English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For  December 06/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance
Saint Luke 05/27-32/:”After this Jesus went out and saw a tax-collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’And he got up, left everything, and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax-collectors and others sitting at the table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax-collectors and sinners?’Jesus answered, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.’”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 05-06/2025
Ecclesiastical Study on the Life of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker/Elias Bejjani/December 06/ 2025
This Is Beirut Youtube Platform/Israeli Ambassador to Washington Addresses a Message of Peace to Lebanon Platform
Video link/From the archives//President Kamel Asaad discusses the reasons for the cancellation of the May 17 Agreement between Lebanon and Israel
Video Link/Interview with Sky News Arabia (English) with U.S. Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack,
Barrack: Lebanese Army will not disarm a large segment of the Lebanese people by force and death
Barrack: Our new ambassador to Lebanon will better guide Hezbollah towards a civil dialogue
Barrack says Hezbollah can't be disarmed by force, urges direct talks
US Message to Aoun and Salam: "Disarm the Party Now... Using Force If Necessary"!
Washington Approves Potential $90.5 Million Deal to Sell Military Vehicles to Lebanon
Washington: Syrian Security Recently Intercepted Arms Shipments Destined for Hezbollah
Hostile Incursion South... and Pentagon Approved Vehicle Sale to Lebanon
Lebanon is committed to talks with Israel to avoid more war, president says
Lebanon says ceasefire talks aim primarily at halting Israel’s hostilities
“There is no other option but negotiation. This is the reality, and this is what history has taught us about wars,” said Aoun.
US approves new military support package for Lebanon: Pentagon
Conflicted Iraq backtracks after including Hezbollah, Houthis in asset freeze list
Hezbollah chief says supports state diplomacy to stop Israeli aggression
US congratulates Syria for interdicting weapons shipments intended for Lebanese
Aoun says Israel talks to resume December 19
Aoun says 'no turning back' on negotiations with Israel
Berri tells UNSC delegation it's not acceptable to negotiate under fire
Qassem backs diplomacy but slams adding civilian to negotiations committee
Lebanese leaders urge UNSC delegation to press Israel to respect ceasefire
UNIFIL says 6 men attacked patrol near Bint Jbeil
France reportedly working on keeping int'l force on Syria border, few observers in south
Report: Israeli escalation inevitable despite civilian negotiations
Berri says Karam's mission 'more important' than his name
Syrian refugees return home as Lebanon faces hardship
Civilians at the table means Lebanese state is now on trial/Makram Rabah/Al Arabiya English/December 05/2025

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 05-06/2025
US envoy Waltz begins regional trip to promote Trump Gaza peace plan
Israeli fire kills Palestinian in the occupied West Bank
Israel sets 2026 defense budget at $34 bln despite ceasefire in Gaza
Hamas official says group does not want to rule Gaza, agrees to technocratic body
Foreign press group opposes further Gaza access delay
Saudi Arabia, regional partners reject any move to displace Palestinians from Gaza
Ship in Bab al-Mandeb Strait attacked by suspected pirates: Officials
Pakistan, Afghanistan exchange heavy fire along border, officials say
Trump strategy document revives Monroe Doctrine, slams Europe
Putin offers India ‘uninterrupted’ oil in summit talks with Modi
Analysis: Trump’s Ukraine peace effort tests his unconventional diplomacy
Syria’s growth accelerates as sanctions ease, refugees return
Syria nears anniversary of Assad’s fall amid renewed ‘deeply troubling’ abuses, UN warns
Canada removes Syria from its list of foreign state supporters of terrorism
Al-Assad’s exiled spy chief, billionaire cousin plot Syrian uprisings from Russia: Report
Around the world, refugees are shut out of the US by Trump’s new policies

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 05-06/2025
Southern Transitional Council seizes key areas of Yemen’s Hadramawt Governorate from rival government forces /Bridget Toomey/ FDD's Long War Journal/December 05/2025
Iran’s Oil Exports Remained Near Peak in November/Saeed Ghasseminejad/FDD- Policy Brie/December 05, 2025
How the Trump Administration Secured the Gaza Ceasefire Deal That Biden Couldn’t/Seth J. Frantzman/ National Security Journal/December 05/2025
Preventing Violence in Southern Syria Depends on Damascus and Jerusalem Reaching an Agreement/Ahmad Sharawi/FDD- Policy Brief/December 05/2025
Golan vote signals failure of Israel’s Syria policy/Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/December 05/2025
Egypt confronts Israel’s ‘one-way exit’ plan for Rafah/Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy/Arab News/December 05, 2025
Selected Face Book & X tweets for /December 05, 2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 05-06/2025
Ecclesiastical Study on the Life of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker
Elias Bejjani/December 06/ 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/12/149941/
Today, December 6, the Church celebrates the annual feast of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker. Who is he, and what is the story of his ecclesiastical and spiritual life?
First: Who Is Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker?
Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker (St. Nicholas of Myra) is one of the most renowned saints in both Eastern and Western Churches, and among the most prominent figures in global Christian consciousness. He was known for holiness, generosity, miracles, and his defense of the true faith. His title “the Wonderworker” comes from the many miracles attributed to him during his life and after his repose. He is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, children, and captives. His life entered Western Christian tradition as well, and he eventually became the inspiration for the figure of “Santa Claus.”
Second: His Original Name, Family, and Homeland
Name: Nicholas (Νικόλαος in Greek), meaning “victory of the people” or “he who triumphs for the people.”
Origin and Family: He came from a devout Christian Greek family.
Homeland: He was born in the city of Patara in the region of Lycia in southern Anatolia (modern-day Turkey), an important early Christian center.
Third: His Birth and Historical Context
He was born between 260–270 AD in Patara, during the period of pagan persecutions against Christians.
He grew up in a wealthy yet pious household, and his parents dedicated their wealth to serving the poor.
Fourth: His Ecclesiastical Life and Ministry
From a young age, he was inclined toward piety and asceticism. After the death of his parents, he secretly distributed much of his inheritance to the needy. His uncle, the Bishop of Patara, ordained him a deacon and later a priest. After the death of the Bishop of Myra, the clergy and faithful chose Nicholas as their bishop—thus becoming Nicholas of Myra the Wonderworker. He became known for wise leadership, reforming corrupt clergy, and safeguarding the orthodox teachings of the faith.
Fifth: His Faith and Christian Formation
Saint Nicholas was raised in a devout Christian environment. From childhood, he was called “the holy boy” for his commitment to prayer, fasting, and helping the poor. He participated in the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, where he defended the divinity of Christ against the teachings of Arius. Tradition recounts that he even struck Arius in defense of the true doctrine.
Sixth: His Works and Miracles
Many miracles and acts of mercy are attributed to Saint Nicholas, including: Saving three impoverished young women from a life of immorality by secretly providing their dowries, Calming a storm at sea and rescuing sailors—thus known as “Patron of Sailors,” Healing the sick and raising the dead, according to ecclesiastical tradition, Saving three soldiers from execution by proving their innocence, Miraculously providing grain to feed the people of Myra during a famine, Casting out demons from those afflicted by evil. For these reasons, he is called “the Wonderworker” in Eastern Churches.
Seventh: His Personal and Spiritual Qualities
Saint Nicholas was loved by the faithful for his: Mercy and generous charity, especially in secret giving, Zeal for the true faith and uncompromising defense of orthodoxy, Humility and asceticism despite being born into wealth, Spiritual courage in confronting unjust rulers, Wisdom in shepherding his flock andTender love for children—an image that remains alive today.
Eighth: His Death—Was He Martyred?
Although he endured imprisonment and torture during Emperor Diocletian’s persecution (303–311 AD), Saint Nicholas was not martyred.
He died a natural death in 343 AD in the city of Myra.
He was buried in his church, which became a shrine known for healing and miracles.
In 1087, his relics were transferred to Bari, Italy, where they remain today.
Thus, he is not a martyr, but a confessor of the faith for enduring suffering for Christ.
Ninth: Was He Clergy, Civil, or Military?
Saint Nicholas was entirely a man of the Church: Deacon, Priest, Bishop of Myra. He held no civil or military roles.
Tenth: Lebanese Traditions Celebrated on His Feast (December 6)
Lebanese Christians maintain ancient customs associated with Saint Nicholas: Special liturgies in Maronite, Greek Catholic, and Greek Orthodox churches, Distribution of sweets to children in memory of his generosity, Family visits, reconciliation, and acts of kindness, Lighting candles for the sick and seeking his intercession, Maritime rituals in some coastal villages, as he is the patron of sailors, and Large celebrations and extended liturgies in Sidon, where he is the patron saint of the city
Eleventh: Churches Named After Him in Lebanon
Lebanon has many churches and monasteries dedicated to Saint Nicholas, including:
*In Beirut: St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral – Achrafieh, St. Nicholas Greek Catholic Church – Msaytbeh
*In Mount Lebanon: St. Nicholas – Antelias, St. Nicholas Monastery – Ballouneh,St. Nicholas – Dekwaneh,St. Nicholas – Shweir, St. Nicholas – Aley
*In the North: St. Nicholas – Tripoli, St. Nicholas – Kousba, St. Nicholas – Ehden,St. Nicholas – Tannourine.
*In the South: St. Nicholas Cathedral – Sidon, St. Nicholas – Jezzine, St. Nicholas – Maghdousheh.
*In the Bekaa: St. Nicholas – Rachaya, St. Nicholas – Zahle.
The list is long, as Saint Nicholas is among the most widely venerated saints in Lebanon.
A Prayer for Occupied Lebanon on the Feast of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker
O Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, merciful and zealous bishop, lover of the poor, defender of the oppressed, patron of sailors, travelers, and children— look upon Lebanon today, this wounded nation torn by wars and occupations, devoured by the forces of darkness and corruption. We beseech you on your holy feast to lift your intercession to the Lord Jesus, granting this nation salvation and peace, restoring to its people freedom and dignity, and protecting us from injustice, from unlawful weapons, and from every hand that steals the future of our children.
O Saint Nicholas, shine your grace upon the land of the Cedars, strengthen the Maronite Church and all churches, and protect the sons and daughters of Lebanon scattered across the world. Let your feast be a herald of new hope for a homeland whose resurrection we await.
Amen.
**Note: Some churches celebrate the feast of Saint Nicholas on December 19, while the Maronite Church and many others celebrate it on December 6 each year.
**The information in this study is cited from various documented ecclesiastical, theological, research, and media references.
*The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website: https://eliasbejjaninews.com

This Is Beirut Youtube Platform/Israeli Ambassador to Washington Addresses a Message of Peace to Lebanon Platform
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/12/149960/
Israeli Ambassador to Washington Yechiel (Michael) Leiter sends a message of peace to the people of Lebanon
December 05/2025

Video link/From the archives//President Kamel Asaad discusses the reasons for the cancellation of the May 17 Agreement between Lebanon and Israel/With the text of the May 17 Agreement in Arabic and English and the decision to cancel the agreement
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/12/118326/
December 5, 2025 327

Video Link/Interview with Sky News Arabia (English) with U.S. Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack,
Sky News Arabia/December 5, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/12/149968/
(Translated from Arabic)
U.S. Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, said he is "confident that Israel and Syria can reach an agreement on the border and security." Barrack added, during a session moderated by Hadley Gamble, Milken Institute's Senior International Anchor, that Syria "knows that part of the solution lies in an agreement with Israel." Barrack continued: "My personal view of President [Trump's] desire is for us to get a deal there, starting with a security and border agreement, using the areas, and moving forward towards normalization, that must be the solution," adding: "I think Israel wants that too."

Barrack: Lebanese Army will not disarm a large segment of the Lebanese people by force and death
Janoubia/December 5, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/12/149968/
U.S. Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, indicated in an interview with "Sky News Arabia" that "Iranian-linked militias are obstructing the work of the Iraqi state, and the Trump administration is concerned with a regional solution, not with regime change in Iran." Barrack pointed out that "I don't think the story is over between the United States and Iran." He maintained that "the Lebanese Army will not disarm a large segment of the Lebanese people by force and death," adding "I think our new ambassador to Lebanon will better guide Hezbollah towards a civil dialogue." Regarding the Syria file, he said "Syrians are doing well in moving forward in a very difficult situation, and part of the Syrian solution lies in an agreement with Israel." Bloomberg also quoted U.S. Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, as saying: "Israel will not be able to achieve its goals by trying to crush Hezbollah militarily," considering that "it is time for a dialogue between Lebanon and Israel to end the volatile situation."

Barrack: Our new ambassador to Lebanon will better guide Hezbollah towards a civil dialogue
Al-Markaziya/December 5, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/12/149968/
U.S. Special Envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, confirmed that "the new U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, will better guide Hezbollah towards a civil dialogue." Barrack pointed out in an interview with Sky News Arabia that "the Lebanese Army is unable to disarm a wide segment of the Lebanese people by force and death." On the Syrian issue, he stressed that "part of the solution lies in reaching an agreement with Israel," affirming that Syrians "are doing well in moving forward in very difficult circumstances," and that Washington still believes that "the region needs a regional approach, not regime change in Iran." He also stated that "the relationship between the United States and Iran is not over yet," and that the negotiation path remains open despite all the complexities, noting that "Iranian-linked militias are still obstructing the work of the Iraqi state." Furthermore, Bloomberg quoted Barrack as saying that "Israel will not be able to achieve its goals by trying to crush Hezbollah militarily." Barrack continued: "It is time for a dialogue between Lebanon and Israel to end the volatile situation."

Barrack says Hezbollah can't be disarmed by force, urges direct talks
Naharnet/December 05/2025
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has called for direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, noting that Hezbollah cannot be disarmed by force. He also voiced major concern over a renewal of Israel’s war on Lebanon. Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives held their first talks in decades on Wednesday under the auspices of a year-old ceasefire monitoring mechanism, though Lebanon's premier cautioned the new diplomatic contact did not amount to broader peace discussions. Lebanon and Israel have technically been at war since 1948, but Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the new discussions were strictly limited to fully implementing last year's truce. Israel has kept up regular air strikes in Lebanon, usually saying it is targeting Hezbollah members and facilities, and it has kept troops in five areas in the south despite the ceasefire's stipulation that it pull out entirely. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the atmosphere at the talks was "positive", and that there had been agreement "to develop ideas to promote potential economic cooperation between Israel and Lebanon."Israel also made it clear it was "essential" that Hezbollah disarm regardless of any progress in economic cooperation, Netanyahu's office added.

