Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 04-05/2024
Temptation & The Lost Son Parable Teach Us/Elias Bejjani/March 03/2024
Senior US envoy presses for a diplomatic solution to Israel-Hezbollah conflict during talks in Beirut
Amos Hochstein's firm message to Hezbollah: Sustainable calm needed along the Blue Line
Israeli strike kills three Lebanese rescue workers from Hezbollah-linked force
Unrest along the border: Hezbollah thwarts Israeli infiltration operations
Latest update: Missiles fired from southern Lebanon, Israeli strike in Seddiqine
In Beirut, Hochstein says diplomacy 'only way' to end Israel-Hezbollah clashes
Hezbollah stops 2 Israeli attempts to cross into Ramia, Rmeish
US urges 'as many channels as possible' for Gaza aid, states State Dept
Qaouq says Hezbollah ready to rebuild destroyed southern towns
Qassem says mediators should try to stop 'assault' on Gaza not 'support' for Gaza
Al Jazeera: Sirens sound in 10 towns in the Galilee panhandle following suspicion of a drone infiltration from Lebanon
Hezbollah retaliates against Israeli assault on civil defence center
Geagea: FPM would accept Hezbollah war 'in Tanzania' in return for domestic benefits
An Israeli infiltration attempt into Lebanese territory.. How did the response come?
Very worrying military preparations...
The FPM is outside the Hockstein talks
Retired Brigadier General Yaroub Sakhr to Voice of Lebanon: Land demarcation is a betrayal like maritime demarcation, and Israel has controlled 90% of Gaza
Political writer Abdel Wahab Badrakhan, via Voice of Lebanon: The danger in the friction of the Lebanese army and the party
Hochstein does not want to turn into Philip Habib/Asaad Bishara/Nidaa Al Watan/March 05/ 2024
Hochstein with the third option/Bassam Abu Zeid/Neda Al Watan/March 05/2024

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 04-05/2024
Hamas says it presses on with Gaza truce talks without Israelis
The Latest | Israeli Cabinet member meets US officials as cease-fire talks get underway in Egypt
Israel carries out biggest Ramallah raid in years, witnesses say
UN rights chief says essential to avoid conflagration in Gaza war
Dismantling UNRWA would sacrifice ‘generation of children:’ Chief
AFP/March 04, 2024
Israel's Gantz tests Netanyahu partnership in Washington
UN team says rape, gang rape likely occurred during Hamas attack on Israel
'Significant progress' in Cairo talks for Gaza truce
Gantz' visit to US signals wider cracks in Israel’s wartime leadership
Foreign national killed in missile strike on Israel's Margaliot
Hamas calls on Palestinians to rise up during Ramadan
Head of UN Palestinian refugee agency seeks General Assembly support
UNRWA accuses Israel of 'torturing' several of its employees during detention
4-year-old Gaza boy gets a second chance after losing his arm – and his family
Erdogan and Abbas to discuss delivering aid to Gaza, Turkish source says
Around 170 ‘executed’ in three Burkina Faso villages, public prosecutor says
Iran election turnout hits record low, hardliners maintain grip on parliament
EU seeks to shift European arms industry to ‘war economy mode’
Top Putin Aide Unveils Fantasy Map of New Russian Borders
Shehbaz Sharif sworn in as Pakistan’s prime minister, capping weeks of political upheaval
Houthis attack ship off Yemen’s Aden

Titles For The Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on March 04-05/2024
"Incorporating Sharia Law into European Legal Systems": A State in India Bans Sharia/Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute./March 4, 2024
Islamic State Calls for Beheading and Burning of Every Western Civilian/Raymond Ibrahim./March 4, 2024
How Gaza war has revitalized global solidarity with the Palestinians/Ramzy Baroud/Arab News/March 04, 2024
Europe should brace itself for loss of US protection/Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami/Arab News/March 04, 2024
We know Gaza is being ethnically cleansed, because Israel told us/Baria Alamuddi/Arab News/March 04, 2024
Containing the second Nakba/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/March 04, 2024

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 04-05/2024
Temptation & 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
Reading in the Lost Son Parable symbol
Sin in its essence is turning away from God, and the circle of living with Him, which is the Church, and attachment to His gifts, starting with oneself and ending with the earth’s bounties, whether large or small. We become attached to the gift and forget its giver. This is what the younger son did by taking his share of his father’s wealth and traveling to a far away country, in vain. Fellowship of sonship with him and the family of the household. The parable appeared as a result of the state of living in sin, which is the loss of the dignity of sonship, and spiritual, moral and social decadence, expressed in hunger, tending pigs and eating from their carobs. As for repentance, it begins with standing with oneself before God, known as examining one’s conscience and realizing the state of misery. As a result of staying away from Him, remorse and regret for the painful reality are born in the heart. Then comes the decision to return to God and the Church, and acknowledge the sins, and the goals of escaping from their causes, and compensating for them with acts of goodness and mercy. This is what the youngest son did, when he rose up and returned to his father.”
“Here was the reconciliation emanating from the heart of the Heavenly Father, who, with His infinite mercy, awaits the return of sinners in order to exercise His tenderness, love, and mercy. This is clearly expressed in the Gospel parable. While the son was far away, his father saw him, embraced him with his tenderness, met him, and kissed him for a long time. He did not allow his son to utter a confession of his sins. Except interspersed with the infinite mercy of His Father. How many times in the Gospel did the Lord Jesus express the joy of the Heavenly Father over one sinner who repents. The fruits of reconciliation were indicated by the symbols used in the Gospel parable, which are:
A- The luxurious suit symbolizes the garment of grace that we originally wore on the day of baptism. It was stained by our sins.
B- The ring is on his finger symbolizes restored sonship to God. It indicates God's faithfulness, which exceeds our sins, and our faithfulness to God. It is the seal of honesty.
C- The new shoes symbolize the new path that God opens before us to lead an upright life worthy of our sonship to God.
D- The fattened calf and the joy of the gathered family symbolize the Eucharistic banquet and the Divine Mass. Which means that true repentance qualifies us to sit at the wedding table of the Lamb: that is, to participate in the divine sacrifice and to partake of the body and blood of the Lord.”
“There remains the issue of the eldest son who refused to reconcile with his brother and sit at the table, because of his hatred for his brother, his rejection of his father’s kindness, and because of his selfishness and envy. He represents every human being who does not know the taste of reconciliation. Meanwhile the human being who has not experienced reconciliation with God and its fruits cannot practice it.” And he lives it with people. Here comes the church’s primary role, which is to help people reconcile with God by changing the course of their lives and thus reconciling people.

Senior US envoy presses for a diplomatic solution to Israel-Hezbollah conflict during talks in Beirut
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/March 04, 2024
BEIRUT: Senior US envoy envoy Amos Hochstein said during a visit to Beirut on Monday that a diplomatic solution is the key to ending nearly five months of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel that broke out after the start of the war in Gaza. Hochstein, a senior advisor to President Joe Biden, held meetings with Nabih Berri, the speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, and several other political figures. His visit came amid escalating Israeli threats of a war against Lebanon to force Hezbollah to retreat, and to press Lebanese authorities to implement the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which was adopted in 2006 with the aim of resolving the war that year between Israel and Hezbollah. It also came amid further escalations in fighting along the southern Lebanese front, including reported attempts by Israel to infiltrate Lebanese territory and resultant confrontations with Hezbollah. Hezbollah said “a hostile Israeli force attempted to infiltrate Lebanese territory in the Qatamoun Valley area opposite Rmeish on Sunday night and was targeted with rockets.”An Israeli unit of the Golani Brigade reportedly tried to enter Lebanon from the direction of Khirbet Zarit, near the Lebanese town of Ramia, and Hezbollah responded by targeting the unit with a large explosive device. Meanwhile, Hezbollah intensified strikes against Israeli sites. An attack on the Margaliot settlement left one person dead and 10 injured, two of them critically. According to the Israeli ambulance service, an anti-tank missile was fired at the settlement from Lebanon. Israeli media reported that the dead and injured were foreign workers.
In a separate incident, Hezbollah said they targeted “Zarait Barracks and its surroundings” early on Monday with artillery fire. Elsewhere, the Israeli army reportedly fired shots in the air in the vicinity of farmers spraying crops near the town of Wazzani in Marjayoun district. Israeli forces also targeted the towns of Hula and Markab, overlooking Wadi Hunayn and the Margaliot settlement, with phosphorus and smoke bombs, and Israeli warplanes carried out raids on the outskirts of the town of Shihin. Hochstein previously visited Beirut in January as part of US efforts to broker ceasefires in the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon. Lebanese authorities him to return in February, when he visited Tel Aviv, but that did not happen. In the meantime there have been no dramatic shifts in the balance of military power in southern Lebanon, despite the growing intensity of confrontations and expansions of targets by both the Israeli army and Hezbollah.
Lebanese authorities have said Israel must fully implement the provisions of UN Resolution 1701 by halting attacks, addressing disputed border points, of which six remain, withdrawing from the occupied Shebaa Farms and Kfarchouba hills, and respecting international borders. Hezbollah has also linked the end of hostilities on the southern front to the end of Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip. On Monday, Hochstein noted that the friction along the border between Israel and Lebanon had increased in recent weeks. “Escalation of violence is in no one’s interest and there is no such thing as a limited war,” he said after his meeting the Berri, who is an ally of Hezbollah. “A temporary ceasefire is not enough. A limited war is not containable.”A truce in Gaza would not automatically trigger peace in southern Lebanon, he said, but he added that he remains “hopeful” that a diplomatic solution to the border conflict can be achieved. “It does not necessarily happen that when you have a ceasefire in Gaza, it just automatically extends” to Lebanon, Hochstein said. The US “remains committed to advancing lasting security solutions, achieved through a diplomatic process that will allow Lebanese residents to safely return to their homes, as well as allowing Israelis to return to their homes safely in northern Israel,” he added. The aim of his visit was “to find a diplomatic solution to end the conflict on Lebanon’s southern borders” he said, adding: “Our position on the hostilities has been consistent and remains clear.”Washington “believes a diplomatic solution is the only way to end the current hostilities along the Blue Line that will achieve a lasting, fair security arrangement between Lebanon and Israel,” Hochstein said. “The people of Lebanon and Israel have the right to live in peace and prosperity. Let me acknowledge the global unity of this position. “An important part of any understanding will include international support for Lebanon, for the Lebanese people and for strengthening its institutions, military, civilian and the economy. But this can only start when we can reach a way forward.” The US continues to work with the government in Lebanon in pursuit of such a diplomatic solution that allows for prosperity and security, Hochstein said. “What we want to see is a diplomatic solution here on the border … to ensure that there is a cessation of hostilities and that precautions are made so that everybody, on both sides of the line, can return to their homes safely and securely and have a future that is free of fear.”

Amos Hochstein's firm message to Hezbollah: Sustainable calm needed along the Blue Line
LBCI/March 4, 2024
Amos Hochstein delivered a clear and firm message to Hezbollah through the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri. The essence of his message is that tranquility must be sustainable along the Blue Line, and a temporary ceasefire is not a solution.  Some of those who met with Hochstein noted that he is pushing for a growing emphasis on sustainable calm in the south, emphasizing that Lebanon's interest and future lie in it. Sources in Ain el Tineh assert that the American diplomat did not bring a written proposal regarding the implementation of Resolution 1701 but indicated that he had developed ideas on how to ensure calm in southern Lebanon. Insiders in the talks mentioned that Hochstein urged the Lebanese side, including Hezbollah, to take steps that allow any Gaza truce to extend to the Lebanese border region. He proposed that this truce should be a precursor to a final solution at the Lebanese-Israeli border, facilitating the return of residents on both sides and preventing any future military deterioration. Hochstein's discussions and idea exchanges included Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Army Commander General Joseph Aoun. Hochstein reiterated reliance on the army's role in implementing Resolution 1701 and ensuring sustainable calm at the borders, emphasizing US and international support for it. The discussions of the US envoy also involved a meeting with the former head of the Progressive Socialist Party, Walid Jumblatt.  They covered the situation from Gaza and southern Lebanon, discussing the US role in the region. Hochstein also had a meeting with Deputy Speaker of Parliament Elias Bou Saab. During his visit to Lebanon, the American envoy also had a meeting with the Minister of Energy, Walid Fayad, where they discussed matters related to electricity, oil, and gas.

Israeli strike kills three Lebanese rescue workers from Hezbollah-linked force
BEIRUT (Reuters)/March 4, 2024
An Israeli strike on Monday on a civil defence centre in southern Lebanon killed three emergency workers from a force affiliated with Hezbollah, the government said. The three rescue workers were killed in a "direct Israeli strike on the civil defence centre in Adeisseh," the Al-Hayaa rescue force said. Lebanon’s health ministry confirmed the three were killed, saying it brought to seven the number of emergency staff and paramedics killed in Israeli strikes in nearly five months of hostilities. The rescue force said it was the third attack on such centres since October. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. A strike on another civil defence centre in the south in January killed two emergency staff. Hezbollah and Israel have been trading fire at each other for four months in parallel to the Gaza war. It has marked the worst conflict across Lebanon's southern border since the 2006 war, fuelling fears of a bigger confrontation. Around 200 Hezbollah fighters and more than 50 civilians have been killed in Israeli shelling on Lebanon in that time.

Unrest along the border: Hezbollah thwarts Israeli infiltration operations
LBCI/March 4, 2024
Israeli and Hezbollah forces clashed in multiple incidents, with the latest being a thwarted infiltration attempt by Israeli soldiers into Lebanese territory early Monday. The first incident occurred around 11:45 PM near Wadi Qatmoun, opposite the Lebanese village of Rmeish, where Hezbollah missiles targeted the infiltrating Israeli force. The second attempt took place at 12:15 AM near the area of Khirbet Zariit, across from the Lebanese town of Ramia, as a unit from the Golan Brigade tried to infiltrate but was repelled after an explosive device was detonated. Both infiltration attempts occurred in rugged areas and valleys, with Israeli soldiers crossing a few meters past the Blue Line but failing to penetrate deeper into Lebanese territory due to surveillance and pre-planted explosives, as Israeli invasions are always anticipated. What was the Israeli objective behind these operations? While the ultimate goal remains uncertain, sources suggest it is not the first time Israeli troops have attempted such invasions since the start of the war, and they have been deterred more than once. Hezbollah sources speculate that Israel may have sought intelligence gathering or area reconnaissance to set up preemptive ambushes against Hezbollah elements if they attempted to infiltrate into occupied Palestinian territories. The clashes indicate mutual ambushes between the Israeli military and Hezbollah, with Hezbollah's successful defense on Sunday night suggesting their frontline presence despite continuous Israeli reconnaissance flights and attempts to push them back beyond the Litani River.

Latest update: Missiles fired from southern Lebanon, Israeli strike in Seddiqine
LBCI/March 4, 2024
Several missiles were launched from southern Lebanon towards northern Israel.Meanwhile, an Israeli strike targeted a house in the town of Seddiqine towards Qana.This comes as the area is witnessing almost daily shelling amid growing tension.

In Beirut, Hochstein says diplomacy 'only way' to end Israel-Hezbollah clashes
Agence France Presse/March 4, 2024
U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein said Monday that a diplomatic solution is key to ending nearly five months of intensifying hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. "A diplomatic solution is the only way to end the current hostilities" across the Lebanon-Israel border, Hochstein told reporters after meeting Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut. "Escalation of violence is in no one’s interest and there is no such thing as a limited war. Escalation will not help the Lebanese and Israeli people return home. Escalation will not resolve this crisis and escalation will certainly not help Lebanon rebuild and advance forward at this critical time in Lebanon’s history,” Hochstein said. “A temporary ceasefire is not enough. A limited war is not containable and the security paradigm along the Blue Line has to change in order to guarantee everyone’s security,” Hochstein added. “Our position on the hostilities has been consistent and remains clear: the United States believes that a diplomatic solution is the only way to end the current hostilities along the Blue Line that will achieve a lasting, fair security arrangement between Lebanon and Israel,” the U.S. official went on to say. Stressing that “the people of Lebanon and Israel have the right to live in peace and prosperity,” Hochstein said the U.S. is working with its global partners to “consider ways we can leverage our efforts to advance opportunities for prosperity and stability in Lebanon.”“An important part of any understanding will include international support for Lebanon,” Hochstein said. Asked whether he could “guarantee” that the anticipated Gaza ceasefire would apply to Lebanon, Hochstein said a truce there would not “necessarily” or “automatically” apply to Lebanon, adding that his discussions in Beirut and Israel are aimed at reaching certain “arrangements” leading to a “diplomatic solution.”

