Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 02-03/2024
What Does The Lost Son Parable Teach Us/Elias Bejjani/March 03/2024
7 Hezbollah fighters killed in Israeli strikes
Israeli strikes kill 7 Hezbollah members in south Lebanon
Israeli strike kills 3 Hezbollah fighters after drone attack on Israel base
Hezbollah mourns four martyrs from south Lebanon
Unforeseen Consequences: The Impact of GPS Manipulation on Drones and Fishermen in Lebanon
Deadly Codes and a Factory of Mass Assassinations: The 'Gospel' System Unveiled
The derelict hotel sheltering Lebanese displaced from border
Haaretz: Israel and Hezbollah are on the brink of all-out war
Hockstein is preparing for negotiations amid the reversal of roles between the party and Israel
Rules of engagement in the south... Intense raids and the highest number of Hezbollah deaths in 24 hours

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 02-03/2024
Israeli Cabinet Grapples with Escalating Tensions Amid Prisoner Exchange Negotiations
Russian Mediation in Palestinian Reconciliation: Progress and Challenges
Biden hopes for Gaza truce before Ramadan, says US to airdrop aid
US says Israel has agreed to the framework for a Gaza cease-fire. Hamas now must decide
Israel has ‘more or less’ accepted ceasefire deal: US
Mustafa Barghouti to LBCI: Israeli Army prepared plan for wide war with Lebanon
Palestinian Authority hopes for Gaza ceasefire by Ramadan
'They wanted to humiliate us.' Palestinian women detained by Israel decry abuse in Israeli custody
Sanders pushes harder for Gaza cease-fire: ‘Not another nickel for Netanyahu’
UN official lauds Egyptian role in delivering Gaza aid
US forces destroy Houthi surface-to-air missile
Ship earlier attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels sinks in the Red Sea
Russians lay flowers at Navalny’s grave, hail him as symbol of hope
Mediation Efforts in the Russo-Ukrainian War: Who Will Bring Peace to Ukraine?

Titles For The Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on March 02-03/2024
Biden Administration Not Stopping Iran, Russia, China, the Houthis/Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute./March 2, 2024
Foreign policy is shaping US politics in this presidential election year and here’s/Hammond/Arab News/March 02, 2024
Netanyahu’s day after plan is the same as the day before, but worse/Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/March 02, 2024
Will Biden listen to Michigan?/Dr. Amal Mudallali/Arab News/March 02, 2024

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 02-03/2024
What Does The Lost Son Parable Teach Us
Elias Bejjani/March 03/2024
In our Maronite Catholic Church’s rite, on the Fourth Lent Sunday we recall and cite the biblical Lost Son’s parable that is known also as The Prodigal Son. (Lost Son) This impulsive, selfish and thoughtless son, as the parable tells us, fell prey to evil’s temptation and decided to take his share of his father’s inheritance and leave the parental dwelling. He travelled to a far-away city where he indulged badly in all evil conducts of pleasure and corruption until he lost all his money and became penniless. He experienced severe poverty, starvation, humiliation and loneliness. In the midst of his dire hardships he felt nostalgic, came back to his senses and decided with great self confidence to return back to his father’s house, kneel on his feet and ask him for forgiveness. On his return his loving and kind father received him with rejoice, open arms, accepted his repentance, and happily forgave him all his misdeeds. Because of his sincere repentance his Father gave him back all his privileges as a son. This parable is a road map for repentance and forgiveness. It shows us how much Almighty God our Father loves us, we His children and how He is always ready with open arms and willing to forgive our sins and trespasses when we come back to our senses, recognize right from wrong, admit our weaknesses and wrongdoings, eagerly and freely return to Him and with faith and repentance ask for His forgiveness. Asking Almighty God for what ever we need is exactly what the Holy Bible instructs us to do when encountering all kinds of doubt, weaknesses, stumbling, hard times, sickness, loneliness, persecution, injustice etc.
Matthew 07/07&08: “Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened” All what we have to do is to pray and to ask Him with faith, self confidence and humility and He will respond.
Matthew 21/22: “All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
We are not left alone at any time, especially when in trouble, no matter how far we distance ourselves from God and disobey His Holy bible. He is a Father, a loving, caring and forgiving Father. What is definite is that in spite of our foolishness, stupidity, ignorance, defiance and ingratitude He never ever abandons us or gives up on our salvation. He loves us because we His are children. He happily sent His only begotten son to be tortured, humiliated and crucified in a bid to absolve our original sin.' God carries our burdens and helps us to fight all kinds of Evil temptations. Matthew11/28-30: “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” God is waiting for our repentance, let us run to Him and ask for forgiveness before it is too late

7 Hezbollah fighters killed in Israeli strikes
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/March 02, 2024
BEIRUT: Israeli air and drone strikes have killed seven Hezbollah fighters, including a field commander, in less than 24 hours. Three of the fighters died when their car was targeted by an Israeli drone early on Saturday on the coastal road from Al-Naqoura toward the city of Tyre. The car caught fire, killing all the occupants — field commander Hussein Badawi from Deir Qanun Al-Nahr, Abbas Khalil from Al-Sama’iyya, and Farouk Mohammed Harb from Al-Halusiya. Another four fighters — Ali Shalhoub, Mohammed Ghebreyes, Mustafa Salman, and Ali Qasim — died on Friday night in Israeli air strikes on the towns of Aita Al-Shaab and Blida in Lebanon’s southern border region. Avichay Adraee, spokesperson for the Israeli Army, said on X that Israeli Air Force planes destroyed a car carrying fighters who had launched rockets at Israeli territory. “These individuals were affiliated with the Imam Hussein Brigade, which is linked to Iran and operates on behalf of Hezbollah,” he added. Israeli artillery also targeted the outskirts of Labbouneh, Tayr Harfa, Al-Jebain, the Al-Wazzani area, and the southwestern neighborhoods of Mays Al-Jabal and Ramiya. Incendiary shells were fired by the Israeli Army near Al-Naqoura, Jabal Al-Labbouneh, and Alma Al-Shaab. Israeli fighter jets remained in the skies above southern Lebanon and also flew at low altitude over Beirut’s southern suburbs on Saturday. Hezbollah said that it launched a successful drone strike on a new Israeli sector headquarters in Liman, and also struck the Israeli military border site of Jal Al-Alam. Brig. Gen. Pablo Gomez Lera, commander of UNIFIL forces in southern Lebanon’s eastern sector, met with Rawad Salloum, mayor of Hasbaya, to discuss the indiscriminate bombing of villages and towns in the area, the forced displacement of residents in border towns, and relief projects for those who remain. He expressed his dismay at the expansion of military operations, but also said that he hoped a ceasefire would be in place before the likely start of Ramadan on March 11. Mohammed Fneish, a former Hezbollah minister, warned the group will continue its operations against Israel. Violence in Palestine must be addressed and efforts to halt the bloodshed prioritized over any discussions regarding peace, he said.“Hezbollah sets the rules of engagement on Israel and it (Israel) cannot transcend these rules,” Fneish added.

Israeli strikes kill 7 Hezbollah members in south Lebanon
MOHAMMED ZAATARI/Sat, March 2, 2024
SIDON, Lebanon (AP)
An Israeli drone strike hit a car in south Lebanon Saturday morning, killing three Hezbollah members, state media and officials said. Another four Hezbollah members were killed in a strike on a house in the town of Ramia overnight, said a Lebanese security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to journalists. The state-run National News Agency said the latest strike on Saturday hit a car in the Naqoura area along Lebanon’s southern coast. The Israeli military said in a statement that it had “struck a vehicle in southern Lebanon, in which a number of terrorists who launched rockets into Israeli territory were driving.” It said the militants operated under the Imam Hossein Division, which is affiliated with Iran and operates under Hezbollah. Hezbollah announced the deaths of seven of its fighters Saturday, but as usual did not specify when and where they were killed. The Lebanese militant group has been trading fire with Israeli forces along the Lebanon-Israel border near-daily since the beginning of Israel’s war against Hamas, a Hezbollah ally, in Gaza. The fighting has killed more than 200 Hezbollah fighters and at least 37 civilian in Lebanon and at least nine soldiers and nine civilians in Israel. Hezbollah has said it will not halt its fire until there is a cease-fire in Gaza but would observe a truce if one is reached. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has vowed to step up attacks on Hezbollah even if a cease-fire is reached with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, until the Lebanese militant group withdraws from the border area.

Israeli strike kills 3 Hezbollah fighters after drone attack on Israel base
Naharnet/March 2, 2024 
An Israeli drone strike on a car in the southern coastal border town of Naqoura killed three Hezbollah fighters on Saturday morning, shortly after Hezbollah claimed a suicide drone attack on an Israeli command base in Liman, around seven kilometers from Lebanon's border. Hezbollah also mourned two more fighters and claimed a rocket attack on Israeli troops near the Jal al-Allam post. Israeli artillery shelling meanwhile targeted Aita al-Shaab, Majdal Zoun, Tayr Harfa, al-Jibbayn, Tallet al-Hamames, al-Wazzani, Alma al-Shaab, Dhayra, Naqoura al-Labbouneh as an airstrike also targeted al-Labbouneh. Hezbollah and the Israeli army have traded almost daily fire since the eruption of the Gaza war. On the Lebanese side, at least 285 people have been killed, mostly Hezbollah fighters and their allies, along with 44 civilians. On the Israeli side, the army says 10 soldiers and six civilians have been killed, while tens of thousands of residents on both sides have been displaced.

Hezbollah mourns four martyrs from south Lebanon
LBCI/March 02, 2024
The martyrs are Abbas Ahmad Khalil "Abu Ahmad Sajid" from the town of Sammaaiyeh, Ali Mohammad Shalhoub "Shihab" from Qana, Farouq Mohammad Harb "Zulfiqar" from the town of Hallousiyyeh, Hussein Mohammad Badawi "Husseini" from the town of Deir Qanoun el-Ain.

