English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For September 21/2024
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first last.”
Matthew 20/01-16/”For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’So the last will be first, and the first last.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September 20-21/2024
Elias Bejjani/Text & Video: A Critical Reading of Today’s Speech by Terrorist Hassan Nasrallah
The Cyber Strike That Exposed Hezbollah’s Delusional Myth Justifies Its Eradication/Elias Bejjani
IDF strike kills Hezbollah Radwan Force chief Ibrahim Aqil in Beirut
Hezbollah confirms death of senior leader Ibrahim Aqil in Israeli airstrike
Israel says it killed top Hezbollah military commander in Beirut strike
Israel says its strike on Beirut killed top Hezbollah military official as Lebanon reports 12 died
Whole of Hezbollah’s senior command level likely damaged’
Concerns Grow as Conflict Escalates Between Israel and Hezbollah
To fellow Lebanese/Hussain Abdul-Hussain/X site/September 20/2024
Now paging Hassan Nasrallah
Exclusive-Hezbollah handed out pagers hours before blasts - even after checks
Over 100 rockets fly into Israel from Hezbollah as world leaders urge de-escalation
Thousands of exploding devices in Lebanon trigger a nation that has been on edge for years
Israel carries out targeted strike in Beirut after Hezbollah hits northern Israel with 140 rockets
A modern ‘Trojan Horse’: two days of mayhem in Lebanon
Inside Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force: Structure, strategy, and operations - explainer
'New phase of the war': Gallant promises to pursue Hezbollah until evacuated residents return North
Biden: Northern Israelis, southern Lebanese must be able to return home safely
Fire breaks out on playground in North as Hezbollah fires roughly 140 rockets
The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy AMCD Endorses Rep. Steube’s PAGER Act
Israel degrades Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists in spectacular pager explosion operation: experts
Hezbollah's Silverback Nasrallah is Netanyahu's Alter Ego/Hanibaal Atheos/lebanoniznogood.blogspot.com/September 20/2024
Full Transcript: Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib’s address to the UN Security Council on cyberattacks and Israeli aggression

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 20-21/2024
WJC's Lauder, France's Macron discuss Jewish community in Paris meeting
'No deal is imminent': US officials cast doubt on possibility of negotiation success
Israeli forces deepen raid in Rafah, kill 14 people across Gaza
Israel submits challenges to ICC on Gaza arrest warrant requests
IDF investigating soldiers for throwing bodies of Palestinians from West Bank rooftop
Scoop: U.S. fears Israeli finance minister will topple Palestinian banks
Trump Hails Himself Israel’s Savior in Fantastical Speech
Russia warns West and Ukraine of 'disastrous consequences' if Kyiv moves against Belarus
Iran condemns a Taliban delegate's failure to stand for the Iranian national anthem
Israeli forces deepen raid in Rafah, kill 27 people across Gaza

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on September 20-21/2024
Question: “How can I overcome temptation?”/GotQuestions.org//September 20, 2024
Why Islam Was, Is, and Always Will Be the West’s ‘Most Formidable and Persistent Enemy’/Raymond Ibrahim/The Stream/September 20/2024
Israel needs to get it together before the UN resolution has consequences/Tamar Uriel -Beeri/Jerusalem Post/September 20/2024
‘Why Egypt Prefers Palestinian Terrorists On Its Border/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/September 20, 2024
Why do some Arabs now see the Sykes-Picot Agreement as a solution?/Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy/Arab News/September 20, 2024
Global detente in Syria poses crucial questions for Turkiye/Sinem Cengiz/Arab News/September 20, 2024

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on September 20-21/2024
Elias Bejjani/Text & Video: A Critical Reading of Today’s Speech by Terrorist Hassan Nasrallah
Elias Bejjani/September 19/ 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/09/134639/
In analyzing today’s speech by Hassan Nasrallah, Iran’s terrorist mouthpiece and delusional hallucinator—Lebanon’s foremost enemy and traitor—it is wise to be reminded of the timeless biblical warning:
Isaiah 33:1 – “Our enemies are doomed! They have robbed and betrayed, although no one has robbed them or betrayed them. But their time to rob and betray will end, and they themselves will become victims of robbery and treachery.”
Nasrallah’s speech today, like every one before it, was a hollow echo of his delusions, promoting an evil ideology steeped in death, deception, and blasphemous distortions. It was an insult to the intelligence of the Lebanese people, filled with the same tired deceit he has ruminated on for years under the following four themes:
01-Manipulating religion – Twisting sacred principles to deceive the ignorant, offering hollow promises of divine victories that are, in reality, catastrophic defeats.
02-Mocking adversaries – Ridiculing the United States, the West, Israel, and moderate Arab nations while ignoring the moral and military decay of Hezbollah itself.
03-Empty threats and bravado – Spewing imaginary threats that far exceed his own capabilities or those of his Iranian Mullahs’ masters, exposing the impotence of Hezbollah’s so-called resistance.
04- Demonizing dissent – Vilifying those who oppose Iran’s imperialist and terror-driven agenda as traitors, labeling them stupid and less than human. This arrogance is a symptom of his delusional mentality, denying the freedom, rights, and legitimate sovereignty of others.
His speech of today was nothing more than a nauseating repetition of populist, bragging, and sectarian rhetoric. He offered nothing new—no acknowledgment of his terrorist organization Hezbollah’s numerous defeats, and no recognition of the crumbling credibility it is facing.
Despite repeated calls from numerous politicians and prominent Lebanese figures to admit defeat, surrender Hezbollah’s arms to the Lebanese state, and comply with UN Resolutions related to Lebanon (Armistice Accord, 1559, 1701, and 1860), Nasrallah’s arrogance and deeply rooted Jihadism agenda blinded him to reality. He ignored the unprecedented Israeli ‘Pager” offensive that crushed his Iranian-controlled organization, neutralizing 5,000 of its fighters in three minutes.
Even in the face of such a devastating defeat, he shamelessly declared what he absurdly calls a ‘divine victory,’ continuing to push for death and war as his only solution.
In conclusion, Hezbollah—along with its sectarian, ideological puppet masters in Iran—represents an existential threat, not just to Lebanon and its peace-loving people, but to the Arab world, civilization, humanity, and global-reginal stability. Hezbollah is not Lebanon’s defender; it is the enemy within, a mercenary force serving Iran’s expansionist, delusional satanic ambitions.
Dear Lebanese brothers and sisters: Know your true enemies.
The Iranian mullahs and their proxies—chief among them Hezbollah, the so-called ‘Party of God’—are the real enemies, and the true betrayers of Lebanon. They are the cause of Lebanese sufferings. The time has come to dismantle this terrorist Iranian organization, reclaim Lebanon’s sovereignty, implement the UN resolutions, and arrest all its leaders to put them on trial for treason, crimes, and acts of terrorism.

The Cyber Strike That Exposed Hezbollah’s  Delusional Myth Justifies Its Eradication
Elias Bejjani/September 18/ 2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2024/09/134575/
There is no doubt that Israel’s surprising and unprecedented cyber strike on the terrorist Hezbollah has shattered the myth of its military strength, exposing its lies and delusions. This strike signals the inevitable and imminent eradication of this cancerous entity. Propped up by Iran, Hezbollah has occupied Lebanon, spreading corruption, destruction, and moral decay. Its leaders terrorize the Lebanese people, particularly the Shiite community, who remain hostages under the guise of sectarianism.
Driven by madness and arrogance, Hezbollah’s leadership brands anyone who opposes them as a traitor. Their oppressive actions have debased every Lebanese national value. Fanatics like Nawaf al-Moussawi, who glorified the assassination of President Bashir Gemayel and openly threatened future presidents, embody Hezbollah’s utter contempt for Lebanon’s sovereignty.
This strike on Hezbollah's infrastructure is not a cause for joy, but a rightful and necessary response to a group that has chosen violence and death as its path.
Hezbollah’s fighters, who sanctify death and proudly declare themselves mere pawns for their leaders, have inflicted untold suffering not only on Lebanon but across Syria, Iraq, and Yemen.
The victims of today’s strike were Hezbollah operatives, not civilians. This decisive blow has laid bare Hezbollah’s vulnerability, signaling the decline of its military effectiveness.
Since 2005, Hezbollah has held Lebanon hostage, reducing its leaders to mere puppets.
Lebanon will never reclaim its independence, sovereignty, or freedom as long as Hezbollah remains in control.
The only path to Lebanon’s liberation is through the immediate implementation of United Nations resolutions, including the Armistice Accords and Resolutions 1559, 1701, and 1680.
In conclusion, Hezbollah—an Iranian proxy and terrorist organization—is a cancer devouring Lebanon and dragging it back to the stone ages. Its complete eradication is the only cure for Lebanon’s grave dilemmas and suffering.

IDF strike kills Hezbollah Radwan Force chief Ibrahim Aqil in Beirut
Jerusalem Post/September 20/2024
Security sources told Reuters that other members of Hezbollah's Radwan Force were killed when the Israeli strike hit a meeting they were attending. The IDF conducted a targeted strike on Radwan Force commander and head of Hezbollah Operations Ibrahim Aqil in Beirut, Lebanon, on Friday, killing the high-ranking terrorist. Security sources told Reuters that other members of Hezbollah's Radwan Force were killed when the Israeli strike hit a meeting they were attending. Hezbollah-run publication Al-Manar claimed that more than one strike targeted southern Beirut. Lebanese media placed the strike site in the Al-Qaim neighborhood of Beirut. The Lebanese Health Ministry claimed that eight had been killed in the strike and that another 59 were wounded. Initially, Reuters reported that a thick cloud of smoke was seen climbing over the Lebanese capital, adding that residents of the city's southern suburbs reported hearing a blast. Israeli and foreign media reported that the meeting was between Palestinian and Hezbollah officials. The Jerusalem Post was not able to confirm the report at this time. The strike follows massive Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel overnight between Thursday and Friday, during which some 50 homes in the Israeli border community of Metulla were reportedly damaged. Additionally, rocket falls and shrapnel sparked fires across several locations in the North. The IDF noted that the Home Front Command's defensive guidelines for Israeli residents, notably those in northern Israel, are currently unchanged. "We are in a new phase of the war and continue to pursue Hezbollah," an Israeli official told Ynet after the strike. "We are preparing for a response. Everything is on the table." Rocket sirens sound in North after strike in southern Lebanon. Roughly an hour after the strike, drone intrusion sirens sounded across northern Israel, including the cities of Safed and Kiryat Shmona. Previously, on January 2, the IDF killed Wissam al-Tawil, known as Jawad, a key Radwan operations commander in southern Lebanon. Akil was Jawil's commander.

Hezbollah confirms death of senior leader Ibrahim Aqil in Israeli airstrike
LBCI/September 20/2024
Hezbollah has confirmed the death of senior military leader Ibrahim Aqil, also known by the alias Haj Abdul Qader, following an Israeli airstrike in the southern suburbs of Beirut. In a statement released Friday night, the group hailed Aqil as a key figure in its resistance against Israel and vowed to continue his mission. Aqil, a prominent figure in Hezbollah’s military wing and a member of its Jihad Council, was described as having spent his life in “jihad, work, wounds, sacrifices, dangers, challenges, achievements, and victories.” The statement, quoting a verse from the Quran, emphasized that Aqil was deserving of the “divine medal of martyrdom” and praised his dedication to the cause of liberating Jerusalem. “Jerusalem was always in his heart, mind and soul day and night. His biggest dream was to pray in its mosque,” the statement read, referring to Aqil’s commitment to Hezbollah’s broader goal of opposing Israeli control over Jerusalem. The militant group expressed pride in presenting Aqil as a martyr, reaffirming its commitment to his cause. “The Islamic resistance presents one of its great leaders today as a martyr on the path to Jerusalem and vows to remain loyal to his goals, hopes and path until victory, God willing,” the statement added. Hezbollah extended condolences to its supporters and to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, thanking the group’s loyal followers for their steadfastness. Aqil’s death was framed as part of the broader struggle of Hezbollah and its allies, with the group offering prayers for his family and the families of other martyrs. The airstrike targeting Aqil has escalated tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, as the group continues to play a significant role in regional conflicts, particularly in Lebanon and the region. This development marks a significant blow to Hezbollah, which has seen several key figures targeted in recent months. It is unclear how the group will respond to the loss of one of its senior leaders.

Israel says it killed top Hezbollah military commander in Beirut strike
Barak Ravid/Axios/September 20/2024
The Israeli military said it killed top Hezbollah military commanders, including the militia's head of operations Ibrahim Aqil, on Friday in an airstrike on a southern Beirut neighborhood. Lebanon's health ministry said at least 12 people were killed and dozens more were wounded.
Hezbollah has not confirmed Aqil's death. The IDF said Aqil was the head of Hezbollah's military operations and the commander of the elite Radwan Forces, and claimed he was in charge of a plan to invade northern Israel. He was killed along with other commanders in the unit, the IDF said. An Israeli official said the senior command of the Radwan forces — about 20 commanders — were killed in the strike. IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a press conference that Aqil and the Radwan unit commanders were killed as they held a meeting under a building.
Driving the news: The attack comes several days after the remote detonations of pagers and Walkie-Talkies that killed close to 40 people and wounded more than 3,000 others. Hezbollah said many members of its military units and institutions died or were injured in the attacks. A senior Israeli official said Israel did not inform the U.S. in advance of the attack in Beirut on Friday, but briefed senior U.S. officials on the matter immediately after it was carried out. White House spokesperson John Kirby said he was not aware of any prior notice Israel gave the U.S. about the Beirut strike.
Kirby said the U.S. still believes a diplomatic solution for the fighting on the Israel-Lebanon border is possible. He stressed that a war between Israel and Lebanon isn't inevitable "and we are trying to prevent it."
The latest: President Biden said at the top of the cabinet meeting on Friday that the administration is working on a solution that would allow civilians in northern Israel and southern Lebanon to go back to their homes.
"We have to get this done, but we still have a way to go," Biden said.
Zoom in: Aqil is one of the founders of Hezbollah's military wing.
He is wanted by the U.S. for his involvement in the bombings of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut in April 1983, which killed 63 people, and the U.S. Marine Corps barracks in October 1983, which killed 241 U.S. personnel.
What they're saying: An Israeli official described the assassination as "a huge blow" for Hezbollah's military command and control structure.
Another Israeli official said that after Fuad Shukr was killed by Israel Defense Forces in July, Aqil replaced him as Hezbollah's top military commander.
The Israeli official said Israel reached the conclusion that it wouldn't be able to reach a diplomatic solution to the situation on the northern border without going through a military escalation. "This is why we have been gradually taking our gloves off and increasing our attacks against Hezbollah," the official said.

Israel says its strike on Beirut killed top Hezbollah military official as Lebanon reports 12 died
Bassem Mroue And Julia Frankel/BEIRUT (AP)/September 20, 2024
Israel launched a rare airstrike that killed a senior Hezbollah military official in a densely populated neighborhood of southern Beirut on Friday, the Israeli army said. It was the deadliest such attack on Lebanon’s capital in years. At least 12 others were reported killed in the attack. The Israeli military’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said the strike on Beirut's southern Dahiya district targeted and killed Ibrahim Akil, a commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, as well as 10 other Hezbollah operatives. There was no immediate confirmation of Akil's death from Hezbollah.
The Israeli military did not elaborate on the identities of the other commanders allegedly killed in the strike on the crowded urban neighborhood. Lebanese health officials said at least 12 people were killed and 66 others were wounded there. Nine of the wounded, they said, were in serious condition.
A Hezbollah official confirmed that Akil was supposed to be in the building that was hit but gave no further information. Akil has served on Hezbollah’s highest military body, the Jihad Council, and has been sanctioned by the United States for being involved in two terrorist attacks in 1983 that killed more than 300 people at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut and the U.S. Marine Corps barracks. Lebanon's local networks aired footage showing first responders combing through the rubble of two flattened apartment buildings in Jamous area, just kilometers from downtown Beirut where Hezbollah conducts many of its political and security operations. The strike hit during rush hour as people were leaving work and children heading home from school.
“The attack in Lebanon is to protect Israel," Hagari said at a news conference following the strike, describing Akil as one of Hezbollah militants responsible for the group's regular rocket fire into Israel. earlier on Friday, Hezbollah pounded northern Israel with 140 rockets as the the region awaited the revenge promised by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah over this week’s mass bombing attack on pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to Hezbollah members.
The strike — apparently the deadliest such Israeli attack on a neighborhood of Beirut since Israel and Hezbollah fought a bloody, monthlong war in 2006 — signaled a major escalation in the past 11 months of cross-border attacks.
Israel and Hezbollah have traded fire regularly since since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel triggered the Israeli military’s devastating offensive in Gaza. But the cross-border attacks, while raising fears of an all-out regional war, have largely struck evacuated communities in northern Israel and less-populated parts of southern Lebanon.
The last time Israel hit Beirut was in a July airstrike that killed senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr. Speaking to journalists, Hagari described Shukr and Akil as two military officials closest to Hezbollah leader Nasrallah. He accused Akil of plotting a series of attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians that stretched over the decades, as well as master-minding an unfulfilled plan to invade northern Israel in a similar way to the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks. Last year, the State Department posted a $7 million reward for information leading to Akil's identification, location, arrest or conviction and said he also directed the taking of American and German hostages in Lebanon in the 1980s. Following the Israeli airstrike on Beirut, Hezbollah announced two more attacks on northern Israel, one of which it said targeted an intelligence base from which it claimed Israel directed assassinations, the latest in a string of rocket barrages this week targeting Israeli military sites that Israel said caused limited damage and no casualties. Fire crews were working to extinguish blazes caused by pieces of debris that fell to the ground in several areas.
The Israeli army ordered residents in parts of the Golan Heights and northern Israel to avoid public gatherings, minimize movements and stay close to shelters in anticipation of further rocket fire. The region has been even more on edge since Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies exploded en masse this week, killing at least 20 people and wounding thousands in Lebanon in attacks widely attributed to Israel. The sophisticated attacks have heightened fears that the cross-border exchanges of fire will escalate into all-out war. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in the attacks.
The Israeli military said that 120 missiles were launched at areas of the Golan Heights, Safed and the Upper Galilee, some of which were intercepted. the military said. The military didn’t say whether any missiles had hit targets or caused any casualties.
Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged near-daily fire since Oct. 8, a day after the Israel-Hamas war’s opening salvo, but Friday’s rocket barrages were heavier than normal.
Nasrallah on Thursday vowed to keep up daily strikes on Israel despite this week’s deadly sabotage of its members’ communication devices, which he described as a “severe blow.”
In recent days, Israel has moved a powerful fighting force up to the northern border, officials have escalated their rhetoric, and the country’s security Cabinet has designated the return of tens of thousands of displaced residents to their homes in northern Israel an official war goal.
Fighting in Gaza has slowed, but casualties continue to rise.
Overnight, Palestinian authorities said that 15 people were killed in multiple Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip.Those included six people, including an unknown number of children, in an airstrike early Friday morning in Gaza City that hit a family home, Gaza’s Civil Defense said. Another person was killed in Gaza City when a strike hit a group of people on a street. Israel maintains that it only targets militants, and accuses Hamas and other armed groups of endangering civilians by operating in residential areas. The military, which rarely comments on individual strikes, had no immediate comment.
Gaza’s Health Ministry says that more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in the territory since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. The ministry doesn’t differentiate between fighters and civilians in its count, but says a little over half of those killed were women and children.
The war has caused vast destruction and displaced about 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million.

