English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For July 21/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest
Saint Luke 10/01-07/:”After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this house!”And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 20-21/2025
Saint Elias (Elijah) the Living: Prophet of Fire, Ascension, and Holy Zeal/Elias Bejjani/July 20/2025
The crimes committed by al-Julani and his ISIS thugs in Sweida—and the disgraceful support he receives from Arab countries and media outlets—are both deeply saddening and utterly reprehensible/Elias Bejjani/July 18/2025
Interview with Elie Salam.Second episode
US envoy Tom Barrack arrives in Beirut for high-level talks
Israeli drones bomb 2 southern areas after strikes kill 2
Lebanese army confronts Israeli forces over border violation in southern Lebanon
Gas race: New maritime talks could shift Lebanon's offshore energy future
Elie Saab brings global spotlight to Lebanon with son’s stunning wedding in Faqra

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 20-21/2025
Rubio demands Syrian government forces intervene to prevent jihadist attacks
Calm reported in Syria’s Sweida, Damascus says truce holding
Calm returns to south Syria after violence that killed over 1,100
Behind the quiet: Israel eyes Druze unrest, renews Syria deterrence
Iran says replaced air defense systems damaged during Israel war
Putin meets top advisor to Iran’s Khamenei for nuclear talks
Pope Leo XIV urges immediate end to ‘barbarity’ of Gaza war
European powers plan fresh nuclear talks with Iran
Netanyahu suffers food poisoning, to rest for three days, his office says
Gaza civil defense says Israeli fire kills 93 aid seekers
Children most affected by worsening malnutrition in Gaza Strip
Israeli evacuation order in central Gaza ‘devastating’ to aid efforts: UN
Recognized, independent Palestinian state could unlock disputed gas wealth, expert says
Gaza civil defense says Israeli fire kills 93 aid seekers
From Gaza to Ukraine: Are global trade corridors fueling deeper rivalries?
Turkiye’s Erdogan insists on Cyprus two-state solution
Jordanian Armed Forces down 310 drug-laden drones over 7 months
Egypt uncovers Brotherhood-linked plot to target security and economic facilities: ministry

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on July 20-21/2025
'Blaming The Jews' - Again/Nils A. Haug/Gatestone Institute/July 20/2025
Ottoman Deceit and the Manufactured Phenomenon of “Arab Tribes”/Colonel Charbel Barakat/July 21/2025
How ‘catastrophic’ Latakia wildfires deepened Syrians’ suffering/ANAN TELLO/Arab News/July 21, 2025
Selected Tweets for 20 July/2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 20-21/2025
Saint Elias (Elijah) the Living: Prophet of Fire, Ascension, and Holy Zeal
Elias Bejjani/July 20/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/07/145366/
Lebanon, together with the Maronite Church and believers everywhere, celebrates on July 20 the Feast of the Prophet Elijah—known in our tradition as Saint Elias the Living. He was a fiery prophet who stood fearlessly before kings and tyrants, boldly proclaiming God's word in a time of fear, corruption, and spiritual decline. He was a prophet of confrontation, a man of unwavering faith and divine fire—a flame that never goes out, a zeal that burns away lies and betrayal.
Elijah in the Bible: The Voice of Truth Against Tyranny
Elijah appeared during the reign of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, who led Israel into idolatry and worship of Baal. But Elijah stood firm and declared: “As the Lord lives, before whom I stand” (1 Kings 17:1). With this declaration, he began his prophetic mission—defying earthly powers, false worship, and spiritual decay without fear or compromise. God was with him in power. Elijah raised the widow’s son from death, called down fire from heaven, parted the waters of the Jordan, and ascended alive into heaven in a chariot of fire. He was a forerunner of Christ—the victorious one—and a symbol of every person who fights for truth and righteousness.
The Transfiguration of Elijah and Moses with Christ: A Revelation of Glory, Prophecy, and the Law
In a moment beyond description, Jesus ascended a high mountain with His three disciples: Peter, James, and John. There, before their eyes, “His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light” (Matthew 17:2). Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him (Matthew 17:3), in a scene where prophecy met the Law, and the ancient testimony bore witness to the glory to come. The Evangelist Luke tells us that Moses and Elijah spoke with Jesus about His departure, which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem (Luke 9:31)—a clear reference to His crucifixion and resurrection. Then came the voice of the Heavenly Father from the cloud, saying: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!” (Matthew 17:5). Thus, Elijah the prophet—who never tasted death—stood alongside Moses to bear witness to Christ, the incarnate Word, who fulfilled all the prophecies and brought the Law to its fullness.
The Miracles of Saint Elijah
He prayed, and the heavens were shut: It did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
(1 Kings 17:1; 1 Kings 18:1; James 5:17; Luke 4:25)
The ravens brought him food: God commanded the ravens to feed him.
(1 Kings 17:4)
He blessed the widow’s flour and oil: The jar of flour was not used up, and the jug of oil did not run dry.
(1 Kings 17:8–9)
He raised the widow’s son from the dead: Elijah cried out to the Lord, and the child’s life returned to him.
(1 Kings 17:17–24)
Fire from heaven consumed the sacrifice: The altar was burned, the offering was accepted, and the prophets of Baal were destroyed.
(1 Kings 18:29–40)
His prophecy against King Ahaziah was fulfilled: The king died as Elijah had foretold.
(2 Kings 1; 2 Kings 9:27–28)
He parted the Jordan River with his mantle: The waters divided, and he crossed on dry ground.
(2 Kings 2:8)
Fire from heaven consumed the messengers of King Ahaziah: Twice Elijah called down fire from heaven, and it devoured the captains and their men.
(2 Kings 1:10–14)
His ascension into heaven: Elijah was taken up by a chariot of fire and ascended to heaven in a whirlwind.
(2 Kings 2:11–12)
The Character of Elijah: Zeal, Courage, and Prayer
Elijah wasn’t just a prophet—he was truly a man of God. He was zealous for the Lord’s commandments, fearless before kings, and humble in the presence of God. He wept and prayed, and God revealed Himself not in the earthquake or fire, but in a still, small voice (1 Kings 19:12). Elijah was a man of prayer and hope. When he cried out to heaven, rain fell after three and a half years of drought. When he prayed for the widow in Zarephath, God raised her son back to life. Elijah was God's voice in a time of drought—His hand of mercy in an age of despair.
Mount Carmel: The Fire of Confrontation
On Mount Carmel, Elijah stood alone against 450 prophets of Baal. He challenged the people, saying: “If the Lord is God, follow Him! But if Baal, follow him!” (1 Kings 18:21). The prophets of Baal prayed all day, but no fire came. Then Elijah rebuilt the altar of the Lord, poured water over the sacrifice three times, and cried out: “Answer me, O Lord, so that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God!”(1 Kings 18:36-37) God answered with fire from heaven—it consumed the offering, the stones, and even the water. The people fell to the ground and cried out: “The Lord, He is God!”Then Elijah prayed again, and the rain returned after years of drought, soaking the thirsty land (1 Kings 18:42–45).
The Fiery Ascension and the Glory of Christ
After fulfilling his mission, Elijah struck the waters of the Jordan with his cloak and crossed on dry ground with his disciple Elisha. Then, “suddenly, a chariot of fire with horses of fire appeared... and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven” (2 Kings 2:11). He did not die—he was taken up in glory. And because he did not taste death, Elijah later appeared with Moses during the Transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Tabor (Luke 9:30). This showed the union of the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah) in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Light of the world.
Elijah in Zarephath: The Miracle on Lebanese Soil
The Gospel of Luke tells us: “There were many widows in Israel... yet Elijah was sent to none of them but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon” (Luke 4:26). That widow gave him bread from her poverty, and God blessed her flour and oil, and later brought her dead son back to life through Elijah’s prayer. So the first miracle of resurrection took place in Lebanon. And the blessing of Elijah touched our land—and began here.
Lebanon and Saint Elias: A Spiritual and Historic Bond
Few prophets are as closely tied to Lebanon as Saint Elias. From Zarephath of Sidon to Mount Hermon, from ancient churches bearing his name in the mountains and valleys, to the caves where monks sought his spirit, Lebanon holds Elijah close in heart and soul. The great Lebanese thinker Fouad Ephrem al-Boustani wrote in his Book of Days: “This is the feast that lights the wounds of the nation—not to deepen them, but to show that the fire of God’s truth is still alive. And in every generation, a new Elijah must rise—to bear witness, to call down rain, and to restore hope to the people.” He called him “The Prophet of Lebanon”—because he walked our soil, breathed our air, and glorified God on our mountains.
Saint Elias and the Lebanese Identity
Saint Elias reflects the very soul of Lebanon: faith in freedom, rejection of false gods, and speaking truth to tyranny. Today, as Lebanon suffers under the oppression of the Iranian occupation and its armed proxies, we need Elijah’s spirit more than ever—a spirit that does not fear, does not bow to Baal, and does not trade truth for power. He is the protector of the free, the voice of courage, the prophet of justice, and the standard-bearer of divine truth on every mountaintop.
The Message of His Feast Today
In an age of compromise, idolatry, and moral decay, we need a new Elijah: A prophet who will not be silent, who will burn with holy zeal, and who will cleanse the land of falsehood and fear. Let us pray through his intercession that the Lord would once again send the rain—not only from the skies, but the rain of grace, of repentance, and of spiritual renewal.
A Prayer for Lebanon
O Saint Elias the Living, Prophet of fire and truth, You who called down rain and fire by your prayers, Send peace upon our suffering Lebanon, Give courage to our people, And renew in our Church the spirit of prophecy. Teach us to stand like you stood, To speak truth like you spoke, And to remain faithful to the Lord alone. Let your fire hover over this land, So that Lebanon may remain forever A nation of faith and freedom, From generation to generation. Amen.

