English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For August 08/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
You have taken away the key of knowledge; you did
not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 11/52-54:"Woe to you
lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter
yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering. ’When he went outside, the
scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile towards him and to
cross-examine him about many things, lying in wait for him, to catch him in
something he might say."
Titles For The
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on August 07-08/2025
In
Memory of the Assyrian Martyrs: A Token of Loyalty to the Struggling, Faithful,
and Deeply Rooted Assyrian People/Elias Bejjani/07 August/2025
Saint Dominic Founding the Dominican Order & Patron of Astronomers/Elias Bejjani/August
08/2025
Elias Bejjani/Text and Video: Naim Qassem Invents a New Taif and Hides Behind
Iran's Sectarian "National Pact" While Boasting of Victories That Are, in
Reality, Crushing Defeats/Elias Bejjani/August 06/2025
The Feast of the Divine Transfiguration: The Light of Glory That Dispels the
Shadows of Despair/Elias Bejjani/August 06/2025
Lebanese FM, Youssef Raggi Condemns Iranian Interference in Lebanon Internal
Affairs
Why am I putting pressure/Charles Elias Chartouni/August 07/2025
The Institutionalized Impasses/Charles Elias Chartouni/August 07/2025
Lebanon backs US proposal for Hezbollah to disarm and IDF to withdraw from south
Lebanon cabinet meets again on Hezbollah disarmament
5 killed, 10 injured in Israeli airstrike on eastern Lebanon
1 killed in Israeli drone strike on car west of Baalbek
6 killed, 10 hurt in Israeli drone strike on car on al-Masnaa road
Israeli strikes on south kill two, including child
Berri: The American paper changed between the second and third versions... His
sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that it contains matters that are against Lebanon,
its interests, its economy, and its borders.
Cabinet approves US paper, Shiite ministers walk out
Lebanese president: State-exclusive control over weapons difficult but will be
achieved
US plan sees Hezbollah disarmed by year-end, Israeli withdrawal
Barrack hails 'historic' Lebanon decision on Hezbollah disarmament
Congressman says US to push Israel to withdraw from Lebanon if army secures
country
Aoun: Arms monopoly to be achieved despite difficulties, obstacles
UNIFIL says found tunnels containing weapons in south Lebanon
Iranian official on Hezbollah disarmament: This dream will be buried
Foreign Ministry slams Iran FM's remarks as attack on Lebanon's sovereignty
Report: Int'l relief over Lebanon's steps on reform and arms
Hezbollah bloc calls on govt. to 'correct the situation'
Army chief ends visit to UK after meeting focused on defense and security
What options for Hezbollah after govt's decision to disarm it?
What remains of Hezbollah's weapons arsenal?
Explosion of the Port... Why Was the Investigation Not Completed in the Last Two
Years of Michel Aoun's Term?/Jean Al-Faghali/Nidaa Al-Watan/August 8, 2025
Hezbollah and Obvious Misinformation/Assaad Bishara/Nidaa Al-Watan/August 8,
2025
Is Bkerke Launching a New Call for "Neutrality" in September?/Alan Sarkis/Nidaa
Al-Watan/August 8, 2025
Disarmament of Hezbollah is not enough/Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/August 07,
2025
The State That Whispered While Hezbollah Roared/Makram Rabah/Now Lebanon/August
07/2025
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on August 07-08/2025
US targets Iranian firms and individuals over sanctions
evasion scheme
Iranian woman accused of killing 11 husbands goes on trial
Hamas accuses Israel’s Netanyahu of sacrificing hostages for personal interest
Senior Hamas official accuses US envoy Witkoff of spoiling Gaza ceasefire
efforts
Netanyahu says he wants Israel to take control of all of Gaza
Netanyahu rejects governing Gaza, Trump–Putin talks planned & UK migrant
detentions
Trump: Important that Middle Eastern countries join Abraham Accords
Netanyahu seeks approval for full Gaza takeover amid military pushback
From aboard a Jordanian Air Force jet dropping aid over Gaza, Arab News
witnesses devastation firsthand
Israel is using US munitions to ‘illegally and indiscriminately’ attack Gaza
school shelters, Human Rights Watch says
Jordan and UK reaffirm strong ties during talks between politicians in Amman
Kurdish-led SDF not complying with Syria integration deal, Turkish source says
Titles For
The Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources
on August 07-08/2025
Urgent:
Designate the Muslim Brotherhood a Foreign Terrorist Organization - Now/Robert
Williams/Gatestone Institute/August 07/2025
Implications of the Recent Violence in Suwayda/Erik Yavorsky/The Washington
Institute/August 07/2025
If Iraq Passes the New PMF Law, the U.S. Response Should Be Severe/David
Schenker/The Washington Institute/August 07/2025
Conflict, climate change fuel Africa’s hunger emergency/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab
News/August 07, 2025
The critical groundwork needed to win the AI race/Javier Alvarez/Arab
News/August 07, 2025
Selected tweets for 07 August/2025
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on August 07-08/2025
In Memory of
the Assyrian Martyrs: A Token of Loyalty to the Struggling, Faithful, and Deeply
Rooted Assyrian People
Elias Bejjani/07 August/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/146030/
The Commemoration of Assyrian
Martyrs
On August 7th of every year, the Assyrian people commemorate the Assyrian
Martyrs Day, a solemn occasion that honors the memory of tens of thousands of
innocent Assyrians who were massacred throughout history, especially during the
early 20th century. These massacres include the Simele Massacre of 1933 in Iraq,
during which the Iraqi army, under the command of Bakr Sidqi and with British
silence, brutally killed over 3,000 Assyrian civilians in the town of Simele and
its surrounding villages. This event marked one of the earliest genocides in the
modern Middle East.
In addition to Simele, Assyrians were subjected to horrific atrocities during
World War I, particularly between 1915 and 1918, in a genocide carried out by
the Ottoman Empire and its Kurdish allies. Known in Assyrian as “Sayfo” (meaning
“the sword”), this genocide led to the murder of over 250,000 Assyrians,
alongside Armenian and Greek victims. Entire villages were wiped out, churches
and monasteries destroyed, and cultural heritage lost. These massacres were not
random acts of violence, but rather part of a systematic plan to eradicate the
indigenous Christian presence in the region. The victims—men, women, children,
and elderly—were killed solely for their faith, ethnicity, and their refusal to
convert or abandon their national identity.
The memory of these martyrs lives on in the hearts of Assyrians across the
world, and the 7th of August remains a day of mourning, prayer, and renewed
commitment to preserve the Assyrian identity and defend human rights and
religious freedom.
Who Are The Assyrians
The Assyrians are among the oldest Semitic peoples who settled in Mesopotamia,
playing a pivotal role in shaping ancient human civilization. Their influence
stretched from Nineveh and Assur in the north to Babylon and the Euphrates in
the south, forming the greatest empire in the ancient Middle East during the
first millennium BCE.
Yet, after the fall of their kingdom in the 7th century BCE, this ancient people
did not vanish. Their cultural, religious, and linguistic presence continued,
even though their political state was lost. The Assyrians remained torchbearers
of civilization and of the Syriac language (derived from Aramaic), playing a
central role in spreading culture and knowledge, especially after embracing
Christianity in its early days.
Today: Where Do the Assyrians Live?
Though Assyria is no longer a political entity, the Assyrian people remain very
much alive, residing in several countries:
Iraq: Especially in the Nineveh Plain, Duhok, and Erbil.
Syria: In the Khabour region and al-Hasakah.
Turkey: In Tur Abdin and Diyarbakir, despite declining numbers.
Iran: Particularly in the Urmia region.
Lebanon: Mainly in Beirut, the Beqaa Valley, and Zahle.
Diaspora:
United States: Detroit, Chicago, California.
Australia: Sydney, Melbourne.
Europe: Sweden, Germany, Canada, and others.
Prominent Assyrian Figures Throughout History
Despite the historical injustices they’ve endured, the Assyrians have produced
many influential figures in the fields of war, science, politics, and religion:
In Ancient History:
Ashurbanipal: The last of the great kings, known for his massive library in
Nineveh, which preserved thousands of Sumerian and Babylonian texts.
Tiglath-Pileser III: A brilliant military leader who established a strong
centralized state and expanded the empire.
Sargon II: Built the city of Dur-Sharrukin and led successful campaigns against
uprisings.
In Modern History:
Mar Shimun Benyamin: An Assyrian patriarch who led a heroic resistance against
the Ottomans during World War I.
General Agha Petros: A courageous Assyrian military leader who fought against
the Ottoman army to defend his people.
George Malek: Political activist and academic, a key advocate for minority
rights in Iraq.
In Science and Culture
Naum Faiq: A visionary Assyrian writer and thinker, a pioneer of modern Assyrian
cultural renaissance in the diaspora.
Ibrahim Malek: Philosopher and academic, contributed to the development of
Assyrian studies and the Syriac language.
Mar Paulus II Cheikho: One of the leading theologians of the Chaldean Church (of
Assyrian origin).
The Role of Assyrians in Defending Lebanon
Although their number in Lebanon is relatively small, Assyrians have had a deep
national and spiritual role—especially after the 1933 Simele massacre in Iraq,
which forced many to flee to Lebanon and Syria.
During the Lebanese Civil War Many Assyrians joined the Christian Lebanese
resistance, defending Christian presence and the Lebanese state against the
Palestinian occupation first, and later the Syrian and Iranian regimes. They
formed local defense units in areas like Sad al-Bouchrieh, Zahle, and the Beqaa
Valley, and many integrated into the Lebanese Forces. Assyrians gave martyrs for
the cause of a free, pluralistic Lebanon.
In National and Political Life
The Assyrians in Lebanon have preserved their Eastern Christian identity,
resisting political sectarianism and advocating for their national and religious
presence.
They supported calls for Lebanon’s neutrality and opposed the monopolization of
arms by any faction—especially Hezbollah. They have also played a role in
interfaith and intercultural dialogue, opening their churches and centers to
serve all, Christians and Muslims alike.
The Assyrian Message: A Legacy of Witness and Resilience
The Assyrians are a people of continuity and endurance. From Babylon and Nineveh
to Beirut and Zahle, from Khabour to Sydney and Detroit, they carry their
language, their faith, and their heritage like an unbroken banner. In defending
Lebanon, they stand for values of freedom, diversity, and dignity—believing that
this homeland, even when small, remains a haven for every free person and a
refuge for all who resist oppression.
Prayer for the Assyrian Martyrs
O Lord of life and truth, We lift up to You the martyrs of the Assyrian nation,
Who shed their blood for their faith in You, And clung to the Cross despite
sword and fire. Bless their memory in our hearts,
And let their witness shine as a light in times of persecution. Grant them
eternal rest in Your Paradise, Protect their people from all evil, And let their
blood be the seed of resurrection and renewal.
Amen.
Saint Dominic
Founding the Dominican Order & Patron of Astronomers
Elias Bejjani/August 08/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/146015/
Full Name: Dominic de Guzmán
Born: circa 1170, Caleruega, Castile (modern-day Spain)
Died: August 6, 1221, Bologna, Italy
Canonized: July 13, 1234, by Pope Gregory IX
Feast Day: August 8 (formerly August 4 in some calendars)
Patron of: Astronomers, the Dominican Republic, scientists, and educators
Early Life and Education
Saint Dominic was born into a noble family. His father, Félix de Guzmán, was a
respected nobleman, and his mother, Blessed Joan of Aza, was renowned for her
piety and charity. According to tradition, she had a prophetic dream before his
birth of a dog leaping from her womb holding a torch in its mouth, which would
“set the world on fire” — a symbol later interpreted as Dominic’s preaching
mission.
Dominic received a classical education in Palencia, one of the oldest
universities in Spain. He studied liberal arts and theology, and distinguished
himself for both academic brilliance and deep spirituality. During a time of
great famine in Spain, he sold his precious books to feed the poor, saying,
“Would you have me study from these dead skins while people are dying of
hunger?”
Priesthood and Early Ministry
In 1196, Dominic joined the cathedral chapter of Osma and was ordained a priest.
He accompanied Bishop Diego de Acebo on diplomatic and missionary journeys,
including a critical trip through southern France in 1206. There, they
encountered the growing heretical movement of the Albigensians (also called
Cathars), who rejected Catholic sacraments, the physical world, and Church
authority.
Dominic was profoundly moved by the spiritual ignorance and error he saw. Rather
than using force to convert heretics — as was becoming common — Dominic believed
in conversion through persuasion, preaching, and personal example. He adopted a
lifestyle of radical poverty and simplicity, mirroring the Apostles, to better
reach the common people.
Founding the Dominican Order
In 1215, while in Toulouse, Dominic gathered a group of men committed to
preaching and living simply in imitation of Christ. He traveled to Rome in 1216
to seek papal approval for his community. On December 22, 1216, Pope Honorius
III officially approved the Order of Preachers (Ordo Praedicatorum), now
commonly known as the Dominicans.
Key Features of the Dominican Order:
Purpose: Combat heresy through sound preaching and theology.
Lifestyle: A blend of monastic discipline, academic study, and active preaching.
Vows: Poverty, chastity, and obedience.
Motto: Veritas (Latin for “Truth”).
Dominic emphasized education. Dominicans were trained in philosophy and theology
at major universities like Paris and Bologna. This academic focus enabled the
order to counter heretical teachings intellectually and spiritually.
Mission and Legacy
Dominic spent the remainder of his life organizing the new order, founding
convents and sending missionaries across Europe. He tirelessly preached in
France, Spain, and Italy. He was known for:
His compassion and humility.
A deep devotion to prayer, often spending nights in contemplation.
Miracles, including healings and prophecies (documented by early hagiographers).
Spreading devotion to the Rosary — tradition holds that the Blessed Virgin Mary
gave Dominic the Rosary as a spiritual weapon against heresy. While the
historical roots are complex, this tradition had a lasting impact.
He died on August 6, 1221, in Bologna, Italy, worn out from travel and work,
surrounded by his brothers. He was canonized only 13 years later, a testament to
his sanctity and widespread veneration.
Influence and the Dominican Legacy
Saint Dominic’s foundation left a profound and lasting mark on the Church. Among
the most notable Dominicans:
Saint Thomas Aquinas – a towering figure in Catholic theology.
Saint Catherine of Siena – mystic, reformer, and Doctor of the Church.
Bartolomé de las Casas – advocate for Indigenous peoples of the Americas.
Dominican friars played crucial roles in:
The medieval university system
The Inquisition (though this came later and is a complex part of their history)
Global missionary work
The intellectual defense of the faith through the centuries
Today, Dominicans serve worldwide in preaching, education, and pastoral
ministry.
Spiritual Legacy
Saint Dominic remains a model of:
Evangelical zeal
Intellectual integrity
Apostolic poverty
Devotion to truth and to Mary
His motto, “Speak only to God or about God,” reflects his singular focus on the
salvation of souls and the glory of God.
Elias Bejjani/Text
and Video: Naim Qassem Invents a New Taif and Hides Behind Iran's Sectarian
"National Pact" While Boasting of Victories That Are, in Reality, Crushing
Defeats
Elias Bejjani/August 06/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/145979/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17awvWmIC5Y&t=66s
Once again, Sheikh Naim Qassem,
Secretary-General of the terrorist group Hezbollah, delivered a speech that
exemplifies deception and blatant distortion. With no sense of shame, he invoked
slogans of patriotism, the Taif Agreement, sovereignty, the National Pact, and
resistance—all in the service of a sectarian militia project subservient to the
Iranian regime. This project has nothing to do with Lebanon or the interests of
its people.
Anyone who followed his speech on August 5, 2025, would immediately see that
Qassem speaks not for Lebanon or its citizens, but solely for Iran’s Supreme
Leader. Hezbollah is the military and security arm of the Iranian Revolutionary
Guard Corps (IRGC), and since 2005, it has been occupying Lebanon. Hezbollah
refuses to cede this occupation to the Lebanese state, constitution, or
sovereignty. Instead, through violence and intimidation, it seeks to crush the
state, enslave the people, and empty the Lebanese entity to serve the Iranian
project of Wilayat al-Faqih (Rule of the Jurisprudent).
1. A Speech of Lies and Delusions
Not a single word in Qassem’s speech reflects truth, reality, or the decaying
state of Hezbollah’s capabilities. He transitioned from one falsehood to another
with astonishing audacity, insulting the intelligence of the Lebanese people. He
falsely claimed that the Taif Agreement legitimized Hezbollah’s weapons and that
its arsenal is a “constitutional right” that cannot be touched without full
national consensus. Astonishingly, he equated Hezbollah’s weapons with the
National Pact that guarantees Christian-Muslim coexistence—despite Christians
being a numerical minority.
2. A Flagrant Falsification of the Taif Agreement and the Constitution
Let us remind Qassem and those parroting these lies that the Taif Agreement
never mentioned Hezbollah or any so-called "resistance." On the contrary, it
explicitly stated:
“All Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias shall be disbanded. Their weapons shall
be collected and delivered to the Lebanese state within a specified timeframe.”
(Paragraph E, Section A – Political Reforms – Taif Agreement)
“The Lebanese state shall extend its authority over all Lebanese territories
through its own forces, with no partner or rival.”
(Paragraph G, Section A – Taif Agreement)
Thus, the continued existence of Hezbollah’s arsenal is a direct violation of
the constitution, the National Pact, the will of the people, and international
resolutions—from 1559 to 1701 and beyond.
The National Pact does not grant legitimacy to illegal weapons or sectarian
militias taking orders from Tehran. It mandates that vital national decisions be
made within legitimate state institutions, under the rule of law and the
constitution.
3. The Myth of Weapons as Sectarian “Guarantees”
In a dangerous and divisive move, Qassem attempted to frighten Christians by
invoking Lebanon’s demographic imbalance—a narrative that is entirely rejected.
Lebanon is not protected by militias. It is protected by its constitution, state
institutions, army, and judiciary.
Christians, Shiites, and all Lebanese do not need sectarian militias for
protection. They need a strong, sovereign, and just state. Hezbollah does not
protect the Shiite community; it holds it hostage and sends its youth to die in
Iran’s proxy wars inside and outside Lebanon—wars that serve Tehran, not
Lebanon.
4. The Lie of “Victory” – A Defeat Too Massive to Conceal
Qassem proudly claimed that Hezbollah “prevented Israel from reaching Beirut.”
In reality, Israel has not only reached Beirut—it has repeatedly bombed
Hezbollah’s stronghold in Dahiyeh, assassinated top commanders, and destroyed
weapons depots, command centers, and infrastructure across Lebanon. The cost?
Thousands dead, tens of thousands displaced, an economy in ruins, and total
infrastructure collapse.
Israeli jets now fly over Lebanon with impunity, striking Hezbollah operatives
at will. Yet Qassem shamelessly calls this a “victory.”
5. The Crime of the Beirut Port
Qassem cynically mentioned the anniversary of the Beirut port explosion—as if
Hezbollah were blameless. In truth, Hezbollah has obstructed the investigation,
eliminated key witnesses, and shielded those responsible.
According to both international and local investigations, Hezbollah used the
port as a weapons depot and a smuggling hub for the Assad regime. This is not a
conspiracy—it is documented, undeniable evidence. No empty rhetoric can erase
this crime.
6. Hezbollah Killed in Syria—Not Resisted
Hezbollah dispatched thousands of fighters to Syria to prop up Bashar al-Assad’s
murderous regime. In doing so, it played a direct role in destroying cities,
displacing millions, and massacring civilians—under the banner of the so-called
“Axis of Resistance.” What resistance kills other peoples to defend a dictator?
7. Refusal to Disarm = Declaration of War on the State
Hezbollah’s insistence on retaining weapons outside state control is a
declaration of war on the Lebanese people, on the state, and on sovereignty. Its
alleged willingness to “discuss a defense strategy” is a ruse—this so-called
strategy is nothing more than a scheme to retain its weapons indefinitely under
Iranian command.