US Message to Aoun and Salam: "Disarm the Party Now... Using Force If Necessary"!
Al-Markaziya/December 5, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
The "Jewish Insider" website reported that a bipartisan group of US Congress members, including both Republicans and Democrats, sent a message to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, demanding that they take urgent action to disarm "Hezbollah," in accordance with the ceasefire agreement signed by Lebanon and Israel in November 2024, and to use force if necessary. The group accused the Lebanese government of failing to fulfill its promises and commitments to disarm "Hezbollah," and threatened to withdraw US support if it did not change course. The legislators wrote in their letter: "Disarm Hezbollah now, including by using force if necessary." They stated: "It is clear that empty promises and partial measures that do not amount to disarming the group are not enough. The lack of real progress has enabled Hezbollah to rearm and rebuild its positions, even in areas south of the Litani River, where it is prohibited from operating under UN Security Council Resolution 1701." They added: "Every day your government fails to act in a serious manner pushes Lebanon closer to renewed war and deepens it in the grip of a terrorist organization loyal to Iran, not to the Lebanese people." The legislators argue that the failure to pursue disarmament has left families in southern Lebanon displaced and vulnerable, allowed Hezbollah to rebuild, and threatened Lebanon's future. They warned that the Lebanese government's continued failure to meet its obligations will lead to renewed Israeli strikes and risks the withdrawal of US support for the Lebanese government. The message read: "The time for empty promises is over. Lebanon's obligations under the ceasefire are clear, as is the danger of continued delay... The United States will find it increasingly difficult to justify its continued support for a government that refuses to meet its obligations and allows a terrorist organization to determine its future. The current course of inaction only leads to the destruction of Lebanon at the hands of Hezbollah." The letter, spearheaded by Representative Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), was signed by Representatives Jefferson Sheriff (R-IN), Don Bacon (R-NE), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Mark Meuser (R-IN), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Don Davis (D-NC), and Jared Golden (D-ME).

Washington Approves Potential $90.5 Million Deal to Sell Military Vehicles to Lebanon
Al-Janoubia/December 5, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
The US State Department has approved a potential deal to sell M1085A2 and M1078A2 Medium Tactical Vehicles and related equipment to Lebanon, at an estimated cost of $90.5 million, the Pentagon announced on Friday. The principal contractor for this deal is Oshkosh Defense.
According to the company's website, the Medium Tactical Vehicles are used for general supply, ammunition supply, maintenance and technical evacuation work, engineering support missions, troop transport, and as platforms for weapons systems, in addition to combat support missions in tactical environments. The Pentagon stated that "the proposed deal will enhance Lebanon's ability to confront current and future threats, by enabling the Lebanese Armed Forces to move quickly to counter and overcome border and surrounding protection threats, and employ effective counter-terrorism and anti-terrorism measures." This move comes after the announcement of the cancellation of Army Commander Rudolph Heikal's visit to Washington, following the US Administration's decision to postpone his scheduled meetings there on November 18. Two days later, Lebanon, for the first time, included a civilian, former Ambassador to the United States Simon Karam, in the "Mechanism" committee between Lebanon, Israel, and the international forces, which meets in Southern Lebanon to implement the cessation of hostilities agreement between the two countries that was approved on November 27 of last year.

Washington: Syrian Security Recently Intercepted Arms Shipments Destined for Hezbollah
Al-Janoubia/December 5, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
The US State Department has approved a potential deal to sell M1085A2 and M1078A2 Medium Tactical Vehicles and related equipment to Lebanon, at an estimated cost of $90.5 million, the Pentagon announced on Friday. The principal contractor for this deal is Oshkosh Defense.
According to the company's website, the Medium Tactical Vehicles are used for general supply, ammunition supply, maintenance and technical evacuation work, engineering support missions, troop transport, and as platforms for weapons systems, in addition to combat support missions in tactical environments. The Pentagon stated that "the proposed deal will enhance Lebanon's ability to confront current and future threats, by enabling the Lebanese Armed Forces to move quickly to counter and overcome border and surrounding protection threats, and employ effective counter-terrorism and anti-terrorism measures." This move comes after the announcement of the cancellation of Army Commander Rudolph Heikal's visit to Washington, following the US Administration's decision to postpone his scheduled meetings there on November 18. Two days later, Lebanon, for the first time, included a civilian, former Ambassador to the United States Simon Karam, in the "Mechanism" committee between Lebanon, Israel, and the international forces, which meets in Southern Lebanon to implement the cessation of hostilities agreement between the two countries that was approved on November 27 of last year.

Hostile Incursion South... and Pentagon Approved Vehicle Sale to Lebanon
Al-Modon/December 5, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
The Pentagon announced this evening, Friday, that the US State Department approved a potential sale of medium tactical vehicles and related equipment to Lebanon at an estimated cost of $90.5 million. The Pentagon did not provide additional details.
This comes as the negotiation process with the United States regarding the Hezbollah arms file continues, while Israel continues its daily violations. In a new Israeli violation of Lebanese sovereignty, an Israeli motorized force intruded into Lebanese territory at 4:30 PM today, specifically below the Al-Abbad site in the outskirts of the southern town of Houla, opposite the newly established point in the Al-Dawawir area. According to information, the force included more than twenty soldiers accompanied by three military vehicles, where they conducted a field survey operation in the area. This is not the first time Israeli forces have intruded into Lebanese municipalities, often rigging and detonating some houses there. It was also reported today that an Israeli drone dropped a sound bomb towards the town of Al-Adaysseh, and a second bomb on the Wadi Al-Asafeer area in Southern Lebanon.5 (Translated from Arabic)
Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, announced today, Friday, that Syrian security forces recently intercepted arms shipments that were on their way to "Hezbollah." He stressed that "the United States and its partners in the region have a shared interest in ensuring Hezbollah is disarmed." Earlier, the Director of Internal Security in the Syrian Yabroud region, Khaled Abbas, said that "our security units foiled an attempt to smuggle large quantities of landmines heading to Lebanon," adding that "the entire shipment was seized, four people involved were arrested, and a fifth person was neutralized during clashes with patrols."He indicated that "the operation came as a culmination of precise investigations and continuous follow-up that resulted in identifying the involved individuals and monitoring them until they reached the smuggling location in the Al-Jabba area north of the Damascus countryside, where the specialized units carried out a precise raid that resulted in the seizure of 1,250 landmines equipped with detonators that were prepared for smuggling to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Four of the involved individuals were arrested, and the fifth person was neutralized during the clashes."
In a different context, the "Jewish Insider" website revealed that a bipartisan group of US Congress members, including both Republicans and Democrats, sent a message to Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, demanding that they take urgent action to disarm "Hezbollah," in accordance with the ceasefire agreement signed by Lebanon and Israel in November 2024, and to use force if necessary. The group accused the Lebanese government of failing to fulfill its promises and commitments to disarm "Hezbollah," and threatened to withdraw US support if it did not change its course.

Lebanon is committed to talks with Israel to avoid more war, president says
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/December 05/2025
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told a visiting UN Security Council delegation on Friday that Lebanon has chosen the path of negotiations, not war, with Israel, as tensions continue to rise along the southern border between the countries. Former ambassador Simon Karam has been appointed to lead the Lebanese delegation in ceasefire discussions with Israel, he added, in an effort “to spare the country another round of violence.”Lebanese President Joseph Aoun poses for a group photo with members of the visiting UN Security Council delegation in Beirut. (Supplied) Aoun’s comments came during talks in Beirut with the 15-member UN delegation, which was led by Ambassador Samuel Zbogar from Slovenia, which holds the presidency of the Security Council this month. On Wednesday, Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives held their first direct talks in decades in Ras Al-Naqoura, beginning what Aoun described as “a new phase of negotiations.”He continued: “Wars have never brought lasting solutions. Only negotiations can create the conditions for stability, resolve outstanding issues and reduce the suffering of civilians.”The Security Council delegates traveled to Beirut from Damascus, where they had met Syrian officials on Thursday to reaffirm international support for Syria in the aftermath of the fall of the Assad regime a year ago. In Lebanon, their meetings focused on implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, particularly efforts to place all weapons under the control of the Lebanese state. The resolution was adopted by the council in 2006 with the aim of resolving the conflict that year between Israel and Hezbollah. It calls for an end to hostilities, the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from Lebanon, the withdrawal of Hezbollah and other armed groups from parts of the country south of the Litani River, and the disarmament of Hezbollah and other armed groups. Zbogar said the delegation sought clarity on the process for disarmament on nonstate armed groups, and specifically the continued armed presence of Hezbollah. Aoun affirmed the government’s commitment to the disarmament process. He vowed that the Lebanese army would fulfill its role in protecting citizens across the country, especially in the south, and stressed that there was a national consensus that no weapons should exist outside of state control. “We have asked all parties to cooperate in implementing this decision, even if it takes time,” he said. “There will be no turning back.”Zbogar reiterated the UN’s “full support for the diplomatic efforts required to resolve the dispute or reach a settlement regarding the international border with Israel.” The Security Council also backs the start of a negotiation process with Syria, he added. He also affirmed the delegation’s commitment to stability in Lebanon, and the wider region, and its full support for the work of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, the mandate for which is due to expire at the end of 2026. With this in mind, he asked for Lebanon’s assessment of the future role of international forces. Aoun told the delegation that Lebanon’s peace talks with Israel were shaped by national interest, not international pressure.
“Lebanon’s approach to the Joint Mechanism negotiations is not about appeasing the international community; it is driven by Lebanon’s own best interests,” he said. “Our decision is final. I have communicated this to Arab and international officials, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and we are committed to taking this path.”The peace talks aim to enable the full implementation of the November 2024 ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, end Israeli hostilities against Lebanon, secure the release of prisoners, establish a timetable for a complete Israeli withdrawal from occupied areas, and resolve remaining points of contention along the Blue Line, the demarcation line between the countries set by the UN in June 2000. “We hope they will produce positive results,” Aoun said. “Ultimately, their success depends on Israel’s position.” He highlighted the Lebanese army’s successes so far in its efforts to clear the region south of the Litani River of armed groups and their weapons, but reiterated that the continuing Israeli occupation of some areas along the border was hindering full deployment. “This, however, did not prevent the army from carrying out its mission in geographically vast regions, filled with valleys, where access is not always easy,” Aoun said. He called on the international community to support the army’s mission, stressing the interconnected nature of regional stability, and adding that enhancement of “Lebanon’s stability contributes to the safety of other brotherly and friendly countries.”
Regarding Lebanon’s relationship with the UN’s Interim Force, Aoun confirmed that the Lebanese army will continue to coordinate with the peacekeepers in southern Lebanon until their “final day” in the country. He added: “We had hoped UNIFIL would remain until the army completes its full deployment along the internationally recognized border. “We welcome any country that is willing to keep its forces, partially or fully, in place to assist the army after UNIFIL’s withdrawal at the end of 2026.” The speaker of the Lebanese parliament, Nabih Berri, who also met the Security Council delegation, said stability in southern Lebanon requires commitments by Israel to the implementation of Resolution 1701 and the 2024 ceasefire agreement.
“Negotiating under fire is impermissible and unacceptable,” he added, warning that “Israel’s ongoing aggression could reignite the war.”During his meeting with the delegates, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stressed the need for an international force to provide support for the army when the UNIFIL mandate ends, to avoid a vacuum in southern Lebanon. He suggested that a new international force could operate within the framework of the UN Truce Supervision Organization, or as a limited peacekeeping force similar to UN Disengagement Observer Force in the Golan Heights, in terms of its tasks, the nature of deployment and border control. Meanwhile, UNIFIL said on Friday that peacekeepers on patrol near Bint Jbeil had been approached by six men on three mopeds, one of whom fired approximately three shots into the back of their vehicle. No casualties were reported. The force said attacks on peacekeepers “are unacceptable” and represent grave violations of Resolution 1701. It reminded Lebanese authorities “of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers, and demand a full and immediate investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.”UNIFIL also reported Israeli airstrikes in its area of operations on Thursday, while the Lebanese army continued its operations to clear unauthorized weapons and related infrastructure in southern Lebanon. The force encouraged the Israeli army to “benefit from the available mechanisms for liaison and coordination.”In a statement on Friday during a Hezbollah gathering in the southern suburbs of Beirut, the Iran-backed organization’s secretary-general, Naim Qassem, commented on the negotiation process with Israel. “All of our dealings, as a Lebanese State, with the Israeli enemy are limited to the ceasefire agreement,” he said. Hezbollah supports the state’s choice to pursue a diplomatic path to end hostilities with Israel and “we stand by its decision to continue in this direction,” he added. However, he argued that the participation of a civilian delegation in peace talks was a violation, because this was supposed to be contingent on the cessation of hostilities by Israel. “You offered a free concession, which won’t change the enemy’s stance or aggression,” Qassem told the Lebanese government. He also reiterated that Hezbollah refuses to give up its weapons in areas north of the Litani, stating that “this is an internal Lebanese matter and we reject any attempt to erase our existence.”

Lebanon says ceasefire talks aim primarily at halting Israel’s hostilities
Reuters/December 05/2025
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Friday that ceasefire talks with Israel are primarily aimed at stopping Israeli hostilities on Lebanese territory, after the Israeli prime minister’s office said it seeks economic cooperation. Israel and Lebanon entered a US-brokered ceasefire agreement last year, but Israel has not halted strikes against Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group. On Wednesday, officials from both sides said civilian envoys had been sent to the military committee that monitors their ceasefire, in a step that broadens the scope of their discussions. Israel said its representative was dispatched to Lebanon to help lay the groundwork for a relationship and potential economic cooperation. “These negotiations are mainly aimed at stopping the hostile actions carried out by Israel on Lebanese territory, securing the return of the captives, scheduling the withdrawal from the occupied areas, and resolving the disputed points along the Blue Line,” Aoun said in a statement on Friday, referring to the UN-mapped line that separates Israel from Lebanon. He also told a visiting UN Security Council delegation that Lebanon welcomes any country willing to keep forces in the south to support the army after UNIFIL, the long-running peacekeeping mission, withdraws at the end of 2026, adding that several states have already expressed interest. Despite direct talks, Lebanon-Israel tensions not easing with Hezbollah issue unresolved

“There is no other option but negotiation. This is the reality, and this is what history has taught us about wars,” said Aoun.
Beirut, Lebanon/The Arab Weekly/December 05/2025
The Lebanese president said the next round of talks with Israel will begin on December
Despite the efforts at “positive” spin by both sides after the first direct talks in decades between Lebanon and Israel, uncertainties still cloud Prime Minister Binyamain Netanyahu’s policies towards his country’s northern neighbour as the Israeli army continues its strikes on Hezbollah targets despite the truce. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday said the next round of talks with Israel will begin on December 19, calling the reaction to initial negotiations this week “positive”. “It is natural that the first session would not be highly productive, but it paved the way for upcoming sessions that will begin on the 19th of this month,” he said, according to information minister Paul Morcos at the end of a cabinet meeting. Aoun also said reactions to the first round of talks on Wednesday were “positive” and said the direct talks between Israeli and Lebanese civilian representatives, the first in decades, were aimed at avoiding a “second war”. The Lebanese head of state stressed, according to Morcos, “the need for the language of negotiation, not the language of war, to prevail”, and that there would be no concession over Lebanon’s sovereignty. “There is no other option but negotiation. This is the reality, and this is what history has taught us about wars,” he said, according to Morcos. On Friday Aoun will receive members of the UN Security Council and US envoy Morgan Ortagus, when he said he would urge them to help talks with Israel succeed. His comments came as Israeli raids hit southern Lebanon on Thursday, with its military saying it was striking Hezbollah weapons storage facilities. Despite a November 2024 ceasefire that was supposed to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group, Israel has kept up strikes on Lebanon and has also maintained troops in five south Lebanon areas it deems strategic. Israel made it clear it was “essential” that Lebanese militant group Hezbollah disarm regardless of any progress in terms of cooperation with Lebanon. Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Wednesday Lebanon was open to the committee taking on a direct verification role to check Israeli claims that Hezbollah is re-arming, and verify the work of the Lebanese army in dismantling the militant group’s infrastructure. Aoun said the UN delegation would head to southern Lebanon to check “the situation on the ground and see the real picture of what is happening there”, while the army continues its work to implement the plan to dismantle Hezbollah’s weapons. The visit from Sunday to Tuesday of Pope Leo XIV had provided Lebanon with a window of reprieve from Israeli air strikes, which had intensified in recent weeks, and the pontiff urged an end to hostilities during his visit. But on Thursday, the Israeli army said it “began conducting strikes on Hezbollah terror targets in southern Lebanon”, after warning it would strike buildings in south Lebanon’s Mahrouna and Jbaa. It subsequently issued warnings that it would strike further Hezbollah “military infrastructure” in Majadal and Baraasheet, also in the south. “It’s a completely civilian area. We’re used to Israeli threats from time to time,” local official Yassir Madi told journalists. “As for the damage, there’s not a window within 300 metres that didn’t break. Everyone is living in shock,” he added. Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives have held surprise talks Wednesday under the auspices of the ceasefire monitoring mechanism at the UN peacekeeping force’s headquarters in Lebanon’s Naqoura near the border with Israel. Representatives of the ceasefire monitoring committee, the United States, France, Lebanon, Israel and the UN force, regularly convene in Naqoura. The United States has been piling pressure on Lebanon to rapidly disarm Hezbollah, and has pushed for direct talks between the two neighbours. Beirut’s yielding to US pressure on both fronts seems to worry Tehran. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi invited Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Youssef Raji to visit Iran in the near future to discuss ties between the two countries, Iran’s foreign ministry said on Thursday. “Araghchi, inviting his Lebanese counterpart to discuss the development of bilateral relations and review regional and international developments, expressed confidence that the Lebanese people and government will successfully overcome existing threats and challenges,” Iran’s foreign ministry said. Lebanon’s government has committed to disarming Hezbollah, but the Iran-backed group has rejected the idea.

