English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For May02/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Jesus Drives Out Of the Temple Sellers and Money
Changers ..He said to them: “Stop making my Father’s house a market-place”
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 02/13-25:”The
Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he
found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money-changers seated at
their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple,
both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the
money-changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the
doves, ‘Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a
market-place!’ His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your
house will consume me.’The Jews then said to him, ‘What sign can you show us for
doing this?’Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will
raise it up.’The Jews then said, ‘This temple has been under construction for
forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?’But he was speaking of
the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples
remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word
that Jesus had spoken. When he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival,
many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing. But
Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people
and needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in
everyone.”
Titles For The
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on May 01-02/2025
Devils, Scribes, Pharisees, and Trojans Tarnish the Reputation of
Monsignor Mansour Labaki/Elias Bejjani/April 29/2025
The Vile and Lewd Attack by Hezbollah's Thuggish Street Mobs and Their
Mouthpieces to Terrorize and Silence Director Youssef El Khoury/Elias Bejjani/April
28, 2025
Etienne Sakr – Abu Arz: The Culture of Denial and Denunciation
In a tweet related to Amer Fakhoury's case, US Representative Joe Wilson called
on Lebanon to hold accountable anyone involved in human rights violations
against US citizens.
When Hezbollah's Weapons Became an "Ideology"/Marwan al-Amin/Nidaa al-Watan/May
01/2025
A new era in UAE-Lebanon relations: Diplomatic reset and economic cooperation
ahead
UAE to lift three-year Lebanon travel ban
Aoun: Decision of removing arms to be implemented across Lebanon but priority
for South
President Aoun salutes Lebanese workers on Labor Day, vows continued support and
reforms
UNIFIL Patrol Intercepted in Abbasiya
Lebanese Army dismantled 'over 90%' of Hezbollah infrastructure near Israel
Israeli drone strikes kill 4 in Lebanon; Lebanese army reclaims more territory
from Hezbollah
Israel claims killing two Hezbollah members in South Lebanon strikes
Abi al-Muna Urges Arab Action to Stop Violations Against Druze in Syria
Jumblat urges Druze in Syria to reject 'Israeli interference'
Berri tells US generals Israeli violations harming state's recovery
Municipal Elections: Interior Minister Announces Electoral Silence Periods
It Goes on, Over and Over Again/Marc Saikali/This is Beirut/May 01/2025
HSBC freezes accounts over suspected Hezbollah, Hamas funding linked to crypto —
the details
Lebanon’s Supreme Defense Council Urges Hamas to Hand Over Suspects in Rocket
Attacks/Mohamed Choucair/Asharq Al Awsat/May 01/2025
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on May 01-02/2025
Damascus Says Security Operation Ends in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya
Syrian Druze leader Al-Hijri slams ‘genocidal campaign’, Israel issues warning
Syrian Druze spiritual leader slams government over deadly sectarian clashes
Damascus sectarian killings ‘unacceptable,’ says UN envoy
Druze shield or political tool? Israel’s Syria policy sparks backlash
Israel vows to respond with 'significant force' if Syria govt fails to protect
Druze
15 Druze fighters killed in ambush near Syria capital
Weekend nuclear deal between Iran and the US postponed, says Oman's foreign
minister
Iran accuses U.S. of 'provocative statements' ahead of nuclear talks
UK in talks with France, Saudi Arabia over Palestinian statehood
Gaza rescuers say Israeli strikes kill at least 29
Israeli Security Chiefs Believe U.S.-Iran Nuclear Agreement Likely
Trump threatens sanctions against buyers of Iranian oil after US-Iran nuclear
talks are postponed
Netanyahu calls defeating Israel’s enemies the ‘supreme objective,’ not freeing
hostages
IDF has hit 1,800 targets in Gaza since new operations began on March 18
Israeli reservists speak out against Gaza war as pressure on Netanyahu grows
US says minerals deal will strengthen Trump in talks with Russia
Turkey stresses opposition to decentralisation in Syria
Ukraine and the US have finally signed a minerals deal. What does it include?
Titles For
The Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sourceson
on May 01-02/2025
Calibrating US policy to constrain Iranian oil exports/Saeed
Ghasseminejad/ Washington Examiner/May 1, 2025
Turkey: Sweeping Arrests, Torture, Censorship/Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/May
01/2025
Putin ‘has to be dealt with differently’ Trump’s new perspective is
correct/Clifford D. May/The Washington Times/May 01/2025
Syria’s Fragile Truce With the Kurds Is Falling Apart/Ahmad Sharawi/FDD/May
01/2025
How the road to Ukraine began in 1967/Ross Anderson/Arab News/May 01, 2025
Climate change a threat to Iraq’s stability/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/May
01, 2025
Energy and infrastructure are key to AI’s future/Lina Tayara/Arab News/May 01,
2025
Europe’s mobilization struggles prime for exploitation/Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab
News/May 01, 2025
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on May 01-02/2025
Devils,
Scribes, Pharisees, and Trojans Tarnish the Reputation of Monsignor Mansour
Labaki
Elias Bejjani/April 29/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/04/142855/
Enough with the populism, leftist
hypocrisy, immorality, and Trojan betrayal. Let the one among you who is without
sin be the first to cast a stone at Monsignor Mansour Labaki.—shameless
accusers! We are truly living in an age of moral collapse… a time ruled by
devils, lawbreakers, and the profane.
The Vile and Lewd Attack by Hezbollah's Thuggish Street Mobs and Their
Mouthpieces to Terrorize and Silence Director Youssef El Khoury
Elias Bejjani/April 28, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/04/142815/
"Or am I trying to please people? If I were still
trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ". (Galatians
01/01-24)
There is no doubt that President Aoun’s tenure, is expected to properly see that
the Lebanese judiciary is not biased and execute its role with fairness in
accordance to the laws, and is thus put to the test — either to confront the
terrorist Hezbollah’s filthy judicial and media assaults targeting patriotic
citizens who speak the truth, or to turn a blind eye and succumb.
The judiciary’s true stance will be judged by the way it handles the satanic and
fabricated schemes aimed at intimidating and silencing director Youssef El
Khoury and at crushing the will of sovereign and honorable voices.
Will the judiciary, in its so-called new form, possess the courage and integrity
to confront and end the depravity and shamelessness of Hezbollah's Trojins and
hired gung propagandists?
In this context, we condemn the injustice and the dirty, street-level slander to
which the writer and director Youssef Yaacoub El Khoury is being
subjected, and we repeat what the Lord Jesus Christ said to the scribes and
Pharisees who demanded that he silence the shouts of the believers as he entered
Jerusalem: "If these keep silent, the stones will cry out." (Luke19/40)
Etienne Sakr – Abu Arz: The Culture of Denial and
Denunciation
May 01/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/05/142905/
Etienne Sakr, head of the Guardians of the Cedars Party - Lebanese Nationalist
Movement, has released the following statement:
The prevailing reactions to Israeli targeting of Hezbollah military sites is a
swift condemnation from those in power, decrying these actions as violations of
Lebanese sovereignty. They invariably appeal to influential nations to pressure
Israel to cease its "attacks" on Lebanon.
However, this predictable policy of condemnation and denunciation masks a
significant degree of deception and hypocrisy. It conveniently ignores several
key facts that many are hesitant to acknowledge:
1-Israel's strikes against Hezbollah military installations within Lebanese
territory are actually in line with the terms of the ceasefire agreement and its
appendices, signed by the Lebanese and Israeli governments on November 26, 2024.
This directly contradicts the narrative of sovereignty violation promoted by the
current authorities.
2-The fundamental and ultimate cause of these Israeli actions lies in the
Lebanese government's failure to uphold its obligation to confiscate Hezbollah's
military arsenal, as mandated by relevant international resolutions and the
aforementioned ceasefire agreement.
3-Furthermore, the widespread presence of illegal weapons depots belonging to
terrorist militias within civilian homes and neighborhoods constitutes a genuine
assault on Lebanon and a violation of its sovereignty. Their destruction is
therefore a duty and a legitimate right.
Adding to these undeniable truths:
1-Without the decisive and sustained Israeli strikes against Hezbollah,
particularly those in September of the previous year, the Lebanese state would
not have recovered its autonomy, which had been held hostage for decades by the
Iranian regime.
2-Without these strikes, the presidential candidate who endured over two years
of imprisonment in the detention facilities of Beirut's southern Hezbollah's
suburbs would not have been freed.
3-Without these strikes, a new government, at least minimally free from Iranian
dominance and Hezbollah's control, would not have come into existence.
Meanwhile, the Salam government's current status resembles an ostrich burying
its head in the sand to avoid confronting reality. Should it persist in its
policies of denial, inaction, and ignorance, it will inevitably find itself lost
in a labyrinth of defeat and utter failure. Let them take heed!
Long Live Lebanon
(Free translation from Arabic by: Elias Bejjani)
In a tweet related to Amer Fakhoury's case, US
Representative Joe Wilson called on Lebanon to hold accountable anyone involved
in human rights violations against US citizens.
X Website/April 1, 2025
US Representative Joe Wilson tweeted today saying that Hezbollah and its allies
must be completely removed from the Lebanese security services and army, and
that Lebanon must hold accountable anyone involved in human rights violations
against US citizens.
When Hezbollah's Weapons Became an "Ideology"
Marwan al-Amin/Nidaa al-Watan/May 01/2025
(Translated freely from Arabic by Elias Bejjani)
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/05/142908/
Since its inception, Hezbollah has worked to transform the Shiite identity in
Lebanon from a national affiliation into an ideological allegiance, deeply
rooted in Iran’s Wilayat al-Faqih (Guardianship of the Jurist) project. To
achieve this, the party initiated a series of internal "conflicts" aimed at
asserting dominance over the Shiite community and dismantling the strong sense
of Lebanese national belonging that Imam Musa al-Sadr had firmly established and
institutionalized.
Early on, Hezbollah relied on two key pillars to consolidate its grip on the
Shiite community: religion and armed "resistance." Yet, its efforts to impose
the Wilayat al-Faqih ideology faced formidable resistance, especially given the
deep-rooted spiritual and historical ties between Lebanese Shiites and the
religious authorities in Najaf—figures such as Sayyid Muhsin al-Hakim, Sayyid
Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei, and later, Sayyid Ali al-Sistani. These authorities
belong to a jurisprudential tradition that categorically rejects the Iranian
interpretation of Wilayat al-Faqih, advocating instead for the separation of
religion from direct political rule.Additionally, influential independent
clerics in Lebanon, such as the late Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Hussein
Fadlallah and the prominent Imam Muhammad Mahdi Shams al-Din, posed further
obstacles. Shams al-Din in particular continued Imam al-Sadr’s legacy, promoting
a vision of Shiite identity that was fully integrated into the Lebanese state,
not opposed to it. Collectively, these figures formed a strong bulwark against
Hezbollah’s ideological takeover of the Shiite community.
Confronted with the failure of its religious indoctrination campaign, Hezbollah
pivoted to a more pragmatic and potent strategy: the slogan of "resistance."
This rhetoric quickly gained traction, particularly in the context of the
Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon. Under the banner of "weapons for the
liberation of the land," Hezbollah built popular and political legitimacy within
the Shiite base. Yet over time, this narrative of resistance evolved—or rather,
devolved—into a self-serving ideology: "weapons to defend the weapons." What
began as a means of liberation ultimately revealed itself as a mechanism of
domination and control. Through this shift, Hezbollah weaponized the very idea
of resistance to deepen the divide between the Shiite community and the Lebanese
state. Where the Wilayat al-Faqih ideology had faltered, the “ideology of
weapons” succeeded. Arms were no longer just tools—they became symbols of
identity, and tokens of absolute loyalty to Tehran, the sponsor of this new
ideology. In this context, Hezbollah’s steadfast refusal to disarm is not merely
a matter of military strategy or political leverage. These weapons have become
sacred, the cornerstone of the party’s very existence. They have served as
Hezbollah’s most effective tool to alienate Shiites from their state, to prevent
their alignment with national interests, and to tether them emotionally and
ideologically to the Iranian project. Thus, the disarmament of Hezbollah
represents more than a shift in Lebanon’s security landscape—it signifies the
potential liberation of the Shiite community from the grip of Wilayat al-Faqih.
It would sever the artificial link tying the fate of Lebanon’s Shiites to Iran’s
geopolitical interests, marking the collapse of Iranian influence in Lebanon.
Today, caught between the failure to implant Wilayat al-Faqih and the military
setback in the recent war—which critically undermined the "ideology of
weapons"—the Iranian project in Lebanon stands at the precipice of decline.
A new era in UAE-Lebanon relations: Diplomatic reset and
economic cooperation ahead
LBCI/May 01/2025
A notable shift has occurred in the trajectory of bilateral relations between
Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates, marked by the first official visit of
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to Abu Dhabi. During the visit, President Aoun
held a summit with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The talks
were described as "extremely positive" and focused on enhancing cooperation
across various sectors. One of the most significant outcomes of the summit was
the UAE's announcement that it would lift the travel ban on its citizens
visiting Lebanon—a restriction that had been in place for several years. The ban
is expected to be officially lifted in the coming days, following the completion
of logistical and technical measures to implement the political decision.
Observers see this move as a signal of confidence in the beginning of a new
phase of political and security stability in Lebanon, reinforced by Beirut's
commitment to implementing measures that ensure the safety of both visitors and
residents. According to information obtained by LBCI, the UAE will soon appoint
an ambassador to Lebanon. A joint statement issued after the talks confirmed
that the UAE would share its successful experiences in improving government
performance and institutional excellence. A joint Emirati-Lebanese Business
Council will also be established. The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development will also
send a delegation to Lebanon to explore and assess opportunities for joint
development projects.President Aoun's visit to the UAE is seen as the beginning
of a new era in bilateral relations and may signal the start of Lebanon's
re-engagement with the Arab world—particularly the Gulf—and its efforts to
restore regional and international confidence.
UAE to lift three-year Lebanon travel ban
Agence France Presse/May 01/2025
The United Arab Emirates will lift a ban on its citizens traveling to Lebanon
that was imposed during a diplomatic row in 2021, according to a joint statement
on Thursday. The decision was announced a day after President Joseph Aoun met
with his UAE counterpart Mohamed bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi. "The two sides agreed
to allow citizens to travel after taking necessary measures to facilitate
movement between the two countries and putting in place appropriate mechanisms,"
the statement said. In 2021, the UAE imposed a travel ban on its citizens and
withdrew diplomats from Beirut in solidarity with Saudi Arabia after a Lebanese
minister criticized the Riyadh-led military intervention in Yemen. Lebanese
citizens were not banned from traveling to the UAE, although some experienced
difficulties obtaining visas. The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, which supports
infrastructure projects in developing countries, will send a delegation to
Lebanon to study potential joint projects, the statement said. Ties between
Beirut and Abu Dhabi soured in the past decade over Hezbollah's influence on
Lebanon. But with the group weakened by its recent war with Israel, the UAE is
the latest Gulf country to renew its interest in Lebanon. In March, Saudi Arabia
said it would review "obstacles" to resuming Lebanese imports and ending a ban
on its nationals visiting Lebanon. That announcement came after Aoun met Saudi
Arabia's de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on his first
trip abroad since taking office in January. Aoun, the preferred candidate of
both Riyadh and Washington, was elected after the weakening of Hezbollah and the
overthrow of the group's ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria shifted the balance of
power in Lebanon.
Aoun: Decision of removing arms to be implemented across Lebanon but priority
for South
Naharnet/May 01/2025
President Joseph Aoun has stressed that “the decision of removing arms will be
implemented across Lebanon but the priority is for the South.”“We’re in
agreement with Speaker (Nabih) Berri over the issue of Hezbollah’s arms,” Aoun
added, in an interview with Sky News Arabia broadcast as he departed to the UAE
on an official visit.“The decision has been taken as to limiting weapons (to the
hands of the state) and only implementation on the ground remains,” the
president said, adding that “what’s important is the handover of heavy- and
medium-caliber weapons, whereas light-caliber weapons are a culture for the
Lebanese.”Noting that the army is “performing its duties without any objections
or problems,” Aoun dismissed as baseless the reports that claimed that Hezbollah
had refused the army’s entry into a Dahieh site to search it.
Calling for opening “the file of arms inside Palestinian camps,” the president
stressed that “it is necessary to build the army’s capabilities,” adding that
“the most important weapon is the unified stance behind the army.
President Aoun salutes Lebanese workers on Labor Day, vows continued support and
reforms
LBCI/May 01/2025
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun issued a message on Thursday, marking Labor Day,
in which he praised the resilience of Lebanese workers and reaffirmed the
state’s commitment to protecting their rights. “You have remained faithful and
hopeful for a better tomorrow despite all the hardships,” Aoun said, addressing
workers nationwide.He emphasized that the state remains committed to
safeguarding workers’ rights and improving their conditions, noting that ongoing
reforms aim to create job opportunities for young people and strengthen the
country’s social protection system. “No matter how long the current crisis
lasts, it will eventually come to an end,” he added. “We will emerge stronger
and more resilient and continue building the Lebanon of tomorrow.”
UNIFIL Patrol Intercepted in Abbasiya
This is Beirut/May 01/2025
A UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) patrol was intercepted on
Thursday by residents in the town of Abbasiya, located in the Tyre district of
southern Lebanon, marking the third such incident in less than two weeks. The
incident occurred at the al-Raz project site, where local residents stopped the
patrol and forced it to change its route. In a video circulating on social media
platform X, one resident expressed concern that the UNIFIL vehicles were moving
between residential buildings without coordination or an escort from the
Lebanese Army, which he said “caused anxiety” among the population. Similar
confrontations have taken place recently. On Tuesday, residents in the town of
Bint Jbeil intercepted a UNIFIL patrol that entered the area without a Lebanese
Army escort. Just days earlier, on Friday, April 25, a UNIFIL convoy was blocked
twice, albeit briefly, near the town of Tayr Dabba.
