English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For  December 25/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Christmas Day/Do not be afraid; for see I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 02/01-20/:"In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 24-25/2025
Dear Family members & Friends...Merry Christmas/Elias Bejjani/December 25/2025
Fear of Saying “Merry Christmas” is a Shame Upon the Peoples, Institutions, and Nations of the Secular West/Elias Bejjani/December 24/2025
Christmas returns quietly to some southern Lebanese border villages after war damage
The "Mechanism" Requests House Searches in Mahrouna; Israel Escalates in the South
Katz: We Will Continue Disarming Hezbollah in Lebanon
Israel strikes southern Lebanon as deadline to disarm Hezbollah nears
Brother Details to Asharq Al-Awsat Luring, Disappearance of Lebanese Retired Officer
Lebanon Probe Points to Israel's Abduction of Officer Tied to Arad Case
Former Syrian Officer Killed in Mysterious Circumstances in Lebanon
Lebanon Central Bank Governor Expresses Reservations Over Draft Law on Deposit Recovery
Lebanon, Iraq discuss reconstruction support and revival of Tripoli oil refinery
Lebanon's Ambassador to France encourages strengthening Lebanese-French relations
Syrian close to Assad-era commander killed in Lebanon
Lebanon investigates disappearance of man linked to Israeli airman's 1986 capture
Fears of escalation: Israel issues warning to Lebanon over army's alleged ties to Hezbollah
Iraq opens office in Beirut to oversee reconstruction projects in Lebanon

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 24-25/2025
Bethlehem celebrates first festive Christmas since Gaza war
Israel Says It Killed Hamas Financial Officer in Gaza
Netanyahu Coalition Pushes Contentious Oct. 7 Attack Probe, Families Call for Justice
How Israel’s Hilltop Settlers Coordinate Attacks to Expel Palestinians
Reservoir supplying Iran capital remains largely empty despite rain
Iran’s IRGC seizes foreign-crewed oil tanker in Gulf
Iran’s Armed Forces: We Are Ready for Any Hostile Scenario
Iran and US Reaffirm Commitment to Diplomacy at UN, but Gap on a Nuclear Deal Remains Wide
Israel Accuses Hamas of Violating Gaza Truce, Says It Will Respond
Iran and US reaffirm commitment to diplomacy at UN, but gap on a nuclear deal remains wide
Israel, Cyprus, Greece Sign Cooperation Agreement at Trilateral Summit in Jerusalem
Syrian Government and Kurdish-Led SDF Agree to De-escalation of Violence Following Aleppo Clashes
UK, Canada, Germany and Others Condemn Israel’s West Bank Settlement Plan
Israel to spend $110 billion to develop independent arms industry in next decade: PM
Türkiye, Hamas Discuss Gaza Ceasefire Deal’s Second Phase, Turkish Source Says
Three killed in clashes in Syria’s Latakia province
Syria ministers talk military cooperation with Putin in Russia
Libya Army Chief of Staff Killed in Jet Crash Near Ankara After Fault Reported, Turkish Official Says
Explosion in Moscow kills 3 people. Official says Ukrainian intelligence was behind it
Zelensky reveals US-Ukraine plan to end Russian war, key questions remain
US and Ukraine Reach Consensus on Key Issues, but Territorial Disputes Remain
US working with Saudi Arabia to end Sudan war, US envoy says
Nigeria mosque bombing kills at least seven

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 24-25/2025
All about Trump’s revised National Security Strategy/Clifford D. May/The Washington Times/December 24/2025
Iraqi militias divided on disarming and accepting government control/Seth J. Frantzman/FDD's Long War Journal/December 24/2025
Syria’s Integration Deal Nears Collapse/Ahmad Sharawi/FDD-Policy Brief/December 24/2025
Netanyahu and His Sixth Meeting with Trump/Nabil Amr/Asharq Al-Awsat/December 24/2025
'The Bangladesh Hindu Genocide': Radical Islam in Bangladesh/Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/December 24, 2025
The end of the Caesar Sanctions and Syria’s new beginning/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya English/December 24/2025
Selected Face Book & X tweets for /December 24, 2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on December 24-25/2025
Dear Family members & Friends...Merry Christmas
Elias Bejjani/December 25/2025
I extend to you my warmest Christmas greetings, wishing you happy and blessed days with the birth and incarnation of the Lord. I join you in prayer for our beloved Lebanon to reclaim its freedom and independence, and for the peoples of the world to return to the roots of faith so that peace may prevail throughout the earth. Merry Christmas to you all!”

Fear of Saying “Merry Christmas” is a Shame Upon the Peoples, Institutions, and Nations of the Secular West
Elias Bejjani/December 24/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/12/150449/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_ISc0vPkZw
Remaining silent about saying “Merry Christmas” on the anniversary of the Nativity of the Incarnate Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and replacing it with “Season’s Greetings,” is no longer a mere social courtesy. Instead, it has become a malicious, undeclared policy, cultural submission, and a public concession by many Western nations and institutions that claim secularism and courage. In reality, fueled by cowardice, ignorance, and a lack of faith, they practice a form of “Dhimmitude” and deception under the guise of “neutrality.”
What is happening today in secular Western countries is not spontaneous. It is a political decision disguised to empty public opinion of the Name of Christ, to domesticate Christianity, and to turn it into a silent heritage that is forbidden from speaking Christ’s Name or naming Christian feasts openly and without complexes.
What we witness with anger and sorrow is the majority of Western nations disowning their roots—the values, civilization, progress, peace, and coexistence that grew from and with Christianity. They intentionally blind themselves to this history, erasing the mention of Christ Himself. In a cowardly duality, they desire the Christmas holiday while denying the Feast itself; they want the decorations but disown His Name; they want the traditions and the joy, yet they falsify the truth.
This duality regarding Christmas is absolute political hypocrisy and a deep-seated hostility toward Christian values, teachings, and symbols. Certainly, Christian teachings stand against the “fearful state.” What these practitioners of dhimmitude fail to realize is that the Holy Gospel does not know the language of “general greetings,” nor does it recognize the gray, lukewarm, and evasive discourse imposed by governments, corporations, and educational institutions.
In this clear, courageous, and direct context, we highlight the following Gospel verses:
“Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37)
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)
“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)
“For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory.” (Luke 9:26)
What we say and believe regarding the absence of the phrase “Merry Christmas” is not just an opinion, but a direct condemnation. The shame Christians feel toward Christ in the public sphere is not “smart policy”; it is spiritual betrayal, ignorance, and a lack of faith. Christianity is not a timid minority, nor is it a guest in the West; it is the force that built its language, civilization, laws, calendar, and ethics.
Treating Christianity as a potential threat is not progress, but civilizational suicide. Therefore, saying “Merry Christmas” is not just a greeting; it is an act of faith, a testimony to the Truth and history, and a moral and political resistance against evil, the misguided, and those institutions that fear the Truth. It is a stand against a distorted discourse that wants a Christianity without Christ.
We call upon Christians, rulers, and institutions in the West to name Christian feasts by their proper names without shame. They should do so just as they interact with all other religions that name their feasts with pride and without restriction:
The Muslim says: “Ramadan Mubarak” “Adha Mubarak.”etc
The Jew says: “Happy Hanukkah” and names all his feasts.
The Hindu says: “Happy Diwali” and names all his feasts.
This is the case for all other faiths, and no one in the West asks them to change their names or apologize for them.
In summary, The fear of saying “Merry Christmas” is a disgrace to a West wrapped in a secularism that is supposed to respect religions. It is shameful that this phrase has become a source of fear in countries that claim freedom and pluralism. Ultimately, these are two simple words that carry no weapons or threats, yet they are avoided and replaced by meaningless phrases like “Season’s Greetings.” This cowardly concealment is not respect for others; it is fear and a lack of faith.
In conclusion, our duty is to reject humiliation and compromise, and to say with absolute freedom: Merry Christmas.
*The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website: https://eliasbejjaninews.com

Christmas returns quietly to some southern Lebanese border villages after war damage
LBCI/December 24/2025
Moving through the border village of Qouzah in South Lebanon, neighboring the heavily damaged Aita al-Shaab, one could easily believe the town remains deserted. There are no holiday decorations and no visible signs of celebration. Between the complete destruction of 36 residential units and damage to around 50 homes, encounters with passersby are rare. Inside the village church, traces of shelling are still etched into parts of the structure. Yet the altar, decorated in preparation for Christmas, tells a different story—one of residents determined to return despite the devastation. Nearby Ain Ebel is faring better during the holiday season.  The village, which endured the war and displacement, escaped widespread destruction. Its streets and homes have embraced the festive spirit, marking the first Christmas celebrated under noticeably improved conditions compared with the past two years. As night falls, Ain Ebel comes alive with holiday lights and gatherings, as residents fill the village square and the area surrounding its church, sharing moments of reunion and renewal.Further along the border, the resilient village of Rmeish presents another image of perseverance. Christmas celebrations never ceased there, even at the height of the fighting, and its residents never abandoned their homes. Together, the holiday scenes unfolding in some southern villages reflect a broader narrative of hope—a cautious return of life, peace, and resilience to the south and its people.

Katz: We Will Continue Disarming Hezbollah in Lebanon
Al-Modon/December 24, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz emphasized that his country "will continue to work" toward implementing what he described as the "Lebanese government's commitment to disarming Hezbollah." He stated this falls within a security approach that is continuing "without retreat," indicating that the pressures and measures adopted by Israel in this track will remain in place. In simultaneous remarks, Katz confirmed Israel's commitment to "stripping Hamas of its weapons," noting that this goal is among the priorities of the Israeli security establishment amid ongoing regional tension and overlapping conflict arenas, particularly on the fronts surrounding Israel.
In the same context, Katz announced that the Israeli army "will not withdraw" from the summit of Mount Hermon (Jabal al-Sheikh) in Syria. He presented this as part of field arrangements Israel deems necessary for its security, including monitoring military shifts and potential threats across the border. The Defense Minister also noted that Israel "will not allow any threats emanating from Iran," pointing out that the security apparatus is "closely" following reports related to the Iranian situation as part of a continuous risk assessment and readiness to act as developments require.

The "Mechanism" Requests House Searches in Mahrouna; Israel Escalates in the South
Al-Modon/December 24, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
Al-Modon has learned that the committee monitoring the cessation of hostilities (the "Mechanism") requested that the Lebanese Army search three houses in the town of Mahrouna, east of Tyre. These include a house near the town school and two houses in the Al-Arid area. In contrast, the Municipality of Mahrouna stated that reports regarding the necessity of searching homes in the town are "baseless." The municipality clarified: "What is happening is the execution of a patrol in the forest area, involving Malaysian forces accompanied by the Lebanese Army and Intelligence, in cooperation with the Mahrouna Municipality. This is part of routine procedures, without any house searches." Additionally, it was reported that a motorized UNIFIL patrol is conducting a search in Wadi al-Hujair, with no further details available.
Israeli Airstrikes
Israeli warplanes launched several raids on the areas of Tebna, Wadi Azza, and Al-Numayriyah, dropping air-to-ground missiles that caused explosions heard throughout the region. Less than fifteen minutes later, hostile aircraft launched an airstrike targeting Wadi Houmine. Warplanes continue to fly at low altitudes over several southern regions, with reports of low-altitude overflights also occurring in the skies of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon.
Adraee's Statement
For his part, the Israeli army spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, announced that the IDF "is attacking Hezbollah launch sites in southern Lebanon." He noted that the army recently attacked several launch sites and that "military structures and additional infrastructure used by Hezbollah members recently were destroyed." He added: "The presence of the attacked launch sites constitutes a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon."

Israel strikes southern Lebanon as deadline to disarm Hezbollah nears
William Christou/The Guardian/December 24/2025
Israel has carried out several airstrikes in southern Lebanon on what it said was Hezbollah infrastructure, as a new year’s deadline for the Lebanese state to disarm the group in the south of the country loomed.
Israeli warplanes bombed the valleys of Houmin, Wadi Azza and Nimeiriya in the southern Nabatieh area on Wednesday morning. Residents reported that Israeli drones continued to hover over the area and other areas of south Lebanon and its eastern Bekaa valley after the strikes.
In a statement, the Israeli military said it struck launching sites and military infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah, the presence of which it called “a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon”. Israel regularly strikes southern Lebanon, in violation of the more than-year-old ceasefire in place, which ended a 13-month war with Hezbollah. Israel has bombed Lebanon once every four hours on average since the implementation of the ceasefire, according to ACLED, an independent conflict monitor. Hezbollah shelled Israel once, in the week after the establishment of the ceasefire in December 2024. Airstrikes have been accompanied by heightening Israeli rhetoric in recent weeks, as a deadline for the Lebanese army to clear all of Hezbollah’s arms from south of the Litani River grows closer. “There will be no calm in Beirut, nor order and stability in Lebanon, until the security of the state of Israel is guaranteed … Hezbollah: we will disarm them,” Israel Katz, Israel’s defence minister, told parliament in November. Under a US-approved plan adopted by the Lebanese army, by year’s end, the Lebanese army is meant to clear all Hezbollah infrastructure, weapons and personnel from the area south of the Litani, about 20 miles from the country’s border with Israel. Israeli forces are meant to withdraw from the country, though its troops continue to occupy five points in the south and regularly conduct ground operations there. Lebanese officials say they have all but finished with the disarmament of Hezbollah in the south and regularly blow up old weapons caches from the group. The deputy prime minister, Tarek Mitri, said on 17 December that the government was nearly done with disarmament in the south and said while Lebanon was “strictly observing” the ceasefire, that Israel continually violated it.
Israel has rejected the claim, however, and says that Hezbollah is attempting to rebuild itself along its borders. On Monday, an Israeli drone strike killed three men in a car 10 miles south of the Lebanese city of Saida, far north of the Litani. Israel claimed that one of the men killed, who was a warrant officer in the Lebanese army, was also a member of Hezbollah and was involved in planning attacks on Israel. It further pointed to the presence of a Hezbollah member in the army as proof that the Lebanese state was not doing enough to combat the group. The Lebanese army and Hezbollah denied the soldier had any connection to the armed group, with Lebanon’s defence minister, Michel Menassa, saying the accusation was a “malicious attack” on the army. Israeli media has reported that one of the topics on the agenda in an expected meeting between the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and US president, Donald Trump, is an expanded offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon. As Israeli airstrikes continue on south Lebanon, Israeli and Lebanese officials continue to meet in the southern Lebanese town of Naqoura to discuss the status of the ceasefire. Last Friday, the delegations included civilian representatives for the second time, drawing outrage in Lebanon, which said inclusion of civilian negotiators was paramount to recognition of Israel – a taboo in Lebanese politics. The civilian representatives were meant to discuss nonmilitary issues, such as the potential economic cooperation between the two countries.
Israel said it considers the diplomatic engagement with the Lebanese state to be separate from its military attacks on Hezbollah and is pushing forward on both tracks. The Lebanese state has continually appealed to the international community for help to stop what it said were near-daily attacks on its sovereignty.

