English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For July 11/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me
Saint Matthew 10/34-39/:"‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it."

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 10-11/2025
A Critical Reading of Sheikh Naim Qassem’s Interview with Al-Mayadeen: Lewdness, Depravity, Illegitimate Usurpation, and Barefaced Iranian Subservience/Elias Bejjani/July 11/2025
A Testimony of Faith: The Story of the Three Massabki Brothers and Enduring Sacrifices/Elias Bejjani/July 10/2025
Video Link To A highly important interview from ‘Adawla’ Youtube Platform with the Patriotic and sovereign scholar, Sayyed Ali El-Amine
US, Europe sound alarm over Hezbollah’s efforts to expand overseas footprint
Hezbollah retains the “ability to strike with little to no warning against targets around the world”
Israeli drone strike kills one in southern Lebanon as tensions grow with UNIFIL
US Urges Lebanon to Intensify Efforts Against Hezbollah
Israeli army claims killing Hezbollah’s coastal artillery commander in South Lebanon
Lebanese Army warns against suspicious apps, Israeli attempts to recruit citizens
President Aoun and PM Salam discuss financial and judicial appointments ahead of cabinet session: LBCI sources
President Aoun urges EU support for army, economic recovery, and sovereignty restoration
UNIFIL spokesperson says peacekeepers can operate independently under Resolution 1701
Israeli Drone Strikes and UNIFIL Patrol Incident
Hezbollah wants guarantees, US wants disarmament—stalemate deepens amid diverging demands
Hezbollah’s Threats to Israel: Can They Still Deliver?/Mario Chartouni/This is Beirut/July 10/2025
Will Lebanon Install Observation Towers Along Its Border with Israel?/Natasha Metni Torbey/©This is Beirut/July 10/2025
How Lebanon Missed Its Future While Syria Negotiates Its Own/Salam El Zaatari/This Is Beirut/July 11/2025
Historic opportunity to transform Lebanon is being squandered/Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/July 10/2025
A weapon threatening global security/Zaid AlKami/Al Arabiya English/10 July/2025
eviving May 17 Agreement could be a solution for Lebanon/Nadim Shehadi/Arab News/July 10, 2025
The Lebanese Shi‘a Deserve a State, not a Militia/Makram Rabah/Now Lebanon/July 10/2025
Has America Reversed Itself on Hezbollah?/Hussain Abdul-Hussain/This is Beirut/July 10/2025
Israeli operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah: June 30–July 6, 2025/David Daoud/FDD's Long War Journal/July 08/2025

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 10-11/2025
Link Video To A Pannel Discussion From Washington Institute: Pursuing Israel-Syria Detente Post-Assad
Israeli army says intercepted missile launched from Yemen
Houthi leader says group won’t permit sea passage of goods related to Israel
Rescuers save four more survivors from Houthi-struck ship in Red Sea
Netanyahu sets out red lines for lasting end to war in Gaza
Displaced Palestinians make their way towards Mawasi area as they flee amid an Israeli ground offensive, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip
Hamas-Israel talks for Gaza truce enter fifth day in Qatar: Official
Israel will strike Iran again if threatened, defense minister says
Israel says would negotiate permanent Gaza ceasefire during 60-day truce
Children queuing for nutrition supplements among 66 killed by Israeli forces in Gaza
British MPs demand full details of US consulting firm’s role in Gaza
Ukraine received political signals for US aid resumption, Zelenskyy says
Trump to use presidential authority to send weapons to Ukraine, sources say
As Israel and Syria talk peace, Mount Hermon becomes a line in the sand—the details
KSrelief extends fire aid to 600 families in Syrian villages, distributes winter kits in Pakistan

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on July 10-11/2025
Muslim Leaders Who Oppose Terrorism: The New Heroes/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute./July 10, 2025
Law and disorder ...Interpol does the bidding of bad guys/Clifford D. May/The Washington Times/July 09/2025
Turkey still wants to join BRICS while pretending to be a NATO ally/Sinan Ciddi/ FDD's Long War Journal/July 10/2025
Caveman mentality of Israel’s ‘might is right’/Ross Anderson/Arab News/July 10/2025
Remembering the 7/7 attacks and the backlash that followed/Peter Harrison/Arab News/July 10/2025
Selected Tweets for 08 July/2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 10-11/2025
A Critical Reading of Sheikh Naim Qassem’s Interview with Al-Mayadeen: Lewdness, Depravity, Illegitimate Usurpation, and Barefaced Iranian Subservience
Elias Bejjani/July 11/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/07/145070/
In a lengthy and revealing interview with Al-Mayadeen TV, Sheikh Naim Qassem, Deputy Secretary-General of the terrorist, jihadist, and criminal Hezbollah organization, exposed yet again the extent of the group’s illegitimate usurpation of the Lebanese state and its absolute subservience to Iran’s theocratic regime. His statements confirm what many already know: Hezbollah is nothing more than an armed Iranian proxy—hostile to Lebanon and its people—operating completely outside the framework of national sovereignty and legality.
Qassem’s responses throughout the interview reflect a depraved, treacherous mentality—a Trojan horse mindset that treats Lebanon not as a sovereign nation, but as a mere playground for Tehran’s local, regional, and global ambitions. Hezbollah has no regard for the will of the Lebanese people or the authority of the Lebanese Constitution. The sheer brazenness of Qassem’s rhetoric highlights the militia’s open contempt for the state, its institutions, and its citizens.
A Shameless Declaration of War
The most appalling moment came when Qassem unabashedly declared that “the Shura Council of [Hezbollah] met and decided to enter a supporting battle” following the Hamas-led “Al-Aqsa Flood” attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. This is not just a crude admission of unilateral military action—it is a flagrant slap in the face of Lebanese sovereignty. How can an armed group make a decision to enter war, set objectives, and engage in conflict without the consent—or even consultation—of the legitimate Lebanese government?Such a stance reaffirms that Hezbollah is not a “state within a state” but rather a “state above the state,” one that arrogantly overrides all legal and democratic mechanisms. Qassem’s declaration is effectively an illegitimate declaration of war—one that has plunged Lebanon into destruction, displacement, and death, with no regard for the will or welfare of its people.
Absolute Subservience to Iran and the Refusal to Disarm
The heart of the crisis lies in Hezbollah’s complete obedience to Iran. Qassem’s own words betray this reality. When he speaks of “unity of fronts” and “unity of objectives,” he is clearly affirming that Hezbollah’s decisions on war and peace lie not with the Lebanese, but with the Iranian axis. His frank admission—“Yes, the presence of the Islamic Republic of Iran is fundamental in this matter”—is not just a nod to strategic coordination; it is a confirmation that Tehran is the architect, funder, and commander of Hezbollah’s entire agenda. This is not loyalty to Lebanon. It is total submission to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which uses Lebanon as a bargaining chip, a battlefield, and a weapons depot in its broader regional conflicts. Qassem’s interview also exposed Hezbollah’s disdain for international law and the United Nations. The group continues to ignore UNSC Resolutions 1559 and 1701, both of which call explicitly for the disarmament of all militias in Lebanon and the full restoration of state sovereignty. His claim that “Lebanon is strong because of Hezbollah’s weapons, and we will not accept that Lebanon becomes weak” is not only illogical but deeply dangerous. It reflects an ideology that views the state’s own legal institutions as weak and irrelevant—an ideology that undermines any chance of building a modern, strong, and sovereign Lebanon.
Justifying Violations, Defying the State.
Qassem’s attempts to justify Hezbollah’s destabilizing activities are as outrageous as they are insulting. His claim that “the supporting battle achieved its goals by alleviating the pressure on Gaza and pushing Israel toward a solution” is a cynical lie. What Hezbollah’s “support” achieved was widespread devastation: in the South, in Beirut, in Baalbek—everywhere the Shiite community lives, a community Hezbollah claims to protect but in reality exploits, holds hostage, and sacrifices in Iran’s jihadist wars. His rhetoric about “not harming Lebanon” rings hollow when set against the grim reality of economic collapse, massive displacement, and thousands of innocent lives lost. These outcomes are not the price of “resistance”—they are the direct consequences of Hezbollah’s illegitimate actions and its blind loyalty to Tehran. Even Qassem’s attempts to downplay the existence of a coordinated “joint operations room” with Iran and its regional proxies fall apart when he admits that “each arena contributed according to its own assessments” and again emphasizes Iran’s “fundamental presence.” This contradiction only reinforces the truth: Hezbollah is executing a coordinated, regional strategy on Iran’s behalf—completely divorced from Lebanese interests.
Clinging to Arms: The Open Defiance of Sovereignty
Qassem’s insistence on Hezbollah retaining its weapons is perhaps the most dangerous aspect of the interview. His statement—“We will confront when we have a decision to confront… We have two choices, no third: victory or martyrdom. We have no option called surrender. This is out of the question”—leaves no room for misinterpretation. This is not defense. It is domination. It is a declaration that Hezbollah alone will decide Lebanon’s fate. It is a complete rejection of the basic principle that the use of force must be the exclusive right of the legitimate state. Hezbollah’s refusal to disarm confirms the existence of a parallel army, one that undermines the state’s authority and robs Lebanon of its sovereignty. Qassem’s contempt for UN resolutions and international consensus, particularly Resolutions 1559 and 1701, exposes Lebanon to sanctions, diplomatic isolation, and deeper instability. Far from making Lebanon “strong,” Hezbollah’s weapons render it weak, fractured, and paralyzed. Even worse, Qassem presents Hezbollah’s arsenal as essential for Lebanon’s survival, as though the national army and legitimate institutions are incapable of defending the country. This is an insult to the Lebanese people and a calculated effort to keep the state weak, dependent, and permanently hijacked.
The Illusion of Power and a Failing Deterrent
Qassem’s claims about Hezbollah’s “strength” and deterrent power collapse under the weight of reality. Since the ceasefire, assassinations of Hezbollah figures have taken place almost daily across Lebanon—with not a single retaliatory shot fired in response. This suspicious silence speaks volumes. It reveals a failed deterrent. It exposes the myth of Hezbollah’s military prowess. And it raises a critical question: Who are these weapons really for? Clearly, they are not for defending Lebanon from external threats. They are for internal control—for intimidating opponents, suppressing dissent, and maintaining Iran’s grip on the country.
Conclusion:
Guardianship by Gunpoint
Sheikh Naim Qassem’s interview is not a simple media appearance—it is a chilling confirmation of Lebanon’s tragic reality: the country lives under the guardianship of a lawless, Iranian-backed militia that recognizes only the power of arms and holds the Lebanese state and people in utter contempt. This interview laid bare Hezbollah’s true agenda: absolute military control, unwavering loyalty to Iran, rejection of international law, and complete disregard for the sovereignty, safety, and prosperity of Lebanon. Lebanon cannot recover—economically, socially, or politically—so long as Hezbollah remains armed, unaccountable, and subservient to Tehran. The path to peace and statehood begins with the dismantling of this parallel army and the restoration of full national sovereignty under the sole authority of the Lebanese state.

A Testimony of Faith: The Story of the Three Massabki Brothers and Enduring Sacrifices
Elias Bejjani/July 10/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/07/145053/
In the bright pages of history that is filled with faith and sacrifice, shines the story of the three Massabki brothers: Francis, Abdel Moati, and Raphael. In Damascus in 1860, they wrote with their blood a powerful testament to spiritual heroism. These Maronite martyrs, all over sixty years old, refused to abandon their Christian faith despite threats of death. They became living examples of what faith means in Christianity, proving that those who kill the body cannot kill the believing soul. This heroic testimony still resonates today, connected to similar sacrifices recently witnessed in Damascus, such as the bombing of St. Elias Greek Orthodox Church.
The 1860 Massacres and an Unwavering Faith
On the night of July 10, 1860, Damascus saw bloody events targeting Christians. The Massabki brothers, along with many other Christians and Franciscan priests, sought refuge in a church. But the attackers broke in, demanding they change their religion. It was then that the brothers' strong faith shone through. Francis spoke unforgettable words, showing their courage and resolve: "We don't fear those who kill the body... Our crown awaits us in heaven, and we have but one soul, which we will not lose. We are Christians and we want to die Christians."
Francis was a silk merchant known for his good Christian life; he'd never start work without first visiting the church. Abdel Moati had left trade to teach at the Franciscan school, while Raphael helped the brother in charge of the sacristy. This good character and Christian commitment weren't just outward show; they were deeply rooted in their hearts, allowing them to face death with unshakeable resolve. The three brothers were killed in the church before the altar, their blood becoming a living testament to the power of their faith.
The Meaning of Faith in Christianity: "Whoever Acknowledges Me Before Others"
The story of the Massabki brothers clearly shows what faith means in Christianity. In Christianity, faith isn't just believing intellectually that God exists. It's a complete and total trust in God, involving surrender to His will, obedience to His commands, and a readiness to sacrifice for Him. It's a living, personal relationship with God, built on love and hope.
The Bible verse: "Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven" (Matthew 10:32-33), highlights the importance of publicly declaring one's faith. Acknowledging Christ isn't just words; it's a way of life—a willingness to face challenges and persecution for the truth. This verse emphasizes a core principle: eternal life is the fruit of this confessed faith, and witnessing for Christ in this world is the key to being acknowledged by God in heaven.
 Another important verse: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28), points to the truth that physical death cannot end spiritual life. For believers, physical death is a doorway to eternal life with Christ. The Massabki brothers deeply understood this, so they didn't fear death; instead, they saw it as a path to the crown prepared for them in heaven.
The Continuation of Sacrifice: From the 1860 Massacres to the St. Elias Church Bombing
Tragic events, such as the bombing of St. Elias Greek Orthodox Church in Damascus, show that the spirit of persecution for faith has not ended with time. Despite the significant time gap between the martyrdom of the Massabki brothers and this horrific crime, there are strong and deep-rooted connections between them:
Sacred Space as a Target: The Massabki brothers were martyred inside a church. The same occurred at St. Elias Church, where terrorists stormed the building while worshippers were inside, and one detonated an explosive belt, killing and injuring dozens, including children, elderly, and women. In both incidents, a house of God was turned into a scene of brutal violence against believers.
Targeted Because of Faith: The Massabki brothers paid the ultimate price for refusing to abandon their faith. In the St. Elias Church bombing, the targets were Christian worshippers gathered for prayer, confirming that the primary motive behind the attack was to target the Christian faith itself. Both crimes aimed to terrorize Christians and force them to abandon their religious identity.
Continuous Witness: The victims of St. Elias Church, like the Massabki brothers, made the ultimate sacrifice. They became martyrs for their faith, not necessarily for verbally refusing to deny Christ, but because they were killed for being Christians exercising their right to worship. This embodies the profound meaning of the verse: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body," for despite the killing and destruction, faith remains alive and triumphant.
Connected History of Persecution: What happened at St. Elias Church reminds us of the persecutions that occurred in 1860 and others throughout history. It confirms that Christian communities in the region continue to face existential challenges that demand steadfastness and resilience in the face of violence and extremism.
Ecclesiastical Honor: Saints on the Altar of God
In recognition of their heroic sacrifice, the Catholic Church beatified the three Massabki brothers. On October 10, 1926, Pope Pius XI declared their beatification. Then, on October 20, 2024, Pope Francis declared them saints, placing them on the altar of God.
Today, the Lebanese Maronite Church, along with the entire Catholic Church, remembers the testimony of these brothers who never abandoned Christ or their faith in Him. They accepted martyrdom because of their unwavering belief. Their remains are still kept in the Maronite church in Damascus, serving as a lasting reminder of their sacrifice and unshakeable faith.
The story of the three Massabki brothers, and the sacrifices of the martyrs of St. Elias Church, call every believer to reflect on the meaning of true faith and to be ready to bear witness to Christ in all circumstances, understanding that the believing soul is stronger than any attempt to destroy it. These stories highlight that faith is not just a belief, but a life lived and sacrificed for.

