English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For  August 14/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
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Bible Quotations For today
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith

Matthew 23/23-26: “‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practised without neglecting the others. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel! ‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may become clean.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on August 13-14/2025
Gebran Bassil’s New Stance Against Hezbollah’s Weapons: A Pinnacle of Hypocrisy, Opportunism, and Deadly Narcissism/Elias Bejjani/August 13/2025
Larijani’s Visit to Lebanon: A Brazen Iranian Provocation and an Insult to the State and People/Elias Bejjani/August 12/2025
Engineer Alfred Madi: We demand the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador from Lebanon and the severance of diplomatic relations with Iran…
Iran security chief meets Lebanese officials, vows continued 'support' for country
President Aoun reaffirms Lebanon’s rejection of foreign interference during talks with Iranian official
No Armed Groups Allowed in Lebanon, President Tells Hezbollah’s Ally Iran
Larijani in Beirut amid Wave of Lebanese Objections against Iranian Meddling
Lebanon President Rejects ‘Seeking Foreign Help’
Larijani says US not Iran intervening in Lebanese affairs
Report: Army chief refuses clash with Hezbollah as army prepares four-stage plan
Report: Army-Hezbollah panel to be formed to implement disarmament plan
Report: Israel, US agree to extending UNIFIL's mandate for one last time
Berri says Hezbollah 'has not ended'
How Can We Understand Hezbollah’s Intransigence over Its Weapons?/Nadim Koteich/Asharq Al Awsat/August 13/2025

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 13-14/2025
Israel on Alert for Potential Iranian Attack
Israeli Army Approves Plan for New Gaza Offensive as Israeli Fire Kills at Least 25
UN Says Has ‘Credible’ Evidence Israeli Forces Sexually Abused Detained Palestinians
Controversy Over Appointment of Palestinian Figure to Run Gaza Strip
Mediators Offer Hamas Plan to Close Gaps in Gaza Truce Talks
Hamas says Israel making 'aggressive' incursions into Gaza City
Netanyahu Hints That Gaza Ceasefire Talks Now Focus on the Release of All Hostages at Once
Syria, Jordan, US Agree to Back Ceasefire Enforcement in Sweida
Syrian Red Crescent delivers humanitarian relief to Sweida
Türkiye, Syria Sign Defense Cooperation MoU after Ankara Talks
German Chancellor Says European Leaders and Zelenskyy Had ‘Constructive’ Meeting with Trump
What to Know About the Putin-Trump Summit in Alaska

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on August 13-14/2025
Congressional Funding Increase Not Enough to Strengthen State Department/Ben Fishman/The Washington Institute/August 13/2025
How “Day After” Governance of Gaza Can Draw from Existing Plans/James Jeffrey/The Washington Institute/August 13/2025
Spain is an Example to the World/Omar G. Encarnación/The New York Times/Awsat/August 13/2025
The Alaska Summit: Signals and Subtexts/Emile Ameen/Asharq Al Awsat/August 14/2025
Israel, Protector of the West, Treacherously Undermined by France, UK, Canada and Australia/Lawrence A. Franklin/Gatestone Institute./August 13, 2025
Selected tweets for 13 August/2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on August 13-14/2025
Gebran Bassil’s New Stance Against Hezbollah’s Weapons: A Pinnacle of Hypocrisy, Opportunism, and Deadly Narcissism
Elias Bejjani/August 13/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/146232/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1DN7AChDVU
Gebran Bassil in political life can only be described as a fraud, a hypocrite, a chameleon, and utterly corrupt to the core. He did not enter public affairs and politics through merit or achievement, but because he is the son-in-law of General Michel Aoun, and because Hezbollah decided to grant him political cover in exchange for selling Lebanon’s sovereignty and providing Christian legitimacy to the weapons of Iran’s terrorist jihadist militia.
The U.S. administration did not place him on the Magnitsky sanctions list for nothing. That came after investigations confirmed his involvement in political and financial corruption, shady deals, and power-sharing arrangements at the expense of the Lebanese people. Today, in a blatantly deceitful maneuver, he tries to rebrand himself to Christians and Americans, claiming to stand with the Lebanese state against Hezbollah’s weapons. Yet even in this so-called “opposition,” he continues to tie the survival of those weapons to the falsehood of a so-called “defense strategy” and the tired heresy of “preserving Lebanon’s strength” through the arms of Iran’s militia.
The Dark History of Alliance with Hezbollah
The undeniable truth—untouched by any speech or press conference—is that Bassil and his Father In law Michel Aoun entered into a strategic alliance with Hezbollah upon signing the "Mar Mikhael Agreement", on February 6, 2006. This agreement was a coup against Lebanon’s independence, explicitly stating:
Clause 4: “The weapons of the resistance are an honorable and necessary means of defending Lebanon…”
Clause 5: “The future of the resistance’s weapons cannot be discussed until the Israeli threat is gone and a capable state is established…”
This language, endorsed by Aoun and Bassil, tied the fate of Hezbollah’s arsenal to the existence of Israel and effectively nullified any commitment to U.N. resolutions—especially Resolution 1559, which calls for the disbanding of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias. Worse still, the agreement whitewashed the Syrian occupation of Lebanon, describing it as “an experience marred by some mistakes,” thus absolving the Assad regime that murdered, assassinated, and occupied Lebanon for three decades.
Complicity in Wars and Internal Coups
Aoun, with Bassil behind him, backed Hezbollah in the 2006 July War, granting it full political cover despite the immense destruction it brought upon Lebanon. In May 2008, when Hezbollah invaded Beirut and the Chouf Mountains, Aoun stood by the militia against fellow Lebanese.
Most dangerously, Michel Aoun stood against the Lebanese Army, declaring more than once that the army could not protect Lebanon and that real protection was in Hezbollah’s hands. His brazenness peaked when Hezbollah killed Lebanese Army pilot Samer Hanna in the south; Aoun shamelessly asked in public: “What was Samer Hanna doing in the south where Hezbollah holds authority?” He even visited the so-called “Resistance Museum” in Mlita alongside MP Mohammad Raad, declaring Hezbollah the “protector of the homeland,” a clear message that the national army was not Lebanon’s shield—Hezbollah was.
Betraying the Christians and Aligning with Murderers
Bassil frequently grandstands about Christian rights, yet in practice, he has betrayed them at every political juncture. He allied with the criminal Assad regime, which displaced Christians from their towns, destroyed villages, and emptied entire areas of their population. He also supported schemes to grant citizenship to non-entitled individuals—registered by Assad’s regime and its Lebanese proxies—tens of thousands of whom were placed in Christian areas, skewing demographics and weakening Christian political weight.
An Enemy of the Lebanese Diaspora
Bassil’s hostility toward Lebanese expatriates was made clear in his position on their voting rights. He opposed allowing them to vote for all 128 MPs in their home districts, siding with Hezbollah and Nabih Berri in the absurdity of limiting them to electing only six MPs—an impractical and illusory scheme.
This electoral conspiracy was designed primarily to reduce the influence of expatriates, most of whom are Christians who oppose Hezbollah and distrust Bassil. It proves that Bassil cares neither for Christian rights nor for the rights of Lebanese abroad, but only for the political benefits secured through his alliances with Berri and Hezbollah.
A Shame Parliamentary Representation
Bassil’s entire parliamentary and political stature stems from Hezbollah’s backing, not from any genuine popular mandate or national achievements. He represents neither the conscience, identity, nor history of Lebanese Christians. He is the epitome of the opportunistic politician who changes positions as easily as changing clothes, in pursuit of personal and political gain—even if the cost is selling sovereignty, betraying national partnership, and granting Christian cover to the most destructive project Lebanon has seen in its modern history.
Conclusion
After Gebran Bassil, along with his Father In law Michel Aoun, has been stripped bare and their dark history of selling sovereignty, identity, and independence—while allying with Hezbollah and the Assad regime—has been exposed, it is baffling that any Lebanese citizens, especially in the Diaspora, still support them. In our humble opinion, these misguided individuals should seek the nearest clinic specialized in mental and psychological disorders.

Larijani’s Visit to Lebanon: A Brazen Iranian Provocation and an Insult to the State and People
Elias Bejjani/August 12/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/146171/
In a move that represents the height of provocation, arrogance, and domination, the Secretary-General of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, is preparing to visit Lebanon next Wednesday. This visit is entirely unwelcome and firmly rejected by most Lebanese at the popular, political, and official levels—especially in light of his recent statements, which constitute blatant interference in Lebanese internal affairs and a direct challenge to the constitution, laws, and international resolutions.
In an openly insolent and shameless remark, Larijani declared: “Iran will not allow Hezbollah to hand over its weapons to the Lebanese state.” This is a blunt rejection of the Lebanese constitution, United Nations Security Council resolutions—chief among them Resolution 1701—and the recent ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Hezbollah. It is also a direct insult to Lebanon’s state institutions and its army.
The matter does not stop with Larijani. Other Iranian officials, before and after him, have made similar remarks. Among them is the Supreme Leader’s advisor, who recently stated: “Hezbollah’s weapons are the guarantee of Lebanon’s strength and will not be handed over to anyone.” This statement entrenches Tehran’s role as Lebanon’s self-appointed guardian and confirms Hezbollah’s full alignment with the Iranian project—at the expense of the state’s sovereignty and unity. Inside Lebanon, Hezbollah leaders have escalated their defiant rhetoric. MP Mohammad Raad declared: “Our weapons are our honor and our destiny, and whoever demands their removal is demanding the elimination of our existence.” He accompanied this with Karbala-style doctrinal and suicidal overtones in an attempt to give a false sacred character to an Iranian–military project that is destroying Lebanon.
Why Should Larijani’s Visit Be Rejected?
Because he incites Hezbollah against the Lebanese government and legitimizes illegal weapons that threaten national unity and civil peace.
Because he represents the security and ideological arm of Iran’s project in Lebanon, aimed at turning it into a forward base for the IRGC.
Because his statements are a direct insult to Lebanon’s sovereignty, its president, and its institutions—and his visit sends a clear message of defiance to the international community and outright rejection of implementing UN resolutions.
What Must Be Done Immediately
A clear and explicit governmental decision must be issued to refuse Larijani’s entry into Lebanon. An official message should be sent to Tehran making it clear that interference in Lebanese affairs is completely unacceptable. Moreover, it has become a national necessity to sever diplomatic and political ties with Iran until it stops supporting terrorist militias at the expense of the Lebanese state.
The fact remains that Iran is a cancer devouring the body of Lebanon, and Hezbollah is its deadly tool. Eradicating this cancer begins with rejecting any political or protocol legitimization for its figures and with official and popular action to end the Iranian occupation disguised under the false slogan and trade of so-called “resistance.”
In conclusion, the majority of the Lebanese people seek peace, and the restoration of their country’s sovereignty, independence, and freedom. These aspirations will not be realized as long as the national decision is held hostage in Tehran, as long as Hezbollah’s illegal terrorist and jihadist weapons remain above the law, and as long as visits by Iranian officials occur as though Lebanon were a province belonging to the mullahs’ regime.

Engineer Alfred Madi: We demand the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador from Lebanon and the severance of diplomatic relations with Iran…
Head of the “Other Option” Movement, Engineer Alfred Madi/Facebook/August 13, 2025

https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/146210/
After the “brilliant success” Hezbollah achieved in “defending” Lebanon, which resulted in:
The killing of all first-, second-, and third-tier leaders, along with more than 15,000 dead and wounded;
The destruction and displacement of all of South Lebanon, half of the southern suburbs, and part of Baalbek-Hermel;
The crippling of Lebanon’s economy;
And given that Iran, with its 70 million citizens, could not stand up to Israel, which has only 7 million citizens;
And after the statements by Araghchi, Larijani, Bagheri, Velayati, and Masjedi rejecting the handover of Hezbollah’s weapons to the Lebanese state;
And since Hezbollah does not recognize the existence of Lebanon and instead follows the doctrine of Wilayat al-Faqih (the rule of the jurist);
The Lebanese authorities should never have allowed Larijani to enter Lebanon, and certainly none of the pillars of the state should have received him.
I therefore call for:
The expulsion of the Iranian ambassador from Lebanon;
The severance of diplomatic relations with Iran;
The dispatch of all Hezbollah members to Iran so they can “defend” us the same way they so successfully “defended” Lebanon!
As for us—we will take full responsibility for Lebanon’s security and protection!

Iran security chief meets Lebanese officials, vows continued 'support' for country
Agence France Presse/August 13, 2025
Iran's top security chief vowed in Lebanon on Wednesday that his government would continue to provide support, after the Lebanese government ordered the army to devise a plan to disarm Tehran-backed Hezbollah. Ali Larijani's trip to Lebanon comes after Iran expressed opposition to a government plan to disarm Hezbollah, which before a war with Israel last year was believed to be better armed than the Lebanese military. "If... the Lebanese people are suffering, we in Iran will also feel this pain and we will stand by the dear people of Lebanon in all circumstances," Larijani, the head of the National Security Council, told reporters after landing in Beirut. Dozens of Hezbollah supporters gathered along the airport road to welcome Larijani. He briefly stepped out of his car to greet them as they chanted slogans of support. Larijani later held a one-hour meeting with President Joseph Aoun before heading to Ain el-Tineh for talks with Speaker Nabih Berri, who is close to Hezbollah. He is also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Hezbollah's leadership. Iran has suffered a series of blows in its long-running rivalry with Israel, including during 12 days of open war between the two countries in June. Hezbollah's grip on power has slipped since a war with Israel ended in a November 2024 ceasefire and the new Lebanese government, backed by the United States, has moved to further restrain it.Hezbollah is part of Iran's so-called "axis of resistance" -- a network of armed groups in the region, including Hamas in Gaza and Yemen's Houthi rebels, united in their opposition to Israel. The ouster in December of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, which long served as a conduit for weapons deliveries between Iran and Hezbollah, cut off the supply route to Lebanon.Iran has declared its firm opposition to the Lebanese government's bid to disarm Hezbollah, while the group itself has slammed the decision as a "grave sin."