The crimes committed by al-Julani and his ISIS thugs in Sweida—and the disgraceful support he receives from Arab countries and media outlets—are both deeply saddening and utterly reprehensible
Elias Bejjani/July 18/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/07/145329/
The criminality taking place in Syria’s Suwayda province is unacceptable. Genocide is unacceptable. So is the humiliation of Druze religious leaders, the shaving of their mustaches, the killing of civilians and unarmed individuals, the waving of swords in the streets, the burning of a church, the so-called jihadi invasions, and all other barbaric acts.
These are savage atrocities carried out by Al-Julani’s ISIS followers—disciples of Al-Shara—who are funded and adapted by Erdogan and Qatar, along with all branches of political Islam, both Sunni and Shiite. Regardless of how the names and faces change, they are all cut from the same cloth, rooted in the ideology, culture, and terrorism of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Iranian mullahs.
In practice, what they are doing in the Syrian Suwayda province has nothing to do with religion. These barbarians know nothing of faith; they only distort and defile its image. Likewise, whatever Israel—or any other power—does, whether for legitimate or illegitimate reasons, can never justify the barbaric crimes committed by the factions of political Islam across the Middle East, especially now in Suwayda.
What is both shameful and disgraceful is the blind bias shown by the majority of major Arab media outlets—particularly those based in the Gulf—which have taken the side of Al-Shara and his ISIS militants, driven by sectarian fanaticism that ignores even the most basic rights of the Druze people in Suwayda. This blatant display of religious bigotry reveals the depth of moral and humanitarian collapse in these platforms.
As for the official statements issued by Arab governments—including Lebanon, which remains under Iranian occupation through its jihadi proxy falsely named Hezbollah—they have overwhelmingly focused on condemning what they term “Israeli intervention,” employing nauseating, parroted populist rhetoric. These worn-out, recycled slogans are tailor-made to fit the propaganda of the so-called “Axis of Resistance,” while not a single word has been uttered about the genocide, forced displacement, destruction, and systematic terror inflicted upon the Druze of Suwayda. It is as if their blood is expendable, and their rights not even worthy of token verbal solidarity.
In short, Al-Julani and his jihadi regime have proven to be “ISIS at its core” in every sense of the phrase. Notably, despite extensive support from Arab states—including Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia—as well as the United States, international actors, and even Israel, Al-Julani has failed, and his regime stands fully exposed. All the cosmetic efforts to rebrand him—the trimmed beard, tailored suits, French ties, and Italian shoes—have done nothing to mask the extremist truth.
Indeed, as the saying goes: He who grows up on something, grows old with it.

Interview with Elie Salam.Second episode
In the second episode, Elie Salem reveals that U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz sought to apply Turkish pressure along Syria’s northern border to prevent opposition to the agreement for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon. He also discusses the fierce resistance shown by Syria, backed by the Soviet Union, in an attempt to derail the agreement.
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/07/145337/
In the first episode, Professor Elie Salem offers a rich overview of his intellectual journey, shaped by his academic experiences in both Lebanon and the United States. He shares insights from his encounters with prominent historical figures such as Antoun Saadeh, Michel Aflaq, George Habash, Charles Malik, John Foster Dulles, and Gamal Abdel Nasser.
Link to the second episode of the interview with former Minister Elie Salem on LBCI / July 20, 2025

US envoy Tom Barrack arrives in Beirut for high-level talks
LBCI/July 20/2025
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack arrived at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport on Sunday, marking the start of a visit expected to focus on recent developments.

Israeli drones bomb 2 southern areas after strikes kill 2
Agence France Presse/July 20/2025
Israeli drones at dawn targeted a building blocks factory between the towns of Yaroun and Maroun al-Ras as well as the al-Mahafer area on Aitaroun's outskirts, causing no casualties, the National News Agency said. The Health Ministry said Israeli strikes killed two people in south Lebanon on Saturday as the Israeli military said it targeted Hezbollah operatives. The ministry said an "Israeli enemy drone strike" killed one person in the town of Khiam, while another raid hit a motorbike and killed another person in Yohmor al-Shaqeef, elsewhere in south Lebanon. The state-run National News Agency said the raid in Khiam killed a man who was repairing plumbing on the roof of a house. The Israeli military said it killed a member of Hezbollah's elite Radwan force "who was involved in efforts to reestablish Hezbollah's terrorist infrastructure sites" in the Khiam area, and another in Yohmor who was involved in similar activities. Israel has repeatedly bombed Lebanon despite a November ceasefire that sought to end over a year of hostilities with Hezbollah. Under the truce, the militant group was to withdraw its fighters north of the Litani river, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border, leaving Lebanon's army and United Nations peacekeepers as the only armed parties in the region. Israel was to withdraw its troops from Lebanon but has kept them in five areas it deems strategic.

Lebanese army confronts Israeli forces over border violation in southern Lebanon
LBCI/July 20/2025
The Lebanese army said Sunday that Israeli military and engineering vehicles crossed the technical fence and began bulldozing land in the outskirts of Rmeish, in the Bint Jbeil district, in what it called a blatant violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire agreement. In a statement, the army said it responded by reinforcing its presence in the area opposite the Israeli forces. A patrol from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) also arrived to document the breach, prompting the Israeli troops to retreat back across the border. The army added that it is closely monitoring the situation along the southern border in coordination with UNIFIL.

Gas race: New maritime talks could shift Lebanon's offshore energy future
LBCI/July 20/2025
For over 15 years, countries bordering the Eastern Mediterranean have competed to explore and extract offshore gas and oil. Global powers, eager to tap into this energy-rich region, have sent envoys and exerted economic pressure to secure stakes in exploration, investment, and eventual export.
Lebanon, long seen as a potential player, has lagged, hindered by political obstacles and a lack of confirmed commercial gas discoveries in its initial offshore exploration blocks, particularly Blocks 4 and 9. Despite the setbacks, recent data suggests the region holds immense promise. A U.S. report estimates that the Eastern Mediterranean contains roughly 3.5 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, nearly a quarter of which may lie within Lebanon's maritime zone. In a renewed push, the Lebanese government last week formed a committee chaired by Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny to resume maritime border negotiations with Cyprus over Lebanon's southern sea boundary. The committee is expected to meet again midweek to finalize the demarcation swiftly. Sources say the new median point under consideration could grant Lebanon an additional 2,500 square kilometers of maritime territory, significantly expanding its share from the 2007 agreement. According to LBCI, a Cypriot technical delegation held a preliminary meeting with the Lebanese committee two days ago, with a follow-up session expected soon. A border demarcation expert coordinating with the Lebanese Army will also participate.
If the Cyprus deal is finalized, it would mark Lebanon's second major maritime agreement in recent years, following the U.S.-brokered accord with Israel in November 2022. However, a third and equally critical step remains: reaching a maritime border deal with Syria. Although sensitive, Lebanese officials are reportedly prepared to engage with Damascus at the appropriate time, with some technical channels already open between the two sides. The outcome could be influenced by regional dynamics involving Greek and Turkish Cyprus, as well as Ankara's growing role in Mediterranean energy politics.
Cyprus' renewed commitment to resolving the border dispute presents Lebanon with a strategic opportunity to expand its exploration area, potentially unlocking more commercially viable gas reserves. Yet, turning that opportunity into economic gains hinges on Lebanon's ability to maintain political and security stability, key prerequisites for attracting the investment needed to fuel its long-awaited economic recovery.

Elie Saab brings global spotlight to Lebanon with son’s stunning wedding in Faqra
LBCI/July 20/2025
In a lavish three-day celebration that lit up the town of Faqra, Celio Saab—son of internationally acclaimed fashion designer Elie Saab—married Jordanian bride Zein Qutami in a wedding that captured national and regional attention. Over the course of three nights, the wedding drew widespread attention—but at its heart, it marked the beginning of a four-year love story between a young man and woman. Because the groom is the son of a globally renowned designer, the event took on a larger-than-life significance—filled with powerful, if unspoken, messages.
Despite Elie Saab’s international success, he chose to celebrate his son’s wedding in Lebanon, in the area where his children grew up and built lasting memories. For him, the decision was instinctive—rooted in his deep connection to his homeland and its people.
That choice brought dozens of celebrities and top business figures to Lebanon, especially from the United Arab Emirates, where the groom works, and Jordan, the bride’s home country. The guests were introduced to the country from which Saab launched his career. The celebration gave a boost to Lebanon’s tourism sector, particularly in the Faqra region, which saw thousands of attendees over three nights. More than 1,200 guests attended, including prominent Lebanese and international celebrities, both residents and expatriates. The wedding also highlighted Lebanese brands that have earned global recognition. From Elie Saab’s own haute couture bridal gowns—crafted with exceptional detail—to the dresses worn by many of the women in attendance, the event showcased the designer’s reach. Many top Lebanese artists who have achieved international acclaim were also present. Though a wedding, the event felt more like a glamorous artistic festival, celebrating Lebanese creativity and reaffirming that, despite its challenges, Lebanon remains a hub of beauty, art, and distinction. Here’s to hoping that one day, weddings like Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ will be hosted in Lebanon instead of Venice. After all, Lebanon has everything it takes—so why not?

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 20-21/2025
Rubio demands Syrian government forces intervene to prevent jihadist attacks
Agence France Presse/July 20/2025
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday called on the Syrian government's security forces to prevent jihadists from entering and "carrying out massacres" in the conflict-stricken south of the country. "If authorities in Damascus want to preserve any chance of achieving a unified, inclusive and peaceful Syria... they must help end this calamity by using their security forces to prevent ISIS and any other violent jihadists from entering the area and carrying out massacres," Rubio said in a statement posted to X, using another name for the Islamic State group (IS). Sectarian clashes between armed Bedouin forces and the Druze in the community's Sweida heartland had drawn in Syria's Islamist-led government, Israel and other armed tribes. U.S.-brokered negotiations have sought to avert further Israeli military intervention, with Syrian forces agreeing to withdraw from the region. "The U.S. has remained heavily involved over the last three days with Israel, Jordan and authorities in Damascus on the horrifying & dangerous developments in southern Syria," Rubio said. He called for the Syrian government to "hold accountable and bring to justice anyone guilty of atrocities including those in their own ranks." "Furthermore the fighting between Druze and Bedouin groups inside the perimeter must also stop immediately," Rubio added. Once in control of large swathes of Syria, the IS was territorially defeated in Syria in 2019 largely due to the efforts of Kurdish-led forces supported by an international coalition. Violence between the Druze and Bedouin groups that began on July 13 has left an estimated 940 dead, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor. The count included 326 Druze fighters and 262 Druze civilians, 165 of whom were summarily executed, according to the Observatory. The monitor also included 312 government security personnel and 21 Sunni Bedouin in the toll.

