English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For July 13/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
I am sending you out like sheep into
the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
Saint Matthew 10/16-25:"‘See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst
of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for
they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you
will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them
and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to
speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at
that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking
through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and
children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be
hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be
saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell
you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of
Man comes. ‘A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master;
it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the
master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more
will they malign those of his household!"
Titles For The
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on July 12-13/2025
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
Lebanon faces existential threat unless it addresses Hezbollah weapons, US envoy
warns
Tom Barrack tells The National that Beirut has been ‘responsive’ to US proposal
to disarm Iran-backed group
US envoy Tom Barrack clarifies Syria comments, denies they were threat to
Lebanon
Syria denies ‘escalatory intentions’ towards Lebanon: sources
One killed in Israeli airstrike on house in Khiam
Israel says Nmairiyeh strike killed man who smuggled arms to Lebanon, W. Bank
US envoy Tom Barrack clarifies Syria remarks: Not a threat to Lebanon, but a
vision for coexistence
Lebanon’s water paradox: Taps run dry while water 'flows away'
US backs $100M Super Tucano support for Lebanon in key show of military aid
Surveillance towers on the southern border? Lebanon weighs UK plan amid Israeli
concerns
Lebanon-Syria tensions rise as Damascus steps up pressure over detainee issue
Civil Service: Ultimatum, Threat of Strike, and Administrative Disobedience
Continued Israeli Incursions in South Lebanon: A Bid to Create New Realities on
the Ground
Syrian Prisoners File Puts Lebanon in a Bind, Legal Frameworks Needed for
Resolution
Lebanon bets on Gulf tourists to rescue its collapsing economy
The Dual Peril Facing Eastern Christians
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on July 12-13/2025
Netanyahu tells Trump he'll strike Iran again if it moves toward nuclear
weapon
Iran Says it Would Resume Nuclear Talks with US if Guaranteed No Further Attacks
FM Araghchi says Iran to work with IAEA, but inspections may be risky
Putin Urges Iran to Take 'Zero Enrichment' Nuclear Deal with US, Axios Reports
Iran says 5 inmates at Evin prison were killed in Israel's airstrike on Tehran
Gaza truce talks in the balance as Israel and Hamas trade blame for stalemate
Israeli political official accuses Hamas of sabotaging Gaza ceasefire talks
Gaza ceasefire talks held up by Israel withdrawal plans
59 Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes and shootings near aid site in Gaza
Gaza truce talks in the balance as Israel and Hamas trade blame for stalemate
Gaza truce talks faltering over withdrawal; 17 reported killed in latest
shooting near aid
Fuel shortages in Gaza at ‘critical levels,’ UN warns
Family of US-Palestinian killed in West Bank want State Department probe
Syrian, Israeli officials meet in Baku: Diplomatic source in Damascus
Jordan, EU sign security pact to tackle serious crime, terrorism
Turkish president hails the start of disarmament by militant Kurdish separatists
Leaders of Azerbaijan and Syria discuss energy cooperation as they rebuild ties
Islamic State-aligned rebels kill 66 civilians in eastern Congo
Titles For
The Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources
on July 12-13/2025
Iran's New Trap vs. Trump's Once-in-a-Lifetime Chance to Transform the
Middle East/Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute./July 12, 2025
Gaza reveals the brutal new ethos of global geopolitics/Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab
News/July 12, 2025
Russian-North Korean cooperation at a critical juncture/Luke Coffey/Arab
News/July 12, 2025
Entente cordiale: Macron’s visit helps reset UK-France relations/Andrew
Hammond//Arab News/July 12, 2025
The Immolation of Kasasbeh and the Assassination of Hariri/Mohammed al-Rumaihi/Asharq
Al Awsat/July 12/2025
Selected Tweets for 12 July/2025
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July
12-13/2025
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.
Lebanon faces existential threat unless it addresses Hezbollah weapons, US
envoy warns
Tom Barrack tells The National that Beirut has been ‘responsive’ to US proposal
to disarm Iran-backed group
Adla Massoud/The National/July 11, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/07/145128/
Lebanon risks being taken over by regional powers unless Beirut acts to address
Hezbollah’s weapons stockpiles, US special envoy Tom Barrack warned on Friday.
Mr Barrack, who is the special envoy for Syria and US ambassador to Turkey, told
The National that Lebanon needs to resolve the issue or else it could face an
existential threat. “You have Israel on one side, you have Iran on the other,
and now you have Syria manifesting itself so quickly that if Lebanon doesn’t
move, it’s going to be Bilad Al Sham again,” he said, using the historical name
for the Syria region.
Lebanon considers plan to disarm Hezbollah after Western guarantees
“Syrians say Lebanon is our beach resort. So we need to move. And I know how
frustrated the Lebanese people are. It frustrates me.” Mr Barrack said the US,
Saudi Arabia and Qatar are ready to help if Lebanon takes the lead. Last month,
Mr Barrack presented Lebanese officials with a proposal to disarm Hezbollah and
implement economic reforms, to help lift the country out of its six-year
financial crisis – one of the worst in modern history. The US proposal ties
reconstruction aid and a halt to Israeli army operations to Hezbollah’s full
disarmament across the country.
Since a US-brokered ceasefire began in November, the Iran-backed group has
withdrawn most of its troops from the Israeli border. Israel insists it must be
disarmed nationwide. In response to the proposal, Lebanese authorities submitted
a seven-page document calling for a full Israeli withdrawal from disputed
territory, including Shebaa Farms, and reaffirming state control over all
weapons while pledging to dismantle Hezbollah’s arms in south Lebanon.
The document stopped short of agreeing to disarm Hezbollah nationwide.
“I thought it was responsive, very responsive,” Mr Barrack said, while
acknowledging that sticking points remain. “There are issues that we have to arm
wrestle with each other over to come to a final conclusion. Remember, we have an
agreement … it was a great agreement. The problem is, nobody followed it.”
He stressed the urgency for Lebanon to act.
When asked if Hezbollah agreeing to lay down its arms and become a purely
political party would prompt President Donald Trump’s administration to remove
the group from the US foreign terrorist list, as it did with Hayat Tahrir Al
Sham in Syria, Mr Barrack declined to elaborate.
“I’m not running from the answer, but I can’t answer it,” he told journalists in
New York earlier on Friday.
Asked why Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun has not publicly committed to a
disarmament timetable, Mr Barrack said: “He doesn’t want to start a civil war.”
The Lebanese armed forces are widely viewed as the “best, neutral, reliable
mediator” in the current crisis but face severe funding shortages due to
Lebanon’s economic collapse, Mr Barrack said. He noted that despite the Lebanese
army’s credibility, it operates “on a shoestring budget”, forcing UN
peacekeepers in Lebanon, Unifil, to fill the gap with 10,000 troops. “God bless
the United Nations and the Unifil troops, but they don’t really have command and
control over harsh things,” Mr Barrack said. Mr Barrack acknowledged that any
attempt to fully disarm Hezbollah could be volatile and risk sparking a civil
war. He suggested a possible path could involve
Hezbollah agreeing to voluntarily disarm its heavy weapons, including rockets
and drones, handing them over to monitored depots under a “mechanism” involving
the US, France, Israel and the Lebanese army.
Mr Barrack said the Lebanese army lacks the resources and manpower to take on
such a mission.
“We don’t have the soldiers on the ground for the LAF to be able to do that yet,
because they don’t have the money. They’re using equipment that’s 60 years old,”
he said. As a result, Hezbollah argues it cannot rely on the Lebanese army for
protection, he added. “Hezbollah is looking at it saying, ‘We can’t rely on the
LAF. We have to rely on ourselves because Israel is bombing us every day, and
they’re still occupying our land,’” he said, referring to disputed border areas
known as the “five points”.
Mr Barrack said addressing these security concerns, while preventing escalation
into conflict, would require international support to strengthen Lebanon’s army
and a mechanism to manage heavy weapons, with buy-in from all sides. He said the
US has approached its Gulf partners to seek funding for the Lebanese armed
forces but has faced resistance.
“The US is going to our valued Gulf partners and saying, ‘We want money to go to
the LAF,’” he said. “Why do the Gulf partners not want to do that? Because
they’ve given so much money to Lebanon in the past that’s gone to the corrupt
leaders. So they’re saying, ‘Yeah, we’re done.’” He noted that Gulf states are
reluctant to invest further without assurances that funds will bypass Lebanon’s
entrenched political elite and corruption.
“This is the big dilemma,” Mr Barrack said, adding that without sustained
support for the Lebanese army, it will remain under-resourced, complicating any
efforts to stabilise the country and reduce Hezbollah’s hold.
“We need to help bolster the LAF,” Mr Barrack said. “We can do it hand-in-hand
with the Gulf countries, hand-in-hand with Unifil, as we redefine what their
role is on a continued basis.”
Updated: July 12, 2025,
US envoy Tom Barrack clarifies Syria comments, denies they
were threat to Lebanon
Arab News/July 12, 2025
LONDON: US Special Envoy Tom Barrack has sought to clarify remarks made during
his recent visit to the region, saying that his comments praising Syria’s
progress were not intended as a threat to neighboring Lebanon. “My comments
yesterday praised Syria’s impressive strides, not a threat to Lebanon,” Barrack
posted on X on Saturday. “I observed the reality that Syria is moving at light
speed to seize the historic opportunity presented by @POTUS’ lifting of
sanctions: Investment from Turkiye and the Gulf, diplomatic outreach to
neighboring countries and a clear vision for the future. I can assure that
Syria’s leaders only want coexistence and mutual prosperity with Lebanon, and
the US is committed to supporting that relationship between two equal and
sovereign neighbors enjoying peace and prosperity,” he added. The clarification
comes after reports in Lebanese media, including from MTV Lebanon, cited Barrack
as warning that Lebanon risked “going back to Bilad Al-Sham” if it failed to act
quickly on regional realignment. The term Bilad Al-Sham, historically referring
to Greater Syria, encompasses present-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine
under the Ottoman Empire; a sensitive concept in Lebanon given fears over
sovereignty and outside interference.Barrack’s comments were widely interpreted
by some local outlets as a warning that Lebanon could fall under renewed Syrian
influence if it failed to align with shifting regional dynamics. Meanwhile on
Saturday, the Syrian government also moved to quash speculation that it was
planning escalatory steps against Lebanon over the issue of Syrian detainees
held in Lebanese prisons. A Syrian Ministry of Information official said that
the detainee issue remains “a top priority” and that Damascus is committed to
resolving it “swiftly through official channels between the two
countries.”Earlier reports had cited unnamed sources close to the Syrian
government suggesting that diplomatic and economic retaliation was under
consideration in response to what Damascus saw as Lebanon’s neglect of the
detainees’ plight. However, the Information Ministry source denied this, saying
there were no such plans and reaffirming Syria’s commitment to bilateral
resolution. In an interview with Arab News on Friday, Barrack had made similar
remarks reflecting growing US concern over Lebanon’s political inertia and the
evolving role of Hezbollah. “If Lebanon doesn’t hurry up and get in line,
everyone around them will,” Barrack warned, pointing to a broader regional shift
sparked by the lifting of US sanctions on Syria. He framed the moment as pivotal
for Lebanon, with pressure mounting for a new political order. Addressing
questions about Hezbollah’s future, Barrack said the group consists of “two
parts,” an Iran-backed militant faction designated as a terrorist organization,
and a political wing operating in Lebanon’s parliament. He added that any
disarmament process “must be led by the Lebanese government, with the full
agreement of Hezbollah itself.”Barrack said: “That process has to start with the
Council of Ministers. They have to authorize the mandate. And Hezbollah, the
political party, has to agree to that. But what Hezbollah is saying is, ‘OK, we
understand one Lebanon has to happen.’ Why? Because one Syria is starting to
happen.”On Syria, Barrack described the lifting of sanctions on May 13 as a
“strategic fresh start” for the war-ravaged nation and said that the US was not
intending to pursue “nation-building or federalism.”He called the Middle East a
“difficult zip code at an amazingly historic time,” and told Arab News that the
Trump administration’s new approach was designed to offer “a new slice of hope”
to the Syrian people. “President (Trump)’s message is peace and prosperity,” he
said. “Sanctions gave the people hope. That’s really all that happened at that
moment.”
Syria denies ‘escalatory intentions’ towards Lebanon: sources
Arab News/July 12, 2025
DUBAI: The Syrian government has denied reports that Damascus intends to take
escalatory measures against Beirut over the case of Syrian prisoners in Lebanon,
sources said on Friday. A source from Syria’s Ministry of Information said the
Syrian government considers the issue of Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons a
top priority, adding that it is committed to resolving it swiftly through
official channels between the two countries. Sources close to the Syrian
government were previously quoted by a television channel saying Damascus was
considering diplomatic and economic escalation against Beirut. The source
claimed Damascus was considering the escalation over what it described as
Lebanon’s disregard to the fate of Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons, which
an unnamed official related to the Syrian information ministry also denied.
Syrian authorities have accused Lebanon of procrastination to repatriate about
one third of more than 2,000 of its imprisoned nationals. The fate of the Syrian
prisoners has irritated Damascus given that Lebanon had announced in March that
it was ready to repatriate them.
One killed in Israeli
airstrike on house in Khiam
Naharnet/12 July 2025
An Israeli airstrike on a house in the southern town of Khiam killed one person,
the Health Ministry said on Saturday. Media reports had earlier said that the
house was “uninhabited.”The attack is the latest in south Lebanon despite a
months-long ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. Israel has kept
up regular strikes in Lebanon, particularly in the south, since a November 27
ceasefire meant to end over a year of hostilities with Hezbollah that left the
group severely weakened.Under the agreement, Hezbollah was to pull its fighters
back north of the Litani River, around 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border
with Israel, leaving the Lebanese Army and United Nations peacekeepers as the
only armed parties in the area. The ceasefire requires Israel to fully withdraw
its troops, but it has kept them in five locations in south Lebanon that it
deems strategic.