President Aoun reaffirms Lebanon’s rejection of foreign interference during talks with Iranian official
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/August 13, 2025
BEIRUT: Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, affirmed on Wednesday Tehran’s support for the Lebanese government and its decisions, emphasizing that his statement “expresses the official Iranian position toward Lebanon.”However, he pointed out that “the US is the one that came up with a proposal paper for powerful and independent countries in the region, which do not need to take orders from across the oceans.”His statements came during his visit to Beirut after diplomatic tensions were stirred by statements by Iranian officials in which they declared their rejection of plans to disarm Hezbollah. The Iran-backed group was severely weakened by the assassination of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, along with senior officials and the destruction of its military infrastructure during the war with Israel. Nawaf Salam, prime minister of Lebanon, issued a decision last week to restrict arms to the Lebanese state and to assign to the Lebanese army the task of developing an implementation plan to present to the Cabinet by the end of the month. He called for the decision to be implemented before the end of the year. Larijani’s visit was met by Lebanese officials who took a high-pitched tone against Iranian interference in Lebanese affairs. Reiterating his country’s rejection of foreign interference, President Joseph Aoun informed the Iranian official that “Lebanon is willing to cooperate with Iran within the limits of sovereignty and friendship based on mutual respect.”He noted that “the language Lebanon has heard recently from some Iranian officials is unhelpful.”Aoun told Larijani that the relations between the two countries should not be through one sect or one Lebanese component, but with all Lebanese. He said that Lebanon is the “ultimate homeland for all its citizens, whether Christians or Muslims, and the Lebanese state, through its constitutional and security institutions, is responsible for protecting all Lebanese components.”According to a statement from the Lebanese presidency, Aoun said: “We reject any interference in our internal affairs from any party, and we want the Lebanese arena to remain safe and stable in the interest of all Lebanese without discrimination.”Referring to the decision to disarm Hezbollah, Aoun told the Iranian official: “If, throughout Lebanese history, some sought strength from abroad against others inside, everyone paid a high price. The lesson learned by the Lebanese is that it is not allowed for any party, without exception, to bear arms and use foreign backing as leverage against another Lebanese.”
He said the constitutional institutions are the official representatives of the Lebanese people that safeguard the interests of the state. “If the Islamic Republic of Iran seeks to achieve its major interests, this is natural, but we in Lebanon seek to achieve our own interests.”
The Lebanese president stressed that the unity of the Lebanese people is the best way to overcome any challenges coming from Israel or other parties, which affect all Lebanese, not just one group. “This is what we are working for, and we hope to receive the necessary cooperation, especially since we will not hesitate to accept any assistance in this regard,” Aoun said. A political source close to Larijani in Beirut told Arab News that the Iranian official, who arrived in Lebanon following a visit to Iraq, sought to reinforce Tehran’s regional influence. But faced with resistance, he was compelled to stress in Beirut that Iran now seeks equal relations between states, after years of treating Lebanon as an extension of its regional axis.According to a statement issued after the meeting with Aoun, Larijani informed the president of Tehran’s desire to assist Lebanon’s postwar reconstruction efforts, proposing the creation of a fund to rebuild areas damaged by Israeli aggression and expressing his country’s willingness to contribute to it.
Aoun welcomed the Iranian offer of assistance but simultaneously emphasized that such support must be channeled through Lebanese state institutions, not directed to any specific party or sect, sources added, in reference to the direct aid Hezbollah has received from Iran.
In a statement after his meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally and the party’s key negotiator with the US on the ceasefire implementation mechanism with Israel, Larijani said: “Through friendly, comprehensive, and serious dialogue within Lebanon, the country can reach sound decisions, and through dialogue with the resistance (Hezbollah) it can make the most appropriate decision. “The resistance has a deep sense and strong strategic thinking, and we do not emphasize orders through which a specific timetable is set. We advise you to preserve the resistance. Israel has become a predatory animal, but Hezbollah stands up to it,” he added. Larijani’s arrival in Beirut on Wednesday morning was preceded by political discontent, triggering calls for Lebanese officials to refuse to meet with him. Ali Akbar Velayati, senior adviser to the Iranian supreme leader, said last Saturday that Iran strongly opposes the Lebanese government’s decision to disarm Hezbollah, considering that its fate would be “failure, and the resistance will stand firm in the face of these conspiracies,” Tasnim News Agency reported. Larijani’s visit included two extensive meetings at the Iranian embassy in Beirut: the first with Lebanese religious and political figures; and the second with Lebanese and Palestinian parliamentary, political, and party figures, according to the Iranian embassy in Beirut. The meeting between Larijani and Salam took place later in the day, following a Lebanese cabinet session that lasted several hours as ministers worked through a heavy agenda of service and administrative items, before adjourning for a two-week suspension. Ministers from the Amal Movement and Hezbollah attended the session, indicating that they were not planning to resign, as previously reported, in protest against the government’s arms control decision taken last week. Dozens of Hezbollah supporters waited on the road to Beirut airport for Larijani’s arrival, chanting anti-American slogans and rejecting “humiliation.”

No Armed Groups Allowed in Lebanon, President Tells Hezbollah’s Ally Iran
Asharq Al Awsat/August 13/2025
No group in Lebanon is permitted to bear arms or rely on foreign backing, its president told a visiting senior Iranian official on Wednesday after the cabinet approved the goals of a US-backed roadmap to disarm the Iran-aligned Hezbollah group. During a meeting in Beirut with Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's top security body, Joseph Aoun warned against foreign interference in Lebanon's internal affairs, saying the country was open to cooperation with Iran but only within the bounds of national sovereignty and mutual respect. Larijani said the Islamic Republic supports Lebanon’s sovereignty and does not interfere in its decision-making. "Any decision taken by the Lebanese government in consultation with the resistance is respected by us," he said after separate talks with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, whose Amal movement is an ally of Hezbollah.
By "resistance", Larijani was alluding to Hezbollah, which was founded in 1982, grew into a "state-within-a-state" force better armed than the Lebanese army and has repeatedly fought Israel over the decades. "Iran didn't bring any plan to Lebanon, the US did. Those intervening in Lebanese affairs are those dictating plans and deadlines", said Larijani. He said Lebanon should not "mix its enemies with its friends - your enemy is Israel, your friend is the resistance ... I recommend to Lebanon to always appreciate the value of resistance." Later on Wednesday, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said after meeting Larijani that recent remarks on Lebanon by Iranian officials including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi were totally rejected by his government. He said the comments constituted a "violation" of the principle of mutual state sovereignty. Last week, Araghchi said Tehran supported any decision Hezbollah made and this was not the first attempt to strip the group of its arsenal. Ali Akbar Velayati, top adviser to Iran's supreme leader, also criticized the Lebanese government's move on disarmament. "If Hezbollah lays down its weapons, who will defend the lives, property, and honor of the Lebanese?" he said. The US submitted a plan through President Donald Trump's envoy to the region, Tom Barrack, setting out the most detailed steps yet for disarming Hezbollah, which has rejected mounting calls to disarm since its devastating war with Israel last year. Hezbollah has rejected repeated calls to relinquish its weaponry although it was seriously weakened in the war, with Israel killing most of its leadership in airstrikes and bombings. It was the climax of a conflict that began in October 2023 when the group opened fire at Israeli positions along Lebanon's southern frontier in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas at the start of the Gaza war. Aoun also said recent remarks by some Iranian officials had not been helpful, and reaffirmed that the Lebanese state and its armed forces were solely responsible for protecting all citizens.

Larijani in Beirut amid Wave of Lebanese Objections against Iranian Meddling
Beirut: Caroline Akoum/Asharq Al Awsat/August 13/2025
Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani arrived in Beirut on Wednesday amid a wave of objections by Lebanese officials over Tehran’s continued “meddling” in their country’s internal affairs. Iranian officials recently rejected the Lebanese government’s decision last week to disarm Tehran-backed Hezbollah in what Lebanese officials viewed as foreign interference.Larijani, flying in from Iraq, is set to meet with President Joseph Aoun, parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. No meeting has been scheduled with Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi, revealed sources from the Foreign Ministry. They told Asharq Al-Awsat that Larijani did not ask for a meeting with Raggi and had he done so, his request would have been rejected in wake of the “unacceptable” statements by Iranian officials over the government’s disarmament decision.
Last week, Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior advisor to Iran's supreme leader, said the government’s move to disarm the group “will fail”.“Iran rejects the disarmament of Hezbollah and it has long supported the Lebanese people and their resistance. It continues to do so today,” he added. “This is not the first time that such ideas are floated in Lebanon, but they have failed and they will fail again,” he stressed. “The resistance [Hezbollah] will withstand these conspiracies.”Raggi, a vocal critic of Iran’s meddling in Lebanon, was quick to condemn his remarks. “Some Iranian officials have gone too far in making suspicious comments about Lebanon’s internal decisions. We will not accept these Iranian practices,” he said.“No party has the right to speak on behalf of the Lebanese people or claim to have authority over their sovereign decisions,” he stated. It remains to be seen what Larijani’s visit holds, said sources close to the president. They told Asharq Al-Awsat that Aoun will likely repeat to his guest the “firm principled positions” he continues to uphold. In February, Aoun met with an Iranian delegation, informing them that “Lebanon has grown weary of others waging their wars on its territory.” Meanwhile, Lebanese officials have criticized Larijani’s visit, with some demanding that he be turned away. Democratic Gathering MP Bilal Abdullah said of some foreign visitors: “They should give Lebanon a break.”“We have had enough of others’ wars on our country,” he told local radio. In an indirect reference to US envoy Tom Barrack’s visit to Lebanon next week, he hoped that he would urge Israel to stop its violations of Lebanese sovereignty and end its daily assassinations. Democratic Gathering MP Akram Chehayeb condemned in a post on X the visits by Iranian officials and “their decision to again meddle in Lebanon after everything that has happened.” He dismissed their remarks as “delusions” and “unrealistic”, adding: “They don’t know when to quit.”On Monday, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said the government “must seriously consider calling the Arab League and Gulf Cooperation Council to hold emergency meetings to address the Iranian threat against Lebanon.”In a statement, he also suggested that it file a complaint to the United Nations Security Council over “Iran’s threats to Lebanon.”Also on Monday, Kataeb leader MP Sami Gemayel expressed his party's “categorical rejection” of remarks by Iranian officials “because they are a violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and its state decisions.”Hezbollah, meanwhile, continues to defy the government by refusing to disarm. Party MP Ihab Hamadeh said on Tuesday: “No one should worry about the resistance and its future. Even if they try to remove the legitimacy of the weapons, these weapons have preserved Lebanon. The resistance is the party that gives legitimacy to others and doesn’t need legitimacy from anyone.”“Along with the army, we have formed the golden equation, while the equation of the army, people and resistance will remain,” he vowed.

Lebanon President Rejects ‘Seeking Foreign Help’
Asharq Al Awsat/August 13/2025
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Wednesday said seeking foreign backing against domestic rivals was “unacceptable” and urged unity to confront regional challenges, while Prime Minister Nawaf Salam pledged to press ahead with rebuilding efforts and ensure the state alone controls weapons.Aoun, speaking to student delegations from the Maronite Foundation in the World and the Beirut Manarati Association, said his administration was working to restore trust between citizens and the state, as well as with the international community. “Our aim is to put the state back on the right track, continue the economic reforms we began after winning parliament’s confidence, combat corruption, strengthen judicial independence, reform the banking sector and lift banking secrecy,” Aoun said. He stressed that “no one is above the law in fighting corruption – all taboos have fallen in this regard, and the decision has been made.”The president warned that Lebanon’s current regional challenges could only be met with unity. “Seeking foreign help against one another at home is unacceptable and has harmed the nation. We must learn from past experiences,” he said. Aoun added that several reforms had already been passed, with key issues moving in the right direction. “We will address outstanding files calmly and through dialogue to find appropriate solutions,” he said, urging Lebanese to prioritize national interest above all else and seize the opportunities created by renewed Arab and international confidence in Lebanon. “Our decision is to go towards a state that stands alone, and we are committed to implementing that decision,” he said. Separately, PM Salam told the Maronite Foundation delegation that Lebanon was “not where we want it to be” as it faced political challenges, economic hardship and the legacy of years of instability. “We are determined, government and people, to rebuild. This will only happen through an ambitious reform agenda and ensuring the state alone has the right to possess weapons, a process we have already begun,” he said. Salam said the government was laying the foundations for a “respected, sovereign state” serving all citizens at home and abroad. Rebuilding, he said, was not limited to infrastructure and institutions but also to restoring trust between the state and its people, and between Lebanese at home and in the diaspora. He called for the role of the diaspora to be expanded beyond remittance-sending to active participation in Lebanon’s political, economic and cultural life, and in representing its voice internationally. “Your financial support has been crucial, but you are much more than that,” Salam said. “We want you as active partners in Lebanon’s journey to the future – welcome to your homeland today and always.”