Let it be clear:
There is no legitimacy for any weapon outside the Lebanese Army.
There is no compromise on murder.
There can be no partnership in smuggling, kidnapping, and assassination.
It is either one state with one army—or no state at all.
8. Hezbollah Is Defeated… and Iran Is Crumbling
Despite the propaganda, Hezbollah has suffered major defeats both in Lebanon and
abroad. Israel has shattered its deterrence and exposed its vulnerabilities. The
Iranian project it serves has collapsed under domestic uprisings and foreign
strikes in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.
The false slogans of “resistance” and “liberation” have been debunked. The
“Jerusalem cause” has been used, abused, and ultimately exposed as a front for a
sectarian imperial project. Iran's expansionist dreams are crumbling.
9. Final Message: Lebanon Cannot Be Saved Until Hezbollah Is Disarmed
Lebanon will never rise as long as Hezbollah holds the reins of power, controls
war and peace, and dominates the ports, airport, politics, and economy.
The state must act. If it does not, the international community—or even
Israel—will not tolerate the continued existence of this terrorist entity.
The coming stage will be unforgiving. The choice is clear:
Either implement international resolutions and disarm Hezbollah—or face the
alternative: Israeli intervention, the collapse of southern Lebanon into a
buffer zone, and possible mass displacement.
Conclusion:
Hezbollah’s era must end.
Its weapons must go.
Only then can Lebanon breathe, rebuild, and reclaim its sovereignty.
The Feast of the Divine Transfiguration:
The Light of Glory That Dispels the Shadows of Despair
Elias Bejjani/August 06/2025
Every year on the sixth of August, the Church celebrates the Feast of the
Transfiguration of the Lord, one of the major Feasts of the Lord—also known as
the Great Feasts—which mark key events in the life and mystery of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
The term "Feasts of the Lord" refers to those holy days that center directly on
Christ’s divine mission—His Nativity, Passion, Resurrection, Ascension, and,
indeed, His Transfiguration. In Eastern churches such as the Maronite, Syriac,
and Chaldean traditions, these feasts are accompanied by a body of liturgical
readings and homilies known in Syriac as Peskita (ܦܣܝܟܬܐ)—a term designating the
solemn scriptural and homiletic heritage reserved for the Church’s most sacred
days.
The Transfiguration is not merely the remembrance of a miraculous event in
Christ’s earthly life. Rather, it is an eternal revelation of His divine nature,
a glimpse of the glory that is His from before all ages—hidden in the flesh but
now unveiled in radiant light.
On this sacred day, we behold Jesus ascending a high mountain—believed to be
Mount Tabor—accompanied by three of His apostles: Peter, James, and John. There,
before their eyes, “He was transfigured before them; His face shone like the
sun, and His garments became white as the light” (Matthew 17:2). Appearing with
Him were Moses and Elijah, representing the Law and the Prophets—standing in awe
before the One who fulfills them both. From the bright cloud came the voice of
the Father: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him”
(Matthew 17:5).
The Transfiguration is a foreshadowing of the Resurrection, a bursting forth of
the unconquerable light of divinity, and a beacon of hope amid trials and
darkness. It assures us that suffering is not the end, and that the path of the
Cross leads to the brilliance of divine life.
Theological and Spiritual Meanings of the Feast
1. Proclamation of Christ’s Divinity
In shining face and dazzling garments, Christ reveals His divine nature. He is
“Light from Light, true God from true God,” no longer veiled, but radiant in
truth.
2. A Glimpse of the Resurrection
The event occurs before the Passion to strengthen the disciples, giving them a
foretaste of Christ’s victory over death. It is a promise that suffering will
give way to glory.
3. Union of the Old and New Covenants
Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets, which now find their
fulfillment in Christ. The Transfiguration unites the Old Testament with the
New.
4. A Call to Faithfulness
The Father’s voice says: “Listen to Him.” It is a divine command for all
generations—to remain faithful to Christ even when the days grow dark and
uncertain.
Scriptural Accounts of the Transfiguration
In the New Testament:
Matthew 17:1–8
“Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high
mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them…”
Mark 9:2–8
“He was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than
anyone in the world could bleach them…”
Luke 9:28–36
“As He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became
as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in
glorious splendor…”
2 Peter 1:16–18
“We were eyewitnesses of His majesty… For He received honor and glory from God
the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory…”
Foreshadowings in the Old Testament:
Exodus 24:15–18 — Moses ascends the mountain, and the cloud of God’s glory
covers it.
Exodus 34:29–35 — Moses’ face shines after speaking with the Lord.
1 Kings 19:8–13 — Elijah encounters God on Mount Horeb, not in the storm but in
a gentle whisper.
Historical Establishment of the Feast
The Feast of the Transfiguration was celebrated in the Christian East as early
as the fourth century. It became an official feast for the whole Church when
Pope Callixtus III declared it so in 1457, commemorating the miraculous
Christian victory over the Ottoman forces in the Battle of Belgrade, which took
place on August 6 of that year. The feast, already known in the East, was thus
fixed in the Roman liturgical calendar under Pope Nicholas V and later ratified
under Callixtus. Since then, it has stood as a symbol of Christian light
triumphing over the shadows of tyranny and conquest.
Lebanon and the Transfiguration: From Calvary to the Dawn
Today, Lebanon lives its own Calvary—crucified under the yoke of a brutal,
sectarian, and imperial occupation spearheaded by the Iranian regime and its
local Trojan horse: the so-called “Hezbollah.” This militia has stolen the
dreams and dignity of all Lebanese, especially the Shiite youth who have been
sacrificed to its foreign agenda.
But just as Golgotha did not end in the tomb, so too Lebanon shall not remain in
the darkness of this foreign barbaric oppression. As the Lord said to His
terrified disciples: “Do not be afraid” (Matthew 17:7), so too He says to the
people of Lebanon today: “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”
In the Transfiguration, Jesus changed His appearance and transformed the
mountain’s gloom into divine radiance. We, the faithful and free sons and
daughters of Lebanon, believe that the day will come when the light of
sovereignty, liberty, and true independence will break forth upon our land.
Every idol of tyranny will fall, and every altar of deception, terrorism,
fundamentalism, and illegal arms shall crumble.
Final Prayer
O Lord of Glory, who was transfigured before Your chosen ones, Shine Your divine
light upon our darkened paths.
Open our eyes, as You did with Your disciples, That we may behold Your face even
amid our suffering.
Remove the veil from our hearts, and let us see Your presence in our trials.
Deliver Lebanon, scatter the clouds of oppression, And rise upon our nation with
the light of Your peace and truth.
May we, like You on the mountain, be transfigured—From slaves of fear into
children of light.
Amen.
Lebanese FM,
Youssef Raggi Condemns
Iranian Interference in Lebanon Internal Affairs
X platform/August 07/2025
The recent remarks by Iranian Foreign Minister Mr. Abbas Araghchi, in which he
addressed internal Lebanese affairs that are in no way the concern of the
Islamic Republic, are firmly rejected and condemned. Such statements undermine
Lebanon’s sovereignty, unity, and stability, and constitute an unacceptable
interference in its internal matters and sovereign decisions. Relations between
states must be based on mutual respect, equality, non-interference in domestic
affairs, and full adherence to the decisions of legitimate constitutional
institutions. It is completely unacceptable for these relations to be used to
promote or support domestic actors outside the framework of the Lebanese state
and its legitimate institutions or at the expense of the state itself.
Why am I putting
pressure
Charles Elias Chartouni/August 07/2025
Why am I putting pressure. The executive power was commissioned from day one and
it kept procrastinating. I was involved throughout the process, be it in Paris
or in Washington. They are under trial, let’s see the outcome. The challenges
ahead are not easy. In politics you never give credit beforehand, you wait for
the results. They were hardly pressured by the US administration before moving
in the right direction. Hopefully, the outcomes are going to measure up with the
expectations. Never trust a politician especially in a country like ours …
The
Institutionalized Impasses
Charles Elias Chartouni/August 07/2025
Eight months after the Presidential election and the formation of a new cabinet,
Lebanon is still debating the decommissioning of the Hezbollah and the
restoration of State’s sovereignty. The constitutional terms and the
international mandates were not enough to sway the recalcitrance of the
government, to dissuade Hezbollah and to stop the Israeli military inroads. The
truce signed between the Israeli and Lebanese governments have not yet yielded
the awaited tangible results in terms of cessation of hostilities, settlement of
border issues and normalization of life astride borders. What’s the rationale
beyond these cumulated impasses and is there any possibility to overcome them?
The doublespeak and the procrastination modus operandi are not accidental, they
reflect the political ambiguity and its underlying subtexts: these political
interims are delaying tactics designed to outmaneuver the international mandates
and set a limit to constitutional governance. Hezbollah and its Iranian mentor
have no interest in political normalization and are quite determined to derail
any political process running athwart. The Late decisions of the Lebanese
cabinet however.
Lebanon backs US
proposal for Hezbollah to disarm and IDF to withdraw from south
Gavin Blackburn/Euronews/August 7, 2025
Lebanon's government approved a US proposal on Thursday that would see the
disarmament of the militant group Hezbollah and the Israeli military withdrawal
from the south of the country. Tensions have been rising in Lebanon amid
increased domestic and international pressure for Hezbollah to give up its
remaining arsenal after a bruising war with Israel that ended last November with
a US-brokered ceasefire. Four Shiite ministers walked out before the vote. They
included members of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc and the allied Amal party, as
well as independent Shiite parliamentarian Fadi Makki. Makki said in a post on X
that he had "tried to work on bridging the gaps and bringing viewpoints closer
between all parties, but I didn’t succeed."He said he decided to pull out of the
meeting after the other Shiite ministers left.
"I couldn’t bear the responsibility of making such a significant decision in the
absence of a key component from the discussion," he said.
The plan to disarm Hezbollah
The Lebanese government asked the national army on Tuesday to prepare a plan in
which only state institutions will have weapons by the end of the year. After
the Cabinet meeting, Hezbollah accused the government of caving in to United
States and Israeli pressure and said it would "treat this decision as if it does
not exist." Information Minister Paul Morcos later said the Cabinet had voted to
adopt a list of general goals laid out in a proposal submitted by US envoy Tom
Barrack to Lebanese officials. They include the "gradual end of the armed
presence of all non-state actors, including Hezbollah, in all Lebanese
territory," the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, a halt to
Israeli airstrikes and the release of Lebanese prisoners held in Israel, as well
as the eventual demarcation of the still-disputed Lebanon-Israel border, he
said. The details of the US proposal are still under discussion, Morcos added.
Hezbollah officials have said the group will not discuss giving up its remaining
arsenal until Israel withdraws from five hills it is occupying inside Lebanon
and stops almost daily air strikes.
Lebanon cabinet
meets again on Hezbollah disarmament
AFP/August 07, 2025
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s cabinet on Thursday held a second meeting within days to
discuss the thorny task of disarming Hezbollah, a day after the Iran-backed
group rejected the government’s decision to take away its weapons. The more than
four-hour meeting tackled a US proposal that includes a timetable for
Hezbollah’s disarmament, with Washington pressing Lebanon to take action on the
matter. Information Minister Paul Morcos said the cabinet endorsed the
introduction of the US text without discussing provisions relating to specific
timelines. The government on Tuesday said disarmament should happen by the end
of 2025. The introduction endorsed in Thursday’s meeting lists 11 “objectives”
including “ensuring the sustainability” of a November ceasefire agreement with
Israel, and “the gradual end of the armed presence of all non-governmental
entities, including Hezbollah, in all Lebanese territory.”It also calls for the
deployment of Lebanese army forces in the border areas and the withdrawal of
Israeli troops from the five points in Lebanon’s south the military has occupied
since last year’s war with Hezbollah. The November ceasefire that sought to end
more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah stipulated that
weapons in Lebanon be restricted to six official security and military agencies.
Following the cabinet decision on Tuesday, Morcos said the Lebanese government
was waiting to review an “executive plan” on Hezbollah’s disarmament. The army
was tasked with presenting the plan to restrict the possession of weapons to
government forces by the end of August. Only then would the government review
the full provisions of the US proposal, whose implementation “is dependent on
the approval of each of the concerned countries,” the information minister said.
Four Shiite Muslim ministers, including three directly affiliated with Hezbollah
or its ally the Amal movement, left Thursday’s session in protest of the
government push to disarm the group, according to Hezbollah’s Al Manar
television. They also refused to discuss the proposal submitted by US envoy Tom
Barrack, the report said. Environment Minister Tamara Elzein, who is close to
Amal, told Al Manar that the government “first hoped to consolidate the
ceasefire and the Israeli withdrawal, before we could complete the remaining
points” in Barrack’s proposal such as taking away Hezbollah’s weapons. In a post
on X, Barrack on Thursday hailed Lebanon’s “historic, bold, and correct decision
this week to begin fully implementing” the November ceasefire.
Under the ceasefire agreement, Israel was to fully withdraw its troops from
Lebanon but has kept them in five border points it deemed strategic. Under
Lebanon’s sect-based power-sharing system, the withdrawal of the Shiite
ministers from the government meeting could serve the claim that decisions made
in their absence lack consensual legitimacy. Before last year’s war with Israel,
Hezbollah had wielded great domestic power enough to impose its will on the
political system or disrupt the government’s work. But the Shiite group has
emerged from the war weakened, reducing its political influence in Lebanon.
Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc called on the government on Thursday to “correct
the situation it has put itself and Lebanon in by slipping into accepting
American demands that inevitably serve the interests of the Zionist enemy,”
meaning Israel. The group said on Wednesday that it would treat the government’s
decision to disarm it “as if it did not exist,” accusing the cabinet of
committing a “grave sin.”Israel — which routinely carries out air strikes in
Lebanon despite the November ceasefire — has already signalled it would not
hesitate to launch destructive military operations if Beirut failed to disarm
the group. The Lebanese health ministry said Israel carried out several strikes
on eastern Lebanon on Thursday, killing at least seven people. Andrea Tenenti,
spokesperson for UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, said on Thursday that troops
“discovered a vast network of fortified tunnels” in the south. UN spokesman
Farhan Haq told reporters that peacekeepers and Lebanese troops found “three
bunkers, artillery, rocket launchers, hundreds of explosive shells and rockets,
anti-tank mines and about 250 ready-to-use improvised explosive devices.” Prime
Minister Salam said in June that the Lebanese army had dismantled more than 500
Hezbollah military positions and weapons depots in the south.
5 killed, 10
injured in Israeli airstrike on eastern Lebanon
Beirut/Asharq Al-Awsat/August 7, 2025
Five people were killed and 10 others injured on Thursday in an Israeli
airstrike that targeted a car on a main road in eastern Lebanon, according to
the Ministry of Health. The ministry reported that "the Israeli enemy's
airstrike on the Masnaa road led, according to a preliminary toll, to five
martyrs and 10 injured." The official National News Agency reported that the
airstrike targeted a car on the Masnaa road, an area that includes the main
border crossing with Syria. Earlier today, the National News Agency reported
that one person was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the town of Kfardan in the
Baalbek district of the Bekaa Governorate. Lebanese media reported that Israel
targeted a car in Kfardan with a missile. A ceasefire agreement has been in
effect in Lebanon since November 2024 after a conflict that lasted more than a
year between Israel and Hezbollah, which escalated into open confrontation in
September. Despite this, the Jewish state continues to launch raids in several
Lebanese regions, particularly in the south, often claiming to target Hezbollah
members or sites. The ceasefire stipulated that Hezbollah withdraw from the area
south of the Litani River (approximately 30 kilometers from the border with
Israel in southern Lebanon) and dismantle its military infrastructure there, in
exchange for a reinforced army and UNIFIL presence. It also stipulated the
withdrawal of Israeli forces from areas they advanced into during the war.
However, Israel maintained a presence on five strategic heights, from which
Lebanon is demanding its withdrawal.
1 killed in
Israeli drone strike on car west of Baalbek
Naharnet/August 07/2025
One person was killed Thursday when an Israeli drone bombed a car in the town of
Kfardan west of Baalbek, Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV said. This is the second such
strike in the Baalbek region in recent days, in an apparent expansion of
Israel’s drone strikes against Hezbollah members. Such attacks had been confined
to south Lebanon since the November ceasefire. A similar strike had targeted a
car in Brital near Baalbek on Tuesday, after a defiant speech by Hezbollah chief
Sheikh Naim Qassem and a historic cabinet session that took a decision to set a
timetable for Hezbollah’s disarmament.
The Israeli army said Tuesday’s strike targeted a Hezbollah operative who it
said was directing militant cells in Syria. Thursday’s strike coincided with
another cabinet session tackling the paper presented by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack
for Hezbollah’s disarmament.
The cabinet’s decision on Tuesday followed heavy U.S. pressure and came as part
of implementing a November ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of
hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah including two months of all-out war.
The confrontation left the militant group badly weakened, though it retains part
of its arsenal.
6 killed, 10 hurt
in Israeli drone strike on car on al-Masnaa road
Agence France Presse/August 07/2025
Lebanon said an Israeli strike on the country's east on Thursday killed at least
six people, in the latest attack despite a November ceasefire in a war with
militant group Hezbollah. "The Israeli strike on Masnaa Road resulted in a
preliminary toll of six deaths and ten injuries," the Lebanese health ministry
said in a statement.The state-run National News Agency reported that the strike
hit a vehicle in the area, near a border crossing with Syria. The reported
strike came as Lebanon's government was discussing Hezbollah's disarmament.
Israeli strikes
on south kill two, including child
Naharnet/August 07, 2025
Israel launched a series of air strikes on southern Lebanon on Wednesday night,
killing two people including a child. The strikes wounded at least three people
according to the health ministry. An Israeli strike on the southern town of
Toulin killed one person and wounded another, the health ministry said, adding
later that another person of Syrian nationality was killed and two were wounded
in a separate strike on Deir Seryan. The Israeli military said it struck
"weapons storage facilities, a missile launcher and Hezbollah terrorist
infrastructure which stored engineering tools that allowed for the
re-establishment of terrorist infrastructure in the area".Hezbollah said Israel
must halt the attacks before any domestic debate about its weapons and a new
defense strategy could begin. The strikes come ahead of a cabinet meeting
scheduled for Thursday to continue talks on Hezbollah disarmament. The
government had tasked the army in an earlier session Tuesday with developing a
plan to restrict weapons to government forces by year end. The plan is to be
presented to the government by the end of August for discussion and approval.
Hezbollah said it would treat the decision "as if it did not exist", accusing
the cabinet of committing a "grave sin". It "fully serves Israel's interests and
leaves Lebanon exposed to the Israeli enemy without any deterrence", the group
said. The Amal movement, headed by parliament speaker Nabih Berri, accused the
government of "rushing to offer more gratuitous concessions" to Israel when it
should have sought to end the ongoing attacks. It called Thursday's cabinet
meeting "an opportunity for correction". Hezbollah opponent the Lebanese Forces,
one of the country's two main Christian parties, said the cabinet's decision to
disarm the militant group was "a pivotal moment in Lebanon's modern history -- a
long-overdue step toward restoring full state authority and sovereignty". The
Free Patriotic Movement, the other major Christian party and a former ally of
Hezbollah, said it was in favor of the army receiving the group's weapons "to
strengthen Lebanon's defensive power".Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
said in a televised interview that any decision on disarmament "will ultimately
rest with Hezbollah itself"."We support it from afar, but we do not intervene in
its decisions," he added, noting that the group had "rebuilt itself" following
setbacks during its war with Israel.
Berri: The American paper changed between the second and
third versions... His sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that it contains matters that
are against Lebanon, its interests, its economy, and its borders.