US approves new military support package for Lebanon: Pentagon
Al Arabiya English/December 06/2025
The US State Department has approved a potential sale of Medium Tactical Vehicles (MTVs) to Lebanon, a deal worth just over $90 million that the Pentagon says would strengthen the Lebanese Armed Forces’ counterterrorism capabilities. According to the Pentagon, Beirut had requested the purchase of several types of medium tactical vehicles, including 5-ton M1085A2 MTVs and 2.5-ton M1078A2 MTVs, both without winches, along with spare parts, repair components, personnel training, and related training equipment. The proposed sale also includes technical and logistics support services. In its notification, the Pentagon said the deal would advance US foreign policy and national security interests by bolstering the capabilities of a partner “that continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.”Washington added that the package would enhance the LAF’s ability to “rapidly engage and defeat perimeter security threats and readily employ counter and anti-terrorism measures.” Strengthening the LAF’s mobility, the Pentagon noted, would also facilitate expanded military-to-military cooperation and operational training between US and Lebanon. The LAF has been tasked with ensuring the complete disarmament of Iran-backed Hezbollah under the ceasefire agreement reached with Israel and brokered by Washington late last year. This marks at least the third military support package announced by the Trump administration in recent months. In September, President Donald Trump approved a rare presidential drawdown worth $14.2 million for the LAF, which was followed in October by a $240 million package for both the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Internal Security Forces (ISF). The Pentagon said the PDA would help “build the capability and capacity of the LAF to dismantle weapons caches and military infrastructure of non-state groups, including Hezbollah.”

Conflicted Iraq backtracks after including Hezbollah, Houthis in asset freeze list
The Arab Weekly/December 05/2025
Iraqi PM said he had ordered an urgent investigation into the mistake “to hold accountable those responsible. Iraq will remove Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis from an asset-freeze list, officials said on Thursday, after the Iran-aligned groups were mistakenly included in an earlier government publication, prompting confusion and criticism. The justice ministry’s official gazette last month published a list of groups and entities whose funds would be blocked, naming both militant groups, a move that would likely have been welcomed in Washington and increased pressure on Tehran.A letter from the acting deputy governor of the Central Bank asked the Committee for the Freezing of Terrorists’ Funds to delete the clause containing the names, two bank sources told Reuters. Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa al-Sudani said Iraq had approved freezing only the assets of entities and individuals linked to Islamic State and al-Qaeda jihadists, in response to a request from Malaysia. He said he had ordered an urgent investigation into the mistake “to hold accountable those responsible”. Sudani added that Iraq’s political and humanitarian positions on “the aggression on our people in Lebanon or in Palestine” were “principled and not subject to exaggeration”. Hussain Mouanes, a lawmaker representing a bloc affiliated with Iraq’s Katai’b Hezbollah, criticised the government on Thursday for what he called “irresponsible” conduct. He accused the government of being a “subordinate authority that lacks the dignity to represent its people or defend Iraq’s sovereignty”. The Iraqi committee said the November 17 publication had been intended to cover only individuals and entities linked to Islamic State (ISIS) and al-Qaeda, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1373. Several unrelated groups were included because the list was released before final revisions were completed, it said, adding that the corrected version would appear in the official gazette. The United States has long sought to reduce Iran’s influence in Iraq and other countries in the Middle East where Tehran has allies as part of its so-called Axis of Resistance, which has taken a battering by Israel since the war in Gaza erupted in 2023. Iran views its neighbour and ally Iraq as vital to keeping its economy afloat amidst international sanctions. But Baghdad, a partner to both the US and Iran, is wary of being caught in the crosshairs of US President Donald Trump’s policy to squeeze Tehran. ut Iran has been weakened over the past year by Israel’s heavy blows to Tehran’s militia proxies, raising its susceptibility to US pressure.

Hezbollah chief says supports state diplomacy to stop Israeli aggression
AFP/December 05/2025:
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem on Friday said his group supported the Lebanese state’s pursuit of diplomacy to end Israeli attacks, while also criticizing the inclusion of a civilian representative in recent talks with Israel. The state has chosen “diplomacy to end the aggression and implement” a November 2024 ceasefire deal “and we support it continuing in this direction,” Qassem said in a televised address. Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives held their first direct talks in decades on Wednesday under the auspices of the year-old ceasefire monitoring mechanism, a move Lebanon’s president said was to avoid prospects of another war in Lebanon. Qassem criticized the move and urged authorities to reconsider. “We consider this measure an additional misstep on top of the sin” of the government’s decision in August to task the army with disarming Hezbollah, he said. “Have you made a gratuitous concession? This concession will not change the enemy’s position, nor its aggression or occupation,” Qassem said, accusing Israel and the United States of wanting Lebanese authorities to be negotiating “under fire.” “They want to eliminate our existence,” Qassem said, but “we will defend ourselves, our people, our country. We are prepared to sacrifice everything, and we will not surrender.”He accused Israel of violating the year-old ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and his Iran-backed group, which emerged heavily weakened with its arsenal pummelled and senior commanders killed including former chief Hassan Nasrallah. Qassem said his group was cooperating with the Lebanese authorities, and that America and Israel should have “no say in how we manage our domestic affairs,” calling their imposition of conditions on Lebanon as “unacceptable.”Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has said the new talks were strictly limited to fully implementing last year’s truce and did not amount to broader peace discussions.

US congratulates Syria for interdicting weapons shipments intended for Lebanese
Al Arabiya English/December 05/2025
The US military congratulated Syria on Friday for recently interdicting multiple weapons shipments intended for Lebanese Hezbollah. “The United States and our regionals partners have a shared interest in ensuring the disarmament of Lebanese Hezbollah and in preserving peace and stability across the Middle East,” CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said.

Aoun says Israel talks to resume December 19
Agence France Presse/December 05/2025
President Joseph Aoun has said the next round of talks with Israel will begin on December 19, calling the reaction to initial negotiations this week "positive". "It is natural that the first session would not be highly productive, but it paved the way for upcoming sessions that will begin on the 19th of this month," he said, according to information minister Paul Morcos at the end of a cabinet meeting Thursday. Aoun also said reactions to the first round of talks on Wednesday were "positive" and said the direct talks between Israeli and Lebanese civilian representatives, the first in decades, were aimed at avoiding a "second war". The Lebanese head of state stressed, according to Morcos, "the need for the language of negotiation -- not the language of war -- to prevail", and that there would be no concession over Lebanon's sovereignty. "There is no other option but negotiation. This is the reality, and this is what history has taught us about wars," he said, according to Morcos. On Friday Aoun will receive members of the U.N. Security Council and U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus, when he said he would urge them to help talks with Israel succeed. His comments came as Israeli raids hit southern Lebanon on Thursday, with its military saying it was striking Hezbollah weapons storage facilities. Despite a November 2024 ceasefire, Israel has kept up strikes on Lebanon. Lebanon's government has committed to disarming Hezbollah, but the Iran-backed group has rejected the idea. Aoun said the U.N. delegation would head to southern Lebanon to check "the situation on the ground and see the real picture of what is happening there", while the army continues its work to implement the plan to dismantle Hezbollah's weapons.

Aoun says 'no turning back' on negotiations with Israel
Naharnet/December 05/2025
Lebanon has moved toward negotiations with Israel to spare the war and crisis-hit country further violence -- and not to please the international community, President Joseph Aoun told Friday a visiting United Nations Security Council delegation.
Aoun said that Lebanon is convinced that wars cannot lead to positive results and that only negotiations can provide stability and security and end the Lebanese people's suffering. "We have made the decision and there is no turning back," Aoun said. "We are committed to this choice." Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives had held Wednesday their first direct talks in decades. Aoun called the initial negotiations "positive" and stressed "the need for the language of negotiation -- not the language of war -- to prevail". "These negotiations are mainly aimed at stopping the Israeli aggressions on Lebanon, returning the Lebanese prisoners, ending the Israeli occupation (of five hills in south Lebanon), and resolving the remaining disputed points along the Blue Line," Aoun said."We hope they will lead to positive results.""However, the success of these negotiations depends on Israel," he added.

Berri tells UNSC delegation it's not acceptable to negotiate under fire
Naharnet/December 05/2025
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri urged a United Nations Security Council delegation on Friday to pressure Israel to respect a year-old ceasefire and to halt its one-sided war on Lebanon. Despite a November 2024 ceasefire that was supposed to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, Israel has kept up strikes on Lebanon and has also maintained troops in five south Lebanon areas it deems "strategic"."It is not acceptable to negotiate under (Israeli) fire," Berri told the delegation Friday. "Stability in the south requires Israel's adherence to U.N. Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire agreement by halting its daily violations and withdrawing behind the international border," he added, referring to a U.N. resolution that ended the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel. The U.N. delegation, accompanied by U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus, visited Damascus on Thursday and met Friday in Lebanon with President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. It is due to inspect the border area in southern Lebanon on Saturday. The visit comes as Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives held their first direct talks in decades.

Qassem backs diplomacy but slams adding civilian to negotiations committee
Naharnet/December 05/2025
Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem said Friday that the inclusion of a civilian Lebanese representative in the Mechanism committee is “a measure that clearly violates all the previous official statements and stances that had called for halting the enemy’s hostilities prior to involving any civilian in the Mechanism.”“What happened was a free concession that will not change the enemy’s stance nor its aggression and occupation,” Qassem added, warning that “Israel and America want to keep Lebanon under fire.”Adding that Lebanese authorities’ move is “an additional misstep that is added to the August 5 misstep,” Qassem said, while also describing the Lebanese step as a “free concession” to Israel. Qassem also said that Hezbollah supports the Lebanese state's pursuit of diplomacy to end Israeli attacks. The state has chosen "diplomacy to end the aggression and implement" the ceasefire deal "and we support it continuing in this direction," Qassem said. Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives held their first direct talks in decades on Wednesday under the auspices of the year-old ceasefire monitoring mechanism, a move Lebanon's president said was to avoid prospects of another war in Lebanon. Comparing Lebanon to a “ship,” Qassem warned that endorsing Israel’s stances would lead to “the puncturing of the ship and the drowning of everyone,” calling on Lebanese authorities to study their steps well. “Hezbollah will not agree to its disarmament and the limit which we must stop at in any agreement is exclusively linked to the area south of the Litani,” Qassem reiterated. “We will defend ourselves and we will not surrender,” he stressed, cautioning that “the Israeli attacks are not targeted against Hezbollah's arms or the resistance, but are rather aimed at paving the way for gradual occupation.”
“This enemy is an expansionist enemy and it has not honored the agreement … America and Israel have no business in interfering in what the Lebanese decide,” Qassem warned.

Lebanese leaders urge UNSC delegation to press Israel to respect ceasefire
Naharnet/December 05/2025
A delegation of the U.N. Security Council and U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus met Friday with President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. The three leaders urged the delegation to pressure Israel to respect a year-old ceasefire. Aoun said after the meeting, in a statement on the X platform, that the delegation expressed its support for stability in Lebanon through the implementation of international resolutions, and the willingness to help in supporting the Lebanese Army, completing its deployment, and implementing the state's monopoly on arms.
Aoun had said Thursday that he would urge the delegation to help talks with Israel succeed after Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives held their first direct talks in decades on Wednesday under the auspices of a year-old ceasefire monitoring mechanism. The delegation welcomed Lebanon's decision to add a Lebanese civilian to the ceasefire monitoring mechanism, while Aoun reaffirmed Lebanon's commitment to implementing international resolutions and urged the delegation to pressure Israel to commit as well, halt its attacks and withdraw from occupied territories in south Lebanon.
Ortagus later said, after meeting with Berri, that the talks were positive. She said the Mechanism meetings will be better with civilians and lauded former Lebanese ambassador to the U.S., Simon Karam, who was appointed to lead the Lebanese delegation, saying that his profile is "impressive."Berri had stressed that Karam's mission was "technical" not diplomatic, and that the man's mission is more important than his name. He told the delegation Friday that "it is not acceptable to negotiate under (Israeli) fire," urging it to halt the "one-sided" Israeli war on Lebanon.
"Stability in the south requires Israel's adherence to U.N. Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire agreement by halting its daily violations and withdrawing behind the international border," Berri said. The UNSC delegation will also meet with Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji and Army chief Rodoplphe Haykal, and will head to southern Lebanon Saturday to check "the situation on the ground and see the real picture of what is happening there". Slovenian U.N. ambassador Samuel Zbogar told a press conference on Monday that "the visit to Lebanon is the first official visit of the Security Council to the Middle East in six years" and that the trip comes "at a crucial time for the region", noting that the ceasefire is being daily "challenged". The visit is important in "expressing support and solidarity" with Lebanon, he added.