Lebanese Army dismantled 'over 90%' of Hezbollah
infrastructure near Israel
Agence France Presse/May 01/2025
The Lebanese Army has dismantled "over 90 percent" of Hezbollah's infrastructure
near the border with Israel since a November ceasefire, a security official
said. "We have dismantled over 90 percent of the infrastructure in the area
south of the Litani," the official, who requested anonymity as the matter is
sensitive, told AFP.President Joseph Aoun meanwhile said in an interview with
Sky News Arabia that the army was now in control of over 85 percent of the
country's south. The November truce deal, which ended over a year of hostilities
between Hezbollah and Israel, was based on a U.N. Security Council resolution
that says Lebanese troops and United Nations peacekeepers should be the only
forces in south Lebanon. Under the deal, Hezbollah was to pull its fighters
north of Lebanon's Litani River, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli
border, and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure to its south. Much
of Hezbollah's robust underground infrastructure in the south was "filled and
closed" by the army, the official said. Soldiers have also reinforced their
control of crossing points into the area south of the Litani "to prevent the
transfer of weapons from the north of the river to the south."Aoun, on a visit
to the United Arab Emirates, said the Lebanese Army was "fulfilling its role
without any problems or opposition."He said the single obstacle to the full
deployment of soldiers across the border area was "Israel's occupation of five
border positions."Under the ceasefire agreement, Israel was to withdraw all its
forces from south Lebanon, but its troops remain in five positions that it deems
"strategic".The security official meanwhile said that Hezbollah has been
cooperating with the army. "Hezbollah withdrew and said 'do whatever you
want'... there is no longer a military (infrastructure) for Hezbollah south of
the Litani," the official said. The official added that most of the munitions
found by the army were either "damaged" by Israeli bombing or "in such bad shape
that it is impossible to stock them," prompting the army to detonate them.
Israeli drone strikes kill 4 in Lebanon; Lebanese army
reclaims more territory from Hezbollah
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/May 01, 2025
BEIRUT: The Israeli military resumed drone strikes on targets in southern border
areas of Lebanon on Thursday. One such attack on a vehicle in Mays Al-Jabal
killed three people collecting scrap from damaged buildings. The Lebanese Health
Ministry said the two passengers in the vehicle were Syrian nationals. Hezbollah
media outlets identified the driver as Lebanese citizen Izzat Karout. Less than
two hours later, another drone attack in the same area killed a motorcycle
rider, said to be a former paramedic who had been injured in a previous Israeli
raid. Mays Al-Jabal municipality gave his name as Oussama Bahij Farhat, a
volunteer with Lebanese Civil Defense. Citing a security source, Israel’s
Channel 12 news reported that the “second attack was carried out to target a
Hezbollah member.”Since the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah
came into effect in November, deaths caused by Israeli attacks have continued to
be daily occurrences, with more than 2,000 Israeli violations of Lebanese
sovereignty recorded in the south of the country, Beirut’s southern suburbs and
areas in the east along the border with Syria. Also on Thursday, intensive
activity by Israeli reconnaissance planes in Lebanese airspace was observed,
particularly in the skies over Beirut and its southern suburbs. A political
source told Arab News the latest activity was “proof that Israel has not
responded to any diplomatic pressure aimed at halting its violations.”
The ceasefire agreement, mediated by the US and France, stipulated that
Hezbollah must withdraw from border areas south of the Litani River and
dismantle its military infrastructure, allowing the Lebanese army to strengthen
its presence there in coordination with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon.
Israeli forces, which carried out a ground offensive in southern Lebanon in
October, withdrew following the peace deal but maintained a presence on five
hills they describe as strategic locations. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, who
returned to Beirut on Thursday after an official visit to the UAE, said the
“Lebanese army controls more than 85 percent of the south after clearing it, in
a military sense, as part of its commitments to the ceasefire
agreement.”Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Lebanon said Maj. Gen. Michael Leeney
was joining the Cessation of Hostilities Implementation Mechanism, the
international group set up to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire
agreement, “as a full-time senior US military leader in Beirut.” His appointment
continues the strong relationship between the Lebanese Armed Forces and the US
military, it added. Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, will continue to chair the
mechanism while fulfilling his other duties as commander of US Special
Operations Forces in the Levant, Gulf and Central Asia, the embassy said. During
meetings with Leeney, Lebanese officials were united in their calls for action
to halt “Israel’s continued violations of the agreement.”After a meeting with
Lebanon’s army commander, Gen. Rodolf Haykal, MP Ghassan Skaff told Arab News:
“About 90 percent of the area south of the Litani River is now free of Hezbollah
facilities, and the army has gradually tightened its control over the area. “The
Lebanese army is counting on dialogue regarding the defense strategy to address
the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons north of the Litani River, and work is underway
on this matter. “The army command believes that the pressure being exerted on
Israel is still insufficient to stop its violations. Israel’s continued
violations are occurring with American support, and Israel no longer looks for
justifications to bomb Beirut’s southern suburbs, for example.”Jeanine
Hennis-Plasschaert, the UN’s special coordinator for Lebanon, previously warned:
“Residents of the Bint Jbeil and Tyre districts are still unable to return to
their homes due to the massive destruction of infrastructure and property caused
by the recent war. “The humanitarian situation in southern Lebanon is extremely
concerning and there is an urgent need to restore basic services. “Temporary
solutions are no longer sufficient as the humanitarian crisis worsens, and rapid
action is required from the Lebanese state and the international community to
rebuild and provide the essentials for a dignified life for the displaced and
affected citizens.”
Israel claims killing two Hezbollah members in South
Lebanon strikes
AFP/May 01/2025
Israel's military claimed it killed two Hezbollah members on Thursday in
separate strikes in an area of southern Lebanon, despite a fragile ceasefire
between the armed group and Israel. "Earlier today, the Israeli military struck
and eliminated a 'terrorist' in Hezbollah's Radwan Force in the Meiss El Jabal
area of southern Lebanon," an army statement said, adding that it had killed "an
additional Hezbollah terrorist" in the same area in another attack.
Abi al-Muna Urges Arab Action to Stop Violations Against Druze in Syria
This is Beirut/May 01/2025
Sheikh Sami Abi al-Muna, the spiritual leader of Lebanon’s Druze community,
spoke over the phone with Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari on Thursday.
Abi al-Muna briefed him on the alarming developments in the town of Ashrafiyat
Sahnaya and surrounding areas near Damascus, Syria, where clashes are still
ongoing between Druze and Sunni fighters. Both sides discussed the need to
convene an emergency meeting at the Druze Community House, bringing together
ambassadors from influential countries involved in the Syrian file. The aim of
the proposed meeting would be to push for an international stance that can help
de-escalate the situation, stop the bloodshed, and prevent further acts of
violence against civilians. The call follows reports of fabricated audio
recordings and a rise in extremist and sectarian rhetoric, which have reportedly
contributed to acts of violence against Druze residents in their homes and
villages. In addition, Abi al-Muna emphasized the urgency of calling on both the
Syrian government and key international powers to immediately intervene and halt
what he described as serious security breaches and abuses targeting Druze
communities in villages near Damascus and on the outskirts of Sweida.
He also warned that the deteriorating situation could have broader
repercussions, including potential spillover into Lebanon and other regions, in
line with “Israel’s long-standing objectives in the area.”
Jumblat urges Druze in Syria to reject 'Israeli
interference'
Agence France Presse/May 01/2025
Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblat has urged members of the minority community
in Syria to reject "Israeli interference" following Israeli threats against
Damascus authorities if they harm the Druze. "Preserving the (Druze) brothers
(in Syria) involves rejecting Israeli interference," Jumblat said following a
meeting with Druze figures in Beirut to discuss sectarian violence that erupted
in Syria this week. Clashes near Damascus between security forces and local
Druze fighters have reportedly killed 39 people in two days. The violence
followed the circulation of an audio recording attributed to a Druze citizen and
deemed blasphemous. The Israeli military said its troops were instructed to
"prepare to strike" Syrian government targets "should the violence against Druze
communities continue." "A stern message was conveyed to the Syrian regime --
Israel expects them to act to prevent harm to the Druze community," said a
statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. Jumblat
accused Israel of seeking to drag the Druze into an "endless war against
Muslims," accusing Israeli Druze chief Mowafaq Tarif of supporting Israeli
objectives. The Druze, an esoteric offshoot of Islam, live mostly in Lebanon,
Israel and Syria, including the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. Israel, which
sees the Islamist forces who ousted longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in
December as jihadists, has previously threatened to attack should the Druze be
harmed. Syrian Druze leaders had rejected the Israeli warning and declared their
loyalty to a united Syria.
Berri tells US generals Israeli violations harming state's recovery
Naharnet/May 01/2025
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri held talks Wednesday in Ain el-Tineh with the new
head of the ceasefire monitoring committee, U.S. major general Michael Leeney,
who was accompanied by the committee’s outgoing head Major General Jasper
Jeffers.
During the meeting, Berri lamented “the persistent Israeli attacks and
violations,” noting that “the Lebanese side has committed to everything
requested from it, whereas the Israeli side is not committed to the ceasefire
and has not withdrawn from the territory it is still occupying in the
South.”“The continued Israeli aggression and violations are harming the state’s
recovery process in terms of stability, reforms and sovereignty,” Berri warned.
He also called on the U.S. to “work on compelling Israel to immediately
implement the agreement.”Major General Leeney for his part assured that the
committee will hold periodic meetings to follow up on the situation.
Municipal Elections: Interior Minister Announces Electoral Silence Periods
This Is Beirut/May 01/2025
The Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Ahmad Hajjar, has announced the
schedule for the electoral silence periods to be observed during the upcoming
municipal and mokhtar elections. In accordance with current electoral
legislation, electoral silence begins 24 hours before polling starts and ends at
the closure of the polls.During this period, “It is prohibited for the media to
broadcast any advertising, propaganda or electoral appeals,” according to a
circular issued by the ministry.
“On election day, media coverage is limited to reporting facts related to the
conduct of the electoral process,” the circular adds.As a reminder, here is the
voting schedule by governorate (mohafazat):
Mount Lebanon: Sunday, May 4, 2025
North Lebanon and Akkar: Sunday, May 11, 2025
Beirut, Bekaa and Baalbeck-Hermel: Sunday, May 18, 2025
South Lebanon and Nabatiyeh: Saturday, May 24, 2025
It Goes on, Over and Over Again
Marc Saikali/This is Beirut/May 01/2025
There was a time when the “army, people, resistance” triptych formula served as
little more than a fig leaf, masking Hezbollah’s grip on Lebanon and its role as
a proxy for Iran and its now shattered expansionist ambitions.
This illusion has collapsed: the militia has lost the war.For years, Hezbollah
claimed that its weapons were meant to maintain a balance of terror with Israel,
a simple deception. There was never any real balance, only an absurd standoff
between technological superiority and ideological obstinacy.
Yet, Hezbollah stubbornly clings to its arsenal, as if nothing had changed,
entrenched in a fiction that does not convince anyone. Despite its battlefield
losses and mounting international pressure to disarm, the group persists in
holding onto its weapons.
Domestically, Hezbollah deflects blame, accusing the state of obstructing
reconstruction—a cynical reversal, where the arsonist faults the firefighters.In
his latest speech, Hezbollah’s Secretary-General only fueled this downward
spiral. Still in denial, he spoke of imminent victory, invoking the same
worn-out triptych that once served Lebanon so poorly. Meanwhile, Hezbollah's
leadership appears indifferent to the consequences of its recklessness, pushing
the country ever closer to the brink. As Hezbollah doubles down on outdated
narratives, its rhetoric grows increasingly detached from logic. But what,
exactly, does it hope to achieve? Despite the deep concerns of the vast majority
of Lebanese, who long for nothing more than a simple daily life, Hezbollah
remains deaf to the threat of internal collapse. This is precisely the danger
that the president seems intent on avoiding. Joseph Aoun has opted for a softer
approach—namely, bilateral discussions—in an effort to bring about Hezbollah’s
disarmament. But as the Lebanese saying goes, one hand cannot clap alone.
Eventually, whether willingly or not, the Iran-backed militia will have to come
to terms with reality. Meanwhile, the threat to stability is real. Continued
intransigence risks pushing Lebanon beyond the point of no return, and could
invite renewed Israeli military action, especially in light of recent operations
in Gaza. If it comes to that, nothing, absolutely nothing, will stand in
Israel’s way. The next four Sundays will see municipal elections, a key test of
Hezbollah’s popular support, especially within its own community. That is,
assuming voters are free to express themselves without intimidation or “friendly
encouragement” from armed partisans. Beyond the domestic front, another deadline
looms: ongoing US-Iran negotiations. Three rounds of talks have already
occurred, alternating carrots and sticks. Until this geopolitical chess match is
resolved, Lebanon will remain hostage, and the cost of delay will only rise due
to staggering blindness.
Isaac Asimov once wrote, “Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.” And
in Lebanon today, incompetence is in no short supply.
HSBC freezes accounts over suspected Hezbollah, Hamas funding linked to crypto —
the details
LBCI/May 01/2025
New details have emerged regarding the closure of accounts at HSBC bank.
According to reports, HSBC in London has frozen four accounts belonging to
Iraqis and two held by Lebanese nationals amid suspicions that these individuals
were involved in transferring funds to Lebanon, allegedly used to finance
Hezbollah and Hamas, with part of the money being invested in cryptocurrencies,
particularly to fund Hamas. U.S. officials discussed the use of cryptocurrencies
in Lebanon, speculating that they may be used to finance groups designated by
the U.S. as terrorist organizations, with Hezbollah at the forefront. U.S.
officials believe that if Lebanon were to regulate and monitor cryptocurrency
transactions, it could generate revenue for the country’s treasury. This topic
has been raised multiple times by the U.S. with Lebanese officials, especially
those at the Central Bank of Lebanon. According to sources, U.S. officials
believe cryptocurrency trading in Lebanon could be worth billions of dollars,
although they lack solid evidence to confirm the figures. The data they have is
based on online sources and input from industry experts in Lebanon. Lebanese
monetary authorities, however, do not have concrete numbers on this issue, as
cryptocurrency trading platforms are not based in Lebanon. Many platforms
operate in the U.S. and rely on the KYC standard, which the U.S. believes
provides accurate information. However, other platforms, notably those in China,
do not adhere to this standard. In their response to U.S. officials, Lebanese
monetary authorities stated they are unable to track any buy or sell
transactions involving cryptocurrencies, particularly if the holder decides to
sell directly to another individual. Although the Americans have currently
suspended discussions with Lebanese authorities on the issue of digital
currencies due to a lack of adequate cooperation, their sources confirm they
will not abandon efforts to address this matter. They are also "scrutinizing"
Lebanon’s cash-based economy, particularly because both issues involve the U.S.
dollar—a currency U.S. officials are determined to track due to its widespread
circulation within Lebanese territory.
Lebanon’s Supreme Defense Council Urges Hamas to Hand
Over Suspects in Rocket Attacks
Mohamed Choucair/Asharq Al Awsat/May 01/2025
A senior Lebanese source has revealed that authorities will demand Hamas to hand
over remaining individuals implicated in recent rocket attacks launched from
Kfartebnit and Qaqaiyat al-Jisr—two towns located north of the Litani River,
overlooking southern Lebanon—toward the Israeli settlements of Metula and Kiryat
Shmona. The suspects are also believed to have stored rockets and launchers in a
warehouse raided by the Lebanese Army, which seized several of the weapons, some
prepared for imminent use. The source told Asharq Al-Awsat that this demand will
top the agenda of the first meeting of the Supreme Defense Council, scheduled
for Friday and to be chaired by President Joseph Aoun. The Council is also
expected to discuss the security situation in southern Lebanon amid Beirut’s
unilateral commitment to the ceasefire agreement, contrasted by what it views as
Israel’s noncompliance. The session will further address recent incidents in
which local residents blocked UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) from entering certain
villages, citing the lack of coordination with the Lebanese Army. Additional
topics include logistical, administrative, and security preparations by the
Ministry of Interior and Municipalities ahead of the first round of municipal
elections in Mount Lebanon this coming Sunday. According to the source, the
Lebanese Army’s intelligence directorate has, under judicial supervision,
compiled a list of wanted Hamas members based on interrogations with detained
suspects involved in the rocket attacks.
The source did not rule out the possibility that the suspects may have sought
refuge in Palestinian refugee camps, particularly Ain al-Hilweh in southern
Lebanon, where Hamas may be protecting them in neighborhoods controlled by
extremist factions. The source argued that Palestinian weapons have lost their
original purpose of defending against Israeli attacks and are now largely used
for internal conflict and endangering nearby communities. Disarming Palestinian
groups inside the camps, the source said, aligns with the insistence of both
Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s government that all arms remain under the
state’s authority. The matter is also expected to feature prominently in
upcoming talks between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) and
Lebanese officials during his mid-month visit to Beirut. On broader security
concerns, the source noted that Lebanon is stepping up containment measures
around the camps to prevent the militarization of nearby towns, especially those
close to the Litani River.Regarding Sunday’s Israeli airstrike on a warehouse in
Beirut’s southern suburb, the source confirmed that the Lebanese Army had
received no prior warning through the United States. Instead, Lebanese officials
learned of the strike via media reports. This prompted Aoun to make urgent calls
to several countries, including the US and France, which are considered
guarantors of the ceasefire agreement. Subsequent information reportedly
disproved Israel’s stated justification for the attack.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published
on May 01-02/2025
Damascus Says Security Operation Ends in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya
Damascus: Asharq Al Awsat/May 01/2025
The head of security in Syria’s Damascus countryside, Hussam Al-Tahan, said a
security operation in the flashpoint town of Ashrafiyat Sahnaya had concluded,
with Syrian forces now deployed across all neighborhoods to restore calm and
stability. State-run SANA news agency quoted Tahan as saying security forces had
taken full control of the area, located southwest of the capital, and were
launching measures to secure civilians and stabilize the situation. Syrian state
television reported that large reinforcements from General Security had entered
the town to pursue what it described as “outlawed groups,” with forces now
deployed at all entry and exit points to prevent further violence. At least 75
people were injured over the past 48 hours in Sahnaya, according to state
television, amid heavy gunfire and attacks blamed on armed groups. The clashes
have stoked fears of deepening sectarian tensions in the area.
