English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For March 08/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil/Those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires
First Letter to Timothy 06/06-12/ Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 07-08/2025
Text & Video: To Hezbollah’s Cymbals and Berri’s Mouthpieces from the Culture of Shoes—Enough Nonsense!/Elias Bejjani/March 07/2025
Berri visits Aoun to discuss security appointments
Report: Govt. to launch diplomatic campaign to press Israel to withdraw, end violations
Give us 'some time', Aoun reportedly tells Bin Salman
Lebanese Army says Israeli attacks 'threaten Lebanon's stability'
Israel army claims to have struck Hezbollah ‘military sites’ in south Lebanon
Israeli settlers enter south Lebanon for 'religious visit'
Wave of Israeli airstrikes targets areas across south Lebanon
Israel army fires at civilians in Kfarkila, wounding 3
Aoun and Menassa discuss army's deployment in south
IMF Lebanon trip next week will address economy, reconstruction
World Bank says Lebanon needs $11 bn for post-war reconstruction
Geagea says govt.’s 1st mission should be removing illegal arms
Residents of Israel's north slowly return home but fear another war

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 07-08/2025
Gunmen kill dozens in Syrian Alawite town, sources and war monitor say
Dozens killed in clashes between Syrian forces and Assad loyalists
Syria gunmen execute 70 Alawites in Latakia, raising deaths to 147
Syria’s Sharaa urges Alawites to surrender after deadly clashes
Clashes in Syria's coastal region between government forces and Assad loyalists kill more than 70
Trump says he sent a letter to Iran's supreme leader over country's advancing nuclear program
Trump offers nuclear talks with Iran
Iran summons British envoy over ‘baseless’ allegations of interference
Popular Iranian singer who urged women to go without hijab is lashed over alcohol conviction
Hamas officials say delegation in Cairo for Gaza truce talks
Israel military spokesperson, who was rebuked by defence chiefs, steps down
Muslim nations endorse alternative to Trump’s Gaza takeover plan
90,000 Palestinians attend the first Friday prayers of Ramadan in Jerusalem
Saudi Arabia to host US-Ukraine talks in Jeddah
Aid efforts in Gaza slow as millions of promised USAID dollars do not arrive, agency officials say

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on March 07-08/2025
What the New Houthi Terrorist Designation Means for Yemen/Juwayriah Wright/Time/March 07/2025
Cut Federal Funding to Barnard/Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/March 7, 2025
Trump may have already planted the seeds of his political collapse/Matt K. Lewis, opinion contributor/The Hill/March 07/2025
Question: “What is repentance and is it necessary for salvation?”/GotQuestions.org/March 07/2025
The Egyptian plan has become Arab … what next?/Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy/Arab News/March 07, 2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on March 07-08/2025
Text & Video: To Hezbollah’s Cymbals and Berri’s Mouthpieces from the Culture of Shoes—Enough Nonsense!
Elias Bejjani/March 07/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/03/140983/
All we see on social media from the hired mouthpieces, thugs, and degenerates of the Axis of Evil is mindless braying and gutter language like: "What brings you to the master's shoe, slipper, and sandal?"
You miserable souls—when will you learn? Have you not grasped from your endless defeats, destruction, and casualties that this absurd "culture of shoes and sandals" has brought you nothing but disasters, losses, displacement, humiliation, and utter disgrace?
Look at where your blind idol worship—"For the sake of your sandals, O Sayyed!"—has led you.
The Sayyed is gone, along with 171 Hezbollah commanders. The south is gone, as well as the southern suburbs and half of the Bekaa. Your weapons, tunnels, and stockpiles are gone. You surrendered to Israel and were forced to sign a ceasefire agreement—whether you liked it or not. And yet, the only thing that remains… is the sandal.
Calm down, retreat, and stop your pathetic threats, barking, and empty bravado.
In the end, the only cure for you and the cancerous Mullah regime that has infested you is the cure of justice—through trials and accountability for every disaster you have inflicted upon yourselves, Lebanon, and the Lebanese people.

Berri visits Aoun to discuss security appointments
Naharnet/March 07/2025
President Joseph Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri held a meeting Friday at the Baabda Palace, amid reports that they would discuss the file of security appointments. A Presidency statement said Aoun briefed Berri on his talks in Riyadh with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and also on the outcome of the extraordinary Arab summit in Cairo. They also discussed "the general situations and the situation in the South."Al-Akhbar newspaper had reported that Berri would visit Baabda in a bid to reach “consensus over a number of appointments, especially in General Security and State Security.” An agreement was meanwhile reached to name Major General Rudolph Haykal as army commander, while the rest of the security appointments will be completed next week, a governmental source told al-Joumhouria newspaper on Thursday.

Report: Govt. to launch diplomatic campaign to press Israel to withdraw, end violations
Naharnet/March 07/2025
The Lebanese government intends to launch “a broad and intensive diplomatic campaign in international forums with the aim of pressing Israel to honor its pledges that were mentioned in the ceasefire agreement in terms of its full withdrawal from Lebanon and the complete halt of its attacks,” informed sources said. “The Lebanese side is practically implementing the pledges it had committed itself to as part of this agreement, and the Lebanese Army is doing all its duties in this regard,” the sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper in remarks published Friday. A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has been in effect since November 27 after more than a year of hostilities including two months of all-out war during which Israel launched ground operations. Under the deal, Lebanon's army deployed in the south alongside United Nations peacekeepers as the Israeli army was supposed to withdraw over a 60-day period that was later extended to February 18. Israel has continued to carry out strikes on Lebanese territory since the agreement took effect. Israel has kept troops at five south Lebanon locations it deems "strategic" after the Feb. 18 deadline. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has said that Israeli forces would remain indefinitely in what he called a "buffer zone" in south Lebanon. The ceasefire also requires Hezbollah to pull back north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border, and to dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south.

Give us 'some time', Aoun reportedly tells Bin Salman
Naharnet/March 07/2025
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman told President Joseph Aoun in their meeting in Riyadh on Monday that he is counting on him and on his presidential tenure, the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on Friday.“We are expecting from you reforms and the implementation of U.N. resolutions,” the daily quoted Bin Salman as telling Aoun. Aoun reportedly answered: “We thank you for your care about Lebanon and we realize well that the implementation of U.N. resolutions and reform are the two main gateways for building the state in Lebanon. We have started this course and we will continue it, but it needs some time.” The president added that “the Lebanese Army is fully performing its role in south Lebanon and it will be in charge of things there.”

Lebanese Army says Israeli attacks 'threaten Lebanon's stability'
Naharnet/March 07/2025
The Lebanese Army said in a statement that “the Israeli enemy is continuing its territorial, naval and aerial violations against Lebanon’s sovereignty, the last of which was a series of attacks on citizens in the South and the Bekaa, the continued occupation of Lebanese territory, and continued breaches of the land border.”“The Israeli enemy’s continuation of its attacks threatens Lebanon’s stability and reflects negatively on stability in the region. It also totally contradicts with the ceasefire agreement,” the army warned. “Meanwhile, military units are continuing to accompany residents’ return to southern areas through treating unexploded ordnance, removing rubble and reopening roads, while the Army Command is following up on the situation and taking the necessary measures in coordination with the five-member ceasefire monitoring committee and the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL),” the army added.

Israel army claims to have struck Hezbollah ‘military sites’ in south Lebanon
AFP/March 07, 2025
JERUSALEM: Israel’s army said it conducted strikes on “military sites” belonging to Islamist group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon on Friday, where it said “weapons and rocket launchers” were identified. “A short while ago, the IDF conducted intelligence-based strikes on military sites in southern Lebanon belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in which weapons and rocket launchers belonging to Hezbollah were identified,” the army said in a statement, adding that they “constituted a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”

Israeli settlers enter south Lebanon for 'religious visit'
Naharnet/March 07/2025
A group of Israeli settlers on Friday entered the al-Abbad tomb inside Lebanese territory, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported.The settlers crossed into the tomb, on the outskirts of the border town of Houla, under the cover of “a religious visit to the site organized by the Israeli occupation forces,” NNA said.“Zionists claim that the site belongs to Rav Ashi (Rabbi Ashi),” a Babylonian Jewish rabbi who died in 427 AD, the agency added. “Israel had announced the tour yesterday (Thursday),” NNA said. Commenting on the violation, the Lebanese Army called the visit "a blatant breach of national Lebanese sovereignty" and "a violation of international laws, resolutions and treaties, especially Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire agreement."The army added that it is following up on the matter with the ceasefire monitoring committee and the UNIFIL force. A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has been in effect since November 27 after more than a year of hostilities including two months of all-out war during which Israel launched ground operations. Under the deal, Lebanon's army deployed in the south alongside United Nations peacekeepers as the Israeli army was supposed to withdraw over a 60-day period that was later extended to February 18. Israel has continued to carry out strikes on Lebanese territory since the agreement took effect. Israel has kept troops at five south Lebanon locations it deems "strategic" after the Feb. 18 deadline. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has said that Israeli forces would remain indefinitely in what he called a "buffer zone" in south Lebanon. The ceasefire also requires Hezbollah to pull back north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border, and to dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south.

Wave of Israeli airstrikes targets areas across south Lebanon
Agence France Presse/March 07/2025
A wave of Israeli airstrikes targeted the Jezzine, Tyre, Bint Jbeil and Sidon districts in south Lebanon on Friday evening, with the Israeli army claiming that it hit Hezbollah "combat equipment and rocket launchpads." "A short while ago, the IDF (Israeli army) conducted intelligence-based strikes on military sites in southern Lebanon belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in which weapons and rocket launchers belonging to Hezbollah were identified," the Israeli army said in a statement, adding that they "constituted a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon."Al-Arabiya television said the "26 airstrikes" were the fiercest since the end of the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Israel army fires at civilians in Kfarkila, wounding 3
Naharnet/March 07/2025
Three people were wounded Friday when Israeli forces opened fire at them near the Kfarkila wall in south Lebanon. The gunfire wounded two members of the Hezbollah-affiliated Jihad al-Binaa Development Association and a Syrian man, the latter critically, the National News agency said. The two civilians who work for the development foundation run by Hezbollah were inspecting the damage caused by the Israeli war. In the southern border town of Mays al-Jabal, Israeli soldiers opened fired at the town's east, to terrify residents, while a group of Israeli settlers entered the outskirts of the Lebanese border town of Houla. The Lebanese Army condemned Friday the Israeli "territorial, naval and aerial violations against Lebanon’s sovereignty, the attacks on citizens in the South and the Bekaa, the continued occupation of Lebanese territory, and continued breaches of the land border."
Ceasefire violations -
At least 57 civilians have been killed, including 16-year-old Lea Abou Karnib and 14-year-old Khadija Atwi, by Israeli fire in south Lebanon despite a ceasefire reached in late November. Since the ceasefire was reached, Israeli strikes on south and east Lebanon continued almost daily. The Israeli army struck more than 15 locations in one day in February during the funerals of former Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. The frequent violations include strikes, mock raids, drones over Lebanese territories including Beirut, the Israeli occupation of five "strategic points" in south Lebanon, the frequent kidnapping of civilians, and opening fire at residents of the border towns. At least 26 civilians were killed in January as Israeli forces opened fire in south Lebanon at war-displaced residents who were trying to return home while the Israeli military remained deployed past their withdrawal deadline. In early February, two children were killed along with their father, a Hezbollah member, in an explosion of their house in the southern border town of Tayr Harfa.

