English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For February 05/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
God’s Will Is That No One Will Be Lost
Matthew 18/11-14: “What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on February 04-05/2025
To President Joseph Aoun: Silence on Berri and Hezbollah’s Terrorism is a Sign of Approval—A Clear and Courageous Stand is Required/Elias Bejjani / February 04/2025
The Nasserist, Arabist, and Leftist Will Only Form a Government in His Own Image/Elias Bejjani/February 03/ 2025
The Fool, Buffoon, and Terrorist Naim Qassem Must Be Arrested and Banned from Media Appearances/Elias Bejjani/February 02/2025
Elias Bejjani/Text & Video: Nawaf Salam... Submission in the Face of the Iranian Occupation/Elias Bejjani/February 02/2025
Khalaf Ahmed Al Habtoor: The Real Change "in Lebanon" Lies, in Overhauling the System, Not Just Replacing Faces ...Halima Came Back to Her Old Habit/Khalaf Ahmed Al Habtoor/X Site/February 04, 2025
Etienne Sakr – Abu Arz: Nawaf Salam, What Are You Waiting for to Leave?/February 04/2024
Ma heik ya @nawafasalam/Hanin Ghaddar/X Site/February 04/2025
Weapons Storage Facilities Hit in Lebanon, Israeli Military Says
Qatar to Support Lebanon after Formation of New Government, Qatari PM Says
Intense Talks Taking Place as Lebanese Govt Formation Efforts Continue
Lebanon Moves Closer to Forming the Government
Israel Holds Drills Near Lebanon Border as Hezbollah Reaffirms Commitment to Ceasefire
New Hezbollah Network Dismantled in Germany
Who Is Morgan Ortagus, Trump's Envoy Expected in Beirut on Thursday?/Élie-Joe Kamel/This Is Beirut/February 04/2025
Netanyahu says war with Hezbollah and allies has 'redrawn' Middle East map
Lebanese army seizes Hezbollah weapon truck, reports say
The Lebanese Armed Forces Deploy in Taybeh
Salam says he's the one picking ministers after 'consultations' with blocs
Sunni MP and Tashnag urge Salam to avoid 'double standards'
LF MP calls on Salam to show 'modesty', says he 'doesn't have a bloc'
UN special coordinator for Lebanon to discuss ceasefire, 1701 with top Iran officials
Israel says hit weapons storage facilities in Lebanon
Lebanon files complaint with UN Security Council against Israeli ceasefire violations
Lebanese-American charged with stabbing Rushdie to soon go on trial
Japanese court upholds conviction of American who allegedly helped Ghosn hide pay
A Dry Winter in Lebanon: The Third in 75 Years/Chelsea Al Arif/This Is Beirut/February 04/2025
Government Lineup Nears Completion Amid Political Tensions and External Pressure/Philippe Abi-Akl/This Is Beirut/February 04/2025
Trump Urged to Look Into U.S. Funding of Lebanese Army amid Accusations of Its Ties to Hezbollah/Benjamin Weinthal/Middle East Forum/February 04/2025

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 04-05/2025
Syria's Sharaa Aims to Restore US Ties, No Contacts Yet with Trump Administration
Syria’s Sharaa Holds Talks with Türkiye's Erdogan on His Second International Trip
Syria Tops Discussions between Iraq, Iran in Tehran
Some Palestinian Prisoners Freed in Ceasefire Arrive in Türkiye
Trump, Netanyahu Hold Talks as US President Warns ‘No Guarantees’ Peace in Gaza Will Hold
Saudi Arabia Reiterates Support to Gaza Ceasefire, Return of Displaced
Two Israeli Soldiers Killed in West Bank Shooting
Israeli Military Operation Turns Jenin Refugee Camp into ‘Ghost Town’
Hamas Says Talks Start on Second Phase of Gaza Ceasefire Deal
Israel commits to new Gaza talks ahead of Trump meeting
Israeli military operation turns Jenin refugee camp into 'ghost town'
Trump Set to Reimpose ‘Maximum Pressure’ on Iran, Aims to Drive Oil Exports to Zero
Swedish Police Say about 10 People Killed in Shooting at Adult Education Center
Yemen FM: Houthi Terrorist Designation Step Towards Drying up their Financing

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on February 04-05/2025
Witkoff Meets PLO Leader Who Vowed to Spend 'Last Penny' Financing Terror/Daniel Greenfield/Gatestone Institute./February 04/2025
Assad Is Gone, Syria’s Captagon Trade Isn’t/Ahmad Sharawi/National Review/February 04/2025
Trump’s Second Shot at Peace in the Middle East/Jonathan Schanzer/The Washington Free Beacont/February 04/2025
Why Does Qatar Keep Helping Terrorists?/Jonathan Schanzer & Natalie Ecanow/National Review/February 04/2025
Two Years in America That Will Be Crucial for World History/Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awsat/February 04/2025
On the Heartbreaking Crowds and the Voice of Resounding Victory/Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al Awsat/February 04/2025
On World Cancer Day/Philip A. Salem, M.D./Asharq Al Awsat/February 04/2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on February 04-05/2025
To President Joseph Aoun: Silence on Berri and Hezbollah’s Terrorism is a Sign of Approval—A Clear and Courageous Stand is Required
Elias Bejjani / February 04/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/02/139837/
Three weeks have passed, and yet Judge Nawaf Salam—the leftist, Nasserist, and former member of the Palestinian Fatah organization—remains stuck in a humiliating state of confusion and surrender to the dictates of the corrupt Nabih Berri and the terrorist, Satanic Hezbollah. Instead of completely isolating them from government participation to facilitate the implementation of international resolutions—specifically, all provisions of the ceasefire agreement with Israel, which they signed under Prime Minister Mikati’s government—Salam is caving to their blackmail, engaging in appeasement and submission.
How can they be part of the very same government that is supposed to oversee the disarmament of their militias, confiscate their war capabilities, and the handover of their stockpiles and military sites to the Lebanese Army?
We ask you, President Joseph Aoun:
Do you agree to hand over the Ministry of Finance to this defeated Iranian terrorist duo?
Will you allow them to monopolize Shiite representation, effectively booby-trapping your government, undermining your presidency, and sabotaging your national rescue mission?
A clear, transparent, and decisive stance is required.
You assumed the presidency under direct and commendable international and regional pressure, with the hope that you would lead Lebanon’s salvation, dismantle Iran’s occupation grip, and restore the state from the grasp of the militia-run mini-state.
Your silence on Judge Salam’s submission to the terrorist threats and extortion of this obstructive duo is both baffling and deeply concerning.
A firm and bold position is needed—before it is too late!

The Nasserist, Arabist, and Leftist Will Only Form a Government in His Own Image
Elias Bejjani/February 03/ 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/02/139798/
How can a government controlled by the Iranian-occupational obstructionist duo implement Resolution 1701, uphold the ceasefire agreement, disarm Hezbollah, and confiscate its vast military stockpiles?
Will this diabolical duo, led by the corrupt and vengeful Nabih Berri, agree to fill 700 vacant state positions without imposing its dominance and further paralyzing governance?
With a government dictated by Berri, Mohammad Raad, Naim Qassem, and Wafiq Safa, can Lebanon expect aid from Gulf and Western nations?
And with a government of mullahs and their proxies, will Israel withdraw from the South?
Nawaf Salam should have formed a de facto government within 24 hours of his appointment—without consultations, without seeking confidence, just as the current caretaker government operates.
Had he done so, he would have secured parliamentary confidence through the same international pressure that installed Joseph Aoun as president and appointed him as prime minister-designate.
Unfortunately, Salam has already failed, and if external pressure—especially from Saudi Arabia and the U.S. under Trump—is not exerted soon, the entire Joseph Aoun tenure may collapse with him.
The Bottom Line
For 70 years, no leftist, Nasserist, jihadist Arab nationalist waving the banners of false and delusional "liberation and resistance" has ever brought anything to the Arab world and the Middle East but disaster, defeat, and catastrophe.
If Salam is not forced to step down, he will be no different.

The Fool, Buffoon, and Terrorist Naim Qassem Must Be Arrested and Banned from Media Appearances
Elias Bejjani/February 02/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/02/139774/
Naim Qassem must be silenced and arrested. He & his terrorist Hezbollah are criminals, fools, delusional who has brought nothing but devastation to Lebanon and its people. Meanwhile, the neutered Nasserist Nawaf Salam insists on rewarding Hezbollah and the corrupt Berri by handing them control over the government. Curse and disgrace upon Salam and Aoun if they kneel and surrender, betraying all expectations.

Elias Bejjani/Text & Video: Nawaf Salam... Submission in the Face of the Iranian Occupation
Elias Bejjani/February 02/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/02/139758/
Instead of taking a decisive national stance against the Iranian terrorist and jihadist gang Hezbollah, which dragged Lebanon into a devastating war against Israel and plunged the country into destruction and ruin, Nawaf Salam, tasked with forming the new government, continues to adopt a policy of appeasement and surrender to this militia. He also kneels before Nabih Berri, the Speaker of Parliament, who has imposed his rule by force, backed by occupying powers, for the past 30 years.
So far, Salam has wasted valuable time in cowardly negotiations with Berri and Hezbollah, allowing them to dictate their conditions. Their primary demand: control over the Finance Ministry—a key tool for obstructing and sabotaging the government. The new government is supposed to oversee the implementation of the ceasefire agreement with Israel and enforce international resolutions that mandate Hezbollah’s military dismantling, its complete disarmament across all Lebanese territories, and the removal of its affiliated militias. Additionally, and more importantly it will be tasked for appointing over 600 senior state officials, including the Army Commander, the Central Bank Governor, the Director of the General Security Directorate, and heads of various security agencies.
Yet instead of fulfilling his duty to reclaim the state, Salam—well-known for his leftist, Arab nationalist background, a remnant of Nasserist-era ideology, and his deep-rooted hostility toward Israel—is bending over backward to appease Hezbollah and Berri. His actions prove he is politically impotent, weak-willed, and incapable of making sovereign decisions. He has allowed Hezbollah and Berri to humiliate him, with Berri outright dismissing him by declaring: “Don’t ask me for names for the Finance Ministry—I want Yassine Jaber, and I will accept no one else, period.”
Meanwhile, in a desperate attempt to intimidate President Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam, Hezbollah launched barbaric, mob-like invasions into Beirut, deploying hundreds of armed militants on motorcycles, waving sectarian banners and chanting inflammatory slogans. Yet Salam remained a mere spectator, too afraid to confront this terrorist provocation.
The truth is clear: Hezbollah and Amal Movement have suffered a humiliating defeat. Their era of unchecked dominance is over. They do not represent the entire Shiite community, and they have no legitimate right to monopolize Shiite representation in the government. Moreover, the appointment of Joseph Aoun as president and Nawaf Salam as designated prime minister was not a Lebanese decision—it was imposed by the United States, Arab states, and Western powers to break the corrupt political establishment’s submission to Berri and Hezbollah.
The Defeated Must Not Be Rewarded with a Place in Government! If Nawaf Salam is incapable of forming a sovereign government free from Hezbollah and Berri’s grip, then he must resign immediately and disappear from Lebanon’s political scene. This critical phase in the country’s history requires strong, decisive leaders—not weak bureaucrats who bow to terrorists and criminals.
As long as Hezbollah maintains its stranglehold on Lebanon’s deep state, the country will inevitably be dragged back into war. Israel will not hesitate to finish what it started—to completely annihilate the Iranian terrorist Hezbollah and eradicate its existence once and for all.

Khalaf Ahmed Al Habtoor: The Real Change "in Lebanon" Lies, in Overhauling the System, Not Just Replacing Faces ...Halima Came Back to Her Old Habit
Khalaf Ahmed Al Habtoor/X Site/February 04, 2025
(Free translation and title selection by Elias Bejjani)
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/02/139825/
In a remote village where traditions dictated every aspect of life, there lived a woman named Halima, notorious for her erratic and unpredictable nature. She ran the village’s only house where food is prepared, drawing people from all around to taste her dishes. Yet, she had one deeply troubling habit—whenever she was annoyed by a customer or simply felt tired, she would shut down her establishment without warning, cutting off the villagers’ only source of food.
Frustrated and desperate for a solution, the villagers turned to the village sheikh, urging him to replace Halima with someone more responsible. But he did nothing, allowing her volatile nature to persist.
It was only after the sheikh’s wise son, Forsah, took charge that action was finally taken. He dismissed Halima and appointed a new woman, Souad, known for her discipline and diligence. Initially, Souad won the villagers over—she kept the house open on time, ensured food was of the highest quality, and treated customers with respect.
But soon, the cycle repeated itself. Souad, once praised for her efficiency, began behaving just like Halima—closing the food house at will, making excuses, and blaming exhaustion. She even echoed Halima’s infamous justifications: “I’m not in the mood today,” and “No one appreciates my hard work.”
Realizing they had been deceived once again, the villagers returned to Forsah, exclaiming: “Souad is nothing but Halima under a different name! The same bad habits persist, proving that changing people alone is not enough.”
At that moment, an elderly woman in the village uttered a profound truth: “Halima has returned to her old habit.” She continued, “But every time, we learn that the real problem was never just Halima—it was the system that allowed her ways to continue, no matter who took her place.”
And so, the villagers finally understood: real change does not come from swapping one person for another—it comes from dismantling the flawed system that enables the same failures to be repeated.
NB/Mr. Al Habtoor did not mention Lebanon in his tweet. The reference to Lebanon and the title are based on the personal interpretation of Elias Bejjani, who also provided the mere free English translation.

Etienne Sakr – Abu Arz: Nawaf Salam, What Are You Waiting for to Leave?
February 04/2024
(Free translation from Arabic by: Elias Bejjani)
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/02/139829/
Statement Issued by the Guardians of the Cedars Party – Lebanese National Movement
In times of collapse, there is no room for courtesy, nor for those hesitant and incapable of making decisive choices. Lebanon today needs true statesmen, not beggars at the doorsteps of embassies and decision-making capitals, nor politicians engaged in cheap bargaining and cowardly concessions before the so-called defunct “Axis of Resistance.”
Nawaf Salam, whose political stances have always been disgraceful towards Lebanon, has failed before he even started. He continues to stumble in his petty calculations, proving his inability to form a government capable of confronting the existential challenges Lebanon faces. Instead of showing resolve and making the necessary decisions, he has chosen the path of hesitation—failing to grasp that every day wasted under his incapacity adds to the relentless collapse consuming Lebanon and its people.
Anyone who believes that governing Lebanon can be achieved through submission and humiliating compromises is delusional. Leadership is about decisiveness, strength, and unwavering will—not submission, hesitation, and waiting for approval from foreign powers.
We, the Guardians of the Cedars – Lebanese National Movement, call for the immediate resignation of Nawaf Salam and for the appointment of a true statesman—one who understands the urgency of time, possesses the courage to face challenges, and makes bold, decisive choices without fear or subordination. Lebanon is dying, and history will not forgive those who stand idle as the nation collapses.
O Lebanese, enough silence in the face of those who are stealing your future! Enough patience with those squandering the last opportunities for salvation! Lebanon will not be built by the weak, nor ruled by those who beg. Either a strong leadership will save it, or chaos will consume what remains of it.
Long Live Beloved Lebanon

Ma heik ya @nawafasalam
Hanin Ghaddar/X Site/February 04/2025
A militia like Hezbollah, and its political infrastructure like Amal Movement, should be held accountable for their crimes, murders, and corruption against Lebanon and the Lebanese people, NOT rewarded with ministries in the upcoming cabinet, especially by a former judge. Ma heik ya @nawafasalam

Weapons Storage Facilities Hit in Lebanon, Israeli Military Says
Asharq Al Awsat/February 04/2025
The Israeli military said it had located and destroyed several weapons storage facilities in southern Lebanon on Monday, where troops are continuing to operate as a fragile ceasefire enters its third month. Israel said soldiers had found mortar shells, missiles, rockets, explosives, firearms and a large amount of military equipment belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, without providing evidence. The military said it also killed a number of Hezbollah fighters located close to Israeli troops. The ceasefire deal for Lebanon gave both sides 60 days to remove their forces from southern Lebanon and for the Lebanese army to move in and secure the area. Israel says Hezbollah and the Lebanese army haven’t met their obligations, while Lebanon accuses the Israeli army of hindering the Lebanese military from taking over. The 60-day deadline expired at the end of January. Israel said the agreement is progressing but, in some sectors, “it has been delayed and will take slightly longer.” The ceasefire was extended to February 18.