Beirut: Thaer Abbas/Asharq Al-Awsat/August 7, 2025
Sources from Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that
"the situation is delicate" in Lebanon as the government convenes for the second
time this week to consider the "American paper," a new version of which has
reached Lebanese officials. It concerns the withdrawal of Hezbollah's weapons,
which the government announced in last Tuesday's session its intention to
withdraw before the end of the year. The sources confirmed that the draft of the
Barak paper, which has been circulating in Lebanon and is summarized in three
aspects related to the security situation with Israel, the borders with Israel
and Syria, and the timetable stipulated for its implementation, is "correct,"
adding: "In fact, it includes more than that... There are matters that are even
more bitter than that." The sources quoted Berri as saying, "The problem lies in
the difference between the second and third versions (of the American paper),
which have changed as a result of its transfer from one owner to another..."
Sources pointed out that Berri is "trying to resolve the issue in a way that
benefits everyone," pending the outcome of the cabinet session, which will be
held Thursday afternoon at the Presidential Palace. The sources confirmed that
the Shiite ministers "will definitely participate in the government session," in
order to "warn of the dangers surrounding Lebanon" as a result of the American
deal. The sources explained that "there are matters that are against Lebanon,
its interests, its economy, its borders, and against parts of Lebanon, so the
ministers will warn of them in the session." The sources refused to discuss
possible scenarios if the government insists on its position and continues on
the path it began last Tuesday, saying only: "Then we will talk about each
incident."
Cabinet approves
US paper, Shiite ministers walk out
Associated Press/August 07/2025
Shiite members of Lebanon's Cabinet walked out of a government meeting on
Thursday in protest of the government's approval of the objectives of U.S. envoy
Tom Barrack's paper.The rest of the Cabinet then voted in favor of the
U.S.-backed plan to disarm Hezbollah and implement a ceasefire with Israel.
Tensions have been rising in Lebanon amid increased domestic and international
pressure for Hezbollah to give up its remaining arsenal after a bruising war
with Israel that ended last November with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. Hezbollah
itself has doubled down on its refusal to disarm.
The four ministers who walked out before the vote included members of
Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc and the allied Amal Movement, as well as
independent Shiite minister Fadi Makki. Makki said on X that he had "tried to
work on bridging the gaps and bringing viewpoints closer between all parties,
but I didn't succeed."He said he decided to pull out of the meeting after the
other Shiite ministers left. "I couldn't bear the responsibility of making such
a significant decision in the absence of a key component from the discussion,"
he said.
The plan to disarm Hezbollah
The Lebanese government asked the national army on Tuesday to prepare a plan in
which only state institutions in the small nation will have weapons by the end
of the year. After the Cabinet meeting, Hezbollah accused the government of
caving to United States and Israeli pressure and said it would "treat this
decision as if it does not exist."Information Minister Paul Morcos later said
the Cabinet had voted to adopt a list of general goals laid out in a proposal
submitted by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack to Lebanese officials. They include the
"gradual end of the armed presence of all non-state actors, including Hezbollah,
in all Lebanese territory," the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern
Lebanon, a halt to Israeli airstrikes and the release of Lebanese prisoners held
in Israel, as well as the eventual demarcation of the still-disputed
Lebanon-Israel border, he said. The details of the U.S. proposal are still under
discussion, Morcos added. Hezbollah officials have said the group will not
discuss giving up its remaining arsenal until Israel withdraws from five hills
it is occupying inside Lebanon and stops almost daily airstrikes. The strikes
have killed or wounded hundreds of people, most of them Hezbollah members, since
the latest Hezbollah-Israel war ended in November. While the Cabinet meeting was
still underway, an Israeli strike on the road leading to Lebanon's main border
crossing with Syria killed five people and injured 10 others, Lebanon's health
ministry said. There was no immediate comment from Israel.
Israel has accused Hezbollah of trying to rebuild its military capabilities and
said it is protecting its border. Since the ceasefire, Hezbollah has claimed
responsibility for one attack across the border. The ceasefire agreement
mandated that both Hezbollah and Israel should withdraw from southern Lebanon
but left vague how Hezbollah's weapons and military facilities farther north of
the border area would be treated, saying Lebanese authorities should dismantle
unauthorized facilities, starting with the area south of the Litani River.
Hezbollah claims the deal only applies to the area south of the Litani, while
Israel and the U.S. say it mandates disarmament of the group throughout Lebanon.
International efforts for peace -
Andrea Tenenti, a spokesperson for the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon,
said that peacekeepers — along Lebanese army soldiers — recently found a "vast
network of fortified tunnels" in different areas of southern Lebanon. They
include "several bunkers, artillery pieces, multiple rocket launchers, hundreds
of shells and rockets, anti-tank mines, and other explosive devices," he said.
Tenenti did not specify what group was behind the tunnels and the arms. A member
of the U.S. Congress said that Washington will push Israel to withdraw from all
of southern Lebanon if the Lebanese Army asserts full control over the country.
"We will push hard to make sure that there is — and this is something that I
will work with the Israelis on — a complete withdrawal in return for the
Lebanese Armed Forces showing its ability to secure all Lebanon," California
Republican Rep. Darrell Issa said, after meeting with President Joseph Aoun in
Baabda. He did not specify whether the U.S. would ask Israel to start
withdrawing its forces from the territory it is occupying in southern Lebanon
before or after Hezbollah gives up its arsenal. Issa, who is of Lebanese origin,
said the U.S. must "help all the neighbors around understand that it is the
exclusive right of the Lebanese Armed Forces to make decisions."
"If there's something that goes wrong, the Lebanese Armed Forces will be asked
to to be responsible," he said. Sources close to Hezbollah had told Al-Arabiya
television that "the outcome of contacts after the cabinet session will lead to
either ending the debate over arms or resigning from the government."Speaking in
the session, Labor Minister Mohammad Haidar of Hezbollah said: “I’m the son of
these people. How can I face the mother of a martyr, a mother who is still
living in a tent, or a young man who is living an existential concern every day?
How can I tell him that he has to obey and give up the only guarantee that
protects him?”“We cannot discuss the resistance’s army before the enemy
withdraws, our captives return, the attacks stop and the reconstruction begins.
I apologize for not being able to bear the responsibility for aggrieving my
people and I do not accept that the state abandon its people,” Haidar added.
The ministers of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement had walked out of Tuesday's
meeting on disarmament in protest at the decision to task the army with
presenting a Hezbollah disarmament plan before the end of the month.Hezbollah
described the walkout as a rejection of the government's "decision to subject
Lebanon to American tutelage and Israeli occupation."Citing "political sources"
with knowledge of the matter, pro-Hezbollah newspaper al-Akhbar said the group
and its Amal allies could choose to withdraw their four ministers from the
government or trigger a no-confidence vote in parliament by the Shiite bloc,
which comprises 27 of Lebanon's 128 lawmakers. With Washington pressing Lebanon
to take action on the matter, U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has made several visits to
Beirut in recent weeks, presenting officials with a proposal that includes a
timetable for Hezbollah's disarmament. Amid the U.S. pressure and fears Israel
could expand its strikes in Lebanon, PM Nawaf Salam said Tuesday that the
government had tasked the army with developing a plan to restrict weapons to
government forces by the end of 2025. The decision is unprecedented since the
end of Lebanon's civil war more than three decades ago, when the country's armed
factions -- with the exception of Hezbollah -- agreed to surrender their
weapons. The government said the new disarmament push was part of implementing a
November ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of hostilities between
Israel and Hezbollah. That conflict culminated last year in two months of
full-blown war that left the group badly weakened, both politically and
militarily. Hezbollah said on Wednesday that it would treat the government's
decision to disarm it "as if it did not exist," accusing the cabinet of
committing a "grave sin."It added that the move "undermines Lebanon's
sovereignty and gives Israel a free hand to tamper with its security, geography,
politics and future existence." The Amal Movement, Hezbollah's main ally headed
by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, also criticized the move and called
Thursday's cabinet meeting "an opportunity for correction." Iran, Hezbollah's
military and financial backer, said on Wednesday that any decision on
disarmament "will ultimately rest with Hezbollah itself.""We support it from
afar, but we do not intervene in its decisions," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
added, saying the group had "rebuilt itself" after the war with Israel. Israel
-- which routinely carries out air strikes in Lebanon despite the ceasefire,
saying it is targeting Hezbollah fighters and infrastructure -- has already
signaled it would not hesitate to launch destructive military operations if
Beirut failed to disarm the group.
Lebanese
president: State-exclusive control over weapons difficult but will be achieved
Al Arabiya English/07 August/2025
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun affirmed on Thursday that all weapons will be
placed under the control of the state. This comes as authorities push the
Lebanese group Hezbollah to hand over its arms. Speaking to Al Arabiya, Aoun
said, “Exclusive control of weapons will be achieved despite the difficulties
and obstacles,” adding that the Lebanese authorities are awaiting “the Lebanese
army’s plan to monopolize weapons so it can be discussed and approved.”The
Lebanese president added that today’s cabinet session “will continue to take the
long-awaited decisions regarding the exclusivity of arms,” and confirmed he is
moving “full speed ahead” toward “implementing the terms of the presidential
oath and the ministerial statement.”Regarding relations with Israel and the
proposals from US envoy Tom Barrack, Aoun said that “Lebanon’s implementation of
the American proposal also requires approval from Syria and Israel, along with
American and French guarantees.”The Lebanese president stressed that “achieving
the exclusive control of arms by the state does not undermine Lebanon’s rights
and sovereignty.”This comes as Hezbollah announced on Wednesday that it would
treat the Lebanese government’s decision to disarm it “as if it does not exist,”
accusing the government of committing a “grave sin” – one day after the
government tasked the army with drafting a disarmament plan before the end of
the year.
US plan sees
Hezbollah disarmed by year-end, Israeli withdrawal
Reuters/07 August/2025
The United States has presented Lebanon with a proposal for disarming Hezbollah
by the end of the year, along with ending Israel’s military operations in the
country and the withdrawal of its troops from five positions in south Lebanon,
according to copy of a Lebanese cabinet agenda reviewed by Reuters. The plan,
submitted by US President Donald Trump’s envoy to the region, Tom Barrack, and
being discussed at a Lebanese cabinet meeting on Thursday, sets out the most
detailed steps yet for disarming the Iran-backed Hezbollah, which has rejected
mounting calls to disarm since last year’s devastating war with Israel. The US
State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Lebanese
government ministers could not immediately be reached for comment. Hezbollah had
no immediate comment on the proposal. Israel dealt major blows to Hezbollah in
an offensive last year, the climax of a conflict that began in October 2023 when
the Lebanese group opened fire at Israeli positions at the frontier, declaring
support for its militant Palestinian ally Hamas at the start of the Gaza war.
The US proposal aims to “extend and stabilize” a ceasefire agreement between
Lebanon and Israel brokered in November. “The urgency of this proposal is
underscored by the increasing number of complaints regarding Israeli violations
of the current ceasefire, including airstrikes and cross-border operations,
which risk triggering a collapse of the fragile status quo,” it said. Phase 1 of
the plan requires the Beirut government to issue a decree within 15 days
committing to Hezbollah’s full disarmament by December 31, 2025. In this phase,
Israel would also cease ground, air and sea military operations. Phase 2
requires Lebanon to begin implementing the disarmament plan within 60 days, with
the government approving “a detailed (Lebanese army) deployment plan to support
the plan to bring all arms under the authority of the state.”This plan will
specify disarmament targets. During Phase 2, Israel would begin withdrawing from
positions it holds in south Lebanon and Lebanese prisoners held by Israel would
be released in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
During Phase 3, within 90 days, Israel will withdraw from the final two of the
five points it holds, and funding will be secured to initiate rubble removal in
Lebanon and infrastructure rehabilitation in preparation for reconstruction. In
Phase 4, within 120 days, Hezbollah’s remaining heavy weapons must be
dismantled, including missiles and drones. In Phase 4, the United States, Saudi
Arabia, France, Qatar and other friendly states will organize an economic
conference to support the Lebanese economy and reconstruction and to “implement
President Trump’s vision for the return of Lebanon as a prosperous and viable
country.”
Barrack hails 'historic' Lebanon decision on Hezbollah
disarmament
Agence France Presse/August 07/2025
US envoy Tom Barrack said on Thursday Lebanon's government had taken a
"historic" decision this week by moving to disarm Iran-backed Hezbollah, which
Washington has pushed for. In a post on X, Barrack congratulated Lebanese
leaders "for making the historic, bold, and correct decision this week to begin
fully implementing" a November ceasefire which ended more than a year of
hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, and stipulated that weapons in Lebanon
be restricted to government agencies only."This week's Cabinet resolutions
finally put into motion the 'One Nation, One Army' solution for Lebanon. We
stand behind the Lebanese people," Barrack said. Barrack also reminded of recent
statements about Lebanon and Hezbollah by U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "Promises made promises kept. As @POTUS (Trump)
has stated, 'My administration stands ready to help Lebanon create a future of
economic development and peace with its neighbors… In Lebanon, there’s a new
chance for a future free from the grip of Hezbollah terrorists… A new president
and prime minister brought the first real chance in decades for a more
productive partnership with the United States,'" Barrack posted. "And as @SecRubio
has rightly emphasized, 'Our goal in Lebanon is a strong Lebanese state that can
take on and disarm Hezbollah,'" he added. Barrack also posted remarks by U.S.
congressman Darrell Issa, who visited Lebanon on Thursday. "We will push hard to
make sure that there is — and this is something that I will work with the
Israelis on — a complete withdrawal in return for the Lebanese Armed Forces
showing its ability to secure all Lebanon," Issa said. The Lebanese government
asked the national army on Tuesday to prepare a plan in which only state
institutions in the small nation will have weapons by the end of the year, a
move that aims to disarm Hezbollah. After Tuesday's cabinet meeting, Hezbollah
accused the government of caving to U.S. and Israeli pressure and said it would
"treat this decision as if it does not exist."And on Thursday the government
approved the objectives of a U.S. paper of demands carried by Barrack to
Lebanon. The ministers of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement walked out of both
sessions in protest.
Congressman says US to push Israel to withdraw from Lebanon
if army secures country
Associated Press/August 07/2025
A U.S. congress member said Thursday that Washington will push Israel to
withdraw from all of southern Lebanon if the Lebanese Army asserts full control
over the country. "We will push hard to make sure that there is — and this is
something that I will work with the Israelis on — a complete withdrawal in
return for the Lebanese Armed Forces showing its ability to secure all Lebanon,"
California Republican U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa said. He was speaking in Beirut,
where he met with President Joseph Aoun, ahead of a meeting where the Lebanese
cabinet was set to discuss disarmament of Hezbollah.
Issa did not specify whether the U.S. would ask Israel to begin withdrawing its
forces from the territory it is occupying in southern Lebanon before or after
Hezbollah gives up its arsenal, a point that has been in dispute. The Lebanese
government asked the national army on Tuesday to prepare a plan in which only
state institutions in the small nation will have weapons by the end of the year,
a move that aims to disarm Hezbollah. After Tuesday's cabinet meeting, Hezbollah
accused the government of caving to U.S. and Israeli pressure and said it would
"treat this decision as if it does not exist."
Hezbollah officials have said the group will not discuss giving up its remaining
arsenal until Israel withdraws from five hills it is occupying inside Lebanon
and stops almost daily airstrikes that have killed or wounded hundreds of
people, most of them Hezbollah members, since the latest Israel-Hezbollah war
ended in November with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. Israel has accused Hezbollah
of trying to rebuild its military capabilities and said it is protecting its
border. Since the ceasefire, Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for one attack
fired across the border. Issa, who is of Lebanese origin, said that the U.S.
must "help all the neighbors around understand that it is the exclusive right of
the Lebanese Armed Forces to make decisions." "If there's something that goes
wrong, the Lebanese Armed Forces will be asked to to be responsible," he said.
Aoun: Arms monopoly to be achieved despite difficulties,
obstacles
Naharnet/August 07, 2025
President Joseph Aoun has said that “arms monopoly will be achieved despite the
difficulties and obstacles,” adding that authorities are “awaiting the army’s
plan” on weapons monopolization to “discuss it and approve it.”“The
implementation of the U.S. paper also requires approval from Syria and Israel as
well as guarantees from the U.S. and France,” Aoun added, in remarks to Al-Arabiya
TV. “Achieving arms monopoly in the hand of the state does not harm Lebanon’s
rights and sovereignty,” he emphasized, adding that “Cabinet’s session today
will continue the approval of decisions to implement arms monopolization.”“We
will press on with the implementation of the presidential inauguration speech
and the Ministerial Statement,” the president went on to say. His remarks come
after Cabinet approved Tuesday a historic decision to disarm Hezbollah and all
other armed groups by the year’s end, with the army being tasked with presenting
a plan to the government before the end of August. Hezbollah rejected the
decision and said it will deal with it “as if it does not exist,” after the
ministers of the Shiite Duo walked out of Cabinet in protest.
UNIFIL says found tunnels containing weapons in south Lebanon
Agence France Presse/August 07, 2025
UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said on Thursday that peacekeepers
"discovered a vast network of fortified tunnels in the vicinity of Tayr Harfa,
Zibqin, and Naqura" in south Lebanon, including "several bunkers, artillery
pieces, multiple rocket launchers, hundreds of shells and rockets, anti-tank
mines, and other explosive devices."Prime Minister Salam said in June that the
Lebanese Army had dismantled more than 500 Hezbollah military positions and
weapons depots in the south.
Iranian official on Hezbollah disarmament: This dream will
be buried
Naharnet/August 07, 2025
Brig. Gen. Iraj Masjedi, the assistant commander of Iran’s Quds Force for
coordination affairs, said Thursday that “the project of removing Hezbollah’s
arms in Lebanon is a failed scheme by America and the Zionist regime (Israel),”
adding that “this dream will be buried with them.”His remarks come as the
Lebanese Foreign Ministry slammed statements by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas
Araghchi as “an attack on Lebanon's sovereignty, unity and stability,” and
“interference in its internal affairs and sovereign decisions.”
“The resistance’s arms are the weapons of the Lebanese people to defend their
land, and this scheme will not be fruitful, neither in the Lebanese defense
council nor in any other arena,” Masjedi added. “The resistance forces are
always ready, and so is the Islamic Republic of Iran, for any possible
scenario,” the Iranian official said.
Foreign Ministry
slams Iran FM's remarks as attack on Lebanon's sovereignty
Naharnet/August 07/2025
The Lebanese Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned remarks by Iranian Foreign
Minister Abbas Araghchi, who said overnight that the Lebanese government’s plan
on arms monopolization “will fail.”Noting that Araghchi “tackled internal
Lebanese issues that in no way concern the Islamic Republic,” the Ministry said
his statements were “unacceptable and condemned.”“They constitute an attack on
Lebanon's sovereignty, unity, and stability, and constitute interference in its
internal affairs and sovereign decisions,” the Ministry added.“Relations between
states can only be built on the basis of mutual respect and reciprocity,
non-interference in internal affairs, and full adherence to the decisions of
legitimate constitutional institutions. It is absolutely unacceptable for these
relations to be exploited to encourage or support domestic parties outside the
framework of the Lebanese state and its institutions, and at its expense,” the
Ministry stressed. In an interview on Iran’s state TV, Araghchi said “the stance
of Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem and the statement issued by
Hezbollah have clearly reflected that Hezbollah will hold onto its arms.”He
added that the Lebanese government’s plan to disarm Hezbollah “will fail,”
adding that Hezbollah’s arms have proved their “effectiveness” on the
battlefield. “Hezbollah has managed to contain all the blows that it received
during the war,” Araghchi said, adding that the group has “reorganized its
ranks, deployed its forces and appointed new leaders.”“This organization now
possesses enough force to defend itself,” Araghchi added, although he said that
"any decision on this matter will ultimately rest with Hezbollah itself.” “We
support it from afar, but we do not intervene in its decisions," he said.