UNIFIL says 6 men attacked patrol near Bint Jbeil
Naharnet/December 05/2025
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said Friday that a series of Israeli strikes on south Lebanon Thursday were in the peacekeepers' area of operations, warning Lebanese actors against "any reaction that could aggravate the situation further."
UNIFIL condemned in a statement the strikes as "clear violations of Security Council resolution 1701" and urged the Israeli army to avail of the liaison and coordination mechanisms available to them. "UNIFIL continues to monitor and report on the situation in south Lebanon, and to support both Lebanon and Israel in their implementation of resolution 1701. Both parties must adhere to their commitments and obligations under the resolution and to the understanding reached in November, if they are to safeguard the progress achieved so far," the statement said. On Thursday night, peacekeepers on patrol were approached by six men on three mopeds near Bint Jbeil, with one man firing approximately three shots into the back of the vehicle, UNIFIL said, adding that "no one was hurt". The statement condemned the attacks on peacekeepers as "unacceptable and serious violations of resolution 1701." It urged the Lebanese authorities to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers and demanded a full and immediate investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.

France reportedly working on keeping int'l force on Syria border, few observers in south
Naharnet/December 05/2025
France is seriously leading a project to keep UNIFIL’s international forces in Lebanon under a new mandate that includes comprehensive supervision of the Lebanese border with Syria while maintaining a limited number of observers on the southern border, informed sources said. The recent visit of the French presidential envoy to Lebanon, Anne-Claire Legendre, was primarily aimed at offering "France's services" to sponsor a Lebanese-Syrian dialogue for the purpose of demarcating the land and sea borders between the two countries, the sources told al-Akhbar newspaper. According to the sources, the U.S. may agree to the deployment of the new international force on the border with Syria. A separate team of up to one hundred observers would deploy along the southern border. The U.S. and Israel would choose the nationality of these personnel, the daily said. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Friday, after a meeting with a U.N. Security Council delegation, that a new international force is needed to fill the void in south Lebanon after the UNIFIL's mandate ends. He said it could be similar to the UNDOF force operating in the Golan Heights along the border between Israel and Syria.

Report: Israeli escalation inevitable despite civilian negotiations
Naharnet/December 05/2025
Israel will still escalate its strikes against Hezbollah despite the upgrade in the level of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, an informed source said. The source told MTV that the escalation would involve strikes against Hezbollah’s arms depots and assassinations against group officials “amid Hezbollah’s clinging to its arms.” President Joseph Aoun’s decision to name a civilian representative to the Mechanism talks has however “protected the Lebanese state and its facilities from attacks as well as the regions that are not under Hezbollah’s influence,” the source added.

Berri says Karam's mission 'more important' than his name
Naharnet/December 05/2025
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said the mission of the civilian who was included in a committee monitoring the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire is more important than the name. "The important thing for me is what he will do," Berri told online news website Asas Media in remarks published Friday, adding that what is important is that former Lebanese Ambassador to the United States, Simon Karam succeed in ending Israel's violations and occupation, and in returning the Lebanese prisoners. Lebanon and Israel both announced Wednesday the appointment of civilian members to a previously military-only committee monitoring enforcement of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that halted the latest war with Israel. The civilian members — Simon Karam, an attorney and former Lebanese ambassador to the U.S., and Uri Resnick, the Israeli National Security Council’s deputy director for foreign policy — took part in Wednesday’s meeting of the mechanism. Berri told Assas Media that he was "the first to propose including civilians" but stressed that the mission of the civilian is purely technical not political, rejecting that the inclusion of Karam is a basis for normalization or direct negotiations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu had claimed that the mission is diplomatic and economic, a claim that Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam rebutted. Lebanon is "far from" diplomatic normalization or economic relations with Israel, Salam said. Media reports said what Netenyahu described as "economic" is Trump's economic buffer zone plan for south Lebanon and the reconstruction of war-hit regions. What Lebanon wants is a durable ceasefire, the return of prisoners, the definitive cessation of Israeli violations, and a withdrawal from all occupied Lebanese territories, Berri said, adding that this is the only purpose of the talks "and nothing else."

Syrian refugees return home as Lebanon faces hardship
Associated Press/December 05/2025
Close to 1.5 million Syrian refugees have voluntarily returned to their home country over the past year. UNHCR Estimates that 383,326 have returned from Lebanon to Syria since the fall of the Bashar Assad regime in December 2024. It is a fast pace for a country where insecurity persists across broad regions. The scale and speed of these returns since the overthrow of Assad's brutal regime on Dec. 8, 2024, raise important questions: Why are so many Syrians going back, and will these returns last? Moreover, what conditions are they returning to?
Where are Syria's refugees?
Millions of Syrians were displaced internally, and about 6 million sought refuge abroad. The majority went to neighboring countries, including Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan but a little over a million sought refuge in Europe.
The U.N. refugee agency surveys conducted in January 2025 across Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt found that 80% of Syrian refugees hoped to return home – up sharply from 57% the previous year. But hope and reality are not always aligned, and the factors motivating return are far more complex than the change in political authority.
Why are people returning? -
In most post-conflict settings, voluntary return begins only after security improves, schools reopen, basic infrastructure is restored and housing reconstruction is underway. Even then, people often return to their country but not their original communities, especially when local political control has shifted or reconstruction remains incomplete.
In present-day Syria, violence continues in several regions, governance is fragmented, and sectarian conflicts persist. Yet refugees are returning anyway. A major factor is the deteriorating conditions in neighboring host countries. Most of those who came back to Syria in the early months after Assad's fall came from neighboring states that have hosted large refugee populations for more than a decade and are now struggling with economic crises, political tensions and declining aid. In Lebanon, recent violence and a steep drop in international assistance have left Syrian refugees unable to secure food, education and health care. In other words, many Syrians are not returning because their homeland has become safer, but because the places where they sought refuge have become more difficult. We do not have data on the religious or ethnic makeup of returnees. But patterns from other post-conflict settings suggest that returnees are usually from the majority community aligned with the new dominant political actors. Sunni Muslims may return in higher numbers, as the country's president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, led the Sunni rebel coalition that overthrew Assad. Syrian minority groups, including Alawites, Christians, Druze and Kurds, may avoid returning altogether. Violent incidents targeting minority communities have underscored ongoing instability. Recent attacks on the Alawite population have triggered new waves of displacement into Lebanon, while conflicts between Druze militias and the government in Sweida, in southern Syria, have led to more displacement within the country. These episodes illustrate that while pockets of the country may feel safe to some, instability persists.
Barriers to returns
One of the most significant obstacles facing refugees who wish to return is the condition of their homes and the status of their property rights. The civil war caused widespread destruction of housing, businesses and public buildings. Land administration systems, including registry offices and records, were damaged or destroyed. This matters because refugees' return requires more than physical safety; people need somewhere to live and proof that the home they return to is legally theirs. Analysis by the conflict-monitoring group ACLED of more than 140,000 qualitative reports of violent incidents between 2014 and 2025 shows that property-related destruction was more concentrated in inland provinces than in the coastal regions, with cities such as Aleppo, Idlib and Homs sustaining some of the heaviest damage. This has major implications for where return is feasible and where it will stall. With documentation lost, homes reoccupied and records destroyed, many Syrians risk returning to legal uncertainty or direct – and sometimes violent – conflict over land and housing. Post-civil war reconstruction will require not only the rebuilding of physical infrastructure but also the restoration of land governance, including mechanisms for property verification, dispute resolution and compensation. Without all this, refugee returns will likely slow as people confront uncertainty about whether they can reclaim their homes.
Shaping Syria -
Whether the wave of returns throughout 2025 continues or proves to be a temporary surge will depend on three main criteria: the security situation in Syria, reconstruction of houses and land administration systems, and the policies of the countries hosting Syrian refugees. But ultimately, a year after the civil war ended, Syrians are returning because of a mixture of hope and hardship: hope that the fall of the Assad government has opened a path home, and hardship driven by declining support and safety in neighboring states.
Whether these returns will be safe, voluntary and sustainable are critical questions that will shape Syria's recovery for years to come. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/hope-and-hardship-have-driven-syrian-refugee-returns-but-many-head-back-to-destroyed-homes-land-disputes-269555.

Civilians at the table means Lebanese state is now on trial
Makram Rabah/Al Arabiya English/December 05/2025
Civilians will join formal talks for the first time since the creation of the Lebanon–Israel ceasefire mechanism. Lebanon is sending former ambassador Simon Karam; Israel is dispatching its National Security Council’s Uri Resnick. On paper, this is a modest procedural adjustment. In reality, it is a political moment that exposes both opportunity and danger for the Lebanese state — a rare opening for diplomacy that risks becoming yet another exercise in symbolic theater if not followed by action. There is no doubt that Simon Karam is the right man for this role. A seasoned diplomat who understands both the language of formal negotiation and the unspoken codes of regional power politics, Karam possesses two assets Lebanon sorely lacks at the table: credibility and independence. He is neither a partisan emissary nor a theatrical “representative of resistance theater.” His career has been defined by professionalism rather than posturing — precisely what Lebanon requires when engaging an adversary state that measures outcomes, not slogans. Yet while Karam has been formally mandated to join the ceasefire mechanism, this appointment does not — and must not — absolve the Lebanese state of its larger responsibility. Diplomacy is not a substitute for sovereignty. And sovereignty remains impossible so long as the fundamental contradiction at the heart of Lebanese politics continues unresolved: the existence of Hezbollah’s independent military power. Disarming Hezbollah is not a concession to Israeli demands — it is the fulfillment of Lebanese national interest. It is not an externally imposed agenda — it is the prerequisite condition for recovering state authority. The logic is simple and inescapable: no negotiation can produce stability while a non-state actor retains the unilateral capacity to ignite war or veto peace on Lebanon’s behalf.
Sending Simon Karam to the table is welcome — but the Lebanese establishment cannot hide behind this move while avoiding its own overdue reckoning. Lebanon has perfected the art of delegating competence upward while retaining irresponsibility below. It appoints capable individuals to represent a state that refuses to behave like one. Diplomats are sent abroad while political paralysis reigns at home.
That pattern cannot be allowed to repeat itself now.
The civilian participation in ceasefire talks matters not because it “humanizes” the process, but because it politicizes it. Once civilians replace uniformed intermediaries, de-escalation ceases to be a purely tactical exercise and becomes what it always should have been: a question of state authority. The talks move from military containment to political accountability. Lebanon can no longer pretend to be a spectator to decisions made about its borders, security, and wars. Civilian negotiators imply civilian responsibility. If civilians sit across the table, the Lebanese government must finally accept ownership of the peace process — with all the obligations that entails.
History offers the warning in stark terms.
In May 1983 — after Israel’s withdrawal from Beirut — Lebanon made its last serious attempt to negotiate as a sovereign actor. The May 17 Accord aimed to structure mutual withdrawals and define security arrangements under US auspices. Antoine Fattal, a skilled diplomat and disciplined institutional figure, helped lead Lebanon’s negotiating team. For a fleeting moment, Lebanon spoke with something approaching a unified state voice. The agreement’s collapse was not rooted in diplomatic failure but in institutional cowardice. Lebanon signed an accord it was politically unable to defend. Syrian pressure mattered — but domestic paralysis was decisive. The presidency faltered, Cabinet unity dissolved, and the political class refused to confront the armed veto that would soon be embodied by Hezbollah. May 17 failed because Lebanon could not will sovereignty into existence.
This lesson screams relevance today. Placing Simon Karam at the negotiation table raises expectations — but expectations are meaningless without political will. Diplomacy can work only when a state possesses exclusive authority over force. Lebanon still does not. The same contradiction persists: the government sends diplomats abroad while tolerating an internal militia that monopolizes the real power to declare war or peace. Every actor in the region understands this contradiction — Israel, Syria, Iran, and Hezbollah itself. Only Lebanon continues to deny it. Civilians at the ceasefire table may appear as modernization, but they become performative unless accompanied by hard choices at home. The core issue remains untouched: as long as Hezbollah retains military autonomy, no diplomatic arrangement can be binding, durable, or credible. The real question therefore is not whether Simon Karam can negotiate skillfully. He can — and he will. The real question is whether the Lebanese state will permit those negotiations to matter. Ending diplomatic outsourcing requires political courage: standing publicly behind ceasefire commitments; backing negotiations when backlash erupts; reaffirming without ambiguity that the Lebanese Army alone exercises legitimate authority over border defense. Most importantly, it requires abandoning Lebanon’s most destructive habit — negotiating internationally while disintegrating internally. Simon Karam deserves backing, not abandonment. But this moment is about more than one diplomat — however capable. It is a referendum on whether Lebanon is finally prepared to behave like a sovereign state, align diplomacy with sovereignty, and confront the armed contradiction that has hollowed out both. Civilians at the table means the state is now on trial — and history will not grant it another May 17 escape clause.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 05-06/2025
US envoy Waltz begins regional trip to promote Trump Gaza peace plan
Arab News/December 05, 2025
NEW YORK: US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz begins a trip to Jordan and Israel on Saturday to promote President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, the US Mission to the UN said, casting the visit as part of Washington’s push to advance regional stability and support the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2803. Waltz will travel from Dec. 6–10 and is expected to meet senior leaders in both countries. In Jordan, he will hold talks with King Abdullah II and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on bilateral cooperation and Amman’s role in facilitating humanitarian aid to Gaza. He will also meet humanitarian groups and review efforts to support Syrian refugees, the mission said. In Israel, Waltz is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog to discuss US-Israel coordination at the UN and shared security priorities. He will tour Israel’s northern and southern borders for briefings on the implementation of Resolution 2803, visit the Kerem Shalom crossing to assess aid flows into Gaza, and review operations of the Coordination and Monitoring Mechanism for Gaza. Waltz will also meet Acting UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Ramiz Alakbarov to discuss humanitarian work and efforts to advance peace. The mission said the trip reflects Trump’s commitment to ending regional conflicts and securing a “peaceful and prosperous future” for the Middle East.

Israeli fire kills Palestinian in the occupied West Bank
AFP/December 05, 2025
RAMALLAH: The Ramallah-based Palestinian Health Ministry said that Israeli forces killed a man in the northern occupied West Bank on Friday. “Bahaa Abdel-Rahman Rashid (38 years old) was killed by Israeli fire in the town of Odala, south of Nablus,” the Health Ministry said in a statement. Shortly before, the Palestinian Red Crescent said its teams handled the case of a man “who suffered a critical head injury during clashes in the town of Odala near Nablus, and CPR is currently being performed on him.”The Israeli military said it was looking into the incident. Witness and Odala resident Muhammad Al-Kharouf said that Israeli troops were patrolling in Odala and threw tear gas canisters at men who were exiting the local mosque for Friday prayer. Rashid was killed by live fire in the clashes that followed, added Kharouf, who had been inside the mosque with him. The Israeli military said on Friday it had completed a two-week counterterrorism operation in the northern West Bank during which it killed six militants, and questioned dozens of suspects. It said that Rashid was not among the six militants killed over the past two weeks. Dozens of men, including Rashid’s father, gathered at the nearby city of Nablus’ Rafidia Hospital to bid him goodbye on Friday, a journalist reported. Violence in the West Bank has soared since Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war. It has not ceased despite the fragile truce between Israel and Hamas that came into effect in October. Israeli troops or settlers have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians, according to an AFP tally based on Palestinian Health Ministry figures.