Qatar to Support Lebanon after Formation of New Government, Qatari PM Says
Asharq Al Awsat/February 04/2025
Qatar's prime minister said on Tuesday that his country would support Lebanese institutions and work on mutual projects after the formation of a Lebanese government. Qatar has been providing the Lebanese army with grants for fuel and salaries. Lebanon needs foreign funds to help meet a huge reconstruction bill from last year's war between Israel and Hezbollah, in which Israeli air strikes flattened swathes of the country. In a press conference in Beirut following a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Qatar would continue supporting the Lebanese army. "We are looking forward to the formation of the government and after that will look at a strategic partnership based on mutual interest," Al Thani said. "The indicators since the beginning of the year have been positive, whether it is filling the (Lebanese) presidential vacuum or the change that happened in Syria."Aoun on told Sheikh Mohammed that he hopes TotalEnergies will soon resume oil and gas exploration off the coast of Lebanon, according to a statement from the president's office. In 2023 QatarEnergy joined France's TotalEnergies and Italy's Eni (ENI.MI) in a three-way consortium to look for oil and gas in two maritime blocks off the coast of Lebanon. As well as meeting Aoun, who was elected president in early January, Al Thani met caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Prime Minister-elect Nawaf Salam and parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Salam, a judge who had been serving as the head of the International Court of Justice, was nominated on Jan. 13 to form Lebanon's new cabinet. The US has pressured Lebanese officials including Salam not to allow Hezbollah or its ally Amal - headed by Berri - to nominate Lebanon's next finance minister. Hezbollah began trading fire with Israel after the Palestinian group Hamas attacked communities in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and triggered the Gaza war. Israel said its offensive against Hezbollah aimed to secure the return home of tens of thousands of Israelis who were forced to leave homes at the border by Hezbollah rocket fire. Hezbollah and Israel reached a ceasefire in November.

Intense Talks Taking Place as Lebanese Govt Formation Efforts Continue
Beirut: Asharq Al Awsat/February 04/2025
Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam has overcome the majority of the obstacles that have been hindering his government formation efforts by holding intense talks with the Lebanese Forces and other political powers. Head of the Free Patriotic Movement MP Gebran Bassil is meanwhile expected to hold a press conference on Tuesday to declare whether his party will be part of the government. Sources following up on Salam’s talks told Asharq Al-Awsat that even though some differences have been resolved, discussions are still ongoing over the representation of political blocs and the names of ministers. The share of the Shiite duo of Hezbollah and the Amal movement has been the biggest hurdle in the government formation process. Amal – headed by parliament Speaker Nabih Berri – has been insisting on retaining the Finance Ministry. Negotiations have also been ongoing over the LF and FPM’s representation. LF sources said: “Nothing has been finalized.”There is a need for the government to operate smoothly and for no bloc to have the power to obstruct its work, they told Asharq Al-Awsat. They underlined the importance of this government because it will be tasked with implementing the vows declared by President Joseph Aoun during his inaugural speech, most notably limiting the possession of weapons to the state.It will be also responsible for implementing Salam’s vow that the state will impose its authority throughout Lebanon, so the representatives of the Shiite duo in the cabinet shouldn’t be allowed any room to obstruct its work, they added. The government must ensure that the ceasefire with Israel is upheld and that United Nations Security Council resolution 1701 is implemented throughout Lebanon, continued the sources. It also has the task of carrying out reforms and fighting corruption, they went on to say. “This means the new government must kick off work on the right foot from the very beginning,” they urged. The sources refused to confirm or deny that the LF has been promised a major ministerial portfolio that reflects its Christian representation in the country. The LF is not seeking posts in government in order to implement its own agenda and pursue its own interests like others have done, they continued. The LF is leading a national agenda, they stressed. “Were it not for the LF’s major representation in the country, a Hezbollah-allied president would have been elected two years ago,” they added. The LF played a major role in preventing a president who is allied with Hezbollah from being elected president even if that resulted in over two years of vacuum in the country’s top post that was filled by Aoun’s election last month. Meanwhile, the Progressive Socialist Party underscored the need for parties to facilitate Salam’s mission in forming a new government. The PSP’s Democratic Gathering bloc urged the need to respect the principles Salam outlined in the formation process, including the need for non-partisan figures to be named as ministers. This will be a new experience for Lebanon, and everyone should throw their support behind it, it added. It condemned how Salam has been flooded with demands and conditions, which are complicating his mission. The formation process must be facilitated given the challenges awaiting the new government.

Lebanon Moves Closer to Forming the Government
Beirut: Mohamed Choucair/February 04/2025
Lebanon's prime minister-designate Nawaf Salam is expected to announce the new cabinet in the coming days if the Lebanese Forces party’s demands for a so-called “sovereign” portfolio were met, parliamentary sources told Asharq al-Awsat. According to the sources, Salam and President Michel Aoun will not reveal the cabinet formation before making their stance clear from the LF’s demand for the Foreign Ministry portfolio. A tug-of-war over the Finance Ministry post has sparked political tensions in Lebanon, with the LF threatening to boycott the government if Hezbollah and Amal name that minister and other key positions. Speaker Nabih Berri, who heads the Amal movement, has insisted on nominating lawmaker and former minister Yassin Jaber for the post. The sources told the newspaper that retired Brig. Gen. from the Internal Security Forces Ahmed al-Hajjar will like get the Interior Ministry portfolio, while the Defense Ministry will be headed by retired Army Maj. Gen. Michel Mnassa. Jaber is set to head the Finance Ministry while former Ambassador Naji Abu Assi will likely become Foreign Minister unless he was replaced by a Maronite to appease the LF, the sources added. Salam was nominated on Jan. 13 to form Lebanon's new cabinet. He has spent the last three weeks consulting with political parties to form a government, whose posts are doled out based on sect and political affiliation.

Israel Holds Drills Near Lebanon Border as Hezbollah Reaffirms Commitment to Ceasefire
Beirut: Asharq Al Awsat/February 04/2025
The Israeli army said on Monday it was holding a military drill in the Upper Galilee near the Lebanese border amid ongoing tensions. Meanwhile, Israeli drones flew over Beirut and its southern suburb, known as Dahieh – a Hezbollah stronghold. Hezbollah, for its part, reaffirmed its commitment to the ongoing ceasefire with Israel. The Israeli military on Monday warned civilians in the Upper Galilee of increased military activity but said there was “no security threat.”It advised people to stay away from the area, citing expected operations. The warning came a day after Defense Minister Israel Katz toured the Lebanese border and warned that Israel could respond strongly if Hezbollah's drone attacks continued. Katz said the Iran-backed party would “pay a heavy price” if it violated the ceasefire. Under a deal signed in November, Israeli forces were set to withdraw from southern Lebanon by January 26. However, Israel said last month it would stay until February 18, claiming the Lebanese army was too slow to deploy. The Lebanese army has accused Israel of stalling in implementing the deal. On Thursday, the Israeli military said it shot down a Hezbollah drone, the first such incident since the ceasefire began. That night, Israeli warplanes struck Hezbollah targets in eastern Lebanon. Meanwhile, Israel continued demolitions in southern Lebanon, with Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reporting that its forces set on fire several houses between Adaisseh and Rab Thalathin. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee said troops destroyed Hezbollah infrastructure and weapons depots. He added that forces were working to “maintain operational gains” in coordination with Lebanon. Troops also found and destroyed multiple weapons caches containing mortars, rockets, explosives and other military gear, Adraee said. Lebanese media reported on Sunday that the Israeli navy had detained a fisherman off the coast of Naqoura in southern Lebanon. Meanwhile, reports in Lebanon said Israeli forces opened fire on civilians attempting to return to the border village of Yaroun. Hezbollah says it remains committed to the ceasefire. Its lawmaker Hussein Jishi accused Israel of violating the agreement, claiming “more than 1,000 breaches” had been recorded. “We upheld the ceasefire to give the relevant parties—namely the Lebanese state and its sponsors—a chance to take responsibility,” he said.

New Hezbollah Network Dismantled in Germany
This Is Beirut/February 04/2025
Hezbollah is reportedly operating secret bases across northern Germany, using them to expand its influence throughout Europe. This covert network is believed to serve as a platform for fundraising, weapons procurement and bolstering the group’s presence within the Lebanese community. These revelations were published by The National on February 3, in an article by Tim Stickings.
The Network: Financing and Operations
The journalist reports that Hezbollah has established a support network within mosques, cultural centers and youth groups. These organizations, frequently monitored by German intelligence agencies, are pivotal to the group's infiltration into German society. According to information gathered by The National, this network was initially overseen and closely managed by Hassan Nasrallah, the former Hezbollah Secretary-General who was killed by Israel in Lebanon last September. The National was able to reconstruct, using unpublished judicial documents, official communications and online publications, the evolution of this network despite the ongoing crackdown by German authorities and intelligence services. The article underscores that, in this context, Hezbollah continues to benefit from propaganda outlets and the support of more than 1,200 sympathizers spread across Germany.
Material Evidence and Arrests of Key Suspects
The newspaper further highlights that a seemingly insignificant scrap of paper, found in a bathroom trash bin, turned out to be the pivotal breakthrough in the investigation. This document led investigators to Hassan M., a key figure in the network, who frequently traveled between Germany and Lebanon to oversee Hezbollah’s operations. Known as Sheikh Hassan Mortada, he was imprisoned last year. After months of investigation, several arrests were made, including that of Fadel R., who was accused of masterminding the recruitment of Shiite clerics in Germany to promote Hezbollah’s ideology. During his arrest in December, investigators uncovered his correspondence with Hassan Nasrallah, which was exchanged weeks before Nasrallah’s death. The messages revealed concerns about payments for the renovation of a mosque, directly linking these financial transactions to Hezbollah’s terrorist financing operations.
While Fadel R. has not yet been tried for his Hezbollah affiliation, German prosecutors consider him a trained operative responsible for overseeing a network of Shiite preachers. Another key arrest involved Fadel Z., who is suspected of facilitating the smuggling of drone parts intended for use in attacks against Israel.
The National concludes that “the arrest of these suspects marks a critical turning point in the authorities’ efforts to dismantle a long-monitored network that had, until now, proved difficult to dismantle.”
Germany: A Hub for Hezbollah’s Activities
In December 2024, the German government significantly intensified its crackdown on Hezbollah by banning the broadcast of Al-Manar, the group’s propaganda channel, within its borders. At the same time, it closed the Islamic Center of Hamburg and the Blue Mosque, both with known links to Hezbollah. Additionally, the Mahdi Cultural Association in Bad Oeynhausen, suspected of maintaining ties with the group, was placed under surveillance by German intelligence services. The investigation also exposed the central role played by certain mosques, such as the Imam Hussein Mosque in Osnabrück, which acted as hubs for training workshops and for expanding Hezbollah’s influence across Germany. The National notes that one of Hezbollah’s primary tactics for extending its reach in Germany is recruiting young people through scout groups established in mosques and cultural centers. These groups, known as the Imam Mahdi Scouts, present themselves as providers of educational and recreational activities, but in reality, they play a central role in indoctrinating youth and promoting the group's ideology.

Who Is Morgan Ortagus, Trump's Envoy Expected in Beirut on Thursday?
Élie-Joe Kamel/This Is Beirut/February 04/2025
On January 3, 2025, US President Donald Trump appointed Morgan Ortagus as Deputy Special Envoy for Peace in the Middle East. Ortagus, who served as spokesperson for the US State Department during Trump’s first term (2017-2021), will be part of the team headed by Steve Witkoff, a close friend and trusted confidant of Trump. Morgan Ortagus, who replaced Amos Hochstein, senior adviser to former President Joe Biden, is expected on Thursday in Beirut for an official visit that will likely be focusing on the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. Amos Hochstein was the key negotiator of the November cease-fire that ended the devastating war between Israel and Hezbollah. Her visit occurs two weeks before the deadline for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon. Ortagus has demonstrated expertise in national security, foreign policy and business leadership. She served as spokesperson for the State Department under Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during President Trump’s first term. From 2008 to 2010, Morgan Ortagus was assigned as a financial intelligence analyst at the US Department of the Treasury and also held the role of Deputy US Treasury Attaché in Saudi Arabia. She is also an intelligence officer in the US Navy Reserve. Morgan Ortagus began her government career as a public affairs officer at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), where she spent several months in Baghdad, Iraq, in 2007. In February 2021, she joined Adam Boehler’s team as a principal at Rubicon Founders, an entrepreneurial investment firm focused on building and growing businesses in the healthcare sector. In the private sector, Morgan Ortagus founded EY's Geostrategic Business Group and served as head of international relations at Standard Chartered Bank within the Public Sector Group, handling portfolios in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. She was also a co-founder and CEO of GO Advisors and a national security contributor for Fox News.
Unstable Political Context in the Middle East
Ortagus' appointment comes amid an unstable regional context, where ceasefires declared in Gaza and southern Lebanon are not enough to resolve the ongoing tensions. Donald Trump stated that he expects Witkoff and Ortagus to work toward restoring "calm and prosperity" to the Middle East. "I expect great results, and quickly," he said. Witkoff and Ortagus are also expected to work toward securing the historic peace agreement long advocated by Trump between Israel and Saudi Arabia. According to the Israeli news site Jfeed, Ortagus is known for her outspoken support of Israel and her uncompromising stance on Iran, particularly regarding its nuclear program. During Trump’s first term, she played a key role in promoting the sanctions policy against Iran and supporting Washington’s backing of Tel Aviv on the international level.
Critique of Trump
Ortagus clashed with Trump during his first term but was able to join his team again, reportedly thanks to the mediation of her political ally, Senator Lindsey Graham. Trump said he chose to appoint her despite their differences because "she has strong Republican support." Born on July 10, 1982, in Oviedo, Florida, Morgan Ortagus earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of South Florida. She later obtained an MBA and a Master of Public Administration from Johns Hopkins University, where she wrote an award-winning thesis on counter-insurgency research, graduating in May 2013 with dual Master’s degrees in Business Administration and Political Science. She also graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Florida Southern College. Ortagus converted to Judaism after marrying Jonathan Weinberger.

