English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For December 10/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
God says to Pharaoh, I have raised you up
for the very purpose of showing my power in you, so that my name may be
proclaimed in all the earth.
Letter to the Romans 09/14-18/:"What then are we to say? Is there
injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy
on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’So
it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who shows mercy. For the
scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘I have raised you up for the very purpose of showing
my power in you, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.’So then he
has mercy on whomsoever he chooses, and he hardens the heart of whomsoever he
chooses."
Titles For The
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on
December 09-10/2025
Text & video/A/E/The Dresses of the Wives of Our Political Parties’
Owners, Officials, and Rulers: A Thousand Mercies and Blessings upon Marie
Antoinette and the Biscuits/Elias Bejjani/December 09/2025
Border activity: US Ambassador tours Israel-Lebanon border and Gaza frontlines
Tensions flare across Lebanon: Multiple Lebanese regions mark Assad's fall
anniversary
Israel army says struck Hezbollah sites in Lebanon
Aoun seeks to meet Saudi and Emirati leaders in bid to avert war, report says
Lebanon and Oman highlight deep ties as presidents discuss expanded cooperation
New Political, Military Reality in Lebanon a Year after Assad’s Ouster
As tensions flare on Israel-Lebanon border, war-torn communities struggle to
rebuild
Israeli forces enter southern towns of Khiam, Odaisseh, and Aita al-Shaab
Israel strikes target Iqlim al-Tuffah in south Lebanon
Lebanese Army support conference: France presses Lebanon to accelerate security
measures
US has still not agreed to Aoun and Haykal's visit, report says
Report: Iran agrees to handover of Hezbollah's weapons
Le Drian meets Berri, Haykal and Jumblat
Clashes and counter-demos in Lebanon as Sharaa supporters celebrate Assad’s fall
New Political, Military Reality in Lebanon a Year after Assad’s Ouster
Lebanon and Iraq… and Israel’s Rise/Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al-Awsat/December
09/2025
Israeli operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah: December 1–7, 2025/David Daoud/FDD's
Long War Journal/December 8, 2025
Lebanon… from a free nation to a cheap replica of the Iranian mullah regime – a
shackled president in Baabda and a Supreme Guide in the Southern Suburb/Chebl
Zoghbi/December 09/2025
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on
December 09-10/2025
Florida declares Muslim Brotherhood, Muslim civil rights group terrorist
organizations
Israeli fire wounds three people in southern Syria
Hamas official says no Gaza truce second phase while Israel ‘continues
violations’
Israel to reopen crossing with Jordan to Gaza aid trucks Wednesday: Israeli
official
Netanyahu to meet Trump on December 29
Trump's Gaza ceasefire plan faces pitfalls as it moves into new phase
Israel killed highest number of journalists again this year — media freedom
group
Saudi Arabia, Iran affirm commitment to implementing Beijing Agreement
Assad’s ‘Trap’: A Night That Shook Tehran’s Allies in Baghdad
Soleimani warned Al-Assad about ‘spy’ Luna Al-Shibl: Al-Majalla
A surge in returns, a crisis unresolved: The uncertain path home for Syrians
Israel to reopen crossing with Jordan to Gaza aid trucks Wednesday
Trump eyes anti-drug operations in Mexico, Colombia as Venezuela looms -Politico
Israeli army takes journalists into a tunnel in a Gaza city it seized and
largely flattened
Iran halts execution of woman married as a child after victim’s family
‘forgives’ her
Zelensky meets pope, prepares revised plan on Russia war
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on
December 09-10/2025
Pope
Leo’s message of interfaith dialogue and peace/Yossi Mekelberg/Arab
News/December 09, 2025
Trump, Al-Sharaa and the future of Syria/Robert Ford/Al Majalla./December 09,
2025
Why Turkey and Qatar Should Be Kept Away From Gaza/Khaled Abu Toameh/ Gatestone
Institute/December 09/2025
From evil to upheaval: How the 'axis' metaphor shaped modern geopolitics/Andrew
Latham, Professor of Political Science, Macalester College/Associated
Press/December 09, 2025
One year after Assad: Syria begins to rewrite its story/Ibrahim Hamidi/Al
Arabiya English/December 09/2025
Christians in the New Syria: Accepted, But At-Risk/Aaron Y. Zelin/The Washington
Institute/December 09/2025
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on
December 09-10/2025
Text &
video/A/E/The Dresses of the Wives of Our Political Parties’ Owners, Officials,
and Rulers: A Thousand Mercies and Blessings upon Marie Antoinette and the
Biscuits
Elias Bejjani/December 09/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/12/149240/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj1nNxZX044
Anyone observing from outside
Lebanon the debauchery in the lifestyle of the Rulers of the Nation of the
Cedars, the owners of the so-called Political Parties’ companies, the
extravagance of many of the Clergy, and all those surrounding them—their wives,
relatives, consultants, sycophants, flocks, and idol worshippers—will, for a
million certainties, curse and disbelieve the hour they all reached positions of
responsibility.
Meanwhile, if you want to know people’s true mettle, the depth of their
humanity, their values, and their morals, give them money, power, and abundance…
either they walk through the Wide Gates and cling to their uncle Lucifer, the
Head of the Devils, or they walk through the Narrow Gates, extend their hands to
the people, and dedicate their lives to serving them.
And it is in this context—the context of the Wide and Narrow Gates—the choice
between good and evil—let us remember some of the wise proverbs of our villages:
“Woe to you from a poor man who gets rich and has no faith… he starts to rage
and cannot be calmed.”
“Woe to a people whose rulers have sold their conscience, are wicked and
shameless… and whose wives—a thousand mercies on Marie Antoinette of the
biscuits—live in total alienation from their people and their suffering.”
“Tell me what your wife wears, O owner of the Political Party, the ruler, and
the cleric, so I can tell you who you are, and if we can trust you and hand over
our lives and the country to you.”
“Show me who you have gathered around you, O ruler, official, cleric, and owner
of the Political Party, so I may know if your mettle is good or rotten.”
Today in Lebanon, the holy land of holiness and the saints, there is something
fundamentally wrong with everything connected to the officials, the rulers, the
owners of the Political Parties, and many of the people of robes and caps
(Clergy).
Lebanon’s current status today greatly resembles the miserable and evil status
of Sodom and Gomorrah, the days of Noah and the Flood, and the time of Nimrod.
The question, which definitely has no human answer, is: Has the Almighty God’s
wrath, directed at Lebanon and the officials responsible for its terrible state,
reached the level of ultimate punishment and retribution?
In the days of Noah, He punished them with the Flood, and in the time of Sodom
and Gomorrah, He burned them, and with Nimrod, He struck them with the confusion
of Babel.
So, how will His retribution and punishment be for us in Lebanon?
Border activity: US
Ambassador tours Israel-Lebanon border and Gaza frontlines
LBCI/December 09, 2025
Amid heightened Israeli threats and intensified overnight strikes in Lebanon,
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz toured Israel's northern
frontier on Tuesday, accompanied by Israel's Ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon,
and military officials. The visit extended from the Lebanese border to the
Syrian frontier, before Waltz continued by helicopter to Gaza. Along the
Lebanese border, Waltz received briefings on Hezbollah's activities and the
operation of U.N. peacekeepers in the area. According to officials familiar with
the visit, he conveyed Washington's message that the United States does not want
further escalation that could push the region into a broader conflict. However,
Israeli officials used the visit to outline their concerns, presenting
assessments that they will not tolerate continued military build-up by Hezbollah
along the border. They stressed that a large-scale military operation, beyond
the targeted strikes underway, is still under consideration. Israeli media
reported that the latest strikes in South Lebanon and areas north of the Litani
River, nearly 30 kilometers from the border, were launched to preempt an
operation Hezbollah was allegedly planning under the cover of severe weather
conditions. The Israeli army said the targets included a training camp for the
Radwan Forces and other military sites. Security and military officials also
presented Israeli decision-makers with proposals for addressing the Lebanon
front, including establishing a new border demarcation and creating what they
called a "death zone" buffer area on the Lebanese side. While the Lebanon front
dominated Waltz's discussions, Israeli officials said the visit reflects deep
American involvement in both the Israeli-Lebanese and Israeli-Gaza arenas. They
described it as an opportunity to reinforce Israel's red lines regarding
Hezbollah and to prepare for the next phase of former U.S. President Donald
Trump's Gaza plan.
Tensions flare across
Lebanon: Multiple Lebanese regions mark Assad's fall anniversary
LBCI/December 09, 2025
Lebanese residents experienced moments of intense anxiety Monday night as street
mobilizations threatened to pit one community against another, raising fears
that the "giant of strife" might be awakening. The unrest began when groups of
Syrians, joined by Lebanese supporters of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa,
marked the first anniversary of Bashar al-Assad's fall. Some gatherings were
held in areas known for their sectarian sensitivity, prompting Hezbollah
supporters in Beirut's southern suburbs to mobilize in response. According to
security information obtained by LBCI, the pro-Sharaa demonstrations were spread
across several regions. In Beirut's Tariq El Jdideh, the largest crowd was
recorded, with about 1,000 people, including Syrians, Lebanese, and
Palestinians. Tripoli's Sahet Al Nour saw another significant gathering of
roughly 500 people, including 50 cars and 50 motorcycles. Additional turnouts
were reported in Raoucheh (400 people), Corniche al-Mazraa (200), Qalamoun
(320), Bar Elias (300), and Baalbek (100), where crowds were comparatively
smaller than in Beirut and Tripoli. The most serious tension erupted in the
Qasqas area near the southern suburbs, where gunfire was reported before the
Lebanese Army intervened to contain the situation. A similar incident occurred
in Haret Saida, where supporters of Ahmed al-Assir and Sharaa approached the
municipality area and clashed with young men aligned with Hezbollah and Amal. In
addition to the confrontations in Qasqas and Haret Saida, Army Intelligence
documented gunfire during gatherings in Ketermaya in Iqlim al-Kharrub, Btormaz
in Danniyeh, and Mqaybleh in Akkar. The arrest tally reached 14 people: 11
Syrians in the north, two individuals detained in Khalde, and one Lebanese man
in Baalbek. Thirteen of the Syrians were handed over to General Security for
deportation procedures, as they lacked legal residency papers. While Lebanon
narrowly avoided escalation this time, the incident underscores a growing
concern: foreign actors, especially Israel, and certain domestic parties may
benefit from or even seek to push the country toward internal strife. For those
listening on either side of the divide, the message is clear: Lebanon cannot
afford a repeat of past tragedies, whose cost was borne by all.
Israel army says struck Hezbollah
sites in Lebanon
AFP/December 09, 2025
BEIRUT: Israel launched a series of strikes on southern Lebanon on Tuesday,
Lebanese state media reported, with the Israeli army saying it hit a Hezbollah
training center and other targets. 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 maintains
troops in five areas of the country’s south. Lebanon’s state-run National News
Agency (NNA) reported “a series of (Israeli) raids targeting the Iqlim Al-Tuffah
region” near the towns of Azza, Rumin and Jbaa, about 40 kilometers (25 miles)
north of the border with Israel. “A number of houses were damaged” in JBaa, the
NNA added. The Israeli military said it had struck “infrastructure belonging to
the Hezbollah terrorist organization in several areas in southern
Lebanon.”According to the military “a training and qualification compound used
by Hezbollah’s Radwan Force” was hit, as were “military structures and a launch
site belonging to Hezbollah.” Israel says its continued attacks on Lebanon are
to prevent the group from rearming. Under heavy US pressure and fears of
expanded Israeli strikes, Lebanon’s government has committed to disarming
Hezbollah, and the army is set to dismantle the group’s military infrastructure
near the border by year’s end before tackling the rest of the country. In a
meeting with French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian on Monday, Lebanese President
Joseph Aoun rejected “accusations claiming that the Lebanese army is not fully
carrying out its role south of the Litani River,” about 30 kilometers (20 miles)
north of Israel. Lebanon “supports any audit conducted by the ceasefire
monitoring committee regarding the procedures implemented south of the Litani,”
Aoun added. The five-member committee, which includes Lebanon, Israel, France,
the US and the UN peacekeeping force, is set to meet again with Lebanese and
Israeli civilian representatives on December 19.
Aoun seeks to meet Saudi
and Emirati leaders in bid to avert war, report says
Naharnet/December 09, 2025
President Joseph Aoun headed Tuesday to Oman, as he reportedly intensifies
diplomacy with Arab and international countries to prevent a possible
escalation. Pro-Hezbollah al-Akhbar newspaper said Oman represents a point of
intersection between the United States, Iran, and the Gulf States, making it a
good place for negotiations concerning the Lebanese file. The daily also
reported that Aoun is trying to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and
UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed in his bid to avoid a renewed Israeli war.
Lebanon and Oman highlight
deep ties as presidents discuss expanded cooperation
LBCI/December 09, 2025
President Joseph Aoun said his visit to Oman will open the door to strengthening
bilateral cooperation in the economic, trade, cultural, and educational fields.
He noted that Lebanese citizens are looking toward new horizons of partnership
with Oman and praised the depth of relations between the two countries.
Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tariq emphasized his country's interest in Lebanon and
its close monitoring of developments there. He underscored the long-standing
fraternal ties between the two nations and stressed the need to reinforce
bilateral cooperation and coordination. The sultan also highlighted the positive
role played by the Lebanese community residing in Oman.
New Political, Military
Reality in Lebanon a Year after Assad’s Ouster
Beirut: Youssef Diab/Asharq Al-Awsat/December 09, 2025
The collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria in December 2024 created major
political, security and economic changes in Lebanon. Beirut also rid itself of
what remained of Damascus’ influence - after Syria withdrew its forces from
Lebanon in 2005 following 30 years of military and political hegemony - through
Assad’s allies, namely Hezbollah. With the ouster Assad, Lebanon became free to
make its political decisions away from the influence of Damascus and its allies.
Lebanon and Syria can establish mutual official relations, secure their shared
border and improve the trade exchange between them.
Tehran-Beirut route severed
Head of Lebanon’s Saydet al-Jabal Gathering, former MP Fares Souaid told Asharq
Al-Awsat: “Lebanon has changed. The most important thing that happened was that
the new Syria severed the Tehran-Beirut route that used to supply Hezbollah with
all of its security, military and financial means.”Now, the party has to resort
to smuggling to get what it needs, he added. “That option is not secured by
military units working for Iran, forcing Hezbollah to approach the new situation
in Lebanon with a lot more pragmatism than before.” He said the party has been
forced to take a “humble” approach to “critical issues.”“We saw how Hezbollah
did not quit the government even though it objected to cabinet decisions,
especially the one related to imposing state monopoly over arms,” he explained.
The decision effectively calls on Hezbollah to disarm. The party was unable to
take any steps to counter the decision because the “real route that has been
feeding it has been cut,” Souaid stressed. Developments, past and present, have
shown that anything negative or positive taking place in Syria will impact
Lebanon, he went on to say. “If Syria is well, then Lebanon is well.”He said
Lebanon still believes that Syria under President Ahmed al-Sharaa has a
promising future and relations between Beirut and Damascus will also be
promising. The relations are already on the right track with the establishment
of joint security and military committees sponsored by Saudi Arabia, he
remarked. Efforts have already been exerted to secure the shared border between
them ahead of demarcation starting from the Shebaa Farms. Such coordination
between Lebanese and Syrian security and military agencies “never happened under
Assad rule. So, this is a new development for both countries,” he revealed.
Treaties with Syria
The neighbors currently appeared focused on reshaping their relations in a way
that preserves their mutual interests. Souaid acknowledged, however, that
pending complex issues remain. He underlined the need to annul all political,
security and economic treaties that were signed during Syria’s hegemony over
Lebanon. Lebanon has appointed an ambassador to Damascus, while the latter has
yet to name an envoy to Beirut, he noted. He also said that the Syrians are
prioritizing resolving the issue of Syrian detainees held in Lebanese jails. The
issue is a “black mark” in the relations between the two countries. Lebanon’s
justice minister must resolve this file so that it does not complicate efforts
to forge good ties, Souaid urged.