Israel says Nmairiyeh strike killed man who smuggled arms
to Lebanon, W. Bank
Agence France Presse/12 July 2025
An Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon on Friday killed one person, the
Lebanese health ministry reported, with Israel saying it had targeted a man
accused of helping smuggle weapons from Iran.The attack was the latest in
Lebanon despite a months-long ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah
there. The Israeli army said it killed Mohammad Shoaib, whom it accused of
having aided in the smuggling of weapons to Lebanon and the occupied West Bank.
Israel has kept up regular strikes in Lebanon, particularly in the south, since
a November 27 ceasefire meant to end over a year of hostilities with Hezbollah
that left the group severely weakened. Under the agreement, Hezbollah was to
pull its fighters back north of the Litani River, around 30 kilometers (20
miles) from the border with Israel, leaving the Lebanese Army and United Nations
peacekeepers as the only armed parties in the area. The ceasefire requires
Israel to fully withdraw its troops, but it has kept them in five locations in
south Lebanon that it deems strategic.
US envoy Tom Barrack clarifies Syria remarks: Not a threat
to Lebanon, but a vision for coexistence
LBCI/12 July 2025
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack sought to clarify his recent remarks on Syria, stating
they were intended to highlight Damascus' rapid progress—not to suggest any
threat toward neighboring Lebanon. “My comments yesterday praised Syria’s
impressive strides, not a threat to Lebanon,” Barrack said in a post on X on
Saturday. “I observed the reality that Syria is moving at light speed to seize
the historic opportunity presented by President Trump’s lifting of
sanctions.”Barrack pointed to signs of Syria’s reintegration in the region,
citing investment from Turkey and Gulf countries, renewed diplomatic outreach,
and what he described as “a clear vision for the future.”Amid speculation over
potential Syrian pressure on Lebanon, Barrack stressed that Damascus’ intentions
are rooted in regional partnership. “I can assure that Syria’s leaders only want
coexistence and mutual prosperity with Lebanon,” he said. “The United States is
committed to supporting that relationship between two equal and sovereign
neighbors enjoying peace and prosperity.”
Lebanon’s water paradox: Taps run dry while water 'flows away'
LBCI/12 July 2025
Water is the basis of everything in life. Lebanon is known for being rich in
water — at least that’s what we learned in school. If we measure it on paper,
Lebanon has the highest amount of renewable water compared to its area among
Arab countries. That means if we divide the amount of water falling each year
per square kilometer, our country outperforms others with giant rivers like
Sudan and Iraq. But when we look at reality, the numbers start to "dry up." The
water exists, but not always in the tap. While you can drink tap water in most
European countries, the water reaching homes in Lebanon barely passes for
bathing. In summer, most of Lebanon’s population relies on water tank trucks
coming and going, yet there is still no steady supply. This is not a complaint;
it is a description of reality. The reality shows the problem is not a lack of
water but poor management. In fact, Lebanon receives around 800 millimeters of
rainfall annually, which is about 8.2 billion cubic meters of water. Out of
this, only 2.7 billion cubic meters are actually renewed and remain available
for use. On the other hand, 950 million cubic meters are lost every year from
surface and groundwater, plus 385 million flow from springs directly into the
sea. But this loss flowing to the sea is part of a natural cycle — one that
Lebanon could invest in properly. One fact remains constant: water is available
in sufficient and even abundant amounts. But today, there are two main
challenges: first, climate change; second, we don’t know how to store it,
distribute it fairly, or invest it wisely. Along with pollution and waste,
Lebanon loses this "blessing" every year and keeps drowning in the same crisis.
US backs $100M Super Tucano support for Lebanon in key show of military aid
LBCI/12 July 2025
In a delicate moment for Lebanon, the Pentagon announced that the U.S. State
Department had approved a deal to sell support equipment for the Lebanese Air
Force's A-29 Super Tucano aircraft, worth up to $100 million. The agreement
includes maintenance services, spare parts, and technical training, noting that
this deal requires congressional approval. The initial confusion sparked by the
announcement raised the question: how will Lebanon pay this amount, and from
where? However, according to three specialized sources that LBCI spoke to, the
$100 million is a donation from the United States within the security assistance
program for the Lebanese army. Thus, it is not a sales contract but a grant. The
approval simply means allowing Lebanon to receive this equipment worth that
amount within the U.S. financial aid allocated to Lebanon. According to the
information obtained, the amount covers a contract for aircraft maintenance,
technical consultations, and training over a five-year period. The military
support aims to maintain the operational effectiveness of the six Super Tucano
aircraft that the United States delivered to the Lebanese Air Force in two
batches in 2017 and 2018. Sources claim that the A-29 Super Tucano aircraft,
manufactured by the Brazilian company Embraer, are equipped with—and armed—using
American technology and electronics, as well as command and control systems.
These systems are among the most modern in the world and are also found on
fighters such as the F-16 and F-18. Former Commander of the Lebanese Air Force,
Brigadier General P.S.C. Pilot Ziad Heikal, previously stated that Lebanon’s
Super Tucano aircraft are uniquely equipped to fire laser-guided missiles. It is
characterized by its inexpensive operational cost, high efficiency, and provides
close air support to friendly forces, enabling the use of laser-guided weapons.
It also sends live imagery to operations rooms during the mission. The
Pentagon's announcement is not only related to its military value but also to
its political significance and the United States' continued support for the
Lebanese army, as well as the preservation and enhancement of its capabilities.
Surveillance towers on the southern border? Lebanon weighs UK plan amid Israeli
concerns
LBCI/12 July 2025
A Lebanese soldier stands watch on a tower overlooking the eastern border with
Syria. Now, the question is: could similar towers soon line the southern
frontier with Israel? According to information obtained, the United Kingdom has
revived a proposal to establish watchtowers along the southern border during
talks held last week between British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and President
Joseph Aoun. The proposal is not new—it dates back to before the most recent
Israeli war on Lebanon. According to sources, the towers already exist in
Lebanon but have not yet been installed. Israel previously rejected the project,
insisting that land border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel must come
first. It also demanded Hezbollah’s withdrawal from the south of the Litani
River. It also expressed reservations about the project, arguing it would grant
the Lebanese army the authority to monitor activity inside Israeli territory.
According to the information, the current proposal involves constructing fixed
surveillance towers along the southern border, funded and implemented by the
United Kingdom and later handed over to the Lebanese army. The aim is to secure
the border, enhance stability, and help implement U.N. Security Council
Resolution 1701. Sources confirmed to LBCI that Lebanon is open to the British
offer, which requires approval from the Lebanese army and a Cabinet decision, as
well as the demarcation of the land border with Israel and the solidification of
the ceasefire agreement between the two sides. The towers cannot be installed
before an Israeli withdrawal, a ceasefire, and then border demarcation. As for
Hezbollah, the group has left the decision on whether to install the towers to
the Lebanese state and army, especially in light of its commitment to the
ceasefire and its withdrawal from the south of the Litani River. Still, many
questions remain on the Lebanese side about the towers, including: Who will have
access to the data they collect? Could that information reach Israel through a
third country? Will the surveillance be directed solely at the Israeli border,
at Lebanese territory, or in both directions?
Lebanon-Syria tensions rise as Damascus steps up pressure over detainee issue
LBCI/12 July 2025
Syria is considering escalating measures against Lebanon, starting with the
suspension of certain security and economic channels and potentially leading to
the closure of border crossings, according to sources cited by "Syria
TV."However, Syria's Ministry of Information has denied any intention to take
such steps against Lebanon, according to media reports. Regardless of whether
the reports are accurate, they point to one clear issue: the Syrian presidency
is reportedly displeased with what it views as the Lebanese authorities' delay
in addressing the situation of Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons. Justice
Minister Adel Nassar told LBCI that Lebanon is open to establishing a treaty
with Syria concerning Syrian detainees. However, he clarified that such an
agreement would not include individuals convicted of terrorism, the killing of
Lebanese soldiers or civilians, or rape. Nassar also expressed support for
expediting trials—whether for Lebanese or Syrians—provided that legal procedures
are followed.
If Damascus does proceed with escalation, including closing the Lebanese-Syrian
border, it will cut off land shipping routes between the two countries. Sources
at the Economy Ministry said this would force Lebanon to rely on air freight to
Iraq, Jordan, and Gulf countries at significantly higher costs that vary by
destination. While Syria has not yet made an official decision to escalate, the
messages conveyed—whether through the media or behind the scenes—reflect a tense
atmosphere that could lead to concrete measures at any time.
Civil Service: Ultimatum, Threat of Strike, and
Administrative Disobedience
This is Beirut/12 July 2025
In a virulent communiqué, the Gathering of Civil Servants in the Public
Administration issued an ultimatum to the authorities: grant an immediate
meeting to start negotiations on their demands, or risk launching
“unprecedented” protest actions, including a general strike and possible
recourse to administrative disobedience. The Gathering denounces a “policy of
humiliation and contempt” pursued by the Lebanese political class towards civil
servants, asserting that “the silence and indifference of those in charge in the
face of the repeated demands of employees amount to organized contempt and
sabotage of the public administration.”
Clear and Urgent Demands
The Gathering's main demands include:
The immediate opening of recruitment via the Civil Service Council, in order to
counter the hemorrhaging of skills and curb the flight of young graduates;
The readjustment of salaries and the introduction of a new salary scale linked
to inflation;
The merging of bonuses and increases into the basic salary, with the elimination
of so-called “perseverance” conditions; Extension of the retirement age to 68,
to enable pensioners to benefit from the increases granted;
The return to the traditional administrative timetable, Monday to Thursday from
8 AM to 2 PM and Friday from 8 AM to 11 AM. The Gathering also rejected the
“financial sheet” under discussion by the government, described as “an attempt
to progressively dismantle public administration” by spreading entitlements over
five years, while many employees will have retired by then.
A Week-Long Strike Announced
Failing a rapid response from the government, a nationwide strike has been
announced for Monday, July 14, to Friday, July 18, 2025, in all public
administrations and institutions. The Rassemblement is also calling on all
public employees to be ready for stronger action, including open administrative
disobedience, if their calls for dialogue remain ignored. “This is no longer a
question of categorical demands, but of the survival of public administration
and its service to citizens,” the communiqué concludes.
Continued Israeli Incursions in South Lebanon: A Bid to
Create New Realities on the Ground
Asharq Al Awsat/12 July 2025
South Lebanon is witnessing an escalating series of military operations, marked
by repeated Israeli ground incursions and extensive bulldozing along the border.
The latest incidents have unfolded in the Marjayoun district and around the Wadi
Hunin area, where Israeli military vehicles advanced more than 800 meters into
Lebanese territory. According to analysts, these moves signal an effort to
entrench a security presence that reflects “an advanced strategy to impose a new
status quo along the frontier.”On Friday, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA)
reported that Israeli army bulldozers, protected by tanks stationed nearby,
crossed the boundary at Wadi Hunin and moved towards a landfill south of the
town of Adaisseh. The forces sealed off a road and erected earthen barriers,
prompting heightened alert from the Lebanese side. Separately, an Israeli patrol
breached the withdrawal line in the outskirts of Kfar Shouba - penetrating 400
meters into Lebanese territory - and fired shots at shepherds without causing
injuries. The incursions did not stop there. Residents of Blida also reported a
fresh advance of over 800 meters. Meanwhile, Israeli troops detonated a civilian
structure in the Ghassouna area east of Adaisseh, using incendiary and stun
grenades that sowed panic among local families. In parallel, Israeli aerial
attacks have intensified. On Friday, an Israeli drone struck a car traveling on
the Nmeiriyeh–Sharqiyyeh road in Nabatieh district, killing one person and
injuring five others, Lebanon’s Health Ministry confirmed. The attack
underscores the widening scope of targets, reaching deeper into southern Lebanon
and extending beyond military sites to include civilian vehicles. Another drone
dropped a bomb on a small transport truck in the border town of Kfar Kila,
causing material damage but no casualties. Such incidents have become a
recurring pattern in the ongoing escalation. Adding to the strain on civilians,
an entire house in Kfar Kila was blown up after being rigged with explosives. In
Meiss El Jabal, Israeli forces destroyed a newly renovated tile factory last
week, as part of what Israeli spokesmen described as “special operations”
targeting weapons depots and infrastructure allegedly tied to Hezbollah in
locations including Labouneh and Jabal Balat. Israeli army spokesperson Avichay
Adraee stated on Wednesday that the operations were based on intelligence
gathering and surveillance of “Hezbollah’s combat means and terrorist
infrastructure.” He added that special units were working to dismantle these
networks to prevent Hezbollah from reestablishing its positions along the
border. Adraee also released nighttime video footage showing Israeli infantry
operating deep inside southern Lebanon.
A Systematic Effort to Empty the Border
Military analyst Brigadier General Naji Malaeb described these incursions as
“part of a systematic plan to reshape the situation on the border.” He told
Asharq Al-Awsat that Israeli ground advances typically coincide with major
diplomatic developments - whether a US envoy arriving in Beirut or Israeli
delegations traveling to Washington. “Every time there is a significant
diplomatic event, we see coordinated maneuvers - airstrikes, artillery shelling,
or limited ground incursions targeting civilian or logistical sites,” Malaeb
noted. He argued that Israel’s consistent pattern of targeting rebuilt homes and
small businesses reveals a clear message: preventing displaced residents from
returning. “Whenever villagers attempt to repair their homes or revive their
livelihoods, the response is immediate,” he said, citing a recent case in
Aitaroun where Israeli troops demolished a factory that had been reconstructed
inside a residence.
“This is no longer just a violation of Lebanese sovereignty or UN Resolution
1701,” Malaeb concluded. “It has evolved into a deliberate strategy to
depopulate the border strip and impose new facts on the ground, creating, in
effect, a buffer zone through indirect means.”
Syrian Prisoners File Puts
Lebanon in a Bind, Legal Frameworks Needed for Resolution
Beirut: Youssef Diab/Asharq Al Awsat/12 July 2025
The issue of Syrian prisoners in Lebanese custody has once again come to the
forefront, following reports suggesting dissatisfaction from Damascus over
Beirut’s delay in repatriating detainees. The leaked information also hinted at
potential political and economic repercussions if the matter is not resolved.