Brother Details to Asharq Al-Awsat Luring, Disappearance of Lebanese Retired Officer
Asharq Al-Awsat/December 24/2025
Shock still grips the family of retired Lebanese General Security captain Ahmed Shukr, who was abducted days ago, as Lebanese security and judicial assessments increasingly point to Israeli intelligence as being behind his disappearance, over suspected links to the 1986 vanishing of Israeli airman Ron Arad in southern Lebanon. His brother, Abdul Salam Shukr, told Asharq Al-Awsat the story began when a Lebanese expatriate living in Kinshasa, identified as A.M., contacted Ahmed and asked to rent his apartment in the Choueifat area, south of Beirut. The two agreed months ago, and the man paid $500 in rent. The expatriate made repeated visits to Lebanon and met Shukr at his home during one of them. He later contacted the retired officer to say that a wealthy African investor named Salim Kassab, later found to be a fake name, was interested in purchasing a plot of land in the eastern city of Zahle and needed his assistance. Abdul Salam said the expatriate inspected the land, then called two weeks after leaving Lebanon to say the investor had agreed to buy it and would visit the country. He asked Ahmed to meet him at the site at 4:30 p.m. on the day of the abduction. He said the expatriate insisted on the timing because it suited the buyer, despite Ahmed’s objections that darkness would have fallen by then, and the land’s features would not be visible. The expatriate later apologized for not attending, claiming he had broken his foot, and said the investor would visit the site alone with Ahmed. At the time of the meeting, Ahmed disappeared. “We know nothing about him except what we have heard through security and judicial leaks,” Abdul Salam said. He added that the abductors had rented a house in Zahle and erased all traces from it after kidnapping Ahmed. Surveillance cameras tracked the vehicle as it headed toward the town of Souireh in the western Bekaa, where the trail then vanished. Souireh was previously used as a smuggling route from southwestern Damascus into Lebanon.
Loyalty to the state
“My brother served 40 years in the military establishment. His loyalty was only to the state and its institutions. He never belonged to any party,” Abdul Salam said. “We are a family that does not engage in politics.”Ahmed was lured last week in a carefully planned operation that began in his hometown of Nabi Sheet in the northern Bekaa, before he went missing at a point very close to the city of Zahle. Family members and residents have been gathering at the home of Nabi Sheet’s mukhtar, Abbas Shukr, to voice their protest and condemnation of the abduction. The family said Ahmed Shukr retired nine years ago after serving for four decades in the General Security, during which he held several posts, including the Masnaa border crossing with Syria and the Qaa crossing in northeastern Lebanon. “My brother joined the military in 1979, which means he was an ‘officer of the state’ when Arad disappeared in 1986,” Abdul Salam told Asharq Awsat. “An officer of the state does not belong to parties.”He rejected attempts to link the family by kinship to Fuad Shukr, a Hezbollah leader killed by Israel in July 2024 in Beirut’s southern suburbs, saying no one in the town even knew him. “He left the town in the early 1980s and never returned. He was distant even from his relatives,” he said, adding that since retiring, his brother “never left the Bekaa. He stayed at home and played cards with friends at night.” The family home remains in a state of disbelief, a scene that has persisted since his disappearance last week. The case only began to move officially after Vice President of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council Sheikh Ali al Khatib contacted Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Interior Minister Ahmed al-Hajjar, according to Abdul Salam. He said Aoun pledged to instruct security and judicial authorities to expand the investigation and uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident. Officials from the Amal Movement were also in constant contact with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who is head of the movement, to follow up on the case.
Mystery remains
“We demand that the judiciary and security agencies confirm or deny the leak about an alleged link to Ron Arad’s disappearance,” Abdul Salam said. “That leak does not concern us. What matters is what the security agencies say, including General Security, where Ahmed served, and the Information Branch of the Internal Security Forces, which is leading the investigation.”He said the key to the mystery lies with A.M., a native of the southern town of Qana who lives in Kinshasa and has been evading the family’s calls. “The Lebanese state must ask Interpol to arrest him and bring him to Lebanon for questioning,” he urged, adding that the man no longer answers his phone and that all available information about him, including video clips, is now in the hands of security agencies. Abdul Salam said the family believes the expatriate coordinated the plot with Israel’s Mossad, guiding them to this point and enabling an operation carried out with precision and professionalism. He said Lebanese security agencies told the family the abductors left no fingerprints, neither at the Zahle property nor at the Choueifat apartment, and that no evidence has been found. The kidnappers’ vehicle also remains unidentified.

Lebanon Probe Points to Israel's Abduction of Officer Tied to Arad Case
Beirut: Youssef Diab/Asharq Al-Awsat/December 24/2025
A senior Lebanese judicial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that investigations into the disappearance of a retired General Security officer a week ago are increasingly pointing to an Israeli abduction, following what the source described as a covert intelligence entrapment operation tied to suspicions over the decades-old mystery of missing Israeli pilot Ron Arad, who vanished in southern Lebanon in 1986. The source said the Information Branch of the Internal Security Forces has intensified its inquiries since the disappearance of retired Captain Ahmed Shukr was reported about a week ago in the eastern Bekaa region. He told Asharq Al-Awsat that investigators traced surveillance camera footage and analyzed communications data, uncovering initial leads suggesting that Shukr was subjected to a carefully planned entrapment operation that began in his hometown of Nabi Sheet in the northern Bekaa, before he vanished near the city of Zahle, where security efforts are now focused on determining his fate.
Intelligence entrapment
As conflicting accounts have emerged over the reasons and circumstances behind Shukr’s disappearance, the theory that Israel is behind his abduction has gained ground over other scenarios, based on preliminary findings from the ongoing investigation. What strengthens the security and intelligence angle is suspicion surrounding non-Lebanese individuals linked to the incident. The judicial source said information obtained from initial inquiries and surveillance indicates that the entrapment operation was carried out by two Swedish nationals, one of Lebanese origin, who arrived in Lebanon just two days before the disappearance via Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport. One of them left the country through the airport on the same day Shukr went missing, raising serious questions about his potential role in the operation. As for the second individual, who is also of Lebanese origin, the source said he is believed to have taken part in the entrapment and remains inside Lebanon. Records from General Security at the airport and land and sea crossings show that he has not left the country, unless he did so illegally. The source did not rule out the involvement of other individuals inside Lebanon in monitoring Shukr and preparing the conditions for his abduction.
Assassination or abduction?
Several scenarios are being examined regarding the fate of the retired officer, ranging from the possibility that he was killed, similar to what was attributed to the Israeli Mossad in the killing of currency exchanger Mohammad Srour, who was linked to Hezbollah, last year, to a more dangerous but increasingly plausible hypothesis that he was transferred out of Lebanon to Israel. In this context, the judicial source overseeing the preliminary investigation said the Information Branch has not yet found any physical or technical evidence indicating that Shukr remains on Lebanese territory. This strengthens the theory that he was drugged and abducted to Israel, either by air in a complex operation, or by sea using a boat that departed from the Lebanese coast, as occurred in the abduction of maritime captain Imad Amhaz from the beach of the northern city of Batroun on November 2 last year.
Links to the Ron Arad file
The case goes beyond an individual disappearance, intersecting with a highly sensitive security file between Lebanon and Israel. Sources close to Shukr’s family told Asharq Al-Awsat that the missing officer is the brother of Hassan Shukr, who was killed along with eight others in the Battle of Maydoun in the western Bekaa on May 22, 1988, which involved fighters from the “Islamic Resistance”, other armed groups and Israeli occupation forces. Information suggests that Hassan Shukr was a fighter within a group led by Mustafa Dirani, who at the time was affiliated with the Amal Movement before later joining Hezbollah. That group is believed to have taken part in the capture of Arad after his aircraft was shot down over southern Lebanon on October 16, 1986. The armed group reportedly transferred Arad to the home of a relative of the Shukr family in Nabi Sheet before moving him to an unknown location, after which he disappeared entirely. Ahmed Shukr also belongs to the family of Fouad Shukr, Hezbollah’s second in command, who was assassinated in an Israeli air strike on a building in the Haret Hreik area of Beirut’s southern suburbs on July 30, 2024. The suspected operation revives a long record of Israeli operations targeting individuals directly or indirectly linked to the Arad case, through assassinations, abductions or recruitment attempts. In light of this, the judicial source voiced concern that Ahmed Shukr’s disappearance may represent another chapter in what he described as Israel’s destabilizing interference in Lebanon.

Former Syrian Officer Killed in Mysterious Circumstances in Lebanon
Beirut: Youssef Diab/Asharq Al-Awsat/December 24/2025
Lebanese security agencies discovered the body of former Syrian officer Ghassan Naasan al-Sakhni in the Keserwan region. Authorities are investigating whether his killing was purely criminal or had a political angle. The Lebanese army said the killer, a Syrian, has been arrested. In a statement, it said that the perpetrator had lured Sakhni to the outskirts of the town of Kfar Yassine in Keserwan on December 22. He shot him dead over a financial dispute and fled the scene. He was arrested in the border town of Tal Bire in the northern Akkar region. Investigations are underway. Information has so far revealed that Sakhani was an officer in Syrian intelligence agency under the ousted regime of Bashar al-Assad. He enjoyed close ties with Suheil al-Hassan, also known as the “Tiger”, and who was one of the most prominent members of Syria’s air intelligence. He was involved in bloody clashes during Syria’s civil war, most notably in eastern Ghouta. Information obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat revealed that Sakhni and dozens of regime members had fled Syria to Lebanon after Assad’s ouster in December 2024. The probe has so far found that Sakhni had resided in a chalet in the Tabarja region before moving to an apartment in the same area. While serving in Syria, he headed a military group that was active in the Hama countryside. The murder has deepened concerns in Lebanon that the country will turn into an arena for settling scores with former regime members, especially since several regime officers and officials had sought shelter in the country after Assad’s ouster. A judicial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Keserwan was an unusual place for Sakhni to have sought refuge given that it lies outside Hezbollah’s areas of influence, such as the Bekaa and Beirut’s southern suburbs. Hezbollah was a main ally of the regime. The new authorities in Syria have reportedly filed requests to Lebanon to turn over some 200 former regime security and military officials. The judicial source denied the reports. The only requests tied to former regime officials have been received from the United States, calling for the arrest of former air intelligence chief Jamil al-Hassan and former national security chief Ali Mamlouk, and from France, calling for the probes into Hassan, Mamlouk and Abdul Salam Mahmoud over suspicions they were involved in the killing of French nationals.

Lebanon Central Bank Governor Expresses Reservations Over Draft Law on Deposit Recovery
Asharq Al-Awsat/December 24/2025
Lebanon’s Central Bank governor has expressed some reservations over a draft law allowing depositors to gradually recover funds ​frozen in the banking system since a financial collapse in 2019, a move critical to reviving the economy. Karim Souaid described the proposed timetable for the cash component of deposit repayments as "somewhat ambitious" in a statement on Tuesday. He suggested ‌it may ‌be adjusted without hindering ‌the depositors' ⁠rights ​guarantee "regular, ‌uninterrupted, and complete payments over time". He also urged the cabinet to conduct a careful review of the draft law , calling for clarifications to ensure fairness and credibility before it is submitted to parliament. The central ⁠bank governor said the draft required further refinement, ‌including clearer provisions to guarantee equitable ‍treatment of depositors ‍and to reinforce the state’s commitments ‍under the law. The 2019 financial collapse - the result of decades of unsustainable financial policies, waste and corruption - led the state to default ​on its sovereign debt and sank the Lebanese pound. The draft law marks ⁠the first time Beirut has put forward legislation aimed at addressing a vast funding shortfall - estimated at $70 billion in 2022 but now believed to be higher. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Monday urged ministers to swiftly approve the draft legislation. The cabinet discussed the law on Monday and Tuesday and is set to continue discussions ‌on Friday.

Lebanon, Iraq discuss reconstruction support and revival of Tripoli oil refinery
LBCI/December 24/2025
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met on Wednesday at the Grand Serail with Ihsan al-Awadi, the special envoy of the Iraqi prime minister, to discuss Iraq's readiness to contribute to Lebanon's reconstruction efforts, according to Lebanon’s state news agency. During the talks, the Iraqi envoy conveyed Baghdad’s willingness to support Lebanon’s reconstruction in line with the Lebanese state's priorities and needs. Discussions also focused on the oil pipeline project extending from Iraq through Syria to Lebanon, as well as the Tripoli oil refinery. Salam stressed that the pipeline file is a top priority for his government, citing its potential to reactivate the Tripoli refinery, create job opportunities for young people, and boost economic activity in northern Lebanon. The meeting comes amid ongoing efforts by the Lebanese government to secure regional support for economic recovery and infrastructure rehabilitation following years of financial crisis and instability.

Lebanon's Ambassador to France encourages strengthening Lebanese-French relations
LBCI/December 24/2025
Lebanon's Ambassador to France Rabih El Chaer briefed President Joseph Aoun on the outcome of his ongoing contacts with French officials during a meeting at the presidential palace. El Chaer said after the meeting that President Aoun had provided him with directives aimed at strengthening Lebanese-French relations across various sectors, particularly regarding preparations for conferences intended to support Lebanon, the Lebanese army, and the armed forces. The ambassador also informed the president about efforts to enhance consular services for the Lebanese community in France, including plans to equip the Lebanese Embassy in Paris with biometric passport issuance machines and to reduce the associated fees. President Aoun gave the necessary instructions to the relevant authorities to follow up on these matters.

Syrian close to Assad-era commander killed in Lebanon
Agence France Presse/December 24/2025
A former Syrian intelligence officer who was close to one of ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad's top army commanders was killed in Lebanon, a judicial official said, with the army announcing it had arrested a suspect. It was the first confirmation since Assad's ouster in December last year of a former Syrian government official being present in Lebanon, though many in Syria believe Assad-era figures are hiding in the neighboring country. The judicial official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that the body of Ghassan al-Sukhni was found near the house where he was staying in the Keserwan area, north of Beirut. Lebanon's army announced in a statement on X that it had arrested the alleged perpetrator, who it said killed Sukhni "following a financial dispute." The judicial official said Sukhni "sought refuge in Lebanon after the fall of the Assad regime" and was a former Syrian intelligence officer closely associated with Suhail al-Hassan. Nicknamed "The Tiger", Hassan led Syria's special forces under Assad and was frequently described as the former ruler's "favorite soldier."He was responsible for key military advances by the Assad government in 2015 during Syria's civil war. The Assad family exercised control over Lebanese affairs for decades and was accused of assassinating numerous officials in Lebanon who expressed opposition to its rule. Lebanon and Syria have committed to turning a new page on ties since his ouster, but issues including Damascus' demand that Beirut release Syrian nationals held in Lebanese jails remain key sticking points.

Lebanon investigates disappearance of man linked to Israeli airman's 1986 capture
Agence France Presse/December 24/2025
Lebanese authorities are investigating the recent disappearance of a retired security officer whose brother was allegedly involved in the 1986 capture of an Israeli air force navigator, a Lebanese judicial official told AFP. Airman Ron Arad's plane went down over southern Lebanon during the country's 1975-1990 civil war, and he was believed to have been initially held by Shiite groups. He is now presumed dead, though his remains were never returned. The Lebanese judicial official said on condition of anonymity that authorities were looking into the disappearance a week ago of retired General Security officer Ahmad Shukr amid conflicting information about his fate. Initial investigations indicate Shukr "was lured from his hometown of Nabi Sheet" to a location near the city of Zahle, where he disappeared. A source close to the family said Shukr is the brother of Hassan Shukr, who "was a fighter in the group that participated in capturing Israeli pilot Ron Arad after his plane was downed on October 16," 1986. Hassan Shukr was killed in 1988 in a battle between Israeli forces and local fighters, including from Hezbollah, the source close to the family added, requesting anonymity. The judicial official said information indicated Ahmad Shukr "was lured by two Swedes who arrived in Lebanon two days before his kidnapping, and that one left through Beirut airport the day Shukr disappeared."Investigators are looking into the possibility that he was killed by Israeli agents or transferred to Israel, the official said, adding that so far no trace has been found of him in Lebanon. Israel has apprehended suspects in Lebanon before, including an alleged Hezbollah member it said it captured in the country's north in November last year. Also last year, Lebanese officials said preliminary findings implicated Israel's Mossad spy agency in the killing of an alleged Hamas financier. Arad has been a cause celebre for decades in Israel, where bringing home lost or captured soldiers is considered a national duty.

Fears of escalation: Israel issues warning to Lebanon over army's alleged ties to Hezbollah
LBCI/December 24/2025
Israel has sent a message to the Lebanese government warning that it could target the Lebanese Army if it continues what Israel claims is cooperation with Hezbollah, according to reports carried by Israeli news outlets.The reports quoted an Israeli security official as saying the message alleged "unusual cooperation" between the Lebanese Army and Hezbollah, warning that such coordination could plunge Lebanon into widespread destruction. The warning coincides with renewed Israeli focus on the disappearance of retired Lebanese General Security officer Ahmad Shukr, whose case has moved to the forefront of Israeli security discussions. Expectations have grown in Lebanon that Israel's intelligence service, Mossad, may have carried out an operation to abduct Shukr inside Lebanon to interrogate him over the long-unresolved disappearance of Israeli pilot Ron Arad, who went missing in South Lebanon in 1986.
Former Mossad officials have previously said that the Arad file preoccupies every Israeli security official who deals with Lebanon. Israeli officials are now hoping for progress on the case, according to media reports. Despite speculation, some officials have cast doubt on whether the Arad file will be directly raised during talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Instead, Israel's relations with Hezbollah, Lebanon, Syria, and the war in Gaza are expected to feature prominently in the discussions, as attention increasingly shifts toward Iran and the possibility of a military strike against it. As Israel awaits the outcome of the Trump-Netanyahu talks, a broader question is being asked with growing urgency inside the country: whether the drums of war will once again echo across the region more than two years after the outbreak of the Al-Aqsa Flood war. The meetings are widely seen as a potential turning point that could shape the region's trajectory in the early months of the New Year.

