English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For July 25/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s
life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.”
Saint John 15/09-14:”As the Father has loved me, so I have loved
you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said
these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be
complete. ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved
you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s
friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.”
Titles For The
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on July 24-25/2025
In Syria, the Ruler Changed but the Regime Remained... Turkey Replaced
Iran/Elias Bejjani/July 24/2025
The jihadist Ottoman Erdogan controls Al-Julani and poses a threat to the Arabs,
their states, and rulers./Elias Bejjani/July 23/2025
Video Link to the Third and Final Episode of the Memoirs of Former Minister Elie
Salem – Produced, Hosted, and Moderated by Distinguished Journalist Antoine Saad
Wave of Israeli airstrikes targets Iqlim al-Tuffah heights, area between Ansar
and al-Zrariyeh
Barrack says Israel decides deadline given to Lebanon, not US
Barrack tells Lebanese MPs and ministers to seek peace with Israel
What is the 'gradual' solution that Lebanon has proposed to Barrack?
Report: US paper gives Lebanon 90 days for arms handover
Aoun: Lebanon is fine, no return to rhetoric of war
US envoy links country’s support to Lebanon enforcing state control over weapons
— statement
Lebanon’s president urges unity to seize Arab support, pledges no more wars
Israeli troops make 800-meter incursion into Houla
Israeli army says struck 'Hezbollah sites' in South Lebanon
Socio-economic impact: Lebanon's post-war collapse
EU announces new €12.5M project to support Lebanese Army
Lebanon's farmers struggle as export markets dry up — and hope is fading
Lebanese intelligence arrests suspected ISIS cell planning attacks on army
Disputed borders and denied towers: Israel pushes back on monitoring plan
Cyprus gets help from Lebanon and other countries in battling huge wildfire
Lost cause? Let the people of Lebanon have their say/Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab
News/July 24, 2025
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on July 24-25/2025
US envoy Tom Barrack set to meet Israeli, Syrian ministers: Report
Syrian, Israeli ministers to attend US-brokered meeting in Paris
Iran defends ‘unshakable’ right to enrich uranium ahead of key talks
Israel and US recall teams from Gaza truce talks
Hamas says French pledge to recognize State of Palestine ‘positive step’
Starmer says Britain, France, Germany to hold Gaza ‘emergency call’ on Friday
Former guard says Gaza Humanitarian Foundation contractors opened fire at
civilians at aid sites
Woman charged with plotting to kill Netanyahu: Prosecutors
Pregnant Palestinian journalist killed in Israeli strike
France will recognize State of Palestine: Macron
Saudi Arabia welcomes Macron announcement of French recognition of Palestinian
state
Saudi Arabia signs $6.4bn investment deals with Syria to boost reconstruction
Trump presses US central Bank chief to cut rates during tense visit
Hulk Hogan, icon in professional wrestling, dies at age 71
Thailand launches airstrikes on Cambodia as border clashes leave at least 14
dead
Titles For
The Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources
on July 24-25/2025
Syria is
secretly reshaping its economy. The president’s brother is in charge./Timour
Azhari and Feras Dalatey/July 24/2025
Protecting Sudan’s children from war and starvation/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab
News/July 24, 2025
Of law, diplomats and algorithms: A summer night in Techville/Rafael Hernández
de Santiago/Arab News/July 24, 2025
Serious gaps remain in joint GCC-EU security efforts/Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg/Arab
News/July 24, 2025
Putting Syria back on track/Zaid AlKami/English Al Aabyia/24 July/2025
Selected Tweets for 24 July/2025
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 24-25/2025
In Syria, the Ruler Changed but the Regime Remained... Turkey Replaced Iran
Elias Bejjani/July 24/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/07/145618/
Introduction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKu6wjcGKjM&t=217s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gole3iFLI2U&t=7s
The head changed, but the body remained the same. This summarizes what happened
in Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s barrel-bomb and chemical regime.
The dictatorship was not broken—it merely changed face. The mafia that ruled the
country did not disappear; it was replaced by a more extremist one, led by the
terrorist Ahmad al-Sharaa, known as "al-Jolani", leader of "Hay'at Tahrir
al-Sham" (formerly al-Nusra Front). With Assad’s fall, the authoritarian
structure and security apparatus remained—only the patron changed, from Iran's
mullahs to Erdogan’s Turkey, from Assad's “resistance axis” to Erdogan’s
cross-border Islamist Brotherhood project.
Al-Jolani’s Dictatorship: A New Face of Repression in the Name of Religion
Al-Jolani, who led jihadists in Idlib, quickly rebranded himself as “President”
of the new Syria, under Turkish regional backing and international complicity,
particularly from the West, Israel, and some Gulf states who seem to have traded
the real Syrian revolution for an illusion of "stability."
This illusory "stability" is based on the culture of political Islam, jihadism,
and Salafism, aimed at eliminating opponents, suppressing minorities, and
re-producing dictatorship with a sectarian face. Al-Jolani is forcefully
imposing Sharia law in its Muslim Brotherhood form on Christian areas,
threatening Christians with conversion or violence. The Church of Mar Elias in
Damascus was bombed by one of al-Jolani’s followers, killing dozens. He also
committed mass atrocities against Alawites in Latakia, killing over ten thousand
in a clearly sectarian campaign.
The Kurds, who initially cooperated with al-Jolani, were also betrayed. He
demanded they disarm without guarantees or political participation, repeating
the Brotherhood’s infamous pattern of treachery under Erdogan.
Sweida: An Open Wound
What is happening in Sweida with the Druze continues unabated. Al-Jolani’s
bloody, hateful, and ideologically driven regime did not stop with earlier
massacres around Damascus. He now continues a policy of terror and
assassinations in southern Syria through jihadist death squads and armed Bedouin
militias that he funds and hides behind—with Turkish support—under the pretext
of “rebellion” or “collaboration with Israel.”
Economic Restructuring... Legalized Theft
A shocking investigative report by Reuters on July 24, 2025, revealed how the
president’s brother, Hazem al-Sharaa, is secretly leading a restructuring of
Syria’s economy with the help of an Australian-Lebanese terrorist financier
named Ibrahim Skaria (Abu Maryam), listed under terrorism sanctions.
Together, this shadowy duo is looting billions under the guise of “economic
reforms,” redistributing wealth to corrupt businessmen from the Assad era in
exchange for immunity. The result: institutionalized corruption, legalized
expropriation, and continued security-state dominance under new Islamist
branding.
Over $1.6 billion has been seized from three Assad-era figures, while Hazem al-Sharaa
and his partners now control Syria’s top telecom, oil, and aviation companies.
“Sham Wings” became “Fly Sham” in a suspicious deal, and a new sovereign fund
was created under the presidency, managed exclusively by Hazem—without any
public oversight.
From al-Nusra to the Presidential Palace: The New Caliphate?
Once known as "Abu Mohammad al-Jolani", he is now called “President Ahmad al-Sharaa”,
with his militias embedded in the state under names like “economic committees.”
There is no constitution, no elections, no pluralism. No place for dissent,
minorities, or human rights. Just clerical rule—an Islamic state in civilian
disguise—managed by Erdogan with a green light from the international community.
Erdogan’s Role in Fueling Conflict and Blocking Arab-Israeli Peace
In Syria’s tangled scene, one cannot ignore Erdogan’s destructive role. Like
Iran, he uses similar tools: stirring wars, weakening states, and obstructing
peace. By activating his jihadist proxies in Idlib and northern Syria, Erdogan
stokes conflict among Syrians and between them and minority groups—Druze,
Alawites, Christians, and Kurds—as seen today in Sweida, and previously in Homs,
Afrin, and Ras al-Ayn. This is a deliberate strategy to fragment societies and
make Syria a battleground for his expansionist ambitions. Worse still, these
conflicts serve a broader regional goal: to block normalization between Israel
and Arab states—especially Saudi Arabia’s accession to the Abraham Accords.
Erdogan is replicating Iran’s tactics—just like Hamas did with “Al-Aqsa
Flood”—by using HTS and similar militias to keep the region in permanent unrest,
sabotaging peace. Erdogan’s deep hatred for Arabs is clear. His neo-Ottoman
project aims to deny them the right to decide their future or make peace without
Turkish interference. Like Iran, he exploits the Palestinian issue for political
gain—hypocrisy disguised as solidarity—to expand his power at the expense of
Arab sovereignty and stability.
Erdogan Controls al-Jolani and Threatens the Arab World
It is now obvious—even to the blind and ignorant—that Erdogan, the neo-Ottoman
Islamist, sponsors and controls the jihadist al-Jolani. He is the godfather of
the Muslim Brotherhood and their protector. In short, all the massacres
committed in Syria—against Christians, Druze, Alawites, Kurds, and
freedom-loving free Muslims—are engineered by Erdogan to pave the way for his
Islamist-Turkish domination of the region.
Assad Is Gone... But the Regime Remains
Let it be said plainly: Assad is gone, but the regime remains. It has only been
rebranded—with more extremist Islamism. Repression remains. Sectarianism
remains. The politicized economy remains—but with new faces and new flags. The
revolution did not win—it was aborted. Syria was not liberated—it was
re-occupied. Not by Iran this time, but by Turkey. The only difference is that
al-Jolani speaks in the name of “Islamic moderation” instead of “resistance.”
Conclusion: Syria Caught Between Two Jaws – The Countdown Begins
Syria is no longer a state. It is a farm run by a former jihadist under the name
of al-Sharaa. The greatest danger is that this regime—which combines Assad’s
corruption, al-Qaeda’s extremism, and the Muslim Brotherhood’s cunning—could
spark an even greater explosion.
Druze are bleeding, Christians are threatened, Alawites are slaughtered, Kurds
are targeted, and the world watches under the banner of “reconstruction
opportunity.”
This is the farce of the century—and Syria is its first victim.
The jihadist Ottoman Erdogan controls Al-Julani and poses a threat to the Arabs,
their states, and rulers.
Elias Bejjani/July 23/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/07/145583/
It has become evident—even to the blind and the
ignorant—that Ottoman Erdogan is the sponsor and master of the jihadist Al-Julani,
the puppet ruler of Syria, the godfather of the Muslim Brotherhood, and their
protector.
In conclusion, all the massacres committed in Syria against the Syrian people,
Druze, Muslims, Alewives and Christians aim, at their core are orchestrated by
Erdogan, to enable Turkey to dominate the countries of the region.
Video Link to the
Third and Final Episode of the Memoirs of Former Minister Elie Salem – Produced,
Hosted, and Moderated by Distinguished Journalist Antoine Saad
July 24, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/07/145337/
In this final episode, Elie Salem focuses on revealing the efforts and
initiatives aimed at reaching a consensus on the constitutional reforms
necessary to end Lebanon’s long civil war. These reforms later served as the
foundational basis for drafting the Taif National Accord in 1989.
Wave of Israeli
airstrikes targets Iqlim al-Tuffah heights, area between Ansar and al-Zrariyeh
Naharnet/July 24/2025
A wave of Israeli airstrikes targeted the Iqlim al-Tuffah heights and the area
between Ansar and al-Zrariyeh in south Lebanon on Thursday evening, with the
Israeli army claiming that the strikes hit "Hezbollah military sites, including
arms depots and a rocket launchpad."The violent strikes, which have become
frequent in recent months, came a day after U.S. envoy Tom Barrack departed
Lebanon after a three-day visit in which he discussed the thorny issue of
Hezbollah's disarmament amid Israel's continued occupation of five hills in
south Lebanon and its daily assassinations against suspected Hezbollah
operatives. Earlier in the day, one person was killed in an Israeli drone strike
on a pickup truck in the border town of Aita al-Shaab.An Israeli drone also
fired two missiles on a forest area in the outskirts of the southern town of
Beit Leef, sparking a blaze.
Barrack says Israel decides deadline given to Lebanon, not
US
Naharnet/July 24/2025
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has warned that Lebanon’s failure to take tangible steps
toward disarming Hezbollah would lead to perpetuating the current situation
which involves airstrikes in the South and drones over Beirut, Asharq al-Awsat
newspaper reported. Barrack, however, said that he is optimistic about the
ongoing deliberations, claiming that Israel has no territorial ambitions in
Lebanon. The U.S. envoy voiced his remarks in a meeting with a small number of
journalists prior to departing Beirut. Noting that if Israel had a desire to
swallow Lebanon, it would have done that in the blink of an eye, Barrack
stressed that this is not Israel’s desire. Adding that Lebanon has an
opportunity, the U.S. envoy said even Hezbollah has a chance to reach a deal
with Israel and that he would have told them that if he could talk to them.
Suggesting that an Iran-U.S. deal is very likely, Barrack said such an agreement
would have requirements related to Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis. The U.S.
envoy also made sarcastic comments regarding the occupied Shebaa Farms, saying
he thought they resembled a Kentucky horse farm and the most beautiful piece of
land anyone has seen. “What are they fighting over? I didn’t understand and I
still don’t totally get it … This is a land of no value,” Asharq al-Awsat quoted
Barrack as saying.
Barrack tells Lebanese MPs and ministers to seek peace with
Israel
Naharnet/July 24/2025
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has told Lebanese MPs and ministers in his meetings in
Beirut that the U.S. cannot give guarantees to Lebanon in return for Hezbollah’s
disarmament, al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Thursday.“I’m convinced that
Hezbollah’s weapons are present in depots and do not represent any danger, but
we cannot convince Israel of this,” the daily quoted Barrack as saying.
Encouraging MPs and ministers to seek a peace treaty with Israel, Barrack told
them that Israel wants to live in peace and does not have expansionist
ambitions, al-Akhbar said. Explaining U.S. President Donald Trump’s vision for
the Abraham peace accords between Israel and Arab nations, Barrack called on the
Lebanese officials to “seize the chance” and “go to peace,” the daily added.
Acknowledging that the sectarian massacres in Syria’s Sweida have impeded the
negotiations course in Lebanon and the region, Barrack said Washington’s
priority at the moment is Syria and its security situations, admitting that the
situations in Syria gave a “legitimate” excuse to Hezbollah to be afraid of
Syria’s Islamist rulers, al-Akhbar said.
What is the 'gradual' solution that Lebanon has proposed to
Barrack?
Naharnet/July 24/2025
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has received from Lebanon a “serious proposal” calling
for a “gradual” solution for the thorny issue of Hezbollah’s arms, media reports
said on Thursday. “Lebanon has demanded a halt to all forms of Israeli attacks,
Israel’s withdrawal from two points as a first step from the points it occupies
in south Lebanon, in return for the Lebanese state finalizing the file of the
monopolization of arms over six months. The proposal also includes other
detailed points,” the reports said.“Pending the Israeli response to this
proposal, with which Barrack dealt positively, negotiations are still ongoing,
amid harmony over Lebanon’s stance among the president, the speaker, the prime
minister and the concerned political forces,” the reports added.
Report: US paper gives Lebanon 90 days for arms handover
Naharnet/July 24/2025
The U.S. paper delivered to Lebanon by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack calls for a
two-stage solution for Hezbollah’s arms, a media report said. “The first stage,
with a 90-day duration, is dedicated to the process of handing over the weapons
in a complete and organized manner,” the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on
Thursday. “The second stage, with a 30-day duration, would see Lebanon being put
on the ‘track of solutions,’ which stands for integrating it into an
international course that guarantees its stability,” the daily added.