Larijani says US not Iran intervening in Lebanese affairs
Naharnet/August 13, 2025
Iran's Supreme National Security Council chief Ali Larijani advised the Lebanese to preserve the resistance and accused the United States of "ordering" the Lebanese government to implement "a foreign plan", as he met Wednesday with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Larijani's visit to Lebanon comes after the Lebanese government ordered the army to devise plans to disarm Hezbollah. Following his arrival in Beirut, Larijani vowed that his government would continue to provide support, after it expressed opposition to the disarmament plan.
The senior Iranian official said his country rejected the plan and that any proposal to disarm Hezbollah should be part of an internal dialogue between the government and the Iran-backed group. He called on the Lebanese people to preserve "the resistance," saying that Iran will stand by Lebanon in case of any Israeli escalation and if Lebanon asks for help. "We respect any decision taken by the Lebanese government in coordination and cooperation with Lebanon's factions ... and consider Lebanon's unity to be very important but we don't support the foreign orders through which a certain timetable is specified," Larijani said after his meetings, in reference to a paper submitted by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack to Lebanese officials. The proposal includes a timetable for Hezbollah's disarmament.Larijani said that no foreign power should give orders to Lebanon, adding that it was not Iran but the United States that was intervening.
Aoun had earlier told Larijani that he rejected any interference in the country's internal affairs, branding as "unconstructive" Iran's statements on plans to disarm Hezbollah. "The one who interferes in Lebanese affairs is the one who plans for you, gives you a timetable from thousands of kilometers away. We did not give you any plan," Larijani said. He added that Iran currently has "the best relations with Lebanon" and lauded the role that Aoun is playing "in bolstering national unity and unifying ranks inside all Lebanese sects and with all components."

Report: Army chief refuses clash with Hezbollah as army prepares four-stage plan
Naharnet/August 13, 2025
Army Commander General Rodolph Haykal has told Speaker Nabih Berri that he does not want to clash with Hezbollah, in a meeting Tuesday at Ain el-Tineh, pro-Hezbollah al-Akhbar newpaper reported. Al-Akhbar said Wednesday that it has learned from prominent sources that the meeting with Berri was "positive" and that Haykal has told both Berri and Hezbollah that Hezbollah's disarmament requires dialogue and understanding and that the disarmament plan "cannot be implemented by force."The Lebanese government had ordered the army to devise plans by the end of 2025 to disarm Hezbollah. "The problem is with the authority not with the army," Haykal reportedly told Berri, describing Hezbollah as a "fundamental Lebanese component."According to the daily's sources, the army has begun preparing a four-stage plan, targeting heavy missile weapons. This plan intersects with an American proposal of a four-stage plan starting from the area between the Litani and Awali rivers, followed by the Bekaa, Beirut's southern suburbs, and Greater Beirut, al-Akhbar said.

Report: Army-Hezbollah panel to be formed to implement disarmament plan

Naharnet/August 13, 2025
Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal is likely to take part in the cabinet session that will be held in late August to present the details of the arms monopolization plan, which will be based on “positive understanding rather than confrontation, through a gradual course for addressing the file of arms,” informed sources said. The plan “will be based on the formation of a joint liaison committee between the army and Hezbollah to locate the positions of arms depots and document them technically in preparation for handing them over to the military institution, without resorting to force,” the sources told the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper. The weapons “will be either returned to Iran or disposed of as the party decides,” the sources said. The focus will then move to “the file of Palestinian arms inside and outside (refugee) camps, a file that has been historically sensitive seeing as it involves security, political and regional aspects,” the sources added.

Report: Israel, US agree to extending UNIFIL's mandate for one last time
Naharnet/August 13, 2025
Israel and the U.S. have agreed to the one-year renewal of UNIFIL’s mandate for one last time, but under “strict conditions, including granting these forces powers similar to those mentioned in Chapter VII (of the U.N. Charter), such as staging raids, arresting individuals and erecting checkpoints,” al-Akhbar newspaper quoted unnamed sources as saying. The ceasefire monitoring committee meanwhile held an urgent meeting Tuesday in Ras al-Naqoura, the first since June 26. The meeting followed the Lebanese government’s decision to disarm Hezbollah by year end and in the wake of the blast that killed Lebanese troops during the dismantlement of Hezbollah weapons in Zibqin.Informed sources told the daily that the two-hour meeting was a “waste of time,” seeing as “the Lebanese Army delegation did not receive any serious answers regarding its requests related to boosting its deployment in the southern border posts and specifying a date for the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Lebanese territory.” “The enemy’s army delegation spoke in an arrogant manner, refusing to discuss the issues of its withdrawal from the occupied and buffer zones and the army’s deployment on the border, while noting that Tel Aviv is not obliged to hear any Lebanese demands until the Lebanese Army completes the Hezbollah disarmament plan,” the sources added.

Berri says Hezbollah 'has not ended'
Naharnet/August 13, 2025
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has stressed that “Iran is a friend of Lebanon and will remain so based on its active role in the region.”“Hezbollah has not ended and remains one of the biggest parties in Lebanon despite everything it has suffered,” Berri added, in an interview with An-Nahar newspaper.
“Things cannot be run this way with a political component and a major sect in the country,” the Speaker said. Saying he was not surprised by “this attack” on Larijani and the rejection of his visit “based on a foreign order implemented by a domestic lobby,” Berri said “if the opponents can prevent his arrival, let them try.”“If there is opposition to the Iranian statements based on the notion that they harm Lebanese sovereignty, we call for looking very well into the statements of U.S. officials and others,” the Speaker added. Denying that he had agreed to the government’s decision on Hezbollah’s disarmament plan, Berri told An-Nahar: “All I asked for was postponing the first cabinet session from Tuesday to Thursday, but they did not listen.”

How Can We Understand Hezbollah’s Intransigence over Its Weapons?

Nadim Koteich/Asharq Al Awsat/August 13/2025
The fate of Hezbollah’s arms is no longer a domestic dispute between advocates of sovereignty and supporters of the “resistance.” Since the 2023–2024 war with Israel, this question has been distilling into an existential crisis facing the party. The slogan raised by the leader of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, Mohammad Raad, “We will die before surrendering the weapons,” reflects his awareness that his camp has no other option but to cling to what remains of its arsenal. Abandoning its arms would break Hezbollah’s political and ideological foundations.These actions are not mere reflections of political intransigence. Given its rigid ideology and uncompromising idealism, and because Iran’s regional project is in its DNA, Hezbollah is not an agile actor with the capacity to fundamentally change in nature. Moreover, it has built its power around the notion that weapons are an identity, not merely a means to an end. In truth, the Lebanese have never associated Hezbollah with a domestic political or economic project. Its engagement in public affairs has always revolved around the “resistance” and the imperatives of regional conflicts. Thus, surrendering its arms would entail redefining the party from scratch and sacrificing its raison d'etre. Operating with these restrictive parameters, Hezbollah has dragged its feet. Its bets verge on wishful thinking: the Lebanese state remaining too weak to follow through on its commitment to disarm the party, a new episode of regional chaos that destabilizes Syria’s emerging political authorities, and the materialization of the high-level assurances it has received Tehran’s top brass regarding its survival and armament. That is, Hezbollah is betting that it will get lucky- or even awaiting miracles. The fate of these matters is totally beyond Hezbollah’s control, and external factors (that are consistently going against it) will determine how things play out. After years of collapse, Lebanon’s state institutions are steadily, albeit slowly, consolidating and enhancing their credibility in the eyes of a broadening segment of the population. This trajectory undermines the slander and vilification of the state that Hezbollah has long used to challenge the state’s legitimacy and justify its own existence. As for its wager on vacuums in Syria that would grant it more room for maneuvre, current developments on the point in the opposite direction. The political and military situation in Syria suggests that the weight of open-ended geopolitical conflicts and regional actors are declining, consolidating the new regime in Damascus. Even Iranian support, which had constituted the cornerstone of Hezbollah’s existence for decades, is increasingly constrained. Tehran is grappling with a severe economic crisis amid volatile shifts in the internal balance of power between the different wings of the regime. Iran is preparing for a new phase, all while trying to put the military and security apparatus (that had been battered by deep Israeli strikes during the 12-day war) back together. These considerations have compelled Iran to prioritize its military and financial needs over coming to the aid of its allies, foremost among them Hezbollah.
All of that means the party is fighting for its very survival. However, while turning to politics has offered armed movements elsewhere in the world a lifeline, allowing them to maintain some influence, material conditions have left Hezbollah hostage to its weapons.
The Irish Republican Army, despite being deeply rooted in the conflict with Britain, pursued a clear, localized national cause: unifying Ireland and defending the rights of nationalist Catholics. That is why it managed to survive the shift from armed struggle to a political course that culminated in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which left Sinn Fein in a strong position politically. Colombia’s Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), despite becoming involved in the drug trade and losing some of their legitimacy as result, was nonetheless pursuing a domestic agenda to a social and economic struggle in Colombia. The FARC thereby managed to conclude a peace agreement that, despite only being partially implemented, granted them a political foothold. Hezbollah, in contrast, has never pursued a genuine domestic cause that could underpin a shift toward politics. Even its claims to defending Lebanon’s sovereignty and confronting occupation were never presented as ultimate, final objectives. These goals were presented as means for furthering regional ambitions. Its ideological link to its axis, as well as its intrinsic role in the regional power struggle, make any fundamental change to its nature nearly impossible. To give up its arms would not be to adjust its strategy; it would be to abandon the reason for its existence. Thus, the party appears bound to keep behaving this way. It will continue to vie for maintaining weapons and transnational function. Even after being put out of action, it will continue to wait for gradual decline. Its intransigence could, in turn, perpetuate the decay of Lebanon’s state institutions. If it does, the country would go from being a political battleground to being home to a failed state, with the Lebanese people paying the price many times over.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 13-14/2025
Israel on Alert for Potential Iranian Attack

Asharq Al Awsat/August 13/2025
Israel’s military staged surprise drills this week to prepare for a possible attack by Iran and its ally Hezbollah, a day after Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened to repeat a deadly June strike in Tehran and target Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran’s armed forces chief Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi said on Tuesday the country was at full combat readiness to counter any new aggression with a “stronger and more decisive” response. “The US and the Zionist entity have a history of breaking promises,” he told reporters.
Army commander Amir Hatami accused Washington and Israel of violating international law during recent attacks on the country, saying they used “all their capabilities” but failed to achieve their objectives. “Their defeat in the face of Iranian missile strikes forced them to request a ceasefire,” he said. Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said Iran had responded “firmly and powerfully” to Israel “in accordance with its legitimate right,” to the point that “the enemy requested a ceasefire through certain mediations, which we accepted to prevent escalation.”
“We are closely monitoring enemy movements and remain ready for any new adventure,” he added. The three senior Iranian commanders made their remarks in separate meetings with General Rudzani Maphwanya, chief of South Africa’s National Defense Force, who is visiting Tehran. Israel’s Maariv daily said Israel’s military and security establishments were bracing for the possibility of a sudden, severe Iranian strike on multiple fronts. Monday’s unannounced drill, led by Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, carried two messages: “to Iran and Hezbollah that Israel sleeps with one eye open,” and to test the highest alert levels of the army, Mossad and Shin Bet, reported Maariv. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not rule out a surprise Iranian attack “as a form of revenge,” saying: “This requires total vigilance. We are ready for every scenario. The Iranians are preparing for different scenarios; I will not elaborate.”Maariv said Israeli officials fear Iran may attempt a swift strike in the near future, possibly before a new military operation in Gaza, to shape a “new narrative” on the war’s end. It said the conflict had changed Hezbollah’s standing in Lebanon and altered the Iranian regime’s position at home, pushing both to prove they have not lost. Israel, it added, is watching for signs Tehran may rebuild its nuclear infrastructure, resume ballistic missile production, and intensify efforts to detect Israeli intelligence infiltration. Iran is also challenging Israel with daily cyberattacks. The Mossad and Shin Bet are processing a surge in warnings about planned attacks on Israelis and Israeli targets worldwide, while military planners remain wary of potential new fronts from Syria and Jordan, as well as Houthi provocations from Yemen. Defense Minister Israel Katz renewed his threats against Khamenei after channels linked to the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force published a Hebrew-language graphic listing top Israeli officials as assassination targets, labelling Katz “minister of terror.”“I suggest to Iranian dictator Khamenei that when he leaves his hideout, he occasionally lift his eyes to the sky and listen carefully to every buzz,” Katz wrote on X, apparently referring to Israeli drone activity. The image echoed Israeli army graphics announcing the killing of Iranian military leaders, listing them in hierarchical order. Katz told Khamenei “participants in the ‘Red Wedding’ are waiting for him,” referring to the June 13 Israeli strike in Tehran that killed a large number of senior Iranian commanders, including armed forces chief Mohammad Bagheri, Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami, missile unit head Amir Ali Hajizadeh, and operations chief Gholam Ali Rashid. Katz has made similar threats throughout the war. US President Donald Trump said at the time he knew Khamenei’s exact location, but had not authorized Israel or US forces to kill him.