Iraq opens office in Beirut to oversee reconstruction projects in Lebanon
LBCI/December 24/2025
A dedicated office was inaugurated at the Iraqi embassy in Beirut to monitor the implementation of Iraq’s contribution to Lebanon’s reconstruction projects. An Iraqi embassy source told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that the new office will handle technical and administrative supervision of projects funded by Iraq, aiming to accelerate progress and ensure timely execution. Earlier, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani announced a $20 million contribution to Lebanon’s reconstruction.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 24-25/2025
Bethlehem celebrates first festive Christmas since Gaza war
AFP/December 24/2025
Scouts marched under a clear blue sky in Bethlehem on Wednesday, as the Palestinian city emerged from the shadow of the war in Gaza to celebrate its first festive Christmas in more than two years. Throughout the Gaza war that began with Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023, a sombre tone marked Christmases in Bethlehem, the biblical birthplace of Jesus Christ. But on Wednesday, celebrations were in full swing again in the occupied West Bank city, as a fragile truce held in the Gaza Strip where hundreds of thousands of people face the winter living in makeshift tents.In the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV was due to deliver his first Christmas Mass at 2030 GMT at Saint Peter’s Basilica, after he called for “24 hours of peace in the whole world.”The US pontiff was elected by fellow cardinals in May following the death of Pope Francis. He has a more discreet and conciliatory style than his charismatic predecessor, but Leo has followed in Francis’s footsteps on key issues like immigration and social justice. Across the world, families began gathering to mark Christmas Eve and millions of children everywhere waited eagerly for their gifts to be delivered.
‘Full of joy’
In Bethlehem, the sound of drums and bagpipes playing renditions of popular Christmas carols filled the air, as Christians young and old made their way down to the city’s central Manger Square. “Today is full of joy because we haven’t been able to celebrate because of the war,” said Milagros Anstas, 17, dressed in the yellow and blue uniforms of Bethlehem’s Salesian scout group. Hundreds of people took part in the parade down Bethlehem’s narrow Star Street. A dense crowd massed in Manger Square, while a handful of spectators peered from the balconies of the municipality building to get a view of the festivities below. A towering Christmas tree covered with red and gold baubles sparkled next to the Church of the Nativity. The basilica dates back to the fourth Century and was built on top of a grotto where Christians believe Jesus was born more than 2,000 years ago.Scout member Katiab Amaya, 18, said the renewed festivities were an important symbol of the Christian community’s presence in the region. “It gives us hope that there’s still Christians here celebrating and we are still keeping the traditions,” she told AFP.
‘There’s still life’
Bethlehem’s municipality chose to tone down Christmas festivities while war raged in Gaza - a Palestinian coastal territory geographically separated from the West Bank by Israel. A US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas which began in October has halted full-scale fighting in Gaza, but with many still facing a life of misery after losing their homes and loved ones. “These celebrations are more of hope to our people in Gaza... that they will one day celebrate and live life again,” Amaya told AFP. Jerusalem’s Latin Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa arrived in Bethlehem, before leading the traditional Midnight Mass at the Church of the Nativity. The senior cleric visited war-battered Gaza over the weekend, leading a Christmas Mass at the Holy Family Parish in Gaza City on Sunday.
‘Very special place’
Bethlehem residents hope the return of Christmas festivities will breathe life back into the city and kickstart the return of visitors. For Bethlehem in particular, whose economy relies almost entirely on tourism, the war in Gaza kept visitors away for prolonged periods and sent unemployment soaring. In recent months, Christian pilgrims have slowly started to return to the holy city. “Bethlehem is a very special place,” said George Hanna, from the neighboring town of Beit Jala. “We need to get the message to the whole world and this is the only way,” he added.

Israel Says It Killed Hamas Financial Officer in Gaza
Asharq Al-Awsat/December 24/2025
The Israeli army said Wednesday that it had identified a Hamas financial official it killed two weeks ago in a strike in the Gaza Strip. Abdel Hay Zaqut, a financial official in Hamas's armed wing, on December 13 in the same strike that killed military commander Raed Saad, seen by Israel as one of the architects of Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack. The Israeli army's Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, said on Wednesday that Zaqut was killed while he was in a vehicle alongside Raed Saad in "a joint operation by the Israeli army and the Shin Bet", Israel's internal security agency. Zaqut "belonged to the financial department of the armed wing" of Hamas, Adraee wrote on X. "Over the past year, Zaqut was responsible for collecting and transferring tens of millions of dollars to Hamas's armed wing with the aim of continuing the fight against the State of Israel," he said. Hamas's leader for the Gaza Strip, Khalil al-Hayya, confirmed on December 14 the death of Saad and "his companions", though he did not name Zaqut. The Israeli army said Saad headed the weapons production headquarters of Hamas's military wing and oversaw the group's build-up of capabilities. Since October 10, a fragile truce has been in force in the Gaza Strip, although Israel and Hamas accuse each other of violations. The war began with Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed more than 70,000 people in the Gaza Strip, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, a figure the UN deems is credible.

Netanyahu Coalition Pushes Contentious Oct. 7 Attack Probe, Families Call for Justice
Asharq Al-Awsat/December 24/2025
Israel's parliament gave the initial go-ahead on Wednesday for a government-empowered inquiry into the surprise October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on southern Israel rather than the expected independent investigation demanded by families of the victims. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resisted calls to establish a state commission to investigate Israel's failures in the run-up to its deadliest day and has taken no responsibility for the attack that sparked the two-year Gaza war.
His ruling coalition voted on Wednesday to advance a bill which grants parliament members the authority to pick panel members for an inquiry and gives Netanyahu's cabinet the power to set its mandate. Critics ‌say the move ‌circumvents Israel's 1968 Commissions of Inquiry Law, under which ‌the ⁠president of ‌the Supreme Court appoints an independent panel to investigate major state failures such as those which preceded the 1973 Yom Kippur war. Survivors and relatives of those hurt in the Hamas attack have launched a campaign against the proposed probe, saying only a state commission can bring those accountable to justice. "This is a day of disaster for us all," said Eyal Eshel, who lost his daughter when Hamas fighters overran the army base where she served. "Justice ⁠must be done and justice will be done," he said at the Knesset, before the vote. Surveys have shown ‌wide public support for the establishment of a state ‍commission into the country's biggest security ‍lapse in decades. Netanyahu said on Monday that a panel appointed in line with the ‍new bill, by elected officials from both the opposition and the coalition, would be independent and win broad public trust. But Israel's opposition has already said it will not cooperate with what it describes as an attempt by Netanyahu's coalition to cover up the truth rather than reveal it, arguing that the investigation would ultimately be controlled by Netanyahu and his coalition.
The new bill says that if the politicians fail to ⁠agree on the panel, its make-up will be decided by the head of parliament, who is allied with Netanyahu and is a member of his Likud party. Jon Polin, whose son Hersh Goldberg-Polin was taken hostage and found slain by his captors with five other hostages in a Hamas tunnel in August 2024, said only a trusted commission could restore security and unite a nation still traumatized. "I support a state commission, not to see anyone punished and not because it will bring back my only son, no. I support a state commission so that nothing like what happened to my son, can ever happen to your son, or your daughter, or your parents," Polin said on Sunday at a news ‌conference with other families. Hersh Goldberg-Polin was among dozens of hostages taken in the 2023 attack from the site of the Nova music festival.

How Israel’s Hilltop Settlers Coordinate Attacks to Expel Palestinians
Asharq Al-Awsat/December 24/2025
The Jewish settler outpost of Or Meir is small. A handful of prefabricated white shelters, it sits at the end of a short dirt track on a hill leading up from Road 60, a major route that dissects the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Over time, similar modest dwellings have turned into sprawling Israeli housing developments, part of a plan that members of Israel's cabinet acknowledge they have implemented to prevent the birth of a Palestinian state. The process can be violent. A Bedouin family told Reuters attackers who descended ​from Or Meir hurling Molotov cocktails drove them off Palestinian-owned land nearby last year. They fear they won't ever be able to return. Messages posted on Or Meir's channel on the Telegram social media platform celebrate chasing out Bedouin herders and show the new settlers’ determination to secure lasting control over what they call “strategic” territory. This year ​was one of the most violent on record for Israeli civilian attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank, according to United Nations data that shows more than 750 injuries and the rapid spread of outposts throughout land Palestinians hope will form the heart of a future state. Israeli NGO Peace Now has recorded 80 outposts built in 2025, the most since the organization started its records in 1991. On December 21, Israel's cabinet approved 19 more settlements, including former outposts. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the goal was to block Palestinian statehood. For decades, groups of settlers have built outposts on West Bank land without official authorization from the Israeli state. Israeli authorities in the West Bank sometimes demolish such camps but they often reappear, and in many cases end up being accepted by Israel as formal settlements. Smotrich has pushed efforts to formalize more outposts. Most of the world considers all Israel's settlement activity in the West Bank illegal under international law relating to military occupations. Israel disputes this view. "Since establishing our presence on the land, we have driven away nine illegal Bedouin outposts, and returned 6,000 dunams to Jewish hands," the account representing Or Meir's settlers said in a post in September, using the dunam measurement equal to about 1,000 square meters, ‌or a quarter of ‌an acre.
Reuters could not independently confirm all the attacks on the Bedouins or determine who posted on behalf of Or Meir, which was established about two years ‌ago. The ⁠settlers there ​declined to speak to ‌the news agency. In response to Reuters questions about intensifying settler violence in the West Bank, an Israeli official blamed a "fringe minority" and said Palestinian attacks against Israelis were under-reported by the media. The Palestinian Authority did not respond to requests for comment. Messages on the Or Meir Telegram channel, which is public, suggest a well-organized plan to take land, a finding supported by Reuters examination of a dozen other Telegram and WhatsApp groups representing similar groups, three interviews with settlers and pro-settler groups and on-the-ground reporting around Or Meir and a new settlement. "The evidence shows that this is a systematic pattern of violence,” said Milena Ansari, a researcher based in Jerusalem for Human Rights Watch whose work includes research on settlements in the West Bank. The Bedouin Musabah family said they were attacked at night in June from the direction of Or Meir. Charred remains of their home and a barn were still visible to a Reuters team in December.
"We were living here, sitting in God's safety," said Bedouin shepherd Shahada Musabah, 39, now sheltering in the nearby Palestinian village of Deir Dibwan. "They started to set fire and they destroyed everything. They didn't leave us anything at all." In response to questions about the incident, Israel's military told Reuters dozens of Israeli civilians set fire to property in Deir Dibwan on the night in question. It said all suspects had left by the time security forces arrived. An official in ⁠the Deir Dibwan council told Reuters up to 60 settlers were involved, throwing stones and burning the Musabah house and other property, along with cars. Several villagers were injured by stones. In a telephone call, Or Meir settler Elkanah Nachmani told Reuters reporters not to advance up the track to the outpost from Road 60 and not to make contact ‌again. Nachmani responded to a Reuters request for comment but did not address the issues raised by the questions. In the Telegram channel, Or Meir settlers accused ‍Palestinians of poisoning their sheep in November 2024, an accusation the Musabah family denies. Israeli monitoring group Yesh Din said of the ‍hundreds of cases of settler violence it documented since October 7, 2023, only 2% resulted in indictments. Reuters could not confirm the group's findings. Israel's police and military did not respond to requests for comment. More than a thousand Palestinians were killed ‍in the West Bank between October 7, 2023 and October 17, 2025, mostly in operations by security forces and some by settler violence, according to the UN. In the same period, 57 Israelis were killed in Palestinian attacks.
The Or Meir group has been open about its goals.
In November 2024, the Or Meir account posted that it aimed to settle "a strategic ridge near the settlement of Ofra" seeking to create "a continuous Jewish settlement presence." Dror Etkes, an Israeli peace activist, said other outposts served the same purpose, fracturing the West Bank and "limiting the possibility of Palestinians to be in these places."Despite the government's actions to recognize dozens of previously irregular outposts, Israel’s military told Reuters in a statement Or Meir "is illegal and has been evacuated several times by the security forces." It did not provide specifics about why it considered the outpost illegal or ​why it was "evacuated" - the military's word to describe closure or demolition of outposts in the West Bank. After the most recent evacuation in March, Or Meir re-emerged with the help of over 100,000 shekels ($30,000) raised by donations, according to the settlement's website. Reuters couldn't independently confirm the donations. The former outposts Israel has formalized as settlements over the years include ones previously evacuated by the army. Ofra, also on Road 60 just ⁠north of Or Meir, started as an outpost and is now a major housing development. "Why do we continue?" asked a post by the Or Meir Telegram account in March after the evacuation. The post then answered its own question. "All breakthroughs in settlements were accomplished this way. At first, the state refused to accommodate any activity on the ground and fought it fiercely, but due to the persistence of the citizens, it eventually had to accept it." In December, Smotrich said 51,370 housing units had been approved for West Bank settlements since he became minister in late 2022, part of what the UN describes as the fastest expansion of settlements since its monitoring began in 2017. Smotrich's office did not respond to a request for comment. On September 30, the Oir Meir Telegram account published a map showing the location of the outpost. The map highlighted a large area with a blue boundary stretching to the edge of Deir Dibwan. The group said the marked area was under control of their outpost.
At least four attacks on Palestinians have been reported within the blue boundary, according to the Deir Dibwan council, which said Palestinians could no longer access the area, including about 250 dunams belonging to the council itself.
The map also shows eight black markers, mostly within the blue boundary, listed as “abandoned Arab invasion outpost,” indicating places from which Bedouins had allegedly been ejected. Road 60 is flanked by settlements. It is intersected by Road 505, running west-east toward the Jordan Valley and also lined with settlements, including Evyatar near the Palestinian town of Beita. Evyatar began as a tented outpost in 2019. It was evacuated in 2021 but secured Israeli government recognition in 2024. Malkiel Barhai, Evyatar’s mayor, credited Smotrich for the approval. Speaking in Evyatar with a pistol tucked into his trousers that he said was for protection, Barhai said the settlement was vital to keep Road 505 open “because we have Arab villages, hostile Arab villages, around.”A member of the Beita municipality told Reuters settlers from surrounding outposts or settlements, including Evyatar, killed 14 people in the area around Beita between 2021 and 2024. Reuters could not verify the deaths or who was responsible. On November 8, Reuters witnessed an attack by settlers wielding sticks and ‌clubs and hurling large rocks as Palestinians harvested olives close to Beita. Two Reuters employees - a journalist and a security adviser - were among those injured.Barhai denied settlers were behind attacks, and blamed Palestinians for violence. Samer Younes Ali Bani Shamsah, a farmer who lives near Evyatar and whose leg was broken in a settler attack, said he would not leave the land no matter the cost.
"This is my place, my home. Where would I go?" he said. A hill over, another outpost stood, above a hill of olive trees.

Reservoir supplying Iran capital remains largely empty despite rain
AFP/December 24/2025
The reservoir of the Amir Kabir dam, one of the largest supplying Iran’s capital, is still largely empty despite sporadic winter rainfall following the worst drought in decades, local media reported Wednesday. Tehran has seen intermittent rain since early December after months of dry weather, partially replenishing some of the city’s reservoirs but leaving overall levels critically low. Iran, a largely arid country, has for years suffered chronic dry spells and heat waves, which are expected to worsen with climate change. “Out of a total water storage capacity of 205 million cubic meters in the reservoir of this dam, only six million cubic meters of water are currently stored,” just three percent of capacity, the Tasnim news agency reported, referring to Amir Kabir, also known as the Karaj dam. The Tehran municipality’s newspaper, Hamsharhi, republished the report, saying it was “not possible to draw more water from the current reservoirs” of the dam. On Tuesday, the official IRNA news agency reported severe deficits of 88 percent at Amir Kabir, 51 percent at the Lar dam, 48 percent at the Taleghan dam, and 53 percent at both the Mamlou and Latian dams “compared to the same period last year.”Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the country’s water situation remains “critical,” and that “all 31 provinces have water supply problems.”“Water management in the country is vital and urgent; if we fail to control it, it risks creating problems that will be difficult to resolve,” he said. Rainfall in Tehran and the neighboring province of Alborz has been at historically low levels, according to IRNA. Tehran, located on the southern slopes of the Alborz Mountains, experiences hot, dry summers, sometimes rainy autumns and winters that can be harsh and snowy. Iranian authorities have carried out several cloud seeding operations to induce rainfall in recent months and resorted to cutting off water supplies periodically to manage consumption.