Hezbollah stops 2 Israeli attempts to cross into Ramia, Rmeish
Naharnet/March 4, 2024
Hezbollah repelled overnight two Israeli infiltration attempts from north Israel into south Lebanon. The group said it targeted two Israeli forces with explosives, artillery shells and missiles as they attempted to infiltrate into Lebanese territory from Kherbet Zar'it and Wadi Qatmoun facing the southern border towns of Ramia and Rmeish. Hezbollah later shelled the Zar'it barracks and targeted surveillance equipment in the Rweissat al-Alam post in the occupied Shebaa Farms, while Israeli warplanes and artillery struck Aita al-Shaab and Shihin and shelled Houla and Markaba with white phosphorus bombs. Meanwhile Israeli media said that a person was killed and nine others were wounded, all foreign workers, after an anti-tank missile launched from Lebanon hit Margaliot in north Israel. Hezbollah has been trading fire with Israeli forces along the Lebanon-Israel border near-daily since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza. The fighting has killed more than 200 Hezbollah fighters and at least 44 civilians 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. On Saturday, seven Hezbollah members were killed in strike on a house and a car in Ramia and Naqoura.

US urges 'as many channels as possible' for Gaza aid, states State Dept
Reuters/March 4, 2024
The United States is working to get aid into Gaza through as many channels as possible to remedy the humanitarian disaster amid Israel's war with Hamas militants, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Monday, describing the situation as "simply intolerable."Washington was optimistic that a new maritime route to deliver aid to Gaza could supplement current efforts to get aid into the enclave, Miller said, adding that that route was "still in the development phase."In addition to trucks carrying aid through two border crossings in the south of Gaza, the US military, along with allied nations, has in recent days dropped aid packages into Gaza from aircraft, amid warnings much of the population is on the verge of famine. "The situation is simply intolerable," Miller said at a press briefing, "and that's why the United States is focused on increasing and sustaining aid in Gaza through as many channels as possible."Washington insists the air and sea routes are supplemental to deliveries by land, and has also pushed Israel to open a border crossing in the north of Gaza for aid deliveries. "These efforts are not and cannot be a replacement for large-scale assistance to the north (of Gaza) distributed by the UN We will continue to press the government of Israel to facilitate increased deliveries to the north." Washington was "very much not satisfied" with Israel's efforts, Miller added. US calls for Israel to do more to address the humanitarian situation have grown louder since the deaths of Palestinians lining up for aid in Gaza last week, with Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday calling on Israel to do more. Gaza Health authorities said 118 people were killed in the incident, attributing the deaths to Israeli fire and calling it a massacre. Israel has pledged to investigate. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says a quarter of the population - 576,000 people - are one step from famine, nearly five months after Israel's assault on Gaza began. Israel launched the war in response to attacks on southern Israel by Hamas militants on Oct. 7 that killed about 1,200 people. Palestinian authorities say more than 30,000 people have been confirmed killed in Gaza. The Biden administration continues to push for a temporary pause in fighting in exchange for the release of hostages taken on Oct. 7, to allow for improvement of the humanitarian situation, Miller said.

Qaouq says Hezbollah ready to rebuild destroyed southern towns
Naharne/March 4, 2024t
Hezbollah central council member Sheikh Nabil Qaouq on Monday said that Hezbollah will continue its military operations against the Israeli army “in support of Gaza and to protect our people and country.”“We are responding to the attacks in a stronger way, qualitatively and quantitatively,” Qaouq said. “The resistance has prepared for all the escalation possibilities, in order to create a victory greater than the July 2006 victory. It has also prepared to remove the aggression’s rubble and begin reconstruction so that the destroyed homes become more beautiful than they were,” he added.

Qassem says mediators should try to stop 'assault' on Gaza not 'support' for Gaza
Agence France Presse/March 4, 2024
Hezbollah's deputy chief Naim Qassem reiterated Monday that the group, which says it is acting support of Gazans and Hamas, would stop its attacks on Israel once the Gaza offensive ends. Violence on the Israel-Lebanon border began a day after Hamas's October 7 attack that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. "Stop the assault on Gaza and war will end in the region," Qassem said of Israel's military campaign against Hamas. International mediators should seek to "stop the assault" on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip rather than attempting "to prevent support" for Palestinian militants from Hezbollah, he added. In recent months, Western envoys including top diplomats from France, Britain and Germany have converged on Beirut to urge restraint and discuss potential solutions.As Washington's envoy Amos Hochstein arrived in Beirut Monday in a push to halt violence along the border with Israel, Israeli medics said a missile from Lebanon killed a foreign worker near the border and wounded at least seven others, the latest casualties in months of escalating clashes. Hochstein's visit coincides with mediation efforts in Cairo towards a truce between Israel and Hamas, after the United States stepped up pressure for a halt in fighting and more aid to enter the besieged Palestinian territory. During a January visit, Hochstein had said both Lebanon and Israel "prefer" a diplomatic path to end hostilities but Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said there will be no let-up in Israeli action against Hezbollah even if a Gaza ceasefire is secured. The cross-border fighting has displaced tens of thousands on both sides and has killed at least 296 people in Lebanon, most of them Hezbollah fighters but also including 46 civilians, according to an AFP tally. In Israel, at least 10 soldiers and seven civilians have been killed.

Al Jazeera: Sirens sound in 10 towns in the Galilee panhandle following suspicion of a drone infiltration from Lebanon
LBCI/March 4, 2024
Sirens blared across ten towns in the Galilee panhandle in northern Israel, triggering heightened alertness after suspected drone activity originating from Lebanon, as reported by Al Jazeera on Monday.

Hezbollah retaliates against Israeli assault on civil defence center
LBCI/March 4, 2024
On Monday, Hezbollah announced that it targeted the settlement of "Gesher HaZiv" near Nahariyya with Katyusha rockets in response to Israeli attacks that targeted villages and civilians, the latest being the assault on the Islamic Health Authority civil defence centre in Adeisseh.

Geagea: FPM would accept Hezbollah war 'in Tanzania' in return for domestic benefits
Naharnet/March 4, 2024
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said he refuses sacrificing Lebanon for the sake of Iran, as Hezbollah and Israeli forces traded fire along the border for the fifth month. "We do not and will not accept giving up one grain of Lebanese soil to anyone, but at the same time we do not accept that southern Lebanon, for example, be sacrificed and the country be dragged into a major war for the sake of Iran’s policies in the region," Geagea told the Kuwaiti al-Rai newspaper, in remarks published Monday. He added that deploying the Lebanese army in the south would protect Lebanon and help it avoid any hazardous scenarios. Geagea said former President Michel Aoun and Free Patriotic movement chief Jebran Bassil are now disagreeing with Hezbollah, only because the latter refused to give the FPM what it wants domestically. "If Hezbollah gave them what they want, they would accept that Hezbollah drag Lebanon into war, even in Tanzania," he sarcastically said. "They would say 'We have a community in Tanzania that must be defended against the Islamic State group'."

An Israeli infiltration attempt into Lebanese territory.. How did the response come?
Al-Kalima online/March 04, 2024
Hezbollah announced in a statement at dawn on Monday that “during an attempt by a hostile Israeli force to infiltrate into Lebanese territory in the Qatmoun Valley area opposite Rmeish, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance rose at (11:45) on the night of Sunday 03- 03-2024 by targeting it with missile weapons and they achieved direct hits.” In a second statement, he stated, “During an attempt by a hostile Israeli force from the Golani Brigade to infiltrate into Lebanese territory from the direction of Khirbet Zarit, opposite the Lebanese town of Ramia, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance rose at (12:15) on Sunday night.” Monday 03/04/2024 by detonating a large explosive device by the infiltrating force, then targeting it with a number of artillery shells and causing direct hits.” He continued: “The Zionist enemy believes that aerial surveillance and espionage via satellites and various types of drones, or raids launched by the Air Force with missiles of all types as well, have become able to achieve some breakthroughs at the border points, especially the forested ones and those far from the villages!!” . He added, "The children of the stones and trees in our land would surprise him by saying that they did not and will not budge from their roots, planted with life, love, and sacrifice. Their eyes are like an arrow in the eyes of the aggressor, and their spears are on the handle. They have only experienced a few months of using their most powerful firepower, and they have not put a sword back in its sheath. Those swords haunt the necks of the site’s protectors every day, and with them are those who are displaced in the woods. The resistance told them, “Today you will not pass,” and he pointed out that “we are lurking for you where you are, as our eyes do not leave the border or beyond, nor is the missile oblivious to what you are trying.” It was also mentioned in a third statement that “the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance targeted at (1:30) a.m. on Monday 03/04/2024 the Zarit barracks and its surroundings with artillery weapons.” On the other hand, Al-Manar TV correspondent Ali Shuaib reported that the enemy had fired heavy machine-gun shells towards the town of Wazzani and its orchards since the morning.

Very worrying military preparations...
AlAnbaa News/04 March 2024
The Israeli army continues to mobilize its forces on the southern border, in parallel with the tireless efforts to establish a truce in Gaza, which will reflect calm on the region in general. Even now, the chances of a truce are higher despite the escalation taking place in the Gaza Strip and in the clash with Hezbollah. The expected truce is expected to take effect on the first of Ramadan, and is supposed to continue for weeks, but the talk is about what comes after the truce, especially with regard to Lebanon. What reinforces the feeling of the possibility of war breaking out is that the American envoy Amos Hockstein decided to continue his Lebanese-Israeli mission, based on the fact that Israel does not seem willing to calm down with Hezbollah. It is assassinating its leaders and members daily, and is trying to impose its conditions on the border region, which are By removing Hezbollah, for fear of a repeat of the October 7 scenario. This atmosphere is accompanied, as the sources noted, by American press statements issued by those close to the White House, to the effect that Israel is preparing to launch a ground operation in southern Lebanon next spring, especially if diplomatic efforts to deter Hezbollah, remove it from the borders, and implement the UN resolution fail. 1701, and therefore next summer may be hotter than usual, according to her. However, in the same context, international pressures to prevent Israel from waging a sustained and massive war against Lebanon, for fear of devastating clashes, will increase the cost of the humanitarian crisis in the region, and thus the cost of displacement to Europe and reconstruction after a while. However, Israel does not seem to care about any Western concerns. What you did in Gaza is the best evidence.

The FPM is outside the Hockstein talks
Neda Al Watan/March 04, 2024
It was noted that the American envoy, Amos Hockstein, did not meet yesterday with any of the representatives of the “Free Patriotic Movement,” similar to his meeting with representatives of the Christian opposition. Observers consider the exclusion of the Movement from the US official’s meeting schedule as a result of the Movement’s ambiguous stance regarding Hezbollah’s weapons. They believed that Hockstein's meeting upon his arrival at Rafic Hariri International Airport with the caretaker Energy Minister, Walid Fayyad, and his meeting with Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Elias Bou Saab, upon his departure, are not compensation for excluding the “movement” from the American envoy’s talks.

Retired Brigadier General Yaroub Sakhr to Voice of Lebanon: Land demarcation is a betrayal like maritime demarcation, and Israel has controlled 90% of Gaza
Voice of Lebanon/March 04, 2024
Retired Brigadier General Yaroub Sakhr, on Voice of Lebanon's "Evening News" program, pointed out the ongoing international efforts to achieve a truce before the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, and pointed to the American-Western resentment over the practices of Netanyahu, who did not abide by international resolutions and lies all the time. He confirmed the Israeli army’s control over 90% of Gaza, pending the completion of Rafah or the “Tunnel of Concern”... Sakhr affirmed the combat capability of the Israeli army, its military arsenal, and American support for it, and pointed to Israel’s change in its combat doctrine, such that it now relies on a long war, relying on international support, and the world public opinion that supports it. He referred to Hockstein’s statement that “implementing Resolution 1701 is the salvation of Lebanon.” the only". He pointed to Biden's compromise policy, and America's ability to control the Red Sea, thanks to the Houthis, based on the principle that whoever controls the straits, oceans and seas, controls the world, with the aim of blocking the way for China and Russia... In a different context, Sakhr explained that President Berri's job It lies in buying time, and he confirmed the betrayal that would occur in the land demarcation because Lebanon does not need this demarcation, which was done in 1923, and the Blue Line was not necessary. He pointed to the first betrayal that occurred in the maritime demarcation, and pointed to Hezbollah’s knowledge of A l l e dancing on the abyss. He considered that consensual democracy is not democracy, and called for renewing the constitution, as is happening in countries around the world, and stressed that what is happening today is undermining the Taif Agreement. He pointed to the defensive strategy that lies in identifying the enemy and the friend, and renewing the foundations such as social stability and respect for the Lebanese constitution. He considered that the resistance team is more determined to seize opportunities, especially with regard to the presidency of the republic... Sakhr reminded that the world rejects extremism based on all its types, which caused the two world wars. First and second, he saw the need for the world to shift from ideology to technology.

Political writer Abdel Wahab Badrakhan, via Voice of Lebanon: The danger in the friction of the Lebanese army and the party
Voice of Lebanon/March 04, 2024
Political writer Abdel-Wahab Badrakhan explained on Voice of Lebanon on the “Al-Masa’ Channel” program that there are opportunities for a solution, and the American envoy Amos Hockstein’s statement that the truce in Gaza will not include Lebanon is a matter of pressure, so that the war does not expand, and he saw the need for the position of the Gaza Strip to be characterized by Be flexible and serious to avoid this. In this context, Badrakhan considered that Israel would not calm down and be reassured except in accordance with harsh measures by Hezbollah, and expressed his fear of the danger of friction between the party and the Lebanese army, following the expansion of the latter’s redeployment along the border. He wondered whether the party would accept that the border region would be forbidden to it through its withdrawal to the north of the Litani, because this step represents a great loss for it, because it did not complete Iranian policy and its plan in the region. Badrakhan pointed out that the ownership of the Shebaa Farms is linked to the Syrian position, and to Iran and Syria’s keenness not to lose the farmer’s card, and pointed out the possibility of an American-Iranian understanding over a Lebanese figure that the party can be reassured by. He confirmed the Shiite duo's adherence to their candidate, Franjieh, and expected that the presidential election would not be completed for weeks or perhaps many months, before the truce in the south was confirmed. Political writer Abdel-Wahab Badrakhan explained on Voice of Lebanon on the “Al-Masa’ Channel” program that there are opportunities for a solution, and the American envoy Amos Hockstein’s statement that the truce in Gaza will not include Lebanon is a matter of pressure, so that the war does not expand, and he saw the need for the position of the Gaza Strip to be characterized by Be flexible and serious to avoid this. In this context, Badrakhan considered that Israel would not calm down and be reassured except in accordance with harsh measures by Hezbollah, and expressed his fear of the danger of friction between the party and the Lebanese army, following the expansion of the latter’s redeployment along the border. He wondered whether the party would accept that the border region would be forbidden to it through its withdrawal to the north of the Litani, because this step represents a great loss for it, because it did not complete Iranian policy and its plan in the region. Badrakhan pointed out that the ownership of the Shebaa Farms is linked to the Syrian position, and to the keenness of Iran and Syria not to lose the farmer card, and pointed out the possibility of an American-Iranian understanding over a Lebanese figure that the party can be reassured by. He confirmed the Shiite duo's adherence to their candidate, Franjieh, and expected that the presidential election would not be completed for weeks or perhaps many months, before the truce in the south was confirmed.

