English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For  December 18/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
You will search for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come
Saint John 07/32-36/:”The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering such things about Jesus, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent temple police to arrest him. Jesus then said, ‘I will be with you a little while longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. You will search for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.’ The Jews said to one another, ‘Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What does he mean by saying, “You will search for me and you will not find me” and, “Where I am, you cannot come”?’

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 17-18/2025
The Necessity of Severing Diplomatic Relations Between Lebanon and the Islamic Republic of Iran and Expelling the Iranian Ambassador/Elias Bejjani/December 13/2024
Video- link/A debate between a Shiite from Iran’s terrorist mercenaries (Dr. Qassem Hadrag) and a patriotic Lebanese Shiite (Dr. Hassan Mazloum). A confrontation between good and evil, and between reason and stupidity.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar attends a press conference in Asuncion,
Video-Link to an interview with Israeli FM, Gideon Saar
Syria seizes large weapons shipment destined for Lebanon
Lebanese Army Discovers Hezbollah Tunnel in South
Lebanon Judge to Question Shipowner Linked to Port Blast
Israel Prepares: Military Confrontation with "Hezbollah"!
French Warning to Lebanon: Hezbollah’s Weapons North of the Litani Will Lead to Greater Complications
83 Bombs: Israeli Intelligence Reveals Dramatic Details of Nasrallah’s Assassination
Lebanese Army Finds Tunnel Following Excavation at "Mechanism" Request; Raid on Kfar Kila
Syrian Security Thwarts Weapons Smuggling Attempt Toward Lebanon
Yedioth Ahronoth: Israeli Military Campaign Against Hezbollah Won't Happen Before Netanyahu-Trump Meeting
Mitri: Lebanese Army Ready to Move to Subsequent Phases
Damascus Announces Thwarting New Arms Smuggling Attempt to Lebanon… Intensive Government Efforts to Secure Borders and Close Gaps
Aoun: Negotiation is not surrender, those promoting war have been exposed
Bitar travels to Bulgaria to question Russian-Cypriot shipowner
Report: Hezbollah official on secret visit to Saudi Arabia
Has the army found a Hezbollah tunnel in Touline?
Report: US changed its stance after US team met with Salam
Bou Saab says there’s inclination for 'technical postponement of elections'
Geagea urges boycott of legislative session, accuses Berri of blackmail

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 17-18/2025
Bahbah to Asharq Al-Awsat: Second Phase of Gaza Ceasefire Begins Next Month
What’s next for the Gaza ceasefire and will the truce last?
Israel fires mortar into Gaza residential area, wounding at least 10
Palestinians Retrieve Belongings from West Bank Camp Before Home Demolitions
Trump will not allow Israel to annex West Bank: US envoy to UN
Israeli FM says security deal with Syria would benefit both sides
Israel approves natural gas deal with Egypt, Netanyahu says
UK police to arrest those chanting ‘globalize the intifada’
US Senate votes to end ‘Caesar’ sanctions against Syria
US Reportedly Readies New Russia Sanctions if Putin Rejects Peace Deal
Germany Warns against Jeopardizing Peace after Trump's Venezuela Tanker Blockade
Trump to Attend Ceremony to Witness Return of US Personnel Killed in Syria
Trump Adds Seven Countries, Including Syria, to Full Travel Ban List
Zelenskyy says Russia preparing for new ‘year of war’
Rubio urges Sudan ceasefire, highlights need for Yemen stability in call with UAE FM

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 17-18/2025
How to Finish off the Muslim Brotherhood/Ahmad Sharawi/National Interest/December 17/2025
The 'Multicultural' Terrorist Threat Inside Europe: The Exported War No One Wants to Name/Pierre Rehov/Gatestone Institute/December 17, 2025
The Sydney Attack… Terrorism Is Not in Decline/Fahid Suleiman al-Shoqiran/Asharq Al Awsat/December 17/2025
Saudi Arabia’s rise as a global soft power leader/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya English/December 17/2025
AI pioneers have a responsibility to humankind/Mohamed Chebaro/Arab News/December 17, 2025
Caesar Act transitioning from a law to a sword/Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy/Arab News/December 17, 2025
Selected Face Book & X tweets for /December 17, 2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 17-18/2025
The Necessity of Severing Diplomatic Relations Between Lebanon and the Islamic Republic of Iran and Expelling the Iranian Ambassador
Elias Bejjani/December 13/2024
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/12/150192/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eKHFG0jauY&t=4s
What is known as the “Islamic Republic of Iran” is not the name of a normal state seeking balanced relations with its surroundings, but rather a mullah-led, expansionist, sectarian, and terrorist regime that, since its establishment in 1979, has been built on exporting Shiism, chaos, violence, sectarianism, and fanaticism under the slogan of “exporting the revolution.” This regime has never recognized the borders or sovereignty of states, but instead has treated the countries of the region as open arenas of influence. Lebanon has been—and continues to be—one of its most prominent victims.
Thus, Lebanon does not suffer from Iran’s criminality and terrorism as a geographically distant regime, but rather suffers from it as a regime effectively residing within its territory, imposing its decisions, paralyzing the state, confiscating the future, security, and coexistence of its people, and assassinating sovereignists and free individuals through its military, sectarian, terrorist arm, falsely and deceitfully called Hezbollah.
It is necessary to recall that Lebanon and the Lebanese people—particularly the Shiite community—did not choose the Iranian regime, nor were they behind the emergence of the Iranian terrorist proxy, Hezbollah. Iranian hegemony over Lebanon never came with the consent of the Lebanese people, nor even with the consent of the Shiite community itself, which has been abducted, confiscated, and turned into a hostage in the hands of Hezbollah, along with the Lebanese state and the Lebanese people.
Hezbollah was born under the Syrian occupation of Lebanon, with the direct sponsorship of the Hafez al-Assad regime, which facilitated and sponsored the violation of Lebanese land, institutions, and security agencies by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. At that stage, Hezbollah was not merely a resistance organization, but a closed ideological project whose goal was first to fully control the Shiite community, then to use that control to dominate the Lebanese state and transform Lebanon into an arena and base for Iran’s expansionist wars.
Under the false slogan of “resistance,” pluralism within the Shiite community was abolished, the community was politically, militarily, and financially subjugated, and turned into a human reservoir for an Iranian project that has nothing to do with its people, Lebanon, or Lebanese interests.
In 2005, the Syrian occupation army was forced to withdraw from Lebanon under the pressure of the Independence Intifada and international resolutions. However, the Lebanese did not regain their sovereignty, because the occupation did not end—it merely changed its form and tools. Instead of the state returning to its people, guardianship was transferred from Damascus to Tehran.
At that pivotal moment, Hezbollah replaced the Syrian army—not merely as a military force, but as a direct instrument of Iranian occupation. It gradually transformed from an armed militia into a state within the state, then a state above the state, and finally the state itself.
Since then, Hezbollah—composed of Lebanese mercenaries—has decided war and peace, paralyzed the parliamentary system in all its forms, imposed or toppled governments, dominated security and military decision-making, paralyzed the judiciary, and used state institutions as a superficial façade for its external project. Thus, Lebanon is no longer a partially hijacked state, but a fully confiscated one.
More dangerous than the occupation itself is the arrogance of Iranian rhetoric. Senior Iranian officials, led by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, have never attempted to conceal their interference in Lebanese affairs. On the contrary, they have openly boasted that Lebanon is part of their “axis,” that its decision is not independent, and that Hezbollah’s weapons are a red line decided in Tehran, not Beirut. These are not verbal slips, but a systematic official policy reflecting a condescending view of Lebanon, its people, constitution, and institutions, as if the Lebanese are incapable of governing their own country and in need of a “Supreme Jurist” to rule them from abroad.
Today, after Hezbollah’s military and political defeat, and after the issuance of clear international resolutions aimed at ending the state of illegal weapons and restoring Lebanese sovereignty, Iran insists on rejecting the new reality. Iran is not defending Lebanon, nor the Shiite community, but rather its last foothold on the Mediterranean coast. Therefore, it refuses to hand over Hezbollah’s weapons—which are, in reality, its own—refuses to return decision-making to the state, refuses to abide by international resolutions, and insists on keeping Lebanon, through Hezbollah, hostage to its regional project, even at the cost of what remains of the country.
Accordingly, there is no meaning or legitimacy for any diplomatic relations between Lebanon and a state that occupies its political decision, possesses an armed militia on its territory, openly interferes in its internal affairs, and treats its institutions with contempt.
Since diplomatic relations between states are based on parity and mutual respect—not on a relationship between a sovereign state, a regional master, and an affiliated militia—severing Lebanese–Iranian relations and immediately expelling the Iranian ambassador becomes an obvious sovereign step, not provocation or hostility, but a national rescue duty. There can be no liberation of the state while the embassy of an occupying power remains, and no sovereignty with a militia obeying foreign orders.
Lebanon will not be a state as long as Hezbollah is the state. It will not be independent as long as decisions of war and peace are made in Tehran. It will not rise as long as it remains occupied by weapons, terrorism, and Iran’s sectarian ideology. Therefore, cutting relations with Iran is not the end of the problem, but its correct beginning.
What is required, clearly and without hesitation, is: to prosecute Hezbollah’s leaders as war criminals and traitors, to completely disarm this Iranian terrorist proxy, to dismantle all its security, social, cultural, intelligence, and financial institutions, to officially designate it as a terrorist organization, as it is classified in dozens of countries around the world, and most importantly to prevent any ideologically indoctrinated Hezbollah member from entering state institutions, especially security and military ones.
Without this, Lebanon remains merely a name on a map, not a truly sovereign, free, and independent state.

Video- link/A debate between a Shiite from Iran’s terrorist mercenaries (Dr. Qassem Hadrag) and a patriotic Lebanese Shiite (Dr. Hassan Mazloum). A confrontation between good and evil, and between reason and stupidity.
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/12/150282/
From Red TV/17 December
A “Shiite” on-air showdown… the weapons will remain, Nabih Berri will pull the “rabbit,” and accusations against Ambassador Karam of being “Lahdist”!
In a new episode of the program Spectrum, featuring Dr. Qassem Hadrag, adviser in international relations, and political activist Dr. Hassan Mazloum, discussions addressed the upcoming parliamentary elections, the expatriate voting law, Thursday’s session, as well as meetings of the Mechanism Committee and the possibility of adding one Sunni and one Shiite figure to the committee.
What about handing over the weapons, and what might the army’s final report include, which the Commander of the Army will submit to the Council of Ministers on the fifth of next month? All these questions and more are answered by the two guests of Ghita Ghosn on Spectrum, broadcast on Radd TV.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar attends a press conference in Asuncion,
Al Arabiya English/December 17/2025
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Wednesday Israeli strikes against Hezbollah do not violate Lebanon’s sovereignty, arguing instead that the Iran-backed group is the party undermining the country’s sovereignty. In an exclusive interview with Al Arabiya English, Saar said Israel has only “minor” disputes with Lebanon that could be easily resolved, adding that the real problems stem from Hezbollah and Iran.
Watch the full interview here.
Israel wants to normalize relations and achieve peace with Lebanon, Saar said. The foreign minister said Israel must “finish” Hezbollah to protect its security and “bring Lebanon back to its people.”Turning to Syria, Saar said Israel wants to reach a security agreement with Damascus and stressed that Israel has no territorial ambitions in the country. “We never had territorial ambitions in Syria – if we did, we could have taken more [territory],” he said, adding that a security agreement would be in the interest of both countries. “We don’t want terror activities promoted from Syria.”On Iran, Saar said Tehran was “not only an Israeli issue,” noting that the United States joined Israel in striking Iranian nuclear sites during a 12-day war in June. He accused Iran of seeking to develop a nuclear weapon and described it as a threat to regional security.
Regarding Gaza, Saar said he hoped the ceasefire would move into its second phase but said Hamas’ disarmament remained a major obstacle. “We will not live with a terrorist state on our border,” he said. Commenting on the recent deadly attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, Saar said the world was “clearly” not doing enough to combat antisemitism. He called on Western governments to take stronger action, particularly in the public and digital spheres.

Video-Link to an interview with Israeli FM, Gideon Saar
Israel Wants A Security Agreement With Syria: Israeli FM Gideon Saar on Gaza & Bondi Beach Attack
Al Arabiyia Wnglisht/December 17/2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGKbz_p7D7M
In a special W News interview, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar speaks with Catalina Marchant De Abreu about Israel’s hopes of moving into the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, stressing that Hamas must disarm. He also says Israel wants a security agreement with Syria, explains why Israel seeks peace and normalization with Lebanon, and reflects on the recent antisemitic attack in Australia, saying the world is not doing enough to tackle antisemitism. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Wednesday Israeli strikes against Hezbollah do not violate Lebanon’s sovereignty, arguing instead that the Iran-backed group is the party undermining the country’s sovereignty. In an exclusive interview with Al Arabiya English, Saar said Israel has only “minor” disputes with Lebanon that could be easily resolved, adding that the real problems stem from Hezbollah and Iran.
Israel wants to normalize relations and achieve peace with Lebanon, Saar said. The foreign minister said Israel must “finish” Hezbollah to protect its security and “bring Lebanon back to its people.” Turning to Syria, Saar said Israel wants to reach a security agreement with Damascus and stressed that Israel has no territorial ambitions in the country.“We never had territorial ambitions in Syria – if we did, we could have taken more [territory],” he said, adding that a security agreement would be in the interest of both countries. “We don’t want terror activities promoted from Syria.”
On Iran, Saar said Tehran was “not only an Israeli issue,” noting that the United States joined Israel in striking Iranian nuclear sites during a 12-day war in June. He accused Iran of seeking to develop a nuclear weapon and described it as a threat to regional security. Regarding Gaza, Saar said he hoped the ceasefire would move into its second phase but said Hamas’ disarmament remained a major obstacle. “We will not live with a terrorist state on our border,” he said. Commenting on the recent deadly attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, Saar said the world was “clearly” not doing enough to combat antisemitism. He called on Western governments to take stronger action, particularly in the public and digital spheres.