Pending files
Lebanon has been perceived as dealing “coolly” with Syria’s insistence on
resolving the detainee file. Some Lebanese officials have for years also
complained about Syrian refugees in Lebanon and the burden they have on the
state. An informed security source told Asharq Al-Awsat that with Assad’s
collapse, this issue was no longer a “major crisis”. It revealed that half of
the Syrian refugees who were in Arsal and the northern Akkar region in Lebanon
have returned to their home country. This has been felt by the drop in the
numbers of Syrian laborers in Lebanon. The shared border is another issue of
pressing concern for the neighbors. After Assad’s ouster, Lebanon’s northern and
eastern borders are no longer open to the regime’s allies and outlaws,
especially drug and other smugglers. The source said: “The most important
achievement on the security level has been curbing the smuggling of weapons from
Syria to Lebanon and money from Lebanon to Syria.” “Captagon factories along
both sides of the border have also been destroyed, leading to the dismantling of
drug smuggling networks and culminating in the arrest of Lebanon’s most wanted
drug smuggler, Noah Zeiter, who was seeking refuge in Syria before Assad’s
ouster,” added the source.
As tensions flare on Israel-Lebanon border, war-torn communities struggle to
rebuild
AP/December 09, 2025
METULA, Israel: Ilan Rosenfeld walks through the burnt-out shell of his former
business, stepping over crackling pieces of clay plates that used to line his
cafe and past metal scraps of Hezbollah rockets littering the rubble. It’s all
that’s left for him in this small, war-ravaged town — the northernmost in
Israel, surrounded on three sides by Lebanon. “Everything I had, everything I
saved, everything I built – it’s all burned,” he said as he scanned the damage
of the business he’d run for 40 years in Metula, which has long been at the
crosshairs of flare-ups along the volatile border. “Every day I wake up, and all
I have left are tears.”Rosenfeld was among tens of thousands of people forced
from their homes when war broke out between Israel and the militant group
Hezbollah in October 2023, following Hamas’ attack in southern Israel. One year
into a shaky ceasefire on this heavily fortified border, Israel’s government
says most of those displaced have returned to their homes in the north, where
they struggle to pick up the pieces of their lives. Others are reluctant to come
back, as Israel has stepped up attacks in Lebanon. Communities like Metula that
were in the center of the conflict remain little more than ghost towns, most
still half empty, with many people skeptical of their government’s promise to
keep them safe. The Israeli strikes into southern Lebanon continue, with several
a week. Hezbollah has refused to completely disarm until Israel fully withdraws.
“The security situation is starting to deteriorate again,” Rosenfeld said,
looking at the bomb shelters on a list recently distributed by the local
government. “And where am I in all this? I can barely survive the day-to-day.”In
some towns on the Israel-Lebanon border, the return has been a trickle
Metula residents were among the 64,000 forced to evacuate and relocate to hotels
and temporary homes farther south when Hezbollah began firing rockets over the
border into Israel in fall 2023. Months of fighting escalated into a
full-fledged war. In September 2024, Israel killed 12 and wounded over 3,000 in
a coordinated pager attack and killed Hezbollah’s leader in a strike. A month
later, the ceasefire deal was reached.
Today, residents have trickled back to the sprawling apple orchards and
mountains as Israel’s government encourages them to go home. Officials say about
55,000 people have returned. In Metula, just over half of the 1,700 residents
are back. Yet the streets remain largely empty. Many hoped to rebuild their
lives, but they returned to find 60 percent of the town’s homes damaged from
rocket fire, according to the local government. Others were infested and
destroyed by rats. The economy — largely based on tourism and agriculture — has
been devastated. With many people, especially young families, reluctant to
return, some business owners have turned to workers from Thailand to fill labor
shortages. “Most of the people who worked with us before the war didn’t come
back,” said Jacob Katz, who runs a produce business. “We’ve lost a lot … and we
can’t read the future.”Rosenfeld’s modest cafe and farm were perched on a hill
overlooking the border fence. Tourists would come to eat, camp in buses
converted to rooms and enjoy the view. But now, the towns on the Lebanese side
of the border have been reduced to rubble by Israel’s attacks. Without a home,
Rosenfeld sleeps in a small shelter next to the scraps that remain of his
business. He has little more than a tent, a refrigerator and a few chairs. Just
a stone’s throw away sit a military watch tower and two armored vehicles.
Israel’s government says it has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in
border recovery efforts, that it plans to invest more in economic revival, and
that residents can apply for support funds. But Rosenfeld said that despite his
requests for government assistance, he hasn’t received any aid. He’s among
residents and business leaders who say they feel forgotten. Most say they need
more resources to rebuild. “The Israeli government needs to do much more for
us,” Metula deputy mayor Avi Nadiv said. “The residents who live on Israel’s
northern border, we are Israel’s human shield.”A spokesman for Zeev Elkin, a
Cabinet minister overseeing reconstruction in the north, said the local
government has not used funds allocated to reconstruction “due to narrow
political and oppositional considerations.”
Hezbollah-Israel tensions are flaring
As Hezbollah refuses to disarm, Israel has accused Lebanon’s government of not
doing enough to neutralize the militant group. The Lebanese army says it has
boosted its presence over the border area to strengthen the ceasefire. Israel
continues to bombard what it says are Hezbollah sites. Much of southern Lebanon
has been left in ruins. The strikes are among a number of offensives Israel has
launched – including those in Gaza, the West Bank and Syria – in what it calls
an effort to crack down on militant groups. The Lebanon strikes have killed at
least 127 civilians, including children, since the ceasefire took hold,
according to a November UN report. UN special rapporteur Morris Tidball-Binz
said the strikes amount to “war crimes.” Israel has maintained that it has the
right to continue strikes to protect itself from Hezbollah rearming and accuses
the group of using civilians as human shields. Last week, Israel struck the
southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital of Beirut, killing Hezbollah’s top
military commander. The group, still weakened by last year’s fighting, has not
responded.
‘The army cannot protect me’
In Metula, signs of the tensions are everywhere. The local government’s list of
public shelters reads: “Metula is prepared for an emergency.”Explosions and
gunfire periodically echo from military drills while farmer Levav Weinberg plays
with his 10-, 8- and 6-year-old children. Weinberg, a military reservist, said
his kids are too scared to ride their bikes on the street. Weinberg, 44, and his
family returned in July, skeptical of the government’s promise that everything
was returning to normal but eager to keep their business alive. Metula’s
government continues to encourage people to come back, telling residents the
region is safe and the economy will bounce back. “Today we feel the winds of,
let’s call it, the winds of war – but it doesn’t deter us,” Nadiv said. “Coming
back to Metula – there’s nothing to be afraid of. ... The army is here. The
houses are fortified. Metula is prepared for anything.” Weinberg isn’t so sure.
In recent weeks, he and his wife have considered leaving once again. “The army
cannot protect me and my family,” Weinberg said. “You sacrifice your family to
live in Metula these days. It’s not a perfect life, it’s not that easy, and at
some point your kids pay the price.”
Israeli forces enter
southern towns of Khiam, Odaisseh, and Aita al-Shaab
Naharnet/December 09, 2025
Israeli forces entered overnight into Tuesday the southern border towns of al-Khiam,
Odaisseh, and Aita al-Shaab. Local media reports said the soldiers detonated
several buildings in Wadi al-Asafir in al-Khiam and a house in Odaisseh. They
also fired machine guns from the Hamamess Hill towards the Marjayoun Plain.
Israel also launched a series of strikes on southern Lebanon on Tuesday. Despite
a November 2024 ceasefire that was supposed to end more than a year of
hostilities, Israel has kept up strikes on Lebanon and maintains troops in five
areas of the country's south.
Israel strikes target Iqlim al-Tuffah in south Lebanon
Agence France Presse/December 09, 2025
Israel's military said it carried out strikes on southern Lebanon on Tuesday,
targeting a training compound and other sites operated by Hezbollah. "A short
while ago, the IDF (Israeli military) struck infrastructure belonging to the
Hezbollah terrorist organization in several areas in southern Lebanon," it said
in a statement. The strikes targeted the Wadi Azza area between the Nabatieh and
Sidon districts and the heights of the southern region of Iqlim al-Tuffah.
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported "a series of (Israeli)
raids targeting the Iqlim al-Tuffah region" near the towns of Azza, Roumin and
Jbaa, about 40 kilometres north of the border with Israel. "A number of houses
were damaged" in Jbaa, the NNA added. According to the Israeli military, the
operation hit "a training and qualification compound used by Hezbollah's Radwan
Force" as well as "military structures and a launch site belonging to
Hezbollah"."The targets that were struck, and the military training conducted in
preparation for attacks against the State of Israel, constitute a violation of
the understandings between Israel and Lebanon and a threat to the State of
Israel," it added. 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. Israel has mainly said it is targeting Hezbollah.
Under heavy U.S. pressure and fears of expanded Israeli strikes, Lebanon's
government has committed to disarming Hezbollah, and the army is set to
dismantle the group's military infrastructure near the border by year end before
tackling the rest of the country. On Saturday, a United Nations Security Council
delegation urged all parties to uphold the year-old ceasefire.
Lebanese Army support
conference: France presses Lebanon to accelerate security measures
LBCI/December 09, 2025
French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian's latest visit to Beirut carried a
clear message: France wants Lebanon to move faster to assert state authority,
advance arms control efforts, and demonstrate visible, organized military action
to the international community ahead of a planned conference to support the
Lebanese Army. Paris, working alongside the United States and Saudi Arabia, is
preparing the conference, although no final date has been set. Diplomats say a
preliminary meeting among the sponsoring countries is expected on December 18.
While the army has begun showcasing select achievements through media tours and
briefings for military attachés and interested ambassadors, international
partners are seeking a more systematic and transparent process. Such efforts
would help secure broad political backing for the institution, particularly
given that real evaluations of the army's performance typically occur in the
mechanism meetings, attended only by representatives from the United States,
France, and Israel. The delay in setting a date for the support conference has
raised questions about whether international consensus is still forming, and
whether more substantial steps are required from Lebanese authorities before
donors commit to financial and logistical assistance. Sources also point to
unresolved questions about what Paris, Washington, and Riyadh need to see before
moving forward, as well as whether French efforts can accelerate the
long-discussed conference. Beyond the army support file, Le Drian's meeting with
veteran political leader Walid Jumblatt drew notable attention. Their talks
focused on France's role in advancing the recovery of Lebanese-Syrian relations.
Both sides reaffirmed earlier negotiation principles discussed between Jumblatt
and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, including securing a cease-fire, ensuring
the return of southern residents, and working toward the release of detainees.
US has still not agreed to Aoun and Haykal's visit, report
says
Naharnet/December 09, 2025
The U.S. has still not agreed to a visit by Lebanon's President and Army chief,
al-Akhbar newspaper said Tuesday. The pro-Hezbollah daily said that the U.S.
would rather exert more pressure on Lebanon and would not welcome President
Joseph Aoun and Army chief Joseph Haykal before Lebanon meets the American
conditions. Haykal was scheduled to visit Washington last month but the trip was
called off after U.S. political and military officials cancelled their meetings
with him just hours before he was scheduled to depart. Those who cancelled
included influential Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who in a statement on X
slammed what he said was Haykal's "weak almost non-existent effort to disarm
Hezbollah". Graham also criticized an army statement that referred to Israel as
the "enemy" -- a standard term even in official discourse in Lebanon, which has
been technically at war with Israel since 1948. A Western diplomatic source in
Beirut meanwhile told Kuwaiti newspaper al-Anbaa that the main condition of the
envoys who visited Lebanon this month was Hezbollah's disarmament. In the
meetings, the envoys voiced the international community's support to Lebanon but
urged Lebanon to take reciprocal steps in return.
Report: Iran agrees to handover of Hezbollah's weapons
Naharnet/December 09, 2025
Tehran has approved the handover of Hezbollah’s medium- and heavy-caliber
weapons to the Lebanese Army and the transfer of the precision-guided missiles
to Iraq, informed sources said. “The discussion has reached the point of the
side that will manage these missiles in Iraq and whether it will be the Iraqi
army or the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF),” the sources told the Progressive
Socialist Party’s al-Anbaa news portal in remarks published Tuesday. The sources
added that Washington is still refusing that the missiles be handed over to the
Iran-backed PMF.
Le Drian meets Berri, Haykal and Jumblat
Naharnet/December 09, 2025
French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian met Tuesday with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri,
Army chief Rodolphe Haykal and former PSP leader Walid Jumblat, as Lebanon moves
towards direct negotiations with Israel. French Ambassador to Lebanon Hervé
Magro, who attended the talks, said the meeting with Berri was "very
good".France is a member of a U.S.-chaired committee monitoring a year-long
ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel. The five-member committee, which also
includes Lebanon, Israel, the U.S. and the U.N. peacekeeping force, is set to
meet with Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives on December 19. Le Drian
arrived Monday in Beirut and met with President Joseph Aoun and Foreign Minister
Joseph Rajji. During the meeting with Aoun, Le Drian
welcomed the appointment of ex-Ambassador Simon Karam to lead the Lebanese
delegation to the ceasefire monitoring committee. Aoun
and Le Drian discussed the situation in South Lebanon, the reforms file, and the
preparations for a conference to support the Lebanese Army, the Lebanese
Presidency said. The president rejected "accusations claiming that the Lebanese
army is not fully carrying out its role south of the Litani River", about 30
kilometers north of Israel. Aoun told Le Drian that
Lebanon "supports any audit conducted by the ceasefire monitoring committee
regarding the procedures implemented south of the Litani".
Under heavy U.S. pressure and fears of expanded Israeli strikes,
Lebanon's government has committed to disarming Hezbollah, and the army is set
to dismantle the group's military infrastructure near the border by year's end
before tackling the rest of the country. Israel claims that the army is not
doing the job and has kept up strikes on Lebanon. Le Drian will meet later on
Tuesday with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and other Lebanese politicians. In his
last visit to Beirut, the French diplomat discussed with Lebanese leaders
preparations for a Lebanon reconstruction conference and another for assisting
the Lebanese Army, days after the Lebanese government took a decision to disarm
Hezbollah and all armed groups by the end of the year.
Clashes and counter-demos
in Lebanon as Sharaa supporters celebrate Assad’s fall
Naharnet/December 09, 2025
Supporters of Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa staged motorbike and car rallies
across Lebanon overnight to mark the first anniversary of the ouster of Bashar
al-Assad at the hands of an Islamist-led uprising. The rallies sparked tensions
and led to clashes in some areas, prompting an intervention by the Lebanese
Army. In the Sidon suburb of Haret Saida, the pro-Sharaa demonstrators clashed
with supporters of the Amal Movement and Hezbollah, who vandalized cars
belonging to the revelers. A clash also erupted at the Kfar Rumman roundabout in
the Nabatieh district after a number of Syrians erected a picture of al-Sharaa,
triggering a scuffle and an intervention by the army. The pro-Sharaa supporters
also staged motorcycle rallies in Tripoli, Aramoun, Corniche al-Mazraa and
Khalde. Supporters of Hezbollah and Amal meanwhile staged counter-rallies in
Beirut’s southern suburbs and parts of the capital, amid reports of gunfire in
Beirut’s Qasqas area and the Beirut southern suburbs of Msharrafieh and Ghobeiri.
MP Ghassan Atallah of the Free Patriotic Movement meanwhile said that “Syria is
nearby” and that the revelers can “return to Syria” to “celebrate victories” in
their country, decrying that the rallies in Lebanon involved “provocations,
chaos, attacks and shooting against the army.”
New Political, Military Reality in Lebanon a Year after Assad’s Ouster
Beirut: Youssef Diab/Asharq Al-Awsat/December 09, 2025
The collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria in December 2024 created major
political, security and economic changes in Lebanon. Beirut also rid itself of
what remained of Damascus’ influence - after Syria withdrew its forces from
Lebanon in 2005 following 30 years of military and political hegemony - through
Assad’s allies, namely Hezbollah. With the ouster Assad, Lebanon became free to
make its political decisions away from the influence of Damascus and its allies.
Lebanon and Syria can establish mutual official relations, secure their shared
border and improve the trade exchange between them.
