English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For  August 29/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2025/english.August29.25.htm

News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006 

Click On The Below Link To Join Elias Bejjaninews whatsapp group
https://chat.whatsapp.com/FPF0N7lE5S484LNaSm0MjW
اضغط على الرابط في أعلى للإنضمام لكروب Eliasbejjaninews whatsapp group

Elias Bejjani/Click on the below link to subscribe to my youtube channel
الياس بجاني/اضغط على الرابط في أسفل للإشتراك في موقعي ع اليوتيوب
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAOOSioLh1GE3C1hp63Camw

Bible Quotations For today
King Herod, Herodias's Daughter & The Beheading Of John The Baptist
Saint Mark 06/14-29/:"King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some were saying, ‘John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.’But others said, ‘It is Elijah.’ And others said, ‘It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.’But when Herod heard of it, he said, ‘John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.’For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod had married her. For John had been telling Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.’ And he solemnly swore to her, ‘Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.’She went out and said to her mother, ‘What should I ask for?’ She replied, ‘The head of John the baptizer.’Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, ‘I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.’The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on August 28-29/2025
Text and Video: The return of the hero Etienne Saqr-Abu Arz to his homeland, Lebanon, is a national, religious, and moral duty/Elias Bejjani/August 28/2026
The Media Campaign Against Tom Barrack is Childish…And the Vast Difference Between Hezbollah the Devils, and Mullahs’ Criminality, and Morgan Ortagus: America, Beauty, and Hope/Elias Bejjani/August 26, 2025
Video link to an interview from the “Al-Hawiya” YouTube platform with writer and director Youssef Y. El Khoury.
Petition to the White House For the Return of Etienne Sakr, Abu Arz, to His Homeland
Lebanese Army: An officer and a soldier were killed while investigating an enemy drone after it crashed in Naqoura
Macron tells Aoun disarmament plan has broad European and international support
UN peacekeepers discover Hezbollah bunker in south Lebanon
Renewed Israeli airstrikes target same southern regions
Report: Lebanon seeks to revive 'fruitful dialogue' with US, allies
Army's disarmament plan to be reportedly enforced in two phases
Berri says anyone who attacks army is a 'dog, son of a dog'
Barrack says didn't use 'animalistic' in a 'derogatory manner'
Official Lebanese source: ‘We are holding talks with Hezbollah about Day After, and all concerns are being addressed’
US diplomat apologizes for using the word 'animalistic' in reference to Lebanese reporters
Lebanese official says disarmament of Palestinian camps could pave way for new refugee rights
Lebanese army collects arms from Palestinian groups in southern refugee camps
UN Security Council renews Lebanon peacekeeping mission 'for a final time'
Irish peacekeepers to withdraw from Lebanon by 2027
Disarmament of Palestinian camps in Lebanon in ‘second phase’/By SETH J. FRANTZMAN/Face Book/August 28/2025
AMCD Praises Senators Shaheen, Graham and Rep. Wilson on Lebanon
Lebanese deputy PM 'open' to talks on handing over Syrian prisoners
Hizbullah Threatens Civil War Following Government Decision To Disarm It, Says The 'Treasonous' Government Must Fall/N. Mozes/MEMRI/August 28/2025
Israeli operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah: August 18–24, 2025/David Daoud/FDD's Long War Journal/August 28/2025

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 28-29/2025
Israeli army lands special force on strategic hilltop southwest of Damascus: Syria
Israel says in talks ‘right now’ on south Syria demilitarization
Bipartisan US delegation calls on Israel to stop attacking Syria
Israeli strikes hit Yemeni capital for second time in a week
NGO says starving Gaza children too weak to cry
No, the UN did not say that 87% of Gaza's humanitarian aid is looted by Hamas
No end in sight to Gaza war as Trump discusses day-after with Blair and Jared Kushner
Israel steps up bombardment of Gaza City killing 16 people
Extremist minister Smotrich calls for Israel to annex Gaza
Bahrain’s foreign minister receives credentials of Israel’s new ambassador
Rubio says US open to 'direct engagement' with Iran as Europeans restore sanctions
Europeans launch UN sanctions process against Iran, drawing Tehran ire
Turkey boosts defence systems with “Steel Dome” and $1.5 billion technology base
Trump-mediated peace deal with Armenia marks ‘end of 30-year war’: Azerbaijan’s Aliyev
Ukraine says it hit a Russian missile ship with flying explosive-packed drones
15, including 4 children, killed in Russian strikes on Kyiv

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on August 28-29/2025
For half a century, the most globalist of institutions has demonized the Jewish state/Clifford D. May/The Washington Times/August 28/2025
US allies can halt Iran’s nuke rebuilding scheme NOW — but face a ticking clock/Mark Dubowitz & Andrea Stricker/New York Post/August 27/2025
New Iran Sanctions Are Welcome, but Maximum Impact Demands Maximum Attention/Max Meizlish & Behnam Ben Taleblu/FDD/August 27/2025
Qatar Does Not Seem Interested in Any Deal that Ends the Rule of Hamas in the Gaza Strip: What Qatar Is Saying in Arabic/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/August 28/2025
A Peace Deal for Ukraine Could Test German Reluctance to Deploy Troops/Christopher F. Schuetze and Jim Tankersley/The New York Times/August 28/2025
lected X tweets for August 28/2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on August 28-29/2025
Text and Video: The return of the hero Etienne Saqr-Abu Arz to his homeland, Lebanon, is a national, religious, and moral duty
Elias Bejjani/August 28/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/146764/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GZ_s7J5ikU&t=3s
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing..” (02 Timothy 04:07-08)
Is it not shameful that Lebanon, after decades of sacrifices and blood, remains estranged from its true heroes?
Is it not disgraceful that the great Lebanese fighter and patriot, the historic leader Etienne Sakr – Abu Arz, still lives in exile, far from the homeland he loved, defended, and to which he gave his every effort, alongside the blood of his comrades and martyrs?
Who is Abu Arz?
Etienne Sakr was born in 1937 in the southern town of Ain Ebel. Educated in French schools in Tripoli and Beirut, he came from a deeply rooted Maronite family. He adopted the name “Abu Arz” – Father of the Cedar – as a symbol of his unshakable belonging to Lebanon’s eternal cedar tree and all that it represents in the nation’s identity.
In 1975, he founded the Guardians of the Cedars, a movement that swiftly rose to become one of the most prominent nationalist forces in Lebanon during the wars imposed on the country by others – most notably the Syrian Baathist Assad regime, Palestinian armed organizations, and their allies among leftist and pan-Arab extremist movements.
His party was marked by clarity of vision, uncompromising sovereignty, and fierce determination. Abu Arz stood courageously against every form of occupation – Palestinian, Syrian, jihadist, leftist, or pan-Arabist – raising the bold slogan: “No Palestinian will remain in Lebanon.” Under his leadership, the party sacrificed hundreds of martyrs in defense of Lebanon’s land, identity, and independence.
He personally commanded decisive battles against Palestinian terrorist organizations and the invading Syrian army, as well as their Trojan collaborators at home. He played a key role in the Battle of Zahle (1981) and the East Beirut battles (1978), proving beyond doubt that Lebanon would never be a land for foreign domination or a substitute homeland for anyone. True to his principles, he withdrew from the Lebanese Front the moment some of its factions accepted Syrian tutelage, refusing any compromise on sovereignty.
Exile and Unjust Sentences
When the Syrian army stormed Baabda Palace in 1990 and toppled General Michel Aoun’s government, Abu Arz was forced to flee Beirut for his safety. He took refuge in South Lebanon, where he remained until the Israeli withdrawal in 2000, after which he relocated to Israel and later settled in Cyprus.
In the absence of genuine justice, the Syrian-controlled Military Court issued an unjust, arbitrary, and politically motivated sentence against him in absentia: seven years of hard labor on charges of “collaboration with Israel.” This sentence was a farce – void of legal or constitutional legitimacy. That so-called military court was nothing more than an instrument of occupation, designed to crush Lebanon’s free men.
His Political and Intellectual Legacy
Despite decades in exile, Abu Arz remained a towering voice of freedom, warning of the dangers of sectarianism and affirming that Lebanese identity transcends religious and sectarian divisions. In every interview and article, he remained unshakably committed to one eternal principle: Lebanon first, last, and always – free, sovereign, and independent.
What Is Required Today
Today, after all the collapses and tragedies Lebanon has endured – after the total exposure of the false narrative of so-called “resistance and liberation”; after Iran’s decline and the crushing defeat of its terrorist proxies, foremost among them Hezbollah – the time has come to restore honor and justice to one of the bravest, most patriotic, and most selfless Lebanese leaders: Abu Arz.
It is first and foremost the duty of His Excellency the President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, himself a son of the South, to exercise his constitutional authority by granting a special pardon to Abu Arz. This would allow him to return to his homeland and spend the remainder of his life among his people and on his soil. It is the least Lebanon can offer to a man who dedicated his very existence to its cause.
It is also the duty of all so-called Christian “sovereignist” political parties – those who claim to defend freedom and independence – to adopt this demand openly and to press for his honorable return, instead of turning a blind eye to his case, as they did in the past. The same applies to the Maronite Church and most political forces that once benefited from his struggle, only to later abandon him.
Honoring Abu Arz and bringing him back to Lebanon is not only a national and moral duty, but also a message to every struggler and every free Lebanese: that Lebanon – the land of holiness, saints, and mission – does not forget its heroes, nor does it bury their sacrifices in the graves of denial. A nation that does not honor its heroes is unworthy of leadership.
Let us, then, raise our voices loud and clear:
The time has come for Abu Arz’s return.
The time has come for his vindication.
The time has come for Lebanon to embrace one of its most loyal and heroic sons.

The Media Campaign Against Tom Barrack is Childish…And the Vast Difference Between Hezbollah the Devils, and Mullahs’ Criminality, and Morgan Ortagus: America, Beauty, and Hope
Elias Bejjani/August 26, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/146720/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VL3wzywTU8&t=163s
My commentary today revolves around three key points:
1 – The Significance of Morgan Ortagus’s Courage in Beirut
Through both words and actions, she proved that she does not fear Hezbollah. She urged the Lebanese not to fear it either, because it is nothing more than an Iranian arm whose time has ended. She reassured that America, the West, and the majority of Arab states have already decided to strip it of its weapons, dismantle its military presence, and end its occupation of Lebanon.
2 – Hezbollah’s Hysteria and Its Mouthpieces
From Naïm Qassem, to the party’s MPs, officials, and media lackeys – they are all living in denial, delirium, hallucinations, and daydreams before the collapse of their project and their humiliating defeat, along with the downfall of the so-called “Axis of Resistance,” the grand façade of terrorism.
3 – The Infantile Media Campaign Against Tom Barrack
This campaign is practically parrot-like, empty of any real meaning, and represents a complete divorce from the real positions and priorities that should be taken against Hezbollah’s occupation, its defiance of the constitution, its rejection of international resolutions, and its daily threats against the Lebanese.
To begin with, the difference between the faces of Naïm Qassem, Mohammad Raad, Wafiq Safa, and the rest of the gang of the “fake resistance,” and the face of Morgan Ortagus, is like the difference between devils and angels, between owls and doves, between ugliness and grace, between evil and good.
Morgan Ortagus, the U.S. envoy who confidently walked into a famous Beirut beauty salon to have her hair done, wanted to say boldly to the Lebanese:
“I am not afraid of Hezbollah, and I advise the Lebanese not to fear it either. It is an Iranian arm whose time has ended, and America, the West, and most Arab countries are working to strip it of its weapons.”
This practical gesture alone is enough to destroy the entire fear-mongering machine that Hezbollah attempts to plant in Lebanese minds through its daily sectarian and terrorist speeches.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s so-called “acting Secretary-General” Naïm Qassem, along with the rest of its leaders and their hired propagandists – journalists, analysts, and media parrots – live in a hysterical state of threats, screaming, excommunication, treason, and false promises of returning to the days of total domination. Yet behind all this noise lies one simple reality: defeat, collapse, and pathological denial of reality. They are hallucinating, detached from facts, after Hezbollah and Iran’s humiliating downfall, the collapse of Bashar Assad’s criminal regime in Syria, and Israel’s systematic elimination of most Hezbollah leaders – which continues daily – while Hezbollah is incapable of even firing a single bullet in response.
Every day, Hezbollah threatens the lives of free and sovereign Lebanese – from Sheikh Ahmad Shukr, to journalist Qassem Qassir linking the militia’s weapons to the “return of the Mahdi,” passing by Wafiq Safa, Hussein al-Moussawi, and many others. Yet most of Lebanon’s press and political class remain silent and cowardly. Only a few dared to respond.
The absurd irony is this: the very same people who stayed silent in the face of Hezbollah’s death threats, assassinations, and threats of civil war, exploded hysterically against a passing comment by Tom Barrack, when he used a simple English word telling journalists to calm down! That word was blown up into an entire circus, as if it were the crime of the century. This is pure hypocrisy and blindness, explained only by an addiction to submission and servility.
Where were those loud voices when Hezbollah thugs assaulted journalist Daoud Rammal as he prayed at his parents’ grave? Where were they when Hezbollah shed the blood of journalist Mohammad Barakat? Where were they when Hassan Nasrallah told Lebanese opponents of his Iranian militia occupation: “You are not human”? And where were they when Hezbollah’s newspaper editor threatened journalists with “feel your necks”? The list goes on… Silence was the answer. Yet today, they all pretend to be outraged at Barrack!
The reality is that what Barrack meant was simple: “Calm down, or we will leave you alone.” But the parrots preferred screaming.
On the Word “Animalistic” vs. “Anomalistic”
From a linguistic perspective, there is no English word “anomalistic,” as some pretended. There is anomaly (abnormality, irregularity) and anomalous (abnormal, unusual).
The word Barrack used was animalistic. Here are its meanings from leading dictionaries:
Oxford English Dictionary: “Relating to the characteristics or behavior of animals; resembling or suggestive of animals.”
Merriam-Webster: “Of, relating to, or resembling an animal or animals; marked by instinct rather than reason.”
Cambridge Dictionary: “Like an animal; relating to the behavior of animals rather than humans.”
In plain words: animalistic = primitive, brutal, driven by raw instinct and savagery.
So the entire outcry was nothing but empty propaganda – a parrot-like hysteria, just as meaningless as everything Hezbollah and its chorus of mouthpieces promote.
Conclusion
Morgan Ortagus represents America, beauty, and hope, while Hezbollah represents ugliness, monkeys, devils, and the mullahs’ criminality. The contrast could not be clearer. What Ortagus told the Lebanese is in itself a roadmap: Do not fear Hezbollah. Its time is over. The international, Arab, and American decision is to disarm it and restore Lebanon to its statehood.
As for the media campaign against Tom Barrack, it only reveals how deeply Lebanon’s press has been infected by decades of occupation – Palestinian, Syrian, and now Iranian – planting submissiveness, self-censorship, and the mentality of “devil’s advocates” into the veins of too many so-called journalists.
**Video Link to the Section of Press conference held by U.S. Envoy Tom Barrack, & Morgan Ortagus on 26 August/2025 at The Lebanese Presidential Palace and created the childish media Campaign again Barrak
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi35R6qPyLI
DRM News/August 26/2025
**Video Link to the entire Press conference held by U.S. Envoy Tom Barrack, & Morgan Ortagus on 26 August/2025 at The Lebanese Presidential Palace
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM_r5yAH26E
DRM News/August 26/2025
**Video Link to the Press Conference the UN Envoys & Senators held at the Lebanese Presidential Palace on August 26/after Meeting with President Joseph Aoun
(Tom Barrak, Morgan Ortagus, Sent Shaheen, Lindsey Graham & Joe Wilson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2Up0X7mWnc
DRM News/August 26/2025

Video link to an interview from the “Al-Hawiya” YouTube platform with writer and director Youssef Y. El Khoury.
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/08/146787/
The interview provides a sovereign and realistic analysis of various issues that terrorize and concern the Lebanese populace, disrupting their lives and leaving them under the yoke of occupation. All this is attributed to Hezbollah’s terrorism and Persian influence, the fear and hesitation of the country’s rulers, the hypocrisy of most political party leaders and their treacherous, complicit political figures.
Note: The title of the interview reflects the sole responsibility and conclusions of the LCCC Web publisher.
Al-Hawiya Platform / Youssef El Khoury: “No one betrays us; the Shiites were the first to welcome the Israelis while our Lebanese rulers collude with the party.”

