English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For January 27/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Jesus said to the Sick man, ‘Stand up, take your mat and walk.’At once the man
was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk
Saint John 05/01-16/:"After this there was a festival of the
Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there
is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay
many invalids blind, lame, and paralysed. One man was there who had been ill for
thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been
there a long time, he said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well?’ The sick man
answered him, ‘Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is
stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.’
Jesus said to him, ‘Stand up, take your mat and walk.’At once the man was made
well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a sabbath. So
the Jews said to the man who had been cured, ‘It is the sabbath; it is not
lawful for you to carry your mat.’ But he answered them, ‘The man who made me
well said to me, "Take up your mat and walk." ’They asked him, ‘Who is the man
who said to you, "Take it up and walk"?’Now the man who had been healed did not
know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there. Later
Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, ‘See, you have been made well! Do
not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.’ The man went away and
told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. Therefore the Jews
started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the sabbath."
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on January 26-27/2025
Elias Bejjani/Text & Video: Nawaf Salam
Faces the Nation’s Toughest Test: If Unable to Deliver, Resignation Is a Must
Civilian Massacres are Hezbollah’s New Theatrical “Resistance”/Colonel Charbel
Barakat/January 26/2025
Hezbollah’s Bloody Hollywood Dramas and the Costly Gamble with Southerners’
Lives/Marwan Al-Amin/Facebook/January 26/2025
White House says Israel-Lebanon agreement extended to Feb. 18; talks on the
return of Lebanese prisoners in Israel to begin soon
US says ceasefire agreement between Lebanon, Israel to continue until February
18
Lebanon's Health Ministry: 22 killed, 124 Injured in Israeli attacks on South
Lebanon
Israeli Fire Kills 22 as Aoun Says Lebanon’s Sovereignty Non-negotiable
Death Toll Rises as Displaced Return to Villages on Israeli Withdrawal Deadline
Lebanese Citizens Return to Southern Villages Amid Israeli Violations
Ceasefire in question: Israel claims security justification for blocking
Lebanese civilians' return
Lebanese Army assists returning residents amid Israeli violations in South
Lebanon
Lebanese Army on standby: South Lebanon residents confront Israeli forces
Dozens of Vehicles Brandishing Hezbollah Flags Parade Through Gemmayzeh
UN Envoy: Conditions 'Not Yet in Place' for Safe Return of Lebanese Citizens to
South
Berri: Bloodshed in South Lebanon is ‘Urgent Call’ to Compel Israel to Withdraw
Hezbollah hails 'day of glory' as Lebanese civilians return to South Lebanon
amid Israeli violations
Progress on UN Resolution 1701 Implementation/Natasha Metni Torbey/This is
Beirut/January 26/2025
The Codex Rabulensis (3/3)/Amine Jules Iskandar/This is Beirut/January 26/2025
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on January 26-27/2025
Qatar: Deal reached to release Israeli
hostage and allow Palestinians into north Gaza
Israeli Fire Causes Casualties as Palestinians are Kept Out of North Gaza
Israel Names Spy Veteran as Top Finance Ministry Civil Servant
Palestinian president condemns ‘any projects’ to displace Gazans
Trump Wants Jordan, Egypt to Accept More Refugees and Floats Plan to 'Just Clean
Out' Gaza
Trump suggests his plan for Gaza Strip is to ‘clean out the whole thing’
Netanyahu: France Assures Israel its Firms Can Take Part in Paris Air Show
Jordan Says its Stance Against Displacement of Palestinians Remains ‘Firm’
Arab League Condemns Attack on Saudi Hospital, Arson at Oil Refinery in Sudan
Displaced Gazans Mass at Israeli Barrier Waiting to Reach North
Iran's weakening will not harm Iraq, deputy parliament speaker says
Iran's foreign minister meets the Taliban in the first visit to Kabul in 8 years
Türkiye Urges Iraq to Foster Positive Relations with Syria’s New Leadership
Syria monitor says 35 people summarily executed in three days
EU May Suspend Syria Sanctions on Energy and Transport
Titles For
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on January 26-27/2025
Ignore the Distortion/Tariq Al-Homayed/Asharq Al Awsat/January 26/2025
How to Find Order in a Chaotic New World/The New York Times/January 26/2025
Syria sends a message to the West/Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Asharq AlAwsat/January
26, 2025
GCC trade deal may be key to UK’s economic recovery/Zaid M. Belbagi/Arab
News/January 26/2026
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on January 26-27/2025
Elias Bejjani/Text & Video: Nawaf Salam Faces the Nation’s Toughest Test: If
Unable to Deliver, Resignation Is a Must
Elias Bejjani/January 26/2025
Following the election of Army Commander Joseph Aoun as President of the
Lebanese Republic, Judge Nawaf Salam was entrusted with forming a new government
amid widespread hopes for a radical transformation of Lebanon’s collapsing
political and economic landscape. However, this critical mission is anything but
simple—it demands exceptional courage, unwavering resolve, and bold decisions
that transcend the toxic political quotas and compromises that have devastated
Lebanon for decades.
Judge Salam is expected to deliver on the people’s aspirations by forming a
specialized and reformist government. This government must comprise competent,
non-partisan experts who are free from sectarian and political loyalties. Its
top priority should be implementing the recently agreed-upon ceasefire with
Israel and enforcing international resolutions concerning Lebanon, particularly
Resolution 1701. This resolution demands the disarmament of the terrorist
militia Hezbollah and the restoration of the Lebanese state’s exclusive
authority over all arms within its borders.
In addition to addressing Lebanon’s dire security needs, Salam’s government
faces a staggering array of internal challenges. These include filling over 700
vacant state positions, such as the Army Command, the Governor of the Central
Bank, the Director General of General Security, deputy ministers, and numerous
judicial and administrative posts. The government must also spearhead
comprehensive economic reforms to restore confidence in Lebanon’s financial
system, recover $90 billion in stolen deposits, and empower the judiciary to
pursue accountability for the catastrophic Beirut Port explosion.
Regrettably, rather than seizing this moment for transformative change, Salam
appears to be stalling. Reports indicate that he is negotiating with the Shiite
duo—Hezbollah and Nabih Berri’s Amal Movement—granting them shares in the
government to appease their demands. This approach has profoundly disappointed
Lebanese citizens, who expected Salam to reject any interference or conditions
from these factions, which bear primary responsibility for Lebanon’s political
and economic ruin.
The insistence of Nabih Berri and Hezbollah on retaining control over the
Finance Ministry under the pretext of the so-called “third signature” poses a
direct threat to the enforcement of international resolutions. It further
entrenches Hezbollah’s grip on the state’s financial resources, despite
international prohibitions on rearming or funding this terrorist organization.
Should Salam succumb to these demands, it would constitute a blatant violation
of Resolution 1701 and an outright betrayal of the Lebanese people’s hopes for
national salvation.
In reality, there is no meaningful distinction between the Amal Movement and
Hezbollah. Both serve Iran’s Supreme Leader, systematically dismantling
Lebanon’s institutions to advance Tehran’s agenda. Nabih Berri, the master
manipulator, has long exploited Lebanon’s political system for personal gain,
and it appears that Salam has walked straight into one of his traps.
Now is the time for Nawaf Salam to rise to the occasion. He must demonstrate
courage by rejecting the inclusion of the Shiite duo in his government and
holding Hezbollah and the Amal Movement accountable for their role in destroying
Lebanon. If he cannot form a government free of political horse-trading and
partisan spoils, then his resignation is not just necessary—it is imperative.
Lebanon cannot endure more compromises or complacency. The nation requires a
leader who places the people’s interests above all else, restoring sovereignty
and the rule of law. Lebanon must break free from the grip of Hezbollah and
Nabih Berri, whose destructive policies have inflicted poverty, chaos, and
despair upon the nation. Judge Salam must either rise to meet this historic
challenge or step aside to make way for someone who will.
Civilian Massacres are Hezbollah’s New Theatrical “Resistance”
Colonel Charbel Barakat/January 26/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/01/139476/
(Freely translated from Arabic by Elias Bejjani, editor and publisher of the
LCCC website)
Introduction
Colonel Charbel Barakat, a retired
Lebanese Army officer, historian, terrorism expert, and author of numerous works
on Lebanon, the Iranian regime’s schemes, and jihadist movements, has testified
multiple times before the U.S. Congress on critical issues, including Iranian
and Syrian terrorism, the Syrian occupation of Lebanon, jihadist threats, and
the pursuit of Middle East peace.
In his analysis of today, Colonel Charbel Barakat delves into Hezbollah’s
dangerous new tactic of using the Southern civilians as human shields, placing
them face-to-face with the Israeli army. Barakat exposes how Hezbollah continues
to promote war and destruction, not for the protection of Lebanon, but to
maintain its occupational grip on the country. By orchestrating these theatrical
displays of "resistance," Hezbollah seeks to undermine every effort aimed at
restoring Lebanon’s independence, sovereignty, and democracy. This calculated
strategy not only perpetuates the cycle of violence but also sacrifices the
safety and future of Lebanese citizens for the sake of preserving its own
dominance and serving Iran’s agenda. Barakat's critique underscores the urgent
need to reject Hezbollah’s manipulative tactics and prioritize national unity to
rebuild a sovereign and peaceful Lebanon.
Civilian Massacres: Hezbollah’s New Theatrical “Resistance”
By Colonel Charbel Barakat/January 26/2026
Free Translation from Arabic by Elias Bejjani
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/01/139476/
Following its devastating losses in
the war with Israel, the Iranian-backed terrorist organization Hezbollah appears
intent on repeating its tragic cycle of destruction. Despite the catastrophic
toll—thousands of Lebanese lives lost, countless injuries, and widespread
devastation—it now incites the residents of southern Lebanon to confront the
Israeli army, deliberately risking further bloodshed.
Like Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah has learned nothing from its failed policies. Its
arrogance and reckless ambitions dragged Lebanon into ruin, killing and
displacing thousands of Shiites and other Lebanese communities. Yet, instead of
reflecting on its role in this tragedy, Hezbollah is now exploiting the
vulnerable southern population, pushing them into harm’s way to provoke
confrontations and elicit global sympathy.
The recent war in Gaza should have been a sobering lesson. After immense
destruction, the loss of over 40,000 lives, and the displacement of millions,
the world’s initial sympathy gave way to frustration over the intransigence of
armed groups. Hezbollah, however, refuses to adapt. It has already destroyed the
dreams and livelihoods of southern residents—demolishing their homes, uprooting
their families, and obliterating their communities. Now, it seeks to suppress
their growing dissent and punish them for questioning its grip over their lives.
This latest ploy is a desperate attempt to regain relevance after losing
political, military, and popular support. In 2006, Hezbollah used the same
tactics, manipulating Lebanon’s recovery efforts to tighten its control. But the
Lebanese people, particularly the Shiites of the south, now understand its
destructive schemes. They refuse to be pawns in a plan designed to serve Iran’s
interests at the expense of their safety and future.
Hezbollah’s actions reflect a suicidal strategy driven by the same twisted
ideology that glorifies martyrdom. From Hassan al-Sabbah's Assassins in the 12th
century to the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut, Iran and its proxies have
exploited this narrative to devastating effect. However, the Lebanese Shiites
are exhausted by these manipulations. They aspire for peace and prosperity, not
further destruction.