Whole of Hezbollah’s senior command level likely damaged’
Yaakov Lappin/Israel Today/September 20/2024
Former defense official says beeper attack joins other strikes that appear to be “softening up” the terrorist group ahead of future developments.
As the dust settles from the mass pager and radio communication blasts that rocked Hezbollah in Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, and caused thousands of injuries and dozens of deaths in the ranks of the Iran-backed terror army, observers have begun to assess the damage incurred by the Islamist group.In a televised speech on Thursday, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah acknowledged that his organization absorbed an unprecedented blow to its personnel and security, adding that there was no dispute that “the enemy has technological superiority.” Nasrallah and other Hezbollah leaders have vowed retaliation. The historic attack has severely disrupted Hezbollah’s operational infrastructure by taking thousands of commanders off the battlefield due to injuries, hundreds of them severe, while eliminating much of its ability to communicate with field operatives, since pagers were meant to be a safer replacement for smart phones, which the group considers too vulnerable to espionage.
As such, the damage to Hezbollah’s command structure, communications infrastructure and morale is considered significant, damaging the organization’s ability to function confidently. Hezbollah on its knees
According to Cmdr. (res.) Eyal Pinko, a researcher at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University and a former Israeli Navy officer, who also served in an intelligence organization, the attack struck up to 3,000 terror operatives in “less than a second. “If you just look at the persons who were carrying those beepers, this is probably the senior commanders and above. So it’s from the battalion commanders and above. So probably what is happening now in Hezbollah is that all the commanding structure from, let’s say, the rank of lieutenant colonel in a regular military to the generals, the two or three generals, are totally injured or some of them are already died. So now to get even to the time to reset and to start to understand what is happening, it will take a few days.”The surprise attack left Hezbollah on its knees, he added, though the organization’s opposition in Lebanon still does not stand a chance against the Islamist group’s armed operatives, estimated to number almost 100,000 (including reserve forces). “You need to have a huge army in order to, to compete with them,” said Pinko. However, the 3,000 or so injured operatives mean that an enormously significant number of senior commanders are not functional—in all likelihood, “all [of the] senior commanding level were damaged,” he assessed.
Hezbollah operatives in Syria were also hurt in the pager blasts.
And on Sept. 9, international media reports said Israeli special forces and aircraft struck an IRGC missile site in Hama, western Syria, which was designed to produce accurate missiles for Hezbollah. That attack, said Pinko, harmed the group’s ability to get hold of “kits that make their bombs more accurate—the rocket accuracy program. So all these moves kind of look like softening up the target before actually striking,” he said. On July 31, the Israeli Air Force killed Hezbollah’s second in command, Fuad Shukr, considered to be the organization’s “military” chief of staff, landing another blow.
Pinko said that strike and others like it showcased “very precise, very accurate, very good intelligence, amazing intelligence.” Meanwhile, as international media reports focus on the pager attack, less attention has been given to how the explosive material in them was activated.
Malicious code
Barak Gonen, senior lecturer at the Jerusalem College of Technology and a former cybersecurity official in the Israel Defense Forces, told JNS that in theory, “Getting a remote device to run a malicious code requires uploading the code into the device before execution, which is an immense task if done remotely.”
He added, “I would assume that all modern intelligence agencies employ experts that master the skills of attacking remote devices. However, in this event, as the details unfold it becomes more apparent that the devices were ‘treated’ before handling them to Hezbollah. As an attacker, holding the device in your hand makes it far easier to attack, as you can alter the code that is running in the device. What the attacker would need to do is have an image of the new code, and then burn it into the device pretty much in the same manner that the factory, or cellphone technicians, do.”

Concerns Grow as Conflict Escalates Between Israel and Hezbollah
Anna Gordon/Time/September 20, 2024
Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike on Lebanon's southern village of Kfar Kila on Sept. 20, 2024. Lebanon's Hezbollah has traded near-daily fire with Israeli forces in support of ally Hamas since the Palestinian militant group's Oct. 7 attack triggered war in the Gaza Strip, with repeated escalations during more than 11 months of the cross-border violence.  U.S., U.K. and United Nations officials urged restraint as tensions ramped up between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Lebanon’s health ministry reported that at least eight people were killed and 59 people were wounded in an Israeli airstrike in Southern Beirut on Sept. 20. The strike was a targeted assassination aimed at top Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil, who was killed in the attack, according to Reuters.
After days of escalating conflict, Israel carried out extensive airstrikes targeting Southern Lebanon on Sept. 19 and Hezbollah retaliated on Sept. 20, prompting fears of further conflict and a wider Middle East war. It comes just days after thousands of pagers and other wireless devices, many of which were used by Hezbollah, exploded in Lebanon and parts of Syria in an unprecedented deadly attack that killed at least 37 people and wounded 3,000. While Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack, Hezbollah officials and multiple news outlets have suggested that the Israeli government was responsible.
Hezbollah said on Sept. 20 that it had launched multiple strikes targeting Israel’s military in the north of the country. Around 140 rockets were launched at northern Israel, the IDF said, with some fired at the occupied Golan Heights, Safed, and Upper Galilee areas intercepted. The IDF later said that it had launched an airstrike on Lebanon’s capital Beirut. In a post on social media platform X earlier in the day, the Israel Foreign Ministry wrote, “Make no mistake: those who harm the people of Israel will pay the price.”
The 15-member United Nations Security Council is expected to meet today to discuss the tensions. A spokesperson for the United Nations Interim Peace Keeping Force in Lebanon, expressed concern about the tensions at the border between Israel and Lebanon. "We are concerned at the increased escalation across the Blue Line and urge all actors to immediately de-escalate," Andrea Tenenti, told Reuters. White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said that the U.S. is “afraid and concerned about potential escalation.” During a press briefing on Sept. 19, Jean-Pierre said, “The way to move forward is diplomatic resolution. We think it is achievable. Obviously it is urgent.” She added: “Diplomacy is key here when we talk about potential escalation, which we do not want to see.” On Sept. 18, Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, called on “all parties” to avoid further escalating the conflict. Meanwhile, U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy called for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah on Sept. 19. In October 2023, Hezbollah began striking Israel’s Northern border region in solidarity with Gaza, where there is an ongoing war with Israel. Israel has responded with cross-border attacks, and the two groups have been trading strikes almost daily for nearly a year. Until now, neither group has let things escalate into a full-scale war, but some in the diplomatic community are concerned that could change soon.
Israel says its goal is to allow all internally displaced Israelis to return to their homes in the border region. Currently, 97,000 Lebanese people and 60,000 Israelis have been forced to evacuate their homes since the tensions began in October of last year, according to Al Jazeera. Late on the evening of Sept. 16, before the pager attack, Netanyahu’s security cabinet officially added the safe return of Israel’s Northern residents to their homes as one of the war’s goals. “The possibility for an agreement is running out as Hezbollah continues to ‘tie itself’ to Hamas, and refuses to end the conflict,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Sept. 16. “Therefore, the only way left to ensure the return of Israel’s northern communities to their homes, will be via military action.”Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised address on Sept. 19 that Israel’s actions were a declaration of war and vowed to respond. “The enemy crossed all rules, laws, and red lines. It didn’t care about anything at all, not morally, not humanely, not legally,” he said. “It can be called war crimes or a declaration of war–whatever you choose to name it, it is deserving and fits the description.” He also said that Israel would pay a price for its actions and that Hezbollah would continue cross-border attacks so long as Israel maintains its presence in Gaza. “The enemy will face a severe and fair punishment from where they expect and don’t expect,” he said.

To fellow Lebanese:
Hussain Abdul-Hussain/X site/September 20/2024
https://x.com/hahussain/status/1836823577297055918
Nasrallah today said Lebanon will remain at war with Israel as long as the war in Gaza continues.
The question is, who died and made Nasrallah the king of Lebanon? No one ever elected or commissioned him to take the Lebanese to an open-ended war.
We know that Nasrallah has also rigged the 2022 election (using violence against all Shia opponent candidates to secure the undisputed reelection of his puppet speaker), and today Nasrallah's speaker keeps parliament shut to prevent election of a president. Nasrallah dictates what puppet acting PM Mikati says or does. Change lawmakers have turned out to be a huge disappointment, employing the same brown-nosing-to-Hezbollah tactics that establishment politicians have perfected since 2008. The only standing Lebanese bloc worth some praise is the Lebanese Forces, but even then, the LF today are far from when they used to be a leading sovereignty force. The Lebanese economy is in tatters. Almost everyone living in Lebanon is living off diaspora remittances. State has stopped supplying electricity, water, or collecting trash regularly. Police is tanking and crime is surging. Poverty is so widespread that the World Food Program is feeding over one third of the population.
AND YET,
Without being consulted, the Lebanese are expected to war with Israel until Hamas, which started a war on Israel on 10/7, is saved and given the reign of Gaza back.
How is Hamas and Gaza a priority over Lebanese interests? How can Lebanon climb out of its hole with endless war? Why is the fate of Palestinians -- in Gaza and elsewhere -- a priority over that of the Lebanese?
We all know that Nasrallah is doing the bidding of Islamist #Iran regime, distracting Israel enough for Tehran to produce a nuclear bomb and become a regional power. But why should the Lebanese pay the price for Iranian ambitions or the Palestinian project to construct another failing Islamist state -- Palestine -- under the thumb of Iran?
The ideas above are for an inter-Lebanese discussions. Don't mind the noise of bored Middle Class Westerners (at US Congress, Harvard, Georgetown or the UN) who are taking Hezbollah's side. These self-anointed "global freedom fighters" have always taken the side of tyrants, whether Pol Pot, Saddam Hussein or the Assad dynasty.  Think for yourselves. Think independently. And let's debate what best serves the interest of Lebanon and the Lebanese. To my mind, immediate and unconditional peace with Israel is the answer. I know such idea is currently a social taboo and unsafe for those who are still living in Lebanon, but change will never come by recycling the same old, tested and failed, ideas.
Siyadeh, Huriyyeh, Isti2lal.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
On May 25, 2000, #Israel unilaterally withdrew from #Lebanon and the UN verified its fulfillment of UNSC 425. Since 2000, Hezbollah has not stopped waging wars on Israel, and the world has always taken Hezbollah’s side. Imagine what would happen if Israel unilaterally withdraws from West Bank or Gaza. The world is biased against Israel either way, whether it withdraws or not. Antisemitism is still like we’re in the 1930s.

Now paging Hassan Nasrallah
Audio/FDD/September 18/2024
Bill Roggio/Senior Fellow and Editor of FDD's Long War Journal
Joe Truzman/Senior Research Analyst at FDD's Long War Journal
David Daoud/Senior Fellow
Bill is joined by Joe and David to discuss yesterday and today’s explosions of devices belonging to Hezbollah terrorists across Lebanon.

Exclusive-Hezbollah handed out pagers hours before blasts - even after checks
Laila Bassam and Maya Gebeily/Reuters/September 20, 2024
BEIRUT (Reuters) -Lebanon's Hezbollah was still handing its members new Gold Apollo branded pagers hours before thousands of the devices blew up this week, two security sources said, indicating the group was confident they were safe despite an ongoing sweep of electronic equipment to identify threats. One member of the Iranian-backed militia received a new pager on Monday that exploded the next day while it was still in its box, said one of the sources. A pager given to a senior member just days earlier injured a subordinate when it detonated, the second source said. In an apparently coordinated attack, the Gold Apollo branded devices detonated on Tuesday across Hezbollah's strongholds of south Lebanon, Beirut's suburbs and the eastern Bekaa valley. On Wednesday, hundreds of Hezbollah walkie-talkies exploded. The consecutive attacks killed 37 people, including at least two children, and injured more than 3,000 people.
Lebanon and Hezbollah say Israel was behind the attacks. Israel's secretive military intelligence Unit 8200 was involved in the planning, a Western security source told Reuters this week. Israel, which has since stepped up airstrikes on Lebanon, has neither denied or confirmed involvement. The batteries of the walkie-talkies were laced with a highly explosive compound known as PETN, another Lebanese source familiar with the device's components told Reuters on Friday. Up to three grams of explosives hidden in the pagers had gone undetected for months by Hezbollah, Reuters reported earlier this week.
One of the security sources said it was very hard to detect the explosives "with any device or scanner." The source did not specify what type of scanners Hezbollah had run the pagers through. Hezbollah examined the pagers after they were delivered to Lebanon, starting in 2022, including by travelling through airports with them to ensure they would not trigger alarms, two additional sources told Reuters. In total, Reuters spoke to six sources familiar with the details of the exploding devices for this story.
The sources did not specify the name of the airports where they conducted the tests.
Rather than a specific suspicion of the pagers, the checks had been part of a routine "sweep" of its equipment, including communications devices, to find any indications that they were laced with explosives or surveillance mechanisms, one of the security sources said. The attacks, and the distribution of the devices despite the routine sweep and checks for breaches, have struck at Hezbollah's reputation as the most formidable of Iran's allied 'Axis of Resistance' umbrella of anti-Israel irregular forces across the Middle East.
In a televised speech on Thursday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said the attacks were "unprecedented in the history" of the group.
Hezbollah's media office and Israel's armed forces did not immediately respond to requests for comment for this story. Taiwan-based Gold Apollo has said it did not manufacture the devices used in the attack, saying they were made by a company in Europe licensed to use the firm's brand. Reuters has not been able to establish where they were made or at what point they were tampered with. A batch of 5,000 of the pagers were brought into Lebanon earlier this year. Reuters previously reported that Hezbollah turned to pagers in an attempt to evade Israeli surveillance of its mobile phones, following the killing of senior commanders in targeted airstrikes over the past year. Hezbollah's conflict with Israel dates back decades but has flared up in the past year in parallel with the Gaza war, heightening worries of a full-blown regional war.
TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE
After the pagers detonated on Tuesday, Hezbollah suspected more of its devices may have been compromised, two of the security sources, as well as an intelligence source, told Reuters. In response, it intensified the sweep of its communications systems, carrying out careful examinations of all devices. It also began investigating the supply chains through which the pagers were brought in, the two security sources said.
But the review had not been concluded by Wednesday afternoon, when the hand-held radios exploded. Hezbollah believes that Israel opted to detonate the group's hand-held radios because it feared Hezbollah would soon find that the walkie-talkies were also rigged with explosives, one of the sources told Reuters. The walkie-talkie explosions left 25 people dead and at least 650 injured, according to Lebanon's health ministry - a much higher fatality rate than the previous day's pager blasts, which killed 12 and wounded nearly 3,000. That is because they carried a higher payload of explosives than the beepers, one of the security sources and the intelligence source said. The group's probe into precisely where, when and how the devices were laced with explosives is ongoing, three of the sources said. Nasrallah later said the same in the speech on Thursday. One of the security sources said Hezbollah had foiled previous Israeli operations targeting devices imported from abroad by the group - from its private landline telephones to ventilation units in the group's offices. That includes suspected breaches in the past year.
"There are several electronic issues that we were able to discover - but not the pagers," the source said. "They tricked us, hats off to the enemy."