Calm reported in Syria’s Sweida, Damascus says truce holding
Al Arabiya English/20 July/2025
Residents reported calm in Syria’s Sweida on Sunday after the Syrian government announced that Bedouin fighters had withdrawn from the predominantly Druze city and a US envoy signaled that a deal to end days of fighting was being implemented.
With hundreds reported killed, the Sweida bloodshed is a major test for President Ahmed al-Sharaa, prompting Israel to launch airstrikes against government forces last week as it declared support for the Druze. Fighting continued on Saturday despite a ceasefire call.
Interior Minister Anas Khattab said on Sunday that internal security forces had managed to calm the situation and enforce the ceasefire, “paving the way for a prisoner exchange and the gradual return of stability throughout the governorate.”
Reuters images showed interior ministry forces near the city, blocking the road in front of members of tribes congregated there. The interior ministry said late on Saturday that Bedouin fighters had left the city. US envoy Tom Barrack said the sides had “navigated to a pause and cessation of hostilities.”“The next foundation stone on a path to inclusion, and lasting de-escalation, is a complete exchange of hostages and detainees, the logistics of which are in process,” he wrote on X.
The Syrian state news agency said an aid convoy sent to the city by the government was refused entry while aid organized by the Syrian Red Crescent was let in. A source familiar with the situation said local factions in Sweida had turned back the government convoy.
The Druze are a small but influential minority in Syria, Israel and Lebanon who follow a religion that is an offshoot of a branch of Shia Islam. Some hardline Sunnis deem their beliefs heretical. The fighting began a week ago with clashes between Bedouin and Druze fighters. Damascus sent troops to quell the fighting, but they were drawn into the violence and accused of widespread violations against the Druze. Al-Sharaa on Thursday promised to protect the rights of Druze and to hold to account those who committed violations against “our Druze people.” He has blamed the violence on “outlaw groups.”While al-Sharaa has won US backing since meeting President Donald Trump in May, the violence has underscored the challenge he faces stitching back together a country shattered by 14 years of conflict, and added to pressures on its mosaic of sectarian and ethnic groups.
Coastal violence
After Israel bombed Syrian government forces in Sweida and hit the defense ministry in Damascus last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had established a policy demanding the demilitarization of territory near the border, stretching from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights to the Druze Mountain, east of Sweida. He also said Israel would protect the Druze. The United States however said it did not support the Israeli strikes. On Friday, an Israeli official said Israel agreed to allow Syrian forces limited access to the Sweida area for two days. A Syrian security source told Reuters that internal security forces had taken up positions near Sweida, establishing checkpoints in western and eastern parts of the province where retreating tribal fighters had gathered. On Sunday, al-Sharaa received the report of an inquiry into violence in Syria’s coastal region in March, where Reuters reported in June that Syrian forces killed 1,500 members of the Alawite minority following attacks on security forces. The presidency said it would review the inquiry’s conclusions and ensure steps to “bring about justice” and prevent the recurrence of “such violations.” It called on the inquiry to hold a news conference on its findings – if appropriate – as soon as possible. The Syrian Network for Human Rights said on July 18 it had documented the deaths of at least 321 people in Sweida province since July 13. The preliminary toll included civilians women, children, Bedouin fighters, members of local groups and members of the security forces, it said, and the dead included people killed in field executions by both sides.
With Reuters

Calm returns to south Syria after violence that killed over 1,100
AFP/July 20, 2025
SWEIDA: Calm returned to southern Syria’s Sweida province on Sunday after a week of sectarian violence between Druze fighters and rival groups that killed more than 1,100 people. A ceasefire announced on Saturday appeared to be holding after earlier agreements failed to end fighting between longtime rivals the Druze and the Bedouin that spiralled to draw in government forces, the Israeli military and armed tribes from other parts of Syria. AFP correspondents on the outskirts of Sweida city reported hearing no clashes on Sunday morning, with government forces deployed in some locations in the province to enforce the truce. The first humanitarian aid convoy entered the city on Sunday, Red Crescent official Omar Al-Malki said, adding that it would be followed by others. He said the convoy came “in coordination with the government bodies and the local authorities in Sweida,” which are controlled by the Druze. The Syrian government meanwhile said a Druze group blocked its own convoy from entering the city.
Clashes halted
Hanadi Obeid, a 39-year-old doctor, told AFP that “the city hasn’t seen calm like this in a week.”The interior ministry said overnight that Sweida city was “evacuated of all tribal fighters, and clashes within the city’s neighborhoods were halted.”Interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa had on Saturday announced a ceasefire in Sweida and renewed a pledge to protect Syria’s ethnic and religious minorities in the face of the latest sectarian violence since the rebels overthrew longtime ruler Bashar Assad in December. A spokesman for Syria’s tribal and clan council told Al Jazeera late Saturday that fighters had left the city “in response to the call of the presidency and the terms of the agreement.”A medic inside Sweida told AFP by telephone on Sunday that “the situation is totally calm... We aren’t hearing clashes.”
Residents of Sweida city, who number at about 150,000, have been holed up in their homes without electricity and water, and food supplies have also been scarce. An AFP photographer said the morgue at Sweida’s main hospital was full and bodies were lying on the ground outside the building. The United Nations migration agency said more than 128,000 people in Sweida province have been displaced by the violence.
Syria at critical juncture
US special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said Sunday that the country stood at a “critical juncture,” adding that “peace and dialogue must prevail — and prevail now.” “All factions must immediately lay down their arms, cease hostilities, and abandon cycles of tribal vengeance,” he wrote on X, saying “brutal acts by warring factions on the ground undermine the government’s authority and disrupt any semblance of order.” Sharaa’s announcement Saturday came hours after the United States said it had negotiated a ceasefire between Syria’s government and Israel, which had bombed government forces in both Sweida and Damascus earlier in the week. Israel, which has its own Druze community, has said it was acting in defense of the group, as well as to enforce its demands for the total demilitarization of Syria’s south.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday urged the Syrian government’s security forces to prevent jihadists from entering and “carrying out massacres” in the south, and called on Damascus to “bring to justice anyone guilty of atrocities including those in their own ranks.”

Behind the quiet: Israel eyes Druze unrest, renews Syria deterrence
LBCI/July 20/2025
In a move that reinforces its presence in Syria, the Israeli army redeployed across various Syrian areas starting Sunday morning, while simultaneously continuing drills to prepare for a possible mass infiltration from the border area. At the same time, a group of Israeli Druze who have served in the military and work in various security agencies released a statement announcing that 2,000 of them are ready to enter Syria to support the Druze community in Sweida. Despite the announced ceasefire, Israeli military reports claimed that tensions and clashes continue.
Israel’s decision to allow Syrian regime forces into Sweida to ensure local security has sparked internal disagreement. Some military and security officials viewed it as a step backward in protecting the Druze, while others called for expanding the security buffer zone to better protect the border. During a security meeting focused on developments along the Syrian front, Israel took several steps to reinforce its deterrence. It was revealed that behind-the-scenes talks are underway with Druze groups near the Syrian border—both at the operational level and among senior leadership—aimed at calming tensions. However, officials have not ruled out the possibility of reviving talks between Syria and Israel, which were suspended in Azerbaijan following the outbreak of unrest in Sweida. While the border and the ceasefire zone remain calm for now, the Israeli military announced that all Israeli Druze have been evacuated from Syria and that it is intensifying efforts to prevent cross-border infiltration. Reinforced troops have been deployed to the area, along with newly erected barriers and concrete obstacles along the border fence as part of defensive preparations in case of a sudden escalation on either side.

Iran says replaced air defense systems damaged during Israel war
AFP/July 20, 2025
TEHRAN: Iran has replaced the air defense systems damaged during its 12-day war with Israel last month, a senior army general said on Sunday according to state media. Israel launched an unprecedented surprise bombing campaign against Iran in mid-June, prompting Tehran to respond with drone and missile attacks. Israel’s strikes dealt a significant blow to the Islamic republic’s air defenses, which were repeatedly activated in the capital Tehran and across the country throughout the war. “The Zionist enemy sought to destroy Iran’s defense capabilities, and some of our defense systems were damaged in that war,” army operations chief Mahmoud Mousavi was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency. “The damaged defense systems have now been replaced,” he added. Iran’s air defense network includes systems like the domestically built Bavar-373 and Khordad-15, designed to counter missiles and aircraft. Iran also installed Russia’s S-300 air defense systems in 2016. The war with Israel killed more than 1,000 people in Iran, while Iranian fire killed at least 28 people in Israel, according to authorities in each country.
Israel’s attacks targeted military infrastructure and nuclear facilities across Iran. On June 22, Israel’s ally the United States also carried out unprecedented strikes on Iranian nuclear sites at Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz. The full extent of the damage to Iran’s nuclear program remains unclear. US President Donald Trump has insisted the sites were “completely destroyed,” but US media reports have cast doubt on the severity of the damage. On Friday, NBC News, citing a military damage assessment, reported that only one of the three sites was mostly destroyed.
A ceasefire between Iran and Israel has been in effect since June 24. After the truce was announced, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to prevent Iran from rebuilding its nuclear capabilities, raising the prospect of renewed conflict.
Earlier in July, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel was formulating a plan to “ensure that Iran cannot threaten Israel again.”Katz said the military had to maintain its “air superiority over Tehran, the ability to enforce restrictions on Iran and prevent it from rebuilding its capabilities.”

Putin meets top advisor to Iran’s Khamenei for nuclear talks
Al Arabiya English/20 July/2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a surprise meeting with Ali Larijani, a top advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on nuclear issues, to discuss Tehran’s nuclear program in the Kremlin on Sunday. Moscow has a cordial relationship with Iran’s clerical leadership and provides crucial backing for Tehran but did not swing forcefully behind its partner even after the United States joined Israel’s massive bombing campaign on Iran in June. Larijani “conveyed assessments of the escalating situation in the Middle East and around the Iranian nuclear program,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of the unannounced meeting. Putin had expressed Russia’s “well-known positions on how to stabilize the situation in the region and on the political settlement of the Iranian nuclear program,” he added. Separately, a German diplomatic source told AFP on Sunday that Britain, France and Germany are planning to hold fresh talks with Iran on its nuclear program in the coming days. Iran’s Tasnim news agency also reported that Tehran had agreed to hold talks with the three European countries, citing an unnamed source. Last week, Russia had slammed a story by US news outlet Axios citing anonymous sources that said Putin had “encouraged” Iran to accept a deal with the United States that would prevent the Islamic Republic from enriching uranium.Iran has consistently denied seeking a nuclear weapon, while defending its “legitimate rights” to the peaceful use of atomic energy. With AFP

Pope Leo XIV urges immediate end to ‘barbarity’ of Gaza war
AFP/July 21, 2025
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy: Pope Leo XIV slammed the “barbarity” of the war in Gaza on Sunday and urged against the “indiscriminate use of force,” just days after a deadly strike by Israel’s military on a Catholic church. “I once again ask for an immediate end to the barbarity of the war and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” Leo said at the end of the Angelus prayer at Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence near Rome. The pope, who spoke by telephone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the morning after Thursday’s strike, spoke of his “deep sorrow” for the attack on the Holy Family Church. The church was sheltering around 600 displaced people, the majority of them children and including dozens of people with special needs. Israel expressed “deep sorrow” over the damage and civilian casualties, adding that the military was investigating the strike. “This act, unfortunately, adds to the ongoing military attacks against the civilian population and places of worship in Gaza,” Leo said on Sunday. “I appeal to the international community to observe humanitarian law and respect the obligation to protect civilians, as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, the indiscriminate use of force, and the forced displacement of populations,” he added. The Israeli military on Sunday issued an evacuation order for Palestinians in the central Gaza Strip, warning of imminent action against Hamas militants. Most of Gaza’s population of more than two million people have been displaced at least once during the war, which is now in its 22nd month. The pope also expressed his “sympathy” for the plight of “beloved Middle Eastern Christians” and their “sense of being able to do little in the face of this dramatic situation.”