Netanyahu says war with Hezbollah and allies has 'redrawn' Middle East map
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/Associated Press/February 04/2025
Before leaving for Washington to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's wars with Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and its confrontations with Iran had "redrawn the map" in the Middle East.
"But I believe that working closely with President Trump we can redraw it even further, and for the better," he said. Israeli troops are still present in parts of southern Lebanon, where under the ceasefire agreement they are supposed to gradually withdraw while Hezbollah’s militants withdraw north of the Litani River as Lebanese army soldiers disperse. Residents of those villages, many waving Hezbollah flags, have been protesting in those villages and have scuffled with Israeli troops. Despite its military capabilities largely destroyed in the war, Israel says it needs to remain in the country longer to take out Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, including its tunnel network.

Lebanese army seizes Hezbollah weapon truck, reports say
Naharnet/February 04/2025
The Lebanese Army has seized a Hezbollah truck loaded with weapons in the Iqlim al-Kharoub region near Sidon, media reports said Tuesday. The weapons, including detonators and grenades, were taken from a warehouse in Wardaniyeh after it was targeted by an Israeli strike. The drivers of the truck left it and ran away when they noticed they had been followed by an Israeli drone, the reports said. A ceasefire deal reached in late November gave Israel and Hezbollah 60 days to remove their forces from southern Lebanon and for the Lebanese army to move in and secure the area. Israel says Hezbollah and the Lebanese army haven’t met their obligations, while Lebanon accuses the Israeli army of hindering the Lebanese military from taking over. The 60-day deadline expired at the end of January. Israel said the agreement is progressing but, in some sectors, "it has been delayed and will take slightly longer."

The Lebanese Armed Forces Deploy in Taybeh
This is Beirut/February 04/2025
The Lebanese armed forces deployed in the entire town of Taybeh up to the road leading to Rab al-Thalathin on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Israeli military reinforced its surveillance measures along the border. Israel started installing new observation posts on mountainous hills within its territory to monitor neighboring Lebanese towns. The Israeli army also announced the establishment of six similar sites, including one in Shlomi, where construction has already been completed. On the ground, Israeli planes carried out mock raids over Nabatiyeh and Iqlim al-Tuffah starting at 11:45 AM. Additionally, an Israeli drone dropped two stun grenades over the town of al-Jebbayn. In Beirut and its southern suburbs, low-flying Israeli drones were observed conducting aerial surveillance. The Israeli army also demolished a wastewater treatment plant in the Marjayoun plain towards Kfar Kila. Since dawn, it has been bulldozing trees and agricultural lands and burning some houses in the town of Hula.
Lebanese Army Announces Demining Operations
The Lebanese army announced that it would carry out controlled detonations of unexploded ordnance on Tuesday. The operations are scheduled to take place between noon and 2 PM in Hnaider (Akkar) and between 10 AM and 6 PM in the village of Qlayaa (Marjayoun).

Qatari Prime Minister Calls for Implementation of Resolution 1701
This is Beirut/February 04/2025
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, emphasized on Tuesday the necessity of implementing UN Resolution 1701 “to restore Lebanon’s sovereignty.”Speaking at a press conference following his meeting with President Joseph Aoun at the Presidential Palace, Bin Abdulrahman reaffirmed Qatar’s ongoing support for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and pledged continued economic assistance and reconstruction efforts. “We look forward to the formation of a government as soon as possible to address all pending matters,” he stated, expressing hope that the election of president Aoun would mark a step toward security and stability in Lebanon. The Qatari official underscored that his visit was a gesture of solidarity from Qatar, which remains committed to standing by Lebanon and its people. For his part, President Aoun expressed gratitude for Qatar’s steadfast support for Lebanon. “Qatar has always stood by Lebanon, supporting the Lebanese people in difficult times,” he said. He also emphasized the importance of Qatari investment in Lebanon’s economy, particularly in the oil and gas sector. “We look forward to the return of our Qatari brothers to Lebanon and highly value Qatar’s role in supporting our economy,” he stated, expressing hope for the resumption of energy exploration efforts in collaboration with Total company in the near future. Bin Abdulrahman had arrived earlier at Beirut International Airport (BIA), where he held discussions with Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati in the airport’s salon of honor. His itinerary also includes meetings with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam.

Salam says he's the one picking ministers after 'consultations' with blocs
Naharnet/February 04/2025
Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam has reassured that the government formation process is “moving forward positively according to the reformist, salvation course” that he had pledged and in line with the “standards” that he has already announced. “Any talk about ministerial candidates who are being imposed on me is baseless, seeing as I’m the one who picks ministers, after consultations with the various parliamentary blocs, to finalize a line-up that suits my vision for the government,” Salam added.He also said that the reports about disputes between him and some forces and parties are inaccurate, seeing as he is “positively communicating with everyone.”

Sunni MP and Tashnag urge Salam to avoid 'double standards'
Naharnet/February 04/2025
MP Nabil Bader of Beirut has accused Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam of “selectivity” in his approach toward the cabinet formation process. “The same as Shiites took what they want, Sunnis also want to take what they want,” Bader added, in an interview with Al-Jadeed television.The Tashnag Party meanwhile warned Salam against “imposing” ministers who do not represent their “communities.” “There should not be double standards and all political and sectarian parties must be treated with the same standard and approach,” the party urged.

LF MP calls on Salam to show 'modesty', says he 'doesn't have a bloc'
Naharnet/February 04/2025
MP Pierre Bou Assi of the Lebanese Forces on Tuesday hurled a jab at Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam. “When a PM-designate does not have any parliamentary bloc that enjoys the legitimacy of representing the people, modesty and wisdom become a must,” Bou Assi wrote on his official X account. “In addition to courage, modesty and wisdom are the characteristic of a statesman,” Bou Assi added. The LF has objected against its reported share in the government that Salam is seeking to form, while also criticizing the PM-designate over the share that he will reportedly allocate to Hezbollah and the Amal Movement. According to media reports, the LF may opt to stay out of the government if it does not get the share it wants.

UN special coordinator for Lebanon to discuss ceasefire, 1701 with top Iran officials
Naharnet/February 04/2025
United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert has begun a visit to Tehran, where she is set to meet with senior Iranian officials. The trip is part of the Special Coordinator’s ongoing consultations with regional and international stakeholders, her office said in a statement Monday. Hennis-Plasschaert's discussions "will focus on the critical need for positive developments in Lebanon, seen since the commencement of the Cessation of Hostilities on 27 November 2024, to continue and for United Nations Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) to be fully implemented," the statement said.

Israel says hit weapons storage facilities in Lebanon
Associated Press/February 04/2025
The Israeli military said it had located and destroyed several weapons storage facilities in southern Lebanon, where troops are continuing to operate as a fragile ceasefire enters its third month. Israel said Monday soldiers had found mortar shells, missiles, rockets, explosives, firearms and a large amount of military equipment belonging to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, without providing evidence. The military said it also killed a number of Hezbollah militants located close to Israeli troops. The ceasefire deal for Lebanon gave both sides 60 days to remove their forces from southern Lebanon and for the Lebanese army to move in and secure the area. Israel says Hezbollah and the Lebanese army haven’t met their obligations, while Lebanon accuses the Israeli army of hindering the Lebanese military from taking over. The 60-day deadline expired at the end of January. Israel said the agreement is progressing but, in some sectors, "it has been delayed and will take slightly longer."

Lebanon files complaint with UN Security Council against Israeli ceasefire violations
Naharnet/February 04/2025
Lebanon’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has filed a complaint with the United Nations Security Council, through its Permanent Mission in New York, against Israel's repeated violations of the ceasefire and of the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701. The National News agency said Tuesday that Lebanon has cited ground and air attacks, the destruction of homes and residential neighborhoods in Lebanon, and the kidnapping and targeting of Lebanese citizens, journalists and Lebanese army members. The complaint also outlined the attacks on civilians who tried to return to their border villages after a 60-day deadline for Israeli forces to withdraw from south Lebanon ended. Under a November ceasefire deal, the Lebanese military was to deploy in the south alongside United Nations peacekeepers as the Israeli army withdrew over a 60-day period. The Israeli military missed the 60-day deadline to withdraw, killing 24 people and wounding at least 124 others as residents tried to return to their southern border villages. The deadline was later extended to February 18. Lebanon urged the U.N. Security Council, and France and the U.S. - which brokered the ceasefire and formed a committee to oversee its implementation - to take a "firm and clear stance" in order to put an end to the Israeli violations.

Lebanese-American charged with stabbing Rushdie to soon go on trial
Associated Press/February 04/2025
In 2022, Salman Rushdie was about to deliver a lecture before a live audience in western New York when a man ran towards him and plunged a knife into the author's hand as he raised it in self-defense. "After that there are many blows, to my neck, to my chest, to my eye, everywhere," Rushdie recalled in a memoir that followed. "I feel my legs give way, and I fall." In the coming weeks, Rushdie is expected to return to the same New York county to recount the experience as one of the first witnesses in the trial of the man charged with wielding the knife that day, the Lebanese-American Hadi Matar. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday. Matar, 27, of Fairview, New Jersey, has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder and assault. Under different circumstances, Rushdie's book, which details his account of that day and his recovery, might offer important evidence in the Aug. 12, 2022, attack that left the 77-year-old blind in his right eye and his hand permanently damaged. But "this isn't a back alley event that occurs unwitnessed in a dark alley," said Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt following a pretrial hearing. "This is something that was recorded, it was witnessed live by thousands of people."
Jurors will be shown video of the attack, as well as still pictures and documentation, Schmidt has said. An estimated 15 witnesses are expected to take the stand over the course of a trial that is projected to last several weeks, he said. Matar's lawyer, Nathaniel Barone, has not detailed how he plans to defend his client against the charges. He has clapped back at critics who question why Matar did not take a plea deal in light of the prosecution's case. "That's not what this is about. It's about due process," Barone said. "It's about receiving a fair trial ... If someone wants to exercise those rights, they're entitled to do that."
In a separate indictment, federal authorities allege that Matar was motivated by a "terrorist" organization's endorsement of a fatwa, or edict, calling for Rushdie's death. A separate trial on the federal charges — "terrorism transcending national boundaries, providing material support to terrorists and attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization" — will be scheduled in U.S. District Court in Buffalo. Rushdie spent years in hiding after the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued the fatwa in 1989 after publication of the novel "The Satanic Verses," which some Muslims consider blasphemous. In the federal indictment, authorities allege Matar believed the edict was backed by the Lebanon-based Hezbollah and endorsed in a 2006 speech by the group's then-leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
But jurors in the Chautauqua County case are unlikely to hear about the fatwa, according to Schmidt. He has said he doesn't anticipate needing to show Matar's possible motive to get a conviction on the state charges."From my standpoint, this is a localized event. It's a stabbing event. It's fairly straightforward," Schmidt said. "I don't really see a need to get into motive evidence, whether that's applicable or not applicable and what that consists of. I'd like to avoid all of that."Barone, the defense attorney, said jurors should be screened for any prejudice against people of Middle Eastern descent nonetheless, given the discussions of the fatwa during previous court proceedings. "They've talked about the reason why this alleged crime supposedly occurred was because of this book involving Muslims, all that. So it's kind of like the barn door's been opened," he said. Matar was born in the U.S. but holds dual citizenship in Lebanon, where his parents were born. Rushdie is a native of India who lived for years in London. He became a U.S. citizen in 2016. Matar has been held without bail since his arrest after being subdued by onlookers who rushed the amphitheater stage. The event's moderator, Henry Reese, co-founder of City of Asylum in Pittsburgh, was also wounded.

Japanese court upholds conviction of American who allegedly helped Ghosn hide pay
Associated Press/February 04/2025
The conviction of a former American Nissan executive for allegedly helping fugitive former Chairman Carlos Ghosn hide income was upheld by a Japanese appeals court Tuesday, which also rejected prosecutors' bid to overturn his acquittals on other counts.
Greg Kelly, a lawyer and former executive vice president at Nissan Motor Corp, was convicted in 2022 of charges related to only one of eight years during which prosecutors said he under-reported Ghosn's income. Kelly, who received a 6-month sentence suspended for three years and was allowed to return to Tennessee, did not attend the hearing. Yoichi Kitamura, Kelly's attorney, said he will appeal to the Japanese Supreme Court. Prosecutors, who sought to overturn Kelly's acquittals for the other seven years, declined to comment. Both sides have 15 days to appeal.
The latest ruling means the six-year battle over the alleged scheme to hide Ghosn's pay continues. Ghosn, who became chairman of Nissan after years working in alliance partner Renault, is widely credited with turning around the Japanese carmaker. He was hailed as a business genius until his relationship with the company broke down for reasons that analysts say are related to his foreign management style in an old-fashioned Japanese company. Prosecutors and the company said that after the board cut his pay by nearly half, he conspired with Kelly and other company officials to secure secret promises of future compensation. Ghosn and Kelly were arrested in late 2018 in separate but coordinated operations when they returned to Japan for meetings at Nissan. Ghosn was charged with underreporting his compensation and with breach of trust. He fled to Lebanon while out on bail in December 2019, hiding in a box for musical instruments carried by two Americans who were later extradited from the U.S., found guilty and served nearly two years in Japan.Ghosn, who says he is innocent, is unlikely to ever stand trial as Lebanon has no extradition agreement with Japan.
Kelly has repeatedly said he was merely working for Nissan's interests, and the issue should have been sorted out in a board room, not a courtroom. Kelly still faces a civil lawsuit filed by Nissan, alleging 4 billion yen ($26 million) in damages. Nissan, based in the port city of Yokohama, south of Tokyo, acknowledged the case is ongoing but declined to comment. Nissan, having sunk into losses over the last quarter amid drooping sales, is in talks with Japanese rival Honda Motor Co. to integrate their business through a joint holding company. The Ghosn debacle has long been seen in Japan as a reflection of the difficulties in forging international business alliances. In Japan, less than 1% of criminal cases results in verdicts of innocence, according to the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.

