English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For  August 04/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
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Bible Quotations For today
Your eye is the lamp of your body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 11/33-36/:”‘No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar, but on the lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light; but if it is not healthy, your body is full of darkness. Therefore consider whether the light in you is not darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, with no part of it in darkness, it will be as full of light as when a lamp gives you light with its rays.’”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on August 03-04/2025
On the Anniversary of Hezbollah’s Terrorist Assassination of Elias Al-Hasrouni: A Crime That Time Will Not Erase/Elias Bejjani/August 02/2025
Two drones targeted an excavator in Yaroun, and a sound bomb was dropped on the outskirts of Yaroun, but no injuries were reported.
Continuing efforts to pass tomorrow's session.... 4th of August anniversary... 5 years of demanding justice
Lebanon receives 'final' US paper as Aoun tells Hezbollah 'cooperation is only option'
Lebanese PM Salam from Beirut Port: No one is above accountability
Lebanese Army opens recruitment for male combat soldiers
Lebanon's Labor Minister heads to Baghdad to strengthen bilateral cooperation
Culture Minister signs decision to list Beirut Port silos as historic site
Naïka is set to take over the stage at the Byblos International Festival! A night full of good music awaits Book your tickets now
Beirut Port Silos Added to Historic Buildings List
Salam Inaugurates the "August 4 Victims Street"
Beirut Port, Five Years On: Has the Investigation Stalled or Is Justice Moving Forward?
Syria returns begin: Lebanon's refugee camps see departures
Lebanese-American Appointed to Top Federal Judicial Post in Washington
Al-Rahi and Awda renew their call for justice on the eve of the August 4 anniversary
Maronite Patriarch Calls for Truth in Beirut Port Explosion Probe
Audi Pays Tribute to August 4 Victims and Demands Justice
The "Exclusivity of Arms" Cabinet Session Ignites a Sharp Political Divide
Hezbollah's Military Arsenal Is Eroding as It Withdraws from Southern Lebanon… Experts: The Party's Missiles Are Effectively Out of Service
Lebanon Receives Final Text of American Paper: Comply or Face Consequences
The American Path is Firm and Unchanged, and the Government Faces a Difficult Test

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 03-04/2025
Another American Palestinian killed in West Bank
Israeli forces kills over 20 people seeking food in Gaza, witnesses and health officials say
Iran Sets up New Defense Council After War With Israel
Israel Says Ground Troops Conducted Raids in Syria
Renewed Sectarian Clashes in South Syria Kill Four
Syrian and Turkish authorities arrest dangerous drug kingpin
Renewed sectarian clashes in south Syria kill four
Eight OPEC+ Countries Raise Production by 547,000 Bpd
At Least 27 Migrants Dead in Shipwreck Off Yemen
Ukrainian Drones Spark Fire at Sochi Oil Depot
2 arrested after fatal stabbing of student in Cambridge, victim reported as Saudi

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on August 03-04/2025
The Most Favored Descendants of Abraham?/Nils A. Haug/Gatestone Institute/August 03/2025
Israel Releases Footage of Aid Left Waiting by UN, NGOs/JNS/Gatestone Institute/August 03/2025
The Tel Aviv's Brotherhood-ism and Questions/Tariq Al-Homayed/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 03/2025
Is Israel the Region’s New Police? /Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 03/2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on August 03-04/2025
On the Anniversary of Hezbollah’s Terrorist Assassination of Elias Al-Hasrouni: A Crime That Time Will Not Erase
Elias Bejjani/August 02/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/145874/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubjDYs2HE2U&t=60s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TidGqbBZAU&t=9s
The Blood of Elias Al-Hasrouni (Al-Hantoush) Exposes Hezbollah’s Crime and Betrayal of the South
On this day in 2023, the hand of treachery struck again. The hand of darkness, of jihadist terrorism, of Iran’s proxy militia Hezbollah, reached deep into the heart of southern Lebanon — into the steadfast town of Ain Ebel — and assassinated one of its most devoted sons, Elias Al-Hasrouni, known affectionately as “Al-Hantoush.” They tried to pass off the murder as a car accident, but God, truth, and technology exposed them. Surveillance cameras recorded the crime and unmasked the killers. The lie fell. Once again, Hezbollah was caught in its own web of deceit. From that moment on, Hezbollah moved to suppress justice — threatening the victim’s family, silencing questions, and blocking the investigation entirely. Shockingly, official investigators told Al-Hasrouni’s family that there would be no investigation, simply because the “Party” does not allow it. What kind of country is this, where justice requires Hezbollah’s permission?
Elias Al-Hasrouni: The Voice of a Free South
Elias Al-Hasrouni was not a random victim — he was a target. He was a man who stood for the Lebanese state, not the state-within-a-state. A believer in peace, not war. In coexistence, not sectarianism. In a Lebanese south, not an Iranian satellite. In Ain Ebel, he was a beloved figure — selfless, compassionate, and committed to serving his people. He worked tirelessly to promote coexistence between communities, and he stood as a proud and active member of the Lebanese Forces, a party deeply rooted in the struggle for Lebanon’s sovereignty. He carried no weapon — only conviction. He spread no hatred — only hope. And that is why they killed him.
A Bloodstained Record: Hezbollah’s Trail of Crimes
The assassination of Elias Al-Hasrouni is not an isolated incident — it is part of a long and bloody history of violence by Hezbollah:
The May 7, 2008 invasion of Beirut and Mount Lebanon, aimed at crushing political opponents.
The assassination of photojournalist Joe Bejjani, who had captured footage of the Beirut Port blast.
The deliberate obstruction of the Beirut Port investigation, with judges intimidated and replaced.
The murder of MP Gebran Tueni and his fellow journalists at An-Nahar newspaper.
The assassination of Rafik Hariri, and the cover-up that followed.
The execution-style killing of Lokman Slim, a Shiite intellectual who dared to say “No.”
The dozens — if not hundreds — of other assassinations of journalists, politicians, and activists.
Hezbollah does not know dialogue — only bullets. It does not believe in democracy — only obedience to Iran. It is not a resistance — it is a criminal enterprise.
Hezbollah: Iran’s Terror Armed Proxy in Lebanon
It is no longer a secret that Hezbollah is not a Lebanese party. It is an Iranian military wing, a direct extension of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It does not take orders from Beirut, but from Tehran and Qom. It claims to defend Lebanon, but it destroys it. It claims to protect dignity, but it murders the dignified. It claims to resist the enemy, but it occupies the homeland. There can be no salvation for Lebanon as long as this armed, sectarian, foreign-controlled militia is allowed to operate with impunity.
No Lebanon Without Disarmament and Justice
Lebanon cannot rise unless Hezbollah is disarmed, its leadership arrested and tried, and its military and security infrastructure dismantled, in accordance with international resolutions:
UNSCR 1559 (calling for disarmament of militias),
UNSCR 1701 (enforcing the cessation of hostilities and deployment of the Lebanese Army in the south),
UNSCR 1680, and The Ceasefire Agreement that Hezbollah violates daily.
A sovereign, free, and peaceful Lebanon cannot coexist with a private army that answers to foreign rulers.
In Conclusion
On the anniversary of Elias Al-Hasrouni’s martyrdom, we bow our heads in reverence before his sacred blood. We vow that his memory will not fade, and that his cause will live on — not just in the hearts of the people of Ain Ebel, but in every Lebanese soul that still believes in justice, in truth, in freedom.
O martyr of free Lebanon and of sovereign politics, O hero Elias Al-Hasrouni – Al-Hantoush, your voice still echoes through Ain Ebel, the South, and all of Lebanon, crying out: No to Iran, no to the terrorist Hezbollah, no to crime — and yes to justice and to Lebanon.

Two drones targeted an excavator in Yaroun, and a sound bomb was dropped on the outskirts of Yaroun, but no injuries were reported.
Al-Markazia/August 3, 2025
This evening, two Israeli drones targeted an excavator parked in the Fawara neighborhood in the town of Yaroun in the Bint Jbeil district with two bombs, causing it to catch fire and sustain damage. An Israeli drone also dropped a sound bomb on the outskirts of Yaroun - the Sultana neighborhood near the municipal stadium - but no injuries were reported. Since this morning, continuous flights of Israeli drones have been recorded over Tyre and the villages of Nabatieh. Drones also flew over Kawthariyeh al-Raz and the Bekaa Valley at very low altitudes, as well as over Jibsheet, Harouf, and Toul. Israeli drones also flew at low altitudes over Nabatieh, Shokin, Meifadoun, Arnoun, Yahmor, Zawtar, Deir al-Zahrani, Zefta, Bfarwa, al-Numairiyeh, and al-Marwaniyah.

Continuing efforts to pass tomorrow's session.... 4th of August anniversary... 5 years of demanding justice
Nidaa Al-Watan/August 4, 2025
It is the day of the victims of the crime of the century. The crime of the Beirut Port explosion that shook Lebanon and the world on August 4, 2020, whose details have not yet been revealed, and whose perpetrators and officials have not yet been held accountable. It is the day of the martyrs who lost their lives five years ago, the injured whose wounds have not yet healed, the day of the residents of the affected areas whose properties have not yet been rebuilt, and the families who have not tired of waiting for justice for the blood and pain of their loved ones. Today, under the slogan "The five days are over and now it's five years," families are commemorating their loved ones with two marches that will set off simultaneously and meet at the Emigrant Statue, the first witness to the massacre. No words can surpass the sacrifices of those who lost their lives, nor the pain and losses of those who survived. But after five years, there are many indications and promises that justice is close in this case, and this was confirmed by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam yesterday, Sunday, during a dialogue session on the repercussions of the explosion, where he asserted that "there will be no settlement at the expense of justice, and there will be no end to this national wound except by fully revealing the truth and holding all officials accountable, whoever they may be." He repeated this stance on the same evening, during the inauguration of a street named "Victims of August 4" near the entrance to the Beirut Port, when he said, "No one is above accountability, and there is no state without justice."
"The Arms Session"
The fifth anniversary of the August 4 explosion comes on the eve of the anticipated cabinet session in Baabda, where the arms file tops the agenda. In this context, "Nidaa Al-Watan" learned that communication is ongoing between Baabda, the Serail, and Ain El Tineh, in an attempt to pass "the arms session" with the least possible internal and external damage to Lebanon, because everyone now knows that the decision to disarm illegal weapons has been made and is irreversible, and this is what the President and the Prime Minister are keen to affirm in every statement and meeting, in line with the inaugural address and the ministerial statement. Political sources following the matter indicate that the most important thing is to agree among the concerned parties on the mechanism and dates of implementation, and to announce them in a way that reassures both external and internal parties, to prove the Lebanese side's seriousness in this file, away from the method of evasion, procrastination, and attempts to gain time. Also yesterday, the Prime Minister reiterated that a state cannot be built in the presence of weapons outside the framework of legitimacy, and that the decision of war and peace must be exclusively in the hands of the state, confirming that "extending sovereignty over all Lebanese territories is an irreversible commitment, and it must be done with our own forces only." Also on the eve of the "eventful" session, a striking post by Minister of Justice Adel Nassar appeared on the "X" platform, in which he said: "If Hezbollah chooses to commit suicide by refusing to surrender its weapons, it will not be allowed to drag Lebanon and the Lebanese people with it."