Hochstein does not want to turn into Philip Habib
Asaad Bishara/Nidaa Al Watan/March 05/ 2024
US presidential envoy Amos Hochstein is anticipating the Gaza truce by trying to reach a truce in southern Lebanon, in a synchronization sought by the US administration, which will enable it to catch its breath in the long war, in which it supported Israel, with all the exhaustion that accompanied this support as a result of the cruel war on civilians. , losses that have never been witnessed before in a war in the Middle East. In a practical sense, Hockstein is trying to anticipate his transformation into another Philip Habib, that is, into a mediator in the impact of an Israeli war on Hezbollah, which he is trying to avoid at all costs. “The Cursed Peacemaker,” as he titled his book of memoirs, played the largest role as an envoy for US President Ronald Reagan before and after the Israeli invasion in 1982. When the Israeli forces arrived in Beirut, the negotiator was negotiating the evacuation of the besieged Palestine Liberation Organization, and he paved the way with his contacts to help complete the elections. The presidency, which brought President Bashir Gemayel, then completed his cursed mission, with the end of the era of American intervention, and the departure of the multinational forces from Beirut. Amos Hochstein wants to negotiate as a peacemaker to avoid a new Israeli invasion, or at a minimum, a devastating air war, and he seeks to have two guarantees: the first from Israel, which states that there is no necessity or interest in waging a major war as long as the hope of diplomatic efforts can lead to achieving the goals without war. Even if by offering some prizes to Hezbollah. As for the second guarantee, from Hezbollah, with whom Hockstein has a close and indirect relationship, it requires agreeing to withdraw north (even if it begins in stages and as preliminary steps) in exchange for starting the process of demarcating the 13 points, as well as in exchange for turning a blind eye to the presidential elections, which The “party” wants it as an additional and important guarantee, so that it can accept withdrawal. Hockstein aspires to arrange for a Lebanese truce, in parallel with the Gaza truce, and this is what will give him, if he succeeds, six weeks of sufficient time to achieve the withdrawal of the “party” and demarcation, and before all that to decide on the presidential elections, given that the new president will sponsor the negotiations and subsequently agree on demarcation. And arrangements at the same time. Hockstein's mission faces obstacles from the Israeli side, and facilitations from Hezbollah, which is impatiently awaiting the truce in Gaza to take effect, in order to stop the fire, and then it will have achieved the goal of the support war, and taken the initiative from Israel, by placing it in the category of reaction. As for Israel, it fears the fluid implementation of the withdrawal, which will repeat the experience of 2006. Therefore, it will show extremism, which could undermine the American envoy’s efforts and open the Lebanese front to the possibilities of major escalation.

Hochstein with the third option
Bassam Abu Zeid/Neda Al Watan/March 05/2024
The presidential election is still stuck in a bottleneck, and the five-member committee’s moves have not helped in causing any breach on this front. The French envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, is still hesitant to come to Lebanon, because the indications he has indicate that there will never be a change in the position of the Shiite duo, which is still... Adhering to the head of the Marada Movement, Suleiman Franjieh, as president of the republic, otherwise there will be no elections. This duo realizes that the position of the quintet is with the third option, that is, it is not supportive of the election of Franjieh or for Franjieh to be the only candidate in the presidential arena. It was clear to the American envoy Amos Hochstein in his Monday visit to Lebanon when he pointed out in conversations with some of those he met that the American administration supports What is known as the third option, but he also indicated that the key to the presidential elections and their completion is still in the hands of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, meaning that he is the one who is supposed to call for electoral sessions and pledge to secure a quorum. In light of this atmosphere, it has become clear that the presidential election in Lebanon is recording a further decline in the chances of its completion. Firstly, it is no longer a priority for many countries concerned with the affairs of the region, including Lebanon, and secondly, the pressures exerted in politics and elsewhere did not help in pushing Hezbollah. » To retreat from his obstructive position, and thirdly, the opposition forces were not able to create a movement of internal and external influence that would upset the status quo related to the presidency, meaning that their confrontation with “Hezbollah” remained below the required ceiling. In light of this reality, no one can predict the duration of the presidential vacancy in Lebanon, and no one can predict what the way out will be from this crisis that has become, by a decision of the Shiite duo, linked to the wars raging in the region, even if this duo denies this connection, in the media, but The truth is that any “victory” that the axis of resistance may declare and no one else will declare, regardless of the losses and disasters, will pay its price in Lebanon only. Here, it can continue to adopt a policy of imposition that ranges from the presidency to war and peace to the regime it wants in the country, as if the other partner does not exist. Except in order to consider him an internal enemy, through intimidation and accusing him of conspiracy, he can maintain a state of alert and control under the pretext of confronting the enemy.

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 04-05/2024
Hamas says it presses on with Gaza truce talks without Israelis
REUTERS/March 04, 2024
CAIRO/RAFAH: Hamas said on Monday it was pressing on with talks on securing a ceasefire in Gaza despite Israel’s decision not to attend, while Washington appeared to take a tougher line in demanding its ally Israel ease the plight of suffering civilians. The ceasefire talks, which began on Sunday in Cairo, are billed as a final hurdle to establish the first extended ceasefire of the five-month-old war, in time for the Ramadan Muslim fasting month which is expected to begin on Sunday. Israel has declined public comment on the Cairo talks or its decision not to attend. A source had earlier told Reuters Israel would stay away because Hamas had refused its request for a list of names of all hostages it is holding that are still alive, information the militants say they will provide only once terms are agreed. “Talks in Cairo continue for the second day regardless of whether the occupation’s delegation is present in Egypt,” a Hamas official told Reuters on Monday. Washington, which is both Israel’s closest ally and a sponsor of the talks, says a deal remains close, with an agreement already effectively agreed by Israel and only awaiting approval from Hamas. “Hamas claims it wants a ceasefire. Well, there is a deal on the table. And as we have said, Hamas needs to agree to that deal,” Vice President Kamala Harris said on Sunday. “Let’s get a ceasefire. Let’s reunite the hostages with their families. And let’s provide immediate relief to the people of Gaza.”In a speech signalling an apparent change of tone from the administration of President Joe Biden toward its ally, Harris also used unusually forceful language to call for Israel to do more to alleviate the humanitarian plight of the Gaza Strip. “People in Gaza are starving. The conditions are inhumane and our common humanity compels us to act,” she said. “The Israeli government must do more to significantly increase the flow of aid. No excuses.” A Palestinian official close to the talks disputed the US contention that Israel had agreed to the ceasefire deal and Hamas was holding it up, saying the position appeared aimed at deflecting blame away from Israel should the talks collapse.
“The Palestinian resistance, led by Hamas, has shown the flexibility needed, but at the same time they are determined to defend their people and achieve a deal that is acceptable to the Palestinian people,” the official said. The proposal being discussed is for a ceasefire of around 40 days, during which militants would release around 40 of the more than 100 hostages they are still holding in return for around 400 detainees held in Israeli jails. Israeli troops would pull back from some areas, more humanitarian aid would be allowed into Gaza, and residents would be permitted to return to abandoned homes. But the deal does not appear to address directly a Hamas demand for a clear path to permanently ending the war. Nor does it resolve the fate of more than half of the remaining hostages — Israeli men excluded from both this and earlier agreements covering women, children, the elderly and the wounded. Israel says it will not end the war until Hamas is eradicated. Hamas says it will not free all its hostages without a deal that ends the war. Mediators have indicated they hope to overcome the standoff with promises to resolve further issues in later phases.
Rafah strike kills family
The Gaza war erupted after Hamas fighters who control the enclave burst into Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and abducting 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.Since then, Israel has sealed off the coastal strip, stormed nearly all of its towns and pounded it from the sky. Palestinian authorities say more than 30,000 people have been confirmed killed, with thousands of other bodies unrecovered. Most of the population has been made homeless, and the United Nations says hundreds of thousands of people face famine. An agreement to halt fighting by Ramadan would effectively head off a threatened Israeli assault on Rafah, the last town on the southern edge of Gaza, where more than half of the enclave’s population are now sheltering, mostly in makeshift tents. The final days leading up to that deadline have been particularly bloody. Residents have described heavy fighting since Saturday just north of Rafah in Khan Younis, the main southern city, where Israeli forces have released video showing buildings obliterated in airstrikes. In Rafah itself, airstrikes on homes have been killing families nightly as they sleep. At least 14 corpses of a family killed overnight were laid out at a hospital morgue in Rafah on Monday morning. One of the body bags was partially unzipped so weeping relatives could stroke the hair of a dead child. Israel’s Channel 14 News reported on Monday that several officers in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson’s unit were leaving their jobs, including chief international spokesperson Lt. Col. Richard Hecht. It said the large number leaving at once at a time of war was unusual. The military denied media reports that chief spokesperson Rear-Admiral Daniel Hagari had resigned, but did not directly comment on reports of other officers leaving the unit. “The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit continues to fulfil its mission of sharing the truth with transparency and accuracy, while countering misinformation — including baseless claims such as these,” it said in a statement.

The Latest | Israeli Cabinet member meets US officials as cease-fire talks get underway in Egypt
AP/March 4, 2024
A top member of Israel's wartime Cabinet is meeting with U.S. officials in Washington while talks are underway in Egypt to broker a cease-fire in Gaza before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins next week. Benny Gantz, a centrist political rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, traveled for talks with several senior U.S. administration officials this week. An official from Netanyahu’s far-right Likud party said Gantz did not have approval from the prime minister for his meetings in Washington and that Netanyahu gave the Cabinet official a “tough talk” — underscoring the widening crack within Israel’s wartime leadership nearly six months into the Israel-Hamas war. Israel did not send a delegation to cease-fire talks in Cairo because it is waiting for answers from Hamas on two questions, according to an Israeli official. Israeli media reported that the government is waiting to learn which of the hostages seized by Hamas in an Oct. 7 attack are alive and how many Palestinian prisoners Hamas seeks in exchange for each. The U.N. says a quarter of Gaza’s 2.3 million people face starvation. The number of Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip has soared above 30,000 since the war began nearly five months ago when Hamas-led militants stormed across southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 others hostage.
Currently:
— Harris is to meet with Israeli Cabinet official who is in Washington despite Netanyahu’s rebuke.
— A 4-year-old Gaza boy lost his arm – and his family. Half a world away, he’s getting a second chance.
— Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
Here's the latest:
HAMAS CALLS ON PALESTINIANS TO RISE UP DURING RAMADAN
BEIRUT — Hamas is calling on Palestinians in Israel and the West Bank to rise up against Israel during the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan, speaking to reporters in Beirut on Monday, said Palestinians should “make every moment of Ramadan a confrontation.” The U.S., Qatar and Egypt have been trying for weeks to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and to convince the militant group to release some of the scores of hostages it is still holding from the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war. The mediators hope to broker a truce before Ramadan, which is expected to begin around March 10. The month of dawn-to-dusk fasting is a time of heightened prayer, reflection and charity for Muslims around the world, but Israeli-Palestinian tensions often spike over access to a major holy site in Jerusalem. Hamas has repeatedly called for a broader uprising in the occupied West Bank, where violence has surged since the start of the war, and among Israel’s own Palestinian minority. Hamdan did not provide any specifics about the ongoing cease-fire negotiations. Addressing his remarks to Israel and its top ally, the United States, he said: “What they have not gained in the battlefield, they will not gain through political machinations.”The war began when Hamas-led militants broke through Israel’s defenses on Oct. 7 and stormed into several communities near Gaza, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250 hostages. Hamas freed over 100 hostages during a weeklong November cease-fire in exchange for the release of 240 Palestinian prisoners. Gaza’s Health Ministry says the war has killed over 30,000 Palestinians. Around 80% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million have been driven from their homes.
A FOREIGN WORKER IS KILLED IN MISSILE FIRE FROM LEBANON
KIRYAT SHMONA, Israel — Israeli rescuers say a foreign worker was killed and several others wounded by an anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon. The Magen David Adom rescue service said Monday it was treating seven people, including two in serious condition. Associated Press reporters saw the Israeli army transporting several Thai workers, some limping and bleeding, to ambulances near the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona. Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group have traded fire nearly every day since the start of the war in Gaza. Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas, says it is trying to pin down Israeli forces in the north to aid the Palestinian group. Hezbollah did not immediately claim responsibility for Monday’s strike. The Lebanese group said in statements Monday that it had stopped two attempts by Israeli forces to cross into Lebanese territory overnight and that it had launched an artillery attack on an Israeli barracks. Also on Monday, U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein arrived in Beirut to meet with Lebanese officials in an attempt to tamp down tensions. The near daily clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces have killed more than 200 Hezbollah fighters and at least 37 civilians in Lebanon. Around 20 people have been killed on the Israeli side, including civilians and soldiers. Tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border have been forced to flee their homes because of the ongoing fighting. Israel has vowed to continue attacking Hezbollah, even if there is a cease-fire in Gaza, in order to push its fighters away from the border. Farm workers from Thailand and other Asian countries have flocked to Israel in recent years, drawn by higher wages. Several foreign workers were among those killed and abducted in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack out of Gaza, which triggered the war.
The Associated Press

Israel carries out biggest Ramallah raid in years, witnesses say
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters)/Mon, March 4, 2024
Israeli forces swept into the Palestinians' administrative capital of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank overnight, killing a 16-year-old in a refugee camp during their biggest raid into the city in years, Palestinian sources said on Monday. Witnesses in Ramallah said Israeli forces had driven dozens of military vehicles into the city, which is the headquarters of the Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmoud Abbas. The Palestinian health ministry said Israeli forces shot and killed 16-year-old Mustafa Abu Shalbak while raiding Am'ari refugee camp. The Palestinian news agency WAFA said confrontations broke out as Israeli forces stormed the camp, "during which live bullets were fired at Palestinian youths", wounding Abu Shalbak in the neck and chest. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Violence has surged across the West Bank in parallel to the Gaza war, with at least 400 Palestinians killed in clashes with Israeli soldiers and settlers, and Israel regularly raiding Palestinian areas across the territory it occupied in 1967. Israeli forces also tore up a main road in the West Bank city of Tulkarm during a raid there, witnesses said. WAFA also reported that Israeli forces had stormed the West Bank city of Nablus, and blew up the home of a man previously accused by Israel of carrying out an attack in which a British-Israeli mother and her two daughters were killed in April in the West Bank. The man, Moaz al-Masri, was killed by Israeli forces in Nablus last May. Israeli forces detained at least 55 Palestinians in raids across the West Bank overnight, according to The Palestinian Prisoners Club.

UN rights chief says essential to avoid conflagration in Gaza war
GENEVA (Reuters)March 4, 2024
The United Nations human rights chief on Monday it was imperative to avoid any exacerbation of the war in Gaza, warning that any conflagration could have broad repercussions across the Middle East and beyond the region.Addressing the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, Volker Turk said the war in Gaza, which has been raging since the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas gunmen in southern Israel, had already spilled over in neighbouring countries. "I am deeply concerned that in this powder keg, any spark could lead to a much broader conflagration," said Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. "This would have implications for every country in the Middle East, and many beyond it."Turk described the military escalation in southern Lebanon between Israel, Hezbollah and other armed groups as "extremely worrying". "It is imperative to do everything possible to avoid a wider conflagration," he said. The Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah and Israel have been locked in hostilities for months in parallel to the Gaza war. It has marked the worst conflict between them since 2006. The Gaza war began when Hamas stormed Israel on Oct. 7 in an attack that killed 1,200 people and resulted in another 253 being abducted, according to Israeli tallies. The attack drew an Israeli offensive in Hamas-run Gaza. Health authorities in the enclave say more than 30,000 Palestinians have been confirmed killed during the offensive. Turk said last week that war crimes had been committed by all parties in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. They should be investigated and those responsible be held accountable, he said.

Dismantling UNRWA would sacrifice ‘generation of children:’ Chief
AFP/March 04, 2024
UNITED NATIONS: Dismantling the UN Palestinian refugee aid agency (UNRWA) would sacrifice a “generation of children,” its chief Philippe Lazzarini warned on Monday amid an increasingly bitter row between the UN and Israel.
“Dismantling UNRWA is short-sighted. By doing so, we will sacrifice an entire generation of children, sowing the seeds of hatred, resentment and future conflict,” Lazzarini told the UN General Assembly.

