English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For October 20/2024
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
The Talents Parable/As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 25/14-30/:"‘For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents.But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, "Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents."His master said to him, "Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master."And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, "Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents." His master said to him, "Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master."Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, "Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours." But his master replied, "You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on October 19-20/2024
Text and Video: Commemorating the Martyrdom of Wissam al-Hassan and the Betrayal, Cowardice, and Failure of the March 14 Party Leaders/Elias Bejjani/October 19/2024
Elias Bejjani/Text and Video/The Lebanese Zajal Troupe’s Echo: Come, Let’s Congratulate Mikati/ Remember That Mikati is an Assad-made puppet, full of empty rhetoric, & brought in as PM by Hezbollah.
Elias Bejjani / Text and Video: A Spiritual Summit of Hypocrisy, Lacking Lebanon’s Spirit, and Its Statement a Replica of Hezbollah’s Declarations
Two killed in Israeli strike north of Lebanon’s capital
Israel strikes near Lebanon border choke off Syrians’ vital link to the world
US wants to see Israel scale back some of Beirut strikes, Austin says
Lebanon media says mayor among 4 killed in Israeli strike in east
Hezbollah fires rockets into northern Israel as Israeli strikes pound Gaza
Israeli jets pound Haret Hreik as Netanyahu’s home targeted in drone attack
Israel unearths Hezbollah’s web of tunnels in southern Lebanon

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on October 19-20/2024
Netanyahu residence targeted by drone as Hezbollah launches barrage at Israel
Iran says Hezbollah behind drone attack on Netanyahu’s residence
Sinwar’s death clouds path to freeing Israeli hostages
Israel army says intercepts ‘aerial target’ approaching from Syria
Israeli strikes kill 73 Palestinians in northern Gaza, Hamas media says
Leaked documents show US intelligence on Israel’s plans to attack Iran, sources say
Biden sees opportunity to potentially end Israel-Iran fighting 'for a while'
Iran’s supreme leader says Hamas leader’s death will not halt ‘Axis of Resistance’
Gaza authorities accuse Israeli forces of attacking hospital
Iraq moves to revoke Saudi broadcaster's license after report angered militia supporters
Turkey and Germany leaders meet in Istanbul and find many avenues of agreement. But not on Israel
Germany says Britain taking lead on possible Eurofighters for Turkey
Turkiye says Israel pushing Iran to take ‘legitimate steps’

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on October 19-20/2024
Israel Fights Alone, Carrying by Itself a Catatonically Suicidal West/Majid Rafizadeh/ Gatestone Institute./October 19, 2024
Is it Benjamin Netanyahu’s goal to drag the US into a war with Iran?/ Ray Hanania/ARAB NEWS/October 12, 2024
Question: “How should a Christian view politics?”/GotQuestions.org/October 16/ 2024
On the EU-Gulf Summit/Emile Ameen/Asharq Al Awsat/October 19/2024
Is Israel getting itself into another Lebanese quagmire?/Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/October 19, 2024
Events in Gaza, Lebanon may bring Egypt and Iran closer/Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy/Arab News/October 19, 2024

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on October 18-19/2024
Text and Video: Commemorating the Martyrdom of Wissam al-Hassan and the Betrayal, Cowardice, and Failure of the March 14 Party Leaders
Elias Bejjani/October 19/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/10/135924/
On the anniversary of the assassination of martyr Wissam al-Hassan, it is crucial to remember that Hezbollah, Iran's armed terrorist proxy, is the force behind his murder. This group, with its long and bloody history, has assassinated hundreds of Lebanese who dared to oppose its occupation and criminal grip on the country. Wissam al-Hassan was one of many courageous figures who paid the ultimate price for resisting Hezbollah’s dominance and exposing its destructive agenda.
Hezbollah has become a relentless assassination machine, silencing anyone who stands against it—politicians, military figures, journalists, and activists alike. Its operations are not isolated incidents of political rivalry; they are part of a systematic effort by Iran's regime to tighten its control over Lebanon through fear, violence, and bloodshed. From Wissam al-Hassan to countless others, Hezbollah’s methods have always been ruthless and calculated, designed to eliminate any figure who advocates for Lebanese sovereignty and independence.
What is perhaps even more appalling is the role played by Lebanon's political elite in enabling this occupation. The heads of Lebanon’s political parties, including many who once identified with the March 14 coalition, have betrayed the principles of freedom and resistance that Wissam al-Hassan and others died defending. Instead of standing firm against Hezbollah’s tyranny, they chose to collaborate with it, seeking personal gains—positions of power, government posts, and political influence—while turning a blind eye to Hezbollah’s systematic destruction of Lebanon’s independence.
These political leaders, who once vowed to oppose Hezbollah, now participate in a government that grants legitimacy to the very group responsible for the assassination of one of their own. Their actions have not only undermined justice for Wissam al-Hassan and other martyrs but have also paved the way for Hezbollah to continue its campaign of terror unchecked.
Today, as we remember Wissam al-Hassan, we must recognize that the real enemy is not just Hezbollah but also the corrupt political class that has sacrificed the country’s sovereignty for personal interests. Hezbollah’s grip on Lebanon remains strong, not solely because of its weapons and militias, but because the political leaders have sold out the nation’s independence in exchange for short-term personal benefits. This betrayal is as damaging as the assassinations themselves.
Hezbollah will continue its deadly path unless the Lebanese people, and the international community, hold both the terrorist group and its enablers within the political system accountable for their crimes. It’s time to expose not only Hezbollah’s murderous agenda but also the complicity of those who have allowed it to thrive, to restore justice for Wissam al-Hassan and countless other victims of their treachery.

Elias Bejjani/Text and Video/The Lebanese Zajal Troupe’s Echo: Come, Let’s Congratulate Mikati/ Remember That Mikati is an Assad-made puppet, full of empty rhetoric, & brought in as PM by Hezbollah.
Elias Bejjani/October 18, 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/10/135843/
In the spirit of the “Let’s congrtulate Mikati” culture, today a large number of politicians, journalists, and activists from the Lebanese Zajal troupes suffered from verbal diarrhea and a state of “hypocrisy and babble.” They expressed, in their poetic fashion tweets and statements, their amazement at Mikati’s so-called courage, claiming that he “drank lion’s milk” for denouncing a statement by Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, which insulted Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence. Ghalibaf reportedly told a French newspaper that Tehran was ready to negotiate with France regarding the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
It’s both strange and amusing how these hypocritical “echoes” drown in their own sycophancy. Where was Mikati during the Beirut port explosion, when Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon literally controlled the situation? Where was his so-called “lion’s milk” when the Iranian Foreign Minister came to Lebanon and prevented Mikati and Berri from acting on what they had agreed with Jumblatt, namely the demand to implement international Resolution 1701 and call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iranian terrorist militia? And where were all these mouthpieces when Mikati cowardly, sycophantically, and brazenly declared that the decision of war and peace does not rest in the hands of the Lebanese government, saying, “We did not declare war, so we cannot end it”?
Because these hypocrites have the memory of a fish, let’s remind them—though they surely know better—that Mikati is a product of the criminal Assad regime. He is corrupt and a thief, having amassed his wealth from the pockets of the Lebanese people. It was the Assad regime that inserted him into Lebanese politics, and Hezbollah that appointed him as head of the current government, which is 100% a Hezbollah government. He is nothing more than a mouthpiece and a puppet, just like all his ministers and, with them, Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri, who has been tamed, stripped of his authority, and had his freedom confiscated since the battles of Iqlim al-Tuffah.
Therefore, there is no value or weight to their false claims of a Mikati “uprising,” for the man is, in reality, merely a tool—nothing more than a tool—in the hands of Hezbollah, the Iranian terrorist militia. End of story.

Elias Bejjani / Text and Video: A Spiritual Summit of Hypocrisy, Lacking Lebanon’s Spirit, and Its Statement a Replica of Hezbollah’s Declarations; All It Lacked Was Praise for the Shameless Slogan of "Army, People, and Resistance"
A Time of Decay, Misery, and Dwarfs Alienated from Lebanon's Identity, Mission, and History
Elias Bejjani/October 16/ 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/10/135763/
To start, anyone who cannot speak the truth in this critical moment—while the war between Israel and Hezbollah rages, leaving behind casualties, destruction, and displacement—anyone who lacks the courage to call things by their true names, to testify without distortion, cowardice, or selfish motives, no matter their position, be it clergyman, politician, party leader, media personality, or even an ordinary citizen—it is a thousand times better for them to remain silent! They should tie their tongues and cease their hollow, useless talk. They should stay at home and stop burdening the Lebanese with their nonsense and lies. Silence is far more merciful than the deceitful drivel of those who pander and speak out of cowardice. Especially if all they are going to offer is the pinnacle of hypocrisy, deceit, and denial of reality, hiding behind misleading words that deceive themselves and others.
In this context, Patriarch Al-Rahi has utterly failed in his ecclesiastical and pastoral duties. He has become estranged from the suffering of Lebanon and indifferent to the injustices, oppression, violations of rights, marginalization, and division his community and country have endured since he was installed as Patriarch by agents of occupation. It would have been better if he had shut the doors of Bkerke, locked himself in with his civilian and ecclesiastical team, who are immersed in worldly, material pursuits, and retreated in prayer, humbly seeking forgiveness and repentance for the mistakes and sins they have committed. Only after sincere repentance could they begin to atone.
Many of us, both in Lebanon and abroad, ask: What did this so-called spiritual summit achieve? It was nothing more than a summit of hypocrisy, blindness, and deceit, ignoring the root causes of the war, and failing to hold accountable those who dragged Lebanon into this conflict against the will of its people. There is no doubt—the culprit is Hezbollah, the Iranian jihadist and criminal entity.
Anyone who reads the summit’s final statement (attached below in both Arabic and English) will immediately realize that it might as well have been written by Hezbollah’s propaganda machine. The only thing missing was the forced mention of the worn-out slogan, “Army, People, Resistance.”
The statement deliberately ignored Hezbollah’s heinous crimes and the group’s declaration of war on Israel. It was filled with meaningless, outdated phrases that no longer fool anyone, all aimed solely at attacking the State of Israel while conveniently bypassing the core issue: Hezbollah’s destructive occupation of Lebanon. If the participants of this spiritual summit had truly wanted to help Lebanon—to liberate it, to restore its sovereignty, independence, and free will, to end the war, and to rid the country of Hezbollah’s Iranian-backed terrorist occupation—they would have acted boldly. By now, they should have packed their bags, headed straight to the United Nations Security Council, and demanded that Lebanon be placed under Chapter VII of the UN Charter as a failed and rogue state, needing international protection and intervention.
In short, this so-called spiritual summit was nothing but a gathering of hypocrisy and deceit, completely detached from Lebanon’s mission and sanctity, and utterly incapable of bearing witness to the truth and justice. It was doomed to fail before it even began and will have no impact whatsoever on the course of the war.

 Two killed in Israeli strike north of Lebanon’s capital
REUTERS/October 19, 2024
BEIRUT: At least two people were killed in an Israeli strike near the Christian-majority town of Jounieh, north of Beirut, Lebanon’s health ministry said on Saturday, in the first attack on the area by Israeli forces. The Israeli military was looking into the report of the strike in Jounieh, a spokesperson said. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed group that is fighting Israeli troops on Lebanon’s southern border and whose top leadership has suffered blows from targeted Israeli strikes. The health ministry said the Israeli strike targeted a car.
Two witnesses told Reuters they heard a small blast and saw a Honda sports utility vehicle traveling on the main highway south in the direction of Beirut begin to lose control. The car stopped about 100 meters down the highway and a man and a woman ran out of the vehicle and into a grassy area on the side of the highway before another blast, the witnesses said. One witness sawed the charred remains of a person in the grassy area.