Lebanon receives 'final' US paper as Aoun tells Hezbollah 'cooperation is only option'
Naharnet/August 03/2025
The Lebanese Presidency has told Hezbollah that cooperation with the state is its only option, ahead of Tuesday’s crucial cabinet session on its weapons, Lebanese sources said. “Hezbollah is in a state of shock over its allies’ public calls for the monopolization of weapons,” the sources told Al-Arabiya’s Al-Hadath channel.“The final version of U.S. envoy Tom Barrack’s ideas was delivered to Lebanon today,” the sources added. “The speech of President Joseph Aoun and placing the arms file on cabinet’s agenda have created a popular and political momentum supportive of the state,” the sources went on to say.

Lebanese PM Salam from Beirut Port: No one is above accountability
LBCI/August 03/2025
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reiterated his government's commitment to justice in the August 4 Beirut port explosion case, declaring that "no one is above accountability" during the inauguration of a street named in honor of the victims near the port's entrance.
Speaking at the event, Salam urged all parties to "keep their hands off the judiciary," asserting that the government will not compromise on truth or justice. "We will facilitate everything the judiciary asks of us in pursuit of the investigation," he said, emphasizing his administration's support for an independent and unhindered judicial process into the devastating 2020 blast.

Lebanese Army opens recruitment for male combat soldiers
LBCI/August 03/2025
The Lebanese Defense Ministry–Army Command announced the recruitment of male trainee soldiers for combat units. Eligible and interested candidates are invited to submit their applications exclusively through LibanPost, starting August 5, 2025, and no later than October 3, 2025. The selection process will prioritize applicants based on merit and the army’s operational needs at the time of recruitment. Additional requirements and necessary documents can be found at regional commands, military posts, and barracks, or through the army’s official website: www.lebarmy.gov.lb

Lebanon's Labor Minister heads to Baghdad to strengthen bilateral cooperation
LBCI/August 03/2025
Lebanese Labor Minister Mohammad Haidar departed Beirut on Sunday afternoon for Baghdad, leading an official delegation in response to an invitation from his Iraqi counterpart, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Ahmed Al Asadi.The accompanying delegation includes the minister's advisors, Firas Zaiter and Hussein Mohaidly, along with Iman Khazaal representing the Labor Ministry. During the visit, Minister Haidar is expected to meet several high-level Iraqi officials, including Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani, to whom he will deliver an official message from Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. The message focuses on enhancing bilateral cooperation between the two nations. Haidar and his Iraqi counterpart will also hold a series of meetings addressing issues of mutual interest, including labor regulation, exchange of technical expertise, investment support, and the activation of existing agreements between Lebanon and Iraq.

Culture Minister signs decision to list Beirut Port silos as historic site
LBCI/August 03/2025
Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh signed a decision Sunday morning to add the Beirut Port grain silos to Lebanon's General Inventory of Historic Buildings. The move comes in response to a request by the families of the victims of the port explosion, marking a symbolic step toward preserving the memory of the August 4, 2020, disaster.

Naïka is set to take over the stage at the Byblos International Festival! A night full of good music awaits Book your tickets now
LBCI/August 03/2025
Naïka is set to take over the stage at the Byblos International Festival! A night full of good music awaits Book your tickets now. Naïka is set to take over the stage on August 10 at the 2025 edition of the Byblos International Festival! A night full of good music awaitTickets available at https://www.ticketingboxoffice.com/na%C3%AFka-tickets/event/22482/en

Beirut Port Silos Added to Historic Buildings List
This is Beirut/August 03/2025
Minister of Culture Ghassan Salameh signed a decree this morning officially adding the Beirut port grain silos to Lebanon’s General Inventory of Historic Buildings. The decision comes in response to a formal request submitted by the families of the victims of the August 4, 2020, explosion. The classification follows repeated calls to preserve the remaining silos as a tangible witness to one of the worst disasters in Lebanon’s recent history, which killed more than 200 people and devastated the capital. Salameh stressed that the goal is “to protect the silos from any demolition decision and to reinforce their symbolic value in Lebanon’s collective memory,” affirming the ministry’s support for the families in their pursuit of truth, justice and the preservation of the crime scene. Under this decree, the silos are now protected by laws governing architectural heritage. Any alteration or demolition will require prior approval from the Ministry of Culture, which grants them the status of a “site of special historical and national significance.”

Salam Inaugurates the "August 4 Victims Street"
This is Beirut/August 03/2025
On Sunday evening, on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the Beirut port explosion, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam inaugurated the "August 4 Victims Street" near the entrance to the port. “Take your hands off the judiciary,” he declared from this symbolic location, emphasizing that there would be no compromise when it comes to justice. “Truth is the mother of justice,” he added, quoting a well-known saying. He reaffirmed that no one is above accountability, stating that the government would facilitate everything required by the judiciary in the course of the investigation. In response to a question from Al Arabiya, the Prime Minister stressed that the ministerial statement reaffirms the need for all weapons to be under the exclusive authority of the state. During a dialogue session held at the National Library in Sanayeh, dedicated to discussing the repercussions of the port explosion, five years after the tragedy, Salam stressed the “national and unifying” nature of the quest for truth and justice for the victims. “There is no sovereignty without accountability, and no rule of law without justice,” he declared, identifying the culture of impunity as “a major cause of the country’s collapses and crimes.” He affirmed that a fair trial is a right for the victims and a duty for the state, adding that the law on judicial independence is a key step toward uncovering the truth. Reiterating that “no one is above justice,” the head of government asserted that “truth is the mother of justice” and that no reconciliation is possible without establishing responsibility. He also emphasized that “the decision to keep weapons solely in the hands of the state is irreversible” and that “the authority to declare war or peace belongs solely to the state.”Minister of Social Affairs Haneen Sayed, speaking “as a member of the victims’ families,” stressed that the aim of this effort is to build justice and reconciliation, and announced that her ministry will include the explosion’s victims in the national program and issue them disability cards.

Beirut Port, Five Years On: Has the Investigation Stalled or Is Justice Moving Forward?
Natasha Metni Torbey/This is Beirut/August 03/2025
Five long years. Five years since the explosion on August 4, 2020, that mushroom-shaped cloud that swallowed the capital, crushed hundreds of lives, and left a nation in shock. Yet in Beirut, life has gone on as if nothing happened. As if more than 240 people had not died, as if over 7,000 had not been wounded, and as if the country were not facing a series of economic, political and security-related crises. At a glance, the city looks alive: terraces are crowded, ruins have faded beneath new real estate projects, and official statements rarely mention ammonium nitrate anymore. But beneath this fragile facade, one question weighs heavily on survivors, the families of hundreds of victims and thousands more injured: Where does the investigation into the Beirut port explosion stand? And more importantly, how much longer will the truth be kept from the public? Even more so because the newly elected president, Joseph Aoun, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, shortly after forming the government, pledged to “shed full light on the case.” This commitment was reiterated on July 31, when the president addressed the nation on the occasion of the army’s national day. “Taboos are being broken, immunities lifted, and those involved in the August 4 explosion case will be prosecuted and jailed without any protection other than the law,” President Aoun declared, emphasizing that “this is the start of a long process of accountability, with judges as its only guarantors.”While this message offers hope, it faces a significant hurdle: several ministers and MPs implicated in the case are questioning Judge Bitar’s authority to prosecute them. They maintain that the High Court – tasked with trying presidents, prime ministers and ministers – should hear their cases, not an ordinary court. Some legal experts dismiss this argument, pointing instead to the principle of probable intent.
A Hindered Restart
In January 2025, an unexpected twist: after a two-year pause, Judge Tarek Bitar resumed control of the investigation. His sudden return sent ripples through the judiciary. He quickly moved to summon several senior officials, including former General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim and former State Security Director General Tony Saliba. Some complied with the summons. Others, however, chose silence, most notably two key figures: MP and former Public Works Minister Ghazi Zeaiter and Court of Cassation Prosecutor General Ghassan Oueidat. The former was due to appear most recently on July 18, 2025, following multiple prior refusals. This time, he was officially notified. The latter refused to accept notification for his scheduled hearing on July 21. Neither is expected to appear, according to a source close to the case. On July 15, a court bailiff acting on behalf of Judge Jamal Hajjar, who succeeded Judge Oueidat, arrived at Oueidat’s residence in Shehim to deliver the summons. The recipient accepted the document but refused to sign it, stating in a handwritten note added to the case file that he did not recognize Judge Bitar’s authority or legitimacy. Using language that was more political than legal, he even described the investigative judge in the port explosion case as an “invalid party” and called on the prosecutor general to file a complaint against him. And yet, if the notification procedures comply with the law, which seems to be the case according to judicial sources interviewed by This is Beirut, the investigating judge does not need to secure their physical presence. He can consider the notification effective, indict them in absentia, and issue the indictment after submitting it to the Prosecutor General at the Court of Cassation, who will then provide a non-binding opinion.
A Doomed Investigation?
How did things come to this point? To understand the current deadlock, it is necessary to go back to the beginnings of the investigation. The first judge assigned to this high-profile case was Fadi Sawan, who began work in 2020 by seeking to question several former ministers: Ali Hassan Khalil, Ghazi Zeaiter and Youssef Fenianos. Political pressure quickly followed. Two ministers filed a challenge, citing a “legitimate suspicion” of bias. In February 2021, Judge Sawan was removed from the case by the Court of Cassation.
Tarek Bitar then took over the investigation. He summoned ministers, security chiefs, former prime ministers and even President Michel Aoun with a written list of questions. That’s when the deadlock deepened. Legal challenges flooded in, and the investigation ground to a halt. In January 2023, Ghassan Oueidat, despite being implicated himself, declared himself competent and ordered the release of the 17 detainees connected to the case. He even launched proceedings against the investigating judge. The investigation was suspended, leaving Judge Bitar sidelined for nearly two years.
Public authorities have also been carrying out a methodical sabotage, blocking judicial appointments, refusing to appear and using legal maneuvers.
Today, however, a long-standing barrier appears to be breaking after eight years: judicial appointments, the last of which dated back to 2017. On July 30, the Higher Judicial Council (HJC) approved the appointments and transfers of 524 judges before forwarding the list to Justice Minister Adel Nassar. At this stage, the minister can either approve the nominations or raise objections. In the second scenario, the HJC faces two options: either take the minister’s objections into account and amend the proposal, or approve it as submitted by a majority of seven out of the ten council members.
Next, the signatures of the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Finance, the Prime Minister and the President of the Republic will also be required. These appointments are particularly crucial because they allow for the reformation of the plenary assembly of the Court of Cassation, the only body authorized to rule on appeals involving Judge Bitar. However, this assembly has been dysfunctional since January 2022 due to a lack of quorum following the retirement of several members. In the past, the HJC repeatedly prepared appointment proposals, but these were stalled for months at the Ministry of Finance. The former Minister, Youssef Khalil, an ally of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, refused to sign the document, citing “an imbalance and ambiguity in the text.”The Crime Scene: Unresolved and Unexplained. At the center of this case is a stockpile of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, stored for six years in a warehouse at the port. The Moldovan-flagged vessel Rhosus, chartered by Russo-Cypriot businessman Igor Grechushkin, was supposed to deliver the cargo to Mozambique. Yet since 2020, no one has been able to reliably trace the funding routes, logistical responsibilities or the final beneficiaries.
Shell companies, suspicions of Lebanese and Syrian networks, and goods potentially diverted for military or industrial use all remain unclear. No authority has yet had the courage to illuminate this shadowy area. To date, no scientifically confirmed explanation has been accepted to clarify the causes of the blast, which experts say should be relatively simple to determine. In response to the failure of local justice, several legal proceedings have been initiated abroad, both by the Beirut Bar Association’s prosecution office and by victims with dual nationality. These actions involve countries such as France, Germany and the United Kingdom. Non-governmental organizations including Human Rights Watch, Legal Action Worldwide and Amnesty International have also called for an international investigation. Although some progress has been achieved thanks to the tireless efforts of the prosecution office and the victims’ families, the international community remains unresponsive. Despite repeated calls from Judge Bitar for cooperation, including the provision of satellite images, expert reports and other evidence, no response has been forthcoming. For the judge, a resolution remains possible. If he can overcome the final procedural obstacles, validate the refused notifications and issue his indictment, a critical milestone will have been reached: formal charges. What follows will then depend on the state, or what is left of it. If this investigation, like previous high-profile cases in Lebanon, has taught us anything, it is that truth hinges more on political will than on judicial process.