Tehran-Beirut route severed
Head of Lebanon’s Saydet al-Jabal Gathering, former MP Fares Souaid told Asharq
Al-Awsat: “Lebanon has changed. The most important thing that happened was that
the new Syria severed the Tehran-Beirut route that used to supply Hezbollah with
all of its security, military and financial means.”Now, the party has to resort
to smuggling to get what it needs, he added. “That option is not secured by
military units working for Iran, forcing Hezbollah to approach the new situation
in Lebanon with a lot more pragmatism than before.” He said the party has been
forced to take a “humble” approach to “critical issues.”“We saw how Hezbollah
did not quit the government even though it objected to cabinet decisions,
especially the one related to imposing state monopoly over arms,” he explained.
The decision effectively calls on Hezbollah to disarm. The party was unable to
take any steps to counter the decision because the “real route that has been
feeding it has been cut,” Souaid stressed. Developments, past and present, have
shown that anything negative or positive taking place in Syria will impact
Lebanon, he went on to say. “If Syria is well, then Lebanon is well.”He said
Lebanon still believes that Syria under President Ahmed al-Sharaa has a
promising future and relations between Beirut and Damascus will also be
promising. The relations are already on the right track with the establishment
of joint security and military committees sponsored by Saudi Arabia, he
remarked. Efforts have already been exerted to secure the shared border between
them ahead of demarcation starting from the Shebaa Farms. Such coordination
between Lebanese and Syrian security and military agencies “never happened under
Assad rule. So, this is a new development for both countries,” he revealed.
Treaties with Syria
The neighbors currently appeared focused on reshaping their relations in a way
that preserves their mutual interests. Souaid acknowledged, however, that
pending complex issues remain. He underlined the need to annul all political,
security and economic treaties that were signed during Syria’s hegemony over
Lebanon. Lebanon has appointed an ambassador to Damascus, while the latter has
yet to name an envoy to Beirut, he noted. He also said that the Syrians are
prioritizing resolving the issue of Syrian detainees held in Lebanese jails. The
issue is a “black mark” in the relations between the two countries. Lebanon’s
justice minister must resolve this file so that it does not complicate efforts
to forge good ties, Souaid urged.
Pending files
Lebanon has been perceived as dealing “coolly” with Syria’s insistence on
resolving the detainee file. Some Lebanese officials have for years also
complained about Syrian refugees in Lebanon and the burden they have on the
state. An informed security source told Asharq Al-Awsat that with Assad’s
collapse, this issue was no longer a “major crisis”. It revealed that half of
the Syrian refugees who were in Arsal and the northern Akkar region in Lebanon
have returned to their home country. This has been felt by the drop in the
numbers of Syrian laborers in Lebanon. The shared border is another issue of
pressing concern for the neighbors. After Assad’s ouster, Lebanon’s northern and
eastern borders are no longer open to the regime’s allies and outlaws,
especially drug and other smugglers. The source said: “The most important
achievement on the security level has been curbing the smuggling of weapons from
Syria to Lebanon and money from Lebanon to Syria.” “Captagon factories along
both sides of the border have also been destroyed, leading to the dismantling of
drug smuggling networks and culminating in the arrest of Lebanon’s most wanted
drug smuggler, Noah Zeiter, who was seeking refuge in Syria before Assad’s
ouster,” added the source.
Lebanon and Iraq… and Israel’s Rise
Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al-Awsat/December
09/2025
The dynamics of “adaptation” to the regional shift in the Near East have
reopened a number of dormant and postponed issues. As Israel’s pursuit of
domination persists, the push for “normalization” is accelerating, sometimes in
the name of political realism, and at other times in the name of betting on the
future. Advanced technology, as well as the shifting priorities of what remains
of the major powers, have changed things.
In Lebanon and Iraq in particular, we have two cases that deserve our attention
amid the region’s fast-moving track and its surroundings.
In Lebanon, the authorities’ decision to “negotiate” with Israel, a step that
comes at the expense of what had been Iran’s clear dominance through Hezbollah,
has led to a disruption in the “political debate.”Indeed, voices that had long
been suppressed over the decades have risen again, reviving what they consider
“sovereignist” demands. Meanwhile, their opponents see their ambitions as old
“isolationist” projects that had been defeated with the collapse of the May 17,
1983 Agreement signed under Israeli occupation, and then again after the Taif
Accords and following Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000.
Today, some politicians and media figures speak about the May 17 Agreement
imposed by Israel after its 1982 invasion of Lebanon with great enthusiasm -
sometimes even nostalgia. At the time, the Jewish state enjoyed strong support
from then US President Ronald Reagan’s administration. It is self-evident that
Iran leveraging its strategic ties with the former Syrian regime was key to
redrawing the Lebanese scene and overturning the balance between victor and
vanquished. However, there are hardliners across the Lebanese spectrum who have
always been and still are deeply divided over Lebanon’s identity. It is worth
recalling that the roots of the Lebanese identity crisis have, since the 19th
century, facilitated every form of foreign intervention.
Today, under the Trump administration, many believe that Lebanon is returning to
the landscape of 1982 shaped in Tel Aviv by the ultra-nationalist camp of
Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon, as well as the “hawks” of the Reagan
administration in Washington.
More than that, Lebanese affairs have been left to figures and diplomats either
aligned with what used to be called the “isolationist Christian right”, such
ambassadors Michel Issa, Tom Barrack, and the lobby supporting that right, or
Likudists, such as envoy Morgan Ortagus and those backing her in the corridors
of the Capitol.
Meanwhile, the full alignment between Washington and Tel Aviv with regard to the
Near Eastern have shifted the United States’ approach to Iran. As we know, the
American posture of “understanding and sympathetic silence” under Democratic
presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden has turned into open hostility under
Donald Trump, notably through the unilateral withdrawal of the US from the
nuclear agreement with Iran.
In fact, many in Washington long treated the Iranian leadership as a fact of
life that could be managed. This leadership has political and military “weight”
that can be leveraged by those who understand it, and it governs one of the
Middle East’s most significant and largest countries. Indeed, Iran is a
demographic power of 92 million people who reside in a strategic location in one
of the world’s hottest regions. It is also an economic giant whose vast landmass
holds one of the largest oil reserves in the world. Culturally and religiously,
Iran remains the largest Shiite Muslim state, and its clerical authorities wield
influence wherever there are Shiites. Iran also maintains notable relations with
China and Russia, to say nothing of Central Asian states. With regard to the
Arab world, we have seen for decades numerous manifestations of the “Iranian
condition” in Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and other countries.
Accordingly, Washington’s “pragmatists” - not only its Democrats - have insisted
on the US having the “final say” on Iran, rather than leaving it hostage to the
whims and personal considerations of Benjamin Netanyahu. The situation is
entirely different now. It is obvious that several countries are experiencing
seeing Iran’s influence recede along Israel’s fronts... and Lebanon may well be
the weakest point in this border system.
Even if it wished to break away, however, Iraq does not appear today fully
capable of distancing itself from the changes unfolding in the region. The
sensitivity of Iraq’s position has several dimensions:
First, Iraq shares a long land border with Iran.
Second, Shiites constitute a major demographic force within Iraq, especially in
the south.
Third, a number of Shiite parties that have been in power since the US invasion
of 2003 have leaders, networks, and militias that once fought under a banner
opposed to the Iraqi army, which was dissolved by the authorities set up by the
US after 2003.
Fourth, Iraq’s “federal coexistence deal” among Shiite Arabs, Sunni Arabs, and
the Kurds, who enjoy self-rule in a territory on the border with the Kurdish
regions of and Türkiye. Fifth, the US maintains a military presence in Iraq, and
Washington continues to monitor developments closely. Its influence there is
reinforced by the “Israel’s long arm,” both militarily and in intelligence.
Accordingly, as Iran’s “dominos” fall and as Tehran’s influence shrinks rapidly,
Lebanon and Iraq are becoming increasingly vulnerable after Iran’s leaders have
effectively kept them under its cloak and considered them part of its strategic
arsenal.
Accordingly, I believe any optimism about either country fully regaining its
vitality is misguided. With Netanyahu in power, optimism is a losing bet. With
the absence of American restraints over the Likud hardliners, the region remains
open to every unruly outcome.
Israeli operations in
Lebanon against Hezbollah: December 1–7, 2025
David Daoud/FDD's Long War Journal/December 8, 2025
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted numerous operations throughout Lebanon
against Hezbollah between December 1 and December 7, 2025. Israeli activities
last week were significantly less frequent and intense than they were during
October and most of November, continuing the prior week’s de-escalatory trend.
Israel’s relative restraint was likely due to Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Lebanon
and possibly a desire to give Hezbollah a de-escalation option after the IDF
killed the group’s chief of staff, Haitham Tabatabai, in Beirut on November 23.
While the Israelis refrained from killing any Hezbollah operatives last week,
they nevertheless targeted and destroyed weapons caches belonging to the group
in south Lebanon, including south of the Litani River. The IDF conducted
operations in 12 Lebanese locales, some of them more than once. These activities
included:
Airstrikes: Four
Artillery strikes: Three
Ground activities: Three
Mortar strikes: One
Quadcopter activities: Five
Nabatieh Governorate
Bint Jbeil District: Aitaroun, Braasheet, Rmeish, and Yaroun
Marjayoun District: Adaisseh,Deir Mimas-Houra-Kfar Kela, Khiam, and Markaba
Nabatieh District: Jbaa
South Lebanon Governorate
Tyre District: Dhayra,Mahrouneh, and Majadel
Casualties
Between December 1 and December 7, Israeli operations in Lebanon did not result
in any reported casualties.
Chronology of Israeli operations against Hezbollah, December 1–7, 2025
December 1
No operations were reported.
December 2
NNA Lebanon reported that, shortly past midnight, an Israeli quadcopter departed
from Israeli territory and dropped fragmentation explosives on a house in the
Matait neighborhood of Aitaroun in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil
District.
At 6:49 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli forces positioned in the Tel
Hamames post in south Lebanon directed gunfire toward the outskirts of Khiam in
the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
December 3
At 12:04 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped a stun
explosive in Adaisseh in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
December 4
At 11:56 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped a stun
explosive in Adaisseh in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District, while
alleged Électricité du Liban (EdL) employees were passing through the area.
At 2:02 pm, IDF Arabic Language Spokesman Avichay Adraee issued a warning to
residents of Jbaa in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Nabatieh District and Mahrouneh
in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Tyre District to distance themselves from
designated buildings. Adraee claimed the buildings were being used as “Hezbollah
military infrastructure” and that the IDF would “soon target” them “as part of
countering the forbidden efforts in which Hezbollah is engaged to restore its
activities in the area.” Lebanese media claimed that the designated structure in
Jbaa was the house of local mukhtarAli Sobhi Wahbi, who appears to be affiliated
with the Amal Movement.
At 2:49 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli tanks and military vehicles moved
toward Markaba and Adaisseh in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
At 3:06 pm, Adraee announced the onset of Israeli airstrikes targeting the
designated buildings.
At 3:09 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted Mahrouneh.
Independent footage of the strike, recorded by Lebanese locals, showed what
appeared to be a significant explosion.
At 3:19 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted the
designated structure, a home, in Jbaa, completely destroying the building and
causing significant damage to the surrounding area.
At 3:20 pm, Adraee issued a warning to residents of Majadel in the South Lebanon
Governorate’s Tyre District and Braasheet in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint
Jbeil District to distance themselves from designated buildings. Adraee stated
that the buildings were being used as “Hezbollah military infrastructure” and
the IDF would “soon target” them “as part of countering the forbidden efforts in
which Hezbollah is engaged to restore its activities in the area.”
IDF Arabic Language Spokesman Avichay Adraee’s warnings to the residents of
Majadel (Left) and Braasheet (Right). (Avichay Adraee on Telegram)
At 4:11 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted the
designated building in Majadel, a house.
At 4:19 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted the
designated building in Braasheet, a house, and destroyed it completely.
At 5:11 pm, the IDF released a statement saying that its preceding airstrikes
had targeted several weapons storage facilities belonging to Hezbollah. The
statement included a reel of aerial guncam footage of the strikes in Jbaa,
Majadel, and Mahrouneh. A secondary explosion was visible in the footage of the
strike in Jbaa.
At 6:51 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli artillery fired three shells at
the outskirts of Yaroun and Rmeish in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil
District.
At 8:19 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli forces fired two mortar rounds at
Houra between Kfar Kela and Deir Mimas in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun
District.
At 10:01 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli artillery fired two 155mm shells
at the outskirts of Dhayra in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Tyre District.
December 5
At 7:09 am, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) released a
statement on the preceding day’s Israeli airstrikes in south Lebanon, “as the
Lebanese Armed Forces continue operations to control unauthorized weapons and
infrastructure in Lebanon.” It described the IDF actions as “clear violations of
Security Council resolution 1701” and urged the Israelis to instead “avail of
the liaison and coordination mechanisms available to them.”
At 3:34 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped a stun
explosive toward Adaisseh in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
At 10:55 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped a stun
explosive on Wadi Asafeer, near Khiam, in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun
District.
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2025/12/israeli-operations-in-lebanon-against-hezbollah-december-1-7-2025.php
Read in FDD's Long War Journal
Lebanon… from a free nation to a
cheap replica of the Iranian mullah regime – a shackled president in Baabda and
a Supreme Guide in the Southern Suburb
Chebl Zoghbi/December 09/2025
Lebanon is no longer a country with limited sovereignty…
It is a nation past its expiration date, left to dissolve slowly under the gaze
of an authority that does not govern, and a mini-state that governs everything.
Today, the picture is clear:
A president trapped in Baabda with no decision-making power, and a de facto
Supreme Guide in the Southern Suburb who holds the keys to the republic from the
smallest detail to the largest.
Exactly like in Iran: a symbolic president hanging by a thread, and a Supreme
Leader who controls the entire game from Qom.
Lebanon has become a poor imitation of the Iranian model—its worst version:
A destructive replica that possesses neither Iran’s productive capacity nor the
cohesion of its regime… only weapons, domination, and a black-market economy.
The Lebanese Army?
A besieged and shackled institution.
The real army, the real decision-maker, the force that determines the hour of
war and the hour of peace, is in the hands of one actor—above the constitution,
above the state, above the people.
Exactly like Iran: an official army for display… and a Revolutionary Guard for
rule.
We too have an official army and an armed party that raises its flag above all
institutions.
There is the Basij… here we have the Mahdi Scouts.
An indoctrination machine beginning in childhood, manufacturing loyalty before
consciousness, planting the idea that “Hezbollah” is the ultimate truth, and
that the homeland is a mere accessory that can be discarded if it conflicts with
“wilaya.”
Hezbollah did not occupy Lebanon only with weapons…
It occupied its mind, its institutions, its economy, its political space, and
its most critical decisions.
An occupation that doesn’t show up in tank columns but in every artery of the
state:
the borders, the ports, smuggling routes, the judiciary, parliament, government,
media, security…
Even Lebanon’s political air passes first through Hezbollah’s lungs before
reaching the people.
A smart, slow, silent—but total—occupation.
It leaves you a small corner to scream… then raises its own voice above yours.
It grants you the freedom of “limited criticism”… while it holds the master key
to every decision.
It drowns the state in vacuum—and then fills the vacuum itself.
Wasn’t Lebanon once the beacon of the East?
Today it is a dead lamp, an abandoned platform for a paralyzed, corrupt,
wandering state driven from the outside, used by Hezbollah as a corridor for a
project far larger than the country’s size.
No collapse… but systematic sabotage.
No crisis… but a plan.
Everything the mini-state works on—impoverishing the people, shaking the
economy, crushing the judiciary, weakening the army, creating a parallel
economy, tying Lebanon to the axis, destroying every notion of
independence—these are not side effects.
These are instruments of rule.
And the political class?
Followers, cohabitants, silent profiteers, cowards, corrupt opportunists.
They cling to their seats but have
abandoned the state.
A ruling authority that doesn’t rule but is operated from behind the curtain—and
fears the party’s shadow more than it fears the collapse of the nation.
