English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For July 05/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from
me; for I am gentle and humble in heart
Matthew 11/25-30: "‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have
revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All
things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except
the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the
Son chooses to reveal him. ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying
heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from
me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’"
Titles For The
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on July 04-05/2025
I Call On Joseph Aoun To recruit Randala Jabour and May Khreish To His
Advisors' Brigade./Elias Bejani/July 03, 2025
Father Khadra: A Prophetic Voice Calling for the Preservation of the Christian
Presence in Lebanon/Elias Bejjani/July 01/ 2025
Expatriates' Betrayal Crime: Basil, His Father-in-law, & Their Puppet Pharisees
and Judases Are Abject Slaves to the Evil Hezbollah/Elias Bejjani/July 01/2025
Video link: A commentary by journalist Marwan Al-Amin from "Al-Badeel" website,
titled: "The Rule of Law and Accountability Are What Founded Israel's Victory."
The Nature of Obstructionism and the Ethics of Obstructionists/Dr. Ali Khalifa/Nidaa
Al-Watan/July 04/2025
My Father told me the story of our ancestor's journey to The United States of
America/Eblan Farris/Face Book/July 04/2025
Hezbollah Ambiguous on Disarmament and Disbanding of Its Security and Financial
Arms/Bassam Abou Zeid/This is Beirut/July 04/2025
Adraee Confirms the Targeting of Qassem Salah al-Husseini in Khaldeh Strike
Barrack reportedly discussed Lebanon and Syria at the Elysee
Barrack says disarming Hezbollah requires 'carrots and sticks'
US Plan on the Table: Disarm Hezbollah and Revive Lebanon’s Economy
President Aoun Stresses Judicial Integrity During Visit to Ministry of Justice
Aoun denies reports about fighters build-up on Lebanon's eastern border
US paper 'cannot pass' as it is, Hezbollah sources say
Reports: Hezbollah may cede heavy arms but not lighter ones
Hezbollah to reply within 48 hours to Lebanese paper after Aoun-Berri talks
Report: Hezbollah agrees to 'step-for-step' proposed by Aoun
Paris says in contact with US over Lebanon
Bassil meets Aoun, says Hezbollah disarmament should not be a free ride
Hezbollah supporters mourn Nasrallah's bodyguard Abou Ali
Wave of Israeli airstrikes target south Lebanon
Berri and the Deadly Trinity: Arms, Corruption, and Electoral Sabotage/Makram
Rabah/Now Lebanon/July 04/2025
Under pressure, Hezbollah weighs scaling back its arsenal
Lebanon Risks Missing the Train/Pierre Nahas/This is Beirut/July 04/2025
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on July 04-05/2025
IAEA pulls inspectors from Iran as standoff over access drags on
Israeli military prepares plan to ensure Iran cannot threaten country, defense
minister says
Iran resumes international flights after a 20-day suspension
Saudi Arabia's current priority is a permanent Gaza ceasefire, foreign minister
says
Trump says he expects Hamas decision in 24 hours on 'final' peace proposal
Gaza’s Nasser Hospital operating as ‘one massive trauma ward’
UN records 613 killings in Gaza near humanitarian convoys or aid distribution
points run by US group
British group Palestine Action seeks to pause government ban
Efforts ongoing to halt Gaza war
Hamas responds to Gaza ceasefire proposal, it’s ‘positive,’ Palestinian official
says
Settlers and Palestinians clash in West Bank village
Dozens of Palestinians killed while waiting for aid
Syria ready to work with US to return to 1974 disengagement deal with Israel
Syria unveils new national emblem as part of sweeping identity overhaul
Syrian authorities evacuate citizens amid major forest fires
Turkish prosecutors add charges of forging diploma against jailed Istanbul mayor
Titles For
The Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources
on July 04-05/2025
The Baha'i faith is small, far-flung, and faced with repression in parts
of the Middle East/DAVID CRARY/Associated Press/July 4, 2025
Question: “What does the Bible say about Christian tithing? Should a Christian
tithe?”/GotQuestions.org/July 4, 2025
Pentagon has undermined Trump’s goal of Ukraine peace/Luke Coffey/Arab News/July
04, 2025
Ensuring water security through robust regulation/Mads Helge/Arab News/July 04,
2025
Syria’s reintegration highlights deepening intra-Arab ties/Zaid M. Belbagi/Arab
News/July 04, 2025
Regional tensions bring Turkiye and Armenia closer/Dr. Sinem Cengiz/Arab
NewsJuly 04, 2025
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 04-05/2025
I Call On Joseph Aoun
To recruit Randala Jabour and May Khreish To His Advisors' Brigade.
Elias Bejani/July 03, 2025
The popular proverb states, "Tell me what you read, and I'll tell you who you
are." We can coin a similar adage: "Tell me who your advisors are, and I'll tell
you who you are."
Building on this principle, which connects advisors to individuals and, more
critically, to public officials, I personally urge President Joseph Aoun to
recruit May Khreish, a prominent Southern resistance and defiant lawyer still
mourning Sayyed Nasrallah's assassination. Additionally, Randala Jabour, a
Syrian nationalist journalist known for her ideological devotion to Antoine
Saad's Greater Syria, her commitment to Hezbollah's resistance, and her
unwavering hostility towards Zionists and their "usurping" state, would be a
valuable addition.
It's crucial to acknowledge that these two figures were aligned with Gebran
Bassil and his father-in-law, giving them invaluable experience in all forms of
opportunism, expediency, and political adaptability.
Adding Khreish and Jabour to the Baabda Advisors' brigade is now essential, as
the Lebanese proverb wisely states, "To complete the carried load with
hawthorn."
Historically, sound advice came at a price. However, given the culture of the
"resistance merchants" and their cronies—steeped in illusions, daydreams, and
psychological denial, justification, and projection—our counsel is freely
offered. This advice aims to support the President in his approach to
"negotiating with Hezbollah in a bid to hand over its weaponry to the state."
These negotiations, however, contradict UN resolutions, the ceasefire agreement,
and the agenda of all regional and international powers who brought both
President Aoun and Nawaf Salam into power. Their mandate is to supervise the
implementation of UN resolutions, not to negotiate with proxies of the Iranian
occupation to entrench their presence and legitimize their weapons through
cunning rhetoric and manipulative tactics.
Undoubtedly, Khreish and Jabour are the ideal advisors for the path Joseph Aoun
has pursued thus far. As for the rest of the President's advisor brigade,
there's no need to elaborate more.
Father
Khadra: A Prophetic Voice Calling for the Preservation of the Christian Presence
in Lebanon
Elias Bejjani/July 01/ 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/07/144813/
With a clear conscience, in testimony to the truth, and in faith in Lebanon—the
land of holiness and saints, with its identity, entity, mission, and the
foundational role of Christians, especially the Maronites, in shaping its unique
existence—we must thank the Lord for the blessing of this leavening and
apostolic monk, Father Tony Khadra. He carries in his heart, conscience, and
soul—and on his shoulders, with all the abilities, gifts, and blessings granted
to him by God—the sacred mission of safeguarding the active Christian presence
in the Land of the Cedars.
Father Khadra’s activities are a form of apostolic struggle, and his voice
stands as a steadfast and prophetic call defending the coexistence and dignity
of Christians in Lebanon—amid the blindness and numbness of conscience that
afflicts many political party leaders, politicians, tycoons, and submissive
Christian clerics, in the full and humiliating sense of the term.
Father Khadra’s perseverance and determination to continue his holy
mission is a blessed and apostolic endeavor. May God prolong his life,
strengthen his faith, and fortify his unwavering and unyielding resolve.
Expatriates'
Betrayal Crime: Basil, His Father-in-law, & Their Puppet Pharisees and Judases
Are Abject Slaves to the Evil Hezbollah
Elias Bejjani/July 01/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/07/144768/
Basil's brazen, vile, and
treacherous opposition to the right of expatriates to participate in elections,
most of whom are Christians, confirms that he, his La Civilforci Father-in-law,
and all those who support them—the merchants, the deposits, the Pharisees, the
scribes, and the tax collectors— are the sons of Judas in heart, soul, and
genes, and a demonic catastrophe with which we Maronites have been afflicted.
Video link: A commentary by
journalist Marwan Al-Amin from "Al-Badeel" website, titled: "The Rule of Law and
Accountability Are What Founded Israel's Victory."
July 04, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/07/144864/
Worshipping and sanctifying the leader, and turning him into an untouchable
symbol, brings nothing but defeat and ruin.
Marwan Al-Amin/Facebook/July 04, 2025
Netanyahu saved Israel from the Hamas movement and killed Sinwar and all the
movement's leaders.
He saved Israel from Hezbollah and killed Nasrallah and all the party's leaders.
He saved Israel from the Iranian nuclear project and killed most of Iran's
military and security leaders and nuclear scientists.
And today, Netanyahu appears before the court on corruption charges.
Military power alone does not achieve victories. The Soviet Union possessed
nuclear weapons, but it collapsed. The concepts of the rule of law,
accountability, and science are the solid foundations upon which military power
rests, and which led to Israel's victory.
Does Israel deserve victory? Yes, it does, because victory is the result of a
political, state, and institutional framework, and because it built a political
environment that ensures the state remains above the leader.
Do we deserve defeat? Yes, we do, and we established it through failed states,
blind subservience, and hollow slogans that wrap backwardness, humiliation,
collapse, and defeat in religious coverings and illusory victories.
Worshipping and sanctifying the leader, and turning him into an untouchable
symbol, brings nothing but defeat and ruin, even if after some time. For the
state that triumphs is the one that subjects everyone, no matter how high their
positions and status, to accountability, and places the law above the
individual, not the other way around.
The Nature of Obstructionism and the Ethics of Obstructionists
Dr. Ali Khalifa/Nidaa Al-Watan/July 04/2025
(Free Translation from Arabic by: Elias Bejjani)
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/07/144869/
Obstructionism is a term soaked in negativity. It abstains from everything
noble—chiefly, ethics. At its core, obstructionism is a setback for humanity, a
regression in the Arab and Islamic civilizational experience, and a disgrace in
the modern history of Lebanon. The age of obstructionism is one of decay,
desolation, and extremism. To obstructionists, the world is split into two
camps: one that parrots their myths, fabrications, and nonsense as if they were
divine truths, and another of traitors, apostates, and villains—merely for
daring to think differently.
With a corrosive gaze, obstructionism views global civilization as a threat. It
seeks to sever cultural connections and destroy mutual enrichment. It launches
preemptive strikes against shared human values and lashes out at individualism,
critical thinking, and intellectual independence. It vilifies liberalism, even
as it parasitically benefits from its accomplishments. From the darkness of its
self-imposed cave, it scorns modernity and demonizes the West—and if it could,
it would reduce the entire world to ashes.
In return, obstructionism offers no alternative but backwardness, weaponized
ignorance, and the malicious abuse of religion—even to the extent of fabricating
a religion that wars against the essence of faith itself. This is precisely what
Khomeini did when he replaced Islam with a barbaric doctrine bearing no relation
to historical Shiism—whether Twelver, Alawite, or Ameli—and reduced God to the
likeness of a black-turbaned devil. Or as Hezbollah has done: a scourge upon
Lebanon's Shiites, growing like a parasite upon the corpse of the state and
usurping its exclusive responsibilities in defense, security, economy, and
society.Should an obstructionist come across an article that challenges their
beliefs, they erupt at the mere title—or once their internal pressure reaches
boiling point—raging like a bull in a corrida. They do not debate or respond;
instead, they call for your blood or attack your honor, invoking your mother or
sister in vulgarity, rather than confronting your ideas. Meet them on air, and
at the first disagreement, they recoil as if touched by evil—hurling insults,
trivialities, and defamation. On social media, their pages are shrines to their
idols: one features a grimacing Soleimani, another Khamenei scowling like an
owl, or Nasrallah issuing threats or smirking. They retreat into their symbols,
their talismans, their vendettas—often anonymous, faceless figures. One, in a
moment of misplaced intimacy, posts a photo with his wife, her face hidden
behind an emoji—obedient to a religious prohibition invented for him by his
guardian.
From the culture of obstructionism and the minds of obstructionists, no refined
art emerges, no useful science, no enlightening discourse—only ignorance,
buffoonery, and vulgarity. In the face of reason—which alone can rescue from
misery—they wrap themselves in the false robes of piety, engaging in theatrical
displays meant to inflame sectarianism and provoke discord, all while abandoning
even the most basic standards of moral conduct.
My Father told me the story of our ancestor's journey to The United States of
America
Eblan Farris/Face Book/July 04/2025
My Father told me the story of our ancestor's journey to The United States of
America. My ancestors came from Lebanon to the United States in 1898 and 1900.
Through Ellis Island - my Mom's family went to Joplin Missouri and my Dad's
family Springfield, Missouri.
Lebanon was occupied by the Ottoman Empire, the Ottomans would go to a home and
if you had 4 children they would take 3 and leave 1. The 3 would be used as
laborers and most of the time the family would never see them again. So, instead
of giving 3 to the Ottomans - many Lebanese Families would send the 3 to
America, the Land of Freedom, the Land of Hope! They traveled by Ship from
Lebanon to New York, and the trip would last about 40 days, upon getting closer
to the shores of the United States, they eagerly waited for the first sign of
the new promised land by searching out the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of
enduring hope. The Statue of Liberty has been a symbol of freedom and hope for
millions of immigrants to the United States, it remains an international symbol
of freedom for people everywhere, the Statue of Liberty has greeted immigrants
in search of a better life to America’s shores.