Report: Int'l relief over Lebanon's steps on reform and
arms
Naharnet/August 07, 2025
There is international relief over the Lebanese state’s initiation of economic
reform and arms monopolization measures, Al-Arabiya television quoted sources as
saying on Thursday. “There are efforts to hold international meetings at the end
of the month to prepare for supporting the Lebanese state,” the sources
said.“The Lebanese state’s steps pave the way for restoring international
confidence in Lebanon,” the sources added.
Hezbollah bloc calls on govt. to 'correct the situation'
Agence France Presse/August 07, 2025
As Thursday's key cabinet meeting on the U.S. paper for Hezbollah's disarmament
got underway, Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc called on the government to
"correct the situation it has put itself and Lebanon in by slipping into
accepting American demands that inevitably serve the interests of the Zionist
enemy." Lebanon's cabinet convened again on Thursday to discuss the thorny task
of disarming Hezbollah, a day after the Iran-backed group rejected the
government's decision to take away its weapons. With Washington pressing Lebanon
to take action on the matter, U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has made several visits to
Beirut in recent weeks, presenting officials with a proposal that includes a
timetable for Hezbollah's disarmament. Amid the U.S. prodding and fears that
Israel could expand its strikes in Lebanon, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said
Tuesday that the government had tasked the military with developing a plan to
restrict arms to state forces by the end of 2025. The decision is unprecedented
since the end of Lebanon's civil war more than three decades ago, when the
country's armed factions -- with the exception of Hezbollah -- agreed to
surrender their weapons.Israel -- which routinely carries out air strikes in
Lebanon despite the November ceasefire -- has already signaled it would not
hesitate to launch destructive military operations if Beirut failed to disarm
the group.
Army chief ends visit to UK after meeting focused on
defense and security
Naharnet /August 07, 2025
The Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), General Rodolph Haykal
attended the UK-hosted “Dragon Group” between 4-5 August, accompanied by UK
Defense Attaché to Lebanon Lt Col Charlie Smith, reinforcing the strong military
partnership between Lebanon and the UK.
The Dragon Group is a UK-led initiative launched in 2018 aboard HMS Dragon to
bring together Chiefs of Defense from across the Middle Eastern region.
Initially comprising nine nations, the group has evolved to reflect the region’s
broader security landscape. "Lebanon’s inclusion this year underscores its
strategic importance and longstanding partnership with the UK in promoting
regional stability," the British Embassy in Beirut said Thursday in a statement.
The ninth meeting took place in Edinburgh, Scotland, to coincide with the
world-famous Military Tattoo. During his visit, Haykal met with the UK Chief of
Defense Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin and Chiefs of Defense from across the
Middle East. "Discussions focused on enhancing bilateral cooperation, regional
security, and continued UK support for the LAF as the sole legitimate defender
of Lebanon," the statement said. "This visit underscores the UK’s commitment to
Lebanon’s stability and sovereignty. Since 2009, the UK has provided over £161
million in support to Lebanon’s security institutions, including £106 million in
direct assistance to the LAF through training, equipment, and infrastructure."
Charge D’Affaires Victoria Dunne said:
“The visit of the Lebanese Army Commander General Haykal to the UK reflects the
strength of our defense partnership and the UK’s ongoing support for the
Lebanese Armed Forces. We stand with Lebanon in its efforts to maintain peace,
security, and sovereignty."
UK Defence Attaché Lt. Col. Charlie Smith said: “The Lebanese Armed Forces plays
a vital role in Lebanon’s and the region’s stability. I am grateful for General
Haykal’s valuable contribution to this meeting of the Dragon Group. We are proud
to work alongside the LAF supporting with training, kit and equipment. Our
bilateral military cooperation remains strong and we reaffirm our commitment to
their mission and capabilities."
What options for Hezbollah after govt's decision to disarm
it?
Agence France Presse/August 07, 2025
The government has decided to task the army with setting a plan to disarm
Hezbollah. AFP looks at how the government's decision may be implemented, and
whether the Iran-backed militant group can still block it.
Why is the move important?
Tuesday's announcement was the first time a Lebanese government has announced it
would disarm Hezbollah, the only armed faction that kept its weapons in the
aftermath of the 1975-1990 civil war. Hezbollah has kept its arms in the name of
resistance against Israel, which occupied Lebanon's south until 2000. The
decision effectively strips Hezbollah's weapons arsenal of political legitimacy,
breaking with past government statements that recognized the "resistance"
alongside the Lebanese army. The balance of power in Lebanon has shifted after a
recent war between Israel and Hezbollah left the group badly weakened, and after
the fall of the group's close ally Bashar al-Assad in neighboring Syria.
Unprecedented Israeli strikes on Hezbollah backer Iran in June have further
weakened its stance. Previous moves to limit or do away with Hezbollah's weapons
and logistical network have led to major political and security crises. In May
2008, when the Lebanese government decided to shut down the group's wired
communications network, clashes erupted with Hezbollah using its weapons against
political opponents in Beirut and beyond. The violence killed at least 65
people. The group's arsenal has remained a divisive issue in Lebanon, with
opponents demanding the state control all territories and the government have
the sole power to declare war and peace.
What can Hezbollah do?
Hezbollah on Wednesday rejected the government's decision, calling it a "grave
sin" and saying it will treat it "as if it did not exist". But the armed group
has few choices, which all appear to come at a great cost. Hezbollah could
escalate politically by having the four ministers affiliated with it and its
allies resign. It could also disrupt the work of parliament, or incite chaos by
mobilizing its armed supporters to the streets. Any domestic unrest blamed on
Hezbollah would likely have major repercussions for the group's image among
Lebanese. "Hezbollah, as much as possible, would want to reduce the chance of
itself entering a confrontation with the army, because it knows that the entire
country would be against it except for its supporters," said David Wood, a
senior Lebanon analyst at the International Crisis Group. "It would be an
absolute disaster for its image," he added.
Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Ammar dismissed the possibility of any confrontation with
the army, saying the two forces "understand" each other. Hezbollah could
relaunch attacks against Israel, but this option could easily prove devastating
with the country still reeling from last year's war. "Going into war right now,
again, will be very devastating to Hezbollah because it does not have a supply
line. It lost a lot with the collapse of the Syrian regime," said military
analyst Riad Kahwaji. "Its intelligence capabilities, its logistical
capabilities have all been severely affected." The war with Israel saw much of
Hezbollah's senior leadership killed and a large part of its military arsenal
destroyed, as did swathes of Beirut, Lebanon's south and other areas. Receiving
weapons shipments from Iran via Syria has become more difficult as Lebanese and
Syrian authorities have tightened border controls, and funding has come under
stricter oversight. Hezbollah could agree to disarm, but a Lebanese source had
told AFP it "would not do so without something in return". Tehran's position may
also affect any decision. The Lebanese group may "play for time", according to
Atlantic Council researcher Nicholas Blanford."They can't fully disarm. I think
that's impossible for Hezbollah."
How will Lebanon be affected? -
Lebanon is under intense Arab and Western pressure to disarm non-state actors, a
key demand to secure international support as it emerges from years of political
and economic crises. "We must choose: either collapse or stability," President
Joseph Aoun said last week. Should Hezbollah insist on keeping its arsenal,
Beirut will find itself in a difficult position. "If Hezbollah is determined to
keep the weapons, this would be very difficult for the Lebanese government to
force it to give them up," said Blanford. "If they can't do it politically," the
researcher said the government would not "send the Lebanese army against
Hezbollah"."So it has to be a question of a compromise and some kind of
agreement, which is not going to be easy."Meanwhile, Israel has already signaled
it would not hesitate to launch destructive military operations if Lebanon fails
to disarm Hezbollah, as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement that ended their
latest war.
What remains of Hezbollah's weapons arsenal?
Agence France Presse/August 07, 2025
Hezbollah, which Lebanon plans to disarm by year end, had a formidable arsenal
before war with Israel severely weakened the group last year. Prime Minister
Nawaf Salam said in June that the Lebanese army had dismantled more than 500
Hezbollah military positions and weapons depots in the south, after a November
ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of hostilities between the foes.
As the Israeli military keeps up its strikes on Hezbollah targets more than
eight months after the truce, AFP looks at what remains of Hezbollah's weapons,
supply routes and other capabilities.
Rockets and missiles
When Hezbollah opened hostilities with Israel in October 2023, its arsenal was
reputedly larger than the Lebanese army's, and experts estimated it included
ballistic missiles, as well as rockets, anti-aircraft, anti-tank and anti-ship
missiles. Hezbollah was the only group to keep its weapons after Lebanon's
1975-1990 civil war, doing so in the name of resistance against Israel, which
occupied the south until 2000. Military expert Riad Kahwaji said the group's
arsenal was "degraded considerably as a result of the (latest) war and continued
frequent strikes by the Israelis against its arms depots".Intelligence reports
indicate that the group "has lost a lot of its heavy arsenal -- the heavy
long-range missiles", Kahwaji told AFP, with estimates it has lost "about 70
percent" of its capabilities.
Supply routes
The December ouster of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, a close Hezbollah
ally, dealt a further blow to the group, with chief Naim Qassem admitting it
lost a military supply line. Syria's new authorities have since made several
announcements of thwarting weapons shipments to Lebanon. Kahwaji said the
closure of Hezbollah's Syria supply route "has impacted its ability to rebuild
its capabilities". "However, Hezbollah has been trying to build some weapons
domestically. It has workshops locally to build things like Katyusha missiles,"
he said. Experts previously said Hezbollah had around 150,000 rockets before the
latest round of fighting and an underground tunnel network in south Lebanon, as
well as in the eastern Bekaa Valley near the Syrian border. Officials have said
the Lebanese army has sealed off Hezbollah tunnels since the ceasefire, while
Israel has said it targeted the militant group's tunnels infrastructure in
recent months.
Drones
Former Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli
strike last September, said domestic production contributed to his group's large
stockpile of drones, which it used extensively during the recent hostilities.
Kahwaji said the group has the know-how and "ability to assemble drones" and
clearly "is trying to build its drone capability". An official close to the
disarmament negotiations said Hezbollah had not dismissed the possibility of
giving up its heavy weapons but was insisting on keeping its drones and Kornet
anti-tank missiles.
Fighters
Nasrallah said his group could count on more than 100,000 fighters, twice as
many as estimated by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. In
September, an Israeli operation detonated hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies
used by Hezbollah, with Lebanese authorities reporting that the attack killed
several dozen people and wounded thousands. The year-long hostilities killed
more than 4,000 people, Lebanese authorities have said, most of them during the
two months of full-blown war that preceded the ceasefire. Among the dead were
hundreds of Hezbollah fighters and a slew of senior commanders.
According to Hezbollah television channel Al-Manar, Israeli attacks on
Lebanon since the ceasefire have killed at least 230 people and wounded 477.
Israel has vowed to keep up its attacks on Hezbollah targets until the group is
disarmed.
Explosion of the Port... Why Was the Investigation Not
Completed in the Last Two Years of Michel Aoun's Term?
Jean Al-Faghali/Nidaa Al-Watan/August 8, 2025
On August 5, 2020, the day after the Beirut Port explosion, the Minister of
Interior at the time, Brigadier General Mohammed Fahmi,
came out and announced the following: "There are
documents confirming that ammonium nitrate has been in Warehouse
No. 12 since 2014 and 2017. There has been communication between the
security agencies and the Lebanese judiciary, and from
now until five days, everything will become clear and
the responsible party will be held accountable." If we
follow what Minister Fahmi said, "everything" should have become clear
on August 10, 2020. But "five days have passed" and "five years
have passed" on top of them, and the truth of the port explosion is lost
between the obstruction of the judicial investigator and the complicity
of the authorities at the time. The port explosion
occurred at the beginning of the second half of
President Michel Aoun's term, under a government that owed him
absolute loyalty, especially the "security ministers" and ministers
with sovereign portfolios, and under the loyalty of the heads of the
security agencies to him. This is what led Minister of
Interior Brigadier General Fahmi to say: "There has
been communication between the security agencies and the
Lebanese judiciary, and from now until five days, everything will become
clear." Brigadier General Fahmi's reassurance was due to what he heard
from his "comrade-in-arms" General Michel Aoun, who was aware of the
ammonium nitrate and had received a report on this matter from one of the
heads
of the security agencies, months before the explosion. When the port
exploded,there were about twenty months left in General Michel Aoun's term. So
why was the investigation not completed? It is
difficult to answer that he did not interfere in the
work of the judiciary. Did he not interfere in the work of the
judiciary during the Tayouneh incident? Either personally or through Minister
Gebran Bassil? Did he not call Dr. Geagea, knowing that there had been no
contact between them for a long time, to ask him to stop what was
happening in Tayouneh, as if he were holding him
responsible? The person who went to Maarab to inform
the head of the Lebanese Forces party, Dr. Samir Geagea, in person,
was in direct contact with Minister Bassil, who urged him to complete his
mission. General Michel Aoun, and with him Minister Gebran Bassil, cannot
deny that the investigation stumbled. In this sense,
the phrase "they didn't
tell us" applies to them more than ever before.
Hezbollah and Obvious Misinformation
Assaad Bishara/Nidaa Al-Watan/August 8, 2025
With the publication by the newspaper "Nidaa Al-Watan" of the verbatim text
of what is known as the "Barak paper," all of Hezbollah's attempts to
create doubt and misinformation quickly collapsed, and the size of the
difference between the truth and what the "party" is marketing to its
audience and to Lebanese public opinion became clear. The paper, which
contains a comprehensive American vision for a
solution, reveals a balanced approach that is entirely
in Lebanon's interest and ensures a complete Israeli withdrawal, the
return of prisoners, and a rapid start to reconstruction, in exchange for
the withdrawal of illegal weapons, all of which will
happen simultaneously and in parallel, without evasion
or postponement. What is interesting about the paper
is that it includes a clear four-stage implementation plan that effectively ends
with the Lebanese state extending its authority over all its territories
and achieving its full sovereignty, including border
control and the necessary coordination with Syria, in
a way that preserves Lebanese interests and prevents
the infiltration of weapons and militias across the border. The document also
stipulates significant support for the Lebanese army and the use of an
Arab and international conference to provide the
necessary assistance to revive the infrastructure and
the economy in the south. But instead of discussing the
paper objectively, Hezbollah rushed to demonize it, claiming that it does
not guarantee anything for Lebanon, clearly ignoring
its explicit contents that guarantee all elements of
sovereignty, liberation, and assistance. This behavior
is not new for the "party," as it cannot tolerate any path that might
disarm it or subject it to state authority. Therefore, it continues to
invent lies, fearing the moment of truth that is
approaching more and more. The misinformation
practiced by "Hezbollah" has become obvious even to its
own base, and it is no longer possible to continue the narrative of
"conspiracy" and "Western hegemony" to justify keeping its
weapons. Any escalatory steps or fabricated crises that the "party" may
take will only deepen its crisis, internally and externally, and will
cause it
to lose more of the popular support that has begun to erode. Lebanon is facing a
rare opportunity to enshrine sovereignty and the state, and if it misses
it this time, the reason will not be the absence of
offers, but the continued hostage-taking by an illegal
weapon that refuses to obey any unifying national
logic.
Is Bkerke Launching a New Call for
"Neutrality" in September?
Alan Sarkis/Nidaa Al-Watan/August 8, 2025
Tuesday's cabinet meeting is considered one of the most important
sessions. Since the Taif Agreement, no government has dared to address the issue
of Hezbollah's weapons. Instead, previous ministerial statements legitimized the
"resistance." After the balance of power changed, the major decision was made,
and now we await its implementation on the ground.
Bkerke has played a pivotal role since the time of the late Maronite Patriarch
Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, demanding the return of state authority, the
monopolization of weapons, and the implementation of the Taif Agreement. After
Israel withdrew from the south, Bkerke issued its famous September 2000 appeal,
demanding the withdrawal of the Syrian occupation army. The liberation took
place in 2005, after which the patriarchate shifted its focus to demanding that
the state monopolize all weapons. Bkerke looks favorably upon the government's
decisions, and church sources tell Nidaa Al-Watan that "we have waited 35 years
for this decision, and now that it has been issued, we can only support those
who made it and stand with them." The sources emphasize that such a decision to
monopolize weapons must be followed up on. It is not enough to simply make the
decision; the implementation mechanisms are the most important part of the next
phase so that it does not remain just ink on paper. We have full confidence in
the army and its leadership. Bkerke has always been in favor of the state
monopolizing weapons and believes that having weapons with the army and
legitimate forces protects everyone. Hezbollah's weapons have brought
devastation upon the Shiite community and displaced a large part of it.
Therefore, the party has no choice but to surrender its weapons and follow the
logic of the state. In July 2020, Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros
al-Rai launched an appeal calling for neutrality and an international conference
to save Lebanon. Time has passed, and Hezbollah has entered the "support" war,
but all the axis politics have not helped save the party's position. Nearly nine
months after the armistice agreement was signed, Bkerke still sees the only
solution to save the country as proposing neutrality and returning to the
patriarchal memo that discussed positive neutrality and included provisions
related to supporting the state and monopolizing weapons in the hands of the
army. While the files may be pressing on President Joseph Aoun and the Lebanese
government, Patriarch al-Rai will continue his efforts to spread a culture of
neutrality and have it adopted by everyone. This is especially true since the
president mentioned this issue several times in his inaugural address, which is
a glimmer of hope for Bkerke and gives it a push to reactivate its proposal.
Bkerke believes that the roadmap for saving the country is clear and begins with
the state returning to its role and extending its authority over all Lebanese
territories, collecting Palestinian weapons, and taking control of all of
Hezbollah's weapons. This will make it easier to hold the corrupt accountable
and begin the reform process after restoring the confidence of the domestic,
Arab, and international communities. Bkerke emphasizes that Lebanon cannot live
in isolation and be part of an axis. Its main role is to be a link between the
East and the West, and positive neutrality means isolating Lebanon from the
problems of the region and not interfering in the wars of others, as happened in
the "support" war, which brought calamities upon Lebanon and for which the
country is still paying the price today. From Bkerke's point of view, the
adoption of neutrality requires internal responsiveness and the conviction that
bringing the wars of others into Lebanon will keep the country in a cycle of
violence and backwardness. The solution is to secure an internal agreement to
neutralize the country from the region's problems and then secure Arab and
international sponsorship for this positive neutrality because without an
international umbrella, no project can achieve its purpose. Bkerke is reassured
by the position of the major and Arab countries that want to help Lebanon but on
the condition that the Lebanese help themselves. Therefore, the beginning of the
exit from this tunnel is to surrender weapons and for the state to regain its
authority and prestige. Only then will domestic and international confidence
return, and the path to salvation will begin. After that, Bkerke will launch a
new appeal, perhaps in September, to save the country by adopting neutrality,
especially since there is now a government and a president who are on the same
wavelength, and Arab and international support is pushing in this direction.
Disarmament of
Hezbollah is not enough
Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/August 07, 2025
The Lebanese Cabinet has tasked the army with drafting a plan outlining how
weapons in the country should be managed. It will mainly target those held by
Hezbollah, with the aim of placing the organization’s arsenal under state
control by the end of the year.