Today, the only truth:
Lebanon is not under Hezbollah’s control… Lebanon has become a part of
Hezbollah.
An entire nation forcibly integrated into a foreign, messianic, militant
project—assigned a hybrid system:
a symbolic president, empty institutions, a state on artificial respiration, and
a mini-state holding its own oxygen tank.
Is there any country on earth where a single faction controls decisions on
borders, war, gas, oil, the judiciary, appointments, security, media, courts,
embassies, and even the movement of the president?
This is not influence.
This is the demolition of the state from foundation to rooftop.
Lebanon will not escape collapse as long as the state is “leased out,”
sovereignty “gifted away,” the president a “front,” and the Supreme Guide the
true command center.
The country will not rise as long as the constitution has no weight, the army no
authority, the street no voice, politics no honesty, and the economy no
sovereignty.
And Lebanon will not return to what it once was…
Until it frees itself from this masked guardianship, this occupation wearing the
costume of “resistance,” this project that slaughtered the spirit of the nation
before its body.
Lebanon is not a poor country… it is a country impoverished deliberately so
people become subjects.
Not a weak country… but a country weakened by force so the mini-state’s project
could pass without resistance.
Not a lost country… but a country intentionally misled so it cannot find its way
back.
The exit from darkness will not come through appeasement, nor through a new
agreement, nor through the promises of coward politicians.
It will come when the voice of the people becomes louder than the voice of
weapons, louder than the voice of the Supreme Guide, and louder than all who
turned Lebanon into an Iranian colony under the pretext of defending it.
It will come when willpower becomes stronger than fear, when initiative replaces
paralysis, and when the cry of freedom overwhelms the silence of slaves.
*Chebl Zoghbi/Member of the Central Leadership Council/Guardians of the Cedars
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on
December 09-10/2025
Florida declares Muslim Brotherhood, Muslim civil rights group terrorist
organizations
Al Arabiya English/December 09/2025
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday designated one of the largest Muslim civil
rights and advocacy groups in the US a “foreign terrorist organization,”
following a similar step by Texas last month. The directive against the Council
on American-Islamic Relations comes in an executive order DeSantis posted on the
social media site X. It also gives the same label to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Neither CAIR nor the Muslim Brotherhood is designated as a foreign terrorist
organization by the US government. The order instructs Florida agencies to
prevent the two groups and those who have provided them material support from
receiving contracts, employment and funds from a state executive or cabinet
agency. In an emailed statement, CAIR and its Florida chapter said the
organization plans to sue DeSantis in response to what it called an
“unconstitutional” and “defamatory” proclamation. Founded in 1994, CAIR has 25
chapters around the country. CAIR last month asked a federal judge to strike
down Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s proclamation, saying in a lawsuit that it was “not
only contrary to the United States Constitution, but finds no support in any
Texas law.”The Muslim Brotherhood was established in Egypt nearly a century ago
and has branches around the world. Its leaders say it renounced violence decades
ago and seeks to set up Islamic rule through elections and other peaceful means.
Earlier this year, Jordan became the latest Arab country to ban the Muslim
Brotherhood following a sabotage plot by the group that Jordanian security
agencies foiled. Egypt, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the UAE have all banned
the group. With The Associated Press
Israeli fire wounds three
people in southern Syria
Al Arabiya English/December 09/2025
Three people were wounded Tuesday during an Israeli incursion into southern
Syria, state media reported, as Israel’s army said soldiers had fired on
suspects who “posed a threat.”The violence came after Israeli forces late last
month killed at least 13 people in an operation in southern Syria that Israel’s
military said targeted a militant group and left six Israeli soldiers wounded.
Israel has carried out repeated incursions into Syrian territory since the
toppling of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad a year ago, as well as carrying out
bombings, and has said it wants a demilitarized zone in the country’s south.
Syrian state television said “three people were wounded by Israeli occupation
forces’ gunfire in the town of Khan Arnabah in Quneitra province.”It said
Israeli forces had used several military vehicles and troop carriers, and had
also launched smoke grenades. State news agency SANA said Israeli forces set up
a checkpoint near Khan Arnabah “and are shooting at civilians.”It published
images appearing to show Israeli military vehicles and troops on a road as
civilian vehicles passed. The Israeli army said in a statement that during its
“activity in the Quneitra area of southern Syria, a confrontation developed when
several suspects approached the troops and posed a threat to them.”Soldiers
“fired warning shots into the air, and after the suspects failed to distance
themselves, the troops responded and fired toward the lower bodies of two main
inciters,” the statement said. As Syrian opposition forces toppled al-Assad late
last year, Israel sent troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone which had
separated Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights since 1974. Israel
seized much of the Golan from Syria in 1967, annexing the area in 1981 in a move
largely unrecognized internationally. Syria’s new leader, President Ahmed al-Sharaa,
warned Saturday that Israel’s demand for a demilitarized zone in southern Syria
would endanger his country and called for Israel to respect a 1974 disengagement
agreement. US President Donald Trump, who has been pushing for a security pact
between Israel and Syria, told Israel last week to avoid destabilizing Syria and
its new leadership. With AFP
Hamas official says no Gaza
truce second phase while Israel ‘continues violations’
AFP/December 09, 2025
GAZA CITY: A Hamas official said Tuesday that the Gaza ceasefire cannot proceed
to its second phase as long as Israeli “violations” persist, calling on
mediators to pressure Israel to respect the deal. “The second phase cannot begin
as long as the occupation (Israel) continues its violations of the agreement and
evades its commitments,” Hamas political bureau member Hossam Badran told AFP,
referring to the fragile ceasefire that came into effect on October 10. “Hamas
has asked the mediators to pressure the occupation to complete the
implementation of the first phase,” he added.
Israel to reopen crossing with Jordan to Gaza aid trucks Wednesday: Israeli
official
Arab News/December 09, 2025
JERUSALEM: Israel will reopen the crossing on the Israeli-controlled border
between Jordan and the occupied West Bank to humanitarian aid trucks destined
for Gaza for the first time since late September, an Israeli official said on
Tuesday. “Following the understandings and a directive of the political echelon,
starting tomorrow (Wednesday) the transfer of goods and aid from Jordan to the
area of Judea and Samaria and to the Gaza Strip will be permitted through the
Allenby Crossing,” an Israeli official said in a statement, using the Israeli
Biblical term for the West Bank. “All aid trucks destined for the Gaza Strip
will proceed under escort and security, following a thorough security
inspection,” the official added. Israel closed the crossing, also known as the
King Hussein Bridge, after a Jordanian truck driver shot dead an Israeli soldier
and a reserve officer at the border in September. The crossing in the Jordan
Valley reopened to travelers a few days later, but not to humanitarian aid
destined for the Gaza Strip, devastated by more than two years of war. Since the
closure at Allenby, Jordan said it had been able to send some aid to Gaza via
the Sheikh Hussein crossing, north of the West Bank. The Allenby crossing is the
only international gateway for Palestinians from the West Bank that does not
require entering Israel, which has occupied the territory since 1967. Tzav 9, an
extremist Israeli right-wing activist group seeking to halt any aid arriving in
Gaza so long as Israeli hostages are held in the Palestinian territory,
condemned Tuesday’s announcement. “Hamas is still on its feet and acts every day
against our fighters, and the government of Israel continues to send supply
trucks and treats directly to the vile murderers who murdered, beheaded, and
raped on October 7,” the US-sanctioned group said in a statement. Of the 251
people taken hostage during Hamas’s unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack that
sparked the war in Gaza, all but the remains of Israeli Ran Gvili have been
handed over. Under the terms of the US-brokered ceasefire deal that entered into
force on October 10, Hamas committed to returning all living and deceased
hostages.
Netanyahu to meet Trump on
December 29
Agence France Presse/December 09, 2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet President Donald Trump in
the United States on December 29, a spokeswoman for the premier's office told
AFP on Tuesday. It will be Netanyahu's fifth visit to meet Trump in the U.S.
since the start of the year and comes after the prime minister said he expected
the second phase of the US-sponsored ceasefire plan for Gaza to begin soon. "The
meeting between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu will take place
Monday, December 29," Shosh Bedrosian, spokeswoman for the prime minister's
office, said, without providing details of the location or duration of the
visit. Israel's Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu and Trump were expected to
meet twice during an eight-day visit to the United States by the Israeli prime
minister. It said Netanyahu would visit Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in
Florida. Netanyahu said on Sunday he would meet Trump later in December to
discuss "opportunities for peace" in the Middle East, with his office saying he
was invited to the White House during a phone call with the president. Netanyahu
also said he expected the second phase of the Gaza truce plan to begin soon. "We
very shortly expect to move into the second phase, which is more difficult," he
said. The first phase of the truce, in effect since October 10, has halted the
war that began after Hamas's deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. It has
also seen militants release 47 out of 48 hostages held in Gaza, including the
last 20 living captives. The second stage of the plan concerns disarming Hamas,
the further withdrawal of Israeli forces as a transitional authority is
established, and the deployment of an international stabilization force. The
United States is the primary military and diplomatic supporter of Israel but
areas of tension have emerged between the two allies, including the issue of
annexing the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Several members of Netanyahu's
government have called for the territory to be annexed but Trump and U.S.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio have voiced their firm opposition to such a move.
Trump's Gaza ceasefire plan
faces pitfalls as it moves into new phase
Associated Press/December 09, 2025
With the remains of one hostage still in Gaza, the first phase of the
U.S.-brokered ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas is nearly complete,
after a two-month process plagued by delays and finger-pointing. Now, the key
players — including Israel, the Palestinian militant Hamas group, the United
States and a diverse list of international parties — are to move to a far more
complicated second phase that could reshape the Middle East. U.S. President
Donald Trump's 20-point plan — which was approved by the U.N. Security Council —
lays out an ambitious vision for ending Hamas' rule of Gaza. If successful, it
would see the rebuilding of a demilitarized Gaza under international
supervision, normalized relations between Israel and the Arab world and a
possible pathway to Palestinian independence. But if the deal stalls, Gaza could
be trapped in an unstable limbo for years to come, with Hamas remaining in
control of parts of the territory, Israel's army enforcing an open-ended
occupation and its residents stuck homeless, unemployed, unable to travel abroad
and dependent on international aid to stay alive. Sheikh Mohammed bin
Abdulrahman Al Thani, the prime minister of Qatar and a key mediator, said over
the weekend that the ceasefire is at a critical point, while Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to travel to the White House this month to
discuss the next steps. Here is a closer look at the next stages of the
ceasefire and the potential pitfalls.
Troops for Gaza
Trumps plan calls for the formation of an international force — known as
International Stabilization Force — to maintain security and train Palestinian
police to one day to take over. That force has not yet been formed, and a
deployment date has not been announced. Some countries — including Egypt,
Turkey, Indonesia, Pakistan and Indonesia — have expressed willingness to
participate. But no firm decisions have been made. A U.S. official, speaking on
condition of anonymity to discuss diplomatic talks, says partner countries are
holding meetings this month to finalize operations. He predicted "boots on the
ground" in early 2026.But there are pitfalls. The force's command structure and
authorities remain unknown. Hamas says it will oppose any attempts by the force
to disarm it, and contributing nations may not want to risk clashes to take away
its weapons. Israel, meanwhile, is hesitant to trust an international body with
its security needs.
Board of Peace
Trump has said he will head an international board to supervise a committee of
Palestinian technocrats running Gaza's day-to-day affairs. The board will
oversee reconstruction and an open-ended reform process by the Palestinian
Authority, with the goal of one day allowing the internationally recognized
authority to govern Gaza. So far, Trump is the only board member officially
named, though former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's name has been floated
as a possibility. Another U.S. official, also speaking on condition of anonymity
to discuss closed-door deliberations, says members of the board will be
announced in the coming weeks. The key challenge will be forming a board that
can work with Israel, Hamas, the mediators and international aid agencies.
Reconstruction
Trump's plan calls for an economic development plan to "rebuild and energize
Gaza," which suffered widespread destruction during the war and where most of
the territory's 2 million people are displaced and unemployed. Still, no such
plan has been announced. Egypt is expected to host a conference this month for
donor nations to pledge reconstruction aid. The United Nations has estimated the
cost of rebuilding Gaza would amount to $70 billion. Raising that money will be
difficult. Even more difficult would be finding a plan acceptable to the many
governments involved, along with their private sector partners.
Disarmament
The ceasefire deal calls for Hamas to surrender all of its weapons under the
supervision of international monitors. Militants who disarm will be granted
amnesty and the option to leave Gaza. However, Hamas, whose ideology is based on
armed resistance against Israel, says it will not disarm until Israel ends its
occupation of Palestinian territories. Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official,
told The Associated Press that the group is open to " freezing or storing" its
weapons while a political process takes place, perhaps over many years. It is
unclear whether that is sufficient for Israel. Failure to disarm Hamas could
lead to renewed fighting with Israel, clashes with international troops and
block progress on the rest of the peace plan.
A Palestinian government
The Palestinians are to form a "technocratic, apolitical" committee to run daily
affairs in Gaza, under the supervision of the Board of Peace. The committee's
members have not been announced and Israel's opposition to having any
Palestinians connected to Hamas or the Palestinian Authority on it could make
choosing them more difficult. It is also not clear if the committee will give
Palestinians any real voice in the government or will exist only to implement
decisions by the Board of Peace. If the committee is seen as just a façade, it
risks not gaining public support and some figures may balk at joining it.
Israeli withdrawals
Under the ceasefire, Israel is to withdraw from all of Gaza, with the exception
of a small buffer zone along the border. At the moment, Israel retains control
of just over half of Gaza. The plan says further withdrawals will be based upon
"standards, milestones and timeframes linked to demilitarization" to be
negotiated by Israel, the U.S., the international force and other "guarantors."
There are no firm timelines for further withdrawals, and Israel may refuse to
pull back further. Its military chief, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, called the so-called
Yellow Line that divides the Israeli-held part of Gaza from the rest a "new
border" that would serve as a "forward defensive line for our communities."
Palestinian Authority
The plan calls for a reform of the Palestinian Authority, which runs the West
Bank, and create conditions for a "credible pathway" to Palestinian statehood.
Palestinian officials have met with Blair and U.S. officials, and have said they
have begun reforms in key areas such as corruption, the education system and
payments to families of prisoners convicted in attacks on Israelis. Israel
rejects the creation of a Palestinian state, opposes any role for the authority
in postwar Gaza and may oppose attempts to bring it in even if some reforms are
made. Without a pathway to statehood, any Palestinian support for the new system
could crumble. The plan also offers no clear benchmarks or timelines for the
reform process.
Israel killed highest number of journalists again this year
— media freedom group
AFP/December 09, 2025
PARIS: RSF said Israel was responsible for nearly half of all journalists killed
this year worldwide, with 29 Palestinian reporters slain by its forces in Gaza,
the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) group said on Tuesday. In its annual report,
the Paris-based media freedom group said the total number of journalists killed
reached 67 globally this year, slightly up from the 66 killed in 2024. Israeli
forces accounted for 43 percent of the total, making them “the worst enemy of
journalists,” RSF said in its report, which documented deaths over 12 months
from December 2024. The most deadly single attack was a so-called “double-tap”
strike on a hospital in south Gaza on August 25 which killed five journalists,
including two contributors to international news agencies Reuters and the
Associated Press. In total, since the start of hostilities in Gaza in October
2023, nearly 220 journalists have died, making Israel the biggest killer of
journalists worldwide for three years running, RSF data shows. Foreign reporters
are still unable to travel to Gaza — unless they are in tightly controlled tours
organized by the Israeli military — despite calls from media groups and press
freedom organizations for access.
Elsewhere in the RSF annual report, the group said that 2025 was the deadliest
year in Mexico in at least three years, with nine journalists killed there,
despite pledges from left-wing President Claudia Sheinbaum to help protect them.
War-wracked Ukraine (three journalists killed) and Sudan (four journalists
killed) are the other most dangerous countries for reporters in the world,
according to RSF. The overall number of deaths last year is far down from the
peak of 142 journalists killed in 2012, linked largely to the Syrian civil war,
and is below the average since 2003 of around 80 killed per year. The RSF annual
report also counts the number of journalists imprisoned worldwide for their
work, with China (121), Russia (48) and Myanmar (47) the most repressive
countries, RSF figures showed. As of December 1, 2025, 503 journalists were
detained in 47 countries across the world, the report said.