According to these reports, the Syrian administration expressed frustration over
Lebanon’s alleged foot-dragging on prisoner transfers and even warned of
measures such as restricting Lebanese freight movement across Syrian territory
and closing border crossings. The reports triggered a wave of confusion in
Lebanon’s political circles. However, Syrian officials were quick to deny the
claims, and Lebanese authorities sought to ease tensions through direct
communication. A senior Lebanese official told Asharq Al-Awsat that “swift
contacts” between Beirut and Damascus confirmed the Syrian administration’s
denial of the allegations. “The issue of Syrian prisoners remains a priority for
Lebanon’s political, judicial, and security institutions and is being addressed
through legal channels,” the official said. He emphasized Lebanon’s readiness to
cooperate in extraditing Syrian nationals, but only in accordance with
established legal and regulatory frameworks. The controversy stemmed from a
report by Syria TV claiming that Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa voiced deep
dissatisfaction over the matter during a meeting with Lebanon’s Grand Mufti,
Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan. The report alleged that Al-Sharaa accused Lebanese
authorities of neglecting what he described as a humanitarian issue and hinted
at punitive measures. However, sources familiar with the Mufti’s visit to
Damascus categorically denied that the prisoner issue was discussed. “At no
point during the meeting was the topic of Syrian prisoners raised,” one source
told Asharq Al-Awsat, citing the official statement from Dar al-Fatwa, which
made no mention of the issue. There are currently more than 2,000 Syrians held
in Lebanese prisons, including roughly 800 facing charges related to terrorism
and security offenses. Many of them have repeatedly appealed to Syrian
authorities for intervention, seeking to be transferred back home to complete
their legal proceedings. A source from Lebanon’s prison administration, under
the Ministry of Justice, revealed that a joint judicial-security committee had
reviewed the cases of hundreds of Syrian detainees eligible for repatriation.
However, the process has stalled due to legal obstacles. “No prisoner can be
handed over without a final conviction,” the source said. “Extradition is not
applicable to those still on trial, particularly if the offense was committed on
Lebanese soil and involved Lebanese victims.”Lebanon and Syria have signed
multiple judicial agreements, including one on the extradition of wanted
individuals. However, no deal currently exists for the transfer of convicted
prisoners. According to legal sources, such an agreement would require
coordination between the two countries’ justice ministries and eventual
ratification by the Lebanese Parliament. If signed, the agreement could pave the
way for the repatriation of up to 370 convicted Syrian nationals currently
serving sentences in Lebanon.
Syrian Justice Minister Mazhar Al-Wais is expected to visit Beirut soon for
talks with Lebanese officials. The Lebanese side is optimistic that the visit
could yield progress toward a formal agreement on prisoner transfers. “Lebanon
has a vested interest in the repatriation of these detainees - but only under
lawful and transparent procedures,” the official said. “This is not something
that can be handled arbitrarily by simply sending buses to prisons.”Tensions
inside Lebanon’s prison system have escalated in recent months, particularly at
Roumieh Central Prison, where “Building B” houses Islamist detainees, including
Syrians accused of terrorism-related offenses. The facility has seen repeated
unrest, with prisoners demanding a general amnesty and improved conditions. On
February 12, more than 100 Syrian detainees launched a hunger strike that lasted
two weeks. The strike ended following a visit by a delegation from the Syrian
embassy, which assured detainees that Damascus would prioritize their cases. A
Justice Ministry source confirmed that communication is ongoing between the
Lebanese and Syrian justice ministries. “We have expressed full readiness to
cooperate on the prisoner file,” the source said. “Once all legal procedures are
in place, we’re prepared to begin the process of transferring convicted Syrian
nationals to their home country.”
Lebanon bets on Gulf tourists to rescue its collapsing economy
Miguel Hadchity/Arab News/July 12, 2025
RIYADH: Lebanon’s tourism sector is placing its hopes on international and Gulf
visitors to help steer the country through a financial crisis that has gripped
the nation since 2019.
As Beirut’s clubs and restaurants increasingly operate in US dollars, the city’s
tourism and nightlife have emerged as fragile yet essential pillars of the
economy, largely propped up by private investment.
The ongoing financial collapse — now in its sixth year — has created an $80
billion gap in the banking sector, with debt restructuring stalled amid
persistent political gridlock.
Since 2019, the Lebanese pound has lost more than 90 percent of its value, while
the country’s gross domestic product has contracted by nearly 40 percent.
The 2024 Hezbollah-Israel conflict further devastated the economy, inflicting
widespread damage on tourist regions. In response, the World Bank approved a
$250 million loan in June as part of a broader $1 billion recovery program,
estimating the total cost of the conflict at $7.2 billion, with reconstruction
needs reaching $11 billion.
A defiant party amid the ruins
In early June, fireworks lit up the sky above Beirut’s iconic St. Georges Hotel
during a retro-themed event hosted by the Tourism Ministry, reviving memories of
Lebanon’s golden age in the 1970s — a time when Gulf tourists filled its
beaches, mountain resorts, and vibrant nightlife.
Today, that nostalgia is being reimagined for a new generation of affluent
travelers. With the UAE and Kuwait lifting travel bans — and Saudi Arabia
possibly following — high-end venues are pinning their hopes on a luxury tourism
resurgence.
But renewed tensions in the region have cast a shadow over those ambitions.
Lebanon’s tourism sector has seen “some cancellations in hotels, (flight)
tickets, and car rentals,” Laura Lahoud, Lebanon’s tourism minister, told Arab
News in an interview, acknowledging the impact of regional tensions. “We are
surely affected by the current situation in the Middle East, same as all the
region. But if Lebanon remains neutral and does not take sides — as the
president and prime minister are insisting — we can save the season,” Lahoud
added. Her optimism hinges on a fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel.
“Hopefully, it will go back to normal,” she said, while emphasizing that
festivals and events remain untouched, except for the Beiteddine Festival, where
“performers are from the US.”
The dollar hustle
While Lebanon’s currency has collapsed, poverty has tripled, and the banking
sector remains frozen, a parallel economy is flourishing in Beirut’s upscale
neighborhoods like Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael. Security is part of the appeal.
Army patrols have become more visible in tourist areas, and Hezbollah banners
along the airport road have quietly given way to billboards promoting “A New Era
for Lebanon.” But the real driver is privatization. With the state largely
incapacitated, private investors — mostly dealing in US dollars — are fueling a
boom in luxury tourism, pouring money into beach clubs, rooftop lounges, and
curated VIP experiences that operate outside the formal economy. “The private
sector has always been a main driver,” said Lahoud, defending the government’s
role as a facilitator rather than a funder. “Our role is to guide, organize, and
direct investment into new sectors, new regions, and new ideas.”
Yet, some argue this model is unsustainable.
“The dollarized tourism economy has a negative impact on domestic tourism,”
warned Jassem Ajaka, an economist and professor at the Lebanese University.
“Prices become high for residents, especially if pricing is applied equally to
tourists and locals. This is unsustainable because the dollar is not the
country’s official currency,” he explained in an interview with Arab News.
Geopolitical gambles
The stakes could not be higher. Lebanon’s agricultural and industrial sectors
lie in ruins.
Once accounting for 20 percent of GDP, tourism has emerged as the fastest route
toward restoring ties with Gulf countries and reviving the economy. President
Joseph Aoun has made outreach to the Gulf a top priority, traveling to Saudi
Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE to present Lebanon as “open for business.” Lahoud
emphasized that rebuilding tourist confidence in Lebanon “is the main
objective.” She outlined plans to achieve this through comprehensive government
reforms, coordinated airport improvements, streamlined visa processes for GCC
families, shorter checkpoint delays, and the promotion of year-round tourism
across all sectors. “Before some Gulf countries removed the travel ban, Arab
tourists were limited to Egyptians, Iraqis, and Jordanians,” said Jean Abboud,
president of the Association of Travel and Tourist Agents in Lebanon.“Demands
from Gulf countries were growing steadily, especially from the Emirates, Kuwait,
and Qatar. But due to the current conflict between Iran and Israel, everything
has changed,” he told Arab News. The fallout is immediate. “We, as tour
operators nowadays, avoid including the south in our programs due to the
unexpected problems,” Abboud added.
Lahoud stated that the ministry is collaborating closely with all industry
groups to create unique visitor experiences in Lebanon. She added they plan to
develop long-term policies and digital tools to support both city and
countryside activities, and encourage vital small and medium investments across
all regions.
Risky bet
“Over the past couple of years, I’ve noticed a shift toward a younger crowd —
but interestingly, they’re spending more,” says Marco Khadra, ambassador at
Factory People, a Beirut-based group organizing many of the country’s major
music festivals.
“There’s a clear appetite for nightlife, even among younger demographics,”
Khadra told Arab News. But security concerns loom large. “Some people, including
international acts, have felt Beirut isn’t safe, and that affects bookings and
attendance,” Khadra admitted, adding: “Perception plays a big role in this
industry.”For bartenders like Lynn Abi Ghanem, who left Beirut for the Gulf, the
sustainability of this boom is questionable. “Not in the long run,” she said of
the shift toward Gulf tourists. “Tourists come for a short time, but it’s the
locals who keep bars running all year. Without them, things feel off and won’t
hold up.”The staffing crisis is another weak link. “There are a lot of talented
workers who aren’t paid what they deserve,” Abi Ghanem added. “If things don’t
change, many will keep leaving.”
A mirage of recovery?
Hotels have reported occupancy rates of 80 percent ahead of the summer season,
while flights are operating at near capacity with expatriates and Gulf tourists.
Yet Lebanon’s recovery remains precarious. “Even though tourism’s contribution
to the gross domestic product increased after the crisis to about 30 percent,
this was due to the economic contraction,” explained Ajaka. “We cannot say the
sector has recovered because recovery depends on political stability and
investment inflows.”For now, the party continues, sustained by Gulf investment
and the relentless drive of Beirut’s nightlife entrepreneurs.
But as Ajjaka conceded: “The biggest enemy of tourism is any security obstacle.”
And in a country where crisis is the only constant, the stakes have never been
higher.
The Dual Peril Facing
Eastern Christians
Fady Noun/This is Beirut/July 12/2025
On July 10, Lebanon solemnly celebrated the first Mass honoring the Massabki
Brothers following their recent canonization. On June 22, a deadly bombing
inside Damascus’s Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Elijah during Mass claimed 25
lives and left around 50 injured. In response, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of
Antioch, Youhanna X, rightly declared that the victims deserve to be honored as
martyrs of the faith, just as those who perished in past tragedies in Lebanon,
Iraq, and Egypt. This is especially true for two courageous men who risked their
lives to subdue the attacker wearing an explosive belt. Regardless of any
claimed motive, such an act of hatred is utterly unjustifiable. Some
commentators have noted this was the first attack inside a Syrian church since
the 1860 Damascus massacres, underscoring the extreme fanaticism involved.
Coincidentally, on July 10—the anniversary of their martyrdom—the Maronite
Church held two solemn Masses honoring the three Massabki Brothers, recently
canonized by Pope Francis on October 20, 2024. The commemorations took place at
Saint John’s Church in Jounieh and the summer seat of the Maronite Archeparchy
of Sarba in Ashkout.
Originally planned as an ecumenical event, unforeseen circumstances led to its
postponement. The Massabki Brothers were among the victims of the Damascus
pogroms, during which they and eleven European Franciscan friars were surrounded
and massacred by Druze and Muslim militias. Thousands of Christians—estimated by
some at up to 11,000—were slaughtered in Bab Touma, Damascus’s Christian
quarter. Francis Massabki, a wealthy and honorable merchant known for his
generosity to the poor and father of eight, was among the victims. On July 10,
Francis and his brothers Rouphael and Abdel Mohti barricaded themselves inside
the Franciscan convent near Bab Touma. But a traitor opened a back door for the
attackers. Francis, who had lent money to Abdallah al-Halabi—a prominent Muslim
figure and instigator of the violence—was offered freedom and salvation for his
family if he converted to Islam. He refused, reportedly saying, “Sheikh Abdallah
can keep my money. You may take my life, but my faith is untouchable. I am a
Christian.”He was brutally killed with knives and axes. His two brothers, one
mentally challenged, also refused to renounce their faith and suffered the same
fate. The Franciscan friars faced similar brutality; some escaped, but many were
killed. The Massabki brothers and the eleven Franciscan friars, martyred
together, were jointly beatified in 1926 through the Franciscan Order’s
initiative. However, their legacy gradually faded amid major historical events
such as World War II, the formation of Greater Lebanon, the reopening of Saint
Charbel’s tomb in the 1950s, and the canonization of Saint Rafqa. It was a
fortuitous discovery in 2002 that reignited their cause for canonization.
Visitors to the Maronite bishop of Sarba’s summer residence found two faded pink
folders containing Arabic writings by Bechara Shemali, the Maronite bishop of
Damascus at the time of the massacres. These writings detailed the lives and
beatification process of the Massabki Brothers. They also uncovered a vessel
containing bones labeled as those of the Massabki Brothers and eight Franciscan
fathers killed on the same day and buried in a common grave. This extraordinary
discovery was reported to Bishop Guy-Paul Noujeim and, following Vatican
procedures, led to their joint canonization.
Beyond Confessional Divides
The tragedies of 1860 and June 22 share a profound truth: they transcend
confessional boundaries. Regardless of whether the victims were Latin, Maronite,
or Orthodox, they fell as children of the Cross. Pope Francis aptly described
this as the “ecumenism of blood.”
Addressing Coptic Pope Tawadros II in 2014, Pope Francis stated:
“The blood of today’s martyrs unites us all. In some parts of the world,
Christians are killed simply for wearing a cross or carrying a Bible. Before
their deaths, no one asks if they are Evangelical, Orthodox, Lutheran or
Catholic… They are all Christians, and their blood is one and the same. This is
the ecumenism of blood.”For the Pope, this ecumenism is no mere figure of
speech; it is a living reality linking the martyrs of 1860, those of 2025, and
thousands more who fall today across Africa, Asia, and Latin America—a bond
stronger than words. The blood shed for faith becomes a bridge between
denominations, a powerful call for unity.