European powers plan fresh nuclear talks with Iran
AFP/July 20, 2025
BERLIN: European powers plan fresh talks with Iran on its nuclear program in the coming days, the first since the US attacked Iranian nuclear facilities a month ago, a German diplomatic source told AFP on Sunday. Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, “are in contact with Iran to schedule further talks for the coming week,” the source said.The trio had recently warned that international sanctions against Iran could be reactivated if Tehran does not return to the negotiating table. Iran’s Tasnim news agency also reported that Tehran had agreed to hold talks with the three European countries, citing an unnamed source. Consultations are ongoing regarding a date and location for the talks, the report said. “Iran must never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon,” the German source said.
“That is why Germany, France and the United Kingdom are continuing to work intensively in the E3 format to find a sustainable and verifiable diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear program,” the source added. Israel and Western nations have long accused Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran has consistently denied. On June 13, Israel launched a wave of surprise strikes on its regional nemesis, targeting key military and nuclear facilities. The United States launched its own set of strikes against Iran’s nuclear program on June 22, hitting the uranium enrichment facility at Fordo, in Qom province south of Tehran, as well as nuclear sites in Isfahan and Natanz. Iran and the United States had held several rounds of nuclear negotiations through Omani mediators before Israel launched its 12-day war against Iran.
However, US President Donald Trump’s decision to join Israel in striking Iranian nuclear facilities effectively ended the talks. The E3 countries last met with Iranian representatives in Geneva on June 21 — just one day before the US strikes. Also Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a surprise meeting in the Kremlin with Ali Larijani, top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader on nuclear issues. Larijani “conveyed assessments of the escalating situation in the Middle East and around the Iranian nuclear program,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of the unannounced meeting. Putin had expressed Russia’s “well-known positions on how to stabilize the situation in the region and on the political settlement of the Iranian nuclear program,” he added.Moscow has a cordial relationship with Iran’s clerical leadership and provides crucial backing for Tehran but did not swing forcefully behind its partner even after the United States joined Israel’s bombing campaign. Iran and world powers struck a deal in 2015 called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which placed significant restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. But the hard-won deal began to unravel in 2018, during Trump’s first presidency, when the United States walked away from it and reimposed sanctions on Iran.
European countries have in recent days threatened to trigger the deal’s “snapback” mechanism, which allows the reimposition of sanctions in the event of non-compliance by Iran. After a call with his European counterparts on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Western allies had “absolutely no moral (or) legal grounds” for reactivating the snapback sanctions. He elaborated in a post to social media Sunday. “Through their actions and statements, including providing political and material support to the recent unprovoked and illegal military aggression of the Israeli regime and the US... the E3 have relinquished their role as ‘Participants’ in the JCPOA,” said Araghchi. That made any attempt to reinstate the terminated UN Security Council resolutions “null and void,” he added. “Iran has shown that it is capable of defeating any delusional ‘dirty work’ but has always been prepared to reciprocate meaningful diplomacy in good faith,” Araghchi wrote. However, the German source said Sunday that “if no solution is reached over the summer, snapback remains an option for the E3.”Ali Velayati, an adviser to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said last week there would be no new nuclear talks with the United States if they were conditioned on Tehran abandoning its uranium enrichment activities.

Netanyahu suffers food poisoning, to rest for three days, his office says
Reuters/20 July/2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is recovering from a bout of food poisoning, his office said on Sunday, adding that he will continue to carry out his duties while resting at home for the next three days. Netanyahu, 75, fell ill overnight and was found to be suffering from intestinal inflammation and dehydration, for which he is receiving intravenous fluids, a statement said. “In accordance with his doctors’ instructions, the prime minister will rest at home for the next three days and will manage state affairs from there,” his office added.
Netanyahu was fitted with a pacemaker in 2023 and last December he had his prostate removed after he was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection.

Gaza civil defense says Israeli fire kills 93 aid seekers
AFP/July 20, 2025
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Gaza’s civil defense agency said Israeli forces opened fire on crowds of Palestinians trying to collect humanitarian aid in the war-torn Palestinian territory on Sunday, killing 93 people and wounding dozens more.
Eighty were killed as truckloads of aid arrived in the north, while nine others were reported shot near an aid point close to Rafah in the south, where dozens of people lost their lives just 24 hours earlier. Four were killed near another aid site in Khan Yunis, also in the south, agency spokesman Mahmud Basal told AFP. The UN World Food Programme said its 25-truck convoy carrying food aid “encountered massive crowds of hungry civilians which came under gunfire” near Gaza City, soon after it crossed from Israel and cleared checkpoints.
Israel’s military disputed the death toll and said soldiers had fired warning shots “to remove an immediate threat posed to them” as thousands gathered near Gaza City. Deaths of civilians seeking aid have become a regular occurrence in Gaza, with the authorities blaming Israeli fire as crowds facing chronic shortages of food and other essentials flock in huge numbers to aid centers. The UN said earlier this month that nearly 800 aid-seekers had been killed since late May, including on the routes of aid convoys.
In Gaza City, Qasem Abu Khater, 36, told AFP he had rushed to try to get a bag of flour but instead found a desperate crowd of thousands and “deadly overcrowding and pushing.”“The tanks were firing shells randomly at us and Israeli sniper soldiers were shooting as if they were hunting animals in a forest,” he added.“Dozens of people were martyred right before my eyes and no one could save anyone.” The WFP condemned violence against civilians seeking aid as “completely unacceptable.”
Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the agency and other parties. The army says it works to avoid harm to civilians, and that this month it issued new instructions to its troops on the ground “following lessons learned” from a spate of similar incidents. Israel on Sunday withdrew the residency permit of head of the OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) office in Israel, Jonathan Whittall, who has repeatedly condemned the humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, in a post to X, accused him of spreading lies about the war in Gaza. The war was sparked by Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, leading to the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed 58,895 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday expressed his regret to Pope Leo XIV after what he described as a “stray” munition killed three people sheltering at the Holy Family Church in Gaza City.
At the end of the Angelus prayer on Sunday, the pope slammed the “barbarity” of the Gaza war and called for peace, days after the Israeli strike on the territory’s only Catholic church. The strike was part of the “ongoing military attacks against the civilian population and places of worship in Gaza,” he added. The Catholic Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, held mass at the Gaza church on Sunday after traveling to the devastated territory in a rare visit on Friday. Most of Gaza’s population of more than two million people have been displaced at least once during the war and there have been repeated evacuation calls across large parts of the coastal enclave. On Sunday morning, the Israeli military told residents and displaced Palestinians sheltering in the Deir el-Balah area to move south immediately due to imminent operations in the area. Whole families were seen carrying what few belongings they have on packed donkey carts heading south. “They threw leaflets at us and we don’t know where we are going and we don’t have shelter or anything,” one man told AFP. The displacement order was “another devastating blow to the already fragile lifelines keeping people alive across the Gaza Strip,” the UN OCHA said on Sunday. According to the aid agency, 87.8 percent of Gaza is now under displacement orders or within Israeli militarized zones, leaving “2.1 million civilians squeezed into a fragmented 12 percent of the Strip, where essential services have collapsed.”The army’s latest announcement prompted concern from families of hostages held since October 7, 2023 that the Israeli offensive could harm their loved ones. Delegations from Israel and militant group Hamas have spent the last two weeks in indirect talks on a proposed 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and the release of 10 living hostages. Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas’s 2023 attack, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.

Children most affected by worsening malnutrition in Gaza Strip
AFP/July 20, 2025
NUSEIRAT: As malnutrition surges in war-torn Gaza, tens of thousands of children and women require urgent treatment, according to the UN, while aid enters the blockaded Palestinian territory at a trickle. Gaza’s civil defense agency said it has noted a rising number of infant deaths caused by “severe hunger and malnutrition,” reporting at least three such deaths in the past week. “These heartbreaking cases were not caused by direct bombing but by starvation, the lack of baby formula and the absence of basic health care,” civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal said.
FASTFACT
MSF said that patients at its Gaza clinics do not heal properly from their wounds due to protein deficiency. Ziad Musleh, a 45-year-old father displaced from Gaza’s north to the central city of Nuseirat, said: “We are dying, our children are dying and we can’t do anything to stop it.”“Our children cry and scream for food. They go to sleep in pain, in hunger, with empty stomachs. There is absolutely no food. “And if by chance a small amount appears in the market, the prices are outrageous — no one can afford it.”At a food distribution site in a UN-school-turned-shelter in Nuseirat on Sunday, children entertained themselves by banging on their plates as they waited for their turn. Several of them had faces stretched thin by hunger, a journalist reported. Umm Sameh Abu Zeina, whose cheekbones protruded from her thin face as she waited for food in Nuseirat, said she had lost 35 kg.“We do not eat enough. I don’t eat, I leave the food I receive for my daughter,” she said, adding that she had a range of health conditions, including high blood pressure and diabetes. Gazans as well as the UN and aid organizations frequently complain that depleted stocks have sent prices skyrocketing for what little food is available in the markets. The UN’s World Food Programme warned in early July that the price of flour for bread was 3,000 times more expensive than before the war began more than 21 months ago. WFP director Carl Skau, who visited Gaza City in early July, described the situation as “the worst I’ve ever seen.”“A father I met had lost 25 kg in the past two months. People are starving, while we have food just across the border,” he said. “Our kitchens are empty; they are now serving hot water with a bit of pasta floating in it,” said Skau. The effects of malnutrition on children and pregnant women can be particularly dire.

Israeli evacuation order in central Gaza ‘devastating’ to aid efforts: UN
AFP/July 21, 2025
UNITED NATIONS, United States: An Israeli military order for residents and displaced people in Gaza’s Deir el-Balah area to move south dealt “another devastating blow” to humanitarian efforts in the war-ravaged territory, the UN’s OCHA aid agency said on Sunday. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs “warns that today’s mass displacement order issued by the Israeli military has dealt yet another devastating blow to the already fragile lifelines keeping people alive across the Gaza Strip,” it said in a statement.

