English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For November 06/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
The glory that you have given me I have
given them, so that they may be one, as we are one
John 17/20-23: “‘I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on
behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be
one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that
the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I
have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in
me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you
have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
Titles For The
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on
November 05-06/2025
Anniversary of the Signing of the Catastrophic Cairo Agreement That
Legitimated Occupations and Traded Sovereignty for Undelivered Security/Elias
Bejjani/November 03/2025
Video Link to an Interview from the “Transparency” Youtube Platform with Writer
and Director Youssef Y. El Khoury/“Yes to Normalization! Lebanon Will Rise Only
Through Peace!”
Lebanon Says Israeli Strike on South Kills One
Expatriate Voting Session: Vote or Withdrawal
Cabinet Set to Discuss Arms Control, Electoral Law Amendments
Lebanon’s Cabinet weighs multiple proposals as disagreement persists on
electoral law
Where Were You, Samir Hammoud?
Defense Minister Menassa discusses army support with Canadian and Qatari
ambassadors
Information Minister reaffirms commitment to press freedom, urges responsible
and ethical media discourse
Lebanon Pressed Again to Hunt Down Assad Officials
Berri rejects direct talks with Israel, says ‘mechanism’ channel is enough
BDL Launches Judicial Audit of Payments Since 2019
Positive atmosphere marks Central Bank meeting with Association of Banks:
Banking sources to LBCI
From celebration to controversy: Jeita Grotto case raises questions on oversight
South Lebanon: Hezbollah and Christian Villages in Quiet Coexistence/Natasha
Metni Torbey/This is Beirut/November 05/2025
Aoun’s Push for Talks with Israel Must Overcome Hezbollah’s Ploys/Hussain Abdul-Hussain/This
Is Beirut/November 05/2025
What I ask from the Bishop of Rome/Akl Al-Awit/Face Book/November 05/2025
Hezbollah is ‘busy organizing its forces’...Former Israeli officials warn that
the terror organization is regrouping and planning a political takeover of
Lebanon./Yaakov Lappin/Israel Today/Nov 05/2025
An unusual request in the plot./Yair Ravid/Face Book/November 05/2025
Palestinian Embassy hands over suspects in Elio Abou Hanna killing to Lebanese
authorities
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on
November 05-06/2025
Report: IAEA Says Iran Must 'Seriously Improve' Nuclear Cooperation
Iran: “Hostage Diplomacy,” an Intractable Dilemma for the West
Iran Releases New Details on Ismail Haniyeh’s Killing
Israeli Reports: Tehran Arming Iraqi Shiite Factions in Anticipation of Future
Conflict with Tel Aviv
US shares draft resolution on Gaza with elected UN Security Council members
US Plan for Gaza Force Faces Disagreements on Mission, Structure
Israel Returns Bodies of 15 Palestinians to Gaza as Exchanges Outlined in
Fragile Ceasefire Proceed
US Asks UN to Lift Sanctions on Syria's President ahead of White House Visit
Trump to Meet with Syrian President on Monday, White House Says
Türkiye's Erdogan Heralds ‘New Phase’ in PKK Peace Process
Trump says lost ‘sovereignty’ in New York after Mamdani win
Zohran Mamdani Wins NYC Mayor’s Race, Capping a Stunning Ascent
World has 'the tools' to unlock $1.3 trillion in climate finance: COP30 report
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources
on
November 05-06/2025
Is Ideological Iran Changing Ideologically? /Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat/November
05/2025
Sudan's Islamist General: How Al-Burhan's Alliance with Iran and the Muslim
Brotherhood Threatens U.S. and Israeli Security/Robert Williams/Gatestone
Institute/November 05/2025
Saudi Arabia... and Syria’s Recognition of Kosovo/Hassan Al Mustafa/Asharq Al-Awsat/November
05/2025
Qatari Journalists: Mamdani's Victory In The New York Mayoral Race – Thanks To
October 7 And The Resistance In Gaza/MEMRI/November 5, 2025/
Selected X Tweets For November 05/2025
The Latest
English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on
November 05-06/2025
Anniversary of the Signing of the Catastrophic Cairo Agreement That Legitimated
Occupations and Traded Sovereignty for Undelivered Security
Elias Bejjani/November 03/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/11/148840/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWDqlptsr-U
Today, we remember with anger and sorrow the Cairo Agreement, the crime and
national catastrophe that was signed between Lebanon the State and the terrorist
Palestinian organizations. This agreement destroyed Lebanon, eliminated its
unity, undermined its independence, and handed over its decision-making to
foreign terrorists, Arab nationalists, leftists, and jihadists who occupied
Lebanon and continue to do so, starting with the Palestinian organizations, then
the Syrian occupation, and currently the Iranian occupation through the
terrorist and jihadist Hezbollah. What were the backgrounds of this voided
agreement? What are its catastrophic consequences that continue to this day? And
who was responsible for the signing and the surrender of Lebanon, and why?
Undoubtedly, the Cairo Agreement, signed on November 3, 1969, was not merely a
military accord, but a catastrophic turning point in modern Lebanese history. It
undermined its sovereignty, legitimized an armed presence outside state
authority, and paved the way for the wars that Lebanon was subjected to and
which are still raging, serving Palestinian, Syrian, Nasserist Arab nationalist,
jihadist, and Iranian agendas.
Date of Signing, Signatories, and Background of the Cairo Agreement
Date and Place of Signing: The agreement was signed in Cairo, the capital of the
United Arab Republic (Egypt at the time), on November 3, 1969.
Signatories and Parties:
On the Lebanese side: General Emile Boustani, Commander of the Army, during the
presidency of Charles Helou.
On the Palestinian Organizations side: Mr. Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
Egyptian Presence and Influence: The signing was attended by Mr. Mahmoud Riad
(Egyptian Foreign Minister) and General Mohamed Fawzi (Egyptian Minister of
War). The late Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser played a pivotal role in
summoning Arafat and the Lebanese authorities and pressuring for the swift
conclusion of the agreement. It is reported that he warned General Boustani upon
signing the agreement, saying: "The agreement is not in your interest."
The Bloody Background: The agreement came in the wake of bloody and fierce
clashes that lasted for months between the Lebanese Army and the local Christian
popular forces rejecting the Palestinian occupation, and the Palestinian
resistance factions whose power was escalating through their alliance with
Lebanese leftist and nationalist political forces (later known as the Lebanese
National Movement). The core of the conflict was the rejection by the majority
of Lebanese Christian parties and organizations of using Lebanon as a platform
for military operations against Israel or an arena for ideological Arab wars, at
the expense of Lebanese state sovereignty and stability.
Text Of The Cairo Agreement 1969
IN 1969, under the authority of the then president Charles Helou, the
following document was signed by the Head of the Lebanese Delegation General
Emile Bustani, and the Head of the Palestinian Delegation Yasser Arafat.
Text
On Monday, 3rd November 1969, the Lebanese delegation headed by Army Commander
General Emile al-Bustani, and the Palestine Liberation Organization delegation,
headed by Mr. Yasir 'Arafat, chairman of the organization, met in Cairo in the
presence of the United Arab Republic Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahmud Riyad,
and the War Minister, General Muhammad Fawzi.
In consonance with the bonds of brotherhood and common destiny, relations
between Lebanon and the Palestinian revolution must always be conducted on the
bases of confidence, frankness, and positive cooperation for the benefit of
Lebanon and the Palestinian revolution and within the framework of Lebanon's
sovereignty and security. The two delegations agreed on the following principles
and measures:
The Palestinian Presence
It was agreed to reorganize the Palestinian presence in Lebanon on the following
bases:
1. The right to work, residence, and movement for Palestinians currently
residing in Lebanon;
2. The formation of local committees composed of Palestinians in the camps to
care for the interests of Palestinians residing in these camps in cooperation
with the local Lebanese authorities within the framework of Lebanese
sovereignty;
3. The establishment of posts of the Palestinian Armed Struggle [PASC] inside
the camps for the purpose of cooperation with the local committees to ensure
good relations with the Lebanese authorities. These posts shall undertake the
task of regulating and determining the presence of arms in the camps within the
framework of Lebanese security and the interests of the Palestinian revolution;
4. Palestinians resident in Lebanon are to be permitted to participate in the
Palestinian revolution through the Armed Struggle and in accordance with the
principles of the sovereignty and security of Lebanon.
Commando Activity
It was agreed to facilitate commando activity by means of:
1. Facilitating the passage of commandos and specifying points of passage and
reconnaissance in the border areas;
2. Safeguarding the road to the 'Arqub region;
3. The Armed Struggle shall undertake to control the conduct of all the members
of its organizations and [to ensure] their non-interference in Lebanese affairs;
4. Establishing a joint command control of the Armed Struggle and the Lebanese
Army;
5. Ending the propaganda campaigns by both sides;
6. Conducting a census of Armed Struggle personnel in Lebanon by their command.
7. Appointing Armed Struggle representatives at Lebanese Army headquarters to
participate in the resolution of all emergency matters;
8. Studying the distribution of all suitable points of concentration in border
areas which will be agreed with the Lebanese Army command;
9. Regulating the entry, exit, and circulation of Armed Struggle personnel;
10. Removal of the Jiyrun base.
11. The Lebanese Army shall facilitate the operation of medical, evacuation, and
supply centers for commando activity;
12. Releasing detained personnel and confiscated arms;
13. It is understood that the Lebanese authorities, both civil and military,
shall continue to exercise all their prerogatives and responsibilities in all
areas of Lebanon in all circumstances;
14. The two delegations affirm that the Palestinian armed struggle is in the
interest of Lebanon as well as in that of the Palestinian revolution and all
Arabs;
15. This agreement shall remain Top Secret and for the eyes of the commands
only.
Head of Lebanese delegation
Emile Bustani
Head of Palestinian delegation
Yasir Arafat
Resolution adopted by the Lebanese Chamber of Deputies, 21 May 1987
1. Abrogation of the law issued by the Chamber of Deputies on 14 June 1983,
authorizing the Government to ratify the agreement signed by the Government of
the Lebanese Republic and the Government of the State of Israel on 17 May 1983.
2. The agreement signed on 3 November 1969 between the head of the Lebanese
delegation General Emile Bustani and the Chairman of the PLO and which is known
as the "Cairo Agreement" is hereby null and void as if it had never existed.
Further, all annexes and measures related to the Cairo Agreement are hereby null
and void as if they had never existed.
**The Catastrophic and Ongoing Consequences of the Agreement
Despite the apparent attempt to mitigate tension, the Cairo Agreement
constituted an explicit authorization for an armed foreign group to possess
weapons on Lebanese soil, leading to:
Erosion of Sovereignty and National Decision: The agreement established a "state
within a state," where areas controlled by armed Palestinians, especially the
camps and Southern Lebanon, became entirely outside the authority of the
Lebanese state.
Abandonment of the South: Allowing the "securing of the road to the Arqoub area"
and facilitating operations from the South transformed this region into an arena
for direct conflict with Israel. This initiated the cycle of destruction and
displacement in Southern Lebanon, with the Lebanese state bearing the
consequences of a war it did not decide.
Turning Lebanon into a War Zone: Lebanon became an "open arena" for Feda'een
actions and counter-military operations, leading to the destruction of
infrastructure, destabilization of security, and the eruption of the Lebanese
Civil War (1975-1990) as a direct result of clashes between Lebanese militias
rejecting the situation and Palestinian militias allied with Lebanese leftist
forces.
Transforming Camps into Security Enclaves: Palestinian camps remain outside
state authority to this day, becoming safe havens for "merchants of the
resistance lie," drug dealers, fugitives from justice, and fertile ground for
extremist organizations and chaos.
Fourth: Loss of Sovereignty and the Continuation of Disasters
Since the signing of the Cairo Agreement, it can be said that Lebanon lost a
significant part of its sovereignty and independent decision. This was not
limited to armed Palestinian influence but extended to open the door wide to
other regional powers:
Syrian Influence: The Assad regime exploited the agreement and then the Civil
War to intervene militarily and politically, transforming Lebanon into a
bargaining chip in its hand.
Iranian Hezbollah Occupation: The "crime of the Cairo Agreement" was repeated
with the emergence and growth of Hezbollah (which holds Iranian identity and
goals). It possesses weapons outside state authority, wages wars, and dominates
Lebanon's sovereign decision, representing a continuation of the "illegitimate
weapons" approach established by the Cairo Agreement.
Fifth: The Nullification of the Agreement and the Crime of Repetition
The Death of the Agreement (The Lebanese Barter):
The Cairo Agreement died and was officially annulled on May 20, 1987, shortly
after the expiration of the effect of the "May 17 Agreement" (1983) signed by
Lebanon and Israel.
"The Cairo Agreement died, as it was born, in the blink of an eye that lasted
about 18 years... thus, the barter was nullification for nullification."
The armed Palestinian revolution departed from Beirut in 1982 following the
Israeli invasion, thereby ending the effective and open armed presence of the
PLO legitimized by the agreement, before it was officially annulled afterward.
The Repetition of the Cairo Agreement Crime:
The current situation in Lebanon, under the control of Hezbollah's weapon, is a
repetition of the Cairo Agreement crime but with different local and regional
tools.
The Lost Wars: Lebanon continues to pay the price for the "lost wars" waged by
Hezbollah against Israel, which devastate the South and place the country on the
brink of a comprehensive war. It remains unwilling to implement the recent
ceasefire agreement and all international resolutions: 1559, 1701, 1680, in
addition to its refusal to respect the Lebanese Constitution after its amendment
through the Taif Agreement, which demands the dissolution of all Lebanese and
non-Lebanese militias and the imposition of state authority through its own
forces over all Lebanese territories.
Appeasement and Empowerment: The actions of the current Lebanese government and
the Army leadership at present, in terms of appeasing Hezbollah and not
compelling it to surrender its weapons to the state, are a repetition of the
same historical mistake committed by the Lebanese leadership in 1969: the
surrender of the state's sovereign decision in exchange for temporary calm or
under regional pressure, thus ensuring the continuation of the national
catastrophe.
Conclusion: Every time sovereignty was abandoned in exchange for purported
security, the country was the loser and the Lebanese were the victims, because
sovereignty belongs to the state alone and not to any armed groups, whether
Lebanese or non-Lebanese
Video Link to an Interview from the “Transparency”
Youtube Platform with Writer and Director Youssef Y. El Khoury/“Yes to
Normalization! Lebanon Will Rise Only Through Peace!”