Unforeseen Consequences: The Impact of GPS Manipulation on Drones and Fishermen in Lebanon
LBCI/March 02, 2024
Even drones used for photography are not immune to the repercussions of the war in the region, and the reason is interference and manipulation of the GPS location system, which began after the outbreak of clashes in southern Lebanon.
In an attempt to prevent the infiltration of Hezbollah's suicide drones, Israel disabled the reception of the Global Positioning System (GPS) in the border area with Lebanon. Today, after five months, more than one incident of drones falling or disappearing has been recorded in various areas of Lebanon, from Keserwan and Metn to the capital, Beirut.So, how are these incidents happening?

Deadly Codes and a Factory of Mass Assassinations: The 'Gospel' System Unveiled
LBCI/March 02, 2024
Deadly codes and a factory for mass assassinations: This is how a former Israeli intelligence officer spoke about the "Gospel" system used by Israel in its war on the Gaza Strip.
So what is this system?
In an extensive investigation, +972 Magazine revealed at the end of 2023 a system built on artificial intelligence that can choose its targets automatically and at a higher rate than was previously possible. According to the magazine, the Gospel system allows the Israeli army to carry out raids on residential homes where members of Hamas reside, even if they are low-ranking members. But if this system can accurately choose its targets, how did thousands of civilians fall in the strip? The answer to this question is provided by an Israeli source to the magazine in clear terms: "Nothing happens by chance. When a 3-year-old girl is killed in a house in Gaza, it's because a member of the army decided that killing her wasn't a big deal and that it was a price worth paying for another goal." The source concluded: "We know exactly the extent of the collateral damage in each house."
The Gospel system, with its ability to identify targets, collect information, and estimate the extent of destruction and human losses before targeting, does not make targeting decisions automatically. Every time civilians were killed during the use of this system, Israel was aware of it in advance, but it decided that killing more than 30,000 civilians up to the date of this report was an acceptable collateral damage to achieve its war goals.

The derelict hotel sheltering Lebanese displaced from border
Carine Torbey - BBC Arabic, Marwaniyeh, southern Lebanon/March 02, 2024
Despite its derelict state, there are reminders of its better days - a marble-floored reception hall, a large pool and wrought iron railings. After being sold at auction years ago, it was completely abandoned. Four years ago, authorities agreed with its owner to use it as a quarantine facility during the Covid-19 pandemic. Today, its owner has once more made it available for use, this time as a displacement centre. A few months ago, the hotel opened its rooms again to shelter around 50 families from border towns following the start of the ongoing round of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel on 8 October, the day after Hamas's attacks on southern Israel triggered the war in the Gaza Strip. Hezbollah - an Iran-backed Shia Islamist group proscribed as a terrorist organisation by the UK, US and others - is the largest military force in Lebanon. It says it is attacking Israel in support of Palestinians in Gaza.
The Israeli military has carried out air and artillery strikes in response, fuelling fears of a major confrontation. 'Evacuating was a mistake': Israelis push to return to border homes. 'We are surrounded': Guarding the Middle East's most dangerous border. The escalation has prompted tens of thousands of residents from both sides of the border to flee their homes. In Lebanon, around 90,000 people have been displaced. The overwhelming majority are staying with relatives or in rented houses. The rest are in centres like the Hotel Montana.
As the sun spread its warmth on a cold day, children here gathered to play football, racket games or take a walk. Many of them are not attending any classes after their schools were shut because of the war. Others have online lessons, but they can only join for a few hours each morning before the generator that provides electricity to the premises is switched off.
Fatima
Fatima was supposed to be in the 6th Grade. But her school in the border town of Odaysseh had not even started enrolling students for the new year when the fighting started. "My dad came home one day and told us that we had to leave the house the next morning. We were packing our stuff while crying," Fatima says. She's now staying with her father, mother and brother in one room. It's spacious, with a queen size bed and an en suite bathroom. Fatima and her family had to move many times before settling in the hotel. "We stayed in four or five different places before we got here," her father Abu Ali, who is helping with organisational efforts at the hotel, tells me. He longs to return to his village where he was born and raised. "Only God knows when we will back. Unfortunately, there are no signs on the horizon. This has been happening for too long."Smoke is seen billowing over the Lebanese town of Odaysseh in this photo taken from northern Israel on 20 January
Manahel, in her late 50s, is also from Odaysseh. She has no idea whether her house is still standing. "Our village is completely empty. No-one has access to it at the moment."She fears the worst. "We do not care about the stone, but what matters to us are the memories. It's very painful."
In the corridor, the hotel's "guests" meet and chat. Each one is from a different border town; all united by displacement. Families refer to each other by their room numbers and behind each door is a story of a village. On top of the displacement, families from southern Lebanon have to deal with uncertainty and constant fear for their safety. As the conflict continues, it's also getting closer.
On 19 February, an Israeli air strike in Ghaziyeh, a few towns away from Marwaniyeh and around 50km (30 miles) north of the border, caused shock across southern Lebanon and beyond. As footage of the attack circulated on social media, people feared the war would not remain confined to the border area and its surroundings. Five days before that, an Israeli air strike had killed seven people from the same family in Nabatiyeh, to the south-east. On that night, many people from the city sought refuge at the Hotel Montana. They spent their night sleeping on thin mattresses on the floor. Most of them left the next day, but more could be expected at any time. Salam Badreddine is in charge of the Disaster Management Committee in the al-Zahrani area, which is composed of more than 70 towns. He tells me that when the hostilities started, no-one expected them to last that long.
"We thought it would be a matter of days or weeks, but the hostilities have expanded greatly. There's no longer one single conflict spot." He added: "The more the situation escalates, the bigger the number of displaced. Emergency and relief plans are constantly updated which puts a lot of pressure on us. We always have to reassess the situation."The fighting comes amid an unprecedented economic crisis in Lebanon. A lot of organisations are providing help to the displaced.
As we were visiting the hotel, we met representatives of a non-governmental organisation providing the displaced with hot meals. Another organisation has set up a clinic in the premises. A third is looking after the children's needs.
There were also people from the Red Cross giving awareness sessions on how to deal with disasters and earthquakes. But for the displaced attending, a different kind of danger is already too close to home.

Haaretz: Israel and Hezbollah are on the brink of all-out war
Sky News Arabia/03 March 2024
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz considered that the outbreak of a comprehensive war between Israel and Hezbollah has been expected since last October 8, but what is not known is the extent of the destruction that this war will cause to the civilian infrastructure in Israel, especially in light of the absence of American support for this war. Writer Dalia Sheindlin published a report in Haaretz in which she stated that Hezbollah’s firing on Israeli positions from southern Lebanon since the beginning of the war between Hamas and Israel led to the evacuation of approximately 80,000 Israelis and 75,000 Lebanese from the border areas. Hezbollah, according to the report, seeks to avoid a large-scale war, which was clearly evident in the speeches of Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, and in return, Israeli leaders are working to adopt a more aggressive approach towards the party. The Israeli government is considering launching a major pre-emptive strike, which was supported by Defense Minister Yoav Galant, but US opposition has so far prevented this from being implemented. The war on the border is still raging, with Hezbollah firing anti-tank shells, in addition to using suicide drones and missiles, in exchange for Israeli air strikes, which caused the death of a number of Hezbollah fighters and Lebanese civilians, as well as a number of Israelis, including soldiers and civilians. According to Haaretz, the Israeli political leadership followed a tough rhetoric before the public, and called for a strong attack on Hezbollah, while war cabinet member Benny Gantz threatened a military option if a diplomatic solution failed, adding that Israel could carry out military action against Hezbollah regardless of reaching a cessation. To shoot with Hamas.
An Israeli attack on Lebanon has been expected since 2022
Haaretz believes that the Israelis had an idea about waging a war against Lebanon even before the war with Hamas, as an article written in the newspaper "Israel Today" on October 6, 2022 called for striking Lebanon, which preceded Israel's war with Hamas by a full year. The newspaper added another question about how Israel can convince itself to open another front with Hezbollah, which possesses weapons many times more destructive than what Hamas possesses, and asked: Has anyone thought about the costs? Hezbollah is expected to attack the Israeli infrastructure first, according to Haaretz, and here the question arises about how Tel Aviv can function without electricity, schools, hospitals, and shops. The newspaper referred to a document circulated on social media bearing the logo of the Ministry of Justice, and containing instructions in the event of an all-out war breaking out in the north and attacks on power stations, warning of power outages, and advising the storage of water and cell phone batteries. Haaretz wondered who would stand by Israel if this war broke out, especially if Tel Aviv initiated a pre-emptive war. The newspaper concluded that Israeli political leaders and analysts alike avoid talking about the great costs of this war, such as devastating attacks against infrastructure, the expansion of the war regionally, the absence of American support for it, and tense relations with countries with which Israel hopes to normalize relations