Syria seizes large weapons shipment destined for Lebanon
Arab News/December 17, 2025
LONDON: Syrian authorities foiled a smuggling attempt of a large quantity of weapons bound for Lebanon in the countryside of the capital, Damascus, on Wednesday. Security forces intercepted the shipment in Zabadani region, a fertile valley area near the Lebanese border. The Ministry of Interior said that security forces ambushed the smugglers in the border town of Serghaya and seized the shipment. Authorities found and confiscated a large quantity of RPG shells concealed in an organized manner, intended for illegal transport across the border, according to the Arab Syrian News Agency. The operation highlights the ministry’s continued efforts to combat smuggling, secure the borders of the Syrian Arab Republic, and maintain national security and stability, SANA added.

Lebanese Army Discovers Hezbollah Tunnel in South
Beirut: Asharq Al Awsat/December 17/2025
The Lebanese army has uncovered a tunnel built by Hezbollah in the southern town of Touline after carrying out an excavation at the request of the ceasefire oversight committee known as the Mechanism, Lebanese media reported. The site had previously been struck by an Israeli attack, according to the reports. This was not the first time the Lebanese army has inspected sites at the request of the Mechanism or following Israeli threats, as part of coordination between the military, the committee overseeing the cessation of hostilities and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). A similar inspection took place last week when the army conducted a thorough search of a building in the southern town of Yanouh after Israel threatened to strike the house. No weapons were found. After the Lebanese army deployed, the Israeli military announced it had temporarily suspended the strike it had threatened on what it described as Hezbollah military infrastructure in the town. The developments came as Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon continued, with an air raid on Wednesday hitting the town of Kfar Kila. No casualties were reported, said the state-run National News Agency. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri described the Mechanism as a “platform for discussion and a framework for oversight and verification of compliance with agreements”, stressing that Lebanon has adhered to its commitments since the first day of the 2024 ceasefire, while Israeli violations have continued. On Hezbollah’s weapons, Mitri said during the opening session of the eighth conference of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut that Lebanese army commander General Rodolphe Haykal had proposed a five-phase plan starting with strengthening the army’s capabilities. He stressed that extending state authority in the area surrounding the Litani River was making gradual progress, with the army nearing completion of its mission south of the Litani in preparation for moving to later phases.
On reconstruction, Mitri added that the international community was making the extension of state authority a key condition for support. He hoped that Arab states would play a supportive role through their international relations. The developments come ahead of a new meeting of the Mechanism tasked with monitoring the ceasefire, scheduled for Dec. 19. It will be the second meeting attended by the head of the Lebanese delegation, Ambassador Simon Karam, after his participation alongside an Israeli civilian in the previous session earlier this month, marking the first direct talks between the two countries. President Joseph Aoun met Karam on Wednesday and provided him with guidance ahead of the meeting. The ceasefire monitoring committee includes Lebanon, Israel, France, the United States and the United Nations. The ceasefire agreement stipulates a halt to hostilities, the withdrawal of Hezbollah north of the Litani River, leading to its disarmament across Lebanon, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from positions they occupied during the latest war. Israel, however, maintains a presence at five “strategic” sites inside Lebanese territory, while Hezbollah refuses to disarm.

Lebanon Judge to Question Shipowner Linked to Port Blast
(Reuters/December 17/2025
Lebanese judge Tarek Bitar headed to Bulgaria on Wednesday to question a shipowner wanted in connection with a catastrophic 2020 Beirut port blast, a judicial official told AFP. The long-awaited questioning comes after a court this month refused Lebanon's request to extradite Igor Grechushkin, a 48-year-old Russian-Cypriot who was arrested in September at Sofia airport. Authorities in Lebanon say the August 4, 2020, explosion was triggered by a fire in a warehouse where tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer had been stored haphazardly for years, despite repeated warnings to senior officials. Beirut authorities have identified Grechushkin as the owner of the Rhosus, the ship that brought the ammonium nitrate into the port. The blast was one of the world's largest non-nuclear explosions, destroying swathes of the Lebanese capital, killing more than 220 people and injuring more than 6,500. The Lebanese judicial official told AFP on condition of anonymity that "Bitar headed to Sofia on Wednesday" and is expected to question Grechushkin the following day. The Lebanese embassy in Sofia is arranging for a translator and a clerk to record the minutes of the questioning, which Bulgarian judicial officials are to attend, the official said. According to Bulgarian prosecutors, Grechushkin is accused by Lebanese judicial authorities of "introducing explosives into Lebanon -- a terrorist act that resulted in the death of a large number of people". The Lebanese judicial official told AFP that authorities are relying on Grechushkin's testimony and the information he has about the ammonium nitrate shipment "and the party that ordered and financed it", and to determine if Beirut was the ship's destination. Bitar resumed his investigation this year as Lebanon's balance of power shifted following a war between Israel and Hezbollah that weakened the group, which had spearheaded a campaign against him.A travel ban imposed on Bitar as part of a judicial battle related to the case was recently lifted. President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who both took office this year, have vowed to uphold the independence of the judiciary in a country plagued by official impunity. Officials named in the port explosion investigation had filed a flurry of lawsuits seeking to hamper its progress.

Israel Prepares: Military Confrontation with "Hezbollah"!
Al-Modon/December 17, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that "Israel is preparing for a military confrontation with Hezbollah as the year-end deadline approaches for the group’s disarmament south of the Litani River, while Washington still sees a possibility of preventing escalation." The newspaper quoted Israeli officials stating that "a confrontation with Hezbollah has become inevitable because the organization is 'recovering and strengthening at a faster pace,' and that Israel has informed Washington that the Lebanese Army is not fulfilling the required task."

French Warning to Lebanon: Hezbollah’s Weapons North of the Litani Will Lead to Greater Complications
Al-Modon/December 17, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
A French diplomatic source pointed to "recent American restrictions on Israeli strikes in Syria but not in Lebanon," adding, "We want to spare Lebanon a new Israeli escalation." The source revealed to Al-Hadath that "Hezbollah will seek to rearm, and we are working to confirm that the Lebanese Army is doing what it says." He continued, "We proposed that a UNIFIL force accompany the Lebanese Army during Hezbollah’s disarmament," further noting that "UNIFIL’s withdrawal after one year should not lead to a security vacuum in southern Lebanon." He warned that "Hezbollah’s weapons north of the Litani will lead to greater complications than those existing in the south." He added, "Lebanon must provide a narrative different from the 'false' Israeli narrative that no progress is being made in disarming Hezbollah."

83 Bombs: Israeli Intelligence Reveals Dramatic Details of Nasrallah’s Assassination
Al-Modon/December 17, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
The Erem News website reported that two officers from Israeli intelligence units revealed to Yedioth Ahronoth new data regarding their participation in the assassination of former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, confirming that they "sought to assassinate Nasrallah alone in September 2024." According to the Israeli newspaper, Officer "S" highlighted the preparation for the operation by gathering a flood of information about the hideouts of Nasrallah and his entourage, stating: "We discovered that Hezbollah possessed dozens of hideouts and sensitive assets throughout Beirut, and we monitored the location closest to Nasrallah’s presence among these assets; this took many years." He added: "It is truly a labyrinth, as the bunkers are connected to a network of tunnels and passages under residential buildings... I wished it were only about knowing where Nasrallah was hiding."Young counter-intelligence officer "N" did not wait for Nasrallah to hide in the location she was responsible for; for weeks, she analyzed the bunker located at a depth of 20 to 30 meters underground. According to the officer, the "goal was to identify the 'entry points' as accurately as possible to enable the Air Force to drop 83 bombs on the site, ensuring the assassination of Nasrallah and members of the party’s military leadership." According to the newspaper, "N" knew the bunker well, confirmed Nasrallah’s presence there that evening instead of dozens of other options, and selected the correct aiming points for the attack. Officer "S" recalled how he presented the briefing prepared by Officer "N" to the head of intelligence and the commander of the Air Force, saying: "I was ready to put my rank on the table if the operation did not succeed." For this reason, Officer "S" says, "We did not stop at bombing the rooms where we believed Nasrallah was located, but also bombed nearby tunnel junctions to prevent his escape." In the operation that eliminated Nasrallah, dubbed "New Order," the IDF announced the killing of 30 Hezbollah members, including prominent leaders. The officers indicated that based on experience dealing with Hezbollah, vigilance remains a priority in Israel regarding another confrontation with the group, which "was deterred but not defeated." Israeli intelligence officers believe that "Hezbollah will be different in the next confrontation, especially given its less experienced leadership, but it still possesses a heavy arsenal of weapons and missiles, and tens of thousands of armed elements." According to the officers, "The challenge will not be limited to destroying weapons factories but will also include pursuing mid-level commanders who manage the operation." Lieutenant Colonel "A" explains that "Hezbollah invests heavily in protecting its assets. We estimate that rehabilitation budgets coming from Iran will increase in the coming years, exceeding $700 million annually." He concluded that the Iranians still view Hezbollah as a "primary proxy project."

Lebanese Army Finds Tunnel Following Excavation at "Mechanism" Request; Raid on Kfar Kila
December 17, 2025 Al-Markazia ( (Translated from Arabic)
An Israeli drone strike targeted Sari Hill between the areas of Al-Azziyeh and Al-Shakhroub in Kfar Kila this afternoon. Additionally, the Lebanese Army brought in excavators to search a site in the town of Toulin based on a request from the "Mechanism" committee, following Israeli claims of a tunnel in the area. It was reported that the army found the tunnel, which Tel Aviv claimed belonged to Hezbollah, in the southern town of Toulin.

Syrian Security Thwarts Weapons Smuggling Attempt Toward Lebanon
Al-Markazia/December 17, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
The Internal Security Directorate in the Zabadani region of Damascus Countryside thwarted an attempt today, Wednesday, to smuggle a shipment of weapons intended for Lebanon. The Syrian Ministry of Interior explained that following precise security monitoring, the directorate carried out a tight ambush in the border town of Serghaya, resulting in the seizure of a shipment containing large quantities of RPG rounds.

Yedioth Ahronoth: Israeli Military Campaign Against Hezbollah Won't Happen Before Netanyahu-Trump Meeting
Al-Modon/December 17, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
In less than two weeks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit the United States, where he will meet President Donald Trump in Miami. It appears that all active fronts—in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran—are waiting for what will be decided there to see which direction developments will take. Yedioth Ahronoth stated that according to estimates, the Israeli military campaign against Hezbollah will not occur before the upcoming meeting. The newspaper noted a decline in American support for a broad Israeli military operation against Hezbollah at this stage.

Mitri: Lebanese Army Ready to Move to Subsequent Phases
Beirut/Asharq Al-Awsat /December 17, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri described the "Mechanism" committee as a "space for discussion and a framework for oversight and verification," confirming Lebanon's commitment to it since day one. Regarding Hezbollah's weapons, Mitri stated during a Carnegie Middle East Center conference in Beirut: "Army Commander General Rudolf Heikal has proposed a five-stage plan, starting with strengthening the army's capabilities." He confirmed that "extending state authority in the Litani area is seeing gradual progress, with the army nearing the completion of its mission south of the Litani in preparation for moving to subsequent phases." Regarding reconstruction, Mitri explained that the international community requires the extension of state authority as an essential prerequisite for support. This comes two days before a new session of the "Mechanism" committee scheduled for December 19, which will be the second session featuring the participation of the head of the Lebanese delegation, Ambassador Simon Karam, alongside an Israeli civilian. President Joseph Aoun met with Karam on Wednesday and provided him with instructions ahead of the meeting. The ceasefire agreement stipulated the cessation of hostilities, Hezbollah's withdrawal north of the Litani leading to its disarmament throughout Lebanon, and the Israeli army's withdrawal from positions it advanced to during the last war. However, Israel maintains a presence in five strategic locations inside Lebanese territory, while Hezbollah refuses to disarm.