Syria returns begin: Lebanon's refugee camps see departures
LBCI/August 03/2025
LBCI accompanied Lebanon's Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed during a field visit to Haouch El Oumaraa, specifically to Al-Sakr camp, providing exclusive footage of the government's plan for the organized return of Syrian refugees to their homeland. The first phase of the repatriation program officially launched on July 29, with the backing of the UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and under the supervision of Lebanon's General Security. While the return remains limited in scope at this early stage, developments in the Al-Sakr camp show a notable rise in the number of refugees heading back to Syria. Established in 2012, Al-Sakr camp originally sheltered 65 families across 55 tents. Today, only 13 families remain, living in 12 tents. Despite the fall of the Assad regime in December and the lifting of international sanctions on Syria, these political shifts alone have not been enough to encourage widespread returns. Even with financial incentives—$100 per registered refugee upon departure and $400 per family upon crossing the border—two key factors continue to obstruct a mass return: the unresolved political crisis in Syria and the extensive destruction still plaguing the country. The situation in another Syrian refugee camp, referred to as camp X, mirrors that of Al-Sakr. Since 2012, camp X has seen a dramatic decrease in its population. Once home to around 400 refugees across 70 tents, it now houses just 160 people in 18 tents. While the government's organized return initiative is underway, achieving sustainable repatriation will require more than financial support and logistical coordination. Long-term solutions must address Syria's deep-rooted political and economic challenges, as well as the reconstruction of areas devastated by years of conflict.

Lebanese-American Appointed to Top Federal Judicial Post in Washington
This is Beirut/August 03/2025
The US Senate confirmed the appointment of Lebanese-American Jeanine Ferris Pirro as the federal Attorney General, the highest judicial position. The nomination, put forward by President Donald Trump in May 2025, was approved by a 50-to-45 vote after a direct appeal from the White House to Republican senators to expedite the process. Born in 1951 in Elmira, New York, to parents from Bsalim, Lebanon, Jeanine Ferris Pirro is a well-known figure in both the US judicial and media spheres. A law graduate from the University at Albany, she began her career in 1975 as an assistant district attorney in Westchester County and became the first woman to lead the office specializing in domestic violence and child abuse cases. Elected district attorney of Westchester County in 1993, she was re-elected twice before making an unsuccessful bid for the US Senate against Hillary Clinton in 2006. Alongside her judicial career, Pirro gained prominence as a television host and legal analyst, most notably on the conservative Fox News Channel, where she anchored “Justice with Judge Jeanine” for several years before joining the panel of “The Five.”A close ally of Donald Trump, whom she frequently defended on air, Pirro is known for her outspoken positions and sharp criticism of her political opponents. Her return to a high-level judicial role marks a turning point in her career and stands as a significant symbol for the Lebanese diaspora in the United States.

Al-Rahi and Awda renew their call for justice on the eve of the August 4 anniversary
Al-Modon/August 3, 2025
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rahi used the Mass of the Ninth Sunday of Pentecost, held at the Patriarchal Palace in Diman, to reiterate his political stances regarding the Lebanese crisis. On the eve of the fifth anniversary of the August 4 explosion, Al-Rahi paid tribute to the souls of the victims before raising the bar for judicial action, saying, "We demand that Judge Tarek Bitar exercise his full powers, to reveal the truth, to be a voice for justice, and to guarantee a free judiciary that rises above all without any immunity." Addressing the essence of responsibility, Al-Rahi emphasized that leadership "is not an interest but a testimony, and responsibility is not domination but a service."
Lebanon's Identity and Mission
Al-Rahi urged officials to "restore justice, unleash freedom, open the doors of hope to young people, and build a state worthy of the sacrifices of fathers and the dreams of children." In his sermon, he rejected dividing the Lebanese into majorities and minorities, considering that this logic "hides a tendency toward control and domination." He added, "Our civil state does not separate citizens into majorities and minorities; the foundation remains comprehensive citizenship." Based on the richness of Lebanese diversity, Al-Rahi considered that the nation's mission is to be "a land of convergence and dialogue, a bridge of communication between religions and cultures, and a beacon of thought and freedom in an environment of great darkness." He asked, "Is Lebanon still faithful to its identity? And does it carry out its mission with courage and responsibility?" He held everyone, from officials to citizens, responsible for restoring "Lebanon's true face." Al-Rahi concluded his message by urging "spiritual and moral determination" to rescue the country "not only through words, but also through actions and perseverance," renewing the call for every Lebanese to be "a voice of truth, a servant of reconciliation, and a builder of justice." Return: To Achieve Justice
For his part, the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Beirut and its Dependencies, Elias Audi, presided over Sunday's mass at St. George's Cathedral in downtown Beirut and held a funeral for the victims of the August 4 explosion who fell at St. George's Hospital. Audi pointed out that the anniversary of August 4 was not merely an accident or a chemical explosion, but rather an explosion of "injustice, corruption, and negligence" in the heart of the capital, destroying neighborhoods, kidnapping innocents, and leaving an open wound in the body of Beirut and a stain of shame on the foreheads of all those who knew the truth but concealed it or refused to appear before the judicial investigator. He emphasized that prayers for the victims' repose are incomplete without a cry of truth in the face of falsehood, criticizing the state that, for five years, has left the people without truth or justice, bereaved mothers without solace, and orphaned children without answers. He said, "Enough with the obstruction of the investigation, the silence about the truth, and the fear for interests." He emphasized that the victims of the explosion committed no sin and did not choose death or displacement, but were forced to leave their destroyed homes after being left without support for reconstruction or protection from another disaster. He pointed out that those forced to emigrate later became a source of financial support for the nation, but today they are even deprived of their right to political participation and choose their representatives. He called on the return of judges to work courageously, free from pressure, for officials to abandon their interests and pride, and for men and women in Lebanon to rise who fear God more than people and place justice above all considerations. He emphasized that speaking the truth is a duty, and that silence about the truth is a sin, citing the Holy Bible, which calls for just judgment and redress for the oppressed. He concluded by praying for the souls of the victims, especially those who were at St. George Hospital on the day of the explosion, including patients, nurses, and visitors. He emphasized that the pain will not subside until the truth is known and justice is served, and that the hope of resurrection remains stronger than injustice, for "nothing is hidden that does not come to light, and nothing is concealed that does not become known and made public."

Maronite Patriarch Calls for Truth in Beirut Port Explosion Probe
This is Beirut/August 03/2025
In his Sunday homily, on the eve of the fifth anniversary of the Beirut port explosion — which he described as “the greatest catastrophe after Hiroshima” — Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai called for prayers for the victims and support for their families. He urged Judge Tarek Bitar to fully exercise his powers “to uncover the truth and deliver justice,” stressing that only an independent judiciary can stand “above all.”Reflecting on Lebanon’s identity and mission, the Patriarch stated that the country is founded on pluralism, freedom and dialogue between cultures and religions. He cautioned, “Are we still faithful to our identity? Do we carry our mission with courage?” Calling on leaders and citizens to “restore Lebanon’s true face,” he emphasized the need to build a state governed by the rule of law, provide opportunities for the youth and act in the common interest. On a spiritual level, he invited every believer to be “a voice of truth, a maker of reconciliation and a builder of justice,” underscoring that citizenship must not be divided into majorities and minorities, but founded on equality for all.

Audi Pays Tribute to August 4 Victims and Demands Justice
This is Beirut/August 03/2025
During the Sunday Mass at Saint George Cathedral in Beirut, Metropolitan Elias Audi presided over a service in memory of the victims of the August 4, 2020, explosion. In his homily, Metropolitan Audi described the port tragedy as an “open wound in the body of Beirut.” He condemned what he called the “explosion of dead consciences” and denounced the silence, obstruction of the investigation and absence of justice five years on. He accused political and judicial leaders of abandoning the families, “leaving orphans without answers and bereaved mothers without comfort.”Audi stressed that the explosion was neither an accident nor an unavoidable tragedy, but the direct result of negligence, corruption and impunity. He highlighted the forced exile of many Beirut residents, compelled to leave their destroyed homes due to lack of assistance, and warned against any attempt to strip them of their right to vote and to be represented. In conclusion, he urged people to “open their mouths to defend justice” and to remain steadfast witnesses to the truth so that Lebanon may be reborn “from the death of injustice to the light of truth.” A prayer was offered for the repose of the victims’ souls and for the truth about this tragedy to be revealed.