Petition to the White House For the Return of Etienne Sakr, Abu Arz, to His Homeland
Petition to the White House
https://www.change.org/p/petition-to-the-white-house-for-the-return-of-etienne-sakr-abu-arz-to-his-homeland-39aca373-f838-4428-84b3-a8a374c4adc8?cs_tk=A2GpZHW9NBvdA5fiuWgAAXicyyvNyQEABF8BvGViYWJlYjY3NzRhYTY3NDE0YWU0YzdmMWYyNmE5OGJhNzFhNjJmNDIwMmNlMjhmY2IyYmM4NTZkMDkwMDY2YmY%3D&utm_campaign=8901777f116948af91bcdc4bdd3bda49&utm_content=initial_v0_4_1&utm_medium=email&utm_source=petition_signer_receipt&utm_term=cs
For the Return of Etienne Sakr, Abu Arz, to His Homeland Lebanon.
We, the Free Nationalist People of Lebanon,
Lebanese Nationalist and Phoenician in heritage, who have suffered decades of destruction at the hands of the Palestinians, the Assad regimes, and the Iranian Hezbollah, solemnly appeal to you, President Donald J. Trump, and to you, Vice President JD Vance, to restore justice and freedom for our land and our people.
Etienne Sakr, known as Abu Arz, Father of the Cedar, was born in Ain Ebel, South Lebanon, in 1937. A son of Phoenicia, his life has been dedicated to defending the sovereignty, independence, and sacred identity of Lebanon.
He was and still is the founder and leader of the Guardians of the Cedars, the only true nationalist movement that rose in defense of Lebanon during the War of Others in Our Land. Unlike other leaders who compromised with the Palestinians, the Assad Regimes father and son, and the Iranian Hezbollah, three terrorist organizations and drug cartels, Abu Arz stood firm, rejecting sectarianism and championing a free and independent Lebanon.
Abu Arz was the only Lebanese nationalist leader who fought from Beirut 1975-1989 to the South of Lebanon, 1989-2000 side by side with the South Lebanese Army (SLA), against the Iranian Hezbollah militias and the Assad Regimes of Syria. He resisted foreign occupation until the year 2000.
When the Southerners of Lebanon were forced to flee following Israel’s withdrawal, it was at the request of His Beatitude Patriarch Sfeir of Bkerke that Abu Arz personally accompanied his people, ensuring their safe passage. He coordinated directly with the Israeli Government to secure housing, livelihood, and dignity for the exiled Lebanese families in Israel.
Only after fulfilling his duty to them did he depart a few months later to Cyprus, where he continued to meet with followers, family, and Lebanese nationalists to keep alive the hope of a free Lebanon.
Because of his alliance with Israel in resisting Palestinian, Syrian, and Iranian occupation, Abu Arz was unjustly sentenced to life with hard labor by the very same corrupted Lebanese courts controlled by Syria and Hezbollah. Instead of honoring its patriots, Lebanon condemned its defenders.
Abu Arz’s exile has lasted far too long, while Lebanon itself has been brought to ruin by the very forces he warned against.
Mr. President, Mr. Vice President:
We, the Free Nationalist People of Lebanon, humbly but firmly request your direct intervention to secure the safe return of Etienne Sakr, Abu Arz, to his homeland. His leadership, vision, and moral authority are essential for Lebanon’s rebirth.
He embodies the struggle of our people, the Cedars of God, and the eternal friendship with the United States of America and the State of Israel. His presence in Lebanon is a necessity for peace, justice, and national revival under the Abraham Accords, which you, President Trump, made possible for the region.
Abu Arz is not merely an exiled leader, he is the living symbol of the Lebanese nation, betrayed and persecuted by its enemies and forgotten by the world. Today, under your leadership, he can finally return home, and Lebanon can once again rise from the ashes, like the Phoenix of Lebanon.
We stand with you, Mr. President, and with you, Mr. Vice President, to Make Lebanon Free and Great Again.

Lebanese Army: An officer and a soldier were killed while investigating an enemy drone after it crashed in Naqoura
National News Agency/August 28, 2025
The Army Command - Directorate of Orientation issued the following statement: "While army personnel were investigating an Israeli enemy drone after it crashed in the Naqoura area, it exploded, resulting in the martyrdom of an officer and a soldier and the injury of two other personnel."

Macron tells Aoun disarmament plan has broad European and international support
Naharnet/August 28, 2025
French President Emmanuel Macron told Thursday President Joseph Aoun, in a phone call, that the army's plan for arms monopolization will receive "broad European and international support" and must be characterized with "accuracy."Macron and Aoun discussed the plan that the army will develop to implement the Cabinet's decision to disarm Hezbollah and other armed factions. Macron lauded the step as "important", said it should be done with precision, and assured that the plan will have broad European and international support. The two leaders also discussed the extension of UNIFIL’s mandate, as the Security Council scheduled a vote Thursday on a resolution that would end the more than four-decade operation of the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon on Dec. 31, 2026. Trump administration political appointees came into office wanting to shut down UNIFIL as soon as possible and have secured major cuts in U.S. funding for the force. They regard the operation as a waste of money that is merely delaying the goal of eliminating Hezbollah’s influence and restoring full security control to the Lebanese armed forces. European nations, notably France and Italy, objected to winding down UNIFIL too quickly. They argued that ending the peacekeeping mission before the Lebanese army was able to fully secure the border area would create a vacuum that Hezbollah could easily exploit. A French draft resolution suggested to end UNIFIL’s mandate in 16 months instead of a year. Aoun considered the extension of UNIFIL’s mandate "an advanced step that will help the Lebanese army complete its deployment up to the internationally recognized borders, once Israel's complete withdrawal is achieved, hostile actions cease, and Lebanese prisoners are returned." Aoun and Macron also discussed two international conferences for the reconstruction of Lebanon and for supporting its army and the need to implement the required financial and economic reforms to unlock international aid.

UN peacekeepers discover Hezbollah bunker in south Lebanon
Agence France Presse/August 28, 2025
In a wooded valley close to the Israeli border, United Nations peacekeepers showed AFP journalists a Hezbollah bunker they had uncovered in southern Lebanon, a former bastion of the militant group. The U.N. Security Council is set to vote Thursday on the future of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which faces U.S. and Israeli opposition. The peacekeepers, first deployed in 1978, have recently been working with the Lebanese Army to enforce a November ceasefire that followed more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.The Lebanese group was badly weakened and, as part of the ceasefire deal, is required to withdraw from south Lebanon. "This morning we conducted a recce in this valley that we identified as... of valuable interest" because it was hit by the Israeli military during the conflict, said Captain Tanguy, commander of the French reconnaissance and intervention troops, on Wednesday. The site, on the outskirts of the village of Meri, was hidden among trees and accessible only on foot via a rough mountain path. Green boxes filled with shells were scattered on the ground, while others were inside a storeroom that appeared to have been bombed. "Inside the bunker we found an artillery cannon of 152 mm caliber. It's Russian-made. It was facing eastward and southward," Tanguy said.
'Provide security' -
"This type of cannon has a range of about 15 kilometers (around 10 miles) effectiveness," he added. Next to it were several dozen boxes each containing a 152 mm shell "ready to be used.""And as you can see the cannon is still intact," Tanguy said."The next step would be for us to provide security in the area so the Lebanese Armed Forces can intervene and retrieve the valuable assets," he said. Under the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, Hezbollah and Israel were both required to withdraw from south Lebanon, while UNIFIL has deployed alongside the Lebanese military to dismantle Hezbollah's infrastructure there, including a substantial network of tunnels. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said in June that the Lebanese Army had dismantled more than 500 Hezbollah military positions and weapons depots in the south. UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti told AFP that since the ceasefire, peacekeepers had found 318 weapons caches in southern Lebanon. Earlier this month, six Lebanese soldiers were killed in a blast at a weapons depot near the border that a military source said belonged to Hezbollah. Under heavy U.S. pressure and amid fears of expanded Israeli military action, Lebanon's government this month tasked the army with drawing up a plan to disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year. For its part, Israel has retained troops at five points within Lebanon that it deems strategic. This month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested they would be withdrawn if Hezbollah were successfully disarmed.
'Monitor and report' violations -
Around 10,800 peacekeepers are stationed in southern Lebanon, where UNIFIL has been deployed since shortly after the Israeli invasion of 1978. Their deployment has spanned the Israeli invasion of 1982, its subsequent occupation of southern Lebanon until 2000, the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah as well as the recent hostilities which began in October 2023 and culminated in open war last year during which Israel sent in ground troops. The Security Council is debating a French-drafted compromise that would keep UNIFIL in place until the end of next year and prepare to withdraw by the end of 2027.
The mission's current mandate ends on Sunday. Colonel Arnaud de Coincy, the commanding officer of UNIFIL's quick-reaction Force Commander Reserve, said the peacekeepers would continue to support the Lebanese Army "to provide all the expertise, all the assets we have, in order to help them" restore state authority to south Lebanon. UNIFIL's main role is to "monitor and to report any violation" of the ceasefire, he noted. Clearly visible behind him was one of the five sites still held by Israeli troops, between the border towns of Kfar Kila and Burj al-Moulouk. Israel has also kept up regular strikes on what it says are Hezbollah sites and operatives in Lebanon despite the truce. Tenenti said UNIFIL had recorded 5,095 Israeli air violations since the ceasefire began.

Renewed Israeli airstrikes target same southern regions
Naharnet/August 28, 2025
Israeli airstrikes on Thursday targeted the al-Zighrin area on the eastern outskirts of the Jezzine district town of al-Rihan, the National News Agency said. The stream of the al-Khardali River was also targeted by several airstrikes in the al-Mahmoudiyeh area, NNA added. The Israeli army claimed that the strikes had targeted “several Hezbollah infrastructure sites and a rocket launchpad.”Israel has repeatedly bombed the aforementioned areas since the November ceasefire came into effect. Since the war ended with a U.S.-brokered agreement, Hezbollah officials have said the group will not discuss its disarmament until Israel withdraws from five hills it controls inside Lebanon and stops almost daily airstrikes that have killed or wounded hundreds of people, most of them Hezbollah members. Lebanon is under U.S. pressure to disarm Hezbollah after the group fought a 14-month war with Israel and was left gravely weakened, with many of its political and military leaders killed.

Report: Lebanon seeks to revive 'fruitful dialogue' with US, allies
Naharnet/August 28, 2025
The Lebanese cabinet session scheduled for September 2 to discuss the Lebanese Army’s plan for disarming Hezbollah and the other armed groups will be held on time, a highly informed Lebanese source told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper. The source, however, did not rule out a brief postponement of the session should domestic complications arise . The source added that “there are contacts to overcome the impasse reflected by Speaker Nabih Berri’s remarks to Asharq al-Awsat.”The efforts are aimed at “reviving the fruitful dialogue with the Americans and Lebanon’s other allies to devise a roadmap that pulls the situation out of the bottleneck,” the source went on to say.Berri on Wednesday expressed frustration and said U.S. envoys Tom Barrack and Morgan Ortagus "brought nothing from Israel" and "came with something contrary to what they had promised us."“Things have once again become complicated,” Berri said in an interview with Asharq al-Awsat. Noting that things are “not easy,” the Speaker said “any matter that leads to dispute in the country is condemned,” when asked about the September 2 cabinet session that will discuss the Lebanese Army’s plan for Hezbollah’s disarmament.
Ortagus said on Tuesday that Lebanese authorities must execute their decision to disarm Hezbollah, adding that Israel would respond in kind to any government steps. "We're all greatly encouraged by the historic decision of the government a few weeks ago, but now it's not about words, now it's about action," Ortagus told journalists at Lebanon's presidential palace in Baabda. On Monday, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered a phased pullout of troops from Lebanon if Beirut implements its decision to disarm Hezbollah -- part of a November ceasefire agreement brokered by Washington.
Ortagus said that Israel was "willing to go step by step, it might be small steps... but they're willing to go step by step with this government."Barrack, who was also part of the visiting delegation, said that when the Israelis see action from Lebanon, "they will give their counterproposal" on troop withdrawal and security arrangements. The Lebanese government's decision to disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year was made under heavy U.S. pressure and amid fears of expanded military action by Israel, which has continued to carry out attacks in Lebanon despite the November ceasefire.

Army's disarmament plan to be reportedly enforced in two phases
Naharnet/August 28, 2025
A Lebanese leader and a Lebanese party official have reached an agreement on the Lebanese Army’s plan for disarming Hezbollah that will be presented to Cabinet on September 2, informed sources said. The plan will be implemented over two phases: “the first in the South Litani region, where the government will fully implement Resolution 1701 without objection from Hezbollah,” the sources told the al-Anbaa news portal. As for the second phase, the unnamed Lebanese leader and the unnamed party official “agreed that it would be continued through dialogue and without a clash,” the sources added.

Berri says anyone who attacks army is a 'dog, son of a dog'
Naharnet/August 28, 2025
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has reportedly warned against confronting the Lebanese Army. “Whoever throws (even a) rose at the Lebanese Army is a dog, a son of a dog, and this is the stance of the Amal and Hezbollah duo,” LBCI television quoted visitors of Berri as saying. MTV also quoted visitors as saying that Berri wants the army to be like “the bride whom no one touches.”The Lebanese government has tasked the army with preparing a plan for the disarmament of Hezbollah and all armed groups and presenting it to Cabinet prior to August 31, with an ultimate goal of completing the disarmament plan by year end. Hezbollah has rejected the government’s decisions and said it will deal with them as if they do not exist. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday he welcomes the Lebanese cabinet's "momentous decision," adding that if Lebanon takes the necessary steps to disarm Hezbollah, then Israel will respond with reciprocal measures, including a phased reduction of the Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon. Since the Israel-Hezbollah war ended in November with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, Hezbollah officials have said the group will not discuss its disarmament until Israel withdraws from five hills it controls inside Lebanon and stops almost daily airstrikes that have killed or wounded hundreds of people, most of them Hezbollah members. Lebanon is under U.S. pressure to disarm the group that recently fought a 14-month war with Israel and was left gravely weakened, with many of its political and military leaders dead.

Barrack says didn't use 'animalistic' in a 'derogatory manner'
Naharnet/August 28, 2025
After his remarks sparked outrage in Lebanon and beyond, U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has offered an indirect apology to Lebanese journalists who were offended by his chiding remarks at the Baabda Palace, saying his use of the word “animalistic” was not meant to be voiced in “a derogatory manner.”“I’m just saying, ‘Can we calm down, can we find some tolerance, some kindness. Yeah, let’s be, let’s be civilized.’ But it was inappropriate to do when the media is just doing their job,” Barrack said in an interview with Mario Nawfal on the X platform. “I understand more than anybody else (that) these things are complicated and difficult. It’s very rare that they (journalists) have an opportunity to talk to people who are actually making the decisions,” Barrack added.“So they have the illusion that it’s me. I should have been more generous with my time and more tolerant myself,” the U.S. envoy said.
At the start of a news conference at the Baabda Palace on Tuesday, Barrack warned raucous journalists to be quiet, telling them to “act civilized, act kind, act tolerant.”He threatened to end the conference early otherwise. “The moment that this starts becoming chaotic, like animalistic, we’re gone,” said Barrack. He then asked: “Do you think this is fun for us? Do you think this is economically beneficial for (U.S. envoy) Morgan (Ortagus) and I to be here putting up with this insanity?”None of the journalists present responded to his comments but the Lebanese Press Editors Syndicate issued a statement slamming the “inappropriate treatment” that the Lebanese journalists were subjected to and called on Barrack and the U.S. State Department to offer a “public apology.” It added that if no apology were made, it could escalate by calling for boycotting Barrack’s visits and meetings. The Lebanese Presidency and Information Minister Paul Morcos also issued statements voicing solidarity with the journalists.The Presidency said it “regrets” the comments made by “one of our guests” and greeted journalists who cover news at the palace, thanking them for their “hard work.”

Official Lebanese source: ‘We are holding talks with Hezbollah about Day After, and all concerns are being addressed’
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/August 28, 2025
BEIRUT: An official Lebanese source has confirmed to Arab News that the government is in direct talks with Hezbollah about the disarmament of non-state armed groups and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanese territory. The source said that concerns raised by the Shiite group “are being addressed.”
“The Lebanese army is capable of fulfilling all its duties south of the Litani River,” the source said, referencing the UN Security Council resolution adopted on Thursday evening, which extended the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, until the end of 2026. This resolution also envisions a phased withdrawal of UNIFIL forces from an area where they have served for more than four decades. “Let Israel withdraw from southern Lebanon, and the Lebanese army will carry out its duties to the fullest extent in coordination with UNIFIL forces,” the source said. “What is required is supporting the army to increase its capabilities.” The Lebanese Army has about 6,500 troops deployed south of the Litani River and is working to increase that number to 10,000. The source revealed that the Lebanese Army “has completed more than 80 percent of its mission south of the Litani River, confiscating all types of weapons it finds, without any objection from Hezbollah.” Contrary to general expectations, the group “has been cooperative,” the source said. “The Lebanese Army confiscates everything it encounters south of the Litani River,” the official said. “It either destroys it if it is unusable, and uses what is usable, according to estimates by military experts after inspecting the confiscated weapons.” Military experts estimate that weapons and ammunition generally have an expiration date of between 10 and 20 years, though this varies depending on the weapon type, manufacturing process and storage conditions. Factors such as humidity, heat and exposure to water can degrade the weapons, potentially turning them into hazards.  “Neither the army nor the political leadership knows what remains of Hezbollah’s military arsenal, nor do Hezbollah officials themselves,” the source said.
“There is no doubt that the resistance (Hezbollah), which is usually secretive in its operations, has a method that prevents us from assessing the size and status of its arsenal.”
Addressing recent incidents, the source described the explosions that occurred during weapon confiscations in the south earlier this month — which killed six soldiers — as “incidents still under investigation.” The official confirmed that “in light of these events, the Lebanese army has adopted a more cautious approach.” Expressing optimism about Lebanon regaining full sovereignty over its territory, the source said: “The defense strategy is drawn up by the army command under the guidance of the political authority, and no one can replace them. “Lebanon’s long-standing military capabilities cannot be underestimated. The state also resorts to diplomacy to achieve sovereignty, and it is the decision-maker in war and peace, and everyone must coordinate with the state, not allow anyone to open a confrontation at their own expense.” The source emphasized that when the political authority drafted its ministerial statement — and earlier, when the president of the republic delivered his inaugural speech — no external party dictated their positions or demands. “The arms embargo is one of the provisions of the Taif Agreement and international resolutions, and its implementation does not mean surrender to Israel.”
The source also said that the withdrawal of weapons from the Palestinian camps fell within the framework of the Lebanese decision, not the Israeli one. The source said that the government did not consider the step-by-step policy pursued by US envoy Thomas Barrack to implement the terms of the ceasefire agreement as a failure, despite Israel’s recent response linking its withdrawal from the Five Hills area to the Lebanese government’s enforcement of the arms embargo decision.
“We judge the facts and exercise our convictions, and I believe that diplomacy in this area requires patience. The American paper and the Lebanese amendments to it, which were approved by the Council of Ministers, required dozens of hours of work.”
The representative addressed concerns about allaying Hezbollah’s fears concerning the confiscation of its weapons and reassuring its supporters: “Hezbollah is present in the state, and anyone who wants to join the Lebanese Army is welcome, according to the conditions of membership. The idea of ​​compensating Hezbollah fighters is not a bad idea. I believe that joining the military establishment is a positive thing for their families, as they will receive social benefits.” On efforts to restore confidence among Hezbollah supporters in state institutions, the source revealed that “under-the-table discussions” have been taking place between Hezbollah and decision-makers “about the Day After.” The source acknowledged that “Hezbollah and its supporters are wounded, deeply hurt, and all concerns must be addressed, and work is underway to address them.” On the American proposal to establish an economic zone in the border area as a buffer zone, it was noted that the plan has not yet been officially discussed. “The state understands the concerns of the people of the region regarding this matter, and they are 100 percent right. If it is raised, Lebanon will certainly have its own reservations. No one accepts the separation of the people of the south from their land. What is most important, above all, is that Israel withdraws from the positions it occupies and that they cease their hostile actions,“ the official said. The source also reiterated Lebanon’s openness to all Arab assistance for reconstruction, especially from Gulf states led by Saudi Arabia. Concerning Lebanese-Syrian relations, the official indicated that “a Syrian delegation will visit Lebanon to discuss border demarcation, the issue of Syrian detainees, and trade relations.” On Lebanon’s stance if Syria decided to recognize the Shebaa Farms as Syrian rather than Lebanese territory, the source said: “It must prove this with documents. We have documents from the French state archives that confirm their Lebanese identity.”