Iran’s IRGC seizes foreign-crewed oil tanker in Gulf
Al Arabiya English/December 24/2025
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday seized an oil tanker in the Gulf carrying more than a dozen foreign crew members, state media reported. The vessel “was carrying 4 million liters of smuggled fuel with 16 non-Iranian crew members on board,” state television quoted navy commander General Abbas Gholamshahi as saying. IRGC forces “boarded the ship ... as it was leaving Iranian territorial waters,” he added. It was not immediately clear which flag the ship was flying. Iran’s military regularly announces the interception of ships it says are illegally transporting fuel in the Gulf. It regularly targets tankers that Tehran accuses of being part of the illicit trade in the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint for global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. Wednesday’s seizure is the latest in a series of similar incidents in recent weeks. Earlier in December authorities seized a tanker in the Gulf of Oman with 18 crew members from India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh on board. That interception came days after the United States seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. According to Washington, the ship’s captain was transporting oil from Venezuela and Iran. The US Treasury sanctioned Venezuela in 2022 over alleged ties to the IRGC and Hezbollah. Retail fuel prices in Iran are among the lowest in the world, making smuggling fuel to other countries particularly profitable. Last month, Iran seized an oil tanker in Gulf waters “for carrying an unauthorized cargo.”Also in November, the IRGC confirmed it had seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf. With AFP

Iran’s Armed Forces: We Are Ready for Any Hostile Scenario
Asharq Al-Awsat/December 24/2025
Spokesperson of the Iranian Armed Forces Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi said on Tuesday that his country’s naval, ground, and missile forces are ready to confront any threat or hostile scenario. Speaking at a meeting at Sharif University, Shekarchi said much of Iran’s military capabilities have not yet been utilized, in a direct threat to Israel amid escalating regional tension that followed the June war. “Iran’s defense doctrine is based on deterrence,” he said, emphasizing that his country does not initiate wars, but responds decisively to aggression. “Any offensive action would be intended to punish an aggressor rather than to start a conflict,” Shekarchi said, according to the Daneshjoo News Agency, a semi-official Iranian news outlet primarily managed by the University Students' Basij Organization. Referring to the June war with Israel, Shekarchi said Iran’s adversaries employed a comprehensive hybrid strategy combining military and non‑military tools but failed to achieve their objectives. But he added that the Basij forces, as well as the naval and ground forces, remains “fully prepared and unused.” In an indirect reference to Western reports saying Iran is restoring damaged ballistic missile production capabilities, Shekarchi said Iran has continued to strengthen its power and has never suspended its military activities, even at the height of tensions. He said Iran’s Fattah missiles were able to penetrate advanced air defense systems and struck targets in Israel with high precision. “These missiles did not strike blindly or wander off course,” Shekarchi said. “They hit exactly the predetermined targets,” he added, noting that the missile strikes demonstrated accuracy and operational effectiveness. In his speech, the spokesperson also spoke about the nature of hostility against Iran, which has increasingly shifted toward “soft warfare”, including media campaigns, propaganda and psychological operations aimed at undermining public morale and hope rather than direct military confrontation. At the local security level, Shekarchi revealed that Iranian authorities dismantled a large espionage network. He said around 2,000 people linked to hostile intelligence services were arrested several months before the start of the war and until its end. He said the network took years of planning, training and financial investment, with large sums spent on organizing and supporting its members. “It will take years and lots of money to rebuild such a network,” he said.
His comments come as US and Israeli officials warn that Tehran is ramping up its missile and nuclear production efforts. On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that Israel is watching Iran and warned of a tough response to any aggression. “We know that Iran has been doing exercises lately. We are following this, and we are making the necessary preparations. I want to make it clear to Iran here, any action against Israel will be met with a very harsh response,” he warned.

Iran and US Reaffirm Commitment to Diplomacy at UN, but Gap on a Nuclear Deal Remains Wide
Asharq Al-Awsat/December 24/2025
Iran and the United States reaffirmed their commitments to diplomacy at a contentious meeting of the UN Security Council on Tuesday, but the gap between the Trump administration and Tehran on a nuclear deal remains wide and deep. The sixth round of negotiations between Washington and Tehran had been scheduled for soon after Israel’s 12-day war with Iran in June, during which the US joined Israel in bombing Iranian nuclear sites. The talks were canceled, and in September Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, rejected any direct nuclear negotiations with the United States. But Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told the Security Council that “Iran remains fully committed to principled diplomacy and genuine negotiations.” And said it's now up to France, Britain and the US “to reverse course and take concrete, credible steps to restore trust and confidence.”He said Iran remains committed to the core principles of the 2015 nuclear deal aimed at preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, in which Iran had agreed to limit its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. President Donald Trump in 2018 pulled the US out of the agreement between Iran and the five permanent members of the Security Council, plus Germany. In a rare public exchange between diplomats from the two countries, US Mission counselor Morgan Ortagus, a Trump ally and former State Department spokesperson, said, “The United States remains available for formal talks with Iran but only if Tehran is prepared for direct and meaningful dialogue.”Ortagus said Trump extended “the hand of diplomacy” to Iran during both of his administrations. “But instead of taking that hand of diplomacy, you continue to put your hand in the fire,” she said, looking directly at Iravani. “Step away from the fire, sir, and take President Trump’s hand of diplomacy. It’s extended to you.”She stressed, however, that the Trump administration has been clear that there can be no enrichment of nuclear material inside Iran, a major point of contention. Irvani said the US insistence on zero enrichment was contrary to Iran's rights under the 2015 deal and showed the US was not pursuing fair negotiations. He said if France and Britain continued to side with the US, “diplomacy will be effectively destroyed.”“Iran will not bow down to any pressure and intimidation,” Irvani said. In September, the agreement's three Western members — Britain, France and Germany — triggered a “snapback” mechanism to reinstate the sanctions that had been lifted, citing Iran’s failure to comply with the deal’s conditions. As tensions between Tehran and Washington have increased, Iran has accelerated its production of uranium to near weapons-grade. The UN nuclear watchdog, the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, has reported that Iran has over 440 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60% — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. France’s deputy UN ambassador Jay Dharmadhikari defended the “snapback” of UN sanctions, saying that since 2019 Iran has been in “increasingly flagrant violation” of all limitations designed to guarantee that its nuclear program remains peaceful. But he said the reimposition of sanctions does not mean the end of efforts to find a diplomatic solution. Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia shot back, telling the French envoy: “You failed miserably in your so-called diplomatic efforts to strike a deal on the nuclear issue with Iran, and you know it.”

Israel Accuses Hamas of Violating Gaza Truce, Says It Will Respond
Asharq Al-Awsat/December 24/2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas on Wednesday of violating the Gaza ceasefire by refusing to disarm, and said Israel would retaliate after a military officer was wounded by what the military described as a bomb. In a speech at a graduation ceremony for Air Force pilots, Netanyahu mentioned the attack in Rafah, part of Gaza where Israeli forces still operate, and said Hamas had made clear it had no plan to disarm as foreseen under the October truce deal. "Israel will respond accordingly," he said. The Israeli military earlier said that an explosive device had detonated against a military vehicle in the Rafah area and that one officer had been lightly injured. Hamas ‌denied responsibility. The ‌blast was "caused by bombs left behind by the enemy that had ‌not ⁠exploded previously, and ‌we have informed the mediators of this," said Hamas official Mahmoud Merdawi in an X post.
ISRAELI DELEGATION MEETING OFFICIALS IN CAIRO
An Israeli delegation met officials from mediating countries in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss efforts to return the remains of the last Israeli hostage, police officer Ran Gvili, from Gaza, Netanyahu's office said later on Wednesday. The delegation included officials from the Israeli military, the Shin Bet domestic intelligence service and the Mossad intelligence service. A 20-point plan issued by US President Donald Trump in September calls for an initial truce ⁠followed by steps towards a wider peace. So far, only the first phase has taken effect, including a ceasefire, release of hostages ‌and prisoners, and a partial Israeli withdrawal. Trump's plan ultimately calls ‍for Hamas to disarm and have no governing ‍role in Gaza, and for Israel to pull out. Hamas has said it will hand over ‍arms only once a Palestinian state is established, which Israel says it will never allow. Violence has subsided but not stopped since the Gaza truce took effect on October 10, with the sides regularly accusing each other of violating the ceasefire. Gaza's health ministry says Israel has killed more than 400 people in the territory since the ceasefire went into effect. Three Israeli soldiers have been killed in militant attacks.
Hamas "openly declares it has no intention of disarming, in complete contradiction to President Trump's ⁠20-point plan," Netanyahu said.
NETANYAHU ALSO WARNS HEZBOLLAH
Netanyahu said Hezbollah in Lebanon, which Israel severely weakened in strikes last year that also ended in a US-brokered truce, also had no intention to disarm "and we are addressing that as well". Israel still needs to settle accounts with Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen as well as Iran itself, he added. "As these old threats change form, new threats arise morning and evening. We do not seek confrontations, but our eyes are open to every possible danger," Netanyahu said. Netanyahu is set to meet with Trump next week, mainly to discuss the next phase of the US president's Gaza plan.
Hamas said in a statement later on Wednesday that a delegation led by its chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya had discussed Gaza with Türkiye's foreign minister in Ankara. Al-Hayya warned against what he described as the continuation of ‌Israeli violations of the ceasefire, saying they were aimed at hindering the move to the next phase of the ceasefire deal.

Iran and US reaffirm commitment to diplomacy at UN, but gap on a nuclear deal remains wide
Edith M. Lederer/AP/December 24/2025
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Iran and the United States reaffirmed their commitments to diplomacy at a contentious meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday, but the gap between the Trump administration and the Islamic Republic on a nuclear deal remains wide and deep.
The sixth round of negotiations between Washington and Tehran had been scheduled for soon after Israel’s 12-day war with Iran in June, during which the U.S. joined Israel in bombing Iranian nuclear sites. The talks were canceled, and in September Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, rejected any direct nuclear negotiations with the United States. But Iran’s U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told the Security Council that “Iran remains fully committed to principled diplomacy and genuine negotiations.” And said it's now up to France, Britain and the U.S. “to reverse course and take concrete, credible steps to restore trust and confidence.”He said Iran remains committed to the core principles of the 2015 nuclear deal aimed at preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, in which Iran had agreed to limit its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.
President Donald Trump in 2018 pulled the U.S. out of the agreement between Iran and the five permanent members of the Security Council, plus Germany. In a rare public exchange between diplomats from the two countries, U.S. Mission counselor Morgan Ortagus, a Trump ally and former State Department spokesperson, said, “The United States remains available for formal talks with Iran but only if Tehran is prepared for direct and meaningful dialogue.”Ortagus said Trump extended “the hand of diplomacy” to Iran during both of his administrations. “But instead of taking that hand of diplomacy, you continue to put your hand in the fire,” she said, looking directly at Iravani. “Step away from the fire, sir, and take President Trump’s hand of diplomacy. It’s extended to you.”She stressed, however, that the Trump administration has been clear that there can be no enrichment of nuclear material inside Iran, a major point of contention. Irvani said the U.S. insistence on zero enrichment was contrary to Iran's rights under the 2015 deal and showed the U.S. was not pursuing fair negotiations. He said if France and Britain continued to side with the U.S., “diplomacy will be effectively destroyed.”“Iran will not bow down to any pressure and intimidation,” Irvani said. In September, the agreement's three Western members — Britain, France and Germany — triggered a “snapback” mechanism to reinstate the sanctions that had been lifted, citing Iran’s failure to comply with the deal’s conditions.
As tensions between Tehran and Washington have increased, Iran has accelerated its production of uranium to near weapons-grade. The U.N. nuclear watchdog, the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, has reported that Iran has over 440 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60% — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%. France’s deputy U.N. ambassador Jay Dharmadhikari defended the “snapback” of U.N. sanctions, saying that since 2019 Iran has been in “increasingly flagrant violation” of all limitations designed to guarantee that its nuclear program remains peaceful. But he said the reimposition of sanctions does not mean the end of efforts to find a diplomatic solution. Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia shot back, telling the French envoy: “You failed miserably in your so-called diplomatic efforts to strike a deal on the nuclear issue with Iran, and you know it.”
Edith M. Lederer, The Associated Press

Israel, Cyprus, Greece Sign Cooperation Agreement at Trilateral Summit in Jerusalem
FDD/December 24/2025
Boost Trilateral Relations: The leaders of Greece, Cyprus, and Israel agreed to boost trilateral cooperation in the Mediterranean during a summit in Jerusalem on December 22. Against the background of growing Turkish belligerence in the region, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides signed a joint declaration agreeing to “reinforce our ongoing trilateral cooperation on security, defense, and military matters.” As part of the partnership, the three leaders discussed linking electrical grids through the world’s longest and deepest underwater electricity cable and cooperation on offshore natural gas.Eyeing Turkish Threats: All three countries have had troubled relations with Turkey, which formerly ruled all three territories through the Ottoman Empire. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to use military force against all three states. Ankara has also suspended trade with Israel in the wake of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre, while openly supporting the terrorist group. During a joint press conference, Netanyahu stated: “To those who fantasize they can reestablish their empires and their dominion over our lands, I say: Forget it. It’s not going to happen. Don’t even think about it.”Discussions of a Joint Rapid Response Force: Greek media reported on December 16 that Israeli, Greek, and Cypriot officials were discussing creating a joint rapid reaction force to protect critical regional infrastructure in the Mediterranean. The plan reportedly would include the creation of a 2,500-strong brigade-level reaction force comprised of 1,000 troops from both Israel and Greece and 500 from Cyprus.
FDD Expert Response
“Trilateral cooperation between Cyprus, Greece, and Israel is to be welcomed as a counter to an expansionist Turkey. The fact that Greece is a NATO member is an important aspect of this. It cannot be long before the United States notices that Turkey is at odds with American allies and supportive of American adversaries like Maduro’s Venezuela, as well as of the hostile Muslim Brotherhood ideology.” — Edmund Fitton-Brown, Senior Fellow
“This trilateral meeting should be a wake-up call to Ankara, which has become far too accustomed to throwing its military weight around the region, without considering that its escalatory and threatening actions are bonding countries in the area in novel ways. This is not a threat but an opportunity for Turkey to reconsider its posture.” — Sinan Ciddi, Senior Fellow
“By bolstering the alliance with Greece and Cyprus, Israel is securing a regional security architecture for the Eastern Mediterranean. Defense partnerships are critical for Jerusalem as the threats to Israel’s security continue to evolve and its’s adversaries conspire to threaten the Jewish state.” — Enia Krivine, Senior Director of FDD’s Israel Program and National Security Network

