English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For January 18/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the
lccc Site
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2025/english.January18.25.htm
News Bulletin Achieves
Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006
Click On
The Below Link To Join Eliasbejjaninews whatsapp group
https://chat.whatsapp.com/FPF0N7lE5S484LNaSm0MjW
اضغط
على الرابط في
أعلى للإنضمام
لكروب
Eliasbejjaninews whatsapp group
Elias Bejjani/Click
on the below link to subscribe to my youtube channel
الياس
بجاني/اضغط
على الرابط في
أسفل للإشتراك في
موقعي ع اليوتيوب
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAOOSioLh1GE3C1hp63Camw
Bible Quotations For today
My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and
they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish
John 10/22-42: “At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in
Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of
Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you
keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’ Jesus answered,
‘I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s
name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my
sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them
eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my
hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can
snatch it out of the Father’s hand.The Father and I are one.’ The Jews took up
stones again to stone him. Jesus replied, ‘I have shown you many good works from
the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?’ The Jews answered,
‘It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy,
because you, though only a human being, are making yourself God.’Jesus answered,
‘Is it not written in your law, “I said, you are gods”?If those to whom the word
of God came were called “gods” and the scripture cannot be annulled. can you say
that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is
blaspheming because I said, “I am God’s Son”? If I am not doing the works of my
Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe
me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in
me and I am in the Father.’ Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped
from their hands. He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John
had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there. Many came to him, and they
were saying, ‘John performed no sign, but everything that John said about this
man was true.’And many believed in him there.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on January 17-18/2025
Courageous and patriotic rhetoric by
Majdolin Al-Lahham: “We will isolate the doctrine of Welaet AlFakeah… and I warn
against the return of assassinations.
Dr. Saleh Al-Machnouk: The era of Hezbollah’s dominance has ended, and the era
of joy and hope for Lebanon has begun.
Ali Hassan Khalil: Open to Positive Dialogue with Salam, Dismisses Doubts as
Untrue
Khalil says there was no prior agreement with Aoun or KSA
Trump Warns Israel of Ceasefire Collapse in Lebanon
Positive Messages from Berri and the Shiite Duo to Ease Tensions Towards
Government Formation
Macron, U.N. Secretary-General: Israel must pull out of southern Lebanon
Macron to Aoun: 'We Support Your Goal for a Sovereign Lebanon'
Macron Announces Aid Conference to Rebuild Lebanon, Urges Faster Israeli Pullout
from South
France's Macron in Lebanon to back new leadership
Macron, Bin Salman give 'full support' to new Lebanon govt.
Macron and Berri hold bilateral meeting over govt.
Macron announces aid conference to rebuild Lebanon
Salam Briefs President Aoun on Outcome of parliamentary Consultations
Government: Nawaf Salam in Ain el-Tineh
UN Security Council urges rapid formation of Lebanon govt
UN chief urges end to Israel 'occupation', operations in south Lebanon
Lebanon’s New PM Sees Positive Atmosphere in Cabinet Formation Talks
Salam meets Aoun, says all blocs and Berri have 'showed positivity'
Berri, Salam hold 'promising' talks, PM-designate says no obstacles
Berri: Course headed to solution, no one accepts Hezbollah's isolation
Syrian forces seize 'Hezbollah-bound' weapons
Report: Amal to join Salam's govt. but Hezbollah won't
Beirut blast investigator resumes work after two years
Lebanese Media Outlets: Hizbullah Disbands Militias It Operated In Syria,
Dismisses Thousands Of Syrian Fighters
Lebanese boy chokes to death at school attempting viral TikTok ‘one-bite
challenge’
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on January 17-18/2025
Trump Says Gaza Ceasefire 'Would've Never
Happened' Without His Team
Israeli security cabinet approves Gaza ceasefire deal
Israel's full Cabinet meets on Gaza ceasefire deal after security Cabinet
recommends approval
Hope fades into anguish as deadly airstrikes hit Gaza after ceasefire news
Flooding Gaza with aid might lessen security challenge, says UNRWA chief
Daughter of one of the oldest Israeli hostages hopes for answers in ceasefire
deal
‘Not Under Pressure or Sanctions’: Tehran and Key European Powers Discuss
Resuming Nuclear Talks
How Syria’s Tishrin Dam has become a focal point of fighting between rebel
groups
More than 1,000 Syrians Have Withdrawn Asylum Applications in Cyprus, Hundreds
Return Home
International Criminal Court’s Chief Prosecutor Meets with Syrian Leader in
Damascus
Alawite Fears Ignite Syria’s Coastal Chaos
Mysterious airstrip appears on a Yemeni island as Houthi rebel attacks threaten
region
Former CIA analyst pleads guilty to leaking info on planned Israeli attack on
Iran
Titles For
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on January 17-18/2025
It Wasn't a Deal – It Was a Crime/Alan M.
Dershowitz/ Gatestone Institute./January 17, 2025
No One Won the War in Gaza/Max Rodenbeck/Times/January 17, 2025
Why Certain Non-Gentlemen Prefer Blondes/Raymond Ibrahim/The Stream/January 17,
2025
Will Gaza Change the Luck of the Region?/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/January
17/2025
Gaza’s Children Exposed Moral Bankruptcy/Dr. Amal Moussa/Asharq Al Awsat/January
17/2025
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on January 17-18/2025
Courageous and patriotic rhetoric by Majdolin
Al-Lahham: “We will isolate the doctrine of Welaet AlFakeah… and I warn against
the return of assassinations.
January 17, 2025.
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/01/139186/
Video link to an interview from the “Al-Badil” website featuring the sovereign
and courageous journalist par excellence, Maryam Majdolin, in a striptease party
exposing the lies, deceit, hypocrisy, and barbarism of the terrorist, murderous,
and exclusionary Hezbollah. Congratulations on the change led by army commander
Joseph Aoun as president, and judge Nawaf Salam as PM, and congratulations to
the Lebanese for the defeat and collapse of the Persian and bloody fake Iranian
resistance axis, the enemy of Lebanon.
What is required today, not tomorrow, is to isolate the cultural doctrine of
Welaet AlFakeah, which promotes death, destruction, hatred, and malice, and to
disarm the deceitful and lying Hezbollah in order to restore the Lebanese state,
law, institutions, justice, equality, civilization, and everything truly
Lebanese. Hezbollah has Iranianized, destroyed, shamed, defiled, and
marginalized Lebanon.
Courageous and patriotic rhetoric by Majdolin Al-Lahham: “We will isolate the
doctrine of Welaet AlFakeah… and I warn against the return of assassinations.”
January 17, 2025.
Dr. Saleh Al-Machnouk:
The era of Hezbollah’s dominance has ended, and the era of joy and hope for
Lebanon has begun.
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/01/139178/
Video link to a commentary by Dr.
Saleh Al-Machnouk from the “Al-Mashhad” website, where he courageously,
knowledgeably, and with supporting evidence exposes the delusions,
hallucinations, hypocrisy, deceit, heresies, crimes, inhumanity, barbarism, and
Persian influence of Hezbollah.
“The era of Hezbollah’s dominance has ended, and the era of joy and hope for
Lebanon has begun.”
January 17, 2025.
Ali Hassan
Khalil: Open to Positive Dialogue with Salam, Dismisses Doubts as Untrue
National News Agency – January 17, 2025
Ali Hassan Khalil, the political aide to Speaker Nabih Berri, affirmed that
during the meeting with General Joseph Aoun, while he was still a presidential
candidate, "we did not discuss the next Prime Minister in any way. Rather, we
addressed major issues related to state management and governance. We voted for
him despite him not being our first choice." He clarified that "there was no
agreement that was broken. What happened was that the general atmosphere among
the parliamentary blocs we engaged with was leaning towards naming caretaker
Prime Minister Najib Mikati. We had agreed with several blocs to pursue this
option, but they later shifted their stance."Speaking on the "Sar El Waet"
program on MTV, Khalil added, "Our communications with the Saudi side did not
touch on the premiership issue. We are open to positive dialogue with Prime
Minister-designate Nawaf Salam, and all the skeptical statements are untrue.
Simply put, we had a candidate who lost."He emphasized, "The Shiite community is
neither defeated nor in crisis. It is a community like all others, seeking its
rights and fulfilling its duties. Parliamentary elections determine the
representative sizes in the country. We are a community with presence and
significance, and democracy requires everyone to respect its representation. We
are in dialogue with Salam regarding our participation in the government."
Khalil says
there was no prior agreement with Aoun or KSA
Naharnet/January 17, 2025
Speaker Nabih Berri’s political aide MP Ali Hassan Khalil admitted overnight
that Hezbollah and the Amal Movement did not discuss with President Joseph Aoun
-- prior to his election -- the issue of who will be the country’s new premier.
“We rather discussed major issues related to managing the state and governance,
and we voted for him although he was not our first choice,” Khalil told MTV.
“There was no agreement that was not honored. What happened is that the stance
declared by the blocs we communicated with was leaning to voting for caretaker
PM Najib Mikati and we agreed with a group of blocs on endorsing this choice,
but what happened is that they changed their stance,” Khalil explained. He also
revealed that the Shiite Duo’s talks with Saudi Arabia “did not tackle the issue
of the premiership.”“We are open to positive dialogue with PM-designate Nawaf
Salam, all the skeptical remarks are baseless and we simply had a candidate who
lost,” Khalil acknowledged.“The Shiite sect is neither defeated nor in a crisis,
and it is a sect like other sects that wants its rights and is performing its
duties. Parliamentary elections determine the size of representation in the
country and we are a sect that has its presence and significance and democracy
requires everyone to respect its representation,” Khalil went on to say, adding
that the Shiite Duo is “in dialogue with Salam” over its representation in the
government.
Trump Warns Israel of Ceasefire Collapse in Lebanon
Al-Markazia – January 17, 2025
The Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post reported on Friday that sources close
to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump conveyed a warning to Israel regarding the
potential collapse of the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon. The 60-day deadline
under the ceasefire agreement is set to expire on January 26, 2025. This period
was granted to the Israeli army to complete its withdrawal from southern Lebanon
following a ground incursion initiated in October 2024. The newspaper quoted
Israeli officials stating their intention to remain in southern Lebanon even
after the withdrawal deadline, citing the slow deployment of the Lebanese Army
in the area.
Positive
Messages from Berri and the Shiite Duo to Ease Tensions Towards Government
Formation
Al-Markazia – January 17, 2025
Political sources commented on MP Ali Hassan Khalil’s recent statements, in
which he revealed there was no agreement between the "Shiite Duo" and any other
party regarding the premiership, contradicting earlier claims of a breached
agreement.
According to Lebanon 24, the sources described Khalil's remarks as a "positive
message" inspired by Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri to open a new chapter at
the start of the new presidential term, aiming to "soften positions" and
facilitate the formation of a fully functional government. The sources noted
that extensive contacts took place between President Joseph Aoun, Prime
Minister-designate Nawaf Salam, and Berri to overcome all obstacles to forming
the upcoming government, ensuring the "active participation of the Shiite Duo"—a
decision now considered settled. In fact, Salam’s statements following his
meeting with Speaker Berri today aligned with this positive approach, indicating
progress in resolving the Shiite Duo's stance. There is growing momentum towards
their effective ministerial participation with broad consensus. Furthermore,
Berri stated that "the course towards forming the new government is moving
towards a solution," emphasizing Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam's
cooperation. He added, "I did not discuss ministerial portfolios, names, or the
structure of the government with him. That is his responsibility. When he
presents the candidates, we will approve them if they are competent and reject
them if they are not—even if the candidate were my own brother."Speaking to Al-Jadeed
TV, Berri also stressed that isolating any political component in Lebanon has
never been accepted in the past and will not be accepted now, including
Hezbollah. He asserted, "As long as God is in heaven… Hezbollah is on the
ground."
Macron,
U.N. Secretary-General: Israel must pull out of southern Lebanon
Dalal Saoud/UPI/January 17, 2025
French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that Israel must accelerate its
withdrawal from south Lebanon to achieve a full pullout, and that the Lebanese
Army should have the total control over weapons -- in line with a cease-fire
agreement that ended the war between Hezbollah and Israel last year.
"There should be a total pullout of the Israeli forces and a total monopoly of
weapons by the Lebanese Army," Macron said during a joint news conference with
Lebanon's newly elected President Joseph Aoun at the Presidential Palace in
Baabda, southeast of Beirut. His remarks came ahead of the 60-day deadline
provided in the cease-fire agreement, that was brokered by the United States and
France on Nov.27. Under the accord, Hezbollah must end its military presence and
withdraw to south of the Litani River, while Israeli forces should pull out
completely to pave the way for the Lebanese Army to deploy and take control of
the area. The 10,251-member-strong United Nations peacekeeping forces, UNIFIL,
was to assist the Lebanese Army in restoring stability to the southern region.
Macron said Lebanon exercising state authority over its territories was a
condition to preserve the country from aggressions and consolidate the
cease-fire with Israel. He pledged to keep supporting Lebanon and its armed
forces, as well as continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the
war-ravaged country. Macron announced that Paris will host an international
conference within the coming few weeks to mobilize funding for the
reconstruction of Lebanon. He called on the international community to be ready
for "massive support to the reconstruction of infrastructure and houses" that
were destroyed during the 14-month war, particularly in southern Lebanon. The
relentless Israeli air and ground bombardment led to widespread destruction of
villages, property, hospitals and schools in Beirut's southern suburbs and in
southern and eastern Lebanon. It also killed or wounded more than 20,000 people.
Meanwhile, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Israel to end its
occupation and military operations in southern Lebanon.Guterres, who was
speaking during a visit to the UNIFIL Headquarters in the border village of
Naqoura in southern Lebanon, said the "continued occupation" by the Israeli Army
inside the UNIFIL area operations and "the conduct of military operations in
Lebanese territory" violate U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701.