Aoun: Lebanon is fine, no return to rhetoric of war
Naharnet/July 24/2025
President Joseph Aoun said Thursday that Lebanon is “at a pivotal crossroads,
which might be fateful,” adding that “our unity, cooperation and solidarity are
essential in order for us to confront all challenges.”“The lethal mistake that
the Lebanese committed in the past was relying on foreign forces against local
parties and we witnessed the repercussions of this matter. I want to rely on my
partner and brother inside the country against all foreign forces,” Aoun said in
a Baabda meeting with Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan.“Lebanon is fine and
there will be no return to the rhetoric of war,” the president added.
US envoy links country’s support to Lebanon enforcing state
control over weapons — statement
LBCI/July 24/2025
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack reaffirmed Washington’s firm stance on Hezbollah during a
recent visit to Beirut, underscoring that the issue of the group’s weapons
remains a Lebanese responsibility. “Hezbollah is an issue that must be resolved
by the Lebanese themselves,” Barrack said in a statement, reiterating that the
United States believes Hezbollah poses a challenge that only Lebanon’s
government can confront. He stressed that Washington stands ready to support
Lebanon if its leaders commit to enforcing the state’s exclusive right to bear
arms, emphasizing that “only the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) has the
constitutional authority to operate within its borders.”Echoing U.S. Secretary
of State Marco Rubio’s stance, Barrack highlighted the American goal of seeing
“a strong Lebanese state that can take on and disarm Hezbollah.”The envoy also
made clear that Washington draws no line between Hezbollah’s political and
military wings. While recognizing the LAF as “the sole legitimate national
military institution and a pillar of Lebanon’s sovereignty,” Barrack called on
Lebanese leaders and the army to show “resolve and political will” to “seize a
new chance for a future free from the grip of Hezbollah,” quoting U.S. President
Donald Trump. He concluded by affirming U.S. support: “On that path, the United
States will stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Lebanon.”
Lebanon’s president urges unity to seize Arab support, pledges no more wars
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/July 24, 2025
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday warned that his country
cannot endure another war, stressing that national unity and Arab cooperation
are key to Lebanon’s recovery. “The Lebanese can no longer withstand any
additional war,” Aoun said, as he urged leaders to reject divisions and foreign
meddling, and instead harness growing regional support to rebuild the nation. He
was speaking to a delegation of prominent Sunni religious leaders headed by
Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian at the Republican Palace.The president
condemned what he termed Lebanon’s historical “fatal error” —seeking foreign
backing against domestic opponents. “We all saw the devastating consequences of
this approach,” Aoun said. “Instead, I want to strengthen partnerships with my
brothers and allies domestically to counter external threats, regardless of
their source.”
Aoun cited Israel as exemplifying the divide-and-conquer strategy that, he said,
Lebanon must resist through internal unity. “Our cohesion confronts this
approach and addresses all challenges,” he said. The president gave reassurances
about the country’s future, saying that “Lebanon is secure, and we will not
return to warfare rhetoric. Our framework is Lebanon itself, destined only for
stability and prosperity.”Fresh from diplomatic talks in Manama, where Bahrain’s
King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa on Wednesday announced plans for a permanent
diplomatic mission in Beirut, Aoun praised recent interfaith coordination that
prevented regional tensions from destabilizing Lebanon. Highlighting the
emerging opportunities for Lebanon’s recovery, his call was to seize the support
offered by Lebanon’s regional neighbors.
“We have tremendous prospects ahead of us. You witness how our Arab brothers are
extending their hands and approaching us. We must capitalize on these chances
and transform our nation’s circumstances.”He commended the collaboration between
Mufti Derian and the Druze spiritual leader, Sheikh Aql Sami Abi Al-Mona, during
Syria’s Sweida clashes, calling it evidence of “elevated national consciousness
and profound responsibility.”
The president criticized those “spreading rumors to intimidate citizens against
one another,” while celebrating the dual contributions of Lebanon’s Sunni
community: internal moderation and affirming Lebanon’s Arab identity. Aoun
praised the community’s sacrifices, noting religious and political leaders who
died serving Lebanon, from clerics Sheikh Ahmed Assaf, Mufti Hassan Khaled, and
Mufti Subhi Al-Saleh, to prime ministers Riad Al-Solh, Rashid Karami, and Rafic
Hariri. “No individual possesses the power to eliminate another in Lebanon, nor
does anyone hold superior merit,” Aoun said. “United, we all serve Lebanon’s
interests. Divided, we destroy the entire nation, leaving no protection for
anyone.”Aoun reported significant progress in government reform, claiming
achievements unseen in nearly 15 years — recognition he attributed to
international observers. While acknowledging the absence of quick fixes, he
emphasized making the most of available opportunities.Addressing corruption —
which he identified as Lebanon’s core problem alongside impunity — Aoun vowed
continued action. “Corruption recognizes no boundaries of color, sect, or
denomination,” he concluded. Meanwhile, Mufti Derian expressed deep concern over
the prevailing “fear and anxiety among the Lebanese,” warning that the country
is entering a precarious phase during continued Israeli aggression.
He emphasized that UN Resolution 1701, which brought an end to the 2006 war, has
been implemented solely by the Lebanese side, while Israel has consistently
failed to respect its obligations under the resolution.
The November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was intended to revive
the terms of UN Resolution 1701, which calls for Israeli withdrawal from all
Lebanese territory, a halt to Hezbollah’s military operations near the southern
border, and full control of arms by the Lebanese state. But little progress has
been made. “Even the ceasefire that followed was unilateral, respected and
implemented only by Lebanon. According to what we are witnessing, new agreements
are now being proposed. Let Resolution 1701, which encompasses all relevant
matters, be implemented in full, and let new agreements be dispensed with,”
Mufti Derian said in a call for international accountability.
He added: “The Lebanese people have endured immense hardship in recent years,
facing one crisis after another, and yet they have remained resilient. Today,
more than ever, they need to feel the presence of a state that stands to protect
them.”He reaffirmed support for Aoun in upholding the oath of office, “which we
regard as a vital gateway to rescuing both Lebanon and its people. In this
critical moment, we look to you to help steer the country through uncertainty,
as citizens grow increasingly anxious over the prospect of renewed Israeli
aggression. We stand behind the Arab consensus, whatever all Arabs agree upon,
we support,” Mufti Derian told Aoun. He praised Aoun’s efforts to restore
Lebanon’s influential position in the region, citing his regional visits and the
trust he enjoys among Arab and international partners. He also commended the
president’s commitment to preserve stability among Lebanon’s diverse
communities. “The voice of moderation and centrism must prevail among all
Lebanese,” Derian said, calling for cooperation. Lebanon is facing mounting
international pressure to implement the US plan, which calls for setting a
timetable for the process of restricting arms to the state in implementation of
the ceasefire agreement. US Special Envoy Tom Barrack highlighted the issue on
Wednesday upon his departure from Lebanon after a three-day visit filled with
meetings with Lebanese officials. Barrack confirmed from Beirut airport that
“there is no deadline for this, and your neighbors are the ones who set the
timetable, not the United States,” referring to Israel. On the security front,
the Central Internal Security Council convened a high-level meeting, bringing
together senior military, security, and judicial officials. Lebanon’s Interior
Minister Ahmad Hajjar emphasized the importance of sustained field operations,
calling for intensified patrols and a reinforced security presence in Lebanese
regions to uphold internal stability. He also highlighted the need to strengthen
existing measures along the Syrian border to ensure tighter control and enhanced
national security. The Lebanese Army Command announced that army units arrested
78 Syrians at the Assi-Hermel and Chadra-Akkar checkpoints for illegally
entering Lebanese territory. The army also said that an Intelligence Directorate
patrol raided the homes of wanted individuals in Beirut’s southern suburbs,
specifically in the Bir al-Abed area, and arrested four citizens.
Israeli troops make 800-meter incursion into Houla
Naharnet/July 24/2025
Israeli troops made an 800-meter incursion into Houla at dawn Thursday and blew
up a livestock room facing the al-Abbad Israeli military post, the National News
Agency said. Such violations have become frequent in recent weeks. On Wednesday,
a 20-strong Israeli infantry force made a dawn incursion into the Rayhanat Berri
area in the al-Mari plain in south Lebanon, searching some inhabited and
deserted homes and interrogating a number of Lebanese residents and Syrian
workers. Israeli forces had on Friday made an incursion into the center of the
southern border town of Mays al-Jabal, where they blew up two bulldozers that
were removing the rubble of houses destroyed in the latest war. The Israeli army
had said on July 9 that Israeli troops had entered southern Lebanon days earlier
to dismantle alleged infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah, describing the
incursion as “special, targeted operations” to prevent Hezbollah from
“reestablishing itself in the area.”It claimed the ground incursion had been
launched based on “intelligence information and the identification of Hezbollah
weapons and terrorist infrastructure in several areas of southern
Lebanon.”Israel has kept up its attacks in Lebanon, mainly in the South, despite
a November ceasefire with Hezbollah that followed a devastating war. It says it
is targeting Hezbollah militants and arms depots and preventing Hezbollah from
reestablishing itself. Lebanon and Hezbollah meanwhile accuse Israel of failing
to honor the November ceasefire agreement through maintaining attacks and
through keeping forces on five strategic hills that Israel deems strategic. U.S.
envoy Tom Barrack visited Lebanon for a third time from Monday to Wednesday to
discuss a U.S. paper calling for Hezbollah’s disarmament, border demarcation
with Syria and financial reforms.
Israeli army says struck 'Hezbollah sites' in South Lebanon
LBCI/July 24/2025
The Israeli army announced it had carried out airstrikes against Hezbollah
military positions in South Lebanon, including weapons depots and a rocket
launch platform. According to Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee, the
strikes were directed by the Northern Command and targeted what he described as
"terrorist military infrastructure" belonging to Hezbollah. He claimed the
group's military presence in the area violates prior understandings between
Israel and Lebanon. Earlier in the day, Israeli forces reportedly struck the
town of Aita al-Shaab, where they claimed they eliminated a Hezbollah operative.
Socio-economic impact: Lebanon's post-war collapse
LBCI/July 24/2025
Is the war in Lebanon over? One thing is certain—the country's economy is still
paying the price of the last war, which came after five years of economic and
social crisis. According to a new United Nations report titled "The
Socio-Economic Impact of the 2024 War on Lebanon," the private sector lost 25%
of its jobs during the conflict. Even after the ceasefire, 14% of those jobs
remain unfilled. Meanwhile, 15% of businesses have shut down permanently, while
another 21% are temporarily closed. Key sectors, including agriculture,
industry, and tourism, were severely hit. The ripple effects have been
devastating: nearly one million Lebanese, approximately 928,000 people, are
living in a state of acute food insecurity. The report warns that even with
immediate and comprehensive reforms, Lebanon's economy is projected to reach
only 8% of its pre-crisis size by 2030. Resident Representative of the United
Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Lebanon, Blerta Aliko, said that without
genuine political will and serious reforms, the compounded crisis that began in
2019 and worsened during the 2024 war may become inescapable.
EU announces new €12.5M project to support Lebanese Army
Naharnet/July 24/2025
The European Union on Wednesday announced a new €12.5 million project to support
the Lebanese Army in "leading recovery efforts, enhancing security and helping
communities in Southern Lebanon rebuild." The project will be implemented by the
United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The official launch ceremony, held at
the Lebanese Army Headquarters in Yarzeh, was attended by Army Commander General
Rodolph Haykal, EU Ambassador to Lebanon Sandra De Waele, UNDP Resident
Representative in Lebanon Blerta Aliko, and representatives from the Office of
the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon. "This EU-funded project
responds to the ongoing impact of the 13-month war, which continues to claim
lives and damage infrastructure and public services across the country," an EU
Delegation statement said. "It will help the Lebanese Armed Forces support
communities in Southern Lebanon to recover and rebuild. This includes clearing
rubble and unexploded ordnance, repairing critical infrastructure—such as water
networks and public health centers—and strengthening cooperation with local
communities," it added.
In his remarks, Army Commander Haykal stated that "this project represents a
critical milestone for the military institution, which bears immense
responsibilities at the national level."
"The army continues to exert tremendous efforts to uphold the authority of the
state across all Lebanese territory, implement international resolutions
—particularly Resolution 1701 —and safeguard the country’s security and monitor
its borders," he added. "
"The project strengthens the army’s capacity and sustainability, contributing
directly to Lebanon’s security and stability and to the safety of its people,”
Haykal said. EU Ambassador Sandra De Waele said: “This project -- along with our
longstanding partnership with Lebanese security institutions -- reflects the
European Union’s unwavering commitment to Lebanon and to promoting peace and
stability across the country. Together with EU Member States, we are providing
over $600 million in support to conflict-affected areas in Lebanon, underscoring
this commitment. These efforts complement our diplomatic work to push for the
full implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 and for all parties
to abide by the November 2024 ceasefire agreement.”“We at UNDP will continue to
support LAF and local communities—because stability is the foundation upon which
lasting peace, recovery, and inclusive development must be built,” said Blerta
Aliko, UNDP Resident Representative in Lebanon. This project is part of the
Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding signed in May 2025 by the Ministry of
National Defense, UNDP, and UNSCOL, to coordinate international assistance for
the Lebanese Armed Forces.
Lebanon's farmers struggle as export markets dry up — and
hope is fading
LBCI/July 24/2025
This story reflects the daily reality of many in Lebanon, as the agricultural
sector struggles with dwindling export markets and mounting financial pressure.
With fewer countries purchasing Lebanese produce, farmers are earning less,
exacerbating their already challenging living and social conditions.Officials
have made attempts to resolve the crisis, but the challenge appears far bigger
than simply finding new buyers for potatoes, apples, or other crops. In April
2021, Saudi Arabia banned the import of Lebanese agricultural products after
narcotics were discovered hidden in produce shipments. The move cut off a key
export destination that had previously brought tens of millions of dollars to
Lebanon’s farming sector each year. Sources at the Ministry of Agriculture
indicate that the kingdom has also barred Lebanese agricultural goods from
transiting through its territory to other Gulf countries. As a result, exporters
had to switch to sea freight, which pushed shipping costs from $1,500 to $3,500
per container. Many shipments spoiled due to delays at sea.Agriculture Minister
Nizar Hani has tried to address the transit issue with Saudi officials but has
so far been unsuccessful. Syria, another critical market for Lebanese
produce—especially bananas and citrus—has imposed increasingly heavy taxes and
restrictions on incoming goods, further limiting exports or blocking them
entirely. Lebanese farmers say they feel abandoned, caught in the middle of a
political crisis they had no part in creating. And if the current conditions
persist, many fear they may lose access to traditional markets
permanently—markets now being filled by agricultural products from countries
like Turkey and Israel.
Lebanese intelligence arrests suspected ISIS cell planning
attacks on army
LBCI/July 24/2025
As part of ongoing counterterrorism efforts, Lebanon's Directorate of
Intelligence carried out a series of security operations that led to the arrest
of three individuals accused of forming a cell in support of the Islamic State
group (ISIS). The detainees were apprehended for their alleged affiliation with
the terror group and planning attacks against the Lebanese Army, reportedly
under the direction of ISIS leaders based abroad. Preliminary investigations
revealed the group had been preparing security operations targeting military
personnel. Authorities are continuing efforts to track down and arrest other
members of the cell. Interrogations are underway under the supervision of the
competent judiciary.