Israel strikes near Lebanon border choke off Syrians’ vital link to the world
Maher Al-Mounes is a Syrian journalist and blogger./Arab Weekly/October 19/2024
When Israel bombed the Lebanese-Syrian border, it cut off a key route for many in Syria who rely on it as a vital link to the outside world. For years, Lebanon’s main border crossing with Syria has served as a key access point for international travel, healthcare and purchasing imported goods.
Today, those who wish to use the crossing known as Masnaa must climb down into and walk across a massive crater in the road, which is ten metres deep and 30 metres wide. Israel hit near the crossing on October 4, accusing Lebanese militant group Hezbollah of using it to transport military equipment from its main backer Iran, through its ally Syria, and into Lebanon. But the strike has made it harder for thousands of people trying to flee war in Lebanon to Syria. The Israel-Hezbollah war erupted late last month after nearly a year of exchanges of fire over the war in Gaza. Earlier this month, after undergoing surgery in the Syrian capital, Reem al-Ajami, a 67-year-old Syrian woman, hired a car to drive to the crossing to try to reach Beirut for a flight to visit her daughter in Greece. Athens, like many other international destinations, has not been serviced by Syria’s airports since the start of the country’s civil war in 2011. “When we reached the crater, Red Crescent volunteers helped me cross it in a wheelchair,” Ajami said, adding she saw hundreds of people travelling in the opposite direction to escape the war in Lebanon. Her luggage was carried by hired help across the ditch that was so ragged that she said she almost fell off her wheelchair as she was pushed through. Another driver was waiting on the other side to transport Ajami to Beirut’s airport. The land journey cost Ajami $400 dollars, more than the $320 plane ticket she purchased from Beirut to Athens, she said. The crossing is located on the main international road linking Beirut and Damascus.

US wants to see Israel scale back some of Beirut strikes, Austin says
Arab News/October 19, 2024
NAPLES: The United States would like to see Israel scale back some of its strikes in and around the Lebanese capital of Beirut, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Saturday. “The number of civilian casualties has been far too high,” he told reporters at a G7 defense gathering in the Italian city of Naples. “We’d like to see Israel scale back on some of the strikes it’s taking, especially in and around Beirut, and we’d like to see things transition to some sort of negotiation that will allow civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes.” Tens of thousands of people have fled Beirut’s southern suburbs — once a densely populated zone that also housed Hezbollah offices and underground installations — since Israel began regularly targeting the zone approximately three weeks ago. On Saturday afternoon, Israel carried out heavy strikes on several locations in the city’s southern suburbs, leaving thick plumes of smoke wafting over the city horizon throughout the evening. The strikes came as Hezbollah fired salvos of rockets at northern Israel, with one drone directed at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s holiday home, his spokesman said.

Lebanon media says mayor among 4 killed in Israeli strike in east
AFP/October 19, 2024
BEIRUT: Lebanon state media said four people including a mayor were killed on Saturday in an Israeli strike on a town in the eastern Bekaa Valley region. The strike hit a residential building in the town of Baaloul, killing four, the official National News Agency said, adding that the dead include Haidar Shahla, the mayor of the nearby town of Sohmor.

Hezbollah fires rockets into northern Israel as Israeli strikes pound Gaza
REUTERS/October 19, 2024
JERUSALEM/BEIRUT: The Israeli military said Hezbollah had fired dozens of rockets and several drones into northern Israel on Saturday killing one person, with one drone directed at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s holiday home, according to his spokesman.
The volley came as health officials in the Gaza Strip said Israeli strikes had killed at least 11 people in Al Maghazi refugee camp in the center of the territory, and at least seven people in Gaza City’s Shati camp. Two patients had died in the territory’s Indonesian Hospital due to a siege that has cut off power and medical supplies, while a nurse had been killed at Kamal Adwan hospital, they said. Pledges from Israel and its enemies Hamas and Hezbollah to keep fighting in Gaza and Lebanon have dashed hopes that the death of Palestinian militant leader Yahya Sinwar might hasten an end to more than a year of escalating war in the Middle East. Hamas leader Sinwar, a mastermind of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the Gaza war, was killed by Israeli soldiers in the Palestinian enclave on Wednesday. Israel has also been pounding Jabalia, the largest of Gaza’s eight historic refugee camps, in what it says is an effort to stop Hamas fighters regrouping. As Israel continues military offensives on two fronts, Lebanon’s health ministry said at least two people had been killed in an Israeli strike near the Christian-majority town of Jounieh, north of Beirut, in the first such attack on the area.
The Israeli military was looking into the report of the strike in Jounieh, a spokesperson said. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed group that is fighting Israeli troops on Lebanon’s southern border and whose top leadership has suffered blows from targeted Israeli strikes.
'Missiles Seized'
Separately, the Israeli military said its aircraft killed Hezbollah’s deputy commander of the Bint Jbeil area on Friday and that its troops had seized weapons, including anti-tank missiles. Hezbollah by midday on Saturday had claimed 11 attacks on Israeli military targets since midnight, all of them with salvos of rockets. There was no immediate comment from it on any drone attacks or attacks targeting Netanyahu’s home. In northern Israel, some of the rockets were intercepted but one hit a residential building, according to police. One person was killed and at least nine people were injured in different locations, the Israeli ambulance service said. Air raid sirens sent people running to shelters. Netanyahu’s spokesman said the prime minister was not in the vicinity of his holiday home in Caesarea and there were no casualties. A resident of the coastal town told Israel’s N12 News that helicopters were heard above the town before a large explosion shook the streets.
Stalled talks
Iran-backed Hezbollah has been trading fire with Israel since the war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas began in Gaza last October. Some 2,400 people have been killed in Lebanon, most of them in the last month, according to Lebanon’s health ministry, while 59 people have been killed in northern Israel and the occupied Golan Heights, according to Israeli authorities. Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people and took 250 hostage in their attack on Oct. 7, 2023, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s military response has left more than 42,500 people dead, Palestinian officials say. The Israeli offensive has made most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people homeless, maimed tens of thousands, caused widespread hunger and destroyed hospitals and schools. Western leaders, including US President Joe Biden, have said Sinwar’s death offered a chance for a deal for a truce in Gaza and the release of the remaining hostages. Negotiations for such a deal have been stalled for weeks. Biden said on Friday that there was a possibility of working toward a ceasefire in Lebanon but it would be harder in Gaza.

Israeli jets pound Haret Hreik as Netanyahu’s home targeted in drone attack
Updated 19 October 2024
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/October 19, 2024
BEIRUT: Israeli jets on Saturday pounded Haret Hreik in southern Beirut as Hezbollah announced it had targeted the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu using drones.
Avichay Adraee, the Israeli military spokesman, warned residents of Haret Hreik to evacuate before the area was struck. An Israeli target map included the building of the Islamic Charitable Emdad Committee affiliated with Hezbollah. The area has been hit with consecutive days of airstrikes over the past three weeks, with residents evacuating in the wake of the assassination of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Sept. 27. Fighting between the Israeli army and Hezbollah entered a new phase on Saturday with the Israeli announcement that drones had been launched at Netanyahu’s home in Caesarea, south of Haifa. Meanwhile, Israeli expanded its air campaign against Hezbollah to new areas, including Chtaura in central Bekaa and the coastal town of Jounieh in Mount Lebanon. The development in Caesarea was kept under wraps for some time, with three drones said to have crossed into Israel from Lebanon in the morning. Israel blamed Hezbollah for the attack, though the party has yet to claim responsibility. One drone crashed in Caesarea, where Netanyahu owns a private residence. Netanyahu’s office said: “A drone was launched toward his home in Caesarea, but the prime minister and his wife were not there, and no injuries were reported.”The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said that the drone “flew 70 km from Lebanon and directly hit a building in Caesarea,” while Israeli media reported that “shrapnel hit a nearby building.”
In an official statement, the Israeli army acknowledged that it “detected three drones crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory, two of which were intercepted.”The military operations room of Hezbollah a day earlier had announced a “transition to a new and escalatory phase in the confrontation with the Israeli enemy.”This would “be reflected in the developments and events of the coming days,” it added.
In August this year, Hezbollah released footage captured by an observer drone that had infiltrated Israeli airspace, showing Netanyahu’s residence in Caesarea. Meanwhile, an Israeli military drone on Saturday struck a residential apartment in the Qataya building in Chtaura at 5 a.m, killing one man and injuring two other people.A reporter, who requested to remain anonymous, told Arab News that the dead man was affiliated with Hezbollah, “but we are unaware of his military rank.”Hours later, another Israeli military drone tracked a vehicle traveling from northern Lebanon toward Beirut along the Jounieh highway.It launched a missile at the car but missed, before firing a second missile that prompted the driver to flee the vehicle with his wife. The pair ran into a nearby forest but were struck by the drone and killed. Initial reports suggested that they were from the Al-Burj Al-Shamali area in southern Lebanon.
The Al-Hadath TV channel reported from sources that the target was a “military leader in Hezbollah’s intelligence.” The Ministry of Health said: “The Israeli airstrike on a vehicle in Jounieh resulted in the deaths of two individuals.”The Israeli army previously employed the same drone-launched missile during the assassination of a driver in the Kahala area three weeks ago. The target was killed as his family, who accompanied him in the vehicle, were left unharmed.
Eyewitnesses at the time described the incident as a “silent targeting.”
The assassination on Saturday caused significant confusion in Jounieh, a Christian area with no Hezbollah presence, and which has rarely drawn Israeli attention. Israeli airstrikes intensified in the southern region and the Bekaa, coinciding with Hezbollah’s targeting of northern Israel. The strikes on western Bekaa killed Haidar Shahla, the mayor of Sohmor, after a raid targeted the town of Baaloul. In southern Lebanon, Israeli jets raided the surroundings of a building previously used by the demining organization “MAG” in Kfar Joz in Nabatieh, as well as Chkeif, Kfarkila and Srifa. Kfarshouba, Khiam and the Marjayoun valley were targeted by Israeli artillery. A raid targeted and completely destroyed a building on the Zefta-Nabatieh highway, while other raids struck the town of Ebba. A raid on a building in Jal Al-Bahr, Tyre, near a medical center, injured six people, one critically. The targeted region includes commercial shops, medical clinics and residential buildings.
A raid on Kharayeb injured three civilians.
Meanwhile, ground fighting continued in the border region, notably on the outskirts of Aita Al-Shaab, Ramieh and Kafra, where violent clashes are taking place for the third consecutive day. In Bekaa, Israeli raids reached the town of Khodor in western Bekaa, Mecherfeh on the northeastern border of Hermel, Bouday, the barrens of Shmistar, the surroundings of Qasr and Hosh Sayyid Ali in Hermel on the Syrian border. In a series of statements, Hezbollah announced that it targeted Safed, Haifa, Israeli military bases and gatherings in Rosh Pinna, east of the Malkia settlement, and Jal Al-Deir, northeast of the Avivim settlement. Hezbollah also said that it launched “a swarm of attack drones” toward the Ein Shemer base of Israel’s air force, as well as a regional brigade base east of Hadera. Israel’s Channel 12 reported that “several missiles landed in Tiberias and its lake,” adding that “three drones were fired from Lebanon toward Nahariya, Akka and the Haifa Bay, one of which was intercepted by the Israeli army.”