After going through Ellis Island they traveled to Springfield. My dad told me
they walked a lot but the majority of the travel was by train. Interesting note
as to why they chose Springfield, other Lebanese immigrants made it here and
were successful, and that the train actually ended in Springfield Missouri.
Our great great Uncle Frank had 3 stores in Springfield and a house, he hosted
and employed everyone that came from the old country. He used to instruct them
about honest work and upholding a good reputation, and that we all are now part
of the American family and must contribute positively to this family. Upholding
high standards of Morals, Values, and Ethics. He used to tell them every morning
we will attend morning mass from 7:00 am to 7:30 am and then head off to work
the day usually lasted until 7 pm, and then he hit them with this last statement
- “miss one day of mass and you’re going back to the Ottomans.”To embark to this
land was the best decision in our families' history.
Hezbollah Ambiguous on
Disarmament and Disbanding of Its Security and Financial Arms
Bassam Abou Zeid/©This is Beirut/July 04/2025
According to Lebanese sources, the anticipated response to the message conveyed
by US envoy Tom Barrack regarding the disarmament of Hezbollah is expected to
align with what Barrack stated in an interview with The New York Times,
specifically the application of a carrot-and-stick approach toward the group.
Lebanon's official response, however, remains unsettled, as Hezbollah has yet to
submit its feedback on the draft proposal. Barrack is expected to be briefed on
the latest developments during his meetings in Beirut on Monday with President
Joseph Aoun. He is also set to meet Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri—Hezbollah’s
main liaison—as well as Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.Hopes are high that the
current draft may evolve into an official response once Hezbollah’s input is
incorporated. However, Hezbollah appears to be engaging in tactical
brinkmanship. It might either delay submitting its reply until Barrack arrives
in Beirut or refrain from responding claiming it needs more time to review the
document. In either case, Hezbollah seems to be betting on the likelihood that a
finalized Lebanese response would be acceptable to the US envoy.
Nevertheless, sources also voiced concern about Israel’s increasingly hardline
stance and the possibility of outright rejection—especially since Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected in Washington on Monday for a meeting
with President Donald Trump, where the Lebanese file will reportedly be on the
agenda. Meanwhile, several possible scenarios are being considered regarding the
US envoy’s response: the Lebanese reply could be either accepted as is, sent
back with requests for amendments, or rejected outright. Should the US approve
the document, it will then be submitted to the Lebanese Cabinet. However, the
matter will not be discussed at the Cabinet level unless the US first gives its
green light. If the Americans request modifications, Cabinet deliberations would
likely be postponed until further notice. An outright rejection, on the other
hand, may signal a premeditated plan by Israel to escalate its military pressure
on Hezbollah, possibly forcing the group into total capitulation. Sources fear
that Barrack’s visit to Beirut, coinciding with Netanyahu’s meetings in
Washington, could be accompanied by a surge of Israeli airstrikes. The most
crucial point in the Lebanese draft response remains unanswered: Will Hezbollah
relinquish its weapons? If Hezbollah responds affirmatively, government insiders
say Beirut will stress that disarmament cannot come free of charge. Each
concession, they argue, must be met with concrete, reciprocal steps—chief among
them firm US guarantees that translate into action on the ground: an Israeli
withdrawal from remaining occupied territories, a halt to assassinations, and an
end to airstrikes. For now, the Lebanese government continues to avoid labeling
Hezbollah as a “militia”—a term the US insists on using. Ambiguity also
surrounds Lebanon’s official position on dismantling Hezbollah’s security
infrastructure and halting all related activities. Equally unclear is Beirut’s
stance on dismantling Hezbollah’s economic apparatus, most notably the al-Qard
al-Hassan Association.
Adraee Confirms the
Targeting of Qassem Salah al-Husseini in Khaldeh Strike
This is Beirut/July 04/2025
The Israeli army’s Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee announced on Friday that
the Israeli army had eliminated Qassem Salah al-Husseini, an operative working
for Iran’s Quds Force, in a drone attack on his vehicle in Khaldeh. Thursday’s
strike also injured three other individuals. Adraee wrote on his X account,
“Yesterday, the Israeli army attacked with precise intelligence guidance and
eliminated Qassem Salah al-Husseini, a Lebanese terrorist who was working to
promote terrorist plans against the citizens of Israel and the Israeli army on
the northern front, at the behest of the Iranian Quds Force.”He added,
“Al-Husseini was a key element in the network smuggling weapons from Iran via
Syria to several areas on the northern front, as well as in Judea and Samaria.
He operated under the direction of the Quds Force and participated in attempts
to smuggle weapons into Israel to carry out terrorist plots.”Adraee described
the elimination of al-Husseini as “a blow to the ability of various terrorist
organizations on the northern front and in the Judea and Samaria regions to
grow.”He stressed that the army and the General Security Service would continue
to work to thwart any threat to the security of Israel’s citizens.
Barrack reportedly
discussed Lebanon and Syria at the Elysee
Naharnet/July 04/2025
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack met Thursday night with officials at the French
presidential palace to discuss the situations in Lebanon and Syria, a French
diplomatic source said.“Paris and Washington agreed to boost cooperation in the
Lebanese and Syrian files and they have stressed their commitment to Lebanon’s
sovereignty and stability,” the source told Al-Arabiya’s Al-Hadath channel. The
source added that Barrack and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot discussed
the ceasefire mechanism between Lebanon and Israel and the file of the U.N.
Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
Barrack says disarming Hezbollah requires 'carrots and
sticks'
Naharnet/July 04/2025
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has called the ceasefire that ended the war between
Israel and the Hezbollah in November “a total failure” because Israel is still
bombing Lebanon and Hezbollah is accused of violating the agreement’s terms.
Last month, according to the New York Times, he delivered a proposal from U.S.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Lebanon’s government with specific objectives
and timelines on how to disarm Hezbollah and fix the economy. He is expected to
receive a reply next week. Disarming Hezbollah would require “carrots and
sticks,” Barrack told the New York Times, and involves the Lebanese Army
searching house to house for weapons. To give Hezbollah’s supporters and
Lebanese southerners a stake in the process, Barrack said the United States is
seeking financial help from Saudi Arabia and Qatar that would focus on
reconstruction in parts of southern Lebanon battered during the war. “If the
Shiites of Lebanon are getting something from this, they will cooperate with
it,” he said.
US Plan on the Table:
Disarm Hezbollah and Revive Lebanon’s Economy
This is Beirut/July 04/2025
In an interview with The New York Times, Donald Trump’s special envoy for Syria
and US ambassador to Turkey, Thomas J. Barrack Jr., revealed that he had
recently presented a proposal to the Lebanese government aimed at disarming
Hezbollah and reviving the country’s economy. The plan, delivered in June and
attributed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, includes specific objectives and
timelines, with operations led by the Lebanese Army involving house-to-house
weapons searches. Barrack acknowledged the sensitive nature of the process,
stating that “disarming Hezbollah would require ‘carrots and sticks.’” He
emphasized the need to secure the cooperation of Lebanon’s Shiite communities,
long seen as supportive of Hezbollah, by tying the disarmament effort to
targeted reconstruction aid. He stated, “If the Shiites of Lebanon are getting
something from this, they will cooperate with it.”
He indicated that the US is seeking financial backing from Qatar and Saudi
Arabia to fund the rebuilding of southern Lebanon, heavily damaged by the latest
round of fighting. Barrack also dismissed the November ceasefire between Israel
and Hezbollah as “a total failure,” arguing that “Israel was still bombing
Lebanon and Hezbollah was violating the agreement’s terms.”
President Aoun Stresses
Judicial Integrity During Visit to Ministry of Justice
This is Beirut/July 04/2025
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun visited the Ministry of Justice in Beirut this
morning to assess the state of the judicial sector amid the country’s ongoing
challenges. During his tour, President Aoun addressed judges directly, urging
them to uphold fairness and resist external influence. “Judge fairly and per the
law; do not acquit a criminal, do not convict an innocent person and do not
yield to pressure or intimidation,” he stated. The President met with Minister
of Justice Judge Adel Nassar and emphasized the crucial role of the judiciary
and the need to reinforce justice during this critical period for Lebanon.
Following his visit to the ministry, President Aoun proceeded to the Supreme
Judicial Council alongside Minister Nassar, where he met with Council President
Judge Suhail Abboud. He later met with Public Prosecutor Judge Jamal al-Hajjar,
joined by Judges Abboud, Nassar and Ayman Oweidat, President of the Judicial
Inspection Authority. The President also met with Acting Deputy Public
Prosecutor Judge Dora Khazen, in the presence of the same senior judicial
figures.
Aoun denies reports about
fighters build-up on Lebanon's eastern border
Naharnet/July 04/2025
President Joseph Aoun on Friday denied the reports about the alleged entry of
armed groups from Syria into Lebanon and the reports about mobilization for
incursions from Syria.“No party can eliminate another party in Lebanon and no
sect has an advantage over another. The latest Israeli war targeted entire
Lebanon, while the economic war has not been merciful on any of its sons,” Aoun
said. Warning of “the enemies within the country who incite sectarianism out of
keenness on their interests with foreign forces,” the president said
“coordination is well underway with the Syrian side to prevent cross-border
smuggling.”
US paper 'cannot pass' as it is, Hezbollah sources say
Naharnet/July 04/2025
A U.S. paper that was presented to Lebanon’s government with specific objectives
and timelines on how to disarm Hezbollah and fix the economy "is not acceptable
as it is" to Hezbollah, according to sources close to the group. The sources
told al-Joumhouria newspaper, in remarks published Friday, that Hezbollah's
disarmament cannot happen through the "carrots and sticks" approach or through
threats and pressure. U.S. envoy Tom Barrack had told
the New York Times that disarming Hezbollah would require "carrots and sticks"
and involves the Lebanese Army searching house to house for weapons. The sources
said the topic needs time to be discussed and that pressure for a rushed
response and a "take-it-or-leave-it" approach will not work. Hezbollah's
parliamentary bloc had said Thursday that it is important that the Lebanese
response preserves Lebanon's demands, rights and sovereignty and that Israel's
withdrawal from the occupied territories in south Lebanon and its commitment to
the ceasefire deal are "naturally" required as a first step.
Reports: Hezbollah may cede heavy arms but not lighter ones
Naharnet/July 04/2025
Hezbollah began a strategic review following its latest war with Israel and is
considering scaling back its role as an armed movement without disarming
completely, media reports published Friday said. Hezbollah concluded that its
arsenal has become a liability and is now considering turning over some weapons,
notably missiles and drones seen as the biggest threat to Israel, on condition
Israel withdraws from the south and halts its attacks, the reports said. But the
group won't surrender its entire arsenal and intends to keep lighter arms and
anti-tank missiles as a means to resist any future attacks, the reports added.
Hezbollah to reply within 48 hours to Lebanese paper after
Aoun-Berri talks
Naharnet/July 04/2025
President Joseph Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and PM Nawaf Salam are yet to receive
Hezbollah’s response to the Lebanese amendments to U.S. envoy Tom Barrack’s
paper, which were prepared by a tripartite committee after intensive meetings at
the Baabda Palace, Al-Jadeed TV said. Hezbollah is expected to deliver the
response on Friday or Saturday to Berri, Al-Jadeed added, noting that the joint
presidential committee would meet again after receiving the official response in
order to finalize Lebanon’s formal response. Informed sources meanwhile told the
TV network that Hezbollah is demanding “real guarantees that Israel would abide
by the new paper.”“It has concerns over Barrack’s paper and considers it a
capitulation paper based on the previous experiences with Israel, which did not
commit to agreements, Resolution 1701 or the ceasefire arrangements,” the
sources added, noting that “the atmosphere is uneasy and marred by cautious
anticipation pending Hezbollah’s response.”Al-Jadeed also revealed that Berri
had met with Aoun over a dinner banquet on Wednesday evening and that the
discussions tackled Barrack’s paper, Hezbollah’s response and the file of
appointments.
Report: Hezbollah agrees to 'step-for-step' proposed by
Aoun
Naharnet/July 04/2025
Hezbollah has agreed to the “step-for-step” principle proposed by President
Joseph Aoun regarding the handover of its weapons in return for Israel’s
withdrawal from the South and the halt of its attacks, sources told Al-Arabiya’s
Al-Hadath channel. “Hezbollah has proposed that the Israelis withdraw from the
five hills after which it would pull back north,” the sources said. “Hezbollah
has agreed to hand over the heavy weapons in return for credible guarantees that
Israel won’t wage further attacks,” the sources added.
“Hezbollah will turn over its weapons in Beirut after Israel withdraws to the
international border,” the sources went on to say.
Paris says in contact with US over Lebanon
Naharnet/July 04/2025
The French foreign ministry said Friday that Paris is communicating with
Washington over Lebanon and that “the November agreement must be implemented
with all its stipulations.”“We condemn all Israeli strikes in Lebanon,
especially those leading to civilian casualties,” a French foreign ministry
official told Al-Arabiya’s Al-Hadath channel. “The pacification agreement with
Israel stipulates that only the Lebanese Army is tasked with removing weapons in
the South,” the official said. “UNIFIL and the mechanism committee will oversee
the handover of arms to the Lebanese Army,” the French official added.
Bassil meets Aoun, says Hezbollah disarmament should not be
a free ride
Naharnet/July 04/2025
Free Patriotic Movement leader Jebran Bassil said Friday there should be a quid
pro quo for Hezbollah's disarmament after he met President Joseph Aoun in Baabda.
According to Bassil, it goes without saying that Israel must in return
withdraw from occupied Lebanese territories, halt its attacks and its
exploitation of Lebanese natural resources - including water, oil, and gas.