Interview Summary
Transparency Website – November 5, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/11/148894/
In a special episode of “Politics and People” with Patricia Samaha, writer and
director Youssef El Khoury breaks all taboos and openly calls for peace and
normalization with Israel, exposing the catastrophic consequences of what he
calls the “culture of hostility” imposed by autocratic regimes.
He warns that the tragedy of the 1969 Cairo Agreement might be repeating today
under the slogan of “indirect negotiations.” El Khoury revisits the events of
November 3 to reveal how Lebanon was “handed over to foreigners” through
political complicity, citing the roles of Rashid Karami, Kamal Jumblatt, and the
Second Bureau in paving the way for war.
He presents shocking statistics claiming that 97% of Lebanon’s destruction and
casualties occurred after the annulment of the Armistice Agreement and the entry
of the Palestinians (and later, the “Resistance”) into the decision-making
process.
El Khoury discusses Lebanon’s so-called “Deep State”, accusing sectarian,
financial (banks), and political (Baathist) components of serving their own
interests rather than the nation’s. He warns that the current negotiations are
merely a form of “strategic lethargy” meant to cement the status quo — including
Hezbollah’s weapons — and to pave the way for elections tailored to fit the
“Deep State.”
In one of the boldest statements, El Khoury describes the era that Speaker Nabih
Berri boasts about as “the filthiest chapter in Lebanon’s history.” He concludes
with a fiery message:
“Hezbollah must be erased, stripped of its weapons, and its leaders brought to
justice — or Lebanon will become a land scorched by iron and fire.”
Interview Timeline by Topics
Transparency Website – November 5, 2025
00:00:52 Handing the country to outsiders: the hidden background of the Cairo
Agreement.
00:02:47 Rashid Karami’s resignation in solidarity with the Palestinians against
the Lebanese Army.
00:05:30 The intimidation message sent by Nasser to President Charles Helou.
00:07:53 The Aramoun Islamic Summit document and the demand to surrender the
Lebanese Army to terrorists.
00:10:07 Facilitating the passage of fedayeen: the disastrous (and secret)
clauses of the agreement.
00:15:05 The real culprits behind the division: Muslims and leftists in
solidarity.
00:16:00 The army is capable of decisive action today: a question mark over
Joseph Aoun’s role.
00:18:50 The statistics of destruction: 3% losses during the Armistice versus
97% under the “Resistance.”
00:22:33 Are we on the brink of collapse? Comparing today’s security crisis to
the Cairo Agreement.
00:25:20 The Deep State: the Second Bureau, the banks, and the feudal system.
00:30:50 How Hariri collaborated with Syria, and how Hezbollah now controls the
Deep State.
00:33:15 Clarifying misconceptions: the Deep State is not without Christians!
00:37:37 Indirect negotiations: a tool for procrastination and cover for a new
“Shiite Popular Mobilization.”
00:41:35 Responding to Nabih Berri’s claim of the “purest chapter”: El Khoury
calls it “the filthiest in Lebanon’s history.”
00:44:50 An open call for normalization and apology: “Yes to peace… Lebanon will
rise only through peace.”
00:46:10 The article “Khas’eetom” (“Shame on You”) and the reason for El
Khoury’s arrest: a fiery message to both Shiites and the Patriarch.
00:54:35 Patriarch Hoayek wanted Jabal Amel: why the Israelis refused to annex
the South.
00:57:30 The only solution: international trusteeship under Chapter VII to end
Baathist and Hezbollah control.
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/11/148894/
Lebanon Says Israeli Strike on South Kills One
Asharq Al-Awsat/November 05/2025
An Israeli air strike in south Lebanon killed one person and wounded another on
Wednesday, the Lebanese health ministry said, days after Israel warned it would
intensify its attacks on Hezbollah. In a statement, the ministry said the deadly
"Israeli enemy strike" had hit a vehicle in Burj Rahal. Lebanon's state-run
National News Agency said the attack took place near a school, causing "panic
and terror" among the students. The Israeli military said it had killed Hussein
Jaber Dib, accusing him of belonging to Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force. Israel
has repeatedly bombed Lebanon despite a November 2024 ceasefire that sought to
end more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah and has escalated its attacks
in recent days. The army said it had killed around 20 people "whose activities
violated the understandings between Israel and Lebanon" over the past month.
Israel warned Sunday that it would intensify its attacks against the Iran-backed
group, with Defense Minister Israel Katz claiming Hezbollah was "playing with
fire, and the president of Lebanon is dragging his feet". Hezbollah was badly
weakened during the war, and the United States has pressured Lebanon to disarm
it.
On Tuesday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reiterated his call for negotiations
with Israel, saying the latter "has not yet defined its position and continues
its attacks".
Expatriate Voting Session: Vote or Withdrawal
Nidaa Al-Watan /November 06/2025
Today’s Cabinet session is expected to be a near-decisive one, open to all
possibilities. According to Nidaa Al-Watan, Army Commander General Joseph Aoun
is working on a compromise formula based on the principle of “the wolf doesn’t
die and the sheep remain unharmed” — meaning a solution that preserves the
government’s insistence on allowing expatriate voting without directly
challenging Speaker Nabih Berri and Hezbollah. The outcome of his mediation
efforts may surface before the session begins. According to the same sources,
extensive communications have taken place between Baabda, the Grand Serail, Ain
al-Tineh, and various political forces to find a way out of the electoral law
impasse and avoid entering the session without prior agreement. The emerging
scenario suggests merging the proposals of the Lebanese Forces and the Kataeb
Party with that of Interior Minister Ahmad Hajar into an expedited draft law
containing a single article that abolishes Article 112 and the magnetic voting
card in favor of a QR code system. There is also a proposal to extend electoral
deadlines until January, but Minister Hajar insists on maintaining December 20
or at most December 30 as the final cutoff to prevent election delays. As for
the proposal by Minister Mohammad Haidar Al-Qadi to cancel the six expatriate
parliamentary seats and limit voting to within Lebanon, it will reportedly be
presented, since — according to Nidaa Al-Watan — if it is not, the Shiite
ministers were considering boycotting the session. Thus, Prime Minister Nawaf
Salam is expected to move forward with both proposals to ensure a smooth
process. However, the Lebanese Forces ministers’ stance remains crucial: if no
vote takes place, they will withdraw. Similarly, if mediation efforts fail, the
“Shiite Duo” ministers may also walk out — repeating the scenes of the August 5
and 7 sessions — though without going as far as resigning or fully boycotting
future Cabinet meetings.
The Army Report
In addition to the electoral law issue, the Cabinet will also discuss the
Lebanese Army’s report on implementing the plan to restrict weapons south of the
Litani River. On the negotiation front, Nidaa Al-Watan learned that as of last
night, Washington had not yet responded to Lebanon regarding Israel’s stance on
the President’s proposal for talks. Therefore, the situation remains at a
standstill. Meanwhile, Israel continues its strikes — most recently targeting a
car on the Burj Rahal–Abbassieh highway with an Israeli drone, which also
dropped a stun grenade over Wata al-Khiam.
U.S. Warning: Risk of Losing Support
In a significant and concerning statement, U.S. Senate Foreign Relations
Committee Chairman Jim Risch wrote on X: “This is a critical moment for Lebanon.
The Lebanese Army enjoys support from the United States and many other countries
as a bulwark against Hezbollah. But if it cannot disarm these terrorists — or
worse, if it allows them to rearm — that support will disappear.” Echoing this
tone, Israel’s Channel 13 reported that U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has given the
Lebanese Army a deadline until the end of November to bring about tangible
change regarding Hezbollah’s weapons. According to the report, Barrack clarified
that if such change does not occur, Israel would have the right to launch
attacks — and the United States would understand.
Geagea Responds to Berri
In a lengthy message, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea responded point by
point to the remarks made by Speaker Nabih Berri. Among his statements: “You
claim that the ‘resistance’ fully adhered to the ceasefire agreement. Yet the
text is clear and explicit: it calls for the disbanding of all illegal armed
organizations, naming the legitimate institutions authorized to bear arms. As
for your statement that the Lebanese Army deployed south of the Litani with more
than 9,000 officers and soldiers — that’s true, but incomplete, since Hezbollah
fighters remain there as well.”
Geagea continued: “You mention a so-called ‘mechanism’ that could involve
civilian and military experts, but you know well, Mr. Speaker, that this will
change nothing and solve nothing — while Lebanon keeps sliding deeper into
escalation, instability, and chaos.”
On reconstruction, Geagea noted: “It requires two essential conditions: first,
stability in the South — which we are far from achieving; and second, sufficient
funds, as rebuilding will require billions of dollars that Lebanon simply
doesn’t have. These funds will only become available when the state truly
monopolizes weapons and the decision over war and peace — in action, not just in
words. The so-called ‘Mseileh meeting’ under the slogan of reconstruction is,
unfortunately, neither capable of securing stability nor of providing the
necessary funds.”
Bkerke: A Firm Stand on Multiple Fronts
The Maronite Bishops’ Council, chaired by Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi,
focused on three main issues: the South, relations with Syria, and Palestinian
weapons.
Regarding the South, the bishops “condemned the daily assassinations and
bombings that place Lebanon once again on the brink of war, and called on all
parties concerned with the ceasefire and implementation of Resolution 1701 to
assume their responsibilities and stop placing the blame on Lebanon — the
weakest link among those seeking peace within its borders and across the
region.” On Palestinian arms, the Council warned against any hesitation in
addressing the problem of weapons and armed groups in the refugee camps, noting
that “most have become shelters for fugitives from justice, drug traffickers,
and other criminal networks harmful to Lebanon and its people.”
The Ongoing Subsidy Funds Case
Financially, Finance Minister Yassine Jaber revealed that the ministry recently
received updated data from the Central Bank Governor regarding subsidy-related
amounts, following his formal request dated August 25, 2025. The move came after
the tax administration discovered that the initial data provided earlier by the
bank was incomplete and inconclusive. Jaber instructed the tax authorities to
finalize the audit of all subsidies received by companies, institutions, and
associations no later than January 31, 2026. This will form the basis for
further legal and administrative action in line with his joint decision with the
Minister of Justice dated June 23, 2025. He also noted that audits have already
begun, focusing first on entities that received the largest amounts of public
subsidy funds.
Cabinet Set to Discuss Arms Control, Electoral Law
Amendments
This is Beirut/November 05/2025
The Cabinet is set to convene Thursday afternoon at the Presidential Palace in
Baabda. The session is expected to focus on two major issues: the nationwide
arms control plan and proposed amendments to the electoral law.
Arms control plan
The first agenda item will involve a presentation by the Lebanese Armed Forces
on the progress of the government’s weapons control plan in accordance with
Cabinet Decision No. 5 of September 5, 2025. The monthly report should provide
updates on implementation efforts, including oversight mechanisms and compliance
measures.
Electoral Law Amendments
The second agenda item will continue discussions on amendments to Lebanon’s 2017
electoral law. On Tuesday, the ministerial committee reviewing the electoral law
met at the Grand Serail to reconcile various proposals and draft a unified bill
to address flaws identified in the current legislation. Key issues include the
voting rights of Lebanese expatriates, the method of voting, and registration
deadlines. The committee has reportedly agreed to merge proposals from the
Interior and Foreign Affairs ministries. Among the suggested reforms are
abolishing Article 112 of the 2017 law, which limits expatriates to six
parliamentary seats; replacing magnetic voting cards with QR codes for remote
voting; and extending the registration deadline for expatriates until the end of
January 2026. Some ministers are pushing for stricter measures, including the
possibility of suspending expatriate voting entirely, while others advocate
maintaining their right to vote in their respective districts. The final Cabinet
decision is expected to determine whether the draft will be forwarded to
Parliament, though Speaker Nabih Berri has historically resisted debating
changes related to expatriate voting, leaving the outcome uncertain.
Other Legislative and Administrative Items
Beyond these priority issues, the Cabinet will consider a wide-ranging agenda,
including legislative proposals, administrative matters, and social initiatives.
Key items include an amendment to Article 751 of the Code of Civil Procedure, a
proposal to replace pretrial detention with electronic monitoring, proposals to
regularize the status of General Security inspectors and unify tax exemptions
for housing loan beneficiaries, and amendments to the narcotics law and civil
aviation regulations. The agenda further includes memorandums submitted by the
Education Ministry and administrative matters such as staffing regulations at
the National School of Administration and pending public sector appointments.
While the Cabinet is expected, in its Thursday session, to reach decisions on
draft electoral amendments, the final implementation depends heavily on
parliamentary approval.
Lebanon’s Cabinet weighs multiple proposals as
disagreement persists on electoral law
LBCI/November 05/2025
Efforts are continuing until the last moment to prevent a new political crisis
over Lebanon’s electoral law, as ministers remain divided over the final draft.
Sources told LBCI that there is an attempt to merge the proposals presented by
the justice and foreign ministers into a single draft. Both versions eliminate
the 16th district and its six seats. The plan is to refer the text to Parliament
not as a draft law, but as a correspondence — a move meant to avoid
confrontation with the legislature. This approach aims to sidestep a clash with
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who insists that the current law remains in
force and could block any new draft or proposal from being placed on the
Parliament’s agenda. Three proposals, previously discussed by the ministerial
committee, are expected to be raised at the Cabinet meeting in Baabda on
Thursday, according to a copy obtained by LBCI:
1. Amending the current law to allow Lebanese residents abroad to vote for
candidates in their home districts in Lebanon, covering all 128 parliamentary
seats.
2. Maintaining the existing law while introducing a new draft to address its
gaps and flaws.
3. Adopting a new electoral draft that excludes overseas voting altogether,
allowing non-residents to vote in their home districts only after a political
agreement is reached on the matter. The interior minister, for his part,
proposed replacing the magnetic voting card with a QR code system due to
logistical challenges in producing the cards.
Although this hybrid proposal appears to offer a temporary solution, it remains
uncertain and far from final. The divisions within the government persist, and
according to informed sources, there are growing concerns that the issue could
turn into a political landmine — one that might derail the session or paralyze
it altogether, even without any party resigning despite threats to do so.
Where Were You, Samir Hammoud?