Christians and History
In a 2010 lecture at Saint Joseph University (USJ) on Eastern Christianity,
Patriarch Emeritus Michel Sabbah of Jerusalem reflected: “History is the place
where we encounter God.” This echoes the priest and theologian Romano Guardini’s
words that: “Eternity is prepared within time” (from The Messiah). It is at this
intersection that all Eastern Churches stand today. This is the history we live
now. It is not a new Middle East unfolding before our astonished eyes, but the
Middle East of the powerful. To all who leave, seeking to forget their homes and
the familiar, shadowed walls (Shehade), it must be said: survival does not
require leaving the East. The dangers facing Christians are not solely rooted in
fundamentalist readings of the Quran. Equally threatening is the secularism
sweeping in from the West, relentlessly broadcast through countless electronic
networks. These threats are subtle, wearing “masks” that silently invade minds
and hearts. Saint Paul warned that what sometimes appears as an “angel of light”
may be a deception. Against these dangers, the Church and Christian institutions
must fulfill their duty to warn. The consumption of alcohol and the lifting of
prohibitions—particularly dietary restrictions and dress codes for women—are not
Christianity itself, but freedoms granted at great cost by the one who freed us
from the yoke of the Law; freedoms that remain governed by the supreme
commandment of Love.
Islamo-Christian Relations
Politics undeniably plays a role. Patriarch Sabbah stressed: “The survival and
growth of Christians in the Arab Middle East is an Arab and Muslim concern as
well. Christian emigration demands action by the state and society, signaling
clear hospitality and fostering peace and stability. This outreach, vital to
Arab Christians, is still awaited from Arab Muslims.”Today, more than ever, all
Lebanese—Christian and Muslim alike—and all Eastern Christians face a decisive
moment: one that calls for openness, dialogue, vigilance, and solidarity amid
confusion and upheaval. Largely overlooked in historical accounts, one of the
most revered victims of the 1860 Damascus massacres was Greek Orthodox priest
Joseph Georges Haddad Ferzli, canonized by his Church under the name Saint
Joseph of Damascus. Born in Beirut on May 15, 1793, Father Joseph was ordained
in Damascus in 1817. From 1836 until his death, he served as director of the
Patriarchal School at Balamand, transforming it into a leading center of
theological education for the entire Middle East. A scholar and reformer, he
translated and edited numerous liturgical texts into Arabic, contributing
significantly to the renewal of Antiochian Orthodoxy. His pastoral dedication
also stood out during epidemics and public health crises, notably the yellow
fever outbreak of 1848. During the massacres of July 9 and 10, 1860, Father
Joseph refused to abandon his post. He remained in the Patriarchal Cathedral in
Bab Touma, praying with his congregation, distributing communion, and offering
comfort to those awaiting death. On July 10, as he stepped outside to hide the
consecrated elements, he was recognized by assailants and brutally murdered with
an axe, still bearing the Eucharist on his person. He was canonized in 1993.
Among his pupils were several future bishops and archbishops, including Saint
Raphael of Brooklyn. His feast is celebrated on July 10, the day of his
martyrdom.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on July
12-13/2025
Netanyahu tells Trump he'll strike Iran again if it moves toward nuclear weapon
Naharnet/12
July 2025
Sitting across from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday at the
White House, U.S. President Donald Trump said he hoped there would be no more
U.S. bombing of Iran. “I can’t imagine wanting to do that,” Trump said. But
Netanyahu later told him in private, however, according to the Wall Street
Journal, that if Iran resumed moving toward a nuclear weapon, Israel would carry
out further military strikes.Trump responded that he favors a diplomatic
settlement with Tehran, but didn’t otherwise object to the Israeli plan, the
Wall Street Journal added.
Iran Says it Would Resume Nuclear Talks
with US if Guaranteed No Further Attacks
Asharq Al Awsat/12 July 2025
Iran’s foreign minister said Saturday that his country would accept a resumption
of nuclear talks with the US if there were assurances of no more attacks against
it, state media reported.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a speech to Tehran-based foreign
diplomats that Iran has always been ready and will be ready in the future for
talks about its nuclear program, but, “assurance should be provided that in case
of a resumption of talks, the trend will not lead to war.”Referring to the
12-day Israeli bombardment of Iran's nuclear and military sites, and the US
strike on June 22, Araghchi said that if the US and others wish to resume talks
with Iran, "first of all, there should be a firm guarantee that such actions
will not be repeated. The attack on Iran's nuclear facilities has made it more
difficult and complicated to achieve a solution based on negotiations.”Following
the strikes, Iran suspended cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, which led
to the departure of inspectors. Araghchi said that under Iranian law, the
country will answer the agency’s request for cooperation "case by case,” based
on Iran’s interests. He also said any inspection by the agency should be done
based on Iran's “security” concerns as well as the safety of the inspectors.
“The risk of proliferation of radioactive ingredients and an explosion of
ammunition that remains from the war in the attacked nuclear sites is serious,”
he said. "The risk of spreading radioactive materials and the risk of exploding
leftover munitions ... are serious," he added. "For us, IAEA inspectors
approaching nuclear sites has both a security aspect ... and the safety of the
inspectors themselves is a matter that must be examined."He also reiterated
Iran's position on the need to continue enriching uranium on its soil. US
President Donald Trump has insisted that cannot happen. Israel claims it acted
because Tehran was within reach of a nuclear weapon. US intelligence agencies
and the International Atomic Energy Agency had assessed Iran last had an
organized nuclear weapons program in 2003, though Tehran had been enriching
uranium up to 60% — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of
90%. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in an interview published Monday said
the US airstrikes so badly damaged his country’s nuclear facilities that Iranian
authorities still have not been able to access them to survey the destruction.
FM Araghchi says Iran to work with IAEA, but inspections may be risky
Reuters/July 12, 2025
DUBAI, July 12 : Iran plans to cooperate with the UN nuclear watchdog despite
restrictions imposed by its parliament, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
said on Saturday, but stressed that access to its bombed nuclear sites posed
security and safety issues. The new law stipulates that any future inspection of
Iran’s nuclear sites by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) needs
approval by the Supreme National Security Council, Iran’s top security body.
“The risk of spreading radioactive materials and the risk of exploding leftover
munitions ... are serious,” state media cited Araghchi as saying. “For us, IAEA
inspectors approaching nuclear sites has both a security aspect ... and the
safety of the inspectors themselves is a matter that must be examined.” While
Iran’s cooperation with the nuclear watchdog has not stopped, it will take a new
form and will be guided and managed through the Supreme National Security
Council, Araghchi told Tehran-based diplomats.
Putin Urges Iran to Take
'Zero Enrichment' Nuclear Deal with US, Axios Reports
Asharq Al Awsat/12 July 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin has told US President Donald Trump and Iranian
officials that he supports the idea of a nuclear deal in which Iran is unable to
enrich uranium, Axios reported on Saturday, citing sources, Reuters reported.
Iran's semi-official news agency Tasnim denied the report, quoting an "informed
source" as saying Putin had not sent any message to Iran in this regard.
Iran says 5
inmates at Evin prison were killed in Israel's airstrike on Tehran
Associated Press/July 12, 2025
TEHRAN — An Israeli airstrike on Iran's capital last month killed five inmates
at Evin prison and resulted in the escape of several others, Iranian media
reported Saturday. The semi-official ILNA news agency and other Iranian media
quoted a spokesman for Iran’s judiciary that the five inmates killed in the June
23 strike had been convicted on financial offences. The spokesman didn't name
the victims or give any further details. The judiciary’s own news website,
Mizanonline quoted spokesman Asghar Jahangir as saying only that “small number"
of inmates were killed. He added that an “insignificant number of inmates” had
also escaped and that authorities would soon bring them back into custody.
Jahangir said no one serving time at Evin prison for working with Israel's spy
agency Mossad was injured in the attack. Iranian authorities last month put the
death toll from the air strike at 71. But Iranian media later raised that number
to 80 including staff, soldiers, inmates and visiting family members. It's
unclear why Israel targeted the prison. The Israeli Defense Ministry had said on
the day of the airstrikes that 50 aircraft dropped 100 munitions on military
targets “based on high-quality and accurate intelligence from the Intelligence
Branch.” The New York-based Center for Human Rights had criticized Israel for
striking the prison - seen as a symbol of repression of any opposition - saying
it violated the principle of distinction between civilian and military targets.
The 12-day air war left more than 1,060 dead in Iran and 28 dead in Israel.
Gaza truce talks in the balance as Israel and Hamas trade blame for stalemate
AFP/July 12, 2025
CAIRO/DOHA: Hamas and Israel on Saturday accused the other of blocking attempts
to strike a Gaza ceasefire agreement, nearly a week into indirect talks between
the two sides to halt 21 months of bitter fighting in the Palestinian territory.
A Palestinian source with knowledge of the discussions in Qatar told AFP that
Israel’s proposals to keep its troops in the war-torn territory were holding up
a deal for a 60-day pause. But on the Israeli side, a senior political official,
also speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivities of the talks,
accused the militant group of being inflexible and deliberately trying to
scuttle efforts for an accord. On the ground, Gaza’s civil defense agency said
more than 20 people were killed across the territory on Saturday, including in
an overnight air strike on an area sheltering the displaced. “While we were
sleeping, there was an explosion... where two boys, a girl and their mother were
staying,” Bassam Hamdan told AFP after the attack in an area of Gaza City. “We
found them torn to pieces, their remains scattered,” he added. In southern Gaza,
bodies covered in white plastic sheets were brought to the Nasser hospital in
Khan Yunis while wounded in Rafah were taken for treatment by donkey cart, on
stretchers or carried. Both Hamas and Israel have said that 10 hostages held
since the militants’ October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the war would be
released — if an agreement is reached. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
said he was prepared then to enter talks for a more permanent end to
hostilities. But one Palestinian source said Israel’s refusal to accept Hamas’s
demand for a complete withdrawal of troops from Gaza was holding back progress
in the talks.
A second source said mediators had asked both sides to postpone discussions
until US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, arrives in the
Qatari capital. “The negotiations in Doha are facing a setback and complex
difficulties due to Israel’s insistence, as of Friday, on presenting a map of
withdrawal, which is actually a map of redeployment and repositioning of the
Israeli army rather than a genuine withdrawal,” the first source said. They
added that Israel was proposing to maintain military forces in more than 40
percent of the Palestinian territory, forcing hundreds of thousands of displaced
Palestinians into a small area near the city of Rafah, on the border with
Egypt.“Hamas’s delegation will not accept the Israeli maps... as they
essentially legitimize the reoccupation of approximately half of the Gaza Strip
and turn Gaza into isolated zones with no crossings or freedom of movement,”
they said. A senior Israeli political official countered later that it was Hamas
that rejected what was on the table, accusing the group of “creating obstacles”
and “refusing to compromise” with the aim of “sabotaging the
negotiations.”“Israel has demonstrated a willingness to show flexibility in the
negotiations, while Hamas remains intransigent, clinging to positions that
prevent the mediators from advancing an agreement,” the official added in a
statement sent to AFP.The Hamas attacks on Israel in 2023 resulted in the deaths
of at least 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally
based on Israeli figures.
Of the 251 hostages seized, 49 are still being held, including 27 the Israeli
military says are dead. At least 57,882 Palestinians, also mostly civilians,
have been killed since the start of the war, according to the health ministry in
Hamas-run Gaza. The Israeli military said on Saturday it had attacked
“approximately 250 terrorist targets throughout the Gaza Strip” in the previous
48 hours. Targets included “terrorists, booby-trapped structures, weapons
storage facilities, anti-tank missile launch posts, sniper posts, tunnels and
additional terrorist infrastructure sites,” it added. Two previous ceasefires —
a week-long truce beginning in late November 2023 and a two-month one from
mid-January this year — led to the release of 105 hostages in exchange for
hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The second Palestinian source said “some
progress” had been made in the latest talks on plans for releasing Palestinian
prisoners held by Israel and getting more aid to Gaza. Netanyahu, who is under
domestic and international pressure to end the war, said this week that
neutralising Hamas as a security threat was a prerequisite for any long-term
ceasefire talks.That included disarmament, he said, warning that failure to do
so would mean Israel would have to do so by force.
Israeli political official accuses Hamas of sabotaging Gaza
ceasefire talks
AFP/July 12/2025
A senior Israeli political official on Saturday accused Hamas of sabotaging
attempts to secure a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza, by rejecting a
plan in talks in Doha for a 60-day pause in the conflict. "Hamas rejected the
Qatari proposal, is creating obstacles, refusing to compromise, and is
accompanying the talks with a psychological warfare campaign aimed at sabotaging
the negotiations," the official said in a statement, sent to AFP on condition of
anonymity, adding that Israel "has demonstrated a willingness to show
flexibility in the negotiations."
Gaza ceasefire talks held up by Israel withdrawal plans
Naharnet/July 12/2025
Indirect talks between Hamas and Israel for a ceasefire in Gaza are being held
up by Israel's proposals to keep troops in the territory, two Palestinian
sources with knowledge of the discussions told AFP on Saturday. Delegations from
both sides began discussions in Qatar last Sunday to try to agree on a temporary
halt to the 21-month conflict sparked by Hamas' deadly attack on Israel on
October 7, 2023. Both Hamas and Israel have said that 10 living hostages who
were taken that day and are still in captivity would be released if an agreement
for a 60-day ceasefire were reached. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
said on Thursday that he hoped to clinch a deal "in a few days", which could
then lead to talks for a more permanent end to hostilities. But one Palestinian
source, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the talks, said Israel's
refusal to accept Hamas's demand to withdraw all of its troops from Gaza was
holding back progress. Another said mediators had asked both sides to postpone
the talks until the arrival of U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy,
Steve Witkoff, in Doha. "The negotiations in Doha are facing a setback and
complex difficulties due to Israel's insistence, as of Friday, on presenting a
map of withdrawal, which is actually a map of redeployment and repositioning of
the Israeli army rather than a genuine withdrawal," one Palestinian source said.