Israeli Army Approves Plan for New Gaza Offensive as Israeli Fire Kills at Least 25
Asharq Al Awsat/August 13/2025
The Israeli military said Wednesday it had approved the "framework" for a new offensive in the Gaza Strip, days after the security cabinet called for the seizure of Gaza City. Armed forces chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir "approved the main framework for the IDF's operational plan in the Gaza Strip," a statement released by the army said. Prime Benjamin Minister Netanyahu's government has not provided a precise timetable for when Israeli troops will enter the territory's largest city, where thousands have taken refuge after fleeing previous offensives. Israeli gunfire killed at least 25 people seeking aid in Gaza on Wednesday, health officials and witnesses said, while Netanyahu said Israel will "allow" Palestinians to leave during an upcoming military offensive in some of the territory's most populated areas. Netanyahu wants to realize US President Donald Trump’s vision of relocating much of Gaza’s population of over 2 million people through what he refers to as "voluntary migration" — and what critics have warned could be ethnic cleansing.  "Give them the opportunity to leave! First, from combat zones, and also from the Strip if they want," Netanyahu said in an interview aired Tuesday with Israeli TV station i24 to discuss the planned offensive in areas including Gaza City, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people shelter. "We are not pushing them out but allowing them to leave." Witnesses and staff at Nasser and Awda hospitals, which received the bodies, said people were shot dead on their way to aid distribution sites or while awaiting convoys entering Gaza. Israel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Efforts to revive ceasefire talks
Efforts to revive ceasefire talks have resumed after apparently breaking down last month. Hamas and Egyptian officials met Wednesday in Cairo, according to Hamas official Taher al-Nounou. Israel has no plans to send its negotiating team to talks in Cairo, the prime minister’s office said. Israel's plans to widen its military offensive against Hamas to parts of Gaza it does not yet control have sparked condemnation at home and abroad, and could be intended to raise pressure on Hamas to reach a ceasefire. The fighters still hold 50 hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war. Israel believes around 20 are alive. Families fear a new offensive endangers them. Netanyahu was asked by i24 News if the window had closed on a partial ceasefire deal and he responded that he wanted all hostages back, alive and dead. Egyptian Foreign Ministry Badr Abdelatty told reporters that Cairo is still trying to advance an earlier proposal for an initial 60-day ceasefire, the release of some hostages and an influx of humanitarian aid before further talks on a lasting truce. Hamas says it will only release the remaining hostages in return for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The group has refused to disarm.
South Sudan calls reports of resettlement talks baseless Israel and South Sudan are in talks about relocating Palestinians to the war-torn East African nation, The Associated Press reported Tuesday. The office of Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Sharren Haskel, said she was arriving in South Sudan for meetings in the first visit there by a senior government official, but she did not plan to broach the subject of moving Palestinians. South Sudan’s ministry of foreign affairs in a statement called reports that it was engaging in discussions with Israel about resettling Palestinians baseless. The AP previously reported that US and Israel have reached out to officials of three East African governments to discuss using their territories as potential destinations for Palestinians uprooted from Gaza.
Killed while seeking aid
Among those killed while seeking aid were 14 Palestinians in the Teina area approximately 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from a food distribution site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, according to staff at Nasser hospital. Hashim Shamalah said Israeli troops fired toward them as people tried to get through. Many were shot and fell while fleeing, he said. Israeli gunfire killed five other Palestinians while trying to reach another GHF distribution site in the Netzarim corridor area, according to Awda hospital and witnesses. GHF said there were no incidents at or near its sites Wednesday. The US and Israel support the GHF, an American contractor, as an alternative to the United Nations, which they claim allows Hamas to siphon off aid. The UN, which has delivered aid throughout Gaza for decades when conditions allow, denies the allegations. Aid convoys from other groups travel within 100 meters (328 feet) of GHF sites and draw crowds. An overwhelming majority of violent incidents over the past few weeks have been related to those convoys, the GHF said.
Israeli fire killed at least six other people waiting for aid trucks close to the Morag corridor, which separates parts of southern Gaza, Nasser hospital said.
Palestinian fatally shot in West Bank violence
An Israeli settler shot dead a Palestinian on Wednesday in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli military said dozens of Palestinians hurled rocks toward an off-duty soldier and another person carrying out "engineering works" near the village of Duma, lightly wounding them. It said the soldier initially fired warning shots, then opened fire in self-defense. The Health Ministry identified the deceased as Thamin Dawabshe, 35, a distant relative of a family targeted in a 2015 firebombing in the village by a settler. That attack killed a toddler and his parents. The attacker was convicted and handed three life sentences. The West Bank has seen a rise in settler violence as well as Palestinian attacks since the start of the war in Gaza, and the Israeli military has carried out major military operations there. Rights groups and Palestinians say the military often turns a blind eye to violent settlers or intervenes to protect them.
Starvation at highest levels of the war
Gaza's Health Ministry says 106 children have died of malnutrition-related causes during the war and 129 adults have died since late June. The UN says it and humanitarian partners still face significant delays and impediments from Israeli authorities who prevent the delivery of food and other essentials at the scale needed. The 2023 Hamas-led attack abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Israel’s air and ground offensive has since displaced most of Gaza’s population, destroyed vast areas and pushed the territory toward famine. The offensive has killed more than 61,700 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many were fighters or civilians but says around half were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The UN and independent experts consider it the most reliable source on war casualties. Israel disputes its figures but has not provided its own.

UN Says Has ‘Credible’ Evidence Israeli Forces Sexually Abused Detained Palestinians

Asharq Al Awsat/August 13/2025
The UN chief warned Israel that the United Nations has “credible information” of sexual violence and other violations by Israeli forces against detained Palestinians, which Israel’s UN ambassador dismissed as “baseless accusations.”Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a letter to Ambassador Danny Danon that he is “gravely concerned” about reported violations against Palestinians by Israeli military and security forces in several prisons, a detention center and a military base. Guterres said he was putting Israeli forces on notice that they could be listed as abusers in his next report on sexual violence in conflict “due to significant concerns of patterns of certain forms of sexual violence that have been consistently documented by the United Nations.”Danon, who circulated the letter and his response Tuesday, said the allegations “are steeped in biased publications.”“The UN must focus on the shocking war crimes and sexual violence of Hamas and the release of all hostages,” he said. Danon was referring to the group's surprise attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, where some 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage. Israeli authorities said women were raped and sexually abused. The Hamas attack triggered the ongoing war in Gaza, which has killed more than 61,400 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many were fighters or civilians but that about half were women and children. Danon stressed that “Israel will not shy away from protecting its citizens and will continue to act in accordance with international law.” Because Israel has denied access to UN monitors, it has been “challenging to make a definitive determination” about patterns, trends and the systematic use of sexual violence by its forces, Guterres said in the letter. He urged Israel’s government “to take the necessary measures to ensure immediate cessation of all acts of sexual violence, and make and implement specific time-bound commitments.”
The secretary-general said these should include investigations of credible allegations, clear orders and codes of conduct for military and security forces that prohibit sexual violence, and unimpeded access for UN monitors. In March, UN-backed human rights experts accused Israel of “the systematic use of sexual, reproductive and other gender-based violence.”The Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory said it documented a range of violations perpetrated against Palestinian women, men, girls and boys and accused Israeli security forces of rape and sexual violence against Palestinian detainees. At the time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at the UN Human Rights Council, which commissioned the team of independent experts, as an “anti-Israel circus” that “has long been exposed as an antisemitic, rotten, terrorist-supporting, and irrelevant body.” His statement did not address the findings themselves.

Controversy Over Appointment of Palestinian Figure to Run Gaza Strip

Asharq Al Awsat/August 13/2025
A report published by the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on Tuesday said conversations held by US-Jewish NGO, Shomrim, reveal behind-the-scenes efforts to appoint a Palestinian figure, businessman Samir Hulileh, to run the Gaza Strip. While the Palestinian presidency denied the report, Hulileh said that the proposal to appoint him as a governor for post-war Gaza had gained momentum in recent weeks, but did not yield any results. Responding to Hulileh’s comments, the Palestinian presidency warned that “any engagement with other arrangements is a deviation from the national position and aligns with Israel’s aim to separate Gaza from the West Bank and displace its residents,” affirming that Gaza is an inseparable part of Palestinian territory. Hulileh told the Palestinian radio station Ajyal that several months ago, he was contacted by a Canadian contractor working with the US administration with a goal at the time to identify figures who could serve as a “point of contact” between Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Egypt and other key players in the region. “I discussed the matter directly with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas,” Hulileh said, without specifying the President’s position on that matter. Hulileh affirmed he has no direct contacts with Hamas. “If the Palestinian Authority says ‘take charge,’ I will take charge,” he added, describing his role as someone “who will be used to manage the project.”
Hamas did not comment on the report. In another interview with Nasradio, Hulileh said he received an offer from the White House to run Gaza when the war ends, adding that he had discussed the matter with the Palestinian Authority. “My name came up to govern the Strip because I am politically independent,” he said.
The Plan
According to the Yedioth Ahronoth report, conversations held by Shomrim with people involved in the initiative, as well as documents submitted to the US Department of Justice, reveal a plan to bring in a figure acceptable to both Israel and the United States and help lay the groundwork for post-war Gaza. It said Hulileh’s candidacy is being promoted in part by lobbyist Ari Ben-Menashe, a former Israeli now based in Canada. Ben-Menashe says the initiative has gained momentum in recent weeks following meetings in the US and Hulileh’s contacts in Egypt. Ben-Menashe’s filings in the US outline a broader proposal: stationing US and Arab forces in Gaza, securing UN recognition of a special status for the territory, leasing land from Egypt for an airport and seaport in Sinai, obtaining gas drilling rights off Gaza’s coast and more. Speaking from Amman, Hulileh said the essential first step is a permanent ceasefire and an end to the war. He said law and order would also need to be restored, with authority in Gaza “neither from the Palestinian Authority nor from Hamas” but respected by residents. The territory, he stressed, could not remain awash in weapons from “remnants of Hamas or Islamic Jihad.”Nothing, he emphasized, will move forward until the war ends, though he noted signs of optimism. A Ramallah resident and trained economist, Hulileh is a well-known political and business figure in the Palestinian Authority. His resume includes senior PA posts and extensive business ties. In 2005, he served as secretary-general of the Palestinian government and later as deputy minister of economy and trade, chairman of the board at the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute, board member of the Palestine Trade Center, CEO of PADICO - Palestine’s largest holding company - and chairman of the Palestinian Stock Exchange. He is considered close to Palestinian-American billionaire Bashar al-Masri, the developer of the West Bank city of Rawabi, known for his ties to US President Donald Trump’s administration.

Mediators Offer Hamas Plan to Close Gaps in Gaza Truce Talks

Asharq Al Awsat/August 13/2025
Egypt on Tuesday launched a fresh initiative to restart stalled talks on a 60-day Gaza truce, frozen since late July after the United States and Israel withdrew from negotiations in Doha, as a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo for consultations. Diplomatic and security sources told Egypt’s state-owned Al Qahera News that senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya was leading the delegation, which will discuss a ceasefire and ways to speed humanitarian aid into the besieged Palestinian enclave. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Cairo was working with Qatar and the US to revive the original proposal, a two-month halt to fighting, the release of some Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and unrestricted delivery of humanitarian and medical supplies. He said the plan included interim administration of Gaza by 15 Palestinian technocrats under Palestinian Authority oversight for six months. The initiative comes as Israel’s Kan broadcaster reported that mediators had floated a broader package to Hamas: the release of all Israeli captives, alive or dead, in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners, alongside a phased Israeli withdrawal supervised by Arab and US monitors. The proposal would require Hamas to freeze and eventually dismantle its armed wing under international guarantees, including from Türkiye. Talks have been at a standstill since late July, when US and Israeli negotiators pulled out for consultations.
Abdelatty told reporters on Monday that a “comprehensive deal to end the Gaza war” was possible if both sides showed goodwill and political will. Khaled Okasha, head of the Egyptian Center for Strategic Studies, said the plan aimed to close gaps that derailed previous rounds, including sequencing of hostage releases, return of bodies, and timelines. He said Washington’s pressure on Israel could open the way for a broader accord, including a reworked Israeli force deployment plan and significantly increased aid flows. Palestinian analyst Ayman al-Raqab said the Cairo meetings could start with a partial truce but evolve into a full agreement if talks mature, pointing to likely compromises to bridge past differences. Diaa Rashwan, head of Egypt’s State Information Service, urged Hamas to respond swiftly to the proposal, warning against delays that had derailed earlier efforts. Israeli media reported divisions within Israel’s negotiating team over the prospects of even a partial deal. Haaretz, citing political sources, said Israel could cancel or delay a planned offensive on Gaza City if Hamas offered major concessions, though chances of resolving disputes remained slim. Okasha predicted Hamas could show flexibility given its limited options, while Raqab said agreement was possible with clear US guarantees to end the war — otherwise, talks could collapse and Israel might move to fully reoccupy Gaza.

Hamas says Israel making 'aggressive' incursions into Gaza City
Agence France Presse/August 13/2025
A Hamas official said Wednesday that Israeli forces were making "aggressive" incursions into Gaza City, after the military approved the framework for a new offensive in the territory. "The Israeli occupation forces continue to carry out aggressive incursions in Gaza City," Ismail Al-Thawabta, director general of the Hamas government media office in Gaza, told AFP. "These assaults represent a dangerous escalation aimed at imposing a new reality on the ground by force, through a scorched earth policy and the complete destruction of civilian property."