In an effort to defuse the crisis, local dignitaries and religious leaders from
the Druze community held a meeting with the governors of Damascus countryside,
Sweida, and Quneitra. Syria’s top cleric, Grand Mufti Sheikh Osama Abdul Karim
Al-Rifai, called on citizens to reject sectarian strife. “Any act of revenge or
retaliation is unjust,” the Mufti said in a televised address on Wednesday.
“Syrian blood is sacred. Do not listen to calls for revenge – extinguishing this
strife will save lives,” he added, urging Syrians to allow justice to take its
course. The Interior Ministry said in a statement that armed militants had
launched a surprise assault on several General Security checkpoints in
Ashrafiyat Sahnaya using light weapons and rocket-propelled grenades, injuring a
number of personnel. In response, security forces fanned out across the area.
But snipers from the armed groups reportedly took up positions on rooftops,
targeting officers and killing five General Security members and wounding
others.In the early hours of Wednesday, the ministry added, militants opened
fire on a vehicle arriving from the southern province of Daraa, killing six
civilians inside. General Security forces have since tightened control in and
around the town, sending additional units to contain the violence and ensure the
safety of residents. A curfew was imposed on Tuesday after gunmen based in a
nearby town launched an attack on security posts surrounding Ashrafiyat Sahnaya.
The situation briefly calmed after General Security forces took up positions at
the town’s eastern entrance, but clashes flared again overnight and continued
into Wednesday morning. A security source in Damascus said a wide-scale sweep
was underway to arrest armed groups accused of using the town as a base for
launching “terrorist operations” against civilians. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat,
residents described a harrowing night of intense gunfire, explosions, and drone
activity. “We didn’t sleep. The sound of gunfire and mortars didn’t stop,” said
one civilian source. “Snipers were on rooftops, and drones hovered all
night.”With no reliable news source other than conflicting and fear-inducing
social media updates, residents expressed confusion about the unfolding events.
Locals called on Syrian civil society to act and protest against incitement and
militia activity, urging the disarmament of rogue groups. They warned that armed
factions from outside Sahnaya were launching attacks from the town’s outskirts,
including a shooting incident on Tuesday that targeted a General Security
checkpoint. Tensions flared further in and around the Syrian capital as the town
of Jaramana, south of Damascus, held funerals on Wednesday for seven people
killed in overnight clashes earlier this week. The city witnessed heavy fighting
between Monday and Tuesday night, part of a broader wave of unrest in southern
Damascus and surrounding areas.
Syrian Druze leader Al-Hijri slams ‘genocidal campaign’, Israel issues
warning
AFP/May 01, 2025
DAMASCUS: Syrian Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri on Thursday
condemned what he called a “genocidal campaign” against his community after two
days of sectarian clashes left 101 people dead. Israeli Defense Minister Israel
Katz warned his country would respond “with significant force” if Syria’s new
authorities fail to protect the Druze minority. The violence poses a serious
challenge to the new Syrian authorities who ousted longtime ruler Bashar Assad
in December. It comes after a wave of massacres in March in Syria’s Alawite
heartland on the Mediterranean coast in which security forces and allied groups
killed more than 1,700 civilians, mostly Alawites, according to rights groups.
It was the worst bloodshed since the ouster of Assad, who is from the minority
community.
The government (should) protect its people
Hijri in a statement on Thursday denounced the latest violence in Jaramana and
Sahnaya near Damascus as an “unjustifiable genocidal campaign” against the
Druze. He called for immediate intervention by “international forces to maintain
peace and prevent the continuation of these crimes.”Israel has ramped up its
support for Syria’s Druze, with Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Thursday urging
the international community to “fulfil its role in protecting the minorities in
Syria — especially the Druze — from the regime and its gangs of terror.”In a
later statement, Katz said: “Should the attacks on the Druze resume and the
Syrian regime fail to prevent them, Israel will respond with significant
force.”The fighting had involved security forces, allied fighters and local
Druze groups. The Britain-based monitor, which relies on a network of sources in
Syria, said the death toll included 30 government loyalists, 21 Druze fighters
and 10 civilians, including Sahnaya’s former mayor, Husam Warwar. In the
southern province of Sweida, heartland of the Druze minority, it said 40 Druze
gunmen were killed, 35 in an “ambush” on the Sweida-Damascus road on Wednesday.
The monitor told AFP the fighters were killed “by forces affiliated with the
ministries of interior and defense and gunmen associated with them.”Blasphemous
audio The violence was sparked by the circulation of an audio recording
attributed to a Druze citizen and deemed blasphemous. AFP was unable to confirm
the recording’s authenticity. Truces was reached in Jaramana on Tuesday and in
Sahnaya on Wednesday. The government announced it was deploying forces in
Sahnaya to ensure security, and accused “outlaw groups” of instigating the
clashes. However, Hijri said he no longer trusts “an entity pretending to be a
government... because the government does not kill its people through its
extremist militias... and then claim they were unruly elements after the
massacres.” Should the attacks on the Druze resume and the Syrian regime fail to
prevent them, Israel will respond with significant force
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz
“The government (should) protect its people,” he said. Syria’s new authorities,
who have roots in the Al-Qaeda jihadist network, have vowed inclusive rule in
the multi-confessional, multi-ethnic country, but must also contend with
pressures from radical Islamists. On Wednesday, a foreign ministry statement
vowed to “protect all components” of Syrian society, including the Druze, and
rejected “foreign interference.”
Israeli air strikes
Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani on Thursday reiterated Syria’s rejection of
demands for international intervention, posting on X that “national unity is the
solid foundation for any process of stability or revival.”“Any call for external
intervention, under any pretext or slogan, only leads to further deterioration
and division,” he added. Israel sees the new forces in Syria as jihadists and
carried out strikes near Damascus on Wednesday. Israel said its forces were
ordered to hit Syrian government targets “should the violence against Druze
communities continue.”“A stern message was conveyed to the Syrian regime —
Israel expects them to act to prevent harm to the Druze community,” a statement
from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said. Israel has
attacked hundreds of military sites in Syria since Assad’s overthrow. It has
also sent troops into the demilitarised buffer zone that used to separate
Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights and voiced support for Syria’s
Druze. Israel’s military said Thursday two injured Syrian Druze had been
evacuated to northern Israel for treatment. A United Nations statement urged
“all parties to exercise maximum restraint” and “uphold their obligations under
international humanitarian and human rights law.”.”
Syrian Druze spiritual leader slams government over deadly sectarian clashes
Ghaith Alsayed And Kareem Chehayeb/AP/May
1, 2025
DAMASCUS — Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri on Thursday harshly
criticized Syria's government for what he called an “unjustified genocidal
attack" on the minority community during deadly sectarian fighting in
Druze-majority areas south of Damascus this week. Syria’s Information Ministry
said 11 members of the country’s security forces were killed in two separate
attacks, while Britain-based war monitor The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
said 56 people in Sahnaya and the Druze-majority Damascus suburb of Jaramana
were killed in clashes, among them local gunmen and security forces.The clashes
broke out around midnight Monday after an audio clip circulated on social media
of a man criticizing Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. The audio was attributed to a
Druze cleric. But cleric Marwan Kiwan said in a video posted on social media
that he was not responsible for the audio, which angered many Sunni Muslims. On
Wednesday, 15 Druze men were killed in a highway ambush as they were heading to
support armed groups south of Damascus against pro-government gunmen. No group
has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack on the convoy. “This
collective killing is systematic, clear, visible, and documented,” Al-Hijri's
statement read. “We no longer trust a group that calls itself a government,
because the government doesn’t kill its own people through extremist gangs that
are loyal to it, and after the massacre claims they are loose forces.”On
Wednesday afternoon, the Syrian government said a deal was reached between Druze
dignitaries and official representatives after which security forces and
pro-government gunmen entered Sahnaya and Druze gunmen withdrew from the
streets. Videos on social media showed what appear to be pro-government militias
beating Druze men they had captured in Sahnaya and making offensive sectarian
remarks. The Druze religious sect is a minority group that began as a
10th-century offshoot of Ismailism, a branch of Shiite Islam. More than half of
the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most of the other Druze
live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel
captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981. In Syria, they
largely live in the southern Sweida province and some suburbs of Damascus.
Syria's leadership, former insurgents who toppled former President Bashar Assad
in December, has promised to protect minority groups but they're led by Islamist
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which has had affiliations in the past with the
Sunni Muslim extremist al-Qaida group and is viewed by the minorities with
suspicion. Most Druze spiritual leaders and factions have opted to air their
grievances in closed communication with the new government, but concerns have
heightened after a crackdown on Assad loyalists in Syria's coastal province
turned into a series of targeted revenge attacks against the Alawite minority
group. Videos widely circulated of houses burned down and bloodied bodies of
Alawites on the streets. Tens of thousands of Alawites fled south to neighboring
Lebanon and many are too scared to return. The Druze have since become reluctant
to lay down their arms, which they say they need for protection.
Damascus sectarian killings
‘unacceptable,’ says UN envoy
Caspar Webb/May 01, 2025
NEW YORK CITY: The UN’s special envoy for Syria condemned a spate of sectarian
violence in Damascus as well as Israeli strikes on the capital as
“unacceptable.”It follows a week of killings and tensions in the predominantly
Druze towns of Ashrafiyat Sahnaya and Jaramana, on the outskirts of Damascus.
Fighting broke out earlier this week in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya when gunmen attacked
a security checkpoint. A second clash occurred a day earlier in Jaramana, with
at least 30 people, including civilians, being killed in the two attacks. “The
reports of civilian casualties, and casualties among security personnel, are
deeply alarming,” Special Envoy Geir Pedersen said in a statement. “Immediate
steps must be taken to protect civilians, de-escalate tensions and prevent any
further incitement of communal conflict,” he added. Syrian security forces
intervened in an attempt to quell tensions, closing off roads and sending armed
personnel, the interior ministry said. Tensions were compounded by Israel’s
intervention with a series of strikes on the outskirts of Damascus. Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces had launched attacks on an
“extremist group that was preparing to attack the Druze population south of
Damascus.”A second Israeli strike in the Damascus countryside killed a Syrian
security officer. Maj. Gen Eyal Zamir, Israel’s chief of staff, threatened to
carry out strikes on Syrian government sites “if the violence against the Druze
does not stop.”Pedersen condemned the Israeli attacks and said that “Syria’s
sovereignty must be fully respected.”He called on Syrian parties to engage in
“genuine inclusion, trust-building and meaningful dialogue” in a bid to reduce
tensions. The condemnation came a week after Pedersen’s appearance before the UN
Security Council alongside Asaad Al-Shaibani, Syria’s foreign minister. There,
Pedersen hailed the “opening of a new chapter in Syria’s history” and praised
the Syrian people, “who, amidst continued suffering, and many uncertainties and
dangers, show overwhelmingly that they want this political transition to
succeed.”The events in Damascus follow months of sectarian violence around
Latakia and the Syrian coast, involving clashes between members of the Alawite
minority and other groups. “The people of Syria have suffered too much for too
long,” Pedersen said. “They deserve peace, dignity, and a future built on
dialogue, not destruction.
Druze shield or political
tool? Israel’s Syria policy sparks backlash
LBCI/May 1, 2025
Israel's involvement in Syria has come into focus following its acknowledgment
of striking the Ashrafiyat Sahnaya area in the Damascus countryside under the
pretext of defending the Druze community. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and
Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the continuation of this policy during
an emergency meeting of the security cabinet. The meeting addressed developments
in Syria and how to reinforce Israel’s strategy of appealing to the Druze
community by advancing the narrative of protecting them. The Israeli leadership
sought to highlight full coordination with the Druze community in Israel and its
spiritual leader, Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, regarding its actions in Syria. A photo
was circulated showing military and political officials, including Education
Minister Yoav Kisch, alongside Tarif and several members of the Druze community.
However, this coordination is facing opposition from a significant portion of
Druze citizens, who view the effort as an Israeli attempt to sow division within
the community and use it as a tool to advance expansionist policies in Syria.
As in Lebanon and Gaza, this strategy is becoming more visible in Syria. During
a tour of occupied areas there, chief of the military staff Eyal Zamir
reaffirmed that Israel would not withdraw from this front — a position
previously stated by both Katz and Netanyahu. The stance highlights Israel’s
ambitions in Syria despite the “protecting the Druze” narrative, which critics
say is being used by Tel Aviv to establish a foothold in the country.
Israel vows to respond with 'significant force' if Syria
govt fails to protect Druze
AFP/May 01/2025
Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Thursday that Israel will respond forcefully
if Syria's Islamist-led government fails to protect the Druze minority,
following two days of deadly sectarian clashes near Damascus. "Should the
attacks on the Druze resume and the Syrian regime fail to prevent them, Israel
will respond with significant force," Katz said in a statement.
15 Druze fighters killed in ambush near Syria capital
Agence France Presse/May 1, 2025
Assailants killed 15 fighters from the Druze minority in an ambush near the
Syrian capital, a war monitor said Thursday, after days of deadly sectarian
clashes. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of
sources on the ground in Syria, said the attack was carried out on Wednesday by
forces linked to the Islamist-led government as the Druze fighters were
traveling to the town of Sahnaya. The deadly ambush was also reported by local
media outlet Suweyda 24.
Weekend nuclear deal between Iran and the US postponed, says Oman's foreign
minister
Gavin Blackburn/Euronews/May 1, 2025
Weekend nuclear deal between Iran and the US postponed, says Oman's foreign
minister. Planned negotiations between Iran and the United States this weekend
over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme have been postponed, Oman has
announced. Oman's Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi made the announcement in a
post on the social platform X. "For logistical reasons we are rescheduling the
US Iran meeting provisionally planned for Saturday May 3rd," he wrote. "New
dates will be announced when mutually agreed." Al-Busaidi, who has mediated the
talks through three rounds so far, did not elaborate. Iran's Foreign Ministry
spokesperson Esmail Baghaei issued a statement describing the talks as being
"postponed at the request of Oman's foreign minister." He said Iran remain
committed to reaching "a fair and lasting agreement."Meanwhile, a person
familiar with the US negotiators said that Washington "had never confirmed its
participation" in a fourth round of talks in Rome. However, the person said the
US expected the talks to occur "in the near future." Two other rounds of talks
have been held in Muscat, the Omani capital. The talks seek to limit Iran's
nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of some of the crushing economic
sanctions the US has imposed on the country. The negotiations have been led by
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and the US Middle East envoy Steve
Witkoff.
Trump threatens air strikes
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash air strikes on
Iran's nuclear sites if a deal isn't reached. Iranian officials have warned that
they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to
near weapons-grade levels. The landmark 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint
Comprehensive Plan of Action, did limit Tehran's nuclear activities. But Trump
unilaterally withdrew from it in 2018, setting in motion years of attacks and
tensions. The wider Middle East region also remains on edge over the
Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Meanwhile, the US continues an air strike campaign,
called "Operation Rough Rider," that targets the Houthi rebel group in Yemen,
who have long been backed by Iran. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a
warning to Iran earlier on Thursday about their support for the militant group.
"Message to IRAN: We see your LETHAL support to The Houthis. We know exactly
what you are doing," he wrote. "You know very well what the U.S. Military is
capable of — and you were warned. You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and
place of our choosing."
Iran accuses U.S. of 'provocative statements' ahead of nuclear talks
Reuters/May 1, 2025
DUBAI - Iran accused the United States on Thursday of "contradictory behaviour
and provocative statements" after Washington warned Tehran of consequences for
backing Yemen's Houthis and imposed new oil-related sanctions on it in the midst
of nuclear talks. Washington and Tehran have been conducting negotiations over
the past month on a deal to curb Iran's nuclear programme in return for the
lifting of financial sanctions. A fourth round of talks is due to be held in
Rome on Saturday. On Wednesday Washington imposed sanctions on entities it
accused of involvement in the illicit trade of Iranian oil and petrochemicals.
Separately, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Iran that it would face
consequences for supporting the Houthis, who control northern Yemen and have
attacked ships in the Red Sea in what the group says is solidarity with the
Palestinians. Washington has been bombing the Houthis intensively since
mid-March, hitting more than 1,000 targets. Tehran says the Houthis act
independently. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei criticised
"the contradictory approach of American decision-makers and their lack of
goodwill and seriousness in advancing the path of diplomacy", state media
reported. "The responsibility for the consequences and destructive effects of
the contradictory behaviour and provocative statements of American officials
regarding Iran will lie with the American side," Baghaei said. U.S. President
Donald Trump, who abandoned an earlier nuclear deal between world powers and
Iran during his first term in 2018, has threatened to attack Iran unless it
agrees a new deal. Both sides have so far described the previous rounds of
talks, held weekly and mediated by Oman, as productive.
