English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For January 28/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in
me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear
more fruit.
John 15/01-08/: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the
vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch
that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been
cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you.
Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine,
neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches.
Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you
can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and
withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you
abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will
be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and
become my disciples.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on January 27-28/2025
Elias Bejjani/Text & Video: Hezbollah Planned and Executed the Southern Massacre
That Killed 22 and Injured 140
Elias Bejjani/Text & Video: Nawaf Salam Faces the Nation’s Toughest Test: If
Unable to Deliver, Resignation Is a Must
Ceasefire Agreement Between Lebanon, Israel to Continue Until Feb. 18
2 Killed in Southern Lebanon as Protests against Israeli Presence Erupt for a
Second Day
Only the naive believe there will be order on the Lebanese border/Ravid Yair-Abu
Daoud/Yenet/January 27/2025
Salomonic Judgment/Charles Chartouni/This is Beirut/January 27/2025
Hanin Ghaddar: I hope Salam chooses wisely.
Qassem says Israel's violation of agreement highlights 'Lebanon's need for
resistance'
Israel: Hezbollah forces and weapons are still on our border
Lebanon OKs truce extension, Hezbollah hails 'glorious day' as Macron urges
Israel to withdraw
Source close to Hezbollah says 7 fighters in Israeli hands
2 dead, 17 hurt as citizens try again to return to southern border villages
Will residents of Israel's Manara settlement return to it?
Geagea slams govt. and Shiite Duo over bloodshed in south
Bassil slams 'provocative' and 'sectarian' motorbike rallies
Beirut and a Visitor Called ‘Hope’/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat
newspaper/January 27, 2025
Interview Link from “Spot Shot” with Writer and Director Youssef Y. Khoury: The
War will Return with Frightening Scenarios? Salam Must Embrace Joining the
Abraham Accords
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on January 27-28/2025
Israel says ‘eliminated’ 15 Palestinians in Jenin raid
Freed hostages’ smiles deceptive, Israel’s military says
Palestinians return to north Gaza after breakthrough on hostages
Israeli president calls UN morally bankrupt on Holocaust anniversary
Israel’s far-right finance minister withdraws threat to quit coalition over
ceasefire deal
Israeli PM hopes to meet President Donald Trump in Washington, US officials say
Hundreds of Thousands of Palestinians Return to a Shattered Northern Gaza
Arab League says any plan to uproot Palestinians from Gaza would be ‘ethnic
cleansing’
Trump's Idea to 'Clean Out' Gaza Threatens Jordan, Egypt, Analysts Say
Iranian foreign minister meets Taliban officials in first Kabul visit in eight
years
Israel Arrests 2 Citizens on Suspicion of Working for Iran
EU Cautiously Agrees Roadmap to Ease Sanctions on Syria in Wake of Assad’s
Downfall
Israeli Strike on West Bank Kills 2
Hamas Says Israeli Airstrike Kills Two of its Members in West Bank
Israeli Ex-General Says War Did Not End Well for His Country
Palestinians Must Not Be Expelled from Gaza, Berlin Says After Trump Comments
Egypt’s Parliament Speaker Rejects Proposals for Taking in Palestinians from
Gaza
EU agrees ‘roadmap’ for easing Syria sanctions
Iraq Urges Coordination between Regional Countries over Syria's Stability
Titles For
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on January 27-28/2025
Why the journey home remains uncertain for Syria’s displaced/ANAN TELLO/Arab
News/January 27, 2025
'We Are Going to Behead You and Get a Big Reward': The Persecution of
Christians, December 2024/Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/January 27, 2025
Without a State Every Palestinian Is a Refugee/Nabil Amr/Asharq Al Awsat/January
27/2025
US puts Mexican drug cartels in its sights/Dalia Al-Aqidi/Arab News/January 27,
2025
Palestinian sources say to free Gaza hostage demanded by Israel before next
swap/Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/January 27/2025
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on January 27-28/2025
Elias Bejjani/Text & Video:
Hezbollah Planned and Executed the Southern Massacre That Killed 22 and Injured
140
Elias Bejjani/January 27, 2025
On Sunday, January 26, Hezbollah committed a massacre against its own people in
southern Lebanon. Its reckless and bloody adventures led to the death of 22
civilians and injuries to over 140 others, with an unknown number of people
arrested by the Israeli Army. This criminal act reflects Hezbollah’s arrogant
and irresponsible policies that disregard human lives. Once again, Hezbollah
executed the orders of its Iranian masters, in a desperate attempt to deny and
deflect its clear defeat in the senseless war it declared against Israel to
support Hamas in Gaza. There is doubt that the terrorist Hezbollah is defeated,
shattered, and fractured, just like its allies in Gaza as well as the fallen
Assad regime in Syria.
Exploiting the Displaced for Its "Divine Mandate"
Under the guise of a so-called "divine mandate," Hezbollah orchestrated and
mobilized protests in southern Lebanon, exploiting displaced residents from
their villages. Shamelessly, it incited these individuals to stage
demonstrations and provoke confrontations in areas still under Israeli presence.
This situation arose because the Lebanese Army has failed to fully implement the
ceasefire agreement signed 60 days ago, despite its extension by Israel and U.S.
until February 18/2025. Hezbollah, facing undeniable defeat, resorted to
violent escalation to perpetuate chaos and impose its conditions on Lebanon's
governance during the government formation process.
Hezbollah's Statement: A Shameless Attempt to Justify the Crime
Hezbollah issued a statement glorifying what it called “the glorious resistance
of the people in the south,” claiming that the clashes between local civilians
and Israeli forces at five remaining positions proved that the “army, people,
and resistance” trio is Lebanon’s only safeguard. This statement clearly exposes
Hezbollah’s bloody agenda. It uses hollow slogans to justify sacrificing the
lives of its own community members, coercing them into demonstrations under the
pretext of "divine mandate" and leading them to their deaths—all in service of
Iran’s expansionist project in the region.
Hezbollah’s Objectives Behind the Southern Tragedy
*Maintaining Israeli Presence in the South
Hezbollah seeks to fabricate excuses to prevent Israel’s full withdrawal,
ensuring the continued existence of its arms under the guise of "resistance."
This is despite the fact that the ceasefire agreement and the international
resolutions demand that these weapons be handed over to the Lebanese Army.
*Imposing Domestic Political Conditions
Hezbollah is leveraging bloodshed and destruction to pressure Nawaf Salam,
tasked with forming the first government under President Joseph Aoun tenure. It
aims to impose conditions such as including the "army, people, and resistance"
trio in the ministerial statement, securing the Finance Ministry, and vetoing
certain ministerial appointments—particularly for the defense, interior, and
foreign ministries.
*Delaying Reconstruction Under Its Military Rule
Hezbollah is attempting to impose a status quo on Arab and Western nations
interested in financing the reconstruction of the south and other war-torn
areas. Knowing that reconstruction efforts will not begin without disarming its
forces and ending its military presence, Hezbollah escalates crises to delay
this process and force its presence as an unavoidable reality.
*Advancing Iran’s Regional Agenda
This violent escalation in southern Lebanon is part of Iran’s strategy to regain
influence in the region following a series of defeats in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza,
and Iran itself. With the collapse of the Assad regime and its expulsion from
strategic positions, Iran seeks to create chaos in Jenin in the West Bank, along
the Syrian coast, and in Lebanon, deluding itself into thinking it can reverse
the tides in its favor.
*Iran and Hezbollah Refuse to Accept Defeat
Hezbollah and Iran stubbornly refuse to acknowledge the series of defeats their
project has suffered in Lebanon and the region. Their arrogance comes at the
expense of innocent lives, the destruction of southern Lebanon, and the
continued paralysis of the Lebanese state. Hezbollah’s failed and reckless war
with Israel has displaced most of Lebanon’s Shiite community, destroyed their
regions, and resulted in thousands of deaths, injuries, and disabilities.
Hezbollah’s attempt to use its recent statement to whitewash its blood-stained
image is a blatant and desperate move to mislead public opinion. It aims to
deflect from its political and military failures, impose its conditions on Judge
Nawaf Salam during the government formation process, and obstruct President
Joseph Aoun’s efforts to move the country forward.
Conclusion
Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed terrorist organization, sacrifices Lebanon and its
Shiite community for the sake of Iran’s expansionist agenda. It continues to
gamble on war and chaos to keep Lebanon hostage to its destructive schemes.
Southern Lebanon deserves peace, and Lebanon as a whole deserves liberation from
the Iranian occupation that drains its resources and crushes the dreams of its
people.
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.
Ceasefire Agreement Between
Lebanon, Israel to Continue Until Feb. 18
Asharq Al Awsat/January 27/2025
The White House and caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Sunday
that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to extend the deadline for Israeli troops to
depart southern Lebanon until Feb. 18. Israeli forces in southern Lebanon on
Sunday opened fire on protesters demanding their withdrawal in line with the
ceasefire agreement, killing at least 22 and injuring 124, Lebanese health
officials reported. Hours later, the White House said there had been an
agreement to extend the deadline for the Israeli army to depart southern Lebanon
until Feb. 18, after Israel requested more time to withdraw beyond the 60-day
deadline stipulated in the 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 its presence in the area. The Lebanese army has
said it cannot deploy until Israeli forces withdraw. The White House said in a
statement that “the arrangement between Lebanon and Israel, monitored by the
United States, will continue to be in effect until February 18, 2025.” It added
that the respective governments “will also begin negotiations for the return of
Lebanese prisoners captured after October 7, 2023.”There was no immediate
comment from the Israeli government, but Mikati confirmed the extension. The
announcement came hours after demonstrators, some of them carrying Hezbollah
flags, attempted to enter several villages to protest Israel’s failure to
withdraw from southern Lebanon by the original Sunday deadline. 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.
2 Killed in Southern Lebanon as Protests against Israeli Presence Erupt for a
Second Day
Asharq Al Awsat/January 27/2025
Firing by Israeli troops killed two people and wounded 17 on Monday in the
second day of deadly protests in southern Lebanon, health officials said, as
residents displaced by the 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah attempted
to return to villages where Israeli troops remain.
The shooting came a day after 24 people were killed and more than 130 wounded
when Israeli troops opened fire on protesters who breached roadblocks set up
along the border. Under a US-brokered ceasefire on Nov. 27, Israeli forces were
to withdraw from southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah was to move north of the Litani
River by Jan. 26. While the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers had already
deployed in several villages before the deadline, Israel remained in over a
dozen villages. The United States and Lebanon announced later on Sunday that the
deadline to meet the ceasefire terms had been extended to Feb. 18. Protests
resumed Monday particularly in eastern border villages, where residents again
attempted to return home. Israeli troops opened fire, killing one person in the
town of Adaisseh and wounding seven others across four southern villages, the
Health Ministry reported. The Israeli military has blamed Hezbollah for pushing
people to protest and has said soldiers fired warning shots when demonstrators
approached. In the village of Aitaroun, scores of unarmed residents, some waving
Hezbollah flags, marched hand-in-hand or rode motorcycles, escorted by
ambulances, bulldozers and Lebanese army tanks. They approached the edge of the
town but stopped short of Israeli positions, unable to enter. “We are coming
with our heads held high and crowned with victory to our village, Aitaroun,”
said Saleem Mrad, head of the municipality. “Our village is ours, and we will
bring it back more beautiful than it was before. We are staying.” Hassan
al-Ahmad, a Aitaroun resident, said, “We have to give our blood and our souls.
If there had not been blood spilled, the land would not have been
liberated.”Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that Israel dropped a bomb at
the entrance of the southern village of Yaroun to deter residents from
proceeding farther. In the town of Bint Jbeil, Hezbollah members handed out
flyers featuring slain leader Hassan Nasrallah with the words, “Victory has
arrived.” Some residents waved Hezbollah flags. Israel blamed the Lebanese army
for not deploying to the region fast enough, while the Lebanese military accused
Israel of stalling its withdrawal, complicating its deployment efforts. Some
family members who entered border villages Sunday discovered the bodies of their
relatives. Israeli strikes have killed over 4,000 people during the war, but
Lebanese authorities do not distinguish between fighters and civilians in their
death toll. Since the ceasefire began, Israel has conducted near-daily
operations such as house demolitions, shelling and airstrikes in southern
Lebanon, accusing Hezbollah of violating ceasefire terms by attempting to move
weapons. Lebanon in turn has accused Israel of hundreds of ceasefire violations.
Only the naive
believe there will be order on the Lebanese border
Ravid Yair-Abu Daoud/Yenet/January 27/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/01/139540/
The naive belief is found only on
the Israeli side. There is not a single serious person in Lebanon who believes
that President Aoun and the Shiite Lebanese Army will protect the border and
prevent Hezbollah from returning to being an influential factor. A well-known
proverb in Arabic concerns two men from the Falugata who look together at a
creature they see in a field. “It’s a bird,” says one. “You’re wrong,” says the
other, “It’s a goat.” The argument heats up, and there is no agreement.
Suddenly, the creature flaps its wings and flies away. One turns to the other:
“I told you it was a bird.” His friend replies: “It’s a goat, even if it
flew.”The parable: Many of the experts among us have understood that what is
happening in our neighbor Lebanon stems from dreams and illusions, and there is
nothing between it and reality. Unfortunately, this does not only concern
Lebanon, because their conduct towards the Palestinians is no different, and
reality always slaps them in the face – and we all feel the pain of the slap.
Salomonic Judgment
Charles Chartouni/This is
Beirut/January 27/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/01/139422/
The truce agreement is coming to an end, and nothing has been accomplished on
the Lebanese side: delays in disarming, setting demarcation lines, and laying
the groundwork for long-term strategic goals. The incendiary rhetoric of
Hezbollah and its ideological humbug have returned to the foreground at a time
when the newly established authorities are still coaxing it, debating their
strategic choices, and rehashing the anti-Israeli mantra that has destroyed
Lebanese statehood throughout the last six decades. The political upheavals are
inauspicious since they reflect Lebanon’s incapacity to reestablish itself as an
independent country and to eliminate the structural and situational restraints
on its sovereignty.
We are dealing with inhibitions that have undermined the legitimacy of the
Lebanese State. The inability to form a cabinet, far from being an incidental
travail, unveils the structural impediments, the complicity of the reigning
oligarchy and its ability to sabotage the changing dynamics, and the pliability
of the incoming actors to the badgering of Shiite power politics. The inability
of the Lebanese Army to carry out the commissioned security assignments along
the southern and eastern borders and to challenge the political and military
extraterritoriality in these regions and in Palestinian camps are bad indicators
in terms of national sovereignty and the restoration of legality in
institutionalized wastelands.
The very fact that Hezbollah is questioning the right and ability of the
Lebanese State and deciding unilaterally on strategic issues puts at stake the
relevance of the truce agreement and its incidence on political stability within
Lebanon and regionwide. Therefore, the credibility of Lebanese political
institutions is once again under scrutiny, and their operational legitimacy is
largely undercut. The resumption of violence in Lebanon at this stage is dooming
since it endorses the state of political prostration and forestalls the
restoration of sovereignty.
The inability of the new power incumbents to defy Hezbollah’s arrogance and
their pliability to its coercion raise thorny issues related to institution
building, constitutional statehood and national sovereignty. The prospects of
civil concord and the viability of Lebanon are in jeopardy. Lebanon remains
under the mercy of Iranian power politics, and our national territories serve as
operational theaters.