Syrian Government and Kurdish-Led SDF Agree to De-escalation of Violence Following Aleppo Clashes
FDD/December 24/2025
Aleppo Fighting Leads to Casualties: Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) agreed on December 22 to reduce tensions after at least two civilians were killed during fighting in Aleppo. Syrian state news agency SANA reported that the general command of the Syrian army had issued an order to cease firing on SDF positions, with the SDF later stating that it would also stop responding to attacks by government forces. The Syrian health ministry reported that two civilians were killed and several were wounded by SDF shelling in the residential Aleppo neighborhoods of Al-Jamilia and Al-Razi, claims refuted by the SDF, which instead blamed the attacks on the “Damascus government.”Syria Claims SDF Launched Surprise Attack on Government Forces: The fighting in Aleppo began after the SDF launched a surprise attack on government forces stationed in the Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah neighborhoods, according to SANA. The SDF subsequently denied the report, instead stating that the government forces were using tanks and artillery against the residential areas of the city, actions the Syrian Ministry of Defense said were carried out in response to the claimed SDF attack. Aleppo’s governor announced a suspension of classes in all schools and universities on December 22, while government offices also closed during the brief clashes. Turkey Claims Kurdish Force Not Willing to Integrate: During an official visit the same day the Aleppo clashes broke out, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Ankara sees “no intention” on the part of the SDF to integrate with state security forces. Damascus reportedly sent a proposal to the SDF in recent weeks offering to incorporate the group’s 50,000 fighters into three divisions and brigades, pending the SDF ceding some of its command to the Syrian government and opening SDF territory to Syrian government forces. Despite Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani echoing Fidan’s assessment, he noted during the joint meeting that Damascus had “received a response [from the SDF] … and this response is currently being studied.”
FDD Expert Response
“It is clear that deep fissures between the SDF and Syrian government security forces have not been addressed, while Turkey remains a belligerent towards Kurdish autonomy in parts of Syria. Turkey has pushed for up-front concessions from the SDF and full immediate integration into Syrian government-controlled military units, but confidence-building measures need to be taken. Turkey has forged multiple agreements with Damascus to provide weapons and military training to the Syrian government, but this is largely to build leverage against the SDF and force larger concessions and disarmament. The U.S. should recognize the play by Turkey and continue to support the SDF forces that have been integral to combating ISIS.” — Tyler Stapleton, Senior Director of Government Relations at FDD Action
“It is no surprise that clashes broke out during a visit by Erdogan’s ‘wali’ for Syria, Hakan Fidan, one of the architects of the new Turkish imperial project in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean. The de-escalation shows that Syria is not entirely comfortable taking instructions and ultimatums from Ankara. Interim President al-Sharaa knows that Syria’s minorities will need more careful handling if he is to succeed as a national leader.” — Edmund Fitton-Brown, Senior Fellow
“With each announcement, Turkish officials, from Erdogan to Fidan, are making it abundantly clear that they only interested in escalating tensions inside Syria to the brink of armed conflict. Ankara is the sole actor inside Syria that has been a persistent destabilizing element. Erdogan has one goal in sight: to fuel a bloodlust against Syrian Kurds to fire up his domestic voter base, in a continuous effort to distract them from his disastrous management of the Turkish economy. Erdogan thrives on narratives of divisiveness, manufacturing enemies, and delusions of grandeur as spurious justification for an outsized Turkish role in the region.” — Sinan Ciddi, Senior Fellow
“Washington has bet that Ahmad al-Sharaa will stabilize Syria, but Ankara is pulling him in the opposite direction. Turkey’s demand that the SDF disarm would leave the Kurdish group vulnerable to a fragile regime without a disciplined army. Neither side wants war, but Turkey’s domineering influence over Syria’s armed forces could push the country back toward conflict, further fragmenting an already unstable state.” — Ahmad Sharawi, Research Analyst

UK, Canada, Germany and Others Condemn Israel’s West Bank Settlement Plan
Asharq Al-Awsat/December 24/2025
Countries including Britain, Canada and Germany and others on Wednesday condemned the Israeli security cabinet's approval of 19 new settlements in the occupied West ‌Bank, saying ‌they violated ‌international ⁠law and risked ‌fueling instability. "We call on Israel to reverse this decision, as well as the expansion of ⁠settlements," said a joint ‌statement released ‍by Britain, ‍which also included ‍Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain. "We recall that such unilateral actions, as ⁠part of a wider intensification of the settlement policies in the West Bank, not only violate international law but also risk fueling instability," the statement ‌added.

Israel to spend $110 billion to develop independent arms industry in next decade: PM
AFP/December 24/2025
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel would invest $110 billion over the next decade to develop its own independent arms industry. Much of the military equipment used by the Israeli army comes from the United States, thanks to a longstanding defense cooperation deal between the key allies.The country’s military resources have been strained after two years of war on different fronts, with some nations ceasing arm sales to Israel in protest at the death toll in Gaza or imposing restrictions at different points of the war. “I approved a total of 350 billion shekels over the coming decade to build an independent arms industry for the State of Israel,” Netanyahu told a military ceremony at an air base in southern Israel. “We want to reduce our dependence on any party, even on friends. The finest minds in our defense industries are hard at work developing weapons systems that will guarantee Israel’s advantage on the battlefield of the future.” According to the US Congress, Washington provided $3.3 billion to Israel in military funding and $500 million in missile defence cooperation in 2025. But Israel’s leaders have indicated their intention to shift away from foreign suppliers. In a controversial speech in September, Netanyahu said Israel was becoming increasingly isolated and had to adopt a “super-Sparta” approach. Following a backlash after the remark, the Israeli leader later said he was referring to the defense industry, and that the country had to become more self-reliant to avoid potential supply bottlenecks. In his speech Wednesday, Netanyahu said developing the country’s arm industry would boost its security. “We have established our status as a regional power - and in certain fields, as a global one. This brings many other countries closer to us. Peace is made with the strong, not with the weak,” he said. In 2026, Israel will allocate about 16 percent of its public budget to defence - around $35 billion out of an overall budget of $208 billion, according to government data. Before the Gaza war sparked by Hamas’ attack on Israel in October 2023, the country’s defence budget was around $20.4 billion.

Türkiye, Hamas Discuss Gaza Ceasefire Deal’s Second Phase, Turkish Source Says
Asharq Al-Awsat/December 24/2025
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Wednesday ​met with Hamas political bureau officials in Ankara to discuss the ceasefire in Gaza and advancing the ‌agreement to ‌its ‌second ⁠phase, ​a ‌Turkish Foreign Ministry source said according to Reuters. The source said the Hamas officials told Fidan that they had fulfilled ⁠their requirements as ‌part of the ‍ceasefire ‍deal, but that Israel's ‍continued targeting of Gaza aimed to prevent the agreement from ​moving to the next phase. The Hamas members ⁠also said humanitarian aid entering Gaza was not sufficient, and that goods like medication, equipment for housing, and fuel were needed, the source ‌added.

Three killed in clashes in Syria’s Latakia province
AFP/December 24/2025
Syrian state media said three people were killed Wednesday in clashes with security forces in coastal Latakia province, the heartland of the country’s Alawite minority community. “Three members of remnants of the former regime were killed after clashes with internal security forces” outside the city of Jableh, state television said. State news agency SANA had earlier reported “clashes with a group of wanted outlaws” in the area, and said an unspecified number of security personnel were wounded. Since last December’s ousting of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, himself an Alawite, Syria’s new authorities have frequently reported security operations against what they describe as remnants of his government.Syria’s coastal areas saw the massacre of Alawite civilians in March, with authorities accusing armed al-Assad supporters of sparking the violence by attacking security forces. A national commission of inquiry said at least 1,426 members of the minority community were killed at the time, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor put the toll at more than 1,700. Last month, thousands of people demonstrated on the Alawite coast in protest of fresh attacks targeting their community.

Syria ministers talk military cooperation with Putin in Russia
Agence France Presse/December 24/2025
Damascus' foreign and defense ministers met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday during a visit to Moscow where they discussed military cooperation, Syrian state media said. The trip is the latest by Syria's new authorities to Russia since they ousted longtime ruler and Moscow ally Bashar al-Assad last December. Russia has sheltered the former leader and his family ever since they fled Islamist-led forces closing in on Damascus. Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and Putin discussed "political, military and economic issues of common interest with a particular focus on strategic cooperation in the field of military industries", state news agency SANA said. It said they discussed ways to develop military and technical partnerships "to strengthen the Syrian army's defence capabilities and keep up with modern developments in military industries, particularly in the fields of modernising military equipment, transferring technical expertise and cooperating on research and development", SANA added. This would help "strengthen the national defence system and support security and stability in Syria and the region", the report said. Russia was a key ally of Assad during Syria's nearly 14-year civil war, providing vital military support that kept his forces in power and raining air strikes on rebel-held areas. Tuesday's discussions also touched on "prospects for expanding economic and trade cooperation" including supporting reconstruction projects and encouraging investment, SANA said. Despite the presence of Assad, Moscow is keen to build good relations with the new Syrian authorities, in particular to secure agreements over the Hmeimim air base and the Tartus naval base on Syria's Mediterranean coast that it continues to operate.

Libya Army Chief of Staff Killed in Jet Crash Near Ankara After Fault Reported, Turkish Official Says
Asharq Al-Awsat/December 24/2025
A private jet that crashed overnight, killing Libya's army chief of staff and seven others on board, had reported an electrical fault and requested an emergency landing shortly before contact was lost, a Turkish official said on Wednesday.
The Dassault Falcon 50 jet, which took off from Ankara Esenboga Airport at 1717 GMT on Tuesday for Tripoli, informed air traffic control at 1733 GMT of an emergency caused by an electrical malfunction, ‌said communications directorate ‌head Burhanettin Duran. Search teams found the black box ‌of ⁠the ​plane ‌early on Wednesday, Türkiye’s interior minister said.
'A GREAT LOSS FOR THE NATION'
Libya's Government of National Unity (GNU) said the dead included army chief of staff, Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, and four members of his entourage. Head of the GNU Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah called it a "great loss for the nation."
Three crew members were also killed, Turkish officials said. In Libya, divided between administrations in the west and east, ⁠authorities on both sides announced a three-day period of mourning and lowered flags to half mast. Mohammed ‌Al-Menfi, head of the Tripoli-based Presidential Council, said ‍the deputy chief of staff would assume ‍Haddad's duties until a new chief is appointed. "We want to emphasize ‍the continuity of operations as a military institution," Menfi told Istanbul-based TV channel Libya Alahrar. Haddad, from the coastal city of Misrata some 200 km (124 miles) east of Tripoli, was appointed chief of staff in 2020.
JET VANISHED FROM RADAR WHILE DESCENDING ​FOR LANDING
Air traffic control had redirected the aircraft back toward Esenboga Airport and emergency measures were initiated, but the jet disappeared from ⁠radar at 1736 GMT while descending for landing and contact was lost, Duran said.
"The aircraft's voice recorder was found at 0245 and the flight data recorder at 0320. Examination and analysis of these devices have begun," Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya told reporters at the crash site near Ankara’s Haymana district.
Yerlikaya earlier said the aircraft had requested an emergency landing while flying over Haymana, adding that its wreckage was found near Kesikkavak village. Duran said investigations into the cause of the crash were continuing by all relevant authorities. Libyan officials have said the jet was leased and registered in Malta, and that its ownership and ‌technical history would be examined as part of the investigation.

Explosion in Moscow kills 3 people. Official says Ukrainian intelligence was behind it
The Associated Press/December 24, 2025
An explosion in Moscow on Wednesday killed three people, including two police officers, Russian investigators said, days after a car bomb killed a high-ranking general not far away. An official from Ukraine’s military intelligence, known as the GUR, told The Associated Press that the attack had been carried out as part of an agency operation. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Russian authorities did not comment on who may be behind the attack. Since Moscow invaded nearly four years ago, Russian authorities have blamed Kyiv for several assassinations of military officers and public figures in Russia. Ukraine has claimed responsibility for some of them. On Wednesday, two traffic police officers were approaching a suspicious individual when a device detonated, Russia's Investigative Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko said in a statement. The officers and another person standing nearby died from their injuries. The Interior Ministry named the officers as Lt. Ilya Klimanov, 24, who joined the Moscow police in October 2023, and Lt. Maxim Gorbunov, 25. Gorbunov had a wife and a 9-month-old daughter, the statement said. The blast took place in the same area of the Russian capital where Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov was killed by a car bomb on Monday. Sarvarov was the head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff. Investigators have said they are looking into whether Ukraine was behind that attack, which was the third such killing of a senior military officer in just over a year. Ukraine has not commented on it. Ukraine — which is outnumbered by Russia’s larger, better equipped military — has frequently tried to change the course of the war by attacking in unexpected ways. In August last year, Ukrainian forces staged a surprise incursion into Russia’s Kursk region even as they struggled to stem Russian offensives elsewhere. Moscow’s troops eventually drove them out, but the incursion diverted Russian military resources and raised Ukrainian morale. In June, swarms of drones launched from trucks targeted bomber bases across Russia. Moscow has also blamed some assassinations on Ukraine. Just over a year ago, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the chief of the military’s nuclear, biological and chemical protection forces, was killed by a bomb hidden on an electric scooter outside his apartment building. Kirillov’s assistant also died. Ukraine’s security service claimed responsibility for the attack. In April, Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, a deputy head of the main operational department in the General Staff, was killed by an explosive device placed in his car parked near his apartment building just outside Moscow..Days after Moskalik’s killing, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he received a report from the head of Ukraine’s foreign intelligence agency on the “liquidation” of top Russian military figures, adding that “justice inevitably comes” although he didn’t mention Moskalik’s name. Meanwhile, Western officials have accused Russia of staging a campaign of disruption and sabotage across Europe as part of an effort to sap support for Ukraine. Moscow has denied the claims.

Zelensky reveals US-Ukraine plan to end Russian war, key questions remain
Agence France Presse/December 24/2025
Ukraine won some concessions in the latest version of a U.S.-led draft plan to end the Russian invasion, revealed by President Volodymyr Zelensky, though key questions remain over territory and whether Moscow could accept the new terms.
The 20-point plan, agreed on by U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators, was being reviewed by Moscow, but the Kremlin is unlikely to abandon its hardline territorial demands for full Ukrainian withdrawal from the east. Zelensky conceded there are some points in the document that he does not like, but Kyiv has succeeded in removing immediate requirements for Ukraine to withdraw from the Donetsk region or that land seized by Moscow's army would be recognised as Russian. Nevertheless, the Ukrainian leader still indicated the proposal would pave the way for Kyiv to pull some troops back, including from the 20 percent of the Donetsk region that it controls, where demilitarised zones would be established. It also got rid of demands that Kyiv must legally renounce its bid for NATO membership. Zelensky presented the plan during a two-hour briefing with journalists, reading from a highlighted and annotated version. "In the Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, the line of troop deployment as of the date of this agreement is de facto recognized as the line of contact," Zelensky said of the latest version. "A working group will convene to determine the redeployment of forces necessary to end the conflict, as well as to define the parameters of potential future special economic zones," he added. This appears to suggest the plan opens the way for, but delays, options that Ukraine was previously reluctant to consider -- a withdrawal of troops and the creation of demilitarised zones. "We are in a situation where the Russians want us to withdraw from the Donetsk region, while the Americans are trying to find a way," Zelensky said. "They are looking for a demilitarized zone or a free economic zone, meaning a format that could satisfy both sides," he continued.
NATO, land, nuclear plant -
U.S. President Trump is trying to broker an to end the four-year war, triggered by Russia's 2022 invasion. Tens of thousands have been killed, eastern Ukraine decimated and millions forced to flee their homes. Russian troops are advancing on the front and hammering cities and Ukraine's energy grid with nightly missile and drone barrages. The defense ministry on Wednesday said it had captured another Ukrainian settlement in the southern Zaporizhzhia region. Moscow in 2022 claimed to have annexed four Ukrainian regions -- Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk and Zaporizhzhia -- in addition to the Crimean peninsula which it seized in 2014. In Moscow, President Vladimir Putin has shown no willingness to compromise, doubling down on his hardline demands for a sweeping Ukrainian withdrawal and a string of political concessions that Kyiv and its European backers have previously cast as capitulation. Any plan that involves Ukraine pulling back its troops would need to pass a referendum in Ukraine, Zelensky said. "A free economic zone. If we are discussing this, then we need to go to a referendum," Zelensky said, referring to plans to designate areas Ukraine pulls out from as a demilitarized free trade zone.On NATO, Zelensky said: "It is the choice of NATO members whether to have Ukraine or not. Our choice has been made. We moved away from the proposed changes to the Constitution of Ukraine that would have prohibited Ukraine from joining NATO."Nevertheless, the prospects of Ukraine being admitted to the bloc appear slim-to-none, as it has been ruled out by Washington. Moscow has repeatedly said NATO membership for Ukraine is unacceptable, presenting it as one of the reasons it invaded in the first place. The plan sees joint U.S.-Ukrainian-Russian management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, occupied by Russian troops. Zelensky said he does not want any Russian oversight of the facility. He also said Ukraine would hold presidential elections only after an agreement is signed -- something both Putin and Trump have been pushing for. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Moscow was "formulating its position" and declined to comment on the specifics of the latest plan. Russian officials have repeatedly criticised European and Ukrainian efforts to amend an original U.S. plan that enshrined many of its demands. Direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators earlier this year in Istanbul failed to break the deadlock and despite the flurry of diplomacy, the positions of the two countries appear to still be far apart.