Israel unearths Hezbollah’s web of tunnels in southern Lebanon
AP/October 19, 2024
TEL AVIV: Israeli forces have spent much of the past year destroying Hamas’ vast underground network in Gaza. They are now focused on dismantling tunnels and other hideouts belonging to Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon. Scarred by Hamas’ deadly raid into Israel last year that sparked the war in Gaza, Israel says it aims to prevent a similar incursion across its northern border from ever getting off the ground. The Israeli military has combed through the dense brush of southern Lebanon for the past two weeks, uncovering what it says are Hezbollah’s deep attack capabilities — highlighted by a tunnel system equipped with weapons caches and rocket launchers that Israel says pose a direct threat to nearby communities. Israel’s war against the Iran-backed militant group stretches far inside Lebanon, and its airstrikes in recent weeks have killed more than 1,700 people, about a quarter of whom were women and children, according to local health authorities. But its ground campaign has centered on a narrow patch of land just along the border, where Hezbollah has had a longstanding presence.
Hezbollah has deep ties to southern Lebanon
Hezbollah, which has called for Israel’s destruction, is the Arab world’s most significant paramilitary force. It began firing rockets into Israel a day after Hamas’ attack. After nearly a year of tit-for-tat fighting with Hezbollah, Israel launched its ground invasion into southern Lebanon on Oct. 1 and has since sent thousands of troops into the rugged terrain. Even as it continues to bolster its forces, Israel says its invasion consists of “limited, localized and targeted ground raids” that are meant to destroy Hezbollah infrastructure so that tens of thousands of displaced Israelis can return home. The fighting also has uprooted more than 1 million Lebanese in the past month. Many residents of southern Lebanon are supporters of the group and benefit from its social outreach. Though most fled the area months ago, they widely see the heavily armed Hezbollah as their defender, especially as the US-backed Lebanese army does not have suitable weapons to protect them from any Israeli incursion. That broad support has allowed Hezbollah to establish “a military infrastructure for itself” within the villages, said Eva J. Koulouriotis, a political analyst specialized in the Middle East and Islamic militant groups. The Israeli military says it has found weapons within homes and buildings in the villages.
Hezbollah built a network of tunnels in multiple areas of Lebanon
With Israel’s air power far outstripping Hezbollah’s defenses, the militant group has turned to underground tunnels as a way to elude Israeli drones and jets. Experts say Hezbollah’s tunnels are not limited to the south. “It’s a land of tunnels,” said Tal Beeri, who studies Hezbollah as director of research at The Alma Research and Education Center, a think tank with a focus on northern Israel’s security. Koulouriotis said tunnels stretch under the southern suburbs of Beirut, where Hezbollah’s command and control are located and where it keeps a stockpile of strategic missiles. She said the group also maintains tunnels along the border with Syria, which it uses to smuggle weapons and other supplies from Iran into Lebanon. Southern Lebanon is where Hezbollah maintains tunnels to store missiles — and from where it can launch them, Koulouriotis said. Some of the more than 50 Israelis killed by Hezbollah over the past year were hit by anti-tank missiles. In contrast to the tunnels dug out by Hamas in the sandy coastal terrain of Gaza, Hezbollah’s tunnels in southern Lebanon were carved into solid rock, a feat that likely required time, money, machinery and expertise. An Israeli military official said that using prior intelligence, Israel had found “hundreds and hundreds and hundreds” of underground positions, many of which could hold about ten fighters and were stocked with rations. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military rules, said troops were blowing up the tunnels found or using cement to make them unusable.
The group used tunnels during the monthlong 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, but the network has been expanded since, even as a United Nations ceasefire resolution compelled Lebanese and UN forces to keep Hezbollah fighters out of the south.
In mid-August, Hezbollah released a video showing what appeared to be a cavernous underground tunnel large enough for trucks loaded with missiles to drive through. Hezbollah operatives were also seen riding motorcycles inside the illuminated tunnel, named Imad-4 after the group’s late military commander, Imad Mughniyeh, who was killed in Syria in 2008 in an explosion blamed on Israel.
Hezbollah’s tunnels could be hindering Israel’s mission
Israeli troops are pushing through southern Lebanon using tanks and engineering equipment, and air and ground forces have struck thousands of targets in the area since the invasion began. The military recently said it found one cross-border tunnel that stretched just a few meters into Israel but did not have an opening. Israel also exposed a tunnel shaft that was located about 100 meters (yards) from a UN peacekeepers ‘ post, although it wasn’t clear what the precise purpose of that tunnel was. Israel says the tunnels are stocked with supplies and weapons and are outfitted with lighting, ventilation and sometimes plumbing, indicating they could be used for long stays. It says it has arrested several Hezbollah fighters hiding inside, including three on Tuesday who were said to have been found armed. The Israeli military official said many Hezbollah fighters appear to have withdrawn from the area. Lebanese military expert, Naji Malaeb, a retired brigadier general, said he assessed that Hezbollah’s tunnels were preventing Israel from making major gains. He compared that achievement to the war in Gaza, where Hamas has used its tunnels to bedevil Israeli forces and stage insurgency-like attacks. Israeli authorities insist the mission in Lebanon is succeeding. It says it has killed hundreds of Hezbollah fighters since the ground operation in Lebanon began, though at least 15 Israeli soldiers have been killed during that time. Israel has encountered Hezbollah’s tunnels before. In 2018, Israel launched an operation to destroy what is said were attack tunnels that crossed into Israeli territory. Beeri said that six tunnels were discovered, including one that was 1 kilometer (1,000 yards) long and 80 meters (87 yards) deep, crossing some 50 meters (yards) into Israel.
Israel believes Hezbollah was planning an Oct. 7-style invasion
For Israel, the tunnels are evidence that Hezbollah planned what Israel says would be a bloody offensive against communities in the north. “Hezbollah has openly declared that it plans to carry out its own Oct. 7 massacre on Israel’s northern border, on an even larger scale,” Israeli military spokesman Rear. Adm. Daniel Hagari said the day troops entered Lebanon. Israel has not released evidence that any such attack was imminent but has expressed concern that one might be launched once residents return. Former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed by Israel last month while in an underground bunker, had signaled in speeches that Hezbollah could launch an attack on northern Israel. In May 2023, just months before Hamas’ attack, Hezbollah staged a simulation of an incursion into northern Israel with rifle-toting militants on motorcycles bursting through a mock border fence bedecked with Israeli flags.Hezbollah officials have at times framed calls for an attack against Israel as a defensive measure that would be taken in times of war.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on October 18-19/2024
Netanyahu residence targeted by drone as Hezbollah launches barrage at Israel
AFP/October 19, 2024
JERUSALEM: Israel said a drone targeted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence on Saturday, as Hezbollah launched a barrage of projectiles into Israel from its northern neighbor Lebanon. On the southern front, Israel hammered Gaza with air strikes, with an overnight raid on Jabalia in the north killing 33 people, according to the besieged civil defense agency. Netanyahu’s office said the prime minister and his wife were not at their residence in the central town of Caesarea during the drone attack and there were no injuries. Earlier, the military said a drone launched from Lebanon had “hit a structure” in Caesarea.Sirens blared across Israel throughout the morning as Hezbollah fired projectiles from various locations in Lebanon. The Iran-backed group said it launched a large salvo of advanced rockets at a military base in Israel’s Haifa region. A man in the northern Israeli port city of Acre died after being struck by shrapnel, the Magen David Adom emergency service said, while shrapnel also wounded five people in the Haifa city of Kiryat Ata. Late last month Israel ramped up air strikes on Lebanon and deployed ground forces after nearly a year of cross-border exchanges. The fighting in Gaza came after the Israeli military killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar on Wednesday. Sinwar, accused of masterminding the October 7 attack on Israel, was seen as pivotal to ending the Gaza war and securing the release of Israeli hostages. On Friday, Qatar-based Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya reiterated no hostages would be freed “unless the aggression against our people in Gaza stops.” Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose country also backs Hamas, said the group “will not end at all with the martyrdom of Sinwar.” As fighting raged in Gaza, civil defense agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal announced “33 deaths and dozens of wounded” in an Israeli strike on the northern area of Jabalia overnight. The Israeli military said it was “looking into it.” Early on Saturday, three houses in the Jabalia refugee camp were targeted, the civil defense agency said, while witnesses told AFP there was heavy gunfire and shelling in the direction of the camp.
Israeli forces have focused their attacks on northern Gaza, where they say Hamas is regrouping.
Witnesses also reported Israeli shelling in central Gaza’s Al-Bureij camp.
Israeli forces, accused of targeting health facilities, were shelling Indonesian Hospital in north Gaza, medics there said. The violence has dashed hopes Sinwar’s death might bring the war closer to an end. “We always thought that when this moment arrived, the war would end and our lives would return to normal,” 21-year-old Gazan Jemaa Abu Mendi said. “But unfortunately, the reality on the ground is quite the opposite. The war has not stopped, and the killings continue unabated.”Netanyahu said that while Sinwar’s killing did not spell the end of the war, it was “the beginning of the end.”US President Joe Biden, along with the leaders of Germany, France and Britain, urged “the immediate necessity to bring the hostages home to their families, for ending the war in Gaza, and ensure humanitarian aid reaches civilians.” In August, Netanyahu called Sinwar “the only obstacle to a hostage deal.”Ayala Metzger, daughter-in-law of killed hostage Yoram Metzger, said with Sinwar dead it was “unacceptable” that hostages remained in captivity.
An Israeli autopsy found Sinwar was initially wounded in the arm by shrapnel, but killed by a gunshot to the head, the New York Times reported. The circumstances of the shot remain unclear. Hamas sparked the war in Gaza with its October 7 attack last year that resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures. During the attack, militants took 251 hostages back into Gaza. Ninety-seven are still being held there, including 34 who the Israeli military has confirmed are dead. Israel’s campaign to crush Hamas and bring back the hostages has killed 42,519 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to data from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, figures the UN considers reliable. A conservative estimate puts the death toll among children in Gaza at over 14,100, said James Elder, spokesman for the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF.
For the one million children in the besieged territory, “Gaza is the real-world embodiment of hell on Earth,” he said. Criticism has been mounting over the civilian toll and lack of food and aid reaching Gaza, where the UN has warned of famine. There is also growing concern about the toll in Lebanon, where Israel is fighting a war with Hamas ally Hezbollah. Lebanon’s health ministry said two people were killed in an Israeli strike on a vital highway north of Beirut on Saturday. Since late September, the war has left at least 1,418 people dead in Lebanon, according to an AFP tally of Lebanese health ministry figures, though the real toll is likely higher.
The war has also drawn in other Iran-aligned armed groups, including in Yemen, Iraq and Syria. On Friday and Saturday, the Israeli military reported drones being launched from Syria. Iran conducted a missile strike on Israel on October 1, for which Israel has vowed to retaliate. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday that the “possibility of war in the region is always serious.” “We want to reduce tensions, but.. we are ready for any scenario.”In Lebanon, Israeli warplanes have pounded the area around the road as part of their campaign against Hezbollah. Despite the strikes, Lebanon says more than 460,000 people have crossed into Syria since September 23, most of them Syrian nationals. “Before, the trip cost between $100 and $150. Today, it is between $400 and $500,” Ali al-Mawla, a 31-year-old taxi driver, told AFP. “You have to change cars, cross the crater and face the dangers on the road,” Mawla said, explaining why no driver would accept less than triple the journey’s original cost. Business, however, has not slowed because the road is vital “for both countries”, Mawla said, as it acts as the key artery for Lebanon’s exports. With their country under sanctions, Syrians have relied on the crossing to travel to Lebanon, where they can submit a visa application in embassies that have deserted Damascus, or stock up on medicines and consumer products they cannot find back home. “Our cars heading to Damascus were always loaded with foreign medicines, unavailable technical equipment and fuel tanks,” Mawla said. The strike has also impacted the Syrian economy, with fuel shortages boosting a black market that has long relied on smuggling routes from Lebanon to beef up supply. Since the strike on Masnaa, the price of one litre of fuel has climbed from 20,000 Syrian pounds (around $1.50) to 30,000, an increase that has also caused a spike in transport costs.