Saudi Arabia, Iran affirm commitment to implementing Beijing Agreement
Arab News/December 09, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia, Iran and China affirmed their commitment to implementing
the Beijing Agreement during a meeting in Tehran on Tuesday. Saudi Deputy
Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khureiji attended the third meeting of the Joint
Tripartite Committee between Saudi Arabia, Iran and China. The Saudi and Iranian
sides “affirmed their commitment to implementing the Beijing Agreement in its
entirety, and their continued pursuit of strengthening good neighborly relations
between their countries through adherence to the Charter of the United Nations,
the Charter of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and international law,”
the Saudi Press Agency said in a statement. Saudi Arabia and Iran also
welcomed the continued positive role China has played as well as its continued
support in implementing the Beijing Agreement. Meanwhile, China affirmed its
readiness to continue supporting and encouraging the steps taken by the Kingdom
and Iran toward developing their relations in various fields. The three
countries welcomed the ongoing progress in Saudi-Iranian relations and the
opportunities it provides at all levels, SPA added. The three countries also
called for an immediate end to Israeli aggressions in Palestine, Lebanon and
Syria. They also condemned any acts of aggression against the territorial
integrity of Iran.
Assad’s ‘Trap’: A Night
That Shook Tehran’s Allies in Baghdad
London: Ali Saray/Asharq Al-Awsat/December 09, 2025
A senior Iraqi security official urged his driver to pick up speed as they raced
toward Damascus airport. He needed to catch a flight back to Baghdad, while
alerts kept lighting up his phone. One message stood out: “The Syrian factions
are on their way to the capital.”It was Saturday evening, December 7, 2024, and
the official had just wrapped up a routine mission in northeastern Syria to
coordinate border security. But Syria itself was on the edge of a dramatic
shift, its old order crumbling and a new one taking shape in the ruins. At the
outskirts of Damascus, the official’s convoy halted, waiting for “extraordinary
arrangements” with the emerging authorities. A flurry of sudden, unexpected
contacts unfolded between the two sides. A former Syrian official from the
Military Operations Directorate said it was “the first time that Hayat Tahrir
al-Sham group communicated with an official in the Iraqi government.”An Iraqi
security officer who was present during the arrangements said that “the process
went ahead with unexpected ease at the time, and we entered Damascus” alongside
members of the group on the morning of December 8, 2024. Then a message arrived
like a lightning strike: “Bashar al-Assad has fled.”Damascus airport was a
ghostly stage. Even the officers of the Air Transport Brigade whom the Iraqi
official knew had disappeared. No one asked for a ticket or a passport. The
diplomatic lane was wide open to the wind. The man boarded a special flight to
Baghdad. As the plane climbed through daylight, the Iraqi security official
carried a bag full of questions about the new Syria. On the same route, but on
the ground, Iraqi militias that had been stationed in Syria since 2011 were
withdrawing. Convoys moved from the Damascus countryside toward Al-Bukamal near
the Iraqi border, making a final one-way journey for hundreds of fighters,
leaving behind 15 years of a “Resistance Axis” now collapsing like a mountain of
sand. Exclusive testimonies gathered by Asharq Al-Awsat from Iraqi figures
involved in the Syrian file before Assad’s escape reveal how militias withdrew
from Syria without coordination or prior arrangements. The accounts describe
what unfolded behind the scenes, including how they viewed the events, and later
showed that Tehran, Moscow and Assad had each made separate decisions not to
fight in Syria, failing to share essential information with their Iraqi allies
until late.
The testimonies also shed light on the reactions of Shiite groups following the
collapse of the Assad regime, including calls to strengthen the influence of
armed factions in Iraq’s political process and reinforce what became known as
“Shiite governance” in Baghdad, in order to “absorb the shock felt by those who
had been left behind in Syria.”
On November 30, 2024, three days after the launch of Operation Deterrence of
Aggression to topple the Syrian regime, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani
held a phone call with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. At that time, Syrian
opposition factions had seized control of the Aleppo countryside. Sudani told
Assad that “Syria’s security is tied to Iraq’s national security.” The following
day, the opposition encircled Hama. Sudani did not call Assad again. In Nineveh,
the northern Iraqi province that borders Syria, Shiite militia leaders attempted
to send reinforcements to Syria, since “as the Syrian factions advanced, the
number of Iran-aligned fighters was far smaller than in previous years.” A
militia official in Nineveh said they told their fighters, “You must protect the
Shiites and the shrines in Syria,” and many volunteers were eager to join.
Kadhim al-Fartousi, spokesman for Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada, which had been
active in Syria since 2013, said the group withdrew in late 2023. “Our mission
was over,” he said. Until 2018, Syria was crowded with more than 150,000
fighters from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, Hezbollah and Iraqi militias,
according to Iraqi and Syrian security estimates. The Syrian army under the
former regime appeared smaller than the foreign forces operating on its
territory. By December 2023, something had changed.
The Revolutionary Guard allowed several Shiite groups to leave after
consultations with Assad. It was widely said that a “regional deal” had driven
this shift.
As part of the partial withdrawal of Iranian-backed forces from Syria in 2023,
Assad was attempting to regain Syria’s seat in the Arab League. It required
significant time and diplomatic maneuvering to prepare for an almost impossible
reintegration with the Arab world, which ultimately did not materialize. When
Operation Deterrence of Aggression began in November 2024, the number of Iranian
groups in Syria had fallen to several thousand, but Assad’s return to the Arab
fold was not complete. As opposition factions advanced toward Damascus, the
prevailing belief was that Shiite groups were moving to plug a gap that no one
had noticed. On December 2, 2024, dozens of fighters infiltrated Syria at night
via an unofficial military road, but United States aircraft struck their convoys
near Al-Bukamal. After that, it became clear that those who had been eager to
enter Syria were backing off. The next morning, Syrian opposition forces seized
14 towns in Hama and turned to the battle for Homs. That day, Iraq’s Kataib
Hezbollah said “it is too early to decide on sending military support to
Syria.”A senior member of a Shiite armed group said he asked his superiors in
Baghdad about the first days of Operation Deterrence of Aggression. “Do not
worry... Syria may fall to the opposition, but Damascus will hold,” they told
him, referring to Assad’s grip on the capital. “A week later,” he added, “we
could no longer comprehend what had happened.”
Before the opposition reached Homs, Shiite groups assumed the advance would stop
there. A commander said intelligence reports reviewed by officials in Iraq’s
National Security Service, the Popular Mobilization Forces leadership and
militia commanders indicated that Russia and Iran would halt the opposition’s
momentum and that Homs would be the decisive point. But Russia used its air
superiority sparingly. As opposition factions moved from Hama toward Homs on
December 6, 2024, aircraft believed to be Russian struck the Al-Rastan bridge
linking the two cities with destructive force, but not enough to prevent convoys
from crossing. Later aerial footage showed Sukhoi jets armed with missiles
sitting unused at Russia’s Hmeimim airbase as opposition fighters crossed the
bridge into Homs, which was fully taken by dawn on December 7. At this point,
many within the so-called Resistance Axis became convinced that the swift
advance of the opposition was not a mere maneuver. The militia commander said
they realized “the Iranians had given us conflicting signals... maybe they were
deceived too.”Questions about the roles of Tehran and Moscow remained
unresolved. Shiite factions had no clear answers in the months following Assad’s
escape. Today, Fartousi, the Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada spokesman, believes that
“the Russian and Iranian position only shifted after the Assad regime retreated,
the forces holding the ground collapsed and the battle turned into a
confrontation with the people.”But sources from factions active in Syria since
2013 spoke of “a decision taken early by Iran not to wage a battle in Syria due
to far more complex regional calculations.”According to these sources, “Iran was
not confident of favorable outcomes had it confronted the opposition’s advance,
because it realized too late that Moscow was acting independently in Syria.”In
the end, the pillars of the alliance between Moscow, Tehran and Assad appeared
to be drifting apart, taking separate battlefield decisions that enabled the
opposition’s rapid advance and Assad’s even faster escape. What is certain, the
Shiite commander said, is that “the Iraqi groups were not central to the
discussions that led to what happened.” By then, more than ten Iraqi factions
had spent over a decade on the Syrian front, during which thousands of fighters
were drawn into a sea of blood.
‘And the wheel turns’
At six in the morning on December 8, 2024, former Iraqi Prime Minister Adel
Abdulmahdi posted on X about how tables turn and the “aggressor” is overtaken by
events. Shock swept through Shiite political forces in Baghdad. Assad had fled
and the regime had fallen. Two days after the liberation, all factions had left
Syrian territory and Assad was in Moscow. On December 12, 2024, Nouri al-Maliki,
leader of the State of Law Coalition and a long-time ally of Assad, declared
that “the goal of what happened in Damascus is to stir the street in Baghdad.”
Public opinion erupted with questions.
Shiite political circles in Baghdad struggled to absorb the shock. Private
discussions intensified around “the future of the Shiites in Iraq,” dominated by
deep confusion, according to participants in closed-door meetings held in the
weeks following Assad’s escape. They said Shiite decision-makers found no
answers regarding what had happened in Syria or Iran’s role, and many struggled
to answer how Iraq and the region would change after Assad. One participant in a
private session held in January 2025 said the crisis in Syria was not about
Assad’s escape or the collapse of the Resistance Axis, but for Iraqi Shiites it
was about “redefining their role after old alliances and balances had
crumbled.”Secondary effects of this difficult debate emerged within Shiite
groups. Many within the resistance environment began promoting the concept of a
“Shiite federation” stretching from Iraq’s Samarra to Basra on top of vast oil
reserves. The idea faded quickly, like cold ash. Talk of “Shiite governance”
intensified. A militia commander said: “Shiite forces in recent months focused
on strengthening the domestic scene and consolidating their presence in
political life, which explains their active participation in the elections held
on November 11, 2025, and the victory of armed factions in seats in the new
parliament.”It appeared that all those who had fought in Syria won seats in the
new legislature. Asaib Ahl al-Haq, led by Qais al-Khazali, secured 28 seats. The
Badr Organization, led by Hadi al-Amiri, won 18. The Rights bloc, linked to
Kataib Hezbollah, won six. A list affiliated with Kataib Imam Ali won three. The
Services Alliance, led by Shibl al-Zaidi, won nine seats. These groups are now
proposing a transitional project built on new Shiite roles, driven by the
growing ambition of leaders such as Khazali to craft an umbrella that shields
Shiite groups from fragmentation by expanding their influence in both the
legislative and executive branches of the state. In March 2025, Khazali was
asked about the new Syria. He said: “It is the duty and interest of the Iraqi
state to engage with it, as long as those governments represent their
countries.”A Shiite leader said the moment Assad fled was not a Syrian event as
much as “an earthquake in Shiite consciousness inside Iraq,” pushing everyone to
reconsider the alliances that had shaped the region for years. But beneath this
transformation lie lingering questions and doubts about “the future of the
Iranian doctrine itself,” now facing major disruption after four decades of
uninterrupted influence across the region. “The answer,” the commander said,
“has not yet matured.”
Soleimani warned Al-Assad about ‘spy’ Luna Al-Shibl: Al-Majalla
Al-Majalla/December 09, 2025
LONDON: The late Iranian General Qassem Soleimani confronted Syria’s National
Security Bureau chief Ali Mamlouk in late 2019 after seeing Luna Al-Shibl
leaving his office. Al-Majalla magazine claims its reporters reviewed a document
containing the full Arabic transcript of their exchange. Soleimani reportedly
asked, “Who is this?” and Mamlouk replied, “She is Louna Al-Shibl, the
president’s adviser.”The Quds Force commander pressed further: “I know, I know…
but who is she really? Where did she work?”According to Al-Majalla, a sister
publication of Arab News, he said her former salary was “ten thousand dollars,”
compared with her current salary of “five hundred thousand Syrian pounds,”
before asking: “Does it make sense for someone to leave ten thousand dollars for
five hundred thousand pounds? She is a spy.”Both Soleimani and Maher Al-Assad,
commander of the Syrian army’s powerful Fourth Division, had warned the ousted
president’s inner circle about Al-Shibl, Al-Majalla reported.
‘Suspicious’ car crash
On July 2, 2024, Al-Shibl was involved in what officials described as a traffic
accident on the Damascus-Dimas highway. She was hospitalized and died four days
later. But Al-Majalla reported that photos of her armored BMW showed only minor
damage, raising immediate questions among those close to the case. Eyewitnesses
told the magazine that the crash was intentional. One said, “a car approached
and rammed her vehicle,” and before her bodyguard could exit, “a man attacked
her and struck her on the back of the head,” causing paralysis that led to her
death. She was first taken to Al-Saboura clinic, then transferred to Al-Shami
Hospital. Several senior regime-linked figures, including businessman Mohammed
Hamsho and an aide to Maher Al-Assad, were present when her condition
deteriorated. One witness told Al-Majalla that when her bodyguard tried to
explain what had happened, “he was arrested immediately in front of the others.”
The presidency later issued a brief statement announcing her death. Her funeral
was attended only by a handful of officials. Then president Al-Assad did not
attend.
A surge in returns, a
crisis unresolved: The uncertain path home for Syrians
LBCI/December 09, 2025
More than three million Syrians have returned home since the fall of Bashar
al-Assad’s government a year ago, according to the U.N. refugee agency. About
1.2 million returned from host countries abroad, while 1.9 million went back to
their areas inside Syria. Millions more have not yet returned. Internal returns
have largely taken place in central Syria toward Homs and Hama, in the north
toward Hama and Idlib, and in Damascus and its countryside, with smaller numbers
heading to Daraa and Raqqa. From Lebanon, Syrians have also begun returning
since the collapse of the Assad government — some because the fall of the regime
removed fears of persecution, and others for social or economic reasons,
particularly amid Lebanon’s financial crisis and reduced U.N. assistance.
Differences remain between Lebanese and U.N. figures. UNHCR estimates that
between 350,000 and 400,000 Syrians have returned, including permanent and
temporary returns, noting the absence of comprehensive Syrian government
statistics. Lebanon’s General Security reports that more than 320,000 refugees
have returned through organized repatriation efforts, most of them in the second
half of this year. Still, returns to Syria remain fragile. Some returnees have
yet to resettle, and challenges such as reconstruction needs, limited basic
services and scarce job opportunities continue to hinder long-term stability.
Despite these trends, dozens of Syrians continue to enter Lebanon illegally each
day for political, economic or social reasons, amid incomplete control over the
border and the persistence of informal crossings that, while better monitored,
have not been fully secured.
Israel to reopen crossing
with Jordan to Gaza aid trucks Wednesday
Agence France Presse/December 09, 2025
Israel will reopen the crossing on the Israeli-controlled border between Jordan
and the occupied West Bank to humanitarian aid trucks destined for Gaza for the
first time since late September, an Israeli official said on Tuesday. "Following
the understandings and a directive of the political echelon, starting tomorrow
(Wednesday) the transfer of goods and aid from Jordan to the area of Judea and
Samaria and to the Gaza Strip will be permitted through the Allenby Crossing",
an Israeli official said in a statement Tuesday, using the Israeli Biblical term
for the West Bank. "All aid trucks destined for the Gaza Strip will proceed
under escort and security, following a thorough security inspection", the
official added.