It is undeniable that this is a historic step, as it is the first time that
representatives of the Lebanese state have dared to discuss a plan that would
advance efforts to disarm Hezbollah and any other armed factions. This would
have been unimaginable only a year ago. The announcement, which came a day after
the fifth anniversary of the 2020 explosion at Beirut Port, is a first step that
could ultimately bring justice and more to the country. Now, though, we should
manage expectations, and the actual outcome, as this is one of the most
challenging, yet the most crucial, issues for the future stability and
reconstruction of Lebanon. As expected, the response from Hezbollah did not take
long. As the staging required, it did not even wait for the end of the Cabinet
meeting during which the plan was agreed. While that meeting of ministers to
discuss the state’s monopoly on weapons was still taking place, Hezbollah’s
chief, Naim Qassem, delivered a speech that strongly rejected the idea of
disarmament or a timetable for achieving it.
As usual, the rhetoric was saturated with words of defiance and double-dipped in
the language of resistance. In short, he addressed the Cabinet indirectly and
denigrated the plan for state sovereignty as a de facto surrender to Israel and
the US. As Hezbollah has done for too long, it also slandered the Lebanese state
by stating that it was incapable of protecting the country’s borders and
insisting, of course, that Hezbollah should retain its defense capabilities,
based on the assumption its members are the only ones capable of defending the
country. While the state discusses a monopoly on weapons, Hezbollah wants to
convey the notion that it alone holds a monopoly on the willingness and capacity
to defend the country. This is all lies and fantasy. Through its foolish
actions, Hezbollah has brought destruction to Lebanon too many times to claim
that its weapons defend the country. Despite Qassem’s declarations, the war with
Israel last autumn changed the reality of the situation, and no Hezbollah speech
can alter that. Through its foolish actions, Hezbollah has brought destruction
to Lebanon too many times to claim that its weapons defend the country. Its
arsenal has only brought destruction and misery.
Moreover, it has only defended its own interests. Its disarmament should not be
viewed as a US demand; at its core, it is a Lebanese demand. Lebanese citizens
want to see a country unified by its army without internal disruptions. The
Lebanese demand a sovereign state. One thing is certain: If Hezbollah ultimately
collaborates and surrenders its arsenal, it will not happen without the entity
putting forward demands. These demands might serve as excuses to avoid handing
over its weapons, and it will be clear that if they include negotiations with
Israel and border talks, then this will be a red line.
Any conditions that would integrate Hezbollah into state military forces or only
partially remove its arsenal should also not be accepted, as the loyalty of
Hezbollah members is not to the country but to a foreign country. Most Lebanese
expect Hezbollah’s demands to include conditions related to domestic power
sharing, and perhaps international protection for members accused of terrorism.
The tension is palpable, as is often the case in Lebanon, and most Lebanese also
expect a demonstration of force by Hezbollah and its members in an attempt to
block disarmament. The reactions of affiliated members during the Cabinet
discussions indicate defiance and a refusal to cooperate. This is partly why the
Cabinet did not demand the immediate disarmament of Hezbollah, focusing instead
on establishing a framework with a set calendar. Moreover, although Hezbollah
itself does not hold the formal power of veto in the current Cabinet, which
requires the support of a third of the ministers present, it has demonstrated
that it still has the capacity for veto through alliances, control of key
ministries, such as finance, and the ability to disrupt consensus. This was
evident when Hezbollah and its allies walked out, blocking any decision.
Lebanon’s power-sharing system, and the threat of civil war that Hezbollah
whispers to the population, therefore make this decision and its execution
difficult.
The reality is that Hezbollah’s arguments are all false. Even when Qassem refers
to the Taif Agreement, the 1989 accord that ended the 15-year Lebanese Civil
War, Hezbollah has never respected it, and has invited military interventions by
Israel despite there no longer being any major Lebanese territories occupied by
Israel; the Shebaa Farms issue also involves Syria, and as for Kfar Shouba
Hills, the claims on this matter can and should be handled exclusively by the
Lebanese state. Hezbollah has no right to start military actions or threaten any
other country. This needs to stop now.
Despite this, Qassem in his speech warned that if Israel resumed military
operations against Lebanon, Hezbollah would respond by launching missiles into
Israel, causing its security to collapse within an hour. He did not mention the
destruction this would bring upon Lebanon.
He should remember that even his organization agreed to negotiations with Israel
regarding the maritime border dispute, which included the issue of gas reserves.
Not only that, but Hezbollah yielded to Israeli will. So all this talk about
resistance and being the protector of Lebanon’s borders, in lieu of the Lebanese
Armed Forces, is now known to be complete nonsense and a useless narrative.
This is why the disarmament of Hezbollah should not be the only step taken. It
is incomplete. It is necessary that Hezbollah’s illegal operations are also
dismantled. This is an essential step in restoring Lebanese sovereignty; we
cannot have a sovereign country without the rule of law. This should be acted
upon without delay. Lebanese citizens want to see a country unified by its army
without internal disruptions. The Lebanese demand a sovereign state. This would
also show the resolve of the state in its efforts to move towards establishing a
new Lebanon. Hezbollah’s armed militia operates outside the authority of the
Lebanese state, undermining the monopoly on force that is fundamental to the
functioning of any government. Hezbollah’s involvement in illicit activities —
including arms smuggling, drug trafficking and money laundering — not only fuels
corruption but destabilizes the Lebanese economy and society.
Moreover, Hezbollah’s military autonomy and its ties to foreign powers
compromise Lebanon’s neutrality and expose the country to regional conflicts. To
pave the way for political reform, economic recovery and national unity, it is
crucial to disarm and dismantle these illegal networks, and reaffirm the state’s
control of its territory and institutions.
There is also a need to halt any external financing of political parties. Any
financial support should go exclusively to the state and not any other entity.
The Cabinet must take action to ensure any foreign payments to Lebanese
political organizations or their socially affiliated groups is deemed illegal.
Foreign funding for political organizations needs to be banned to protect
national sovereignty and prevent external influence over domestic politics.
Hezbollah should not have the authority to operate a parallel system that keeps
its community apart from the rest of Lebanese society.
This is also why disarmament alone is not enough. Hezbollah members need to face
judgment for all of their terror attacks against the Lebanese and Syrian
peoples. They are not, and should not be, a component of any future political
development.
The political structure in Lebanon continues to be sectarian in nature. The
country will not be able to build within this system unless most, if not all,
communities are aligned in agreement on the same plan. There is therefore a
great responsibility on non-Hezbollah Shiite leaders to now step up and
challenge it. Now that the Cabinet has broken the fear barrier, courageous
leaders should also work to free the Shiite community from Hezbollah’s control
and push for disarmament of the organization.
All citizens should have the same rights to happiness, and the same duties
towards the state, as they are all suffering in the same ways today.
• Khaled Abou Zahr is the founder of SpaceQuest Ventures, a space-focused
investment platform. He is CEO of EurabiaMedia and editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.
The State That Whispered While Hezbollah Roared
Makram Rabah/Now Lebanon/August 07/2025
The Lebanese cabinet recently convened a session hailed by some as “historic” —
an opportunity to place the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons squarely on the table
and affirm the monopoly of arms by the state. But in truth, there was nothing
historic about the gathering. It was yet another hollow ritual in a broken
political system, another chance wasted by a leadership that refuses to lead.
The very notion that a sovereign state like Lebanon must debate whether it has
the right to control all weapons on its territory is absurd — and telling. If
the future of national sovereignty hinges on one meeting, that alone is proof
that the state has long ceased to exist in any functional sense. Over the past
six months, we’ve heard all the familiar slogans: commitments to implement UN
Resolution 1701, to enforce the constitution, to launch a dialogue on national
defense strategy. And yet not a single concrete step has been taken — no
mechanism, no timeline, no political will. The presidency, the premiership, and
the speakership — all pretend to uphold sovereignty, while enabling its erosion.
Speaker Nabih Berri, Hezbollah’s senior partner, continues to play the role of
the “reluctant participant” — entering and exiting the state at will, always
ready to protect the status quo that keeps his influence intact. He and his
allies know that every delay buys Hezbollah more time, and every vague gesture
of dialogue drains the issue of urgency. But time is precisely what Lebanon no
longer has. The international community, led by the United States, has made it
clear: this is the final moment to act. Special envoy Tom Barrack’s message was
not vague diplomacy — it was a deadline. Either the state asserts itself, or
Lebanon is left to collapse under the weight of its contradictions.
Yet even now, the Lebanese cabinet continues to avoid the crux of the matter.
Instead of confronting Hezbollah’s weapons head-on, ministers wrapped themselves
in euphemisms and pretexts — debating semantics while the republic crumbled.
They did not chart a disarmament path. They did not propose a credible timeline.
They did not even take responsibility. What they offered was theater — a shallow
attempt to appear sovereign while remaining utterly beholden to an armed
militia.
Aoun and the cabinet simply threw the hot potato at the Lebanese army, by
issuing orders to the LAF to provide the cabinet for a plan to disarm Hezbollah,
White in fact the cabinet should have simply issued a statement saying that
Hezbollah’s arms are illegitimate and that the LAF needs to round them up, not
the other way round.
Hezbollah, for its part, has made its intentions clear. It has no plans to
disarm, no respect for the constitution, and no loyalty to Lebanon’s democratic
institutions. Its weapons are not aimed at Israel — they are aimed at Lebanese
sovereignty, Lebanese reform, and the very idea of statehood. It obstructs
appointments, paralyzes the judiciary, smuggles through illegal ports, and uses
its arms to preserve a mafia order dressed up as resistance.
This is not an external plot against Lebanon. This is a Lebanese tragedy
authored by Lebanese actors — one in which Hezbollah writes the script, and the
cabinet dutifully recites its lines.
Let us be blunt: there is no reform, no recovery, no rescue plan for Lebanon
while an Iranian-backed militia holds a veto over the state. The fiction that
Hezbollah’s arms protect Lebanon has collapsed. What they protect now are
political fiefdoms, criminal enterprises, and a culture of impunity.
And as for the so-called proposed national dialogue — it is nothing but a simple
con. Moving the issue from the cabinet to the presidential palace, from
institutions to roundtables, is a deliberate tactic to bury it. Lebanon doesn’t
need more dialogue. It needs decisions. It needs sovereignty.
President Joseph Aoun was not elected to manage decline. He was not chosen to
placate killers and smugglers. He was elected, in part, because he was a former
military commander — someone expected to show spine, not surrender. But as of
now, he governs like a man terrified of offending the very forces dismantling
the state he swore to protect.
If this government believes its performance is enough to save Lebanon, it is
gravely mistaken. The international community is watching. So are the Lebanese
people. The illusion of deterrence is gone. What remains is a republic ruled by
fear and hesitation.
The choice is no longer between peace and war — it is between sovereignty and
extinction.
This cabinet has chosen cowardice. And in doing so, it may have sealed Lebanon’s
fate.
**Makram Rabah is the managing editor at Now Lebanon and an Assistant Professor
at the American University of Beirut, Department of History. His book Conflict
on Mount Lebanon: The Druze, the Maronites and Collective Memory (Edinburgh
University Press) covers collective identities and the Lebanese Civil War. He
tweets at @makramrabah
The
Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on August 07-08/2025
US targets
Iranian firms and individuals over sanctions evasion scheme
Reuters/07 August/2025
The United States imposed sanctions Thursday on 18 entities and individuals to
target what the Treasury Department called a network helping Iran evade
sanctions and generate revenue. The US targets include RUNC Exchange System
Company and its leadership, Cyrus Offshore Bank, and Iranian software holding
company Pasargad Arian Information and Communication Technology, according to a
Treasury Department statement. “Treasury will continue to disrupt Iran’s schemes
aimed at evading our sanctions, block its access to revenue, and starve its
weapons programs of capital in order to protect the American people,” Treasury
Secretary Scott Bessent said in the statement.
Iranian woman accused of killing 11 husbands goes on trial
Al Arabiya English/07 August/2025
An Iranian woman accused of killing 11 of her husbands over more than two
decades has gone on trial in Iran. Kolsoum Akbari, officially listed as being in
her late 50s though victims’ families claim she is significantly older, is
charged with 11 counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.
According to court documents, she is alleged to have poisoned her husbands over
a 22-year period, beginning in 2001, to claim inheritance and marriage
settlements. According to Iranian newspaper Haft-e Sobh, the case came to light
in 2023 when the suspicious death of an elderly man named Azizollah Babaei
prompted his family to press for an investigation. Babaei had recently married
Akbari, whom the family barely knew. His son told Haft-e Sobh that they were
immediately suspicious of the circumstances surrounding his sudden death and
requested an autopsy, although no definitive proof emerged at the time. A
breakthrough came when a family friend shared a nearly identical story: his own
father had also married a woman named Kolsoum Akbari, who had allegedly tried to
poison him with a spiked drink. The man survived and later divorced her. This
testimony prompted investigators to dig deeper.
Akbari allegedly used a mix of diabetes and sexual performance medications –
sometimes combined with industrial alcohol – to weaken her husbands over time.
In one case, she allegedly suffocated a man with a damp towel after drugging
him. In another, she is said to have continued drugging a husband who had
temporarily recovered, leading to his death. In each instance, Akbari reportedly
demanded inheritance or dowry payments after her husbands’ deaths. Haft-e Sobh
reports that her first killing took place in 2001. She was eventually arrested
and confessed to the killings during questioning, although she initially tried
to deny responsibility during her court appearance. When prosecutors presented
video footage of her re-enacting the crimes during the investigation, she
admitted the confessions were accurate but continued to downplay the details.
The case has drawn further attention as more than 45 plaintiffs – mostly family
members and heirs of the victims – have joined the prosecution. In court, the
families of four victims formally demanded the death penalty, with the remaining
families due to present their requests in the next session. Akbari’s lawyer
argued that her mental health should be evaluated, but one of the victims’
relatives rejected this claim, telling the court that “no insane person could
orchestrate such a methodical plan and manipulate so many families.”
The judges will begin deliberations to issue a verdict following the conclusion
of the hearing.
Hamas accuses Israel’s Netanyahu of sacrificing hostages
for personal interest
AFP/Published: 07 August/2025
Palestinian militant group Hamas on Thursday accused Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government was debating expanding military operations
in Gaza, of sacrificing the Israeli hostages held there. “Netanyahu’s plans to
escalate the aggression confirm beyond any doubt his desire to get rid of the
captives and sacrifice them in pursuit of his personal interests and extremist
ideological agenda,” Hamas said in a statement. The statement was issued as
Netanyahu was convening his security cabinet to vote on an expansion of the
military campaign in Gaza. Israeli media said it could entail a full military
occupation of the Palestinian territory. Earlier on Thursday US network Fox News
aired an interview with Netanyahu in which he said that Israel intends to take
control of all of the Gaza Strip but not “keep it” or “govern it.”“In response
to the remarks made by war criminal... Benjamin Netanyahu, in his interview with
Fox News... What he is planning is a continuation of a policy of genocide and
forced displacement, through the perpetration of further crimes against our
Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip,” Hamas said. The group, whose October 7,
2023 attack on Israel triggered the war, accused Netanyahu of “backtracking on
the negotiation track.”Indirect talks with Hamas seeking a truce and hostage
release deal broke down in late July.During Hamas’s 2023 attack on southern
Israel, militants seized 251 hostages. Forty-nine of them are still held in Gaza
including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
Senior Hamas official accuses US envoy Witkoff of spoiling Gaza ceasefire
efforts
Al Arabiya English/07 August /2025
A senior Hamas official has accused US envoy Steve Witkoff of repeatedly
undermining efforts to reach a ceasefire between the Palestinian group and
Israel in the war-torn Gaza Strip. In an exclusive interview on Al Arabiya
English’s Counterpoints program, Basem Naim claimed that Witkoff “undermined a
serious chance to reach a ceasefire agreement” on multiple occasions. Naim said
Hamas had initially hoped that US President Donald Trump’s stated desire to end
wars globally would translate into concrete action in Gaza, but that such hope
had been disappointed. “Unfortunately, in our case, we have seen repeatedly that
[the US is] backing the position of this fascist Israeli government – in all
forms,” Naim said. “Even, sometimes, if the cost or the price is to undermine a
serious chance to reach a ceasefire.”He claimed there had been multiple moments
when a truce was within reach but was derailed “by one of those two parties –
either the Israelis or the Americans.” Naim insisted that Hamas remains
committed to negotiating a ceasefire – even a temporary one – as a step toward
“a permanent ceasefire and a full withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the Gaza
Strip.”
Netanyahu says he wants Israel to take control of all of
Gaza
Reuters/ 07 August/2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday Israel intends to
take military control of all of Gaza, despite intensifying criticism at home and
abroad over the devastating almost two-year-old war in the Palestinian enclave.
“We intend to,” Netanyahu said in an interview with Fox News when asked if
Israel would take over the entire coastal territory. “We don’t want to keep it.
We want to have a security perimeter. We don’t want to govern it. We don’t want
to be there as a governing body.”He said that Israel wanted to hand over the
territory to Arab forces that would govern it.
Netanyahu made his comments to Fox News before the outcome of a meeting he was
due to have on Thursday with a small group of senior ministers to discuss plans
for the military to take control of more territory in Gaza. The security cabinet
session follows a meeting this week with the head of the military, which Israeli
officials have described as tense, saying the military chief had pushed back on
expanding the campaign. Opinion polls show that most Israelis want the war to
end in a deal that would see the release of the remaining hostages held by
Hamas-led Palestinian militants. Netanyahu’s government has insisted on total
victory over Hamas, which ignited the war with its deadly October 2023 attack on
Israel from Gaza. The idea, pushed especially by far-right ministers in
Netanyahu’s coalition, of Israeli forces thrusting into areas they do not
already hold in the enclave has generated alarm in Israel. The mother of one
hostage urged people on Thursday to take to the streets to voice their
opposition to expanding the campaign.
The Hostages Families Forum, which represents captives held in Gaza, urged
military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir to oppose widening the war and the government
to accept a deal that would bring the war to an end and free the remaining
hostages.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that the military would carry out
the government’s decisions until all war objectives were achieved. Israeli
leaders have long insisted that Hamas be disarmed and have no future role in a
demilitarized Gaza and that the hostages be freed. The UN has called reports
about a possible expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza “deeply
alarming” if true. There are 50 hostages still held in Gaza, of whom Israeli
officials believe 20 are alive. Most of those freed so far emerged as a result
of diplomatic negotiations. Talks toward a ceasefire that could have seen some
more hostages released collapsed in July. A senior Palestinian official said
Hamas had told Arab mediators that an increase in humanitarian aid entering Gaza
would lead to a resumption in ceasefire negotiations. Israeli officials accuse
Hamas of seizing aid to hand out to its fighters and to sell in Gazan markets to
finance its operations, accusations that the militant group denies. Videos
released last week of two living hostages showed them emaciated and frail,
stirring international condemnation. Hamas, which has ruled Gaza for nearly two
decades but now controls only fragmented parts, insists any deal must lead to a
permanent end to the war. Israel says the group has no intention of going
through with promises to give up power afterwards.
Multiple displacements
The Israeli military says it controls about 75 percent of Gaza. Most of Gaza’s
population of about 2 million has been displaced multiple times over the past 22
months and aid groups are warning that the enclave’s residents are on the verge
of famine. “Where should we go? We have been displaced and humiliated enough,”
said Aya Mohammad, 30, who, after repeated displacement, has returned with her
family to their community in Gaza City. “You know what displacement is? Does the
world know? It means your dignity is wiped out, you become a homeless beggar,
searching for food, water and medicine,” she told Reuters. Close to 200
Palestinians have died of starvation in Gaza since the war began, nearly half of
them have been children, according to Gaza’s health ministry. Rabeeha Jamal, 65,
a mother of six, has remained in her house in Gaza despite warnings in the past
from the Israeli military to leave. For now, she said she intends to stay. “Not
until they force us, if the tanks roll in, otherwise, I will not go running in
the street to be killed later,” she said, calling for an end to the war. “We
don’t have anywhere to go.”Netanyahu is under intense international pressure to
reach a ceasefire agreement, but he also faces internal pressure from within his
coalition to continue the war. Some far-right allies in his government have
advocated a full occupation of Gaza and for Israel to re-establish settlements
there, two decades after it withdrew.Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich
told reporters Wednesday that he hoped the government would approve the military
taking control over the rest of Gaza.About 1,200 people were killed and 251
hostages taken to Gaza in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israeli
communities. More than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s assault
on Gaza, according to the Gaza health ministry, which said 98 Palestinians have
been killed by Israeli fire across the enclave in the past 24 hours.