Hockstein is preparing for negotiations amid the reversal of roles between the party and Israel
Mounir Al Rabie/Al-Modon/March 03, 2024
American envoy Amos Hockstein was supposed to send a written answer that included a proposal for the conclusion of his meetings in Lebanon and Israel about the mechanism for dealing with the situation in the south and stopping the confrontations about three weeks ago. This formula was agreed upon in a phone call between Hockstein and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, who requested that the proposals be written. Hockstein stressed the continuation of his work and tasks in order to reduce the escalation and that there is a possibility to avoid war in Lebanon, and he was dealing with what the Lebanese who communicated with him said realistically, as he considered that there is no solution until reaching a truce or ceasefire in Gaza.
Reassuring messages
A few days ago, Hockstein communicated again with the Lebanese negotiators, especially with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and his circles, stressing that he was completing his work and tasks, as he had met Prime Minister Najib Mikati at the Munich conference and informed him of his imminent visit to Lebanon. In this context, new American messages arrived last week about continued pressure from Washington on the Israelis to prevent them from escalating and to prevent waging or expanding the war against Lebanon and Hezbollah. The messages were relatively reassuring to Lebanon, which considered that all the escalation and intimidation by the Israelis was for internal consumption only, and that Tel Aviv had no intention of launching a major war against the party and Lebanon. This contradicted many Israeli and American leaks about the possibility of expanding and developing the scope of Israeli military operations. In southern Lebanon after the holy month of Ramadan.
Ground for negotiation
In this context, Amos Hockstein's visit to Lebanon next week falls, which he begins Monday with a meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, during which he will also meet Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib, and Army Commander Joseph Aoun. The visit comes in light of the intensification of endeavors and efforts to reach a truce in the Gaza Strip at the beginning of the month of Ramadan, and this truce that Lebanon and America want to extend to the situation in the south, so Hockstein is working to prepare the negotiating ground during the truce period, which will extend for six weeks, subject to renewal. Perhaps this deadline will lead to setting a general framework for an agreement, which will consist of 3 stages. The first stage is stopping military operations and working to return the displaced. The second stage is to stop the apparent military activities in the region and look into strengthening the Lebanese army and sending more forces to control the situation so that there is no longer any military activity or movement south of the Litani River. The third stage is to negotiate the border issue, establish demarcation, and address the remaining outstanding points. This, of course, will be linked to a long political path.
Role reversal
The irony of Hockstein's visit this time is that in previous visits, Hezbollah was the militarily initiator and the one who held the reins of the front, launching operations and targeting Israeli sites, while the Israelis were in a state of reaction. Currently, the situation has reversed, as the Israelis have worked to take the military and security initiative, and they are intensifying their attacks and military and security operations by targeting sites, centers, and warehouses far from the south, in addition to continuing assassination operations against party cadres. In previous visits, Hockstein asked about Hezbollah's commitment to the ceasefire during the truce in Gaza, and its continued commitment to this in the event of renewed Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip. Now the equation has also changed, as Hezbollah has previously announced that it is adhering to the truce in Gaza that extends to Lebanon, but the Israelis are the ones who are launching positions expressing their refusal to adhere to the truce. Here Hockstein's mission will be double, in being able to restrain the Israelis from their operations and present a vision for providing long-term stability.

Rules of engagement in the south... Intense raids and the highest number of Hezbollah deaths in 24 hours
Hochstein Coming back on Monday... Geagea: The army is efficient on the borders
Nedda Al Watan/March 03, 2024
While the Israeli side and Hezbollah are still adhering to the rules of engagement, the liquidation of the "party" leaders in southern Lebanon continues, coinciding with the dropping of any presidential initiative on its part before it is even born.
in the south
The bombardment continued continuously on southern Lebanon, as the Israeli army raided the areas of Jabal al-Labouna, surrounding the town of Naqoura, and targeted with artillery shelling the vicinity of the border town of Ramia and a large number of southern areas. On Saturday morning, the army carried out a drone strike on the Naqoura area, targeting a car belonging to the party, and a number of its leaders were killed inside it. The Israeli army subsequently said: “We targeted a car in southern Lebanon that was carrying members responsible for launching rockets towards Israel, and the targeted members belong to the Imam Hussein Brigade, which is affiliated with the party.” "For Iran and working for Hezbollah." In the evening, the army announced that it had launched raids on two military buildings belonging to Hezbollah in the Labouneh area in southern Lebanon. As for Hezbollah, it announced the bombing of some Israeli areas and the gathering of some soldiers, while seven of its members mourned in one day, which is the highest number of the party killed in 24 hours. "Hochstein, see."Amid this tense atmosphere on the ground, American envoy Amos Hockstein returns to Beirut on Monday in an attempt to restore calm in southern Lebanon, while information indicates that he will begin his meetings with a visit to Ain al-Tineh and a meeting with Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri.
Presidency
On the presidential side, and after the political arena witnessed a whirlwind movement by the “National Moderation” bloc, the initiative was liquidated before it was born. Before the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc received the “moderation” delegation on Monday, its initiative appeared to be faltering, as Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s advisor, MP Ali Hassan Khalil, directed harsh, almost “fatal” blows at it, after declaring “no session open for elections.” The dialogue must resemble the dialogues that the President of the Council called for in past years.
Bou Habib from Antalya
Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates in the caretaker government, Abdullah Bouhabib, concluded his meetings at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum by participating in a dialogue session on establishing a lasting peace in the Middle East, where he referred to the daily Israeli threats to destroy Lebanon, calling on “the Israelis to try a different option than the ongoing war.” For more than 75 years.” Bou Habib pointed out that Israel is withdrawing from the Shebaa Farms and the Kafr Shuba Hills, respecting international borders, and stopping daily violations, which will achieve security for all, and that Lebanon is ready for indirect negotiations because the other option before us is the risk of the war expanding into a regional war.
Army efficiency
After the participation of the Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, in a meeting to support the Lebanese Army in Italy, the head of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, confirmed that “the data show that the Party is unable to fight Israel, while the Lebanese Army has efficient, trained and equipped units.” Geagea stressed that Any severe war on Lebanon is a “war on the entire country,” and its consequences and results will all affect Lebanon’s interior. As for who bears responsibility for what is happening in the south, whether it is Israel or the party, he answered: Certainly Israel bears responsibility, but “your right is not against your enemy, your right is against the one who makes it easy for your enemy to harm you.” As Lebanese, as a government, authority, and state, our goal must be to preserve Lebanese lands and the security of the Lebanese, before thinking about others and helping them according to our capabilities, and not the other way around. What would have happened if the Lebanese Army had deployed instead of the “party” where it is located today and cooperated with the “international forces” in the south when needed, which is what all countries of the world support?
Food from the air
To the Gaza Strip, where after aid was unable to reach the Palestinians, the United States, via three C-130 military cargo planes, dropped food supplies into the Strip by air. Also, the Egyptian army dropped tons of food and urgent humanitarian needs in the northern Gaza Strip. Egyptian army spokesman Colonel Staff Colonel Gharib Abdel Hafez said, “In continuation of Egyptian efforts in support of the Palestinians and in implementation of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s directives to continue sending humanitarian and relief aid to our Palestinian brothers, the General Command of the Armed Forces issued orders to prepare military transport planes loaded with tons of food supplies and urgent humanitarian needs.” To alleviate the suffering experienced by the residents of the Gaza Strip, air drops of aid were carried out in various areas in the northern Gaza Strip.”
The truce is in the hands of Hamas
An American official indicated that the fate of the proposed truce in Gaza depends on Hamas agreeing to release “a specific category of hostages,” after Israel largely accepted the broad outlines of the agreement. The official told reporters: “The ball is now in Hamas’ court. The framework exists, and the Israelis have practically accepted it. A six-week ceasefire could begin today in Gaza if Hamas agrees to release a specific category of hostages at risk.”

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 02-03/2024
Israeli Cabinet Grapples with Escalating Tensions Amid Prisoner Exchange Negotiations
LBCI/March 02, 2024
Less than twenty-four hours after Israel threatened to halt negotiations on the prisoner exchange deal until Hamas provides a list of living Israeli prisoners and Palestinian prisoners the movement demands to be released, the Israeli cabinet is considering ways to deal with the recent developments after Hamas announced the deaths of more Israeli prisoners in Gaza as a result of an airstrike amid an official source confirming the possibility of a breakthrough in the negotiation process with talks are expected to resume on Sunday in Cairo. Hamas's announcement of the deaths of at least seven Israeli prisoners due to the airstrikes sparked protests among Israelis. Meanwhile, internal divisions deepened within the cabinet and the government following the announcement of Defense Minister Benny Gantz's visit to Washington, which is uncoordinated with Netanyahu and reflects on political and military decision-making.

Russian Mediation in Palestinian Reconciliation: Progress and Challenges
LBCI/March 02, 2024
Moscow felt sidelined in the efforts to end the Gaza war, so it chose to enter through the gate of Palestinian-Palestinian reconciliation, which has been stalled for seventeen years, based on its good relations with various factions. President Vladimir Putin sought to bring together Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Moscow, but his efforts were unsuccessful. The Russian Institute of Oriental Studies, closely affiliated with the Russian Foreign Ministry, extended invitations to hold the meeting under the auspices of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, with his supervision. Twelve out of fourteen factions participated in the meeting, the first of its kind since Operation al-Aqsa Flood, and notably included representatives from Fatah and Hamas. Two days of meetings resulted in a statement of nine points, which fell short of expectations and aspirations and was less than hoped for. However, the most important aspect was mentioned at the beginning, regarding the agreement to hold upcoming dialogue rounds and an emphasis on achieving comprehensive national unity that includes all forces and factions within the framework of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the legitimate and sole representative of the Palestinian people. This matter was previously a subject of dispute and rejected by Hamas. Forming a unified technocratic government to manage the post-war phase also became a topic of discussion. Moscow thus succeeded in bringing together the warring Palestinian factions. Still, there are questions to be raised: Will agreement be achieved, and will all factions unite under the banner of the PLO? More importantly, will they agree in the future on a unified stance in negotiating with Israel, whether directly or indirectly?

Biden hopes for Gaza truce before Ramadan, says US to airdrop aid
Associated Press/March 02, 2024
U.S. President Joe Biden said earlier this week that a cease-fire deal could be reached by Monday. But on Friday evening, he said he still held hope a deal can be struck, but possibly before Muslims around the globe begin observing the holy month of Ramadan that is expected to begin March 10. “I’m still hoping so,” Biden said. “We’re still working real hard at it. We’re not there yet.”He added, “You know, it’s not over until it is over” and said that all sides have to agree on timing but that “they’re still far apart.”Biden also said that the U.S. will begin air-dropping humanitarian assistance into Gaza, a day after witnesses say Israeli troops killed dozens of Palestinians as crowds raced to pull goods off an aid convoy. Biden said the airdrops will begin in the “coming days,” and made the announcement while hosting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the White House. At least 115 Palestinians were killed on Thursday and more than 750 others were injured, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Israel said many of the dead were trampled in a stampede linked to the chaos and that its troops fired at some in the crowd who they believed moved toward them in a threatening way.

