English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For  December 21/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
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Bible Quotations For today
An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 01/01-17: “An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 20-21/2025
An Academic Ecclesiastical Study on Saint Mar Ignatius of Antioch….Bishop of Antioch – Theophoros – Apostolic Father and Martyr/Elias Bejjani/December 20/2025
A Lebanese era of debauchery, immorality, corrupted MP's and presidents who are mere tools of ignorance and subservience./Elias Bejjani/December 18, 2024
Rubio says US 'hopeful' Lebanon-Israel talks will lead to deal
Salam publishes long-awaited banking law draft
Gap Law: How the Lebanese State Erases Its Responsibility
Gap Law: Nawaf Salam and the IMF, Architects of a Legalized Spoliation
Financial Gap Law: Farewell to a Lifetime’s Savings… Where Is Karim Souhaid?
The Syndicate of Traders and Importers of Alcoholic Beverages Denounces the Gap Law
Israeli military signals readiness for broader Lebanon operation pending political decision—the details
Iraqi PM affirms support for Lebanon’s stability in call with President Aoun
Syria warns of halting cooperation with Lebanon as progress continues on Syrian prisoners issue
PM Salam hosts Irish prime minister, southern situation highlighted in Beirut meeting
Lebanon close to completing disarmament of Hezbollah south of Litani River, says PM
Detainee Imad Amhaz Case Highlights Hezbollah’s Maritime Activities
Lebanon: Return of Residents Dominates Naqoura Ceasefire Mechanism Meeting
The headline—"A U.S. Court Investigates: Did Antoun Sehnaoui Launder Money for Hezbollah?"—is sensational and misleading./Hussain Abdul-Hussain//December 20/2024
Iran, Israel, And Lebanese Equivocation/Mustafa Fahs/Asharq Al-Awsat/December 20/2025
The Lebanese Baath Party: Importance of the Unimportant/Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat/December 20/2025

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 20-21/2025
US military launches strikes in Syria against Daesh fighters after American deaths
US launches retaliatory strikes in Syria on dozens of ISIS targets
Rubio says new governance bodies for Gaza will be in place soon
Netanyahu plans to brief Trump on possible new Iran strikes: Report
Gazans mourn six killed in Israeli shelling on shelter
Israeli military says detained suspected ISIS extremist in Syria
Iran, UK foreign ministers in rare direct contact
Armed gangs are vying to fill the vacuum left by Hamas in Israeli-occupied Gaza
Israel’s new NGO regulations threaten vital aid to Palestinians
US vows Hamas disarmament in talks on next Gaza phase
Representatives from US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey meet to review Gaza plan
Turkey and Hamas discuss reaching second phase of Gaza peace plan: Turkish sources
Second drone in 24 hours found crashed in Turkey
4 People Dead, 9 Injured After Mass Stabbing Attack and Smoke Bombing at Train Station
Russian envoy to join Ukraine talks in Miami
Zelenskyy: Ukraine would support US proposal for trilateral talks if it produces results
Zelensky calls meeting with Nawrocki 'bad news for Russia'
Armed conflict in Venezuela would be ‘humanitarian catastrophe’: Lula
US interdicting, seizing vessel off Venezuelan coast, officials say

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 20-21/2025
Urgent: Cut Off Iran's Foreign Support/Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/December 20/2025
Human solidarity: What it really means to stand together/Princess Lamia bint Majed Al-Saud/Arab News/December 20, 2025
Instability is the sign of an emerging nonpolar world/Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/December 20, 2025
Mass displacement must be confronted, not ignored/Dr. Azeem Ibrahim/Arab News/December 20, 2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 20-21/2025
An Academic Ecclesiastical Study on Saint Mar Ignatius of Antioch….Bishop of Antioch – Theophoros – Apostolic Father and Martyr
Elias Bejjani/December 20/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/12/150363/
Introduction
The Catholic Church, and in particular the Eastern Catholic Churches, commemorates the feast of Saint Mar Ignatius of Antioch annually on December 20. This celebration honors one of the most eminent Apostolic Fathers of the Church and a faithful witness to Christ who sealed his confession of faith with martyrdom. Saint Ignatius occupies a central place in early Christian history, as he embodied a profound synthesis of theological depth, ecclesial authority, and heroic witness unto death.
The Identity of Saint Mar Ignatius of Antioch and His Historical Context
Saint Mar Ignatius of Antioch was a leading ecclesiastical figure of the late first and early second centuries. He was born and lived in the city of Antioch, located in present-day Syria, one of the principal centers of early Christianity, where the disciples of Christ were first designated as “Christians.”
Chronological Framework
Approximate date of birth: c. 35 AD
Active during the first century and the early decades of the second century
Date of death and martyrdom: c. 107–110 AD
According to ancient ecclesiastical tradition, Saint Ignatius was a disciple of the Apostles, particularly Saint John the Evangelist, and is also associated with the apostolic ministry of Saint Peter the Apostle.
Martyrdom – Time, Place, and Circumstances
Place of Martyrdom, Rome, Italy.
Circumstances and Manner of Martyrdom: Saint Ignatius was arrested and transferred under guard from Antioch to Rome by order of the Roman imperial authorities. He was condemned to death and exposed to wild beasts in the Roman amphitheater, a form of execution reserved for those accused of subverting Roman religious and political norms. His martyrdom was the direct result of his public profession of the Christian faith and his refusal to renounce allegiance to Jesus Christ. In his epistolary testimony, Saint Ignatius expressed a conscious and voluntary acceptance of martyrdom, famously writing: “Permit me to be food for the beasts, through whom it will be granted me to attain to God.”
Ecclesiastical Office and Hierarchical Status
Saint Mar Ignatius served as:
Bishop of Antioch, one of the most significant episcopal sees of the early Church
Traditionally regarded as the third Bishop of Antioch, following:
Saint Peter the Apostle
Saint Evodius
Unlike later ecclesiastical careers characterized by formal hierarchical progression, Saint Ignatius was entrusted with the episcopal office on the basis of his recognized holiness, doctrinal fidelity, apostolic zeal, and pastoral authority.
Recognition of His Sainthood
Saint Ignatius lived prior to the institutionalization of formal canonization procedures. His sanctity was acknowledged universally by the Church from the earliest centuries. Consequently, his recognition as a saint cannot be attributed to a specific papal decree or pontificate, as it predates the structured canonical processes of the post-Constantinian era.
Works, Witness, and Qualities Leading to Sainthood
Saint Mar Ignatius is distinguished by several enduring contributions and virtues:
Theological depth, particularly in his articulation of:
The mystery of the Incarnation
The Eucharist as the true Body and Blood of Christ
The seven authentic epistles, composed during his journey to martyrdom, addressed to:
The Churches of Ephesus, Magnesia, Tralles, Rome, Philadelphia, and Smyrna
Saint Polycarp of Smyrna
A clear and systematic defense of: Ecclesial unity
The central role of the bishop as a principle of communion
Orthodox Christology in opposition to docetic tendencies
A lived theology of martyrdom, exemplified by his explicit request that the faithful refrain from intervening to prevent his execution.
Reasons for His Condemnation to the Wild Beasts
Saint Mar Ignatius was sentenced to death because he:
Rejected the worship of pagan deities
Refused participation in the imperial cult
Publicly proclaimed Jesus Christ as the sole Lord and Savior
Exercised visible leadership within the Christian community
Affirmed Christianity as a salvific truth rather than a political or social threat
Spiritual Virtues and Capacity for Endurance
The spiritual and moral character of Saint Ignatius is marked by:
Exceptional courage in the face of suffering and death
Profound interior peace grounded in faith
Complete obedience to the will of God
Authentic humility despite his episcopal authority
Intense love for Christ and the Church
Remarkable resilience and perseverance amid extreme hardship
Spiritual Legacy and Ecclesial Significance
Saint Ignatius bears the title “Theophoros” (Bearer of God)
He is recognized as one of the Apostolic Fathers of the Church
His writings have exercised a lasting influence on:
Early Christian theology
The development of episcopal ecclesiology
The theology of martyrdom as participation in the redemptive sacrifice of Christ
His epistles remain foundational sources for the study of the early Church
Churches Dedicated to Saint Ignatius in Lebanon
Although an exact enumeration is difficult, numerous churches, monasteries, and ecclesiastical institutions in Lebanon bear the name of Saint Ignatius, particularly within: The Syriac Catholic Church, The Syriac Orthodox Church, Certain Maronite communities. Such dedications are found in regions including:
Beirut.Mount Lebanon (Metn) Zahle as well as in various monastic and pastoral institutions honoring his apostolic legacy.
Prayer to Saint Mar Ignatius of Antioch For Peace in the World and in Lebanon
O glorious Saint of God, Saint Mar Ignatius of Antioch, faithful witness to the Truth and Bearer of God,
who loved Christ unto the total gift of self and advanced toward martyrdom with joy and serenity,
Intercede for us before the throne of divine grace, that the Lord may bestow His peace upon our troubled world, extinguish the flames of war and hatred, and instill in human hearts the spirit of justice, reconciliation, and mercy. In a particular manner, we entrust to your intercession our homeland, Lebanon: preserve it from division, strengthen its people in hope, and transform its sufferings into a path of renewed resurrection.
O you who feared neither beasts nor swords, teach us steadfastness in faith and fidelity in witnessing to Christ in love and truth.Amen.
NOTE: The information in this article is cited from various documented ecclesiastical, theological, research, and media references.
*The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website: https://eliasbejjaninews.com

A Lebanese era of debauchery, immorality, corrupted MP's and presidents who are mere tools of ignorance and subservience.
Elias Bejjani/December 18, 2024
Berri's success today in securing a quorum for the parliamentary session confirmed that Salam, Aoun, and the majority of the corrupt MP's are mere tools of ignorance, acting according to Hezbollah's dictates.

Rubio says US 'hopeful' Lebanon-Israel talks will lead to deal
Naharnet/December 20, 2025
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that Washington is "hopeful" the Lebanese-Israeli negotiations will lead to a potential deal. "The goal everybody shares is a strong Lebanese Government that controls the country and Hezbollah is disarmed. They’re no longer an armed element that can threaten Israel’s security – that's the goal here," Rubio said at a press conference in response to a reporter's question. "And we have tried, in a cooperative way, to do everything we can to empower the Lebanese Government to have the ability to do that. And so, I hope that’s what these talks are aimed towards, and we’ll be supportive in every way we can to achieve that outcome," he added. "What I think is abundantly clear to everybody is no one is in favor of a Hezbollah that can once again threaten the region, act as a direct Iranian proxy. And obviously if they threaten Israel, we’re not going to have peace. So, we are hopeful that the talks between Lebanese authorities and the Israelis will create outlines and a way forward that prevents further conflict," Rubio said."I think -- I don’t speak for the Israeli Government -- I can only tell you and echo what they’ve said publicly, and that is that if they feel threatened by Hezbollah, they will take actions in their defense against them," the top U.S. diplomat went on to say. "We would all hope – in order to have peace, you have to avoid that. And the best way to avoid it is to have a strong Lebanese Government that can actually control the country and that Hezbollah is no longer an armed threat to Israel or to the Lebanese state. And that’s what we’re committed to hoping to achieve and we hope – I can’t speculate on what the talks will lead to, but we’ll do we can to make them productive," Rubio added. Asked if the U.S. administration is "considering a broader military support involving also potential Arab partners not only in providing weapons but also going to the field to disarm ... Hezbollah if the diplomatic talks ... fail," Rubio said: "I have not heard anyone sort of suggest that at the level of detail that you’ve talked about. I think regionally – for example, if you talk to the Syrian authorities – they’re very concerned about Hezbollah. I think most of the countries in the Gulf region view Hezbollah as an agent of Iranian influence and Iranian action. But as far as what you’re discussing, which is sort of a coalition of armed units going into Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, I’ve not heard that proposed by anybody."
Asked about Senator Lindsey Graham's remarks about the matter, Rubio said: "You should ask Lindsey about how he’s going to put that together, because – but we just haven’t heard it. I’m not – I don’t – I’m not saying you may not hear that one day in the future.""But I think what is clear and I think may – perhaps what Lindsey is speaking to is that it is clear that if you talk to leaders in the region in all these countries, they all have the same goal, perhaps not – which is to ensure that Hezbollah can no longer play the role that they’ve played in the past, not just threatening Israel but being an agent – an open agent, really a proxy – of Iranian influence in the region," Rubio added.

Salam publishes long-awaited banking law draft
Agence France Presse/December 20, 2025
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has published a long-awaited banking draft bill, which distributes losses from the 2019 economic crisis between banks and the state. The draft law is a key demand from the international community, which has conditioned economic aid to Lebanon on financial reforms. In a televised speech, Salam said "this draft law constitutes a roadmap to getting out of the crisis" that still grips Lebanon. The draft will be discussed by Cabinet on Monday before being sent to parliament, where it could be blocked. The law stipulates that each of the state, the central bank, commercial banks and depositors will share the losses accrued as a result of the financial crisis. Depositors, who lost access to their funds after the crisis, will be able to retrieve their money, with a limit of $100,000, over the course of four years. Salam said that 85 percent of depositors had less than $100,000 in their accounts. The wealthiest depositors will see the remainder of their money compensated by asset-backed securities. "I know that many of you are listening today with hearts full of anger, anger at a state that abandoned you," Salam said. "This bill may not be perfect... but it is a realistic and fair step towards restoring rights, halting the collapse."
'Banks are angry' -
The International Monetary Fund, which closely monitored the drafting of the bill, had previously insisted on the need to "restore the viability of the banking sector consistent with international standards" and protect small depositors. The Associations of Banks in Lebanon criticized the draft law on Monday, saying in a statement that it contains "serious shortcomings" and harms commercial banks. "Banks are angry because the law opens the door to them sharing any part of the losses," said Sami Zougheib, researcher at The Policy Initiative, a Beirut-based think tank. He told AFP that banks would have preferred that the state bear full responsibility. The text provides for the recapitalization of failing banks, while the government's debt to the Central Bank will be converted into bonds. Salam said that the bill aims to "revive the banking sector" which had collapsed, giving free rein to a parallel economy based on cash transactions, which facilitate money laundering and illicit trade. According to government estimates, the losses resulting from the financial crisis amounted to about $70 billion, a figure that is expected to have increased over the six years that the crisis was left unaddressed. Since assuming power, Salam and President Joseph Aoun have pledged to implement the necessary reforms and legislation. In April, Lebanon's parliament adopted a bank restructuring law, as the previous legislation was believed to have allowed a flight of capital at the outbreak of the 2019 crisis. The new bill stipulates that politically exposed persons and major shareholders who transferred significant capital outside the country from 2019 onwards -- while ordinary depositors were deprived of their savings -- must return them within three months or face fines. The draft law could still be blocked by parliament even if Cabinet approves it. "Many lawmakers are directly exposed as large depositors or bank shareholders, politically allied with bank owners, and unwilling to pass a law that either angers banks or angers depositors," Zougheib said. Politicians and banking officials have repeatedly obstructed the reforms required by the international community for Lebanon to receive financial support.