The "Exclusivity of Arms" Cabinet Session Ignites a Sharp Political Divide
Al-Modon/August 3, 2025
On the eve of the upcoming cabinet session, where the issue of "exclusivity of arms to the state" tops the agenda, the Lebanese political scene is divided between a group that views resolving the issue as an inevitable step to control decisions on war and peace and block any potential Israeli escalation, and another that considers "the timing of its introduction a premeditated Israeli attempt to weaken the resistance and undermine the deterrence equation." Between these two camps, behind-the-scenes contacts are intensifying to formulate an approach that balances the requirements of sovereignty and national security, while each party brings its own narrative to the cabinet table.
Qabalan: No to the surrender of weapons
For his part, Grand Mufti Ahmad Qabalan noted in a message that Lebanon is a "historic issue" and that coexistence there is a "national choice that must be preserved." He said, "Muslims have no value without Christians, and the state has no value without its components. Every sect has a structural and constitutional weight. Political and sectarian balance is the foundation of national formation, and without balance, there is no political stability." He emphasized that Lebanon cannot be separated from the resistance that wrested it from the Israeli occupation and continues to exercise its sovereign duties. He pointed out that the weakness of the state and the international community's abandonment of it forced its restructuring with resistance projects that were able to defeat Israel and liberate the land in 2000. He emphasized that the Israeli threats today are greater, which calls for national solidarity, not division. He warned against any hostility toward the resistance because it "serves Israeli interests," adding, "Sovereign concessions bring the country to its knees, and the national interest requires leveraging the strength of the resistance, not opposing it." He believed that Lebanon was under attack and at the heart of an existential threat, and that the National Force's weapons could not be compromised, stressing that the solution lies in reorganizing this force and its partnership with the army, not eliminating it. He said: "The partnership between the army and the resistance is a necessity for Lebanon's survival, and we cannot accept any decision that gives Israeli aggression priority." He added: "On Tuesday, all of Lebanon will be in the hands of the government, and any mistake in the resistance weapons file places Lebanon's head in Israel's hands and pushes toward a national catastrophe. Disarming power means surrender, and discussing the status of weapons occurs only through defense policy, and the government's role is to build national defense, not to extract or weaken power." He praised Speaker Nabih Berri, describing him as "a historical figure of resistance and a symbol of national salvation," warning against disregarding his advice in the next cabinet session, considering that this would "push Lebanon toward suicide." He concluded by calling for "rational reason and the protection of national unity in the midst of a Middle East facing crises and existential threats."
Nassar: No to dragging Lebanon into the abyss
Justice Minister Adel Nassar wrote on Twitter: "If Hezbollah chooses to commit suicide by refusing to hand over its weapons, it will not be allowed to drag Lebanon and the Lebanese people with it!"
Mneimneh: Hezbollah cannot be stubborn
Commenting on the ongoing controversy, MP Ibrahim Mneimneh said, "Hezbollah must be transparent and take a bold step to prevent the country from once again entering a major adventure. It must assume the highest degree of responsibility to end the issue of arms monopoly in the hands of the legitimate government, while ensuring the necessary guarantees from Tel Aviv." In a press interview, he stated, "Hezbollah cannot be stubborn. Therefore, with the help of the Lebanese people, it must transform into a political party for the good of the Shiite community and to protect the supreme national interest alone." Regarding the parliamentary elections law, he said, "The content of the parliamentary elections law must be reconsidered, and we must implement a series of relevant reforms, such as the megacenter, the women's quota, expatriate voting, setting a financial ceiling, forming a national election monitoring body, and ensuring fair media presence." He added, "Expatriate voting for the 128 members of parliament is a national issue par excellence and deserves every confrontation." Regarding the investigation into the port explosion case, he said, "Judge Tarek Bitar is credited with his strength and resilience in the face of pressure, and we are counting on him to issue his indictment regarding the Beirut port explosion case, which places him on the right judicial path and the pursuit of justice alone." Fayyad: The Israelis want to create strife
For his part, MP Ali Fayyad, a member of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc, stated that "the level of anxiety is rising among people these days, and the media is abuzz with scenarios left and right. Furthermore, the statements issued by the Israelis, their American allies, and the Americans' local allies are all intended to pressure the Lebanese authorities, both as a government and a government, Lebanese public opinion, and the resistance leadership to submit to the Israeli demands and conditions proposed by the Americans." He explained at a commemorative ceremony held by Hezbollah at the Imam al-Mujtaba Complex in Saint-Thérèse that "we do not deny the magnitude of the risks, the extent of the pressures, or the seriousness of the threats facing the country. However, we must be fully aware that the worst-case scenario is that the Israelis and Americans succeed in transforming the issue from a Lebanese-Israeli problem to a Lebanese-Lebanese problem, leaving the Israelis to stand by and watch our conflicts and divisions. Therefore, the Lebanese must possess foresight and wisdom in managing this issue, and courage, steadfastness, and resilience in confronting threats and pressures. The more unified and coordinated the Lebanese position is, the more capable we will be of confronting the pressures and fortifying our internal situation." He pointed out that "the Israelis want the Lebanese to clash with one another, and we are keen for the Lebanese to reach an understanding with one another," noting that the Lebanese side has informed the American mediator of the Lebanese position, but has not yet received a response. "The position is based on the fact that Israel must first commit to a ceasefire and withdrawal from the territories it has occupied. This is the first step that cannot be ignored in any course of action, because, frankly and clearly, there is nothing that suggests, guarantees, or indicates that Israel intends to withdraw from the five hills or cease hostilities, regardless of Lebanon's obligations. It is worth noting that, from the perspective of the requirements of the October 2024 ceasefire understanding, Lebanon has done what it must do." He added: "Two days ago, during his meeting with northern settlers, the Israeli enemy's Finance Minister, Smotrich, informed us that Israel will not withdraw from Lebanese territory, nor will it allow the reconstruction of the Lebanese front-line villages and the return of their residents. This is the official Israeli position. What Netanyahu does not want to announce, Smotrich announces. Therefore, when the American mediator demands that the Lebanese government translate principles and words into action, what about the Israeli position, which has never committed itself, neither to principles and words, nor to actions? This makes any Lebanese commitment a free concession without any compensation or guarantees." He concluded by stressing "the necessity for the Lebanese position to adhere to the hierarchy stated in His Excellency the President's speech, in terms of the priority of stopping hostilities and withdrawing from our land by the Israeli enemy, before any other discussion."

Hezbollah's Military Arsenal Is Eroding as It Withdraws from Southern Lebanon… Experts: The Party's Missiles Are Effectively Out of Service
Beirut/Asharq Al-Awsat/August 3, 2025
The government's call for a session next Tuesday to approve "the exclusivity of weapons" has raised questions about Hezbollah's military arsenal. Experts say this arsenal has been eroded by the war with Israel from October 2023 to November 2024, as well as by continuous Israeli strikes and the dismantling of the party's facilities in the area south of the Litani River. The Lebanese government states that Hezbollah has withdrawn from the majority of its military positions south of the Litani River after more than 90% of its facilities and launch sites were targeted by concentrated Israeli airstrikes, and the Lebanese army dismantled other facilities. Meanwhile, the party continues to promote its military capabilities and threaten to expand the battle if necessary. Military experts who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat believe that behind this escalatory rhetoric "deep gaps are being revealed in the party's combat structure." They agree that "Hezbollah has lost its logistical advantages and its strategic depth has been damaged, while Israel's surveillance capabilities have reached unprecedented levels, making any threat of long-range missiles an unfeasible and costly adventure." Despite its withdrawal from the field, the party continues to insist that it possesses medium and long-range missiles capable of striking deep into Israel. However, field developments raise serious doubts: Is this arsenal still effective? Can it be used under precise aerial surveillance?
Exposed and Neutralizable Missiles
According to the experts' assessment, these missiles, even if some remain, are practically out of service. Retired Brigadier General Khalil Helou believes that the Lebanese "party's" mobilizing rhetoric "hides a significant decline in its operational capabilities, especially regarding the launching of medium and long-range missiles." He told Asharq Al-Awsat: "This type of missile requires time-consuming preparations and fixed or semi-fixed platforms, making them easy targets for Israeli aerial surveillance."
Israeli Technological Superiority
Helou adds: "The South is no longer a safe environment for launching, and northern Bekaa has also been hit with precise strikes. Therefore, it can be said with certainty that this weapon is no longer capable of performing any serious offensive mission. Even if part of these missiles remains, operating them under intense aerial surveillance is impossible without immediate detection or a pre-emptive strike." Helou points out that "Tel Aviv has developed a superior surveillance network based on drones, satellites, and biometric sensing, supported by artificial intelligence systems capable of analyzing visual and thermal signals. This network makes any missile movement, launcher transport, or platform preparation... a risky step." He adds: "Israel has started using laser interception technologies alongside the 'Iron Dome,' which reduces the effectiveness of any remaining missile capability the party may have and turns its weapons into a burden rather than a deterrent."
Syria Is No Longer a Safe Passage
Retired Brigadier General Nizar Abdel Qader confirms that "Hezbollah is in a state of denial regarding its military reality, and its threats of launching long-range missiles do not reflect the situation on the ground." He explains to Asharq Al-Awsat: "I used to think that the party could manage without being positioned south of the Litani to launch its missiles, but the Israeli strikes that targeted Bekaa proved that this capability is severely restricted. It no longer has the flexibility to launch without exposure or targeting." He says that "smuggling routes through Syria have been paralyzed, and land crossings and sea ports are under close surveillance, making the introduction of missiles or manufacturing equipment almost impossible without being hit by Israeli strikes." Abdel Qader believes that the party's clinging to its heavy weapons today "is no longer due to its military effectiveness, but rather its political symbolism," saying: "What remains of the arsenal is not used militarily, but is invested as a pressure card domestically and externally."
What Is Left of the Arsenal?
Converging military estimates, including a statement by the Israeli army's Northern Command a few days ago, indicate that what remains of the missile arsenal does not exceed 30% of its size before the outbreak of the last war. Helou confirms that "the party now relies on light, portable weapons and defensive anti-armor systems, as part of a local strategy aimed at repelling any incursion, not at carrying out pre-emptive strikes."
From Deterrence to Burden
Although the party's media rhetoric has not changed, the balance of power has shifted. "The missile that was threatening Tel Aviv ten years ago is now under the microscope of artificial intelligence," as both Helou and Abdel Qader agree. In this context, Helou points out that "with the withdrawal from south of the Litani and the military exposure inside Lebanon, the party's ability to take offensive initiative has declined. Its long-range missiles, even if they exist, are more like moral debris. The reliance on heavy deterrent weapons has turned into a political and military burden, not a source of power as it was in the past."