Over 100 rockets fly into Israel from Hezbollah as world leaders urge de-escalation
KEVIN SHALVEY and ELLIE KAUFMAN/ABC News/September 20, 2024
Israel launches airstrikes in LebanonScroll back up to restore default view.
As scores of rockets flew from Lebanon toward northern Israel on Friday, officials with the U.S. and other international leaders urged Hezbollah and Israel to seek diplomatic paths to de-escalate the conflict. About 120 rockets were fired toward Israel by midday on Friday, the Israel Defense Forces told ABC News. Israel on Thursday struck more than 100 Hezbollah targets within Lebanon, the military said. U.S. officials have this week privately urged their Israeli counterparts to find a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Thursday. He added that U.S. was committed to the defense of Israel from all terrorist organizations, including Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies. "We will continue to stand by Israel's right to defend itself," Miller said during a press briefing Thursday. "But we don't want to see any party escalate this conflict, period."
Miller and other U.S. officials joined a chorus of international officials who were also asking Israel and Hezbollah to step back from a conflict that's at risk of spreading and increasing in intensity. Israel and Hezbollah have for most of the last 11 months fired a near-daily volley of projectiles across the border.
Those strikes appeared on Thursday to take on a new urgency, as Israel launched a series of strikes on Hezbollah targets within Lebanon. The strikes were among the largest in almost a year. And they followed an attack with explosives hidden in pagers and walkie-talkies in both Lebanon and Syria, a deadly surprise attack that Israel was behind, according to a source. A spokesperson for the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon told Reuters on Friday the agency was also calling for de-escalation after seeing this week "a heavy intensification of the hostilities across the Blue Line," a reference to the border between Israel and Lebanon. European leaders had on Thursday made similar pleas. French President Emmanuel Macron and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy both called for de-escalation in the Middle East in separate public statements. Macron posted a message in French on social media addressing the Lebanese people, saying they cannot live in fear of an imminent war and conflict must be avoided. Lammy said he met with his American, French, German and Italian counterparts Thursday and all four of them agreed that "we want to see a negotiated political settlement" between Israel and the Lebanon-based militant group. "We are all very, very clear that we want to see a negotiated political settlement so that Israelis can return to their homes in northern Israel and indeed, Lebanese can return to their homes," Lammy told reporters Thursday. He added, "And that's why tonight I'm calling for an immediate cease-fire from both sides so that we can get to that settlement, that political settlement that's required
ABC News' Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.

Thousands of exploding devices in Lebanon trigger a nation that has been on edge for years
Zeina Karam And Kareem Chehayeb/BEIRUT (AP)/September 20, 2024
Chris Knayzeh was in a town overlooking Lebanon's capital when he heard the rumbling aftershock of the 2020 Beirut port blast. Hundreds of tons of haphazardly stored ammonium nitrates had exploded, killing more than 200 people and injuring thousands. Already struggling with the country’s economic collapse, the sight of the gigantic mushroom cloud unleashed by the blast was the last straw. Like many other Lebanese, he quit his job and booked a one-way ticket out of Lebanon. Knayzeh, now a lecturer at a university in France, was visiting Lebanon when news broke Tuesday of a deadly attack in which thousands of handheld pagers were blowing up in homes, shops, markets and streets across the country. Israel, local news reports said, was targeting the devices of the militant Hezbollah group. Stuck in Beirut traffic, Knayzeh started panicking that drivers around him could potentially be carrying devices that would explode. Within minutes, hospitals were flooded with bloodied patients, bringing back painful reminders of the port blast four years ago that left enduring mental and psychological scars for those who lived through it. A day later, a similar attack struck walkie-talkies. In total, the explosions killed at least 37 people and injured more than 3,000, many of them civilians. Israel is widely believed to be behind the blasts, although it has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility. “The country's state is unreal,” Knayzeh told The Associated Press. The port blast was one of the biggest nonnuclear explosions ever recorded, and it came on top of a historic economic meltdown, financial collapse and a feeling of helplessness after nationwide protests against corruption that failed to achieve their goals. It compounded years of crises that have upended the lives of people in this small country.
Four years after the port catastrophe, an investigation has run aground. The ravaged Mediterranean port remains untouched, its towering silos standing broken and shredded as a symbol of a country in ruins. Political divisions and paralysis have left the country without a president or functioning government for more than two years. Poverty is on the rise.
On top of that and in parallel with the war in Gaza, Lebanon has been on the brink of all-out war with Israel for the past year, with Israel and Hezbollah trading fire across the border and Israeli warplanes breaking the sound barrier over Beirut almost daily, terrifying people in their homes and offices.
“I can’t believe this is happening again. How many more disasters can we endure?” asked Jocelyn Hallak, a mother of three, two of whom now work abroad and the third headed out after graduation next year. “All this pain, when will it end?”
A full-blown war with Israel could be devastating for Lebanon. The country’s crisis-battered health care system had been preparing for the possibility of conflict with Israel even before hospitals became inundated with the wounded from the latest explosions. Most of the injuries received were in the face, eyes and limbs — many of them in critical condition and requiring extended hospital stays. Still, Knayzeh, 27, can't stay away. He returns regularly to see his girlfriend and family. He flinches whenever he hears construction work and other sudden loud sounds. When in France, surrounded by normalcy, he agonizes over family at home while following the ongoing clashes from afar. “It’s the attachment to our country I guess, or at the very least attachment to our loved ones who couldn’t leave with us,” he said.
This summer, tens of thousands of Lebanese expatriates came to visit family and friends despite the tensions. Their remittances and money they spend while there help keep the country afloat and in some cases are the main source of income for families. Many, however, cut their vacations short in chaotic airport scenes, fearing major escalation after the assassinations of Hezbollah and Hamas commanders in Beirut and Tehran last month, blamed on Israel. Even in a country that has vaulted from one crisis to another for decades, the level of confusion, insecurity and anger is reaching new heights. Many thought the port blast was the most surreal and frightening thing they would ever experience — until thousands of pagers exploded in people’s hands and pockets across the country this week.
’’I saw horrific things that day,” said Mohammad al-Mousawi, who was running an errand in Beirut’s southern suburb, where Hezbollah has a strong presence, when the pagers began blowing up. “Suddenly, we started seeing scooters whizzing by carrying defaced men, some without fingers, some with their guts spilling out. Then the ambulances started coming."It reminded him of the 2020 port blast, he said. "The number of injuries and ambulances was unbelievable. ““One more horror shaping our collective existence,” wrote Maha Yahya, the Beirut-based director of the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center.
“The shock, the disarray, the trauma is reminiscent of Beirut after the port explosion. Only this time it was not limited to a city but spread across the country,” she said in a social media post. In the aftermath of the exploding pagers, fear and paranoia has taken hold. Parents kept their children away from schools and universities, fearing more exploding devices. Organizations including the Lebanese civil defense advised personnel to switch off their devices and remove all batteries until further notice. One woman said she disconnected her baby monitor and other household appliances.
Lebanon’s civil aviation authorities have banned the transporting of pagers and walkie-talkies on all airplanes departing from Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport “until further notice.” Some residents were sleeping with their phones in another room.
In the southern city of Tyre, ahead of a speech by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, city resident Hassan Hajo acknowledged feeling “a bit depressed” after the pager blasts, a major security breach for a secretive organization like Hezbollah. He was hoping to get a boost from Nasrallah’s speech. “We have been through worse before and we got through it,” he said. In his speech, Nasrallah vowed to retaliate against Israel for the attacks on devices, while Israel and Hezbollah traded heavy fire across the border. Israel stepped up warnings of a potential larger military operation targeting the group.
Another resident, Marwan Mahfouz, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been threatening Lebanon with war for the past year and he should just do it.
“If we are going to die, we’ll die. We are already dying. We are already dead,” he said.

Israel carries out targeted strike in Beirut after Hezbollah hits northern Israel with 140 rockets
Bassem Mroue And Julia Frankel/BEIRUT (AP) /September 20, 2024
Israel hit a Beirut suburb with an airstrike Friday, not long after Hezbollah pounded northern Israel with 140 rockets following a vow by the militant group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah to retaliate against Israel for a mass bombing attack, the Israeli military and the militant group said. The Israeli military said it had carried out a “targeted strike” in Beirut. It offered no further immediate details, but explosions could be heard coming from the city's southern suburbs. Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV reported that a drone fired several missiles on the heavily-populated area known as Dahiyeh.
A Hezbollah official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media, confirmed to The Associated Press that an airstrike struck the area, without giving further details. The strike came after Hezbollah pounded Israel with 140 rockets, which the Israeli military said came in three waves targeting sites along the ravaged border with Lebanon. Following the attacks, the Israeli military said that it had struck areas across southern Lebanon targeting Hezbollah infrastructure, but didn't provide details of damage. Hezbollah said that its attacks had targeted several sites along the border with Katyusha rockets, including multiple air defense bases as well as the headquarters of an Israeli armored brigade they said they’d struck for the first time. The Israeli military said that 120 missiles were launched at areas of the Golan Heights, Safed and the Upper Galilee, some of which were intercepted. Fire crews were working to extinguish blazes caused by pieces of debris that fell to the ground in several areas, the military said. The military didn't say whether any missiles had hit targets or caused any casualties. Another 20 missiles were shot at the areas of Meron and Netua, and most fell in open areas, the military said, adding that no injuries were reported. Hezbollah said that the rockets were in retaliation for Israeli strikes on villages and homes in southern Lebanon, not two days of attacks widely blamed on Israel that set off explosives in thousands of Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies.
On Thursday, Israel said its military had struck “hundreds of rocket launcher barrels" in southern Lebanon, saying that they "were ready to be used in the immediate future to fire toward Israeli territory” The army also ordered residents in parts of the Golan Heights and northern Israel to avoid public gatherings, minimize movements and stay close to shelters in anticipation of the rocket fire that eventually came Friday. Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged near-daily fire since Oct. 8, a day after the Israel-Hamas war’s opening salvo, but Friday's rocket barrages were heavier than normal.
Nasrallah on Thursday vowed to keep up daily strikes on Israel despite this week’s deadly sabotage of its members’ communication devices, which he described as a “severe blow.”At least 20 were killed in the attacks and thousands were wounded when pagers, walkie-talkies and other devices exploded in Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday. The sophisticated attacks have heightened fears that the cross-border exchanges of fire will escalate into all-out war. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement in the attacks.
In recent days, Israel has moved a powerful fighting force up to the northern border, officials have escalated their rhetoric, and the country’s security Cabinet has designated the return of tens of thousands of displaced residents to their homes in northern Israel an official war goal.
Fighting in Gaza has slowed, but casualties continue to rise. Overnight, Palestinian authorities said that 15 people were killed in multiple Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip. Those included six people, including an unknown number of children, in an airstrike early Friday morning in Gaza City that hit a family home, Gaza’s Civil Defense said. Another person was killed in Gaza City when a strike hit a group of people on a street. Israel maintains that it only targets militants, and accuses Hamas and other armed groups of endangering civilians by operating in residential areas. The military, which rarely comments on individual strikes, had no immediate comment. Gaza’s Health Ministry says that more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in the territory since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. The ministry doesn't differentiate between fighters and civilians in its count, but says a little over half of those killed were women and children. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. More than 95,000 people have also been wounded in Gaza since Oct. 7, the Health Ministry said. The war has caused vast destruction and displaced about 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million.

A modern ‘Trojan Horse’: two days of mayhem in Lebanon
AFP/September 21, 2024
PARIS: It’s around 3:30 in the afternoon on September 17. People in Lebanon are going about their daily business, doing the shopping, having a haircut, conducting meetings. Hundreds of pagers across the country, and even outside its borders, then simultaneously bleep with a message and explode, wounding and killing their owners and also bystanders. The communications devices were used by members of the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah, which swiftly blamed Israel for the operation, as did several international media organizations.Israel, according to its convention for operations outside its borders, neither confirmed nor denied the charge. But observers say that the simultaneous explosions bear all the hallmarks of an operation by Israel, which appears to have infiltrated the supply chain of the pager production and inserted tiny but potent explosives inside. Israel may have even set up a shell company to supply the devices to Hezbollah in a years-long project that would seem fantastical even in an espionage thriller, according to analysts. But that was not the end. A day later, on September 18, around the same time in the afternoon, another low-fi gadget, the walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah cadres, exploded, even amid the funerals for those killed in the pager attacks. The subsequent day, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, who himself had told group members to use low-fi devices so as not to be targeted by Israel through the positioning of their smartphones, made his first public comments, admitting an “unprecedented blow” but also vowing “tough retribution and just punishment” for Israel. Even though there is next to no doubt Israel was behind the operation, questions abounded. Why now? Is this the start of the widely-feared Israeli offensive into southern Lebanon? Or has Israel simply activated the explosives now simply because it feared the whole operation risked being compromised?
The explosions were felt Hezbollah’s strongholds throughout Lebanon: the southern Beirut suburbs, the south of the country and the Bekaa Valley in the east, as well as in Syria. At least 37 people were killed in the two attacks and thousands injured. The wounded included Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon. But those killed also included a 10-year-old girl and another child. As the hospitals filled up the most common wounds were mutilated hands and eyes. “Hezbollah suffered a very serious blow on a tactical level, a very impressive and comprehensive one that affects the operational side, the cognitive side,” said Yoram Schweitzer, a former intelligence officer now at the The Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University. Peter Harling, founder of the Synaps Lab think tank added: “The targets may have been Hezbollah members, but many were caught in the midst of their ordinary lives, and in the heart of their communities.”“This is also a breach that is extraordinarily hard to explain.”
UN rights chief Volker Turk warned that the simultaneous targeting of thousands of individuals “whether civilians or members of armed groups” without knowledge as to who was around them at the time “violates international human rights law.”International humanitarian law prohibits the use of “booby traps” precisely to avoid putting civilians at grave risk and “produce the devastating scenes that continue to unfold across Lebanon,” said Lama Fakih, Middle East and North Africa Director at Human Rights Watch. Espionage professionals have meanwhile expressed their admiration for how the operation was put together. “It’s not a technological feat,” said a person working for a European intelligence service, asking not to be named. But “it’s the result of human intelligence and heavy logistics.” The small devices, bearing the name of the firm Gold Apollo in Taiwan, were intercepted by Israeli services before their arrival in Lebanon, according to multiple security sources who spoke to AFP, asking not to be named. But the Taiwanese company denied having manufactured them and pointed to its Hungarian partner BAC.Founded in 2022, the company is registered in Budapest. Its CEO, Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono, appears there as the only employee. The devices in question have never been on Hungarian soil, according to the Hungarian authorities.The New York Times, citing three intelligence sources, said BAC was “part of an Israeli front” with at least two other shell companies were created as well to mask the real identities of the people creating the pagers who were Israeli intelligence officers. It described the pagers as a “modern day Trojan Horse” after the wooden horse said to have been used by the Greeks to enter the city of Troy in the Trojan War. The attack comes nearly a year after Hezbollah ally Hamas carried out its October 7 attack on Israel, sparking the war in Gaza. The focus of Israel’s firepower has since been on the Palestinian territory, but Hezbollah fighters and Israeli troops have exchanged fire almost daily across the border region since October, forcing thousands on both sides to flee their homes.
Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the focus of the war was shifting toward Lebanon, while the government said securing the northern front was a key objective, in order to allow Israelis evacuated from the area to return home.
Schweitzer said that despite the spectacular nature of the device operation it did not represent the end of Israel’s work to degrade Hezbollah. “I don’t think this impressive operation that has its tactical gains... is getting into the strategic layers yet.
“It does not change the equation, it is not a decisive victory. But it sends another signal to Hezbollah, Iran and others,” he said.

Inside Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force: Structure, strategy, and operations - explainer
Jerusalem Post/September 20/2024
The Radwan Force is central to Hezbollah’s military doctrine, which emphasizes asymmetric warfare against a technologically superior adversary like Israel.
The Radwan Force made headlines again on Friday when its chief, Ibrahim Aqil, was reportedly killed in an IDF airstrike in Beirut. The targeted strike hit a meeting in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, an area known for its strong Hezbollah presence. Aqil, a key figure within the Radwan Force and head of Hezbollah operations, was central to the group’s strategic planning and military activities against Israel. This latest strike marks a significant blow to Hezbollah's leadership and underscores the ongoing confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah's elite forces.
The attack is part of Israel’s broader strategy to disrupt Hezbollah’s command structure and degrade its operational capabilities, particularly those of elite units like the Radwan Force. Israeli officials have warned of potential retaliatory actions from Hezbollah as tensions remain high along the northern border following the strike.
Formation and purpose
Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force plays a key role in the group’s military strategy, serving as the spearhead of its operations within Lebanon and beyond. Named after the nom de guerre of Imad Mughniyeh, a former military commander killed in 2008, the Radwan Force is considered Hezbollah’s most elite unit, tasked with special operations and positioned at the forefront of the organization's military engagements. Formed after the 2006 Second Lebanon War, the Radwan Force was created to bolster Hezbollah’s offensive capabilities. It was part of the group's effort to professionalize its military wing and develop specialized units for complex missions against Israeli forces and other adversaries. The unit’s primary function is ground warfare, including high-risk missions such as infiltrating Israeli territory, seizing strategic positions, and executing targeted strikes. Unlike Hezbollah’s conventional forces, which focus on defensive operations and territorial control in southern Lebanon, the Radwan Force is trained for offensive maneuvers, including urban warfare, ambushes, and raids.
Structure and training
The Radwan Force operates under the direct command of Hezbollah’s military leadership and is composed of highly trained fighters selected for their skills, loyalty, and combat experience. Training for Radwan Force members is rigorous and includes specialized instruction in guerrilla warfare, explosives, and marksmanship. Fighters are often sent to Iran for advanced training with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reflecting close military ties between Hezbollah and Tehran. The force is equipped with advanced weaponry, including anti-tank missiles, drones, and sniper rifles, making it a formidable opponent. Over the years, the unit has been involved in numerous skirmishes along the Israeli-Lebanese border and has played a pivotal role in Hezbollah’s military operations in Syria, fighting alongside Syrian government forces.
Operations and impact
The Radwan Force has been implicated in several high-profile operations, including cross-border infiltrations and attacks on Israeli positions. Its fighters are known for their discipline and combat effectiveness, distinguishing them from regular Hezbollah forces. The unit’s activities are closely monitored by the IDF, which considers the Radwan Force a significant threat due to its offensive capabilities and potential for surprise attacks. Recently, the force has been tasked with bolstering Hezbollah’s presence in southern Syria as part of Iran’s broader strategy to establish a military foothold near the Israeli border. This deployment has raised concerns in Israel, which views the Radwan Force’s expansion into Syria as a direct threat to its security and a potential precursor to future confrontations.
Strategic significance
The Radwan Force is central to Hezbollah’s military doctrine, which emphasizes asymmetric warfare against a technologically superior adversary like Israel. The unit’s ability to conduct precise, high-stakes missions enhances Hezbollah’s deterrence and strengthens its position in Lebanon’s complex political landscape. Additionally, the force’s involvement in Syria has expanded Hezbollah’s operational experience and further solidified its alliance with Iran.

