English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For  August 02/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
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Bible Quotations For today
Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it!
Saint Luke 11/27-31: "A woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!’But he said, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it! ’When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, ‘This generation is an evil generation; it asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be to this generation. The queen of the South will rise at the judgement with the people of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and see, something greater than Solomon is here!"

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on August 01-02/2025
The Martyrdom of the 350 Maronite Monks/Elias Bejjani/July 31/2025
Elias Bejjani – Text and Video: Exposing and Discrediting the Delusional and Detached Speech of Naim Qassem/Elias Bejjani/July 31/2025
The jihadist al-Julani regime and the mullahs' regime are two sides of the same coin./Elias Bejjani/July 30/2025
Lebanese President Aoun Reiterates Calls for Hezbollah Disarmament
Israeli Report: Hezbollah Loses its Way After Nasrallah's Absence
Who are the four victims who fell in yesterday's Israeli raids?
Lebanon says four killed in Israeli strikes on Thursday
A presidential maneuver places the "party" in historical isolation... The President of the Republic confronts the "Mullahs of Iran" and their party... "Checkmate"/Samer Zureik/Nidaa Al Watan/August 2, 2025
Barak or Ortagus?/Amal Shmoun/Neda Al Watan/August 2, 2025
What is the truth behind Barrack's exclusion and Ortagus's reassignment to the Lebanese file?
The UNIFIL Peacekeeping Force in Lebanon Is a Failure; the UN Should Disband It/Hussain Abdul-Hussain/The Algemeiner/August 01/2025
Martyrdom Without Benefits: Hezbollah’s Social Contract Unravels/Makram Rabah/Now Lebanon/August 01/2025

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 01-02/2025
Trump Warns That Canadian Recognition of Palestinian Statehood May Derail Trade Deal Negotiations
Western countries speak of a future Palestinian state as the nightmare unfolding in Gaza worsens
Netanyahu postpones decision over military action in Gaza to next week, source says
Trump's envoy meets Netanyahu for Gaza aid, ceasefire push
US envoy visits distribution site in Gaza as humanitarian crisis worsens
France halts Gaza evacuations over antisemitic posts by Palestinian student

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on August 01-02/2025
Did Qatar Just Take a Step Back From Hamas?/Natalie Ecanow/FDD/August 01/2025
Is Israel the region’s new police?/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al-Awsat/August 01, 2025
A Thirsty Iran Provides an Opening for the U.S./Janatan Sayeh/FDD/August 01/2025
The Rise of Radical Islamism in Bangladesh: A New Theocratic State?/Anna Mahjar-Barducci/Gatestone Institute./August 01/2025
Trump’s mental decline is undeniable — so what now?/Chris Truax, opinion contributor/The Hill./ August 1, 2025
Selected Tweets For August 01/2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on August 01-02/2025
The Martyrdom of the 350 Maronite Monks
Elias Bejjani/July 31/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/145862/
Feast Day: July 31
Among the most radiant pages in the history of the Maronite Church is the martyrdom of 350 monks from the Monastery of St. Maron in 517 AD. These monks were brutally killed by order of the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius, under the instigation of the Monophysite Patriarch Severus of Antioch and his ally Peter the Fuller. Their crime? Upholding the doctrine of the Council of Chalcedon, which affirmed that Jesus Christ is both fully divine and fully human, united in one person.
Why Were They Killed?
The monks of St. Maron, spiritual descendants of St. Maroun, lived in northern Syria near the border of modern-day Lebanon. They were deeply committed to Catholic orthodoxy, especially the teaching of the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD), which declared that Christ is one person in two complete and distinct natures: divine and human. This doctrine was rejected by the Monophysites, who claimed that Christ had only one divine nature. Emperor Anastasius, a supporter of Monophysitism, empowered Severus to persecute those who remained loyal to Chalcedonian orthodoxy. In 517, imperial soldiers swept through the district of Apamea, shutting down monasteries and targeting faithful monks. Many were beaten, imprisoned, or exiled. On their way to the Monastery of St. Simeon Stylite, 350 Maronite monks were ambushed and slaughtered, even as some clung to the altar. The monastery itself was then set ablaze.
A Witness Recorded in Rome
The surviving monks wrote a powerful letter to Pope Hormisdas (514–523), recounting the horrors they had witnessed and endured at the hands of Severus and his followers. In 518, the Pope replied with a message of comfort and strength, praising their steadfastness and encouraging them to persevere in the true faith.
Church historians—including Theophanes and Theophilus of Edessa, a Maronite—confirmed the massacre, documenting the persecution and execution of the Chalcedonian monks.
The Meaning of Martyrdom in Christianity
In the Christian tradition, martyrdom is not defeat—it is a triumph of truth, love, and unwavering faith. Jesus taught: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10). The 350 monks were not merely victims of violence; they were witnesses to eternal truth. Their blood was not spilled in vain—it nourished the very roots of the Maronite Church and sustained the flame of orthodoxy across centuries. Their martyrdom remains a sacred legacy of faithfulness, resistance, and spiritual heroism.
The Maronites: A People of Faith, Asceticism, and Sacrifice
The 350 martyred monks are a faithful mirror of the Maronite identity.
They are the fruit of an unshakable faith grounded in the teachings of the universal Church.
They are the embodiment of spiritual asceticism, rooted in mountains, caves, and silence.
They are a symbol of profound love for Lebanon—as a land of divine mission and sacred purpose.
Through every generation, the Maronites have never forsaken their faith, even under siege. They never surrendered their spiritual freedom, even during war. They have been a monastic people, even within their homes—planting a cross in every field and lighting a candle in every darkness. If Lebanon remains free today, it is thanks to the faith of this people and the sacrifices of its martyrs.
Maronites have remained inseparably tied to Lebanon
The Maronites have always been devoted to prayer, monastic life, and steadfast loyalty to Christ and His Church. They have remained inseparably tied to Lebanon, seeing in it not just a homeland but a holy mission.
Despite persecution, exile, and war, they held tightly to their faith and to the land. Their story is not only one of survival—it is a testament of sacrificial love. In every cave they built a chapel; in every valley they sowed the seeds of resurrection.
Remembrance and Intercession
On July 31, the Maronite Church commemorates the 350 Martyrs of St. Maron Monastery. In recognition of their sacrifice, Pope Benedict XIV extended the indulgences associated with this feast to all Maronite churches, following the example of Pope Clement XII in 1734.
May their prayers sustain us.
May their courage inspire us.
And may we never abandon the truth for which they laid down their lives.

Elias Bejjani – Text and Video: Exposing and Discrediting the Delusional and Detached Speech of Naim Qassem
Elias Bejjani/July 31/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/07/145835/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKHmEBYkhG4&t=93s
In a speech full of repeated slogans, hollow bravado, and foolish denial of defeat and irrelevance, Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, proudly defended the group’s terrorist, Iranian-backed, and militant weapons. He falsely claimed these weapons are “protecting Lebanon” and accused anyone demanding their removal of being traitors or agents of Israel. But the truth is that Hezbollah’s insistence on keeping its weapons is a blatant violation of the will of the majority of Lebanese people. It also defies national agreements, especially the Taif Agreement, which clearly demands the disarmament of all militias—without exception—and the extension of state authority over all Lebanese territory through official state forces.
Refusing to Disarm: A Betrayal of the Constitution and All Agreements
Qassem claims that Hezbollah’s weapons are an “internal matter,” and that calls for disarmament help Israel dominate Lebanon. In reality, Hezbollah’s weapons are the main obstacle to establishing a sovereign state that holds the exclusive power to declare war and maintain national security.
Hezbollah even begged for a ceasefire after realizing its military collapse. That ceasefire agreement, signed by the Mikati government and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, clearly demanded Hezbollah’s withdrawal from the south, the dismantling of its military infrastructure, and the handover of all its weapons to the state. It explicitly named who could bear arms—from the army to municipal police—but mentioned nothing about “resistance” or “opposition.”So how does Qassem now deny the terms of a deal his party approved and once called a “political victory”? This contradiction between words and actions exposes his hypocrisy.
Empty Victories: No Triumph, Just Total Defeat
Qassem’s talk of “resistance strength” is nothing more than desperate cover-up attempts for Hezbollah’s and Iran’s massive failures. Lebanese people and the world have seen southern Lebanon, the Bekaa, and Dahiyeh reduced to rubble. Top Hezbollah leaders have been killed, and tens of thousands of Shiite civilians were displaced—not by Israel—but by Hezbollah’s reckless decisions and its use of civilians as human shields. Iran, the group’s regional backer, is also losing everywhere: in Syria, Assad’s regime is collapsing; in Yemen, the Houthis are being crushed; and inside Iran, the currency is collapsing while public uprisings rise. Hamas is also under heavy attack. The whole “axis of resistance” is falling apart.
Hiding Behind the Government: Deep State Rules, Presidents Are Puppets
Qassem claimed Hezbollah handed everything to the state and that it’s now the state’s responsibility to act. But who’s really blocking the state? Isn’t it the so-called Shiite Duo—Hezbollah and Amal—that forms Lebanon’s deep state and dominates power and decision-making?
Presidents Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam have shown nothing but weakness and submission. They surrendered their sovereign responsibilities to Hezbollah’s agenda, instead of defending the constitution and fulfilling the mission assigned to them by international sponsors—both Arab and Western.
The “Defense Strategy”: A Trick to Justify the Militia
Hezbollah’s so-called “national defense strategy” is nothing but a political trick to keep its weapons under a fake legal cover. There is no country in the world that shares its military authority with a group outside its state institutions. A nation cannot be built on a system that splits weapons between the army and a militia.
Qassem Welcomes the Criminal George Abdallah: Birds of a Feather
In one of the clearest signs of Hezbollah’s alliance with terrorism, Qassem warmly welcomed convicted terrorist George Abdallah, calling him an “international struggler.” Abdallah was convicted of assassinating diplomats and still refuses to recognize the law or the state.This wasn’t just a political gesture—it was proof of the shared identity between Hezbollah and every outlaw, whether they carry bombs or so-called “resistance” rifles. Qassem’s praise for Abdallah reveals Hezbollah’s true mentality: full alignment with violence, total contempt for legal institutions, and complete rejection of justice. Once again, the saying fits perfectly: "Birds of a feather flock together." A terrorist praises another terrorist. Both are a disgrace to Lebanon, enemies of its sovereignty, and a threat to the state.
Conclusion: No Reconstruction, No Peace, No State While Hezbollah Exists
Lebanon will never see peace, recovery, or rebirth as long as Hezbollah controls the weapons, dominates institutions, and imposes its ideology, security apparatus, and false narratives.
What’s needed isn’t coexistence with Hezbollah—but a complete dismantling of its military, institutional, cultural, and intelligence infrastructure. Its fake “sacred” image must be stripped away to reveal the destructive Iranian expansionist project behind it.
All party leaders and officials who accepted Hezbollah’s terrorism must face justice. Presidents Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam have proven themselves mere tools in Hezbollah’s hands.
To the judges, MPs, and officials too afraid to confront Hezbollah: your political courage—not your silence—will protect Lebanon.
Author: Elias Bejjani, Lebanese Diaspora Activist
Website: https://eliasbejjaninews.com
Email: phoenicia@hotmail.com

The jihadist al-Julani regime and the mullahs' regime are two sides of the same coin.
Elias Bejjani/July 30/2025
Al-Jolani’s regime is satanic, jihadist, and Salafist — no matter how much it is whitewashed by Arabs and USA. Like the terrorist Hezbollah and the regime of its murderous mullah masters, it poses a threat to everything human, to humanity itself, to peace, and to civilization. Different faces of one barbaric reality.