Gap Law: How the Lebanese State Erases Its Responsibility
This is Beirut/December 20, 2025
Every financial crisis raises a central question: who should bear the losses?
In a liberal economy grounded in responsibility, the answer is clear: those who decided, spent, borrowed, and ultimately failed. The Gap Law, however, offers a radically opposite answer. It methodically organizes the erasure of the Lebanese state’s responsibility and transfers the cost of decades of failed public policies onto banks—and above all, onto depositors.
A Public Crisis, Not a Private One
The very explanatory grounds of the Gap Law acknowledge that Lebanon is facing a systemic crisis born of successive monetary and fiscal policies, the collapse of the national currency, and sovereign default. This admission is crucial: it establishes that the origin of the crisis is neither banking nor contractual, but public. The state accumulated chronic deficits, financed unsustainable subsidies, artificially maintained an untenable exchange rate, squandered billions in the electricity sector, and ultimately defaulted on its debt. These choices stem exclusively from public decision-making.By all economic and legal logic, these losses should be borne by those who created them. Yet the Gap Law takes the opposite path.
Article 113: A Legal Obligation Turned into an Option
One of the most serious aspects of the law lies in its sidelining of Article 113 of the Monetary and Credit Law. This article is unambiguous: when Banque du Liban incurs losses, they must be covered by the public treasury. This is neither a theoretical principle nor a political option. It is a binding legal obligation, designed precisely to prevent central bank losses from being transferred to the banking system or to depositors. The Gap Law empties this obligation of its substance. It turns a clear legal duty into a mere possibility, conditional on considerations of “debt sustainability.” In other words, the state grants itself the right to disregard the law when compliance becomes politically or fiscally inconvenient. For a state claiming to reform itself, the message is disastrous: the law applies when it suits and vanishes when it costs.
The State’s Debt to Banque du Liban: An Organized Fiction
Another major sleight of hand concerns the treatment of the state’s debt to Banque du Liban. This massive, well-documented debt stems from the direct and indirect financing of public deficits and lies at the heart of the current financial imbalance.
Rather than fully acknowledging this debt and assuming its cost, the Gap Law transforms it into an abstract accounting entry—renegotiable, spread over time, and stripped of real economic value. Its very existence becomes conditional on a political assessment of the state’s “capacity” to pay. In practice, this means the state recognizes its debt—only if it can afford to. This approach inverts the core principles of budgetary responsibility. In a liberal system, it is not for the creditor to adapt to the public debtor’s incapacity, but for the state to restructure its spending, priorities, and commitments.
Privatizing Public Losses
By refusing to assume its own losses, the state chooses the most convenient path: transferring them. The Gap Law thus organizes the privatization of public losses. Banks are ordered to absorb losses beyond their capacity, despite having financed the state within a regulatory framework imposed by public authorities. Depositors, meanwhile, see their savings forcibly mobilized to cover a deficit they neither created nor controlled. This mechanism violates a fundamental principle of liberal economics: responsibility must be proportional to decision-making power. Neither banks nor depositors decided the country’s fiscal, monetary, or energy policies. A State Watching Its Own Bankruptcy
Reading the Gap Law, the state appears as an external actor to the crisis—almost a neutral arbiter. This posture is legally and politically untenable. The state is not a bystander. It is the main architect of the collapse. By exempting itself from any direct budgetary contribution, the legislature sets a dangerous precedent: a state that can fail without bearing the consequences while preserving its structures, spending, and privileges. Such a model is incompatible with any serious reform. No investor, no donor, and no citizen can believe in recovery built on institutionalized irresponsibility. Reform Without a Responsible State Is an Illusion Rebuilding Lebanon’s financial system cannot occur without a state that acknowledges its faults, assumes its losses, and reforms its spending. The Gap Law does the exact opposite: it freezes the causes of the crisis while liquidating its consequences onto the private sector.In reality, this law does not reform the state. It protects it.It does not restructure public finances. It sanctifies them at the expense of savings. No Durable Solution Without Public Responsibility. The Gap Law fails on a fundamental point: it refuses to name the primary party responsible for the crisis. By erasing the state’s responsibility, it makes any durable solution impossible. A country is not rebuilt by making its citizens pay for the failures of public power.It is rebuilt by restoring responsibility, legality, and trust. Without a responsible state, the Gap Law is not a reform. It is a renunciation.

Gap Law: Nawaf Salam and the IMF, Architects of a Legalized Spoliation
This is Beirut/December 20, 2025
By claiming on Monday a commitment to “deliver justice to depositors,” Prime Minister Nawaf Salam did more than distort reality: with the active backing of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), he sealed one of the greatest financial and moral abdications in Lebanon’s history. The Gap Law, presented as a lifesaving legal framework, is in fact the culmination of a coordinated strategy aimed at erasing public debt, liquidating deposits, and sacrificing the banking system in the name of a technocratic orthodoxy disconnected from any notion of social justice.
Conditional Justice Dictated by the IMF
Nawaf Salam’s flagship promise—to fully restore deposits below $100,000 over four years—rests on a key formula that exposes the deception: “within the limits of available resources.” This clause, directly inspired by IMF prescriptions, strips the concept of justice of any legal substance. It turns a fundamental right into a conditional favor, subordinate to a state that the IMF itself acknowledges as insolvent.
Far from defending depositors, the IMF has imposed an approach that begins by removing the Lebanese State from the chain of responsibility, even though it is the system’s primary debtor after decades of deficits, borrowing, and the capture of Banque du Liban’s resources. By endorsing this logic, Nawaf Salam does not assume responsibility—he erases it.
“Bonds” to Disguise Confiscation
The treatment reserved for small and medium depositors illustrates the brutality of the IMF–government scheme. They would be handed “tradable bonds,” presented as restitution with no haircut on the principal. In reality, this is a fictitious financial instrument: not guaranteed by the State, not backed by real assets, and not anchored in any credible repayment schedule. This solution, directly inspired by the IMF’s standard playbook in failed states, is not designed to repay depositors but to remove them from balance sheets. It converts a certain claim into an abstract promise, transferable only on paper and destined to lose its value in a nonexistent market.
The Programmed Erasure of Public Debt
The ideological core of the Gap Law—and of the IMF’s dogma—lies in the discreet but total erasure of the state’s debt. By liquidating banks and neutralizing Banque du Liban, the Salam government executes the politically easiest solution: make the creditor disappear in order to make the debt disappear. This approach violates the most basic principles of sovereign responsibility. It establishes a dangerous precedent: a state can squander, borrow, and confiscate—and then absolve itself by declaring general insolvency. The IMF, which claims to promote fiscal discipline, becomes here the guarantor of institutional impunity.
Liquidating the Banking System as Doctrine
Under the guise of a “comprehensive legal framework,” the Gap Law implements the methodical liquidation of Lebanon’s banking sector. With the IMF’s blessing, the government of Nawaf Salam—supported by Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, Economy Minister Amer Bsat, and BDL Governor Karim Souhaid—chooses scorched earth over restructuring. There is no serious recapitalization, no continuity plan, and no genuine compliance with international bank resolution standards. The IMF, quick to invoke the European BRRD directive or Basel Committee principles elsewhere, accepts in Lebanon an approach it would never dare impose on a state with solid institutions.
An IMF at Odds with Its Own Standards
Revealingly, even the IMF’s technical observations on the Gap Law acknowledge serious flaws: the absence of a clear loss hierarchy, the dilution of public responsibility, and major systemic risks. Yet these reservations carry no political consequences. The IMF validates the framework while admitting its structural injustice. This double discourse exposes the truth: Lebanon is being used as a laboratory for crisis financial engineering, where the priority is neither justice nor economic recovery, but the accounting closure of a file that has become inconvenient.
A Moral Shipwreck Under the Guise of Reform. By invoking transparency, justice, and integrity, Nawaf Salam seeks to cloak with moral legitimacy a law dictated by an international institution that has turned austerity and the socialization of losses into dogma. The Gap Law protects neither social stability nor the middle class; it formalizes their disappearance. This project is not a courageous reform. It is a political surrender to the IMF and a deliberate abandonment of citizens. Lebanon is not entering a new phase; it is legally enshrining the spoliation of its people—with the blessing of those who claim to be saving it.

Financial Gap Law: Farewell to a Lifetime’s Savings… Where Is Karim Souhaid?
This is Beirut/December 20, 2025
The draft Financial Gap Law, also known as the Financial Regularization Law, is set to be discussed at the Cabinet table on Monday. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has praised the project, presenting it as the first comprehensive legal framework to recover deposits and address the financial gap in a systematic and fair manner, within available means, after six years of paralysis, silent erosion of deposits, chaotic crisis management, and the destruction of the Lebanese middle class. In his introductory remarks, Salam raised false hopes among depositors ahead of the Cabinet’s approval of a law that, in fact, absolves the state of its responsibilities and grants it a full acquittal for decades of corruption, waste, and lost public funds, whether through subsidies, electricity losses, or the artificial maintenance of the exchange rate: losses exceeding $50 billion. Salam was right to say that Lebanon is entering a new phase. What he failed to mention is that this phase aims to eliminate the remaining depositors’ funds and the remnants of the banking sector, all to hide the misconduct of successive governments and prevent the state from bearing any cost. The bill drafted by the government does not halt the erosion of deposits; it wipes them out. It leads to a social catastrophe and fails to address the financial gap in any systematic way. How can the Prime Minister claim that this law limits responsibility evasion and denial of losses?
The Financial Gap Law can be summarized as follows:
* This law represents a major defeat for Central Bank Governor Karim Souhaid and the approach he has defended since the outset of discussions on resolving the deposit crisis, an approach based on hierarchy and fairness in allocating responsibility, starting from the recognition that Lebanon is facing a systemic crisis for which the Lebanese state holds the primary responsibility, followed by the Central Bank, and then the commercial banks.
* The law forces banks to cover the entire gap estimated at around $30 billion at the Central Bank, while the state acknowledged a debt to Banque du Liban amounting to $16.5 billion. Although the state has recognized this debt, the law does not specify how or when it will be repaid.
* The law obliges banks to absorb the full financial gap at Banque du Liban according to ratios determined by the size of the Central Bank’s obligations to each bank; this will effectively push banks into insolvency and burden them with the full cost of the gap.
* Under this bill, the state does not commit itself to any financial obligation, despite being the primary party responsible for fund loss.
* By ignoring the state’s responsibility for the cost of the gap, the drafters overlook that it was the state that squandered billions, whether on electricity, exchange-rate stabilization, or subsidies.
* The law grants the state the right to determine the size of its debt to the Central Bank by mutual agreement between the two, while its wording allows the state to evade its obligations under the pretext of “debt sustainability.”
* How can a law that claims to address the financial gap ignore the importance of implementing Article 113 of the Code of Money and Credit, which clearly stipulates that if Banque du Liban incurs losses, they must be covered by the Lebanese Treasury?
* The law gives the Cabinet a non-binding option to inject additional capital into Banque du Liban under Article 113, forgetting that this article is mandatory, fundamental, and non-negotiable. It appears that the Salam–Bsat–Jaber trio forgot that Article 113 is binding and that failure to apply it constitutes a violation of the law subject to accountability.
* The draft law fails to consider approximately $84 billion in debt owed to banks and does not treat the mandatory reserves held at the Central Bank, estimated at $11 billion, as part of banks’ and depositors’ funds, but rather as a contribution by Banque du Liban to covering part of the gap.
* It is unacceptable to demand that banks pay $14 billion without accounting for these reserves, which are their rightful property and ultimately belong to depositors. What the Financial Gap Law proposes is payment from depositors’ and banks’ money, not from the Central Bank’s own funds.
* The law fundamentally contradicts the discourse promoted by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and the promises made by Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, Economy Minister Amer Bsat, and Central Bank Governor Karim Souhaid.
* The proposed law represents a clear-cut attack on depositors. It sacrifices their rights and savings, making their losses final and legally sanctioned.
* The law offers depositors the recovery of their funds through bonds that carry no real guarantees, have deferred maturities, and unknown value.
* Implementing the Financial Gap Law in its current form would shatter the trust of investors and depositors alike, negatively impacting economic activity and stripping Lebanon of any real chance of a rapid recovery.
* The bill fails to uphold the principle of protecting depositors’ rights and the banking sector, instead squandering those rights by replacing deposits with uncovered bonds.
* Prime Minister Nawaf Salam was wrong to claim that depositors would not face any haircut on their principal. In reality, they incur one through the opaque conditions attached to these bonds. While the proposal may appear positive on the surface, these instruments are likely to have little real value and lack any objectively determinable worth, amounting to “theoretical figures with no foundation.”
* This law places a burden on banks that exceeds their capacity, potentially driving some into bankruptcy, which would mean depositors losing the bulk of their savings.
* The proposed bill encourages banks to exit the market, allowing the Central Bank to liquidate their assets and return only a negligible portion of funds to depositors.
* The draft law disregards Article 13 of the Code of Money and Credit, which explicitly states that commercial banks’ placements with Banque du Liban are commercial debts, that is, obligations owed by the Central Bank to the banks.
* Any reduction or partial write-off of the value of banks’ placements with the Central Bank cannot be considered an innocent technical measure but rather an indirect confiscation of savings.
This law is neither a recovery plan nor a rescue project but a legal framework designed to organize a comprehensive collapse of the banking sector and the legally sanctioned eradication of depositors’ funds. Once it is implemented, we get a single outcome:
* The liquidation of the entire Lebanese banking sector and the disappearance of depositors’ savings.
* At the end of this “lie” promoted by the Salam–Bsat–Jaber law, Banque du Liban would hold $55 billion, while depositors would hold zero.
* The Lebanese state would emerge as the “richest state in the world,” with zero obligations, zero debt, and zero cost for compensating depositors.
The result: farewell to depositors’ money!