Video Link To A highly important interview from ‘Adawla’ Youtube Platform with the Patriotic and sovereign scholar, Sayyed Ali El-Amine
‘Hussein’s biography is not just a sword and a battle… and Wilayat al-Faqih does not cross borders.’
July 10/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/07/145094/
What is the secret behind the relationship between Shiites and the state in general? And in Lebanon in particular?
Is there a Shiite Nakba (catastrophe) today?
How did the party (Hezbollah) employ religion in the service of politics and to gain power?
Is it permissible for parties to control religious occasions and mourning gatherings?
What about parliamentary elections? And what is the religious degrees obligation (Taklif Shar’i) and its limits in elections?
In this special episode of the “Towards the State” podcast, scholar Sayyed Ali El-Amine answers these questions and more, in a dialogue moderated by Ali El-Amine, editor-in-chief of “Janoubia” website. This episode is a partnership between the Adawla and Janoubia platforms.

US, Europe sound alarm over Hezbollah’s efforts to expand overseas footprint
Hezbollah retains the “ability to strike with little to no warning against targets around the world”
Al Arabiya English/10 July/2025
The United States and Europol led a meeting this week with representatives from 30 governments to address efforts to counter Hezbollah’s international fundraising networks and warn that the group remains a dangerous threat. The State Department, Justice Department, and Europol convened the 14th meeting of the Law Enforcement Coordination Group (LECG) on July 9–10 to focus on Hezbollah’s terrorist and illicit activities. The US Treasury Department and the National Counterterrorism Center also participated. Despite suffering significant setbacks over the past year during its war with Israel -- including the deaths of its longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah, his successor, and much of the group’s senior leadership -- the LECG said Hezbollah continues to seek ways to maintain and grow its overseas operations. The group retains the “ability to strike with little to no warning against targets around the world,” according to a statement from the State Department, which added that Hezbollah may seek to expand its fundraising and procurement efforts in the Western Hemisphere, Africa, and other regions. “Participants highlighted recent actions that governments have taken to counter Hezbollah’s financial mechanisms and criminal schemes, as well as its international terrorist operations,” the statement read. The LECG was established in 2014 by the US and Europol to strengthen international cooperation against Hezbollah’s global network.

Israeli drone strike kills one in southern Lebanon as tensions grow with UNIFIL
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/July 10, 2025
BEIRUT: UNIFIL forces were attacked on Thursday by residents in the town of Aitat, south of the Litani River. The assailants claimed that the patrol had entered the Wadi Jilou area without being accompanied by a Lebanese Army unit. According to footage captured by eyewitnesses, a group of individuals blocked the patrol’s way, demanding that it return with a Lebanese Army escort. The patrol reportedly refused to turn back, leading to direct confrontations. In response, UNIFIL personnel threw smoke and tear gas grenades to disperse the crowd. No injuries were reported. The attack is merely the latest in a series of assaults targeting UNIFIL forces and carried out by civilians in strongholds. These incidents aim to prevent UN peacekeepers from entering private property to conduct inspections, a key component of their official mandate. The most recent renewal of UNIFIL’s mission in southern Lebanon included an amendment granting the force greater freedom of movement within its area of operations, in coordination with the Lebanese Army. The tensions peaked on Thursday, when a resident of the town of Hallousiyeh–Deir Qanoun an-Naher hit a UNIFIL soldier during a patrol. The incident was widely condemned by political leaders, and a judicial investigation was launched. The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet at the end of August to consider the Lebanese government’s request to extend UNIFIL’s mandate in the south.
In response to the attack, UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said that a patrol of the UN Interim Forces in Lebanon was blocked and pelted with stones by “a group of individuals in civilian clothes” in the southern village of Wadi Jilu. “The group attempted to obstruct the patrol using aggressive means, including throwing stones at the peacekeepers,” he said. “The LAF was promptly informed and arrived on the scene shortly thereafter. The situation was quickly brought under control,” Tenenti added, referring to the Lebanese Armed Forces. Tenenti confirmed that the activity of the patrol was coordinated in advance with the LAF, in support of Lebanon’s implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701. The situation was initially calm, but individuals soon began throwing stones at the peacekeepers. “In response, UNIFIL personnel employed non-lethal measures to ensure the safety of both the patrol members and those present,” he said. “Freedom of movement is a core requirement for the implementation of UNIFIL’s mandate. This includes the ability to operate independently and impartially, as outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Any restriction on this freedom — while conducting operational activities with or without LAF — constitutes a violation of that resolution.”
Tenenti urged Lebanese authorities to “take all necessary measures to ensure that its peacekeepers can carry out their duties without obstruction or threat.”
The UNIFIL spokesperson confirmed that the international forces will continue to monitor and report breaches of Resolution 1701 impartially, in accordance with the Security Council's mandate and the request of the Lebanese government.
UNIFIL’s mandate shall “confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, restore international peace and security, and assist the Government of Lebanon in ensuring its effective authority in the area.”
US Envoy Thomas Barrack concluded his two-day visit to Lebanon, which began on Monday, to discuss a mechanism for disarming Hezbollah and withdrawing illegal weapons south and north of the Litani River.
He inspected the area south of the Litani River by air after meeting with Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haikal. At a press conference in Beirut, he praised the Lebanese Army and the key role it plays.
The attack on the UNIFIL patrol drew widespread condemnation from Lebanese political figures. MP Bilal Abdallah underlined the importance of the peacekeeping mission, stating that “there is a major national interest in preserving its role.”
MP Ashraf Rifi condemned the attack, saying: “Hezbollah is once again attacking UNIFIL. How can this be reconciled while pretending to accept the Resolution 1701 and evacuating south of the Litani River?”
He urged the state to hold “the aggressors accountable” and move to a new phase where there is “zero tolerance” for those who violate international legitimacy and expose Lebanon to grave dangers.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces continued targeting Hezbollah operatives. On Thursday, an Israeli drone struck a motorcycle on Mansouri Road in the Tyre district, killing one person and injuring two, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
At dawn, an Israeli drone launched an airstrike on a cafe and an aluminum workshop in the town of Yohmor al-Shaqif, in the Nabatieh District. The site had previously been targeted in a similar strike. Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said that “the strike targeted a Hezbollah military command center allegedly operating within a civilian building,” accusing the group of using the local population as “human shields” to facilitate attacks against Israel.
Sky News quoted an Israeli security source saying that as long as Hezbollah maintains a military wing, operations in Lebanon will persist.
“Every Hezbollah operative is a legitimate target. The Radwan Forces — Hezbollah’s elite unit — will be dismantled, whether by Hezbollah or by us. Their infrastructure, weaponry, and fighters remain targets throughout Lebanese territory,” the source told Sky News.
The Israeli security source noted that “Hezbollah’s efforts to return south of the Litani River appear limited” and praised what he described as “significant efforts by the Lebanese army to dismantle the group’s weapons infrastructure.”
On Tuesday night, the Israeli army claimed that a drone strike killed Hussein Ali Mezher in the town of Babliyeh, north of the Litani River.
In an official statement, the army claimed that Mezher was overseeing rocket fire in the Zahrani sector as part of Hezbollah’s Badr unit. He was reportedly responsible for launching attacks on Israeli territory and was involved in efforts to rebuild the group’s artillery capabilities in southern Lebanon.
Media reports on Thursday in Lebanese outlets suggested that Hezbollah has begun implementing a new organizational strategy aimed at consolidating several of its jihadi and executive units, along with institutions that share similar functions.
This internal restructuring effort, according to reports, is intended to adapt to current realities, with the group reportedly seeking to streamline its operations, rationalize expenditures, and optimize its structure in response to evolving circumstances.
The Israeli army announced on Wednesday the launch of “special, targeted” ground operations in southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in Jabal al-Blat and al-Labbouneh. Forces from the 300th and 9th brigades reportedly dismantled weapons depots and missile launch sites belonging to the group, aiming to prevent Hezbollah from “reestablishing itself in the area,” the army said. A Lebanese security source told Arab News that “the operations took place over the past two weeks, targeting sites in valleys and hills under Hezbollah’s security control, areas that remain inaccessible to the Lebanese army.”Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam confirmed last month that the Lebanese army had dismantled more than 500 weapons sites and depots in the area south of the Litani River.

US Urges Lebanon to Intensify Efforts Against Hezbollah
This is Beirut/July 10/2025
The United States is calling on the Lebanese government to intensify efforts to dismantle Hezbollah’s military capabilities and those of other non-state actors, a US State Department spokesperson revealed in a statement on Wednesday, following US envoy Tom Barrack’s mission in Beirut. “We need the Lebanese state to do more to fully remove weapons and infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah and non-state actors across the country,” the spokesperson emphasized, underscoring Washington’s concerns over the militant group’s ongoing influence in Lebanon. The official warned against any resurgence of Hezbollah’s ability to “commit violence and threaten security in Lebanon or Israel,” reaffirming the US stance that such groups must be restrained to preserve regional stability. The spokesperson acknowledged that the Lebanese Army has “made progress” in curbing Hezbollah’s presence in southern Lebanon but stressed that “there is still more work to be done.”While refraining from discussing private diplomatic exchanges, the spokesperson referenced recent remarks by Barrack, who reportedly expressed satisfaction with Beirut’s initial response to American demands. “As Ambassador Tom Barrack has said publicly, he was incredibly satisfied with the initial response from the Lebanese government but also indicated that we now need to get into the details,” the US official continued. Beyond security, the spokesperson emphasized that Lebanon’s challenges require comprehensive reforms. “Security reforms alone are not enough in Lebanon,” he said, stressing that “Lebanon must pass critical economic and judicial reforms to ensure its financial stability and restore the confidence of the international community.”In particular, the statement urged Lebanon’s parliament to move forward with essential legislation, including a long-delayed bank restructuring law and laws guaranteeing judicial independence.

Israeli army claims killing Hezbollah’s coastal artillery commander in South Lebanon
LBCI/July 10/2025
Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee claimed Thursday that Israeli forces killed Muhammad Jamal Murad, identified as Hezbollah’s artillery commander in the coastal sector, in an airstrike earlier in the day on the town of Mansouri in southern Lebanon.
In a post on X, Adraee wrote: "The Israeli army attacked earlier today in the area of Mansouri, southern Lebanon, and eliminated Muhammad Jamal Murad, who served as the commander of artillery in the coastal sector of Hezbollah.''He added: ''Murad was responsible for numerous rocket attacks toward the State of Israel during the war and had made several attempts in recent months to rebuild Hezbollah’s artillery capabilities in the coastal area.''Adraee concluded: ''Murad’s activities posed a threat to the security of the State of Israel and its citizens, and were a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon. The Israeli army will continue to operate to eliminate any threat to the State of Israel.”

Lebanese Army warns against suspicious apps, Israeli attempts to recruit citizens
LBCI/July 10/2025
The Lebanese Army’s Directorate of Guidance warned citizens on Thursday about the dangers of using suspicious mobile applications and engaging irresponsibly on social media, noting that such platforms are being secretly exploited by Israel to make contact and recruit collaborators. In a statement, the army said that communicating with the enemy through these apps exposes individuals to legal prosecution under Articles 278 and 285 of the Penal Code, which criminalize contact with Israel and the establishment of unlawful ties.
The army stressed the importance of acting responsibly and remaining vigilant against Israeli schemes, adding that the enemy continues its attacks against Lebanon and its people, and is using every possible means to destabilize the country’s security and stability.

President Aoun and PM Salam discuss financial and judicial appointments ahead of cabinet session: LBCI sources
LBCI/July 10/2025
Sources told LBCI that President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam held discussions at the Baabda Palace on Thursday to address upcoming financial and judicial appointments. According to sources, the Cabinet is expected to announce the appointment of new members to the Banking Control Commission of Lebanon during its scheduled session on Friday.

President Aoun urges EU support for army, economic recovery, and sovereignty restoration
LBCI/July 10/2025
President Joseph Aoun reaffirmed Lebanon’s national and sovereign principles during a meeting with a European delegation and ambassadors from the European Union on Thursday. In his remarks, he called for robust support to help Lebanon reclaim full control over its territory and urged the launch of a comprehensive initiative to strengthen the Lebanese army by all available means.Aoun warned that the absence of the Lebanese army could trigger serious security deterioration, not only within Lebanon but across the broader region. He stressed the need to lift existing European sanctions on Lebanon and proposed convening a joint Arab-European conference aimed at rebuilding the country and revitalizing its economy, in parallel with efforts to restore full national sovereignty. The president also said that a law to restructure the banking sector is expected to pass in Parliament by the end of the month, and a financial gap law is currently being finalized by a high-level working group. On the Syrian refugee crisis, Aoun reiterated the importance of facilitating the safe, dignified, and coordinated return of Syrian nationals, particularly as stability has returned to some regions in Syria. He also noted the ongoing positive security cooperation along the Lebanese-Syrian border. Addressing the situation in Palestinian camps, Aoun reminded the delegation that Lebanon is still awaiting the implementation of an initiative proposed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to regulate weapons inside the camps through the work of a joint committee. For her part, European Union Ambassador Sandra De Waele affirmed the EU’s strong and continued presence in Lebanon. She commended the goals laid out by Aoun during his oath of office. European ambassadors echoed support for Lebanon’s stance on the refugee issue, noting that concrete steps were already underway to address it.

UNIFIL spokesperson says peacekeepers can operate independently under Resolution 1701
LBCI/July 10/2025
UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said in a statement that several individuals in civilian clothing confronted peacekeepers near the Wadi Jilou area on Thursday morning during a planned patrol. Tenenti noted that the activity had been coordinated in advance with the Lebanese Armed Forces as part of support for Lebanon’s implementation of Resolution 1701. He added that while the situation was initially calm, it quickly escalated when civilians began throwing stones at the peacekeepers, prompting the use of smoke canisters to disperse the crowd and ensure the safety of U.N. personnel.
Lebanese army units later arrived at the scene and brought the situation under control. Tenenti reaffirmed that, as stated by both the Lebanese government and army, U.N. peacekeepers are permitted to move independently in southern Lebanon to carry out their duties under Resolution 1701 and do not require a Lebanese escort. He stressed that any attack on U.N. peacekeepers constitutes a serious violation of international law and Resolution 1701 and urged Lebanese authorities to hold those responsible accountable. He added that UNIFIL will continue to monitor and report all violations of the resolution impartially, in line with its Security Council mandate and at the request of the Lebanese government.

Israeli Drone Strikes and UNIFIL Patrol Incident
This is Beirut/July 10/2025
An Israeli drone strike targeted a motorcycle at the Mansouri junction in the Tyre district on Monday morning, killing one person and injuring another. Earlier in the day, Israeli artillery shelled the outskirts of the town of Shebaa. Around 2:15 AM on Thursday, an Israeli drone carried out two successive airstrikes on a café and an aluminum workshop located in a building in the town of Yohmor al-Shaqif in the Nabatiyeh district. The strikes caused material damage but no casualties were reported. The targeted site had reportedly been hit in a previous Israeli attack. The Israeli military announced on Thursday that it carried out an overnight airstrike targeting a Hezbollah military command center in the town of Yohmor in southern Lebanon. According to the Israeli army, the command center was being used by Hezbollah operatives and was concealed within a civilian building, a tactic the army says highlights the militant group’s “systematic exploitation” of the civilian population to launch attacks on Israel. The Israeli army stated that “numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians” ahead of the strike.It described the use of the site as a “blatant violation” of long-standing understandings between Israel and Lebanon and affirmed that it would “continue to operate in order to remove any threat posed to the State of Israel.”UNIFIL Patrol Clashes with Residents. A confrontation erupted on Thursday in the southern Lebanese town of Aitit (Tyre district) between local residents and a UNIFIL patrol, after the international force’s vehicle passed through the village without an escort from the Lebanese Army, a move locals said violated established protocols.According to local sources, residents blocked the patrol’s path and demanded that it halt and turn back. UNIFIL personnel reportedly refused, prompting a heated argument that escalated into a minor scuffle. The situation was eventually defused through the intervention of local actors, who called for calm. This marks the seventh such confrontation between residents and UNIFIL forces since May.
UNIFIL Explanatory Statement
“A UNIFIL patrol came under attack on Thursday morning in southern Lebanon after being blocked by a group of civilians”, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said in a statement on Thursday. The peacekeepers, who were on a planned and pre-coordinated patrol with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in support of the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, were initially approached calmly by a number of individuals in civilian clothes. However, the situation quickly escalated when some began throwing stones at the peacekeepers, prompting them to deploy smoke to disperse the crowd and protect themselves. The Lebanese Army arrived at the scene and managed to restore calm.UNIFIL spokesperson, Andrea Tenenti emphasized in the statement that, as confirmed by the Lebanese government and military, the mission’s personnel are authorized to move independently in southern Lebanon to carry out their duties under Resolution 1701. They are not required to be accompanied by LAF troops during patrols. The UN peacekeeping force condemned the incident, calling it a “serious violation of international law and of Resolution 1701,” and urged the Lebanese authorities to bring those responsible to justice. UNIFIL reaffirmed its commitment to “impartially monitoring and reporting all violations” of the resolution, as mandated by the UN Security Council and requested by the Lebanese government.