Damascus Announces Thwarting New Arms Smuggling Attempt to Lebanon… Intensive Government Efforts to Secure Borders and Close Gaps
Damascus: Muwaffaq Muhammad/Asharq Al-Awsat/December 17, 2025  (Translated from Arabic)
The new Syrian government is continuing its intensive efforts to secure the borders with Lebanon. During the era of Bashar al-Assad's regime, these borders served as a vital "artery" for Hezbollah to obtain weapons and funds coming from Iran. In this context, the Ministry of Interior announced on Wednesday that the Internal Security Directorate in the Zabadani region of the Rif Dimashq Governorate thwarted an attempt to smuggle a shipment of weapons intended for Lebanon.
In a statement published on its Telegram channel, the Ministry noted that "following precise security surveillance of the suspects' movements, the Directorate carried out a well-executed ambush in the border town of Serghaya, part of the Zabadani district. This resulted in the seizure of the shipment, which contained large quantities of RPG rounds hidden in an organized manner in preparation for cross-border smuggling."
The statement indicated that the seized items were "confiscated in accordance with legal procedures and transferred to the competent authorities for necessary legal action." It further explained that "this operation is part of the ongoing efforts by the Ministry of Interior to combat smuggling operations, secure the borders, and protect national security and stability."
Since the fall of the Assad regime on December 8 and the near-total termination of the Iranian military presence and Hezbollah fighters on Syrian soil, the new Syrian authorities have sought to tighten control over borders with neighboring countries. This includes pursuing drug trafficking networks, remnants of the Assad regime, and preventing arms smuggling. Over the past year since the liberation of Syria, the new authorities have announced the frustration of numerous arms smuggling operations to Lebanon. Informed sources in the Western Qalamoun region, which borders Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, spoke of "diligent efforts by the new Syrian authorities to control the borders and prevent all forms of smuggling." Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, the sources stated that Syrian authorities currently control the majority of the border with Lebanon, "but this does not mean all gaps used for smuggling have been closed." This is particularly true because Hezbollah—since before the 2011 revolution and during its years fighting alongside the Assad regime—built weapon depots and tactical tunnels in Syrian border areas near the Bekaa, including Western Qalamoun and Zabadani, with the regime's assistance. While the sources noted that the new Syrian authorities have seized a large number of these depots, confiscated their contents, and destroyed tunnels, they pointed out that "the majority of the depots built by 'The Party' (Hezbollah) on Syrian territory are invisible; therefore, it is likely that a number of them have not yet been discovered."
Observers believe that following the end of its presence and that of Iran in Syria, Hezbollah "is attempting, through sleeper cells, to smuggle what remains of the weapons in its undiscovered warehouses." This comes especially as its military capabilities have declined following the war launched by Israel last year, and amid reports suggesting the possibility of Israel launching a new war against it.
Last September, the Commander of Internal Security in Rif Dimashq, Brigadier General Ahmed al-Dalati, announced that "specialized units, in cooperation with the General Intelligence Service, managed—after precise follow-up and intensive field work—to arrest a cell belonging to the Hezbollah militia operating in the towns of Sa'sa' and Kanaker in Western Rif Dimashq." Al-Dalati stated at the time that preliminary investigations "showed the cell members received training in camps inside Lebanese territory and were planning to carry out operations inside Syria that threaten the security and stability of citizens." He noted that the operation resulted in the "seizure of rocket launchers, 19 Grad rockets, anti-tank missiles, individual weapons, and large quantities of various munitions."
According to Al-Dalati, the file was referred to the competent authorities for legal proceedings, while agencies continue to interrogate the detainees to uncover all links and objectives. Additionally, on October 11, the Internal Security Directorate in the Al-Qusayr region of the Homs countryside seized a shipment of "Kornet" missiles intended for smuggling out of the country, carried on two motorcycles—the second such operation in two weeks. The Ministry of Interior explained at the time that the seizure was "the result of precise investigations and continuous monitoring of illegal weapon sources." On Monday, November 10, the Internal Security Command in Homs Governorate managed to arrest an individual identified as "A. S." for involvement in arms and ammunition trafficking. According to an official statement, the arrest followed "accurate information regarding his trade in anti-tank missiles and various munitions." Security sources reported that security units "recently found a warehouse in the Homs countryside containing light and medium weapons and various ammunition used as a supply source for outlaw groups seeking to destabilize the region," as reported by the "Sham News Network." Additional quantities of weapons were found distributed across villages in the western Homs countryside, which authorities confiscated, noting they had been expertly hidden. The Directorate emphasized that "these operations fall within the Ministry of Interior's strategy to secure borders and combat smuggling, contributing to national security and enhancing stability in the border regions with Lebanon."

Aoun: Negotiation is not surrender, those promoting war have been exposed
Naharnet/December 17/2025
President Joseph Aoun announced Wednesday that he has resorted to negotiations with Israel in order to “consolidate security and stability, especially in the South,” stressing that “negotiation does not mean surrender.”“We are counting on the stances taken by U.S. President Donald Trump and his interest in the issue of peace, and we’re doing our part in this regard,” Aoun added, in a meeting with a delegation from the World Lebanese Cultural Union. “Lebanon is being rebuilt and it is recovering, and it cannot afford to go to war. As President of the Republic, I will pursue any path that leads me to the best interest of Lebanon. The important thing is to avert the specter of war, rebuild the country, ensure that people remain on their land, revive Lebanon economically, and develop its institutions. This is my goal, and if anyone has a problem with this goal, let them tell me," Aoun added. Noting that “those promoting war have had their game exposed,” the president lamented that "there are those who thrive on the war rhetoric in order to hold the elections based on it." "Is it permissible for some to distort the true picture, spread rumors, frighten the Lebanese people, and call for war for the sake of their electoral interest, whereas we must uphold our patriotic sense and responsibility in the critical circumstances we are going through?" Aoun wondered. The president had earlier in the day met with Simon Karam, the head of the Lebanese delegation to the Mechanism meetings, giving him instructions ahead of Friday's anticipated talks. Lebanon and Israel had both announced on December 3 the appointment of civilian members to a previously military-only committee monitoring enforcement of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that halted the latest war with Israel. The civilian members — Simon Karam, an attorney and former Lebanese ambassador to the U.S., and Uri Resnick, the Israeli National Security Council’s deputy director for foreign policy — took part in meeting of the Mechanism on December 4 and are scheduled to lead Friday's talks.

Bitar travels to Bulgaria to question Russian-Cypriot shipowner
Agence France Presse/December 17/2025
Beirut port blast investigator Judge Tarek Bitar headed to Bulgaria on Wednesday to question a shipowner wanted in connection with the catastrophic 2020 Beirut port blast, a judicial official told AFP. The long-awaited questioning comes after a court this month refused Lebanon's request to extradite Igor Grechushkin, a 48-year-old Russian-Cypriot who was arrested in September at Sofia airport. Authorities in Lebanon say the August 4, 2020 explosion was triggered by a fire in a warehouse where tons of ammonium nitrate fertilizer had been stored haphazardly for years, despite repeated warnings to senior officials. Beirut authorities have identified Grechushkin as the owner of the Rhosus, the ship that brought the ammonium nitrate into the port. The blast was one of the world's largest non-nuclear explosions, destroying swathes of the Lebanese capital, killing more than 220 people and injuring more than 6,500. The Lebanese judicial official told AFP on condition of anonymity that "Bitar headed to Sofia on Wednesday" and is expected to question Grechushkin the following day. The Lebanese embassy in Sofia is arranging for a translator and a clerk to record the minutes of the questioning, which Bulgarian judicial officials are to attend, the official said. According to Bulgarian prosecutors, Grechushkin is accused by Lebanese judicial authorities of "introducing explosives into Lebanon -- a terrorist act that resulted in the death of a large number of people." The Lebanese judicial official told AFP that authorities are relying on Grechushkin's testimony and the information he has about the ammonium nitrate shipment "and the party that ordered and financed it," and to determine if Beirut was the ship's destination.
Bitar resumed his investigation this year as Lebanon's balance of power shifted following a war between Israel and Hezbollah that weakened the militant group, which had spearheaded a campaign against him. A travel ban imposed on Bitar as part of a judicial battle related to the case was recently lifted. President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who both took office this year, have vowed to uphold the independence of the judiciary in a country plagued by official impunity.
Officials named in the port explosion investigation had filed a flurry of lawsuits seeking to hamper its progress.

Report: Hezbollah official on secret visit to Saudi Arabia
Naharnet/December 17/2025
Hezbollah’s Arab and international relations official, Ammar al-Moussawi, has been carrying out a secret visit to Saudi Arabia for the past three days, the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on Wednesday. The daily noted that Moussawi had visited Turkey on December 6-7 at the head of a Hezbollah delegation, to attend a conference on Jerusalem. Nidaa al-Watan added that Ankara later mediated Moussawi’s visit to Saudi Arabia, pointing out that President Joseph Aoun was put in the picture of the trip and that Speaker Nabih Berri had “calmly and skilfully” facilitated the move. Quoting unnamed sources, the newspaper said “the visit is aimed at offering reassurances and not exchanging (Hezbollah’s) weapons for (additional) powers” for Shiites in state institutions. “The Saudi approach is based on offering these reassurances instead of the appointment of a Shiite representative and a Sunni one in the Mechanism committee alongside Ambassador Simon Karam,” the sources said. “The discussions are not limited to this, but also include the possibility of postponing the parliamentary elections pending the crystallization of the Lebanese and regional scenes,” the sources added. The sources also noted that the file of reconstruction is not on the visit’s agenda, adding that “its success might open the Lebanese door to future Saudi aid.”“The kingdom is looking forward to a smooth transition from the pluralism of arms to their monopolization, amid its concern that things might descend into chaos should a regional state keep sending funds to extremist parties in Lebanon,” the sources added.

Has the army found a Hezbollah tunnel in Touline?
Naharnet/December 17/2025
The Lebanese Army found “an entrance to a small room containing no arms or equipment” in the southern town of Touline on Wednesday, following a request from the Mechanism ceasefire committee, which “conveyed an Israeli claim about the presence of a tunnel,” the al-Akhbar newspaper reported. Al-Jadeed television said the site had been previously targeted by an Israeli airstrike. The Israeli army said Saturday that it had "temporarily" suspended a strike on a building in the southern town of Yanouh after the Lebanese Army "requested access again to the specified site... and to address the breach of the agreement." Lebanese media reports said Lebanese troops found no arms in the building and that they remained deployed there.

Report: US changed its stance after US team met with Salam
Naharnet/December 17/2025
A meeting was recently held between Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and some U.S. officials concerned with the south Lebanon file, who were led by U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa and a number of U.S. experts and security officials involved in the work of the Mechanism committee, a ministerial source said. “By the end of the meeting, the Lebanese side noticed that the Americans became relatively convinced of the Lebanese government’s viewpoint, in light of clear explanations of the extent that the Lebanese Army has reached in the process of removing arms in the South Litani area as the year-end deadline approaches,” the source told Kuwait’s al-Anbaa newspaper. “The Americans lauded the Lebanese Army’s work in the South, as they stressed the need for it to carry on with this work, something that PM Nawaf Salam emphasized in the meeting,” the source said. “The delegation eventually submitted a report to the U.S. administration, which later led to a change in the U.S. stance on Lebanon,” the sources added, noting that “there are U.S. efforts to further press Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu not to carry out any new strike on Lebanon.”

Bou Saab says there’s inclination for 'technical postponement of elections'
Naharnet/December 17/2025
Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab met Wednesday at the Baabda Palace with President Joseph Aoun. “We discussed the parliamentary (elections) juncture and the current hurdles that are in its way, seeing as bickering and provocation cannot lead to parliamentary elections,” Bou Saab said after the meeting. Noting that “an electoral law cannot be approved without political consensus,” the Deputy Speaker said “there is an inclination to re-open the deadlines, which will anyhow lead to a technical postponement of the elections.”The Hezbollah-led camp and its rivals are bickering over the participation of expatriates in the upcoming elections. Hezbollah has argued that it does not enjoy the campaigning freedom that the other parties have abroad, while rivals led by the Lebanese Forces have accused Speaker Nabih Berri of preventing the parliamentary majority of discussing the issue in parliament for partisan reasons.

Geagea urges boycott of legislative session, accuses Berri of blackmail
Naharnet/December 17/2025
Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea on Wednesday called on all MPs to boycott Thursday’s legislative session, while accusing Speaker Nabih Berri of “blackmailing the North’s MPs over the Qoleiat airport clause.”Geagea also urged voters “who want expats to vote for the 128 seats at their places of residence abroad to pressure the MPs whom they voted for to boycott the session.”“This is not a disruption of parliamentary life as the other camp is claiming, but quite to the contrary, it is a revival of it,” Geagea added. "The parliament, in the way Speaker Berri is running it, has seemingly turned into his personal fiefdom, and this is unacceptable," the LF leader said. He stressed that "before we correct the way parliament operates, the work of the state cannot function properly.” “When the Speaker of Parliament disregards the constitution, the bylaws and the opinion of the parliamentary majority, what kind of parliament is this? This is not a real parliament," Geagea lamented. The LF leader also accused Berri of attempting to “blackmail the North’s MPs over the Qoleiat airport clause,” reminding that “the Qoleiat airport clause was approved in the previous session and went into effect based on parliament’s bylaws.”