Iran says Hezbollah behind drone attack on Netanyahu’s residence
AFP/October 19, 2024
TEHRAN: Iran’s United Nations mission said Saturday that Lebanon’s Hezbollah group, armed and financed by Tehran, was behind a drone attack on the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “This action was taken by the Lebanese Hezbollah,” the mission said in response to a question about Iran’s role in the attack, according to the official IRNA news agency. Earlier Saturday, Netanyahu accused Hezbollah of trying to kill him after his office said a drone from Lebanon had hit the premier’s family home. The Tehran-backed militant group, which fights Israel in Lebanon’s south, has not yet acknowledged the attack. “The attempt by Iran’s proxy Hezbollah to assassinate me and my wife today was a grave mistake,” Netanyahu said in a statement. Addressing “Iran and its proxies,” Netanyahu vowed that “anyone who tries to harm Israel’s citizens will pay a heavy price.”The spokesman of Iran’s foreign ministry, Esmaeil Baghaei also slammed Israel for “spreading lies” as its “current and permanent practice of this regime and its criminal leaders” in regards to the accusations against Iran, according to IRNA. Iran-aligned armed groups, known as the “axis of resistance” that includes Hezbollah, have been drawn into the Israel-Hamas war, which has raged in Gaza since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Tehran has also launched two direct attacks on arch-foe Israel during the war, most recently a barrage of 200 missiles on October 1, for which Israel has vowed to retaliate.
Iran has said it will strike back if Israel attacks.

Sinwar’s death clouds path to freeing Israeli hostages
AFP/October 20, 2024
PARIS: Slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was seen as a key obstacle to any agreement on the Israeli hostages seized during the October 7 attack that he orchestrated. With his group plunged into a leadership vacuum by his death, the future of hostage negotiations appears to have become even more complicated. Hamas now needs to appoint a replacement, and that person will play a key role in determining the fate of the Israelis kept hostage since its attack on October 7, 2023. Of the 251 hostages taken to the Gaza Strip that day, 97 are still being held there, including 34 who the Israeli army has confirmed are dead. Negotiations for their release are led by Israel’s intelligence services, with the help of the United States, Egypt and Qatar. But that task will be no easier with Sinwar gone, analysts said. “The hostages’ fate may now be sealed for the simple reason that there is no one left to negotiate their release,” said Karim Mezran, a Middle East expert at the Atlantic Council think tank. US intelligence believed “Sinwar’s stance had hardened in recent weeks, leading American negotiators to believe that Hamas was no longer interested in reaching a ceasefire or hostage agreement,” said the New York-based Soufan Center.
So “any forthcoming negotiations can also serve as a litmus test for Hamas’s operational capacity in the post-Sinwar era,” the think tank added. While the families of the hostages welcomed Sinwar’s killing, they also expressed “deep concern” about those still held captive.
“We call on the Israeli government, world leaders, and mediating countries to leverage the military achievement into a diplomatic one by pursuing an immediate agreement for the release,” the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum said on Friday. Part of the problem lies in how Hamas is no longer the ultra-hierarchical organization it was when it carried out the October 7 attack which sparked the Gaza war. Decimated and scattered by Israel’s offensive, and with the Gaza Strip cleaved in two by the Israeli army, today the militant group “operates in very localized cells, in a much more decentralized way,” researcher David Khalfa at the Fondation Jean-Jaures think tank told AFP.
Hamas “is now more of a militia with local warlords” that has links with “families which apparently are holding hostages,” he said. That “is going to be a real problem for the Israelis and the Americans. Rather than a blanket agreement on the hostages, they will probably aim for releases bit by bit,” Khalfa said. Until the middle of 2024, Hamas’s structure was split in two: on the one hand, the political branch led by Ismail Haniyeh, based in the Qatari capital Doha, and the paramilitary branch led by Sinwar in Gaza on the other. Sinwar rose to become the overall leader of Hamas after Haniyeh was assassinated in July. The balance of power between the two is now tilted toward the political bureau, “where the sources of funding, logistical support and militia training are concentrated,” Khalfa said. If it chooses a leader in exile, the group runs the risk of seeing its new chief alienated from its forces on the ground in the Palestinian territories. But if it appoints a fighter such as Sinwar’s brother Mohammed, Hamas will be signalling it has less interest in a political resolution to the war.
Hostage negotiations are now in unchartered territory.
“Prior negotiating efforts were all based on the idea that Sinwar had a line of connection to most of those holding hostages, and he could shape their actions,” Jon Alterman of the US think tank CSIS said. “The picture is much murkier now, and we are likely to see a diverse array of outcomes,” he said. There are even fears the hostages could be executed, perhaps in revenge for Sinwar’s killing or because the militants feel they can no longer sell the hostages for cash. With no one in the group “willing to take the deadly risk of looking after them... the hostages may be left to their own devices and able to escape,” Mezran said. “The fear is also that mid-level Hamas operatives may be tempted to eliminate the hostages to protect their own identities from the eventual retaliation of Israeli forces.” The pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is enormous, but his government does not appear prepared to secure the hostages’ release at any price. It will not have forgotten the 2011 release of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, held hostage by Hamas for five years. Among the Palestinians freed was Sinwar himself.
“They want to get away from the Shalit precedent, which was a mistake they paid a high price for,” Khalfa said.

Israel army says intercepts ‘aerial target’ approaching from Syria
AFP/October 19, 2024
JERUSALEM: The Israeli military said it had intercepted a suspicious “aerial target” approaching from Syria on Friday, which a war monitor said was a drone launched by an Iran-backed group. “A short while ago, a suspicious aerial target that approached Israeli territory from Syria was intercepted by the IAF (air force)... before it crossed into Israeli territory,” the military said in a statement. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the drone was launched by the Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq group. “Israeli air defenses in the occupied Syrian Golan targeted two drones launched by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, coming from Iraq through Syrian territory,” the war monitor said in a statement. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a network of pro-Iran militias, has regularly claimed launching drones targeting Israel. Israel is fighting a war on two fronts, one with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, the other with Hamas in Gaza, while it also faces attacks from Iran-backed militants in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. Israeli authorities rarely comment publicly about individual strikes or operations involving Syria, but have repeatedly said they will not allow Iran to expand its foothold in the region.

Israeli strikes kill 73 Palestinians in northern Gaza, Hamas media says
REUTERS/October 20, 2024
CAIRO: At least 73 Palestinians, including many women and children, were killed and dozens wounded in Israeli strikes on Saturday that hit several houses in Beit Lahiya town in northern Gaza Strip, medics and Hamas media said. Medhat Abbas, a senior health ministry official, also said dozens were wounded and missing in the strikes. Medics said they targeted a multi-floor building and damaged several houses nearby. The Israeli military is checking reports of casualties from an airstrike in northern Gaza, an Israeli official said, adding a preliminary examination suggested the Hamas media office’s numbers were exaggerated and did not match the information available to the Israeli military. Palestinian health officials said rescue operations were being hampered by the cut-off of telecommunication and Internet services for a second day. Earlier in the day, the Gaza health ministry said Israeli military strikes killed 35 Palestinians across the enclave.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Israeli strike kills 73 people in Beit Lahiya
• Israel says checking the reports, casts doubts on death toll by Hamas media office
• Israeli strikes kill 108 people across Gaza, medics say
• Israel tightens siege around hospitals in north, medics say
“This is a war of genocide and ethnic cleansing. The occupation has conducted a horrifying massacre in Beit Lahiya,” the Hamas media office said.
Residents and medics said Israeli forces had tightened their siege on Jabalia, the largest of the enclave’s eight historic camps, which it encircled by also sending tanks to the nearby towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya and issuing evacuation orders to residents.
Israeli officials said evacuation orders were aimed at separating Hamas fighters from civilians and denied there was any systematic plan to clear civilians out of Jabalia or other northern areas.
In Jabalia, residents said Israeli forces besieged several shelters housing displaced families before they stormed them and detained dozens of men. Footage on social media, which Reuters could not immediately verify, showed dozens of Palestinian men sitting on the ground next to a tank, while others were led by a soldier to a gathering site.
Residents and medical officials said Israeli forces were bombing houses and besieging hospitals, preventing medical and food supplies from entering to force them to leave the camp. Health officials said they refused orders by the Israeli army to evacuate the hospital or leave the patients, many in critical condition, unattended. “Hospitals in northern Gaza suffer from stark shortages of medical supplies and manpower and are overwhelmed by the number of casualties,” said Hussam Abu Safiya. “We are now trying to decide who among the wounded we needed to attend to first, and several wounded died because we could not deal with them,” he said.
SINWAR LEAFLETS
Earlier on Saturday, Israeli planes dropped leaflets over southern Gaza on Saturday showing a picture of the dead Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar with the message “Hamas will no longer rule Gaza,” echoing language used by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The move came as Israeli military strikes killed at least 108 people across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, Palestinian health officials said. “Whoever drops the weapon and hands over the hostages will be allowed to leave and live in peace,” read the leaflet, written in Arabic, according to residents of the southern city of Khan Younis and images circulating online.
The leaflet’s wording was from a statement by Netanyahu on Thursday after Sinwar was killed by Israeli soldiers operating in Rafah, in the south near the Egyptian border, on Wednesday. The Oct. 7 attack Sinwar planned on Israeli communities a year ago killed around 1,200 people, with another 253 dragged back to Gaza as hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s subsequent war has devastated Gaza, killing more than 42,500 Palestinians, with another 10,000 uncounted dead thought to lie under the rubble, Gaza health authorities say. In the central Gaza Strip camp of Al-Maghzai, an Israeli strike on a house killed 11 people, while another strike at the nearby camp of Nuseirat killed four others. Five other people were killed in two separate strikes in the south Gaza cities of Khan Younis and Rafah, medics said, while seven Palestinians were killed in the Shati camp in the northern Gaza Strip.
Later on Saturday, an Israeli strike killed three Palestinians in Nuseirat, medics said. Late on Friday, medics said 33 people, mostly women and children, were killed and 85 others were wounded in Israeli strikes that destroyed at least three houses in Jabalia.The Israeli military said it was unaware of that incident.
It said forces were continuing operations against Hamas across the enclave, killing several gunmen in Rafah and Jabalia and dismantling military infrastructure. Palestinian medics said five people were killed in Jabalia on Saturday.