Recognized, independent Palestinian state could unlock disputed gas wealth, expert says
Arab News/July 20, 2025
LONDON: Official recognition of a Palestinian state would end legal ambiguities over the Gaza Marine gas field and secure the Palestinian Authority’s right to develop its most valuable natural resource, according to energy expert Michael Barron.
Barron, author of “The Gaza Marine Story,” estimates the field could generate $4 billion in revenue at current prices, with the PA reasonably earning $100 million annually for 15 years, The Guardian reported on Sunday. “The revenues would not turn the Palestinians into the next Qataris or Singaporeans, but it would be their own revenue and not aid, on which the Palestinian economy remains dependent,” he said. Gas was discovered in 2000 in the Gaza Marine field, a joint venture between BG Gas and the Palestinian Consolidated Contractors Co.
Despite initial hopes of ending energy shortages in the Gaza Strip, the project has been repeatedly stalled over ownership disputes, lack of sovereignty, and political instability. “The Oslo Accords agreed in 1993 clearly give the Palestinian National Authority jurisdiction over territorial waters, the subsoil, power to legislate over oil and gas exploration and to award licenses to do so,” Barron said. “Control over natural resources was an important element of (the) state-building agenda of the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Israeli exploitation of Palestinian resources was and remains a central part of the conflict,” he added. Israel has historically blocked development over concerns that revenue could reach Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. An Israeli court once ruled the waters a “no-man’s water” due to the PA’s lack of sovereignty, and Israel has long claimed any license 20 miles off the Gaza coast should be seen as a gift, not a right. Barron said that if Palestine were recognized as a state, particularly by countries where major oil firms are based, it would “effectively end the legal ambiguity” and allow the PA to develop the field and achieve energy independence from Israel. A separate controversy has emerged over Israeli-issued gas licenses in a disputed area known as Zone G. Lawyers acting for Palestinian human rights groups recently warned Italian energy firm Eni not to proceed with exploration, saying “Israel cannot have validly awarded you any exploration rights and you cannot validly have acquired any such rights.”Eni has since told Italian campaigners that “licenses have not yet been issued and no exploratory activities are in progress.”Activist group Global Witness also argues the East Mediterranean Gas pipeline, which passes through waters claimed by Palestine, is unlawful and does not provide any revenue to the PA. The 56-mile pipeline transports gas from Ashkelon in Israel to Arish in Egypt for export. The issue has gained new attention following a UN report by Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese. She warned corporations of their potential legal liability for supporting Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory, citing international court rulings. Her report concluded companies have a “prima facie responsibility ‘to not engage and/or to withdraw totally and unconditionally from any associated dealings with Israel, and to ensure that any engagement with Palestinians enables their self-determination.’”Israel has rejected the report in full. Barron argues that, with Israel now self-sufficient in gas, “so long as a Palestinian state with unified governance is recognized, Israel will have no motive or legal right to block Palestine exploiting its single greatest natural resource.”

Gaza civil defense says Israeli fire kills 93 aid seekers
AFP/July 20, 2025
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Gaza’s civil defense agency said Israeli forces opened fire on crowds of Palestinians trying to collect humanitarian aid in the war-torn Palestinian territory on Sunday, killing 93 people and wounding dozens more. Eighty were killed as truckloads of aid arrived in the north, while nine others were reported shot near an aid point close to Rafah in the south, where dozens of people lost their lives just 24 hours earlier. Four were killed near another aid site in Khan Yunis, also in the south, agency spokesman Mahmud Basal told AFP. The UN World Food Programme said its 25-truck convoy carrying food aid “encountered massive crowds of hungry civilians which came under gunfire” near Gaza City, soon after it crossed from Israel and cleared checkpoints.Israel’s military disputed the death toll and said soldiers had fired warning shots “to remove an immediate threat posed to them” as thousands gathered near Gaza City.Deaths of civilians seeking aid have become a regular occurrence in Gaza, with the authorities blaming Israeli fire as crowds facing chronic shortages of food and other essentials flock in huge numbers to aid centers. The UN said earlier this month that nearly 800 aid-seekers had been killed since late May, including on the routes of aid convoys. In Gaza City, Qasem Abu Khater, 36, told AFP he had rushed to try to get a bag of flour but instead found a desperate crowd of thousands and “deadly overcrowding and pushing.”“The tanks were firing shells randomly at us and Israeli sniper soldiers were shooting as if they were hunting animals in a forest,” he added. “Dozens of people were martyred right before my eyes and no one could save anyone.”The WFP condemned violence against civilians seeking aid as “completely unacceptable.”Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the agency and other parties.
The army says it works to avoid harm to civilians, and that this month it issued new instructions to its troops on the ground “following lessons learned” from a spate of similar incidents. Israel on Sunday withdrew the residency permit of head of the OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) office in Israel, Jonathan Whittall, who has repeatedly condemned the humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, in a post to X, accused him of spreading lies about the war in Gaza. The war was sparked by Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, leading to the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed 58,895 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday expressed his regret to Pope Leo XIV after what he described as a “stray” munition killed three people sheltering at the Holy Family Church in Gaza City. At the end of the Angelus prayer on Sunday, the pope slammed the “barbarity” of the Gaza war and called for peace, days after the Israeli strike on the territory’s only Catholic church. The strike was part of the “ongoing military attacks against the civilian population and places of worship in Gaza,” he added. The Catholic Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, held mass at the Gaza church on Sunday after traveling to the devastated territory in a rare visit on Friday. Most of Gaza’s population of more than two million people have been displaced at least once during the war and there have been repeated evacuation calls across large parts of the coastal enclave.
On Sunday morning, the Israeli military told residents and displaced Palestinians sheltering in the Deir el-Balah area to move south immediately due to imminent operations in the area. Whole families were seen carrying what few belongings they have on packed donkey carts heading south. “They threw leaflets at us and we don’t know where we are going and we don’t have shelter or anything,” one man told AFP. The displacement order was “another devastating blow to the already fragile lifelines keeping people alive across the Gaza Strip,” the UN OCHA said on Sunday. According to the aid agency, 87.8 percent of Gaza is now under displacement orders or within Israeli militarized zones, leaving “2.1 million civilians squeezed into a fragmented 12 percent of the Strip, where essential services have collapsed.”The army’s latest announcement prompted concern from families of hostages held since October 7, 2023 that the Israeli offensive could harm their loved ones. Delegations from Israel and militant group Hamas have spent the last two weeks in indirect talks on a proposed 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and the release of 10 living hostages. Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas’s 2023 attack, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.

From Gaza to Ukraine: Are global trade corridors fueling deeper rivalries?
LBCI/July 20/2025
Do you know what's behind the war in Gaza? Or the reason for the conflict between Ukraine and Russia? Some observers trace these wars back to a global rivalry between two competing trade initiatives: one led by China—the “Silk Road”—and the other backed by the United States—the “India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor.”At first glance, this analysis may seem unconventional. But some argue that many of the wars and conflicts unfolding around the world today are tied to a deeper struggle over trade routes and economic influence among major powers.
To break it down: there are two key global trade projects. The first is China’s Silk Road, formally launched in 2013 as the Belt and Road Initiative. It’s a vast economic and strategic plan aimed at linking China to Europe via Asia and the Middle East.
The second is the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor, which was formally introduced during the 2023 G20 summit. This initiative seeks to establish a trade corridor connecting India to the Gulf and Europe through the Middle East.
But is it accurate to say that many of today’s wars are connected to the rivalry between these two trade routes? Take Gaza, for example. The war didn’t erupt directly because of this rivalry, but the conflict became an indirect factor in Israel’s military campaign.
Put another way, the war in Gaza effectively froze progress on the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor. It became nearly impossible for Saudi Arabia to move forward with normalization or economic cooperation with Israel under current conditions.
More broadly, the rivalry between the Chinese and Indian trade corridors helps explain why some countries have backed different sides in the conflict. India supported Israel, a position interpreted as an effort to protect its trade project from derailment. In contrast, China expressed support for the Palestinians—seen by some as an attempt to undermine the Indian corridor in favor of its own Belt and Road Initiative. Another example is the war in Ukraine, which has also disrupted China’s Silk Road. The conflict weakened the initiative and forced China to alter its routes. Prior to the war, some Chinese goods passed through Ukraine en route to Europe. That route has been completely halted due to military operations and instability. This disruption created new space for competing projects, including the Indian corridor, to gain ground. Ultimately, when a war breaks out, the geopolitical dimensions—especially those tied to global trade routes—should not be overlooked.

Turkiye’s Erdogan insists on Cyprus two-state solution
AFP/July 20, 2025
NORTH NICOSIA: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday reaffirmed his country’s support for a two-state solution in Cyprus, urging the international community to accept the Mediterranean island’s existing division. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when a Turkish invasion followed a coup in Nicosia backed by Greece’s then-military junta. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, declared in 1983, is recognized only by Ankara. “We fully support the vision based on a two-state solution,” Erdogan said during a visit to northern Cyprus marking 51 years since Turkish troops invaded the island. “It is time for the international community to make peace with the realities on the ground,” Erdogan said. The Turkish leader’s visit comes few days after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that meetings between Cyprus’s rival leaders at the organization’s New York headquarters were “constructive,” even as questions remained about crossing points on the island. Erdogan on Sunday called for an end to the isolation of the TRNC. “Diplomatic, political, and economic relations should be established with the TRNC, and the injustice endured by Turkish Cypriots for decades must finally come to an end,” he said. The last major round of peace talks collapsed in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, in July 2017.

Jordanian Armed Forces down 310 drug-laden drones over 7 months
Arab News/July 20, 2025
LONDON: The Jordanian Armed Forces have intercepted 310 drug-carrying drones and thwarted multiple smuggling attempts over the past 197 days, according to military data, as they work to protect national security. From January to July 16, the armed forces intercepted an average of 51 drones each month, nearly two per day, all carrying narcotics destined for Jordanian territory, according to an investigative report by the Jordan News Agency, or Petra. The Jordanian military seized over 14.1 million narcotic pills, 92.1 kg of illegal drugs, and more than 10,600 slabs of hashish over the past six months, with a street value amounting to tens of millions of US dollars. Petra reported 69 smuggling attempts and infiltration operations by traffickers, who used weapons and unconventional methods to smuggle drugs, including toy-like balloons with remote navigation. However, these were detected and downed by the armed forces. One balloon was found carrying crystal meth. In another incident, border personnel tracked a projectile from Syrian territory, which was found to be packed with narcotics, including 500 grams of crystal meth, reflecting the complex threats facing Jordan.