UK in talks with France,
Saudi Arabia over Palestinian statehood
Arab News/May 01, 2025
LONDON: The British government is in talks with its French and Saudi
counterparts over official recognition of a Palestinian state, UK Foreign
Secretary David Lammy has revealed. Discussions are set to take place at a
conference at the UN in June, The Guardian reported. So far, 160 countries
recognize Palestine, including most recently Spain, Norway and Ireland. If a
deal can be reached, it would mean adding two permanent UN Security Council
members — and key allies of Israel — to that list. Lammy told the House of Lords
International Relations Select Committee that EU countries’ recognition of
Palestine had made little to no difference on progress toward statehood, and
that the UK wanted something more than to make a symbolic gesture. “It’s
unacceptable for any group of people to have lived with no state for longer than
I’ve been alive,” he told the committee. “No one has a veto on when the UK
recognizes that Palestinian state … We’ve always said that recognition isn’t an
end in of itself, and we’ll prefer recognition as a part of a process to two
states. “(French) President (Emmanuel) Macron has had a lot to say about that,
most recently, alongside the Saudis, and of course we’re in discussion with them
at this time.”Lammy said a viable state could not include Hamas remaining in
power in Gaza, and a full demilitarization process of the enclave would need to
be undertaken. He added that the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West
Bank is a threat to a two-state solution, and that settler violence against
Palestinians is “shocking.”He also took aim at Israel for its continuing
prevention of aid entering Gaza, saying: “The blockade of necessary aid into
Gaza is horrendous, the suffering is dire, the need is huge, the loss of life is
extreme.”On April 9, Macron said France would likely recognize a Palestinian
state at the June conference, following an official visit to Egypt. He later
said the move, which would be the first such act of recognition by a G7 state,
is intended to “trigger a series of other recognitions … including the
recognition of Israel by states that do not currently do so.”Michel Duclos, a
special adviser at the Paris-based think tank Institut Montaigne, told The
Guardian that the outcome of the June conference “may be nothing more than a
roadmap or set of proposals.”He added: “The dilemma for France may soon become
more challenging — can it continue postponing its recognition of Palestine while
waiting for a true two-state momentum? Or would further postponement undermine
its credibility?” Saudi Arabia has made clear that normalizing ties with Israel
is conditional on a pathway to achieving a two-state solution.
Gaza rescuers say Israeli
strikes kill at least 29
AFP/May 01, 2025
GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Gaza’s civil defense agency said Thursday
Israeli bombardment killed at least 29 people since midnight in the war-ravaged
territory, which has been under Israeli aid blockade for nearly two months.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile said that while the
military’s mission was to bring home all the hostages from Gaza, its “supreme
goal” was to achieve victory against Hamas.Israel resumed its campaign in the
Gaza Strip on March 18, after a two-month truce collapsed over disagreements
between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas whose 2023 attack
triggered the conflict. Civil defense official Mohammed Al-Mughayyir said
Thursday’s toll included eight people killed in an air strike on the Abu Sahlul
family home in Khan Yunis refugee camp in southern Gaza. Four people were killed
in an air strike east of Shaaf in Gaza City’s Al-Tuffah neighborhood, he told
AFP. At least 17 more were killed in other attacks across the Palestinian
territory, including one that hit a tent sheltering displaced people near the
central city of Deir el-Balah, the agency said. “We came here and found all
these houses destroyed, and children, women and young people all bombed to
pieces,” said Ahmed Abu Zarqa after a deadly strike in Khan Yunis. “This is no
way to live. Enough, we’re tired, enough! “We don’t know what to do with our
lives any more. We’d rather die than live this kind of life.”
At Nasser Hospital
AFP images showed residents digging through rubble in search of bodies, which
were carried away on stretchers under blankets.At Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis,
rescuers rushed a screaming wounded child out of an ambulance, as a group of
women mourned. “What have the children done wrong? What have we done wrong?
Enough is enough. Just drop a nuclear bomb on us,” said Ghada Abu Sahlul as she
mourned the death of a relative. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on
Thursday that at least 2,326 people have been killed since Israel resumed
strikes, bringing the overall death toll since the war broke out to 52,418. The
Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people
on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on
official figures.Militants also abducted 251 people, 58 of whom are still being
held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
Israeli Security Chiefs
Believe U.S.-Iran Nuclear Agreement Likely
FDD/May 01/2025
Latest Developments
Deal More Likely Than Not: Israeli security chiefs believe that a nuclear deal
between the United States and Iran is more likely than not, according to the
Israeli network Kan. The assessment came ahead of the fourth round of indirect
negotiations between Washington and Tehran in Rome on May 3. Israel’s political
and security cabinets are expected to meet on May 4 to examine the latest
developments.
’A Deal Will Be Reached,’ Says Trump: President Donald Trump said on April 27
that the negotiations were going “very well,” adding that “a deal will be
reached … We’ll have something without needing to start bombing.” Iranian
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was more cautious, stating, “Some of the
disagreements are serious … but… the progress so far has been good.” While the
details of a potential deal remain unknown, U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) lauded
Trump’s public stance that Iran’s nuclear infrastructure must be taken apart,
adding: “The only solution is Iran completely dismantling its [nuclear] program,
or we should do it for them.”
Iran Accuses Israel of ‘Dictating’ to Trump: On April 28, Araghchi accused
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “brazenly … dictating what
President Trump can and cannot do in his diplomacy with Iran.” He further warned
that Iran possesses the “capabilities to thwart any attempt by malicious
external actors to sabotage its foreign policy or dictate its course.”
FDD Expert Response
“What are the chances that Iran’s rulers — committed for almost half a century
to ‘Death to America!’ and now allied with the Axis of Aggressors of Russia,
China, and North Korea — will agree to verifiably dismantle their nuclear
weapons program? Zero to none if they are not convinced that Washington is
ready, willing, and able to ‘do it for them.’ More likely, the United States
will need to ‘do it for them.’” — Clifford D. May, Founder and President
“Either Washington has gotten Iran to agree to the full, verifiable, and
permanent dismantlement of its nuclear weapons capabilities, or there has been a
collapse of this key American demand and the trajectory is toward a fatally
flawed interim deal. Such a deal would leave Iran’s nuclear weapons assets
intact, remove the threat of U.S. military strikes that brought Tehran to the
negotiating table, and relieve pressure on the regime just as President Trump
was starting to rebuild the pressure campaign. Congress and the president’s key
Republican allies must firmly oppose this and demand Iran fully dismantle its
nuclear program.” — Andrea Stricker, Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program
Deputy Director and Research Fellow
“Congress should hold the line on no enrichment in Iran. It should equip the
president with the leverage to ensure any deal that is attained actually
addresses the Iranian nuclear challenge. Cotton’s comments are a helpful start,
and if amplified by the legislature, can offset Iranian efforts to build
leverage at the negotiating table.” — Behnam Ben Taleblu, Iran Program Senior
Director and Senior Fellow
FDD Background and Analysis
“No Clear Progress at Third Session of U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks, Next Round
Scheduled,” FDD Flash Brief
“The Iranian Negotiating Tactic the Trump Administration Doesn’t Get,” by Reuel
Marc Gerecht and Ray Takeyh
“U.S. and Iran Hold Second Round of Nuclear Talks in Rome,” FDD Flash Brief
“FAQ: What Should Be Washington’s Position on Iran’s Nuclear Dismantlement?” by
Andrea Stricker and Janatan Sayeh
“Iran’s Nuclear Disarmament,” by Orde Kittrie, Andrea Stricker, and Behnam Ben
Taleblu
Trump threatens sanctions against
buyers of Iranian oil after US-Iran nuclear talks are postponed
Jon Gambrell/DUBAI, United Arab
Emirates (AP)/May 1, 2025
President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened sanctions on anyone who buys
Iranian oil, a warning that came after planned talks over Tehran’s rapidly
advancing nuclear program were postponed. Trump wrote on social media that “All
purchases of Iranian Oil, or Petrochemical products, must stop, NOW!” He said
any country or person who buys those products from Iran will not be able to do
business with the United States. The threat came after Oman announced planned
nuclear negotiations for this coming weekend had been postponed. A message
online from Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi made the announcement in a
post on the social platform X. “For logistical reasons we are rescheduling the
US Iran meeting provisionally planned for Saturday May 3rd,” he wrote. “New
dates will be announced when mutually agreed.”Al-Busaidi, who has mediated the
talks through three rounds so far, did not elaborate. Iran's Foreign Ministry
spokesperson Esmail Baghaei issued a statement describing the talks as being
“postponed at the request of Oman’s foreign minister.” He said Iran remain
committed to reaching ”a fair and lasting agreement."Meanwhile, a person
familiar with the U.S. negotiators said that America “had never confirmed its
participation” in a fourth round of talks in Rome. However, the person said the
U.S. expected the talks to occur “in the near future.” The person spoke on
condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations. Rome soon will
see the Vatican begin the conclave on Wednesday to pick a new pope after the
death of Pope Francis. Two other rounds of talks have been held in Muscat, the
capital of Oman. The talks seek to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for
the lifting of some of the crushing economic sanctions the U.S. has imposed on
the Islamic Republic closing in on a half-century of enmity. The negotiations
have been led by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy
Steve Witkoff. Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting
Iran’s program if a deal isn’t reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn that
they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to
near weapons-grade levels. Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers did limit
Tehran’s program. However, Trump unilaterally withdrew from it in 2018, setting
in motion years of attacks and tensions. The wider Middle East also remains on
edge over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the U.S. continues
an airstrike campaign, called “Operation Rough Rider,” that has been targeting
Yemen's Houthi rebels, who long have been backed by Iran. U.S. Defense Secretary
Pete Hegseth early Thursday warned Iran over the rebels. “Message to IRAN: We
see your LETHAL support to The Houthis. We know exactly what you are doing,” he
wrote. “You know very well what the U.S. Military is capable of — and you were
warned. You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing.”
Last Saturday's round of talks, which included experts drilling down into the
details of a possible deal, also took place as an explosion rocked an Iranian
port, killing at least 70 people and injuring more than 1,000 others.
Netanyahu calls defeating
Israel’s enemies the ‘supreme objective,’ not freeing hostages
Jeremy Diamond and Eugenia Yosef,
CNN/May 1, 2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that defeating Israel’s
enemies is more important than securing the release of the remaining hostages in
Gaza. While the prime minister acknowledged that freeing the 59 remaining
hostages is a “very important goal,” he described Israel’s fight against its
enemies as the “supreme objective” of the war. “We have many objectives, many
goals in this war. We want to bring back all of our hostages,” Netanyahu said.
“That is a very important goal. In war, there is a supreme objective. And that
supreme objective is victory over our enemies. And that is what we will
achieve.”Netanyahu’s remarks, which came on Israel’s Independence Day, mark the
first time that the prime minister has explicitly described returning the
hostages as a secondary goal of the war. He has previously described defeating
Hamas and securing the release of the hostages as the primary goals of Israel’s
war in Gaza. His comments drew a backlash from representatives of hostage
families. “Prime minister, the return of the hostages is not ‘less’ important –
it is the supreme goal that should guide the government of Israel,” the Hostages
and Missing Families Forum said in a statement. “The families of the hostages
are concerned.”Netanyahu’s comments put him at odds with the majority of the
Israeli public, which overwhelmingly supports a deal to release all the hostages
and end the war in Gaza, according to recent opinion polls. But it puts the
prime minister in the company of Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel
Smotrich, who recently made similar comments. “We need to tell the truth –
bringing back the hostages is not the most important goal. It is, of course, a
very, very, very, very important goal,” Smotrich said last week. “But anyone who
wants to destroy Hamas and eliminate the possibility of another October 7 must
understand that in Gaza, there can’t be a situation where Hamas remains present
and intact.”Members of Netanyahu’s governing coalition have been pushing the
prime minister to continue fighting. Senior Israeli officials have warned for
weeks that the military will intensify its operations in Gaza if there is no
ceasefire agreement with Hamas. A source familiar with the matter told CNN that
Netanyahu is set to meet with senior defense officials on Friday as Israel
prepares to expand the war. Israel says its bombardment of Gaza, coupled with a
two-month total blockade, is an attempt to put pressure on Hamas to make
concessions in ceasefire negotiations. Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas and
said it cannot continue to rule the enclave.
Pressure mounts on Netanyahu
This is the second time this week that Netanyahu has faced backlash from the
families of hostages. On Monday, his wife Sara was overheard on a microphone
saying that “fewer” than 24 hostages are still alive in Gaza. The remark
outraged families and prompted demands for clarity on what the government knows
about their loved ones’ fate, as well as questions on why the prime minister’s
wife has sensitive information about their loved ones that they do not. “You
sowed indescribable panic in the hearts of the families of the hostages –
families already living in agonizing uncertainty,” the forum said in a
statement. “If there is intelligence or new information regarding the condition
of our loved ones, we demand full disclosure.”Israel has publicly said in recent
weeks that it believes up to 24 of the 59 remaining hostages are still alive.
Sara Netanyahu’s claim appears to be an indication that the government may have
information that some of the 24 hostages have died. Israeli officials told CNN
last week there are “grave concerns” about three of the hostages but would not
say whether Israel knows for certain that they are dead. For months, Israeli
officials used the same language to refer to hostages Shiri Bibas and her two
children, whose bodies were returned in the most recent ceasefire. Pressure has
also been mounting on Netanyahu from military reservists who have become
increasingly vocal in their opposition to the war, with several public letters
saying that the Gaza war mainly serves the political and personal interests of
officials, not the country’s security interests.
IDF has hit 1,800 targets in Gaza since new operations began on March 18
Seth J. Frantzman/ FDD's Long War
Journal/May 1, 2025
The Israeli military has struck more than 1,800 targets in Gaza since renewing
operations against Hamas on March 18, according to data released by the Israel
Defense Forces (IDF) on April 26. The IDF continues to carry out precision
strikes on terrorists in the territory as the overall tempo of operations
remains relatively low intensity. The Israeli military has continued
consolidating control of areas in southern Gaza while maintaining a security
zone near the border in the rest of the territory. On April 24, IDF Chief of
Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir traveled to Gaza to meet with Israeli
officers. He said that Israel could expand its operations in the territory if
there is no hostage deal. “We are continuing with the operational pressure and
tightening the ring around Hamas as needed, and if we see no progress in the
return of the hostages, we will expand our activities to an intense and even
more significant move until we reach the defeat [of Hamas],” Zamir said. He
added, “Hamas is mistaken when it comes to our abilities, intentions and
determination, just like [deceased Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan] Nasrallah
and his top command.”
IDF Spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin highlighted the current
campaign’s objective on April 21. “We are here in the Morag Corridor, the
corridor located between the Khan Yunis and Rafah, as you saw earlier. I want to
clarify the goal of the operation: to increase pressure on Hamas in order to
bring the hostages home and to dismantle both the Hamas government and the Hamas
military wing,” Defrin said.
The IDF’s claim that it has struck more than 1,800 targets comes 10 days after
it said it had hit 1,200 targets, indicating the Israeli military has conducted
around 60 strikes per day in the interim.
Three Israeli divisions continue to operate in Gaza. The 252nd Division, which
has been operating south of Gaza City in the Netzarim Corridor, is also fighting
within Gaza City. The 36th Division is responsible for fighting in Rafah and the
new Morag Corridor in southern Gaza. The Israeli military also announced on
April 26 that the Gaza Division is fighting in the Shabura and Tel Sultan
neighborhoods in Rafah. “Thus far, the troops have destroyed dozens of tunnel
shafts, weapons stockpiles, terrorist infrastructure, deepened control in the
area, and eliminated several terrorists,” the IDF stated.
In fighting in northern Gaza, a tank driver from the IDF’s 14th Armored Brigade
was killed by sniper fire, according to reports on April 24. In addition,
Israeli forces in Beit Hanoun were targeted by anti-tank fire. The IDF also said
that terrorists had targeted the 401st Armored Brigade in Daraj Tuffah near Gaza
City on April 25. In another incident on April 25, four Israeli soldiers from
the 205th Armored Reserve Brigade were wounded, one seriously, by an explosive
device in the Philadelphi Corridor area of southern Gaza. An IDF soldier was
killed in the Shejaiya neighborhood in northern Gaza the same day.
The increasing Israeli casualties in Gaza illustrate that the IDF is
increasingly coming into contact with militants. Over the first month of renewed
combat in the territory, there were few firefights with terrorists, who mostly
appeared to retreat in the face of the Israeli military advance. The increased
incidents come as the IDF slowly expands operations into areas such as Shejaiya,
Beit Hanoun, and Daraj Tuffah in northern Gaza while also attempting to clear
areas of southern Gaza. The IDF continues to search for new targets in the
territory. On April 22, the Israeli Air Force struck engineering equipment,
including construction-type vehicles, it said was used during the October 7
massacre. The operation was a follow-up to March 24 strikes on pick-up trucks
used by Hamas. The Israeli military also struck a site used as a
command-and-control center by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Jabaliya in
northern Gaza. The IDF previously cleared Jabaliya of hundreds of terrorists
between October and December 2024 in one of several sweeps of the neighborhood.
It appears that terrorists returned to the area. The IDF also targeted
terrorists who participated in the October 7 attack with other precision strikes
between April 21 and April 30. The Israeli military continues to improve its
capabilities while fighting in Gaza. Several new defense systems have been
deployed during the war, including unmanned vehicles and precision mortars. The
“Bar” rocket is the latest system the IDF said it has employed for the first
time. The 282nd Artillery Brigade, part of the 36th Division, utilized the
weapon. “The system features a navigation mechanism adapted to challenging
combat environments,” the IDF said on April 28.