The Syndicate of Traders and Importers of Alcoholic Beverages Denounces the Gap Law
This is Beirut/December 20, 2025
The Syndicate of Traders and Importers of Alcoholic Beverages issued a statement on Saturday denouncing the Gap Law, which they said shifts the state’s responsibilities onto traders and businesses. “While respecting the draft presented by the Prime Minister concerning financial restructuring and the recovery of deposits, the currently proposed formula—particularly with regard to loans and commercial facilities—contains a fundamental flaw that threatens the productive economy and renders the law’s practical implementation nearly impossible,” the statement said.
The syndicate described the imposition of “additional and unfair burdens” on commercial and industrial companies as “unacceptable.”“These companies borrowed from banks at high interest rates, while at the same time financing the real economy and extending significant interest-free credit to their customers, in amounts far exceeding what they themselves borrowed from banks,” the statement noted. The statement pointed out that with the outbreak of the financial crisis and Banque du Liban’s adoption of the 1,507 Lebanese pound exchange rate as the official rate, “the customers of these companies settled their obligations either on the basis of that rate or through bank checks (‘lollars’), forcing the companies to repay their bank loans under the same terms.”According to the statement, “a significant number” of these customers went bankrupt as a result of the financial crisis and were unable to meet their obligations, thereby inflicting additional direct losses on traders. “How can these companies today be asked to bear up to 30% of the value of loans that had already been repaid on the basis of the 1,507 Lebanese pound exchange rate or through bank checks (‘lollars’)?” the syndicate asked. “Insisting on imposing such a high rate on companies,” it warned, will inevitably lead to widespread closures of productive institutions, the dismissal of thousands of employees, and a severe blow to what remains of the economic cycle. “The Syndicate of Traders and Importers of Alcoholic Beverages propose a clear and explicit amendment to the draft law, limiting the contribution of commercial and industrial companies with respect to loans and commercial facilities to a maximum of 2%,” the statement added.

Israeli military signals readiness for broader Lebanon operation pending political decision—the details
LBCI/December 20, 2025
Following Israel’s first summary after the second meeting of the mechanism committee on Friday in Naqoura, the Israeli military intensified pressure on political leaders to support the implementation of an operation in Lebanon aimed at weakening Hezbollah. The operation would last several days and include ground incursions. Citing the Lebanese army’s refusal to search homes based on reports sent by Tel Aviv, and a statement by the UNIFIL spokesperson saying there is no evidence that Hezbollah is rebuilding its capabilities, Israeli officials reiterated claims that only the Israeli army is capable of disarming the group. By contrast, a U.S. official was quoted as saying there are positive indications from Lebanon and that the situation may be approaching a stage in which Hezbollah would be prevented from posing any threat to Israel. For now, Israel is keeping the Lebanon front under controlled pressure, pending clearer outcomes from the expected meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump on the 29th of this month. The Israeli military expects that a political decision regarding the future of its operations in Lebanon will follow that meeting.

Iraqi PM affirms support for Lebanon’s stability in call with President Aoun
LBCI/December 20, 2025
President Joseph Aoun held a phone call with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. During the call, they discussed bilateral relations and ways to develop them across various fields in a manner that strengthens the shared interests of the two brotherly peoples. Al-Sudani reaffirmed Iraq’s support—both at the government and popular levels—for all efforts that help achieve stability in Lebanon and reinforce its sovereignty, stressing the importance of strengthening and intensifying joint Arab action to confront the challenges facing the region.

Syria warns of halting cooperation with Lebanon as progress continues on Syrian prisoners issue
LBCI/December 20, 2025
Damascus considers the resolution of the Syrian detainees file in Lebanon to be the key gateway to advancing the process of reorganizing bilateral relations, viewing it as a complex issue that requires careful and sustained follow-up to untangle its obstacles.
Syria is demanding that the cases of 2,575 Syrian nationals held in Lebanese prisons be resolved in a single batch, without fragmentation. It has indicated, however, that it does not oppose postponing the cases of those who fought the Lebanese army to a later stage. According to Syrian officials, about 70% of the detainees are held without conviction, while the remainder are serving sentences. Damascus believes that the new phase of relations between the two countries must be accompanied by a comprehensive review and resolution of past files. Syrian authorities are insisting on finalizing the detainees file before moving on to other unresolved issues, including land and maritime border disputes, the cooperation and coordination treaty, and trade relations. They have pointed to internal pressure to resolve the matter, while also citing what they describe as Saudi and Qatari understanding — and even encouragement — to complete the process. Syrian officials say they see no major obstacles to addressing the remaining issues once the detainees file is settled. LBCI reported that Syrian officials have warned of a possible suspension of the work of the joint security and border committees by the end of the year if Lebanon does not facilitate its handling of this issue. Lebanon, which has already taken what it describes as positive steps by releasing 120 Syrians detained in ordinary criminal cases, insists that the file is being addressed strictly from a judicial standpoint, denying any attempt to politicize it. Sources familiar with the matter say easing prison overcrowding is also in Lebanon’s interest, particularly as Syrians make up roughly one-third of the prison population. They add that work on the file is proceeding at a fast pace and without delay. LBCI also reported that among the proposals under discussion is allowing convicted Syrians to serve the remainder of their sentences in Syrian prisons, as well as the passage of legislation by parliament to regulate how cases of detainees held without trial should be handled.

PM Salam hosts Irish prime minister, southern situation highlighted in Beirut meeting
LBCI/December 20, 2025
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin at the Grand Serail in Beirut on Saturday. Martin is visiting Lebanon to inspect his country’s contingent serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the south. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the situation in Lebanon, with a particular focus on the southern region, as well as bilateral relations between Lebanon and Ireland.

Lebanon close to completing disarmament of Hezbollah south of Litani River, says PM
Arab News/December 20, 2025
BEIRUT: Lebanon is close to completing the disarmament of Hezbollah south of the Litani River, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Saturday, as the country ​races to fulfil a key demand of its ceasefire with Israel before a year-end deadline. The US-backed ceasefire, agreed in November 2024, ended more than a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah and required the disarmament of the Iran-aligned militant group, starting in areas south of the river adjacent to Israel. Lebanese authorities, ‌led by President ‌Joseph Aoun and Salam, tasked the US-backed Lebanese ‌army ⁠on ​August ‌5 with devising a plan to establish a state monopoly on arms by the end of the year. “Prime Minister Salam affirmed that the first phase of the weapons consolidation plan related to the area south of the Litani River is only days away from completion,” a statement from his ⁠office said. “The state is ready to move on to the second ‌phase — namely (confiscating weapons) north of the ‍Litani River — based on the ‍plan prepared by the Lebanese army pursuant to ‍a mandate from the government,” Salam added. The statement came after Salam held talks with Simon Karam, Lebanon’s top civilian negotiator on a committee overseeing the Hezbollah-Israel truce. Since the ceasefire, the sides ​have regularly accused each other of violations, with Israel questioning the Lebanese army’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah. ⁠Israeli warplanes have increasingly targeted Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and even in the capital. Hezbollah, a Shiite Muslim group, has tried to resist the pressure — from its mainly Christian and Sunni Muslim opponents in Lebanon as well as from the US and Saudi Arabia — to disarm, saying it would be a mistake while Israel continues its air strikes on the country. Israel has publicly urged Lebanese authorities to fulfil the conditions of the truce, saying it will act “as ‌necessary” if Lebanon fails to take steps against Hezbollah.

Detainee Imad Amhaz Case Highlights Hezbollah’s Maritime Activities
Asharq Al-Awsat/December 20/2025
Israel’s disclosure of a naval commando operation in the northern Lebanese town of Batroun has thrust back into focus a case that straddles security, political, and legal fault lines. The announcement, accompanied by Israeli claims surrounding Imad Amhaz, comes at a delicate moment, coinciding with ceasefire arrangements, meetings of the monitoring mechanism committee, and ongoing efforts to resolve the files of detainees and missing persons.
The Israeli announcement and security narrative
Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said Israeli forces carried out an operation around a year ago in Batroun, far from the Lebanese Israeli border, during which Imad Amhaz was transferred to Israel for interrogation. According to the Israeli account, Amhaz is linked to Hezbollah’s secret maritime file and its coastal missile unit, received military training inside and outside Lebanon, and acquired maritime expertise related to operational missions. Adraee said the interrogation of Amhaz enabled, according to his statement, the acquisition of information related to organized maritime activities run under a secret framework and using civilian fronts.
He said this information helped obstruct the progress of this file at what he described as a sensitive stage, adding that Iran provided support for these activities.
A broader political and security context
In an analytical reading, security and defense researcher Riad Kahwaji told Asharq Al-Awsat that the case of Imad Amhaz and the timing of its disclosure could not be separated from the broader political and security context, particularly the meeting of the ceasefire monitoring mechanism committee and the ongoing negotiations.
He said Israel was trying through this timing to justify its refusal to withdraw from five points by arguing that Hezbollah remained present and continued to conduct military activity. Kahwaji said the Israeli messages also aimed to show that Hezbollah’s role was far greater than perceived inside Lebanon, arguing that the group was no longer merely a local organization but part of a broad regional project led by Iran. He said the issue was not related to a trench or one or two military positions, but rather to an integrated structure that included maritime capabilities, infrastructure, and strategic preparations. He added that Iran had invested tens of millions of dollars in this project, saying Israel was seeking to highlight the scale of military investment in a country whose population was suffering severe internal pressures. Kahwaji said the file went beyond the area south of the Litani River, noting that the issue was not limited to that region but included the maritime dimension and other areas, particularly since Amhaz was in Batroun in northern Lebanon at the time of the operation. He said Israel was speaking about tunnels, weapons depots, and equipment in an attempt to show a contradiction between what the Lebanese state declared regarding the disarmament track and what Israel considered a continuation of Hezbollah’s military activity and armament.
He said attempts to strip Imad Amhaz of his civilian status fell within this context, explaining that Israel had from the outset sought to present him as linked to what it called Hezbollah’s naval weapons. He added that the Lebanese state, in contrast, said the core problem lay in Israel’s continued occupation of the five points, while Israel responded that the main reason was that Hezbollah had not stopped arming itself and that the threat remained.
The Lebanese position and legal dimension
For his part, Nabih Awada, a member of the committee representing detainees and former prisoners in Israeli jails, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the case of Imad Amhaz was, from a legal perspective, that of a civilian abducted from a Lebanese area far from the border. He said his detention did not fall under military arrest. Awada said this also applied to other documented cases, stressing that the file was being followed up with official Lebanese authorities and with the International Committee of the Red Cross. He said the Lebanese state was dealing with Imad Amhaz on the basis that he was a civilian and considered that the location of his detention, its circumstances, and its nature did not fall within any military engagement or combat activity. He said this description was what the state relied on in addressing the file before international bodies.
Presidential stance regarding the detainees
Awada said the full details of the file were raised during a meeting with the president of the republic, who he said was fully convinced that the priority of the current stage was the release of Lebanese detainees. He said the president stressed the need to start at least with civilians detained after the war, given that hostilities had stopped and there was no longer any legal justification for holding them. He said the president had acted on this basis by communicating with the International Committee of the Red Cross, as well as international and US parties.
The Amhaz family’s stance
Alongside official positions, sources close to the family of Imad Amhaz told Asharq Al-Awsat they denied any knowledge of military activity attributed to him, saying Amhaz had been leading a normal civilian life and that the family had never been informed of any link between him and any military or security activity. They said the information published did not reflect the family’s account.
Detainees and missing persons figures
On figures, Awada said the file submitted to the president included 20 Lebanese detainees whose presence in Israeli prisons had been confirmed, half of whom were arrested during the war and half afterward. He said among those detained during the war were seven fighters and three civilians, including Imad Amhaz, who was considered a civilian. Those detained after the ceasefire were all civilians, in addition to three people missing before the war and around 40 missing since it began.

Lebanon: Return of Residents Dominates Naqoura Ceasefire Mechanism Meeting
Asharq Al-Awsat/December 20/2025
The committee overseeing the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, known as the “mechanism,” convened its 15th meeting in Naqoura, the second to include civilian representatives, with renewed focus on the return of residents to their homes on both sides of the border. The statement issued after the meeting highlighted the importance of the return of residents on both sides of the border to their homes, and said Lebanese and Israeli representatives reaffirmed their commitment to continue efforts to support stability and work toward a permanent halt to hostilities, according to the US Embassy in Beirut. Earlier this month, two civilian representatives, one Lebanese and one Israeli, joined the committee’s meetings in the first direct talks between the two countries in decades. The committee is led by the United States and includes representatives from France and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
Aoun: Return of residents is the entry point for further talks
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with the head of the Lebanese delegation, Simon Karam, after he took part in the meeting in Naqoura. Aoun stressed that “the priority is the return of residents of the border villages to their towns, homes and land as an entry point to discussing all other details.”He added that the meeting included a detailed presentation of what the Lebanese army has achieved, supported by documentation. It was agreed that Jan. 7, 2026, would be the date of the next meeting. Netanyahu’s office: Discussion on boosting economic projects. While the US Embassy said participants focused on strengthening military cooperation between the two sides, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the deputy head of the National Security Council represented Israel at the Naqoura meeting to discuss the disarmament of Hezbollah.
It added that talks also covered ways to boost economic projects to demonstrate the shared interest in removing the Hezbollah threat and ensuring lasting security for residents on both sides of the border.
US Embassy: Political and economic progress is essential
In its statement, the US Embassy in Beirut said military participants in the mechanism meeting “offered operational updates and remained focused on deepening the cooperation” between the two sides “by finding ways to increase coordination.”
“All agreed a strengthened Lebanese Armed Force, the guarantors of security in the South Litani Sector, is critical to success.”“Civilian participants, in parallel, focused on setting conditions for residents to return safely to their homes, advancing reconstruction, and addressing economic priorities. They underscored that durable political and economic progress is essential to reinforcing security gains and sustaining lasting peace,” the statement added. The embassy also said “participants reaffirmed that progress on security and political tracks remain mutually reinforcing and essential to ensuring long-term stability and prosperity for both parties. They look forward to the next round of regularly scheduled meetings in 2026.”Lebanese authorities had approved earlier this month the appointment of former ambassador Simon Karam as a civilian representative to the committee’s meetings, in a move aimed at “warding off the specter of a second war” on Lebanon amid Israeli threats and continued airstrikes that Israel says target Hezbollah positions. The authorities stressed the technical nature of the talks with Israel, aimed at halting its attacks and securing the withdrawal of its forces from areas they advanced into during the latest war. Hezbollah described the appointment of a civilian delegate at the time as a “misstep” added to what it called the government’s “sin” of deciding to disarm the group under the ceasefire agreement.Lebanon is facing mounting pressure from the United States and Israel to accelerate the disarmament of Hezbollah under a plan approved by the government as part of implementing the ceasefire agreement. The Lebanese army is expected to complete the first phase of the plan in the border area south of the Litani River by the end of the year.