"Everyone should feel that these weapons are not being given away for nothing in
return," Bassil said. An old but no longer ally of Hezbollah, Bassil had in the
past supported Lebanon's defense but criticized Hezbollah for dragging the
crisis-hit country into a war with Israel in support of Hamas and Gaza. Bassil
said he hopes Hezbollah "would seize the opportunity" and would not feel
defeated. "We should all feel that we have won what's in Lebanon's interest and
that no party has been defeated."
Hezbollah supporters mourn Nasrallah's bodyguard Abou Ali
Associated Press/July 04/2025
Hezbollah members and supporters held a funeral Thursday in Beirut's southern
suburbs for the former bodyguard and head of security of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah,
the group's longtime leader. Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli strike in south
Beirut last year, while his former bodyguard Abou Ali Khalil was killed in Iran
during last month's Israel-Iran war, along with his son Mahdi. Abou Ali Khalil,
better known as Abou Ali Jawad, was killed after he went to Iran from
neighboring Iraq. For many years, he was seen behind Nasrallah during most of
his public appearances. After Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstike in
September, his bodyguard was put in charge of his tomb in Beirut.
Wave of Israeli airstrikes target south Lebanon
Agence France Presse/July 04/2025
A series of Israeli airstrikes targeted Thursday areas in south Lebanon between
Yahmor al-Shqif and Deir Seryan, and the outskirts of Zawtar el-Sharqiyeh and
other areas in the Jezzine region. The Israeli army said it struck "military
sites, including weapons depots, military structures, and terrorist
infrastructure" of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Their presence and activities
in the area constitute, according to Israel, a "flagrant violation" of the
ceasefire agreement, which came into effect on November 27 to end over a year of
hostilities. Despite the ceasefire, Israel continues to carry out strikes on
Lebanon almost daily, claiming to target Hezbollah. An Israeli strike on a
vehicle at the southern entrance of Beirut earlier on Thursday killed one man
and wounded three other people, as the Israeli army said it hit a "terrorist"
working for Iran.
Berri and the Deadly Trinity: Arms, Corruption, and Electoral Sabotage
Makram Rabah/Now Lebanon/July 04/2025
It is difficult—perhaps impossible—for Lebanon to change so long as Hezbollah
retains its weapons. While some argue that focusing exclusively on the group’s
arsenal is simplistic or even unfair, Speaker Nabih Berri’s latest move—blocking
expatriate voting in the upcoming parliamentary elections—returns the discussion
to its core and reminds us of the harsh reality at hand.
During the most recent parliamentary session, Berri, Hezbollah’s partner in
“crime”, acting in his capacity as Speaker, refused to place the issue of
expatriate voting on the agenda. Instead, he deferred to the existing law, which
restricts the diaspora’s electoral rights to electing six MPs representing six
continents, stripping them of their previous right to vote in their home
districts, as they did in the last elections. This is not merely a question of
electoral law—it is emblematic of a much deeper struggle: the Shiite duo’s
categorical refusal to concede anything on the issue of arms.
This deadly trinity—arms, corruption, and obstruction of electoral reform—rests
on three foundational pillars:
First, the weapons: Hezbollah’s weapons are the linchpin of the political
control exercised by Berri and what remains of Hezbollah over the state. Cloaked
in the rhetoric of “protecting Shiite rights,” this claim is heretical in
nature: it protects neither the Shiites nor Lebanon. As recent regional events
have shown, these weapons have failed even to defend Iran itself or serve any
credible deterrent function.
Second, sectarian patronage: This is evident in the monopolization of key
appointments across Lebanon’s security, administrative, and judicial
institutions. Successive backroom deals and political clashes over judicial
appointments have revealed a system in which competence and integrity are
irrelevant. What matters is loyalty—sectarian loyalty—regardless of
constitutional violations or governmental paralysis.
Third, the rejection of electoral reform: Berri and Hezbollah categorically
reject any reform that might challenge their monopoly over Shiite
representation. This rejection preserves the linkage between sect and arms and
prevents other Lebanese factions from touching the so-called “national pact.”
Hence their adamant opposition to expatriate voting and to meaningful reforms
such as the establishment of “mega centers” that would allow citizens to vote
freely without facing harassment or coercion from the political establishment.
The right of the diaspora to vote is not a marginal issue. It is a national
right and duty. These are the Lebanese who built the country’s reputation abroad
and accumulated its symbolic and financial capital. They entrusted their savings
to Lebanese banks—only to see them squandered by the same political class now
denying them the right to participate in the country’s democratic life.
This trinity—arms, corruption, and the exclusion of the diaspora—is not just a
theory. It is a coherent system designed to protect Lebanon’s entrenched
criminal order. If weapons are the symbolic foundation of this order, then
elections and appointments are its concrete mechanisms—and it is through these
that Lebanese citizens must fight back, with a resolve equal to that of the
regime’s leaders, who routinely violate the constitution and dismantle the
state.
What many overlook is that denying expatriates the right to vote is practically
also a denial of sovereignty. Sovereignty is not confined to geography—it is
measured by every citizen’s ability to express their political will freely,
wherever they may be. Preventing the diaspora from voting is simply an extension
of the armed coup against the state—beyond Lebanon’s borders, a coup which has
been led by Berri as the face of Lebanon’s so-called political class. This is
not a time for grievance. It is a time for action. Every Lebanese citizen—at
home or abroad—has the right and the responsibility to confront this toxic trio,
not with silence or resignation, but with resistance: at the ballot box, in the
courts, in the streets, and through the creating and upholding a new national
narrative. mak
Nabih Berri is not the Lebanese people’s fate. Arms are not a constitution. And
the diaspora is not a guest in this country—it is a partner in its salvation.
*This article original appeared in Nidaa al-Watan
*Makram Rabah is the managing editor at Now Lebanon and an Assistant Professor
at the American University of Beirut, Department of History. His book Conflict
on Mount Lebanon: The Druze, the Maronites and Collective Memory (Edinburgh
University Press) cover collective identities and the Lebanese Civil War. He
tweets at @makramrabah
Under pressure, Hezbollah
weighs scaling back its arsenal
Reuters/July 04, 2025
BEIRUT: Hezbollah has begun a major strategic review in the wake of its
devastating war with Israel, including considering scaling back its role as an
armed movement without disarming completely, three sources familiar with the
deliberations say. The internal discussions, which aren’t yet finalized and
haven’t previously been reported, reflect the formidable pressures the
Iran-backed Lebanese militant group has faced since a truce was reached in late
November. Israeli forces continue to strike areas where the group holds sway,
accusing Hezbollah of ceasefire violations, which it denies. It is also
grappling with acute financial strains, US demands for its disarmament and
diminished political clout since a new cabinet took office in February with US
support. The group’s difficulties have been compounded by seismic shifts in the
regional power balance since Israel decimated its command, killed thousands of
its fighters and destroyed much of its arsenal last year. Hezbollah’s Syrian
ally, Bashar Assad, was toppled in December, severing a key arms supply line
from Iran. Tehran is now emerging from its own bruising war with Israel, raising
doubts over how much aid it can offer, a regional security source and a senior
Lebanese official told Reuters.Another senior official, who is familiar with
Hezbollah’s internal deliberations, said the group had been holding clandestine
discussions on its next steps. Small committees have been meeting in person or
remotely to discuss issues including its leadership structure, political role,
social and development work, and weapons, the official said on condition of
anonymity. The official and two other sources familiar with the discussions
indicated Hezbollah has concluded that the arsenal it had amassed to deter
Israel from attacking Lebanon had become a liability.Hezollah “had an excess of
power,” the official said. “All that strength turned into a weak point.”Under
the leadership of Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed last year, Hezbollah grew
into a regional military player with tens of thousands of fighters, rockets and
drones poised to strike Israel. It also provided support to allies in Syria,
Iraq and Yemen.
Israel came to regard Hezbollah as a significant threat. When the group opened
fire in solidarity with its Palestinian ally Hamas at the start of the Gaza war
in 2023, Israel responded with airstrikes in Lebanon that escalated into a
ground offensive.
Hezbollah has since relinquished a number of weapons depots in southern Lebanon
to the Lebanese armed forces as stipulated in last year’s truce, though Israel
says it has struck military infrastructure there still linked to the group.
Hezbollah is now considering turning over some weapons it has elsewhere in the
country — notably missiles and drones seen as the biggest threat to Israel — on
condition Israel withdraws from the south and halts its attacks, the sources
said. But the group won’t surrender its entire arsenal, the sources said. For
example, it intends to keep lighter arms and anti-tank missiles, they said,
describing them as a means to resist any future attacks. Hezbollah’s media
office did not respond to questions for this article. Isreal’s military said it
would continue operating along its northern border in accordance with the
understandings between Israel and Lebanon, in order eliminate any threat and
protect Israeli citizens. The US State Department declined to comment on private
diplomatic conversations, referring questions to Lebanon’s government. Lebanon’s
presidency did not respond to questions. For Hezbollah to preserve any military
capabilities would fall short of Israeli and US ambitions. Under the terms of
the ceasefire brokered by the US and France, Lebanon’s armed forces were to
confiscate “all unauthorized arms,” beginning in the area south of the Litani
River — the zone closest to Israel. Lebanon’s government also wants Hezbollah to
surrender the rest of its weapons as it works to establish a state monopoly on
arms. Failure to do so could stir tensions with the group’s Lebanese rivals,
which accuse Hezbollah of leveraging its military might to impose its will in
state affairs and repeatedly dragging Lebanon into conflicts.
All sides have said they remain committed to the ceasefire, even as they traded
accusations of violations.
PART OF HEZBOLLAH’S ‘DNA’
Arms have been central to Hezbollah’s doctrine since it was founded by Iran’s
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to fight Israeli forces who invaded Lebanon in
1982, at the height of the 1975-1990 Lebanese civil war. Tensions over the
Shiite Muslim group’s arsenal sparked another, brief civil conflict in 2008. The
United States and Israel deem Hezbollah a terrorist group. Nicholas Blanford,
who wrote a history of Hezbollah, said that in order to reconstitute itself, the
group would have to justify its retention of weapons in an increasingly hostile
political landscape, while addressing damaging intelligence breaches and
ensuring its long-term finances. “They’ve faced challenges before, but not this
number simultaneously,” said Blanford, a fellow with the Atlantic Council, a US
think tank. A European official familiar with intelligence assessments said
there was a lot of brainstorming underway within Hezbollah about its future but
no clear outcomes. The official described Hezbollah’s status as an armed group
as part of its DNA, saying it would be difficult for it to become a purely
political party. Nearly a dozen sources familiar with Hezbollah’s thinking said
the group wants to keep some arms, not only in case of future threats from
Israel, but also because it is worried that Sunni Muslim jihadists in
neighboring Syria might exploit lax security to attack eastern Lebanon, a
Shiite-majority region.
Despite the catastrophic results of the latest war with Israel — tens of
thousands of people were left homeless and swathes of the south and Beirut’s
southern suburbs were destroyed — many of Hezbollah’s core supporters want it to
remain armed. Um Hussein, whose son died fighting for Hezbollah, cited the
threat still posed by Israel and a history of conflict with Lebanese rivals as
reasons to do so. “Hezbollah is the backbone of the Shiites, even if it is weak
now,” she said, asking to be identified by a traditional nickname because
members of her family still belong to Hezbollah. “We were a weak, poor group.
Nobody spoke up for us.”Hezbollah’s immediate priority is tending to the needs
of constituents who withstood the worst of the war, the sources familiar with
its deliberations said. In December, Secretary General Naim Qassem said
Hezbollah had paid more than $50 million to affected families with more than $25
million still to hand out. But there are signs that its funds are running
short.One Beirut resident said he had paid for repairs to his apartment in the
Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs after it was damaged in the war only to
see the entire block destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in June. “Everyone is
scattered and homeless. No one has promised to pay for our shelter,” said the
man, who declined to be identified for fear his complaints might jeopardize his
chances of receiving compensation.He said he had received cheques from Hezbollah
but was told by the group’s financial institution, Al-Qard Al-Hassan, that it
did not have funds available to cash them. Reuters could not immediately reach
the institution for comment.
Other indications of financial strain have included cutbacks to free medications
offered by Hezbollah-run pharmacies, three people familiar with the operations
said.
SQUEEZING HEZBOLLAH FINANCES
Hezbollah has put the onus on Lebanon’s government to secure reconstruction
funding. But Foreign Minister Youssef Raji, a Hezbollah critic, has said there
will be no aid from foreign donors until the state establishes a monopoly on
arms. A State Department spokesperson said in May that, while Washington was
engaged in supporting sustainable reconstruction in Lebanon, “this cannot happen
without Hezbollah laying down their arms.”Israel has also been squeezing
Hezbollah’s finances. The Israeli military said on June 25 that it had killed an
Iranian official who oversaw hundreds of millions of dollars in transfers
annually to armed groups in the region, as well as a man in southern Lebanon who
ran a currency exchange business that helped get some of these funds to
Hezbollah. Iran did not comment at the time, and its UN mission did not
immediately respond to questions from Reuters. Since February, Lebanon has
barred commercial flights between Beirut and Tehran, after Israel’s military
accused Hezbollah of using civilian aircraft to bring in money from Iran and
threatened to take action to stop this. Lebanese authorities have also tightened
security at Beirut airport, where Hezbollah had free rein for years, making it
harder for the group to smuggle in funds that way, according to an official and
a security source familiar with airport operations. Such moves have fueled anger
among Hezbollah’s supporters toward the administration led by President Joseph
Aoun and Nawaf Salam, who was made prime minister against Hezbollah’s wishes.
Alongside its Shiite ally, the Amal Movement, Hezbollah swept local elections in
May, with many seats uncontested. The group will be seeking to preserve its
dominance in legislative elections next year.
