that ensure the holistic protection of all those involved in humanitarian operations. This necessitates a shift from the traditional top-down approach to one that centers on inclusivity, local partnership and credible dialogue. Such strategies should encompass not only physical protection measures, but also the economic and social well-being of aid workers, acknowledging their invaluable role within both the humanitarian ecosystem and their respective communities.
Systemic failures in safeguarding aid operations in South Sudan serve as a critical reminder of the need for a concerted, inclusive and reformed approach to humanitarian aid that is responsive to the complexities of modern conflicts, respectful of the local context and reflective of the principles of equity and justice. Without such introspection and action, the international community risks undermining the efficacy, integrity and, most importantly, the humanitarian spirit of aid work.
The South Sudan context positions its national aid workers as central, not merely as essential service providers but as actors entwined with the conflict’s economic and social dimensions. The lack of international mobilization shapes the narrative around their experiences and the fundamental challenges of delivering aid in conflict zones. The statistics present more than numerical values; they reflect the struggles of those who endeavor to maintain a lifeline to communities under siege. South Sudan thus serves as a pronounced example, but by no means an isolated one, where aid workers must balance being both conduits for critical support, while besieged by the very crises they aim to alleviate.
This harrowing contradiction calls for a recalibration of rigid support mechanisms and protective measures — a mandate that the global community cannot afford to ignore. The systematic unshielding of local humanitarian workers is a distressing signal and the inevitable fatalities must now catalyze comprehensive reforms in policy, practice and international cooperation.
In practice, such reforms to respond to the horrifying realities faced by national aid workers could, for instance, position South Sudanese professionals in vital leadership roles. This will leverage local expertise for more effective decision-making but also foster trust-building in community relationships, which are crucial for navigating fragile contexts.
Aid organizations can also utilize technological systems that allow for real-time monitoring to better manage threats and protect humanitarian work in conflict-prone areas. Alongside changes to how humanitarian organizations operate, reforms in policy and practice must be coordinated since no country, organization or group can unilaterally address the persistent vulnerabilities national aid workers face in volatile contexts — in South Sudan or elsewhere.
In sum, the experiences of South Sudan’s humanitarian personnel necessitate an urgent reexamination of aid strategies, both locally and internationally. The goal should be to both improve the safety of aid workers and enhance the effectiveness of humanitarian efforts in areas where access is continually compromised by conflict. This reframing should guide policy-level discussions toward better structures for support, engagement and protection that acknowledge the evolving roles and risks of aid workers in extremely volatile contexts.
**Hafed Al-Ghwell is a senior fellow and executive director of the North Africa Initiative at the Foreign Policy Institute of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC. X: @HafedAlGhwell