The headline—"A U.S. Court Investigates: Did Antoun Sehnaoui Launder Money for Hezbollah?"—is sensational and misleading.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain//December 20/2024
At least five friends shared the recent Daraj article with me—in both English and Arabic, and as a video on social media. I've reviewed a dozen similar pieces from Daraj. My conclusion: This is a hit job against Antoun Sehnaoui, SGBL’s chairperson.
The headline—"A U.S. Court Investigates: Did Antoun Sehnaoui Launder Money for Hezbollah?"—is sensational and misleading.
The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) monitors global transactions and freezes any suspected ties to designated terrorist entities. No bank can handle Hezbollah funds without OFAC intervention, as seen with LCB, Jammal Trust Bank, and others. Hezbollah's financing often bypasses formal banking through cash, gold, and parallel networks like al-Qard al-Hassan (whose vault under Sahel Hospital was targeted by Israel in 2024, revealing independent storage). U.S. efforts against Iranian laundering in Iraq highlight Washington's preference for regulated banking over cash economies.
Al-Amin's framing of the crisis as "the theft of the century" via collusion between "resistance" governments, banks, and the Banque du Liban is simplistic. Lebanon's collapse was a severe cash crunch, similar to the U.S. 2008 crisis. In the financial system, deposits exceed actual cash reserves; the rest rely on confidence. In the U.S., a real-estate bubble burst, government was forced to step up with a bailout to settle the difference between nominal wealth and real market value. A similar gap opened up in Lebanon. Rafic Hariri's lira-to-USD peg worked during economic growth but faltered amid stagnation from Hezbollah-linked instability (assassinations, conflicts, wars).To sustain the peg and stability, Beirut borrowed heavily from banks at high USD rates (7–8%), creating a Ponzi-like structure dependent on inflows. When inflows stopped in 2019, the peg collapsed, hyperinflation hit, and the state owed banks and national funds ~$120 billion—double pre-crisis GDP.
Corruption worsened it: Debt ballooned inefficiently, with funds wasted or pocketed. Banks earned nominal profits from now-worthless government bonds. The core problem was systemic: Hezbollah's armed presence deterred investment and growth, forcing reliance on reserves. Anti-bank arguments ignore that refusing to lend at high rates would have made any bank that sat it out uncompetitive, much like U.S. banks' subprime lending pressures pre-2008.
The real "thief" is the complicity allowing Hezbollah's arms to coexist with a functioning economy—until it killed growth and depleted reserves. Refinancing banks in Lebanon starts with jumpstarting GDP growth (and Lebanon’s peace with Israel is a guaranteed economic winner), which allows Beirut to tax and pay back banks and social security funds (retirement, healtcare, etc), thus injecting liquidity into them. Banks can then honor checks and return deposits. Intellectual rigor requires separating economic reality from political biases. The debate that the Lebanese, like Daraj, are having is more of the same — political vendettas and biases not a proscription for better policies that can pull the country out of its hole.

Iran, Israel, And Lebanese Equivocation
Mustafa Fahs/Asharq Al-Awsat/December 20/2025
Lebanese equivocation is a chronic existential threat engendered by successive periods of subjugation and occupation. These factors have generated two discourses: both considered “patriotic” by those who espouse them but irreconcilable. Together they encapsulate Lebanon’s divisions over major and minor issues alike, as well as both domestic and foreign policy, since the establishment of the Lebanese state. Historically and currently, this equivocation has given rise to “patriotic” and “sovereigntist,” positions and slogans that failed to develop a shared definition of sovereignty and independence, or an inclusive conception of patriotism. As a result, these notions have been susceptible to contradictory connotations shaped by political interests and ideological or communal affiliations. This discord has undermined state-building and unity, and it has produced conflicting alignments in regional conflicts, as is manifest today in the complex dynamics of the approach to Iran and Israel. Between an Iran that Lebanon has lost (as a political supporter of all Lebanese, not of a particular faction), and an Israel that it is impossible to win over, label as an ally, consider close to any Lebanese party, or even compel to end its threats or deter it militarily, Lebanese equivocation becomes evident in both official and elite positions.
The state’s position, articulated by Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, is clear and explicit with regard to the objective of negotiations with Israel. As for Tehran, Minister Rajji must adopt a firm diplomatic approach, demanding that it cease interfering in internal affairs. Yet it would be preferable, given his role as head of Lebanese diplomacy, for him to go to Tehran directly, not as a courtesy visit, but to deliver a frank message that safeguards the historical relations between the two peoples. He must explain to the Iranian leadership, which is in denial, the difference between the kind of role Lebanon would welcome and the interference or domination Lebanon rejects. He should also clarify that Iran’s cultural, commercial, and social ties must encompass all Lebanese groups, and that it cannot present itself as the guardian of a particular community, since only the state has the right to protect its citizens. As for Lebanese Shiites in particular, clear and forthright dialogue in Tehran would protect Lebanon’s Shiites and their role, as well as preserving the cultural and spiritual bonds that link them to Iran.
It would be beneficial for Iran’s leadership to hear from a senior Lebanese official, in Tehran, that Lebanon and its Shiite community are not a strategic tool in its arsenal, and that it cannot gamble with the lives of a foundational sect in the region’s conflicts on ideological grounds. And since the countries have diplomatic relations, there is no alternative to dealing with Iran as a political adversary that exercised hegemony over Lebanon for a time rather than as an existential enemy. That is what other Arab states have done, and the Saudi model stands out as an example of viable and responsible engagement.
On the other side of “Lebanese equivocation,” particularly of certain elites, peace with the Israeli enemy cannot be regarded as an option or political preference. The wishful thinking of some Lebanese rushing to reach peace accords (modeled on ambiguous precedents that have emerged in recent years) under current conditions, is vehemently rejected by no fewer than half of the Lebanese population. The example of the May 17, 1983 agreement (a security-political agreement between Lebanon and Israel), signed under occupation, did not lead to peace. It was abandoned by those who had negotiated it, not by those who claimed to have overthrown it in what became known as the February 6, 1984 uprising against the government of President Amin Gemayel. This episode shows that whenever Lebanese elites have come close to contemplating peace on patriotic terms, they have run up against its structural impossibility.
That does not imply burdening Lebanon with the Arab–Israeli conflict. Rather, it means acknowledging the domestic structural obstacles that any separate peace agreement that does not fall within a comprehensive Arab settlement (or within the track led by Riyadh and conditioned on a “two-state solution”) impossible. Damascus also recognizes this. It seeks security arrangements that would put an end to armed confrontation, not to the conflict itself, which may take non-violent forms. Accordingly, the Lebanese equivocation on Iran and Israel must be taken apart. Iran, as a state and a people, shares vast commonalities with the peoples and states of the region, and they are deeper than the actions and transgressions of its regime. As for Israel, its fanatical society recognizes no other, as evidenced by the positions of political representatives. Its politicians speak for a society that overwhelmingly shares almost nothing in common with the peoples of the region.

The Lebanese Baath Party: Importance of the Unimportant
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat/December 20/2025
Some events may seem insignificant, yet it is precisely their insignificance that gives them importance. I am referring here to the “Arab Socialist Baath Party” in Lebanon changing its name to the “Hezb Al-Raya Al-Watani” (National Banner Party).
As for the first reason for its importance, it is that this is one of those rare phenomena that are only noticed when they die. This party, which was barely perceptible, was only noticed after changing its name.
The second reason for its importance is a paradox in the name itself. It may be unusual to encounter a body without a name, but encountering a name without a body seems almost impossible. True, militant parties have often tried to circumvent this impossibility, pushing their way over time with a blend of paranoia and deliberate misrepresentation: we have long seen a handful of young men come together and call themselves the “party” of this or that toiling class, the “vanguard” of some militant movement, or a “front” that encompasses a variety of mass movements and forces. However, it is also true that the Baath Party in Lebanon is more complicated than that. It is an accessory of an extremely serious phenomenon that ruled two prominent Arab countries for decades and went very far in their path toward destroying both. Nevertheless, the Baath Party rising to power in Lebanon has never been seen as a possibility in the collective awareness. It is not a good fit for the coups that Baathist officers had made a craft out of in neighboring countries. Another party, the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, had the ingenious idea to try, spectacularly botching two farcical coup attempts, one in 1949 and the other in 1961. Moreover, the slogan of transnational Arab unity never managed to build a solid base of support keen on replacing their country with this unity, though some forces used the slogan of Arab unity to further their sectarian interests. Even so, the Lebanese Baath, for a whole host of reasons, never managed to speak for or take the lead in representing sectarian grievances, though it did always manage to tie itself to parties that did represent, or knew how to exploit, those grievances, like the Palestinian resistance, Hezbollah, and the Assad regime’s security apparatuses.
The party’s name, apparently its most significant feature, was changed, but this change was not accompanied by the appointment of a new leader to replace Mr. Ali Hijazi. Mind you, the latter has not managed to join the ranks of the Baath’s “immortal historic leaders,” who, truth be told, are neither better nor more virtuous than him in any way. How, then, did the party lose its contact with the changed conditions while its leader did not?
Incidentally, we must go over the link between the name and the tasks assigned to the bearer of that name. The choice of “Hezb Al-Raya Al-Watani” brings the “Al-Raya” magazine established by Syrian Baathists loyal to Salah Jadid before Baathists loyal to Hafez al-Assad, as is typical, violently seized it. However, those who opted for this name, which tells us very little and is the kind of name sports teams are given, present themselves and their name change in terms that no sports team would ever attribute to themselves. “The change came as a mature extension of our path, not a departure from it, in a step that reflects our awareness of the magnitude of this phase and its transformations, as well as our commitment to our natural place at the heart of the struggle and fight to defend the people, the homeland, and the nation. Today, we are not merely announcing a new name; we are announcing reinvigorated determination, a clearer vision, and a new start grounded in honest reassessment, not seasonal contingency.”
The party has suggested that its name has been changed to meet the current moment and its changes. Or, as they put it: “we are entering a new and different phase whose title is openness, encounter, and dialogue, without any relinquishment of our fundamentals.” To this end, it added the cedar to the flag of the Banner “because we are of the roots of this land; we came from the core of its history and pain.”What the bearers of the new name do not want to acknowledge, however, is that nothing has done more to undermine “openness and encounter” among the Lebanese than Baathist “fundamentals”, and that the consolation prize of adding a cedar to the party’s flag is the stuff of lazy children cheekily seeking an excuse for not doing their schoolwork.
The whole thing, in the end, has become comic material made even more ridiculous by the fact that other Baathists in Lebanon, led by former MP Assem Qanso, have vehemently rejected the decision to change the party’s historic name and publicly slandered those behind it. These are the same figures who had previously defected from Mr. Hijazi (or he defected from them), leaving observers to interpret the dispute as a race to cozy up to the “comrades” overseeing Syrian security services. However, while those clinging to the Baath name were more repugnant than those who have abandoned it, the humor in this farce remains mixed with a great deal of disgust that was engendered, just days ago, by the clip of the two “comrades,” Bashar al-Assad and Luna al-Shibl, sharing their views on the governance fundamentals, the Syrian people, and the world. It remains that the most important thing, with regard to these unimportant phenomena, is that some have begun to change their names and others have shed their skin- and the best is probably yet to come.
As to a pretender having made false pretense- as the Baathist poet put it- and the “Baath” never cracking, those are different matters for another story.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 20-21/2025
US military launches strikes in Syria against Daesh fighters after American deaths
AP/December 20, 2025
WASHINGTON: The Trump administration launched military strikes Friday in Syria to “eliminate” Daesh group fighters and weapons sites in retaliation for an ambush attack that killed two US troops and an American interpreter almost a week ago. A US official described it as “a large-scale” strike that hit 70 targets in areas across central Syria that had Daesh (also known as Islamic State or IS) infrastructure and weapons. Another US official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive operations, said more strikes should be expected. The attack was conducted using F-15 Eagle jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack aircraft and AH-64 Apache helicopters, the officials said. F-16 fighter jets from Jordan and HIMARS rocket artillery also were used, one official said. “This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance. The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on social media. President Donald Trump had pledged “very serious retaliation” after the shooting in the Syrian desert, for which he blamed Daesh. The troops were among hundreds of US troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting the terrorist group. Trump in a social media post said the strikes were targeting Daesh “strongholds.” He reiterated his support for Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, who he said was “fully in support” of the US effort to target the militant group. Trump also offered an all-caps threat, warning the group against attacking US personnel again. “All terrorists who are evil enough to attack Americans are hereby warned — YOU WILL BE HIT HARDER THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN HIT BEFORE IF YOU, IN ANY WAY, ATTACK OR THREATEN THE USA.,” the president added. The attack was a major test for the warming ties between the United States and Syria since the ouster of autocratic leader Bashar Assad a year ago. Trump has stressed that Syria was fighting alongside US troops and said Al-Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack,” which came as the US military is expanding its cooperation with Syrian security forces. Syria’s foreign ministry in a statement on X following the launch of US strikes said that last week’s attack “underscores the urgent necessity of strengthening international cooperation to combat terrorism in all its forms” and that Syria is committed “to fighting Daesh and ensuring that it has no safe havens on Syrian territory and will continue to intensify military operations against it wherever it poses a threat.”Daesh has not claimed responsibility for the attack on the US service members, but the group has claimed responsibility for two attacks on Syrian security forces since, one of which killed four Syrian soldiers in Idlib province. The group in its statements described Al-Sharaa’s government and army as “apostates.” While Al-Sharaa once led a group affiliated with Al-Qaeda, he has had a long-running enmity with Daesh.Syrian state television reported that the US strikes hit targets in rural areas of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces and in the Jabal Al-Amour area near Palmyra. It said they targeted “weapons storage sites and headquarters used by Daesh as launching points for its operations in the region.”Trump this week met privately with the families of the slain Americans at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware before he joined top military officials and other dignitaries on the tarmac for the dignified transfer, a solemn and largely silent ritual honoring US service members killed in action. The guardsmen killed in Syria last Saturday were Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, according to the US Army. Ayad Mansoor Sakat, of Macomb, Michigan, a US civilian working as an interpreter, was also killed. The shooting nearly a week ago near the historic city of Palmyra also wounded three other US troops as well as members of Syria’s security forces, and the gunman was killed. The assailant had joined Syria’s internal security forces as a base security guard two months ago and recently was reassigned because of suspicions that he might be affiliated with Daesh, Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour Al-Din Al-Baba has said. The man stormed a meeting between US and Syrian security officials who were having lunch together and opened fire after clashing with Syrian guards. When asked for further information, the Pentagon referred AP to Hegseth’s social media post.