Netanyahu rejects governing Gaza, Trump–Putin talks planned & UK migrant
detentions
Al Arabiya English/August 07, 2025
On W News Extra with Leigh-Ann Gerrans, we’re joined by Freddy Gray from The
Spectator and broadcaster and journalist Isabel Webster. We discuss Netanyahu's
cabinet meeting to approve the full occupation of Gaza, President Trump
considering the UAE for the upcoming meeting with Putin, and Trump's tariffs
hitting over 90 countries.
Trump: Important
that Middle Eastern countries join Abraham Accords
Reuters/August 07, 2025
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Thursday it was important that
Middle Eastern countries join the Abraham Accords, which aim to normalize
diplomatic ties with Israel, saying it will ensure peace in the region. “Now
that the nuclear arsenal being ‘created’ by Iran has been totally OBLITERATED,
it is very important to me that all Middle Eastern Countries join the Abraham
Accords,” Trump wrote in a social media post. As part of the Abraham Accords,
signed during Trump’s first term in office, four Muslim-majority countries
agreed to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel after US mediation. Efforts
to expand the accords have been complicated by a soaring death toll and
starvation in Gaza. The war in Gaza, where local authorities say more than
60,000 people have died, has provoked global anger. Canada, France and the
United Kingdom have announced plans in recent days to recognize an independent
Palestinian state. Trump’s administration is actively discussing with Azerbaijan
the possibility of bringing that nation and some Central Asian allies into the
Abraham Accords, hoping to deepen their existing ties with Israel, according to
five sources with knowledge of the matter.
Netanyahu seeks
approval for full Gaza takeover amid military pushback
Arab News/AFP/August 07, 2025
DUBAI: Israel is expected to seek security cabinet approval on Thursday evening
for a new phased military plan to seize full control of the Gaza Strip,
potentially displacing up to a million Palestinians over the next five months,
according to Israeli media reports. The plan, backed by Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, would begin with a military offensive on Gaza City and central
refugee camps, pushing much of the population southward toward the designated
humanitarian zone in Mawasi, according to a report by The Times of Israel. The
aim is to dismantle remaining Hamas strongholds and pressure the group to
release the roughly 50 hostages still held in Gaza, of whom about 20 are
believed to be alive. The proposal comes amid reported internal friction at the
highest levels of Israel’s leadership. Israeli military chief Lt. Gen. Eyal
Zamir issued a pointed statement ahead of the expected cabinet meeting, vowing
to continue expressing the army’s position “without fear.” Israeli media has
reported disagreements between Zamir and cabinet members over the plan’s
feasibility and the risks it poses to the hostages.“We will continue to express
our position without fear, in a pragmatic, independent, and professional
manner,” Zamir said Thursday, according to a military statement. “We are not
dealing with theory, we are dealing with matters of life and death, with the
defense of the state.”Defense Minister Israel Katz also weighed in, saying that
while the military has a right to present its views, it must ultimately
implement government policy. “The military must respect decisions made by the
government,” Katz posted on social media Wednesday, following reports of Zamir’s
opposition. Meanwhile, humanitarian agencies are warning of a deepening crisis
inside Gaza. A global hunger monitor has described the situation as a “famine
scenario,” with starvation spreading, children under five dying from
hunger-related causes, and humanitarian access still severely restricted. The
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
reported this week that food consumption in Gaza has dropped to its lowest level
since the war began. As of early August, 81 percent of households are
experiencing poor food consumption, more than double the 33 percent recorded in
April. A European Union official told Reuters there had been some limited
progress, including increased fuel deliveries, reopened routes, and
infrastructure repairs. However, they warned that a lack of safe conditions on
the ground continues to severely hinder the distribution of aid at scale.
From aboard a Jordanian
Air Force jet dropping aid over Gaza, Arab News witnesses devastation firsthand
Sherouk Zakaria/Arab News/August 07, 2025
AMMAN: Gaza’s beachfront was once a lifeline for Palestinians — a place where
cafes bustled, fishermen hauled in their catch, and people living under a
17-year siege could cling to a fragile sense of normalcy. Today, the view from
high overhead aboard a Royal Jordanian Air Force flight dropping aid onto the
war-ravaged enclave shows that little of this once-vibrant seaside community now
remains. Nearly two years of intense Israeli bombardment have left Gaza in
ruins. Many blocks are filled with crumbling buildings and piles of ash-gray
rubble, while other neighborhoods have been erased entirely, leaving behind
empty voids. Along the shoreline, tents are now scattered where homes once
stood, sheltering families displaced by the fighting. Arab News joined one of
the near-daily humanitarian flights, which the Jordanian Armed Forces resumed on
July 27 in coordination with several countries, to drop aid over Gaza in
response to reports of rising starvation. From the air, people and cars could be
seen moving through the rubble-strewn streets below — a stark glimpse of how
Palestinians continue to navigate daily life amid devastation with little to no
access to food, water, shelter, or medicine.
Despite the routine humanitarian missions, crew members say comprehending the
view from above never gets any easier. “It’s heartbreaking,” one crew member
told Arab News as he helped load the C-130 military aircraft set to depart from
King Abdullah II Air Base near Zarqa. “It hits us the same way every day. Seeing
the destruction in real life is nothing like watching it on TV, especially when
you see the people on the ground.”Flying over Gaza after about nine months of
suspended operations showed just how much the destruction has worsened since the
first round of airdrops last year, he said.
On Wednesday, seven aircraft — two from Jordan, two from Germany, and one each
from the UAE, France, and Belgium — took off from the air base in Amman,
dropping 54 tons of medical supplies, food, and baby formula over Gaza from an
altitude of about 2,500 feet. Humanitarian organizations say airdrops offer only
a tiny fraction of what is needed to sustain the 2.2 million people in Gaza,
where the UN warned of an “unfolding famine.” The situation in Gaza deteriorated
after Israel blocked all aid shipments for two and a half months following the
collapse of a six-week ceasefire in March. Since it eased the blockade in late
May, Israel has allowed in a trickle of UN aid trucks — about 70 a day on
average, according to official Israeli figures. That is far below the 500 to 600
trucks a day that UN agencies say are needed. The aid, which was dropped on
Wednesday, is equivalent to less than three. While military officials confirmed
that the aid provided through airdrops is insufficient, they believe what they
are doing is making a difference. “We are proud that we are able to support with
whatever we can. It’s our humanitarian duty,” one crew member told Arab News.
A ground operations supervisor said Jordan’s role in leading international aid
efforts fills him with pride. “Our teams work around the clock, and we are proud
of the tremendous effort being made on the ground,” he told Arab News. “We feel
like we are doing something, regardless how minimal, to help people living in
heartbreaking conditions.”
Since the airdrops resumed, 379 tons of aid have been delivered, according to
military data. So far, the Jordanian Armed Forces has carried out 142 missions,
in addition to 299 joint airdrops conducted in coordination with Belgium,
Canada, France, Germany, and Spain. Israel began allowing airdrops in response
to growing international pressure over the worsening hunger crisis in Gaza. The
measures include daily 10-hour pauses in fighting across three densely populated
areas — Deir Al-Balah, Gaza City, and Al-Mawasi — along with the opening of
limited humanitarian corridors to allow UN aid convoys into the strip. Despite
these efforts, people in Gaza are continuing to succumb to starvation. According
to local authorities, 188 Palestinians, including 94 children, have died from
hunger since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel denies there is starvation in
Gaza, instead blaming any shortages on Hamas for allegedly stealing aid or on
the UN for distribution failures. On July 28, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu posted on X: “There is no policy of starvation in Gaza. There is no
starvation in Gaza.”The hunger crisis is worsened by the deadly conditions
surrounding aid distribution through four centers operated by the Gaza
Humanitarian Foundation, a US and Israeli-backed logistics startup. Since their
establishment in May, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed while trying
to access aid, according to UN estimates. The foundation has repeatedly denied
these accusations. Israel is now facing renewed pressure to fully reopen land
crossings and allow uninterrupted aid convoys to enter, as humanitarian groups
stress that airdrops, while better than nothing, are no substitute for
coordinated, large-scale deliveries by land. With no precision or coordination,
airdrops tend to end up in the hands of whoever reaches them first rather than
the most needy. Aid groups say airdrops can also pose a threat to life, landing
on civilians or causing stampedes as desperate people rush to collect relief.
However, a military official told Arab News the airdrops have the added
advantage of reaching areas that are now inaccessible by road.
“Some neighborhoods are flattened to the ground. The road infrastructure in Gaza
is destroyed. Therefore, we can reach areas that lorries cannot,” the official
said. Flights are carried out with international missions to drop the aid at
designated points across northern, central, and southern Gaza.
On the Jordanian flight, each pallet was packed, sealed, and divided into
half-ton units. Each box was packed with a mix of aid — including food,
medicine, and baby formula — to meet the diverse needs of the people it would
reach. Asked how long the air drops are likely to continue, a senior army
official told Arab News: “As long as we have the capability.”After takeoff at 11
a.m., the air force crew shouted instructions over the deafening roar of the
C-130 aircraft, coordinating with the pilot and with each other through
headphones. At noon, Gaza’s landscape came into view along the wide stretch of
shoreline. The journalists on board, who have long been barred from entering
Gaza to report from the ground, were instructed not to photograph the
devastation below. Ten minutes later, the plane descended to a lower altitude.
The rear doors opened to reveal the vast, ravaged landscape. A countdown began
before eight pallets, each weighing a ton, were released in two batches,
parachuting into the unknown over Gaza. “This is for you, Gaza. May God help
you,” one crew member murmured, embracing his colleague as the aid disappeared
from view. Then the doors closed. The aircraft turned back toward Amman, leaving
behind only questions. Who would reach the aid first? Who would carry a box of
food or medicine home to their family? Who would be left to wait for the next
drop? Would another drop arrive?
Israel is using US munitions to ‘illegally and indiscriminately’ attack Gaza
school shelters, Human Rights Watch says
Sana Noor Haq, CNN/August 7, 2025
The Israeli military has “illegally and indiscriminately” used US munitions to
attack school shelters in Gaza, killing hundreds of people, Human Rights Watch (HRW)
says. The US-based campaigners’ report, “Gaza: Israeli School Strikes Magnify
Civilian Peril,” was published Thursday. Israel’s campaign following the
Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023 has made the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.1
million people homeless – forcing many to flee their neighborhoods in search of
civilian infrastructure. Israel has frequently said its strikes on school
facilities in Gaza target embedded Hamas fighters. But HRW said it only found
seven instances where the military published details of alleged militants killed
– and highlighted two strikes, which killed nearly 50 people, where they found
no evidence of any military target. Such attacks would violate international law
because schools and other educational facilities are civilian objects and
protected from attack, HRW said. They lose that protection when used for
military purposes or are occupied by military forces. But the use of schools to
house civilians does not alter their legal status.
‘Horrendous slaughter of Palestinians’
HRW called on the US and other governments to halt arms sales to Israel, given
the “clear risk” that weapons might be used to commit or facilitate “serious
violations” of international humanitarian law.” Washington’s supply of arms to
Israel has made the US “complicit” in their unlawful use, the group said.
“Israeli strikes on schools sheltering displaced families provide a window into
the widespread carnage that Israeli forces have carried out in Gaza,” Gerry
Simpson, associate crisis, conflict and arms director at HRW, said in the
report. “Other governments should not tolerate this horrendous slaughter of
Palestinians merely seeking safety,” added Simpson. The Israeli military accused
Hamas of “unlawfully embedding its’ military assets, including weapons and
ammunition in, beneath, and in proximity to densely populated civilian areas.”
An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson told CNN that the militant group is
“establishing command-and-control centers” within schools, “launching attacks
toward IDF forces from them, and imprisoning hostages in them.”The IDF did not
provide evidence for the claims. Israeli attacks on school shelters in Gaza have
killed at least 836 Palestinians and injured another 2,527 people, as of July
18, HRW reported, citing the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA). HRW investigated two such attacks where it identified the use of
US munitions. The agency said it reviewed satellite imagery, photos, and videos
of the attacks and their aftermath, as well as social media and interviews with
eyewitnesses. CNN has previously reported on the use of US weaponry in deadly
strikes and has reached out to the State Department for comment on the HRW
report. On July 27, 2024, the Israeli military launched at least three strikes
on the Khadija girls’ school in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza. At least 15 people
were killed. Then on September 21, Israel struck Al-Zeitoun school, northern
Gaza. At least 34 people were killed. “Can you imagine, a building full of
displaced people leveled in the blink of an eye?” a journalist cited in the HRW
report said. “I saw people with serious and more minor injuries, and then saw
human remains on the ground.”
‘Gaza has become uninhabitable’
The allegations chimed with repeated human rights warnings that Israel’s
22-month bombing and siege has rendered much of the enclave uninhabitable. HRW
said attacks on school shelters have diminished access to refuge, exacerbated
reconstruction challenges, and disrupted education among a pre-war population of
more than 2.2 million people – where half of those are under the age of 18. At
least 97% of schools in Gaza have sustained damage, the UNICEF-led Education
Cluster reported in August. Efforts to rebuild destroyed homes in Gaza could
take until 2040, the UN said in May. The level of destruction is so extensive
that it would require external assistance on a scale not seen since 1948, the
agency added. At least 61,158 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, the
Ministry of Health there reported on Wednesday. At least 193 people have starved
to death, including 96 children, the ministry added. One Palestinian student
told CNN that days spent going to university have been replaced by a brutal
struggle for survival repeated displacement, and severe hunger. “The war came
and destroyed everything,” Raghad Ezzat Hamouda, 20, told CNN on Wednesday. “I
lost my ambitions and dreams,” added Hamouda, who is displaced with nine family
members in Tal Al-Hawa, central Gaza. “Gaza has become uninhabitable. (There
are) no homes, no schools, no universities, no infrastructure… Just ashes.”
CNN’s Dana Karni contributed reporting.
Jordan and UK reaffirm
strong ties during talks between politicians in Amman
Arab News/August 07, 2025
AMMAN: Jordan and the UK reiterated their shared commitment to deeper
cooperation in a range of sectors, as politicians from the two countries met in
Amman on Thursday to discuss pressing regional and international issues. During
a meeting with a visiting British delegation from the Coalition for Global
Prosperity’s Future Leaders Programme, MP Dina Basheer, chairperson of Jordan’s
Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, described the relationship between the
nations as historic and strategic, and emphasized the importance of continued
collaboration, the Jordan News Agency reported. The discussions focused in
particular on regional developments, during which Basheer reaffirmed Jordan’s
firm support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as the
only path to long-term stability in the Middle East. She called for an immediate
end to the war in Gaza, and greater international efforts to ease the
humanitarian suffering of civilians caught up in the conflict in the territory.
Basheer also highlighted the role King Abdullah of Jordan has played as an
advocate for peace through his diplomatic engagement at both the regional and
global levels. She stressed the importance of Hashemite custodianship over
Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem as a cornerstone of Jordan’s
position on the future of the city. She also cited the continuing delivery of
humanitarian assistance from Jordan to Gaza by land and air as a key element of
its regional activities. The British delegates praised Jordan’s contributions to
regional stability and commended the nation for hosting large numbers of Syrian
refugees, despite ongoing domestic economic pressures, and for its its enduring
humanitarian leadership. They also expressed their appreciation for the strength
of its ties with the UK. The Coalition for Global Prosperity’s Future Leaders
Programme is an initiative that aims to help prospective parliamentary
candidates in the UK develop the knowledge and connections they need to
effectively address foreign policy issues.
Kurdish-led SDF
not complying with Syria integration deal, Turkish source says
Reuters/August 07, 2025
ANKARA: The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is not acting in line
with an accord it signed with Syria’s government this year to join the country’s
state institutions, and the recent clashes between the group and government
forces damages Syria’s unity, a Turkish Defense Ministry source said on
Thursday. Turkiye views the US-backed SDF as a terrorist organization and has
repeatedly said it expects the group to abide by the deal to disarm and
integrate into the Syrian state apparatus. “It has not escaped our attention
that the SDF terrorist organization’s voice has become louder, empowered by the
clashes in Syria’s south,” the source told reporters at a briefing in Ankara, in
a reference to the fighting between Druze and Bedouin forces last month. “The
SDF terrorist organization’s attacks in the outskirts of Manbij and Aleppo
against the Syrian government in recent days damage Syria’s political unity and
territorial integrity,” the person added.
The Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources
on August 07-08/2025
Urgent: Designate the Muslim Brotherhood a Foreign Terrorist Organization
- Now
Robert Williams/Gatestone Institute/August 07/2025
A bill, H.R.3883 (Muslim Brotherhood Is a Terrorist Organization Act of 2025),
was put forward on June 10, 2025 by US Senator Ted Cruz, "[to] require the
Secretary of State to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist
organization." This designation is crucial for both US and international
security. Even then, if the US government makes the FTO designation, this alone
is not enough to slow down the aggression that the Muslim Brotherhood is still
generating throughout the world.
"Qatar is at the top of funding terrorism worldwide, even more than Iran." — Udi
Levy, former senior official of Israel's Mossad spy agency, who dealt with
economic warfare against terrorist organizations, Ynet, April 18, 2024.
Currently, President Donald Trump is selling the Qataris the weapons with which
they and their terrorist protegees hope to destroy the US!
In 1991, the Muslim Brotherhood listed 29 organizations that it envisioned
working toward a "grand jihad" to undermine Western civilization. Several of the
organizations mentioned in the document still operate within the United States,
working actively towards America's demise, while new ones have been formed based
on the original ones: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the
Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and its various subgroups, the Muslim
Students Association, American Muslims for Palestine and Students for Justice in
Palestine, all of which were formed in the 1990s.
As the US, Canada and the entire West remain vulnerable, the Muslim Brotherhood
doubtless could not be happier. Qatar's rulers probably cannot believe how
easily its influence was bought -- and how agreeably the West sold its soul for
petrodollars.
The Muslim Brotherhood (MB), mainly through Qatar, has spread extremism,
instability and terrorism from the Middle East to the rest of the world. Qatar's
state television, Al-Jazeera, now a massive media empire, is the leading MB
propaganda outlet.
Designating the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO)
in the United States is a basic first step in countering the organization's
corrosive influence. The MB has spread extremism, instability and terrorism from
the Middle East to the rest of the world, not least in the US and Europe, with
affiliates of the organization spread across at least 70 other countries.
A bill, H.R.3883 (Muslim Brotherhood Is a Terrorist Organization Act of 2025),
was put forward on June 10, 2025 by US Senator Ted Cruz, "[to] require the
Secretary of State to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist
organization." This designation is crucial for both US and international
security. Even then, if the US government makes the FTO designation, this alone
is not enough to slow down the aggression that the Muslim Brotherhood is still
generating throughout the world.
Sadly, the Trump administration, large parts of Congress, US academia and many
think tanks have been roped in by Qatar's lavish influence-peddling to such a
degree that it will take much more than adding the MB to the US government's FTO
list to undo the damage, lower the temperature of Islamist extremism and reduce
the risk of international terrorism. It will require the United States to
disentangle itself from its unsavory alliance with Qatar – one which includes
selling advanced military technology to the world's greatest state sponsor of
terrorist organizations, no less – and finally to face the degree to which the
Muslim Brotherhood, mainly through Qatar, has infiltrated the US and the West.