Netanyahu Hints That Gaza Ceasefire Talks Now Focus on the Release of All Hostages at Once

Asharq Al Awsat/August 13/2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday hinted that ceasefire efforts in Gaza are now focused on a comprehensive deal that would release the remaining hostages all at once, rather than in phases. Arab officials told The Associated Press last week that mediators Egypt and Qatar were preparing a new framework for a deal that would include the release of all remaining hostages in one go in return for a lasting ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces. The long-running indirect talks appeared to break down last month. But a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo for ceasefire talks on Tuesday, Egypt’s state-run Qahera news channel reported, a sign that efforts have not been abandoned after 22 months of war. Israel has threatened to widen its military offensive against Hamas to the areas of Gaza that it does not yet control, and where most of the territory’s 2 million residents have sought refuge. Those plans have sparked international condemnation and criticism within Israel, and could be intended to raise pressure on Hamas to reach a ceasefire. The fighters still hold 50 hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war. Israel believes around 20 of them are alive.
‘I want all of them’
In an interview with Israel’s i24 News network broadcast Tuesday, Netanyahu was asked if the window had closed on a partial ceasefire deal. Egyptian Foreign Ministry Badr Abdelatty told reporters that Cairo is still trying to advance an earlier proposal for an initial 60-day ceasefire, the release of some hostages and an influx of humanitarian aid before further talks on a lasting truce. “I think it’s behind us,” Netanyahu replied. “We tried, we made all kinds of attempts, we went through a lot, but it turned out that they were just misleading us.”
“I want all of them,” he said of the hostages. “The release of all the hostages, both alive and dead — that’s the stage we’re at.” He added, however, that Israel's demands haven't changed, and that the war will end only when all hostages are returned and Hamas has surrendered. He has said that even then, Israel will maintain open-ended security control over the territory. Hamas has long called for a comprehensive deal but says it will only release the remaining hostages in return for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The group has refused to lay down its arms, as Israel has demanded.
UN warns about starvation, malnutrition
The United Nations on Tuesday warned that starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are at the highest levels since the war began. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric reported the warning from the World Food Program and said Gaza’s Health Ministry told UN staff in Gaza that five people died over the last 24 hours from malnutrition and starvation. The ministry says 121 adults and 101 children have died of malnutrition-related causes during the war. “Against this backdrop, humanitarian supplies entering Gaza remain far below the minimum required to meet people’s immense needs,” Dujarric said. The UN and its humanitarian partners are doing everything possible to bring aid into Gaza, he said, but still face significant delays and impediments from Israeli authorities that prevent the delivery of food and other essentials at the scale needed.
Hamas-led fighters abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in that 2023 attack. Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals. Israel’s air and ground offensive has since displaced most of Gaza’s population, destroyed vast areas and pushed the territory toward famine. It has killed more than 61,400 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not say how many were fighters or civilians but says around half were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The UN and independent experts consider it the most reliable source on war casualties. Israel disputes its figures but has not provided its own. Israel says it struck fighters disguised as aid workers. In a separate development, the Israeli military said it recently struck a group of fighters in Gaza who were disguised as aid workers and using a car with the logo of international charity World Central Kitchen. The army said it carried out an airstrike on the men after confirming with the charity that they were not affiliated with it and that the car did not belong to it. World Central Kitchen confirmed that the men and the vehicle were not affiliated with it. “We strongly condemn anyone posing as World Central Kitchen or other humanitarians, as this endangers civilians and aid workers,” it said in a statement. The military shared video footage showing several men in yellow vests standing around a vehicle with the charity's logo on its roof. The military said five of the men were armed. The charity, founded in 2010, dispatches teams that can quickly provide meals on a mass scale in conflict zones and after natural disasters. In April, an Israeli strike killed seven World Central Kitchen workers in Gaza. Israel quickly admitted it had mistakenly killed the aid workers and launched an investigation. In November, an Israeli strike killed five people, including a World Central Kitchen worker who Israel said was part of the Hamas attack that sparked the war. The charity said at the time that it was unaware the employee had any connection to the attack.

Syria, Jordan, US Agree to Back Ceasefire Enforcement in Sweida
Asharq Al Awsat/August 13/2025
Syria, Jordan and the United States agreed on Tuesday to form a joint task force to support Damascus’ efforts to uphold a ceasefire in the Sweida province in southern Syria and end the crisis there, the three countries said in a joint statement. The agreement was reached during talks in Jordan between Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi, and US special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, the statement said. The meeting discussed ways to help rebuild Syria “on foundations that guarantee its security, stability, sovereignty, unity and non-interference in its internal affairs.”Jordan and the United States welcomed Damascus’ steps, including “full investigations and holding all perpetrators of crimes and violations in Sweida accountable” and its readiness to cooperate with relevant UN agencies in the probe, the Syrian foreign ministry said. They also praised Syria’s moves to expand humanitarian aid access to all areas of Sweida, restore disrupted services, start community reconciliation, and promote civil peace. Both countries reiterated their “full solidarity” with Syria’s security, stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Sweida and its communities were an “integral part of Syria” whose residents’ rights must be preserved in the rebuilding process, the statement said. The three sides agreed to meet again in the coming weeks to continue Tuesday’s discussions. Barrack said on X: “Syria remains steadfastly committed to a united process that honors and protects all its constituencies, fostering a shared future for the Syrian people despite intervening forces seeking to disrupt and displace its communities.” “Delivering justice and ending impunity are paramount to achieving lasting peace,” he stressed. “The Syrian government has pledged to utilize all resources to hold perpetrators of the Sweida atrocities accountable, ensuring no one escapes justice for violations against its citizens,” he added. “Syria will fully cooperate with the UN to investigate these crimes.”During a meeting with Shaibani, Safadi reaffirmed Jordan’s rejection of foreign interference in Syria and its support for the country’s security, sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to a Jordanian foreign ministry statement. The FMs condemned repeated Israeli air strikes and incursions into Syria, calling them a “flagrant violation of international law” that threatened regional stability. They discussed efforts to cement the Sweida truce, agreed last month after violence between armed groups in the mainly Druze province killed hundreds. On X, Shaibani said Syria was committed to protecting Sweida’s Druze, Bedouin and Christian residents and to countering any sectarian or inciting rhetoric. “Our Druze people are an integral part of Syria... we reject any attempt to marginalize them under any pretext,” he said. He pledged accountability for all violations in Sweida “regardless of the party involved,” saying justice was essential to building a state governed by law.

Syrian Red Crescent delivers humanitarian relief to Sweida

Arab News/August 13, 2025
LONDON: The Syrian Arab Red Crescent delivered humanitarian relief to the southern governorate of Sweida via the Bosra Al-Sham crossing, as part of efforts to assist vulnerable families in addressing humanitarian and livelihood challenges. Twenty-one trucks delivered medical supplies, assistance and fuel to Sweida, including food baskets, bottled water, flour, petroleum derivatives and seven kidney dialysis machines to support the health sector. SARC received contributions from its Lebanese counterpart, the UN Children’s Fund, the World Food Programme and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the SANA news agency reported. Separately, SARC provided humanitarian assistance to vulnerable families in several villages throughout the Sweida countryside, with support from UNHCR, the Qatari Red Crescent and the Danish Red Cross.

Türkiye, Syria Sign Defense Cooperation MoU after Ankara Talks

Asharq Al Awsat/August 13/2025
The defense ministers of Türkiye and Syria signed a memorandum of understanding on military training and consultancy after talks in Ankara on Wednesday, Türkiye's defense ministry said. The neighbors had been negotiating a comprehensive military cooperation agreement for months, after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad in December. Also, speaking at a news conference in Ankara with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan accused Israel and the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, of undermining the country’s efforts to reestablish itself after more than a decade of civil war. He said Israel had “fueled certain difficulties” in Syria and warned that Israeli security "cannot be achieved through undermining the security of your neighbors."“To the contrary, you should make sure your neighboring countries are prosperous and secure. If you try to destabilize these countries, if you take steps to that end, this could trigger other crises in the region.” Most recently, hundreds were killed in clashes in the southern province of Sweida between government forces and local Bedouin tribesmen on one side and fighters from the Druze minority on the other.

German Chancellor Says European Leaders and Zelenskyy Had ‘Constructive’ Meeting with Trump
Asharq Al Awsat/August 13/2025
European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a “constructive” discussion with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, two days ahead of Trump’s planned meeting in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said. Speaking alongside Zelenskyy, Merz said after the videoconference that “important decisions” could be made in Anchorage, but stressed that “fundamental European and Ukrainian security interests must be protected” at the meeting.  Merz convened the virtual meetings in an attempt to make sure European and Ukraine’s leaders are heard ahead of the summit, where Trump and Putin are expected to discuss a path toward ending Moscow's war in Ukraine. Zelenskyy and the Europeans have been sidelined from that summit. German government spokesperson Steffen Meyer said the intention of Wednesday's meetings was to “make clear the position of the Europeans.” Zelenskyy is due to meet with European leaders first, in preparation for a virtual call with Trump and Vice President JD Vance about an hour later. A call among leaders of countries involved in the “coalition of the willing” — those who are prepared to help police any future peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv — will take place last. The Ukrainian leader on Wednesday said his government has had over 30 conversations with partners ahead of the summit in Alaska, but reiterated his doubt that Putin would negotiate in good faith. Writing on his official Telegram channel, Zelenskyy said there was “currently no sign that the Russians are preparing to end the war,” and urged Ukraine's partners in the United States and Europe to coordinate efforts and "force Russia to peace.” "Pressure must be applied on Russia for an honest peace. We must take the experience of Ukraine and our partners to prevent deception by Russia,” Zelenskyy said.
The stakes for Europe
Trump has said he wants to see whether Putin is serious about ending the war, now in its fourth year, describing Friday's summit as "a feel-out meeting” where he can assess the Russian leader's intentions. Yet Trump has disappointed allies in Europe by saying Ukraine will have to give up some Russian-held territory. He has also said Russia must accept land swaps, although it was unclear what Putin might be expected to surrender. European allies have pushed for Ukraine’s involvement in any peace talks, fearful that discussions that exclude Kyiv could otherwise favor Moscow. Trump on Monday ducked repeated chances to say that he would push for Zelenskyy to take part in his discussions with Putin, and was dismissive of Zelenskyy and his need to be part of an effort to seek peace. Trump said that following Friday's summit, a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders could be arranged, or that it could also be a meeting with “Putin and Zelenskyy and me.” The Europeans and Ukraine are wary that Putin, who has waged the biggest land war in Europe since 1945 and used Russia’s energy might to try to intimidate the European Union, might secure favorable concessions and set the outlines of a peace deal without them.
The overarching fear of many European countries is that Putin will set his sights on one of them next if he wins in Ukraine. Land concessions a non-starter for Kyiv Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw from the remaining 30% of the Donetsk region that it still controls as part of a ceasefire deal, a proposal the leader categorically rejected. Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine would not give up any territory it controls, saying that would be unconstitutional and would serve only as a springboard for a future Russian invasion.
He said diplomatic discussions led by the US focusing on ending the war have not addressed key Ukrainian demands, including security guarantees to prevent future Russian aggression and including Europe in negotiations. Three weeks after Trump returned to office, his administration took the leverage of Ukraine’s NATO membership off the table — something that Putin has demanded — and signaled that the EU and Ukraine must handle security in Europe now while America focuses its attention elsewhere. Senior EU officials believe that Trump may be satisfied with simply securing a ceasefire in Ukraine, and is probably more interested in broader US geostrategic interests and great power politics, aiming to ramp up business with Russia and rehabilitate Putin. Russian advances in Donbas Russian forces on the ground in Ukraine have been closing in on a key territorial grab around the city of Pokrovsk, in the eastern Donbas region comprises Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland that Putin has long coveted. Military analysts using open-source information to monitor the battles have said Ukraine's ability to fend off those advances could be critical: Losing Pokrovsk would hand Russia an important victory ahead of the summit and could complicate Ukrainian supply lines to the Donetsk region, where the Kremlin has focused the bulk of military efforts. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces struck an oil pumping station in Russia’s Bryansk region overnight on Wednesday, according to a statement from Ukraine’s General Staff. Ukrainian drones struck the Unecha station which supplies the Russian army, the statement said, adding that damage and a large fire was reported in the area around the pumping station. Unecha transports oil to two pipelines with an annual capacity to pump 60 million tons. The operation was carried out by units of the Unmanned Systems Forces of Ukraine’s army and the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Defense Ministry, the statement said.