US and Ukraine Reach Consensus on Key Issues, but Territorial Disputes Remain
Asharq Al-Awsat/December 24/2025
The United States and Ukraine have reached a consensus on several critical issues aimed at bringing an end to the nearly four-year conflict, but sensitive issues around territorial control in Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland, along with the management of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, remain unresolved, Ukraine’s president said. Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke as the US showed the 20-point plan, hammered out after marathon talks in Florida in recent days, to Russian negotiators. A response is expected from Moscow on Wednesday, Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian president briefed journalists on each point of the plan on Tuesday. His comments were embargoed until Wednesday morning. The draft proposal, which reflects Ukraine’s wishes, intertwines political and commercial interests to safeguard security while boosting economic potential. At the heart of the negotiations lies the contentious territorial dispute concerning the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, known as the Donbas. This is “the most difficult point,” Zelenskyy said. He said these matters will be discussed at the leaders level. Russia continues to assert maximalist demands, insisting that Ukraine relinquish the remaining territory in Donesk that it has not captured — an ultimatum that Ukraine has rejected. Russia has captured most of Luhansk and about 70% of Donetsk. In a bid to facilitate compromise, the United States has proposed transforming these areas into free economic zones. Ukraine insists that any arrangement must be contingent upon a referendum, allowing the Ukrainian people to determine their own fate. Ukraine is demanding the demilitarization of the area and the presence of an international force to ensure stability, Zelenskyy said. How the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the largest plant in Europe which is under Russian occupation, will be managed is another contentious issue. The US is proposing a consortium with Ukraine and Russia, with each party having an equal stake in the enterprise. But Zelenskyy countered with a joint venture proposal between the US and Ukraine, in which the Americans are able to decide how to distribute their share, presuming it would go to Russia. “We did not reach a consensus with the American side on the territory of the Donetsk region and on the ZNPP,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the power plant in Zaporizhzhia. “But we have significantly brought most of the positions closer together. In principle, all other consensus in this agreement has been found between us and them.”
A free economic zone compromise
Point 14, which covers territories that cut across the eastern front line, and Point 12, which discusses management of the Zaporizhzhia plant, will likely be major sticking points in the talks. Zelenskyy said: “We are in a situation where the Russians want us to leave the Donetsk region, and the Americans are trying to find a way so that it is ‘not a way out’ — because we are against leaving — they want to find a demilitarized zone or a free economic zone in this, that is, a format that can provide for the views of both sides.” The draft states that the contact line, which cuts across five Ukrainian regions, be frozen once the agreement is signed. Ukraine’s stance is that any attempt to create a free economic zone must be ratified by a referendum, affirming that the Ukrainian people ultimately hold the decision-making power, Zelenskyy said. This process will require 60 days, he added, during which time hostilities should stop to allow the process to happen. More difficult discussions would require hammering out how far troops would be required to move back, per Ukraine’s proposal, and where international forces would be stationed. Zelenskyy said ultimately “people can choose: this ending suits us or not,” he said. The draft also proposes that Russian forces withdraw from Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Kharkiv regions, and that international forces be located along the contact line to monitor the implementation of the agreement. “Since there is no faith in the Russians, and they have repeatedly broken their promises, today’s contact line is turning into a line of a de facto free economic zone, and international forces should be there to guarantee that no one will enter there under any guise — neither ‘little green men’ nor Russian military disguised as civilians,” Zelenskyy said.
Managing Zaporizhzhia power plant
Ukraine is also proposing that the occupied city of Enerhodar, which is connected to the Zaporizhzhia power plant, be a demilitarized free economic zone, Zelenskyy said. This point required 15 hours of discussions with the US, he said. For now, the US proposes that the plant be jointly operated by Ukraine, the US and Russia, with each side receiving dividends from the enterprise. “The USA is offering 33 percent for 33 percent for 33 percent, and the Americans are the main manager of this joint venture,” he said. “It is clear that for Ukraine this sounds very unsuccessful and not entirely realistic. How can you have joint commerce with the Russians after everything?”Ukraine offered an alternative proposal, that the plant be operated by a joint venture with the US in which the Americans can determine independently how to distribute their 50 percent share. Zelenskyy said billions in investments are needed to make the plant run again, including restoring the adjacent dam. “There were about 15 hours of conversations about the plant. These are all very complex things.”
A separate annex for security guarantees
The document ensures that Ukraine will be provided with “strong” security guarantees that mirror NATO’s Article 5, which would obligate Ukraine’s partners to act in the event of renewed Russian aggression. Zelenskyy said that a separate bilateral document with the US will outline these guarantees. This agreement will detail the conditions under which security will be provided, particularly in the event of a renewed Russian assault, and will establish a mechanism to monitor the ceasefire. This mechanism will utilize satellite technology and early warning systems to ensure effective oversight and rapid response capabilities. “The mood of the United States of America is that this is an unprecedented step towards Ukraine on their part. They believe that they are giving strong security guarantees,” he said. The draft contains other elements including keeping Ukraine’s army at 800,000 during peace time, and by nailing down a specific date for ascension to the European Union.
Elections and boosting the economy
The document proposes accelerating a free trade agreement between Ukraine and the US once the agreement is signed. The US wants the same deal with Russia, said Zelenskyy. Ukraine would like to receive short-term privileged access to the European market and a robust global development package, that will cover a wide-range of economic interests, including a development fund to invest in industries including technology, data centers and artificial intelligence, as well as gas. Also included are funds for the reconstruction of territories destroyed in the war. “Ukraine will have the opportunity to determine the priorities for distributing its share of funds in the territories under the control of Ukraine. And this is a very important point, on which we spent a lot of time,” Zelenskyy said. The goal will be to attract $800 billion through equity, grants, loans and private sector contributions. The draft proposal also requires Ukraine to hold elections after the signing of the agreement. “This is the partners’ vision,” Zelenskyy said. Ukraine is also asking that all prisoners since 2014 be released at once, and that civilian detainees, political prisoners and children be returned to Ukraine.

US working with Saudi Arabia to end Sudan war, US envoy says
Al Arabiya English/December 25/2025
The United States is working with Saudi Arabia to help end the war in Sudan, US envoy for Africa Massad Boulos told Al Arabiya on Wednesday. Boulos said Washington is coordinating with Riyadh through the so-called Quad group of mediators, which also includes Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, to push for peace in Sudan. He described his meeting last week in the Kingdom with Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman as fruitful, saying the conflict in Sudan was among the issues discussed. The talks came the same day Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Riyadh. Boulos urged both sides in the conflict – the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – to protect civilians and humanitarian workers. He called for the creation of humanitarian corridors to ensure safe passage for civilians and unimpeded access for aid. The two sides, at war since 2023, must comply with international humanitarian law and be held accountable for violations, Boulos said, adding that there are no good parties in the conflict. He said the Trump administration condemns atrocities committed by both sides and stressed that those responsible must face accountability. While President Donald Trump wants peace, Boulos said the responsibility ultimately lies with the Sudanese parties to agree to and uphold a humanitarian ceasefire without preconditions. Washington is working with allies to facilitate a truce, curb foreign military and financial support fueling the violence, and create space for dialogue toward a political process and a return to civilian rule, he added.

Nigeria mosque bombing kills at least seven
Al Arabiya English/December 24/2025
An explosion ripped through a mosque in the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri and killed at least seven worshippers Wednesday, witnesses and security sources told AFP. No armed groups immediately claimed responsibility for what anti-extremist militia leader Babakura Kolo said was a suspected bombing. Maiduguri is the capital of Borno state, home to a years-long insurgency by extremist groups Boko Haram and an offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province, though the city itself has not seen a major attack in years. The bomb went off inside a crowded mosque in the city’s Gamboru market, as Muslim faithful gathered for evening prayers, according to witnesses. One of the leaders of the mosque, Malam Abuna Yusuf, put the toll at eight dead, though officials have not yet released a casualty count.
Kolo said that seven were killed.
He said it was suspected that the bomb was placed inside the mosque and exploded midway into prayers, while some witnesses described a suicide bombing. It was not immediately clear how many people were injured, though witness Isa Musa Yusha’u told AFP: “I saw many victims being taken away for medical treatment.”Videos taken in the aftermath and seen by AFP showed a person covered in blood writhing on the ground, and what appeared to be bodies covered by a sheet.
Deadly insurgency
Nigeria has been battling an insurgency since 2009 and the conflict has killed at least 40,000 and displaced around two million from their homes in the northeast, according to the UN. Though the violence has waned since its peak a decade ago, it has spilt into neighboring Niger, Chad and Cameroon. And concerns are growing about a resurgence of violence in parts of the northeast, where insurgent groups remain capable of mounting deadly attacks despite years of sustained military operations. Maiduguri itself – once the scene of nightly gun battles and bombings – has been calm in recent years, with the last major attack recorded in 2021. But reminders of the conflict are never far off in the state capital, where major military operations are headquartered. Military pick-ups lumber through town daily, their beds filled with soldiers whose helmets shield them from the hot afternoon sun. Evening checkpoints are still in effect, even as markets that once closed in the early afternoon throng into the night. Meanwhile, in the countryside, the insurgency continues to rage, with analysts warning of an uptick in extremist violence this year. With AFP

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 24-25/2025
All about Trump’s revised National Security Strategy
Clifford D. May/The Washington Times/December 24/2025
Every American president publishes a National Security Strategy because, as the NSS recently released by the Trump administration says, “all Americans need to know what, exactly, it is we are trying to do and why.”The rub, of course, it that the NSS also lets America’s adversaries know what, exactly, it is we are trying to do and why. Would a chess grandmaster tell his opponent exactly how he plans to checkmate him? The NSS is not a “grand strategy.” It can’t be because, in just over three years, a new White House resident may have different priorities. Recall that President Biden’s 2022 NSS asserted that “of all the shared problems we face, climate change is the greatest and potentially existential for all nations.” Based on that misreading of the science, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry tried to persuade Chinese ruler Xi Jinping to join the U.S. and Europe in a global war on carbon dioxide.
He failed. In 2024, construction of new coal plants in China hit a 10-year high. A “top strategic priority” of President Trump’s new NSS is restoring “American energy dominance (in oil, gas, coal, and nuclear).” Additional goals include rooting out “so-called ‘DEI’ and other discriminatory and anti-competitive practices that degrade our institutions,” and regaining control of critical supply chains. Mr. Trump’s NSS prioritizes Latin America, another file that John Kerry got wrong. As Secretary of State in 2013, he announced: “The era of the Monroe Doctrine is over.” I suspect he meant to imply that the Obama administration respected the nations of Latin America.  But the 1823 Monroe Doctrine wasn’t about respect. It was a warning to European empires that their intervention in Latin America would be viewed as hostile to the United States. The new NSS offers a “Trump Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine: “We will deny non-Hemispheric competitors the ability to position forces or other threatening capabilities, or to own or control strategically vital assets, in our Hemisphere.”Sensible, but why not call a spade a spade? It’s China and Russia that have been intervening most boldly and damagingly in Latin America, along with the Islamic Republic of Iran and its terrorist proxy, Hezbollah. One example of the latter: the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires that left 85 people dead and 300 wounded. By contrast, the first Trump NSS, published in 2017, made clear that Beijing, Moscow, Tehran, and Pyongyang were all serious threats to American power and interests.
Since then, the Communists, neo-imperialists, Islamists, and dynastic cultists in North Korean have dramatically increased their cooperation.
In February 2022, just days before Russian tanks rolled toward Kyiv, Vladimir Putin, Russia’s longtime ruler, and Mr. Xi, China’s longtime ruler, announced a “no-limits” partnership.To support Mr. Putin’s war against Ukraine, China has been supplying Russia with everything from computer chips and radars to ingredients for ballistic-missile fuel. Tehran has been providing Moscow with Shahed drones, along with tech and components for a drone factory in Yelabuga, about 600 miles east of Moscow. On the assembly lines are thousands of North Korean slave laborers. In addition, Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s dictator, has sent Mr. Putin thousands of soldiers and tons of munitions. At the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, the tank where I do my thinking, we have long recognized China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea as constituting an “Axis of Aggressors.”Each threatens one or more free and democratic neighbors. Each seeks regional hegemony. Together, over time, they plan to make American greatness a distant memory within a transformed international order in which they make the rules and we obey them. The new NSS, I’m disconcerted to say, disconnects these dots, depicting China as merely a competitor whose ambitions can be managed. Russia also gets off the hook, with the NSS expressing hope for “an expeditious cessation of hostilities in Ukraine” and the reestablishment of “strategic stability.”Has it not become obvious that Mr. Putin wants conquest, not peace? And a repeat of President Obama’s 2009 “reset” would be an exercise in futility. Mr. Putin’s immediate goal is to turn Ukraine into a vassal, like Belarus, or a possession, like Tatarstan. Longer-term, he wants to reestablish the Russian Empire which for seven decades was disingenuously re-branded as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
That’s a threat to Europe, a region the Trump NSS calls “strategically and culturally vital.” The document goes on to warn, however, that many European nations face “civilizational erasure” if such policies as mass-immigration and climate alarmism leading to de-industrialization continue unabated.
“We will need a strong Europe to help us successfully compete, and to work in concert with us to prevent any adversary from dominating Europe,” the NSS asserts. Memo to NATO members: You need America. Make sure America needs you.
The new NSS foresees the U.S. becoming less involved in the Middle East thanks to the “expanding” Abraham Accords under which Israel and the pro-American Arab nations cooperate and combat “radicalism.” Not impossible. Final note: My FDD colleague, Rear Admiral (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, points out that the NSS neglects even to mention ongoing “Chinese and Russian cyber threats” to American transportation, communications, energy and financial systems. Take Beijing’s Volt Typhoon. This cyber espionage group has been infiltrating our critical infrastructure for almost five years – pre-positioning to disrupt or sabotage essential services during a future conflict, such as a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. To deter or, if necessary, defeat this threat, Mr. Montgomery writes, requires significant strengthening of America’s offensive and defensive cyber capabilities – urgently.
A lesson that should have been learned by now: Nothing endangers America’s national security more than threats to which we turn a blind eye.
**Clifford D. May is founder and president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a columnist for the Washington Times, and host of the “Foreign Podicy” podcast.