Lebanon Receives Final Text of American Paper: Comply or Face Consequences
Ghada Halawi/Al-Modon/August 3, 2025
The return or non-return of U.S. envoy Tom Barrack is no longer the issue. The move itself is no longer the main subject, as American policy toward Lebanon remains unchanged, and has even become more intense. As of yesterday evening, Lebanon had not yet been officially informed who Barrack’s successor would be or which new envoy would be tasked with managing the Lebanese file. However, it is likely that Morgan Ortagus may visit Lebanon until Michel Issa assumes his position as U.S. ambassador to the country, but nothing is official yet. In short, Lebanon was informed that Ortagus was assigned to assist with the Lebanese file, but from her residence in New York, without visiting Lebanon. It is clear that the U.S. embassy in Beirut will handle the new communications. Al-Modon learned that the embassy handed Lebanese officials the final text of the paper containing the proposals or steps that Lebanon must implement. The final text includes non-substantive amendments to the initial draft, but it contains new justifications and explanations using different terminology.
The Difference Between the Old and New Texts
The most prominent difference between the final text and the previous version is that this text is non-negotiable and cannot be amended, unlike what Barrack had previously announced, that the first paper was a set of proposals that Lebanon could amend. The new, amended paper, which will be presented to the Council of Ministers, contains details on the main points, including:
The stages of surrendering Hezbollah's weapons, from heavy weapons to drones, then light weapons, within a specified timeframe.
Lebanon's relationship with Syria, with a demand to expedite the demarcation of the border between the two countries, and the demarcation of the border with Israel.
An end to Israeli aggression against Lebanon, an Israeli withdrawal from the areas it occupies in the south, and the release of Lebanese prisoners.
Reconstruction and means of achieving economic prosperity in Lebanon.
The paper contains most of the ideas that Barrack had previously put forward during his visits and his various positions regarding his assigned mission. A comparison between the final text and the previous version shows that the Americans have made changes that render the text non-negotiable; Lebanon must either accept it as is or reject it and bear the consequences. One of the most prominent changes was the adoption of precise terminology, such as replacing "internationally recognized borders" with "international borders," along with a reordering of priorities. A section on Lebanon's share of the Wazzani River water was also removed, and discussions about the Shebaa Farms were linked to border demarcation in the fourth stage. In terms of timing, it is clear that Washington insisted on delivering the final text on the eve of the government session, where the issue of Hezbollah's weapons is on the agenda. This signals an escalation in the pace of American pressure on Lebanon, especially since the demand is either to approve the paper as is or to announce its rejection and face the consequences. If Lebanon commits to implementing the paper, it will move into a phase of prosperity, as the paper mentions the role of donor countries in reconstruction and assisting Lebanon. This means that the United States, which speaks on behalf of and represents Israel, rejects any Lebanese proposal that was on the table of the Council of Ministers, especially regarding the withdrawal of Hezbollah's weapons and the referral of the file to the Military Council or any military body to implement it in specific stages. If the communications in the past hours have failed to ease the atmosphere of the government session scheduled for next Tuesday, the fate of this session remains dependent on the last-minute efforts and ongoing contacts between the three presidencies, and their outcomes. The new formula has created an additional problem and raised questions about the position of the Shiite duo on the session and how the government will deal with it. If there was a previous refusal to discuss a paper that could be amended, what will the position be on a final paper that is conditional on full acceptance or rejection and its consequences? The Lebanese paper has been rejected in its entirety, to be replaced by the American paper in its final form. Attention turns once again to the Speaker of Parliament and his contacts with Hezbollah, and to the understanding between President Joseph Aoun and the party, which insists on not severing ties with the presidency.

The American Path is Firm and Unchanged, and the Government Faces a Difficult Test
Al-Modon/August 3, 2025
Lebanon finds itself in an unenviable position. There is immense international pressure for the government to emerge from its meeting next Tuesday with a clear decision that includes a timeline and an implementation plan for the withdrawal of weapons. This pressure is not just a repetition of the declarations in the inaugural address and the ministerial statement regarding the exclusive authority of the state over weapons, but rather a demand for practical steps to achieve that goal. This external pressure is what dictated the scheduling and holding of the government meeting, which will open the door to many scenarios for its proceedings. Some describe it as similar to the May 5, 2008, session, while others see it as a natural progression and a reflection of all events since the Israeli war on Lebanon. According to the available information, the government is required to issue an official stance announcing its commitment to withdrawing weapons from all non-state armed groups. For Hezbollah, this has been considered a major taboo, as any such decision would strip its weapons of any official or legitimate cover, remove the "resistance" label, and portray it as a militia. Hezbollah is aware of the extent of the pressure and knows that it aligns with a new phase in the region, one with a context that imposes many changes and has placed its weapons on the negotiation table. Meanwhile, Hezbollah insists on its own conditions, which include not surrendering its weapons until Israel withdraws, aggressions and strikes cease, and prisoners are released, after which a domestic dialogue on a defense strategy would begin. This strategy is rejected internationally and by many domestic forces that insist on the complete withdrawal of weapons. Hezbollah had previously agreed with the President on a path of dialogue to reach a defense strategy as part of the national security strategy that President Joseph Aoun spoke about in his inaugural address. However, the phrase related to this strategy was absent from his Army Day speech, where he instead named Hezbollah directly, emphasizing the necessity of surrendering weapons. In response, the head of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc, MP Mohammed Raad, visited the Baabda Palace in an attempt to inquire about what had happened and to discuss the developments and outcomes of Tuesday's government meeting. This was seen as an effort to prevent a political explosion in the country that would lead to a disruption of the government's work and the new administration's path.
What Happens After the Government Meeting?
Lebanon is divided between multiple options. One party still prefers dialogue and calm, while another insists on a decisive outcome and the issuance of clear decisions that include a timeline and an implementation mechanism. If positions remain rigid, it will lead to tension within the session that will spill over outside of it. Meanwhile, contacts are ongoing between the presidents to reach a formula suitable for both domestic and international parties. This formula would involve the government announcing its commitment to implementing the ministerial statement regarding the withdrawal and exclusivity of weapons, but in exchange for tasking the Lebanese Army with providing a clear study on what it has achieved so far south of the Litani River, and its vision for applying this in other areas later through an implementation mechanism.
Lebanon will try to reach a relatively acceptable formula. Some believe this will buy more time to develop the plan and its implementation mechanism, while others believe this will not be acceptable and could lead to a decline in American and Saudi interest, with the possibility of Israel escalating its military operations. All of this remains contingent on the contacts and negotiations taking place between today and Tuesday, knowing that all eyes are on what happens after the meeting.
From Barrack to Issa: The Path is One
It is necessary to look back at the past few days and the clear signals and pressures that accompanied them regarding a decisive resolution in the Council of Ministers. This path was established with the American envoy Morgan Ortagus and was continued by Tom Barrack, but the most significant development was the swift and brief visit of the commander of the U.S. Army's Central Command, Michael Kurilla, to Lebanon, where he met with President Joseph Aoun. This visit came after the President's speech and carried clear signals about the need to deal seriously with the weapons issue. After Kurilla's meeting, there were meetings between Aoun and Raad, and between Wafiq Safa and Army Commander Rudolph Hikel. This clarifies that the American path is the same and has not changed, regardless of the change in envoys or emissaries. In this context, information has emerged about Barrack not continuing to follow the Lebanese file. It is worth noting that during his first visit, he was clear that he would only be following the Lebanese file for a short, specific period and that officials should seize the opportunity to accomplish what was required of them. He affirmed that his temporary assignment was due to changes in the American administration, and he indicated that a new ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, would be appointed to manage the file with expanded powers. Issa presented his approach to the U.S. Congress last week, and his positions were very firm towards the party, emphasizing the need to withdraw its weapons immediately and quickly. In this context, information has also emerged about the return of envoy Morgan Ortagus to monitor the Lebanese file, but from her position at the United Nations, with the direct tasks being entrusted to Ambassador Issa after his appointment. At the same time, Ortagus continues to monitor the file, particularly concerning the full implementation of Resolution 1701 and the southern border demarcation process.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on on August 03-04/2025
Another American Palestinian killed in West Bank
RAY HANANIA/Arab News/August 03, 2025
CHICAGO: The relatives of an American Palestinian who moved with his five children and wife in 2020 to the West Bank are calling on the US to investigate the circumstances of his death. Relatives in Chicago told Arab News that Khamis Ayyad, 40, had died of smoke inhalation on July 31 when he entered a home that was engulfed in flames to save people. State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid, who represents the southwest suburbs of Chicago in the Illinois legislature and is of Palestinian descent, met with Ayyad’s relatives. He said the fires were started by Israeli settlers who have been rampaging through West Bank villages. “This wasn’t random. It’s part of an ugly pattern of Israeli government-sponsored brutality from settler terrorism in the West Bank to the genocide unfolding in Gaza — enabled by US military funding and political support for Israel,” Rashid told Arab News. “I’ve seen this violence firsthand. I was in Palestine in June 2023 when settlers invaded my family’s village in broad daylight. They killed a young man. There was no accountability, no justice. “That lack of accountability has led to continued Israeli terrorism against Palestinians fighting for survival and liberation, including the murder of Palestinian American Khamis Ayyad.”Rashid’s district represents a region of the southwest suburbs of Chicago called Little Palestine because of its large concentration of American Palestinians. Relatives said the village of Silwad, where Ayyad lived, was hit with several arson fires in recent months by settlers, including homes, farmland and vehicles. Ayyad is the second American Palestinian to be killed in July, and the fifth since the war on Gaza began in October 2023, ABC News reported. On July 11, 2025, 20-year-old American Palestinian Sayfollah Musallet was murdered by a gang of Israeli settlers in the family’s farmlands located near Ramallah. Israeli soldiers prevented Musallet’s family from reaching him while he was alive but wounded, relatives told Arab News. Soldiers also prevented an ambulance from reaching him for more than two hours after the attack. He died as paramedics were placing him in the ambulance to take him to a nearby hospital. Musallet is the cousin of Muhammad Ibrahim, who was arrested in the middle of the night by 20 soldiers wearing black masks in February and has been detained in the notorious Megiddo Prison without access to his parents or legal representation. Ibrahim has not been charged with a crime, his family told Arab News, adding that he is suffering from an illness caused by the unsanitary conditions at the prison.“Who will speak up for these Americans?” a relative of Ayyad asked.

Israeli forces kills over 20 people seeking food in Gaza, witnesses and health officials say
AFP/August 03, 2025
DEIR AL BALAH: Israeli forces killed at least 23 Palestinians seeking food on Sunday in the Gaza Strip, according to hospital officials and witnesses, who described facing gunfire as hungry crowds surged around aid sites as the malnutrition-related death toll surged.
Desperation has gripped the Palestinian territory of more than 2 million, which experts have warned is at risk of famine because of Israel’s blockade and nearly two-year offensive. Yousef Abed, among the crowds en route to a distribution point, described coming under what he called indiscriminate fire, looking around and seeing at least three people bleeding on the ground. “I couldn’t stop and help them because of the bullets,” he said. Southern Gaza’s Nasser Hospital said they had received bodies from near multiple distribution sites, including eight from Teina, about three kilometers (1.8 miles) away from a distribution site in Khan Younis, which is operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a private US and Israeli-backed contractor that took over aid distribution more than two months ago. The hospital also received one body from Shakoush, an area hundreds of meters (yards) north of a different GHF site in Rafah. Another nine were also killed by troops near the Morag corridor, who were awaiting trucks entering Gaza through an Israeli border crossing, it said. Three Palestinian eyewitnesses, seeking food in Teina and Morag, told The Associated Press the shootings occurred on the route to the distribution points, which are in military zones secured by Israeli forces. They said they saw soldiers open fire on hungry crowds advancing toward the troops.
Further north in central Gaza, hospital officials described a similar episode, with Israeli troops opening fire Sunday morning toward crowds of Palestinians trying to GHF’s fourth and northernmost distribution point. “Troops were trying to prevent people from advancing. They opened fire and we fled. Some people were shot,” said Hamza Matter, one of the aid seekers. At least five people were killed and 27 wounded at GHF’s site near Netzarim corridor, Awda Hospital said. Eyewitnesses seeking food in the strip have reported similar gunfire attacks in recent days near aid distribution sites, leaving dozens of Palestinians dead.The United Nations reported 859 people have been killed near GHF sites from May 27 to July 31 and that hundreds more have been slain along the routes of UN-led food convoys. The GHF launched in May as Israel sought an alternative to the UN-run system, which had safely delivered aid for much of the war but was accused by Israel of allowing Hamas, which guarded convoys early in the war, to siphon supplies.Israel has not offered evidence of widespread theft. The UN has denied it. GHF says its armed contractors have only used pepper spray or fired warning shots to prevent deadly crowding. Israel’s military has said it only fires warning shots as well. Both claimed the death tolls have been exaggerated. Neither Israel’s military nor GHF immediately responded to questions about Sunday’s reported fatalities. Meanwhile, the Gaza health ministry also said six more Palestinian adults died of malnutrition-related causes in the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours. This brings the death toll among Palestinian adults to 82 in the past five weeks since the ministry started counting deaths among adults in late June, it said. Ninety-three children have also died of causes related to malnutrition since the war in Gaza started in 2023, the ministry said. The war began when Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, and abducted another 251. They are still holding 50 captives, around 20 believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals. Israel’s retaliatory military offensive has killed more than 60,400 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, is staffed by medical professionals. The United Nations and other independent experts view its figures as the most reliable count of casualties. Israel has disputed its figures, but hasn’t provided its own account of casualties.

