English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For March 19/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to
take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people
from their sins
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 01/18-25: “Now the birth
of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been
engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with
child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and
unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But
just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a
dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your
wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a
son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their
sins.’ All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through
the prophet: ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall
name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us.’ When Joseph awoke from sleep,
he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had
no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him
Jesus.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on March 18-19/2025
Text and Video: The Salam Government’s Contradictions and Hezbollah’s
Collapse—Between the Illusion of Stupidity and the Unmasking on the
Lebanese-Syrian Border/Elias Bejjani/March 18/2025
St. Joseph’s Day Annual /Elias Bejjani//March 19/2025
Text & Video: To the Salam Government and the President, The international
community installed you to disarm Hezbollah and dismantle its MiniState in favor
of Lebanon’s sovereignty—resign if you are incapable or unwilling./Elias Bejjani/March
17/2025
Rasha Alawieh's Deportation/Homeland Security
Nearly 13,000 Syrians fled to Lebanon: report
Witkoff Pushes Lebanon Towards Direct Talks with Israel
Tensions Resume in South Lebanon Amid Israeli Overflights of Several Regions
The New Governor of BDL Will Be Nominated Outside the Mechanism of
Administrative Appointments
Lebanese Parliamentary Committee Pushes for Direct Security Coordination with
Syria Amid Border Clashes
TotalEnergies’ Operations Linked to Politics as Lebanon Pursues Onshore
Agriculture: Rationalizing Water Consumption in the Face of Reduced Rainfall
Disarmament and Sovereignty: Kataeb Party Calls for Concrete Measures
The Lebanese Industrial Sector: 18,542 Factories Producing 1,656 Products
Hezbollah Reneging on Surrendering Its Arms/Hussain Abdul-Hussain/This is
Beirut/March 18/2025
Digital Transformation in Lebanon: A Step Towards the Future/Joe André Rahal/This
is Beirut/March 18/2025
The Ostracized Daraj Website in Lebanon and the Arab World/Eleonore Estephan/This
is Beirut/March 18/2025
Iran Challenges Trump with Losing Cards in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen/Philippe
Abi-Akl/This is Beirut/March 18/2025
White House uses photo from Trump’s McDonald’s stunt to mock deported Brown
University doctor/Rhian Lubin/The Independent/March 18, 2025
UNIFIL Demands Lebanon, Israel to Authorize New Surveillance Technologies
In Lebanon, Israeli Strikes Point to a Precarious Ceasefire
Lebanon and Syria Agree on Ceasefire After Deadly Cross-Border Clashes
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on March 18-19/2025
Important if confirmed/south Syrian administration/Dr Walid Phares/March
18/2025
War monitor says Israel strikes central Syria military site
Factbox-Israel's multiple wars in the Middle East
Netanyahu Says Israeli Strikes across Gaza That Killed Hundreds Are ‘Only the
Beginning’
Israel Intercepts Missile from Yemen, Military Says
Netanyahu’s Hard-Line Ally Welcomes Return to Fighting in Gaza
US Says Hamas Solely to Blame for Resumption of Gaza Hostilities
Gaza death toll rises as Israeli strikes shatter ceasefire with Hamas
Designated Terrorist Groups Samidoun – Based In U.S. And Canada, And Masar Badil
– Active In Spain, Both Affiliated With The PFLP, Condemn American Strikes
Against Houthis, Call On Anti-Israel Protesters Everywhere To Escalate
Activities Against 'Fascist Powers'
Pennsylvania-Based Palestinian-American Writer Susan Abulhawa Praises Hamas,
Calls For Armed Resistance Against Israel; The Days Of 'Depraved' Western Rule
Are Numbered; Colleagues: October 7 Proved Israel Can Be Dismantled; The
Guillotine Is The Future, 'Off With Their Heads!'
Dr. Helyeh Doutaghi, Iranian Academic Suspended By Yale University For Alleged
Ties To PFLP-Linked Designated Terror Supporter Samidoun: I Will Use Everything
At My Disposal To Fight The 'Fascist Dictatorship Of The United States'; Praises
'Incredible Resistance' Of Palestinian And Regional Iran-Backed Forces Since
October 7, 2023
Netanyahu Says Israeli Strikes across Gaza That Killed Hundreds Are ‘Only the
Beginning’
Israel’s Surprise Bombardment Plunged Palestinians Back into ‘Hell’
Israel Is Ramping up Annexation of West Bank, UN Rights Chief Says
Israel's Shekel and Bonds Slide as Gaza Ceasefire Buckles
Gold Hits Another Record as Tensions Flare over Gaza, Trump Tariffs
Mourners Attend Funeral of Man Killed in Israeli Airstrikes on Syrian City of
Daraa
Sanaa Residents Fear Prolonged US-Houthi Confrontation
Macron Speeds up Rafale Warplane Orders as France Invests in Nuclear Deterrence
Trump and Putin agree to an immediate ceasefire for energy and infrastructure in
Ukraine conflict
Titles For
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on March 18-19/2025
A New Syria Hinges on Settlements and Breakthroughs/Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq
Alawsat/March 18/2025
Trump’s tariff theater could actually help fight inflation/Nicholas B. Creel,
opinion contributor/The Hill/March 18, 2025
A New Syria Hinges on Settlements and Breakthroughs/Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al-Awsat/March
18/2025
On ‘The Arab Levant,’ ‘The World,’ and Israel/Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat/March
18/2025
Iran’s Nuclear Program: Possible Scenarios/Dr. Nassif Hitti/Asharq Al-Awsat/March
18/2025
Will the deal between Damascus and Syria’s Kurds help achieve national
reconciliation?/ANAN TELLO/Arab News/March 19, 2025
Palestinians’ lives blocked by checkpoints/Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/March 18,
2025
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on March 18-19/2025
Text and Video: The Salam Government’s Contradictions and Hezbollah’s
Collapse—Between the Illusion of Stupidity and the Unmasking on the
Lebanese-Syrian Border
Elias Bejjani/March 18/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/03/141336/
There is no doubt that the statement made by Hezbollah-affiliated Minister
Tamara Zain in Nawaf Salam's government—"I am not in favor of a timetable for
Hezbollah’s disarmament because politics change according to circumstances. The
presence of occupation automatically grants the right to resistance." is a
blatant and public violation of the government's commitments to the constitution
and international resolutions. It places Aoun, Salam, and the entire government
in a ministerial solidarity crisis from the outset.
The Lebanese sovereignists urgently raise this question, Is the minister
speaking on behalf of the government or the entity that appointed her? How can a
government launch its work, oversee the implementation of the ceasefire, enforce
all international resolutions, dismantle Hezbollah’s mini-state, and eliminate
all its military, educational, financial, terrorist, and intelligence structures
while harboring such contradictions within itself? A clear and public stance is
required today, not tomorrow, from Nawaf Salam and Joseph Aoun.
For decades, Hezbollah has used deceptive tactics to manipulate the Lebanese
people, believing it could fool them into thinking it is defending Lebanon.
However, the truth has never been clearer: the ongoing clashes on the
Lebanese-Syrian border are not about national resistance or protection. Instead,
they are a fight between Hezbollah’s smuggling gangs and militia criminals on
one side and the forces of the new Syrian regime under Ahmad Al-Sharaa on the
other. This conflict exposes Hezbollah for what it truly is—a mercenary
organization serving Iran’s interests at the expense of Lebanon.
In the past, Hezbollah hid behind so-called "civilians" in southern Lebanon to
justify attacks on UNIFIL forces and blackmail the international community. Now,
after suffering humiliating defeats and exposing the falsehood of its so-called
military strength, it is attempting the same tactic in the Bekaa Valley, this
time under the banner of "tribes." However, the difference between the two
scenarios is striking: while the first lasted for years due to the absence of a
decisive international response, the second has already failed. The political
landscape has changed, and the international and regional cover that once
shielded Hezbollah is now disappearing. Moreover, the true tribal communities in
Bekaa refuse to be used as pawns in Hezbollah’s dirty militia war, which serves
only Iran’s destructive agenda.
All facts indicate that those Hezbollah labels as "tribes" are, in reality,
groups of smugglers and mercenaries under its direct command. The real tribal
leaders in Bekaa have no connection to this conflict and reject Hezbollah’s
attempt to drag them into a war that does not serve Lebanon. This is not a
battle for national defense but rather a brutal power struggle between
Hezbollah’s armed gangs and the Syrian regime’s forces, creating chaos and
destruction that harm both the Lebanese and Syrian people.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah is trying to drag the Lebanese Army into this conflict, but
this is not its war. The Lebanese Army has no role in this militia battle, as it
is a confrontation between unlawful groups that do not represent the Lebanese
state or respect its sovereignty. Any attempt to involve the army is simply an
effort to grant Hezbollah’s reckless war a false sense of legitimacy—something
neither the Lebanese people nor the international community will accept.
The reality is clear: Hezbollah is in its final stage of collapse. After
repeated failures, the downfall of its Syrian project, and the exposure of its
lies about "resistance," it can no longer deceive the Lebanese people. The era
of empty slogans is over, and the time for accountability has arrived. Today,
more than ever, there is a firm international and Arab determination to end
Hezbollah’s political, military, and terrorist presence in Lebanon. What is
happening now on the Lebanese-Syrian border is only the beginning of the end for
Iran’s reign of terror in Lebanon. The final liberation is near—very near.
The author is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website: https://eliasbejjaninews.com
St. Joseph’s Day Annual عيد ما يوسف البتول
Elias Bejjani//March 19/2025
The Feast of Saint Joseph the Virgin, celebrated annually on March 19,
holds deep spiritual and familial significance, particularly for our Bejjani
family, Youssef, a name we have proudly carried for generations. On this blessed
anniversary, we implore God and His angels to protect our beloved son Youssef
and our grandson Joseph, both of whom bear this holy name.
This sacred feast is an important occasion in the Maronite-Roman Catholic
tradition, honoring the life of Saint Joseph, the esteemed stepfather of Jesus
and the chaste spouse of the Virgin Mary. Among devout believers, particularly
the Lebanese Maronites, March 19 is not only a day of commemoration but is also
regarded as the birthday of Saint Joseph. His life, characterized by devotion,
obedience, humility, and unwavering faith, serves as a guiding light for
countless families who hold him in deep reverence.
In Lebanon, Saint Joseph is venerated as the patron saint of families, admired
for his exemplary role as a devoted husband and father. His life embodies faith,
honesty, generosity, and tireless dedication—virtues long cherished and
practiced by Lebanese families and deeply rooted within our own family values.
Saint Joseph's divine mission was of the utmost importance; entrusted by God
with the care of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary, he fulfilled his
responsibilities with deep love, dedication, and selflessness. As the earthly
guardian of the Holy Family, he exemplified loyalty and an unshakable commitment
to his divine calling, making him a timeless symbol of fatherhood, protection,
and faith.
As we honor Saint Joseph today, we reflect on the virtues he embodied—his
humility, strength, and steadfast devotion to carrying out God's will. May his
legacy continue to inspire us to fulfill our paternal and pastoral roles within
our families and communities, striving to emulate his unwavering faith, love,
and selflessness. On this holy and blessed day, we offer prayers of gratitude
and supplication to the Lord for all His gifts and blessings. We extend our
heartfelt blessings to all who bear the name Joseph, praying that they follow in
the footsteps of our beloved saint and uphold his virtuous example in their
lives.
Text & Video: To the Salam Government and the President,
The international community installed you to disarm Hezbollah and dismantle its
MiniState in favor of Lebanon’s sovereignty—resign if you are incapable or
unwilling.
Elias Bejjani/March 17/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/03/141300/
It has become clear that Lebanon
cannot continue under a government and presidency marked by hesitation and
inaction in implementing international resolutions, which are key to restoring
its sovereignty and stability. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and President Joseph
Aoun were brought to power through an international and regional consensus,
represented by the Quintet Committee, with the primary objective—(despite
Hezbollah, Nabih Berri, and the majority of MPs opposing it)—of enforcing the
ceasefire agreement by implementing the relevant international resolutions,
including the Armistice Agreement, Resolution 1559, Resolution 1701, and
Resolution 1680. These resolutions unequivocally demand the disarmament of
Hezbollah and all other Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias, not merely the
partial surrender of weapons or negotiations to maintain them under any pretext.
Therefore, the government and the president must establish a strict timeline,
not exceeding a few months, to accomplish this mission instead of engaging in
evasion, delays, and appeasement of Nabih Berri and what remains of Hezbollah’s
leadership. Any procrastination will only bring more destruction and economic
and political decline. The international community and Arab states will not
provide Lebanon with any financial support if its government continues to play
the role of a hesitant bystander in the face of the country’s greatest
challenge: Berri’s maneuvers and Hezbollah’s weapons and stranglehold on
political decision-making.
In this context, Nabih Berri, the Speaker of Parliament, bears direct
responsibility. He signed the ceasefire agreement on behalf of Lebanon and,
effectively, on behalf of Hezbollah and its patron, Iran. He must cease playing
word games and engaging in political deception. He must either explicitly
declare Hezbollah and Iran’s acceptance of disarmament or face the
consequences—including his resignation and potential prosecution. Lebanon cannot
remain a hostage to an Iranian terrorist armed militia that falsely claims to be
a “resistance” while dragging the country into economic devastation, political
instability, and international isolation.
The government’s continued vague and ambiguous stances on Hezbollah's stances
and weapons, under the flimsy excuse of “Israeli occupation,” are unacceptable.
The current situation allows no room for such linguistic maneuvering. The demand
is clear: Hezbollah must be disarmed, not only south of the Litani River but
throughout all of Lebanon. The illegal militia Ministate operating under the
command of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps must be brought to an end.
If the government and president fail to carry out this critical mission, it
simply means they are unfit for leadership. They must immediately admit their
failure and resign, making way for those capable of confronting this national
challenge. The international community and the majority of the Lebanese people
will not tolerate any scenario aimed at appeasing Hezbollah or postponing the
dismantling of its armed Iranian ministate. The choice is clear: either disarm
Hezbollah, reassert state sovereignty through Lebanon’s own forces with UNIFIL’s
support, or step aside and allow a government with the will and capability to
assume this responsibility.
Continuing the current state of weakness and indecision will have catastrophic
consequences—not just for Hezbollah and the areas under its control, but for all
of Lebanon. Israel will inevitably be compelled, with full American support, to
launch another military campaign against Hezbollah, which will not be limited to
the militia alone but will engulf the entire country. This will only deepen the
suffering of the Lebanese people and obliterate any remaining hope for
reconstruction and international aid. Therefore, a decisive course of action is
necessary: the president and the government must either implement international
resolutions or resign, making way for leadership that can restore Lebanon’s
sovereignty and reclaim it as a strong, independent state.
Rasha Alawieh's Deportation
Homeland Security
@DHSgov
Last month, Rasha Alawieh traveled to Beirut, Lebanon, to attend the funeral of
Hassan Nasrallah— a brutal terrorist who led Hezbollah, responsible for killing
hundreds of Americans over a four-decade terror spree. Alawieh openly admitted
to this to CBP officers, as well as her support of Nasrallah.
A visa is a privilege not a right—glorifying and supporting terrorists who kill
Americans is grounds for visa issuance to be denied. This is commonsense
security.
Nearly 13,000 Syrians fled
to Lebanon: report
AFP/March 19, 2025
BEIRUT: Nearly 13,000 Syrians fled across the borders to Lebanon since sectarian
massacres on the Syrian coast earlier this month, Lebanese authorities said on
Tuesday. A report from Lebanon’s Disaster Risk Management Unit said 12,798
Syrians had arrived and settled in 23 different villages and towns in Lebanon’s
northern Akkar region, adding that most were living in family homes or makeshift
accommodation centers. Violence erupted on Syria’s coast — the heartland of
former president Bashar Assad’s Alawite minority — with attacks on security
forces that were blamed on gunmen loyal to the toppled president. According to
the latest toll from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor, Syrian
security forces and allied groups subsequently killed at least 1,557 civilians,
the vast majority Alawites.
Thousands of coastal residents took refuge in Russia’s Hmeimim air base, calling
for protection, while others fled south to neighboring Lebanon.
Witkoff Pushes Lebanon
Towards Direct Talks with Israel
This is Beirut/March 18/2025
According to a high-ranking Lebanese source, quoted by Lebanon Files, the Trump
administration is determined to open a direct diplomatic channel between Lebanon
and Israel. The source, who recently met with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff
in Doha, revealed that Washington is dissatisfied with Lebanon's handling of the
Hezbollah arms issue. The US considers it ineffective, while criticizing an
overly accommodating approach. Steve Witkoff made it clear that the United
States will ask Lebanon to engage in direct political negotiations with Israel.
These discussions are expected to be led by a Lebanese civilian, while Israel
will be represented by its Strategic Affairs Minister, Ron Dermer, a close ally
of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to Witkoff, despite
repeated Israeli airstrikes that have neutralized part of Hezbollah’s military
power, the Iran-backed militia continues to influence Lebanese politics and is
likely to block any efforts for peace with Israel.
US Conditions
Washington is conditioning any reconstruction efforts in southern Lebanon, the
Beqaa Valley and the southern suburbs of Beirut on tangible progress in
negotiations with Israel. Additionally, Gulf countries have been informed by
Washington that they will not be able to participate in the reconstruction of
southern Lebanon unless an agreement with Israel is reached. Meanwhile, Tel Aviv
will continue to occupy the five border points in the South for at least another
year. It refuses the idea of negotiating over the 13 disputed border points
until the diplomatic process moves forward.
The United States wants a complete disarmament of Hezbollah, not only south of
the Litani River, but also in the Beqaa and northern Lebanon. US military aid to
the Lebanese Army could be suspended if the Lebanese government does not comply
with this condition. Witkoff further indicated that Washington would encourage
Lebanon to establish a commission to demarcate land borders with Israel and
Syria, resolve the maritime boundary issue with Cyprus and place the status of
the Shebaa Farms under United Nations supervision after a comprehensive
agreement.
The Palestinian Camps
In addition to Hezbollah’s disarmament, Washington is also pushing for a drastic
reduction of weapons present in Palestinian camps. According to Witkoff, no
significant economic or institutional reforms will be possible in Lebanon
without full cooperation with the US strategy in the region. Witkoff stressed
that Lebanon and Hezbollah must acknowledge the new geopolitical realities. Iran
remains a central concern for the US, and Washington appears set to intensify
its pressure by June to limit Tehran’s influence in Lebanon.
A Crucial Choice for Lebanon
According to the US envoy, Lebanon must choose between following the path laid
out by Washington or remaining trapped in political and economic instability.
The coming months will be decisive in determining whether Beirut will move
forward with a peace process with Israel or remain stuck in political paralysis.