"They must stop," he said. Guterres also noted U.N. peacekeeping forces
uncovered 100 weapons caches belonging to Hezbollah or other armed groups since
the cease-fire started Nov. 27 in the southern region. He emphasized that "the
presence of armed personnel, assets and weapons," other than those of the
Lebanese Army and UNIFIL, "are also clear violations of Resolution 1701 and
undermine Lebanon's stability."The U.N. chief urged the international community
to strengthen support to the Lebanese Army which is deploying in greater numbers
to southern Lebanon. "We are in a period of relative calm that needs to be
nurtured," he said, referring to "a long-awaited opportunity" to support Israel
and Lebanon make real progress toward fully implementing resolution 1701. The
U.N. resolution was adopted in 2006 to end a then Hezbollah-Israel war and calls
for a full cessation of hostilities between the two parties.
Macron to
Aoun: 'We Support Your Goal for a Sovereign Lebanon'
This is Beirut/January 17, 2025
Visiting French President Emmanuel Macron stressed on Friday that Lebanon’s
sovereignty and freedom from foreign interference are critical to maintaining
the ceasefire with Israel. Following his meeting with President Joseph Aoun,
Macron reaffirmed France’s support for Lebanon’s recovery and stability,
emphasizing its commitment to bolstering the Lebanese Armed Forces in their
deployment in southern Lebanon and strengthening UNIFIL’s mission. Macron
announced that Paris would host an aid conference to help rebuild Lebanon after
the Israel-Hezbollah war, underscoring France’s solidarity with Lebanon’s new
leadership. He highlighted Lebanon’s progress toward political recovery,
praising the end of the political vacuum and expressing France’s readiness to
collaborate in demarcating Lebanon’s border with Israel. Addressing Aoun, Macron
said, “The Lebanese people elected you to embody their demand for change and
revitalization.”President Aoun thanked Macron for his consistent interest in
Lebanon, noting, “The Lebanese people especially remember your visits after the
Beirut port explosion and during the centenary of Greater Lebanon. We are
grateful for your efforts, whether through your special envoy, Jean-Yves Le
Drian, or the committee assisting with the presidential vacancy crisis.”Aoun
also highlighted the need for economic recovery, urging Macron to advocate for
Total’s resumption of offshore oil exploration. “We hope for your support in
ensuring Total resumes its operations in Lebanon’s offshore petroleum blocks.
This is crucial for our country’s recovery,” he said. Aoun emphasized the
importance of consolidating the ceasefire in southern Lebanon, calling for
Israel’s withdrawal from occupied territories and condemning violations in
southern villages. “The continuation of Israeli violations in certain southern
villages constitutes a flagrant breach of the ceasefire agreement,” he stated.
He also stressed the need to secure the release of Lebanese hostages and
reconstruct areas damaged by recent aggressions, acknowledging the sacrifices of
the French battalion in UNIFIL.On broader regional issues, Aoun expressed hope
that the Gaza agreement would lead to meaningful change, saying, “It must not be
just another in a series of agreements blocked by Israeli violations. It is time
to end the suffering of the Palestinian people and establish their state, in
line with the resolutions of the 2002 Beirut Arab Summit.”He also addressed the
Syrian crisis, highlighting its impact on Lebanon. “We must ensure stricter
border control to prevent illegal crossings and work toward the return of
displaced Syrians to their homeland,” Aoun asserted. Looking ahead, Aoun
expressed aspirations to engage with European Union leaders after forming a new
Lebanese government. “The partnership between Lebanon and Europe must be
activated across various domains to benefit both sides,” he said, emphasizing
the importance of deepening ties with Europe for mutual benefit.
Macron
Announces Aid Conference to Rebuild Lebanon, Urges Faster Israeli Pullout from
South
Asharq Al Awsat/January 17/2025
France's president said Friday that Paris will soon host an aid conference to
help rebuild Lebanon after the Israel-Hezbollah war last year, as he visited
Beirut in a show of support for Lebanon's new leaders. After a vacancy of more
than two years, Joseph Aoun was elected president on January 9 and named Nawaf
Salam as prime minister-designate. "In the middle of winter, spring has sprung,"
Macron said at a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart."You are
this hope," he said, referring to Aoun and Salam. The new prime minister faces
the monumental task of forming a government to oversee reconstruction after the
Israel-Hezbollah conflict ended in November, and implement reforms demanded by
international creditors in return for a desperately needed financial bailout.
"As soon as the president (Aoun) comes to Paris in a few weeks' time, we will
organize around him an international reconstruction conference to drum up
funding," Macron said. "The international community must prepare for massive
support to the reconstruction of infrastructure." Aoun stressed the "importance
of consolidating the ceasefire and Israel's withdrawal", the Lebanese presidency
posted on X. He also called on Macron to ask TotalEnergies to resume offshore
energy exploration in Lebanese waters. TotalEnergies is part of a consortium
including Italian energy group Eni and state-owned QatarEnergy. Analysts say
Hezbollah's weakening in the war last year allowed Lebanon's deeply divided
parliament to elect Aoun and back his naming of Salam as premier. The
overthrow of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad by opposition factions on December
8 has also contributed to the dawn of a new era for its tiny neighbor.
'Long-lasting' ceasefire
France administered Lebanon for two decades after World War I, and the two
countries have maintained close relations. Earlier in the day, Macron strolled
through the Gemmayzeh neighborhood, near the port of Beirut, posing for
photographs and selfies with eager members of the public, and downing small cups
of coffee offered to him along the way. He had been the first foreign leader to
visit the neighborhood after it was devastated by a massive explosion at the
port on August 4, 2020. Four years later, Lebanese pushed through the crowd to
speak to him. "Please help us to form a new government able to bring my daughter
back to Lebanon," one woman said, explaining her child had moved to France to
study after being wounded in the huge blast. "Lebanon is dear to my heart,"
Macron replied. Families of the more than 22 people killed in the
explosion are hopeful after a long-stalled inquiry into the disaster resumed on
Thursday. Macron said he would later meet UN chief Antonio Guterres, as a
January 26 deadline to fully implement the Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire
approaches. With just over a week to go, he called for accelerated
implementation of the truce. "There have been results... but they must be
accelerated and long-lasting. There needs to be complete withdrawal of Israeli
forces, and the Lebanese army must hold a total monopoly of any weapons" in
south Lebanon, he said. "We support... the increased power of the Lebanese armed
forces and their deployment in the south," he added. "The Lebanese armed forces
constitute a pillar of the sovereignty of Lebanon."Under the terms of the deal,
the Lebanese army is to deploy alongside UN peacekeepers in the south as the
Israeli army withdraws. At the same time, Hezbollah is required to dismantle any
remaining military infrastructure it has in the south and pull its forces back
north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border.
'Continued occupation' -
Speaking to UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon, Guterres urged an end to Israel's
"continued occupation" and "military operations" in south Lebanon. He also said
that UN peacekeepers "uncovered over 100 weapons caches belonging to Hezbollah
or other armed groups since the November 27 ceasefire. He added that the
"presence of armed personnel, assets and weapons" other than those of the
Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers violated the terms of the UN Security Council
resolution that formed the basis for the deal. Salam, a former presiding judge
at the International Court of Justice, has been holding delicate consultations
to pick a government, with Hezbollah continuing to play an important role in
Lebanese politics despite its weakening on the battlefield. Hezbollah is the
only group in Lebanon that did not surrender its weapons to the state following
the 1975-1990 civil war. Backed by Syria under Assad, it has played a key role
in politics for decades, flexing its power in government institutions while
engaging in fighting with the Israeli military. The UN Security Council called
Thursday for Lebanese leaders to rapidly form a new government, describing it as
a "critical" step for stability in the war-battered region.
France's Macron in Lebanon to back new leadership
Agence France Presse/January
17, 2025
France's President Emmanuel Macron was in Lebanon on Friday, where he was due to
meet his newly-elected counterpart and offer support to leaders seeking to open
a new chapter in their country's turbulent history. After more than two years of
a political vacuum at the top, Joseph Aoun was elected president on January 9
and chose Nawaf Salam as prime minister-designate. They now face the daunting
task of leading Lebanon after a devastating war between Israel and Lebanese
militant group Hezbollah last year, on of the country's worst economic crisis in
history. "Come, come," he said, leading nursery children in uniforms by the hand
to take a picture with him and other students after arriving at a central Beirut
school to excited cheers early in the afternoon.Shortly before, Macron strolled
along the lively Beirut neighborhood of Gemmayzeh near the coastal city's port,
posing for photos and selfies with eager members of the public, and downing
small cups of coffee offered to him along the way. He had been the first foreign
leader to visit the devastated district after a massive explosion of fertilizer
at the Beirut port ravaged it on August 4, 2020. Later in the day he was set to
meet Aoun at the presidential palace, and hold a meeting with Salam. He might
meet U.N. chief Antonio Guterres, a French diplomatic source said, as a January
26 deadline to fully implement a Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire deal approaches.
Macron's visit aims to "help" Aoun and Salam "to consolidate Lebanon's
sovereignty, ensure its prosperity and maintain its unity", the French
presidency said before his arrival. France administered Lebanon for two decades
after World War I, and the two countries have maintained close relations even
since Lebanon's independence in 1943.
'Hope for possible redress' -
Analysts say Hezbollah's weakening in the war with Israel last year allowed
Lebanon's deeply divided political class to elect Aoun and to back his naming of
Salam as premier. Islamist-led rebels overthrowing the Iran-backed group's ally
Bashar al-Assad on December 8 has also contributed to the ushering in of a new
era for tiny Lebanon. "In Lebanon, we have gone in a matter of months from a
situation of dramatic escalation to a situation of hope for possible redress," a
French diplomatic source said on condition of anonymity. Salam, a former
presiding judge at the International Court of Justice, has launched delicate
consultations to pick a government, with Hezbollah continuing to play an
important role in Lebanon's political scene despite its weakening on the
battlefield. The new government must "bring together Lebanon's diverse people,
ensure the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is respected and carry out the
reforms necessary for the prosperity, stability and sovereignty of the country",
the French presidency said on Thursday. The U.N. Security Council called
Thursday for Lebanese leaders to rapidly form a new government, describing it as
a "critical" step for stability in the war-battered country and region.
Ceasefire
Earlier on Friday, Macron met with U.N. peacekeeping mission chief Aroldo Lazaro
and the heads of a committee tasked with monitoring any violation of a ceasefire
that took effect on November 27 after more than a year of war.
"Things are moving forward, the dynamic is positive" on the implementation of
the ceasefire, he told journalists after the talks. Under the November 27
ceasefire accord, the Lebanese army has 60 days to deploy alongside UN
peacekeepers in the south of Lebanon as the Israeli army withdraws.
At the same time, Hezbollah is required to pull its forces north of the Litani
river, around 30 kilometers from the border, and dismantle any remaining
military infrastructure it has in south Lebanon. Speaking to U.N. peacekeepers
in south Lebanon, Guterres urged an end to Israel's "continued occupation" and
"military operations" in south Lebanon. He also said that U.N. peacekeepers
"uncovered over 100 weapons caches belonging to Hezbollah or other armed groups
since the November 27 ceasefire. He added that the "presence of armed personnel,
assets and weapons" other than those of the Lebanese army and the UNIFIL
peacekeeping force violated terms of a UN resolution that formed the basis for
the deal. Hezbollah is the only group in Lebanon that refused to surrender its
weapons to the state following the 1975-1990 civil war. Backed by Syria under
Assad, it played a central role in politics for decades, flexing its power in
government institutions while engaging in fighting with the Israeli military.
Macron, Bin
Salman give 'full support' to new Lebanon govt.
Agence France Presse/January
17, 2025
France's President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
have given "their full support" to the formation of a "strong government" in
Lebanon, the French presidency said. The new government must "bring together
Lebanon's diverse people, ensure the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is
respected and carry out the reforms necessary for the prosperity, stability and
sovereignty of the country", the presidency said Thursday. The U.N. Security
Council called Thursday for Lebanese leaders to rapidly form a new government,
describing it as a "critical" step for stability in the war-battered country and
region.
Macron and
Berri hold bilateral meeting over govt.
Naharnet/January 17, 2025
French President Emmanuel Macron held a bilateral meeting Friday at the Baabda
Palace with Speaker Nabih Berri, the National News Agency said.The meeting
tackled the issue of the new government and Berri promised Macron that there
will be positive developments, MTV reported.
The al-Modon news portal said the meeting tackled “the importance of forming the
government in a quick manner and in cooperation with all parties, the ceasefire
agreement, pressuring Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territory within the
specified timeframe, and discussing the reconstruction projects and means of
support that will be offered to Lebanon.”The meeting followed a broad meeting
between Macron, President Joseph Aoun, Berri and caretaker PM Najib Mikati.
Macron later met with PM-designate Nawaf Salam at the Pine Residence.
Macron announces aid conference to rebuild Lebanon
Agence France Presse/January
17, 2025
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday called for accelerated implementation
of a November ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah in south
Lebanon. "There have been results... but they must be accelerated and
long-lasting. There needs to be complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the
Lebanese army must hold total monopoly of any weapons" in south Lebanon, he said
at a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart Joseph Aoun, ahead of
a January 26 deadline for the truce implementation. Macron also announced that
Paris would in the coming weeks host an international conference "for the
reconstruction of Lebanon". "The international community must prepare for
massive support to the reconstruction of infrastructure," he said.
Salam
Briefs President Aoun on Outcome of parliamentary Consultations
This is Beirut/January 17, 2025
Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam and President of the Republic, General
Joseph Aoun, emphasized on Friday the urgent need to expedite the formation of
Lebanon’s new government. Salam briefed Aoun on the results of his non-binding
parliamentary consultations and discussions with Speaker of Parliament Nabih
Berri. The meeting underscored the positive feedback received from lawmakers and
Speaker Berri, creating a hopeful atmosphere for the swift formation of the
government. Following the meeting at Baabda presidential palace, Salam addressed
the media in a press conference, reaffirming his determination to form the
government the soonest possible and kickstart essential rescue efforts. “As I
stated from Ain al-Tineh, we are committed to working around the clock—7 days a
week, 24 hours a day—to finalize the government and initiate the necessary
rescue efforts. The atmosphere is overwhelmingly positive among all political
blocs, and I am aligned with President Berri. What unites us is the Constitution
and the Taif Agreement,” he stated. Salam also expressed confidence in the
timely formation of the government, noting, however, that delays in government
formations are not unusual.