Lebanese President Aoun Reiterates Calls for Hezbollah Disarmament
FDD/August 01/2025
Latest Developments
‘Exclusivity of Weapons’: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has urged Iran’s terrorist proxy Hezbollah to disarm following increasing U.S. pressure on his government to fulfill its promise to establish a state monopoly on arms. In a speech on Lebanon’s Army Day, Aoun stated that his government will convene next week to discuss Lebanon’s amendments to a U.S. plan to disarm Hezbollah, including a demand for the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon. Urging a “push for the exclusivity of weapons in the hands of the army and security forces,” Aoun praised Hezbollah for supposedly showing restraint, describing the organization as “too honorable to risk the state-building project, and too noble to provide pretexts for an aggression that wants to continue the war against us.”
Hezbollah Leader Doubles Down on Refusal to Disarm: Aoun’s comments came a day after Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem reiterated the group’s rejection of disarmament, which he asserted would amount to “submitting to Israel.” Accusing U.S. envoy Thomas Barrack of showing more concern for the security of Israel than Lebanon, Qassem added that “Israel will not be able to defeat us and it will not be able to take Lebanon hostage.”
U.S. Pressure on Beirut Mounting: The United States has been increasing pressure on the Lebanese government to formally commit to disarming Hezbollah. Without this commitment, Washington will reportedly no longer dispatch Barrack to oversee negotiations with Beirut’s government or press Israel to halt military operations and withdraw from the country. Barrack stated on July 27, “The credibility of Lebanon’s government rests on its ability to match principle with practice” — a reference to its pledge to impose a state monopoly on weapons — adding that “as long as Hezbollah retains arms, words will not suffice.”
FDD Expert Response
“Lebanon is caught in a contest of words between Qassem and Aoun. Qassem is essentially buying time for Hezbollah, hoping to outlast international attention on the terrorist organization’s arsenal and insisting that Hezbollah won’t discuss the potential for disarmament until Israel withdraws from Lebanon. Meanwhile, Aoun continues to insist on a state monopoly on arms, but if the government does not act upon his uncompromising words to disarm Hezbollah, the group will reconstitute, much to the detriment of Lebanon and the broader region.” — David Daoud, Senior Fellow
“The United States must remain cautious when engaging with the Lebanese leadership and evaluating its responses to American demands. The Lebanese government has focused on minimizing Israeli airstrikes while simultaneously avoiding a confrontation with Hezbollah. Instead of pursuing a disarmament campaign against Hezbollah, it has deployed rhetoric aimed at appeasing American demands without implementing meaningful action.” — Ahmad Sharawi, Research Analyst

Israeli Report: Hezbollah Loses its Way After Nasrallah's Absence
NNA/August 2, 2025
The Israeli newspaper Maariv published an extensive report prepared by journalist Maya Cohen, quoting Professor Amtzia Baram, an expert in strategy and the Middle East at the University of Haifa, as saying that Lebanon is experiencing an unprecedented identity crisis, in light of the President's public call for Hezbollah to disarm, which the party's Secretary-General immediately rejected. Baram explained that what is happening is "a sharp political clash, in which each side clings to its position and no progress is being made." He considered that the internal tension in Lebanon reflects a deep demographic and political gap, as "no less than 70% of the Lebanese people support the demand to disarm Hezbollah. If a vote were held in parliament, there would be a majority in favor, as most government ministers, the prime minister, and the president support this demand, and even a portion of the Shiite street agrees with the idea. However, the majority of Shiites refuse to give up their weapons. For nearly 25 years, this sect, although not a majority, has held the reins of power in Lebanon, and they fear losing their position by losing their weapons."
Baram pointed out that this reality leads to "a paradox, as there is a clear majority that wants to disarm Hezbollah, but it refuses, even though it is the most powerful armed organization in Lebanon, stronger than the army itself. This is a situation that cannot continue for long." In his opinion, the solution lies in a "multi-level diplomatic approach." He added that Israel "can keep Hezbollah weak for a while, but no longer. Despite its weakness, it is still so strong that it cannot be forced to disarm by force alone," stressing that Israel needs "very strong allies" on this issue. Baram criticized the French position, saying, "The French must do their part, and so far they have done nothing." He explained that what is needed is "a system of cooperation that includes the French, the Americans, and perhaps the Germans, in addition to the Saudis and the Emiratis, to send a clear message to Lebanon that it is at a crossroads: either peace and reconstruction, or a deepening of the crisis and perhaps a return to war." In Baram's opinion, the required policy must be based on "carrots and sticks": the carrot is economic, through promises to rebuild the collapsed economy, while ensuring that Shiite areas benefit from this support. The stick is Israeli, through military operations against Hezbollah's violations of the ceasefire agreement. He emphasized that "Israel can pledge to cease these operations if the party gives up its weapons and even withdraws from five points in southern Lebanon that remain under its control." He added that Israel could "threaten escalation if Hezbollah refuses to disarm, which would put significant pressure on the Lebanese regime," but he explained that "this threat is currently not credible, because Israel is stuck in Gaza and cannot devote itself to the Lebanese front." Baram considered that confronting Hezbollah requires first "liberating Israel itself from the quagmire in Gaza," because the threat posed by the party is "much greater" than that of Hamas. He also pointed to the role of the Amal Movement, which he described as "both a partner and an adversary," but which "is now aware of Hezbollah's weakness and may turn against it if the pressure intensifies and economic and political incentives are available, as Amal has always been more closely linked to Lebanon, while Hezbollah is primarily linked to Iran." In his analysis of the regional situation, Baram pointed to "a major internal dispute in Tehran between hardliners and pragmatists, with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Pezeshkian siding with the pragmatists." He said there is a "50% chance that these people will allow Hezbollah to make an independent decision, even if it means disarming and transforming into a major political party while retaining its parliamentary influence. This would represent a fundamental change in the Lebanese and regional landscape."

Who are the four victims who fell in yesterday's Israeli raids?
Janubiya/August 1, 2025
In light of the surprise Israeli raids on southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley on Thursday, the Ministry of Health announced the "fall of four martyrs" who died as a result of these raids. The Public Health Emergency Operations Center of the Ministry of Public Health said on Friday that "a series of raids launched by the Israeli enemy yesterday evening, Thursday, led to the fall of four martyrs."
Who are they?
According to pro-Hezbollah pages, obituaries were published for four fighters:
Nassif al-Abd Bahja from Jibchit, southern Lebanon
Ali Muhammad Hammoud from Kfar Melki, southern Lebanon
Hassan Sharif Ghamloush from Jbaa, southern Lebanon
Hassan Muhammad al-Harshi from Sahmar in the Western Bekaa Valley
All of them will be buried today in their hometowns, except for Bahja, who will be buried on Saturday in Jibchit. Israeli aircraft carried out more than 15 raids on Thursday in the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon, with Defense Minister Yisrael Katz saying the strikes targeted Hezbollah missile and drone depots.

Lebanon says four killed in Israeli strikes on Thursday
AFP/August 01, 2025
BEIRUT: A series of Israeli air strikes killed four people in south and east Lebanon, the health ministry said Friday, referring to strikes that occurred the previous evening. “The series of strikes launched by the Israeli enemy Thursday evening led to the death of four people,” the Lebanese health ministry said. The Israeli military said Thursday that it had targeted Hezbollah “infrastructure that was used for producing and storing strategic weapons” in south Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described one of the targets as Hezbollah’s “biggest precision missile manufacturing site.”More than a year of hostilities — including two months of all-out war between Israel and Hezbollah which largely ended with a November ceasefire — left the militant group badly weakened. Israel has nonetheless kept up near-daily air strikes in Lebanon despite the ceasefire, and has threatened to continue them until the group has been disarmed. “Any attempt by the terrorist organization to recover, re-establish or threaten will be met with relentless intensity,” Katz said on Thursday. Under the terms of the truce, Hezbollah was to withdraw its fighters north of the Litani river, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border. Israel was meant to withdraw all its troops from Lebanon, but has kept them in five areas it deems strategic. In a speech on Thursday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said he was determined to disarm Hezbollah, a step he has come under heavy US pressure to take, despite the group’s protests that doing so would serve Israeli goals.