Tensions Resume in South Lebanon Amid Israeli Overflights
of Several Regions
This is Beirut/March 18/2025
Tensions resumed in southern Lebanon on Tuesday evening after a day of relative
calm. Around 9:30 PM, an automatic weapon sweep operation was carried out from
the Israeli site of Dahr al-Jamal, near Ramya in the Bint Jbeil district,
targeting the Hadab and Khallet Warde areas near the border village of Aita al-Shaab.At
the same time, Israeli fighter jets flew at low altitude over Beirut and its
suburbs, Keserwan, Metn, as well as Baalbeck and Akkar, before conducting
strikes on the outskirts of Homs.
The New Governor of BDL Will Be Nominated Outside the
Mechanism of Administrative Appointments
This is Beirut/March 18/2025
Ministerial sources said that the Cabinet will continue discussions on the
mechanism of administrative appointments on Friday. The focus will be on
addressing gaps in the plan originally prepared by Minister Mohammad Fneish and
approved by Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s government in 2010—a plan that was
never implemented due to a legal challenge by the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM)
before the Constitutional Council. The FPM objected to the plan because it
reduced the authority of the relevant minister within their ministry. According
to the sources, the ongoing discussions aim to strike a balance between the
minister’s role and the oversight authorities—particularly the Civil Service
Board—to ensure the mechanism is not challenged again. The sources also
indicated that the appointment of the Governor of the Central Bank will take
place outside this mechanism, following an agreement on a candidate. However,
they ruled out the possibility of the appointment happening in the next session.
Furthermore, they noted significant interest from the US in the selection of the
next governor, given the critical role the position will play in the coming
phase. This includes overseeing necessary reforms—especially anti-money
laundering efforts, as Lebanon has shifted to a cash-based economy after the
financial crisis—and ensuring that Hezbollah’s funding sources are curbed.
Lebanese Parliamentary Committee Pushes for Direct Security
Coordination with Syria Amid Border Clashes
This is Beirut/March 18/2025
The Lebanese Parliament’s National Defense, Interior and Municipalities
Committee has proposed sending a high-level delegation to Syria on Tuesday, to
enhance direct coordination and prevent further border escalation. The
delegation would include Minister of Foreign Affairs Youssef Rajji, Defense
Minister Michel Menassa and top security chiefs, who would meet with their
Syrian counterparts to establish joint liaison committees at key border points,
including Akkar, Hermel, Arsal and Masnaa. The proposal came during a committee
meeting on Tuesday, chaired by MP Jihad Samad, which focused on the
deteriorating security situation along Lebanon’s northern and eastern borders.
Following the session, Samad held a press conference, stressing the need for
immediate Lebanese-Syrian cooperation to contain the growing instability.
The meeting was attended by senior security officials, including the heads of
the Internal Security Forces (ISF), General Security, State Security and
Lebanese Army Intelligence.
Border Stability and Resolution 1701
Samad emphasized that Lebanon’s overall security is interconnected, warning that
“any security incident in one area reverberates across the entire country.” The
committee also reiterated the importance of fully implementing UN Resolution
1701, calling for Israel’s withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territory.
Lawmakers insisted that the resolution must be enforced on both sides, not
unilaterally.
Refugee Repatriation and Economic Strain
Addressing the impact of the refugee crisis, Samad stressed the need to
repatriate Syrian refugees, arguing that they “oversaturate Lebanon’s labor
market, further straining the country’s economic conditions.”
Bodies of Two Lebanese Brothers Handed Over
Meanwhile, An-Nahar daily reported that Syria’s new administration agreed to
hand over the bodies of two Lebanese brothers, Mohammad and Ahmad Nouris Medlej,
to the Lebanese Red Cross at the Josseh border crossing on Tuesday evening. The
two men were killed by Syrian forces on Monday during border clashes.
Lebanese Army Secures Border Crossings
In response to the escalating violence, Lebanese Army (LAF) units have begun
closing illegal border crossings in the Hermel area, which are used for
smuggling activities. This includes the official Matarba crossing near the dam,
where the Army is erecting earthen berms and bolstering its military presence.
On Tuesday, the LAF also began preparations to enter neighborhoods in Hosh al-Sayyed
Ali on the Lebanese side, following the incursion of regular forces from the
Syrian Army and General Security.
The LAF’s entry into the area follows an agreement between the intelligence
services of both countries. This came after a phone call between Lebanese
Defense Minister Michel Menasa and his Syrian counterpart Marhaf Abu Qasra,
which resulted in a ceasefire and the withdrawal of armed groups from both
sides.
Resumption of Clashes Near Al-Qasr
In the evening, exchanges of fire resumed on both sides of the border. The
Syrian state news agency SANA reported that Hezbollah, based in the Lebanese
town of Al-Qasr, targeted homes in the villages of Zeita and Al-Masryia, west of
Homs, with artillery shells and heavy machine guns, while a shell landed near a
Lebanese Army position at the entrance of the town.
TotalEnergies’ Operations Linked to Politics as Lebanon
Pursues Onshore
Bassam Abou Zeid/This is Beirut/March 18/2025
In his upcoming visit to France on March 28, President Joseph Aoun is expected
to once again raise, with French President Emmanuel Macron, the issue of
TotalEnergies resuming its operations in Lebanon. Aoun had previously requested
Macron’s assistance during the French president's visit to Lebanon in January,
but there has been no progress on the matter. Observers of Lebanon’s oil and gas
sector have grown convinced that TotalEnergies has no intention of making new
discoveries or drilling a third well in Lebanon anytime soon, should it choose
to maintain its presence. These sources suggested the company’s role in Lebanon
was primarily to provide cover for Israel’s operations in its offshore fields.
Given the security situation in previous years, including Hezbollah's presence
and threats, companies could not safely operate in Israel without a parallel
presence in Lebanon.
In this context, observers noted the politically timed nature of TotalEnergies'
operations in Lebanon. Drilling in Block 4 occurred following the political
settlement that brought General Michel Aoun to the presidency, with the French
company entering the first licensing round at the last moment before the
deadline. Similarly, drilling in Block 9 took place after the maritime border
agreement was reached in October 2022. This timing allowed Israel to complete
work on the Karish field, develop it and begin production and export. Observers
highlighted that a key indication of the political nature of TotalEnergies’
activities in Lebanon is its refusal to share the report on drilling results in
Block 9 with Lebanese authorities. Reports indicate TotalEnergies has informed
the Petroleum Sector Management Authority that it is no longer interested in
Block 9, but may consider Block 8, which requires seismic surveys. Consequently,
if all goes according to plan, drilling in block 8 is not expected to begin for
at least three years. In light of this information, observers of Lebanon's oil
and gas sector have stressed the importance of the new government reconsidering
the criteria for companies eligible to participate in licensing rounds. This
would prevent the process from being monopolized by large corporations, which
currently show little interest in Lebanon’s exploration and drilling, due to
political influence. As a result, no major companies have applied for the
extended third licensing round, which is set to end on March 31, with
expectations that it will be extended until late November this year.
Additionally, observers have urged the government to begin onshore oil and gas
exploration. While the cost of drilling an offshore well can reach $120 million,
drilling an onshore well costs only $7 million. This means Lebanon could drill
17 onshore wells for the price of just one offshore well. Even with modest
discoveries, the lower cost of onshore drilling would still yield a positive
financial return for Lebanon.
Agriculture: Rationalizing Water Consumption in the Face of
Reduced Rainfall
This is Beirut/This is Beirut/March 18/2025
The Ministry of Agriculture and the Directorate of Agricultural Research called
on Tuesday for rational management of water consumption this year due to a
significant drop in rainfall, which has only reached 30% of the usual annual
average. In addition to low rainfall, temperatures have been higher than normal,
due to climate change. The Ministry pointed out that the amount of rainfall was
insufficient to replenish underground reservoirs, hence the need to take strict
measures to preserve available water resources. In this context, the Ministry
has formulated a series of recommendations for farmers and citizens to ensure
optimum use of water:
- Use drip irrigation to conserve water and avoid the use of polluted water
sources, particularly wastewater.
- Avoid ploughing to preserve the moisture stored in the soil, as ploughing
encourages water evaporation.
- Use organic fertilizers, which help maintain water in the soil longer.
- Cover spaces between crop rows with plastic sheeting (nylon).
- Ration the irrigation of fruit trees.
- Limit domestic water consumption and repair any leaks or malfunctions in water
networks to preserve available resources.
The press release emphasizes that although rainfall is expected soon, the
Ministry insists on the urgent need to manage water consumption this year due to
scarce resources. It calls on all citizens to respect these preventive measures
to preserve this vital resource and ensure its sustainability.
Disarmament and Sovereignty: Kataeb Party Calls for
Concrete Measures
This is Beirut/This is Beirut/March 18/2025
The Kataeb Party’s political bureau convened on Tuesday under the leadership of
MP Samy Gemayel and reiterated the need to implement all international
resolutions, particularly United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which
ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. In a statement, the Kataeb
Party stressed the importance of Lebanon’s commitment to enforcing these
resolutions through “concrete and well-planned measures.” In this context, the
party called on Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s government to make disarmament a
top priority on its agenda, with a clear timetable for implementation. This
step, the statement emphasized, is “essential to pave the way for the country’s
recovery and attract the necessary investments for its reconstruction on solid
foundations, free from the threat of another war.”The Kataeb’s political bureau
also expressed concern over “ongoing events along the Lebanese-Syrian border, as
well as the daily Israeli strikes in the South and the Beqaa region.”Condemning
these incidents, the party argued that their common denominator is “the presence
of weapons beyond the control of the state, which necessitates their complete
removal from all Lebanese territory.”“The goal is for the country to be
protected exclusively by the Lebanese Army and the international community,” the
statement affirmed. Regarding the Lebanese Army, the Kataeb praised “its
significant efforts to repel any aggression against national territory and its
swift intervention to maintain stability at the borders.”The statement also
highlighted Gemayel’s visits to the Ministry of Defense, where he met with
General Michel Menassa and Army Commander General Rudolph Haykal. These meetings
aimed to “reaffirm the party’s unwavering support for the Army, the president of
the Republic, the minister of Defense and the security institutions, which serve
as the guarantors of national sovereignty across the entire territory.”
Additionally, the Kataeb Party called for municipal and mukhtar elections to be
held on schedule. “We urge the removal of all obstacles preventing their timely
organization,” the statement concluded.
The Lebanese Industrial Sector: 18,542 Factories Producing
1,656 Products
This is Beirut/March 18/2025
Based on the latest statistics from the Guide to Lebanese Exports and Industrial
Institutions for the end of 2024, Lebanon has 18,542 factories producing 1,656
products. This includes 8,771 factories classified according to the
international harmonized system, and 1,179 products exported internationally,
meeting the legal and technical standards required to access world markets. The
Ministry of Industry has issued licenses to 5,358 factories, meaning 61% of the
surveyed factories are licensed. In addition, 831 factories are affiliated with
the Lebanese Industrialists’ Association. The guide also mentions the
geographical distribution of factories, the majority of which are concentrated
in Beirut and Mount Lebanon. Industrial Guide director Fares Saad stressed that
efforts are underway to identify more unlicensed factories and establish
industrial zones with local and expatriate investment. This could reduce the
trade deficit and transform the Lebanese economy into a production economy.
Hezbollah Reneging on Surrendering Its Arms
Hussain Abdul-Hussain/This is Beirut/March 18/2025
Hezbollah and its allies – Speaker Nabih Berri, former Minister Najib Mikati,
and Hezbollah ministers in the previous cabinet – all signed the ceasefire
agreement with Israel that ended the war and that stipulated that arms in
Lebanon must be exclusively in the hands of six government military and security
agencies. When this happens, according to the deal, Israel withdraws from
Lebanese territories. Now Hezbollah is reneging on its ceasefire promise, moving
the goalposts, and reversing the order by saying that Israeli withdrawal comes
first, then it might consider disarming. In his Friday prayer sermon, Deputy
Chief of Hezbollah’s Executive Council Sheikh Ali Daamoush said this: “You say
that the state is the one that protects the country and defends the homeland and
that weapons must be restricted to the state.”He added: “Today, the state is the
one present along the border and has the opportunity to exercise its role, with
weapons in hand, along with the ceasefire supervision committee and the
international community.” He concluded: “So, what [has the state] done so far in
the face of the daily Israeli violations and attacks? At least convince us of
the effectiveness of restricting weapons to the state.”The Iran-backed militia
knows that the end of what Daamoush calls “daily Israeli violations and attacks”
is incumbent on surrendering its arsenal to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and
disbanding its militia. But now, Hezbollah wants to reverse the order of things
by arguing that Israel must first withdraw from five remaining Lebanese hilltops
and stop its overflights and targeting of Hezbollah assets arms depots, and
factories. Then the pro-Iran militia might consider disarming and disbanding.
Daamoush could not be more ingenuine in calling on the state to defend the
homeland by stopping Israel. The cleric knows that Israel is policing Lebanon
only because the state is not doing enough to rein in Hezbollah, therefore
forcing Israel to do it. If Daamoush wants an end to “Israeli violations and
attacks,” he can simply make Hezbollah surrender its arms to the state. At this
point, the Jewish state will have no reason, or excuse, to continue policing its
neighbor to the north. While Hezbollah’s partisans hail their leaders for their
imagined honesty and consistency, these leaders have been the opposite. They
have been as manipulative as other Lebanese leaders, such as their ally Michel
Aoun, who switched from decades of calling Hezbollah a terrorist group to
befriending the militia that helped him become president. In 2009, feeling that
it was on the cusp of a sweeping victory, late Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah
said that whoever wins the parliamentary election governs, and whoever loses
sits in the opposition and waits for its turn to come back to power.
Hezbollah lost the 2009 election and Nasrallah changed his mind. He argued that
Lebanon was not a regular democracy in which the majority rules and the minority
opposes it but a consensual democracy where all blocs must be represented in a
national unity cabinet. Just like that, Nasrallah moved the goalposts that he
had set up himself. No one called out the late Hezbollah chief for not sticking
to his word or for his politicking. Now, the pro-Iran militia is using
politicking again to wiggle its way out of a commitment it had cut to the world
to disarm and disband. Hezbollah’s word, it seems, is good for nothing, and as
long as this is the case, “national dialogue” over the militia’s arms and a
“national defense strategy” will not be worth the paper they’re written on.
Hezbollah must be policed and forced to surrender its arms to the state. If the
state of Lebanon does its job, as both President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister
Nawaf Salam have promised, then Israel will certainly withdraw from the five
hilltops, demarcate the border, and even sue for peace. However, if the Lebanese
state and the LAF sit back and watch, hoping that Hezbollah disarm out of its
own volition, that will be a movie that all of us, especially Israel, have
watched so many times, a claim that no one is going to believe. If the LAF does
not discipline Hezbollah and control the border, someone else will, and in this
case, it will be Israel. The Lebanese know what it means when Israel polices
Hezbollah. It means a destructive war whose effects will need decades to
reverse. It unfortunately takes Hezbollah, and some Lebanese, only a few months
to forget how destructive war can be.
Digital Transformation in Lebanon: A Step Towards the
Future
Joe André Rahal/This is Beirut/March 18/2025
Amid Lebanon’s ongoing crises, the need to modernize public administration and
improve services has never been greater. Digital transformation has emerged as a
strategic path to drive progress, enhance transparency and rebuild trust between
citizens and the state. The Cabinet has to discuss a comprehensive plan to
digitize government institutions, streamline access to services and strengthen
the digital economy. But does the state have the necessary tools—and the
political will—to see this transformation through?
An Ambitious Vision Amid a Complex Reality
At the core of this plan lies the establishment of an integrated digital
infrastructure that allows citizens and businesses to complete transactions
electronically—removing the bureaucratic obstacles that have long fueled
corruption and favoritism. This is not just a technical upgrade, but a
fundamental reshaping of the relationship between the state and society,
enhancing both transparency and efficiency. The plan is built around several key
pillars, starting with the launch of a personal digital ID that enables citizens
to interact with government agencies easily and securely, thereby speeding up
transactions and reducing the need for in-person visits to government offices.
The plan also includes the digitization of essential sectors such as criminal
records, real estate and licensing, ensuring that submitting applications and
receiving documents electronically becomes the standard, not the exception.
At the infrastructure level, the primary focus is on upgrading the digital
network and strengthening cybersecurity to ensure data protection and prevent
breaches that could undermine the system’s credibility. The plan also aims to
encourage businesses and institutions to adopt digital tools by offering
incentives and legislation that support the transition to an advanced digital
business environment.
Digital Transformation: More Than Saving Time
The success of this plan will not only improve administrative performance, it
will also have a wide-ranging positive impact across various sectors. Reducing
paperwork will help fight corruption, as all government processes will be
electronically documented and monitored, minimizing opportunities for fraud and
bribery. Moreover, this initiative will open new avenues for investment, as a
more organized and transparent business environment will attract startups and
entrepreneurs, thereby driving economic growth.
On the social front, digitizing services will simplify the lives of citizens,
especially in light of the current crises that make movement within the country
both difficult and costly. Swift access to healthcare, education and financial
services will alleviate daily burdens and allow the state to address the needs
of its citizens.
Challenges : Between Ambition and Reality
Despite the promising vision, its implementation faces substantial challenges,
the foremost being the deteriorating infrastructure. Effective digital
transformation is unattainable in the face of unreliable internet service and
frequent power outages. Moreover, the complexities of administrative corruption
and conflicting interests could obstruct any efforts to introduce transparency
into government institutions. Another major hurdle is the lack of modern
legislation to govern digital transformation and safeguard data privacy. To
date, the laws in this area remain outdated in relation to technological
advancements, which could hinder the proper execution of the plan.
Key Requirements for the Plan's Success
Transitioning to a modern digital environment is not merely a government
initiative, but a process that demands collaboration across multiple
sectors—ranging from governmental institutions to the private sector and civil
society. Political will is crucial to the success of this plan, but its true
effectiveness relies on substantial investment in infrastructure, the updating
of laws and, most importantly, the active involvement of citizens to ensure they
derive tangible benefits from the process. The pivotal question remains: Will
this plan drive meaningful change, or will it become yet another fleeting
initiative in the long list of projects that never see the light of day? The
coming days will determine whether Lebanon is genuinely prepared to embrace the
digital age, or if the plan will remain ensnared in the cycle of unfulfilled
promises.