Regarding the participation of Amal and Hezbollah in the government, Salam
stated that he needed more time to finalize the formation, adding that he is
hopeful that the process would not be delayed. He also discussed the vision for
the new government, confirming that he and President Aoun had outlined its
structure, size, and principles.The discussions also touched on Lebanon’s
international relations, particularly with France. Salam highlighted the need
for international pressure to ensure Israel’s immediate withdrawal, calling for
France’s support in the reconstruction efforts and technical assistance to
reform Lebanon’s laws and strengthen its institutions.
Salam With Nabih Berri
Earlier in the day, Salam paid a visit to Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berry in
Ain el-Tineh. Berry described his meeting with Salam as ‘promising.’ After
meeting Berri, Salam stated that “no one will obstruct the formation of a
government,” referring to the Amal-Hezbollah duo. The Speaker’s parliamentary
bloc had previously boycotted the non-binding consultations for government
formation. In a statement to the press, Salam also emphasized the shared
commitment between himself and Berri to the Constitution. “We both adhere to the
same text, the Constitution, as amended by the Taif Agreement,” he stated,
underscoring that “contact will be maintained with the Parliament Speaker to
ensure the formation of a government.”“We have agreed on key principles, and
I’ve prepared an initial draft that I will present to him.”
Government: Nawaf Salam in Ain el-Tineh
This is Beirut/January 17, 2025
Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam arrived at Ain el-Tineh on Friday afternoon
for a meeting with the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri. Berri's parliamentary
bloc had previously boycotted the non-binding parliamentary consultations for
the government formation. Berri himself had abstained from these consultations
in objection to Nawaf Salam being chosen to lead the first ministerial team of
President Joseph Aoun's term, a decision taken by the MPs during the binding
parliamentary consultations. However, Berri's close associates mentioned that he
does not plan to boycott the government. Meanwhile, Hezbollah, also critical of
Salam's appointment, has not confirmed if it will participate in the cabinet.
Friday's meeting between Nabih Berri and Nawaf Salam is part of the ongoing
negotiations for the government's formation.
UN Security Council urges rapid formation of Lebanon govt
Agence France Presse/January
17, 2025
The UN Security Council has called for Lebanese leaders to rapidly form a new
government, describing it as a "critical" step for stability in the war-battered
country and region. In a statement adopted unanimously, the Council welcomed the
January 9 election of President Joseph Aoun, who filled a role that was vacant
for over two years, and the nomination of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, urging the
new Lebanese leaders to continue to "work constructively to promote the
country's stability" and "swiftly" form a government. "The Security Council
stresses that the formation of a government is critical for Lebanon's stability
and resilience to withstand regional and domestic challenges and encourages all
parties in Lebanon to demonstrate renewed unity to that end," the Council said.
It reaffirmed its "strong support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty,
and political independence of Lebanon," and called on all parties to respect a
ceasefire deal with Israel. In September, Israel ramped up a bombing campaign
and sent troops into Lebanon after almost a year of cross-border salvos with
Hezbollah. A fragile truce came into effect on November 27, but the Council on
Thursday expressed its "concerns" about reported violations of the deal.
The U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon this month accused Israel of a "flagrant
violation" of the Security Council resolution which forms the basis of the
ceasefire.
UN chief urges end to Israel 'occupation', operations in south Lebanon
Agence France Presse/January
17, 2025
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Friday urged an end to
Israel's "continued occupation" and "military operations" in south Lebanon,
after a November ceasefire to end fighting between Israel and militant group
Hezbollah. "The continued occupation by the Israel (military) inside the UNIFIL
area operations and the conduct of military operations in Lebanese territory are
violations of resolution 1701... They must stop," he told members of the U.N.
peacekeeping force as he visited them, referring to the U.N. Security Council
decision that ended a 2006 war between both sides.
Guterres said Friday peacekeepers discovered more than "100 weapons caches"
belonging to Hezbollah and its allies in south Lebanon since the ceasefire. U.N.
peacekeepers "uncovered over 100 weapons caches belonging to Hezbollah or other
armed groups since 27 November," he said, adding that the "presence of armed
personnel, assets and weapons" other than those of the Lebanese army and the
UNIFIL peacekeeping force violated resolution 1701 that ended a 2006
Israel-Hezbollah war. Guterres arrived in Lebanon Thursday on a "visit of
solidarity", he said, after a long-stalled presidential election and a
devastating war between armed group Hezbollah and Israel. "I have arrived in
Beirut on a visit of solidarity with the Lebanese people," Guterres posted on X.
"A window has opened for a new era of institutional stability with a state fully
able to protect its citizens and a system that would allow the tremendous
potential of the Lebanese people to flourish," he added."We will do everything
to help keep that window open wide."His deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said
Guterres would meet political officials and visit U.N. peacekeepers in southern
Lebanon during his trip which would last until Saturday.
Lebanon's deeply divided political class last week finally elected a new
president, Joseph Aoun, after two years of deadlock. Aoun on Monday named Nawaf
Salam, until recently the presiding judge at the International Court of Justice
in The Hague, to form a government. Since Wednesday Salam has been consulting
political parties ahead of drawing up a list of cabinet members. Guterres is
visiting the country as the deadline approaches for full implementation of a
November 27 ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel in southern Lebanon. Under
the truce, which ended two months of all-out war between both sides, the
Lebanese army is to deploy alongside U.N. peacekeepers in the south as the
Israeli army withdraws before January 26. Hezbollah is due to pull its forces
north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometers from the border with Israel, and
dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in south Lebanon.
Lebanon’s New PM Sees Positive Atmosphere in Cabinet
Formation Talks
Asharq Al Awsat/January 17/2025
Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam said on Friday the formation of a
new government would not be delayed, indicating a very positive atmosphere in
discussions over its composition. Salam was nominated by a majority of lawmakers
on Monday to form the new government, although he did not win the backing of the
Shiite parties Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, led by parliament Speaker Nabih
Berri. "The atmosphere is more than positive among all the blocs and today from
Speaker Berri," Salam said, speaking to reporters after a meeting with President
Joseph Aoun, who was elected by parliament on Jan. 9. Berri, a close Hezbollah
ally, said on Friday he held a "promising meeting" with Salam. The Iran-backed
Hezbollah and Amal had wanted the incumbent Prime Minister Najib Mikati to stay
in the post, but a majority of lawmakers opted for Salam, who formerly served as
president of the International Court of Justice. Government formation
discussions are often protracted in Lebanon, due to bartering among its
sectarian factions over cabinet positions.
Salam meets
Aoun, says all blocs and Berri have 'showed positivity'
Naharnet/January 17, 2025
Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam met with President Joseph Aoun on Friday
evening to brief him on the outcome of his non-binding consultations with
lawmakers and his talks with Speaker Nabih Berri. Aoun and Salam agreed on "the
need to swiftly form a government, especially amid the positive atmosphere that
the PM-designate sensed from the MPs he met and also from Speaker Berri," the
Presidency said. Salam for his part said that he "will work 24/7 to finalize the
government's formation and launch the needed salvation efforts.""The atmosphere
is more than positive among all blocs and also with Speaker Berri," Salam said.
Asked whether the Shiite Duo will take part in the government or only Berri's
Amal Movement, Salam said: "I must be given some time to prepare a cabinet line-up."Reassuring
that the new government's formation "will not be delayed," Salam said he
discussed with Aoun "the broad lines of this government, in terms of its size,
type and principles."As for the situation in the south, Salam said he told
French President Emmanuel Macron in a meeting earlier on Friday in Beirut that
"the Israeli withdrawal must not be delayed, even for a single hour, because
that would threaten the country's stability.""Accordingly, France and the
international community must exert pressure in this regard," Salam added.
Berri, Salam hold 'promising' talks,
PM-designate says no obstacles
Naharnet/January 17, 2025
Speaker Nabih Berri on Friday said he held a “promising” meeting with Prime
Minister-designate Nawaf Salam. “The non-binding parliamentary consultations did
not end yesterday, but rather today, after my meeting with Speaker Berri,” Salam
said after the meeting in Ain el-Tineh.”“I felt that all blocs and independent
MPs have readiness for positive cooperation and I stress that there are no
obstacles from anyone … The only two choices are understanding or understanding,
while obstruction and failure are not options,” Salam added. “No one will
obstruct and no one will allow the government’s formation process to fail,” he
said, noting that he and Berri “read in the same book, which is the constitution
that was amended by the Taif Agreement.”“I will maintain communication with him
until the government’s formation,” Salam went on to say. He added that he has an
initial vision about the government’s shape but will not discuss portfolios or
candidates before he meets with President Joseph Aoun later in the day. Asked
whether the Shiite Duo will participate in the government, Ain el-Tineh sources
told Al-Jadeed TV: “We have made major progress, but the decision has not been
made yet.”
The sources added that the government might be “quickly formed” and might be
announced “next week.”
Berri: Course headed to solution, no one accepts Hezbollah's isolation
Naharnet/January 17, 2025
Speaker Nabih Berri on Friday announced that "the course is headed toward a
solution" as to the issue of the Shiite Duo's participation in the new
government. Prime Minister-designate "Nawaf Salam is cooperative and I did not
discuss portfolios and names with him," Berri told Al-Jadeed television.
Asked whether Hezbollah and the Amal Movement will take part in the government,
Berri said: "When the PM-designate presents the names to us, we will agree if
the person is competent, and we will reject him if he is not competent, even if
he is my brother.""We did not accept the isolation of any component in the past,
we will not accept it today, and no one accepts Hezbollah's isolation," Berri
added. "As long as God is in the sky, the Party of God (Hezbollah) will remain
on the ground," Berri stressed.
Syrian forces seize 'Hezbollah-bound' weapons
Naharnet/January 17, 2025
Syria’s new security authorities on Friday seized a weapons shipment that was
intended to be smuggled into Lebanon through illegal border crossings, Syria’s
new authorities said. The shipment contained “weapons and rockets,” the
authorities added. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights for its part said
authorities seized “a truck loaded with weapons and advanced ammunition that
Hezbollah was storing in Syria during the period of its occupation of the border
areas.”“Today it tried to move them to Lebanon through the illegal border
crossings in Tartus’ countryside,” the Observatory added, noting that “this is
the second truck to be seized after another Hezbollah truck was confiscated two
days ago while carrying arms and ammunition in Homs’ western countryside.”
Report: Amal to join Salam's govt. but Hezbollah won't
Naharnet/January 17, 2025
Contacts intensified over the past hours, through mediators between Baabda and
Ain el-Tineh, in order to contain the dismay of Hezbollah and Speaker Nabih
Berri, the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on Friday.
“Baabda is betting on a breakthrough in the meeting between (PM-designate Nawaf)
Salam and Berri today (Friday),” the daily added. “Berri will inform Salam that
he agrees to take part in the government whereas Hezbollah will not join it and
the Shiite share will go to the Amal Movement,” Nidaa al-Watan said.“The share
will be reportedly five ministers in a 30-minister line-up,” the newspaper
added.
Beirut blast investigator resumes work after two years
Agence France Presse/January
17, 2025
Lebanese judge Tarek Bitar resumed his investigation into the deadly 2020 Beirut
port blast on Thursday, charging 10 people including security, customs and
military personnel, a judicial official said. The fresh charges come after a
two-year hiatus in the investigation into the August 4, 2020 explosion that
killed more than 220 people, injured thousands and devastated swathes of
Lebanon's capital. Authorities said the explosion was triggered by a fire in a
warehouse where a huge stockpile of ammonium nitrate fertilizer had been
haphazardly stored for years.But nobody has been held responsible for the blast,
one of history's largest non-nuclear explosions. The probe stalled two years ago
after Lebanese militant group Hezbollah had accused Bitar of bias and demanded
his dismissal, and after officials named in the investigation had filed a flurry
of lawsuits to prevent it from going forward. The resumption comes with
Hezbollah's influence weakened after its recent war with Israel. It also follows
the election of a Lebanese president after the top position had been vacant for
more than two years, with the new head of state Joseph Aoun last week pledging
to work towards the "independence of the judiciary".
The judicial official told AFP that "procedures in the case have resumed",
speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. The official
said that "a new charge sheet has been issued, charging three employees and
seven high-ranking officers in the Lebanese army, in the General Security, (and)
in customs" with negligence and "possible intent to commit murder". Their
interrogations would begin next month. In March and April, "investigating
sessions" would resume for those previously charged in the case, including
former ministers, lawmakers, security and military officers, judges and port
management employees, after which Bitar would ask public prosecutors to issue
indictments, according to the judicial official.
'Hope' -
Analysts say Hezbollah's weakening in its war with Israel last year allowed
Lebanon's deeply divided political class to elect Aoun last week and back his
naming of Nawaf Salam as premier on Monday. Salam, until recently the presiding
judge at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, on Tuesday promised
"justice for the victims of the Beirut port blast". Hundreds of individuals and
organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, had
previously called for the United Nations to establish a fact-finding mission on
the disaster -- a demand Lebanese officials have repeatedly rejected. Cecile
Roukoz, a lawyer whose brother died in the explosion, said she was optimistic
after "the promises made by the president and the prime minister, then the probe
resuming". "There is hope that the rights of the victims, for whom we never
stopped fighting, won't be forgotten," said the attorney, one of several
representing the relatives of those killed.
'Must be held to account' -
Visiting Lebanon on Thursday, U.N. rights chief Volker Turk called for the
"resumption of an independent investigation into the explosion"."I repeat that
those responsible for that tragedy must be held to account and offer the support
of my office in this regard," he said.The probe has been repeatedly stalled
since 2020. In December of that year, lead investigator Fadi Sawan charged
former prime minister Hassan Diab -- who had resigned in the explosion's
aftermath -- and three ex-ministers with negligence. But Sawan was later removed
from the case after mounting political pressure, and the probe was suspended.
His successor, Bitar, also summoned Diab for questioning and asked parliament,
without success, to lift the immunity of lawmakers who had served as ministers.
The interior ministry also refused to execute arrest warrants issued by Bitar,
further undermining his efforts. The public prosecutor at the time, Ghassan
Oueidat, thwarted his attempt to resume investigations in early 2023 after Bitar
charged him in the case.