What to Know About the Putin-Trump Summit in Alaska
Asharq Al Awsat/August 13/2025
The US-Russia summit in Alaska is happening where East meets West — quite literally — in a place familiar to both countries as a Cold War front line of missile defense, radar outposts and intelligence gathering. Whether it can lead to a deal to produce peace in Ukraine more than 3 1/2 years after Moscow's invasion remains to be seen. Here’s what to know about the meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, the first summit in four years: When and where is it taking place? The summit will take place Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson outside Anchorage, according to a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning. It played a key role in the Cold War in monitoring and deterring the Soviet Union. It's Putin’s first trip to the US since 2015 for the UN General Assembly in New York. Because the US isn't a member of the International Criminal Court, which in 2023 issued a warrant for Putin on war crimes accusations, it's under no obligation to arrest him. Is Zelenskyy going? Both countries confirmed a meeting between only Putin and Trump, despite initial suggestions that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy might take part. The Kremlin has long pushed back against Putin meeting Zelenskyy -– at least until a peace deal is reached by both sides and is ready to be signed. Putin said last week he wasn't against meeting Zelenskyy "but certain conditions need to be created" and were "still a long way off." That raised fears about excluding Ukraine from negotiations. Kyiv and its European allies stressed that peace cannot be achieved without Kyiv’s involvement. Zelenskyy was in Berlin for virtual meetings Wednesday with Trump and European leaders to try to ensure Ukraine and its allies are heard before the summit. The Ukrainian president told the group Putin "is bluffing" about his military might and the effectiveness of sanctions, and "is trying to apply pressure ... on all sectors of the Ukrainian front" to try to show that Russia is "capable of occupying all of Ukraine." In reality, sanctions are "hitting Russia’s war economy hard," Zelenskyy said. What's Alaska's role in Russian history? It will be the first visit by a Russian leader to Alaska, even though it was part of the czarist empire until 1867, the state news agency Tass said. Alaska was colonized by Russia starting from the 18th century until Czar Alexander II sold it to the United States in 1867 for $7.2 million. When it was found to contain vast resources, it was seen by Russians as a naïve deal that generated remorse. After the USSR's collapse, Alaska was a subject of nostalgia and jokes for Russians. One popular song in the 1990s went: "Don’t play the fool, America ... give back our dear Alaska land." Sam Greene of King’s College London said on X the symbolism of Alaska as the site of a summit about Ukraine was "horrendous — as though designed to demonstrate that borders can change, land can be bought and sold." What's the agenda? Trump has appeared increasingly exasperated with Putin over Russia's refusal to halt the bombardment of Ukraine. Kyiv has agreed to a ceasefire, insisting on a truce as a first step toward peace.
Moscow presented ceasefire conditions that are nonstarters for Zelenskyy, such as withdrawing troops from the four regions Russia illegally annexed in 2022, halting mobilization efforts, or freezing Western arms deliveries. For a broader peace, Putin demands Kyiv cede the annexed regions, even though Russia doesn’t fully control them, and Crimea, renounce a bid to join NATO, limit the size of its armed forces and recognize Russian as an official language along with Ukrainian. Zelenskyy insists any peace deals include robust security guarantees to protect Ukraine from future Russian aggression. Putin has warned Ukraine it will face tougher conditions for peace as Russian troops forge into other regions to build what he described as a "buffer zone." Some observers suggested Russia could trade those recent gains for territory under Ukrainian control in the four annexed regions annexed by Moscow.
Zelenskyy said Saturday that "Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier."
But Trump said Monday: "There’ll be some land swapping going on. I know that through Russia and through conversations with everybody. To the good, for the good of Ukraine. Good stuff, not bad stuff. Also, some bad stuff for both."Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw from the remaining 30% of the Donetsk region it still controls as part of a ceasefire deal, a proposal the Ukrainian categorically rejected. Kyiv won't give up territory it controls, he added, saying that would be unconstitutional and would serve only as a springboard for a future Russian invasion. He said discussions led by the US on ending the war have not addressed key Ukrainian demands, including security guarantees to prevent future Russian aggression and including Europe in negotiations. French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that Trump was "very clear" in a virtual meeting with European leaders and Zelenskyy that the US wants to achieve a ceasefire. Macron added that Trump had been clear that "territorial issues relating to Ukraine ... will only be negotiated by the Ukrainian president."What are expectations? Trump said Wednesday there will be unspecified "very severe consequences" if Putin does not agree to stop the war after the summit. Putin sees a meeting with Trump as a chance to cement Russia’s territorial gains, keep Ukraine out of NATO and prevent it from hosting any Western troops so Moscow can gradually pull the country back into its orbit.
He believes time is on his side as Ukrainian forces are struggling to stem Russian advances along the front amid swarms of Moscow's missiles and drones. The meeting is a diplomatic coup for Putin, isolated since the invasion. The Kremlin sought to portray renewed US contacts as two superpowers looking to resolve various global problems, with Ukraine being just one. Ukraine and its European allies are concerned a summit without Kyiv could allow Putin to get Trump on his side and force Ukraine into concessions. "Any decisions that are without Ukraine are at the same time decisions against peace," Zelenskyy said. "They will not bring anything. These are dead decisions. They will never work."
European officials echoed that. "As we work towards a sustainable and just peace, international law is clear: All temporarily occupied territories belong to Ukraine," European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said. "A sustainable peace also means that aggression cannot be rewarded."
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Sunday he believed Trump was "making sure that Putin is serious, and if he is not, then it will stop there.""If he is serious, then from Friday onwards, the process will continue. Ukraine getting involved, the Europeans being involved," Rutte added. Since last week, Putin spoke to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as well as the leaders of South Africa, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, the Kremlin said. That suggested Putin perhaps wanted to brief Russia’s most important allies about a potential settlement, said pro-Kremlin analyst Sergei Markov.

German Chancellor Says European Leaders and Zelenskyy Had ‘Constructive’ Meeting with Trump
Asharq Al Awsat/August 13/2025
European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a “constructive” discussion with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, two days ahead of Trump’s planned meeting in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said. Speaking alongside Zelenskyy, Merz said after the videoconference that “important decisions” could be made in Anchorage, but stressed that “fundamental European and Ukrainian security interests must be protected” at the meeting. Merz convened the virtual meetings in an attempt to make sure European and Ukraine’s leaders are heard ahead of the summit, where Trump and Putin are expected to discuss a path toward ending Moscow's war in Ukraine. Zelenskyy and the Europeans have been sidelined from that summit. German government spokesperson Steffen Meyer said the intention of Wednesday's meetings was to “make clear the position of the Europeans.” Zelenskyy is due to meet with European leaders first, in preparation for a virtual call with Trump and Vice President JD Vance about an hour later. A call among leaders of countries involved in the “coalition of the willing” — those who are prepared to help police any future peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv — will take place last. The Ukrainian leader on Wednesday said his government has had over 30 conversations with partners ahead of the summit in Alaska, but reiterated his doubt that Putin would negotiate in good faith. Writing on his official Telegram channel, Zelenskyy said there was “currently no sign that the Russians are preparing to end the war,” and urged Ukraine's partners in the United States and Europe to coordinate efforts and "force Russia to peace.” "Pressure must be applied on Russia for an honest peace. We must take the experience of Ukraine and our partners to prevent deception by Russia,” Zelenskyy said.
The stakes for Europe
Trump has said he wants to see whether Putin is serious about ending the war, now in its fourth year, describing Friday's summit as "a feel-out meeting” where he can assess the Russian leader's intentions. Yet Trump has disappointed allies in Europe by saying Ukraine will have to give up some Russian-held territory. He has also said Russia must accept land swaps, although it was unclear what Putin might be expected to surrender. European allies have pushed for Ukraine’s involvement in any peace talks, fearful that discussions that exclude Kyiv could otherwise favor Moscow. Trump on Monday ducked repeated chances to say that he would push for Zelenskyy to take part in his discussions with Putin, and was dismissive of Zelenskyy and his need to be part of an effort to seek peace. Trump said that following Friday's summit, a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders could be arranged, or that it could also be a meeting with “Putin and Zelenskyy and me.” The Europeans and Ukraine are wary that Putin, who has waged the biggest land war in Europe since 1945 and used Russia’s energy might to try to intimidate the European Union, might secure favorable concessions and set the outlines of a peace deal without them.  The overarching fear of many European countries is that Putin will set his sights on one of them next if he wins in Ukraine.
Land concessions a non-starter for Kyiv
Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw from the remaining 30% of the Donetsk region that it still controls as part of a ceasefire deal, a proposal the leader categorically rejected. Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine would not give up any territory it controls, saying that would be unconstitutional and would serve only as a springboard for a future Russian invasion. He said diplomatic discussions led by the US focusing on ending the war have not addressed key Ukrainian demands, including security guarantees to prevent future Russian aggression and including Europe in negotiations. Three weeks after Trump returned to office, his administration took the leverage of Ukraine’s NATO membership off the table — something that Putin has demanded — and signaled that the EU and Ukraine must handle security in Europe now while America focuses its attention elsewhere. Senior EU officials believe that Trump may be satisfied with simply securing a ceasefire in Ukraine, and is probably more interested in broader US geostrategic interests and great power politics, aiming to ramp up business with Russia and rehabilitate Putin.
Russian advances in Donbas
Russian forces on the ground in Ukraine have been closing in on a key territorial grab around the city of Pokrovsk, in the eastern Donbas region comprises Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland that Putin has long coveted. Military analysts using open-source information to monitor the battles have said Ukraine's ability to fend off those advances could be critical: Losing Pokrovsk would hand Russia an important victory ahead of the summit and could complicate Ukrainian supply lines to the Donetsk region, where the Kremlin has focused the bulk of military efforts.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces struck an oil pumping station in Russia’s Bryansk region overnight on Wednesday, according to a statement from Ukraine’s General Staff. Ukrainian drones struck the Unecha station which supplies the Russian army, the statement said, adding that damage and a large fire was reported in the area around the pumping station. Unecha transports oil to two pipelines with an annual capacity to pump 60 million tons. The operation was carried out by units of the Unmanned Systems Forces of Ukraine’s army and the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Defense Ministry, the statement said.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on August 13-14/2025
Congressional Funding Increase Not Enough to Strengthen State Department
Ben Fishman/The Washington Institute/August 13/2025
American assistance to the Middle East apparently won’t be cut back as drastically as the Trump administration hoped, but questions abound regarding the diluted department’s capacity to actually use the restored funds effectively.
Before leaving for the summer recess on July 23, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee passed a $44.7 billion budget bill for the State Department—$13 billion less than the previous year’s budget, but much higher than the Trump administration’s $27.5 billion request. Assuming the full House and Senate vote in a similar direction, it would mark a significant break from the White House—particularly given that the operations, management, and security portions of the bill are similar to the administration’s request, meaning that most of the restored billions are on the programs and policy side. Regardless of the raw budget numbers, however, extensive personnel cuts and the dissolution of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will make implementing the bill extremely challenging even if it passes.
Country-Specific Impact in the Middle East
Under the proposed State Department budget, U.S. assistance related to various countries in the region would remain mostly consistent with previous years, though several differences and nuances stand out:
Jordan. The administration requested just $200 million in State-administered Foreign Military Financing for Jordan (down from $425 million last year) and did not specify any economic assistance. Yet the new bill states that Amman will receive no less than $475 million in FMF and “$845.1 million in direct budget support”—an eye-opening statement given that no other country except Ukraine has received the latter type of transfer. The direct budget support would constitute 6 percent of Jordan’s total revenues if passed, reflecting consistent bipartisan congressional support for the kingdom whenever cuts are proposed.
The bill also mandates increased funding for private sector development and job creation in Jordan, as well as $5 million toward “evidence-based programs that assess the implementation of peace agreements and peace accords.” The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation has worked in Jordan since 2017 and could assume a greater role in expanding the private sector now that USAID is defunct. Egypt. The bill calls for no less than $1.45 billion in FMF, including the $75 million withheld by the Biden administration for human rights violations. This assistance does not include any preconditions related to Cairo’s policies toward Gaza. Another $40 million is allocated toward scholarships for Egyptians. Yet implementing such programs will be challenging now that the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and grantmaking experience have been gutted, while embassies lack the capacity to handle such initiatives without USAID. Israel. No significant changes have been made to Israel’s $3.3 billion in FMF; rather, committee members expressed strong support for the country’s military accomplishments and cited anti-Israel bias to justify cuts to UN organizations. Once the proposal advances to the full House and Senate, however, opponents of the Gaza war will no doubt aim to cut funding for Israel’s weapons systems. Palestinians. Both the House committee and the administration have proposed restrictions that indicate they are not ready to support Palestinian reform efforts or Gaza reconstruction. If the U.S.-funded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation gains traction, it may receive funding at a later stage of the appropriations process through other funding mechanisms.
Iran. The committee made an extensive policy statement about the continued availability of funds to counter Tehran’s proliferation and terrorist activities. Yet it also emphasized the need to restore $55 million to the Near East Regional Democracy fund, which supports internet freedom in Iran and similar activities.
Bahrain. The bill provides $4 million to Bahrain to increase membership in the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement, following the United Kingdom’s decision to formally join the framework. Although the new funding is minimal compared to the billions in private sector money envisioned under C-SIPA, it signals congressional support for expanding the agreement.
Lebanon. The committee’s approach to the Lebanese Armed Forces remains ambiguous. Despite a longstanding record of skepticism toward and restrictions on the LAF, Congress has consistently granted the force $100-150 million annually. Yet neither the administration’s request nor the House bill mentions funding the LAF in the next fiscal year, even though the force is now playing a more active role in maintaining the Hezbollah ceasefire with Israel. Syria. The future of U.S. funding for post-Assad Syria was not addressed in the new bill, apart from a statement endorsing the administration’s removal of sanctions.
Iraq. No funds were appropriated to Iraq aside from those supporting military operations against the Islamic State, despite Washington’s expectation that Baghdad do more to curtail the various pro-Iranian, U.S.-designated terrorist militias in the Popular Mobilization Forces (as Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized in a July 22 call with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani).
General Provisions
The bill restores billions of dollars to international organizations, peacekeeping operations, and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), which the administration nearly zeroed out. But there’s a catch—it still permits the administration to reassign as much as $1.7 billion to the discretionary “America First Opportunity Fund,” thereby inhibiting any State Department planning for the originally intended use of the funds. Most surprisingly, the committee restored $315 million to the National Endowment for Democracy and $345 million to the Democracy Fund, both of which conduct substantial work in the Middle East. Although the Trump administration’s “America First” agenda directly opposes democracy advocacy, the committee noted its strong belief “that defending democracy and human rights is fundamental to United States national security.”
Funding Increases Can’t Replace Capacity or Know-How
The fundamental problem with the bill is that some of the employees, posts, and bureaus needed to effectively use the restored funds are no longer around. While one could certainly argue that the State Department’s overall size has ballooned unnecessarily over the years, more than 3,000 employees were either suddenly laid off or took early retirement in recent months, and additional reductions are likely as administration officials begin their review of embassies and consulates. Inevitably, many of these cuts have resulted in the loss of crucial know-how and administrative capacity.
For example, the department’s democracy and education bureaus were virtually eliminated during President Trump’s first few months in office, including the grant specialists needed to sustain the programs that the House committee is attempting to restore. Hence, if the administration decides it wants to participate in a major regional initiative like rebuilding Gaza, it no longer has the expertise to design and execute such a process, since the State Department stabilization office and USAID have both been axed.
Appropriating funds to restore programs is one way to influence the State Department. But if officials have already eliminated the requisite program staff, then the extra money may wind up serving little purpose. Accordingly, Congress should hold consultations or hearings about whether the department has the number and quality of personnel needed to execute the proposed budget.
**Ben Fishman is the Steven D. Levy Senior Fellow in The Washington Institute’s Rubin Program on Arab Politics.