'New phase of the war': Gallant promises to pursue Hezbollah until evacuated residents return North
Jerusalem Post/September 20/2024
While Lebanese officials decried the strike, Israeli officials claimed that Hezbollah was “paying the price” for its continued attacks on the northern border. The IDF will continue to pursue Hezbollah terrorists until displaced citizens from northern Israel are able to safely return to their communities, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said shortly after the IDF confirmed it eliminated Hezbollah senior Radwan Commander Ibrahim Aqil on Friday. “I have recently completed a situation assessment together with the IDF Chief of the General Staff and senior IDF officials on developments in the northern arena and the precise operation conducted to eliminate senior Hezbollah operatives," Gallant said. "We will continue pursuing our enemies in order to defend our citizens - even in the Dahieh in Beirut. "The series of operations in the new phase of the war will continue until we achieve our goal: ensuring the safe return of Israel’s northern communities to their homes.”
Other Israeli officials react
International and Israeli officials expressed varied reactions to the news that the IDF conducted a strike on Beirut on Friday and eliminated a Hezbollah Radwan commander - with some expressing their fears that this would only further escalate the regional tensions that arose following Hamas's October 7 attacks on southern Israel and the ongoing war against the terror group. "The Hezbollah commanders we eliminated today had been planning their 'October 7th' on the northern border for years," IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said in comments made after the Radwan commander was eliminated. "We reached them, and we will reach anyone who threatens the security of Israel's citizens." Dan Poraz, Chargé d'affaires at the Israeli embassy in Spain, wrote on X, “Hezbollah had numerous chances to accept a deal brokered by the United States to which Israel agreed to: to stop attacking Israel and to pull its forces north of the Litani river. They refused. And now they’re paying the price. And dragging an entire country down with them.”
Condemnations of the strike
Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati accused Israel of giving “no weight to any humanitarian, legal or moral considerations” after the targeted strike. The strike reportedly killed eight people and wounded 59 others, Lebanon's health ministry said in a preliminary toll. Iran's embassy in Lebanon condemned the strike, saying on social media, "We strongly condemn the Israeli madness and arrogance that has exceeded all limits by targeting residential areas in the southern suburbs of Beirut, resulting in the martyrdom and injury of dozens, including children and women. The Iranian embassy labeled the strike as "terrorist crimes." The embassy did not comment on the presence of terror groups in the capital city. UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Harris-Plasschaert expressed concern that "This afternoon's strike in a densely populated area in the southern suburbs of #Beirut is yet another alarming escalation. We are witnessing an extremely dangerous cycle of violence with devastating consequences." "This must stop now. A diplomatic way out is still possible," the UN official asserted.
Discussions on regional escalation renew
Other international figures held back on reacting, instead meeting to discuss the recent escalations between Israel and the Iran-backed terror group. Britain's foreign minister, David Lammy, chaired a meeting of the government's emergency committee, known as COBR, on Friday to discuss the latest situation in Lebanon. "The Foreign Secretary has chaired a meeting of COBR this morning on the latest situation in Lebanon and to discuss ongoing preparedness work, with the risk of escalation remaining high," the Foreign Office said in a statement. US National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby asserted that there was no US involvement in the strike, and pushed for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.  “There was no US involvement,” Kirby said, adding, "We believe that there is still time and space for diplomacy to work.”“We don't want to see escalation. We don't want to see a second war, a second front in this war opened up at the border with Lebanon,” Kirby stressed, adding that “everything we're doing is going to be involved in trying to prevent that outcome."There is no reason for an expanded military conflict in Lebanon to be inevitable,” Kirby stated.
Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.

Biden: Northern Israelis, southern Lebanese must be able to return home safely
Jerusalem Post/September 20/2024
"This elimination is intended to protect the citizens of Israel," Biden said in a brief statement to the press, adding that Israel was not seeking regional escalation. Israelis and Lebanese civilians must be able to safely live in their border communities, US President Joe Biden told reports on Friday, as the US insisted diplomacy was still the most viable path forward. He spoke as Israel pivoted in the direction of a military resolution with the targeted IDF assignation of Radwan Force commander and head of Hezbollah Operations, Ibrahim Aqil, in Beirut. “We’ve tried from the beginning to make sure that the people of northern Israel, as well as southern Lebanon, are able to get back to their homes and go back safely,” Biden told reporters at the start of his cabinet meeting at the White House on Friday. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and “Our whole team is working with the intelligence community to try and get it done, and we are going to keep at it until we get it done, but we have a ways to go,” Biden said.
Israel's military spokesperson said that about ten senior Hezbollah commanders were killed along with Aqil, leader of the movement's Radwan special forces unit, who was attacked in an Israeli air strike in Beirut on Friday, Israel's military spokesperson said. Protection for the citizens of Israel
"This elimination is intended to protect the citizens of Israel," he said in a brief statement to the press, adding that Israel was not seeking regional escalation. An Israeli official, however, told The Jerusalem Post that the IDF had ratcheted up its military activities against Hezbollah in the aftermath of the security cabinet decision earlier this week to expand the war’s goal to include the return of the more than 60,000 Israelis to their border communities. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Friday the "new phase of the war will continue until we achieve our goal: ensuring the safe return of Israel's northern communities to their homes." "We will continue pursuing our enemies in order to defend our citizens - even in the Dahieh in Beirut," he said.It's presumed that Israeli civilians can only return home once Hezbollah has been pushed back to the Litani River as outlined.
Earlier in the week, an unusual series of explosions that targeted beepers, radios, and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah fighters were set off across Lebanon, killing 37 people, including at least two children, and injuring more than 3,000 people, many of whom were members of Hezbollah. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the beeper explosions, but is widely presumed that it is responsible for those attacks. In light of the escalating military situation in northern Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delayed his departure for the United Nations until Wednesday, when he expected to address the high-level opening of the UN General Assembly on Thursday. The security cabinet is expected to meet on Sunday. US National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby told reporters on Friday that the US was not involved in IDF military attacks on Lebanon, including the one that killed Aqil. The US had also previously denied any involvement in the beeper explosions. “There was no US involvement,” Kirby said, adding that “we believe that there is still time and space for diplomacy to work.” “We don't want to see escalation. We don't want to see a second war, a second front in this war opened up at the border with Lebanon,” Kirby stressed, adding that “everything we're doing is going to be involved in trying to prevent that outcome.”"There is no reason for an expanded military conflict in Lebanon to be inevitable,” Kirby stated.
Reuters contributed to this report.

Fire breaks out on playground in North as Hezbollah fires roughly 140 rockets
Jerusalem Post/September 20/2024
Fires erupted in the area of Safed following the barrage that set off sirens throughout northern Israel.
A playground in the northern Israel city of Safed was hit by a rocket during a barrage of over 100 rockets that targetted Israel's North on Friday, Israeli media reported, noting that fires were ignited in the area as a result of the barrage. The IDF later reported that roughly 120 rockets had crossed from Lebanese territory into Israel after sirens sounded in the Golan Heights, Safed, and the Upper Galilee areas. Another approximately 20 rockets crossed into northern Israel after sirens sounded in the Meiron and Netua areas. A fire broke out at the playground itself following the rocket hit, according to media reports. There were no reported injuries as a result of the incident, although one man in the Golan was lightly wounded from the shrapnel of a rocket, according to a Ynet report. Additional fires erupted in the area of Safed following the barrage as well, media reports noted. While rockets and shrapnel did fall, igniting fires in several areas, the IDF stated that Israel's Aerial Defense Array managed to intercept others. Fire and Rescue Services subsequently responded to combat the blazes that had erupted in the North, the military added.
Over half of houses in Metullah damaged since October
Separately, following an overnight rocket barrage, some 50 houses in the northern Israel community of Metulla sustained damage from rockets fired from Lebanon overnight, according to an assessment of the damage, Maariv reported on Friday.
According to the report, over 300 houses in the community have now been damaged since Hezbollah started firing rockets and launching drones at northern Israel on October 8 of last year. This figure reportedly represents about half of the houses in Metulla.
Hezbollah takes responsibility for barrage
Following the Friday barrage, Lebanon's Hezbollah announced seven separate attacks on Israeli targets with Katyusha rockets. The barrage came one day after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah broadcasted a Thursday speech in which he vowed to punish Israel for the Hezbollah device explosion attacks that took place on Tuesday and Wednesday.In the televised speech, Nasrallah stated that Israel would face “a crushing response from the axis of resistance. "Tuesday and Wednesday were bloody days, but we will be able to overcome this ordeal, and this blow won’t bring us down,” he added.
IDF strikes Hezbollah targets
In the IDF's Friday afternoon statement, the military reported that the Israeli air force struck a terrorist military structure in the Kfarkela area of southern Lebanon shortly after troops observed a Hezbollah operative entering the site. The IAF also reportedly struck Hezbollah infrastructure in the southern Lebanese areas of Aitaroun, Kfarkela, Meiss El Jabal, Tayibe, Odaisseh, and Yaroun. In conjunction, the military reported that artillery units fired on targets across southern Lebanon as well. Reuters contributed to this report.

The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy AMCD Endorses Rep. Steube’s PAGER Act
September 20/ 2024
The Islamic Republic of Iran through Hezbollah has captured the LAF and US taxpayers are funding our enemies.”— John Hajjar, AMCD co-chair
WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, September 19, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy believes Congressman Greg Steube’s “‘Preventing Armed Groups from Engaging in Radicalism” (PAGER) Act is an excellent piece of legislation designed to help the Lebanese people rein in Hezbollah by placing conditions on U.S, funding now going to the Lebanese Armed Forces. This legislation calls for the purging of Hezbollah operatives from the government and military and calls for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1559 which stipulates the disarming and disbanding of all militia groups in Lebanon, including the destruction of military equipment or aid received from Iran – the main state sponsor of the terror group Hezbollah. "The Islamic Republic of Iran through Hezbollah has captured the LAF and US taxpayers are funding our enemies,” stated AMCD co-chair John Hajjar. “This must stop now. It's time for the LAF to stand on the side of the Lebanese and defend their sovereignty against the forces of darkness." “This legislation is an excellent first step to help the long-suffering Lebanese gain back control of their country,” said foreign policy expert and AMCD advisor Dr. Walid Phares. “Purging Hezbollah operatives from positions of power, whether in the military or government, will not be an easy task and will require real determination on the part of the loyal Lebanese. This legislation lends strong support for UNSCR 1559, which was introduced by the US and France and voted in September 2004, and shows that twenty years later, we still stand with them against the forces of terror.”This legislation also addresses the ongoing problem of Lebanese military courts attempting to indict and imprison Lebanese citizens and some with dual American Lebanese citizens for various “crimes,” including speaking out against Hezbollah or even for associating with Israelis in any capacity, including journalists who have simply interviewed Israeli officials in the course of their work. These Hezbollah judges have even attempted to intimidate duel American-Lebanese citizens including our co-chair, Tom Harb. This legislation calls for the dismissal of all such charges and the restoration of freedom of speech and association to the people of Lebanon. “Freedom of speech is a God-given right, which no government should have the power to remove or restrain,” said AMCD co-chair and dual U.S.-Lebanese citizen Tom Harb, who was issued an arrest warrant from a Lebanese military court due to his having spoken out against Hezbollah in the media. “I want to personally thank Congressman Steube and his staff for their courage and hard work on this legislation. No American taxpayer funds should ever be subsidizing the nefarious activities of this terrorist organization, either directly or indirectly.”
Rebecca Bynum
The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy
+1 615-775-6801
rebecca@americanmideast.com

Israel degrades Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists in spectacular pager explosion operation: experts
Fox News/September 19, 2024
JERUSALEM —The Jewish state’s James Bond-style alleged hack attack on Tuesday that caused explosions of handheld pagers carried by thousands of members of the U.S.-designated terrorist movement Hezbollah was a devastating setback for the Lebanon-based organization. Fox News Digital spoke to leading U.S. and Israeli experts about the setback for the Iranian regime proxy. According to a Reuters report, Israel’s foreign intelligence agency, Mossad, planted explosives inside of 5,000 pagers imported by Hezbollah months before Tuesday’s detonations that killed nine people, a senior Lebanese security source and another source told Reuters.
ISRAEL WAS BEHIND LEBANON PAGER ATTACK TARGETING HEZBOLLAH, SENIOR US OFFICIAL SAYS, AS NEW BLASTS REPORTED
The Iranian regime-backed Hezbollah organization switched from mobile phones to pagers to prevent Israeli interception of their communications. Hezbollah joined Hamas’ war against Israel a day after the Gaza-based terrorist movement invaded the Jewish state on Oct. 7. Walid Phares, a leading U.S. expert on Lebanon and Hezbollah, told Fox News Digital that the reported Israeli operation “is certainly a strike against Hezbollah’s national security apparatus. We are talking about thousands and thousands of individuals who are at the heart of the security force of Hezbollah, who are, according to sources we know, in charge of manning many things. One is the missile force.”Hezbollah is estimated to have over 150,000 missiles aimed at Israel. The de facto ruler of Lebanon, Hezbollah, has amassed new sophisticated missiles, rockets and drones since its 2006 war against Israel. Hezbollah has launched more than 7,500 missiles, rockets and drones into Israel since Oct. 8.  One Hezbollah official said the detonation of the pagers was the group’s “biggest security breach” since the Gaza conflict began.
HEZBOLLAH’S NEIGHBORS: ISRAELI BORDER COMMUNITY UNDER CONSTANT ATTACK FROM TERROR GROUP
Phares added that the “Israeli electronic bomb” operation also degraded many Hezbollah special forces, commandos, electronic forces, and internal security and intelligence apparatus members. He warned, however, that Hezbollah would eventually recover.
Phares noted that Israel’s strike “weakened the image of Hezbollah within the Lebanese population.” He said the psychological benefits of the strike have showed that the Lebanese are now convinced that Hezbollah “can eventually be defeated” and its “grip on Lebanon” can be weakened.
He said the Israeli cyber strike could also encourage opposition among Sunnis, Druze and Christians to mobilize against the Shi’ite Hezbollah organization.
ISRAEL STRUCK BY LONG-RANGE MISSILE FROM YEMEN, 40 PROJECTILES FROM LEBANON IN EARLY MORNING ATTACKS
An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman was tight-lipped when Fox News Digital approached him for a comment. Israel frequently retains a policy of deliberate ambiguity about high-profile attacks on its enemies. The Israeli government’s policy is to neither confirm nor deny spectacular assassinations or other covert operations. A senior U.S. official later confirmed that Israel was behind the attack, but Israel has yet to do so. The alleged Mossad operation, with a trail running from Taiwan to Budapest, was an unprecedented Hezbollah security breach that saw thousands of pagers explode across Lebanon, wounding some 2,500 people, including many of the group’s fighters and Iran’s envoy to Beirut. Hezbollah said in a statement on Wednesday that “the resistance will continue today, like any other day, its operations to support Gaza, its people and its resistance, which is a separate path from the harsh punishment that the criminal enemy (Israel) should await in response to Tuesday’s massacre.”Jonathan Conricus, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital, “Beyond shock and humiliation, the immediate impact on Hezbollah is not yet clear, neither are the Iranian terror proxy’s intentions to retaliate. While the pager attack was a brilliant tactical success unlike anything previously accomplished against a terror organization during combat, the strategic benefits of this tremendous move are limited, if not supplemented with swift Israeli action against Hezbollah as it reels from the shock of impact.”
Conricus, a former IDF spokesman, continued: “It seems that this action was more aimed at softening Hezbollah to agree to a war-avoiding diplomatic solution, and less as a preamble of an Israeli offensive. Israel’s main focus remains to facilitate the safe return home of almost one hundred thousand Israelis displaced by Hezbollah attacks for over 11 months. If the pager operation brings this about, then it will have been worth the risk. If not, it will be added to a long list of Israeli tactical successes that were not complemented by strategic thought and action.”
HEZBOLLAH RELIES ON ‘SOPHISTICATED’ TUNNEL SYSTEM BACKED BY IRAN, NORTH KOREA IN FIGHT AGAINST ISRAEL
Israel’s Mossad has garnered a worldwide reputation as one of the most formidable intelligence agencies. Within the last two months, Israel reportedly killed Fuad Shukr, a top Hezbollah terrorist in Beirut; eliminated the Hamas terrorist leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran; and its special forces raided an Iranian weapons facility in the Masyaf area in Syria. Nadav Eyal, a prominent Israeli columnist for the large Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth, told Fox News Digital that while Israel has not claimed responsibility for the operation, “This will be remembered as one of the most brilliant Israeli intelligence operations ever. It is a substantially meticulous operation.” Eyal continued, “This is a very effective operation if you want to restore deterrence in the region. Israel’s major strategic problem in the region that it has lost its deterrent force, deterring its enemies from attacking it. Hamas attacked on Oct. 7. Hezbollah attacked Israel on Oct. 8. Iran attacked Israel in April. All of these parties, together with the Houthis, are not deterred.” The Israeli military expert added, “By these kinds of operations Israel is really showing those different forces what it can do. And it has done also in its response to the Iranian aerial assault back in April. It’s showing them it can operate in ways and means that they did not anticipate. Whether or not it is effective in the long run, we need to see.”He noted, “Israel has been preparing for the war in the north with Hezbollah since 2007. These have been 17 years of Israeli preparations… Israel has not been preparing for an invasion of Hamas.”“We need to push Hezbollah out of south Lebanon and hit their capabilities,” IDF Reserve Brig. Gen. Amir Avivi told Fox News Digital. Avivi, the founder and chairman of Israel’s Defense and Security Forum, added that while Israel did not take responsibility for the attack in Lebanon on Tuesday, “This is the first step in really moving the center of gravity from Gaza to Lebanon. In my opinion, war is imminent. We will have to hit Hezbollah and we will have to do a ground incursion. We cannot have Hezbollah on our borders. Israel is sending a very, very strong message. We have knowledge and capabilities. We know everything about Hezbollah and Iran. If they do not retreat, the end game is clear: Hezbollah is going to be destroyed in south Lebanon.”
Reuters contributed to this report.