Israel's Gantz tests Netanyahu partnership in Washington
JERUSALEM (Reuters)/March 4, 2024
Benny Gantz, the Israeli war cabinet member visiting Washington this week, tells a story of how his mother, a Holocaust survivor, once had an operation in Germany performed by a Palestinian doctor from Gaza. The story encapsulates the hope for reconciliation that motivates optimists in the Middle East but which has been cruelly tested by the war with Gaza that erupted on Oct. 7, the deadliest day in Israel's history. Gantz, 64, who leads a centrist party, joined Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's emergency cabinet last year. He says the fact that he was willing to join a unity government with the right wing Netanyahu and his nationalist religious allies, showed the scale of the crisis facing Israel. "This is not a political partnership I am in," he told a group of journalists in a briefing last year, adding that 10 members of his family joined their units in the military in the biggest call up of reservists in years.
"There is no way I would stand aside and play with politics under such circumstances," said Gantz, who in 2020 briefly joined Netanyahu during the COVID pandemic in what was meant to be a rotation deal before their coalition fell apart. Even so, the rules of politics have a way of reasserting themselves and Gantz's visit to Washington this week, where he is meeting both Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, has underscored the rivalry that has never gone away between Netanyahu and his reluctant partner. Despite the international alarm at the mounting death toll in Gaza, Gantz, as hawkish on Israel's war aims as Netanyahu, is unlikely to deviate from the government's path of continuing the war until Hamas is destroyed and more than 130 hostages still in captivity have been brought home. But the fact that it is he, rather than Netanyahu, who is making the visit has caused a storm. Netanyahu's relations with U.S. President Joe Biden have been so strained that more than a year after taking office, he has still not received an invitation to visit Washington. Anonymous briefers have told Israeli outlets "there is only one prime minister" and the media have reported that Netanyahu had forbidden Israel's ambassador in the United States from supporting the visit. While the shock of Oct. 7 has put the normal rules of politics on hold, Netanyahu faces the anger of the majority of Israelis who blame him for the security failures that allowed the devastating attack, that killed some 1,200 people. Surveys show Gantz's National Unity Party a clear favourite to come out on top in any election held today, with a majority of voters judging that Netanyahu's main motivation for continuing the war was his own political survival, according to a Channel 13 poll on Monday.
ATTACKS
A strong opponent of Netanyahu's drive to overhaul the judiciary which risked tearing Israel apart last year, Gantz has clashed frequently with his partners on the hard right, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and on occasion with the prime minister himself. Alongside Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, the other main member of the war cabinet, and Gadi Eizenkot, another centrist former general, he has defended the Israeli military and security establishment from attack by Netanyahu allies. Critics say such attacks are a means of diverting criticism from the prime minister himself. A former paratrooper who commanded the elite Shaldag commando unit, he spent most of his career in the military. As army chief of staff in 2012, he oversaw an eight day-operation in the Gaza Strip that began with the killing of the chief of Hamas' military wing in Gaza. That conflict was part of a series of more or less limited confrontations between Israel and Hamas that had marked Israel's relations with the Palestinians ever since the Islamist movement took power in Gaza after a brief factional war in 2007. The war that began on Oct. 7, when Hamas gunmen broke through the security fence around Gaza and tore through the Israeli communities just outside, killing some 1,200 people and seizing around 240 as hostages, was different. Israel has responded with a bombing campaign that has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, drawing increasing alarm even from firm allies like the United States. But while Gantz has been as adamant as any other leader in Israel that the war can only end when Hamas is destroyed, he is far more open to dialogue with the Palestinians than Netanyahu and his allies from the settler movement like Smotrich or Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. "We must have security and stability and once that has been achieved, we can discuss the future once more," he said. As U.S. and international pressure grows for a revival of efforts to reach a two state solution, Gantz's willingness to think about a political end to the conflict may make him an easier partner to deal with than Netanyahu, who has long boasted of his resistance to an independent Palestinian state. Gantz said he had once told Mahmoud Abbas, the 87-year-old leader of the Palestinian Authority, who is cordially detested by many Israeli leaders, that each of them no doubt dreamed the other would disappear.
"But we are both here. That is not going to change."

UN team says rape, gang rape likely occurred during Hamas attack on Israel
Michelle Nichols/UNITED NATIONS (Reuters)/March 4, 2024
A team of United Nations experts reported on Monday that there were "reasonable grounds to believe" sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, occurred at several locations during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants. The team - led by U.N. special envoy for sexual violence in conflict Pramila Patten - visited Israel between Jan. 29 and Feb. 14 on a mission intended to gather, analyze and verify information on sexual violence linked to the Oct. 7 attacks."Credible circumstantial information, which may be indicative of some forms of sexual violence, including genital mutilation, sexualized torture, or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, was also gathered," read the 24-page U.N. report.Palestinian militant group Hamas has repeatedly rejected accusations of sexual violence. Hamas fighters attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's retaliation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip has since killed around 30,000 Palestinians, health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave say. "The mission team found clear and convincing information that some hostages taken to Gaza have been subjected to various forms of conflict-related sexual violence and has reasonable grounds to believe that such violence may be ongoing," the U.N. report said. The team said a "fully-fledged investigation" would be required to establish the overall magnitude, scope and specific attribution for the sexual violence. The U.N. team said it also received information from institutional and civil society sources and direct interviews, about "sexual violence against Palestinian men and women in detention settings, during house raids and at checkpoints" after Oct. 7. The detention centers were in Israel. The U.N. team said it raised the allegations with the Israeli Ministry of Justice and Military Advocate General, which said no complaints of sexual violence against members of the Israeli Defense Forces had been received. Israel has been critical of the U.N. response to the Oct. 7 attacks. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said late last year that sexual violence committed on Oct. 7 "must be vigorously investigated and prosecuted," stressing: "Gender-based violence must be condemned. Anytime. Anywhere.""The U.N. claims to care about women, yet as we speak right now Israeli women are being raped and abused by Hamas terrorists. Where is the U.N.'s voice? Where is your voice?" Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan told the 193-member U.N. General Assembly earlier on Monday. "Hamas must face unrelenting pressure to end their sexual violence and release all of the hostages immediately," he said.

'Significant progress' in Cairo talks for Gaza truce
Agence France Presse/March 4, 2024
Mediators and Hamas envoys have made "significant progress" towards a Gaza truce, Egyptian state-linked TV reported Monday as the talks in Cairo entered a second day. After weeks of diplomatic efforts, Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been scrambling to lock in a proposed six-week truce in the war between Israel and Hamas before Ramadan starts next week. The proposal also includes the release of hostages abducted during Hamas's October 7 attack that sparked the war, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Al-Qahera News, linked to Egypt's intelligence services, quoted an unnamed senior official as saying: "Egypt continues its intense efforts to reach a truce before Ramadan", the Muslim fasting month which begins on March 10 or 11. "There has been significant progress in the negotiations," the report said after the latest talks began Sunday in Cairo, without Israeli representation. According to a senior US official, Israel has broadly accepted terms of the proposed six-week truce, which would also see stepped-up aid deliveries into Gaza.

Gantz' visit to US signals wider cracks in Israel’s wartime leadership
Associated Press/March 4, 2024
Harris is to meet with Israeli Cabinet official who is in Washington despite Netanyahu's rebuke. Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday is hosting a member of Israel's wartime Cabinet who is visiting Washington in defiance of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Benny Gantz, a centrist political rival of Netanyahu, is sitting down with several senior Biden administration officials this week, including Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser. President Joe Biden is at Camp David, the presidential retreat just outside Washington, until Tuesday. An official from Netanyahu's far-right Likud party said Gantz did not have approval from the prime minister for his meetings in Washington and that Netanyahu gave the Cabinet official a "tough talk" — underscoring the widening crack within Israel's wartime leadership nearly six months into the Israel-Hamas war. In her meeting with Gantz, Harris plans to press for a temporary cease-fire deal that would allow for the release of several categories of hostages being held by Hamas. Israel has essentially agreed to the deal, according to a senior Biden administration official, and the White House has emphasized that the onus is on Hamas to come on board. "Given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate cease-fire for at least the next six weeks, which is what is currently on the table," Harris said during an appearance in Selma, Alabama, on Sunday. "This will get the hostages out and get a significant amount of aid in."Harris continued: "This would allow us to build something more enduring to ensure Israel is secure and to respect the right of the Palestinian people to dignity, freedom and self-determination."For his part, Gantz intends to strengthen ties with the U.S., bolster support for Israel's war and push for the release of Israeli hostages, according to a second Israeli official. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't allowed to publicly discuss the disputes within the Israeli government. The meetings also come as the U.S. begins a series of airdrops of aid into Gaza, just days after dozens of Palestinians were killed as they were trying to get food from an Israel-organized convoy. The first drop on Saturday included about 38,000 meals into southwest Gaza, and White House officials have said those airdrops will continue to supplement truck deliveries, while they also work on sending aid via sea.
In Selma on Sunday, Harris called on Israel to "do more to significantly increase the flow of aid.""No excuses," she said. "They must open new border crossings. They must not impose any unnecessary restrictions on the delivery of aid."
Harris previously met Gantz at the Munich Security Conference in 2022.

Foreign national killed in missile strike on Israel's Margaliot
Agence France Presse/March 4, 2024
Israeli medics said one foreign worker was killed Monday and at least seven wounded in a missile strike near the Lebanese border, the latest casualties in months of cross-border fire. An anti-tank missile hit "foreign workers who were working in a plantation", killing one man and wounding at least seven others, including two in serious condition, the Magen David Adom emergency response service said in a statement. The wounded were all Indian men in their 30s, the statement said, without detailing the nationality of the person killed. Reporters saw the Israeli army transporting several foreign workers, some limping and bleeding, to ambulances near the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona. The Israeli military said "a number of civilians" were hit by the incoming fire from Lebanon and airlifted to hospital. The attack occurred near Margaliot, a small agricultural community on the border, the military said, adding that it had "struck the source of the launch" in Lebanon in response.Israel and Hezbollah have traded fire nearly every day since the start of the war in Gaza. Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas, says it is trying to pin down Israeli forces in the north to aid the Palestinians. Hezbollah did not immediately claim responsibility for Monday’s strike. The Lebanese group said in statements Monday that it had stopped two attempts by Israeli forces to cross into Lebanese territory overnight and that it had launched an artillery attack on an Israeli barracks and targeted surveillance equipment in a post in the occupied Shebaa Farms. Also on Monday, U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein arrived in Beirut to meet with Lebanese officials in an attempt to tamp down tensions. The near daily clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces have killed more than 200 Hezbollah fighters and at least 44 civilians in Lebanon. Around 20 people have been killed on the Israeli side, including civilians and soldiers.Tens of thousands of people on both sides of the border have been forced to flee their homes because of the ongoing fighting. Israel has vowed to continue attacking Hezbollah, even if there is a cease-fire in Gaza, in order to push its fighters away from the border. Farm workers from Thailand and other Asian countries have flocked to Israel in recent years, drawn by higher wages. Several foreign workers were among those killed and abducted in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack out of Gaza.

Hamas calls on Palestinians to rise up during Ramadan
Associated Press/March 4, 2024
Hamas has called on Palestinians in Israel and the West Bank to rise up against Israel during the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan, speaking to reporters in Beirut on Monday, said Palestinians should “make every moment of Ramadan a confrontation.” The U.S., Qatar and Egypt have been trying for weeks to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and to convince the militant group to release some of the scores of hostages it is still holding from the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war.The mediators hope to broker a truce before Ramadan, which is expected to begin around March 10. The month of dawn-to-dusk fasting is a time of heightened prayer, reflection and charity for Muslims around the world, but Israeli-Palestinian tensions often spike over access to a major holy site in Jerusalem. Hamas has repeatedly called for a broader uprising in the occupied West Bank, where violence has surged since the start of the war, and among Israel’s own Palestinian minority. Hamdan did not provide any specifics about the ongoing cease-fire negotiations. Addressing his remarks to Israel and its top ally, the United States, he said: “What they have not gained in the battlefield, they will not gain through political machinations.” The war began when Hamas-led militants broke through Israel’s defenses on Oct. 7 and stormed into several communities near Gaza, allegedly killing some 1,200 people and abducting around 250 hostages. Hamas freed over 100 hostages during a weeklong November cease-fire in exchange for the release of 240 Palestinian prisoners. Gaza’s Health Ministry says the war has killed over 30,000 Palestinians. Around 80% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million have been driven from their homes.

Head of UN Palestinian refugee agency seeks General Assembly support
Agence France Presse/March 4, 2024
The head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) is set to defend his organization's work at the General Assembly on Monday, after crippling backlash over accusations that some employees were involved in Hamas' surprise October 7 attack on Israel. Philippe Lazzarini warned in a letter to the General Assembly's president that his agency is at a "breaking point" as donors freeze funding, Israel exerts pressure to dismantle the agency and humanitarian needs soar. The UNRWA's ability to carry out its mandate is "seriously threatened," Lazzarini said, urging member states to "provide the political support necessary to sustain" the agency. The agency has been at the center of controversy since Israel accused about a dozen of its employees of involvement in the October 7 attack, which allegedly resulted in some 1,160 deaths. More than 30,400 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in the Gaza Strip since Israel launched its counteroffensive, according to the Hamas government's Ministry of Health. Israel's retaliatory offensive on the besieged Palestinian territory has killed 30,534 people, mostly women and children, according to the latest toll from the Gaza health ministry. Lazzarini has said that Israel has provided no evidence against his former employees. But several countries -- including the United States, Britain, Germany and Japan -- suspended funding to the UNRWA following the Israeli allegations. The total frozen amounts to $450 million -- the equivalent of more than half the funds UNRWA received in 2023. The U.N. fired the employees accused by Israel and has begun an internal probe. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also tasked an independent panel with assessing whether UNRWA acts in a neutral fashion in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The European Commission, recognizing steps taken by the U.N. and its refugee agency, said Friday it would release 50 million euros ($54 million) in UNRWA funding. The United States -- the top contributor to the chronically underfinanced agency -- was among the first countries to suspend aid. It diverted some funds to other U.N. agencies. But Guterres has insisted that no other agency has the capacity to replace UNRWA which, in addition to providing humanitarian aid, manages schools and hospitals. NGOs including Save the Children and Action Against Hunger made the same point in a joint statement, warning of the "complete collapse" of the humanitarian response in Gaza, where food and water shortages are widespread. The UNRWA employs some 30,000 people in the occupied territories, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria -- with some 13,000 staff in the Gaza Strip.

UNRWA accuses Israel of 'torturing' several of its employees during detention
AFP/March 4, 2024
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has accused Israel of "torturing" a number of its employees who were arrested in the Gaza Strip in connection with the war with Hamas. In a statement sent to Agence France-Presse on Monday, the agency said, "Some of our employees have informed UNRWA teams that they were forced to provide confessions under torture and ill-treatment," during their interrogation regarding Hamas' attack on Israel on October seventh.