A presidential maneuver places the "party" in historical isolation... The President of the Republic confronts the "Mullahs of Iran" and their party... "Checkmate"
Samer Zureik/Nidaa Al Watan/August 2, 2025
The President's speech was a move by the state's "horse" to besiege the fortress of the "Mullahs'" project.
The profound messages in the content of the President's speech in Yarzeh made it more like a national arrest warrant against Hezbollah, wrapped in strategic frameworks and state controls. This is intended to launch last-minute negotiations on the final formula that must be approved during Tuesday's landmark session. This should be consistent with the extent of international and Arab pressure, the seriousness of the threats facing Lebanon, both the state and its people, and preserve a role for the "party" as a partner representing a fundamental group of the entity's pillars. One sign of these pressures was Prime Minister Nawaf Salam's meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. Information indicates that the meeting was negative and marked by a characteristic sharpness on the part of the "Master of the Elysée," who included the Chief of Staff and the Director of Intelligence in the meeting to brief the Prime Minister on their knowledge of Hezbollah's weapons procurement and storage activities as part of the process of restructuring its military structure. He also emphasized Washington's awareness of these developments, which prompted it to adopt a tough stance against Lebanon and consider imposing strict sanctions on it, exacerbating the severity of its crises. Macron concluded by asking Salam to ensure that the Cabinet approves a clear program for disarmament within timeframes consistent with the American proposal. This would give him leverage to create a loophole in Washington's position, allowing it to improve Lebanon's negotiating position and avoid an Israeli strike, the scope of which is unpredictable. This atmosphere contributed to the presidential trio's decision to hold Tuesday's session and had an impact on the "tuning" of the "Yarzeh" speech. After US envoy Tom Barrack used chess and backgammon to highlight the difference between Washington's strategic approach within complementary circles, and Beirut's approach, disconnected from the region's shifts and its rapid pace, to "pass time," President Joseph Aoun conducted a political maneuver within the limits of his capabilities, in the manner of a chess player. Despite his careful attention to delicate balance in his approach, he used terminology that struck the "party" in the heart. He argued that Israel had not found "a single traitor" in the army, despite the economic and financial suffering, hinting at the spread of treason within the party's structure, and, before that, the boasting of his "soldiers" about the greenbacks at the beginning of the crisis. Not to mention the direct targeting of his rhetoric, which is accompanied by popular "ideologization" that portrays the state as "incapable," and the nation's partners who disagree with his project as "the enemy within," describing them as "illusions that have failed," and emphasizing that the "covenant's" position in a region teetering between the brink of the abyss and the ladder of prosperity is to not squander the opportunity to save the state and to reject the policy of suicide.
On the anniversary of the army's martyrs, the President of the Republic outlined the requirements in Tuesday's session: "A historic decision authorizing the army alone to bear arms and protect the borders." He left limited room for discussion regarding how to formalize this decision through a detailed executive program. It can be said that the President's speech represented a strategic shift in the "game of kings," in which he moved the state's "horse" on the regional "board" above the heads of Iran's "pawns" to besiege its "party" and the "fortress" of its project. He told its mullahs "checkmate," or "shah mat," in the Persian and Turkish expressions commonly used when rescuing the "king" becomes impossible. This attempt to prevent the mullahs from slaughtering Lebanon's Shiites and their state in defense of their regime's survival was made possible by his awareness that the party's intransigence stems from Tehran, which completely dominates its decision-making process after eliminating its leadership structure, which had a margin of influence. The extent of political and popular engagement supporting the "Yarzeh" speech established a near-unanimous climate that penetrated the Shiite incubator, leaving Hezbollah in a state of unprecedented isolation in its history. He quickly pulled out all the cards in his arsenal, from the rare statement of the "Scholars of Jabal Amel" to suggest that the conflict was between the state and an entire sect, to mobilizing his media machine to pump out sectarian and intimidating scenarios, to the visit of his bloc leader, Mohammed Raad, to Ain al-Tineh, and from there to Baabda, accompanied by "aide" Ali Hassan Khalil. Sources indicate that the "duo" revealed to the President reliable information "in their possession" about Syria's involvement in the planned Israeli attack, coordinated by the United States, targeting "Hezbollah" bases and destabilizing the Shiite incubator. This is the same information that Wafiq Safa quickly conveyed to Army Commander General Rodolphe Heikal, in an attempt to activate dual pressure at the political and military levels to push for the approval of an elastic formulation. While sources attribute Israel's intensive raids on the Bekaa Valley in particular, and its defense minister's talk of targeting precision missile production lines, to a policy of intense pressure on Hezbollah to accept a weapons surrender program at the cabinet table, the facts of the conflict have proven that Hezbollah is practicing a deceptive de-escalation to mislead its adversaries when it seeks to launch decisive military strikes. Amidst these opposing pressures, the President's maneuver succeeded in bringing the issue of "weapons exclusivity" to the cabinet table, embodying the essence of the Taif Agreement's philosophy of embracing this table, which represents the colors of the Lebanese spectrum and its delicate balances, for discussions on strategic decisions. However, success remains tied to coming up with a solid formulation without linguistic "bombs," one that at least enjoys no "objection" from Hezbollah, to convince America that we are good at "chess" so that it does not unleash the Israeli "elephant" to force us out of the game "humiliated."

Barak or Ortagus?
Amal Shmoun/Neda Al Watan/August 2, 2025
The US State Department has clearly confirmed that US Envoy Tom Barrack has not left his position or the portfolios he manages, particularly the Lebanon portfolio. Diplomatic sources believe that rumors about Barrack's dismissal from the Lebanon portfolio are inaccurate. He was never officially responsible for the Lebanon portfolio, but rather was a de facto envoy to Lebanon to deliver US messages to the Lebanese side, particularly those related to disarming Hezbollah, border control, and financial reforms. Sources in Washington confirmed that Barrack remains in his position as US Ambassador to Turkey and US Presidential Envoy to Syria. American sources indicated that this circulating information about his departure from his position or his dismissal from certain portfolios reflects discontent among some American parties with Barrack's performance, particularly regarding President Trump's selection of non-member diplomats. Some sources close to the American right, who disagree with Trump's policies, which have retreated from the "America First" principle, suggest that Barrack is under increasing scrutiny due to rumors that he prioritizes "political Islam over American interests," a claim these sources categorically deny. They argue that Barrack is a businessman, not a diplomat. This is where this "right" converges with Democrats, who are striving to slow down the current administration's progress. They also publicly express their dissatisfaction with President Trump's appointments of ambassadors and envoys from outside the State Department. Senator Chris Murphy made this clear during the confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for President Trump's nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Lebanon, Lebanese-born businessman Michel Issa. As for Morgan Ortagus, sources say that she did not leave her position at the State Department nor move away from Middle East and Lebanon issues, but rather moved to the United Nations to assist Ambassador Dorothy Shea, the acting US representative to the UN. Information has also emerged from Washington about the possibility of Ortagus visiting Beirut, given that her responsibilities at the United Nations also include the renewal of UNIFIL's mandate. Ortagus is familiar with many regional issues at the United Nations, most notably the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). Regarding the Lebanese file, private diplomatic sources told Nidaa Al Watan that they believe this file will likely be part of all the Middle East files under intense pressure, and will report directly to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. Trump has nominated former diplomat Joel Rayburn for the position, but his nomination is still stalled in Congress. Other sources also indicated that President Trump's nominee for ambassador, Michel Issa, will play an important role in this regard after his appointment is confirmed by Congress, which is likely to take place next September.

What is the truth behind Barrack's exclusion and Ortagus's reassignment to the Lebanese file?
Al-Markaziya/August 2, 2025
The US State Department confirmed to Al-Hadath that "there is no truth to the reports about the termination of envoy Tom Barrack's mission to Lebanon." Al-Jadeed had previously reported that "US envoy Tom Barrack is no longer assigned to work on the Lebanese file," and that "the US administration will reassign Morgan Ortagus to work on this file." Meanwhile, Sky News Arabia sources indicated that "Barrack informed Lebanese officials during his recent visit to Beirut that it would be his last visit." The sources confirmed that "the trend is to entrust the Lebanese file to the newly appointed US ambassador, Michel Issa, who is of Lebanese origin." Amid the confusion sparked by talk of changes to the US team responsible for the Lebanese file, private sources confirmed to MTV that Washington's primary authority in Lebanon remains the current US ambassador, who is continuing her diplomatic and political duties normally, pending congressional approval to confirm the new ambassador. Sources indicate that Ambassador Tom Barak has not been officially tasked with managing the Lebanese file; rather, he serves as ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria. However, at an earlier stage, Barak was temporarily tasked with conveying a message from the US administration to Beirut, and returned with it to New York, where he met with Morgan Ortagus to follow up on developments in the file before later returning to Lebanon. Diplomatic sources believe that the leaking of inaccurate information about Barak is part of an attempt to intimidate or evade responsibility, especially if the Lebanese government fails to make serious decisions during its upcoming session on Tuesday, particularly regarding disarming Hezbollah or controlling the security situation in the south, or in the event of any security incident in the country. A US administration source stressed that Washington's role is simply to deliver messages, and that Lebanon does not need a special envoy, adding: "The American message is clear, and the decision is in the hands of the Lebanese state, especially regarding weapons, which is an internal matter in which Washington does not interfere." In the same context, sources deny rumors about Morgan Ortagus' withdrawal from the Lebanon file, stressing that she holds a senior position within the United Nations, and her role is expected to become more prominent this month with the renewal of UNIFIL's mandate amid a tense regional climate.

The UNIFIL Peacekeeping Force in Lebanon Is a Failure; the UN Should Disband It
Hussain Abdul-Hussain/The Algemeiner/August 01/2025
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stretches the meaning of the word “interim.” Deployed in 1978 as a peacekeeping force, its “temporary” mandate has persisted for 47 years.
During this period, three major wars have erupted between Israel and militias in Lebanon, and UNIFIL has failed to pre-empt, prevent, or resolve any of them. Costing $500 million annually, UNIFIL is an ineffective expenditure. When the UN convenes to renew its mandate in August, it should disband the force permanently. Without UNIFIL, Lebanon’s government would be compelled to take responsibility for its sovereignty. In 2006, UNIFIL’s mandate was expanded from 2,000 to 15,000 troops, with the expectation that the increased personnel and firepower would support the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in deploying south of the Litani River and keeping the area free of Hezbollah and its weapons.
However, UNIFIL peaked at 10,000 troops and remained as ineffective as before. Since its inception, UNIFIL has not engaged outlaw forces in any firefights or law enforcement actions. Instead, it focused on searching for Hezbollah’s arms caches and reporting them to the LAF — an effort in which it consistently failed.
Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy militia, thwarted UNIFIL’s efforts by sending military-age men in civilian clothing to burn tires, block roads, and throw stones whenever UN peacekeepers approached arms depots. When confronted, UNIFIL personnel did not use force to proceed; they simply retreated to their bases. As a result, Hezbollah built tunnels with entrances near UNIFIL bases, exploiting the proximity to deter Israeli strikes due to the risk of harming UN personnel.
Disbanding UNIFIL would also force Lebanon’s government to engage directly with Israel. Lebanon absurdly refuses any direct talks — military or otherwise — with Israel. UNIFIL serves as a conduit, hosting officers from both sides at its coastal base in Naqoura, across the border from Israel’s Rosh Hanikra.
Even in these UN-mediated meetings, Lebanese officers childishly address the UN mediator rather than their Israeli counterparts, despite knowing the Israelis are present. The world should not spend $500 million a year to facilitate such immature behavior. Adversaries worldwide maintain hotlines for communication without implying normalization or recognition. Lebanon should do the same.
Dissolving UNIFIL would also increase pressure on Hezbollah. With UNIFIL doing little military work in south Lebanon, it has shifted to funding civilian projects, such as digging wells, purchasing generators, and building roads. These initiatives, funded by UNIFIL’s $500 million budget, indirectly support Hezbollah’s position. Without this funding, Hezbollah would face greater pressure to act responsibly, prioritize economic development for its supporters, and avoid conflict with Israel in favor of peace.
Critics, including some within the US government and foreign policy circles, oppose disbanding UNIFIL. They argue for a gradual drawdown, with a phase-out over three years. However, there is no logistical justification for such a prolonged timeline. The US withdrew 50,000 troops from Iraq in six months; withdrawing 10,000 lightly armed UNIFIL personnel is a simpler task. All that is needed is the political will to end this outdated mission.
In 1978, Israel invaded south Lebanon to protect its northern border. Twenty-two years later, in 2000, Israel withdrew unilaterally, without an agreement with the Lebanese government, which was dominated by the Assad regime in Damascus. The United Nations established the Blue Line to demarcate the border between the two states, and then-Secretary-General Kofi Annan informed the Security Council that Israel had fully complied with UN Security Council Resolution 425, which mandated the withdrawal.
Even at the pivotal moment of de-escalation in 2000, UNIFIL neither disarmed Hezbollah nor dissolved itself. Instead, then as now, it functions as an entrenched component of Lebanon’s dysfunctional and corrupt state apparatus.
The Lebanese government has already urged world capitals to renew UNIFIL’s mandate at the UN’s August meeting. Local media reports suggest that the US Envoy to Syria informed Beirut officials that UNIFIL would remain, though this stance appears inconsistent with Washington’s current policy deliberations. France, which contributes thousands of troops to UNIFIL, also opposes disbanding the force, offering no clear rationale for maintaining the status quo. Historically, Paris has maintained a conciliatory approach toward Hezbollah and played a key role in repeatedly renewing UNIFIL’s mandate.
This August, Washington must take a firm stand. Dismantling UNIFIL would foster accountability and progress in Lebanon, Israel, and the broader region.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain is a research fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD).
The opinions presented by Algemeiner bloggers are solely theirs and do not represent those of The Algemeiner, its publishers or editors. If you would like to share your views with a blog post on The Algemeiner, please be in touch through our Contact page.