The situation in Gaza and the West Bank is a replica of the Lebanese theater and
is largely manipulated by Iranian power brokers. The jockeying of Hamas in Gaza
is interrelated to the rising instability in the West Bank and highlights the
strategic continuums between the two. The creation of the new front is going to
fuel Israeli extremism, foster the radicalization of the Israeli political
scene, and bring polarization to the forefront of Israeli politics. The truce
and the hostages swap mechanism are at a turning point since they may decouple
from potential peacemaking and turn awry.
The Iranian derailment strategy is manifest and aims at undermining the truce
negotiations and invalidating their dynamics. One wonders whether this political
trajectory is likely to survive and to which extent Israel is willing to condone
it and deal with it in the immediate range; aside from its effects on political
radicalization and the reshuffling of the political sceneries in both Israel and
amongst Palestinians.
Syria’s normalization course seems to hold despite the uncertainties shrouding
the transition process. Ahmad al-Sharaa consistently displays his new political
vision and demonstrates his determination to pursue the normalization course
through incremental de-radicalization, social and economic liberalization, and
willingness to join the international community through its front doors while
trying to protect his maneuverability amid colliding power politics.
He has a long way to go before addressing the compounded issues of the post-war
era and its imponderables. The critical issues of ethnic minorities and the
future of the Syrian national configuration are moot and beget further questions
on the readiness of the Syrian political scene to reengage these lingering
geopolitical issues away from the conventional narratives of Arab nationalism
and Islamism.
The emergence of a new political configuration pioneered by the Israeli
counteroffensive is supplemented by the election of Donald Trump and the
impending strategic realignments that may come at its heels.The political and
military confrontations with the Iranian regime are inevitable if we were to
witness the political normalization of the region. The aspiration to
normalization is overwhelming in the larger Middle East, and there is no reason
to adjust to the Iranian regime’s diktat and deal with its disastrous outcomes.
Hanin Ghaddar: I hope Salam
chooses wisely.
X/January
27, 2025
picked a pro-Hezbollah candidate to the ministry that’s most vital to the group.
He needs to understand the dangerous consequences re his relation with the
international community, mainly the US administration. It’s very simple, Salam
has to choose: Hezbollah or the US - there’s nothing in between. Consensus is no
longer a choice. For Lebanon’s sake, I hope he chooses wisely.
Qassem says Israel's violation of agreement highlights
'Lebanon's need for resistance'
Associated Press/January
27, 2025
Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem has announced that the ceaesfire agreement's
violation by Israel "highlights Lebanon's need for the resistance," adding that
so-called army-people-resistance equation is "still steadfast despite the talk
of haters."In a pre-recorded speech aired Monday, Qassem added that his group
won’t accept the extension of the ceasefire deadline, without addressing the
fact that the Lebanese government had already done so overnight. “Israel has to
withdraw because the 60 days are over,” Qassem said. “We won’t accept any
excuses to extend one second or one day.”“Any delay in the withdrawal is the
responsibility of the United Nations, the U.S., France and Israel,” he added.
Qassem also said his group has not violated the ceasefire terms and acknowledged
that they considered retaliating against Israeli airstrikes but were advised by
Lebanese authorities against it.
Israel: Hezbollah forces and weapons are still on our
border
Naharnet/January 27, 2025
An Israeli government spokesman on Monday stressed Israel’s “commitment” to the
ceasefire agreement with Lebanon but added that “Hezbollah must withdraw beyond
the Litani River.”“Our forces will remain on the border with Lebanon because the
other party did not abide by the agreement,” the spokesman said. “Hezbollah's
forces and weapons are still on our border,” the spokesman claimed.
Lebanon OKs truce extension, Hezbollah hails 'glorious day'
as Macron urges Israel to withdraw
Agence France Presse/January
27, 2025
Lebanon said Monday it would extend a ceasefire deal with Israel until
mid-February, even though the Israeli military failed to meet a deadline to
withdraw its troops and killed 22 people in the south of the country. The deadly
violence recorded by health officials Sunday came as residents tried to return
home as Israel was scheduled to pull its troops from southern Lebanon. The
withdrawal deadline is part of a ceasefire agreement reached two months ago that
ended Israel's war with Hezbollah, which had left the Lebanese group weakened.
The deal that took effect on November 27 said the Lebanese military was to
deploy alongside U.N. peacekeepers in the south as the Israeli army withdrew
over a 60-day period that ends on Sunday. The parties have traded blame for the
delay in implementing the agreement, and on Friday Israel said it would keep
troops across the border in south Lebanon beyond the pullout date. Lebanon's
health ministry said on Sunday that Israeli forces opened fire on "citizens who
were trying to return to their villages that are still under occupation."It said
22 people including six women and a soldier were killed and 124 more wounded.
The Lebanese army also announced the soldier's death and said another had been
wounded. Hezbollah hailed a "glorious day" and praised residents' "deep
attachment to their land" in a statement on Sunday. The group also called on the
backers of the ceasefire agreement -- which includes the United States and
France -- to "assume their responsibilities in the face of these violations and
crimes of the Israeli enemy." After talks with the U.S., caretaker Prime
Minister Najib Mikati said Monday the government would "continue implementing
the ceasefire agreement until February 18, 2025." The Lebanese Army said earlier
it would "continue to accompany residents" returning to the south and "protect
them from Israeli attacks." Israeli forces have left coastal areas of southern
Lebanon but are still present in areas further east. The ceasefire deal
stipulates that Hezbollah pull back its forces north of the Litani River --
about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border -- and dismantle any remaining
military infrastructure in the south. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu's office said on Friday that the "agreement has not yet been fully
enforced by the Lebanese state," so the military's withdrawal would continue
beyond the Sunday deadline. French President Emmanuel Macron told Netanyahu in a
telephone call Sunday to "withdraw his forces still present in Lebanon" and
stressed the importance of restoring Lebanese state authority nationwide, his
office said. The truce has generally held since November, despite repeated
accusations of violations. It ended two months of full-scale war that had
followed nearly a year of low-intensity exchanges. Hezbollah began trading
cross-border fire with the Israeli military the day after the October 7, 2023
attack on Israel by its Palestinian ally Hamas, which triggered the war in Gaza.
Source close to Hezbollah says 7 fighters in Israeli hands
Agence France Presse/January
27, 2025
A source close to Hezbollah said Monday that Israel's army detained seven
fighters from the Lebanese group during more than a year of hostilities between
the two sides before a November ceasefire. "Seven fighters from Hezbollah were
taken prisoner" by Israel before the November 27 truce went into effect, the
source said, requesting anonymity as the matter is sensitive. Four other people
were apprehended by the Israeli military on Sunday in south Lebanon border
villages, the source added, without identifying them as fighters. Under the
ceasefire deal, the Lebanese military was to deploy alongside United Nations
peacekeepers in the south as the Israeli army withdrew over a 60-day period that
ended on Sunday.Hundreds of people have been trying since then to return home
even though the Israeli army, which in September began ground operations in
Lebanon, has not fully withdrawn. The White House said Sunday that the deal had
been extended until February 18, and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said
Lebanon would respect the extension. The accord also requires the Iran-backed
Hezbollah to pull back its forces north of the Litani River -- about 30
kilometers (20 miles) from the border -- and dismantle any remaining military
infrastructure in the south. Mikati said that following "the Lebanese
government's request, the United States will begin negotiations to return
Lebanese prisoners in Israeli prisons whom Israel arrested after October 7,"
referring to the date in 2023 when the Gaza war erupted. The following day,
Hezbollah initiated low-intensity cross-border attacks on Israel which, after
almost a year of hostilities, deteriorated into all-out war in September 2024.
On October 15, the Israeli military said troops in south Lebanon had captured
three Hezbollah fighters, days after announcing another fighter was taken from
an underground tunnel shaft. A week later, a Hezbollah spokesman acknowledged
some of the group's fighters had been captured, without providing numbers.
2 dead, 17 hurt as citizens try again to return to southern
border villages
Agence France Presse/January
27, 2025
Lebanon's heath ministry said Israeli fire killed two people Monday and wounded
17 others in the south, in a second day of Israeli violence as residents tried
again to return to border villages. The bloodshed, which one analyst said was
unlikely to re-spark war, came hours after the extension of a deadline for
Israeli forces to withdraw from south Lebanon under a November ceasefire deal.
The ministry said Israeli fire killed 24 returnees on Sunday. "Israeli enemy
attacks as citizens attempt to return to their towns that are still occupied
have led... to two dead and 17 wounded," the health ministry said Monday in a
statement. It reported one dead and two wounded in the border town of Adaisseh,
with others wounded in Bani Hayyan, including a child, as well as in Yaroun and
Houla. Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said earlier Monday that Lebanon
had agreed to an extension of the ceasefire deal between Hezbollah and Israel
until February 18, after the Israeli military missed Sunday's deadline to
withdraw. In south Lebanon, residents accompanied by the army were again trying
to return to their villages, official media and AFP correspondents reported.
- 'Bullets don't scare us' -
In the village of Burj al-Moulouk, an AFP photographer saw dozens of men, women
and children gathering in the morning behind a dirt barrier, some holding yellow
Hezbollah flags, hoping to reach the border town of Kfar Kila, where the Israeli
military is still deployed. In the city of Bint Jbeil, an access point for many
border villages, Hezbollah supporters were distributing sweets, water and images
of former chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli strike in
September. Others handed out stickers celebrating the "victory from God" as
women held pictures of slain Hezbollah fighters. "They think they are scaring us
with their bullets, but we lived under the bombing and bullets don't scare us,"
said Mona Bazzi in Bint Jbeil. The official National News Agency (NNA) said that
Lebanese "army reinforcements" had arrived near the border town of Mays al-Jabal,
where people had started to gather at "the entrance of the town" in preparation
for entering alongside the military. It said the Israeli army had "opened fire
in the direction of the Lebanese army" near the town, without reporting
casualties there. "We waited in a long line for hours, but couldn't enter," said
Mohammad Shqeir, 33, from Mays al-Jabal, adding that Israeli troops "were
opening fire from time to time on civilians gathered at the entrance of the
town." In nearby Houla, where the health ministry reported two wounded, the NNA
said residents entered "after the deployment of the army in several
neighborhoods."
Under the ceasefire deal that took effect on November 27, the Lebanese military
was to deploy in the south alongside United Nations peacekeepers as the Israeli
army withdrew over a 60-day period, which ended on Sunday. Hezbollah was also to
pull back its forces north of the Litani River -- about 30 kilometers (20 miles)
from the border.
Bulldozers
Both sides have traded blame for delays in implementing the deal, which came
after more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, including
two months of all-out war. Lebanon's army said Sunday that it had entered
several border areas including Dhayra, Maroun al-Ras and Aita al-Shaab.
An AFP photographer in Aita al-Shaab on Monday saw widespread destruction, with
newly returned families among the ruins of their homes, as bulldozers worked to
open roads and rescue teams searched for any bodies leftover from the conflict.
Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee on Monday called again for south
Lebanon residents to "wait" before returning. Hilal Khashan, professor of
political science at the American University of Beirut, said he did not expect a
return to major violence. "Hezbollah no longer wants any further confrontation
with Israel, its goal is to protect its achievements in Lebanon," he told AFP.
The health ministry said Monday that Israeli fire killed 24 people who were
trying to return to their villages the previous day, updating an earlier toll of
22 dead. The Israeli military had said soldiers "fired warning shots to remove
threats" where "suspects were identified approaching the troops." The Lebanese
Army said Sunday it would "continue to accompany residents" returning to the
south and "protect them from Israeli attacks."
Will residents of Israel's Manara settlement return to it?
Associated Press/January
27, 2025
The Manara settlement in northern Israel is so close to the Lebanese border that
patrons of a local pub joke that Hezbollah could see if they were eating
sunflower seeds or potato chips with their beers. The proximity made Manara so
vulnerable in the war between Israel and Hezbollah that rockets and explosive
drones damaged the majority of homes, turning the tiny settlement into a symbol
of the heavy price of fighting. The settlement's 300 residents were among the
60,000 Israelis evacuated by the government from communities along the Lebanese
border during the 14-month war. A tenuous ceasefire has largely held, though it
was tested on Sunday as a 60-day deadline passed for Israel to withdraw its
forces from southern Lebanon. Health officials in Lebanon said at least 22
people were killed by Israeli fire when residents attempted to enter villages
still under Israeli control. Israel says it is committed to withdrawing but says
the process will take additional time. For now, residents of Israel's north are
taking their time returning, uncertain when — or if — they will go back to
shattered communities. Many wonder what future they can have in a place so
exposed to violence. The vast majority of displaced families still haven't
returned home. In hard-hit places like Manara, some who have ventured back have
found unlivable, blackened homes. It will take years to rebuild. "We are trying
to understand what we can fix, what we can do better, how we can prepare for the
next round (of fighting)," said Igor Abramovich, who remained in Manara during
the war and believes it's just a matter of time before fighting erupts.
All homes on the ridge facing Lebanon are destroyed, with gaping holes left by
missile strikes or fires that burned so hot that cars partly melted. Because the
settlement is so exposed, 70 meters from the border in some places, firefighters
sometimes couldn't respond to the blazes. Instead, the emergency squad was
forced to watch on security cameras as fires burned. Hezbollah began launching
rockets and missiles toward Israeli border settlements on Oct. 8, 2023, a day
after the deadly Hamas attack that sparked the war in Gaza. Soon after, Israel
evacuated dozens of settlements along the border, including Manara.
In Lebanon, at the height of the war, more than 1 million people were displaced,
and reconstruction will take years as well. Piles of rubble that were once homes
can be seen in towns across the border. Hezbollah rockets killed 77 people in
Israel, more than half of them civilians. No one was killed in Manara. Israeli
air and ground assaults killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon, mostly
civilians. Israel made returning the displaced residents to their homes an aim
in its war against Hezbollah and has promised incentives to entice them back.
The return has been slow, in part because many residents are skeptical of the
government's pledges to ensure their safety and because much work remains to
rehabilitate communities. Manara is prone to howling winds and snow usually once
a winter, attracting a hardy, close-knit group of people. Such remote
settlements were an integral element of the Israeli pioneer ethos, and Israel as
a fledgling state once relied on them to protect its borders in the face of
threats from neighboring Arab countries. Those threats appeared to have waned
until Hamas attacked into southern Israel and Israeli authorities assessed that
Hezbollah was planning a similar cross-border raid in the north. The war was a
clear reminder for Israelis that Israel still depends on the border communities
and needs to ensure their viability so that the Israeli entity doesn't collapse
toward its center.
Many in Manara are determined to return and restore their homes.
"It's really a physical thing. They miss the air here," said Orna Weinberg, 58,
who has lived on the settlement her entire life. Weinberg was displaced to a
town about 45 minutes south, but she coordinated with the army and returned to
Manara almost every day during the war, helping other evacuated residents who
asked her to save photo albums, transfer the settlement's archives or carry out
other tasks to keep the community from falling apart. Now she's involved in
coordinating Manara's rehabilitation, both physical and emotional. She and
Abramovich spend hours walking through the settlement with appraisers for
different government agencies to determine the financial losses and
compensation. They also need to check the settlement's infrastructure, including
gas, water and electricity lines. All suffered damage. Out of 157 homes or
apartments in the settlement, 110 were damaged, including 38 that were
completely destroyed. In the part of Manara that faces Lebanon, all houses were
destroyed. The ones facing the valley and the city of Kiryat Shmona are damaged
but likely salvageable.