To rebuild Lebanon, Hezbollah must relinquish its weapons and abandon its
allegiance to Iran’s failed agenda. The Lebanese state, supported by the army,
the United Nations, and international allies, holds the key to restoring
stability. Only through cooperation and rejecting Hezbollah’s tyranny can the
south rebuild and reclaim its dignity.Hezbollah’s era of imposing its will
through fear and violence is crumbling. Southern residents, once coerced into
silence, are now rejecting its dominance. Their suffering has taught them the
cost of Hezbollah’s arrogance, and they are determined not to let their future
be dictated by a group that trades in blood and chaos.
For Lebanon to heal, Hezbollah must step aside. Mercy and justice demand that it
relinquishes its weapons, ends its oppressive grip, and allows the Lebanese
people to chart their own destiny free of foreign interference.
Hezbollah’s Bloody Hollywood Dramas and the Costly Gamble with Southerners’
Lives
Marwan Al-Amin/Facebook/January 26/2025
(Free translation from Arabic by: Elias Bejjani)
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/01/139495/
Today, 22 innocent southerners were killed and 140 others injured as a result of
Hezbollah’s manipulative and bloody theatrical plays that pit Lebanese citizens
against the Israeli army. More than one Hezbollah figure had promised that the
so-called “resistance” would escalate militarily on the 61st day of the
conflict. Yet, knowing full well that it is militarily incapable of confronting
Israel directly, Hezbollah incited the people to participate in this reckless
popular “parade.”
Hezbollah is fully aware that such provocative actions will not return people to
their land, nor will they achieve tangible gains. It also knows that these
actions will inevitably lead to casualties. But for Hezbollah, this is an
acceptable price to pay. It seeks to use this “smoke bomb” of popular
mobilization as a cover for its own military shortcomings and to stage a
morale-boosting spectacle for its supporters.
By refusing to hand over its weapons to the Lebanese Army and pushing people to
defy the army’s directives, Hezbollah weakens Lebanon’s official position,
undermines state authority, and transforms the south into a perpetual arena for
conflict. These actions serve neither Lebanon’s sovereignty nor its stability
but instead align with the interests of Hezbollah’s agenda and, paradoxically,
those of Israel.
If Hezbollah succeeds in circumventing the ceasefire agreement and clings to its
armed role, as it did after the July 2006 war, it will lay the groundwork for a
future war that will be even more devastating for the southerners and,
particularly, for the Shiite community. The September 2024 war was more
catastrophic for them than the July 2006 war, and if this trajectory continues,
the next conflict will exact an even heavier toll.
The path to a solution is clear and imposes no cost on the southerners—unlike
Hezbollah’s destructive options. It begins with Hezbollah abandoning its
military organization and transitioning into a political party like all other
political forces. This must be accompanied by the withdrawal of the Israeli army
from Lebanese territory and the launch of a reconstruction phase under the
auspices of the Lebanese state.
All other options pursued by Hezbollah are nothing but a gamble with people’s
lives. They exploit the southerners and their property as human barricades to
advance projects and policies that have nothing to do with their interests. It
is time for the people of the south, and all Lebanese, to reject this
manipulation and demand a future built on stability, sovereignty, and the rule
of law—not endless bloodshed and destruction.
White
House says Israel-Lebanon agreement extended to Feb. 18; talks on the return of
Lebanese prisoners in Israel to begin soon
LBCI/January 26/2025
The White House announced Sunday evening that the ceasefire agreement between
Lebanon and Israel, monitored by the United States, will continue to be in
effect until February 18, 2025 and the three countries will begin negotiations
for the return of Lebanese captured after October 7, 2023."
US says
ceasefire agreement between Lebanon, Israel to continue until February 18
Reuters/January 27, 2025
WASHINGTON: The US said on Sunday that the agreement between Lebanon and Israel
would remain in effect until Feb. 18, after Israel said on Friday it would keep
troops in the south beyond the Sunday deadline set out in a US-brokered
ceasefire that halted last year’s war with Hezbollah.
“The arrangement between Lebanon and Israel, monitored by the United States,
will continue to be in effect until February 18, 2025,” the White House said in
a statement. Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said in a statement
early on Monday that Lebanon confirmed it will continue to adhere to the
extended ceasefire agreement. Israeli forces killed 22 people in south Lebanon
on Sunday as a deadline for their withdrawal passed and thousands of people
tried to return to their homes in defiance of Israeli military orders, Lebanese
authorities said. Lebanon’s US-backed military, which reported one of its
soldiers among those killed by Israeli forces on Sunday, has accused Israel of
procrastinating in its withdrawal. The Hezbollah-Israel conflict was fought in
parallel with the Gaza war, and peaked in a major Israeli offensive that
uprooted more than a million people in Lebanon and left the Iran-backed group
badly weakened. Israel has not said how long its forces would remain in the
south, where the Israeli military says it has been seizing Hezbollah weapons and
dismantling its infrastructure. Israel said its offensive against Hezbollah
aimed to secure the return home of tens of thousands of Israelis who were forced
to leave homes at the border by Hezbollah rocket fire. Hezbollah opened fire in
support of its Palestinian ally Hamas at the start of the Gaza war on Oct. 8,
2023. The White House on Sunday also said the governments of Lebanon, Israel and
the US would begin negotiations for “the return of Lebanese prisoners captured
after October 7, 2023.”
Lebanon's Health Ministry: 22 killed, 124 Injured in Israeli attacks on South
Lebanon
LBCI/January 26/2025
The Public Health Emergency Operations Center of Lebanon's Health Ministry
announced that Israeli attacks during attempts by citizens to return to their
still-occupied towns have resulted in 22 killed, including six women, and 124
injured.
Among the injured are 12 women and a paramedic from the Islamic Risala Scout
Association of the Amal Movement, who was carrying out humanitarian rescue
duties. The ministry's updated toll includes nine children among the wounded.
The detailed breakdown of casualties by town is as follows:
- Aitaroun: 5 killed, 13 injured
- Houla: 3 killed, 22 injured
- Markaba: 4 killed, 12 injured
- Kfarkela: 4 killed, 21 injured
- Odaisseh: 1 killed, 15 injured
- Blida: 1 killed, 2 injured
- Dhayra: 1 soldier killed
- Meiss El Jabal: 3 killed, 12 injured
- Bani Haiyyan: 2 injured
- Maroun El Ras: 8 injured
- Bint Jbeil: 1 injured
- Aainata: 1 injured
- Wadi Al-Slouqi: 1 injured
- Beit Yahoun: 1 injured
- Chaqra: 1 injured
- Deir Mimas: 1 injured
- Rab El Thalathine: 2 injured
- Taybeh: 2 injured
- Yaroun: 7 injured
Israeli Fire Kills 22 as Aoun Says Lebanon’s Sovereignty
Non-negotiable
Beirut: Asharq Al Awsat/January 26/2025
Israeli troops opened fire in south Lebanon on Sunday, killing 22 residents and
a Lebanese soldier, health officials said as hundreds of people tried to return
to their homes on the deadline for Israel to withdraw. Lebanon's health ministry
said 22 people were killed and another 124 wounded in numerous locations in the
south, as a result of what it described as Israeli attacks on citizens while
they were trying to enter their still-occupied towns. Demonstrators, some of
them carrying Hezbollah flags, attempted to enter several villages in the border
area to protest Israel’s failure to withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon by
the 60-day deadline stipulated in a ceasefire agreement that halted the
Israel-Hezbollah war in late November. Israel has said that it needs to stay
longer because the Lebanese army has not deployed to all areas of southern
Lebanon to ensure that Hezbollah does not reestablish a military presence in the
area. The Lebanese army has said it cannot deploy until Israeli forces withdraw.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, addressing the people of southern Lebanon on
Sunday via the X social media platform, said that “Lebanon’s sovereignty and
territorial integrity are non-negotiable, and I am following up on this issue at
the highest levels to ensure your rights and dignity.” An Israeli military
spokesperson, in a post on X addressed to the people of south Lebanon, accused
Hezbollah of trying to "heat up the situation" and said the Israeli army would
"in the near future" inform them of places to which they can return. Hezbollah,
badly weakened by Israel during the war, has put the onus on the Lebanese state
to ensure Israel's withdrawal, describing Israel's failure to withdraw on time
as a violation of the agreement.
Death
Toll Rises as Displaced Return to Villages on Israeli Withdrawal Deadline
This is Beirut/January 26/2025
The death toll climbed on Sunday as displaced people attempted to return to
their homes in southern Lebanon, despite warnings from the Israeli army not to
approach border towns “until further notice.” The day marked the deadline for
Israel’s withdrawal under a truce deal that ended its recent conflict with
Hezbollah, but violence persisted in the region. The Ministry of Public Health’s
Emergency Operations Center announced in a statement that the Israeli forces’
attacks on citizens attempting to enter their still-occupied towns led to 22
fatalities, including 6 women, and 124 injuries, including 12 women and a
paramedic. Israeli shooting also killed a Lebanese Army (LAF) soldier and
wounded another after Israeli forces fired on them along the Marwahin-Dhayra
road in southern Lebanon, according to an LAF statement. Meanwhile, the Saudi
al-Arabiya TV reported that the Israeli army detained two young men in the town
of Hula. Displaced people returning to the town of Aita al-Shaab were confronted
with extensive destruction, with the National News Agency (NNA) reporting that
over 98% of homes had been leveled. Shelling and bombing operations had reduced
much of the town to rubble, leaving United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
patrols navigating streets destroyed by the attacks. On Sunday afternoon, the
Lebanese Army entered numerous towns across southern Lebanon, including Markaba,
Rab al-Thalathin, Hula, Mays al-Jabal and Aita al-Shaab, among others. The LAF
urged residents to avoid areas recently vacated by Israeli forces and to follow
military instructions. Amid the chaos, reports emerged of renewed violence in
Kfar Kila on the Bourj al-Moulouk road, where residents were injured in Israeli
gunfire. In Mays al-Jabal, an Israeli drone reportedly dropped two bombs near a
gathering of residents in the Mufailha area, west of the town. UNIFIL
reinforcements, including vehicles and bulldozers from the French battalion,
arrived in the Mufailha area, accompanied by LAF units, as residents continued
to return to the region.
It is worth noting that Sunday’s deadline marked the end of a 60-day withdrawal
period agreed upon in a ceasefire deal that took effect on November 27,
following a conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The agreement stipulated that
the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL would deploy in southern Lebanon as Israeli forces
withdrew.
Lebanese Citizens Return to Southern Villages Amid Israeli Violations
This is Beirut/January 26/2025
The 60-day ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel officially ended at 4
AM on Sunday, with Lebanese citizens beginning to return to the southern
villages. Despite the agreement, Israel has not fully withdrawn from several
areas in South Lebanon and carried out attacks against civilians attempting to
return to their towns, resulting in 15 deaths and 83 injuries. Residents of
southern border towns began their return on Sunday morning, undeterred by
Israeli warnings and ongoing military presence, particularly in villages and
hills in the eastern sector.
The President of the Lebanese Republic issued a statement addressing the people
of the South, emphasizing, “Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are
non-negotiable. I am following this issue at the highest levels to ensure your
rights and dignity. I share with you the joy of the triumph of justice and urge
you to exercise restraint and have confidence in the armed forces.”Since dawn,
gatherings of residents were observed at the entrances of villages in the
western and central sectors. Many reached safer neighborhoods in their towns,
with the Lebanese army actively working to ensure their security.