Lebanese Media
Outlets: Hizbullah Disbands Militias It Operated In Syria, Dismisses Thousands
Of Syrian Fighters
MEMRI/January 17, 2025
The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and
Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
On January 14, 2025, the Lebanese online Al-Modon newspaper published an article
which stated that Lebanese Hizbullah had dismantled the militias it operated in
Syria during the civil war in the country, and decided to dismiss its Syrian
fighters. The paper estimated that the number of Hizbullah fighters who
participated in the fighting in Syria was between 4,000 and 7,000 Syrians and
Lebanese. All the Syrians recruited by the organization had temporary contracts,
and with the conclusion of the war in their country Hizbullah is no longer
responsible for them or obliged to pay them a salary.[1]
The online paper noted that following the collapse of the Assad regime in early
December 2024, about a thousand Syrians who had supported the regime fled the
country with their families. Most of these were Hizbullah or Syrian Armed Forces
fighters. They departed Syria, sometimes in response to orders from Hizbullah,
and entered Lebanon illegally. Al-Modon also claimed that in early January 2025
Hizbullah issued an internal order pertaining to the termination of the
employment of all the members of the Syrian fighting units, concluding their
employment and their missions, since Hizbullah no longer required their
services.
Al-Modon published testimonies from several Syrian fighters who fled to Lebanon,
who reported that Hizbullah had confiscated their weapons and documentation
attesting that they belonged to the organization. They further stated that
Hizbullah had demanded that they return to Syria, claiming that the situation
was now calm and that it could reinstate their status in the country. These
fighters said that they are worried that they might be arrested by the Lebanese
authorities, because they are residing in the country illegally. They stated as
well that they fear being expelled back to Syria, where it is also likely that
they would be arrested, either for collaborating with Hizbullah or due to crimes
they committed against Syrian civilians during the civil war.
[1] January 15, 2025.
Lebanese boy
chokes to death at school attempting viral TikTok ‘one-bite challenge’
Arab News/January 18, 2025
BEIRUT: A Lebanese schoolboy choked to death at school while attempting a food
challenge that has gone viral on video-hosting platform TikTok.
Lebanese media reported on Friday that 12-year-old Joe Skaff died as he
tried to eat a croissant in a single bite. He was said to have been inspired by
the online “one-bite challenge” in which people post videos of themselves
cramming various foods into their mouths to eat them in one go. He attempted the
challenge at Jannat Al-Atfal School in Keserwan, north of Beirut but began to
choke on the pastry and was unable to breathe. The
school said: “With hearts filled with grief and sorrow, we mourn the death of
our dear son and sixth-grader Joe Skaff. Today, during the first break, Joe was
exposed to a sudden tragic accident where he suffocated while eating.”Teachers
and a licensed school nurse tried to help the youngster and clear the blockage
before an ambulance arrived to take him to hospital but “attempts to save him
were unsuccessful.”The school added: “Joe was a special child with a bright
personality and great kindness, and he was loved by his peers and all members of
our school community.”
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on January 17-18/2025
Trump Says Gaza Ceasefire 'Would've Never
Happened' Without His Team
Asharq Al Awsat/January 17/2025
US President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday the ceasefire and hostage release
agreement between Israel and Hamas would have never been reached without
pressure from him and his incoming administration. The agreement, which would
exchange Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, awaits approval by Israel's
security cabinet before taking effect, after which the terms of a permanent end
to the war would be negotiated. Four days away from being inaugurated for a
second term, Trump told the Dan Bongino Show that negotiations would have never
finalized without pressure from his team, including Middle East envoy Steve
Witkoff, AFP reported. "If we weren't involved in this deal, the deal would've
never happened," Trump said. "We changed the course of it, and we changed it
fast, and frankly, it better be done before I take the oath of office," he
added.Israel's security cabinet was set to meet Friday to discuss the terms of
the ceasefire, which would go into effect Sunday at the earliest, just before
Trump's presidential inauguration on Monday. Trump also blasted outgoing
President Joe Biden for taking credit for the ceasefire agreement, calling him
"ungracious" and saying: "He didn't do anything! If I didn't do this, if we
didn't get involved, the hostages would never be out."Biden had proposed a
ceasefire agreement last May with terms that mirrored the deal reached this
week. The ceasefire agreement under discussion proposes an initial 42-day
ceasefire that would see the release of 33 hostages and the withdrawal of
Israeli forces from Gaza's population centers. The second phase of the agreement
could bring a "permanent end to the war," Biden said. In an interview with MSNBC
on Thursday, Biden said that he had not had any recent discussions with Trump
about the ceasefire negotiations.
Israeli security
cabinet approves Gaza ceasefire deal
Agence France Presse/January 17,
2025
Israel's security cabinet approved in a vote on Friday a Gaza ceasefire and
hostage release deal that should take effect this weekend, the prime minister's
office said. The agreement, which must now go to the full cabinet for a final
green light, would halt fighting and bombardment in Gaza's deadliest-ever war.
It would also launch on Sunday the release of hostages held in the territory
since Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Under the deal struck by Qatar,
the United States and Egypt, the ensuing weeks should also see the release of
hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. Israeli strikes have
killed dozens of people since the deal was announced. Israel's military said on
Thursday it had hit about 50 targets across Gaza over the past day. The full
cabinet will convene later Friday to approve the deal. The ceasefire would take
effect on the eve of Donald Trump's inauguration as US president.
Saying the proposed deal "supports achieving the objectives of the war", the
office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the security cabinet
recommended that the government approve it.His office had earlier said the
release of hostages would begin on Sunday. Even before the start of the truce,
Gazans displaced by the war to other parts of the territory were preparing to
return home. "I will go to kiss my land," said Nasr al-Gharabli, who fled his
home in Gaza City for a camp further south in the territory. "If I die on my
land, it would be better than being here as a displaced person."In Israel, there
was joy but also anguish over the 251 hostages taken in the deadliest attack in
the country's history. Kfir Bibas, whose second birthday falls on Saturday, is
the youngest hostage. Hamas said in November 2023 that Kfir, his four-year-old
brother Ariel and their mother Shiri had died in an air strike, but with the
Israeli military yet to confirm their deaths, many are clinging to hope. "I
think of them, these two little redheads, and I get shivers," said 70-year-old
Osnat Nyska, whose grandchildren attended nursery with the Bibas brothers.
'Confident'
Two far-right ministers had voiced opposition to the deal, with one threatening
to quit the cabinet, but US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he believed
the ceasefire would go ahead on schedule. "I am confident, and I fully expect
that implementation will begin, as we said, on Sunday," he said. Gaza's civil
defense agency said Israel pounded several areas of the territory, killing more
than 100 people and wounding hundreds since the the deal was announced on
Wednesday. Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, warned that
Israeli strikes were risking the lives of hostages due to be freed under the
deal, and could turn their "freedom... into a tragedy". The war began with the
October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people.
Of the 251 people taken hostage, 94 are still in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli
military says are dead. Israel's retaliatory campaign has destroyed much of
Gaza, killing 46,788 people, most of them civilians.
Trump and Biden
The ceasefire agreement followed intensified efforts from mediators after months
of fruitless negotiations, and with Trump's team taking credit for working with
US President Joe Biden's administration to seal the deal."If we weren't involved
in this deal, the deal would've never happened," Trump said in an interview on
Thursday.A senior Biden official said the unlikely pairing had been a decisive
factor in reaching the deal. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin
Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, announcing the agreement on Wednesday, said an
initial 42-day ceasefire would see 33 hostages released, including women,
"children, elderly people, as well as civilian ill people and wounded".The
Israeli authorities assume the 33 are alive, but Hamas has yet to confirm that.
Also in the first phase, Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza's densely
populated areas and allow displaced Palestinians to return "to their
residences", he said.Two sources close to Hamas told AFP three Israeli women
soldiers would be the first to be released on Sunday evening. The women may in
fact be civilians, as the militant group refers to all Israelis of military age
who have undergone mandatory military service as soldiers. Once released they
would be received by Red Cross staff as well as Egyptian and Qatari teams, one
source said on condition of anonymity.
They would then be taken to Egypt where they would undergo medical examinations
and then to Israel, the source said.Israel "is then expected to release the
first group of Palestinian prisoners, including several with high sentences",
the source added. Egypt was on Friday hosting technical talks on the
implementation of the truce, according to state-linked media. French President
Emmanuel Macron said French-Israeli citizens Ofer Kalderon and Ohad Yahalomi
were on the list of 33 hostages to be freed in the first phase. Biden said the
second phase could bring a "permanent end to the war". In aid-starved Gaza,
where nearly all of its 2.4 million people have been displaced at least once,
aid workers worry about the monumental task ahead. "Everything has been
destroyed, children are on the streets, you can't pinpoint just one priority,"
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) coordinator Amande Bazerolle told AFP.
Israel's full
Cabinet meets on Gaza ceasefire deal after security Cabinet recommends approval
Samy Magdy, Wafaa Shurafa And Josef Federman/JERUSALEM (AP)/ January 17, 2025
Israel’s full Cabinet was meeting Friday evening on a Gaza ceasefire deal after
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed an agreement had been reached that
would pause the 15-month war with Hamas and release dozens of hostages. The
security Cabinet recommended the deal's approval earlier in the day, and the
full Cabinet was expected to approve the ceasefire, which could start as soon as
Sunday. The deal has drawn fierce resistance from Netanyahu’s far-right
coalition partners, whose objections could destabilize his government. The
Cabinet was meeting well past the beginning of the Jewish sabbath, a rare
occurrence and a reflection of the moment’s importance. In line with Jewish law,
the Israeli government usually halts all business for the sabbath except in
emergency cases of life or death. Israel and Hamas have been under growing
pressure from both U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration and President-elect
Donald Trump to reach a deal before Trump takes office Monday. Mediators Qatar
and the U.S. had announced the ceasefire Wednesday, but the deal hung in limbo
for more than a day as Netanyahu insisted there were last-minute complications
he blamed on Hamas. The militants maintained they were committed to the deal,
while residents of Gaza and families of the hostages anxiously waited to see
whether it would materialize. “Now we have reached the moment of no return, and
we are all crossing our fingers,” activist Ester Taranto said at a gathering of
hostages’ families and supporters in Tel Aviv. Hamas triggered the war with its
Oct. 7, 2023, cross-border attack into Israel that killed some 1,200 people and
left some 250 others captive. Nearly 100 remain. Israel responded with a
devastating offensive that has killed over 46,000 Palestinians, according to
local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and militants
but say women and children make up more than half of those killed. The conflict
has destabilized the Middle East and sparked worldwide protests. Fighting
continued into Friday, and Gaza’s Health Ministry said 88 bodies had arrived at
hospitals in the past 24 hours. In previous conflicts, both sides have stepped
up military operations in the final hours before ceasefires as a way to project
strength.
A three-phase deal
Netanyahu instructed a special task force to prepare to receive the hostages
returning from Gaza, and said their families were informed a deal had been
reached. The prime minister’s office said if the deal passes, the ceasefire
could start Sunday and the first hostages could be freed then.
Under the deal, 33 of the hostages who remain in Gaza are set to be released
over six weeks in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Israel’s
justice ministry published a list Friday of 95 Palestinian prisoners to be freed
in the deal’s first phase and said the release will not begin before 4 p.m.
local time Sunday. All on the list are younger people or female. Israeli forces
will pull back from many areas in Gaza, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians
would be able to return to what’s left of their homes, and there would be a
surge of humanitarian assistance. Israel’s military said that as its forces
gradually withdraw, residents will not be allowed to return to areas where
troops are present or near the Israel-Gaza border, and any threat to Israeli
forces “will be met with a forceful response.”The remainder of the hostages,
including male soldiers, are to be released in a second — and much more
difficult — phase that will be negotiated during the first.Hamas has said it
will not release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full
Israeli withdrawal, while Israel has vowed to keep fighting until it dismantles
the group and to maintain open-ended security control over the territory.
Longer-term questions about postwar Gaza remain, including who will rule the
territory or oversee the daunting task of reconstruction. An Egyptian official
said an Israeli delegation from the military and Israel's Shin Bet internal
security agency arrived in Cairo on Friday to discuss the reopening of the Rafah
crossing, a key link between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. An Israeli official
confirmed a delegation was going to Cairo to discuss the crossing. Both spoke on
condition of anonymity to discuss the private negotiations.
Objections to the deal in Israel
On Thursday, Israel’s hard-line national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir,
threatened to quit the government if Israel approved the ceasefire. He
reiterated that on Friday, writing on social media platform X: “If the ‘deal’
passes, we will leave the government with a heavy heart.”
Ben-Gvir’s resignation would not bring down the government or derail the deal,
but the move would destabilize the government at a delicate moment and could
eventually lead to its collapse if Ben-Gvir were joined by other key Netanyahu
allies.
Hope fades
into anguish as deadly airstrikes hit Gaza after ceasefire news
CBC/January 17, 2025
Just as Palestinians in Gaza were reinvigorated with a sense of hope Wednesday
after news of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, deadly Israeli airstrikes
rained down on people, turning celebration into anguish. Families wept as they
saw their loved ones' bodies wrapped in white shrouds and carried out in Khan
Younis outside Nasser Hospital Friday — their names written in blue ink in
Arabic, on each one. Jomaa Abdel-Aal said two of his nephews — Mohammed Asaad
Jarghoun, 28, and Mohammed Mahmoud Jarghoun, 27 — were killed in a tent in the
centre of Khan Younis around 2 a.m. on Friday.
"Every day we bid farewell to the martyrs. We have gotten used to saying goodbye
to our loved ones," Abdel-Aal told CBC News videographer Mohamed El Saife
Friday. "May God reunite us with them in [the afterlife]," he said. "Life has
become an unbearable hell." Other mourners gathered to pray over those killed as
women cried, clinging onto one another. At least 117 people killed since
Wednesday. On Friday, the Israeli security cabinet recommended approving the
Gaza ceasefire and hostage return deal, ahead of a full cabinet meeting that
would give final ratification to the agreement that is set to officially take
effect Sunday. As final details were still being formalized, Israeli warplanes
kept up intense strikes across the Gaza Strip in the days following Wednesday's
announcement. At least 117 Palestinians, including 32 women and 30 children,
have been killed since then and 266 others have been injured, according to the
Palestine Civil Defence in Gaza. Abdel Aal, who lost two children to airstrikes
in the 15-month war, said he is not hopeful for an end to the killings in Gaza.