Abramovich said an initial estimate of rebuilding costs is at least $40 million.
"We're having this weird discussion now, who has it better, someone whose house
is partially destroyed or totally destroyed," said Hagar Erlich, 72, whose
father was one of Manara's founders and is living in a hotel in the city of
Tiberias with other settlement members. It may be cheaper and faster to demolish
and rebuild rather than renovate, she said. The settlement is committed to
reopening the nursery school by Sept. 1, convinced that if young families don't
return as soon as possible, the community's future is in danger, Abramovich
said. So far, none of Manara's residents have announced they are leaving. The
Ambramovich family — Igor, his wife and two daughters — will return in February,
the first family to do so. "It's hard for people to say, 'I'm not coming back,'"
Erlich said. "We decided that we are not asking that question, not as an
organization, and not as individuals."The community even wants to continue an
expansion of 92 housing units that was planned before the war started. In late
December, 50 Manara residents gathered to work in the settlement's garden, the
hub of the settlement where they mark important celebrations and gatherings. "It
was the first time since the war began where I heard voices of people talking
and chatting around here," Weinberg said.
Geagea slams govt. and Shiite Duo over bloodshed in south
Naharnet/January 27, 2025
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has commented on Sunday’s incidents in south
Lebanon by saying that “the current government has once again proved that it is
nonexistent and the Axis of Defiance has demonstrated that it does not value
people’s lives.”His remarks came after Israeli gunfire killed 24 people and
wounded 134 others as hundreds of southerners tried to return to border towns on
the deadline for Israeli forces to withdraw from the area. The Israeli army had
warned residents not to head to the area seeing as its forces were still
deployed there in contravention of the ceasefire agreement, which was extended
to February 18 in the wake of the incidents. “For the sake of deceitful media
presence, the Axis of Defiance (Hezbollah and the Amal Movement) does not
hesitate to fabricate daily incidents aimed at covering up for what it has
caused of tragedies and losses in lives and properties” during the
September-November war with Israel, Geagea said in an interview with the Nidaa
al-Watan newspaper. Describing what happened Sunday in the south as a “tragic
scene,” the LF leader noted that “there is an international monitoring
committee” and that “the current government should have informed the residents
of villages and towns of the places from which the Israeli army would withdraw
and of the places where it intended to keep its forces, instead of letting some
parties take advantage of the scene for their own interests.”“Sending more than
20 citizens to certain death is futile, useless and will not make Israel change
its stance,” Geagea suggested. He added: “The current government must
immediately regain control of the matters in terms of protecting citizens,
organizing their return to where they can return, and standing in the face of
the parties that are pushing them to death. The government must also communicate
with the countries sponsoring the ceasefire agreement to discuss the need for
(Israeli) withdrawal.”Commenting about Hezbollah’s call for reviving the
army-people-resistance equation, Geagea said: “There is only the army, the
people and the state, and some are trying to benefit from the period prior to
the formation of the new government to repeat equations that belong to the past
and have no place in the new and promising phase that Lebanon is preparing for.”
Bassil slams 'provocative' and 'sectarian' motorbike
rallies
Naharnet/January 27, 2025
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil on Monday slammed what he called the
“provocative” and “sectarian” behavior of the Hezbollah supporters who staged
overnight motorbike rallies in Gemmayze, Ain el-Rummaneh, Dora, Bourj Hammoud,
Saqiyet al-Janzir and Maghdoushe, warning that “extremism fuels counter-extremism.”“The
people of the south wrote a heroic epic and the sectarian provocation that
happened at night torpedoed the daytime unity scene, as if it is required to
deepen the rift,” Bassil lamented in a post on the X platform.
“The provocative behavior of groups that roam (the streets) and chant sectarian
slogans serves the advocates of the partitioning project the most,” Bassil
warned. “The conclusion is that extremism brings counter-extremism and the
result is that Lebanon would be the loser,” the FPM chief cautioned. The army
announced Monday that it arrested many of those who took part in the rallies,
saying the demos involved "gunfire and provocations that jeopardized civil
peace."Adding that it is pursuing the rest of the culprits, the army called on
citizens to "show responsibility and act wisely in order to preserve national
unity and coexistence."
Beirut and a
Visitor Called ‘Hope’
Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat
newspaper/January 27, 2025
Lebanon boasts a reputation in the Arab world that its years of deep crises have
not erased. An Arab politician and friend telephoned me a few days ago to
express his delight with how Lebanon is making its way back to its sons and
supporters after long painful years. My friend had in recent years been keen to
avoid surrendering to the impression that Lebanon had lost the way to the future
and become mired in the rubble of the past. Now, he told me: “Lebanon does not
deserve the punishment inflicted by its own people and others in recent decades.
Yes, Lebanon is not a major player in the region. And yes, it does not boast
natural resources that attract major countries. But Lebanon’s failure will not
be blamed on Lebanon alone, but on the entire Arab family that failed in saving
this child, who was never a source of danger to others, but rather an advocate
of progress and coexistence.”
“There still remains a need for Lebanon and for the diversity that is a part of
its identity and daily life. Lebanon is an experience in coexistence between
segments that have different religious and intellectual identities. This is one
of the secrets of its uniqueness despite the challenges facing diversity in this
difficult part of the world,” he added.
“I am contacting you to express my joy over the recent developments. Lebanon has
chosen a president - Joseph Aoun - who has integrity and can be entrusted to
lead it given his commitment to the country’s sovereignty, unity, constitution
and institutions. I am delighted that the government will be formed by a man
outside of the political class. Nawaf Salam is competent, honorable and
respected internationally,” he went on to say. “With all my heart, I hope the
Lebanese people don’t commit the sin of squandering this opportunity. I can
confidently say that Arab countries are eager to help Lebanon restore normal
life under the rule of state institutions and a revived economy. This is
definitely possible. The Saudi foreign minister’s visit to Lebanon reflects
Saudi Arabia’s push in that direction. The whole world is ready to help Lebanon.
It is now up to the Lebanese people to help their country, abandon wars, quotas,
wrong calculations and banking on foreign powers to upend internal balances. I
hope, with all my heart, that this opportunity is not wasted,” he said. I
recalled how much was said of Beirut over the decades and how much the city
meant to several Arab figures.
Hazem Jawad, who led the Iraqi Baath party to power in 1963, once told me that
the new rulers of Baghdad would await diplomatic mail from Beirut to read its
newspapers and to learn what its most important journalists and writers had to
say about the situation in Iraq and the region. The prevalent impression was
that Beirut reflects the intensity of the heat in the region and the way the
winds blow. So much importance was placed on Beirut that some Arab officials
believed that the embassies of major countries were sending messages through
this or that journalist. Others believed that Beirut was the place where coups
were planned, and the hub of intelligence agencies.
Years ago, I heard about how United Arab Emirates Vice President and Ruler of
Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum had visited Beirut when he was young
and how he was attracted to its vitality, diversity, openness to the world and
ambition to achieve progress. As he left the Lebanese capital, he asked himself:
When will Dubai be able to forge ahead on a similar path as Beirut, which was
seen at the time as a successful model.
Mohsen Ibrahim, former Secretary General of the Communist Action Organization in
Lebanon, revealed to me that late Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser always
asked about Beirut as if wanting to uncover the secret of its luster, despite
the city’s small size and meager natural wealth. He said that Abdel Nasser
viewed Beirut as a testing ground for Arab leadership. He knew that the rallies
that took place there were not being orchestrated by a director of intelligence
as was the case in Baghdad, Damascus and several other capitals.
Abdel Nasser used to ask about newspapers in Beirut, especially An-Nahar and its
editor-in-chief Michel Abou Jawdeh. He perhaps used to wonder at how a ruler or
president would wake up to a surprising headline as opposed to headlines that
are written by the ruling authorities themselves.
I am not one to yearn for the past. I know that Lebanon has changed, that the
region has changed and so has the world. But this does not deny the Lebanese
people their right to live under the rule of a normal state where vacuum does
not take place in the presidency, where the government is easily broken apart
and where its parliament does not fall into a coma and run around in empty
circles. A normal state can rebuild the Lebanese houses based on equality
between its segments under the rule of its institutions. Coincidence would have
it that my friend spoke to me as the Lebanese army was firing at Lebanese people
who were trying to return home to their southern villages, even if they only had
the rubble of their homes to return to. It is evident that Benjamin Netanyahu’s
government is attempting to lure Lebanon into a clash so that it can further
deepen its tragedies. Despite their pain, it is important for the Lebanese
people to realize that there can be no salvation except through turning to the
state, which alone can reclaim all of the country’s territories, sovereignty and
normal life and whose sole concerns are stability and prosperity. Lebanon and
that the Lebanese must gather the conditions to jump aboard, seizing the Arab
and international support accorded to them. Missing the train will spell
surrender and sliding into an even deeper and more dangerous abyss. The Lebanese
people have no better choice than Lebanon. This has been demonstrated in old and
fresh experiences. For the first time in decades Lebanon is being visited by a
visitor called “hope”. Let’s hope that petty calculations won’t drive it away.
Interview Link from “Spot
Shot” with Writer and Director Youssef Y. Khoury: The War will Return with
Frightening Scenarios? Salam Must Embrace Joining the Abraham Accords
January 27, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/01/139543/
What is the new trinity that was “people, Army, Resistance?
What will result from the “motorcycle rallies”?
Will the transfer of Shiites happen after the displacement of Palestinians?
The war will return with terrifying scenarios?
For what Netanyahu is hailed
for, and how did ElKhoury predict Iran’s withdrawal from Syria just days after
the October 7 operation?
Who will work to undermine the presidency of Joseph Aoun?
Are we inevitably heading toward peace with Israel?
The above questions and many others are answered by political writer and
director Youssef Y. Khoury in this episode of “Point of View” on “Spot Shot.”
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on January 27-28/2025
Israel says ‘eliminated’ 15 Palestinians in Jenin raid
AFP/January 28, 2025
JENIN, Palestinian Territories: The Israeli military on Monday said it had
“eliminated over 15 terrorists” and arrested 40 wanted people during a major
raid that began last week in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin. The raid
began two days after a truce took hold in the Gaza Strip, seeking to put an end
to more than 15 months of the Israel-Hamas war that ravaged the Palestinian
coastal territory. The military said in a statement that during the Jenin
operation troops seized dozens of weapons and “located an explosive device
hidden inside a washing machine in one of the buildings in Jenin.” Soldiers
“also dismantled dozens of explosives planted beneath roads intended to attack
troops,” it said. During another operation, “an observation command center was
located, containing gas canisters intended for manufacturing explosive devices,”
it said. Backed by bulldozers and warplanes, the military launched last Tuesday
its “Iron Wall” operation in Jenin and its adjacent refugee camp, militant
strongholds frequently targeted in Israeli raids. AFP images on Monday showed
Israeli troops still in the area, and black smoke rising over the camp. Salim
Al-Saadi, a member of the Jenin camp’s management committee, told AFP that 80
percent of its residents had fled since the raid began. The United Nations
agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said on its website that more than
24,000 refugees were registered in the camp in 2023, though the actual
population is not known. AFP pictures on Thursday showed rows of women, men and
children filing out of the camp, some of them carrying their belongings in bags,
accompanied by Palestine Red Crescent ambulances. A number of Palestinian
officials reported that Israel had ordered residents to leave the camp, but the
military denied this. The Palestinian health ministry had earlier reported that
the Israeli operation killed at least 12 Palestinians and injured 40 more around
Jenin. Violence has soared throughout the West Bank since the war between Hamas
and Israel broke out in Gaza on October 7, 2023. Israeli troops or settlers have
killed more than 860 Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza
war, according to the health ministry. At least 29 Israelis have been killed in
Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military raids in the territory over the
same period, according to Israeli official figures. Israel has occupied the West
Bank since 1967.
Freed hostages’ smiles deceptive,
Israel’s military says
AFP/January 28, 2025
JERUSALEM: Israel gave a grim account Monday of seven freed hostages’ health,
saying that despite a “show” by Hamas to present them as healthy and smiling,
they faced a long recovery from their ordeal.
The seven women freed so far under Israel’s ceasefire deal with the Palestinian
militant group were all malnourished, exposed to psychological suffering and
wounded in various ways, said the deputy chief of the Israeli army’s medical
corps, Col. Avi Benov. Images of four Israeli soldiers — aged 19 and 20 —
released in Gaza on Saturday by Hamas showed them looking healthy and smiling.
They greeted people around them and clutched parting gifts in paper bags as they
were handed over to the Red Cross.
But Benov said there was more to the story.
“They were given more food in the days before (their release), they were allowed
to shower, they were given (new) clothes,” he said in a video call open to the
media. “This is part of the show organized by Hamas.”Since the deal took effect
on January 19, the militants have freed a total of seven Israeli hostages in
exchange for 290 prisoners, all Palestinians except for one Jordanian. But
despite the hostages’ joy and relief at being reunited with their families, it
“will take time” for them to recover, said Benov. Hospitalized after their
release, the women have been diagnosed with physical health problems including
malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies and a metabolic system “in bad shape,” he
said. Some of the hostages had been held for the past eight months in tunnels,
Benov said. “For them it’s more complicated because light, sun and to be able to
talk with someone are essential elements to be physically and mentally healthy,”
he said, without naming them or giving further details. All the hostages were
“wounded one way or the other” when they were captured on October 7, 2023 in the
Hamas attack that ignited the ensuing war, Benov said.
Their wounds were poorly treated in captivity, or not at all, he added. Hostages
who were freed during a previous truce in November 2023 have said some wounded
captives were operated on with no anaesthesia. But the most “complicated” wounds
are psychological, said Benov. “Even if they look happy, a fear remains. It’s
hard for them to believe that this time around they’re in good hands, that it’s
not another show organized by Hamas,” he said. Benov declined to answer a
question on whether the hostages had been victims of physical abuse, torture or
sexual violence, saying it was important to “protect their privacy.” “They will
tell what they went through, if they want to, in a few weeks or a few months,”
he said. An Israeli health ministry report sent in December to the United
Nations special rapporteur on torture said the hostages released in November
2023 had suffered various forms of physical and psychological violence. It said
freed hostages had reported being branded with hot irons, beaten, sexually
assaulted, held in isolation and deprived of food. Numerous ex-hostages showed
signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and survivor’s
guilt, the report said. Benov said hostages set for release in the coming weeks
would likely be in even worse health. Under the deal, they include captive men
over 50 or in poor health. “We are expecting that the next hostages to be
released, who are older, with some of them already ill when they were kidnapped,
will come back in worse condition,” he said.
Palestinians return to north Gaza after breakthrough on
hostages
AFP/January 27, 2025
NUSEIRAT, Palestinian Territories: Masses of displaced Palestinians began
streaming toward the north of the war-battered Gaza Strip on Monday after Israel
and Hamas said they had reached a deal for the release of another six hostages.