Leaked documents show US intelligence on Israel’s plans to attack Iran, sources say
Natasha Bertrand and Alex Marquardt, CNN/October 19, 2024
The US is investigating a leak of highly classified US intelligence about Israel’s plans for retaliation against Iran, according to three people familiar with the matter. One of the people familiar confirmed the documents’ authenticity. The documents, dated October 15 and 16, began circulating online Friday after being posted on Telegram by an account called “Middle East Spectator.” They are marked top secret and have markings indicating they are meant to be seen only by the US and its “Five Eyes” allies — Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. They describe preparations Israel appears to be making for a strike against Iran. One of the documents, which says it was compiled by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, says the plans involve Israel moving munitions around. Another document says it is sourced to the National Security Agency and outlines Israeli air force exercises involving air-to-surface missiles, also believed to be in preparation for a strike on Iran. CNN is not quoting directly from or showing the documents. A US official said the investigation is examining who had access to the alleged Pentagon document. Any such leak would automatically trigger an investigation by the FBI alongside the Pentagon and US intelligence agencies. The FBI declined to comment. The leak comes at an extremely sensitive moment in US-Israeli relations and is bound to anger the Israelis, who have been preparing to strike Iran in response to Iran’s missile barrage on October 1. One of the documents also suggests something that Israel has always declined to confirm publicly: that the country has nuclear weapons. The document says the US has not seen any indications that Israel plans to use a nuclear weapon against Iran. “If it is true that Israeli tactical plans to respond to Iran’s attack on October 1 have been leaked, it is a serious breach,” said Mick Mulroy, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East and a retired CIA officer. Mulroy added that “the future coordination between the US and Israel could be challenged as well. Trust is a key component in the relationship, and depending on how this was leaked that trust could be eroded.”The National Security Council referred CNN to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Pentagon for comment. The Pentagon and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency declined to comment. CNN has reached out to the National Security Agency for comment. Another US official said that “these two documents are bad, but not horrible. The concern is if there are more.” It is not clear how the documents became public, nor whether they were hacked or deliberately leaked. The US is already on high alert about Iranian hacking campaigns — US intelligence agencies said in August that Iran had hacked documents belonging to Donald Trump’s campaign. Axios first reported on the leaked documents Saturday. A major leak of US intelligence last year also strained the US’ relationships with allies and partners, including South Korea and Ukraine, after a 21-year-old Air National Guardsman posted highly classified information on the social media platform Discord.

Biden sees opportunity to potentially end Israel-Iran fighting 'for a while'
Reuters/October 19/2024
U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday there was an opportunity to deal with Israel and Iran in a way that potentially ends their conflict in the Middle East for a while. Speaking to reporters at the end of a visit to Berlin, Biden also said he has an understanding of how and when Israel was going to retaliate against missile attacks by Iran. He declined to elaborate. Tensions have been high in the region with Israel planning a response to the Oct. 1 missile attack carried out by Tehran. "There's an opportunity in my view and my colleagues agree that we can probably deal with Israel and Iran in a way that ends the conflict for a while. That ends the conflict, in other words, that stops the back and forth," Biden said. Biden added that he believed there was a possibility of working towards a ceasefire in Lebanon but that such efforts would be harder in Gaza. Pledges from Israel and its enemies Hamas and Hezbollah to keep fighting in Gaza and Lebanon dashed hopes on Friday that the death of Palestinian militant leader Yahya Sinwar might hasten an end to more than a year of escalating war in the Middle East.

Iran’s supreme leader says Hamas leader’s death will not halt ‘Axis of Resistance’
REUTERS/October 19, 2024
‘His loss is undoubtedly painful for the Axis of Resistance, but this front did not cease advancing with the martyrdom of prominent figures’ Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar will not halt the “Axis of Resistance” and that Hamas would live on. “His loss is undoubtedly painful for the Axis of Resistance, but this front did not cease advancing with the martyrdom of prominent figures,” Khamenei said in a statement. “Hamas is alive and will remain alive.”Sinwar, the architect of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza, was killed on Wednesday in a gunfight with Israeli forces after a year-long manhunt, and his death was announced on Thursday. “He was a shining face of resistance and struggle. With a steely resolve, he stood against the oppressive and aggressive enemy. With wisdom and courage, he dealt them the irreparable blow of October 7 that has been recorded in the history of this region. Then, with honor and pride, he ascended to the heavens of the martyrs,” said Khamenei. The “Axis of Resistance,” built up with years of Iranian support, includes Hamas, the Lebanese Hezbollah group, the Houthi movement in Yemen, and various Shiite groups in Iraq and Syria. The groups describe themselves as the resistance to Israel and US influence in the Middle East. “As always, we will remain by the side of the sincere fighters and combatants, by God’s grace and help,” Khamenei said.

Gaza authorities accuse Israeli forces of attacking hospital
AFP/October 19, 2024
Gaza Strip: Health authorities in Gaza said Israeli forces surrounded and shelled the Indonesian Hospital in the territory’s northern town of Beit Lahia at dawn on Saturday. “Israeli tanks have completely surrounded the hospital, cut off electricity and shelled the hospital, targeting the second and third floors with artillery,” said the facility’s director, Marwan Sultan. “There are serious risks to medical staff and patients.” In a statement, Gaza’s health ministry also said Israel had targeted the upper floors, adding there were “more than 40 patients and wounded in addition to the medical staff” present. “Heavy gunfire” toward the hospital and its courtyard had sparked a “state of great panic” among patients and staff, it added. Israel launched a new offensive in northern Gaza earlier this month, saying it was targeting Hamas fighters who were regrouping there. Gaza’s civil defense agency said an Israeli strike the night before in nearby Jabalia killed 33 people. The UN humanitarian affairs agency on Friday continued “to sound the alarm about the increasingly dire and dangerous situation that civilians in northern Gaza are facing. Families there are trying to survive in atrocious conditions, under heavy bombardment.

Iraq moves to revoke Saudi broadcaster's license after report angered militia supporters
Qassim Abdul-zahra/BAGHDAD (AP)/October 19, 2024
Iraq’s commission governing media announced Saturday that it would take steps to revoke the license of a Saudi television station to operate in the country. That came hours after dozens of supporters of Iraqi militias stormed and looted the office of the broadcaster, MBC, in Baghdad in protest over a report that described a number of Iranian-linked militant figures — including a prominent Iraqi militia leader — as “terrorists.” The report on “terrorists” who had been killed this century mentioned former al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden alongside a roster of Iran-backed figures. They included Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, a veteran Iraqi militant who was the deputy commander of the Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella group of mostly Shiite paramilitaries and founder of the Kataeb Hezbollah, or Hezbollah Brigades. Iraq’s Media and Communications Commission said in a statement that MBC had violated the country’s broadcasting regulations through “attacks on the martyrs, leaders of victory and heroic resistance leaders who are fighting the battle of honor against the usurping Zionist entity,” referring to Israel, and that it would order its executive office to cancel the station’s work license. The station had already closed its doors following the attack. The controversy came against the backdrop of heightened regional tensions surrounding the wars between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have played a minor role in the conflict, launching drone attacks on bases housing U.S. troops in the country in retaliation for Washington’s support of Israel’s wars and, increasingly in recent months, firing at targets within Israel.

Turkey and Germany leaders meet in Istanbul and find many avenues of agreement. But not on Israel
ISTANBUL (AP)/October 19, 2024
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday in Istanbul, where both leaders discussed bilateral concerns and opportunities for cooperation. But they couldn't agree on their respective stances toward Israel. During an otherwise cordial news conference following their meeting, Erdogan had very harsh words for Israel and its Western supporters. “It’s clear that in Netanyahu’s mind, he doesn’t want to limit the war to just some definite, fascist circle, but to expand it,” he said, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “The deaths of so many leaders is practically a point of delight for them. And the West is jumping for joy.”Scholz, on the other hand, defended Israel’s “right to self defense” and expressly disagreed with Erdogan’s labeling of the war in Gaza as “genocide.”The German leader pointed out Berlin’s support for humanitarian aid to Gaza, a two-state solution and a cease-fire. “But I also want to say this: Germany does not believe ... that the accusation of genocide is justified,” Scholz said. He noted the importance of feeling compassion when children and other innocent civilians die, but stressed that genocide is a “legal question.”Despite the difference of views on Israel, Scholz and Erdogan struck a friendly tone in their appearance before reporters. The meeting came as each side needs help from the other side. One of Turkey’s primary focuses is the procurement of arms from Europe, particularly Eurofighter Typhoon jets. Scholz hinted that there will be some developments in this regard. “Turkey is a member of NATO and therefore we always make decisions that involve concrete deliveries," he said. "That is a matter of course and we have also made such decisions recently and they will be passed on.” Shortly before Scholz’s visit to Turkey, his second during his nearly three years in office, the government announced that it was again allowing arms exports to Turkey on a larger scale, the German news agency dpa reported. This year, 69 permits worth 103 million euros ($111.7 million) had already been issued by Oct. 13. This included military weapons worth 840,000 euros ($911,000). Until the failed military coup in Turkey in 2016 and the invasion of northern Syria, the German government had approved arms exports to the country on a large scale, but then significantly reduced them. While Turkey is focused on a defense deal, Scholz is seeking Turkey’s help to deport more rejected asylum-seekers and migrants to Turkey. Almost 16,000 Turkish citizens in Germany were required to leave the country at the end of September. The government in Berlin is also seeking to deport those who have committed crimes back to Afghanistan and Syria, and is seeking the help of Turkey and other partners for this.

Germany says Britain taking lead on possible Eurofighters for Turkey
Reuters/October 19, 2024
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday that a project to possibly supply Turkey with Eurofighter jets was an effort being driven by Britain and was in the early stages. "It is something that will continue to develop, but is now being driven forward from there (Britain)," he said when asked about potential movement on the issue at a press conference in Istanbul with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. The Eurofighter Typhoon jets are built by a consortium of Germany, Britain, Italy and Spain, represented by companies Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo.
Asked about the subject, a British government spokesperson said, "We continue to make progress on the potential export of Eurofighter Typhoon to Türkiye, an important NATO ally. "When considering any potential export of Eurofighter, we work closely with the governments of Germany, Italy and Spain, in line with the commitments each nation has made to support the others’ exports," the spokesperson added. Ankara said last year it was in talks with Britain and Spain to buy Eurofighter Typhoons, though Germany objected to the idea. Since then, it has complained of a lack of progress on the issue and Erdogan alluded to Berlin's reluctance until now. "We wish to leave behind some of the difficulties experienced in the past in the supply of defence industry products and develop our cooperation," Erdogan told reporters at the press conference in Istanbul. On Thursday a Turkish defence ministry official said Turkey had been conducting technical work aimed at accelerating its planned purchase of the jets.