Hezbollah's Silverback Nasrallah is Netanyahu's Alter Ego
Hanibaal Atheos/lebanoniznogood.blogspot.com/September 20/2024
Looking pale and downtrodden, the silverback Hassan Nasrallah of the Hezbollah criminal entity delivered a speech yesterday that clearly showed signs of weariness and defeat. He did not holler and yell his usual threats with his finger wagging up in the air. He rarely smirked, a sign that his usual arrogance is waning. The man lives underground, fearing for his personal safety while innocent people and his fighters are getting killed. He is a disgrace to whatever cause he pretends to fight for. This is not how leaders lead, not by hiding like cowards.
Along with the obvious physical signs that the pagers and walkie-talkie explosions had dealt a blow to his ego and to his hubris, his threats were much more muted than in previous speeches. Still, he drilled the canard that his "resistance" is dragging the Zionist on a path of collapse and disintegration. He also repeated his threats that Israel's northern residents won't be coming back soon to their colonial settlements, and that if required, his "resistance" will cause hundreds of thousands more to be displaced.
He couldn't do otherwise. Despite the blow to everything he has stood for up to now, he could not admit failure, let alone express anything approaching a compromising posture. He has hyped up his entreprise to his "environment", i.e. his Shiite herd, so much that any sign of retreat could cause upheavals within that environment. How long can the Shiite community keep sustaining losses and making sacrifices for an objective that seems farther and farther distant? All the other Lebanese communities (Christians, Sunni Muslims, etc., except for the Druze chameleons) have clearly said they've had enough of Nasrallah's "resistance" on behalf of Iran, and not really in defense of Palestine.
In the 1980s, Hezbollah and its sister Shiite organization massacred upwards of 5,000 Palestinians in the so-called "War of the Camps" with the objective of wresting control of the "resistance platform" from the Sunni Palestinians and their Arab backers (Saudi etc.) to the benefit of Nasrallah's Persian Shiite breastfeeding mother back in Tehran. Clearly, Palestine is a secondary objective to Iranian hegemony.
Bottom line: No major threats of immediate retaliation. Expressed empathy for Palestinians, and more importantly, maintained the link between the war in Gaza and his war in the south of Lebanon. He claimed that his harassment of Israel is helping reduce the pressure on Gaza - a contradiction since Nasrallah remains bound by the rules of engagement to which he has agreed with his enemy Israel. He desperately wants to appear extremist and going all the way - remember his threat to bomb "Haifa and beyond Haifa" - while he is equally desperate to avoid engaging in a full frontal war with Israel.
One thing to keep in mind is that Hezbollah's biggest fear is to lose the leverage it has with its weapons. The fact of holding the weapons as a threat is more important than using the weapons themselves. It in fact may not have the hundreds of thousands of missiles it claims it has. But the moment Nasrallah is made to cross the line in which he uses his weapons in the cataclysmic manner he has always threatned to do, he knows it will be the end of him and his organization. Which is why he will never cross that line. He can really scare Israel and cause it significant damage, but he cannot defeat it. He knows that. Therefore Netanyahu's tactic of drawing Nasrallah to war, beyond all other considerations of internal Israeli politics or even of an international nature, is intended to force Nasrallah's hand into revealing the true nature of his threats. Netanyahu wants to know how bad a war with Hezbollah will be.
Which is why Nasrallah looked injured yesterday but not suicidally angry. The longer this otherwise insoluble problem drags on, the longer he remains in power and holds Lebanon hostage. Just like Netanyahu in Israel who is holding his country hostage to his own political survival.

Full Transcript: Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib’s address to the UN Security Council on cyberattacks and Israeli aggression
LBCI/September 20/2024
Statement of Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Abdallah Bou Habib before the United Nations Security Council on the Situation in Lebanon and the Middle East
New York – September 20, 2024
Mr. President,
Your Excellencies,
No one in this world is safe anymore after the recent cyberattacks that occurred in Lebanon, surpassing all imagination and comprehension. These attacks resulted in thousands of innocent civilian casualties, including children, women, and the elderly. The responsibility of the Security Council is not only toward the innocent Lebanese victims who unjustly perished but also toward humanity as a whole. If this act of terrorism passes unnoticed by this Council, without accountability, with the perpetrators unidentified, unpunished, and without being forced to halt such assaults, the credibility of this Council, international law, and the Charter of Human Rights will be at grave risk. If you accept what has happened, you are consenting to open Pandora’s box, where other states and extremist groups will follow Israel’s example and target civilians indiscriminately using this lethal technology. No one will be able to prevent its future use to target civilian aircraft, trains, and other means, leading to indiscriminate killings and terrorizing of civilians.
Is this not terrorism in its purest form when an entire population is targeted in its cities, streets, markets, and homes, while civilians go about their daily lives, not fighting on battlefronts? It is enough to simply observe the identity of the victims to understand what has occurred. Are we now required to accept the extermination or incapacitation of the Lebanese people as collective punishment? We are right to ask: isn’t this the very scenario that senior Israeli officials have declared? Look at the horror of what happened in these images…
To shed light on what took place and its results, on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, Israel launched a wide-scale cyberattack targeting thousands of mobile devices known as pagers, leading to their explosion. The next day, on September 18, 2024, Israel once again detonated hundreds of wireless devices of another type. Additionally, on September 19, 2024, Israel terrorized the residents of Beirut and other areas by conducting low-altitude flights with fighter jets, repeatedly breaking the sound barrier, causing widespread panic, especially among children. Today, Israel launched a missile attack deep within one of the most densely populated areas of Beirut’s southern suburbs, destroying a residential building and, in an initial count, killing 12 people, including children, and wounding 66 others.
These attacks, thus far, have caused the deaths of dozens of people, including children and women, and have injured thousands, hundreds of whom are in critical condition. Hundreds more have suffered disfiguring injuries, lost limbs, or their sight entirely. This attack has overwhelmed hospitals and medical staff, placing them in an unprecedented state of emergency and stretching their capacities. It has also spread a wave of fear and panic among civilians across all Lebanese regions.
These attacks represent a dangerous and unprecedented precedent in the history of warfare, following a series of Israeli statements about launching a comprehensive war on Lebanon and returning it to the Stone Age. Israel did not stop at these attacks but followed them with official statements and a tweet by an advisor to its prime minister, which was quickly deleted, confirming their involvement and celebrating the success of this aggression. This deliberate act undermined the work of international mediators trying to broker a ceasefire in Gaza and southern Lebanon, as well as the Lebanese government’s efforts to de-escalate and exercise restraint.
In this context, we emphasize that the mass and treacherous detonation of thousands of remote communication devices, without regard for who carried them or who was near them, constitutes an unprecedented and barbaric method of warfare. Targeting thousands of people of all ages across densely populated areas in Lebanon, as they went about their daily lives in homes, streets, workplaces, and shopping centers, is terrorism in its purest form and a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and the Charter of Human Rights. Without a doubt, this act qualifies as a war crime.
The First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, concerning the protection of victims of armed conflicts, states in Article 35 that "the right of parties to the conflict to choose methods and means of warfare is not unlimited," meaning that the use of electronic explosions in communication devices as a method of warfare—an unconventional method—must be subject to international and humanitarian law, particularly the principle of protection (Article 48), which mandates the protection of civilian populations, and the principle of precaution (Article 57), which requires parties to take all necessary precautions in military operations to avoid civilian casualties and damage to civilian property. The protocol also prohibits acts of violence or threats of violence intended to spread terror among civilians (Article 51) and bans treachery in killing, injuring, or capturing an adversary (Article 37). Israel's actions in this terrorist aggression violated the basic principles of international humanitarian law by indiscriminately targeting civilians without military necessity, and the attack was disproportionate to any perceived threat.
Mr. President,
It is now clear that Israel does not adhere to international law or humanitarian law, nor to resolutions issued by United Nations bodies. Israel has consistently ignored international legitimacy and human rights because it is used to not being held accountable, receiving only weak condemnations for its violations, which merely express regret. This emboldens Israel to disregard international decisions, none of which have been enforced against it since 1948. Consequently, Israel has become a rogue state. Nonetheless, we cannot accept this as the status quo. We cannot allow Israel to continue evading accountability and punishment. Israel has learned nothing from its repeated invasions of Lebanon over the decades, from which it has reaped only failures and defeats, the latest being its withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, leaving behind its weapons and equipment. This new adventure that Israel promises us will be nothing more than an ugly replica of its predecessors, repeating the same failures achieved in its futile war on Gaza and its children—nothing but misery, extremism, and destruction. This could also lead to a devastating regional war, unlike any seen before, in terms of the scale of its geography across the Middle East, the types of advanced and precise weaponry used, the scale of destruction, and the number of casualties.
Mr. President,
The voices of the Lebanese, government and people, have become hoarse from declaring that we are not war enthusiasts, nor are we seekers of vengeance. We demand justice, a diplomatic solution, and the return of displaced people to their villages. Let Israel know, no matter how great its military and technological power, that it will not return its displaced to their villages by force of arms, but instead, it will only displace those who have not yet been displaced if it expands its aggression. Israel has no place in this region unless it reconciles with its people, not just with their rulers, by granting the Palestinians their legitimate rights and the promised state, as this organization committed to more than 75 years ago. No matter how long it takes or how many sacrifices are made, rights will return to their rightful owners.
We come to you today not only to defend Lebanon and its innocent victims but to preserve our collective humanity, seeking clear and unequivocal condemnation of Israel's terrorist attacks, holding Israel fully accountable for planning and executing these acts, and recognizing this as a blatant violation of Lebanon's sovereignty, its territorial integrity, and a flagrant breach of the United Nations Charter and Resolution 1701 (2006). Lebanon also demands the cessation of Israel's war machine to avoid the outbreak of a devastating regional war and to preserve the credibility of the United Nations and its role in maintaining international peace and security, a role that Lebanon continues to believe in despite everything that has happened and is happening. We are not asking today for new resolutions that will remain mere ink on paper, as has unfortunately always been the case with regard to Israel and its interests.
Mr. President,
In conclusion, heartfelt thanks to our sister Algeria, representing the Arab group in the Security Council, for its unwavering support of Lebanon in both good times and bad.
I appeal to the members of this Council to stand on the right side of history, to defend justice and peace, and to support Lebanon in its quest for security and stability. We have arrived at the moment of truth, and we place ourselves at the disposal of the justice and credibility of the United Nations before the entire world. Either this Council compels Israel to stop its aggression, implement Resolutions 1701 and 2735, end its wars on all fronts, and facilitate the return of displaced people to their towns, or we will be mere witnesses to the great explosion looming on the horizon. Know that, before it is too late, this explosion will spare neither East nor West, and when that moment comes, regret will be of no use, and we will all return to the dark ages. War stands before you, and Resolutions 1701 and 2735 rest in your Council’s drawers. The choice is yours: will your esteemed Council act swiftly and decisively to stop the drums of war that are beating across the entire Middle East, or will we remain mere spectators watching the fireball roll on? The choice is yours: peace or fire. I have raised my voice from this podium, and I repeat for the third time, as we stand amid the conflict: ‘Give peace a chance’... ‘Give peace a chance’ before it is too late. Has Israel not had its fill of wars, conflicts, killings, and destruction? Is it not time to shorten the distances and spare us all the suffering, to plant the seeds of a better future for our peoples, and to lift the burdens of this conflict from the coming generations? …Thank you."

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on September 20-21/2024
WJC's Lauder, France's Macron discuss Jewish community in Paris meeting
Jerusalem Post/September 20/2024
Macron reaffirmed his unconditional support for France's Jewish community and emphasized the importance of resolving the Israel-Hamas conflict, including the safe return of the remaining hostages. World Jewish Congress (WJC) President Ronald S. Lauder met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace in Paris to discuss issues affecting France's Jewish community, the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, and the situation of the hostages. The meeting, which followed a WJC Steering Committee gathering earlier in the day, saw Amb. Lauder express gratitude for Macron's steadfast support of the Jewish community. Lauder praised Macron as "an unwavering ally to the Jewish people, especially during these challenging times of rising antisemitism."Lauder expressed confidence in Macron's continued support, stating, "From our meeting, it is clear that France and President Macron will do everything in their power to protect the Jewish community and work tirelessly to advocate for bringing the hostages home following the horrific events of October 7." Yonathan Arfi, WJC Vice President and president of the Conseil Représentatif des Institutions Juives de France (CRIF), also attended the meeting. Promise of unconditional support. Macron reaffirmed his unconditional support for France's Jewish community and emphasized the importance of resolving the Israel-Hamas conflict, including the safe return of the remaining hostages.

'No deal is imminent': US officials cast doubt on possibility of negotiation success
Jerusalem Post/September 20/2024
Hamas's "intransigence" allegedly frustrates the negotiations, who feel the group are not serious about negotiating.
Officials in the US admitted in private conversations that they do not expect the signing of an agreement between Hamas and Israel regarding the hostage deal before the end of Biden's term, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). "No deal is imminent,” one of the US officials told WSJ. “I’m not sure it ever gets done." This comes despite previous claims by the White House that the deal is “90 percent” agreed upon, except for the sticking points of the prisoner exchange and the Philadelphi corridor. Officials stated that the reasons for the pessimism are the number of security prisoners that Israel will have to release and the Hezbollah pager and walkie-talkie attack that has complicated diplomacy with Hamas. The ratio of prisoners to hostages was a bone of contention, even before the killing of the six hostages in Rafah earlier this month, one of whom was an American citizen. “There’s no chance now of it happening,” an unnamed Arab official told WSJ. “Everyone is in a wait-and-see mode until after the election. The outcome will determine what can happen in the next administration.”
Hamas's intransigence
Also, sources in the Biden administration pointed out that Hamas makes demands and then refuses to agree to a deal after the US and Israel have accepted them. This "intransigence" allegedly frustrates the negotiations, who feel Hamas are not serious about negotiating. Critics from the Israeli side have also claimed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is sabotaging the process. In a meeting with US National security adviser Jake Sullivan on Wednesday, families of the seven remaining US hostages in Gaza said they felt “frustration with the lack of tangible progress."John Kirby, the National Security Council spokesman, said on Wednesday that “we aren’t any closer to that now than we were even a week ago.” However, according to the administration, they will not cease efforts to reach an agreement, deeming it the sole way to end the conflict in Gaza and prevent escalation between Israel and Hezbollah.

Israeli forces deepen raid in Rafah, kill 14 people across Gaza
Nidal al-Mughrabi/CAIRO (Reuters)/September 20, 2024
Israeli forces killed at least 14 Palestinians in tank and air strikes on north and central areas of the Gaza Strip on Friday, medics said, as tanks advanced further into northwest Rafah near the border with Egypt. The unrelenting fighting between the Israelis and Hamas militants in the enclave carried on even as a parallel conflict in the Lebanon-Israel border area involving Hamas' allies Hezbollah intensified. Meanwhile some Palestinians displaced by the Israeli assault on Gaza said they feared their temporary beachside camp would be inundated by high waves.
Palestinian health officials said shelling by Israeli tanks killed eight people and wounded several others in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central area of Gaza, and six others were killed in an airstrike on a house in Gaza City. In the northern town of Beit Hanoun, an Israeli strike on a car killed and wounded several Palestinians, medics said.
It was not clear how many of the casualties were combatants and how many were civilians. In the southern city of Rafah, where the Israeli army has been operating since May, tanks advanced further to the northwest area backed by aircraft, residents said. They also reported heavy fire and explosions echoing in the eastern areas of the city, where Israeli forces blew up several houses, according to residents and Hamas media. "Our fighters are engaged in fierce gunbattles against Israeli fores, who advanced into Tanour neighbourhood in Rafah," Hamas armed wing said in a statement. The Israeli military has said that forces operating in Rafah had in past weeks killed hundreds of Palestinian militants, located tunnels and explosives and destroyed military infrastructure. Israel's demand to keep control of the southern border line between Rafah and Egypt has been the focus of an international effort to conclude a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. The United States and mediators Qatar and Egypt have for months attempted to secure a truce but have failed to bring Israel and Hamas to a final agreement. Two obstacles have been especially difficult - Israel's demand that it keep forces in the Philadelphi corridor between Gaza and Egypt, and the specifics of an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
ENCROACHING SEA
In a new challenge to Palestinians displaced in the Al-Mawasi area in southern Gaza, many were concerned about the danger of high waves. Some tents put up close to the beach flooded last week. "Enough, enough, enough. We were pushed by the occupation (Israel) to the sea, where we believed it was safe, last week the sea flooded and washed away some tents, and that could happen again, where would we go?" said Shaban, 47, an electrical engineer displaced from Gaza City. This latest war in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered last Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent assault on the Hamas-governed enclave has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry, while displacing nearly the entire population of 2.3 million, causing a hunger crisis and leading to genocide allegations at the World Court that Israel denies. Israel says it aims to eradicate the Iran-aligned Hamas, which it deems a threat to its own existence.