Aoun and Menassa discuss army's deployment in south
Naharnet/March 07/2025
President Joseph Aoun on Friday discussed the security situations in the country with Defense Minister Michel Menassa. The meeting also tackled the status of the Lebanese Army’s deployment in the South. A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has been in effect since November 27 after more than a year of hostilities including two months of all-out war during which Israel launched ground operations. Under the deal, Lebanon's army deployed in the south alongside United Nations peacekeepers as the Israeli army was supposed to withdraw over a 60-day period that was later extended to February 18. Israel has continued to carry out strikes on Lebanese territory since the agreement took effect. Israel has kept troops at five south Lebanon locations it deems "strategic" after the Feb. 18 deadline. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has said that Israeli forces would remain indefinitely in what he called a "buffer zone" in south Lebanon. The ceasefire also requires Hezbollah to pull back north of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the border, and to dismantle any remaining military infrastructure in the south.

IMF Lebanon trip next week will address economy, reconstruction
Agence France Presse/March 07/2025
International Monetary Fund staff will visit Lebanon next week to meet with the country's new government and begin addressing its economic woes, the Washington-based lender said. Speaking to reporters in Washington, IMF communications director Julie Kozack said the March 10-14 "fact-finding" mission to Lebanon would address the country's economic development, and its reconstruction needs amid a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. "Beyond this fact-finding mission, as we look ahead, future next steps could include helping the authorities to formulate a comprehensive economic reform program," she said, alluding to the prospect of a new aide package. Lebanon's economy has struggled for years amid accusations of corruption and mismanagement. The Middle Eastern country's new prime minister, Nawaf Salam, formed a government last month, ending more than two and a half years of caretaker leadership. He tapped Yassine Jaber, a former economy and transport minister, to head the finance ministry, an important position as the new administration weighs whether to implement painful economic reforms in exchange for fresh financial support from the IMF.

World Bank says Lebanon needs $11 bn for post-war reconstruction
Agence France Presse/March 07/2025
WorThe World Bank on Friday estimated Lebanon's recovery and reconstruction costs at $11 billion following the war between Israel and Hezbollah, which ended with a ceasefire last November. "Reconstruction and recovery needs following the conflict that affected Lebanon are estimated at US$11 billion," the World Bank said in a report assessing damage and losses from October 8 to December 20, 2024. The report put the war's total economic cost at $14 billion, including $6.8 billion in damage to physical structures and $7.2 billion in economic losses from reduced productivity, forgone revenues and operating costs. The Lebanese housing sector was the hardest hit, with losses estimated at $4.6 billion, while the tourism sector lost $3.6 billion. The impacts of the conflict have resulted in Lebanon's real GDP contracting by 7.1 percent in 2024, a significant setback compared to a no-conflict growth estimated at 0.9 percent," the World Bank said. "By the end of 2024, Lebanon's cumulative GDP decline since 2019 approached 40 percent, compounding the effects of the multi-pronged economic downturn and impacting Lebanon's prospects for economic growth." Israel and Hezbollah were involved in over a year of cross-border hostilities, including two months of open war, which ended with a ceasefire on November 27. The fighting destroyed vast swathes of Hezbollah's strongholds in the country's south and east, as well as Beirut's southern suburbs. Even before the war began, Lebanon was in the throes of an unprecedented economic crisis. The war dealt devastating blows to Hezbollah, the weakening of which helped pave the way for the appointment of a new president and government after a two-year power vacuum.

Geagea says govt.’s 1st mission should be removing illegal arms
Naharnet/March 07/2025
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has stressed that “it is impossible to achieve any reform or secure any stability without accomplishing full and real sovereignty.”“The path to reform is the rise of an actual state,” said Geagea during the annual iftar banquet in Maarab. “The first mission of the current government should be to directly and publicly ask the Lebanese Army to … collect all illegal weapons and dismantle all illegitimate military and security structures across Lebanon, within a specified and clear timeframe, as originally stipulated in the Taif Agreement, and without any delay or procrastination,” Geagea added. As for the situation in the South, the LF leader said that “Israel’s staying on any grain of soil of Lebanon’s land is categorically rejected, but we don’t have the luxury of fooling ourselves and others, seeing as combating this occupation and removing it can only happen through Lebanon’s friends in the Arab world and internationally, through political force and diplomatic means.”Responding to those talking about the failure of political force and diplomatic means, Geagea said “what’s laughable yet lamentable is that military means have not only failed, but have led to the re-occupation of territory and to bringing unprecedented disasters, death and destruction.”As for the reconstruction process, the LF leader said “it is a national duty that cannot be abandoned,” but emphasized that “we also need the support of the Arab and Western worlds to be able to accomplish it.”

Residents of Israel's north slowly return home but fear another war
Agence France Presse/March 07/2025
On a lush green hilltop on Israel's northern border with Lebanon, Carmela Keren Yakuti proudly shows off her home in Dovev, which she fled more than 16 months ago over fears of a Hezbollah attack. "Now that everyone is back, it's an amazing feeling," said Yakuti, 40, standing on her freshly washed patio and breathing in the crisp country air. "It's great here. We have a beautiful moshav, a beautiful view," she added, referring to what Israelis call a small agricultural community. "It's simply great to be back home." On October 8, 2023, a day after Hamas' unprecedented attack on southern Israel triggered war in Gaza, Lebanon's Hezbollah group declared its support for the Palestinian militants and began firing rockets into northern Israel. For their own protection, the Israeli military ordered Yakuti, her family, friends and neighbors to leave Dovev, and they were sent to live in a hotel in the city of Tiberius, further south.
In total, the hostilities with Hezbollah displaced around 60,000 residents of northern towns and villages, according to official data. Half are yet to return home.On the Lebanese side, more than one million people fled the south of the country, around 100,000 of whom are still displaced, according to the United Nations. On November 27, 2024, after more than a year of hostilities, including two months of all-out war during which Israel sent ground troops into Lebanon, a truce agreement came into force. Israeli authorities have said residents of northern border communities could return home from March 1. Yakuti, who retrained as a beautician during the time she was displaced, said she immediately packed up her belongings, bid farewell to the "kind" hotel staff and moved back into her two-story home.
Rockets, mortars
While many of Dovev's residents were returning this week, the scene was not so joyous in other communities along Israel's northern border. In the kibbutz community of Hanita, Or Ben Barak estimated that only about 20 or 30 families out of around 300 had come back. "At first, there was this kind of euphoria when they announced that we could return," said Ben Barak, who counts his grandparents among the founders of the 97-year-old kibbutz."But now people are also seeing that the place isn't quite ready for living yet." Ben Barak, 49, pointed out the multiple places where rockets and mortars had fallen, as well as the damage done by the heavy Israeli military vehicles such as tanks that passed through on their way into Lebanon. Asked if he was concerned about security now the war was over, Ben Barak said that what worried him more was "what will happen with the community. Who will come back, how they will come back, and how many will come back?" "I believe that in Lebanon, the army fought very hard and did everything it needed to do, but the real question is how to maintain this quiet," he said. "That's the challenge -- how to guarantee a peaceful life for the next 20 to 30 years. That's the challenge for the state, and that will also determine whether people stay here." Just down the hill from the still abandoned streets of Hanita, the town of Shlomi appeared to be returning to life. At Baleli Falafel, Yonatan Baleli stuffed pita with salad and tahini as a long line of hungry customers waited to blaring trance music. "I feel much safer than before, but do I feel 100 percent safe? No," said Ronit Fire, 54."It's not pleasant to say this, but it feels like it's just a matter of time," she said, adding that she believed there would be another war in the future. "The next time will come again at some point," said Fire.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 07-08/2025
Gunmen kill dozens in Syrian Alawite town, sources and war monitor say
Reuters/March 7, 2025
-Gunmen killed at least two dozen male residents of an Alawite town in Syria's rural coastal region on Friday, two Alawite activists and a war monitor said, citing contacts in the region and video footage from the scene. Reuters was able to verify the location in the video as Al Mukhtareyah, near the main M4 highway, using a road, buildings, trees and a utility pole which matched satellite imagery of the village. It showed at least 20 men lying in close proximity - some bloodied - by the side of a road in the town centre. The precise date filmed, and who filmed it, could not immediately be verified but the direction of shadows showed it was filmed in the morning in the past two months. Reuters was unable to confirm independently what had happened in the location. The Syrian state news agency SANA, citing a security source, said "individual violations" had been perpetrated after large, unorganised crowds headed to the coastal region following attacks on government security personnel on Thursday. "We are working to stop these violations," the source said, without giving details or commenting on specific incidents. Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted by the rebels-turned-rulers Hayat Tahrir al-Sham last year, drew heavily on the Alawite community for the former security apparatus and bureaucracy of the Syrian state. Alawite activists and community leaders say their community has been subjected to violence and attacks since Assad fell, particularly in rural Homs and Latakia. Rami Abdulrahman, of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said local sources had told his organisation that 38 men from the country's Alawite minority had been killed execution-style in the town. "Gunmen coming from the direction of the Idlib region arrived at dawn and rounded up the men while telling the women to remain at home. The men were then executed," Abdulrahman said. The two Alawite activists, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said the killings were on Friday and blamed them on gunmen affiliated with Syria's new Islamist ruling authority. A government spokesperson and two officials linked to the ruling authority did not immediately respond to texts seeking comment.Security forces have sent reinforcements to the coastal region from their stronghold of Idlib and neighbouring areas to crush a nascent insurgency by fighters they say are linked to Assad. Abdulrahman said the observatory had verified several other incidents in the past 24 hours where Alawite men had been killed or were humiliated, including being made to bark like dogs. Reuters could not independently confirm the reports.