The source said Israel was proposing to maintain military forces in more than 40
percent of the Palestinian territory, forcing hundreds of thousands of displaced
Palestinians into a small area near the city of Rafah, on the border with Egypt,
they added."Hamas' delegation will not accept the Israeli maps... as they
essentially legitimize the reoccupation of approximately half of the Gaza Strip
and turn Gaza into isolated zones with no crossings or freedom of movement," the
source said. A second Palestinian source accused the Israeli delegation of
having no authority, and "stalling and obstructing the agreement in order to
continue the war of extermination".
Latest strikes
The Gaza war began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in
the deaths of at least 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP
tally based on Israeli figures. Of the 251 hostages seized, 49 are still being
held, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. At least 57,823
Palestinians, also mostly civilians, have been killed since the start of the
war, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. Gaza's civil defense
agency said at least 14 Palestinians were killed in the latest wave of Israeli
strikes across the territory on Saturday. More than 30 people were killed on
Friday, including 10 people who were waiting for aid handouts, the agency said.
The Israeli military on Saturday said it had attacked "approximately 250
terrorist targets throughout the Gaza Strip" in the last 48 hours. Targets
included "terrorists, booby-trapped structures, weapons storage facilities,
anti-tank missile launch posts, sniper posts, tunnels and additional terrorist
infrastructure sites", it added. Two previous ceasefires -- a week-long truce
beginning in late November 2023 and a two-month one from mid-January this year
-- led to the release of 105 hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian
prisoners. The second Palestinian source said "some progress" had been made in
the latest talks on plans for releasing Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and
getting more aid to Gaza. Netanyahu, who is under domestic and international
pressure to end the war, said this week that neutralizing Hamas as a security
threat was a prerequisite for any long-term ceasefire talks. That included the
group giving up weapons, he said, warning that failure to do so would mean
Israel would have to do so by force.
59 Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes and shootings near aid site in Gaza
Associated Press/July 12/2025
Israeli airstrikes killed at least 28 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including
four children, hospital officials said on Saturday, while 31 others were fatally
shot on their way to aid distribution sites. The children and two women were
among at least 13 people who were killed in Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza,
after Israeli airstrikes pounded the area starting late on Friday, officials in
Al-Aqsa Martyr’s Hospital said. Fifteen others died in Israeli airstrikes in
Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, according to Nasser Hospital. The military did
not respond to The Associated Press’s request for comment on the civilian
deaths. Separately, at least 31 people were killed on their way to a food
distribution site near Rafah, said hospital officials and witnesses, including
those wounded. The Red Cross said its field hospital saw its largest influx of
dead in more than a year of operation after the shootings, and that the
overwhelming majority of the more than 100 people hurt had gunshot wounds. The
Israeli military said it had fired warning shots toward people it said were
behaving suspiciously to prevent them from approaching. It added it was not
aware of any casualties from the incident. Witnesses there said they were on
their way to the site seeking food and were shot at. Hamas-led militants killed
some 1,200 people in their October 7, 2023, attack on Israel and abducted 251.
They still hold 50 hostages, fewer than half of them believed to be alive, after
most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel’s
offensive has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women
and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The ministry, which is under
Gaza’s Hamas-run government, does not differentiate between civilians and
combatants in its count. The UN and other international organisations see its
figures as the most reliable statistics on war casualties. US President Donald
Trump has said that he is closing in on another ceasefire agreement that would
see more hostages released and potentially wind down the war. But after two days
of talks this week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu there were no
signs of a breakthrough.
Gaza truce talks in the balance as Israel and Hamas trade blame
for stalemate
AFP/July 12, 2025
CAIRO/DOHA: Hamas and Israel on Saturday accused the other of blocking attempts
to strike a Gaza ceasefire agreement, nearly a week into indirect talks between
the two sides to halt 21 months of bitter fighting in the Palestinian territory.
A Palestinian source with knowledge of the discussions in Qatar told AFP that
Israel’s proposals to keep its troops in the war-torn territory were holding up
a deal for a 60-day pause. But on the Israeli side, a senior political official,
also speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivities of the talks,
accused the militant group of being inflexible and deliberately trying to
scuttle efforts for an accord. On the ground, Gaza’s civil defense agency said
more than 20 people were killed across the territory on Saturday, including in
an overnight air strike on an area sheltering the displaced.
“While we were sleeping, there was an explosion... where two boys, a girl and
their mother were staying,” Bassam Hamdan told AFP after the attack in an area
of Gaza City.
“We found them torn to pieces, their remains scattered,” he added. In southern
Gaza, bodies covered in white plastic sheets were brought to the Nasser hospital
in Khan Yunis while wounded in Rafah were taken for treatment by donkey cart, on
stretchers or carried.
Both Hamas and Israel have said that 10 hostages held since the militants’
October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the war would be released — if an agreement
is reached. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was prepared then
to enter talks for a more permanent end to hostilities. But one Palestinian
source said Israel’s refusal to accept Hamas’s demand for a complete withdrawal
of troops from Gaza was holding back progress in the talks. A second source said
mediators had asked both sides to postpone discussions until US President Donald
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, arrives in the Qatari capital. “The
negotiations in Doha are facing a setback and complex difficulties due to
Israel’s insistence, as of Friday, on presenting a map of withdrawal, which is
actually a map of redeployment and repositioning of the Israeli army rather than
a genuine withdrawal,” the first source said. They added that Israel was
proposing to maintain military forces in more than 40 percent of the Palestinian
territory, forcing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians into a small
area near the city of Rafah, on the border with Egypt. “Hamas’s delegation will
not accept the Israeli maps... as they essentially legitimize the reoccupation
of approximately half of the Gaza Strip and turn Gaza into isolated zones with
no crossings or freedom of movement,” they said.
A senior Israeli political official countered later that it was Hamas that
rejected what was on the table, accusing the group of “creating obstacles” and
“refusing to compromise” with the aim of “sabotaging the negotiations.”“Israel
has demonstrated a willingness to show flexibility in the negotiations, while
Hamas remains intransigent, clinging to positions that prevent the mediators
from advancing an agreement,” the official added in a statement sent to AFP. The
Hamas attacks on Israel in 2023 resulted in the deaths of at least 1,219 people,
most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. Of
the 251 hostages seized, 49 are still being held, including 27 the Israeli
military says are dead. At least 57,882 Palestinians, also mostly civilians,
have been killed since the start of the war, according to the health ministry in
Hamas-run Gaza.
The Israeli military said on Saturday it had attacked “approximately 250
terrorist targets throughout the Gaza Strip” in the previous 48 hours. Targets
included “terrorists, booby-trapped structures, weapons storage facilities,
anti-tank missile launch posts, sniper posts, tunnels and additional terrorist
infrastructure sites,” it added. Two previous ceasefires — a week-long truce
beginning in late November 2023 and a two-month one from mid-January this year —
led to the release of 105 hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian
prisoners.
The second Palestinian source said “some progress” had been made in the latest
talks on plans for releasing Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and getting
more aid to Gaza. Netanyahu, who is under domestic and international pressure to
end the war, said this week that neutralising Hamas as a security threat was a
prerequisite for any long-term ceasefire talks.That included disarmament, he
said, warning that failure to do so would mean Israel would have to do so by
force.
Gaza truce talks faltering over withdrawal; 17 reported
killed in latest shooting near aid
Reuters/July 12, 2025
CAIRO/JERUSALEM/GAZA -Progress is stalling at talks aimed at securing a
ceasefire in Gaza, with the sides divided over the extent of Israeli forces'
withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave, Palestinian and Israeli sources
familiar with the negotiations in Doha said on Saturday.
The indirect talks over a U.S. proposal for a 60-day ceasefire continued
throughout Saturday, an Israeli official told Reuters, seven days since talks
began. U.S. President Donald Trump has said he hoped for a breakthrough soon
based on a new U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal.
In Gaza, medics said 17 people trying to get food aid were killed on Saturday
when Israeli troops opened fire, the latest mass shooting around a U.S.-backed
aid distribution system that the U.N. says has resulted in 800 people killed in
six weeks. Witnesses who spoke to Reuters described people being shot in the
head and torso. Reuters saw several bodies of victims wrapped in white shrouds
as family members wept at Nasser Hospital. The Israeli military said its troops
had fired warning shots, but that its review of the incident had found no
evidence of anyone hurt by its soldiers' fire. Delegations from Israel and Hamas
have been in Qatar pushing for an agreement which envisages a phased release of
hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals and discussions on ending the war. The
Israeli official blamed the impasse on Hamas, which he said "remains stubborn,
sticking to positions that do not allow the mediators to advance an agreement".
Hamas has previously blamed Israeli demands for blocking a deal. A Palestinian
source said that Hamas had rejected withdrawal maps which Israel had proposed
that would leave around 40% of Gaza under Israeli control, including all of the
southern area of Rafah and further territories in northern and eastern Gaza. Two
Israeli sources said Hamas wanted Israel to retreat to lines it held in a
previous ceasefire before it renewed its offensive in March. The Palestinian
source said aid issues and guarantees on an end to the war were also presenting
a challenge. The crisis could be resolved with more U.S. intervention, the
source said. Hamas has long demanded an agreement to end the war before it would
free remaining hostages; Israel has insisted it would end the fighting only when
all hostages are released and Hamas is dismantled as a fighting force and
administration in Gaza.
SHOOTING
Saturday's reported mass shooting near an aid distribution point in Rafah was
the latest in a series of such incidents that the United Nations rights office
said on Friday had seen at least 798 people killed trying to get food in six
weeks.
"We were sitting there, and suddenly there was shooting towards us. For five
minutes we were trapped under fire. The shooting was targeted. It was not
random. Some people were shot in the head, some in the torso, one guy next to me
was shot directly in the heart," eyewitness Mahmoud Makram told Reuters. "There
is no mercy there, no mercy. People go because they are hungry but they die and
come back in body bags."After partially lifting a total blockade of all goods
into Gaza in late May, Israel launched a new aid distribution system, relying on
a group backed by the United States to distribute food under the protection of
Israeli troops. The United Nations has rejected the system as inherently
dangerous and a violation of humanitarian neutrality principles. Israel says it
is necessary to keep militants from diverting aid.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel,
killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages into Gaza. At least 20 of the
remaining 50 hostages there are believed to still be alive.
Israel's campaign against Hamas has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians,
according to Gaza health authorities, displaced almost the entire population of
more than 2 million people, sparked a humanitarian crisis and left much of the
territory in ruins.
Thousands of Israelis rallied in central Tel Aviv on Saturday demanding a deal
that would release all remaining hostages being held by Hamas. Protester Boaz
Levi told Reuters here was there to pressure the government, "to get to a
hostage deal as soon as possible because our friends, brothers, are in Gaza and
it's about the time to end this war. That is why we are here."
Fuel shortages in Gaza at ‘critical levels,’ UN warns
AFP/July 12, 2025
GENEVA: The United Nations warned Saturday that dire fuel shortages in the Gaza
Strip had reached “critical levels,” threatening to further increase the
suffering in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. Seven UN agencies said in a
joint statement that “fuel is the backbone of survival in Gaza.”Fuel was needed
to “power hospitals, water systems, sanitation networks, ambulances, and every
aspect of humanitarian operations,” they said, highlighting that bakeries also
needed fuel to operate. The besieged Palestinian territory has been facing dire
fuel shortages since the beginning of the devastating war that erupted after
Hamas’s deadly attack inside Israel on October 7, 2023. But now “fuel shortage
in Gaza has reached critical levels,” warned the agencies, including the World
Health Organization, the World Food Programme and the humanitarian agency OCHA.
“After almost two years of war, people in Gaza are facing extreme hardships,
including widespread food insecurity,” they pointed out. “When fuel runs out, it
places an unbearable new burden on a population teetering on the edge of
starvation.”The UN said that without adequate fuel, the agencies that have been
responding to the deep humanitarian crisis in a territory swathes of which have
been flattened by Israeli bombing and facing famine warnings, “will likely be
forced to stop their operations entirely.”
“This means no health services, no clean water, and no capacity to deliver aid,”
the statement said. “Without adequate fuel, Gaza faces a collapse of
humanitarian efforts,” it warned. “Without fuel, bakeries and community kitchens
cannot operate. Water production and sanitation systems will shut down, leaving
families without safe drinking water, while solid waste and sewage pile up in
the streets,” it added. “These conditions expose families to deadly disease
outbreaks and push Gaza’s most vulnerable even closer to death.”The warning
comes days after the UN managed to bring fuel into Gaza for the first time in
130 days. While a “welcome development,” the UN agencies said the 75,000 liters
of fuel they were able to bring in was just “a small fraction of what is needed
each day to keep daily life and critical aid operations running.”“The United
Nations agencies and humanitarian partners cannot overstate the urgency of this
moment,” they said. “Fuel must be allowed into Gaza in sufficient quantities and
consistently to sustain life-saving operations.”
Family of US-Palestinian killed in West Bank want State
Department probe
AFP/July 12, 2025
WASHINGTON: A US-Palestinian man has been killed in an Israeli settler attack in
the occupied West Bank, his family said on Saturday, demanding that Washington
launch a probe into his death. Saif Al-Din Kamil Abdul Karim Musalat was beaten
to death on Friday in Sinjil, a village north of Ramallah, the Palestinian
health ministry said. Musalat, born and based in Florida, traveled to the West
Bank last month to spend time with relatives, his family said in a statement
issued by lawyer Diana Halum following the deadly attack. The Palestinian health
ministry said a second man, Mohammed Rizq Hussein Al-Shalabi, 23, died after
being shot during the attack and “left to bleed for hours.”Israel’s military
said violence flared after Palestinians threw rocks at a group of Israelis,
lightly injuring two, the latest in a spate of clashes involving settlers in the
West Bank.
