English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For  October 05/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
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Bible Quotations For today
False messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.Take note, I have told you beforehand
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 24/23-31: "If anyone says to you, "Look! Here is the Messiah!" or "There he is!" do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Take note, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, "Look! He is in the wilderness", do not go out. If they say, "Look! He is in the inner rooms", do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. ‘Immediately after the suffering of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see "the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven" with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on October 04-05/2025
Saint Francis of Assisi – Patron Saint of the Environment and All Creatures/Elias Bejjani/October 04/2025
Elias Bejjani/Text and Video/Arabic and English: The Conspiracy of Gebran Bassil, Hezbollah, and Amal Against the Electoral Rights of the Lebanese Diaspora
Elias Bejjani/Bkirki and the Maronite Bishops Are Called Upon to Expel Bassil from the Church and Punish Him with Excommunication 02 October/2025
Fadel Shaker Surrenders to the Army in Ain al-Hilweh Camp
Lebanon Weighs Judicial Path for Hannibal Gaddafi’s Release
Naim Qassem Blasts Trump’s Plan and Criticizes the Lebanese Government
Salam: Foiling strife can't occur at expense of enforcing law
An Arrest Warrant Issued for Al-Manar Reporter Ali Berro
Wanted Fugitive Killed in Clashes with Lebanese Army in Baalbeck
Miss Lebanon 2025: Top 5 announced
LBCI sources: Lebanese singer Fadel Chaker turns himself in to Lebanese authorities
Numbers & FiguresPublic Education in Lebanon: Where Do We Stand?/Sana Richa Choucair/This is Beirut/04 October/2025
4 Killed, Including "The Driver"... Clashes and Raids on Homes of Shooters Firing at Army Positions in Al-Shrawneh
Chronicle'Sar Wa’et el-Haki' by Philippe Aractingi: Lost Languages, Found Words/Bélinda Ibrahim/This Is Beirut/October 04/2025
Hezbollah to "Hamas": Don't Leave Me Alone/Ahmad Ayash/Nidaa Al-Watan/October 05/2025
Will the electoral deadlock end in a confrontation over the system's structure?/Joumana Zgheib/Nidaa Al-Watan/October 05/2025
Lebanon Elections: Between Baabda's Insistence and the Specter of Blood/Nadia Ghosoub/Nidaa Al-Watan/October 05/2025

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on October 04-05/2025
Trump says ‘will not tolerate delay’ from Hamas on peace deal
Gaza civil defense says at least 57 killed in Israeli strikes since dawn
What Hamas accepted and rejected in Trump’s Gaza peace plan
Gaza City remains ‘dangerous’ combat zone amid heavy strikes despite Trump appeal
Trump Orders Israel to Stop Bombing Gaza after Hamas Partially Accepts His Peace Plan
Netanyahu Says He Hopes to Announce Release of All Hostages from Gaza ‘in Coming Days’
US Envoys Head to Middle East as Trump Warns Hamas Against Peace Deal Delay
A Look at the Hostages Taken to Gaza, by the Numbers
Israel's Army Says It Will Advance Preparations for the First Phase of Trump's Plan
Israeli Bombing of Gaza City Has ‘Significantly Subsided,’ Hospital Official Says
Activists Allege Greta Thunberg Mistreated as Flotilla Detainees Arrive in Türkiye
Pro-Palestinian Rally in Barcelona Draws Tens of Thousands
Egypt’s Foreign Minister in Paris: Boosting Ties, Coordinating on Regional Issues
Germany Offers Talks with Iran on Condition it Abandon its Nuclear Program

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on October 04-05/2025
A Renewed Iranian Push for the Nuclear Bomb/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute./October 04/2025
Intra-Sectarian Shifts Regarding the Country’s Fundamental Question/Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al Awsat/October 04/2025
For the First Time, the Two Shores of the Ocean Drift Apart/Suleiman Jawda/Asharq Al Awsat/October 04/2025
Selected X tweets For on October 04/2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on October 04-05/2025
Saint Francis of Assisi – Patron Saint of the Environment and All Creatures
Elias Bejjani/October 04/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/10/147907/
The Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi every year on October 4. He is rightfully regarded as the Patron Saint of the Environment and its scholars, and a powerful symbol of inner and outer peace, humility, and universal love.
But who was this saint, and what are the key details of his life, his legacy, and his most significant spiritual works?
Birthplace, Date, and Family
Saint Francis of Assisi was born in Assisi, in the region of Umbria, central Italy, around 1181 or 1182 A.D. His birth name was Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, but his father, a wealthy cloth merchant who traded with France, nicknamed him “Francesco” (meaning “the little Frenchman”).
Francis grew up in a comfortable and affluent home, enjoying the pleasures of youth, and dreaming of military glory and knighthood.
His Conversion and Path to Sainthood
His life changed dramatically after being captured in a war between Assisi and Perugia. During a year in prison, sick and alone, he began to hear God's call.
In 1205, while praying in a ruined chapel near Assisi, he heard Christ say:
“Francis, rebuild my Church, which is falling into ruin.”
He sold all his possessions, gave to the poor, and dedicated himself to Christ. In a public act of renunciation, before the bishop, he returned his fine clothes to his father and declared:
“From now on, I have no father but our Father in Heaven.”
Francis embraced poverty, humility, and simplicity, dedicating his life to preaching the Gospel and helping the poor. In 1209, he founded the Order of Friars Minor (the Franciscans), dedicated to a life of poverty, peace, and reverence for all of God’s creation.
Miracles and Works
Saint Francis is known for many miracles, including healing the sick, reconciling enemies, and taming a ferocious wolf in Gubbio through love and peace.
He preached not only to people but also to animals, famously calling them “my brothers and sisters in creation.”
In 1224, while praying on Mount La Verna, he received the stigmata—the wounds of Christ—on his hands, feet, and side, becoming the first person in Christian history to bear this extraordinary sign.
Canonization
Saint Francis passed away peacefully on October 3, 1226, at the age of 44. Only two years later, Pope Gregory IX canonized him on July 16, 1228.
Legacy and Influence
Francis left an enduring spiritual legacy, marked by the founding of three distinct religious orders:
The Franciscan Friars (Order of Friars Minor)
The Poor Clares (founded with Saint Clare of Assisi)
The Third Order of Franciscans (for laypeople)
Today, he is universally recognized as the Patron Saint of the Environment and Animals, symbolizing the essential harmony between humanity and nature—a reflection of divine love.
Faith, Fear of God, and the Final Judgment
The life of Saint Francis teaches that true faith in Christ is shown not by words, but by deeds—by humility, compassion, and selfless service.
He feared God with a reverent love, always reminding his brothers that the Last Judgment is near and that every soul will be judged by its works, not by wealth or status. Thus, Christians are called to live each day as if it were their last, with gratitude, repentance, and love for God and His creation. For as Saint Francis believed, “Where there is love and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance, but peace and eternal life.”

Elias Bejjani/Text and Video/Arabic and English: The Conspiracy of Gebran Bassil, Hezbollah, and Amal Against the Electoral Rights of the Lebanese Diaspora
Elias Bejjani/Bkirki and the Maronite Bishops Are Called Upon to Expel Bassil from the Church and Punish Him with Excommunication 02 October/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/10/144900/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDe3NuvZ7Vw&t=19s
In Lebanon’s modern history, few examples illustrate the fusion of legal manipulation and political malice as clearly as Article 122 of the 2017 electoral law. This article denies non-resident Lebanese citizens their natural and constitutional right to vote in their original districts inside Lebanon—just like their fellow resident citizens. Instead, it isolates expatriates into a separate voting category and allocates them six parliamentary seats—one per continent—divided equally between Muslims and Christians, based on an unworkable and deeply flawed legal premise.
This was no coincidence. Article 122 is part of a long-term, premeditated scheme that began with the Taif Agreement—a turning point that significantly weakened Christian political influence, particularly the powers of the Maronite presidency. It abolished true Muslim-Christian parity in most state institutions, reducing it to a mere formality in top-level positions. Article 122 is a direct continuation of this exclusionary agenda, further marginalizing the Lebanese diaspora—most of whom are Christians—and stripping them of their rightful role in shaping national policy.
This malicious project is not new. It dates back to the era of Syrian-appointed President Emile Lahoud. At the time, the Foreign Ministry’s expatriats Affairs, under Shiite political operative Haitham Jomaa—a loyalist of Nabih Berri—attempted to promote this plan among expatriates. Maronite MP Naamatallah Abi Nasr led a failed campaign to market it, facing overwhelming expatriots’ rejection. Many diaspora activists, including the author of this piece, stood at the forefront of the resistance and exposed its hidden agenda. The plan was ultimately shelved—only to be revived in 2017.
Shockingly, it was revived through the very Christian parties that were supposed to defend expatriate rights. In a moment of short-sightedness—or perhaps calculated betrayal—both the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and the Lebanese Forces (LF) supported Article 122. In exchange for a handful of additional seats, they legitimized a monstrous law designed to weaken the voice of the Christian diaspora. Whether through ignorance or political cowardice, they gave cover to a measure whose long-term damage far outweighs any short-term gains.
Today, it is no surprise that Nabih Berri and Hezbollah oppose empowering Christian expatriates. Berri’s sectarianism is well known, and Hezbollah—an Iranian-backed, jihadist terrorist proxy—has always aimed to silence any opposing or sovereign Lebanese voice. Yet the real disaster—the Iscariot betrayal—comes from Gebran Bassil himself. As head of the FPM and a Maronite, Bassil still defends Article 122, betraying the very Christians he claims to represent. Already sanctioned under the U.S. Magnitsky Act for corruption, Bassil walks in the footsteps of his Father-in-law, Michel Aoun, who traded national sovereignty for power and submitted to Hezbollah’s humiliating domination. This toxic and treacherous Micheal Aoun has left Lebanon in ruins—economically, institutionally, and morally.
What fully exposes Bassil is the bold and patriotic statement recently issued by Maronite bishops in the diaspora. In clear and courageous language, they rejected Article 122 and demanded its cancellation, affirming that Lebanese expatriates must be allowed to vote in their original districts as full citizens—not be reduced to second-class voters or “continental MPs” with no land, no community, and no real political identity. (Click here to read the diaspora Bishops’ statement in Arabic)
Text of Article 122 of Election Law No. 44/2017
“Six seats shall be allocated to Lebanese expatriates, to be added to the number of members of Parliament, making the total number 134 deputies, in the electoral cycle following the first cycle held in accordance with the provisions of this law. The six deputies shall be distributed among the six continents as follows:
One deputy for the continent of Africa
One deputy for the continent of North America
One deputy for the continent of South America
One deputy for the continent of Europe
One deputy for the continent of Australia
One deputy for the continent of Asia
In the distribution of these seats, parity between Christians and Muslims shall be observed, so that:
One seat is allocated for Maronites
One seat for Greek Orthodox
One seat for Catholics
One seat for Sunnis
One seat for Shiites
One seat for Druze
The mechanism for nomination, voting, and special electoral districts for expatriates shall be determined by a decree issued by the Council of Ministers based on the proposal of the Ministers of Interior and Foreign Affairs. Six seats shall be deducted from the 128 Parliament seats in the subsequent cycle, from the seats belonging to the same sects that were allocated to non-residents.”
But in reality, Article 122 has no democratic value. It is a veiled tool of exclusion and disenfranchisement. It neither provides fair representation for local voters nor protects the political rights of Lebanese abroad. It is not reform—it is deception.
In conclusion, upholding Article 122 amounts to a blatant betrayal of the constitution, the National Pact, and the Lebanese diaspora—especially its Christian community. Every honorable political force and every free Lebanese—at home and abroad—must raise their voices and demand the abolition of this shameful, disgraceful article.
Let Article 122 be repealed.
Let the dignity of the diaspora be restored.
Let every Lebanese expatriate vote fully—as a citizen, not a mere financial provider.