This is Beirut/November 05/2025
High-level banking sources were surprised by comments made by the senior adviser
to the Minister of Finance, Yassine Jaber, to the “Al-Markaziya” outlet
regarding depositors’ accounts. According to Samir Hammoud’s statement, “If
there are irregularities in depositors’ accounts, there are also irregularities
in banks’ accounts.”These sources believed that the position currently adopted
by Hammoud aligns with that of the IMF and the Minister of Finance, who is
promoting the cancellation of debts owed to banks and the write-off of deposits.
It is therefore worth questioning the boldness of Mr. Hammoud’s remarks, given
that he served for years as Chairman of the Banking Control Commission, as well
as Chairman of the Board and CEO of BankMed. He also served as an economic
adviser to two former Prime Ministers, the late Rafic Hariri and Fouad Siniora.
Mr. Hammoud, having taken part in all these monetary and financial policies, you
are in no position to speak about the banking system.
Defense Minister Menassa discusses army support with
Canadian and Qatari ambassadors
LBCIs/November 05/2025
National Defense Minister Michel Menassa met in his office in Yarzeh with
Canada’s Ambassador to Lebanon, Gregory Galligan, on a courtesy visit marking
the start of his tenure. The meeting reviewed bilateral relations between the
two countries and Canada’s ongoing efforts to support and strengthen the
capabilities of the Lebanese Army. Discussions also touched on the army’s plan
to confine weapons to the authority of the Lebanese state and the challenges
facing its implementation amid Israel’s continued occupation of several
positions along Lebanon’s southern border. Minister Menassa also received
Qatar’s Ambassador to Lebanon, Saud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, for talks on the
general situation in Lebanon and the region, as well as Qatar’s continued
support for the Lebanese state and army across various fields. The minister
expressed his gratitude and appreciation to Qatar for its “constant support for
Lebanon,” commending its “pivotal regional and international role and its
efforts to promote stability and contribute to resolving crises across the
region.”
Information Minister reaffirms commitment to press freedom,
urges responsible and ethical media discourse
LBCI/November 05/2025
Information Minister Paul Morcos reaffirmed his “firm commitment to protecting
freedom of opinion and expression, ensuring that journalists and media
institutions can continue to report news and serve the public interest freely
and responsibly.” He emphasized “the role of the Lebanese press, which since its
founding has been built on respect for the right to disagree.” He stressed “the
need to uphold dialogue and responsibility in both media and national discourse,
and to rise above disputes, accusations, and personal attacks — especially amid
the current pressures that require the highest levels of solidarity and
awareness when addressing contentious issues. This should be guided by legal
principles, journalistic ethics, professional standards, and the need to
safeguard the safety of journalists.”
Lebanon Pressed Again to Hunt Down Assad Officials
Natasha Metni Torbey/This is Beirut/November 05/2025
Lebanon has once again found itself at the center of a sensitive international
investigation tied to the post-Assad era. One year after the fall of Bashar
al-Assad’s regime on December 8, 2024, Beirut is being asked to cooperate with
international judicial authorities to locate senior Syrian security officials
accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. According to judicial sources
quoted by This is Beirut, French authorities submitted an international letter
of request on Monday to Judge Jamal Hajjar, Lebanon’s prosecutor general at the
Court of Cassation. The request seeks Lebanon’s assistance in identifying,
arresting, and extraditing three high-ranking Syrian intelligence figures
believed to have taken refuge in Lebanon shortly after the regime’s collapse.
These officials include General Jamil Hassan, who served as head of Syrian Air
Force Intelligence from 2009 to 2019; General Ali Mamlouk, former Director of
National Security; and General Abdel Salam Mahmoud, who led investigations
within Air Force Intelligence. In response, Hajjar has tasked Lebanon’s Internal
Security Forces (ISF) to verify the presence of the three men in Lebanon and to
monitor border activity. The French also provided Lebanese phone numbers,
believed to be used in regular contact with the suspects, which are now
undergoing technical analysis by Lebanese investigators. This renewed
cooperation highlights Lebanon’s complex role in regional justice efforts and
the broader international push to hold former Syrian officials accountable.
Syrian Intelligence Officials Already Targeted by International Justice
Lebanese authorities have previously been alerted about the three Syrian
officials now under renewed scrutiny. In December 2024, Beirut received an
Interpol Red Notice for Hassan, wanted by the United States for war crimes and
torture. Just months earlier, in May, the Paris Criminal Court sentenced him in
absentia to life imprisonment for complicity in crimes against humanity, in the
case of Mazen and Patrick Abdelkader Dabbagh, a Franco-Syrian father and son who
died under torture in Syrian detention in 2013. Although no official record
confirms Hassan’s entry into Lebanon, multiple sources suggest he may be hiding
there under the protection of regime allies. Mamlouk is also believed to have
fled Damascus immediately after the regime’s collapse. According to a Lebanese
security source cited by This is Beirut, he crossed into Lebanon before
continuing on to Iraq. His passage, according to the source, was facilitated by
Hezbollah members in exchange for large sums of money. While these allegations
remain unconfirmed, they reportedly triggered internal investigations and led to
the suspension of several Lebanese officers suspected of negligence or passive
complicity. In response to mounting concerns, Lebanon’s General Security and ISF
reinforced border controls at key crossing points, including Masnaa and Jdeidet
Yabous, to prevent infiltration by former Syrian officials and their associates.
Yet security officials acknowledge that illegal crossings remain possible,
particularly in border zones under Hezbollah’s influence, where state authority
is limited.
Berri rejects direct talks with Israel, says ‘mechanism’
channel is enough
The Arab Weekly/November 05/2025
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said on Tuesday that communication with
Israel through the “mechanism” channel was sufficient, in a veiled response to
recent remarks by President Joseph Aoun, which appeared to pave the way for
accepting direct negotiations with Israel as demanded by Tel Aviv and
Washington. Aoun’s statements seemed to be an attempt to test the reaction of
the Shia duo represented by Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, whose leader Berri
was quick to respond. Berri explained, during a meeting with a delegation from
the Union of Islamic Radio and Television Stations, that negotiations with
Israel take place through the “mechanism” and that specialists, whether civilian
or military, could be consulted if necessary, as happened in the demarcation of
the Blue Line or the maritime borders. The Lebanese president last month put
forward an initiative based on holding indirect negotiations with Israel to
resolve “outstanding” issues, coinciding with the start of US President Donald
Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza. Aoun renewed last Friday his call for
negotiations, noting that the form these talks would take would be decided in
due course, a step back from his previous rejection of direct
negotiations.Observers believe that the idea of holding direct negotiations
between Beirut and Tel Aviv is essentially an American one, and that President
Aoun initially sought to avoid that option by proposing indirect talks, but the
US administration, backed by Israel, rejected this approach. Berri revealed that
during her recent visit to Beirut, US envoy Morgan Ortagus discussed two issues:
Israel’s claim that weapons were continuing to flow from Syria and the matter of
negotiations. He stressed that “what Israel alleges about the continued flow of
weapons from Syria is pure fabrication, for America, which controls the skies
with its satellites and other means, knows this.”Berri said that “the resistance
has fully adhered to the terms of the ceasefire agreement, and the Lebanese army
has deployed more than 9,000 soldiers and officers in the area south of the
Litani River. It is capable of deploying along the internationally-recognised
borders, but what prevents this is the continued Israeli occupation of vast
areas of southern Lebanese territory, as acknowledged by the United Nations
Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and its periodic reports.”The Lebanese
Parliament Speaker said he was surprised at the positions of some within Lebanon
regarding “the resistance,” noting that “some reject even the mention of the
word ‘resistance’ in any political or media discourse,” asking, “Is there any
country in the world that denies the purest page of its history?”On the issue of
“normalisation” with Israel, Berri said, “I trust that the Lebanese will say no
to normalisation,” recalling what the prominent jurist Abdullah Lahoud used to
say: “The only sect that has no interest in normalisation and peace with Israel
is the Maronites, so how could the other sects, or Lebanon as a whole, have
one?” Political circles in Lebanon believe that the stance of the Shia duo
toward direct negotiations with Israel does not serve efforts to stabilise
Lebanon, stressing that the Lebanese leadership must move beyond hesitation and
make a decisive decision regarding negotiations with Israel, guided solely by
Lebanon’s national interest.
BDL Launches Judicial Audit of Payments Since 2019
This is Beirut/November 05/2025
Karim Souhaid, Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon (BDL), announced Tuesday
that the BDL, in coordination with the Ministers of Finance and Justice, will
draw up terms of reference for an external financial and judicial audit of all
beneficiaries of the basic goods support program since October 17, 2019. The
initiative will be launched through a public tender in line with Law No.
244/2021. The audit, to be conducted by a specialized firm, will review previous
governments’ support programs, fund transfers to foreign accounts, and state
expenditures between 2019 and 2023. It will also aim to identify, recover, and
rectify any illegal payments, misuse of public funds, or abuse of authority
linked to the support operations. All firms with expertise in judicial audits
for states, central banks, or public institutions will be able to participate
via the public procurement platform.
A BDL team, working alongside the ministries, will oversee the terms of
reference to ensure that all aspects of the project are thoroughly and
accurately addressed. Souhaid emphasized that this cooperation is crucial to
restoring confidence in the banking system and ensuring transparency and
coordination in handling key financial sector issues, from accountability for
questionable payments to the recovery of deposits.
Positive atmosphere marks Central Bank meeting with
Association of Banks: Banking sources to LBCI
LBCI/November 05/2025
Banking sources told LBCI that a positive atmosphere prevailed during the
meeting between the governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon and the Association
of Banks. The two sides reportedly agreed on several key points, including:
* Defining the crisis as systemic, meaning that the solution must encompass the
entire sector rather than target specific banks.
* Establishing a unified framework for restructuring, in cooperation with the
firm Ancura, to address existing flaws.
* Avoiding the write-off of bank capital, instead supporting gradual
recapitalization to protect the sector and depositors while stimulating the
economy.
According to the same sources, the governor informed the banks that during his
meetings in Washington, the U.S. side insisted on the need to coordinate closely
with the IMF to ensure the sector’s stability and its ability to confront the
growing cash economy.
From celebration to controversy: Jeita Grotto case
raises questions on oversight
LBCI/November 05/2025
When it comes to holding lawbreakers accountable, officials often turn into
“masters of delay” — and that’s exactly what seems to be happening with the
Jeita Grotto case. Following a private event recently held inside the grotto,
which was authorized by the Jeita Municipality, it has become clear that the
municipality — currently managing the site — violated the contract it signed
with the Tourism Ministry. The agreement requires the municipality to obtain
prior written approval from the ministry before organizing any activity inside
or around the grotto. According to information obtained by LBCI, the Tourism
Ministry has prepared an official warning to the municipality, to be followed by
stricter measures, including a potential temporary closure of the site. A
technical committee is also being formed, comprising ministry experts, members
of the Lebanese Caving Club, and independent university specialists, to assess
possible damage caused by the event. For now, when asked about measures against
the municipality, the response remains vague: “We’re working on it; Minister
Laura Lahoud will sign the warning upon her return to Beirut tonight.” Even a
copy of the contract requested by LBCI under the right to access information was
not delivered on Wednesday as promised, pending the minister’s signature. While
officials now insist on procedural accuracy and signatures, Jeita’s mayor
confirmed that the Tourism Ministry’s initial approval for the wedding event was
given swiftly, verbally, and without written authorization. Meanwhile, Interior
Minister Ahmad Al-Hajjar, who oversees municipalities including Jeita, sent a
letter to Mount Lebanon Governor Mohammad Makkawi requesting clarification on
what happened. The governor tasked Keserwan's district commissioner with
investigating the event. The findings will determine whether the case is
referred to the Tourism Ministry or to the Public Prosecution. For now, the
violation is clear — but accountability remains stalled between warnings,
committees, and investigations. The only certainty so far: damage has been done
to the grotto.
South Lebanon: Hezbollah and Christian Villages in Quiet
Coexistence
Natasha Metni Torbey/This is Beirut/November 05/2025
In some regions of southern Lebanon, particularly in Jezzine, Marjayoun, and
Rmeish, predominantly Christian areas directly border localities where Hezbollah
holds significant influence. These areas, where municipal networks, social
structures, and political actors intertwine, reflect a deeply rooted
sociopolitical reality shaped by geography, communal divisions, the state’s
gradual retreat, and the need to maintain local stability. Since Hezbollah
opened the southern front in support of Hamas in October 2023, the delicate
balance that had allowed Maronite and Hezbollah-aligned Shia villages to coexist
for decades has come under severe strain. Rising tensions between the two
communities are driven less by religion than by a shared and urgent question:
how far should the war go and at what cost? The fragility of this coexistence
was starkly highlighted in April 2024 when Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai and
Jaafari Mufti Ahmad Kabalan exchanged sharp words. The Patriarch condemned a war
that had “worsened Lebanon’s economic, commercial, agricultural, financial, and
educational crises,” while the Shia cleric, closely aligned with Hezbollah,
defended the so-called resistance’s actions as strategic defense to prevent
Israeli encroachment on Baabda. The exchange followed a March 2024 incident in
Rmeish, a Christian village just a few hundred meters from the Israeli border,
where residents blocked an armed group allegedly linked to Hezbollah, from
installing a rocket launch platform. Although Hezbollah quickly denied
involvement, the episode revived old fears and underscored the frustration of a
population trapped in an intractable conflict. A tacit agreement from 2006 had
previously maintained stability: Hezbollah would avoid launching attacks from
Christian villages in exchange for their benevolent neutrality. For years, this
arrangement helped prevent escalation. However, today, political alliances have
shifted, trust has eroded, and the balance has changed. The rupture between the
Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and Hezbollah, after nearly two decades of
strategic cooperation, has widened the divide further. Recent statements by FPM
leader Gebran Bassil opposing “the unity of fronts” championed by the
pro-Iranian axis have heightened tensions in southern communities. It is
recalled that on February 6, 2006, following the July war between Hezbollah and
Israel, the Mar Mikhael Agreement between the FPM and Hezbollah reshaped
Lebanon’s political landscape. Today, almost nothing remains of that accord.
Forced Coexistence and the Survival Economy
Political disagreements have widened the gap among groups, yet daily life in
southern Lebanon between Christian and Shia villages continues to rely on
socio-economic interdependence. Agricultural exchanges, cross-border trade, and
work networks remain intact. In areas where the state has largely withdrawn from
providing justice, healthcare, and infrastructure, Hezbollah has stepped in as a
substitute provider. Its social institutions, including Jihad al-Bina and the
Islamic Health Society, operate over 80 clinics across the South and Beqaa,
several in predominantly Christian areas. Local NGOs report that nearly 10% of
the beneficiaries are not Shia.