US diplomat apologizes for using the word 'animalistic' in reference to Lebanese reporters
The Associated Press/August 28, 2025
BEIRUT (AP) — A U.S. diplomat apologized Thursday for using the word “animalistic” while calling for a gaggle of reporters to quiet down during a news conference in Lebanon earlier this week. Tom Barrack, who is the U.S. ambassador to Turkey and envoy to Syria and has also been on a temporary assignment in Lebanon, said he didn’t intend to use the word “in a derogatory manner” but that his comments had been “inappropriate.”Barrack visited Beirut along with a delegation of U.S. officials on Tuesday to discuss efforts by the Lebanese government to disarm the Hezbollah militant group and implementation of the ceasefire agreement that ended the latest war between Israel and the Hezbollah in November. At the start of a news conference at the presidential palace, journalists shouted at Barrack to move to the podium after he started speaking from another spot in the room. After taking the podium Barrack told the crowd of journalists to “act civilized, act kind, act tolerant.” He threatened to end the conference early otherwise. “The moment that this starts becoming chaotic, like animalistic, we’re gone,” said Barrack. The comment sparked an outcry, with the Lebanese press syndicate calling for an apology and calling for a boycott of Barrack’s visits if none was issued. The Presidential Palace also issued a statement expressing regret for the comments made by “one of our guests” and thanking journalists for their “hard work.”In an interview with Mario Nawfal, a media personality on the X platform, an excerpt of which was published Thursday, Barrack said, “Animalistic was a word that I didn’t use in a derogatory manner, I was just saying ‘can we calm down, can we find some tolerance and kindness, let’s be civilized.’ But it was inappropriate to do when the media was just doing their job.”He added, “I should have been more generous with my time and more tolerant myself.”Barrack’s visit came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces could begin withdrawing from territory they hold in southern Lebanon after the Lebanese government’s decision to disarm Hezbollah. When, how and in what order the Hezbollah disarmament and Israeli withdrawal would take place remain in dispute. The Israeli army on Thursday launched airstrikes in southern Lebanon that it said were targeting “terrorist infrastructure and a rocket platform” belonging to Hezbollah.

Lebanese official says disarmament of Palestinian camps could pave way for new refugee rights
Abby Sewell/The Associated Press/August 28, 2025
BEIRUT (AP) — As more Palestinian refugee camps handed over caches of weapons to the Lebanese army this week, a Lebanese government official told The Associated Press that the disarmament effort could pave the way for granting Palestinian refugees in Lebanon more legal rights. Ramez Dimashkieh, head of the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, a government body that serves as an interlocutor between Palestinian refugees and officials, said his group is working on proposed legislation that they hope to introduce by the end of the year that could improve the situation of Lebanon’s approximately 200,000 Palestinian refugees. Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are not given citizenship, ostensibly to preserve their right to go back to the homes they fled or were forced from during the 1948 creation of the state of Israel, which now bans them from returning. They are prohibited from working in many professions, have few legal protections and can’t own property. The proposed legislation under being drafted would not confer Lebanese nationality on the refugees, Dimashkieh said, but would strengthen their labor and property rights. “If people see a serious move forward in terms of arms delivery and they see the Palestinians here … are serious about transforming into a civil society rather than militarized camps, it will make the discourse much easier,” he said.
A first step
Last week, Palestinian factions started handing over some of the weapons held in the Burj al-Barajneh refugee camp on the outskirts of Beirut to the Lebanese army, an initial step in implementing a plan announced by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun three months earlier for removing arms from the camps. The step of removing weapons from the camps was widely seen as a precursor to the much more difficult step of disarming the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which last year fought a bruising war with Israel. The group has been under domestic and international pressure since then to give up its remaining arsenal, which it has so far refused to do. Only one pickup truck loaded with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades left Burj al-Barajneh last week, leading many to dismiss the initiative in the Palestinian camps as ineffective or purely symbolic. Dimashkieh acknowledged that “there was a lot of cynicism about the quantity and quality of the weapons delivered,” but insisted that the government is serious about following through.“Whatever weapons are given, they’re weapons which are now in the possession of the Lebanese Armed Forces,” he said. “So we should be happy about that.”
On Thursday, another three camps in southern Lebanon handed over weapons, including some Grad rockets as well as RPGs, machine guns and hand grenades. The 12 Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon aren’t under the control of Lebanese authorities, and rival Palestinian factions have clashed inside the camps in recent years, inflicting casualties and affecting nearby areas. In the Ein el Hilweh camp near the southern port city of Sidon, rounds of fighting between members of Abbas’s Fatah movement and rival Islamist factions in 2023 killed around 30 people, wounded hundreds and displaced thousands.
The fighting also left the schools in one of two school complexes in the camp run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees "heavily damaged to the extent that we are unable to use them,” said Dorothee Klaus, UNRWA director in Lebanon. The cash-strapped agency does “not have the resources currently to reopen the schools,” she said. While UNRWA is not involved in the disarmament effort currently underway, Klaus said, “We very much hope that this leads to a situation of safety and security and stability with a functioning civil administration.”
Eventually, Dimashkieh said, the objective is for the camps to be patrolled by Lebanese police or internal security forces while being governed by civilian Palestinian officials, although he acknowledged that there would be “a transitional period” before that happens.
Abbas’s administration launched an overhaul of the Palestinian Authority’s leadership in Lebanon a few months ago, including the removal of the former Palestinian ambassador and many security officials and staff. Dimashkieh said that a Palestinian delegation had recently visited to pave the way for elections of new “popular committees” that serve as de facto municipal authorities in the camps. Palestinian factions opposed to Abbas, including Hamas and its allies, have rejected the plan to hand over weapons in the camps, and even members of Abbas’ Fatah movement have sent mixed signals, with some officials saying last week that only “illegal” weapons would be handed over, not those belonging to organized factions. However, on Thursday, Sobhi Abu Arab, the head of the Palestinian National Security Forces in Lebanon, said, “We are doing our part as the Fatah movement and the Palestinian Liberation Organization to implement” Abbas’s decision. Dimashkieh said his group has also had “initial talks” with Hamas and that he is “quite optimistic that we will make headway” with bringing them on board.

Lebanese army collects arms from Palestinian groups in southern refugee camps
The National/August 28, 2025
Weapons collected from three camps near Tyre in second round of disarming Palestinian factions
Palestinian factions at three refugee camps in southern Lebanon handed over weapons to the army on Thursday as part of the government's drive to disarm all non-state actors in the country. The Lebanese Armed Forces said it "received a quantity of Palestinian weapons" from the Rashidieh, Al Bass and Burj Al Shamali camps in Tyre. The weapons handed over included machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and hand grenades, Lebanon's National News Agency said. Seven lorries took the weapons to an army barracks in the Shawakir area of Tyre city. The Palestinian ambassador to Beirut, Ramez Dimashkieh, who is also head of the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee that was tasked with implementing the disarmament process, told reporters that more Palestinian camps in Beirut will hand over their weapons to the army on Friday. Disarming the camps comes under a broader initiative by Lebanese leaders to limit and disarm all non-state forces, including the Iran-backed Lebanese paramilitary group Hezbollah. The issue is a sensitive one as Israel carries out regular strikes on Lebanon, with Hezbollah accusing ministers of bowing to US and Israeli pressure. Two Lebanese troops were killed on Thursday while inspecting a crashed Israeli drone in the south of the country, the army said. The handover of weapons in Lebanon's 12 Palestinian refugee camps began on August 21 at the Burj Al Barajneh camp in Beirut. Only factions affiliated to the Palestine Liberation Organisation are taking part, including the Fatah faction of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Palestinian factions opposed to Mr Abbas, including Hamas and its ally, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, have rejected the plan as "unilateral". While it is not clear exactly which factions are handing over their weapons, there has also been resistance to disarmament from some members of the PLO, which contains representatives of a diverse array of Palestinian factions with varying ideologies. Mr Dimashkieh told Associated Press that his group had held “initial talks” with Hamas and that he was “quite optimistic that we will make headway” with bringing them on board.

UN Security Council renews Lebanon peacekeeping mission 'for a final time'
Michelle Nichols/Reuters/August 28, 2025
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -The United Nations Security Council on Thursday unanimously extended "for a final time" a long-running peacekeeping mission in Lebanon until the end of 2026, when the operation will then begin a year-long "orderly and safe drawdown and withdrawal."The U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), established in 1978, patrols Lebanon's southern border with Israel. The 15-member council unanimously adopted a French-drafted resolution after a compromise was reached with the United States, a veto-wielding council member. The Security Council decided "to extend for a final time the mandate of UNIFIL." The resolution "requests UNIFIL to cease its operations on 31 December 2026 and to start from this date and within one year its orderly and safe drawdown and withdrawal of its personnel, in close consultation with the Government of Lebanon with the aim of making Lebanon Government the sole provider of security in southern Lebanon."This will be the last time the United States will support an extension of UNIFIL, said acting U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Dorothy Shea. "The security environment in Lebanon is radically different than just one year ago, creating the space for Lebanon to assume greater responsibility," she told the council. UNIFIL's mandate was expanded in 2006, following a month-long war between Israel and Hezbollah, to allow peacekeepers to help the Lebanese army keep parts of the south free of weapons or armed personnel other than those of the Lebanese state. That has sparked friction with Hezbollah, which effectively controls southern Lebanon despite the presence of the Lebanese army. Hezbollah is a heavily armed party that is Lebanon's most powerful political force.

Irish peacekeepers to withdraw from Lebanon by 2027
BBC/August 28/2025
The United Nations peacekeeping operation in Lebananon, which Irish troops have been involved in for more than 50 years, is set to come to an end in 2027. The resolution, put forward to the Security Council in New York by France on Thursday, that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) mandate would be extended until December 2026. A year-long "orderly and safe draw down and withdrawal" would then follow. Unifil is a peacekeeping mission which was created in 1978 to monitor hostilities and help ensure humanitarian access to civilians. The mission's current mandate is set to expire next Sunday. The United States and Israel want Unifil peacekeepers to withdraw completely from Lebanon by next year. However, Ireland, as well as France, Austria and Poland, have been negotiating for the mandate to be extended beyond this. Ireland currently has about 300 peacekeepers stationed at its military base in south Lebanon, known as Camp Shamrock. Simon Harris stands at a podium with two microphones placed in front of him. He has short grey hair, and is wearing a navy suit jacket, a light blue buttoned shirt and dark purple tie.
Ireland's Tánaiste (Irish deputy PM) and Minister for Defence Simon Harris said the French proposal is "more considered and provides much more time and space". Harris has been in discussions with his French and Austrian counterparts - as well as Italy and Lebanon - earlier this week regarding a compromise that would see the mission come to an end gradually. Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported that Harris feared an abrupt end to the Unifil mission would create a "very real risk" and posed major security and operational difficulties. Speaking on RTÉ's News at One programme, the tánaiste said he had "mixed emotions". "It was only months ago, perhaps only weeks ago, that there was going to be an immediate end, that the mandate would not be renewed, that it would not get through the Security Council. "My immediate concern as minister of defence is what that would mean for the security of our own troops, for the security of the peacekeepers in general and for the security in the region."He said Ireland had a very long and proud association with the mission, and paid tribute to the thousands of troops who have served in the region since 1978. He mentioned especially the 47 members who paid "the ultimate sacrifice" in the course for peace. Harris said it was important now, with the withdrawal, that Ireland does not turn its back on Lebanon. "I do think with a new government in place, I do think there's a real opportunity now to try and give the people of Lebanon the start that they so desperately crave and I, as a representative of the Irish government, am determined we stand in solidarity with the good people of Lebanon," he added.The tánaiste said those within Óglaigh na hÉireann (Irish Defence Forces) would continue its overseas work in other countries.
"There will be other opportunities to serve with distinction in the name of peace," he said. "We remain very committed to peacekeeping in Ireland and in the Defence Forces."Senior UN peacekeeper injured in convoy attack in Lebanon.Irish troops safe after rocket hits Lebanon camp

Disarmament of Palestinian camps in Lebanon in ‘second phase’
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN/Face Book/August 28/2025
The disarmament of Palestinian camps in Lebanon is entering its second phase, “marking the most important step in decades toward ending the phenomenon of weapons outside the country,” Al-Ain media reported. The disarmament is important and could help pave the way to disarming Hezbollah. It could also be a model for disarming Hamas in Gaza. Lebanon is now a test case for the region.
According to the Lebanese National News Agency, "The process of handing over Palestinian weapons to the Lebanese Army has begun in the Rashidieh, Al-Bass, and Burj al-Shamali camps in Tyre. Seven trucks loaded with light weapons and B7 shells left the camp and entered the Second Intervention Regiment barracks in Shawakir." Rashidieh Camp is located south of city of Tyre. Damaged in the 1982 war it saw some of its residents displaced in the past. Burj al-Shamali camp is 3km from Tyre in southern Lebanon. It was established in 1948. El Buss camp is south of Tyre as well and was actually first built in 1939 for Armenian refugees.
Palestinian Authority presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said that “the competent Palestinian authorities in Lebanon handed over the second batch of PLO weapons located in the Palestinian camps in Lebanon, namely the Rashidieh, Al-Bass, and Burj al-Shamali camps, to the Lebanese army as a trust, on Thursday. The handover process will be completed to the remaining camps successively,” the report said. The agreement to disarm came after Palestinian Authority President Mahmout Abbas issued a statement with Lebanon’s new President Gen. Joseph Aoun on May 21.
At the time Abbas pointed out that "the two sides affirmed their commitment to providing the human, social, and economic rights of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, ensuring a dignified life for them without compromising their right of return or affecting their national identity." On August 22, Lebanese authorities began receiving shipments of weapons from Palestinian camps in the capital, Beirut, Al-Ain reports says. “On August 7, the Lebanese Council of Ministers decided to restrict the possession of weapons to the state, and tasked the army with developing a plan to complete this within the current month and implement it before the end of 2025.”
The next phase will now occur in Beirut. An Al-Akhbar correspondent “reported that the army received six weapons trucks from the three refugee camps from the Fatah movement, loaded with heavy weapons including Grad rockets. The trucks entered the Second Intervention Regiment barracks in Shawakir, at the southern entrance to Tyre,” the pro-Iranian Al-Akhbar said. “For his part, the head of the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, Ramez Dimashqieh, told Al-Akhbar that the handover process will be completed tomorrow, Friday, in the Beirut camps,” the report noted.
Pro-Iranian voices have condemned the disarming of the camps. Member of Parliament Mohammad Raad, who backs Hezbollah, speaking from Nabatieh in Lebanon “asserted that the government's decision taken in early August was ‘a major mistake committed with premeditation,’ referring to the government's assignment of the Lebanese Army to prepare a plan to disarm Hezbollah. He noted that this step ‘will disgrace the history of its proponents and those who applaud them,’” Al-Akhbar reported on August 28.
He pointed out that "our regions were targeted, our leaders were subjected to conspiracies, and there was collusion to weaken our role and divert us from our correct choices," adding: "Despite all attempts to spread frustration and despair, we say to our enemies: By God, you will never erase our memory.” This shows that Hezbollah will resist being disarmed.