Iran Sets up New Defense Council After War With Israel
This is Beirut/AFP/August 03/2025
Iran's top security body has approved the creation of a new defence council, state media reported on Sunday, more than a month after a ceasefire ended a 12-day war with Israel.
"The Supreme National Security Council approved the establishment of the National Defence Council," state television said. The new body -- which will be chaired by the president and include top military commanders among other senior officials and ministers -- will be tasked with "reviewing defence strategies" and "enhancing the capabilities of Iran's armed forces", it added. On Friday, the Fars news agency said the decision comes as part of broader structural changes to Iran's security apparatus. The move comes in the wake of a conflict with Israel that, according to official figures, left more than 1,000 people dead in Iran and 29 in Israel. The war began on June 13, when Israel launched strikes on military, nuclear and residential sites in Iran. Iran responded with retaliatory attacks on Israeli territory. A ceasefire announced by the United States has been in place since June 24.

Israel Says Ground Troops Conducted Raids in Syria
This is Beirut/AFP/August 03/2025
Israel's military said Sunday ground troops had operated in southern Syria, seizing weapons and questioning individuals suspected of arms trafficking, in the latest cross-border raid since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December. A military statement said that troops had completed overnight "a mission involving on-site questioning of several suspects involved in weapons trafficking in the Hader area in southern Syria," near the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. "Troops entered four locations simultaneously and located numerous weapons that the suspects had been trafficking," the statement said. Footage released by the military showed uniformed Israeli troops in armored vehicles and on foot operating at night. An Israeli army division remains "deployed in the area, continuing to operate and prevent the entrenchment of any terrorist elements in Syria, with the aim of protecting Israeli civilians, and in particular, the residents of the Golan Heights," the military said. As an Islamist-led offensive late last year toppled Syrian president Assad, Israel deployed troops to the UN-patrolled buffer zone on the Golan Heights, which has separated Israeli and Syrian forces following their 1973 war. In July, Israel bombed Syrian government forces in the capital Damascus and in Sweida province to force their withdrawal from the southern region amid a wave of sectarian violence. Israel said it was acting in defense of the Druze community, but some diplomats and analysts say its goal is to weaken the Syrian military and keep the forces of the new government away from the frontier. Israel launched hundreds of strikes on military sites following Asaad's overthrow in December, saying at the time it wanted to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of the new authorities it considers jihadists. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded the demilitarization of southern Syria.

Renewed Sectarian Clashes in South Syria Kill Four
This is Beirut/AFP/August 03/2025
Renewed sectarian clashes in southern Syria's Druze-majority Sweida province killed at least four people on Sunday, a war monitor said, in the first deadly incident since a ceasefire last month. The province witnessed deadly clashes between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouins in July that drew the intervention of government forces and tribal fighters who came to support the Bedouins. A ceasefire put an end to the week of bloodshed, which killed 1,400 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, but the situation remained tense, flaring into violence again on Sunday. The Observatory said three Syrian security forces personnel were killed "as clashes erupted with local factions around Tal Hadid in the western Sweida countryside." The Observatory also reported the death of a "local fighter." Tal Hadid is a "key control point" at a relatively high altitude, according to the monitor, allowing whoever controls it to overlook neighboring areas. Fighting also erupted around the city of Thaala; the Observatory said, "following bombardment of the area with shells and heavy weapons launched from areas under the control of government forces, while the sound of explosions and gunfire was heard in various parts of Sweida city." Syrian state-run news agency SANA accused Druze groups loyal to influential spiritual leader Hikmat al-Hijri of breaching the ceasefire by attacking government troops in Tal Hadid, killing one security forces officer and injuring others.
Government forces took back control of Tal Hadid after the morning clashes, according to the Observatory.
'Force Inhabitants to Comply'
According to the monitor and Sweida locals, Damascus has been imposing a siege on the province, with the Observatory saying the government wants to "force inhabitants to comply."On Friday, Sweida residents held protests across the province to demand the withdrawal of government forces and the opening of an aid corridor from neighboring Jordan. The road linking Sweida to Damascus has been cut off since July 20. Damascus accuses Druze groups of cutting it, but the Observatory says armed groups allied with the government took control of the area and have been blocking travel. The United Nations was able to send some aid convoys to the province, but an interior ministry source told Syrian state television on Sunday that the humanitarian corridor was temporarily closed "until the area is secured after outlaw groups violated the ceasefire."Syria's minority communities have expressed concerns for their safety since December, when an Islamist-led offensive toppled longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, who had presented himself as a protector of minorities. While the new Syrian authorities have repeatedly stated their intent to protect all of the country's ethnic and religious groups, the killing of more 1,400 Alawites along the coast and the violence in Sweida have raised doubts about their ability to manage sectarian tensions. The government has said it will investigate July's violence in Sweida, and a committee in charge of the inquiry held its first meeting on Saturday.

Syrian and Turkish authorities arrest dangerous drug kingpin
Arab News/August 03, 2025
LONDON: Syrian anti-narcotics authorities announced on Sunday the arrest of Amer Jdei Al-Sheikh, a highly dangerous kingpin involved in drug networks in Syria and the Middle East region. Al-Sheikh is wanted by several countries, including Turkiye, for serious organized crimes related to drug manufacturing and smuggling, according to Syrian authorities. On Sunday, a joint operation between Syria’s Anti-Narcotics Directorate and their Turkish counterparts led to his arrest inside Turkish territory. The head of Syria’s Anti-Narcotics Directorate, Brig. Gen. Khaled Eid, told SANA: “The arrested individual was traveling using forged IDs and passports in an attempt to evade security pursuit. He was tracked until he eventually entered Turkish territories, where he was arrested by Turkish authorities in coordination with Syrian counterparts and was handed over to (us).”He said that Al-Sheikh was among the most “dangerous individuals” involved in drug smuggling networks in Syria and beyond, maintaining close ties with international smuggling rings and influential figures in the underground narcotics world. Eid said that the suspect maintained close ties with Maher Assad, the brother of the ousted Syrian president, who is accused of spearheading the highly organized expansion of captagon facilities during the era of the former regime.

Renewed sectarian clashes in south Syria kill four
AFP/August 03, 2025
DAMASCUS: Renewed sectarian clashes in southern Syria’s Druze-majority Sweida province killed at least four people on Sunday, as Damascus accused local groups of violating last month’s ceasefire. The province witnessed deadly clashes between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouins in July that drew the intervention of government forces and tribal fighters who came to support the Bedouins. A ceasefire put an end to the week of bloodshed — which killed 1,400 people — but the situation remained tense, flaring into violence again on Sunday. Three Syrian security forces personnel were reportedly killed as clashes erupted with local factions around Tal Hadid in the western Sweida countryside. A “local fighter” was also reported as dead. Tal Hadid, controlled by government security forces, is a control point at a relatively high altitude, allowing whoever holds it to overlook neighboring areas. Fighting also erupted around the city of Thaala, following bombardment of the area with shells and heavy weapons launched from areas under the control of government forces, while the sound of explosions and gunfire was heard in various parts of Sweida city. Syrian state-run news agency SANA accused Druze groups loyal to influential spiritual leader Hikmat Al-Hijri of breaching the ceasefire by attacking government troops in Tal Hadid, killing one security forces officer and injuring others. In a statement, the Syrian interior ministry accused local groups of “launching treacherous attacks against internal security forces in several locations and striking some villages with rockets and mortars, resulting in the killing and wounding of a number of security personnel.”A security source told Syrian state television that government forces regained control of Tal Hadid and other areas that were attacked on Sunday.

Eight OPEC+ Countries Raise Production by 547,000 Bpd
This is Beirut/AFP/August 03/2025
Saudi Arabia, Russia and six key members of the OPEC+ alliance said Sunday they will increase production by 547,000 barrels a day in a move that analysts say aims to regain market share amid resilient crude prices. Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman, along with the Saudis and Russians, together nicknamed the Voluntary Eight (V8), currently produce about 41-42 million barrels a day, so the increase is about 1.5 percent. Analysts said there was unlikely to be a major impact on prices, with the Brent reference oil currently selling at about $70 a barrel.
"The eight participating countries will implement a production adjustment of 547,000 barrels per day in September 2025 from the August 2025 required production level," said a statement released after a meeting where the hike was agreed. The eight key producers, who started increasing production in April, affirmed their commitment to market stability on "current healthy oil market fundamentals," an OPEC statement read. Oil prices have held up better than observers anticipated amid strong summer demand and a high geopolitical risk premium, notably owing to conflict between Iran and Israel. "OPEC+ has passed the first test, unwinding 2.2 million barrels per day (since April) without crashing prices or compromising unity," said Jorge Leon, analyst at Rystad Energy. "But the next task will be even harder: deciding if and when to unwind the remaining 1.66 million barrels, all while navigating geopolitical tension and preserving cohesion," said Leon.
'Low Oil Inventories'
The post-meeting statement said the decision came "in view of a steady global economic outlook and current healthy market fundamentals, as reflected in the low oil inventories." The OPEC+ countries agreed in December to start a gradual return from last April of the 2.2 million barrels per day of previous production cuts. The latest move, a year ahead of an initial 18-month schedule, completes the unwinding and also provides for a 300,000 barrels per day tranche granted specifically to the United Arab Emirates. The statement said that "the phase-out of the additional voluntary production adjustments may be paused or reversed subject to evolving market conditions." The eight added that they will hold monthly meetings for a regular review of market conditions. For now, the return of other production cuts is to be discussed at the next OPEC+ ministerial meeting at the end of November with all 22 members. But OPEC said the V8 will first meet on September 7. In a bid to boost prices, the wider OPEC+ group, comprising the 12-nation Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, in recent years had agreed to three different tranches of output cuts, amounting to almost six million bpd in total.
'Avoid Sharp Drop'
After a long period of producers seeking to combat price erosion by implementing production cuts to make oil scarcer, recent months have seen a shift in strategy. Prior to the announcement, UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo had suggested the quota increase was "largely priced in" on energy markets. What happens over the next few months is less certain but ING's Warren Patterson said that the "base scenario" will see the V8 pause output hikes for the time being. For Patterson, a significant surplus may well emerge from the fourth quarter of this year, which OPEC+ would have to manage carefully. "The alliance is striving to find a balance between regaining market share and avoiding a sharp drop in oil prices "so as not to wipe out its profits, said Tamas Varga of PVM Oil Associates. Market experts warn that forecasting is particularly challenging given the uncertainty emanating from US President Donald Trump's tariff policy and its effects on global trade, as well as his 10-day deadline for Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