Iraqi militias divided on disarming and accepting government control
Seth J. Frantzman/FDD's Long War Journal/December 24/2025
The Iranian-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah has said it will not disarm in the wake of reports that suggest armed militias in Iraq will place their weapons under state control. “The Iraqi group Kataib Hezbollah (Hezbollah Brigades) on Saturday rejected calls to disarm, linking any such move to the withdrawal of US forces and other foreign troops from Iraq,” Iraq’s Shafaq News reported on December 20. The focus on disarming Iranian-backed militias in Iraq comes as Iraq seeks to choose a new prime minister after elections in November. US Special Envoy to Iraq Mark Savaya lauded the possible disarmament of militias in a post on X on December 22. “The reported steps by Iraqi armed groups toward disarmament are a welcome and encouraging development.” Savaya added that disarmament must be “comprehensive, irreversible, and implemented through a clear and binding national framework.”
Kataib Hezbollah is the most prominent militia to reject disarmament. It is a US-designated terrorist group and one of the powerful militias within the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a state-affiliated group of militias. The PMF was incorporated as an independent security force in Iraq in 2016. While members of these groups receive government salaries, some of the militias have continued to act outside of state control. For instance, they have been accused of carrying out drone attacks on US forces. Baghdad has made past attempts to rein in the militias, six of which have been sanctioned by the US as terrorist groups.
The move to get the militias to place their weapons under government control gained momentum after Faiq Zidan, the head of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, made a statement about restricting weapons to state control. “The head of Iraq’s highest judicial body said Saturday that the leaders of armed factions have agreed to cooperate on the sensitive issue of the state’s monopoly on weapons,” London-based Asharq al Awsat newspaper noted on December 21. The report added that the militias Asaib Ahl al Haq, Harakat Ansar Allah al Awfiya, and Kataib Imam Ali appear to be willing to acquiesce to the demand to place their weapons under government control.
Shafaq’s December 20 report also said these three groups had supported the plan. However, Qais Khazali, the head of Asaib Ahl al Haq said, “We are now part of the state,” which may indicate that the group’s leadership already believes its weapons are restricted to state control. In this context, it was unclear what change the disarmament would actually bring. The reports that the militias may disarm or place their weapons under government control have received significant media coverage in the Middle East. When Hezbollah rejected the initiative, Al Ain News in the UAE analyzed the ramifications. “These positions are seen as part of a broader strategy by armed groups linked to Iran, based on retaining weapons as a tool of political and security influence, and using them to pressure national governments, rather than integrating into state processes and building institutions,” the Al Ain News report said.
The National, a state-owned daily newspaper in the UAE, reported that US Envoy Savaya and a US delegation were expected to visit Baghdad soon. “The comments underline growing confusion in Iraq over whether powerful Iran-backed militias are prepared to relinquish their arms, amid mounting US demands, internal political maneuvering and outright rejection by some armed groups,” The National noted. The issue of disarmament has spurred debate in Iraq. “Falah al-Jazairi, a member of the Construction and Development (Imar wa Tanimia) coalition, led by Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa al-Sudani, explicitly played down the issue,” the Qatari New Arab reported. Jazairi was quoted as saying that the subject “should not be exaggerated.” The same report said there was progress on confining weapons to state control, but there were unresolved issues, such as demands by some militias for the withdrawal of anti-Islamic State coalition forces from Iraq. The Iraqi news website Al Jeebal reported on December 22 that the powerful Shiite Coordination Framework political bloc, which contains a number of Shiite groups, supported the decision to restrict weapons to the state. Iraqi political analyst Hussein Kinani told Baghdad Today News that if the militias disarm, new armed groups could emerge, effectively rendering the move irrelevant. The Iraqi website Hatha al Youm reported on December 21 that Kataib Hezbollah and another militia, Harakat Hezbollah al Nujaba, possess long-range weapons, such as missiles. These “could be used in any potential confrontation with Israel or in other regional conflicts,” the report added, explaining why these militias want to hold onto their weapons.
**Reporting from Israel, Seth J. Frantzman is an adjunct fellow at FDD and a contributor to FDD’s Long War Journal. He is the senior Middle East correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post, and author of The October 7 War: Israel’s Battle for Security in Gaza (2024).

Syria’s Integration Deal Nears Collapse
Ahmad Sharawi/FDD-Policy Brief/December 24/2025
In just a little more than a week, Syria could return to the civil strife its people suffered under for 13 years. A March deal to unify the militaries of President Ahmad al-Sharaa and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces commander Mazloum Abdi is unlikely to be consummated by the end of the year. Instead, there has been renewed conflict. “In the event that SDF forces refuse to implement the March agreement, matters may head towards escalation,” an Interior Ministry spokesperson warned after intense clashes with SDF forces in Aleppo on December 22. At least three civilians were killed and dozens were wounded in the fighting. Both the Syrian government and the SDF agreed to de-escalate the tensions following the clashes. The key dispute between the two sides is whether SDF fighters will join with the Syrian Army as whole units, as the group’s leaders insist, allowing them to keep a certain amount of autonomy. While Damascus has “expressed an openness to reorganizing the [SDF’s] roughly 50,000 fighters into three main divisions,” Turkey, the central government’s key patron, has stressed that the SDF must integrate its fighters as individuals and not in distinct units.
Washington’s Interest in Preventing Conflict in Syria
President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he wants a stable Syria and has praised Sharaa for doing a “very good job.” A military confrontation between the Syrian government and the SDF would undermine U.S. interests. The SDF is a long-time U.S. counterterrorism partner against the Islamic State (ISIS), which continues to maintain a presence in Syria. The Kurdish-led group is also the primary force securing detention camps holding ISIS members in northeast Syria. Iran, Russia, and the ISIS would all be happy to take advantage of any renewed instability. As part of its bet on Sharaa, the United States has rolled back most sanctions on Syria. More recently, Congress agreed to repeal the Caesar Act, intended to protect civilians from the Assad government, and recommended several benchmarks to clarify U.S. expectations of the new Syrian government. One of those benchmarks is the full implementation of the March agreement, including its security and political provisions.
Turkish Threats Against the SDF
On December 22, a Turkish delegation led by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Defense Minister Yaşar Güler visited Damascus, for talks focused primarily on how Ankara and Damascus would handle the SDF in the near term. “We see the SDF has no intention to make too much of an advance [toward integration],” stated Fidan after meeting with Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani. Fidan told the SDF that Turkey prefers “dialogue, negotiation, and peaceful means,” Ankara does not want to be “forced to resort to the military option again.”
In early December, a Turkish press report claimed that if the SDF does not agree to integrate into the Syrian army before January 2026, then “Damascus will carry out an operation and [Turkey] will support it.”
The United States Has a Stake in Keeping Syria at Peace
If the March agreement collapses, Syria risks sliding back into the instability that allowed America’s adversaries like Iran to entrench themselves in the region and unraveling hard-won U.S. gains against ISIS. The United States, which has served as the primary mediator between the SDF and Damascus, should take a more active role in preventing a return to conflict. First, Washington should remind Sharaa that the peaceful integration of the SDF is a core U.S. expectation tied to sanctions relief, and that preserving stability must take precedence over Turkey’s demands and its campaign against the SDF. Second, the United States should make clear to all parties that it retains the authority to impose sanctions on any individual or entity that “threatens the peace, security, stability, or territorial integrity of Syria,” as originally outlined in Executive Order 13894. Military action between the SDF and Damascus or Turkish intervention against the SDF would clearly fall within the scope of that authority.
*Ahmad Sharawi is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Ahmad and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Ahmad on X @AhmadA_Sharawi. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.

Netanyahu and His Sixth Meeting with Trump
Nabil Amr/Asharq Al-Awsat/December 24/2025
President Donald Trump is now working from Florida after he and his senior aides left the White House for the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Crises do not take days off, but they do follow their protagonists, and so the three mediators followed their American partner in Miami. Seeking to capitalize on the momentum of the current moment to make progress on the political efforts led by President Trump, the parties issued a statement declaring their intent to transition to the second phase of the plan for Gaza. Although they did not say so explicitly, they clearly see the significance of the sixth meeting between the chair of the “Board of Peace” and the Israeli prime minister, which will be held at the former’s private resort in Florida.
Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to approve transitioning to the second phase of the ceasefire, stressing the need for the last remaining corpse in Gaza to be handed over. Israel insists that Hamas knows where it is but intends to use it as a bargaining chip. For its part, Hamas insists that it has failed to find the body despite its best efforts, claiming it has turned Gaza upside down searching for it, including in areas under full Israeli control beyond the so-called “yellow line.”
Experienced in dealing with American administrations and familiar with Trump and his volatile temperament, Netanyahu understands that, after the spectacle of all living captives’ return, a single remaining body will not be enough to convince Trump to put the second phase on hold. Trump has a practical solution: the search for the body can continue, and elements of the second phase can be conditioned on its return as the transition proceeds, beginning with the formation of a Board of Peace.
Netanyahu’s plan for Trump’s initiative, which he reluctantly approved, is to nominally support it as he sets boobytraps he can trigger, or threaten to trigger, when needed. He has succeeded in sabotaging Trump’s initiatives every step of the way, not only in Gaza but also in Syria, Lebanon, and Iran.
Israel’s position on Iran has been clear. Iran serves as a screen for Israel’s opposition to the emergence of a Palestinian state and allows Netanyahu - not just through its nuclear program but also its conventional arms - to claim that the Jewish state faces an existential threat. This narrative feeds on the rhetoric of Iran’s leadership, and the current situation in Iran makes strikes tempting, providing Netanyahu with the pretext that it poses a direct threat to regional and international stability.
Before heading to Florida, Netanyahu prepared an old/new dossier on the gravity of the Iranian threat and the need for immediate action. Either the United States supports strikes that Israel carries out in Iran alone, or it takes part in Israel’s military operations like it did in June. In any event, Israel demands American political cover and the weapons and equipment it would need for a military operation of this scale.
In Israel, some believe that focusing on Iran in Florida will have significant implications for Gaza. Here I draw on an analysis published in Maariv, “An Iranian Bomb in the Netanyahu–Trump Meeting.” “Until recently, it had seemed like the Netanyahu–Trump meeting in Florida would focus on the second phase of the process in Gaza. As the day of the meeting approaches, however, it becomes clear that another question is pushing Gaza into the background, at least from Netanyahu’s perspective. Now occupying center stage is Iran, above all its rearmament and Israel’s determination to foil Iran’s efforts.”
It would be a mistake to assume that Netanyahu dictates Trump’s Middle East agenda. It would also be a mistake to allow Netanyahu to tailor American priorities to Israel’s political and military actions in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria. Indeed, Iranian influence in all three has been significantly set back. Instead, Arab and Muslim states should prioritize engagement in Gaza alongside Trump. This approach cannot be confined to the 20-point initiative from which the Security Council resolution, rightly considered historic, was derived; it must also account for the timeframe and the maneuvers of Netanyahu.
In Gaza, Arabs and Muslims have become partners, not only by mediating and consolidating the ceasefire, but also in a more fundamental process: resolving the Gaza question through a genuine solution that provides a credible path forward for the Palestinian cause and allows for a serious and radical settlement that satisfies Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims, and the world. Netanyahu is fighting on every front to prevent such a solution from seeing the light of day.