Egypt uncovers Brotherhood-linked plot to target security and economic facilities: ministry
Arab News/July 20, 2025
CAIRO: The Egyptian interior ministry on Sunday said it has uncovered a plot by the armed wing of the Muslim Brotherhood group aiming to target security and economic facilities. According to a press statement by Egypt’s Interior Ministry, elements who plotted the attacks were linked to the so-called Hasm Movement, which was affiliated with the banned Muslim Brotherhood. The ministry said it has information that the militant group was planning to revive their activities in Egypt and commit hostile operations. Hasm plotted to push one of its fugitive members to infiltrate the country via a border state in order to commit “hostile operations targeting security and economic facilities in Egypt,” it added.  The statement said Egypt’s National Security sector was able to identify the Hasm leaders behind the plan. It also reported that some members of Hasm were targeted in a security operation in Cairo’s Boulaq neighborhood. It said when security forces raided their militant hideout, the suspects began firing randomly at the forces and the area surrounding the building, prompting the forces to deal with them. The exchange of fire killed two militants and a citizen, who happened to be passing by and had succumbed to his injuries as a result of the random militant gunfire.A police officer was also injured while trying to rescue the citizen.
The ministry revealed that this coincided with the movement’s latest video on social media, showing its members training in a desert area of a neighboring country, while threatening to carry out terrorist attacks in Egypt. The group is labelled as a terrorist entity in both the United Kingdom and the United States.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on July 20-21/2025
'Blaming The Jews' - Again
Nils A. Haug/Gatestone Institute/July 20/2025
The ways to avoid arrest in London these days, according to British author Douglas Murray, are: "[W]hen first being questioned by a police officer, he should promptly shout 'Jihad, jihad, jihad'. Next he should whip out a sign saying 'Slay the infidel' before rounding it all off with a few cries of 'Intifada'... Had [Montgomery Toms] followed my advice, the first officer would doubtless have said: 'Very well, sir, please carry on and have a nice day.'"
It is not complicated: If you do not want your people killed, do not start a war, especially with Israel.
It is concerning that in the foreseeable future, radical Islamists might, demographically, have the political power to use Britain's nuclear weapons.
In simple terms, for career expediency, as a way of gaining political power, the Jews are to be blamed as the main instigator of Islamophobia in France and elsewhere. In this view, dating in France at least back to the Dreyfus Affair and the Vichy government during World War II, the Jews are to blame for France's social woes, but not the consistently violent conduct of radical Islamists in their midst.
That bloodthirsty assault [of October 7, 2023] revealed to the Israelis definitively that if they allow an openly murderous terrorist state along Israel's border, it would be about the dumbest thing they could ever do.
The world has moved on. If the Arabs who call themselves Palestinians want to be any acceptable part of it, they would be wise to hurry and join the other nations in a constructive way or risk being left behind.
If Muslims do not like Islamophobia, all they need to stop threatening, attacking, raping and murdering, and the "temperature" could drop overnight.
Historically, Jews generally have not been racist, at least not more than anyone else. They have lived amicably among foreign cultures for centuries, and are certainly not "genocidal." On the contrary, Israel is home to virtually all cultures and all ethnicities.... Modern Israel has never initiated a war against its neighbors. It is not an imperialist or expansionist nation -- in fact, it fought British imperialism. Israel is a country that, for decades, has simply sought a secure peace.
The ways to avoid arrest in London these days, according to British author Douglas Murray, are: "[W]hen first being questioned by a police officer, he should promptly shout 'Jihad, jihad, jihad'. Next he should whip out a sign saying 'Slay the infidel' before rounding it all off with a few cries of 'Intifada'..."
Added to claims by many in the West that Israel's land does not belong to Jews and that they are therefore "settler-colonialists," a fresh strategy of these individuals, seeming to project their own racism, is to label Jews and Israelis as "racist," then couple that defamation with accusations of genocide, just to make their point got across.
These labels are, of course, simply a deceptive tactic to conceal the deep underlying contest over which facts should be allowed to survive much deliberate fog, and probably have their roots in Muslim and Christian religion beliefs. Israel's existence, as the home of Judaism, undoubtedly frustrates the jihadist agenda to establish a caliphate under strict Islamist Sharia law in the region. The long-term Christian calumny against the Jews still seems to exist on many fronts, supposedly for the Jews' refusal to accept Jesus as their messiah and for not having done more to protect him.
These derogatory false accusations heaped upon Jews are nothing new. This is an age-old conflict over "first truths," such as the Biblical version of the Creation as opposed to conflicting versions. The Christian crusades in the Middle Ages to re-take the holy city of Jerusalem and Israel from Islamic control, and to re-establish Judeo-Christianity in its rightful birthplace, has also starkly highlighted the religious character of these endless battles.
Israel's struggle for survival is similar to those events. The preservation of Judaism in its ancestral homeland once again seems to be an issue. Some things just do not change.
In early 2025, in Paris, France, a march by many thousands took place, accompanied by a slew of Palestinian flags and banners. The advertised objective was to protest racism against Muslims – so-called Islamophobia. However, according to the American journalist Ben Cohen:
"[P]erhaps the most egregious aspect of the demonstration was its contemptuous approach to the problem of antisemitism, which has risen precipitously in France, as elsewhere in Europe, in the 18 months that have elapsed since the Hamas mass atrocities in Israel...
"Indeed, the entire event suggested that in order to combat racism, the French far left—a large bloc that won 182 parliamentary seats in last year's legislative elections—has embraced Jew-hatred as a strategy."
In simple terms, for career expediency, as a way of gaining political power, the Jews are to be blamed as the main instigator of Islamophobia in France and elsewhere. In this view, dating in France at least back to the Dreyfus Affair and the Vichy government during World War II, the Jews are to blame for France's social woes, but not the consistently violent conduct of radical Islamists in their midst. If Muslims do not like Islamophobia, all they need is to stop threatening, attacking, raping and murdering (and here, here and here), and the "temperature" could drop overnight.
Cohen continues:
"The unmistakable message delivered by the Paris march against racism, along with satellite marches in other French cities, was this: Jews are not allies; Jews fabricate claims of bigotry and discrimination against them; and Jews are guilty of perpetrating a 'genocide' against Palestinians rooted in 'Zionist ideology.'"
In reality it is the Palestinians who time and again attack the Jews (here, here , here and here) and promise to in the future.
After Vice-President J. D. Vance's pointed lecture to Europeans in early 2025 at the 61st Munich Security Conference, accusing "European leaders of suppressing free speech and censorship," one wonders who would now proclaim Europe the land of the free. No doubt, few Jews in the UK, Germany, Sweden or France would agree they can publicly pursue their religion freely in those countries.
In Europe, charges of disturbing the public order apparently apply only to pro-life, conservative, family orientated Judeo-Christians, in pursuit of their religion and normal life – not against vociferous Islamists and radical leftists crying out, in the name of social justice, for the death of Jews and elimination of Israel.
The ways to avoid arrest in London these days, according to British author Douglas Murray, are:
"[W]hen first being questioned by a police officer, he should promptly shout 'Jihad, jihad, jihad'. Next he should whip out a sign saying 'Slay the infidel' before rounding it all off with a few cries of 'Intifada'... Had [Montgomery Toms] followed my advice, the first officer would doubtless have said: 'Very well, sir, please carry on and have a nice day.'"
With mass migration "suffocating Europe," demographics will increasingly lead to Islamists holding pivotal positions in government, particularly in France and the UK. Murray alleges that uncontrolled immigration has put Europe on the verge of "committing suicide":
"[B]y the end of the lifespans of most people currently alive Europe will not be Europe and the peoples of Europe will have lost the only place in the world we had to call home."
According to Edward Cranswick:
"Murray cites the results of the 2011 census as showing that only 44.9 per cent of London residents now identified themselves as 'white British' and that 'nearly three million people in England and Wales were living in households where not one adult spoke English as their main language.' He quotes the Oxford demographer David Coleman as saying that, on current trends, within our lifetime 'Britain would become 'unrecognisable to its present inhabitants'".
If you venture out now onto London's Edgeware Road, you might suppose you were in downtown Amman.
The recent statement by London's Muslim mayor, Sadiq Khan, while celebrating Eid in Britain's hallowed Trafalgar Square, heavily criticized Israel:
"More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza as a result of Israel's ongoing military campaign, including more than 15,000 children."
Khan was implying falsely, with inflated Hamas "statistics," that the deaths had been completely unprovoked, and that none of these victims had actually been killed because Hamas was using them as human shields for the exact purpose of inflating the death count so that Israel could be blamed for it. It is not complicated: If you do not want your people killed, do not start a war, especially with Israel.
Khan added:
"These betrayals of humanity should weigh heavily on our collective conscience. But I'm proud that while the international community has chosen to avert its gaze, Londoners have not."
Again, this distortion masks Jew-hatred to accord with the Hamas Covenant, which seeks the death of all Jews:
"The Day of Judgement will not come about until Muslims fight the Jews. When the Jew will hide behind stones and trees, the stones and trees will say, "O Muslims, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him." (related by al-Bukhari and Muslim). — Article 7, 1988 Hamas Covenant.
And the elimination of Israel:
"'Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it' (The Martyr, Imam Hassan al­-Banna, of blessed memory)." — Preamble, 1988 Hamas Covenant.
It is concerning that in the foreseeable future, radical Islamists might, demographically, have the political power to use Britain's nuclear weapons. There are currently 25 Muslim members in the House of Commons, and Islam is already the second-largest religion in England, and the second-largest population group in London. Within the next ten years, Islam will be the dominant religion in the UK. A similar overpowering also appears possible for France.
A few months ago, French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to officially recognize "Palestine" as an independent state. Palestine is not now nor ever was a legitimate state, and the "Palestinian people" were, according to Zoheir Mohsen, a senior official of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), "invented." Israel will not agree to part with its historic lands Judea and Samaria, nor ever again relinquish security control of Gaza and allow another attack like that of October 7, 2023.
The idea of an independent Palestinian state as a "two-state solution" has been overtaken mainly by two events. The first was President Donald Trump's extraordinary Abraham Accords, which created peace between Israel and five nations –- the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, Kosovo and Morocco. The second, and the last straw, was the stomach-turning invasion of Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023. That bloodthirsty assault revealed to the Israelis definitively that if they allow an openly murderous terrorist state along Israel's border, it would be about the dumbest thing they could ever do.
The world has moved on. If the Arabs who call themselves Palestinians want to be any acceptable part of it, they would be wise to hurry and join the other nations in a constructive way or risk being left behind.
Weak Western leaders such as France's Macron and UK's Keir Starmer are quickly sinking into irrelevance.
Sundry forces who hate Jews – an ancient hatred most likely based on projection, jealousy and the fatal assumption that Jews are weak – are probably soon to be under criminal investigation.
Even Jewish children do not seem to be immune from being targeted by this pervasive hatred. In June, three young, high-achieving, siblings were expelled from a prestigious private school in Virginia because they complained about constant anti-Semitic bullying. The other students allegedly taunted them for being "Israeli," and "categorized Jews as 'baby killers,' saying they deserved to die because of what is happening in Gaza." The report adds that students told one of the three "that everyone at the school is against Jews and Israel, which is why they hate you."
When the parents complained, the principal sent an email stating that all three students were "expelled, effective immediately." He blamed the children themselves and their parents. He wrote:
"[Y]ou have a profound lack of trust in both me and the school and I do not see a path forward without trust, understanding and cooperation. In our meeting, I felt very clearly that you do not think Nysmith is the right school for your family, and the longer we try to ignore that reality, the more pain it will cause your children."
Such is the dark atmosphere for Jews. They have to face constant hatred, even in "the land of the brave and home of the free." Regrettably, such is the success of pro-Islamic and both left- and right-wing propaganda in the West that Jews will apparently continue to be unjustly blamed for all that is wrong with the world, at least for the near future.
Historically, Jews generally have not been racist, at least not more than anyone else. They have lived amicably among foreign cultures for centuries, and are certainly not "genocidal." On the contrary, Israel is home to virtually all cultures and all ethnicities. Israel's Arabs and Christians are offered mostly the same benefits as Israel's Jews, with the exception that, other than Circassians and Druze, they are not required to serve in Israel's armed forces, although they may do so if they choose. Modern Israel has never initiated a war against its neighbors. It is not an imperialist or expansionist nation -- in fact, it fought British imperialism. Israel is a country that, for decades, has simply sought a secure peace.
**Nils A. Haug is an author and columnist. A Lawyer by profession, he is member of the International Bar Association, the National Association of Scholars, the Academy of Philosophy and Letters. Dr. Haug holds a Ph.D. in Apologetical Theology and is author of 'Politics, Law, and Disorder in the Garden of Eden – the Quest for Identity'; and 'Enemies of the Innocent – Life, Truth, and Meaning in a Dark Age.' His work has been published by First Things Journal, The American Mind, Quadrant, Minding the Campus, Gatestone Institute, National Association of Scholars, Jewish Journal, James Wilson Institute (Anchoring Truths), Jewish News Syndicate, Tribune Juive, Document Danmark, and many others.
© 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.