US says Israel has agreed to the framework for a Gaza cease-fire. Hamas now must decide
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP)/March 2, 2024
Israel has essentially endorsed a framework of a proposed Gaza cease-fire and hostage release deal, and it is now up to Hamas to agree to it, a senior U.S. administration official said Saturday, a day before talks to reach an agreement were to resume in Egypt. International mediators have been working for weeks to broker a deal to pause the fighting before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins around March 10. A deal would also likely allow aid to reach hundreds of thousands of desperate Palestinians in northern Gaza who aid officials worry are under threat of famine. The Israelis “have more or less accepted” the proposal, which includes the six-week cease-fire as well as the release by Hamas of hostages considered vulnerable, which includes the sick, the wounded, the elderly and women, said the official. “Right now, the ball is in the court of Hamas and we are continuing to push this as hard as we possibly can,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House to brief reporters. Officials from Israel and from Hamas did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A senior Egyptian official said mediators Egypt and Qatar are expected to receive a response from Hamas during the Cairo talks scheduled to start Sunday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not publicly authorized to discuss the sensitive talks. The talks come amid increasing criticism over the desperation of hundreds of thousands struggling to survive in northern Gaza, which has borne the brunt of the conflict that began when the Hamas militant group attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seizing around 250 hostages. United States military planes began the first airdrops of thousands of meals into Gaza, and the militaries of Jordan and Egypt said they also conducted airdrops. The European Union’s diplomatic service said Saturday that many of the dozens of Palestinians killed or wounded in the chaos surrounding an aid convoy were hit by Israeli army fire and urged an international investigation. The European External Action Service said responsibility for the crisis lay with “restrictions imposed by the Israeli army and obstructions by violent extremist(s) to the supply of humanitarian aid.”Residents in northern Gaza say they are searching rubble and garbage for anything to feed their children, who barely eat one meal a day. Many families have begun mixing animal and bird food with grain to bake bread. International aid officials say they have encountered catastrophic hunger. “We’re dying from starvation,” said Soad Abu Hussein, a widow and mother of five children who shelters in a school in the Jabaliya refugee camp. At least 10 children have starved to death, according to hospital records in Gaza, the World Health Organization said. Gaza's Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll from the war has climbed to 30,320. The ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its figures, but says women and children make up around two-thirds of those killed. In Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, where more than half of the territory’s people now seek refuge, an Israeli airstrike on Saturday struck tents outside the Emirati hospital, killing 11 people and wounding about 50, including health workers, the Health Ministry said. Israel’s air, sea and ground offensive has reduced much of densely populated northern Gaza to rubble. The military told Palestinians to move south, but as many as 300,000 people are believed to have remained north.
Roughly one in six children under 2 in the north suffer from acute malnutrition and wasting, “the worst level of child malnutrition anywhere in the world,” Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the World Food Program, said this week. “If nothing changes, a famine is imminent in northern Gaza.”People have overwhelmed trucks delivering food aid and grabbed what they can, Skau said, forcing the WFP to suspend deliveries to the north. In the violence Thursday, hundreds of people rushed about 30 trucks bringing a predawn delivery to the north. Palestinians said nearby Israeli troops shot into the crowds. Israel said they fired warning shots toward the crowd and insisted many of the dead were trampled. Doctors at hospitals in Gaza and a U.N. team that visited a hospital said large numbers of the wounded had been shot. The Health Ministry said two more bodies were recovered Saturday from the scene, raising the death toll to 118. It said the number of wounded remained at 760. Ahmed Abdel Karim, being treated for gunshot wounds in his feet, said he had spent two days waiting for aid trucks to arrive. “Everyone attacked and advanced on these trucks. Because of the large number, I could not get flour,” he said. He was shot by Israeli troops, he said. Radwan Abdel-Hai, a father of four young children, heard a rumor late Wednesday that an aid convoy was on its way. He and five others took a donkey cart to meet it and found a “sea of people” waiting. As people reached the trucks, “tanks started firing at us,” he said. “As I ran back, I heard tank shells and gunfire. I heard people screaming. I saw people falling to the ground, some motionless.”Abdel-Hai took shelter in a nearby building. When the shooting stopped, many dead people were on the ground, he said. “Many were shot in their back,” he said. Abu Hussein, the widow, said more than 5,000 people — mostly women and children — living with her in the Jabaliya school have not received aid for more than four weeks. Adults eat one meal or less to save food for the children, she said. A group of people went to the shore to try to fish, but three were killed and two were wounded by gunfire from Israeli ships, she said. “They just wanted to get something for their children.” The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mansour Hamed, a 32-year-old former aid worker living with more than 50 relatives in a Gaza City house, said some are eating tree leaves and animal food. It has become normal to find a child emerging from the rubble with a rotten piece of bread, he said.
“They are desperate. They want anything to stay alive.”
Acknowledging the difficulty of getting aid in and the extreme need for food, U.S. President Joe Biden said the U.S. would look for other ways “including possibly a marine corridor.”Jordan's military said its own airdrops on Saturday targeted sites in northern Gaza and the drops it coordinated with the U.S. occurred in the south. But the EU statement, echoing humanitarian groups, said airdrops “should be the solution of last resort as their impact is minimal.” It called for the opening of further ground crossings into Gaza and the removal of obstacles from the rare ones open. Israel and Hamas held a one week cease-fire in late November. The 7-day truce brought about the release of about 100 hostages — mostly women, children and foreign nationals — in exchange for about 240 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, as well as a brief halt in the fighting

Israel has ‘more or less’ accepted ceasefire deal: US
AP/March 02, 2024
WASHINGTON DC: Israel has essentially endorsed a framework of a proposed Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, and it is now up to Hamas to agree to it, a senior US administration official said Saturday, a day before talks to reach an agreement were to resume in Egypt.
International mediators have been working for weeks to broker a deal to pause the fighting before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins around March 10. A deal would also likely allow aid to reach hundreds of thousands of desperate Palestinians in northern Gaza who aid officials worry are under threat of famine. The Israelis “have more or less accepted” the proposal, which includes the six-week ceasefire as well as the release by Hamas of hostages considered vulnerable, which includes the sick, the wounded, the elderly and women, said the official.“Right now, the ball is in the court of Hamas and we are continuing to push this as hard as we possibly can,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House to brief reporters.
Officials from Israel and from Hamas did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A senior Egyptian official said mediators Egypt and Qatar are expected to receive a response from Hamas during the Cairo talks scheduled to start Sunday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not publicly authorized to discuss the sensitive talks. The talks come amid increasing criticism over the desperation of hundreds of thousands struggling to survive in northern Gaza, which has borne the brunt of the conflict that began when the Hamas militant group attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seizing around 250 hostages. United States military planes began the first airdrops of thousands of meals into Gaza, and the militaries of Jordan and Egypt said they also conducted airdrops. The European Union’s diplomatic service said Saturday that many of the dozens of Palestinians killed or wounded in the chaos surrounding an aid convoy were hit by Israeli army fire and urged an international investigation.
The European External Action Service said responsibility for the crisis lay with “restrictions imposed by the Israeli army and obstructions by violent extremist(s) to the supply of humanitarian aid.”Residents in northern Gaza say they are searching rubble and garbage for anything to feed their children, who barely eat one meal a day. Many families have begun mixing animal and bird food with grain to bake bread. International aid officials say they have encountered catastrophic hunger. “We’re dying from starvation,” said Soad Abu Hussein, a widow and mother of five children who shelters in a school in the Jabaliya refugee camp. At least 10 children have starved to death, according to hospital records in Gaza, the World Health Organization said. Gaza’s Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll from the war has climbed to 30,320. The ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its figures, but says women and children make up around two-thirds of those killed. In Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, where more than half of the territory’s people now seek refuge, an Israeli airstrike on Saturday struck tents outside the Emirati hospital, killing 11 people and wounding about 50, including health workers, the Health Ministry said. Israel’s air, sea and ground offensive has reduced much of densely populated northern Gaza to rubble. The military told Palestinians to move south, but as many as 300,000 people are believed to have remained north.
Roughly one in six children under 2 in the north suffer from acute malnutrition and wasting, “the worst level of child malnutrition anywhere in the world,” Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the World Food Program, said this week. “If nothing changes, a famine is imminent in northern Gaza.”People have overwhelmed trucks delivering food aid and grabbed what they can, Skau said, forcing the WFP to suspend deliveries to the north. In the violence Thursday, hundreds of people rushed about 30 trucks bringing a predawn delivery to the north. Palestinians said nearby Israeli troops shot into the crowds. Israel said they fired warning shots toward the crowd and insisted many of the dead were trampled. Doctors at hospitals in Gaza and a UN team that visited a hospital said large numbers of the wounded had been shot. The Health Ministry said two more bodies were recovered Saturday from the scene, raising the death toll to 118. It said the number of wounded remained at 760. Ahmed Abdel Karim, being treated for gunshot wounds in his feet, said he had spent two days waiting for aid trucks to arrive.
“Everyone attacked and advanced on these trucks. Because of the large number, I could not get flour,” he said. He was shot by Israeli troops, he said.
Radwan Abdel-Hai, a father of four young children, heard a rumor late Wednesday that an aid convoy was on its way. He and five others took a donkey cart to meet it and found a “sea of people” waiting. As people reached the trucks, “tanks started firing at us,” he said. “As I ran back, I heard tank shells and gunfire. I heard people screaming. I saw people falling to the ground, some motionless.”Abdel-Hai took shelter in a nearby building. When the shooting stopped, many dead people were on the ground, he said. “Many were shot in their back,” he said. Abu Hussein, the widow, said more than 5,000 people — mostly women and children — living with her in the Jabaliya school have not received aid for more than four weeks. Adults eat one meal or less to save food for the children, she said. A group of people went to the shore to try to fish, but three were killed and two were wounded by gunfire from Israeli ships, she said. “They just wanted to get something for their children.”The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mansour Hamed, a 32-year-old former aid worker living with more than 50 relatives in a Gaza City house, said some are eating tree leaves and animal food. It has become normal to find a child emerging from the rubble with a rotten piece of bread, he said. “They are desperate. They want anything to stay alive.”Acknowledging the difficulty of getting aid in and the extreme need for food, US President Joe Biden said the US would look for other ways “including possibly a marine corridor.”Jordan’s military said its own airdrops on Saturday targeted sites in northern Gaza and the drops it coordinated with the US occurred in the south. But the EU statement, echoing humanitarian groups, said airdrops “should be the solution of last resort as their impact is minimal.” It called for the opening of further ground crossings into Gaza and the removal of obstacles from the rare ones open. Israel and Hamas held a one week ceasefire in late November. The 7-day truce brought about the release of about 100 hostages — mostly women, children and foreign nationals — in exchange for about 240 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, as well as a brief halt in the fighting.