The breakthrough preserves a fragile ceasefire and paves the way for more
hostage-prisoner swaps under an agreement aimed at ending the more than 15-month
conflict, which has devastated the Gaza Strip and displaced nearly all its
residents. Israel had been preventing Palestinians from returning to their homes
in northern Gaza, accusing Hamas of violating the terms of the truce, but Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said late Sunday they would be allowed to
pass after the new deal was reached. Crowds began making their way north along a
coastal road on foot Monday morning, carrying what belongings they could, AFPTV
images showed. “It’s a great feeling when you go back home, back to your family,
relatives and loved ones, and inspect your house — if it is still a house,”
displaced Gazan Ibrahim Abu Hassera said. Hamas called the return “a victory”
for Palestinians that “signals the failure and defeat of the plans for
occupation and displacement.”Its ally Islamic Jihad, meanwhile, called it a
“response to all those who dream of displacing our people.”The comments came
after US President Donald Trump floated an idea to “clean out” Gaza and resettle
Palestinians in Jordan and Egypt, drawing condemnation from regional leaders.
President Mahmud Abbas, whose Palestinian Authority is based in the
Israeli-occupied West Bank, issued a “strong rejection and condemnation of any
projects” aimed at displacing Palestinians from Gaza, his office said. Bassem
Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, said that Palestinians would “foil
such projects,” as they have done to similar plans “for displacement and
alternative homelands over the decades.”For Palestinians, any attempt to move
them from Gaza would evoke dark memories of what the Arab world calls the “Nakba,”
or catastrophe — the mass displacement of Palestinians during Israel’s creation
in 1948.
“We say to Trump and the whole world: we will not leave Palestine or Gaza, no
matter what happens,” said displaced Gaza resident Rashad Al-Naji.
Trump had floated the idea to reporters Saturday aboard Air Force One: “You’re
talking about probably a million and half people, and we just clean out that
whole thing.”Moving Gaza’s roughly 2.4 million inhabitants could be done
“temporarily or could be long term,” he said. Israel’s far-right Finance
Minister Bezalel Smotrich — who opposed the truce deal and has voiced support
for re-establishing Israeli settlements in Gaza — called Trump’s suggestion of
“a great idea.”The Arab League rejected the idea, warning against “attempts to
uproot the Palestinian people from their land,” saying their forced displacement
could “only be called ethnic cleansing.” Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi
said “our rejection of the displacement of Palestinians is firm and will not
change. Jordan is for Jordanians and Palestine is for Palestinians.” Egypt’s
foreign ministry said it rejected any infringement of Palestinians’ “inalienable
rights.”
Israel had said it would prevent Palestinians’ passage to the north until the
release of Arbel Yehud, a civilian woman hostage who it maintained should have
been freed on Saturday. But Netanyahu’s office later said a deal had been
reached for the release of three hostages on Thursday, including Yehud, as well
as another three on Saturday. Hamas confirmed the agreement in its own statement
Monday. During the first phase of the Gaza truce, 33 hostages are supposed to be
freed in staggered releases over six weeks in exchange for around 1,900
Palestinians held by the Israelis. The most recent swap saw four Israeli women
hostages, all soldiers, and 200 prisoners, nearly all Palestinian, released
Saturday in the second such exchange during the fragile truce entering its
second week. “We want the agreement to continue and for them to bring our
children back as quickly as possible — and all at once,” said Dani Miran, whose
hostage son Omri is not slated for release during the first phase. The truce has
brought a surge of food, fuel, medicines and other aid into rubble-strewn Gaza,
but the UN says “the humanitarian situation remains dire.” Of the 251 hostages
seized during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that ignited the war, 87 remain in
Gaza, including 34 the military says are dead. The Hamas attack resulted in the
deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on
official Israeli figures. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least
47,306 people in Gaza, the majority civilians, according to figures from the
Hamas-run territory’s health ministry that the United Nations considers
reliable.
Israeli president calls UN morally bankrupt on Holocaust
anniversary
AFP/January 28, 2025
UNITED NATIONS: Israel’s president attacked the UN General Assembly in a speech
on Monday marking the 80th anniversary of the Holocaust, accusing the body of
exhibiting “moral bankruptcy” and failing to confront anti-Semitism. Isaac
Herzog addressed the forum during worldwide commemorations of the Holocaust in
which six million Jews were murdered. “Today, we find ourselves yet again at a
dangerous crossroads in the history of this institution,” Herzog said at the New
York headquarters of the United Nations which Israel has repeatedly condemned
since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023.
“Rather than fulfilling its purpose and fighting courageously against a global
epidemic of jihadists, murderers, and abhorrent terror, time and again this
assembly has exhibited moral bankruptcy.”UN bodies like the International
Criminal Court, which issued a warrant for the arrest of Israeli premier
Benjamin Netanyahu, “opt for outrageous hypocrisy and protection of the
perpetrators of the atrocities.”“How is it possible that international
institutions, which began as an anti-Nazi alliance, are allowing anti-Semitic
genocidal doctrines to flourish uninterrupted in the wake of the largest
massacre of Jews since World War II?” he added referring to the October 7
attacks. Hamas’s October 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people,
mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 47,317 people in Gaza, the
majority civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health
ministry that the UN considers reliable. Ahead of Herzog’s denunciation of the
UN, its Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the “appalling October 7
terror attacks by Hamas” — as well as the rising tide of anti-Semitism globally.
“Today, our world is fractured and dangerous. Eighty years since the Holocaust’s
end, anti-Semitism is still with us — fueled by the same lies and loathing that
made the Nazi genocide possible. And it is rising,” he said on the occasion of
the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp and
International Holocaust Remembrance Day. “Indisputable historical facts are
being distorted, diminished, and dismissed. Efforts are being made to recast and
rehabilitate Nazis and their collaborators. We must stand up to these outrages.
“The history of the Holocaust shows us what can happen when people choose not to
see and not to act.”
Israel’s far-right finance minister withdraws threat to
quit coalition over ceasefire deal
Reuters/January 27, 2025
JERUSALEM: Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has withdrawn a threat to
quit the government if Israel does not return to fighting in Gaza, several
Israeli news sites reported on Monday. Earlier this month, Smotrich opposed a
ceasefire deal that aims to secure the release of nearly 100 hostages held by
Hamas in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli jails, arguing it
endangered Israeli security and stopped Israel from achieving its war goals.
Hard-line National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and two other ministers
from his nationalist-religious party resigned from Netanyahu’s cabinet over the
deal. Smotrich stopped short of resigning but said if Israel agreed to a full
end to the war before achieving its aims in Gaza — which include the complete
destruction of Hamas — he and his party, Religious Zionism, would also leave the
coalition. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked Smotrich to stay in
the coalition to keep the right wing government intact and the finance minister
agreed, Israel’s Yediot reported on Monday. Under the multi-phase ceasefire
deal, 33 Israeli hostages held in Gaza will be released before negotiations
begin to agree the release of the remaining 65 and the full withdrawal of
Israeli forces from Gaza. Israel is due to release nearly 2,000 Palestinian
prisoners and detainees as part of the ceasefire deal. Some of the families
believe the second stage will not be implemented and that their relatives risk
being abandoned. They have staged a series of protests against the current deal.
Israeli PM hopes to meet President Donald Trump in
Washington, US officials say
AP/January 27, 2025
WASHINGTON: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is hoping to meet with
President Donald Trump in Washington as early as next week, according to two US
officials familiar with preliminary planning for the trip. Should the trip come
together in that timeframe, Netanyahu could be the first foreign leader to meet
with Trump at the White House since his inauguration last week. The officials,
who spoke on condition of anonymity because the planning remains tentative, said
details could be arranged when Trump’s special Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff,
travels to Israel this week for talks with Netanyahu and other Israeli
officials. The White House had no immediate comment on the plans, which were
first reported by Axios. Netanyahu’s spokesman, Omer Dostri, said Monday on the
social platform X that the Israeli leader has not yet received an official
invitation to the White House. An Israeli official, however, said Netanyahu is
expected to go to the White House in February but did not have a date. That
official spoke on condition of anonymity pending an official announcement.
Witkoff told an audience at the ceremonial opening of a New York City synagogue
on Sunday that he would be traveling to Israel on Wednesday to keep focusing on
the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. “We have to implement the
agreement in a correct way,” he said. “The execution of the agreement was
important. It was the first step, but without the implementation correct, we’re
not going to get it right — we’re going to have a flare-up, and that’s not a
good thing. So, we’re going to watch it.” The US officials said Witkoff is
particularly interested in advancing the implementation and the release of
Americans and others still held hostage by Hamas as well as shoring up the
fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Hundreds of Thousands of Palestinians Return to a Shattered
Northern Gaza
Asharq Al Awsat/January 27, 2025
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians streamed into Gaza’s most heavily
destroyed area on Monday after Israel opened the north for the first time since
the early weeks of the war with Hamas, a dramatic reversal of their exodus 15
months ago. As the fragile ceasefire held into a second week, Israel was
informed by Hamas that eight of the hostages to be freed during the deal's first
phase are dead. Joyous crowds of Palestinians, some holding babies or pushing
wheelchairs, walked along a seaside road all day and into the night, carrying
bedrolls, bottles of water and other belongings. A few armed, masked Hamas
fighters flashed a victory sign. The crowd was watched over by Israeli tanks on
a nearby hill. The United Nations said over 200,000 people were observed moving
north in Gaza on Monday morning alone. Palestinians who have been sheltering in
squalid tent camps and former schools are eager to return to their homes — even
though they are likely damaged or destroyed. Many had feared that Israel would
make their displacement permanent. Yasmine Abu Amshah, a mother of three, said
she walked 6 kilometers (nearly 4 miles) to reach her damaged but habitable Gaza
City home. She saw her younger sister for the first time in over a year. “It was
a long trip, but a happy one,” she said. Many saw their return as an act of
steadfastness after Israel’s military campaign, launched in response to the
Hamas group's Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. The return was also seen
as a repudiation of US President Donald Trump’s suggestion that many
Palestinians be resettled in Egypt and Jordan, which those countries have
rejected.
Families of dead hostages are informed
Whether hostages are still alive inside Gaza has been a heartbreaking question
for waiting families who have pushed Israel’s government to reach a deal to free
them, fearing that time was running out. Before Monday’s announcement, Israel
believed that at least 35 of the about 90 hostages taken in the Oct. 7 attack
and still in Gaza were dead. Government spokesman David Mencer told journalists
that a list received overnight from Hamas on the status of the 33 hostages being
freed under the ceasefire's first phase showed eight were dead. The families
have been informed, he said, adding that the information matched what Israeli
intelligence had believed. The ceasefire is aimed at winding down the deadliest
and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and Hamas. Fighters killed
some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 assault and abducted another
250.
Israel responded with an air and ground war that has killed over 47,000
Palestinians, over half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health
Ministry. It does not say how many of the dead were combatants. Israel says it
has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. In all, around 90%
of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been displaced.
‘The joy of return’
Ismail Abu Matter, a father of four who waited for days near the crossing point
for northern Gaza, described scenes of jubilation, with people singing, praying
and crying. “It’s the joy of return,” said Abu Matter, whose relatives were
among the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled or were driven out of
what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding its creation. “We had thought
we wouldn’t return, like our ancestors.” The opening was delayed for two days as
Israel said Hamas had changed the order of the hostages it released in exchange
for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Local medical officials said Israeli
forces opened fire at the waiting crowd and killed several Palestinians over the
weekend. Israel's military said it fired warning shots at approaching groups it
deemed a threat. Mediators resolved the dispute overnight. Hamas called the
return “a victory for our people, and a declaration of failure and defeat for
the (Israeli) occupation and transfer plans.”In the war's opening days, Israel
ordered the evacuation of the north and sealed it off after ground troops moved
in. Around a million people fled south while hundreds of thousands remained in
the north, which had some of the heaviest fighting and the worst destruction.
“This is our house, four stories. You can’t see them,” one returning man,
gesturing to a pile of rubble, said in an AP video.
Hostage dispute rattled week-old ceasefire
Palestinians were crossing on foot without inspection through part of the
Netzarim corridor, a military zone bisecting the territory just south of Gaza
City that Israel carved out early in the war. A checkpoint for vehicles opened
later on Gaza’s main north-south highway, where traffic was backed up for around
3 kilometers (2 miles). Under the ceasefire agreement, vehicles are to be
inspected for weapons before entering the north. An Egyptian official said
Egyptian contractors, along with a US firm, run checkpoints that inspect
vehicles heading via Salahuddin road. The contractors are part of an
Egyptian-Qatari committee implementing the ceasefire, according to the official,
who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to
the media. Israel had delayed the crossing's opening, which was supposed to
happen over the weekend, saying it would not allow Palestinians north until a
civilian hostage, Arbel Yehoud, was released. Israel said she should have been
released before four female soldiers who were freed on Saturday. Israel also
accused Hamas of failing to provide information on the hostages to be freed.
Hamas in turn accused Israel of violating the agreement by not opening the
crossing. Qatar, a key mediator with Hamas, announced early Monday that an
agreement had been reached to release Yehoud along with two other hostages by
Friday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the release — which will
include female soldier Agam Berger — will take place on Thursday. Another three
hostages should be released on Saturday as previously planned. Defense Minister
Israel Katz said anyone violating the ceasefire or threatening Israeli forces
“will bear the full cost.” Israel's military has warned Palestinians not to
approach its forces, which have withdrawn to buffer zones inside Gaza. There
were mixed emotions among Israelis watching the scene in Gaza from the nearby
city of Sderot. Some expressed only mistrust toward the Palestinians. But others
were empathetic. “Let them come back home safely and conduct a normal life,”
said one woman, Rachel Osher. “We also want it. We want the same on both sides
of the border.”
Arab League says any plan to uproot Palestinians from Gaza
would be ‘ethnic cleansing’
AFP/January 27, 2025
CAIRO: The Arab League on Sunday warned against “attempts to uproot the
Palestinian people from their land,” after US President Donald Trump suggested a
plan to “clean out” the Gaza Strip and move its population to Egypt and Jordan.
“The forced displacement and eviction of people from their land can only be
called ethnic cleansing,” the regional bloc’s general secretariat said in a
statement. “Attempts to uproot the Palestinian people from their land, whether
by displacement, annexation or settlement expansion, have been proven to fail in
the past,” the statement added. Earlier Sunday, Egypt vehemently expressed its
objection to Trump's suggestion. Cairo’s foreign ministry in a statement
expressed Egypt’s “continued support for the steadfastness of the Palestinian
people on their land.”It “rejected any infringement on those inalienable rights,
whether by settlement or annexation of land, or by the depopulation of that land
of its people through displacement, encouraged transfer or the uprooting of
Palestinians from their land, whether temporarily or long-term.”After 15 months
of war, Trump said Gaza had become a “demolition site” and he would “like Egypt
to take people, and I’d like Jordan to take people.”Moving Gaza’s inhabitants
could be done “temporarily or could be long term,” he said. Since the start of
the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023 both countries have warned of plans to
displace Palestinians from Gaza into neighboring Egypt and from the West Bank
into Jordan. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, with whom Trump said he
would speak on Sunday, has repeatedly warned that said displacement would aim to
“eradicate the cause for Palestinian statehood.”El-Sisi has described the
prospect as a “red line” that would threaten Egypt’s national security. The
Egyptian foreign ministry on Sunday urged the implementation of the “two-state
solution,” which Cairo has said would become impossible if Palestinians were
removed from their territories.