"The Palestinian people have not been able to take delight even just for a
moment in the past 75 years while the death and destruction has taken place in
these countries," he said. There was no comment from the Israeli military on the
latest strikes.
Journalist killed in designated humanitarian zone
Earlier this week, merely hours after Palestinians took to the streets to
celebrate news of a deal reached Wednesday, Ismail Al-Shiah's brother, Ahmed Al-Shiah
— a journalist in Gaza — was killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit a charity
soup kitchen in the Al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. The
area has been designated as a humanitarian safe zone. "He was passing out food
to orphans, and he was working with [the] charity," Al-Shiah told CBC News
Thursday."This is a loss for Palestine and a loss for the country." Mourners at
Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, pray beside the
bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes, on Friday. (Hatem Khaled/Reuters)
In a video circulated widely online, a young Palestinian man is seen crouched
over the body of his sister who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a home in
central Gaza City early on Thursday.
"Hala, get up, the war is over, we can go to the south," he says as he shakes
the girl's body. "Hala, we can leave Gaza and travel outside the country, get
up!"
Hope quickly turns to anguish
Saeed Awad, a paramedic in Gaza, said Israeli bombing has especially increased
since Wednesday in central and northern Gaza. "All this of course ruin's
people's happiness," Awad told CBC News Thursday. "And it affects the happiness
that was there [Wednesday]." Awad said there was a strike in Ard al Mufti in
central Gaza Thursday, but the Palestine Civil Defence and ambulances were
unable to reach the area.
"The house was on fire and no one could get to it."
Tamer Abu Shaaban's voice cracked as he stood over the tiny body of his young
niece wrapped in a white shroud on the tile floor of a Gaza City morgue
Thursday. She had been hit in the back with shrapnel from a missile as she
played in the yard of a school where the family was sheltering, he said.
"Is this the truce they are talking about? What did this young girl, this child,
do to deserve this? What did she do to deserve this? Is she fighting you,
Israel?" he asked. The ceasefire accord emerged on Wednesday after mediation by
Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. The deal outlines a six-week initial ceasefire with
the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces, as well as the release of hostages and
Palestinian prisoners. If successful, the ceasefire would halt fighting between
Hamas and Israeli forces that has razed much of Gaza and killed more than 46,800
people, mostly women and children, according to the Health Ministry there. It
does not say how many of the dead were militants. Mourners gather outside Nasser
hospital in Khan Younis, where Palestinians were praying over the bodies of four
men killed in airstrikes early Friday morning at a tent encampment nearby. (Hatem
Khaled/Reuters) Israel says it has killed over 17,000 fighters, without
providing evidence. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel
in a surprise attack on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, including
several Canadian citizens, and abducting around 250. Some 100 hostages are still
inside Gaza, and the Israeli military believes around a third and up to half of
those are dead.
Flooding
Gaza with aid might lessen security challenge, says UNRWA chief
Michelle Nichols and Emma Farge/UNITED NATIONS/GENEVA (Reuters)/January 17, 2025
Attacks on aid convoys in the Gaza Strip by looters and armed gangs could
decline as humanitarian relief floods the area after the truce takes effect
between Israel and Palestinian militants, the head of the U.N. Palestinian
relief agency UNRWA said on Friday. He said UNRWA has 4,000 truckloads of aid -
half of which are food and flour - ready to enter the Palestinian enclave. The
U.N. World Food Programme has said it has enough food ready to feed more than a
million people for three months. Throughout the 15-month war, the U.N. has
described its humanitarian operation as opportunistic - facing problems with
Israel's military operation, access restrictions by Israel into and throughout
Gaza and more recently looting by armed gangs. "If we start to flood Gaza with
assistance ... that might also mitigate, in fact, this type of tension," said
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini. "But obviously we need also an orderly,
uninterrupted, unhindered access to the people." On Wednesday, Israel and Hamas
agreed to a ceasefire, due to start Sunday, and release of hostages taken by the
militants during their deadly Oct. 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, which
triggered the current conflict.
The accord remains conditional on approval of the full cabinet, which was
meeting on Friday afternoon. Talks began in Cairo on Friday to hammer out
details of implementing an aid surge into Gaza under the ceasefire deal. Along
with security within Gaza, the U.N. has voiced concern about damage to roads,
unexploded ordinance, fuel shortages and a lack of adequate communications
equipment. USAID Administrator Samantha Power said on Friday she hoped a surge
in aid could create a steady pipeline of humanitarian relief for Gaza. She said
USAID has stockpiles ready to send.
"We have sent a team from Washington to the region. They're working through the
modalities of how many more checkpoints can be open at one time, how the hours
can be extended, where the trucks can be sourced from," Power told MSNBC.
AID TRUCKS
The deal requires 600 truckloads of aid to be allowed into Gaza every day of the
initial six-week ceasefire, including 50 carrying fuel. Half of the 600 aid
trucks would be delivered to Gaza's north, where experts have warned famine is
imminent. "It's doable, but it's unrealistic to believe that the 600 trucks
would be brought only by the U.N. or humanitarian organizations," he told
reporters. He added that commercial trucks would also need to be included.
Lazzarini also said logistical capacity was limited within Gaza, so it would
help if bilateral aid could be delivered directly to its destination in the
enclave. UNRWA data showed just 523 aid trucks have entered Gaza in January,
down sharply from 2,892 in December. Aid is dropped off on the Gaza side, where
it is picked up by the U.N. and distributed. But gangs and looters have made
that hard. Data from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs shows 2,230 aid truckloads - an average of 72 a day - were picked up,
while between Jan. 1-5 it was a daily average of 51 trucks. Israel has laid
waste to much of Gaza and the pre-war population of 2.3 million people has been
displaced multiple times. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday
described the humanitarian situation as "catastrophic." Israel says Hamas killed
some 1,200 people in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack and the Gaza health ministry says
more than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed during the war. The U.N. says 269
UNRWA staff in Gaza have been killed.
The World Health Organization plans to bring in prefabricated hospitals to
support Gaza's decimated health sector over the next two months, said Rik
Peeperkorn, WHO representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Currently, only about half of Gaza's 36 hospitals are partially functional,
according to the WHO. Peeperkorn said he expected the ceasefire to allow for
more medical evacuations for the over 12,000 patients currently on the waiting
list, of whom around a third are children. About half of the patients have
injuries such as amputated limbs and spinal injuries, he said.
Daughter of one of the oldest Israeli hostages hopes for
answers in ceasefire deal
Danica Kirka/LONDON (AP)/January 17, 2025
Sharone Lifschitz is well aware that the odds are against her 84-year-old
father. As one of the oldest hostages taken by Hamas, Oded Lifshitz would be
among the first to be released under a ceasefire deal expected to begin Sunday.
But after 469 days of captivity in Gaza, she can only hope he survived. “We have
learned so much about trauma, about losing loved ones,’’ the London-based artist
said. “I have to say that we are prepared.’’About 100 hostages remain
unaccounted for in Gaza, including 62 who are believed to be alive. Family and
friends are still waiting to learn who survived and about their conditions.
Lifschitz’s ordeal began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants stormed kibbutz
Nir Oz, a place where her parents had created their own little kingdom, complete
with a cactus garden that was her father’s pride. The militants took a quarter
of the community’s 400 residents hostage that day, including her parents.
“My father was shot in the hand and was lying at the edge of his kingdom,’’ said
Lifschitz, 53. “That’s when my mom saw him last, and she was taken over on a
motorbike and then the terrorists burned the house down. They put gas into the
house, and it burned and it burned and it burned until everything they ever
owned, everything, was ashes.’’Oded Lifshitz, who spells his name slightly
differently than his daughter, wasn’t spared, even though he spent his life
fighting for Arab rights. Throughout a long career in journalism, Oded
campaigned for the recognition of Palestinian rights and peace between Arabs and
Jews. In retirement, he drove to the Erez border crossing on the northern edge
of the Gaza Strip once a week to ferry Palestinians to medical appointments in
Israel as part of a group called On the Way to Recovery.
Oded is most proud of his work on behalf of the traditionally nomadic Bedouin
people of the Negev Desert, his daughter said, describing a case that went to
Israel’s High Court and resulted in the return of some of their land. That
deep-seated hope for co-existence was evident when the militants released
Lifschitz’s mother, Yocheved, on Oct. 23, 2023. Just before leaving Gaza,
Yocheved turned to her captors and said “shalom,’’ the Hebrew word for peace.
Yocheved later described her experience as hell, saying she was beaten with
sticks and held in a spider’s web of tunnels with as many as 25 other hostages.
But she also said her guards provided medicine to those who needed it and gave
the hostages pita bread with cheese and cucumber to eat. Lifschitz said she
wonders every day about her father's treatment and how he is faring. “I am the
last one to put words into his mouth, but I can tell you that he spent a
lifetime believing that another alternative is possible for Zionism, for
socialism,” she said. Hamas militants killed about 1,200 Israelis and took 251
hostages during the Oct. 7 attack. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu launched air and ground attacks on Gaza that have killed more than
46,000 people, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ceasefire proposal calls
for 33 hostages to be released over the next six weeks, in exchange for hundreds
of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. The remainder, including the bodies of the
dead, are to be released in a second phase that is still under negotiation.
Hamas has said it will not release the remaining captives without a lasting
ceasefire and a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. The contours of the
agreement are strikingly similar to those negotiated by the administration of
outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden in May. But Israel rejected that deal.That
outraged the families of many of the captives, especially after hostages
continued to die. The families have pushed hard for their loved ones’ release,
leading a series of protests to force the Israeli government to live up to its
promise to bring the hostages home. They have also crisscrossed the globe,
meeting with presidents, prime ministers and even the pope to keep the hostages
at the center of negotiations. “So many people were killed that should have been
alive if they did not sabotage this deal,” Lifschitz said. “I hope that they
know they will have to live with that for the rest of their life, and we will
remind them. We will remind them of ... the suffering of both sides their action
brought about.”But even as she describes the anguish of the past 15 months,
Lifschitz says she hopes the pain experienced by people on both sides of the
conflict will breed compassion among both Israelis and Palestinians. “We are
about to receive our loved ones after so long where we were unable to love and
care for them.’’ She said. “There’s so much trauma. I think people have to have
a little softness toward it all, just feel it a bit in their hearts. “I think
feeling the pain of others is the start of building something better.’’And if
her father doesn’t come back? Then what?
“We will know,’’ she said. “We will know.’’
‘Not Under Pressure or Sanctions’: Tehran and Key European
Powers Discuss Resuming Nuclear Talks
Ahmad Sharawi/FDD/ Policy Brief/January 17/2025
Iran and E3 Hold Talks: Diplomats from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom —
known as the E3 — met with Iranian officials in Geneva on January 14 to discuss
the possibility of resuming nuclear negotiations. The meeting marked the second
round of talks in less than two months, following a discreet meeting in
November. Regime Seeks Sanctions Relief Prior to Talks With Washington: Iranian
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on January 14 that the regime will not
negotiate with the incoming Trump administration unless “they return to the
[Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)]” negotiated in 2015, adding that
Tehran would engage in talks on condition that these take place “not under
pressure and sanctions.” Araghchi had previously expressed the same sentiment
during a meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi in
November.
Iran Highlights Israeli Efforts Against Its Nuclear Program: Iranian Vice
President for Strategic Affairs Javad Zarif, who served as the foreign minister
when the JCPOA was negotiated, claimed on January 14 that Israel had planted
explosives inside the Natanz nuclear facility centrifuges prior to installation,
without specifying the date. The regime had previously accused Israel of
orchestrating an underground explosion in its Natanz facility in 2021.
FDD Expert Response
“Iran had what was by all accounts a very generous nuclear deal on the table
from the Biden administration. Instead, it chose to advance its nuclear program
to the threshold of atomic weapons. Now that Trump, maximum pressure, and
potentially military strikes against Tehran’s nuclear sites may be back on the
table, the regime is seeking to avert their consequences. It knows that the era
of Western appeasement is over.” — Andrea Stricker, Nonproliferation and
Biodefense Program Deputy Director and Research Fellow
“Tehran wants to tie up the incoming Trump administration in talks that add to
the lifespan of the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism rather than
seeking its meaningful disarmament. Europe should take note.” — Behnam Ben
Taleblu, Iran Program Senior Director and Senior Fellow
How Syria’s
Tishrin Dam has become a focal point of fighting between rebel groups
Observers team/ France 24/January 17, 2025
The France 24 Observers team was able to geolocate several videos of a protest
at Tishrin Dam in northern Syria during which five pro-Kurdish civilians are
said to have been killed by air strikes. © Observers (© Observateurs)
Several Syrian civilians were killed during a pro-Kurdish protest near Tishrin
Dam on January 8. The dam, which sits on the Euphrates River in northern Syria
and is an important source of water and power for local communities, has become
a focal point of fighting between Kurdish rebel groups and Turkish-backed rebels
from the Syrian National Army. Both sides are also carrying out the battle
online, where they both have been claiming to control this strategic crossing
site. Tishrin Dam has become the focal point of fighting in recent days between
different groups of Syrian rebels vying for power in northern Syria – the
Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF),
a Kurdish-led coalition of rebel forces including the well-known militia, the
YPG (or People’s Defense Units).In recent weeks, Tishrin Dam has become the
focus of these two rival groups. Both have taken to social media to claim that
they have control of this important and strategic piece of infrastructure. A
local media outlet that supports the SNA wrote on December 13 that this rebel
group had taken control of the dam. They even shared a video that they said
showed the dam under SNA control. Our team reached out to the SNA’s interim
government, but they did not respond to our questions.
More than
1,000 Syrians Have Withdrawn Asylum Applications in Cyprus, Hundreds Return Home
Asharq Al Awsat/January 17/2025
More than 1,000 Syrian nationals have withdrawn their applications for asylum or
international protection because they intend to return to their homeland, while
another 500 have already gone back, a Cypriot official said Friday. Cyprus’
Deputy Minister for Migration and International Protection Nicholas Ioannides
said after talks with European Migration and Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus
Brunner that the development comes in the wake of the fall of the Assad
government in Syria last month. Cyprus has adopted tougher polices in the last
few years to stem the arrival of thousands of migrants either by boat from
neighboring Lebanon or Syria or from Türkiye via the island’s breakaway Turkish
Cypriot north. Cypriot officials had said that the percentage of irregular
migrants relative to the population had been as high as 6% — six times the
European average. The tougher policies have borne fruit, according to Ioannides.