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 17-18/2025
Bahbah to Asharq Al-Awsat: Second Phase of Gaza Ceasefire Begins Next Month
Cairo: Asharq Al Awsat/December 17/2025
The second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement is expected to begin in January, likely in the first or second week, according to Bishara Bahbah, head of the Arab Americans for Peace Committee and a mediator closely aligned with the US administration on the Gaza file. Bahbah told Asharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday that preparations for managing Gaza are already complete, with the names of the prospective committee finalized and Palestinian Health Minister Majed Abu Ramadan emerging as the most likely candidate to lead the body.
Bahbah, who remains close to White House deliberations on Gaza, said Washington supports the presence of Turkish forces as part of an international stabilization force, viewing them as the most capable of maintaining stability in the enclave.
He said the anticipated meeting between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later this month will be decisive for the second phase, noting that the United States will press for its launch next month and for a decision on Türkiye’s participation in the stabilization force.
Defining the mission
Bahbah disclosed details of a meeting held on Tuesday in the Qatari capital Doha on the formation of an international stabilization force for Gaza. He said one of the main objectives was for Washington to clearly identify which countries are prepared to participate and to determine the nature of each country’s contribution, whether through troops, training, or technical and logistical support. He said the second objective of the meeting was to clarify how the forces would coordinate with one another and establish a command structure, noting that one proposal under discussion is for a US general to lead the international force. Discussions also covered deployment locations and whether the force would be stationed outside the so-called yellow line separating Israeli-controlled areas from Hamas-held zones, within that line, or inside densely populated areas, as well as which parties would provide funding, he added.
Rejection of Israel’s approach
On deployment plans, Bahbah said discussions are ongoing but that the model sought by Israel was rejected by an overwhelming majority of participating countries, indicating broad agreement on monitoring rather than combat roles. On the nature of the mission, he stated that most participating states are unwilling to play any role related to disarmament, instead seeking to act as a buffer between Israeli forces and populated areas in order to protect civilians. The ultimate objective of the force’s presence is Israel’s gradual withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, he stressed. “These forces will not act on Israel’s behalf, particularly on disarmament,” Bahbah said, adding that Hamas leaders had expressed to him a willingness to negotiate on the issue. “Using force will not work,” he warned, noting that Israel had failed to disarm Hamas by force over the past two years and that no international party would succeed in doing so militarily.
Türkiye’s participation pivotal
On Türkiye’s role, Bahbah described Ankara’s participation as pivotal, saying Türkiye is the closest country to Hamas and the most capable of engaging with the group over its weapons, something other states struggle to do. He said the presence of Turkish forces in Gaza would be essential and would lead to greater stability, adding that Washington supports their involvement. Bahbah said Trump is expected to pressure Netanyahu during their upcoming meeting in the United States later this month to accept Turkish participation. He added that Israel is likely to seek conditions, possibly pushing for a compromise in which Türkiye’s role would be technical rather than armed, but stressed that pressure from the US administration would be decisive.
Second phase commitments
On the so-called Peace Council, Bahbah noted that Trump has spoken of many world leaders wanting to join it, stressing that membership would not be free and would entail commitments, including funding, providing security forces, or other obligations. Asked about potential members, he said names he has seen for the executive council include US envoys Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British prime minister Tony Blair, former US ambassador Richard Grenell, and former Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov. On Gaza’s administration, Bahbah revealed that a list of 42 candidates for a technocratic committee has been approved by Hamas, Fatah, and Egypt, adding that Health Minister Abu Ramadan is likely to chair the committee. Despite talk of obstacles to moving to the second phase, Bahbah said he expects it to be launched in the first or second week of January, specifically after the Trump-Netanyahu summit resolves outstanding issues. He denied knowledge of any arrangements for Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to attend the summit. Trump will not allow the agreement to fail, he remarked, describing this as “100 percent certain” and adding that Hamas remains committed to the ceasefire despite continued Israeli violations. Bahbah said the movement understands that Israel is seeking any pretext to resume what he described as acts of annihilation in Gaza and is therefore showing greater restraint to deny it that opportunity.

What’s next for the Gaza ceasefire and will the truce last?
Reuters/December 17, 2025
GAZA: More than two months after Israel and Hamas agreed a ceasefire halting two years of devastating warfare in Gaza, most fighting has stopped. However, both sides accuse each other of major breaches of the deal and look no closer to accepting the much more difficult steps envisaged for the next phase.
Ceasefire steps are outlined in three different documents. The most detailed is a 20-point plan issued by US President Donald Trump in September for an initial truce followed by steps toward a wider peace. It ultimately calls for Hamas to disarm and have no governing role in Gaza and for Israel to pull out of the territory. The sides have not fully agreed to everything in it. On October 9 Israel and Hamas did sign a more limited ceasefire deal involving only the first parts of Trump’s plan – a hostage and prisoner release, a halt to warfare, partial Israeli withdrawal and a surge in aid. The Trump plan was then endorsed by a third document, a United Nations Security Council resolution that also authorized a transitional governing body and international stabilization force in Gaza. All 20 remaining living hostages were returned, as well as hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Returning dead hostages has taken longer, with one body remaining in Gaza and 27 returned. Palestinian bodies have been returned in exchange for each Israeli body. There’s a dispute over aid. Hamas says fewer trucks are entering Gaza than was agreed. Aid agencies say there is far less aid than required, and that Israel is blocking many necessary items from coming in. Israel denies that and says it is abiding by its obligations under the truce. The Rafah border crossing into Egypt was meant to be opened in the first phase of the ceasefire. It remains closed and Israel has said it will only be opened for Palestinians entering and leaving Gaza when the body of the last hostage is returned. Gaza remains in ruins, with residents pulling bars from the rubble to construct tents. The UN children’s agency said in December that a “shockingly high” number of Gazan children were still acutely malnourished, while heavy rain has flooded thousands of tents and swept sewage and garbage across the territory, adding to a health crisis. Some violence has continued. Palestinian militants have launched attacks on Israeli forces in Gaza, killing at least three. Israeli fire at people near the demarcation line, and during operations that Israel says are targeting Hamas, has killed around 400 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. An international stabilization force is supposed to ensure security and peace inside Gaza but its composition, role and mandate are all up in the air. Indonesia and Pakistan may play a role. Israel wants any such force to disarm Hamas, a job few countries would relish handing their troops. A technocratic Palestinian body without Hamas representation is meant to govern for a transitional period but there have been no public announcements about how or when it will be formed. The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, is supposed to carry out unspecified reforms before ultimately taking a role in Gaza. But these have not been announced either. The Gaza government should be overseen by an international Board of Peace chaired by Trump. He has said this will be announced early in 2026 but its composition remains unclear. Under the Trump plan, Hamas is meant to disarm but the group has not agreed to that, saying it will only give up its weapons once there is a Palestinian state. Further Israeli pullbacks within Gaza are tied to disarmament.
WILL THE CEASEFIRE LAST?
Israel has repeatedly indicated that if Hamas is not disarmed peacefully, it will resume military action to make it do so, though a return to full-blown war does not look close. However, many Israelis and Palestinians suspect the Trump plan will never be fully realized and that the current frozen conflict will continue indefinitely. Israelis fear Hamas could rearm and threaten another attack like that of October 7, 2023. Palestinians fear Israel will never finish pulling out of Gaza or allow full reconstruction, leaving the territory in ruins and its people without a future. Military deployments and construction plans point to a possible de facto partition of the enclave into a zone directly controlled by Israel where it has been cultivating anti Hamas groups, and a Hamas-held area without reconstruction or services.
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF LONG-TERM PEACE?
Israelis and Palestinians have rarely trusted each other less and the two-state solution, seen by most countries as the best chance of a lasting peace, has never looked so remote — despite growing international recognition for a Palestinian state. The Trump plan recognizes self-determination and statehood as the aspiration of the Palestinian people but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly ruled this out. Elections are due in Israel in 2026 but there is no indication that any potential new government would accept Palestinian independence.

Israel fires mortar into Gaza residential area, wounding at least 10
AP/December 17, 2025
JERUSALEM: Israeli troops fired a mortar shell over the ceasefire line into a Palestinian residential area in the Gaza Strip, in the latest incident to rock the tenuous ceasefire with Hamas. Health officials said at least 10 people were wounded, and the army said it was investigating. The military said the mortar was fired during an operation in the area of the “Yellow Line,” which was drawn in the ceasefire agreement and divides the Israeli-held majority of Gaza from the rest of the territory. The military did not say what troops were doing or whether they had crossed the line. It said the mortar had veered from its intended target, which it did not specify. Fadel Naeem, director of Al-Ahli Hospital, said the hospital received 10 people wounded in the strike on central Gaza City, some critically. It was not the first time since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10 that Israeli fire has caused Palestinian casualties outside the Yellow Line. Palestinian health officials have reported over 370 deaths from Israeli fire since the truce. Israel has said it has opened fire in response to Hamas violations, and says most of those killed have been Hamas militants. But an Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with military protocol, said the army is aware of a number of incidents where civilians were killed, including young children and a family traveling in a van. Palestinians say civilians have been killed in some cases because the line is poorly marked. Israeli troops have been laying down yellow blocks to delineate it, but in some areas the blocks have not yet been placed.
Ceasefire’s next phase
The Israel-Hamas ceasefire is struggling to reach its next phase, with both sides accusing each other of violations. The first phase involved the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners. The second is supposed to involve the deployment of an international stabilization force, a technocratic governing body for Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and further Israeli troop withdrawals from the territory. The remains of one hostage, Ran Gvili, are still in Gaza, and the militants appear to be struggling to find it. Israel is demanding the return of Gvili’s remains before moving to the second phase. Hamas is calling for more international pressure on Israel to open key border crossings, cease deadly strikes and allow more aid into the strip. Recently released Israeli military figures suggest it hasn’t met the ceasefire stipulation of allowing 600 trucks of aid into Gaza a day, though Israel disputes that finding.
Humanitarian groups say the lack of aid has had harsh effects on most of Gaza’s residents. Food remains scarce as the territory struggles to bounce back from famine, which affected parts of Gaza during the war.
The toll of war
The vast majority of Gaza’s 2 million people have been displaced. Most live in vast tent camps or among the shells of damaged buildings. The initial Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Almost all hostages or their remains have been returned in ceasefires or other deals. Israel’s two-year campaign in Gaza has killed more than 70,660 Palestinians, roughly half of them women and children, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between militants and civilians in its count. The ministry, which operates under the Hamas-run government, is staffed by medical professionals and maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by the international community.

Palestinians Retrieve Belongings from West Bank Camp Before Home Demolitions
Asharq Al Awsat/December 17/2025
Dozens of residents from the West Bank's emptied Nur Shams refugee camp returned on Wednesday to retrieve belongings ahead of the Israeli military's demolition of 25 residential buildings there. Early this year, the military launched an ongoing operation it said was aimed at rooting out Palestinian armed groups from camps in the northern occupied West Bank -- including Nur Shams, Tulkarem and Jenin. Loading furniture, children's toys and even a window frame onto small trucks, Palestinian residents hurried Wednesday to gather as much as they could under the watchful eye of Israeli soldiers, according to an AFP journalist at the scene. Troops performed ID checks and physical searches, allowing through only those whose houses were set to be demolished. Some who were able to enter salvaged large empty water tanks, while others came out with family photos, mattresses and heaters. More than 32,000 people remain displaced from the now-empty camps, where Israeli troops are stationed, according to the UN's agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. Mahmud Abdallah, who was displaced from Nur Shams and was able to enter a part of the camp on Wednesday, said he witnessed for the first time the destruction that had taken place after he was forced to leave. "I was surprised to find that there were no habitable houses; maybe two or three, but they were not suitable for living," he said.
"The camp is destroyed".
The demolitions, affecting 25 buildings housing up to 100 families, were announced earlier this week and are scheduled for Thursday. They are officially part of a broader Israeli strategy of home demolitions to ease its military vehicles' access in the dense refugee camps of the northern West Bank. Israel has occupied the Palestinian territory since 1967. Ahmed al-Masri, a camp resident whose house was to be demolished, told AFP that his request for access was denied. "When I asked why, I was told: 'Your name is not in the liaison office records'," he said. UNRWA's director for the West Bank and east Jerusalem, Roland Friedrich, said an estimated 1,600 houses were fully or partially destroyed during the military operation, making it "the most severe displacement crisis that the West Bank has seen since 1967". Nur Shams, along with other refugee camps in the West Bank, was established after the creation of Israel in 1948, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced from their homes in what is now Israel. "We ask God to compensate us with palaces in paradise", said Ibtisam al-Ajouz, a displaced camp resident whose house was also set to be destroyed."We are determined to return, and God willing, we will rebuild. Even if the houses are demolished, we will not be afraid -- our morale is high."

Trump will not allow Israel to annex West Bank: US envoy to UN
Reuters/December 16, 2025
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump will not allow the annexation of the West Bank, Deputy US Ambassador to the UN Jennifer Locetta told the UN Security Council on Tuesday. “President Trump has been perfectly clear that the United States expects the violence in the West Bank to end, and that the United States will not allow the annexation of the West Bank,” she said. The West Bank is home to 2.7 million Palestinians who have limited self-rule under Israeli military occupation. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have settled there. Most world powers deem Israel’s settlements, on land it captured in a 1967 war, illegal, and numerous UN Security Council resolutions have called on Israel to halt all settlement activity. Israel disputes the view that its settlements are unlawful and it cites biblical and historical ties to the land. Meanwhile, an Israeli settler shot dead a 16-year-old Palestinian in Tuqu’ on Tuesday after the funeral of another teenager, the town’s mayor said. Violence has escalated in the West Bank since the beginning of the war in Gaza in October 2023. Attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank have increased sharply, with the UN reporting the highest number of attacks on record in October. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Muheeb Jibril’s death on Tuesday. “Today, after the funeral of 16-year-old Ammar Sabah, who was killed yesterday by the Israeli army in the town center, a number of youths were gathered by the main street when a settler shot 16-year-old Muheeb Jibril in the head,” Tuqu’ Mayor Mohammed Al-Badan told Reuters by telephone. Israeli forces killed Sabah on Monday during a military raid on the town, the Palestinian health ministry said. The military said the incident was under review. It said rocks were thrown at soldiers who used riot dispersal means and later responded with fire.

Israeli FM says security deal with Syria would benefit both sides
Al Arabiya English/December 17/2025
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Wednesday that Israel wants to reach a security agreement with Syria, stressing that his country has no territorial ambitions there. “We never had territorial ambitions in Syria – if we did, we could have taken more [territory],” Saar said in an exclusive interview with Al Arabiya English.
Watch the full interview here.
He added that a security agreement would serve the interests of both countries. “We don’t want terror activities promoted from Syria,” Saar said. The foreign minister also addressed the situation in Lebanon, saying Israeli strikes against Hezbollah do not violate Lebanese sovereignty. Instead, he argued that the Iran-backed group is the party undermining the country’s sovereignty. Saar said Israel has only “minor” disputes with Lebanon that could be easily resolved, adding that the real problems stem from Hezbollah and Iran. Israel wants to normalize relations and achieve peace with Lebanon, he said, adding that Israel must “finish” Hezbollah to safeguard its security and “bring Lebanon back to its people.”Turning to Iran, Saar said Tehran was “not only an Israeli issue,” noting that the United States joined Israel in striking Iranian nuclear sites during a 12-day war in June. He accused Iran of seeking to develop a nuclear weapon and described it as a threat to regional security. On Gaza, Saar said he hoped the ceasefire would move into its second phase but said the disarmament of Hamas remained a key obstacle. “We will not live with a terrorist state on our border,” he said. Commenting on the recent deadly attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, Saar said the world was “clearly” not doing enough to combat antisemitism. He called on Western governments to take stronger action, particularly in the public and digital spheres.