US launches retaliatory strikes in Syria on dozens of ISIS targets
LUIS MARTINEZ/CBC News/Fri, December 19, 2025
https://ca.yahoo.com/news/us-launches-retaliatory-strikes-syria-222633671.html
The U.S. military launched retaliatory strikes on Friday against dozens of ISIS targets in Syria, according to a statement issued by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on social media. More than 70 ISIS targets were struck in Friday’s attacks and 100 munitions were used by a mix of fighter jets, attack helicopters and rocket artillery fire, according to U.S. Central Command. Hegseth said "Operation Hawkeye Strike" was carried out in Syria "to eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites in direct response to the attack on U.S. forces that occurred on Dec. 13 in Palmyra, Syria. U.S. Central Command also confirmed in a statement that Jordanian fighter aircraft also participated in Friday’s strikes. "This is not the beginning of a war -- It is a declaration of vengeance," said Hegseth. "The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people." The strikes in Syria are in retaliation for the deaths on Saturday of three Americans in Palmyra, Syria, by what CENTCOM said was a lone ISIS gunman who was later killed. President Donald Trump said the strikes were "inflicting very serious retaliation, just as I promised, on the murderous terrorists responsible" for the attack. Trump added that the strikes were happening "against ISIS strongholds in Syria" and that Syria’s new government is "is fully in support.
Reports from inside Syria, including the monitoring agency the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported that explosions had been heard in areas of the country. The three fatalities in Saturday’s attack in Palmyra included two Iowa National Guardsmen and a U.S. civilian interpreter. Three other Iowa National Guardsmen were injured in the attack. Friday’s large-scale retaliatory strikes involved F-15 and A-10 fighter jets, Apache attack helicopters and the use of HIMARS rocket artillery, according to a U.S. official, who said they had struck 70 targets, including “ISIS weapon areas and infrastructure in central Syria." The official added that the retaliatory strikes were intended to deliver "a significant blow" to ISIS remnant forces in Syria, their infrastructure and to eliminate ISIS weapons areas. According to the latest U.S. intelligence estimate, there are still between 1,500 to 3,000 ISIS militants still operating in Syria and Iraq.Ahead of Friday’s strikes, the official said that U.S. partners led 10 operations in Iraq and Syria, with U.S. military support, that captured or killed 23 ISIS militants. The raids also helped glean intelligence that informed future targeting operations said the official.
There are currently 1,000 U.S. troops in Syria, the bulk of them located in eastern Syria, with the continuing mission prevent a resurgence of ISIS which was defeated militarily in 2019.
Between 100 to 150 of the U.S. troops in Syria are based at At Tanq Garrison, a remote outpost located on Syria’s border with Jordan. The Iowa National Guardsmen targeted in Saturday’s attack were based at that outpost, which was visited on Friday by Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command, according to a source familiar with the visit. The Iowa National Guardsmen targeted in Saturday’s attack were based at that outpost, which was visited on Friday by Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command, according to a source familiar with the visit. Cooper recognized the troops there for their actions under fire and also discussed the strikes that were to take place on Friday. Sgt. William "Nate" Howard, Sgt. Edgar Torres Tovar, and their U.S. civilian interpreter, Ayad Mansoor Sakat, were killed in an ambush by a lone ISIS gunman on Saturday as they were carrying out a key leader engagement, according to a CENTCOM statement. They were the first U.S. military combat deaths in Syria since 2019. In the wake of Saturday’s ambush, U.S. Central Command provided information of the frequency of anti-ISIS operations in Syria noting that since July the U.S. and its partner forces had carried out 80 operations against ISIS targets and detained 119 ISIS militants and killed 14. In November alone, U.S. and Syrian forces jointly destroyed 15 ISIS weapons caches in southern Syria, it said.

Rubio says new governance bodies for Gaza will be in place soon
Reuters./December 20, 2025
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that a ​new governance structure for Gaza — made up of an international board and a group of Palestinian technocrats — would be in place soon, followed by the deployment of foreign troops, as the US hopes to cement a fragile ceasefire in Israel’s war in the Palestinian enclave. Rubio, speaking at a year-end news conference, said the status quo was not sustainable in Gaza, where Israel has continued to strike Hamas targets while the group has reasserted its control since the October peace agreement ‌brokered by the US. “That’s why we have a sense of ‌urgency about ​bringing ‌phase one to its full completion, which is the establishment of the Board of Peace, and the establishment of the Palestinian technocratic authority or organization that’s going to be on the ground, and then the stabilization force comes closely thereafter,” Rubio said. Rubio said progress had been made recently in identifying Palestinians to join the technocratic group and that Washington aimed to get the governance bodies in place “very soon,” without offering a specific timeline. Rubio was speaking after the US Central Command hosted a conference in Doha this week with partner nations to plan ‌the International Stabilization Force for Gaza. Two US officials said last week that international troops could be deployed in the strip as early as next month, following the UN Security Council’s November vote to authorize the force.It remains unclear how Hamas will be disarmed, and countries considering contributing troops to the ISF are wary that Hamas will engage their soldiers in combat. Rubio did not specify who would be responsible for disarming Hamas and conceded that countries contributing troops want to know the ISF’s specific mandate and how it will be funded. “I think ⁠we owe them a few more answers before we can ask anybody to commit firmly, but I feel very confident that we have a number of nation states acceptable to all sides in this who are willing to step forward and be a part of that stabilization force,” Rubio said, noting that Pakistan was among the countries that had expressed interest.Establishing security and governance was key to securing donor funding for reconstruction in Gaza, Rubio added. “Who’s going to pledge billions of dollars to build things that are going to get blown up again because a war starts?” Rubio said, discussing the possibility of a donor conference to raise reconstruction funds. “They want to know ‌who’s in charge, and they want to know that there’s security so and that there’ll be long term stability.”

Netanyahu plans to brief Trump on possible new Iran strikes: Report
Reuters/December 20/2025
US President ‍Donald Trump is set ‍to be briefed by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that any ⁠expansion of Iran’s ballistic missile program poses a threat that could necessitate swift action, NBC News ‍reported on Saturday. Israeli officials are ‍concerned that ‍Iran is ⁠reconstituting nuclear ‌enrichment sites ⁠the ‍US bombed in June, ⁠and are preparing to brief Trump ‌for options on attacking the missile program again, the NBC ‍report added. Reuters could not verify the report.

Gazans mourn six killed in Israeli shelling on shelter
AFP/December 20, 2025
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Dozens of Palestinians gathered at a Gaza City hospital on Saturday to mourn six people, including children, that the civil defense said were killed by the Israeli shelling of a shelter for displaced people. The Israeli military said late on Friday that troops had fired at “suspicious individuals to eliminate the threat,” adding that it was reviewing the incident and “regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals.”Gaza’s civil defense agency, which operates as a rescue force under Hamas authority, initially said on Friday that the Israeli shelling of a school-turned-shelter killed five people in the Tuffah neighborhood east of Gaza City. Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal updated the toll to six, including children, on Saturday, adding that two people were unaccounted for under the rubble. The director of Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital, Mohammed Abu Salmiya, told AFP the victims were a four-month old infant, a 14-year-old girl, two men and two women.Inside the hospital’s morgue on Saturday, relatives peered beneath blankets to get a last glimpse of their loved ones. Outside, a grief-stricken man clutched an infant’s body wrapped in a white shroud, AFP footage showed. Five other body bags were laid out on the ground as mourners prayed over the dead. “This is not a truce, it is a bloodbath,” said Nafiz Al-Nader, who witnessed the attack.“We want the bloodshed to stop and we don’t want to lose our loved ones every day,” he told AFP.
‘Flagrant, recurring violation’
In its statement on Friday, the Israeli military said: “During operational activity in the area of the Yellow line in the northern Gaza Strip, a number of suspicious individuals were identified in command structures west of the Yellow line.”
Under the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, Israeli forces have withdrawn to positions east of the so-called Yellow Line. “Shortly after identification, the troops fired at the suspicious individuals to eliminate the threat,” the military said, adding that it was “aware of the claim regarding casualties in the area, and the details are under review.” Abdullah Al-Nader, who lost his relatives, told AFP that the shelling suddenly erupted in the evening. “It was a safe area and a safe school and suddenly... they began firing shells without warning, targeting women, children and civilians,” he said. In a statement on Saturday, Hamas denounced “a brutal crime committed against innocent civilians and a flagrant, recurring violation of the ceasefire agreement.”The Palestinian Islamist movement urged the ceasefire mediators and US President Donald Trump’s administration “to assume their responsibilities regarding these violations and intervene immediately.”The ceasefire remains fragile with both sides alleging violations, and mediators fearing that both Israel and Hamas are stalling. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Saturday that at least 401 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the territory since the ceasefire came into effect on October 10. Israel has also repeatedly accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire, with the military reporting three soldiers killed in the territory since the truce entered into force.

Israeli military says detained suspected ISIS extremist in Syria
AFP/December 20/2025
The Israeli military said on Saturday its forces had arrested a suspected ISIS group extremist in Syria earlier this week and taken him back to Israel. In a statement, the military said that on Wednesday “soldiers completed an operation in the area of Rafid in southern Syria to apprehend a suspected terrorist affiliated with ISIS.” “The suspect was transferred for further processing in Israeli territory,” the statement said.

Iran, UK foreign ministers in rare direct contact
AFP/December 20/2025
bbas Araghchi has spoken by phone with his British counterpart Yvette Cooper, an Iranian foreign ministry statement said on Saturday, in a rare case of direct contact between the two countries.The ministry said that in Friday’s call the ministers “stressed the need to continue consultations at various levels to strengthen mutual understanding and pursue issues of mutual interest.”A UK government source said Cooper “emphasized the need for a diplomatic solution on Iran’s nuclear program and raised a number of other issues.”The source in London said Cooper raised the case of Lindsay and Craig Foreman, a British couple detained in Iran for nearly a year on suspicion of espionage.The Iranian ministry statement did not mention the case of the two Britons. It said Araghchi criticised “the irresponsible approach of the three European countries toward the Iranian nuclear issue,” referring to Britain, France and Germany.
The three countries at the end of September initiated the reinstatement of UN sanctions against Iran because of its nuclear program. The Foremans, both in their early fifties, were seized in January as they passed through Kerman, in central Iran, while on a round-the-world motorbike trip. Iran accuses the couple of entering the country pretending to be tourists so as to gather information for foreign intelligence services, an allegation the couple’s family rejects.