Speaking earlier this week, he said some 10,000 irregular migrants left Cyprus
last year, either through voluntary returns, deportations or relocations to
other European nations, making the island the European Union’s leader in
departures relative to arrivals.New asylum applications in 2024 amounted to
6,769 – a 41% drop from the previous year and about a third of those filed in
2022. Ioannides had said the drop in new asylum applications has enabled
authorities to more quickly process outstanding applications and offer the
necessary support to those who qualify for international protection.
The minister said arrivals by boat in recent months — particularly from Lebanon
— have dropped to nil, thanks to increased patrols and cooperation with
neighboring governments and European and international authorities. Last May,
the EU unveiled a 1 billion euro ($1.03 billion) aid package for Lebanon to
boost border control to halt the flow of asylum seekers and migrants from the
country across the Mediterranean Sea to Cyprus and Italy. But Cyprus has been
called out for breaching the rights of migrants. Last October, the European
Court of Human Rights ruled that Cyprus violated the right of two Syrian
nationals to seek asylum in the island nation after keeping them and more than
two dozen other people aboard a boat at sea for two days before sending them
back to Lebanon.
International Criminal Court’s Chief Prosecutor Meets with Syrian Leader in
Damascus
Asharq Al Awsat/January 17/2025
The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan made an
unannounced visit Friday to Damascus to confer with the leader of Syria’s de
facto government on how to ensure accountability for alleged crimes committed in
the country. Khan's office said he visited at the invitation of Syria’s
transitional government. He met with Ahmad al-Sharaa, the leader of Syria’s new
administration and the foreign minister to discuss options for justice in The
Hague for victims of the country's civil war, which has left more than half a
million dead and more than six million people displaced. Assad, who fled to
Russia in December, waged an oppressive campaign against anyone who opposed him
during his more than two decades in power. Rights groups estimate at least
150,000 people went missing after anti-government protests began in 2011, most
vanishing into Assad’s prison network. Many of them were killed, either in mass
executions or from torture and prison conditions. The exact number remains
unknown.The global chemical weapons watchdog found Syrian forces were
responsible for multiple attacks using chlorine gas and other banned substances
against civilians. Other groups have also been accused of human rights
violations and war crimes during the country’s civil war. The new authorities
have called for members of the Assad regime to be brought to justice. It is
unclear how exactly that would work at this stage. Syria is not a member of the
ICC, which has left the court without the ability to investigate the war. In
2014, Russia and China blocked a referral by the United Nations Security Council
which would have given the court jurisdiction. Similar referrals were made for
Sudan and Libya. Khan's visit comes after a trip to Damascus last month by the
UN organization assisting in investigating the most serious crimes in Syria. The
International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria was created to
assist in evidence-gathering and prosecution of individuals responsible for
possible war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide since Syria’s civil
war began in 2011. The group's head, Robert Petit, highlighted the urgency of
preserving documents and other evidence before they are lost.
Alawite Fears Ignite Syria’s Coastal Chaos
Ahmad Sharawi/FDD/ Policy Brief/January 17/2025
Violence is spreading in Syria’s Mediterranean coastal region, home to the
country’s largest concentration of Alawites, the religious minority whose
members include the ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad. With the government now in
the hands of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Sunni Islamist movement that
toppled Assad, the Alawites fear retribution for their privileged status during
50 years of Assad family rule. Protests against HTS have erupted in cities like
Qardaha, Latakia, and Tartus. Clashes intensified on December 25, when armed
groups loyal to Assad launched coordinated attacks on HTS checkpoints and
ambushed police forces in Tartus, killing 14. This violence followed the
circulation of videos showing the desecration of an Alawite religious site in
Homs. In a recent escalation, Bassam Hussam al-Din, a former National Defense
Forces commander under Assad, led an attack on an HTS barracks, killing two and
kidnapping seven. He later released a video demanding the withdrawal of HTS from
the Syrian coast and calling for Alawite autonomy, before detonating a suicide
bomb during an HTS rescue operation at the barracks.
Alawites Fear Retribution for Their Dominant Role in the Assad Regime
Once impoverished and marginalized, the Alawite community became deeply
entrenched in the regime’s power structure under the Assad regime, with over 80
percent employed in the public sector, where they dominated the upper ranks of
the military and intelligence services. Alawite militias, later
institutionalized as the Iranian and Hezbollah-backed National Defense Forces,
were central to the regime’s brutal crackdown during the civil war. For over a
decade, Assad framed his regime as the protector of Alawites, fostering a
dependency rooted in fear. Now, this narrative has left the community deeply
anxious about the country’s new leadership, drawn from Syria’s Sunni Arab
majority. Elites tied to Assad’s crony network fear the loss of their wealth and
influence, while those implicated in the regime’s atrocities dread retribution —
whether through prosecution by the new government or rough justice at the hands
of the mob.
Iran’s Reported Involvement in Provoking Alawite Unrest
Erem News, an Emirati outlet, has accused Iran of exploiting the post-Assad
political and security vacuum in Syria to incite unrest and reshape the coastal
region to align with its interests. According to Erem, Iran has been funding
armed groups and local factions loyal to Tehran in a bid to destabilize the area
and secure Iranian influence. Items bearing the insignia of the Iran-backed
Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces were found near the site of clashes between
HTS forces and Assad loyalists. Statements from senior Iranian officials
underscore this agenda. Just hours before the December 25 protests, Iranian
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi hinted at future instability, urging
deliberation in judgment in a message addressed to the new leadership in Syria.
Similarly, Mohsen Rezaee, a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, talked
about plans to “revive the resistance” and counter “the malicious plans of
America, the Zionist entity, and other countries in the region.”
Iran May Be Seeking a New Route for Arms Shipments to Hezbollah
The United States and Israel face significant risks from Iran’s renewed push for
influence in Syria, particularly in the coastal region. Exploiting the Alawite
community’s anxieties and Syria’s broader instability, Iran aims to solidify its
foothold near Lebanon’s northern border, which adjoins the Alawite heartland on
the coast. This proximity heightens the danger of Iran establishing a new route
for arms shipments to Hezbollah since HTS now controls the Assad-era routes
across Lebanon’s eastern border. Additionally, any major escalation along the
Syrian coast could plunge the country into renewed violence, inviting further
Iranian intervention.
**Ahmad Sharawi is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies (FDD), where he focuses on Middle East affairs, specifically the
Levant, Iraq, and Iranian intervention in Arab affairs, as well as U.S. foreign
policy toward the region. For more analysis from Ahmad and FDD, please subscribe
HERE. Follow Ahmad on X @AhmadA_Sharawi. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a
Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national
security and foreign policy.
Mysterious airstrip appears on a Yemeni island as Houthi rebel attacks threaten
region
Jon Gambrell/DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)/January 17, 2025
Mysterious airstrip appears on a Yemeni island as Houthi rebel attacks threaten
region. A mysterious airstrip being built on a remote island in Yemen is nearing
completion, satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press show, one of
several built in a nation mired in a stalemated war threatening to reignite.
The airstrip on Abd al-Kuri Island, which rises out of the Indian Ocean near the
mouth of the Gulf of Aden, could provide a key landing zone for military
operations patrolling that waterway. That could be useful as commercial shipping
through the Gulf and Red Sea — a key route for cargo and energy shipments
heading to Europe — has halved under attacks by Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi
rebels. The area also has seen weapons smuggling from Iran to the rebels. The
runway is likely built by the United Arab Emirates, which has long been
suspected of expanding its military presence in the region and has backed a
Saudi-led war against the Houthis. While the Houthis have linked their campaign
to the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, experts worry a ceasefire in that
conflict may not be enough to see the rebels halt a campaign that's drawn them
global attention. Meanwhile, the Houthis have lobbed repeated attacks at Israel,
as well as U.S. warships operating in the Red Sea, raising fears that one may
make it through and endanger the lives of American service members. A
battlefield miscalculation by Yemen’s many adversarial parties, new fatal
attacks on Israel or a deadly assault on an American warship easily could
shatter the country’s relative calm. And it remains unclear just how
President-elect Donald Trump, who will be inaugurated on Monday, will handle the
emboldened rebel group.“The Houthis feed off war — war is good for them,” said
Wolf-Christian Paes, a senior fellow at the International Institute for
Strategic Studies who studies Yemen. “Finally they can live up to their slogan,
which famously, of course, declares, ‘Death to America, death to the Jews.’ They
see themselves as being in this epic battle against their archenemies and from
their view, they're winning.”
Satellite images show airstrip nearly complete
Satellite photos taken Jan. 7 by Planet Labs PBC for the AP show trucks and
other heavy equipment on the north-south runway built into Abd al-Kuri, which is
about 35 kilometers (21 miles) in length and about 5 kilometers (3 miles) at its
widest point. The runway has been paved, with the designation markings “18” and
"36" to the airstrip's north and south respectively. As of Jan. 7, there was
still a segment missing from the 2.4-kilometer- (1.5-mile-) long runway that's
45-meters (150-feet) wide. Trucks could be seen grading and laying asphalt over
the missing 290-meter (950-foot) segment. Once completed, the runway's length
would allow private jets and other aircraft to land there, though likely not the
largest commercial aircraft or heavy bombers given its length.
While within Houthi drone and missile range, the distance of Abd al-Kuri from
mainland Yemen means “there’s no threat of the Houthis getting on a pickup truck
or a technical and going to seize it," said Yemen expert Mohammed al-Basha of
the Basha Report risk advisory firm. The United Nations' Montreal-based
International Civil Aviation Organization, which assigns its own set of airport
codes for airfields around the world, had no information about the airstrip on
Abd al-Kuri, spokesman William Raillant-Clark said. Yemen, as a member state to
ICAO, should provide information about the airfield to the organization. Nearby
Socotra Island already has an airport declared to the ICAO. It's not the only
airfield to see an expansion in recent years. In Mocha on the Red Sea, a project
to extend that city's airport now allows it to land far larger aircraft. Local
officials attributed that project to the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms
home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The airfield also sits on a similar north-south
path as the Abd al-Kuri airstrip and is roughly the same length. Other satellite
photos from Planet Labs show yet another unclaimed runway currently under
construction just south of Mocha near Dhubab, a coastal town in Yemen's Taiz
governorate. An image taken by Planet for the AP on Thursday showed the runway
fully built, though no markings were painted on it.
A key location for a country riven by war
Abd al-Kuri is part of the Socotra Archipelago, separated from Africa by only 95
kilometers (60 miles) and from Yemen by some 400 kilometers (250 miles). In the
last decade of the Cold War, the archipelago occasionally hosted Soviet warships
due to its strategic location. In recent years, the island has been overseen by
Yemen's Southern Transitional Council, which advocates for Yemen to again split
into a separate north and south as it was during the Cold War. The UAE has
backed and armed the council as part of the Saudi-led war against the Houthis,
who seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in 2014.
The UAE, home to the massive Jebel Ali port in Dubai and the logistic firm DP
World, previously built a base in Eritrea that was later dismantled and
attempted to build an airstrip on Mayun, or Perim, Island, in the center of the
strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
But unlike those efforts, the Emiratis appear likely to open the Abd al-Kuri
airstrip — and have even signed their work. Just east of the runway, piles of
dirt there have spelled out “I LOVE UAE” for months. An Emirati-flagged landing
craft also was spotted off the coast of Abd al-Kuri in January 2024 and off
Socotra multiple other times in the year, according to data analyzed by AP from
MarineTraffic.com. That vessel previously has been associated with the UAE's
military operations in Yemen. The UAE, which runs a once-a-week flight to
Socotra via Abu Dhabi, have long described their efforts as aimed at getting aid
to the archipelago. Asked for comment about the Abd al-Kuri airfield, the UAE
similarly pointed to its aid operations.
“Any presence of the UAE ... is based on humanitarian grounds that is carried
out in cooperation with the Yemen government and local authorities," the Emirati
government said in a statement. "The UAE remains steadfast in its commitment to
all international endeavors aimed at facilitating the resumption of the Yemeni
political process, thereby advancing the security, stability and prosperity
sought by the Yemeni populace.”The Emirates on Friday also prominently marked
the third anniversary of a 2022 Houthi missile attack on Abu Dhabi that killed
three people at a fuel depot. The country's leader, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al
Nahyan of Abu Dhabi, wrote on the social platform X that the day is “when we
remember the strength, resilience and solidarity of the people of the UAE.”The
Southern Transitional Council and officials with Yemen's exiled government did
not respond to repeated requests for comments over the airfield. The UAE's
presence on Socotra has sparked tensions in the past, something the Houthis have
used to portray the Emiratis as trying to colonize the island. “This plan
represents a serious violation of Yemeni sovereignty and threatens the
sovereignty of several neighboring countries through the espionage and sabotage
operations it is expected to carry out,” the Houthi-controlled SABA news agency
said in November.
Smuggling route passes by the island
A new airport on Abd al-Kuri could provide a new, secluded landing zone for
surveillance flights around Socotra Island. That could be vital to interdict
weapons smuggling from Iran to the Houthis, who remain under a U.N. arms
embargo. A report to the U.N. Security Council said a January 2024 weapons
seizure by the U.S. military took place off Socotra near Abd al-Kuri. That
seizure, which saw two U.S. Navy SEALs lost at sea and presumed killed, involved
a traditional dhow vessel that U.S. prosecutors say was involved in multiple
smuggling trips on behalf of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard to the
Houthis. Disrupting that weapons route, as well as the ongoing attacks by the
U.S., Israel and others on the Houthis, likely have contributed to the slowing
pace of the rebels' attacks in recent months. The U.S. and its partners alone
have struck the Houthis over 260 times, according to the International Institute
for Strategic Studies. Next week, Trump will be the one to decide what happens
to that campaign. He has experience already with how difficult fighting in Yemen
can be — his first military action in his first term in 2017 saw a Navy SEAL
killed in a raid on a suspected al-Qaida compound. The raid also killed more
than a dozen civilians, including an 8-year-old girl.