Nabil Boumonsef, deputy editor-in-chief of Lebanon’s Annahar newspaper, said
next year’s poll was part of an “existential battle” for Hezbollah. “It will use
all the means it can, firstly to play for time so it doesn’t have to disarm, and
secondly to make political and popular gains,” he said.
Lebanon Risks Missing the
Train
Pierre Nahas/This is Beirut/July 04/2025
With Iran’s power waning and its proxies humbled, regional normalization with
Israel is accelerating once again. Syria appears to be on board. Lebanon, once
central to the conflict, risks becoming a forgotten bystander. There was a time
when the idea of Syria normalizing ties with Israel would’ve been laughed out of
every Arab capital. Not anymore. Damascus is reportedly engaged in serious
discussions to join the Abraham Accords. Once-controversial deals, the Accords
now seem like the Middle East’s new baseline. That Syria, of all countries, is
entertaining the idea of normalizing with Israel by the end of the year should
ring loud alarm bells in Beirut, because Lebanon, despite all its potential and
historic ties to the West, remains incapable of taking decisive action and is
drifting dangerously close to becoming irrelevant.
The Region Is Moving On
After October 7, many people quickly concluded that the Abraham Accords – a
landmark diplomatic victory for the first Trump administration – had become
obsolete, or at the very least, would be difficult to revive without new Israeli
leadership. But two years on, those deals have proven resilient, even after
Israel’s war in Gaza and the backlash it triggered. Not only did countries like
the UAE and Bahrain stand by them, but the idea is now spreading and may
potentially include the entire region. The reality is that a new understanding
of politics is gaining momentum. One that is more concerned with development,
economics, trade and addressing domestic problems than on deflecting those
issues by fighting Israel. Syria’s transformation didn’t happen in a vacuum.
After years of civil war and total isolation, President Ahmad al-Chareh had two
choices: either resume perpetual “resistance” against Israel or engage in the
difficult task of diplomacy to revive his country. Chareh seems to have gone
with the pragmatic choice of prioritizing reconstruction. Knowing full well that
countries like Turkey can’t foot the bill, he has lobbied Gulf countries –
especially Saudi Arabia – to vouch for him to powers that can actually make a
positive difference, like the United States. To that end, Washington has been
quick to reciprocate Syria’s enthusiasm and concrete actions, despite Chareh’s
background as a former al-Qaeda member. Meanwhile, Lebanon? Stuck. Still broken.
Bleeding its youth. And debating whether Resolution 1701 applies south or north
of the Litani. Lebanon is, as we speak, still hostage to Hezbollah, whose
relevance is tied to a version of the region that’s quickly vanishing. We are in
the era of the new Middle East, and all Arab leaders have started reading the
map differently. Syria did. The Gulf did. Even Qatar, a long-time supporter of
Hamas, is recalibrating.
Syria’s Pivot Should Be Lebanon’s Wake-Up Call
The bitter irony is that Lebanon should have been first in line to receive
investments and reconstruction aid. Lebanon still has a human capital base that
is largely Western-educated, democratic and culturally closer to the West – and
to the Gulf’s vision for the region – than Syria. The only thing missing is
decisive action on disarming Hezbollah in order to restore the rule of law and
truly stabilize the country, encouraging investment. The Gulf is not a charity
created to bail us out every time Hezbollah decides to commit strategic
blunders. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Gulf countries are nations with their
own people and national interests to worry about. They’re not going to invest in
countries where they don’t see any potential return on investment, and there is
no return on investment in Lebanon while Hezbollah holds the leash. Until now,
the Lebanese government has talked about the need to disarm all militias and
implement real reforms. It is saying the right things. But words won’t cut it
anymore. If Beirut doesn’t act – meaning serious, visible moves to disarm
Hezbollah, not just south of the Litani, and to restore state authority – then
no one in Washington, Brussels or Riyadh is going to take it seriously.
A Final Chance?
Many have described the election of President Joseph Aoun as Lebanon’s final
chance. But now, our moment is slipping away. If Lebanon doesn’t get serious
soon, it won’t just be behind the curve; it’ll suffer a worse fate. It’ll be out
of the picture. Forgotten. Irrelevant. The government’s actions so far resemble
those of a cancer patient prioritizing a nose job over removing the tumor –
Hezbollah. The Abraham Accords are growing, not shrinking. Israel, despite
everything, is proving to be a long-term player. The Arab world is thinking
about ports, tech and energy corridors, not Kalashnikovs and Katyushas.
The new Middle East isn’t about glory through war. It’s about partnerships and
coexistence. Syria, of all places, seems to get that now. Lebanon should too.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 04-05/2025
IAEA pulls inspectors
from Iran as standoff over access drags on
Reuters/July 05, 2025
VIENNA: The UN nuclear watchdog said on Friday it had pulled its last remaining
inspectors from Iran as a standoff over their return to the country’s nuclear
facilities bombed by the United States and Israel deepens. Israel launched its
first military strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites in a 12-day war with the Islamic
Republic three weeks ago. The International Atomic Energy Agency’s inspectors
have not been able to inspect Iran’s facilities since then, even though IAEA
chief Rafael Grossi has said that is his top priority. Iran’s parliament has now
passed a law to suspend cooperation with the IAEA until the safety of its
nuclear facilities can be guaranteed. While the IAEA says Iran has not yet
formally informed it of any suspension, it is unclear when the agency’s
inspectors will be able to return to Iran. “An IAEA team of inspectors today
safely departed from Iran to return to the Agency headquarters in Vienna, after
staying in Tehran throughout the recent military conflict,” the IAEA said on X.
Diplomats said the number of IAEA inspectors in Iran was reduced to a handful
after the June 13 start of the war. Some have also expressed concern about the
inspectors’ safety since the end of the conflict, given fierce criticism of the
agency by Iranian officials and Iranian media. Iran has accused the agency of
effectively paving the way for the bombings by issuing a damning report on May
31 that led to a resolution by the IAEA’s 35-nation Board of Governors declaring
Iran in breach of its non-proliferation obligations. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi
has said he stands by the report. He has denied it provided diplomatic cover for
military action.
IAEA wants talks
Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday Iran remained committed to the
nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). “(Grossi) reiterated the crucial
importance of the IAEA discussing with Iran modalities for resuming its
indispensable monitoring and verification activities in Iran as soon as
possible,” the IAEA said. The US and Israeli military strikes either destroyed
or badly damaged Iran’s three uranium enrichment sites. But it was less clear
what has happened to much of Iran’s nine tons of enriched uranium, especially
the more than 400 kg enriched to up to 60 percent purity, a short step from
weapons grade. That is enough, if enriched further, for nine nuclear weapons,
according to an IAEA yardstick. Iran says its aims are entirely peaceful but
Western powers say there is no civil justification for enriching to such a high
level, and the IAEA says no country has done so without developing the atom
bomb. As a party to the NPT, Iran must account for its enriched uranium, which
normally is closely monitored by the IAEA, the body that enforces the NPT and
verifies countries’ declarations. But the bombing of Iran’s facilities has now
muddied the waters. “We cannot afford that .... the inspection regime is
interrupted,” Grossi told a press conference in Vienna last week.
Israeli military prepares plan to
ensure Iran cannot threaten country, defense minister says
Reuters/July 04, 2025
DUBAI: The Israeli military is preparing an enforcement plan to “ensure that
Iran cannot return to threaten Israel,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz
told senior military officials. He said the military must be prepared, both in
intelligence and operations, to ensure Israel has air superiority and to prevent
Tehran from reestablishing its previous capabilities. He made his remarks
following a 12-day air war between the longtime enemies in June, during which
Israel struck Iranian nuclear facilities, saying the aim was to prevent Tehran
developing a nuclear weapon. Iran denies seeking nuclear arms and that its
nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes. Israel and Iran agreed to a
US-brokered ceasefire that ended hostilities on June 24
Iran resumes
international flights after a 20-day suspension
Associated Press/July 4, 2025
TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport has welcomed its first
foreign flight since the resumption of international air travel after a 20-day
suspension, local media reported Friday. According to Student News Network,
Mehdi Ramezani, spokesperson for Iran's Civil Aviation Organization, confirmed
the Flydubai flight from the United Arab Emirates landed on Wednesday, after
extensive security and diplomatic coordination. The landing marks a “new phase
of stability” for Iran’s aviation sector, Ramezani said, after recent tensions
with Israel. He added that it represented a return to calm and intelligent
management of the nation’s airspace. International flights will gradually resume
to specific destinations in coordination with authorities, to meet public needs
and restore air links, he said. Iran and Israel agreed to a ceasefire last month
after a bloody 12-day conflict that saw Israel striking hundreds of Iranian
military infrastructure targets and nuclear-related sites, and Iran firing
missiles at Israel in return. The truce was brokered by the U.S. after it
dropped 30,000-pound “bunker-busting” bombs on three of Iran’s key nuclear
sites.
Saudi Arabia's current priority is a permanent Gaza
ceasefire, foreign minister says
Reuters/July 4, 2025
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meets with Saudi Arabia's Foreign
Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Moscow
DUBAI -Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said on Friday
that the kingdom's current priority is reaching a permanent ceasefire in Gaza,
when asked about the possibility of normalising ties with Israel. He was
speaking during a visit to Moscow. In 2024, the Saudi foreign minister said that
there can be no normalisation of ties with Israel without resolving the
Palestinian issue. "What we are seeing is the Israelis are crushing Gaza, the
civilian population of Gaza," he said. "This is completely unnecessary,
completely unacceptable and has to stop."The local health ministry in Gaza says
more than 57,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's assault on the region
since an October 7 attack on Israel by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
According to Israel, 1,200 people were killed in that attack and more than 250
taken hostage into Gaza.
Trump says he expects Hamas decision in 24 hours on 'final' peace proposal
Kanishka Singh and Nandita
Bose/Reuters/July 4, 2025
WASHINGTON -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday it would probably be
known in 24 hours whether the Palestinian militant group Hamas has agreed to
accept what he has called a "final proposal" for an Israel-Hamas ceasefire in
Gaza. The president also said he had spoken to Saudi Arabia about expanding the
Abraham Accords, the deal on normalization of ties that his administration
negotiated between Israel and some Gulf countries during his first term. Trump
said on Tuesday Israel had accepted the conditions needed to finalise a 60-day
ceasefire with Hamas, during which the parties will work to end the war. He was
asked on Friday if Hamas had agreed to the latest ceasefire deal framework, and
said: "We'll see what happens, we are going to know over the next 24 hours."A
source close to Hamas said on Thursday the Islamist group sought guarantees that
the new U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal would lead to the end of Israel's war in
Gaza. Two Israeli officials said those details were still being worked out.
Dozens of Palestinians were killed on Thursday in Israeli strikes, according to
Gaza authorities. The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian
conflict was triggered in October 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200
and taking about 250 hostages, Israeli tallies show. Gaza's health ministry says
Israel's subsequent military assault has killed over 56,000 Palestinians. It has
also caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced Gaza's entire population and
prompted accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice and of
war crimes at the International Criminal Court. Israel denies the accusations. A
previous two month ceasefire ended when Israeli strikes killed more than 400
Palestinians on March 18. Trump earlier this year proposed a U.S. takeover of
Gaza, which was condemned globally by rights experts, the U.N. and Palestinians
as a proposal of "ethnic cleansing."
ABRAHAM ACCORDS
Trump made the comments on the Abraham Accords when asked about U.S. media
reporting late on Thursday that he had met Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid
bin Salman at the White House. "It's one of the things we talked about," Trump
said. "I think a lot of people are going to be joining the Abraham accords," he
added, citing the predicted expansion to the damage faced by Iran from recent
U.S. and Israeli strikes. Axios reported that after the meeting with Trump, the
Saudi official spoke on the phone with Abdolrahim Mousavi, chief of Iran's
General Staff of the Armed Forces.
Trump's meeting with the Saudi official came ahead of a visit to Washington next
week by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Gaza’s Nasser Hospital operating
as ‘one massive trauma ward’
Reuters/July 04, 2025
GENEVA: Nasser Hospital in Gaza is operating as “one massive trauma ward” due to
an influx of patients wounded at non-UN food distribution sites run by the Gaza
Humanitarian Foundation, the World Health Organization said on Friday. The US-
and Israeli-backed GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza at the end of
May, overseeing a new model of deliveries that the UN says is neither impartial
nor neutral. It has repeatedly denied that incidents involving people killed or
wounded at its sites have occurred. The GHF said on Friday that “the most deadly
attacks on aid sites have been linked to UN convoys,” and said the UN and
humanitarian groups should work “collaboratively” with the GHF to “maximize the
amount of aid being securely delivered into Gaza.” The UN in Geneva was
immediately available for comment.