Israel submits challenges to ICC on Gaza arrest warrant requests
Reuters/September 20, 2024
Israel submitted on Friday formal challenges to the International Criminal Court over its jurisdiction and the legality of arrest warrant requests against Israeli leaders for their conduct of the Gaza war, the Foreign Ministry said. Israel's filings might further delay a decision on the warrants, requested in May against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan last month urged judges to rule on the warrants, sought also against Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and others in the Palestinian militant group. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that its first legal brief outlined the ICC's "manifest lack of jurisdiction" in the case. The second paper, it said, argues that the ICC Prosecutor breached court rules by "failing to provide Israel with the opportunity to exercise its right to investigate by itself the claims raised by the Prosecutor, before proceeding."
The office of the prosecutor could not immediately be reached for comment. In August, Khan said the court has jurisdiction over any war crimes in occupied Palestinian territories and that rules saying the ICC cannot step in if a country is doing its own genuine investigation do not apply for the warrants sought for Netanyahu and Gallant. Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel killed around 1,200 people with some 250 taken hostage, according to Israeli counts. More than 40,000 Palestinians have since been killed in an Israeli assault on Hamas in Gaza that has caused a humanitarian crisis. Israel and Palestinian leaders have dismissed allegations of war crimes, and representatives for both sides have criticised Khan's decision to seek warrants for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

IDF investigating soldiers for throwing bodies of Palestinians from West Bank rooftop
Paul Godfrey/United Press International/September 20, 2024
Sept. 20 (UPI) -- The Israeli military said Friday it had launched a major investigation after a video shot in the north of the occupied West Bank appeared to show its troops tossing bodies from the roof of a building in contravention of international law. Three Israeli troops on a rooftop are seen pushing a body over the building's edge but the feet get caught in electrical or telephone cables leaving it hanging before one of the soldiers leans over the side and frees it, plunging the body head-first to the ground, according to the footage graphic footage obtained by CNN. Two soldiers lift another body by the hands at one end and the feet at the other and swing it back and forth before launching it over the edge. A soldier then approaches a third body and kicks it off the top of the building, falling out of sight. CNN said it was not able to confirm if the victims were still alive when they were thrown -- but they do appear to be dead or unconscious. "This is a serious incident that does not coincide with IDF values ​​and the expectations from IDF soldiers," the military said in a statement. "The incident is under review." Filmed by residents of Qabatya, near Jenin, and witnessed by an Associated Press reporter, the incident occurred amid a military operation by Israel Defense Forces which the Palestinian administration said killed seven people. The IDF earlier confirmed that a joint "counterterrorism" operation with the Israeli Security Agency had "eliminated four terrorists" in a firefight and in a later update said it had killed "the head of the terrorist organization in Qabatiya and six other terrorists." Jenin Gov. Kamal Abu Al-Roub said the IDF took four bodies from Qabatya and that funerals for the other were due to held Friday. There was no evidence any of the people killed were those in the video as their identities and cause of death were not yet known. Al-Arabi correspondent Ameed Shehadeh said he saw troops first attempt to retrieve the bodies on the roof by unsuccessfully trying to demolish the building with a bulldozer before heading to the rooftop and throwing them down. Rule 113 of the Geneva Conventions entitled "Treatment of the Dead," requires state parties to conflicts, both international and civil, treat the remains of deceased enemy combatants with respect and that failure to do so is a war crime. "Each party to the conflict must take all possible measures to prevent the dead from being despoiled. Mutilation of dead bodies is prohibited." Rule 114 requires parties to the conflict to return remains upon request to the other side or to their families, if asked to do so, along with their personal effects. The latest incident came two weeks after the IDF mounted one of the largest "anti-terror" operations in 20 years targeting Jenin and the Palestinian refugee camp there. At least 36 Palestinians were killed, according to local health officials, and several were seriously injured in whag they said was a military assault and while armed groups claimed most of the dead, children and elderly people were among those killed.

Scoop: U.S. fears Israeli finance minister will topple Palestinian banks
Barak Ravid/September 20/2024
The Biden administration is highly concerned Israel's finance minister will cut Palestinian banks off from the Israeli financial system next month and cause an economic collapse in the occupied West Bank, two U.S. officials told Axios. Why it matters: The crash of the Palestinian banking system could bring down the Palestinian Authority, creating a power vacuum that could throw the West Bank into chaos and exacerbate the conflict in the region. Israel's finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, an ultranationalist anti-Palestinian settler, has taken many steps over the last two years to weaken the Palestinian Authority as part of his ideology of annexing the West Bank. In the past, Smotrich described the Palestinian Authority as a threat to Israel and said Hamas was an asset because support for the group split Palestinians' governing power and lowers the chances of a Palestinian state being established. Catch up quick: Smotrich's positions as finance minister and a minister in the Ministry of Defense in charge of civilian affairs in the West Bank give him significant influence over Israeli government policy toward Palestinians in the occupied territory.
Smotrich has the power to authorize Israeli banks to conduct financial transactions with Palestinian banks without the risk of being charged with money laundering and funding terrorism. Without that approval, Palestinian banks would be cut off from the Israeli financial system and would collapse.
In June, Smotrich threatened not to extend the authorization for Israeli banks working with Palestinian banks. The threat allowed him to squeeze Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into approving thousands of new housing units in the Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and legalizing five illegal outposts. In return, Smotrich extended the bank authorization by four months, instead of one year as his predecessors did. Behind the scenes: The banking correspondence authorization will end on Oct. 31 and the U.S. and many of its allies are concerned Smotrich is not going to extend it, U.S. officials said. During a meeting in recent weeks of treasury and finance officials from the governments of the G7 countries, the U.S. raised its concerns about Smotrich and the Palestinian banks, an official from one of the G7 countries said. The G7 official said the U.S. warned that if the Palestinian banks are cut off from Israeli banks it could significantly destabilize the West Bank and create a violent escalation that would spill over into Israel. The West Bank would turn into a "cash economy" that could benefit terrorist organizations that largely use cash to operate, the G7 official said.
The official added that if the Palestinian Authority security forces were weakened further, they wouldn't be able to fight terrorism.
A collapse of the banking system would be devastating to the entire Palestinian society and would decrease the access Palestinian civilians have to food and basic services, the G7 official said. In the weeks since the meeting, the Biden administration and its G7 allies have been voicing their concerns to the Israeli government and stressing the dangers of such a situation to Israel's security, a U.S. official said. The U.S. and other G7 countries are not engaging with Smotrich directly because of his extreme views, the G7 official said. The U.S. has considered sanctioning Smotrich for his destabilizing actions in the West Bank.
The message was instead conveyed to Israel's foreign minister Israel Katz, minister for strategic affairs Ron Dermer and Netanyahu himself, sources said. What to watch: Ahead of the October deadline, Smotrich has laid out technical conditions that focus on a third party review of the Palestinian banking system as a condition for extending the authorization for one year, two sources said. But the Biden administration and its G7 allies are concerned that when the deadline gets closer and Smotrich's conditions are met, he will come up with "new demands that will have nothing to do with banking and a lot to do with expanding settlements" in the West Bank, the G7 official said. "Our goal is to make clear that such behavior doesn't only endanger stability in the West Bank but also Israel's security," the official said.
Smotrich's office did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump Hails Himself Israel’s Savior in Fantastical Speech
Mini Racker/The Daily Beast/September 19, 2024
Donald Trump called Sen. Chuck Schumer, the nation’s highest-ranking Jewish official, a “Palestinian” on Thursday in a speech full of fantastical claims about the former president’s self-described importance to Israel. “Chuck Schumer is a Palestinian,” Trump, flanked by American and Israeli flags, said of the Senate majority leader. “Who would have thought that was going to happen? What the hell happened to him?”From there, it got worse.“I saw him the other day, he was dressed in one of their robes,” Trump said, alleging, “Chuck Schumer is Hamas all the way.”Schumer is a devout Jew and a strong supporter of Israel who has condemned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a right-wing extremist. He has vehemently opposed the brutality of Hamas terrorists. Trump tells a Jewish group the Jews will be to blame if he loses: "I will put it to you very simply and gently: I really haven't been treated right, but you haven't been treated right because you're putting yourself in great danger."Trump’s outrageous claim was one of many the former president made during a speech to Jewish Republicans at an event titled “Fighting Anti-Semitism in America” at a hotel on Capitol Hill in Washington. Later on, he positioned himself as the savior of Israel. “If we don’t win this election, Israel, in my opinion, within a period of two to three years, will cease to exist,” Trump said. “It’s going to be wiped out.” He added: “If we don’t win, I believe Israel will be eradicated.”Trump’s statements were part of an ongoing effort to make inroads with Jewish voters, most of whom prefer Kamala Harris to Trump. He painted his opponent as a dangerous choice for Israel. But even he seemed to have doubts it would work. “I’m calling on Kamala Harris to officially disavow the support of all Hamas sympathizers, antisemites, Israel-haters, on college campuses, and everywhere else,” Trump said. “But she won’t do it, you know that. And sadly, and I have to say this, and it hurts me to say it, you’re gonna still vote for Democrats.”It was a curious comment in a friendly room of Trump fans, but it seemed to be directed at Jewish Americans as a whole. A recent Pew survey suggested nearly two-thirds of Jewish voters favor Harris. Throughout his remarks, Trump continued to lament the strong support his opponent enjoys in the Jewish community. “You got 60 percent voting for somebody that hates Israel,” Trump said. “And I say it, it’s going to happen, it’s only because of the Democrat hold, or curse, on you. You can’t let this happen.”
Trump Agrees With Radio Host Who Calls Emhoff a ‘Crappy Jew’
The Daily Beast asked Matt Brooks, the CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition, how important fighting antisemitism is for the Trump campaign. “I think it’s an important issue for America, and certainly an important issue for the Jewish community, and it’s an important issue in which there’s a strong contrast point with Kamala Harris and the Democrats,” he said. The vice president has championed Israel’s right to defend itself and her husband, Doug Emhoff, has often highlighted his Jewish identity. Still, as she faces pressure from progressives on the Israel-Hamas war, Republicans have seen an opening.
“The people here—this isn’t the donor class,” Brooks said. “This is people like college students who are on the front lines of combating antisemitism, and dealing with this awful rising tide we’re seeing take place.”
Indeed, there were lots of young people wearing kippahs. The event also attracted prominent Republicans, including the MAGA elite, and was hosted by the billionaire casino mogul Miriam Adelson. Wearing a red chemise with sparkling circular motifs, the Trump mega donor—who has committed nearly $100 million to the race–gave a rare address to the crowd, celebrating Trump’s record on Israel.
Trump Rages at Jews Who Vote for Democrats, Claims They ‘Hate Israel’
The audience also included Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX), Trump’s former personal doctor, Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Rick Scott (R-FL), Lindsey Graham (R- SC), and Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Reps. Byron Donalds (R-FL) and Mike Lawler (R-NY). (“Something happened, but he likes me better now than he used to,” Trump said of the latter.) For the former president, the day was devoted to emphasizing his support for Israel. He was scheduled to address the 2024 Israeli-American Council National Summit across town later in the evening.“In Israel, they love me,” Trump said Thursday. “Here, not so much.”

Russia warns West and Ukraine of 'disastrous consequences' if Kyiv moves against Belarus
Reuters/September 20, 2024
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia warned the West and Ukraine on Friday of "disastrous consequences" if Kyiv moved against close Russian ally Belarus, making clear it would intervene to defend a country where it has deployed tactical nuclear weapons. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters that Moscow was concerned by what she called increasingly "provocative" activity on the border with Belarus, saying she did not rule out that there could be attempts to escalate in the region. Days after Ukraine's surprise Aug. 6 incursion into Russia's Kursk region, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko - a loyal ally of President Vladimir Putin - suggested, without providing evidence, that Kyiv may have ideas about attacking Belarus. Minsk, which has accused Ukrainian drones of violating its airspace, later announced it was sending extra troops to its border with Ukraine, though Kyiv said it had seen no major changes in the border area. "We take due note of the information received about the intensification of the activities of Ukrainian forces in the border zone," said Zakharova. "We see these facts ourselves and are aware of constant attempts from the Ukrainian side to use drones and to send terrorists into the republic," she added. Ukraine's foreign ministry said last month that the country "has never taken and is not going to take any unfriendly actions against the Belarusian people". In a clear reference to Ukraine's Kursk incursion, Zakharova said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had shown he was capable of what she called "reckless steps", accusing him of coordinating his action with Washington ahead of a November U.S. presidential election. "Therefore, in line with this logic, we do not rule out the possibility that these destructive forces could set the situation in the region in motion and escalate."
She said Russia and Belarus were part of a "Union State" and had undertaken to jointly defend their common borders, pointing out that a joint regional military grouping was deployed in Belarus along with Russian tactical nuclear weapons. "The practical implementation of any scenarios which are aggressive towards Minsk is fraught with disastrous consequences not only for Ukraine, but also for its sponsors," she said.

Iran condemns a Taliban delegate's failure to stand for the Iranian national anthem
Associated Press/September 20, 2024
Iran expressed its deep displeasure Friday over a Taliban delegate's failure to stand during the Iranian national anthem at an event in Tehran, state-run media said, following a similar incident in Pakistan earlier in the week. The incident involving the Taliban delegate to the Islamic Unity Conference in the Iranian capital Thursday followed an episode in Pakistan in which a Taliban diplomat did not stand for the Pakistani anthem on Wednesday. Both host countries considered the gestures disrespectful, and in both cases Taliban officials have said it is customary in their country to sit when music is played. Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned the caretaker of the Afghan Embassy in Tehran on Friday to condemn the act by the Taliban delegate, Azizorahman Mansour, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported. The ministry called it an “unconventional and unacceptable action by the Afghan envoy.”The Islamic Unity Conference is an annual event held in Iran to promote unity and solidarity among various Islamic sects, particularly between Sunni and Shia Muslims. The Taghrib News Agency, which reports on Islamic world news, published a video from Mansour apologizing for his behavior at the conference, but saying it was in accordance with the norms in Afghanistan. “In our country when we sing songs, we sit. I followed that norm," Mansour said. “We apologize to the people who were upset.”IRNA quoted the Afghan Embassy chief as saying the action by Mansour was a personal act and did not reflect the views of the Taliban government. Following the incident Wednesday in Pakistan, the Taliban had released a statement saying the diplomat did not stood up there because music was part of the anthem. Iran and Afghanistan have a 960-kilometer (570-mile) long border, and it became has become a lifeline for many Afghans who have flocked to the neighboring country to search for work. Iranian authorities say about six million Afghans are in Iran. Activists believe the number is much higher. Iran doesn’t formally recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan, and has called for the formation of an inclusive Afghan government that involves all ethnic and religious groups. However, Iran maintains political and economic ties with Kabul and has allowed the Taliban to manage the Afghan embassy in Tehran.