*Reporting from Israel, Seth J. Frantzman is an adjunct fellow at FDD and a
contributor to FDD’s Long War Journal. He is the senior Middle East
correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post, and author of The October 7
War: Israel’s Battle for Security in Gaza (2024).
Israeli reservists speak out
against Gaza war as pressure on Netanyahu grows
Paul Adams - BBC News, Jerusalem/May
1, 2025
Israel's war in Gaza grinds on, but opposition is growing.
In recent weeks, thousands of Israeli reservists – from all branches of the
military – have signed letters demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu's government stop the fighting and concentrate instead on reaching a
deal to bring back the remaining 59 hostages being held by Hamas. Eighteen
months ago, few Israelis doubted the war's logic: to defeat Hamas and return the
hostages. For many, the January ceasefire and subsequent return of more than 30
hostages raised hopes that the war might soon end. But after Israel broke the
ceasefire and returned to war in mid-March, those hopes were dashed. "We came to
the conclusion that Israel is going to a very bad place," Danny Yatom, a former
head of the spy agency Mossad told me. "We understand that what mainly bothers
Netanyahu is his own interests. And in the list of priorities, his interests and
the interests of having the government stable are the first ones, and not the
hostages." Many of those signing recent letters are, like Yatom, long time
critics of the prime minister. Some were involved in the anti-government
protests that preceded the outbreak of war on 7 October 2023 following Hamas's
attack on Israel. But Yatom says that's not why he decided to speak out. "I
signed my name and I am participating in the demonstrations not because of any
political reason, but because of a national reason," he said. "I am highly
concerned that my country is going to lose its way."A woman stands in protest
holding up two signs - one showing the image of two Gazan children killed in the
war and another that says in Hebrew, Arabic and English: "Stop the War". The
first open letter to be published, in early April, was signed by 1,000 air force
reservists and retirees. "The continuation of the war does not contribute to any
of its declared goals," they wrote, "and will lead to the death of the
hostages". The signatories urged Israelis to follow their lead before time ran
out on the estimated 24 hostages still thought to be alive in Gaza. "Every day
that passes is further risking their lives. Every moment of hesitation is a
crying shame."In the weeks since, similar letters have appeared from almost
every branch of the military, including elite fighting and intelligence units,
along with a number of decorated commanders.
More than 12,000 signatures all.
After 7 October, hundreds of thousands of Israeli reservists answered the call,
eager to serve. But now, more and more are refusing, with reports suggesting
that reserve attendance has dropped to as little as 50-60%. Anti-Hamas protests
on rise in Gaza as group's iron grip slips. As an Israeli hostage turns 48, his
wife waits for blue ticks on her messages. 'Part of us is still in Gaza': Freed
Israeli hostages fight for a new ceasefire. For a military that depends heavily
on reservists to fight its wars, it's a looming crisis on a scale not seen since
Israel's first Lebanon war in 1982. In a leafy Jerusalem park, I met "Yoav" (not
his real name), an infantry reservist who asked not to be identified. Yoav
served in Gaza last summer but said he wouldn't do it again. "I had the feeling
that I needed to go to help my brothers and sisters," he told me."I believed I
was doing something good. Complicated but good. But now, I don't see it in the
same way anymore."The government's determination to keep fighting Hamas, while
hostages risk death in the tunnels of Gaza, Yoav said, was misplaced.
"We are very strong and we can beat Hamas, but it's not about beating Hamas," he
said. "It's about losing our country."
During his time in Gaza, Yoav told me, he tried to be "the best moral soldier
that a man can be". But the longer the war goes on, critics say, the harder it
is for Israel to claim, as government officials often do, that its military is
the most moral army in the world. In a recent column in the left of centre
newspaper Haaretz, the retired general Amiram Levin said it was time for
soldiers – starting with senior commanders - to think about disobeying orders.
"The risk of being dragged into war crimes and suffering a fatal blow to the
Israel Defense Forces and our social ethos," he wrote, "make it impossible to
stand idly by". Some of Israel's critics, including those who have brought cases
before the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice,
argue that such lines have already been crossed. Netanyahu has lashed out at the
protesters, dismissing their concerns as "propaganda lies", spread by "a small
handful of fringe elements – loud, anarchist and disconnected pensioners, most
of whom haven't served in years". But polls suggest the protest letters reflect
a growing public conviction: that the release of the remaining hostages should
come before everything.
In Tel Aviv, where noisy anti-war demonstrations have been held for well over a
year, images of the hostages are held aloft, while other protestors sit on the
road, cradling pictures of Palestinian children killed during the war.
Amid the row generated by the letters, such emotive displays appear to have
rattled the authorities. On 20 April, the police briefly told protesters that
"pictures of children or babies from Gaza" would not be permitted, along with
posters displaying the words "genocide" or "ethnic cleansing".
US says minerals deal
will strengthen Trump in talks with Russia
Reuters/May 1, 2025
KYIV/WASHINGTON -Kyiv and Washington on Thursday hailed a deal giving the United
States preferential access to new Ukrainian minerals as a milestone which a top
U.S. official said would allow President Donald Trump to negotiate with Russia
on a stronger basis. The Kremlin was silent on Wednesday's agreement, but former
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said it meant Trump had "broken the Kyiv
regime" because Ukraine would have to pay for U.S. military aid with mineral
resources. The accord, which was signed in Washington and heavily promoted by
Trump, establishes a joint investment fund for Ukraine's reconstruction as the
U.S. president tries to secure a peace settlement in Russia's war in Ukraine.
The agreement also gives the U.S. preferential access to new Ukrainian minerals
projects. It is central to Ukraine's efforts to mend ties with the White House,
which frayed after Trump took office in January, but is yet to be considered by
the Ukrainian parliament. The deal will show the "Russian leadership that there
is no daylight between the Ukrainian people and the American people, between our
goals," U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox Business Network in an
interview. "And again, I think this is a strong signal to theRussian leadership,
and it gives President Trump the ability tonow negotiate with Russia on even a
stronger basis," he said. His remarks appeared to send a signal to Russia that
Washington remains aligned with Kyiv despite question marks over its commitment
to its ally since Trump's return to power upended U.S. diplomacy. Senior Trump
administration officials said three agreements had been signed - a framework
deal and two technical accords - and that they expected Ukraine's parliament to
approve them within a week. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he
hoped there would be no delays in securing parliament's approval, although some
lawmakers said they expected it to take longer than a week. "The agreement has
changed significantly in the preparation process," Zelenskiy said in a video
posted on Telegram, hailing what he called a "truly equal agreement" that
created opportunities for investment in Ukraine and the modernisation of
industry and legal practices in his country. He and Bessent both underlined the
important role in securing a deal that had been played by talks Zelenskiy and
Trump held in Rome during Pope Francis' funeral on April 26. "In fact, now we
have the first result of the Vatican meeting, which makes it truly historic,"
Zelenskiy said. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Syhiba said the deal marked
"an important milestone" in U.S.-Ukrainian relations aimed at strengthening
Ukraine's economy and security.
U.S. FRUSTRATIONS
Kyiv has been highly dependent on U.S. military supplies since Russia's
full-scale invasion in February 2022 and says Moscow has intensified attacks on
Ukraine since the U.S. stepped up efforts to secure a peace settlement.
Washington has been signalling its frustration with the failure of Moscow and
Kyiv to agree on terms, and Trump has shown signs of disappointment with Russian
President Vladimir Putin for not moving faster towards peace. Medvedev, who is
now a senior security official in Russia, suggested Ukraine had been forced into
the agreement. "Trump has broken the Kyiv regime to the point where they will
have to pay for U.S. aid with mineral resources," he wrote on Telegram. "Now
they (Ukrainians) will have to pay for military supplies with the national
wealth of a disappearing country." Ukraine's international debt rallied after
the signing of the minerals deal, which financial analysts said had come with
better terms for Ukraine than they had originally thought likely. Ukraine is
rich in natural resources including rare earth metals used in consumer
electronics, electric vehicles and military applications, among others. Global
rare-earth mining is dominated by China, which is locked in a trade war with the
U.S. after Trump's sharp tariff increases. Ukraine also has large reserves of
iron, uranium and natural gas. First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said
Ukraine has no debt obligations to the U.S. under the agreement, but the deal
provided no concrete U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine, one of Kyiv's initial
goals. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal met parliamentary factions at a closed
meeting on Thursday to present the deal. Some members of parliament complained
they had not seen the text of the agreement or been properly consulted. One
lawmaker, Yaroslav Zheleznyak, said it may take until mid-May for parliament to
vote on the deal.
Turkey stresses opposition to decentralisation in Syria
Reuters/May 1, 2025
ANKARA - Turkey rejects any plans that undermine the central government in Syria
or threaten its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Turkish sources said,
responding to demands from Kurds for Syria to adopt a decentralised system of
government. Turkey backed rebels against former President Bashar al-Assad for
years and is seen as the closest foreign ally of Syria's new Islamist leaders,
vowing to help them rebuild and stabilise a country devastated by 14 years of
war. Ankara sees decentralisation demands by Syria's Kurds as a threat because
of what it says are their cross-border links to Kurdish militants in Turkey,
while it looks to end a decades-old conflict with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers
Party (PKK) militia. Rival Syrian Kurdish parties, including the dominant Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF) in the northeast, agreed at a meeting on Saturday on a
common political vision for the country's Kurdish minority and decentralisation,
a call rejected by Syria's leadership. Turkish sources elaborated on comments by
President Tayyip Erdogan, who said on Wednesday that decentralisation demands in
Syria were "nothing more than a raw dream". "Turkey does not accept any
initiative that targets Syria's territorial integrity, that will damage its
sovereignty, or that allows weapons to be carried by others not in the Syrian
central authority," a Turkish Foreign Ministry source said. Turkey, a NATO
member, views the U.S.-backed SDF as a terrorist organisation. Ankara welcomed a
March deal between the SDF and Damascus to merge Kurdish-led governing bodies
and security forces with the central government, but said it must also ensure
the dismantling of the YPG militia spearheading the SDF, and of the SDF's chain
of command.
PROVIDING 'SPACE'
The source said Turkey had provided "the necessary space" for Damascus to
address Turkey's concerns over Kurdish militants in Syria. Ankara has previously
warned of military action if its concerns are not alleviated. A Turkish defence
ministry source said on Wednesday that demands for autonomy could harm Syria's
sovereignty and regional stability. "We cannot consent to the disintegration of
Syria's territorial integrity and the deterioration of its unitary structure
under any guise," the source told a briefing in Ankara. "We are against
autonomous region and/or decentralised rhetoric or activities, just as is the
new Syrian administration."Late on Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Ministry
Spokesperson Oncu Keceli said all regional countries must contribute to Syria's
security and stability, calling on Israel to halt "its air strikes that harm the
unity and integrity of Syria". Israel has been mounting air strikes inside
Syria, which Turkey has called an unacceptable provocation to harm Syria's unity
in the post-Assad era. Ankara has been a fierce critic of Israel since it
launched the Gaza war. Ankara also wants all Western sanctions imposed on Syria
to be fully lifted and for U.S. troops stationed in the northeast to withdraw.
Ukraine and the US have
finally signed a minerals deal. What does it include?
Samya Kullab/The Associated Press/May 1, 2025
KYIV, Ukraine — After months of tense negotiations, the U.S. and Ukraine signed
a deal that is expected to give Washington access to the country’s critical
minerals and other natural resources, an agreement Kyiv hopes will secure
long-term support for its defense against Russia. According to Ukrainian
officials, the version of the deal signed Wednesday is far more beneficial to
Ukraine than previous versions, which they said reduced Kyiv to a junior partner
and gave Washington unprecedented rights to the country's resources. The
agreement — which the Ukrainian parliament must ratify — would establish a
reconstruction fund for Ukraine that Ukrainian officials hope will be a vehicle
to ensure future American military assistance. A previous agreement was nearly
signed before being derailed in a tense Oval Office meeting involving U.S.
President Donald Trump, U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “We have formed a version of the agreement that provides
mutually beneficial conditions for both countries. This is an agreement in which
the United States notes its commitment to promoting long-term peace in Ukraine
and recognizes the contribution that Ukraine has made to global security by
giving up its nuclear arsenal,” Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who signed
the deal for Ukraine, said in a post on Facebook. The signing comes during what
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said would be a “very critical” week for
U.S.-led efforts to end the war that appear to have stalled. Ukraine sees the
deal as a way to ensure that its biggest and most consequential ally stays
engaged and doesn’t freeze military support, which has been key in its
3-year-old fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion. “This agreement signals
clearly to Russia that the Trump administration is committed to a peace process
centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term,”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who signed for the U.S., said in a statement.
Here is a look at the deal.
What does the deal include?
The deal covers minerals, including rare earth elements, but also other valuable
resources, including oil and natural gas, according to the text released by
Ukraine's government. It does not include resources that are already a source of
revenue for the Ukrainian state. In other words, any profits under the deal are
dependent on the success of new investments. Ukrainian officials have also noted
that it does not refer to any debt obligations for Kyiv, meaning profits from
the fund will likely not go toward the paying the U.S. back for its previous
support. Officials have also emphasized that the agreement ensures full
ownership of the resources remains with Ukraine, and the state will determine
what can be extracted and where. It does not mention any explicit security
guarantees to deter future Russian aggression that Ukraine has long insisted on.
The text of the deal lists 55 minerals but says more can be agreed to. Trump has
repeatedly expressed interest in Ukraine's rare earth elements, and some of them
are included in the list, as are other critical minerals, such as titanium,
lithium and uranium.
What are rare earth elements?
They are a group of 17 elements that are essential to many kinds of consumer
technology, including cellphones, hard drives and electric and hybrid vehicles.
China is the world’s largest producer of rare earth elements, and both the U.S
and Europe have sought to reduce their dependence on Beijing, Trump’s chief
geopolitical adversary.They include elements such as lanthanum, cerium and
scandium, which are listed in the deal.
How will the fund work?
The agreement establishes a reconstruction investment fund, and both the U.S.
and Ukraine will have an equal say in its management, according to Svyrydenko.
The fund will be supported by the U.S. government through the U.S. International
Development Finance Corporation agency, which Ukraine hopes will attract
investment and technology from American and European countries. Ukraine is
expected to contribute 50% of all future profits from government-owned natural
resources into the fund. The United States will also contribute in the form of
direct funds and equipment, including badly needed air defense systems and other
military aid. Contributions to the fund will be reinvested in projects related
to mining, oil and gas as well as infrastructure. No profits will not be taken
from the fund for the first 10 years, Svyrydenko said. Trump administration
officials initially pushed for a deal in which Washington would receive $500
billion in profits from exploited minerals as compensation for its wartime
support. But Zelenskyy rejected the offer, saying he would not sign off on an
agreement “that will be paid off by 10 generations of Ukrainians.”
What is the state of Ukraine's minerals industry?
Ukraine’s rare earth elements are largely untapped because of state policies
regulating the industry, a lack of good information about deposits, and the war.
The industry’s potential is unclear since geological data is thin because
mineral reserves are scattered across Ukraine, and existing studies are
considered largely inadequate, according to businessmen and analysts. In
general, however, the outlook for Ukrainian natural resources is promising. The
country's reserves of titanium, a key component for the aerospace, medical and
automotive industries, are believed to be among Europe’s largest. Ukraine also
holds some of Europe’s largest known reserves of lithium, which is required to
produce batteries, ceramics and glass. In 2021, the Ukrainian mineral industry
accounted for 6.1% of the country’s gross domestic product and 30% of exports.
An estimated 40% of Ukraine's metallic mineral resources are inaccessible
because of Russian occupation, according to data from We Build Ukraine, a
Kyiv-based think tank. Ukraine has argued that it's in Trump’s interest to
develop the remainder before Russian advances capture more.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on May 01-02/2025
Calibrating US policy to constrain Iranian oil exports
Saeed Ghasseminejad/ Washington Examiner//May 1, 2025
Shortly after President Donald Trump started his second term, his new Treasury
Secretary, Scott Bessent, promised, “We are committed to bringing the Iranians
to going back to the 100,000 barrels a day of oil exports.” Fulfilling that
commitment appears far off. In February, Iran exported 1.7 million barrels per
day, mostly to China; the following month, Iran’s oil exports declined slightly
but were still 15 times Bessent’s goal. Simply put, absent an effective strategy
to counter China’s purchase of Iranian oil, it will be difficult to make
sanctions against Iran effective. The difficulty lies in the complex network
facilitating Iranian oil exports and Beijing’s efforts to keep Tehran afloat.
Over the years, Tehran has fine-tuned its sanctions evasion, including
ship-to-ship transfers, falsified documentation, and the use of “shadow fleets.”
To counter these, Washington must be willing to impose real pain on Beijing to
coerce a change in behavior. It is critical to focus on end-users in China. U.S.
authorities must not only exert diplomatic pressure on Beijing but also apply
primary and secondary sanctions to entities that trade with Iran, especially
those with an international footprint. Earlier this year, the United States
targeted a small Chinese private refinery for the first time. It is essential to
target Chinese refineries that are processing Iranian oil, but the U.S.
Department of the Treasury should also use its designation authority to
designate the entities that buy their products further. Targeting board members
and key managers of these companies increases the effectiveness of sanctions. An
escalation of the tanker confiscation campaign is necessary. The U.S. Navy and
allied maritime forces should seize vessels engaged in illicit Iranian oil
transport. This necessitates enhanced intelligence gathering to identify and
track these vessels and a legal framework to facilitate confiscation and asset
forfeiture. The message must be clear: Engaging in Iranian oil trade carries
immediate financial consequences. Iran will try to retaliate in the Persian Gulf
and Gulf of Oman, so the U.S. and allied navies must be prepositioned to deter
and respond.