Turkiye says Israel pushing Iran to take ‘legitimate steps’
AFP/October 19, 2024
Turkiye’s foreign minister said Saturday in a joint press conference in Istanbul with his Iranian counterpart. “Israel’s aggressive stance is forcing Iran to take legitimate steps,” Turkiye’s Hakan Fidan said alongside Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “constantly opening new fronts in the region” and “trying to draw Iran into this war,” he said. “The risk of war spreading to the entire region should not be underestimated.”Iran backs the Islamist groups Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, whose top leaders have been killed by Israel in the widening Middle East crisis. Iran also backs Houthi rebels in Yemen and Shiite militias in Iraq, as well as Syria’s armed forces. Tehran collectively calls these proxies and militias an “axis of resistance” against Israel. On October 1, Iran launched a barrage of around 200 missiles in retaliation for the September 27 killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut and the July 31 killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Israel, which has vowed to strike back at Iran for that barrage, on Wednesday in Gaza killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, mastermind of the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel that triggered the current escalating conflict. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned they would hit Israel “painfully” if it attacks Iranian targets.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on October 18-19/2024
Israel Fights Alone, Carrying by Itself a Catatonically Suicidal West
Majid Rafizadeh/ Gatestone Institute./October 19, 2024
Little Israel is showing the world how to win again – and saving civilization and a free way of life into the bargain .... let Israel keep winning!
The problem with the JCPOA was, of course, its "sunset clauses." They assured Iran that it could legitimately have as many nuclear weapons as it can produce in just a few short years.
The West has left Israel to fight a war that should never have been Israel's alone. The Western nations, through diplomatic miscalculations, the need for votes, cowardice and a fear of conflict, have essentially outsourced their responsibilities for maintaining global peace to Israel, watching from the sidelines as the conflict ramps up.
If the West is too fearful or reluctant to engage directly in the fight against injustice, terror, and tyranny, the very least it can do is stand with Israel and stop trying to sabotage it at every turn. Support should not be limited to words but include political, diplomatic and military backing. By failing to support Israel fully, the West is empowering exactly those countries working to revise the world order -- from one of freedom to one of tyranny -- by displacing the West.
It is a grotesque reflection on the international community, particularly the Biden-Harris administration and the European Union, not to be offering unequivocal support. Israel's struggle is not just for its own survival but for the security and peace of the Free World. The West, through its passivity, is failing not only Israel, it is hollowing out its own survival.
The West has left Israel to fight a war that should never have been Israel's alone. The Western nations, through diplomatic miscalculations, the need for votes, cowardice and a fear of conflict, have essentially outsourced their responsibilities for maintaining global peace to Israel, watching from the sidelines as the conflict ramps up.
Culminating with the dispatch of arch-terrorist Yahya Sinwar this week, how many of the world's most vicious terrorists has Israel liberated the world from in a few short weeks? Little Israel is showing the world how to win again -- and saving civilization and a free way of life into the bargain. For those of us fortunate enough to live in a free society rather than in a society of fear, as the former Soviet dissident Natan Sharansky calls them, let Israel keep winning!
The multi-front war that Israel is currently waging against the Iranian regime and its numerous terrorist proxies is a battle that actually the West should have taken on -- and long ago at that. Yet from the presidency of Barack Obama on, the Biden-Harris administration and European governments, rather than confronting the threats presented by Iran, they appeased and bankrolled it. The leadership of the West opted for a path of inaction, appeasement, ignoring sanctions and eschewing secondary sanctions -- meaning countries that do business with Iran may not do business with the US -- and providing billions of dollars to terrorists to enable them to attack Israel, US troops, and for Iran to put the finishing touches on their its weapons program.
Obama's totally illegitimate but much-touted Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which he claimed "achieved a detailed arrangement that permanently prohibits Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. It cuts off all of Iran's pathways to a bomb," was no such thing. The statement was a deception, just as much as, "If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor" was -- based on the "stupidity of the American voter," as his associate Jonathan Gruber said. The problem with the JCPOA was, of course, its "sunset clauses." They assured Iran that it could legitimately have as many nuclear weapons as it can produce in just a few short years.
This approach, apparently aimed at avoiding confrontation, has only strengthened Iran and its terror networks by allowing them to expand their influence and aggressions unchecked. The West has indeed been feeding the crocodile in hopes it will eat it last, as Winston Churchill noted. It is a suicidal strategy -- but it is exactly what the West has done. To avoid confronting the threat, the West appears to have chosen, instead, trying to bribe its enemies into postponing their assault, presumably in the hope that it will fall on someone else's watch.
Meanwhile, Iran and other countries that seemingly wish America nothing but ill, have used that bribe money to enlarge the threat. The West has left Israel to fight a war that should never have been Israel's alone. The Western nations, through diplomatic miscalculations, the need for votes, cowardice and a fear of conflict, have essentially outsourced their responsibilities for maintaining global peace to Israel, watching from the sidelines as the conflict ramps up.
Instead, Europe, the United Nations and their institutions have been trying to undermine Israel at every turn (for instance here, here, here, here and here).
Israel, smaller than New Jersey, is left grappling with the world's top state sponsor of terrorism, Iran, as well as the well-armed and proxies that the Iranian regime uses to protect itself from retaliation. Iran's reach extends far beyond its borders. Its fingerprints are visible in acts of terrorism across the globe from Argentina to Europe, to trying to assassinate a Saudi, a dissident, and American heads of state on American soil.
Domestically, Iran's regime systematically suppresses dissent and commits human rights abuses on a massive scale -- from imprisoning and executing political opponents -- even children -- to violently crushing protests. Its foreign terror activities include funding and arming militias, rebel groups, and terrorist organizations across the Middle East, Africa and South America. The West's failure to neutralize these threats has given Iran the space and financing to flourish, while at the same time abandoning Israel to confront this monstrous regime alone. Instead of helping Israel defeat Iran's terrorism and towering abuses of human rights, or even just thanking it, the West goes out of its way to defame, sabotage and attack Israel.
Meanwhile, Iran -- which is reportedly in the final stages of producing what the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan 26 years ago called "an Islamic Bomb" -- is arming Russia in its war on Ukraine, and arming terrorist groups in countries such as Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, where its influence perpetuates conflict and chaos, and is deeply intertwined with other enemies of the West – Russia, China and North Korea.
Even more troubling, perhaps, is Iran's budding military alliances with authoritarian regimes in Latin America, the backyard of the United States. These alliances present a dangerous escalation in Iran's strategy to extend its reach into the Western Hemisphere, far beyond the Middle East. Israel, by confronting Iran, is doing more than defending itself -- it is confronting a global network of malign actors that threaten peace and stability worldwide.
Israel's primary adversaries include Iran's proxies, such as Hezbollah, a well-armed and well-financed terrorist organization that has long operated as Iran's cat's paw in Lebanon. Israel has also been contending with another Iranian-backed terrorist organization, Hamas, whose history of violence and terror is long, brutal, and characterized by suicide bombings, rocket attacks, and targeting Israeli civilians.
On October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a terrorist jihad on Israel, it murdered 1,200 people, including infants, torturing, beheading, raping and burning alive many of the victims, and kidnapped more than 250 others. This atrocity was just one in a long series of gruesome acts committed by Hamas. The Palestinian Authority and terrorist groups have, with US encouragement, seemed to assume, that they will be able to resume ruling the Gaza Strip so it can continue to attack the people of Israel.
In addition to Hezbollah and Hamas, Israel is battling the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group in Yemen, which the Biden-Harris administration removed from the list of the Foreign Terrorist Organizations after less than a month in office. In gratitude, the Houthis attacked not only Israel, but also Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and US troops in the region. The Houthis also destabilized the Red Sea and blocked virtually all shipping through the Suez Canal. Vessels are now forced to detour around the continent of Africa, increasing the cost of each round-trip voyage by up to an extra million dollars just for fuel. Despite the Houthis' violations of international law and their wrecking-ball influence throughout the region, the international community has failed to take any serious action against them.
It is the West's responsibility to confront these forces, yet it is Israel that is doing the job. The Western powers, which should be at the forefront of the fight against terrorism, have abdicated their role, leaving Israel to bear the burden. This should not be Israel's fight alone-- it is one that the West should have taken on with full force. Israel has been stepping in where others have hesitated or even enabled its aggression -- an indictment of the West's inability to take up its own responsibilities.
If the West is too fearful or reluctant to engage directly in the fight against injustice, terror, and tyranny, the very least it can do is stand with Israel and stop trying to sabotage it at every turn (for instance here, here, here, here and here). Support should not be limited to words but include political, diplomatic and military backing. By failing to support Israel fully, the West is empowering exactly those countries working to revise the world order -- from one of freedom to one of tyranny -- by displacing the West.
Israel is single-handedly carrying the weight of multiple fronts in the battle against terrorism. The Free Word, with its vast resources and influence, all currently under threat in at least three theaters -- Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific -- should be at the forefront of this fight. Instead, Israel is left to do the work that the Western democracies should have undertaken long ago. It is a grotesque reflection on the international community, particularly the Biden-Harris administration and the European Union, not to be offering unequivocal support. Israel's struggle is not just for its own survival but for the security and peace of the Free World. The West, through its passivity, is failing not only Israel, it is hollowing out its own survival.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a business strategist and advisor, Harvard-educated scholar, political scientist, board member of Harvard International Review, and president of the International American Council on the Middle East. He has authored several books on Islam and US Foreign Policy. He can be reached at Dr.Rafizadeh@Post.Harvard.Edu
© 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.