Musalat’s family said they were “devastated” at his death, describing the
20-year-old as a “kind, hard-working and deeply respected” man who was deeply
connected to his Palestinian heritage. They said he was “protecting his family’s
land from settlers who were attempting to steal it.” According to the family’s
statement, settlers blocked an ambulance and paramedics from reaching Musalat as
he lay injured, and he died before making it to hospital. His death was “an
unimaginable nightmare and in justice that no family should ever have to face,”
they added. “We demand the US State Department lead an immediate investigation
and hold the Israeli settlers who killed Saif accountable for their crimes. We
demand justice.”The US State Department on Saturday confirmed to AFP that an
American citizen had died in the West Bank and offered its “sincerest
condolences to the family and loved ones on their loss.”The department “has no
higher priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas,” a
spokesperson said, referring “questions on any investigation to the Government
of Israel.” Rights groups have denounced a rise in violence committed by
settlers in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967. The United
Nations has said that such attacks against Palestinians are taking place in a
climate of “impunity.”Last week, AFP journalists witnessed clashes between
dozens of Israeli settlers and Palestinians in Sinjil, where a march against
settler attacks on nearby farmland had been due to take place. Israeli
authorities recently erected a high fence cutting off parts of Sinjil from Road
60, which runs through the West Bank from north to south. Violence in the
territory has surged since the October 2023 attack on Israel by Palestinian
militant group Hamas triggered war in the Gaza Strip. Since then, Israeli troops
or settlers in the West Bank have killed at least 955 Palestinians — many of
them militants, but also scores of civilians — according to Palestinian health
ministry figures. At least 36 Israelis, including both troops and civilians,
have been killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations,
according to Israeli official figures.
Syrian, Israeli officials meet in Baku: Diplomatic source
in Damascus
AFP/July 12, 2025
DAMASCUS: A Syrian and an Israeli official met face to face in Baku Saturday on
the sidelines of a visit to Azerbaijan by President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, a
diplomatic source in Damascus said. The meeting marked a major step for the two
countries which have been foes for decades, and comes after Israel initially
cold-shouldered Al-Sharaa’s administration as jihadist because of his past links
to Al-Qaeda. “A meeting took place between a Syrian official and an Israeli
official on the sidelines of Al-Sharaa’s visit to Baku,” the source said,
requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. Israel is a major
arms supplier to Azerbaijan and has a significant diplomatic presence in the
Caucasus nation which neighbors its arch foe Iran. Al-Sharaa himself did not
take part in the meeting, which focused on “the recent Israeli military presence
in Syria,” the source added. After the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar Assad
in December, Israel carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria to prevent key
military assets falling into the hands of the Islamist-led interim
administration headed by Al-Sharaa. It also sent troops into the UN-patrolled
buffer zone that used to separate the opposing forces in the strategic Golan
Heights, from which it has conducted forays deeper into southern Syria.
Al-Sharaa has said repeatedly that Syria does not seek conflict with its
neighbors, and has instead asked the international community to put pressure on
Israel to halt its attacks. His government recently confirmed that it had held
indirect contacts with Israel seeking a return to the 1974 disengagement
agreement which created the buffer zone. Late last month, Foreign Minister
Gideon Saar said Israel was interested in striking a peace and normalization
agreement with Syria. A Syria government source quoted by state media responded
that such talk was “premature.”But during a visit to Lebanon this week, US
special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said: “The dialogue has started between Syria
and Israel.”After meeting Al-Sharaa in Riyadh in May, US President Donald Trump
told reporters he had expressed hope that Syria would join other Arab states
which normalized their relations with Israel. “(Al-Sharaa) said yes. But they
have a lot of work to do,” Trump said. During his visit to Baku, Al-Sharaa held
talks with his counterpart Ilham Aliyev, the two governments said. Azerbaijan
announced it would begin exporting gas to Syria via Turkiye, a key ally of both
governments, a statement from the Azerbaijani presidency said.
Jordan, EU sign security pact to tackle serious crime,
terrorism
Arab News/July 12, 2025
AMMAN: Jordan and the EU have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at bolstering
efforts to combat organized crime and terrorism across borders, the Jordan News
Agency reported. The working arrangements were signed between Jordan’s Public
Security Directorate and the EU Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, or
Europol, on Thursday. The agreement establishes a legal framework to support
joint action in fighting serious and organized crime, as well as terrorism, by
facilitating cooperation and the exchange of non-personal information between
Europol and Jordanian law enforcement agencies. According to a statement from
the PSD, the agreement will allow both parties to coordinate on a range of
issues, including migrant smuggling, drug trafficking, money laundering, and
weapons smuggling. Under the deal, Jordan and the EU will share specialized
expertise, overall situation reports, and the results of strategic analyzes. he
working arrangements were signed between Jordan’s Public Security Directorate
and the EU Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, or Europol, on Thursday.
(Europol) The agreement also enables participation in joint training
initiatives, and includes provisions for advice and support in individual
criminal investigations. To streamline collaboration, the PSD will appoint a
national contact point responsible for liaising with Europol and coordinating
efforts between Jordanian agencies and their European counterparts. The
arrangements also allow for the potential appointment of a Europol liaison
officer to be stationed in Jordan, joining a global network of law enforcement
representatives from more than 50 countries. With the agreement in force, the EU
and Jordan are expected to significantly strengthen their cooperation in
addressing pressing regional and international security challenges. The
arrangements represent “a pivotal step” in joint efforts to address the security
threats affecting the EU, its member states, and Jordan, said Catherine De Bolle,
executive director of Europol. She said the partnership “embodies mutual trust
and understanding in the law enforcement area,” paving the way for closer
cooperation to achieve security within the EU and across the Middle East.
Turkish president hails the start of disarmament by
militant Kurdish separatists
AP/July 12, 2025
ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday hailed start of a
disarmament process by militant Kurdish separatists as the end of a “painful
chapter” in Turkiye's troubled history. Erdogan told a meeting of his ruling AKP
party in Ankara that the more than 40-year-old “scourge of terrorism” for which
the Kurdistan Workers' Party - or PKK - was responsible is on its way to ending.
Erdogan's remarks came a day after male and female members of the PKK in
northern Iraq cast rifles and machine guns into a large cauldron where they were
set on fire. The symbolic move was seen as the first step toward a promised
disarmament as part of a peace process aimed at ending four decades of
hostilities. The move came after PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been
imprisoned on an island near Istanbul since 1999, urged his group in February to
convene a congress and formally disband and disarm. In May the PKK announced
that it would do so. The PKK had waged an armed insurgency against Turkiye since
1984, initially with the aim of establishing a Kurdish state in the southeast of
the country. Over time, the objective evolved into a campaign for autonomy and
rights for Kurds within Turkey. The conflict, which spread beyond Turkiye’s
borders into Iraq and Syria, killed tens of thousands of people. The PKK is
considered to be a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US and the European
Union.
Previous peace efforts between Turkiye and the PKK have ended in failure — most
recently in 2015. “Today the doors of a great Turkiye, a strong Turkiye, a
Turkish century have been opened wide,” Erdogan said. In a statement issued on
Friday, the PKK said the fighters who were laying down their weapons, saying
that they had disarmed “as a gesture of goodwill and a commitment to the
practical success” of the peace process. “We will henceforth continue our
struggle for freedom, democracy, and socialism through democratic politics and
legal means,” the statement said. But Erdogan insisted that there had been no
bargaining with the PKK. “The terror-free Turkiye project is not the result of
negotiations, bargaining or transactions.” Turkish officials have not disclosed
if any concessions have been given to the PKK in exchange for laying down their
arms. The Turkish president also said that a parliamentary commission would be
established to oversee the peace process.
Leaders of Azerbaijan and Syria discuss energy cooperation
as they rebuild ties
The Associated Press/July 12, 2025
The leaders of Azerbaijan and Syria on Saturday pledged to deepen their
cooperation particularly in the energy sector, as they moved to revitalize the
ties that had been strained under former Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev expressed hope that the visit to Baku by
Syria's interim Ahmad Al-Sharaa, whose rebel forces toppled Assad in December,
would “significantly contribute to the development of bilateral
relations.”Al-Sharaa thanked Aliyev for Azerbaijan’s “brotherly support to
Syria” and said that Assad's government had harmed relations with many
countries, including Azerbaijan, according to the Azerbaijan president's press
service. The leaders also highlighted plans to to export Azerbaijani gas to
Syria via Turkey and Azerbaijan’s potential role in rebuilding Syria’s energy
infrastructure, it said. The new authorities in Damascus have strong relations
with Turkey, Azerbaijan’s close ally. Baku — which also has close relations with
Israel — has in recent months served as an intermediary to diffuse growing
tensions between Turkey and Israel in the Syrian arena. In April, Turkey and
Israel held “technical talks” in Azerbaijan to establish a “de-escalation
mechanism to prevent undesirable incidents in Syria.
Islamic State-aligned rebels kill 66 civilians in eastern Congo
JEAN-YVES KAMALE and WILSON MCMAKIN/Associated Press/July 12, 2025
KINSHASA, Congo— Rebels affiliated with the Islamic State group killed 66 people
in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, local officials said Saturday. Fighters
with the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which has ties to IS, killed civilians
in the area of Irumu in the east of the country bordering Uganda. The attack
comes as eastern Congo may see an end to its ongoing war with M23, a separate
rebel group which is backed by Rwanda, another of Congo's neighbors. Jean Tobie
Okala, the spokesperson for the United Nations mission in Ituri in eastern
Congo, called the attack a “bloodbath."“Around 30 civilians were killed between
Thursday and Friday, July 11, in the Walese Vonkutu chiefdom, Irumu territory,
in Ituri,” said Okala in a statement to the Associated Press. "Based on
information from civil society, the death toll has risen from 31 to 66 civilians
killed.”The ADF is a Ugandan Islamist group that operates on both sides of the
porous border. All the victims, including women, were killed with machetes, said
the president of a local civil society, Marcel Paluku. The number of people
taken hostage is unknown. The attack is suspected to be in response to an
escalating bombing campaign by joint Congolese and Ugandan forces that started
on Sunday. The number of ADF fighters in Congo is unclear, but they are a
significant presence in the region and regularly attack civilians. The group
originated in the late 1990s in neighboring Uganda and became affiliated with IS
in 2019. Muslims make up about 10% of the Congolese population, most of them in
the east. In recent years, attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces have
intensified near Congo’s border with Uganda and spread towards Goma, eastern
Congo’s main city, as well as the neighboring Ituri province. Rights groups and
the United Nations have accused the ADF of killing hundreds of people and
abducting even more, including a significant number of children. In December,
the ADF killed at least 10 people and abducted several more in another village
in North Kivu.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on July 11-12/2025
Iran's New Trap vs. Trump's Once-in-a-Lifetime Chance to Transform the
Middle East
Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute./July 12, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/07/145144/
President Donald J. Trump, through a bold and unapologetic foreign policy, has
emerged in just a few short months, as the only leader in recent history capable
of reshaping the region and challenging Iran's theocratic dictatorship with real
consequences. His actions have already produced historic results...
If Trump settles into believing that setting back Iran's nuclear program by a
few years is enough, the world will soon fall into the very trap that Tehran has
set. The regime will rebuild, rearm, and reemerge stronger, angrier, and even
nearer to having its bomb. The world will then once again face the prospect of a
nuclear-armed Iran—with perhaps no leader to stop it.
Now is not the time to offer the regime a lifeline in the form of negotiations
or sanctions relief. The regime will doubtless try its old tricks—sending
diplomats to Western capitals, promising temporary compliance, and begging for
centrifuges for "peaceful energy" and a new "deal." This is a trap
Any deal now will not benefit the United States. It will only help the Iranian
regime recover, rebuild its economy, and ultimately return to its path of
terror. The time has come to "finish the job."
The Iranian regime must not be allowed to survive long enough to recover. The
goal is not to delay the problem but to solve it.
President Donald J. Trump, through a bold and unapologetic foreign policy, has
emerged in just a few short months, as the only leader in recent history capable
of reshaping the region and challenging Iran's theocratic dictatorship with real
consequences. His actions have already produced historic results.
It took decades — across multiple presidencies, wars, and failed negotiations —
before the United States finally had a president who understood, with both
clarity and conviction, how to confront the Iranian regime and transform the
trajectory of the Middle East.
President Donald J. Trump, through a bold and unapologetic foreign policy, has
emerged in just a few short months, as the only leader in recent history capable
of reshaping the region and challenging Iran's theocratic dictatorship with real
consequences. His actions have already produced historic results — from
crippling the regime's nuclear infrastructure to fostering unprecedented peace
deals.
The work, however, is not yet finished. It is imperative now to push forward and
seize the opportunity to dismantle Iran's threat permanently. A stable and
peaceful Middle East could very well be one of the most enduring legacies of
Trump's leadership, one that generations of Americans and Middle Easterners will
remember as the moment that Trump turned history from a global threat into a
"Golden Age," for the world.
That cannot be done, regrettably, with these fundamentalist fanatics still
ruling Iran.
Trump's approach to Iran has been fundamentally different from that of his
predecessors. Where others saw conciliation, he saw manipulation. Where others
offered concessions, he applied pressure. While many administrations talked
about Iran's nuclear threat, Trump acted. In his previous term, he withdrew
America from a disastrous Iran nuclear deal that enabled Iran to have as many
nuclear weapons as it liked along with the intercontinental ballistic missiles
to deliver them – beginning this October! Trump began by initiating tough
sanctions to choke off the Iranian regime's financial lifeline. In his second
term, he went even further, authorizing precision military strikes that hit
Iran's deeply buried nuclear facilities in Fordow as well as Natanz and Isfahan.
These were not symbolic gestures. According to U.S. defense and intelligence
assessments, Iran's nuclear program has been set back by possibly two years.
That is not just a delay—it was a disruption of Iran's most dangerous ambitions.
While the strikes slowed Iran down, unfortunately, they did not end the threat.
The Iranian regime, driven by a deeply entrenched theocratic ideology, is
determined. It has already started to excavate the sites that were hit. Iran's
leaders are likely banking on the hope that Trump will eventually leave office
and a more lenient administration will take over—one that it can manipulate as
it has done in the past. If Trump settles into believing that setting back
Iran's nuclear program by a few years is enough, the world will soon fall into
the very trap that Tehran has set. The regime will rebuild, rearm, and reemerge
stronger, angrier, and even nearer to having its bomb. The world will then once
again face the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran—with perhaps no leader to stop
it.