Martyrdom Without Benefits: Hezbollah’s Social Contract Unravels
Makram Rabah/Now Lebanon/August 01/2025
“He who took the monkey for its money, lost the money and kept the monkey.”
This saying came to mind as I read the recent news that Hezbollah has suspended its university and education stipends for the children of its fighters—both the living and the dead. The party justified the halt as a “temporary” measure, citing preparations for the anticipated confrontation with Israel and the need to divert its dwindling financial resources toward the war effort.
But this move reveals something far deeper than temporary austerity. It is part of a calculated effort to prepare Hezbollah’s inner base for the end of the era of financial prosperity and “fresh dollars.” The days of black-market speculation, dollar-denominated salaries, and the distribution of surplus cash as a form of social control are over. What we are seeing now is an implicit declaration that the next phase will be one of “perpetual martyrdom”—a cycle of endless death for a forever-delayed “victory.”
Perhaps the greatest myth Hezbollah has perpetuated is not merely that it is a “resistance movement,” but that it is “clean-handed”—that the money flowing to its institutions and social base is pure, even if it comes from smuggling across borders or from the Captagon trade that has generated billions for the party and its Syrian allies. Hezbollah cloaked its parallel economy in religious rhetoric, all the while functioning as part of a vast regional criminal enterprise.
In truth, Hezbollah’s model is not so alien to Lebanon. During the civil war, most militias developed their own economies and paid stipends to the families of their “martyrs.” Some still do, through party institutions or discreet cash envelopes handed out by warlords in new political suits. The difference is that most militias stopped producing “martyrs” en masse—Hezbollah did not. Its involvement in the Syrian war alongside Bashar al-Assad turned its youth into fodder for a war machine.
That war didn’t merely stain Hezbollah morally—it also exposed its fighters and made their families targets. In just one year, Israel managed to eliminate them one by one during the failed “support front” campaign.
Despite its unique religious doctrine, Hezbollah mirrors Lebanon’s other political parties in its corruption. For years, it hid this rot behind alliances and through its deep penetration of state institutions, both security and administrative.
What deepens this crisis is not just Hezbollah’s internal austerity and its retreat from its social commitments, but the Lebanese state’s continued silent complicity with this model. Rather than impose the rule of law and disarm all illegal armed actors, the state has adapted to the reality of the “mini-state,” granting Hezbollah political and institutional cover to dominate the levers of national power. Accepting illegal weapons and justifying them under hollow slogans like “resistance” is a blatant betrayal of the very idea of a state—and a direct contribution to Lebanon’s ongoing social and national collapse. How can we imagine a new social contract, or rescue what remains of the economy, in a system dominated by militias that view the country as a reservoir of fighters for endless wars?
But no matter how intense the ideological hallucinations or religious mobilization may be, people remain bound to material reality. No one continues to support a political or religious project that fails to deliver basic economic or social security. Over time, Hezbollah’s safety net has eroded, and the illusion of its “state within a state” has unraveled into a house of cards.
This suspension of benefits is no bureaucratic detail. It is an early warning—a harsh reminder to both the beneficiaries and the victims—that a university degree, with all its personal and collective promise, is far more valuable than a “martyrdom” in the service of a tyrant disguised as a victim, sending young men to die in unending infernos.
*This article originally appeared in Nidaa al-Watan
*Makram Rabah is the managing editor at Now Lebanon and an Assistant Professor at the American University of Beirut, Department of History. His book Conflict on Mount Lebanon: The Druze, the Maronites and Collective Memory (Edinburgh University Press) covers collective identities and the Lebanese Civil War. He tweets at @makramrabah

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 01-02/2025
Trump Warns That Canadian Recognition of Palestinian Statehood May Derail Trade Deal Negotiations
FDD/August 01/2025
Palestine Recognition Makes Trade Deal ‘Very Hard’: President Donald Trump declared that Canada’s announcement that it plans to recognize a Palestinian state would affect its relationship with the United States. “Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them.” The Trump administration is planning to impose a 35 percent tariff on all Canadian goods not covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement if a trade deal is not reached by August 1.
Canada Cites Human Suffering in Gaza: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on July 30 that Canada would recognize a Palestinian state at an upcoming UN General Assembly meeting in September due to “intolerable” human suffering and “to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution.” The announcement followed similar statements in recent weeks from the leaders of France, the United Kingdom, and Malta. He caveated his announcement by emphasizing that recognition will be predicated on the Palestinian Authority “holding general elections in 2026 in which Hamas can play no part, and to demilitarize the Palestinian state.”
Freed Hamas Hostage Criticizes UK Prime Minister: Former Hamas hostage Emily Damari, a dual British Israeli citizen, accused UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of not “standing on the right side of history” after he announced the United Kingdom’s intention to recognize a Palestinian state on July 29. “Had he been in power during World War II, would he have advocated recognition for Nazi control of occupied countries like Holland, France or Poland?” Damari asked on social media. Damari, who spent 15 months as a hostage inside Gaza after being kidnapped and shot in the leg and hand by Hamas terrorists during their October 7, 2023, atrocities, added that “the prime minister is not promoting a solution; he is prolonging the conflict.”
FDD Expert Response
“Recognizing a Palestinian state tells Palestinians that violence is their best option. And the added pressure on Israel encourages Hamas to continue stonewalling negotiations, making a ceasefire less likely. Ultimately, Canada’s move will help crown Hamas as the deliverer of Palestinian statehood.” — David May, Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst
“Carney’s conditions must not be lost in the groundswell of excitement about Palestinian statehood. Recognizing the State of Palestine without first holding the Palestinian Authority accountable to reform is a recipe for prolonged conflict. Carney should go further by explicitly stating that Ottawa will not recognize a Palestinian state unless Hamas surrenders and returns every last hostage.” — Natalie Ecanow, Senior Research Analyst

Western countries speak of a future Palestinian state as the nightmare unfolding in Gaza worsens
Joseph Krauss/The Associated Press/August 1, 2025
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Plans announced by France, the United Kingdom and Canada to recognize a Palestinian state won't bring one about anytime soon, though they could further isolate Israel and strengthen the Palestinians' negotiating position over the long term.
The problem for the Palestinians is that there may not be a long term. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects Palestinian statehood and has vowed to maintain open-ended control over annexed east Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and the war-ravaged Gaza Strip — territories Israel seized in the 1967 war that the Palestinians want for their state. Israeli leaders favor the outright annexation of much of the West Bank, where Israel has already built well over 100 settlements housing over 500,000 Jewish settlers. Israel's offensive in Gaza has reduced most of it to a smoldering wasteland and is pushing it toward famine, and Israel says it is pressing ahead with plans to relocate much of its population of some 2 million to other countries. The United States, the only country with any real leverage over Israel, has taken its side. Critics say these countries could do much more
Palestinians have welcomed international support for their decades-long quest for statehood but say there are more urgent measures Western countries could take if they wanted to pressure Israel. “It’s a bit odd that the response to daily atrocities in Gaza, including what is by all accounts deliberate starvation, is to recognize a theoretical Palestinian state that may never actually come into being,” said Khaled Elgindy, a visiting scholar at Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies. “It looks more like a way for these countries to appear to be doing something," he said. Fathi Nimer, a policy fellow at Al-Shabaka, a Palestinian think tank, says they could have suspended trade agreements with Israel, imposed arms embargoes or other sanctions. “There is a wide tool set at the disposal of these countries, but there is no political will to use it,” he said.
It's not a completely empty gesture
Most countries in the world recognized Palestinian statehood decades ago, but Britain and France would be the third and fourth permanent members of the U.N. Security Council to do so, leaving the U.S. as the only holdout. “We’re talking about major countries and major Israeli allies,” said Alon Pinkas, an Israeli political analyst and former consul general in New York. “They’re isolating the U.S. and they’re leaving Israel dependent — not on the U.S., but on the whims and erratic behavior of one person, Trump.”Recognition could also strengthen moves to prevent annexation, said Hugh Lovatt, an expert on the conflict at the European Council on Foreign Relations. The challenge, he said, “is for those recognizing countries to match their recognition with other steps, practical steps.”It could also prove significant if Israel and the Palestinians ever resume the long-dormant peace process, which ground to a halt after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to office in 2009. “If and when some kind of negotiations do resume, probably not in the immediate future, but at some point, it puts Palestine on much more equal footing,” said Julie Norman, a professor of Middle East politics at University College London. “It has statehood as a starting point for those negotiations, rather than a certainly-not-assured endpoint.”
Israel calls it a reward for violence
Israel's government and most of its political class were opposed to Palestinian statehood long before Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack triggered the war. Netanyahu says creating a Palestinian state would reward Hamas and eventually lead to an even larger Hamas-run state on Israel's borders. Hamas leaders have at times suggested they would accept a state on the 1967 borders but the group remains formally committed to Israel's destruction. Western countries envision a future Palestinian state that would be democratic but also led by political rivals of Hamas who accept Israel and help it suppress the militant group, which won parliamentary elections in 2006 and seized power in Gaza the following year. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose authority administers parts of the occupied West Bank, supports a two-state solution and cooperates with Israel on security matters. He has made a series of concessions in recent months, including announcing the end to the Palestinian Authority's practice of providing stipends to the families of prisoners held by Israel and slain militants. Such measures, along with the security coordination, have made it deeply unpopular with Palestinians, and have yet to earn it any favors from Israel or the Trump administration. Israel says Abbas is not sincerely committed to peace and accuses him of tolerating incitement and militancy. Lovatt says there is much to criticize about the PA, but that “often the failings of the Palestinian leadership are exaggerated in a way to relieve Israel of its own obligations.”
The tide may be turning, but not fast enough
If you had told Palestinians in September 2023 that major countries were on the verge of recognizing a state, that the U.N.'s highest court had ordered Israel to end the occupation, that the International Criminal Court had ordered Netanyahu's arrest, and that prominent voices from across the U.S. political spectrum were furious with Israel, they might have thought their dream of statehood was at hand. But those developments pale in comparison to the ongoing war in Gaza and smaller but similarly destructive military offensives in the West Bank. Israel's military victories over Iran and its allies have left it the dominant and nearly unchallenged military power in the region, and Trump is the strongest supporter it has ever had in the White House. "This (Israeli) government is not going to change policy," Pinkas said. “The recognition issue, the ending of the war, humanitarian aid — that’s all going to have to wait for another government.”