Is it Benjamin Netanyahu’s goal to drag the US into a war with Iran?
Ray Hanania/ARAB NEWS/October 12, 2024
CHICAGO: A prominent American academic with decades of expertise in Israeli politics believes the year of violence in Gaza and the expansion of the conflict into Lebanon are designed to pull the US into a direct war with Iran. During a taping of “The Ray Hanania Radio Show” on Thursday, former Ithaca College Professor Jeff Cohen said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s intentions have been evident for some time, even suggesting that if Hamas had not attacked Israel on Oct. 7, Netanyahu would have found another pretext to blame Iran, in an effort to draw the US into a broader regional conflict with Israel’s longstanding adversary. “It’s this one-sidedness that empowers the right wing in Israel. We (the US) are not arming Hamas, we are not arming Iran. We arm Israel. And no matter what they do with those weapons, in violation of US law, they just keep getting more weapons and more ammunition and more bombs to kill innocent civilians,” Cohen said. The US has been Israel’s primary military backer in the ongoing conflict, with nearly $23 billion spent in support of its war on Gaza and operations against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, according to a report by Brown University’s Watson Institute. When adjusted for inflation, total economic and military aid to Israel since its founding in 1946 rises to $310 billion. Cohen, who is Jewish, highlighted the deeply entrenched relationship between the US and Israel.
“We have to stop arming Israel. And there needs to be a solution from the Palestinian leadership and the Israeli leadership. There has to be equality on both sides,” Cohen said, adding that “what we’re moving toward” is the opposite of what should be pursued and would eventually lead to the US being dragged into a wider, regional conflict. On Oct. 7, people around the world held vigils and protests to mark first anniversary of a Hamas-led attack on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza. The Palestinian militant group and its allies killed some 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages to then Hamas-controlled Gaza, according to Israeli figures. Nearly 42,000 Palestinians have been killed so far and most of the 2.3-million-strong population displaced by Israel’s retaliatory attacks, according to Gaza health authorities. Cohen argued that Netanyahu, who has repeatedly claimed that Iran funded and coordinated the Hamas-led assault of Oct. 7 and Hezbollah’s rocket attacks, has long sought to push the US into a war with Iran. “He’s very close to succeeding,” he said, noting that Iran is often portrayed as the root of all regional problems. On Friday, the Biden administration announced fresh sanctions targeting Iran’s energy trade following an attack on Oct. 1 launched by the country against Israel, involving nearly 200 ballistic missiles. It was Iran’s second such attack on Israel this year, after it launched about 300 missiles and drones in April, both conducted in response to killings of high-level Iranian, Hamas and Hezbollah officials thought to have been carried out by Israel. Cohen, the founding director of the Park Center for Independent Media at Ithaca College, argues that “bias” in the mainstream American media has heavily influenced coverage of the conflict, reinforcing US support for Israel regardless of its military actions, while marginalizing Palestinian voices. Jeff Chen, retired associate professor of journalism at Ithaca College in New York. (Supplied) “My main message as someone who worked in mainstream media and taught journalism at college is we have to, as journalists, understand that all lives matter. That Palestinian lives are as important as Israeli lives,” said Cohen, referencing the Israeli military’s actions in Gaza.
“You don’t get that from the US news media. You get it in a lot of other countries that all lives matter including Palestinians. In our country (the US), it’s just Israeli lives. Israeli suffering. Israeli deaths. Israeli hostages. “There are far more Palestinian detainees who are in many ways ‘hostages.’ They aren’t charged. They’re tortured. They’re abused. There’s thousands and thousands of them, including children.”Cohen argued that while violence is often attributed solely to groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, with Israeli victims predominantly highlighted by mainstream media, the history of terrorism in the Middle East traces back to Zionist extremists operating before the founding of the State of Israel. “We have to understand, and any historian of Israel knows, there were Israeli terrorists, before the State of Israel, trying to bring a state into existence. They bombed the King David hotel. They killed civilians. They killed British civilians,” said Cohen, citing Jewish extremist groups from the 1940s led by future Israeli Prime Ministers Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Shamir, who opposed Palestinian statehood. “If you’re an oppressed group and you’re a stateless group, there will be people within your community turning to violence. The only way to prevent that is peace and justice for all sides,” he said.Hezbollah, which began firing rockets into Israeli cities from Lebanon on Oct. 8 last year in solidarity with Palestinian militant groups, and Hamas, which Israel is still fighting in Gaza, are two members of an alliance of Iran-funded militias that also operate in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
The Houthis have targeted more than 80 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza erupted last October. They seized one vessel and sank two in the campaign that also killed four sailors. Similarly, Iraqi militias vowed since October 7 to support Hamas’s war effort and have launched hundreds of rocket and drone attacks at Israeli cities and US military bases in the region. Indiscriminate violence against civilians, as well as targeted attacks on media workers and medical professionals, have become a central issue in protests and discussions surrounding the conflict. These groups, often viewed as “intentional targets,” are seen as part of a broader strategy to force civilian displacement in both Gaza and Lebanon.In a separate segment of the “The Ray Hanania Radio Show,” Dr. Zaher Sahloul, founder of the non-profit MedGlobal, which provides medical support to civilians caught up in conflicts in the Middle East, South America, and Ukraine, remarked that the number of medical professionals killed and hospitals destroyed by Israeli bombings has reached “unprecedented levels.”
“There are new norms, if we can call it that way, that are now being created, especially in Gaza and now in Lebanon,” said Sahloul. “And we’ve seen that in Syria and a little bit in Ukraine, where you have hospitals, doctors and ambulances targeted intentionally to cause displacement and deprive communities of healthcare.”According to UN statistics, more than 600 medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, and first responders, have been killed in Gaza, while 39 hospitals have been bombed and 97 medics killed in Lebanon over the last two weeks.
“You didn’t see these numbers in previous conflicts,” Sahloul said. If Israel is not held to account for violations of the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law, he said such war crimes would only persist. “It looks like it’s becoming the norm. There is no accountability. When there is no accountability, murderers tend to repeat the crime,” he said. “These attacks on healthcare in Gaza and Lebanon are not just collateral damage. They are intentional. And they are causing more harm and, of course, displacement of the population.”Both Article 9 of the Geneva Convention and the statutes of the International Committee of the Red Cross classify the killing of medical personnel as a war crime. Sahloul argued that Israel’s current operations in Gaza, and similar tactics being employed in Lebanon, exceed what is justified, designed to hasten the displacement of civilians.
Israel has denied deliberately targeting medical facilities, but has accused both Hamas and Hezbollah of commandeering civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, schools and residential buildings to coordinate attacks and store weapons, using their occupants as human shields.
The Israeli military has released photos and videos purporting to show these weapons depots as well as underground tunnels since it launched its military operations last year.
Sahloul, who has led numerous medical missions to conflict zones, pointed out the devastating long-term impact of losing key medical professionals. “It is not normal. And imagine how long it will take to get a doctor, to become a physician. You know, it takes 30 years of education and then specialization. If you remove a surgeon or a head of department in Gaza or in Lebanon, it’s very difficult to replace them. It takes years and generations to replace these doctors. “And if you bomb their hospitals and universities, that means this will set healthcare in Gaza and other places way, way back.”
He also criticized the mainstream media for its lack of coverage on this aspect of the conflict. “The media, of course, is not giving justice to this,” he said. “There were bits and pieces, especially at the beginning of the war in Gaza. But after that the media, for some reason, turned away from what’s going on in Gaza. It is inhumane. It is immoral. It’s unethical to ignore this, but for some reason, the media is not paying attention.”
“The Ray Hanania Radio Show” is broadcast every Thursday on the US Arab Radio Network on WNZK AM 690 Radio in Michigan

Question: “How should a Christian view politics?”
GotQuestions.org/October 16/ 2024
Answer: If there is anything that will spark a spontaneous debate, if not an outright argument, it is a discussion involving politics—even among believers. As followers of Christ, what should be our attitude and our involvement with politics? It has been said that “religion and politics don’t mix.” But is that really true? Can we have political views outside the considerations of our Christian faith? The answer is no, we cannot. The Bible gives us two truths regarding our stance towards politics and government.
The first truth is that the will of God permeates and supersedes every aspect of life. It is God’s will that takes precedence over everything and everyone (Matthew 6:33). God’s plans and purposes are fixed, and His will is inviolable. What He has purposed, He will bring to pass, and no government can thwart His will (Daniel 4:34-35). In fact, it is God who “sets up kings and deposes them” (Daniel 2:21) because “the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes” (Daniel 4:17). A clear understanding of this truth will help us to see that politics is merely a method God uses to accomplish His will. Even though evil men abuse their political power, meaning it for evil, God means it for good, working “all things together for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Second, we must grasp the fact that our government cannot save us! Only God can. We never read in the New Testament of Jesus or any of the apostles expending any time or energy schooling believers on how to reform the pagan world of its idolatrous, immoral, and corrupt practices via the government. The apostles never called for believers to demonstrate civil disobedience to protest the Roman Empire’s unjust laws or brutal schemes. Instead, the apostles commanded the first-century Christians, as well as us today, to proclaim the gospel and live lives that give clear evidence to the gospel’s transforming power.
There is no doubt that our responsibility to government is to obey the laws and be good citizens (Romans 13:1–2). God has established all authority, and He does so for our benefit, “to commend those who do right” (1 Peter 2:13–15). Paul tells us in Romans 13:1–8 that it is the government’s responsibility to rule in authority over us—hopefully for our good—to collect taxes, and to keep the peace. Where we have a voice and can elect our leaders, we should exercise that right by voting for those who best demonstrate Christian principles.
One of Satan’s grandest deceptions is that we can rest our hope for cultural morality and godly living in politicians and governmental officials. A nation’s hope for change is not to be found in any country’s ruling class. The church has made a mistake if it thinks that it is the job of politicians to defend, to advance, and to guard biblical truths and Christian values.
The church’s unique, God-given purpose does not lie in political activism. Nowhere in Scripture do we have the directive to spend our energy, our time, or our money in governmental affairs. Our mission lies not in changing the nation through political reform, but in changing hearts through the Word of God. When believers think the growth and influence of Christ can somehow be allied with government policy, they corrupt the mission of the church. Our Christian mandate is to spread the gospel of Christ and to preach against the sins of our time. Only as the hearts of individuals in a culture are changed by Christ will the culture begin to reflect that change.
Believers throughout the ages have lived, and even flourished, under antagonistic, repressive, pagan governments. This was especially true of the first-century believers who, under merciless political regimes, sustained their faith under immense cultural stress. They understood that it was they, not their governments, who were the light of the world and the salt of the earth. They adhered to Paul’s teaching to obey their governing authorities, even to honor, respect, and pray for them (Romans 13:1-8). More importantly, they understood that, as believers, their hope resided in the protection that only God supplies. The same holds true for us today. When we follow the teachings of the Scriptures, we become the light of the world as God has intended for us to be (Matthew 5:16).
Political entities are not the savior of the world. The salvation for all mankind has been manifested in Jesus Christ. God knew that our world needed saving long before any national government was ever founded. He demonstrated to the world that redemption could not be accomplished through the power of man, economic strength, military might, or politics. Peace of mind, contentment, hope, and joy—and the salvation of mankind—are provided only through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Recommended Resources
Politics - According to the Bible: A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture by Wayne Grudem
More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free!

On the EU-Gulf Summit
Emile Ameen/Asharq Al Awsat/October 19/2024
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and the 27 member states of the European Union held their first-ever summit in the Belgian capital, Brussels, which is a genuine historic opportunity to develop a closer partnership between the two sides.
The summit is exceptionally significant for two reasons: the two sides’ geopolitical partnership and its timing. Indeed, no one is short on fear and uncertainty with regard to recent political developments - or rather, political setbacks - that could precipitate the worst in both the GCC and the European Union, are prevalent.This was the first time that leaders of the European Union and the GCC held a summit since they signed a cooperation agreement in 1989, which set a framework for a regular dialogue between the two sides with the aim of expanding trade and investment. The summit is a critical historic opportunity to enhance their strategic partnership and fortify ties, especially in light of the challenges facing the region and the world. From a diplomatic perspective, the summit helps to bridge gaps, align paths, and diversify approaches amid a resurgence of toxic ideologies that could set international relations back. A significant step forward seems to have been taken toward furthering the interests of the two blocs that share historical ties and contemporary objectives, fears, and concerns. With regard to Europe, one can say that there is a deep desire to build new friendships that allow the Old Continent to assert itself globally, especially as it seeks to isolate Russia. One cannot fail to notice the Gulf region lies at a crossroads between Asia, Europe, and Africa either, nor its crucial role in containing many of the crises unfolding today. Since Russia’s military operations in Ukraine began two years ago, the European Union has been engaging with other regional blocs. It held its first-ever summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which was followed by a summit with the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).
Is Europe worried about something?
In truth, several concerns are troubling the Europeans and keeping them up at night. The raging Tsar to the East has become a real worry, especially given Europe’s support for the Kyiv regime. To the West, they are apprehensive about domestic upheaval in the United States, which may, to some extent, cut the cord with Europe if former President Donald Trump is voted back into the White House on November 5. The European Union sees the GCC as a bloc they can work with on a broad array of issues. They are particularly keen on energy cooperation, including the import of gas and oil. It is no secret that the deteriorating relations between Russia and the EU have created significant burdens for EU countries and hindered their ability to meet their energy needs. As winter approaches, with environmental and climate scientists predicting a harshly cold season this year, those burdens are set to get worse.
The Europeans see the leaders of Gulf states as politically aware and enlightened. They recognize that the GCC has adeptly pursued a balanced approach to calibrating their ties to global capitals and decision-making centers, ensuring that they are not dependent on any single entity.
They are fully aware of how the Gulf states' relations with Russia and China are part of this framework, and no one expects any of the six GCC capitals to sever their ties with Moscow or Beijing. Indeed, the Europeans are dealing with this reality as it is and trying to create balance, albeit out of political pragmatism.
The European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, succinctly explained the principle objective of the summit from the European perspective: "Our message is clear: we are ready to act more and more together in facing common challenges."
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s leadership of the Saudi Arabian delegation invigorated both sides and their efforts to take swift action to address the rapidly developing situation in the Middle East. Saudi diplomacy understands that the absence of a coherent shared European position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to which different EU countries often take contradictory positions, is a major obstacle hindering the European Union’s ability to place a more significant role in the geopolitics of the Middle East. To understand Riyadh's geostrategic weight in the present day, we need to look no further than the many statements of European officials stressing the need for Saudi re-engagement with Lebanon and salvage the situation there.The Gulf summit in Europe is, in any case, a chance to deepen mutual cultural exchange, and it opens the door to ending the specter of a clash of civilizations and creating new opportunities to build bridges around the "Great Sea," as the Arabs once called the Mediterranean.