The Ostracized Daraj Website in Lebanon and the Arab World
Eleonore Estephan/This is Beirut/March 18/2025
When the economic crisis hit Lebanon and other Arab countries, two media
platforms, Daraj and Megaphone, financed by American businessman George Soros,
started attacking the Lebanese economy through their channels, and to promote
new bankers who could help establish five new banks under Soros’ control. This
strategy was orchestrated by the “puppet” Hassan Diab’s advisers, mainly his key
economic strategist, who also serves as a founding member of the Kulluna Irada
Agricultural Development Association. The battle really began in 2019, as the
revolution unfolded. Left-wing figures, including Hazem al-Amin (editor-in-chief
of Daraj), his wife Diana Moukalled and Jean Kassir (co-founder of Megaphone)
rallied around the “fresh dollar.” Funding came from Soros’ Open Society
Foundation, with the sole objective of “destabilizing the Lebanese economy.”On a
larger Arab scale, other countries were not spared from Soros’ reach. Any
country that resisted Soros’ attempt to control its economy became the target of
virtual campaigns, articles and investigations aimed at its officials. However,
Arab nations quickly recognized Soros’ strategy and acted decisively, blocking
access to the Daraj website in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and several other
countries. The message was clear: We will not allow you, through your proxies
Daraj and Megaphone, to interfere with our economies.
The question remains: Why did Soros’ influence persist in Lebanon?
Initially, Hezbollah found this situation advantageous. Through its media and
indirect coordination with Soros’ platforms, it attempted to convince the
Lebanese public that the banks were responsible for mishandling depositors’
funds. However, the actual influence of Soros’ networks was negligible, with the
readership of these platforms barely exceeding 500 people. Anyone browsing their
social media accounts can easily spot this lack of engagement. For instance,
visiting the Daraj Facebook page reveals a complete absence of interaction with
its posts, sending a clear message from social media users who reject and refuse
to follow platforms that undermine the economy. Had Soros understood the lack of
impact of these platforms, he would have pulled the funding long ago. After four
years of claiming to speak “on behalf of the people,” the two platforms have
ultimately become nothing more than “foot soldiers” in Soros’ financial network,
struggling to survive. Anyone visiting X and following Soros-backed institutions
such as Legal Agenda, the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (Afaq), Kulluna Irada,
Daraj Media, Helem for LGBTQ+ rights in Lebanon, CARE (Cooperative for
Assistance and Relief Everywhere), Basmeh & Zeitooneh for refugee rights, Public
Source Media and Megaphone will quickly realize—without having to dig deep—how
they support each other through retweets, likes and interactions. This is done
in an effort to amplify their influence and secure continued funding. It’s
important to note the absence of these platforms when it comes to exposing
corruption. For instance, anyone searching for Gebran Bassil’s name—who wasted
over $50 billion on Lebanon’s electricity sector—on Daraj and Megaphone will
find that the last article written about him was in 2023.
The political class that wasted billions in subsidies sent to Syria is not seen
as an adversary by those claiming to advocate for change. And those who misused
public funds aren’t even viewed as suspects. That’s because Soros, quite simply,
does not care about these issues. His plan is focused on targeting the banks and
repeating the mantra, “It’s their fault.”An insider familiar with the operations
of Daraj and Megaphone shared that, during a meeting between the funders from
the Open Society Foundation and the two platforms, it was jokingly suggested
that they might “attack Soros” if necessary. The response came with a laugh, “We
attack all politicians, even ‘the master’ if we want to, and if we are allowed
to, of course,” adding, “This way, the reader believes we’re impartial. Every
politician gets an article. But when it comes to the banks? There are countless
articles.”Thus, the political and economic agenda behind Soros’ platforms is
crystal clear. Anyone who opposes the views of the funders will quickly find
themselves in the crosshairs of websites and activists, always ready to launch
campaigns in pursuit of political, economic and financial gains—as Soros has
successfully done in numerous countries.
Iran Challenges Trump with Losing Cards in Syria, Lebanon
and Yemen
Philippe Abi-Akl/This is Beirut/March 18/2025
Last week, UAE Diplomatic Adviser Anwar Gargash delivered a message from
President Donald Trump to Iran’s leadership, proposing a revival of nuclear
negotiations that his administration suspended in 2015. Trump’s message stated,
“A deal with Iran is preferable to military action, as I do not seek to harm
it.”Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei criticized the proposal, asserting, “We
will not negotiate with despotic governments.” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas
Araghchi responded, “Tehran is always ready to negotiate on the nuclear program,
provided that Washington lifts the sanctions.” Meanwhile, Iran’s Parliament
Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf dismissed the negotiations as a ruse to disarm
the country. In response to Trump’s 100-day initiative, diplomatic sources said
Iran opted to escalate tensions in the region to gain leverage to strengthen its
negotiating position. In Lebanon, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Naim Qassem
confirmed that “the resistance remains strong and in the field,” challenging the
new government’s resolve to gain sole monopoly on weapons. Moreover, Qassem
emphasized that the state must show to the world that Israel would never
withdraw from the strategic spots it still occupies in south Lebanon through
diplomacy, but through war and resistance. In Syria, following Hezbollah's
reported military restructuring at the hands of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard
Corps (IRGC), the group, along with its allies and the remnants of the Assad
regime, clashed with the Syrian Army to destabilize the country. This served as
a message to Trump that his regional involvement would not be easy due to Iran’s
considerable influence on stability in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. According
to the sources in the so-called “Anti-Peace Axis,” Trump would have to enter the
region through Iran’s gate. However, the new leadership in Syria has
successfully countered these confrontations, reaffirming that Syria would not
return to Iran’s orbit. After Abdullah Ocalan’s move to dissolve his Kurdish
militant PKK, interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa signed an agreement with
Mazloum Abdi, leader of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), to integrate all
civil and military institutions of the Kurdish autonomous administration into
the framework of the new Syrian State. The Sharaa-Abdi agreement, coupled with
the Syrian government's swift action against remnants of the former regime,
demonstrated that the international community is actively engaged and closely
monitoring developments toward peace in the Middle East. In Yemen, Iran has
activated the Houthis (Ansar Allah), which threatened to target Israeli and
American ships sailing in the Red Sea. In retaliation, President Trump ordered
massive airstrikes on the capital Sana'a. The strikes aimed to reopen the
international shipping lanes in the Red Sea while delivering a stern warning to
Iran to restrain its influence or face the consequences.
On the Lebanese front, the government is cautiously proceeding with practical
steps in the south, in line with the ceasefire agreement and the implementation
of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, particularly regarding the monopoly of
weapons by the state, as outlined in President Joseph Aoun’s oath and the
government’s policy statement. The current administration avoids any
confrontation with Hezbollah, especially since Washington has given Iran a clear
timeline for negotiations. Iran must either concede on its nuclear program,
ballistic missile system and funding of its proxies, or face a military strike.
According to well-informed sources, the outcome of the negotiations—whether
positive or negative—will determine the future of Hezbollah’s weapons, which
remains the primary obstacle to state-building and the success of the new
administration.
Israel’s continued presence in five strategic points in south Lebanon and the
establishment of security committees are not intended for direct negotiations
between Lebanon and Israel on normalization, as Hezbollah claims in order to
justify its “resistance” and holding on to its weapons. Rather, they aim to
address three key issues: demarcating the southern borders, which are already
defined and internationally recognized under the 1949 Armistice Agreement,
resolving the dispute over the 13 contested border spots and securing Israel’s
total withdrawal from the south.
While the administration awaits the outcome of Trump’s initiative toward Iran,
Lebanese Forces (LF) and Kataeb Party officials have urged President Joseph Aoun
to convene the Supreme Defense Council to implement the clause on the
exclusivity of weapons in the hands of the state, and to set a six-month
timeline for Hezbollah to surrender its arms. LF sources indicated that the
discussion was superficial, as ministers from the Shiite Amal-Hezbollah duo
refused to engage, fearing it would escalate into a standoff over the weapons
issue, particularly at a time when Iran depends on these arms for its
negotiations.
Sources revealed that the push for a timeline to disarm Hezbollah is motivated
by Lebanon's desire to clear the path for international aid. If Trump’s
initiative with Iran is successful, Hezbollah’s disarming would be settled. If
it fails, Washington, with Israel’s backing, will resort to a military solution
against Iran. In either case, sources say, the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons will
soon be resolved, marking a new chapter for President Aoun’s mandate.
White House uses photo from Trump’s McDonald’s stunt to
mock deported Brown University doctor
Rhian Lubin/The Independent/March 18, 2025
The White House used a photo of a waving President Donald Trump from his
McDonald’s campaign stunt to mock the deported Brown University doctor.
Dr. Rasha Alawieh was deported to Lebanon, where she is a citizen, after
arriving at Boston Logan International Airport at the weekend following a trip
home to visit family. In a social media post on X, the Department of Homeland
Security claimed while in the country, Alawieh “attend[ed] the funeral of Hassan
Nasrallah – a brutal terrorist who led Hezbollah, responsible for killing
hundreds of Americans over a four-decade terror spree.”Mocking Alawieh, the
White House shared the department’s post with a photo of Trump waving from the
drive-thru window of the suburban Philadelphia McDonald’s branch he visited on
the campaign trail last October. In court documents defending the doctor’s
removal revealed Monday, government lawyers claimed she supported Nasrallah
“from a religious perspective.” They also claimed to have discovered
“sympathetic photos and videos” on her phone.
“Alawieh openly admitted to this to CBP officers, as well as her support of
Nasrallah,” the department also claimed in its X post, amplified by the White
House. “A visa is a privilege not a right—glorifying and supporting terrorists
who kill Americans is grounds for visa issuance to be denied. This is
commonsense security.”The Independent has contacted Alawieh’s immigration
attorney for comment. A federal judge canceled a hearing Monday into why Alawieh
was deported at the weekend apparently in defiance of a court order that she
remain in the U.S. Government lawyers argued that border agents had not received
notice of last Friday’s order until she “had already departed the United
States.” Lawyers for Alawieh also asked to postpone a hearing so new attorneys
on the case have more time to prepare. The government will have until March 24
to address allegations, and attorneys for Alawieh have until March 31 to respond
to the government’s motion to dismiss the case, the judge wrote Monday. The
doctor has studied and worked in the U.S. for six years. She was in the country
on a H-1B visa and has been working at Rhode Island Hospital for the last year
caring for kidney transplant recipients, the transplant division’s medical
director Dr. George Bayliss told the Boston Globe. After the Trump
administration’s allegations against Alawieh emerged, a spokesperson for Brown
University told the New York Times: “We continue to seek to learn more about
what has happened.”
UNIFIL Demands Lebanon,
Israel to Authorize New Surveillance Technologies
Washington: Ali Barada/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 18/2025
UN Security Council members on Monday inquired about the request of UNIFIL to
possess new technologies that would guarantee the mission’s freedom of movement
and access throughout its area of operations along the Blue Line in the south of
Lebanon. In closed consultations held on Monday, the UN Council members received
a briefing on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ latest report on the
implementation of resolution 1701, which was circulated to Council members on 11
March. The report urged prioritizing UNIFIL’s monitoring and verifying
mechanisms, and enhancing tactical response in implementation of the resolution.
Adopted in 2006, Resolution 1701 called for a cessation of hostilities between
Israel and Hezbollah. At the session on Monday, Council members listened to
briefings by Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and
Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix on developments
in UNIFIL area of operations from south of the Litani River to the Blue Line in
accordance with the Taif Accord and Security Council Resolutions 1559, 1701 and
1680. The resolutions stipulate the disarmament of armed groups in Lebanon,
including Hezbollah and the full control of territories by the Lebanese
government. In his 35-page report, the Secretary-General welcomed the “continued
holding of the cessation of hostilities...despite challenges.”The report
registered progress towards the objective outlined in the cessation of
hostilities arrangement of the withdrawal of the Israeli army south of the Blue
Line and the deployment of the Lebanese armed forces. It notes, however, that
the “situation remains fragile” and that the Israeli army has “not yet
completely withdrawn from Lebanese territory, remaining at five locations, and
designating two areas as so called ‘buffer zones’ along the Blue Line.”The
Secretary-General also noted that the Lebanese Army has started to dismantle
military infrastructure and confiscate weapons “believed to have belonged to
Hezbollah south of the Litani River.”
Israel’s Withdrawal
In his report, Guterres urged parties to effectively implement their side of the
cessation of hostilities arrangement and resolution 1701. He notes that the
Israeli army’s presence north of the Blue Line is a violation of Lebanese
sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as of resolution 1701, and
undermines the efforts of the Lebanese authorities to extend state authority
throughout its territory. The UN Chief also rejected the continued occupation of
the northern part of the town of Ghajar and the adjacent area north of the Blue
Line, condemning “all violations of Lebanese sovereignty.”
Aoun and Salam’s Efforts
Guterres welcomed recent political developments in Lebanon, such as the election
of President Joseph Aoun on January 9, the designation on 13 January of Nawaf
Salam as prime minister and the formation of the government on 8 February. The
Secretary-General spoke about the dramatic human impact and the utter level of
destruction caused by the recent conflict in Lebanon, calling on donors to fully
fund the 2025 Lebanon Response Plan and the Emergency Appeal. Guterres expressed
“optimism about Aoun’s pledge to take control of all arms outside state
authority and fully implement the ceasefire deal with Israel.” He called on the
Lebanese Government to “facilitate the full implementation of the relevant
provisions of the Taif Agreement and resolutions 1559, 1701 and 1680.
In Lebanon, Israeli Strikes Point to a Precarious Ceasefire
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 18/2025
As Israel resumes heavy strikes in the Gaza Strip, escalating Israeli attacks in
south Lebanon have killed five Hezbollah members in the last few days, according
to security sources in Lebanon, underlining the fragility of a US-backed
ceasefire. The war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon
marked the deadliest spillover of the Gaza war, rumbling across the frontier for
months before escalating into a devastating Israeli offensive that wiped out the
group's command and many of its fighters, along with much of its arsenal. While
the ceasefire brought about a big reduction in the violence, each side accuses
the other of failing to fully implement it. Israel says Hezbollah still has
infrastructure in the south, while Lebanon and Hezbollah say Israel is occupying
Lebanese soil by not withdrawing from five hilltop positions. The Israeli
military has reported striking five Hezbollah members in three separate
incidents in south Lebanon since March 15. In one of the incidents on Sunday,
the Israeli military said it struck two Hezbollah members "who served as
observation operatives and directed terrorist activities". Security sources in
Lebanon said five Hezbollah members were killed. The Israeli military said on
Sunday that a gunshot hit a parked car in the Israeli community of Avivim, and
that the shot most likely came from Lebanon. No one claimed responsibility.
STRIKES DESTROY PREFAB HOUSES
In Lebanon, Israeli strikes in two towns on Monday destroyed prefabricated
houses brought to the area for people whose homes were destroyed in the war,
security sources said. Noting an increase in Israeli strikes in recent days, the
UNIFIL peacekeeping force in south Lebanon "urges all actors to avoid any action
that could upset the current delicate calm," spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said.
"We continue to urge Israeli forces to fully withdraw south of the Blue Line,
and we continue to support the Lebanese Armed Forces in their deployment in the
south of Lebanon," he added. The Blue Line was drawn by the United Nations in
2000, when Israeli forces withdrew from south Lebanon, and separates the country
from Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The ceasefire agreed in
November required Hezbollah to have no weapons in the south and Israeli troops
to withdraw as the US-backed Lebanese army deployed into the region. Israel said
earlier this month it had agreed to US-backed talks with Lebanon aimed at
demarcating the border. It also released five Lebanese held by the Israeli
military in what it called a "gesture to the Lebanese president". Hezbollah
officials have put the onus on the Lebanese state to liberate the remaining land
still occupied by Israel. Still, leading Hezbollah official Ali Damoush said on
Friday the group would not give up its arms while there was an occupation.
Analysts say Hezbollah would have to think very hard before taking any decision
to escalate against Israel, noting that its overland resupply route to Iran was
severed by the fall of its ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria and that many of its
supporters are homeless because of the devastation caused by the war. "So far,
Hezbollah is keen not to respond and to leave the decision to the government and
the Lebanese army," said Qassem Kassir, a Lebanese analyst close to Hezbollah.
Lebanon and Syria Agree on Ceasefire After Deadly Cross-Border Clashes
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 18/2025
Lebanon's Defense Minister Michel Menassa and his Syrian counterpart Murhaf Abu
Qasra agreed on a ceasefire, the Lebanese and Syrian defense ministries said in
statements on Monday, as cross-border clashes in the last two days left 10 dead.
Three soldiers in Syria's new army and seven Lebanese were killed in border
clashes during the past two days, the Syrian defense ministry and Lebanese
health ministry said. On the Lebanese side, 52 people were wounded, the health
ministry said. The Lebanese and Syrian defense ministers also agreed on
continuing contacts between the army intelligence directorates to prevent more
deterioration on the border. The mountainous frontier has been a flashpoint in
the three months since opposition factions toppled Syria's Bashar al-Assad, an
ally of Tehran and Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, and installed
their own institutions and army. Meanwhile, Lebanon's Foreign Affairs Minister
Youssef Raji met his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani in Brussels to discuss
the cross-border developments and agreed to maintain contacts, the Lebanese
state news agency NNA reported. Late on Sunday, Syria's defense ministry accused
Hezbollah of crossing into Syrian territory and kidnapping and killing the three
members of Syria's new army. Hezbollah denied any involvement. A Lebanese
security source told Reuters the three Syrian soldiers had crossed into Lebanese
territory first and were killed by armed members of a tribe in northeastern
Lebanon who feared their town was under attack. Syrian troops responded by
shelling Lebanese border towns overnight, according to the Syrian defense
ministry and the Lebanese army. Residents of the town of Al-Qasr, less than 1
kilometer (0.6 mile) from the border, told Reuters they fled further inland to
escape the bombardment. Lebanon's army said in a statement on Monday that it had
handed over the bodies of the three killed Syrians to Syrian authorities, and
that it had responded to fire from Syrian territory and sent reinforcements to
the border area. Syria's army sent a convoy of troops and several tanks to the
frontier on Monday, according to a Reuters reporter along the border. Syrian
troops fired into the air as they moved through towns on the way to the border.
"Large military reinforcements were brought in to reinforce positions along the
Syrian-Lebanese border and prevent any breaches in the coming days," said Maher
Ziwani, the head of a Syrian army division deploying to the border.
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on March 18-19/2025
Important if confirmed/south Syrian administration
Dr Walid Phares/March 18/2025
Sources are claiming that once the south Syrian administration is announced, it
will receive #Israeli military support and possibly #UAE humanitarian
assistance. The area under such administration would include #Souaida, #Daraa,
and #Qunaitra governorates and areas adjacent to #Damascus, with #Druse, #Sunni
and Christian populations.
War monitor says Israel
strikes central Syria military site
AFP/March 18, 2025
BEIRUT: A Syrian Arab Republic war monitor said Israeli jets struck a military
site in central Syria on Tuesday, the latest such attack in recent days.
According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, “Israeli air
strikes targeted a missile battalion” near Homs city, reporting explosions in
the area with no immediate word of casualties. Israel has launched hundreds of
strikes on military sites in Syria since the December overthrow of president
Bashar Assad, saying it was acting to prevent weapons from falling into the
hands of the new authorities whom it considers jihadists. On Monday Israel
struck the area of the southern city of Daraa, killing three civilians according
to the authorities. Last week, an Israeli air strike on Damascus hit a “command
center” of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, the military said. The
Observatory reported one fatality. In addition to the air strikes, since Assad’s
fall, Israel has also deployed troops to a UN-patrolled buffer zone on the
strategic Golan Heights and called for the complete demilitarization of southern
Syria, near its territory.