Israel approves natural gas deal with Egypt, Netanyahu says
Reuters/December 17/2025
Israel has approved a deal that will supply natural gas to Egypt, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday, describing it as the country’s “largest ever” gas deal. Israel signed the export agreement in August, to supply up to $35 billion of gas to Egypt from the Leviathan natural gas field. “I have today approved the largest gas deal in Israel’s history. The deal is for 112 billion shekels ($34.67 billion),” Netanyahu said in a televised statement. “This deal with the American Chevron company, with Israeli partners, will supply gas to Egypt.”He added that the deal, which had been held up over some outstanding issues, would help secure stability in the region. It should ease an energy crisis in Egypt, which has spent billions of dollars on importing liquefied natural gas since its own supplies fell short of demand. Egypt’s production began declining in 2022, forcing it to abandon its ambitions to become a regional supply hub. It has increasingly turned to Israel to make up the shortfall.

UK police to arrest those chanting ‘globalize the intifada’
AFP/December 17/2025
People publicly chanting pro-Palestinian calls to “globalize the intifada” will be arrested, UK police warned Wednesday, saying the “context had changed” in the wake of the Bondi Beach massacre. “We know communities are concerned about placards and chants such as ‘globalize the intifada’,” the London Metropolitan and Greater Manchester police forces said in a statement. “Violent acts have taken place, the context has changed – words have meaning and consequence. We will act decisively and make arrests.”Gunmen killed 15 people on Sunday when they fired into crowds at a Hanukkah festival on Sydney’s Bondi Beach. One, Sajid Akram, was shot and killed by police. His son Naveed, 24, was charged in hospital on Wednesday with more than 50 counts, including terrorism and 15 murders. The Bondi Beach attack came some two months after a gunman of Syrian origin attacked a synagogue in the English city of Manchester. Two people died along with the gunman in the October 2 attack on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur. UK police have already stepped up security around the country’s synagogues, Jewish schools and community hubs. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar urged Canberra to act against a “surge” in antisemitism after Sunday’s attack. In a post on X, Saar said since the October 7, 2023 attack and the subsequent war in Gaza “there has been a surge in antisemitism in Australia, including violent incitement against Israel and Jews.”He referred to slogans heard at pro-Palestinian protests, such as “Globalize the Intifada,” “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will be Free,” and “Death to the IDF,” the Israeli military. While Britain’s prosecutors have said the phrases do not meet the threshold for prosecutions, “in the escalating threat context, we will recalibrate to be more assertive,” Met Commissioner Mark Rowley and the Manchester Chief Constable Stephen Watson said in their joint statement. The intifada refers to Palestinian uprisings against Israel. The first raged from 1987 to 1993, while the second flared between 2000 and 2005. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose wife is Jewish, denounced the weekend gun rampage in Australia as “sickening,” saying it was “an antisemitic terrorist attack against Jewish families.”

US Senate votes to end ‘Caesar’ sanctions against Syria
Arab News/December 17, 2025
LONDON: The ending of tough US sanctions against Syria moved a step closer on Wednesday when the US Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of a sweeping defense bill. The National Defense Authorization Act, which sets out a record $901 billion in annual military spending, included measures to repeal the “Caesar Act” financial restrictions placed on Damascus. The sanctions were imposed in 2020 against former President Bashar Assad’s regime over the human-rights abuses carried out during the civil war. Assad was driven from power a year ago and the new government has worked to end Syria’s international isolation and has won support from President Donald Trump. Removing US restrictions on trade and investment with the country is seen as a crucial step in helping it recover from the devastating 13-year conflict. The legislation will now pass to the president who the White House has said will sign it into law. Syria’s foreign minister, Asaad Al-Shaibani, welcomed the progress of the bill. “We express our sincere gratitude to the US Senate for its support of the Syrian people through its vote to repeal the Caesar Act,” he wrote on X.“We consider this step a positive development that opens new horizons for cooperation and partnership between our country and the world.”

US Reportedly Readies New Russia Sanctions if Putin Rejects Peace Deal
Asharq Al Awsat/December 17/2025
The United States is preparing a further round of sanctions on Russia's energy sector to increase the pressure on Moscow should President Vladimir Putin reject a peace deal with Ukraine, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The US is considering options such as targeting vessels in Russia's so-called shadow fleet of tankers used to transport Moscow’s oil, and traders who facilitate the transactions, the report said. Reuters could not immediately confirm the report. The White House and the US State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The new measures could be announced as early as this week, the report said. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent discussed the move when he met a group of European ambassadors earlier this week, the report added. The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Russia's position on the deployment of any European troops to Ukraine under a possible future US-brokered peace deal was widely known but that the subject could be discussed. The New York Times reported that under current US proposals, Ukraine would receive a security guarantee from the West and that a Europe-led military force would assist Ukraine by operating in Western Ukraine away from the front lines.When asked about the reports, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that he did not want to give a running commentary to the media about the diplomacy, but that Russia's position - opposing any such deployment - was clear. "Our position on foreign military contingents on the territory of Ukraine is well known," Peskov told reporters. "It is well-known, it is absolutely consistent and understandable. But again, this is a subject for discussion." Peskov said that US special envoy Steve Witkoff was not expected to visit Moscow this week. Russia expects the US to inform Moscow about the results of the talks with Ukraine as soon as it is ready, Peskov said.

Germany Warns against Jeopardizing Peace after Trump's Venezuela Tanker Blockade
Asharq Al Awsat/December 17/2025
Germany has taken note of US President Donald Trump's order to blockade sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela and warned against any steps that would jeopardize peace and security in the region, said a foreign ministry spokesperson, Reuters reported. "The German government has an interest in preventing the situation in the region from deteriorating further," he noted. "We are therefore viewing the overall situation with concern," said the spokesperson at a government press conference on Wednesday.

Trump to Attend Ceremony to Witness Return of US Personnel Killed in Syria
Asharq Al Awsat/December 17/2025
US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will attend a ceremony on Wednesday to honor US personnel killed in Syria over the weekend by a suspected ISIS attacker. Trump and his wife will travel to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to be present for what the Air Force calls the "dignified transfer" of the bodies from overseas back into the United States in the presence of their families. The ceremony is scheduled to take place at 1:15 p.m. EST (1815 GMT), Reuters reported. Two US Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed on Saturday in the central Syrian town of Palmyra by an attacker who targeted a convoy of American and Syrian forces before being shot dead, according to the U.S. military. Trump called the incident terrible, vowed retaliation and referred to the three that were slain as "great patriots."Three US soldiers were also wounded in the attack. US presidents, vice presidents and dignitaries regularly attend the solemn transfer ceremonies at Dover during times of war or conflict that result in the deaths of US troops. Flag-draped transfer cases are brought off of a military plane with the bodies of the fallen and put with precision in an awaiting vehicle as officials and family members watch and often weep.

Trump Adds Seven Countries, Including Syria, to Full Travel Ban List
Asharq Al Awsat/December 17/2025
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday expanded a list of countries subject to a full travel ban, prohibiting citizens from an additional seven countries, including Syria, from entering the United States. The White House said in a statement that Trump signed a proclamation "expanding and strengthening entry restrictions on nationals from countries with demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing to protect the Nation from national security and public safety threats."Tuesday's move banned citizens from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria and those holding Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents. The action also imposes a full ban on Laos and Sierra Leone, which had previously only been subject to partial restrictions. The White House said the expanded ban goes into effect on January 1. The action comes despite Trump's vow to do everything he could to make Syria successful after landmark talks in November with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Trump has backed Sharaa, whose visit capped a stunning year for the opposition fighter-turned-ruler who toppled longtime autocratic leader Bashar al-Assad and has since traveled the world as a leader who wants to unify his war-ravaged nation and end its decades of international isolation. But in a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, Trump vowed "very serious retaliation" after the US military said two US Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in Syria by a suspected ISIS attacker who targeted a convoy of American and Syrian forces before being shot dead. He described the incident in remarks to reporters as a "terrible" attack. The White House cited visa overstay rates for Syria in its justification for the ban. "Syria is emerging from a protracted period of civil unrest and internal strife. While the country is working to address its security challenges in close coordination with the United States, Syria still lacks an adequate central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures," the White House said.
US ADDS MORE NATIONS TO PARTIAL RESTRICTIONS LIST
Trump signed a proclamation in June banning the citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States and restricting those from seven others, saying it was needed to protect against "foreign terrorists" and other security threats. The bans apply to both immigrants and non-immigrants, such as tourists, students and business travelers. The travel ban remains on those twelve countries, the White House said. Trump also added partial restrictions and entry limitations on an additional 15 countries, including Nigeria, which is under scrutiny from Trump, who in early November threatened military action over the treatment of Christians in the country. Since returning to office in January, Trump has aggressively prioritized immigration enforcement, sending federal agents to major US cities and turning away asylum seekers at the US-Mexico border.The expansion of the countries subject to entry restrictions marks a further escalation of immigration measures the administration has taken since the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, DC, last month. Investigators say the shooting was carried out by an Afghan national who entered the US in 2021 through a resettlement program under which Trump administration officials have argued there was insufficient vetting. Days after the shooting, Trump vowed to "permanently pause" migration from all "Third World Countries," although he did not identify any by name or define the term.

Zelenskyy says Russia preparing for new ‘year of war’
AFP/December 17/2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday Russia was preparing to wage a new “year of war” on his country in 2026, after his counterpart Vladimir Putin said Moscow would “certainly” achieve its objectives. “Today, we heard yet another signal from Moscow that they are preparing to make next year a year of war,” Zelenskyy said in his regular evening address. The statement was a reaction to Putin, who earlier said Russia would achieve its goals in its Ukraine offensive, including seizing Ukrainian territories it claims as its own, amid a flurry of international diplomacy to end the war. “The goals of the special military operation will certainly be achieved,” Putin told a meeting with defense ministry officials in Moscow, using the Kremlin’s wording for the nearly four-year war. “We would prefer to do this and eliminate the root causes of the conflict through diplomacy,” he said, vowing to seize the Ukrainian lands Russia claims to have annexed “by military means” if “the opposing country and its foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive discussions.”Putin’s hawkish comments come as Ukraine on Monday hailed “progress” made on the question of future security guarantees for Kyiv, after two days of talks with US President Donald Trump’s envoys in Berlin. But according to Zelenskyy, differences remain on the question of what territories Ukraine would have to cede to Russia. Washington’s initial proposal – criticized by Ukraine and its allies as overly favorable to Russia – would have seen Kyiv withdraw from its eastern Donetsk region and the United States de facto recognize the Donetsk, Crimea and Luhansk regions as Russian.
Zelenskyy at EU summit
The current contents of the revised plan remain unclear. Earlier on Wednesday, the Kremlin said Russia was waiting for information from the US on the outcome of the talks in Berlin. “We expect that, as soon as they are ready, our American counterparts will inform us of the results of their work with the Ukrainians and the Europeans,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. In September 2022, Russia claimed to have officially annexed the Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk and Kherson regions, even though it did not have full military control over all of them. Zelenskyy is expected to attend a summit in Brussels on Thursday to lobby European Union leaders to adopt a plan to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine’s defenses. He said in his evening address that Putin’s bellicose signals “are not only for us.”“It is important that our partners see this, and important that they not only see it but also respond, including our partners in the United States of America, who often say that Russia supposedly wants to end the war,” he said, accusing Moscow of trying to “undermine diplomacy.”

Rubio urges Sudan ceasefire, highlights need for Yemen stability in call with UAE FM
Al Arabiya English/December 18/2025
The top US diplomat held a call with his UAE counterpart on Wednesday to discuss the ongoing conflicts in Sudan and Yemen, the State Department said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed continued discussions on the urgent need for a humanitarian ceasefire in Sudan, according to a readout of the call. “They also discussed the importance of stability in Yemen in the fight against Iran-backed Houthi terrorists,” Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said. This week, US envoy Massad Boulos met Saudi Defense Minister in Riyadh to discuss the Sudan war on the same day that Sudan’s army chief met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prince Khalid..