Netanyahu postpones decision over military action in Gaza to next week, source says
Eugenia Yosef and Catherine Nicholls/CNN/August 1, 2025
A decision will no longer come this week, the source said. This comes amid internal disagreements in the Israeli government about its preferred course of action in the enclave. One idea on the table, if the militant group does not agree to a deal, is to encircle Gaza City and other population centers, while another is to “conquer” the city, the source said. Different ministers are in favor of different plans, the source added. On Thursday, a senior Israeli official said that Israel and the United States are forming a new understanding on Gaza, as Hamas reportedly withdrew from ceasefire and hostage deal negotiations.
“At the same time, Israel and the United States will work to increase humanitarian aid, while continuing military operations in Gaza,” the official added. The shift comes as Hamas has disengaged from ceasefire and hostage negotiations, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Hamas’ disengagement follows the US and Israel pulling their delegations from talks in Doha, Qatar, with US special envoy Steve Witkoff at the time accusing Hamas of negotiating in bad faith. Despite that move, a senior Israeli official had told CNN they would be prepared to return to Doha if Hamas changed its position. On Thursday, Hamas said it was committed to continuing negotiations toward a permanent ceasefire and complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, but conditions in the enclave would first have to improve “significantly.”The faltering peace talks come amid a catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, where scores of people are starving to death.
All of Gaza’s 2.1 million people are now food insecure, without reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious and healthy food, the United Nations said this week. According to the enclave’s health ministry, 900,000 children are going hungry, and 70,000 show signs of malnutrition. “It is essential to improve the catastrophic humanitarian situation significantly and to obtain a written response from the enemy regarding our response,” Basem Naim, a senior member of Hamas’ political bureau, told CNN. “This is a condition to go back to negotiations.”In a separate statement, Hamas said it was ready to “engage immediately in negotiations again upon the arrival of aid to those in need and to end the humanitarian crisis and famine in Gaza.”The statement added that continuing negotiations “under the conditions of starvation loses its substance and effectiveness.”CNN previously reported that Hamas was considering hardening its position in negotiations. Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said Wednesday there was no point in continuing to engage in negotiations as long as Gaza’s starvation crisis continues.

Trump's envoy meets Netanyahu for Gaza aid, ceasefire push
Maayan Lubell and Nidal al-Mughrabi/Reuters/August 1, 2025
JERUSALEM/CAIRO (Reuters) -U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday in a bid to salvage Gaza truce talks and tackle a humanitarian crisis in the enclave, where a global hunger monitor has warned that famine is unfolding.Shortly after Witkoff's arrival, President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social network: "The fastest way to end the Humanitarian Crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!"
Witkoff arrived in Israel with Netanyahu's government facing mounting international pressure over the widespread destruction of Gaza and constraints on aid in the territory. Following the meeting, a senior Israeli official said an understanding between Israel and the U.S. was emerging that there was a need to move from a plan to release some of the hostages to a plan to release all the hostages, disarm Hamas militants, and demilitarize the Gaza Strip. The official did not provide details on what that plan would be, but it was seen as a shift from seeking a limited truce to a more comprehensive deal. The official added that Israel and the United States will work to increase humanitarian aid, while continuing the fighting in Gaza. Witkoff will travel to Gaza on Friday to inspect food aid delivery as he works on a final plan to speed deliveries to the enclave, the White House said. "The special envoy and the ambassador will brief the president immediately after their visit to approve a final plan for food and aid distribution into the region," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. Trump on Thursday called the situation in Gaza "a terrible thing," when asked about comments from his ally and Republican U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who termed Israel's offensive in the Palestinian enclave a genocide. "Oh it's terrible what occurring there, yeah, it's a terrible thing. People are very hungry," Trump told reporters when asked about Greene's social media comments. Trump also noted financial assistance by Washington to address the hunger crisis in Gaza.
CEASEFIRE TALKS
Indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas in Doha ended in deadlock last week with the sides trading blame for the impasse and gaps lingering over issues including the extent of an Israeli military withdrawal. Israel on Wednesday sent a response to Hamas' latest amendments to a U.S. proposal that would see a 60-day ceasefire and the release of some hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a source familiar with the details said. There was no immediate comment from Hamas. Gaza medical officials said at least 23 people were reported killed by Israeli fire across the enclave, including 12 people among crowds who had gathered to receive aid around the Netzarim corridor, an area held by Israeli troops in central Gaza. The Israeli military said its troops had fired warning shots to disperse crowds, and had not identified any casualties. Since Israel's offensive began, the Gaza health ministry has recorded 156 deaths from starvation and malnutrition, most of them in recent weeks, including at least 90 children. Confronted by rising international outrage over images of starving children, Israel said on Sunday it would halt military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza and designate secure routes for convoys delivering food and medicine.
CALLS ON HAMAS TO DISARM
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Wednesday the United Nations and its partners had been able to bring more food into Gaza in the first two days of pauses, but the volume was "still far from enough". Residents face peril from Israeli forces and Palestinian looters when trying to reach supplies. "I have tried several times to grab a sack of flour. The only time I managed to do so, someone with a knife froze me in the street and took it away, threatening to stab me," one man from Deir Al-Balah told Reuters, asking not to be identified. Pressure has been mounting in Gaza on Hamas to reach a ceasefire deal with Israel. Hamas is still holding 50 hostages in Gaza, of whom around 20 are believed to be alive. Mothers of hostages led a protest outside Netanyahu's office, calling on the government to end Israel's war in Gaza, which has killed over 60,000 Palestinians since October 2023 and more protests were held in Tel Aviv. Netanyahu, whose ruling coalition includes two far-right parties that want to conquer Gaza and re-establish Jewish settlements there, has said he will not end the war until Hamas no longer rules the enclave and lays down its arms. Hamas rejects calls to disarm. Qatar and Egypt, who are mediating ceasefire efforts, backed a declaration on Tuesday by France and Saudi Arabia which outlined steps for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The declaration says Hamas "must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority." Israel has ruled out the PA gaining control of Gaza. Hamas-led factions said on Thursday Palestinian resistance will not stop until "the occupation" ends and an independent, fully sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital is established. Israel has denounced declarations by France, Britain and Canada since last week that they may recognise a Palestinian state, which Israel says amounts to rewarding Hamas for its October 7, 2023, assault on Israeli territory. That attack, in which fighters killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages back to Gaza, precipitated Israel's assault in the enclave and sparked the worst bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The U.S. State Department also announced sanctions on officials of the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization, saying the groups were undermining peace efforts. It was Washington's latest apparent diplomatic shift backing Israel against the Palestinians and diverging from its European allies. A spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The full impact of the U.S. move was not immediately clear: the State Department said targeted individuals would be barred from travelling to the United States but did not identify those targeted. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, embarking on a visit to Israel, said negotiations for a two-state solution must begin, while for Germany the recognition of a Palestinian state would come at the end of that process. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz and Justice Minister Yariv Levin, on Thursday voiced support for annexing the West Bank.