Dozens killed in clashes between Syrian forces and Assad loyalists
Hugo Bachega - Middle East correspondent and Jake Lapham - BBC News/March 7, 2025
Syrian forces ride on military vehicles as they head to Latakia, after fighters linked to Syria's ousted leader Bashar al-Assad mounted a deadly attack on government forces on Thursday, Syrian forces head to Latakia after heavy clashes were reported [Reuters]Forces linked to Syria's new rulers have engaged in heavy fighting with fighters loyal to deposed President Bashar al-Assad in a coastal area of the country. It is the worst violence in Syria since rebels toppled Assad in December and installed an Islamist transitional government. A war monitoring group, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said more than 70 people have been killed. A curfew has been imposed in the port cities of Latakia and Tartous, where the fighting has broken out. The clashes started when government forces were ambushed during a security operation in Latakia. Reinforcements have been sent, and videos posted online show heavy gunfire in some places. The coastal region is the heartland of the Alawite minority, and a stronghold of the Assad family, which belong to the Alawite sect. Estimations of the number of people killed in the violence vary, and the BBC has been unable to independently verify them. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday that 71 people had been killed, including 35 members of government forces, 32 gunmen affiliated to the former regime's army, and four civilians. The clashes left tens of others injured, the human rights group said. Gunmen, some from the former regime, had ambushed military forces, checkpoints and headquarters along the coastline, the organisation said. Local gunmen took hold of military zones, where they holed up in areas in the Latakia mountains to launch attacks, while others holed up in Jableh city. Members of the former regime army have been deployed in several coastal towns and villages, while military forces have been ambushed on highways. Late on Thursday, Syrian-based Step news agency reported that government-aligned forces had killed "about 70" former regime fighters, while more than 25 others were captured in Jableh and the surrounding areas.
There have also been reports of clashes in the cities of Homs and Aleppo. The crackle of heavy gunfire on residential streets in Homs could be heard on unverified videos on social media. A spokesman for Syria's defence ministry, Colonel Hassan Abdul Ghani, issued a warning to Assad loyalists fighting in Latakia via state media. "Thousands have chosen to surrender their weapons and return to their families, while some insist on fleeing and dying in defence of murderers and criminals. The choice is clear: lay down your weapons or face your inevitable fate," he said.
The region has become a major security challenge for interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa.Alawite activists said their community had been subjected to violence and attacks since Assad fell, particularly in rural Homs and Latakia. He is also facing resistance in the south, where there have been clashes with Druze forces in recent days. Earlier this week, Syria's foreign minister told the global chemical weapons watchdog that the new government was committed to destroying any remaining stockpiles produced under-Assad. Assad's government denied ever using chemical weapons during the 14-year civil war, but activists accused it of carrying out of dozens of chemical attacks. 'We are still at war': Syria's Kurds battle Turkey months after Assad's fall. Israel demands complete demilitarisation of southern Syria

Syria gunmen execute 70 Alawites in Latakia, raising deaths to 147
Agence France Presse/March 7, 2025
A Syrian war monitor said Friday that gunmen loyal to the government "executed" nearly 70 members of the Alawite minority in Latakia province, where clashes broke out with gunmen loyal to toppled president Bashar al-Assad. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the gunmen executed Alawite men in the towns of Al-Shir, Al-Mukhtariya and Haffah in the Latakia countryside, based on videos it verified, as well as testimonies it received from the victims' relatives. Fierce clashes broke out on Thursday in Latakia province, the heartland of the Alawite faith, an offshoot of Shiite Islam to which the Assad clan belongs. The Observatory and activists released footage showing dozens of bodies in civilian clothing piled in a house yard, with blood stains nearby and women wailing. In another clip, men in military garb appeared to order three people to crawl on the ground behind each other before opening fire on them at close range. "They killed every man they encountered," Observatory’s chief Rami Abdurrahman said, referring to gunmen who killed residents who belong to the country’s minority Alawite sect of Assad. Abdurrahman said the gunmen shot dead 69 men Friday and left without harming women or children in the three villages. The Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV said more than 30 men were killed in the village of Mukhtariyeh after they were separated from women and children. It added that others were also shot dead in Sheer and Haffah. State news agency SANA quoted an unnamed security official as saying that after attacks by forces loyal to former president Bashar Assad left policemen dead, large numbers of people headed to areas along the coast "in what led to some individual violations and we are working on stop them." The latest deaths raise to 147 the total number of people killed since clashes between government forces and fighters loyal to Assad broke out on Thursday. In addition to the 70 reportedly killed, the Observatory said clashes since Thursday killed 72 people, including 36 security personnel, 32 gunmen loyal to Assad and four civilians. Since Assad was toppled by Islamist-led rebels on December 8, Syria's new authorities have launched security campaigns seeking to root out "regime remnants", in particular targeting Alawite strongholds in the country's center and west.

Syria’s Sharaa urges Alawites to surrender after deadly clashes
AFP/March 07, 2025
DAMASCUS: Syria’s leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa on Friday urged insurgents from ousted president Bashar Assad’s Alawite minority to lay down their arms or face the consequences after the fiercest attacks on the war-torn country’s new rulers yet. The threat came as Syria’s security forces “executed” 162 Alawites on Friday, according to a Syrian war monitor, in a massive operation in the ethnic group’s Mediterranean heartland triggered by deadly clashes with gunmen loyal to Assad the day before. “You attacked all Syrians and made an unforgivable mistake. The riposte has come, and you have not been able to withstand it,” Sharaa warned in a speech broadcast on Telegram by the Syrian presidency. “Lay down your weapons and surrender before it’s too late.”More than 250 people have been killed since the clashes erupted on Thursday along the country’s western coast, which followed other deadly incidents in the area earlier this week, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Restoring security has been one of the most complex tasks for Syria’s new authorities, installed after Islamist-led forces ousted Assad in a lightning offensive in December. In his Friday address Sharaa, who headed the Islamist-led coalition which ousted Assad, also vowed to keep working toward “monopolising weapons in the hands of the state.” “There will be no more unregulated weapons,” he pledged. Western powers and Syria’s neighbors have emphasized the need for unity in the new Syria, which is seeking funds for reconstructing a nation ravaged by years of war under Assad. The Britain-based Observatory said: “Five separate massacres claimed the lives of 162 civilians in Syria’s coastal region on Friday, including women and children.” “The vast majority of the victims were summarily executed by elements affiliated to the Ministry of Defense and the Interior,” both under the Islamist-led authorities’ control, the rights group announced.The Observatory and activists released footage showing dozens of bodies in civilian clothing piled in the yard of a house, with blood stains nearby and women wailing.
Other videos appeared to show men in military garb shooting people at close range.
AFP could not independently verify the images.
The United Nations envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, decried “very troubling reports of civilian casualties.”He called on all sides to refrain from actions which could “destabilize Syria, and jeopardize a credible and inclusive political transition.”An interior ministry source quoted by official news agency SANA said isolated incidents had occurred on the coast and pledged to put a stop to them. After Thursday’s clashes, which according to the Observatory left 78 dead — about half security force members and the other half gunmen, plus seven civilians — the authorities launched a sweeping security operation.
Mustafa Kneifati, a security official in Latakia, said that in “a well-planned and premeditated attack, several groups of Assad militia remnants attacked our positions and checkpoints, targeting many of our patrols” around the coastal town of Jableh. A curfew was imposed until Saturday in the coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus, heartland of the ousted president’s Alawite religious minority, and authorities on Friday announced a security sweep in the Jableh area, between Latakia and Tartus. Officials blamed “sabotage” for a power outage that affected much of Latakia province. A curfew has also been imposed in Syria’s confessionally divided third city Homs. The security operation “targeted remnants of Assad’s militias and those who supported them,” an official cited by SANA said, as he called on civilians to stay in their homes. On Friday SANA said a security operation was launched in Assad’s hometown of Qardaha, near Latakia, “against loyalists of the former regime.” SANA said that during their operation, security forces detained Ibrahim Huweija, a general who was “accused of hundreds of assassinations” under Assad’s father and predecessor, Hafez Assad.
Ali, a farmer living in Jableh, told AFP he saw urban battles and street fighting. “All night, we heard the sounds of gunfire and explosions,” he said. “Everyone’s afraid... we are trapped at home and we can’t go out.”
Earlier in the week the Observatory reported four civilians killed in a security operation in the Latakia area, where state media had said “militia remnants” supporting Assad killed two security personnel in an ambush. “Both sides feel like they’re under attack, both sides have suffered horrific abuses at the hands of the other side, and both sides are armed,” Syria expert Aron Lund, a fellow at the Century International think tank, told AFP. Forces led by Sharaa’s Islamist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham launched the offensive that toppled Assad on December 8, when he fled to Russia with his family.
Syria’s new security forces have since carried out extensive campaigns seeking to root out Assad loyalists from his former bastions. During those campaigns, residents and organizations have reported executions and other violations, which the authorities have described as “isolated incidents.”
Russia, Assad’s main backer that helped turn the tide of the war in his favor before he was toppled, called on Syrian authorities to “do their utmost to put an end to the bloodshed as soon as possible.” The foreign ministry of Iran, another major ally of Assad, said it strongly opposes “harming innocent Syrian people from any group and tribe, and considers it to be paving the ground for the spread of instability in the region.” Saudi Arabia and Turkiye reaffirmed their support for the new authorities, while Jordan condemned “attempts to drive Syria toward anarchy.”Germany meanwhile urged Syria’s authorities to avoid a “spiral of violence.”

Clashes in Syria's coastal region between government forces and Assad loyalists kill more than 70
LATAKIA, Syria (AP)/March 7, 2025
Clashes between Syrian security forces under the country's new, Islamist authorities and gunmen loyal to ousted President Bashar Assad in Syria's western coastal region have killed more than 70 people and left an area outside government control, a war monitor said Friday. The clashes, which erupted on Thursday and appear coordinated across the coastal region, were a major escalation and a challenge to the new government in Damascus, where the former insurgents now in power have pledged to unite Syria after 14 years of brutal civil war.
Overnight, Damascus sent reinforcements to the coastal cities of Latakia and Tartus, as well as nearby towns and villages — the heartland of Assad's minority Alawite sect and his longtime base of support, trying to get the situation under control, state media reported. It was the worst violence since Assad's was toppled in early December by insurgent groups led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS. Since then, there have been some sectarian attacks against minority Alawites, though the new authorities say they won't allow collective punishment or sectarian vengeance.
Under Assad, Alawites held top posts in the army and security agencies. The new government has blamed his loyalists for attacks over the past weeks against the country's new security forces. Large numbers of troops were seen Friday morning in Latakia, where a curfew that was imposed in the city and other coastal areas remained in force. Members of the security force said there were minor clashes in one of the city’s neighborhoods but most of Latakia was calm and under government control.
Monitors say dozens have died and Assad loyalists have captures some areas
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said 35 members of Syrian government forces, 32 fighters loyal to Assad and four civilians have been killed. The Observatory’s chief Rami Abdurrahman said the outskirts of the coastal towns of Baniyas and Jableh were still under control of Assad loyalists, as was Assad’s hometown of Qardaha and many Alawite villages nearby. A Qardaha resident told The Associated Press in a text messages that the situation “is very bad.” The resident, who asked that his name not be made public fearing for his safety, said government forces were firing with heavy machine guns in the town's residential areas. Another resident, who also spoke on condition of anonymity fearing for his safety, said that they have not been able to leave their homes since Thursday afternoon because of the intensity of the shooting. Concerns the fighting could stoke more sectarian tensions
Gregory Waters, an associate fellow with the Middle East Institute who has researched Syria’s coastal areas, said he doesn't expect the flareup to escalate into sustained fighting between the two sides. However, he said he was concerned it could stoke cycles of violence between different civilian communities living along the coast. Also, any violations by the security forces sent from Damascus on the armed groups would leave young Alawite men more fearful of the new government — and more prone to take up arms, Waters said. Abdurrahman, of the Observatory, said the clashes started when government forces tried to detain a wanted person near Jableh and were ambushed by Assad loyalists.
People ask Russia for help
Scores of people gathered Friday outside the main Russian air base in Syria near Jableh, asking for protection from Moscow. Russia joined Syria's conflict in 2015, siding with Assad, although it has opened links with the new authorities after his fall. Assad has been living in Moscow since leaving Syria in December as the offensive by the former insurgents neared Damascus. Asked about the outbreak of fighting in the coastal region and possible threats to Russian troops, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded that “security of our military is ensured on a proper level.”“I wouldn’t comment on the operational situation as we don’t know details,” Peskov said during a conference call with reporters. Syria’s conflict started in March 2011 and has left more than half a million people dead and millions displaced.
Turkey's warning
While Assad was still in power, Turkey had backed Syria's opposition forces and rebels who took up arms against Damascus. On Friday, Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Oncu Keceli warned that the rising violence in and around Latakia could “undermine efforts to lead Syria into the future in unity and solidarity”, “Intensive efforts are underway to establish security and stability in Syria," Keceli posted on X. "At this critical juncture, the targeting of security forces could undermine the efforts to lead Syria into the future in unity and solidarity.”He stressed that “such provocations must not be allowed to become a threat to peace in Syria and the region” and reaffirmed Turkey's stand against “any action that targets the right of Syrians to live in peace and prosperity.”