FASTFACT
Hundreds of patients, mainly young boys, were being treated for traumatic
injuries, including bullet wounds to the head, chest, and knees, according to
the WHO. Referring to medical staff at the Nasser Hospital, Rik Peeperkorn, WHO
representative in the West Bank and Gaza, told reporters in Geneva: “They’ve
seen already for weeks, daily injuries ... (the) majority coming from the
so-called safe non-UN food distribution sites. The hospital is now operating as
one massive trauma ward.” Israel lifted an 11-week aid blockade on Gaza on May
19. The UN human rights office said on Friday that it had recorded at least 613
killings, both at aid points run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and near
humanitarian convoys. “We have recorded 613 killings, both at GHF points and
near humanitarian convoys — this is a figure as of June 27. Since then ... there
have been further incidents,” Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson for the UN
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in Geneva. The OHCHR said
509 of the 613 were killed near GHF distribution points. The GHF dismissed these
numbers as coming “directly from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry” and
were being used to “falsely smear” its effort. The GHF has previously said it
has delivered more than 60 million meals to hungry Palestinians in five weeks
“safely and without interference,” while other humanitarian groups had “nearly
all of their aid looted.” The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs said that there have been some instances of violent looting and attacks
on aid truck drivers, which it described as unacceptable. Hundreds of patients,
mainly young boys, were being treated for traumatic injuries, including bullet
wounds to the head, chest, and knees, according to the WHO. Peeperkorn said
health workers at Nasser Hospital and testimonies from family members and
friends of those wounded confirmed that the victims had been trying to access
aid at sites run by the GHF. Peeperkorn recounted the cases of a 13-year-old boy
shot in the head, as well as a 21-year-old with a bullet lodged in his neck,
which rendered him paraplegic. “There is no chance for any reversal or any
proper treatment. Young lives are being destroyed forever,” Peeperkorn said,
urging for the fighting to stop and for more food aid to be allowed into Gaza.
UN
records 613 killings in Gaza near humanitarian convoys or aid distribution
points run by US group
WAFAA SHURAFA and SAMYA KULLAB/Associated Press/July 4, 2025
DEIR al-BALAH, Gaza Strip — The U.N. human rights office said Friday it has
recorded 613 killings in Gaza near humanitarian convoys and at aid distribution
points run by an Israeli-backed American organization since it first began
operations in late May. Spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said the rights office was
not able to attribute responsibility for the killings. But she said “it is clear
that the Israeli military has shelled and shot at Palestinians trying to reach
the distribution points” operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. She said
it was not immediately clear how many of those killings had taken place at GHF
sites, and how many occurred near convoys. Speaking to reporters at a regular
briefing, Shamdasani said the figures covered the period from May 27 through
June 27, and “there have been further incidents” since then. She said she was
basing the information on an internal situation report at the office of the U.N.
High Commissioner for Human Rights. Shamdasani said the figures, compiled
through its standard vetting processes, were not likely to tell a complete
picture, and “we will perhaps never be able to grasp the full scale of what’s
happening here because of the lack of access” for U.N. teams to the areas.
Israeli airstrikes killed 15 Palestinians in Gaza early on Friday, while another
20 people died in shootings while waiting for aid, the hospital morgue that
received their bodies told The Associated Press. Those killed in the strikes
included eight women and one child. Nasser Hospital said the 20 who die who were
killed near distribution sites in Rafah and 18 who were waiting for trucks to
deliver supplies elsewhere in southern Gaza.
Israel’s military did not immediately provide comment on the strikes.
Meanwhile, Israel’s military said a soldier was killed in combat in the north of
Gaza and it was investigating. Over 860 Israeli soldiers have been killed since
the war began, including more than 400 during the fighting in Gaza. The recent
killings took place as efforts to halt the 21-month war appeared to be moving
forward. Hamas said Friday that it was holding discussions with leaders of other
Palestinian factions to discuss a ceasefire proposal presented to it by Egyptian
and Qatari mediators. Trump said Tuesday that Israel had agreed on terms for a
60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions
worsen. Hamas will give its final response to mediators after the discussions
have concluded, the statement said. The Health Ministry in Gaza said the number
of Palestinians killed in the territory has passed 57,000. The ministry does not
differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count, but says more than
half of the dead are women and children. The war began when Hamas-led militants
attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages.
According to Palestinian witnesses and Gaza’s Health Ministry, several hundred
people have been killed or wounded by Israeli troops when trying to reach the
aid sites since they opened in May. The military has repeatedly said it’s fired
only warning shots, denies deliberately firing towards civilians, and says it’s
looking into reports of civilian harm.
British group Palestine Action seeks to pause government
ban
Reuters/July 4, 2025
LONDON -A co-founder of pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action asked a London
court on Friday to pause a British government decision to ban it under
anti-terrorism laws, a move her lawyers said was an "authoritarian abuse" of the
law. Huda Ammori, who helped found Palestine Action in 2020, asked London's High
Court to stop the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation,
before a full hearing of her case that banning Palestine Action is unlawful
later this month. British lawmakers this week decided to ban the group in
response to its activists breaking into a Royal Air Force base and damaging two
planes, a protest against what it says is Britain's support for Israel.
Proscription would make it a crime to be a member of Palestinian Action that
carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. Proscribed groups under
British law include Islamic State and al Qaeda. Palestine Action has
increasingly targeted Israel-linked companies in Britain with direct action.
Critics of the government's decision, including some United Nations experts and
civil liberties groups, say damaging property does not amount to terrorism.
"This is the first time in our history that a direct action, civil disobedience
group which does not advocate for violence has been sought to be proscribed as
terrorists," Ammori's lawyer, Raza Husain, told the court. Husain described the
government's decision as "an ill-considered, discriminatory, authoritarian abuse
of statutory power that is alien to the basic tradition of the common law".Home
Secretary Yvette Cooper, Britain's interior minister, said this week that
"violence and serious criminal damage has no place in legitimate protests".
Husain said that "one may disagree with what Palestine Action do and think that
criminal damage, trespass and burglary are wrong", but that designation the
group as a terrorist organisation was "an abuse of language". A decision on
whether to pause Palestine Action's impending proscription is expected later on
Friday.
Efforts ongoing to halt
Gaza war
Associated Press/July 4, 2025
"We'll see what happens. We're going to know over the next 24 hours," U.S.
President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One late Thursday when asked
if Hamas had agreed to the latest framework for a ceasefire. Hamas said Friday
that it was holding discussions with leaders of other Palestinian factions to
discuss a ceasefire proposal presented to it by Egyptian and Qatari mediators.
Hamas said it will give its final response to mediators after the discussions
have concluded. Trump said Tuesday that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day
ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen.
The Health Ministry in Gaza said the number of Palestinians killed in the
territory has passed 57,000. The ministry does not differentiate between
civilians and combatants in its count, but says more than half of the dead are
women and children. The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern
Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages. According to
Palestinian witnesses and Gaza's Health Ministry, several hundred people have
been killed or wounded by Israeli troops when trying to reach the aid sites
since they opened in May.
The military has repeatedly said it's fired only warning shots, denies
deliberately firing towards civilians, and says it's looking into reports of
civilian harm.
Hamas responds to Gaza
ceasefire proposal, it’s ‘positive,’ Palestinian official says
Reuters/AFP/July 04, 2025
CAIRO/TEL AVIV/GAZA CITY:
Hamas on Friday said it was ready to start talks “immediately” on a proposal for
a ceasefire in Gaza, where the civil defense agency said Israel’s ongoing
offensive killed more than 50 people. The announcement came after it held
consultations with other Palestinian factions and before a visit on Monday by
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington, where President Donald
Trump is pushing for an end to the war, now in its 21st month. “The movement is
ready to engage immediately and seriously in a cycle of negotiations on the
mechanism to put in place” the terms of a draft US-backed truce proposal
received from mediators, the militant group said in a statement. Hamas ally
Islamic Jihad said it supported ceasefire talks, but demanded “guarantees” that
Israel “will not resume its aggression” once hostages held in Gaza are freed.
The conflict in Gaza began with Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on
October 7, 2023, which sparked a massive Israeli offensive aimed at destroying
Hamas and bringing home all the hostages seized by militants. Two previous
ceasefires brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States have seen temporary
halts in fighting, coupled with the return of Israeli hostages in exchange for
Palestinian prisoners.
STOP THIS WAR
Israeli attacks have killed at least 138 Palestinians in Gaza over the past 24
hours, local health officials said. Health officials at the Nasser Hospital in
Khan Younis, southern Gaza, said the Israeli military had carried out an
airstrike on a tent encampment west of the city around 2 a.m., killing 15
Palestinians displaced by nearly two years of war. The Israeli military said
troops operating in the Khan Younis area had eliminated militants, confiscated
weapons and dismantled Hamas outposts in the last 24 hours, while striking 100
targets across Gaza, including military structures, weapons storage facilities
and launchers. Later on Friday, Palestinians gathered to perform funeral prayers
before burying those killed overnight. “There should have been a ceasefire long
ago before I lost my brother,” said 13-year-old Mayar Al Farr as she wept. Her
brother, Mahmoud, was shot dead in another incident, she said. “He went to get
aid, so he can get a bag of flour for us to eat. He got a bullet in his neck. It
killed him on the spot,” she said. Adlar Mouamar said her nephew, Ashraf, was
also killed in Gaza. “Our hearts are broken. We ask the world, we don’t want
food...We want them to end the bloodshed. We want them to stop this war.”
MAKE THE DEAL
In Tel Aviv, families and friends of hostages held in Gaza were among
demonstrators who gathered outside a US Embassy building on US Independence Day,
calling on Trump to secure a deal for all of the captives. Demonstrators set up
a symbolic Sabbath dinner table, placing 50 empty chairs to represent those who
are still held in Gaza. Banners hung nearby displaying a post by Trump from his
Truth Social platform that read, “MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES
BACK!!!“The Sabbath, or Shabbat, observed from Friday evening to Saturday
nightfall, is often marked by Jewish families with a traditional Friday night
dinner. “Only you can make the deal. We want one beautiful deal. One beautiful
hostage deal,” said Gideon Rosenberg, 48, from Tel Aviv. Rosenberg was wearing a
shirt with the image of hostage Avinatan Or, one of his employees who was
abducted by Palestinian militants from the Nova musical festival on October 7,
2023. He is among the 20 hostages who are believed to be alive after more than
600 days of captivity. Ruby Chen, 55, the father of 19-year-old American-Israeli
Itay, who is believed to have been killed after being taken captive, urged
Netanyahu to return from meeting with Trump in Washington on Monday with a deal
that brings back all hostages. “Let this United States Independence Day mark the
beginning of a lasting peace... one that secures the sacred value of human life
and one that bestows dignity to the deceased hostages by ensuring their return
to proper burial,” he said, also appealing to Trump. Itay Chen, also a German
national, was serving as an Israeli soldier when Hamas carried out its surprise
attack on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and
taking another 251 hostage. Israel’s retaliatory war against Hamas has
devastated Gaza, which the militant group has ruled for almost two decades but
now only controls in parts, displacing most of the population of more than 2
million and triggering widespread hunger. More than 57,000 Palestinians have
been killed in nearly two years of fighting, most of them civilians, according
to local health officials.
Settlers and Palestinians
clash in West Bank village
AFP/July 05, 2025
SINJIL, Palestinian Territories: Dozens of Israeli settlers and Palestinians
clashed Friday in the occupied West Bank village of Sinjil, where a march
against recent settler attacks on nearby farmland was due to take place.AFP
journalists saw local residents and activists begin their march before locals
reported that settlers had appeared on a hill belonging to the village.
Palestinian youths marched toward the hill to drive away the settlers, setting a
fire at its base while the settlers threw rocks from the high ground. Local
Palestinians told AFP that settlers also started a fire. Several Israeli
military jeeps arrived at the scene and soldiers fired a few shots in the air,
causing Palestinians to withdraw back to the village. Anwar Al-Ghafri, a lawyer
and member of Sinjil’s city council, told AFP that such incidents are not new,
but have intensified in recent days in the area, just north of the West Bank
city of Ramallah.“A group of settlers, with support and approval from the
Israeli army, are carrying out organized attacks on citizens’ land,” he told AFP.
“They assault farmers, destroy crops, and prevent people from reaching or trying
to reach their land,” he said, describing the events that had prompted Friday’s
march. The settlers involved in Friday’s clashes could not be reached for
comment. Israeli authorities recently erected a high fence cutting off parts of
Sinjil from Road 60, which runs through the entire West Bank from north to
south, and which both settlers and Palestinians use. Mohammad Asfour, a
52-year-old resident, told AFP that the fence was isolating his community, like
other Palestinian cities and towns that recently had gates erected by Israel to
control access to the outside. “Sinjil is suffering greatly because of this
wall. My house is near it, and so are my brothers’ homes. The settler has the
right to come to Sinjil — but the sons of Sinjil aren’t allowed to climb up this
hill,” Asfour said. Violence in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since
1967, has soared since the Hamas attack of October 2023 triggered the Gaza
war.Since then, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 947
Palestinians, including many militants, according to the Palestinian health
ministry. Over the same period, at least 35 Israelis have been killed in
Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations, according to Israeli
figures.
Dozens of Palestinians killed while waiting for aid
Associated Press/July 4, 2025
Israeli airstrikes killed 15 Palestinians in Gaza early on Friday, while a
hospital said another 20 people died in shootings while waiting for aid.
Meanwhile, the U.N. human rights office says it has recorded 613 killings within
the span of a month in Gaza near humanitarian convoys and as Palestinians try to
reach aid at distribution points run by an Israeli-backed American organization
since it first began operations in late May. Spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said
the rights office was not able to attribute responsibility for the killings. But
she said "it is clear that the Israeli military has shelled and shot at
Palestinians trying to reach the distribution points" operated by the Gaza
Humanitarian Foundation. In a message to The Associated Press, Shamdasani said
that of the total tallied, 509 killings were "GHF-related," meaning at or near
its distribution sites. "Information keeps coming in," she added. "This is
ongoing and it is unacceptable."The GHF has denied any serious injuries or
deaths on its sites and says shootings outside their immediate vicinity are
under the purview of Israel's military. The Israeli military also issued new
evacuation orders Friday in northeast Khan Younis and urged Palestinians to move
west ahead of planned military operations against Hamas in the area. The new
evacuation zones pushed Palestinians into increasingly smaller spaces by the
coast.