This regime will not be passively waiting. It will be aggressively forging
deeper military and strategic partnerships with hostile regimes such as North
Korea, China, and Russia. These alliances can provide it with weapons,
intelligence, and black-market nuclear technology. The longer the world waits,
the more entrenched these partnerships become. That is why the notion of
"waiting Iran out" is not only naive—it is potentially catastrophic. Trump
understands this. He has never viewed Iran as a conventional adversary to be
negotiated with, but as a revolutionary regime that must be weakened and
contained.
What then must be done? First, the "maximum pressure" economic pressure --
including secondary sanctions: countries that do business with Iran are barred
from doing business with the U.S. -- must continue and intensify. The Trump
administration has already imposed some of the toughest sanctions possible on
Iran by targeting its oil exports, financial institutions, and affiliates such
as Hezbollah. Iran's economy is shrinking. Its currency is collapsing. Now is
not the time to offer the regime a lifeline in the form of negotiations or
sanctions relief. The regime will doubtless try its old tricks—sending diplomats
to Western capitals, promising temporary compliance, and begging for centrifuges
for "peaceful energy" and a new "deal." This is a trap
Every previous deal with Iran has only allowed the regime to catch its breath,
regroup, and resume its pursuit of nuclear weapons with renewed vigor. Trump
knows this. Any deal now will not benefit the United States. It will only help
the Iranian regime recover, rebuild its economy, and ultimately return to its
path of terror. The time has come to finish the job.
In addition to economic pressure, sustained military readiness is essential.
Trump's policy has always involved using force not as a first resort, but as a
clear and credible deterrent. This deterrence must remain in place. If Iran
attempts to resume any enrichment or rebuild previously destroyed nuclear sites,
there must be swift and decisive military consequences. This should not be done
in isolation. Cooperation with Israel—America's most important ally in the
region— needs to be further strengthened and deepened. Israel has shown that it
can penetrate Iran's airspace, gather intelligence, and execute precise
operations. To maintain this superiority, Israel must be fully supported. This
backing should include providing Israel with advanced weaponry, intelligence,
and bunker-busting bombs capable of destroying underground nuclear sites. Air
dominance is key. President Trump together with Israel need to create a future
where deterrence is truly effective and the Iranian regime cannot even
contemplate hiding a nuclear program underground.
At the same time, Trump's Middle East strategy needs to include building
coalitions and alliances that further isolate the Iranian regime. Trump's
trailblazing Abraham Accords—a set of normalization agreements between Israel
and Arab nations—represented a historic breakthrough that eluded presidents for
decades. These Accords, by attempting to bring former enemies together in a
shared vision of stability and economic cooperation, shifted the geopolitical
map of the Middle East. Under Trump's leadership, the possibility of expanding
the Accords to include more nations—even those previously aligned against
Israel—is real. He has already initiated outreach toward countries such as Saudi
Arabia, Oman, and even Syria, thereby forging diplomatic paths that could create
a united regional front. Such a coalition would not only serve to contain Iran's
influence but also to lay the foundation for a new Middle East order—one built
not on conflict and chaos, but on mutual security and partnership. None of this
would be possible without the Trump's leadership. While others have wavered and
delivered platitudes, he has acted and delivered results. In half a year back in
office, he has done more to dismantle Iran's nuclear ambitions than most of his
predecessors did in two full terms. Trump has halted Iran's momentum, disrupted
its plans, and signaled that the era of American appeasement and weakness is
over. The window of opportunity is open. \ If the current momentum is
maintained, the United States and its allies can do more than delay Iran's
nuclear program. They can end it for good. They can hasten the fall of a regime
that threatens not only Israel, but also the Sunni Gulf States, the United
States, former Trump officials and dissidents and that terrorizes, imprisons,
tortures and executes its own people and has destabilized the region for 46
years. Trump, after two assassination attempts, has a bounty on his head of $21
million. Trump has reshaped the Middle East in ways that were once considered
unimaginable. Through strength, resolve, and vision, he has brought America
closer to achieving one of its most elusive foreign policy goals: a peaceful and
secure Middle East, free from the shadow of Iran's nuclear threat and theocratic
tyranny. This legacy, however, can only endure if it is seen through to
completion. The Iranian regime must not be allowed to survive long enough to
recover. The goal is not to delay the problem, but to solve it. With Trump in
office, the chance to "finish the job" has finally arrived. It may never come
again.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, is a political scientist, Harvard-educated analyst, and
board member of Harvard International Review. He has authored several books on
the US foreign policy. He can be reached at dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu
*Follow Majid Rafizadeh on X (formerly Twitter)
© 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.
Gaza reveals the brutal new
ethos of global geopolitics
Hafed Al-Ghwell/Arab News/July 12, 2025
The systematic destruction of Gaza transcends diplomatic failure and exposes a
fundamental realignment in international ethical and political frameworks. This
realignment is characterized by deliberate, structured complicity from dominant
global powers, facilitating military operations independently verified by UN
bodies, human rights monitors, and jurists as satisfying the legal criteria for
genocide. Such complicity operates through four measurable channels: continuous
arms transfers exceeding $18 billion documented since October 2023, recurrent
diplomatic obstruction via five Security Council vetoes blocking ceasefire
resolutions, methodical disinformation campaigns targeting mortality data, and
the wholesale deprivation of humanitarian assistance.
Officially confirmed direct fatalities now exceed 56,000, with civilians
comprising over 70 percent of this figure. Yet this represents only the
immediate kinetic impact. Rigorous analyses — validated by studies of siege
warfare in Mosul (2016-2017) and Fallujah (2004) — demonstrate that indirect
deaths from engineered famine, hospital collapses, and waterborne diseases
consistently quadruple direct casualties. Applied to Gaza’s density (5,791
persons per sq. km) and a 92 percent acute food insecurity rate, the adjusted
mortality projection easily surpasses 250,000. It is the obliteration of some 10
percent of Gaza’s pre-conflict population within 19 months, which exceeds the
cumulative death tolls of Bosnia (1992-1995) and surpasses the pace of Rwanda’s
1994 genocide.
What is more, the denial infrastructure operates with clinical precision,
beginning with systematic data suppression that dismisses Gaza Health Ministry
figures — historically corroborated by the UN’s Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs and Human Rights Watch — despite admissions of lacking
alternative methodologies. The denial even extends to linguistic obfuscation,
where over 14,000 child deaths are classified as “collateral damage” despite
targeting protocols permitting 100:1 civilian-to-combatant ratios and documented
deployment of 2,000-pound bombs on designated safe zones.
Simultaneously, physical erasure manifests through the destruction of 87 percent
of Gaza’s cemeteries and enforced mass anonymous interments, denying both life
and dignity after death through the obliteration of burial rites. Together,
these mechanisms transmute tacit consent into active participation in
normalizing atrocities. Furthermore, the systematic inversion of ethical
language serves as both instrument and symptom of collective moral abdication.
Military operations documented to violate international humanitarian law,
including the destruction of 72 hospitals and 85 percent of educational
facilities per the UN’s Satellite Center analysis, persistently receive the
paradoxical designation of “the world’s most moral army.”
Such linguistic corruption extends to the reframing of ceasefire demands to
prevent further child casualties (12,500-plus UN-verified deaths) as antisemitic
acts rather than humanitarian imperatives. Simultaneously, documented state
rhetoric explicitly denying a people’s existence and invoking territorial
expansion from “river to sea” — a phrase historically associated with
settler-colonial projects — faces negligible diplomatic consequence, receiving
merely three UN General Assembly condemnations versus 47 for comparable
territorial claims elsewhere since 2020.Gaza is a live demonstration of the
effective nullification of universal norms. Historical guilt over genocide is
weaponized to legitimize current atrocities, despite demographic reality: 82
percent of contemporary Gaza’s population descends from refugees displaced
before 1948, bearing no conceivable responsibility for European crimes. It
generates a grotesque paradox wherein institutions from historically perpetrator
nations now systematically accuse genocide victims’ descendants of bigotry — a
tactic deployed in 68 percent of university protests suppressed according to
American Civil Liberties Union documentation. The perversion culminates in the
silencing of Shoah descendants themselves, with Jewish-led ceasefire advocacy
groups such as IfNotNow facing state surveillance at five times the rate of
non-Jewish organizations.
The ensuing linguistic ecosystem transforms legal prohibitions into
justificatory tools: Where international law prohibits collective punishment, it
is reframed as “self-defense”; where the Genocide Convention criminalizes
starvation, it becomes “sanction enforcement.” It creates a self-replicating
corrosion that transcends semantics, operating as the ideological infrastructure
enabling the annihilation of Gaza.
Overall, the operational pattern emerging from Gaza reveals more than isolated
policy failures; it constitutes a blueprint for systemic value erosion
overtaking global geopolitics. When states providing 74 percent of Israel’s arms
imports between October 2023 and July 2025 simultaneously sanction International
Criminal Court prosecutors investigating potential war crimes, they actively
dismantle the judicial mechanisms created to uphold their proclaimed
“rules-based order.”
This material contradiction manifests in quantifiable terms: While the US
allocated $61.4 billion in emergency aid to Ukraine within 60 days of invasion,
the UN’s $2.7 billion humanitarian appeal for Gaza remained 67 percent
underfunded after eight months of bombardment that destroyed 62 percent of
housing units and 84 percent of health facilities.
Moreover, the selective application of principles becomes statistically
unambiguous when examining parallel crises. Sudan’s conflict displaced 8.6
million civilians by mid-2025 — the largest internal displacement crisis
recorded by UNHCR — while pushing 15.3 million into emergency hunger levels,
according to IPC assessments. Yet donor conferences secured barely 23 percent of
required funding, contrasting sharply with the $186 billion mobilized for
Ukraine.
The EU’s migration containment expenditures demonstrate similar disparity: $4.6
billion paid to Turkiye since 2016, $1.9 billion to Libya’s coast guard since
2017, and $102 million to Mauritania in 2025 alone — transactions documented by
the EU’s own auditors as directly reinforcing regimes with UN-verified torture
rates exceeding 40 percent among detained migrants. These financial flows
correlate with a 300 percent increase in Mediterranean migrant fatalities since
2020, according to IOM missing migrants data.
Inevitably, Gaza has become a horrifying consequence of raw power consistently
redefining ethical boundaries. Weapons shipments to conflicts violating
international humanitarian law quadrupled among major exporters between
2023-2025, while referrals to the ICC decreased by 38 percent during the same
period. When judicial processes face obstruction rates exceeding 90 percent for
cases involving powerful states, as indicated by the ICJ’s pending docket, the
operational precedent becomes clear. Rules apply precisely inversely to
geopolitical influence, with consequences calculated in millions of avoidable
casualties. The international legal architecture, painstakingly built post-1945,
faces unprecedented disrepute. The unchecked ability of powerful states to flout
provisional measures from the ICJ regarding genocide risk, and to actively
punish the ICC for pursuing arrest warrants, signals a dangerous erosion of
much-needed accountability. When core instruments such as the Genocide
Convention are rendered unenforceable against specific allies through political
obstruction and threats, the entire framework loses legitimacy in the eyes of
the Global South.
To conclude, the clear hypocrisy is fueling a deepening rift, irrevocably
damaging Western claims to moral leadership. The consequence is a world where
“might makes right” is the operational doctrine, humanitarian law is negotiable
based on political alignment, and the value of human life is explicitly
quantified by passport and geopolitical utility.
Gaza stands as the most potent symbol of this new, brutal ethos: a live
demonstration of impunity and the effective nullification of universal norms
when applied to the disfavored. The lasting repercussion is the entrenchment of
a global system where abdication of morality is normalized, and raw power is the
sole remaining arbiter.
• Hafed Al-Ghwell is a senior fellow and executive director of the North Africa
Initiative at the Foreign Policy Institute of the Johns Hopkins University
School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC. X: @HafedAlGhwell
Russian-North Korean cooperation at a critical juncture
Luke Coffey/Arab News/July 12, 2025
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is currently visiting Pyongyang for
high-level talks with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un. The relationship between
the countries has grown significantly in recent years, underscored by a defense
alliance treaty signed last year. Article 4 of that treaty commits both
countries to supporting one another in the event of foreign invasion.
That clause has already been tested. After Ukrainian forces entered Russia’s
Kursk Oblast last September, North Korea answered Moscow’s call for help by
deploying thousands of troops to the region. Even before this treaty, though,
Russia and North Korea shared a long history of defense and economic ties dating
back to the Cold War and Soviet times.
North Korea has supported Russia’s war against Ukraine in two primary ways:
manpower and materiel. In terms of manpower, more than 10,000 North Korean
troops were sent to Kursk to help retake territory seized by Ukrainian forces in
late 2024.
This intervention came at a steep cost. Open-source intelligence estimates
suggest about 4,000 North Korean soldiers were killed during the operation,
approximately the size of a full brigade. These troops were drawn from North
Korea’s special forces and led by some of Kim’s most trusted generals. Their
rules of engagement included a brutal provision: they were ordered to kill
themselves rather than be taken prisoner. This is why social media feeds have
been filled with images and videos of deceased North Korean soldiers, while only
a handful have been captured alive. According to senior Ukrainian officials, the
North Korean forces performed poorly at first but quickly adapted. After
suffering early losses, they learned fast on the battlefield, particularly in
countering modern threats such drone attacks. By early this year, the assessment
by Ukrainian troops was that many North Korean soldiers were more disciplined
and better trained than their Russian counterparts.
So far, however, North Korean soldiers have operated only inside Russian
territory. They have not yet been involved in offensive operations on Ukrainian
soil.
North Korea’s materiel support to Russia has also been extensive. From the early
stages of the war, ballistic missiles manufactured in North Korea have been used
by Russian forces to strike Ukrainian cities. Since the deployment of North
Korean troops, additional artillery and multi-launch rocket systems from the
country have been observed in use alongside Russian forces.