'The Bangladesh Hindu Genocide': Radical Islam in Bangladesh
Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/December 24, 2025
Designate Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh a Foreign Terrorist Organization, hold Muhammad Yunus to account.
It is high time for the Trump Administration officially to designate Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh a Foreign Terrorist Organization and hold Bangladesh's "interim" leader Muhammad Yunus to account.
Under Yunus's interim administration, Bangladesh has suffered a surge in Islamic radicalization and an alarming rise in attacks on minorities, particularly Hindus.
"The recent events in Bangladesh have resulted in radical Islamic fundamentalists launching an all-out attack on minority communities, particularly the Hindus," reported Insight UK. Other outlets have called the attacks "the Bangladesh Hindu Genocide."
The coalition [of Bangladeshis, Americans, Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians] also suggested linking Bangladesh's participation in United Nations peacekeeping missions to the cessation of internal ethnic and religious persecution. The memorandum also proposed a comprehensive Minority Protection Act, officially to recognize minorities and indigenous groups.
"Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh wields an economic power which enables it to act as a parallel state and an economy within the economy.... The main source of Jamaat income is the donations received from individuals and organizations.... These funds were not exclusively allocated for social welfare or religious activities; rather, they were also used to promote militancy and Islamic radicalism. It was noted that Mostaq Ahmed Khan, a former senator of Jamaat-e-Islami, managed to bring in money from a religious extremist group in Turkey. This funding was allegedly utilized to spread militancy and finance terrorism.... Jamaat's principal financial arm is Islami Bank of Bangladesh Ltd. (IBBL)... linked to powerful institutions of the Islamic World, among them is Al Razee Bank of Saudi Arabia." — Preeti Khenta, researcher, Usanas Foundation.
Meanwhile, at least 144 jihadist militants belonging to Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh, Hizb-ut-Tahrir and others, most of whom are directly connected to Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) or Islamic State (ISIS), were released from prisons since Yunus was placed into the position of "Chief Advisor" of the interim government, reported Blitz on December 24, 2024.
The release also included Jashimuddin Rahmani, the chief of the ABT, a radical Islamic terror group affiliated with Al Qaeda that is behind the murders of several secular bloggers, writers and rights activists in Bangladesh.
Rahmani was convicted of abetting the murder of secular blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider in 2013. The news website FirstPost reported that the ABT has been attempting to form a jihadi network in India.
Yunus's interim government, regrettably, has a completely different set of rules for non-Muslims and opposition figures in the country.
[Chinmoy Krishna Das, a prominent Hindu monk]'s arrest followed wider crackdowns on religious minorities and protests by ISKCON against reported persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh, with other Hindu priests also detained.
The arrest of [Chinmoy Krishna Das, a prominent Hindu monk] followed wider crackdowns on religious minorities and protests by ISKCON against the persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh, with other Hindu priests also detained.
"Groups like Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and Islamic State–Khorasan (ISK)... promote radical ideologies and rally support. AQIS has praised what it perceives as resistance to corruption and secularism. ISK has promoted jihad and conflict with India, emphasizing divine rewards for participation. Additionally, Islamic State's Al-Naba magazine called for an Islamic revival in Bangladesh, urging the youth to reject secularism, focus on ideological education, and fight injustice. Bangladesh's vulnerability to radicalization is compounded by local groups like Hizb ut-Tahrir-Bangladesh (HT-B). Despite being banned, HT-B continued to spread its propaganda online, holding multiple rallies and targeting youth, especially in schools and colleges, advocating for the establishment of a caliphate." — Iftekharul Bashar, research fellow at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research, December 23, 2024.
Under the government of "interim" leader Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh has suffered a surge in Islamic radicalization and an alarming rise in attacks on minorities, particularly Hindus. Minority rights groups have reported that thousands of incidents of communal violence have since taken place in Bangladesh, even as Yunus has insisted that the accounts of anti-Hindu attacks are "exaggerated propaganda." Pictured: Thousands of members of Bangladesh's Islamist militant group, Hizb-ut-Tahrir, on a "March for Khilafah" through the streets of Dhaka on March 7, 2025, demanding that the country's secular democracy be replaced by an Islamic caliphate. The mob at the march turned violent — complete with stone-throwers who clashed with police. (Photo by Munir Uz Zaman/AFP via Getty Images)
Last week, a co-worker of a Hindu man, "a poor labourer," 25-year-old Dipu Chandra Das, falsely accused him of insulting Islam. A group of Muslims seized Das -- while he was under police protection -- falsely accused him of blasphemy, and beat him to death. Then, shouting "Allahu akbar!'," they tied Das's body to a tree and set it on fire.
There was no evidence whatsoever that Das committed blasphemy. According to Dr. Taslima Nasreen, who herself was forced to flee Bangladesh in 1994 over death threats, after she was accused of blasphemy:
"Dipu Chandra Das was the sole breadwinner of his family. With his earnings, his disabled father, mother, wife, and child survived. What will happen to them now? Who will help the relatives? Who will bring the mad murderers to justice? Dipu's family doesn't even have the money to flee to India to escape the jihadists' hands. The poor have no one. They have no country left, not even a religion left."
It is high time for the Trump Administration officially to designate Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh a Foreign Terrorist Organization and hold Bangladesh's "interim" leader Muhammad Yunus to account.
An Islamist group last week targeted the office of India's High Commission in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Footage from the scene shows protesters from a group – also linked to the July-August 2024 uprising in Bangladesh -- pulling away the police barricades.
Amid the deteriorating security situation and the hate speeches targeted at India, the Indian Visa Application Centre in Dhaka was temporarily shut down.
The move came hours after India summoned Bangladesh's High Commissioner in New Delhi, Muhammad Riaz Hamidullah, to issue a formal diplomatic protest over inflammatory anti-India statements from Bangladeshi political leaders and recent threats to India's High Commission in Dhaka.
Meanwhile, an elderly Hindu couple was found brutally murdered, their throats slit, at their home in Bangladesh's city of Rangpur. No criminal case has been filed or arrests made over the murder of the couple, whose two sons serve as police officers. The bodies of 75-year-old Jogesh Chandra Roy and his wife, Suborna Roy, were discovered on December 7 by neighbors after repeated knocks at their door went unanswered.
These attacks appear to be just the latest chapter in a war begun on March 25, 1971, when Pakistan's army began a campaign of genocide against the ethnic Bengali and Hindu communities in then East Pakistan (today's Bangladesh). There followed the 10-month Bangladesh Liberation War and later the 13-day Indo-Pakistan war. Both ended on December 16, 1971, with the surrender of Pakistan.
Pakistan, during the war, directed atrocities. Its army carried out much of the violence, with assistance from political parties and collaborators in East Pakistan such as the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI).
Although precise figures are unavailable, approximately three million people were killed and at least 200,000 women raped. By November 1971, 10 million Bengalis, the majority of them Hindus, had fled to India.
Regarding the recent murder of the Hindu couple, Mohammad Ali Arafat, former Minister of Information and Broadcasting in the previous government and a member of the Bangladesh Awami League (AL), said that the recent incidents underscored increasing threats faced by freedom fighters and their families. He warned that under the rule of Bangladesh's "interim" leader, Muhammad Yunus, who is backed by the Jamaat-e-Islami, such attacks and killings have become more frequent.
"Freedom fighters in Bangladesh," said Arafat, who is now in exile, "are... being killed under the rule of Yunus, which is backed by the anti-liberation Islamist group Jamaat-e-Islami."
The Bangladesh Awami League (AL), a political party formed in 1949, led the movement for independence from Pakistan and became the ruling party upon the establishment of the People's Republic of Bangladesh in 1971.
Ujjawal Upadhyay, a researcher based in India, wrote:
"The administration in Bangladesh has always grappled with Islamist organizations even before the liberation war in 1971. A group called Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) fought alongside the Pakistani Army to weed out various freedom fighters as they perceived them as a hindrance in achieving the caliphate."
Sheikh Hasina, the leader of the Awami League who was Bangladesh's prime minister until her forced resignation and flight on August 5, 2024, witnessed, under her tenure, some leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami tried and given death sentences by a special tribunal for the crimes of genocide, rape and orchestrating the massacre of top intellectuals during the 1971 war.
Three days later, an "interim government," led by the economist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, was formed with the support of various Islamic radical movements.
What led to Hasina's resignation was widespread student-led protests over the selection criteria for civil service jobs. The protests, which quickly evolved into an anti-government movement in July-August 2024, were swiftly taken over by Islamists, who began lynching and murdering policemen. Scores never reported back to duty. Reports suggest that Bangladesh still does not have a full, functioning police force more than a year later.
Under Yunus's interim administration, Bangladesh has suffered a surge in Islamic radicalization and an alarming rise in attacks on minorities, particularly Hindus.
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council documented more than 2,000 incidents of violence against minorities from August 4-20, 2024. At roughly the same time, at least 32 Hindus were murdered, and 13 incidents of rape and harassment against women were recorded, as well as 133 attacks on Hindi temples.
On December 29, 2024, a coalition of Bangladeshi-American Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians called on US President Donald J. Trump to intervene and help protect the minority communities in Bangladesh.
"The recent events in Bangladesh have resulted in radical Islamic fundamentalists launching an all-out attack on minority communities, particularly the Hindus," reported Insight UK. Other outlets have called the attacks "the Bangladesh Hindu Genocide."
The coalition warned that Bangladesh risks descending into radicalization, which could have far-reaching effects not only for South Asia but for the rest of the world as well. The coalition also suggested linking Bangladesh's participation in United Nations peacekeeping missions to the cessation of internal ethnic and religious persecution. The memorandum also proposed a comprehensive Minority Protection Act, officially to recognize minorities and indigenous groups.
Minority rights groups have reported that thousands of incidents of communal violence have since taken place in Bangladesh, even as Yunus has insisted that the accounts of anti-Hindu attacks are "exaggerated propaganda."
Sadly, Yunus's interim government has openly enabled the radical groups involved in the persecution of minorities. After taking over, the interim government overturned a ban on the Jamaat-e-Islami. According to researcher Preeti Khenta:
"Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh wields an economic power which enables it to act as a parallel state and an economy within the economy. In 2024 audit reports submitted to the Election Commission, the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami recorded the highest income among 29 registered political parties.
"The main source of Jamaat income is the donations received from individuals and organizations. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Bangladesh has revealed that between 2007 and 2018, a total of 620 million Taka in foreign donations was deposited into the account of the Bangladeshi Chashi Kalyan Samity. These funds were not exclusively allocated for social welfare or religious activities; rather, they were also used to promote militancy and Islamic radicalism. It was noted that Mostaq Ahmed Khan, a former senator of Jamaat-e-Islami, managed to bring in money from a religious extremist group in Turkey. This funding was allegedly utilized to spread militancy and finance terrorism in Baniachong Upazila of Habiganj from 2012 to 2016.
"The former Bangladesh Culture Minister Asaduzzaman Nur had already implied the involvement of Islamic fundamentalism behind the collection of huge funds from mosques and Bangladeshi establishments in London.... nearly 10 percent of Jamaat's annual profit in Bangladesh goes towards funding the party's political activities, which can sustain up to 60,000 cadres. The flow of money is expected to persist, as the Jamaat-controlled economy is already showing a growth rate of 9 percent per annum, surpassing the mainstream growth figure of 6 percent.
"Jamaat's principal financial arm is Islami Bank of Bangladesh Ltd. (IBBL), which was founded by Faud Abdullah Al-Khatib, the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Bangladesh, in 1975. Notably, Mir Quasem Ali, a central executive committee member who was executed in 2016, was the former IBBL director. His involvement highlights that Jamaat-e-Islami was the beneficiary of all the Illegal acts of IBBL. IBBL is linked to powerful institutions of the Islamic World, among them is Al Razee Bank of Saudi Arabia. It is ranked as the third largest bank in South Asia, with 60 percent of its shares held by Saudi individuals and institutions, along with additional holdings from Kuwait, the UAE and Qatar.
"JeI's penetration into Bangladesh's political economy is astounding. In addition to the Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL), Jamaat-e-Islami controls 14 other banks that primarily operate in rural areas. This situation highlights the reality of the JIB-led Islamic fundamentalist bloc in Bangladesh."
Meanwhile, at least 144 jihadist militants belonging to Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh, Hizb-ut-Tahrir and others, most of whom are directly connected to Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) or Islamic State (ISIS), were released from prisons since Yunus was placed into the position of "Chief Advisor" of the interim government, reported Blitz on December 24, 2024. The release also included Jashimuddin Rahmani, the chief of the ABT, a radical Islamic terror group affiliated with Al Qaeda that is behind the murders of several secular bloggers, writers and rights activists in Bangladesh.
Rahmani was convicted of abetting the murder of secular blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider in 2013. The news website FirstPost reported that the ABT has been attempting to form a jihadi network in India.
Yunus's interim government, regrettably, has a completely different set of rules for non-Muslims and opposition figures in the country. Chinmoy Krishna Das, a prominent Hindu monk -- spokesman for the Bangladesh Sanatan Jagaran Mancha, and formerly of the "International Society for Krishna Consciousness" (ISKCON) Bangladesh -- was arrested on November 25, 2024 on sedition charges. He is accused of disrespecting Bangladesh's national flag during a rally in the city of Chittagong in October.
ISKCON has denounced the arrest, calling Das a "vocal advocate for minority protection". The arrest of Das followed wider crackdowns on religious minorities and protests by ISKCON against the persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh, with other Hindu priests also detained.
On October 28, 2024, radical Islamist groups in major Bangladeshi cities, such as Hefazat-e-Islam and Intifada Bangladesh, took to the streets and demanded a ban on ISKCON. The ABT's Rahmani attacked ISKCON with false claims, saying, "ISKCON is not a Hindu organisation. It is an extremist organisation created by Jews."
Iftekharul Bashar, a research fellow at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research, notes:
"Bangladesh is facing an increasing threat of radicalism and terrorism. The political violence and instability of 2024 have worsened the situation, with extremist elements exploiting the security vacuum created by the regime change. Weakened law enforcement and intelligence agencies, along with the rise of armed groups and radical ideologies, pose a serious threat to the country's stability. Bangladesh risks long-term insecurity with broader regional implications without swift and decisive action.
"Following Hasina's recent fall from power, the political upheaval that erupted created a security breakdown. The chaos amidst the mass protests has provided extremists with opportunities to gain ground. Arms and ammunition looted from police stations have made their way into the hands of criminals and extremists. Over 5,800 weapons and 300,000 rounds of ammunition were stolen, and while some have been recovered, many remain unaccounted for, adding to the volatility.
"Groups like Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and Islamic State–Khorasan (ISK) have exploited Bangladesh's political turmoil, making strategic statements to promote radical ideologies and rally support. AQIS has praised what it perceives as resistance to corruption and secularism. ISK has promoted jihad and conflict with India, emphasizing divine rewards for participation.
"Additionally, Islamic State's Al-Naba magazine called for an Islamic revival in Bangladesh, urging the youth to reject secularism, focus on ideological education, and fight injustice.
"Bangladesh's vulnerability to radicalization is compounded by local groups like Hizb ut-Tahrir-Bangladesh (HT-B). Despite being banned, HT-B continued to spread its propaganda online, holding multiple rallies and targeting youth, especially in schools and colleges, advocating for the establishment of a caliphate."
After the ousting of Hasina, Yunus's interim government has allowed Islamist radicals, jihadists and terrorists to fill the power vacuum in Bangladesh, leading to a surge in violence against religious minorities, women and secular citizens. Those radicals are now openly threatening India. Before a war breaks out between the two nations and terrorists from Bangladesh further destabilize South Asia, Bangladesh needs to establish a new, moderate, government that will be willing to battle Islamist fundamentalism, militancy and terrorism.
**Uzay Bulut, a Turkish journalist, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 2025 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.

The end of the Caesar Sanctions and Syria’s new beginning
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya English/December 24/2025
In a milestone move that signals a profound shift in US policy and regional diplomacy, the United States has repealed and removed the Caesar Act sanctions on Syria. President Donald Trump signed the repeal into law, marking the end of one of the most comprehensive and restrictive sanctions regimes imposed on any country in recent decades. The repeal of the Caesar Act represents not only a legal and economic turning point, but also a symbolic one. It acknowledges a new political reality in Syria following the collapse of the al-Assad regime and reflects growing consensus among regional and international actors that isolation and economic strangulation are no longer viable tools for shaping Syria’s future. Instead, engagement, reconstruction, and regional reintegration are increasingly viewed as the only realistic path forward. Regional reception: Saudi Arabia and the push to reintegrate Syria. Among the strongest and most consistent supporters of lifting sanctions on Syria has been Saudi Arabia. Riyadh welcomed the US decision as a positive and necessary step toward stabilizing Syria and restoring its role in the Arab world. Over the past year, Saudi Arabia has played an instrumental role in advocating diplomatically, financially, and politically for Syria’s recovery after years of devastation.
Saudi officials have argued that sanctions were no longer aligned with regional realities and that rebuilding Syria is essential to broader Middle Eastern stability. Beyond rhetoric, Saudi Arabia has worked persistently with international partners to press for sanctions relief, emphasizing that economic suffocation only fuels poverty, displacement, and insecurity. Saudi assistance has focused on helping Syria stand back on its feet by encouraging diplomatic normalization, mobilizing reconstruction discussions, and signaling to international investors that Syria’s isolation should not be permanent. This Saudi-led effort reflects a broader regional recalibration. Many Arab states see Syria’s reintegration as unavoidable, and even necessary, to curb transnational instability, reduce refugee pressures, and prevent external actors from filling economic and political vacuums. The repeal of the Caesar Act thus stands as a diplomatic victory not only for Syria, but also for regional powers that pushed for a pragmatic, forward-looking approach.
What the Caesar Act was and why it mattered
To understand the magnitude of the repeal, it is essential to understand what the Caesar Act represented. Passed by the US Congress in 2019, the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act was designed to exert maximum economic pressure on the Syrian state. Named after a Syrian military defector who documented systematic abuses during the civil war, the law aimed to punish those responsible for atrocities and compel political change through economic isolation. In practice, however, the Caesar Act went far beyond targeting individuals. It imposed sweeping secondary sanctions that threatened any foreign company, bank, or government with punishment if it engaged in meaningful economic activity with Syria. This effectively froze reconstruction efforts, blocked foreign investment, restricted access to global financial systems, and made even humanitarian and civilian projects legally and financially risky. Entire sectors of Syria’s economy — from energy and construction to banking and transportation — were rendered toxic to international actors. Even countries that wanted to help rebuild Syria found themselves constrained by legal uncertainty and fear of US penalties. Over time, the sanctions contributed to currency collapse, soaring inflation, unemployment, and deteriorating living conditions.
What the removal of sanctions actually means
The repeal of the Caesar Act fundamentally alters Syria’s economic and diplomatic landscape. With the legal framework dismantled, Syria is no longer automatically treated as an untouchable economy. While challenges remain, the removal of sanctions opens doors that have been sealed for over a decade. Economically, Syria now has the possibility of reconnecting with global banking systems, restoring trade channels, and attracting foreign capital. Syrian institutions can begin the slow process of rebuilding credibility with international partners, while businesses can operate without the constant threat of legal retaliation. This shift does not instantly transform Syria’s economy, but it removes the structural barriers that made recovery virtually impossible. For ordinary Syrians, the implications are profound. Sanctions relief offers the prospect of job creation, infrastructure rebuilding, and gradual improvement in access to essential goods and services. It also sends a psychological signal that Syria is no longer permanently condemned to isolation — a message that matters deeply in a society exhausted by war and deprivation.
Regional and global implications beyond Syria
The repeal also reshapes regional dynamics. A more economically stable Syria could ease refugee pressures on neighboring countries such as Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey, where millions of Syrians have lived in limbo for years. As conditions improve at home, voluntary returns become more feasible, easing social and economic strains across the region. Politically, the move signals a broader shift in how sanctions are used as tools of statecraft. For the Middle East, this decision reinforces the idea that regional solutions, diplomacy, and reconstruction are increasingly taking precedence over indefinite coercion. Internationally, the repeal opens space for coordinated rebuilding efforts involving Arab states, Europe, and parts of Asia, all of whom stand to benefit from a stable and economically viable Syria. Reconstruction is not only a humanitarian necessity but also a strategic investment in regional security.
A window of opportunity for Syria’s economy
With sanctions lifted, Syria now faces a rare and fragile window of opportunity. The country’s reconstruction needs are vast — from roads, hospitals, and power grids to housing, schools, and water systems. Rebuilding these sectors could stimulate domestic employment and restore basic functionality to daily life.
Syria can also use this moment to reform institutions, encourage private enterprise, and modernize key sectors such as agriculture, energy, and telecommunications. While progress will be uneven and slow, the removal of sanctions allows Syrians themselves to begin shaping economic recovery rather than merely surviving under restriction. For foreign countries, Syria represents both a challenge and an opportunity. Investment in reconstruction, infrastructure, and trade can generate economic returns while contributing to regional stability. Countries that engage constructively now may help shape Syria’s post-war economy and political orientation for decades to come.
A new chapter for Syria and the region
The repeal of the Caesar Act sanctions is a historic turning point — a long-awaited opening after years of isolation, hardship, and economic paralysis. It represents a recognition that Syria’s future can be built through engagement, reconstruction, and regional cooperation, which offer a more sustainable path forward. This decision stands as a significant gift to the Syrian people and a testament to the efforts of Syria’s friends, particularly Saudi Arabia, which worked persistently to advocate for sanctions relief and reintegration. While challenges remain immense, the lifting of sanctions gives Syria something it has lacked for years: genuine possibility.
As a new year approaches, there is cautious but real hope that Syria can begin rebuilding not only its cities and economy, but also its place in the region and the world. If this opportunity is used wisely, the benefits could extend far beyond Syria’s borders — contributing to a more stable, connected, and hopeful Middle East.

Selected Face Book & X tweets for /December 24, 2025
Fatima N Jomaa
May the joy of Christmas fill your heart with peace and holy wonder. As the North Star once shone in the winter sky guiding the wise men to Christ our Light so may its light remind us that God never abandons His people. In the darkness of the world His light still leads, still comforts and still calls us forward.
May the Light born in Bethlehem illuminate your path, strengthen your faith and draw you ever closer to truth love and hope. May your home be filled with grace and your days guided by the same faithful light that led the faithful to the Savior.
Wishing everyone a blessed Christmas and may His light guide you always.
Next year in Zahle

Michel Hajji Georgiou
The meaning of Christmas is upon us more than ever, in an increasingly exploded, increasingly "nihilistic" world - in an existential sense.
Beyond the commercial and festive character, or even spiritual and religious, Christmas is in principle a hand outstretched to man in all its tares, its iniquities, its imperfections. Without distinctions. (... ) To read my editorial about Christmas - it's here (French version) - the article in other languages is on the site:
https://levanttime.com/.../d7eb0466-2b7b-4b13-abc5...
Merry Christmas friends!