Fadel Shaker Surrenders to the Army in Ain al-Hilweh Camp
"The Party" (Hezbollah) Declares Defiance Against the Exclusivity of Arms
Nidaa Al-Watan/October 05/ 2025 (translated from Arabic)
Prominent Political Circles to "Nidaa Al-Watan": The Goal of the "Duo" on the Eve of the Cabinet Session in Baabda is to Undermine the Right of Expatriates to Vote
Yesterday, "Hezbollah" preempted the Cabinet session scheduled for tomorrow, Monday, at the Baabda Palace—where the first monthly report by the Army Command on the application of the government's decision regarding the exclusivity of arms will be discussed—with an escalation. This escalation also included the parliamentary elections deadline and the official measures concerning the legal violation in the Rawcheh celebration.
This escalation coincided with "The Party's" campaign against the Gaza agreement, which is expected to witness a new development today, represented by the indirect negotiations that "Hamas" and "Israel" will hold in Cairo on Sunday and Monday. The aim is to "create the conditions for the exchange of hostages in Gaza and Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons," according to what Al-Qahera News Channel reported yesterday, Saturday.
The Goal of "The Party" and "Amal" Duo is to Derail the Elections
Prominent political circles, speaking through "Nidaa Al-Watan," interpreted the scene on the eve of tomorrow's Cabinet session, stating that the main goal of Hezbollah and its ally, the Amal Movement, currently is to undermine the right of expatriates to vote.
As for the developments in Gaza, the circles expected, based on Hamas's positive response to the plan proposed by US President Donald Trump, that Israel would be free to focus on another target, which is Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Qassem and his Statistics to Cling to Arms
In parallel, "The Party's" escalation campaign came on the tongue of its Secretary-General, Sheikh Naim Qassem, who delivered a speech yesterday on the first anniversary of the killing of Sheikh Nabil Qaouq and "The Party's" commander, Suheil al-Husseini. Qassem said: "Lebanon is in the eye of the storm because of the Israeli aggression, the ongoing incursion, and the extended, American-backed criminality. Who says they can achieve what is required? They cannot."
He added: "When they conducted a referendum on the issue of arms: Do you agree to disarm or not? It appeared that about 95%, and perhaps even 96%, of Shiites do not accept disarmament. Of course, overall, it was shown that there are 58 to 60% in Lebanon who do not accept disarmament, according to the statistics of the Consulting Center or International Information."
He continued: "They wanted a sedition with the Lebanese Army—that the Lebanese Army should fight the Resistance, the people of the Resistance, and the community of the Resistance—under the slogan of the exclusivity of arms, but the Lebanese Army and the Lebanese Army Command acted wisely."
He called on the government to "address central issues. You must know that Taif is not a point of view; Taif is an agreement, not a tool for balances of power. Taif is supposed to have become a constitution, and some of it has not yet been implemented; it must be implemented." He urged the government to start reconstruction, saying: "I address the government now: Without reconstruction, it will be difficult for the country's wheel to move towards recovery and stability."
Regarding the election law, he said: "When you come and say that expatriates want to vote for 128 seats, we, as 'Hezbollah,' the 'Amal Movement,' and other forces, cannot run an electoral campaign in many European and Arab countries, and also in America, while you have all the freedom to run an electoral campaign. There is a law that grants six seats to expatriates; that's fine, even though we are unable to move, but six seats are manageable. But 128? How can we operate on that basis?"
Qassem also touched upon the Gaza agreement, stating that it is an "Israeli plan in American attire... I will not interfere in discussing the details. Ultimately, the Palestinian Resistance (Hamas and all factions) are discussing and deciding what they deem appropriate."
Fadlallah on the Decision to Dissolve "Rissalat": "Let them boil it and drink its water"
For his part, Hezbollah bloc MP Hassan Fadlallah preempted tomorrow's Cabinet session, whose agenda includes the request by Minister of Interior and Municipalities Ahmad Hajar to dissolve the "Lebanese Association for Arts - Rissalat" and withdraw its official license over the Rawcheh celebration. He said that even if they make the decision, "let them boil it and drink its water" (an Arabic idiom meaning disregard or contempt).
Fadel Shaker Surrenders to the Lebanese Army
On a separate note, the artist Fadel Shaker surrendered himself yesterday to the Lebanese Army at the entrance of the Ain al-Hilweh camp. The mission was undertaken by a force from the Lebanese Army Intelligence after Shaker agreed to surrender to the Lebanese authorities.
Initial information indicates that the artist Shaker sent a message to the Lebanese Army stating his desire to surrender himself. A patrol from the Intelligence was dispatched, and he surrendered at the Hasbah checkpoint in Sidon, the western entrance to the Ain al-Hilweh camp.
The artist Shaker had sought refuge in the Ain al-Hilweh camp years ago following the Abra battle between the Lebanese Army and Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir's group.
Army Raids and Arrests in Baalbek
Also on the security front, the Army Command - Directorate of Guidance issued the following statement: "Following up on the previous statement regarding firing at army positions in the Sharawneh - Baalbek area, army units carried out siege operations in the area and raided the homes of the shooters, arresting a number of them, with follow-up underway to arrest the remaining involved individuals."
It was reported that the wanted individual, "A.A.", who had several arrest warrants issued against him, was killed during the raids. It was also reported that the wanted Badri Zaaiter, nicknamed "The Driver," in addition to two of his Syrian escorts, were killed during the raid operation conducted by the army in Sharawneh.

Lebanon Weighs Judicial Path for Hannibal Gaddafi’s Release
Nazir Rida/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 04/2025
Ten years after his arrest in Beirut, Hannibal Gaddafi remains in detention as Lebanon struggles to resolve his case. Judge Hasan al-Shami, head of the official committee investigating the 1978 disappearance of Imam Musa al-Sadr and his two companions, said the issue “requires a legal and judicial solution” rather than political bargaining. Speaking to Asharq al-Awsat, al-Shami stressed that “only the judiciary decides” Gaddafi’s fate, noting that lead investigator Judge Zaher Hamadeh “rejects any political settlement.” He dismissed suggestions of a deal, swap, or compromise.
Gaddafi was arrested in December 2015 on the basis of an Interpol notice. Initially questioned as a witness in the Sadr case, he has since faced charges of withholding information related to the abduction. His lawyers filed a request for release in August, but the courts have not yet ruled. Al-Shami denied claims of political persecution or mistreatment, saying Gaddafi receives family visits, enjoys phone and internet access, and has even conducted media interviews from detention. “He is not treated unfairly,” al-Shami said. “The judiciary is respected, and Judge Hamadeh is among the best in his independence and integrity.”Lebanese investigators say Gaddafi provided important testimony in 2015, running 50 pages. He admitted knowing who ordered al-Sadr’s kidnapping but refused to identify the individual unless guaranteed safe passage out of Lebanon. While not accused of direct involvement - he was only two years old at the time - he is charged with concealing information and obstructing justice. Al-Shami argued that the case has been prolonged by Libya’s lack of cooperation. Lebanese authorities have repeatedly sent judicial notices concerning 13 former regime figures, including intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi, but never received responses. Libyan delegations, he added, have promised to deliver investigative files but consistently failed to do so. Investigators believe al-Sadr was initially detained near Tripoli, then transferred through several secret prisons, but say further progress has been blocked by Libya’s refusal to share records. “They fear exposing the weakness of their own investigations,” al-Shami said. He also accused members of the Gaddafi family and Lebanese intermediaries of attempting to exploit the case for financial or political gain. “We have rejected such deals for decades,” he insisted. Al-Shami concluded that the path forward must remain judicial: “Any political bargain is unacceptable. Hannibal Gaddafi holds critical information. The solution lies in him revealing what he knows.”