Trump says he sent a letter to Iran's supreme leader over country's advancing nuclear program
Jon Gambrell And Will Weissert/March 07, 2025
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)
U.S. President Donald Trump said he sent a letter to Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a development that was not immediately confirmed by the supreme leader but that focused the spotlight on Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program. Trump made the comments in an interview aired on Friday by Fox Business News, saying he wrote to Iranian leaders. The interview will air in full on Sunday. The acknowledgment comes as both Israel and the United States have warned they'll never let Iran acquire a nuclear weapon, leading to fears of a military confrontation as Tehran enriches uranium at near weapons-grade levels — a purity done only by atomic-armed nations. “I’ve written them a letter saying, ‘I hope you’re going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it’s going to be a terrible thing,’" Trump said. He later added that he had sent the letter “yesterday” in the interview, which was filmed on Thursday. The White House confirmed Trump’s comments, saying that he sent a letter to Iran’s leaders seeking to negotiate a nuclear deal. “I would rather negotiate a deal. I’m not sure that everybody agrees with me, but we can make a deal that would be just as good as if you won militarily," Trump added. "But the time is happening now. The time is coming up. Something’s going to happen one way or the other.”“I hope you’re going to negotiate because it’s going to be a lot better for Iran and I think they want to get that letter," Trump said. "The other alternative is we have to do something because you can’t let them have a nuclear weapon.”
Iran long has maintained its program is for peaceful purposes, even as its officials increasingly threaten to pursue the bomb as tensions are high with the U.S. over its sanctions and with Israel as a shaky ceasefire holds in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported on Trump's comments, citing the broadcast. However, there was no immediate word from the office of the 85-year-old Khamenei, who has final say over all matters of state. Since Trump returned to the White House, his administration has consistently said that Iran must be prevented from acquiring nuclear weapons. A report last month, however, by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog said Iran has accelerated its production of near weapons-grade uranium. Trump’s first term in office was marked by a particularly troubled period in relations with Tehran. In 2018, he unilaterally withdrew the United States from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, leading to sanctions hobbling the economy, and ordered the killing of the country’s top general. Under the original 2015 nuclear deal, Iran was allowed to enrich uranium only up to 3.67% purity and maintain a stockpile of uranium of 300 kilograms.
Iran’s accelerated production of near weapons-grade uranium puts more pressure on Trump as he’s repeatedly said he’s open to negotiations with the Islamic Republic while also increasingly targeting Iran’s oil sales with sanctions as part of his reimposed “maximum pressure” policy.
Khamenei in a speech last August opened the door to talks with the U.S., saying there is “no harm” in engaging with the “enemy.”However, more recently he tempered that, saying that negotiations with America “are not intelligent, wise or honorable” after Trump floated nuclear talks with Tehran.

Trump offers nuclear talks with Iran
Associated Press/March 7, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump sent a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, seeking a new deal with Tehran to restrain its rapidly advancing nuclear program and replace the agreement he withdrew America from in his first term in office. Iranian state media immediately picked up on Trump's acknowledgment, given in portions of a Fox Business News interview aired on Friday, though there was no confirmation from Khamenei's office that any letter had been received. The interview is expected to air in full on Sunday. It also remained unclear just how the 85-year-old supreme leader would react, given that former President Barack Obama had kept his letters to Khamenei secret ahead of the start of negotiations that led to Tehran's 2015 deal with world powers. Trump's acknowledgment comes as both Israel and the United States have warned they will never let Iran acquire a nuclear weapon, leading to fears of a military confrontation as Tehran enriches uranium at near weapons-grade levels — a purity only sought by atomic-armed nations. "I've written them a letter saying, 'I hope you're going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it's going to be a terrible thing,'" Trump said. He later added that he had sent the letter "yesterday" in the interview, which was filmed on Thursday.
Trump's outreach comes amid tensions
The White House confirmed Trump's comments, saying that he sent a letter to Iran's leaders seeking to negotiate a nuclear deal.
"I would rather negotiate a deal. I'm not sure that everybody agrees with me, but we can make a deal that would be just as good as if you won militarily," Trump added. "But the time is happening now. The time is coming up. Something's going to happen one way or the other.""I hope you're going to negotiate because it's going to be a lot better for Iran and I think they want to get that letter," Trump said. "The other alternative is we have to do something because you can't let them have a nuclear weapon."Trump offered no details of what, if anything, was specifically offered to Iran in the letter. The move recalled Trump's letter-writing to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in his first term, which led to face-to-face meetings, but no deals to limit Pyongyang's atomic bombs and a missile program capable of reaching the continental U.S. Iran long has maintained its program is for peaceful purposes, even as its officials increasingly threaten to pursue the bomb as tensions are high with the U.S. over its sanctions and with Israel as a shaky ceasefire holds in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. U.S. intelligence agencies assess that Iran has yet to begin a weapons program, but has "undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so."Since Trump returned to the White House, his administration has consistently said that Iran must be prevented from acquiring nuclear weapons. A report last month, however, by the United Nations' nuclear watchdog said Iran has accelerated its production of near weapons-grade uranium. Trump's first term in office was marked by a particularly troubled period in relations with Tehran. In 2018, he unilaterally withdrew the United States from Iran's nuclear deal with world powers, leading to sanctions hobbling Iran's economy. Iran retaliated with attacks at sea — including one that it likely carried out and that temporarily halved Saudi Arabia's oil production. Trump also ordered the attack that killed Iran's top general in a Baghdad drone strike in January 2020.
Iran's enriched uranium stockpile surges
Under the original 2015 nuclear deal, Iran was allowed to enrich uranium only up to 3.67% purity and maintain a stockpile of uranium of 300 kilograms (661 pounds). The last report by the International Atomic Energy Agency on Iran's program put its stockpile at 8,294.4 kilograms (18,286 pounds) as it enriches a fraction of it to 60% purity. Iran's accelerated production of near weapons-grade uranium puts more pressure on Trump as he's repeatedly said he's open to negotiations with the Islamic Republic while also increasingly targeting Iran's oil sales with sanctions as part of his reimposed "maximum pressure" policy.
Khamenei in a speech last August opened the door to talks with the U.S., saying there is "no harm" in engaging with the "enemy." That came after Iran elected reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian in June, who campaigned on promises of an outreach to the West. However, more recently the supreme leader tempered that, saying that negotiations with America "are not intelligent, wise or honorable," after Trump floated nuclear talks with Tehran. Pezeshkian has followed suit, pledging to abide by Khamenei's orders. But it remains unclear how Iran will handle further pressure. The Islamic Republic's currency, the rial, has dramatically fallen in value. Unemployment and underemployment remain rampant. Meanwhile, women have continued their defiance of laws on the mandatory headscarf, or hijab, and continue to go without the head-covering, two years after the death of a detained young woman, Mahsa Amini, sparked nationwide protests. Israel and Iran also have traded direct attacks during the Israel-Hamas war, while partners in Tehran's self-described "Axis of Resistance" are reeling after the assassinations of their leaders by Israel. In Israel itself, officials have suggested striking Iran's nuclear program now, something Trump has threatened while still insisting he'd prefer reaching a diplomatic deal with Tehran. Later Friday, Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations in New York said it had not received any letter from Trump, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.

Iran summons British envoy over ‘baseless’ allegations of interference
Associated Press/March 7, 2025
TEHRAN, Iran (AP)
Iran’s foreign ministry summoned the British ambassador over what it described as “baseless” accusations by U.K. officials against the government, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said Friday. IRNA said the ministry summoned Hugo Shorter, the British ambassador to Tehran, in response to the repeated baseless accusations by senior British officials and the allegation that Iran is attempting to interfere in the UK’s internal affairs. Iran’s formal protest was conveyed to him, IRNA said. On Tuesday, U.K. Security Minister Dan Jarvis announced that Britain will place the whole of the Iranian state – including Iran’s intelligence services and the Revolutionary Guards — on the highest level on its foreign influence watchlist. In a statement to Parliament, Jarvis said direct action by Iran against UK targets “has substantially increased over recent years," and the Iranian government was targeting journalists, dissidents and Jewish and Israeli people. In October, the head of the British domestic intelligence agency MI5 said it and its police partners had responded to 20 Iran-backed plots since January 2022. The plots represented potentially lethal threats to British citizens and UK residents, Ken McCallum said. According to the IRNA report, Iran emphasized that the hostile stance of British officials and the unfounded claims against Iran contradict international law and diplomatic norms. The ministry also warned that such actions would further deepen the Iranian people’s distrust of British policies toward Iran and the West Asia region. The British ambassador stated that he would convey the message to his government, IRNA reported.