How “Day After” Governance of Gaza Can Draw from Existing Plans
James Jeffrey/The Washington Institute/August 13/2025
NGOs and foreign officials have already outlined many of the most crucial transitional governance and security issues that will arise during and after Israel’s eventual withdrawal—and all of them will require some degree of oversight and leadership from the Trump administration. In announcing their August 8 decision to temporarily “take over” all of Gaza, Israeli officials issued a set of principles for how Arab states could oversee governance of the Strip after Israel’s presence ends. Although these principles provided few details and no timeline, they clarified several important points, such as Israel’s desire to exercise some sort of security oversight, bar Hamas or the Palestinian Authority from governing Gaza, and demilitarize the territory. These conditions are not new, of course—Israelis have worked with Arab and American interlocutors on various “day after” models for over eighteen months, and some of these models have been discussed with Palestinian officials. Yet this is the first time that the Israeli government has taken a formal position on governance and linked it to a commitment to withdraw all of its forces. The most crucial issues that any Gaza governance plan would need to address have already been discussed to varying degrees by three of the previous “day after” models:
A proposed plan worked out by American and Israeli experts, published by the Wilson Center in early 2024, and shared with Israeli officials. (Disclosure: The author was involved in formulating the Wilson plan during his tenure as chair of the center’s Middle East Program.)
A RAND Corporation plan released this year and widely briefed within the U.S. government.
A set of principles issued by the United Arab Emirates and deemed a likelier candidate than other Arab plans given Abu Dhabi’s more realistic proposals and its closer relations with Israel. Above all, experts involved in past discussions have generally agreed that a leading U.S. diplomatic and oversight role will be absolutely essential to any transitional governance plan, particularly if the Trump administration intends to avoid committing substantial American military and financial resources to Gaza.
Composition, Authorization, and Missions
The Wilson plan—the most comprehensive of the three regarding composition issues—proposes an Arab-led “Multi-National Authority” (MNA) that would include European elements and possibly UN entities. This authority would be overseen by an international contact group with many of the same members, though with the addition of the G7 members and a leading role for the United States (informal if necessary). In addition, the plan calls for the MNA to oversee an international “policing force.” The MNA’s main missions would be to temporarily administer Gaza, establish security, remove Hamas control of civil governance, initiate physical and social reconstruction, and provide better conditions for the people of Gaza. The plan would culminate in a transition to local Palestinian governance and security along lines established by a “charter” of some type (see below). Yet drafting and agreeing on this charter must not hold up the urgent process of standing up the MNA.
The RAND study takes a similar approach, proposing an “interim multinational security force” drawn from Western and Arab militaries, with support from a vetted and trained Palestinian security force. The UAE proposal calls for a “temporary international mission,” offering few details on its composition but clearly outlining a transition to Gazan self-governance at minimum—the end state envisioned by all three plans. Responsibility. Each plan notes that the governing entity must be in charge of every aspect of Gaza’s transition and reconstruction, and that it must remain open to U.S. guidance. This is a tall order given the role to be played by the UN and various aid NGOs. Yet there are successful precedents, including the Bosnian arrangements outlined in the Dayton Accords and formalized in Security Council Resolution 1031.
Carrots-sticks linkage. Senior Israeli and U.S. officials expressed appreciation when previous plans firmly and formally conditioned the provision of Gaza assistance on Palestinian adherence to the security provisions of the “charter” establishing the governance structure. This is critical to avoid the problems seen with Lebanon’s postwar settlement after 2006, when major UN, European, and U.S. reconstruction efforts were not conditioned on disarming Hezbollah or meeting other key provisions of Security Council Resolution 1701. In contrast, the Dayton Accords and paragraph 10 of Resolution 1031 established strict linkage. Legal authority. The temporary international takeover of governance in Gaza could be based on any of several legal alternatives, though the first two would likely be diplomatically problematic: (1) the PA ceding temporary responsibility; (2) the UN Security Council drafting a sturdy resolution under Chapter VII that gives the governing authority a one-time, non-renewable mandate with no direct UN management role (analogous to Resolution 1546, which authorized the U.S.-led multinational force to govern Iraq in 2004); (3) Israel taking responsibility for Gaza as an occupying power under international law and then transferring its authority to the MNA pursuant to a memorandum of understanding; or (4) the international authority establishing its own charter as a coalition of the willing.
American roles. The Wilson and RAND plans call for a major U.S. role in choreographing the establishment of both the MNA and the contact group. One option is to fold the U.S. government-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation into the MNA (see the next section for more on the security aspects of the U.S. role). Washington would also have to facilitate efforts to meet civilian needs beyond direct aid provision, such as helping to reestablish the local Palestinian institutions now in disarray. (The RAND plan outlines these steps.)
Specific Issues
Hamas and the transition. All plans assume some prior resolution of the Hamas-Israel conflict based on a ceasefire. As noted above, this ceasefire deal would include a “charter” covering the deployment and operational ground rules of an international presence, agreed to by whatever is left of Hamas. None of the plans detail the contents or modalities of such a deal, but all assume that foreign forces would not seek to combat Hamas, but rather to conduct normal policing activities and defend themselves if necessary.
Relatedly, while the prospect of Israel fully eliminating Hamas’s insurgent military capabilities seems impossible, certain Israeli actions could have positive effects. For instance, continuing some degree of military pressure, separating insurgents from the bulk of the population, and blocking weapons flows could all push Hamas into a weaker position, perhaps making the group more amenable to a deal in which it agrees to tolerate transitional international governance in return for Israel withdrawing.
As for the terms of a Hamas deal—whether with Israel or the international authority—a ceasefire along the lines of the recent negotiations led by Egypt and Qatar is the most likely scenario. During the transition, the group’s status in Gaza could resemble the posture of the Republika Srpska (Bosnian Serb) forces after the Dayton Accords, the type of leadership departure seen when Yasser Arafat left Lebanon in 1982, or the current Hamas situation in the West Bank. What it must not resemble is the 2006 Lebanon ceasefire, after which Hezbollah ignored international provisions and threatened peacekeepers. Whatever the arrangement, all parties should be clear on one principle—that eliminating Hamas’s ability to militarily threaten Israel or contest governance in Gaza is a prerequisite for Israel to withdraw and for an international presence to go in.
Palestinian Authority role. Although Israeli interlocutors advised the drafters of the Wilson plan to avoid specific references to a PA governance role, some of these interlocutors acknowledged that the PA would probably have to play some administrative role given its legal status and its many remaining employees in Gaza. The PA would also have to green-light—and probably participate in—any formal Arab role in Gaza. The UAE plan emphasizes a leading role for the PA, though unlike other Arab plans, it also notes that PA reform is a prerequisite for this role. The Wilson and RAND plans both envision an eventual transition to Gazan governance and primary security, without spelling out relationships to the PA. Relationship to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Wilson plan does not link Gaza stabilization with progress toward wider Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking, and the Israeli government has made clear that these two issues are separate. Yet the RAND and UAE approaches directly link them. Presumably, these incompatible positions can be negotiated to a compromise, but that would almost certainly require a U.S. role.
Israeli security. Israel correctly insists that it will need to play a security oversight role in Gaza post-withdrawal, presumably including the right to take military action against immediate threats. Given the territory’s small size, coordinating such action with the international force would be essential.
UN role. Whether UN bodies formally authorize the international presence or not, the Security Council and General Assembly will no doubt insist on various oversight roles, which the United States will need to manage carefully given Israel’s legitimate sensitivity about UN politicization. On the technical level, UN agencies can provide unparalleled expertise, and Arab participants will likely demand their involvement. Israel has ample cause to demand that one of these organizations—the UN Relief and Works Agency—leave Gaza. If so, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees will need to work with various NGOs and foreign government agencies to backfill UNRWA’s missions, as seen already with the World Food Programme, Anera, and other organizations.
Depoliticization. Israeli interlocutors have emphasized the need for any transitional authority to keep anti-Israel hate messaging out of Gaza schools, cultural organizations, and official media. This is obviously a delicate undertaking, but nevertheless obligatory if Gazans are to live side by side with Israel in the long term. Of course, the first step in this process would be to reestablish destroyed schools and other civil society institutions.
U.S. military role. None of the plans envisions a significant, direct role for U.S. troops in Gaza security, but Washington does have some essential roles to play in this regard and should begin preparing accordingly. First, it could expand the private security forces it has already supported as part of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, integrating them into the international security force. Second, the Office of the U.S. Security Coordinator (USSC) is still working with Palestinian security forces in the West Bank and could assist efforts to stand up Gazan security elements. Third, the U.S. military could operate a liaison headquarters in Egypt, Israel, or offshore to support international forces, providing command-and-control capabilities, staff, logistics, intelligence, and, in extremis, direct assistance (e.g., medevac; quick reaction forces; counterterrorism operations).
Early recovery, reconstruction, and economic development. The Wilson and RAND plans cover this crucial element in detail. The cost will be staggering (estimated at more than $50 billion by the World Bank), but the international community has the means, experience, and motivation to succeed if all of the above organizational, security, and political arrangements are effectively implemented. This element will also require careful negotiation and planning of education and healthcare needs, as well as the complex considerations involved in reconstruction (as laid out in the RAND plan).
**James Jeffrey recently rejoined The Washington Institute as the Philip Solondz Distinguished Fellow. His distinguished government career has included service as U.S. special envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey and Iraq.

Spain is an Example to the World
Omar G. Encarnación/The New York Times/Awsat/August 13/2025
Spain is having a moment bucking Western political trends. The country has recently recognized Palestine as a state, resisted President Trump’s demand that NATO members increase their defense spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product and doubled down on D.E.I. programs. But there’s no better example of Spain going its own way than immigration. At a time when many Western democracies are trying to keep immigrants out, Spain is boldly welcoming them in. The details are striking. In May, new regulations went into effect that eased migrants’ ability to obtain residency and work permits, and the Spanish Parliament began debating a bill to grant amnesty to undocumented immigrants. These reforms could open a path to Spanish citizenship to more than one million people. Most of them are part of a historic immigration surge that between 2021 and 2023 brought nearly three million people born outside the European Union to Spain. Demand has something to do with it: Like many Western democracies, Spain needs more people. Last year the national birthrate was 1.4, the second lowest in the European Union and well below the 2.1 threshold needed to maintain the country’s population level of around 48 million people. Spain also has a big economy — the fourth largest in the EU — fueled by a travel and tourism industry that is brimming with jobs that most Spaniards do not want.
But unlike in other countries, backlash has been strikingly muted. That’s partly because some of these pro-migrant measures stem from society at large. The push for the undocumented immigrants’ amnesty did not originate with the government, tellingly, but with a popular petition that garnered 600,000 signatures and was endorsed by 900 nongovernmental organizations, business groups and even the Spanish Conference of Bishops. The government, in turn, has designed a humane and pragmatic approach, offering an example for other countries to emulate. There are, to be sure, some very Spanish reasons for the exception. Because of its vast overseas empire, Spain was for centuries a mass exporter of people. During the Spanish Civil War and the four-decades-long dictatorship of Gen. Francisco Franco, some two million people were forced to leave the country, fleeing famine, violence and political repression. Up until the 1970s, Spain provided migrant laborers to farms and factories across Europe. After the 2008 financial crisis, which sent unemployment soaring to 25 percent, thousands of professionals left Spain for jobs abroad.
This rich and complex history helps explain the relatively high level of tolerance for immigration among Spaniards. In 2019, a Pew survey found that Spain had by far the most positive attitude toward immigrants in Europe. This was no outlier. A 2021 study of polls going back about 30 years showed that “Spain has consistently maintained more open attitudes toward immigration than the European average, with less rejection and a greater appreciation of its contributions to society and the economy.”
Spain’s fragmented sense of national identity is another important factor. The strength of regional nationalism in places like Catalonia, the Basque Country and Galicia makes it harder for right-wing politicians to mobilize the public against immigration through nationalist appeals and xenophobic arguments. A Spanish version of “France for the French,” the doctrine of Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, would be absurd in Spain. It took until 2019 for an explicitly anti-migrant party, the far-right Vox, to even enter the Spanish Parliament.Ultimately, however, Spain’s immigration politics owe most to the administration of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, one of the last exponents of social democracy in Europe. Although decidedly liberal, Mr. Sánchez’s approach is far from an experiment with open borders. Instead, it’s as pragmatic as it is deliberate. It’s true he has built-in advantages not shared by other European leaders. But by marrying practical solutions to an uplifting message, he has provided a case study in how to build support for progressive immigration policies.
For starters, the government smartly prioritized immigrants from Latin America, allowing them to apply for citizenship after just two years. Fluent in Spanish and overwhelmingly Catholic, Latin American immigrants blend with the local culture even in the least cosmopolitan parts of Spain. A case in point are Venezuelans, who are now barred from entering the United States, thanks to Mr. Trump. To enter Spain, they need only a plane ticket and a valid passport. In the first three months of the year, 25,000 took up the opportunity.
A lot of strategic thinking has gone into using immigration to alleviate some of Spain’s biggest problems. Labor shortages in technology, hospitality, agriculture and elderly care, for example, are being addressed by granting international students work permits. Immigrants have also been incentivized to settle in so-called Empty Spain, those parts of the country where the population has dried up. Some of the 200,000 Ukrainian refugees who have settled in Spain since 2022 have brought new life to villages and towns on the brink of extinction. Most important, perhaps, Mr. Sánchez has excelled at framing the case for immigration. He has emphasized its economic benefits, including bringing younger workers into the social security system and filling jobs unwanted by Spaniards. An expanding economy is adding authority to these arguments. Since the pandemic, the Spanish economy has outperformed its European counterparts. Last year, while Germany, France and Italy experienced modest growth or even a contraction, Spain grew a healthy 3.2 percent.
Even so, Mr. Sánchez has not shied away from speaking in moral terms, drawing on Spain’s history as a nation of migrants and refugees. “We have to remember the odysseys of our mothers and fathers, our grandfathers and grandmothers in Latin America, in the Caribbean and Europe,” he told Parliament last year. “And understand that our duty now, especially now, is to be that welcoming, tolerant, supportive society that they would have liked to find.” How long Spain will continue to extend the welcome mat is an open question. Polls show that concerns about immigration among Spaniards are rising, driven in part by the sensationalist coverage of the arrival of African refugees. Thousands have drowned in recent years attempting to reach Spain, and those who manage to enter the country are generally deported. Right-wing parties, especially Vox, are exploiting this humanitarian crisis. Should Vox manage to enter government after the next election, which must be held before August 2027, a turn against immigration will certainly follow.For now, though, Spain is proving an important point: A generous immigration policy is not a threat to the nation or to a thriving economy. More than that, it is a resource for growth and renewal that Spain’s peers spurn at their cost.