The Lebanese army urged residents earlier to avoid areas where Israeli forces
are still withdrawing and to follow military unit instructions to ensure their
safety. However, many civilians crossed on foot into towns such as Hula and Mays
al-Jabal. Reports claim the Israeli army fired warning shots, including machine
guns and shells, near these returning residents. Dozens of civilians from Hula
and Mays al-Jabal managed to reach the western parts of their towns, bypassing
Lebanese army checkpoints and roadblocks erected by Israeli bulldozers.
Residents of Mays al-Jabal had previously organized a collective return effort,
showing determination despite Israeli obstacles, including an earth barrier
constructed in Wadi al-Hujeir to block entry. Residents of Taybeh also attempted
to re-enter their town, while several individuals from Khiam successfully
returned. The Lebanese army reopened the Tyre-Bint Jbeil road for residents of
Aita al-Shaab, who insisted on returning to their village, according to Al-Nour
Radio. Before the ceasefire deadline, intense Israeli explosions were reported
in Kfar Kila and Mays al-Jabal, accompanied by drone activity over several areas
in southern Lebanon. UNIFIL forces offered to assist the Lebanese army in
implementing measures to protect civilians and reduce risks associated with the
movement of southern residents toward their border villages.
Ceasefire in question: Israel claims security justification for blocking
Lebanese civilians' return
LBCI/January 26/2025
The Israeli army claimed that its forces opened fire on Lebanese civilians
because they posed a threat to its soldiers, who were preventing residents from
returning to their towns. The army accused Hezbollah of preparing for what it
described as a "mass return attempt," asserting that Israeli forces would remain
in Lebanon until the Lebanese Army redeployed in several towns to ensure
security along the Israeli border and northern settlements. Amid developments
inside Lebanon, northern Israel witnessed increased aerial activity, with
military units deployed along the northern border and around border towns in
anticipation of potential escalation. During a security assessment meeting,
Israeli officials concluded that the situation in Lebanese towns under Israeli
presence would require several weeks—possibly extending beyond a month—to bring
under complete control.
The Israeli army argued that what it called "defiance marches" by Lebanese
civilians underscored the need for its continued presence in Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the Frontline Forum, a pro-military organization, announced its
support for the Israeli army's actions. Israel insists that its withdrawal from
Lebanon is contingent on the Lebanese Army's deployment, allowing displaced
residents to return to their homes. The Israeli government maintains that its
ongoing presence aligns with the ceasefire agreement terms.
Lebanese Army assists returning residents amid Israeli violations in South
Lebanon
LBCI/January 26/2025
The Lebanese Army announced in a statement that it continues to accompany
returning residents to southern border towns and stands by them in the face of
ongoing Israeli aggression. Acting in line with its national duty, the army
remains steadfast despite Israel’s persistent attacks targeting both civilians
and military personnel, which have resulted in a significant number of
casualties. The Israeli army has refused to comply with the ceasefire agreement
and withdraw from Lebanese territory. Meanwhile, Lebanese forces are advancing
their operations by entering and deploying across several southern towns,
ensuring a stable security environment for the returning residents. The army has
called on citizens to adhere to the guidance of military units to guarantee
their safety and facilitate a smooth return process. The Lebanese military
reaffirmed its commitment to closely monitoring the evolving situation in
coordination with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the
mechanism committee overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.
Lebanese Army on standby: South Lebanon residents confront
Israeli forces
LBCI/January 26/2025
At dawn, South Lebanon residents returned to their towns to verify Israel's
commitment to the ceasefire agreement, fully aware that the Israeli military had
seized every opportunity over the past 60 days to inflict destruction. In
Kfarkela, locals attempted to enter their town through the Marjayoun road, only
to find Israeli forces reinforcing their positions on the strategic Nabi Owaida
hill, citing its importance in protecting the nearby Metula settlement. Israeli
troops entrenched themselves within residential areas, deployed military
vehicles, and pointed their weapons at civilians. Despite the risks, residents
tried to advance into their town, but each attempt was met with gunfire. Waving
Hezbollah and Amal Movement flags alongside images of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,
the residents gathered—some determined to return to their land, others seeking
to send a message of steadfastness, and many showing solidarity with Kfarkela's
people. Criticism has emerged from southern communities toward those who
negotiated the ceasefire, questioning its effectiveness. In Markaba, residents
faced similar obstacles, with Israeli Merkava tanks blocking their entry and
opening fire. Meanwhile, in Houla, Israeli forces detained several Lebanese
citizens attempting to return to their homes. The toll of Israel's continued
occupation of Lebanese land has resulted in dozens of casualties, including
fatalities and injuries. Among the victims was an intelligence officer from the
Lebanese Army's Tyre division. Despite the ongoing violence, Lebanese MPs from
the Amal Movement and Hezbollah were present in the south, observing the
developments firsthand. The Lebanese Army, deployed at village entrances, sought
to prevent further civilian casualties by urging residents to remain cautious.
However, the army remains on high alert, ready to redeploy and take control of
the occupied villages as soon as Israeli forces withdraw, in accordance with the
ceasefire terms.
Dozens of Vehicles Brandishing Hezbollah Flags Parade
Through Gemmayzeh
This is Beirut/January 26/2025
Dozens of vehicles waving Hezbollah flags paraded through the heart of Gemmayzeh.
On social networks, many described this “parade,” organized at the end of the
60-day ceasefire agreement, as “provocative.”
UN Envoy: Conditions 'Not Yet in Place' for Safe Return of
Lebanese Citizens to South
Beirut: Asharq Al Awsat/January 26/2025
Conditions are 'not yet in place' for the safe return of Lebanese citizens to
southern Lebanon, according to a joint statement by the top UN official in
Lebanon and the chief of the UN peacekeeping mission to Lebanon on Sunday. They
said that the timelines set under the US-brokered ceasefire that halted last
year's war with Hezbollah were not met, urging recommitment from both Israel and
Lebanon. The statement comes after Israeli forces killed several people and
injured scores trying to return to homes in south Lebanon where Israeli troops
remained on the ground after a deadline for their withdrawal passed on Sunday.
“As seen tragically this morning, conditions are not yet in place for the safe
return of citizens to their villages along the Blue Line. Displaced communities,
already facing a long road to recovery and reconstruction, are therefore once
again being called on to exercise caution,” United Nations Special Coordinator
for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force
Commander Lt. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro said in the statement. “Compliance by both
parties with their obligations under the November Understanding and the full
implementation of resolution 1701 constitute the only way to bring closure to
the recent, dark chapter of conflict and open a new one, heralding security,
stability and prosperity on both sides of the Blue Line,” they said. “The United
Nations continues to engage all actors towards this end and remains ready to
support any action consistent with resolution 1701 and the efforts of the
Implementation Mechanism to achieve the objectives of the November
Understanding,” the statement said. “With so much at stake for both Lebanon and
Israel, recommitment is urgently needed from all sides,” it added.
Berri: Bloodshed in South Lebanon is ‘Urgent Call’ to
Compel Israel to Withdraw
Beirut: Asharq Al Awsat/January 26/2025
Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said that Sunday's bloodshed in
southern Lebanon “is a clear and urgent call for the international community to
act immediately.”Israeli forces in southern Lebanon on Sunday opened fire on
protesters demanding their withdrawal in line with a ceasefire agreement,
killing at least 22 and injuring 124, Lebanese health officials reported. The
dead included six women and a Lebanese army soldier, the Health Ministry said in
a statement. People were reported wounded in nearly 20 villages in the border
area. In remarks carried by the Lebanese media, Berri also said that the
international community should “compel Israel to withdraw from occupied Lebanese
territories.”Berri, whose Amal Movement party is allied with Hezbollah, served
as an interlocutor between the militant group and the US during ceasefire
negotiations.
Hezbollah hails 'day of glory' as Lebanese civilians return to South Lebanon
amid Israeli violations
LBCI/January 26/2025
Hezbollah released a statement describing the mass return of Lebanese civilians
to their villages in South Lebanon as a "day of glory" and a powerful display of
resilience, emphasizing that the people of resistance remain steadfast in
defending their homeland. In a statement, Hezbollah praised the unwavering
commitment of the Lebanese people to their land, asserting that their return,
carrying pictures of martyrs and resistance flags, embodies the highest meanings
of steadfastness, dignity, and victory. The group reiterated that since Israel's
withdrawal in 2000, the Lebanese people have continuously proven their role as
the true force behind every triumph, ensuring that no occupier can maintain a
foothold on Lebanese soil. Hezbollah underscored the strength of the
Lebanese people, stating that their will and determination serve as the most
formidable weapon in the fight against occupation. The statement referenced the
words of the late Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who described the
people's unity as an "unbeatable point of strength" against adversaries. The
group reaffirmed the significance of the "army, people, and resistance" formula,
highlighting it as a crucial deterrent against Israeli aggression and an
essential pillar of national defense. Hezbollah called on all Lebanese citizens
to stand in solidarity with the people of the south, emphasizing the importance
of national unity in securing Lebanon's sovereignty and independence.
Furthermore, Hezbollah urged the international community, particularly the
parties overseeing the ceasefire agreement, to take responsibility for Israel's
continued violations and to ensure its complete withdrawal from Lebanese
territory. The statement concluded with a tribute to the martyrs and the
wounded, acknowledging their sacrifices as the foundation of Lebanon's
liberation and continued resistance, reaffirming the nation's resolve to defend
its sovereignty and dignity.
Progress on UN Resolution 1701 Implementation
Natasha Metni Torbey/This is Beirut/January 26/2025
“Nothing is more certain than the impossible.” For years, this idea shaped
Lebanon's political and security landscape under Iranian dominance— the
impossible Israeli withdrawal, the impossible deployment of the Lebanese Army
along the border, and the impossible disarmament of Hezbollah. Today, in the
aftermath of the devastating war that erupted on October 7, 2023, and ultimately
weakened Hezbollah, the impossible has become a shared burden. This is
especially true now that the ceasefire enacted on November 27, 2024, to end
hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel has expired. The truce, born out of
intense negotiations, was largely contingent on the implementation of UN
Security Council Resolution 1701, adopted in 2006 after a previous war between
Israel and Hezbollah. After 60 days of relative calm, albeit disrupted by
Israeli violations, what progress has been made on this resolution? Which
provisions have been implemented so far, and which remain on hold?
Provisions Enforced Since the Ceasefire
Since the signing of the ceasefire agreement, several significant developments
have taken place, with the partial implementation of UN Resolution 1701 standing
out. Progress is ongoing, though uneven, including the deployment of the
Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in southern Lebanon, the Israeli withdrawal from
occupied territories, and the slow yet ongoing “passive” disarmament of
Hezbollah. Out of the 15,000 soldiers mandated by the resolution, between 6,000
and 8,000 LAF soldiers have been deployed along the border, including 1,500
recruits, according to a military source close to the dossier. The source adds
that more troops are expected to join “once funding for recruitment, training,
and equipment is secured,” but “over 10,000 requests remain pending due to
financial constraints.”The other option of mobilizing Army reservists has been
overlooked by the Lebanese government, suggests retired General Khalil Helou.
“We have thousands of trained reservists who are ready to be called up,” he
notes, before emphasizing that in 2006, following the adoption of UN Security
Council Resolution 1701 that ended the war between Hezbollah and Israel, the
Lebanese Army was able to mobilize 5,000 reservists.”