Naim Qassem Blasts Trump’s Plan and Criticizes the Lebanese Government
This is Beirut/04 October/2025
Hezbollah’s Secretary General, Naim Qassem, denounced Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza, accusing it of being designed to whitewash Israel and serve its regional interests. In a televised speech on Saturday, marking the first anniversary of the assassination of two Hezbollah leaders, Souhail al-Hosseini and Nabil Kaouk, he also urged the Lebanese government to fully assume its responsibilities regarding sovereignty and foreign policy. Finally, he rejected any amendments to the electoral law concerning the diaspora.
A ‘Tailor-Made’ Plan for Israel
Naim Qassem strongly criticized the plan put forward by US President Donald Trump for Gaza, calling it an “Israeli project under American cover.” According to him, this plan, presented as a peace initiative, “is in reality filled with dangers,” as it provides for the demilitarization of Palestinian factions, international administration of the territory and the continued detention of prisoners — all measures aimed at “offering Israel what it could not obtain through war.”Qassem asserted that this text corresponds “point by point” to the conditions set by the Israeli government to end the conflict, arguing that it is an attempt to “whitewash Israel’s image” in the face of international condemnation.
The Same Rhetoric Toward the Lebanese State
Turning to Lebanon, Qassem reproached the government for “failing in its sovereign responsibilities.” He deemed it essential for the executive to place the Israeli question at the center of every cabinet meeting and to step up efforts with major powers and the United Nations to demand an end to Israeli aggression. “Sovereignty is the key to stability and the country’s reconstruction,” he declared, accusing the government of negligence on this matter. Finally, Qassem rejected any modification of the electoral law related to the diaspora, stressing that the current rules must remain unchanged.

Salam: Foiling strife can't occur at expense of enforcing law
Naharnet/04 October/2025
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has said that “foiling strife cannot occur at the expense of enforcing the law,” in reference to the latest controversy over Hezbollah’s illumination of the iconic Raouche Rock with images of its slain leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine. “The opposite is true, seeing as foiling strife requires that all citizens feel that they are equal before the law and that the state protects them,” Salam added. “Our project has been and is still state building. And the same as there can be no one state without one army, there can be no one state without one law that applies to everyone equally, with no one above it and immune to accountability,” the premier said. As for the campaigns that have targeted him in recent weeks, Salam said: “My conscience is clear and these malicious campaigns cannot change anything in my course. No one can question my Arab identity and firm stances toward the Palestinian cause, which I have defended from the highest international forums, without making Lebanon pay any price for that.”

An Arrest Warrant Issued for Al-Manar Reporter Ali Berro
This is Beirut/04 October/2025
The Public Prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, Judge Jamal Hajjar, has issued an arrest warrant for Al-Manar TV reporter Ali Berro, according to information relayed by several local media outlets. This warrant was issued after the journalist refused for the third time to appear before the competent judicial authority, as part of the investigation into the illumination of the Rawcheh Rock. Berro’s lawyer appeared at the Rawcheh police station on Saturday morning and reiterated that his client, being a journalist, would not appear before the judicial police. The judge therefore decided to take the appropriate measures against him. Meanwhile, one of the individuals who supplied the laser device used to illuminate the rock was questioned and placed under judicial supervision by order of Judge Hajjar. The person interrogated also provided the name of another individual who has been summoned for questioning next Monday.
On Wednesday, Judge Hajjar had already issued two arrest warrants for individuals suspected of contributing to the organization of the highly controversial illumination of the Pigeon Rocks in Rawcheh last Thursday, when portraits of former Hezbollah leaders were projected on the site. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam had instructed the ministers of justice and interior to take the necessary legal measures against those who violated his directive, which prohibited the illumination of the rock and gatherings of more than 500 people at Rawcheh.

Wanted Fugitive Killed in Clashes with Lebanese Army in Baalbeck
This is Beirut/04 October/2025
A Lebanese Army outpost in the Charawneh neighborhood of Baalbeck was targeted by an RPG rocket on Saturday, while other Army positions came under heavy gunfire from armed men, the Lebanese Army said in a statement. According to available information, the fugitive A.A., who was wanted on several arrest warrants, was killed during the operation. No casualties were reported among the soldiers, who returned fire. The attackers are currently being pursued for arrest. Since early morning, intense clashes have erupted between the Lebanese Army and wanted individuals in Charawneh, with troops also conducting raids in search of suspects. Heavy gunfire and rocket fire were heard across the area. Security forces continue their efforts to combat smuggling and drug trafficking in the Baalbeck-Hermel region, no longer constrained by the “red lines” that had previously hindered their operations.
According to An-Nahar daily, Army units and the Directorate of Intelligence are carrying out field operations aimed at closing illegal crossings used for smuggling in the border area of Machari’ al-Qaa, near Syria, including the Naamat crossing, one of the most active smuggling routes between the two countries.
In recent years, the Army has stepped up targeted operations against criminal networks and fugitive hideouts, conducting decisive security raids that have dismantled several gangs, resulting in numerous suspects being killed, arrested or forced to flee. These preemptive operations, led by the Directorate of Intelligence in the Beqaa over the past three years, have cost the lives of ten of its members but have helped reassert state authority over a region long considered beyond its control.

Miss Lebanon 2025: Top 5 announced
LBCI/04 October/2025
The Miss Lebanon 2025 pageant has entered its final stretch, with the top five contestants now revealed during the live broadcast on LBCI. The finalists, chosen after a series of appearances and interviews, are moving one step closer to the crown. Judges are evaluating their elegance, communication skills, and ability to carry the title on an international level.

LBCI sources: Lebanese singer Fadel Chaker turns himself in to Lebanese authorities
LBCI/04 October/2025
LBCI has learned that Lebanese singer Fadel Chaker has turned himself in to the authorities. According to the information, Army Intelligence took custody of Chaker at 9 p.m. Saturday evening at the Hasba checkpoint at the entrance of Ain al-Hilweh.

Numbers & FiguresPublic Education in Lebanon: Where Do We Stand?
Sana Richa Choucair/This is Beirut/04 October/2025
With a new anthem and a national campaign, Lebanon’s Ministry of Education is striving to breathe new life into public schools, confronted with declining enrollment, unmet basic needs, and structural challenges. This overview presents the figures and ambitions of a crucial sector for the country’s future.
On September 30, 2025, Rima Karami, Minister of Education, launched the National Campaign for Public School Support, presenting it as “a collective space for dreams, hope, and reform.” The initiative aims to restore public schools’ central role in shaping citizens and driving Lebanon’s development.
In parallel, the ministry introduced a new public school anthem, composed by Ghassan Rahbani with lyrics by Professor Thanaa al-Halwa. The move drew criticism. Some observers called it symbolic, if not futile, in light of the sector’s profound shortcomings, unresolved priorities, and urgent needs in infrastructure, human resources, and educational services.
Nevertheless, these initiatives form part of a broader government effort, reaffirmed by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, to place education at the core of national priorities. Salam highlighted his government’s determination to strengthen funding for public education, modernize the ministry, and review curricula.
During a meeting of the Trust Fund for Education (TREF) on September 9, he stated that “no child in Lebanon should be deprived of the right to education,” stressing that protecting this right is both a moral duty and a condition for the country’s sovereignty and justice. So, where does Lebanon’s public education sector stand today, in terms of figures, financing, and persistent challenges?
Public Education in Numbers
The latest report from the Center for Educational Research and Development (CRDP)—affiliated with the Ministry of Education—provides a snapshot of the 2023–2024 school year.
In 2023-2024, 25.6% of students in Lebanon were enrolled in public schools, down from 28% in 2022-2023 and 31.34% in 2021-2022. In just two years, the public sector’s share dropped nearly six percentage points, with most of the loss absorbed by private fee-paying schools, now hosting about 60% of students.
This trend contrasts with the distribution of schools: public schools make up 43.43% of all institutions, compared to 42.76% for fee-paying private schools, 11.62% for free private schools, and 2.19% for UNRWA schools. The decline in public enrollment is striking despite wide territorial coverage.
Looking at the student–teacher ratio, the public sector averages seven students per teacher, a figure linked to low enrollment in this sector.
The presence of non-Lebanese students is particularly pronounced in public schools. Overall, 18.6% of non-Lebanese students are enrolled in public schools, underscoring the sector’s role in supporting refugee populations.
The distribution by educational level shows that public schools account for 12.06% of all primary students, compared to 5.13% of middle school students, and 4.48% of high school students, confirming their predominance at early stages of schooling.
Moreover, Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4 for Quality Education) indicators show that not all public schools provide essential services such as clean drinking water, electricity, internet access, and facilities for students with disabilities—conditions deemed vital for inclusive and quality education.
Funding and International Support
Public education in Lebanon is funded through a combination of national and international resources. Under the 2025 budget law, 38.256 billion Lebanese pounds were allocated to the Ministry of Education.
The 2026 draft budget, still under review, places education among the state’s top priorities, ahead of Health, internal security, and defense.
Since 2022, the ministry has managed the Trust Fund for Education (TREF), in partnership with UNICEF and multiple international donors, including the EU and Germany through the German Development Bank. TREF serves as a coordinated channel for mobilizing funds to ensure continuity and quality in education despite Lebanon’s ongoing economic and social crises. Through TREF, funds have supported teacher productivity bonuses to prevent strikes, introduced new teaching methods and training programs, partially covered refugee and marginalized students’ needs, and coordinated efforts with over ten donor countries and international organizations.
While international aid has been vital, it is still insufficient. The sector’s needs continue to exceed available resources, forcing the government to advance funds to keep schools open and provide teacher support. As Lebanon endures more than a decade of successive crises, public education remains an indicator of the country’s future. Between symbolic gestures and structural challenges, the path toward accessible, quality education for all remains long.