Israel sets 2026 defense budget at $34 bln despite ceasefire in Gaza
Reuters/December 05/2025
Israel’s defense budget for 2026 has been set at 112 billion shekels ($34.63 billion), the defense minister’s office said on Friday, up from 90 billion shekels budgeted in an earlier draft. Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich agreed on the defense spending framework as the cabinet has begun debating next year’s budget, which needs to be approved by March or could lead to new elections. Ministers began what is usually a marathon session on Thursday ahead of a vote that could come early on Friday. If it passes, it heads to parliament for its initial vote.
Katz said the military will continue its to address the needs of its fighters and reduce the burden on reservists. “We will continue to act decisively to reinforce the [Israeli army] and to fully address the needs of the fighters and to reduce the burden on reservists - in order to ensure the security of the State of Israel on every front,” his office quoted him as saying. The Gaza war has been costly for Israel, which spent $31 billion in 2024 on its military conflicts with Hamas and with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel has since entered ceasefire deals with both militant groups. Smotrich’s office said that the 2026 defense budget has seen an increase of 47 billion shekels compared to 2023 on the eve of the war. “We are allocating a huge budget to strengthen the army this year, but also one that allows us to return the State of Israel to a path of growth and relief for citizens.” Smotrich said, according to his office.($1 = 3.2345 shekels)

Hamas official says group does not want to rule Gaza, agrees to technocratic body
Al Arabiya English/December 05/2025
A senior Hamas official told Al Arabiya on Friday that the Palestinian group does not wish to continue governing the Gaza Strip, adding that it has already agreed to the formation of a technocratic committee to administer the enclave in the next phase. The official said Hamas has approved all proposed names for the technocratic body, noting that there is internal agreement on the list. He added that despite progress in talks, Israel has been obstructing the practical implementation of the agreed steps on the ground. International forces for post war arrangements
The Hamas official also said the deployment of international forces would be strictly limited to monitoring the ceasefire, rather than administering Gaza or taking part in internal governance. Their role, he explained, would be to separate the parties and prevent renewed clashes. He added that mediating states support assigning a monitoring role to any international force deployed as part of the ceasefire arrangement. A US-brokered ceasefire agreement went into effect on October 10, halting two years of war that was triggered by deadly Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and that has devastated the narrow coastal strip. Both sides have accused each other of ceasefire violations.

Foreign press group opposes further Gaza access delay
AFP/December 05, 2025
JERUSALEM: The Foreign Press Association in Jerusalem on Thursday said it “firmly opposed” another delay to the Israeli supreme court’s decision on its petition demanding independent access to the Gaza Strip. Since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023 following Palestinian militant group Hamas’s unprecedented attack, Israeli authorities have prevented foreign journalists from independently entering the devastated territory. Israel has instead allowed, on a case-by-case basis, a handful of reporters to accompany its troops into the Palestinian territory under Israeli blockade. On November 24, the supreme court granted the state a further 10 days to respond to the appeal, but on Thursday extended the deadline again to December 21, giving Israel time to present a plan on foreign media access to Gaza. “This is an urgent appeal. Continuously preventing coverage — every minute, every hour, every day — seriously undermines the ability of international media to carry out their mission, and infringes on the fundamental rights of billions of users,” the FPA said in a statement. The association said it was the ninth time the court agreed to grant an extension, and believed it was “clear that the state’s goal is to delay filing their preliminary response as much as possible.”The FPA represents hundreds of foreign journalists working for international news organizations in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Saudi Arabia, regional partners reject any move to displace Palestinians from Gaza
Arab News/December 05, 2025
RIYADH: The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkiye and Qatar on Friday expressed deep concern over Israeli statements about the opening of the Rafah crossing in one direction only, the Saudi Press Agency reported. In a joint statement, the ministers said it was a move that could facilitate the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip into Egypt. They firmly rejected any attempts to force Palestinians from their land, stressing the need for full adherence to the plan put forward by US President Donald Trump, which stipulated opening of the Rafah crossing in both directions and guaranteeing freedom of movement without coercion. The ministers emphasized that conditions must be created to allow Palestinians to remain on their land and take part in rebuilding their homeland, under a comprehensive framework aimed at restoring stability and addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They reiterated their appreciation for Trump’s commitment to regional peace and underscored the importance of implementing his plan in full and without obstruction. The statement also highlighted the urgent need for a sustained ceasefire, an end to civilian suffering, unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza, and the launch of early recovery and reconstruction efforts. The ministers further called for conditions that would enable the Palestinian Authority to resume its responsibilities in the enclave. The eight countries reaffirmed their readiness to continue coordinating with the US and international partners to ensure full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2803 and other relevant resolutions, in pursuit of a just and lasting peace based on international law and the two-state solution, including the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Ship in Bab al-Mandeb Strait attacked by suspected pirates: Officials
The Associated Press/December 05/2025
Officials say a ship traveling through the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait came under attack by suspected pirates. A ship traveling Friday through the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait came under attack by suspected pirates, officials said. The incident saw a ship chased by smaller vessels that opened fire on it, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. The private security firm Diaplous Group said the vessel twice came under attack and armed guards aboard it opened fire in response. It said the crew was safe and described the ship as a bulk carrier. The Bab el-Mandeb connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, separating the African continent from the Arabian Peninsula. The area had seen attacks by Yemen’s Houthis over the Israel-Hamas war, as well as a rise in piracy from Somalia as well. The Houthis have halted their attacks, however, as an uneasy ceasefire holds in the Gaza Strip.

Pakistan, Afghanistan exchange heavy fire along border, officials say
Reuters/December 06/2025
Pakistan and Afghanistan exchanged heavy fire along their border late on Friday, officials from both countries said, amid heightened tensions following failed peace talks earlier this week. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistani forces launched attacks in Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province. A spokesman for Pakistan’s Prime Minister accused Afghan forces of “unprovoked firing” along the Chaman border. “Pakistan remains fully alert and committed to ensuring its territorial integrity and the safety of our citizens,” spokesman Mosharraf Zaidi said in a statement. The exchange came two days after a new round of peace talks between the South Asian neighbors ended without a breakthrough, though both sides agreed to continue their fragile ceasefire. The talks in Saudi Arabia last weekend were the latest in a series of meetings hosted by Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia aimed at cooling tensions following deadly border clashes in October. At the heart of the dispute, Islamabad says Afghan-based militants have carried out recent attacks in Pakistan, including suicide bombings involving Afghan nationals. Kabul denies the charge, saying it cannot be held responsible for security inside Pakistan. Dozens were killed in October’s clashes, the worst violence on the border since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 2021.

Trump strategy document revives Monroe Doctrine, slams Europe
Reuters/December 06/2025
The US will reassert itself in the Western Hemisphere, build military strength in the Indo-Pacific, and possibly reassess its relationship with Europe, President Donald Trump said on Friday in a sweeping strategy document that seeks to reframe the country’s role in the world. The National Security Strategy, released overnight, described Trump’s vision as one of “flexible realism” and argued that the US should revive the 19th century Monroe Doctrine, which declared the Western Hemisphere to be Washington’s zone of influence. It also warned that Europe faces “civilizational erasure” and must change course.
The document is the latest - and clearest - expression of Trump’s desire to shake up the post-World War Two order led by the United States and built on a network of alliances and multilateral groups. “President Trump’s foreign policy is pragmatic without being ‘pragmatist,’ realistic without being ‘realist,’ principled without being “idealistic,” muscular without being ‘hawkish,’ and restrained without being ‘dovish,’” the 29-page document says.
“It is motivated above all by what works for America.”
The paper, which is released by every new administration and guides the work of many government agencies, said Trump would “restore American preeminence” in the Western Hemisphere. “This ‘Trump Corollary’ to the Monroe Doctrine is a common-sense and potent restoration of American power and priorities, consistent with American security interests,” the document says, suggesting that the large US military build-up in the region is not temporary. Since taking office in January, critics have said Trump’s rhetoric evokes modern-day imperialism in the Western Hemisphere. He spoke early on, in vague terms, of retaking the Panama Canal and annexing Greenland and Canada. More recently, the growing US military presence in the Caribbean and threats of land strikes in Venezuela and in other countries where drug cartels operate have added to regional concerns. The United States has sent more than 10,000 troops to the Caribbean, along with an aircraft carrier, warships and fighter jets. “The new National Security Strategy points out pretty clearly that we’re not going to go back to the way things were,” said Jason Marczak, a senior Latin America analyst with the Atlantic Council think-tank in Washington.
Europe risks ‘civilizational erasure’
In the document, the administration took a dour view of its traditional allies in Europe, warning that the continent faces “civilizational erasure” and must change course if it is to remain a reliable ally for the United States. The document is the latest in a series of statements by US officials that have upended postwar assumptions about Europe’s close relationship with its strongest ally, the United States. “Over the long term, it is more than plausible that within a few decades at the latest, certain NATO members will become majority non-European,” the document said. “As such, it is an open question whether they will view their place in the world, or their alliance with the United States, in the same way as those who signed the NATO charter.” Some European commentators said the document echoed talking points of far-right European political parties, which have grown to become the main opposition to governments in Germany, France and other traditional US allies. European politicians and officials have bridled at Washington’s tone but as they hurry to rebuild their neglected militaries to meet a perceived threat from Russia, they still rely heavily on US military support. The document said it was in the United States’ strategic interest to negotiate a quick resolution in Ukraine and to re-establish “strategic stability” with Russia. Trump has a history of making positive and admiring comments about Russian President Vladimir Putin that have long prompted criticism that he is “soft on Russia.”Reuters reported on Friday that Washington wants Europe to take over the majority of NATO’s conventional defense capabilities, from intelligence to missiles, a tight deadline that struck some European officials as unrealistic. The document also said Trump aims to deter conflict with China over Taiwan and the South China Sea by building up US and allies’ military power. “Deterring a conflict over Taiwan, ideally by preserving military overmatch, is a priority,” according to the document. The issue has been an irritant in US-China relations for years.

Putin offers India ‘uninterrupted’ oil in summit talks with Modi
AFP/December 05/2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he was ready to continue “uninterrupted shipments” of fuel to India, as New Delhi faces heavy US pressure to stop buying oil from Moscow. US President Donald Trump imposed punishing 50 percent tariffs on most Indian products in August, citing New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian oil - revenue Washington argues helps fund the war in Ukraine. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is hosting Putin at a summit in New Delhi dominated by energy, defence and trade talks, thanked the Russian leader for his “unwavering commitment toward India.”
Putin, on his first visit to close partner India since the Ukraine war, was given a red-carpet welcome with an honor guard and 21-gun salute. “Russia is a reliable supplier of oil, gas, coal, and everything that is required for the development of India’s energy,” Putin told Modi after talks. “We are ready to continue uninterrupted shipments of fuel for the fast-growing Indian economy,” he added, according to an official translator. Modi said that “energy security has been a strong and important pillar of the India-Russia partnership,” and while he referenced nuclear power, he made no specific reference to oil. India emerged as a major buyer of Russian oil after the start of the Ukraine war, providing Moscow with a crucial export market as Europe sharply reduced purchases. In 2024, Russia supplied nearly 36 percent of India’s total crude imports, around 1.8 million barrels of discounted oil per day. New Delhi has recently reduced Russian crude imports under pressure. Putin on Friday said he had shared with Modi “a great deal of details about the events taking place in Ukraine” and the efforts Moscow is taking “together with some partners, including the United States, on a possible peaceful settlement.” Modi said that “India has always advocated for peace in relation to Ukraine.”
‘Balancing acts’
India is walking a diplomatic tightrope - relying on strategic Russian oil imports while trying not to provoke Trump during ongoing tariff negotiations with Washington. “Balancing acts are second nature to Indian foreign policy making,” Pankaj Saran, a former Indian envoy to Russia, wrote in the Times of India on Friday. Modi addressed “my friend” Putin and praised New Delhi and Moscow’s longstanding ties. “We have agreed on an economic cooperation program until 2030,” Modi told Putin, after officials exchanged a raft of agreements spanning jobs, health, shipping and chemicals.“This will ensure that our trade and investment are diversified, balanced, and sustainable.”Bilateral trade reached $68.7 billion in 2024-25 - almost six times higher than the pre-pandemic levels - but Indian exports accounted for only $4.88 billion. “This visit is part of India’s diversification strategy, both in terms of strategic and economic, especially at a time when the US tariffs have hurt India,” Ashok Malik of business consultancy The Asia Group told AFP. India is one of the world’s top arms importers, and Russia has long been a principal supplier. But New Delhi has also sought alternative suppliers, as well as boosting domestic production - with the Russian share of India’s arms imports falling from 76 percent in 2009-13 to 36 percent in 2019-23, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Besides discussions around cutting-edge defense hardware, which includes air defense systems, fighter jets, and nuclear submarines, New Delhi will push for easier access to the wider Russian market. Putin ends his trip later on Friday after a state banquet.