AMCD Praises Senators Shaheen, Graham and Rep. Wilson on Lebanon
The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy
August 27, 2025
WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, August 27, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy fully supports the bipartisan Congressional delegation who traveled to Lebanon this week and spoke out in support of the Lebanese people and government as they move to disarm the Iranian terrorist group, Hezbollah, which has had a stranglehold on the country for decades.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) emphasized the importance of strengthening the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Lebanese economy, and promised support from the United States Congress, both through legislation and appropriations. She also emphasized the importance of banking reform for the country.
This is a critical time for the future of Lebanon. It’s now or never.”— John Hajjar, AMCD Co-Chair
Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC) said that the desire to disarm Hezbollah is coming from the Lebanese people and reflects the vision of where the people want their country to go. He said that Lebanese military has the support of the Lebanese people, and they have a high degree of confidence that the military represents the entire people, not just one sect. Hezbollah, on the other hand, has its own agenda – that of Iran – and does not represent the will of the Lebanese people. He urged the LAF to take quick action while Iran is at its weakest and that is needs to disarm the Palestinian militias remaining in the country as well. Senator Graham also emphasized the tremendous value of Lebanon to the United States as being one of the very few states in the Middle East where religious diversity is protected. And it is due to that fact that the United States is considering offering Lebanon a defense agreement in order to protect that diversity. Senator Graham said: “Christianity is under siege in the Mideast. Christians are being slaughtered and run out all over the region, except here. So why don’t we invest in defending religious diversity in the Mideast? I think it is in America’s interest to defend religious diversity… I want those who want to destroy religious diversity to understand: Your days are numbered.”
“It is extremely heartening to hear these words from Senator Graham,” said AMCD co-chair Tom Harb. “This delegation signals a shift in the balance of power in Lebanon away from the forces of intolerance and strife toward the forces of pluralism and freedom. A defense agreement with the United States is something the Lebanese people have been hoping for more than five decades.”
“The Lebanese people should rejoice, but they must also be prepared to hold their government’s feet to the fire,” said AMCD co-chair John Hajjar. “This is a critical time for the future of Lebanon, and the people have to hold the government and armed forces accountable for following through with the complete disarming of Hezbollah and the Palestinian militias. It’s now or never.”
AMCD whole-heartedly endorses the plan to disarm the militias of Lebanon and restore full sovereignty to the people of Lebanon so that they may have a free, peaceful, and prosperous future.
Rebecca J Bynum
The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy
+1 615-775-6801
rebecca@americanmideast.com

Lebanese deputy PM 'open' to talks on handing over Syrian prisoners
The National/Nada Homsi/August 28, 2025
About 30 per cent of prisoners in Lebanon are Syrians, with Damascus expected to push for their extradition.
A Syrian delegation is expected in Lebanon next week to discuss the fate of thousands of Syrian detainees held in overcrowded prisons, Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri told The National. He rejected rumours that a trip by Syrian officials set for this week had been postponed. “There was never a specific appointment. We were discussing the date and they had not confirmed any date yet,” Mr Mitri said. Mr Mitri heads a ministerial committee tasked with addressing issues related to displaced Syrians in Lebanon – including the potential repatriation of more than 2,000 Syrian detainees. Syrians make up around 30 per cent of Lebanon’s prison population, according to Interior Minister Ahmed Al Hajjar. At least 190 were arrested for taking part in the uprising against deposed Syrian president Bashar Al Assad, the Syrian Network for Human Rights estimates.
“In our conversations, they referred to prisoners that they said are arrested in Lebanon on suspicion of being in opposition to the [Syrian] regime,” Mr Mitri said. “If this is the case and we have a list of people, we will look into that list.”A judicial source told The National that Syrians are not arrested in Lebanon unless it is for crimes committed in the country. Mr Mitri said any talks on repatriation would have to respect Lebanon’s legal framework. “We’re willing to discuss the [detainees], but in Lebanon there’s due process. It depends on whether they’ve been sentenced, are they awaiting trial, the kind of crimes committed. So we’re open to discussing the issue, but we have to abide by due process.”He dismissed rumours of a general amnesty for Syrian detainees, saying authorities would instead review extraditions on a case-by-case basis. “We have not received any formal request about anybody,” he said, although he suggested a framework could emerge after the meeting. “We don't have a treaty between Syria and Lebanon regarding the exchange of prisoners, so we have to work on a treaty, which can happen in a week. It’s not difficult. There are many similar treaties in the works,” Mr Mitri said. According to the Access Centre for Human Rights, which focuses on human rights violations related to Syrians, Syrian detainees of Lebanon's Roumieh prison face inadequate medical care. The Syrian Foreign Relations office did not respond to a request for comment from The National regarding the upcoming visit and the issue of detainees in Lebanon. Lebanon's prisons are notorious for their overcrowding and cramped conditions, with a population hovering around 8,500. Last year, about 80 per cent of detainees were yet to have their case go to trial. Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar last month told The National that Lebanon was seeking a treaty to allow Syrian prisoners to serve the rest of their sentence in their homeland. “When the Prime Minister went to Syria I addressed this issue with him,” Mr Nassar said, referring to the April visit to Damascus by Nawaf Salam, himself a former judge who headed the International Court of Justice until the start of the year. Mr Salam said during the visit that his government wanted to "open a new page" in relations with Syria, which occupied Lebanon until 2005. In December, Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara said his country would not negatively interfere in Lebanon and would respect its neighbour's sovereignty. The Lebanese government estimates about 1.5 million Syrians are in the country in total, although figures are hard to verify.

Hizbullah Threatens Civil War Following Government Decision To Disarm It, Says The 'Treasonous' Government Must Fall
https://www.memri.org/reports/hizbullah-threatens-civil-war-following-government-decision-disarm-it-says-treasonous
N. Mozes/MEMRI/Lebanon | Inquiry & Analysis Series No. 1875/August 28/2025
The Lebanese government's historic decision on August 7, 2025 to disarm Hizbullah and the other militias in the country, and to restrict the possession of weapons to the Lebanese Army and official security forces, was met with fury by Hizbullah, which hurried to clarify that it would not relinquish its weapons even at the cost of sparking an internal conflict or civil war in Lebanon. Hizbullah – which disputes the legality of the decision on the grounds that the Lebanese Constitution and the Taif Agreement both sanction its activity against Israel[1] – accuses Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and his government of treason and of succumbing to Israeli and American dictates. It calls to overthrow the government, although its representatives have not resigned from it and continue to hold their positions in it.[2]
In its messages to the public, Hizbullah characterizes its weapons as sacred and a senior Shi'ite cleric even referred to them as "the weapons of Allah." Videos circulated by the organization on its media and social media platforms featured speeches by former Hizbullah officials, including the organization's former secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah, which underlined the duty of jihad and the sanctity of the weapons, among them videos titled "My Weapons Are Too Sacred to Be Removed"[3] and "We Shall Not Be Traitors and Shall Not Relinquish Our Weapons."[4]
In an attempt to enlist maximum support from the Shi'ite public, Hizbullah officials describe the government's decision as a blow to the entire Shi'ite sect, which must be opposed. These officials also lent the conflict a religious-historical dimension by comparing the Lebanese government and Hizbullah's political rivals to the second Umayyad caliph Yazid ibn Mu'awiya (Yazid I), who in Shi'ite Islam is an emblem of oppressive tyranny that must be fought, and promised to fight the government's decision just as the Shi'ite Imam Hussein ibn Ali fought Yazid in the historic Battle of Karbala.[5]
Hizbullah's patron Iran and other elements in the resistance axis – specifically the Houthi Ansar Allah movement in Yemen and the Iran-backed Shi'ite militias in Iraq – have come to Hizbullah's defense. They attacked the Lebanese government and its decision, urged Hizbullah to oppose it and clarified that they would help it do so.
This report reviews Hizbullah's responses to the Lebanese government's decision to disarm it.
We Will Not Give Up Our Weapons; We Will Fight As We Fought In Karbala
Hizbullah Secretary-General Na'im Qassem responded to the government's decision to disarm his organization only a week after the decision itself, and one day after meeting with Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. Qassem conveyed that Hizbullah would not disarm and would not hesitate to resort to a confrontation in order to prevent this. He said in an August 15, 2025 televised speech: "…This government is implementing the American-Israeli instructions to eliminate the resistance [i.e., Hizbullah], even at the cost of civil war and internal conflict. The government is serving the Israeli plan… Hizbullah and the Amal movement have agreed on the idea to postpone the demonstrations in the streets, because there is still opportunity to hold discussions, and make changes [in the government's decision], before we reach the point of confrontation, which nobody wants, but for which we are ready, if it is imposed on us. We will have no other choice, and there will be demonstrations in the streets, all over Lebanon, and they will head to the U.S. embassy… The resistance will not surrender its weapons while the [Israeli] aggression and occupation continue. We will wage a war like the war in Karbala, if needed, against this American-Israeli plan, whatever it costs us. We are certain that we will win this war…"[6]
Hizbullah Executive Council head Ali Da'moush likewise clarified that the organization has no intention of disarming, and stressed that it does not "recognize" this decision, which "has nothing to do with" Hizbullah. He threatened: "We have refrained from escalating [the situation] in order to maintain stability and allow the government to amend its decision, but if the government insists on implementing [the decision] we shall [indeed escalate]… The situation today is similar to the situation in [the time of the Battle of] Karbala and Hussein [ibn Ali]. To all the Yazids who present us with two options – surrender or war – we repeat the words uttered by Imam Hussein on the tenth day [of the month of Muharram, the day of the Battle of Karbala]: 'The bastard and son of a bastard [Yazid] presented us with two options: drawing [a sword] or [facing] humiliation, and we will never agree to be humiliated.'"[7]
The Decision Is A Sin That Will Lead To Civil War; The "Treasonous" Government Must Fall
As stated, Hizbullah officials disputed the legality of the government's decision, accused it of "treason" and of "collaboration" with Israel and the U.S., and claimed that, if civil war breaks out, the government will be to blame. A statement issued by Hizbullah's parliamentary bloc said: "…The decision regarding the weapons of the resistance is a sin and contravenes the supreme interest of the state, the Constitution, the National Reconciliation Accord [i.e., the Taif Agreement], and the government's guidelines. It also contravenes the legitimate right of the Lebanese people to defend itself against occupation and aggression… It is a great sin and a great and unjustified capitulation to foreign dictates, especially American ones, which place the interest of the Zionist enemy above any other consideration…"[8]
Mahmoud Qamati, deputy head of Hizbullah's political council, said: "…This is the first time Lebanon has seen the government itself spearheading an inter-Lebanese conflict, playing a role in it and trying to push the army and security forces into a conflict with the people… Is this a government or a gang? This is a crime that almost amounts to treason against the homeland and the people." Qamati threatened the government: "If you do not act and take the opportunity [to reverse your decision], the tsunami of the Lebanese people will drown you and overthrow you. Don't think that the Lebanese people will remain patient for long. If you insist on an inter-Lebanese conflict, the people are the ones who will confront you and defy you for your corruption, and for selling out Lebanon, relinquishing its sovereignty and siding with those who are hostile to it… Some of the state leaders lied to [Parliament] Speaker [Nabih] Berri and betrayed him and the resistance. They lied to the resistance…"[9]
Hizbullah MP Ihab Hamada warned: "Nobody on the face of this earth should even think of depriving us of our existence and life… Everything you are hearing [from the Lebanese government] was written in Israeli ink on American paper by fingers that purport to be Lebanese. [But] this is only ink on paper. They are contravening the Constitution and the Charter [i.e., the Taif Agreement]…"[10] On another occasion he said: "Nobody will deprive us of [even] a knife, a needle or a stick… The resistance is the one that grants approval to others. It does not depend on anyone for its legitimacy…"[11]
Shi'ite Mufti Ahmad Qabalan accused the government of sparking internal crises and called on the people to overthrow it: "This government does not act and does not want to act. It lives on external support and national bankruptcy. Worse, it plays the role of the blind leader and advances foreign interests rather than Lebanon's interest, subjecting the state to another wave of structural collapse and political opportunism… while strategically relinquishing Lebanon's most important capability [i.e., Hizbullah's weapons]." He called on the Lebanese people: "Don't leave the country in the hands of those who do not act…"[12]
Prime Minister Salam Is A Traitor And Collaborator
The accusation of treason directed at the government and its head, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, also took the form of practical attempts to mobilize public sentiment, which could place Salam in danger. A banner hung up in the city of Al-Harmel in the Lebanon Mountains showed Salam with a Star of David on his forehead and the text "A collaborator has neither sect nor religion."[13]
At a demonstration by Hizbullah supporters in the organization's stronghold in southern Beirut, protesters placed a picture of Salam, captioned "collaborator and traitor," as well as an Israeli flag, on the road so that vehicles and people would trample them.[14]
Hizbullah's Weapons Are The Weapons Of Allah; The Government's Decision Targets The Shi'ite Sect
Hizbullah officials stressed that the decision to disarm the organization was not only treason against the homeland but treason against Allah himself, since Hizbullah's weapons are the sacred weapons of Allah. Moreover, in a bid to mobilize the Shi'ite sect against the decision, they stated that the it was meant to harm this entire Lebanese sector. Shi'ite Mufti Ahmad Qabalan, for example, said: "The weapons of Hizbullah and of the Amal movement are the weapons of Allah. There is no force in the world that can remove them… The decision on disarmament is insane, hollow and is worth less than the rotten ink in which it was written. In all of its history, the state has never taken a more treasonous decision… than this one that serves the supreme interests of the Zionist entity… Hizbullah is Amal and Amal and Hizbullah are the Shi'ite [sect]…"[15]
Sheikh Ali Al-Khatib, deputy head of the Supreme Islamic Shi'ite Council in Lebanon, addressed the government, saying: "You have decided to execute the Shi'ite sect in Lebanon. What do you except the Shi'ites of Lebanon to do? We defend Lebanon because the Shi'ite sector is one of Lebanon's main pillars. If you want to remove [this pillar], this edifice will be left without pillars and will be compromised… You are declaring war on the resistance…"[16]
Iran And The Resistance Axis: Hizbullah Must Not Abide By The Government's Decision
Amid the internal conflict in Lebanon, Hizbullah's patron Iran, and other elements in the resistance axis, including the Shi'ite militias in Yemen and Iraq, supported Hizbullah and prompted it to be firm in its stance against the government. Iranian officials stated that the Lebanese government, which obeys American and Israeli dictates, will not manage to implement its decision, and clarified that they would support Hizbullah in its campaign against the government's decision to disarm it. For example, Ali Akbar Velayati, an advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said that Iran would continue to back Hizbullah and advised "the wise people of Lebanon to come out against those who are leading the disarmament plan – otherwise the resistance will do so, with our support."[17]
Abu Hussein Al-Hamidawi, secretary-general of the Hizbullah Brigades, an Iran-backed Shi'ite militia in Iraq, issued a statement that implicitly attacked the Lebanese government's decision, and added: "Opposing occupiers and repelling aggressors is a legitimate right anchored in [secular] law and in the laws of the [Islamic] shari'a. The weapons of the peoples were and will continue to be the guarantee of their security… Therefore, it is paramount to support the resistance with advanced weapons, to improve its technological capabilities, to increase its defensive and destructive capabilities and to achieve the highest level of readiness…"[18]
The leader of the Houthi Ansar Allah movement in Yemen, Abd Al-Malik Al-Houthi, likewise slammed the Lebanese government's decision, saying: "By announcing its surrender and endorsing the American document that includes Israeli dictates, the Lebanese government betrayed Lebanon and its sovereignty and harmed the Lebanese people… The endorsement of [this] American document is not a Lebanese decision. It is not a free and responsible [decision], and it must be treated as an Israeli-American decision… We must not capitulate to an Israeli-American decision just because the Lebanese government was pressured into adopting it…"[19]
* N. Mozes is a research fellow at MEMRI.
[1] The Taif Agreement of 1989, officially known as the National Reconciliation Accord, ended the Lebanese civil war and distributed political, civil, and military authority in the country along sectarian lines. The agreement stipulates that Lebanon must take "all the steps necessary to liberate all Lebanese territories from the Israeli occupation [and] to spread state sovereignty over all the territories." According to Hizbullah, "all the steps necessary" includes the "resistance" it wages against Israel. It should be noted that the agreement also calls for "the disbanding of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias" and for delivering their weapons to the state. Hizbullah holds that it is not a militia and therefore this clause does not apply to it (For the English version of the agreement, see Un.int/files/Lebanon/the_taif_agreement_english_version_.pdf).
[2] Hizbullah's two representatives in the government, Public Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine and Labor Minister Muhammad Haidar, did not take part in the government sessions that dealt with Hizbullah's disarmament, but, as stated, they have not resigned.
[3] Telegram.me/mmirleb, August 13, 2025.
[4] Alahednews.news, August 15, 2025.
[5] The Battle of Karbala took place in 680 CE in today’s Iraq between the army of Yazid I and the supporters and relatives of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Hussein ibn Ali, who rejected Yazid’s authority. This battle, which ended with a defeat for Hussein’s camp and with the death of Hussein himself, is considered an important milestone in the history of Shi’ite Islam and as an emblem of the fight against injustice.
[6] Alahednews.news, August 15, 2025. See MEMRI TV Clip No. 12222, Hizbullah Secretary-General Naim Qassem: Hizbullah Will Never Surrender Its Weapons And It Is Ready For Confrontation With The Lebanese Government; We Will March On The U.S. Embassy, Wage War Like In Karbala If Needed, August 15, 2025.
[7] Alahednews.news, August 22, 2025.
[8] Alahednews.news, August 21, 2025.
[9] Alahednews.news, August 18, 2025.
[10] Alahednews.news, August 8, 2025.
[11] Al-Akhbar (Lebanon), August 12, 2025.
[12] Almanar.com.lb, August 13, 2025.
[13] Nidaa Al-Watan (Lebanon), August 22, 2025.
[14] X.com/may_chidiac, August 10, 2025.
[15] Al-Nahar (Lebanon), August 19, 2025.
[16] Alahednews.news, August 17, 2025.
[17] For more statements by Iranian officials against the Lebanese government's decision, see MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 12129, Unprecedented Shift In Lebanon's Attitude Towards Iran: Our Government's Decision To Disarm Hizbullah Stands; We Will Not Tolerate Your Intervention In Our Internal Affairs; Relations With Lebanon Must Be Conducted Via State Institutions, Not Via Hizbullah, August 14, 2025.
[18] Telegram.me/Kaf, August 15, 2025.
[19] Alahednews.news, August 14, 2025.