US envoy visits distribution site in Gaza as humanitarian crisis worsens
AP/August 01, 2025
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip: US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff visited southern Gaza on Friday amid international outrage over starvation, shortages and deadly chaos near aid distribution sites. With food scarce and parcels being airdropped, Witkoff and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee toured one of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s distribution sites in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city. Chapin Fay, the group’s spokesperson, said the visit reflected Trump’s understanding of the stakes and that “feeding civilians, not Hamas, must be the priority.”All four of the group’s sites are in zones controlled by the Israeli military and have become flashpoints of desperation during their months of operation, with starving people scrambling for scarce aid. Hundreds have been killed by either gunfire or trampling. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots at people who approach its forces, and GHF says its armed contractors have only used pepper spray or fired warning shots to prevent deadly crowding. Witkoff’s visit comes a week after US officials walked away from ceasefire talks in Qatar, blaming Hamas and pledging to seek other ways to rescue Israeli hostages and make Gaza safe.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday that Witkoff was sent to craft a plan to boost food and aid deliveries, while Trump wrote on social media that the fastest way to end the crisis would be for Hamas to surrender and release hostages.
Officials at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza said they have received the bodies of 25 people, including 13 who were killed while trying to get aid, including near the site that US officials visited. GHF denied anyone was killed at their sites on Friday and said most recent incidents had taken place near United Nations aid convoys. The remaining 12 were killed in airstrikes, the officials said. Israel’s military did not immediately comment.
Human Rights Watch: ‘Near impossible’
International organizations have said Gaza has been on the brink of famine for the past two years. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the leading international authority on food crises, said recent developments, including a complete blockade on aid for 2 1/2 months, mean the “worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in Gaza.”Though the flow of aid has resumed, including via airdrops, the amount getting into Gaza remains far lower than what aid organizations say is needed. A security breakdown in the territory has made it nearly impossible to safely deliver food to starving Palestinians, much of the limited aid entering is hoarded and later sold at exorbitant prices. At a Friday press conference in Gaza City, representatives of the territory’s influential tribes accused Israel of empowering factions that loot aid sites and implored Witkoff to stay several hours in Gaza to witness life firsthand.
“We want the American envoy to come and live among us in these tents where there is no water, no food and no light,” they said. “Our children are hungry in the streets.”In a report issued Friday, Human Rights Watch called the current setup “a flawed, militarized aid distribution system that has turned aid distributions into regular bloodbaths.” “It would be near impossible for Palestinians to follow the instructions issued by GHF, stay safe, and receive aid, particularly in the context of ongoing military operations, Israeli military sanctioned curfews, and frequent GHF messages saying that people should not travel to the sites before the distribution window opens,” the report said. It cited doctors, aid seekers and at least one security contractor. Since the group’s operations began in late May, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in shootings by Israeli soldiers while on roads heading to the sites, according to witnesses and health officials. The Israeli military has said its troops have only fired warning shots to control crowds. Responding to the report, Israel’s military blamed Hamas for sabotaging the aid distribution system but said it was working to make the routes under its control safer for those traveling to aid sites. GHF did not immediately respond to questions about the report. The group has never allowed journalists to visit their sites and Israel’s military has barred reporters from independently entering Gaza throughout the war.
International condemnations have mounted as such reports trickle out of Gaza, including from aid organizations that previously oversaw distribution. A July 30 video published Thursday by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs showed an aid convoy driving past a border crossing as gunfire ricocheted off the ground near where crowds congregated. “We were met on the road by tens of thousands of hungry and desperate people who directly offloaded everything from the backs of our trucks,” said Olga Cherevko, an OCHA staff member.

France halts Gaza evacuations over antisemitic posts by Palestinian student
RFI/August 1, 2025
France has suspended all evacuations from Gaza while it investigates how a student accused of sharing violently antisemitic content online was allowed to enter the country and enrol at a top university. The move comes after officials said the female student from Gaza will have to leave France after the Sciences Po university in the northern city of Lille revoked her accreditation over the online posts. "No evacuation of any kind will take place until we have drawn conclusions from this investigation," Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told Franceinfo radio on Friday.All Gazans who have entered France will undergo a second screening, he added. France has helped more than 500 people leave Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war broke out in October 2023, including wounded children, journalists, students and artists. The conflict, triggered by Hamas's deadly 7 October attack on Israel, has seen Israel retaliate with a military campaign and an aid blockade in Gaza that some rights groups have qualified as "genocide". Hamas is designated a terrorist group by both the EU and the US. Thousands of patients need to be evacuated from Gaza, WHO says
Lille's chief prosecutor said on Thursday a probe had been opened against the student for “apology of terrorism, apology of crimes against humanity using an online public communication service". Screenshots of posts the student allegedly shared in September – published by pro-Israel accounts on X – include an image of Adolf Hitler and words appearing to call for the death of Jews. Some of the posts “come into direct contradiction with the values upheld by Sciences Po Lille, which fights against all forms of racism, antisemitism and discrimination, as well as against any type of incitement to hatred, against any population whatsoever,” the university said in a post on X. The account attributed to the student has been taken offline, on the instructions of French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau. Barrot said the screening carried out by the relevant departments of the ministries concerned "clearly did not work”.
"She must leave the country", the foreign minister confirmed, adding that discussions were ongoing to determine where she would be sent. According to a French diplomatic source, the student arrived in France on 11 July on a scholarship based on "academic excellence" and after "security checks".She was offered a place at Sciences Po Lille university following a recommendation by the French consulate in Jerusalem, the establishment said.(with newswires)

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on August 01-02/2025
Did Qatar Just Take a Step Back From Hamas?
Natalie Ecanow/FDD/August 01/2025
This week’s UN conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulted in a rare moment of international unity. On July 29, 17 countries, the European Union, and the Arab League, signed a declaration calling for Hamas to disarm and “end its rule in Gaza.” In place of Hamas, the declaration calls for “the deployment of a temporary international stabilization mission” to Gaza “upon invitation of the Palestinian Authority and under the aegis of the United Nations.” Qatar and Saudi Arabia — two countries that have historically been at odds with one another — signed the declaration, as did Egypt, which has been mediating Gaza ceasefire talks alongside Qatar.
The seven-page declaration also condemned Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre, rendering the Arab signatures particularly noteworthy. Doha originally held “Israel alone responsible” for Hamas’s mass slaughter and has continuously placed the onus on Israel to end the multifront war that followed. Saudi Arabia’s reaction to Hamas’s assault was more subdued, but the kingdom released a statement on October 7 recalling its “repeated warnings of the dangers” of Israeli policy. France, which co-chaired the UN conference with Saudi Arabia, described the July 29 declaration as “historic and unprecedented,” noting that “for the first time, Arab countries and those in the Middle East condemn Hamas” and “call for its exclusion from Palestinian governance.”
Qatar’s Historic Support for Hamas
Prior to the current war, Qatar pumped hundreds of millions of dollars annually into Gaza. A portion of the aid subsidized Hamas government salaries and was transferred to Gaza with Israel’s approval. However, Israel’s Shin Bet security agency now assesses that “the flow of money from Qatar to Gaza and its delivery to Hamas’s military wing” allowed Hamas to build up its forces ahead of October 7. Moreover, documents that Israeli troops discovered in Gaza suggest that a “discreet” funding channel existed between Qatar and Hamas. In one document from 2021, Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh reportedly told October 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar that Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani had “agreed in principle” to fund Hamas’s military operations and that $11 million had already “been raised from the emir.”
Meanwhile, Hamas has maintained a political office in Doha since 2012. The office remains open, and Hamas officials reportedly continue to operate freely in Qatar.
Until Now, Qatar Failed to Condemn Hamas
In the aftermath of October 7, Doha continued to side with Hamas. In his September 2024 speech before the UN General Assembly, Qatar’s Emir accused Israel of “the most barbaric and heinous and extensive” crimes and of “waging war on Lebanon.” He did not mention that Hamas killed and kidnapped its way through southern Israel on October 7, nor did he name Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terrorist group in Lebanon that began raining rockets and drones on northern Israel on October 8, 2023. In January, Doha signaled that it would support Hamas returning to power in Gaza so long as that was the “decision” of the Palestinian people. Hence, by affixing its signature to the July 29 declaration, Qatar appears to be taking a step back from the terrorists it long sponsored.
An Opportunity for the Trump Administration
When it comes to Gaza, Washington must ensure that Doha doesn’t take one step forward and two steps back. The July 29 declaration calls for Hamas to disarm and relinquish power as part of a broader framework for establishing “a sovereign and independent Palestinian state.” Given Qatar’s historic relationship with Hamas, Washington mustn’t take Doha’s commitment to defanging the group for granted. Instead, the United States should encourage Qatar to change its Hamas policy regardless of what progress is made toward Palestinian statehood.
The Trump administration should seize this moment and demand that Qatar shutter Hamas’s Doha office, expel Hamas leaders, and close off any remaining financial arteries to the terrorist group. The administration should also request that Doha extradite to the United States any Hamas leader facing federal terrorism charges who remains in Qatar.
**Natalie Ecanow is a senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Natalie and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Natalie on X @NatalieEcanow. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on foreign policy and national security.

Is Israel the region’s new police?
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al-Awsat/August 01, 2025
Seven years ago, I wrote about the “regional rise of Israel.” Today, its presence is greater than ever, and it is behind dramatic geopolitical changes in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks. After all this, how does Israel now view itself? Israel is unlikely to settle for its old role; it will seek political roles that reflect its military capabilities. Tel Aviv maintained a policy for over half a century based on protecting its existence, and its old and occupied borders. This included confronting Iran and manipulating opposing powers, including the regimes of Saddam Hussein and Bashar Assad. Today, Israel is launching a new phase after having dismantled the powers that surrounded it. For the first time in its modern history, there is no regional force declaring a threat against Israel and capable of acting on it. Even Iran, after the destruction of its offensive capabilities, cannot do so. This equation could change in the future if Iran manages to rebuild its internal and external strength, but for now, that seems unlikely or far off. With changing circumstances, Israel’s strategy is also changing. It no longer wants to be just a border guard — it wants to be an offensive player in the region. The region itself is scattered, with no clear alliances, as if it is waiting for someone to resolve its instability, including the Tehran axis, which has significantly shrunk.
There are two possibilities for what Israel could become. The first: It sees itself as a force to preserve the new status quo and “stability,” engaging peacefully with its neighbors by expanding relations with the rest of the Arab world. This would mean the end of the era of war and boycott. With the fall or weakening of regimes that opposed it, Israel would bolster its interests by entrenching the geopolitical situation, cleaning up its surroundings, and sidelining what remains of movements hostile to it.
The second possibility is that Israel, with its military superiority, wants to reshape the region based on its political vision and interests — and that could mean more confrontations. Regional states have longstanding fears in this regard. Expansionist regimes, such as Saddam’s Iraq, and Iran, viewed Israel as an obstacle to their regional ambitions and adopted a confrontational stance, even if their rhetoric was always wrapped in the Palestinian cause. The attacks by Hamas pulled Israel out of its shell and placed it more squarely in the regional equation than ever before. So, is Israel seeking regional coexistence, or does it aim to appoint itself as the region’s police?Israel is a small country and will likely remain so due to the nature of its system that insists on preserving its Jewish identity.
Everything suggests that Israel wants to be a player in regional politics and conflicts. It could act as a military contractor, regional actor, or even the leader of an alliance. It has already quickly blocked Iraqi intervention in Syria and Turkish expansion as well.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu government’s appetite for conflict has revived fears of a “Greater Israel” project and ambitions to expand across the region. But the truth is, most of these narratives are pushed by parties involved in the conflict, such as Iran, Syria, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the left. Israel may be seeking a dominant role, but geographic expansion seems unlikely. For 50 years, it has remained inward-looking, using its financial, military, and legal capabilities to absorb the territories it occupied in the 1967 war. It is still struggling to hold onto them and has foiled many attempts to return them — either through a Palestinian state or by restoring them to Jordanian and Egyptian administration.
Israel is a small country and will likely remain so due to the nature of its system that insists on preserving its Jewish identity. Today, 20 percent of its citizens are Palestinian. If it were to annex the occupied territories, Palestinians would make up half the population. That makes the real challenge absorbing, not expanding, the West Bank and Gaza.
The fear is that Israeli extremists could try to exploit the current chaos for this purpose. That happened after the Oct. 7 attack, which was used as justification to expel part of the West Bank and Gaza population. This is a real possibility with dangerous consequences.
However, there is exaggeration in the rhetoric pushed by ideologues warning of a so-called “Greater Israel,” often citing images and articles calling for expansion beyond the Jordan River. These may exist within Talmudic or political narratives, just as some dream of “Al-Andalus” in old Arab-Islamic history.
Demographically, Israel is bound by its concept of a Jewish state and fears ethnic dilution, unlike most countries in the region, which were formed through and accepted ethnic and cultural diversity. Israel seeks dominance, but it fears the inevitable demographic integration that comes with occupation.
Politically, the future strategy of the Jewish state — after its recent military victories — remains unclear and may still be taking shape. Regardless of what it wants — whether a peaceful state open to its Arab neighbors or a regional police entangled in constant battles — the region has its own dynamics. Competing and complex factors drive it, and no single power can dominate it.
**Abdulrahman Al-Rashed is a Saudi journalist and intellectual. He is the former general manager of Al-Arabiya news channel and former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat,