Disputed borders and denied towers: Israel pushes back on monitoring plan
LBCI/July 24/2025
Israel has continued efforts to legitimize its hold over five disputed sites
along the Lebanese border, releasing a "wide-ranging intelligence report” on
Lebanon and the Syrian-Lebanese frontier. The report claims that Hezbollah is
strengthening its presence in South Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the Israeli border town of Shlomi has seen a spike in military drills
and readiness for potential surprise escalations, including scenarios involving
infiltration. Along the tense frontier, elite commando units, explosive experts,
assault teams, surveillance personnel, and drone squads have been deployed to
prevent a repeat of the October 7 incident. In parallel, the head of research at
the Alma Research and Education Center revealed that Israel recently turned down
a British proposal to fund the installation of more than 29 surveillance towers
in Lebanon. According to the center's head, the UK has been increasing efforts
to finance the construction of observation posts and monitoring systems for use
by the Lebanese Army along the border with Israel. The center argued in its
report that such infrastructure could compromise Israel’s security and be
exploited by Hezbollah. It concluded that surveillance towers would not serve as
an adequate substitute for a continued Israeli military presence along the
border and within the five contested sites.
Cyprus gets help
from Lebanon and other countries in battling huge wildfire
Associated Press/July 24/2025
Aircraft from Lebanon, Jordan, Spain and Israel were on their way Thursday to
help battle a huge wildfire in Cyprus that has claimed the lives of two people.
Police were investigating reports that arsonists were to blame. The flames have
scorched more than 120 square kilometers (46 square miles) of forested hillsides
in one of the worst such blazes in recent memory. The fire, which appeared to
have died down overnight, flared up again Thursday along several fronts. More
than 250 firefighters, 75 engines and 14 aircraft were working to contain the
flames, government spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis said.
Very strong winds, high temperatures and very arid conditions after three
winters of minimal rainfall created a perfect storm at the wildfire's peak late
Wednesday, Letymbiotis said. Fire crews struggled to contain the flames in
difficult, hilly terrain. Fire Service spokesman Andreas Kettis said the fire
near the wine-making village of Omodos was particularly difficult to
battle.Letymbiotis pledged government assistance for people who lost their
livelihood, and for property owners to rebuild their gutted homes. Antonis
Christou, a 67-year-old resident of the village of Kantou, described how the
entire hillside and valley below his home was aflame.
"I cried, honestly I cried because the world was on fire," he said. "Two fire
engines came and if they hadn't come, the fire would have swept through the
village," he said, describing scenes of "pandemonium" at a village dog shelter
where owners rushed to evacuate the animals, as well as bumper-to-bumper traffic
on roads leading away from the fire fronts. Letymbiotis said that four Jordanian
fixed-wing aircraft and two Egyptian helicopters are already on the island while
two planes from Israel, a pair from Spain and two more from Lebanon would be
arriving to assist in firefighting efforts "as soon as possible." Greece is also
dispatching 26 elite firefighters to Cyprus.Police were investigating reports
that the fire, which began around noon Wednesday, was the work of arsonists,
according to the government spokesman. Egyptian Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi,
who is visiting Cyprus, said that two "specialized helicopters" would be
arriving in Cyprus later Thursday to demonstrate that his country is a
"strategic, reliable partner" to Cyprus. Police were still trying to identify
the charred remains of two people who were found inside a burned-out car on the
shoulder of the main Monagri-Alassa road. Police initially reported the
discovery of one body late Wednesday, but a more thorough search of the gutted
vehicle found a second body. Health officials said seven people are being
treated in three hospitals for burns and smoke inhalation. Letymbiotis deflected
criticism by some residents, saying that fire crews had responded quickly to
calls for help and that all firefighting protocols had been activated from the
first instance. Meanwhile, the Cyprus Red Cross and other organizations offered
help to dozens of people who lost homes. Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis said
that 100 people who were evacuated from fire-hit communities were being hosted
in temporary shelters. Cyprus' Interior Ministry urged the evacuation of all
camping grounds on the Troodos mountain range as a precaution. The fire on
Wednesday had forced the evacuation of at least 14 villages as media reports
showed gutted homes smoldering. In the village of Lofou, at least 20 homes were
destroyed as fires threatened a group of stranded evacuees trying to flee.
Police continued to block road access to the fire-afflicted communities.
Lost cause? Let
the people of Lebanon have their say
Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/July 24, 2025
There is a strange situation in Lebanon. For decades, politicians and their
staff have been permanently present on the media scene — commenting, contesting,
making their clan’s voice heard, and, in short, occupying space. This was true
whether in opposition or government. Today, there is a period of quasi-silence.
This silence indicates a loss of direction and an inability to read what is
coming next regionally.
There is another serious and pressing element that is changing the equation: the
erosion of security and the impact of the difficult situation in the Syrian Arab
Republic. While the new leadership in Syria faces a lot of challenges and risks,
the one that presents the biggest danger for Lebanon is not the military clashes
between communities, but the lack of order and security, a threat that can
easily spread. Syria’s security forces are unprepared to fight crime due to
corruption, fragmented control, and, as stated, much bigger issues than public
safety. This situation creates great instability for Lebanon, as organized crime
does not stay within borders.
As the new president, Joseph Aoun, came to power, most Lebanese — some
politicians included — hoped he would deliver on his promises to restore
sovereignty to the country. Many imagined that a negotiated outcome with
Hezbollah was possible and that soon Lebanon would be back to its short-lived
“Switzerland of the Middle East” model. Close to seven months later, the
optimists — not to call them naive — agree with the cynics of the first hour
that this is just quixotic.There was never going to be, and never will be, a
negotiated outcome with Hezbollah. We nevertheless need to put things back into
perspective. Aoun came to power after Israel defeated Hezbollah using strikes
that brought the Iranian proxy to a level of vulnerability never witnessed
before. This extreme weakness, and the shell-shocked status of Hezbollah with
the change of regime in Syria, made people believe that this was the perfect
time.
Is it a lost opportunity, just like what happened in the 2000s, not taking the
bold step needed and losing the window to make a real change? No one knows.
Perhaps, despite years of US support and financing, the Lebanese armed forces
still do not represent the stick that can challenge Hezbollah. Or perhaps the
answer is simply closer than people think. There is no doubt that even if
negotiated, projecting strength would be a necessity. This does not exist today.
Organized crime does not stay within borders
There is also within Lebanon an echo of what we see in Western capitals. We
cannot ignore the protest posters in New York showing an image of Iran’s Supreme
Leader Ali Khamenei with a slogan telling people to be on the right side of
history. Yet, there are, even in Lebanon, people who are puzzled about what
comes next. This is why it is time to leave the decision to the people in
Lebanon.The electoral system for years has been carved out by politicians to
accommodate their deals. They have been, in a sense, accomplices of Hezbollah.
It is time to ask the people what they want. It is time to put forward two
questions to the people of Lebanon. The first is: Do you back the sovereignty of
the country? And the second question: Do you prefer a centralized political
system or a federation?
There also should be a two-level count — one for the entire nation and one for
each community. It is now important to see what each community needs and wants
for the future. There is no doubt that, for example, today the Sunni community —
to which I belong — expects the change of regime in Syria from a pro-Iran to a
Sunni one that is representative of the majority of the Syrian population to
work to their advantage in the long term. In my opinion, Lebanon’s specificity
will clash with the uniformity of the Syrian model. This was true yesterday and
will still be true tomorrow.
The main objective should be to initiate a dialogue
Yet, it is this entrenched thinking that needs to be destroyed. This historical
clan setup has partially been responsible for the ills of the country. Whether
Hezbollah or the groups before it, it is the same cycle. I would like to see
this setup and political system obliterated. I believe that federalism will
bring stability to Lebanon. Yet, perhaps I am a tiny minority within the country
or my community. This is why reverting to the people is important.
It is also important to have a view of what each community needs and wants. This
should be stated by the people and not the clan leaders who have perpetuated the
cycles generation after generation. If we believe in the sovereignty and
independence of Lebanon, we cannot be influenced by how the geopolitical shifts
affect our community in the balance of power. It is contradictory. We need a
system that gives each citizen within each community the capacity to lead a
stable life. What would be the outcome of such referendums? How to manage
fragmented results where a community or a group of communities vote differently?
What happens if people vote against the state? Does this mean that all
communities can arm themselves again? What if they vote for sovereignty — who
will execute the will of the people? There are many unanswered questions. Yet
the main objective should be to initiate a dialogue, or perhaps accept that, for
now, Lebanon is still a lost cause. Either way, the people will know. And those
who wish to be Don Quixote can still carry on.
**Khaled Abou Zahr is the founder of SpaceQuest Ventures, a space-focused
investment platform. He is CEO of EurabiaMedia and editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.
The
Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on July 24-25/2025
US envoy Tom Barrack
set to meet Israeli, Syrian ministers: Report
Al Arabiya English/24 July/2025
US envoy Tom Barrack is set to meet on Thursday with Israel’s minister for
strategic affairs and Syria’s foreign minister in Paris to discuss security
matters relating to southern Syria, accoriding to reports citing sources
familiar with the matter.Damascus’s top diplomat Asaad al-Shaibani is set to
meet an Israeli minister in Paris to discuss recent sectarian violence in
Syria’s south that had drawn in Israel’s military, a senior diplomat told AFP.
The US-brokered talks would be the first ministerial meeting between the new
Syrian authorities and Israel. The two countries have technically been at war
since 1948, and Israel has occupied the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967. “There
will be a Syrian-Israeli security meeting in Paris today, and Tom Barrack will
facilitate it,” the diplomat said, referring to the US special envoy for Syria.
The diplomat said that Shaibani and Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron
Dermer are expected to discuss “the topic of southern Syria,” where deadly
sectarian violence earlier this month prompted Israeli intervention. Dermer was
already in Paris, according to an airport official. The senior diplomat,
speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said that Shaibani was due to arrive
in the city later on Thursday. Barrack, Washington’s ambassador to Turkey, was
also due to meet Paris’s top diplomat Jean-Noel Barrot, according to a French
foreign ministry source. Israel launched several air strikes on Syrian
government positions in Sweida, a Druze-majority province in the country’s
south, saying it wanted to protect the minority community after sectarian
clashes had erupted. Before the violence in Sweida, Syrian and Israeli officials
had met in Baku on July 12, according to a diplomatic source in Damascus,
coinciding with a visit to Azerbaijan by Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Israel also sent troops into the UN-patrolled buffer zone that used to separate
the opposing forces in the strategic Golan Heights, from which it has conducted
forays deeper into southern Syria, demanding the area’s demilitarization. With
AFP, Reuters
Syrian, Israeli ministers to attend US-brokered meeting in
Paris
Agence France Presse/July 24/2025
Damascus's top diplomat Asaad al-Shaibani is set to meet an Israeli minister on
Thursday in Paris to discuss recent sectarian violence in Syria's south that had
drawn in Israel's military, a senior diplomat told AFP. The U.S.-brokered talks
would be the first ministerial meeting between the new Syrian authorities and
Israel. The two countries have technically been at war since 1948, and Israel
has occupied the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967. "There will be a
Syrian-Israeli security meeting in Paris today, and Tom Barrack will facilitate
it," the diplomat said, referring to the US special envoy for Syria. The
diplomat said that Shaibani and Israel's Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer
are expected to discuss "the topic of southern Syria", where deadly sectarian
violence earlier this month prompted Israeli intervention. Dermer was already in
Paris, according to an airport official. The senior diplomat, speaking to AFP on
condition of anonymity, said that Shaibani was due to arrive in the city later
on Thursday. Barrack, Washington's ambassador to Turkey, was also due to meet
Paris's top diplomat Jean-Noel Barrot, according to a French foreign ministry
source.
Israel launched several air strikes on Syrian government positions in Sweida, a
Druze-majority province in the country's south, saying it wanted to protect the
minority community after sectarian clashes had erupted. The Israeli strikes also
reached Damascus, hitting the area of the presidential palace and the army
headquarters, in a bid to force government troops to leave Sweida city -- which
eventually happened under a ceasefire announced by the authorities. Before the
violence in Sweida, Syrian and Israeli officials had met in Baku on July 12,
according to a diplomatic source in Damascus, coinciding with a visit to
Azerbaijan by Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. After the overthrow of
longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, Israel carried out hundreds of air
strikes in Syria to prevent key military assets falling into the hands of the
new Islamist-led administration. Israel also sent troops into the U.N.-patrolled
buffer zone that used to separate the opposing forces in the strategic Golan
Heights, from which it has conducted forays deeper into southern Syria,
demanding the area's demilitarization.
Iran defends ‘unshakable’ right to enrich uranium ahead of key talks
AFP/24 July/2025
Iran on Thursday reaffirmed its right to enrich uranium, saying it was
“unshakable,” on the eve of key talks with European powers threatening to
reimpose nuclear sanctions. Friday’s meeting, set to take place in Istanbul,
will be the first since Israel’s mid-June attack targeting key nuclear and
military sites in the Islamic Republic sparked a 12-day war. The United States
joined its ally Israel in the offensive, striking three Iranian nuclear
facilities overnight between June 21 and 22.“Especially after the recent war, it
is important for them to understand that the Islamic Republic of Iran’s position
remains unshakable, and that our uranium enrichment will continue,” said Foreign
Minister Abbas Araghchi. “We will not give up this right of the Iranian people,”
he said, quoted by Tasnim news agency.The hostilities between Iran and Israel
broke out just two days before Tehran and Washington were set to resume
negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program. Britain, France and Germany – alongside
China, Russia and the United States – are parties to a 2015 nuclear deal with
Iran, which placed major restrictions on its atomic activities in return for the
gradual lifting of UN sanctions. However, in 2018, the United States
unilaterally withdrew from the agreement during Donald Trump’s first term as
president and reimposed its own sanctions. Britain, France and Germany
maintained their support for the 2015 accord and sought to continue trade with
Iran, meaning UN and EU sanctions were not reinstated.
But they have since accused Tehran of failing to uphold its commitments and are
threatening to reimpose sanctions under a clause in the agreement that expires
in October – something Iran is keen to avoid at all costs. “Inaction by the E3
is not an option,” a European source said of the three powers, noting that
Tehran would be reminded during the meeting that the snapback window closes this
autumn. The source said Europeans were preparing to trigger the mechanism “in
the absence of a negotiated solution” and called on Iran to make “clear
gestures” regarding uranium enrichment and the resumption of cooperation with
the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. The IAEA says
Iran is the only non-nuclear-armed country currently enriching uranium to 60
percent – far beyond the 3.67 percent cap set by the 2015 accord. That is a
short step from the 90 percent enrichment required for a nuclear weapon. Western
powers, led by the United States and backed by Israel, have long accused Tehran
of secretly seeking nuclear weapons. Iran has repeatedly denied this, insisting
its nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes such as energy production.
Tehran and Washington had held five rounds of nuclear talks starting in April,
but a planned meeting on June 15 was cancelled after Israel launched its strikes
on Iran.
Israel and US recall teams from Gaza truce talks
Reuters/July 24, 2025
JERUSALEM/CAIRO: Israel and the United States recalled their delegations from
Gaza ceasefire talks for consultations on Thursday, with US envoy Steve Witkoff
accusing the Palestinian group Hamas of failing to act in good faith in the
talks. It marked the latest setback in efforts to secure a deal that would bring
a ceasefire to Gaza, secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, and
bring respite to Palestinians suffering a sharply worsening humanitarian crisis.