The designation of key economic operatives is also essential. The Trump
administration sanctioned Iran’s oil minister in March. A horizontal and
vertical expansion of such measures is necessary. The Treasury Department must
prioritize the designation of board members, executives, and major shareholders
of entities facilitating sanctions evasion. Washington should also move beyond
the designation of shadow fleets to ports and port operators, storage
facilities, banks, and insurance providers that facilitate Iranian oil exports.
Disrupting these nodes can further limit Iran’s ability to access global
markets. The Chinese banks that store or transfer Iran’s oil revenue would be
prime targets.Covert actions targeting key sanctions busters are also necessary.
Washington should deal with Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps financiers the
same way it deals with ISIS and al Qaeda financiers. This would involve
strategic disruption of critical nodes in the Iranian oil trade network,
including individuals and entities that facilitate sanctions evasion. According
to the Biden administration, 27 nations facilitate illicit oil trade between
Iran and China. Clear and consistent communication from the State and Treasury
Departments, outlining the consequences of sanctions evasion, especially to
partners such as the United Arab Emirates and Turkey, is essential. A united
front, involving key allies and international organizations, can amplify the
effect of sanctions, though it may require coercion against partners disinclined
to take the Iran threat as seriously. U.S. policy is at its weakest when it
confuses rhetoric with reality. The goal of reducing Iran’s oil exports to
100,000 barrels per day is welcome, but absent a systematic strategy to fulfill
that goal, it will remain an aspiration. There is simply no way to fulfill
Bessent’s goal absent tackling Beijing’s dual desires to profit from discounted
Iranian crude and empower Tehran in its war by terrorist proxy.
Saeed Ghasseminejad is a senior adviser for Iran and financial economics at the
Foundation for Defense of Democracies, specializing in Iran’s economy, financial
markets, sanctions, and illicit finance. Follow him on LinkedIn and X
@SGhasseminejad.
Turkey: Sweeping Arrests, Torture, Censorship
Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/May 01/2025
On March 19, just days before the March 23 primaries of Turkey's main opposition
party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu --
the CHP's leading candidate who was thought by many possibly to win the next
presidential election against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan -- was arrested on
contested charges of "corruption and terrorism."
A day earlier, on March 18, Imamoglu's university degree was revoked, "citing
'nullity' and 'clear error' as grounds for cancellation... The decision affects
Imamoglu and 27 other individuals whose academic credentials have now been
invalidated...."
"All of the detainees, absolutely all of them, were tortured terribly while
being detained. They were tortured terribly in the detention vehicle, while
being taken to Gayrettepe [police station]. There are young people among them
who are in really bad shape. What is terrible is that there is nothing [as
evidence against them] in their investigation files, not even a photo against
them. ..... [T]hese are revenge trials. The prosecutors who took testimonies of
detainees yesterday, today do not talk with the lawyers, in any way... This is
not a [proper] judiciary." — Sezgin Tanrıkulu, MP from the CHP opposition party,
March 27, 2025.
Meanwhile, Erdogan's regime has arrested many dissident journalists and
continues to apply financial and judicial pressure on media outlets that refuse
to operate as mouthpieces for the regime.
"There was no chance for a defense.... The decision appears prepared
beforehand." — Elif Taşdöğen, attorney, medyanews.net, January 22, 2025.
Meanwhile, the government continues to pardon and release imprisoned Turkish
Hizbullah terrorists.
The Erdogan regime's support for Islamic terror groups such as Hamas and ISIS
(Islamic State) is also well-documented.....
Meanwhile, do Europeans really want the possibility of up to 87 million more
Turkish citizens flooding Europe?
On March 19, the regime of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrested
Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Erdogan's main rival in the next presidential
election, on contested charges of "corruption and terrorism." Meanwhile,
Erdogan's regime has arrested many dissident journalists and continues to apply
financial and judicial pressure on media outlets that refuse to operate as
mouthpieces for the regime. Pictured: Erdogan addresses a meeting of his party
in Ankara, on February 23, 2025. (Photo by Adem Altan/AFP via Getty Images)
On March 19, just days before the March 23 primaries of Turkey's main opposition
party, the Republican People's Party (CHP), Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu --
the CHP's leading candidate who was thought by many possibly to win the next
presidential election against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan -- was arrested on
contested charges of "corruption and terrorism."
A day earlier, on March 18, Imamoglu's university degree was revoked, "citing
'nullity' and 'clear error' as grounds for cancellation... The decision affects
Imamoglu and 27 other individuals whose academic credentials have now been
invalidated...." according to Turkiye Today.
Imamoglu's detention sparked one of the biggest street demonstrations against
Erdogan since he was first elected as national leader in 2002.
On March 29, hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in Istanbul for a mass
rally called by the CHP to oppose the jailing of Imamoglu.
On March 23, Beylikdüzü Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalık and Şişli Mayor Resul Emrah
Şahan were also jailed. The same day, both Imamoglu and Çalık were suspended
from office.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on March 27 that 1,879 people had been
detained, 260 arrested, and judicial control decisions were issued for 468 of
those detained and arrested, while 489 were released. The legal procedures for
662 people are currently under review.
Sezgin Tanrıkulu, a CHP Member of Parliament reported on March 27:
"We spoke with lawyers... All of the detainees, absolutely all of them, were
tortured terribly while being detained. They were tortured terribly in the
detention vehicle, while being taken to Gayrettepe [police station]. There are
young people among them who are in really bad shape. What is terrible is that
there is nothing [as evidence against them] in their investigation files, not
even a photo against them.... these are revenge trials. The prosecutors who took
testimonies of detainees yesterday, today do not talk with the lawyers, in any
way."
Tanrıkulu told Sözcü TV:
"We were at Çağlayan Courthouse for the last two days, with lawyers and our MP
friends. We witnessed it in person, not just heard from lawyers. We spoke to
those who were brought from police custody and taken to the judgeship, we
listened to their statements....
They [the police] kicked young girls between the legs and made them bleed. I
have never heard anything like this before.... The prosecutor decided to arrest
them without taking their testimonies."
The lawyers, Tanrıkulu added, wanted to explain the situation of the detainees
with a petition to the prosecutors, but an investigating prosecutor said he
would not take petitions from lawyers and a judge told the lawyers in the
courtroom to "Get out, I have arrested them all."
"This is not a [proper] judiciary," Tanrıkulu said.
Turkish authorities have, in the meantime, continued to crack down on media
coverage of the protest movement. On March 29, Swedish journalist Joakim Medin
was arrested on charges of "membership of an armed terrorist organisation" and
"insulting the president." Andreas Gustavsson, editor-in-chief of Dagens ETC
newspaper, disclosed that Medin, who was in Turkey to cover the ongoing protests
against the arrest of Imamoglu, had not been heard from for two days.
Thirteen Turkish journalists covering the protests were also arrested, although
11 were freed on March 27, including AFP photographer Yasin Akgul.
Turkish authorities also deported BBC correspondent Mark Lowen after holding him
for 17 hours on the grounds that he posed "a threat to public order." Erdogan's
regime has additionally incarcerated many opposition mayors, members of
parliament, politicians, and party members.
In past decade alone, Erdogan's regime has arrested hundreds of Kurdish mayors,
politicians and political activists over "terrorism" charges -- a standard
accusation against anyone critical of the Turkish government or members of the
pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). Several HDP members of parliament,
including the party's co-heads Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, were
jailed after finding their immunity lifted.
Democratically elected Kurdish mayors, deputy mayors, municipal council- and
staff-members of the HDP and its sister party, DBP (Democratic Regions Party),
have also been suspended, dismissed or arrested for alleged terrorism-related
offenses, later replaced by government-appointed trustees. Turkey's
Constitutional Court is currently in the process of deciding whether to close
the HDP party.[1]
The extremely broad, vague terrorism-related articles in the Turkish Anti-Terror
Law and the Turkish Penal Code have long been criticized by international human
rights organizations, The World Organization Against Torture stated in a
briefing on June 13, 2022:
"Turkey has been employing counter-terrorism and national security legislation
to restrict rights and freedoms and silence the voices of human rights
defenders... In the last three months of 2021 alone, no less than 1,220 human
rights defenders suffered judicial harassment or reprisals..."
In 2024, Erdogan's regime continued arbitrarily to arrest opposition mayors.
Turkey's Foundation of Human Rights (TIHV) reported:
"In 2024, many members and executives of political parties, mayors, and
municipal council members were detained and arrested, and pressure was exerted
on them through lawsuits filed against them. Trustees were appointed to the
municipalities. Summaries of proceedings against members of parliament were sent
to the Turkish parliament and there were attacks on members of political parties
and their buildings."
According to the findings of the TIHV, in just the first 11 months of 2024:
"8 people elected to municipalities, including 3 mayors or co-mayors and 5
municipal council members, were detained by police, and 3 people were arrested.
"43 journalists were detained. 11 journalists were jailed. 1 journalist was
prevented from entering the country. At least 3 journalists were attacked,
because of which at least 1 journalist was injured. 14 journalists were
threatened. Investigations were launched against 42 journalists. 253 cases
opened against 534 press workers continued to be heard."
On October 30, 2024, the Mayor of Esenyurt Municipality in Istanbul, Ahmet Özer,
a CHP member, was detained "within the scope of the investigations carried out
to identify the members and activities of the PKK/KCK [Kurdistan Workers' Party]
terrorist organization", was removed from office, and a trustee was appointed in
his place.
On November 4, 2024, Mardin Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ahmet Türk, Batman
Mayor Gülistan Sönük and Mayor Mehmet Karayılan of Halfeti (in Kurdish-majority
southeast Turkey) were dismissed from office over "terrorism" charges. Türk's
dismissal was based on his 10-year prison sentence in the Kobani case and the
ongoing cases and investigations against him.[2]
Meanwhile, Erdogan's regime has arrested many dissident journalists and
continues to apply financial and judicial pressure on media outlets that refuse
to operate as mouthpieces for the regime.
On January 29, Halk TV's editor-in-chief Suat Toktaş, program coordinator Kürşad
Oğuz, and journalist Barış Pehlivan were detained for broadcasting a recorded
phone conversation with an expert witness. While Pehlivan and Oğuz were released
under judicial control measures, Toktaş was arrested. Pehlivan and Oğuz have
been banned from leaving the country. Halk TV is one of Turkey's largest private
TV channels that is critical of Erdogan's government.
According to the International Press Institute (IPI), in January 2025 alone, at
least nine journalists were arrested, six sentenced to prison, five detained, 23
faced investigations and one encountered police obstruction.
On February 5, a coalition of international press freedom organizations, led by
the IPI, called on Turkish authorities to halt what they describe as an
escalating crackdown on independent journalism.
"The frequent use of arbitrary arrests, detentions, judicial control measures,
and convictions poses an existential threat to independent media, democratic
discourse, and fundamental human rights in the country.
"Turkey must ensure that its practices align with international standards for
the protection of freedom of expression and press freedom."
Among the most alarming cases cited by IPI and its partners is the January 17
detention of six Kurdish journalists — Reyhan Hacıoğlu, Necla Demir, Rahime
Karvar, Vedat Örüç, Velat Ekin and Ahmet Güneş, who, after a series of
coordinated police raids in Istanbul, Diyarbakır, Van and Mersin, were held
without access to legal representation. Five journalists were jailed; Güneş was
released on February 4. The journalists are accused of "terror organization
membership" over their professional activities.
Their lawyer, Elif Taşdöğen, criticized the judicial process as "a predetermined
ruling that disregarded fundamental rights," adding:
"There was no chance for a defense. The court's approach, dismissing the need
for proper questioning and forwarding the case directly to a ruling, exposes the
state of our legal system. The decision appears prepared beforehand."
IPI and its partners presented in their statement a timeline documenting an
acceleration of violations of press freedoms over just the last month:
On January 2, authorities launched an investigation against journalist Aslıhan
Gençay for her reporting on corruption in Hatay. They blocked access to her
article and charged her with multiple offenses, including violations of the
"disinformation law" -- an apparent attempt to suppress investigative
journalism.
On January 7, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an
investigation against 21 journalists who covered the Kobani trial's final
hearing. The journalists face potential fines for alleged unauthorized
photography -- a move that effectively criminalizes routine court reporting.
On January 21, Rudaw TV correspondent Rawin Sterk Yıldız faced police
interference while documenting a detention in Istanbul's Beyoğlu district.
Despite clearly identifying himself as a journalist, he was prevented from
documenting the public incident.
On January 23, a troubling verdict resulted in five journalists – Yakup Çetin,
Ahmet Memiş, Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu, Ünal Tanık, Yetkin Yıldız, Gökçe Fırat
Çulhaoğlu – receiving harsh sentences—ranging from 25 months to over six years
in prison -- in a "terrorism"-related case, despite the absence of credible
evidence.
On January 24, the arrest of journalist Eylem Babayiğit once again demonstrated
the arbitrary use of "membership of an organization" charges.
On January 28, the launch of an investigation into T24 columnist Şirin Payzın
for alleged "terror propaganda" over social media posts indicates a concerning
expansion of surveillance and criminalization of online expression.
On January 28, the conviction of journalist Safiye Alagaş, former news editor
for the pro-Kurdish JINNEWS, resulted in a six years and three months prison
sentence. Alagaş has already spent a year in pretrial detention and is currently
free while awaiting appeal.
The IPI statement also highlights how Turkey's broadcast regulator's decisions
threaten press freedom:
"Turkey's broadcast regulator RTÜK has demonstrated a concerning pattern of
targeting critical media outlets. Just before the journalists' detention over
broadcasting a recorded phone conversation, the RTÜK Chair Ebubekir Şahin,
signaling the impending crackdown, warned of potential consequences for media
outlets and journalists regarding the broadcast. signaling the impending
crackdown. In his statement, he criticized Halk TV for recording and
broadcasting a phone conversation with an expert witness without permission and
allegedly attempting to influence ongoing legal proceedings.
"This incident reflects a broader pattern of regulatory pressure on critical
media. In 2024, RTÜK imposed 24 broadcast bans resulting in fines totaling 81.5
million Turkish lira (approximately €2.2 million or $2.3 million), with the
majority targeting media critical of the government....
"In a recent example, following the devastating hotel fire in Bolu that erupted
in the early morning hours of January 20, 2025, claiming 78 lives, the RTÜK
Chair directed media outlets to report solely on information from official
sources. Shortly after this directive, the Bolu 2nd Criminal Court of Peace
imposed a broadcasting ban on coverage of the disaster at the request of the
Bolu Chief Public Prosecutor's Office."
The statement called Turkey's judicial control measures against journalists "a
new tool for censorship".
"While there appears to be a decrease in the number of journalists in prison,
this masks a troubling shift toward using judicial control measures—such as
travel bans, regular check-ins at police stations, and house arrest—as
alternative means of restricting press freedom. This trend represents an equally
antidemocratic practice aimed at controlling journalists' freedom of movement
and expression. The systematic implementation of these measures, combined with
increasing online censorship, appears to be replacing traditional detention as a
method of silencing independent journalism....
'[T]he arbitrary imposition of travel bans, house arrests and other restrictions
continues to impede their ability to perform their professional duties
effectively. These measures, originally intended as exceptional remedies to
ensure judicial proceedings, are increasingly being weaponized to create a
chilling effect on press freedom."
Meanwhile, Turkey also appears to be targeting journalists outside its borders.
Kurdish journalists Nazım Daştan, 32, and Cihan Bilgin, 29, who had Turkish
citizenship, were murdered in a Turkish drone strike on December 19, 2024 in
northern Syria, while covering clashes between Turkey-backed jihadist forces and
US-allied Kurdish forces.
After the murders of the two journalists, the Istanbul Bar Association, on its
official X account, called on Turkey to "adhere to international humanitarian
law."
The president of the Istanbul Bar Association, Ibrahim Kaboglu, and 10 board
members now face criminal charges carrying prison sentences of up to 12 years,
for their statements regarding those murders: for allegedly "disseminating the
propaganda of a terrorist organization" and "publicly disseminating misleading
information through the press."
Journalists' organizations in Turkey -- including the Dicle Fırat Journalists
Association, the Mezopotamya Women Journalists Association and the Press Workers
Union -- organized a protest in Istanbul to condemn the murder of the two
journalists. Fourteen people, including seven journalists, are now facing
"terrorism"-related charges for participating in the protest.
Turkey has been in the top ten list of the worst jailers of journalists,
prepared by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and has taken first place
five times in recent years (2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, and 2018).
Although dozens of journalists have been freed since 2022, most are still under
investigation or awaiting trial, placing a stranglehold on the country's
critical media, CPJ's research shows.
"Even if there were zero journalists in prison today, 200 journalists may be
arrested tomorrow," said Barış Altıntaş, co-director of the Media and Law
Studies Association. "The government determines the number of arrested
journalists, even when it is low."
As Özgür Öğret, CPJ's Turkey representative, asks:
"Why is Turkey—a NATO member with close ties to the West—frequently ranked
alongside authoritarian states like Iran and Egypt in CPJ's prison census?"
On March 27, Turkey's Radio and Television Supreme Council (TRUK) imposed
penalties on TV channels -- such as Sozcu TV, Halk TV, Tele 1 and NOW TV -- that
refused to toe the line for Erdogan's regime in their broadcasts of the
nationwide protests, starting with the detention of Imamoglu. Sozcu TV, TRUK
announced, would be taken off the air for 10 days.
Fines and program-suspension penalties were imposed on Halk TV, Tele 1 and NOW
TV on the grounds that they were "inciting the public to hatred and hostility"
during their coverage of the protests, including a speech delivered by the head
of the CHP party.