Factbox-Israel's multiple wars in the Middle East
Jana Choukeir and Tala Ramadan/Reuters/March 18, 2025
Israel has been fighting wars on several fronts in the Middle East since the
Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked communities in the country in October
2023 and triggered a conflict in Gaza. It has engaged in heavy bombings and
assassinated some of its most implacable foes, all backed by Iran.
GAZA
The surprise 2023 attack on southern Israel, in which Hamas-led fighters killed
1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages back to Gaza, shattered Israel's
reputation as invincible in a hostile Middle East. Israel, which had a history
of wars with Hamas, has killed the group's top leaders including Yahya Sinwar,
one of the masterminds of the 2023 violence. Israel also killed Hamas' elusive
military leader Mohammed Deif, who had survived seven assassination attempts.
More than 48,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health
authorities, and most of the enclave has been reduced to ruins. Israel says it
aims to eradicate Hamas. It plans for Gaza's post-war future are not clear.
WEST BANK
In January, immediately after the Gaza ceasefire began, Israeli forces launched
a major operation against militant groups in a number of refugee camps in the
occupied West Bank. The operation has driven tens of thousands of Palestinians
from their homes and increased fears that U.S. President Donald Trump will give
the green light to a full Israeli annexation of the territory seized by Israel
in the 1967 Middle East war.
LEBANON
Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, which was Iran's most powerful ally in the
region, began attacking its arch foe Israel on October 8, 2023, in support of
Hamas. Border clashes exploded into a war between Israel and Hezbollah, which
left the group severely weakened. In mid-September 2024, a series of coordinated
explosions targeted Hezbollah’s communication devices across Lebanon. Thousands
of pagers detonated simultaneously, followed by the explosion of numerous
walkie-talkies the next day. These attacks resulted in about 40 fatalities and
more than 3,400 injuries, one of the worst security breaches in the group's
history. Israel also dealt a devastating blow to Hezbollah when it killed
veteran leader Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike on Beirut. Israel also killed
his presumed successor one week later.
SYRIA
Shortly after the Israel-Hamas war broke out, Israel carried out airstrikes in
Syria, a main ally of Iran and a stronghold for Hezbollah under the rule of
autocrat Bashar al-Assad. Islamist rebels ousted Assad on December 8. But Israel
is not taking any chances. Israel will step up airstrikes on Syrian weapons
stores, officials said one day after Assad's fall, and keep a limited troop
presence on the ground to head off any threat that could emerge in the fallout.
YEMEN
Yemen's Houthis have become a more prominent opponent to Israel after Hezbollah
and Hamas were severely weakened. It has carried out more than 100 attacks on
international shipping since November 2023 in what it says is solidarity with
Gaza's Palestinians, disrupting global shipping and costing countries billions
of dollars in lost revenues. Israel directly hit Yemen in December 2024, marking
the beginning of a campaign against the Houthis.
IRAN
Iran and Israel have engaged in a shadow war for decades while avoiding direct
large-scale military confrontation. Their confrontation erupted into open
conflict after Hamas attacked Israel. Israel targeted the Iranian consulate in
Damascus on April 1, 2024, prompting a direct military attack by Iran. On
October 1, 2024, Iran carried out a big missile attack against Israel with over
180 ballistic missiles fired from Iranian territory. Israel struck military
sites in Iran on October 26, 2024, saying it was retaliating against Tehran's
attacks.
Netanyahu Says Israeli
Strikes across Gaza That Killed Hundreds Are ‘Only the Beginning’
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 18/2025
Israel launched airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, killing more
than 400 Palestinians, local health officials said, and shattering a ceasefire
in place since January with its deadliest bombardment in a 17-month war with
Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the strikes, which killed
mostly women and children, after Hamas refused Israeli demands to change the
ceasefire agreement. In a statement aired on national television, he said the
attack was “only the beginning” and that Israel would press ahead until it
achieves all of its war aims — destroying Hamas and freeing all hostages held by
the group. All further ceasefire negotiations will take place “under fire,” he
said. The White House said it had been consulted and voiced support for Israel’s
actions. The Israeli military ordered people to evacuate eastern Gaza and head
toward the center of the territory, indicating that Israel could soon launch
renewed ground operations. The new campaign comes as aid groups warn supplies
are running out two weeks after Israel cut off all food, medicine, fuel and
other goods to Gaza’s 2 million Palestinians. “Israel will, from now on, act
against Hamas with increasing military strength,” Netanyahu’s office said. The
attack during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan could signal the full resumption
of a war that has already killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused
widespread destruction across Gaza. It also raised concerns about the fate of
the roughly two dozen hostages held by Hamas who are believed to still be alive.
The renewal of the campaign against Hamas, which receives support from Iran,
came as the US and Israel stepped up attacks this week across the region. The US
launched deadly strikes against Iran-allied Houthi militias in Yemen, while
Israel has targeted Iran-backed militants in Lebanon and Syria. A senior Hamas
official said Netanyahu’s decision to return to war amounts to a “death
sentence” for the remaining hostages. Izzat al-Risheq accused Netanyahu of
launching the strikes to save his far-right governing coalition. Hamas said at
least six senior officials were killed in Tuesday’s strikes. Israel said they
included the head of Hamas' civilian government, its justice minister and two
security agency chiefs. There were no reports of any attacks by Hamas several
hours after the bombardment. But Yemen's Houthis fired rockets toward Israel for
the first time since the ceasefire began. The volley set off sirens in Israel's
southern Negev desert but was intercepted before it reached the country's
territory, the military said. The strikes came as Netanyahu faces mounting
domestic pressure, with mass protests planned over his handling of the hostage
crisis and his decision to fire the head of Israel’s internal security agency.
His latest testimony in a long-running corruption trial was canceled after the
strikes. The strikes appeared to give Netanyahu a political boost. A far-right
party led by Itamar Ben-Gvir that had bolted the government over the ceasefire
announced Tuesday it was rejoining. The main group representing families of the
hostages accused the government of backing out of the ceasefire. “We are
shocked, angry and terrified by the deliberate dismantling of the process to
return our loved ones from the terrible captivity of Hamas,” the Hostages and
Missing Families Forum said.
Wounded stream into Gaza hospitals
Strikes across Gaza pounded homes, sparked fires in a tent camp outside the
southern city of Khan Younis and hit at least one school-turned-shelter. After
two months of relative calm during the ceasefire, stunned Palestinians found
themselves once again digging loved ones out of rubble and holding funeral
prayers over the dead at hospital morgues. “Nobody wants to fight,” Nidal
Alzaanin, a resident of Gaza City, said. “Everyone is still suffering from the
previous months.”A hit on a home in Rafah killed 17 members of one family,
according to the European Hospital, which received the bodies. The dead included
five children, their parents, and another father and his three children. Another
in Gaza City killed 27 members of a family, half of them women and children,
including a 1-year-old, according to a list of the dead put out by Palestinian
medics. At Khan Younis’s Nasser Hospital, patients lay on the floor, some
screaming. A young girl cried as her bloody arm was bandaged. Wounded children
overwhelmed the pediatric ward, said Dr Tanya Haj-Hassan, a volunteer with
Medical Aid for Palestinians aid group. She said she helped treat a 6-year-old
girl with internal bleeding. When they pulled away her curly hair, they realized
shrapnel had also penetrated the left side of her brain, leaving her paralyzed
on the right side. She was brought in with no ID, and “we don't know if her
family survived,” Haj-Hassan said. Gaza’s Health Ministry said the strikes
killed at least 404 people and wounded more than 560. Zaher al-Waheidi, head of
the ministry’s records department, said at least 263 of those killed were women
or children under 18. He described it as the deadliest day in Gaza since the
start of the war. The war has killed over 48,500 Palestinians, according to
local health officials, and displaced 90% of Gaza’s population. The Health
Ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilians and fighters, but says over
half of the dead have been women and children. The war erupted when Hamas-led
gunmen stormed into southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people,
mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Most have been released in ceasefires
or other deals, with Israeli forces rescuing only eight and recovering dozens of
bodies.
US backs Israel and blames Hamas
The White House blamed Hamas for the renewed fighting. National Security Council
spokesman Brian Hughes said the group “could have released hostages to extend
the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war.”The ceasefire deal that the US
helped broker, however, did not require Hamas to release more hostages to extend
the halt in fighting beyond its first phase. An Israeli official, speaking on
condition of anonymity to discuss the unfolding operation, said Israel was
striking Hamas’ military, leaders and infrastructure and planned to expand the
operation beyond air attacks.
The official accused Hamas of attempting to rebuild and plan new attacks. Hamas
fighters and security forces quickly returned to the streets in recent weeks
after the ceasefire went into effect. Hamas on Tuesday denied planning new
attacks.
Israel had sought to change the ceasefire deal
Under the ceasefire that began in mid-January, Hamas released 25 hostages and
the bodies of eight more in exchange for more than 1,700 Palestinian prisoners
as agreed in the first phase. But Israel balked at entering negotiations over a
second phase. Under the agreement, phase two was meant to bring the freeing of
the remaining 24 living hostages, an end to the war and full Israeli withdrawal
from Gaza. Israel says Hamas also holds the remains of 35 captives. Instead,
Israel demanded Hamas release half of the remaining hostages in return for a
ceasefire extension and a vague promise to eventually negotiate a lasting truce.
Hamas refused, demanding the two sides follow the original deal, which called
for the halt in fighting to continue during negotiations over the second phase.
The deal had largely held, though Israeli forces have killed dozens of
Palestinians who the military says approached its troops or entered unauthorized
areas. Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been trying to mediate the next
steps. Israel says it will not end the war until it destroys Hamas’ governing
and military capabilities and frees all hostages — two goals that could be
incompatible. A full resumption of the war would allow Netanyahu to avoid the
tough trade-offs called for in the second phase and the thorny question of who
would govern Gaza. It would also shore up his coalition, which depends on
far-right lawmakers who want to depopulate Gaza and rebuild Jewish settlements
there. Released hostages have repeatedly implored the government to press ahead
with the ceasefire to return all remaining captives. Tens of thousands of
Israelis have joined protests calling for a ceasefire and return of all
hostages.
Israel Intercepts Missile from Yemen, Military Says
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 18/2025
The Israeli military said on Tuesday it had intercepted a projectile launched
from Yemen that crossed into Israeli territory. Sirens had earlier sounded in
several areas of Israel. The Iran-backed Houthi group has repeatedly fired
drones and missiles towards Israel in what it has described as acts of
solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The firing of the projectile came after
Israel resumed airstrikes against targets in Gaza that killed more than 400
people, according to Palestinian health authorities, in an onslaught that ended
weeks of relative calm after talks to secure a permanent ceasefire stalled.
Netanyahu’s Hard-Line Ally Welcomes Return to Fighting in
Gaza
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 18/2025
A key governing partner of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed
the return to fighting in Gaza. Bezalel Smotrich had threatened to leave the
government if fighting did not resume, which would imperil Netanyahu’s rule.
Critics said those political considerations were influencing Netanyahu’s wartime
decision-making. "We remained in the government for this moment despite our
opposition to the (ceasefire) deal, and we are more determined than ever to
complete the task and destroy Hamas," Smotrich posted on X. Israel launched
airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, killing at least 326
Palestinians, including women and children, according to hospital officials. The
surprise bombardment shattered a ceasefire in place since January and threatened
to fully reignite the 17-month-old war. Netanyahu ordered the strikes after
Hamas refused Israeli demands to change the ceasefire agreement. Officials said
the operation was open-ended and was expected to expand. The White House said it
had been consulted and voiced support for Israel's actions.
US Says Hamas Solely to Blame for Resumption of Gaza Hostilities
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 18/2025
Responsibility for the resumption of hostilities in Gaza lies solely with Hamas,
and the United States supports Israel in its next steps, the acting US
ambassador to the United Nations said on Tuesday. Ambassador Dorothy Shea made
the statement to a United Nations Security Council briefing after Palestinian
health authorities said Israeli airstrikes pounded Gaza and killed more than 400
people, ending weeks of relative calm after talks to secure a permanent
ceasefire stalled. "The blame for the resumption of hostilities lies solely with
Hamas," Shea said, charging that the group had refused every proposal and
deadline to extend the ceasefire and allow time to negotiate a framework for a
permanent ceasefire. Shea said US President Donald Trump had made clear that
Hamas must release the hostages it is holding immediately or pay a high price.
"We support Israel in its next steps," she said, while rejecting allegations
that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were conducting indiscriminate attacks. "The
IDF is striking Hamas positions," she said. "It is well known that Hamas
continues to use civilian infrastructure as launching pads, and the United
States condemns this practice as should others."
Gaza death toll rises as
Israeli strikes shatter ceasefire with Hamas
AP/March 18, 2025
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip: Israel launched airstrikes across the Gaza Strip
early Tuesday, killing at least 413 Palestinians, including women and children,
according to hospital officials. The surprise bombardment threatened to wreck
the ceasefire in place since January and fully reignite the 17-month-old war.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the strikes because of a lack
of progress in talks to extend the ceasefire. Officials said the operation was
open-ended and was expected to expand. The White House said it had been
consulted and voiced support for Israel’s actions. “Israel will, from now on,
act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” Netanyahu’s office said.
The surprise attack shattered a period of relative calm during the Muslim holy
month of Ramadan and raised the prospect of a full return to fighting in a
17-month war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused
widespread destruction across Gaza. It also raised questions about the fate of
the roughly two dozen Israeli hostages held by Hamas who are believed to still
be alive. A senior Hamas official said Netanyahu’s decision to resume the war
amounts to a “death sentence” for the remaining hostages. Izzat Al-Risheq
accused Netanyahu of launching the strikes to try and save his far-right
governing coalition and called on mediators to “reveal facts” on who broke the
truce. The strikes came as Netanayahu comes under mounting domestic pressure,
with mass protests planned over his handling of the hostage crisis and his
decision to fire the head of Israel’s internal security agency. His latest
testimony in a long-running corruption trial was canceled after the strikes.
Wounded stream into Gaza hospitals
A strike on a home in the southern city of Rafah killed 17 members of one
family, including at least 12 women and children, according to the European
Hospital, which received the bodies. The dead included five children, their
parents, and another father and his three children, according to hospital
records.
In the southern city of Khan Younis, Associated Press reporters saw explosions
and plumes of smoke. Ambulances brought wounded people to Nasser Hospital, where
patients lay on the floor, some screaming. A young girl cried as her bloody arm
was bandaged. Many Palestinians said they had expected a return to war when
talks over the second phase of the ceasefire did not begin as scheduled in early
February. Israel instead embraced an alternative proposal and cut off all
shipments of food, fuel and other aid to the territory’s 2 million Palestinians
to try to pressure Hamas to accept it. “Nobody wants to fight,” Palestinian
resident Nidal Alzaanin told the AP by phone from Gaza City. “Everyone is still
suffering from the previous months,” he said. At least 235 people were killed in
the strikes overnight and into Tuesday, according to records from seven
hospitals. The toll does not include bodies brought to other, smaller health
centers, and rescuers were still searching for dead and wounded people.
US backs Israel and blames Hamas
The White House sought to blame Hamas for the renewed fighting. National
Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said the militant group “could have
released hostages to extend the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war.” An
Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the unfolding
operation, said Israel was striking Hamas’ military, leaders and infrastructure
and planned to expand the operation beyond air attacks. The official accused
Hamas of attempting to rebuild and plan new attacks. Hamas militants and
security forces quickly returned to the streets in recent weeks after the
ceasefire went into effect. Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said the
“gates of hell will open in Gaza” if the hostages aren’t released. “We will not
stop fighting until all of our hostages are home and we have achieved all of the
war goals,” he said.
Talks on a second phase of the ceasefire had stalled
The strikes came two months after a ceasefire was reached to pause the war. Over
six weeks, Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight more in
exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in a first phase of the
ceasefire. But since that ceasefire ended two weeks ago, the sides have not been
able to agree on a way forward with a second phase aimed at releasing the 59
remaining hostages, 35 of whom are believed to be dead, and ending the war
altogether. Hamas has demanded an end to the war and full withdrawal of Israeli
troops in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages. Israel says it
will not end the war until it destroys Hamas’ governing and military
capabilities and frees all hostages — two goals that could be incompatible.
Netanyahu’s office on Tuesday said Hamas had “repeatedly refused to release our
hostages and rejected all offers it received from the US presidential envoy,
Steve Witkoff, and from the mediators.” Taher Nunu, a Hamas official, criticized
the Israeli attacks. “The international community faces a moral test: either it
allows the return of the crimes committed by the occupation army or it enforces
a commitment to ending the aggression and war against innocent people in Gaza,”
he said.
Gaza already in a humanitarian crisis
The war erupted when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct 7,
2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Most
have been released in ceasefires or other deals, with Israeli forces rescuing
only eight and recovering dozens of bodies.
Israel responded with a military offensive that killed over 48,000 Palestinians,
according to local health officials, and displaced an estimated 90 percent of
Gaza’s population. The territory’s Health Ministry doesn’t differentiate between
civilians and militants, but says over half of the dead have been women and
children. The ceasefire had brought some relief to Gaza and allowed hundreds of
thousands of displaced Palestinians to resume to what remained of their homes. A
renewed Israeli ground offensive could also be especially deadly now that so
many Palestinian civilians have returned home. Before the ceasefire, civilians
were largely concentrated in tent camps meant to provide relative safety from
the fighting.
Netanyahu faces mounting criticism
The return to fighting could also worsen deep internal fissures inside Israel
over the fate of the remaining hostages. The released hostages, some of whom
were emaciated, have repeatedly implored the government to press ahead with the
ceasefire to return all remaining captives. Tens of thousands of Israelis have
taken part in mass demonstrations calling for a ceasefire and return of all
hostages. Mass demonstrations are planned later Tuesday and Wednesday following
Netanyahu’s announcement this week that he wants to fire the head of Israel’s
Shin Bet internal security agency. Critics have lambasted the move as an attempt
by Netanyahu to divert blame for his government’s failures in the Oct. 7 attack
and handling of the war. Since the ceasefire in Gaza began in mid-January,
Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinians who the military says
approached its troops or entered unauthorized areas.
Still, the deal has tenuously held without an outbreak of wide violence. Egypt,
Qatar and the United States have been trying to mediate the next steps in the
ceasefire. Israel wants Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in
return for a promise to negotiate a lasting truce. Hamas instead wants to follow
the ceasefire deal reached by the two sides, which calls for negotiations to
begin on the ceasefire’s more difficult second phase, in which the remaining
hostages would be released and Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza.