A Dry Winter in Lebanon: The Third in 75 Years
Chelsea Al Arif/This Is Beirut/February 04/2025
Ideally, Lebanon's annual secondary water balance should fall between 750-800 mm for Beirut and Tripoli while exceeding 1,200-1,300 mm in more mountainous regions such as Mount Sannine, in Mount Lebanon. ©Shutterstock
Large changes are happening in Lebanon's weather, with rainfall and snowfall rates dropping far below the average. Compared to last year’s abundance, this year’s precipitation has drastically declined — Beirut saw, for the same period, a drop from 520 mm in 2024 to just 262 mm in 2025, Tripoli from 540 mm to 280 mm, and Zahle from 285 mm to 152 mm. “We’re looking at an extreme contrast,” says Engineer Marc Whaibe, Head of the Meteorological Service at Beirut Airport, highlighting that the shortage could have serious consequences for the country’s water supply this summer.
Now, this year isn't really a reference and last year isn't a reference either," Whaibe said. "Last year we had above-average precipitation and this year we are below average. We're looking at two years, both of which are extreme — one was exceptionally dry and the other was excessively wet."
A Rare Occurrence in Lebanon's Weather History
While ups and downs in rainfall are natural, this sets a peculiar record for Lebanon. “In Lebanon, we typically receive the amount of rain we’ve had this year by the end of January,” Whaibe noted. He added. "This probably is the third time this has happened in 75 years, the first was in the late 1950's, the second was around 2013-14 and now is the third occurrence."
The Consequences for Water Reserves and Summer Challenges
Ideally, Lebanon's annual secondary water balance should fall between 750-800 mm for Beirut and Tripoli while exceeding 1,200-1,300 mm in more mountainous regions such as Mount Sannine, in Mount Lebanon. These figures are not even close. "This means that by summer, we won't have a large water reserve," Whaibe said. "Our groundwater hasn't replenished properly because we didn't get large amounts of rainfall this year."He also emphasized how snowfall helps Lebanon's water supplies. "We depend on the snow in the mountains since it gathers up and melts over spring and summer, constantly replenishing our underground water. We need snow, so if it doesn't happen this year, that will make summer even tougher because the supply of water will be low."
Greater Demand, Higher Pressures on Water
Comparing the situation to the previous years, Whaibe said that Lebanon's population was about 1.8 million in the late 1950s and is now about 6 million. "That means the demand for water is at least three to three-and-a-half times higher than in the 1950s," he said. "We are drawing groundwater at a higher rate, which is depleting our reserves, especially with minimal replenishment from mountain snowfall,” he said. Tourism and agriculture add to this already increasing demand. "Today, the tourism industry requires a lot of water — for hotels, swimming pools, etc. Agriculture also requires huge amounts of water for irrigation. To meet these requirements, we are extracting groundwater from wells, which results in increased shortage of water," Whaibe added.
The ACIL Storm: A Much-Needed but Insufficient Relief
An approaching storm, ACIL, will indeed bring some rain from Wednesday, but not enough to offset the current deficiency. "We're not expecting much," Whaibe said. "Forecasts predict around 70-80 mm of rain and about 70 centimeters of snow in lower altitudes — so not much. Still, given the bad situation we find ourselves in, everything that comes our way is a blessing, though insufficient."

Government Lineup Nears Completion Amid Political Tensions and External Pressure
Philippe Abi-Akl/This Is Beirut/February 04/2025
After 22 days of intense negotiations, Judge Nawaf Salam’s efforts to form Lebanon’s new government, following his designation on January 13, are entering their final stages. Despite political challenges and conflicting demands from various factions, the announcement of the first government under General Joseph Aoun’s reformist mandate is imminent. The process, which followed non-binding parliamentary consultations, underwent significant delays, allowing political groups to push for further gains. While Salam was expected to submit his ministerial lineup to President Joseph Aoun swiftly, the delay gave political factions, particularly the Amal-Hezbollah Shiite duo, a margin to assert their influence. According to a former official, Salam became caught up in their demands, as the duo seeks to maintain the privileges it has grabbed over several decades—namely control over the presidency and government decisions. This is further evidenced by their insistence on retaining the Ministry of Finance and their controversial role within Lebanon’s state and security apparatus, as well as imposing their self-appointed national responsibility, notably the recognition of the “resistance” in the ministerial statement.
Amal and Hezbollah have made their position clear on the importance of maintaining “People, Army and Resistance,” fearing that any concession on the cabinet could threaten their dominance in the political sphere. Despite this, Salam has presented a progressive vision for the government, one that rejects the monopoly of political parties over sectarian representation. Under his approach, ministerial portfolios would belong to religious communities rather than individual political parties. This framework, in coordination with President Aoun, involves nominating ministers from various sects, including Sunni, Shia, Maronite and Orthodox, ensuring the government’s constitutional legitimacy and continuity until parliamentary elections are held, thereby neutralizing the veto power of political factions.
During a meeting with President Aoun last Thursday, Salam outlined four key criteria for government formation: separating parliamentary membership from ministerial roles, prioritizing competence, excluding candidates running for parliament from ministerial positions and rejecting ministers affiliated with political parties. These conditions have ruffled feathers within Lebanon’s political elite.
As delays continued, further obstacles emerged. Akkar Sunni MP Walid Baarini publicly called on President Aoun to act as the constitutional guarantor and prevent further marginalization, even warning of potential unrest. Meanwhile, Lebanese Forces Leader Samir Geagea insisted on the necessity of government formation but rejected Salam’s criteria, emphasizing that political engagement is inherently party-based. He also rejected equal treatment for parties that, in his view, have harmed the state.
External forces have also intervened, taking a firm stance on the cabinet’s composition. International actors, particularly from the West, have strongly opposed granting the finance portfolio to Amal and Hezbollah, fearing it could jeopardize Lebanon’s ability to secure crucial financial aid.
Despite the political gridlock, Salam has remained focused on assembling a government with a broad, national focus, seeking to strengthen Lebanon’s state institutions. While Amal and Hezbollah’s rigid stance on retaining their full share remains a significant challenge, Salam has succeeded in persuading them to make some important concessions.The Lebanese Forces, on the other hand, continue to advocate for a clear distinction between parties aligned with regional agendas and those dedicated solely to Lebanon’s national interests. They argue that the principle of uniform treatment among political groups is unfair, given the context. The key question now is whether Salam can lay the groundwork for a government that represents the full breadth of Lebanese society while balancing the competing interests of powerful factions. He has maintained that his approach remains rooted in Lebanon’s Constitution and the Taif Agreement. However, Hezbollah’s unwavering demands—particularly on shaping the ministerial statement and preserving its military arsenal under the guise of “resistance”—are likely to be a major hurdle in the final stages of negotiations. A former official noted that if the Shiite duo fails to secure its terms in the cabinet formation, it may face even greater challenges in influencing the content of the ministerial statement, a crucial document that will outline the government’s policies moving forward.

Trump Urged to Look Into U.S. Funding of Lebanese Army amid Accusations of Its Ties to Hezbollah
Benjamin Weinthal/Middle East Forum/February 04/2025
The London-Based ‘Times’ Newspaper Reported Last Week That a Lebanese Armed Forces Chief Sent a Classified Document to Hezbollah
https://www.meforum.org/mef-online/trump-urged-to-look-into-u-s-funding-of-lebanese-army-amid-accusations-of-its-ties-to-hezbollah
JERUSALEM – The seeming alliance between the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Hezbollah terrorist movement is adding greater urgency to calls for the Trump administration to pull the plug on its generous aid to the LAF, some analysts charge. “Hezbollah and the Lebanese army are the same,” Edy Cohen, a Lebanese-born Israeli scholar of Hezbollah, told Fox News Digital. Cohen, a researcher at the Eitan Center, added, “Trump must not fund the Lebanese.” He noted the Lebanese army gave Hezbollah intelligence information about Israel.
The London-based Times newspaper reported last week that an LAF chief sent a classified document to Hezbollah. The LAF‘s Suhil Bahij Gharb, who oversees military intelligence for southern Lebanon, secured the confidential material from a military facility run by the U.S., France and the U.N. interim force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the newspaper reported. On the day of President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the U.S. State Department posted a fact sheet about USA-LAF cooperation. “Since 2006, U.S. investments of more than $3 billion to the LAF enabled the Lebanese military to be a stabilizing force against regional threats,” noted the document.
A senior Trump administration official told Fox News Digital that “Nothing really has been honored by Hezbollah since 2006" and “Lebanon has a chance because Israel destroyed Hezbollah’s leadership.” The official added there is a “historic opportunity” with President Aoun. In early January, the Lebanese Parliament elected the commander of the LAF, Joseph Aoun, as president of Lebanon.
The growing questions over the U.S.-LAF partnership come at a time when the U.S. agreed to Israel’s request to extend the ceasefire arrangement between Jerusalem and Hezbollah until Feb. 18. The U.S. government said in a statement, “The Government of Lebanon, the Government of Israel, and the Government of the United States will also begin negotiations for the return of Lebanese prisoners captured after October 7, 2023.”
Hezbollah, however, seeks to inflame the fragile ceasefire, according to Israeli experts. AP reported that Israeli forces killed two people and wounded 17 last Monday, according to Lebanese health officials. Hezbollah’s new leader Naim Kassem said his group won’t accept the extension of the ceasefire – a stinging indictment of the Lebanese government that agreed to extend the pause in combat.
“Israel has to withdraw because the 60 days are over,” Kassem said. “We won’t accept any excuses to extend one second or one day.” “Any delay in the withdrawal is the responsibility of the United Nations, the U.S., France and Israel,” he added.
Last week, pro-Hezbollah Shiite residents of southern Lebanon defied Israeli army orders and sought to storm into their villages. As a result, at least 22 people were killed and 124 others injured by Israeli forces, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. Hezbollah has used the Shiite villages and residents to attack Israelis since its ally, Hamas, massacred over 1,200 people in southern Israel. Hezbollah launched its attack one day after the Hamas invasion.
A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told Fox News Digital about the fast-moving developments in Lebanon that there is “nothing new on that front except what you saw from PMO.”
Minister’s Office. Fox News Digital reported on Friday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Since the ceasefire agreement has not yet been fully enforced by the Lebanese government, the gradual withdrawal process will continue, in full coordination with the United States.”
When asked about the collusion between the LAF and Hezbollah, the IDF spokesperson said, “We won’t comment on that.”
Walid Phares, a leading expert on Hezbollah and Lebanon, told Fox News Digital, “It is clear that Hezbollah has had a massive opposition to its military presence in Lebanon at least since May 2008 when they invaded half of the capital and parts of the mountain to bring down the government of the ‘Cedars revolution’ after the Syrian withdrawal in 2005.”
Phares, who has previously advised candidate Trump, added, “In Washington, D.C., there is a debate about arming or not the Lebanese army. Hezbollah has a lot of influence in the LAF. Some lawmakers want to stop the support to the army, others preach that maintaining that support will keep it away from Hezbollah.”He recommended a new policy: “Rerouting the money to new units in the Lebanese army dedicated only to disarm Hezbollah. These units should report to the command of the army and the president of the republic and should be funded on projects only.”
Phares said, “When Israel eliminated the leadership of the terror militia most Lebanese hoped it was the moment to end Hezbollah and have the army disarm it. People hoped Lebanon will be able to free itself and join the Abraham Accords. But again, the Biden administration didn’t help because of the Iran deal.”
Foreign policy critics of the Biden administration argued that he was wedded to the Iran nuclear deal and did not want to pick fights with Iranian regime allies, so he rekindled the Obama-era nuclear agreement with Tehran. Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal because, he argued, it did not stop Tehran from building a nuclear bomb.
IDF Lt. Col. (Res.) Sarit Zehavi, president and founder of the Israel-based Alma Research and Education Center, told Fox News Digital, “Hezbollah is coming back in south Lebanon [and is] opposed to the arrangement. The Lebanese Army is not fulfilling its mission to deploy effectively in south Lebanon to prevent Hezbollah from coming back.”A spokesman for Lebanon’s embassy referred Fox News Digital to a spokesperson in Beirut, who did not answer multiple press queries.
Zehavi, who lives close to the Lebanese border, said, “We did not see the Lebanese Army disarming Hezbollah. Hezbollah is coming back to those towns. If there are still weapons in those towns, I believe there is, it means that they will be capable of executing terror attacks.”
She said, “It is within the interests of Hezbollah to cause death, to cause friction to its own Lebanese civilians. And to present the IDF as a force that should not be in Lebanon.” She warned, “We should not fall into the fake message of Hezbollah.” Zehavi said after the second war in Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel it was agreed that Hezbollah should not be in south Lebanon. UNIFIL has ignored the Hezbollah military buildup since the Second Lebanon War in 2006, according to Israel.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital press query about whether the American government will end aid to the LAF.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
**Benjamin Weinthal is an investigative journalist and a Writing Fellow at the Middle East Forum. He is based in Jerusalem and reports on the Middle East for Fox News Digital and the Jerusalem Post. He earned his B.A. from New York University and holds a M.Phil. from the University of Cambridge. Weinthal’s commentary has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Haaretz, the Guardian, Politico, the New York Daily News, the New York Post, Ynet and many additional North American and European outlets. His 2011 Guardian article on the Arab revolt in Egypt, co-authored with Eric Lee, was published in the book The Arab Spring (2012).

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on February 04-05/2025
Syria's Sharaa Aims to Restore US Ties, No Contacts Yet with Trump Administration
Asharq Al Awsat/February 04/2025
Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said his government aims to restore ties with the United States in the coming days but has not yet had any contact with the Trump administration, according to an interview with The Economist. Sharaa, declared Syria's interim head of state last week, also noted that US troops were in Syria without government approval, adding that any such presence should be agreed with the state. He described US sanctions still imposed on Syria as "the gravest risk" to the country, Reuters reported. "I believe that President Trump seeks peace in the area, and it is a top priority to lift the sanctions. The United States of America does not have any interest in maintaining the suffering of the Syrian people," Sharaa said in the interview published late on Monday. Sharaa led the armed group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al Qaeda affiliate, in the lightning offensive that toppled former President Bashar al-Assad on Dec. 8. Syria has been under tough sanctions for years, imposed by the United States and other Western powers to isolate Assad over his brutal crackdown and to generate pressure for a political solution after more than a decade of civil war. In January, the outgoing Biden administration issued a sanctions exemption for transactions with Syrian governing institutions for six months. It followed a visit to Damascus by senior US diplomats in December. The US embassy in Damascus suspended its operations in 2012. Sharaa said HTS's terrorist designation had "become meaningless" following a decision to dissolve all the armed factions that fought Assad. The United States deployed forces to Syria a decade ago during the campaign against ISIS. They still have a presence in the north and northeast backing a Syrian ally, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). "In light of the new Syrian state, I believe any illegal military presence should not continue. Any military presence in a sovereign state should take place under a certain agreement, and there has been no such agreement between us and the United States of America," Sharaa said. He also said his administration was "reassessing the Russian military presence" in Syria, where Moscow propped up Assad. Russia, seeking to retain both a naval and air base in Syria, sent a senior official to Damascus last week. "We might reach an agreement (with them) or not, but in a way or another, any military presence should be with the agreement of the host state," Sharaa said. Asked whether he could imagine normalizing ties with Israel, Sharaa said "we want peace with all parties" but it was a sensitive issue because of regional wars and Israel's occupation of the Golan Heights, captured from Syria in a 1967 war. "There are many priorities in front of us, so it is too early to discuss such a matter because it requires wide public opinion. It also requires a lot of procedures and laws in order to discuss it, and to be honest, we have not considered it yet."