North Korea has supported Russia’s war against Ukraine in two primary ways:
manpower and materiel. But the most critical contribution has come in the form
of artillery shells and manufacturing capabilities. In a war defined by the use
of mass artillery, North Korea has helped fill a massive shortfall in supplies,
with Russia reportedly firing tens of thousands of shells each week. North
Korea’s willingness to expend its stockpiles, and to manufacture new materiel
for Russia, is not without risk. Pyongyang must always keep one eye on the
Korean Peninsula, especially its adversary to the south. Yet Kim appears willing
to accept this gamble in exchange for key benefits from Moscow.
The most obvious question is therefore what is North Korea getting in return?
Firstly, it is believed to be receiving advanced technology from Russia,
especially in the form of strategic weapons. Open-source reporting indicates
that Moscow has shared submarine-launched ballistic missile technology with
Pyongyang, something that is of major importance to North Korea’s long-term
nuclear-deterrence strategy. Secondly, North Korea has reportedly received drone
technology, including the designs and know-how for loitering munitions, such as
the Russian Lancet and the Iranian-origin Shahed drone platform, which Moscow
now produces under license. These drones have already changed battlefield
dynamics in Ukraine and could similarly enhance North Korea’s future
capabilities.
But beyond the materiel and technological gains, North Korea is also benefiting
from the geopolitical implications of helping Russia. For Kim, the opportunity
for his soldiers to gain real-world combat experience is, despite the high
casualty rate, a rare opportunity. In a society such as North Korea’s, in which
public dissent is suppressed and military sacrifice is glorified, this is
politically sustainable.
Furthermore, Pyongyang’s involvement in the conflict complicates the strategic
picture for Washington. The US supports Ukraine and also maintains a strong
military presence on the Korean Peninsula to deter North Korean aggression. Any
steps Kim can take to increase the pressure on the US, either in Europe or Asia,
serve his interests.
Looking ahead, the future of Russian-North Korean cooperation will likely be
high on Lavrov’s agenda during his visit. Reports suggest that Pyongyang might
be preparing to send as many as 30,000 additional troops to assist Moscow. This
time, they might not be confined to defensive operations within Russian
territory. If North Korean forces begin to participate in offensive operations
inside Ukraine, it would mark a dangerous escalation.
Even if the forces stop short of crossing into Ukraine, new deployments are
expected. North Korea might send engineering troops with reconstruction
expertise to help Russia rebuild damaged infrastructure in Kursk Oblast, for
example. These forces could also assist in fortifying Russia’s border with
Ukraine, helping to build new defensive lines.
One thing is clear: The Russian-North Korean relationship is likely to deepen
further. North Korea’s growing involvement in support of Russia’s war in Ukraine
is a stark reminder that global conflicts are increasingly interconnected. The
security of Eastern Europe cannot be separated from the security dynamics of
East Asia. This alignment between Moscow and Pyongyang presents a challenge not
only for Ukraine, but for the broader international community. US President
Donald Trump, who has made it a priority to pursue a negotiated settlement to
the war, cannot ignore the role that North Korea is now playing. Any serious
diplomatic strategy must factor in not only Russia’s behavior but also its
external enablers.
The outcome of Lavrov’s trip will determine how deeply both sides want to take
their current relationship.
**Luke Coffey is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute.X: @LukeDCoffey.
Entente cordiale: Macron’s visit helps reset UK-France
relations
Andrew Hammond//Arab News/July 12, 2025
French-UK relations have often been in the political and economic “deep freeze”
since Brexit. Yet the two G7 and G20 nations have reemerged in recent years as
regional leaders, including building Europe’s relationship with US President
Donald Trump’s administration.
The warmer Franco-UK ties were showcased again this week with President Emmanuel
Macron making his first UK state visit, to London and Windsor Castle. The last
such state visit by a French president to the UK was by Nicolas Sarkozy almost
two decades ago in 2008.
While Starmer enjoys a good relationship with Macron, the warming of UK ties
with France actually began under his predecessor as prime minister, Rishi Sunak,
after the latter agreed to a deal on the so-called Northern Ireland protocol
between London and Brussels. This removed a huge post-Brexit barrier in UK
relations with the 27 EU member states.
Moreover, both Macron and Sunak assumed their nation’s highest public office at
an early age. Previously, both had served as finance ministers having previously
earned their fortunes in the financial services industry.
The warming of the so-called UK-French entente cordiale has continued under
Starmer, and with King Charles and his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, both
playing a key role in bilateral relations in recent times, too. Charles made a
state visit to France in 2023, and Macron spoke of the late queen’s affection
for France when he attended her funeral.
Queen Elizabeth made many trips to France during her reign. Her first was in
1957, four years after her coronation; her last state visit was in June 2014,
when she visited Paris and Normandy. This week, Macron laid flowers at her tomb
in Windsor.
Specific issues on the agenda this week included migration, and shared foreign
policy and security goals, such as Ukraine and the Trump administration’s trade
tariffs. There is a potential upside in many of these issues from a stronger
UK-France relationship.
Take the example of security whereby London and Paris are nuclear states with UN
Security Council permanent membership, unlike other European partners. The 2010
Lancaster House agreement opened a window to jointly update nuclear arsenals
which is, as yet unfulfilled, and there is potential for broader military
coordination.
Positive as this all is, however, bilateral ties continue to have some
challenges in the post-Brexit era. During those long UK-EU divorce negotiations,
France took one of the hardest lines on the UK’s exit from the Brussels-based
club.
This reflects the complex, contradictory relationship that Paris has long had
with London in the context of EU affairs. The ardently pro-Brussels Macron, who
believes Brexit to be an act of political vandalism to the Continent, was
frequently accused by UK ministers of holding up progress in exit negotiations
after the UK’s 2016 referendum.
The warmer Franco-UK ties were showcased this week with President Macron making
his first UK state visit.
Macron’s Brexit positioning, including his robust stance on precluding future UK
access to the single market, was reinforced by broader French plans to pitch
Paris as a competing financial center to London which began in earnest under the
presidency of Francois Hollande. This saw former Finance Minister Michel Sapin
and Hollande’s Brexit Special Envoy Christian Noyer, former Bank of France
governor, openly promoting Paris with key financial firms.
This has continued under Macron as he hailed the decision to relocate the
European Banking Agency to Paris from London as “recognition of France’s
attractiveness and European commitment.” French officials hope that the EBA’s
relocation will help bring still more UK banking jobs to the French capital.
What France’s position on Brexit underlines is how each EU state has distinctive
political, economic, and social interests that have informed their stance on the
UK’s exit. Thus, while the EU-27 were in general remarkably unified in their
negotiations with London, the positions of the individual countries varied
according to factors such as trade and wider economic ties and patterns of
migration with the UK, domestic election pressures, and levels of Euroskeptic
support within their populations.
The divergent and complex positions of EU states thus range from the UK’s fellow
non-eurozone member Sweden, whose political and economic interests are broadly
aligned with UK positions, to countries that have more complicated positions,
including France. While the position of Paris has now moderated, especially in
the wake of the Northern Ireland protocol deal, the two nations remain
misaligned in some key areas, including fishing rights.
Take another example of migration where Sunak and Macron struck an initial
agreement to stop people illegally crossing the English Channel. That deal
stepped up UK payments to France to increase patrols on its beaches and led to
closer police collaboration.
However, the numbers making the crossing did not decline. This led Sunak to
announce a law to try to make asylum claims inadmissible from those who travel
to the UK in small boats.
Today, Starmer is under growing pressure to deliver on this agenda, too,
including from the new Reform UK party led by top Brexiteer Nigel Farage. This
week, Starmer and Macron agreed on a new “one in, one out” return scheme under
which the UK would deport to France undocumented people arriving in small boats
in return for accepting an equal number of legitimate asylum-seekers with UK
family connections. Only time will tell how successful this will be in halting
illegal migrants making so-called small boat crossings of the English Channel.
Taken together, this underlines that relations are positive between Starmer and
Macron. However, the distinctive post-Brexit interests of Paris and London will
continue to drive bilateral tensions from time to time, and this will remain a
barrier to a full reset of relations.
**Andrew Hammond is an associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics.
The Immolation of Kasasbeh and the Assassination of Hariri
Mohammed al-Rumaihi/Asharq Al Awsat/July 12/2025
Both are undeniably criminal acts. The former, perpetrated by ISIS, was
universally condemned. While there remains some doubt, Hezbollah was probably
behind the latter. However, both are grounded in a troubled relationship with
the past.
ISIS has been overwhelmingly condemned by mainstream Sunni (and, of course,
Shiite) communities and institutions. The actions of Hezbollah, on the other
hand, are legitimized in some circles, and its actions are driven by novel
concepts, even within Shiism.
It must be emphasized that while the members of Hezbollah are Lebanese Shiites,
not all Lebanese Shiites are Hezbollah. The party is an ideological group that
believes in “Velayat-e Faqih” - a doctrine that had been contested for a long
time. Ayatollah Khomeini transformed this controversy from a legal question into
a matter of faith. Dozens of Shiite clerics opposed this doctrine. The Lebanese
Shiite religious figures who rejected the idea include Sayyed Mohsen al-Amin,
Sheikh Mohammad Jawad Mughniyeh, Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah, Sheikh
Mohammad Mahdi Shamseddine, Imam Moussa al-Sadr, and Sheikh Hani Fahs. In Iraq,
Sayyed al-Khoei and Sayyed al-Sistani are its most prominent opponents. Even in
Iran, the idea was met with opposition; notably from Khomeini’s own deputy,
Sheikh Mohammad Kazem Shariatmadari, who spent the rest of his life under house
arrest as a result of his apprehension that Khomeini would become a new Shah.
That is why the ongoing debate around Hezbollah’s weapons and the war with
Israel is a small part of a much broader picture. Hezbollah does not see itself
as part of Lebanon’s national fabric; its religious-political mission is
furthering a broader cause.
From this perspective, some believe that any talk of Hezbollah handing over its
weapons or agreeing to conditions is nothing more than a ruse to buy time and
the party to achieve its long-standing goals. The party, in this reading, has
absolutely no qualms about eliminating those it deems opponents hindering its
project, hence the assassination of Rafik Hariri and numerous other Lebanese
politicians.
Indeed, this claim can be defended using Hezbollah’s own literature. Two
documents are particularly damning. The first is the “Open Letter” Hezbollah
issued on February 16, 1985. “We, the Ummah (nation) of Hezbollah, consider
ourselves part of the global Islamic Ummah, which God has blessed among the
nations of mankind.” This discourse excludes everyone who does not share this
identity. In fact, the document even calls on Lebanese Christians to convert to
Islam: “We wish you well and call you to Islam so that you may find happiness in
this world and the hereafter.”The second document, the “Political Manifesto”
Hezbollah released on November 30, 2009, does not address theological and
ideological positions, which had been declared non-negotiable by the
Secretary-General at the time. That is, it affirms the party’s fundamental
mission, laid out in the former document, by omission: the establishment of an
Islamic state (Velayat-e Faqih) and waging Jihad.
In the 2009 manifesto, Hezbollah presents its view of global, Arab, and Lebanese
affairs, its vision for the Lebanese state and political system, and a defense
of the need for “resistance” and its achievements. It asserts that the 2006 war
with Israel ended in a “divine victory” and emphasizes the importance of the
arms, equipment, and funding it receives from the Islamic Republic (Iran).
Fanaticism, whether Sunni or Shiite, is fundamentally and intrinsically detached
from reality. Their delusions are what push some of these movements to engage in
what the world calls “terrorism.”According to Sheikh Muhammad Abduh, a
pioneering modernist Islamic intellectual, Islam is a religion of knowledge and
civilization. He called for freeing the intellect from the chains of imitation
and affirmed that Islam does not confer infallibility to the Caliph, who is a
civil ruler in every respect. As early as the 19th century, the Arab Renaissance
movement stressed the urgent need for civic governance reforms. One key figure
is Ali Abdel Raziq, whose 1925 book “Islam and the Foundations of Governance”
advocated separating religion and state.
Belief in Velayat-e Faqih and identification with a constitutional nation-state
are irreconcilable- any claim to the contrary is hollow. Yet, as Abdul-Hussein
Allahyan explains in his book “Morning of the Levant,” decisions in Iran are
made on all levels, but the infallible Imam has the final say.
Selected Tweets for
12 July/2025
Ambassador Tom Barrack
My comments yesterday praised
Syria’s impressive strides, not a threat to Lebanon. I observed the reality that
Syria is moving at light speed to seize the historic opportunity presented by
@POTUS’s lifting of sanctions: investment from Türkiye and the Gulf, diplomatic
outreach to
Show more
Joseph Gebeily
Thank you Ambassador Barrack for
clarifying. The quote in The National — “if Lebanon doesn’t move, it’s going to
be Bilad Al Sham again” and “Syrians say Lebanon is our beach resort” — sparked
panic. Lebanon must seize this historic opportunity alongside the rest of the
region, moving toward peace, prosperity, and a strong partnership with the U.S.
Otherwise it will lose both its sovereignty and its identity.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
You rarely find haters of Israel who don’t also hate America.
You rarely find lovers of America who don’t also love Israel.
Amine Bar-Julius Iskandar
When Tom Barrack says :
-Hezbollah can be a political party
-Syria must remain united
-Lebanon must remain united
-Kurds must remain part of the countries they live in.
This triggers some memories
Charles Chartouni
To President Joseph Aoun
his lackey Prime Minister Nawaf Salam
To President Joseph Aoun
, his lackey Prime Minister Nawaf Salam
and all their minions in Lebanon and abroad One of our main missions at #BuildersPac
is PEACE between #Lebanon and #Israel and having Lebanon as part of the #AbrahamAccords
This is nothing but a deep and enduring commitment to a future built on mutual
respect, security, and prosperity.
If the so-called #Lebanese state refuses to take the steps toward peace, then we
— the people — will force them to whether they like it or not
This government of incompetent morons has clearly no authority over anyone and
will be brought down if they don't comply.
Because real change begins with those who dare to believe in it.
**The lackeys of the Shiite mafia are auto-celebrating when invited by the
mafioso Capo di Tutti Capi Walid Joumblatt at the confiscated palace of Mir
Amine Chehab
**Shiite and Islamist Fascism are primitive Totalitarianism. Coexistence with
savagery is an Oxymoron#BuildersPAC
**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.