Hezbollah wants guarantees, US wants disarmament—stalemate deepens amid diverging demands
LBCI/July 10/2025
Lebanon is awaiting responses from the United States and Israel to a comprehensive proposal submitted by President Joseph Aoun to U.S. envoy Tom Barrack. The document was delivered in response to an earlier list of American demands.
At the heart of the negotiations lies a key question: What does Washington want from Lebanon—particularly from Hezbollah—and what does Hezbollah want in return? According to U.S. officials, both Barrack’s proposal and the Lebanese response align in addressing the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons. However, the two sides differ significantly in their approach and timeline. Washington is not satisfied with a written response from Lebanon. It is demanding a formal government decision committing to the transfer of Hezbollah’s weapons to the Lebanese state within a short timeframe.
Implementation would coincide with parallel talks aimed at resolving long-standing disputes with Israel, particularly concerning land border issues. The Lebanese state, in turn, awaits Hezbollah’s response and its conditions before any discussion on disarmament can begin.
Hezbollah’s conditions are clear: Israel must first withdraw from all occupied territories, end assassinations and violations, release detainees and allow reconstruction to begin. Only then, the group says, can it engage in discussions over its weapons as part of what it refers to as a “defense strategy”—a concept it has so far refused to fully define or enter negotiations over. The current positions show little sign of tangible convergence. Reports of progress primarily revolve around the issue of “guarantees” that Hezbollah is seeking from Washington—an issue the Presidential Palace is reportedly discussing daily with the U.S. administration. According to LBCI sources, there is cautious optimism that an understanding could be reached with the United States, potentially linked to a halt in Israeli airstrikes. Efforts are currently focused on reactivating the ceasefire monitoring committee, with the aim of limiting Israeli attacks. The United States views this as a step toward rebuilding trust between the parties. However, it falls short of the security guarantees demanded by Lebanon. According to U.S. sources, such guarantees will not be offered until the issue of Hezbollah’s disarmament is resolved.

Hezbollah’s Threats to Israel: Can They Still Deliver?
Mario Chartouni/This is Beirut/July 10/2025
As tensions persist in southern Lebanon, with Israel carrying out regular targeted strikes, Hezbollah maintains a firm stance toward Tel Aviv. The threats are mounting – yet they never materialize. Now, the group’s Secretary-General, Naim Qassem, warns that the patience of the pro-Iranian party is wearing thin. But behind the rhetoric lies a more pressing question: does Hezbollah still have the capacity to follow through?
A Depleted Arsenal
The Israeli research center Alma, which monitors security threats along Israel’s northern front, estimates that prior to September 2024, the pro-Iranian group held an arsenal of more than 225,000 explosive projectiles – ranging from short- to long-range rockets.
According to Alma, this stockpile included some 65,000 rockets with a range of up to 80 kilometers, around 5,000 medium-range missiles, a similar number of long-range ones, and approximately 2,500 armed drones. Since then, Hezbollah’s arsenal has been severely depleted under the weight of sustained Israeli strikes. Tens of thousands of projectiles and weapons caches have been destroyed in air raids. Following the November 27, 2024 ceasefire agreement, several stockpiles were also seized in civilian and wooded areas – including mobile launchers positioned to fire into northern Israel. According to Alma, the number of short-range rockets has dropped below 10,000, while medium-range missiles are now estimated at fewer than 1,000. As for precision missiles – once seen as Hezbollah’s trump card – only a few dozen reportedly remain.
Severed Supply Lines
But beyond the arsenal itself, the group’s entire logistical infrastructure has collapsed. As Middle East security and defense analyst Riad Kahwaji explains, “Transport and supply lines with Iran were severed following the collapse of the Syrian regime.”
Cut off from its strategic corridor to Tehran – running between Damascus and Beirut – Hezbollah is now unable to replenish its stockpiles or maintain a steady flow of military supplies. So how do we make sense of Hezbollah’s aggressive rhetoric, given the severe decline in its capabilities? According to Kahwaji, this show of strength doesn’t match the reality on the ground: “Hezbollah is still trying to save face by talking about capabilities and readiness for war, but all signs point the other way,” he says. He emphasizes that neither the organization nor its war-weary base is currently prepared for a new conflict with Israel. According to Kahwaji, Hezbollah is focused on maintaining its position as the dominant political force. With legislative elections scheduled for May 2026 less than a year away, the pro-Iranian group needs to keep projecting the image of a “resistance” movement capable of defending Lebanon. A slogan it repeats tirelessly, even though recent fighting has exposed the gap between rhetoric and reality. For Hezbollah, losing military credibility could quickly translate into a loss of political influence. That’s why, the analyst says, the aggressive rhetoric is primarily aimed at keeping morale high among its supporters and preserving its symbolic standing with the Shia electorate. Disarmament Means Giving Up Its Core Identity
Along the same lines, disarmament remains a red line for Hezbollah. Giving up its weapons would, according to Kahwaji, mean an irreversible loss of identity. “Without its arms, Hezbollah would no longer be seen as a resistance movement but simply as another political party.”That’s why, despite external pressure from Washington and Tel Aviv, as well as internal calls for disarmament, the pro-Iranian group categorically rejects any surrender of its arsenal. Yet on the ground, the reality is unyielding. Israel continues daily strikes on Hezbollah’s infrastructure, eliminating one or two fighters or commanders almost every day.
According to Kahwaji, these targeted attacks are part of a steady attrition strategy – one Hezbollah carefully avoids to reciprocate. This tactical silence stands as the clearest sign of its weakening.
A High-Stakes Gamble on the Future
Unable to launch counterattacks, Hezbollah is buying time. It is counting on regional instability – especially in Syria – to create chaos that would allow it to reopen supply routes and rebuild its arsenal. But this gamble is growing more unrealistic by the day. As Kahwaji notes, the new Syrian regime is consolidating its grip on power, with no sign of an imminent collapse. For now, Hezbollah holds only a limited capacity: a handful of drones, light weapons and anti-tank missiles. This is sufficient for occasional strikes and, above all, political maneuvering, but it does not allow for opening a new front against Israel. Nor would it dare take such a risk today, knowing it could face complete annihilation. More than ever, the gap between rhetoric and reality is widening, fueling growing doubts over Hezbollah’s ability to reclaim its former strength.

Will Lebanon Install Observation Towers Along Its Border with Israel?
Natasha Metni Torbey/©This is Beirut/July 10/2025
A renewed proposal to build surveillance towers along Lebanon’s southern border with Israel is back on the table—ambitious in scope, but hindered by political and security complications. Originally floated by the British government in 2024, the plan was presented twice to Lebanese authorities amid intense negotiations around the ceasefire agreement reached on November 27 of that year. Beirut responded cautiously, wary of the broader dynamics unleashed by the October 7, 2023, war which was triggered by Hamas' offensive on Israel and followed by Hezbollah's entry under the banner of “unifying the fronts.” From the start, the proposal raised more than technical questions, and it still does. Last weekend, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy revived the initiative during a visit to Beirut, citing the need to strengthen surveillance along the demarcation line and support the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) in reasserting state sovereignty in a contested zone.
A Model from the North
To understand the full scope of the proposal, it’s worth looking north and northeast, where the UK and the US implemented a similar project more than a decade ago. Beginning in 2012, approximately 80 observation posts—76, according to some experts—were installed along the 375-kilometer Lebanese-Syrian border, from Arida to Rachaya. Grouped under four specialized border regiments, the towers were built atop strategic hilltops overlooking key transit zones historically associated with smuggling of weapons, drugs, people and goods. According to a senior security source speaking to This is Beirut, the system is part of an integrated surveillance network developed at the LAF’s request, with British and American logistical and technical support. Each tower is designed to be autonomous, non-intrusive and fully under Lebanese control—equipped with thermal cameras, motion sensors and, in some cases, encrypted communications. “No foreign personnel have access. All data is transmitted directly to Lebanon’s Ministry of Defense,” the source confirmed. Each tower is manned by a team of about 30 soldiers and is connected to a central operations room that enables 24/7 monitoring. While gaps remain, they are filled by regular patrols. “These are not foreign surveillance tools or instruments of interference,” the source emphasized. “They exist solely to help the LAF monitor and secure Lebanese territory.”
A More Complex Landscape in the South
However, applying this model to the southern border is far more complicated. Multiple military experts told This is Beirut that the situation along the Israeli border is fundamentally different. While the threats in the north are primarily from cross-border armed groups and smuggling, the south is “a geopolitical powder keg,” dominated by Hezbollah’s entrenched military presence and recurrent Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty.
This dual reality makes implementation difficult. “It’s highly unlikely that Israel would agree to a system that Hezbollah might have access to,” said one expert. Hezbollah, for its part, is equally skeptical and views any Western-backed monitoring effort as a Trojan horse for intelligence gathering on behalf of Tel Aviv.An intelligence specialist categorically rejected those suspicions: “Technically, these towers cannot transmit data to any party other than the Lebanese command. No targeted strike or real-time military action can occur without human presence or on-ground intelligence. No matter how advanced, these technologies don’t operate autonomously.”According to the source, American experts are expected in Beirut by the end of August to assess border security and evaluate the feasibility of installing observation posts.
The Surveillance Race Has Already Begun
Notably, surveillance towers already exist along Lebanon’s southern border. For years, Hezbollah has set up its own network of towers. Rudimentary, often hidden, but sometimes bearing Hezbollah’s flag, these towers have been largely destroyed by Israeli airstrikes since hostilities erupted in October 2023.
This battle over border monitoring—military, political and technological—underscores the British proposal’s significance. “It could help reestablish a measure of state control in an area marked by contested sovereignty,” a Lebanese security source said.
Local media emphasize that the top priority remains “full enforcement of the ceasefire, cessation of Israeli violations and withdrawal from the five remaining occupied Lebanese sites.”Simply put: no surveillance without sovereignty. And where sovereignty prevails, the state must also hold the exclusive right to bear arms—a goal Lebanon has yet to achieve.

How Lebanon Missed Its Future While Syria Negotiates Its Own
Salam El Zaatari/This Is Beirut/July 11/2025
I have always believed that geography makes history. But in the Middle East, history tends to repeat itself with a sectarian accent and a militia soundtrack. And this is tragically evident in Lebanon, a country that once had everything, and today, has nothing but memory and myth.
While the world watches US envoy Tom Barrack shuttle between Jerusalem, Damascus and Beirut, brokering what could be a historic Syria–Israel normalization deal by year’s end, it’s worth asking: What happens to Lebanon once the region moves on without it?
Because the truth is, Lebanon isn’t just falling behind. It may be falling apart.
Our Lebanon has been a broken formula since birth. For over a century, Lebanon has functioned—or rather malfunctioned—under a fragile formula: power-sharing among 18 sects, each one with a veto and none with a vision. The Grand Liban experiment, born in 1920 under French design, was supposed to be a mosaic of coexistence. Instead, it became a gridlock of contradictions.
The problem isn’t just that the system is outdated. It’s that it was never designed to deliver governance. It was designed to prevent war. And in doing so, it made reform impossible.
There’s an old saying in Beirut, “We build malls before ministries.” And over the last 50 years, Lebanon has missed every golden opportunity handed to it by fate or fortune:
In the 1970s, the oil boom flooded the region with cash. Lebanon could’ve been the Dubai of the Levant. Instead, it became the frontline of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
In 1989, the Taif Agreement ended the civil war. It could’ve reset the republic. Instead, warlords got promoted to parliamentarians.
In the early 2000s, billions poured in from Paris II and III. Infrastructure could’ve been reborn. But the money disappeared into ghost contracts and sectarian pockets.
In 2006, after the war with Israel, international sympathy opened the door to rebuild stronger. Instead, Hezbollah emerged stronger, and the state weaker.
In 2019, when youth took to the streets demanding change, the ruling class gave them slogans, not solutions.
And in 2020, following the Beirut Port explosion, any other nation would’ve had a revolution. Lebanon? It had a commission of inquiry, and then silence.
From PLO to Hezbollah: Sovereignty for Rent
It’s tempting to blame outsiders, but Lebanon’s rot has always been self-inflicted. In the 1970s, the PLO ran armed camps with the state’s quiet approval. Today, Hezbollah has filled the same vacuum—only deeper, richer and more entangled with Iran.
Both groups claimed to “resist Israel.” But in reality, they resisted the state. And the state complied. Not out of ideology, but out of fear—and a very Lebanese talent for postponing the inevitable. And now, Syria—yes, Syria, no longer under Assad but led by Ahmad al-Sharaa—is reportedly preparing to sign a peace treaty with Israel, marking a dramatic pivot from the regime that once occupied Lebanon for nearly 30 years. Let that sink in.
When Sharaa Signs Peace, What Happens to Beirut?
If Syria normalizes ties with Israel by the end of this year or early 2026, as US and Israeli officials hint, the entire strategic calculus of the region will shift. Iran loses its land bridge. Hezbollah loses its “resistance” narrative. And Lebanon loses its relevance.
Because once Damascus pivots westward, the axis of Iranian influence that flows through Baghdad, Damascus and Beirut begins to buckle, and Beirut will be the most brittle link.
In an in-depth interview on Tuesday night, US Special Envoy Tom Barrack laid bare the complexity of Lebanon’s crisis, and the narrowing window for salvation. Amid the cautious diplomacy and hopeful tone, two remarks stood out. Barrack delivered a blunt truth: the world is moving on, and Lebanon must choose whether to evolve or be left behind.
Here are the two quotes that, in my opinion, say everything:
“We’ve taken Lebanon, one of the most beautiful countries, the North Star of the entire Middle East since the time of the Phoenicians, and we’ve become irrelevant,” said Tom Barrack. This is the quote that captures the heart of Barrack’s disappointment and sorrow. It indirectly reflects what much of his mission is trying to reverse: Lebanon’s tragic fall from historical promise to geopolitical irrelevance due to its dysfunctional politics, missed opportunities and internal paralysis. It reads like a eulogy for the Grand Liban.
The second quote by Tom Barrack is, “Decide what you want to do. We’ll help you get there. Put all this aside. If you don’t want to do that, there are other things going on in the world.” This line is deceptively soft, but it's a diplomatic ultimatum. It encapsulates the unspoken warning running through the interview, “Lebanon, the world won’t wait for you anymore.” With Syria moving fast toward peace with Israel, and the region realigning, this quote is a subtle farewell letter if Lebanon doesn’t act.
And this is where the conversation gets darker.
The Fragmentation Has Already Begun
Look closer, and you’ll see that the Grand Liban is already unraveling into de facto fiefdoms:
Hezbollah governs the South with its own telecoms, schools and economy.
Tripoli and Akkar are Sunni clientelist zones run by political clans.
The Shouf remains a Druze stronghold.
Beirut is a showroom city: shiny on the surface, hollow inside.
The Beqaa is a narco-militia playground with borders drawn in hashish, not ink.
No one’s declaring a new flag. Not yet. But the flag of Lebanon hasn’t really meant much either, except at football matches or funerals.
And once Syria signs peace, the last moral justification for Hezbollah’s arms collapses. If Damascus is okay with Israeli embassies and direct flights, who will believe that Hezbollah needs 100,000 rockets in the South to protect Lebanon?
Worse, who will stop the chaos that comes after?
A Country That Refuses to Reform Will Eventually Explode
There’s still time. Lebanon could unify under one national army and finally build a state. But this requires something Lebanon hasn’t had in half a century: a political class willing to lose power in order to save the country.
Barring that, the future is clear: The Grand Liban is dying, not because it was invaded or bombed, but because it refused to evolve.
It will not end in fire, but in irrelevance. Quietly, gradually, one neighborhood at a time. Until we wake up and realize: Lebanon is not a country anymore. It’s a memory trapped between two rivers, governed by nostalgia and ruled by ghosts.
History doesn’t repeat itself in Lebanon. It just never leaves.
And while Syria signs treaties, Lebanon signs obituaries for what it could’ve been, and now, can never be again.