Israeli operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah: August 18–24, 2025
David Daoud/FDD's Long War Journal/August 28/2025
https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2025/08/27/israeli-operations-in-lebanon-against-hezbollah-august-18-24-2025/
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted numerous operations throughout Lebanon against Hezbollah between August 18 and August 24, 2025. While IDF activities were considerably fewer than in previous weeks—perhaps the lowest since the November 27, 2024, ceasefire—they targeted Hezbollah facilities and personnel north and south of the Litani River and included targeted assassinations and destruction of the group’s assets.
The Israeli military conducted operations in 18 Lebanese locales, some of them more than once. The IDF carried out 17 airstrikes or other aerial activity, fired flares over two areas, and conducted one artillery strike, one surface-to-surface missile strike, one naval action, and one detonation of a structure.
Map instructions: Click the top-left icon or an icon on the map to open the Map Key and adjust the map’s zoomas desired. Click the top-right icon to open a larger version of the map.
Nabatieh Governorate
Bint Jbeil District: Ainatha-Aitaroun, Ainatha-Kounine, Aitaroun, Beit Lif-Ramieh, Maroun Al Ras-Yaroun, Ramieh, and Rmeish-Yaroun
Marjayoun District: Deir Seryan, Khiam, and Meiss Al Jabal
Nabatieh District: Ansar-Senay, Deir Al Zahrani, and Meiss Castle,
South Lebanon Governorate
Sidon District: Zrariyeh
Tyre District: Deir Kifa, Dhayra, Hawsh, and Naqoura
Casualties
Between August 18 and August 24, 2025, Israeli operations in Lebanon killed 14 people—six identified as Hezbollah operatives and two as PFLP operatives—and wounded 17 individuals.
August 18, 2025: Four Syrian laborers were wounded.
August 19, 2025: No casualties were reported.
August 20, 2025: Seven unidentified people were wounded.
August 21, 2025: One Hezbollah operative was killed.
August 22, 2025: One Hezbollah operative was killed.
August 23, 2025: No casualties were reported.
August 24, 2025: No casualties were reported.
Chronology of Israeli operations against Hezbollah, August 18–24, 2025
August 18
At 9:01 am, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli troops crossed the Blue Line into Lebanon, where they detonated a house in the Kasayer neighborhood in eastern Meiss Al Jabal in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
At 9:54 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped a stun explosive in Dhayra in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Tyre District.
At 12:56 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped a stun explosive in Ramieh in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District.
At 3:12 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped an explosive in Khiam’s Wadi al Asafeer in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District. The strike wounded four Syrian laborers.
August 19
At 11:51 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli Navy vessel directed gunfire toward the shoreline of Naqoura in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Tyre District.
August 20
At 2:23 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli forces fired four flares over the area opposite Yaroun and Rmeish in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District.
At 7:24 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped a stun explosive near an excavator in Meiss Al Jabal in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
At 9:45 pm, an Israeli airstrike targeted the vicinity of Meiss Castle, toward the village of Ansar, in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Nabatieh District.
At 9:57 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted the wadi of Zrariyeh in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Sidon District.
At 10:21 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone strike targeted a vehicle near houses in Hawsh in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Tyre District. The strike damaged the houses and lightly wounded seven people.
At 10:43 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli forces fired flares over Naqoura in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Tyre District.
At 11:21 pm, the IDF released a statement saying that it had targeted and destroyed military infrastructure, weapons storage facilities, and a rocket launcher belonging to Hezbollah. The IDF said the presence of these objects “constituted a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
At 11:33 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle in Deir Al Zahrani in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Nabatieh District.
At 11:35 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted the area between Senay and Ansar in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Nabatieh District.
At 11:59 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli surface-to-surface missile fired from northern Israel’s Houla Valley struck the area of Al Ras in Deir al Zahrani.
August 21
At 7:50 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone targeted a motorbike in Deir Seryan in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District. The strike killed one person. Hezbollah-affiliated social media later announced the death of Hezbollah operative Salim Salman Al Khatib, whose nom de guerre was Al Horr Al Ameli, from Deir Seryan.
Death announcement for Salim Salman al Khatib.
At 9:43 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped an explosive on the outskirts of Aitaroun in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District.
At 10:58 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone targeted the area between Ainatha and Aitaroun toward Bint Jbeil in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District.
At 9:43 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped a stun explosive between Maroun Al Ras and Yaroun in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District.
August 22
At 9:52 am, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli artillery targeted and damaged a prefabricated home in Maroun Al Ras in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District.
At 12:29 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted the Abu Laban neighborhood of Ayta Ash Shaab in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District. The strike killed one person. Hezbollah-affiliated social media later announced the death of Hezbollah operative Mohammad Hussain Qassem, whose nom de guerre was Jihad, from Ayta Ash Shaab. The IDF subsequently released a statement saying that it had targeted and killed Qassem—though it did not name him—while he was involved in “attempts to rebuild Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure near Ayta Ash Shaab.”
Death announcement for Mohammad Hussain Qassem.
At 2:07 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped an explosive near an excavator between Ainatha and Kounine in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District.
At 10:38 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone targeted a vacant room near the cemetery of Deir Kifa in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Tyre District. At 10:45 pm, the IDF released a statement claiming it had targeted a “Hezbollah weapons storage near Deir Kifa” whose existence “violated the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
August 23
At 9:48 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone targeted the area between Ramieh and Beit Lif in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Nabatieh District.
August 24
At 11:24 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped a stun explosive near an unidentified Lebanese national allegedly inspecting his home in Dhayra in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Tyre District.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 28-29/2025
Israeli army lands special force on strategic hilltop southwest of Damascus: Syria
Reuters/28 August/2025
A unit of the Israeli army conducted an airborne landing on a strategic hilltop southwest of Damascus and carried out a two-hour operation before leaving the area, two Syrian army sources said. They said the troops landed near Jabal Manea, which was once a major air defense base operated by Iran before being destroyed by Israel prior to the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s rule. A number of troops from the new Syrian army are positioned at the base.

Israel says in talks ‘right now’ on south Syria demilitarization
AFP/August 28, 2025
JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel was engaged in talks aimed at the demilitarization of southern Syria, implicitly acknowledging for the first time contacts with the new Syrian regime. Following deadly sectarian violence in Syria last month, Netanyahu met with a Druze leader in Israel, reassuring him that his government was negotiating to safeguard the religious community in Syria. “We are focusing on three things: Protecting the Druze community in the Sweida governorate, but not only there; creating a demilitarised zone stretching from the Golan Heights (passing) south of Damascus down to and including Sweida; and establishing a humanitarian corridor to allow the delivery of aid,” the premier said. “These discussions are taking place right now, at this very moment,” he added, according to a video shared by his office. Last week, Syria’s official news agency SANA reported that Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani had met an Israeli delegation led by Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer in Paris on August 19. Talks focused on de-escalation between the two countries and the situation in Druze-majority Sweida province after deadly sectarian clashes there last month, the news channel said The French Foreign Ministry confirmed the meeting to AFP, saying it had been conducted “under US mediation” and that delegations from the two Middle Eastern neighbors had previously met on July 24 in the French capital. Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria since the overthrow of President Bashar Assad in December, and occupied much of a UN-patrolled demilitarised zone on the Syrian-held side of the armistice line between the two countries. Damascus has confirmed holding indirect contacts with Israel with the intention of returning to the 1974 disengagement agreement that created the buffer zone. In July, Israel bombed Syrian government forces in the capital and in Sweida province to force their withdrawal from the southern region amid a wave of sectarian violence. On Wednesday night, Israeli forces conducted an airborne raid on a site near the Syrian capital after bombing it several times, SANA reported Thursday. Israel did not confirm the raid, but Defense Minister Israel Katz said its forces operate “in all combat zones” to ensure the country’s security.

Bipartisan US delegation calls on Israel to stop attacking Syria
Al Arabiya English/28 August/2025
A bipartisan group of senior US senators on Thursday called on Israel to stop bombing Syria and “seize the moment,” after they returned from a visit to Damascus. The delegation included the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jeanne Shaheen, as well as influential Republican Senator Joni Ernst and Congressman Joe Wilson, who is the co-chair of the Israel caucus. “The message was clear: Syria needs a chance to succeed and move past the violence and strife that consumed the country for over 14 years. Last night’s destabilizing strikes on Syria by Israel make that goal more difficult to achieve,” the letter read. Israel bombed targets outside Damascus multiple times this week, killing at least six Syrian soldiers, according to state television. On Wednesday night, more Israeli attacks targeted another site near the Syrian capital. The US lawmakers met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, cabinet ministers, and Syrians from different backgrounds and religions. According to the US lawmakers, Syria is prepared to move forward with Israel to advance peace, but warned, “It is unclear how long the door to this opportunity will remain open.” They added: “We call on Israel to seize the moment and immediately cease hostilities so the progress made by Syrians and Special Envoy Barrack can continue. A stable and secure Syria is the only path toward freedom from Iran’s reach and containment of the ISIS threat.”

Israeli strikes hit Yemeni capital for second time in a week
Reuters/28 August/2025
Israel struck at Houthi militants in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on Thursday, the Israeli military said, in the second such assault on the city in less than a week. Residents told Reuters the attacks struck an area near the presidential complex and a building in southern Sanaa. Yemeni military sources said the presidential complex housed an operations room and a missile storage facility used by the Iran-aligned militants. An Israeli military statement referred to a single attack. Israeli security sources said it had targeted various locations where a large number of senior Houthi officials had gathered to watch a televised speech recorded by leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi. But a source from the Houthi Ministry of Defense denied reports of leaders being targeted in Sanaa, the Houthi-run news agency reported. “Whoever raises a hand against Israel - his hand will be cut off,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement on Thursday. On Sunday, Israel said it had hit the city in retaliation for Houthi missiles fired towards Israel. The strikes are the latest in more than a year of attacks and counterstrikes between Israel and Houthi militants in Yemen, part of a spillover from the war in Gaza. Nasruldeen Amer, a senior Houthi official, said on Thursday the Houthis, who control much of Yemen’s population, would continue to act in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The Iran-aligned Houthis have attacked vessels in the Red Sea in what they describe as acts of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza. They have also fired missiles towards Israel, most of which have been intercepted. Israel has responded with strikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, including the vital Hodeidah port.

NGO says starving Gaza children too weak to cry
AFP/August 28/2025
The head of Save the Children described in horrific detail Wednesday the slow agony of starving children in Gaza, saying they are so weak they do not even cry. Addressing a Security Council meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the president of the international charity, Inger Ashing, said famine – declared by the UN last week to be happening in Gaza – is not just a dry technical term. “When there is not enough food, children become acutely malnourished, and then they die slowly and painfully. This, in simple terms, is what famine is,” said Ashing. She went on to describe what happens when children die of hunger over the course of several weeks, as the body first consumes its own fat to survive and when that is gone, literally consumes itself as it eats muscles and vital organs. “Yet our clinics are almost silent. Now, children do not have the strength to speak or even cry out in agony. They lie there, emaciated, quite literally wasting away,” said Ashing. She insisted aid groups have been warning loudly that famine was coming as Israel prevented food and other essentials from entering Gaza over the course of two years of war triggered by the Hamas attack of October 2023. “Everyone in this room has a legal and moral responsibility to act to stop this atrocity,” said Ashing. The United Nations officially declared famine in Gaza on Friday, blaming what it called systematic obstruction of aid by Israel during more than 22 months of war. A UN-backed hunger monitor called the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative said famine was affecting 500,000 people in the Gaza governorate, which covers about a fifth of the Palestinian territory including Gaza City. The IPC projected that the famine would expand by the end of September to cover around two-thirds of Gaza.

No, the UN did not say that 87% of Gaza's humanitarian aid is looted by Hamas
The FRANCE 24 Observers/August 28/2025
Online accounts have been using this image to support claims that 87% of the humanitarian aid coming into Gaza is looted by Hamas. Pro-Israeli internet users claim that the UN has stated that 87 percent of humanitarian aid entering Gaza is being looted by Hamas. The UN has never made such a statement, and the claims likely stem from a misleading distortion of statistics published by a UN agency. The accusation was the Israeli government's main argument for imposing a blockade to prevent food aid from reaching Gaza, which was partially eased at the end of May. Israel claims that Hamas loots most of the international aid sent to the enclave for its own benefit. On May 22, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a speech, "Since October 7, Israel has sent 92,000 aid trucks into Gaza. [...] Yet as we had let the aid come in, Hamas stole it. They took a huge chunk for themselves. The rest they sold at exorbitant prices to the Palestinian population."According to several pro-Israel internet users, the United Nations also shares the Israeli head of state's assessment. “87% of humanitarian aid has been looted by Hamas,” they write on X, Instagram and Facebook, sharing a poster that also shows a fighter from the Islamist movement. According to these posts, the source of the 87 percent figure for looted aid is the UN. However, the UN has never made this claim. There is no official statement from the United Nations claiming that Hamas steals 87 percent of humanitarian aid on the website of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the UN agency responsible for aid to Palestinians. So where did the 87 percent figure come from? It is likely a misleading use of UN data. The UN2720 website, the UN body responsible for statistics on humanitarian aid in Gaza, keeps a precise track of the number of aid trucks entering the enclave. From May 19 to August 22, UN270 reveals that 4,659 trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered Gaza. Of this total, 4,107 trucks were “intercepted” – meaning that their cargo was stolen – representing 88 percent of the total number of aid trucks sent. However, contrary to what internet users claim, UN2720 does not assert that most of this aid was diverted by Hamas. On its website, the organisation simply states that the “intercepted” trucks were taken “either peacefully by hungry people or forcefully by armed actors”. Olga Cherevko, from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, provided further details about the looters to the Israeli media outlet Times of Israel: the vast majority of the looting was being carried out “by hungry Gazans, not by armed gangs”, the UN employee said. “The long-standing restrictions on the entry of aid have created an unpredictable environment where there is a lack of confidence by the communities that aid will reach them. This has resulted in many of our convoys offloaded directly by starving, desperate people,” Cherevko explained. The Israeli army has also released its own estimate of the proportion of aid allegedly diverted by Hamas. As reported by Reuters on July 25, the IDF claims, based on intelligence reports, that Hamas has diverted up to 25 percent of aid supplies for its own fighters or to be resold at a profit to Palestinian civilians. The army's estimate is therefore significantly lower than the 87 percent claimed by internet users. Hamas, for its part, categorically denies any allegations of diversion. Reuters reports that it has not been able to independently verify the statements made by the Israeli army and Hamas.

No end in sight to Gaza war as Trump discusses day-after with Blair and Jared Kushner
The Arab Weekly/August 28/2025
Donald Trump presided over a “policy meeting” on Israel’s war in Gaza and post-war plans for the Palestinian enclave on Wednesday with input from former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and former Trump Middle East envoy Jared Kushner, a senior White House official said. Trump, Blair and Kushner discussed the hostage crisis, plans to escalate food aid deliveries, post-war plans and more, the official told Reuters. The official described the session as “simply a policy meeting,” the type frequently held by Trump and his team. Blair Kushner presented President Trump with “ideas for a post-war plan,” said Axios quoting sources with knowledge of the matter.Kushner, who is married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka, was a key White House adviser on Middle East in Trump’s first term. Blair was prime minister during the 2003 Iraq war over which he has faced widespread criticism over falsehoods. In February, Trump proposed a US takeover of Gaza and a permanent displacement of Palestinians from the coastal territory. The plan was globally condemned and labelled as an “ethnic-cleansing” proposal by rights experts and the United Nations. Forcible displacement is illegal under international law. Trump cast the plan, which he has not publicly mentioned in recent weeks, as a re-development idea to turn Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”The plan echoed an idea that Kushner floated a year earlier to clear Gaza of its Palestinian inhabitants and turn it into a waterfront property. The Financial Times reported in July that the Tony Blair Institute participated in a project to develop a post-war Gaza plan. The think-tank had said it “has had many calls with different groups on post-war reconstruction of Gaza but none have included the idea of forcible relocation of people from Gaza.”
Trump had promised a quick end to the war in Gaza during his presidential campaign but a resolution has been elusive seven months into his second term. Trump’s term began with a ceasefire which lasted two months, until Israeli strikes killed around 400 Palestinians on March 18. More recently, images of starving Palestinians in Gaza, including children, have shocked the world and fed criticism of both the US and Israel over the deteriorating conditions in the enclave. “President Trump has been clear that he wants the war to end, and he wants peace and prosperity for everyone in the region,” a White House official said before the Wednesday meeting. But Trump has explicitly said there is going to be no peace in Gaza before Hmas is crushed, implicitly green-lighting Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s decision to continue the war while trying to curtail its humanitarian consequences.
“At some level, the president thinks that Bibi’s going to do what Bibi’s going to do,” a US official said. “So would you just hurry up and then we can get in there and take care of people?”Top White House envoy Steve Witkoff has put an end-of-year deadline to Israel’s war in Gaza. “We think that we’re going to settle this one way or another, certainly before the end of this year,” Witkoff told Fox News in an interview on Tuesday.
The Israeli military pressed operations around Gaza City on Wednesday.
Israel is under mounting pressure both at home and abroad to end its almost two-year campaign in Gaza, where the military is preparing to occupy the territory’s largest city and the United Nations has declared a famine. Mediators have circulated a draft ceasefire and hostage release deal which has been accepted by Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose October 2023 attack triggered the devastating war. But Israel has yet to give an official response. On the ground, the Israeli military said its troops were “operating on the outskirts of Gaza City to locate and dismantle terror infrastructure sites above and below ground”. The army’s Arabic-language spokesman, Avichay Adraee, wrote on X that the evacuation of Gaza’s largest city was “inevitable”.The vast majority of Gaza’s population has been displaced at least once during the war, and aid groups working in the territory consider the plan unrealistic and dangerous. The UN estimates that nearly a million people currently live in Gaza governorate, which includes Gaza City and its surroundings in the north of the territory. Residents of Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighbourhood spoke of heavy Israeli bombardment overnight.Israel’s devastating assault on Gaza since October 2023 has killed over 62,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. It has also caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced Gaza’s entire population and prompted accusations of genocide and war crimes at international courts that Israel denies. The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered in October 2023 when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, Israeli tallies show.