While these services are often better equipped and more accessible than state
facilities and help sustain the local socio-economic fabric, they also foster
growing dependence. Resolving disputes through Hezbollah networks rather than
official courts, seeking medical care in its clinics, or receiving social
assistance from its organizations has become routine.In some mixed
municipalities, joint projects for roads, street lighting, or irrigation have
been collaboratively implemented by Christian institutions and
Hezbollah-affiliated networks. These initiatives help normalize a functional
coexistence, seen as a guarantee of local stability for both communities. “Here,
our realities are different from elsewhere in Lebanon. We live side by side,
share the same roads, the same water sources, the same concerns,” a local source
told This is Beirut. Residents emphasize their desire to avoid any slide into
communal conflict. “This is not a war between Christians and Shia It is a
disagreement over the current war’s relevance. We want peace, not division,”
added the source. For many Christians, the relationship with Hezbollah is not
ideological but pragmatic. In a fragmented country where the state is collapsing
and institutions are faltering, coexisting with Hezbollah becomes a necessity,
but it comes at a cost. The first price is self-censorship: avoiding political
discussions and refraining from criticizing Hezbollah, even among neighbors.
Next comes the erosion of sovereignty. “When we turn to Hezbollah’s parallel
structures to resolve a problem, we inadvertently strengthen a system that
replaces the state,” explained a local source. Finally, social dependence takes
hold: food aid, medical care, and school scholarships, all provided by Hezbollah
and its satellite organizations, gradually substitute for absent public
services. “We have become second-class citizens,” said a Jezzine resident.
“Forced to navigate a power that does not represent us but has replaced the
state.”
Hezbollah at a Crossroads
Today, more than ever, Hezbollah is keenly aware of the dangers that a rupture
with the Christian population of southern Lebanon could pose and is working to
maintain a climate of restraint. The group has pledged to contribute to the
reconstruction and development of southern villages, including Christian
communities, through Iranian funding that would be mobilized once hostilities
end. For some, this promise is little more than a consolation prize after months
of human and material losses. Yet for many residents, material compensation
alone will not be enough to restore trust. In a region where the wounds of past
wars have never fully healed, the fragile communal balance rests on a thin
thread, maintained by survival instincts and a shared sense of pragmatism.
Aoun’s Push for Talks with Israel Must Overcome
Hezbollah’s Ploys
Hussain Abdul-Hussain/This Is Beirut/November 05/2025
Hezbollah and Berri likely hope to use talks to get the US and Israel off their
backs and keep Hezbollah armed.
President Joseph Aoun said Lebanon has no choice but to enter into talks with
Israel to break the cycle of war, a step that media reports suggest he had
agreed on with Hezbollah’s ally, Speaker Nabih Berri. Aoun’s position is
commendable, but Hezbollah will use such talks as cover to rearm and prepare for
another round of fighting, rather than to bring war to an end. To give Aoun
credit where it is due, he has become the first president to make talking to
Israel—rather than “resisting” and “boycotting” the Jewish state—the centerpiece
of his foreign policy. Now comes the hard part.
Talks with Israel require an agenda and a goal. Under current proposals,
Lebanese “civilian technical experts” will join the Pentalateral Committee that
includes militaries of Lebanon, Israel, the US, France and the UN. The committee
was formed in November 2024, when Lebanon and Israel signed the Cessation of
Hostilities Act that ended the war that Hezbollah had launched on Israel a year
earlier. Its goal was to supervise the mechanism of the enforcement of UNSC
Resolution 1701, which stipulates the disarmament of Hezbollah across Lebanon.
Henceforth, the committee came to be known as the Mechanism.
Now Lebanon wants to add civilian “technical experts” to its military officers
on the Mechanism, with the assumption that such experts can demarcate the land
border with Israel. The maritime border was agreed upon by a similar Lebanese
delegation of military officers and civilian figures in 2022.
With borders demarcated, the remaining contentious issues between the two sides
will be narrowed down to the pending disarmament of Hezbollah, Israel’s
withdrawal from five Lebanese hilltops, and its release of Hezbollah fighters.
During a meeting with Mechanism last week, US envoy Morgan Ortagus said that the
disarmament of Hezbollah should be concluded by the end of this year. In a
statement last week, the Mechanism advocated the disarmament of Hezbollah by the
end of this year.
In theory, Lebanon and Israel look well on their way to peace. In reality,
however, that is not the case. Hezbollah and Berri seem amenable to Aoun’s
initiative, likely hoping to use the talks to get the US and Israel off their
backs. In doing so, Lebanon could get away without enforcing Resolution 1701,
allowing Hezbollah to remain armed. State sovereignty will remain compromised.
Hezbollah, in effect, is taking a page out of the playbook of late Palestinian
chief Yasser Arafat and Syrian President Hafez Assad: transform the peace
process into an open-ended exercise while maintaining the status quo. Arafat and
Assad talked until everyone dropped dead, literally, giving negotiations their
derogatory term “peace processing.” Knowing that Israel and the world were eager
to achieve peace, Palestinians started using talks for their own leverage. Every
time Washington or Jerusalem applied pressure on Arafat to rein in Hamas’s
terrorism, he boycotted the peace talks but never ended them. With Arafat’s
successor Mahmoud Abbas, talks stalled and died.
No one knows whether the Palestinian Authority (PA) today still upholds the
interim peace agreements it signed with Israel. The existence of the PA itself
is contingent on these deals, but everything Ramallah says suggests that they
regret peace talks and the idea of the two-state solution and that they want one
state—Palestine—from the river to the sea. It is most likely that Hezbollah will
try to hide behind Aoun’s talks with Israel to mimic the Palestinian tactic: use
talks to relieve American pressure and stall, all while rearming, reorganizing
and preparing for another round of war.
Hezbollah’s ploys should not take away from Aoun’s significant step of
supporting talks with Israel. There are three approaches in foreign relations,
Aoun told a group of visitors—war, economics and diplomacy. Since war with
Israel did not pay off, what next? Aoun argued that wars always end through
talks, and negotiations are usually between enemies, not friends or allies.
Since his election almost a year ago, Aoun has taken a few wrong turns. But he
has been courageous enough to go to places no one has gone to before him,
risking his political credibility and probably his life, betting on ending war
with Israel through talks. Coupled with the Mechanism’s statement endorsing
Hezbollah’s disarmament by the end of this year, Aoun’s drive for talks with
Israel means Lebanon has finally positioned itself on the right track. Fingers
crossed that Beirut will start rolling soon.
**Hussain Abdul-Hussain is a research fellow at the Foundation for the Defense
of Democracies (FDD).
What I ask from the Bishop of Rome
Akl Al-Awit/Face Book/November 05/2025
I will not dwell on the multiple and complex reasons — apostolic, religious,
spiritual, humanist, moral, social or political — that are pushing the Bishop of
Rome to visit Lebanon. These reasons are undoubtedly of utmost importance.
I will also not address the Vatican's relationship with the Eastern Churches,
nor the worries, difficulties and crises faced by these Churches, including
those in Lebanon.
What matters to me, in this annex added to my open letter to Leon XIV, published
in An-Nahar on Monday, November 3, 2025, is this:
If there were to be any concrete usefulness (feasibility) for the visit of the
Bishop of Rome to Lebanon and Turkey, scheduled between November 27 and December
2, this usefulness would be in the capacity of Leon XIV to obtain from the
"world" a political, legal and executive decision, issued by the United Nations
Security Council, to be implemented immediately. A decision that would exclude
Lebanon from the game of nations would cease to be an arena, a passage, a pawn
in the world chess. Nations, therefore, — willingly or by implementation of the
UN resolution — would cease using Lebanon, its existence, its state, or its
communities, as part of the corrupt world game. Once and for all, definitely.
Could this be a service given by the world to the Vatican? And how could this
happen?
No. It wouldn't be a free service.
Such a decision should be part of an exchange of political and moral interests
between the Holy See — as a state — and the community of great powers.
In this logic of exchange, recognized and practiced, the Vatican would ask for
itself that the world grant it this moral and political exception, while
pledging to repay it in return - this "gift", this "favor".
The Vatican certainly knows what the world would demand in return, and they know
how to get rid of it.
But what would, at the end, be the content of the request?
May the international hand be laid peacefully on Lebanon, for a definite and
transitional period, now and without delay — not in the form of occupation,
mandate or guardianship — so that the country is permanently neutralized:
subtracted to its internal failures, regional deadlocks surrounding it, and
greeds that plague this neighborhood—and, beyond, the entire world.
In other words :
• Neutralize Lebanon in relation to its own internal deficiencies, so that its
rival communities can no longer, together or separately, attract external powers
into their domestic calculations.
• Neutralize Lebanon in relation to regional crises, including those related to
Israel's ambitions in Lebanon, the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Palestinian
question.
• Neutralize Lebanon in relation to the multiple desires that permeate its
regional environment — Arab, Iranian, Turkish, and others.
• Neutralize Lebanon in relation to world clashes, whether they are in the east
or west, north or south.
The Vatican wanted to make Lebanon a human laboratory of humanism.
For this vision to become a reality, the first step must be a consensus UN
declaration, immediately applicable, proclaiming Lebanon's neutrality and
placing the country under international supervision — peaceful, rational, fair
and equitable —, in parallel with the visit of Leon XIV.
It would be an indispensable signal on the path of the project "Lebanon,
country-message", as formulated by the Bishop of Rome John-Paul II in May 1997,
during his historic visit to the promised homeland.
Does the Vatican send such a request to the world?
And will the world respond?
The question is extremely complex — almost impossible, I would say.
But it is precisely this "almost impossible" that the Vatican is, in my eyes,
called upon to accomplish.
And that is, I believe, something only the See of Rome could be able to invent.
That is the question.
Hezbollah is ‘busy organizing its forces’...Former
Israeli officials warn that the terror organization is regrouping and planning a
political takeover of Lebanon.
Yaakov Lappin/Israel Today/Nov 05/2025
https://www.israeltoday.co.il/read/hezbollah-is-busy-organizing-its-forces/
(JNS) Since Nov. 27, 2024, Israel and Hezbollah have officially been in a state
of ceasefire, but not a day goes by without the Iranian-sponsored terror faction
seeking to violate the arrangement by trying to rebuild its battered
capabilities, triggering Israeli airstrikes.
Simultaneously, Hezbollah is pursuing a political strategy to take over the
Lebanese parliament, and the Lebanese state is largely helpless in stopping its
activities, leaving Israel to do the heavy lifting, according to former senior
Israeli security officials.
Col. (ret.) Jacques Neriah, an analyst at the Jerusalem Center for Security and
Foreign Affairs and a former deputy head for assessment of Israeli Military
Intelligence, told JNS that Hezbollah is receiving digital cash flowing from the
Shi’ite diaspora and “Qassem’s money”—a reference to Hezbollah Secretary-General
Naim Qassem, who replaced Hassan Nasrallah—coming in from Iraq. According to
some estimates, the total of these funds amounts to nearly 500 million dollars.
“I think that right now Hezbollah is busy organizing its forces, although it has
more or less completed filling the missing ranks, appointing commanders who were
killed, training [elite] Radwan forces anew, operating factories for assembling
precision missiles and assembling UAVs, deploying observation posts in southern
Lebanon, bringing in weapons from Syria and other places into Lebanon, through
the illegal crossings of which there are close to 377, and of course the flow of
digital funds,” Neriah said. Despite its losses in the war—according to Israeli
assessments, it lost more than 80 percent of its pre-war arsenal by November
2024—Hezbollah still possesses a considerable arsenal, Neriah assessed. “In
today’s data, they also say it has something like 30,000 projectiles left, which
is not a small amount. Some of these are long-range projectiles and most are
short-range rockets,” he said.
He warned that this military buildup is paired with a sophisticated political
strategy to seize control of the Lebanese state. “The next mission is to take
over the parliament. How? During the time of Michel Aoun, the previous
[Lebanese] president, they passed a law that the Lebanese diaspora abroad will
not vote for the 128 parliament members that exist on the various lists, but
they will vote for six separate additional seats,” Neriah said.
“Why is that? Because most of the Lebanese who are abroad and vote are
anti-Hezbollah. Meaning, if you let them vote for parliament, they [Hezbollah]
will never be able to take over the parliament, and this is the next goal.”
He described Lebanon as a “failing state” and its military as a “failing army”
that has no real power to implement reforms or confront Hezbollah. “It is a
sectarian army, 60% of which is Shi’ite; these are all people who have family in
south Lebanon, no one will raise a rifle or a finger against Shi’ite villages in
southern Lebanon, so what kind of army is this?” Neriah stated.
Given this reality, he argued that the US has resorted to using Israel as its
proxy, he added, to pressure Beirut to take action against Hezbollah’s weapons.
Ultimately, Neriah said, a large-scale Israeli air operation will be needed to
further weaken Hezbollah and to enable the Lebanese government to break free of
its grip. He noted that during Operation Northern Arrows by the Israeli Air
Force on Sept. 23, 1,600 sorties flown by the IAF over several days were
extremely effective against Hezbollah’s capabilities.
Maj. Gen. (res.) Uzi Dayan, who served as deputy chief of staff and head of the
National Security Council, told JNS, “Hezbollah will do its utmost to return and
recover, this is true militarily, from a terror perspective, and it is also true
politically. The Lebanese government wants to weaken Hezbollah as much as
possible, but the main problem for it is that it is, as usual, weak. Hezbollah
will direct its build-up towards the south of Lebanon, both because it has a
wide Shi’ite base there, and also because it’s far from Beirut.”
Dayan outlined a multi-stage strategy for Israel in dealing with this threat.
“One, always prepare operationally according to the enemy’s capabilities and not
according to his intentions, because in assessing his intentions, history is
full of mistakes in trying to understand, guess the intentions, or rather
predict the enemy’s intentions. It is better to prepare according to its
capabilities.”A second, non-negotiable component is maintaining a permanent
buffer area, said Dayan. “The international border in Lebanon today is in some
places tens of meters from [northern Israeli] communities. This is true for
Metula, it is true for Misgav Am, it is true for Shlomi, also for other places,
and therefore, defense must be in a security zone. The ideal is what the
Americans call a ‘death zone,’ as they did between South Korea and North Korea,”
he said.