Trump eyes anti-drug operations in Mexico, Colombia as
Venezuela looms -Politico
Reuters/December 09, 2025
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump continued his threats of land strikes
against suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers in an interview published on
Tuesday as Trump administration officials prepared to brief top US lawmakers
amid mounting tensions. The Republican president also told Politico that he
could extend anti-drug military operations to Mexico and Colombia, speaking in a
wide-ranging interview that also took aim at Europe, including another call for
Ukrainian elections and support for Hungary’s leader. His comments, in an
interview conducted Monday, reiterated much of his world view after releasing a
sweeping US strategy roadmap last week seeking to reframe the country’s global
role. That National Security Strategy described a nation focused on reasserting
itself in the Western Hemisphere while warning Europe that it must change course
or face “erasure.”“They’re weak,” Trump told Politico, referring to Europe’s
political leaders. “They want to be so politically correct.”“They don’t know
what to do,” he added. “Europe doesn’t know what to do.”In the Americas, Trump
repeatedly declined to rule out sending American troops into Venezuela as part
of an effort to bring down President Nicolas Maduro, saying he did not want to
discuss military strategy: “I don’t want to rule in or out.”Asked if he would
consider using force against targets in other countries where the drug trade is
highly active, including Mexico and Colombia, he said: “I would.”Later on
Tuesday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff General Dan Caine and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio are expected to
brief congressional leaders and the heads of Congress’ intelligence panels,
sources told Reuters.The briefing follows a months-long military campaign
against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific that has come under
intense scrutiny following a September 2 decision to launch a second strike on a
suspected drug boat in the Caribbean.
“WEAK” EUROPE
A spokesperson for the European Commission, asked about Trump’s comments,
defended the bloc’s leaders and said the region remained committed to their
union despite challenges such as Russia’s war in Ukraine and Trump’s tariff
policies.
“I will refrain from commenting, other than confirming that we are very pleased
and grateful to have excellent leaders,” EU Spokesperson Paula Pinho said at a
daily briefing for journalists, adding that they were “leading the EU with all
the challenges that it is facing, from trade to war in our neighborhood, and who
are showing that they can be united.”In his interview, Trump again said he
thought it was time for Ukraine to hold elections as the war nears its four-year
mark. Ukraine is expected to share a revised peace plan with the US later on
Tuesday, one day after hastily arranged talks with European leaders. He also
said he did not offer a financial lifeline to the government of ally Hungarian
Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who met with Trump last month at the White House.
“No, I didn’t promise him, but he certainly asked for it,” he said.
Israeli
army takes journalists into a tunnel in a Gaza city it seized and largely
flattened
SAM MEDNICK/AP/December 09/2025
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — One by one, the soldiers squeezed through a narrow
entrance to a tunnel in southern Gaza. Inside a dark hallway, some bowed their
heads to avoid hitting the low ceiling, while watching their step as they walked
over or around jagged concrete, crushed plastic bottles and tattered mattresses.
On Monday, Israel's military took journalists into Rafah — the city at Gaza's
southernmost point that troops seized last year and largely flattened — as the
2-month-old Israel-Hamas ceasefire reaches a critical point. Israel has banned
international journalists from entering Gaza since the war began more than two
years ago, except for rare, brief visits supervised by the military, such as
this one. Soldiers escorted journalists inside a tunnel, which they said was one
of Hamas' most significant and complex underground routes, connecting cities in
the embattled territory and used by top Hamas commanders. Israel said Hamas had
kept the body of a hostage in the underground passage: Hadar Goldin, a
23-year-old soldier who was killed in Gaza more than a decade ago and whose
remains had been held there.
Hamas returned Goldin's body last month as part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in
the war triggered by the militants' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel in
which 1,200 people were killed and hundreds taken hostage. Israel’s retaliatory
offensive has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health
Ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government. The ministry does not
differentiate between civilians and combatants, but says roughly half the dead
have been women and children. Israel and Hamas are on the cusp of finishing the
first phase of the truce, which mandated the return of all hostages, living and
dead, in exchange for Palestinians held by Israel. The body of just one more
hostage remains to be returned. Mediators warn the second phase will be far more
challenging since it includes thornier issues, such as disarming Hamas and
Israel’s withdrawal from the strip. Israel currently controls more than half of
Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to travel to Washington this
month to discuss those next steps with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Piles of rubble line Rafah's roads
Last year, Israel launched a major operation in Rafah, where many Palestinians
had sought refuge from offensives elsewhere. Heavy fighting left much of the
city in ruins and displaced nearly one million Palestinians. This year, when the
military largely had control of the city, it systematically demolished most of
the buildings that remained standing, according to satellite photos. Troops also
took control of and shut the vital Rafah crossing, Gaza’s only gateway to the
outside world that was not controlled by Israel.
Israel said Rafah was Hamas’ last major stronghold and key to dismantling the
group’s military capabilities, a major war aim. On the drive around Rafah on
Monday, towers of mangled concrete, wires and twisted metal lined the roads,
with few buildings still standing and none unscathed. Remnants of people's lives
were scattered the ground: a foam mattress, towels and a book explaining the
Quran.
Last week, Israel said it was ready to reopen the Rafah crossing but only for
people to leave the strip. Egypt and many Palestinians fear that once people
leave, they won't be allowed to return. They say Israel is obligated to open the
crossing in both directions.
Israel has said that entry into Gaza would not be permitted until Israel
receives all hostages remaining in the strip.
The tunnel that journalists were escorted through runs beneath what was once a
densely populated residential neighborhood, under a United Nations compound and
mosques. Today, Rafah is a ghost town. Underground, journalists picked their way
around dangling cables and uneven concrete slabs covered in sand. The army says
the tunnel is more than 7 kilometers (4 miles) long and up to 25 meters (82
feet) deep and was used for storing weapons as well as long-term stays. It said
top Hamas commanders were there during the war, including Mohammed Sinwar — who
was believed to have run Hamas’ armed wing and was the younger brother of Yahya
Sinwar, the Hamas leader who helped mastermind the Oct. 7 attack. Israel has
said it has killed both of them.
“What we see right here is a perfect example of what Hamas did with all the
money and the equipment that was brought into Gaza throughout the years," said
Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani. "Hamas took it and built an incredible city underground
for the purposes of terror and holding bodies of hostages.”Israel has long
accused Hamas of siphoning off money for military purposes. While Hamas says the
Palestinians are an occupied people and have a right to resist, the group also
has a civilian arm and ran a government that provided services such as health
care, a police force and education. The army hasn’t decided what to do with the
tunnel. It could seal it with concrete, explode it or hold it for intelligence
purposes among other options. Since the ceasefire began, three soldiers have
been killed in clashes with about 200 Hamas militants that Israeli and Egyptian
officials say remain underground in Israeli-held territory. Hamas has said
communication with its remaining units in Rafah has been cut off for months and
that it was not responsible for any incidents occurring in those areas. Both
Israel and Hamas have accused each other of repeated violations of the deal
during the first phase. Israel has accused Hamas of dragging out the hostage
returns, while Palestinian health officials say over 370 Palestinians have been
killed in continued Israeli strikes since the ceasefire took effect.
**Editor's Note: This article was submitted for review by Israel’s military
censor, which made no changes.
Iran halts execution of
woman married as a child after victim’s family ‘forgives’ her
AFP/December 09/2025
A woman sentenced to death by Iran over the death of her husband who she married
while a child will not be hanged after she was “forgiven” by the family of the
victim, the Iranian judiciary announced on Tuesday. Goli Kouhkan, a member of
the Baluch minority without documentation and now aged 25, had been set to be
executed this month in a case that had caused widespread international concern.
UN rights experts last week urged Iran to halt the execution of Kouhkan, saying
she was forced into marriage at the age of 12 to her cousin and at 13 gave birth
to their son, with both mother and child suffering violent abuse from the
husband. “She was forgiven through the mediation of the judicial system and the
consent of the deceased’s parents,” the judiciary’s Mizan Online website said,
posting a video of the ceremony where the documents were signed and saying the
parents had granted her a “new life.”The UN experts and other rights groups had
said that sparing Kouhkan’s life had been made conditional on her raising
so-called blood money (known as diyah), which under sharia law means a person
can be spared execution if money is paid for the life that has been taken. Her
lawyer Parand Gharahdaghi wrote on Instagram that the original sum, equivalent
to around 100,000 euros, had been reduced to around 80,000 euros and raised
through donations and charities. Mizan’s report did not mention the blood money
sum. Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, director of Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights,
which sought to raise awareness of her plight, said “her case reflects the
discrimination and structural violence experienced by many women in the Islamic
Republic who face the death penalty.” According to IHR’s current toll, Iranian
authorities have executed more than 40 women this year alone, many of them
victims of poverty, child marriage and domestic violence. “In court, no
consideration was given to Goli’s age at the time of marriage, the history of
domestic violence, or the fact that she had no access to a lawyer during her
arrest and interrogation and was illiterate at the time,” said Amiry-Moghaddam.
According to IHR, she was arrested over the killing of her husband in May 2018,
when she was 18 years old, and sentenced to death along with his cousin. It said
she had called her husband’s cousin for help when the husband had been beating
her and her son. A fight then broke out in which the husband was killed.
IHR said that the cousin, Mohammad Abil, “remains on death row and at risk of
execution. ”According to human rights groups including Amnesty International,
Iran is the world’s second most prolific executioner after China.
Zelensky meets pope, prepares revised plan on Russia war
Agence France Presse/December 09, 2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Pope Leo XIV in Italy on Tuesday
as he prepared to send the United States revised proposals to end Russia's
invasion. Zelensky on Monday held talks with European leaders in London and
Brussels as U.S. President Donald Trump keeps up pressure on Kyiv for a
settlement. Trump has accused Zelensky of not even reading his administration's
initial proposals, which were judged by Ukraine's allies to be overly favourable
to Russia. Zelensky said that Washington's 28-point plan had been reduced to 20
points after U.S.-Ukraine talks at the weekend. Ukrainian and European officials
"are going to work on these 20 points", Zelensky told an online press conference
on Monday. "We do not like everything that our partners came back with. Although
this issue is not so much with the Americans as with the Russians. "But we will
definitely work on it, and as I said, tomorrow evening (Tuesday) we will do
everything to send our view on this to the U.S." Washington's plan involved
Ukraine surrendering land that Russia has not captured in return for security
promises that fall short of Kyiv's aspirations to join NATO. Zelensky pointed to
the land issue and international security guarantees as two of the main sticking
points. "Do we envision ceding territories? We have no legal right to do so,
under Ukrainian law, our constitution and international law. And we don't have
any moral right either," Zelensky said. "The key is to know what our partners
will be ready to do in the event of new aggression by Russia. At the moment, we
have not received any answer to this question," Zelensky said.
'Robust security guarantees'
Zelensky met with Pope Leo at his country residence in Castel Gandolfo near
Rome, and is to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni later Tuesday. Meloni
has been a staunch supporter of Kyiv since Russia's February 2022 invasion,
although one of her coalition allies, Matteo Salvini's League party, is more
skeptical. Rome has sent weapons to Ukraine but only for use inside the country.
Meloni has also ruled out sending troops in a possible monitoring force proposed
by Britain and France. The Italian government last week postponed a decision on
renewing military aid to Ukraine, with the current authorisation due to end on
December 31. Salvini has reportedly questioning if it necessary given the new
talks. However, Meloni at the time insisted that "as long as there's a war,
we'll do what we can, as we've always done to help Ukraine defend itself".
On Monday, Zelensky met in London with the leaders of Britain, France and
Germany before heading to Brussels for talks with the heads of the EU and of
NATO. "Ukraine's sovereignty must be respected. Ukraine's security must be
guaranteed, in the long term, as a first line of defense for our Union,"
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after Monday's meeting.
French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X after the London meeting that "we
are preparing robust security guarantees and measures for Ukraine's
reconstruction". Macron said the "main issue" was finding "convergence" between
the European-Ukrainian position and that of the United States. Trump has blown
hot and cold on Ukraine since returning to office in January, initially
chastising Zelensky for not being grateful for U.S. support. But he was also
frustrated that efforts to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the
war had failed to produce results and he recently slapped sanctions on Russian
oil firms.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
published
on
December 09-10/2025
Pope Leo’s message of interfaith dialogue and peace
Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/December 09, 2025
The first visit abroad by a new leader reveals quite a bit about their
worldview, priorities and how they would like to be perceived by the
international community and their own people. Even more so when they are a
religious and spiritual leader for about 1.4 billion people across the globe, as
is the case with Pope Leo XIV, whose papacy began in May and who chose the
Middle East for his first overseas trip, sending a clear message of the
importance he attaches to interfaith dialogue and peace. This message might be
even more powerful coming from the first pontiff to originate in the US.
Pope Leo’s visit to Turkiye and Lebanon in late November and early this month
was also a test of how he would handle some sensitive issues away from the
protective environment of the Vatican. He very much took the political and
social complexities of these two countries in his stride, coming across as
genuine in his caring for the prosperity and security of his followers in the
region, while equally searching for common ground with all religions.
His decision to visit countries where the majority are Muslim — albeit there is
a stronger Christian minority in Lebanon than in Turkiye — demonstrates that he
will not avoid difficult conversations, while keeping to the spirit of dialogue.
Moreover, Pope Leo’s visit to Iznik, Turkiye, where the Nicene Creed was issued
in 325 A.D. and which served as a point of departure for uniting the Christian
world, was also symbolic of the need for present-day unity in his own backyard.
To engage in interfaith dialogue is not an avoidance of difficult questions but
exactly the opposite — and you would expect religious-spiritual leaders to make
a clear stand on issues of concern to their followers but in a manner that,
unlike too many politicians, unites rather than divides.
His decision to visit countries where the majority are Muslim demonstrates that
he will not avoid difficult conversations
Hence, when Pope Leo, during his visit to Turkiye, voiced the Vatican’s support
for a two-state solution as “the only solution” to end the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, while also emphasizing the deep friendship shared by the Vatican and
Israel, there is weight to it across many borders. This was even more pronounced
when he encouraged President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has prickly relations
with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to play a role in seeking an end
to the conflict. Similarly, the pope sent a message of the Catholic Church’s
support for brokering a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, as well as the
urgent need to end bloodshed wherever it occurs.
While it is risky for a religious leader, especially one of the pope’s stature,
to express views that could be perceived as more political than spiritual, there
is no project more spiritual than seeking to end wars and bloodshed. Visiting
the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, presiding over his first Mass outside Italy at an
arena in Istanbul and his silent prayer at the site of the Beirut port explosion
were all powerful messages of what unites us as humans, not what divides us.
Since the Enlightenment, there has been misunderstanding and confusion,
sometimes deliberately fostered, between religion and faith and between their
place in personal versus collective life. The Enlightenment was mainly a
European-based, secular reaction and opposition to the role of the church in
state and society. While state-church relations have changed dramatically over
the centuries — in many cases resulting in complete separation between the two —
religion and faith remained important ingredients of societies and belief in a
divinity stayed strong among many people, while manifesting itself in different
ways.
One aim of those who preached for secularism was to abolish the religious wars
that claimed the lives of many and sowed devastation as they did so. While in
recent times the main strands of all monotheistic religions have been peaceful
and have sought engagement through interfaith dialogue, there are also pockets
of fundamentalism in all of them that seek confrontation rather than coexistence
and reconciliation. There is also the phenomenon of liberal-progressive
secularism with little to no tolerance for religion or people of faith, which is
somewhat of an oxymoron.
There are very few who immerse themselves in interfaith dialogue and then cut
them short; precisely the opposite in fact
More recently, we have seen an unacceptable increase in antisemitism and
Islamophobia, much of it a misguided response to Oct. 7 and the war in Gaza.
Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to be involved with interfaith
dialogue and this has been one of the more rewarding experiences, even if
challenging at the best of times. Those engaged in this kind of dialogue are,
admittedly, a self-selected group with the curiosity to meet with people from
other faiths.
Most of the time, this comes from a deep conviction that, as human beings, there
is more that unites us than divides us — and the scriptures of all religions
would probably confirm this. There are very few who immerse themselves in
interfaith dialogue and then cut them short; precisely the opposite in fact: it
whets their appetite for more and makes them ambassadors of goodwill and
intercommunal dialogue for their friends, families, communities and even
workplaces. These conversations are not about convincing participants and others
that one side is right and the other is wrong. And they are not about creating a
single view of life and relations between individuals and communities that
extends all the way up to relations between nations and states. Rather, they are
about understanding and accepting differences, which are key to bringing people
together on the path to peaceful coexistence, and eliminating the approach that
sees the other as a source of threat to both their spiritual and physical
existence.