Mustafa Barghouti to LBCI: Israeli Army prepared plan for wide war with Lebanon
LBCI/March 2, 2024
General Secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative, Mustafa Barghouti, considered the atmosphere of the Palestinian factions meeting held in Moscow positive, noting that it was the first meeting in which all forces participated.  He pointed out that the factions are facing a challenge consisting of two points: how to preserve the Palestine Liberation Organization as a representative of the Palestinian people and achieve Palestinian national unity on the other. On LBCI's "Nharkom Said" TV show, Barghouti emphasized that the meeting focused on the importance of unifying efforts to achieve three fundamental issues:
First, the aggression should be stopped, and a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire should be reached. Second, halting the immense humanitarian tragedy suffered by the Palestinian people through bombing, destruction, and starvation, breaking the siege, and delivering aid to Palestinians.
Third, exerting pressure on Israel and the United States to stop the aggression and open the way for a prisoner exchange process and preventing displacement. Additionally, he considered the government a detailed matter, stating that the main issue is not who is in it; instead, it needs to be acceptable and capable.
He saw that what hinders reaching an agreement to stop the ceasefire today is that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not want to stop the war because his accountability will begin the moment it stops, and he wants to expand it to Lebanon if possible.He also mentioned that the Israeli Army has prepared a plan for a wide war with Lebanon and that Israel has instructed residents of the north to stockpile food, considering the danger of expanding the war in Lebanon to be real and significant. He said, "Israel does not want a Palestinian state, and the Oslo project has failed, and the way to change this course can only be achieved through resistance."

Palestinian Authority hopes for Gaza ceasefire by Ramadan
Tuvan Gumrukcu/March 2, 2024
ANTALYA, Turkey (Reuters) -The Palestinian Authority hopes a ceasefire can be agreed in the Gaza war in time for Ramadan, its foreign minister, Riyad al-Maliki, said on Saturday. Israel and Hamas have been negotiating through mediators over a possible ceasefire in Gaza, with the aim of halting fighting in time for Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month, due to begin this year on March 10. "We hope that we will be able to achieve a ceasefire before Ramadan, we hope to be able to achieve one today, yesterday, but we have failed," he said at a news conference at a diplomatic forum in Antalya, Turkey.
Egyptian security sources said on Saturday that ceasefire negotiations were due to resume in Cairo on Sunday. Hamas, which precipitated the war in Gaza by attacking Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and capturing 253 hostages according to Israeli tallies, has said it will not free all its captives without a comprehensive deal to end the war. Israel, which has assaulted the Gaza Strip, killing more than 30,000 people according to Palestinian health authorities, has said it will agree only to temporary pauses in fighting to release hostages, and will not end the war until Hamas is eradicated. Maliki called on the international community to make more efforts for a ceasefire. When asked about the PA's role for the governance of Gaza after the war, Maliki said: "The only legitimate authority that will operate and continue to operate Gaza is the Palestinian Administration. This is how we see the situation in post-war Gaza." The PA, which exercises limited self rule in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, lost control of Gaza to the Hamas militant group in 2007. Maliki also said the PA President Mahmoud Abbas will pay a visit to Ankara on Tuesday and meet Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

'They wanted to humiliate us.' Palestinian women detained by Israel decry abuse in Israeli custody
Associated Press/March 02/2024
Nabela thought the United Nations school in Gaza City was a safe haven. Then, the Israeli army arrived. Soldiers stormed the place, ordering men to undress and hauling women to a mosque for strip searches, she said. So began six weeks in Israeli custody that she says included repeated beatings and interrogations. "The soldiers were very harsh, they beat us and screamed at us in Hebrew," said the 39-year-old from Gaza City, who spoke on condition that her last name not be used for fear of being arrested again. "If we raised our heads or uttered any words, they beat us on the head."Palestinians detained by Israeli forces in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war have complained of widespread physical abuse and neglect. It's not known how many women or minors have been detained. Nabela said she was shuttled between facilities inside Israel in a coed group before arriving at Damon Prison in the north, where she estimated there were at least 100 women. Rights groups say Israel is "disappearing" Gaza Palestinians — detaining them without charge or trial and not disclosing to family or lawyers where they're held. Israel's prison service says all "basic rights required are fully applied by professionally trained prison guards." Israel declared war after Hamas-led militants allegedly killed about 1,200 people and took roughly 250 others captive on Oct. 7. Since then, ground troops have arrested hundreds of Palestinians to search for suspected militants and gather intelligence. Images of blindfolded men kneeling, heads bowed and hands bound, have sparked worldwide outrage. In northern Gaza and the southern city of Khan Younis, troops rounded up dozens at a time from U.N. schools and hospitals, including medical personnel. The military said it makes detainees undress to search for explosives, bringing detainees into Israel before releasing them back into Gaza if they're deemed innocent. For Nabela, that process took 47 harrowing days. Despite Israeli evacuation orders, Nabela and her family had decided not to leave Gaza City, believing nowhere in Gaza was safe. Troops entered the school where they sheltered on Dec. 24.
"I was terrified, imagining they wanted to execute us and bury us there," she said. Forces separated Nabela from her 13-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son and loaded her onto a truck bound for a facility in southern Israel. According to the Israeli group Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, or PHRI, all detainees in Gaza are first brought to the Sde Teiman military base. "We were freezing and forced to remain on our knees on the ground," Nabela told The Associated Press from a school-turned-shelter in Rafah where she's staying with other recently released female detainees. "Loud music, shouting and intimidation -- they wanted to humiliate us. We were handcuffed, blindfolded, and our feet were tied in chains." Moved between several prisons, Nabela said she was subjected to repeated strip searches and interrogations at gunpoint. Asked about her connection to Hamas and knowledge of the militants' extensive underground tunnel network, she maintained her innocence, telling interrogators she was a housewife and her husband worked for Hamas' rival, the Palestinian Authority.
'AN APPARATUS OF RETRIBUTION AND REVENGE'
One woman detained from Gaza, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of another arrest, told the AP that during a medical check before she was moved to Damon Prison, Israeli forces ordered her to kiss an Israeli flag. When she refused, a soldier grabbed her by the hair, smashing her face into a wall, she said. In a report by PHRI, former detainees from Gaza spoke of similar mistreatment. One, whose name was redacted, said he was urinated on by guards at Ketziot Prison in southern Israel, and witnessed strip searches where guards forced naked detainees to stand close to each other and inserted search devices into their buttocks. PHRI described Israel's prisons, also housing Palestinians from the West Bank and east Jerusalem held on security-related charges, as "an apparatus of retribution and revenge." It said the prison service and military "have been granted free rein to act however they see fit." At the beginning of the war, prisons entered "lockdown mode," confining detainees to their cells for two weeks, the report said. Under wartime emergency measures, Israel's parliament in October suspended normal cell capacity requirements. Since then, inmates have slept on mattresses in overcrowded cells.
Phone privileges have been completely suspended, the report said. At some facilities, security wings were disconnected from electricity and water, plunging detainees into darkness for most of the day and rendering showers and sinks unusable. During eight days at an unknown facility in southern Israel, Nabela said she did not shower and had no access to menstrual pads or toiletries. Food was scarce. Once, Nabela said, guards threw down the detainees' meals and told them to eat from the floor. The military said each detainee receives clothing, blankets and a mattress. It denied that cells were overcrowded, saying detainees had sufficient access to toilets, food, water and medical care. "The violent and antagonistic treatment of detainees described in the allegations is prohibited," the military said in response to an AP request for comment. "Cases of inappropriate behavior will be dealt with." It referred questions about Ketziot and Damon prisons to the Israeli Prison Service, which did not comment on the accusations beyond saying it was uninvolved in the arrests and interrogation of Palestinians from Gaza.
'UNLAWFUL COMBATANTS'
Nabela said she never spoke with a lawyer or a judge. Under a wartime revision to Israeli law, all detainees from Gaza can be held for 45 days without charge or trial.
Designated "unlawful combatants," they aren't granted the same protections under international law as prisoners of war. Their appearance before a court can be delayed and access to an attorney withdrawn, according to PHRI. The Israeli rights group HaMoked said there are 600 people from Gaza held as unlawful combatants in Israeli prisons, and more could be held in military facilities. Palestinian detainees told PHRI that adequate medical care was rare, even for those needing insulin or chemotherapy treatments. An official document obtained by the AP, laying out operations at the Sde Teiman military medical facility, specified that unlawful combatants be treated handcuffed and blindfolded. Medical staff's names were kept anonymous "to maintain the safety, well-being and lives of the caregivers," it said. It did not require patient consent for medical procedures and said confidential medical information could be passed to detention center staff. The military said the handcuffing of detainees was "done in accordance with their assessed level of danger and medical state." Israel's Ministry of Health did not respond to requests for comment. Eleven Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli custody since Oct. 7, according to the advocacy group the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, and the most recent was just this week. At least five had chronic health conditions, which PHRI says raises concerns that they died because of medical neglect. The Israeli military said it would examine the deaths.
'BETTER THAN GAZA'
Nabela's fortunes improved when she arrived at Damon. There, she met Palestinian women detained from the West Bank. She said the women were kind. She had electricity and warm showers. Her interrogator wondered aloud why Nabela was detained. A month and a half after her arrest, a prison administrator announced Nabela would be released with about 20 other women. Israeli buses brought them to a Gaza crossing, where they made their way to U.N. shelters in the southern city of Rafah, full of displaced Palestinians. She cannot travel to Gaza City, where her family remains. Nabela, her face bruised, recalled one of her final interrogations. She had begun to weep, and her interrogator told her: "Don't cry about it. You're better living here than Gaza."