4 Killed, Including "The Driver"... Clashes and Raids on Homes of Shooters Firing at Army Positions in Al-Shrawneh
Al-Markaziya/October 05/2025 (translated from Arabic)
The Army Command – Directorate of Guidance issued the following statement: "Following up on the previous statement regarding the firing at army positions in the Al-Shrawneh area – Baalbek, Army units carried out siege operations in the area and raided the homes of the shooters, arresting a number of them, with follow-up underway to arrest the remaining involved individuals."Earlier today, Saturday, the Army Command – Directorate of Guidance had issued the following statement: "One of the Army positions in the Al-Shrawneh area – Baalbek was subjected to an RPG rocket-propelled grenade firing, and other positions were subjected to bursts of gunfire from armed individuals. No casualties occurred among the soldiers, who returned fire to the sources, and the pursuit of the shooters is underway to apprehend them." In detail, armed clashes have been taking place since early morning between the Lebanese Army and wanted individuals in the Hay Al-Shrawneh area in the city of Baalbek. The Army is conducting raids in search of wanted persons. It was reported that the wanted individual, "A.A.," against whom several arrest warrants had been issued, was killed during the raids.
It was also reported that the wanted Badri Zaaiter, nicknamed "The Driver," in addition to two of his Syrian escorts, were killed during a raid operation carried out by the Lebanese Army in Al-Shrawneh - Baalbek in the eastern part of the country.
Heavy gunfire and the use of rocket-propelled grenades were also heard. Security forces are implementing serious and sustained measures to combat smuggling and drugs in the Baalbek-Hermel region, with no red lines that had previously prevented them from completing missions they initiated.
Al-Nahar indicated that Lebanese Army units and the Directorate of Intelligence are implementing field measures aimed at closing illegal crossings and roads used in smuggling operations in the border area of Masharih Al-Qaa with Syria, foremost among them the "Al-Naamat" crossing, one of the most active smuggling routes between the two countries. In recent years, the Army has intensified its focused operations targeting criminal hotspots and the headquarters of wanted individuals. These were painful security strikes delivered by the Army against the most prominent wanted persons, resulting in the dismantling of their gangs with casualties, fugitives, and detainees. Coupled with the continuous preemptive operations carried out by the Directorate of Intelligence in the Bekaa over the past three years—which were cemented with the blood of ten martyrs from its personnel—this confirms today that the region is "under the protection of the State."

Chronicle'Sar Wa’et el-Haki' by Philippe Aractingi: Lost Languages, Found Words
Bélinda Ibrahim/This Is Beirut/October 04/2025
'Sar Wa’et el-Haki' by Philippe Aractingi: Lost Languages, Found Words
A moving solo performance at the Monnot Theatre. ©Imad al-Khoury
On the stage of the Monnot Theatre, Philippe Aractingi delivers a one-man show of rare intensity. In a fragmented and generous monologue, he exposes the wounds, memory and fragility of a Lebanese generation searching for grounding.
Attending “Sar wa’et el-haki” (It’s Time to Talk), Philippe Aractingi’s solo performance, is to dive headfirst into a whirlwind of memories, languages and emotions. The show, staged at the Monnot Theatre from September 30 to October 12, 2025, in Beirut, after a notable tour in France, Germany and Tunisia, was directed by Lina Abyad.
This adventure began out of necessity: cinema had become inaccessible or too expensive to produce in Lebanon’s current context, forcing the director to seek other forms of expression. Frustration, urgency to bear witness and need to prevent memory from dissolving into silence became the driving forces behind this live performance. It was essential to tell the story, even without a camera.
From the first moments, the stage opens like a mirror in which Aractingi, alone, multiplies his voice, doubles, fragments himself to better find himself. Far from a linear narrative, a mosaic unfolds where his childhood intersects with that of hundreds of thousands of Lebanese, where his memories mingle with those of parents, children and even multiple generations touched by inner exile.
The stage design reinforces this fractured memory: scattered objects, boxes, memories piled or abandoned as in yet another relocation. What to take, what to leave behind, at every departure, every new storm? Aractingi leaves the question suspended in the theater air as it is in Beirut’s. Life sometimes seems to hinge on this brief hesitation, this doubt, this disorder, so familiar yet intimate. We laugh at the chaos, then choke up. The story of wounds and broken ambitions, serial relocations, separations, losses, pieces of oneself scattered to the winds, but also fleeting joys, surprises us. The happiness he evokes is as ephemeral as a butterfly flying under the shadow of an eagle! (A nod to one of his scripts still on paper.) Yet hope… always hope… pierces through the melancholy.
The play is structured in five parts, each marked by an audio tape. © Imad al-Khoury
The Stage as Catharsis
The play is structured in five parts, each marked by an audio tape, five magnetic tapes rescued from the past, each a chapter. One hears the father’s voice, the mother’s, their familiar accents ringing like a lullaby or a prompt: “Philippe, practice your scales…”These tapes, carefully preserved, become the backbone of the journey, materializing the intrusion of the past into the present. Childhood memories resurface through projections, bits of Super 8 film, photos taken by Aractingi himself: fragile traces torn from oblivion, laid out as proof that everything can disappear, and what can be saved from oblivion must be saved. War is never far away. Whether civil or otherwise, it looms, creeps in, resurfaces. Aractingi tells it without pathos, in simple language where French, Arabic and English intertwine, twist, and reinvent themselves. He invites the audience to dive into this linguistic whirlwind typical of Lebanese people, that strange mix that defines them. Just as one can feel (often) a stranger at home while loving this land viscerally. One wants to flee to forget, yet nothing is forgotten. Beirut continues to be told, over and over, even if the necessary perspective, the step back needed for true remembrance, has never fully happened. And rightly so: war is never over. A live therapy session where laughter, tears and childhood flavors meet on stage. © Imad al-Khoury
The stage becomes an open-air therapy session. Child and adult search for each other, clash and perhaps eventually reunite through finally liberated speech. Aractingi dares to speak of his dyslexia, clumsiness, mistakes, doubts and laughter. This unease of belonging to no language, of never having a true home, gradually dissolves into acceptance and self-mockery. One understands why he photographs everything that moves him in Beirut: everything can disappear, five cities already erased, a sixth barely emerging. When you love, you stop counting. Yet each one of us counts differently, depending on the generation one belongs to, depending on what one remembers. The play embodies the full complexity of Lebanon: memory refusing oblivion, violence mutating but never dying, tenderness surfacing amid turmoil. On stage, Philippe’s personal memories become those of a people, invoking collective pain but also the resilience of the Lebanese. Humor, constantly present in the background, is, after all, the politeness of despair. As you leave the theater, Philippe’s voice and those of his parents linger, the echo of moving homes, the whirlwind of languages. Most of all, the taste of childhood remains: his mother’s fatayer, our Proustian Madeleine, inseparable from memory and comfort, lingering on the palate like the persistent sweetness of a city one can never truly leave. Some emotions cannot be written; they must be experienced. It’s up to you to discover them.