Witkoff said mediators had made a great effort but “Hamas does not appear to be
coordinated or acting in good faith.” “We will now consider alternative options
to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the
people of Gaza,” he wrote on X. There was no immediate reaction from Hamas. An
Israeli official with knowledge of the talks said Hamas’ response to the latest
ceasefire proposal “does not allow for progress without a concession” by the
group but that Israel intended to continue discussions. Both Israel and Hamas
are facing pressure at home and abroad to reach a deal following almost two
years of war, with the humanitarian situation inside Gaza deteriorating and
Israelis worried about the conditions in which hostages are being held.Dozens of
people have starved to death in Gaza the last few weeks as a wave of hunger
crashes on the enclave, according to local health authorities. British Prime
Minister Keir Starmer said the suffering and starvation in Gaza was an
“unspeakable and indefensible” humanitarian catastrophe and called on Israel to
urgently let in aid. “While the situation has been grave for some time, it has
reached new depths and continues to worsen. We are witnessing a humanitarian
catastrophe,” Starmer said in a statement. He will hold an emergency call with
French and German partners on Friday to discuss what could be done to “stop the
killing and get people the food they desperately need,” he said.The Gaza health
ministry said two more people had died of malnutrition. The head of Shifa
Hospital in Gaza City said the two were patients suffering from other illnesses
who died after going without food for several days.
Earlier in the day, there had been some apparent signs of progress in the
mediation. A senior Hamas official told Reuters that there was still a chance of
reaching a ceasefire deal but it would take a few days because of what he called
Israeli stalling. A senior Israeli official had been quoted by local media as
saying the new text was something Israel could work with. But, Israel’s Channel
12 said a rapid deal was not within reach, with gaps remaining between the two
sides, including over where the Israeli military should withdraw to during any
truce.Witkoff’s team did not immediately respond to a request to explain the
Hamas demands that led to his withdrawal of the US negotiators. The Hostages
Families Forum, representing the family members of those held in Gaza, expressed
concern at the recall of the Israeli team. “Each day that passes endangers the
hostages’ chances of recovery and risks losing the ability to locate the fallen
or gain vital intelligence about them,” it said.
Pepper spray fired at aid site
Women going to fetch aid for their families on Thursday said US contractors
organizing distribution asked them to come to pick up goods and then fired tear
gas and pepper spray at them.“The Americans said “go, go,” and then said no, get
back. They sprayed us with pepper spray so we went away. Five minutes later they
shot tear gas at us ... is this American humanitarian aid?” said Mervat Al-Sakani.
Asked for comment, a spokesperson for the aid organization — the Gaza
Humanitarian Foundation — said a limited amount of pepper spray was used “to
prevent civilian injury due to overcrowding”, adding that GHF “didn’t want
people to get hurt.” The spokesperson said women-only aid distribution had been
“a major success” overall. GHF, a US-and Israeli-backed organization, began
distributing food packages in Gaza at the end of May. The UN has called the
GHF’s model unsafe and a breach of humanitarian impartiality standards, which
GHF denies. The UN rights office said on July 15 it had recorded at least 875
killings within the preceding six weeks in the vicinity of aid sites and food
convoys in Gaza — the majority of them close to GHF distribution points. Most of
those deaths were caused by gunfire that locals have blamed on the Israeli
military. The military has acknowledged that civilians were harmed, saying that
Israeli forces had been issued new instructions with “lessons learned.”Israel,
which cut off all supplies to Gaza from the start of March and reopened it with
new restrictions in May, says it is committed to allowing in aid but must
control it to prevent Hamas diverting it.Israel says it has let in enough food
for Gazans, and blames the United Nations for being slow to deliver it; the UN
says it is operating as effectively as possible under conditions imposed by
Israel. The war began when Hamas killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostages
in its October 7 attacks on Israel, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has
since killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza health
authorities.
Hamas says French pledge to recognize State of Palestine ‘positive step’
AFP/July 25, 2025
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Islamist militant group Hamas hailed
France’s pledge on Thursday to recognize a State of Palestine as a “positive
step” and urged all countries to do the same despite Israeli opposition. “We
consider this a positive step in the right direction toward doing justice to our
oppressed Palestinian people and supporting their legitimate right to
self-determination,” Hamas said in a statement, after French President Emmanuel
Macron’s announcement that France would formally state its recognition in
September. “We call on all countries of the world — especially European nations
and those that have not yet recognized the State of Palestine — to follow
France’s lead,” Hamas added. More than 30 former UK ambassadors and 20 former
senior diplomats at the UN have also urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to
recognize a Palestinian state. In a statement, the diplomats called on Starmer
to seize the “moment to recognise Palestinian statehood unconditionally,"
warning that “the risks of inaction have profound, historic and catastrophic
implications.”Starvation has affected the 2 million residents of the Gaza Strip
amid Israeli attacks and aid restrictions. “(Israel) cannot be secure from
threats in the future if the question of Palestine is not taken forward to a
political settlement,” they said. The statement added: “In the face of the
current horror and impunity, words are not enough … a partial suspension of arms
sales, delays on trade talks and limited sanctions are far from the full extent
of the pressure the UK can bring to bear on Israel.”Recognising a Palestinian
state would be a “foundational first step toward breaking the deadly status
quo,” the letter said. The UK has consistently stated it would recognize
Palestine in conjunction with allies “at the point of maximum impact.”
Starmer says Britain, France, Germany to hold Gaza ‘emergency call’ on Friday
AFP/25 July/2025
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would hold an “emergency call”
Friday with France and Germany on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, urging a
ceasefire and steps towards Palestinian statehood. “I will hold an emergency
call with E3 partners tomorrow, where we will discuss what we can do urgently to
stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need while pulling
together all the steps necessary to build a lasting peace,” he said in a
statement Thursday. “A ceasefire will put us on a path to the recognition of a
Palestinian state and a two-state solution which guarantees peace and security
for Palestinians and Israelis.”Starmer said the situation in Gaza had “reached
new depths and continues to worsen,” 21 months on from the Hamas-led attack on
October 7, 2023 that triggered Israel’s war on the Palestinian territory. “The
suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible,”
Starmer said. “We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe.”Israel faces
growing international pressure to allow a massive increase in humanitarian aid
to the more than two million Palestinians in Gaza, where warnings of imminent
famine are mounting. Israel and Hamas have been holding indirect talks in Qatar
aimed at reaching a ceasefire, but they have so fall failed to produce concrete
results.
Former guard says Gaza Humanitarian Foundation contractors opened fire at
civilians at aid sites
Arab News/July 24, 2025
LONDON: Security personnel hired by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation fired at
unarmed Palestinian civilians trying to get aid, a former US soldier who worked
for the group has said. The soldier told Israeli TV station Channel 12 there was
“no fixing” the GHF system, and that it “needs to be put to an end.”About 1,000
people are thought to have died trying to obtain aid at four GHF distribution
points in Gaza since it took over operations from several UN-backed and
affiliated groups in May. The UN has said that famine threatens hundreds of
thousands of Palestinians in the enclave, with numerous reports of people unable
to get enough food from the GHF. The unnamed former soldier told Channel 12 via
video that he saw security personnel shooting at people in an attempt to move
them from a distribution center, “shooting in their direction, shooting at them,
shooting at their feet … to get them to leave.”He also said he had seen a
contractor spray “an entire can of pepper spray” into the face of a man on his
hands and knees picking up needles, which he said was “lethal.”In another
incident, he saw another contractor throw a stun grenade at a woman waiting for
aid. “This thing hit her and she just drops, just lifeless, collapsed to the
ground. It looked like she had been killed,” he added. The Associated Press
previously interviewed two GHF contractors who confirmed stun grenades and
pepper spray were regularly used against crowds at aid sites. In video footage
provided by the contractors to the AP of civilians trying to collect aid at a
GHF center, the sound of bullets and stun grenades can be heard. They said that
many contractors were often heavily armed while on site, but were frequently
unvetted and unqualified for the job. The former soldier, who served 25 years
with the US military, said the four GHF sites were hard for civilians to reach.
“The sites were not set up in locations, nor were they set up in a way that was
conducive to distributing or delivering humanitarian aid to a needy population,”
he said. “Most of them don’t have shoes, no water, going through active warzone
areas.”
The GHF, backed by the US and Israel, uses private US companies to exclude UN
employees from its operations. Israel claims UN-led aid convoys were frequently
hijacked by Hamas and other groups in Gaza. GHF aid centers are based in areas
controlled directly by the Israeli military, with international journalists
unable to access the sites.
The UN agency for Gaza, UNRWA, has criticized the GHF’s methods, with its chief,
Philippe Lazzarini, saying: “The so-called ‘GHF’ distribution scheme is a
sadistic death trap. Snipers open fire randomly on crowds as if they are given a
license to kill.”In a statement the GHF told Sky News: “This is a disgruntled
former contractor who was terminated for misconduct a month ago. GHF launched an
immediate investigation as soon as these allegations were brought to our
attention. Based on time-stamped video footage and witness statements, we have
concluded that the claims made are categorically false. “At no point were
civilians under fire at a GHF distribution site. The gunfire heard in the video
was confirmed to have originated from the IDF, which was outside the immediate
vicinity of the GHF site. “The gunfire was not directed at individuals, and no
one was shot or injured. We take the safety and security of our operational
sites extremely seriously. When behaviour falls short of our standards, we take
action. The contractor seen shouting in the video is no longer part of our
operations. “We remain focused on our core mission — delivering food to the
people of Gaza in a safe, direct, and uninterrupted manner, as we have done
since launching operations on 27 May. Since then, we have distributed nearly 85
million meals to residents of the Gaza Strip.”
Woman charged with plotting to kill Netanyahu: Prosecutors
AFP/24 July/2025
A terminally ill 73-year-old Israeli woman has been charged with plotting to
assassinate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a rocket launcher,
prosecutors said on Thursday. According to the indictment, the woman, an
anti-government activist from Tel Aviv whose identity has not been released,
decided to kill Netanyahu after she learned of her diagnosis.She consequently
decided to “sacrifice” her life in order to “save” the State of Israel from the
current government, the prosecutor quoted her saying. She reportedly shared her
plan with another activist and asked him to help her purchase a rocket-propelled
grenade to carry out the assassination.She also asked him for his assistance in
collecting information on the prime minister’s agenda, movements, and security
arrangements, the prosecutor said. The man refused to cooperate and tried to
dissuade her but after realizing that his attempts were in vain, he reported her
to the authorities, leading to her arrest. The prosecutor requested to keep the
woman under house arrest until the end of the legal proceedings, arguing that
she still poses a danger, as evidenced by her statements that she was willing to
die as a “martyr.”An Israeli man was arrested last year after threatening to
kill Netanyahu in a social media post. High-profile political assassinations are
not unheard of in Israel. In 1995, prime minister Yitzhak Rabin was killed by a
far-right militant for his endorsement of the Oslo peace process with
Palestinians.
Pregnant Palestinian journalist killed in Israeli strike
Arab News/July 24, 2025
LONDON: Palestinian journalist Walaa Al-Jaabari, who was reportedly pregnant,
was killed along with her immediate family in an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday.
Al-Jaabari, a newspaper editor for several local media outlets, died when her
home in the Tal Al-Hawa neighborhood in southwest Gaza City was bombed. The
strike also killed her husband, Amjad Al-Shaer, their four children, and her
unborn baby. According to local reports, the explosion was so powerful it
reportedly ejected the fetus from her womb. Arab News could not independently
verify this claim or the authenticity of photos circulating online that appear
to show a fetus wrapped in a shroud. Her death is the latest in what human
rights and press freedom organizations have described as the systematic
targeting of journalists in Gaza. On Wednesday, the International Federation of
Journalists renewed its call for Israel to stop killing media workers and to
allow international reporters access to the territory, which has been under an
Israeli-imposed blockade for 21 months. More than 180 journalists — almost all
Palestinians — have been killed in Gaza since the start of the Israeli
offensive, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Other
organizations estimate the toll to be as high as 231. In at least a dozen cases,
rights groups say there is evidence that Israeli forces deliberately targeted
journalists, which they warn may constitute war crimes. No independent reporters
have been permitted entry into Gaza throughout the war, apart from a handful of
tightly controlled, brief “embed” visits with Israeli troops. Israeli
authorities have repeatedly refused to lift the ban, citing security concerns
and the risks of allowing journalists to operate freely in the conflict zone.
The blockade has placed immense pressure on local reporters, who face extreme
working conditions, including limited access to electricity, food, and Internet
connectivity. On Thursday, the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Reuters
and the BBC issued a joint statement urging Israel to allow journalists access
to Gaza and permit the entry of humanitarian supplies. “We are desperately
concerned for our journalists in Gaza, who are increasingly unable to feed
themselves and their families,” the statement said. “For many months, these
independent journalists have been the world’s eyes and ears on the ground in
Gaza. They are now facing the same dire circumstances as those they are
covering.”
France will recognize State of Palestine: Macron
AFP/July 24, 2025
PARIS: France will recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in
September, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday. “True to its
historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have
decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine. I will make a formal
announcement at the United Nations General Assembly in September,” the French
head of state wrote on X and Instagram. Including France, Palestinian statehood
is now recognized by 142 countries, according to an AFP tally, though Israel and
the United States strongly oppose recognition. France would be the most
significant European power to recognize a Palestinian state. “The urgent
priority today is to end the war in Gaza and rescue the civilian population,”
Macron wrote. “We must finally build the State of Palestine, ensure its
viability and enable it, by accepting its demilitarization and fully recognizing
Israel, to contribute to the security of all in the Middle East.”Palestinian
Authority president Mahmud Abbas’s deputy Hussein Al-Sheikh welcomed France’s
intent to recognize a State of Palestine, thanking President Emmanuel Macron.
“This position reflects France’s commitment to international law and its support
for the Palestinian people’s rights to self-determination and the establishment
of our independent state,” Sheikh said.
Saudi Arabia welcomes Macron announcement of French recognition of Palestinian
state
Arab News/July 25, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has welcomed a statement by French Emmanuel Macron that his
country would recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in
September. “True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the
Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine,”
Macron wrote on social media on Thursday evening. The Kingdom commends this
historic decision, which aligns with the international community’s consensus on
the right of the Palestinian people to determine their own fate and establish
their independent state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its
capital, a Saudi Foreign Ministry statement released on Friday read. It added
that the Kingdom renews its call to the rest of the countries that have not yet
recognized a Palestinian state to take similar steps in doing so. Saudi Arabia
has repeatedly called for the creation of an independent state for the
Palestinians. Around 142 countries now support Palestinian statehood, according
to an AFP tally. The ministry statement urged all countries to adopt serious
stances in support of peace and the rights of the Palestinian people. Israel is
currently conducting a devastating military campaign in Gaza and has been
accused of using starvation as a war tactic. An Israeli-backed organization
distributing aid had been accused of shooting unarmed civilians trying to get
food. The UN said 875 people had been killed within the preceding six weeks near
the aid sites created by Israel. Peace negotiations to end the war and exchange
prisoners and hostages appeared to have collapsed on Thursday night after US
President Donald Trump recalled his negotiators. US Middle East envoy Steve
Witkoff said: “We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages
home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza.”Hamas
said they were surprised by Witkoff’s comments but would be willing to continue
negotiations.
Saudi Arabia signs $6.4bn investment deals with Syria to boost reconstruction
Nirmal Narayanan/Arab News/July 24, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has signed investment deals worth $6.4 billion with Syria,
marking a significant step in the Kingdom’s efforts to re-engage economically
with the war-ravaged country and support its reconstruction drive. The
agreements, spanning sectors such as real estate, telecommunications, and
finance, were unveiled by Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih during the
Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum held in Damascus on July 24. The forum highlights
Saudi Arabia’s strong commitment to strengthening Syria’s financial landscape.
In April, the Kingdom joined Qatar in settling the country’s $15 million debt to
the World Bank.