4-year-old Gaza boy gets a second chance after losing his arm – and his family
Associated Presst/March 4, 2024
Omar Abu Kuwaik is far from his home in Gaza. The 4-year-old's parents and sister were killed by an Israeli airstrike, when he lost part of his arm.
He's one of the lucky ones.
Through the efforts of family and strangers, Omar was brought out of Gaza and to the United States, where he received treatment, including a prosthetic arm. He spent his days in a house run by a medical charity in New York City, accompanied by his aunt.
It was a small measure of grace in a sea of turmoil for him and his aunt, Maha Abu Kuwaik, as they looked to an uncertain future. The grief and despair for those still trapped in Gaza is never far away. Abu Kuwaik is glad she could do this for her beloved brother's son, whom she now considers her fourth child.
But it was a terrible choice. Going with Omar meant leaving her husband and three teenage children behind in a sprawling tent camp in Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah. With Israel carrying out strikes in areas where it told civilians to take shelter, including Rafah, Abu Kuwaik knows she might never see her family again. "My kids love Omar so much," she said. "They told me, 'We're not children anymore. Go, let Omar get treated. It's what's best for him. It's his only chance.'" Omar used to be an outgoing boy, she said, and he's clever like his late father, who was an engineer. Now he's often withdrawn and breaks into tears easily. He wonders why they don't have a home like the kids he sees on YouTube. Ask Omar a question, and he covers his ears with his right hand and the stump of his left arm, declaring, "I don't want to talk.""Kindergarten was nice," he eventually admits, "and I was happy on the first day." He started school just weeks before the war broke out. But he says he doesn't want to go to kindergarten anymore because he's afraid to leave his aunt's side.
His flight to New York may have given him a new dream, though.
"When I grow up, I want to be pilot," Omar said, "so I can bring people places."
Omar was the first Palestinian child from Gaza taken in by the Global Medical Relief Fund. The Staten Island charity's founder, Elissa Montanti, has spent a quarter-century getting hundreds of kids free medical care after they lost limbs to wars or disasters, including in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Each child started out as a stranger. Each one joined what she calls her "global family," and will come back to the U.S. for new prosthetic limbs as their bodies grow. Her charity sponsors everything except the medical treatment, which is donated, primarily by Shriners Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
When the war in Gaza erupted in October, Montanti knew she had to help. "But quite frankly, I said, 'How? How will I ever get these kids out when they can't even get out of Gaza?'"Montanti had never laid eyes on Omar, but she understood that children like him were being severely wounded every day. The deadliest round of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in decades was sparked Oct. 7 when Hamas-led militants broke through Israel's security barrier around Gaza and stormed into Israeli communities. Around 1,200 people were killed and some 250 taken hostage.
Israel has laid waste to much of Gaza in response. In less than five months of war, Israel's military has created a staggering humanitarian crisis and 80% of Gaza's 2.3 million people have fled their homes. One assessment suggests half of the coastal enclave's buildings have been damaged or destroyed.
The number of people killed in Gaza rose above 30,534 Monday, with more than 71,980 wounded, the Health Ministry said. Women and children make up around two-thirds of those killed. Two weeks into the war, Omar's family narrowly escaped death. Minutes before it was flattened by an Israeli airstrike, they evacuated the Gaza City apartment they'd bought just months earlier. His aunt's family rushed out of the building next door. It too was bombed. Homeless, with only the clothes on their backs, the families split up to stay with different relatives. But in wartime, seemingly trivial decisions — like where to seek shelter — have outsized consequences. On Dec. 6, two Israeli airstrikes slammed into Omar's grandparents' home in the Nuseirat refugee camp, in central Gaza. The explosion peeled the skin from his face, exposing raw pink layers peppered with deep lacerations. His left arm could not be saved below the elbow. His parents, 6-year-old sister, grandparents, two aunts and a cousin were killed.
Omar was pinned beneath the rubble as rescuers dug with their hands through soot-blackened concrete. Finally they reached his little body, still warm, bleeding but somehow alive, and lifted him to safety. He was the only survivor. As the weeks passed, Omar lay on a bed in a hospital corridor with his arm wrapped in bandages — even as his child's mind somehow imagined it might grow back. The collapsing health care system in Gaza could provide only rudimentary care for the burns on his leg and torso. "Our view was, anywhere is better for him than being in Gaza," said Adib Chouiki, vice president of Rahma Worldwide, a U.S.-based charity, who heard about Omar from the group's humanitarian team in Gaza. Israel and Egypt have tightly restricted the movement of people out of Gaza, allowing just a few hundred to exit each day, mostly those with foreign citizenship. Some Palestinians have been able to get out by using private brokers. The World Health Organization says 2,293 patients – 1,498 wounded and 795 ill – have left Gaza for medical treatment alongside 1,625 companions. Yet roughly 8,000 patients remain on a waiting list to go abroad, according to the U.N. refugee agency.
Chouiki began reaching out to contacts in the Palestinian, Israeli and Egyptian governments. He got new passports issued for Omar and Abu Kuwaik, and Israeli security clearance for the aunt to accompany her nephew from Gaza to Egypt. Abu Kuwaik was taking a leap of faith. Permission to leave Gaza came while Montanti was still working to get U.S. government approval for Omar to fly to New York. "He cried and cried and begged me to take him back to my kids," Abu Kuwaik said. "Eventually we got him into the ambulance and drove toward the border."
After waiting nervously while their paperwork was examined, they were loaded into an Egyptian ambulance and whisked across the Sinai desert.
Once safely in an Egyptian military hospital, Omar and his aunt waited for weeks until U.S. Customs and Border Protection gave them the green light to fly to New York on Jan. 17. Omar's wounds are healing, but he remains deeply traumatized. At Shriners Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, he had skin graft surgery for the severe burn on his leg. A constellation of gray shrapnel scars remain scattered across his face, looking almost like freckles. He was eager to be fitted with his new prosthetic arm, and approached it as it lay on a table Wednesday, smiling mischievously as he reached out to touch it. "My arm is nice.""The kids, they feel whole," Montanti said. "Psychologically it means so much." Shriners is currently treating two other kids from Gaza, including an American citizen who was trapped there when the war began. There are plans to bring another child from Gaza, a 2-year-old boy whose leg was amputated above the knee. He'll be accompanied by his mother, leaving behind family for the sake of her child. Omar and his aunt boarded a plane back to Cairo a day after the boy got his arm. They were accompanied by a member of her extended family who has a home in Egypt, where they'll stay while trying to secure more permanent housing. "I almost don't sleep," Abu Kuwaik said. "I think about Omar and I think about my kids, and the conditions they're living in back there in the tents." Food is scarce. Israel's near-total blockade of Gaza has pushed more than half a million Palestinians toward starvation and raised fears of imminent famine. And the flimsy tent they share with 40 other people offers little protection from rain and wind, she said. When one person gets sick, illness spreads like wildfire. The war has repeatedly knocked out cellphone and internet service in Gaza, but Abu Kuwaik keeps in touch "when there's network." Her family often has to walk to the Kuwaiti Hospital, a hub for journalists, to get a signal. After coming back to Egypt, Omar and his aunt's futures are unclear; they might be stuck in exile. For Abu Kuwaik, though, there's no home for Omar to return to.
"I cannot imagine ... that I go back to Gaza," she said. "What would his life be? Where is his future?

Erdogan and Abbas to discuss delivering aid to Gaza, Turkish source says
ANKARA (Reuters)/Mon, March 4, 2024
President Tayyip Erdogan is set to discuss Turkey's efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during talks this week in Ankara, a Turkish diplomatic source said on Monday. Speaking at a diplomatic forum in Turkey at the weekend, the Palestinian Authority's Foreign Minister Riyad-al Maliki said Abbas would pay a visit to Ankara on Tuesday and meet Erdogan. Turkey, which has harshly criticised Israel for its attacks on Gaza and backed measures to have it tried for genocide at the World Court, has repeatedly called for a ceasefire. But Ankara has no direct involvement in truce talks. Unlike its Western allies and some Gulf nations, NATO member Turkey does not view Hamas, the Palestinian militant group which runs Gaza and on Oct. 7 carried out an attack inside Israel that prompted the Israeli campaign, as a terrorist organisation. Erdogan and Abbas will discuss recent developments in Gaza as well as the situation in the West Bank, the diplomatic source said. "Turkey has been delivering extensive humanitarian aid to Gaza in coordination with Egypt since the beginning of Israel's attacks... Within this scope, humanitarian aid operations will also be discussed during the meetings with President Abbas," the source said.

Around 170 ‘executed’ in three Burkina Faso villages, public prosecutor says
Eve Brennan and Nimi Princewill, CNN/March 4, 2024
Around 170 people have been “executed” in attacks on three villages in Burkina Faso’s northern Yatenga province, the regional public prosecutor has said. Aly Benjamin Coulibaly said in a statement on Friday that his office was initially informed of the “massive murderous attacks” in the villages of Komsilga, Nodin and Soroe on February 25. The statement was re-posted to the country’s justice ministry’s Facebook page on Sunday. Coulibaly said people were also injured, although no figure was given. He appealed for anyone with information to come forward. The statement did not mention which group was behind the attacks. Meanwhile, authorities have yet to announce an official death toll from separate attacks on February 25 that targeted a mosque and a church in the north and east of the country. At least 15 Muslims and 15 Catholics were killed when “hordes of terrorists launched simultaneous attacks” on Tankoualou and Essakane villages, the government press agency Agence d’Information du Burkina (AIB) reported last week. The European Union condemned those attacks while expressing solidarity with the troubled nation. The junta-led West African country is one of the world’s poorest nations and has become an epicenter of violence carried out by Islamist militants linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. The violence began in neighboring Mali in 2012 but has since spread across the arid expanse of the Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert. Large areas of the north and east of Burkina Faso have become ungovernable since 2018. Millions have fled their homes, fearing further raids by gunmen who frequently descend on rural communities on motorbikes. Thousands have been killed.'

Iran election turnout hits record low, hardliners maintain grip on parliament
DUBAI (Reuters)/Parisa Hafezi/March 4, 2024
Turnout in Iran's parliamentary election was around 41%, the country's interior minister said on Monday, the lowest participation since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution that swept the clerical rulers into power. Friday's election was seen as a test of the clerical establishment's legitimacy amid mounting economic struggles and a lack of electoral options for a mostly young population chafing at political and social restrictions."Some 25 million people out of over 61 million eligible Iranians voted in the March 1 election for the 290-seat legislature," Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi told a televised news conference. In the 2020 parliamentary election, turnout was 42.5%. About 62% of voters participated in 2016. Authorities said the turnout "indicated the people's trust in the sacred system of the Islamic Republic". Vahidi said invalid votes made up 5% of the total vote count. Some Iranian media reported that number to be as high as 30%, suggesting signs of disillusionment even among core supporters of the Islamic Republic. "Authorities should listen to the silent majority ... and reform the governance method ... I hope they realise before it's too late to reverse the damage and harm this path will cause," state media quoted reformist politician Azar Mansouri as saying. In some constituencies, where candidates failed to get the required minimum 20% of the votes cast, a run-off will be held in April, Vahidi said. In Tehran, which accounts for 30 seats in parliament, a second round will be held for 16 seats. The election was the first since anti-government protests in 2022-23 that spiralled into one of Iran's worst political turmoil since the Islamic revolution and quelled by a violent crackdown involving mass detentions and even executions. With heavyweight moderates and conservatives staying out and reformists calling the election not free and unfair, the contest was essentially among hardliners and low-key conservatives, all proclaiming loyalty to revolutionary ideals. Iran's parliament, dominated by hardliners for more than two decades, has little impact on foreign policy or Tehran's disputed nuclear programme. These issues are determined by the country's top authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Activists and opposition groups, arguing that a high turnout would legitimise the Islamic Republic, had called for a boycott by widely distributing the hashtags #VOTENoVote and #ElectionCircus on the social media platform X.
Former president Mohammad Khatami, considered the spiritual leader of Iran's reformists, was among critics who did not vote on Friday. Opposition critics say the ruling clerics are no longer capable of solving an economic crisis caused by a mix of mismanagement, corruption and U.S. sanctions reimposed since 2018 when Washington ditched Tehran's nuclear pact with major powers. The parliamentary election was twinned with a vote for the 88-seat Assembly of Experts, an influential body that has the task of choosing the 84-year-old Khamenei's successor.

EU seeks to shift European arms industry to ‘war economy mode’
Reuters/March 4, 2024
The European Commission will propose on Tuesday ways for the European Union to boost its arms industry so it can shift to "war economy mode" in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Thierry Breton, the European industry commissioner, will lay out proposals to encourage EU countries to buy more weapons together from European companies, and to help such firms increase production capacity, according to EU officials. "We need to change the paradigm and move into war economy mode. This also means that the European defence industry must take more risks, with our support," said Breton, previewing the package. Breton, a French former tech company CEO, has also said the possibility of another U.S. presidential term for Donald Trump - who has questioned Washington's commitments to NATO - means Europe has to do more to protect itself. "In the current geopolitical context, Europe must take greater responsibility for its own security, regardless of the outcome of our allies’ elections every four years,” Breton said. Russia’s war in Ukraine has prompted many European countries to increase defence spending. But EU officials argue purely national efforts are less efficient and want EU bodies to play a greater role in defence industrial policy. Analysts say the war has made clear that European industry was ill-prepared for some major challenges, such as a sudden surge in demand for large amounts of artillery ammunition. Breton’s proposals include creating a European version of the U.S. Foreign Military Sales scheme, opens new tab, under which the United States helps other governments to buy from U.S. arms companies. Another proposal would allow the EU to compel European weapons firms to prioritise European orders in times of crisis. To become reality, the proposals will need approval from the EU’s 27 national governments – which have often been reluctant to cede power on defence and military matters – and the European Parliament. The proposals will also be studied closely by NATO, which has said it welcomes EU efforts to help European defence but warned they must not duplicate or clash with the transatlantic alliance's work.

Top Putin Aide Unveils Fantasy Map of New Russian Borders
Shannon Vavra/The Daily BeastThe Daily Beast/March 4, 2024
Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev delivered a sweeping speech Monday claiming “Ukraine is definitely Russia” and spouting anti-Ukraine rhetoric aimed at erasing the country from the map. “Our geostrategic space has been indivisible since the time of the ancient Russian state,” the former Russian president said, presenting a map showing the vast majority of Ukraine’s territory gobbled up by Russia. “This concept must disappear forever. Ukraine is definitely Russia.”Medvedev’s map shows the borders of other countries, including Poland and Romania, changed as well. The speech echoes previous comments from Medvedev, who has repeatedly said he doesn’t think Ukraine should exist, accusing it of being simply a “misconception” following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and an unnecessary part of the world. Russia will not stop its war until Ukraine surrenders, he said in the speech, adding that peace talks with Kyiv were off the table. “Historic parts of the country need to come home. All our adversaries need to understand once and for all a simple fact: that the territories on both banks of the Dnipro River [which bisects Ukraine] are an integral part of Russia's strategic and historical borders.”The aggressive speech comes weeks after Medvedev threatened to use nuclear weapons against the United States and other western allies, and just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to use nuclear weapons if NATO countries contribute troops to help defend Ukraine. The remarks came after French President Emmanuel Macron suggested allies could deploy forces to Ukraine. “They must understand that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory,” Putin said. “All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilization. Don’t they get that?”
The bellicose rhetoric coincides with a Russian information operation aimed at diluting Western support to Ukraine and hasten a Russian victory, according to Germany’s defense minister. Russian state media reported on leaked audio allegedly showing German officers discussing support for Ukraine and the possible provision of Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Kyiv. Leaked Audio Proves Germany Plans to Attack Russian Territory, Kremlin Claims “It is a hybrid attack aimed at disinformation. It is about division. It is about undermining our resolve,” the defense minister, Boris Pistorius, said. Over two years into the war, Ukraine is still heavily dependent on Western support to maintain its defense against Russia. But delays on Capitol Hill in approving more military aid are hampering Ukraine’s defenses, according to Kyiv. In its first major loss since losing Bakhmut last year, Ukraine withdrew from Avdiivka in February, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky citing a gap in artillery and long range weapons supplies and urging western allies to step up support. “Our actions are limited only by ... our strength,” Zelensky said. “Dear friends, unfortunately keeping Ukraine in the artificial deficit of weapons, particularly in deficit of artillery and long-range capabilities, allows Putin to adapt to the current intensity of the war.”Just over the weekend, Zelensky again blamed delays from allies in supplying air defenses for the deaths of 12 people in an attack in Odesa early this month. “Delaying the supply of weapons to Ukraine, missile defense systems to protect our people, leads, unfortunately, to such losses,” Zelensky said. “When lives are lost, and partners are simply playing internal political games or disputes that limit our defense, it’s impossible to understand. It’s unacceptable.”