Israel steps up bombardment of Gaza City killing 16 people
Reuters/August 28, 2025
CAIRO: Israeli forces killed at least 16 Palestinians across Gaza on Thursday and wounded dozens in the south of the enclave, local health officials said, as residents reported intensified military bombardment in the suburbs of Gaza City.The military is preparing to take Gaza City, the enclave’s largest urban center, despite international calls on Israel to reconsider this over fears that the operation would cause significant casualties and displace the roughly one million Palestinians sheltering there. In Gaza City, residents said families were fleeing their homes, with most heading toward the coast, as Israel forces bombarded the eastern suburbs of Shejaia, Zeitoun, and Sabra. Thursday’s deaths took to 71 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said. Israel officials describe Gaza City as the last stronghold of Hamas, which ignited the war with its deadly October 2023 attack on Israel. The Islamist militant group has since been decimated by Israel’s assault on Gaza. The Israeli military said in a statement that it was continuing to operate throughout Gaza targeting what it described as “terrorist organizations” and infrastructure.
The military had killed three militants in the past day, it said, without saying how they had identified the individuals. A spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross told Reuters that 31 “weapon-wounded” patients, most with gunshot wounds, were admitted to the Red Cross Field Hospital in the southern Gaza town of Rafah. Four of them were declared dead on arrival. “Patients said they were injured while trying to reach food distribution sites,” the spokesperson said, adding that since the food distribution sites began operations on May 27, the hospital had treated over 5,000 “weapon-wounded patients.”Dozens of Palestinians were admitted to Nasser Hospital in nearby Khan Younis with gunshot wounds, according to a doctor there who said the military had opened fire on a crowd of Palestinians that had gathered near an aid distribution site. Mohammad Saqer, the head of nursing, told Reuters most of the patients had been admitted with gunshot wounds to the upper parts of the body and that many were in critical condition. The patients had reported they were shot as they sought to collect food from a distribution site in Rafah, he said.
The Israeli military had no immediate comment. The war broke out when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise, cross-border attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking another 251 hostage. Most of the hostages have since been released through diplomatic negotiations, though 50 remain, of whom 20 are said to be alive. Israel has not responded publicly to Hamas’ acceptance of a proposal for a ceasefire that would allow for the return of some of the hostages. Israeli officials have, however, insisted that it would only accept a deal that sees all of the hostages released and Hamas’ surrender. Israel’s military campaign, which it says is directed toward Gaza’s rulers Hamas, has devastated the territory and displaced most of the roughly two million Palestinians there. More than 62,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed by the Israeli military, according to local health officials, who have not said how many combatants have been killed in the fighting. With the enclave in the grips of a humanitarian crisis, the Gaza health ministry said on Thursday that four more people, including two children, had died of malnutrition and starvation in the enclave, raising deaths from such causes to 317 people, including 121 children, since the war started. Israel disputes the health ministry’s fatality figures and on Wednesday asked a global hunger monitor to retract an assessment that found that Gaza City and surrounding areas are suffering from famine.

Extremist minister Smotrich calls for Israel to annex Gaza
AFP/August 28, 2025
JERUSALEM: Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Thursday called on the government to begin annexing parts of the Gaza Strip if Palestinian militant group Hamas stands by its refusal to lay down its weapons. The far-right minister, who has vocally opposed striking a deal with Hamas to end the nearly two-year war, presented his plan to “win in Gaza by the end of the year” at a press conference in Jerusalem. Under Smotrich’s proposal, Hamas would be given an ultimatum to surrender, disarm and release the hostages still held in Gaza since the group’s October 2023 attack that triggered the war. If Hamas refuses, Smotrich said Israel should annex a section of the territory each week for four weeks, bringing most of the Gaza Strip under full Israeli control. According to Smotrich, Palestinians would first be told to move south in Gaza, followed by Israel imposing a siege on the territory’s north and center to defeat any remaining Hamas militants there, and ending with annexation. “This can be achieved in three to four months,” he said. His remarks come as Israeli forces press a major offensive aimed at seizing control of Gaza City — the territory’s largest — despite mounting concern for the fate of Palestinian civilians there.The vast majority of Gaza’s more than two million people have been displaced at least once during the war. Smotrich in his remarks called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “to adopt this plan in full immediately.” The Palestinian militant group condemned the proposal, saying in a statement that it constituted an “open endorsement of the policy of forced displacement and ethnic cleansing against our people.”Smotrich is one of several far-right members of Israel’s ruling coalition to have expressed support for re-establishing settlements in the Gaza Strip, from which Israel withdrew troops and settlers in 2005. A staunch supporter of the settler movement who himself lives in a settlement in the occupied West Bank, Smotrich authorized last week a major project in that territory which critics say threatens the territorial integrity of any future Palestinian state. Smotrich has said that the settlement project in the area known as E1, east of Jerusalem, was intended to “bury the idea of a Palestinian state.”

Bahrain’s foreign minister receives credentials of Israel’s new ambassador
Al Arabiya English/28 August/2025
Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani received on Wednesday a copy of the credentials of Israel’s new ambassador to Bahrain, Bahraini state news agency reported. Bahrain formally established ties with Israel in 2020 as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords, joining the United Arab Emirates in normalizing relations with Tel Aviv. The move was hailed at the time as a breakthrough in regional diplomacy, opening the door for security and economic cooperation.But relations frayed after the outbreak of the Gaza war. In 2023, Bahrain recalled its ambassador to Israel, suspended economic ties, and saw Israel’s envoy depart Manama.With agencies

Rubio says US open to 'direct engagement' with Iran as Europeans restore sanctions
Agence France Presse//28 August/2025
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that Washington sought direct talks with Iran on ending its nuclear program after European powers moved to restore sanctions on Tehran. Rubio welcomed the Europeans' "snapback" of sanctions, long pushed by President Donald Trump, but said: "At the same time, the United States remains available for direct engagement with Iran -- in furtherance of a peaceful, enduring resolution to the Iran nuclear issue.""Snapback does not contradict our earnest readiness for diplomacy, it only enhances it," Rubio said in a statement. "I urge Iranian leaders to take the immediate steps necessary to ensure that their nation will never obtain a nuclear weapon; to walk the path of peace; and to, by extension, advance prosperity for the Iranian people."France, Britain and Germany earlier Thursday triggered a mechanism to reimpose United Nations sanctions on Iran for failing to comply with commitments over its nuclear program -- a step that was a top goal for Trump in his first term and which caused major friction between the United States and Europe. Trump in his second term has swung sharply in different directions on Iran, insisting he sought a negotiated settlement but then ordering U.S. air strikes on nuclear sites in support of an Israeli military campaign.

Europeans launch UN sanctions process against Iran, drawing Tehran ire
Reuters/28 August/2025
Britain, France and Germany on Thursday launched a 30-day process to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran over its disputed nuclear program, a step likely to stoke tensions two months after Israel and the United States bombed Iran. A senior Iranian official quickly accused the three European powers of harming diplomacy and vowed that Tehran would not bow to pressure over the move by the E3 to launch the so-called “snapback mechanism.”The three powers feared they would otherwise lose the prerogative in mid-October to restore sanctions on Tehran that were lifted under a 2015 nuclear accord with world powers. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the decision did not signal the end of diplomacy. His German counterpart Johann Wadephul urged Iran to now fully cooperate with the UN nuclear watchdog agency and commit to direct talks with the United States over the next month. A senior Iranian official told Reuters the decision was “illegal and regrettable” but left the door open for engagement. “The move is an action against diplomacy, not a chance for it. Diplomacy with Europe will continue,” the official said, adding: “Iran will not concede under pressure.”The UN Security Council is due to meet behind closed doors on Friday at the request of the E3 to discuss the snapback move against the Islamic Republic, diplomats said. Iran and the E3 have held several rounds of talks since Israel and the US bombed its nuclear installations in mid-June, aiming to agree to defer the snapback mechanism. But the E3 deemed that talks in Geneva on Tuesday did not yield sufficient signals of readiness for a new deal from Iran. The E3 acted on Thursday over accusations that Iran has violated the 2015 deal that aimed to prevent it developing a nuclear weapons capability in return for a lifting of international sanctions. The E3, along with Russia, China and the United States, were party to that accord. US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of that accord in 2018 during his first term, calling the deal one-sided in Iran’s favor, and it unraveled in ensuing years as Iran abandoned limits set on its enrichment of uranium.
Trump’s second administration held fruitless indirect negotiations earlier this year with Tehran.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the E3 move and said Washington remained available for direct engagement with Iran “in furtherance of a peaceful, enduring resolution to the Iran nuclear issue.”An Iranian source said Tehran would do so only “if Washington guarantees there will be no (military) strikes during the talks.”The E3 said they hoped Iran would engage by the end of September to allay concerns about its nuclear agenda sufficiently for them to defer concrete action. “The E3 are committed to using every diplomatic tool available to ensure Iran never develops a nuclear weapon,” including the snapback mechanism, they said in a letter sent to the UN Security Council and seen by Reuters. “The E3’s commitment to a diplomatic solution nonetheless remains steadfast.”Iran has previously warned of a “harsh response” if sanctions are reinstated, and the Iranian official said it was reviewing its options, including withdrawing from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The E3 had offered to extend the snapback for as much as six months to enable serious negotiations if Iran restored access for UN nuclear inspectors – who would also seek to account for Iran’s large stock of enriched uranium whose status has been unknown since the June war – and engages in talks with the US. Calling the E3 decision inevitable, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said it was an “important step in the diplomatic campaign to counter the Iranian regime’s nuclear ambitions.”
Growing frustration in Iran
The UN process takes 30 days before sanctions that would hit Iran’s financial, banking, hydrocarbons and defense sectors are restored. Russia and China, strategic allies of Iran, finalized a draft Security Council resolution on Thursday that would extend the 2015 nuclear deal for six months and urge all parties to immediately resume negotiations. But they have not yet asked for a vote. “The world is at crossroads,” Russia’s deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy told reporters. “One option is peace, diplomacy, goodwill ... Another option is a kind of diplomacy at the barrel of the gun.”The specter of renewed sanctions is stirring frustration in Iran, where economic anxiety is rising and political divisions are deepening, three insiders close to the government said. Iranian leaders are split over how to respond – with anti-Western hardliners urging defiance and confrontation, while moderates advocate diplomacy. Iran has been enriching uranium to up to 60 percent fissile purity, a short step from the roughly 90 percent of bomb-grade, and had enough material enriched to that level, if refined further, for six nuclear weapons, before the airstrikes by Israel started on June 13, according to the IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog. Actually manufacturing a weapon would take more time, however, and the IAEA has said that while it cannot guarantee Tehran’s nuclear program is entirely peaceful, it has no credible indication of a coordinated weapons project. The West says the advancement of Iran’s nuclear program goes beyond civilian needs, while Tehran says it wants nuclear energy only for peaceful purposes.

Turkey boosts defence systems with “Steel Dome” and $1.5 billion technology base
The Arab Weekly/August 28/2025
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday hailed a milestone for Turkey as its “Steel Dome” air defence system was delivered to the military, saying regional conflicts had pushed Ankara to boost its defence capacities. “Today we are providing our army with the (Steel) Dome system, consisting of 47 vehicles worth $460 million, which will inspire confidence in friends and fear in enemies,” Erdogan said at a ceremony a year after the project was launched. “This system will make the world of difference for Turkey’s air defence. This is a turning point for Turkey,” he said at a ceremony at the headquarters of Turkish defence giant Aselsan to mark the delivery of the project which has been led by state-owned defence companies. Last August, Turkey unveiled plans to build a multi-layered air defence system to protect Turkish airspace, modelled on Israel’s Iron Dome. It named it “Steel Dome”. “Recent conflicts around us have revealed the importance” of radar systems detecting incoming threats from the air, Erdogan said. “Unless a country can develop its own radar and air defence system, it cannot look to its future with confidence in the face of current security challenges, especially in our region,” Erdogan said. “We are aware of the importance of not leaving anything to chance … With the Steel Dome, we will now be in a different class in terms of air defence.” Erdogan also inaugurated work on a giant technology base costing $1.5 billion, hailing it as “the largest defence industry investment ever made in a single instance in the history of the republic”. “This is also going to be the largest integrated air defence facility in the whole of Europe,” he said, adding that by mid-2026, the first facility on this new campus would be operational. “This investment is going to … make Turkey not just a regional player but a global player when it comes to defence systems.” Erdogan said the base, the first phase of which is expected to be commissioned in mid-2026, will be the largest single defence industry investment in the country and Europe’s biggest integrated air defence facility. “The Ogulbey technology base will be one of the region’s most advanced defence technology centres,” he said. Wednesday’s groundbreaking ceremony took place at the same time as the announcement that Turkish Aselsan company has also delivered components for Turkey’s multi-layered Steel Dome air defence system. Turkey has reduced its dependence on external suppliers of defence equipment in recent years, becoming a leading manufacturer of armed drones for the global market in the process.

Trump-mediated peace deal with Armenia marks ‘end of 30-year war’: Azerbaijan’s Aliyev
Al Arabiya English/28 August/2025
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has said the peace agreement initiated with Armenia in Washington, under the mediation of US President Donald Trump, represents a historic turning point for the South Caucasus, ending decades of conflict and opening new opportunities for regional stability. “I think what happened in Washington on the 8th of August is actually the end of the confrontation and the end of the standoff,” Aliyev told Al Arabiya English in an exclusive interview in Baku. “The fact that Azerbaijan and Armenia initialed this document at the White House, in front of President Trump, means that it’s the end of the war…a war that lasted in stages for more than 30 years…and it opens absolutely new opportunities for the South Caucasus region and the broader regions of Central Asia and the Middle East.” Aliyev stressed that the agreement, although awaiting a constitutional amendment in Armenia to remove territorial claims, has effectively sealed a new era. “As soon as this amendment to the constitution is made and territorial claims to Azerbaijan are deducted from the constitution, the formal peace agreement will be signed,” he said. The Azerbaijani leader underlined that any reversal by Armenia would have serious consequences. “If any future government of Armenia… puts under doubt what has been signed in Washington, Armenia will face serious complications, because the balance of power in the region is absolutely in our favor from all points of view,” Aliyev said.
He also highlighted the symbolic closure of a decades-long mediation effort. “The dissolution of the Minsk Group was one of the conditions which Azerbaijan put forward in the very first stages of negotiations… when Armenia officially recognizes Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, and when they say that the conflict is over, that means that the legal existence of the Minsk Group becomes absurd,” he said. Aliyev further pointed to the strategic importance of the planned Zangezur Corridor, now dubbed the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).”“So Trump’s administration accepted this legitimate concern with the proper attitude, and that’s how it turned into TRIPP,” he said. “Now, when President Trump gave his name to the Zangezur Corridor, I’m sure that it will materialize very soon.” Reflecting on his first meeting with Trump, Aliyev praised the US president’s role in the peace process. “Together with an Armenian colleague, we nominated President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. He really deserves it,” Aliyev said. “He performed a miracle in Africa, in Asia, and in the South Caucasus. And this is his character. This is his nature. He wants peace.” For Aliyev, the signing in Washington signals more than the end of the conflict; it marks a chance for transformation. “It opens absolutely new opportunities,” he said, “and we will do everything in order to strengthen regional cooperation between all the countries of the region.”