Israeli forces deepen raid in Rafah, kill 27 people across Gaza
Reuters/September 20, 2024
CAIRO: Israeli forces killed at least 27 Palestinians in tank and air strikes on north and central areas of the Gaza Strip on Friday, medics said, as tanks advanced further into northwest Rafah near the border with Egypt. The unrelenting fighting between the Israelis and Hamas militants in the enclave carried on even as a parallel conflict in the Lebanon-Israel border area involving Hamas’ allies Hezbollah intensified. Meanwhile, some Palestinians displaced by the Israeli assault on Gaza said they feared their temporary beachside camp would be inundated by high waves. Palestinian health officials said shelling by Israeli tanks killed eight people and wounded several others in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central area of Gaza, and six others were killed in an airstrike on a house in Gaza City. In the northern town of Beit Hanoun, an Israeli strike on a car killed and wounded several Palestinians, medics said.
It was not clear how many of the casualties were combatants and how many were civilians.In the southern city of Rafah, where the Israeli army has been operating since May, tanks advanced further to the northwest area backed by aircraft, residents said. They also reported heavy fire and explosions echoing in the eastern areas of the city, where Israeli forces blew up several houses, according to residents and Hamas media. “Our fighters are engaged in fierce gunbattles against Israeli forces, who advanced into Tanour neighborhood in Rafah,” Hamas armed wing said in a statement.
The Israeli military has said that forces operating in Rafah had in past weeks killed hundreds of Palestinian militants, located tunnels and explosives and destroyed military infrastructure. Israel’s demand to keep control of the southern border line between Rafah and Egypt has been the focus of an international effort to conclude a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. The United States and mediators Qatar and Egypt have for months attempted to secure a truce but have failed to bring Israel and Hamas to a final agreement. Two obstacles have been especially difficult — Israel’s demand that it keep forces in the Philadelphi corridor between Gaza and Egypt, and the specifics of an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
ENCROACHING SEA
In a new challenge to Palestinians displaced in the Al-Mawasi area in southern Gaza, many were concerned about the danger of high waves. Some tents put up close to the beach flooded last week. “Enough, enough, enough. We were pushed by the occupation (Israel) to the sea, where we believed it was safe, last week the sea flooded and washed away some tents, and that could happen again, where would we go?” said Shaban, 47, an electrical engineer displaced from Gaza City. This latest war in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered last Oct. 7 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s subsequent assault on the Hamas-governed enclave has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry, while displacing nearly the entire population of 2.3 million, causing a hunger crisis and leading to genocide allegations at the World Court that Israel denies. Israel says it aims to eradicate the Iran-aligned Hamas, which it deems a threat to its own existence.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on September 20-21/2024
Question: “How can I overcome temptation?”
GotQuestions.org//September 20, 2024
Answer: The Scriptures tell us that we all face temptations. First Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man.” Perhaps this provides a little encouragement as we often feel that the world is bearing in on us alone, and that others are immune to temptations. We are told that Christ was also tempted: “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
Where, then, do these temptations come from? First of all, they do not come from God, although He does allow them. James 1:13 says, “For God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.” In the first chapter of Job, we see that God allowed Satan to tempt Job, but with restrictions. Satan is roaming on the earth like a lion, seeking people to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Verse 9 tells us to resist him, knowing that other Christians are also experiencing his attacks. By these passages we can know that temptations come from Satan. We see in James 1:14 that temptation originates in us as well. We are tempted when we are “carried away and enticed by our own lust” (verse 14). We allow ourselves to think certain thoughts, allow ourselves to go places we should not go, and make decisions based on our lusts that lead us into the temptation.
How then do we resist the temptations? First of all, we must return to the example of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness by Satan in Matthew 4:1-11. Each of Satan’s temptations was met with the same answer: “It is written,” followed by Scripture. If the Son of God used the Word of God to effectively end the temptations—which we know works because after three failed efforts, “the Devil left him” (v. 11)—how much more do we need to use it to resist our own temptations? All our efforts to resist will be weak and ineffective unless they are powered by the Holy Spirit through the constant reading, studying, and meditating on the Word. In this way, we will be “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). There is no other weapon against temptation except the “sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” If our minds are filled with the latest TV shows, music, and all the rest the culture has to offer, we will be bombarded with messages and images that inevitably lead to sinful lusts. But if our minds are filled with the majesty and holiness of God, the love and compassion of Christ, and the brilliance of both reflected in His perfect Word, we will find that our interest in the lusts of the world diminish and disappear. But without the Word’s influence on our minds, we are open to anything Satan wants to throw at us.
Here, then, is the only means to guard our hearts and minds in order to keep the sources of temptation away from us. Remember the words of Christ to His disciples in the garden on the night of His betrayal: “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). Most Christians would not openly want to jump into sin, yet we cannot resist falling into it because our flesh is not strong enough to resist. We place ourselves in situations or fill our minds with lustful passions, and that leads us into sin.
We need to renew our thinking as we are told in Romans 12:1-2. We must no longer think as the world thinks or walk in the same way that the world walks. Proverbs 4:14-15 tells us, “Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not proceed in the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not pass by; Turn away from it and pass on.” We need to avoid the path of the world that leads us into temptation because our flesh is weak. We are easily carried away by our own lusts.
Matthew 5:29 has some excellent advice. “If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw if from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” That sounds severe! Sin is severe! Jesus is not saying that we literally need to remove body parts. Cutting out the eye is a drastic measure, and Jesus is teaching us that if necessary, a drastic measure should be taken to avoid sin.

Why Islam Was, Is, and Always Will Be the West’s ‘Most Formidable and Persistent Enemy’
Raymond Ibrahim/The Stream/September 20/2024
Nearly a century ago, Hilaire Belloc, a Franco-English writer, made a remarkably prescient observation concerning Islam that was dismissed as hyperbolic at the time:
Millions of modern people of the white civilization — that is, the civilization of Europe and America — have forgotten all about Islam. They have never come in contact with it. They take for granted that it is decaying, and that, anyway, it is just a foreign religion which will not concern them. It is, as a fact, the most formidable and persistent enemy which our civilization has had, and may at any moment become as large a menace in the future as it has been in the past (from Belloc’s The Great Heresies, 1938; emphasis added).
Few heeded Belloc’s “scare mongering,” and, as a result, Islam is now the scourge of Europe — especially in those two nations from which Belloc’s family hailed: France (paternal side) and England (maternal).
Anyone who doubts he was right would do well to familiarize themselves with Islam’s long record of violence vis-à-vis the West. A succinct summary follows (full treatment here).
The Shadow Growing in the East
According to Islamic history, in 628 AD, the Arabian founder of Islam, Muhammad, called on the Eastern Roman Emperor, Heraclius — the symbolic head of Christendom —to recant Christianity and embrace Islam. The emperor refused, jihad was declared, and the Arabs invaded Christian Syria, defeating the imperial army at the pivotal Battle of Yarmuk in 636.
This enabled the Muslims to swarm in all directions, so that, less than a century later, they had conquered the greater, older, and richer part of Christendom, including Syria, Egypt, and North Africa. Jerusalem fell to a siege in 637.
The Muslim drive into Europe from the east was repeatedly frustrated by the Walls of Constantinople; after the spectacularly failed siege of 717-718, many centuries would pass before any Muslim power thought to capture the imperial city. The Arabs did manage to invade Europe proper and conquered Spain, but were stopped at the Battle of Tours in 732, and eventually driven back south of the Pyrenees.
For more than two centuries thereafter, Islamic forces continued to pummel Europe by land and sea. Untold thousands of Christians were enslaved and every Mediterranean island sacked in the ongoing Muslim quest for booty and slaves, as what was termed “the Dark Ages” descended on the continent.
The vicissitudes of war ebbed and flowed, with the Eastern Roman Empire making a major comeback against Islam in the tenth century, though the border largely remained the same. This changed when the Turks, under the leadership of the Seljuk tribe, became the new standard bearers of jihad. They nearly annihilated eastern Anatolia, particularly Armenia and Georgia in the eleventh century and, after the 1071 Battle of Manzikert, overran Asia Minor.
By then, however, Western Europe’s military might had so matured that when the Pope called on the knights of Christendom to come to the aid of the Christian East, the First Crusade was born. Western Christians, led by the Franks, marched into the beast’s lair, defeated their adversaries in several encounters, and managed to establish a firm presence in the Levant, including in Jerusalem, which they recaptured in 1099 — only to lose it less than 100 years later, after the fateful Battle of Hattin in 1187. By 1297, the Crusaders’ presence was eliminated from the Middle East.
But the Crusade succeeded in the West. A handful of years after the Muslim invasion and conquest of Spain around 711, fugitive Christians holed in the northern mountains of Asturia began the Reconquista; by 1085 it had proven effective enough to prompt two new Muslim invasions from Africa to counter it. Again, the ebb and flow of war dominated the landscape, but by 1212, at Las Navas de Tolosa, Spain’s indigenous Christians gave Islam its death-stroke, so that by 1252 it was confined to Granada at the southernmost tip of Iberia.
Stopping the Scourge
Around that time, a violent but relatively short-lived Mongolian storm overwhelmed much of the east; both Christians (notably Russians) and Muslims were pummeled. A new Turkish dynasty arose from the Seljuk ashes: the Ottomans — whose identity revolved around the concept of jihad more than any of their predecessors — renewed Islam’s perennial war on Christendom. They managed to enter Eastern Europe, defeated a combined army of Crusaders at Nicopolis in 1396, took much of the Balkans, and crowned their achievement by fulfilling Muhammad’s desire of conquering Constantinople — enslaving and raping thousands of its inhabitants in ways that ISIS tries to mimic — in 1453.
But mourning was soon tempered by joy: To the west, Spain finally conquered Granada in 1492, thereby snuffing out Islam as a political power; to the east, the most overlooked chapter of Muslim-Christian conflict was also coming to an end. The Russians, who had lived under distinctly Islamic rule for nearly two centuries, finally cast off the “Tatar Yoke” in 1480.
Even so, the Ottomans continued to be the scourge of Christendom. They made inroads into Europe — reaching but failing to capture Vienna in 1529 — and sponsored the seaborne jihad originating from North Africa. While the Muslims largely failed to capture new European lands, Barbary pirates and Crimean slavers captured and sold approximately five million Europeans.
In 1683, more than 200,000 Ottoman jihadis attempted to take Vienna again. Even though their failure marked the Ottoman Empire’s slow decline, Muslim slavers of the so-called Barbary States of North Africa continued to wreak havoc all along the coasts of Europe, reaching even Iceland.
Westward Ho!
The United States of America’s first war — which it fought before it could even elect its first president — was against these Islamic slavers. When Thomas Jefferson and John Adams asked Barbary’s ambassador why his countrymen were enslaving American sailors, the ambassador answered us that it was founded on the laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Koran, that … it was their right and duty to make war upon [non-Muslims] wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as prisoners.
Europe’s final triumph over the Barbary States in the early 1800s ushered in the colonial era. By 1900, most of the Muslim world was under European control; by 1924, the more than 600 year-old Ottoman caliphate was abolished — not by Europeans but Muslim Turks, as the latter sought to emulate the successful ways of the former. Islam was viewed as a spent force and virtually forgotten, until recent times when it reemerged again.
Such has been the true and most “general” history between the Islamic and Western worlds.
This map (© Sword and Scimitar) should give an idea of how far-reaching and multitentacled this perennial jihad was. The darkest green shading represents Western/Christian nations that were permanently conquered by Islam; the lighter green shading represents those Western/Christian nations that were temporarily conquered by Islam (sometimes for many centuries, as in Spain, Russia, and the Balkans); green stripes represent areas that were raided, often repeatedly, though not necessarily annexed by Islam; the crossed swords mark the sites of the eight most landmark battles between Islam and the West.
From a macrocosmic perspective, the consequences of the historic jihad are even more profound than first appears. After writing, “For almost a thousand years, from the first Moorish landing in Spain [711] to the second Turkish siege of Vienna [1683], Europe was under constant threat from Islam,” Bernard Lewis elaborates:
All but the easternmost provinces of the Islamic realm had been taken from Christian rulers… North Africa, Egypt, Syria, even Persian-ruled Iraq, had been Christian countries, in which Christianity was older and more deeply rooted than in most of Europe. Their loss was sorely felt and heightened the fear that a similar fate was in store for Europe.
The “loss” of North Africa and the Middle East “was sorely felt” by premodern Europeans because they thought more along religious and civilizational lines than nationalist ones. And before Islam burst onto the scene, most of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East were part of the same Christian civilization. As such, Islam did not merely invade and eventually get repulsed from Europe; rather, “Muslim armies conquered three-quarters of the Christian world,” to quote historian Thomas Madden.
Thus what is now casually called “the West” is actually the westernmost remnant of what was a much more extensive civilizational block that Islam permanently severed, thereby altering the course of “Western” history. And, once Muslims overran Africa and the Middle East, most of its Christian subjects, to evade fiscal and social oppression and join the winning team, converted to Islam, thereby perpetuating the cycle, as they became the new standard bearers of jihad against their former coreligionists north and west of the Mediterranean.
Such are the rarely noted ironies of history.
The Past Informs the Future
Returning to Hilaire Belloc, one can also see how an accurate understanding of true history—as opposed to an indoctrination in mainstream pseudo-histories—leads to an accurate prognosis of the future. For Belloc was not only correct about the past but the future as well:
[Islam] is, as a fact, the most formidable and persistent enemy which our civilization has had, and may at any moment become as large a menace in the future as it has been in the past…. The whole spiritual strength of Islam is still present in the masses of Syria and Anatolia, of the East Asian mountains, of Arabia, Egypt and North Africa. The final fruit of this tenacity, the second period of Islamic power, may be delayed — but I doubt whether it can be permanently postponed (emphasis added)
Make no mistake; we are well into in this “second period of Islamic power.” And, contrary to what Belloc thought or hoped, not only has a suicidal West done absolutely nothing to “delay” — let alone “permanently postpone” — this resurgence, it has gone out of its way to help empower Muhammad’s creed, to its own detriment and demise.
*Raymond Ibrahim, author of Defenders of the West and Sword and Scimitar, is the Distinguished Senior Shillman Fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum.

Israel needs to get it together before the UN resolution has consequences - comment
Tamar Uriel -Beeri/Jerusalem Post/September 20/2024
The Broad Perspective: A UN decision that creates animosity toward Israel is something to dread – and even fear – not scoff at and turn the other cheek.
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday passed a resolution by a vote of 124 to 14 with 43 abstentions denying Israel’s right to self-defense against terrorism in the West Bank, Gaza, and east Jerusalem.
Operating on the basis of an International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion, the UNGA declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal.
Israelis as well as Diaspora Jews are rolling their eyes and downplaying this, but they should not. This is a big conclusion with consequences that cannot be shoved under the rug. The UNGA resolution demands that Israel withdraw to pre-1967 lines within 12 months and encourages member states not to sell arms to Israel for use in these territories.
While Israel may not give too much weight to United Nations decisions and proclamations due to their blatant anti-Israel stance, the world sees the UN as a unifying place for international consensus – for voices to be heard. Decisions by this body are well-received and respected. Therefore, a UN decision that creates animosity toward Israel is something to dread – and even fear – not scoff at and turn the other cheek.
The harm the UN decision causes
First of all, this spotlights the ICJ’s call on Israel, which caused a ruckus for a period before slowly dying out. Now, the backing of the UNGA has increased its value on the international stage. It is also absolutely unprecedented for the UN to advocate for a boycott of any products, not to mention Israeli products from beyond the pre-1967 lines.
In the past, UNGA resolutions have led to legislative action on member states’ parts.
Resolutions are declaratory and not legally binding; nevertheless, they provide international backing for potential actions made by member states – and that is what Israel should be concerned about the most. All of these decisions – boycotts, arms embargoes, and more – may have actionable consequences that could severely harm Israel’s ability to defend itself and its already-suffering economy.
Israel’s military offensive at this point is beyond defense; some argue that it is a preventative measure, so that Hamas cannot rise up to the power it reached on October 7, but still, that is not an act of self-defense.
The weapons we currently receive are being used for the action in the West Bank and Gaza. Now imagine that we not only could not carry that out anymore – which, by the way, cannot go on forever – but we could not even defend ourselves properly in the case of another October 7.
That will be our reality if Israel does not, in some capacity or to some extent, comply with the UN’s demands. We will lose international military support and we will be highly susceptible to irreversible damage to our people.
That is not to say that I agree with all that the UN has said. The resolution does not mention Hamas, the October 7 attack, or the hostages in Gaza. That should be condemned in all ways possible.
It also places no requirements on Hamas or the Palestinians regarding attacks on Israel, making it essentially one-sided: Israel, do not do anything to harm the Palestinian people, even those among them that would see your civilians murdered, butchered, raped, and held hostage underground for months on end.
To an extent, it is hard to blame the UN for reaching these conclusions. It is, of course, unspeakable that they were so one-sided, but not that they condemned Israel.
After all, just last week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that Israel’s lack of accountability for the killing of United Nations staff and humanitarian aid workers in Gaza is “totally unacceptable” – and he’s not wrong.
Israel's moral standing declines
According to the UN, nearly 300 humanitarian aid workers, more than two-thirds of them UN staff, have been killed during the conflict, So how does Israel – its government – think that the UN should react to such a situation?
When humanitarian aid workers are reported to be killed (whether Israel can confirm it or not) this lowers Israel’s moral standing even further in this drawn-out war.
We lose our argument for proportionality entirely and it effectively discredits the IDF’s claim of ethical high ground as the “world’s most moral army.”
Israel cannot turn away and ignore this, because turning our backs on it will leave us vulnerable – and in the end, it’ll bite us in the ass.
*The writer is deputy editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post.