The Alaska Summit: Signals and Subtexts

Emile Ameen/Asharq Al Awsat/August 14/2025
“We will meet in the great state of Alaska,” President Donald Trump announced, choosing his words carefully. The connotation was hardly lost on Vladimir Putin, who seems to have gotten into his head the idea of reclaiming a territory that had belonged to Russia until it was sold to the United States in 1867. Alaska, in this sense, is more than a geographic territory. To this day, it remains a symbol of the countries’ shared history. Russia’s legacy has not disappeared, not as a legend of the distant past, but as part of the fabric of Alaska’s local identity. Why, then, did both Washington and Moscow so quickly agree to hold this meeting? By all accounts, it seems that Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff has played his hand effectively. Pragmatism, more than anything else, will shape the encounter. The two sides are expected to discuss terms for ending a war that has dragged on for over three years, squandering lives and resources without achieving anything. Putin, for his part, is eager to ease tensions with Washington. He wants the sanctions and economic strains fueling discontent at home removed. Nonetheless, skeptics suspect he is simply running out the clock, buying time to gain leverage in negotiations with Ukraine.
Witkoff has reminded the Kremlin of an old truth: great powers must define their spheres of influence. Yalta underscored this axiom in 1945, when Roosevelt and Churchill met Stalin to redraw the map of Europe after the war. But does that mean Trump will simply accept the terms Putin has long set out for ending the war? His demands are well known: recognition of Russian sovereignty in eastern Ukraine, an explicit commitment to preventing Kyiv from ever joining NATO, restriction on Ukraine's army, and assurances that Kyiv will remain friendly to Russia. Witkoff, however, has suggested that a more limited bargain could be within reach: Russia consolidates its control over Crimea and the Donbas, but tacitly abandons claims to Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. For Moscow, such a step would mark a retreat from the maximalist positions it had insisted on previously.
Trump sees opportunity. A negotiated end to the Ukraine conflict, following his success in brokering peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, would strengthen his case for a Nobel Peace Prize, securing a seat at the table of great American presidents. Most importantly, perhaps, Trump wants to end the specter of a wider nuclear clash. At home, a peace deal would allow his administration to focus on economic priorities. It would also allow the United States to focus on its longstanding military and economic rivalry with China. Not surprisingly, the notion of a US-Russia bargain unsettles US allies. Vice President JD Vance has already flown to London seeking to build common ground ahead of Friday’s meeting. It is no secret that Europe agrees with US former National Security Advisor John Bolton: the Alaska summit is, in itself, already a diplomatic win for Putin.
History continues to unsettle humanity, and geography remains the arena in which interests and ambitions are furthered. Europeans are particularly haunted by the idea that concessions in Alaska could echo Neville Chamberlain’s missteps with Nazi Germany in 1938, offering Moscow a chance to catch its breath before pressing further into Ukraine or the Baltic states.
Success in Alaska, then, is far from guaranteed. If Putin insists on a skewed deal and Trump balks, the summit could end as abruptly as Reagan’s meeting with Gorbachev in Reykjavik, when he abruptly left as he had been seeking an end to the cold war.
Even if terms are agreed, another question looms over the talks: would Volodymyr Zelensky, his mandate having already ended, accept to cede territory? Such a decision would require a referendum that puts the question to his people.
Hegel’s notion of the “cunning of history” is in the air in Alaska. The Russians feel its presence particularly strongly. Putin still believes that the Soviet Union’s collapse was the greatest geopolitical disaster of the 20th century, and he seems convinced that the West intends to subject Russia to the same soon. For now, speculation abounds. But Friday is not far off. Let us wait and see.


Israel, Protector of the West, Treacherously Undermined by France, UK, Canada and Australia
Lawrence A. Franklin/Gatestone Institute./August 13, 2025
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21826/israel-protector
Macron's announcement to recognize a fantasy "Palestinian state" not only demolished the negotiations that were reportedly nearing completion for a ceasefire and the return of the 50 remaining hostages; it also might cause the death by starvation, shooting or explosives possibly strapped to them, of the 20 hostages believed to be alive.
The Druze -- a small ethnically Arab religious minority that originated as a breakaway from the Ismaili sect of Shia Islam -- do not consider themselves Muslim. Therefore, the other Arabs in Syria do not consider them Muslim either. For months, regime "security forces" have been slaughtering them. Islamic terrorists believe that they are obligated to slaughter anyone not Muslim, based on passages in the Qur'an.
Something appears wrong with this picture. Al-Sharaa promised Trump that he would protect Syria's minorities; so far, he seems to be doing everything but that.
In the latest of these opposition demonstrations, on July 21, dozens of protestors in Gaza shouted "Hamas Out." There is still strong reason to doubt, however, however, if Gazans would be more favorably inclined toward Israel if Hamas were gone.
Israel is already over-extended in defending virtually every minority in the region – while receiving nothing but opprobrium from most of the insensate media and many in Europe. They seem not to realize that they are the beneficiaries of Israel's actions, even as they keep on giving away their continent to newcomers who seem intent on replacing Europe's values with their own.
The question remains, however, if Syria's al-Sharaa in is not still just a terrorist, but in a suit and tie.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's pledge to protect the Druze in Syria represents the finest dimension of Jewish ethical principles. Israel is already over-extended in defending virtually every minority in the region – while receiving nothing but opprobrium from most of the insensate media and many in Europe. Israel has not only been protecting virtually every persecuted minority in the Middle East; it has, with the help of US President Donald J. Trump, also been protecting the West itself. Has anyone heard a breath of gratitude? On the contrary, many leaders in the West -- most prominently President Emmanuel Macron of France, Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, followed closely by Prime Minister Micheal Martin of Ireland and Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre of Norway -- have doubled down on the side of terrorists, this time Hamas.
Macron's announcement to recognize a fantasy "Palestinian state" not only demolished the negotiations that were reportedly nearing completion for a ceasefire and the return of the 50 remaining hostages; it also might cause the death by starvation, shooting or explosives possibly strapped to them, of the 20 hostages believed to be alive. In so doing, they are betraying not only the sole tiny country that is sacrificing its own people to protect them, but their own increasingly abused citizens as well.
Israel's suppression of terrorist entities that, directed by Iran to destroy the Jewish State, has created an additional challenge for the already overburdened Israelis. Not only is Israel now expected to feed the Gazans -- human-shield victims of the Hamas terrorist group now trying to destroy Israel -- but the Israelis have also undertaken to defend the Druze minority in Syria. The Druze -- a small ethnically Arab religious minority that originated as a breakaway from the Ismaili sect of Shia Islam -- do not consider themselves Muslim. Therefore, the other Arabs in Syria do not consider them Muslim either. For months, regime "security forces" have been slaughtering them. Islamic terrorists believe that they are obligated to slaughter anyone not Muslim, based on passages in the Qur'an:
"And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy and others besides them whom you do not know [but] whom Allah knows."
— Qur'an 8:60-Sahih International.
"[Remember] when your Lord inspired to the angels, 'I am with you, so strengthen those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved, so strike [them] upon the necks and strike from them every fingertip.'"
— Qur'an 8:12, Sahih International.
"Kill them wherever you come upon them and drive them out of the places from which they have driven you out."
— Qur'an 2:191, Sahih International.
This directive also appears to include Muslims who are not Muslim enough, or not Muslim in the "right way," such as the Ahmadiyya, the Alawites, and historically how Sunnis and Shiites view each other.
The Druze in Syria have been under attack from the forces of Syria's new strongman, Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly an Al Qaeda-affiliated terrorist with a $10 million bounty on his head. Now that he wears a suit and tie, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohamad bin Salman apparently asked US President Donald J. Trump, during his visit to the kingdom, to give al-Sharaa a chance to govern Syria – a request to which Trump appeared uncomfortably to agree.
Something appears wrong with this picture. Al-Sharaa promised Trump that he would protect Syria's minorities; so far, he seems to be doing everything but that (here, here and here).
Israel, meanwhile, still the region's "strong horse," has been acting to protect the Druze in neighboring Syria from relentless savage assaults.
Recent Israeli airstrikes on the terrorist regime in Syria persuaded Damascus, at least temporarily, to end its support for the mid-July mass murder of Syrian Druze in and around the city of Suweida at the hands of Bedouins and other local tribes. So much ethnic violence -- also against Christians and Alawites in Syria – reveals a genocidal intent of the new al Sharaa regime. It has apparently sponsored ongoing attacks all along the roads from Damascus to Suweida. These efforts at ethnic cleansing have inspired some Druze leaders to ask Israel for protection, and even annexation.
Israel, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has emerged as the historic hero of the Druze people, of whom about 150,000 live in Israel. Israel is already favorably disposed to the Druze: they are the only Arab community in the country whose people are drafted into the IDF, willingly.
The IDF takedown of Hamas in Gaza has enabled those Gazan civilians who are opposed to the terrorist group's repressive rule to publicly protest. Sporadic attempts to reject Hamas have taken place in the past; the largest was staged in March. Hundreds of Gazans demanded that Hamas step down from power. In the latest of these opposition demonstrations, on July 21, dozens of protestors in Gaza shouted "Hamas Out." There is still strong reason to doubt, however, however, if Gazans would be more favorably inclined toward Israel if Hamas were gone.
Last autumn's IDF's defeat of another once-vaunted Iranian proxy, Hezbollah, and its military machine, helped to restore the sovereignty of Lebanon. IDF military action was initially designed to permit tens of thousands of evacuated Israelis the ability to return to their homes in northern Israel. Israel's victory over Hezbollah also had unplanned helpful consequences. The many Catholic Christian Maronite villages in southern Lebanon, which Hezbollah terrorists had deliberately occupied and where they had dug a large network of tunnels, are no longer occupied by Islamic terrorists. Now the government in Beirut finally, after decades, may have a chance again to govern the entirety of the country, long terrorized by Hezbollah. For many years, Hezbollah had a more powerful military than the Lebanese Armed Forces.
Similarly, the Kurds of Syria, another embattled minority, are under the gun of al-Sharaa's backer, Turkey. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has ruled Turkey since 2002, appears to have ambitions to restore the Ottoman Empire with himself as sultan, has also repeatedly tested US patience by targeting the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), composed mostly of Kurds who inhabit northeast Syria. The Erdogan regime asserts that the SDF's Kurds are allied with the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), considered by Turkey a terrorist group. Presently, the approximately 2,000 US military personnel deployed in Syria help protect the SDF, which is guarding prison camps that hold tens of thousands of Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists.
US President Donald Trump has intimated on occasion that he might withdraw US forces from Syria – a really terrible idea. The vacuum will simply be filled by groups that are no friends of the US or the West. If Trump follows through with a withdrawal, this would provide a need for someone else to safeguard the existence of the Kurds. Would Israel step up to defend Syria's Kurds as well? There is still another tiny victimized Middle East minority, the much-abused Yazidi people, also in northern Syria.
Israel is already over-extended in defending virtually every minority in the region – while receiving nothing but opprobrium from most of the insensate media and many in Europe. They seem not to realize that they are the beneficiaries of Israel's actions, even as they keep on giving away their continent to newcomers who seem intent on replacing Europe's values with their own.
Netanyahu's recent pledge, after the atrocities committed against the Druze by Syria-supported terrorist thugs:
"We have set forth a clear policy: demilitarization of the region to south of Damascus, from the Golan Heights and to the Druze Mountain area. That's rule number one. Rule number two is protecting the brothers of our brothers, the Druze at the Druze Mountain."
Netanyahu's pledge represents the finest dimension of Jewish ethical principles, which should be saluted by those all those who value virtue, and which should solidify Israel's occupation of the moral high ground.
The question remains, however, if Syria's al-Sharaa in is not still just a terrorist, but in a suit and tie.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21826/israel-protector
*Dr. Lawrence A. Franklin was the Iran Desk Officer for Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld. He also served on active duty with the U.S. Army and as a Colonel in the Air Force Reserve.
© 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.

Selected tweets for 13 August/2025
Walid Abu Haya
The Palestinian Islamic terrorist organization Hamas is inciting its operatives and supporters in Judea and Samaria and elsewhere to ignite fires across Israel, exploiting the current extreme weather conditions. There is no end to the "creativity" in employing various forms of terror, and yet the world is silent, and some western countries moves on in promoting recognition of a Palestinian state!

Elias Youssef Bejjani
Jobran Bassil is an opportunist and a mere enemy to all that is Lebanon and Lebanese. No body should believe a word that he utters. One of the worst politicians in Lebanon's recent history.