Trump may reapply a foreign terrorist organization designation on the Houthis
that Biden revoked, a reimposition that the UAE backs. Marco Rubio, who Trump
has nominated to be secretary of state, mentioned the Houthis several times when
testifying Wednesday at his Senate confirmation hearing alongside what he
described as threats from Iran and its allies. Any U.S. move could escalate the
war, even with the Houthi's enigmatic supreme leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi,
pledging Thursday night to halt the rebels' attacks if a ceasefire deal is
reached in Gaza. “I don’t see a way in 2025 that we have a de-escalation with
the Houthis,” said al-Basha, the Yemen expert. “The situation in Yemen is very
tense. An outbreak in the war could be a reality in the next few months. I don’t
foresee the status quo continuing.
Former CIA
analyst pleads guilty to leaking info on planned Israeli attack on Iran
The Canadian Press/The Associated Press/January 17, 2025
A former CIA analyst pleaded guilty Friday to leaking information on a planned
Israeli attack on Iran. Asif Rahman, 34, was arrested by the FBI in November
weeks after classified documents appeared on the Telegram messaging app. He
entered guilty pleas in federal court in Virginia to two counts of willful
retention and transmission of classified information related to the national
defense, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Prosecutors say Rahman, a CIA employee since 2016, abused his access to
top-secret information by accessing, removing and printing out two documents
related to Israel and a planned attack on Iran. He then shared them with people
not authorized to receive them. Two documents that surfaced on Telegram in
October, attributed to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and National
Security Agency, noted that Israel was still moving military assets in place to
conduct a military strike in response to Iran’s blistering ballistic missile
attack on Oct. 1. Israel carried out a retaliatory attack on air defense systems
and missile manufacturing facilities in Iran in late October. In court papers,
the government has said the leak caused Israel to delay its attack plans.
The documents were shareable within the “Five Eyes,” which are the United
States, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. Rahman was born in
California and moved with his family when he was a child to Cincinnati, where he
was a high school valedictorian, according to court papers submitted by his
lawyer. He went to Yale University and graduated in three years. He and his wife
now live in the D.C. metro area, along with his parents.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on January 17-18/2025
It Wasn't a Deal – It Was a Crime
Alan M. Dershowitz/ Gatestone Institute./January 17, 2025
The decision by the Israeli government to make significant concessions to the
Hamas kidnappers should never be called a "deal." It was an extortion.... The
kidnapping was a crime. And the extortionate demand was an additional crime.
When a terrorist group "negotiates" with a democracy, it always has the upper
hand. The terrorists are not constrained by morality, law or truth. They can
murder at will, rape at will, torture at will and threaten to do worse. The
democracy, on the other hand, must comply with the rules of law and must listen
to the pleas of the hostage families.
Especially complicit, with blood on their hands, are supporters of Hamas on
university campuses who chant for intifada and revolution. Also complicit are
international organizations, such as the International Criminal Court, that
treat Israel and Hamas as equals.
[L]et us put the blame for ALL the deaths in Gaza where it belongs: on Hamas and
the useful idiots and useless bigots who support murderous terrorists.
The decision by the Israeli government to make significant concessions to the
Hamas kidnappers should never be called a "deal." It was an extortion. Would you
call it a deal if somebody kidnapped your child and you "agreed" to pay ransom
to get her back? Of course not. The kidnapping was a crime. And the extortionate
demand was an additional crime. Pictured: A Hamas terrorist holds two of the
many Israeli children that Hamas murdered, or abducted and brought as captives
to the Gaza Strip, on October 7, 2023. (Image source: Hamas/X [Twitter])
The decision by the Israeli government to make significant concessions to the
Hamas kidnappers should never be called a "deal." It was an extortion. Would you
call it a deal if somebody kidnapped your child and you "agreed" to pay ransom
to get her back? Of course not. The kidnapping was a crime. And the extortionate
demand was an additional crime.
So the proper description of what occurred is that Israel, pressured by the
United States, capitulated to the unlawful and extortionate demands of Hamas as
the only way of saving the lives of kidnapped babies, mothers and other
innocent, mostly civilian, hostages.
This was not the result of a negotiation between equals. If an armed robber puts
a gun to your head and says, "your money or your life," your decision to give
him your money would not be described as a deal. Nor should the extorted
arrangement agreed to by Israel be considered a deal. So let's stop using that
term.
When a terrorist group "negotiates" with a democracy, it always has the upper
hand. The terrorists are not constrained by morality, law or truth. They can
murder at will, rape at will, torture at will and threaten to do worse. The
democracy, on the other hand, must comply with the rules of law and must listen
to the pleas of the hostage families. The result of this exertion was bad for
Israel's security, but good for the hostages who remain alive and their
families. The heart rules the brain, as it often does in moral democracies that
value the immediate saving of the lives of known people over the future deaths
of hypothetical people whose identities we do not know. This tradeoff is
understandable as compassionate, even if not compelling as policy.
If every democratic nation adopted a policy of never negotiating with
terrorists, it might discourage terrorism. But every nation submits to the
demands of kidnappers and extortionists, so terrorism and hostage-taking have
become a primary tactic of the worst people in the world. And the rest of us are
complicit.
Especially complicit, with blood on their hands, are supporters of Hamas on
university campuses who chant for intifada and revolution. Also complicit are
international organizations, such as the International Criminal Court, that
treat Israel and Hamas as equals. These supporters of terrorism encouraged Hamas
to hold out for many months in the belief that their support would pressure
Israel into making more concessions.
The students of terror – the university students who are encouraging Hamas into
continuing their murderous ways – must be held accountable for their complicity
in evil. Though they may have the same First Amendment rights as Jews do, they
should be treated with the same contempt that Nazis, the KKK and racist
supporters of violence are treated. The First Amendment does not give them the
right to be hired by decent employers.
The First Amendment gives employers the power to refuse to associate with
supporters of Nazism, Hamas terrorism or other evil groups. American law
criminalizes giving material support to designated terrorist groups, which
include Hamas and Hezbollah. Morality, as distinguished from law, should deem
immoral providing any support -- material, political, economic or demonstrative
– to any terrorist group such as Hamas. Yet both the presidential and
vice-presidential candidates of the Democrat Party urged people to listen to the
messages of these protestors. They would never say that about demonstrators who
favored lynching blacks or raping women. But Hamas does lynch Jews and rape
Jewish women. There is no moral difference.
Let us welcome the news that perhaps 33 of the 98 hostages may be released, some
of them alive, with the realization that what Hamas extorted from Israel in
return for these releases may well endanger Israel's security in the future and
cost still more innocent lives.
And let us put the blame for ALL the deaths in Gaza where it belongs: on Hamas
and the useful idiots and useless bigots who support murderous terrorists.
**Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Emeritus at
Harvard Law School, and the author most recently of War Against the Jews: How to
End Hamas Barbarism, and Get Trump: The Threat to Civil Liberties, Due Process,
and Our Constitutional Rule of Law. He is the Jack Roth Charitable Foundation
Fellow at Gatestone Institute, and is also the host of "The Dershow" podcast.
**Follow Alan M. Dershowitz on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook
© 2025 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21320/hamas-deal-crime
No One Won the
War in Gaza
Max Rodenbeck/Times/January 17, 2025
After 15 months of agony, the potential Gaza ceasefire comes as a colossal
relief not just for Palestinians and Israelis, but for the wider Middle East.
True, the deal is narrow in size and scope. It covers a physical space scarcely
bigger than Martha’s Vineyard. The actual terms of the first phase of the
ceasefire agreement extend no farther than a pause in fighting, an exchange of
some hostages and a partial Israeli withdrawal. Given recent precedent, the
fragility of Israel's ruling coalition and the yawning gap between the
belligerents, this deal is just as likely to collapse, or simply to lapse, as to
foster a longer-term peace. Still, even a temporary lowering of the regional
heart rate allows for useful reflection.
The modern Middle East is prone to shifting alliances and balances of power, but
each turn of the kaleidoscope tends to tumble only one piece of the multicolored
pattern at a go. This time, the rearrangement looks far more radical than the
puny size of Gaza might have suggested. Perhaps not since the Arab-Israeli war
of 1967 has the regional puzzle been so swiftly and wholly transformed. In those
six days Israel conquered East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza, Syria's Golan
Heights and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, upending a two-decade-long status quo,
shattering Arab dreams, expanding America's role, and making the Jewish State an
occupying power and turning millions of Palestinians into a subject people.
By contrast the Gaza crisis has lasted far longer than any previous Arab-Israeli
clash. Its cost in lives has been immensely higher, too. An epidemiological
study published this month in The Lancet, Britain's top medical journal,
suggests that 70,000 Gazans may have been killed so far, a grisly tally that is
more than three times greater than the total number of Israelis, military and
civilian, killed in all the wars and terror attacks Israel has faced since its
founding in 1948. Even so, Hamas's easy breach of Israeli defenses on Oct. 7,
and Israel's loss of 1,200 lives in a single day were an unprecedented shock to
the Jewish State. But as in 1967 the reverberations of the war have reached
beyond the immediate parties to Israel's other neighbors and even more distant
countries across the region, often in unexpected ways.
How so? At a dinner party in Cairo, the Egyptian capital, a guest speaks with
dark sarcasm of the singular achievements of Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas mastermind
behind the horrendous Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the current
conflagration (an Israeli drone killed Sinwar a year later). “Isn't it amazing
how one man achieved in one year what millions of people couldn't do in
decades?” she asks rhetorically, ticking off the effects. “Because of him Israel
destroyed Hezbollah in Lebanon, and because of that the Assad regime fell in
Syria, and because of that Iran's 'Axis of Resistance' collapsed.” She pauses
for effect, then adds that it is to Sinwar's "genius” that we owe the prolonging
of Benjamin Netanyahu's political life as Israel's prime minister, as well as
the rescue of the Egyptian leader, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, from mounting debts and
other troubles.
The sarcasm is merited. Each of these "successes” represents an own-goal for
Hamas. The Palestinian Islamist group was allied to and funded by the now
strategically diminished Islamic Republic of Iran. The Assad family in Syria
were no special friends to Hamas, but Israel took advantage of their fall to
obliterate Syria's entire arsenal of heavy weapons, putting one more potential
regional adversary out of military action for perhaps a generation. Netanyahu is
far more popular in Israel now than before the war and the Egyptian leader, who
has viciously persecuted its parent organization, the global Muslim Brotherhood,
has been reprieved by Western creditors in reward for maintaining a stony
silence over Gaza.
To be fair, Sinwar at immense cost to both Israelis and Palestinians did achieve
some of his real aims. He put the plight of Palestinians back in the global
spotlight. He undermined efforts to widen Israel's web of treaties with Arab
states, most notably Saudi Arabia. He shamed Israel, first by exposing its
military incompetence and then by provoking a response so violent that it has
severely damaged the country's moral standing. But the people of Gaza are not
the only ones in the region to ask, now, whether Sinwar's gamble was worth it.
The Hamas leader's reckless play has left Israel, as it was briefly after the
1967 war, an almost undisputed mini-hegemon in the region. Its Arab neighbours
are military dwarves by comparison, and in most cases too absorbed in internal
affairs to care much for the fate of the Palestinians. Iran has burned its
fingers, and all that even nuclear weapons would bring is a new level of
stand-off with Israel–which is in any case a rather far-off country that many
ordinary Iranians do not regard as an enemy. The timely arrival in Washington of
a new, even more gung-ho Israel-first administration than Joe Biden's, which
bankrolled Netanyahu's Gaza offensive to the tune of $17.9 billion, simply
underlines Israel's military dominance.
But as in 1967, Israel's triumph comes loaded with unwanted responsibilities.
Back then, wise Israelis counseled that to remain an occupying power over an
understandably angry people was not only morally repugnant, but could erode
Israel's own society. That advice was ultimately ignored in favor of an
undeclared policy of creeping annexation and colonization. The result is that
today Israel rules over populations of Palestinians and of Jewish Israelis that
are almost equal in number but disturbingly skewed in terms of rights and wealth
and outlook. This is hardly a recipe for peaceful coexistence.
Yet because of unquestioning support from America and other Western backers,
because of perpetual Arab disarray and because of its own rightward political
drift, Israel has persisted in this direction. The temptation to dig the hole
deeper is even stronger just now, with Gaza a smoldering ruin and all potential
regional challengers cowed. Can Israel now rise to the wisdom of being
magnanimous in victory? Alas, the signs are not good.
Contact us at letters@time.com.
Why Certain Non-Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Raymond Ibrahim/The Stream/January 17,
2025
The ongoing revelations of Muslim “grooming gangs” targeting young white girls
for sexual exploitation in the UK is as old as Islam itself, and even traces
back to Muhammad.
Much literary evidence attests to this in the context of Islam’s early
predations on Eastern and Greek Europeans. According to Ahmad M. H. Shboul
(author of Byzantium and the Arabs: The Image of the Byzantines as Mirrored in
Arabic Literature) the Eastern Roman Empire (“Byzantium”) was the “classic
example of the house of war,” or Dar al-Harb — that is, the quintessential realm
that needs to be conquered by jihad. Moreover, it was seen “as a symbol of
military and political power and as a society of great abundance.”
The similarities between pre-modern Islamic views of Eastern Rome and modern
Islamic views of the West — powerful, affluent, desirable, but also the greatest
of all infidels — should be evident. But they do not end here. To the medieval
Muslim mindset, Byzantium was further representative of “white people” — fair-
haired/-eyed Christians, or, as they were known in Arabic, Banu al-Asfar,
“children of yellow” (reference to blonde hair).
Continues Shboul:
The Byzantines as a people were considered as fine examples of physical beauty,
and youthful slaves and slave-girls of Byzantine origin were highly valued…. The
Arab’s appreciation of the Byzantine female has a long history indeed. For the
Islamic period, the earliest literary evidence we have is a hadith (saying of
the Prophet). Muhammad is said to have addressed a newly converted [to Islam]
Arab: “Would you like the girls of Banu al-Asfar?” Not only were Byzantine slave
girls sought after for caliphal and other palaces (where some became mothers of
future caliphs), but they also became the epitome of physical beauty, home
economy, and refined accomplishments. The typical Byzantine maiden who captures
the imagination of litterateurs and poets, had blond hair, blue or green eyes, a
pure and healthy visage, lovely breasts, a delicate waist, and a body that is
like camphor or a flood of dazzling light.