Dayan argued that any significant violation by Hezbollah should be used by
Israel to expand its current narrow security zone in southern Lebanon. Third,
Dayan argued that Israel must shed its reluctance to strike first. Thwarting
Hezbollah’s attempt to recover, he said, must also allow, under certain
conditions agreed upon in Israel, include a pre-emptive counter-attack. “That
is, there are places where you have no choice but to hit him before it hits you,
and this is something Israel has refrained from doing for many years.”
Dayan dismissed the Lebanese Army as a credible force, noting that it is
infiltrated by Hezbollah loyalists and that its basic functionality is
“nonexistent.”In many areas, he said, “Lebanon is state that has no street
names, no house numbers, nothing state-like, no state education system, no
social security, and what is more troubling on the practical side, is that the
salary, for example, of a soldier in the Lebanese army is about one-eighth of
the salary of a terrorist in Hezbollah.”He also characterized the US role as one
of economic, not military, pressure. “The Americans are doing a kind of peace.
Their peace is economic, and utilitarian,” he said. “When it comes to
threatening military force in the region, the US will always rely on
Israel.”Therefore, he added, “this is a situation that will happen quite a lot,
because we also do not intend to conquer Lebanon.”
Ultimately, Dayan concluded, “We are saying, there will be no peace that does
not pass through the liquidation of terror. If this is true in Gaza, it is true
in Lebanon, and it is true in Syria.”
An unusual request in the plot.
Yair Ravid/Face Book/November 05/2025
In 1984, a Lebanese woman was hospitalized from Marge Ayon in Ziv Hospital in
Safed. The woman who was in the hospital for several weeks. All the while she
was at the side of her bed, her little daughter named Hanan. Hospital staff
treated the mother and her little daughter with great love and sensitivity. One
of the persons who dedicated the girl dedicated and special paternal care, was a
volunteer, a resident of Tel Aviv named Moshe. After the recovery of the mother,
who sat in their home in Lebanon, but the same volunteer by the name of Moshe,
remains implanted in the hearts of the two. For the days the girl emigrated to
the United States, grew up and started a family. In the last 30 years, "the
girl" has been dealing with, who meanwhile became a woman, and changed her name
to Brigitte Gabriel, explaining the positions of the country of israel and
protecting the good name of our marina. All her activity must be noted is done
fully voluntarily, without receiving any remuneration and not even expenses. On
the recommendation of people in Israel familiar with her activities, Mrs.
Brigitte was chosen to receive the Menachem Begin Award for 2025. The award will
be awarded to her on December 25. Brigitte expressed a strong desire to invite
to the ceremony the same volunteer from Tel Aviv named Moshe, who volunteered in
1984 at the Safed Hospital, and devotedly treated a Lebanese girl whose mother
was hospitalized. Brigitte asks to locate the man to invite to the award
ceremony. I want to inform that the hospital informed that they don't have a
list of the volunteers who worked for them. I will ask in every language of
request to share this post as widely as possible, hoping that the same Moshe
will be allowed. Anyone who knows details or turns out to be Moses himself is
invited to contact me for details. Thank you.
Whoever is interested, you can google her name and learn about her blessed
activity
Palestinian Embassy hands over suspects in Elio Abou
Hanna killing to Lebanese authorities
LBCI/November 05/2025
The Embassy of the State of Palestine in Lebanon announced in a statement that
“two suspects, A.S. and F.H., accused of killing Elio Abou Hanna in the Shatila
camp, along with the weapons in their possession, have been handed over to the
Lebanese Army Intelligence. The Palestinian National Security Forces continue to
pursue anyone involved in this crime and will hand them over to the relevant
Lebanese authorities for justice.”The embassy also reported the “arrest of
citizen A.M., who threw a stun grenade in the Harsh area, and his handover to
Lebanese security authorities.”The embassy reiterated “its commitment to the
sovereignty and stability of brotherly Lebanon.”It also affirmed “respect for
Lebanese law and sovereignty, the exclusive authority of the state over arms,
and the importance of maintaining security and civil peace in Lebanon, while
fostering the best relations with the Lebanese people.”Additionally, the
statement stressed “continuing the handover of Palestinian weapons from the
camps and ensuring the Lebanese state’s authority over all its territory,
including Palestinian camps.”It also highlighted “the importance of ongoing
cooperation and coordination to allow the entry of reconstruction materials and
household items into Palestinian camps, and to ensure that Palestinian refugees
in Lebanon receive their civil, social, and economic rights and improvements to
their living conditions.”
The Latest English
LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on
November 05-06/2025
Report: IAEA Says Iran Must 'Seriously Improve'
Nuclear Cooperation
Asharq Al-Awsat/November 05/2025
Iran must "seriously improve" cooperation with the United Nations inspectors to
avoid heightening tensions with the West, the Financial Times reported on
Wednesday, citing International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi. Grossi
told the FT that while the IAEA has carried out about a dozen inspections in
Iran since hostilities with Israel in June, it had not been given access to
nuclear facilities such as Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, which were bombed by the
United States. Grossi said in October that movement had been detected near
Iran's enriched uranium stockpile but that it did "not imply that there is
activity on enrichment". Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei
subsequently said that Grossi was "fully aware of the peaceful nature" of Iran's
nuclear program and should not express "unfounded opinions" on it. Iranian
officials have blamed the IAEA for providing a justification for Israel's
bombing, which began the day after the IAEA board voted to declare Iran in
violation of obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Grossi told
the FT that while the agency was trying to approach the "bumpy" relations with
Iran with understanding, the country still needed to comply. n"You cannot say,
'I remain within the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons treaty', and then not
comply with obligations," Grossi said. "You cannot expect the IAEA to say, 'OK,
since there was a war you are in a different category'...Otherwise what I will
have to do is report that I have lost all visibility of this material", he said.
Iran: “Hostage Diplomacy,” an Intractable
Dilemma for the West
This is Beirut/AFP/November 05/2025
For researchers, aid workers, and even tourists, Iran’s use of detention to
extract concessions has become a serious dilemma for Western governments, which
so far have failed to stop the practice. This so-called “hostage diplomacy,”
consistently denied by Tehran, re-emerged just after the release on Tuesday of
French nationals Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who were freed after more than
three years in Iranian custody. The two teachers, accused of espionage, have
been placed under judicial supervision at the French Embassy and are awaiting
authorization to leave the country. By coincidence or negotiation, on Wednesday
morning Iranian national Mahdieh Esfandiari, previously detained and later
prosecuted in France for “promoting terrorism,” left prison for the Iranian
embassy in Paris, according to Tehran. The Islamic Republic had publicly
requested her exchange for Kohler and Paris, denouncing her detention as unjust.
“Iran uses hostages as bargaining chips to secure concessions it could not
otherwise obtain from the United States and its allies,” Jason Brodsky, policy
director at U.S.-based NGO United Against Nuclear Iran, told AFP.
Such concessions, often seen in the past, range from the unfreezing of assets to
the release of Iranian citizens, frequently prosecuted or convicted in Europe or
the United States for assassination plots or terrorism-related charges. In 2023,
for example, Washington authorized the transfer of six billion dollars in frozen
Iranian funds held in South Korea and released five Iranians in exchange for the
liberation of five U.S. citizens held at Tehran’s notorious Evin prison.
Likewise, the release of Australian-British academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert in 2020
came after Thailand freed three Iranians jailed for a foiled bomb plot.
This strategy is not new; it has long been a pillar of Iran’s foreign policy.
“It is even the founding act that shaped the identity of the Iranian state after
the 1979 revolution,” notes Clément Therme, lecturer at the University of
Montpellier Paul-Valéry, referring to the U.S. embassy hostage crisis that same
year. On November 4, 1979, around 50 American diplomats were taken hostage at
the U.S. embassy in Tehran. Most were not freed until 444 days later after
painstaking negotiations, a crisis that contributed to U.S. President Jimmy
Carter’s electoral defeat and marked the beginning of 46 years of diplomatic
rupture and sanctions. “Over time, there have been arrests and releases in
cycles of rapprochement and tension. The intensity varies, but the practice
continues,” Therme says. “In tense periods like today, Iran stages exchanges for
propaganda purposes,” he adds, enabling Tehran to deny it holds hostages, even
though it is a signatory to the UN Convention against Hostage-Taking. Western
diplomatic sources say that Iran, heavily sanctioned over its nuclear
activities, still holds at least 20 Western nationals, including Iranian-Swedish
academic Ahmadreza Djalali, sentenced to death in 2017 for alleged espionage for
Israel, accusations his family denies. British couple Lindsay and Craig Foreman,
also accused of espionage, have been detained since January, arrested while
traveling through Iran on a global motorcycle trip.
“Iran is not the only regime using this tactic. Venezuela, Russia, China, and
others do as well,” says Daren Nair, a security consultant and hostage-release
advocate. But “the practice keeps expanding because no effective deterrent
exists,” he warns, arguing that Western governments should simply prevent their
citizens from traveling to Iran. Another option, argues Jason Brodsky, is
stronger targeted measures against Tehran. “The U.S. government should work with
its allies to impose penalties for each hostage taken,” he says, including
sanctions, diplomatic isolation, and even a full travel ban on Iranian officials
and their families.
Iran Releases New Details on Ismail Haniyeh’s Killing
This is Beirut/November 05/2025
Ismail Haniyeh, the former leader of Hamas, was killed by a missile tracked to
his mobile phone, according to Iranian officials. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has
rejected claims that internal sabotage facilitated the assassination in Tehran.
On November 3, Iran released new details on the death of Ismail Haniyeh, the
former Hamas leader killed in Tehran on July 31, 2024. Revolutionary Guards
spokesman Ali Mohammad Naeini said Haniyeh was targeted by a precision missile
that tracked his mobile phone, a claim that inadvertently underscores Israel’s
technological superiority in its campaign against Hamas leadership. General Ali
Mohammad Naeini insisted that “no internal sabotage” was involved, rejecting a
New York Times report that a remote-controlled explosive device had been planted
inside Haniyeh’s residence. “A missile struck the window directly while he was
on the phone,” he said.
These clarifications come as the Iranian regime seeks to dispel suspicions of
infiltration within its own security services. In December, Israeli Defense
Minister Yoav Gallant confirmed that Israel was indeed behind the operation.
Haniyeh, based in Doha, was among the highest-ranking Hamas leaders, closely
tied to Iran and Hezbollah. After the assassination, Tehran waited two months
before launching a barrage of roughly 80 ballistic missiles at Israel. The
attack resulted in only two injuries and minimal damage, while Israeli
retaliation struck several strategic sites inside Iran.
Beyond its symbolism, Haniyeh’s death is a serious blow to the Iran-backed “axis
of resistance.” It demonstrates Israel’s ability to strike its enemies even in
their most secure sanctuaries, confirming the superiority of its intelligence
services and the reach of its targeted-elimination strategy against Hamas
leaders.
Israeli Reports: Tehran Arming Iraqi Shiite
Factions in Anticipation of Future Conflict with Tel Aviv
Ramallah : Kifah Zboun/Asharq Al-Awsat/November 05/2025
Tehran is increasing its support for Shiite militias in Iraq in anticipation of
a potential future conflict with Israel, according to a report Tuesday on
Israel’s Kan radio. Citing several Iraqi sources familiar with the matter, the
report said that following recent blows suffered by the pro-Iranian groups in
Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, Tehran is shifting its strategic focus toward
strengthening its proxies in Iraq. These militias are reportedly receiving more
advanced weaponry as part of this renewed effort, the report said. The sources
suggested that Iran is preparing these Iraqi factions for potential action
against Israel should hostilities resume. According to the Kan report, the
militias now wield greater power than the Iraqi army in some regions and largely
take their orders from Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Quds Force
rather than from Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. The militias did
not launch attacks against Israel during its war with Iran in June. That
restraint was reportedly the result of pressure from the Baghdad government and
warnings by both Israel and the United States. Iraq is set to hold parliamentary
elections on November 11. However, expectations remain low that they will lead
to any significant changes in the state's control over armed groups. Last week,
an Iraqi political source told Haaretz that Shiites in Iraq are afraid of Sunni
cities rebelling against the government after what happened with the Assad
regime in Syria that was ousted by opposition factions in December.
The newspaper said this is another reason why the militias are decreasing their
military activities in the country. The Israeli Maariv newspaper also stated
that Iran is building a new strategic approach towards Iraq, known as the
two-track policy, amid increasing Western pressure against Tehran’s influence in
the region, and the cautious calm in its conflict with Israel and the US.
Foreign News Reporter at Maariv, Eli Leon, wrote an article suggesting that in
the next war, missiles will not be launched on Israel by Yemen’s Houthis or
Lebanon’s Hezbollah, but from Iraq. Leon wrote that the IRGC has initiated
informal channels of communication with select Shiite armed factions, with the
aim of studying transition scenarios from “resistance activity” to full
“political participation.”He said Iran’s long-term goal is to build a stable and
low-cost influence within Iraqi state institutions. Currently, Israel is not
focusing on Iraqi militias but on Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Yedioth Ahronoth
newspaper wrote that the Israeli Security Cabinet held a closed-door meeting on
Tuesday to assess possible military responses to Hezbollah’s repeated violations
of the ceasefire agreement along the Lebanese border, amid growing concerns over
the group’s renewed activity and the Lebanese army’s inability to disarm it. The
meeting, attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, coalition party leaders
and senior defense officials, focused on Hezbollah’s efforts to rebuild its
capabilities, particularly in areas south of the Litani River, in violation of
UN Resolution 1701. Israeli army officials presented several operational
options, including intensified strikes on Hezbollah targets. These proposals are
expected to be submitted for Cabinet approval soon, though their implementation
will depend on several factors, including diplomatic discussions with the United
States and the Lebanese government, as well as broader regional developments.
The article, written by Amir Ettinger and Yoav Zitun, said that since the
ceasefire with Hamas came into effect last month, defense officials say
Hezbollah has grown bolder, increasing the movement of operatives and commanders
near the border.
The group is reportedly working to restore damaged infrastructure, rebuild
rocket launchers and reestablish weapons production capabilities, including
drones, the article said. It added that while Israel has conducted near-daily
strikes to prevent Hezbollah’s buildup, military officials acknowledge the trend
has not been reversed. “The group is believed to still possess tens of thousands
of rockets, missiles and drones, along with a large number of armed operatives,”
the article said.