Designated Terrorist Groups
Samidoun – Based In U.S. And Canada, And Masar Badil – Active In Spain, Both
Affiliated With The PFLP, Condemn American Strikes Against Houthis, Call On
Anti-Israel Protesters Everywhere To Escalate Activities Against 'Fascist
Powers'
MEMRI/March 18/2025
Palestinians, Yemen | Special Dispatch No. 11880
The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and
Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
On March 16, 2025, Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, and its
offshoot Masar Badil, issued statements in English condemning the recent U.S.
strikes that targeted multiple leaders of the Iran-backed Yemeni jihadi Ansar
Allah Movement, AKA the Houthis.
Samidoun, and Masar Badil were Designated as supporters of Foreign Terror
Organization by the U.S. Treasury on October 15, 2024, in a statement that
called Samidoun A "sham charity that serves as an international fundraiser for
the PFLP [Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine]".[1] In a coordinated
effort, Canada listed Samidoun as a terrorist entity on October 11. Khaled
Barakat the Canadian leader of Masar Badil, and husband of Samidoun's
International Coordinator Charlotte Kates, was also Designated by the Canada and
the U.S. Treasury on October 15, 2024, for being among the leaders of PFLP, a
Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global
Terrorist by the U.S. Department of State. This is not the first time Samidoun
and Masar Badil have issues statements of support for the Iran-backed Houthis.
In June 2024, they led over 250 international jihadi and anti-Israel
organizations in a statement of support for the Yemeni group's attack on U.S.
and UK targets. In addition, as part of its efforts to platform the voices of
"Resistance Axis" leaders, Masar Badil livestreamed in August 2024 an interview
with Nasruddin Amer, chair of the board of the Yemeni Saba Media Agency and vice
chair of the Media Authority of the Houthi movement. The interview prominently
featured Samidoun International Coordinator Kates.[2]
The following is a review of the recent statements by Samidoun and Masar Badil.
Samidoun: "Zionist, American, Arab Alliance Against Yemen"
Samidoun's statement read: "Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
unequivocally condemns the latest US-Zionist assault on Yemen, which has taken
the lives of dozens of martyrs and injured many more in the Yemeni capital,
Sanaa, and Saada Governorate, and urges all supporters of Palestine to stand in
defense of Yemen and all those in the region and around the world targeted for
their resistance to genocide." "The US' latest bombing of Yemen illustrates
vividly once again that this is now and always has been a US-Zionist genocide in
Gaza and throughout occupied Palestine, against the Arab nation and against the
region as a whole."
It further accused Arab governments of conspiracy against Yemen.
"The complicity and involvement of the Arab reactionary regimes in the assault
on Yemen further underlines the alliance of Zionism, imperialism and Arab
reaction in the enemy camp confronting all those who stand for justice, unity,
self-determination and national and international liberation."
Defending the Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, the statement
said:
"Yemen's blockade of Zionist shipping is a blockade to break the siege and end
genocide, the decolonization of the Red Sea from imperialist and Zionist control
and domination. Yemen is leading the world in the implementation of the Genocide
Convention and international law, requiring the Zionist regime to abide by its
ceasefire conditions, end the siege on Gaza and stop blocking the entry of
humanitarian aid. Any attack on Yemen is carried out, clearly and explicitly, to
advance the project of genocide and starvation against the Palestinian people,
through a bloody assault on the people of Yemen. The aggression on Yemen comes
after Sayyed Abdel-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi announced that the four-day
window for the Zionist regime to abide by its ceasefire agreement had expired
and that, therefore, anti-genocide naval operations against Zionist shipping in
the Bab al-Mandab strait would resume."
The statement further conflated the American airstrikes against the Houthis with
President Donald Trump's policy of deporting foreign students who were inciting
antisemitism in American universities, describing it as a policy of "fascist
state."
Arrests, Deportations Are Policies Of A "Fascist State"
"These attacks come simultaneously with intensified repression by the fascist
state powers in the heart of the imperial core. Let us be clear: their arrests
and deportations are meant to silence the movement, create fear and impose
terror in the hearts of the population in order to give them free rein to
bombard Yemen, to assault Gaza, to starve the Palestinian people, to attack
Tulkarem, to advance genocide throughout Palestine, to threaten Iran."
"Only Way To Fight Repression Is To Escalate"
Calling on anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian supporters everywhere to show
solidarity with Yemen, the statement instructed them to "escalate" their
activities.
"It is critical that the Palestine movement stands fully with Yemen against this
attack and refuses to be silenced by repression, to ensure that there is no
business as usual for genocide. The only way we can effectively fight repression
is to defend all those under attack and to escalate, in size, strength and
numbers, our support for Palestine, for Yemen and for all of the forces of
resistance. We cannot fight repression as a series of individual battles, but
must do so as part of the anti-imperialist, anti-Zionist struggle, for the
liberation of Palestine, the Arab nation and the region."
"To Stand With Yemen Is To Stand With Palestine"
In conclusion, the statement assured Palestinians that the Houthis would not be
intimidated by the U.S. airstrikes, and would continue to support them. It
encouraged pro-Palestinian supporters to take the streets to show support for
Houthis.
"The Yemeni people are making quite clear that they will never stop their
defense of Palestine, despite the bombings of civilian homes, power plants and
infrastructure, by the US-Zionist imperialist monster. It is incumbent upon us
all to take that same stand for Yemen, to begin to live up to the Yemeni example
set every day with courage and steadfastness; to fill the streets and squares,
to raise our voices, to make it impossible for the imperialist assaults to
continue. To stand with Yemen is to stand with Palestine, is to stand with the
global resistance in defense of humanity."
The statement included a list of "hundreds of organizations and thousands of
individuals who signed a statement in June 2024 "in defense of the Yemeni people
against US-British-Zionist aggression."
Masar Badil Calls For International Popular Movement For Yemen, Palestine
Similarly, Vancouver-based Khaled Barakat, who heads Masar Badil, a
pro-Palestinian, pro-Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) organization
affiliated with Samidoun, issued a statement in which he said that "these
disgusting and desperate American attacks will not succeed in separating the
Yemeni people from their central cause, Palestine."
Barakat called upon the organizations and supporters of the Masar Badil and the
international movements in solidarity with Palestine to "declare their
revolutionary and practical solidarity with the Yemeni people supporting the
Palestinian resistance and supporting our people in the Gaza Strip in the face
of siege, starvation and the Zionist genocidal aggression."
He also called for "real and active mobilization in all areas in order to expose
the US and Zionist policies targeting the people of Yemen who stood tall in the
face of criminal wars for two decades, and still declare their steadfast
position, standing united behind their revolutionary leadership and armed forces
that imposed by force and will a naval blockade on the ports of occupied
Palestine, which caused billions of dollars in losses for the enemy, its
companies and supporters."
[2] For more on Samidoun and Masar Badil, see MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 11647 –
Following Terror Designation In U.S. And Canada, International Coordinator Of
PFLP-Linked Samidoun, Charlotte Kates In Interview With Workers World Party:
Saying 'Long Live October 7' Is Not Hate Speech; Anti-Imperialism Movements Must
Support The Iran-Led 'Axis Of Resistance'; 'There Is No Reason' Why Hamas,
Palestinian Islamic Jihad, PFLP, Hizbullah, Yemen's Houthis, And Iran's IRGC
Should Be On Terror Lists – They Must Be Removed, November 1, 2024;
MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 11545 – PFLP-Affiliated Samidoun Network Marks
'International Day For The Retrieval And Liberation Of The Bodies Of Martyrs,'
With Series Celebrating Infamous Palestinian Women Suicide Bombers And
Terrorists – Part Of Its Efforts To Show Suicide Attacks In A Positive Light To
Inspire And Radicalize Young People In The West Via Social Media, September 6,
2024; MEMRI Daily Brief No. 643 – As New Academic Year Begins, The PFLP-Affiliated
Samidoun Network – Which Promotes Hamas, Hizbullah, And Houthis – Continues Its
Outreach And Encourages, Trains, And Radicalizes Student Campus Protests And
Encampment Activities From New York To Amsterdam, August 27, 2024.
Pennsylvania-Based
Palestinian-American Writer Susan Abulhawa Praises Hamas, Calls For Armed
Resistance Against Israel; The Days Of 'Depraved' Western Rule Are Numbered;
Colleagues: October 7 Proved Israel Can Be Dismantled; The Guillotine Is The
Future, 'Off With Their Heads!'
MEMRI/March 18/2025
Source: Online Platforms - "People’s Forum NYC on YouTube"
At a February 15, 2025, virtual roundtable hosted by the People's Forum and
Publishers for Palestine, entitled "From Lebanon to Palestine: Resisting and
Returning Together," Pennsylvania-based Palestinian-American writer Susan
Abulhawa, whose work has been published by Simon and Schuster, stated that armed
resistance against Israel must be upheld and supported at every turn,
emphasizing that Israel will only respond to "real threats." She added that
Hamas's "unyielding resistance" and "mind-blowing" persistence and perseverance
have finally forced the Israelis out of Gaza. Abulhawa further commented that
future generations will wonder how "a people as depraved as the West" ever ruled
the world, stating, "I think their days are numbered." On February 23, 2025,
Abulhawa eulogized the Secretary-General of Designated terror group Lebanese
Hizbullah in an Arabic-language Instagram post. She wrote: "Farewell, oh leader
of the oppressed, oh uniter of the Arabs and the [Islamic] Ummah, oh beloved of
Allah and beloved of the free peoples, oh martyr, son of martyrs, and father of
martyrs, we will raise your banner in Jerusalem soon" (source: Instagram.com/susanabulhawa/p/DGacLbQxvC5/).
Dr. Hanine Shehadeh, visiting professor at NYU Abu Dhabi, stated that
colonialism is embedded in Western culture, and that the "Jew himself" is also a
victim of Zionism. She added that the events of October 7 did not happen in a
vacuum, seeing them as the next step through which more land can be liberated,
after her generation dismantled settlements in the Gaza Strip, referring to the
2005 Disengagement. She said that if it was possible to carry out such an attack
on the Gaza Envelope, then it is also possible to do so in Jaffa, and dismantle
all of Israel.
Lebanese analyst in Criminal Justice and Human Rights Omar Nashbe argued that
the only way to confront Israel is through armed resistance.
Dr. Jamila Ghaddar mentioned that her vision for the future starts with the
guillotine, while journalist Rania Khalek applauded.
It is worth noting that Dr. Hanine Shehadeh recently completed her PhD thesis in
the Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies (MESAAS), and
her work was nominated for Columbia University's Salo and Jeanette Baron Prize
in Jewish Studies. The People's Forum, a New York-based socialist organization,
reportedly has been linked to the Chinese Communist Party. For more information,
see MEMRITV clips Nos. 11461 and 11132 . Omar Nashabe: "The only way to confront
Israel is through armed struggle. There is no other way."
Susan Abulhawa: "As Omar said, armed resistance must be upheld and supported at
every turn. They will not respond to anything but real threats to themselves,
and we have ample evidence to demonstrate this point – not just from history
elsewhere – but from our own history. "Now, how Hamas's unyielding resistance
and their mind-blowing persistence and perseverance against all odds, finally
forced them out of Gaza."Hanine Shehadeh: "So we have to understand that this
sort of colonialism as a structure is embedded in Western culture.
"You also understand how European and American Chistian Zionism have
historically operated and why they still operate this way, and that they both,
are actually killing not only the Palestinian Arabs, but the other victim of
this process is the Jew himself."
Abulhawa: "I probably won't live to see this, but I have no doubt that
generations from now they are going to look back on this time and wonder how the
hell a people as depraved as the West ever ruled the world, to be honest. I
think their days are numbered, ultimately."
Shehadeh: "I mean, October 7 did not happen in a vacuum. We did dismantle
settlements in the Gaza Strip that were there for 40 years. That is my
generations, so October 7 was only the next step of more liberated lands, and
that is also a possibility today. Maybe not at this moment, but that is a
possibility. And if you can do the Gaza Envelope, you can do Jaffa, and then you
can dismantle all of Israel." Abulhawa: "So my vision for the future starts with
the guillotine. Off with their heads."
Dr. Helyeh Doutaghi, Iranian Academic Suspended By Yale University For Alleged
Ties To PFLP-Linked Designated Terror Supporter Samidoun: I Will Use Everything
At My Disposal To Fight The 'Fascist Dictatorship Of The United States'; Praises
'Incredible Resistance' Of Palestinian And Regional Iran-Backed Forces Since
October 7, 2023
MEMRI/March 18/2025/Source: Online Platforms - "Drop Site News.com"
Iranian academic Dr. Helyeh Doutaghi, Deputy Director of the Law and Political
Economy Project at Yale University, discussed her suspension in a March 14,
2025, interview on Drop Site News. Doutaghi, who was put on administrative leave
due to her alleged ties with Samidoun—a U.S. Designated terrorist-linked
group—and the Islamic Republic of Iran, said that Yale was aware of her activism
when she was hired, and she had been led to believe that her involvement was
seen as an asset. She remarked: "I will use everything and anything at my
disposal to fight this fascist dictatorship of the United States." Doutaghi
criticized American institutions, particularly Ivy League universities, as tools
of the "fascist project" of the United States under President Trump, calling it
a "clarifying moment" to realize how empty these institutions are of
intellectual integrity.
Doutaghi, an Iranian national with a Ph.D. in Legal Studies from Carleton
University in Canada, is also a member of the Committee of Anti-Imperialists in
Solidarity with Iran (CASI). She has appeared multiple times on Iran's state-run
English language TV channel, Press TV. Doutaghi has participated in events
organized by Samidoun and its offshoot, Masar Badil. Samidoun is a Designated
Terrorist Entity in Canada and is under U.S. sanctions for acting as a front to
fund the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a U.S.-Designated
Terrorist Organization. Doutaghi was scheduled to appear in an April 2024
webinar sponsored by Samidoun and CASI alongside Khaled Barakat, a leader of
Masar Badil, who has been designated a terrorist by Canada and is identified as
a senior member of the PFLP by the United States. Helyeh Doutaghi: "Nothing
about what I've done, Yale didn't know or... or they should've known. "I will
use everything and anything in my disposal to fight this fascist dictatorship of
the United States.
"It's important to recognize Israel not... Obviously not as a state or even
anything close to it, but very much as a political project by Western
colonialist, imperialist forces that were put in our region. And so, what was
significant about the past year and a half – two years, almost – is the
incredible resistance of the Palestinians and of the Popular forces of [the]
region, all across."
Interviewer: "Had anyone from Yale, prior to this, ever mentioned Samidoun to
you, or any organization, or given you any warning that, you know, 'We're
concerned you might be involved with a sanctioned organization?'"
Doutaghi: "I had said that I had been a long-time organizer in the
anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist, and anti-colonialist movements, and the
student movements, in Canada, where I was before. And I had been very loud and
proud about what I've done and my activities. And there is no reason for them
not to know about this. But no, they never raised any concerns. In fact, when I
was being hired at DLP, I was led to believe that my politics, and my
intellectual work, and my organizing work is really an asset to the team. And it
turns out, it wasn't.
"U.S., American institutions, especially these Ivy Leagues, you know, I was...
especially these Ivy Leagues. They are not just being silenced, they are very
much a mechanism and a tool in the hands of the fascist project that the U.S.,
under Trump, is unfolding.
"It really is a clarifying moment for a lot of people to just realize how empty
of any intellectual integrity these institutions are."
Netanyahu Says Israeli Strikes across Gaza That Killed
Hundreds Are ‘Only the Beginning’
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 18/2025
Israel launched airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, killing more
than 400 Palestinians, local health officials said, and shattering a ceasefire
in place since January with its deadliest bombardment in a 17-month war with
Hamas.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the strikes, which killed mostly women
and children, after Hamas refused Israeli demands to change the ceasefire
agreement. In a statement aired on national television, he said the attack was
“only the beginning” and that Israel would press ahead until it achieves all of
its war aims — destroying Hamas and freeing all hostages held by the group. All
further ceasefire negotiations will take place “under fire,” he said. The White
House said it had been consulted and voiced support for Israel’s actions. The
Israeli military ordered people to evacuate eastern Gaza and head toward the
center of the territory, indicating that Israel could soon launch renewed ground
operations. The new campaign comes as aid groups warn supplies are running out
two weeks after Israel cut off all food, medicine, fuel and other goods to
Gaza’s 2 million Palestinians. “Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with
increasing military strength,” Netanyahu’s office said. The attack during the
Muslim holy month of Ramadan could signal the full resumption of a war that has
already killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused widespread
destruction across Gaza. It also raised concerns about the fate of the roughly
two dozen hostages held by Hamas who are believed to still be alive. The renewal
of the campaign against Hamas, which receives support from Iran, came as the US
and Israel stepped up attacks this week across the region. The US launched
deadly strikes against Iran-allied Houthi militias in Yemen, while Israel has
targeted Iran-backed militants in Lebanon and Syria. A senior Hamas official
said Netanyahu’s decision to return to war amounts to a “death sentence” for the
remaining hostages. Izzat al-Risheq accused Netanyahu of launching the strikes
to save his far-right governing coalition.
Hamas said at least six senior officials were killed in Tuesday’s strikes.
Israel said they included the head of Hamas' civilian government, its justice
minister and two security agency chiefs. There were no reports of any attacks by
Hamas several hours after the bombardment. But Yemen's Houthis fired rockets
toward Israel for the first time since the ceasefire began. The volley set off
sirens in Israel's southern Negev desert but was intercepted before it reached
the country's territory, the military said. The strikes came as Netanyahu faces
mounting domestic pressure, with mass protests planned over his handling of the
hostage crisis and his decision to fire the head of Israel’s internal security
agency. His latest testimony in a long-running corruption trial was canceled
after the strikes. The strikes appeared to give Netanyahu a political boost. A
far-right party led by Itamar Ben-Gvir that had bolted the government over the
ceasefire announced Tuesday it was rejoining. The main group representing
families of the hostages accused the government of backing out of the ceasefire.
“We are shocked, angry and terrified by the deliberate dismantling of the
process to return our loved ones from the terrible captivity of Hamas,” the
Hostages and Missing Families Forum said.