‘Why Egypt Prefers Palestinian Terrorists On Its Border
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/September 20, 2024
"Before el-Sissi, but also during his tenure, cars, motorcycles, clothes, drugs, medicines, alcoholic beverages, and weapons were smuggled through the Philadelphi Corridor over the years, lots of weapons: improved RPG-29 rockets that killed our soldiers in the Iron Swords War, hidden rocket parts, machine guns, mines, and more." — Nadav Shragai, Israeli author and journalist, Israel Hayom, July 10, 2024.
"[E]ven those who trust President el-Sissi now cannot guarantee that a new [former Egyptian President] Mohammed Morsi from the Muslim Brotherhood won't rise to power in the future, as we saw happen in 2012 presidential elections in Egypt. Israel must, therefore, remain in Philadelphi [gateway between Egypt and Gaza].... Foreign monitoring forces have failed in Lebanon over the years, and they also failed at the Rafah crossing from which European Union monitors fled in 2007." — Nadav Shragai, Israel Hayom, July 10, 2024.
"Even today the city of Rafah [near the border with Egypt] is full of smugglers who bribe the Egyptian police and run a business sector with a turnover in the billions. The smuggling still continues during wartime, as war materiel and other goods flow from Sinai into Gaza every day. And there is fear that such smuggling is, or will be, accompanied by smuggling in the other direction. Senior Hamas figures are likely to try to escape into Egyptian territory, with hostages, and from there to Iran." — Brig. Gen. (Res.) Amir Avivi, March 4, 2024.
"Palestinians desperate to leave Gaza are paying bribes to brokers of up to $10,000 (£7,850) to help them exit the territory through Egypt... Very few Palestinians have been able to leave Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, but those trying to get their names on the list of people permitted to exit daily say they are being asked to pay large 'coordination fees' by a network of brokers and couriers with alleged links to the Egyptian intelligence services.... a network of brokers, based in Cairo, helping Palestinians leave Gaza has operated around the Rafah border for years.... The Guardian has spoken to a number of people who have been told they would have to pay between $5,000 and $10,000 each to leave the strip, with some launching crowdfunding campaigns to raise the money. Others were told they could leave sooner if they paid more." — The Guardian, January 8, 2024.
"A company owned by an influential Egyptian businessman and ally of President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi is making around $2m a day from Palestinians fleeing Israel's war on Gaza... Hala Consulting and Tourism Services, a firm owned by Sinai tribal leader and business tycoon Ibrahim al-Organi, has been charging Palestinians crossing from Gaza's Rafah to Egypt at least $5,000 per adult and $2,500 for children under 16. It has a monopoly on providing transfer services at the Rafah crossing...." — Middle East Eye, May 1, 2024.
Anyone who believes that the Egyptians would act differently if and when Israel withdraws from the border area must be living on another planet. If the IDF leaves, Hamas will swiftly return to the border, and the Egyptians will continue looking the other way.
Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty said on September 18 that his country will never accept any Israeli security presence at the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. "Abdelatty asserted that Egypt maintains complete opposition to any military presence at the [Rafah border] crossing or the Philadelphi Corridor [between Egypt and the Gaza Strip]," according to Egypt's Al-Ahram newspaper.
The Egyptian minister made his remarks during a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken following a meeting in Cairo. "These remarks echo previous Egyptian statements asserting its rejection of any Israeli presence in the Philadelphi corridor on the Egypt-Gaza border and the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, which has been under Israeli control since May," Al-Ahram added.
The Egyptians are actually saying that they prefer to have Palestinian terrorists on their border rather than Israel. The Philadelphi Corridor is a ribbon of land about nine miles in length and 100 meters wide along the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt.
After the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005, control over the Rafah crossing and Philadelphi Corridor was handed over to Egypt and the Palestinian Authority (PA). The two parties were therefore responsible for preventing smuggling of weapons and other goods from Egyptian territory into the Gaza Strip. Needless to say, Egypt and the PA failed to stop the smuggling activities along the border.
In 2007, the Iran-backed Palestinian terrorist group Hamas staged a coup against the Palestinian Authority and seized full control of the Gaza Strip, including the Gazan side of the border with Egypt. Following this, Hamas and other terror groups increased their smuggling activities through the border and the dozens of tunnels they dug beneath it.
Since the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) retook control of the Rafah crossing and Philadelphi Corridor last May, Egypt has been voicing strong opposition to Israel's presence in these areas. This is the same Egypt that failed to stop the flow of weapons from its territory into the Gaza Strip over the two decades.
According to The Guardian:
"Experts have suggested technological solutions including surveillance and ground sensors could effectively control efforts to rebuild Hamas's smuggling tunnels. History suggests, however, that a key component is the political will on Cairo's part to crack down on smuggling on the Egyptian side, which has sometimes been notably absent, creating problems on both sides of the border."
As Israeli author and journalist Nadav Shragai noted in July 2024:
"For nearly 20 years, Hamas has smuggled enormous quantities of weapons and building materials through and under the Philadelphi Corridor, significantly advancing the construction of underground Gaza – the world's largest terror city. Anyone who still believes the Egyptians were unaware of this is deluding themselves.
"The Egyptians not only knew, but for years they were complicit – knowingly ignoring the situation, turning a blind eye, and even actively facilitating it. While under President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi they have taken some significant action against the tunnels, proposing to involve them now in any arrangement concerning the Philadelphi Corridor and trusting them is not just foolish and grossly irresponsible, but self-deception and public fraud.
"Before el-Sissi, but also during his tenure, cars, motorcycles, clothes, drugs, medicines, alcoholic beverages, and weapons were smuggled through the Philadelphi Corridor over the years, lots of weapons: improved RPG-29 rockets that killed our soldiers in the Iron Swords War, hidden rocket parts, machine guns, mines, and more.
"The tunnels were dug from house basements, orchards, and olive groves. An average tunnel costs about $100,000 to build, with a daily turnover averaging half a million shekels. Egyptian officials and officers pocketed bribes that allowed the weapons highway to continue. And after all this, to say that Egypt didn't know?
"The very thought of now erasing Egypt's sins and giving them a role again in overseeing the Philadelphi Corridor and Rafah crossing is scandalous. Egypt bears significant responsibility for what happened in Philadelphi over the years, and even those who trust President el-Sissi now cannot guarantee that a new [former Egyptian President] Mohammed Morsi from the Muslim Brotherhood won't rise to power in the future, as we saw happen in 2012 presidential elections in Egypt....
"Israel must, therefore, remain in Philadelphi. Neither Egypt, the "bruised reed," nor other foreign forces, nor cameras – no one will do the job for us there as needed, and it's time we stop deluding ourselves. Foreign monitoring forces have failed in Lebanon over the years, and they also failed at the Rafah crossing from which European Union monitors fled in 2007."
Brig. Gen. (Res.) Amir Avivi, founder and chairman of Israel's Defense & Security Forum (IDSF), who previously served as Deputy Commander of the IDF's Gaza Division, pointed out that when Israel handed Sinai to Egypt in 1982, a narrow space was created between the Gaza Strip and Egypt and received the now well-known name Philadelphi Corridor. "For roughly a decade, Israel controlled the Philadelphi Corridor and the IDF operated freely in the cities of the Gaza Strip," Avivi wrote recently.
"That arrangement changed in the early 1990s, with the signing of the Oslo Accords. Those agreements stipulated, among other things, that Israel would withdraw from the cities of Gaza and not re-enter. From the moment that Israel left those cities, a large-scale project of tunneling began but because the Philadelphi Corridor was still in our hands, we were able to maintain a certain level of awareness and influence."
According to Avivi, Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005 changed the picture completely:
"Despite many warnings from the security services, the Israeli government chose to withdraw completely from the Gaza Strip and yield control of the Philadelphi Corridor. Expectably, the scope of smuggling there increased exponentially and reached incredible proportions.
"The Egyptian government, newly responsible for the Philadelphi Corridor, looked the other way and permitted copious smuggling from Sinai into Gaza, including weaponry, commercial goods, and even people. It was that smuggling that enabled Hamas to turn into a well-armed terrorist army and thus brought about the disaster of October 7."
In recent years, Avivi added, smuggling from Egypt into the Gaza Strip has become central to the Gaza economy and key to the strengthening of Hamas.
"Even today the city of Rafah [near the border with Egypt] is full of smugglers, who bribe the Egyptian police and run a business sector with a turnover in the billions.
"The smuggling still continues during wartime, as war materiel and other goods flow from Sinai into Gaza every day. And there is fear that such smuggling is, or will be, accompanied by smuggling in the other direction. Senior Hamas figures are likely to try to escape into Egyptian territory, with hostages, and from there to Iran."
The Egyptians are apparently worried that Israel's presence at the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip would deny them the opportunity to continue making a huge profit from bribes. According to an investigation by The Guardian:
"Palestinians desperate to leave Gaza are paying bribes to brokers of up to $10,000 (£7,850) to help them exit the territory through Egypt...
"Very few Palestinians have been able to leave Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, but those trying to get their names on the list of people permitted to exit daily say they are being asked to pay large 'coordination fees' by a network of brokers and couriers with alleged links to the Egyptian intelligence services...
"A network of brokers, based in Cairo, helping Palestinians leave Gaza has operated around the Rafah border for years. But prices have surged since the start of the war, from $500 for each person.
"The Guardian has spoken to a number of people who have been told they would have to pay between $5,000 and $10,000 each to leave the strip, with some launching crowdfunding campaigns to raise the money. Others were told they could leave sooner if they paid more."
Earlier this year, a report by the website Middle East Eye revealed that an Egyptian businessman with close ties to President el-Sissi and the Egyptian military appears to profit from Gaza's calamities.
"A company owned by an influential Egyptian businessman and ally of President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi is making around $2m a day from Palestinians fleeing Israel's war on Gaza, Middle East Eye can reveal.
"Hala Consulting and Tourism Services, a firm owned by Sinai tribal leader and business tycoon Ibrahim al-Organi, has been charging Palestinians crossing from Gaza's Rafah to Egypt at least $5,000 per adult and $2,500 for children under 16.
"It has a monopoly on providing transfer services at the Rafah crossing, the only Gaza exit not bordered with Israel and the single route out of the coastal enclave for Palestinians.
"In the past three months alone, the company is estimated to have made a minimum of $118m, or 5.6 billion Egyptian pounds, from desperate Palestinians trying to leave war-torn Gaza."As a result of the Egyptians' failure to stop the smuggling activities at their border with the Gaza Strip, 1,200 Israelis were murdered, with many raped, beheaded, tortured and burned alive, in the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel. Another 240 Israelis were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists and "ordinary" Palestinians on that day.
Anyone who believes that the Egyptians would act differently if and when Israel withdraws from the border area must be living on another planet. If the IDF leaves, Hamas will swiftly return to the border, and the Egyptians will continue looking the other way.
*Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East. His work is made possible through the generous donation of a couple of donors who wished to remain anonymous. Gatestone is most grateful.
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Why do some Arabs now see the Sykes-Picot Agreement as a solution?
Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy/Arab News/September 20, 2024
For decades after the First World War, the Sykes-Picot Agreement symbolized the division and fragmentation of the Arab world by Western colonial powers. Signed in secret in 1916 by Britain and France, this agreement divided Ottoman Arab lands into areas of influence, establishing the borders of modern Middle Eastern states. Many Arab and Islamic thinkers of the 20th century saw it as the foundation of Arab weakness and disunity. However, as time passed and circumstances shifted, some began to see the borders created by Sykes-Picot as a necessary evil. Rather than seeking new borders, which might further divide the Arab world into even smaller, weaker states, some now believe that these colonial-era borders might offer a form of stability.
For much of the 20th century, the Sykes-Picot Agreement was met with intense Arab opposition. It was viewed as a colonial imposition by France and Britain, powers that had oppressed and exploited Arab nations. Endorsed by Russia and Italy, the agreement effectively divided the Middle East as spoils of war among the colonial powers, replacing the waning Ottoman Empire, often referred to as the “sick man of Europe.”
The agreement was based on the assumption that the European powers would defeat the Ottomans during the First World War. Initial negotiations occurred between November 1915 and January 1916, with French diplomat Francois Georges-Picot and British diplomat Mark Sykes drawing up the terms. By May 1916, the governments of France, Britain and Russia had officially ratified the agreement.
These artificial borders, drawn without regard for the region’s complex ethnic and sectarian makeup, have been a source of long-standing tension
Under the plan, France gained control over what is now Lebanon and Syria, while Britain took over Iraq, Palestine and Jordan. These artificial borders, drawn without regard for the region’s complex ethnic and sectarian makeup, have been a source of long-standing tension. Despite these flaws, the countries created under Sykes-Picot managed to maintain some level of stability through much of the 20th century. This stability, though often enforced by authoritarian regimes, at least preserved national unity and sovereignty.
For years, opposing the Sykes-Picot Agreement was a core principle of Arab nationalism. But today, the situation has shifted. In the face of recent turmoil, some have come to see the agreement, once so fiercely rejected, as a way to preserve the current borders and avoid further fragmentation.
Several factors have contributed to this dramatic change in perspective.
The potential disintegration of the Arab world is a key reason for this shift. Since 2011, the region has experienced a wave of revolutions and protests, misleadingly called the “Arab Spring.” While some hoped these uprisings would lead to democratic reforms, the results were disastrous. Countries like Syria, Libya and Yemen descended into brutal civil wars and discussions about breaking them into smaller states based on ethnic or sectarian lines became more common. For example, proposals to divide Syria into sectarian states or to split Libya into eastern and western regions emerged as “realistic” solutions to ongoing conflicts. Sudan, too, after falling into a violent conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, now faces the threat of further division.
The rise of sectarian identities and the weakening of central governments due to civil wars also play a role. In Iraq, for example, the growing influence of Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish identities has eroded national unity and weakened the state. This increase in sectarianism has led to fears that a redrawing of the borders could lead to the creation of smaller, weaker and more divided states that are incapable of defending their sovereignty or addressing regional challenges.
Another significant factor is the fear of a power vacuum, which has reshaped how many people view the once-detested Sykes-Picot Agreement. The fall or weakening of strong regimes in Iraq, Libya and Syria showed that, when central government authority collapses, a dangerous void often forms. This vacuum is frequently filled by armed groups or extremist organizations like Daesh and Al-Qaeda. Faced with these threats, some now see the borders established by Sykes-Picot — despite their flaws — as a means of preserving the unity of Arab states. Given the deepening internal divisions, maintaining the status quo, even if it stems from a colonial agreement, is considered a lesser evil than the potential collapse of entire states.
One significant factor is the fear of a power vacuum, which has reshaped how many people view the once-detested agreement. It is true that many of the borders drawn by the Sykes-Picot Agreement were based on European deals rather than local realities. But the Middle East is not unique in this regard; most borders around the world emerged from a mixture of violence, ambition, geography and chance, rather than careful planning or popular will. The uncomfortable reality is that the Middle East’s struggles are not solely the fault of Sykes and Picot. The region’s problems are also a result of poor governance and leadership in shaping its future. Sykes and Picot cannot be blamed for the region’s lack of tolerance and political freedom or its failing education systems.
Many of the challenges the Middle East faces today stem from internal failures. But what is particularly urgent now is the ongoing struggle for sovereignty in several countries. Across much of the region, violent power struggles have become the norm, with militias, terrorist groups, foreign fighters and other armed factions controlling large parts of these countries.
It is a sad irony that an agreement once seen as a tool of division is now viewed by some as a way to maintain a minimum level of unity and stability.
In the end, the issue may not be about whether Arabs “like” the Sykes-Picot Agreement. It is more about the fear of a worse alternative — endless fragmentation and disintegration.
*Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy has covered conflicts worldwide. X: @ALMenawy

Global detente in Syria poses crucial questions for Turkiye
Sinem Cengiz/Arab News/September 20, 2024
Things became more complicated in 2015 after the US returned to the battlefield as the leader of the coalition to fight Daesh, which also coincided with Russia’s intervention in the war-torn country. Nonstate actors, namely Daesh, were considered the main threats by the two global powers. As a result, the US and Russia intervened to some extent and the conflict turned into a proxy war between the two. Foreign interventions not only complicated the war but also led to an intense competition among global powers on both the international and regional level. The US and Russia became the dominant actors in the conflict, changing the balance on the ground in favor of the regime. This was largely due to the cohesion among the Russian elite. Division among the Washington elite, meanwhile, led to misguided US policies in Syria, fragmentation of the Syrian opposition, and empowerment of the Iranian-Russian axis.
However, following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia began to move some troops and weaponry from Syria to the front lines in Ukraine. These developments sparked initial optimism among Western observers about a potential strengthening of US influence in the region. Many viewed the withdrawal as a positive development, hoping it would at least prevent a new era of regional rivalry among global powers.
Following Russia’s move, there were reports that the US might also reduce its presence in Syria. The US and Iraq have recently reached a deal to begin removing American forces stationed there by 2026. If the plan is successful, it will bring an end to the US military presence in a country still facing problems as a result of the invasion in 2003. Officials in Washington have rejected reports of the US withdrawing from Syria completely, saying that troops will remain there in order to prevent the resurgence of Daesh. There are reportedly 900 US troops still in the eastern part of Syria today.
The US partnership with the YPG is viewed by Ankara as a national security threat
However, US troops in Syria aim not only to prevent the resurgence of Daesh, but also to contain the influence of Iran and Russia, both of which also have a military presence in the country. Washington seeks to counter both by supporting its Kurdish allies, the People’s Defense Units, or YPG, the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which is designated a terrorist organization by Ankara.
The US partnership with the YPG is viewed by Ankara as a national security threat, and remains the most contentious issue in the relationship between the two countries. Due to the rise of YPG in Syria, Turkiye intervened militarily following the Russian and US interventions. At first Turkish operations sought to counter Daesh, but later focused on eliminating the YPG. Within this context, Washington’s potential exit has serious implications for Ankara.
Five key dimensions characterize the Syrian conflict: First: a possible resurgence of Daesh requiring a global response. Second: Syria’s integration into the regional system, which would require at least some stability in the country. Third: a possible decline in the global powers’ influence in Syria leading to a rise in Iranian influence. Fourth: Turkish-Syrian normalization tied to Turkiye’s military withdrawal from Syria; and, finally, the Gaza war, which risks further regional instability and could enable terrorist groups to thrive in Syria.
Then, the question arises: Why did reports of a potential US withdrawal from Syria come out now? Is it related to the US decision to withdraw from Iraq, or to the upcoming US elections, which many predict will result in victory for former President Donald Trump? In early October 2019, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Trump agreed on a partial US withdrawal. Trump later ordered a full withdrawal, but it was halted at the last minute by a decision to secure oil in Syria. Shortly after, Turkiye launched Operation Peace Spring and entered parts of northern Syria. However, Russia secured most of the territory left by the US following a deal between the YPG and Damascus. Last week, Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan held a meeting with John Bass, acting US undersecretary of state for political affairs. This meeting is particularly noteworthy given Bass’ previous role as ambassador to Turkiye during a contentious period in US-Turkish relations due to Washington’s support for the YPG.
US involvement in the Syrian war is a complex story, so it is possible any withdrawal will be complex as well. The decision to stay or leave is a strategic one that will reverberate across the region. For Ankara, future US withdrawal from Syria might be a positive development. Yet, even if this happens, Ankara will be cautious regarding its implications. A poorly coordinated withdrawal by the US could pose significant risks for Turkiye, leaving the country alone in the face of multiple threats. So, for Ankara, the crucial question is how and when any departure will take place.
*Sinem Cengiz is a Turkish political analyst who specializes in Turkiye’s relations with the Middle East. X: @SinemCngz