“During this forum, we will witness the signing of 47 agreements and memoranda
of understanding with a total value approaching SR24 billion ($6.4 billion),
said Al-Falih. The deals include $1.07 billion in the telecommunications sector,
with Syria’s Ministry of Communications and several Saudi telecom companies
aiming to deepen bilateral ties. Companies involved in the plans include Saudi
Telecom Co., GO Telecom, digital security firm Elm, cybersecurity company
Cipher, and education technology firm Classera. In the real estate and
infrastructure sectors, deals worth $2.93 billion were announced, including the
construction of three new Saudi-financed cement plants to support Syria’s
reconstruction efforts. The two nations also agreed to enhance cooperation in
agriculture. “In the agricultural sector, we look forward to collaborating in
Syria to develop high-quality joint projects, including model farms and
processing industries,” said Al-Falih. In finance, a memorandum of understanding
was signed between the Saudi Tadawul Group and the Damascus Securities Exchange
to boost cooperation in the fintech sector. Al-Falih also announced the
formation of a Saudi-Syrian Business Council, which is expected to further
strengthen trade and economic ties between the two countries. Speaking at a
separate panel discussion during the forum, Al-Falih said Syria is evolving into
a more investment-friendly destination, despite ongoing challenges. “Syria is
leaping forward as an investment-attractive country despite all challenges.
Since the beginning of its new era, we have witnessed a genuine desire to
provide investment opportunities for Saudi businessmen,” he added.
Trump presses US central Bank chief to cut rates during tense visit
Reuters/July 25, 2025
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump locked horns with Federal Reserve Chair
Jerome Powell during a rare presidential visit to the US central bank on
Thursday, criticizing the cost of renovating two historical buildings at its
headquarters and pressing the case for lower interest rates. Trump, who called
Powell a “numbskull” earlier this week for failing to heed the White House’s
demand for a large reduction in borrowing costs, wrapped up his visit to the
Fed’s $2.5 billion building project in Washington by saying he did not intend to
fire Powell, as he has frequently suggested he would. “To do so is a big move
and I just don’t think it’s necessary,” Trump told reporters after the visit.In
a post on his Truth Social media site, Trump later said of the renovation, “it
is what it is and, hopefully, it will be finished ASAP. The cost overruns are
substantial but, on the positive side, our Country is doing very well and can
afford just about anything.” The visibly tense interaction at the Fed’s massive
construction site marked an escalation of White House pressure on the central
bank and Trump’s efforts to get Powell to “do the right thing” on rates. It
happened less than a week before the central bank’s 19 policymakers are due to
gather for a two-day rate-setting meeting, where they are widely expected to
leave their benchmark interest rate in the 4.25 percent-4.50 percent range. The
president has repeatedly demanded Powell slash rates by 3 percentage points or
more.
“I’d love him to lower interest rates,” Trump said as he wrapped up the tour, as
Powell stood by, his face expressionless. Powell typically spends the Thursday
afternoon before a rate-setting meeting doing back-to-back calls with Fed bank
presidents as part of his preparations for the session. The encounter between
the two men became heated as Trump told reporters the project was now estimated
to cost $3.1 billion.
“I am not aware of that,” Powell said, shaking his head. Trump handed him a
piece of paper, which Powell examined. “You just added in a third building,” the
Fed chief said, noting that the Martin Building had been completed five years
ago. White House budget director Russell Vought and Trump’s deputy chief of
staff, James Blair, who have spearheaded criticism of the renovation as overly
costly and ostentatious, later told reporters they still have questions about
the project. The two men, who joined Trump during the visit, have suggested poor
oversight and potential fraud in connection with it. Senate Banking Committee
Chair Tim Scott, a Republican who sent Powell a letter on Wednesday demanding
answers to his own questions about the renovation, also took part in the visit.
Elevated by Trump to the top Fed job in 2018 and then reappointed by former
President Joe Biden four years later, Powell last met with the current president
in March when Trump summoned him to the White House to press him to lower rates.
The visit on Thursday took place as Trump battles to deflect attention from a
political crisis over his administration’s refusal to release files related to
convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, reversing a campaign promise. Epstein
died in 2019. The Fed, in letters to Vought and lawmakers backed up by documents
posted on its website, said the project — the first full rehab of the two
buildings since they were built nearly a century ago — ran into unexpected
challenges including toxic materials abatement and higher-than-estimated costs
for materials and labor. Speaking outside of the construction site, Trump said
there was “no tension” at his meeting with Powell and that they had a productive
conversation about rates.
Fed independence
Ahead of Trump’s visit, Fed staff escorted a small group of reporters around the
two construction sites. They wove around cement mixers and construction
machines, and spoke over the sound of drills, banging, and saws. Fed staff
pointed out security features, including blast-resistant windows, that they said
were a significant driver of costs in addition to tariffs and escalations in
material and labor costs. The project started in mid-2022 and is on track to be
completed by 2027, with the move-in planned for March of 2028. A visit to the
roof of the Eccles Building, a point of particular scrutiny by critics like
Scott, who has complained about “rooftop garden terraces,” revealed an
impressive view of the Lincoln Memorial and the National Mall, according to the
pool report. Staff explained that rooftop seating, although inexpensive, had
been removed because of the appearance of it being an amenity and was one of
only two deviations from the original plan. The other was the scrapping of a
couple of planned fountains. Market reaction to Trump’s visit was subdued. The
yield on benchmark 10-year Treasury bonds ticked higher after data showed new
jobless claims dropped in the most recent week, signaling a stable labor market
not in need of support from a Fed rate cut. The S&P 500 equities index closed
largely flat on the day. Trump’s criticism of Powell and flirtation with firing
him have previously upset financial markets and threatened a key underpinning of
the global financial system — that central banks are independent and free from
political meddling. His trip contrasts with a handful of other documented
presidential visits to the Fed. Then-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt visited
the central bank in 1937 to dedicate the newly-built headquarters, one of the
two buildings now being renovated. Most recently, former President George W.
Bush went there in 2006 to attend the swearing-in of Ben Bernanke as Fed chief.
Hulk Hogan, icon in professional wrestling, dies at age 71
AP/July 24, 2025
CLEARWATER: Hulk Hogan, the mustachioed, headscarf-wearing icon in the world of
professional wrestling, has died at the age of 71, Florida police and WWE said
Thursday.In Clearwater, Florida, authorities responded to a call Thursday
morning about a cardiac arrest. Hogan was pronounced dead at a hospital, police
said in a statement on Facebook. Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was
perhaps the biggest star in WWE’s long history. He was the main draw for the
first WrestleMania in 1985 and was a fixture for years, facing everyone from
Andre The Giant and Randy Savage to The Rock and even company chairman Vince
McMahon. He won at least six WWE championships and was inducted into the WWE
Hall of Fame in 2005. Hogan was also a celebrity outside the wrestling world,
appearing in numerous movies and television shows, including a reality show
about his life on VH1, “Hogan Knows Best.”Hogan’s public persona has transcended
the ring, making him a household name. He appeared in numerous movies —
including the third “Rocky” film, where he took on the title character, played
by Sylvester Stallone. Hogan also had a reality show about his life on VH1,
called “Hogan Knows Best” in the early 2000s. The attention on the intimate
details of Hogan’s personal life has not always been welcomed by the superstar.
A Florida jury sided with Hogan in 2016, awarding him $115 million in a lawsuit
against Gawker Media for posting a video of him having sex with his former best
friend’s wife. Hogan contended the 2012 post violated his privacy. The lawsuit
forced Gawker to shutter and was closely watched by First Amendment experts and
media lawyers alike. WWE posted a note on X saying it was saddened to learn the
WWE Hall of Famer had passed away. “One of pop culture’s most recognizable
figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends
its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans,” it said.
Thailand launches airstrikes on Cambodia as border clashes leave at least 14
dead
AFP/July 25, 2025
SURIN, Thailand: Thai and Cambodian soldiers have clashed along the border
between their countries in a major escalation that left at least 14 people dead,
mostly civilians. The two sides fired small arms, artillery and rockets, and
Thailand also launched airstrikes.
Fighting took place in at least six areas on Thursday, according to Thai Defense
Ministry spokesperson Surasant Kongsiri, a day after a land mine explosion along
the border wounded five Thai soldiers and led Bangkok to withdraw its ambassador
from Cambodia and expel Cambodia’s envoy to Thailand. On Friday, Cambodia’s
chief official in Oddar Meanchey province, Gen. Khov Ly, said clashes resumed
early in the morning near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple. Associated Press
reporters near the border could hear sounds of artillery from early morning
hours. The official also said that at least four civilians were wounded in
Thursday’s fighting there and that more than 4,000 people have been displaced
from their villages along the border to evacuation centers. It was the first
account of any casualties from the Cambodian side. The escalation represents a
rare instance of military conflict between member countries of the Association
of Southeast Asian Nation, though Thailand has tangled with Cambodia before over
the border and has had sporadic skirmishes with western neighbor Myanmar. UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged both sides “to exercise maximum
restraint and address any issues through dialogue,” according to UN deputy
spokesman Farhan Haq. Thailand and Cambodia have blamed each other for the
clashes, alleging that civilians were being targeted. In Bangkok, the Public
Health Ministry said a Thai soldier and 13 civilians, including children, were
killed while 14 soldiers and 32 other civilians were injured. Public Health
Minister Somsak Thepsuthin condemned what he said were the attacks on civilians
and a hospital as violations of international humanitarian law and the Geneva
Conventions.
“We urge the Cambodian government to immediately halt these war criminal
actions, and return to respecting the principles of peaceful coexistence,” he
said. Thailand’s Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said the fighting
affected four provinces. The Interior Ministry was ordered to evacuate people at
least 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the border. In Cambodia, several hundred
villagers moved from their homes near the border to about 30 kilometers (18
miles) deeper inside Oddar Meanchey province. Many made the journey with entire
families and most of their possessions on home-made tractors, before settling
down with hammocks and makeshift shelters. From the encampment near the town of
Samrong, a 45-year-old mother of four, Tep Savouen, said it all started about 8
a.m. “Suddenly I heard a loud noise,” she told the AP. “My son told me it might
be thunder and I thought ‘Is it thunder or is it loud, more like a gun?′ At that
time I was very scared.”Thai Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura
said the government was “prepared to intensify our self-defense measures if
Cambodia persists in its armed aggression and violations upon Thailand’s
sovereignty.”In the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, Defense Ministry
spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly Socheata said his country deployed armed force
because “it has no choice but to defend its territory against Thai threats.” The
spokesperson insisted the Cambodian “attacks are focused on the military places,
not on any other place.”Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet wrote to the UN
Security Council asking for an urgent meeting “to stop Thailand’s aggression.”
The council scheduled an emergency closed meeting at 3 p.m. in New York on
Friday. Thailand also sealed all land border crossings while urging its citizens
to leave Cambodia. Officials said all seven Thai airlines expressed willingness
to help bring back any Thai nationals seeking to return home from Cambodia.
A long-standing border problem
The two Southeast Asian neighbors have long had border disputes, which
periodically flare along their 800-kilometer (500-mile) frontier and usually
result in brief confrontations, only rarely involving the use of weapons. The
last major combat over the issue was in 2011, leaving 20 dead. However,
relations sharply deteriorated since a May confrontation killed a Cambodian
soldier. Thursday’s clashes were unusually big in intensity. The first clash on
Thursday morning happened near the Ta Muen Thom temple along the border of
Thailand’s Surin province and Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey, prompting villagers to
scurry to shelter in concrete bunkers. The Thai army and Cambodia’s Defense
Ministry each said the other side deployed drones before advancing on the
other’s positions and opening fire. The two sides later used heavier weaponry
such as artillery, causing greater damage and casualties, and Thailand said it
responded with airstrikes to truck-mounted rockets launched by Cambodia.
Thailand’s air force said it deployed F-16 fighter jets in two attacks on
Cambodia. Nikorndej, the Thai spokesperson, called it “an act of self-defense”
in response to Cambodian rockets. Cambodia’s Defense Ministry said the Thai jets
dropped bombs on a road near the ancient Preah Vihear temple, which has been a
site of past conflicts between the two countries. Cambodian authorities
distributed photos they claimed showed damage caused there, and the country’s
Culture Ministry said it would pursue justice under international law, since the
temple was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO, the UN’s cultural
organization, and is a “historical legacy of the Cambodian people.”
A diplomatic uproar
Relations frayed badly even before the clashes began. On Wednesday, Thailand
withdrew its ambassador to Cambodia and expelled the Cambodian ambassador to
protest the mine blast that wounded its soldiers. Thai authorities alleged the
mines were newly laid along paths that both sides had agreed were supposed to be
safe. They said the mines were Russian-made and not of a type employed by
Thailand’s military. Cambodia rejected Thailand’s account as “baseless
accusations,” pointing out that many unexploded mines and other ordnance are a
legacy of 20th century wars and unrest.Cambodia also downgraded diplomatic
relations, recalling all Cambodian staff on Thursday from its embassy in
Bangkok. The border dispute has also roiled Thailand’s domestic politics. Prime
Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra came under fire earlier this month over a phone
call with Cambodia’s former Prime Minister Hun Sen, still a power broker in his
country, when she tried to defuse the situation. She then was suspended from
office on July 1 pending an investigation into possible ethics violations over
the matter.
The Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources
on July 24-25/2025
Syria is
secretly reshaping its economy. The president’s brother is in charge.
Timour Azhari and Feras Dalatey/July
24/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/07/145625/
Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa (center), is trying to rebuild the
country’s ravaged economy. To lead the effort, he has tapped his older brother,
Hazem (left), who is quietly overseeing deals to take control of major
companies.
A shadow committee is remaking Syria's economy with secret takeovers of
Assad-era companies. A Reuters investigation has found the new president's
brother, Hazem al-Sharaa, along with a sanctioned Australian are in charge of
untangling corruption. But to do so, they're making deals with businessmen many
Syrians associate with years of ill-gotten gains.
DAMASCUS - In the weeks after Damascus fell to Syria’s rebels, a leading
businessman got a late-night call to come see “the sheikh.”The address was
familiar, a building where periodic shakedowns of businessmen like him occurred
under Bashar al-Assad’s economic empire.
But there were new bosses in town.
With a long, dark beard and a pistol on his waist, the sheikh gave only a
fighter’s pseudonym, Abu Mariam. Now the leader of a committee reshaping Syria’s
economy, he asked questions in courteous Arabic with a slight Australian twang.
“He asked me about my work, how much money we made,” the businessman said. “I
just kept looking at the gun.”
A Reuters investigation has found that Syria’s new leadership is secretly
restructuring an economy broken by corruption and years of sanctions against
Assad’s government, under the auspices of a group of men whose identities have
until now been concealed under pseudonyms. The committee’s mission: decipher the
legacy of the Assad-era economy, then decide what to restructure and what to
retain.
Away from public scrutiny, the committee obtained assets worth more than $1.6
billion. That tally is based on accounts of people familiar with its deals to
acquire business stakes and cash seizures, including at least $1.5 billion in
assets taken from three businessman, and firms in a conglomerate once controlled
by Assad’s inner circle, like the country's main telecoms operator, worth at
least $130 million.
The man overseeing Syria’s economic restructuring is Hazem al-Sharaa, the older
brother of the new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, Reuters has found. And the leader
of the committee, Abu Mariam al-Australi, is Abraham Succarieh, an Australian of
Lebanese descent named on his home country’s list of sanctioned individuals for
alleged terrorism financing. He describes himself online as a cricket- and
shawarma-loving businessman.