Trump's Idea to 'Clean Out' Gaza Threatens Jordan, Egypt,
Analysts Say
Asharq Al Awsat/January 27, 2025
US President Donald Trump's proposal to uproot Gazans to Egypt and Jordan is a
"hostile" move against the two US allies and aims to "liquidate the Palestinian
cause", Jordanian analysts told AFP. The US leader on Saturday floated an idea
to "clean out" Gaza after more than 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas
had reduced the Palestinian territory to a "demolition site". "I'd rather get
involved with some of the Arab nations and build housing at a different location
where they can maybe live in peace for a change," Trump added. He said the
displacement of Gazans to neighboring Egypt and Jordan could be done
"temporarily or could be long term". For Oraib Rantawi, director of the Al Quds
Center for Political Studies in Amman, the idea is "a hostile position" by the
new US administration towards Palestinians, Jordan and Egypt. Jordan already
hosts 2.3 million Palestinian refugees and has repeatedly rejected any project
aiming to make the kingdom an "alternative homeland". "Our rejection of the
displacement of Palestinians is firm and will not change. Jordan is for
Jordanians and Palestine is for Palestinians," Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi
said on Sunday. Rantawi said the idea was "a threat for the security and
stability" of Israel's two neighbors, seeing a "message of pressure" for Amman
and a "poisoned gift" for Cairo. Such a plan would bring closer a wider
displacement of Palestinians, particularly from the occupied West Bank to Jordan
and aim to "liquidate the Palestinian cause at the expense of Arab countries",
Rantawi told AFP. For Palestinians, any attempt to move them from Gaza would
evoke dark memories of what the Arab world calls the "Nakba" or "catastrophe" --
the mass displacement of Palestinians during Israel's creation in 1948. Trump's
proposal comes after the United States issued a broad freeze on foreign aid
except that destined for Egypt and Israel.
'Unrealistic'
Jordanian writer and political analyst Adel Mahmoud called Trump's idea
"unrealistic" and a reflection of "the position of the Israeli far right" made
under "a humanitarian pretext". "Jordan and Egypt will not accept it," he added.
Egypt has previously warned against any "forced displacement" of Palestinians
from Gaza into the Sinai desert, and on Sunday rejected any infringement of
Palestinians' "inalienable rights... whether temporarily or long-term".
"According to our experience of the 70 to 80 years of the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, any temporary measure adopted by Israel ends up becoming permanent,"
Rantawi said. Saleh al-Armouti, an MP with Jordan's main opposition Islamic
Action Front party, said Trump's proposal was a "violation of Jordan's
sovereignty" and a "declaration of war". King Abdullah II has set out red lines
including no "judaisation of Jerusalem, no resettlement of Palestinians and no
alternative homeland", he said.
Iranian foreign minister meets Taliban officials in first Kabul visit in eight
years
Oman Al Yahyai/Euronews/January 27, 2025
Iranian foreign minister meets Taliban officials in first Kabul visit in eight
years
Iran has said that it hopes to improve economic ties and bilateral relations
with Afghanistan, during the first visit by an Iranian foreign minister to Kabul
for eight years. Abbas Aragchi, the Iranian foreign minister, held talks with
senior Taliban officials in the Afghan capital on Sunday, with discussions
centred around ongoing border tensions, the treatment of Afghan refugees in Iran
and disputes over water rights. Iran's top diplomat met the acting Afghan Prime
Minister Hassan Akhund, the Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and the Defence
Minister Mohammad Yaqoob. Aragchi expressed hope for enhanced economic ties and
improved bilateral relations, acknowledging the “ups and downs” in the
relationship between the countries, according to the Iranian news agency IRNA.
In a statement shared by the Taliban, Aragchi also said Iran was committed to
the return of approximately 3.5 million Afghan refugees living in Iran.
The Afghan prime minister urged Tehran to treat its refugees with dignity,
warning that a large-scale repatriation effort would not be feasible
immediately. He added that incidents like the reported execution of Afghans in
Iran have heightened public tensions. While Iran does not formally recognise the
Taliban government, which took control of Afghanistan in 2021 following the
withdrawal of US and NATO forces, Tehran maintains political and economic
relations with Kabul. Iran has also permitted the Taliban to manage
Afghanistan’s embassy in Tehran.
Israel Arrests 2 Citizens on Suspicion of Working for Iran
Asharq Al Awsat/January 27, 2025
Israeli authorities say they have arrested two Israeli citizens for allegedly
conducting missions on behalf of Iran, the latest in a string of similar cases
announced in recent months. A statement from the Israeli police and the Shin Ben
internal security agency on Monday said that Yuri Eliasfov and Georgi Andreev,
residents of northern Israel, were in contact with an Iranian agent and carried
out various missions under his instruction. The missions included passing on
classified military material obtained during Eliasfov’s military service in an
air defense unit. It said the suspects also spray-painted graffiti and hung
banners with pro-Iranian messages in various locations across the country, all
allegedly in return for financial compensation. The prosecution is expected to
file an indictment against them in the coming days. In September, an Israeli
citizen was indicted for involvement in an Iranian assassination plot against
top Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. One month
later, authorities arrested another Israeli who was allegedly involved in an
Iranian plot to assassinate an Israeli scientist.
The Shin Bet says Iranian agents are known to use social media and promises of
cash to try to enlist Israelis to carry out such missions.
Israel and Iran’s long-running shadow war has burst into the open over the past
year, with the two countries directly exchanging fire in April and again in
October.
EU Cautiously Agrees Roadmap to Ease Sanctions on Syria in
Wake of Assad’s Downfall
Asharq Al Awsat/January 27, 2025
European Union foreign ministers on Monday agreed to begin lifting sanctions on
Syria, while insisting that the measures should be reimposed if they see any
abuses by the country’s new rulers. The EU started to impose asset freezes and
travel bans on Syrian officials and organizations in 2011 in response to Bashar
al-Assad’s crackdown on protesters, which festered into a civil war. The
27-nation bloc targeted 316 people and 86 entities accused of backing Syria’s
former ruler. It is keen to lift those measures if Syria’s new leaders set the
country on the path to a peaceful political future involving all minority groups
and in which extremism and former allies Russia and Iran have no place. EU
foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ministers had agreed on a “roadmap” for
easing sanctions. Speaking after chairing the meeting, she said, the aim was to
lift those measures “that are most hindering the early buildup of the country
and to move from there.”She underlined that the ministers had only reached “a
political agreement” - not one to start easing the measures immediately - and
that “there are also technical issues to be solved” in the weeks ahead before
any sanctions can be lifted. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani
welcomed on Monday the EU's decision to lift sanctions, describing it as a
“positive step” in a post on X. Kallas said that an easing of sanctions “could
give a boost to the Syrian economy and help the country get back on its feet.”
But she added: “While we aim to move fast, we also are ready to reverse the
course if the situation worsens.”The ministers favor on a “snap back” mechanism
to reimpose sanctions if they believe that Syria's new leaders are heading in
the wrong direction. Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said the aim would
be to lift restrictions on things like Syria’s infrastructure and energy sector
“so that the country can develop itself again.” He said that “certain sanctions
will stay in place, such as (on) weapons exports.”Since Damascus fell on Dec. 8
and Assad fled to Moscow, Syria’s transition has appeared promising, but the new
leadership has yet to lay out a clear vision of how the country will be
governed. The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group – a former al-Qaeda affiliate
that the EU and UN consider to be a terrorist organization – has established
itself as Syria’s de facto rulers after coordinating with the southern fighters
during the offensive late last year. Veldkamp said that the restrictions on HTS
itself would not be eased initially. “They’re the new ones in power. We want to
see how their words are translated into actions,” he told reporters.
Israeli Strike on West Bank Kills 2
Asharq Al Awsat/January 27, 2025
Israel has carried out a strike on a vehicle in the occupied West Bank, killing
two people and wounding another three. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported
the casualties from Monday’s strike in the built-up Nur Shams refugee camp. It
has been the scene of several Israeli military raids in recent months targeting
Palestinian gunmen. Hamas said the two killed were fighters in its armed wing.
Another Palestinian was killed by Israeli fire in the urban Qalandiya refugee
camp near Jerusalem overnight, according to the Health Ministry. The ministry
does not say whether those killed by Israeli fire are fighters or civilians. The
Israeli military confirmed the strike in Nur Shams but did not immediately
provide further details. It referred questions about the shooting in Qalandiya
to the Israeli police, who did not immediately respond. The West Bank has seen a
surge in violence since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack out of the Gaza Strip
ignited the war there. Israel captured the West Bank and Gaza along with east
Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians want all three territories
for their future state.
Hamas Says Israeli Airstrike Kills Two of its Members in
West Bank
Asharq Al Awsat/January 27, 2025
An Israeli airstrike killed two of its members in the city of Tulkarm on Monday,
Hamas said, underscoring Israel's renewed focus on armed groups in the occupied
West Bank since the start of the ceasefire in Gaza. Hamas, the Palestinian
militant group that controls Gaza, said the two killed on Monday were members of
its armed wing. Witnesses in the city said a raid was underway but there was no
immediate comment from the Israeli military. The Palestinian health ministry
confirmed that two people had been killed, without identifying them, Reuters
reported. In Jenin, further north, a major operation with hundreds of Israeli
troops backed by armoured vehicles, drones and helicopters, looked set to go
into a second week, with smoke rising above the refugee camp adjacent to the
city, a longtime centre of armed militant groups. Armoured bulldozers and
diggers have destroyed buildings and roads in the camp, a crowded township built
for descendants of Palestinians who fled or were forced from their homes in the
1948 war around the creation of the state of Israel, and thousands of people
have left their homes. At least 16 Palestinians have been killed in Jenin and
surrounding areas since the start of the operation a week ago, including four
claimed as fighters by Hamas and the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad. Late on
Saturday, Israeli forces also shot a two-year old girl during a raid on the
village of Ash-Shuhada, just to the south of Jenin, Palestinian officials said.
"They started to shoot at us through the windows without any warning," said
Ghada Asous, grandmother of two year-old Laila Muhammad Al-Khatib. "All of a
sudden, the special forces raided us and were shooting through the windows." The
Israeli military said troops on a counterterrorism operation had fired at a
structure where suspected militants had barricaded themselves. "The army is
aware of the claim that uninvolved civilians were injured as a result of the
fire. The incident is under review," it said in a statement.
Israeli Ex-General Says War Did Not End Well for His
Country
Asharq Al Awsat/January 27, 2025
A former Israeli general who had proposed a surrender-or-starve strategy for
northern Gaza says “the war has ended very badly” for Israel. Giora Eiland spoke
to Israeli Army Radio on Monday as tens of thousands of Palestinians returned to
the heavily destroyed north in accordance with a ceasefire reached with Hamas.
Eiland said that by opening the Netzarim corridor, an Israeli military zone
bisecting the territory, Israel had lost leverage over Hamas and would not be
able to restore it, even if it resumes the war. “We are at the mercy of Hamas,”
he said. Eiland was the main author of the so-called Generals’ Plan, which
called for giving civilians in the northern third of Gaza a week to evacuate.
The whole area would then be declared a closed military zone, sealed off from
humanitarian aid, and anyone remaining would be considered a combatant. Last
fall, the plan was presented to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government,
which has not said whether it adopted parts of it. The Israeli military has
denied carrying out the plan. Around the time it was publicized, in October,
Israel launched a major operation in northern Gaza and sealed it off, allowing
in hardly any aid. Tens of thousands of people were forced out, and the
operation caused heavy destruction. Eiland said Israel had failed to achieve its
stated goals, including destroying Hamas, removing it from power, restoring a
sense of safety to Israeli border communities or safely returning dozens of
hostages abducted in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war. He said
that Hamas, by contrast, “has largely achieved everything it wanted.”
Palestinians Must Not Be Expelled from Gaza, Berlin Says After Trump Comments
Asharq Al Awsat/January 27, 2025
The Palestinian population must not be expelled from Gaza, the German foreign
ministry said on Monday after US President Donald Trump said Jordan and Egypt
should take in Palestinians. Asked for a reaction to Trump's comments, a foreign
ministry spokesperson said Berlin shared the view of "the European Union, our
Arab partners, the United Nations ... that the Palestinian population must not
be expelled from Gaza and Gaza must not be permanently occupied or recolonized
by Israel."Jordan is already home to several million Palestinians, while tens of
thousands live in Egypt. Both countries and other Arab nations reject the idea
of Palestinians in Gaza being moved to their countries. Gaza is land that
Palestinians would want as part of a future Palestinian state.
Egypt’s Parliament Speaker Rejects Proposals for Taking in
Palestinians from Gaza
Asharq Al Awsat/January 27, 2025
Egypt’s parliament speaker on Monday strongly rejected proposals to move
Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, saying this could
spread conflict to other parts of the Middle East. The comments by Hanfy el-Gebaly,
speaker of the Egyptian House of Representatives, came a day after US President
Donald Trump urged Egypt and Jordan to take in Palestinians from war-ravaged
Gaza. El-Gebaly, who didn’t address Trump’s comments directly, told a parliament
session Monday that such proposals "are not only a threat to the Palestinians
but also they also represent a severe threat to regional security and
stability.”“The Egyptian House of Representatives completely rejects any
arrangements or attempts to change the geographical and political reality for
the Palestinian cause,” he said. On Sunday, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued
a statement rejecting any “temporary or long-term” transfer of Palestinians out
of their territories. The ministry warned that such a move “threatens stability,
risks expanding the conflict in the region and undermines prospects of peace and
coexistence among its people.”Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s
far-right governing partners have long advocated what they describe as the
voluntary emigration of large numbers of Palestinians and the reestablishment of
Jewish settlements in Gaza. Human rights groups have already accused Israel of
ethnic cleansing, which United Nations experts have defined as a policy designed
by one ethnic or religious group to remove the civilian population of another
group from certain areas “by violent and terror-inspiring means.”
EU agrees ‘roadmap’ for easing Syria sanctions
AFP/January 27, 2025
BRUSSELS: EU foreign ministers on Monday agreed to begin easing sanctions on
Syria after the ouster of Bashar Assad, as the West looks to build bridges with
the war-ravaged country’s new leadership. “This could give a boost to the Syrian
economy and help the country get back on its feet,” foreign affairs chief Kaja
Kallas said after a meeting in Brussels. The 27-nation EU imposed wide-ranging
sanctions on the Assad government and Syria’s economy during its civil war.
Kallas said ministers had signed up to a “roadmap” for lifting the sanctions
starting with key sectors such as energy where relief is needed most urgently.
“While we aim to move fast, we also are ready to reverse the course if the
situation worsens, and in parallel, we will scale up humanitarian aid and
recovery efforts,” she said. France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the
EU could begin by suspending sanctions on the energy, transport and banking
sectors.Europe is keen to help the reconstruction of the Syria and build better
ties with its new rulers after the end of the Assad family’s five-decade rule.