Analysis: Trump’s Ukraine peace effort tests his unconventional diplomacy
Reuters/December 06/2025
The confusion still swirling in Washington over President Donald Trump’s latest peace plan for Ukraine has made at least one thing clear: The US president’s unconventional, all-in approach to diplomacy carries big risks - both domestic and geopolitical - as well as potential rewards. The Russia-friendly peace plan that emerged two weeks ago bore many of the hallmarks of Trumpian diplomacy visible in crises from Gaza and Iran to Venezuela. It came as a surprise, demanded painful concessions from the parties involved, set a short deadline and featured freelance diplomacy by officials willing to overlook the concerns of traditional policy experts and senior figures in Trump’s own Republican Party. Above all, Trump put himself in the middle, opining on social media and throwing his support behind the plan. That approach has yielded some successes, most notably a ceasefire in Gaza that eluded Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden. But so far, the unexpected plan to end the war in Ukraine - and revelations that Russian officials had a hand in its creation - has stirred harsh criticism from Republican lawmakers, exasperation from European allies and confusion inside the administration. And it carries political danger for Trump, said Republican strategist Alex Conant. The president’s political base has strongly backed him so far, but with worries rising about the US economy, voters could see him as deeply involved in overseas crises at the expense of concerns at home.
Political risks at home
Trump’s approval rating last month fell to 38 percent, its lowest point in his second term, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, reflecting cost-of-living concerns at home. He also has weathered criticism from ardent supporters, including one-time ally US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who criticized Trump for abandoning his America First agenda to focus on foreign policy matters. She subsequently announced her resignation last month. “He’s taking risks in the hopes of historic rewards. That’s classic Trump - Trump’s always been a risk taker,” said Conant, a former senior campaign adviser to Marco Rubio, who is now Trump’s top diplomat. But, Conant added: “The more involved he is, the more he owns it.”In response to a request for comment from the White House, a senior US official said Trump was able to deliver for Americans on economic issues as well as working to end wars. “It was a campaign promise to end these wars. He’s delivered on the Israel-Gaza war, which is something that is a tremendous accomplishment. A lot of people thought it couldn’t be done. The president did it,” the official said. A meeting in Moscow earlier this week involving Russian President Vladimir Putin, US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner produced no breakthroughs. Witkoff met with Ukraine’s senior negotiator on Thursday and they planned to meet again on Friday.
‘Overturning the table’
The latest Russia-Ukraine proposal was developed far from Washington and without the experts who have traditionally shaped US foreign policy. Witkoff and Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev largely forged the plan during an October meeting in Miami that included Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law. Axios’ November 18 report on the 28-point plan was the first the public, and many inside the Trump administration, knew of it. Witkoff, a New York real estate magnate and longtime friend of Trump, has taken a leading role in negotiating several major conflicts despite having little diplomatic expertise.
The senior US official said the Trump administration’s use of outsiders like Witkoff had proven successful with the Gaza deal, and said Washington foreign policy experts had a record of failure. The Gaza deal has brought a relative calm to the Palestinian enclave but has not resolved some crucial issues, such as the disarming of the militant group Hamas. The Ukraine peace plan, for its part, met push-back from European leaders, who were alarmed by its initial endorsement of Russian demands that Ukraine give up more territory, curb the size of its army, renounce joining NATO and be barred from hosting Western troops. Many in Europe see the danger as existential. They fear that ending the war on Moscow’s terms and canceling sanctions will give Moscow billions of dollars to reconstitute its military. Some US foreign policy experts say the traditional negotiating process, however, stifles decisive action and merely prolongs a war that has killed hundreds of thousands of soldiers and destabilized Europe. Veteran US diplomat Dan Fried said that, while allowing the Kremlin to set the parameters of the Ukraine negotiations could prove a major mistake, a workable deal could still emerge. “Sometimes throwing things up, overturning the table, can be useful,” said Fried, who worked in both Republican and Democratic administrations and is now at the Atlantic Council think-tank. “And Trump has got everybody now thinking about what a plan would look like.”
Friction and chaos
That disruptive style has introduced friction and some confusion into US foreign policy. Many senior officials inside the State Department and on the National Security Council were not briefed on the Russia-Ukraine plan until it was reported in the press, sources familiar with the plan said. The acting US ambassador to Kyiv, Julie Davis, who had only just learned about the plan herself, was instructed by the White House to brief Army Secretary Dan Driscoll on it shortly before his talks with Ukrainian officials, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Driscoll was in Kyiv for talks not focused on the peace plan but pivoted to presenting the plan to the Ukrainians, a US official said. The US Army referred questions about Driscoll’s efforts on Ukraine to the White House. The White House did not directly respond to questions about Driscoll’s meeting in Kyiv but the senior US official said the process of formulating the Ukraine plan was “not chaotic at all, it was quite seamless.” The plan was discussed by Witkoff, Rubio and Vice President JD Vance and then signed off on by Trump, the official said.
Emma Ashford, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center think-tank in Washington, said that with Ukraine experts sidelined, diplomacy initially focused on Ukraine’s rare earth minerals and the involvement of business deals that distract from the core dispute between Ukraine and Russia. “It’s taken them a very long time to get to the crux of some of these issues,” Ashford said, adding that the US approach had also left partners confused about which US official is presenting the true US position.

Syria’s growth accelerates as sanctions ease, refugees return
Reuters/December 06, 2025
NEW YORK: Syria’s economy is growing much faster than the World Bank’s 1 percent estimate for 2025 as refugees flow back after the end of a 14-year civil war, fueling plans for the relaunch of the country’s currency and efforts to build a new Middle East financial hub, central bank Governor AbdulKader Husrieh has said. Speaking via video link at a conference in New York, Husrieh also said he welcomed a deal with Visa to establish digital payment systems and added that the country is working with the International Monetary Fund to develop methods to accurately measure economic data to reflect the resurgence. The Syrian central bank chief, who is helping guide the war-torn country’s reintegration into the global economy after the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime about a year ago, described the repeal of many US sanctions against Syria as “a miracle.”The US Treasury on Nov. 10 announced a 180-day extension of the suspension of the so-called Caesar sanctions against Syria; lifting them entirely requires approval by the US Congress. Husrieh said that based on discussions with US lawmakers, he expects the sanctions to be repealed by the end of 2025, ending “the last episode of the sanctions.”“Once this happens, this will give comfort to our potential correspondent banks about dealing with Syria,” he said. Husrieh also said that Syria was working to revamp regulations aimed at combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism, which he said would provide further assurances to international lenders. Syria’s central bank has recently organized workshops with banks from the US, Turkiye, Jordan and Australia to discuss due diligence in reviewing transactions, he added. Husrieh said that Syria is preparing to launch a new currency in eight note denominations and confirmed plans to remove two zeroes from them in a bid to restore confidence in the battered pound. “The new currency will be a signal and symbol for this financial liberation,” Husrieh said. “We are glad that we are working with Visa and Mastercard,” Husrieh said.

Syria nears anniversary of Assad’s fall amid renewed ‘deeply troubling’ abuses, UN warns
Ephrem Kossaify/Arab News/December 05/2025
NEW YORK: Syria is days away from marking the first anniversary of the fall of President Bashar Assad’s regime, but the country’s interim authorities face mounting criticism over continuing abuses and a fragile security environment, the UN human rights chief said. In a statement on Friday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said early steps by the interim leadership, including the creation of national commissions for transitional justice and missing persons, and investigative bodies examining violence in coastal areas and in Suweida, were “encouraging but only the beginning” of a long process of accountability. Trials for suspects linked to last year’s coastal violence have begun, and a draft law on transitional justice has been announced. But Turk said the human rights situation remains deeply troubling. According to the UN, hundreds of people have been killed over the past year in summary executions, arbitrary killings, and abductions. Victims include members of minority communities and individuals accused of ties to the former government. Deaths were attributed to gunfire, stabbings, blunt-force attacks, shelling, hand grenades and explosive remnants of war. The UN said perpetrators include security forces under the interim authorities, armed groups aligned with them, remnants of the former government’s forces, local militias, and unidentified armed actors. Investigators also documented reports of sexual violence, arbitrary detention, looting, destruction of homes, forced evictions, and property confiscations, along with restrictions on free expression and peaceful assembly. Turk warned that rising hate speech, both online and on the streets, had intensified violence against Alawite, Druze, Christian, and Bedouin communities. The past year has also seen repeated Israeli military operations inside Syrian territory, including incursions and the occupation of additional areas. The UN said it had received reports of civilian casualties in a recent Israeli strike near Damascus, along with arrests and home searches carried out during military actions. Turk expressed concern that former armed groups have been integrated into new security forces without adequate human rights checks, raising the risk of repeat violations. “Proper vetting and comprehensive security sector reform are essential to prevent individuals responsible for serious abuses from entering the security forces,” he said. He urged Syria’s interim authorities to ensure independent and transparent investigations into all violations, past and present, and to hold those responsible to account. “Accountability, justice, peace, and the security of all Syrians are absolute prerequisites for a successful transition,” Turk said, adding that victims must have access to remedies and reparation. The UN Human Rights Office said its Damascus program is supporting efforts to advance inclusive transitional justice and strengthen the rule of law as Syria navigates a post-Assad transition.

Canada removes Syria from its list of foreign state supporters of terrorism
AFP/December 06, 2025
OTTAWA: The Canadian government said on Friday that it has removed Syria from its list of foreign state supporters of terrorism and removed Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, the group that spearheaded the rebel alliance that helped oust President Bashar Assad, from its list of terrorist entities. “These measures are in line with recent decisions taken by our allies, including the United Kingdom and the United States, and follows the efforts by the Syrian transitional government to advance Syria’s stability, build an inclusive and secure future for its citizens, and work alongside global partners to reinforce regional stability and counter terrorism,” the Canadian government said in a statement.

Al-Assad’s exiled spy chief, billionaire cousin plot Syrian uprisings from Russia: Report
Reuters/December 05/2025
Former loyalists to Bashar al-Assad who fled Syria after the dictator’s fall are funneling millions of dollars to tens of thousands of potential fighters, hoping to stir uprisings against the new government and reclaim some of their lost influence, a Reuters investigation has found. Al-Assad, who escaped to Russia last December, is largely resigned to exile in Moscow, say four people close to the family. But other senior figures from his inner circle, including his brother, have not come to terms with losing power. Two of the men once closest to al-Assad, Maj. Gen. Kamal Hassan and billionaire Rami Makhlouf, are competing to form militias in coastal Syria and Lebanon made up of members of their minority Alawite sect, long associated with al-Assad family, Reuters found. All told, the two men and other factions jostling for power are financing more than 50, 000 fighters in hope of winning their loyalty. Al-Assad’s brother, Maher, who is also in Moscow and still controls thousands of former soldiers, has yet to give money or orders, said the four people close to the Assads. One prize for Hassan and Makhlouf is control of a network of 14 underground command rooms built around coastal Syria toward the end of al-Assad’s rule, as well as weapons caches. Two officers and a Syrian regional governor confirmed the existence of these concealed rooms, details of which appear in photos seen by Reuters. Hassan, who was Bashar’s military intelligence chief, has been tirelessly making calls and sending voice messages to commanders and advisors. In them, he seethes about his lost influence and outlines grandiose visions of how he would rule coastal Syria, home to the majority of Syria’s Alawite population and al-Assad’s former powerbase. Makhlouf, a cousin of the Assads, once used his business empire to fund the dictator during the civil war, only to run afoul of his more powerful relatives and wind up under years of house arrest. He now portrays himself in conversations and messages as a messianic figure who will return to power after ushering in an apocalyptic final battle. Hassan and Makhlouf did not respond to requests for comment for this report. Bashar and Maher al-Assad couldn’t be reached. Reuters also sought comment from the Assad brothers through intermediaries, who didn’t reply. From their exiles in Moscow, Hassan and Makhlouf envision a fractured Syria, and each wants control of the Alawite-majority areas. Both have spent millions of dollars in competing efforts to build forces, Reuters found. To counter the plotters, Syria’s new government is deploying another former al-Assad loyalist – a childhood friend of new President Ahmed al-Sharaa who became a paramilitary leader for al-Assad and then switched sides mid-war after the dictator turned against him. The task of that man, Khaled al-Ahmad, is to persuade Alawite ex-soldiers and civilians that their future lies with the new Syria. “This is an extension of the Assad regime’s power struggle,” said Annsar Shahhoud, a researcher who studied the dictatorship for more than a decade. “This competition continues now, but instead of the goal being to please Assad, the focus is on finding his replacement and controlling the Alawite community.” Details of the scheming are based on interviews with 48 people with direct knowledge of the competing plans. All spoke on condition of anonymity. Reuters also reviewed financial records, operational documents, and exchanges of voice and text messages. The governor of the coastal region of Tartous, Ahmed al-Shami, said Syrian authorities are aware of the outlines of the plans and ready to combat them. He confirmed the existence of the command-room network as well, but said it has been weakened. “We are certain they cannot do anything effective, given their lack of strong tools on the ground and their weak capabilities,” al-Shami told Reuters in response to questions about the plotting. For now, the prospects of a successful uprising seem low. Chief plotters Hassan and Makhlouf are virulently at odds with one another. Their hopes are fading to win backing from Russia, once al-Assad’s most powerful political and military supporter. Many Alawites in Syria, who also suffered under al-Assad, mistrust the pair. And the new government is working to stymie their plans. In a brief statement in response to the Reuters findings, the government’s Alawite point man al-Ahmad said the “work of healing – of uprooting sectarian hatred and honoring the dead – remains the only path toward a Syria that can live with itself again.” Hassan claims control of 12,000 fighters, while Makhlouf claims control of at least 54,000, according to their factions’ internal documents. Commanders on the ground said fighters are paid a pittance and taking money from both sides. The exiles don’t appear to have mobilized any forces yet. Reuters could not confirm the fighter figures or determine specific action plans. Tartous governor Al-Shami said potential fighters numbered in the tens of thousands.