Wounded stream into Gaza hospitals
Strikes across Gaza pounded homes, sparked fires in a tent camp outside the
southern city of Khan Younis and hit at least one school-turned-shelter. After
two months of relative calm during the ceasefire, stunned Palestinians found
themselves once again digging loved ones out of rubble and holding funeral
prayers over the dead at hospital morgues. “Nobody wants to fight,” Nidal
Alzaanin, a resident of Gaza City, said. “Everyone is still suffering from the
previous months.”A hit on a home in Rafah killed 17 members of one family,
according to the European Hospital, which received the bodies. The dead included
five children, their parents, and another father and his three children. Another
in Gaza City killed 27 members of a family, half of them women and children,
including a 1-year-old, according to a list of the dead put out by Palestinian
medics. At Khan Younis’s Nasser Hospital, patients lay on the floor, some
screaming. A young girl cried as her bloody arm was bandaged. Wounded children
overwhelmed the pediatric ward, said Dr Tanya Haj-Hassan, a volunteer with
Medical Aid for Palestinians aid group. She said she helped treat a 6-year-old
girl with internal bleeding. When they pulled away her curly hair, they realized
shrapnel had also penetrated the left side of her brain, leaving her paralyzed
on the right side. She was brought in with no ID, and “we don't know if her
family survived,” Haj-Hassan said. Gaza’s Health Ministry said the strikes
killed at least 404 people and wounded more than 560. Zaher al-Waheidi, head of
the ministry’s records department, said at least 263 of those killed were women
or children under 18. He described it as the deadliest day in Gaza since the
start of the war. The war has killed over 48,500 Palestinians, according to
local health officials, and displaced 90% of Gaza’s population. The Health
Ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilians and fighters, but says over
half of the dead have been women and children. The war erupted when Hamas-led
gunmen stormed into southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people,
mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Most have been released in ceasefires
or other deals, with Israeli forces rescuing only eight and recovering dozens of
bodies.
US backs Israel and blames Hamas
The White House blamed Hamas for the renewed fighting. National Security Council
spokesman Brian Hughes said the group “could have released hostages to extend
the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war.”The ceasefire deal that the US
helped broker, however, did not require Hamas to release more hostages to extend
the halt in fighting beyond its first phase. An Israeli official, speaking on
condition of anonymity to discuss the unfolding operation, said Israel was
striking Hamas’ military, leaders and infrastructure and planned to expand the
operation beyond air attacks.
The official accused Hamas of attempting to rebuild and plan new attacks. Hamas
fighters and security forces quickly returned to the streets in recent weeks
after the ceasefire went into effect. Hamas on Tuesday denied planning new
attacks.
Israel had sought to change the ceasefire deal
Under the ceasefire that began in mid-January, Hamas released 25 hostages and
the bodies of eight more in exchange for more than 1,700 Palestinian prisoners
as agreed in the first phase. But Israel balked at entering negotiations over a
second phase. Under the agreement, phase two was meant to bring the freeing of
the remaining 24 living hostages, an end to the war and full Israeli withdrawal
from Gaza. Israel says Hamas also holds the remains of 35 captives. Instead,
Israel demanded Hamas release half of the remaining hostages in return for a
ceasefire extension and a vague promise to eventually negotiate a lasting truce.
Hamas refused, demanding the two sides follow the original deal, which called
for the halt in fighting to continue during negotiations over the second phase.
The deal had largely held, though Israeli forces have killed dozens of
Palestinians who the military says approached its troops or entered unauthorized
areas. Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been trying to mediate the next
steps. Israel says it will not end the war until it destroys Hamas’ governing
and military capabilities and frees all hostages — two goals that could be
incompatible. A full resumption of the war would allow Netanyahu to avoid the
tough trade-offs called for in the second phase and the thorny question of who
would govern Gaza. It would also shore up his coalition, which depends on
far-right lawmakers who want to depopulate Gaza and rebuild Jewish settlements
there. Released hostages have repeatedly implored the government to press ahead
with the ceasefire to return all remaining captives. Tens of thousands of
Israelis have joined protests calling for a ceasefire and return of all
hostages.
Israel’s Surprise Bombardment Plunged Palestinians Back into ‘Hell’
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 18/2025
The Israeli bombs began falling before dawn, lighting the sky with orange flares
and shattering the stillness. The surprise wave of airstrikes plunged
Palestinians back into a nightmare they had hoped might be behind them. The
bombs crashed across Gaza early Tuesday, setting fire to a sprawling tent camp
in the southern city of Khan Younis and flattening a Hamas-run prison. They hit
the Al-Tabaeen shelter in Gaza City, where Majid Nasser was sleeping with his
family. "I went out to see where the bombing was. Suddenly the second strike
happened in the room next to us," he said. "I heard screaming, my mother and
sister screaming, calling for help. I came and entered the room and found the
children under the rubble." Everyone was injured, but alive. Palestinians tried
to claw bodies from the wreckage with their bare hands. Parents arrived at
hospitals, barefoot, carrying children who were limp and covered in ash. Streets
and hospitals filled with bodies. By midday, over 400 people had been killed. It
was one of the deadliest days of the 17-month war, following two months of
ceasefire. During the truce that began on Jan. 19, hundreds of thousands of
people in Gaza had returned to their homes, many of them destroyed. A surge of
aid brought food and medicines — until Israel cut off aid two weeks ago to
pressure the Hamas group into accepting a new proposal instead of continuing
with the truce. The Muslim holy month of Ramadan had even provided moments of
joy as families held communal sunset meals ending each day’s fast without the
fear of bombardment. Instead, the war that has killed tens of thousands of
Palestinians and caused widespread destruction was back with full force. "What
is happening to us is hell. Hell in every sense of the word," said Zeyad Abed,
as he stood among the blackened remains of tents in Khan Younis. Fedaa Heriz, a
displaced woman in Gaza City, said victims were killed in their sleep just
before the predawn meal ahead of the daily Ramadan fast. "They set the alarm to
wake up for suhoor, and they wake up to death? They don’t wake up?" she
screamed. Fedaa Hamdan lost her husband and their two children in the strikes in
Khan Younis. "My children died while they were hungry," she said, as funeral
prayers were held over their bodies.
Hospitals ‘felt like Armageddon’
Scenes at hospitals recalled the early days of the war, when Israel launched a
massive bombardment of Gaza in response to the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
Survivors on Tuesday held rushed funeral rites over dozens of body bags lining
the yard of Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Mothers sobbed over the bloodied bodies
of children, as warplanes hummed overhead. Doctors struggled to treat the flow
of wounded. "A level of horror and evil that is really hard to articulate. It
felt like Armageddon," said Dr. Tanya-Haj Hassan, a volunteer with the Medical
Aid for Palestinians aid group. She described the Nasser Hospital emergency room
in Khan Younis as chaos, with patients, including children, spread across the
floor. Some were still wrapped in the blankets they had slept in. Dr. Ismail
Awad with the Doctors Without Borders aid group said the clinic received about
26 wounded people, including a woman seven months pregnant with shrapnel in her
neck. She later died. "It was overwhelming, the number of patients," Awad said.
At the Al-Attar clinic in Muwasi in southern Gaza, medical staff said they were
forced to operate without light bulbs and emergency ventilation devices. Israel
not only blocked all supplies from entering Gaza two weeks ago, but also cut off
electricity to the territory's main desalination plant last week. That has again
created scarcities in medicine, food, fuel and fresh water for Gaza's over 2
million people.
Palestinians flee once more
New Israeli evacuation orders covering Gaza’s eastern flank next to Israel and
stretching into a key corridor dividing Gaza's north and south sent Palestinians
fleeing again. Israel’s Arabic-language military spokesperson, Avichay Adraee,
published a map on X telling Palestinians in those areas, including highly
populated neighborhoods, to leave immediately and head for shelters. "Continuing
to remain in the designated areas puts your life and the lives of your family
members at risk," he said. The evacuation zone appeared to include parts of
Gaza's main north-south road, raising questions about how people might travel.
Palestinians nevertheless gathered their belongings and set out, hardly knowing
where to go. UNICEF spokesperson Rosalia Bollen recalled that the days before
the bombardment felt uneasy. She could sense fear. Children would ask if she
believed the war would start again. "This nightmare scenario has been on
everyone’s mind," she said. "It’s just heartbreaking that it is materializing
right now and that it is shattering the last piece of hope that people had."
Israel Is Ramping up Annexation of West Bank, UN Rights
Chief Says
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 18/2025
Israel has significantly expanded and consolidated settlements in the occupied
West Bank as part of the steady integration of these territories into the State
of Israel, in breach of international law, the UN human rights office said on
Tuesday.
The report to be presented to the UN Human Rights Council later this month comes
amid growing fears of annexation amid US policy shifts under President Donald
Trump and new settler outposts in areas of the West Bank seen as part of a
future Palestinian state. "The transfer by Israel of parts of its own civilian
population into the territory it occupies amounts to a war crime," UN High
Commissioner Volker Turk said in a statement accompanying the report, urging the
international community to take meaningful action on Israel’s advancing
settlement. "Israel must immediately and completely cease all settlement
activities and evacuate all settlers, stop the forcible transfer of the
Palestinian population, and prevent and punish attacks by its security forces
and settlers," he said. Israel disengaged from the UN Human Rights Council
earlier this year, alleging a chronic anti-Israeli bias. Its military says it is
conducting counter-terrorism operations in the West Bank and targeting suspected
militants.
Israel's Shekel and Bonds Slide as Gaza Ceasefire Buckles
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 18/2025
Israel's currency fell alongside its bonds and stock market on Tuesday as a wave
of deadly airstrikes by its military in Gaza threatened the complete collapse of
an already fragile two-month ceasefire with Hamas. Concerns about both the
humanitarian and economic costs of a return to intense fighting spiked as
Israel's resumption of bombing of Gaza, which it said was a "preemptive
offensive" to try to force the release of its remaining hostages, prompted anger
from Hamas. Israel's shekel dropped as much as half a percent against both the
dollar and euro, while many of its government bonds, which suffered a wave of
rating downgrades last year due to the war, had their biggest falls in over a
month, Reuters reported. Ronen Menachem, chief markets economist at Mizrahi
Tefahot Bank, said a resumption in the conflict could see further falls in the
shekel and a renewed rise in Israel’s bond market risk premium. "The market will
react based on whether this is perceived as a defined and limited operation or
the opening of a broader campaign," he said. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu said he had instructed the military to take Tuesday's "strong action"
in response to Hamas's refusal to release the remaining 59 hostages it holds
following its October 7, 2023 attacks and its rejection of other ceasefire
proposals. The Palestinian militant group accused Netanyahu of breaching the
ceasefire deal and jeopardizing efforts by mediators to secure a permanent
truce. Negotiating teams from Israel and Hamas had been in Doha as mediators
from Egypt and Qatar sought to bridge the gap between the two sides after the
end of an initial phase in the ceasefire, in which 33 Israeli hostages and five
Thais were released in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Gold Hits Another Record as Tensions Flare over Gaza, Trump
Tariffs
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 18/2025
Gold hit another record high above $3,000 on Tuesday, with investors seeking the
metal as a haven from risk as conflict flared in the Middle East and US
President Donald Trump pressed on with tariff plans. Spot gold hit a peak of
$3,028.24 in early trade, and by 0927 was up 0.7% at $3,023.30 an ounce. Prices
climbed above $3,000 for the first time on March 14. US gold futures gained 0.9%
to $3,032. "There is a perfect storm of gold-supporting factors," said Ole
Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank. "The latest focus is the Middle
East concerns that come on top of economic concerns about the direction of the
US." Bullion, which is considered a hedge against geopolitical and economic
instability, has gained more than 14% year-to-date and has struck record highs
14 times this year, according to Reuters. Israeli airstrikes pounded Gaza,
killing 326 people, Palestinian health authorities said on Tuesday, and
collapsing a two-month ceasefire with Hamas. Elsewhere, Donald Trump has floated
plans for a series of US tariffs, including a flat 25% duty on steel and
aluminium which came into effect in February, as well as reciprocal and sectoral
tariffs that he said will be imposed on April 2. Spotlight was also on the US
Federal Reserve and other central bank meetings this week. The Fed has held
interest rates steady so far this year after executing three rate cuts in 2024,
but the market expects easing to resume in June. "You have got the FOMC in the
US amid quite a chaotic tariff policy backdrop that could send gold potentially
even higher if they have a somewhat dovish stance on rates," said Nitesh Shah,
commodities strategist at WisdomTree. ANZ raised its three-month gold price
forecast to $3,100 and its six-month forecast to $3,200, while UBS set a price
target of $3,200 for this year. Silver gained 0.6% to $34.03 an ounce, platinum
added 0.6% to $1,005.70, and palladium climbed 1.4% to $977.96.
Mourners Attend Funeral of Man Killed in Israeli Airstrikes
on Syrian City of Daraa
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 18/2025
Syria's foreign ministry on Tuesday condemned the latest Israeli airstrikes on
targets in the south of the country, calling the attack a violation of
international law. At least three people were killed in a strike on Monday on
the southwestern city of Daraa, where crowds of people had gathered to mark the
14th anniversary of a shooting by government forces that sparked the uprising
against Bashar al-Assad’s government. Syria’s Civil Defense said that three
people were killed and many others wounded, including four children, a woman and
three civil defense volunteers. Hundreds of people attended a funeral on Tuesday
for one of the victims. Dr. Nizar Rashdan, director of the Daraa General
Hospital, told The Associated Press that the airstrike hit an abandoned army
barracks near a residential area killing three and wounding 25. Yasser al-Sharaa
was standing in front of his shop when the strike occurred. “We are civilians
living here. The children were scared and the building was damaged,” al-Sharaa
said. “Thank God my losses were material, with no human losses.”The Israeli
military said it had hit “command centers and military sites containing weapons
and military vehicles belonging to the old Syrian regime, which (the new army)
are trying to make reusable.”Israel’s military has destroyed much of the
now-dissolved Syrian army assets in hundreds of airstrikes after groups led by
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, whose roots comes from al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria,
captured Damascus following the ouster of Assad last December. The commemoration
of the March 18, 2011, shooting in Daraa that sparked the uprising against
Assad’s government was held at the city's Omari Mosque where hundreds of people
marched Tuesday chanting “Oh Gaza, we will support you to death.”The body of a
young man who was killed in Monday's airstrike was carried in a coffin draped in
Syrian flag. During the funeral, Ahmad al-Masalmeh carried a banner that read in
English, Arabic and Hebrew, “Netanyahu and Assad are two sides of the same
coin.”“Today marks the spark of the revolution that began in Daraa against
Bashar Assad,” al-Masalmeh said. “Thank God we are victorious. We are united
with the Palestinian people and we will always be God willing.”
Sanaa Residents Fear Prolonged US-Houthi Confrontation
Aden: Waddah Aljaleel/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 18/2025
Residents of Yemen’s Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa, have grown accustomed to
the sights and sounds of airstrikes targeting the Iran-aligned group’s positions
over the years. While they have learned to live with the looming threat to their
daily lives, the latest US strikes have reignited fears of a prolonged
confrontation that could further impact their livelihoods, compounding the
effects of economic sanctions. Sanaa and other Houthi-held areas came under US
airstrikes late Saturday, following President Donald Trump’s announcement that
he had ordered a decisive and forceful military operation against the group.
Locals in Sanaa fear that the latest strikes could signal the start of a
prolonged conflict, particularly as the Houthis continue to defy the West and
escalate military actions in the Red Sea. Concerns have also been heightened by
Washington’s increasingly hardline stance, which appears tougher than that of
the Biden administration. A journalist based in Sanaa said the intensity of the
recent strikes revived memories of the early days of the war and the Houthi
takeover. However, he noted that residents have grown accustomed to the frequent
air raids, with fear largely confined to those living near Houthi positions and
affiliated buildings. The primary concern for residents, according to the Sanaa-based
journalist who requested anonymity, is not just the airstrikes but the potential
impact of the escalating confrontation between the Houthis and the West on their
livelihoods. He noted that this time, the situation is compounded by
Washington’s decision to designate the Houthi group as a foreign terrorist
organization—a move expected to have severe repercussions on living conditions
and the flow of humanitarian aid. The group has pledged to escalate its military
operations in response to US airstrikes, vowing to continue attacks in the Red
Sea. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said on Monday that the group had
targeted the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and its accompanying vessels
for the second time in 24 hours, following a previous strike late Sunday.
Macron Speeds up Rafale Warplane Orders as France Invests
in Nuclear Deterrence
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 18/2025
President Emmanuel Macron said France would order additional Rafale warplanes in
the coming years and invest nearly 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion) into one of
its air bases to equip its squadrons with the latest nuclear missile technology.
Jolted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and US President Donald Trump's more
confrontational stance towards traditional Western allies, European countries
are hiking defense spending and seeking to reduce dependence on the United
States. Macron, who has initiated a doubling of the French defense budget over
the course of his two mandates, has recently set an even higher target, saying
the country should increase defense spending to 3-3.5% of economic output from
the current 2%. He has also offered to extend the protection of France's nuclear
weapons, the so-called nuclear umbrella, to other European countries. "We
haven't waited for 2022 or the turning point we're seeing right now to discover
that the world we live in is ever more dangerous, ever more uncertain, and that
it implies to innovate, to bulk up and to become more autonomous," he said. "I
will announce in the coming weeks new investments to go further than what was
done over the past seven years," he told soldiers at one of the country's
historical air bases in Luxeuil, eastern France.Macron said he had decided to
turn the base, famed in military circles as the home of American volunteer
pilots during World War One, into one of its most advanced bases in its nuclear
deterrence program. The base will host the latest Rafale S5 fighter jets, which
will carry France's next-generation ASN4G hypersonic nuclear-armed cruise
missiles, which are intended to be operational from 2035 onwards, French
officials said. The French air force will also receive additional Dassault-made
Rafale warplanes, in part to replace the Mirage jets France has transferred to
Ukraine, Macron said. "We are going to increase and accelerate our orders for
Rafales," he said. French officials said the 1.5 billion euros were part of the
already approved multi-year military spending plan. It remained unclear how
France would finance a massive hike in military spending at a time it is trying
to reduce its budget deficit. Macron's speech comes on the day the German
parliament approved a massive increase in military spending.
Trump and Putin agree to an immediate ceasefire for energy and infrastructure in
Ukraine conflict
Aamer Madhani, Vladimir Isachenkov And Zeke Miller/The Associated Press/March
18, 2025
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed during a
lengthy call Tuesday to an immediate pause in strikes against energy and
infrastructure targets in the Ukraine war, but the Russian leader stopped short
of backing a broader 30-day pause in fighting that the U.S. administration is
pressing for. The White House described it as the first step in a “movement to
peace” that it hopes will include a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea and
eventually a full and lasting end to the fighting. There was no indication that
Putin has backed away from his previous conditions, fiercely opposed by Kiev, to
consider a broader ceasefire. Russia wants Ukraine to renounce any prospect of
joining the NATO military alliance, sharply cut its army, and protect Russian
language and culture to keep the country in Moscow’s orbit, among other
concessions.In fact, Putin during the call reiterated his demand for an end to
foreign military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine, according to the
Kremlin.