Meanwhile, the government continues to pardon and release imprisoned Turkish
Hizbullah terrorists. On March 29, Erdogan pardoned the sentences of Şehmus
Alpsoy and Hamit Çöklü, who were sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment in a
Hizbullah case, on the grounds that "they have chronic illnesses". Turkish
Hizbullah is also responsible for the torture and murders of hundreds of
civilians in the 1990s.
The Erdogan regime's support for Islamic terror groups such as Hamas and ISIS
(Islamic State) is also well-documented. His regime reportedly participated in
the oil business with ISIS, dispatched arms to jihadists, and allowed ISIS
members to pass through Turkey on their way to fight in Syria and Iraq. In
August 2014, an ISIS commander told the Washington Post: "Most of the fighters
who joined us at the beginning of the war came via Turkey, as did our equipment
and supplies."
Erdogan's regime also allowed Hamas to engage in money laundering, granted Hamas
terrorists Turkish passports, let them open bank accounts and run offices in
Turkey.
According to the website Double Cheque:
"It seems that Hamas has chosen to manage its secret investment portfolio in
Turkey because of the weak financial system in Turkey, which enables Hamas to
hide its money laundering activity and tax violations from the regulatory
bodies."
The late journalist Burak Bekdil reported in 2014:
"Erdogan has never hidden that he is ideologically a next of kin to the Muslim
Brotherhood and Hamas. Hamas's overseas command center happens to be based in
Turkey. Erdogan has been Hamas's staunchest (non-Hamas) cheerleader in the last
decade, and the Brotherhood's key regional ally. Press reports say that Turkey
has recently welcomed in the Brotherhood's top brass, who were expelled on Sept.
13 from their five-million-star hotels in Qatar. Ankara has not denied that it
is offering a safe haven to the leaders of the Islamist organization."
Israel's police and the Shin Bet internal security service announced on April 10
that they had uncovered a terror financing network linked to Hamas members in
Turkey.
Meanwhile, in a ten-day offensive in Syria in December 2024, the
al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), conquered
Damascus and toppled the Assad regime in Syria.
Ties between Turkey and HTS run deep: Turkey and HTS both been have been
occupying and exploiting parts of northwest Syria since at least 2017.
Erdogan reportedly provided assistance to the HTS during its December advance to
Damascus, in the form of arms and by allowing the terror group to run a key
border crossing in northwest Syria. Since HTS took over Syria, jihadist
massacres against the members of the Alawite minority, and the persecution of
Syrian Christians, have skyrocketed.
In 1999, Turkey was granted "candidate status" by the European Union and in
2005, began negotiations for EU accession. Will the EU executive take action to
help secure the release of detained and abused mayors, politicians, dissenters
and journalists in Turkey, so they can carry out their professional work without
unwarranted governmental pressure, violations and censorship? How, otherwise,
can the EU seriously consider Turkey's candidacy? Meanwhile, do Europeans really
want the possibility of up to 87 million more Turkish citizens flooding Europe?
Uzay Bulut, a Turkish journalist, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone
Institute.
[1] The names of the democratically elected HDP mayors imprisoned in Turkey, as
released by the press office of HDP, include Hakkari Municipality Co-Mayor,
Mehmet Sıddık Akış, Co-Mayors of Akdeniz Municipality, Hoşyar Sarıyıldız and
Nuriye Arslan, Former Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayor, Adnan
Selçuk Mızraklı, Former Hakkari Municipality Co-Mayor, Cihan Karaman, Former
Karayazi Municipality Co-Mayor of Erzurum, Melike Goksu, Former Co-Mayor of
Yüksekova, Remziye Yasar, Former Co-Mayor of Iğdır, Yasar Akkus, Former Halfeli
Municipality Co-Mayor of Iğdır, Hasan Safa, Former Van Metropolitan Municipality
Co-Mayor, Bekir Kaya, Former Co-Mayor of Siirt Eruh Municipality, Huseyin Kilic,
Former Co-Mayor of Bitlis Yolalan Municipality, Felemez Aydın, Former Bozova
Municipality Co-Mayor of Urfa, Zeynel Taş, Former Co-Mayor of Muş Malazgirt
Municipality, Halis Coskun and Former Co-Mayor of Adıyaman Coal Municipality,
Hüseyin Yuka.
Officials who have been imprisoned due to trumped-up, terrorism related charges
include, Leyla Güven, HDP Members of Parliament for Hakkari, Semra Güzel, an MP
from Diyarbakir, Dilek Yağlı, HDP Women's Assembly member, Pervin Oduncu, member
of the HDP Central Executive Board, Ali Ürküt, a member of pro-Kurdish Peoples'
Equality and Democracy Party (DEM), Nazmi Gür, former HDP MP from Van, Alp
Altınörs, the Deputy Co-Chairman of the HDP and a member of the Central
Executive Board, and Günay Kubilay, HDP's Deputy Co-Chair for Economy,
Agriculture and Social Policies and Party Spokesperson, among others.
[2] According to a 2017 public statement by the HDP party, since July 2016,
1,478 Kurdish politicians -- including 78 democratically-elected mayors – have
been arrested.
According to a 2019 report prepared by the HDP, since 2015, 530 people have been
detained in police operations targeting the party and its components, and 6,000
people, including 750 members and executives of the party, jailed. In addition,
89 provincial co-chairs, 193 district co-chairs and a town's co-chair of the HDP
were arrested since. The report noted: "Following the March 31 [2019] elections,
17 of our co-mayors were arrested and trustees were appointed to 28 of our
municipalities. Since July 2015, 16 of our MPs, 7 Central Executive Board
members, 21 Party Assembly members, and over 750 provincial and district
administrators have been arrested, along with our Co-Chairs. Currently, 7 of our
MPs are under arrest. In addition, 11 MPs have had their MP status revoked. 93
municipality co-mayors, including deputy mayors, have been arrested and trustees
have been appointed to 84 municipalities. As a result of the political genocide
operations conducted since February 2017, a total of 5,098 people have been
detained. 14 natural, 62 elected, and a total of 76 of our delegates have been
arrested. Currently, 26th Term Deputies Figen Yüksekdağ, Selahattin Demirtaş,
Çağlar Demirel, İdris Baluken, Gülser Yıldırım, Selma Irmak, Abdullah Zeydan are
being held hostage [as prisoners]."
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not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
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or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21582/turkey-arrests-torture-censorship
Putin ‘has to be dealt with differently’ Trump’s new
perspective is correct
Clifford D. May/The Washington Times/May 01/2025
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/apr/29/putin-understands-strength-time-trump-show/
A year ago, amid indications that Iran’s rulers were preparing to launch a
direct attack on Israel, President Biden publicly warned them: “Don’t!”
But Iran’s rulers did.
Neither fearing nor respecting Mr. Biden, they launched more than 300 missiles
and drones at Israel. The extent of death and destruction would have been
enormous had Israel’s air defense systems, with U.S. and other support, not
intercepted almost all the projectiles before they reached their intended
victims.
I was reminded of this battle last week, after Russian President Vladimir Putin
fired 70 missiles and 145 drones at Ukraine, targeting residential buildings in
Kyiv. At least a dozen people were killed and nearly a hundred injured, many
trapped beneath rubble.
On Thursday, President Trump wrote on Truth Social: “I am not happy with the
Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP!
5000 soldiers a week are dying. Let’s get the Peace Deal DONE!”
Which raises this question: Does Mr. Putin fear and respect Mr. Trump?
On Friday, a Russian drone struck an apartment building in the Ukrainian city of
Pavlohrad killing three people, one of them a child.
Mr. Trump posted: “There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into
civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days. It makes me think that
maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be
dealt with differently, through ‘Banking’ or ‘Secondary sanctions?’ Too many
people are dying!!!”
Sen. Lindsey Graham agrees. On Saturday, he posted on X: “As to additional
sanctions on Putin’s Russia, I have bipartisan legislation with almost 60
cosponsors that would put secondary tariffs on any country that purchases
Russian oil, gas, uranium, or other products.” The message passing such
legislation would send could be emphasized by increasing the military aid
Ukrainians need both to defend themselves, such as Patriot air defense systems,
and to reduce Russian military capabilities, such as Army Tactical Missile
Systems (ATACMS).
America’s European friends can pay for these American munitions using their own
money or roughly $300 billion in frozen Russian funds. Another possibility would
be a lend-lease program with Ukrainian minerals as collateral. I’ll remind you,
too, that over the last three years less than 3% of the Pentagon budget has gone
to help the Ukrainians degrade the military power of America’s No.2 adversary.
Can you name a better return on investment? Meanwhile, Russia has been receiving
drones and missiles from the Islamist regime in Tehran, KN-23 ballistic missiles
(used in last week’s attack on Kyiv) from the dynastic dictatorship in North
Korea, and critical military technologies from the Communist regime in Beijing.
These authoritarian states don’t hate Ukrainians. They simply recognize that if
Mr. Putin can use military force to crush a pro-American neighbor, that will set
a precedent for similar aggressions by them against their American-allied
neighbors.
During an impromptu meeting with President Trump on Saturday at the Vatican,
where both were attending Pope Francis’ funeral, Mr. Zelensky reiterated his
desire for a “full and unconditional ceasefire.”That would halt the carnage to
which President Trump so justifiably objects and could lead to a long-range
truce. Korea provides a model. The war between the north and the south never
ended; it has just been on ice for more than 70 years. Over that period, South
Korea evolved into an economically vibrant and democratic ally of the U.S.
North Korea, by contrast, remains a hellhole, albeit a hellhole that possesses
nuclear weapons thanks to American diplomats who overvalued their persuasive
skills and undervalued American power. Let’s be clear about what a
Russian-Ukrainian armistice would entail. No one seriously expects Mr. Putin to
give up the eastern Ukrainian lands he invaded and now occupies, much less
Crimea, which he invaded and annexed in 2014. But it would be a mistake to
formally recognize Russia’s erasure of international borders by military
aggression – a fundamental principle of international law established and
defended by the United States for generations. It’s also unrealistic to think
that Ukraine can join NATO anytime soon. That would require a unanimous vote by
all existing members and that’s not likely. However, Ukraine should not be
prohibited from applying for membership since that would imply that Ukraine is –
as Mr. Putin insists – a Russian possession rather than an independent and
sovereign nation-state that has the right to seek defense alliances as its
elected leaders see fit.
President Trump has found brokering a Moscow-Kyiv deal frustrating and warned
that he might walk away. But he also said last week: “I want to save a lot of
lives!”
His advisors should remind him that if he ends American intelligence-sharing
with Ukraine and cuts off military aid, Mr. Putin will slaughter many more
Ukrainian men, women, and children. It’s lovely to think that everyone prizes
peace. But if that were true, Mr. Putin wouldn’t have begun this war, and he
would have sought an “offramp” when it became clear that the Ukrainians would
fight like wolverines rather than surrender their freedom. Nor is Mr. Putin
crying salty tears over his own troops ending up as cannon fodder. That’s a
price he’s more than willing to pay to drag Ukraine back into the Russian
empire. Should he succeed, expect him to press bayonets to the backs of
Ukrainian soldiers and order them to march west. Our European friends understand
that. On Friday, Reuters published a Ukraine-European proposal that would
include a “full, unconditional ceasefire in the sky, on land, and at sea.”
President Trump can get this “Deal DONE!” He has the cards. By playing them now,
he’ll also be making clear that he won’t be “tapped along.”
*Clifford D. May is founder and president of the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies (FDD), a columnist for the Washington Times, and host of the
“Foreign Podicy” podcast.
Syria’s Fragile Truce With the Kurds Is Falling Apart
Ahmad Sharawi/FDD/May 01/2025
The agreement between the interim government in Syria and the Kurdish-led Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF), signed just two months ago, is already on the brink of
collapse. If it breaks down completely, northeastern Syria — home to key oil
reserves and vital water infrastructure — could spiral back into conflict. The
deal, brokered largely with U.S. involvement, was seen as a breakthrough: a
pathway toward unifying Syria under a central government and creating a national
army. It also marked the first substantive cooperation between Damascus and the
SDF, Washington’s chief partner in the fight against ISIS. The SDF, a
Kurdish-led force that controls roughly 30 percent of Syria’s territory, played
the lead role in dismantling the ISIS caliphate and continues joint
counterterrorism operations with U.S. forces in the region. In April, the SDF
agreed to withdraw from the Kurdish-majority neighborhoods of Ashrafieh and
Sheikh Maqsud in Aleppo, transferring security control to Damascus’s General
Security Service. The two sides also conducted a limited prisoner exchange,
signaling early steps toward implementation. But the deal is now unraveling —
fast.
Kurds Push for Federal System
Syria’s Kurdish parties convened a major conference on April 26 to present a
cohesive political vision for the country’s future. SDF commander Mazloum Abdi
rejected accusations of separatism: “My message to all Syrian constituents and
the Damascus government is that the conference does not aim, as some say, at
division.” Instead, he called for building “a decentralized democratic Syria
that embraces everyone,” anchored in a new constitution that guarantees
political rights for all components of Syrian society. That message has only
deepened the rift. Syria’s new constitution, unveiled by interim President Ahmad
al-Sharaa, centralizes authority in the presidency and was drafted without
Kurdish participation. Ilham Ahmed, the co-president of the Democratic
Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, the administrative body for
the northeast of the country, said bluntly, “We want to participate in drafting
the constitution and managing the country.”
Security Collapse at Tishrin Dam
Tensions are now flaring on the ground. Damascus issued a rebuke of the Kurdish
unity conference, declaring: “We clearly reject any attempt to impose a
partition or create separatist cantons under the terms of federalism.” Just one
day later, on April 27, Syrian army units deployed near the Tishrin Dam —
violating a localized agreement that left the dam under SDF control after
Turkish-backed forces withdrew. Damascus also established new checkpoints in the
area, likely in response to the Kurds’ political demands. The seizure of the
Tishrin Dam signals Damascus’s willingness to undermine the deal in pursuit of
full control — and its disdain for Kurdish autonomy. Equally troubling is the
role of former Syrian National Army commanders now embedded within Syria’s new
army. Men like Mohammad al-Jasem (Abu Amsha) and Sayf Boulad — both under U.S.
sanctions for human rights abuses against Kurds — now hold senior command roles.
Their involvement only heightens Kurdish fears of repression under the new
regime.
U.S. Influence in Northeast Syria Remains Pivotal to Prevent Collapse
Despite a recent U.S. troop drawdown, Washington’s role in Syria remains vital.
The SDF continues to lead front-line operations against a resurging Islamic
State, backed by remaining U.S. special forces. Late last year, the Pentagon
temporarily ramped up its footprint in Syria in response to increased ISIS
activity. The justification for this year’s reduction was that the surge had
contained the threat — but the long-term risk remains. If the March agreement
collapses, not only would Damascus and the Kurds return to open hostility, but
U.S. gains against ISIS could unravel. Thousands of Islamic State fighters are
still held in SDF-run prisons and camps, and any chaos could trigger mass
escapes and a resurgence of violence. Washington must remain engaged in
preventing the collapse of the March agreement. Preserving this fragile deal is
the best hope of avoiding renewed war. Moreover, Washington should treat Kurdish
political inclusion as a litmus test for any future recognition of Syria’s
interim government. No inclusivity, no recognition.
**Ahmad Sharawi is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies (FDD), where he focuses on Middle East affairs, specifically the
Levant, Iraq, and Iranian intervention in Arab affairs, as well as U.S. foreign
policy toward the region. For more analysis from Ahmad and FDD, please
subscribe HERE. Follow Ahmad on X @AhmadA_Sharawi. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is
a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national
security and foreign policy.
How the road to Ukraine began in 1967
Ross Anderson/Arab News/May 01, 2025
There is much angst among the Western liberal cognoscenti over the “peace
agreement” with Russia currently being foisted on the Ukrainian people by the
Trump administration in Washington, chiefly on the ground that it is less a
peace agreement and more a capitulation. Russia’s reward for more than three
years of naked aggression will be to keep the 20 percent of Ukrainian territory
it now occupies, including the Crimean Peninsula it annexed in 2014. The only
crumb of comfort for Kyiv is that, while the US will recognize Russian
sovereignty over this captured territory, Ukraine need not — and nor need anyone
else. With the possible exception of China, it seems unlikely that anyone will.
Currently, the only countries that recognize Crimea as Russian are Afghanistan,
Cuba, Nicaragua, North Korea, Syria and Venezuela: peculiar company for the US
to be keeping. Vitriol has been directed at Donald Trump in particular for his
personal role in driving this process forward, and it is true that he and his
various administrations have executed some bewildering U-turns on the issue. In
2014, when he was still best known as a reality TV host and the White House was
no more than a glint in his eye, Trump was already expressing his admiration for
Vladimir Putin: “I think he’s a very capable leader … what he did with Crimea is
very smart.”
Four years later, however, when Trump had been president for two years and had
perhaps learned that being the powerful “leader of the free world” came with
certain responsibilities, his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made clear what the
official view was: “The US reaffirms as policy its refusal to recognize the
Kremlin’s claim of sovereignty over territory seized by force in contravention
of international law.”