20 killed Friday near aid distribution sites
More deaths reported near aid distribution sites occurred overnight Friday,
according to officials in Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. At least three
Palestinians were killed near aid sites in Rafah, which is close to two operated
by GHF. Another 17 were killed waiting for trucks to pass by in eastern Khan
Younis in the Tahliya area. Of the 15 Palestinians killed in Friday's strikes,
eight were women and one was a child, the hospital said. The strikes hit the
Muwasi area, where many displaced Palestinians are sheltering in tents. Israel's
military said it was looking into Friday's reported strikes. The military, whose
forces are deployed on the roads leading to the aid distribution sites, has
previously said it fires warning shots to control crowds or at Palestinians who
approach its troops.
U.N. investigates shootings near aid sites
Shamdasani originally told a U.N. briefing the recent spate of killings were
recorded both at GHF sites and near humanitarian convoys. She later clarified to
the AP that the killings in the vicinity of GHF distribution points were "at or
near their distribution sites."
The count from the rights office, which used a strict methodology to verify such
figures, was based in part on information from hospitals that receive dead
bodies, she said. Also Friday, Israel's military said
a soldier was killed in combat in the north of Gaza and it was investigating.
Over 860 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the war began, including more
than 400 during the fighting in Gaza.
Syria ready to work with US to return to 1974
disengagement deal with Israel
AFP/July 04, 2025
DAMASCUS: Syria said on Friday it was willing to cooperate with the United
States to reimplement the 1974 disengagement agreement with Israel, which
created a UN-patrolled buffer zone separating the two countries’ forces. In a
statement following a phone call with his US counterpart Marco Rubio, Asaad Al-Shaibani
expressed Syria’s “aspiration to cooperate with the United States to return to
the 1974 disengagement agreement.”Washington has been pushing diplomatic efforts
toward a normalization deal between Syria and Israel, with envoy Thomas Barrack
saying last week that peace between the two was now needed. Speaking to The New
York Times, Barrack confirmed this week that Syria and Israel were engaging in
“meaningful” US-brokered talks to end their border conflict. Following the
toppling of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar Assad in December, Israel deployed its
troops into the UN-patrolled zone separating Syrian and Israeli forces. It has
also launched hundreds of air strikes on military targets in Syria and carried
out incursions deeper into the country’s south. Syria and Israel have
technically been in a state of war since 1948. Israel conquered around two
thirds of the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, before
annexing it in 1981 in a move not recognized by much of the international
community. A year after the 1973 war, the two reached an agreement on a
disengagement line. As part of the deal, an 80 kilometer-long (50 mile) United
Nations-patrolled buffer zone was created on the east of Israeli-occupied
territory, separating it from the Syrian-controlled side. Israeli Foreign
Minister Gideon Saar said on Monday that his country had an “interest” in
normalizing ties with Syria and neighboring Lebanon. He however added that the
Golan Heights “will remain part of the State of Israel” under any future peace
agreement. Syrian state media reported on Wednesday that “statements concerning
signing a peace agreement with the Israeli occupation at this time are
considered premature.”
Syria unveils new national emblem as part of sweeping
identity overhaul
Arab News/July 04, 2025
DAMASCUS: The Syrian Arab Republic has launched a new national visual identity
featuring a redesigned golden eagle emblem, in what officials described as a
break from the legacy of authoritarianism and a step toward a state defined by
service, unity and popular legitimacy. Unveiled during a ceremony in Damascus on
Thursday, the new emblem reimagines the iconic Syrian golden eagle with symbolic
elements representing the country’s history, geography and post-conflict
aspirations, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported. The redesign forms the
centerpiece of a wider national branding effort aimed at redefining Syria’s
image at home and abroad. The eagle has long held significance in Syrian
history, appearing in early Islamic military symbolism, notably in the
7th-century Battle of Thaniyat Al-Uqab, and later as part of the 1945 emblem of
Syria. The new design retains this historic continuity but shifts its meaning,
and the combative shield clutched by previous iterations of the eagle has been
removed. Instead, the emblem now features the eagle topped by three stars
representing the people symbolically placed above the state. The redesigned
wings are outstretched, balanced rather than aggressive, with seven feathers
each to represent Syria’s 14 governorates. The tail carries five feathers
symbolizing the country’s major geographical regions: north, south, east, west,
and central Syria — a nod to national unity and inclusivity, SANA reported.
Officials described the design as a “visual political covenant,” aimed at
linking the unity of land with the unity of national decision-making. “The
people, whose ambitions embrace the stars of the sky, are now guarded by a state
that protects and enables them,” said a statement accompanying the launch. “In
return, their survival and participation ensure the renaissance of the state.”
The emblem is designed to signal historical continuity with the original
post-independence design of 1945, while also representing the vision of a modern
Syrian state born from the will of its people, SANA said.
Officials said the elevation of the stars above the eagle was intended to
reflect the empowerment and liberation of the people, and the transition from a
combative state to a more civic-minded one. The symbolism also reinforces
Syria’s territorial integrity, with all regions and governorates represented
equally. The design, they said, reflects a new national pact, one that defines
the relationship between the state and its citizens based on mutual
responsibility and shared aspirations. The new emblem is also intended as a
symbolic end to Syria’s past as a security-driven state, replacing a legacy of
repression with one of reconstruction and citizen empowerment. President Ahmad
Al-Sharaa, who has positioned his administration as one of reform and renewal,
described the change as emblematic of “a government emanating from the people
and serving them.”The visual identity was developed entirely by Syrian artists
and designers, including visual artist Khaled Al-Asali, in a deliberate effort
to ground the new identity in local heritage and creativity. Officials said that
the process was intended not only as a rebranding exercise but as a reflection
of Syria’s cultural and civilizational legacy — and its future potential.
Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani, speaking at the event, framed the launch as
part of a broader transformation in Syrian governance and diplomacy. “In every
encounter, we carried a new face of Syria,” he said. “Our efforts brought Syria
back to the international stage — not as a delayed hope, but as a present
reality.” He said the country was now rejecting the “deteriorated reality”
inherited from decades of authoritarian rule, and described the new emblem as a
symbol of Syria’s emergence as a state that “guards” and empowers its people,
rather than controlling them. Al-Shaibani concluded his remarks by calling the
moment “a cultural death” for the former regime’s narrative. “What we need today
is a national spirit that reclaims the scattered pieces of our Syrian identity,
that is the starting point for building the future.”
Syrian authorities evacuate citizens amid major forest
fires
AFP/July 05, 2025
DAMASCUS: Syrian rescuers evacuated residential areas in Latakia province
because of major forest fires, authorities said on Friday. Fires have spreading
across large parts of Syria, particularly on the coast, for several days, with
firefighters struggling to control them due to strong winds and a drought.
Abdulkafi Kayyal, director of the Directorate of Disasters and Emergencies in
Latakia province, told the state SANA news agency that fires in the Qastal Maaf
area had moved close to several villages, prompting the evacuations. Syria’s
civil defense warned residents of “the spread of rising smoke emissions to the
northern section of the coastal mountains, the city of Hama, its countryside,
and southern Idlib areas.”“Our teams recorded losses in the orchards due to the
widespread spread of the forest fire in several areas of the Latakia
countryside,” the civil defense added, calling on citizens to report anyone they
suspect of starting fires. Syrian minister of emergency situations and disasters
Raed Al-Saleh said on X that he was following events and “we will exert our
utmost efforts to combat these fires.”With man-made climate change increasing
the likelihood and intensity of droughts and wildfires worldwide, Syria has been
battered by heatwaves, low rainfall and major forest fires. In June, the United
Nations Food and Agriculture Organization told AFP that Syria had “not seen such
bad climate conditions in 60 years,” noting that an unprecedented drought was on
course to push more than 16 million people into food insecurity. The country is
also reeling from more than a decade of civil war leading up to the end of the
iron-fisted rule of Bashar Assad in December. Kayyal said the presence of mines
and unexploded ordnance was hindering the work of rescuers, along with strong
winds spreading the fires.
Turkish prosecutors add charges of forging diploma
against jailed Istanbul mayor
Reuters/July 04, 2025
ANKARA: Turkish prosecutors charged Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on Friday
with falsifying his university diploma, a new case threatening more years in
prison for President Tayyip Erdogan’s main rival, already jailed pending
corruption charges he denies.
Imamoglu, at the center of a sprawling legal crackdown on the main opposition
party, has been jailed since March 23 pending trial. He denies the allegations
against him, which his party says are orchestrated to protect Erdogan in power.
His indictment over his diploma was reported by Milliyet newspaper, which said
prosecutors were seeking eight years and nine months of prison time for the new
charges. Reuters could not immediately obtain the document. On March 18,
Istanbul University said it had annulled Imamoglu’s diploma. He was detained a
day later on the corruption charges, triggering Turkiye’s largest protests in a
decade, and later jailed pending trial. His detention has drawn sharp criticism
from opposition parties and some foreign leaders, who call the case politically
motivated and anti-democratic. The government denies the case is political.
Imamoglu is the main opposition Republican People’s Party’s presidential
candidate in any future election. He won re-election as mayor in March last year
by a wide margin against a candidate from Erdogan’s ruling AK Party.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on July 04-05/2025
The
Baha'i faith is small, far-flung, and faced with repression in parts of the
Middle East
DAVID CRARY/Associated Press/July 4,
2025
The Baha’i faith — a small but global religion with an interfaith credo — fits
comfortably into the religious spectrum of most countries. In several Middle
East nations, however, Baha’i followers face repression that is drawing
criticism from human rights groups. The abuse is most evident in Iran, which
bans the faith and has been widely accused of persecuting its adherents, human
rights advocates say. They also report systemic discrimination in Yemen, Qatar
and Egypt. Iran has been a driving force in the spread of anti-Baha’i repression
in countries where it holds influence, advocates say — a plan first made public
in a leaked 1991 government document. These include Yemen, where Iran backs
Houthi rebels who control much of the country, and Qatar, where links include
co-ownership of the world’s largest natural gas field. “The sheer arsenal the
Iranian government has expended to crush the Baha’is in every avenue of life has
been astronomical,” said Nazila Ghanea, an Oxford University law professor and
U.N. Special Rapporteur on religious freedom. ”It has also extended its reach,
time and again, beyond the border of Iran,” she said. Anti-Baha’i discrimination
includes forced deportations and family separations, as well as denial of
marriage licenses, public school enrollment and access to burial grounds. In
Qatar, the leader of the small Baha’i community has been detained since April.
Remy Rowhani, 71, went on trial last month, charged with “promoting the ideology
of a deviant sect” on the country’s Baha’i social media account.
A far-flung faith
The Baha’i faith was founded in the 1860s by Baha’u’llah, a Persian nobleman
considered a prophet by his followers. He taught that all religions represent
progressive stages in the revelation of God’s will, leading to the unity of all
people and faiths. There are no Baha’i clergy. Communities are organized through
elected local spiritual assemblies. From the faith’s earliest days, it was
denounced by Shiite Muslim clerics in what is now Iran; they considered
followers apostates. That repression continued after Iran’s 1979 Islamic
Revolution, when many Baha’i followers were executed or went missing. There are
less than 8 million believers worldwide, with the largest number in India. The
faith is present in most countries.
Michael Page of Human Rights Watch described Iran as “a guiding animus against
Baha’is because it perceived them as antithetical to the regime’s own
interpretation of Shia Islam.”
“This is an authoritarian government that brutally cracks down on people who
don’t agree with it,” Page told The Associated Press. “The hate speech directed
at them is so at odds with the Baha’i faith tradition, it would feel laughable
if the consequences weren’t so serious.”Not all Muslim countries are hostile.
Saba Haddad, the Baha’i International Community’s representative to the U.N. in
Geneva, cited Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Tunisia as welcoming.
“We are the measure of tolerance — for any government, any country,” she said.
“We don’t have any political stance, we don’t interfere with politics, we don’t
have a Baha’i country. It’s truly about ... tolerance and acceptance.”
Baha’i leader faces Qatar trial
Rowhani has been detained since April 28 in what Human Rights Watch denounces as
a violation of religious freedom reflecting long-running discrimination against
Baha’i believers. He faces up to three years in prison. His trial is recessed
until Aug. 6.Rowhani’s daughter, Noora Rowhani, who lives in Australia with her
husband and 9-year-old daughter, said she hasn’t been able to speak to her
father since a brief call before his arrest. “As for why Qatar is doing this, I
ask myself that every day,” she told AP. “A country that brands itself as a
leader on the world stage, hosting global conferences and sporting events,
cannot justify the quiet targeting of its citizens … just because they belong to
a different faith.”Qatar’s International Media Office didn't respond to an AP
email seeking comment about Rowhani’s case or accusations of systemic abuse of
Baha’i followers. Rowhani — former head of Qatar's Chamber of Commerce — was
jailed twice before, accused of offenses like routine fundraising related to his
leadership of Qatar's Baha'i National Assembly. The latest charge involves the
sect’s X account, which contains posts about Qatari holidays and Baha’i
writings. “These new charges highlight the lengths to which the authorities in
Qatar are prepared to go to erase the Baha’is from their country,” said lawyers
Helena Kennedy and Steven Powles of Doughty Street Chambers law firm — founded
by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer — which is assisting in Rowhani’s
defense.
Bias in Egypt and Yemen
Since 1960, Egypt’s government has denied legal recognition to its small Baha’i
community. This includes denying marriage licenses and birth certificates,
barring children from public schools and restricting where Baha’i families can
bury their dead. The Baha’i International Community issued a statement in
November decrying “intensification of the persecution.”Egypt’s Foreign Ministry
didn't respond to AP queries about the accusations. In Yemen, 100-plus Baha’i
followers have been detained by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, according to
Amnesty International. Keyvan Ghaderi, 52, was imprisoned for four years on
charges including spying for the U.S. and Israel. He was released in 2020 and
deported without being allowed to see his wife and children. Eventually, Ghaderi
was granted a humanitarian visa to the U.S. He lives with his family in Salt
Lake City. Ghaderi attributed the Houthis’ animosity to fear of change.