US shares draft resolution on Gaza with elected UN
Security Council members
Reuters/November 05/2025
A U.S. official said Washington will share a draft resolution on President
Donald Trump’s peace plan for the Gaza Strip with the ten elected members of the
U.N. Security Council later on Wednesday. The official added that
representatives from Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab
Emirates will join the United States, “highlighting regional support” for the
plan.
US Plan for Gaza Force Faces Disagreements on Mission,
Structure
Washington: Asharq Al Awsat/Ramallah: Kifah Zboun/November 05/2025
Regional and international reactions continued to pour in over a draft
resolution the United States plans to present to the UN Security Council,
calling for the creation of an international security force in the Gaza Strip
for at least two years. The proposal, aimed at stabilizing Gaza after years of
conflict, has sparked disagreements among key powers and raised concerns that
divisions could delay or derail its approval. According to the US-based website
Axios, Washington circulated the draft to several Security Council members on
Monday. The text, described as “sensitive but not classified,” would authorize
the United States and other participating countries to manage Gaza’s security
and administration until the end of 2027, with an option to extend the mandate.
A US official told Axios that the force would be “executive rather than
peacekeeping,” stressing that its primary task would be to secure Gaza, oversee
disarmament, and dismantle or prevent the reconstruction of militant and
military infrastructure. The force would also seek the permanent disarmament of
non-state armed groups in the territory. Bishara Bahbah, a US-Palestinian
mediator, told Asharq Al-Awsat earlier this week that there were four major
points of contention among Security Council members regarding the composition
and mission of the proposed force. These differences, he said, could make it
difficult for the five permanent members - the US, Britain, France, Russia, and
China - to reach agreement on the resolution. A diplomatic source from a
mediating country also told Asharq Al-Awsat that Washington might proceed to
form the force independently if the Council fails to approve the measure, an
approach favored by Israel but opposed by Arab mediators and guarantor states.
Under the draft plan, the international force would secure Gaza’s borders with
Israel and Egypt, protect civilians and humanitarian corridors, and train a new
Palestinian police force that would gradually assume responsibility during a
transitional period. Israel would, in turn, withdraw from additional parts of
Gaza as the Palestinian Authority undertakes reforms to enable long-term
governance of the territory. The force is expected to include troops from
several nations and operate under a unified command, in coordination with Egypt,
Israel, and a proposed “Peace Council” for Gaza.
The Washington Post quoted a source as saying that Washington hopes to move
swiftly, aiming to deploy the first contingent before the end of the year. The
Trump administration reportedly views the establishment of such a force as a
“critical step” toward post-war stabilization. Diplomats said the text still
requires clarification, particularly regarding the force’s rules of engagement
and the specific areas of deployment. The draft mentions a role for Israeli
security units in the disarmament process, but sets no clear timetable or
benchmarks.
The resolution, which the US mission hopes to bring to a vote next week, does
not invoke Chapter VII of the UN Charter - allowing the use of military force -
but instead relies on Chapter VI, which governs peaceful settlement of disputes.
This would make it similar to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). A
Western diplomat told Asharq Al-Awsat: “We are committed to ensuring the rapid
implementation of the second phase of President Trump’s plan. Consultations are
ongoing with the US, European, and regional partners, but discussions remain
inconclusive.”
Palestinian and Israeli officials have both expressed reservations. Palestinian
sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Palestinian Authority will consult with
Arab states to seek amendments to the US draft. “We welcome the establishment of
the force through the Security Council,” one official said, “but we want clearer
terms regarding the mandate, duration, and the Authority’s role in enabling
Palestinian governance.”Israeli media, citing government sources, reported that
while the draft leans toward Israeli preferences, Tel Aviv still opposes having
the force created through a Security Council resolution. Israel also objects to
any Turkish participation, but might accept the inclusion of a Palestinian
police unit. Israeli officials believe that Indonesia, Pakistan, and Azerbaijan
are likely to provide troops for the mission. Members of the Knesset’s Foreign
Affairs and Defense Committee were recently briefed that soldiers from those
countries - and possibly others - would form the initial composition of the
proposed stabilization force.
Israel Returns Bodies of 15 Palestinians to Gaza as Exchanges Outlined in
Fragile Ceasefire Proceed
Asharq Al-Awsat/November 05/2025
Officials at Gaza’s largest functioning hospital said Wednesday that the bodies
of 15 more Palestinians were returned from Israel, as exchanges outlined in last
month’s fragile ceasefire went ahead despite allegations of violations. The
International Committee of the Red Cross has transported 285 bodies held in
Israeli custody to Gaza since last month's agreement was brokered, though health
officials in Gaza have said identifying the remains is complicated by a lack of
DNA testing kits. Israel has not disclosed how many bodies it is holding or
where they were recovered, but has been returning 15 each time the remains of an
Israeli hostage are returned from Gaza. The 15 were returned to Nasser
Hospital in Khan Younis on Wednesday, a day after Palestinian militants in Gaza
handed over the body of Itay Chen, an Israeli soldier killed in the Oct. 7,
2023, attack that started the war. His family mourned after being notified of
Chen's return, which they called bittersweet, and demanded further inquiry into
how the attack was able to happen, according to a statement from Israel's
Hostages and Missing Families Forum. The exchanges are the central component of
the initial phase of the US-brokered agreement which requires Hamas return all
hostage remains as quickly as possible. The exchanges have gone ahead even as
Israel and Hamas have accused each other of breaching other terms of the deal.
Hamas returned 20 living hostages to Israel on Oct. 13. The group has since also
returned the remains of 21 bodies. Israeli officials have decried parts of the
process as a violation of the agreement, accusing Hamas of handing over partial
remains in some instances and staging the discovery of bodies in others. It has
pushed to speed up the returns and in certain cases has said the remains were
not those of hostages. Hamas has said recovering bodies is complicated by the
widespread devastation in the coastal enclave and has returned one to three
bodies every few days. It has accused Israel of opening fire at civilians and
restricting the flow of humanitarian aid into the territory. The number of
casualties has dropped since the ceasefire took effect.
But health officials in Gaza, who do not distinguish between civilians and
fighters, have continued to report deaths from strikes, while Israel has said
that soldiers have also been killed. The deal will not move to subsequent phases
until all the remains of Israeli hostages are returned. The next parts of the
20-point plan call for creating an international stabilization force. Its makeup
hasn’t been finalized, but diplomats are working to define its role, persuade
Arab countries to take part, and win wider international support. “What we
believe is that whatever entity that is created in Gaza should have the
legitimacy of a mandate from the Security Council,” UN Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres told reporters in Doha on Tuesday. The fragile agreement aims to wind
down the war that was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that
killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Israel responded with a
sweeping military offensive that has killed more than 68,800 Palestinians in
Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run
government and staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed records
viewed as generally reliable by independent experts. Israel, which has denied
accusations by a UN commission of inquiry and others of committing genocide in
Gaza, has disputed the ministry’s figures without providing a contradicting
toll.
US Asks UN to Lift Sanctions on Syria's President ahead of
White House Visit
Asharq Al Awsat/November 05/2025
The United States has proposed a draft United Nations Security Council
resolution that would lift sanctions on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who is
due to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday. The draft
resolution, seen by Reuters on Tuesday, would also lift sanctions on Syria's
Interior Minister Anas Khattab. It was not immediately clear when it could be
put to a vote. A resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by
Russia, China, the US, France or Britain to be adopted. Washington has been
urging the 15-member Security Council for months to ease Syria sanctions.After
13 years of civil war, Syria's President Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December
in a lightning offensive by insurgent forces led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
Formerly known as the Nusra Front, HTS was al Qaeda's official wing in Syria
until breaking ties in 2016. Since May 2014, the group has been on the UN
Security Council's al Qaeda and ISIS sanctions list. A number of HTS members are
also under UN sanctions - a travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo -
including its leader Sharaa and Khattab. A Security Council sanctions committee
has been regularly granting Sharaa travel exemptions this year, so even if the
US-drafted resolution is not adopted before Monday, the Syrian president is
still likely to be able to visit the White House. Trump announced a major US
policy shift in May when he said he would lift US sanctions on Syria. United
Nations sanctions monitors have seen no "active ties" this year between al Qaeda
and HTS, according to a UN report, seen by Reuters in July.
Trump to Meet with Syrian President on Monday, White House
Says
Asharq Al-Awsat/November 05/2025
US President Donald Trump plans to meet with Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa
at the White House on Monday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday
at a press briefing. Since seizing power from Bashar al-Assad last December,
Sharaa has made a series of foreign trips as his transitional government seeks
to re-establish Syria's ties with world powers that had shunned Damascus during
Assad's rule. Trump has sought good relations with Sharaa. In June he revoked
most US sanctions against Syria, and Trump met with the Syrian leader when he
visited Saudi Arabia last May. "When the president was in the Middle East, he
made the historic decision to lift sanctions on Syria to give them a real chance
at peace and I think the administration, we've seen good progress on that front
under their new leadership," she said. Sharaa’s visit would be the first ever
visit to the White House by a Syrian president.
Türkiye's Erdogan Heralds ‘New Phase’ in PKK Peace Process
Asharq Al-Awsat/November 05/2025
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that Türkiye had entered a "new
phase" in efforts to end Kurdish militant violence and signaled he was open to
the idea of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan addressing lawmakers. Erdogan said
he held "very constructive" talks last week with senior pro-Kurdish DEM Party
leaders - who have urged the idea of Ocalan addressing a parliamentary
commission on PKK disarmament - and he urged all actors to contribute. "It
appears we have reached a new crossroads on the path toward a Türkiye free of
terrorism," Erdogan told his ruling AK Party lawmakers. "Everyone needs to step
up and do their part.""We consider it extremely valuable that ... all relevant
parties are heard without leaving anyone out, and that different opinions — even
if contrary — are expressed," he said. The comments could hint at possible
engagement with Ocalan, who has been jailed since 1999 but has played a key role
urging his militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to disarm and dissolve, steps
it announced earlier this year. DEM has said the commission, on which it sits
with other parties, should be allowed to engage Ocalan in prison given he
remains central to Kurdish public opinion and was involved in previous peace
efforts. Erdogan's government has not confirmed any such step. The PKK launched
its insurgency in 1984. A previous peace initiative collapsed in 2015,
unleashing renewed bloodshed in Türkiye’s southeast. The government has not
publicly detailed the framework of the current effort. Erdogan's comments came a
day after his nationalist ally Devlet Bahceli said it "would be beneficial" to
release Selahattin Demirtas, the former pro-Kurdish party leader jailed since
2016. Bahceli, long hostile to Kurdish political demands, effectively launched
the peace process with the PKK when he floated the idea a year ago. "With a bit
more courage and effort, and with God's permission, we will successfully
conclude this process," Erdogan said.
Trump says lost ‘sovereignty’ in New York after Mamdani
win
AFP/05 November/2025
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the United States had lost
“sovereignty” after New Yorkers elected leftist Zohran Mamdani as their next
mayor. “We’ll take care of it,” Trump said without explaining what he meant,
while claiming the country’s largest city would become communist. In a speech in
Miami a day after Mamdani’s convincing victory, Trump added that the Florida
city “will soon be the refuge for those fleeing communism in New York.” “The
decision facing all Americans could not be more clear: We have a choice between
communism and common sense,” he said, also casting the choice as between an
“economic nightmare” and an “economic miracle.”The speech marked the first
anniversary of Trump’s election victory against Democrat Kamala Harris. “We
rescued our economy, regained our liberty, and together we saved our country on
that magnificent night 365 days ago,” Trump told his audience of supporters.
Mamdani’s mayoral race win came despite fierce attacks on his policies and
Muslim heritage from business elites, conservative media commentators and Trump
himself. “If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat
him, it is the city that gave rise to him,” Mamdani said in a victory speech
late Tuesday. Mamdani’s win, as well as the Democratic Party’s other victories
in the governor’s races in Virginia and New Jersey, suggested a shift in
political mood as the country looks toward next year’s midterm elections, when
control of Congress will be up for grabs.
In another significant win for Democrats, voters in California approved a
proposition to redraw electoral districts in a bid to neutralize gerrymandering
efforts ordered by Trump in other states. Trump refused to take any blame for
Tuesday’s results.
In a post on his Truth Social network, he cited anonymous “pollsters” suggesting
the Republican defeats were due to the government shutdown and the fact that his
own name wasn’t on the ballots.
Zohran Mamdani Wins NYC Mayor’s Race, Capping a Stunning
Ascent
Asharq Al-Awsat/November 05/2025
Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City on Tuesday, capping a stunning
ascent for the 34-year-old state lawmaker, who was set to become the city’s most
liberal mayor in generations. In a victory for the Democratic party’s
progressive wing, Mamdani defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican
Curtis Sliwa. Mamdani must now navigate the unending demands of America’s
biggest city and deliver on ambitious — skeptics say unrealistic — campaign
promises. With the victory, the democratic socialist will etch his place in
history as the city’s first Muslim mayor, the first of South Asian heritage and
the first born in Africa. He will also become the city’s youngest mayor in more
than a century when he takes office on Jan. 1.
"The conventional wisdom would tell you that I am far from the perfect
candidate. I am young, despite my best efforts to grow older. I am Muslim. I am
a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any
of this," Mamdani declared to a roaring crowd at his victory party. He cast his
win as a victory for blue-collar workers struggling to get by. "New York,
tonight you have delivered a mandate for change," he said, vowing to "wake up
each morning with a singular purpose: To make this city better for you than it
was the day before." More than 2 million New Yorkers cast ballots in the
contest, the largest turnout in a mayoral race in more than 50 years, according
to the city’s Board of Elections. With roughly 90% of the votes counted, Mamdani
held an approximately 9 percentage point lead over Cuomo. Mamdani’s unlikely
rise gives credence to Democrats who have urged the party to embrace more
progressive, left-wing candidates instead of rallying behind centrists in hopes
of winning back swing voters who have abandoned the party.
He has already faced scrutiny from national Republicans, including President
Donald Trump, who have eagerly cast him as a threat and the face of a more
radical Democratic Party that is out of step with mainstream America. Trump has
repeatedly threatened to cut federal funding to the city — and even take it over
— if Mamdani won. At his victory party in Brooklyn, Mamdani supporters cheered
and embraced, some tearfully, after The Associated Press called the race.