A Thirsty Iran Provides an Opening for the U.S.
Janatan Sayeh/FDD/August 01/2025
Rivers are running dry, cities are shutting down, and Iranians know who to blame for their parched land: the tyrants in Tehran. From July 25-29, protests erupted across towns in Iran’s northern, northeastern, and central provinces in response to repeated water outages. On July 28, the regime shut down government offices, schools, and banks in 11 provinces, citing electricity shortages, extreme heat, and, most critically, water scarcity. While there have been many waves of protests in Iran, this one stands out for its concentration in industrial and agricultural cities, where disruptions to power and water supplies directly threaten livelihoods and local economies. The people who live in these regions, many of whom are either rural or working class, have formed the regime’s backbone. Now, years of water mismanagement and destructive state policies — compounded by climate change — have brought the same people out onto the streets.
Water Scarcity Is Iran’s Leading Environmental Challenge
Iran is experiencing a nationwide rainfall deficit of around 45 percent in 2025. Precipitation totaled just 7 inches in Tehran province, one of the most water-stressed regions. Nationwide dam reserves have fallen to around 46 percent of total capacity, with seven major dams at less than 10 percent. More than 40 cities across Iran endure regular water rationing and supply outages, and at least 19 provinces are experiencing water stress. Among Iran’s indicators of ecological collapse is Lake Urmia, once the Middle East’s largest saltwater lake, which has lost 90 percent of its volume since the 1970s.
Iran suffers more than 1,700 heat-related deaths annually, nearly five times the regional average of 2.1 per 100,000, as temperatures in some areas surpass 50°C (122°F) without basic infrastructure to cope. With parts of the country becoming increasingly unlivable, former regime officials have warned that unchecked climate trends and water shortages could eventually displace up to 70 percent of the population — nearly 50 million people.
Regime Policies Exacerbate Iran’s Climate Crisis
Some of this mismanagement is willful. Regime institutions and elites enrich themselves through policies formulated at the environment’s expense. The U.S. Treasury-sanctioned construction arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Khatam al-Anbiya, has accelerated ecological collapse through unregulated dam-building, river diversion, and land disruption, contributing to widespread drought while profiting from inflated, state-awarded contracts. Another key player is Iran’s Energy Ministry, which even regime media have accused of exacerbating Iran’s water crisis through dam construction projects built without proper environmental assessments, long-term hydrological planning, or engineering oversight. Operating under the ministry, the Iran Water and Power Resources Development Company (IWPCO) leads initiatives that have drained ecosystems. Beyond neglecting aging water infrastructure, this network manipulates policy to fund unchecked concrete-heavy projects, including diversion canals and reservoir infrastructure. These initiatives consume vast public resources, bypass regulatory review, and worsen water shortages by disrupting natural flows. Water is diverted to politically connected industries, while rampant groundwater extraction fuels land subsidence nationwide.
Water Scarcity Has Triggered Civic Unrest in Iran
The most significant water-related uprising in recent years occurred in 2021 in Khuzestan province, where locals took to the streets over outages and lack of access to clean drinking water. The unrest quickly spread to several other provinces, though Khuzestan remained the epicenter. There, regime forces killed six and arrested about 400 protesters. Regime crackdowns have failed to put an end to water protests. Just a month before the September 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, hundreds came out against water outages in Hamedan province. Sistan and Baluchestan province residents held similar demonstrations in 2023, demanding that the regime secure Iran’s rightful share of the Helmand River, which flows from Afghanistan. In March 2025, farmers in Isfahan province mobilized over the drying of the Zayandeh Rud River due to regime mismanagement, a protest wave that turned violent following state repression.
Fueling Environmental Crises Constitutes Human Rights Violations
The country is growing increasingly uninhabitable, with the regime viewed as the primary architect of this collapse. This presents Washington with an opportunity to demonstrate alignment with the Iranian people through deliberate public diplomacy.
Beyond such gestures, the United States should sanction senior officials and high-level executives overseeing the projects that are destroying livelihoods across Iran, treating such environmental devastation as a human rights violation warranting accountability.
**Janatan Sayeh is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where he focuses on Iranian domestic affairs and the Islamic Republic’s regional malign influence. For more analysis from FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Janatan on X @JanatanSayeh. Follow FDD on X @FDD and @FDD_Iran. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.

The Rise of Radical Islamism in Bangladesh: A New Theocratic State?
Anna Mahjar-Barducci/Gatestone Institute./August 01/2025
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The passive response of Yunus's interim government to these demands signals either weakness or tacit approval of the country's Islamization.
Yunus's interim government lifted the bans imposed on Jamaat-e-Islami, its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir, and "all associated organizations." At the same time, the interim government banned Hasina's Awami League party. Yunus also freed from prison hundreds of jihadists, and in the post-Hasina era, Islamist flags and "Islamic State" banners are seen on the streets of Dhaka.
Islamist candidates from Jamaat-e-Islami will be allowed to run in the next elections, but not the secular Awami candidates.
The new Cyber Security Ordinance 2025, which has been criticized for potentially suppressing dissent, and the amendments to the Anti-Terrorism Act, which have enabled the banning of all activities of the Awami League, demonstrate how quickly the country is descending into chaos.
Even with the central bank's desperate measure of raising the interest rate to 10%, citizens continue to bear the brunt of economic mismanagement. The promise of economic recovery under a Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist, who has been a darling of the US Democratic administrations, has turned into a nightmare for millions of Bangladeshis who struggle with basic necessities as their purchasing power decreases daily.
Meanwhile, [Yunus's] courtship of China and Pakistan reveals a foreign policy that lacks strategic thinking. In April 2025, Yunus invited China to establish an economic base in Bangladesh, stressing that Dhaka is the "sole guardian of the ocean" in the subcontinent.... On June 19, 2025, China hosted a first trilateral meeting with Bangladesh and Pakistan, aimed at enhancing cooperation in trade, and revealing an intent to isolate India in the subcontinent.
The economic indicators paint a grim picture of Bangladesh under Yunus' stewardship.
The political situation under Yunus reveals a government sliding into being another failed state, ripe for terrorists, and unable to chart a constructive course.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus's transition from economist to head of Bangladesh's interim government has proven fatal for Bangladesh. Since assuming power in August 2024, Yunus has presided over a nation sliding into political chaos, radical Islamism, economic distress and social fragmentation.
 Bangladesh has devolved into a governance crisis that threatens Bangladesh's economic stability and democratic future.
Since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted on August 5, 2024 after massive student protests, the secular forces in Bangladesh represented by her Awami League party have faced a backlash. The rise of radical Islamic influence under Yunus's watch threatens to transform Bangladesh from a secular democracy into a theocratic state. Organizations such as Hizb ut-Tahrir openly rally for a caliphate, while Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, a Deobandi Islamist advocacy group, pushes against women's rights. Mufti Syed Muhammad Faizul Karim, who is the leader of the radical Islamist Jamaat-Char Monai, stated that his party wants to implement Islamic Sharia law and redesign the nation's system of governance based on Taliban-style rule in Afghanistan. The passive response of Yunus's interim government to these demands signals either weakness or tacit approval of the country's Islamization.
Radical Islamism
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Islamist party Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami are two of the main beneficiaries of the protests, which were led by the Students Against Discrimination and contributed to the fall of Hasina.
In the past, the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami governed together as part of a coalition led by BNP leader Khaleda Zia. During that period (2001-2006), jihadism grew in the country, striking not only Bangladesh but also India with terrorist attacks. A few days before leaving office, Hasina banned Jamaat-e-Islami, which had been barred from participating in elections since 2013, after judges ruled that the Islamist party's statutes violated Bangladesh's secular constitution. Yet, Yunus's interim government lifted the bans imposed on Jamaat-e-Islami, its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir, and "all associated organizations." At the same time, the interim government banned Hasina's Awami League party. Yunus also freed from prison hundreds of jihadists, and in the post-Hasina era, Islamist flags and "Islamic State" banners are seen on the streets of Dhaka.
Yunus is now supporting the enemies of Hasina and her Awami League party, which led Bangladesh's fight for independence from Pakistan and played a crucial role in the 1971 war of liberation. Jamaat-e-Islami, on the other hand, collaborated with the Pakistani army during the war of liberation, killing and raping thousands of Bengalis and exterminating an entire generation of secular intellectuals. Now, Islamist candidates from Jamaat-e-Islami will be allowed to run in the next elections, but not the secular Awami candidates.
Yunus also wants to introduce new banknotes, eliminating the image of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, founder and first president of Bangladesh, a symbol of the independence struggle, and Hasina's father. It is clear that Yunus is trying to redefine Bangladesh's national identity. This is a great gift for Pakistan, which never wanted Bangladesh's independence, and now can reconnect with it, and further distance it from India.
Now that he is leading Bangladesh's interim government, Yunus has shown himself to be extremely accommodating to Islamists. Above all, he appears reluctant to relinquish power. Army Chief of Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman has publicly called for elections to be held by December 2025, and emphasized the need for political stability through an elected government. Yunus, however, maintains that the elections should be postponed until April 2026. Jamaat-e-Islami supports extending the election deadline.
Minorities
The interim government's failure to protect minorities represents perhaps its most damaging moral failure. Despite Yunus's attempts to downplay the violence against Hindu minorities and other religious groups, the systematic attacks on these communities have continued and increased.
In 2024, at least 100 homes and shops of the indigenous people belonging to the Chakma community were burnt down in Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts. The Bangladesh Army did not intervene, revealing the government's passive complicity. The absence of a commission on minorities and the fact that the National Human Rights Commission has been vacant since November 2024 underscore the regime's disregard for vulnerable populations.
It is also noteworthy that press freedom, under an administration that promised democratic renewal, has suffered severe setbacks. The cancellation of press credentials for more than a hundred journalists and the targeted attacks and accusation of newspapers, such as the Daily Star and Prothom Alo, reveal an authoritarian tendency. The new Cyber Security Ordinance 2025, which has been criticized for potentially suppressing dissent, and the amendments to the Anti-Terrorism Act, which have enabled the banning of all activities of the Awami League, demonstrate how quickly the country is descending into chaos.
The Economy
Despite being an economist, Yunus's most visible failure has been its inability to control spiraling inflation, which reached 10.87%, up from 9.92% in September 2024, with food inflation soaring to catastrophic levels of 14%. Even with the central bank's desperate measure of raising the interest rate to 10%, citizens continue to bear the brunt of economic mismanagement. The promise of economic recovery under a Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist, who has been a darling of the US Democratic administrations, has turned into a nightmare for millions of Bangladeshis who struggle with basic necessities as their purchasing power decreases daily.
The economic indicators paint a grim picture of Bangladesh under Yunus' stewardship. The World Bank revised its economic growth forecast from 5.7% in April 2024 to 4% in October for the financial year 2025, while the Asian Development Bank projects an even more pessimistic 3.9% growth. Foreign direct investment has plummeted, with inflows having fallen for the fourth consecutive year -- dropping 13.2% to $1.27 billion, the lowest in five years. The garment industry, Bangladesh's economic backbone, also faces a crisis: 69 factory closures affected more than 76,500 workers between August 2024 and March 2025.
Diplomacy
Diplomatically, Yunus has managed to alienate Bangladesh's most important neighbor and economic partner, India. His frequent attacks, blaming India for various domestic problems including floods, demonstrate a tendency to scapegoat rather than solve problems.
Meanwhile, his courtship of China and Pakistan reveals a foreign policy that lacks strategic thinking. In April 2025, Yunus invited China to establish an economic base in Bangladesh, stressing that Dhaka is the "sole guardian of the ocean" in the subcontinent, and saying:
"The seven states of India, known as the Seven Sisters, are landlocked. They have no way to reach the ocean. We are the only guardians of the ocean in this region. This opens up huge possibilities. This could be an extension of the Chinese economy—build, produce, and market things, bring them back to China, and export to the rest of the world."
Furthermore, the warming ties with Pakistan, despite the absence of a formal apology for the 1971 genocide, dishonors the victims of that brutal period. On June 19, 2025, China hosted a first trilateral meeting with Bangladesh and Pakistan, aimed at enhancing cooperation in trade, and revealing an intent to isolate India in the subcontinent.
Conclusion
As Bangladesh approaches what should be a democratic transition, the country finds itself more divided, economically weaker, and internationally more isolated than at any point. The interim government has failed in its fundamental responsibilities of maintaining law and order, protecting all citizens regardless of religion, preserving press freedom, managing the economy, and preparing for free and fair elections. The political situation under Yunus reveals a government sliding into being another failed state, ripe for terrorists, and unable to chart a constructive course.
© 2025 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