Popular Iranian singer who urged women to go without hijab is lashed over alcohol conviction
Associated Press/March 7, 2025
Iranian officials have flogged a popular singer who posted a song online urging women to remove their mandatory headscarves over a conviction for possessing and consuming alcohol, his lawyer and authorities said. Mehdi Yarahi was flogged on Wednesday, his lawyer Zahra Minuei wrote on the social platform X. Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency, quoting an anonymous official, said the sentence was for him drinking and having alcoholic drinks, not his music. The lashes were “fully carried out in Branch 4 of the Enforcement of Sentences Office at the Tehran Morality Security Prosecutor’s Office, and Mr. Mehdi Yarahi’s case has been closed,” Minuei said. Yarahi wrote and performed the song “Roosarito," Farsi for “Your Headscarf." The music video urged women to remove their hijabs and featured uncovered women dancing. Yarahi's initial arrest in August was believed to be linked to the video, which is still available online. Yarahi wrote on X apparently after the flogging: “He who is not willing to pay a price for freedom is not worthy of it.” On the streets of Iranian cities, it’s becoming more common to see a woman passing by without a mandatory headscarf, or hijab, after the second anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini and the mass protests it sparked in 2022. Amini, 22, died on Sept. 16, 2022, in a hospital after her arrest by the country’s morality police over allegedly not wearing her hijab to the liking of the authorities. The protests that followed Amini’s death started first with the chant “Women, Life, Freedom.” However, the protesters’ cries soon grew into open calls of revolt against 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The monthslong security crackdown that followed killed more than 500 people and saw over 22,000 detained. Only Afghanistan and Iran mandate women wearing the hijab.
Meanwhile, online videos showed uncovered women attending the 12th Iran Interior Design Award ceremony, as well as men and women shaking hands. The judiciary's Mizan news agency reported Thursday that prosecutors had announced legal action against all organizers, hosts and individuals seen violating Iran's laws.

Hamas officials say delegation in Cairo for Gaza truce talks
Agence France Presse/March 7, 2025
A high-level Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo to advance efforts on a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, which has largely paused hostilities with Israel, two senior Hamas officials told AFP Friday. "The delegation will meet with Egyptian officials on Saturday to discuss the latest developments, assess progress in implementing the ceasefire agreement, and address matters related to launching the second phase of the deal," one official said.

Israel military spokesperson, who was rebuked by defence chiefs, steps down
Reuters/March 7, 2025
Israel's chief military spokesperson, one of the main public faces of the war in Gaza who faced criticism from Defence Minister Israel Katz, will step down from his post and retire, the military said on Friday. The army said Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, a former special forces officer, would leave at the end of his term and had worked "in a time of one of the most complex wars in Israel's history, in a professional and devoted manner". Israeli media outlets said an expected promotion had been blocked by the new head of the military, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, and Hagari's departure was a consequence of his strained relations with senior ministers. Hagari was officially rebuked by then-army chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi in December for overstepping his authority as spokesperson when he criticised a piece of proposed legislation that would decriminalize passing classified military information to the prime minister. Defence Minister Israel Katz said Hagari's comments represented a "complete deviation from his authority". Hagari issued an apology but came under further pressure when Katz criticised Halevi over what he said was a failure to cooperate fully with an inquiry by the State Comptroller into failures during the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas. Israeli media carried comments from Katz's spokesperson criticising Hagari after the military issued a statement saying it was cooperating with the inquiry. Harari has been a familiar figure on Israeli television screens since the start of the war, delivering regular briefings as well as video statements from Gaza and other locations. Halevi himself stepped down from his command this week after accepting responsibility for the failures around the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas-led gunmen that killed 1,200 people and saw 251 taken into Gaza as hostages.
Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians and devastated the coastal enclave, leaving most of the population sheltering in bombed-out buildings or tents.

Muslim nations endorse alternative to Trump’s Gaza takeover plan
AFP/March 08, 2025
JEDDAH: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Friday endorsed an Arab League counter-proposal to US President Donald Trump’s controversial plan to take over Gaza and displace its residents, two ministers told AFP. The decision by the 57-member grouping came at an emergency meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, three days after the Arab League ratified the plan at a summit in Cairo. The Egyptian-crafted alternative to Trump’s widely condemned takeover proposes to rebuild the Gaza Strip under the future administration of the Palestinian Authority. “The emergency ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation adopted the Egyptian plan, which has now become an Arab-Islamic plan,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said, in comments echoed by his Sudanese counterpart.
“It is certainly a very positive thing,” Abdelatty said. Trump triggered global outrage by suggesting the US “take over” Gaza and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” while forcing its Palestinian inhabitants to relocate to Egypt or Jordan. Cameroonian Foreign Minister Lejeune Mbella, chairman of the Council of Foreign Ministers, said the meeting was called in light of “new developments in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, including calls for the displacement of Palestinians.” He urged the full implementation of the agreement with a view to reaching a final solution to the conflict via a “concerted and multilateral approach.”Mbella stressed, however, that “this approach can only be applicable and relevant within the framework of the two-state solution, with Israel and Palestine living side by side within internationally recognized borders, thus ensuring comprehensive peace in the Middle East.” Mamadou Tangara, the foreign minister of Gambia — the current Chair of the Islamic Summit — slammed plans to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip as “provocative, brutal and inhumane,” and also uncalled for considering that positive steps are being looked into to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict following the recently reached ceasefire agreement. “Now is the time for the international community to exert more concerted efforts to establish a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire that will lead to the full withdrawal of Israel from the occupied Palestinian territories, reiterating that the two-state solution is a prerequisite for stability and peace in the Middle East,” he said.  Tangara expressed deep concern over the recent passage of laws by the Israeli parliament banning the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which is in complete contravention of the UN Charter and international law. OIC Secretary General Hussein Ibrahim Taha affirmed his support for the reconstruction plan for the Gaza Strip, while adhering to the right of the Palestinian people to remain in their land. He called for more concerted efforts “to achieve a sustainable ceasefire, the complete withdrawal of the occupation forces, the delivery of humanitarian aid, helping the displaced to return to their homes, enabling the Palestinian government to assume its duties, preserving the unity of the Palestinian territory.”
Gaza trust fund
At Tuesday’s summit in Cairo, leaders of the Arab League also announced a trust fund to pay for Gaza’s reconstruction and urged the international community to back it. “The next step is for the plan to become an international plan through adoption by the European Union and international parties such as Japan, Russia, China and others,” Abdelatty said. “This is what we will seek and we have contact with all parties, including the American party.”However, the counter-proposal does not outline a role for Hamas, which controls Gaza, and was rejected by both the United States and Israel.The plan “does not meet the expectations” of Washington, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters on Thursday. Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff gave a more positive reaction, calling it a “good-faith first step from the Egyptians.” Rabha Seif Allam, of the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo, said Egypt was seeking “broad support” for its proposal. “This is an attempt to build a broad coalition that refuses the displacement” of Palestinians from Gaza, she said. Trump’s plan has already united Arab countries in opposition, with Saudi Arabia also hosting Arab leaders two weeks ago to discuss alternatives. During Friday's meeting, the OIC also readmitted Syria, which was suspended in 2012 early in the civil war under Bashar Assad, following the long-time ruler’s toppling in December. “This decision represents an important step toward Syria’s return to the regional and international communities as a free and just state,” a Syrian foreign ministry statement said.

90,000 Palestinians attend the first Friday prayers of Ramadan in Jerusalem
The Associated Press/Imad Isseid And Julia Frankel/March 7, 2025
In the first Friday prayers of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, about 90,000 Palestinians prayed at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem’s Old City under tight security by Israeli forces. Thousands made their way from the West Bank into Jerusalem after Israel allowed men over 55 and women over 50 to enter from the occupied territory for the prayers. Tensions have risen in the West Bank in the past weeks amid Israeli raids on militants. There was no immediate sign of frictions in Jerusalem on Friday. However, Palestinian authorities said Israeli soldiers had stormed eight mosques around the city of Nablus, in the north of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. In a statement posted to X, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Israeli operations set fire to “large sections” of the Al-Nasr mosque in the old city of Nablus, posting a photo of the interior of the mosque, where walls appeared blackened. The mosque used to be a Byzantine church. Asked for comment, the military said it was “not aware” of any fire set by soldiers at the site.
A chance to enter a holy place
For many Palestinians, Friday marked their first opportunity to enter Jerusalem since last Ramadan about a year ago, when Israel also let in worshippers under similar restrictions. Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, the Israeli government blocked Palestinians in the West Bank from crossing to Jerusalem or visiting Israel. Cuts to USAID by the Trump administration have also set back aid groups operating in Gaza. Last Ramadan, the war was raging, but this time, a fragile ceasefire is in place since mid-January — though its future is uncertain. Since Sunday, Israel has barred all food, fuel, medicine and other supplies from entering Gaza for some 2 million people, demanding Hamas accept a revised deal.
Prayers at the Dome of the Rock and in the rubble of Gaza
In Gaza, thousands gathered for the Friday communal prayers in the shattered concrete husk of Gaza City's Imam Shafi’i Mosque, heavily damaged by Israeli forces during fighting. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn until sunset as a sign of humility, submission to God and sympathy for the poor and hungry. On Thursday evening, Palestinians strung festive Ramadan lights around the rubble of destroyed buildings surrounding their tent camp in Gaza City and set up long communal tables for hundreds of people where aid groups served up iftar, the meal that breaks the daily fast. At Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Nafez Abu Saker said he left his home in the village of Aqraba in the northern West Bank at 7 a.m., taking three hours to make the 45-kilometer (20-mile) trip through Israeli checkpoints to reach Jerusalem. “If the people from the West Bank will be permitted to come, people from all the cities, villages and camps will come to Al-Aqsa to pray," he said. “The reward of prayer here is like 500 prayers — despite the difficulty of the road to get here. It brings a great reward from God,” said Ezat Abu Laqia, also from Aqraba. The faithful formed rows to listen to the Friday sermon and kneel in prayer at the foot of the golden Dome of the Rock on the sprawling mosque compound. The Islamic Trust, which oversees the Al-Aqsa compound, said 90,000 attended the prayers. The Israeli police said it deployed thousands of additional officers around the area. The compound, revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, and the surrounding area of Jerusalem’s Old City have been the site of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police in the past. The Old City is part of east Jerusalem, captured by Israel along with the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast War. Israel has since annexed the sector, though Palestinians seek it and the territories for an independent state.
Tight security and delays at checkpoints
Thousands of Palestinians coming from the West Bank lined up at the Qalandia checkpoint on the edge of Jerusalem to attend the prayers. But some were turned away, either because they didn’t have the proper permits or because the checkpoint closed.
Israeli police said authorities had approved the entry of 10,000 Palestinians from the West Bank, but did not say how many made it into Jerusalem. “All the young people, elderly people and women were waiting here. They refused to let anyone cross at the checkpoint,” said Mohammed Owaisat, who arrived to find the crossing closed.
The fragile ceasefire
The first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire brought the release of 25 Israeli hostages held by militants in Gaza and the bodies of eight others in exchange for the freeing of nearly 2,000 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. But an intended second phase of the deal — meant to bring the release of remaining hostages and a lasting truce and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza — has been thrown into doubt. Israel has balked at entering negotiations over the terms of the second phase. Instead, it has called for Hamas to release half its remaining hostages in return for an extension of the ceasefire and a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. It says its bar on aid to Gaza will continue and could be escalated until Hamas accepts the proposal — a move rights groups and Arab countries have decried as a “starvation tactic.” Hamas has demanded implementation of the original ceasefire deal. A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Friday to discuss the implementation of the deal and to push for the second phase, Egypt’s State Information Service said. Israel’s military offensive has killed over 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were militants.
The campaign was triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 23, 2023 attack on southern Israel, in which militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took a total of 251 people hostage. Most have been released in ceasefire agreements or other arrangements. Hamas is believed to still have 24 living hostages and the bodies of 34 others. Hamas on Friday released video footage of Israeli hostage Matan Angrest in captivity and claimed that remaining hostages feel the Israeli government has abandoned them and also called on Trump to bring them home. In the video, Angrest, an Israeli soldier taken captive from the Nahal Oz military base, says there’s no sunlight and that winter conditions are tough in Gaza. Likely speaking under duress, he appealed to Donald Trump, saying the U.S. president is the only one who can return all the hostages because of his influence over Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Angrest's family said it was “shaken by the video” and added that his appearance in the footage makes them fear that he has been tortured.
Imad Isseid And Julia Frankel, The Associated Press

Saudi Arabia to host US-Ukraine talks in Jeddah
Arab News/March 07, 2025
RIYADH: Talks between the US and Ukraine will take place in Jeddah next week, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed. A statement said the Kingdom welcomed the prospect of hosting the meeting and reaffirmed its ongoing efforts to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine. Saudi Arabia has facilitated multiple discussions to support a diplomatic solution over the past three years and remains committed to fostering dialogue and promoting stability. The meeting follows recent talks in Riyadh between the US and Russia when officials discussed various international issues including the Ukraine crisis.