Shehbaz Sharif sworn in as Pakistan’s prime minister, capping weeks of political upheaval
SHAHJAHAN KHURRAM/Arab News/March 04, 2024
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took oath as Pakistan's prime minister for a second term on Monday, taking over a troubled country of 241 million people that faces profound political, economic and security challenges. Sharif, 72, officially took up office at a swearing-in ceremony at the presidential office in the nation's capital, Islamabad. On Sunday, Sharif, the candidate for his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and coalition allies, secured a comfortable win over Omar Ayub Khan of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of jailed former PM Imran Khan.  His election comes three weeks after Feb. 8 general elections threw up a hung National Assembly, unleashing weeks of protests by opposition parties over allegations of rigging and vote count fraud. “As prime minister of Pakistan, I will discharge my duties, and perform my functions, honestly, to the best of my ability, faithfully in accordance with the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the law," Shehbaz said as he took oath. In his first speech after being voted in on Sunday, Sharif spoke about the struggling $350 billion economy and said it would require "radical reforms" to rid the country of its financial difficulties. “Can a nuclear-capable Pakistan sustain its existence with the burden of debts,” he had asked. “It will sustain if we collectively decide on a deep surgery and change the system. We have to bring reforms.”Sharif, the younger brother of former three-time premier Nawaz Sharif, played a key role as prime minister in keeping together a coalition of disparate parties for 16 months after parliament voted Imran Khan out of office in April 2022, and in securing a last gasp International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout deal in 2023. He now faces an overlapping trio of political, economic and security crises, much like in his previous tenure. Sharif's first order of business will be negotiating a new bailout deal with the IMF. The current IMF program expires this month.
A new program will mean committing to steps needed to stay on a narrow path to recovery, but which will limit policy options to provide relief to a deeply frustrated population and cater to industries that are looking for government support to spur growth. Inflation touched a high of 38 percent with record depreciation of the rupee currency under Sharif’s last government, mainly due to structural reforms necessitated by the IMF program. Pakistan continues to be enmeshed in economic crisis with inflation remaining high, hovering around 30 percent, and economic growth slowing to around 2 percent. The new PM will also have to tackle a spike in attacks by the Pakistani Taliban and other groups, including separatists. But the gravest challenge will be on the political front. Independent candidates backed by Khan gained the most seats, 93, after the elections, but the PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of the Bhutto dynasty agreed to an alliance to form a coalition government. No single party won a majority. The Sunni Ittehad Council backed by Khan alleges that the election was rigged against it and has called for an audit of the polls. Lowering political temperatures will thus be a key challenge for Sharif as Khan maintains mass popular support in Pakistan, and a continued crackdown on his party and his remaining in jail would likely stoke tensions at a time when stability is needed to attract foreign investment to shore up the economy. For now, the Khan-led opposition has signaled it would "cooperate" with the new government on issues of public concern but keep protesting the alleged manipulation of election results. Sharif will also have to manage ties with the all-powerful military, which has directly or indirectly dominated Pakistan since independence. Unlike his elder brother, who has had a rocky relationship with the military in all his three terms, the younger Sharif is considered more acceptable and compliant by the generals, most independent analysts say. For several years, the military has denied it interferes in politics. But it has in the past directly intervened to topple civilian governments and no prime minister has finished a full five-year term since independence in 1947.

Houthis attack ship off Yemen’s Aden
SAEED AL-BATATI/Arab News/March 04, 2024
AL-MUKALLA: The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency cautioned ships crossing the Red Sea on Monday to exercise care after a vessel reported an incident around 91 nautical miles southeast of Yemen’s port city of Aden. This came as a UN official said on Monday that attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militia on ships in the Red Sea have quadrupled global shipping costs and cut cargo movement by 30 percent. Oleg Kobyakov, director of the office for liaison with Russia at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, told the Russian news agency TASS that what he called the Houthis’ “blockade” of the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab Strait has led to an increase in the price of goods across the globe, hurt the movement of goods, increased fuel bills for ships by an average of 15 percent, and pushed many shipping companies into taking the “8,000 km” route through the Cape of Good Hope to travel between Asia and Europe to avoid Houthi attacks. “The blockade of Bab Al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea by the Houthis is hurting global food trade. The cost of chartering a ship to travel along this route has almost quadrupled while cargo traffic has dropped by 30 percent,” he said. Since November, the Houthis have targeted scores of commercial and naval ships going through international seas near Yemen, seized a commercial ship, and blocked the Red Sea before all Israel-bound ships. The Houthis claim their assaults are intended to push Israel to break its embargo on Gaza. On Feb. 18, Houthi missiles targeted the MV Rubymar, a Belize-flagged and Lebanese-operated ship, severely damaging it and triggering a big oil leak in the Red Sea. The ship, carrying more than 21,000 tonnes of fertilizer, sank on Saturday, raising global fears about a possible environmental disaster in the Red Sea as well as hazards to trade along the critical route. Similarly, the Houthis have accused the US of exaggerating the environmental damage of the ship and its contents. The ship’s around 21,000 tonnes of ammonium phosphate sulfate fertilizer are good for fish and coral reefs, as well as helping plants grow in seawater, according to Houthi media official Nasr Al-Din Amer, who purportedly cited a study by an “international” fertilizer production business. Amer said in a post on X that the study “refutes American propaganda about the ‘Red Sea disaster.’” Meanwhile, the Houthis have announced the mobilization of thousands of fighters in the central province of Marib under the banner of “supporting people in Palestine,” raising concerns in Yemen that the Houthis are using public outrage over Israel’s war in Gaza to resume a military offensive in Marib. The Houthis said on Sunday that 4,000 of their armed militants journeyed for three days and 100 km from the Harf Sufyan District in the province of Amran to Marib’s Majzar District, where they would settle in preparation for instructions from their commanders to “reinforce” Palestinians. Another 2,500 infantry Houthi men marched from the same Amran province to Marib on Saturday, allegedly to help Palestinians, according to Houthi official media. Between January 2021 and April 2022, thousands of civilians and combatants were killed in the province of Marib when the Houthis began a massive military assault to capture control of the region. Despite moving closer to the city, the Houthis lost thousands of men, failed to seize Marib, and were forced to halt their attack in April 2022 under a UN-brokered ceasefire. With the current Houthi military rallies outside Marib, Yemen’s government authorities have raised the alarm about a possible Houthi assault on the city under the pretext of battling Israel.

Latest English LCCC  analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on March 04-05/2024
"Incorporating Sharia Law into European Legal Systems": A State in India Bans Sharia
Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute./March 4, 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/127577/127577/
Lawmakers in an Indian state... have approved landmark legislation to... [ban] discrimination against women based on Islamic sharia law... personal laws that would be common for all citizens, regardless of religion.
Replacing sharia law with a universal civil code across all of India would vastly ensure more rights for women and children and secure gender equality, and would be most welcome in other nations on the grounds of humanitarian fairness.
"By 2030, there will be 60 million Muslims living in Europe. We are witnessing the process of the Islamisation of Europe, including Belgium, France, Germany and Sweden.... Mosques financed by Islamic countries are the backdrop for Muslims' lives in Europe... Koranic schools are financed mainly by the rich Gulf states." — Elżbieta Kruk, Member of the European Parliament, July 7, 2020.
Three choices are offered to non-Muslims: conversion to Islam, sword or dhimmitude, an inferior status in which non-Muslims are allowed to survive as long as they pay tribute.... Western nations must choose a fourth path: freedom. And this new choice would require more courage, resolve and strength as opposed to appeasement and surrender.
Lawmakers in an Indian state... have approved landmark legislation to... [ban] discrimination against women based on Islamic sharia law... personal laws that would be common for all citizens, regardless of religion.
Lawmakers in an Indian state ruled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have approved landmark legislation to unify personal laws across religions, a move that bans discrimination against women based on Islamic sharia law.
Approval by the State of Uttarakhand makes it the first in the country since independence from Britain in 1947 to pass a Uniform Civil Code (UCC). The bill provides uniformity in personal laws regarding inheritance, marriage, divorce and adoption, amongst others, across various communities in Uttarakhand. The new bill mandates a set of personal laws that would be common for all citizens, regardless of religion.
According to India Today:
"The Uttarakhand UCC bill makes it mandatory to register live-in relationships and puts a complete ban on polygamy and child marriage. It also recommends a common marriageable age for girls across all faiths and similar procedures for divorce."
India, a secular democracy with a majority Hindu population, also hosts a population of more than 200 million Muslims. It is the world's third-largest "Muslim country."
While Muslims in India are allowed to follow sharia law in matters such as family or inheritance, India's central government could end this by adopting a Uniform Civil Code for all citizens of India, on a national scale.
Sharia law in Islam is, sadly, not favorable to women, their status, or rights. Under sharia law, Muslim men are allowed to marry up to four wives and have been granted the upper hand when it comes to supremacy in the home, divorce, and spousal and child support.
In addition, while the legal age of marriage in India is 21 for men and 18 for women, sharia law in the country states that those who have attained puberty are eligible to be married.
Replacing sharia law with a universal civil code across all of India would vastly ensure more rights for women and children and secure gender equality, and would be most welcome in other nations on the grounds of humanitarian fairness.
Reuters reported on February 7:
"'The Uniform Civil Code will give the right to equality to everyone without any discrimination. ... We must make history by clearing it,' said Pushkar Singh Dhami, the [Uttarakhand] state's chief minister, just before BJP lawmakers and some others voted in favor of the bill.
"Rooted in the framework of the Indian Constitution, the code puts an end to religious interpretation of laws guiding marriage, divorce, maintenance, inheritance, adoption and succession.
"Dhami said it 'provides security to women and empowers them.'
"The code sets a minimum marriageable age for both genders. It guarantees equal rights to men and women on issues pertaining to divorce, share in ancestral property and offers rights to adopted children, those born out of wedlock or were conceived through surrogate births.
"A legal expert working on the UCC bill in Uttarakhand said Islam's Sharia laws permits polygamy and has no stringent rules to prohibit marriage of minors."
Although America's First Amendment states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," in fact, Utah was not able to become a state in 1896 until, in Congress's Edmunds-Tucker Act of 1887, it had banned polygamy. The passing of this landmark civil code in the Indian state of Uttarakhand sets a crucial example for the West, which increasingly appears caught between universal rights for everyone or the right to restrict universal rights in favor of religious rights.
Sharia courts, or councils, have been established in many countries in the West, such as Canada. In 2004, Margaret Wente writing for the Globe and Mail reported:
"The province of Ontario has authorized the use of sharia law in civil arbitrations, if both parties consent. The arbitrations will deal with such matters as property, marriage, divorce, custody and inheritance. The arbitrators can be imams, Muslim elders or lawyers. In theory, their decisions aren't supposed to conflict with Canadian civil law. But because there is no third-party oversight, and no duty to report decisions, no outsider will ever know if they do. These decisions can be appealed to the regular courts. But for Muslim women, the pressures to abide by the precepts of sharia are overwhelming. To reject sharia is, quite simply, to be a bad Muslim."
Under sharia, if women do not do what the men in their family tell them – regarding, for instance, "dressing too Western," undergoing genital mutilation, where, how and with whom they can spend their leisure time, or being in the unsupervised company of an unrelated man -- the consequences can be severe, from being beaten to being killed. Some women, notes the author Ayaan Hirsi Ali, "not only comply with those rules but ... also enforce them."
Where, one wonders, are the women in the West, the self-described "feminists," to help protect these women, or even to even to speak out against such abuse? Instead, many claim that they "choose" to wear a hijab; that it is "empowering." In Iran, however, women are being imprisoned, raped, tortured and killed, for "choosing" not to wear a hijab.
What happens if a Muslim woman "chooses" not to, such as the BBC journalist Bella Hassan -- in London?:
"I no longer feel accepted in my own community and I no longer feel that I am safe.... After I took off my hijab, I started getting death and rape threats from men. They were criticising me, slut shaming me - men I didn't know.... There is no specific punishment for women who don't wear the hijab. It says in the Quran that God will deal with them, but Muslim men from my country decided to deal with me, instead of God."
Sharia law is creeping into Europe through Islamist parties and organizations, accompanied by the problem that some of the extremely religiously observant would reportedly like to "impose sharia" on everyone. In 2013, more than a decade ago, Mara Bizzotto, a member of the European Parliament, informed the European Commission that:
"In Spain, Norway, Sweden and Finland, Islamist parties whose manifestoes revolve around the ultimate goal of incorporating sharia law into European legal systems, are growing increasingly stronger. In the most recent local elections held in the Belgian capital Brussels, two members of an Islamist movement who have publicly stated that they want to do all they can to impose sharia in Belgium within the next 20 years, were elected as town councillors in the municipalities of Molenbeek and Anderlecht.
"In an interview, the newly elected town councillors said, in reference to imposing sharia, that it was still too soon as society was not ready and that they would have to cut too many people's hands off. They also propose banning mixed-sex working environments and reintroducing the death penalty."
Britain seems to be one of the most striking instances. Sharia councils – also known as Sharia courts – have existed in the UK since the early 1980s. The Islamic Sharia Council, based in Leyton, East London, was established in 1982.
"These organizations are accused of operating a parallel legal system in the UK," reported Susanna Lukacs, a researcher, in 2023.
"While their rulings have no legal validity, they have a decision-making capacity. Currently, there is no reliable statistic on the number of sharia councils in England and Wales, estimates vary between 80-85 and they are growing in number."
According to a 2019 report by David Torrance, an expert on constitutional law at the House of Commons Library:
On 22 January 2019, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe agreed the text of Resolution 2253: Sharia, the Cairo Declaration and the European Convention on Human Rights. Paragraph 8 states that the Assembly is:
"'concerned about the 'judicial' activities of 'Sharia councils' in the United Kingdom. Although they are not considered part of the British legal system, Sharia councils attempt to provide a form of alternative dispute resolution, whereby members of the Muslim community, sometimes voluntarily, often under considerable social pressure, accept the irreligious jurisdiction mainly in marital and Islamic divorce issues, but also in matters relating to inheritance and Islamic commercial contracts. The Assembly is concerned that the rulings of the Sharia councils clearly discriminate against women in divorce and inheritance cases. The Assembly is aware that informal Islamic Courts may exist in other Council of Europe member States too.'"
Sharia is Islamic law. It is based on the sunnah -- the "path" or way of life of Islam's prophet Muhammad as recorded in the Hadith (the sayings and deeds of Muhammad, passed down orally and written roughly 200 years after his death). It is an organized body of rules derived from various Quranic verses and historical narrations.
According to sharia, leaving or criticizing Islam is punishable by death. Jihad (warfare in the service of Islam) is a communal obligation; homosexuals must be killed; a husband is allowed to beat his wife to discipline her; a woman is not allowed to marry or get a divorce on her own free will; non-Muslims have to pay a special "poll" tax (the jizya) to Muslim authorities; marrying children at the age of puberty is permitted and, the sexual slavery of non-Muslim women is condoned.
The website "thereligionofpeace.com" summarizes what sharia law entails according to Islamic scriptures by referencing the classic manual, Reliance of the Traveller, considered one of the soundest translations of Islamic law:
"Sharia is explicitly opposed to religious freedom, freedom of conscience and the free exchange of ideas. It is violent, openly bigoted toward non-Muslims, discriminatory, and unflinchingly sexist. Large sections deal with the practice of slavery. None of this changes by affixing a 'phobia' label or otherwise insulting detractors."
The website quotes from "the classic manual, Reliance of the Traveller, considered one of the soundest translations of Islamic law":
Jihad means to war against non-Muslims, and is etymologically derived from the word mujahada signifying warfare to establish the religion...
The scriptural basis for jihad... is such Koranic verses as:
-1- "Fighting is prescribed for you" (Koran 2: 216);
-2- "Slay them wherever you find them" (Koran 4: 89);
-3- "Fight the idolators utterly" (Koran 9: 36)...
According to the (Koran 9: 29):
"Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day... (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued."
Sharia has strict rules discriminating against women. According to thereligionofpeace.com, citing Reliance of the Traveller:
"A woman may not 'conduct her own marriage', meaning that she is not free to marry by choice. A male guardian is required to validate the marriage agreement.
"A woman is not free to choose her guardian. It is assigned by family relation. Once she is married, she becomes the charge of her husband's guardianship.
"A Muslim woman may not marry a non-Muslim man (Quran 2:221).
"An untranslated portion of the Sharia even forbids an Arab woman from marrying a non-Arab man.
"A woman has no right to custody of her children from a previous marriage when she remarries.
"It is obligatory for a woman to let her husband have sex with her immediately when he asks her... and she can physically endure it.
"It is not lawful for a wife to leave the house except by the permission of her husband.
"When a husband notices signs of rebelliousness in his wife, he warns her in words. If she commits rebelliousness, he keeps from sleeping with her without words, and may hit her, but not in a way that injures her, meaning he may not break bones, wound her, or cause blood to flow.
"The indemnity for the death or injury of a woman is one-half the indemnity paid for a man.
'Divide the universal share so the male receives the portion of two females (Rule of inheritance based on the Quran 4:11)
"It is unlawful for women to leave the house with faces unveiled."
The website cites Reliance of the Traveller on Sharia law rules regarding non-Muslims:
"The indemnity paid for a Jew or Christian is one-third of the indemnity paid for a Muslim. The indemnity paid of a Zoroastrian is one-fifteenth of that a Muslim.
"It is not permissible to give zakat [almsgiving] to a non-Muslim.
"It is offensive to use the vessels [dishes] of non-Muslims or wear their clothes.
"A non-Muslim may not touch the Quran.
"Non-Muslims are not allowed to 'mix' with Muslims at certain events.
"It is permissible for a Muslim to visit a non-Muslim who is ill, but not recommended. (Same with visiting the grave of a non-Muslim relative.)
"A non-Muslim may not inherit from a Muslim. (or vice versa)
"There is no penalty for a Muslim who kills a non-Muslim.
"Non-Muslim subjects of an Islamic state may live free from harm if they:
- pay a special 'poll' tax (the jizya)
- comply with certain Islamic rules, specifically the penalty for adultery (stoning) and theft (amputation)
- distinguish themselves from Muslims by dressing differently
- keep to the side of the side of the street when Muslims pass
- accept a lesser form of greeting
- agree not to build new churches or ring church bells
- do not build houses higher than those of Muslims
"The agreement is broken if the non-Muslim breaks the rules, fails to pay the poll tax, 'leads a Muslim away from Islam', 'mentions something impermissible' about Islam, or marries or has sex with a Muslim woman. If this happens, then the non-Muslim is treated as a prisoner and may be lynched -- provided they do not first 'convert' to Islam before the sentence is rendered."
Last year, in Cameroon, for example, 30 fishermen were kidnapped and 10 others murdered for refusing to pay their "taxes" (jizya).
According to thereligionofpeace.com, citing Reliance of the Traveller, the rules of sharia law regarding art and music include:
"Musical instruments are condemned.
"One should know that singing or listening to singing is offensive (with the exception of songs that encourage piety).
"Every maker of pictures will go to the fire, where a being will be set upon him for each picture he made, to torment him in hell
"Pictures imitate the creative act of Allah (when they are of animate beings).
"It is unlawful to decorate walls with pictures (generally interpreted as pictures of animate beings)."
In 2020, Elżbieta Kruk, a Member of the European Parliament from the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, presented a written question to the European Commission. She said:
"By 2030, there will be 60 million Muslims living in Europe. We are witnessing the process of the Islamisation of Europe, including Belgium, France, Germany and Sweden. Muslims are living in closed communities, mainly in the suburbs of cities, which are de facto not subject to the law of the land. In these communities, Sharia law applies and families living there pay Islamic taxes in accordance with Sharia law.
"According to a report by France's Directorate-General for Internal Security (DGSI), commissioned by former French Minister of the Interior Christophe Castaner, as many as 150 urban districts are controlled by Islamic fundamentalists. In France, the police have virtually no access to these districts, and they must be protected by the French Army if they wish to enter 'no go' zones.
"Mosques financed by Islamic countries are the backdrop for Muslims' lives in Europe. In Muslim-controlled districts and micro-territories there is discrimination against girls in public schools, and children and young people are subjected to Islamic indoctrination. Koranic schools are financed mainly by the rich Gulf states.
"1. What steps is the Commission taking to better integrate Muslim communities?
"2. What steps is the Commission taking to combat discrimination against Muslim women and girls in Europe?
"3. What measures will the Commission propose to reduce the phenomenon of Islamic radicalisation inside Europe, which takes place under the guise of religious education?"
Effective measures the European Commission could implement include banning sharia courts or councils across Europe, strictly monitoring mosques and Islamic schools, banning any foreign funding to Islamist organizations, banning the foreign funding of mosques and schools, and deporting radical Muslims who call for jihad or sharia law.
As recent marches across Europe in support of the terrorist group Hamas have made clear, Europe is facing a serious, intermittently violent, jihad. The surge of migrants can also be understood not just as hope for a better economic opportunity, also as "emigration for the sake of Allah."
India shows the West an alternative path: to protect the rights of everyone, especially women and children, and to ensure the human rights of liberty and freedom for everyone.
As Bat Ye'or, the author of eight books on the history of Islam and dhimmitude, six of which are available in English, said in an interview:
"Every European is aware of Europe's transformation under the pressure of massive Muslim immigration. Some Muslims are perfectly integrated and oppose the Islamization of European school teaching, culture, law, society. No European or American well integrated in its Western and Judeo-Christian culture could possibly welcome its replacement by a Koranic shariah society, imposing its religious conception of history which affirms that jihad is just and resistance to jihad is aggression. Nor could he accept the discriminated condition of the women, the denial of the equality of human beings, and the restrictions on knowledge."
As the increasing number of Islamists in the West demonstrates, the future of Western civilization is threatened by Islamization. The Islamic ideology of conquest demands that a land, once conquered for Islam, belongs in perpetuity to Muslims. Three choices are offered to non-Muslims: conversion to Islam, sword or dhimmitude, an inferior status in which non-Muslims are allowed to survive as long as they pay tribute.
All these options are against human dignity. Western nations must choose a fourth path: freedom. And this new choice would require more courage, resolve and strength as opposed to appeasement and surrender.
*Uzay Bulut, a Turkish journalist, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 2024 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20459/india-sharia-law