According to Udi Levy, a former senior official of Israel's Mossad spy agency,
who dealt with economic warfare against terrorist organizations, "Qatar is at
the top of funding terrorism worldwide, even more than Iran."
Qatar financially and ideologically supports virtually every Islamic terrorist
organization, including Hamas (itself an arm of the Muslim Brotherhood),
Hezbollah, ISIS, Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Qatar also runs one of the biggest
lobby campaigns in the world for the Muslim Brotherhood: it started with the
launch, in 1996, of Qatar's state television, better known as Al-Jazeera, now a
massive media empire and the leading MB propaganda outlet.
Al-Jazeera is regarded by several Middle Eastern leaders as an instrument
wielded on behalf of Hamas and other terrorist organizations. In 2017,
Al-Jazeera was banned in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan
and Egypt. Recently, Israel and the Palestinian Authority banned it, as well.
So far, the Muslim Brotherhood itself has also been banned or listed as a
terrorist organization in Russia, Syria, Austria and, as of this April, Jordan.
Just 30 years after the late Yusuf al-Qaradawi, spiritual leader of the Muslim
Brotherhood, first debuted his visceral sermons of hate on the then completely
unknown Al-Jazeera channel, Qatar has managed with its petrodollars to buy and
influence-peddle its way straight into the heart of the political, media,
academic and even entertainment establishments in the US, Europe and throughout
the Middle East and South Asia.
Western governments, including the Trump administration, need to understand that
the Muslim Brotherhood's jihadist ideology is dedicated to the West's demise, in
the same way as, in the communist Soviet Union, Vladimir Lenin is attributed
with saying that "[t]he Capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will
hang them."Currently, President Donald Trump is selling the Qataris the weapons
with which they and their terrorist protegees hope to destroy the US!
Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood ceaselessly broadcasts toxic messaging on
Al-Jazeera in Arabic, indoctrinating another generation of young people, both in
the West and in the Middle East. The network has never experienced any serious
pushback in the West for its corrosive influence, except by Israel, which was
subsequently pilloried for having "no respect for freedom of the press."It will
be difficult to destroy the deep inroads that Qatar and the Muslim Brotherhood
have made in the US and beyond, but it is important to realize that such an
effort will only begin if the MB is finally designated as a Foreign Terrorist
Organization -- a label long overdue -- and a necessary first step to start
unraveling the long infiltration of the MB into the US.
In 1991, the Muslim Brotherhood listed 29 organizations that it envisioned
working toward a "grand jihad" to undermine Western civilization. Several of the
organizations mentioned in the document still operate within the United States,
working actively towards America's demise, while new ones have been formed based
on the original ones: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the
Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and its various subgroups, the Muslim
Students Association, American Muslims for Palestine and Students for Justice in
Palestine, all of which were formed in the 1990s.
Canada appears to have been thoroughly infiltrated, according to the Institute
for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy:
"An alarming report released today [June 26, 2025] by the Institute for the
Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP), uncovers the deep-rooted
presence and growing influence of Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated organizations
across Canada's civil, academic, political, and financial spheres. This has
escalated into a significant national security concern that demands urgent and
decisive attention – including formally designating the Muslim Brotherhood a
terrorist organization. Without urgent action, Canada remains vulnerable to a
potential terror attack."
As the US, Canada and the entire West remain vulnerable, the Muslim Brotherhood
doubtless could not be happier. Qatar's rulers probably cannot believe how
easily its influence was bought -- and how agreeably the West sold its soul for
petrodollars.
*Robert Williams is based in the United States.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21819/muslim-brotherhood-foreign-terrorist-organization
© 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.
Implications of the Recent Violence in Suwayda
Erik Yavorsky/The Washington Institute/August 07/2025
The violence in Suwayda has exposed the limits of Ahmed al-Sharaa’s control of
Syria. But the assumption that the Druze community there is a monolith does not
bear out: Damascus and Jerusalem are vying for influence amid the various
leaders competing for power in the southwestern Syrian governorate.
Recent clashes in Syria’s Druze-majority governorate of Suwayda, which left more
than 800 dead and 900 injured, mark a significant flashpoint in Syria’s
governmental transition and its relations with minority communities. On July 11,
armed Bedouin robbed a Druze vegetable seller along the Damascus-Suwayda
highway, taking him prisoner, and other Druze then abducted a Sunni man in
retaliation, setting off a spate of tit-for-tat kidnappings that soon escalated
into fierce clashes between Druze militias and Bedouin groups. What began as a
local incident soon drew in government forces and tribal factions and led to
Israeli airstrikes, dramatically expanding the conflict’s scope and reinforcing
Druze fears about escalation and the threat of violence by government forces and
their allies. It also confirmed Druze fears that Damascus will not protect them
in the event of a clash, and cemented a division in the Druze leadership’s
approach to Damascus.
Druze-Damascus Ties
Relations between the Druze leadership and the Syrian government have been
fractious since the government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa took power in December
2024. Druze community leadership in Suwayda is concentrated in the mashayakh al-aql—the
preeminent Druze spiritual body in Syria—whose members are Sheikhs Hikmat al-Hijri,
Yousef al-Jerboa, and Hammoud al-Hinnawi. All three hail from prominent Druze
families and inherited their positions from family members. Hijri is considered
the most prominent sheikh due to his role as head of the “spiritual presidency,”
which he inherited following his brother’s death in 2012. Jerboa and Hinnawi
lead the Ain al-Zaman shrine, a significant religious landmark that offers
educational and humanitarian services. Another important Druze figure in Suwayda,
though not part of the mashayakh al-aql, is Laith al-Balous, who is also a
member of a prominent Druze family and serves as leader of the al-Karama
Guesthouse faction. His father, Wahid al-Balous, founded the prominent Rijal al-Karama
armed faction and led efforts in Suwayda to oppose forced conscription into
Bashar al-Assad’s army. He was killed in 2015, most likely by the regime.
After Assad was toppled, Druze leadership initially adopted a “wait and see
approach,” with Hijri calling for a “comprehensive national conference”
involving Syrians of “all spectra and colors.” Many Druze remained skeptical of
Sharaa’s new government, remembering the massacres of Druze in Qalb Lawzah in
2015 by Jabhat al-Nusra—a predecessor of Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which
took Damascus last December—and by the Islamic State in Suwayda in 2018, when
more than 200 people were killed. More broadly, fears spread throughout the
community that Syria’s new leaders view the Druze as apostates and therefore
deserve to be killed. This sentiment intensified when government and allied
armed factions actively participated in the mass killing of Alawites along the
coast in March 2025 and the killing of Druze militia members in Jaramana,
Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, and Suwayda in April 2025. Here, the central government
proved unable or unwilling to stop them.
Divergent Views on Integration
As these fears grew and Sharaa’s vision of a centralized Syria emerged, Druze
spiritual leaders have split in their approach to the government. While Sheikhs
Hinnawi and Jerboa have continued hedging, they have demonstrated an interest in
integration into a unified Syria and been relatively willing to engage with
Damascus. Sheikh Hijri, on the other hand, has been pushing increasingly against
the government, advocating for assistance to the Druze—from Israel, the United
States, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan—and a decentralized approach to Syrian
governance. His characterizations of Sharaa’s government have also become more
critical, and prior to the most recent conflict, he called it “extremist in
every sense of the word.” Meanwhile, Balous, as a high-profile Druze advocate
for integration, has cemented his position as the government’s preferred
interlocutor in Suwayda, and Sharaa has been holding high-level meetings with
him since early this year.
Last month’s conflict cemented these divergent approaches among Druze
leadership; the rapid escalation added to the already strong distrust many Druze
felt toward Syria’s new rulers and their Sunni allies, and will likely shape
Druze approaches to Damascus for the foreseeable future. That Druze militias
fired on government forces when they arrived in Suwayda highlights that for many
of the militias, such as the Hijri-supported Suwayda Military Council (SMC) and
the unaffiliated Rijal al-Karama, the entry of government forces into Suwayda
governorate crossed a red line.
In addition, the Defense Ministry dispatched a military contingent to Suwayda
that included numerous foreign fighters, which the Druze saw as provocative,
given the perception that these fighters are among the most hardline Islamists
in the Syrian security forces. That notion was reinforced after foreign fighters
took part in the killing of Alawites in March. The subsequent arrival of
non-government forces to support the Bedouin likewise showed many Suwayda
residents that Sharaa was unable or unwilling to control the behavior of these
forces.
Though a fragile ceasefire still holds, the situation remains tense. The
sectarian nature of the violence and the deep humanitarian needs in Suwayda will
likely harden Druze reluctance to integrate into a unified Syria or surrender
their arms, complicating President Sharaa’s goal of consolidating control over
all of the country. In addition, the clashes have increased intra-Druze
fissures, adding another obstacle to government efforts to integrate Suwayda.
While many observers describe Suwayda dynamics in terms of pro-Hijri or pro-Balous
factions, there is a wide middle ground of viewpoints on integration and how to
engage with Syria’s new leaders. Rijal al-Karama, for example, has been open to
participating in talks with Damascus, but it also defended Suwayda against
Defense Ministry forces. As some analysts have noted, the need for consensus
among the three mashayakh al-aql in Suwayda poses potential risks for Druze
unity moving forward, especially given recent tensions. The opacity and
complexity of decisionmaking by senior Druze—especially among the mashayakh al-aql—adds
to the continued uncertainty about the Druze community’s approach to
integration.
Moreover, while the mashayakh al-aql may rely on consensus-based decisionmaking
in most matters, this has not been true in their responses to this conflict.
Sheikh Hijri has rejected numerous ceasefires negotiated by other local factions
to end the violence or facilitate the government’s humanitarian relief, and
called for external aid to the Druze. Referring to Sharaa’s government, Hijri
stated that “the mask has fallen from the face of this oppressive, tyrannical
ruling gang.” Hijri may feel that his posturing was proven effective when Israel
became involved in the conflict, striking targets from Suwayda to Damascus to
protect the Druze minority against the Syrian government. He may now aim to
capitalize on growing popular anger at the Bedouin and the government, boosting
his influence within the Druze community and in negotiations with Damascus.
Sheikh Jerboa, the Syrian government’s main contact among Druze religious
leaders during recent events in Suwayda, has accused Hijri of monopolizing the
decisionmaking of Druze sheikhs in rejecting the ceasefire agreements. While
this disagreement is rooted primarily in divergent views over engagement with
the government, Jerboa may also see Hijri’s behavior as an attempt to dilute the
influence of the other prominent Druze sheikhs, himself included. According to
reports, Hijri attempted to do this in 2014, allegedly considering adding a
“loyal ally” as a fourth member of the mashayakh al-aql to support his positions
and counter the influence of Jerboa and Hinawi. Hijri reportedly dropped these
efforts after pushback from local notables.
Meanwhile, Balous has maintained his prior stance as a Syrian Arab nationalist
and has vocally rejected Israeli intervention, accusing Hijri of fomenting
internal strife among the Druze and alluding to Hijri’s apparent closeness to
Israel. Yet Balous’s support for the government in Damascus both during and
after the conflict has seriously harmed his standing within Suwayda, and he has
reportedly fled the governorate, possibly due to fear of assassination. The
Suwayda Military Council (SMC), which is aligned with Hijri in advocating for
U.S. and Israeli intervention to protect Syrian Druze, was formed by a military
officer who defected from Assad’s forces in 2015 shortly after the regime fell.
It allegedly killed a top Balous advisor during the recent clashes and
desecrated the tomb of Balous’s slain father, making the recent violence all the
more personal.
Another sign of Balous's weakened local position is that Rijal al-Karama, which
was founded by Laith's father Wahid and of which Laith was a member until 2016,
released a statement distancing itself from him. This was likely issued because
of frequent media reports referring to Laith as the leader of the faction, an
image Rijal al-Karama is clearly seeking to avoid, especially after it lost 50
fighters in clashes against government and Bedouin personnel. Notwithstanding,
the Syrian government in continuing its association with Balous in Suwayda is
banking on his strong family ties there and on common interests.
Support for Damascus Dampened by Sectarian Violence, Humanitarian Needs
Israel’s decision to intervene in Suwayda was driven by political and security
considerations. Israel is home to a small but important Druze community that has
been calling on the government to protect its Syrian coreligionists. Fearing the
potential for another October 7–style attack from Syrian territory, Israel
declared its intent to enforce the demilitarization of Syria south of Damascus.
Its decision to strike near government buildings in Damascus pushed the Syrian
government into de-escalation talks, highlighting Israel’s leverage over the
Sharaa government and demonstrating that such an approach could be effective in
the future in dealing with Damascus. In Suwayda, public sentiment seems to have
hardened against the government in Damascus. More residents are calling for
external intervention, including by Israel, to protect the Druze, as evidenced
by recent demonstrations throughout Suwayda. As relations with Damascus worsen,
openings are emerging for increased Israeli involvement in local affairs. That
involvement, however, may lead to divergent outcomes. It could bolster the
position of those within the Druze community that oppose integration with
Damascus but could also taint that movement as a potential Israeli fifth column
in the eyes of Syrian nationalist Druze and Syrian society at large. Regardless
of the Druze political approach to Damascus, the conflict is continuing to have
a major impact on Suwayda’s residents. The humanitarian needs in Suwayda
following the recent violence are staggering, and there is a risk of broader
instability and spillover, including to the neighboring governorate of Deraa and
across the border into Jordan. According to the UN Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs, at least 192,000 people were displaced, the majority
within Suwayda, and at least 40,000 fled to Deraa. Significant shortages of
electricity, food, and access to potable water remain. The Suwayda National
Hospital has reportedly reached capacity, with corpses piling up outside.
Medical personnel have expressed concern about the spread of disease due to
hospital conditions. Meanwhile, Syrian government media reported early in the
conflict that fuel could not be transported into Suwayda due to the tense
security situation. Weeks later, severe fuel shortages still remain.
Complicating these conditions is Hijri’s recent rejection of a Syrian government
aid convoy as part of his opposition to deploying government forces to Suwayda.
Initially, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent was the sole humanitarian aid
organization allowed to enter the governorate and the first UN aid delegation
arrived only on July 31.
There are signs that the highly sectarian and targeted nature of the recent
violence, along with the resulting humanitarian needs, have caused significant
portions of the Druze population to deepen their opposition to the new Syrian
government—a serious blow to Sharaa’s goal of full integration of minority
communities. During the attacks on the Druze, men’s mustaches, an important part
of Druze cultural pride, were forcibly shaved off, and reports circulated that
Druze were forced to crawl on their hands and knees and labeled as “pigs.”
Druze militias also engaged in sectarian targeting, with the SMC, for example,
accused of killing scores of Bedouin. A photo posted on social media showed a
Druze militiaman standing in front of the body of a Bedouin hanging from a
bridge, while users online celebrated a video showing armed men transporting
dead Bedouin troops on the hoods of their trucks. While Suwayda’s Druze and
neighboring Bedouin had periods of tension in the past—due to disputes over land
ownership and Druze accusations of Bedouin involvement in the Islamic State
attacks in 2018—the recent violence has undoubtedly deepened inter-communal
anxieties and anger. The sectarian and targeted nature of the attacks, coupled
with Suwayda’s dire humanitarian situation and the increased divisions among the
Druze, will almost certainly hamper the government’s ability to court Druze
support for full integration into the state. While it is difficult to assess
public opinion, it appears that Druze opposition to the government in Damascus
has increased. This can be seen not only in the pressure that pushed Balous to
leave Suwayda and in Rijal al-Karama’s forceful rejection of Laith, but also in
the growing civil society protest movement. It is calling out Sharaa’s
government in light of the recent violence and is advancing calls for external
assistance to the Druze. Media reports indicate that Israeli flags have even
been displayed by demonstrators. As anti-integration voices appear to be
ascendant among Suwayda’s Druze, Damascus faces a serious challenge in its
efforts to unify Syria. While Sharaa has made great progress in restoring
Syria’s international standing, his inability to control its various militant
factions may undo the diplomatic victories he has achieved so far.
**Erik Yavorsky is a development assistant with The Washington Institute, having
previously been a research assistant in the Institute’s Linda and Tony Rubin
Program on Arab Politics.
If Iraq Passes the New PMF Law, the U.S. Response Should Be Severe
David Schenker/The Washington Institute/August 07/2025
Permanently enshrining Iran-backed terrorist groups inside the Iraqi state would
be a massive blow to U.S. interests, so Washington’s reaction should be clear,
proportionately harsh, and coordinated with other regional partners who have
likewise been victimized by these groups.
Despite the blows suffered by its regional proxies since 2023, Iran is hardly
abandoning its foreign militia strategy—in fact, it is doubling down on its main
proxy in Iraq, the Popular Mobilization Forces (al-Hashd al-Shabi). In late
July, the various Iran-backed “resistance” brigades in the PMF and their aligned
parties in parliament advanced legislation aimed at further institutionalizing
their military and political presence in Baghdad. The initiative threatens to
undermine Washington’s already tenuous relations with Baghdad.
Outliving Their Mission
The militias that make up the PMF were originally established in 2014 after the
Islamic State captured large swaths of Iraqi territory. With IS on the march,
Iraq’s leading Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, issued a fatwa
calling on Iraqi citizens to fight the Sunni terrorist organization. Thousands
answered the call and fought alongside the Iraqi army and the U.S.-led
coalition. Although Baghdad declared victory over IS in December 2017, nearly
eight years ago, the Hashd remain larger and stronger than ever. Today, the PMF
boasts 238,000 fighters with an annual government budget of $3.6 billion. Its
forces encompass over seventy factions, including a handful of U.S.-designated
terrorist groups, most notably Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, Asaib Ahl al-Haq,
and Kataib Hezbollah. Despite being funded by the Iraqi state, these terrorist
PMF factions are loyal to Iran and remain intently dedicated to expelling U.S.
troops from Iraq.
New PMF Law
On July 16, parliament conducted its final reading of the draft PMF Law, so it
can now bring the bill to a vote at any future session. If passed, the
legislation would enshrine the original single-page 2016 law that established
the PMF as a temporary commission by the prime minister, upgrading the
organization to a permanent arm of the state. It would also formalize the PMF’s
structure, detailing its positions, responsibilities, benefits, and bureaucratic
chains of command. In addition, the law would provide for the establishment of a
separate military academy for the Hashd. And perhaps most controversially, it
would elevate the PMF commander—currently Faleh al-Fayyad, designated by the
U.S. Treasury Department in 2021 for gross human rights abuses—to the rank of
minister and place him on the Ministerial Committee for National Security.
After the draft law had its first reading in January, opponents of the
legislation—including some Kurdish parties and the Sunni Arab Taqaddum
bloc—sought to prevent a second reading by boycotting parliamentary sessions to
prevent a quorum. On July 16, however, the law was apparently added to the
agenda after that day’s session began, when a quorum had already been
established. According to parliamentary procedure, bills that have undergone a
second reading are set for a vote. Although many have long hoped that Baghdad
would take steps to integrate the Hashd into the regular armed forces, the new
law promises to legitimize the organization as an independent, parallel military
structure. In theory, this would make the PMF even more formally and legally
answerable to the prime minister, much like the Ministries of Defense and
Interior. In practice, however, the PMF leadership and “resistance” factions
have been following Tehran’s lead—and targeting Americans and Iraqis—since at
least 2019,when the first Trump administration implemented its sanctions
campaign against Iran. No one can credibly expect that approach to change if a
new law strengthens their influence and institutional fortitude.
Moreover, while the draft law mandates that the PMF maintain an apolitical
orientation, the organization’s Shia leadership and terrorist factions are
deeply sectarian and ideological and make no secret of their inclination toward
the Iranian regime. Indeed, the legislation itself refers to PMF members not as
“soldiers” or “military personnel” but as “mujahedin” (holy warriors).