Historic opportunity to transform Lebanon is being squandered
Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/July 10/2025
A few days before US Special Envoy Tom Barrack’s visit to Lebanon on Monday, Hezbollah organized mass demonstrations in Beirut’s southern suburbs, giving its answer to the American request for the group’s disarmament. Hezbollah stated clearly: it will not disarm. Thousands of its members took to the streets chanting slogans such as “the resistance will not kneel,” “no to American dictates,” and “weapons protect the homeland.” This show of force diverges from the written answer given to Barrack by President Joseph Aoun, which the former described as “something spectacular,” adding he was “unbelievably satisfied” with it. While the content of the letter has not been shared, it clearly contradicts Hezbollah’s message of sending its people to the streets and rejecting the US-backed plan calling for a phased disarmament. Moreover, in a televised speech, Secretary-General Naim Qassem reaffirmed that Hezbollah would not consider laying down its arms for now. This represents a clear departure from the negotiated path that Aoun stated he was aiming for, as well as the US requests.
Let us call it what it is: Hezbollah can only send messages of threat to the Lebanese and no one else. It was soundly defeated by the Israelis. Moreover, its own master was also delivered a severe military blow while it stood silent. And so, these weapons are worthless in terms of national defense and they are not a form of resistance but of oppression.
I agree (though not for the same reasons) with Hezbollah that its arsenal should not be subject to negotiations, because it should be surrendered immediately, without any preconditions or a political solution. These weapons are nothing but a threat to other Lebanese and the sovereignty of the country. These weapons are the cause of the destruction, as much so as the dangerous ideology pushed by Hezbollah.
Hezbollah’s weapons are worthless in terms of national defense and they are not a form of resistance but of oppression
What comes next? Hezbollah will probably execute “loosely” on the Israeli requests for disarmament, particularly regarding its presence south of the Litani River. And so, the exit formula will be another version of what was witnessed between Iran and Israel following their 12-day war: a formula that gives enough butter to Hezbollah’s leaders to spread on their bread and to shift their speech into a symbolic victory to market to their crowd. Do the group’s members still believe this? Even after the severe hits it has taken. The reality is that Israel is the only victor here and a historic opportunity for the Lebanese government to transform the country is being lost.
Unfortunately, the Lebanese state will not be able to push forward with a full disarmament. It has surrendered to Hezbollah’s will, like all its predecessors. Moreover, the US will not act with increased pressure, nor will it propose a timeline. It is up to the Lebanese to take care of themselves. This was very clear from Barrack’s statement: great words for and about the Lebanese people, including Hezbollah, which he qualified as a political force that Israel must accept. Nothing solid delivered or to deliver. And it is better this way. Let the Lebanese handle it.
There is, hence, a total acceptance of Hezbollah’s status within the Lebanese state. The direct threat to Israel has been eliminated and the rest now seems irrelevant. The Lebanese leadership has submitted to the will of Hezbollah and Lebanon will continue to drift in chaos. Barrack said as much to the Lebanese, just dipped in a honeyed speech of greatness: “Good luck with that, you can do it” was the message.
The total collapse of the Lebanese file has a different tone this time, and I do not think the Lebanese even care anymore
The total collapse of the Lebanese file has a different tone this time, and I do not think the Lebanese even care anymore. Life under occupation and amid geopolitical shifts has taken its toll. Aside from a small minority, the Lebanese have accepted this situation and will live with it. Just like the Iranian nuclear program, no one knows when Hezbollah will rise from the ashes and push for another round of fighting. Even if one thing is sure: it has been hurt badly and will think more than in the past before any new provocation. It is also a certainty that there will be another round. Sooner or later. And its outcome will not differ from the previous rounds: destruction for Lebanon.
The biggest threat to Lebanon regarding Hezbollah’s disarmament is that its continued provocations may force a response from Damascus. The group is inviting renewed foreign interference that will further undermine Lebanese sovereignty. This is the biggest difference in our current environment. The US does not need to threaten; it can leave it to the new leadership in Syria to deal with this if things get out of hand. This solution will not bring stability to Lebanon, as we can all imagine. It will perpetuate the never-ending cycle of interference.
Taking the transformation in Syria and Barrack’s speech into account, Hezbollah should act fast and smart: deliver its arsenal to the Lebanese state, free its community and free Lebanon from this regional entanglement. The odds of this happening are slim to none. Yet the risk of other groups resorting to weapons to protect themselves against Hezbollah’s domestic show of force is increasing by the day. Geopolitical situational awareness is needed by all. In this current scenario, where the centralized government is not able to reassert full sovereignty over the country, the decline will certainly continue. How can we not see that federalism is the best solution? It will give each group local autonomy while preserving national unity. This is a final chance before the total dissolution of the country.
**Khaled Abou Zahr is the founder of SpaceQuest Ventures, a space-focused investment platform. He is CEO of EurabiaMedia and editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.

A weapon threatening global security
Zaid AlKami/Al Arabiya English/10 July/2025
In Lebanon, Hezbollah’s weapons are no longer just a divisive domestic issue. They have evolved into an international concern that threatens global peace, hinders the establishment of a functioning state, and paralyzes the entire political system. Despite the cautious optimism expressed by US Envoy Tom Barrack regarding Lebanon’s response to the disarmament file, the party’s leadership continues to reaffirm its unwavering attachment to its arms. As stated explicitly by Hezbollah’s Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem: “Hezbollah can’t be told to give up our weapons.” This statement is not just political posturing – it is a clear declaration that weapons have become a substitute identity for the state itself, serving as a shield for consolidating power rather than liberating land.
The model of a party or faction monopolizing power outside of state institutions is not unique to Lebanon. We also see it in Yemen, though it has escalated there in a more alarming form. Last week, Yemen’s Minister of Information Moammar al-Eryani warned of the start of ballistic missile and drone manufacturing programs being localized in areas under Houthi control – specifically in Saada, Hajjah, and the outskirts of Sanaa. According to al-Eryani’s warning, the situation has moved beyond smuggling into a stage of organized transfer of advanced military capabilities into environments that fall outside any form of legal oversight and do not recognize the concept of a national state.
The shift from merely using weapons to manufacturing them within areas outside of control not only threatens Yemen, but also pushes regional and global security to the brink. Yemen’s geographic position near the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Arabian Sea makes it a vital corridor for global trade. Any tension or escalation in this region would destabilize international shipping routes and global supply chains.
These warnings do not appear isolated from the broader international context. A 2022 report by Canada’s National Defence Studies Centre noted that the Houthis, along with four other groups in the region, have developed advanced and sustainable drone programs. These programs differ in methods but are equally dangerous. The report emphasized that the real threat lies not just in possessing the technology but in incorporating it into aggressive military doctrines beyond any legal or regulatory framework.
The report stressed that innovation and rapid adaptation in such programs – especially in areas beyond state control – represent a serious challenge that cannot be countered by traditional means. According to the report, each armed group has developed its own approach to drone warfare, tailored to its operational environment and objectives. This makes such programs flexible, scalable, and too complex to be addressed through temporary or reactive measures.
What we are witnessing today cannot be dismissed as a passing or temporary phenomenon. It is the result of a long path of accumulating advanced weaponry in the hands of groups that do not recognize state sovereignty and are not hesitant to use these weapons across borders – in open defiance of the state. If Hezbollah’s experience in Lebanon has ended in political paralysis and factional dominance over state institutions, then what the Houthis are building in Yemen signals something far more dangerous: a wide-open threat to global maritime security, given its proximity to a strategic waterway and one of the most vital straits in global supply chains. The real danger lies in the political vacuum that allows such groups to develop, store, and operate weapons without accountability or oversight. In an extremely sensitive region like the southern Red Sea, any reckless act could ignite a crisis that spreads far beyond the Yemeni conflict.
Even so, the responsibility of Yemen’s legitimate government is not only to express concern, but also to strengthen its political presence and intensify its efforts to confront this threat – even if that requires seeking international support to control the situation. Additionally, there must be a way to bring the Houthis back to the negotiating table in an attempt to find a way out of the broader crisis.
Leaving this type of weaponry in areas beyond state control will transform Yemen from a site of internal conflict into a platform for global threat.
Dealing with the issue of drones and ballistic missiles outside of state authority has become an urgent necessity that demands coordinated international action. When weapons are made in the shadows, tested at sea, and launched across borders, then talk of local security becomes meaningless – because the threat is now global, and weapons no longer recognize borders.

eviving May 17 Agreement could be a solution for Lebanon
Nadim Shehadi/Arab News/July 10, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/07/145086/
Historians describe it as a perfect failure: because it was both perfect and it failed. It was also called mission impossible because of the Syrian opposition to it. The May 17 Agreement of 1983 between Israel and Lebanon, however, remains the only official document negotiated directly between the two states — and there are many reasons why we should go back to it to get us out of the current impasse.
Yes, we are at an impasse and there are very good reasons for it. Simply put, there are too many overlapping conversations happening at the same time, between the wrong people, and they need to be separated to get the right results. This is heavily dependent on who is discussing what: the interlocutor is key. The optics are bad, as when the government makes promises, they are almost immediately contradicted by Hezbollah. Lebanon is losing credibility and we are being lectured about missed opportunities and about being “left behind” while the region moves forward. It is painful to watch and there are rumors of resignations and of the government collapsing. This is the last thing we need.
The core problem is and has always been the Israel-Lebanon border. In 1983, it was the Palestine Liberation Organization launching rockets and operations across it, while today it is the arms of Hezbollah and Israel’s attacks and invasions to counter them.
The government of Lebanon is working on two fronts. It is negotiating its relations with Israel after a war that it did not participate in and had no say on how it started or how it ended. At the same time, it is negotiating with Hezbollah over the application of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which Lebanon has twice committed to — firstly in 2006 under the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and then in November 2024 under Najib Mikati.
Both cases were huge feats of internal and external diplomacy, which should be seen as a success of the Lebanese system and not as a failure. But both agreements were for no more than a cessation of hostilities, which is less than a ceasefire and certainly far from an end to the state of war between the two countries.
The debate over Hezbollah’s arms has to remain internal and is no less complicated than that over the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms in the US. The narrative is tied to that of resistance to the 22-year Israeli occupation of south Lebanon between 1978 and 2000, which the Lebanese state recognizes. In a nutshell, Hezbollah can give up its arms but not its status as a resistance force. Disarming Hezbollah is about the future of the country, while Hezbollah’s resistance is part of its past. It is also about coming to terms with a humiliating military defeat while maintaining the glories of past successes. This is a delicate balance that can only be achieved through conversations within the party, between the party and its community, and with the rest of the country. This is also tied to reconstruction and recovery, both from last year’s war and the economic and financial crisis. Trust me, it is difficult enough without external participation and it has to happen in-house. Disarming Hezbollah is about the future of the country, while Hezbollah’s resistance is part of its past.
In comparison, the question of relations with Israel is straightforward — and this is where reviving the May 17 Agreement comes in. It was a result of Israel and Lebanon engaging in direct state-to-state negotiations, with American facilitation and guarantees. The agreement was approved by the Lebanese parliament after long discussions, with every point of the text widely discussed.
In his recently published memoirs, former Lebanese Foreign Minister Elie Salem emphasized that it was not a peace treaty and did not result in the normalization of relations, such as an exchange of ambassadors. It was also not connected with the Syrian presence in the country — this was the only way to sell it internally. In a way, all three parties approached the negotiations with widely differing expectations.
David Kimche, the Israeli negotiator, has described how every point was hotly debated and had to be sold to all the different parties in Lebanon. He explained that his Lebanese counterpart Antoine Fattal was a Chaldean by religion, his deputy and head of the military committee was Shiite and the civilian members included another Shiite, a Sunni Muslim, a Maronite and a Greek Orthodox Catholic. It was inconceivable that such a team could agree on any major issue, especially as each had to separately consult with their community leaders. Fattal pointed out that his delegation was like a convoy that had to continuously adjust its speed to that of the slowest ship.
Salem recounted how, with the approval of US envoy Philip Habib, President Amine Gemayel had to withdraw from the agreement after Israel insisted on conditions about a simultaneous Syrian withdrawal that were not part of the text. There was already enough pressure from Damascus against the agreement — under the slogan that the two paths, those of Lebanon and Syria, were intertwined. Hafez Assad was obviously concerned that an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon would trigger calls for Syria to do the same, which is what ultimately happened after Israel did finally withdraw in 2000.The main reason for the Lebanese government to revive the May 17 Agreement is to regain the initiative and earn credibility by owning the process and separating the Israeli component from the internal Lebanese discussion with Hezbollah. It would be almost impossible to initiate such a direct state-to-state process with Israel, but it is feasible to pick up where they left off and move forward. As Fattal explained about the complexity of Lebanon’s internal situation, the overall package is more important than the contents.
• Nadim Shehadi is an economist and political adviser.

The Lebanese Shi‘a Deserve a State, not a Militia
Makram Rabah/Now Lebanon/July 10/2025
Last week marked the commemoration of Ashura, the tenth of Muharram, when Shi‘a Muslims remember the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, their third imam, who was slain at Karbala alongside his family and loyal companions. It is a foundational moment in Shi‘a Islam—emotionally and theologically—soaked in tragedy and imbued with a spirit of resistance against injustice. Yet, in Lebanon, this annual ritual has been tainted by a troubling contradiction.
For some who claim to love Imam al-Hussein, the act of mourning has become conflated with the defense of Hezbollah’s weapons—an Iranian-supplied arsenal they present not merely as a military tool, but as an inseparable component of Shi‘a identity in Lebanon. Calls for disarmament are reflexively framed as calls for the isolation or persecution of the Shi‘a community itself. This line of reasoning is not only disingenuous—it is dangerous. It fuses political deceit with religious hysteria and, in doing so, insults both the Shi‘a faith and the legacy of al-Hussein.
While followers of other Islamic traditions celebrate their spiritual heritage without linking it to private militias or parallel state structures, one must ask: Why, in parts of Lebanon, has devotion to al-Hussein become tied to the possession of arms and the rejection of the state? Has love for al-Hussein been hijacked to justify a foreign-backed political project?
The essence of Karbala is human and universal. Al-Hussein did not rise up for power or sectarian privilege—he rose to speak truth to tyranny. He resisted not with weapons and military might, but with moral clarity. To turn his memory into a cover for the silence imposed by the gun, for the suppression of state authority, or for the obstruction of justice, is to betray his example. To link Karbala to a modern, expansionist Iranian project is to transform a symbol of moral courage into a tool of domination.
Efforts to sanctify Hezbollah’s arms with religious imagery not only distort Shi‘a theology but demand a return to the core sources of Ja‘fari jurisprudence—away from the ideological innovations of the “neo-Shi‘ites” who equate piety with militarism.
In this year’s commemoration, Hezbollah launched a propaganda campaign designed to give divine legitimacy to its arsenal. It adopted a slogan—”We will never abandon our weapons”—paired with AI-generated images of men carrying babies and rifles, women wielding guns. The optics echo the rhetoric of America’s National Rifle Association: “You’ll pry my gun from my cold, dead hands.” But Lebanon’s constitution does not enshrine the right to bear arms. It vests the monopoly of force in the state and its legitimate institutions.
The oft-repeated formula of “the army, the people, and the resistance” is a constitutional fraud. When weapons wear a sectarian cloak, they violate Lebanon’s founding principle of coexistence. Trapping the Shi‘a community in a permanent state of victimhood to justify illegal arms is not just a falsehood—it is a political crime. Those who insist that Shi‘a can only be protected by Iranian arms reduce a proud and diverse community to the status of a besieged enclave, rather than full citizens in a just and civil state.
The weapons have become a curse—on Lebanon and even on those who cling to it. Like a spoiled child who refuses to return a toy he stole from a classmate—even when scolded by his parents—its holders cling to it defiantly, preaching piety to elders while ignoring the wisdom of their own. Perhaps they have forgotten the wise words of the late Shitte cleric Sayyid Hani Fahs, who once tried to remind Hezbollah’s ranks, and all those enamored with weapons, of a deeper truth:
“The best part of al-Hussein’s past is what should define our future—our commitment to justice, freedom, and unity. These must be built on tawhid (oneness), which unites without erasing differences. Complex meaning is richer and more enduring than simplistic certainty. If we are to preserve or recover our civilizational role, we must renew what can be renewed, discard what is harmful, and add what is necessary… There is no answer without knowledge, and no knowledge without partnership—without unity. Diversity is a condition of civilization; the fault lies not in multiplicity but in those who turn it into conflict and exclusion.”Only the state—strong, inclusive, and legitimate—can protect all of Lebanon’s citizens: Shi‘a, Christians, Sunnis, and Druze alike. To honor Hussein is not to raise a rifle in his name—it is to raise his voice. He did not die to bestow sacred status on weapons, but to preserve freedom in the face of tyranny, whether foreign or domestic.
And if the lovers of arms will not heed the wisdom of Sayyid Hani, they should at least accept this self-evident truth: Religion belongs to God. Arms belong to the state—and only the state.
And if they still refuse to listen, perhaps they’ll recall the old saying: “No tree has ever reached its Lord—no matter how tall it grows.”
**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) covers collective identities and the Lebanese Civil War. He tweets at @makramrabah