Aid efforts in Gaza slow as millions of promised USAID dollars do not arrive, agency officials say
The Associated Press/ March 7, 2025
The Trump administration’s cuts to USAID have frozen hundreds of millions of dollars in contractual payments to aid groups, leaving them paying out of pocket to preserve a fragile ceasefire, according to officials from the U.S. humanitarian agency. The cutbacks threaten to halt the small gains aid workers have made combatting Gaza’s humanitarian crisis during the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. They also could endanger the tenuous truce, which the Trump administration helped cement. USAID was supposed to fund much of the aid to Gaza as the ceasefire progressed, and the Trump administration approved over $383 million on Jan. 31 to that end, according to three USAID officials. But since then, there have been no confirmed payments to any partners in the Middle East, they said. The officials, who have survived multiple rounds of furloughs, spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.
Two senior officials at aid organizations confirmed they have not received any of the promised funds, after spending millions of dollars on supplies and services. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the political sensitivity of the issue and of their work in Gaza, said they could not afford to continue aid operations indefinitely. Some organizations have already reported laying off workers and scaling down operations, according to internal USAID information shared with The Associated Press. That could imperil the ceasefire, under which Hamas is supposed to release hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Israel releasing Palestinian prisoners and ramping up the entry of humanitarian assistance. “The U.S. established very specific, concrete commitments for aid delivery under the ceasefire, and there is no way ... to fulfill those as long as the funding freeze is in place,” said Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International and a former USAID official. USAID has been one of the biggest targets of a broad campaign by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to slash the size of the federal government. USAID payments frozen, some NGOs scale down Gaza response.Before Trump took office, USAID had roughly $446 million to disburse to partner organizations in Gaza in 2025, the USAID officials said. But after Trump froze global foreign assistance, USAID’s Gaza team had to submit a waiver to ensure the funds for Gaza aid could continue to flow. They received approval Jan. 31 to secure over $383 million in funding, less than two weeks after the U.S.-brokered ceasefire was reached. Some $40 million was subsequently cut under a measure that no money be provided for aid in the form of direct cash assistance.
USAID then signed contracts with eight partner organizations, including prominent NGOs and U.N. agencies, awarding them money to flood supplies and services into Gaza. Then, the officials said, they began hearing that organizations were not receiving the promised payments — even as they had already spent millions, expecting USAID reimbursement. Some of those organizations are now spending less and scaling back programs. The International Medical Corps, a global nonprofit that partners with the World Health Organization and provides medical and development assistance, was awarded $12 million to continue operations at two hospitals in Gaza. These include the largest field hospital in Gaza, whose construction was funded by USAID at the request of the Israeli government, according to internal USAID information.
The freeze has forced the organization to lay off some 700 staff members and offer only basic services at the hospitals, with a skeletal crew, said one USAID official.
A former IMC staffer, who quit citing lack of stability, said the program providing life-saving treatment for malnutrition was significantly scaled down for lack of funds. The former staffer, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the organization’s details, said the current nutrition services were at a minimum level. Another former IMC staffer, who also left recently and spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss information not meant to be shared with media, said the USAID cuts have reduced the amount of medical supplies brought into Gaza and led the majority of IMC’s partners to reduce their programming. They said that some organizations have already purchased stocks of medical supplies, food to treat acute malnutrition, lab and medical equipment ready to enter Gaza, but because of the shortfall they have not been able to afford movement of those goods. Meanwhile, termination letters severing the contracts between USAID and Gaza partners were also sent out to organizations that were major providers of shelter, child protection and logistical support in the Gaza aid operation, a USAID official said. Some of the termination letters seen by the AP were signed by new USAID deputy chief Peter Marocco — a returning political appointee from Trump’s first term. They instruct organizations to “immediately cease” all activities and “avoid additional spending chargeable to the award,” citing a directive from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. USAID Gaza response in crisis as truce is tenuous
In addition to the spending freeze, officials say USAID has been wracked by internal chaos and the introduction of new regulations since the new administration took office.
During the first 42-day phase of the ceasefire, Israel had to allow at least 600 trucks of aid into Gaza a day, as well as 60,000 temporary homes and 200,000 tents. Two USAID officials said the agency was originally supposed to buy 400 temporary homes that would make it into Gaza by the end of Phase 1, and over 5,200 more during the next phase. That figure has since been slashed to just over 1,000. USAID was never able to purchase the mobile homes because of newly imposed policies requiring extra approvals for procurements.
On Feb. 2, some 40% of the Gaza team was locked out of their email accounts and software necessary to track awards, move payments and communicate with the organizations. An email sent immediately following the lockout came from Gavin Kliger, a DOGE staffer. Access to the servers has now been restored, the officials said, but the team is smaller after waves of layoffs. From an original team of about 30 people, only six or seven remain. Very few mobile homes entered Gaza during Phase 1 of the ceasefire, which ended last week, prompting Hamas to accuse Israel of violating the truce.
Since the end of Phase 1, Israel has cut off all aid shipments into Gaza in a bid to pressure Hamas to accept an extension of the ceasefire. That has sent aid groups scrambling to distribute reserves of food and shelter to the most needy. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is considering cutting off electricity to raise the pressure on Hamas. With USAID in flux, the U.S. risks losing its influence, said Dave Harden, the former USAID assistant administrator of Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Aid and a longtime director of the agency’s work in the Palestinian territories.
“U.S. aid assistance to Palestinians ... never, ever equated to U.S. assistance to Israel, never quite balanced, but always gave us a seat at the table, always helped us to have real discussions with both the Palestinians and the Israelis about what the future might hold,” Harden said. Now, he said, “We’re just simply not at the table in a meaningful way, and so I think the ceasefire is fragile.”

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on March 07-08/2025
What the New Houthi Terrorist Designation Means for Yemen
Juwayriah Wright/Time/March 07/2025
Yemen's Houthi loyal fighters shout slogans as they participate in an armed-tribal gathering against Israel and its main allies the US and UK on December 23, 2024, in the suburb of Sana'a, Yemen. Credit - Mohammed Hamoud—Getty Images
When the U.S. returned Yemen’s Houthi movement to its list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations on Mar. 4, the decision not only reversed the Biden Administration policy—it also reignited debates over U.S. strategy in Yemen’s decade-long civil war and its humanitarian fallout. The Houthis have attacked Red Sea shipping and launched missiles toward both Israel and Saudi Arabia. But critics argue the terrorist designation—which carries penalties for doing business with the faction—could exacerbate an already dire situation where millions of civilians rely on aid to survive.
“The United States will not tolerate any country engaging with terrorist organizations like the Houthis in the name of practicing legitimate international business,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in the statement announcing the designation.
Iran supplies the Houthis with drones, missiles, and training, enabling the group to target Saudi cities, Israel, and international shipping lanes. With Hezbollah and Hamas diminished, and the Bashar regime no longer controlling Syria, the Yemeni militia has grown more prominent in Iran’s “axis of resistance.” Both the U.S. and Israel have launched bombing raids on the Houthis, including an October U.S.srike by B-2 stealth bombers on underground weapons caches.
But restoring the “terrorist” designation may only have a tangential impact on the Houthis, says Nader Hashemi, associate professor of Middle East and Islamic politics at Georgetown University. “The sanctions that go with it don't really weaken these countries,” he says. “They're mostly, I think, grandstanding and an opportunity for, in this case, the Trump administration to try and distinguish himself from Biden and to present himself as really standing for himself against America's enemies.”
Other experts agreed the move is more about domestic political posturing than achieving change on the ground. Some said it may actually heighten the threat to shipping.
“If the Houthis continue to engage with these types of shipping attacks, now that there’s a terrorist designation it sort of contributes to greater tensions in the Middle East but doesn’t help the situation,” Hashemi says. “In that sense, there could be greater economic cost if ships travelling through the Red Sea are fired to choose different routes or if there are now greater insurance rates that have to be charged because of the threat of the attack. The consumers would have to pay the price for that added expense if businesses are charging more to send their ships through the Middle East.”
“When they're pressurized, [the Houthis] generally responds militarily,” says April Longley Alley, Senior Expert for the Gulf and Yemen at United States Institute of Peace. “They’ve been threatening for a while to retaliate, either inside of Yemen or outside.”
Who are the Houthis?
The Zaydi Shia Islamic religious ideology of the Houthis allows for recasting violence as resistance. The group’s founder, Hussein al-Houthi, framed the movement as a revival of Zaydi identity against perceived marginalization by Yemen’s Sunni-majority governments and growing Salafi-Wahhabi influences. “It’s a hodgepodge of sorts,” says Bader Mousa Al-Saif, assistant professor of history at Kuwait University and a fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. “It’s messianic, it’s eclectic, it gives full subservience to the descendants of the Prophet.”
Under the current leadership of Hussein’s brother, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the group has weaponized this ideology, portraying its fight as a divine struggle against foreign “occupiers” and neighbors, notably Saudi Arabia, which invaded in 1934.
“These [radical ideologies] are the things that motivate action and motivate violence,” Al-Saif stresses. “Policymakers are treating symptoms, they’re not treating the origins of the issue. If you go out and you try to block ships or you try to safeguard ships, you're not dealing with the issue on the ground. [The Houthis] are on the ground in Yemen. They've been trying to close up on their own population. They're not allowing people to express themselves… so we need t
Yemen has a long history of political division—for much of the 20th Century it was two countries, North Yemen and South Yemen. The current war dates from divisions that surfaced during the Arab Spring that were encouraged by other nations, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which involved their own militaries. Those rivalries have hamstrung UN-led efforts at political settlements, and the Houthis have detained dozens of UN staff since 2021. The UN notably suspended operations in the Houthi-controlled Saada region after 8 more staff members were forcibly detained. In February, the U.N. World Food Programme announced that one of their aid staff died while in detention in Houthi-controlled northern Yemen.
“So many Yemeni staff have been kidnapped, tortured, for no reason but their alliance with the United States. And there’s something really sinister about that,” says Fatima Abo Alasrar, Senior Policy Analyst for the Washington Center for Yemeni Studies. “It is a movement that stands as a threat to other religions, to other countries, and to the United States primarily.”
What is Yemen's humanitarian situation?
An estimated 19.5 million people now need humanitarian assistance and protection services – 1.3 million more people than last year. Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the Middle East and North Africa, and among the worst humanitarian crises in the world. In 2024, USAID provided Yemen with roughly $620 million in total aid. Trump has since shuttered the agency. And though Secretary Rubio issued a waiver for life-saving humanitarian aid, aid groups in Yemen claim operations remain suspended.
Advocates warn that being listed as a terrorist state by the U.S. may stifle humanitarian aid from other sources, which 80 percent of the population are critically in need of. “Innocent people are going to suffer,” says Hashemi. “Any humanitarian organization that wants to pursue exporter contracts or engage in bank transfers in order to facilitate aid will now be blocked because of this terrorist designation.”
A report from the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, which went to war against the Houthis, has stated that “returning the Houthis to the terror list will not impede critical aid flows.” It cites a 2021 document from the Houthi’s previous designation to highlight ways to authorize humanitarian aid relief, such as licenses and good faith exceptions. Experts say the reality is less clear.
“While there have been measures put into place to prevent the worst impacts on the humanitarian space, it really depends on how the private sector and the international banking system interprets the cut-outs that are there,” says Alley, noting that the private sector in Yemen is strikingly fragile. General licenses make it so that transactions are authorized that otherwise would not be. They act as a safeguard intended to balance U.S. counterterrorism goals with the urgent need to prevent famine and protect the livelihoods of millions of Yemenis.
“The real risk to the Yemeni economy and to Yemeni livelihood is this issue of over-compliance,” Alley says. Some parties may avoid Yemen altogether out of fear of running afoul of the U.S. Treasury Department, which enforces the sanction. “This has a knock-down effect throughout the country, so we have to see how it plays out.”“We shouldn't limit ourselves to such an option,” Al-Saif says. “We should have an integrated toolkit that looks at different aspects without having the average Yemeni impacted.”