Armed gangs are vying to fill the vacuum left by Hamas in Israeli-occupied Gaza
Mostafa Salem, Ibrahim Dahman/CNN/December 20, 2025
When Sheikh Mohammed Abu Mustafa stepped out of his mosque in southern Gaza after leading afternoon prayers in early November, a gunman on a motorcycle pulled up and shot him dead.It was a targeted assassination that an Islamist militant group said was carried out by local Israeli-backed militia. A Hamas-linked group later claimed that the slain imam was a jihadist who had concealed Israeli hostages during the Gaza war, and accused the hitman of belonging to a new Israeli-supported militia led by Hussam Al-Astal – a former prisoner in Hamas-ruled Gaza who is now openly working to topple the militant group that has ruled the territory with an iron fist for nearly two decades. In a phone interview with CNN, Al-Astal denied that his men assassinated Sheikh Abu Mustafa but said he welcomed the death of any Hamas member. His obscure group, the self-styled Counter-Terrorism Strike Force, has taken control of a village in the Israeli-occupied part of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. From there, it carries out raids against Hamas while trying to grow its small domestic following.
As the dust begins to settle after the brutal two-year war, Gaza has been split in two. Hamas is reconsolidating its control in the western half of the enclave that Israel withdrew from, and remains the dominant force where the vast majority of Gaza’s population lives. East of the so-called yellow line – an Israeli military boundary– however, relatively few civilians remain. It is there, in the Israel-controlled territory, that small armed groups are trying to assert their dominance and carve out influence. Under Israel’s close watch, at least five factions are now operating within the yellow line. What began as scattered, opportunistic gangs exploiting the chaos of the conflict has coalesced into a coordinated network of armed militias that are openly positioning themselves for a postwar role in Gaza should Hamas be removed from power. There is coordination between our groups. We have the same goals and the same ideology…We have the same aim,” Al Astal told CNN, referring to Hamas’ defeat. Armed with light weapons, a few dozen fighters, and a handful of vehicles, the militias operate from separate bases across Israeli-controlled areas of Gaza. On social media, their leaders regularly post propaganda videos showing masked men in makeshift black uniforms, clutching rifles, awkwardly chanting in unison and vowing to “liberate” Gaza from Hamas. Though small and lacking in skill and support to fully replace Hamas, these militias have already plunged Gaza into more instability. Using hit-and-run attacks, they have tried to challenge Hamas as it has consolidated power in areas no longer controlled by Israel since the ceasefire. The militias have waged an insurgency within an insurgency, targeting Hamas at a critical moment in the process of establishing governance in post-war Gaza. Hamas has not sat idly by. Concerned about its status in the enclave, Hamas is now on a mission to hunt them down, while ordinary Palestinians grow increasingly anxious that the war-torn enclave could slide toward open civil conflict. Reports of violence have been shared widely on social media, with one particularly gruesome video that was shared by Hamas-affiliated channels in October showing a group of masked fighters, some of whom are wearing green Hamas headbands, killing eight blindfolded people in a square in Gaza City.
Hamas affiliated groups said those executed were collaborating with Israel or were involved in security and criminal offences, but it did not provide any evidence. The most disruptive among the anti-Hamas groups, and the one most openly backed by Israel, is the so-called Popular Forces, formerly led by Yasser Abu Shabab, an Israel-allied gang leader who was suddenly killed this month after a family dispute in Gaza turned violent, his group said. Hamas and its supporters widely celebrated his death, handing out sweets in the enclave as a show of celebration that reveals the Islamist groups’ relief that one of its main internal challengers had been eliminated. “This gang was one of the most serious reasons for the suffering of our people in the Gaza Strip… They were a major reason for guiding the occupation forces to the young men trapped inside the Rafah tunnels, which led to their arrest or targeting,” a Hamas affiliated group wrote on Telegram, referring to a pocket of Hamas fighters trapped in Israeli-occupied Gaza following the ceasefire. Yet the militias’ ambitions clearly extend far beyond defeating Hamas. Groups like Abu Shabab’s Popular Forces in the south, Ashraf Mansi’s Popular Army in the north, Hussam al-Astal’s Counter-Terrorism Strike Force in the east, and Rami Hallas’ Popular Defense Army in the center of Gaza are actively trying to prove their ability to govern locally. The gangs are seeking to recruit civilians, calling on doctors, lawyers, and teachers to enlist. On social media, Abu Shabab has openly offered monthly salaries for fighters, promising $1,000 for regular rank-and-file and $1,500 for officers willing to join him. Israel has acknowledged backing the group but it remains unclear how it is funded.
Hallas, commander of the Popular Defense Army, told CNN his group is largely composed of men previously imprisoned by the Hamas-run government. Hallas said the militia was formed in May in coordination with the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority with the initial task of securing humanitarian aid routes in eastern Gaza. Gaza’s day-after plan
Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and one of the chief architects of Gaza’s day-after plan said in October that the enclave’s reconstruction could begin in Hamas-free zones, pointing specifically to Rafah – an area where Abu Shabab’s forces operate. The leaders of the militias CNN spoke to insist they are part of the “day after” in Gaza, although it remains unclear if they will have enough public support to govern when and if Israel fully withdraws. “Our role will be pivotal,” Al-Astal said before revealing plans for to renovate a hospital in the area he operates from. “We are not a phenomenon that will vanish. … (We will) certainly be in the day- after (plan).”Two Israeli sources familiar with the matter told CNN that Israel will continue to back the militias, even after Abu Shabab’s death. His militia was supposed to be involved in securing the intended reconstruction site in Rafah, one source said.
Muhammad Shehada, a Gaza expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations said the militias, along with their families and a few other vetted Palestinians would be allowed to live in the Israeli-controlled areas as a “pretend population” in a reconstructed Rafah. “Eastern Gaza is where reconstruction goes. West Gaza is left in ruins. Both are divided by the yellow line…The twist is nobody really lives in eastern Gaza and no one is allowed to live there… so the gangs are now serving a pretend population,” he said. It’s unclear if Gaza’s residents would even consider moving to Israeli-occupied areas. Israeli forces have already killed a number of Palestinians who have approached the yellow line. “It’s strange how people are able to move. If you go close to the yellow line, you’re dead,” Magdy, a resident of Gaza City told CNN, only providing his first name to protect his identity. “Those who go are considered spies (for Israel). There must be an authority that is Palestinian that would tell us to move. … We would only move when Israel withdraws.” In the diplomatic limbo that exists between the first and second phase of the ceasefire, the militias have tried to establish themselves as a fixture of Gaza’s future. But without a plan for governance, they make the path forward even less clear, carving out their own interests in the war-torn territory still searching for peace. Another Gaza resident, Abu Riad, said the majority of people in western Gaza would not move into Israeli-controlled territory. “Why will we move into these (gang-controlled) areas? We will be moving towards the unknown.”

Israel’s new NGO regulations threaten vital aid to Palestinians
AFP/December 20, 2025
GAZA: New rules in Israel for registering nongovernmental organizations, under which more than a dozen groups have already been rejected, could have a catastrophic impact on aid work in Gaza and the West Bank, relief workers warn. The NGOs have until Dec. 31 to register under the new framework, which Israel says aims not to impede aid distribution but to prevent “hostile actors or supporters of terrorism” operating in the Palestinian territories. The controversy comes with Gaza, which lacks running water and electricity, still battling a humanitarian crisis even after the US-brokered October ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas, sparked by the Palestinian militant group’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism said that, as of November 2025, approximately 100 registration requests had been submitted and “only 14 organization requests have been rejected ... The remainder have been approved or are currently under review.”Requests are rejected for “organizations involved in terrorism, antisemitism, delegitimization of Israel, denial of the crimes of Oct. 8,” it said.
The amount of aid entering Gaza remains inadequate.
While the Oct. 10 ceasefire agreement stipulated the entry of 600 trucks per day, only 100 to 300 are carrying humanitarian aid, according to NGOs and the UN. The NGOs barred under the new rules include Save the Children, one of the best-known and oldest in Gaza, where it helps 120,000 children, and the American Friends Service Committee, or AFSC. They are being given 60 days to withdraw all their international staff from the Gaza Strip, the occupied West Bank, and Israel, and will no longer be able to deliver any aid. The forum that brings together UN agencies and NGOs working in the area on Thursday issued a statement urging Israel to “lift all impediments,” including the new registration process, that “risk the collapse of the humanitarian response.”The Humanitarian Country Team for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, or HCT, warned that dozens of NGOs face deregistration and that, although some had been registered, “these NGOs represent only a fraction of the response in Gaza and are nowhere near the number required just to meet immediate and basic needs.”“The deregistration of NGOs in Gaza will have a catastrophic impact on access to essential and basic services,” it said. Several NGOs declined to be quoted on the record due to the issue’s sensitivity, saying they had complied with most of Israel’s requirements to provide a complete dossier. Some, however, refused to cross what they described as a “red line” of providing information about their Palestinian staff.
“After speaking about genocide, denouncing the conditions under which the war was being waged and the restrictions imposed on the entry of aid, we tick all the boxes” to fail the registration, predicted the head of one NGO. “Once again, bureaucratic pressure is being used for political control, with catastrophic consequences,” said the relief worker. Rights groups and NGOs, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have accused Israel of carrying out a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, a term vehemently rejected by the Israeli government. “If NGOs are considered to be harmful for passing on testimonies from populations, carrying out operational work, and saying what is happening, and this leads to a ban on working, then this is very problematic,” said Jean-Francois Corty, president of French NGO Medecins du Monde.The most contentious requirement for the NGOs is to prove they do not work for the “delegitimization” of Israel, a term that appears related to calling into question Israel’s right to exist, but which aid workers say is dangerously vague. “Israel sees every little criticism as a reason to deny their registration ... We don’t even know what delegitimization actually means,” said Yotam Ben-Hillel, an Israeli lawyer who is assisting several NGOs with the process and has filed legal appeals. He said the applications of some NGOs had already been turned down on these grounds. “So every organization that operates in Gaza and the West Bank and sees what happens and reports on that could be declared as illegal now, because they just report on what they see,” he said. With the Dec. 31 deadline looming in just over a fortnight, concerns focus on what will happen in early 2026 if the selected NGOs lack the capacity and expertise of organizations with a long-standing presence. Several humanitarian actors said they had “never heard of” some of the accredited NGOs, which currently have no presence in Gaza but were Reportedly included in Trump’s plan for Gaza. The US “is starting from scratch, and with the new registration procedure, some NGOs will leave,” said a European diplomatic source in the region, asking not to be named. “They might wake up on Jan. 1 and realize there is no-one to replace them.”

US vows Hamas disarmament in talks on next Gaza phase
Agence France Presse/December 20/2025
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged the disarmament of Hamas but voiced hope for headway on reaching the next stage of a Gaza ceasefire as regional officials met. Top officials of Qatar and Egypt -- key mediators of the ceasefire -- and regional power Turkey headed Friday to Miami to meet U.S. envoys including Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's friend and roving envoy. Rubio acknowledged difficulties in achieving peace in Gaza, saying that the ceasefire that went into effect in October with the release of hostages amounted to a "miracle.""Every day will bring new challenges to that, and we recognize those challenges are coming from all sides," Rubio told a news conference in Washington. During the second stage, Israel is supposed to withdraw from its positions in Gaza, an interim authority is to govern the Palestinian territory instead of Hamas, and an international stabilization force is to be deployed. Rubio warned that the process would unravel without disarming Hamas. "If Hamas is ever in a position in the future that they can threaten or attack Israel, you're not going to have peace," Rubio told journalists, adding: "That's why disarmament is so critical."Hamas's Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya said Sunday the militant group had a "legitimate right" to hold weapons. Israel has repeatedly insisted that Hamas will be disarmed. Another top Hamas official said that the talks must aim to end Israeli truce "violations." "Our people expect these talks to result in an agreement to put an end to ongoing Israeli lawlessness, halt all violations and compel the occupation to abide by the Sharm El-Sheikh agreement," Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim told AFP.
Upbeat on troops -
Rubio was also hopeful that countries would send troops as part of the force in Gaza.
"I feel very confident that we have a number of nation states acceptable to all sides in this who are willing to step forward and be a part of that stabilization force," Rubio said. In response to a question, he pointed to Pakistan, which does not recognize Israel but is considering a troop deployment as it seeks to woo Trump. "We're very grateful to Pakistan for their offer to be a part of it, or at least their offer to consider being a part of it," Rubio said. "I think we owe them a few more answers before we can ask anybody to firmly commit."President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation which also does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, offered in September to contribute 20,000 peacekeepers. Israel, however, has voiced opposition to a role by Turkey, which recognizes Israel but whose president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is a vocal critic of Israel's conduct in Gaza.
'Real pressure' needed -
Gaza's civil defense said five people were killed in Israeli shelling of a shelter. It brings to 400 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in the territory since the ceasefire came into effect on October 10. Israel has also repeatedly accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire, with the military reporting three soldiers killed in the territory since the truce entered into force. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said that steps must be taken to halt truce violations. The international community must "exert real and effective pressure to halt all violations that occur on a daily basis of the ceasefire agreement," he told a news conference in Cairo. Hamas's Naim said the new talks should also boost entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. In the first phase of the deal, Palestinian militants committed to releasing the remaining 48 living and dead captives held in the territory. To date, they have released all of the hostages except for one body. The ceasefire's third phase includes plans for the reconstruction of the vast areas of Gaza levelled by Israel's retaliatory military campaign for Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel.

Representatives from US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey meet to review Gaza plan
Reuters/December 20/2025
Representatives ‍from the United States, Egypt, ‍Qatar and Turkey met on Friday in Miami, Florida, ⁠to review the next steps on the Gaza ceasefire plan, according to a joint statement ‍issued on Saturday by ‍US envoy Steve ‍Witkoff. “We ⁠reviewed ‌next steps in ⁠the ‍phased implementation of the Comprehensive ⁠Peace Plan for Gaza... ‌Further consultations will continue in the coming weeks to advance ‍the implementation of phase two,” the statement said.''

Turkey and Hamas discuss reaching second phase of Gaza peace plan: Turkish sources
Reuters/December 20/2025
Turkey’s MIT intelligence agency ‍chief met Hamas’ negotiating team ‍head Khalil Al-Hayya on Saturday and discussed necessary measures to be taken for proceeding to ⁠the second phase of the Gaza peace plan, Turkish security sources said.
The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said MIT chief Ibrahim Kalin ‍met the Hamas delegation in Istanbul ‍within the scope ‍of the ⁠Gaza ‌ceasefire agreement, and ⁠they discussed steps ‍to be taken to prevent ⁠what they said were Israel’s ceasefire violations. They ‌also discussed measures to be taken to resolve existing issues for proceeding to the ‍second phase of the plan, the sources also said, without giving details.

Second drone in 24 hours found crashed in Turkey
AFP/December 20/2025
A drone of unknown origin has been found in Turkey, less than a day after another unmanned aerial vehicle of suspected Russian origin crashed in the northwest, Turkish media reported on Saturday. According to several independent television networks and the Cumhuriyet newspaper, the drone was found in an empty field near the town of Balikesir, some three hours southwest of Istanbul. The Turkish authorities had yet to react to the news, but the Halk TV and Haberturk broadcasters reported that the drone was transported to Ankara for analysis. Citing farmers, several media outlets reported that the crash appeared to have taken place days ago. The incident, the third of its kind since Monday, comes after Turkey warned both Russia and Ukraine against letting their ongoing war spill over elsewhere in the region. The authorities have pointed the finger at Russia for an unmanned aerial vehicle discovered on Friday near the city of Izmit, around 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of the Black Sea, which has seen strikes on ships in recent weeks. According to the Turkish interior ministry, which has opened an investigation, the drone “is believed to be of Russian-made Orlan-10 type used for reconnaissance and surveillance purposes according to initial findings.” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned against the Black Sea becoming an “area of confrontation” between Russia and Ukraine, which occupy the opposite shores of the body of water to Turkey.