Syria's new government has dismantled Assad's much-feared security apparatus,
and people can speak more freely than they have in decades. But the mix of
family and men known only by noms de guerre who now run Syria’s economy has
concerned many businessmen, diplomats and analysts, who say they fear one palace
oligarchy is being replaced with another. The Reuters investigation drew upon
interviews with more than 100 businessmen, intermediaries, politicians,
diplomats and researchers, as well as a trove of documents including financial
records, emails, meeting minutes and new company registrations.
The committee’s work, and even its existence, have never been announced by the
government and are unknown to the general Syrian public. Only those with direct
dealings are aware of its mandate, which has the potential to touch the lives
and livelihoods of all Syrians and beyond, as the country tries to reintegrate
into the global economy.
One committee member told Reuters the scale of corruption under Assad, built on
corporate structures designed as much to skim assets as to make money, has left
few options for economic reform. The committee could take businessmen suspected
of ill-gotten gains to court as many Syrians demand, seize companies outright,
or make private deals with Assad-era figures still under international
sanctions. All carry risks of further pitting Syrians against each other – rich
against poor, and those who prospered under Assad against those who suffered.
Rather than take businessmen who profited from the Assad era to court or seize
their companies, the committee decided to negotiate to recoup much-needed cash
and establish control over the levers of the economy, allowing it to function
without disruption.
Syria’s government, Hazem al-Sharaa and Succarieh did not respond to repeated
requests for comment or reply to questions for this story. The president’s
office referred questions to the Information Ministry. Reuters presented the
findings of this report during an in-person meeting last week with the
information minister and laid out its details and posed questions in writing to
the ministry. The ministry didn’t respond before publication.
Over seven months, the committee has negotiated with the wealthiest Syrian
tycoons, including some who are under U.S. sanctions. The committee has also
made headway taking over a constellation of companies that were run out of
Assad’s palace, the sources said.
Many tycoons linked to Assad, including an airline mogul sanctioned in
connection with drug and weapons smuggling, and a businessman accused of
scavenging and smelting metal from Syrian towns depopulated by Assad’s army, are
keeping some profits and avoiding state prosecution, for a price. But that
bargain, amnesty in exchange for a mix of cash and corporate control, risks
angering Syrians seeking justice. Four senior Western diplomats said the
concentration of economic power in the hands of shadow figures of unknown
backgrounds also could impede foreign investment and credibility as Syria tries
to rejoin the global financial system. The committee has met dozens of people,
sometimes exonerating them, other times seeking a portion of their wealth, said
the member who spoke about its activities. Ultimately, he said, ordinary Syrians
will benefit when the companies are privatized, put up for public-private
partnerships or nationalized, with proceeds going into a sovereign wealth fund.
On July 9, President Sharaa announced the formation of a sovereign fund
answering to the presidency. Three people familiar with the fund said it would
be overseen by his brother. That same day, Sharaa unveiled the creation of a
development fund headed by a longtime associate of Hazem. The president also
recently issued amendments to the investment law by decree. Although neither
Hazem nor Succarieh have an announced government role, Reuters has found that
the two edited the final text of the amendments. Steven Heydemann, a professor
of Middle East Studies at Smith College in Massachusetts, told Reuters that a
Syrian sovereign wealth fund is a “premature” idea. He criticized its reliance
on vague “inactive assets,” and warned that granting autonomy to the fund’s
management — including the president — undermines accountability.
The details about the new government’s secretive policy efforts come as the U.S.
government is lifting economic sanctions on the Syrian state that date back to
the Assad era. Asked to comment for this report, a State Department official
said U.S. President Donald Trump is lifting the sanctions “to give Syria a
chance at greatness.” “The President has also been clear that President al-Sharaa
should take advantage of this historic opportunity to make important progress,”
the official told Reuters in a statement.
A BAKER IN THE BANK
The prominent role of the committee deciphering Syria’s economy builds upon the
authority its members had to manage money in Idlib, the hilly northern enclave
where Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the former militant Islamist group known as HTS,
consolidated power under Sharaa’s leadership. Those living and especially
fighting in Idlib habitually used pseudonyms, including President al-Sharaa,
then the HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani. HTS originated as the Nusra Front,
the Syrian arm of Al Qaeda, and much of the world viewed its leaders as
terrorists until they ousted Assad in December. After breaking from Al Qaeda in
2016, HTS developed financial and governing structures, according to Syrians
familiar with the group. In 2018, it created Watad, a petroleum company with
exclusive rights to import fuel derivatives from Turkey, as well as its own
bank, Sham Bank. Behind the HTS foray into business was Abu Abdelrahman, a
former baker turned senior military commander, the committee member and two
senior HTS officials told Reuters. They said Abu Abdelrahman established Idlib’s
economic committee, initially an ad-hoc group of a few men loyal to Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Abu Abdelrahman has overseen the committee’s evolution into an institution
comprising dozens of people, from accountants and lawyers to negotiators and
enforcers, they said. It exists outside formal state structures. The committee
developed an economic wing focused on making money, headed by Abu Mariam, and a
financial wing to manage those funds, led by Abu Abdelrahman, the sources said.
Abu Abdelrahman’s real name is Mustafa Qadid, according to three HTS sources. He
set himself up on the second floor of Syria’s central bank the day after
Damascus fell, two former employees said. Qadid did not respond to a request for
comment via his top aide, who acknowledged receipt of a write-up of Reuters’
findings.
Abu Abdelrahman has become known to some Syrian officials and bankers as the
“shadow governor,” with veto power over decisions by the official governor two
floors above him. Presented with Reuters’ findings about the economic reshaping
and Abu Abdelrahman’s role, the governor, Abdulkader Husriyeh, the governor of
the Central Bank of Syria, wrote in a message, “This is not true.” He did not
respond to requests to elaborate. The two former employees said major decisions
require signoff by Abu Abdelrahman, whom they described as mild-mannered but
favoring power centralization. “It’s just like before, when the palace decided
all matters,” said one of them. One visitor months ago was bewildered to be
introduced to Abu Abdelrahman. Like Abu Mariam, he was referred to as “the
sheikh.” The term sheikh has a religious connotation but is also an honorific.
The real name of the other “sheikh,” Abu Mariam, is Abraham Succarieh, Reuters
found. Succarieh left his native Brisbane in 2013 one day before his brother
Ahmed detonated a truck bomb at a Syrian army checkpoint, Australian prosecutors
said, becoming the first known Australian suicide bomber in Syria. A third
Succarieh sibling, Omar, was sentenced in 2016 to 4 1⁄2 years in prison in
Australia after pleading guilty to charges of sending tens of thousands of
dollars to the Nusra Front.
The brothers’ activities are described in documents submitted by Australian
prosecutors to the country’s Supreme Court in response to Omar’s appeal of his
sentence. Reuters was unable to locate Omar; his former lawyer didn't respond to
a request for comment. Australia’s government confirmed Abraham Succarieh
remains under sanctions but declined to say if it was aware of his current role,
citing a policy against commenting on individuals due to privacy considerations.
He goes by yet another pseudonym on X, Ibrahim Bin Mas’ud, according to six
people who know him personally. The Bin Mas’ud profile describes him as a
“Business Owner,” “Shawarma Lover” and “Cricket Fan.” The account posts on the
toll of the war in Idlib and Islamic teachings. Succarieh was a fiercely
competitive cricket player in Australia, according to a former teammate in
Australia who knew him in his youth, and still discusses the sport online. He
has also done English-language podcasts touching on issues such as Iranian
influence in the Middle East and how enthusiastically Muslims should perceive
Morocco’s stunning fourth-place finish in the 2022 World Cup.
Requests for comment to Succarieh about his role in reshaping Syria’s economy or
the other findings of this report via a direct message to his X account and to
his top aide went unanswered.
Hazem al-Sharaa, the president’s brother, is a former PepsiCo general manager in
the Iraqi city of Erbil, according to his LinkedIn profile. He was a key
supplier of soft drinks to Idlib, according to two people familiar with his
past. Pepsico did not respond to a request for comment about the elder al-Sharaa’s
work at the company or whether Pepsi was aware of his past activities or current
role. Hazem al-Sharaa now oversees the economic committee’s work as part of his
wide authority over business and investment matters in the new Syria. He holds
no announced government position but appeared beside his brother on a February
official visit to Saudi Arabia. Hazem al-Sharaa was first in line to be
introduced by his brother to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according
to video filmed by Saudi state media, though he wasn’t identified in official
readouts of the meeting.
‘MACHIAVELLI’
Arriving in Damascus in December, the committee initially set up at the Four
Seasons hotel, home to the United Nations mission in Syria and foreign
dignitaries, according to a hotel employee and two Syrians familiar with the
matter. Committee members, as well as other HTS officials, were given rooms and
suites free of charge, according to two people familiar with the arrangement. A
well-stocked bar at the dimly lit Four Seasons cigar lounge was removed to
accommodate the sheikhs and private meetings, including settlement talks,
according to hotel staff and several people familiar with the change. The hotel
has not been operated by the Four Seasons company since 2019, the company said.
That is the same year the United States sanctioned its owner, Samer Foz. Foz had
no comment for this report. The committee gradually relocated to offices
previously used by prominent tycoons and Assad’s economy czar, Yasar Ibrahim,
who has resided in the UAE since Assad’s ouster. Ibrahim didn’t respond to
requests for comment.
Members quickly decided against suing businessmen suspected of ill-gotten gains
because “we would be playing in their court,” the committee member said. Though
some judges lost their jobs after Assad’s fall, many remain on the bench, and
the new government feared being outmaneuvered by businessmen adept at working
the court system, or lacking evidence for convictions in complex financial
cases, according to the member and an auditor familiar with the talks. They said
outright seizures were rejected, to avoid scaring off potential investors. Syria
has a history of nationalizations dating to its brief union with Egypt in 1958
and continuing during the civil war, when the Assad government confiscated
property belonging to opposition figures. That left the option of striking deals
with the businessmen, getting them to relinquish assets in exchange for being
allowed to return to work in Syria. The new government would also benefit from
their expert knowledge. Syria's new rulers “are not Fidel Castro,” the dictator
who nationalized much of the Cuban economy, said a banker familiar with the
talks. “Much more Machiavelli.” And so the new Syrian leadership began to
untangle the Assad-era economy, which was largely split between tycoons who held
major sectors in exchange for kickbacks to Assad and his inner circle, and the
corporate empire run for Assad by economy magnate Ibrahim. The empire was known
to insiders as “The Group.”
THE GROUP
In 2020, Assad appeared victorious in the civil war, thanks to Russian and
Iranian support. By then, the palace had established a constellation of more
than 100 companies it dubbed Al Ahed, according to a person involved in the
plans from their inception and corporate documents. Assad government officials
and cronies shared in the profits of the companies with their tycoon owners. It
was all overseen by Ibrahim. After Assad fell, the ownership structure appeared
even murkier. The Arabic word Al Ahed has several meanings, including “The
Reign” and “The Pledge.”Reuters reviewed an unpublished ad from 2020, intended
for a general audience, that diirectly links Assad to Al Ahed and describes it
as a private company that’s helping Syria recover from war.
The video ad shows aerial footage of a Syrian city with collapsed buildings and
cowering refugees, then pivots with rousing music to images of construction,
abundant fields and production lines. “Sometimes, you can beat war with a smile,
or someone who can wipe all of the sadness off your face,” the narrator says, as
footage shows Bashar and his wife, Asma, brushing tears off a child’s cheek. “We
decided to push on and create a new reality that resembles our dreams.” A slide
from an internal presentation given to Assad’s inner circle in 2021 shows the
cluster of real businesses and shell companies established under Al Ahed to
control key economic sectors, including telecoms, banking, real estate and
energy. As Damascus fell on December 8, Ibrahim fled. His sister, Nesreen,
lamented The Group’s loss of control. “We no longer have any connection to any
of the companies. Let them run these companies as they see fit,” Nesreen wrote
to associates, according to a WhatsApp message seen by Reuters. She couldn’t be
reached for comment.
The committee obtained the presentation and has used it to guide takeovers, the
Assad-era flag replaced with the new one, according to a copy of the updated
document seen by Reuters. Under Assad, Al Ahed prevailed Al Ahed was a Syrian
conglomerate assembled under the Assad government that controlled vital economic
sectors. A slide from an internal presentation from 2021, left, shows Al Ahed’s
cluster of real and shell companies. The slide was updated for the al-Sharaa
government by swapping out the Assad-era flag with the new one, at right,
according to a document seen by Reuters. The new economic committee is using the
chart as a guide as it seeks to bring the companies under its control.
Al-Ahed Company Projects
Industries
Oil project
Alternative Energy Projects
Tourism Projects
Agricultural Projects
Telecommunications Companies
Pharmaceutical sector
The Media Sector
Finance, banking and insurance companies
Real Estate Development Companies
Legal Consultations
Transportation (land/sea)
The Commercial Sector
Education Sector
Tech and Information sector
Security companies
Different Contracts
Foreign Companies
Offshore companies
Reinoud Leenders, a professor at King's College London familiar with Syria's
political economy, said that Ibrahim penetrated virtually all of Syria’s
economic sectors and may have controlled up to 30% of the country’s total output
by 2024. The World Bank estimated Syria’s gross domestic product at $6.2 billion
in 2023, around one-tenth of its pre-war level. A former Group financial
director put the combined value of its core operations at up to $900 million.
But it also accrued other assets, like Syria’s main telecom company, Syriatel,
via partnerships Assad imposed on tycoons, cannibalizing the economy as the war
wore on.
Those partnerships included the U.S.-sanctioned sugar and property baron Samer
Foz and multi-sector tycoon Mohammed Hamsho, as well as Mohammad and Hussam
Qaterji, brothers who ran vast oil and wheat operations.
Managing The Group’s finances initially proved difficult for the committee.
That’s because only one person – Ahmed Khalil, an associate of Assad economy
czar Ibrahim – had legal access to the bank accounts, according to three senior
managers from The Group. The committee asked Khalil and Ibrahim to surrender 80%
of the empire in exchange for immunity, people familiar with the matter say, but
talks faltered. Neither man responded to requests for comment, nor did the
Qaterji brothers. Hamsho denied any wrongdoing.
Even without Ibrahim’s cooperation, the committee made headway by striking deals
with middle management. A key member of Ibrahim's staff said he handed over data
in exchange for immunity.
A second financial officer in The Group, who has also been working with the
committee for months, said at least half of the Assad-era corporate empire has
now been taken over. That includes the main telecoms company, Syriatel. It is
now controlled by the committee through a member appointed as a signatory,
according to a corporate registration document seen by Reuters. Syriatel said
some of the Reuters findings were incorrect but did not respond to requests to
elaborate. The U.S. State Department official said the U.S. sanctions that
remain in place are there to promote accountability. “Broad and enduring
stability in Syria will depend on advancing meaningful justice and
accountability for abuses by all parties over the past 14 years,” the official
said.
A ‘NEW’ AIRLINE?
Some of The Group's largest companies have since resumed operations under new
names, according to three sources aware of the matter and a document reviewed by
Reuters. That includes Cham Wings, Syria’s only private airline. The carrier
converted into a new company, Fly Cham, under a settlement with owner Issam
Shammout, according to three senior aviation sources, a Cham Wings employee and
a corporate record reviewed by Reuters. Cham Wings and Shammout are under U.S.
and European Union sanctions for alleged involvement in flying mercenaries to
Libya and illegal migrants to Belarus, transporting weapons and trafficking the
narcotic Captagon. In exchange for immunity from state prosecution, Shammout
gave up 45% of the company, according to the document. He also paid $50 million
and handed over two aircraft to state-owned Syrian Air, the aviation sources
said. The remaining three planes, all Airbus A320s, were repainted in Fly Cham
colors but kept their tail numbers. Shammout kept his automobile concession,
Shammout Auto, the sources said. A Cham Wings spokesperson declined to comment.