“They had this fear that we’d change ideas in Yemen, in the middle of civil war
... that we might change the narrative of young generations going to war,” he
said.
Question: “What does the Bible
say about Christian tithing? Should a Christian tithe?”
GotQuestions.org/July 4, 2025
Answer: Many Christians struggle with the issue of tithing. In some churches
giving is over-emphasized; in others it is rarely mentioned, and believers may
be unaware of the biblical exhortations about the joy of giving. The actual
“tithe” is an Old Testament command to Israel, but giving to support the work of
ministry, as well as giving to those in need, is generally part of the good
stewardship that God expects of each of us.
Tithing is an Old Testament concept. The tithe (or tenth) was a requirement of
the law in which the Israelites were to give 10 percent of the crops they grew
and the livestock they raised to the tabernacle/temple (Leviticus 27:30; Numbers
18:26; Deuteronomy 14:24; 2 Chronicles 31:5). The Old Testament law required
Israelites to tithe at different times and for various purposes—to support the
Levites (Numbers 18:21, 24), to celebrate the feasts (Deuteronomy 14:22–27), and
to care for the poor of the land (Deuteronomy 14:28–29). Some understand the Old
Testament tithe as a method of taxation to provide for the needs of the priests
and Levites. Jesus Christ fulfilled the Mosaic Law. The shadow of the ceremonial
system was completed in Him. The temple was no longer needed for worship.
Instead, “the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in
truth” (John 4:23). Collectively, all who put their faith in Christ make up the
church, which was instituted after Jesus’ ascension. The church is both global
and uniquely expressed in local gatherings of believers.
As part of the Mosaic Law, the tithe ended with the fulfilling of the law. New
Testament believers are not mandated to give 10 percent, but we are still called
to financially participate in the work of the church and to care for those who
spiritually care for us. First Corinthians 9:13–14 explains, “Don’t you know
that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that
those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same
way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive
their living from the gospel.” First Timothy 5:17–18 says, “The elders who
direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially
those whose work is preaching and teaching. For Scripture says, ‘Do not muzzle
an ox while it is treading out the grain,’ and ‘The worker deserves his wages.’”
Our giving is also intended to support the work of missions (Philippians
4:10–19) and help those in need (2 Corinthians 8; 1 Timothy 5:3). The New
Testament nowhere designates a percentage of income a person should give.
Christians are not obligated to give a 10-percent tithe. But Scripture does
encourage believers to regularly set aside money to give “in keeping with
income” (1 Corinthians 16:2; cf. 2 Corinthians 8:12). God promises His blessing
on the giver: “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows
generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have
decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God
loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:6–7). Some Christians consider the 10
percent figure from the Old Testament tithe as a “recommended minimum” for their
giving. Although the tithe is not obligatory for the Christian, the New
Testament emphasizes the importance and benefits of freewill giving. We are to
give as we are able. Sometimes that means giving more than 10 percent; sometimes
that may mean giving less. It depends on the ability of the Christian and the
needs of the body of Christ. Every Christian should diligently pray and seek
God’s wisdom in the matter of giving (see James 1:5). However much we give, we
should offer it with pure motives, a cheerful heart, and an attitude of worship.
Pentagon has undermined
Trump’s goal of Ukraine peace
Luke Coffey/Arab News/July 04, 2025
The US Department of Defense halted deliveries of Patriot air defense systems
and other precision weapons to Ukraine last week following an internal
assessment of its own stockpiles. Some of these weapons were already in Poland
waiting for final transfer. The news came as a shock. While the Trump
administration has taken a more nuanced approach to Ukraine and Russia than its
predecessor, it had continued the flow of weapons to Kyiv as leverage in its
effort to bring Moscow to the negotiating table. The timing could not be worse.
Russia has launched some of the most intense aerial bombardments in the history
of its invasion, including night-time barrages of more than 400 drones and
ballistic missiles at a time. For Ukraine, already stretched thin on ammunition
and air defense capabilities, this freeze in support threatens to make a
difficult situation even more dire.The decision also undermines President Donald
Trump’s stated goal of ending the war. On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly
emphasized the need to bring Russia and Ukraine to a negotiated settlement and
made it a cornerstone of his foreign policy. But six months after he returned to
the Oval Office, the war appears no closer to resolution than it was on his
first day. There is no doubt the president has been sincere in his desire to
bring the two sides to the table. He has called for a ceasefire and for
negotiations, and Ukraine has signaled its willingness to work with the White
House. The Kremlin, however, has been far more reluctant. Trump has hinted at
increasing pressure on Russia to engage more seriously in diplomacy. That’s
precisely why the Pentagon’s decision to halt aid is so surprising — and
damaging.Trump appeared to have geopolitical momentum on his side. His bold
military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, an action many believed he would
never take, restored a sense of American credibility abroad, especially after
what many saw as the Biden administration’s appeasement of Tehran. Then, at the
NATO summit in The Hague, Trump had a major win. He convinced European allies to
commit to significantly increased defense spending, including a landmark pledge
to reach 5 percent of GDP by 2035 — spending levels not seen even during the
Cold War. At that same summit, a Ukrainian journalist asked Trump about the
urgent need for air defense systems to protect civilians from Russian missile
attacks. The president responded with genuine emotion. He said he would return
to Washington and explore the possibility of sending more Patriot missile
interceptors to Ukraine. Days later, however, his own Department of Defense
contradicted both his words and apparent intent.
There is no doubt Trump has been sincere in his desire to bring the two sides to
the table.
This is not the first time the Pentagon has acted out of sync with the
president. In February, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered a temporary
halt to military assistance to Ukraine without coordinating with the White
House. That pause lasted only a few days, but it rattled allies and partners
across Europe and sent shockwaves through Kyiv. At the time, the White House
quietly aired its frustration. Now, it appears the Pentagon may be repeating the
same mistake. This latest move underscores a deeper problem: an ideological
struggle within the Trump administration over US foreign policy. On one side are
the isolationists who believe America should retreat from global commitments and
focus exclusively on domestic concerns. They see little value in supporting
Ukraine or NATO, or even maintaining a robust defense budget, since their vision
of America’s role in the world is minimal at best.
Opposing them are the so-called prioritizers, who believe the US should focus
nearly all of its strategic energy and resources on Asia, and particularly on
countering the growing threat from China. In this view, America must prepare for
a potential conflict over Taiwan, even if doing so means deprioritizing Europe
or the Middle East. Every dollar spent and every missile deployed must serve the
Indo-Pacific theater first. Both factions, for different reasons, see Ukraine as
a distraction, so when aid is withheld, both are satisfied. As long as this
internal tug-of-war continues, behind closed doors and in public, the president
will struggle to implement a coherent and effective foreign policy. Trump may be
most comfortable dealing with issues such as trade, the economy, and border
security, but the reality is that global leadership also requires strategic
clarity on defense and diplomacy. To succeed, he needs a team aligned with his
vision — not one that undermines it. Now is the time for Trump to reassert
control and redouble efforts to end Russia’s war in a way that promotes lasting
European stability and delivers a fair, just outcome for Ukraine. Achieving this
will probably be one of the most difficult foreign policy challenges of his
presidency. But he cannot meet that challenge with a divided administration. He
needs a unified front — particularly from his Department of Defense. The sooner
Trump reverses the Pentagon’s decision to halt military aid to Ukraine, the
better the prospects for peace. Time is of the essence, and any further delay
could cost lives — and squander the strategic gains he has worked hard to
achieve.
**Luke Coffey is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. X: @LukeDCoffey.
Ensuring water security
through robust regulation
Mads Helge/Arab News/July 04, 2025
Saudi Arabia is rapidly advancing its water infrastructure in alignment with
Vision 2030, taking bold steps to ensure the long-term sustainability,
resilience, and efficiency of its water distribution networks. With water
scarcity looming as a global crisis, the Kingdom is making water security a
national priority — modernizing networks, investing in smart infrastructure, and
tightening regulatory frameworks to set a new standard for sustainable water
management. In recent years, these regulations have become more stringent,
reinforcing the need for standardized, high-quality solutions that reduce
inefficiencies and enhance system resilience. Yet, despite the progress,
challenges persist. Aging infrastructure, high rates of non-revenue water, and
inconsistent implementation of standards continue to undermine these efforts.
Bridging the gap between regulation and real-world execution requires more than
meeting minimum requirements. Industry players must take a proactive stance —
going beyond compliance to integrate best practices and durable components that
protect the integrity of Saudi Arabia’s water networks for decades to come.
Unified standards ensure that water network components — such as valves,
hydrants, and pipeline fittings — are designed to withstand the Kingdom’s
demanding conditions, from high temperatures to corrosive soil environments.
Adherence to internationally recognized standards, like International
Organization for Standardization and American Water Works Association,
guarantees that these components are built for performance, even under pressure.
Material compliance is especially critical. Poor material choices can lead to
corrosion, leaks, and premature failure — issues that significantly increase
long-term maintenance costs. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Global
Risks Report, failure of critical infrastructure — including water systems — is
one of the top risks facing governments in the coming decade due to inadequate
investment and poor resilience strategies.By strengthening material
specifications and standardizing design requirements across the Kingdom, Saudi
Arabia can reinforce the backbone of its water infrastructure and reduce
lifecycle costs over time. Globally, utilities lose an average of 25-30 percent
of their water as non-revenue water — lost through leakage, theft, or metering
inaccuracies. In some developing regions, that figure can exceed 40 percent.
Non-compliant or substandard components are a major contributor to non-revenue
water. When pipes, valves, and fittings are not installed or maintained properly
— or are made from inferior materials — leakages occur more frequently, reducing
pressure and disrupting supply. Enforcing compliance with best practices,
particularly pressure management and valve quality can significantly reduce
these losses.
According to a 2022 study by the International Water Association, utilities that
adopted pressure regulation and high-quality components saw non-revenue water
reductions of up to 15 percent within the first year of implementation.
Additionally, digital monitoring systems paired with compliant infrastructure
can detect leaks in real time, allowing operators to respond proactively rather
than reactively conserving water, energy, and money. Regulation isn’t a burden —
it’s a catalyst. It presents an opportunity to raise the bar for what’s possible
in water sustainability. Saudi Arabia is undertaking large-scale water
infrastructure projects as part of its Vision 2030 agenda, including smart water
grids, desalination plant expansions, and wastewater reuse networks.
The Saline Water Conversion Corporation, for instance, has become the largest
producer of desalinated water globally, with plans to increase daily capacity to
8.5 million cubic meters by 2030. As these investments scale, ensuring all
components align with international and local standards will be crucial.
Certified, regulation-compliant components not only reduce the risk of future
disruptions but also deliver long-term operational savings.
For example, ductile iron valves designed to ISO 2531 standards — such as those
manufactured by AVK — can have a lifespan of over 50 years when correctly
installed and maintained. However, quality doesn’t end at certification. It’s
critical to consider the total cost of ownership, including durability,
maintenance needs, and warranty coverage. Short-term savings often result in
higher long-term costs if components degrade quickly or require frequent
replacement. Not all suppliers offer extended warranties, and municipalities
should prioritise those that provide long-term guarantees such as 10-year
warranties as a marker of component reliability and supplier accountability.
These standards help future-proof infrastructure, ensuring it can adapt to
changing demand, pressure conditions, and sustainability requirements over the
coming decades.
Even the highest-quality components can underperform if installed incorrectly.
Across the region, unskilled contracting, inconsistent commissioning, and lack
of oversight continue to impact water network reliability. A 2023 McKinsey
report on global water infrastructure identified poor installation and weak
inspection protocols as key causes of early-stage failures and maintenance
backlogs. To address this, regulatory bodies in the Kingdom should enforce
mandatory training and certification programs for contractors. In countries like
Denmark and the Netherlands, technician accreditation is mandatory for working
on municipal water systems — ensuring consistent installation quality and safety
standards.Third-party audits should also be a regulatory requirement.
Independent inspections ensure accountability, catch flaws early, and verify
that installation matches design intent. With improved oversight and qualified
personnel on the ground, Saudi Arabia can maximize its return on infrastructure
investments and extend the lifespan of critical assets. Water security is not
just about increasing supply — it’s about protecting what’s already in
circulation. Saudi Arabia’s regulatory frameworks have laid the foundation for
resilient, future-ready infrastructure. But their true impact depends on
execution. By prioritizing best practices, embracing international standards,
and enforcing robust compliance across every link in the value chain — from
manufacturing to installation — the Kingdom can drastically reduce
inefficiencies, cut down on water loss, and build networks that serve its
growing population for decades to come.Regulation isn’t a burden — it’s a
catalyst. It presents an opportunity to raise the bar for what’s possible in
water sustainability. At its core, this is not just about cost-efficiency or
ticking boxes. It’s about protecting the very foundation of life — for the
Kingdom today and for generations to come.
• Mads Helge is general manager at AVK Saudi Valves Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
Syria’s reintegration highlights deepening intra-Arab ties
Zaid M. Belbagi/Arab News/July 04, 2025
Morocco and Syria in May announced they would reestablish diplomatic relations
and reopen their respective embassies in Damascus and Rabat — a symbolic but
powerful signal of Syria’s reintegration into the Arab world. The move, which
comes ahead of a potential visit to Morocco by Syrian leader Ahmad Al-Sharaa,
represents a key step forward in Arab unity after years of fragmentation.