Has America Reversed Itself on Hezbollah?
Hussain Abdul-Hussain/This is Beirut/July 10/2025
US Envoy to Syria and Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack has reversed three decades of US policy by no longer labeling Hezbollah a terrorist organization. The shift de-internationalizes the issue of the Iranian proxy militia, whose disarmament is mandated by UN Security Council resolutions and the November ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel.
"Hezbollah is a political party and it also has a militant aspect to it. Hezbollah needs to see that there is a future for them, that that road is not harnessed just solely against them,” Barrack said at a press conference on Monday at the Lebanese presidential palace in Baabda.
Barrack has, perhaps inadvertently, made Hezbollah a domestic issue whose disarmament would be debated as part of a “national defense strategy,” just like Hezbollah wanted.
Unlike some European nations that distinguish between Hezbollah’s political and military wings, the US has consistently viewed the group as a unified terrorist entity responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans.
For attacks on the US Embassy in Beirut, the Marines barracks, and US troops in Iraq, the US has long considered Hezbollah a sworn enemy. Washington offered no leniency short of the militia’s disbandment, with sanctions to remain unless Hezbollah renounces its past and reverses course—a prospect its ongoing “we will not surrender our arms” campaign renders unlikely.
Even during the summer of love between America and Iran, when Secretary of State John Kerry established a personal friendship with his Iranian counterpart, Jawad Zarif, Hezbollah remained too toxic in Washington. A month after announcing the terms of a nuclear deal, President Obama signed the Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act into law. Congress had passed it in December 2015 by a sweeping vote of 422 to zero.
Lebanon’s inability to curb Hezbollah’s actions led to wars with Israel in 2006 and 2023. In 2006, UN Security Council Resolution 1701 ended hostilities on the condition that Hezbollah disarm and the Lebanon-Israel border be demarcated. Lebanon promised to assert sovereignty but failed to act. In 2023, history repeated itself: Beirut secured a ceasefire but reneged on commitments to disarm Hezbollah per a clear timetable. Instead, Lebanese leaders sought time for a “national dialogue” on a “defense strategy”—an open-ended process without deadlines. Meanwhile, Israeli reports indicate Hezbollah is rebuilding its elite forces and redeploying south of the Litani River.
Lebanon’s do-nothing policy is also a problem. Instead of presenting Hezbollah with a roadmap and a timetable for its disarmament, Beirut has dragged its feet and threatened the world with self-harm if it is ever forced to disarm the militia.
Lebanon now argues that disbanding Hezbollah will ignite a civil war, and the world must therefore “understand” Beirut sitting idly by, doing nothing. As always, Beirut expects the world to cater to its weakness, instead of fixing its problem and restoring its own sovereignty.
Despite all the flashing red lights, Barrack appeared calm. He told Lebanon that it must either sign a peace agreement with Israel—like Syria and Saudi Arabia are expected to do—or sit out and be forgotten. The problem is, with Hezbollah bent on rearming, forgetting Lebanon is not an option. Israel will be forced to continue policing its northern neighbor to preempt the pro-Iran militia from reconstituting. War will continue.
Creative foreign policy has merits, but abandoning long-standing positions without thorough consultation risks grave errors. Hezbollah is watching. A softened US stance signals fatigue and a willingness to compromise in Lebanon at any cost. The militia now believes it can outlast both America and Israel, resuming rearmament sooner or later. Unless Washington reaffirms its firm commitment to Hezbollah’s disarmament, Israel’s military successes against the group will yield little lasting impact.

Israeli operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah: June 30–July 6, 2025
David Daoud/FDD's Long War Journal/July 08/2025
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted numerous activities throughout Lebanon against Hezbollah between June 30 and July 6, 2025. The IDF’s operations last week reached both sides of the Litani River, as far north as Khalde on the coast and villages west of Baalbek in the east. The IDF’s strikes included a targeted assassination of a significant smuggler for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) who was responsible for transferring weapons to Hezbollah and Iranian proxies in Judea-Samaria.
The IDF conducted operations in 26 Lebanese locales during the week, with some targeted more than once. The IDF carried out 29 airstrikes or other aerial activities, conducted seven ground activities, struck one area with artillery, and dropped leaflets in one location.
Map instructions: Click the top-left icon or an icon on the map to open the Map Key, and adjust the map’s zoom as desired. Click the top-right icon to open a larger version of the map.
Baalbek-Hermel Governorate
Baalbek Governorate: Bodai and Flawiye
Beqaa Governorate
Western Beqaa District: Zellaya
Mount Lebanon Governorate
Aley District: Khalde
Nabatieh Governorate
Bint Jbeil District: Ayta Ash Shaab, Bint Jbeil, Maroun Al Ras, and Shaqra
Marjayoun District: Adaisseh, Deir Mimas-Kfar Kela, Deir Seryan, Houla-Meiss Al Jabal, Kfar Kela, Khiam, and Meiss al Jabal.
Nabatieh: Ain Qana-Houmine Al Fawqa-Sarba, Harouf-Al Jabal al Ahmar-Shoukine, Yohmor, and Zawtar al Sharqiyeh
South Lebanon Governorate
Sidon District: Borj Rahhal-Irzay, Irzay-Zrariyeh, Kfar Melki, and Mattariyeh
Tyre District: Yarine
Jezzine District: Aishiyyeh-Mahmouydiyeh-Jarmaq and Wardiyeh
Casualties
Israeli operations in Lebanon killed two individuals—one a Hezbollah operative and another an IRGC-QF operative—and wounded 18 other people, one of whom was identified as a young male child, and another identified as a young female child.
June 30, 2025: No casualties were reported.
July 1, 2025: Two unidentified people were wounded.
July 2, 2025: No casualties were reported.
July 3, 2025: One IRGC-QF operative was killed.
July 4, 2025: No casualties were reported.
July 5, 2025: One Hezbollah operative was killed, and six unidentified individuals were wounded.
July 6, 2025: Ten individuals were wounded.
Chronology of Israeli operations against Hezbollah, June 30–July 6, 2025
June 30
No operations were reported.
July 1
At 8:17 am, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli troops directed heavy-caliber gunfire at Adaisseh in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
At 9:29 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone targeted an inhabited home in the Al Jabal al Ahmar area, between Shoukine and Harouf, in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Nabatieh District. The strike reportedly wounded two people, including one young child.
At 9:46 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that IDF troops positioned inside Israeli territory directed gunfire at the outskirts of Ayta Ash Shaab in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District.
At 11:22 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped a stun grenade near a truck in Kfar Kela in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
At 10:57 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped a stun explosive between Deir Mimas and Kfar Kela in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
July 2
At 8:17 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped a stun explosive on a house in Ayta Ash Shaab in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District.
At 11:53 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped a stun explosive near alleged farmers in Yarine in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Tyre District.
At 1:35 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli troops directed gunfire at the outskirts of Khiam in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
July 3
At 8:41 am, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli troops entered the town of Kfar Kela, in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District, and detonated the house of an individual named Abbas Bdeir.
At 5:22 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle on the Khalde Highway in the Mount Lebanon Governorate’s Aley District. The strike killed one person and wounded five others. The IDF later claimed that it had targeted and killed a Lebanese individual, Qassem Salah Al Hussaini, who smuggled weapons and funds for terror activities to Hezbollah on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF). The IDF said Hussaini was a “significant figure” in smuggling weapons from Iran to Hezbollah via Syria and to Iranian proxies in Judea-Samaria.
Qassem Salah al Hussaini.
Qassem Salah al Hussaini.
At 7:11 pm, NNA Lebanon reported Israeli airstrikes on Wardiyeh and Mahmoudiyeh in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Jezzine District. Israeli airstrikes also targeted the northern outskirts of Deir Seryan in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District. At 7:14 pm, NNA Lebanon reported Israeli airstrikes on the course of the Litani River in Yohmor in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Nabatieh District, and between Yohmor and Deir Seryan. Israeli airstrikes also reportedly renewed targeting the outskirts of Zawtar al Sharqiyeh in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Nabatieh District. At 7:45 pm, the IDF released a statement commenting on the strikes, saying its aircraft had targeted Hezbollah military sites in the area “housing weapons storage facilities, military buildings, and terrorist infrastructure,” whose existence “constitutes a grave violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
At 8:08 pm, NNA Lebanon reported renewed Israeli airstrikes on Mahmoudiyeh.
At 8:32 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that three Israeli airstrikes targeted Zellaya in the Beqaa Governorate’s Western Beqaa District.
At 9:48 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped a stun explosive in Ayta Ash Shaab in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District.
At 10:12 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli troops distributed leaflets in Shebaa in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Hasbaya District, instructing residents to relocate their beehives from near the Lebanese Army Barracks in the town’s Bayader area to the town’s north.
July 4
At 8:49 am, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli troops destroyed a bulldozer on the road between Meiss Al Jabal and Houla in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
At 9:45 am, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli artillery targeted an allegedly inhabited home in the Tallat Al Shawat area of Ayta Ash Shaab in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District. The house had previously been targeted with stun explosives.
At 12:48 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli troops demolished a linen factory in Meiss Al Jabal in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District that had been destroyed during the war but rebuilt by its owners.
July 5
At 9:32 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone targeted a house in Shebaa in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Hasbaya District. The strike wounded one person.
At 10:38 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone conducted an airstrike at the Salah Ghandour intersection in the Saf Al Hawa area of Bint Jbeil in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District. The strike killed one person and wounded two others. The IDF later released a statement stating it had targeted and killed a Hezbollah operative in the group’s Radwan Force commando unit near Ainata, just north of Bint Jbeil. At 6:04 pm, Hezbollah-affiliated social media announced the death of Hezbollah operative Haitham Ismail Mustafa, whose nom de guerre was Abu Zahraa, from Ainata
The death announcement for Haitham Ismail Mustafa. (Balagh Media Telegram)
At 11:22 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle in Shaqra in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District. The strike wounded two people.
At 2:25 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle with two missiles in Bint Jbeil. The strike wounded one person.
July 6
At 8:53 am, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli drone dropped a stun explosive in the direction of Kfar Kela in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
At 9:18 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted the heights near Flawiye in the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate’s Baalbek District.
At 9:23 pm, NNA Lebanon reported an Israeli airstrike on Kfar Melki in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Sidon District.
At 9:37 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli jets conducted airstrikes on the area between Ain Qana, Sarba, and Houmine Al Fawqa in the Iqlim Al Tuffah region of the Nabatieh Governorate’s Nabatieh District.
At 9:43 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli jets conducted an airstrike in the wadi between Zrariyeh and Irzay in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Sidon District. The strike severely wounded a young girl, sending her to intensive care.
At 9:47 pm, NNA Lebanon reported an Israeli airstrike near Mattariyeh in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Sidon District.
At 10:05 pm, NNA Lebanon reported an Israeli airstrike between Borj Rahhal and Irzay in the South Lebanon Governorate’s Sidon District. The strike wounded nine people.
At 10:13 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that three Israeli airstrikes targeted the outskirts of Bodai, west of Baalbek, in the Baalbek-Hermel Governorate’s Baalbek District.
At 10:40 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli troops directed gunfire at the outskirts of Kfar Kela in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
At 10:41 pm, the IDF released a statement saying it had targeted several Hezbollah military sites, weapons storage and production infrastructure, and a rocket-launching site.
At 10:45 pm, NNA Lebanon reported that Israeli troops positioned in the Tel Hamames Post directed gunfire at the valley of Marjayoun in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Marjayoun District.
At 10:59, NNA Lebanon reported that an Israeli quadcopter dropped a stun explosive in Maroun Al Ras in the Nabatieh Governorate’s Bint Jbeil District.
Previous entries:
June 23-29, 2025
June 16-22,2025
June 9-15, 2025
June 2-8, 2025
May 26-June 1, 2025
May 19-25, 2025
May 12-18, 2025
April 28-May 11, 2025
April 21-27, 2025
April 14-20, 2025
April 7-13,2025
March 31-April 6, 2025
March 24-31, 2025
March 18-23, 2025
March 13-17, 2025
March 11, 2025
**David Daoud is Senior Fellow at at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies where he focuses on Israel, Hezbollah, and Lebanon affairs.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 10-11/2025
Link Video To A Pannel Discussion From Washington Institute: Pursuing Israel-Syria Detente Post-Assad/Contributors: Rime Allaf, Aaron, Ehud Yaari, Zelin & Andrew Tabler/Moderated by Blumenstein-Rosenbloom Senior Fellow Devorah Margolin
Washingtom Institure Youtube Platform/July 10/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/07/145081/
On July 3, U.S. envoy Tom Barrack announced that Washington is brokering new border talks between Israel and Syria, with an eye toward fostering economic development post-Assad rather than launching another “failed” U.S. attempt at “nation building.” How should negotiators approach the many complex issues that will come up during such talks, including concerns over Israeli military incursions, the new Syrian government’s ability to provide internal security, competing claims over the Golan Heights, and continued interference from actors like Iran and Russia? And what role can the United States ultimately play in ending eight decades of conflict between the two countries?
To discuss these issues, The Washington Institute is pleased to announce a virtual Policy Forum with four distinguished speakers, moderated by Blumenstein-Rosenbloom Senior Fellow Devorah Margolin:
*Rime Allaf, a Syrian-born writer, advisor, and communications strategist, author of the forthcoming book It Started in Damascus: How the Long Syrian Revolution Reshaped Our World (Hurst, 2025), and a former associate fellow with Chatham House.
*Ehud Yaari, The Washington Institute’s Lafer International Fellow and an award-winning Middle East commentator for Israel’s Channel 12 television.
*Aaron Zelin, the Institute’s Gloria and Ken Levy Senior Fellow, creator of its interactive Islamic State Worldwide Activity Map, and author of The Age of Political Jihadism: A Study of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
*Andrew Tabler, the Institute’s Martin J. Gross Senior Fellow, former director for Syria at the National Security Council, and former senior advisor to the State Department’s special envoy for Syria engagement.