Cut Federal Funding to Barnard
Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/March 7, 2025
[Barnard's] radical "studies" departments are propaganda mills that teach students what to think rather than how to think. Consider, for example, the "Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies Department". Its website calls for students to "smash the white supremacist hetero-patriarchy."
In other words, this women's studies department has little to do with scholarship, teaching or learning. It has everything to do with advocacy. That is true of many other specialized studies departments at Barnard.
Signs at these protests call for "war" and "intifada". Nor is the war limited to Israel. It is directed against Americans as well. The protests involve masked students, faculty and non-students who occupy buildings, prevent Jewish students from attending classes and threaten to close down the college unless it divests from Israel and takes other bigoted actions.
The college administration, instead of disciplining students who break the rules and the law, negotiated with them. Cutting off funding from Barnard will not hurt students who want a real education, because Barnard students can enroll in courses at Columbia, which is affiliated with Barnard. It will put an end to the propaganda "courses", and "studies" "programs" in which Barnard seems to specialize.
It is imperative that freedom of speech, protected by the First Amendment, not be compromised by the government. Barnard is a private institution not bound by that amendment. Moreover, those activities that would cause a shutdown of federal funding are not covered by freedom of speech. They consist largely of physical actions, such as trespassing, blocking access, harassment and other forms of intimidation. Pure protests consisting of speech should not be a basis for defunding.
Barnard College has become the incubator for anti-American, anti-Israel and anti-semitic protests. Signs at these protests call for "war" and "intifada". Nor is the war limited to Israel. It is directed against Americans as well. The protests involve masked students, faculty and non-students who occupy buildings, prevent Jewish students from attending classes and threaten to close down the college unless it divests from Israel and takes other bigoted actions.
President Donald Trump has pledged to cut federal funding to schools that do not protect Jewish students from anti-semitic harassment and violence. The best place to begin this process is Barnard College in New York City. Cutting funding to major research universities threatens cutbacks on grants for medical and other important scientific research. Barnard College, on the other hand, is not a university. It does not have a medical school. Its faculty does little or no research that would affect Americans on a day-to-day basis. Cutting off federal aid to Barnard would have few negative impacts on issues that legitimately concern Americans, especially if it focuses on discriminatory actions and does not interfere with protected free speech
Barnard has become the poster child for anti-American, anti-semitic and anti-decent activities. Its radical "studies" departments are propaganda mills that teach students what to think rather than how to think. Consider, for example, the "Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies Department". Its website calls for students to "smash the white supremacist hetero-patriarchy." Its mission is described as follows:
"WGSS is dedicated to linking inquiry and action, theory and practice, scholarship and feminism. We work with our colleagues in Africana Studies, American Studies, and the Barnard Center for Research on Women to develop analyses and practices that address the current moment, including scholarly discussions, student projects with local communities, videos on transformative justice...."
In other words, this women's studies department has little to do with scholarship, teaching or learning. It has everything to do with advocacy. That is true of many other specialized studies departments at Barnard.
It is not surprising therefore that Barnard has become the incubator for anti-American, anti-Israel and anti-semitic protests. Signs at these protests call for "war" and "intifada". Nor is the war limited to Israel. It is directed against Americans as well. The protests involve masked students, faculty and non-students who occupy buildings, prevent Jewish students from attending classes and threaten to close down the college unless it divests from Israel and takes other bigoted actions.
When two Barnard students were expelled for disturbing a class at Columbia University taught by an Israeli professor, protesters occupied Barnard's Milstein Hall — named after a Jewish donor — and demanded that these expulsions be rescinded. The college administration, instead of disciplining students who break the rules and the law, negotiated with them. Cutting off funding from Barnard will not hurt students who want a real education, because Barnard students can enroll in courses at Columbia, which is affiliated with Barnard. It will put an end to the propaganda "courses", and "studies" "programs" in which Barnard seems to specialize.
It may also eventually cause the closing down of Barnard, because colleges depend on federal funding to supplement tuition and contributions from alumni. Donations from alumni are down recently, for understandable reasons.
Barnard's closure would be no great loss. Qualified students could transfer to Columbia or other universities, with no real negative implications. If federal funding is what is keeping Barnard afloat, it deserves to sink.
Higher education needs a shot across the bow and there is no better target than Barnard. Others may follow if they persist in destroying objective education and substituting ideological propaganda. Taxpayers should not be funding such bigoted enterprises.
It is imperative that freedom of speech, protected by the First Amendment, not be compromised by the government. Barnard is a private institution not bound by that amendment. Moreover, those activities that would cause a shutdown of federal funding are not covered by freedom of speech. They consist largely of physical actions, such as trespassing, blocking access, harassment and other forms of intimidation. Pure protests consisting of speech should not be a basis for defunding.
Federal funding is not a right. Every institution that seeks taxpayer funding must earn that privilege by what it is contributing to our nation. Barnard no longer deserves our financial or other support. Neither do other colleges and universities that do not protect Jewish students and faculty from harassment and intimidation on campus.
Most university administrators have failed to provide such protection because they are fearful of the reaction from radical students and faculty in their midst. There must be external pressures to incentivize cowardly administrators to do the right thing. Cutting off federal funding from the worst offenders, such as Barnard, would be a good beginning.
**Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Emeritus at Harvard Law School, and the author most recently of War Against the Jews: How to End Hamas Barbarism, and Get Trump: The Threat to Civil Liberties, Due Process, and Our Constitutional Rule of Law. He is the Jack Roth Charitable Foundation Fellow at Gatestone Institute, and is also the host of "The Dershow" podcast.
**Follow Alan M. Dershowitz on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook
© 2025 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Trump may have already planted the seeds of his political collapse
Matt K. Lewis, opinion contributor/The Hill/March 07/2025
Opinion - Trump may have already planted the seeds of his political collapse
Over the last six weeks, President Trump has been spending political capital like a drunk at a casino who insists he’s got “a system.” If history is any predictor, his second term trajectory may already be set — right off a cliff, pedal to the floor.
Too soon to say that? Consider former President Joe Biden, who, in his first weeks in office, reversed Trump’s border policies and unleashed another flood of pandemic relief cash. These moves ultimately helped create his two biggest political headaches: a migrant crisis and runaway inflation so bad that even Dollar Tree had to raise its prices.Then Biden made it worse by shrugging the problems off. Immigration, his administration argued, was “cyclical,” and inflation was merely “transitory.” Neither explanation turned out to be accurate. His approval ratings tanked immediately upon his disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal and never recovered. Now it’s Trump’s turn to step on a rake. His approval ratings just went underwater, meaning he hit this particular milestone even faster than Biden. According to a new Ipsos poll, three in five Americans think the cost of living — you know, the issue that likely won Trump the 2024 election — is “going in the wrong direction.”
As you might recall, Trump promised to bring down food prices on day one. Well, here we are, and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins is telling the public to deal with high egg prices by raising their own chickens. I understand the appeal. Raising chickens — at least in a world without bird flu — might sound charming, and I bet many environmentally conscious liberals would find it quite nostalgic. But for most urban and suburban Americans, this is like the secretary of transportation suggesting we tackle rising gas prices by riding horses to work. If a Democrat had said anything this absurd, Fox News would be hosting an emergency town hall titled “Biden’s Barnyard Blunder: The War on Your Wallet.” But somehow, this little nugget of genius has barely registered. Maybe people are too busy choosing between a carton of eggs and keeping the lights on. Meanwhile, Trump seems hell-bent on seeing just how much economic misery voters can stomach. His latest stroke of brilliance? Slapping tariffs on Canada and Mexico — because nothing fixes inflation quite like boosting prices. Planning to build a house? Brace yourself for soaring lumber costs. And in case that wasn’t enough, his mass deportation plan threatens to gut the construction workforce, sending labor costs through the roof. It’s a perfect one-two punch: fewer workers, pricier materials and a housing market already on life support. Don’t worry, though — rather than acknowledge the flawed approach, Republicans are already laying the groundwork for the inevitable fallout of Trump’s policies by claiming that Americans are willing to suffer high prices for Trump.
Right. Keep telling yourselves that. Speaking of scams, Trump just announced something called a “strategic crypto reserve.” I don’t know what that is, but I do know if you put “crypto” and “Trump” in the same sentence, somebody is getting fleeced. And it ain’t him or his fat-cat friends in the tech industry. This brings us to Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency. On paper, cutting waste sounds great. In reality? A foreign-born billionaire with a ketamine habit and a collection of surprise baby mamas who is firing American workers en masse is the kind of thing that plays terribly — especially when some of the laid-off employees are Trump voters who somehow believed he would only go after other people.
That’s right. It turns out that the so-called “deep state” includes regular folks, many of them military veterans, who don’t love being laid off by a billionaire space cadet or one of his Gen Z minions.
Then there’s the looming foreign policy catastrophe: Trump has made an art form of alienating allies, but his decision to pause military aid and intelligence sharing for Ukraine could have severe consequences — like, say, Russia steamrolling right over Ukraine.
A majority of Americans, per Ipsos, actually support Ukraine fighting back with U.S. weapons. So Trump starts off in a minority position, and that’s before his policies risk pushing Ukraine toward a very public collapse (a scenario one can only hope doesn’t unfold). If Ukraine falls and the headlines are dominated by reports of Russian war crimes and images of tanks rolling into Kyiv, Trump’s already fraught position could unravel. In short, Trump is charging ahead like a man convinced he has an ironclad mandate. He’s making the kind of big, flashy moves that typically blow up in spectacular manner. After all, those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it. He has slipped out of tight spots many times before, so maybe he’ll pull it off again.Or maybe, just maybe, his bill is finally coming due.
**Matt K. Lewis is a columnist, podcaster and author of the books “Too Dumb to Fail” and “Filthy Rich Politicians.”
**Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Question: “What is repentance and is it necessary for salvation?”
GotQuestions.org/March 07/2025
Answer: Many understand the term repentance to mean “a turning from sin.” Regretting sin and turning from it are related to repentance, but are not the precise meaning of the word. In the Bible, the word repent means “to change one’s mind.” The Bible also tells us that true repentance will result in a change of actions (Luke 3:8–14; Acts 3:19). In summarizing his ministry, Paul declares, “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds” (Acts 26:20). The short biblical definition of repentance is “a change of mind that results in a change of action.”
What, then, is the connection between repentance and salvation? The book of Acts especially focuses on repentance in regard to salvation (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 11:18; 17:30; 20:21; 26:20). To repent, concerning salvation, is to change your mind regarding sin and Jesus Christ. In Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts chapter 2), he concludes with a call for the people to repent (Acts 2:38). Repent from what? Peter calls the people who rejected Jesus (Acts 2:36) to change their minds about that sin and to change their minds about Christ Himself, recognizing that He is indeed “Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). Peter calls the people to change their minds, to abhor their past rejection of Christ, and to embrace faith in Him as their Messiah and Savior. Repentance involves recognizing that you have thought wrongly in the past and determining to think rightly in the future. The repentant person has “second thoughts” about the mindset he formerly embraced. There is a change of disposition and a new way of thinking about God, about sin, about holiness, and about doing God’s will. True repentance is prompted by “godly sorrow,” and it “leads to salvation” (2 Corinthians 7:10).
Repentance and faith can be understood as two sides of the same coin. It is impossible to place your faith in Jesus Christ as the Savior without first changing your mind about your sin and about who Jesus is and what He has done. Whether it is repentance from willful rejection or repentance from ignorance or disinterest, it is a change of mind. Biblical repentance, in relation to salvation, is changing your mind from rejection of Christ to faith in Christ.
Repentance is not a work we do to earn salvation. No one can repent and come to God unless God pulls that person to Himself (John 6:44). Repentance is something God gives—it is only possible because of His grace (Acts 5:31; 11:18). No one can repent unless God grants repentance. All of salvation, including repentance and faith, is a result of God drawing us, opening our eyes, and changing our hearts. God’s longsuffering leads us to repentance (2 Peter 3:9), as does His kindness (Romans 2:4). While repentance is not a work that earns salvation, repentance unto salvation does result in works. It is impossible to truly change your mind without changing your actions in some way. In the Bible, repentance results in a change in behavior. That is why John the Baptist called people to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8). A person who has truly repented of sin and exercised faith in Christ will give evidence of a changed life (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:19–23; James 2:14–26). To see what repentance looks like in real life, turn to the story of Zacchaeus. Here was a man who cheated and stole and lived lavishly on his ill-gotten gains—until he met Jesus. At that point he had a radical change of mind: “Look, Lord!” said Zacchaeus. “Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount” (Luke 19:8). Jesus happily proclaimed that salvation had come to Zacchaeus’s house, and that even the tax collector was now “a son of Abraham” (verse 9)—a reference to Zacchaeus’s faith. The cheat became a philanthropist; the thief made restitution. That’s repentance, coupled with faith in Christ.
Repentance, properly defined, is necessary for salvation. Biblical repentance is changing your mind about your sin—no longer is sin something to toy with; it is something to be forsaken as you “flee from the coming wrath” (Matthew 3:7). It is also changing your mind about Jesus Christ—no longer is He to be mocked, discounted, or ignored; He is the Savior to be clung to; He is the Lord to be worshiped and adored.