Syria’s Sharaa Holds Talks with Türkiye's Erdogan on His Second International Trip
Asharq Al Awsat/February 04/2025
Syria’s interim president was in the Turkish capital on Tuesday for talks expected to focus on Syria’s economic recovery as well as the presence of Kurdish-led forces in the north of the country that Türkiye considers to be a security threat. Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was appointed interim president last week, is making his second international trip following his visit to Saudi Arabia. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greeted al-Sharaa, who was dressed in a suit and a red tie — an apparent nod to the Turkish flag — with a group of the honor guard at the entrance of the vast presidential palace complex. Türkiye was a strong backer of groups opposed to ousted Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad during the country’s 13-year civil war and is considered to be one of the new administration’s key allies. Erdogan’s office said talks would focus on steps toward Syria’s economic recovery and its security and stability. Türkiye, which shares a 910-kilometer (565-mile) border with Syria, views the Syrian Kurdish militias that make up the key component of the US-allied, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, an extension of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party. It is pressing for the group to disband. Turkish-backed fighters are currently battling the SDF in a bid to push the Kurdish militias away from the Turkish border. Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the SDF, said in an interview with The Associated Press on Sunday that he recently met with Sharaa in Damascus, adding that the two sides are negotiating with the help of mediators to find compromises regarding Syria’s future, including the future of the Kurds. Türkiye hosted the greatest number of Syrian refugees following the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011 — more than 3.8 million at its peak in 2022. Sharaa and Erdogan are expected to discuss a joint defense pact, including establishing Turkish airbases in central Syria and training for Syria's new army, four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The sources - a Syrian security official, two Damascus-based foreign security sources and a senior regional intelligence official - spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media about the meeting. This is the first time that elements of any strategic defense arrangement by Syria's new leaders, including details of additional Turkish bases, have come to light. The pact could see Türkiye establish new air bases in Syria, use Syrian airspace for military purposes, and take a lead role in training troops in Syria's new army, the sources said. Syria's new leadership has dissolved the army and its various opposition factions, and is working on integrating them into a new military command. The sources said the deal was not expected to be finalized on Tuesday.

Syria Tops Discussions between Iraq, Iran in Tehran
Asharq Al Awsat/February 04/2025
Iranian parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stressed on Monday that Tehran and Baghdad were “determined in supporting the resistance front.”He received his Iraqi counterpart Mahmoud al-Mashhadani in Tehran for talks on regional developments, most notably in Syria. Ghalibaf said Mashhadani’s visit was “significant” given the development in the region, adding that Iran and Iraq play a “pivotal role” in achieving security and stability in in western Asia. “The Iranian and Iraqi leaderships must firmly believe in their country’s role in affecting developments in the region,” he added, according to the Iranian parliament website. “We won’t allow anyone to question this major role and influence,” he went on to say. On the ceasefire in Gaza, he described it as an “unprecedented failure for the Zionist entity throughout its 75-year illegal existence.”He said Israel had long boasted of its defense capabilities “believing it can eliminate Hezbollah and seize southern Lebanon. It has not achieved any of its strategic goals in proving that it is invincible or in breaking the resistance front.” “Despite its losses, the resistance front managed to persevere ... dealing the Zionist enemy a defeat,” Ghalibaf stated. On Syria, he warned of “political conspiracies by the enemy following its military defeat.”He called for the formation of a “new inclusive Syrian government that would prevent the reemergence of terrorist groups, such as ISIS, which may threaten the whole region.”“There is no doubt that the United States and Zionist enemy are behind all conspiracies,” he continued, urging Iraq to work with Iran in confronting them. For his part, Mashhadani said his visit to Tehran was taking place during a “critical time” in the region. He underlined Iraq and Iran’s important role in the region and the need for cooperation to confront challenges, most notably in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. From Iraq’s position as Syria’s neighbor, he underlined the importance of stability and security, saying all segments of Syrian society must play a role in running the country.

Some Palestinian Prisoners Freed in Ceasefire Arrive in Türkiye
Asharq Al Awsat/February 04/2025
Fifteen Palestinian prisoners among dozens freed by Israel under the Jan. 19 ceasefire agreement with Hamas arrived in Türkiye on Tuesday following deportation to Egypt, the Hamas prisoners media office said. They are the first taken in by a third country apart from Egypt under the ceasefire terms, which bar prisoners convicted by Israel of violent attacks from returning to the Palestinian territories. Palestinians view those jailed for fighting Israel as resistance heroes. A Turkish security source said 15 Palestinian prisoners were due to arrive via Egypt but gave no more details. The first phase of the ceasefire has led to Hamas' release of 18 hostages and Israel's release of 583 jailed Palestinians, of whom at least 79 were sent to Egypt. As well as those going to Türkiye, some may go to Algeria or Qatar, Hamas sources say. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday to discuss Gaza and Iran. The Gaza war started with the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people, and saw more than 250 taken as hostages. The Israeli military campaign killed more than 47,000 Palestinians and left the enclave in ruins.

Trump, Netanyahu Hold Talks as US President Warns ‘No Guarantees’ Peace in Gaza Will Hold
Asharq Al Awsat/February 04/2025
President Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu are set to meet Tuesday as the Israeli prime minister faces competing pressure from his right-wing coalition to end a temporary truce against Hamas in Gaza and from war-weary Israelis who want the remaining hostages home and the 15-month conflict to end.
Trump is guarded about the long-term prospects for the truce, even as he takes credit for pressuring Hamas and Israel into the hostage and ceasefire agreement that went into effect the day before he returned to office last month. "I have no guarantees that the peace is going to hold," Trump told reporters Monday. The leaders' talks are expected to touch on concerns about Iran's nuclear program, but hammering out the second phase of the hostage deal will be at the top of the agenda. Netanyahu's arrival in Washington for the first foreign leader visit of Trump's second term comes as the prime minister's popular support is lagging. Netanyahu is in the middle of weekslong testimony in an ongoing corruption trial that centers on allegations he exchanged favors with media moguls and wealthy associates. He has decried the accusations and said he is the victim of a "witch hunt."Being seen with Trump, who is popular in Israel, could help distract the public from the trial and boost Netanyahu’s standing. It's Netanyahu's first travel outside Israel since the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for him, his former defense minister and Hamas’ military chief, accusing them of crimes against humanity during the war in Gaza. The US does not recognize the ICC's authority over its citizens or territory. Netanyahu and Trump's Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff on Monday began the daunting work of brokering the next phase of a ceasefire agreement.
But Netanyahu is under intense pressure from hard-right members of his governing coalition to abandon the ceasefire and resume fighting in Gaza to eliminate Hamas. Bezalel Smotrich, one of Netanyahu’s key partners, vows to topple the government if the war isn’t relaunched, a step that could lead to early elections.
Hamas, which has reasserted control over Gaza since the ceasefire began last month, has said it will not release hostages in the second phase without an end to the war and Israeli forces’ full withdrawal. Netanyahu, meanwhile, maintains that Israel is committed to victory over Hamas and the return of all hostages captured in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war. Mira Resnick, a former deputy assistant secretary of state for Israeli and Palestinian affairs, said Trump may "have little patience for political woes of Netanyahu if it gets in the way of the broader goals of this administration." "The president started his term by saying that he wanted the ceasefire to be in place by Jan. 20. That's what he got," Resnick said. "He is invested in this because he was able to take credit for it." Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is among the hostages, called on Trump to use American leverage to keep Netanyahu committed to the agreement. Matan, 24, is among those who are expected to be included in the second phase of the deal, when all remaining living hostages — including men under the age of 50 and male soldiers — are to be exchanged for a yet-to-be-determined number of Palestinian prisoners. The second phase is also expected to include the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. "I want President Trump to know there are certain extreme elements from within Israel who are trying to torpedo his vision," said Zangauker, who traveled to Washington from Israel to join a planned Tuesday rally outside the White House. "We are representative of the vast, vast majority of Israel. The ultra-extremists are blackmailing the prime minister to do their bidding."Since returning to office, Trump has called for relocating Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring Egypt and Jordan, even as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordanian King Abdullah II have rejected it. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, the Palestinian Authority and the Arab League have joined Egypt and Jordan in rejecting plans to move Palestinians out of their territories in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Hard-line right-wing members of Netanyahu's government have embraced the call to move displaced Palestinians out of Gaza. Netanyahu on Monday met with Trump’s pick to serve as ambassador to Israel, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, and evangelical leaders. Huckabee has long rejected a Palestinian state in territory previously seized by Israel. The prime minister is also expected to press Trump to take decisive action on Iran. Tehran has faced a series of military setbacks, including Israeli forces significantly degrading Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon as well as an operation that decimated Iran's air defenses. The moment, Netanyahu believes, has created a window to decisively address Tehran's nuclear program. "This is one of the most important and critical meetings between an American president and an Israeli prime minister," said Eytan Gilboa, an expert on US-Israel relations at Bar-Ilan University near Tel Aviv. "What’s at stake here is not just bilateral relations between Israel and the United States but the reshaping of the Middle East."

Saudi Arabia Reiterates Support to Gaza Ceasefire, Return of Displaced
Asharq Al Awsat/February 04/2025
The Saudi government reiterated on Tuesday its support for efforts to maintain the ceasefire in Gaza, ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid and the return of the displaced back to their homes. Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired the government meeting that was held in Riyadh. Crown Prince Mohammed briefed the Cabinet on his separate meetings with Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and his telephone call with European Council President Antonio Costa.
The cabinet discussed the latest developments in cooperation between the Kingdom and other countries and international organizations. It reviewed progress on collaborative efforts aimed at strengthening communication and coordination, contributing to global security and stability, and fostering an environment conducive to regional development and prosperity for all its people. It hailed the outcomes of the second meeting of the Saudi-Japanese strategic dialogue, which demonstrated the strength of bilateral relations and the shared commitment to advancing it to new heights across various sectors to serve the interests of their peoples. Moreover, the cabinet deemed the Kingdom's hosting of the Interpol Regional Bureau as a significant step that will boost Interpol’s operational effectiveness in the Middle East and North Africa region, underscoring the international recognition of the Kingdom's pivotal role in combating extremism, terrorism, and crime in all their forms. The ministers reviewed regional and global developments, emphasizing the statement issued by the Arab Six-Party meeting on Palestine, in which the Kingdom took part, which renewed support for sustaining the ceasefire agreement, ensuring the delivery of increased humanitarian and relief aid, and facilitating the safe return of displaced civilians to their homes in the Gaza Strip. The cabinet reviewed the outcomes of the economic gatherings held in Riyadh recently, commending the successful conclusion of the Global Labor Market Conference. Seventy agreements and memoranda of understanding between government agencies and private companies were signed to benefit over 300,000 individuals, aiming to empower national cadres and increase their participation in development, aligning with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
The cabinet highlighted the significant international participation at the fourth Real Estate Future Forum, which saw the signing of numerous agreements and deals that are expected to contribute to the sector's development and facilitate the realization of its future potential, ultimately boosting Saudi Arabia’s position as a globally attractive destination for real estate investment.

Two Israeli Soldiers Killed in West Bank Shooting
Asharq Al Awsat/February 04/2025
Two Israeli soldiers were killed and eight wounded when a gunman opened fire on troops in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, setting off a gunfight in which the shooter was killed by Israeli soldiers, the military said. Two of the wounded soldiers were in a serious condition, with the other six lightly injured, the military said. The incident, at a checkpoint near Tayasir in the Jordan Valley, took place during a period of high tension in the West Bank, with major Israeli operations underway in the cities of Jenin and Tulkarm and smaller raids in other locations. Israeli media outlet Ynet reported that the attacker, armed with an M-16 automatic rifle, opened fire from close range on a soldier coming out of a fortified bunker, leading to a gunfight that lasted several minutes. The incident is the latest in a surge in violence across the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war in 2023. Israeli troops have conducted repeated sweeps, arresting thousands of Palestinians and killing hundreds, including both gunmen and uninvolved civilians. Dozens of Israelis have also been killed in attacks by Palestinians in the West Bank and Israel.

Israeli Military Operation Turns Jenin Refugee Camp into ‘Ghost Town’
Asharq Al Awsat/February 04/2025
An Israeli military operation in Jenin has turned the West Bank refugee camp into what residents and some officials describe as a ghost town, causing destruction on a scale not seen there for over 20 years. Israel's military says the large-scale raid is aimed at suppressing Iranian-backed armed groups in Jenin, a Palestinian city in the north of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Two weeks after the military operation began, Jenin is largely deserted. Thousands of Palestinians have left their homes, taking only what they could carry, after Israel told them to leave through drones with loudspeakers. After destroying roadways and other infrastructure, Israeli forces demolished multiple buildings at the weekend, causing loud explosions. "We stayed at home until the drone came to us and started calling for us to evacuate the house and evacuate the neighborhood because they wanted to carry out an explosion," said 39-year-old Khalil Huwail, a father of four who left with his family. "We left in the clothes we were wearing. We couldn't carry anything, that was forbidden," he said. "The camp is completely empty."After bulldozers and armored vehicles were deployed near his home, he said, residents trudged away along rubble-strewn roadways to an assembly point where Red Crescent vehicles awaited. Israel's military said it had destroyed 23 structures and would "continue to operate to thwart terror wherever necessary." From a hillside overlooking the camp, little could be seen apart from clouds of smoke and soldiers moving among the blackened walls of burnt-out houses. The operation, that latest stage of a raid launched last month, started after a ceasefire began in Israel's war in the Gaza Strip with the Hamas group. UNRWA, the UN Palestinian relief agency, said the demolitions in Jenin "undermine the fragile ceasefire reached in Gaza, and risk a new escalation".It said Jenin, a township for descendants of Palestinians who fled or were driven from their homes during the 1948 war around the creation of the state of Israel, "has been rendered a ghost town". The refugee camp, long been a stronghold of armed groups including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, has been raided repeatedly over the years - not only by Israel's military but also by the Palestinian Administration. In 2002, during the Second Intifada uprising, Israeli troops demolished hundreds of houses, displacing about a quarter of its population. Jenin governor Kamal Abu al-Rub said the latest operation had left in the camp only about 100 people from the 3,490 families that had been there before it. "The situation is worse than what happened in 2002 because the number of the displaced was lower then," he told Reuters.
COMPARISONS TO GAZA DESTRUCTION"
Israel has also been sweeping other areas of the West Bank, including the cities of Tubas and Tulkarm. At the start of the Jenin operation, Defense Minister Israel Katz said the army would apply lessons learned in the war in Gaza, more than 100 km (62 miles) to the south. "If you didn't write Jenin camp on the pictures, people would think it's Gaza," al-Rub said of the destruction in Jenin. "Same picture, different location."An attack on an Israeli military post near Tubas on Tuesday underlined tensions in the West Bank, where hundreds of Palestinians, including gunmen and uninvolved civilians, and dozens of Israelis have been killed since the Gaza war began. Seventy Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank this year, including 38 in Jenin, the health ministry said. Israeli officials say the West Bank is part of a multi-front campaign waged by Iran against Israel through proxies such as Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, and had long said Jenin risked becoming a "mini-Gaza". Palestinians see Israel's operation, which began after Israel banned UNRWA from its headquarters in East Jerusalem, as an attempt to displace Palestinians from land they see as the core of a future state in a repeat of events in 1948 that they call the "Nakba", or catastrophe.Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for the Palestinian presidency, called the operation part of a wider effort aimed at "displacing citizens and ethnic cleansing" that had gained new focus since US President Donald Trump - who was due to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday - suggested Egypt and Jordan should take in Palestinians. Jenin residents forced out of the camp remain defiant. "We will go back to our homes, the Nakba will not return," said Khalil Huwail. "We will not migrate to another area."