Hezbollah to "Hamas": Don't Leave Me Alone
Ahmad Ayash/Nidaa Al-Watan/October 05/2025 (translated from Arabic)
The first appearance of Hezbollah's Secretary-General, Sheikh Naim Qassem, after the Gaza agreement showed that he wants to convince his own community that nothing has changed. He took it upon himself to ensure that the Hamas movement, which responded favorably to the agreement, remains a part of the Axis of Resistance led by Tehran. He also demonstrated that the situation in Lebanon remains as it is, as if the Gaza agreement has no impact on it, just as the ceasefire agreement with Israel that stopped the war last November 27 did not. There is no acknowledgment from Qassem of this agreement, especially concerning the disarmament of his group.
The Secretary-General of "The Party's" handling of the development related to Hamas's position on the Gaza agreement does not seem capable of concealing the great catastrophe that has befallen "Hezbollah" as a result of this shift in the course of the war in the Strip, whose second anniversary approaches in a few days. The reason is that everything that has affected Lebanon in general, and "The Party" in particular, is a result of the "support war" declared by the former Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, on October 8, 2023, the day after the "Al-Aqsa Flood" war launched by Hamas on the Gaza envelope.
"The Party" built, and still builds, its entire narrative on the correctness of its stance in opening the "support war," which means that what preceded this war must continue during and after it. In this context, one of "Hezbollah's" media outlets published yesterday the "Final Message," a written speech that Nasrallah's successor, Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, intended to address to public opinion after his election as Hezbollah's Secretary-General, but he was killed on October 4, 2024. The message was found, albeit incomplete, among his papers at the location of his killing in the southern suburb of Beirut. It stated: "The war that was waged on the people of Gaza and their resistance, its ultimate goal was to end the resistance, whether in Gaza or the West Bank, and subsequently all resistance work in Lebanon or elsewhere... Throughout the past year, we were open to finding a settlement so that things would not spiral out of control, and likewise in Gaza, but the enemy was insistent on imposing its conditions, which, in the logic of its criminal government, means ending the issue of resistance in Palestine... Who would accept that? Neither the resistance in Gaza accepted, nor were we in Lebanon prepared to accept its humiliating conditions, not now, nor at any time... That is why our strategy was steadfastness, perseverance, and precious sacrifice in order to preserve this foundation..."
The current Secretary-General of "Hezbollah" followed the footsteps of his predecessor's message in his speech yesterday. However, he avoided returning to the text of Hamas's reply on the 3rd of this month to the "Comprehensive Plan to End the Conflict in Gaza" by US President Donald Trump on September 29. The text was completely devoid of all the movement's vocabulary that indicates its determination to retain its weapons and its control over the Strip. The reply included the following paragraph: "The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) appreciates the Arab, Islamic, and international efforts, and the efforts of US President Donald Trump, demanding an end to the war on the Gaza Strip, the exchange of prisoners, the immediate entry of aid, and the rejection of the occupation of the Gaza Strip and the displacement of our Palestinian people from it." This paragraph, like all the others, omitted the word "appreciate" for what "Hezbollah" and its axis did for the movement and its war in the Strip, and the disaster that befell Hamas and "The Party" together because of their actions.
Hamas's reply also stated: "The Movement confirms its readiness to immediately enter into negotiations through mediators to discuss the details of this agreement. The Movement also renews its approval to hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to an independent Palestinian body (technocrats), based on the Palestinian national consensus and Arab and Islamic support. The other issues mentioned in President Trump's proposal regarding the future of the Gaza Strip and the inherent rights of the Palestinian people are linked to a comprehensive national position based on relevant international laws and resolutions. These challenges will be discussed within a comprehensive Palestinian national framework. Hamas will be a part of it and will contribute with full responsibility."
The region in general has entered a new phase after the Gaza agreement and its new developments. It is necessary to monitor the behavior of the Iranian regime's axis, especially in Lebanon, and how it will interact with this agreement, which brings the possibility of Hezbollah's disarmament closer than ever before. One of "The Party's" commentators went so far as to say yesterday: "The idea of continuing the war with a change in its pace, and the continuation of the occupation with a different redeployment of forces, is being marketed, and the retrieval of hostages is being presented as a cost-free achievement other than a prisoner exchange, just as is happening in the ceasefire agreement with Lebanon, where the Resistance stopped its actions but the Israeli side did not stop, and the occupation entrenched itself but did not withdraw, and the arms file has shifted to Lebanese domestic equations and Arab and Western pressure supporting disarmament, thus replicating the Lebanon model in Gaza, contrary to what some anti-resistance Lebanese had hoped—to replicate the Gaza model in Lebanon."
In this context, the Iranian regime's "Mehr" News Agency published a report yesterday titled "An Analysis of Hamas's Smart Response and Trump's Quick Approval." The report stated: "It seems that 'Hamas' found its goal with Trump, as in the beginning of its reply, it addressed Trump's spirit and praised his efforts to stop the war, exchange prisoners, immediately introduce aid, and resist the occupation of the Gaza Strip and the displacement of the Palestinian people." The Iranian agency added: "In reality, the main content of the 'Hamas' statement reflects the movement's usual demands for a cessation of war and a full withdrawal from Gaza in exchange for a full release of hostages, but it was presented in a different language, to flirt with Trump's narcissistic ego. At the same time, 'Hamas' considers controversial issues, such as the future of the Gaza Strip and disarmament, subject to a comprehensive national position based on international laws and resolutions, and has affirmed that these issues will be discussed and studied within a unified Palestinian national framework." "Mehr" concludes: "Nevertheless, we should not assume that everything is over and that the final agreement is within reach. We must wait and see whether this type of response and quick welcome from Trump is merely a 'trick' to release the hostages, to have Netanyahu follow up with conditions such as disarmament?"
We return to Qassem's speech, in which he launched a campaign against the "plan put forward by Trump," saying: "It is in fact a plan, as Netanyahu said, consistent with the five principles set by the Israeli government to end the war. That is his speech; it means it is an Israeli plan in American attire or with an American presentation." Qassem then states: "In any case, I will not interfere in discussing the details. Ultimately, the Palestinian resistance (Hamas and all factions) are discussing and deciding what they deem appropriate." Indeed, "Hamas" has begun to decide what is appropriate. Therefore, confusion has begun to prevail in the Iranian Axis of Resistance from Beirut to Tehran. Were it not for "shame and modesty," as they say, the Secretary-General of "Hezbollah" would have said the following to "Hamas" yesterday: "Don't leave me alone."

Will the electoral deadlock end in a confrontation over the system's structure?
Joumana Zgheib/Nidaa Al-Watan/October 05/2025 (translated from Arabic)
It is no secret that the overwhelming majority of expatriates who hold Lebanese identity and have the right to vote are very annoyed by the insistence of the "Shiite Duo" and the "incomprehensible" support of the "Free Patriotic Movement" (FPM) for refusing to amend the election law and return to allowing expatriates to vote for all 128 seats, each in their hometown or place of registration. It is clear that the annoyance is heading towards a state of intense displeasure, which may reach the point of resentment and anger, given that most of the expatriates around the world were forced to leave Lebanon due to the disastrous policies and wars led by the Axis of Resistance, and the rampant corruption that led to bankruptcy. All of this closed the horizon for a wide segment of Lebanese who saw no reassuring future for themselves and their children, so they preferred to emigrate, even temporarily, while waiting for the conditions in Lebanon to return to normal in terms of stability and prosperity. Ironically, those who cling to the "bastard" innovation of the six-seat quota for expatriate representation are the ones who were practically behind pushing those who emigrated to this choice: "Hezbollah" supported by "Amal," and the "FPM" which has contradicted all its slogans in power, with a number of its symbols mired in transgressions, deals, quotas, and favoritism.
According to influential expatriate figures, the expatriates have a clear and explicit constitutional right to vote for the seats representing their electoral regions and districts to which they belong, not in their "motherland"—which is an incorrect term—but in their actual and permanent homeland to which they still cling and whose identity they carry. Indeed, paragraph (c) of the preamble to the Lebanese Constitution, which is an integral part of it, stipulates equality in rights and duties among all citizens without discrimination or preference. Article 7 of the Constitution also stipulates that all Lebanese are equal before the law and enjoy civil and political rights and bear public duties and obligations without any distinction between them. Article 21 states that every Lebanese citizen who has reached the age of twenty-one full years has the right to be an elector according to the conditions required by the election law. In fact, the Constitution, which is the "law of laws," did not differentiate between a resident and an expatriate or distinguish between one place of residence and another. Therefore, the right of the expatriate, wherever they may be, is a complete and sacred right. Moreover, the formation of electoral districts outside the homeland is a blatant violation of the Constitution, which precisely defined Lebanon's borders and did not permit the formation of electoral districts outside these borders under any circumstances; the mere existence of these districts is a breach of the principle of national sovereignty.
Independent Shiite expatriate figures in North America scorn the reasons put forward by "Hezbollah" and the "Amal Movement" to justify their rejection of the current law's amendment. The most prominent reason is the "Duo's" awareness of its declining popularity and credibility, especially in the diaspora. Consequently, what matters to this "Duo" is to compensate by closing the door on the opportunity for the diaspora to contribute to changing some results. As for the claim that many Lebanese, especially Shiites, cannot launch actual electoral campaigns in the United States, all expatriates know that this argument is false, because the US authorities do not interfere in Lebanese electoral affairs and are not concerned with this matter. Rather, they provide all necessary security measures to facilitate electoral activity as long as it is within the confines of the law. Otherwise, how can one explain the organization by the people of Bint Jbeil and a number of other members of the Lebanese community, especially Shiites, of a vigil in front of the public library in Dearborn, Michigan, titled "Rejection of Aggression and Loyalty to the Martyrs."
Even more baffling is the claim by an "Amal" MP that he will not be able to appoint a delegate in the United States, knowing that the US authorities are not the ones who grant permits to delegates. It is well known that the "Resistance" government, in solidarity with the "Free Patriotic Movement," was the one that obstructed sending delegate permits to sovereign and change-seeking candidates in the 2022 elections.
Regarding the position of the Church, especially the Maronite Church, it had previously taken a clear decision at the level of the Patriarch of Bkerke and the Council of Bishops on the necessity of urging expatriates to demand the restoration of their right to elect the representatives of the districts they belong to in Lebanon. One of the diaspora bishops says that a circular was issued to the various parish priests in this regard, encouraging expatriates to participate heavily in the upcoming elections. The diaspora bishops intend to expand their circle of action in this direction, because the most dangerous thing that can happen at this stage is the consecration of the expatriates' separation from their homeland, the land of their ancestors, their people, their history, and their spiritual heritage, as if the goal is to displace them twice.
The hidden danger behind preventing expatriates from voting for all 128 seats remains the possibility of the "Duo" resorting to postponing the elections under the pretext of a legislative loophole regarding the details and mechanisms of the six districts. Knowing that if the next elections are postponed or if the expatriate voice is suppressed during them, the repercussions will be extremely dangerous and will mean that the Lebanese authority has failed in its sovereign gamble and submitted to the logic of arms. This may be followed by violent political confrontations under the banner of the necessity of developing the system's structure to ensure genuine pluralism and integration between resident Lebanon and expatriate Lebanon, which includes at least one million voters.