Differences with Washington
In a July 22 call with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Secretary of
State Marco Rubio expressed concern that the draft PMF Law would
“institutionalize Iranian influence and armed terrorist groups undermining
Iraq’s sovereignty.” Rubio is the latest in a series of senior U.S. officials
spanning multiple administrations to press Baghdad about exerting control over
the PMF. One of the many ways Hashd members have contravened Iraqi government
policy and orders is by repeatedly attacking the U.S. presence, including the
embassy in Baghdad and American forces in the counter-IS coalition. They have
also launched drones into Israel. PMF factions also have a predilection
for targeting Iraqis. They have attempted to assassinate politicians (including
a former prime minister and speaker of parliament), killed journalists,
assaulted peaceful protesters, threatened minorities (e.g., Christian
communities in Nineveh), and used drones to attack energy infrastructure in the
Kurdish Regional Government. Just this past week, Kataib Hezbollah militiamen
attacked a Ministry of Agriculture facility while attempting to prevent the
removal of a sympathetic senior official who had helped them acquire lucrative
interests in major farming areas, killing a police officer and civilian in the
process. Prime Minister Sudani has a different view of the pending
legislation—hardly surprising given that he presides over a fractious government
led by the Iran-backed Coordination Framework, which is essentially the
political arm of the PMF. According to him, the bill is a necessary step in “the
security reform process.” In a recent interview with the Associated Press, he
suggested that the new law would somehow compel the Hashd to abide by Iraqi law
and be “accountable” to the state.
There is no such optimism in Washington. Hashd members have rarely been held
accountable for their crimes against Iraqis or attacks on U.S. military and
diplomatic personnel, and nothing in the draft law indicates this will change.
Indeed, the prevalent U.S. view is that the PMF increasingly resembles Iran’s
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Like the IRGC, the PMF receives funding and
support from the state yet operates independently of state authority, instead
relying on guidance from the Iranian regime while acting with impunity at home
and abroad.
Policy Options
Baghdad’s support for the PMF’s institutionalization will complicate continued
U.S. military cooperation and undermine the already weak prospects for
additional American economic investment in Iraq. Washington has essentially
warned Baghdad that this legislation, if passed, may have consequences. The
pro-Hezbollah Lebanese daily al-Akhbar even reported that the U.S. chargé in
Baghdad, Steven Fagin, recently threatened Sudani with “decisive international
intervention” if his government continues to arm the militias. Absent further
militia attacks on Americans, it is difficult—but not impossible—to imagine the
Trump administration targeting the Hashd militarily. Yet Washington has other
options to signal its disapproval of Iraq’s accelerating slide toward
state-sponsored terrorism:
Expedite the withdrawal of U.S. troops. The United States currently has about
2,500 troops stationed in Iraq as part of the counter-IS coalition. By
agreement, hundreds of these troops are supposed to withdraw by this September,
and the remainder by the end of 2026, followed by a transition to a smaller,
bilateral presence. Meanwhile, PMF factions have threatened to resume targeting
U.S. forces if they are not gone by the end of next month. Given the Sudani
government’s unabashed political and financial support for groups with a track
record of attacking Americans, now might be the time to let Iraq defend itself
by itself. Release intelligence on the Kurdistan strikes. The current Iraqi
government, which counts PMF-aligned politicians among its coalition partners,
has been tasked with investigating the militias’ role in the recent drone
attacks on the Kurdistan Region—an obvious conflict of interest. If Washington
has intelligence confirming PMF involvement in these strikes, it should release
it and shame Baghdad into holding these militias accountable.
Don’t invite Sudani to Washington. It is widely known that the prime minister
wants to visit the United States soon to secure the appearance of America’s
blessing before Iraq’s November parliamentary election. Allowing him to do so
would be ill-advised. Iraqi prime ministers are not normally hosted in
Washington during their reelection campaigns—let alone a premier whose main
coalition supporters are Iran-backed militias who kill Americans. Issue a State
Department warning on commercial ventures. Sudani recently stated that he is
seeking increased U.S. investment in Iraq’s energy sector in order to make “the
two countries great together.” For a host of reasons—principally the difficulty
of doing business in Iraq—U.S. companies have largely chosen not to bid on
contracts there, even in the potentially lucrative energy sector. If the
government strengthens its embrace of terrorist organizations, the State
Department may want to issue an alert warning companies to exercise extreme
caution when considering ventures in Iraq, similar to what it did with
Venezuela. The PMF’s own corporate entity, the Muhandis General Company, is
increasingly involved across the Iraqi economy, so it may be difficult for
American corporations to avoid inadvertently violating sanctions if they do
business there. Hold political parties accountable. The mercurial Shia leader
Muqtada al-Sadr appears to oppose the Hashd law, but he will not have a say if
it comes to a vote, since he resigned his bloc from parliament in 2022. But the
Kurdish parties will have a say. Unfortunately, some of them have voted for
egregious legislation in the past (e.g., lowering the marriage age to nine) in
exchange for Hashd political support on other issues. Washington’s disposition
toward Kurdish parties and other political factions should reflect how they vote
on the PMF Law.
Internationalize the response. Presumably, Washington is not the only capital
irritated by the Iraqi government’s validation of Iran-backed militias. Among
other offenses abroad, the Hashd have attacked targets in Kuwait and Saudi
Arabia, violated Syria’s sovereignty, and threatened Jordan. Sudani is hoping to
improve ties and receive investment from Arab states, but allowing the PMF Law
to pass could undermine these regional integration efforts. Formally designate
Iraq as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. This is the nuclear option and would
likely be counterproductive, driving Iraq further into the arms of Iran, so
hopefully it will not prove necessary. In the meantime, however, the Treasury
Department can and should immediately designate and sanction the Muhandis
General Company and its shell subsidiaries. It should also hold the Iraqi
government accountable for any further contracts agreed to with this entity.
**David Schenker is the Taube Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute,
director of its Rubin Program on Arab Politics, and former assistant secretary
of state for Near Eastern affairs in the first Trump administration.
Conflict, climate
change fuel Africa’s hunger emergency
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/August 07, 2025
While global hunger has shown signs of gradual decline over the past three
years, Africa stands as a painful exception to this trend. A newly released UN
report, “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World,” reveals that
hunger worldwide has been decreasing for a third consecutive year — falling from
8.7 percent in 2022 to 8.2 percent in 2024. However, this progress has not only
bypassed Africa but left the continent further behind. Africa continues to
suffer a disturbing rise in food insecurity.
Across the African continent, the crisis has reached a critical threshold. In
2024, more than one in five people in Africa — over 307 million individuals —
were chronically undernourished. This means millions of people are not getting
enough food to maintain a healthy and active life, with children particularly
vulnerable to stunted growth, cognitive impairment, and increased risk of death.
The number is not merely a statistic; it reflects daily suffering, malnutrition,
and the erosion of human dignity on a vast scale. Almost 1 billion Africans,
roughly two-thirds of the continent’s population, cannot afford a healthy diet.
This inability to access balanced, nutritious food is not only a humanitarian
crisis, but also a serious threat to public health, economic development, and
political stability. In many countries, the burden of food insecurity
disproportionately affects women and children, especially in rural areas, where
food access is often limited by geography, infrastructure, and entrenched
inequality. More than 50 percent of Africa’s population now experiences moderate
or severe food insecurity — a rate higher than in any other region of the world,
and more than double the global average. And the future appears bleak. If
current trends persist, projections indicate that by 2030, Africa will account
for nearly 60 percent of the 512 million chronically undernourished people
worldwide.
Understanding why hunger is rising in Africa requires a deeper look at the
multiple forces fueling this crisis. Chief among these are armed conflict,
climate change, and economic instability — each of which not only contributes
independently to food insecurity but also exacerbates the others, creating a
dangerous feedback loop that is pushing millions to the edge of survival. Armed
conflict is one of the most immediate and devastating drivers of hunger across
Africa. From the Horn of Africa to the Sahel, from eastern Democratic Republic
of Congo to the war-torn regions of Sudan, violence has uprooted families,
destroyed crops, and disrupted trade and food distribution networks. In Sudan,
for example, brutal fighting has led to famine-like conditions in parts and
among populations living in displacement camps. Skyrocketing prices have made
food inaccessible to millions
Beyond conflict, climate change has become a relentless and unignorable force
driving hunger across the continent. Africa is disproportionately affected by
global warming, even though it contributes the least to greenhouse gas
emissions. Recurrent droughts, erratic rainfall, desertification, and extreme
weather events have severely undermined agricultural output in multiple regions.
Eastern and southern Africa have been particularly hard-hit by climate-related
disasters. Somalia has experienced one of the worst droughts in its history,
affecting nearly half its population and leading to large-scale displacement.
In the Horn of Africa and southern Madagascar, failed rainy seasons have wiped
out crops and livestock, leading to food shortages that stretch from village
markets to urban centers. Desertification now affects almost half the continent,
making formerly fertile lands barren and unusable. At the same time, rising
temperatures and increased frequency of floods and cyclones are damaging
infrastructure, contaminating water sources, and leaving already vulnerable
communities exposed to diseases and hunger. As climate change continues to
escalate, the risks to Africa’s food security will multiply unless decisive
adaptation strategies are implemented. Compounding the effects of conflict and
climate change is a profound and persistent economic instability. While food
might be available in some markets, skyrocketing prices have made it
inaccessible to millions. The impact of global food price inflation has been
most severe in Africa, where a large portion of the population lives on less
than $2 a day.
The result is simple, but devastating: Even when food is available, people
cannot afford to buy it. In addition, structural issues, such as poor
infrastructure, inefficient food systems, and underinvestment in agriculture,
further weaken food security. For instance, food in Africa often travels vast
distances, sometimes over 4,000 km, taking more than three weeks to reach
markets. In this time, a third of perishable food is lost. Without improvements
in storage, transportation, and market access, food losses will continue to
erode already fragile food security. At the same time, population growth is
outpacing gains in agricultural productivity, making it increasingly difficult
for nations to feed their citizens. These interwoven crises cannot be solved by
emergency food aid alone. What Africa needs is a comprehensive, holistic
approach that addresses both the immediate needs of hungry populations and the
structural causes of food insecurity. To reverse the current trajectory, a broad
spectrum of coordinated actions must be undertaken at the local, national, and
international levels. A first and urgent priority is to promote peace and
enhance humanitarian access in conflict zones. Without the restoration of
security and stability, food aid will continue to be blocked, and agricultural
activities will remain suspended. Peacebuilding initiatives, support for
ceasefire agreements, and diplomatic interventions are essential. At the same
time, governments and armed groups must allow unhindered access to humanitarian
organizations, enabling them to reach displaced and starving populations with
food, water, and medical care.
Population growth is outpacing gains in productivity
In parallel, Africa must invest in climate-resilient agriculture. This means
shifting from rain-fed farming to more sustainable irrigation systems, promoting
the use of drought-resistant crops, and training farmers in climate-smart
practices. Water conservation, soil restoration, and reforestation efforts must
be scaled up. Governments should build early warning systems to detect and
respond to droughts, floods, and crop failures before they spiral into crises.
These adaptation strategies are no longer optional; they are necessary to
protect lives and livelihoods in an era of climate volatility.
Efforts must also focus on rebuilding Africa’s broken food systems. This
includes improving rural infrastructure to reduce transport times and spoilage,
increasing investment in agricultural research, and empowering smallholder
farmers with access to credit, land, and modern farming technologies.
Governments must create favorable policies that promote local food production
and reduce dependency on imports. At the same time, regional cooperation is
needed to create cross-border food corridors, enabling countries to share
resources and stabilize prices during times of shortage.
Economic reforms and social safety nets are also essential. Countries must
prioritize macroeconomic stability, manage debt burdens, and control inflation
to protect household purchasing power. Meanwhile, social protection programs,
such as cash transfers, subsidized food markets, school feeding programs, and
nutrition programs for pregnant women and children, should be expanded. These
programs protect the most vulnerable and also strengthen communities’ ability to
withstand shocks. Finally, a meaningful response to Africa’s hunger crisis
requires robust international cooperation and increased financial support. The
World Food Programme has called for $5.7 billion in additional funding to meet
urgent needs, but donor contributions remain far below target. Humanitarian
efforts must be linked to long-term development strategies to build resilience,
reduce dependency on aid, and create lasting change. The international community
must treat Africa’s hunger crisis not as a peripheral issue but as a central
test of global solidarity and shared responsibility. In conclusion, the rise of
hunger in Africa is a profound moral and political challenge. It is a crisis
born from conflict, intensified by climate change, and worsened by economic
vulnerability. As the rest of the world makes strides in reducing hunger, Africa
is falling deeper into distress. Failure to act decisively will not only lead to
the suffering of hundreds of millions, but also undermine global progress toward
ending hunger everywhere. The time to act is now. Africa must not be left
behind.
• Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian American political
scientist.
The critical groundwork needed to win the AI race
Javier Alvarez/Arab News/August 07, 2025
Artificial intelligence has become a high-stakes global race that everyone is
watching closely. But far from merely leading the race, Saudi Arabia has set out
to help design the racetrack. While most countries are debating regulations and
scrambling for compute, the Kingdom is building a vertically integrated AI
engine at an unprecedented scale, from sovereign data centers and large chips
procurement deals to venture capital and large language models. Saudi Arabia is
executing a top down play to become a global force in AI. And it is moving fast.
AI is more than algorithms. The critical groundwork lies in digital
infrastructure, reliable data, regulatory alignment, and talent. Saudi Arabia
understands this better than most, and is moving with intent to shape the global
AI landscape. At the center of this strategy is Humain, the newly launched
state-owned infrastructure titan, with multi-gigawatt ambitions, hundreds of
thousands of chip orders, and partnerships spanning NVDIA, AMD, and Qualcomm.
Complemented by an additional $10 billion in venture capital, the Kingdom is
committed to scalability. It offers abundant and low-cost energy for AI compute,
making the entire AI system not only viable but globally competitive. In
addition to projects with Google Cloud and Groq’s new Riyadh region, Humain aims
to become one of the world’s largest AI infrastructure providers. Its first
phase includes scaling capacity to support 6.6GW by 2034, including 18,000
Nvidia Blackwell chips. Humain represents more than its tens of billions of
dollars of investments; it signals to the AI world what few countries can claim:
intent backed by execution at scale.
AI is nothing without digital infrastructure. High-performance computing
centers, specialized data hubs, fiber deployments, and energy-efficient hardware
are the foundation on which this technology thrives. Saudi Arabia recognizes
this and is backing ambitions with one of the most aggressive infrastructure
buildouts globally. If AI infrastructure is the engine, data is the fuel.
Indeed, the quality of it determines how far you can go. The more relevant and
robust the datasets, the sharper and more contextually aware the AI. Unlike
countries that use foreign cloud providers for data storage and processing
outside their borders, Saudi Arabia is treating data as a sovereign asset, where
it should remain under national domains.
Owning specialized and well-structured data means owning your future in AI. It
is a simple, yet powerful, formula: Proprietary data equals competitive
advantage. AI is more than algorithms. The critical groundwork lies in digital
infrastructure, reliable data, regulatory alignment, and talent. Saudi Arabia
understands this better than most. A bank that uses its own transactional data
to train an AI fraud detection tool will always outperform one using general,
third-party datasets. This is the kind of edge the Kingdom is building into its
national and business-level frameworks. Through upcoming legislation, AI
companies will be regulated under the laws of their country of origin — an
ambitious attempt to balance openness with compliance and trust. This data
strategy is not isolated from the infrastructure, which in Saudi Arabia will
give clients full visibility on how their data is used and processed in real
time. Transparency by design is Saudi Arabia’s approach through a globalized
world of data scrutiny and regulation. Saudi Arabia’s AI efforts are not solely
focused on servers, chips, and top-notch infrastructure, but are also about
shaping the future workforce and their skills. Initiatives led by the Saudi Data
and Artificial Intelligence Authority and major partnerships with global tech
leaders are helping to build talent pipelines that match the scale of
infrastructure investments.
One of the key challenges remains the global shortage of skilled AI
professionals. Education initiatives in Saudi universities are a long-term fix,
but for now, the Kingdom will have to continue attracting world-class tech
talent. The UAE ranks higher in AI talent attraction globally, but Saudi Arabia
is rapidly narrowing the gap. Saudi Arabia’s focus on creating locally trained
models in Arabic like ALLaM is a strategic move to avoid reliance on AI systems
that do not represent regional cultures or languages accurately. By owning the
regulation process and embedding an AI framework that prioritizes transparency
and ethical considerations, the Kingdom ensures that AI adoption comes with
accountability and responsibility for all its stakeholders. The global AI race
is heating up, yes, and the path to leadership is paved by smart, steady, and
strategic decisions. Saudi Arabia’s investments in infrastructure, data
sovereignty, clear regulation, and education initiatives are the foundation
stones for what could become one of the most advanced AI ecosystems in the
world.
• Javier Alvarez is senior managing director & technology head for the Middle
East at FTI Delta
Selected tweets for 07
August/2025
Swedish_Druze
Laith Al-Balous represents his own dirty self!
UN will hold a meeting with Laith Al-Balous in his capacity as a representative
of Sweida. The date of the meeting is Saturday 8/9/2025. Today we speak on
behalf of the honorable people of Sweida. This person was a major cause of the
massacres in Sweida and Sahnaya, as he coordinated with the de facto authority
and their militias and betrayed his family and people in several ways. He was
the first person to enter public security through illegal means that only the
people of the region know. He committed the most heinous massacres against our
people, children and the elderly, in addition to the acts of looting, theft, and
burning the homes of safe civilians and killing them in cold blood, which is
difficult to describe. Therefore, I hope to generalize and mention again that
this person only represents himself, even his family and family members disowned
him.
Dr. Sheila Nazarian
https://x.com/i/status/1953131784788689388
Hamas is not fighting for Palestinian freedom. It is fighting for the
destruction of Israel.
They are starving hostages. Denying Red Cross access. Using innocent lives as
leverage to manipulate world opinion and hold onto power.
The only way to bring the hostages home is by force. It is heartbreaking. But it
is the only path left.
Swedish_Druze
will hold a meeting with Laith Al-Balous in his capacity as a representative of
Sweida. The date of the meeting is Saturday 8/9/2025. Today we speak on behalf
of the honorable people of Sweida. This person was a major cause of the
massacres in Sweida and Sahnaya, as he coordinated with the de facto authority
and their militias and betrayed his family and people in several ways. He was
the first person to enter public security through illegal means that only the
people of the region know. He committed the most heinous massacres against our
people, children and the elderly, in addition to the acts of looting, theft, and
burning the homes of safe civilians and killing them in cold blood, which is
difficult to describe. Therefore, I hope to generalize and mention again that
this person only represents himself, even his family and family members disowned
him.
Elie Abu Aoun
Hezbollah is rapidly sliding toward a Sunni-Shia sectarian strife that it has
long boasted of avoiding. Such a confrontation, if it happens, will spare
neither the Sunnis nor the Shias, and will have severe and indiscriminate
repercussions on the whole country. Historical accountability will fall on the
Shiite political leadership and its partisans for precipitating a collective
suicide. Hezbollah's dangerous course is obviously driven by the direct
tutorship of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard over its political decisions.
Roger Bejjani
Anything short of arresting Naïm Kassem, Wafic Safa, Salim Ayach and of course
banning HZB as an organization (like the Nazis and Ba’ath were banned), will not
solve our dire situation. Trying to find common grounds with a terrorist
organization that has killed Rafic Hariri and tens of others including Pierre
Gemayel, Wissam Eid, Wissam El Hassan, Mohamad Chatah and Lokman Slim….and has
caused 2 times the destruction of Lebanon and has been the main if not the only
cause of our financial meltdown…..is criminal and irresponsible.