4 People Dead, 9 Injured After Mass Stabbing Attack and Smoke Bombing at Train Station
The incident occurred in the Taiwan capital of Taipei on Friday, Dec. 19
Escher Walcott/People/December 20, 2025
NEED TO KNOW
At least four people have died following a mass knife attack in Taipei, Taiwan, on Friday, Dec. 19.The suspect allegedly detonated smoke bombs in the main metro station before continuing his rampage at another station in a busy shopping district. According to reports, the 27-year-old suspect is among those dead as he fell from a multi-storey building while being chased by police. At least four people are dead and multiple others are injured after a mass knife attack in Taiwan. On Friday, Dec. 19, smoke bombs were set off at the main metro station in the Taiwanese capital of Taipei amid a "random knife attack" that was then continued at Zhongshan Station. Four people were killed during the rampage, including the attacker, Reuters reported. Nine others were also injured during the incident, according to the National Police Agency (NPA). The injured victims suffered stab wounds and blunt forehead trauma and were hospitalized, Premier Cho Jung-tai confirmed. “The suspect wore a mask and deliberately threw away multiple petrol bombs and smoke bombs, and then randomly attacked people … causing many injuries,” said Jung-tai said in a translated Facebook post. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
The attacks at both stations are believed to have been carried out by one suspect, 27-year-old Chang Wen, who is now deceased, per Reuters. Wen allegedly damaged multiple vehicles and set fire to where he lived before the stabbing spree, ABC News reported, citing Chang Jung-Hsin, director-general of the National Police Agency. “The suspect planned an indiscriminate attack. He acted according to his plan,” said Jung-Hsin, per the outlet. The suspect then “jumped to his death” during the police pursuit, the city’s mayor, Jiang Wan'an, confirmed on Facebook. Local police have implemented preventive and response measures following the attacks in the area, including tightened security and increased police visibility, according to the NPA. The motive for the attacks is unknown at this time. Jung-tai has urged the police to “maintain a high level of alert” across the country, particularly at stations that could be potential targets for future attacks. “The government will fully support the families of the victims, the injured, and the volunteers for compensation, compensation and follow-up care,” he said in a translated Facebook post. President Lai Ching-te said in a statement on Instagram, “I would like to express my deepest condolences to the people who lost their lives in last night's horrific, violent attack, my condolences to the families, and my thanks to the medical team for their efforts to rescue the injured.”“...I would also like to express my sincere gratitude and respect to all those who stood up during the incident to stop the perpetrator from hurting others further…,” he continued. "I have requested that the relevant units of the prosecution, police, and investigation departments conduct a comprehensive, in-depth, and thorough investigation into the perpetrator's background, motives, whether there were accomplices, and whether anyone instigated the attack, to ensure that the truth is revealed to the public," Ching-te concluded.
PEOPLE has contacted the NPA for further comment amid their investigation.
https://ca.yahoo.com/news/4-people-dead-9-injured-133052013.html
Read the original article on People

Russian envoy to join Ukraine talks in Miami
Agence France Presse/December 20/2025
Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev said on Saturday he was heading to Miami, where another round of talks to settle the Ukraine war is set to take place.
Ukrainian and European teams were also in the sunny American city for the negotiations mediated by Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and the U.S. president's son-in-law Jared Kushner. Trump's envoys have pushed a plan in which the United States would offer security guarantees to Ukraine, but Kyiv will likely be expected to surrender some territory, a prospect resented by many Ukrainians. However, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday promised not to force Ukraine into any agreement, saying "there's no peace deal unless Ukraine agrees to it". He added that he may join the talks on Saturday in Miami, his hometown. Dmitriev wrote in an X post that he was "on the way to Miami," adding a peace dove emoji and attaching a short video of a morning sun shining through clouds on a beach with palms. "As warmongers keep working overtime to undermine the U.S. peace plan for Ukraine, I remembered this video from my previous visit -- light breaking through the storm clouds," he added. Russian and European involvement in the talks marks a step forward from an earlier stage, when the Americans held separate negotiations with each side in different locations. However, it is unlikely Dmitriev would hold direct talks with Ukrainian and European negotiators as relations between the two sides remain extremely strained. Moscow, which sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, argues that Europe's involvement in the talks would only hinder the process and tends to paint the continent's leaders as pro-war.
Russia presses on -
The weekend talks come after President Vladimir Putin vowed to press ahead with his military offensive in Ukraine, hailing Moscow's battlefield gains nearly four years into his war in an annual news conference on Friday. Russia announced on Saturday it had captured two villages in Ukraine's Sumy and Donetsk regions, further grinding through the country's east in costly battles. Meanwhile, the death toll in Ukraine's Black Sea Odesa region from an overnight Russian ballistic missile strike on port infrastructure rose to eight, with almost three dozen people wounded in the attack. At the same time, Ukraine claimed to have destroyed two Russian fighter jets at an airfield in occupied Crimea, according to the security service SBU. Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, describing it as a "special military operation" to demilitarise the country and prevent the expansion of NATO. Kyiv and its European allies say the war, the largest and deadliest on European soil since World War II, is an unprovoked and illegal land grab that has resulted in a tidal wave of violence and destruction.

Zelenskyy: Ukraine would support US proposal for trilateral talks if it produces results
Agencies/December 20/2025
President Volodymyr ‍Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Ukraine ‍would back a U.S. proposal for three-sided talks with the United States and ⁠Russia if it facilitated more exchanges of prisoners and paved the way for meetings of national leaders. “America is now proposing ‍a trilateral meeting with national security ‍advisers -- America ‍Ukraine, Russia,” ⁠Zelenskiy ‌told local journalists in ⁠Kyiv. “If ‍such a meeting could be ⁠held now to allow for swaps ‌of prisoners of war or an agreement on a three-sided meeting of leaders, ‍we would support such proposals. Let's see how things go.”He also said that Moscow had no say in the organization of elections in Ukraine, after Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested halting strikes for Kyiv to hold a presidential ballot. “It is not Putin who decides when and in what format the elections in Ukraine will take place,” said Zelenskyy, who also ruled out votes in territories occupied by Russia.

Zelensky calls meeting with Nawrocki 'bad news for Russia'
Mike Heuer/United Press International/December 20/2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Polish President Karol Nawrocki discussed mutual concerns during a private meeting in Warsaw on Friday. The meeting was the first between the two European leaders since Nawrocki was inaugurated as Poland's new president on Aug. 6, and they discussed security matters largely involving Russia, along with economic concerns and historical issues, according to the Kyiv Independent. Zelensky said the meeting was the start of a new chapter for the relationship between the two nations and is "bad news for Russia.""I very much hope that this visit opens a new and even more substantial chapter in our relations -- the relations between Ukraine and Poland, the relations not merely of neighbors, but of two European pillars without which there will simply be no freedom in our part of Europe, because there will be no security," Zelensky told media afterward during a joint press conference. "Russia wants discord, wants to destroy and dismantle such a strong alliance -- the alliance of two peoples of many generations of Ukraine and Poland," Zelensky said. "We will not allow them to do this." He said Ukrainian and Polish independence deters Russian aggression in Eastern Europe but warned that Russia would continue into Poland if Ukraine were to fall amid the nearly four-year war there that began when Russia invaded on Feb. 24, 2022. Nawrocki said Poland has supported Ukraine during the war and might exchange MiG-29 fighters in return for Ukrainian drone technology. Poland's president has criticized Ukraine's desire to join the European Union and NATO, both of which Poland is a member state. The two presidents also discussed the Volyn massacres of 1943-1944, during which Ukrainian Insurgent Army members killed tens of thousands of Poles in Nazi-occupied territory in western Ukraine. Retaliatory attacks caused the deaths of thousands of Ukrainians, and the historical conflict remains a source of tension between Polish and Ukrainian leaders. The meeting between the two presidents followed Zelensky's trip to Belgium, where he met with European Union leaders in Brussels and secured a $105.5 billion, interest-free loan for Ukraine. The loan is in place of allocating funds to Ukraine from frozen Russian assets, which EU leaders considered but declined after failing to reach a consensus. Zelensky said the loaned money will either help fund Ukraine's defense against Russia or support rebuilding the nation if Russia agrees to a peace deal and ends its aggression, The Independent reported.

Armed conflict in Venezuela would be ‘humanitarian catastrophe’: Lula
AFP/December 20/2025
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Saturday that US military action in Venezuela would spark a “humanitarian catastrophe,” as he opened a summit of the South American Mercosur bloc. Lula’s comments come amid spiraling tensions between Washington and Caracas - and after US President Donald Trump left open the possibility of war against the government of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro. The US military has beefed up its presence in the Caribbean in recent months and carried out airstrikes against alleged drug boats in the region and in the Pacific, claiming that it is combatting narcotics trafficking. But Maduro says the campaign is part of a wider effort to carry out regime change in Caracas.“Four decades after the Falklands war, the South American continent is once again haunted by the military presence” of a foreign power, Lula said in the southern city of Foz do Iguacu, referring to the 1982 UK-Argentina conflict over disputed islands in the South Atlantic. “An armed intervention in Venezuela would be a humanitarian catastrophe for the hemisphere and a dangerous precedent for the world,” he said. In an interview with NBC News conducted Thursday, when asked about the potential for war, Trump replied: “I don’t rule it out, no.” On Thursday, Lula said he was “very worried” about the mounting crisis on Brazil’s doorstep and was prepared to serve as a mediator to avert armed conflict. The 80-year-old leftist said he had told Trump that “things wouldn’t be resolved by shooting, that it was better to sit down around a table to find a solution.” At least 104 people have been killed in the US strikes on alleged drug boats, though the Trump administration has not yet provided any concrete evidence that the boats it has targeted were ferrying drugs. The US government has accused Maduro of leading the “Cartel of the Suns” - a charge he denies. Trump has also announced a blockade on oil tankers under sanctions that are leaving or arriving in Venezuela.

US interdicting, seizing vessel off Venezuelan coast, officials say
Reuters/December 20/2025
The United ‍States is interdicting and seizing a vessel off the ‍coast of Venezuela in international waters, three US officials told Reuters on Saturday, a move which comes just days after US President Donald Trump announced a “blockade” ⁠of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela. The officials, who were speaking on the condition of anonymity, did not say where the operation was taking place but added the Coast Guard was in the lead. The Coast Guard and Pentagon referred ‍questions to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a ‍request ‍for comment. This would mark ⁠the second time in ‌recent weeks that ⁠the Coast Guard, along ‍with other agencies, seized a sanctioned tanker. “I am ordering ⁠A TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF ALL SANCTIONED OIL TANKERS going ‌into, and out of, Venezuela,” Trump said on Tuesday. In the days since US forces seized a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela last ‍week, there has been an effective embargo in place, with loaded vessels carrying millions of barrels of oil staying in Venezuelan waters rather than risk seizure.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 20-21/2025
Urgent: Cut Off Iran's Foreign Support
Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/December 20/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/12/150389/
Iran uses Iraq not just as a military platform but as a financial artery, moving funds through banks, exchanging currencies, and availing itself of corrupt networks to bypass sanctions. Without pressure on Iraq to clean up these financial tributaries, Iran enjoys a back door that keeps it stomping ahead even while under international pressure. It is a door the West has left open for far too long. Lebanon's weakness has allowed the Iranian regime to turn the country into its most important forward base – felicitously right on the border of Israel. By buying vast amounts of Iranian oil at discounted rates, Beijing gives Tehran the hard currency it needs to fund Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and other regional militias. The oil exports also permit Iran to stave off an economic crisis at home and avoid the financial collapse that sanctions on Iran alone were supposed to produce. Turkey, Qatar, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, China and other states that allow Iran to maneuver are providing Tehran with exactly what it needs to get back on its feet: safe geography, cash, energy markets, financial loopholes, proxy shelters, and diplomatic cover.Stopping the bellicosity of Iran's regime requires a broader vision. Only when the external lifelines of Iran's regime are cut will it finally feel the full weight of international pressure. Only then can the Iranian people and the region move toward stability, security and freedom, safe from Iran's destructive reach.
By buying vast amounts of Iranian oil at discounted rates, Beijing gives Tehran the hard currency it needs to fund Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and other regional militias. The oil exports also permit Iran to stave off an economic crisis at home and avoid the financial collapse that sanctions on Iran alone were supposed to produce.
While everyone is focusing on Gaza, Russia and Ukraine, Iran has stealthily been rebuilding its war machine.
One of the most effective ways to slow the remilitarization of Iran's brutal regime is not only to put direct pressure on the regime itself but also to target the countries that allow it to operate freely, fund its proxies, and expand its influence.
Iran's regime survives largely because it has external support that enables it to move money, find recruits, transfer weapons, and, after every round of sanctions, rebuild its war machine. If these countries that are allied with Tehran were to face real consequences for enabling Iran's ability to rearm and reassert itself, the threat it could pose would dramatically shrink. Disempowering Iran requires cutting off not just its internal power, but also the foreign platforms that help it to finance itself, operate, and grow.
Iran's networks across the Middle East demonstrate how deeply the regime depends on other countries to advance its agenda. Recent discoveries of Hamas activity in Turkey exposed that the group has been using Turkish territory as a logistical and financial hub, benefiting from Iran's sponsorship and direction. Findings by Israel reveal that individuals affiliated with Hamas have been fundraising, operating, and coordinating from Turkey -- using the country as a safe bridge to move money and connect its proxy networks.
The case appears part of a larger pattern: Iran identifies countries where the rule of law is weak, political cover is available, and financial systems can be exploited, then builds layers of infrastructure there. When these countries do not face consequences from the international community, Tehran knows that even when pressure builds at home, it can still expand abroad.
Iran's proxies are still anchored in states that reinforce their presence.
In Iraq, militias backed by Iran have for years operated with impunity, shaping security, the economy and the political landscape. These militias control border crossings, smuggling routes, and major economic contracts, giving Tehran a revenue stream and influence far beyond its borders. Iran uses Iraq not just as a military platform but as a financial artery, moving funds through banks, exchanging currencies, and availing itself of corrupt networks to bypass sanctions. Without pressure on Iraq to clean up these financial tributaries, Iran enjoys a back door that keeps it stomping ahead even while under international pressure. It is a door the West has left open for far too long.
In Lebanon, an even clearer example, Hezbollah essentially functions as a branch of Iran while controlling ports, security agencies, border crossings and a large part of the country's political system. Lebanon's weakness has allowed the Iranian regime to turn the country into its most important forward base – felicitously right on the border of Israel. Hezbollah receives funding, training and weapons from Iran, then uses Lebanon's political paralysis to keep itself from being held to account.
If no one applies pressure on Lebanon's political elites and institutions, which tolerate and often enable Hezbollah's dominance, Iran will continue enjoying its permanent military stronghold in the country.
Outside the Middle East, China has been keeping Iran's regime in the style to which it is accustomed by purchasing large amounts of Iranian oil – especially when sanctions are in place and when the international community attempts to reimpose additional restrictions. By buying vast amounts of Iranian oil at discounted rates, Beijing gives Tehran the hard currency it needs to fund Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and other regional militias. The oil exports also permit Iran to stave off an economic crisis at home and avoid the financial collapse that sanctions on Iran alone were supposed to produce. When Iran has a world power delighted to buy its oil unconditionally, sanctions lose their strength at the exact moment when the international community is trying to suffocate its unneighborly regional behavior.
Turkey, Qatar, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, China and other states that allow Iran to maneuver are providing Tehran with exactly what it needs to get back on its feet: safe geography, cash, energy markets, financial loopholes, proxy shelters, and diplomatic cover. The current sanctions regime is not working, and Tehran knows it.
The solution is unsurprisingly straightforward: the European Union needs to join the United States in applying direct, coordinated, and consistent political and economic pressure, not just on Iran but on the governments, companies and institutions that help Iran circumvent restrictions. When those countries realize that empowering Iran's regime comes at the cost of losing access to the entire US and EU markets, their calculus might change.
No country will most likely sacrifice the benefits of trading with the West just to help Tehran continue to destroy the Middle East. The pressure needs to be heavy enough that governments in Turkey, Qatar, Iraq, Lebanon and even China are forced to reconsider whether the relationship with Iran is worth the enormous economic risks.
Stopping the bellicosity of Iran's regime requires a broader vision. Only when the external lifelines of Iran's regime are cut will it finally feel the full weight of international pressure. Only then can the Iranian people and the region move toward stability, security and freedom, safe from Iran's destructive reach.
**Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, is a political scientist, Harvard-educated analyst, and board member of Harvard International Review. He has authored several books on the US foreign policy. He can be reached at dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu
**Follow Majid Rafizadeh on X (formerly Twitter)
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22128/cut-off-iran-foreign-support
© 2025 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.