 Trump’s mental decline is undeniable — so what now?
Chris Truax, opinion contributor/The Hill./ August 1, 2025
“Confabulation.” It’s a word you are going to be hearing a lot in the coming months.
President Trump has always been willing to mislead people when it was to his advantage. Even his supporters recognize this. Hence the famous admonition to “take Trump seriously, not literally.”But what Trump is doing now is something different. Confabulation is sometimes called “honest lying,” because the person doing it genuinely believes what he’s saying, even if it is obviously and patently false. A person confabulates when they are telling completely invented stories that don’t provide them any particular tangible benefit. In other words, it’s not like lying to try and get out of a speeding ticket. Confabulation isn’t misremembering a date or forgetting something. The mistakes of memory we are all subject to become confabulation when people remember false information in vivid detail — detail so vivid and complete that people who don’t know otherwise often believe what they are hearing is true. In older people, confabulation is one of the clearest early signs of dementia. The day you witness someone confabulate is often the day you are forced to admit to yourself that a beloved parent needs help, and that all the little slips and oddities you’ve been seeing can no longer be rationalized away.
For Trump, the day we could no longer pretend everything is fine came on July 15, when he told a lengthy story about his uncle, John Trump, who he claimed taught at MIT and held three degrees in “nuclear, chemical, and math.” His uncle, according to Trump, once told him how he had taught Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, and how very smart Kaczynski was. Trump’s uncle was indeed a professor at MIT, but everything else in this story is pure confabulation. Trump’s uncle didn’t have degrees in “nuclear, chemical, and math” — he had degrees in electrical engineering and physics. And Kaczynski did not go to MIT at all — he went to Harvard.
But most telling of all, it is categorically impossible for Trump’s uncle to have told him any such story. Kaczynski became publicly known as the Unabomber when he was arrested in 1996. Trump’s uncle, the MIT professor, died in 1985. In other words, Trump’s uncle could not have told him the story because there was, literally, no story to tell during his lifetime.
Once you have seen that Donald Trump is confabulating, it cannot be unseen — and all sorts of other mildly disturbing incidents suddenly fall into place. Difficulty with mathematical concepts is another early warning sign of dementia. Now watch Trump attempting to explain how he is going to make drug prices go down by “1,000 percent, 600 percent, 500 percent, 1,500 percent.” That’s complete nonsense, unless drug companies will be paying patients to accept prescriptions, since reducing drug prices by 100 percent would mean they were free. Certainly, someone who got a business degree from Wharton and has spent his life running a company would know how percentages work.
Or take his insistence that former President Obama and his FBI director, James Comey, made up the Epstein files, even though they were long out of office by the time Epstein was most recently arrested in 2019. Again, that’s very troubling, because being unable to correctly process when past events took place is a common feature in confabulation. The same goes for being unable to remember that he himself appointed Jerome Powell as the chair of the federal reserve. And then, of course, there are all the little lapses in judgment that Trump has been displaying recently.
I have opposed Trump since he came down that famous escalator in 2015. But I want to step away from partisan sniping for a moment. I know a lot of people genuinely love the man, even if I don’t. I recognize how hard this must be for them. After the death of a child, watching someone you love and respect struggle with dementia may be one of the worst experiences a person can have, whether it’s a parent or a president.
But when the time comes, it’s something that must be faced squarely. That goes double when we are talking about the president.
If you aren’t comfortable with labeling this as dementia, that’s fine. But there is no question that the president — the man tasked with making critical life and death decisions for both the country and the world — is struggling with mathematical concepts, has vivid “memories” that are not rooted in reality and has an increasingly foggy grasp of past events that did happen. That’s not a medical diagnosis. These are facts we can see for ourselves and we all know, even those of us who voted for Trump three times, that this can’t be allowed to continue. Whatever dementia issues Joe Biden may have, there is no denying that his staff was superb at managing them and protecting both Biden and the country. Trump, however, doesn’t have those guardrails. That’s one of the reasons we are seeing what we are seeing. Can you imagine Pete Hegseth or Kristi Noem managing Trump’s dementia or even simply telling him “no” and threatening to resign?Given this lack of independence in Trump’s Cabinet, I’m not sure what the ultimate solution is. But I know that the first step is for Trump’s most loyal supporters to admit, even if only to themselves, that there is a problem, just as Biden’s supporters did for him.
Donald Trump is showing all the signs of suffering from dementia. If this were a neighbor, a parent, or a family friend, you would have no trouble seeing it. We should not turn our heads just because it is the president. Chris Truax is an appellate attorney who served as Southern California chair for John McCain’s primary campaign in 2008.

Selected Tweets For  August 01/2025
Samer Sleaby
https://x.com/i/status/1951036841957925365
The Greek Antiochian Patriarchate is stepping in to help break the siege on Sweida, deploying medical teams and opening a relief post in Shahba to deliver aid to those in need. Christian clerics in Sweida sent a clear and unwavering message: ‘We are one body with our Druze brothers — we will stand together, no matter the cost.

Lebanese (Rûm) Greek
https://x.com/i/status/1951142029062189358
Dr. Bchara Rizk, Professor of History, (& a Maronite), says The Greek Orthodox are the descendants of the original inhabitants of Lebanon... probably the best thing I've seen on New TV in years

Hussain Abdul-Hussain
When the War in Gaza is over, Arabic-speaking nations have a pressing battle they have to fight: Stopping the surge of Islamism. Whether in #Syria, #Sudan or other places, Islamism is surging and MUST be stopped.

Zéna Mansour
MoshenH (93) died after being deprived ofbasic necessities for4days, following his humiliation in a video by"Transit. Gov"Forces after they killed his son. Militias have stormed their village, killing +30residents & burning homes.

American Alliance for Democratic Syria
Alarming appointment: Ahmed al‑Sharaa just appointed the Islamist Ahmad Zaidan as his advisor. U.S. intelligence once flagged Zaidan as linked to Qaeda assigning him a terror‑watch ID.
Pro Bin Laden & Sinwar is a senior official in the new Syria now❗️

MiraMedusa
https://x.com/i/status/1950948042036609436
·Syria’s Foreign Minister:
“There’s no plan or intention to exterminate the Druze.”
(It’s just that the army’s terrorist instincts got the better of them.)
#Sweida #druzegenocide #Druze

Marc Zell
This is totally false. Numerous Syrian soldiers captured by the Druze have confirmed that they were told by their commander that their mission was to destroy the Druze. Moreover, even though the Syrian troops have largely withdrawn from Suweida, they still surround the Druze region and are actively preventing the entry of food, water, fuel and medical supplies to the Syrian Druze. That is why a broad coalition of organizations in which I proudly participate, are working to convince the Trump Administration to support opening a land corridor from the Golan Heights and Jordan to permit humanitarian aid to reach the embattled Syrian Druze.

Rania Hamzeh
https://x.com/i/status/1951087098309574657
A video documents the events that unfolded inSwayda Druze Mountain, where a conflict erupted between the Badwind and Druze, communities on July 13. By July 15, government security forces, tasked with intervening to restore peace, betrayed the civilians they promised to protect. After assuring the residents of safety and ensuring no weapons remained in their homes, these forces, dressed in government uniforms, massacred civilians. They moved from one location to another, targeting homes and even cars, committing widespread atrocities. These acts were orchestrated by the government of Julani and its security forces, known as the HTS The massacres are well-documented by witnesses, and further details can be found in the video.