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 17-18/2025
How to Finish off the Muslim Brotherhood
Ahmad Sharawi/National Interest/December 17/2025
Donald Trump’s recent executive order is the right approach to diminishing the Muslim Brotherhood’s influence in the Middle East, but further measures should target its broader financial support networks.
Washington has argued for years about how to deal with the Muslim Brotherhood. President Donald Trump just upended a decade of debate by choosing precision to surgically target the Brotherhood branches that meet the terrorism threshold under US law.
To most people, the Muslim Brotherhood is an abstract idea. It is a patchwork of national branches that share an ideological lineage but often diverge in practice. Some branches are political parties, some have become armed movements, and others have stuck to charity work. The evolving nature of the different branches has made it difficult for the United States to designate the entirety of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization. The Brotherhood lacks a single headquarters, a unified command, or an organizational structure that demonstrates control over multiple branches.
When it was founded in 1928 by Egyptian teacher Hassan al-Banna, it had a centralized authority with a supreme guide and maintained close relations with branches across the Middle East. Over time, that structure fragmented. National branches and affiliates continued to share the original branch’s ideology but operated independently, adapting to their own political environments.
It appears that Washington recognized this landscape and is adopting a more effective approach, one that does not treat the “Muslim Brotherhood” as a single entity but instead, per President Trump’s executive order, focuses on its most violent branches under existing counterterrorism authorities. This branch-based strategy gives policymakers a more straightforward pathway to build designations case by case, and pursue a sustained campaign to “eliminate the designated chapters’ capabilities and operations.”
The EO explicitly identifies three branches as probable designation targets: the Lebanese Islamic Group, the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, and the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood. According to the order, the Lebanese branch’s military wing “helped terror groups launch multiple rocket attacks against Israel,” the Egyptian branch “encouraged violent attacks against US partners,” and the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood has “provided material support to the militant wing of Hamas.”
After the Hamas-led October 7 attack, the Islamic Group claimed seven attacks on Israel from Lebanese territory. Mohammed Takkoush, the secretary general, declared that “Cooperating with a group like Hamas, the most honorable liberation movement, is an honor.” The group’s support for Hamas continued. In June 2024, the group’s political leader, Bassam Hammoud, described the group’s relationship with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad as “a long history of jihad, political, social, and proselytizing work.”
Analysts trace the group’s deeper alignment with Hamas to its 2022 leadership elections, which empowered a faction closely tied to Hamas. A report by the Saudi magazine al-Majalla stated that Hamas-funded factions operating under the umbrella of al-Qassam Brigades carried out several of the attacks that the Islamic Group claimed. Cooperation between Hamas and the Islamic Group goes deeper than rhetoric. A senior Islamic Group official acknowledged that the organization had conducted joint operations with Hamas and that two Lebanese Brotherhood members were serving as bodyguards to Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri when an Israeli airstrike killed him in Beirut. The political bureau chief of the Islamic Group, Ali Abu Yassin, has openly said that “all forces that operate in South Lebanon coordinate their actions.”
When Israel killed Abu Mahmud Muhammad Jabara, a commander in the Islamic Group’s military wing in an airstrike, the al-Qassam Brigades mourned him as one of their own. Hamas did the same after the April 2025 assassination of Mohammad Atwi, a leader in the Islamic Group, stating that he worked directly with them to facilitate attacks on Israel.
The Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood shows a similar pattern of intimacy with Hamas. Over the past decade, Hamas has steadily increased its influence within the Jordanian branch. A 2017 assessment concluded that “Hamas worked in an organized fashion with the Jordanian Brotherhood…injecting huge amounts of money to recruit members,” building up a Hamas-aligned faction that now dominates the Brotherhood’s Shura Council.
In recent years, the Jordanian Brotherhood has been explicit in calling for Hamas to reopen its offices in Jordan, two decades after authorities closed them in 1999. After October 7, Brotherhood-affiliated protesters often wore Hamas headbands and shouted, “All of Jordan is Hamas!” or, “We are your men, Mohammed Deif,” referring to the late Hamas military commander.
While the Jordanian Brotherhood long emphasized political activism, its posture shifted after October 7. In October 2024, two Jordanians affiliated with the Brotherhood crossed into Israel and wounded two Israelis. Brotherhood spokesman Moath al-Khawaldeh confirmed that the attackers were “members of the group” who regularly participated in pro-Hamas activities.
By April 2025, Jordan’s Intelligence Directorate reported that individuals linked to the Muslim Brotherhood were involved in “manufacturing rockets and drones, possession of explosives and firearms, and recruiting operatives in Jordan and abroad.” Captured members said their commander operated from Lebanon, where trainees received funding and instruction likely from Hamas and the Lebanese branch of the Brotherhood.
The strength of President Trump’s EO lies in its activation of existing US counterterrorism authorities rather than in the creation of entirely new structures. Providing “material support” for a sanctioned entity is already grounds for being sanctioned oneself. Joint operations and facilitation of attacks with Hamas, as well as fundraising ties, likely count as material support on the part of the Lebanese Islamic Group and Jordanian Brotherhood.
The two branches can also be designated outright as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) for “engaging in terrorist activity.” In addition, the administration can rely on Executive Order 13224, which allows the Treasury Department to sanction groups that assist or support terrorism, enabling Washington to list these Brotherhood branches and their leadership as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT), a designation that complements FTO status by authorizing broader asset freezes. However, the process should not stop with the designation of the Brotherhood branches themselves. Washington should also consider targeting the networks that enable these groups’ activities. The focus should be on the charities that facilitate fundraising and on the broader umbrella of non-governmental organizations, media outlets, and financial institutions that sustain their operations. The Brotherhood seeks to anchor itself deeply in host societies, requiring a response that is no less comprehensive.
***About the Author: Ahmad Sharawi
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/middle-east-watch/how-to-finish-off-the-muslim-brotherhood
Ahmad Sharawi is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, focusing on Middle East affairs and the Levant. Previously, Sharawi worked at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, where he focused mainly on Hezbollah. Ahmad previously worked at the International Finance Corporation and S&P Global. He holds a BA in international relations from King’s College London and an MA from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

The 'Multicultural' Terrorist Threat Inside Europe: The Exported War No One Wants to Name
Pierre Rehov/Gatestone Institute/December 17, 2025
Peaceful protesters certainly exist, but in many instances, the same marchers who cry "from the river to the sea" also provide cover, logistics and recruitment spaces for operatives who work closely with Hamas or other terrorist organizations.
A report from the University of Indiana shows how a transnational network of NGOs and campus groups spread antisemitic and pro-Hamas narratives, coordinated across borders and amplified by social media. The message is simple: Israel is "colonial," Jews are "settlers," and violence against them is "resistance."
European rallies have repeatedly featured Hamas flags, praise for the October 7 attackers and calls to "repeat" the massacre – all under the label of "human rights."
Law enforcement sees the problem more clearly than politicians. The same EU reports that speak delicately of "violent extremism" in public also describe behind closed doors how online propaganda, diaspora networks and Middle Eastern conflicts interact to create hybrid terrorist ecosystems in Europe.
Even so, on the political level, Europe still refuses to name the ideological enemy: an Islamist project that openly seeks the eradication of Israel and spills over to advocate eliminating the United States and the West. "The one Jewish state is the first to suffer," notes Jerusalem Post reporter Liat Collins, "but the nearly 50 Muslim-majority countries and the nominally Christian world are all in the line of fire."
European governments rush to recognize a Palestinian state even as Hamas thanks them for rewarding its "resistance." This same cognitive dissonance runs through EU institutions that condemn "terrorism" in the abstract while lavishly funding NGOs that glorify its perpetrators.
Europe's retreat into denying intangible threats staring them in the face unfortunately has extremely tangible results.
Studies of Hamas funding stress that social and religious front organizations are integral to the movement's terrorist attacks: they launder money, recruit sympathizers and create safe spaces where support for terrorism can flourish under a "humanitarian" cover.
When Germany bans Samidoun or a small local front group, NGOs and academics denounce the act as a "repression" of civil society. When Belgium moves against a man praising the October 7 massacre, activist networks cry that "solidarity" is being criminalized. In this narrative, it is always the state – never the terrorist infrastructure – that is on trial.
The war that has been exported from Gaza to Europe has three pillars: money, indoctrination and operational cells. All three are embedded in structures that call themselves "Palestinian solidarity" or "human rights organizations."
As long as European governments accept this masquerade, the continent will remain both a financial base and a potential battlefield for Hamas and its Qatari, Turkish and Iranian sponsors.
What would a serious policy look like?... No more American or European funding, period, for organizations that celebrate terrorist "martyrs" and teach children to hate Jews, Christians, or any other racial or religious group.
When demonstrators chant "globalize the intifada," they are not calling for peace, they are calling for the expansion of a global jihadist war.
Finally, Europeans must abandon the illusion that the "Palestinian cause" is a harmless protest disconnected from terrorism. Hamas itself, backed by Qatar, Turkey and Iran, has explained over and over that Europe is part of their battlefield. The only question is whether European leaders will listen to their own police and intelligence services, and Israel's Mossad, or whether they will continue pretending that a war raging against them has no name and does not exist.
European rallies have repeatedly featured Hamas flags, praise for the October 7 attackers and calls to "repeat" the massacre – all under the label of "human rights." Peaceful protesters certainly exist, but in many instances, the same marchers who cry "from the river to the sea" also provide cover, logistics and recruitment spaces for operatives who work closely with Hamas or other terrorist organizations.
When Israel's Mossad intelligence agency publicly revealed in November 2025 that it had helped European countries expose a Hamas terrorist infrastructure "in the heart of Europe" – including weapons caches and plans to hit Jewish and Israeli targets – it simply confirmed what intelligence professionals have warned since October 7, 2023: The war in the Gaza Strip is no longer local. It has been exported, operationally, to European soil.
As early as December 2023, German, Dutch and Danish authorities had already arrested Hamas operatives accused of preparing attacks on Jewish institutions in several European countries. Prosecutors described long-standing members of Hamas, directed to stockpile weapons in Berlin. Since then, intelligence and security reports have spoken of a "realistic possibility" that the Hamas-Israel war will embolden networks across Western Europe to move from propaganda to mass-casualty attacks.
Europol's 2025 Terrorism Situation and Trend Report openly acknowledged that the Gaza conflict has reshaped the threat picture inside the EU. The foreword warns that wars beyond Europe's borders – explicitly including Gaza – fuel radicalization, propaganda and operational planning within European states. In parallel, news outlets report that, since 2023, European authorities have quietly disrupted several plots linked to Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran.
Behind these plots lies an entrenched Hamas infrastructure in Europe that long predates 2023. A detailed study from George Washington University describes how Hamas built extensive fundraising and logistical networks in Western countries, using charities, NGOs -- often European-funded -- and business fronts whose names and legal entities are constantly changed to stay ahead of authorities. These same countries, the study's authors warned, are the natural incubator for future terrorist operations in the West.
In 2024, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies summarized new research by ELNET that identified 30 Hamas-linked organizations and figures active in the UK, Germany, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands. These groups include "civil society" associations, aid organizations and lobbying platforms that propagate Hamas narratives while maintaining close personal ties with known extremists. They operate with "relative freedom," despite Hamas having been officially designated as a terrorist organization by both the EU and individual states.
Germany, to its credit, has gone further to confront this problem than most. Berlin has not only banned Hamas and the international network Samidoun, but has also started outlawing local "solidarity groups" whose activities glorify terrorism and promote antisemitic agitation. The German Interior Ministry reported that some 450 Hamas members are active in the country and involved in propaganda and fundraising, and has ordered raids against groups such as Palestine Solidarity Duisburg for supporting Hamas under the cover of activism.
Even in Germany, however, every ban on one structure appears followed by the birth of another. NGO Monitor has documented how Samidoun, officially linked to the PFLP terrorist organization, simply inspired successor networks such as Masar Badil, which German media describe as closely connected to Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Yemen's Houthis. Belgian authorities stripped Samidoun's European coordinator of his residency only in 2025, after he publicly praised the October 7 massacre.
Fundraising and logistics are only one part of the story. Hamas also invests heavily in indoctrination – particularly among students. A report from the University of Indiana shows how a transnational network of NGOs and campus groups spread antisemitic and pro-Hamas narratives, coordinated across borders and amplified by social media. The message is simple: Israel is "colonial," Jews are "settlers," and violence against them is "resistance."
The results are visible on European campuses. A 2024–2025 wave of "Gaza encampments" imported the rhetoric of "globalize the intifada" to universities from Paris to Berlin and Glasgow. In Scotland, on the anniversary of October 7, students marched under a banner proclaiming "Glory to our martyrs," openly celebrating the atrocities of Hamas. Surveys and reports currently detail a sharp rise, since 2023, in antisemitic incidents and intimidation at European universities.
This is where "Palestinian activism" becomes a protective shield for extremist cells. Peaceful protesters certainly exist, but in many instances, the same marchers who cry "from the river to the sea" also provide cover, logistics and recruitment spaces for operatives who work closely with Hamas or other terrorist organizations. European rallies have repeatedly featured Hamas flags, praise for the October 7 attackers and calls to "repeat" the massacre – all under the label of "human rights."
Law enforcement sees the problem more clearly than politicians. The same EU reports that speak delicately of "violent extremism" in public also describe behind closed doors how online propaganda, diaspora networks and Middle Eastern conflicts interact to create hybrid terrorist ecosystems in Europe. Israeli and European intelligence routinely give briefings on how Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas coordinate surveillance of Jewish targets in cities such as Berlin.
Even so, on the political level, Europe still refuses to name the ideological enemy: an Islamist project that openly seeks the eradication of Israel and spills over to advocate eliminating the United States and the West. "The one Jewish state is the first to suffer," notes Jerusalem Post reporter Liat Collins, "but the nearly 50 Muslim-majority countries and the nominally Christian world are all in the line of fire."
Clifford May, president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, has described how European governments rush to recognize a Palestinian state even as Hamas thanks them for rewarding its "resistance." This same cognitive dissonance runs through EU institutions that condemn "terrorism" in the abstract while lavishly funding NGOs that glorify its perpetrators.
Europe's retreat into denying intangible threats staring them in the face unfortunately has extremely tangible results. For years, Western courts and regulators tried to distinguish between Hamas's "military" and its so-called "political" or "social" branches – a distinction many serious experts regard as fanciful. Studies of Hamas funding stress that social and religious front organizations are integral to the movement's terrorist attacks: they launder money, recruit sympathizers and create safe spaces where support for terrorism can flourish under a "humanitarian" cover.
The same "doublespeak" dominates the discourse on "Palestinian activism." When Germany bans Samidoun or a small local front group, NGOs and academics denounce the act as a "repression" of civil society. When Belgium moves against a man praising the October 7 massacre, activist networks cry that "solidarity" is being criminalized. In this narrative, it is always the state – never the terrorist infrastructure – that is on trial.
Meanwhile, Europe's Jewish communities live under siege. Synagogues require fortress-style protection, Jewish schools resemble military bases, and Israeli tourists are warned by their own government to avoid displaying any visible sign of Jewish or Israeli identity when traveling. The dramatic rise in antisemitic incidents across Europe since October 7, 2023 can be directly linked to pro-Hamas agitation, even when officials pretend that the hatred has "nothing to do" with imported Middle Eastern conflicts. The war that has been exported from Gaza to Europe has three pillars: money, indoctrination and operational cells. All three are embedded in structures that call themselves "Palestinian solidarity" or "human rights organizations." As long as European governments accept this masquerade, the continent will remain both a financial base and a potential battlefield for Hamas and its Qatari, Turkish and Iranian sponsors.
What would a serious policy look like? First, full exposure and the expansion of existing terror designations: not just banning Hamas as an abstract entity, but shutting down its front groups, closing its "charities" and prosecuting those who fund or glorify its violence. Second, conditioning all funding for Palestinian NGOs on clear, independently verified rejection of terrorism and incitement. No more American or European funding, period, for organizations that celebrate terrorist "martyrs" and teach children to hate Jews, Christians, or any other racial or religious group.
Third, Europe must finally confront the indoctrination dimension. This means holding universities accountable for campus groups that praise terrorism under academic cover, enforcing existing laws against incitement, and protecting Jewish and pro-Israel students with the same zeal shown for every other minority. It also means recognizing the obvious: When demonstrators chant "globalize the intifada," they are not calling for peace, they are calling for the expansion of a global jihadist war.
Finally, Europeans must abandon the illusion that the "Palestinian cause" is a harmless protest disconnected from terrorism. Hamas itself, backed by Qatar, Turkey and Iran, has explained over and over that Europe is part of their battlefield. The only question is whether European leaders will listen to their own police and intelligence services, and Israel's Mossad, or whether they will continue pretending that a war raging against them has no name and does not exist.
***Pierre Rehov, who holds a law degree from Paris-Assas, is a French reporter, novelist and documentary filmmaker. He is the author of six novels, including "Beyond Red Lines", " The Third Testament" and "Red Eden", translated from French. His latest essay on the aftermath of the October 7 massacre " 7 octobre - La riposte " became a bestseller in France.As a filmmaker, he has produced and directed 17 documentaries, many photographed at high risk in Middle Eastern war zones, and focusing on terrorism, media bias, and the persecution of Christians. His latest documentary, "Pogrom(s)" highlights the context of ancient Jew hatred within Muslim civilization as the main force behind the October 7 massacre.
© 2025 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.