Hamas Says Talks Start on Second Phase of Gaza Ceasefire Deal
Asharq Al Awsat/February 04/2025
Talks have started on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal, the spokesperson for Hamas said on Tuesday. The first phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into force on Jan. 19 after 15 months of war and involved a halt to fighting, the release of some of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas and the freeing of some Palestinian prisoners. Phase two of the three-phase deal is intended to focus on agreements on the release of the remaining hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, according to Reuters. "Contacts and negotiation on the second phase have begun," Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua said, without providing further details. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said earlier on Tuesday that Israel was preparing to send a high-level delegation to the Qatari capital Doha to discuss continued implementation of the deal. Netanyahu was due to hold talks with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday. The initial six-week truce, agreed with Egyptian and Qatari mediators and backed by the US, has remained largely intact but prospects for a durable settlement are unclear.

Israel commits to new Gaza talks ahead of Trump meeting
Naharnet/February 04/2025
Israel said it was sending a team to negotiate the next phase in its fragile ceasefire with Hamas, signaling possible progress ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday. Netanyahu will be the first foreign leader to meet Trump in the White House since his return to power last month, and will likely face some pressure to honor the ceasefire the U.S. leader has claimed credit for.Hours before their meeting, Netanyahu's office said Israel would send a delegation to the Qatari capital Doha later this week for negotiations. Hamas has said it is ready to negotiate the second stage of the ceasefire, mediated by Qatar, the United States and Egypt, and which should focus on a more permanent end to the war. The first phase, which took effect on January 19, halted more than 15 months of bombardment and fighting that has levelled much of the Gaza Strip. In line with the agreement, Hamas and Israel have begun exchanging hostages held in Gaza for prisoners held in Israeli jails. "Israel is preparing for the working-level delegation to leave for Doha at the end of this week in order to discuss technical details related to the continued implementation of the agreement," Netanyahu's office said following meetings with Trump's advisors, including Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
'Redrawn the map' -
The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, taking into Gaza 251 hostages, dozens of whom have since been confirmed dead. The conflict has devastated much of Gaza, while families of the Israeli hostages have been urging all sides to ensure the agreement is maintained so their loved ones can be freed. Relatives of the youngest hostages, Ariel and Kfir Bibas, made a plea on Monday for information on the two boys and their mother, Shiri, after their father Yarden Bibas was released in the latest swap.
"Shiri, Ariel and Kfir, we miss you so much and are waiting for you with Yarden now," Ofri Bibas, Yarden's sister, said. Trump has touted a plan to "clean out" Gaza, calling for Palestinians to move to Egypt or Jordan. Both countries have flatly rejected his proposal, as have the territory's own residents. "We are the owners of this land; we have always been here, and will always be. The future is ours," said Majed al-Zebda, a father of six whose house was destroyed in the war. Before leaving for Washington, Netanyahu said Israel's wars with Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and its confrontations with Iran had "redrawn the map" in the Middle East. "But I believe that working closely with President Trump we can redraw it even further, and for the better," he said. Netanyahu hailed the fact he would be the first foreign leader to meet Trump since his inauguration as "testimony to the strength of the Israeli-American alliance."Trump, who prides himself on his dealmaking abilities, will be pushing Netanyahu to stick to the agreement, possibly offering incentives such as a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia. Efforts under Trump's predecessor Joe Biden for normalization froze with the Gaza war, and Saudi Arabia has in recent months hardened its position.
Focus on West Bank? -
Trump said Sunday that talks with Israel and other Middle Eastern countries were "progressing" -- but warned that he had "no assurances" that the truce in Gaza would hold. "I have no assurances that it will hold, I mean I've seen people brutalized, nobody's ever seen anything like it, no I have no guarantees that the peace is going to hold," he said. Witkoff, who met Netanyahu on Monday over terms for the second phase of the truce, said however that he was "certainly hopeful". Since the truce took effect, Israel has turned its focus to the occupied West Bank, launching a deadly operation in the area around Jenin, a hotbed of Palestinian militancy. U.N. aid agency UNRWA, which is now banned in Israel, warned the refugee camp of Jenin was "going into a catastrophic direction". On Tuesday, the Israeli army said a gunman killed two Israeli soldiers in an attack on a military post in Tayasir in the West Bank. The assailant was also killed. Asked about how he viewed a possible annexation of the West Bank, Trump told reporters: "It's a small country in terms of land.""It's a pretty small piece of land. And it's amazing that they've been able to do what they've been able to do," he said. Under the Gaza ceasefire's ongoing 42-day first phase, Hamas was to free 33 hostages in staggered releases in exchange for around 1,900 Palestinians held in Israeli jails. Four hostage-prisoner exchanges have already taken place, with militants freeing 18 hostages in exchange of some 600 mostly Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. The truce has also led to a surge of food, fuel, medical and other aid into Gaza, and allowed people displaced by the war to return to their neighborhoods in the north of the Palestinian territory.

Israeli military operation turns Jenin refugee camp into 'ghost town'
Ali Sawafta/JENIN, West Bank (Reuters)/February 4, 2025
An Israeli military operation in Jenin has turned the West Bank refugee camp into what residents and some officials describe as a ghost town, causing destruction on a scale not seen there for over 20 years. Israel's military says the large-scale raid is aimed at suppressing Iranian-backed militant groups in Jenin, a Palestinian city in the north of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Two weeks after the military operation began, Jenin is largely deserted. Thousands of Palestinians have left their homes, taking only what they could carry, after Israel told them to leave through drones with loudspeakers.
After destroying roadways and other infrastructure, Israeli forces demolished multiple buildings at the weekend, causing loud explosions. "We stayed at home until the drone came to us and started calling for us to evacuate the house and evacuate the neighbourhood because they wanted to carry out an explosion," said 39-year-old Khalil Huwail, a father of four who left with his family. "We left in the clothes we were wearing. We couldn't carry anything, that was forbidden," he said. "The camp is completely empty." After bulldozers and armoured vehicles were deployed near his home, he said, residents trudged away along rubble-strewn roadways to an assembly point where Red Crescent vehicles awaited. Israel's military said it had destroyed 23 structures and would "continue to operate to thwart terror wherever necessary." From a hillside overlooking the camp, little could be seen apart from clouds of smoke and soldiers moving among the blackened walls of burnt-out houses. The operation, that latest stage of a raid launched last month, started after a ceasefire began in Israel's war in the Gaza Strip with the Islamic militant group Hamas. UNRWA, the UN Palestinian relief agency, said the demolitions in Jenin "undermine the fragile ceasefire reached in Gaza, and risk a new escalation". It said Jenin, a township for descendants of Palestinians who fled or were driven from their homes during the 1948 war around the creation of the state of Israel, "has been rendered a ghost town".The refugee camp, long been a stronghold of militant groups including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, has been raided repeatedly over the years - not only by Israel's military but also by the Palestinian Administration. In 2002, during the Second Intifada uprising, Israeli troops demolished hundreds of houses, displacing about a quarter of its population. Jenin governor Kamal Abu al-Rub said the latest operation had left in the camp only about 100 people from the 3,490 families that had been there before it. "The situation is worse than what happened in 2002 because the number of the displaced was lower then," he told Reuters.
COMPARISONS TO GAZA DESTRUCTION"
Israel has also been sweeping other areas of the West Bank, including the cities of Tubas and Tulkarm. At the start of the Jenin operation, Defence Minister Israel Katz said the army would apply lessons learned in the war in Gaza, more than 100 km (62 miles) to the south. "If you didn't write Jenin camp on the pictures, people would think it's Gaza," al-Rub said of the destruction in Jenin. "Same picture, different location." An attack on an Israeli military post near Tubas on Tuesday underlined tensions in the West Bank, where hundreds of Palestinians, including armed militants and uninvolved civilians, and dozens of Israelis have been killed since the Gaza war began. Seventy Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank this year, including 38 in Jenin, the health ministry said. Israeli officials say the West Bank is part of a multi-front campaign waged by Iran against Israel through proxies such as Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, and had long said Jenin risked becoming a "mini-Gaza". Palestinians see Israel's operation, which began after Israel banned UNRWA from its headquarters in East Jerusalem, as an attempt to displace Palestinians from land they see as the core of a future state in a repeat of events in 1948 that they call the "Nakba", or catastrophe. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for the Palestinian presidency, called the operation part of a wider effort aimed at "displacing citizens and ethnic cleansing" that had gained new focus since U.S. President Donald Trump - who was due to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday - suggested Egypt and Jordan should take in Palestinians. Jenin residents forced out of the camp remain defiant. "We will go back to our homes, the Nakba will not return," said Khalil Huwail. "We will not migrate to another area."

Trump Set to Reimpose ‘Maximum Pressure’ on Iran, Aims to Drive Oil Exports to Zero
Asharq Al Awsat/February 04/2025
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday plans to restore his "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran in an effort to stop Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and drive its oil exports down to zero, a US official said. The move brings back the tough US policy on Iran that Trump, a Republican, practiced throughout his first term. Trump has accused his Democratic predecessor, former President Joe Biden, of weakening US resolve toward Iran. Trump had said during his campaign that Biden's policy of not rigorously enforcing oil-export sanctions had weakened Washington and emboldened Tehran, allowing it to sell oil, accumulate cash and expand its nuclear pursuits and influence through armed militias. Iranian crude exports have shot to the highest level in years in 2024 as the country found ways to sidestep punitive sanctions targeting its revenue. The return to the tougher approach came as Trump prepared to hold talks later on Tuesday with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump will sign a presidential memorandum that, among other things, orders the US Treasury secretary to impose "maximum economic pressure" on Iran, including sanctions and enforcement mechanisms on those violating existing sanctions, the official said. As part of the maximum pressure effort, the Trump administration will implement a campaign "aimed at driving Iran's oil exports to zero," the official said. Tehran's oil exports brought in $53 billion in 2023 and $54 billion a year earlier, according to US Energy Information Administration estimates, and output during 2024 was running at its highest level since 2018, based on OPEC data.Iran's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Oil prices were mixed on Tuesday on news of Trump's plans.
The US ambassador to the United Nations will work with key allies to "complete the snap-back of international sanctions and restrictions on Iran," the official said. Trump's first-term maximum pressure campaign sought to use vigorous sanctions to strangle Iran's economy and force the country to negotiate a deal that would hobble its nuclear and ballistic weapons programs. The Biden administration did not materially loosen the sanctions that Trump put in place, but there is debate about how vigorously the sanctions were enforced. Britain, France and Germany told the United Nations Security Council in December that they are ready - if necessary - to trigger a so-called snap-back of all international sanctions on Iran to prevent the country from acquiring a nuclear weapon. They will lose the ability to take such action on Oct. 18 next year when a 2015 UN resolution expires. The resolution enshrines Iran's deal with Britain, Germany, France, the United States, Russia and China that lifted sanctions on Tehran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program. Iran's UN ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, has said that invoking the "snap-back" of sanctions on Tehran would be "unlawful and counterproductive."
European and Iranian diplomats met in November and January to discuss whether they could work to defuse regional tensions, including over Tehran's nuclear program, before Trump returned to power. At the World Economic Forum in Davos last month, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said Iran has been "pressing the gas pedal" on its enrichment of uranium to near weapons grade. Iran has denied wanting to develop a nuclear weapon.

Swedish Police Say about 10 People Killed in Shooting at Adult Education Center
Asharq Al Awsat/February 04/2025
Swedish police said that about 10 people, including the gunman, were killed during a shooting Tuesday at an adult education center. But a final death toll and a conclusive number of wounded hadn't yet been determined. The damage at the crime scene was so extensive that investigators were unable to be more definitive, said Roberto Eid Forest, head of the local police. The shooting happened on the outskirts of the city of Orebro, which is located about 200 kilometers (125 miles) west of Stockholm. Eid Forest told reporters that one of those killed was the suspected perpetrator. Police believe the perpetrator acted alone. He wasn’t previously known to police, officials said. The school, called Campus Risbergska, serves students who are over age 20, according to its website. Primary and upper secondary school courses are offered, as well as Swedish classes for immigrants, vocational training and programs for people with intellectual disabilities. Police said that there were no suspected connections to terrorism at this point. Authorities were working to identify the deceased. Gun violence at schools is very rare in Sweden. But there have been several incidents in recent years in which people were wounded or killed with other weapons such as knives or axes.