“Nonetheless, on the Lebanese side, the implementation of the ceasefire and, by
extension, Resolution 1701, has largely been respected,” affirms the
aforementioned source. By positioning forces in sensitive areas close to the
Israeli border, the Lebanese Army has achieved a near-return to order in regions
that were previously dominated by Hezbollah. “We are securing the area through
demining, inspections, road opening among other essential actions,” explains the
source. In this context, it is important to note that the Israelis have
withdrawn from the western sector (Tyre district) and Kfarchouba, while a
partial withdrawal has begun in the central sector of Bint Jbeil. However, the
eastern sector and the Shebaa area have yet to be freed. These measures are
complemented by Hezbollah’s “discreet” disarmament, with the group “unable to
withstand the Army’s security measures and, instead, gradually withdrawing from
the South,” notes the source. “The Lebanese Army does not hesitate to seize
weapons and destroy tunnels previously built by the pro-Iranian group in various
southern areas,” the source informs This is Beirut. Additionally, the monitoring
committee that convened on Wednesday “recognized the genuine efforts made by the
Lebanese side in advancing the implementation of Resolution 1701” and emphasized
that “the onus now falls on Israel.”
Remaining Measures to Be Implemented
Despite some “progress,” referred to earlier, several aspects of Resolution 1701
are still not fully implemented and remain a source of serious concern. One of
the key obstacles to full implementation of the resolution has long been
Hezbollah's refusal to disarm, justifying its stance with the need to protect
Lebanon from Israeli threats. While the Lebanese Army has made progress in
deploying to certain areas, Hezbollah continues to exert substantial military
and political control over southern Lebanon. “Its fighters are still present in
the region,” notes General Helou. However, the party's “hegemony” is no longer
the same, as it currently “yields” to the powerful force of recent developments.
Another significant challenge is the “slow deployment of the Lebanese Army” and
the “weak management” of the situation by the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
This situation is primarily marked by ongoing Israeli violations, which could be
further exacerbated by potential Hezbollah violations starting Sunday following
the expiration of the ceasefire. On the one hand, weapons and related equipment
may be funneled to Hezbollah through illegal crossings; on the other, the
ceasefire could be at risk due to UNIFIL's reluctance to assert its right to
employ proportional and graduated force when necessary. Without substantial
progress on Hezbollah's disarmament and the southern border control, and thus on
the full implementation of Resolution 1701, Lebanon will remain a hotbed of
major geopolitical tensions, with a constant risk of escalation.
The Codex Rabulensis (3/3)
Amine Jules Iskandar/This is Beirut/January 26/2025
https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/articles/1306883/the-codex-rabulensis-33
Codex Rabulensis, folio 7 R°, bearing an inscription personally authored by
Patriarch Peter III, dates to the year 1154. ©Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana.
Written in the year 586, the Codex Rabulensis features annotations by Maronite
patriarchs spanning from the 13th to the 15th century. Some are purely
explanatory, serving as captions for illustrations, while others range from
minor donations of olive oil to accounts of major historical events.
The Codex Rabulensis is a manuscript rich in history, similar to the layered
strata of an archaeological site. Written in the year 586, it features
annotations by Maronite patriarchs spanning from the 13th to the 15th century.
Figures such as Daniel III of Hadshit (1278–1282) and Simeon V of Hadat
(1492–1524), along with bishops and humble scribes, inscribed their writings
onto the folios of this renowned Syriac gospel.
The Era System
Like the monk Rabula, who marked the colophon with the month of Shvot (February)
in the year 897 of Alexander (586 AD), the Maronite patriarchs of Ilige and
later Qannoubine also adopted the Antiochene era. Rooted in the Antiochene
tradition, the Maronite Church identifies with this city and, by extension, the
Seleucid era, which began in 311–312 BC. This somewhat arbitrary starting point
was set in 305 BC by Seleucus following his reclaiming of Babylon. All Maronite
chronological records adhered to this system until the transition to the
Gregorian Christian calendar with the establishment of the Maronite College in
Rome in 1584.
Unlike other Christians in the East, the Maronites did not use the Hijri era,
which was often mentioned by the Jacobite Syriacs and the Nestorians, who
referred to it as Tayoyé. Before 1584, the Maronites used the Seleucid era,
sometimes referred to as D’Alexandros (of Alexander) or D’Yawnoyé (of the
Greeks). After this date, they began using the Christian era, which they
recorded as da Mchiho (of Christ), Mchihoyto (Christian), or Kristionto.
The Marginal Notes
The interventions of the Maronite patriarchs are primarily found on the painted
folios, in the margins of the Canons of Concordance. Some are purely
explanatory, serving as captions for illustrations, while others range from the
most trivial donations of olive oil to the most significant historical events.
These accurately dated texts mention the patriarchs Daniel III of Hadshit
(1278–1282), Jeremiah III of Dmalça (1282–1297), Jean XI of Gége (1404–1445),
Jacques III of Hadat (1445, 1468), Pierre VI of Hadat (1468–1492), and Siméon V
of Hadat (1492–1524).
On folio 2 recto, which presents Ammonius of Alexandria and Eusebius of
Caesarea, their names are inscribed in red in estranghelo square script: Amonios
Alexandroio and Ousebios Qosroio. However, at the bottom of the folio, a later
inscription appears in black ink and serto cursive script. This text in
Garshouné was added in the 15th century at the patriarchal monastery of
Qannoubine. Dated according to the Greek era, it reads:
On the date of the year 1771 (1460 AD), the wife of the Mqadam (chief) Qamar
(...), may Almighty God protect them, Amen, this blessed woman donated to the
monastery of Qannoubine, from her own money and property, the sum of 800 ducats.
Folio 14 recto depicts Christ enthroned. Its inscription, likely added at the
end of the 14th century, is unreadable, as it was scraped off by the knife of a
bookbinder. The text, a mix of Syriac and Garshouné, retains only the beginning
of each line:
(In the name) of God the Eternal (...) on the day of the feast of the Synod, in
the month of (...) Georges from the Village of Kfar (...) olives (…) bequeathed
(...) seventy-five olive saplings (...) from the village (...) and there was
(...) one thousand seven hundred ten (...) of Iskandar (Alexander) the Greek
(circa 1398–1399 AD) (...) son of (...) from the village of Bsharré (...) the
priest Sarguis from the village of Hadshit (...) the priest Moussa (Moses) from
the village of Bqoupha (...) the humble (miserable) among the clergy (...) in
the name of a priest from the village of Hadshit.
May God have mercy on (...) in this bequest ...
The triple arch on folio 6 verso represents the Second Canon. Its illustration
in the left margin, beneath Sophonias, was erased to make room for the text of
Patriarch Jeremiah of Dmalça (1282 and 1297), ally and protector of Bohemond
VII, Count of Tripoli. Caught in internal conflicts with his cousins from
Gibelet (Byblos), the Count was in great need of the Maronite Church’s
protection. To ensure its intercession on his behalf in Rome, Bohemond VII used
his influence to have Jeremiah elected to the patriarchal see. This is what the
Syriac text, written in estranghelo characters, reveals:
In the year 1590 of the Greeks (1279 AD), on the 9th of the month of Shvot
(February), I, the humble Jeremiah from the blessed village of Dmalça, came to
the monastery of Our Lady Saint Mary of Mayphouq, in the valley of Ilige, in the
land of Botroun, to Mor Petros, Patriarch of the Maronites. I was ordained by
his holy hands as Metropolitan of the monastery of Kaphtoun, which is located by
the river. I stayed there for some time; at that time, monks lived in the
monastery. They were Ezekiel, John, Monk Daniel, Monk Isaiah, Monk Joshua... and
Elias, Monk David, and the others, a total of thirty-two. After four years, the
king (Bohemond VII) of Gibelet (Byblos), along with the bishops, archpriests,
and hieromonks, summoned me and cast lots. It fell on me, and I was made
Patriarch at the holy monastery of Halat. Then I was sent to the great city of
Rome, leaving our brother, Bishop Theodore, to administer and shepherd the
flock.
The Fourth Canon on folio 7 verso also features a triple-arched composition. In
the middle of the left margin, the scene was erased to make room for the text of
Patriarch Peter III, who chose to write in cursive serto script. He wrote the
text in Garshouné:
In the year 1465 of the Greeks (1154 AD), on the 8th of the month of Ilûl
(September), the young monk Isaiah from the monastery of Qozhaya came to me,
Peter, Patriarch of the Maronites, seated on the throne of Antioch at the
convent of Our Lady of Mayphouq in the Valley of Ilige. I appointed him as the
superior of the monks of the convent of Saint John of Kûzvandû on the island of
Cyprus, in accordance with the letter he brought me, written by the monks
Gabriel, his companion Simon, the monk Habakkuk, and the monk Michael. To God be
the glory, Amen.
The Tenth Canon on folio 12 recto, framed by a triple arch, illustrates Judas’s
betrayal in the right margin and his suicide in the left. A later Maronite note
added a caption in Syriac, written in serto script, which states:
Judas Iscariot went and bought a rope, then hanged himself from a fig tree.
On folio 8 recto, the Fifth Canon features a composition with four arches. The
text on the right, written in Syriac, is attributed to Patriarch John VIII. His
handwriting—or that of his scribe—is skillfully executed in serto script. It
reads:
In the year 1550 (1239 AD), I, Petros (Peter being the patriarchal title),
Patriarch of the Maronites, seated on the throne of Antioch and known as John
from the village of Géjé, residing in the blessed monastery of Our Lady of
Mayphouq, was visited by my brother from the monastery of Kûzvandû (Cyprus),
named Qaso Mataï (Hieromonk Matthew), a venerable and chaste man. From me, he
received three hundred dinars and a vial of Myron (Holy Chrism) for the
monastery. He also took with him a book of the Mosaic Law (...), along with the
Law and the Book of Faith. To God be the glory, Amen.
The Tenth Canon contains passages from the New Testament that are reported only
by Saint Mark. Therefore, it requires just one numerical list for citation. This
explains its single-arched composition, found on folio 11 verso.
The small inscription on the left refers to a basin donated to the monastery.
The narrative is expanded in the inscription on the right and in the text, which
is divided into two columns under the arch. It is written in Garshouné:
In the year 1772 of the Greeks (1461 AD), Archpriest Georges and Archpriest
Hilel, who resided at the Hawqa Monastery, donated a large basin to the blessed
Monastery of Qannoubine, as an endowment through their work and efforts, leaving
it as a memorial of their part in this world and in the hereafter. May God bless
them. Amen. (...) Thus, this donation was fulfilled during the time of our
father, master, leader, crown, and administrator, Patriarch Mar Jacques, may God
bless him, and may he bless us by the grace of God. Amen.
Maronite notes are also found throughout the pages of text, often in the
margins, and typically concern acts of donation. However, they indirectly hold
historical value by referencing notable figures of the period. One such note,
from the early 16th century, mentions Pope Leo X, Patriarch Peter VI of Hadat,
Monk Francis of Jerusalem, and Mqadam (chief) Joseph. In the year 1827 of the
Greeks (1516 AD), the Pope of Rome (Leo X) sent to Patriarch Peter, son of
David, known as the Son of Hassan (Peter VI), from the village of Hadat, through
Monk Francis, Superior of Jerusalem and his interpreter, an altar cloth and an
embroidered glove (...), gold-embroidered liturgical garments (...), a chasuble
embroidered in gold and silver, two embroidered chapes, and a mitre inlaid with
pearls, three robes made of cloth, two others for Elias, son of Mqadam (chief)
Joseph, and ten robes made of cloth for the monks of the convent.