Islamic State Calls for Beheading and Burning of Every Western Civilian
Raymond Ibrahim./March 4, 2024 
https://www.raymondibrahim.com/2024/03/04/islamic-state-calls-for-beheading-and-burning-of-every-western-civilian/
On Jan. 4, 2024, the Islamic State (ISIS or IS) claimed the terror attack on Kerman, Iran, where 100 were killed on Jan. 3. In the same audio recording, titled “And Kill Them Wherever You Find Them [Koran 9:5],” IS unwittingly underscored the rigidity of Islam, and how some of its demands may appear counterintuitive to even “radical” Muslims.
The statement begins with a predictable encomium to jihad and the importance of al-wala’ wa’l-bara’ (love for Muslims and hate for non-Muslims). It then moves on to “the crimes of murder and ugly massacres perpetrated by the Jews against the Muslims of Gaza.”
While also predictably denouncing the Jews as “one of the sects who holds the most animosity to Muslims,” the statement urges a more focused jihad, one not based on modern or secular priorities—such as human, national, or territorial rights—but rather jihad in keeping with Islam’s worldview:
The battle with the Jews is a religious one and not a national or populist one! It is not a battle for land, soil, or borders! In fact, it is a war that is legitimized by the Book [Koran] and the Sunnah, and not through national rules or jahiliyah [pagan] laws. A Muslim fights the Jews because they have committed kufr [disbelief] against Allah Almighty, they have fought His prophets, and have held animosity toward Muslims.
Thus, Muslims must fight Jews for no less a reason than that Jews reject Islam. This, of course, is very consistent with Islamic doctrine: Muslims must hate, fight, and subjugate all non-Muslims “until all religion is Allah’s (Koran 8:39).”
IS especially emphasized that true jihad has nothing to do with either national (Palestinian) identity or territory:
[T]he purpose of battle is to impose tawhid for Allah and upholding His word. This purpose has been absent from the latest battle in Gaza, and was very apparent in the official speeches and declarations made by the [Arab/Muslim] leaders of the various groups. The battle from its beginning to its end is being fought over soil, and a country that they have made into a reason to spill blood for!
Thus, Muslims must not support the Palestinian Authority, because the PA does not represent Islam, but rather national secularism. As the statement goes on to say:
Islam is what granted Palestine its place, and land has no value if it was not to be ruled by the Shar’iah of the Merciful, whether it was to be ruled by ‘Abbas or Dahlan, and it will all be the same whether Gaza and the West Bank are ruled by America’s allies or Iran’s allies…. O fighter: Know that Allah only commanded you to fight for His sake, and a fight for His sake can only be in the light of the divine Shari’ah, establishing its rule and lifting its banner. The fight cannot be for national legitimacy, and the kufr covenants of the United Nations.
Even the very idea of “Palestinian liberation” is a farce said the IS statement:
[T]his interpretation of liberation itself requires liberation. Liberating a land does not mean to free it from one secular government in favor of a democratic one, and it does not mean releasing it from a Jewish constitution only to be governed by a Palestinian constitution, for the laws that govern Palestine and the Jewish statelet are one, they are man made and all such governments are alike to the Almighty Allah. A land not ruled by Islamic Shari’ah is not liberated even if all Jews and invaders leave it. In fact, it is still a captive of kufr laws, and international jahiliya codes.
Due to its Shia nature, IS also condemned Iran, which it had bombed a day earlier, as a false Muslim entity—just as evil and devious as Israel, America, etc. If Iran does not uphold true Islam, the Sunni terror group argues, why should any Muslim root or fight for it?
Forging an alliance with the Rafidah [Sunni term for Shia] is a mistake made by the Brotherhood since they were bewitched by the shirk [paganism] of the Iranian Revolutions. This bewitchment reached its peak in the last few years and was manifested by the Palestinian factions throwing themselves into Iran’s lap, and announcing what they called “The Axis of Resistance” and “The al-Quds Axis.” In doing so, the Palestinian factions allowed Iran to take center stage on the Palestinian scene, making them appear like the saviors and defenders of Palestine…. The Rafidah have waged war upon Islam past and present. Their expansions [sic] plans, their projects, and their plots against Muslims are no less dangerous and spiteful than those of the Jews or Crusaders…
Not only are the Shia of Iran false Muslims, but so too are the rulers of most Sunni nations:
The war against Gaza has again revealed the truth about the Arab tawaghit [tyrants] who rule over Muslim lands, in Egypt, Jordan Lebanon, the Gulf countries and others, that they are part of the Jewish-Crusader war against Muslims. They are not only their allies in the war against Gaza, but have been for years in their previous wars against Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq, Sham, and others. Allah Almighty identified and determined the law about these people when He said: “O believers! Take neither Jews nor Christians as guardians—they are guardians of each other. Whoever does so will be counted as one of them. Surely Allah does not guide the wrong-doing people [Koran 5:51].” The Arab governments and militaries that are allied with and loyal to the Jews and Christians are one with them, and fighting them in jihad is an obligation upon Muslims exactly like fighting the Jews and Christians. In fact, we assert that, today, the battle with the Jews today is really a battle with the allies of the Jews more so than with the Jews themselves….”
So what is the Islamic State’s solution? Wage random and horrific terror attacks on all of the above (Note: readers are urged to read the following excerpt especially close):
Lions of Islam: Chase your preys whether Jewish, Christian or their allies, on the streets and roads of America, Europe, and the world. Break into their homes, kill them and steal their peace of mind by any means you can lay hands on. Understand that you are the arm of the Islamic State hitting in the kuffar’s [infidels’] homelands, and are avenging the Muslims in Palestine, Iraq, Sham, and other Muslim countries. Solidify your plans and diversify the attacks: detonate explosives, burn them with grenades and fiery agents, shoot them with bullets, cut their throats with sharp knives, and run them over with vehicles. A sincere person will not lack the means to draw blood from the hearts of the Jews, the Christians, and their allies, and thus ease the suffering in the hearts of the believers. Come at them from every door, kill them by the worst of means, turn their gatherings and celebrations into bloody massacres, do not distinguish between a civilian kaffir, and a military one, for they are all kuffar and the ruling against them is one…. Intentionally seek easy targets before hard ones, civilian targets before military one, religious targets like synagogues and churches before others, for this will satisfy the soul and will demonstrate the characteristics of the battle, as our battle with them is a religious one and we kill them wherever we come upon them in response to Allah Almighty’s command.
As counterintuitive as the above assertions may seem, they do, alas, comport with Islamic teaching: all non-Muslims are enemies to be terrorized and slaughtered; national and territorial disputes are and always have been superfluous.

How Gaza war has revitalized global solidarity with the Palestinians
Ramzy Baroud/Arab News/March 04, 2024
Jared Kushner, a former US official whose relationship to power is that he married the wealthy daughter of a man who was later to become the US president, once attempted to teach Palestinians how to handle their own struggle for freedom.
In 2019, he advised Palestinians to stop “doing terrorism,” summing up the Palestinian problem with the claim that “5 million Palestinians are … trapped because of bad leadership,” not the Israeli occupation or US support for Israel.
The inexperienced politician, who once bragged about reading 25 books on the Middle East, presented Palestinians with the same cliched rhetoric already offered to them by other ill-intentioned, self-imposed “peacemakers.”
Palestinians “have a perfect track record of missing opportunities,” he said, rehashing the condescending language once used by former Israeli Foreign Minister Abba Eban: “If they screw this up, I think that they will have a very hard time looking the international community in the face, saying they are victims.”
But why bring up Kushner now? Every few years, Americans, at the behest of Israel, peddle ideas such as that the Palestinian cause is finished, that solidarity with the Palestinian people is dead and that the Palestinian people and their leadership should accept whatever political or financial crumbs are thrown their way, courtesy of Washington, Tel Aviv and a few of their Western allies.
While Palestinians cannot control their victimization, since it is imposed on them, they do not seek to be victims
Yet, every few years, the Palestinian people prove them wrong; that, despite all the pressures — arm-twisting, sanctions, sieges and relentless violence — they remain strong and not the victims, as they were ignorantly dubbed by Kushner.
What Kushner may not know is that there is a critical difference between victim and victimhood. While Palestinians cannot control their victimization, since it is imposed on them from an outside force, Israel — generously financed by the US — they do not seek to be victims. Victimhood is a different issue. It is the state of perceiving oneself as a perpetual victim, with no aspirations, no agency. While it is true that the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza is one of the greatest crimes of mass killings and ethnic cleansing in modern history, it is also true that no nation has, in recent decades, fought back as ferociously as the Palestinians. This is hardly the behavior of a victim.
The Biden administration, like every other US administration, has talked down to Palestinians, declaring them foolish for not accepting political deals that would fail to guarantee them the most basic of their long-denied rights. While Palestinians sought total and unconditional freedom, Camp David (1979), the Oslo Accords (1993 and 1995), the Road Map (2004) and every other “offer” were political attempts at prolonging the Israeli occupation and denying the rights of the Palestinians. Kushner’s proposal was no exception.
All of these previous American “peace proposals” were obviously unfair, as they were to Israel’s advantage and were designed entirely independent of international and humanitarian laws. All of these pro-Israeli proposals have failed, not due to the international community’s ability to challenge Washington, but due to the tenacity of the Palestinian people.
Palestinians defeated the US agenda, but that was not enough to clinch their freedom, simply because they were in this difficult battle alone.
Today’s new solidarity has exceeded the confines of conditional solidarity, ideological solidarity and symbolic solidarity. Solidarity with the Palestinian people has been one of the pillars of international solidarity movements worldwide for decades. The phrase “Free Palestine” has been written on countless walls, in every language, in every city, town or working-class neighborhood. Still, that solidarity has not been enough to turn the tide, to achieve the coveted paradigm shift or to reach the critical mass needed to globalize the struggle for the freedom of the Palestinians the way that the struggle to end South Africa’s apartheid system imposed itself as a moral necessity on the whole world. There should be no illusions that the anti-apartheid struggle of South Africa and the struggle for Palestinian freedom are identical. Back then, the global geopolitical shift made it difficult for South Africa to maintain its regime of racial segregation. Moreover, the power of that racist government, if compared to Israel and its backers, was minuscule.
Washington sees Israel as an integral part of America’s global influence. For US politicians, Israel is a domestic as well as a foreign policy issue. Moreover, if Israel ceases to exist in its current dominant form, the US will lose a stronghold in a region teeming with precious resources, strategic waterways and much more. This is precisely why Biden has repeatedly declared that, “if Israel didn't exist, we would have to invent it.”
However, things are finally changing and today’s new solidarity, ignited by the worst killing campaign in the history of the region, has exceeded the confines of conditional solidarity, ideological solidarity and symbolic solidarity, which, to some extent, had previously defined global solidarity with the Palestinians.
This solidarity is now expressing itself at the highest level of political discourses. In his testimony before the International Court of Justice’s public hearings last month, Chinese representative Ma Xinmin went as far as defending, while referencing international law, the Palestinian people’s right to armed struggle. Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia called for sanctions on “those who obstruct humanitarian access to those in need.” And many European governments, such as Spain, Ireland, Norway and Belgium, are using unprecedented language to describe Israel’s war crimes in Gaza, while demanding real action. Meanwhile, the Global South is back at the forefront of championing the cause of Palestine as the world’s most inspiring national liberation struggle.
None of this was created in a vacuum. While the majority of post-Oct. 7 global protests and rallies have been related to Palestine and Israel, 86 percent of them were reportedly pro-Palestine. It is not only the frequency or size of the current protests that matter, but their nature as well. This includes Palestine activists taking over the US Congress building and an American soldier self-immolating out of sheer anger at the culpability of his government in the crimes underway in Gaza.
This is truly earth-shattering. The critical mass for meaningful solidarity has finally been achieved, signaling that, once more, Palestinians have imposed themselves as the guardians of their own struggle, standing proudly at the front line of the global struggle for freedom and justice.
This leaves us with the question: Who is truly “having a hard time looking the international community in the face?” Certainly not the Palestinian people.
*Dr. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and author. He is editor of The Palestine Chronicle and nonresident senior research fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs. His latest book, co-edited with Ilan Pappe, is “Our Vision for Liberation: Engaged