Lebanon Elections: Between Baabda's Insistence and the Specter of Blood
Nadia Ghosoub/Nidaa Al-Watan/October 05/2025 (translated from Arabic)
The talk about parliamentary elections in Lebanon is no longer just a cold political discussion; it has turned into a battle for survival between those who want to respect the constitution and those who seek to undermine it from within. President of the Republic Joseph Aoun insists on holding the elections on time, but the scene is far from reassuring. Internal equations are fragile, external pressures are mounting, and whispers of potential assassinations have returned to fill political salons, as if we are on the verge of a new version of 2005.
The electoral law itself has returned to the bargaining table. District 16, meaning the expatriates' seats abroad, has become an open point of contention. The Shiite "Duo" is incapable of fighting a normal electoral battle outside the borders, while the Presidency raises the slogan of equal opportunities. The result: a serious proposal to cancel this district and return the elections to inside Lebanon, based on 128 representatives, no more, no less. But is the problem only here? Certainly not. Because what is being managed behind the scenes is bigger than just one extra or missing seat. The truth is that the discussion about the expatriate vote is merely a shell covering the real dilemma: the fear of ballot boxes whose results no one can control. The entire political system realizes that the next elections will not be a normal round but a fateful battle that will determine who holds the legitimacy of the Lebanese decision in the coming years. Therefore, some are opening the door to legal interpretations searching for exits, while others hint at a vacuum or postponement if the results do not meet their standards. But the most dangerous thing of all is the increasing whisper of potential assassinations. This is not a cinematic scenario; it is a reality that the Lebanese know well. From the assassination of President Rafic Hariri to the long series of bloodshed, experience has proven that Lebanon is a country susceptible to instability with a single shot. Today, with the regional and international confrontation intensifying on its soil, the specter of blood is raising its head again. The talk about names nominated for liquidation is not a secret but a subject of daily discussion between security and political forces. Here, tough questions are raised: Is the state truly capable of protecting the constitutional deadline? Are the exhausted security agencies capable of preventing the return of the assassination series? Is the President's insistence enough to turn the elections into an untouchable reality? The upcoming elections are not just a constitutional deadline but a referendum on the survival of the system. If they take place on time, despite all obstacles, Lebanon will retain a margin of political life, however fragile. But if they fail, whether through a veiled postponement or a security explosion, it means the game is over and the country has entered an unknown phase, perhaps more dangerous than anything it has known since the Taif Agreement. The Lebanese are waiting for an election day, but the major powers are preparing for a battle of major reckoning: Who will inherit the Parliament? Who will control the joints of the state? And who will decide whether blood will return to the street as a political tool? Between Baabda's insistence and the threat of the street, Lebanon stands once again on the edge: either elections that save what remains, or assassinations that open the gates of hell.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on October 04-05/2025
Trump says ‘will not tolerate delay’ from Hamas on peace deal
AFP, Washington/04 October/2025
US President Donald Trump on Saturday warned Palestinian group Hamas to “move quickly” and agree to a peace deal with Israel or risk further devastation in Gaza.
“Hamas must move quickly, or else all bets will be off. I will not tolerate delay, which many think will happen, or any outcome where Gaza poses a threat again,” Trump posted on his Truth Social page. “Let’s get this done, FAST.” He also expressed appreciation that “Israel has temporarily stopped the bombing in order to give the Hostage release and Peace Deal a chance to be completed,” although the enclave’s civil defense agency said Israel carried out dozens of attacks on Gaza City overnight.

Gaza civil defense says at least 57 killed in Israeli strikes since dawn
AFP/04 October/2025
Gaza’s civil defense agency said Israeli bombardment had killed at least 57 people since dawn on Saturday, even after US President Donald Trump urged Israel to halt its attacks on the territory. “The death toll from the ongoing Israeli bombardment since dawn today stands at 57, including 40 in Gaza City alone,” Mahmud Bassal, spokesman for the agency under Hamas authority, told AFP. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defense agency or the Israeli military.

What Hamas accepted and rejected in Trump’s Gaza peace plan
Al Arabiya English/04 October/2025
Hamas responded on Friday to President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza’s future, including ending Israel’s war in the enclave. The Palestinian militant group accepted certain key parts of the Trump plan, including ending the war, Israel’s withdrawal, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian captives, aid and recovery efforts, and an opposition to Palestinian expulsion from the territory. There were apparent differences in Hamas’ statement and Trump’s plan on the future of Gaza’s governance and Hamas’ own involvement in the territory’s future. Hamas said it sought further talks.
A comparison of Hamas’ statement with Trump’s plan below:
What does Hamas say it is open to accepting in Trump’s plan?
Release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian captives:
Hamas said it would release Israeli hostages in Gaza both living and dead “according to the exchange formula contained in President Trump’s proposal, with the necessary field conditions for implementing the exchange.”It did not specify what it meant by “necessary field conditions.” The militant group said it was ready to immediately have talks through mediators to discuss further details. The Trump plan says all hostages will be returned by Hamas “within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement.”Trump’s proposal said that thereafter, Israel will free 250 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences, plus 1,700 Gazans arrested since October 7, 2023, including all women and children. For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 dead Gazans, the Trump plan says.
Ceasefire, end of war and Israeli withdrawal:
Hamas said it accepted the framework of an end to the war and Israel’s “full withdrawal” from the enclave. Hamas’ statement did not note any different stages of Israel’s withdrawal and said it rejected Israeli occupation. The Trump plan said: “Israeli forces will withdraw to the agreed upon line to prepare for a hostage release.” It said that during that time, Israel’s military assault, including aerial and artillery bombardment, will be suspended, and “battle lines will remain frozen until conditions are met for the complete staged withdrawal.”
Aid, recovery and no Palestinian expulsion:
Hamas welcomed that Trump’s plan urged a surge in aid into Gaza while not calling for Palestinians to be expelled from the territory. The Trump plan said aid will be immediately sent into Gaza in quantities consistent with a January 19 agreement. It would also involve rehabilitation of infrastructure, hospitals and bakeries, and entry of necessary equipment to remove rubble and open roads. Aid will proceed through the United Nations, the Red Crescent and other international institutions under the plan. Hamas said it rejected Palestinian displacement from Gaza. The Trump plan said that “no one will be forced to leave” and those who wish to leave will be free to return. The Trump plan encouraged Palestinians to stay in Gaza.
Where does Hamas appear to be at odds with Trump plan?
Foreign involvement in Gaza’s interim governance:
The Trump plan said “Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee,” though it does not identify any Palestinian individual or group by name as being involved in the transition.
The Trump plan says the panel would be supervised by a new international transitional body that Trump would head and which would include other members, including former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. Hamas said it would agree to hand over Gaza’s administration “to a Palestinian body of independents (technocrats) based on Palestinian national consensus and supported by Arab and Islamic backing.” Hamas has previously offered to hand over Gaza’s administration to a different body. Hamas did not comment on the proposed deployment of a “temporary International Stabilization Force” in Gaza under the Trump plan for which the US will work with Arab partners.
Hamas having no role in Gaza’s future:
The Trump plan said Hamas will “agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form.” The plan also said there will be a “process of demilitarization of Gaza.”Hamas maintained in its response that the militant group sees itself as part of a “comprehensive Palestinian national framework.” Its Friday statement did not comment on demilitarizing. It has previously rejected such calls. “This is tied to a collective national position and in accordance with relevant international laws and resolutions, to be discussed within a comprehensive Palestinian national framework, in which Hamas will be included and will contribute with full responsibility,” Hamas said on Friday. The Hamas statement did not comment on the proposal in the Trump plan to give amnesty and safe passage to other countries for Hamas members who “decommission” their weapons.With Reuters

Gaza City remains ‘dangerous’ combat zone amid heavy strikes despite Trump appeal
AFP & Reuters/04 October/2025
The Israeli military’s Arabic spokesperson issued a warning on Saturday for residents of Gaza city, saying it remained a “dangerous” combat zone. He urged residents in a post on X to avoid going north in the enclave or nearing any areas where the military operates. Axios earlier reported that the Israeli military will shift to defensive operations in Gaza and halt its plan to seize Gaza City. Gaza’s civil defense agency said Saturday that Israel carried out dozens of air strikes and artillery shelling on Gaza City despite US President Donald Trump’s appeal to end bombardments after Hamas accepted a ceasefire deal.
“It was a very violent night, during which the (Israeli army) carried out dozens of air strikes and artillery shelling on Gaza City and other areas in the Strip, despite President Trump’s call to halt the bombing,” civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP. Bassal, whose agency is a rescue force which operates under Hamas authority, added that 20 homes were destroyed in the overnight bombardments. Gaza City’s Baptist Hospital said in a statement that it received casualties from a strike on a home in the city’s Tuffah neighborhood, including four dead and several wounded. Gaza’s Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis said two children were killed and eight people wounded in a drone strike on a tent in camp for displaced Gazans. The peace plan for Gaza, presented by Trump this week and backed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calls for a ceasefire, the release of hostages within 72 hours, Hamas’s disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Hamas said on Friday it was ready to release hostages held in Gaza under the Trump plan but wanted negotiations on the details and a say in the future of the Palestinian territory.