Campaign posters flew through the air, as one person hoisted the official flag
of New York City and Bad Bunny played from the speakers. The mood was far more
muted at Cuomo’s watch party at a midtown Manhattan theater. In his concession
speech, a defiant Cuomo called his campaign "a caution flag that we are headed
down a dangerous, dangerous road" and noted that "almost half of New Yorkers did
not vote to support a government agenda that makes promises that we know cannot
be met."Still, he corrected his supporters when they began to boo at the mention
of Mamdani's name. "No, that is not right," he said, offering to help the
incoming mayor in any way. "Tonight was their night."Mamdani’s grassroots
campaign centered on affordability, and his charisma spoiled Cuomo’s attempted
political comeback. The former governor, who resigned four years ago following
allegations of sexual harassment that he continues to deny, was dogged by his
past throughout the race and was criticized for running a negative campaign.
Mamdani will also have to deal with Trump, who not only threatened retribution
against the city, but also suggested he might try to arrest and deport Mamdani
if he won. Mamdani was born in Uganda, where he spent his early childhood, but
was raised in New York City and became a US citizen in 2018. In his speech,
Mamdani addressed Trump head on. "New York will remain a city of immigrants, a
city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and as of tonight, led by an
immigrant," he said, adding that, "If anyone can show a nation betrayed by
Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him."
Trump appeared to acknowledge Mamdani’s challenges, posting "...AND SO IT
BEGINS!" on his Truth Social site.
New mayor will pursue an ambitious agenda
Mamdani, who was criticized throughout the campaign for his thin resume, will
now have to begin staffing his incoming administration before taking office next
year and game out how he plans to accomplish the ambitious but polarizing agenda
that drove him to victory.
Among the campaign’s promises are free child care, free city bus service,
city-run grocery stores and a new Department of Community Safety that would send
mental health care workers to handle certain emergency calls rather than police
officers. It is unclear how Mamdani will pay for such initiatives, given
Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul’s steadfast opposition to his calls to raise taxes
on wealthy people. His decisions around the leadership of the New York Police
Department will also be closely watched. Mamdani was a fierce critic of the
department in 2020, calling for "this rogue agency" to be defunded and slamming
it as "racist & a major threat to public safety." He has since apologized for
those comments and has said he will ask the current NYPD commissioner to stay on
the job. Mamdani’s campaign was driven by his optimistic view of the city and
his promises to improve the quality of life for its middle and lower classes.
Cuomo, Sliwa and other critics assailed him over his vehement criticism of
Israel ’s military actions in Gaza. Mamdani, a longtime advocate of Palestinian
rights, has accused Israel of committing genocide and said he would honor an
arrest warrant the International Criminal Court issued for Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mamdani won over the city while Cuomo faltered
Mamdani began his campaign as a relatively obscure state lawmaker, little known
even within New York City. Going into the Democratic primary, Cuomo was the
presumed favorite, with near-universal name recognition and deep political
connections. Cuomo’s chances were buoyed further when incumbent Mayor Eric Adams
bowed out of the primary while dealing with the fallout of his now-dismissed
federal corruption case. But as the race progressed, Mamdani’s natural charm,
catchy social media videos and populist economic platform energized voters in
the notoriously expensive city. He also began drawing outside attention as his
name ID grew. Mamdani ultimately trounced Cuomo in the primary by about 13
points. The former governor relaunched his campaign as an independent candidate
for the general election, vowing to hit the streets with a more energetic
approach. However, much of his campaign continued to focus on attacking
opponents. In the race’s final stretch, he claimed Mamdani’s election would make
Jews feel unsafe. Meanwhile, supporters packed Mamdani’s rallies, and he held
whimsical events, including a scavenger hunt and a community soccer tournament.
Cuomo also juxtaposed his deep experience in government with Mamdani’s less than
five years in the state Legislature. But the former governor also faced his own
political baggage, as his opponents dredged up the sexual harassment allegations
that led to his resignation, as well as his decisions during the early days of
the COVID-19 pandemic. Sliwa, the creator of the Guardian Angels crime patrol
group, also had his moments — mostly in the form of funny quips on the debate
stage — but had difficulty gaining traction as a Republican in an overwhelmingly
Democratic city. He conceded the race about a half hour after the polls closed,
wishing Mamdani "good luck because if he does well, we do well." But he also
issued a warning: "If you try to implement socialism, if you try to render our
police weak and impotent, if you forsake the people’s public safety, we will
become the mayor-elect and his supporters' worst enemies."
World has 'the tools' to unlock $1.3 trillion in climate
finance: COP30 report
AFP/November 05/2025
The world has all the tools in hand to provide $1.3 trillion in climate finance
to vulnerable nations, from debt relief to taxes and better coordination, said a
"roadmap" released Wednesday ahead of the COP30 summit in Brazil. The 81-page
report was released by the heads of last year's COP29 conference in Azerbaijan
and the upcoming COP30 gathering in Belem, Brazil, as leaders prepare to meet in
the Amazonian city on Thursday and Friday. "This Roadmap aims to contribute as
catalyst and foundation for the next phase of climate action. It reminds us that
the resources exist, the tools are ready, and the time is now," COP29 president
Mukhtar Babayev and COP30 head Andre Correa do Lago said in the paper's
foreword.
The Latest
English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
on
November 05-06/2025
Is Ideological Iran Changing Ideologically?
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat/November 05/2025
Is Iran changing? We might be on the eve of something of the sort.
Since the murder of Mahsa Amini in the summer of 2022, overt defiance of the
compulsory veil has been increasing. After the recent war, several clips of
women challenging this law have gone viral on social media; some of them are
even seen dancing with men in public places. The previously predominantly black
urban landscape is becoming increasingly colorful.
Public criticism of the authorities is also surging, with the regime’s top
officials and various factions trading blows over domestic and foreign policy.
President Masoud Pezeshkian has not shied away from saying that the people of
his country, which is sanctioned more heavily than any other in the world, are
"starving."
Of course, none of that should distract from the AFP report of independent UN
investigators' condemnations of intensified repression in Iran, including
executions, arrests, expulsions, and deportations of hundreds of Kurds, Arabs,
and Afghans, as well as journalists and Bahai citizens, who are perpetually
targeted with and without cause. However, the repression is now justified on
national security concerns. It is driven by the conspiratorial consciousness of
the regime and the "infiltrations" exposed by the recent war; other, "moral" and
expressive, forms of repression seem to be receding.
Ali Khamenei’s decision to pay homage to Mirza Mohammad Hossein Naeini might be
the most telling indication that things are changing in this theocratic
"Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist" (Velayat-e Faqih) regime that follows
Khomeini's reading of religious and political history. And the fact that the
Supreme Leader has made very few public appearances since the war adds to the
significance of his veneration of Naeini.
An article published in the Iranian newspaper "Arman-e Emrooz" (and translated
and published by the pro-Iran Lebanese newspaper "Al-Akhbar") argues that
Khamenei honoring Naeini and praising his legacy indicates that the regime may
be conducting a serious reassessment of its political ideology to break with
"religious despotism." Indeed, Naeini, alongside his mentor Mohammad Kazem
Khorasani, spearheaded clerical support for the "Constitutional Revolution" of
1906, developing a theory that constitutional government would remain the best
political system available until the Hidden Imam returns and his perfect system
can be applied.
While Khomeini never showed any sympathy for the Constitutional Revolution and
its icons, he did sympathize with the cleric considered it and Naeini’s most
prominent opponent, Fazlollah Nouri. The constitutionalists saw the latter as a
tool of the Qajars, specifically of Shah Mohammad Ali, who fiercely opposed any
reform. They also labeled him “an agent of Russia,” which had partitioned Iran
with Britain in 1907. As punishment for his denunciation of the
constitutionalists and their revolution, as well as other actions and
statements, like inciting mobs to kill them and loot their properties, the
constitutionalists, before their revolution was defeated, had Nouri tried and
executed.
In fact, it was the Khomeinist regime that, since 1979, has celebrated Nouri and
sought to bring him back to life: naming an immense highway in Tehran and a
massive mural after him, as well as presenting him as a historical leader who
confronted the West, its heresies, and its transgressions, and who defended
Islam and Sharia governance.
Mesbah Yazdi, a pillar of the Islamic regime and distinguished disciple of
Khomeini, is known to have pushed particularly strongly for celebrating Nouri.
After the revolution, Yazdi established the "Imam Khomeini Education and
Research Institute," and he was appointed to the Assembly of Experts. While
Yazdi was known for his influence on the regime’s political elites, particularly
former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, he is also known for having said that
"anyone who doesn't like the Islamic government can get a passport and leave the
country."
Because Yazdi was among the most ideological of the ideological regime's
figures, he was tasked with distinguishing good history from bad history; among
his most significant contributions to deepening the country’s darkness was his
revival of Muhammad-Baqir al-Majlisi and his teachings. The ideas of Majlisi,
who lived in the 17th century and wrote the infamous book "Bihar al-Anwar",
found themselves in high demand with the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War and the
resulting surge in demand for the salvation of miracles and divine intervention.
Since the Safavids had transformed Shiism into a "national" religion for Persia
early on, using Islam as a means to assert an ostentatious marker of difference
from the surrounding region, Majlisi was the one to firmly tie the Imams to the
Iranian monarchy, through his affirmation of Hussein ibn Ali’s marriage to the
daughter of Yazdegerd III, the last Sasanian king.
Accordingly, this highly ideological regime celebrating Naeini is not a minor
development, nor is it compatible with continuing to celebrate his rival Nouri,
or Majlisi. Either the former is celebrated or the other two are. However, such
a development suggests that ideological turbulence has begun to rattle an
ideological apparatus that had never been so lax or tepid. It deserves our
sustained attention, as fears might be creeping in among some of Iran's rulers.
The small lifeboats might accommodate the passengers, but there will not be any
room for baggage.
Sudan's Islamist General: How Al-Burhan's Alliance with Iran and the Muslim
Brotherhood Threatens U.S. and Israeli Security
Robert Williams/Gatestone Institute/November 05/2025
While diplomats speak of ceasefires and "inclusive transitions," Tehran is
laying the groundwork for something far more dangerous: a military beachhead on
the Red Sea, operated through its newest ally in Khartoum, General Abdel Fattah
al-Burhan.
Al-Burhan is a military officer from the old Islamist regime of Omar al-Bashir,
a longtime partner of the Muslim Brotherhood and a beneficiary of Iran's renewed
military outreach. He is not a bulwark against extremism; he is its new façade.
On September 12, the "Quad" — the United States, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt
— issued a clear warning: the Muslim Brotherhood must have no role in Sudan's
future.... Al-Burhan's answer was unmistakable: escalation.
Iran sees in Sudan what it once saw in Yemen: a strategic entry point. Having
lost freedom of maneuver along its traditional corridor — Syria and Lebanon —
Tehran is searching for a new flank against Israel and U.S. forces in the Middle
East. The Red Sea, with its shipping lanes and proximity to the Israeli port of
Eilat, is that flank. By arming and advising al-Burhan's army, Iran gains
exactly what it needs: a launchpad for drones...
The operational logic is clear: build an Iranian-aligned Islamist army on the
western shore of the Red Sea to threaten Israel from the south, menace Saudi
shipping, and target U.S. naval assets stationed nearby.
Al-Burhan's army is no longer a secular institution; it has become a hybrid of
professional officers, Islamist militias, and remnants of the Muslim
Brotherhood's armed wings.
If Washington continues to treat al-Burhan as a legitimate interlocutor, it will
hand Tehran the Red Sea without firing a shot.
The first step is to demand al-Burhan's resignation and condition all
engagement, aid, and recognition on his immediate departure.
Second, Washington must work with the Quad partners to block Iranian weapons
routes into Sudan.
Third, the U.S. should restore deterrence.... Sanctions targeting al-Burhan's
generals, Iranian intermediaries, and Muslim Brotherhood financiers would send
an unmistakable message....
Finally, Washington must reaffirm that America stands with Israel and with the
peoples of the region who reject Islamist tyranny. The Muslim Brotherhood has
destabilized every nation it has touched — from Egypt to Libya to Tunisia.
Allowing its resurrection inside Sudan's military would undo years of
counterterrorism progress...
Sudan's tragedy is that its people want freedom while their generals want power
and their foreign patrons want leverage. The United States can help break this
triangle by removing its keystone: al-Burhan himself. His departure would open
the door to a civilian transition, deny Iran its new bridgehead...
America once led the free world in confronting such threats. It can do so again
— by recognizing Sudan not as a diplomatic inconvenience but as the next front
in a war already declared by Iran, the Muslim Brotherhood, and their allies. If
the U.S. and its partners fail to act, the Red Sea may soon host... the next war
against the West.
Sudan has become the newest front in Iran's long war against the West and Israel
— and Washington cannot afford to keep pretending otherwise. While diplomats
speak of ceasefires and "inclusive transitions," Tehran is laying the groundwork
for something far more dangerous: a military beachhead on the Red Sea, operated
through its newest ally in Khartoum, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
Sudan has become the newest front in Iran's long war against the West and Israel
— and Washington cannot afford to keep pretending otherwise. While diplomats
speak of ceasefires and "inclusive transitions," Tehran is laying the groundwork
for something far more dangerous: a military beachhead on the Red Sea, operated
through its newest ally in Khartoum, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
The Biden Administration and even parts of the Trump foreign policy
establishment have described al-Burhan as a "pragmatic" leader, a man who might
guide Sudan toward stability. Nothing could be further from the truth. Al-Burhan
is a military officer from the old Islamist regime of Omar al-Bashir, a longtime
partner of the Muslim Brotherhood and a beneficiary of Iran's renewed military
outreach. He is not a bulwark against extremism; he is its new façade.
On September 12, the "Quad" — the United States, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt
— issued a clear warning: the Muslim Brotherhood must have no role in Sudan's
future. The statement also demanded that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) end
their assault on civilians and hand authority to a civilian transitional
government. Al-Burhan's answer was unmistakable: escalation. Within days, his
forces resumed bombardments in Omdurman and tightened their grip on Port Sudan.
His refusal to implement a ceasefire is not an act of sovereignty; it is the
deliberate defiance of an Islamist general who knows he enjoys Iran's political
and logistical support.