Ottoman Deceit and the Manufactured Phenomenon of “Arab Tribes”
Colonel Charbel Barakat/July 21/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/07/145455/
LCCC Editor’s Introduction: The Ottoman Scheme Behind the Brotherhood Jihadists – The Case of Ahmad Al-Sharaa
The so-called “Arab Tribes” movement now emerging in Syria is not a spontaneous grassroots development but part of a broader Islamist revival tied to the ambitions of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the enduring legacy of the Ottoman Empire. This movement echoes the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood—a political tool originally forged by the Ottoman Sultanate to suppress rising Arab nationalism. Syrian jihadist figure Ahmad al-Sharaa is one of many ideological descendants of this Ottoman-Brotherhood vision, shaped and sustained by Erdoğan’s neo-Ottoman project to resurrect the Caliphate, expand Turkish geopolitical influence, and weaponize disenfranchised Muslim communities across the Middle. Below is a critical analysis by Colonel Charbel Barakat, dated July 21, 2025, which deconstructs the roots, strategy, and real objectives behind this so-called “Arab Tribes” force now being projected in the Syrian landscape.
A Fabricated Force, Not a Grassroots Movement
During the Syrian conflict that began with the revolution against Assad’s regime in 2012 and lasted until its collapse last year, no organized fighting group called “the Arab Tribes” ever emerged—despite the fact that Syria’s desert regions have long been home to numerous Bedouin tribes and nomadic communities.
Even during the rise of ISIS—a group that operated across Syria and Iraq and was largely composed of criminals who collaborated both with Assad and his Iranian backers, as well as with jihadist factions like Jabhat al-Nusra—there was no mention of an ideologically or militarily coherent “tribal” force. Many ISIS fighters were radicalized individuals from Western countries, drawn in by clerics preaching hatred, backwardness, and violence under a false religious justification that contradicts even the basic principles of Islam, which call for justice and the protection of all people’s rights. Rather than seeking education or productive work, these militants devoted themselves to destruction. Some tribal groups did cooperate with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) or with Western coalition forces based in Syria. However, none emerged as a nationwide, ideologically unified force shaping Syria’s future—contrary to the narrative being promoted today.
The Revival of an Ottoman Strategy
Today, amidst the ongoing power struggles in Damascus and disputes over who will control post-Assad Syria, a well-coordinated media campaign is promoting the emergence of a so-called “Arab Tribes” force. This force, far from being organic or representative, has no connection to the Druze stronghold of Jabal al-Arab (Mount Druze) or the city of Suwayda. Instead, it appears to be a tactical coalition of jihadist factions attempting to suppress the Druze community, which has called for special political status and a meaningful role in national decision-making. Their goal is not dominance, but partnership—a concept deeply threatening to the neo-imperial strategies at play. The “Arab Tribes” narrative is a smokescreen. It distracts from the real campaign: a neo-Ottoman strategy to eliminate pluralism and dissent in Syria. This new force draws ideological energy from the remnants of the Muslim Brotherhood—the same organization once nurtured by the Ottoman Caliphate to counter Egyptian reformer Mohamad Ali Bacha’s modernization. Now, Erdoğan is resurrecting the Brotherhood as a proxy tool to expand Turkish influence across Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia. By manipulating Turkish diasporas, exploiting impoverished Muslim refugees, and inserting religious-political networks, Erdoğan’s regime is laying the groundwork for a modern Caliphate dressed in nationalist clothing.
Erdoğan’s Expansionist Vacuum vs. Iran’s Retreat
In the wake of recent devastating Israeli military strikes, Iran’s ability to project power and revive its own imperial Persian dream has significantly diminished. This has opened a strategic vacuum—one Erdoğan is eager to fill. Using the Palestinian cause as propaganda once again, Erdoğan positions his expansionist drive as a righteous struggle. Just as the old “Zionist threat” narrative paralyzed Arab political development, today’s rebranding of the conflict as one between “Arab Tribes” and “Zionist agents” is designed to divert attention from Erdoğan’s neo-imperialist aims—especially in Syria, where he has made major political and financial investments.
Targeting the Druze: A Calculated Escalation
Erdoğan’s proxies now seek to frame the post-Assad regime as Islamist and Brotherhood-aligned, stoking sectarian tensions and fostering instability. This includes targeting the Druze community after the collapse of the Alawite regime in the coastal regions, while maintaining a tactical truce with the Kurds in the north.Druze communities in Jabal al-Arab are being falsely accused of collaboration with Israel, simply because Druze in the occupied Syrian Golan maintain close ties with their kin in Israel’s Galilee. This cynical narrative provides Erdoğan’s media machine with a convenient pretext to inflame Arab public opinion against them, using the specter of “Zionist collaboration.” This tactic mirrors the emotional manipulation witnessed during the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation, when Arab masses were blindly provoked—without regard for the devastating consequences inflicted on Palestinians themselves, especially the civilians of Gaza.
The Trap of Populist Propaganda
The greatest tragedy today is that those who claim to be visionaries are blindly following the logic of the mob. Can we really fault the public, when Erdoğan’s propaganda machine—still aided by the ideological remnants of Iran’s collapsing regime—is executing a tightly organized campaign of manipulation?
This echoes past betrayals, such as when Soviet-backed Turkish officers in the early 20th century succeeded in turning Arab nationalists under Faisal against their British and French allies, leading to missed opportunities for long-term cooperation and stability.
A Stark Warning to Arab Moderates
Caught between Erdoğan’s aggressive expansionism and the hesitancy of Arab moderates—who represent the only hope for a new, cooperative Middle East built on partnership with Israel—the Druze of Suwayda risk becoming a sacrificial pawn. If Arab leadership fails to grasp the importance of protecting societal diversity and confronting both religious and secular totalitarian ideologies, they may soon find themselves incapable of stopping the resurgence of expansionist empires—empires that seek to rise again at their expense.

How ‘catastrophic’ Latakia wildfires deepened Syrians’ suffering
ANAN TELLO/Arab News/July 21, 2025
LONDON: Wildfires swept across Syria’s northwestern Latakia province this month, scorching more than 16,000 hectares of forest and farmland, damaging 45 villages, displacing thousands of civilians, and fragmenting the fragile livelihoods of rural communities.
On July 2, fast-moving fires erupted in the mountainous, densely wooded northern countryside of Latakia, escalating rapidly into a full-blown emergency. Fueled by extreme temperatures, dry conditions, and strong seasonal winds, the fires surged across rugged terrain with little resistance. After nearly two weeks of relentless burning, Syrian authorities declared the fires fully contained on July 15. Firefighting crews from Turkiye, Iraq, Lebanon, Qatar and Jordan joined Syrian civil defense units in the battle to control the flames, which raged through difficult-to-access forested highlands. At a joint press conference, Latakia Governor Mohammad Othman and Emergency and Disaster Management Minister Raed Al-Saleh outlined the formidable challenges crews faced. These included landmines, unexploded ordnance, winds exceeding 60 kph, and an absence of firebreaks after years of forest neglect. Although the flames have been extinguished, the crisis is far from over. “The flames are gone, but the mission has just begun,” Al-Saleh said, cautioning that the long-term effects of the fires could endure for years. Recovery efforts are now focused on rehabilitating burned land and aiding thousands of displaced families. The fire’s aftermath has compounded an already dire humanitarian crisis in a region battered by more than a decade of war and economic collapse. Entire harvests — a vital source of food and income — have been lost, and returning residents find their homes and farms reduced to ashes. Among the most severely affected areas are Qastal Maaf, Rabeea, Zinzaf, Al-Ramadiyah, Beer Al-Qasab, Al-Basit and Kassab, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
“The humanitarian situation is catastrophic,” said Rima Darious, a Belgium-based activist who is in close contact with communities in the affected areas. “In general, there is extreme poverty in these villages, and people largely live off their land.”She said houses were destroyed and entire livelihoods wiped out. In Kassab, an Armenian-populated town, “the apple, peach, and nectarine orchards were incinerated,” she said. “After the displacement, there’s nothing left for them. “Across Latakia’s mountains, people depend on the harvest — they sell it to survive the whole year. They grow vegetables to feed themselves. Now that the crops have burned, it’s a devastating crisis. A disaster.”
By July 7 — just five days into the fires — SARD, a Syrian NGO assisting in the response, cited official estimates that about 5,000 people had been affected, with more than 1,120 displaced. Urgent needs include temporary shelter, clean drinking water, emergency food, hygiene and medical kits, respiratory aid, and psychosocial support. Darious also warned of a looming hunger emergency. “We’re going to witness a level of hunger never seen before,” she said, adding that widespread damage to beehives — an essential part of local agriculture — has already led to soaring honey prices. In addition to farming, many locals rely on seasonal tourism. “That source of income is gone too,” she said. “Who’s going to visit a burned forest or mountain? No tourism. No agriculture.”
Despite the scale of destruction, formal relief is limited. “There are no serious efforts to help the affected families — only individual initiatives,” Darious said. “Some local groups are trying to assist specific cases that are worse off than others.”Compounding the tragedy, the fires were not merely a natural disaster. On July 3, the militant group Ansar Al-Sunnah claimed responsibility for deliberately starting the fires in the Qastal Maaf mountains.
The group said in a statement its intent was to forcibly displace members of the Alawite sect — an ethno-religious community historically aligned with the Assad regime, although many of its members have lived in poverty for decades. The arson is a chilling escalation in Syria’s ongoing instability, transforming environmental destruction into a weapon of sectarian violence. With villages burned, communities uprooted, and essential industries devastated, the damage extends far beyond ecological loss, deepening the schisms in Syrian society.
The attack followed a surge of violence in March in Syria’s coastal provinces, particularly in Latakia and Tartus‎, where clashes erupted between Assad loyalists and transitional opposition forces. The conflict quickly escalated into sectarian bloodshed.
Human rights observers reported summary executions and house raids in which attackers selected victims based on religious affiliation. Entire Alawite families were reportedly killed, underscoring the deliberate and systematic nature of the violence.
Since then, sectarian tensions have continued to spread. In other parts of the country, Christian communities have faced renewed violence and rising insecurity. High-profile incidents include a deadly bombing at Mar Elias Church in Damascus in June and a wave of arson attacks on Christian homes and churches in Suweida. In mid-July, the southern city of Suweida and surrounding areas endured intense clashes between Druze militias and Bedouin tribal fighters. Urban gun battles and retaliatory attacks left more than 300 dead in just two days. Meanwhile in Latakia, as the smoke begins to clear, displaced families are returning to what little remains. “People left their homes briefly due to the fire and then returned once it was contained,” said Marwan Al-Rez, head of the Mart volunteer team that supported civil defense and firefighting efforts. “Qastal Maaf was completely burned down. Its people were displaced again — some had only recently returned after the fall of the regime.”
Indeed, OCHA reported that many of the hardest-hit areas were predominantly communities of returning refugees. After the fires, returns have slowed significantly, with a noticeable decline even at the still-operational Kassab border crossing. Qastal Maaf, a subdistrict of Latakia, comprises 19 localities and had a population close to 17,000 in 2004, according to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics. While the town itself is majority Sunni, surrounding villages are largely Alawite, highlighting the region’s complex sectarian makeup.
On July 9, the UN Satellite Centre released a fire damage assessment based on satellite imagery from a day earlier. The analysis identified burn scars in Qastal Maaf, Rabeea and Kassab — the first satellite overview of the extent of the fire.
Using WorldPop data and mapping the affected zones, UNOSAT estimated that approximately 5,500 people lived in or near the fire-affected areas. About 2,400 buildings may have been exposed to the flames. UNOSAT stressed that these figures were preliminary and had not yet been validated through on-the-ground assessments at the time of publication.
The physical and environmental toll is staggering.
“Some agricultural lands in Kassab were completely burned,” Al-Rez said. “These were lush with trees — those were lost too.” Civil defense responders also suffered, with injuries including fractures and smoke inhalation. The fires spread across more than 40 ignition points in the Jabal Al-Akrad and Jabal Turkmen regions, near the Turkish border, according to OCHA. This proximity triggered cross-border aerial firefighting efforts.
Efforts to contain the fires were hampered by high winds, soaring temperatures, and more than a decade of war-related damage. “Excessive winds, high temperatures, and prolonged drought conditions have created a runaway disaster with no signs of slowing down,” said Abdulkarim Ekzayez, Syria country director for Action for Humanity, on July 6. Further complicating the mission were “14 years’ worth of unexploded remnants of war — landmines and bombs — that litter the country, threatening the lives of both emergency response crews and civilians evacuating,” Ekzayez added. Action for Humanity sent teams to deliver water and fuel and to coordinate volunteers, who provided food and helped evacuate residents overcome by heat or smoke.
“The fire was spreading uncontrollably,” Al-Rez said. “It would leap across valleys and mountains, burning entire peaks in half an hour. Helicopters were the only way to reach many places. “It was a terrifying and awe-inspiring sight,” he added, describing how entire mountainsides lit up in minutes. Alongside these organizations, the Red Crescent and Syrian American Medical Society were among several aid groups mobilized to assist.
Beyond the human toll, the fires have wrecked Syria’s ecosystems. “The consequences of the fires are severe for both humans and the environment,” Majd Suleiman, head of the Forestry Directorate, told local media. Syria’s forests are home to aromatic trees used in industry and to shelter wildlife. They also play a role in regulating rainfall, humidity and temperatures.
Images and reports on social and traditional media show the broader ecological devastation — charred landscapes littered with dead deer, ducks, turtles and other animals.
As Syria begins the long process of recovery, the wildfires have laid bare the interconnected crises of conflict, climate and displacement, turning a seasonal hazard into a multifaceted catastrophe.