Around the world, refugees are shut out of the US by Trump’s new policies
AP/December 06, 2025
WASHINGTON: When President Donald Trump suspended the refugee program on day one of his current administration, thousands of people around the world who had been so close to a new life in America found themselves abandoned. Many had already sold possessions or ended leases in preparation for travel. They had submitted reams of documents supporting their cases, been interviewed by US officials and in many cases already had tickets to fly to America. As part of Trump’s crackdown on both legal and illegal migration, the Republican president has upended the decades-old refugee program that has served as a beacon for those fleeing war and persecution. In October, he resumed the program but set a historic low of refugee admissions at just 7,500 — mostly white South Africans. A litany of new restrictions was announced after an Afghan national became the suspect in the shooting of two National Guard members last week. The Trump administration also plans a review of refugees let in during the Democratic Biden administration. Trump’s administration has cited economic and national security concerns for its policy changes. About 600,000 people were being processed to come to the US as refugees around the world when the program was halted, according to the administration. Dozens of white South Africans have been let in this year. But only about 100 others have been admitted as a result of a lawsuit by advocates seeking to restart the refugee program, said Mevlüde Akay Alp, a lawyer arguing the case. “It’s important that we don’t abandon those families and that we don’t abandon the thousands of people who were relying on the promise of coming here as refugees,” said Akay Alp, with the International Refugee Assistance Project. The Associated Press spoke to three families whose lives have been thrown into disarray because of the changing policies.
A family separated by tightened restrictions
The Dawoods had waited years for the opportunity to come to the US After fleeing civil war in Syria, they settled in northern Iraq. They hoped to find a home that could provide better medical care for a daughter who had fallen from the fourth floor of the family’s apartment building. After they were accepted as refugees to the US, son Ibrahim and his sister Ava relocated to New Haven, Connecticut, in November 2024. His parents and one of his brothers were scheduled to fly in January. But just two days before they were to board their flight, mother Hayat Fatah fainted at a medical check and her departure was postponed. Mohammed, another sibling, didn’t want to leave his parents behind. “I said: ‘This is it. The chance is gone.’ But I had to stay with my father and mother,” Mohammed said. Nearly a year later, he and his parents are still waiting. Without a residency card, Mohammed can’t work or travel outside of their home in the city of Irbil. The family gets by on money sent from relatives abroad. Mohammed had dreams for his hoped-for new life in America: starting a business or finishing his studies to become a petroleum engineer; getting married and building a family. “Whether it was now, a year from now, two years later or four years, I will wait and hope that I will go,” he said. In America, Ibrahim often wakes up early to tutor people online before going to his job as a math teacher at a private school, and then he takes care of his sister when he gets home. He said his mother often cries when they talk because she wishes she were in America to help care for her daughter. Ibrahim said one solace has been the welcome he’s received in the US Volunteers have stepped in to take him and his sister to frequent doctor appointments and helped them adjust to their new lives. “I really appreciate the kindness of the people here,” he said. After a decade in limbo, a Chinese pastor wonders when his turn will come. Chinese Christian Lu Taizhi fled to Thailand more than a decade ago, fearing persecution for his beliefs. He’s lived in legal limbo since, waiting to be resettled in the United States.
Lu said he has long admired the US for what he calls its Christian character — a place where he feels he and his family “can seek freedom.” He said he was disappointed that people like him and his family who applied for refugee status legally face so many difficulties in going to the US. “I oppose illegal immigration. Many are fake refugees, or illegal immigrants, they’ve never faced oppression. I’m opposed to this,” Lu said. “But I hope America can accept people like us, real refugees who faced real oppression. … It’s really disappointing.”Lu comes from a long lineage of dissent: He was born into a family branded as “hostile elements” by the Chinese Communist Party for its land ownership and ties to a competing political party. A teacher and poet, Lu grew interested in history banned by the Chinese state, penning tributes to the bloody 1989 Tiananmen crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Beijing. In 2004, Lu was arrested after police found poems and essays he secretly published criticizing Chinese politics and the education system. After his release, Lu became a Christian and began preaching, drawing scrutiny from local authorities. Year after year, officers knocked on his door, warning him not to organize protests or publish commentary criticizing the Party. With Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s rise to power, controls tightened. When Beijing arrested hundreds of rights lawyers in 2015, Lu took his family and fled, worried police would come for him. After traveling across Southeast Asia, Lu and his family settled in Thailand, where they applied for refugee status with the United Nations. Eight years later, the UN notified Lu the US had accepted his application. But their first flight, in April 2024, was postponed because Lu’s sons’ passports had expired. A second, scheduled for Jan. 22, 2025, was canceled without explanation, and the most recent one, scheduled for Feb. 26, was canceled shortly after Trump’s inauguration. His application has been put on hold indefinitely, Lu said. Today, Lu is scraping a meager living as a teacher and pastor in Northern Thailand. He’s separated from his wife and children in Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, but says he has no choice if he wants to earn money and support his family. “I am very supportive of all of Trump’s policies because I think only President Trump can dismantle the CCP,” Lu said, using an acronym referring to the Chinese Communist Party. “So I don’t have any complaints. I just wait silently.”
‘I don’t want to lose her’
Louis arrived in the United States as a refugee in September 2024. He left his wife and two children in East Africa, hoping they could soon be reunited in the US
But that dream faded a few months later with Trump’s return to the presidency. Louis, who insisted on being identified only by his first name out of concern that speaking publicly could complicate his case, was told in January that a request he had made to bring his family to the US had been frozen due to changes in refugee policies. Now, the family members live thousands of miles apart without knowing when they will be reunited. His wife, Apolina, and the children, 2 and 3 years old, are in a refugee camp in Uganda. Louis is in Kentucky. “I don’t want to lose her, and she does not want to lose me,” said Louis, who resettled in Kentucky with the help of the International Rescue Committee. “The hope that I had went slowly down. I thought that we would never meet again,” he said referring to the moment when he received the notice. Louis and Apolina’s families applied for refugee status after fleeing war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Louis’ application, initiated by his parents, was approved, Apolina’s, made separately by her parents, was not. They hoped if Louis applied for family reunification in the US, that would ease the way to bring over Apolina and the two children. Apolina thought that, as the wife of a refugee, it would take her no more than one year to reunite with her husband, who now works in an appliance factory and has already applied for permanent residency. The separation hasn’t been easy for her and the children, who live in a tent in the refugee camp. The younger one, who was 7 months old when Louis left, cries every time he sees his father in a video call. The older one keeps asking where Louis is and when he will see him. Apolina fears that as time drags on, the children will forget their father. “I feel terrible because I miss my husband very much,” said Apolina in a phone interview from Uganda. “I pray for him that God enables him to be patient until we meet again.”

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 05-06/2025
Southern Transitional Council seizes key areas of Yemen’s Hadramawt Governorate from rival government forces
Bridget Toomey/ FDD's Long War Journal/December 05/2025
Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces captured the city of Seiyun and other important civilian and military sites in Hadramawt Valley on December 3 after limited clashes with Yemeni Army troops of the First Military Region. The First Military Region forces, which are aligned with the Internationally Recognized Government (IRG) and the Al Islah party, Yemen’s Muslim Brotherhood affiliate, had controlled this territory for years. The STC is also part of Yemen’s Internationally Recognized Government.
The STC offensive took place amidst escalating tensions in resource-rich Hadramawt, Yemen’s largest Governorate that stretches from the Gulf of Aden in the south to the border with Saudi Arabia in the north.
An array of distinct actors in Yemen control different segments of Hadramawt. While the STC and its partners have held sway over the southern, coastal portion of the governorate, their forces are now moving north and “aiming at controlling all of Hadhramawt,” an anonymous STC official told The National.
The STC has named this operation “Promising Future” and declared its intent to “restore stability to the [Hadramawt] Valley, end the state of security breakdown, and halt the exploitation of the region by forces alien to the Valley and governorate.” The STC’s mobilization began at the end of November to counter activity by Sheikh Amr Bin Habreish, a tribal leader whom the STC describes as a rebel.
Bin Habreish leads the Hadramawt Tribal Alliance and its related Hadramawt Protection Forces (HPF). On November 29, he deployed his troops in and around PetroMasila oil infrastructure, Yemen’s largest oil company, which halted production on December 2 due to the escalation. Bin Habreish stated that this military movement was done “to enhance security there and to defend national resources from any potential aggression or the external interference.” In a statement on December 1, he described the steps taken by the HPF as “self-defense according to the available capabilities.”
The STC claims that, “over the past years, areas of the Valley have been transformed into a platform for smuggling operations benefiting the terrorist Houthi militias and into hotbeds for the activities of extremist organisations such as ISIS and al-Qaeda, which has led to the continued bloodshed of the people of the South and the targeting of our brothers in the Arab Coalition forces. Given this reality, we state unequivocally that the South will never be a corridor for threatening regional security, a haven for terrorism or a logistical lifeline for the terrorist Houthi militias.”
According to Yemeni media reports, a Saudi delegation arrived in Hadramawt on December 3 to de-escalate the situation.
“We came to affirm our support for the local authority in Hadhramaut and to renew our support for legitimacy in Yemen, and to support all those who seek to enhance the stability of Yemen and Hadhramaut in particular,” said Major General Dr. Muhammad al Qahtani, the head of the Saudi delegation. The Saudi representatives reportedly demanded the withdrawal of forces that entered Hadramawt. Saudi Arabia supports many of the tribes and government forces in Hadramawt that the STC opposes.
The STC, though also part of Yemen’s IRG, argues for southern secession and, at times, clashes with other government forces. Some segments of society in Hadramawt advocate for Hadramawt’s autonomy, though the governorate was part of the former state of South Yemen, also known as the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen, until the country’s unification in 1990.
**Bridget Toomey is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focusing on Iranian proxies, specifically Iraqi militias and the Houthis.
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2025/12/southern-transitional-council-seizes-key-areas-of-yemens-hadramawt-governorate-from-rival-government-forces.php
Read in FDD's Long War Journal

Iran’s Oil Exports Remained Near Peak in November
Saeed Ghasseminejad/FDD- Policy Brie/December 05, 2025
Although Iran’s oil exports dipped slightly from their October high of 2.15 million barrels per day (mbpd), its exports in November remained robust at 2.06 mbpd, for a total of 61.8 million barrels, according to TankerTrackers, the oil trade monitoring platform. This volume highlights the continued challenges the Trump administration faces in cutting Tehran’s key financial lifeline while the clerical regime is rebuilding its military and the capacity of its foreign proxy forces.
All Iranian Crude Went to China in November
As in October, crude oil constituted the core of export flows, accounting for 1.83 mbpd (89.1 percent) of the total, all of which went to China. This was supplemented by fuel oil at 207.4 thousand barrels per day (kbpd) (10.1 percent) and condensate at 17.7 kbpd (0.9 percent).
Priced at an estimated 5-10 percent discount to Brent, November crude oil exports likely generated between $3.2 billion and $3.4 billion in gross revenue, lower than Tehran’s revenue from crude oil exports in October, which was between $3.5 billion and $3.7 billion.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) remained the second-largest destination for Iranian oil exports, receiving 5.9 percent (120.5 kbpd). After importing no Iranian oil in October, Malaysia resumed purchases and accounted for 1.5 percent (30.1 kbpd). The remaining 1.7 percent of Iranian exports (35.7 kbpd) was shipped but has not yet arrived at its destination, which remains unknown.
Ports and Logistics
In November, Iran exported all of its crude oil from Kharg Island, underscoring the unique role it plays in the country’s export operation. Ports in Mahshahr and Bandar Abbas ranked second and third, exclusively exporting condensate and fuel oil. A total of 51 vessels flying the flags of 16 countries carried Iran’s exports. Ships of the Ultra Large/ Very Large Crude Tanker class made 70 percent of those exports.
Weaknesses of Current Sanctions
Iran’s illicit fleet continues to operate with relative impunity. Of the 51 vessels tracked carrying Iranian oil in November, the United States has sanctioned 38, yet they continue to travel freely. Far worse, the European Union has only sanctioned three of these tankers, and only two are on the UK sanctions list. This clearly demonstrates a substantial enforcement gap: a quarter of the shadow fleet engaged in the trade remains sanction free, while even designated vessels encounter very few physical barriers to their operations.
To exert effective pressure on Iran, the United States should mobilize its allies and partners such as the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia, Japan, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Korea to designate these tankers. This requires active diplomacy from top U.S. officials, such as John Hurley, the undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, who visited Israel, Lebanon, the UAE, and Turkey in November to strengthen the maximum pressure campaign on Iran.
Treasury Actions in November
In November, the Treasury introduced two packages of designations against Iran, one focused on Iran’s energy industry and the other targeted Iran’s UAV and missile procurement network. On November 20, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced new sanctions targeting a network of front companies, shipping facilitators, and vessels that finance the Iranian armed forces through illicit oil sales. The action designated multiple entities and vessels across the UAE, Panama, and other jurisdictions for transporting Iranian petroleum products and obfuscating their origins.
By any measure, the regime in Tehran has been very successful in exporting its oil, despite the Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s February declaration that the U.S. would cut Iran’s oil exports to 100,000 barrels per day. Iran’s oil exports provide Tehran with the funds to engage in terrorism abroad and oppression at home while resisting the pressure by the U.S. and its allies to curb its illicit nuclear program and other hostile activities.
**Saeed Ghasseminejad is a senior Iran and financial economics advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from the author and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Saeed on X @SGhasseminejad. Follow FDD on X @FDD and @FDD_Iran. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on foreign policy and national security.

How the Trump Administration Secured the Gaza Ceasefire Deal That Biden Couldn’t
Seth J. Frantzman/ National Security Journal/December 05/2025
https://nationalsecurityjournal.org/how-the-trump-administration-secured-the-gaza-ceasefire-deal-that-biden-couldnt/
Key Points: U.S. Central Command has successfully expanded its Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in Israel to include 50 partner nations aimed at stabilizing Gaza.
-The Hub: Located in Kiryat Gat, the CMCC coordinates daily aid convoys and engineering operations without deploying U.S. troops on the ground.
-The Deal: Brokered by the Trump administration with unlikely support from Turkey and Qatar, the initiative bridges deep geopolitical divides that previously stalled peace efforts.
-The Risk: Despite facilitating 24,000 aid trucks, the continued lack of a committed international stabilization force and ongoing ceasefire violations threaten to undo this progress.
50 Nations Just Joined a U.S. Coordination Center to Save Gaza
U.S. Central Command stated on Nov. 28 that its “Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) has grown to include representatives from 50 partner nations and international organizations.”
This is a major milestone for the center, which opened on Oct. 17. Central Command rushed resources to Israel in the days after a ceasefire deal was agreed in Sinai on Oct. 8. The Americans outfitted a facility in Kiryat Gat, a town in Israel’s south, to enable coordination among countries and groups involved in Gaza.
Overseeing Coordination
The facility is located in a large warehouse and includes a massive open workspace where various working groups focus on tasks in Gaza, including the coordination of hundreds of trucks crossing into Gaza daily to supply humanitarian aid, as well as engineering operations such as clearing rubble on roads. U.S. boots are not on the ground; rather, the goal is to coordinate with partners who have experience in Gaza.
The CMCC is an important example of Washington’s commitment to keeping the ceasefire in Gaza while figuring out how to fulfill the deal that President Donald Trump proposed in September. That agreement came to fruition in October with support from U.S. allies such as Turkey and Qatar.
The White House was able to rally support behind the deal despite deep disagreements among the countries involved. For instance, Turkey and Qatar were major critics of Israel’s war. Other countries, such as Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, were critics but tended to be more moderate in their approach.
Where the Biden administration was unable to thread this needle, the Trump administration succeeded in molding the ceasefire and getting a U.S. resolution to back the deal.
What I Saw at the CMCC
I visited the CMCC in mid-November. Work proceeds around the clock, and developments in Gaza are monitored in real time. The center is serving its purpose, although there are still daily ceasefire violations that could upend the deal.
The challenges being faced are considerable. Much of Gaza lies in ruins from two years of war. Gaza-based health authorities, who are linked to Hamas, say more than 70,000 people have been killed since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The Israel Defense Forces continue to control half of Gaza, an area called the Yellow Line, while it appears Hamas controls the other half. The ceasefire deal is supposed to proceed through stages during which Hamas will be disarmed and a new governing authority will appear.
Holding the Ceasefire
The stabilization force envisioned for Gaza continues to face hurdles. Countries need to commit forces but seem reluctant to step forward. Israel is also suspicious of some of the countries that might like to contribute, such as Turkey. Ankara has been sympathetic to Hamas in recent years, even hosting Hamas leaders for meetings.
Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, said on Nov. 28 that “this is a historic opportunity to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East…We appreciate the efforts of our international partners. Successful implementation of the peace plan requires unprecedented collaboration, and we are making progress.”
There is a lot of work to be done as everyone awaits the stabilization force. For instance, a fiber-optic cable was recently restored.
“The coordination center also facilitated the movement of more than 24,000 trucks worth of humanitarian aid and commercial goods into Gaza the past five weeks, while working to open additional routes for delivering and distributing needed goods and aid,” Central Command stated.
Hamas still must hand over two deceased hostages whose remains are held in Gaza. Hamas released 20 living hostages on Oct. 13 as part of the deal and has handed over 26 deceased hostages in six weeks. Hamas members are reportedly hiding in tunnels in Rafah, in southern Gaza.
The IDF said it eliminated a Hamas commander on Nov. 30. In short, the last embers of the war continue to smolder, but the fact that 50 countries and organizations have signed on to work with the CMCC provides incentive to hold the ceasefire.
Waiting Game
The White House will need to find a way to get a stabilization force to deploy, even if its tactical footprint is small. There are Israeli-backed militias operating in small numbers in Gaza, and the training of police there is another issue. Reports indicate that Egypt is undertaking that task, and the European Union is also prepared to play a role—the EU has trained police in the West Bank who work with the Palestinian Authority.
Israel has opposed allowing the Palestinian Authority to play a role in Gaza, leaving a vacuum that Hamas has tended to fill in the past. It’s possible that a reformed Palestinian Authority could play a role, but this is another thorny issue that would need to be worked out. What comes next at the CMCC appears to be a reduction of U.S. military personnel and a move toward greater civilian participation in work linked to Gaza. The question will be whether the CMCC or other initiatives can begin to work toward reconstruction. Meanwhile, everyone waits for the forces that might play a role in governance and security.
About the Author: Seth Frantzman
**Seth Frantzman is the author of The October 7 War: Israel’s Battle for Security in Gaza (2024) and an adjunct fellow at The Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He is a Senior Middle East Analyst for The Jerusalem Post. Seth is now a National Security Journal Contributing Editor.