Shortly after the call ended, air raid alerts sounded in Kyiv, followed by
explosions in the city. Local officials urged people to seek shelter.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters that Ukraine is open to
any proposals that lead to a sustainable and just peace, but stressed the need
for full transparency in discussions. “We need to understand what the
conversation is about," Zelenskyy said. “What are the details? And hopefully, we
will be fully informed, and our partners will discuss everything with us.”He
added: “There are two sides in this war — Russia and Ukraine. Trying to
negotiate without Ukraine, in my view, will not be productive." Ukrainian
officials had proposed a ceasefire covering the Black Sea and long-range missile
strikes and the release of prisoners at their meeting with a U.S delegation in
Saudi Arabia this month. Trump immediately cheered Tuesday's development as a
major step toward his ultimate goal of ending the biggest land war in Europe
since World War II. “We agreed to an immediate Ceasefire on all Energy and
Infrastructure, with an understanding that we will be working quickly to have a
Complete Ceasefire and, ultimately, an END to this very horrible War between
Russia and Ukraine,” Trump said on social media. Putin also told Trump that
Russia and Ukraine are set to exchange 175 prisoners of war each on Wednesday,
and Russia will also hand over to Ukraine 23 badly wounded soldiers, the Kremlin
said. The limited pause comes as Trump still hopes to get Russia to sign off on
his 30-day ceasefire proposal aimed at ending the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials last week agreed to the 30-day ceasefire proposal during
talks in Saudi Arabia led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Zelenskyy, however,
remains skeptical that Putin is ready for peace as Russian forces continue to
pound Ukraine.
The Trump-Putin engagement is just the latest turn in dramatically shifting
U.S.-Russia relations as Trump made quickly ending the conflict a top priority —
even at the expense of straining ties with longtime American allies who want
Putin to pay a price for the invasion. In preparation for the Trump-Putin call,
White House special envoy Steve Witkoff met last week with Putin in Moscow to
discuss the proposal. Rubio had persuaded senior Ukrainian officials during
talks in Saudi Arabia to agree to the ceasefire framework. Trump has said
Washington and Moscow have already begun discussing “dividing up certain assets"
between Ukraine and Russia as part of a deal to end the conflict. Trump, who
during his campaign pledged to end the war quickly, has at moments boasted of
his relationship with Putin and blamed Ukraine for Russia’s unprovoked invasion,
all while accusing Zelenskyy of unnecessarily prolonging the biggest land war in
Europe since World War II.
Trump had said before the call that control of land and power plants would be
part of the conversation, which came on the anniversary of Russia annexing
Ukraine's Crimean peninsula 11 years ago. That bold land grab by Russia set the
stage for Russia to invade its neighbor in 2022. Witkoff suggested that U.S. and
Russian officials have discussed the fate of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power
plant — Europe's largest — in southern Ukraine. The plant has been caught in the
crossfire since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in 2022 and seized the facility
shortly after. The U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly
expressed alarm about it, fueling fears of a potential nuclear catastrophe. The
plant is a significant asset, producing nearly a quarter of Ukraine’s
electricity in the year before the war. After a disastrous Feb. 28 White House
meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump temporarily cut off some military
intelligence-sharing and aid to Ukraine. It was restored after the Ukrainians
last week signed off on the Trump administration's 30-day ceasefire proposal. In
his dealings with Zelenskyy and Putin, Trump has frequently focused on who has
the leverage. Putin has “the cards” and Zelenskyy does not, Trump has said
repeatedly.
Trump, who has long shown admiration for Putin, has also made clear he'd like to
see the U.S.-Russia relationship return to a more normal footing.
The president during his recent contentious meeting with Zelenskyy grumbled that
“Putin went through a hell of a lot with me," a reference to the federal
investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election in
which he beat Democrat Hillary Clinton. Trump on Monday again underscored his
view that Ukraine is not in a strong negotiating position. He said Russian
forces have “surrounded” Ukrainian troops in Russia's Kursk region — amplifying
an assertion made by Russian officials that's been disputed by Zelenskyy.
Ukraine’s army stunned Russia in August last year by attacking across the border
and taking control of an estimated 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of
land. But Ukraine’s forces are now in retreat and it has all but lost a valuable
bargaining chip, as momentum builds for a ceasefire with Russia.
The White House said Trump and Putin also discussed the situation in the Middle
East and agreed “Iran should never be in a position to destroy Israel.”
U.S. officials have previously said that Iran has provided Russia with
short-range ballistic missiles and attack drones for the war in Ukraine. The
U.S. has also said that Iran has assisted the Kremlin with building a
drone-manufacturing factory.
The Kremlin said that Trump also expressed support for an idea floated by Putin
to organize hockey matches in the United States and Russia between Russian and
American players from the National Hockey League, which has U.S. and Canadian
teams, and the Kontinental Hockey League, which includes teams from Russia,
Belarus, Kazakhstan, and China.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on March 18-19/2025
A New Syria Hinges on
Settlements and Breakthroughs
Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Alawsat/March 18/2025
The new chapter in Syria, which began after it turned the page on 54 years of
Assadist rule, could be undermined by the painful developments earlier this
month.
The new leadership in Damascus, as far as I can tell, was aware that former
regime remnants had been present in the region, and of the communities had
profited from its transgressions without having necessarily played any part in
them.
On the other hand, I also believe that certain Syrian factions are skeptical
that coexistence with the new leadership’s ideology (with its interpretation of
political Islam "in power") is possible. Indeed, Syria has witnessed many
episodes of religious and sectarian violence from various directions over the
past 14 years - kidnappings, forced disappearances, and even massacres.
Moreover, despite the broad popular support it enjoys, the current interim
authorities came to power under exceptional circumstances and due to a military
balance that could change at any moment.
Moreover, while this leadership currently enjoys some regional and international
support, every reasonable observer understands that it does not have a mandate
to do what it likes. On the contrary, it is being closely scrutinized by
international actors, and the immense confidence exhibited by key figures in the
top brass despite the tabs the world is keeping - perhaps even more confidence
than a great many Syrian citizens - is striking.
On the other hand, the speed at which the "understanding" between the new
Damascus authority and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was
announced, despite indications that a clash had been all but inevitable,
strongly signals that Washington is comfortable with the new leadership in
Damascus.
Since the SDF is an integral part of Washington’s strategy in Syria, the
underlying message is that Syria’s territorial unity will not be threatened, as
had previously been assumed, by a separatist Kurdish insurgency. Thus, it seems
that all the gains made by the SDF in recent years merely "improved the terms"
in accord with the authorities in Damascus, encouraging the Druze in southern
Syria to follow a similar path.
The Druze, particularly in southern Syria, remain a force to be reckoned with.
However, it may take longer for a decisive outcome to emerge. Keen observers
have gotten the sense that the unprecedented Israeli "offensive" to "protect"
and "support" the Druze has complicated things in the Druze-majority province of
Sweida. Israel has taken these steps despite not having been publicly asked to
by the Druze, and many doubt that any major Druze political leader would openly
endorse such an initiative.
The Druze understood the "impetus" behind Israel’s pressure campaign when
Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister, Israel Katz, mentioned the one
billion dollars that Israel had allocated for this campaign. This development
certainly did not come out of nowhere. Rather, the seeds of this plan were
probably planted some time ago - in Syria itself, as well as Lebanon and the
diaspora, particularly in the United States, where the Israeli lobby has plenty
of room for maneuver, as well as a lot of sway, including through intelligence
infiltration.
Indeed, while Sweida activists from various factions have sought arrangements
with Damascus to preserve national unity and reinforce the fraternity of Syria’s
communities, Israel’s "veto" has upped the ante and shed doubt on these
settlements. In my view, even in the southern region (Sweida, Daraa, and
Quneitra), Washington’s priorities do not significantly diverge from
Netanyahu’s.
This brings us to the wounded coastline. Alawites make up a majority of the
population in rural Latakia and Tartus, as well as the suburbs of Syria’s four
coastal cities: Latakia, Tartus, Jableh, and Baniyas.
The operations of paramilitaries affiliated with the former regime, or some of
its factions, could not have happened without Iran’s support. Indeed, the
statements that Iranian officials had made before the militias launched their
attacks, which had horrific consequences, make Iran’s stance crystal clear: the
new authorities in Damascus are not acceptable and that they will not last long.
However, one might wonder whether the leadership in Tehran had misread the
situation and misunderstood the dynamics of the relationship between the new
Damascus authorities and the international community, especially Washington.
It is reasonable to assume that the US-Israeli strategy is hostile to a
resurgence of Iranian influence. That might explain the restraint of the
US-Russian initiative at the UN Security Council and relatively mild rhetoric
about the massacres on the coast last week, which led to the death of
approximately 1,225 people.
The Security Council condemned the "massacres" against civilians, called on the
Damascus authorities "to protect all Syrians, regardless of ethnicity or
religion" and condemned the violence, particularly against Alawite civilians. It
then urged the authorities to prosecute those who were implicated in violence
and called for "further measures to prevent its recurrence."
Finally, the "draft constitutional declaration" was recently announced in
Damascus. Several of its provisions sparked controversy, particularly the way in
which it concentrated power in the hands of the president, its five-year
timeline for the transition, the dissolution of Syria’s constitutional court,
and the president’s authority (albeit temporarily) to appoint the members of the
new constitutional court.
Critics argue that it would have been better to avoid stipulations that bring
the recent past to mind. Instead, they recommend a stronger focus on broadening
political representation and reassuring Syria’s communities, as well as avoiding
"past experiments" and not rekindling old concerns.
Diversity enriches and protects Syria. Fostering unity and communal harmony is
particularly crucial at this stage; the country needs all its qualified and
dedicated citizens to contribute. No community should be excluded or
marginalized.
Trump’s tariff theater could
actually help fight inflation
Nicholas B. Creel, opinion contributor/The Hill/March 18, 2025
With consumer confidence taking a notable dive in recent months and inflation
still hovering above the Federal Reserve’s target rate, economic anxiety has
become a defining feature of the early days of Trump’s second administration.
While the president has begun implementing his promised tariffs against several
countries, what’s more remarkable is the pattern of threats, brief
implementation, and subsequent rollbacks that has characterized his
administration’s approach thus far.
This “tariff threat theater,” though widely criticized, might inadvertently
accomplish something that conventional economic wisdom would consider
paradoxical: helping to combat inflation.
Basic economics tells us that increasing the cost of imported goods feeds
directly into higher prices across the economy. And the conventional
understanding of tariffs, wherein they function as taxes that ultimately raise
consumer prices, isn’t wrong. Yet this surface-level analysis misses a more
nuanced potential outcome when tariffs are repeatedly threatened but
inconsistently applied, as we’re witnessing frequently as of late. When Trump
threatens new tariffs, consumers rationally react by pulling back on spending,
out of fear that prices will soon rise. This psychological dampening of demand
can exert significant downward pressure on inflation, even if the tariffs
themselves never fully materialize or persist. Essentially, the president may be
creating an economic placebo effect — generating the demand-cooling benefits of
tariffs without their sustained price-increasing consequences.
This approach bears some resemblance to the Federal Reserve’s own “forward
guidance” strategy, where merely signaling future interest rate increases can
cool markets without actually implementing those hikes. The difference is that
the Fed’s communication strategy is deliberate and calibrated, while any
anti-inflationary benefit from Trump’s tariff threats appears to be an entirely
accidental artifact of his frenetic style of governance.
For businesses, this persistent uncertainty creates a peculiar incentive
structure. When tariffs are threatened but believed to be potentially temporary,
companies are more likely to absorb temporary cost increases rather than pass
them along to consumers. After all, raising prices is strategically risky if
competitors might be able to undercut you once tariffs are withdrawn. This
corporate hesitancy to pass through costs further dampens the inflationary
impact that tariffs would typically have.
What makes this dynamic particularly relevant is the current economic context.
With the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates steady, as it navigates the
delicate balance between fighting inflation and avoiding economic contraction,
any additional demand-dampening mechanism could prove useful. Consumer
confidence has already declined sharply, suggesting Americans are becoming more
cautious with their spending. Tariff threats may be amplifying this caution
without necessarily triggering the full supply-chain disruptions that permanent
tariffs are likely to cause.
None of this suggests that “tariff threat theater” is good economic policy. The
uncertainty it creates hampers business planning, undermines international
relations and risks diminishing returns as economic actors learn to discount the
threats. Moreover, if implemented permanently, these tariffs would certainly
contribute to higher prices, and potentially trigger retaliatory measures from
trading partners.
It’s worth emphasizing that this potential anti-inflationary effect almost
certainly isn’t the motivation behind Trump’s approach. His stated goals center
on protecting American industries and reducing trade deficits — objectives that
economists broadly agree tariffs are poorly suited to achieve. Any
inflation-fighting benefit would be purely coincidental. The irony here is
palpable. Throughout the 2024 campaign, Trump criticized the Biden
administration for high inflation, yet his proposed economic policies were
widely expected to reignite inflationary pressures through disrupted supply
chains and reduced labor supply. That his implementation strategy might
accidentally serve as an inflation-dampening mechanism represents a peculiar
twist that few economists would have predicted.
As we navigate this unusual economic experiment, policymakers would be wise to
recognize both the potential short-term benefits and long-term risks of
governing by threat. The psychological effects on consumption may temporarily
help ease inflation, but the enduring damage to economic planning, international
relations and policy credibility could ultimately prove far more costly than any
transient benefit to price stability.
**Nicholas Creel is an assistant professor of business law and ethics at Georgia
College and State University.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
A New Syria Hinges on Settlements and Breakthroughs
Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 18/2025
The new chapter in Syria, which began after it turned the page on 54 years of
Assadist rule, could be undermined by the painful developments earlier this
month. The new leadership in Damascus, as far as I can tell, was aware that
former regime remnants had been present in the region, and of the communities
had profited from its transgressions without having necessarily played any part
in them. On the other hand, I also believe that certain Syrian factions are
skeptical that coexistence with the new leadership’s ideology (with its
interpretation of political Islam "in power") is possible. Indeed, Syria has
witnessed many episodes of religious and sectarian violence from various
directions over the past 14 years - kidnappings, forced disappearances, and even
massacres. Moreover, despite the broad popular support it enjoys, the current
interim authorities came to power under exceptional circumstances and due to a
military balance that could change at any moment.
Moreover, while this leadership currently enjoys some regional and international
support, every reasonable observer understands that it does not have a mandate
to do what it likes. On the contrary, it is being closely scrutinized by
international actors, and the immense confidence exhibited by key figures in the
top brass despite the tabs the world is keeping - perhaps even more confidence
than a great many Syrian citizens - is striking.
On the other hand, the speed at which the "understanding" between the new
Damascus authority and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was
announced, despite indications that a clash had been all but inevitable,
strongly signals that Washington is comfortable with the new leadership in
Damascus.
Since the SDF is an integral part of Washington’s strategy in Syria, the
underlying message is that Syria’s territorial unity will not be threatened, as
had previously been assumed, by a separatist Kurdish insurgency. Thus, it seems
that all the gains made by the SDF in recent years merely "improved the terms"
in accord with the authorities in Damascus, encouraging the Druze in southern
Syria to follow a similar path.
The Druze, particularly in southern Syria, remain a force to be reckoned with.
However, it may take longer for a decisive outcome to emerge. Keen observers
have gotten the sense that the unprecedented Israeli "offensive" to "protect"
and "support" the Druze has complicated things in the Druze-majority province of
Sweida. Israel has taken these steps despite not having been publicly asked to
by the Druze, and many doubt that any major Druze political leader would openly
endorse such an initiative.
The Druze understood the "impetus" behind Israel’s pressure campaign when
Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister, Israel Katz, mentioned the one
billion dollars that Israel had allocated for this campaign. This development
certainly did not come out of nowhere. Rather, the seeds of this plan were
probably planted some time ago - in Syria itself, as well as Lebanon and the
diaspora, particularly in the United States, where the Israeli lobby has plenty
of room for maneuver, as well as a lot of sway, including through intelligence
infiltration.
Indeed, while Sweida activists from various factions have sought arrangements
with Damascus to preserve national unity and reinforce the fraternity of Syria’s
communities, Israel’s "veto" has upped the ante and shed doubt on these
settlements. In my view, even in the southern region (Sweida, Daraa, and
Quneitra), Washington’s priorities do not significantly diverge from
Netanyahu’s.
This brings us to the wounded coastline. Alawites make up a majority of the
population in rural Latakia and Tartus, as well as the suburbs of Syria’s four
coastal cities: Latakia, Tartus, Jableh, and Baniyas.
The operations of paramilitaries affiliated with the former regime, or some of
its factions, could not have happened without Iran’s support. Indeed, the
statements that Iranian officials had made before the militias launched their
attacks, which had horrific consequences, make Iran’s stance crystal clear: the
new authorities in Damascus are not acceptable and that they will not last long.
However, one might wonder whether the leadership in Tehran had misread the
situation and misunderstood the dynamics of the relationship between the new
Damascus authorities and the international community, especially Washington.
It is reasonable to assume that the US-Israeli strategy is hostile to a
resurgence of Iranian influence. That might explain the restraint of the
US-Russian initiative at the UN Security Council and relatively mild rhetoric
about the massacres on the coast last week, which led to the death of
approximately 1,225 people.
The Security Council condemned the "massacres" against civilians, called on the
Damascus authorities "to protect all Syrians, regardless of ethnicity or
religion" and condemned the violence, particularly against Alawite civilians. It
then urged the authorities to prosecute those who were implicated in violence
and called for "further measures to prevent its recurrence."Finally, the "draft
constitutional declaration" was recently announced in Damascus. Several of its
provisions sparked controversy, particularly the way in which it concentrated
power in the hands of the president, its five-year timeline for the transition,
the dissolution of Syria’s constitutional court, and the president’s authority
(albeit temporarily) to appoint the members of the new constitutional court.
Critics argue that it would have been better to avoid stipulations that bring
the recent past to mind. Instead, they recommend a stronger focus on broadening
political representation and reassuring Syria’s communities, as well as avoiding
"past experiments" and not rekindling old concerns. Diversity enriches and
protects Syria. Fostering unity and communal harmony is particularly crucial at
this stage; the country needs all its qualified and dedicated citizens to
contribute. No community should be excluded or marginalized.
On ‘The Arab Levant,’ ‘The World,’ and Israel
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 18/2025
The relationship between "the Arab Levant" and "the world," in modern times, has
not been a friendly one. “The world," here, refers the West and its states- that
is, the Atlantic World, while "the Arab Levant" primarily refers to the
Palestinian cause as it was manufactured by military and security juntas, and
for many years (since the late 1960s), the Palestine Liberation Organization.
True, this binary is reductive of both notions: "The world" is not just the
West, while "the Levant" is more than the aforementioned Arab forces and their
sole declared cause. Nonetheless, it is also true that "the world," to the Arab
world, was the politically influential West, which also had its impact on our
economy, education, and technologies- and there is also the region's colonial
past or the lifestyles and cultural images its people find desirable. As for the
struggle with Israel, it has been the ultimate driver of our stated approach to
questions that are not necessarily linked to this struggle. Thus, the theory of
"dealing with the world based on its position on the Palestinian cause"
prevailed for decades, not just in the Levant but throughout the Arab world. The
most significant material translation of this theory was the oil embargo imposed
on the countries that supported Israel during the 1973 October War. Indeed, this
consensus reading was engendered by a mix of sympathy for the victims of the
Palestinian tragedy, lingering pan-Arab nationalist jargon, and acquiescence to
various armed factions’ blackmail of violence and terrorism. To many Arab states
and vast segments of their population (at the very least those who believed
nascent states’ policies should primarily revolve around their internal), the
centrality of the Palestinian cause has always seemed somewhat bizarre.