Sanders pushes harder for Gaza cease-fire: ‘Not another nickel for Netanyahu’
Lauren Irwin/The Hill./March 2, 2024
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is pushing harder for a cease-fire in Gaza and demands that the United States send “not another nickel” to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “My view, not another nickel for Netanyahu’s government if he’s going to continue this wholesale slaughter of the Palestinian people,” Sanders told MSNBC’s Alex Wagner Friday. Sanders’ declaration comes just days after the death toll in Gaza surpassed 30,000 people since the start of the war on Oct. 7, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. More than 100 Palestinians in Gaza City were killed and more than 700 injured Thursday, when Israeli soldiers opened fire on the people scrambling to access humanitarian aid, some media outlets reported. Sanders, who recently voted against sending more aid to Israel for its war against Hamas, stressed the importance of stopping the “unprecedented humanitarian disaster.”The Vermont senator argued that President Biden, who has put pressure on Netanyahu and Israel to scale back its attacks, is taking “an important step forward,” but argues that “we need to do more.” Biden said Friday that the U.S. will begin airdrops of aid to Gaza amid negotiations for a cease-fire.
Sanders said Biden should be telling the Israeli government to open borders so trucks of food, water and medical supplies that are critical to the more than 1 million refugees in the region can be delivered. During the interview, Sanders said that “it’s totally absurd” that the United States is sending humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, but also supplying Israel with the funds and military capabilities to hurt those civilians. He said the recent protest vote, where more than 100,000 people in the Michigan primary voted for “uncommitted” instead of Biden, shows the White House that there are large numbers of young voters, minority voters and others “who are sick and tired of the slaughter of the Palestinian people.” “Again, this is not some distant thing. This is with our tax dollars. Those guns and those planes are largely, or significantly, are paid for by U.S. tax dollars,” Sanders said, in a clip highlighted by Mediaite. “I mean, we cannot continue to support this right-wing extremist government. No more money.”

UN official lauds Egyptian role in delivering Gaza aid
LAILA MOHAMED/Arab News/March 02/2024
FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu, during talks with Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, said that Cairo’s support for Gaza had prevented the humanitarian situation in the enclave from further deteriorating. “This is not new for Egypt; this country has had the capacity and expertise for thousands of years to play its important regional role,” he said. “The FAO is doing its utmost to support the people of Gaza in cooperation with other UN organizations and relevant parties; to ensure the alleviation of the suffering of innocent people.”Speaking to the media, Madbouly said: “The war in Gaza has had its reflections on the neighboring countries of the conflict zone, including Egypt. “Nevertheless, most of the aid reaching there is sourced from Egypt, contributing over 80 percent of the total humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip so far.” Egypt “looks forward to the support of the FAO to ensure the delivery and increase of aid,” Madbouly added. Ashraf Abu Hajr, a political expert, told Arab News: “Egypt’s cooperation with the FAO will undoubtedly yield positive results on the issue of delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, as Egypt continues its efforts at all levels to support our Palestinian brethren. “Over the past five months, Egypt has received 40,000 tonnes of humanitarian aid from countries around the world to be delivered to Gaza, while Cairo has provided 100,000 tonnes, illustrating that Egypt has sent nearly two-thirds of the humanitarian aid to the sector.”He added: “Egypt has prioritized sending aid to Gaza, saving its inhabitants, and has worked on including in it food, water and medicine to help Palestinians withstand and thwart Israeli plans for forced displacement. “Egypt is looking for newer ways every day to introduce humanitarian aid, whether by land through the Rafah crossing, or by air. Cairo has mobilized global public opinion, drawing attention to the crimes committed against our brethren in Palestine.”

US forces destroy Houthi surface-to-air missile
Agence France Presse/March 02/2024
U.S. forces struck and destroyed a Houthi surface-to-air missile in Yemen after deciding it posed an "imminent threat" to American aircraft, the U.S. Central Command in the Middle East announced. The Iran-backed Houthis, who control much of war-torn Yemen, have been attacking shipping in the Red Sea since November in a campaign they say is in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war. The United States is spearheading a naval coalition to protect vessels in the vital waterway, and has also conducted air strikes in Houthi territory, both on its own and alongside Britain. On Friday afternoon, U.S. "forces conducted a self-defense strike against one Iranian-backed Houthi surface-to-air missile that was prepared to launch," CENTCOM said in a statement, adding it had "determined (the missile) presented an imminent threat to U.S. aircraft in the region."It went on to say that the Houthis on Friday night launched an anti-ship missile into the Red Sea, but "There was no impact or damage to any vessels." Last weekend, U.S. and British forces carried out strikes against 18 Houthi targets across eight locations in Yemen, including weapons storage facilities, attack drones, air defense systems, radars and a helicopter, according to a joint statement. One person was killed and eight wounded in the attacks, the Houthis' official news agency said on Sunday.

Ship earlier attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels sinks in the Red Sea
AP/March 02, 2024
DUBAI: A ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels has sunk in the Red Sea after days of taking on water, officials said Saturday, the first vessel to be fully destroyed as part of their campaign over Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The sinking of the Rubymar comes as shipping through the crucial waterway for cargo and energy shipments moving from Asia and the Middle East to Europe has been affected by the Houthi attacks. Already, many ships have turned away from the route. The sinking could see further detours and higher insurance rates put on vessels plying the waterway — potentially driving up global inflation and affecting aid shipments to the region. The Belize-flagged Rubymar had been drifting northward after being struck by a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile on Feb. 18 in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial waterway linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Yemen’s internationally recognized government, as well as a regional military official, confirmed the ship sank. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as no authorization was given to speak to journalists about the incident. The Rubymar’s Beirut-based manager could not be immediately reached for comment. Yemen’s exiled government, which has been backed by a Saudi-led coalition since 2015, said the Rubymar sank late Friday as stormy weather took hold over the Red Sea. The vessel had been abandoned for 12 days after the attack, though plans had been made to try and tow the ship to a safe port. The Iran-backed Houthis, who had falsely claimed the ship sank almost instantly after the attack, did not immediately acknowledge the ship’s sinking.
The US military’s Central Command previously warned the vessel’s cargo of fertilizer, as well as fuel leaking from the ship, could cause ecological damage to the Red Sea. Satellite pictures analyzed by The Associated Press from Planet Labs PBC showed smaller boats alongside the Rubymar on Wednesday. It wasn’t immediately clear whose vessels those were. The private security firm Ambrey separately reported Friday about a mysterious incident involving the Rubymar. “A number of Yemenis were reportedly harmed during a security incident which took place” on Friday, Ambrey said. It did not elaborate on what that incident involved and no party involved in Yemen’s yearslong war claimed any new attack on the vessel. Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over the Israel-Hamas war. Those vessels have included at least one with cargo bound for Iran, the Houthis’ main benefactor, and an aid ship later bound for Houthi-controlled territory. Despite over a month of US-led airstrikes, Houthi rebels remain capable of launching significant attacks. That includes the attack on the Rubymar and the downing of an American drone worth tens of millions of dollars. The Houthis insist their attacks will continue until Israel stops its combat operations in the Gaza Strip, which have enraged the wider Arab world and seen the Houthis gain international recognition. However, there has been a slowdown in attacks in recent days. The reason for that remains unclear.

Russians lay flowers at Navalny’s grave, hail him as symbol of hope
REUTERS/March 02, 2024
MOSCOW: Russians queued on Saturday to place flowers on the grave of late opposition politician Alexei Navalny, with mourners hailing him as a symbol of hope and perseverance the day after he was laid to rest in Moscow. Navalny’s mother Lyudmila was among the mourners, visiting her son’s grave for the second day, accompanied by the mother of Alexei’s widow Yulia. Both women, dressed in black, stood quietly at the grave, before leaving. Navalny, who was President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest critic inside Russia, died at the age of 47 in an Arctic penal colony on Feb. 16. Supporters said he had been murdered. The Kremlin has denied any state involvement in his death. Thousands of people attended a farewell ceremony for Navalny on Friday, with some chanting his name and saying they would not forgive the Russian authorities for his death. By Saturday, the grave in a Moscow cemetery not far from where he once lived was covered with flowers left by thousands of mourners. “He was the one who had opened my eyes to the existing political situation in Russia,” one mourner, who did not give her name, said of Navalny, who rose to prominence with blogs exposing what he said was vast corruption in the Russian elite. “I followed all of his investigations closely. I showed them to my friends who were not very interested (in politics). I tried to show them to my parents, but that was more difficult. I love truth, I love honesty, and I’m very happy when truth wins.”The Kremlin dismissed Navalny’s accusations of corruption and his accusations that Putin had vast personal wealth. Navalny’s movement is outlawed and most of his senior allies have fled Russia and now live in Europe.
POLICE LOOK ON
Another mourner visited the grave “to honor the memory of the man who has become a symbol of perseverance for me. And after what’s happened, there’s a feeling of a very deep sorrow.”“But as horrible as it may sound, it is still pleasant to see how many people came here, and this makes me feel some kind of communion,” the mourner said. “He was a symbol. He was a huge symbol. Despite everything, you can think of him whatever you want, but he has really become a symbol of something free and bright, of some kind of hope.”Police looked on but did not interfere as mourners lay flowers at Navalny’s grave on Saturday. A rights group, OVD-Info, reported that 91 people had been detained on Friday in 12 towns and cities, including Moscow. It did not immediately report any new detentions on Saturday. Navalny had been jailed on a host of charges including fraud, contempt of court and extremism. He denied all those charges, saying they had been trumped up by the authorities to silence his criticism of Putin.

Mediation Efforts in the Russo-Ukrainian War: Who Will Bring Peace to Ukraine?
LBCI/March 02, 2024
Three years have passed since the Russian-Ukrainian war began, with no solution in sight to end the conflict despite the efforts of some countries. China, through its special envoy for Ukraine, has embarked on a tour in Russia, with plans to continue it in Ukraine, Poland, Germany, France, and others, aiming to find a political settlement to the Russo-Ukrainian war. According to some observers, China is trying to rally consensus around its peace plan, which focuses on respecting the sovereignty of all countries, halting hostile actions by both sides and resuming peace negotiations.