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on January 26-27/2025
Qatar: Deal reached to release Israeli hostage and allow Palestinians into
north Gaza
Agencies/January 27, 2025
DOHA/JERUSALEM: Mediator Qatar announced early Monday that an agreement has been
reached to release an Israeli civilian hostage and allow Palestinians to return
to northern Gaza, easing the first major crisis of the fragile ceasefire between
Israel and Hamas. Qatar’s statement said Hamas will hand over the civilian
hostage, Arbel Yehoud, along with two other hostages before Friday. And on
Monday, Israeli authorities will allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a statement said the
hostage release — which will include soldier Agam Berger — will take place on
Thursday, and confirmed that Palestinians can move north on Monday. Israel’s
military said people can start crossing on foot at 7 a.m. Under the ceasefire
deal, Israel on Saturday was to begin allowing Palestinians to return to their
homes in northern Gaza. But Israel put that on hold because of Yehoud, who
Israel said should have been released on Saturday. Hamas accused Israel of
violating the agreement. Netanyahu's office said that another six hostages would
be released in the coming week, after talks with Hamas. Three would be released
on Thursday and another three on Saturday, said a statement from his office.
Israeli Fire
Causes Casualties as Palestinians are Kept Out of North Gaza
Asharq Al Awsat/January 26/2025
A Palestinian man was killed and seven people were wounded by Israeli fire
overnight, local health officials said Sunday, as crowds gathered in hopes of
returning to the northern Gaza Strip under a fragile week-old ceasefire aimed at
winding down the war. Under the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, Israel on Saturday was
to begin allowing Palestinians to return to their homes in northern Gaza on foot
through the so-called Netzarim corridor bisecting the territory. Israel put the
move on hold until Hamas freed a hostage who Israel said was supposed to have
been released that day. The man was shot and two others were wounded late
Saturday, according to the Awda Hospital, which received the casualties. Another
five Palestinians, including a child, were wounded early Sunday in a separate
shooting, the hospital said. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli
military. Israel has pulled back from several areas of Gaza as part of the
ceasefire, which came into force last Sunday, but the military has warned people
to stay away from its forces, which are still operating in a buffer zone inside
Gaza along the border and in the Netzarim corridor. Hamas freed four young
female Israeli soldiers on Saturday, and Israel released some 200 Palestinian
prisoners, most of whom were serving life sentences after being convicted of
deadly attacks. But Israel said another hostage, the female civilian Arbel
Yehoud, was supposed to have been released as well, and that it would not open
the Netzarim corridor until she was freed. It also accused Hamas of failing to
provide details on the conditions of the hostages set to be freed in the coming
weeks. The United States, Egypt and Qatar, which mediated the ceasefire, were
working to address the dispute. The ceasefire reached earlier this month after
more than a year of negotiations is aimed at ending the 15-month war triggered
by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack and freeing scores of hostages still held in Gaza
in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Around 90 hostages are still
being held in Gaza, and Israeli authorities believe at least a third, and up to
half of them, were killed in the initial attack or died in captivity. The first
phase of the ceasefire runs until early March and includes the release of a
total of 33 hostages and nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The second — and
far more difficult — phase, has yet to be negotiated. Hamas has said it will not
release the remaining hostages without an end to the war, while Israel has
threatened to resume its offensive until Hamas is destroyed.
Israel
Names Spy Veteran as Top Finance Ministry Civil Servant
Asharq Al Awsat/January 26/2025
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday named Ilan Rom, a longtime
intelligence official, as the Finance Ministry's director general. As the
ministry's top civil servant, Rom will replace Shlomi Heisler, who said he was
stepping down this month after two years in the post for "urgent personal
reasons".Rom served 25 years at Israel's Mossad spy agency. For the last 2-1/2
years Rom was chief executive of Israel's largest regional council, Mateh
Binyamin. The ministry noted that at the council, he spearheaded significant
changes, focusing on economic development, including the accelerated planning
and development of five major industrial zones, Reuters reported. He also led a
deep economic efficiency initiative, achieving budgetary balance and
profitability in the council for the first time, even during wartime, the
ministry said. "The tasks before us are challenging. I intend to dedicate all my
efforts to the economic development of the state during this long and difficult
war to alleviate the cost of living and encourage growth engines," Rom said in a
statement referring to Israel's 15-month-old war against Palestinian militant
group Hamas in Gaza. Smotrich said Rom will use his experience to advance the
economy and financial system in Israel, promote growth and reduce bureaucratic
barriers. Rom enters the post at a time when Israel's economy has weakened due
to its military conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, with spending on the wars costing
some $25 billion in 2024 - leading to a wider budget deficit and debt burden and
leading to credit rating reductions by all three major agencies. Parliament has
given an initial nod to an austerity 2025 state budget but it still needs to
pass two more votes to become law. In the meantime, Israel is using a prorated
version of the 2024 budget.
Palestinian president condemns ‘any projects’ to displace Gazans
AFP/January 26, 2025
RAMALLAH: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas condemned on Sunday “any projects”
to relocate the people of Gaza outside the territory, after US President Donald
Trump suggested moving them to Egypt and Jordan. Without naming the US leader,
Abbas “expressed strong rejection and condemnation of any projects aimed at
displacing our people from the Gaza Strip,” a statement from his office said,
adding that the Palestinian people “will not abandon their land and holy
sites.”Trump, less than a week into his second term as president, said on
Saturday that he wanted Jordan and Egypt to take Palestinians from Gaza,
suggesting “we just clean out that whole thing.”The idea was swiftly rejected by
Jordan, while Egypt has previously spoken out against any suggestions that
Gazans could be moved there. In the statement issued by the Palestinian
presidency, based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Abbas said: “We will not
allow the repetition of the catastrophes that befell our people in 1948 and
1967.”The former is known to Palestinians as the Nakba, or “catastrophe,” when
hundreds of thousands were displaced during the war the coincided with Israel’s
establishment. The 1967 Arab-Israeli war, during which Israel conquered Gaza and
the West Bank, is known as the Naksa, or “setback,” and saw several hundred
thousand more displaced from those territories. Abbas also rejected what he
called “any policy that undermines the unity of the Palestinian land in the Gaza
Strip and the West Bank, including east Jerusalem.”He called on Trump to
“continue his efforts to support” the ceasefire in Gaza that began on January 19
and said the Palestinian Authority remained ready to take on the governance of
the war-battered territory.
Trump
Wants Jordan, Egypt to Accept More Refugees and Floats Plan to 'Just Clean Out'
Gaza
Asharq Al Awsat/January 26/2025
US President Donald Trump said Saturday he’d like to see Jordan, Egypt and other
Arab nations increase the number of Palestinian refugees they are accepting from
the Gaza Strip — potentially moving out enough of the population to “just clean
out” the war-torn area to create a virtual clean slate.
During a 20-minute question-and-answer session with reporters aboard Air Force
One on Saturday, Trump also said he's ended his predecessor’s hold on sending
2,000-pound bombs to Israel. That lifts a pressure point that had been meant to
reduce civilian casualties during Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza that is now
halted by a tenuous ceasefire. “We released them today," Trump said of the
bombs. “They’ve been waiting for them for a long time." Asked why he lifted the
ban on those bombs, Trump responded, “Because they bought them.”Trump has built
his political career around being unapologetically pro-Israel. On his larger
vision for Gaza, Trump said he had call earlier in the day with King Abdullah II
of Jordan and would speak Sunday with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt.
“I’d like Egypt to take people,” Trump said. “You’re talking about probably a
million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing and say, ‘You
know, it’s over.’”Trump said he complimented Jordan for having successfully
accepted Palestinian refugees and that he told the king, “I’d love for you to
take on more, cause I’m looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now, and it’s a
mess. It’s a real mess.”Such a drastic displacement of people would openly
contradict Palestinian identity and deep connection to Gaza. Still, Trump said
the part of the world that encompasses Gaza, has “had many, many conflicts” over
centuries. He said resettling “could be temporary or long term,” The Associated
Press reported.
“Something has to happen," Trump said. “But it’s literally a demolition site
right now. Almost everything’s demolished, and people are dying there.” He
added: “So, I’d rather get involved with some of the Arab nations, and build
housing in a different location, where they can maybe live in peace for a
change.”
There was no immediate comment from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's
office. Trump has offered non-traditional views on the future of Gaza in the
past. He suggested after he was inaugurated on Monday that Gaza has “really got
to be rebuilt in a different way."The new president added then, “Gaza is
interesting. It’s a phenomenal location, on the sea. The best weather, you know,
everything is good. It’s like, some beautiful things could be done with it, but
it’s very interesting."
Trump suggests his plan for Gaza Strip is to ‘clean out
the whole thing’
Betsy Klein and Lex Harvey, CNN/January 26, 2025
President Donald Trump indicated Saturday that he had spoken with the king of
Jordan about potentially building housing and moving more than 1 million
Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring countries, a remarkable proposal from a
sitting US president. Trump said he asked Jordan’s Abdullah II, a key US partner
in the region, to take in more Palestinians in a Saturday phone call.
“I said to him that I’d love you to take on more, because I’m looking at
the whole Gaza Strip right now and it’s a mess, it’s a real mess,” he told
reporters aboard Air Force One. Jordan’s state news agency, Petra, reported the
call with Trump, but made no mention of relocating Palestinians. The kingdom is
already home to more than 2.39 million registered Palestinian refugees,
according to the UN. Trump said he would like both Jordan and Egypt — which
borders the battered enclave — to house people, and that he would speak to
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi about the matter Sunday.
Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a Sunday statement that it
rejects any forced displacement of Palestinians. The ministry did not
specifically mention Trump, but reiterated Egypt’s position against “the
displacement of Palestinians from their land through forced eviction.”“Such
actions threaten stability, risk extending the conflict further in the region,
and undermine opportunities for peace and coexistence,” the statement continued.
Trump, who noted there have been centuries-long conflicts in the region, said
Saturday, “You’re talking about a million and a half people, and we just clean
out that whole thing.”He continued: “I don’t know, something has to happen, but
it’s literally a demolition site right now. Almost everything’s demolished, and
people are dying there, so I’d rather get involved with some of the Arab nations
and build housing in a different location where I think they could maybe live in
peace for a change.”The president, a former property developer, said the
potential housing “could be temporary” or “could be long term.”Amit Segal, an
analyst with Israeli network Channel 12 News, cited Israeli officials and
reported the move was “not a slip of the tongue but part of a much broader move
than it seems, coordinated with Israel.”A source familiar with the matter
confirmed the reporting to CNN but gave no further details. CNN has reached out
to the US State Department for comment.