Trump Orders Israel to Stop Bombing Gaza after Hamas Partially Accepts His Peace Plan
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 04/2025
US President Donald Trump on Friday ordered Israel to stop bombing the Gaza Strip after Hamas said it had accepted some elements of his plan to end the nearly two-year war and return all the remaining hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
Hamas said it was willing to release the hostages and hand over power to other Palestinians, but that other aspects of the plan require further consultations among Palestinians. Senior Hamas officials suggested there were still major disagreements that required further negotiations, The Associated Press said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was prepared for the implementation of the “first stage” of Trump's plan, apparently referring to the release of hostages. But his office said in a statement that Israel was committed to ending the war based on principles it has set out before, without addressing potential gaps with Hamas. Trump welcomed the Hamas statement, saying: “I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE." “Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly! Right now, it’s far too dangerous to do that. We are already in discussions on details to be worked out," he wrote on social media. Hamas said aspects of the proposal touching on the future of the Gaza Strip and Palestinian rights should be decided on the basis of a “unanimous Palestinian stance” reached with other factions and based on international law. The statement also made no mention of Hamas disarming, a key Israeli demand included in Trump’s proposal.
Latest ceasefire effort is widely welcomed
Trump appears keen to deliver on pledges to end the war and return dozens of hostages ahead of the second anniversary of the attack on Tuesday. Key mediators Egypt and Qatar welcomed the latest developments, and Majed Al Ansari, a spokesman for Qatar's Foreign Ministry, said they would “continue discussions on the plan.”A spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he “urges all parties to seize the opportunity to bring the tragic conflict in Gaza to an end.” French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on social media that “the release of all hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza are within reach!”The main organization representing the families of Israeli hostages said Trump's demand to halt the fighting “is essential to prevent serious and irreversible harm to the hostages." It called on Netanyahu “to immediately begin efficient and swift negotiations to bring all our hostages home.”Trump’s plan would end the fighting and return hostages
Earlier, Trump had warned that Hamas must agree to the deal by Sunday evening, threatening an even greater military onslaught. “If this LAST CHANCE agreement is not reached, all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas," Trump wrote Friday on social media. "THERE WILL BE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.”Under the plan, which Trump unveiled earlier this week alongside Netanyahu, Hamas would release the remaining 48 hostages — around 20 of them believed to be alive — within three days. It would also give up power and disarm. In return, Israel would halt its offensive and withdraw from much of the territory, release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and allow an influx of humanitarian aid and eventual reconstruction. Plans to relocate much of Gaza's population to other countries would be shelved. The territory of some 2 million Palestinians would be placed under international governance, with Trump himself and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair overseeing it. The plan provides no path for eventual reunification with the Israeli-occupied West Bank in a future Palestinian state. Palestinians long for an end to the war, but many view this and previous US proposals as strongly favoring Israel.
Hamas officials air objections in TV interviews
Trump’s proposal “cannot be implemented without negotiations,” Mousa Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas official based outside of Gaza, told the Al Jazeera network on Friday. The Hamas statement said it was willing to return all remaining hostages according to the plan’s “formula,” apparently referring to an exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. It also reiterated its longstanding openness to handing power over to a politically independent Palestinian body. But Abu Marzouk said it might be difficult for Hamas to release all the hostages within 72 hours, because it could take days or weeks to locate the remains of some of the captives. He said Hamas was willing to hand over its weapons to a future Palestinian body that runs Gaza, but there was no mention of that in the official statement. Another Hamas official, Osama Hamdan, told Al Araby television that Hamas would refuse foreign administration of the Gaza Strip and that the entry of foreign forces would be “unacceptable.”
US and Israel seek to pressure Hamas
Israel has sought to ramp up pressure on Hamas since ending an earlier ceasefire in March. It sealed the territory off from food, medicine and other goods for 2 1/2 months and has seized, flattened and largely depopulated large areas. Experts determined that Gaza City had slid into famine shortly before Israel launched a major offensive aimed at occupying it. An estimated 400,000 people have fled the city in recent weeks, but hundreds of thousands more have stayed behind. Olga Cherevko, a spokesperson for the UN humanitarian office, said she saw several displaced families staying in the parking lot of Shifa Hospital during a visit on Thursday. “They are not able to move south because they just cannot afford it,” Cherevko told The Associated Press. “One of the families had three children and the woman was pregnant with her fourth. And there were many other vulnerable cases there, including elderly people and people with disabilities.”Most of Hamas' top leaders in Gaza and thousands of its fighters have already been killed, but it still has influence in areas not controlled by the Israeli military and launches sporadic attacks. Hamas has long insisted it will only release the remaining hostages — its sole bargaining chip and potential human shields — in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal. Netanyahu has rejected those terms, saying Hamas must surrender and disarm.
Second anniversary approaches
Thousands of Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, attacking army bases, farming communities and an outdoor music festival, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians. They abducted 251 others, most of them since released in ceasefires or other deals. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many were civilians or combatants. It says women and children make up around half the dead. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the UN and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. The offensive has displaced around 90% of Gaza's population, often multiple times, and left much of the territory uninhabitable. Both the Biden and Trump administrations have tried to end the fighting and bring back the hostages while providing extensive military and diplomatic support to Israel.

Netanyahu Says He Hopes to Announce Release of All Hostages from Gaza ‘in Coming Days’
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 04/2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he hopes to announce the release of all hostages from Gaza “in the coming days” as indirect talks with Hamas continue in Egypt on Monday on a new US plan to end the war. In a brief statement late Saturday, Netanyahu said he has sent a delegation to Egypt “to finalize technical details,” adding that “our goal is to contain these negotiations to a timeframe of a few days.”He spoke after Hamas said it had accepted some elements of the US plan. President Donald Trump welcomed the Hamas statement but on Saturday warned that “Hamas must move quickly, or else all bets will be off.”Earlier Saturday, a hospital official said Israeli bombing of Gaza City had “significantly subsided,” though at least five Palestinians were killed. Israel's army meanwhile said the country's leaders had instructed it to prepare for the first phase of the US plan to end the war in Gaza. Israel has moved to a defensive-only position in Gaza and will not actively strike, said an official who was not authorized to speak to the media on the record. The official said no forces have been removed from the territory. Still, Shifa Hospital director Mohamed Abu Selmiyah told the AP that Israeli strikes killed five Palestinians across Gaza City, while bombing had “significantly subsided.”The army statement came hours after President Donald Trump ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza once Hamas said it had accepted some elements of his plan. Trump welcomed the Hamas statement but on Saturday warned that “Hamas must move quickly, or else all bets will be off.” He noted that Israel had “temporarily stopped the bombing.”Trump appears determined to deliver on pledges to end the war and return all hostages ahead of the second anniversary on Tuesday of the attack that sparked it. His proposal unveiled earlier this week has widespread international support.On Friday, Netanyahu's office said Israel was committed to ending the war that began when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Netanyahu is under increasing pressure to end the conflict. The official told the AP that Netanyahu put out the rare late-night statement on the Sabbath, saying that Israel has started to prepare for Trump's plan due to pressure from the US.

US Envoys Head to Middle East as Trump Warns Hamas Against Peace Deal Delay
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 04/2025
Donald Trump's son-in-law and a senior envoy were heading to Egypt Saturday to finalize hostage release details, as the US president warned he would "not tolerate delay" by Hamas in implementing a peace deal with Israel. A White House official confirmed that Jared Kushner and Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff are traveling to the region to address the finalization of details on the release of hostages and to discuss the deal pushed by the US president to bring an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The Palestinian group on Friday reacted positively to a peace plan to end two years of war, saying it was ready to release all hostages and discuss details on the peace plan. Trump in turn called on Israel to "immediately" halt its bombings of the war-ravaged territory. Then on Saturday he suggested the shelling had stopped -- even as Israel said its troops were still operating in Gaza and the enclave's civil defense agency said Israel carried out dozens of "violent" air strikes on Gaza City overnight. "I appreciate that Israel has temporarily stopped the bombing in order to give the Hostage release and Peace Deal a chance to be completed," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. "Hamas must move quickly, or else all bets will be off. I will not tolerate delay, which many think will happen, or any outcome where Gaza poses a threat again," he added. "Let's get this done, FAST. Everyone will be treated fairly!" Trump's proposal calls for a halt to hostilities, the release of hostages within 72 hours, a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and Hamas's disarmament.

A Look at the Hostages Taken to Gaza, by the Numbers
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 04/2025
Hamas says it is willing to return all remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza and the bodies of the dead in accordance with President Donald Trump’s peace plan. Under the plan, Hamas would release the remaining 48 hostages — around 20 of them believed to be alive — within three days. It would also give up power and disarm. In delivering its response to Trump’s plan, the group said it was ready to release the hostages and give up power but made no reference to disarming and made clear there was still much more to negotiate. Israel said on Saturday that it would start preparations for implementation of the first phase of Trump’s plan and the hostages’ release. Hamas-led fighters killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages in the Oct. 7 attack. The ensuing war has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, Gaza’s Health Ministry said Saturday. The ministry doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Here are details on the hostages:
Total hostages captured during Oct. 7 attack: 251
Hostages taken before the Oct. 7 attack: four (two who entered Gaza in 2014 and 2015 and the bodies of two soldiers killed in the 2014 war)
Hostages released in exchanges or other deals: 148, of whom eight were dead
Bodies of hostages retrieved by Israeli forces: 51
Hostages rescued alive: eight
Hostages still in captivity: 48, of which the Israeli military believes 20 are still alive
Non-Israeli hostages in captivity: four (two Thai nationals and one Tanzanian who have been confirmed dead, and one Nepalese national)