A spokesperson for Fly Cham said: “Cham Wings is closed. Fly Cham is a totally
new company.” A later statement suggested Reuters contact the committee
directly. Sameh Orabi, general director of Syrian Air, told state news agency
SANA in May that two new aircraft would join the national fleet but did not
elaborate. A Cham Wings A320 with the tail identifier YK-BAG appeared in Syrian
Air colors days later.
MELTED TOWNS
Some of the country’s biggest tycoons have also struck deals. Samer Foz,
sanctioned by Washington in 2019 for allegedly profiting off Syria’s war
reconstruction, handed over around 80% of his commercial assets, valued at
between $800 million and $1 billion, according to a person familiar with the
deal. The deal included one of the Middle East’s largest sugar refineries, an
iron smelting plant and other factories, the person said.
Mohammed Hamsho, whose family enterprises encompass cable production, metalworks,
electronics and film studios, handed over around 80% of his commercial assets,
valued at more than $640 million, according to three people close to the deal.
He was left with around $150 million, and family members kept their companies,
the people said. As part of the deal, Hamsho surrendered a lucrative steel
processing plant that had been partially taken over by The Group.
He has been accused by Syrian opposition and rights groups and businessmen of
using the plant to process metal from neighborhoods demolished by Assad’s
forces. The U.S. Treasury Department alleges he enriched himself through
government connections and acting as a front for Assad's brother, Maher, who led
the Syrian army’s Fourth Division. Western governments have linked the Fourth
Division to the illicit production and trade of Captagon, an amphetamine-like
drug. Hamsho returned to Syria in January and lives under state protection at
his penthouse in Damascus’ elite Malki neighborhood. Reuters journalists have
repeatedly seen uniformed gunmen stationed in his entryway. Hopes have been high
that the fall of Assad would open a new chapter for Syria, but difficulties have
accumulated for Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government, most recently with bloodshed in
the predominantly Druze south. Amr Salem, a former trade minister and advisor to
Assad, said the new government's pragmatic approach could benefit a broken
country, but a lack of transparency and clear criteria for settlements is
risking new abuses of power.
"I myself was asked to make a deal but refused, because I have done nothing
wrong," he told Reuters.
The deals have angered many Syrians who want to see prominent figures linked to
Assad behind bars, triggering two small protests in June. “It's insulting to
Syrians. There is resentment in the Syrian street over the return of Assad's
businessmen or anyone who worked hand in hand with Assad,” said Abdel Hamid Al-Assaf,
an activist who has protested Hamsho’s homecoming. Contacted by Reuters, Hamsho
confirmed he held talks with the committee, but said he would reserve other
comment until a settlement is announced.
“I encourage business leaders and investors to look toward Syria,” he said. “The
country embraces a free-market economy and offers fertile ground for diverse and
promising investment opportunities.”
Syria has gathered pledges of investment at a rapid pace. Saudi Arabia's
investment minister led a business delegation to Syria for a two-day investment
conference that began July 23, with up to $6 billion in potential deals on the
table in major economic sectors.As settlements conclude, some committee members
have taken public positions. At least two were appointed to an official
commission President Sharaa formed in May to manage some ill-gotten gains.The
committee member said this was part of an effort to make official the work that
they have so far carried out in the shadows.
“It’s a full rebranding, from inside and out,” he said.
Committee members’ use of the honorific “sheikh” is gradually being replaced by
the Arabic equivalent of “mister.” Calls and meetings still happen late at
night, but the paperwork gets taken care of during business hours. The committee
men have also been told to don suits instead of khakis or casual wear, the
member said, and they’re under orders to keep their pistols out of sight. The
Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your
day. Sign up here. Reporting by Timour Azhari and Feras Dalatey. Additional
reporting by Byron Kaye in Sydney, Australia. Photo editing by Simon Newman.
Design by Catherine Tai. Edited by Lori Hinnant. Our Standards: The Thomson
Reuters Trust Principles.
في أسفل رابط التقرير على موقع رويترز/Beloe the Report link on Reuters site
https://www.reuters.com/investigations/syria-is-secretly-reshaping-its-economy-presidents-brother-is-charge-2025-07-24/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Protecting Sudan’s
children from war and starvation
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/July 24, 2025
In the midst of Sudan’s relentless civil war, children have increasingly become
the primary victims of a brutal and indiscriminate violence that shows no sign
of abating. In a single weekend of attacks this month, at least 24 boys and 11
girls were reportedly killed in communities around the city of Bara — a tragic
toll that drew urgent condemnation from UNICEF and reignited global concern over
the war’s deepening atrocities.
These children were not caught in the crossfire by accident — they were targeted
in areas of dense civilian population, further proving that the violence has
abandoned all pretense of protecting the innocent. This devastating incident
stands as a grim symbol of the horrors that have engulfed millions of children
across the nation. From killings to starvation, from rape to disease, Sudan’s
children are enduring one of the most heartbreaking humanitarian catastrophes of
the modern era. The world cannot look away.
The war in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces
and the Rapid Support Forces, has spiraled into one of the world’s most
catastrophic and underreported crises. What began as a power struggle between
two rival military factions has degenerated into a total collapse of law, order
and human dignity. Now in its third year, the conflict has displaced millions,
decimated infrastructure and created a humanitarian vacuum that is being filled
with starvation, disease and death.
Nowhere is this more tragically evident than in the suffering of Sudan’s
children. According to UNICEF, the number of children in need of humanitarian
assistance has doubled since the war began — from 7.8 million to an estimated 15
million. These are not just numbers. They represent children who have been torn
from their homes, orphaned by shelling, starved by blockades, denied medicine
and robbed of education. These are lives suspended in trauma, childhoods stolen
in real time, futures endangered before they ever had a chance to begin.
Sudan’s children are enduring one of the most heartbreaking humanitarian
catastrophes of the modern era. The violence against children is not limited to
bullets and bombs. It is structural, systemic and widespread. Malnutrition rates
among children have soared, with thousands already perishing from hunger and
disease due to the inability of aid agencies to reach them. International relief
workers warn that, without immediate humanitarian access, tens of thousands more
children in these regions are at imminent risk of dying preventable deaths.
Compounding the horror is a health crisis spiraling out of control. Disease
outbreaks have flourished in the absence of functioning clinics and vaccination
programs. Only 48 percent of Sudanese children now receive basic immunizations —
down from over 90 percent before the war. Diseases like measles, cholera,
malaria and dengue are spreading rapidly, particularly in makeshift camps and
besieged cities where clean water and medicine are nonexistent.
The healthcare system, already fragile before the conflict, has collapsed under
the weight of violence, looting and blockades. UNICEF warns that 770,000
children will suffer from severe acute malnutrition this year alone, with more
than a million more teetering on the edge. In some areas, the malnutrition
levels have reached levels consistent with famine. Children are not simply dying
from bullets — they are dying silently from hunger, from diarrhea, from
infections that a $2 vaccine could have prevented.
And while their bodies wither, so do their minds and spirits. The psychological
impact of this war on children is immeasurable. Many have witnessed their
parents killed, their homes burned, their villages razed. Rape and sexual
violence are used as weapons of war, with horrifying reports emerging of babies
and toddlers being assaulted. These crimes are committed with impunity, often in
front of families, often in communities too broken or terrified to respond. The
psychological trauma of such experiences will not end with the war — it will
ripple into the next generation, planting seeds of pain, rage and loss that may
take decades to heal.
There is also an educational catastrophe unfolding in parallel. More than 17
million children in Sudan are now out of school. That means an entire generation
— already traumatized by war, hunger and displacement — is also being denied the
single most powerful tool for recovery: education. Countless schools have been
destroyed, looted or repurposed as shelters and military bases. Teachers have
fled. Textbooks are gone. In many conflict zones, attending class is no longer
possible — or safe. What does the future look like for a nation in which
millions of children are growing up illiterate, uneducated and deeply scarred by
war? It looks like perpetual conflict. It looks like generational poverty. It
looks like the complete unraveling of a nation’s social fabric.
No child should ever be subjected to such horrors. No child should have to grow
up surrounded by corpses, starvation, gunfire and fear. Childhood is supposed to
be a time of play, learning, curiosity and growth — not of trauma, terror and
survival. The longer this crisis continues, the more children will be
permanently damaged — physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. And the
more likely it becomes that these children, once grown, will either replicate
the violence they have seen or be unable to rebuild what was lost. The cost of
inaction is not just moral. It is generational. It is global.
Childhood is supposed to be a time of play, learning, curiosity and growth — not
of trauma, terror and survival
The violence against children must end now. The international community must
mobilize with urgency and resolve. First, pressure must be brought to bear on
the warring parties to end their hostilities, particularly in civilian-populated
zones. Targeted sanctions, diplomatic isolation and coordinated international
pressure must be used to demand ceasefires — especially in areas where children
are most at risk. All sides must be held accountable for violations of
international law, particularly crimes committed against children. There can be
no lasting peace without justice. There can be no stability if perpetrators are
allowed to act with impunity.
Simultaneously, humanitarian access must be secured without delay. Aid
organizations must be allowed to reach besieged areas, deliver food, administer
vaccinations and establish emergency health and nutrition centers. Governments,
international donors and philanthropists must step up. UNICEF estimates that it
needs more than $1 billion to meet the humanitarian needs of Sudanese children
in 2025 alone. That figure is likely to rise. The global response has thus far
been grossly underfunded and logistically strangled. This must change. A
coordinated international effort must be launched to fund, staff and protect
humanitarian missions in Sudan — starting now. We must also act to evacuate the
most vulnerable children from active war zones. Safe corridors must be
negotiated to extract children trapped in cities like Al-Fashir, Nyala and
Khartoum. Displaced children must be resettled in secure environments with
access to clean water, shelter, healthcare and education. Psychological
counseling must be provided to help these children process their trauma.
Remote learning programs and temporary schools should be rapidly expanded.
Teachers must be trained, supplied and paid. Local nongovernmental organizations
and civil society groups should be empowered with funding and logistical support
to reach communities the UN cannot. This must be a full-spectrum response — one
that addresses immediate survival needs and long-term recovery. Finally, the
world must not turn its back on Sudan’s children. It is easy to become numb to
statistics. It is easy to be distracted by other crises. But we must resist the
temptation to forget. The suffering of children in Sudan is a moral stain on our
generation. If we claim to stand for human rights, we must act like it. If we
value peace, we must work for it. If we believe in a future for all people, we
must protect those who will inherit it. The children of Sudan are not just
victims — they are the future of a nation that, if given a chance, could still
rise from the ashes of war. In conclusion, the children of Sudan are enduring
unspeakable horrors. They are being killed, starved, raped, traumatized and
forgotten. This must not be allowed to continue. The war must end. The aid must
flow. The world must act. Sudan’s children must be protected — not tomorrow, not
in a diplomatic meeting in a year’s time, but now. Before another child dies.
Before another girl is raped. Before another future is erased. The world must
remember Sudan’s children — and fight for them as if they were our own. Because
in truth, they are.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian American political scientist.
X: @Dr_Rafizadeh
Of law, diplomats
and algorithms: A summer night in Techville
Rafael Hernández de Santiago/Arab News/July 24, 2025
It was a warm, velvety evening in the ever-miraculous fictional city of
Techville, where algorithms never sleep and diplomatic receptions are never just
receptions. On July 17 there was one such night of legal elegance, diplomatic
cordiality, and a touch of unintended artificial intelligence-fueled absurdity,
courtesy of the illustrious Othman Altamimi & Co. In true Techville fashion —
where reality wears a tuxedo and logic occasionally goes barefoot — the summer
gathering was meant to be a smooth and refined evening of networking.
The OTCO, a legal powerhouse founded by the dignified Mr. Othman Altamimi and
the sharp-witted Mr. Abdulaziz AlShahrani, had graciously invited 57 diplomatic
missions, numerous governmental officials, and elite consultants to discuss
building bridges, both literal and legal.
But then came the platform. You see, in Techville, no respectable event is held
without AI assistance. The venue employed an ultra-modern AI concierge system
named Eloisa, allegedly designed to optimize guest experience, reduce human
error, and increase diplomatic synergy through “sentiment-aware
logistics.”Unfortunately, Eloisa was a bit too sentient that evening — or
perhaps not enough. Philosopher Blaise Pascal once said: “Man is but a reed, the
most feeble thing in nature, but he is a thinking reed.”
Eloisa, it seems, was not. Somewhere between data parsing and personalization,
the AI mistook, upon arrival, one ambassador’s spouse — elegant, poised, and
impeccably dressed — and was greeted by a holographic feline. “Welcome, esteemed
guest,” it purred, “we hope you enjoy your evening as our purr-son of honor.” A
diplomatic attache nearby coughed into his drink. The AI, it turned out, had
mistaken “Her Excellency” for “Her Meowjesty” — a consequence of an overzealous
sentiment-detection protocol designed to add a “friendly touch” to formal
greetings. While mildly mortifying, the episode produced a ripple of
good-natured laughter.
“Let us not be afraid of artificial intelligence,” someone murmured, “but of
artificial etiquette.”To her credit, the ambassador’s wife responded with a warm
smile and more grace than most of us could summon when addressed by a talking
cat. She graciously quipped, raising a glass of chilled pomegranate juice: “I
have always been open to partnerships, whether human or otherwise.”Unfortunately,
Eloisa, despite her polished interface, suffered from one particularly
unpolished glitch. Even the best technology can err, but the human capacity to
forgive, adapt, and laugh — especially among diplomats and lawyers — is what
makes civilization possible. The evening’s honorary guest, His Excellency
Ricardo Silva-Santisteban, ambassador of the Republic of Peru, embodied the
spirit of expanding diplomacy and mutual respect between the nation he
represents and Techville. As he stood at the heart of the reception, surrounded
by dignitaries and legal minds, his presence was more than symbolic — it was
strategic. In an era of deepening ties, the ambassador’s leadership exemplified
the possibilities of enhanced trade, legal collaboration, and cultural exchange.
The event, attended by a vibrant constellation of government institutions,
consuls, secretaries, and commercial attaches, aimed to nurture the very
foundations of partnership.
As the OTCO’s founders said, the law is not just a system — it is a language of
trust. And that evening was a lesson in fluency. As guests poured in, the law
firm’s founding duo took charge with characteristic charm and legal precision.
The OTCO is known not only for its rigorous handling of corporate law,
arbitration, fintech, labor, and maritime disputes, but also for being a kind of
legal Rosetta Stone — deciphering laws for international companies, embassies,
and diplomats. And this event, as explained by the hosts, was more than a summer
soiree. It was an expression of gratitude and a reaffirmation of partnerships.
The elegant setting, the cross-cultural mix, and the spirit of collaboration
reflected Techville’s growing role as a hub of diplomacy and economic exchange.
Yet, as the AI continued to make errors — identifying a trade attache as “spicy
food influencer” and calling an ambassador a “blockchain enthusiast” — the
guests began to lean into the humor.
“Let us not forget,” one diplomat was heard saying, “Cicero believed that ‘any
man can make mistakes, but only a fool persists in his error.’ Eloisa, it seems,
is not a fool — just a first-year intern with too much power.”Behind the
laughter, though, serious conversations took place. From trade investment to
legal reform, from AI in public administration to the soft power of neighboring
states, the discussions were sharp and forward-looking. The firm’s vision — to
be a “local law firm with global standards” — was palpable throughout the event.