Human solidarity: What it really means to stand together
Princess Lamia bint Majed Al-Saud/Arab News/December 20, 2025
On International Human Solidarity Day, we are often reminded that the world is interconnected, that our challenges are shared, and that solutions require cooperation. But beyond the formal language of declarations and observances, solidarity is something far more personal. It is about people. It is about moments when we choose to see one another not as distant headlines, but as human beings whose lives are deeply intertwined with our own. Over the years, working in humanitarian and development spaces across different countries and communities, I have learned that solidarity rarely begins with policies. It begins with listening. With sitting across from someone whose life looks nothing like yours, yet whose hopes, fears, and aspirations feel instantly familiar. In those moments, the idea of “us” and “them” quietly disappears. Solidarity is not charity. It is not a transaction where one side gives and the other receives. True solidarity is built on mutual respect and shared responsibility. It recognizes that dignity cannot be delivered from above, and that sustainable change only happens when communities are treated as partners, not beneficiaries. This belief is at the heart of our work at Alwaleed Philanthropies. Whether we are supporting access to education, empowering women and youth, responding to humanitarian crises, or investing in long-term community development, our guiding question remains the same: What does this community truly need to stand on its own feet? The answer is never one-size-fits-all, and it always requires humility. In the Arab world, solidarity is deeply rooted in our culture and faith. It is present in the way families support one another, in the values of generosity and compassion passed down through generations, and in the understanding that individual well-being is inseparable from the well-being of the wider community. Yet in today’s fast-moving world, these values must be consciously protected and practiced, not assumed.
Progress is not measured only by economic growth or technological advancement. It is measured by how we treat the most vulnerable among us.
Princess Lamia bint Majed Al-Saud
We are living in a time of profound global challenges. Conflicts, displacement, climate crises, and economic challenges are testing the resilience of communities everywhere. At the same time, we are witnessing compassion fatigue, a sense that crises are too many, too distant, or too overwhelming to engage with. This is precisely when solidarity matters most. Solidarity does not require us to solve everything. It asks us to remain present. To resist indifference. To acknowledge that behind every statistic is a human story, a child seeking education, a family searching for safety, a young person hoping for opportunity. When we lose sight of these stories, we lose our moral compass. International Human Solidarity Day is not just a reminder of global cooperation; it is an invitation to personal reflection. How do we show up for others? How do we use our influence, platforms, and resources, however big or small, to contribute to a more just and compassionate world? Progress is not measured only by economic growth or technological advancement. It is measured by how we treat the most vulnerable among us, and by whether we are willing to move forward together rather than alone.
Solidarity is not an abstract ideal. It is a daily choice to care, to engage, and to act with empathy. Let us remember that our shared humanity is our greatest strength. When we stand together not in words, but in action we create the possibility for a future that is not only more prosperous, but more humane.

Instability is the sign of an emerging nonpolar world
Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/December 20, 2025
There has been a tendency to look at international relations through the prism of polarity. For hundreds of years, polarity has provided observers of international affairs with a valuable tool for understanding the interactions among states and other international actors by mapping the distribution of power within the system relative to the most powerful. A polar-based world is one that, objectively or subjectively, provides foreign policy decision-makers with a sense of direction on whether to collaborate with it or oppose it. Scholars have identified three main types of polar-based systems that have existed in history: unipolarity, bipolarity, and multipolarity. All these systems emerged at different points in the past two centuries. However, despite their differences, they all assume that the basic building block of international relations is the nation-state, one of whose main characteristics is sovereignty complemented by that of independence. Sovereignty meant that the source of power within the state to govern and legislate originates from within the country, and that no external force has the legitimate right to interfere. Yet, throughout the centuries, the world has “shrunk” in terms of accessibility, the intensity and speed of interactions, and the rise of crucial issues that transcend political borders, such as global trade, cyberspace, global climate change, crime, and human trafficking. Increasingly, countries have become interconnected to ensure both their security and prosperity, securing, for instance, energy security and other natural resources, as well as access to markets, technology, and knowledge. The tension between maintaining sovereignty and independence in a world of interdependency has increased, as much of what affects us does not necessarily occur within the political borders of where we reside and must therefore be regulated through diplomacy and international law. In this web of interactions, the notion of polarity focuses on the main sources of international power at any given historical period, with most states either gravitating toward or opposing them. The underlying assumption of viewing international politics in terms of polarity is that each system is distinguished by the number of major powers that dominate international politics at the time, which affects stability and discord. To begin with, it was the 19th century’s “balance of power” system, which was a precursor to the later multipolar system, where major European powers dominated international affairs through canceling out each other and thus preventing a single power or a combination of powers from achieving hegemony. When this system collapsed, the result was the First World War, which, until the second instalment of collective madness that ended with the Second World War, the world was more characterized by disorder and anarchy than by any clear sources of power able to establish and maintain stability. Consequently, the breakout of the worst, to date, world war between 1939 and 1945 was inevitable.
In the aftermath of the Second World War, an international system emerged that paradoxically aimed to suggest an alternative to the one that had led to that cataclysm, prevent future such occurrences through cooperation, and by establishing the UN and its agencies, and by codifying the conduct of international behaviour that enshrines adhering to values of finding peaceful solutions. But diametrically opposite to this very much welcomed evolution also emerged an adversarial bipolar system which was characterized by two rigid blocs, one led by the US and the other by the Soviet Union, with the threat of nuclear annihilation. It looks as though the post-Second World War system is breaking down institutionally.
The divide was typified by two diametrically opposing ideologies, capitalism and communism, to which members of the bloc had to sympathize with, if not completely adhere to. It was surprisingly stable, where the main protagonists, the US and the Soviet Union, never confronted each other directly. When this system came to an end with the collapse of the Soviet Union, it was replaced by a unipolar system dominated by the US, backed up by its military and economic might, that cultivated the idea that the world had entered an era dominated by the liberal-democratic model with war confined either to history, or to the periphery of world affairs.
This false assumption did not last for long, and major powers remained very much involved in conflict, such as the first Gulf War in 1991, the conflict in Bosnia in the following year and the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. Moreover, other centers of power were quickly on the rise, such as China, the EU, the BRICS, along with Russia’s attempts to reassert itself. Moreover, in a world in which economically sustainable development requires the free movement of people, goods, and finance, and in which the internet revolution is transforming the idea of physical borders, the attitude toward them needs to be redefined entirely, with the traditional concept of polarity challenged as well. In an increasingly anarchic, and arguably chaotic state of global international affairs in which oneupmanship has taken over cooperation, where trade wars are becoming prevalent, where the UN is failing to fulfil its task of preventing wars or at least bringing them to a quick halt, and the major powers advance their interests first without taking into account how it might affect their allies, does polarity mean anything anymore?
It increasingly looks as though the post-Second World War system is breaking down institutionally, and its liberal peace and rights values and principles are under severe strain. A major cause is that many interactions within the current international system are ad hoc. This takes the notion of realpolitik to the extreme, ignoring ideological and moral considerations, while modern economies and militaries rely heavily on technology sharing and sustaining alliances that subscribe to a similar worldview and objectives; in other words, sharing a “polar” position is crucial.
In the idealistic vision of the founders of the UN, it was this encompassing organization that would be the pole that the entire web of international affairs should gravitate toward, subscribing to a universal code of behaviour that eliminated wars and other forms of political violence, and thereby ensuring the sovereignty of all countries and the rights of individuals within them. But now this vision lies in tatters. Instead, a world with no clear poles has emerged, the outcome of which is not necessarily more equitable power for medium and small countries, but one in which alliances and enmities are based mainly on utility and hence tend to be limited in time and scope. This, in turn, produces more uncertainty, insecurity, and instability. This emerging nonpolar world heralds a period in which the danger of conflict is heightened, and domestic upheaval is also on the rise, which is where the current international system finds itself.
*Yossi Mekelberg is professor of international relations and an associate fellow of the MENA Program at Chatham House. X: @YMekelberg

Mass displacement must be confronted, not ignored
Dr. Azeem Ibrahim/Arab News/December 20, 2025
The most dangerous development in today’s global refugee crisis is not its scale, but how familiar it has become. According to the UN, more than 110 million people are now forcibly displaced worldwide, a figure that has nearly doubled in the past decade. Yet instead of prompting urgency, this unprecedented level of displacement is increasingly treated as a permanent feature of the international system. Wars continue, people flee, camps expand, and the world adapts to the numbers rather than confronting what they represent. This normalization should alarm us. When displacement becomes background noise, its political, economic, and security consequences deepen rather than fade. The danger is not only humanitarian suffering, but the quiet erosion of international norms built on the assumption that forced displacement is exceptional, temporary, and resolvable. Historically, refugee flows were treated as evidence of political failure demanding correction. Large-scale displacement triggered diplomatic pressure, emergency funding, and sustained efforts to end conflicts or enable safe return. Today, the response is increasingly managerial rather than strategic. Camps are designed to last decades. Humanitarian appeals are chronically underfunded. Policymakers speak of resilience and coping mechanisms instead of resolution. The data reflects this shift. The average length of displacement has risen steadily, with many refugees now spending 15 to 20 years away from home. More than three-quarters of the world’s refugees are hosted in low and middle-income countries, often in regions already grappling with unemployment, inflation, and fragile public services. Meanwhile, resettlement opportunities in wealthy states have stagnated, covering only a tiny fraction of global need.
This matters because displacement is not a neutral condition, Prolonged displacement consistently correlates with economic stagnation, social tension, and insecurity. Large populations living without legal status or access to formal labor markets distort local economies and place sustained pressure on housing, healthcare, and education systems. Over time, this fuels resentment in host communities and despair among refugees, creating environments where criminal networks and extremist groups can operate more easily.
The global response increasingly assumes these risks are manageable so long as displacement is geographically contained. Refugees are kept close to conflict zones. Borders harden further away. Responsibility is shifted on to front-line states, while international burden sharing shrinks. The result is a system that preserves stability for some by exporting instability to others.
This approach is now colliding with another powerful force: climate change. Climate-related shocks are rapidly becoming a major driver of displacement, often interacting with conflict and political fragility. The World Bank estimates that up to 216 million people could be internally displaced by climate impacts by 2050 if current trends continue. Extreme heat, water scarcity, flooding, and crop failure are already accelerating displacement across the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa. The world must reject the idea that living without a country, rights, or future can ever be normal. Climate-driven displacement differs from traditional refugee flows in one crucial way: It is rarely temporary. When farmland becomes unusable due to drought or salinization, or when coastal areas are repeatedly flooded, return is often impossible. These pressures compound existing political tensions and can turn slow-moving environmental stress into sudden humanitarian crises. The Middle East is particularly exposed. Rising temperatures are increasing water scarcity, undermining agriculture, and accelerating urban migration. In fragile states, these pressures interact with weak governance and conflict, amplifying displacement risks. Yet climate displaced populations often fall through legal and policy gaps, receiving less protection and attention than those fleeing war alone.
At the same time, humanitarian systems are under severe strain. Despite record displacement, global humanitarian funding is failing to keep pace. In recent years, major UN appeals have been funded at less than 60 percent of requirements, forcing agencies to cut food rations, healthcare services, and education programs. These reductions do not solve displacement; they entrench it, stripping people of the tools needed to rebuild their lives. The normalization of displacement also weakens international law. Refugee protection frameworks were built on the assumption that forced displacement was a deviation from the norm. When displacement is treated as permanent, the obligation to prevent it and resolve its causes quietly erodes. Temporary protection becomes indefinite exclusion. Rights give way to containment.
This has serious implications for regional stability. Host countries that have shown extraordinary generosity face mounting political and economic pressure. Refugees, denied legal pathways to self-reliance, remain dependent on shrinking aid. Children grow up without education or prospects. Human capital is wasted on a massive scale. These are not just moral failures. They are strategic ones. Normalization also distorts global priorities. Conflicts that generate refugees fade from diplomatic focus precisely because their consequences appear managed. As long as displacement does not cross certain borders, it loses urgency. This creates a dangerous incentive structure in which unresolved crises are tolerated rather than addressed. History suggests this approach is short sighted. Prolonged displacement rarely remains contained. It drives onward migration, fuels instability, and eventually reaches the doorsteps of those who assumed distance equaled insulation. The costs deferred today are paid later, often at far greater expense. Reversing this trajectory does not require unrealistic solutions. It requires restoring the principle that displacement is a failure, not a baseline. Refugee crises must once again be treated as political problems demanding political solutions, supported by sustained diplomacy, conflict prevention, and climate adaptation strategies. Host countries must be supported not as holding zones, but as partners whose stability is a shared global interest. Above all, the world must reject the idea that living without a country, rights, or future can ever be normal. Mass displacement is not an inevitable condition of modern life. It is a warning signal. Ignoring it does not make it safer. It makes it permanent.
*Dr. Azeem Ibrahim is the director of special initiatives at the Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy in Washington, DC. X: @AzeemIbrahim

Selected Face Book & X tweets for /December 20, 2025