Ukraine says it hit a Russian missile ship with flying explosive-packed drones
Jake Epstein/Business Insider/August 28, 2025
Ukraine said it carried out drone strikes on a Russian warship in the Sea of Azov on Thursday. Footage shows what appears to be two direct hits on a guided-missile corvette. The strikes marked Ukraine's latest attack on Russia's battered navy. The Ukrainian military said on Thursday that it carried out a drone strike on a Russian warship capable of launching cruise missiles, marking the latest attack on Moscow's wounded navy. Ukraine's military intelligence agency, the HUR, said in a statement that it targeted a Buyan-M-class (or Project 21631) corvette operating in the Sea of Azov, a body of water that separates Russia from occupied Ukraine. Rather than engage the Russian vessel with exploding naval drones, the HUR said that it used an aerial drone to strike and damage the ship's radar station while another drone attacked the side of the corvette. This kind of ship is a relatively small vessel that can launch powerful Kalibr cruise missiles. Ukraine shared footage of the attack online. The video showed two separate strikes on the corvette. It wasn't immediately clear what types of drones were used. It said that the targeted enemy ship was operating in a potential missile launch zone but was forced to leave the area. Business Insider could not independently verify the footage or the released details of the operation. The drone strikes on the corvette mark Ukraine's latest attack against the Russian navy. Since the early days of the full-scale invasion, Kyiv has relied on an arsenal of domestically produced drones and missiles to damage or destroy dozens of Moscow's warships and naval vessels. Ukrainian operations have forced Russia to relocate the bulk of its Black Sea Fleet from long-held headquarters on the occupied Crimean peninsula to the port of Novorossiysk, on the other side of the region. This asymmetric warfare campaign has been a bright spot for Ukraine amid the grinding conflict, which has been running for three and a half years with heavy losses on both sides. Thursday's drone strikes on the ship came as Russia launched a major attack on Ukraine, launching more than 600 missiles and drones in one of the largest bombardments of the war. Officials said the assault, which targeted Kyiv, killed at least 18 people and wounded dozens more. President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska earlier this month amid efforts by the White House to secure a deal that could end the war.
Several days after the meeting, Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other top European leaders in Washington. However, the back-to-back high-stakes engagements do not appear to have produced any real path forward at this point.

15, including 4 children, killed in Russian strikes on Kyiv
Associated Press/August 28/2025
Russia bombarded the Ukrainian capital with drones and missiles early Thursday, including a rare strike in the city center, killing at least 15 people and wounding 48, local authorities said. It was the first major Russian attack on Kyiv in weeks as U.S.-led peace efforts to end the three-year war struggled to gain traction. Russia launched 598 strike drones and decoys and 31 missiles of different types across the country, according to Ukraine's Air Force, making it one of the war's biggest air attacks. Among the dead were four children between 2 and 17, said Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv's city administration. The numbers are expected to rise. Rescue teams were on site to pull people trapped underneath the rubble. "Russia chooses ballistics instead of the negotiating table," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on X following the attack. "We expect a response from everyone in the world who has called for peace but now more often stays silent rather than taking principled positions."Russia's Ministry of Defense said it carried out a strike against military air bases and companies "within Ukraine's military-industrial complex" using long-range weapons, including Kinzhal missiles. "All designated objects were hit," the ministry said in a statement. The ministry also said it shot down 102 Ukrainian drones overnight, mostly in the country's southwest. A drone attack sparked a blaze at the Afipsky oil refinery in the Krasnodar region, local officials said, while a second fire was reported at the Novokuibyshevsk refinery in the Samara region. Ukrainian drones have repeatedly struck refineries and other oil infrastructure in recent weeks in an attempt to weaken Russia's war economy, causing gas stations in some Russian regions to run dry and prices to spike.
Russia strikes central Kyiv in a rare attack
Russia launched decoy drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, said Tkachenko. At least 20 locations across seven districts of Kyiv had impacts. Nearly 100 buildings were damaged, including a shopping mall in the city center, and thousands of windows were shattered, he said. Ukrainian forces shot down and neutralized 563 drones and decoys and 26 missiles across the country, its Air Force said. Ukraine has ramped up domestic arms production to fight Russia's invasion. Many weapons factories operate covertly, with some embedded in civilian areas with superior air defenses. Indiscriminate Russian attacks claiming to target Ukraine's defense industry have killed many civilians. Russian strikes hit the central part of Kyiv, one of the few times Russian attacks have reached the heart of the Ukrainian capital since the start of the full-scale invasion. Residents cleared shattered glass and debris from damaged buildings.
Sophia Akylina said her home was damaged. "It's never happened before that they attacked so close," the 21-year old said. "Negotiations haven't yielded anything yet, unfortunately people are suffering."Damage to EU delegation building sparks condemnation. Also damaged was the European Union delegation building in Kyiv and the British Council building. Staff were not harmed, EU President Ursula von der Leyen said. The European Commission said it will summon Russia's envoy to the European Union as a result of the attack that damaged the bloc's diplomatic compound in Kyiv.
Kaja Kallas, the European Union's top diplomat, said in a post on X on Thursday that she would summon Russia's envoy to the 27-nation bloc. "No diplomatic mission should ever be a target. In response, we are summoning the Russian envoy in Brussels," Kallas wrote.
Following the strike on the EU's building, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot posted a message on X calling for an end to the attacks."This must stop. We will increase pressure to put an end to this massacre," he wrote. French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the latest attack in his own X post. "629 missiles and drones in one night on Ukraine: this is Russia's desire for peace. Terror and barbarism," Macron wrote.
Bodies pulled from the rubble
Smoke billowed from the crumbled column of a five-story residential building in the Darnytskyi district, which suffered a direct hit. An acrid stench of burning material wafted in the air as firefighters worked to contain the blaze. Emergency responders searched for survivors and pulled bodies from the destruction. Crowds of residents stood nearby waiting for relatives to retrieved from the rubble, including a man who was waiting for information about his wife and son. Bodies in black bags were placed to the side of the building. At least 10 people were known to be missing by the afternoon, according to Ukraine's Emergency Service. It was not the first time the district was targeted, neighborhood residents said. Oleksandr Khilko arrived at the scene after a missile hit the residential building where his sister lives. He heard screams from people who were trapped under the rubble and pulled out three survivors, including a boy. "It's inhuman, striking civilians," he said, his clothes covered in dust and the tips of his fingers black with soot. "With every cell of my body I want this war to end as soon as possible. I wait, but every time the air raid alarm sounds, I am afraid."Ukraine's national railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, reported damage to its infrastructure in the Vinnytsia and Kyiv regions, causing delays and requiring trains to use alternative routes. Diplomatic efforts to reach peace have stalled. Thursday's attack is the first major combined Russian mass drone and missile attack to strike Kyiv since U.S. President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska earlier this month to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. While a diplomatic push to end the war appeared to gain momentum shortly after that meeting, few details have emerged about the next steps. Western leaders have accused Putin of dragging his feet in peace efforts and avoiding serious negotiations while Russian troops move deeper into Ukraine. This week, Ukrainian military leaders conceded Russian forces have broken into an eighth region of Ukraine seeking to capture more ground. Zelenskyy hopes for harsher U.S. sanctions to cripple the Russian economy if Putin does not demonstrate seriousness about ending the war. He reiterated those demands following Thursday's attack. "All deadlines have already been broken, dozens of opportunities for diplomacy ruined," Zelenskyy said. Trump bristled this week at Putin's stalling on an American proposal for direct peace talks with Zelenskyy. Trump said Friday he expects to decide on next steps in two weeks if direct talks aren't scheduled.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on August 28-29/2025
For half a century, the most globalist of institutions has demonized the Jewish state
Clifford D. May/The Washington Times/August 28/2025
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/aug/26/long-un-war-israel/
As a foreign correspondent roving around Africa years ago, I often met United Nations personnel. Most were pleasant dinner companions.
What they were achieving was usually a mystery.
To understand what I mean, check out the website of the United Nations Development Programme. Look at the sections marked “Our Impact” and “Results.” Let me know if you find any useful missions accomplished.
I came to regard the U.N. as ineffectual but harmless, with one notable exception: The U.N. has long been hostile toward the nation-state that became its 59th member in 1949.
As far back as 1975, the U.N. General Assembly, steered by the Soviet Union, adopted a resolution calling Zionism “a form of racism.”
Daniel Patrick Moynihan, then the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., knew that Zionism implies nothing more than supporting the right of Israel not to be annihilated, and the right of Israelis not to be exterminated.
He denounced the UNGA resolution as “a lie” and an expression of “antisemitism.” Some 16 years later, driven by the end of the Cold War, U.S. diplomatic pressure, and the Madrid peace process, UNGA repealed it.
Fast forward to 2001. Just 3 days before the jihadist terrorist attacks on America, the U.N. concluded an “anti-racism” conference in Durban, South Africa where participants held up signs reading “Down with Nazi-Israeli apartheid!” and “machine-guns based upon FAITH and ISLAM must be used.”
Four years later, Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip – every village, synagogue, and cemetery. Two years later, Hamas violently ejected Fatah, its rival, to become the seaside enclave’s unchallengeable ruler.
Thereafter, the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) served as Hamas’s primary provider of social services. In Gaza’s schools, students were taught to hate Israelis and Jews. In Gaza’s hospitals, Hamas was permitted to establish command posts.
But only following Hamas’s invasion of Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 – and the revelation that Hamas members employed by UNRWA participated both in the subsequent pogrom and hostage-holding – did I appreciate the extent to which the U.N. and Hamas had become inextricably allied.
Earlier this month, Francesca Albanese, the U.N. “special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza,” remarked that “Hamas is a political force that won the 2005 elections.” She neglected to mention that Hamas has permitted no elections over the 20 years since then.
She added: “When you think of Hamas, you should not necessarily think of cut-throats, people armed to the teeth, or fighters. It’s not like that.”
At the same time, she accused Israelis of “apartheid” and “genocide.” Do I need to remind you that that Arab citizens of Israel enjoy more rights than Arab citizens of Arab countries, and that since 1948, Gaza’s population has increased tenfold?
Given this history, I thought the U.N.’s demonization of Israel had gone as far as it could go.
I was wrong.
Last week, the U.N.-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) released a “report” declaring “with reasonable evidence” that famine now exists in parts of Gaza. It goes without saying – actually it’s being incessantly repeated – that Israelis are to blame.
To make these claims, the IPC manipulated its methodology, adjusted its criteria, and reinterpreted the legal definition of genocide utilizing dubious data from the Gaza Health Ministry – i.e., Hamas – and discarding data provided by Israel.
What’s more, one of the authors of the report, Andrew Seal, had already begun accusing Israel of genocide on the second day of the October 2023 counterattacks against Hamas.
No one denies that, amid a war that has dragged on for almost two years, Gazans are suffering terrible hardships, including food insecurity and, in some cases, malnutrition.
But the incontrovertible facts are these: Hamas started this war and refuses to end it; Hamas takes no responsibility for the people it has ruled and is determined to continue to rule; Hamas refuses to release hostages abducted from Israel and whom it is torturing – even though doing so would almost certainly lead to a ceasefire.
One more fact: Since May, more than 10,000 aid trucks have entered Gaza, with eight out of ten bringing food. This has resulted in wider availability of essential foods at reduced prices in Gaza markets.
The U.N. is making distribution of this aid more difficult by demanding that UNRWA be in charge despite UNRWA letting Hamas take a cut both to feed its leaders in the tunnels and resell for cash to pay its troops on the streets above.
The UN adamantly refuses to work with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American/Israeli project delivering free food directly to Gazans with Hamas excluded.
Much of the media have been helping weaponize public opinion against Israel. Olivia Reingold and Tanya Lukyanova revealed in The Free Press this month that even before the IPC designation, at least a dozen “viral images of starvation” published by The New York Times, NPR, CNN, and other major news outlets were in fact photos of children with “significant health problems” such as cerebral palsy – not famine victims.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee observed on X: “Hostages ARE starving, Hamas is getting fat, & the UN declares famine while 92% of THEIR food is stolen to be sold by Hamas. Meanwhile UN food sits rotting in sun. The UN should declare itself corrupt & incompetent.”
Which raises a question: Why are American taxpayers still spending roughly $13 billion a year on the most globalist of institutions which for half a century has been waging a disinformation war – including bogus charges of racism, apartheid, genocide, and intentional starvation – against the only democracy in the Middle East which also is America’s most reliable ally in the world?
Memo to President Trump: Thank you for your attention to this matter!
Clifford D. May is founder and president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a columnist for the Washington Times, and host of the “Foreign Podicy” podcast.

US allies can halt Iran’s nuke rebuilding scheme NOW — but face a ticking clock
Mark Dubowitz & Andrea Stricker/New York Post/August 27/2025
https://nypost.com/2025/08/27/opinion/us-allies-can-halt-irans-nuke-rebuilding-scheme-now-but-face-a-ticking-clock/
President Donald Trump can keep Iran from rebuilding its nuclear weapons program — but he’ll have to act fast.
By Friday, the president must spur Britain, France and Germany to trigger the “snapback” of UN sanctions to rein in Iran’s atomic work, as well as its missile testing and nuclear-proliferation activities, before international restrictions expire for good this fall.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has urgently instructed his officials to block the snapback action, and they are partnering with Russia to do so.
In a last-ditch effort, Iranian diplomats this week are pledging meaningless concessions to European foreign ministers and the UN nuclear watchdog.
But the West must not be deceived: The Islamic Republic is scheming to build back better following the American and Israeli strikes that shattered the regime’s nuclear sites.
In the years since UN missile and arms embargos lapsed, Tehran has sold missiles, drones and weapons to Russia to decimate Ukraine, enhanced the lethality of its missiles, and armed the regime’s terrorist proxies to strike Israel.
That’s thanks to the 2015 Obama-Biden deal that temporarily limited Iran’s nuclear program and related trade in return for sanctions relief and other provisions.
The resulting Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and UN Resolution 2231 also lifted international arms and missile embargos on Iran in 2020 and 2023, respectively.
But under the JCPOA, the signatories could invoke a “snapback” mechanism to re-impose all UN sanctions if Iran violated its terms.
The E3 — Germany, France and the UK — as remaining members of the JCPOA, haven’t yet done so, even though the JCPOA itself is soon due to expire.
Yet snapback is clearly warranted, because Iran has repeatedly violated its JCPOA obligations.
As early as 2018, the International Atomic Energy Agency was reporting Iran’s spotty compliance with the deal’s nuclear provisions.
Since then, the agency has reported that Iran was blowing past restrictions — enriching uranium above the JCPOA’s 3.67% purity limit to at least 60% purity.
That put Iran in striking distance of achieving weapons-grade, 90%-purity uranium.
Further, Iran stockpiled uranium, installed and operated hundreds of advanced centrifuges, enriched uranium at Fordow, produced excess heavy water, restricted IAEA access and removed cameras, and expanded centrifuge research and development — all in violation of the agreed limits.
It also increased its work on constructing nuclear weapons, a process known as weaponization, inching as close as two months from the bomb, Trump has said.
The US and Israeli strikes in June extended Iran’s nuclear weapons timeline by at least two years — or longer, if Tehran hesitates to rebuild while Trump is in office.
Now the president must deal the regime a final blow by urging the E3 to spurn Iran’s attempts to evade or extend the snapback deadline.
UN Resolution 2231 and the snapback mechanism expire on Oct. 18, unless the E3 formally notifies the UN Security Council of Iran’s JCPOA violations by Aug. 29.
That would trigger a re-imposition of sanctions within 30 days — which cannot be vetoed in the Security Council by China or Russia.
Once re-imposed, the sanctions would indefinitely ban Tehran’s uranium enrichment, halt all nuclear trade, and force global compliance with economic restrictions.
They would also restore missile, drone and arms embargoes and a missile-testing ban.
The sanctions would prohibit Tehran’s proliferation financing, authorize interdictions of suspicious Iranian cargo, and require monitoring of violations, as well as impose asset freezes and travel bans on proliferation-linked entities and individuals.
Iran would never again be able to enjoy an unrestricted nuclear program with zero breakout time — or access more than $1 trillion in JCPOA sanctions relief to fund its nuclear program, missile arsenal, domestic repression and terror proxies.
Alternatively, if the E3 takes no action this week, Iran can rebuild its atomic weapons program, expand its missile-building and sell deadly weapons indefinitely.
For over 20 years, the regime in Tehran has defied nonproliferation obligations. It will never comply willingly.
But the snapback of UN sanctions, paired with relentless US pressure, diplomatic isolation and support for the Iranian people’s resistance, can constrain Tehran’s nuclear ambitions well into the future.
America and its European allies have a chance to keep Tehran permanently from the nuclear threshold and restrict its proliferation aims.
They can’t afford to squander it.
**-Mark Dubowitz is the chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where Andrea Stricker is deputy director of the Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program.