At Least 27 Migrants Dead in Shipwreck Off Yemen
This is Beirut/AFP/August 03/2025
A shipwreck off Yemen killed at least 27 migrants, with more than 100 still missing, two security sources in the southern province of Abyan told AFP on Sunday. "At this stage, the deaths of 27 people are confirmed, their bodies have been recovered," one security source said, adding that "searches are ongoing".A second source said "150 people were on board the vessel that sank", also reporting 27 dead. A police source told AFP that "the boat was heading for the coast of (Abyan) province", adding that "smuggler boats regularly arrive in our region".Abyan province's security directorate said in a statement that security forces "are currently conducting a large operation to recover the bodies of a significant number of Ethiopian migrants (Oromos) who drowned off the coast of Abyan while attempting to illegally enter Yemeni territory". "Many bodies have been found across various beaches, suggesting that a number of victims are still missing at sea," it added. Despite the war that has ravaged Yemen since 2014, irregular migration via the impoverished country has continued, in particular from Ethiopia, which itself has been roiled by ethnic conflict. Migrants cross the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which separates Djibouti from Yemen and is a major route for international trade headed to and from the Suez Canal, as well as for migration and human trafficking. The wealthy Gulf monarchies, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, host significant populations of foreign workers from South Asia and Africa. According to the UN's International Organization for Migration, tens of thousands of migrants have become stranded in Yemen and suffer abuse and exploitation during their journeys.

Ukrainian Drones Spark Fire at Sochi Oil Depot
This is Beirut/AFP/August 03/2025
An overnight Ukrainian drone attack sparked a fire at an oil depot in Sochi, the Russian resort that hosted the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, around 400 kilometers (250 miles) from the Ukrainian border, authorities said Sunday. Ukraine has regularly hit Russian oil and gas infrastructure in response to attacks on its own territory since Russia began its offensive in February 2022. "Sochi suffered a drone attack by the Kyiv regime last night," the governor of Russia's Krasnodar region, Veniamin Kondratiev, said on Telegram. He said drone wreckage hit an "oil tank, which caused a fire." Sochi's mayor, Andrei Proshunin, said there were no victims and "The situation is totally under control," adding that firefighters were continuing to extinguish the blaze. Images, broadcast by Russian media but whose authenticity AFP could not verify, showed flames and a thick plume of black smoke rising from the site. Air traffic was briefly suspended at Sochi airport but resumed shortly afterward, Russia's air transport regulator Rosaviatsia said. Ukrainian authorities had not commented on the fire. Air strikes on Sochi are relatively rare compared to some other Russian cities. However, Ukrainian drone attacks killed two people there late last month, according to local authorities.
Russian Strikes
Kyiv has said it will intensify its air strikes against Russia in response to an increase in Russian attacks on its territory in recent weeks, which have killed dozens of civilians. The Russian defense ministry said meanwhile that three Ukrainian drones had been intercepted in the Leningrad region, which includes the Baltic seaport of Saint Petersburg. Overnight strikes by Russia inside Ukraine's south and north also left several people injured, authorities said. One missile wounded seven people in a residential district of Mykolaiv, a city near the Black Sea in southern Ukraine, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said.
Three other people were injured in the northeastern Kharkiv region, she added, while local authorities also reported injuries in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions in the south. "The Russians continue to wage war not against Ukrainian forces, but against Ukrainian civilians," Svyrydenko said. Last week, US President Donald Trump gave his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a ten-day ultimatum, until next Friday, to end the conflict in Ukraine. The air strikes and fighting have not abated, however, and the Kremlin has rejected the idea of a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine, which it sees as a gift to Kyiv's troops.

2 arrested after fatal stabbing of student in Cambridge, victim reported as Saudi
DANIEL FOUNTAIN/Arab News/August 03, 2025
LONDON: Two men have been arrested following the fatal stabbing of a student in the English city of Cambridge on Friday night. Police were called to the Mill Park area of the city at 11:27 p.m. on Aug. 1 following reports of violence. A 20-year-old man was found with serious injuries and was pronounced dead at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday.Though authorities in the UK have not yet officially identified the victim, reports in Saudi media from Al-Ekhbariya and Al-Arabiya on Sunday said the victim was a Saudi national named Mohammed Al-Qasim. A 21-year-old man from Cambridge has been arrested on suspicion of murder, while a 50-year-old man, also from Cambridge, has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, a Cambridgeshire Police statement said. Both remain in custody at Thorpe Wood Police Station, the statement added. “We would like to thank the public for their support and assistance following our appeal,” said Detective Inspector Dale Mepstead from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit. “The investigation remains ongoing, and we continue to urge anyone with information who has not yet come forward to contact us.”Arab News has contacted the constabulary for further information.EF International Language Campuses Cambridge, where the victim was studying, confirmed his death in a statement. “We are deeply saddened at the death of one of our adult students,” the language school said. “We are working closely with the local police, who are investigating the incident and have confirmed they made arrests. “At this time, we understand the attack was carried out by a member of the public in an isolated incident. “The safety and wellbeing of our students is our top priority. We are providing support to all students and staff affected by this tragic event and have organized counselling sessions. “Our thoughts are with the student’s loved ones during this incredibly difficult time and we have offered our full support. We will not be commenting further while the investigation is ongoing.”Cambridgeshire Police have asked anyone with information to contact them via the web chat service at www.cambs.police.uk or by calling 101 and quoting Operation Brackley.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on August 03-04/2025
The Most Favored Descendants of Abraham?
Nils A. Haug/Gatestone Institute/August 03/2025
At the Islamic Centre of Rhode Island, on May 30, an imam delivered a sermon that, according to Andrew Bostom, "invoked Islam's supersessionism, its notion of being the true primordial monotheism of Jewish patriarch Abraham."
Of course, the main problem in discussing religion is that it is often impossible to prove anything, so that all controversies continue indefinitely. It is a contest of legitimacy with Muslims asserting Ishmael to be the rightful, favored heir to Abraham, rather than his only legitimate son and heir, Isaac.Islamist claims of legitimacy -- and their determination to rid Israel of Jews -- are a core element in explaining the perpetual conflict between Islamists and Israel. Consequently, any peace agreement may well be fragile and temporary.
It has been claimed that the recent Iran-Israel war was simply a "violent prelude to a far grander and more terrifying prophetic chapter" in the effort to eliminate Israel and Jews from the face of the earth. This objective comprises diverse but interconnected strategies, such as pro-Islamic and anti-Zionist propaganda; military attacks on Israel by Iran and its jihadist proxies; and, not least, theological contortions designed to negate legitimate Jewish claims to their ancient divine blessings, including the promised homeland of Israel -- Eretz Yisrael -- itself.
At the Islamic Centre of Rhode Island, on May 30, an imam delivered a sermon that, according to Andrew Bostom, "invoked Islam's supersessionism, its notion of being the true primordial monotheism of Jewish patriarch Abraham." In short, the imam was saying that Islam, not Judaism, is the sole authentic religion emanating from Abraham's line of descent.Of course, the main problem in discussing religion is that it is often impossible to prove anything, so that all controversies continue indefinitely.
In support, the imam quoted certain verses of the Quran, particularly 3:67:
"Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was one inclining toward truth, a Muslim [submitting to Allah]. And he was not of the polytheists."
(Sahih International)
"Indeed, the most worthy of Abraham among the people are those who followed him [in submission to Allah ] and this prophet, and those who believe [in his message]. And Allah is the ally of the believers."
(Sahih International)The Quran is claiming that Muslims are "the most worthy" of the status as the heirs of Abraham -- the true believers -- not the Christians or the Jews.
The imam scorned Jewish and Christian claims to Abraham as their spiritual ancestor:
"[T]he Christians, can't articulate what they really believe, what their tawhid [monotheism] means. And the other group [the Jews] has reduced their religion to an ethnic identity that they use to justify a slaughter of innocent people."
Therefore, not only minor sectarian elements of the Christian Church desire to appropriate blessings due to Jews, but Islam is similarly promoting a doctrinal version of the "Great Replacement," in which Islam supposedly supersedes both Christianity and Judaism. According to this dogma, Muslims, not the Jews, are rightful inheritors of the divine dedications assigned to Abraham.
Unlike the Christian version of supersessionism, whereby the church is purportedly the "New Israel," Islamic doctrines do not claim to replace the Jews. According to Sarah Gon, of the Institute of Race Relations, Islamic theology instead "recasts the Jewish prophets as Muslims by creating a direct link with Ishmael, the son of Abraham -- the 'first Muslim,' according to the Qur'an." It is a contest of legitimacy with Muslims asserting Ishmael to be the rightful, favored heir to Abraham, rather than his only legitimate son and heir, Isaac.
The narrative of Abraham and Isaac is important in understanding the ongoing Middle East conflict. According to Genesis 16:15-16 and 21:1-7, both Isaac (born to his wife, Sarah) and Ishmael (born to Sarah's handmaiden, Hagar) were born in Canaan – in greater Israel. The Quran, verse 14:37, reads:
"Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your sacred House, our Lord, that they may establish prayer. So make hearts among the people incline toward them and provide for them from the fruits that they might be grateful."
(Sahih International)
This means, according to Roy Hirsch, that "God instructed Abraham to leave Hagar and Ishmael in the barren valley of Mecca, while Isaac stayed in Canaan." The latter construal appears, if the Bible is viewed as the benchmark, to be a fiction that is meant to justify Ishmael's claim to religious legitimacy.
In the New Testament's Epistle to the Galatians, Saul of Tarsus writes in a letter to the church at Galatia:
"But what does Scripture say? 'Get rid of the slave woman and her son [Ishmael], for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son [Isaac].'"
Christian doctrine convincingly upholds the Torah on this controversy; and according to this, the descendants of Ishmael (Muslims) have no part of the divine promises made to Abraham and Isaac.
In addition to Islamic claims to divine promises, these assertions are further extended to the Holy City of Jerusalem itself – the centerpiece of Judaism and the intended great prize of Islam. The Qur'an (Al-Isra 17:1) states:
"Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al- Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing."
(Sahih International)
The verse alleges, according to Roy Hirsch, that Muhammad made a "brief, one-time stop at the farthest Temple Mount during his nocturnal journey to Heaven in 620 CE." The irony is that all Muslims pray while facing Mecca – their holiest city -- not facing Jerusalem.
Whatever the mode of replacement designed to deprive Jews of their status as the "chosen people" and a "people after God's own heart," the intended effect is the same -- the denial of legitimacy. This is an old heresy, like the subversive question from the serpent in the Garden of Eden: "Did G-d really say..."
Another essential concept that differentiates Islamic attempts at replacing the Jews from Christian attempts is, according to Sarah Gon:
"Vilifying or killing Jews has become a recurring motif in Muslim supersessionism. The Qur'an repeatedly accuses the Jews of falsehood, distortion, and of being 'corrupters of the scriptures'. It argues that the Jews did not deserve to be the Chosen People, and because of their sins are condemned to 'degradation in this world.'"Muslims seemingly aim to be considered the primary chosen people descending from Abraham. The Christian version of replacement theology, shown to be a heresy with no scriptural warrant, has fallen from favor.
A related replacement ideology was adopted by Adolf Hitler and his Nazi propagandists through a theory of their "master race," Aryans supposedly being superior to the Jews. Hitler was influenced by Martin Luther, the important, vehemently anti-Semitic German church reformer from the 16th century. Nazi replacement ideology and it's virulent Jew-hatred resulted in the horrors of the holocaust.
Islamist claims of legitimacy -- and their determination to rid Israel of Jews -- are a core element in explaining the perpetual conflict between Islamists and Israel. Consequently, any peace agreement may well be fragile and temporary.
"Muslim greatness under Allah depends on the subjugation and annihilation of the Jews," suggests Sarah Gon.
That is something that will never happen.
Nils A. Haug is an author and columnist. A Lawyer by profession, he is member of the International Bar Association, the National Association of Scholars, the Academy of Philosophy and Letters. Dr. Haug holds a Ph.D. in Apologetical Theology and is author of 'Politics, Law, and Disorder in the Garden of Eden – the Quest for Identity'; and 'Enemies of the Innocent – Life, Truth, and Meaning in a Dark Age.' His work has been published by First Things Journal, The American Mind, Quadrant, Minding the Campus, Gatestone Institute, National Association of Scholars, Jewish Journal, James Wilson Institute (Anchoring Truths), Jewish News Syndicate, Tribune Juive, Document Danmark, Zwiedzaj Polske, and many others.
© 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.