Comments mark break with US policy
Trump’s comments come 15 months into the war between Israel and Hamas, which has
reduced much of Gaza to rubble. Israeli airstrikes have damaged or destroyed
around 60% of buildings, including schools and hospitals, and around 92% of
homes, according to the UN. Approximately 90% of Gaza residents have been
displaced, and many have been forced to move repeatedly, some more than 10
times, according to the UN. Trump’s comments appear to break with decades of US
foreign policy, which has long emphasized a two-state solution for Israel and
Palestine. There has long been a fear in the region that Israel wants to push
Palestinians out of Gaza into neighboring countries — a premise Israel rejects
but one supported by far-right factions of its governing coalition. El-Sisi
criticized Israel’s move to evacuate more than a million residents from northern
Gaza in October 2023, characterizing it as part of a larger plan to rid the
entire area of Palestinians. “The displacement or expulsion of Palestinians from
the (Gaza) Strip into Egypt simply means that a similar situation will also take
place — namely the expulsion of Palestinians from the West Bank to Jordan,” Sisi
said, adding there would be no point in discussing a Palestinian state, as “the
land will be there, but the people won’t.”Around the same time, King Abdullah
called the idea of more Palestinian refugees moving to Jordan or Egypt a “red
line.”Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, said Palestinians “will not accept
any proposals or solutions” from Trump on leaving their homeland, even if they
are “seemingly well-intentioned under the guise of reconstruction.” Dr. Mustafa
Barghouti, an independent Palestinian politician, said he “completely rejected”
Trump’s comments.
“What the occupation has failed to achieve through its criminal bombardment and
genocide in Gaza will not be implemented through political pressures,” Barghouti
said in a statement, adding, “The conspiracy of ethnic cleansing will not
succeed in Gaza or the West Bank.”There are some 5.9 million Palestinian
refugees worldwide, most of them descendants of people who fled with the
creation of Israel in 1948. Upon taking office Monday, Trump rescinded Biden-era
sanctions against Israeli settlers deemed responsible for deadly violence in the
occupied West Bank, in a move welcomed by Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel
Smotrich, who has argued strenuously for Israel to reestablish Jewish
settlements in Gaza abandoned under an Israeli order in 2005. Smotrich quickly
endorsed Trump’s latest comments, saying, “the idea of helping (Gazans) find
other places to start new, better lives is a great idea.”Trump said earlier in
the week that he “might” be able to have a role in rebuilding Gaza, praising it
as having a “phenomenal location, on the sea” and “the best weather.”The
comments echoed remarks made in 2024 by his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who called
the waterfront property in Gaza “very valuable” and suggested Israel should move
Palestinians out of Gaza and “clean it up.”Trump also confirmed he had lifted a
Biden-era hold on the provision of 2,000-pound bombs for Israel. “We released
them today and they’ll have them. They paid for them and they’ve been waiting
for them for a long time,” he told reporters.
Netanyahu: France Assures Israel its Firms Can Take Part
in Paris Air Show
Asharq Al Awsat/January 26/2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Sunday that French
President Emmanuel Macron had given him assurances that Israeli companies would
be able to take part in the Paris Air Show.The two had a phone conversation
during which the assurance was given, Reuters quoted a statement by the prime
minister's office as saying. Separately, Macron's office said in a statement
that the presence of Israeli companies at the air show "could be favorably
considered, as a result of the ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon."
Israeli defense companies were last year banned from participating in a defense
industry exhibition held in Paris as Macron called for Israel to cease some
military operations in Gaza. That ban strained relations, but a French court in
October overturned a government ban on Israeli companies taking part in a naval
arms exhibition near Paris. The Paris Air Show, the world's largest, is held
every two years, alternating every other year with Farnborough in Britain. It is
due to take place from June 16 until June 22. Leading aerospace, aviation and
defense companies from around the world typically take part in both events.
A ceasefire agreement reached this month between Israel and Palestinian militant
group Hamas, which it has been fighting in Gaza, remains in effect, as does
another truce agreement struck last year between Israel and Hezbollah.
Jordan Says its Stance Against Displacement of Palestinians Remains ‘Firm’
Asharq Al Awsat/January 26/2025
Amman rejected on Sunday a suggestion by US President Donald Trump that Jordan
and Egypt take more Palestinians from war-ravaged Gaza. Jordanian Foreign
Minister Ayman Safadi told reporters that the country's stance against any
displacement of Palestinians from Gaza remains "firm and unwavering.”
Trump, who took office on Jan. 20, said on Saturday after a call with Jordan's
King Abdullah: "I said to him I'd love you to take on more because I'm looking
at the whole Gaza Strip right now and it's a mess, it's a real mess. I'd like
him to take people.” "I'd like Egypt to take people," Trump told reporters.
Such a drastic displacement of people would openly contradict Palestinian
identity and deep connection to Gaza. Still, Trump said the part of the world
that encompasses Gaza, has “had many, many conflicts” over centuries. He said
resettling “could be temporary or long term.”
Arab League Condemns Attack on Saudi Hospital, Arson at Oil Refinery in Sudan
Beirut: Asharq Al Awsat/January 26/2025
Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said that Sunday's bloodshed in
southern Lebanon “is a clear and urgent call for the international community to
act immediately.” Israeli forces in southern Lebanon on Sunday opened fire on
protesters demanding their withdrawal in line with a ceasefire agreement,
killing at least 22 and injuring 124, Lebanese health officials reported. The
dead included six women and a Lebanese army soldier, the Health Ministry said in
a statement. People were reported wounded in nearly 20 villages in the border
area.
In remarks carried by the Lebanese media, Berri also said that the international
community should “compel Israel to withdraw from occupied Lebanese territories.”
Berri, whose Amal Movement party is allied with Hezbollah, served as an
interlocutor between the militant group and the US during ceasefire
negotiations.
Displaced Gazans Mass at Israeli Barrier Waiting to Reach
North
Asharq Al Awsat/January 26/2025
A vast crowd of Gazans massed near an Israeli military barrier preventing them
from heading to their homes in the north on Sunday amid a row between Hamas and
Israel over the terms of their ceasefire deal. Aerial
footage from AFPTV showed the crowd fanning out for hundreds of meters from a
junction on a coastal road in the Nuseirat area and spilling onto a nearby
beach. Dotted among the crowd were water tankers, ambulances, donkey carts, TV
crews and their vehicles, and dozens of tents in which displaced Gazans sat and
waited for permission to continue their journey. AFP
journalists at the scene said the mass of people stretched for three kilometers
(1.9 miles) along Al-Rashid Road, with Gaza police preventing civilians from
getting close to the Israelis, whose jets and drones flew overhead.
A few kilometers inland, hundreds of Palestinian families were waiting
next to their cars in a long traffic jam on Salah al-Din Street, with everything
they owned piled in great mounds atop their vehicles and strapped down tight.
"Tens of thousands of displaced people are waiting near the Netzarim Corridor to
return to the northern Gaza Strip," Gaza civil defense agency spokesman Mahmud
Bassal told AFP, with Israel refusing to allow them through in a dispute over a
hostage release. Ismail al-Thawabtah, director general of the government media
office in Hamas-run Gaza, also said there were tens of thousands waiting at the
junction. He put the total number of Gazans wanting to
return to the north at "between 615,000 and 650,000", with two-thirds of them
likely to use the coastal road. The Netzarim Corridor
is a seven-kilometer strip of land militarized by Israel that bisects the Gaza
Strip from the Israeli border to the Mediterranean Sea. The corridor cuts off
the north from the rest of the territory. Israel and
Hamas have accused each other of violating the terms of the ceasefire, which
began a week ago. As part of the deal, Israel was due to let displaced Gazans
cross the corridor and return to their homes, with Hamas officials saying this
would happen on Saturday. Israel, however, accused Hamas of reneging on the deal
by not releasing hostage Arbel Yehud on Saturday. Yehud was one the 251 hostages
seized during the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war. As a
civilian woman, Yehud "was supposed to be released" as part of the second
hostage-prisoner swap under the truce deal, a statement from the office of Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. "Israel will not allow the passage of Gazans
to the northern part of the Gaza Strip until the release of civilian Arbel
Yehud... is arranged," it added. Two Hamas sources told AFP on Saturday that
Yehud was "alive and in good health", with one source saying she would be
"released as part of the third swap set for next Saturday", on February 1.
Hamas on Sunday said Israel blocking returns to the north amounted to a
truce violation, adding it has provided "all the necessary guarantees" for
Yehud's release. On the other side of the corridor in north Gaza was Bashar
Naser, a 28-year-old from Jabalia, who had been waiting for his relatives since
early morning. "We want to welcome them and
celebrate... this is a great joy."
Iran's weakening will not harm Iraq, deputy parliament
speaker says
Timour Azhari/BAGHDAD (Reuters)/January 26, 2025
Iraq will not be negatively affected by the weakening of Iran's influence in the
Middle East, Iraq's deputy parliament speaker said, with Baghdad looking to
chart its own diplomatic path in the region and limit the power of armed groups.
Mohsen al-Mandalawi spoke to Reuters in a recent interview after seismic shifts
in the Middle East that have seen Iran's armed allies in Gaza and Lebanon
heavily degraded and Syria's President Bashar al-Assad overthrown by rebels.
U.S. President Donald Trump's new administration has promised to pile more
pressure on Tehran, which has long backed a number of parties and an array of
armed factions in Iraq. Iraq, a rare ally of both Washington and Tehran, is
trying to avoid upsetting its fragile stability and focus on rebuilding after
years of war. "Today, we have stability. Foreign companies are coming to Iraq,"
said Mandalawi, himself a businessman with interests in Iraqi hotels, hospitals
and cash transfer services. "Iraq has started to take on its natural role among
Arab states. Iran is a neighbour with whom we have historical ties. Our
geographical position and our relations with Arab states are separate matters,"
he said, speaking at his office in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone, home to
government institutions and foreign embassies. "I don't think that the weakening
of Iran will negatively impact Iraq." Mandalawi is a
member of Iraq's ruling Shi'ite Coordination Framework, a grouping of top
politicians seen as having close ties with Iran, and heads the Asas coalition of
lawmakers in parliament. Iraq's balancing act between Tehran and Washington has
been tested by Iran-backed Iraqi armed groups' attacks on Israel and on U.S.
troops in the country after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7,
2023. That has led to several rounds of tit-for-tat strikes that have since been
contained. During Trump's first 2017-2021 presidency, ties were tense after the
U.S. assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and top Iraqi militia
commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in Baghdad in 2020, leading to an Iranian
ballistic missile attack on U.S. forces in Iraq. In
recent months, ahead of Trump taking office again, there have been growing calls
in Iraq to limit the role of Iran-backed armed factions.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told Reuters in an interview earlier
this month that Iraq was trying to persuade armed factions allied with Iran to
lay down their arms. Mandalawi said he believed such a move would take time but
it was possible given a shift in focus on growing political and economic
interests.
"Limiting arms to the state is important and I hope that it will be
implemented," he said.
Iran's foreign minister meets the Taliban in the first
visit to Kabul in 8 years
The Canadian Press/January 26, 2025
Top Taliban officials met Iran’s foreign minister on Sunday to discuss tensions
along their shared border, the treatment of Afghan refugees in Iran and water
rights. It was the first visit by an Iranian foreign minister to the Afghan
capital since 2017. Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said Iran was committed to
the return of some 3.5 million Afghan refugees and had no intention of
interfering in its neighbor’s domestic politics, according to a statement from
the Afghan government’s deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat. He also called for
the full implementation of the Helmand River water treaty, which envisions
shared water resources, the statement said. Acting
Prime Minister Hassan Akhund asked Iran to treat Afghan refugees with respect
and said it was not feasible to manage a large-scale repatriation within a short
period. He also said incidents such as the execution of Afghans in Iran provoked
public sentiment. Aragchi also met Afghanistan's foreign minister, Amir Khan
Muttaqi, and Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob. Earlier Sunday, Iran’s official
IRNA news agency quoted Aragchi as saying he hoped for more economic ties and
improved relations with Afghanistan, citing some “ups and downs.”Iran doesn’t
formally recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan, which seized power in
2021 as U.S. and NATO forces withdrew from the country following two decades of
war. But Tehran maintains political and economic ties with Kabul and has allowed
the Taliban to manage Afghanistan’s embassy in Iran's capital.