There is no magic wand or a ready-made template for conducting interfaith
dialogue that addresses the depth of our complex makeup as individuals and
societies and how we relate to one another. It takes close attention and careful
listening to reach the desired outcome. Still, by now there is enough evidence
and experience for us to promote this kind of conversation, even as alarming
events continue to take place.
For this, Pope Leo, in his visit to the Middle East, set out not only to support
the Christian communities in the region, but also to deliver a sermon, so to
speak, to people of all faiths across the globe, which was a timely message of
peace and coexistence between communities.
**Yossi Mekelberg is professor of international relations and an associate
fellow of the MENA Program at Chatham House. X: @YMekelberg
Trump, Al-Sharaa and the future
of Syria
Robert Ford/Al Majalla./December 09, 2025
It was during US President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East in May that
he first met Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, after being urged to by Saudi
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It
was a bold move. But bolder still was Trump’s later invitation for Al-Sharaa to
visit the White House, which he did on Nov. 10. It is rumored that the
president’s move drew the ire of cautious advisers, who were subsequently fired.
During Al-Sharaa’s White House visit, the Syrian leader held discussions for
several hours with key Cabinet officials. Not every foreign leader gets to visit
the Oval Office, albeit there was none of the pageantry that came with the big
ceremonial state welcome given to the crown prince a week later. Still, Al-Sharaa’s
visit was significant, not least for Trump’s public comments. “He’s a very
strong leader,” Trump said of his opposite number. “He comes from a very tough
place … I like him. I get along with him … He has had a rough past. We’ve all
had a rough past.”
This was the first time a sitting Syrian leader had been to the White House and
the first time a sitting American president had spoken supportively of a former
member of Al-Qaeda. Trump, who appreciates leaders who take decisive action,
believes Al-Sharaa’s terror links are a thing of the past and expressed his
“confidence” that the former Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham leader could help Syria be a
“successful” element of stability and peace in the region. For his part, Al-Sharaa
spoke about shared bilateral interests and goals, such as regional stability and
counterterrorism.
Getting Washington to permanently lift the economic sanctions is a top
diplomatic priority for Al-Sharaa.
After hearing about Syria’s key role in the Middle East from leaders in Turkiye,
Saudi Arabia, Qatar and from Al-Sharaa himself, Trump repeats it regularly when
talking to the media. Yet he has had some quiet pushback. Some members of his
Republican base reject his characterization of Al-Sharaa. Laura Loomer, a social
media personality, was among those to condemn Al-Sharaa as a Daesh terrorist and
criticize his invitation to the White House. Despite such criticisms, Trump is
ploughing ahead. Some have even suggested that he might accept an invitation to
Damascus. American security agencies would have concerns about his safety in the
Syrian capital, where the US Embassy has yet to reopen. But if Damascus agreed,
the US military could take control of a location inside a Syrian airbase near
the capital where Trump could hold meetings with Syrian leaders. They did
something similar in Baghdad, allowing high-level American officials to meet
their Iraqi counterparts during the Iraq War.
While such a visit seems far off, if he were to travel to Damascus, it would
have to be for a very deserving reason, such as the announcement of a historic
agreement — one that could change the Middle East, namely a full peace agreement
between Syria and Israel.
It is no secret that Trump wants to expand the Abraham Accords, normalizing
relations between Israel and other states. In a November social media post, he
called on Kazakhstan to join, despite the two countries having had formal
diplomatic ties since 1992. The Atlantic Council, a well-informed policy
institute in Washington, said Trump’s team was working to bring other Central
Asian states into the Abraham Accords to build a coalition of Muslim-majority
states that enjoy good relations with Israel.
This would not produce the same immediate political impact and longer-term
military implications as a peace agreement between Syria and Israel — Trump
knows this, as does Al-Sharaa. Both men will be making their own political
calculations. For his part, Al-Sharaa moves carefully. When Fox News asked him
about a peace treaty with Israel, he stressed that it still illegally occupies
the Golan Heights, as well Syrian territory in Quneitra seized after Assad’s
fall a year ago.
In his first administration, Trump officially recognized Israel’s annexation of
the Golan. Changing his stance would certainly be difficult, but not outright
impossible. Al-Sharaa is therefore focusing on an interim security arrangement
in which Israel would withdraw from Quneitra in return for agreed restrictions
on Syrian military deployments in southern Syria. Al-Sharaa is also sensitive to
Syrian sovereignty and security risks. Damascus rejected an Israeli demand for
humanitarian corridors from the Golan to the restive Druze province of Sweida,
well over 100km inside Syria. Israel’s reluctance to withdraw to the 1974 line
and Syria’s reluctance to establish a corridor will make clinching an interim
security agreement tricky. This means a comprehensive peace treaty looks to be
out of reach at present. Circling back to a point I made earlier, not everyone
in Trump’s Republican Party is enamored with Syria’s new rulers and a lot comes
down to US sanctions on the country, imposed during the era of Bashar Assad.
Getting Washington to permanently lift the economic sanctions is a top
diplomatic priority for Al-Sharaa, particularly the Caesar Act sanctions, which
intimidate foreign companies from investing in Syria’s devastated economy.
Trump canceled all the other sanctions he could by presidential order, but the
Caesar sanctions are enshrined in a law that Trump himself signed in 2019. In
May, Trump suspended them for 180 days after meeting Al-Sharaa in Riyadh. When
the Syrian president came to Washington, Trump renewed the suspension for
another 180 days.
The leaders of Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have impressed upon Trump that
Syria cannot be an effective counterterrorism partner if the Syrian economy is
struggling. The renewed suspension of Caesar sanctions is a positive step for
Syria, but the risk of sanctions being renewed against private companies (as
happened with Iran in 2018) may discourage foreign investors from betting on
Syria’s future. The Republican Party has majorities in both chambers of
Congress, but not all representatives support Trump’s call for the permanent
cancellation of Caesar sanctions without conditions. The likes of Sen. Lindsey
Graham and Rep. Brian Mast (a former soldier who chairs the House Foreign
Affairs Committee) instead urge a temporary suspension until Damascus meets
conditions connected to Israeli security, the protection of minorities in Syria
and political inclusion.
The shared interest in eliminating Daesh is the foundation of the new
Syrian-American relationship
Leaders of the Syrian-American community have helped Al-Sharaa meet with members
of Congress, including Mast, but reports indicate that Israeli officials, such
as former Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, have urged Trump to delay
the cancellation of sanctions so that this can be used as leverage in
negotiations between Tel Aviv and Damascus. One of the key drivers is the shared
US-Syrian interest in eliminating Daesh. Indeed, this is the foundation of the
new Syrian-American relationship, with Al-Sharaa having signed Syria up to join
the international coalition. This earned him credibility with American political
leaders and media outlets. There are clear sensitivities, however. Many of Al-Sharaa’s
top security officials have Islamist backgrounds, as does he, so the idea of
them fighting Daesh alongside the Americans and their Western allies may not sit
comfortably. Indeed, Syria’s information minister was quick to point out that
joining the coalition was a political agreement only and that it did not yet
involve any military arrangements. The justice minister said it concerned the
“sharing of information” and was not a “clear military alliance.”
After Al-Sharaa left the US, the Syrian presidency responded to a report in The
New York Times that Al-Sharaa had cooperated with the US against Daesh since
2016. His office called this “untrue and baseless.” Still, the impression today
is that relations are good, as seen in a video before Al-Sharaa’s visit to
Washington showing him playing basketball with top American military leaders.
Beyond the military realm, the Americans are providing technical advice to the
Syrian financial sector, focusing on payments and the new currency. A similar
technical set-up is in place in Iraq, aimed at eliminating money laundering and
blocking access to banks by terror groups and Iran. If Damascus is to take on a
bigger role in fighting Daesh alongside the Americans in Syria, that poses
questions about the future role of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces,
which has been the main US partner in the fight against Daesh for the past
decade and which runs an autonomous, oil-rich territory in the country’s
northeast.
The American military has spent years training and arming the SDF’s armed wing.
It has no such experience with the Syrian army yet. Building trust and
developing joint tactics will take time. For now, at least, Washington still
needs the SDF, whose commander, Mazloum Abdi, told a Kurdish newspaper in
October that the Americans had proposed a joint force composed of Syrian
government and SDF elements to fight Daesh. The White House wants to facilitate
a deal that brings the SDF into the new Syrian armed forces. An SDF source told
Al-Arabiya last month that the SDF wants its own full division, composed of two
of its brigades, with Kurdish commanders drawn from the SDF. It would be part of
the Syrian army but would remain deployed in northeastern Syria. Damascus has
remained tight-lipped on the idea, as has the US.
It is worth noting the unusual participation of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan
Fidan in part of the Trump-Al-Sharaa meeting at the White House. Fidan’s
presence indicates that Trump is coordinating with Erdogan over Syria, including
over the SDF, whose armed fighters have long been seen as a national security
threat in Ankara. For this reason, after the Oval Office meeting between Trump
and Al-Sharaa, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sat with his Syrian and Turkish
counterparts to discuss Syria, including the future of the SDF, as Fidan told a
Turkish network.
Few dispute how important it is to resolve the issue of SDF integration and the
future of the autonomous administration in northeastern Syria, yet most also
think it will take time. Meanwhile, the US military has immediate operational
requirements to fight Daesh. It therefore needs practical, short-term solutions,
even as Trump ally and US envoy Tom Barrack convenes more meetings to address
Syria’s future.
*Robert Ford is a former US ambassador to Syria and Algeria and is based in
Washington D.C.
*This article was first published in Al Majalla.
Why Turkey and Qatar Should Be Kept Away From Gaza
Khaled Abu Toameh/ Gatestone
Institute/December 09/2025
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22108/turkey-qatar-gaza-strip
One of the keynote speakers at the conference [hosted by Turkey] was Khaled
Mashaal, a senior Hamas leader based in Qatar.
Mashaal declared that the time has come for the Muslim nation to "commit to the
liberation of Jerusalem." He defined this act as the symbol and strategic key to
"liberating all of Palestine" -- meaning the destruction of Israel and replacing
it with an Islamist state.
As the conference was underway, Israeli authorities revealed documents that show
that Hamas is operating a system of Gazan moneychangers who live in Turkey and
exploit the country's financial infrastructure to secretly finance terrorism.
The closing statement of the conference asserted the necessity of waging Jihad
(war in the service of Islam)....
Turkey in addition, is the main sponsor behind the new president of Syria, Ahmed
al-Sharaa, formerly an al-Qaeda leader known as Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, leader
of the jihadist Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham militia. Is Turkey possibly trying to
position itself on either side of Israel to attack it after Trump leaves office?
Is Trump's selling arms to Qatar and Turkey in fact unwittingly preparing them
to launch such an attack? The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is evidently concerned
about Qatar and Turkey playing a central role in the Gaza Strip.
Allowing Turkey or Qatar to play any role in the Gaza Strip means empowering
Hamas to reassert its control of the coastal area and rearm and regroup. Turkey
and Qatar are not going to participate in any effort to disarm Hamas or destroy
terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. On the contrary, as they openly state,
they will ensure that Hamas continues to rule the Gaza Strip and pursue its
Jihad to destroy Israel.
Allowing Turkey or Qatar to play any role in the Gaza Strip means empowering
Hamas to reassert its control of the coastal area and rearm and regroup. Turkey
and Qatar are not going to participate in any effort to disarm Hamas or destroy
terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. On the contrary, as they openly state,
they will ensure that Hamas continues to rule the Gaza Strip and pursue its
Jihad to destroy Israel.
In early December, Turkey hosted a conference called "Pledge to Jerusalem,"
under the slogan "Towards Renewing the Will of the Ummah in Confronting
Liquidation and Genocide." According to reports in the Arabic media, the
conference was attended by "a number of Arab and Islamic organizations."The
conference, according to a report by the Hamas-affiliated Quds Press media
outlet:
"The conference aims to 'unify the efforts of the Ummah to criminalize genocide
and break the siege, stand against plans of forced displacement and annexation
of the West Bank, and renew the covenant to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque from the
dangers of Judaization...'At the conclusion of the second day, participants aim
to issue the 'Covenant for Jerusalem Document,' described as a comprehensive
charter affirming the constants of the Ummah and the choice of resistance,
according to the conference vision obtained by Quds Press. "The conference
will... further issue a scholarly fatwa establishing the religious duty to
defend Jerusalem, resist normalization, and oppose alignment [between Israel and
the Arab and Islamic countries]."
The conference in Istanbul comes amid reports that Turkey is seeking to play a
role in the Gaza Strip as part of US President Donald J. Trump's 20-point plan
for ending the Israel-Hamas war. The war erupted with the October 7, 2023
Hamas-led invasion of Israel, which resulted in the murder of 1,200 Israelis and
foreign nationals, the wounding of thousands, and the abduction of 251 people to
the Gaza Strip as hostages.
The conference, held under the auspices of the Turkish leadership, serves as a
reminder that Turkey is not an impartial mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict.
One of the keynote speakers at the conference was Khaled Mashaal, a senior Hamas
leader based in Qatar. Mashaal underscored the urgency of confronting Israel and
reaffirmed the centrality of Palestinian unity and "resistance," a euphemism for
armed conflict and terrorism against Israel. Mashaal repeated Hamas's rejections
of Trump's plan, specifically the parts that call for the demilitarization of
the Gaza Strip, the establishment of an international governing body, and the
deployment of an International Stabilization Force there. "Rejecting any form of
external guardianship over Gaza, Meshaal stressed that Palestinians must govern
themselves. He emphasized the need to safeguard the resistance project and its
weapons, calling them vital to the struggle for freedom."Mashaal declared that
the time has come for the Muslim nation to "commit to the liberation of
Jerusalem." He defined this act as the symbol and strategic key to "liberating
all of Palestine" -- meaning the destruction of Israel and replacing it with an
Islamist state.
By hosting such a conference of Islamists, Turkey is sending a message to the
United States that it is opposed to Trump's plan to disarm the terrorist groups
in the Gaza Strip. Turkey, in addition, is sending a message to the US and the
international community that it fully supports Hamas and other Palestinian
terror groups that reject Trump's efforts to achieve normalization agreements
between Israel and some Arab and Islamic countries, including Saudi Arabia.
As the conference was underway, Israeli authorities revealed documents that show
that Hamas is operating a system of Gazan moneychangers who live in Turkey and
exploit the country's financial infrastructure to secretly finance terrorism.
The network, according to the Israeli authorities, works in full cooperation
with the Iranian regime and has transferred millions of dollars directly to
Hamas and its senior leaders. The network conducts extensive financial activity
in Turkey, including receiving, holding, and forwarding Iranian funds to Hamas.
The exposé identified three Hamas operatives, all originally from the Gaza
Strip, who are operating as moneychangers in Turkey under Iranian direction.
They are Tamer Hassan, a senior figure in Hamas's finance office in Turkey, who
works directly under Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, and Khaled Farwana and Farid
Abu Dair.
On October 6, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that disarming Hamas
cannot be the main priority in the Gaza Strip. "That cannot be the first thing
to do in the process, the disarming," Fidan said. "We need to put things in
[their] proper order, we have to be realistic."
The Istanbul conference was not the first of its kind hosted by Turkey. In
August, a high-level conference sponsored by Turkey and Qatar, and attended by
150 senior Muslim clerics from 50 countries, was held in Istanbul at the grand
mosque of Hagia Sophia, formerly a Byzantine church. The closing statement of
the conference asserted the necessity of waging Jihad (war in the service of
Islam):
"The Islamic nations must be generally prepared with knowledge, military force,
reverence for Allah, and Jihad for the sake of Allah in all its forms. Allah
said: 'And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of
war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy...' (Quran 8:60).
He also said: 'O believers! Shall I show you a bargain that will deliver you
from a painful punishment" [It is to] have faith in Allah and His Messenger, and
wage Jihad in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is best
for you, if only you knew.' (Quran 61:10-11)."
The assumption that Turkey can play a constructive and positive role in post-war
Gaza is wrong and misguided. Like Qatar, Turkey has long been sponsoring and
funding Hamas and hosting many of its leaders and terror operatives.