New Iran Sanctions Are Welcome, but Maximum Impact Demands Maximum Attention
Max Meizlish & Behnam Ben Taleblu/FDD/August 27/2025
President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign against the Islamic Republic of Iran is taking shape — incrementally. On August 21, the Departments of State and the Treasury sanctioned several individuals and entities involved in Tehran’s illicit oil trade. These targets included Greek national Antonios Margaritis, his web of sanctions busters, and nearly a dozen vessels contributing to Iran’s “shadow fleet.” Washington also targeted two Chinese crude oil and petroleum products terminal and storage operators for importing millions of barrels of Iranian-origin oil from sanctioned tankers.
While these actions will name, shame, and punish the enablers of Iranian sanctions evasion, alone, they are unlikely to yield the Trump administration’s stated aim of zeroing out Iran’s oil exports or change the calculus of the leading buyer of this oil: China.
China Maintains Deep Ties to Iran’s Illicit Oil Economy
China purchases 91 percent of Iran’s oil exports. Its dominant position in Iran’s illicit oil economy is reflected in the August 21 actions, with most targets maintaining significant exposure to or dealings with Chinese buyers. Washington designated several of the sanctioned shadow fleet vessels, as well as the two China-based crude oil terminal and storage operators identified by State, for transporting or dealing in millions of barrels of Iranian oil destined for China.
In May, Treasury sanctioned another terminal operator, Shandong Baogang International Port Co., Ltd. (Baogang International), for dealing in Iranian oil. Research from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies details Baogang International’s position within a Chinese conglomerate’s vertically integrated supply chain — one that appears to maintain joint ventures with Chinese state-owned enterprises such as Sinopec, PetroChina, and China Gas Group. The conglomerate, Wanda Holdings Group, describes having “key core customer” relationships with several Chinese banks, including the Bank of China, Bank of Communications, and Pudong Development Bank.
Chinese Port Groups Remain Unsanctioned Despite Supporting Iran’s Oil Trade
Like Wanda Holdings Group’s Baogang International, one of the terminal operators that Washington targeted in the August 21 actions — Qingdao Port Haiye Dongjiakou Oil Products Co., LTD. (DJK Oil Products) — operates out of China’s Shandong Province. Shandong Province is home to the vast majority of allegedly independent “teapot refiners” dealing in sanctioned oil. While the Trump administration has thus far targeted a handful of individual terminal operators dealing in Iranian crude, it has yet to sanction the larger port groups such as Shandong Port Group or DJK Oil Products’ parent, Qingdao Port International Co. Ltd., which are responsible for a significant portion of port operations in Shandong Province. The United States has also failed to target Chinese banks involved in supporting port group operations and dealings involving sanctioned Iranian oil.
Forging a Path Ahead for Maximum Pressure
Following the 12-Day War between Israel and Iran, the need to constrain Tehran’s main source of revenue generation will be key to handicapping any effort to reconstitute the regime’s missile and nuclear programs. A steady stream of enforcement actions against the Chinese individuals and entities enabling Iranian sanctions circumvention is therefore essential.
In addition to continuing to target vessels, which the Biden administration belatedly started doing, Washington will need to focus on targeting ports and port operators, big and small refiners, and foreign financial institutions processing oil transactions. Unless the United States applies and escalates sustained pressure against this troika, the Trump administration can expect little meaningful change, both from the Islamic Republic and from China, rendering its maximum pressure policy minimally effective. Specific targets should include those linked to Wanda Holdings Group and other similarly situated Chinese conglomerates that build their operations, at least in part, on sanctioned Iranian oil.
**Max Meizlish is a senior research analyst for the Center on Economic and Financial Power (CEFP) at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where Behnam Ben Taleblu is senior director of the Iran Program and a senior fellow. For more analysis from the authors and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Max and Behnam on X @maxmeizlish and @therealBehnamBT. Follow FDD on X @FDD, @FDD_CEFP, and @FDD_Iran. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.

Qatar Does Not Seem Interested in Any Deal that Ends the Rule of Hamas in the Gaza Strip: What Qatar Is Saying in Arabic
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/August 28/2025
As the US and other Western countries continue to rely on Qatar to broker a ceasefire-hostage deal to end the war in the Gaza Strip, senior Qatari journalists affiliated with the Qatar's state-run media continue to praise the Iran-backed Palestinian terror group Hamas, and are even calling for Hamas to kidnap more Israelis.
Al-Jazeera has been broadcasting similar videos from Hamas since the beginning of the war.
While the Qatari government claims to the Trump Administration that it is working to release the 50 Israeli hostages held by Hamas and other terror groups in the Gaza Strip, al-Harmi, closely associated with Qatar's leadership, is calling for kidnapping more Israelis – whom, by the way, he described as "rats."
"If success is not achieved this time in capturing Zionist soldiers at the hands of the heroes of Hamas Brigades, then the second, third, and fourth attempts will succeed, God willing, by adding new rats to the tally held by the heroes of the [Hamas] Brigades." — Jaber al-Harmi, editor-in-chief of the Qatari government mouthpiece newspaper Al Sharq, X, August 26, 2025.
"I swear, the Zionist entity will inevitably disappear.... Its end is near, very near." — Jaber al-Harmi, quoting a video by Al-Jazeera, X August 26, 2025.
"Al-Harmi's views on Israel and the Jews are aligned with the extremist ideology of Hamas and reflect his unreserved support for this movement and for its terror against Israelis – support which is also expressed by the Qatari state."— Middle East Media Research Institute, April 15, 2025.
If Qatar really wanted to end the war in the Gaza Strip, its representatives and propagandists would not be calling on Hamas to kidnap more Israelis.
If Qatar really wanted to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, it could do so by threatening to arrest or deport the Hamas leaders living in Doha or by seizing their financial assets.
It is time for world leaders to listen to what the Qataris are saying in Arabic, not to what they hear from them in closed-door meetings in English.
As the US and other Western countries continue to rely on Qatar to broker a ceasefire-hostage deal to end the war in the Gaza Strip, senior Qatari journalists affiliated with the Qatar's state-run media continue to praise the Iran-backed Palestinian terror group Hamas, and are even calling for Hamas to kidnap more Israelis. Pictured: The headquarters of the government-owned Al Jazeera television network in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Karim Jaafar/AFP via Getty Images)
As the US and other Western countries continue to rely on Qatar to broker a ceasefire-hostage deal to end the war in the Gaza Strip, senior Qatari journalists affiliated with the Qatar's state-run media continue to praise the Iran-backed Palestinian terror group Hamas, and are even calling for Hamas to kidnap more Israelis.
Qatar, which has long been supporting Hamas and currently hosts its leaders in Doha, already uses its Al-Jazeera television empire as a mouthpiece for Hamas and other Islamist terror groups. Since the beginning of the Gaza war, triggered by the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, Al-Jazeera -- in Arabic -- has been providing a platform to Hamas leaders to praise the massacre of Israelis.
On October 7, 2023, several Hamas leaders based in Qatar appeared in a video watching the coverage of the massacre. The Hamas leaders performed the "Prostration of Gratitude."
Al-Jazeera, in addition, has become the official mouthpiece of Hamas's armed wing, Izaddin al-Qassam. Since the beginning of the Gaza war, Al-Jazeera has been broadcasting "exclusive" footage of Hamas attacks on Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip. Al-Jazeera is, unsurprisingly, the only station Hamas trusts.
On August 26, for instance, Al-Jazeera posted a video clip on X, which it described as:
"Footage obtained by Al Jazeera shows an aspect of the complex ambush carried out by the Qassam Brigades, and it stated that it was to target an occupation force... which resulted in 5 soldiers killed and about 20 wounded, in the agricultural area of Beit Hanoun north of the Gaza Strip."
Al-Jazeera has been broadcasting similar videos from Hamas since the beginning of the war. It is the only media outlet that regularly "obtains" exclusive footage from the terror group.
Similarly, the Qatari newspaper al-Sharq, is owned by, and serves as a mouthpiece for, the Emirate. The editor-in-chief of al-Sharq, Jaber al-Harmi, is evidently a huge fan of Hamas. While the Qatari government claims to the Trump Administration that it is working to release the 50 Israeli hostages held by Hamas and other terror groups in the Gaza Strip, al-Harmi, closely associated with Qatar's leadership, is calling for kidnapping more Israelis – whom, by the way, he described as "rats."
Commenting on a failed attempt by Hamas to abduct Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip earlier this month, al-Harmi posted on X:
"If success is not achieved this time in capturing Zionist soldiers at the hands of the heroes of Hamas Brigades, then the second, third, and fourth attempts will succeed, God willing, by adding new rats to the tally held by the heroes of the [Hamas] Brigades.
In today's attempt, the heroes of Al-Qassam [the military wing of Hamas], during a qualitative operation storming a new established [Israeli] military site in Rafah, sent a number of Zionist soldiers to hell, a wretched fate, while others were sent to worldly torment with permanent disabilities and impairments, and others to mental and psychological institutions.
"Blessed be the hands of the heroes.
And may the hands of the vile criminal outcasts be paralyzed."
In another social media post, al-Harmi shared a video by Al-Jazeera which explained that Israel is destined to disappear:
"I swear, the Zionist entity will inevitably disappear. No matter how much the entity is revived with diplomatic cover, political support and military supplies, this entity has a limited lifespan. Its end is near, very near."
On July 14, 2025, al-Harmi wrote:
"Every inch of Gaza has turned into ambushes hunting down the occupation soldiers. There is no place in Gaza safe for the Zionists.. Leaving Gaza is not like entering it.. Even if you fortify yourselves with tanks, hide behind armored vehicles, and are heavily armed with weapons.. you will never be far from Yassin rockets, Qassam snipers, Qassam Brigades' explosives, and the resistance factions.."
Earlier this year, the Qatari editor-in-chief also scoffed at Israelis running to shelters to hide from rockets: "Settlers flee like rats to the shelters upon the arrival of blessed Qassam rockets."
On April 21, 2025, he wrote:
"Al-Qassam...to the Zionists:
"We broke your sword on a day of glory. The pledge of God was repeated by the martyr...
"I will harvest your heads on the Day of Judgement."
During the same month, al-Harmi evoked a Hadith (sayings or narrations of Prophet Mohammed) in which he wished for the death of the Jews:
"We are certain that the Hour of Judgement will not come until we fight the Jews and kill them. We feel no despair or hopelessness, despite all the pain, wounds, and bloodshed."
Al-Harmi was referring to the following Hadith, which is also quoted in Hamas's 1988 charter:
"The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: O Moslems, O Abdulla [slave of Allah ] , there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him; but the tree Gharqad would not say, for it is the tree of the Jews."
According to the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI):
"Al-Harmi's views on Israel and the Jews are aligned with the extremist ideology of Hamas and reflect his unreserved support for this movement and for its terror against Israelis – support which is also expressed by the Qatari state. Just one day after Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, in which some 1,200 Israelis were murdered and 251 were abducted to Gaza, Al-Harmi praised the operation, echoing the sentiment of other Qatari media figures. Since then, he has frequently reiterated his praise for the attack and for Hamas and its leaders...
"In an October 8, 2023 article in Al-Sharq, Al-Harmi described the attack as a 'heroic operation' that has changed the rules of the game and ushered in 'a new phase in the military confrontation' ahead of 'the complete liberation of Palestinian soil.'"
MEMRI points out that other statements by al-Harmi contained additional motifs of Arab antisemitism: such as descriptions of the Jews as prophet-killers and covenant-breakers.
In a post from April 2, 2025, Al-Harmi wrote:
"Everything the Zionist Jews are doing in Palestine, in Gaza and in the West Bank is conceivable, for they are prophet-killers. Moreover, they killed the prophets in the most criminal ways, as in the case of Allah's prophet Zacharia, whom they cut with a saw. So what do you expect of them?!"
In a November 6, 2023 post, he wrote:
"The Children of Israel killed or lied to every prophet or messenger [Allah] sent to them. If that is how [they behaved] towards Allah, how can it be different with human beings?! They carry out barbaric crimes, they have occupied holy places and usurped land, and they do not honor agreements. Yet the Arabs... do not learn from history."
If Qatar really wanted to end the war in the Gaza Strip, its representatives and propagandists would not be calling on Hamas to kidnap more Israelis.
If Qatar really wanted to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, it could do so by threatening to arrest or deport the Hamas leaders living in Doha or by seizing their financial assets.
Qatar, however, does not seem to be interested in any deal that ends the rule of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Since 2007, when Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip, Qatar has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in strengthening the terror group and helping it tighten its grip on the two million Palestinians living there. It is time for world leaders to listen to what the Qataris are saying in Arabic, not to what they hear from them in closed-door meetings in English.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21873/what-qatar-is-saying-in-arabic
**Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East. His work is made possible through the generous donation of a couple of donors who wished to remain anonymous. Gatestone is most grateful.
© 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.

A Peace Deal for Ukraine Could Test German Reluctance to Deploy Troops
Christopher F. Schuetze and Jim Tankersley/The New York Times/August 28/2025
A long road remains for any peace deal in Ukraine, despite weeks of furious diplomacy and optimistic predictions from President Trump. But in Germany, political leaders are already debating a crucial detail for any final agreement — whether the German Army will send troops to help keep the peace.
The debate, which has intensified in recent weeks, will help determine how much of a so-called security guarantee Europe alone could provide to Ukraine after the war concludes. It is important for Chancellor Friedrich Merz as he attempts to re-establish German leadership on the continent and around the world.
And, in many ways, it is the latest episode in Germany’s increasingly evolving relationship with national defense and military service, spurred on by Russian aggression and American detachment from Europe.
After successive governments allowed the military to atrophy with the end of the Cold War, Germany’s army is being rebuilt with record spending.
Polls show a majority of voters approve. But Germans remain largely reluctant to serve in their armed forces and are not flocking to their local recruitment offices. The country is so in need of soldiers that the defense ministry is expected to present a new plan to reinstate a watered-down version of a military draft, which is expected to pass a cabinet vote this week.
(Under this proposal, 18-year-old men must complete a survey assessing their fitness to serve, and the military would try to convince those best suited to serve to enlist before going to a conscription option.)
That reluctance around the deployment of and serving in the military is now being tested by the prospect of sending German troops to patrol what would effectively be a front line facing Russia in Ukraine, where Nazi soldiers committed atrocities in World War II.
Merz has hinted that he would be open to including German forces in a European security mission to Ukraine, something other European leaders seem to welcome. Many Germans — including some in Merz’s own party — are less enthusiastic.
A German security deployment to Ukraine “would likely overwhelm” the military, which already has troops stationed in Lithuania to guard against possible Russian aggression, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told Germany’s Table Today podcast this month.
Michael Kretschmer, the powerful governor of the eastern state of Saxony, who plays a powerful role in Merz’s Christian Democratic Party, told the news site Der Spiegel that the armed forces “lack the necessary resources” to guarantee Ukraine’s security.
Merz’s spokesmen have stressed that security guarantees could come in many forms, including air support and German training for Ukrainian troops. And the government has not ruled out German boots on the ground, unlike Trump and his officials, who have repeatedly said no American soldiers will be part of a postwar security force for Ukraine.
The ambiguity has fed critiques from the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, which is the largest opposition party in Parliament — and which has strong ties to Russia.
“Merz will not rule out sending German soldiers to Ukraine. That would not be peacekeeping, but a permanent escalation against Russia. We are clear: we will not send you to Ukraine!” the party posted on its main X channel, together with an A.I.-generated picture of a scheming Merz that evoked Nazi propaganda. Ukraine and Russia remain far apart on the details of any postwar security guarantee. Russia is insisting it be included in any such guarantee, which Ukraine sees as a non-starter. Ukraine wants guarantees from Europe and the United States.
The Trump administration has expressed openness to some security assistance, but not troops. “The Europeans are going to have to take the lion’s share of the burden, it’s their continent, it’s their security,” Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on Thursday, adding, “The president has been very clear that they are going to have to step up here.”Discussions about European involvement in peacekeeping are not new, but have taken on a new urgency since the Alaska meeting between Trump and Putin on Aug. 15 stoked at least fleeting optimism for a peace deal.President Emmanuel Macron of France first mentioned sending European troops to Ukraine early last year, earning a rebuke from Olaf Scholz, Germany’s chancellor at the time, who went as far as filming a video from the chancellery promising Germans they would never have to fear being sent to Ukraine. But after meeting with Trump and other European leaders last week in Washington, Merz hinted that German troops could possibly be involved. He said Germany’s role in security guarantees for Ukraine could require parliamentary approval, which would be the case only if he proposed sending German troops abroad.
**Nico Lange, a security expert who was the chief of staff of a former defense minister, said such a step would fit with Merz’s vision of a more muscular Germany leading a more independent Europe.

lected X tweets for August 28/2025
Amine Bar-Julius Iskandar
Preserving a safe haven for diversity in the Middle East, by implementing a mutual defense agreement between Lebanon and the United States of America 🇺🇸
@LindseyGrahamSC @MorganOrtagus @USAMBTurkiye

Zéna Mansour
Anyone rejecting the @LindseyGrahamSC proposal & @MorganOrtagus' approach for Leb prioritizes an external agenda over Lebanon's future generations.
The proposal includes:
1.US-LB Defense Treaty

Zéna Mansour
Thank you for your proposal for a Defense Treaty,Peace Agreement & Economic Zone. This initiative promotes REG Stability &aligns with our aspirations forPEACE & a FED system that guarantees our RIGHTS & FREEDOMS, enabling us to control our own DESTINY.
@LindseyGrahamSC

MiraMedusa
https://x.com/i/status/1961008053257445630
Israeli PM Netanyahu, in a meeting with Druze leaders: We’ve seen the true extent of this massacre;

Eli Khoury
Woke Trumpism
Tom Barrack imagines he can peddle Trump’s policies in Obama’s rhetoric.
A relic of early 20th-century delusions (Sex-Picon), shared with a handful of woke diaspora and local useful idiots. It’s like asking Berri or Bou Saab to preach sovereignty.

X Tweet addressing Barrak's anomalistic vocbulary
Isn’t it rather anomalistic to have defended him with such servility and blatant linguistic ignorance? #توم_باراك
https://x.com/i/status/1960997422307389774

Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Desperate Hezbollah gets women to cut the street and prohibit Lebanon military from confiscating arms caches.
Q: Why would these women, who lost their young men, houses, livelihood, still defend the militia that took them to hell?
A: Identity politics. As Fukuyama wrote in Liberalism and its Discontents, the assumption that humans always seek their interests must be revised. Many people today prioritize pride (identity) over better lives.
Q: Who can fix this problem?
A: As long as politicians go by the news and election cycle, identity politics (populism) will only get worse. Unless the world gets true enlightened leaders, this situation will continue getting worse.