The Egyptian plan has become Arab … what next?
Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy/Arab News/March 07, 2025
The emergency Arab summit, held in Cairo on Tuesday, aimed to discuss ways to rebuild Gaza and address the ongoing repercussions of the war there. The summit witnessed a unified Arab stance against attempts to displace Palestinians, while emphasizing the two-state solution as the main path to achieving peace and stability in the region.
One of the most significant outcomes of the summit was the adoption of the Egyptian plan for the reconstruction of Gaza, a proposal that spans five years and has an estimated cost of $53 billion. The plan focuses on rebuilding infrastructure, providing housing solutions for displaced Palestinians within the territory, empowering the Palestinian Authority to govern and removing Hamas from power. Additionally, it includes the formation of a “Gaza Administration Committee,” a nonpartisan body comprising 15 Palestinian technocrats to manage daily affairs during the first six months of recovery. The plan is divided into three phases. The first phase involves clearing rubble and establishing temporary housing for approximately 1.5 million Palestinians. The second phase transitions to constructing new housing units, an airport, a seaport and economic and tourism projects. The final phase aims to pave the way for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state through direct negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis under international supervision.
The plan faces significant challenges, as US President Donald Trump’s administration has expressed reservations about its security and political aspects, particularly concerning governance in Gaza and the future of Hamas.
Meanwhile, Trump is promoting an alternative plan that involves relocating Palestinians from Gaza and transforming the sector into a luxurious tourist destination — an idea that was strongly rejected by the Arab summit. US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff further fueled concerns by stating that Israel demands Hamas be excluded from any future governance and disarmed as a prerequisite for reconstruction, a condition Hamas considers a “red line.”Despite US and Israeli pressure, Arab nations have leverage they can use to support the Egyptian plan, including diplomatic relations with Israel and the normalization agreements signed in recent years. Analysts suggest that presenting a comprehensive vision that entices Washington — such as involving American companies in reconstruction projects and linking the plan to the normalization of Saudi-Israeli relations — could push Trump toward supporting the Arab initiative.
Despite US and Israeli pressure, Arab nations have leverage they can use to support the Egyptian plan.
At the end of the summit, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi announced that Cairo would host an international conference on Gaza reconstruction in April to secure the necessary funding and coordinate contributions from donor countries. This conference is seen as a test of the Arab world’s ability to rally international support for the reconstruction initiative. The key question remains: Can the Arab nations succeed in this endeavor?
The implementation of Egypt’s Gaza reconstruction plan and the outcomes of the emergency summit largely depend on the position taken by the US administration—whether it chooses to support the plan or continues backing Israel’s efforts to obstruct its execution, especially given the fragile ceasefire agreement, which remains at risk of collapse. A joint Egyptian-Arab delegation is scheduled to visit Washington next week to meet with Trump administration officials, lawmakers in Congress and key decision-making centers to present the plan and persuade the US to support it. This visit will be followed by trips to European capitals.
Trump’s stance has fluctuated between insisting that his plan to relocate Palestinians and develop luxury resorts in Gaza is the most viable and implementable solution and a softer message that he would not impose his ideas on anyone. Trump reinforced his position in a video created using artificial intelligence, which he shared on his Truth Social platform, reaffirming his While the summit was taking place in Cairo, the US State Department announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reaffirm the US’ unwavering support for Israel as a top priority for the Trump administration. During the call, Rubio pledged to expedite the delivery of $4 billion in military aid to Israel. In return, Netanyahu expressed his gratitude for the cooperation of Witkoff in efforts to free hostages and extend the ceasefire in Gaza.
The US has concerns about disarming Hamas and minimizing its role, as the group remains the dominant force in Gaza.
While the Trump administration is open to considering the Egyptian plan, it has many questions regarding governance in Gaza, postwar security management and the potential involvement of international peacekeeping forces in both Gaza and the West Bank. Additionally, the US has concerns about disarming Hamas and minimizing its role, as the group remains the dominant force in Gaza.
Arab nations worry about the continued US support for Israel, the uncertainty surrounding the durability of the ceasefire and Israeli actions in the West Bank, including the forced displacement of tens of thousands of Palestinians. These concerns are compounded by fears that Israel is exploiting the US’ backing to advance its plan to annex the West Bank. There is growing concern that Washington might support Israel’s conditions that exclude both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority from any future governance in Gaza. Israel is also pushing for the extension of the ceasefire’s initial phase, securing hostage releases without committing to withdrawing its forces from Gaza. Last month, Witkoff stated in an interview with CBS News that one of Washington’s firm stances on Gaza’s future was the removal of Hamas from the territory. Egyptian officials acknowledge the difficulty of disarming Palestinian factions in Gaza, meaning they face challenges in persuading donors to fund reconstruction, given concerns that Israel might resume bombing the sector even after significant investments in rebuilding homes and infrastructure. The fragile nature of the ceasefire further amplifies these concerns.
However, if Trump perceives that endorsing the Arab plan could bolster his image as a peacemaker and potentially secure him a Nobel Peace Prize, he might be more inclined to support it. To succeed, Arab nations must win over American public opinion and pressure the Trump administration to push Israel toward maintaining the ceasefire and accepting a peace plan. Some experts argue that the best hope lies in Trump losing patience with Netanyahu, who might jeopardize part of the US president’s regional strategy and complicate efforts to secure hostage releases.
If Trump manages to broker a major diplomatic breakthrough — securing the release of hostages, ensuring peace in Gaza without Hamas and expanding the Abraham Accords to include more Arab and Muslim nations — he could claim a significant foreign policy victory. The Arab summit firmly rejected Trump’s proposal to relocate more than 2 million Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan while transforming Gaza into a “Middle Eastern Riviera.” Instead, Cairo presented a phased reconstruction plan aimed at keeping Palestinians in Gaza, removing Hamas from governance and ultimately restoring PA control. During the first phase of the Egyptian proposal, direct negotiations between Israel and Palestinian representatives would begin, addressing final-status issues such as territorial borders and the status of Jerusalem. The plan also includes Egypt and Jordan training a Palestinian police force to maintain security.
The Egyptian plan reaffirms the two-state solution, warning that any attempt to undermine Palestinian statehood will fuel further conflict and instability. However, Israel’s hard-line stance against Hamas and right-wing opposition to a Palestinian state raise doubts about its commitment to peace talks.
*Dr. Abdellatif El-Menawy has covered conflicts worldwide. X: @ALMenawy