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on March 02-03/2024
Biden Administration Not Stopping Iran, Russia, China, the Houthis
Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute./March 2, 2024
What is essential to remember is that the Houthis and other proxies of Iran are in all likelihood deeply apprehensive about the prospect of their senior leadership being targeted. By refraining from targeting Houthi leaders, the United States has inadvertently emboldened the group and allowed them to act with impunity.In recent months, the Red Sea has become a battleground for attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis of Yemen, with the Biden administration facing mounting criticism for its failure to quell the escalating violence. As the Houthi group continues to build its weapons stockpile in Yemen, supported by the Iranian regime, the urgency of the situation cannot be overstated. It is critical that the United States reevaluate its military strategy to effectively address this growing threat.
The current approach, adopted by the Biden administration, is characterized by a reluctance to directly target Houthi leadership. The administration has opted instead to focus solely on destroying weapons and equipment.
This approach, however, has proven ineffective in deterring the Houthis from launching further attacks. What is essential to remember is that the Houthis and other proxies of Iran are in all likelihood deeply apprehensive about the prospect of their senior leadership being targeted. By refraining from targeting Houthi leaders, the United States has inadvertently emboldened the group and allowed them to act with impunity.
A former US military official, who spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity, pointed out that the current campaign against the Houthis is similar to previous failed endeavors:
"The US campaign against the Houthis appears to bear the hallmarks of many of these highly circumscribed, scrubbed campaigns of the past where we seek to avoid causing them actual pain."
The Trump administration's targeted killing of Qassem Soleimani, head of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), for instance, resulted in cessation of Iranian harassment of the US as long Trump was in office. If one wants to induce meaningful change in the behavior of the Houthis, unfortunately decisive blows will be necessary.
Sadly, the reliance on cosmetic strikes to destroy Houthi drones and missiles is both financially unsustainable and strategically futile. Continuously expending resources on missiles, worth multi-millions dollars each, to counter far less expensive Houthi weaponry is not a dazzling long-term solution. The Biden administration would be better served targeting Houthi weapons depots and missile launchers to disrupt their military capabilities in a significant way.
Merely intensifying attacks on Houthi infrastructure, however, will not suffice. Without substantially degrading Houthi military capabilities, the recently redesignated terrorist group will continue to pose a significant threat. Therefore, it is imperative to adopt a multifaceted approach that also targets the source of the problem – Iran's regime.
Recent incidents, such as the seizure of advanced conventional weapons bound for Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen from an Iranian vessel in the Arabian Sea, underscore Iran's arming of the Houthis. To send a clear message to Iran and compel them to cease supporting the Houthi insurgency, the United States should target Iran's critical oil infrastructure or military bases.
By targeting Iran's military capabilities or oil industry, the United States can at least stand a chance of pressuring the Iranian regime to stop providing weapons to the Houthis. That, in turn, will compel Iran to pressure the Houthis to cease their destabilizing activities in the region.
The continued support of the Houthi terrorist group by Iran also exacerbates the suffering of the Yemeni people. By targeting the source of the problem – the Iranian regime – the United States will not only protect its own interests but also alleviate Yemen's humanitarian crisis.
Iran's support for the Houthis is just part of its broader strategy to expand its influence and drive the US from the region. Failure to effectively address the Houthi threat not only emboldens Iran but also undermines US credibility and influence in the Middle East, China, Russia, North Korea and South America. The Biden administration needs seriously to demonstrate resolve and leadership in confronting Iran's destabilizing activities and its nuclear weapons program, to protect the security of US partners and allies in the region.
The Biden administration's failure to effectively counter the escalating threat posed by Houthi attacks is quickly approaching a crisis. A strategic reassessment of the current US military strategy is urgently needed. By shifting US focus to target Houthi leadership, and even more, the IRGC leadership, attack weapons depots, and especially targeting the Iranian regime, the United States can disrupt the violence by the Houthis and safeguard stability in the region.
It is high time for bold and decisive action to protect the security and interests of the United States and its allies in the region. The consequences of inaction are potentially catastrophic, not just for the security of the Middle East and the global maritime trade passing through the Red Sea, but to prevent all who are planning to displace the United States as the world's leading superpower from nurturing the thought.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a business strategist and advisor, Harvard-educated scholar, political scientist, board member of Harvard International Review, and president of the International American Council on the Middle East. He has authored several books on Islam and US Foreign Policy. He can be reached at Dr.Rafizadeh@Post.Harvard.Edu
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https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20440/biden-not-stopping-iran-houthis

Foreign policy is shaping US politics in this presidential election year and here’s
Hammond/Arab News/March 02, 2024
The 2024 US presidential election increasingly looks likely to be a repeat of the 2020 contest between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. However, there is one striking difference between these two big US election years: the significantly higher salience of international issues this time around.
About 40 percent of respondents in a recent poll, carried out by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, named foreign policy as a key issue in ballots this year. That is about twice as many as those who highlighted international issues in an AP-NORC poll a year ago.
The troubles in the Middle East since the attacks by Hamas on Israel on Oct. 7, and the subsequent Israeli military offensive in Gaza, have fueled US voter concerns about the geopolitical landscape, alongside ongoing concerns about the war in Ukraine and the possibility of wider challenges too, including China’s posture toward Taiwan. Immigration is another issue increasingly on the minds of US voters. The latest poll found that 35 percent of people were concerned about it, especially as it relates to the border between the US and Mexico, compared with 27 percent a year earlier.
If international issues continue to be so salient for the rest of the US presidential campaign, it will not be the first time this has happened in the past decade. In 2016, for instance, the prominence of international issues was illustrated by a Pew survey that found 34 percent of people believed foreign policy, especially efforts to tackle international terrorism, was the biggest challenge facing the country at that time. In contrast, only 23 percent emphasized economic problems.
However, such data showing the higher salience of foreign policy in the minds of the American public compared with economic issues is unusual in recent decades. Indeed, it more closely resembles the situation during the first 25 years of the Cold War, between 1948 and 1972, when issues of international security dominated the concerns of US voters during presidential campaigns.
Since the early 1970s, however, economic matters have tended to be the highest priority for the US electorate. This was the case during the 2020 Biden-Trump race when, in the first year of the pandemic, the US economy spun into recession with unusually high, rapid increases in levels of unemployment. By October 2020, more than 10 million unemployment cases had been filed.
While foreign policy is still not nearly as important to voters this year as it was during the early years of the Cold War, there are nonetheless a significant number of reasons why international affairs will remain prominent this year.
For one thing, Russia appears to be making a steady series of gains in Ukraine and if this continues it could reach a crisis point for the West in the months to come.
Secondly, the risk of conflict escalation in the Middle East remains very high. Since the attacks by Hamas five months ago, in which about 1,200 people were murdered, an estimated 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in the subsequent Israeli attack on Gaza. This has inflamed public opinion across the region, which is at its most febrile point in years.
About 40 percent of respondents in a recent poll named foreign policy as a key issue in ballots this year. Meanwhile, a significant proportion of US voters are concerned about the potential for a crisis in the Asia-Pacific as well, possibly over Taiwan. This would create a third major source of international conflict for the US and its Western allies at a time when resources are increasingly stretched. Yet even if such foreign policy concerns continue to grow in salience to the American public this year, possibly through heightened tensions in the Asia-Pacific, there will still be significant differences between the situation now and during the first few decades of the Cold War. That earlier period was characterized by a relative consensus on policy and widespread bipartisan cooperation on foreign affairs. Now, however, this policy domain is significantly more divisive, politically. Certainly, the early Cold War consensus can be overstated. Nonetheless, a significant degree of bipartisan agreement on foreign affairs, and wider political decorum, did exist in the years immediately following the Second World War, at least until it broke apart in the late 1960s under the strain of the Vietnam War debacle, and the demise of the notion of monolithic communism in light of the Sino-Soviet split. No clear foreign policy consensus has emerged in the US in recent years; if anything, the gaps are widening. Even before Trump became president, many Republicans and Democrats differed significantly on how they viewed the power and standing of the US internationally, on the degree to which the country should be unilateralist, in their attitudes toward the fight against terrorism and the methods it should employ; and on the very priorities of foreign policy. These divisions have only grown since Trump’s election victory in 2016, and this year we have seen significantly divergent US grand strategies: Trump’s familiar “America First” view versus Biden’s internationalist vision, which is much more similar in nature to the foreign policies of both his Republican and Democratic predecessors in the post-war era.
The increasing polarization of foreign policy also reduces the scope for the longstanding tradition of Americans “rallying around the flag” in times of geopolitical tensions. This has been illustrated by some Republicans blaming current tensions of this nature on Biden’s presidency.
For example, US Rep. Mario Diaz Balart, a Republican member of Congress from Florida, condemned what he described as “the results of a feckless (Biden) US foreign policy of appeasement.” He suggested the world was “a much more dangerous place today than before Biden took office … After Afghanistan, Ukraine and negotiations toward an Iran deal, I shudder at the thought of more incompetence, weakness, and appeasement from the current administration.”It is, therefore, increasingly plausible, especially if the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East continue into the second half of the year, that the salience of international issues in the minds of American voters could remain high on election day in November. Moreover, partisan splits on foreign policy will reinforce the high degree of political polarization in the US, potentially elevating the global interest in the race.
• Andrew Hammond is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics.