Vitriol has been directed at Donald Trump in particular for his personal role in
driving this process forward
What Pompeo was “reaffirming” was the Welles Declaration, issued by a
predecessor, Sumner Welles, after the Soviet Union annexed Estonia, Latvia and
Lithuania in 1940. “The people of the United States are opposed to predatory
activities no matter whether they are carried on by the use of force or by the
threat of force,” Welles said. Washington refused to recognize Moscow’s
sovereignty over the three Baltic states for 50 years, until the Soviet Union
collapsed and they gained their independence. The declaration was followed in
1941 by the Atlantic Charter, signed by the US and the UK, in which Franklin
Roosevelt and Winston Churchill insisted that there should be “no territorial
changes that do not accord with the freely expressed wishes of the peoples
concerned.”All this, Trump’s critics say, has been official US policy for 85
years — until now. The charge against the president is that, in recognizing
Russia’s right to govern territory captured by force in Crimea and eastern
Ukraine, he is upending the policy of every White House administration since
Roosevelt’s, including his own first term.
But is he really? Surely I cannot be alone in detecting a whiff of hypocrisy
here. Since 1967, excluding Trump, there have been 10 US presidents: Lyndon
Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W.
Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. While most of
them have paid lip service to various UN resolutions, all of them without
exception have in practice accepted Israel’s right to occupy and populate the
territory it seized by force that year, along with the vast tracts of
Palestinian land it has settled since. The “freely expressed wishes of the
peoples concerned,” to repeat the grand words of the Atlantic Charter, appear no
longer to matter.
Since 1967, when Israel captured (and I make no apology for repeating “by
force,” since that is the key phrase in the original 1940 Welles Declaration)
and annexed East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, and occupied the West Bank, it
has claimed the right to 5,640 sq. km of land stolen from Jordan, 365 sq. km
stolen from Egypt and 1,200 sq. km stolen from Syria, and illegally settled more
than 700,000 Israelis on land stolen from the Palestinian people.
It did not stop there. Since it began its blood-soaked assault on Gaza in
October 2023, Israel has reoccupied 30 percent of the Palestinian enclave, it
has pushed troops farther into Syria and it occupies five strategic hilltops in
southern Lebanon. Its justification for these land grabs (again, by force) is
that, for security reasons, Israel requires “buffer zones” — which is a curious
irony given the ethnic composition of the people doing the grabbing: the right
to “lebensraum,” or “living space,” was a key policy tenet of the Nazi party in
Germany in the 1930s, used by Hitler to justify the invasion of Poland. And look
how that ended. Unlike the Palestinians in the West Bank, settlers enjoy the
luxury of being subject to Israeli civilian law
Unlike the Palestinians in the West Bank whose land they have stolen, who suffer
under arbitrary military law, settlers enjoy the luxury of being subject to
Israeli civilian law: evidence that Israel considers this stolen land to be part
of Israel.
If anyone doubts the malign intent behind any of this, I urge you to watch “The
Settlers,” a documentary by the filmmaker Louis Theroux broadcast last week by
the BBC. The film is Theroux’s second attempt to delve inside the heads of
Israeli settlers. His first, “The Ultra Zionists,” in 2011, was merely
disturbing: the new one is positively chilling.
Theroux describes people pursuing “an openly expansionist ethnonationalist
vision while enjoying the benefits of a separate and privileged legal regime.”
One settler claimed to be living in “the heart of Judea.” Another said: “I
believe that Gaza is ours and we need to be living there.” A rabbi said Lebanon
should be “cleansed of these camel riders.” Another settler declared: “We were
in this land planting vineyards before Muhammad was in the third grade,”
displaying a level of gratuitously offensive religious bigotry and ignorance
that beggars belief — this is about land, not religion. As for the historical
claim, it has always been absurd: by settler logic, the tribal elders of the
Lenape people, the original inhabitants of Manhattan who now live in Oklahoma
and Wisconsin, have the right to establish a reservation on Fifth Avenue.
Remember all this the next time someone tells you that Trump has overturned
decades of settled US policy against the capture and occupation of other
people’s land by force: that ship sailed nearly 60 years ago.
*Ross Anderson is associate editor of Arab News.
Climate change a threat to Iraq’s stability
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/May 01, 2025
Iraq is grappling with a combination of soaring temperatures, rapidly declining
rainfall, increased desertification and the deterioration of once-thriving
agricultural lands. The UN ranks it among the five countries most vulnerable to
climate change globally.
Since the beginning of this century, Iraq’s average temperature has increased by
nearly 0.5 degrees Celsius per decade, a rate much faster than the global
average. Projections suggest that, if current emissions continue unchecked,
Iraq’s temperatures could be as much as 5.6 C higher than pre-industrial times
by the end of the century. Such an increase would not only devastate the
country’s fragile ecosystems but would also exacerbate economic hardship,
displacement and social instability.
Already, the country is facing longer and harsher droughts, increasingly violent
sandstorms and a sharp decline in water resources — a combination that threatens
millions of lives and livelihoods.
Human Rights Watch in March released a sobering report titled “Iraq’s Climate
Crisis is a Human Rights Crisis,” bringing global attention to the humanitarian
dimension of Iraq’s environmental catastrophe. It underscores that the crisis is
not just a matter of rising temperatures or drying rivers, it is about the
fundamental rights of Iraq’s people — the right to water, food, health, shelter
and even life itself.
The crisis is not just a matter of rising temperatures or drying rivers, it is
about the fundamental rights of Iraq’s people
The report documented how Iraqi communities, especially marginalized populations
such as the Marsh Arabs and rural farmers, are being displaced, their
traditional ways of life destroyed and their access to essential resources cut
off. As the government struggles to respond adequately, many find themselves
increasingly vulnerable to hunger, disease, poverty and forced migration.
The consequences of Iraq’s climate crisis have been devastating across every
sector. For example, agricultural production, a cornerstone of Iraq’s economy
and food security, has plummeted. Water shortages and soil degradation have made
farming in many areas impossible, leaving thousands of families without a source
of income. The Mesopotamian Marshes, an ecosystem that once covered thousands of
square kilometers and supported a rich cultural heritage, have shrunk
dramatically due to upstream water diversions and rising salinity levels. This
environmental tragedy threatens not only biodiversity but also the ancient
communities whose livelihoods depend on these wetlands.
Moreover, Iraq has witnessed an alarming increase in the frequency and severity
of sandstorms, events that blanket cities in thick dust, shut down airports,
destroy crops and cause widespread respiratory illnesses among the population.
Hospitals in Baghdad and other cities report spikes in patients suffering from
asthma and other respiratory diseases after each storm. Environmental
degradation is not an isolated problem for farmers or villagers, it is a
nationwide crisis impacting public health, economic stability, education and
national security. The effects of Iraq’s climate crisis are not confined within
its borders. The drying of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which are essential
water sources for Iraq, Syria and parts of Turkiye and Iran, is a regional
catastrophe in the making.
As upstream countries build more dams and divert water to serve their own
growing populations and industries, Iraq is left gasping for water. This
competition for dwindling water resources has already heightened tensions
between nations and threatens to ignite new conflicts in an already volatile
region.
Severe droughts, linked directly to human-induced climate change, have
devastated large areas of Syria, contributing to mass migration, internal
displacement and instability — dynamics that could easily worsen in Iraq and
spill over into neighboring countries. Thus, Iraq’s environmental collapse risks
triggering broader humanitarian disasters, refugee crises and security
challenges that will reverberate throughout the Middle East and beyond. What is
happening in Iraq is a stark warning for the entire region: environmental
degradation knows no borders.
The international community, particularly the world’s most powerful nations,
cannot afford to turn a blind eye to Iraq’s plight. Iraq did not cause the
climate crisis on its own; historically, its carbon emissions have been
relatively small compared to major industrialized countries. Yet it finds itself
suffering disproportionately from a problem largely driven by global trends.
Justice demands that wealthier nations, which have contributed most to the
problem, step up to help Iraq adapt and survive.
Furthermore, helping Iraq is not just a moral obligation, it is a matter of
enlightened self-interest. Instability in Iraq, fueled by climate collapse,
could trigger waves of migration, regional conflicts and economic shocks that
will impact Europe, Asia and beyond. Assisting Iraq in building resilience to
climate change today will help avert future crises that might require far
greater humanitarian and military interventions. The international community
must recognize that Iraq’s fate is intertwined with global security, human
rights and the broader fight against climate change.
There are concrete actions that can and must be taken immediately to help Iraq
confront this existential challenge
There are concrete actions that can and must be taken immediately to help Iraq
confront this existential challenge. One major area of focus should be
strengthening water management systems. Iraq needs modern, efficient
infrastructure to store, distribute and conserve its limited water supplies.
Revitalizing irrigation systems, repairing aging dams and implementing
water-saving technologies could make a tremendous difference.
Sustainable agricultural practices must be promoted to replace traditional
methods that are no longer viable under current conditions. Encouraging the use
of drought-resistant crops, soil conservation techniques and smart farming
technologies would help revive Iraq’s agricultural sector and secure food
supplies.
Developing renewable energy sources, particularly solar and wind, is another
critical step. Iraq is blessed with abundant sunlight and wind, and shifting
away from fossil fuels would not only reduce emissions but also create jobs and
diversify the economy.
Vulnerable communities must receive targeted assistance, including emergency
relief, healthcare and relocation support when necessary. Building new schools,
clinics and infrastructure adapted to extreme weather conditions would help
these communities survive and thrive. Moreover, Iraq and its neighbors must
engage in cooperative regional agreements to manage shared water resources
fairly and sustainably. Such diplomacy would help prevent conflicts and foster
long-term stability.
Finally, wealthy nations and international organizations must mobilize
significant financial and technical aid to support Iraq’s adaptation efforts.
Climate finance should not be limited to generic programs — it must address
Iraq’s unique needs and vulnerabilities directly, ensuring that the most
affected populations are prioritized.
In conclusion, in terms of facing the climate crisis, Iraq’s struggle is
humanity’s struggle. The suffering of Iraqi farmers, children and communities
points to the urgent need for collective action. Iraq must not be left to
confront this catastrophe alone. By extending meaningful support, sharing
technology and resources and upholding the basic principles of justice and human
rights, the international community can help Iraq.
**Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian American political
scientist. X: @Dr_Rafizadeh
Energy and infrastructure are key to AI’s future
Lina Tayara/Arab News/May 01, 2025
At the heart of the artificial intelligence surge is infrastructure. Rapid
advances in AI are driving a record-breaking demand for data centers. But a
shortage of reliable power is becoming a major bottleneck, sparking a global
wave of investment in both energy and digital infrastructure. Today, AI is
increasingly seen not as a passing trend, but as a new essential utility — just
like electricity or the internet. Private markets are riding this wave of
optimism. AI-related deals now make up about 3 percent of all transactions, but
a hefty 15 percent of total capital invested. At the same time, venture
capitalists are pouring money into AI application platforms at a dizzying pace,
showing early signs of a possible investment bubble. Funding for AI platforms
has soared to 10 times previous levels, with valuations running five times
higher than typical venture capital investments.
For these AI companies, the median funding multiple is about 25 times revenue —
and for the top performers, it is as high as 40 times. These eye-watering
figures reflect strong expectations for future growth and profits. Large
technology firms have also become ever more intertwined with the global economy,
now representing about $15 trillion, or about 15 percent of global gross
domestic product.
If momentum continues, this figure could grow to $35 trillion — or even $50
trillion if AI’s influence continues to expand, accounting for about 35 percent
of global GDP.
Supporting all this growth requires massive infrastructure expansion. During the
original internet boom, the US built about 2 gigawatts of data center capacity
over 16 years. In the cloud computing era, this rose to 6 gigawatts. While the
opportunities in AI are huge, building the power and infrastructure needed to
support it will be one of the world’s greatest challenges. Today, thanks to AI,
the US is adding between 2 to 7 gigawatts of capacity every year — half of it
driven by hyperscale companies.
The Middle East, meanwhile, is perfectly placed to capitalize on the AI era,
thanks to its affordable, abundant energy. Global investment firm KKR recently
announced a $5 billion investment in Gulf Data Hub, a UAE-based data center
company, with 300 megawatts of new capacity aimed at boosting AI growth across
the GCC — including a major expansion in Saudi Arabia, unveiled at LEAP. AI’s
hunger for computing power is also fueling massive investments in graphics
processing units. Over the past six to eight years, the size of processor
clusters used for AI model training has exploded by 20 to 40 times, leading to
the rise of enormous “giga campuses” with up to 1 million processors.
But with all this expansion, two big questions loom. Can the flow of capital
keep up? And can infrastructure projects scale fast enough? KKR points to two
global megatrends that could shape the future: An estimated $100 trillion needed
for infrastructure investment over the next 15 years, and another $200 trillion
required to achieve global net-zero emissions by 2050. The bottom line: While
the opportunities in AI are huge, building the power and infrastructure needed
to support it will be one of the world’s greatest challenges.
• Lina Tayara is a consultant in the digital infrastructure industry driving
business development, market research and thought leadership on her platform
Let’s Talk Tech.
Europe’s mobilization struggles prime for exploitation
Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/May 01, 2025
Joseph Stalin is rumored to have once asked, “How many divisions does the pope
have?” The story goes that the Soviet leader said it during the 1943 Tehran
Conference, a turning point in the Second World War. Others attribute it to a
different time and place. Nevertheless, it is a statement that carries an
undeniable truth about the importance of military might and how Moscow analyses
military situations.
The rhetorical question was meant to denigrate anything that is not real power
symbolized by armies. There is nothing that can be gained on the front line
without material power. In short, military strength is the ultimate determinant
during wars and, hence, in the balance of international relations.
A similar question could be asked today: “How many divisions does Europe have?”
It is clear that Europe finds itself facing a tricky dilemma. As the old
continent contemplates sending troops to stabilize Ukraine, the question of
military capability remains central. According to a report in The Times this
week, European nations that are part of the “coalition of the willing” are
struggling to assemble even a proposed 25,000-strong military force for a
potential peacekeeping or deterrence mission in Ukraine, far short of an
initially suggested target of 64,000 troops.
The shortfall is attributed to understaffed and underfunded European armies.
London, which was pushing for this initiative, has reportedly scaled back its
plan to deploy a large number of troops due to high risks and inadequate forces,
opting instead to offer limited training missions in western Ukraine, such as
near Lviv. Europe’s struggle to mobilize troops reveals a weakness that will
undoubtedly have a direct consequence on Europe’s capacity to shape the
geopolitical outcome of the war. This incapacity to align sufficient military
resources with the ongoing discussions about supporting a peace deal in Ukraine
makes the future of Europe fragile, not only at its borders but also from
within. This situation destroys any deterrence capacity.
The harsh reality of the current situation in Ukraine reinforces that hard power
is ultimately the only thing that matters
The harsh reality of the current situation in Ukraine reinforces that hard power
is ultimately the only thing that matters. In comparison, according to the
International Institute for Strategic Studies’ 2024 “Military Balance” report,
Russia has about 1.1 million active troops, including 500,000 in the army, along
with 1.5 million reservists. This is despite the heavy losses it has suffered in
Ukraine. As of late 2024, 95,000 to 165,000 Russian soldiers had been killed and
up to 700,000 injured. Desertions exceed 50,000, reflecting low morale in a
force that is still large but is less robust than its Soviet predecessor. During
the Second World War, the Soviet Union lost at least 8.8 million military
personnel and suffered 15 to 17 million civilian deaths. There is no doubt that,
if it were not for the Eastern Front and these deaths, the war in Europe would
have lasted much longer. Now, there is no doubt that even Russia cannot sustain
such losses alone and the presence of North Korean soldiers on the front line in
Ukraine underlines this. Yet, Moscow’s numbers and, more importantly, its
willingness and capacity for sacrifice are still much higher than Europe’s.
The EU’s 27 member states, plus the UK, collectively have about 1.5 million
active-duty military personnel, according to estimates from the Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute. The largest force is Italy’s with
338,000, followed by France with 304,000 and then Spain at 199,000. Germany has
181,000 and Poland about 150,000. Poland is aiming for 300,000 by 2035 and other
countries are following the same path. However, as highlighted by the inability
to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine, many are not combat-ready. At a time
when Europe is looking to build up its deterrence without the US, this is a weak
signal that will be exploited. More importantly, internal divisions and a lack
of will are making it worse.
Moscow’s numbers and, more importantly, its willingness and capacity for
sacrifice are still much higher than Europe’s
Everyone understands that, despite the ruthlessness of the war in Ukraine, there
have been guardrails that have prevented it spiraling into a full-blown
“anything goes” type of war. Everyone has also noticed the new technologies,
such as drones, entering the battlefield. But everyone has also noticed how
counter-drone technology has come into effect, how quickly a technological
stalemate was reached and how this translated into infantry-heavy combat in
trenches reminiscent of the two world wars.
Europe’s troop shortfall puts its easternmost countries in a tough situation, as
they are the first line of defense and have smaller armed forces. This is why
any decisions that might cause an escalation of the conflict must be carefully
considered at this stage. Understanding this reality must ensure a pragmatic and
street-smart approach. If Europe cannot mobilize the troops needed for
peacekeeping or even agree on the principle, then this is not a deterrence but
an invitation. It will need to rebuild this deterrence as soon as possible; this
not only applies to troop numbers, but also industrial capacity.
Moreover, this also means that if Europe cannot implement the steps following a
ceasefire agreement, it will have even less influence on the outcome of the
negotiations. Ukraine demands a complete Russian military withdrawal and the
restoration of its 1991 borders, including Crimea, while Moscow insists on
recognition of its control over these territories. Ukraine is paying in kind for
its position and is showing its will. So, the equation for Europe is simple,
either accept what the facts on the ground say or increase its military
involvement. In this case, Europe will not only have to boost its divisions, but
also its will to sacrifice. This underlines the absolute necessity for a
negotiated breakthrough as soon as possible.
**Khaled Abou Zahr is the founder of SpaceQuest Ventures, a space-focused
investment platform. He is CEO of EurabiaMedia and editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.