While the essence of the above excerpt is true, the reader should not be duped
by its overly “romantic” tone. Written for a Western academic publication by an
academic of Muslim background, the essay is naturally euphemistic to the point
of implying that being a sex slave was desirable — as if her Arab owners were
enamored devotees who merely doted over and admired her beauty from afar.
Up Close and Very Personal
Indeed, Muhammad asked a new convert “Would you like the girls of Banu
al-Asfar?” as a way to entice him to join the jihad and reap its rewards —
which, in this case, included the possibility of enslaving and raping fair women
— not as some idealistic discussion on beauty.
This enticement seems to have backfired with another Muslim who refused
Muhammad’s call to invade Byzantine territory (the Tabuk campaign). “O Abu
Wahb,” cajoled Muhammad, “would you not like to have scores of Roman women and
men as concubines and servants?” Wahb responded: “O Messenger of Allah, my
people know that I am very fond of women and, if I see the women of the Romans,
I fear I will not be able to hold back. So do not tempt me by them, and allow me
not to join and, instead, I will assist you with my wealth.”The prophet agreed
but was apparently unimpressed (after all, Wahb could have all the women he
desired if the jihad succeeded) and a new Sura for the Koran (9:49) was promptly
delivered, condemning the man to hell for his reported hypocrisy and failure to
join the jihad.
Thus a more critical reading of Shboul’s aforementioned excerpt finds that
European slave girls were not “highly valued” or “appreciated” as if they were
precious statues: They were held out as sexual trophies to entice Muslims to the
jihad.
Slavery Is Slavery
Moreover, the idea that some sex slaves became mothers to future caliphs is
meaningless since in Islam’s patriarchal culture, mothers — regardless of
whether they are Muslim or not — were irrelevant in lineage and had no political
status. And talk of “litterateurs and poets” and “a body that is like camphor or
a flood of dazzling light” is further anachronistic and does a great disservice
to reality: These women were — as they still are — sex slaves, treated no
differently than the many other kinds of slaves under the Islamic State. For
example, during a sex slave auction held by the Islamic State, blue- and
green-eyed Yazidi girls were much coveted and fetched the highest prices. Even
so, these concubines were cruelly tortured. In one instance, a Muslim savagely
beat his Yazidi slave’s one-year-old child until she submitted to his sexual
demands.
Another relevant parallel between medieval and modern Islamic views exists:
White women were and continue to be seen as sexually promiscuous by nature —
essentially “provoking” Muslim men into lusting after and raping them.
Revisionist Muslim History
Much of this is discussed in Byzantium Viewed by the Arabs by Nadia Maria El
Cheikh. She writes:
Fitna, [an Islamic term] meaning disorder and chaos, refers also to the
beautiful femme fatale who makes men lose their self-control. Fitna is a key
concept in defining the dangers that women, more particularly their bodies, were
capable of provoking in the mental universe of the Arab Muslims.
After explaining how the fair-haired/-eyed Byzantine woman exemplified Islam’s
femme fatale of fitna, Cheikh writes:
In our [Muslim] texts, Byzantine women are strongly associated with sexual
immorality…Our sources show not Byzantine women but [Muslim] writers’ images of
these women, who served as symbols of the eternal female — constantly a
potential threat, particularly due to blatant exaggerations of their sexual
promiscuity….
Cheikh documents how Muslims claimed that these white Christian females were the
“most shameless women in the whole world”; that, “because they find sex more
enjoyable, they are prone to adultery”; that “adultery is commonplace in the
cities and markets of Byzantium” — so much so that “the nuns from the convents
went out to the fortresses to offer themselves to monks.”
Concludes Cheikh:
While the one quality that our [Muslim] sources never deny is the beauty of
Byzantine women, the image that they create in describing these women is
anything but beautiful. Their depictions are, occasionally, excessive, virtually
caricatures, overwhelmingly negative…. Such anecdotes [of sexual promiscuity]
are clearly far from Byzantine reality and must be recognized for what they are:
attempts to denigrate and defame a rival culture through their exaggeration of
the laxity with which Byzantine culture dealt with its women…. In fact, in
Byzantium, women were expected to be retiring, shy, modest, and devoted to their
families and religious observances…. [T]he behavior of most women in Byzantium
was a far cry from the depictions that appear in Arabic sources.
Prime Hunting Grounds
Based on all the above, some historic facts emerge: The Eastern Roman Empire was
long viewed by early Muslims as the most powerful, advanced, and wealthy
“infidel” empire, one highly desired — just like modern Islamic views of the
West today. And “white women” were long viewed as the “femme fatale” of Islam
—from a carnal perspective, the most desired, and from a pious perspective, the
most despised of women.
Today, we find all these same patterns at work — including the idea that “white
women” are naturally promiscuous and provoke pious Muslim men into raping them.
According to a decade-old report, while a Muslim man raped a British woman, he
told her that “you white women are good at it” — thereby echoing that ancient
Islamic motif concerning the alleged promiscuity of white women.
In other words, what’s going on in the UK is hardly new, though it has for long
been hushed up.
In fact, all throughout Europe — particularly in Nordic nations — thousands of
“Byzantine-type” women have been violently raped and egregiously beaten by
Muslims. In Norway, Denmark, and especially Sweden — where fair hair and eyes
predominate — rape has astronomically risen since those nations embraced the
doctrine of multiculturalism and opened their doors to tens of thousands of
Muslim immigrants.
According to Gatestone Institute, “Forty years after the Swedish parliament
unanimously decided to change the formerly homogenous Sweden into a
multicultural country, violent crime has increased by 300% and rapes by 1,472%.”
The overwhelming majority of rapists are Muslim immigrants. The epidemic is so
bad that some blonde Scandinavian women are dying their hair black in the hopes
of warding off potential Muslim predators.
Approved Islamic Practice Today
Nor is this phenomenon a product of chance; some modern Muslims actually
advocate for it. Back in 2011, a female politician and activist trying to combat
sexual immorality in Kuwait suggested that Muslims import white sex slaves.
After explaining how she once asked Islamic clerics living in the city of Mecca
about the legality of sex slavery and they all confirmed it to be perfectly
legitimate, she explained:
A Muslim state must [first] attack a Christian state — sorry, I mean any
non-Muslim state — and they [the women, the future sex slaves] must be captives
of the raid. Is this forbidden? Not at all; according to Islam, sex slaves are
not at all forbidden. [See here, here, and here for more on Islamic law and sex
slavery.] As for what sort of “infidel” women are
ideal, the Kuwaiti activist suggested Russian women (most of whom are
fair-haired and -eyed. Ironically, Russia is often seen as Byzantium’s
successor):
In the Chechnya war, surely there are female Russian captives. So go and buy
those and sell them here in Kuwait; better that than have our men engage in
forbidden sexual relations. I don’t see any problem in this, no problem at all.
In short, the ongoing epidemic in the UK and many other European nations —
whereby Muslim men sexually target white women — is as old as Islam, has
precedents with the prophet and his companions, and, till this day, is being
recommended as a legitimate practice by some in the Muslim world.
*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.
Will Gaza Change the Luck of the Region?
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/January 17/2025
The Gaza war has nearly ended, and it is time to cease the exchanges about it.
Much has been said, whether truth or lies... So, what is your excuse for a word
already spoken? Perhaps Gaza, with all the horrors its people endured, may
change the luck of Palestinians and the region. It is imperative to support the
afflicted land so we can overcome this stage. Such support acts as a catalyst
for a better future, enabling a new phase to begin after the repercussions and
developments caused by Gaza and those yet to come. The Gaza war achieved the
unexpected: the collapse of a regional system and the emergence of a different
geopolitical reality. Without it, Syria, Lebanon, and the region might have
continued under authorities that incite further chaos and wars for another
decade. The longest and harshest wars of conflict with Israel have ended, and it
is time to provide humanitarian support and assistance to two million people.
One of Gaza’s lessons is that no issue can be left unaddressed, leaving others
to handle it. There can be no peace for Israel without peace for its neighbors.
Signing a partial peace agreement is insufficient, as it leads to partial wars.
Even the best and fairest peace agreement cannot succeed without being marketed
against the prevailing cultural and media hostility.
The Gaza war may have ended, though some sporadic gunfire and clashes are
expected to cease soon.
Gaza can first serve as a gateway to peace among Palestinians themselves,
leading to an agreement on a central authority and ending the rift between Gaza
and Ramallah that has persisted since 2007. It could be the entry point to
initiating the two-state solution, a project Saudi Arabia pledged to work on,
while Israel vowed to prevent. Every peace project begins with rejection and
ends with reconciliation and handshakes.
What happened in October 2023 might be similar to the October 1973 War. That
victory was limited – Egypt regained 20 kilometers beyond the Suez Canal in the
war but, through the Camp David Accords, reclaimed all of Sinai, an area three
times the size of Israel itself.
The Gaza war has altered the region, eliminating much of Hezbollah’s power and
leadership, leading to the downfall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, and ending
Iran’s dream of expansion and dominance over the eastern Arab world. We now face
a new and genuine opportunity for regional peace initiatives and an end to major
threats and wars. All eyes are on Iran, which remains in shock from the
significant events it has endured and continues to face. What it built over
forty years and acquired through force – land, influence, and proxies –
evaporated last year. Today, Iran finds itself in a stage of reassessment,
reflected in candid discussions in its media and likely deeper debates in closed
chambers about its next steps. Iran has two paths: the first is to adapt to the
new reality by pursuing peace and cooperating with Arab states to support
Palestinians in their peace project. Such involvement would bolster the
Palestinian cause and help its people achieve their aspirations without the need
for bloodshed, destruction, and wasted billions. The second path is to rebuild
its military capabilities and ignite wars across the region to regain Syria,
Lebanon, and Gaza. This scenario would be costly, and Tehran would struggle to
find support from its people, who are already burdened by economic sanctions
that President-elect Donald Trump and his incoming administration promise to
intensify. The survival of the regime itself could be at risk.
Given the new situation, we must think realistically. This year has begun on a
positive note: Lebanon has a new system, Syria has a different leadership, Hamas
is set to become part of a unified Palestinian Authority, and there are signs
that Iraq is seeking to rein in militias, if not eliminate them.
These changes have come at a high cost, as seen in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria over
two bloody decades. But will this lead to a harvest based on ending unrest,
chaos, and occupation while achieving regional consensus? Before the Gaza war,
such a scenario seemed impossible. Today, it is not impossible at all.
Gaza’s Children Exposed Moral Bankruptcy
Dr. Amal Moussa/Asharq Al Awsat/January 17/2025
The conclusion of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza is excellent news. It has come
too late, but it would still be good news even if no one but a lonely crying
infant was left there. However, to assess the world's
reaction, we must not forget or ignore the devastating material and
psychological aftermath. Nothing attests to the death of the world’s conscience
more powerfully than the terror and death endured by the children of Gaza.
Unfortunately, some see addressing such matters as an exercise in
impractical idealism, believing that it does nothing to change reality. I admit
that I, too, have quietly fallen into this kind of despair in private. However:
are we required to only be realistic? Isn’t realism the domain of politicians
driven by the need to surrender to reality, without leaving their own mark on
history?
If everyone becomes a realist, who would defend truth, ideals, values, and
rights?
Even from a purely utilitarian perspective, the role of writing, culture,
thought, and the media is to defend ethics- at least to a minimal extent that
allows humanity to remain distinct and not fall into the brutal laws of
domination, survival, and death in the animal kingdom.
As we know from financial crises assessments, they unfold in stages. Crises that
begin with a financial problem escalate into a full-blown crisis, and ultimately
result in bankruptcy. Each stage has particular indicators. Applying this
understanding of finance to the suffering of Gaza’s children, it is a direct
indication of bankruptcy, not only Israel’s but the entire world’s.
Sometimes, the real problem lies not in the disaster, the crime, or the tragedy
itself, but in how it is confronted, responded to, and addressed. Crimes
implicate only the perpetrator, but all of us are responsible for how we deal
with it. I will not get into a debate about Israel's
assault on Gaza; we could place that within the context of conflict and war.
However, does this imply that we should remain silent about the killing of
17,000 Palestinian children in Gaza? Never in human
history have children been targeted as they have been between October 7, 2023,
and the announcement of the ceasefire agreement yesterday.
The result is clear: the world failed to prioritize this issue. In fact, we saw
deliberate negligence and indifference, with the deaths of children seen as
nothing more than collateral damage.
Every war has its limits, and every game has its red lines, but not in Gaza.
None of this could have happened if Israel had not internalized the world’s
passive attitude and the normalization of Israel’s crimes.
A question: what is the purpose of international organizations and their armies
of senior officials, who receive exorbitant salaries and enjoy extraordinary
privileges but have proven incapable of protecting Gaza's children from the
slaughter?
In addition to the innocent people who lost their lives simply because they are
Palestinian, another indicator of moral and humanitarian bankruptcy is the
number of disabled children in Gaza, which now exceeds 10,000. Approximately
98,000 children with disabilities are suffering immensely due to the destruction
left by Israel’s aggression, which has compounded the challenges of their
disabilities a thousandfold. This is without mentioning the children who have
been orphaned, losing either their mother, father, or both because of Israel’s
crimes against defenseless men and women. The number of orphans has risen to
around 25,000 children.These are horrific figures. Even more horrific is the
indifference. The true driver of Israel’s war on children is no secret: it is to
physically liquidate a generation of Palestinians, an attempt to eradicate the
Palestinian people and the cause by killing as many children as possible and
rendering as many of them as possible disabled and incapacitated.
In reality, this is not a war or a conflict so much as a new holocaust whose
primary victims are children. It would never have happened without the world’s
blind complicity. The lion’s share of this moral bankruptcy lies not only with
Israel but with the global and regional powers that, for dubious interests,
turned a blind eye. Thus, the world will not find
peace, and the conflict in the Middle East will not subside, so long as Gaza’s
children are being killed. Peace and national security cannot be written with
children’s blood and tears. We have lived through an era of violence on Gaza’s
children, and the mark of shame will never disappear.
A ceasefire was reached only after Israel had achieved its objectives. Today,
Israel has become a mirror for the entire world.