Netanyahu’s day after plan is the same as the day before, but worse
Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/March 02, 2024
Finally, after more than four months of devastating war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has presented his Cabinet with a document titled “The Day After Hamas,” which claims to be a plan for the management of Gaza after the war. In truth, it is no more than a collection of the most obvious, general, and worryingly unilateral, Israeli shopping list items that represent a return to the situation of the day before, but with excessively more Israeli control than forward thinking. There is no plan for achieving peace and reconciliation with the Palestinians, nor have any lessons been learned from the conceptual paradigm of total security control that has cost so many lives on both sides. Throughout this war, Netanyahu and his entire Cabinet have maintained that the aim is to destroy Hamas. Not only has this not been viable from the outset, but it also lacks any vision for the future of a post-war Gaza, even without Hamas, or a bigger picture for relations with the Palestinian people. As with everything else that Netanyahu says or does these days, it smacks of the behavior of a small-time politician who is desperate to appeal to his ever-shrinking base, rather than a statesman with a long-term plan to climb out of the deep hole he has thrown his country into in the first place. The prime minister’s one-page set of principles can easily be seen as a last-ditch act of defiance, an attempt to preempt the growing pressure, both from the international community and at home from those who want to see the release of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas, which might force him to accept a ceasefire that his base and right-wing government coalition partners reject.
Alternatively — since his supposed plan is in reality an utterly opaque statement in terms of timescale and detail, as the document clearly declares that the Israeli military operation will continue until it destroys the military capabilities and governing infrastructure of Hamas and Islamic Jihad — it can be viewed as an exercise carried out for the sake of pretending he has a plan, solely to buy some more time while the real aim is to prolong the war for many more months. In a short passage of the document titled “In the long run,” Netanyahu reveals he has no interest in drawing any constructive conclusions from the disastrous events that have taken place since Oct. 7. What he presents as a long-term plan is merely a return to the same situation Israel and the Palestinians were in before the war, but with Israel demanding even more power to dictate the nature of relations between the two. By doing so, he is saying “no” to a two-state solution and “no” to normalization of relations with the region. Netanyahu’s “non-plan” also exposes his fixation with Israel’s security as a zero-sum game that can only be won if Palestinians are living under complete Israeli control with very few rights, least of all the right to self-determination.
This is just one more piece of evidence that confirms why he should leave office immediately and withdraw from politics altogether. His inability to address the root causes of the conflict, chief among them the absence of Palestinian statehood and the Israeli occupation, hampers and endangers Israeli security and makes him a liability. His is the same old Israeli security paradigm, which maintains that only by oppressing Palestinians and depriving them of their rights can Israel achieve security and survive, rather than through the creation of a Palestinian state and allowing the Palestinian people to enjoy equal rights so that they can fulfill their potential in every aspect of their lives.
Netanyahu’s inability to address the root causes of the conflict makes him a liability.
One might think the unbearable ease with which the massacre of Oct. 7 was carried out, the many months of a subsequent war that has spread beyond Gaza, the damage it has caused to Israel’s economy, and the country’s increasing international isolation would lead to a change in the way of thinking. Not a bit of it. There is a wide consensus in Israeli society, as outlined in Netanyahu’s document, that the underlining imperatives are that the hostages must be released and no force from Gaza should ever again pose a threat to Israel.
However, the proposal that Israel should continue its military operation in Gaza freely and with no time limit merely represents a continuation of the prewar blockade regime and a security buffer zone for as long as Israel deems it necessary, including along the border with Egypt.
Moreover, there is an insistence on complete security control over the entire West Bank, which is a clear violation of the Oslo agreement. In other words, if there is any space remaining for yet another “final” nail in the coffin of post-Oslo agreements, Netanyahu is determined to hammer it down.
What is deliberately vague in the prime minister’s post-war “plan” is who will govern Gaza when the hostilities are over, and how. A positive aspect of the ambiguity in this case is that Netanyahu does not exclude the possibility of the Palestinian Authority running it, but it grants Israel, at least in the minds of those who wrote this document, the final say on who will control day-to-day life in Gaza. But let’s get back to reality: If Israel seeks cooperation with more moderate and pragmatic forces among the Palestinians, and the support of regional and international powers that can facilitate and finance a transition toward a sustainable, united governance of the West Bank and Gaza, Israel should dispense with the idea that it can dictate future political arrangements; otherwise it will once again empower the extremists who thrive on conflict and discord. It would not be a Netanyahu plan without a demand to dismantle the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. It almost implies the agency is to blame for the massacre of Oct. 7 by suggesting it enabled the attacks by educating generations of Palestinians to support the destruction of Israel. Setting aside the issue of the flaws in this allegation, no organization is sacred or irreplaceable, especially when circumstances are changing. Nevertheless, replacing UNRWA would require more than hollow rhetoric about bringing in other humanitarian groups without meticulous planning or adequate budgets, and without assessing the vacuum it would leave behind. Both Israel and the Palestinians have their work cut out to come up with well-thought-through plans for postwar Gaza. At this stage, meanwhile, a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that also includes a swap of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners is an urgent necessity. But this must happen without losing sight of the need for a more comprehensive long-term solution. What is clear is that for the Jewish state to issue a diktat from Netanyahu, especially one that is unilateral in practice and in spirit, is neither viable nor desirable. Israel has tried this approach before and — self-evidently — it has not ended well.
• Yossi Mekelberg is a professor of international relations and an associate fellow of the Middle East and North Africa Program at international affairs think tank Chatham House.
X: @YMekelberg

Will Biden listen to Michigan?
Dr. Amal Mudallali/Arab News/March 02, 2024
Arab and Muslim American voters, and the coalition they built in the Michigan primary elections, this week sent a warning message to President Joe Biden and his campaign. They made it clear that he needs to change course on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, support a ceasefire, and halt military aid to Israel or he will risk losing their votes in the November presidential election in a key state that could be decisive. The “Listen to Michigan” campaign registered a “huge victory,” celebrating Arab American leaders said, with the results of the state’s Democratic primary showing that more than 100,000 voters cast an “uncommitted” vote instead of voting for Biden, the party’s nominee. This was a historic win for the Arab American and Muslim communities and their allies in Michigan. It was the first time that Arab Americans had flexed their voting muscle and showed that their voice should be heard and their vote counted in presidential elections. The campaign, which was expecting to get 10,000 votes but got 10 times more than that, was well organized and made an “unprecedented impact, contacting 1,167,850 voters to encourage them to vote uncommitted,” and made “517,383 phone calls and sent 650,467 text messages,” as Emgage Action Michigan, a Muslim advocacy group, wrote in an email. Leaders in the Democratic Party of Michigan like Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian American who has family in the West Bank, led the effort. Tlaib’s sister, Layla Elabed, was the head of the campaign. The coalition included other ethnic groups and activists, especially young people who are angry at the White House’s policy toward the war. This was reflected in the high number of “uncommitted” votes in university towns in Michigan. The Arab American community has been vocal since the beginning of the war on Gaza in calling for a ceasefire and a halt to US military aid to Israel, while warning the Democratic Party of the consequences if there is no change in policy. But the community feels that their calls have fallen on deaf ears. The president has not visited Michigan since the war started and has not met with the community there, leading to feelings of hurt and accusations of double standards. Some activists complain that the community feels that its pain has not been recognized since many of them have lost family members in the Israeli attacks on Gaza. They cited the White House’s January statement on “100 days of captivity for hostages in Gaza” as an example because, while it talked about the pain of the families of the hostages, it did not mention the loss of thousands of Palestinian lives in Gaza.
The White House reached out to the community in Michigan, especially after the leaders of the community refused to meet Biden’s reelection campaign officials. Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer traveled to the state and met with the community leaders. In their meeting, Finer expressed regret and acknowledged that “missteps” were made in the administration’s handling of policy toward the war in Gaza. But the war continues and the community has become more vocal in its calls for a ceasefire. The results of the primary election showed that one in eight Democrats voted “uncommitted” in the Michigan primary, according to The New York Times, which described it as a “protest of the Biden administration’s policies toward Israel and the war in Gaza.” The newspaper noted that, in “some of the predominantly Arab American precincts in Dearborn,” which is dubbed by some the Arab capital of Michigan, “around three in four Democrats cast a protest vote for uncommitted.” It was the first time that Arab Americans had flexed their voting muscle and showed that their voice should be heard.
Michigan is a purple state, or a swing state. Former President Donald Trump won it by fewer than 11,000 votes in 2016, while Biden won it by just over 150,000 in 2020. This makes the Arab American and Muslim vote a potentially decisive one in November, should the community’s voters decide not to vote for Biden or to just sit at home and not vote at all, giving the advantage to the likely Republican nominee, Trump. News reports indicated that 13.3 percent of Michigan Democrats cast an “uncommitted” vote, with some precincts registering 15 percent or more. This means the campaigners can send two delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this year, and declare they are not committed to the Democratic nominee. A Listen to Michigan official said that campaigners “plan to hold the Democratic nominee accountable to our community’s anti-war agenda at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. See you there.” Other activists said they wanted to replicate the campaign in other states. But this does not enjoy the full support of the leaders of the Arab American community, especially the seasoned ones, who point to obstacles to repeating the Michigan experience elsewhere.
First, they say, not all states have the option of “uncommitted” on the ballots. Second, the effort succeeded in Michigan because of the sizable Arab American community there. And, third, it was planned and organized well ahead of time, with Democratic Party officials’ support. That cannot be replicated in other states without organization, they contend, while warning that a failure could hurt the overall effort. The White House first issued a statement on behalf of the president, as the results came in from Michigan, without mentioning the “uncommitted” votes or the reasoning behind them. But CNN later reported a statement from a senior campaign adviser who said: “President Biden shares the goal of many of the folks who voted uncommitted, which is an end to the violence and a just and lasting peace. That is what he is working for.”
Even before the vote, the administration tried to send signals that it was listening to the criticism. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a statement expressing disappointment at Israel’s announcement of plans for the building of new settlements in the occupied West Bank and said they are “inconsistent with international law” — a reversal of the US position that former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced in 2019. The other development was a report by Axios stating that the Biden administration had given Israel until mid-March to provide a letter of assurance that “it will abide by international law while using US weapons and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.” The media, however, quoted officials as saying that this is a standard letter to all foreign governments who buy US weapons and that Israel was not being singled out.
The president only has a few months to convince the “uncommitted” in Michigan and elsewhere to vote for him. The White House and the president are hoping that, if they can change the picture in Gaza with an agreement for a ceasefire and the return of hostages, that would enable them to bring back the dissatisfied and uncommitted voters in time for the November election. Time will tell whether the anger with the president will have a lasting effect and if the “uncommitted” will either stay at home in November or vote for Trump. That could potentially hand Michigan to a candidate activists in the Arab American community call “not a friend” because of his suggestion and their fear that he might reinstate the so-called Muslim ban if reelected. Democratic politicians in Michigan are urging the president to engage with the community and to visit the state. The results of the primary put the ball in Biden’s court — he can either ignore their warning or, as Tlaib said after the vote, “listen, listen to Michigan.”
• Dr. Amal Mudallali is a consultant on global issues. She is a former Lebanese ambassador to the UN.