Yemen FM: Houthi Terrorist Designation Step Towards Drying up their Financing
Aden: Ali Rabih/Asharq Al Awsat/February 04/2025
Yemeni Foreign Minister Shaya al-Zindani reiterated on Monday his country’s support for the US administration’s decision to re-designate the Iran-backed Houthi militias as terrorist. The move is a step towards drying up their sources of financing and limiting their threat, he added. Zindani was in Riyadh where he met with US Ambassador to Yemen Steven Fagin, said official Yemeni sources. The FM stressed the importance of joint coordination with Washington in various fields, they revealed. Fagin also met with Yemen’s parliament Speaker Sultan al-Barakani for talks on the latest developments in the country and peace efforts. The envoy renewed Washington’s support for Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council and government, saying cooperation will continue in various domains, Yemeni state media reported. For his part, Barakani echoed Zindani’s comments on the Houthis’ terrorist designation, urging international cooperation against the militias. Fagin said the designation stemmed from Washington’s realization of the threat posed by the Houthis against regional and world stability, reported the Saba news agency. He underlined his government’s support to the Yemeni people and work with regional and international partners to confront challenges.The security and stability of Yemen are a priority in the US’ foreign policy in the region, he added.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on February 04-05/2025
Witkoff Meets PLO Leader Who Vowed to Spend 'Last Penny' Financing Terror
Daniel Greenfield/Gatestone Institute./February 04/2025
Fresh from his success of implementing the Biden plan and saving Hamas, Steven Witkoff, acting as President Donald Trump's Middle East Envoy, went to Saudi Arabia, homeland of the 9/11 hijackers, and met with Hussein Al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the PLO Executive Committee and head of the Palestinian Authority (PA) General Authority of Civil Affairs, who is apparently the leading candidate to replace PLO chief and PA President Mahmoud Abbas.
Al-Sheikh has a vision. Terror and more terror.
In English, Al-Sheikh is referring to the 'Pay-to-Slay' program under which the Palestinian Authority funds terror by providing payments to imprisoned terrorists or the families of dead terrorists.
The Saudis are proposing some sort of deal under which Al-Sheikh gets a terrorist state in Israel to run. Witkoff ought to be asked why he's pulling America into nation-building terrorist states.
That's not America First. That's Jihad First.At a January 7, 2023 ceremony marking Palestinian Martyr's Day, PLO Executive Committee Secretary-General Hussein al-Sheikh claimed the Palestinians would spend every single penny they have on the so-called martyrs (dead terrorists) and their families as well as imprisoned terrorists. (Image source: MEMRI)
Fresh from his success of implementing the Biden plan and saving Hamas, Steven Witkoff, acting as President Donald Trump's Middle East Envoy, went to Saudi Arabia, homeland of the 9/11 hijackers, and met with Hussein Al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the PLO Executive Committee and head of the Palestinian Authority (PA) General Authority of Civil Affairs, who is apparently the leading candidate to replace PLO chief and PA President Mahmoud Abbas.
The meeting between Witkoff and Al-Sheikh took place amid efforts by the Trump administration to end the war in Gaza and push for a Saudi-Israeli peace deal that includes a path toward a Palestinian state.
Al-Sheikh isn't just an Abbas adviser, he's a possible successor to the aging PLO tyrant (or at least he was until he was recorded badmouthing Abbas) to run the Palestinian Authority.
And Al-Sheikh has a vision. Terror and more terror.
According to a MEMRI report, Al-Sheikh claimed the Palestinians would spend every single penny they have on the so-called martyrs (dead terrorists) and their families as well as imprisoned terrorists.
Al-Sheikh said:
"I would like to reassure you of our firm and unwavering commitment: Our martyrs, prisoners, and their families are where we cross the line. Even if we have one penny left, it will be spent on the families of the martyrs and prisoners...They are our purest, most permanent, loftiest, and most precious jewel."
In English, Al-Sheikh is referring to the 'Pay-to-Slay' program under which the Palestinian Authority funds terror by providing payments to imprisoned terrorists or the families of dead terrorists.
Al-Sheikh also claimed that "our arms are open to" Hamas and bragged of the PLO's role in defending the fellow Islamic terrorist group with which it had signed a unity agreement under the aegis of Communist China:
"Even as the world talked and demanded that Hamas be designated as a terror organization, who stood up the world? Was it not Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas] who stood in front of the UN and declared, 'No, Hamas is not a terror organization?'...
"The real terrorism is the Israeli occupation. The real terrorism are the settlements. The real terrorism is the crime being committed against the Palestinian people. We've done our homework... and know very well what our priorities are and how to defend our internal front."The Saudis are proposing some sort of deal under which Al-Sheikh gets a terrorist state in Israel to run. Witkoff ought to be asked why he's pulling America into nation-building terrorist states.
That's not America First. That's Jihad First.
*Daniel Greenfield is a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center. Reprinted by kind permission of the Center's Front Page Magazine.
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Assad Is Gone, Syria’s Captagon Trade Isn’t
Ahmad Sharawi/National Review/February 04/2025
https://nationalinterest.org/feature/assad-is-gone-syrias-captagon-trade-isnt/
Deposed Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and his inner circle made billions from manufacturing and exporting Captagon, a highly addictive amphetamine. On the same day, Assad fled to Russia, Syria’s new leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa—previously known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Jolani—declared an end to the Captagon era. “The Assad regime has turned Syria into a land of corruption and drug trade,” Sharaa said, but now, he pledged, “Syria is being purified.” Yet, in pursuit of stability for post-Assad Syria, Sharaa is already cultivating warm relations with the same kingpins on whom Assad relied to export Captagon. The Jordanian Armed Forces announced on January 4 that they had killed a number of smugglers attempting to cross into the kingdom from southern Syria. Despite the new Syrian authorities’ seizure of Captagon production facilities and burning of stockpiled pills, the drug trade clearly continues, and Sharaa is not in a position to antagonize the cartel leaders. On December 21, he met with Imad Abu Zureiq, on whom the United States imposed sanctions in 2023 for using his militia to “sell contraband, operate protection rackets, and smuggle drugs in Jordan, while also recruiting directly for [Syrian military intelligence.]”In a bid to stabilize the country and consolidate his own power, Sharaa has been meeting with leaders from the numerous factions making up the coalition that brought down Assad. Seeing the writing on the wall, Abu Zureiq broke with the regime before it collapsed, but not before getting rid of documents that implicated him in the drug trade and securing the escape of many of the regime officials in the area. Sharaa wants to unify the factions into a single national army, effectively under his command. Perhaps when his power is secure, Sharaa will turn on Abu Zureiq and other kingpins. But their wealth and manpower will make that a daunting task. Maher al-Assad, Bashar’s younger brother and former commander of Syria’s Fourth Armored Division, oversaw the production and trafficking of Captagon for the old regime. The civil war devastated the regime’s finances, but Assad became desperate after the collapse of the Lebanese economy in 2019, creating a crisis that spilled over into Syria. The global trade in Captagon had an estimated annual value of $10 billion, with the Assad family’s cut reaching around $2.4 billion per annum.
Sharaa and his newly appointed minister of defense, Murhaf Abu Qasra, have met with other key figures accused of involvement in the Assad regime narco-enterprise, not just Abu Zureiq. These include Ali al-Miqdad and Moayad al-Aqra, who were initially part of the opposition, like Abu Zureiq, then reconciled with the regime following a Russian-brokered agreement in 2018. Subsequently, they all became affiliated with the regime’s military intelligence directorate under Louay al-Ali, its head in the southern province of Daraa.
Al Ali played a pivotal role in facilitating drug smuggling operations from Syria into Jordan. He allegedly provided logistical support to local smugglers, including weapons and financial resources, in exchange for their cooperation. Many of the armed groups in Daraa that reconciled with the Syrian regime were closely affiliated with al-Ali. While these groups joined the uprising against the regime two days before its collapse, forming the Southern Operations Room, their opportunism suggests that their loyalty to Damascus is tenuous and their financial interests are paramount.
Although Sharaa has already secured control over Damascus and most major cities, the Southern Operations Room has refused to disarm or integrate into a unified military. Its leader is Ahmad al-Awda, another former ally of Louay al-Ali. Al-Awda was once labeled “Russia’s man.” The group’s spokesperson, Nassim Abu Ara, signaled its opposition to accepting Sharaa’s primacy. “We are not convinced by the idea of dissolving the factions. We have weapons, heavy equipment, and full preparations,” he said. Consequently, the southern border with Jordan remains under the control of smuggling groups.
The potential for a clash between Damascus and the southern militias is worrisome, but a rapprochement could be even worse if the traffickers’ reward for joining a unified Syrian army is an unwritten license to continue exporting Captagon. Such an outcome would recreate the Assad regime’s use of the military as a narco-enterprise. As the United States considers the most effective ways to engage with Syria’s new rulers, a pressing concern should be the integration into the new government of individuals tied to the Assad regime, Russia, and narco-trafficking. On January 6, the Treasury Department suspended sanctions for six months, giving a green light to those who want to do business with the new authorities in Damascus, including individuals currently under sanctions. Yet, if Captagon continues to spill across the border with Jordan or flow out of the country’s seaports, Washington and its allies should wield sanctions and other law enforcement measures to hold Damascus accountable.
**Ahmad Sharawi is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Trump’s Second Shot at Peace in the Middle East
Jonathan Schanzer/The Washington Free Beacont/February 04/2025
https://freebeacon.com/culture/trumps-second-shot-at-peace-in-the-middle-east/
REVIEW: ‘One Jewish State: The Last, Best Hope to Resolve the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict’ by David Friedman and ‘The Battle for the Jewish State: How Israel—And America—Can Win’ by Victoria Coates.
With Donald Trump’s return to the White House, Washington is bracing for a reprise of the president’s now-famous unpredictable and mercurial approach to governance. But if there was one area of Trump’s presidency that was more-or-less consistent last time around, it was the Middle East.
Trump’s support for Israel was unwavering. His “Peace Through Prosperity” plan promoted a performance-based path to statehood for the Palestinians. The Abraham Accords cemented normalization between Israel and several Arab states. The maximum pressure sanctions policy on the Islamic Republic of Iran squeezed the regime financially. Trump’s hard-nosed approach to the regime in Tehran was punctuated by the January 3, 2020, killing of IRGC Quds Force chief Qassem Soleimani.
Just before Trump’s return to Washington, two of his top Middle East foreign policy advisers released new books. And they may provide a hint of the president’s policies on Israel.
David Friedman, the president’s former attorney who then became America’s ambassador to Israel, encourages Israelis to “begin a national conversation regarding the future of Judea and Samaria”—the disputed territory also known as “the West Bank” inhabited by both Jews and Arabs who lay claim to it. In his book, One Jewish State, Friedman describes this sought-after real estate as “Israel’s biblical heartland,” which must be preserved by Jews and Christians, alike. He asserts that “Palestinians would be receptive to life under Israeli sovereignty if accompanied by the opportunity for better health, education, and prosperity and the assurance of human dignity.”
Friedman throws shade upon the “peace process” that has consistently failed to serve American interests for more than three decades. He notes that consecutive presidents, Democrat and Republican alike, have failed to achieve the two-state solution, primarily because of Palestinian rejectionism. Friedman believes that the Palestinians are simply not willing to make the compromises necessary for such a diplomatic outcome. And it is for this reason that he proposes a completely different paradigm—one that will be viewed by traditional Palestinian nationalists with disdain.
Friedman writes that the United States should embrace the Puerto Rico model for Middle East peace. He notes that Puerto Rico (Spanish for “wealthy port”) is an alternative standard for Palestinian autonomy. He notes, “the residents of Puerto Rico do not vote in U.S. national elections. They do, however, benefit from well-recognized human rights and elect their civilian leaders. While not a perfect analogy to Israel, Puerto Rico ensures the human dignity of its citizens while forgoing collective national rights.” Under Friedman’s vision, “Palestinians will be free to enact their own governing documents, as long as they are not inconsistent with those of Israel.”
Friedman’s book suggests a wholesale change in the diplomatic paradigm that would certainly provoke controversy. By contrast, Victoria Coates proposes a series of more modest steps that would merely mark a return to sensible previous Trump policies. The final chapter of The Battle for the Jewish State enumerates these policies, most of which were conceived when Coates was deputy national security adviser for the Middle East and North Africa on the Trump National Security Council.
After a concise review of the disastrous Israel policies that have invariably failed past presidents, Coates suggests that the next administration should “reimpose the funding freeze on the Palestinians, if for no other reason than the fact that the murderers of October 7 are being rewarded under the Palestinian ‘pay for slay’ law in violation of the Taylor Force Act.” Coates wisely calls for a ban on any taxpayer dollars to UNRWA—the U.N. Relief and Works Agency that has effectively served as a partner and enabler of Hamas terrorism in Gaza.
While Coates proposes a handful of punitive measures against Israel’s enemies, adversaries, and detractors, her vision for a more effective Middle East policy also includes some forward-looking steps. She endorses “lengthening the term of the memoranda of understanding that outline the U.S.-Israel security partnership from ten years to twenty-five.” She notes that the “U.S.-Israel Free Trade Agreement could be expanded.” She states that “America could finally and unambiguously recognize Israel’s sovereign borders”—an apparent nod to Friedman’s call for Israel to control all of the West Bank.
Coates also seeks to build upon the Abraham Accords. She notes that an effective “Saudi Arabia-Israel agreement would unlock the possibility of the broader regional security and economic alliance originally proposed by President Trump on his first trip abroad in 2017, which began with a summit meeting with Arab states in Saudi Arabia as well as a visit to Israel … the first direct presidential flight from Riyadh to Tel Aviv.” In short, Coates remains bullish on a Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA) also known as “Arab NATO.” She notes that the United States and Israel should “work with fellow producers in MESA on a responsible energy policy, one that will keep global markets amply supplied to meet the world’s burgeoning energy demands in the coming years.”
Domestically, Coates voices concern about the recent spike in anti-Israel and anti-Jewish hate. She calls on Congress to “amend and strengthen” the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 “to counter the threats America faces today,” including the groups that “have promoted and lent political legitimacy to Hamas” on college campuses and main street America. She endorses the idea of Ellie Cohanim, Trump’s former deputy special envoy for anti-Semitism, to transfer the special envoy office from the State Department to the White House to “demonstrate a Presidential commitment to a broader mandate”—namely fighting anti-Semitism at home and abroad with equal vigor.
Whether the policies of David Friedman and Victoria Coates are embraced by Trump remains to be seen. Their respective places in the new administration have not yet been secured (if they will be at all).
New figures, such as National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and special envoy to the Middle East Steven Witkoff (among others) will have their hands full with a fragile ceasefire following a war that rocked the region for 15 months. They will assume their new roles armed with more than a few ideas floated by veterans of Trump World, and at a time when the problems of the Middle East are in desperate need of new thinking.
One Jewish State: The Last, Best Hope to Resolve the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
by David Friedman
Humanix Books, 256 pp., $29.99
The Battle for the Jewish State: How Israel—And America—Can Win
by Victoria Coates
Encounter Books, 194 pp., $29.99
*Jonathan Schanzer, a former terrorism finance analyst at the United States Department of the Treasury, is executive director at the nonpartisan think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Why Does Qatar Keep Helping Terrorists?
Jonathan Schanzer & Natalie Ecanow/National Review/February 04/2025
https://www.nationalreview.com/2025/02/why-does-qatar-keep-helping-terrorists/
Qatar remains one of the world’s foremost proponents of violent Islamist movements and states. The U.S. should treat it accordingly.
Just hours before leaving power, the Biden administration agreed to trade a Taliban prisoner for two Americans held in Afghanistan. Qatar facilitated the swap. Twelve hundred miles away, the Qatar-brokered Gaza cease-fire took effect. Hamas released three Israeli hostages in exchange for 90 Palestinian terrorists. Qatar is looking more and more like an advocate for terrorist groups engaged in human-trafficking by the day.
Upon their release, the two Americans in Taliban custody — Ryan Corbett and William McKenty — departed Kabul for Doha, where U.S. officials were waiting to hand over notorious Afghan narco-terrorist Khan Mohammed. Mohammed was serving two life sentences in a California prison for distributing heroin and opium to assist the Taliban. He is the first convicted narco-terrorist in American history. At the time of his conviction, the U.S. Department of Justice described Mohammed as a “violent jihadist” bent on killing American soldiers. Locals reportedly showered Mohammed with garlands when he arrived back in his home province in eastern Afghanistan.
The celebration was emblematic of a tale that has become routine: Qatar moving people on behalf of terrorist groups in exchange for concessions from Western governments.
And the beat goes on. As the Qatari-brokered Gaza cease-fire took effect on January 19, one day before Donald Trump was set to take office, Hamas freed three Israeli hostages. Twenty-four hours later, Israel released dozens of Palestinian prisoners under the terms of the cease-fire deal. The former inmates, many of them convicted on terrorism charges, received a hero’s homecoming in the West Bank. Droves of Palestinians waving the flags of Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad greeted the returning prisoners with cheers.
To make matters worse, as the cease-fire took effect, thousands of Hamas fighters — uniformed and armed — deployed throughout Gaza and began to reassert control over the strip. Hamas terrorists flashed V-signs in celebration of their comeback. Mousa Abu Marzouk, a senior member of Hamas’s politburo based in Qatar, boasted that Israeli troops “were steadfast on the ground for 470 days,” but “they didn’t succeed.” Hamas’s message was clear: We’re back in business. And for that, the terror group owed thanks to its patrons in Doha.
The prisoner swaps continue. This week, Hamas released four female Israeli soldiers that Hamas kidnapped on October 7, 2023. In turn, an estimated 200 additional terrorists were released. In total, Israel is expected to release approximately 1,900 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 33 of the 94 remaining hostages — some of whom will return in body bags.
Negotiations for the second phase are scheduled to begin on Day 16 of the cease-fire. However, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al-Thani is reportedly “pushing” to kickstart the next round of negotiations even sooner. Doha is on a charm offensive. Al-Thani even appeared on Israel’s Channel 12 to appeal to the Israeli public.
Doha is eager to end the war in a manner that will ensure Hamas’s survival. This is hardly surprising considering that Qatar has showered Hamas with hundreds of millions of dollars and sheltered the group’s senior leaders for over a decade. What is surprising: that the Trump administration, like the Biden administration before it, appears content to treat Qatar as an honest broker in this deal, even as it is plainly apparent that Qatar is not a disinterested party.
But it’s even worse than it appears.
The disastrous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, which resulted in the tragic death of 13 American service members at Abbey Gate at the Kabul airport, not to mention one of the most embarrassing episodes in American military history, was brokered by the Qataris. Indeed, it was the Qataris who allowed the establishment of a Taliban embassy in Doha to negotiate that arrangement.
In August 2023, Qatar helped broker a deal that saw Iran release five American citizens imprisoned in the Islamic Republic on spurious charges in exchange for an equal number of Iranian nationals in U.S. custody. The Biden administration agreed to pay a $6 billion ransom in the form of unfrozen Iranian oil revenue that had been locked in South Korea since 2018. Tehran released the Americans in September 2023 after the money was transferred to Qatar’s central bank.
Today, the Qataris are actively promoting the new leaders of Syria as legitimate actors on the world stage, despite Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham’s long-standing ties to al-Qaeda. Qatar is paying the salaries of the new government’s employees, among other support.
Doha’s success with the Taliban has even caught Canada’s attention: At Ottawa’s request, the Qataris just negotiated the release of a former Canadian soldier who was arrested by the Taliban in November 2024.
There is obviously great temptation in Washington to work with the government of Qatar. CENTCOM maintains a significant base in the country. The Biden administration named Qatar a “Major Non-NATO Ally.” And the temptation grows ever greater in Washington as Qatar spends tens of billions of dollars in the United States, from law firms to public relations agencies to universities and Wall Street, to sustain its access and influence.
The dangers of this dynamic must be better understood by Americans. Qatar remains one of the world’s foremost proponents of violent Islamist movements and states. A course correction is needed. The Trump administration might start with an official policy review. At minimum, we must cease allowing Qatar to facilitate prisoner swaps that benefit terrorists. Beyond that, America would benefit from more stringent standards to help us differentiate friend from foe.
*Jonathan Schanzer is senior vice president for research at Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington, D.C. Follow him on X @JSchanzer. Natalie Ecanow is a senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). Follow Natalie on X @NatalieEcanow. Follow FDD on X @FDD.