Israeli army says intercepted missile launched from Yemen
AFP/July 10, 2025
JERUSALEM: Israel’s military said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen on Thursday, with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels later claiming responsibility for the attack, which followed Israeli strikes on Houthi targets. The Houthis “carried out a qualitative military operation” using a ballistic missile, military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a video statement. The Israeli military said earlier in a post on X that a missile launched from Yemen had been intercepted following air raid sirens that sounded before dawn in several areas of Israel. The Houthis began targeting Israel and ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden they accuse of having links to the country after the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, claiming solidarity with Palestinians. In response, Israel has carried out several strikes on Yemen, including attacks on Sunday on the port city of Hodeida. The Houthis claimed responsibility this week for the sinking of two vessels, as they resumed their campaign against global shipping in the Red Sea. Their fresh attacks mark the end of a months-long lull and threaten a May ceasefire with the United States that ended weeks of strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. Saree said the Eternity C bulk carrier, which was first attacked on Monday, was headed for the Israeli port of Eilat and was attacked in support of Palestinians in Gaza. Saree warned companies dealing with Israeli ports that their ships would be targeted until Israel was forced to “lift the siege” on Gaza and end the war. The Houthis said Monday that they had boarded and sank another vessel, the Magic Seas, a day earlier, because its owner had done business with Israel and used its ports. Houthi attacks have prompted many shipping firms to make the time-consuming detour around the southern tip of Africa to avoid the Red Sea, which normally carries about 12 percent of global trade.

Houthi leader says group won’t permit sea passage of goods related to Israel
Al Arabiya English/10 July/2025
Yemeni Houthi militia leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said on Thursday that no company could be permitted to transport goods related to Israel through designated areas at sea. He reiterated in a televised address that a Houthi ban on navigation the group sees as associated with Israel through the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea would remain in place. The Iran-aligned Houthis sank two ships in the Red Sea earlier this week after months of calm. A Greek ship, the Eternity C, sank on Wednesday, days after Houthis hit and sunk the Magic Seas, reviving a campaign launched in November 2023 that has seen more than 100 ships attacked in what the group said was solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza war. Both of the vessels hit this week flew Liberian flags and were operated by Greek companies. All crew from the Magic Seas were rescued before it went down. Eternity C was first hit on Monday with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from speed boats. Four people were believed to have been killed in the attacks, maritime security sources say. A total of 10 survivors from the ship have been rescued so far and 11 are believed to still be missing.With Reuters

Rescuers save four more survivors from Houthi-struck ship in Red Sea
Reuters/July 10, 2025
ATHENS/LONDON: Rescuers pulled three more crew members and a security guard alive from the Red Sea on Thursday, maritime security sources said, a day after Houthi militants sank the Greek ship Eternity C and said they were holding some of the crew still missing.
It was the second Greek bulk carrier sunk this week by the Iran-aligned Houthi militia, shattering months of relative calm off Yemen’s coast, the gateway to the Red Sea and a critical route for oil and commodities to the world. Many shipping companies have suspended voyages due to the fear of attack. The Houthis are believed to be holding six of the Eternity C’s complement of 22 crew and three guards, maritime security sources said. “These are blameless victims who were simply doing their job,” the UK-based Seafarers’ Charity association said.“Seafarers should be able to work safely at sea. Instead, they are being unfairly forced into the firing line.” Eternity C was first hit on Monday with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from speed boats. Four people are believed to have been killed in the attacks, maritime security sources say. If confirmed, the deaths would be the first fatalities in the area since June 2024. Following a second attack on Tuesday morning, the crew were forced to jump into the water. Rescuers have been searching for survivors since Wednesday morning. The vessel’s operator, Cosmoship Management, has not responded to Reuters’ requests for comment. A total of 10 survivors from the Eternity C have been rescued so far — eight Filipino crew members, one Indian and one Greek security guard. The four people rescued on Thursday morning had spent nearly 48 hours in the water.
“This fills us with more courage to continue to search for those missing, as the Greek vessel operator requested, and shows that our search plan was correct,” said Nikos Georgopoulos, an official at the Greece-based maritime risk firm Diaplous.
Another 11 people are still missing. The United States’ Mission in Yemen has accused the Houthis of kidnapping crew members and has called for their immediate, unconditional release. On Wednesday, the Houthis’ military spokesperson said in a televised address that the Yemeni navy had “responded to rescue a number of the ship’s crew, provide them with medical care, and transport them to a safe location.”
Fraught passage
The Eternity C sank on Wednesday, days after Houthis hit and sunk the Magic Seas, reviving a campaign launched in November 2023 that has seen more than 100 ships attacked in what the group said was solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza war. Both of the vessels hit this week flew Liberian flags and were operated by Greek companies. All crew from the Magic Seas were rescued before it went down. Some of their sister vessels in the respective fleets had made calls to Israeli ports in the past year, an analysis of shipping data showed. Abdul Malik Al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen’s Houthi fighters, reiterated in a televised address on Thursday the group’s ban on companies transporting goods related to Israel through the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. He said this week’s attacks were part of that ban, which has been in place since 2023. “It was never stopped or canceled, and it is a valid decision,” he said. “What was discovered (this week) was the violation by some companies of the decision.” The insurance cost of shipping goods through the Red Sea has more than doubled since this week’s attacks, with some underwriters pausing cover for some voyages, industry sources said on Thursday. The number of daily sailings through the narrow Bab Al-Mandab strait, at the southern tip of the Red Sea and a gateway to the Gulf of Aden, was 32 vessels on July 9, down from 43 on July 1, Lloyd’s List Intelligence data showed. Several ships on Thursday broadcast messages referring to Chinese crew and management or armed guards on board, according to MarineTraffic data. One vessel broadcast that it had no relation with Israel.

Netanyahu sets out red lines for lasting end to war in Gaza
AFP/July 11, 2025
JERUSALEM: Israel is ready to negotiate a lasting deal with Hamas to end the Gaza war when a temporary halt to hostilities begins, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday.But Netanyahu said the militants must first give up their weapons and their hold on the Palestinian territory, warning that failure to reach a deal on Israel’s terms would lead to further conflict. His comments as Gaza’s civil defense agency said eight children — killed as they queued for nutritional supplements outside a health clinic — were among 66 people who died in Israeli strikes across the territory Thursday.The UN children’s agency said one victim was a one-year-old boy who according to his mother had uttered his first words only hours earlier. Efforts to secure a 60-day halt in the 21-month war have dominated Netanyahu’s talks with US President Donald Trump in Washington. Indirect negotiations have been taking place between the two sides in Qatar, and the militants have agreed to free 10 of the 20 hostages still alive in captivity since the October 7, 2023 attack which sparked the war. Sticking points include Hamas’s demand for the free flow of aid into Gaza and Israel’s military withdrawal from the territory. It also wants “real guarantees” on a lasting peace, the group said. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said “progress has been made” but admitted in an interview with Austrian newspaper Die Presse that ironing out “all complex issues” would likely take “a few more days.” There was no agreement on the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange for hostages, he told the newspaper. He said that “initially, eight hostages are to be released, followed by two more on the 50th day” of the 60-day ceasefire. “Additionally, 18 bodies of hostages are to be handed over,” he was quoted as saying. Saar said a lasting ceasefire would be discussed but added: “There are still major differences, especially regarding the question of how Hamas will be prevented from controlling Gaza after the war.” He said Israel was ready to grant Hamas leaders safe passage into exile.
‘Fundamental conditions’
Netanyahu, who is under domestic pressure to end the war as military casualties mount, said disarming and neutralizing Hamas were “fundamental conditions” for Israel. “If this can be achieved through negotiations, great,” he said. “If it cannot be achieved through negotiations within 60 days, we will have to achieve it through other means, by using... the force of our heroic army.” Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim told AFP that it would not accept “the perpetuation of the occupation of our land” or Palestinians being herded into “isolated enclaves” in the densely populated territory. The group was particularly opposed to Israeli control over Rafah, on the border with Egypt, and the so-called Morag Corridor between the southern city and Khan Yunis, he added. Israel announced this year that the army was seizing large areas of Gaza to be incorporated into buffer zones cleared of their inhabitants. Naim said the group also wanted to end the delivery of aid by a US and Israel-backed group, a system which has seen scores of people killed while seeking food rations. The Palestinian territory’s civil defense agency said eight children were among 17 people killed in an Israeli strike outside a medical clinic in Deir el-Balah in central Gaza. “The ground shook beneath our feet and everything around us turned into blood and deafening screams,” said Yousef Al-Aydi, who was in the queue for nutritional supplements when he heard a drone approaching then a blast. Rabih Torbay, the head of US medical charity Project Hope which runs the facility, called it “a blatant violation of humanitarian law.” Israel’s military said it had struck a Hamas militant in the city who had infiltrated Israel during the 2023 attack and that it “regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals.” Overall, the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said at least 57,762 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed since the start of the conflict. Hamas’s October 2023 attack led to the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. A total of 251 hostages were seized in the attack. Forty-nine are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.

Displaced Palestinians make their way towards Mawasi area as they flee amid an Israeli ground offensive, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip
Hamas-Israel talks for Gaza truce enter fifth day in Qatar: Official
AFP/10 July/2025
Indirect negotiations aimed at securing a truce in Gaza between Hamas and Israel entered their fifth day in Qatar on Thursday, an official with knowledge of the talks told AFP.
The current negotiations -- taking place after 21 months of fighting and multiple previous rounds of talks that failed to yield a breakthrough -- began in the capital Doha on Sunday in hopes of clinching a deal based on a US-backed framework that envisages an initial 60-day truce. “Hamas and Israel remain in Qatar,” the official said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of talks. Mediators were “shuttling between the two sides to exchange ideas with the aim of closing the remaining gaps and maintaining momentum towards a deal,” the official added. Talks in the Gulf country have coincided with a visit to the United States by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the official confirmed that a meeting between Israeli, US and Qatari representatives took place in Washington on Tuesday. The discussions in the US capital “aimed to progress the negotiations and support the ongoing talks in Doha,” the official said. Qatar, along with fellow mediators the United States and Egypt, has brokered back-and-forth talks aimed at a truce since the earliest days of the war, which erupted with Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Despite a week-long truce in November 2023 and a two-month halt that began in January 2025, the indirect talks, principally held in Doha and Cairo, have failed to bring about a durable end to the hostilities.

Israel will strike Iran again if threatened, defense minister says
Reuters/0 July/2025
Israel will strike Iran again if it is threatened by Tehran, Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday. “Israel’s long arm will reach you in Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan, and anywhere you try to threaten or harm Israel. There is no place to hide,” Katz said at an air force graduation ceremony, according to a statement from his office. “If we must return, we will do so with greater force.”Israel launched a 12-day air war against Iran in June that raised fears of a broader regional conflict. The two sides agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire, announced by President Donald Trump on June 23, to end hostilities. Israel struck Iranian nuclear sites during the campaign, citing concerns that Tehran was nearing the development of a nuclear weapon, which Iran denies. The United States joined the campaign with strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

Israel says would negotiate permanent Gaza ceasefire during 60-day truce
AFP/10 July/2025
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel was ready to negotiate a permanent ceasefire in Gaza during a 60-day truce but only if the Palestinian territory was demilitarized. Delegations from Israel and Hamas began indirect talks in Doha on Sunday to try to agree a temporary halt in the war, which was sparked by the militant group’s October 2023 attack. US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has proposed a 60-day ceasefire in exchange for the release of half of the 20 living hostages still in Gaza, Netanyahu said on Wednesday. “At the beginning of this ceasefire, we will enter negotiations for a permanent end to the war,” he said in a video message from Washington on Thursday. He said Israel’s “fundamental conditions” were that “Hamas lays down its weapons” and no longer has “governing or military capabilities.”“If this can be achieved through negotiations, great. If it cannot be achieved through negotiations within 60 days, we will achieve it through other means, by using force, the force of our heroic army,” he said. Hamas said on Wednesday it had agreed to release 10 living hostages but on Thursday it said it opposed a deal that includes a large Israeli military presence in Gaza. It also wants the free flow of aid into the territory to ease a humanitarian crisis, and “real guarantees” for a lasting peace. The Israeli premier called Hamas “a ruthless terror organization” and said he wanted the release of all those being held.But he added: “We will do everything in order to maximize (the number of those released) in this round, in the best way possible. Not everything is in our hands.”

Children queuing for nutrition supplements among 66 killed by Israeli forces in Gaza
AFP/July 10, 2025
GAZA CITY: GAZA: Gaza’s civil defense agency said eight children — killed as they queued for nutritional supplements outside a health clinic — were among 66 people who died in Israeli strikes on the Palestinian territory Thursday. The agency said the children were among 17 victims in a strike on Deir Al-Balah. According to the UN children’s agency, the dead included a one-year-old boy whose mother said he had spoken his first words just hours earlier. The mother was critically injured, UNICEF added. “No parent should have to face such tragedy,” UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell said in a statement. “The killing of families trying to access life-saving aid is unconscionable,” she added. US-based charity Project Hope, which runs the facility, said the victims were waiting for the clinic to open to receive treatment for malnutrition, infections and illness. The charity gave a toll of 15 dead, including 10 children and two women.

British MPs demand full details of US consulting firm’s role in Gaza
Arab News/July 10, 2025
LONDON: A parliamentary committee in the UK has demanded that a major US consulting firm provides full details of its activities related to Gaza, after it emerged the company helped set up a controversial Israeli-led aid operation. Boston Consulting Group was also asked to provide details of the work it carried out on models to estimate the costs of a widely-condemned Israeli and US plan to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to other countries. Liam Byrne, chairperson of the Business and Trade Committee, sent a letter requesting the information to BCG’s CEO, Christoph Schweizer, as part of the “scrutiny of the UK’s commercial, political and humanitarian links to the conflict.”The Financial Times reported on July 4 that the consultancy had built a financial model for the reconstruction of Gaza, which included an estimate of the likely cost of the voluntary relocation of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. It also said BCG had helped establish the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US and Israeli-backed aid-distribution program in the territory. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed trying to access humanitarian supplies at the foundation’s distribution sites since they started operating in May. In a statement published on Wednesday, Schweizer said the lead partner involved in the work carried out by BCG had been “explicitly told not to do any work related to Gaza reconstruction.”He added: “The project fell well outside our standards for work that we accept. But the ban was ignored, and the work was secretively conducted anyway.” He said an internal investigation began in May, two of the partners involved were subsequently “exited” from the company and BCG did not receive any fees for the work. Byrne, an MP from the UK’s ruling Labour Party, sent a number of questions for BCG to answer about its work on Gaza “in light of the high level of public and parliamentary concern.” He wrote: “We are aware of recent reports regarding BCG’s engagement with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and associated modeling of the costs of relocating Palestinians from Gaza.” He asked for a “detailed timeline” of BCG’s involvement with the foundation, the scope of its engagement, and the identities of the clients and partners involved. He requested details of other organizations, companies or individuals engaged by BCG in relation to the aid-distribution program, and more details about the type of the “unauthorized” work the company said was carried out. Byrne also asked for more information about the work related to the development of models for the relocation of Palestinians from Gaza, including the identities of those who commissioned the work and whether any UK-based organizations were involved. He gave BCG until July 22 to respond, “given the seriousness of these issues and the high level of public interest.” Nearly 58,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023 during Israel’s war on Gaza, including more than 500 in recent weeks as they attempted to obtain food aid from Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution sites. The organization, which was set up to replace UN aid-distribution mechanisms, has been condemned by humanitarian chiefs for politicizing aid. US and Israeli-backed proposals to relocate the Palestinian population of Gaza to other countries, which emerged at the start of the year, were widely condemned by governments in the region and beyond.

Ukraine received political signals for US aid resumption, Zelenskyy says
Reuters/10 July/2025
Ukraine has received all necessary political signals for US military aid to resume, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday after what he described as constructive talks with US President Donald Trump. Zelenskyy told a news conference in Rome that Ukraine had a timetable and details of upcoming weapons supplies. He also praised the participation of US representatives in a meeting of countries supporting Ukraine.Zelenskyy said Ukraine was engaged in a dialogue with the United States about acquiring the Patriot missile interceptor systems it has been requesting to protect against air attacks on its cities. “Germany is ready, we have agreements with them, that they will buy two systems for Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said. “Norway – I have a bilateral agreement – will pay for one system.” The president said Ukraine needed an additional 10 Patriot systems and his team was working on finding financing. “When the manufacturer has details on the timing of possible delivery, I think other partners will also join this story,” he said.