Turkey in addition, is the main sponsor behind the new president of Syria, Ahmed
al-Sharaa, formerly an al-Qaeda leader known as Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, leader
of the jihadist Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham militia. Is Turkey possibly trying to
position itself on either side of Israel to attack it after Trump leaves office?
Is Trump's selling arms to Qatar and Turkey in fact unwittingly preparing them
to launch such an attack?
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is evidently concerned about Qatar and Turkey
playing a central role in the Gaza Strip. "The UAE views Doha and Ankara as
'Hamas enablers," a source familiar with its stance told The Jerusalem Post.
"These states will make it possible for the terror organization to continue
existing. These are interested parties affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood
who are currently embedding themselves in key positions in the Gaza
reconstruction plan."
Allowing Turkey or Qatar to play any role in the Gaza Strip means empowering
Hamas to reassert its control of the coastal area and rearm and regroup. Turkey
and Qatar are not going to participate in any effort to disarm Hamas or destroy
terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. On the contrary, as they openly state,
they will ensure that Hamas continues to rule the Gaza Strip and pursue its
Jihad to destroy Israel.
*Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
*Follow Khaled Abu Toameh on X (formerly Twitter)
© 2025 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.
From evil to upheaval: How the 'axis' metaphor shaped
modern geopolitics
Andrew Latham, Professor of Political Science, Macalester College/Associated
Press/December 09, 2025
The plural of "axis" is "axes," apparently. And foreign policy types with axes
to grind have been making good use of this other meaning, too. Earlier this
year, academic Walter Russell Mead warned in his Wall Street Journal column of
the threat from the "axis of revisionist powers" – namely China, Russia, North
Korea and Iran. The same grouping has gone by other names, too: the "axis of
upheaval" and "axis of autocracies" among them. As a scholar of international
relations, I know that framing any coalition or grouping as an "axis" does more
than merely describe — it does some serious geopolitical work. The term summons
the memory of the original "axis," that of the Axis powers of World War II. What
it attempts to do is cast any named grouping of countries as similarly
dangerous, duplicitous or degenerate. To call a group of nations an "axis" is to
situate them in a lineage of villainy, transforming today's rivalries into an
echo of that original alliance.
The origins of the 'axis'
The naming of today's "axes" tends to come out of think tanks and foreign policy
institutions of the U.S. But the origin story begins not in Washington, but in
Rome. In 1936, Italy's fascist leader, Benito Mussolini, proclaimed that a
"Rome–Berlin Axis" would divide Europe, constituting a geopolitical line around
which other countries would orbit. By the time of World War II, the term "Axis
powers" had come to refer to the military coalition of Germany, Italy and Japan.
In that historical context, the word "axis," from the perspective of nations
outside that group, carried connotations of unity, threat and evil from the
offset. The term fell largely into disuse with the Axis powers' defeat in 1945.
That was until U.S. President George W. Bush famously revived the word after the
Sept. 11 attacks. The "axis" he referenced in his 2002 State of the Union
address wasn't an existing alliance. Rather, he was creating one in the public
imagination: an "axis of evil." The three countries Bush named in that group –
Iran, Iraq and North Korea – had little in common, beyond Washington's
suspicion. Yet by linking them under a single, ominous label, Bush transformed
three separate challengers into a unified menace.
The phrase "axis of evil" was never meant to map reality; it was meant to shape
it by fusing disparate adversaries into a single moral and strategic category.
From one metaphor to another
From Bush's revival, the idea of axes took on a life of its own. Al-Zahf Al-Akhdar,
a Libyan daily newspaper, retorted that in reality, Bush's targets comprised an
"axis of resistance." Iranian leaders and their allies picked that term up and
reworked it to apply to a network of aligned armed movements across the Middle
East, including the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza
Strip. What had been a Western accusation was transformed into a badge of honor
for those who defined themselves as resisting American hegemony and Israeli
occupation. But it was the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 that revived the
use of "axis" in the imagination of Washington analysts. In a 2024 article for
Foreign Affairs, former U.S. foreign policy officials Andrea Kendall-Taylor and
Richard Fontaine warned of an "axis of upheaval" dedicated to "overturning the
principles, rules and institutions that underlie the prevailing international
system." The four countries in this "axis" – China, Iran, North Korea and Russia
– have little formal coordination. But the phrase captured something about mood
and moment: the sense that the world is tilting toward multipolar rivalry and
systemic friction.
Words that make worlds
Calling a coalition an "axis" is never a neutral act – it is a political label.
It can transform separate grievances into one unified struggle, or it can reduce
a complex relationship to an "us versus them" or "good versus evil" frame. The
effect is double-edged. On the one hand, such language can be useful for
mobilizing public opinion and bringing a sense of threat into focus. On the
other, it makes categories more rigid and diplomacy harder. Once a nation has
been put on an "axis" list, engagement can become morally freighted, and
compromise can be framed as appeasement. The "axis of evil" label, for instance,
helped make possible the 2003 invasion of Iraq, but it made talks with Iran and
North Korea politically toxic for many years. Whether "evil," "resistance" or
"upheaval," each variant of the "axis" metaphor tells us something about the way
that political language constructs the world it describes.
When we talk about an "axis," we are not just mapping alliances in the world. We
are also helping to define the moral geography of global politics — and deciding
who stands inside the circle of legitimacy, and who stands outside it. This
article is part of a series explaining foreign policy terms commonly used but
rarely explained.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons
license. Read the original article here:
https://theconversation.com/from-evil-to-upheaval-and-beyond-how-the-axis-metaphor-shaped-modern-geopolitics-268146.
One year after Assad: Syria
begins to rewrite its story
Ibrahim Hamidi/Al Arabiya English/December 09/2025
Only a year ago, Syria was a forgotten land, teetering on the edge of time; a
rusted regime and a heavy shadow. A people endlessly drained and a country torn
between the scars of history, the lure of geography, the weight of devastation,
and the pain of suffering. Then came that day, not merely a shift in the
balance, but the collapse of a wall that had for years seemed impervious to
fracture. A moment when air suddenly surged into the nation’s lungs and, from
it, a black dust receded. A year has passed since the disintegration of the
Assad regime, and since Ahmed al-Sharaa assumed his place in the palace, a place
long soaked in torrents of blood, a silent witness to bombs hurled from Qasioun
onto the belly of Damascus, and to wounds inflicted upon the shoulders of its
Ghouta. So much has happened in only the one year that has passed that it feels
like a decade. With careful steps and defiant dignity, Syrians have begun to
craft a new narrative – one not imposed onto them, but born from the ashes of
their own pain and suffering. Over the past year, the machinery of fear began to
unravel. Voices that had once shattered against the harsh wall of silence and
dissolved into darkness now rise into the public sphere, debating, clashing, and
contending. The breathing space that emerged this year is far from perfect, yet
it exists. That alone is a modest miracle in a country long suffocated.
Coming in from the cold
Diplomatically, Syria has emerged from decades-long isolation, one small step at
a time. Capitals began to shift from total severance to conditional dialogue and
guarded engagement. Some sanctions have been lifted or eased.
Reconstruction and development have also shifted from the realm of wishful
thinking and empty words to that of tangible action. And while cities are not
yet rebuilt as they should be, cranes now rise above the rubble like arms
insisting that life is possible. Deals and pledges have been signed and now
await implementation. And while bureaucracy continues to constrain development,
reconstruction is slowly piercing the landscape. Loud clamor is returning to
Syrian streets, markets and cafés. Yet beneath this surface lie layers of pain,
fear, and bleeding memory; layers that cannot be swept away by a renovated
façade or a grand ceremony, but only through a long process of reckoning and
healing. The plight of detainees, the displaced, the refugees, and the missing
remains the deepest and most persistent wound, and the one most capable of
dividing Syrian society. It has become a test for the new leadership and for the
country as a whole.
Renewed hope
Families have slowly begun to reclaim their most basic right: The truth. But for
many, justice has yet to be served. While Syria has a ways to go to become a
fully-functioning state, it has escaped the grip of suffocating rule that held
its future hostage.
The events of last year are neither the end of dystopia nor the beginning of
utopia; they are the first chapter of a long test in which Syrians are being
tasked with rebuilding their homeland, which miraculously survived the long
tyrannical rule of the Assads.
For the first time in a long time, Syrians are looking to the future with a
renewed sense of hope that had been stifled for decades.
Christians in the New
Syria: Accepted, But At-Risk
Aaron Y. Zelin/The Washington Institute/December 09/2025
Although some Christians have been targeted post-Assad, these incidents are
hardly an attempted “genocide,” but rather part of the broader internal security
challenge affecting all communities in Syria, including the majority population.
Syria is home to one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. In
Maaloula, locals still speak the ancient language of Aramaic to this day. After
the dawn of Islam in the Levant, generally speaking, Christians were allowed to
practice their faith without much harassment, but were second-class “citizens”
politically. In modern history, there was the infamous massacre of Christians in
Damascus in 1860. However, since then, they have been relatively free and safe.
Since the fall of the Assad regime a year ago, many have been worried about the
fate and future of Christians in the new Syria. Overall, they are allowed to
live and worship, but there have been a number of incidents where they have been
targeted. These greater risks must be confronted by the new authorities but
should be seen in concert with broader risks to all communities in Syria,
including the majority population. No one is safe from vigilante attacks in
Syria nowadays. Therefore, it is a complex picture worth unfolding to better
understand the current situation.
HTS and Christians Prior to the Fall of the Regime
Prior to the fall of the Assad regime, the current authorities were an insurgent
group that controlled northwest Syria under the name Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
In the years prior to the fall of the regime, HTS began to reconcile with
minority communities under its rule that they previously either ignored or had
adversarial relations with. In particular, the current Syrian president Ahmad
al-Sharaa (at that time Abu Muhammad al-Jawlani) first openly engaged with
Christians in the Idlib region in July 2022. Prior to this, living under HTS
rule was deeply unpleasant for minorities. HTS had previously confiscated at
least 550 properties from Christians, including homes and shops; the practice
originally began in 2015. Following the detente in 2022, Christians were allowed
to resume religious ceremonies and fix/rebuild their churches. Plus, a majority
of Christian property disputes were resolved and property was returned to its
original owner. The biggest changes for Christians initially under this more
friendly approach by HTS were the improvement in the security situation,
ejection of foreign fighters from their neighborhoods, and being able to
administer their own courts again. That being said, politically, Christians—as
with other minorities in HTS areas—were second-class citizens insofar as not
having any political representation in the General Shura Council and only being
represented by the Directorate of Minority Affairs, which wasn’t run by a
minority.
Engagement Following the Fall of the Regime
In the offensive that led to the fall of the Assad regime, the aforementioned
Directorate of Minority Affairs signaled in a statement that Christians would
remain safe under a new Syrian government. Since the fall of the regime, the
community continues to be an engaged partner with the transitional authorities.
Christian leaders met with al-Sharaa as early as late December 2024 and included
representatives from many denominations: Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Syriac
Orthodox, Syriac Catholics, Armenian Catholics, Maronite, National Evangelical,
and Latin. This engagement has continued throughout the first year of the
transition, including the recent visit in late October 2025 by al-Sharaa with
Patriarch John X Yazigi, Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East,
at the Patriarchate. Both reaffirmed each other’s duties toward one another in
safeguarding Syrian Christianity and supporting the state. The Patriarch
presented al-Sharaa with an alleged ancient Muslim document granting safety to
and a covenant with the Christians of Damascus. Patriarch John X Yazigi then
told al-Sharaa “we uphold the covenant,” and al-Sharaa responded “and we uphold
the covenant of our ancestors.”
This also plays into a theme of Umayyadism that Syrian Sunnis and the state have
pursued since the fall of the regime. At least for some Christians, who are
buying into this new Syrian project, they feel they have a part to play in this
as well and can rely upon the historical support Christians gave to the Umayyad
state as a way to wrap themselves in the new state of affairs. For example,
Nawar Najmeh, a Christian and spokesperson for the parliamentary elections
committee, explained in a video about Christian contributions to building the
Umayyad state, noting that this is why he seeks to help the new Syrian state.
Targeting and Violence Against Christians Since the Fall of the Regime
While the Christian community has generally been safe security-wise since the
fall of the regime, there have also been a number of larger incidents. These are
definitely dynamics to be concerned about. However, within certain online
circles they have been turned into fabricated stories about a genocide against
Christians, which is simply not true. This is one example where disinformation
campaigns have warped outsiders’ understanding of the reality on the ground.
That does not mean the local community or those outside of Syria should not
raise awareness and advocacy if there are legitimate issues, but pushing claims
of genocide for political reasons is detrimental.
For example, during the Coastal massacre against Alawites in March,
disinformation filtered into some Western and Israeli online echo chambers that
morphed into false reports about a massacre against Christians. A few Christians
were indeed killed, but it was more a circumstance of being at the wrong place
at the wrong time. Most of the victims killed during the Coastal massacre were
Alawites and Sunnis. Christian churches in Latakia even put out a joint
statement urging individuals not to be swayed by rumors. Unfortunately, months
later when there was a massacre against Druze in Sweida in mid-July, the Greek
Melkite Church of St. Michael in the village of al-Sura was attacked and set
ablaze.
Outside of those events, there was also the following: during Christmas 2024,
the burning of a Christmas tree by foreign fighters; on February 17, a group of
youth destroyed crosses in a cemetery in rural Homs; on April 6, assailants
attempted to burn down a church in Damascus; on May 17, the car of a Christian
family in Hama city was burned, and threatening leaflets were left in the area;
and on June 8, a church in Homs city was shot at.
In addition, the Christian community has been a huge target for the Islamic
State (IS) since the fall of the regime. According to the Syrian Ministry of
Interior, IS suspects confessed that they were planning to conduct a car bombing
attack against a church in Maaloula on New Year’s Day. Most notable was the June
22 suicide attack targeting the Mar Elias Greek Orthodox church in the Damascus
neighborhood of Dweila, killing at least twenty-five people and injuring
sixty-three—the largest attack against Syria’s Christian community since 1860.
It was claimed by a shadowy group called Saraya Ansar al-Sunnah, which is an IS
front group.
The Syrian government was swift and united in condemning the Damascus church
attack. In addition to appropriate statements from top political and religious
officials, civil defense units quickly assessed the damage at the site, while
Damascus Governor Maher Marwan (al-Sharaa’s brother-in-law) and Social Affairs
Minister Hind Kabawat (a Christian herself) visited the church and met with
neighborhood residents. Al-Sharaa also offered condolences over the phone to
Greek Orthodox Archbishop Romanos al-Hannat. While Syria’s government viewed the
steps it took as sufficient, many Christians and other minorities suspect that
Damascus was somehow complicit in the attack. Such beliefs are prevalent even
after the government visibly enhanced security in Christian neighborhoods in
general and around churches during Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter.
Christian Issues With the Syrian Democratic Forces
Outside of the Syrian government-controlled areas, we have also recently seen
Christians in the SDF-controlled areas attempting to use the new Syrian
government’s school curriculum so that students can sync their education with
the new authorities. However, due to the continued issues and negotiations
between Damascus and the SDF, the Autonomous Administration has shut down these
churches since they go against the local administration. Highlighting the
worries over Christians in Syria should not solely be focused on
government-controlled areas, even though in this instance the SDF ended up
backing down weeks later. The above highlights that the situation for Christians
in this new Syria is complicated, although it is not the same as if the Islamic
State or al-Qaeda was ruling the area. Damascus has made a concerted effort to
engage with the Christian community. At the same time, the community has been
targeted by vigilantes and the Islamic State in particular. This has created an
atmosphere within the community of unrest and suspicions regarding whether the
new authorities are truly willing to protect them, even while the Syrian
government has provided better security at its churches. Therefore, the only way
forward is to build more trust and for the new Syrian government to continue to
show it takes the safety of the Christian community seriously. Otherwise,
similar to Iraq, an ancient community might decide to become refugees in the
West and leave a historic legacy behind.
https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/christians-new-syria-accepted-risk
**Aaron Y. Zelin is the Gloria and Ken Levy Senior Fellow at The Washington
Institute and author of its new study “Institutions and Governance in the New
Syria: Continuity and Change from the Idlib Model.” This article was originally
published on the Hoover Institution website.
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