Türkiye Urges Iraq to Foster Positive Relations with Syria’s New Leadership
Asharq Al Awsat/January 26/2025
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is on an official visit to Baghdad on
Sunday to hold discussions with senior Iraqi officials on bilateral ties and
regional and international developments. During this visit, his fourth to Iraq
since assuming office in June 2023, Fidan will meet with his Iraqi counterpart,
Fuad Hussein, as well as Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, Speaker of
Parliament Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani, and President Abdul Latif Rashid.
According to sources within the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the
agenda will cover key issues related to the growing relationship between the
neighboring countries, which has seen significant progress over the past three
years, alongside current regional developments.
Sources indicated that Fidan will emphasize his country’s commitment to further
strengthening its ties with Iraq based on a positive agenda and an institutional
framework. He will stress the activation of various cooperation mechanisms
established during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Iraq on April 22,
2024. Fidan will also underscore Türkiye’s recognition of the importance of
maintaining Iraq’s stability and security for the broader region, and its
support for the Iraqi government’s efforts to counter the adverse effects of
Israeli aggression and developments in Syria on Iraq’s stability.
Fidan is expected to advocate for constructive dialogue and neighborly
relations between Baghdad and Syria’s new administration, emphasizing that such
an approach would benefit both countries and the wider region.
The minister is also set to convey Türkiye’s expectations that Iraq officially
designate the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as a “terrorist organization” and
take necessary steps to fully eliminate its presence within Iraqi territory.
On security and counterterrorism cooperation between Ankara and Baghdad,
sources stated that Fidan will express satisfaction with the growing
understanding between the two countries in these areas. He will highlight
Ankara’s approval of Iraq’s official stance on the PKK and its anticipation that
Baghdad will declare the party a terrorist organization and eradicate its
presence entirely. Türkiye continues its military
operations against PKK militants in northern Iraq. Ankara and Baghdad have
agreed to coordinate their efforts against the group through a memorandum of
understanding on military and security cooperation and counterterrorism. This
agreement was signed by Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Güler and his Iraqi
counterpart Thabit Al-Abbasi during the fourth meeting of the High-Level
Security Cooperation Mechanism in Ankara last August.
Fidan’s discussions will also address ways to enhance trade relations with Iraq,
one of Türkiye’s most important economic partners, with a trade volume of $20
billion. He will call for the removal of artificial barriers to bilateral trade
and reaffirm his country’s support for the strategic “Development Road” project,
while emphasizing efforts to expedite its implementation.
Syria monitor says 35 people summarily executed in three
days
AFP/January 27, 2025
DAMASCUS: Fighters affiliated with Syria’s new Islamist leaders have carried out
35 summary executions over 72 hours, mostly of Assad-era officers, a war monitor
said Sunday. The authorities, installed by the rebel forces that toppled
longtime president Bashar Assad last month, said they had carried out multiple
arrests in the western Homs area over unspecified “violations.”Official news
agency SANA said the authorities on Friday accused members of a “criminal group”
who used a security sweep to commit abuses against residents, “posing as members
of the security services.”
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said that “these arrests follow
grave violations and summary executions that had cost the lives of 35 people
over the past 72 hours.”It also said that “members of religious minorities” had
suffered “humiliations.”Most of those executed are former officers in the
toppled Assad government who had presented themselves in centers set up by the
new authorities, according to the Britain-based monitor with a network of
sources inside Syria. “Dozens of members of local
armed groups under the control of the new Sunni Islamist coalition in power who
participated in the security operations” in the Homs area “have been arrested,”
the Observatory said. It added that these groups
“carried out reprisals and settled old scores with members of the Alawite
minority to which Bashar Assad belongs, taking advantage of the state of chaos,
the proliferations of arms and their ties to the new authorities.”The
Observatory listed “mass arbitrary arrests, atrocious abuse, attacks against
religious symbols, mutilations of corpses, summary and brutal executions
targeting civilians,” which it said showed “an unprecedented level of cruelty
and violence.”Civil Peace Group, a civil society organization, said in a
statement that there had been civilian victims in multiple villages in the Homs
area during the security sweep.The group “condemned the unjustified violations”
including the killing of unarmed men. Since seizing power, the new authorities
have sought to reassure religious and ethnic minorities in Syria that their
rights would be upheld. Members of Assad’s Alawite
minority have expressed fear of retaliation over abuses during his clan’s
decades in power.
EU May Suspend Syria Sanctions on Energy and Transport
Asharq Al Awsat/January 26/2025
The European Union may soon suspend sanctions on Syria related to energy and
transport but has yet to agree on whether to ease restrictions on financial
transactions, according to three diplomats and a document seen by Reuters.
EU foreign ministers will discuss the matter at a meeting in Brussels on
Monday. The bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told Reuters on Wednesday
she hopes a political agreement on easing the sanctions can be reached at the
gathering. Europe’s approach to Damascus began to
shift after Bashar al-Assad was ousted as president in December by Hayat Tahrir
al-Sham (HTS), which the United Nations designates as a terrorist group.
Officials see transport as key for helping Syria’s airports become fully
operational, which in turn could facilitate the return of refugees. Energy and
electricity are similarly seen as important for improving living conditions to
help stabilize the country and encourage citizens to come back.
According to an EU document seen by Reuters, diplomats from the bloc's 27
members recommended taking swift action towards suspending the restrictions "in
sectors necessary for economic stabilization and launch of economic
reconstruction of Syria, such as those regarding energy and transport”.
The diplomats, who are part of a group that negotiates the EU’s foreign
policy positions on issues related to the Middle East and North Africa, also
recommended “assessing options for reopening banking and investment relations
with Syria”. “The easing of EU restrictive measures
would be rolled out in a staged approach and in a reversible manner, regularly
assessing if the conditions in Syria allow for further suspension,” the
diplomats wrote, pointing to the need for respect for fundamental freedoms and
an inclusive transition. The wording of the document
represents a compromise among EU capitals. Some governments want to move quickly
to suspend sanctions, while others prefer a more careful and gradual approach to
ensure Europe retains leverage. If a political
agreement is announced on Monday, European officials would proceed to work on
the technical details of a suspension. A number of
sanctions should remain in place, according to the document, including measures
related to the Al-Assad regime, illicit drug trade and arms trade.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on January 26-27/2025
Ignore the Distortion!
Tariq Al-Homayed/Asharq Al Awsat/January 26/2025
Yes, focus on the big picture. Don’t limit yourself to a part of it, because the
region is indeed changing. Actions, not words, are behind these shifts. Prince
Faisal bin Farhan’s visit to Beirut last week was the first by a Saudi Foreign
Minister in fifteen years.Saudi Arabia had not boycotted the country. Rather, it
was sending a message: "We will come back if the state returns, or if the
Lebanese take serious steps toward reviving the state." That is the case today
with President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the helm, a
prospect that once seemed nearly impossible.
On Friday, Prince Faisal bin Farhan visited Damascus for the first time since
Bashar al-Assad was deposed. His meeting with Ahmad al-Sharaa was a signal that
Riyadh has brought a renewed Damascus back into the fold of the Arab world and
the international community, crowning previous meetings in Riyadh that followed
Assad's escape.Last Thursday, meanwhile, Iran's Vice President for Strategic
Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif took a subtle jab at Hamas, accusing the group of
sabotaging talks for a nuclear deal with the United States and the West.
Interviewed at Davos, Zarif claimed that Iran had not had prior knowledge of the
October 7 attack and that Tehran had been planning to meet with the Americans on
October 9, 2023, to discuss a nuclear deal before the attack derailed the talks.
Zarif added that Iran's allies in the region, including Hamas, had always served
their own interests, even if it meant undermining Iran's, as he put it. His
claims contradict everything that Iran's Supreme Leader has said about the
attack and the messages of gratitude that Hamas has sent Iran, but that's
another story.
Accordingly, everything is changing. Indeed, Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad
Hassan Al-Shaibani explained that his country will model its future on Singapore
and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. For his part, Riyadh’s foreign minister declared
his country’s support for Damascus and its recovery efforts.
Also in Davos, Prince Faisal bin Farhan said that the new administration in
Syria “is saying the right things in private and in public, doing a lot of the
right things” and that it is open to working with the international community to
move in the right direction. “Saudi Arabia has a great desire and a decisive
intention to cooperate and deal with Syria in a responsive manner," he added.
With regard to “saying the right things,” an informed Arab source told me that
Damascus told the Arab League delegation that recently visited Syria that “We
are neither the Arab Spring, nor ISIS, nor Al-Qaeda, nor the Muslim
Brotherhood,” because they have all failed.
We should also recall that Ahmad Al-Sharaa congratulated President Trump on his
victory, characterizing Trump as a man capable of ensuring peace in the region.
Al-Sharaa was telling Trump, “I am a partner in Syria.”
All of this is happening as Trump returns to the White House. He wants to bring
peace to the region, curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and reclassify the Houthis
as a terrorist organization. All of that tells us that the region is changing,
and we must be active partners in that process.
We must remember: if you launch the arrow, don’t just watch; keep pushing, keep
up the momentum, and always remember that politics is the art of the possible.
We must seize the moment instead of engaging with resistance pretenders and the
axis of destroying states.
How to Find Order in a Chaotic New World
The New York Times/January 26/2025
The world appears to be sliding toward greater chaos. The number and intensity
of conflicts increased significantly in the past year, with wars in the Middle
East, Europe and Africa. At the same time, uncertainty over economic policy has
reached the highest levels since the pandemic, just as trade tensions loom.
Mixed with this is the rapid advancement of frontier technologies — most
notably, generative AI — that offer the potential for economic gains but are
fast becoming a front line of misinformation and competition among nations.
Discontent with the existing global system has made the disruption worse. As a
result, the once relatively stable order that was in place for a quarter century
after the end of the Cold War — a system marked by reflexive collaboration in
security, economic and environmental crises — has passed.
The global landscape of today is less predictable and more chaotic. But it
doesn’t have to be less collaborative. Countries must embrace what I like to
call disordered cooperation. Leaders should find ways to work with competitors.
Countries should band together, joined by relevant parties, including
corporations when it makes sense, to tackle big problems.
The world is staring at a series of grave challenges. Last year was the
hottest on record. The global economy is on course for weak growth. Conflict has
forcibly displaced over 122 million people around the globe. Renewed concerns
about the spread of respiratory viruses are rising in both the United States and
China.
These headwinds are borderless and can be addressed only through global
cooperation — among allies and adversaries alike.
Though it may seem unlikely, collaboration in today’s climate is possible.
Research by the World Economic Forum, which holds its annual meeting in Davos,
Switzerland, and McKinsey & Company finds that while global cooperation has
stalled over the past three years, it is still progressing in several areas —
notably the environment, health and innovation, albeit not as much as needed to
achieve global goals. The takeaway is that cooperation can take place in periods
of disruption and when distrust is high, as leaders work together in some areas
and compete in others.