Europe should brace itself for loss of US protection
Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami/Arab News/March 04, 2024
The European community was taken aback when former US President Donald Trump last month made a startling declaration: that, if reelected, he would allow Russia free rein with American allies who fail to contribute adequately to their own defense. These remarks drew widespread criticism across Europe, reigniting memories of Trump’s contentious stance toward the continent during his presidency, albeit now with escalated intensity.
The sharpness and hostility of his words were particularly alarming given the current geopolitical landscape in Europe, marked by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which represents the gravest threat to the continent since the Second World War. Moreover, various regions are witnessing heightened competition and threats to US influence, amplifying concerns that Washington may either disengage or adopt an isolationist stance under Trump’s leadership, potentially undoing the progress made in transatlantic relations during President Joe Biden’s tenure in the White House.
Over the decades, transatlantic relations have been deemed reliable and largely beneficial, with Europe receiving substantial resources and the protection of its interests through its alliance with the US. In return, the US bolstered its international standing through its alliance with Europe. Even after the Cold War, Europe remained an indispensable strategic and defense partner of America. Until recently, the dissolution of this strategic alliance seemed inconceivable to many.
Trump’s remarks can be viewed as a wake-up call for Europe to assume a greater role in financing its security. It is worth noting that such pressures on Europe are not exclusive to Trump but have been the subject of discussion since the reign of Barack Obama. European countries have responded positively to US demands, with many nearing the fulfillment of their defense expenditure commitments according to a specified timetable. In fact, some countries have already surpassed the required threshold.
Trump’s remarks can be viewed as a wake-up call for Europe to assume a greater role in financing its security
In the current dynamic, Europe finds itself caught between two contrasting views: Biden, who regards it as the paramount US asset abroad, and Trump, who perceives it as a burden to be shed. Consequently, there are factors at play that exacerbate the erosion of confidence and necessitate a reassessment of the prevailing pattern of dependence. Firstly, this relationship has become entangled in partisan competition and division, reaching unprecedented levels of discord within the US political landscape. This discord poses a potential danger to Europe, as evidenced by the halt in urgent aid to Ukraine due to partisan differences, which resulted in a shift in the balance of power on the ground in favor of Russia.
Secondly, the relationship has been impacted by changes that have reshaped the structure of the international system previously established by the two parties. The era of global peace has ended, giving way to a resurgence of geopolitical conflicts, prompting Washington to reconfigure its international alliances to safeguard its hegemony and global influence.
Meanwhile, NATO faces challenges within the continent and relies heavily on Washington, leaving it seemingly incapacitated in the absence of strong US support. Additionally, there are European factions advocating for greater autonomy, particularly in matters of defense.
It appears that reality may compel Washington to adopt unconventional policies toward its European allies
Hence, it appears that reality may compel Washington to adopt unconventional policies toward its European allies; a situation not unfamiliar to the US. The shifts witnessed in the US’ relationship with its allies in the Middle East serve as a recent example, as the region’s importance has waned within US strategy over the years. Internationally, Washington reduced its engagement, sending a message akin to Trump’s message to Europe: allies must assume greater responsibility for their own defense. Concurrently, this approach afforded arch-rival Iran an opportunity to bolster its regional influence, resulting in unprecedented upheaval, the effects of which persist to this day. Moreover, Biden, who garnered European support following the Russian aggression in Ukraine, has displayed selectivity in his alliances with the Europeans.
The breakdown of transatlantic coordination will also carry significant consequences for Europe and numerous international issues. The Iranian nuclear deal felt the strain of discord in transatlantic relations during Trump’s presidency. European countries diverged from Trump’s approach of withdrawing from the deal and reinstating sanctions and pressure on Iran. This lack of alignment resulted in Iran accelerating its nuclear activities, edging closer to the nuclear threshold.
Furthermore, Iran found encouragement in aiding Russia in its conflict against the West from Ukrainian territory and it became one of Moscow’s allies in helping it circumvent sanctions. This discord suggests a potential lack of coordination on other issues. For instance, unresolved differences could leave the Ukraine situation festering, emboldening Russia to escalate its actions and intensify efforts to undermine NATO, altering the dynamics of the conflict in Europe.
The looming concern is that Europe could suddenly find itself devoid of the protective shield provided by the US. If this were to happen, Europe would be left on its own to face Russia’s formidable nuclear arsenal with limited defensive capabilities and a relatively modest deterrent force. Years of military complacency and heavy dependence on Washington have fostered the notion that US support is boundless and unconditional. Moreover, European countries harbor distinct and at times conflicting interests. Consequently, relying on the EU as an alternative remains an impractical option in the foreseeable future.
After years of heavy reliance on American military equipment and personnel, it is imperative for European countries to reassess and rebuild their defense policies. NATO has initiated extensive efforts and thorough reviews, signaling Europe's swift adaptation to anticipated fluctuations in US policy to avert the potential emergence of a new Middle East marred by chaos and turmoil.
*Dr. Mohammed Al-Sulami is the founder and president of the International Institute for Iranian Studies (Rasanah). X: @mohalsulami

We know Gaza is being ethnically cleansed, because Israel told us
Baria Alamuddi/Arab News/March 04, 2024
What is Israel’s objective in systematically starving and bombing Palestinians? Total depopulation of Gaza and ultimately the West Bank. How do we know? Because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s regime warned us. Last week’s slaughter of over 100 desperate and starving Palestinians in Gaza is just one further example of this grim policy agenda.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in October: “I have ordered a complete siege of the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel. Everything is closed.” National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir declared: “The only thing that needs to enter Gaza are hundreds of tonnes of explosives from the Air Force. Not an ounce of humanitarian aid.” Netanyahu himself said: “If we want to achieve our war goals, we give the minimal aid.” Israel may have made little progress toward the goal of eradicating Hamas, but the process of eradicating Gaza is well under way.
Israel’s apologists frequently raise the rhetorical question of why, if Arab states care so much for the Palestinians, they don’t just open their borders. But that would obviously be the kiss of death to the Palestinian cause, repeating what occurred in 1948, when huge numbers fled to neighboring Arab states — never to return. Netanyahu’s extremist stablemates have repeatedly fantasized about forcing such a scenario. What else do we expect will be the outcome after Gaza’s populace has been starved and incinerated for another few months? Western politicians voice frustration that Israel lacks a clear plan for governing Gaza after the war, but that ignores the fact that many Netanyahu-aligned hawks envisage a future when there will be no Palestinian Gaza left to govern.
In 2023, Azerbaijan drove the Armenian population out of the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh by first besieging and starving them, and then bombing them, causing the entire population to flee. Netanyahu’s murderous regime seeks to replicate this ethnic cleansing case study in Gaza. Extremist settlers and security forces have embarked on campaigns of land theft, blockades, violence and repression throughout the West Bank, toward the same ultimate goal of stealing the land in its entirety. This isn’t fear mongering — it’s all there, brazenly advertised in the manifestos of governing political parties.
If it looks like genocide and has the effect of genocide, then it probably is genocide.
Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of using “starvation as a weapon of war.” In late January, Ben-Gvir ordered police to allow Israeli protesters to close the main Kerem Shalom border crossing. Netanyahu also sought to demonize and block international aid for UNRWA, which with its distribution centers and 13,000 staff in Gaza is the only entity logistically capable of distributing essential supplies. So the latest massacre and the worsening mass starvation are the direct, predictable result of calculated policies by Netanyahu’s regime, engineered to starve an entire population into non-existence. Children are already dying of hunger. According to UNICEF about 10 percent of children in Gaza under 5 are acutely malnourished.
It has long been Israeli official policy to lie, deny, blame others, block access for journalists and flood the media with its version of events until the news agenda moves on. But the millions on social media who witnessed last week’s massacre as starving Palestinians scrambled for food from an aid truck near Gaza City are not stupid. The footage wasn’t shocking only because of the dozens of scattered bodies, but also because of the despair, trauma and humiliation in the faces of emaciated survivors who had been living these horrors for the past five months.
Even Western politicians have become less willing to mindlessly parrot self-evidently nonsensical versions of events as related by Netanyahu’s officials: his senior adviser Mark Regev initially claimed there were no Israeli troops present at the scene of the massacre, and had to be swiftly corrected by the military. But vacuous Western statements of “concern” and “condemnation” merely add insult to injury. Why no withdrawal of ambassadors, or the kind of punitive measures that would have been routinely implemented if any other country in the world had perpetrated such obvious war crimes in plain sight?
While US aid drops are welcome, Oxfam devastatingly remarked that they served mostly “to relieve the guilty consciences of senior US officials, whose policies are contributing to the ongoing atrocities and risk of famine.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Congress last week that Israel had killed more than 25,000 women and children in Gaza, although his own office immediately backpedaled and dismissed this statistic as an estimate from Gaza’s Health Ministry. This jarred awkwardly with Austin furthermore informing Congress that the US had provided 21,000 “precision guided” munitions to Israel since the start of its war. He failed to say whether these munitions had been deployed with the intended levels of precision.A temporary ceasefire, if it happens at all, would only prolong the agony, particularly if no hope is offered for Gaza’s bereaved people to begin rebuilding their shattered lives, let alone seek compensation for their losses. US President Joe Biden should instead exert the massive leverage at his disposal to compel an immediate and permanent cessation of the killing, before the blood of tens of thousands more is on his hands. If it looks like genocide and has the effect of genocide, then it probably is genocide. MP and former Likud Minister Galit Distal Atbaryan called for “erasing all of Gaza from the face of the Earth ... Gaza needs to be wiped out.” Former Likud MP Moshe Feiglin urged the Israeli army to “completely destroy Gaza before invading it. I mean destruction like what happened in Dresden and Hiroshima.”
When Netanyahu’s closest allies have loudly and unambiguously advocated starvation and genocide, they don’t have a leg to stand on when the international community and even the International Court of Justice take such vile incitement with the seriousness it deserves.
Let us not feign surprised outrage in the months to come if Gaza’s remaining population has been scattered to the four winds. We were warned. By Israel’s own leaders.
• Baria Alamuddin is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster in the Middle East and the UK. She is editor of the Media Services Syndicate and has interviewed numerous heads of state.

Containing the second Nakba
Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/March 04, 2024
How difficult is Gaza. How cruel are the scenes coming from it. Deadly, provocative images. Daggers that attack the eye and the soul. All expressions of anger, all cries, are wasted. How difficult is Gaza. Fields that are designated for massacre. The corpses of its days are mixed with the dead bodies of its children. The world is watching with binoculars. Negotiations are arduous, as they say, and between one scenario and another, homes and families disappear.
How difficult is Gaza. Its loaf is baked in blood. Its days are burned with fire. Neither the roof protects nor the wall deters. The house is a passing station waiting for its ruins. Families are likely to be dispersed and continue to emigrate with their remaining children. Death does not tire. It strikes in the north and in the south, without forgetting the center. The sky that gave birth to stars and clouds changed its habits. It only sends drones. These are birds of scientific and technological progress. They monitor and strike. They eat children’s meat with a fork and knife and the achievements of artificial intelligence.
How difficult is Gaza. Every inch is a graveyard project.
In recent decades, the Middle East has not been a land of peace. Wars have raged throughout it. We have seen bodies piling up at the borders and at other times in the capitals. But we have never witnessed such an intensity of killing. Such ingenuity in hunting down civilians and in pushing large crowds into successive murderous migrations on a stage soaked in blood. An Israeli laboratory has released the killing virus on the residents of Gaza and it is an intentional epidemic that is more dangerous than COVID-19.
Israel’s aggression is not something new. But this atrocity is setting records. We were under the illusion that the world would not allow a killing spree that would last for months. A world that is angry because of a Russian oppositionist. Or a Ukrainian inch. The world was mobilized to support “color revolutions” here and there. It was appalled by what it called human rights violations.
Suddenly, the world started looking away. It became deaf and blind. It started repeating phrases to lift the blame, while its first duty was to stop the killing. Invoking practices that accompanied the Oct. 7 attack does not cover the open massacre that followed. Moreover, this attack is the result of a long conflict and not its first spark. There is no excuse for the world and no fig leaf for its conscience.
The fire must be stopped quickly and permanently, so that the world can see the sea of rubble in Gaza. To remember that the number of new graves is equivalent to the population of a small city. To see the mothers who are waiting for children who will never return. To smell the scent of anger and despair and what heralds renewed cycles of revenge. Neither can Gaza die nor can the people of Gaza be wiped out. History says that leaving the wounds of a catastrophe inflamed only promises new tragedies for the families of the perpetrators and the victims alike.
I was stopped by the sight of American planes throwing humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza. The mere occurrence of this constitutes an acknowledgment of the extent of the calamity that is befalling the residents of the Gaza Strip and the size of the crime committed against them by the Israeli army. There is no doubt that throwing aid is useful. But we are not talking here about Austria or Finland. We are talking about the US. About the “single superpower” or something close to that. About the party that protects Israel whenever it is exposed to danger.
The scene of its president rushing to visit Israel after Oct. 7 was striking. Likewise, naval fleets and airlifts arrived. This role, in particular, imposes a great responsibility on America. It is its responsibility to put a hand on this conflict and stop the scenes of the new Nakba in a way that prevents its repetition.
Regardless of the objections to Washington’s policies, it is the only power capable of assuming a task of this magnitude. Russia, which is preoccupied with Ukraine, is not able to play this role, nor is China willing or capable. Europe has also seemed lost in this conflict. It had lost both the compass and its image.
There is no choice but to contain the new Nakba. The issue is much bigger than the survival of Hamas symbols in Gaza or the fate of Yahya Sinwar. The matter concerns the future of a people and stability in the region.
A mere return to past decades shows that the first Nakba was the main cause of destabilization in the region. The slogan of liberating Palestine was often raised to cover ambitions or justify policies. This is without forgetting that the massacres of the first Nakba were much smaller in magnitude than the current atrocities. All the projects that shook the region were based on the Palestinian cause.
Containment begins with a permanent ceasefire, followed by the removal of Benjamin Netanyahu from the scene.
The scenes of the first Nakba produced confrontations, wars in capitals, hijackings of planes, assassinations and exchanges of strikes in multiple theaters. The assassination of Palestinian leaders has not succeeded in killing the Palestinian cause. The mission was passed from generation to generation. The Palestinians maintained the flame of resistance under occupation and in remote camps. Some extremists sometimes used the injustice done to the Palestinian people to launch plans that put Palestinians and Arabs in conflict with the entire world.
The most dangerous thing that could happen is that the horrors of the new Nakba are not contained through a permanent and viable solution that opens the door for and guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. The world will commit a great sin if it hastens to forget the horrors of the new Nakba and allows it to produce generations of extremism that will explode within societies and the world, similar to what we witnessed previously, but this time more severely.
There is no choice but to contain the second Nakba. Containment begins with a permanent ceasefire, followed by the removal of the architect of the second Nakba, whose name is Benjamin Netanyahu, from the scene. In parallel, a binding political path that leads to the establishment of a Palestinian state must be adopted. We say Netanyahu is the architect of the second Nakba because he deserves to be named as such. In his first meeting with Yasser Arafat at the Erez crossing after assuming the premiership for the first time in 1996, Netanyahu was frank. He told Arafat that he was not concerned with the Oslo Accords or any similar references.
During his long reign, he has launched waves of settlements and has been busy weakening the Palestinian Authority and spreading despair among the Palestinians, paving the way for the “Al-Aqsa Flood.” The failure to contain the second Nakba heralds nothing but floods, confrontations and arenas.