Trump to use presidential authority to send weapons to Ukraine, sources say
Reuters/10 July/2025
President Donald Trump, for the first time since returning to office, will send weapons to Kyiv under a presidential power frequently used by his predecessor, two sources familiar with the decision said on Thursday, a move suggesting new interest by the president in defending Ukraine. More than three years after Russia’s invasion of its neighbor, Trump’s team will identify arms from US stockpiles to send to Ukraine under the Presidential Drawdown Authority, the sources said, with one saying they could be worth around $300 million. Trump on Tuesday said the US would send more weapons to Ukraine to help the country defend itself against intensifying Russian advances. The package could include defensive Patriot missiles and offensive medium-range rockets, but a decision on the exact equipment has not been made, the sources said. One of the people said this would happen at a meeting on Thursday. So far, the Trump administration has only sent weapons authorized by former president Joe Biden, who was a staunch supporter of Kyiv. Presidential Drawdown Authority allows the president to draw from weapons stocks to help allies in an emergency. The Pentagon and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Republican president’s stance on defending Ukraine has been inconsistent. At times he has criticized US spending and spoken favorably of Russia but also sometimes has voiced support for Kyiv and disparaged the Kremlin. The US has $3.86 billion worth of Presidential Drawdown Authority for Ukraine remaining. The last drawdown was a $500 million award by Biden on January 9. Ukraine’s top priorities are Patriot missile interceptors and GMLRS mobile rocket artillery which may be included in the package. The weapons could be on the front lines within days because stocks are positioned in Europe. The Trump administration this month halted shipments of some critical weapons that were approved by Biden but some of those shipments have resumed. Congress has approved nearly $175 billion of aid and military assistance for Ukraine and allied nations in the nearly 3-1/2 years since Russia’s full-scale invasion.

As Israel and Syria talk peace, Mount Hermon becomes a line in the sand—the details
LBCI/10 July/2025
While Israel’s National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi was discussing the Syrian file with Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa in the United Arab Emirates, parallel negotiations were intensifying in Washington toward a security agreement that could serve as a preliminary step to a broader peace deal between the two countries.Meanwhile, the Israeli army has established control over new positions atop Mount Hermon, using the strategic location to shape its future plans and impose new facts on the ground. In addition to carving out a road for military activity in the area, the army revealed it has been conducting operations over the past eight months aimed at solidifying Israel’s hold on the mountain—operations that, according to Israeli sources, reinforce the country’s unwillingness to relinquish the territory in any future peace agreement. A commander from Israel’s Alpine Unit 711 confirmed that these activities go beyond fortification. The military has conducted exercises simulating the infiltration of 3,000 fighters from Syria and Lebanon through Mount Hermon to carry out attacks on Israeli territory. The inclusion of Lebanon in this scenario is not coincidental. Israeli officials continue to cite what they call “the growing security threat” from the north, using it as leverage in ongoing negotiations. Mount Hermon, known as Jabal al-Sheikh, remains one of the most strategically sensitive areas of the Golan Heights, lying at the intersection of the Israeli-Syrian-Lebanese borders. It has emerged as a major sticking point in negotiations between Damascus and Tel Aviv. Israel seeks to retain the mountaintop as a strategic asset, while Syria refuses to concede it under any future security arrangement. Negotiators from both countries are reportedly working on a deal that could involve a partial Israeli withdrawal from certain towns in southern Syria.
However, multiple Israeli security officials have confirmed that the Golan Heights—and specifically Mount Hermon—will not be part of the agreement, despite suggestions that progress on a limited deal may be imminent.

KSrelief extends fire aid to 600 families in Syrian villages, distributes winter kits in Pakistan
Arab News/July 10, 2025
DAMASCUS: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has expanded its emergency response operations, delivering critical assistance to fire-affected communities in Syria while simultaneously addressing winter shelter needs for displaced populations in Pakistan. Relief workers distributed emergency supplies to 600 families impacted by fires across rural Latakia province in Syria, reaching 13 villages: Al-Midan, Aysha Banar, Shaqraa, Beit Fares, Beit Awan, Al-Husainiya, Al-Ramadiya, Al-Rawda, Qastal Maaf, Al-Tamima, Beit Sheikh Wali, Beit Al-Wadi and Beit Hussein. In parallel operations, the center provided 2,012 emergency shelter kits to vulnerable populations across Kashmir region in Pakistan, reaching 14,921 people through its 2025 shelter materials and winter supplies distribution program. The operations form part of Saudi Arabia’s broader humanitarian framework, delivered through the center’s established networks, to support affected communities globally.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on July 10-11/2025
Muslim Leaders Who Oppose Terrorism: The New Heroes
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute./July 10, 2025
"You [Israelis] represent the world of brotherhood, the world of humanity, their world of affection, the world of democracy, the world of freedom." — Hassen Chalghoumi, imam from France and head of the visiting delegation, at a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, July 7, 2025.
When Muslims say they support the Palestinian "resistance," they are actually voicing support for terrorism and Hamas's October 7 atrocities against Israelis and others.
Undoubtedly, there are some Muslims who are in favor of these kinds of visits and interfaith dialogue, but they either prefer to remain neutral or are afraid to voice their opinions in public. Muslims should applaud, not condemn, Muslim leaders who reach out to Israel and Jews and speak out against Islamist terror groups, for their own future: they can choose, instead of a life of fear a life of freedom, prosperity and opportunity.
A group of brave Islamic religious leaders from France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Italy and Britain who are visiting Israel this week are being condemned and ridiculed by many Muslims. The leaders are being accused of "treason" and promoting "normalization" with Israel. The Muslim leaders did not come to Israel to stand against Muslims or the Palestinians. Rather, they came with a message of peace, coexistence and tolerance. They came to Israel out of a belief that interfaith dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims is imperative. Interfaith dialogue, which promotes peace and harmony, is important because it allows people to learn about different religions and cultures, and to appreciate the similarities and differences between them.
These Islamic leaders are heroes because they chose to visit Israel at a time when many Muslims, especially those living in Europe, are waging a massive smear campaign against Israel because of its war against the Iran-backed Hamas Islamist terror group in the Gaza Strip. Muslims who care about their religion should stand up against Islamist terrorists who have hijacked their religion and are committing atrocities in the name of Islam.
The war began after Hamas and thousands of "ordinary" Palestinians invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, murdering 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals and injuring thousands more. Another 251 Israelis and foreign nationals were kidnapped and dragged to the Gaza Strip, where 50 (20 of whom are believed to be alive) remain in captivity.
Hassen Chalghoumi, an imam from France and head of the delegation visiting Israel, said during a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog:
"You [Israelis] represent the world of brotherhood, the world of humanity, their world of affection, the world of democracy, the world of freedom."
While the visit of the Muslim leaders to Israel shows that moderate Muslim leaders can play a positive and constructive role in promoting peace and harmony, it also serves as a reminder that a large number of Muslims continue to support extremism and violence and do not recognize Israel's right to exist.
Fadel Soliman, a Muslim Quran translator and author with more than half a million followers on X, commented:
"Today, the president of Israel met in the occupied city of Jerusalem with a delegation of misguided imams and the vilest of God's creation... Anyone who sees them would spit on them, for they are more despicable than prostitutes who sell their honor on street corners."
Lebanese businessman Rida Saad described the imams as "spies, sons of dogs, traitors and whores."
Social media influencer Dr. Abdelaziz Ragab, who lives in Italy, wrote on X:
"Bastards who sold their faith and betrayed their nation! They said: 'We came with a message of love, and you (Israel) represent the world of humanity!' What betrayal and degradation could be greater than this?"
Former Egyptian member of parliament Mohammed Emad Saber issued a statement denouncing the Muslim leaders' visit to Israel as "a clear violation of God's law and the consensus of the [Islamic] nation." He added:
"This was a blatant act of normalization, a horrific moral fall, a brazen challenge to the sentiments of the Islamic nation, and a clear stab in the back of the blessed [Hamas] resistance...
"The meeting of these individuals with the criminal Zionist president of a betrayal of Allah, His Messenger, and the believers, and a clear violation of the rulings of Islamic Sharia, which forbids allegiance to the enemies of Allah. Allah Almighty says: 'O believers! Take neither the Jews or Christians as guardians – they are guardians of each other. Whoever does so will be counted as one of them. Surely, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.' [Al-Maida 51]...
"[W]e declare that these individuals have lost their religious and moral legitimacy to perform the role of imams and preachers. Their prayers with the people are morally void. Muslims, especially in Europe, must boycott them, expose them, and refrain from praying behind them until they publicly repent to Allah and atone for their actions.
We call on Islamic institutions in Europe, Sharia councils, and advocacy groups to issue clear statements of condemnation, remove their names from lists of scholars and preachers, and refrain from hosting then on any media or religious platforms."
The Union of Scholars at Al-Azhar University in Egypt condemned the visit of the Muslim leaders to Israel as a "disgraceful normalization unrelated to Islam and human dignity." The union said the visit represents a "treacherous stab to the [Islamic] nation and an unforgettable disgrace, as well as a violation of the rules of Sharia and the blood of the martyrs. We strongly reject any form of normalization with the Zionist entity and express our full support for the Palestinian people and their honorable resistance."
When Muslims say they support the Palestinian "resistance," they are actually voicing support for terrorism and Hamas's October 7 atrocities against Israelis and others. Notably, Hamas murdered 23 Arab Muslims on October 7. So those who have come out against the visit of the Muslim leaders to Israel are also saying that they support the murder of innocent Muslim civilians living in Israel.
Sadly, it is hard to find Muslims who have positive things to say about the visit of these Muslim leaders to Israel. Undoubtedly, there are some Muslims who are in favor of these kinds of visits and interfaith dialogue, but they either prefer to remain neutral or are afraid to voice their opinions in public. Muslims should applaud, not condemn, Muslim leaders who reach out to Israel and Jews and speak out against Islamist terror groups, for their own future: they can choose, instead of a life of fear a life of freedom, prosperity and opportunity.
*Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
*Follow Khaled Abu Toameh on X (formerly Twitter)
© 2025 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Law and disorder ...Interpol does the bidding of bad guys
Clifford D. May/The Washington Times/July 09/2025
Interpol is such a cool idea: Cosmopolitan cops chasing criminals around the world.
That’s the image that’s been projected in movies like “Interpol” (1957), “The Medallion” (2003), “The International” (2009), “Now You See Me,” (2013), “Darc” (2018), and “Red Notice” (2021).
The reality, I’m sorry to tell you, is rather different.
The roots of the International Criminal Police Organization, as it’s officially known, go back nearly 102 years. It currently has 196 member countries. But it’s not an international FBI. It doesn’t have agents who carry weapons, investigate crimes, or make arrests. It doesn’t enforce international laws.
All it does is share intelligence, run databases, coordinate among police forces, and support investigations across borders.
And it issues alerts, in particular “Red Notices,” essentially an international arrest warrant. I’ll have more to say about that in a moment.
Keen observers have long sounded alarms about the disfunctions accumulating within Interpol. In 2019, in the Journal of Democracy, scholar Edward Lemon reported that the organization “lacks accountability for its actions” and that “more needs to be done to prevent the hijacking, repurposing, and weaponizing of Interpol by today’s globalized authoritarian regimes.”
But more has not been done.
A root cause of Interpol’s problems is that it operates according to the principle of “sovereign equality” – the lovely but false assumption that all members subscribe to a common standard of justice and judicial integrity.
That has allowed authoritarian states and criminal regimes to use Interpol to suppress and/or punish political opponents, dissidents, and critics abroad. The technical term is “transnational repression.”
Interpol accomplishes this by issuing the aforementioned “Red Notices” – formal requests to locate and detain a suspect pending extradition or other legal actions. Such requests are frequently based on charges that Interpol officials are reluctant to recognize as bogus.
“The targets of Red Notices,” Mr. Lemon noted, “are often unable to travel freely, normalize their immigration status, open bank accounts, rent property, and find work.”
I’ll offer just a few examples. In 1997, at Beijing’s request, Interpol issued a Red Notice against Dolkun Isa, president of the World Uyghur Congress, designating him a “wanted terrorist.”
Thereafter he faced detention in, or refusal of entry to, South Korea, India, Turkey, Italy, Japan and other countries. The UN also denied him entry on its premises. The notice remained active until 2018 when Interpol finally removed it.
At Moscow insistence, Interpol issued multiple Red Notices for Bill Browder, the American-born financier who campaigned successfully for the 2012 Magnitsky Act imposing sanctions on Russian officials responsible for serious human right violations – such as the killing of his attorney, Sergei Magnitsky.
Mr. Browder was staying at a luxury hotel in Spain in 2018 when there came a knock on his door. Minutes later, in compliance with a Red Notice originating from the Kremlin, he was in a Spanish jail fearing he would soon be shoved into a “Russian jet” that would deliver him to the clutches of Vladimir Putin who would torture and kill him.
He believes what saved him was tweeting his predicament to his 100,000 followers. Before long, the chief of police paid him a visit. “We’ve just gotten off the phone with Interpol general secretariat in Lyon,” he said. “The warrant is no longer valid. You’re free to go.”
A recommendation: Mr. Browder’s 2015 book, “Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man’s Fight for Justice.” A riveting and edifying read.
Turkey is another abuser of the system. Mr. Lemon writes that “after the alleged coup attempt in Turkey in July 2016, the government of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan unsuccessfully tried to compel Interpol to issue sixty-thousand Red Notices against its enemies living abroad.” Among those who have accused the Islamic Republic of Iran of weaponizing Interpol to target political opponents in exile: the Council of Europe and the European Parliament. Of course, Tehran, like Moscow, sometimes take a more direct route: dispatching assassins to silence those who tell the truth about their regimes.
Serious efforts to reform Interpol should have been put in place long ago. But for reasons I haven’t space to explore here, the leaders of free nations almost never hold international organizations to account.
In 2023, according to an essay in Politico, the Biden administration published “a report that found – in defiance of the evidence published by Interpol itself – that there has been no Interpol abuse since 2019.”President Trump might want to take a more realistic and muscular approach. He could consider issuing an executive order suspending American funds – roughly 17 percent of Interpol’s core operating budget, more than any other nation provides.
He could mandate a comprehensive review of U.S. engagement with Interpol to be conducted by members of his national security cabinet and the intelligence community.
The review would evaluate how well Interpol’s operations align with American interests and values and insist that specific reforms be enacted before any additional Americans checks are in the mail. Legislative or diplomatic actions also might be considered.
Interpol is hardly the only international organization urgently in need of reform.
Most blatantly and obviously, the U.N. continues to receive billions of American taxpayer dollars year after year while catering to tyrants and terrorists.
It would not be difficult to come up with a few suggestions for how President Trump might want to begin repairing this sorely dilapidated institution.
**Clifford D. May is founder and president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a columnist for the Washington Times, and host of the “Foreign Podicy” podcast.