The OTCO has served as a discreet but effective mediator between embassies and
governmental legal institutions, helping ease regulatory friction and ensuring
smoother entry for foreign businesses. “The law,” as said earlier, “isn’t just
about rules; it’s about trust.” That night was about building that trust. And
maybe laughing a little when AI got too clever for its own circuits.
The driving force of the event, the unflappable Sebastian Kawka, oversaw the
orchestration of the evening. Part legal maestro, part social conductor, he
deftly juggled protocol with personality. His secret weapon? “Diplomatic
resilience and a portable Wi-Fi hotspot,” he joked, noting that Eloisa had
briefly locked out the sound system in protest when someone referred to her as
“just an app.”In the end, no one left disappointed. Business cards were
exchanged like rare Pokemon, collaborations were whispered into juice glasses,
and the AI finally learned to say “ambassador” without accidentally activating a
karaoke playlist.
As we left the venue, a few guests gathered under the flickering neon sign that
read, somewhat cryptically, “Legal Clarity Begins in Ambiguity.” Maybe it was
Eloisa’s final joke — or perhaps, a deep truth about diplomacy, law, and life in
Techville.
As Socrates famously said: “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know
nothing.”On that evening, we were reminded that even the best technology can
err, but the human capacity to forgive, adapt, and laugh — especially among
diplomats and lawyers — is what makes civilization possible. And so it was that
in the city where silicon meets soul, ambassadors, a rogue AI, and a law firm
with global ambition came together to make legal history — with a touch of
feline charm. A postscript: Eloisa has since been updated to distinguish between
sovereign nations and pet shelters. Whiskers III has reportedly been offered an
honorary role in future AI-human cultural exchanges.
• Rafael Hernandez de Santiago, viscount of Espes, is a Spanish national
residing in Saudi Arabia and working at the Gulf Research Center.
Serious gaps remain in joint GCC-EU security efforts
Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg/Arab News/July 24, 2025
When the Gulf Cooperation Council and EU heads of state and government held
their first summit last October, they endorsed the blueprint proposed by their
ministers on security cooperation. While the two blocs have been closely engaged
for decades, mainly on economic and political issues, it was the first time that
they decided to work closely on security, as part of their intention to “elevate
their strategic partnership to the next level,” by working together to safeguard
“global and regional security and prosperity, including preventing the emergence
and escalation of conflicts and resolving crises,” according to the joint
communique issued at the time. Regional security, whether in the Middle East,
Europe or elsewhere, has to be anchored in “multilateralism, international law
and international humanitarian law, as well as sustainable development and
prosperity,” in a reference to the weakening, if not total abandonment, of these
principles in many parts of the world. Nine months after that summit was held in
Brussels, it is appropriate to assess how much has been done in security
cooperation. A meeting of experts was held this week in Cambridge, a neutral
territory, to evaluate progress. The meeting was organized by the Gulf Research
Center, a well-established Saudi-based think tank. The GRC, celebrating its 25th
anniversary this year, is probably the most prolific producer of scholarly and
policy-oriented literature on the Gulf. As part of its program, it organizes an
annual gathering in Cambridge of academics and policymakers from around the
world, to discuss Gulf-related issues over several days of intense
deliberations. This year marked the 15th of such convocations; there was more
than 400 in attendance. Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan opened the
meeting, followed by the GCC Secretary-General Jassem Mohammed Al-Budaiwi, and
other senior officials from the two organizations. Although the GCC-EU security
dialogue started only last year, it has made considerable progress in
delineating the parameters of cooperation on some specific issues. The summit
agreed to “deepening security cooperation, including on counter-terrorism,
maritime security, cyber issues, nonproliferation, and disaster preparedness and
emergency management.” In meetings held since the summit, the two organizations
agreed on detailed frameworks for each of these five security areas; the next
step will be their actual implementation. They also agreed to explore
cooperation on peacebuilding efforts such as mediation and negotiation, and
combating organized crime, drugs, human trafficking, and smuggling.
It is no secret that the EU is divided on Gaza
On regional security, mediation and conflict resolution, much has been done,
especially by the GCC side, but there are serious gaps given the severity of the
ongoing crises. There are at least five areas where the two blocs need to double
their efforts to live up to the promises made in the October summit to work
together toward safeguarding regional security. First, there is the Gaza
genocide. The mass starvation and forced displacement of Palestinians have only
intensified in recent months. While GCC states, especially Qatar, have been
heavily involved in trying to achieve a ceasefire and allow aid in scale and
without hindrance, it is no secret that the EU is divided and, in fact, a few of
its members are providing political and material support for the mayhem
perpetrated by Israel. Because of the rules of unanimity and weighted majority,
the EU has been paralyzed by this division. It has not been able to get its
members to agree on an effective course, such as using the leverage of its
association agreement with Israel. Rule of weighted majority gives more leverage
to large EU member states, who have been able to block action by the
organization. In the words of one participant in the Cambridge discussions, the
result has left the EU “sitting on its hands,” satisfied with issuing occasional
statements expressing concern about Gaza. Similarly, while good progress has
been made on plans for the day after in Gaza by the Arab League, Egypt, and
others, the EU has yet to lend effective support for this plan. Second, on the
two-state solution, Saudi Arabia and a number of partners are making great
efforts. One achievement has been the establishment of the Global Alliance for
the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, which includes about 100 countries
and organizations from around the world. It has held several substantive
meetings dealing with different aspects of this challenge. These efforts are
being undermined by Israel so far ruling out negotiations and continuing to
change facts on the grounds in the West Bank, including expanding settlements
and unleashing unchecked violence against Palestinians. The aim is to make a
two-state solution impossible to implement. Although the EU is part of this
global alliance, it has yet to use its considerable leverage to get Israel to
change course.
Third, on the Israel-Iran war, the EU appears to be aligned with the GCC
position. Both are pushing for a diplomatic solution and a return to the nuclear
talks in order to prevent a likely resumption of hostilities. Both organizations
believe that a military solution is not desirable or effective. GCC countries
have engaged closely with Damascus. Fourth, on the Syrian Arab Republic, the two
groups are aligned and have welcomed the new government, which took charge last
December. However, the EU has yet to give tangible support, while GCC countries
have stepped up to the plate and engaged closely with Damascus, most recently in
the form of the Saudi-Syrian investment forum held in Damascus this week, in
addition to substantial humanitarian and development aid by Saudi Arabia and
other GCC countries in recent months. The EU is nowhere to be seen in Syria,
according to one European participant, instead focusing on the shortcomings of
the new government.
Fifth, on maritime security, the two sides are working hard to safeguard freedom
of navigation and combat illicit activities, but there is little systematic
coordination. Considering the now-frequent attacks on shipping in the Red Sea,
maritime security has become one of the most urgent areas on which to focus. All
GCC states, plus a dozen EU members, are members of the Bahrain-based, US-led
44-member Combined Maritime Forces, the largest international coalition of its
kind. It has five task forces operating in the Gulf, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden,
and the Red Sea. Separately, both the GCC and EU have their own platforms. The
GCC Maritime Operations Coordination Center, also based in Bahrain, coordinates
the work of GCC security forces, while the EU has three outfits — Operation
Agenor in the Gulf, Operation Atalanta off the Somali Coast, and Operation
Aspides in the Red Sea.
Although there has been limited practical cooperation in some of these areas,
such as maritime security, more needs to be done, and a specifically GCC-EU
framework needs to be established soon for coordination of all these efforts.
The next summit is expected to be held in Saudi Arabia in 2026, and Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman said last October that he expects to see real progress by
the time the next forum convenes in Riyadh. To make that happen, the two sides
need to speed up implementation in all areas of the GCC-EU strategic
partnership, including security cooperation. To do that, the two sides must
double their efforts, especially on the EU side. It is also urgently needed to
scale up the currently meagre funds and manpower allocated for this ambitious
partnership.
*Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg is the GCC assistant secretary-general for political
affairs and negotiation. The views expressed here are personal and do not
necessarily represent those of the GCC. X: @abuhamad1
Putting Syria
back on track
Zaid AlKami/English Al Aabyia/24 July/2025
In the spring of 1977, Lebanon stood on the brink of civil war following the
assassination of the Druze leader Kamal Jumblatt in an ambush as he was heading
to the town of Baakline in the Chouf region, coming from Beirut.
At the time, tensions and unrest broke out between the Druze and the Maronites,
and the mountain nearly ignited into a war no one could imagine how it would end
– until the threads of the crime were later revealed, showing that the
perpetrator was not Lebanese, but rather Hafez al-Assad, the former Syrian
president, who decided to assassinate Jumblatt because he stood against Syria’s
tutelage project.
That image – with all its symbolism of sectarian explosion – has returned today
to loom over southern Syria, with the escalation of events in Sweida province,
the stronghold of the Druze there. What has been happening for weeks cannot be
described as a local dispute, nor seen as a typical protest movement. Rather, it
hints at a slowly forming sedition, emerging from under the ashes and now
spreading under various slogans, as some parties seek to inflame it to push
Syria to the brink of sectarian division.
Sweida is not a geographic margin, but a national pillar that has always
represented a guarantee that the voice of reason is still possible in the heart
of storms. The city, with its social and historical character, used to raise the
word above the gun, and uphold dialogue over threats. But today’s reality seems
different, as it is being lured – by those with narrow, externally-backed
interests – into a chaotic, bloody conflict, where sectarian tensions are
stirred, identities provoked, and an effort is underway to go beyond local
disputes toward redefining Syrian coexistence itself. The aim is to build armed
enclaves outside the authority of the state, escalate events to attract
international media coverage and regional alliances, thereby undermining state
sovereignty and threatening the national framework that unites all sects without
exception.
What is happening today in Syria goes beyond security matters to more complex
dimensions tied to the future of the country’s demographic makeup, social
fabric, and state identity. The demographic conflict in Sweida is not merely a
local shift, but a dangerous card – one that, if played, will not serve the
people of Syria, but will instead benefit only those regional powers seeking to
dismantle the country and reshape it along sectarian, regional, and
transnational loyalty lines.
Therefore, the declaration by 11 Arab and Muslim countries of their support for
Syria’s security, unity, stability, and sovereignty – and their rejection of all
foreign interference in its internal affairs – served as a message that there is
no room for sedition in Syria, and that these countries support Damascus in
asserting its sovereignty over all its territory. All this leads to the
accountability of those responsible for violations against Syrian citizens in
Sweida, and support for all efforts to extend security, state authority, and the
rule of law across every inch of Syrian land, while rejecting violence,
sectarianism, incitement, and hatred.
In this tense climate, the Syrian government is now more than ever required to
reconsider how it handles internal issues with historical sensitivities –
especially those that concern the country’s social components.
Reviewing performance does not signify weakness or concession – it reflects
political courage. The initiative to absorb concerned voices and to open up to
all components of society is no longer a political luxury; it is a pressing
national necessity.
A state that seeks the future does not fear de-escalation and does not see
dialogue as a weakness, but rather as a tool to rebuild trust. When minorities
feel protected, and majorities feel responsible, the homeland returns to its
rightful path, and the loud voices subside in favor of a unifying national
project.
Today, Syria cannot endure new seditions – it needs a national project that
transcends narrow identities and bets on uniting Syrians rather than dividing
them. History does not forgive states that fail to learn from their lessons. A
homeland that cannot accommodate its people... will become an empty, fragile,
and marginal state.
Selected Tweets for
24 July/2025
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
According to data from Suwayda, #Syria, 31 villages have been
nearly destroyed, about 150,000 internally displaced, and 2,000–2,500 killed.
The atrocities, included killing, torture, burning, and rape, surpassing
terrorism in scale. Residents were kidnapped, wells and grain silos destroyed,
and a stifling siege caused starvation and deprivation.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Twenty years on, #Iraq is better than it was before the war that toppled Saddam,
thanks to all the U.S. sacrifice in blood and treasure. I’m someone who’s
forever indebted to Americans who made my freedom, and that of many Iraqis,
possible. Discussing Iraq on C-Span.
Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו
We strongly condemn President Macron’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state
next to Tel Aviv in the wake of the October 7 massacre. Such a move rewards
terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became. A
Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel
— not to live in peace beside it. Let’s be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a
state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel.
Naftali Bennett נפתלי בנט
Macron’s recognition of a Palestinian state after the October 7th massacre isn’t
diplomacy; it’s moral collapse. It rewards mass murder and tells Islamist
terrorists: kill Jews, and the world will hand you a state. This shameful
decision will be tossed this into the dustbin of history
Khaled Momtaz خالد ممتاز
Really ....hizballah is the worlds largest terrorist organization the world has
ever known with a 1 billion dollar a year funding with a terrorist network that
spanes the globe dealing drugs from south america to afghanistan ... that has
blown up american soldiers and it is a Lebanese problem !!!! NO Mr Ambassador it
is an international challenge that must be dealt with Internationally .
Marc Zell
Public security elements in Suwayda during their kidnapping of girls from the
vehicle that was transporting them, and now they are demanding to exchange them
for fighters. I think they are the same age as your daughters, Ahmed. Would you
accept? The cameras have started to show what happened.
Ambassador Tom Barrack
I met this evening with the Syrians and Israelis in Paris. Our goal was dialogue
and de-escalation, and we accomplished precisely that. All parties reiterated
their commitment to continuing these efforts.
Ambassador Tom Barrack
@USAMBTurkiye
During my recent visit to Beirut, I stated that Hizballah is “an issue that must
be resolved by the Lebanese themselves,” reaffirming a long-standing position of
the United States — that Hizballah represents a challenge which only the
Lebanese government can address. The United States remains ready to support
Lebanon, should the government uphold and enforce the state’s monopoly on all
arms, and that only the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) has the constitutional
authority to operate within its borders. [1/3]
Ambassador Tom Barrack
@USAMBTurkiye
has rightly emphasized, our goal in Lebanon is “a strong Lebanese state that can
take on and disarm Hizballah.” The United States draws no distinction between
Hezbollah’s political and military branches. We view the group in its entirety
as what it is: a foreign terrorist organization. [2/3]
Ambassador Tom Barrack
@USAMBTurkiye
By contrast, the United States recognizes the LAF as the sole legitimate
national military institution and a pillar of Lebanon’s sovereignty and the key
to securing a stable and prosperous future. It is now incumbent upon Lebanon’s
political leadership — and the LAF — to demonstrate the resolve and political
will to, in the words of @POTUS
, “seize a new chance for a future free from the grip of Hezbollah terrorists.”
On that path, the United States will stand shoulder to shoulder with the people
of Lebanon. [3/3]
Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران
Prime Minister Netanyahu: "We will not abandon our Druze brothers in Syria. We
cannot stand idly by in the face of the horrific scenes emerging from Sweida. We
will demilitarize the area south of Damascus and will do everything necessary to
help and protect the Druze."
Fatima J
@LadyLevnon
“an issue that must be resolved by the Lebanese themselves,” reaffirming a
long-standing position of the United States”
Because the US knows the Lebanese are unable to do what is necessary, like law
and order, without foreign assistance. President Camille Chamoun repeatedly
asked for a military force presence to assist with protecting Lebanon against
pan-Arabism. Eisenhower sent marines to the shores of Beirut to pretty much shut
President Chamoun up. This “long-standing position” is part of the
Kissinger plan to turn Lebanon into a state for the Palestinians. So far the
plan is succeeding.
Shame on you for moving it along. You’re a shame to Zahle.