But some EU countries worry about embracing the new rulers in Damascus too
quickly. The EU will only suspend the sanctions and not lift them definitively
to maintain leverage over the Syrian leadership.Syria’s new de facto leader
Ahmed Al-Sharaa, and the extremist group he led, Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, remain
under EU sanctions. Diplomats said there was still no discussion about lifting
those designations, as with others on the Assad regime. “What we are not
relieving, of course, is anything related to arms dealing, and everything that
we are still concerned about,” Kallas said. The new leadership in Syria has been
lobbying the West to lift sanctions — especially in the financial sector — to
allow the country to rebuild. “We welcome the positive step taken by the
European Union to suspend sanctions on Syria for one year, and look forward to
seeing them lifted completely,” Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani said on X.
“We hope that this decision will have a constructive impact on all aspects of
life for the Syrian people and ensure sustainable development.”
Iraq Urges Coordination between Regional Countries over
Syria's Stability
Baghdad: Asharq Al Awsat/January 27, 2025
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said on Sunday Baghdad was ready to
coordinate with regional countries, especially Türkiye, to ensure the stability
of Syria, Lebanon and Gaza. Sudani received in Baghdad Turkish Foreign Minister
Hakan Fidan for talks on regional and international developments and bilateral
relations, said the PM's office in a statement. They underscored the importance
of parties committing to the ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza. Sudani reiterated
Iraq's position that it refuses Syria to become an arena for conflicts,
stressing that its stability will positively impact the region. Fidan also held
talks with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein on ISIS' threat to Iraq, Syria and
Türkiye in wake of the toppling of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Damascus. They
also discussed economic and security issues, including Iraq's Development Road
Project. During a press conference, Hussein described ties between Iraq and
Türkiye as good and that he had discussed with Fidan means to develop them in
wake of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Baghdad in April last
year. He said the neighbors have vast opportunities for joint work. Moreover,
the FM added that their meeting tackled developments in Syria, saying that
communication is ongoing with the new administration in Damascus.
Fight against ISIS, PKK
Talks also focused on ISIS' threat to the border, he stressed, revealing that
several meetings will be held between Iraq and Türkiye to discuss
counter-terrorism efforts. For his part, Fidan described relations between
Ankara and Baghdad as "strategic", stating that a stable Iraq will reflect
positively on Türkiye.
On the Development Road Project, he said efforts are underway to implement it.
He underlined the importance of security coordination between their countries,
especially in combating ISIS and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). A joint
battle using "all our resources" must be carried out to eliminate both ISIS and
Kurdish militants in the region, Fidan stressed. Fidan's visit took place amid
repeated calls from Türkiye for the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG)
group in northeast Syria to disband following Assad's fall last month, with
Ankara warning it could mount a new cross-border operation against the group
unless its concerns are addressed. The YPG spearheads the US-allied Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF). Türkiye considers them terrorists that are an extension
of the outlawed PKK, against which Ankara carries out regular cross-border
military operations in northern Iraq's mountainous regions. Ankara and the West
deem the PKK a terrorist organization. Before the fall of Assad, the SDF was the
United States' main local partner in the fight against ISIS in Syria. Fidan said
he had reiterated Türkiye's expectation for Iraq to formally label the PKK a
terrorist organization, after Baghdad recognized it as a "banned organization"
last year. "I want to emphasize this fact in the strongest terms: the PKK is
targeting Türkiye, Iraq and Syria. For the future of our region and the
prosperity of our people, we must mount a joint fight against terror," he said.
"We must destroy ISIS and the PKK with all our resources," Fidan urged, saying
he had discussed possible cooperation mechanisms on intelligence and operational
matters, as well as the involvement of regional countries, against ISIS during
his visit. Ties between the neighbors have been rocky in recent years due to
Ankara's cross-border operations. However, relations have improved with Iraq
calling the PKK a banned organization and the start of high-level security
talks. On Sunday, Türkiye's defense ministry said Turkish forces had killed 13
PKK fighters in northern Iraq. Since Assad's toppling by an administration
friendly towards Ankara, Syria's Kurdish factions have been on the back foot,
and negotiators from the Syrian leadership, United States, Türkiye and the SDF
have been zeroing in on a potential deal on the group's fate. Hussein said on
Thursday that Türkiye attacking Kurdish forces in Syria's north would be
dangerous and create more refugees.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on January 27-28/2025
Why the journey home remains uncertain for Syria’s displaced
ANAN TELLO/Arab News/January 27,
2025
LONDON: When Bashar Assad’s regime suddenly collapsed early last month,
displaced families scattered across the region felt a wave of relief, confident
they could at last safely return to ancestral homes abandoned during Syria’s
13-year civil war. However, with tens of thousands having once again packed up
their lives in their adopted communities to make the journey home, many are
returning to find their once-familiar neighborhoods disfigured by war and
demographic changes. Within the first month after Assad’s ouster on Dec. 8, more
than 125,000 of the 5.5 million Syrians displaced to neighboring countries since
2011 returned to their war-torn homeland, according to UN figures. The
International Organization for Migration announced earlier this month that it is
increasing its donor appeal for Syria to $73.2 million to assist more than 1.1
million people over the next six months. These developments highlight the
immense challenges associated with the mass repatriation of displaced persons,
despite the assistance of host governments in Lebanon, Turkiye, and Jordan.
“Returning to Syria once felt like a far-fetched dream. None of us believed we
could go back anytime soon,” Loujein Haj Youssef, a Paris-based Syrian
journalist, told Arab News. But even after Assad’s downfall, “the country still
lacks critical components — security, services, and infrastructure — all of
which are vital for families to return.”Syria’s civil war created one of the
world’s largest displacement crises since the Second World War, forcing more
than 14 million people to flee to neighboring nations and beyond. Despite harsh
conditions and even abuses in host countries, many were hesitant to return,
fearing arrest, persecution, or forced military service. After Assad’s downfall,
however, thousands flocked to the borders.
For many others, security remains a major concern. Rema Jamous Imseis, the UN
refugee agency’s director for the Middle East and North Africa, described the
situation in Syria as “fluid and far from stable.”
She told a press briefing on Dec. 17: “In the past three weeks, we have seen
more than 1 million people forced to flee their homes, thousands of Syrian
refugees returning, and thousands of Syrians fleeing the country.”Noting that
the change of regime does not necessarily signal an end to Syria’s humanitarian
emergency, she stressed that “Syrians inside and outside the country still need
protection and support.” The Syrian opposition offensive launched on Nov. 27,
which led to Assad’s sudden downfall, has triggered a new wave of displacement.
By Dec. 12, it had forced about 1.1 million people from their homes, according
to the UN’s humanitarian agency OCHA. In recent days, the central governorate of
Homs has seen an increase in armed attacks. On Jan. 24, “unidentified gunmen
wearing military uniforms” executed 13 people and arrested 53 others in a rural
district, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. Amid this turmoil,
journalist Haj Youssef warned that fear of “another civil war” is among the main
hindrances to the return of displaced Syrians. “The current divisions, the
absence of proper institutions and laws, and reprisals — particularly by groups
perceived to be affiliated with the current administration — create deep
uncertainty,” she told Arab News. “This is especially troubling amid the recent
sectarian tensions in areas like Homs and Latakia,” she added, warning that “if
the chaos persists, many fear that it could lead to a renewed civil war.”The
international community has voiced concerns about the wellbeing of Syria’s
various sects after Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham took control of Syria’s capital,
Damascus. Human Rights Watch highlighted in a recent statement that the armed
groups that led the 12-day offensive, including HTS and factions of the Syrian
National Army, were implicated in human rights abuses and war crimes.
In response, HTS said that the rights and freedoms of religious and ethnic
minorities would be protected, the BBC reported. Interim Foreign Minister Asaad
Hassan Al-Shaibani said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last
week that “no one should be punished because of their origin, social or
religious background, or affiliation with certain groups.”However, since early
2025, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has documented 88 murders across
10 governorates that are classified as retaliatory actions, and a further 185
killings, of which 106 were the result of sectarian affiliations. These crimes
include three in Damascus, 14 in Rif Dimashq, 89 in Homs, 45 in Hama, 15 in
Latakia, four in Aleppo, nine in Tartus, four in Idlib, one in Sweida, and one
in Deir Ezzor. “There are fears that the persistence of this chaos may be a
deliberate decision by the new administration, which is deeply concerning,” Haj
Youssef said.The EU has voiced similar concerns. Earlier this month, the bloc’s
foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said sanctions could be lifted if Syria’s new
rulers took steps to form an inclusive government that protects minorities.
Western sanctions have crippled Syria’s economy, and the nationwide collapse,
compounded by widespread destruction, poses a major hurdle to the return of
displaced Syrians.
INNUMBERS
• 125k Refugees returned to Syria since Dec. 8.
• 486k IDPs returned to areas of origin.
• 664k People newly displaced across Syria.
“One of the main challenges preventing refugees from returning today is the
country’s shattered economy,” said Haj Youssef. “There must be viable prospects
for livelihoods to encourage their return.”
Over a decade of civil war and strict Western sanctions, alongside other
factors, have taken a toll on Syria’s economy. From 2010 to 2021, its gross
domestic product shrank by more than half, according to official Syrian data
cited by the World Bank in spring 2024.
Those returning to war-torn areas, such as Yarmouk Camp in Damascus, were met
with piles of rubble and the ashes of what had once been their homes. Stripped
of the essentials for life, these areas had been left uninhabitable.
“The biggest obstacle is returning to homes which were totally destroyed,” Fadi
Al-Dairi, co-founder and regional director of the Syrian-British charity Hand in
Hand for Aid and Development, told Arab News.
Rebuilding Syria is estimated to cost between $250 billion and $400 billion,
according to media reports. Recalling his visit to newly accessible areas, Al-Dairi
said: “When I visited Yarmouk Camp, Darayya, the Al-Razi Fields, and several
areas around Damascus, they were totally flattened. They were demolished. They
are unrecognizable. “So, we’re looking at housing, lands, and property rights,
which are lost, and this will need the government to interfere.”
Al-Dairi said many displaced Syrians were keen to return but “are quite
reluctant to rehabilitate their homes” as “it does cost money.” He highlighted
that rehabilitating a home could cost between $3,000 to $20,000.
“The majority of families say, ‘Why do I have to do it?’ There’s going to be
reconstruction. They assume reconstruction will include private properties. But
from our experience, the NGOs will only rehabilitate homes.”
With 90 percent of Syria’s population living below the poverty line, public
services in former regime-controlled areas in poor condition, and soaring
unemployment rates, humanitarian needs remain overwhelming.
Following a recent visit to Syria, Ted Chaiban, deputy executive director for
humanitarian action and supply operations at the UN children’s agency, UNICEF,
said that “an estimated 16.7 million people, including 7.5 million children need
humanitarian assistance.
“Almost 40 percent of hospitals and health facilities are partly or completely
non-functional,” he added in a statement on Jan. 23. “Nearly 13.6 million people
require improved water, sanitation, and hygiene services.”HIHFAD’s Al-Dairi said
that “in previously regime-held areas, the hospitals, schools, and various
services were totally neglected … and we also have a lack of jobs.”Collaborating
with the interim government to address these diverse needs is another challenge.
“The government is a transitional government. It cannot pay wages,” Al-Dairi
said. “We have a difference in the wages between various areas, between those
previously held by the regime and those in the northwest.”He highlighted
concerns about “people leaving Damascus, for example, to come to Idlib for job
opportunities. “When we talk about Idlib, we have electricity here 24/7, but in
Damascus, you’re talking about two hours a day — maximum one hour every 11
hours. It’s not enough. “In areas previously held by the Assad regime, there are
hardly any jobs. Most factories were shut down because the regime told business
owners: ‘You either take me as a partner without paying anything or close your
business.’
“In the northwest, it’s a free economy. And next to our warehouse, we have an
industrial city. It’s huge. You just drive for miles and miles full of
businesses, and that’s what we’re lacking in areas previously held by the
regime.”Even if destroyed areas are rehabilitated and public services improved,
reconciling local communities will be challenging after many families lost loved
ones or endured persecution during the civil war.Al-Dairi said families may
struggle to forgive once they discover that those responsible for their
detention or the killing of their loved ones are living among them. However, his
field visit left him hopeful that people were eager to move on and would seek
justice through proper channels.
“Those I spoke to, I asked: ‘Are you going to take revenge?’ They said: ‘No, not
revenge, but we’ll report them and make sure justice takes its course,’” he
said. “So, hopefully, we’re talking about transitional justice, but it remains a
challenge due to high corruption rates among judges. That’s something the
transitional government is working on.”He added: “There is a sense that we need
to forgive so we can move on, but at the same time, we should not forgive people
who committed crimes. “Reconciliation will take time, but it’s happening quicker
than expected. Families are fed up. They just want to move on. They just want to
return to their homes, if they can, to plant their land and find jobs.”Syrian
journalist Haj Youssef says it remains unclear where Syria is headed and that
hope hinges on the performance of the interim government. “In the short term, it
may take a year or two for the picture to become clearer — whether sanctions
will be lifted and reconstruction projects will begin,” she said. “However, this
largely depends on the performance of the current transitional authority and the
direction in which the state is heading.”
ريموند إبراهيم: نص تقرير شامل من موقع كايتستون حول
اضطهاد المسيحيين في دول متعددة - "سوف نقطع رؤوسكم ونكافأ"
'We Are Going to Behead You and Get a Big Reward': The Persecution of
Christians, December 2024
Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/January 27, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/01/139534/
The following are among the abuses and murders inflicted on Christians by
Muslims throughout the month of December 2024.
Jihadist Hate and Terror for Christmas
Germany: On Dec. 4, an Iraqi asylum seeker was arrested for plotting a terror
attack, specifically by plowing his vehicle into the crowds of a popular
Christmas market in Augsburg. The man, known only as Ali al-G, has a long
“history of posting pro-IS content on social media.” The report adds that,
This incident is the latest in a series of thwarted plots targeting Germany’s
Christmas markets, which are particularly vulnerable to attacks. Last month, a
17-year-old male of Turkish descent was arrested in Elmshorn,
Schleswig-Holstein, on suspicion of planning a truck attack on a local market.
In November 2023, another Iraqi national was detained in Hanover after
authorities discovered plans for a similar assault. Two teenagers were also
apprehended last year for conspiring to execute an attack in Leverkusen, North
Rhine-Westphalia, using a fuel-laden truck. Authorities have been on heightened
alert following the 2016 Berlin Christmas market attack that claimed 12 lives.
Spain: On Dec. 19—“just days before Christmas, a period of heightened security
risks due to festive gatherings,” notes a report—police arrested four Muslim
migrants of Moroccan origin (aged 14 to 17), for plotting a terrorist attack on
the Basilica of Santa María in Elche, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which draws
large crowds, especially around Christmas time. One of the terrorists, “a
fourth-year secondary school student, reportedly showed no prior behavior that
might have raised alarms among classmates or teachers, adding to the concerns
over hidden radicalization,” says the report before adding,
Experts warn of a growing trend of youth radicalization through online
platforms, where extremist groups exploit vulnerabilities to indoctrinate and
recruit individuals. This year alone, 15 minors have been arrested across Spain
for terrorism-related offenses, sparking calls for urgent action to counter
extremist propaganda and prevent radicalization.