Turkey still wants to join BRICS while pretending to be a NATO ally
Sinan Ciddi/ FDD's Long War Journal/July 10/2025
Last year, Turkey took observers by surprise at the 2024 BRICS summit in Russia when it applied for full membership in an organization that seeks to challenge the Western-led liberal international order and is an adversarial alternative to NATO.
At the time, Turkey was turned down due to concerns over its NATO membership. Member states China and Russia had reservations over admitting a US ally and aspiring member of the European Union. This hesitance resulted in the BRICS bloc offering Ankara the option of being a “partner country” as an alternative, something which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is still considering.
At the organization’s 2025 Brazil summit, which recently concluded, Turkey renewed its interest in joining the bloc of anti-Western countries, only to be rebuffed again. Although Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who attended to represent his country at the summit, underscored that “Turkey is very interested in […] BRICS,” India reportedly issued a hard objection to greenlighting Turkish membership, owing to Turkey’s diplomatic and military support of Pakistan in the recent skirmish between India and Pakistan over Kashmir.
The eagerness of Ankara’s continued bid to join a club that seeks to undermine the foundations of the Western world order should be concerning to decision-makers in Washington and Brussels. However, as one observer recently noted, “The US views Turkey as a necessary partner against Moscow and Europe oscillates between criticism and cooperation, further emboldening Turkey.” The reality that Western leaders consistently ignore, however, is that Turkey is a persistent and growing danger to vital security interests.
Turkey acquired and holds S-400 Russian missile defense systems, which present a security threat to the NATO alliance. At the same time, Ankara has renewed its interest in purchasing 40 F-35 stealth fighter jets and 40 F-16s from the US—a desire that the Trump administration appears keen to help realize. Turkey is simultaneously developing nuclear power capability with Russia through the construction of the Akkuyu power plant, which is expected to become operational this year. Ankara is also seeking to develop independent nuclear fueling capabilities, which opens the potential for the development of a nuclear weapons program, a prospect for which Erdogan has previously expressed interest.
While pursuing all these goals, Turkey maintains a militarily threatening posture towards European allies Greece and Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean by challenging their sovereign maritime territory under its “Blue Homeland” doctrine. In the Middle East, Israel continues to monitor and raise concerns over a continued Turkish military buildup inside Syria, fearing that Ankara harbors intentions of becoming the next regional power like Iran. The Erdogan regime is also a premier champion of the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated and US-designated terrorist organization, Hamas.
Taking a decisive stance against Ankara’s actions that seek to undermine the security and economic interests of the United States and its partners and allies is hard for one very simple reason: Turkey is a NATO country, and it is difficult to perceive a fellow member state acting against the interests of the collective. However, one only needs to connect the dots of Erdogan’s long and ongoing list of transgressions against the interests of NATO, the US, and Europe.
The Trump administration just declared its intent to levy additional tariffs against future BRICS members. “Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Turkey more than qualifies for such a measure and then some.
Turkey’s aspiration to join BRICS is only the tip of the iceberg of Erdogan’s adversarial behavior. It is way past time to realize that the Turkish president is continuously taking steps to undermine Western security interests. The United States and Europe should stop coddling him.
**Sinan Ciddi is a non-resident senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), an associate professor of national security studies at Marine Corps University, and an expert on Turkish domestic politics and foreign policy.

Caveman mentality of Israel’s ‘might is right’
Ross Anderson/Arab News/July 10/2025
You might think there was little to connect the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, the Glastonbury music festival and conflicting opinions on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but I beg to differ. Permit me to elucidate.
In his “allegory of the cave,” Plato invites us to consider the effects of education and of its absence. Prisoners in the cave are chained by their necks and ankles, unable to turn around, facing a rear wall. Behind them is another inner wall, the height of a person, and beyond that a fire. People walk in front of the inner wall holding up objects that the fire projects on to the rear wall as flickering shadows. To the prisoners, who can see nothing else, the perception of these shadows is their only reality.
I thought of the prisoners in the cave during the furor that erupted in the UK after a performance at Glastonbury by the little-known rap duo Bob Vylan (I know, I know, is nothing sacred?). During their show, the pair led the audience in a chant of “Death, death, to the IDF.” The response at the festival was muted: no one much cared. But Glastonbury is the BBC’s biggest single livestream event in the calendar and, outside in the wider country, the reaction bordered on hysterical.
There were immediate shrieks of “disgraceful antisemitism,” the row dominated the media for more than a week and continues to rumble on, politicians of varying persuasions issued angry condemnations from the floor of the House of Commons, and Somerset police launched an investigation into a possible hate crime and incitement to violence: although, to be fair, in Somerset they have little else to do.
Israel is no longer the plucky underdog, if it ever was; rather, it has become the bully of the Middle East. It was all quite inexplicable. For a start, surely for violence to be incited there must be some remote possibility of it being carried out. Video footage of the concert shows no evidence of festival revelers packing their tents and going off in search of an Israeli soldier upon whom to inflict grievous bodily harm. Why would they? They had paid the best part of £400 ($545) for a ticket and they hadn’t even seen Olivia Rodrigo yet.
Moreover, if anyone at the festival had indeed formulated such a plan, there would have been certain practical difficulties in the manner of its execution: not least, finding an Israeli soldier to attack in the wilds of rural southwest England. It’s not as if you could pop into Tesco in Yeovil and find an off-duty squaddie working a shift in the bakery section.
No, if you want to find an Israeli soldier, there are only two places to look. One is Gaza, where they have been busy killing at least 60,000 Palestinians, mostly defenseless women and children. And the other is the West Bank, where their main job is providing protection for gangs of psychopathic Israeli settlers while they murder yet more innocent Palestinians. Such vile conduct is already sufficient “incitement to violence” against the Israeli army, without the need for more in England.
Some of the outrage directed against the hapless rap duo was confected and performative, but some of it was undoubtedly genuine, reflecting a widely held view in the British establishment that may be summarized as: “Israel, right or wrong, regardless of the facts and however appalling its behavior.” This view is also prevalent in the US, but at least there it is understandable.
Many Americans have an instinctive sympathy for a people trying to expand their national borders by stealing land to which they have no right and killing those who already live there, because that is pretty much how most of the US was created in the 19th century. “Manifest destiny,” the pompous and arrogant phrase they deployed to justify that homicidal land grab, was first used by the polemicist and propagandist John O’Sullivan in a series of newspaper articles in 1845, in which he advocated US annexation of Texas and Oregon, regardless of the wishes of the people who lived there, “for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions.” And because America’s right to the land was ordained by God: an argument with which many Palestinians will be depressingly familiar.
On this issue at least, many British politicians are out of touch with the people who elected them. In the UK, there is no such historical perspective. “Might is right” was certainly a British foreign policy staple in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, but Britain lost its might when it lost its empire. Since then, it has displayed a national tendency to support the plucky underdog, but that does not explain the blinkered, kneejerk backing for everything Israel does, however indefensible. Perhaps it is rooted in 1948 and the myth of indefatigable young Israelis carving a new country from unforgiving desert. But Israel is no longer the plucky underdog, if it ever was; rather, it has become the bully of the Middle East, intimidating its neighbors and bombing those who fail to succumb.
Despite all this, it may be that there is a hint of change in the British air. I do not care to criticize my fellow journalists. It’s a tough old business and I am of the old school, in which dog does not eat dog. Permit me, however, to make a brief exception. The UK media campaign of vituperation directed at Bob Vylan, and at the BBC for failing to censor them, was led by The Times — a once-great British newspaper institution now sadly reduced to a tawdry competition for readers with the right-wing populist Daily Mail.
For The Times, this was a win-win: an opportunity to offer unqualified support for the Israeli army’s right to commit mass murder, while indulging in its favorite pastime of bashing the BBC. The newspaper is owned by the media magnate Rupert Murdoch, a former employer of mine and a man for whose backing of journalism in general and newspapers in particular I have the utmost respect, but who has never been an enthusiastic fan of publicly funded broadcasting.
The Times published an excoriating leading article in which it berated, in equal measure, Bob Vylan for their irresponsibility, the Glastonbury audience for its apparent complicity and the BBC for “gross failure of management.” But here’s the thing. The Times remains a successful newspaper and, as such, it employs senior editors with the ability to gauge what its readers want to read: any newspaper that fails to do that will swiftly be out of business.
I therefore expected its editorial to draw the support of its audience. Instead, both online and in the letters section in print, reader after reader piled in to tell the newspaper it had missed the point — which was neither a rap duo’s disobliging comments about Israel, nor the BBC broadcasting them, but rather the genocide being perpetrated against the Palestinian people. On this issue at least, The Times is out of touch with its readers, and many British politicians are out of touch with the people who elected them. As Plato predicted, the “prisoners of perception” have emerged from their cave, blinking in the sunlight, and are recognizing reality when they see it.
*Ross Anderson is associate editor of Arab News.

Remembering the 7/7 attacks and the backlash that followed
Peter Harrison/Arab News/July 10/2025
The UK on Monday marked the 20th anniversary of the July 7, 2005, attacks that left 52 people dead (56 including the attackers) and 784 injured.
They were the victims of an attack planned by a group of four young British men who traveled into Central London carrying large backpacks containing homemade bombs. Three of them boarded trains on the London Underground network and detonated their devices, killing and maiming dozens. As the authorities were still trying to establish what had happened, another device was detonated on a bus. The carnage created by these devastating explosions was horrific.
It is right that people remember those killed and injured in these tragic events — they were innocent bystanders who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
But on the day this article was written, nearly 100 people were killed in Gaza. They had nowhere to escape, with their homes mostly razed to the ground over the past two years.
Tens of thousands have died since the war started, but it is unlikely their names will be remembered as well as those killed in London that fateful morning as millions traveled to work. Tens of thousands have died in the Gaza war, but it is unlikely their names will be remembered as well as those killed in London
London is a multicultural city filled with people of every nationality, ethnicity, culture and religion. If the 7/7 attacks were aimed at hurting Britain, they were misguided. If the killers, who claimed they were Muslims, were doing it in the name of their religion, then what about the Muslims they killed?
If it were out of hatred of the British, then what about the people who were born in other parts of the world who were there or who lost loved ones?
And if it were an attack on British society, what about those people impacted who opposed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan or stood firmly opposed to the politics that governed the country, but did so peacefully?
The attackers did claim to be Muslims, but they certainly did not carry out an act of love or peace — the two driving factors of the faith that the vast majority of Muslims follow and practice.
Over the last three decades, the world has been impacted by many acts of violence largely claimed to be in the name of religion, although there have been fewer than many people seem to think. We live in an era of uncertainty and increased fear of perceived threats.
A YouGov poll published ahead of the 7/7 anniversary found that the level of concern about the threat of terrorism in the UK has been growing. “Where in mid-2023 only 14 percent of Britons felt the threat had increased ‘a lot’ over the preceding five years, that figure has steadily increased … and has now doubled to 29 percent as of June,” the report explained.
Again, if the 7/7 attackers believed they were killing in the name of their claimed faith, then spare a thought for the Muslims left behind, many of whom have at some point been pressured to denounce every attack or be accused of supporting the killers. The truth is that all the 7/7 attackers and the few others like them have achieved is a marked increase in Islamophobia.
All that the 7/7 attackers and the few others like them have achieved is a marked increase in Islamophobia
So, not only do Muslims in the UK have anxieties related to the fear of future terror attacks, but they also have daily concerns about attacks against them because of their faith. Far more people suffer from that than have been attacked by extremists.
The YouGov poll found that 47 percent of Britons consider Islamist extremists to be a “big threat.” But while the police and intelligence services in the UK now see right-wing extremists as being on a par, only 25 percent of those polled share that view.
Ironically, active threats from Islamist extremists in the UK may be “high, but stable,” but those from right-wing extremists are “rapidly increasing.”
Islamophobia is a real problem. In October 2024, the monitoring group Tell Mama reported a spike in anti-Muslim abuse to 4,971 incidents in the year following the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks — the highest total in 14 years. It is also well documented that, in the days that followed 7/7, there was a notable increase in Islamophobia in the UK.
There is a growing trend in British politics, like much of the West, to move further to the right. Political parties of all persuasions have joined in the blame culture, pointing the finger at a supposed influx of migrants. The truth is that, following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, there was an inevitable increase in the number of migrants arriving in Britain legally or otherwise, but that is expected to fall away in the coming years.
Hatred seems to have become the tool of choice when discussing politics. But surely the best way to beat attacks such as those commemorated this week is to show how united our communities are. It is right we remember those impacted by attacks such as 7/7 and it is right to be shocked, but it is also important to remember that this does not happen often and, as such, we remember the names of those killed 20 years ago on Monday.
There are thousands of people killed elsewhere whose names we will never know.
**Peter Harrison is a senior editor at Arab News in the Dubai office. He has covered the Middle East for more than a decade. X: @PhotoPJHarrison

Selected Tweets for 08 July/2025
charles chartouni
Hezbollah is a totalitarian terrorist movement. It's not, by any means, a political party with democratic credentials. The position of the US envoy is a total fallacy. Overlooking a track record of 40 years of institutionalized terrorism is unacceptable by any standard. This should be adamantly opposed with no concessions whatsoever. It's like rehabilitating the Nazi party after WWII.

Zeina Mansour
Barrack's statements on the Sykes-Picot agreement provoked mixed reactions, with some celebrating and others expressing unease. He criticized the Sykes-Picot for creating a volatile M.E. with false borders and some see his views as "one-sided" towards Turkey US & Political Islam.

Hussain Abdul-Hussain
In south Lebanon, Hezbollah militants burnt tires and hurled rocks at UN Interim
peace Keeping Force (UNIFIL), forcing it to turn back and not inspect a possible arms depot.UNIFIL costs $500 million a year, a total waste of money.
UNIFIL must be disbanded.

wassim Godfrey
How could those countries liberate theme from this terrorist grip without a direct international support specifically from the leaded of the free world USA, those radical extremist ideology are a danger to Europe and USA too must be eliminated once and for all.

wassim Godfrey
Lebanon like Iran is controlled by a corrupted mafia system since 40 years an ideology of hatred,human rights violations,oppression,killing,injustice,terrorism,
ruling by fear as Assad regime in lebanon with PLO since 1964 many christians leaders warned the west free us from evil

wassim Godfrey
Nothing this corrupted mafia system of ta2ef centralized for the militias and broz since 40 years is the enemy of lebanon state ,sovreign lebanese must topple this system and crash the parliament if there is a will of change but I don't see all playing dead strategy till when

wassim Godfrey
Don't cry for a community that chose tunnels ,missles and bombs from Iran terrorism regime to stay free and reserve Gaza they chose terrorism let them handle their consequences instead of choosing prosperity,development and peace

A nicely superficial Maronite Story as teached irresponsibly by a self demeaning submissive Maronite Church.
Roger Edde
The true history of the Maronite Nation is deliberately dilluted in Catholicism and foggy Greater Lebanon kind of “Libanism”!
From the fourth century to the seventh century, The fighting monks of the Convent of St. Maroun confronted mainly at the cost of rivers of blood,
the Christian Roman Empire in Constantinople.
In the midst of the seventh century the first and founding Patriarch elected by the Maronites, Mar Youhanna Maroon founded The Maronite Nation
as Mohammed The Messenger founded The Nation of Islam
Both Nations were founded to stand and resist the Christian Roman Empire that was determined to force the submission of all the Christians to the Emperor and its Patriarch Christian Doctrine; that despite the fact that when adopted Christianity with TheodosesII Constantine successor, imposing by force Christianity to the Empire Subjects, he allowed Christians and Jews to maintain their faith, doctrines and traditions!
The Maronite Nation survived struggling against all Empires since the seventh century, thanks to Mount Lebanon de facto FORTRESS.
The Maronite Nation’s Lebanon started as large as Phoenician Lebanon stretching from Antakieh North to Safad (Judea) South, as it included Cyprus.
In the eighth century The Maronite Nation lost Cyprus to the Roman Empire legions, and lost the northern and southern coastal cities to the Omayad’s Nation of Islam.
In the following centuries The Maronite Nation suffered permanent wars and induced famines whipping out its population by a third repeatedly until the fall of the Ottoman Empire.
The Christians Powers of the West imposed on The ailing Ottoman Empire in 1862, the recognition of Christian Lebanon under Western Protection.
In 1920 after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, that Nation of Lebanon of 1862, was extended into “Greater Lebanon” by the French Mandate of the Mother of The #UN La Société des Nations.
The History of The Maronite Nation and Modern Lebanon haven’t Ended Yet; and won’t End anytime Soon🥸
1862 Christian Lebanon
1920 Greater Lebanon

Israel will strike Iran again if threatened, defence minister says
Reuters/July 10, 2025
JERUSALEM -Israel will strike Iran again if it is threatened by Tehran, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday. "Israel’s long arm will reach you in Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan, and anywhere you try to threaten or harm Israel. There is no place to hide", Katz said at an air force graduation ceremony, according to a statement from his office. "If we must return, we will do so with greater force." Israel launched a 12-day air war against Iran in June that raised fears of a broader regional conflict. The two sides agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, announced by President Donald Trump on June 23, to end hostilities. Israel struck Iranian nuclear sites during the campaign, citing concerns that Tehran was nearing the development of a nuclear weapon, which Iran denies. The United States joined the campaign with strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

Reza Pahlavi
This is the time to stand with the Iranian people and put an end to the regime.
https://x.com/i/status/1943316817671266640