This troubled relationship between “the world” and “the Levant” reminded many of
how polities’ sons had rebelled against the father who had established these
polities. After World War I, the former rejected the notion of European mandates
over their territory, the Balfour Declaration, and the Sykes-Picot Agreement,
concluding that the promises of the McMahon-Hussein correspondence had been
nothing but a ruse. After World War II, they were outraged by the suffering of
the Palestinians and rejected the partition of Palestine that both the Eastern
and Western blocs had endorsed. While the Arabs' nationalist uprising had been
reprehensible in the eyes of "the world,” it was placed in the same category as
similar uprisings in Africa, Southeast Asia, and parts of Latin America, which
were all absorbed into the framework of the Cold War. After the eventual
disintegration of Nasserism and its subsequent degeneration into Assadism,
Saddamism, and Qaddafism, figures like Bin Laden and his many brothers became
rising stars; this radical rebellion, which was presented as unique to Muslims
alone, became incomprehensible. At this stage, the frame of rebellious sons and
fathers was no longer fit for purpose, as the new insurgents regressed to the
distant past of their forefathers, making a clean break with the world that had
been set up by the Western father and challenged by a failed Levantine father.
Nonetheless, the "Middle East crisis" remained intractable over both phases of
the rebellion, and the Oslo Accords of 1993 failed to turn the page on a dark
chapter and open another that had been qualified white.
Today, in any case, almost nothing is the same, and this is a moment when
successive shifts are redefining the very original and primordial notions of
things. The "world" now includes China, though its presence remains piecemeal
and limited relative to the West. More importantly, the Atlantic universe,
especially with Donald Trump’s in power, is splitting in two: a populist,
nationalist US and the European struggling to defend their liberalism as
strange, and unfamiliar custom ways of doing and seeing things, including
international relations, take shape...
In turn, the "Arab Levant" is also being torn apart which might not be new but
is certainly unfamiliar. The Palestinian cause is not what it once was, and more
consequently, the Maghreb, the Gulf, the Levant, Egypt, and Sudan have each
taken their own path. These paths may intersect at some points, but they are
nonetheless independent and self-contained, with each continuing to reassert its
distinction.
It seems that the discord between the "world" and the "Levant" has not negated a
shared alignment behind the ascendency of the nineteenth century. Since Trump's
inaugural address, a lot has been written about his admiration for President
William McKinley, who governed the United States from 1897 to 1901, when he was
assassinated. McKinley, a tariff enthusiast whom Trump called a "great
president," is famous for, among other things, waging the Spanish-American War
and pursuing an expansionist policy that led to the annexation of the
Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, and Hawaii. In the Levant, with the explosion of
minority issues that are tied up in regional and international politics,
recollections of the "Eastern Question" have flourished. Triggered by the
disintegration of the Ottoman Empire and the race to obtain what it left behind,
the Eastern Question rose to the fore following the Greek uprising of 1820,
before peaking with the Crimean War (1853–1856) and the Balkan Crisis
(1875–1878), and then culminating in the Balkan Wars (1912–1913). If parallels
with the past are depressing in general, one painful outcome remains highly
likely: Israel will benefit most, reaping equal gains whether from the "world"
and the "Arab Levant" grow further apart or more similar.
Iran’s Nuclear Program: Possible Scenarios
Dr. Nassif Hitti/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 18/2025
The Iranian program file has returned to the forefront of developments in the
Middle East, as direct political confrontation between the United States and
Iran escalates and the two sides clash by proxy. Several factors are fueling
this rise in tensions, which has a variety of implications for the region. This
trajectory could lead to significant and protracted escalation or even a direct
military clash. The first factor is that Donald Trump is back in the White
House. In 2018, Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal known as the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was concluded in July 2015 and came
into effect in October of the same year. The ten-year implementation period is
set to expire this October. After October, punitive measures against Iran
through the UN Security Council resolution that endorsed the agreement will
cease. Trump wants to negotiate a new deal on his terms to ensure that Iran
never becomes a nuclear power. Second, the recent correspondence between
Washington and Tehran, whether through Arab capitals or international actors,
directly or indirectly, have not paved the way for any real progress. The
political rhetoric of both sides remains highly charged, and while escalating
rhetoric can be a negotiation tactic, it risks entrapping each side and creating
a quagmire that never could easily escape.
Third, Iran is enriching uranium at 60%, while the agreement set a limit of 4%.
That is, Iran is approaching the “nuclear threshold” (90%) that would
effectively allow it to enter the club of nuclear powers. This is also
considered a red line for Israel. Its nuclear doctrine (the Ben-Gurion Doctrine)
is to remain the only country in the region with nuclear weapons, and the US is
fully supportive of this position.
The shifting balance of power in the region has had direct and indirect
repercussions on Iran’s calculus. Indeed, Iran has lost much of its leverage in
the region, which has implications for its negotiating position regarding all of
its strategic interests. The "loss of Syria" is one way that Iran’s position has
been undermined; this blow has had a multitude of costly strategic ramifications
for Tehran, particularly in the Levant and the broader region. Additionally, the
support war launched from Lebanon, under the "unity of fronts" framework, has
had significant repercussions for Iran’s allies in Lebanon, altering the local
balance of power and reshaping Lebanon’s place in this strategy.
It goes without saying that developments in Iraq have compelled Baghdad to adopt
more pragmatic and balanced policies over the past few years, allowing the
country to pursue its interests more effectively both in the region and
globally.
All these developments have either weakened or stripped Tehran of several
crucial cards it had relied on in the regional "game of power." The ongoing
exchange of "messages" through military action is particularly evident in the
Red Sea, where the Houthis’ escalation and the strong US response underscore the
strategic and economic significance of this arena for the broader confrontation.
Iran’s nuclear program, which has stormed back on the regional stage, fuels
these conflicts and regional flashpoints as well as being fueled by them. There
are many questions at this stage: will negotiations resume, even with a changed
format, to contain tensions? Talks would not necessarily lead to a mutually
satisfactory agreement, as that will not be easy. Could such negotiations allow
for de-escalation, allowing us to buy time in the hope that future developments
decide matters in favor of one of the two sides? Will Iran choose the nuclear
option despite the risks, tensions, and fundamental shifts it would introduce to
the rules of engagement and conflict in the region? Will Israel launch a
full-scale preemptive attack on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, with US backing,
to prevent Tehran from joining the nuclear club? These are all pressing
questions on the "Middle Eastern table.” These questions will shape, and be
shaped, by the region’s intertwined volatile flashpoints.
Will the deal between Damascus and Syria’s Kurds help achieve national
reconciliation?
ANAN TELLO/Arab News/March 19, 2025
LONDON: In a bid to unify the Syrian Arab Republic, the interim government and
the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces signed a landmark deal on March 10. The
enactment remains uncertain, though, particularly after the recent
constitutional declaration. Aimed at integrating all military and civilian
institutions into the Syrian state, the deal comes at a critical time as
President Ahmad Al-Sharaa seeks legitimacy amid growing international scrutiny
over the killings of minority Alawites by allied militias.
If enacted, the agreement “could significantly reshape Syria’s post-war
landscape,” Nanar Hawach, senior Syria analyst at the International Crisis
Group, told Arab News.
“The timing is key,” he said. “The deal comes as Syria faces major security
challenges, including recent massacres on the coast and Israeli interventions in
the south. These pressures likely pushed Damascus to sign the agreement.”
Mutlu Civiroglu, a Washington-based Kurdish affairs analyst, says signing the
deal with SDF commander-in-chief Mazloum Abdi allows Al-Sharaa “to present
himself as a leader committed to ensuring all identities are represented in
Syria’s future.”
According to Civiroglu, Abdi is “a highly respected figure not only among Kurds
but also across other communities, such as the Alawites, Druze, and Christians.”
Kurdish groups, united under the umbrella of the SDF and the Autonomous
Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), have condemned the recent
attacks on Alawites — the ethno-religious group from which the Assad family
traces its roots.
Abdi described the attacks as part of a “systematic campaign against Syria’s
minorities.” He told Reuters news agency that Al-Sharaa must “intervene to halt
the massacres.”On March 6, the deadliest bloodshed since Bashar Assad’s fall in
December began when Assad loyalists ambushed security forces in Jableh, Latakia
province, killing 13. The attack set off a wave of reprisals, with revenge
killings targeting Alawite civilians. Violence escalated further on March 9 as
clashes reignited in Banias, also in Latakia, when security forces came under
attack at a power plant. Within days, at least 1,300 people, including 973
civilians, were killed, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights.
Against this backdrop, Rami Abdulrahman, head of the SOHR, told a Kurdish news
channel that tens of thousands of Alawites who had fled the violence on the
coast for the safety of the mountains believe an SDF presence in their areas
could provide a “safe haven.” The Damascus-SDF deal, set for implementation by
the end of the year, recognizes that “the Kurdish community is indigenous to the
Syrian state,” guaranteeing “its right to citizenship and all of its
constitutional rights,” according to a presidential statement. It also mandates
a complete cessation of hostilities in SDF-controlled areas, which have been
under attack by the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army since Dec. 8, when a
Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham-led coalition ousted the Assad regime.
“For Syrian Kurds in Rojava — Kurdish Syria — the agreement guarantees
recognition of their rights, something they lacked under Assad before the war,”
said Hawach of the International Crisis Group. The deal also includes economic
benefits for both sides. Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East
Studies at the University of Oklahoma, says oil is a key part of the agreement
and “will be key to raising revenue for the new Syria.”The interim government
“will gain full control over the oil fields, which is a triumph, but the Kurds
will get half the proceeds, which was a win for them,” he told Arab News. “This
will allow the government to hire foreign oil companies to repair Syria’s
dilapidated industry and energy infrastructure. Syria needs major foreign
investment in its energy sector, which was impossible so long as control over
the oil region was contested.”
Syria’s oil industry is in a dire state, with production plummeting from pre-war
levels of up to 400,000 barrels per day to as little as 80,000, according to S&P
Global, a financial intelligence and analytics firm. Years of conflict,
sanctions, and damaged infrastructure have crippled the sector, leaving Syria
heavily reliant on imports. Reviving oil production is seen as critical to
funding the country’s reconstruction, which could cost up to $400 billion.
Reinforcing Landis’ argument, Hawach said the deal’s implementation could
“provide economic benefits — as the northeast is Syria’s most resource-rich
region — and open the door for joint efforts with Damascus against (Daesh).”He
added: “For Syrians under the HTS-led administration, the deal marks a major
step toward national reintegration. The return of 30 percent of Syria under
Damascus’ control, after over a decade of fragmentation, could improve
governance, service delivery, and economic stability.”
The move, seen as a step toward national reconciliation after 14 years of
conflict, has been welcomed by the UN and regional and Western countries,
including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, France, Germany, and Canada. However, Hawach
stressed that the agreement’s success hinges on how the parties resolve the
still undecided practical aspects of reintegration. Landis agrees that while the
deal “gives a degree of autonomy to northeastern Syria” and sets out key
principles, it is “not a fully worked-out plan,” he said. “Many of the thorny
details will have to be worked out in the future,” he added.
Landis pointed out that “a key element is the military,” explaining that “the
Kurds insisted on having their own force, resident in the northeast.”
Under the accord, the SDF must integrate into the Syrian Defense Ministry and
cede control of all border crossings with Iraq and Turkiye, as well as airports
and oil fields in the northeastern semi-autonomous region it has controlled
since 2015.
“There has been a compromise in that the SDF will be placed under the Ministry
of Defense, but only regional forces will be placed in the northeast,” said
Landis. “How this will all work out is not clear.
“The Kurds are clearly hoping for something similar to the arrangement in Iraq,
where in essence they have their own mini ministry of defense,” he added.
In Iraq, the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs oversees the Kurdistan Region’s own
armed forces, which are responsible for protecting the semi-autonomous
territory’s borders, land and sovereignty. Landis said Syria’s interim president
“does not want to accord the minorities autonomy,” adding that “he has stated
that Syria will have a centralized state.”Furthermore, “the new constitution
makes no mention of a special arrangement for the Kurds,” he added. On March 13,
Al-Sharaa signed a temporary constitution establishing Islamist rule in Syria
for a five-year transitional period. The following day, the SDF’s political
wing, the Syrian Democratic Council, rejected the constitutional declaration and
called for it to be redrafted.
The council argued that the temporary constitution “reintroduces
authoritarianism” by centralizing power and granting unchecked authority to the
executive.
“The SDC strongly rejects any attempt to recreate dictatorship under the guise
of a ‘transitional phase.’ Any constitutional declaration must be the result of
genuine national consensus, not a project imposed by one party.”The council
called for “a complete reformulation of the declaration” to “ensure a fair
distribution of power, guarantee freedom of political activity, and recognize
the rights of all Syrian components.”
Palestinians’ lives blocked by checkpoints
Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/March 18, 2025
One of the most visible and disturbing symbols of the Israeli occupation of the
West Bank, one that makes the hardships of the Palestinians living there even
more unbearable, are the checkpoints. The long wait to cross them, or often to
be turned back, hinders people from getting to work, from getting to a medical
appointment on time, from seeing family and friends or from reaching school. But
above all it creates a strong sense of humiliation. If you are a Palestinian,
regardless of age or gender, you are at the mercy of young soldiers, often
teenagers, who, after hours of making you wait, can decide whether you can
continue to your destination. You can stand there for hours on end exposed to
the elements — in the scorching summer heat or the cold and muddy conditions of
the winter — enduring this routine that is at least as much about grinding the
local population into submission as it is about security.
To be fair, many soldiers see their time on checkpoint duty as the worst part of
their service because they feel the mental burden that comes with these daily
episodes of friction with the local population. I recall a conversation with a
young soldier who told me that the thought of the power asymmetry between
himself, armed to the teeth, and the civilians whose fear he could see in their
eyes while they presented their IDs and begged him to let them pass kept him
awake at night. It made it even more difficult, he said, if they were frail or
sick or on their way to receive medical treatment, sometimes even for a
lifesaving procedure, or if they were pregnant and on the way to give birth.
This routine is at least as much about grinding the local population into
submission as it is about security
However, there are also those soldiers who abuse this position of power — and
they are usually able to do so with complete impunity. Above all, checkpoints
represent the banal routine of an oppressive occupation that is a blight on the
daily lives of ordinary people, as well as demonstrating the asymmetric power
relations between the occupiers and the occupied. Nearly a quarter of a century
ago, three Jewish Jerusalemite women of conscience, after encountering a
military checkpoint in the West Bank for the first time, founded a
nongovernmental organization and named it Machsom Watch (Checkpoint Watch).
There are now 500 women activists who expose and document the ills of the
occupation, but above all the mushrooming number of checkpoints and how they
operate. For instance, they recently reported that on the first Friday of
Ramadan, people who braved the wet weather from across the West Bank to reach
the infamous Qalandiya Checkpoint, in the faint hope of reaching Jerusalem for
prayers, were all turned back. Worse, they described the experience as follows:
“Unlike previous Ramadan Fridays, (on this day) no attempts were made to
prettify toughness of heart, no holiday greetings from the ruler, no (relaxing
of the rules) like humanitarian passage and/or lighter restrictions for women,
children and the elderly. All people, rejected regardless of gender, age and
state of health, no longer had the right to observe their faith and pray at
their holy shrine.”
In other words, not a semblance of pretense anymore that checkpoints are a
necessary evil of Israel’s security within the Green Line; instead, they are
simply about control and treating the entire Palestinian population as the
enemy.
The network of checkpoints, dozens of them permanent, others temporary, was
spread out all over the West Bank well before Oct. 7, 2023, and since then many
more have been appearing suddenly and with no warning, immediately disrupting
lives.
In early 2023, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
documented 645 physical obstacles in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, ranging
from 49 checkpoints constantly staffed by Israeli forces or private security
companies to other occasionally staffed roadblocks, earth mounds, road gates,
road barriers and trenches.
The enormous number of restrictions suggests that the balance between security
and oppression has long since tilted toward the latter
This figure did not include the Israeli-controlled area of Hebron, where there
are dozens more checkpoints and obstacles, many equipped with metal detectors,
surveillance cameras and facial recognition technology, and with facilities for
detention and interrogation. To ensure the security of about 1,000
ultra-extremist settlers, the movements of at least 30,000 Palestinians who live
in the Israeli-controlled part of the city have been turned into a living hell.
And all these restrictions and obstacles are for the benefit of those who
declare that under no circumstances do they wish for peaceful coexistence
between equals in this city. This extreme situation epitomizes the broader
phenomenon of limiting the freedom of movement of Palestinians in the West Bank
and the situation has worsened since the Oct. 7 attacks. Almost 100 more
obstacles have been erected since then. This is in addition to the 712 km-long
separation barrier, which Israel began building in 2002 and is the single
largest obstacle to the free movement of Palestinians, but not Israelis.
Admittedly, Israel began erecting this barrier during the Second Intifada, with
the aim of containing terrorist attacks inside Israel, but this does not explain
why it was not built along the Green Line. Instead, about 85 percent of the
barrier’s route winds through the West Bank, which is occupied by Israel, and
restricts and disrupts the freedom of movement of Palestinians either
permanently or irregularly. The original idea might have been security, but with
the influence of the leaders of the settlements and their political allies, it
has become more an instrument to further a future annexation.
By now, the enormous number of restrictions by checkpoints that prevent, for
instance, farmers from cultivating their land and people from getting to work or
to worship, let alone the danger of being arrested and even shot should they be
suspected of not following the instructions of those guarding the checkpoints,
suggests that the balance between security and oppression has long since tilted
toward the latter. When ambulances are treated at checkpoints like any other
vehicle, as some evidence suggests, this is deliberately reckless and is simply
about demonstrating who rules the roost in this land. For most Palestinians,
this is their only engagement with Israelis and it leaves with them an extremely
bad taste in their mouth. While the morality, or more accurately the immorality,
of this situation does not need much elaboration, it leaves open the question:
How do those who design and impose these policies think that they could possibly
be serving Israel’s interests? After all, they only increase resentment, damage
the economy and leave many Palestinians feeling humiliated. But the messianic
ultranationalists, in addition to satisfying their power trip, believe that all
this expedites annexation and even transfer, leaving peace and reconciliation
between the two peoples so much harder to achieve.
**Yossi Mekelberg is a professor of international relations and an associate
fellow of the MENA Program at Chatham House. X: @YMekelberg