Preventing Violence in Southern Syria Depends on Damascus and Jerusalem Reaching an Agreement
Ahmad Sharawi/FDD- Policy Brief/December 05/2025
https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2025/12/04/preventing-violence-in-southern-syria-depends-on-damascus-and-jerusalem-reaching-an-agreement/
“Israel must maintain a strong and true dialogue with Syria,” President Donald Trump said on December 1, amid rising tensions between the two countries. On November 27, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched an operation in the southern Syrian village of Beit Jinn “to apprehend suspects from the [Jamaa] Islamiya terrorist organization,” which is the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Six IDF soldiers were wounded, and 13 Syrians were killed. A day before, Israel’s public broadcaster KAN reported that Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the Gaza-based terror organization, has been “increasingly strengthening its military wing in Syria in recent weeks.”Trump has urged Israel to pause its operations in Syria to allow the Damascus to evolve into a “prosperous State.” Officials from both sides have confirmed their interest in reaching an arrangement that could stabilize southern Syria and address Israel’s concerns about the new government in Damascus. However, progress on the agreement, which has been in negotiations since June, has stalled.
Israel and Syria Face Multiple Stumbling Blocks to a Deal
Over the past year, Israeli units deployed in Quneitra Province, adjacent to the Israeli Golan Heights, and have carried out several raids and incursions to seize weapons and prevent potential threats to the Golan. Israel expects that the new Syrian government will establish a “demilitarized buffer zone from Damascus to … the summit of Mount Hermon” that would be free of any heavy weaponry or Syrian military personnel. The two sides are separated by Syria’s demand that Israel withdraw from all the territory it has occupied since the fall of the Assad regime. KAN news had reported that “Israel will withdraw from some of these points only in exchange for a full peace agreement with Syria.”
Syrian Druze Under Multiple Threats
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said that safeguarding the Druze community in Syria is a top priority for Israel. In July, Israel intervened militarily in support of the minority group when Syrian government forces — alongside Arab Sunni Bedouin tribes — entered the Suwayda Province. More than 1,000 people were killed, most of whom were Druze. Since then, the province has resisted state control and is now patrolled by local militias. Tensions between Druze factions have also intensified over the past few days. On November 29, members of Suwayda’s National Guard, a militia affiliated with Druze spiritual leader Hikmat al-Hijri that describes itself as the “official military institution that represents the Druze,” carried out a series of arrests of Hijri’s opponents. The militiamen later killed two of those arrested. The internal chaos in Suwayda has also led Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of Israel’s Druze community, and the person spearheading Israel’s support for them, to issue a warning to al-Hijri to de-escalate the conflict.
Mutual Security Concerns Present an Opportunity for a Deal
The power vacuum in southern Syria poses a direct threat to both the government in Damascus and Israel’s security. The region still hosts remnants of Iran-backed proxies. Additionally, with a limited state security presence in many of the villages, smugglers have reopened weapons and drug trafficking corridors. Captagon, a highly addictive amphetamine, continues to move from southern Syria into Jordan. Recently, the IDF arrested a weapons smuggling cell composed of Syrian Druze and several IDF soldiers who were transporting arms from Syria to criminal networks in northern Israel.
U.S. Well-Positioned to Bring Israel and Syria Together
The United States should prioritize pushing both countries to agree on a security framework that can serve as the basis for trust-building and future negotiations. Washington should also press Damascus to establish a coordination mechanism with Jerusalem to address security threats emerging from southern Syria. At the same time, the United States must ensure that the Syrian government does not permit Palestinian terror organizations to reconstitute themselves or rebuild their military capabilities on Syrian territory.
**Ahmad Sharawi is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Ahmad and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Ahmad on X @AhmadA_Sharawi. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.

Golan vote signals failure of Israel’s Syria policy
Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib/Arab News/December 05/2025
On Dec. 3, 2025, 123 countries at the UN reaffirmed their support for Syria and Syrian sovereignty over the Golan Heights. The resolution sponsored by Egypt requires Israel to return to the June 4, 1967, line and affirms the illegality of the forced land grab, settlement activities, and other hostile activities in the occupied Golan Heights. This is a double slap for Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — more correctly, a triple slap. The first slap is the fact that US recognition of the Golan Heights as part of Israel in March 2019 did not really allow Israel to have an international legitimate claim to this strategic area. The second slap is that the Israeli policy of creating a new status quo and forcing the world to deal with it is also failing. The third slap is the fact that Israel will not realize its dream and ambition of greater Israel. The world will not allow it. We must take into consideration that the number of those who support Syrian sovereignty over the Golan Heights increased from 97 last year to 123 this year. This means that 26 countries changed their mind and supported Syria. This is either because US pressure is not as effective as it was before or because Washington is fed up with Israel and is not pressuring other states as before. President Donald Trump has warned Netanyahu not to interfere in Syria and is hoping for a long and prosperous relationship between the neighbors. Any analyst can sense American fatigue with Israel. The US administration is obviously losing patience with Netanyahu and his racist and stubborn government. Trump is committed to peace or at least achieving some sort of stability or sustainable arrangement in the region. He realizes that the only stumbling block to his grand plan is Netanyahu.
Any analyst can sense US fatigue with Israel
The international community is not humoring Israel as before. Israel, since its creation, has had a clear strategy. It takes land by force through military means, creates a new status quo, then forces the international community to adopt it as the benchmark. Palestine was partitioned in 1947. The Arab state of Palestine was 42 percent of the total overall area of historic Palestine while 55 percent was granted to the state of Israel. However, after the 1967 war Israel imposed a new reality. Since then, all the resolutions, including the Arab peace initiative of 2000, have had to adapt to the new reality on the ground. They all asked Israel to return to the armistice line, which includes areas Israel won by force in the 1948 war. No resolution today asks Israel to go back to the original borders set by the UN partition of Palestine in 1947. However, obviously this trend has reached an end. The new resolution showed it. Israel no longer can grab land by force and coerce the world into dealing with it. The third issue is the dream of greater Israel. Netanyahu spoke about coming closer to this vision. Throughout its history, every war for Israel has been an occasion to increase its area. Well, not this time. Trump, despite promising one of his biggest donors, Miriam Adelson, that he would allow Israel to annex the West Bank, has strongly pushed back against that. His vice president JD Vance said he was offended when the Knesset voted for annexation of the West Bank while he was visiting Israel. No one, not even Trump — the best friend Israel ever had, according to Netanyahu — is accepting the project of greater Israel. Regional states, Western countries including the US, and the international community know that greater Israel means great trouble for everyone. It means a dose of grievances that will probably fuel a new wave of terrorism. It means a new wave of refugees that will destabilize neighboring countries and lead to social upheaval in European nations.Syria affirmed that entering technical and security negotiations with Israel does not mean normalization or that it will relinquish its rights over the Golan Heights. Israel is in a tough spot and will have to withdraw and go back to the disengagement agreement of 1974. This means that its entire adventure in Syria has been useless. It did not gain any benefit and will have to withdraw for free.
Israel is in a tough spot and will have to withdraw
Israeli forces faced resistance during their incursion in Beit Jinn. Six soldiers were wounded. Hence their presence in Syria will be costly. The freedom of operation they were aiming for will not be as low cost as they expect it to be. The world is more concerned with making the new Syria successful rather than catering to the whims of Netanyahu. The other issue is the failure of Israel’s plan to nurture a secessionist movement inside Syria. Hikmat Al-Hajri, Israel’s main ally in Suwayda, is facing internal resistance from other Druze factions in the governate. It is unlikely that Israel will be able to repeat in Sweida the experience of the pro-Israel militia of Saad Hadad and, later, of Antoine Lahad that operated in southern Lebanon. Israel will have to withdraw. It is asking for a demilitarized zone. However, if the area is demilitarized, it means that it is another playing field for non-state actors. If the Syrian army is not on the borders with Israel, who can make sure that militant groups will not operate there? In a nutshell, Israel is facing more pushback against its incursion in Syria. Trump’s statement and the latest UN resolution are the biggest proof of the failure of Israel’s Syria policy.
**Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on lobbying. She is co-founder of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace Building, a Lebanese nongovernmental organization focused on Track II.

Egypt confronts Israel’s ‘one-way exit’ plan for Rafah
Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy/Arab News/December 05, 2025
Since Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories announced that the Rafah crossing would be opened “in the coming days exclusively for the exit of Gaza residents into Egypt,” a political and legal confrontation has erupted between Cairo and Tel Aviv. The dispute goes far beyond a technical disagreement over how to operate a border crossing; it has become a battle over the meaning of the international ceasefire agreement — and over the essence of the Palestinian question itself. Is the goal to alleviate the suffering of Gaza’s population, or to depopulate Gaza?
Two sharply conflicting narratives frame the debate over Rafah.  The Israeli narrative is blunt and unapologetic: a unilateral, one-way opening that enables Gazans to leave for Egypt under the pretext of offering them “a chance to depart.” Israeli officials even declared: “If the Egyptians do not want to receive them, that is their problem.” Through this logic, Israel tries to shift the moral and political burden onto Cairo: Either you open your territory for Palestinians to leave, or you are accused of blocking their “escape.” Egypt’s position, by contrast, has been unequivocal: no displacement from Gaza, neither mass nor disguised, and no opening of the crossing except in both directions, for entry and exit, as stipulated in President Donald Trump’s plan and the UN Security Council’s ceasefire resolution.
Two conflicting narratives frame the debate.
Egyptian officials firmly denied any coordination to open Rafah solely for outbound movement, stressing that any future arrangement “must allow movement in both directions.” Egypt, they said, will continue receiving the wounded, the injured, and humanitarian cases, and will allow those already inside Egypt to return to Gaza, but it will not serve as an open gateway for population transfer. Egyptian and Palestinian interpretation of the Israeli proposal is clear; a one-way opening is not a humanitarian measure but a “trap of displacement.” Palestinian officials described the idea as an attempt to forcibly push Palestinians out and prevent their return, affirming that “the Palestinian Authority and Egypt will not permit such a plan to pass.” In this sense, “exit” ceases to be a protected humanitarian right and becomes the first step in a pathway of “departure with no return,” a re-engineered version of the Nakba, facilitated by unbearable humanitarian pressure and a single “safe exit” toward Sinai. It is displacement masked as compassion. Thus, Palestinians and Egyptians hold to a different equation which is: humanitarian corridors, yes; demographic removal, no.
Opening Rafah to receive the wounded, deliver aid, and allow temporary departures is legitimate and necessary. But turning it into a one-direction demographic outlet is an Egyptian, Palestinian, and Arab red line. A striking irony is that Egypt grounds its stance in the very documents Israel cites. The Trump plan, which forms the framework of the current ceasefire, clearly prohibits forcing Palestinians to leave their land, including Gaza’s population. It also stipulates that Rafah must operate in both directions under agreed arrangements, not through unilateral Israeli decision. Egyptian officials publicly reminded Israel that Article 12 of the plan does not permit opening the crossing from one side only. Any attempt to impose a “no-return exit” would, therefore, violate both the letter and spirit of the agreement.
Cairo is effectively wielding the Trump plan as a legal and political shield against Israeli maneuvring. If Israel values the agreement, it must honor it fully, not selectively.
When an Israeli official claims: “If Egypt refuses to receive Gaza’s residents, that is its problem,” this is not a casual remark. It is a deliberate attempt to reshape the narrative: Israel appears as the party “opening the door,” while Egypt appears as the party “blocking salvation.” Egypt, however, sees a very different reality. It believes Tel Aviv is evading its obligations: opening its own crossings, admitting humanitarian aid, and facilitating the gradual restoration of life inside Gaza.
Israel is shifting the burden onto Cairo, hoping to make the Egypt–Gaza border the center of the crisis instead of Israeli occupation and its policies. It is also advancing a discourse that “Gaza is uninhabitable,” and that the “natural solution” is for Palestinians to leave, rather than ending the occupation and rebuilding the territory. Thus, Egyptian officials repeatedly emphasize: Gaza’s problem is not a “border-crossing dilemma,” but a crisis of occupation and aggression.
Any real solution must begin with Israel honoring the ceasefire, opening all crossings in both directions, and halting its policy of collective punishment.
Egypt’s rejection of a one-way opening is not only a matter of solidarity with Palestinians, but also an act of national self-protection. Sinai’s recent history has shown that sudden, unregulated demographic shifts carry profound security, social, and economic risks.
The mass displacement of hundreds of thousands, or more, from Gaza into Egypt would transform the Palestinian cause from a struggle over land into a refugee crisis inside a neighboring state, placing immense burdens on Egypt and reviving scenarios Cairo has long warned against: the liquidation of the Palestinian cause at Sinai’s expense. Internationally, Egypt draws on a foundational principle of international law, the prohibition of forced displacement, whether carried out by violence or by creating conditions that make remaining impossible.
This is displacement masked as compassion.  By insisting that Rafah must only open in both directions and as part of an integrated ceasefire and reconstruction framework, Egypt is reminding the world that the solution lies not in removing Palestinians from their land but in enabling them to live on it.
The Rafah dispute is, therefore, not a technical dispute over border logistics, but a profound political confrontation: Should Gaza remain part of the Palestinian map, or should it be gradually emptied of its people under humanitarian pretexts?
For Egypt, any scheme that institutionalizes a “one-way opening” is a step toward disguised displacement, regardless of the humanitarian language used to frame it. For Israel, keeping the option alive maintains pressure on Cairo and offers Tel Aviv a bargaining chip in future negotiations. Between these two visions, Cairo continues to articulate its principles clearly: no displacement, no shifting of responsibility onto Arab states, and no partial arrangements that rescue the occupation from its core obligations, ending aggression and fully implementing UN Security Council resolutions.
Rafah is not just a border crossing. It is a symbol in the struggle over meaning itself: Does the Palestinian pass through it on his way to a hospital, then return home, or on his way to a permanent exile? Egypt’s answer, so far, has been unambiguous: A humanitarian gateway, yes. A new Nakba, no.
**Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy has covered conflicts worldwide. X: @ALMenawy

Selected Face Book & X tweets for /December 05, 2025
U.S. Embassy Beirut
Ambassador Michel Issa was honored to join Lebanon in welcoming His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. His visit is a recognition of Lebanon’s rich history, vibrant culture, and the enduring spirit of its people. We join the Pope in working toward coexistence and peace in the region.

Nadim Boustani
We stand in solidarity with lawyer Antoine Saad. Being prosecuted for his political views, no matter how radical they might seem, amounts to persecution and a denial of basic freedoms. This cannot be squared with the rule of law. It is high time to uphold the right to challenge the ‘policies of those in power’ ; and to distinguish that from the duty to respect ‘political authorities’.


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