Israel Releases Footage of Aid Left Waiting by UN, NGOs
JNS/Gatestone Institute/August 03/2025
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee shared photos on X of the aid waiting to be distributed, saying that there is "enough food to feed all of Gaza but it sits rotting! UN is a tool of Hamas! US based GHF is actually delivering food FOR FREE and SAFELY. UN food is either looted by Hamas or rots in the sun!"According to U.S.-based Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, the U.N. aid mechanism has allowed Hamas to hijack and hoard the aid for many months during the war, with the terrorist organization making hundreds of millions of dollars selling the supplies on the secondary market while ordinary Gazans go hungry. The introduction of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), however, managed to bypass this mechanism, depriving Hamas of its funds, Enia Krivine, the senior director of FDD's Israel Program and National Security Network, said on the FDD website on Thursday.
"Hamas understands that if it doesn't regain control of the aid economy in Gaza, its days of ruling the enclave will be over. By refusing to work with GHF, the United Nations is shamefully throwing a lifeline to Hamas," Krivine added.
"So now we're down to the final hostages, and they know what happens after you get the final hostages. And basically because of that, they really didn't want to make a deal" – US President Donald J. Trump, July 25, 2025.
A cornucopia of aid supplies, mostly food, has accumulated in recent months on the Gazan side of the crossings to the Gaza Strip and is still waiting to be collected by international aid organizations, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) — a unit within Israel's defense ministry — said on July 25, 2025, in the wake of claims that Jerusalem is preventing food from entering the Strip.
COGAT released extensive footage showing the hundreds of trucks on the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom Crossing, with rows of boxes of supplies stacked on pallets.
"Israel does not limit the number of trucks entering the Gaza Strip, and it is the collection issue that is preventing the continuous delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza," said COGAT's head of the Coordination and Liaison Administration for Gaza, Col. Abdullah Halabi, speaking from the Gazan side of the crossing with bundled-up boxes of supplies in the background.
"Despite the clear facts you can see behind me, Hamas is running a deliberate and false propaganda campaign that presents a distorted picture of the humanitarian situation," he said.
Halabi stressed that Hamas is engaged in propaganda, not "out of concern for Gazan residents but as a pressure tactic in the framework of negotiations" with Israel over the release of the remaining hostages held in the Strip.
"We operate every day to bring in aid; Hamas operates every day to create a perception of crisis," the officer said. "The international community needs to know the truth. We are working in close coordination with the U.N. and aid organizations, urging them to continue arriving to collect the aid and bring it to the Gaza Strip."Nevertheless, some of the aid is making its way to the Gaza Strip. COGAT tweeted that on Friday, around 90 food trucks were unloaded at aid crossings, and more than 100 were collected by the U.N. and international organizations from the Gazan side and distributed in Gaza.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee shared photos on X of the aid waiting to be distributed, saying that there is "enough food to feed all of Gaza but it sits rotting! UN is a tool of Hamas! US based GHF is actually delivering food FOR FREE and SAFELY. UN food is either looted by Hamas or rots in the sun!"The U.N. claims that IDF restrictions on its movements and criminal looting hinder its ability to deliver aid.
"These factors have put people and humanitarian staff at grave risk and forced aid agencies on many occasions to pause the collection of cargo from crossings controlled by the Israeli authorities," said Olga Cherevko, a spokesperson for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, Associated Press reported.
OCHA said on its website that the breakdown of law and order, partly due to the collapse of Gaza's Hamas-run police force, leads to greater risks for the truck convoys moving within the Gaza Strip in the face of criminal gangs.
According to U.S.-based Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), the U.N. aid mechanism has allowed Hamas to hijack and hoard the aid for many months during the war, with the terrorist organization making hundreds of millions of dollars selling the supplies on the secondary market while ordinary Gazans go hungry. The introduction of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), however, managed to bypass this mechanism, depriving Hamas of its funds, Enia Krivine, the senior director of FDD's Israel Program and National Security Network, said on the FDD website on Thursday.
"Hamas understands that if it doesn't regain control of the aid economy in Gaza, its days of ruling the enclave will be over. By refusing to work with GHF, the United Nations is shamefully throwing a lifeline to Hamas," Krivine added.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump on Friday expressed frustration over the deadlock in U.S.-mediated negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire-for-hostages agreement between Israel and Hamas, placing the blame squarely on the Palestinian terrorist group.
"It was too bad—Hamas didn't really want to make a deal," Trump said. "I think they want to die. And it's very, very bad. It got to a point where you're going to have to finish the job."
"Don't forget, we got a lot of hostages out," he continued. "So now we're down to the final hostages, and they know what happens after you get the final hostages. And basically because of that, they really didn't want to make a deal. I saw that."
© 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.”

The Tel Aviv's Brotherhood-ism and Questions
Tariq Al-Homayed/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 03/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/145899/
Sometimes questions offer more clarity than answers. So here, (not through social media, where most of them are bots) I’ll pose questions to the supporters of the militias.
When it comes to the worst and ugliest form of starvation, which we are seeing in Gaza, the question is: What exactly is the goal of Hamas or the Muslim Brotherhood? Is it not to alleviate the suffering of the people in Gaza and lift the blockade? That would be the natural and logical answer, and surely the reader would assume it is evident. So why do those affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood who have Israeli citizenship hold a protest outside the Egyptian embassy in Tel Aviv and not the Israeli government building or where Netanyahu works or lives?
It is Israel, under the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu, that is bombing Gaza and imposing the blockade. Israel is behind the suffering of Gazans. So why did they protest outside the Egypt’s embassy? What is behind this madness? Even madness in our region, always in the name of the Palestinian cause, it is difficult to wrap one’s head around their logic!
The cause brings us to the next question: Isn’t the goal of everything we have seen, regardless of whether we agree with the means or not, to achieve a Palestinian state? The definite, or at least assumed, answer is of course yes.
So then, where are the “positive” responses from Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood to Saudi Arabia’s (other Arab states’) historic efforts to impel France, Britain, Portugal, Canada, and other countries that have recently committed to this path, to recognize the Palestinian state?
All we see are insinuations and campaigns downplaying the significance of this major diplomatic move, despite that the destruction and killing that has taken place was supposedly in pursuit of a Palestinian state. So why the “confusion”?
Why doesn’t Hamas, for example, say that since these countries have agreed to recognize the Palestinian state, and because it wants to spare people’s lives and alleviate the suffering of Gazas, it has decided to authorize the Palestinian Authority to negotiate over the Israeli hostages and administer Gaza?
Doing so would deny Netanyahu opportunities. We are seeing Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa behave this way, sensible removing pretexts, embarrassing Netanyahu both domestically and globally, weakening his case with US President Donald Trump, and strengthening the camp opposed to Israel.
Here, the reader is surely wondering: Do you really expect Hamas to give up control of Gaza so easily? That’s a logical question, and the answer to it will be another question- as I had said earlier, this article is meant to raise questions that could lead us to conclusions.
So my question now is: Are we here to defend Hamas or the Muslim Brotherhood? Or is the aim to build the long-awaited Palestinian state, protect the people of Gaza, and to spare the West Bank a fate similar to (or worse than) that of the Gaza Strip?
Has all this bloodshed and destruction been endured just to protect Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, even the “Brotherhood-ism” of Tel Aviv? Was the operation of October 7, 2023, meant to empower Hamas, which had already ruled Gaza by force, or was it genuinely meant to bring us closer to a Palestinian state? These are questions, but they conjure up obvious answers. Had I stated them directly, it would be said that the tone is too sharp. So, with this less confrontational approach, has the picture become clear?

Is Israel the Region’s New Police?
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 03/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/145896/
Seven years ago, I wrote about the “regional rise of Israel.”
Today, its presence is greater than ever. It’s behind massive geopolitical changes in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks. After all this, how does Israel now view itself?
It’s unlikely that it will 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 like the regimes of Saddam Hussein and Bashar al-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’s 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’s left 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 like 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.
Hamas’ attacks 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 the region’s police?
Everything suggests that Israel wants to be a player in regional politics and conflicts. It could act as a military contractor, a regional actor, or even the leader of an alliance. It has already quickly blocked Iraqi intervention in Syria and Turkish expansion as well.
Netanyahu government’s ongoing 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, like Iran, Syria, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the left.
Israel may be seeking a dominant role, but geographic expansion seems unlikely. For fifty 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 the West Bank and Gaza - not expanding. The fear is that Israeli extremists could try to exploit the current chaos for this purpose. This already happened after October, when Hamas’ attacks were 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.