The Sydney Attack… Terrorism Is Not in Decline
Fahid Suleiman al-Shoqiran/Asharq Al Awsat/December 17/2025
The narrative proclaiming the end of terrorism and the decline of fundamentalism has not abated despite the recent series of events that demonstrate the opposite. The bloody Sydney incident has proven that terrorism remains deeply rooted and effective. It was not surprising that ISIS attacked a religious celebration in a peaceful and ordinary country like Australia. True, Australia has criminalized the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and contributed to the global fight against terrorism. It has not spearheaded this effort however as the United States or certain regional countries have done, leading the way in the battle to crush terrorism. Some states have long taken a cautious approach to confronting and defining terrorism. Some have not included the Muslim Brotherhood, which laid the foundations for all the terrorist organizations that subsequently emerged; countries have even labeled the Brotherhood a civic rights group advocating human rights and justice! All of this terror and criminal activity can ultimately be traced back to the theories and machinery of the Muslim Brotherhood. The Sydney attack attests to the grave challenge terrorists pose. Their strategy can be summed up in two approaches. First, they are increasingly focused on soft and safe areas, delivering their political messages through terrorist action to project strength and omnipresence. The attack now being investigated by the Australian authorities seems to have been one phase of a series of operations in several other countries that have no direct connection to the fight against terrorism, intended to spite states that fight and crush them.
Second, their goal is to maximize chaos. They seek to expand their internal chaos across the Muslim world and beyond. This barbaric attack was not a sporadic incident. It was inspired by theoretical foundations whose roots, as I have said, can be traced back to the Muslim Brotherhood ideology that underpins terrorist groups worldwide. Osama bin Laden, al-Zawahiri, Hassan al-Turabi, and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi all believed in the political theories of the Muslim Brotherhood. Terrorists have long sought to build legitimacy and play a role in the public sphere by manipulating concepts like the “state” or even globalization. Some analysts have even normalized these groups, presenting them as movements precipitated by the globalization that began in the late 20th century. This view of political Islam is particularly prevalent among left-leaning analysts.
The globalization narrative of terrorism has appealed to Islamists and terrorists alike. It offers an intellectual pathway toward absolving themselves of blame and responsibility. The emergence of al-Qaeda is blamed on the West and American imperialism and the wars in Afghanistan, Hamas arose because the Palestinian cause was repressed, and Hezbollah is a resistance movement that protects civilians from Israeli aggression.  In an article he wrote for the newspaper, “Learn to Live with Terrorism,” Mishary Dhayidi made several insightful claims. “The problem with religious terrorism is that it is premised on a closed, exclusionary discourse that negates the other. This discourse is self-assured, rigid, wounded, angry, and enraged; its champions will not rest until they bring the house down on its residents. It is discourse nostalgic for a perfect era that sees the current authorities as wholly illegitimate...” he said.
“The only way to end the rise of terrorists is to wipe out the cultural and social climate that facilitates his rise. This climate cannot be dismantled without a difficult reckoning with pathologies, which does not entail the denial of our identity nor an attack on our civilization. Rather, it demands defending both, and of all of us, in the face of forces driving us toward collective suicide like mad whales,” he added. To put it briefly, recent operations - and others that could potentially follow, especially as the holiday season approaches - are a dangerous omen. Like the Istanbul attack, it shows that the threat is imminent. Suppressing terrorism is necessary and inevitable. However, tackling the root of the problem demands the criminalization of all these groups, be they Sunni or Shiite. The Sydney attack was a menacing message to the world, and the response required is straightforward: criminalizing the pillar of these terrorist groups, the Muslim Brotherhood.

Saudi Arabia’s rise as a global soft power leader
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya English/December 17/2025
In the twenty-first century, the concept of power has evolved dramatically. While military and economic strength remain crucial, a new form of influence has emerged as equally, if not more, important in shaping international relations: Soft power. Soft power refers to the ability of a state to attract, persuade, and shape the preferences of others through appeal rather than coercion. Unlike military might, which may force compliance through threat, or economic leverage, which relies on material incentives, soft power works by inspiring admiration, trust, and voluntary alignment. It operates through culture, values, education, diplomacy, media, and institutions – all the channels that influence how people, governments, and organizations perceive a country. With the proliferation of instant communication, social media, and cross-border exchanges, a nation’s image and reputation are very critical. Countries with strong soft power can shape global narratives, attract talent and investment, and form alliances that are difficult to quantify yet immensely impactful. For example, a country admired for its arts, innovation, or diplomacy can influence international norms, draw visitors and investors, and even moderate conflicts indirectly through its appeal. In some contexts, soft power can achieve outcomes that military action cannot, making it a central tool for strategic statecraft.
Saudi Arabia’s emergence as a soft power leader
Saudi Arabia has in recent years become a remarkable example of the strategic use of soft power. Under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), the Kingdom has embarked on an ambitious program of transformation, both domestically and internationally. At the heart of this vision is Vision 2030, a roadmap designed to diversify the economy, modernize society, and elevate Saudi Arabia’s global presence. While economic reforms and investment initiatives are a major component, MBS has made it clear that culture, entertainment, and tourism are equally critical instruments of national influence.
Through these initiatives, Saudi Arabia has shifted its global image to one increasingly associated with vibrant cultural, entertainment, and sporting experiences. These efforts make the Kingdom attractive to international audiences, investors, and tourists while also fostering national pride and cohesion. By integrating cultural development with economic reform and global diplomacy, Saudi Arabia is demonstrating how soft power can be institutionalized and scaled as part of a coherent national strategy.
Festivals: The crown jewel of Saudi soft power
Among the most visible expressions of Saudi soft power are its festivals and seasonal cultural events. The Riyadh Season, for instance, has become one of the largest city-wide festivals in the world, spanning several months and featuring a diverse array of activities. From music concerts and live performances to art exhibitions, food markets, and immersive entertainment zones, these festivals are designed to capture both domestic and international attention. What makes them particularly powerful is their ability to create moments of shared experience – events that are widely reported in global media, shared across social media platforms, and remembered long after the event concludes.
The strategic impact of these festivals is twofold. Domestically, they serve as tools of social engagement and modernization, providing citizens with cultural experiences that were previously rare or unavailable. Internationally, they project a new image of Saudi Arabia – a nation open to creativity, global cultural exchange, and contemporary entertainment. Festivals such as Riyadh Season, Jeddah Season, and Diriyah Season not only attract tourists and expatriates but also bring international artists, celebrities, and media attention into the Kingdom, creating powerful symbolic moments of cultural diplomacy.
Music festivals, in particular, have become emblematic of this approach. High-profile events like MDLBEAST and Soundstorm have introduced international electronic, hip-hop, and pop artists to Saudi audiences, generating viral content and reinforcing the Kingdom’s appeal to younger demographics. These events demonstrate how cultural spectacle, when strategically executed, can become a vehicle for soft power by creating shared experiences that transcend national borders.
Cultural infrastructure: Building long-term influence
Saudi Arabia’s investment in cultural infrastructure is another critical pillar of its soft-power strategy. Projects like Qiddiya, NEOM, and the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture provide permanent venues for entertainment, arts, and creative expression. Unlike temporary festivals, these projects offer year-round opportunities for cultural engagement, education, and tourism. They signal a long-term commitment to cultural development, demonstrating that Saudi Arabia’s interest in soft power is not merely a marketing exercise but a sustained national strategy.
These infrastructures also serve as platforms for international collaboration. Museums, galleries, and cultural centers enable partnerships with foreign institutions, hosting traveling exhibitions, co-productions, and educational programs. By creating spaces where local and international artists can interact and collaborate, the Kingdom strengthens its cultural networks, fostering people-to-people ties that have enduring diplomatic value.
Cultural diplomacy beyond entertainment
Saudi soft power extends beyond festivals and infrastructure. The Kingdom has actively pursued cultural diplomacy, establishing partnerships with international museums, film festivals, and academic institutions. These partnerships facilitate cultural exchange, artistic collaboration, and scholarly engagement, allowing Saudi Arabia to project influence in subtle but impactful ways. The Kingdom is demonstrating a willingness to participate in shared humanistic endeavors, enhancing its reputation as a responsible and attractive international actor. Media and broadcasting initiatives also play a central role in this strategy. By producing content that reflects modernizing aspects of Saudi society while highlighting heritage and innovation, Riyadh reaches audiences far beyond its borders. Film, television, and streaming projects present narratives that challenge outdated stereotypes, offering international viewers a more nuanced understanding of the Kingdom. Sports diplomacy is another dimension. By hosting international sporting events, from motorsports and football tournaments to boxing matches and martial arts competitions, Saudi Arabia engages global audiences in universal cultural experiences. Sports transcend language and politics, creating moments of shared excitement that reinforce the Kingdom’s image as an open and dynamic society.
Diplomacy and mediation: Soft power in practice
Soft power is not limited to culture; it also shapes Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic influence. In recent years, the Kingdom has taken on a more active role in mediating regional disputes and international conflicts. From hosting intra-Gulf reconciliation talks to facilitating dialogue in Yemen and beyond, Saudi Arabia leverages its growing reputation for cultural openness and credibility as a neutral convening power. By offering a platform for dialogue and negotiation, Riyadh translates cultural goodwill into tangible diplomatic capital. This combination of cultural attraction and diplomatic engagement allows Saudi Arabia to punch above its weight in regional and global affairs.
Measuring impact: What Saudi soft power has achieved
The impact of Saudi soft power is already visible across multiple dimensions. Tourism receipts have increased significantly, international festivals are attracting millions of visitors, and global media coverage has shifted to include stories of creativity, music, and entertainment in addition to energy and politics. Investments in the creative economy have created jobs, encouraged entrepreneurship, and nurtured local talent. Internationally, Saudi Arabia is increasingly seen as a credible partner in cultural and diplomatic initiatives, opening doors to collaboration, trade, and dialogue.
Of equal importance is the shift in global perception. Where the Kingdom was once primarily associated with oil and conservative social norms, it is now recognized as a hub for modern culture, innovation, and international collaboration.
Saudi Arabia as a model of modern soft power
In conclusion, Saudi Arabia offers a compelling example of how a nation can strategically leverage soft power to achieve national goals. Through Vision 2030, festivals, cultural infrastructure, international partnerships, sports diplomacy, and active mediation, the Kingdom has created multiple channels of influence that reshape both domestic and international perceptions. These efforts demonstrate that soft power is not accidental; it can be deliberately designed, invested in, and scaled for lasting impact. At the same time, Saudi Arabia’s experience illustrates the conditions necessary for durable influence. Soft power is most effective when it is linked to genuine social and institutional development, when creative voices are empowered, and when engagement is sustained rather than episodic. By pairing spectacle with substance – investing in education, creative industries, and governance alongside festivals and infrastructure – the Kingdom provides a model for how nations can expand their influence in the modern age. Saudi Arabia shows that in today’s world, attraction, culture, and diplomacy can be as powerful as armies and economies. Its example demonstrates that strategic soft power is not just about shaping perception but about creating enduring connections, fostering collaboration, and projecting a nation’s values on the global stage. For any country seeking to navigate the complexities of the twenty-first century, Saudi Arabia offers a model and blueprint for cultural and diplomatic influence that is both ambitious and transformative.