This means that we may see the United States and China, while competing
fiercely, find new opportunities for cooperation in areas such as pandemic
prevention and addressing the rise of cybercrime. Perhaps there is a chance they
could reach a compromise on trade issues in a way that benefits both.
History has also shown that adversaries can collaborate. Famously, the United
States and the Soviet Union cooperated during World War II, with America
offering billions of dollars’ worth of armaments to the Soviet Union under the
Lend-Lease Act. And at the height of the Cold War, both sides worked together on
issues of global importance, such as the depletion of the atmosphere’s ozone
layer, controls on arms testing and production, and the eradication of smallpox.
While lessons from previous periods are instructive, it would be a mistake to
try to replicate the architecture of the past. The longstanding post-Cold War
order was indeed largely stable and cooperative, but it was Western-led and
increasingly not representative of the needs of other countries, particularly
those in the developing world. That groups such as BRICS, a collaboration of
emerging-market nations, are expanding and advocating change to the
international system is a testament to a desire to rethink how cooperation is
constructed. Even the United Nations itself has called for reforming
multilateral institutions to make them more representative and responsive — a
powerful sign that new approaches are needed. Today,
cooperation cannot be grounded in one institution or be singular in approach. It
must be adaptive. At a practical level, large multilateral institutions such as
the United Nations should help set agendas, but smaller networks of companies
and countries that collaborate on advancing global priorities should
increasingly help deliver results.
Some may argue that election results in 2024 — a year in which governing parties
in many developed economies lost vote share — mean that electorates are looking
to turn their back on global approaches. But the election results did not
reflect a widespread global shift to either the left or the right, but rather
showed widespread disapproval with incumbents and the entrenched ways of doing
things. The message was that people are looking for new and more effective
solutions to the challenges they are facing — something that can happen only
through cooperation. As new governments enter office at the start of the year,
leaders seeking to serve their citizens should ask themselves not whether they
should cooperate with others, but how. Finding ways to work together in today’s
more unsettled environment, even by taking a less ordered approach, is the only
way to deliver the results people are looking for.
Syria sends a message to the West
Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Asharq AlAwsat/January 26, 2025
The flurry of foreign ministers rushing to visit Damascus and meet with Ahmad
Al-Sharaa, the general commander of the military operation that ousted Bashar
Assad, received an unlikely addition on Friday: Belarus’ Maxim Ryzhenkov. One
might look at this visit the same way one looked at the visits of the German or
Norwegian foreign ministers. However, such a visit has added important
significance. Belarus is very close to being a client state of Russia — if it is
not so already. The takeover of power by the Syrian rebels has been smooth, with
minimal casualties or destruction. Life went back to normal in no time. The
security situation is acceptable. This can in no way be compared to the fall of
Muammar Qaddafi in Libya, which led to chaos. Nevertheless, Syria has one big
impediment: Western sanctions.
These sanctions were imposed on the Assad regime and they crippled it. Today,
after Assad’s fall, the sanctions remain. They are hindering Syria’s rise from
the ashes. Assad left behind a decimated country. The Syrian central bank’s
foreign reserves are very low — some say as low as $200 million. The country’s
infrastructure has been decimated by 14 years of war. The services are mediocre.
At the same time, people’s expectations are very high. Regardless of what
Al-Sharaa does with his team and regardless of what the future transitional
government does, the country cannot recover as long as there are sanctions.
The logical step would be to lift sanctions now that Assad is no longer
there. However, the West is very suspicious of the new leadership. Al-Sharaa has
a checkered past, as he once fought for Al-Qaeda. His group, Hayat Tahrir
Al-Sham, has been designated as a terrorist organization by many countries.
Although it broke with Al-Qaeda in 2016, the fundamentalist reputation still
follows it.
A trimmed beard and clean-cut suit have not made the West forget the previous
look of Al-Sharaa, who some still refer to as Abu Mohammed Al-Golani. Though he
has so far shown moderation since gaining power and not enforced any practices
on anyone, the West is suspicious. It is mostly suspicious of the followers of
his group and the repository of fundamentalist fighters in Syria.
Therefore, it is a chicken and egg situation. As long as the sanctions are in
place, a full-fledged Syrian state cannot be built. On the other hand, the West
does not want to empower “Islamist structures,” as the German foreign minister
recently stated. Syria is deadlocked.
Europe was very happy to see the influence of Russia dwindle in the Middle East.
Does it want to see that reversed? All of the visits
so far have been from countries in the Western sphere or their allies: France,
Germany, Norway, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Qatar and Ukraine. Syria has
taken a very clear pro-West position. New Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani
even got invited to Davos — the first time Syria has been invited and
represented at the World Economic Forum’s annual summit. Of course, it is not
expected that the new government will welcome the Assad allies who are
anti-West: Russia and Iran. This is why the visit of the Belarus delegation is
significant. It shows that Syria wants to send a subtle message to the West: “If
you do not help us, we will look for an alternative.” The Trump administration
is aware of this.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, when questioned by Congress during his
confirmation hearing, made it clear that the US must be pragmatic and engage
with the new Syrian government because, if it does not, someone else will. He
expressed reservations over the history of HTS, saying its origins do not “give
us comfort.” Meanwhile, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide last week
called for the removal of all sanctions on Syria. The US has issued a temporary
exemption on certain sanctions. This allows the central bank in Syria to receive
transfers from countries that are willing to help. But the exemption will only
last six months. It is known that removing sanctions is much harder than putting
them in place and America’s Caesar Act was only renewed by Congress in December
and is now due to last until 2029.
Ryzhenkov’s visit came as Syria terminated its agreement with Russia to operate
the port of Tartus. This is serious for Moscow. Syria provides its only access
to the Mediterranean. For centuries, Russia has had a strategic interest in
warm-water ports. This was one important reason for its wars with the Ottomans,
which spanned four centuries. Russia wanted access to the Dardanelles and
Bosphorus straits to allow its Black Sea Fleet to reach the Mediterranean.
Ryzhenkov could not have visited Damascus without a greenlight from Russian
President Vladimir Putin.
Syria is of strategic importance to Russia. The Kremlin will be keen to
negotiate with the new leadership. This is an important pressure point Al-Sharaa
and his administration can exert over the West. Europe was very happy to see the
influence of Russia dwindle in the Middle East. Does it want to see that
reversed? I doubt it. This is a chance for the West to provide the necessary
support for Syria. Windows of opportunities are usually short and close if they
are not grabbed at the right time.
The West must think strategically. Instead of talking about “Islamist
structures” and trying to micromanage the new administration by placing demands
on it regarding the representation of women and minorities, it must think about
whether it would like Syria — a country that has a very important strategic
location — to be in the Western fold or Russia’s fold.
• Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on
lobbying. She is co-founder of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace
Building, a Lebanese nongovernmental organization focused on Track II.
GCC trade deal may be key to UK’s economic recovery
Zaid M. Belbagi/Arab News/January 26/2026
Since the 2008 financial crisis, the UK economy has grappled with low
productivity and stunted economic growth. Despite being the world’s
sixth-largest economy, the UK today has an unemployment rate above 4 percent,
low industrial output and a housing crisis. Add to that the policy paralysis
that comes with four different prime ministers in the last four years and it is
clear why the UK needs to rethink its economic position.
In 2024, while the UK economy showed a robust rebound in the first half of the
year, in the third quarter it showed 0.0 percent growth. This year began with a
sharp fall in government bond prices and a 1.2 percent loss in value in the
British pound against the US dollar. The International Monetary Fund projects
1.6 percent gross domestic product growth in 2025.
Having come to power last July in this troubled economic context, one of the
Labour government’s priorities is the establishment of a free trade agreement
with the Gulf Cooperation Council, negotiations for which started in 2022 under
former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. According to the government, this will lead
to substantial economic benefits for the UK by potentially increasing the
country’s annual workers’ wages by £600 million ($749 million) to £1.1 billion
and adding up to £3.1 billion to GDP by 2035. Crucially, the free trade
agreement has the potential to increase UK-GCC trade by 16 percent.
Last September, UK Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and Trade Policy Minister
Douglas Alexander chose the Gulf for their first joint international visit,
showing the urgency of the negotiations for the government. This commitment was
reiterated in October during the government’s International Investment Summit.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s December visit to the UAE and Saudi Arabia
confirmed this priority.
The GCC is a natural partner for the UK, given the decades-old strategic,
investment and diplomatic cooperation between the two sides. UK-GCC trade stands
at about $65 billion, with the Gulf as a bloc being the UK’s fourth-largest
trade partner. Further, initiatives like the UK-Saudi Arabia Strategic
Partnership Council, the UK-UAE Partnership for the Future, the UK-Qatar
Strategic Dialogue, and joint working groups with Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait have
laid the groundwork for deeper cooperation across critical areas such as
security, development, trade and investment.
The trade negotiations have been revived at a strategic juncture, where both the
UK and the Gulf states are investing in sectors of mutual interest, such as
fintech, artificial intelligence, digitization and renewable energy. This has
increased the avenues for cooperation between the two sides, as they are able to
exchange expertise and best practices.
The GCC is a natural partner for the UK, given the decades-old strategic,
investment and diplomatic cooperation between the two sides.
Once established, the free trade agreement will facilitate easier movement of
talent, allow British companies to access the fast-growing Gulf market and
provide the Gulf consumer with a wider variety of goods and services.
Separately, an enhanced trade regime between the two sides will increase
investor confidence in the UK and the Gulf states. It may also provide the
necessary momentum to the London Stock Exchange by drawing Gulf listings.
While negotiations are underway, further delay is to be expected given that the
GCC is not one unified, standardized economy. Each member state has its own
economic priorities and existing relationship with the UK. Smaller economies
such as Bahrain and Oman particularly stand to benefit from this deal. The UK
has been the largest foreign investor in Oman recently, with more than $5
billion of British investment and nearly $1.5 billion in British exports over
the past year. A Gulf minister familiar with the matter stated that the delay in
the negotiations was due to the internal challenges in the UK.
Parallel to the free trade agreement negotiations, the UK has ventured into
bilateral partnerships in strategic sectors to provide further impetus to its
economy. This month, the UK announced plans to sign a critical minerals
cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia at the Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh.
As per this agreement, the UK would secure the long-term supply of minerals such
as copper, lithium and nickel, which are critical components in electric
vehicles, smartphones and AI data centers.
The UK is counting on its international partners to support its economic
recovery. A robust UK-GCC free trade agreement may thus hold the key to its
economic recovery. Increased exports and investments are bound to have positive
spillover effects on the British economy, such as job creation and increased
consumer spending. Beyond these tangible benefits, a free trade agreement would
also be a step toward strengthening diplomatic and strategic relations between
the UK and the Gulf at a time when the former’s global influence is waning.
The UK has sought to restore this influence by carving out a place for itself in
the region’s defense, security and strategic framework, as seen in its recent
joining of the US-Bahrain Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity
Agreement. The government is also due to release its strategic defense review,
which is expected to prioritize Gulf security cooperation.
In light of such progress, the establishment of the free trade agreement will
strengthen UK-GCC relations at a time of heightened geopolitical volatility in
the Middle East. However, given the high international interest in investing in
and partnering with the Gulf, significant delays in establishing the agreement
may weaken the competitiveness of the UK’s offering to the region.
• Zaid M. Belbagi is a political commentator and an adviser to private clients
between London and the Gulf Cooperation Council. X: @Moulay_Zaid