Is Israel getting itself into another Lebanese quagmire?
Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/October 19, 2024
The sight of Israeli ground troops crossing into Lebanon, and not for the first time, reminded me of what the Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana said more than a century ago: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” It always baffles me why leaders do not learn from history, even the recent history that many of them have lived through. Admittedly, Israel and Lebanon do not have a natural border, such as a river or a mountain range, but rather a political one, the Blue Line — a demarcation established by the UN as a temporary border that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon peacekeeping operation could monitor after Israel finally withdrew from its northern neighbor in 2000. This border is more or less consistent with the Anglo-French accord of 1923, which provides a partial explanation for the volatility of this border.
As a matter of fact, previous Israeli military and political attempts to establish the Litani River as a security border all ended in disaster. It took 18 years for the Israeli army to get out of the quagmire following its invasion of 1982, while in the process inflicting enormous damage on Lebanon and its people and contributing to the country’s instability. Israel also suffered many casualties during years of holding to a buffer zone before it eventually withdrew to the international border, leaving the situation even more fragile and unstable.
Israel’s objective of ensuring the security of its northern border in order to allow 60,000 displaced citizens to return safely to their homes after being forced out by Hezbollah’s constant onslaught of rockets, missiles, and drones since last October is justifiable. But the way it is pursuing it is increasingly worrying, as it is beginning to resemble the way it is dealing with Gaza.
There is no fundamental border dispute between the states of Israel and Lebanon and their two armies have not confronted each other on the battlefield since 1948. The disagreement over the 28 sq. km of the Shebaa farms, most of which is generally agreed to belong to Syria and not Lebanon, and which is now occupied by Israel, is at best an excuse for Hezbollah to maintain its raison d’etre in Lebanese politics and society.
At the end of the day, what justification is there for Hezbollah to continue as a well-armed militia that is capable of overshadowing the Lebanese army and that serves Tehran’s interests more than those of the Lebanese people? It was also unconvincing in its declared support for the Palestinian cause before Oct. 7 of last year, as well as in its subsequent half-hearted military attempt to force Israel to change its war tactics in Gaza. Nevertheless, it has done enough for Israel to eventually turn its attention to its northern border and to what might develop into an excessive use of force to match that of its onslaught in Gaza.
The Hamas attack last year shuffled the strategic cards for Israel. Until then, it had regarded the threat from Hezbollah as a greater concern in terms of its capabilities and intentions, as well as because of the Iran nexus.Israel may be about to enter into a prolonged war unless the international community intervenes, and does so quickly. For years, Israel’s security forces have spent much of their energy and resources attempting to slow down the transfer of weapons and ammunition from Iran into the hands of Hezbollah out of concern for what it is currently facing: rockets, missiles, and drones targeting military bases and civilians deep inside the country. Yet, despite the recent and persistent bombardment by the Israeli military of this Lebanese movement’s arms storage facilities, the elimination of most of its senior leadership, including Hassan Nasrallah, and the launch of a ground campaign inside Lebanon, Hezbollah is still capable of firing rockets and launching drones into Israel. While there was international recognition among Israel’s friends and allies that it had the right to respond to what Hamas and Hezbollah have inflicted on its citizens and to ensure that Israelis could return safely to their homes close to the border, this was not and should never have been a license to sow death and devastation on a vast scale, let alone with no obvious strategic endgame.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right coalition are setting themselves up to fail because their war objectives are maximalist, relying on military force without a political horizon that could be facilitated by diplomacy. Since the widespread explosions of Hezbollah operatives’ booby-trapped pagers and walkie-talkies last month, events have unfolded rapidly and equally dangerously.
It initially seemed that Israel was intending to compel Nasrallah to agree to return to the 2006 UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which was aimed at creating security arrangements that would prevent the resumption of hostilities along the Israel-Lebanon border. However, with Nasrallah’s assassination, it appears that Tel Aviv is attempting to enforce at least one aspect of UNSC Resolution 1559 of 2004: that of the dismantling of militias in Lebanon — in this case, of Hezbollah in its entirety. If this is the case, it means that Israel is about to enter into a prolonged war unless the international community intervenes — and does so quickly — especially since the threat of an Iranian-Israeli escalation looms large.
Every generation thinks that it can do better than the last, but military incursions that are not surgical and clinical, not limited in time and have no clear political objective are bound to go wrong — badly wrong. It is incontrovertible that Hezbollah has suffered massive losses over the last few weeks, but it is not defeated and is signaling that it is ready for a deal if one is achieved with Hamas in Gaza. This might be the opportunity to end the war, see the release of the hostages, and pave the way to ending the humanitarian disaster. And, with it, regional de-escalation followed by a plan to restart the reconstruction of Gaza and an Israeli-Palestinian peace process.At this point, such a sequence of events sounds unrealistic, mainly because there are no leaderships capable of compromise or who have the vision, imagination, and courage to change direction. The Netanyahu government — because it has turned the military tide in its favor, despite being far from defeating Hamas and even further away from crushing Hezbollah — now has the opportunity to accelerate negotiations for a deal in Gaza, which would make one in Lebanon easier. It must translate its current advantageous military position into a tangible and lasting political settlement, and do so before its amnesia sends the Israeli army into an endless downward spiral in both Gaza and Lebanon.
*Yossi Mekelberg is a professor of international relations and an associate fellow of the MENA Program at Chatham House. X: @YMekelberg

Events in Gaza, Lebanon may bring Egypt and Iran closer
Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy/Arab News/October 19, 2024
The relationship between Egypt and Iran is one of the most complex in the Middle East, largely due to significant political and ideological differences that have persisted for decades. Recently, changing dynamics in the region, especially the ongoing events in Lebanon and Gaza, have brought this relationship back into focus. As regional tensions rise, observers are questioning whether these developments will hasten the normalization process between Cairo and Tehran, two historically influential players in the region.
As a result of Israel’s wars on Lebanon and Gaza, the prospect of rapprochement between Egypt and Iran seems closer than ever. Both public and behind-the-scenes communications are ongoing, culminating in Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s visit to Egypt on Thursday as part of his Middle East tour. The discussions focused on ways to de-escalate the situation in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as easing tensions between Iran and Israel.
Through this visit, Iran sought to improve relations with Egypt after years of stagnation. Since the March 2023 Saudi-Iranian agreement to resume relations, communication between Iran and Egypt has increased. Oman has played a mediating role, conveying messages between the two countries to pave the way for the potential resumption of diplomatic ties. Despite the obstacles, there are encouraging signs of diplomatic progress between Cairo and Tehran, particularly given the shared security challenges in the region, such as the situations in Yemen and Gaza.
To understand the prospects for rapprochement or normalization between Cairo and Tehran, it is important to consider the historical context of the crisis.
Before the 1979 Iranian Revolution, led by Ayatollah Khomeini, Egypt and Iran enjoyed strong strategic relations. There was close political and military cooperation, with Iran supporting Egypt in facing regional challenges during the era of President Gamal Abdel Nasser. The two nations maintained strong diplomatic relations.However, the relationship changed dramatically after the overthrow of the shah. Relations entered a phase of continuous tension, largely due to the new Iran regime’s opposition to the 1978 Camp David Accords. Egypt also viewed Iran as a backer of extremist Islamist groups that threatened its national security, a belief reinforced by the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in 1981. Iran further strained relations by naming a street in Tehran after Sadat’s assassin, Khalid Islambouli.
Despite the obstacles, there are encouraging signs of diplomatic progress between Cairo and Tehran.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, relations remained cold, with both countries supporting opposing sides in various regional conflicts. Iran was a key backer of Hezbollah in Lebanon and Palestinian factions, while Egypt, under President Hosni Mubarak, remained a pillar of the Sunni Arab order and maintained close relations with the US. Despite these tensions, limited communication persisted, with economic and cultural exchanges remaining open to some extent. This laid the groundwork for potential reconciliation if the geopolitical landscape changed. Egypt and Iran have often found themselves on opposing sides of many issues. For instance, during the Iran-Iraq War, Egypt fully supported Iraq and opposed Iran’s ambitions of regional expansion. Egypt also backed the Gulf states threatened by Iran’s proxies, particularly Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen.
When conflict erupted in the region on Oct. 7. 2023, all possibilities became open. Iran plays a central role in supporting Hezbollah on both the military and political fronts, while Egypt views the situation in Lebanon with deep concern, especially as further escalation could affect the stability of the entire region. Despite disagreements between Cairo and Tehran over Iran’s role in Lebanon, this crisis could open the door to new dialogue on how to contain the situation.
In Gaza, Iran is a major military and financial backer of Hamas, while Egypt has consistently acted as a mediator between Israel and Hamas. Cairo is keen to avoid a full-scale war that would negatively impact regional security. This situation presents potential opportunities for direct understandings between the two states. Araghchi’s visit to Egypt, following intensive communication, came at a highly sensitive moment, with tensions in the region at unprecedented levels. This suggests that Iran is seeking to improve its relations with regional countries, including Egypt, to ease international and regional pressure. Strengthening its ties with Cairo would bolster Iran’s regional stance, particularly on issues like Lebanon and Gaza.
For Egypt, maintaining stability in Gaza is crucial for its national security. Meanwhile, Iran’s support for Palestinian resistance factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, through financial and military backing, aligns with its broader anti-Israel narrative. Tactical coordination could serve the interests of both countries.Araghchi’s visit to Egypt, following intensive communication, came at a highly sensitive moment. Lebanon’s political and economic crisis also casts a shadow over the region. Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy, wields significant influence in Lebanese politics. While Egypt has traditionally avoided engaging with Hezbollah, the deteriorating situation in Lebanon has raised concerns in Cairo about potential instability spreading across the Arab world. There is growing recognition in Egyptian foreign policy circles that some form of cooperation with Iran may be necessary to prevent Lebanon’s collapse, which could have far-reaching regional consequences.
Another factor driving Egypt and Iran toward possible rapprochement is the changing dynamics in the Gulf. Saudi Arabia, Egypt’s closest Gulf ally, has begun its own dialogue with Iran. Although relations between Riyadh and Tehran remain strained, these talks indicate a broader trend towards regional de-escalation. Egypt may see this as an opportunity to explore its own path to normalization without jeopardizing its relationships with Gulf states. If Saudi Arabia and Iran can engage diplomatically, there is room for Egypt to explore rapprochement as well.
However, despite the realistic chances of rapprochement, major hurdles remain. One is the ideological divide. Egypt remains skeptical of the political Islam embraced by Iran, as well as its revolutionary narrative. Additionally, the two countries have conflicting alliances, with Egypt closely tied to the West while Iran remains heavily sanctioned. Iran’s support for groups like Hezbollah and Hamas continues to be a point of contention, as Egypt views these groups as destabilizing forces in the region. Iran’s continued backing of armed groups across the region, which Egypt sees as a direct threat to Arab national security, presents a major barrier. Furthermore, Iran’s expansionist policies in Yemen and Syria are still key points of disagreement between the two countries.
Despite these challenges, the relationship may see at least temporary rapprochement, as the two countries cooperate on shared regional issues like the crises in Lebanon and Gaza. This scenario assumes that the two nations will work to build trust through political and diplomatic dialogue.
Whether this rapprochement can help resolve the situations in Gaza and Lebanon remains uncertain. Progress will depend on both parties’ ability to overcome these obstacles and engage in effective political dialogue to address regional challenges.
*Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy has covered conflicts worldwide. X: @ALMenawy