AI pioneers have a responsibility to humankind
Mohamed Chebaro/Arab News/December 17, 2025
Two telling tales about the impact of the emerging artificial intelligence realm on human life emerged from a pair of end-of-year announcements over the last week.
One was the word “slop” being named word of the year for 2025 by the editors of the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Merriam-Webster defines slop as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” This sums up the fact that AI has been churning out content that some people find annoying or even bordering on the ridiculous. The second tale relates to the announcement of the Time person of the year: the architects of AI. One wonders if we ought to celebrate or simply admit the fact that we have stepped into the unknown — that the super-powerful machine and its operating algorithm have come to dominate human life. It is not yet known how far this trend will impact the role of the individual as a free-willed creature in the future.
At the same time, the Financial Times named Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang as its person of the year due to his role in providing the tech industry with its single most important component: chips. With certainty eroding and new frontiers being celebrated, the age of AI tools and the thinking machine is upon us
For a long time, chips were overlooked in favor of the devices and screens they powered. But accompanying the surge of computing power and the race for artificial general intelligence, Nvidia, headed by Huang, is seen as the component producer behind the mania sweeping through the tech, financial and business worlds. And for that, Huang has been credited as being at the center of the biggest investment program ever seen in the private sector. Many agree that 2025 has been dominated by AI and US President Donald Trump, as both dotted the information landscape with facts, hype and an incessant stream of information. With certainty eroding and new frontiers being celebrated, the age of AI tools and the thinking machine is upon us. So, it is not strange that Time would name the architects of AI its 2025 person of the year. As the magazine stated, “this was the year when artificial intelligence’s full potential roared into view, and when it became clear that there will be no turning back or opting out.”Since 1927, Time has named a person of the year who, “for better or for worse … has done the most to influence the events of the year.” It recognized Adolf Hitler in 1938 and Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979, alongside life-changing concepts such as the endangered Earth in 1988 and the personal computer in 1982.
Yet, the naming of the individuals who imagined, built and are driving the AI project as person of the year should be of concern to everyone. Through this, we are recognizing and celebrating the technological breakthrough despite its uncertain limits and impacts and the potential adversities it may bring.
We are recognizing and celebrating the technological breakthrough despite its uncertain limits and impacts
We should all celebrate the breakthroughs new machines and software offer to human advancement and their solutions to many current and future challenges. But AI and artificial general intelligence, its offspring, being pursued at breakneck speed — costing the planet and its environment undetermined sums without any accountability or transparency — has sent shivers down the spines of those who worry that a neo-empire is dawning on us that will likely to change all the anchors of human history and experience so far. With every technological breakthrough, there are some adversities factored in and others simply emerge as we go along. In celebrating the architects of AI and those pumping money, science and computing power into developing tools that we all agree are aimed at providing human and business benefits, one would imagine that protections from the dangerous use of AI are built in.
So far, those guardrails are not guaranteed. The users of AI are grappling with its errors and its damage to society as a result of its recycling of toxic, fake and fabricated content, which can be used to spread disinformation and misinformation. There are often discriminatory or hurtful outcomes, but the creators and their distributors are not being held accountable. AI-powered tools of war is another dangerous field that needs a separate discussion.
Among the pack of frontier companies racing to optimize AI — alongside OpenAI, Google DeepMind, xAI, Meta and the Chinese rivals led by DeepSeek — Anthropic has been the most vocal in warning about the decisions these developers are due to make regarding the level of autonomy they will allow their machines to have. There are also the repercussions that an AI explosion could have, possibly leading to humans losing control of the machine.
Anthropic’s chief scientist and co-owner Jared Kaplan warned recently that if recursive self-improvement was allowed in an uncontrolled way, humanity could face two risks. He said: “One is, do you lose control over it? Do you even know what the AIs are doing? The main question there is: are the AIs good for humanity? … Are they going to allow people to continue to have agency over their lives and over the world?”The second risk is related to security, where self-taught AI could in the next few years exceed human capabilities in scientific research and technological development. If it were to fall into the wrong hands, it could lead to misuse and even help a political power-grab.
The architects, designers and makers of AI should rightly be celebrated. However, as securing the future is also in their hands at this stage, one hopes that their creation’s excellence will not overtake their ability to control it. One would hope that, surely, the good of humanity and society is a paramount consideration in the work of these pioneers, because if the machine stops serving the human interest, it could render their endeavors meaningless.
**Mohamed Chebaro is a British-Lebanese journalist with more than 25 years’ experience covering war, terrorism, defense, current affairs and diplomacy.

Caesar Act transitioning from a law to a sword
Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy/Arab News/December 17, 2025
Despite the passage of sufficient time since the US announced its suspension of Caesar Act sanctions, debate continues inside Syria and beyond. Some have welcomed the move as the long-awaited beginning of economic relief, others read it as part of a broader regional repositioning that does not grant the Syrian regime real power so much as it binds it within a political architecture designed to keep Syria contained. In truth, the second reading is closer to reality: the sanctions have not been lifted, they have been recycled. Major decisions are not measured by their legal wording alone but by their geopolitical context and the unspoken conditions they carry. In the case of the Caesar Act sanctions, what has occurred appears less like the end of punishment and more like a recalibration of how it is used — from a blunt, comprehensive weapon to a precise instrument for managing influence. The decision to lift sanctions must be understood within the wider project of regional reengineering. It came at a turbulent moment following the Gaza war and the disruptions this caused to the maps of power and alignment. Washington did not act out of humanitarian concern; it acted as part of a careful reordering of the Middle Eastern landscape. What has occurred appears less like the end of punishment and more like a recalibration of how it is used
At this moment, certain regional files intersect: containing Iranian influence rather than confronting it outright; easing the refugee burden on neighboring states and Europe; and attempting to cool multiple flashpoints, from Lebanon to Yemen, through soft political and economic tools. From this vantage point, Syria becomes a link in a chain of bargains rather than an independent center of decision-making. The American move fits squarely within this frame: redefining “pressure” to secure interests without destabilizing the new balance. The US is not rewarding the Syrian regime; it is placing it on a conditional track, tightening relations with Tehran, curbing militia influence, allowing partial border openings to ease humanitarian pressure and ensuring Syria does not reemerge as an unrestrained regional actor. This is not a moment of opening, it is a moment of finely calibrated margin management. When the Caesar Act was at its height, it functioned as a raised sword that isolated the Assad regime from meaningful economic and political engagement. With its suspension and looming formal repeal, the essence of the equation has not changed. Washington still has the master key to the global financial system and possesses tools that render the law itself unnecessary — anti-money laundering regimes, counterterror financing rules and pressure on international banks and corporations. In other words, the name is being lifted but the idea remains. The Caesar Act has shifted from a penalty into a permanent sword, raised when interests require and lowered when Washington wishes to send a signal or offer a tactical inducement. The US is moving toward what might be called “smart sanctions” — measures that neither topple the leadership nor allow it to stabilize; that do not fling doors open but rather leave windows ajar. Under this approach, Syria remains suspended between political life and death, unable to collapse fully yet incapable of genuine recovery. Syria remains suspended between political life and death, unable to collapse fully yet incapable of genuine recovery
Timing matters. The formal repeal of the Caesar Act, which could be approved by Congress before the end of the year, comes as the region is undergoing a redistribution of influence among the major powers — Washington, Moscow and Tehran — alongside regional actors, from the Arab states to Turkiye. As Washington speaks of “de-escalation,” it is simultaneously fixing new lines of contact that preserve deterrence and prevent any single actor from monopolizing the Syrian arena.Read this way, the decision appears to be part of an unspoken arrangement: limited humanitarian projects funded by conditional Arab support in exchange for freezing excessive Damascus-Tehran rapprochement and keeping Russia as a partner, not the undisputed master in Syria. Put simply, the old stick is being set aside and another introduced, wrapped in silk. The form has changed; the hand holding it has not.
The Syrian leadership initially framed the decision as a victory, marketing it domestically as proof of waning international pressure and tacit acceptance of its endurance. It soon collided, however, with economic and political realities. Companies do not return on political announcements alone; investors do not enter countries without legal systems and transfer guarantees; and refugees do not go home to places that cannot provide security or livelihoods. As a result, any improvement in Syrians’ daily lives will be extremely limited. What has changed is not the economic environment but the legal perimeter surrounding it. Markets will not revive, nor will the currency recover, unless structural issues are addressed, particularly corruption, wealth monopolization and the collapse of institutional trust. The Syrian citizen, exhausted by war and siege, received the news with a measure of hope. Yet that hope will remain fragile unless it becomes tangible, such as through the easing of restrictions on food, medicine and energy, and the opening of genuine aid channels that are not wielded as bargaining chips.
The most dangerous aspect of the post-Caesar Act moment is the shift from punishment to supervision. Where the previous siege isolated Damascus, partial opening now places it under a tighter microscope, with every deal monitored, every financial transfer tracked and every partnership subjected to political vetting. Thus, Damascus faces a more complex dilemma: either openness under American and regional conditions or a return to grinding isolation, with the crucial difference that it can no longer rely on the shadow economy it once used, as financial movements are now closely monitored. Meanwhile, Washington’s continued control of the game’s threads places Russia and Iran before a real test. Moscow, dominant militarily, must coordinate with new American constraints that are quieter yet more flexible. Tehran fears that sanctions relief may become a tool to confine it to military influence alone, ending its economic and political reach. In this sense, the end of the Caesar Act sanctions has unleashed a new contest of regulation in Syria, not a race to reconstruction. In the near term, Syria will not leave the gray zone it has inhabited for a decade. Partial sanctions relief does not mean a fundamental transformation, but rather a redistribution of constraints. The Syrian scene now resembles a chessboard: Washington moves sanctions at will, Moscow seeks to protect its king, Tehran fills the gaps, and Arab states watch for space to maneuver.
At the heart of this tableau stand Syrians, the people, not the authority, who continue to pay the highest price. Decisions are made abroad, while suffering is counted at home. The real wager today is not on a law, but on Syria’s ability, officially and societally, to produce a new path that restores trust and keeps the nation alive amid the games of other nations. As for the Caesar Act, it will leave the statute books but not the stage. It will remain, not as a law but as a sword suspended overhead, reminding all that the game is not over and that those who hold the keys to punishment do not relinquish them lightly.
**Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy has covered conflicts worldwide. X: @ALMenawy

Selected Face Book & X tweets for /December 17, 2025
Michel Hajji Georgiou
"Since his birth, the Hezbollah has lived on an intimate fracture: he is both the armed arm of an imperial project – that of Iran's wilayat el-faqih defined by Imam Khomeini – and an actor who claims to be the ""resistance"" to liberate a national territory."
The "space" first: that of the Shiite community, from Qom to Beirut, articulated around a Supreme Guide whose decisions on war and peace are binding. The "territory" next: that of South Lebanon, Bekaa, disputed borders, where the party is running as a victory against Israel and a depositor of a national cause. This dichotomy is not from yesterday. Upon its deployment in 1984, under the guise of “resistance to Israeli occupation,” Hezbollah is beginning to eliminate much of the national resistance from the Lebanese left – Mahdi Amel and consorts. It settles in the margins: Bekaa, South Lebanon, southern suburbs of Beirut. There is a tentacular social infrastructure funded by Iran being built, then relayed by Syria from Assad within the framework of the "alliance of minorities (... )".
To read the rest of my new article it's on levanttime.com - in five different languages: French, Arabic, English, Spanish, Portuguese.
Here are the links to French, English and Arabic:
https://levanttime.com/.../69c22793-2b0a-4067-a916...
https://levanttime.com/.../69c22793-2b0a-4067-a916...
https://levanttime.com/.../69c22793-2b0a-4067-a916...

Under the Cedar Tree, a Foundation for Peace
Having spent a lifetime facing the realities of war, extremism, and the true cost of hatred, I know that attacks on Jews are never isolated events. They are part of a much older and far more dangerous pattern—one that has caused immense suffering across generations and continents. We must confront lies with facts, hatred with education, and terrorism with moral clarity. Antisemitism is not a political opinion. It is racism. It poisons societies, weakens democracies, and fuels violence far beyond its initial target. History has shown us time and again that when hatred toward Jews is tolerated, it never stops with them. It is also important to speak honestly about the double standards that fuel this hatred. Israel is often accused of massacres, while its enemies—extremist groups, not civilians—deliberately operate from within civilian populations, use human shields, and exploit innocent men, women, and children as tools of war. This is not resistance; it is the intentional sacrifice of civilians instead of engaging in direct combat, fighter against fighter. Australia, like every free and democratic society, must stand firmly against antisemitism in all its forms—whether violent, verbal, or hidden behind ideology. Silence in the face of such attacks is not neutrality; it is complicity. We must educate, remember, and speak out. Only by confronting historical truth honestly can we prevent hatred from taking root and terrorism from finding excuses. I stand in full solidarity with the Jewish community in Australia and around the world. You are not alone. Hate must never be normalized. Terror must never be excused. Truth must always be defended.

Ronnie Chatah
We’re lucky to have a foreign minister tackling longstanding diplomatic problems with Iran by clarifying Lebanon’s position at home & abroad. Especially alongside a president avoiding the issue altogether & a prime minister saying the right things while trying to please everyone.
**Far from propaganda & misreporting claims of treating Iran as an enemy country, Youssef Raggi is correcting course by demanding a relationship based on noninterference & common interest. And what is clearly not shared is Iran’s insistence on continuing its security interference.