Two Years in America That Will Be Crucial for World History
Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awsat/February 04/2025
Even the most seasoned among us journalists are currently witnessing a historic moment. I believe that we have not seen anything like this since the emergence of the new world order following the Cold War... perhaps even since the end of World War II.
We have not seen the foundations of international relations crumble, the spirit of international law undermined, and concepts such as state sovereignty and national self-determination so blatantly disregarded, since the 1990s. That is the state of play just days after US President Donald Trump returned to the White House. The scenario, which seems hardly believable, continues to shock politicians, journalists and even the business and economic communities daily - even though they are now very familiar with Trump’s nature and temperament. Of course, many had expected him to put his controversial slogans into action, in light of what he did during his first term. This image was further reinforced by the way he addressed his loss in the November 2020 election, when, unlike Vice President Mike Pence, Trump refused to recognize the results and openly incited his supporters to storm the Capitol. Yes, many expected this, but certainly not everyone. Because some of these slogans went so far in their populism, no sensible person could hesitate to see them as mere rhetoric meant to rally the base during the electoral campaign, but not necessarily anything more. What has actually happened is striking and alarming. Trump won with both an Electoral College and a "popular" majority last November. In 2016, he secured only the Electoral College (304 Electoral College votes to 227), but Clinton received over 65.85 million votes, while Trump garnered fewer than 63 million.
Last fall, Trump successfully also led his Republican Party to victory in both chambers of Congress, thereby consolidating his grip on the legislative branch as he reclaimed the White House, the seat of the executive branch. Conservative right-wing justices continue to dominate - some whom Trump appointed during his first term - the US Supreme Court, the pinnacle of the country’s judicial branch!
Thus, the Trump phenomenon leads not only the Republican Party, after sidelining its historically moderate figures, but also cemented its dominance over the party’s base in rural areas, suburbs and among the working and lower-middle classes, many of whom had shifted to the right during the Reagan era.
At the same time, the outline of an alliance between Trump and major figures in both traditional and new media, especially elite billionaires, has quickly materialized. As right-wing outlets like Fox News escalated their war against the Democrats, the billionaire Elon Musk made the first move, acquiring Twitter and turning it into X, claiming to seek to curb "restrictions on free speech." This followed Twitter’s earlier decision to block Trump’s baseless campaigns and push back against his baseless accusations.
It wasn’t long before other media and social media moguls joined in, strongly backing Trump’s campaign alongside Musk. Among them was Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Meta (which owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and others), as well as the owners of reputable newspapers traditionally known for their liberal leanings, most notably The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times.
As a result, Donald Trump now feels that he not only controls all three branches of government - executive, legislative and judicial - but also has the impression that he controls the media landscape and public opinion. He is utterly convinced of his own infallibility, believing that his intuition is never wrong and that he does not need to revise his convictions, consult anyone or compromise.
We are, then, facing unprecedented and unconstrained "corruption of power." He recognizes no rights for any other party, disregards the opinions of allies or partners, has no regard for institutions, treaties, alliances, or conventions and does not even distinguish between friend and foe.
The most immediate and alarming implication of this corruption of power is that Trump is using it to serve impulsive or make deals. That is Trump’s political mindset and how he operates, rather than furthering a well-thought-out, long-term strategic vision for strengthening alliances or managing conflicts.
With his short-sighted deal-making defining US politics, the lines between enemy and ally are blurred. The political guardrails that are meant to safeguard consensus and prevent disastrous miscalculations are becoming increasingly wobbly.
Barring unexpected surprises, this situation is likely to persist - at least until early November 2026, when the US will hold midterm elections and all House representatives and one-third of the Senate will be up for re-election. In principle, America will have its first real opportunity to save itself from itself in November 2026. By extension, it will also be its first chance to ease global tensions and contain crises and save whatever remains salvageable... unless it is already too late by then.

On the Heartbreaking Crowds and the Voice of Resounding Victory
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al Awsat/February 04/2025
There have been many mass marches in history, and they have been turned into material for myths and mystification and constitute a trove of wealth for the imagination. Mass gatherings of people stir the same emotions and images as the difficult paths paved with pain that they traverse. The point of departure on a journey laden with torment is intriguing, as is the final destination of presumed salvation. As for the hardships undergone in between, they too are wild sources of inspiration. Thus, for many, masses on the move seem like a snapshot of history turning on itself, or a testament to history pushing events, with full force, in one direction or the other. The story of Moses remains foundational to our conception of crowds and their departures that go beyond space to create meaning. Extraordinary miracles are attributed to the Jewish prophet who led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt according to the religious narrative: unleashing plagues and deadly diseases, wreaking havoc upon nature, seas, and rivers alike, all in the hope of convincing the Pharaoh to set his people free and allow them to leave Egypt.
Then, the "deliverer" split the Red Sea with his staff to lead his people on a forty-year-long journey that ultimately brought them to the borders of the "Promised Land." There, he received the Torah at Mount Sinai and God promised him that "His people" would receive a land of their own that sets them apart from other nations - on the condition that they adhere to His commandments and prohibitions.
The Five Books of Moses are more than just a historical record precisely because their "traversal" presented, for the first time, a conception of history that transforms the disarray of the past into single unit and a trajectory in pursuit of a unifying goal and something akin to a law of chronology and causality - uniquely imbuing it with a philosophy of history. That is how they surpassed the ancient Greek and Roman traditions, becoming European thinkers’ primary reference for understanding the world.
Reaching the salvation being sought, as the "traversal" does, thus became the ideal that many were inspired to emulate - and this was not only true for the religious or believers in the Torah. In the modern era, propaganda methods, along with ideological driven narratives and interpretations, have been employed to push traversals that culminate in salvation.
For example, no more than 30,000 fascist "marchers" took part in the 1922 "March on Rome." Similarly, the "Long March" (1934–35) in China was, in fact, a defeat and a retreat in the face of the advancing Kuomintang forces, and out of the 100,000 communists who went on this 10,000-kilometer journey, only 8,000 survived. Yet, the "Long March" nonetheless played a crucial role in amplifying Mao Zedong’s leadership and ultimately paved the way for his takeover of China in 1949. The "March on Rome" had already achieved the same, as King Victor Emmanuel III gritted his teeth in fear, acquiesced and tasked Benito Mussolini with the formation of a government.
Over the past few decades, we have seen masses on the move create scenes of pure tragedy in which they were heading only to further suffering, but they were not inspired by the foundational biblical narrative, nor did they fake themselves with claims of false victories. In 1991, as Saddam Hussein brutally retaliated to the Iraqi Kurdish uprising that followed his failed invasion of Kuwait, 750,000 Kurds fled to Iran, 280,000 fled to Türkiye, while another 300,000 gathered at the Iraqi-Turkish border, waiting. The Kurds did not claim victory at the time; rather, they waited for the United States to declare northern Iraq a no-fly zone, keeping Saddam’s air force out to its skies.
In 1994, two million Rwandans fled the country in the span of just one hundred days, while another 1.5 million were displaced within the country - nearly one million Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered, in a country whose population numbered no more than seven million at the time.
The relative scale of displacement and death seen in Syria since 2011 largely resembles that of Rwanda: more than half of the population was either internally displaced or forced into exile, in addition to over half a million Syrians who died. And as with the Iraqi Kurds, the Rwandans and Syrians were overwhelmed by a profound sense of grief that was carved deep into their soul, grief that was almost silent and without words.
Recently, in southern Lebanon, but especially in Gaza, we saw heartbreaking images of crowds returning to devastation or being prevented from returning to homes that had been destroyed. Over the many heads loomed the heavy shadow of an arrogant, belligerent Israeli baton, deciding whether the return is allowed or not. Here, there is no salvation or promise, and there is no industry to manufacture success. There is only the image of the oppressed, destitute, and broken people who have lost everything, trudging forward amid deafening cries of the "organizers of their happy trip:We are victorious."
This is disheartening. Regrettable. Painful. Sad. Humiliating. It is cause for lingering despair.

On World Cancer Day
Philip A. Salem, M.D./Asharq Al Awsat/February 04/2025
Every year, people around the world stand before the "emperor of maladies" in fear and reverence and ask: How far have we come in the fight to eradicate this disease? How much longer will it continue to take our lives and instill fear in our hearts? What progress has science made in recent years?
The scientific knowledge we have accumulated so far allows for curing all cancer patients at a rate of 65%. It also enables us to prevent 70% of cancer cases. However, when the disease reaches advanced stages, the chances of a complete recovery drop significantly- how significantly depends on the type of cancer and the quality of treatment. On this World Cancer Day, we have come together to discuss the importance of high-quality treatment and new concepts that are revolutionizing traditional approaches to cancer treatment and significantly increasing rates of recovery.
The first concept: contrary to what we had previously believed, not all of a patient’s cancer cells are the same. They vary in shape, function, and how they respond to treatment. Some may respond to chemotherapy, some to immunotherapy, and others to targeted therapy. Accordingly, it makes sense to treat the patient with a combination of these three therapies.
Recent research has proven that using a combination of treatments destroys a significantly larger number of cancer cells than traditional treatments that rely on a single approach. These findings have led to a substantial increase in recovery rates. Moreover, each of these three treatments eliminates cancer cells in a different way. While chemotherapy kills both cancerous and healthy cells, targeted therapy focuses only on cancer cells. Immunotherapy, on the other hand, stimulates the patient’s immune system, enabling it to identify and destroy malignant cells.
The second concept: no two cancer patients suffer from the exact same disease. Each patient’s cancer is fundamentally different from others, even when the cancer emerges from the same organ and the same anatomical diagnosis is given after it is analyzed under the microscope. We have learned that identifying the disease through its biological identity, at the cellular level, yields better results than relying on its appearance under the microscope. We have also come to understand that each cancer’s biological identity is unique, meaning that no two patients share the exact same disease profile.
This has led us to a new conception of the disease and to the view that treating hundreds of patients using the same treatment is not logical. That is the essence of the recent shift away from the traditional treatment approaches. In this new strategy, treatment is tailored to individual patients and their disease. This strategy also treats each patient with a combination of the three therapies, but in different ways for each of them; each of the treatments relies on a large number of different medications.
The essence of this shift is that no two patients receive the exact same treatment. This new approach, which focuses on the biological identity of the disease, represents the future of cancer treatment. Treatments based solely on anatomical diagnosis will soon become obsolete. Moreover, this strategy can be applied to all types of cancer, with the exception of leukemia. Recent research has demonstrated that in every case that this approach was used, the patient responded significantly better than those who had received traditional treatments.
The third concept: a doctor should treat their patient with what they believe to be the best possible therapy, not the treatment covered by health insurance providers, which often favor so-called "standard therapy." While standard treatments can be effective, they are not always the best option. The key takeaway is that, in cancer treatment, using the best treatment instead of standard therapy can mean the difference between life and death. A major problem is that doctors are reluctant to use the best available treatment because insurance companies may refuse to cover the costs. It is essential to remember that the primary goal of these companies is to make a profit, not to ensure that the patient recovers. As a result, they constantly seek to avoid paying the high costs of the most effective treatments.
During my time as a member of a healthcare advisory committee under President George H.W. Bush, I fought to free doctors from the dominance of insurance companies but soon realized that these companies wield more power than the state itself. Doctors also hesitate to use optimal treatments for fear of legal action. In the United States, a physician can be sued by their patients or their families if they prescribe a treatment that is not considered "standard therapy."
That is the shift. This is the path to giving advanced-stage cancer patients the best chance to fully recover: using a combination of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy, tailoring treatment to the individual patient and their specific type of cancer, and allowing doctors to choose the best available therapy without restrictions. The right to life is the most fundamental human right. This right is inseparable from the right to good health, as one’s health is the gateway to life itself. All other rights enshrined in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights pale in comparison to the right to life. This right should be a top priority. Yet, thousands of people die every day because it is denied to them, under the pretext that it is not affordable. They claim there isn’t enough money to fund the battle against disease. However, they always seem to have more than enough money to manufacture and purchase the most destructive weapons. When will the world see leaders who believe that true strength lies in preserving and uplifting human life, rather than humiliating and destroying it? The Holy Quran tells us: "Whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land – it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one – it is as if he had saved mankind entirely" (Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:32).