Selected Tweets for 20 July/2025
Ambassador Tom Barrack
@USAMBTurkiye
President Trump’s decision to lift sanctions was a principled step, offering the Syrian people a chance to move beyond years of unimaginable suffering and atrocities. The international community has largely rallied behind the nascent Syrian government, watching with cautious optimism as it seeks to transition from a legacy of pain to a future of hope. Yet, this fragile ambition is now overshadowed by profound shock, as brutal acts by warring factions on the ground undermine the government’s authority and disrupt any semblance of order. All factions must immediately lay down their arms, cease hostilities, and abandon cycles of tribal vengeance. Syria stands at a critical juncture—peace and dialogue must prevail—and prevail now.

Ambassador Tom Barrack
Escalating hostilities can only be contained with an agreement to pause violence, protect the innocent, allow humanitarian access, and step back from danger. As of 17:00 Damascus time, all parties have navigated to a pause and cessation of hostilities. The next foundation stone on a path to inclusion, and lasting de-escalation, is a complete exchange of hostages and detainees, the logistics of which are in process. #Peace #Dialogue #Deescalation

Yehuda Lion
@Yehuda_Lion_1
I say it again I stand wholeheartedly with our Druze Brothers and Sisters in Suwayda and with Druze all over the world 🇮🇱
I know you are facing a very hard time, I know you are scared and feeling down, since the international community and the world left you alone to face ISIS and I also know how hard it is to lose so many people of your own in a single day; we lost 1,200 innocent pure Jewish souls in a single day on October 7th, that’s why we understand exactly how you are feeling now. So I need you to know that you are not alone and as you saw, see and will always see that Jews not only in Israel, but all over the world stand with you and will always support you no matter what . No matter how much pressure the whole world will put on Israel, we will always stand by your side and defend you against the most evil creatures on earth these ISIS thugs. Stay strong and courageous! Together we will win, because G-d is on our side and as our legendary King David once said
Tehillim (Psalms) 118:6
ה׳ לִי לֹא אִירָא מַה יַּעֲשֶׂה לִי אָדָם
“HaShem (G‑d) is with me, I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
G-d bless Am Yisrael  and Bani Marouf  Much love

Walid Abu Haya
Those who were slaughtered, raped, burned, humiliated, and attacked in their homes are the victims! What is happening in the Al-Suwayda Governorate is the result of wild incitement and months of threats by the radical Islamic terrorist organizations , controlled, backed and fully supported by the new Islamic regime of Al-Sharaa! In Syria, there is one known and brutal side - the Islamic terrorist groups affiliated with Al Qaeda, led by Al-Julani! They slaughtered Alawites first, and now is the Druze turn! Reimpose the sanctions on Syria and stop embracing him!

Hussain Abdul-Hussain
30 Druze at the White House called on the world to stop the massacre against the Druze in #Syria. These same Druze showed up to all the protests that called on the world to stop Assad's massacres against the Sunnis of Homs, Hama, Aleppo, Darayya, etc.
Where are all the Sunnis to reciprocate?Islamism is a disease.

Hussain Abdul-Hussain
13 years ago, I took my boy to the White House to shout for an Arab Spring in #Syria, for liberty and democracy for all Syrians.
Had I known that 14 years of emotional and intellectual investment in ejecting bloody Assad would get Syria bloody Jolani and Islamists in his stead, I'd have stayed away.

Zéna Mansour
Urgent Int Atten to address HRts concerns
In Gaza violence, Sunni civilians faced harm & loss, with minimal response from Sunni tribes. Now they're mobilizing against Druze citizens in Syria seeking protection from extremist violence.

Elie Abouaoun
First Lebanese from Bedouin tribes
laid to rest after dying in Sweida, and fighters crossed the border in response to the mobilization callز Honestly, I don't understand: Is Lebanon a charity organization or an independent country? A war between Bashar and the opposition leads to funerals of Lebanese youth in Nabatieh, Bint Jbeil, Baalbek, Nabi Chit, and Dahiyeh. And now, barbaric attacks on the Druzes in southern Syria started leading tofunerals of Lebanese youth in Wadi Khaled. And it looks like it's just the beginning. Mind your own damn business, folks. I haven't seen anyone come and die defending Lebanon.

wassim Godfrey
Like I was with the syrian sunnies against their terrorist regime I'm with druze now u can't have double standards opinions when it comes to slaughtering civilians no matter what is their religions its bias barbaric hypocrisy radical extremism not modern arabisim

Hadeel Oueis هديل عويس
Syrian Islamists murdered Evangelical Pastor Khaled Mazhar—along with his entire family..The pastor is a former Druze who peacefully converted to Christianity, he lived among the Druze community in Suwayda, preaching love & faith—until they slaughtered him. #Suwayda

Dr. Reda Mansour
To all the jihadists in the Middle East and their supporters in the West:
Druze Never Lose
1000 years of surviving religious persecution, and we are still standing.

Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران
https://x.com/i/status/1946731848039551346
Medical equipment and essential aid arrived at the National Hospital in Suwayda via a U.S. helicopter. The shipment was reportedly delivered from areas controlled by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Syrian government-aligned accounts claim it came from Israel.

Marco Rubio
The U.S. has remained heavily involved over the last three days with Israel, Jordan and authorities in Damascus on the horrifying & dangerous developments in southern Syria.
The rape and slaughter of innocent people which has and is still occuring must end.
If authorities in Damascus want to preserve any chance of achieving a unified, inclusive and peaceful Syria free of ISIS and of Iranian control they must help end this calamity by using their security forces to prevent ISIS and any other violent jihadists from entering the area and carrying out massacres. And they must hold accountable and bring to justice anyone guilty of atrocities including those in their own ranks. Furthermore the fighting between Druze and Bedouin groups inside the perimeter must also stop immediately.

makram rabah
The ongoing task of explaining the plight of the Druze in Suwayda is not just about preserving memory—it’s about mobilizing conscience. A proud community, rooted in centuries of resistance and dignity, now faces massacres and siege, with little global attention.
We must amplify their voices and demand justice.
#Suwayda #Druze #HumanRights #MiddleEast #SpeakUp

Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Syria's self-proclaimed President Sharaa, formerly Jolani of Al-Qaeda, isn't building a new Syrian state or government. He's using them as an excuse to subdue others and establish his Islamist autocracy. Ceasefire and de-escalation are mere mental gymnastics.

Shadi khalloul שאדי ח'לול
I am an Israeli Catholic, part of the ancient Aramaic Christian Maronite community, and there’s nowhere I would rather live in the Middle East than Israel. Guess why? Because I enjoy freedom of worship, democracy, human rights, and dignity. If I need something, I ask for it according to the law, without fear. Israel is safe for us. While under Islamist regimes (like all other Arab regimes) Christians are oppressed, suffer, and migrate. Their lands and businesses are confiscated and taken by Arab Bedouins supported by Arab entities like the PLO, as happens in Bethlehem.
If in Israel a Jewish extremist (very rare) insults you or spits on you, they are punished. In Arab countries, this same behavior would be encouraged by the state. See the difference?
The majority of our people in Israel prefer to stay under the Jewish democratic state of Israel, not under any other form of Arab colonialism.
God bless Israel!

Marc Zell
Col. (IDF area.) Anan Wahabi just shared the following message and asked me send it to
@POTUS
“1. The Suwaida debacle was and remains a major setback for the Trump Administration’s Middle East policy. Trump's policy. [Col. Wahabi believes that Special Envoy for Syria Thomas]. Barrack must be blamed for it and removed from his Syria post.
2. Failure to do will create a huge political risk for President Trump in that there will be more news about Christian deaths at the hands of Jolani's ISIS forces.”

Zéna Mansour ||
Mr President
@POTUS
The alleged fatwa permitting capture of Druze women constitutes a violation of human dignity & int law. We respectfully request that the US Congress & the Sec Council take immediate notice & action, as inaction may intensify further atrocities.