Pakistan: On Christmas Day, three Christians were shot and wounded during a gun
attack on the home of Pastor Shahzad Siddique in Lahore. The attack came as a
result of an altercation on the night before, during Christmas Eve, when,
according to one of the pastor’s neighbors,
Pastor Siddique was leading a rally comprising church members including young
girls and women on Dec. 24 when a group of local Muslims riding a car started
misbehaving with the participants. Pastor Siddique and other elders confronted
the Muslims and told them not to tease the congregants. This must have stoked
anger in the Muslims and led them to plan the attack.
On the following Christmas Day, more than a dozen gunmen randomly opened fire on
the pastor’s home. “I had just returned home from my church and was resting when
unidentified motorcyclists opened fire outside my house,” the pastor recalled.
He called police, who arrived nearly 30 minutes later:
I was briefing the policemen about the firing incident when, all of a sudden,
youths riding motorcycles came there and opened indiscriminate fire on us.
Unfortunately, three people – my uncle, driver and a church member – received
bullet injuries on the arm, stomach, and leg. We were able to catch one attacker
while the others fled on foot, leaving behind five motorcycles… I believed that
this country was safe for us, but now I’m forced to admit that it isn’t safe to
be a Christian in Pakistan. I’ve always preached peace and tolerance, but this
unprovoked attack has shown that extremist elements do not want a peaceful
society.
Discussing this incident, Joseph Jansen of the human rights group Voice for
Justice said,
This act of violence, driven by religious hatred, highlights a grave issue of
intolerance and discrimination. The government of Pakistan must act decisively
to hold accountable those inciting such hatred and attacking individuals and
places of worship. Inaction against perpetrators has allowed extremist forces to
thrive unchecked, further exacerbating the threat to vulnerable communities.
Pakistan’s failure to safeguard minority rights and prevent religious based
violence also undermines its international commitments.
Bangladesh: Seventeen Christian homes in the Muslim-majority nation were set
ablaze on Christmas Eve, when all the Christians were celebrating midnight mass
at a neighboring village. Of the small village’s 19 Christian homes, 17 were
completely consumed in the flames, leaving their former owners homeless. “Our
houses have been completely burned to ashes,” remarked one of the victims; “[we]
could not save anything.”
Separately, in the days leading up to Christmas, instead of receiving
well-wishing from their neighbors, as happens throughout the world, Muslims
missives threatening to attack Christians during “their Christmas
celebrations—including threats of murder,” according to a Dec. 19 report. After
saying that they had repeatedly asked that Christians not celebrate Christmas
over the last few years, to no avail, one such letter, from an Islamic party,
continued:
Now, we are going to take stronger action—Inshallah [Allah willing]. …
[Moreover] those who have been converting from Islam to Christianity, we have a
list of your leader’s names. We believe very soon we will get the proper
permissions to take actions against those on this list – Inshallah. On Christmas
day, at the same time together in 64 Districts, we have plans for that
night….Many local people have complained against you. You have been converting
Muslim people to Christianity for a long time by luring them with money. We know
you have baptised hundreds of people in a pool inside your campus… We are coming
for you—anytime and anywhere. Also, you are not going to enjoy your upcoming
Christmas meal – before eating remember to say your goodbyes to all your family
members and to the world. Alongside this, we give a very special farewell to
those who have converted from Islam to Christianity in the Rangpur district.
“The lengthy letter,” the report adds, “made the church members panic and fear
for their safety and protection, especially those from a Muslim background.” One
local Christian leader also shared the personal threats he had been receiving:
A couple of Muslim religious leaders… threatened me not to ‘convert Muslims’ and
not to do ministry among the Muslims and Christians from a Muslim background… If
you do not listen to our request and continue converting Muslims, we will take
strong action against you. So be careful from now on.’
Turkey: On Dec. 23, Turkish journalist Uzay Bulut reported that “Muslims armed
with axes attacked the Christmas tree on the campus of Küçükçekmece Sebahattin
Zaim University.” She also quoted a Turkish human rights activist saying “We
must stop those who attack a tree in this way before they cut off our heads
tomorrow.”
Separately, according to a Dec 18 post,
The only Christian (Assyrian) deputy in Turkey, George Aslan, attempted to
convey a Christmas message in parliament but the deputy speaker of the
parliament, Bekir Bozdag, turned off his microphone the moment Aslan started
speaking his mother tongue, Aramaic, which is also the language of Jesus.
Responding to the disrespect he was subjected to, Aslan said:
When verses from the Koran are recited here, the microphone is not turned off.
Because they say it’s a holy language. The language I just spoke is Aramaic, the
language of Jesus Christ. If holiness matters, this is a holy language too. Then
the microphone should also be turned off when the Koranic verses are recited.
Lebanon: In the Christian town of Faraya, a stronghold of the nation’s Maronite
Catholics, a Baby Jesus statue from a Nativity Scene set up in the town square
was stolen and replaced with a gun. Addressing this act of anti-Christian
sentiment, Fr. Charbel Salameh, a parish priest, said:
We will be vigilant in protecting our village. We will maintain unity and
harmony, for the Lord unites us…. May God forgive those who are trying to
destabilize us. We are here to stay—this is our land and this is our
neighborhood. As children of the Church, we pray that whoever committed this act
will understand that our sacred places cannot be violated so easily… We pray
that the Lord Jesus will bring peace to the hearts and minds of the people and
our country, Lebanon, in these difficult times.
The report adds that,
Last year, Lebanon saw a series of attacks on Christmas symbols, particularly in
the northern region of Tripoli, home to a vocal Christian minority. The attacks
ranged from dousing a Christmas tree in Mina’s St. George’s Church with gasoline
to throwing a Molotov cocktail at another tree in Zakharia’s St. George’s
Square.
Christmas under Syria’s New Jihadist Leadership
On Dec. 8, jihadist rebel forces captured Damascus, and with it the whole of
Syria. Some in the Western media argued that, although jihadist in nature, the
new regime promises to be inclusive of the nation’s Christians and other
religious minorities. Below, however, are some developments that occurred during
the rest of December, 2024 (three weeks) which suggest otherwise:
One of the first things the jihadists did is drive around Damascus while
brandishing disturbing messages on their vehicles, including “Your Time Has
Come, worshippers of the Cross.”
On Dec. 10, “Jihadist rebels looted the treasury and donation box of St.
George’s Syriac Orthodox Church in Damascus, disrupting religious services and
preventing the Mass from being held. The priest was ordered to leave the
premises.”
On Dec. 11, a Christian priest reported that Muslims attacked the farmers of a
Christian village of Homs: “The Christians were ridiculed and beaten for being
‘infidels.’”
Even right before Damascus fell, its aspiring jihadist rulers were reported as
looking to find and behead the leader of the largest Christian community in
Syria, Metropolitan Ephraim of the Antiochian Orthodox Church. In response, the
metropolitan tried to comfort the nation’s Christians in a sermon:
“[O]ur beloved children in Aleppo, we remain here, in Aleppo, with our flock in
all circumstance—from the most difficult to the most joyful. This is our
pastoral ministry, and we will steadfastly continue to fulfill it… We assure you
that prayers in our churches will continue as circumstances and available means
allow. In prayer, dear ones, we cast our burdens upon God and trust in Him.
Therefore, I urge you: pray without ceasing! Let us patiently follow Christ’s
path to the cross, until we rise with Him in His Resurrection!”
The report adds, that, “Metropolitan Ephraim assumed leadership of the Aleppo
Metropolis on December 17, 2021, following the kidnapping and martyrdom of his
predecessor, Metropolitan Paul (Yazigi), who was murdered by Islamists in 2016.”
On Dec. 13, a Christian couple, Samaan Satme and Helena Khashouf, of the village
al-Jamasliyye in Homs province, were brutally murdered inside their home.
According to one report, “Although the murder was initially reported as a
burglary gone wrong, it later emerged that Samaan was beheaded and Helena shot,
indicating that there were other motives.”
Suggesting that the murder comes in the wake of uncorked jihadist hostility
against the nation’s Christians, the report adds that, around the same time of
this double homicide, a Christian man and his mother, living in Latakia, were
attacked by their longtime Muslim neighbors, upon the jihadist rebels’ arrival:
“You’re Christians,” they were disparagingly told, “leave the house, we don’t
want you here!”
On Dec. 18, the jihadists opened fire on the Greek Orthodox cathedral of Hama.
The gunmen, using automatic weapons, shot up the walls of the church and tried
to demolish the building’s cross.
That same day, the jihadists also “violated the sanctity of the dead” and
“vandalized the cemeteries of Christian families” in Mhardeh, north of Hama,
said a local source. Pictures of desecration (here) show a beheaded Virgin Mary
statue and several smashed crosses and tombstones scattered on the ground.
On Dec. 11, jihadists destroyed and vandalized the contents of the St. Sophia)
church in Suqaylabiyah, another predominantly Christian town, also in Hama
province (video footage here).
Nearly two weeks later, and just a couple of days before Christmas, eight
foreign jihadists, of Uzbek origin, set fire to a large public Christmas tree in
Suqaylabiyah (image here). According to one report, “the perpetrators kept
observers and firefighters at bay while the stories-high artificial tree burned
in the main square.”
This act of arson, along with the ongoing “series of thefts, desecrations of
churches, and anti-Christian provocations by jihadists from the Russian Caucasus
and Central Asia,” prompted protests from the region’s indigenous Christians.
While shouting “enough is enough!,” protestors marched through their village
carrying a large cross, “to show the jihadists that they are Christians and not
afraid.”
Discussing all these flagrant attacks, one report observes that,
Despite the declarations of tolerance and inclusion by the new government in
Syria, this attack on Christian sites is not the last, because jihadists
continue to act and have fought for the new Syrian government. In particular,
some, who are as close as two peas in a pod to the Islamic State, with the same
patches on their combat uniforms. Although Christmas for Catholics has been
declared a holiday for civil servants, nothing changes the fact that in Syria
the Islamist armed gangs, including the most radical ones, have total freedom.
Even Ahmed al-Sharaa, jihadist warlord and current leader of Syria, confessed in
a Dec. 17 interview that, “When we build the Islamic caliphate, Christians will
pay Jizya under Islamic Sharia.” The word jizya, which is often translated to
“tribute” or “tax,” comes from Koran 9: 29:
Fight those among the People of the Book [Christians and Jews] who do not
believe in Allah, nor the Last Day, nor forbid what Allah and his Messenger have
forbidden, nor embrace the religion of truth [Islam], until they pay the jizya
with willing submission and feel themselves humbled.
As should be evident from that verse, jizya is not limited to monetary tribute
from “infidels,” but is also a reflection and reminder of their inferior
status—one of submission and humility—within an Islamic state, which Syria has
become.
The Beating and Killing of Muslim ‘Apostates’ to Christ
Uganda: On Dec. 26, a Muslim couple and their adult son were burned to death for
accepting Christ in their lives. The three, Kaiga Muhammad, 64, his wife Sawuya,
and their son, Swagga, 26, had converted on Nov. 22. Then, on Dec. 16, after
Kaiga was spotted entering a church, a Muslim sheikh, Abdu, confronted him, to
which the convert openly declared that he and his family had embraced Christ.
Angered by such effrontery, the Muslim man gave the family a week to return to
Islam, or else: “Abudu said that our family had blasphemed the name of Allah and
embarrassed the Muslim community,” a family member recalled. Then, on Dec. 26,
area Muslims “set ablaze the family’s house with gas and burned the three
members of the family beyond recognition,” said a neighbor who arrived too late
to save them.
Separately, on Dec. 16, Muslims caught and killed a Muslim convert to
Christianity. Soon after James Mukenye, 29, and his wife and children converted
in January 2022, “the whole family threatened to kill us if we continued with
the Christian faith,” his wife said. That very night they fled to another
district. Nearly a year later, hoping matters had cooled down, and that it was
safe for them to return, they rented a home near their family village. On
learning that the apostates had returned, family members and other Muslims began
sending them threatening texts, some rather explicit:
We know where you are, and soon we are coming there and you will not escape the
wrath of Allah. You left here and disappeared from us for three years thinking
that Allah was in a sleep. Has Allah not brought you back for back justice? Soon
we are going to behead you and get a big reward from Allah, and this time you’re
not going to escape from us.
On the evening of Dec. 16, James left his home on a motorcycle for a gospel
outreach with another evangelist. “At about 7:30 p.m., his widow continues, “I
received a call from my husband telling me of people who have been
following/tracking him for about half an hour and requesting prayers. Since
then, there was no communication from him.” On the following morning, she and
others went searching for James only to find “my husband lying in a pool of
blood.” An eyewitness reported that he saw and heard from a distance people
yelling in Arabic as they stabbed someone who was crying and calling out,
“Jesus! Jesus! I am dying, please help me, please help me, help me!” James is
survived by his wife and three small children (2, 4, and 7).
Somalia: On Sunday, Dec. 8, a Muslim man severely beat and injured his wife
after learning she had converted to Christianity. The beating was so bad, that
the 30-year-old woman, Fatuma, fled her home, leaving her two children, aged 4
and 6, behind: “I miss my children,” she said, “but I cannot go back to my
husband because he will kill me. I live in great pain due to my fractured hand
and serious scars which have disfigured my face, as well as a stressful life of
being absent from my children. I have forgiven my husband and am praying for God
to change his life. I am very hurt and need prayers to heal my broken heart.”
Fatuma was first caught praying to Jesus on Dec. 4 by her mother-in-law, who
rebuked her:
Islam requires us only to pray in the name of Allah and Muhammad… Let this be
your first and last prayer in such a bad way. This is devilish, and if you do
not stop then you will be thrown out of the family.
When her mother-in-law caught Fatuma praying in Christ’s name again two days
later, she became furious:
I had given you a serious warning, but you have deliberately decided to ignore
it – my son then will have to divorce you.
On returning home and being informed by his mother, the son began to violently
beat his wife with sticks, until she managed to flee and go into hiding. The
report adds that,
Somalia’s constitution establishes Islam as the state religion and prohibits the
propagation of any other religion…. It also requires that laws comply with
sharia (Islamic law) principles, with no exceptions in application for
non-Muslims. The death penalty for apostasy is part of Islamic law according to
mainstream schools of Islamic jurisprudence.
Separately, according to a Dec. 25 report, “Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Shabab claims
attack on Christian missionaries near Somalia-Kenya border, killing one and
wounding three.”
South Sudan: After her husband stabbed her in the head with a knife for
converting to Christianity, Halima Mohammed Ali, fled, only to eventually return
to be with her five children (aged 1.5 to 14). “He still threatens me, that I
return to Islam,” she said, “But I refuse.” Her resilience has only prompted her
husband’s relatives to pester him into doing away with her, saying, “We cannot
stay with a Christian woman.” According to a church leader, “She has refused to
renounce her faith and continues attending church services… She asks for prayers
to remain firm in her faith.” He added that he hoped that making her story
public “will deter her husband from further attacks.”
Muslim Attacks on Churches Celebrating Christmas
Indonesia: On Sunday, Dec. 1, Muslims forcibly stopped a church choir rehearsal
for Christmas on the false claim that the Christians needed governmental
permission to conduct such rehearsals. But Indonesian Movement for All, a
leading moderate interfaith organization, said “The ban is incomprehensible.
Since when does practicing choir for Christmas require permission from the local
government?” The organization added that only the establishment of a Christian
house of worship requires a permit in Indonesia, whereas “Choir practice needs
no permit. People who prohibit this must be handled immediately.”