Damascus’ isolation started with the outbreak of civil war in 2011 and was
further deepened by Syria’s alignment with Tehran. These developments left the
country diplomatically estranged from much of the Arab world. The Assad regime’s
actions resulted in Syria’s exclusion from the Arab League, making it a regional
outlier for years. That started to change with Syria’s readmission to the Arab
League in 2023, an important, albeit largely symbolic, first step. The real
shift came with the fall of Bashar Assad, which paved the way for a new era
under Al-Sharaa’s leadership. Since taking power, Al-Sharaa has adopted a clear
diplomatic strategy to restore Syria’s standing in the Arab region. This
direction is not new for Syria, a country long regarded as a key champion of
pan-Arabism. Arab nationalism and pan-Arabist ideology were born in Syria during
the late Ottoman Empire, with influential figures such as Rashid Rida and Michel
Aflaq, among many others, playing a foundational role in promoting Arab unity
and independence from both Ottoman and European colonial power.
Today, that legacy continues under Al-Sharaa’s leadership. He has embraced a
nationalist narrative built on unity and trust. “Syria will not be used to
attack or destabilize any Arab or Gulf country,” he declared, calling on
regional partners to help rebuild the country “as part of the Arab
world.”Al-Sharaa’s first priority was clear: reestablish Syria’s legitimacy on
the Arab stage. In February, he made his first official foreign visit to Riyadh,
meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The agenda included the lifting
of economic sanctions, the return of refugees and counterterrorism coordination.
This was a strategic move, as Saudi Arabia’s engagement signaled to the other
Gulf states that Syria was serious about distancing itself from past alliances
and forging a new, Arab-centric direction.
Since taking power, Al-Sharaa has adopted a clear diplomatic strategy to restore
Syria’s standing in the Arab region.
Al-Sharaa’s diplomacy extended quickly to Qatar and the UAE, where talks
centered on reconstruction and long-term regional cooperation. The following
month, Syria presented its reform agenda. In Jordan, agreements and talks
focused on enhancing border security and joint efforts to combat the illicit
captagon trade, which is a growing concern for both Amman and Riyadh. Syria also
regained membership of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Kuwait
announced the imminent reopening of its embassy in Damascus.
Beyond high-level visits and embassies reopening, deeper forms of collaboration
are also emerging, particularly in reconstruction and infrastructure. In May,
Syria and Jordan agreed to form a Higher Coordination Council, marking a
significant new phase in their bilateral relations. The deal includes plans to
review the 1987 Yarmouk River agreement, reinvigorate joint water committees and
explore regional energy integration.
Jordan and Syria are also reviving electricity grid links and Qatar has
confirmed the supply of 2 million cubic meters of natural gas per day through
Jordan, boosting Syrian power generation by 400 megawatts with the aim of
doubling its electricity supply. Added to this is the deal of the year for
Damascus: a $7 billion agreement with a consortium of companies from the US,
Qatar and Turkiye that aims to overhaul Syria’s shattered energy and electricity
sector. Renewed cooperation and deepening engagement with countries across the
region is producing tangible outcomes for Syria.
The economic impact is already visible. In the first quarter of 2025, 88
contracts were signed for the Syrian-Jordanian free zone at Jaber-Nasib, with
more than 800 investors awaiting approval. Daily truck traffic at the border has
tripled and Syria’s exports to Jordan hit $23.7 million in February alone, a
notable increase from just $5.4 million the year before. The growing number of
diplomatic visits and expanding trade relations between Syria and countries in
the region reflect a broader consensus among Arab states: the time has come to
reengage Syria. Al-Sharaa’s openness to strengthening ties with the Gulf states,
particularly in terms of trade and energy, signals a shift toward deeper
integration between the Levant and the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as more
broadly across the Middle East. What began as cautious diplomatic overtures are
now materializing into concrete outcomes, paving the way for a better future for
Syria. The lifting of American and European sanctions has already enabled the
financing of new projects, which are vital to enable the success of the
country’s reconstruction plan. Besides, with the active support of key Arab
states, international organizations are returning to Syria. Saudi Arabia and
Qatar have stepped in to repay Syria’s $15.5 million debt to the World Bank and
to help cover part of the salaries of Syrian civil servants. This renewed
cooperation and deepening engagement with countries across the region is
producing tangible outcomes for Syria. Al-Sharaa’s government is not only
reopening embassies and conducting diplomatic visits, but also actively
reopening Syria to the region, driven by shared interests in stability, trade
and reconstruction. As such, Syria’s reintegration stands as a clear indicator
of a deepening Arab rapprochement, one that is expected to result in more
concrete returns, shaping promising geopolitical alignments and reinforcing ties
among Arab states. Zaid M. Belbagi is a political commentator and an adviser to
private clients between London and the Gulf Cooperation Council. X: @Moulay_Zaid
Regional tensions bring Turkiye and Armenia closer
Dr. Sinem Cengiz/Arab NewsJuly 04, 2025
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan last month paid a historic visit to
Turkiye, marking the first official trip by an Armenian leader — aside from
President Serzh Sargsyan’s 2009 attendance at a football match in Turkiye.
Pashinyan was received by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at Dolmabahce
Palace in Istanbul. The visit sought to foster the normalization process between
Ankara and Yerevan that formally began in 2022 with the appointment of special
envoys by both sides. The diplomatic efforts are being strongly supported at the
leadership level. Erdogan and Pashinyan have met at several international
summits in recent years. Pashinyan also visited Turkiye in 2023 to attend
Erdogan’s inauguration. As confirmed by Pashinyan, Ankara and Yerevan are now
able to communicate directly, without relying on third-party intermediaries.
Since assuming office in 2018, Pashinyan — who is seen as a pragmatic leader —
has placed great importance on the normalization process with Turkiye. He has
been trying to pursue a significant shift in Armenia’s foreign policy, with
economic incentives playing a critical role. He has increasingly engaged in
high-level discussions and strategic partnerships with Western institutions,
some of which Turkiye is also a part. For Armenia, Turkiye’s membership of both
the EU Customs Union and NATO is significant.
However, the steps taken toward normalization in Turkish-Armenian relations, and
Pashinyan’s visit in particular, cannot be separated from the regional context,
as the latter took place while Iran — a neighbor to both Turkiye and Armenia —
was being hit by Israeli airstrikes. Like Turkiye, Armenia was deeply concerned
about the escalating tensions unfolding on its doorstep.
Armenia has faced heightened security and economic challenges due to this
tension. Iran and Georgia are Armenia’s only land gateways to international
markets, given that the Turkish and Azerbaijani borders remain closed. More than
30 percent of Armenia’s trade passes through Iran. Following Israel’s strikes on
Iran, Armenia’s economy minister stated that Armenian goods were stuck at the
Iranian border and warned that the country might face shortages of certain
items. Pashinyan — who is seen as a pragmatic leader — has placed great
importance on the normalization process with Turkiye. Armenia has also been
facing difficulties in the transit of its goods via Georgia. The situation with
Tbilisi, combined with the Israel-Iran tensions, further raises the strategic
importance and urgency of opening the border with Turkiye after decades of
closure. Gaining access to new markets via Turkiye, which serves as an energy
hub connecting Europe and Central Asia, could drastically reduce Armenia’s
dependence on both Iran and Russia. A senior diplomat from Armenia’s Foreign
Ministry recently shared Yerevan’s approach with me, saying: “Opening the border
with Turkiye, a member of the EU Customs Union, is significant for Armenia’s
regional connectivity and further engagement with Western institutions.”The
Turkish side sees opening the border as an opportunity to increase economic
integration with Armenia, while also viewing the country as a key route to the
so-called Middle Corridor, which would directly connect Turkiye to Central Asia.
Armenia and Turkiye also share a common concern over the potential influx of
people from Iran due to the tensions with Israel. In January, for the first time
since its independence in 1991, Armenia assumed full control of the Agarak
border checkpoint along its border with Iran. Armenian border guards replaced
Russia’s Border Service, which had managed the checkpoint for more than three
decades. This transition reflected broader geopolitical shifts related to
Armenia’s approach to Russia. Historically, Yerevan’s security was linked to its
alliance with Moscow, whose credibility as Armenia’s security guarantor has
suffered a significant blow in recent years.
Turkiye and Armenia also share common concerns about the Israel-Iran conflict
spilling into the South Caucasus — a region in which several countries have
significant stakes. Armenia, which is aligned with Iran, condemned the Israeli
strikes, while Azerbaijan, a close Israeli ally, reassured Tehran it would not
allow Tel Aviv to use its territory to launch operations against Iran. Turkiye
and Armenia share common concerns about the Israel-Iran conflict spilling into
the South Caucasus.
However, as Iranian influence wanes and Russia remains preoccupied with Ukraine,
Turkiye’s influence in the South Caucasus is growing. Within this context,
Ankara is working behind the scenes to prevent any renewed tensions between
Armenia and Azerbaijan. Ankara is also pushing Baku to sign a peace agreement
with Yerevan, as the path to Turkiye’s normalization with Armenia goes through a
peace agreement between Baku and Yerevan. It has been reported that Pashinyan
and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will meet in Dubai this month to
negotiate this long-awaited peace deal — which is to be welcomed by Ankara.
Within this context, Armenia is recalibrating its defense and foreign policy
approach to achieve both economic relief and a sense of security. Turkiye fits
squarely into this new approach. Armenia is effectively seeking to end its
landlocked status by opening its border with Turkiye, breaking away from
Russia’s sphere of influence by engaging in strategic partnerships with Western
institutions, and preventing any negative repercussions of the Israel-Iran
tensions on its security and economy.
Unlike previous moves toward normalization, this time, in addition to goodwill,
the escalating tensions in the region serve as a significant driving force. Like
Turkiye, Armenia has to navigate the volatile environment caused by the
Israel-Iran tensions with a balanced policy — a task that may become difficult
if regional tensions flare again. However, their shared concerns and mutual
interest in the stability of the South Caucasus could help mitigate the
repercussions and pave the way toward normalization.
**Dr. Sinem Cengiz is a Turkish political analyst who specializes in Turkiye’s
relations with the Middle East. X: @SinemCngz
Selected Twitters For Today on July 04/2025
TheMaronite
https://x.com/i/status/1941039337409499365
And that’s exactly why the Sunnis, Shi’as, & Druze sit back and laugh at us
Christians, the Free Patriotic Movement & the Lebanese Forces waste their time
fighting each other on TV.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Under Obama Deal, Iran traded freezing its nukes for a while for $1 Trillion in
sanction relief and a freehand for its militia to spread destruction across
Middle East.
Under Trump's "Peace through Strength," Iran lost its nukes, did not get
sanction relief, and lost its militias.
Maronite
Our Church made a grave mistake by allowing Christian schools of #Lebanon to
teach Western and Arab cultures instead of our Maronite heritage. We should
belong neither to the West nor the East under the false pretense of “openness.”
Our children must be taught to know Qannoubine Valley- before it, after it -as
the core of their identity and culture.
The result was tragic: Maronites lost their culture and, with it, their true
faith, sacrificed on the altar of openness, which gave birth to a hybrid
identity.
We, as Maronites, must reclaim our roots, revive our culture, and become once
again bearers of Light, grounded in the strength of our own tradition-not
diluted by others.
Zeina Mansour
Both are part of the broader phenomenon of political Islam, united in their goal
of integrating faith and politics.
Both are seeking to apply Islamic principles in governance despite differing
interpretations.
Both share commonalities in their ideological below ground level.
USA Department Of State
Sanctioning Senior Members of Longstanding Hizballah Financial Institution Al-Qard
Al-Hassan (AQAH)
Press Statement
Tammy Bruce, Department Spokesperson
July 3, 2025
Today, the United States sanctioned seven senior officials and one entity linked
to Al-Qard Al-Hassan (AQAH), a Hizballah-controlled financial institution. These
officials, through their management roles, have facilitated Hizballah’s evasion
of sanctions, enabling AQAH to conduct millions of dollars in transactions
through “shadow” accounts.
In addition, the Department’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program is offering a
reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the disruption of
Hizballah financial mechanisms. Individuals with useful information should
contact RFJ via Signal, Telegram, or WhatsApp at +1-202-702-7843. They could be
eligible for a reward and relocation.
The United States remains committed to supporting Lebanon by disrupting schemes
that empower Hizballah’s destabilizing influence. We will continue to employ all
available tools to ensure that this terrorist group no longer poses a threat to
the Lebanese people and the region. Today’s action is being taken pursuant to
Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended, which targets terrorist groups and
their supporters. The Department of State previously designated Hizballah as a
Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. More
information regarding today’s designations can be found in Treasury’s press
release.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
https://x.com/i/status/1940777191123702117
For the umpteenth time, #Israel takes out a terrorist on Lebanese territory.
#Lebanon continues to sit idly by and do nothing to restore its sovereignty and
decide its future. Pity Lebanon.
Barack Obama
Independence Day is a reminder that America is not the project of any one
person. The single most powerful word in our democracy is the word ‘We.’ ‘We The
People.’ ‘We Shall Overcome.’ ‘Yes We Can.’ America is owned by no one. It
belongs to all citizens. And at this moment in history—when core democratic
principles seem to be continuously under attack, when too many people around the
world have become cynical and disengaged—now is precisely the time to ask
ourselves tough questions about how we can build our democracies and make them
work in meaningful and practical ways for ordinary people.
Mike Pompeo
For years, UNRWA turned a blind eye as humanitarian aid was stolen by Hamas.
@GHFUpdates is being attacked by the UN for actually delivering food to the
people of Gaza. The UN has zero credibility here.