Iran sees in Sudan what it once saw in Yemen: a strategic entry point. Having
lost freedom of maneuver along its traditional corridor — Syria and Lebanon —
Tehran is searching for a new flank against Israel and U.S. forces in the Middle
East. The Red Sea, with its shipping lanes and proximity to the Israeli port of
Eilat, is that flank. By arming and advising al-Burhan's army, Iran gains
exactly what it needs: a launchpad for drones, a logistics hub for militias, and
a symbolic victory that extends the "Axis of Resistance" from the Levant to the
Horn of Africa.
This is not theoretical. Intelligence sources and open-source imagery have
already confirmed the transfer of Iranian drones and air-defense systems to the
Sudanese Armed Forces. Iranian advisers have been sighted in military zones once
controlled by the Rapid Support Forces, a rival to the SAF. The operational
logic is clear: build an Iranian-aligned Islamist army on the western shore of
the Red Sea to threaten Israel from the south, menace Saudi shipping, and target
U.S. naval assets stationed nearby.
For Israel, the stakes are immediate. The Red Sea is a lifeline for its trade
and naval security. An Iran-friendly Sudan gives Tehran a direct maritime route
to Israel's southern border, bypassing the more heavily monitored Persian Gulf.
Missiles, drones, and weapons can be smuggled through Port Sudan and across the
desert corridors toward the Sinai Peninsula — the same networks once used by
Hamas before Egypt's crackdown. The nightmare scenario is not abstract:
Iran-backed strikes against Eilat or against U.S. installations in Djibouti or
the Gulf of Aden.
The danger is compounded by the ideological dimension. Al-Burhan's army is no
longer a secular institution; it has become a hybrid of professional officers,
Islamist militias, and remnants of the Muslim Brotherhood's armed wings. Reports
from Khartoum indicate that clerics close to the Muslim Brotherhood now serve as
military chaplains and propagandists within the SAF. For Iran, this is an ideal
partner: a Sunni Islamist army that can be co-opted into the broader
anti-Western, anti-Israeli alliance without formal Shiite conversion or
theological friction.
The cost of inaction will be immense. If Washington continues to treat al-Burhan
as a legitimate interlocutor, it will hand Tehran the Red Sea without firing a
shot. The same pattern that turned Yemen into a launchpad for Houthi missiles
and naval aggression could repeat itself along Sudan's 700-mile coastline. U.S.
Navy vessels could find themselves under persistent drone harassment, while
Israel faces a southern front manned by Islamist proxies.
There is still a narrow window to prevent this outcome — but only if the United
States acts with clarity. The first step is to demand al-Burhan's resignation
and condition all engagement, aid, and recognition on his immediate departure.
Negotiations cannot succeed while the very man aligned with Iran and the Muslim
Brotherhood controls the Sudanese state. The United States should back the
formation of a technocratic, civilian-led interim government under international
supervision, with explicit oversight of the army and security sector.
Second, Washington must work with the Quad partners to block Iranian weapons
routes into Sudan. Intelligence cooperation between the U.S., Israel, Egypt, and
the UAE is essential. The Red Sea corridor must be patrolled, monitored, and
defended. A joint maritime task force — modeled after the anti-piracy operations
off Somalia — could ensure that Iranian shipments do not reach Port Sudan.
Third, the U.S. should restore deterrence through policy, not platitudes.
Sanctions targeting al-Burhan's generals, Iranian intermediaries, and Muslim
Brotherhood financiers would send an unmistakable message: Sudan's army will
either return to its barracks or face isolation.
Finally, Washington must reaffirm that America stands with Israel and with the
peoples of the region who reject Islamist tyranny. The Muslim Brotherhood has
destabilized every nation it has touched — from Egypt to Libya to Tunisia.
Allowing its resurrection inside Sudan's military would undo years of
counterterrorism progress and put both American and Israeli lives at risk.
Sudan's tragedy is that its people want freedom while their generals want power
and their foreign patrons want leverage. The United States can help break this
triangle by removing its keystone: al-Burhan himself. His departure would open
the door to a civilian transition, deny Iran its new bridgehead, and show that
Washington has finally learned the lesson of past appeasement — that there can
be no partnership with those who arm themselves against civilization.
America once led the free world in confronting such threats. It can do so again
— by recognizing Sudan not as a diplomatic inconvenience but as the next front
in a war already declared by Iran, the Muslim Brotherhood, and their allies. If
the U.S. and its partners fail to act, the Red Sea may soon host more than trade
routes. It may host the next war against the West.
**Robert Williams is based in the United States.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22035/sudan-islamist-general
© 2025 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Saudi Arabia... and Syria’s Recognition of Kosovo
Hassan Al Mustafa/Asharq Al-Awsat/November 05/2025
After Operation Desert Storm ended with the expulsion of Iraqi forces from
Kuwait in February 1991, it seemed that “international coalition” - built around
the nucleus of Saudi Arabia, the United States, and the United Kingdom - had
successfully stood in the way of the late Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s
ambitions, swiftly and decisively defeating his army.
This episode encouraged Saudi Arabia to further promote international security
and stability through the United Nations or the Security Council. Its first
effort sought to put an end to Serbian forces’ campaign of ethnic cleansing in
Bosnia and Herzegovina, following the vicious war that began when Serbian forces
laid siege to Sarajevo in April 1992.
Riyadh reached out to the American administration at the time, urging it to take
concrete steps to end the massacres against unarmed civilians. At the time,
however, the late President George H. W. Bush had been confronting domestic
challenges that hindered him from taking practical, let alone military, actions.
Nevertheless, he said that he was fully prepared to provide political and legal
support through international institutions.
Bush Sr. lost the election to Bill Clinton 1992, who was inaugurated in January
of the following year. Saudi Arabia resumed its diplomatic engagement and
discussed how best to end the Serbian forces’ atrocities with the new president.
They agreed to work bring in the United Kingdom, with Saudi Arabia playing a
pivotal role in ensuring political support and mobilizing international public
opinion, as well as facilitating NATO’s mission and allowing the latter to
overcome several obstacles. Many of these challenges were linked to the heavy
historic legacy of the two World Wars, with Britain expressing reservations
about the scope and limits of Germany’s role in the campaign.
Riyadh supplemented its successful diplomatic efforts with humanitarian relief.
The late King Fahd bin Abdulaziz established the Saudi High Commission for
Relief of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was chaired by King Salman bin Abdulaziz,
who was Governor of Riyadh at the time. The Commission’s mission was to collect
donations, oversee the provision of aid, food, medicine, clothing, and shelter,
and to facilitate the transfer of wounded victims to Saudi hospitals for
treatment at the Kingdom’s expense.
Riyadh then moved to support reconstruction efforts, playing a key role in
rebuilding damaged infrastructure, hospitals, schools, and places of worship. It
helped to revive the state institutions that had been devastated by this cruel
war.
Saudi Arabia continued to seek peace and coexistence among different ethnic and
religious groups in the heart of Europe. After its engagements in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, it was once again spurred to action when the Kosovo War broke out
in February 1998. The Račak Massacre of 1999 continues to haunt the global
conscience. The world was outraged as Serbian forces killed dozens of Albanian
civilians. When the Serbs continued their ethnic cleansing campaign, NATO forces
launched a 78-day air campaign that ended with the Kumanovo Agreement, signed on
June 11, 1999, with the Serbian forces withdrawing from Kosovo.
This historical background is crucial for understanding Kosovan President Vjosa
Osmani’s visit to Saudi Arabia, where she met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
and attended the Future Investment Initiative. Her visit culminated in a
trilateral meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa,
with Syria announcing its recognition of the Republic of Kosovo.
The President of Kosovo said that Syria’s recognition was “of historic
significance” for relations between the two states, “based on mutual respect for
the long struggle for freedom, mutual recognition of sovereignty, territorial
integrity and commitment to bilateral cooperation and establishment of
diplomatic relations.” She also said that Kosovo is “deeply appreciative and
grateful for the support of the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud. His leadership and guidance have
made the results of our trilateral meeting a historic one for both the people of
Kosovo and the people of Syria.”
The trilateral meeting in Riyadh culminated years of “quiet diplomatic
engineering.” Saudi Arabia has moved beyond being humanitarian assistance to
friendly nations, becoming a proactive and diplomatic actor that looks to the
future and has the capacity to make breakthroughs on issues that had been frozen
for years. The previous Syrian regime had refused to recognize Kosovo’s
independence due to Damascus’s close relationship with Moscow, which supports
the Serbian position.
For its part, Syria has said the official recognition of the Republic of Kosovo
as an independent and sovereign state is “based on its belief in the right of
peoples to self-determination and its commitment to promoting peace and
stability in the Balkans and the world.”
The timing and location of this announcement, however, suggest that the decision
was made within the framework of the country’s effort to reposition itself after
a decade of Arab and international isolation. Having once supported Belgrade
because of Moscow’s opposition to the independence of Kosovo, Syria has now
shifted toward a more flexible and pragmatic approach. Indeed, the country needs
new partners, and its leadership understands that rigid alignments are no longer
tenable as the international order is being reshaped. Syria is sending messages
of peace, especially toward Europeans, signaling its intent to strengthen ties
with all European states and to address their reservations to engage with
Damascus.
Kosovo, in turn, understands that Saudi Arabia’s initiatives and policies
elevate its own international standing. President Vjosa Osmani said as much in
an interview with Al Arabiya, emphasizing “crucial opportunities to enhance
economic cooperation and attract investment.” She explained that Kosovo’s
economic strategy is to ensure sustainable development and build a diversified
economy through innovation and international partnerships, noting that Saudi
Arabia is “a key partner in supporting development and peace in the region and
the world.”
This is precisely what Riyadh wants: for partnership to be a gateway to building
stronger, more enduring accords that can contain conflicts and address chronic
crises.
Qatari Journalists: Mamdani's Victory In The New York
Mayoral Race – Thanks To October 7 And The Resistance In Gaza
November 5, 2025/MEMRI/Qatar | Special Dispatch No. 12248
Following the victory of Zohran Mamdani in the New York mayoral race, Qatari
journalists and media figures commented on their X accounts, celebrating his win
and attributing it to the impact of the "Al-Aqsa Flood", i.e., Hamas's October
7, 2023 attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza. These figures wrote that
Mamdani's victory reflects a major perceptual shift in the U.S. and the world
and the decline in Israel's international standing.
This report presents several of these posts:
Qatari Journalist: Mamdani's Victory – One of the Outcomes Of The Al-Aqsa Flood
Qatari journalist Abdullah Al-Amadi wrote on his X account: "What is happening
in the U.S. is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the outcomes of the Al-Aqsa
Flood. The American public has understood—after many long years of imposed
slumber, in which Zionism played a role—that supporting injustice and oppression
is a moral failure… It is thanks to this understanding that a Muslim candidate
who opposes the Zionist aggression won the mayoral race in New York, while the
candidate favored by the Zionists, who was supported even by the American
President himself or by the oligarchy in general, lost [the race], even though
New York is considered to be the second-largest concentration of Jews in the
world!!"[1]
Al-Jazeera Presenter: Mamdani's Victory – A Result Of The Al-Aqsa Flood
Ayman Azzam, a presenter on the Qatari Al-Jazeera network, shared a post by
Somali social media activist Hiba Shukri that attributed Mamdani's victory to
October 7 and the boost it gave to the anti-Israel movement. Azzam commented:
"The world is changing; The manifestations of the Flood have an impact."[2]
Editor Of Qatari Daily: Two Years Ago No One Imagined This Could Happen; The
Resistance In Gaza Has Turned The Tables On The Zionists
Jaber Al-Harmi, editor of the Qatari state daily Al-Sharq, posted: "Democratic
candidate Zohran Mamdani has been elected mayor of New York—the capital of the
Zionist lobby, which is considered to be the largest stronghold of the Jewish
community in the world—despite all the smear campaigns [against him] and despite
his opponents receiving hundreds of millions of dollars from dozens of
billionaires supporting the Israeli entity.
"Mamdani, of Afro-Asian descent, is the first Muslim to hold this position. He
has described the events in Gaza as barbaric crimes and a genocide war, and he
supports the BDS movement. Two years ago, no one could have imagined such a
major shift against the Zionist narrative. The steadfastness and resistance of
our people in Gaza have turned the tables on the Zionists and exposed their
colonialist settlement project to the entire world."[3]
**Jaber Al-Harmi's post on X
**Ahmad Mansour, also a presenter on Al-Jazeera, alluded to Trump's rivalry with
Mamdani as well as with London Mayor Sadiq Khan, likewise a Muslim, commenting:
"Trump is trapped between Zohran Mamdani in New York and Sadiq Khan in
London."[4]
Ahmad Mansour's post
[1] X.com/Abdulla_Alamadi, November 5, 2025.
[2] X.com/AymanazzamAja, November 5, 2025.
[3] X.com/jaberalharmim, November 5, 2025.
[4] X.com/jaberalharmi, November 5, 2025.
https://www.memri.org/reports/qatari-journalists-mamdanis-victory-new-york-mayoral-race-%E2%80%93-thanks-october-7-and-resistance
Selected X Tweets For November 05/2025
Charles Elias Chartouni
Listening to some comments related to the election of the self
depicted socialist jerk Zohran Mamdani, You end up realizing that some people
have a problem with facts and realities. Some psychotic maniacs compare European
social democracies to communist regimes, hilarious. Their ideological blinders
are sturdy enough to allow a better vision. Otherwise,
Mamdani is an Islamist simulating socialism, and an ignoramus who has not the
least understanding of economics, public policy and governance and wants to run
a global city like New York. While listening to his humbug, I felt being in a
Third world country. The backlash is going to be devastating….
Charles Elias Chartouni
The government should be brought down and a national salvation cabinet formed to
usher in the negotiations with Israel ,if we are to avert the incoming war.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
The echo chamber makes each side think that the world looks and thinks like
them. An Islamist Socialist (only thing in common between the two is opposition
to liberty) wins an ultra blue city. Suddenly everyone is projecting direction
change in America. The only thing that’s changing is the complete collapse of
the Center inside the Democratic Party, years after its collapse on the
Republican side. Far Right vs Far Left, the Right wins. My two cents
Charles Elias Chartouni
The election of this jerk Zohran Mamdani who has no basic knowledge in
Economics, Public Policy and Governance and wants to run a Global City like NY.
Pathetic. A Tik Tok artefact