One week later, on Sunday, Dec. 8, a similar incident occurred: about 100
Muslims blocked Christians from entering and holding a Christmas service in a
pastor’s home. According to one report,
The Muslims claimed the site was not officially approved by the government, but
church Pastor Nicky Jefta Makary said he had given prior notice of the 3 p.m.
Christmas service to the neighborhood association, the head of the residents’
association, the local police chief and a Military Unit Command. A meeting in a
private home does not require permission in Indonesia, and Pastor Nicky said he
knew the regulations governing Christmas services.
“Why are we being hindered,” he continued to ask, “when we want to do something
good?” Not only should they not have been banned, but “the state should
intervene when minorities experience such persecution,” said one Christian
journalist, adding,
There should be no one in any name to prevent other people from carrying out
their worship according to their religion and beliefs on the grounds of
‘permission,’ and law enforcement officers should act firmly if there are
parties who try to carry out persecution by preventing others from worshiping
according to their beliefs, because that is against the law and must be
processed according to applicable law.
In the end, the congregation was given permission to hold a Christmas service in
a remote field.
Lebanon: According to a Dec. 22 post, a Muslim man entered a church in Jbeil
district and disrupted its service by crying “Allahu akbar!”
France: On Christmas Day, a Muslim man entered a church during worship service,
walked to the altar, and began to holler “Allahu Akbar,” before concluding his
act by exposing his buttocks before the bewildered Christians.
Sudan: On Friday, Dec. 20, the Sudanese Air Force (SAF) deliberately targeted
and destroyed a church, as well as five homes near it. Several civilians were
killed and injured in the homes, including the caretaker of the church. “The
Lord is good,” was the response of Philemon Hassan Kharata, pastor of the
Baptist Church in question; “and we pray that He protects the souls that are
more important than the property, and that He comforts the neighbors of the
church who died during the strike. We also pray for healing for our brother
Bakhit Hassan.”
Then, on Dec. 30, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacked a church
prayer service in al-Jazirah state. It was attended by 177 Christians, “who were
praying and fasting for the end of the military strife in Sudan.” According to
the report, “The militants of the Islamist RSF, which has been battling the
equally Islamist Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) since April 2023, stormed into the
worship building and beat church members.” Fourteen Christians were left
wounded.
Separately, a Christian priest was attacked by these same two leading rivals of
the nation (both Muslim): the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary
Rapid Support Forces (RSF). First, “From the side of the army [SAF],” Yunan
Tombe, bishop of the El-Obeid Diocese in North Kurdufan state, said that they
beat him and stole his USD cash, on the “pretext that I was carrying the
forbidden hard currency.” Then, “on the side of Rapid Forces, I was given
countless heavy blows on the neck, forehead, on my face and two sides of my
head,” completey damaging his jaws so that “I can’t bite food. Together with
deacon [Joseph], we missed narrowly martyrdom when one leader said that is
enough.” The report explains that the RSF militants “initially intended to
execute him before one member persuaded them to release him.” The bishop
experienced both beatings as he was returning from a Eucharistic Congress and
celebrations in Juba marking 50 years of the Catholic Church hierarchy in Sudan
and South Sudan.
About this Series
The persecution of Christians in the Islamic world has become endemic.
Accordingly, “Muslim Persecution of Christians” was developed in July 2011 to
collate some—by no means all—of the instances of persecution that occur or are
reported each month. It serves two purposes:
1)To document that which the mainstream media does not: the habitual, if not
chronic, persecution of Christians.
2)To show that such persecution is not “random,” but systematic and
interrelated—that it is rooted in a worldview inspired by Islamic Sharia.
Accordingly, whatever the anecdote of persecution, it typically fits under a
specific theme, including hatred for churches and other Christian symbols;
apostasy, blasphemy, and proselytism laws that criminalize and sometimes punish
with death those who “offend” Islam; sexual abuse of Christian women; forced
conversions to Islam; theft and plunder in lieu of jizya (financial tribute
expected from non-Muslims); overall expectations for Christians to behave like
cowed dhimmis, or second-class, “tolerated” citizens; and simple violence and
murder. Sometimes it is a combination thereof.
Because these accounts of persecution span different ethnicities, languages, and
locales—from Morocco in the West, to Indonesia in the East—it should be clear
that one thing alone binds them: Islam—whether the strict application of Islamic
Sharia law, or the supremacist culture born of it.
**Raymond Ibrahim, author of Defenders of the West, Sword and Scimitar,
Crucified Again, and The Al Qaeda Reader, is the Distinguished Senior Shillman
Fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the
Middle East Forum. **While not all, or even most, Muslims are involved,
persecution of Christians by extremists is growing. The report posits that such
persecution is not random but rather systematic, and takes place irrespective of
language, ethnicity, or location. It includes incidents that take place during,
or are reported on, any given month.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21342/persecution-of-christians-december
Without a State Every Palestinian
Is a Refugee
Nabil Amr/Asharq Al Awsat/January
27/2025
"President Trump suggested that Jordan and Egypt should receive a large number
of Gazans, either temporarily or permanently."
From experience, when a tragic event in the lives of Palestinians is labeled as
"temporary,” it often becomes permanent.
Since the first Palestinian refugee camp was established in 1948, camps have
been a key feature of Palestinian life, not just as shelters for people
displaced from their homes and supported by the United Nations Relief and Works
Agency (UNRWA), but also as symbols of the broader refugee issue that has grown
to encompass all Palestinians. This includes those holding the blue cards issued
by UNRWA and Palestinians everywhere, both within and outside Palestine.
Even those who remained in the Palestinian towns and villages occupied in 1948
that the State of Israel was established over are effectively refugees. They are
not treated as equals who enjoy the same rights and responsibilities, and their
status as the indigenous inhabitants of the land has always been denied. That
has been the case since they numbered only in the thousands, and it remains true
today, when they number in the millions.
When the establishment of the Israeli state was announced, many sought refuge in
the nearest places to them. Most moved to the West Bank and Gaza, followed by
Lebanon and Syria, and to a lesser extent, Egypt. Those who fled to the West
Bank were not initially seen as foreign, but their settlement in camps set up by
UNRWA meant they had a negative status that distinguished them from their local
compatriots.
With the unification of the West and East Banks, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
became home to several camps. While full Jordanian citizenship was granted to
all, fostering a sense of unity, it did not entirely foster a shared sense of
belonging. Outside the Kingdom, which was founded on the union of the two Banks
(West and East) and successfully united two peoples and two entities, refugee
camps and their inhabitants are scattered across the region, particularly in
Lebanon and Syria. However, unlike their counterparts in Jordan, refugees in
these two neighboring countries did not receive the same rights and obligations
as local citizens. This deepened refugees’ sense of displacement in their places
of residence, uniting all Palestinians, regardless of where they were and their
status in the host country.
This chronic state of exile and the dispersion of Palestinians across the entire
globe provided them. The regimes of the countries they resided in granted
Palestinians opportunities to excel in various fields. In many countries,
Palestinian refugees became heads of state, party leaders, prime ministers, and
other prominent positions of lesser rank.
Yet, deep inside, Palestinians always felt like refugees. They have never had a
document affirming their original national identity, and their ancestors were
subjects of various jurisdictions, none of them associated with a recognized
Palestinian state. All they had were references to their place of birth.
Displacement is an existential state- a sentiment that remains in the soul
regardless of one’s privileges and accomplishments. It is this deep-rooted sense
of being that drove the refugees, all Palestinians to seek revolution. The
sparks of their revolutions were lit from the very regions that offered them the
most opportunities and wealth: the Arab Gulf states. After the first
revolutionary statement was released, the flames of revolution spread like
wildfire, consuming hearts and minds alike.United by their shared sense of
displacement, Palestinians rushed to join the revolution without regard for the
costs that this would entail. If you go over the records of the martyrs, the
wounded, and the disabled- which numbers in the hundreds of thousands of
Palestinians over the coarse blood-soaked revolutionary journey- you will find
that they were almost all either students about to graduate from school and
university, or skilled professionals across various fields. After closer
examination of their economic conditions, you rarely find a poor person who had
been driven to join the revolution out of financial problems or in exchange for
substance.
This sense of displacement has consumed the Palestinian psyche, growing even
stronger with every failed attempt. Failure often produced more displacement and
exile. Instead of delving into a historical overview of these failures and their
consequences, let us instead examine the current state of affairs. The most
illustrative example comes from Palestinian territory, with the clearest failure
being that of the Oslo Accords.
The Palestinians living in their homeland felt, at a certain moment, that a new
horizon had opened. They promised themselves a state and independence. This hope
came from the revolution, led by Yasser Arafat, that took him to Gaza and then
the West Bank. At the time, resolving the question of Jerusalem seemed like only
a matter of time. However, the experiment ultimately failed, and all
Palestinians were again united by a shared sense of displacement, no matter
where they were: whether in camps, villages, or cities; in Gaza or the West
Bank; inside or outside the homeland. In both sentiment and fact, all
Palestinians remain refugees.
There is no escape from this condition unless the grip of displacement is
broken, with Palestinians granted equality with all other peoples of the world:
the ability to carry an identity card and passport issued by their own state.
Only then will the forced sense of exile that all Palestinians experience be
replaced with shared citizenship in a normal ordinary state. Finally, I ask
President Trump: Can the Palestinian cause be addressed with new displacement
and new camps?
US puts Mexican drug cartels in its sights
Dalia Al-Aqidi/Arab News/January 27, 2025
For the first time, the US could soon officially designate Mexican drug cartels
as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. This historic move would mark a pivotal
shift in how America addresses the violence and chaos caused by these criminal
groups. It would raise critical questions about the implications for combating
the cartels, enhancing international cooperation and understanding their ties to
global terrorist organizations. By labeling these cartels as terrorist groups,
Washington would be acknowledging the severity of their actions, which extend
far beyond traditional organized crime.
In one of his first actions back in office, President Donald Trump last week
signed an executive order that moves the US government toward this designation.
The order instructs the State Department to recommend, within 14 days, whether
to go ahead.
Mexican cartels have long plagued both their home country and the US with their
brutality, corruption and drug trafficking operations. Their activities
destabilize governments, fuel violence and undermine the rule of law. By
designating cartels as terrorist organizations, Washington would be treating
their actions as national security threats rather than mere criminal offenses.
This classification would give law enforcement agencies greater authority to act
decisively, including freezing cartel assets, denying their members entry to the
country and imposing harsher penalties on those who aid or collaborate with
them. Such measures are vital for dismantling the vast, complex networks that
allow cartels to operate with impunity.
Drug cartels are more than organized criminal groups; in many regions of Mexico,
they function as quasi-governments. Through violence, intimidation and
corruption, they control entire communities, operating as shadow states. They
assassinate politicians, bribe officials and terrorize civilians. Cartels are
the primary providers of jobs, security and even social services in some areas,
creating a dependency that entrenches their power. This system mirrors the
tactics of traditional terrorist organizations, making their designation as such
both logical and overdue.
The classification of cartels as terrorist groups would also draw attention to
their troubling connections with global terrorism. One notable example is the
relationship between some Colombian drug cartels and Hezbollah, a terrorist
organization based in Lebanon. Hezbollah has long been involved in drug
trafficking to fund its operations, with its influence extending into Latin
America. In countries such as Venezuela and Colombia, Hezbollah has collaborated
with cartels to smuggle drugs, launder money and facilitate illegal arms trades.
These partnerships create a dangerous nexus between organized crime and global
terrorism, where profits from drug sales in the US and Europe finance terrorist
activities in the Middle East and beyond.
The collaboration between cartels and terrorist organizations highlights their
shared reliance on violence, corruption and exploitation to achieve their goals.
Both use fear to maintain control, target vulnerable populations and weaken
governments. The vast resources and networks controlled by cartels make them
valuable allies for terrorist groups looking to expand their influence in the
Western Hemisphere. Ignoring these connections would be a grave mistake, as it
would allow these criminal and terrorist enterprises to grow unchecked.
Examples from recent years demonstrate how cartels have facilitated the entry of
individuals with suspected ties to terrorist organizations into the US. On May
3, 2024, two men driving a box truck arrived at the Quantico Marine Corps Base
gate, claiming to be Amazon delivery drivers. They tried to force their way into
the base. Investigations revealed that one of the men had illegally crossed the
border from Mexico, entering California just weeks earlier.
In July last year, Border Patrol agents in the San Diego sector detained three
Palestinians who had crossed the southern border illegally. These individuals
were suspected of having connections to terrorist organizations, raising
significant security concerns.
These cartels have long plagued both their home country and the US with their
brutality, corruption and drug trafficking operations.
Also last year, federal investigators apprehended eight Tajikistani nationals in
Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia. They were alleged to have ties to
Daesh’s Khorasan Province and had also entered the US illegally via the southern
border. Their arrests came just months after FBI Director Christopher Wray
warned that human smuggling operations at the US-Mexico border were being
exploited to bring individuals with suspected links to terror groups into the
country.
This decision would also recognize the immense human suffering caused by
cartels. Their reign of terror includes car bombings, mass executions and
beheadings. Women and children are often the most vulnerable victims, subjected
to abduction, exploitation and murder. The parallels between cartels and radical
terrorist groups are striking. In both cases, young men from impoverished areas
are lured into these organizations with promises of wealth, power and a sense of
belonging. For these recruits, the cartels offer an escape from poverty, even as
they perpetuate cycles of violence and despair.
In America, the impact of cartel violence is deeply felt through the ongoing
opioid crisis. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid produced with precursor chemicals
sourced in China and manufactured by Mexican cartels, has flooded American
communities. It is alarmingly easy to access and has caused tens of thousands of
deaths each year. If the designation goes ahead, authorities will be able to
more effectively target the networks responsible for trafficking fentanyl and
other deadly drugs, saving countless lives.
Narco-culture has also become ingrained in society, influencing music, fashion
and religious practices. This glamorization of cartel life, often perpetuated by
the music and film industry, along with TV shows, creates a dangerous cycle in
which young people view cartel membership as a path to success. These cultural
shifts strengthen the cartels’ grip on society, making it even harder for
governments to fight their influence.
While the decision to designate cartels as terrorist organizations would be a
strong statement, it would not be without its challenges. Critics argue that
this move could strain US-Mexican relations, as Mexico may perceive it as an
infringement on its sovereignty. There are also concerns about unintended
consequences, such as increased violence if the cartels retaliate or further
destabilization of the Mexican economy.
Moreover, combating cartels requires more than military or law enforcement
action. Addressing the root causes of cartel power — poverty, corruption and
weak institutions — is essential for lasting change. Without investments in
education, economic opportunities and governance reform, efforts to dismantle
cartels may only provide temporary relief.
The US’ move to label cartels as terrorist organizations should serve as a
wake-up call to other countries. The influence of cartels is not limited to
America and Mexico — their reach extends across the Americas and into Europe and
Asia. If left unchecked, their operations could further destabilize regions,
fuel global drug crises and strengthen their ties to terrorist organizations.
Countries in the Global South, in particular, must recognize the threat cartels
pose to their stability and take measures to combat their influence.
*Dalia Al-Aqidi is executive director at the American Center for Counter
Extremism.
Palestinian sources say to free Gaza hostage demanded by
Israel before next swap
Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/January 27/2025
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.