Israel's Army Says It Will Advance Preparations for the First Phase of Trump's Plan
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 04/2025
Israel's army said Saturday that it would advance preparations for the first phase of US President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza and return all the remaining hostages, after Hamas said it accepted parts of the deal while others still needed to be negotiated. The army said it was instructed by Israel's leaders to “advance readiness” for the implementation of the plan. An official who was not authorized to speak to the media on the record said that Israel has moved to a defensive-only position in Gaza and will not actively strike. The official said no forces have been removed from the strip. This announcement came hours after Trump ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza once Hamas said it had accepted some elements of his plan. Trump welcomed the Hamas statement, saying: “I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE.”Trump appears keen to deliver on pledges to end the war and return dozens of hostages ahead of the second anniversary of the attack on Tuesday. His proposal unveiled earlier this week has widespread international support and was also endorsed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On Friday, Netanyahu's office said Israel was committed to ending the war that began when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, without addressing potential gaps with the militant group. Netanyahu has come under increasing pressure from the international community and Trump to end the conflict. The official told the AP that Netanyahu put out the rare late-night statement on the sabbath saying that Israel has started to prepare for Trump's plan due to pressure from the US administration. The official also said that a negotiating team was getting ready to travel, but there was no date specified. A senior Egyptian official says talks are underway for the release of hostages, as well as hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention. The official, who is involved in the ceasefire negotiations, also said Arab mediators are preparing for a comprehensive dialogue among Palestinians. The talks are aimed at unifying the Palestinian position towards Gaza's future. On Saturday, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the second most powerful militant group in Gaza, said it accepted Hamas’ response to the Trump plan. The group had previously rejected the proposal days earlier.
Progress, but uncertainty ahead
Yet, despite the momentum, a lot of questions remain. Under the plan, Hamas would release the remaining 48 hostages — around 20 of them believed to be alive — within three days. It would also give up power and disarm. In return, Israel would halt its offensive and withdraw from much of the territory, release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and allow an influx of humanitarian aid and eventual reconstruction. Hamas said it was willing to release the hostages and hand over power to other Palestinians, but that other aspects of the plan require further consultations among Palestinians. Its official statement also didn't address the issue of Hamas demilitarizing, a key part of the deal. Amir Avivi, a retired Israeli general and chairman of Israel’s Defense and Security Forum, said while Israel can afford to stop firing for a few days in Gaza so the hostages can be released, it will resume its offensive if Hamas doesn't lay down its arms. Others say that while Hamas suggests a willingness to negotiate, its position fundamentally remains unchanged. This “yes, but" rhetoric "simply repackages old demands in softer language," said Oded Ailam, a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs. The gap between appearance and action is as wide as ever and the rhetorical shift serves more as a smokescreen than a signal of true movement toward resolution, he said. Unclear what it means for Palestinians suffering in Gaza. The next steps are also unclear for Palestinians in Gaza who are trying to piece together what it means in practical terms. Israeli troops are still laying siege to Gaza City, which is the focus of its latest offensive. On Saturday Israel's army warned Palestinians against trying to return to the city calling it a “dangerous combat zone".Experts determined that Gaza City had slid into famine shortly before Israel launched its major offensive there aimed at occupying it. An estimated 400,000 people have fled the city in recent weeks, but hundreds of thousands more have stayed behind. Families of the hostages are also cautious about being hopeful. There are concerns from all sides, said Yehuda Cohen, whose son Nimrod is held in Gaza. Hamas and Netanyahu could sabotage the deal or Trump could lose interest, he said. Still, he says, if it's going to happen it will be because of Trump.
“We’re putting our trust in Trump, because he’s the only one who’s doing it. ... And we want to see him with us until the last step,” he said.

Israeli Bombing of Gaza City Has ‘Significantly Subsided,’ Hospital Official Says
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 04/2025
Israeli bombing of Gaza City has “significantly subsided” though at least five Palestinians were killed, a hospital official said Saturday, as Israel's army said the country's leaders had instructed it to prepare for the first phase of the US plan to end the war in Gaza. Israel has moved to a defensive-only position in Gaza and will not actively strike, said an official who was not authorized to speak to the media on the record. The official said no forces have been removed from the territory.  Still, Shifa Hospital director Mohamed Abu Selmiyah told the AP that Israeli strikes killed five Palestinians across Gaza City, while bombing had "significantly subsided.” The army statement came hours after President Donald Trump ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza once Hamas said it had accepted some elements of his plan. Trump welcomed the Hamas statement, saying: “I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE.” Trump appears determined to deliver on pledges to end the war and return all hostages ahead of the second anniversary on Tuesday of the attack that sparked it. His proposal unveiled earlier this week has widespread international support. On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel was committed to ending the war that began when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Netanyahu is under increasing pressure to end the conflict.  The official told the AP that Netanyahu put out the rare late-night statement on the Sabbath, saying that Israel has started to prepare for Trump's plan due to pressure from the US. The official also said a negotiating team was getting ready to travel, but there was no date specified. A senior Egyptian official said US envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Egypt to head the US negotiating team in the talks to release the Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli detention. Delegations from Israel and Hamas will join the talks, which also will discuss maps showing the expected withdrawal of Israeli forces from certain areas in Gaza, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to brief the media. The official involved in the ceasefire negotiations also said Arab mediators are preparing for a comprehensive dialogue among Palestinians aimed at unifying their position toward Gaza's future. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the second most powerful militant group in Gaza, said it accepted Hamas’ response to the Trump plan. The group had rejected the proposal days earlier.
Progress, but uncertainty ahead
Under the plan, Hamas would release the remaining 48 hostages — around 20 of them believed to be alive — within three days. It also would give up power and disarm. In return, Israel would halt its offensive and withdraw from much of Gaza, release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and allow an influx of humanitarian aid and eventual reconstruction. Hamas said it was willing to release the hostages and hand over power to other Palestinians, but that other aspects of the plan require further consultations among Palestinians. Its statement also didn't address the issue of Hamas demilitarizing, a key part of the deal. Amir Avivi, a retired Israeli general and chairman of Israel’s Defense and Security Forum, said while Israel can afford to stop firing for a few days in Gaza so the hostages can be released, it will resume its offensive if Hamas doesn't lay down its arms. Others said that while Hamas suggests a willingness to negotiate, its position fundamentally remains unchanged. This “yes, but” rhetoric “simply repackages old demands in softer language,” said Oded Ailam, a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, who asserted that it serves more as a smoke screen than a signal of true movement toward resolution.  Hostages’ families expressed cautious hope about the plan.  Hamas and Netanyahu could sabotage the deal or Trump could lose interest, said Yehuda Cohen, whose son Nimrod is held in Gaza. Still, he said, if it’s going to happen it will be because of Trump. “We want to see him with us until the last step,” he said. Meanwhile, protests have erupted across Europe calling for the war's end.
Unclear what it means for Palestinians
Palestinians in Gaza tried to piece together what the plan means in real terms.  “We want practical implementation. We want a truce on the ground,” said Sameer Qudeeh in Khan Younis. He worried that talks will break down again. “I hope Hamas ends the war, because we are truly tired,” said Mohammad Shaat in Khan Younis, as anxious Palestinians roamed the shattered streets. Israeli troops were still laying siege to Gaza City, the focus of its latest offensive. On Saturday, Israel's army warned Palestinians against trying to return to the city, calling it a “dangerous combat zone." Two Gaza City residents told the AP that since the morning, Israeli tanks and troops had not advanced but artillery shells and airstrikes were still heard. “We can still see the quadcopters everywhere,” Mohamed al-Nashar said. Gaza’s Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll in the war has topped 67,000. The toll jumped after the ministry said it added more than 700 names to the list whose data had been verified. The Health Ministry does not say how many were civilians or combatants. It says women and children make up around half the dead. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the UN and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.

Activists Allege Greta Thunberg Mistreated as Flotilla Detainees Arrive in Türkiye
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 04/2025
Some 137 activists detained by Israel for taking part in a flotilla seeking to deliver aid to Gaza arrived in Türkiye on Saturday after being deported, with two alleging that Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg was mistreated during her detention. Israel did not immediately comment on the new allegations, but its foreign ministry earlier described reports that detainees had been mistreated as "complete lies". The activists who landed at Istanbul Airport included 36 Turkish nationals, as well as citizens from the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Morocco, Italy, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Switzerland, Tunisia and Jordan, Turkish foreign ministry sources said.
THUNBERG 'TREATED TERRIBLY', ACTIVIST ALLEGES
Two of them, Hazwani Helmi, a Malaysian citizen, and Windfield Beaver, an American citizen, told Reuters at the airport that they had witnessed Thunberg being mistreated, saying she was shoved and forced to wear an Israeli flag. "It was a disaster. They treated us like animals," said Helmi, 28, adding that detainees were not provided with clean food or water and that medication and belongings were confiscated. Beaver, 43, said Thunberg was "treated terribly" and "used as propaganda", describing how she was pushed into a room as Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir arrived. Israel has faced international condemnation after its military intercepted all of about 40 boats in a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza and detained more than 450 activists. Its foreign ministry wrote on X that all detained activists were "safe and in good health", adding it was keen to complete the remaining deportations "as quickly as possible". In a separate X post, it accused some flotilla members of "deliberately obstructing" the deportation process, without providing evidence. Reuters was unable to independently verify the allegation.
ISRAEL DENIES ALLEGATIONS OF MISTREATMENT
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said 26 Italians were on board the Turkish Airlines flight, with another 15 still held in Israel and set to be expelled over the next few days - along with activists from other nations. "I have once again given instructions to the Italian Embassy in Tel Aviv to ensure that the remaining compatriots are treated with respect for their rights", Tajani wrote on X. A first group of Italians from the flotilla - four parliamentarians - arrived in Rome on Friday. "Those who were acting legally were the people aboard those boats; those who acted illegally were those who prevented them from reaching Gaza," Arturo Scotto, one of the Italian lawmakers who took part in the mission, told a press conference in Rome. "We were brutally stopped ... brutally taken hostage," said Benedetta Scuderi, another Italian parliamentarian. According to Adalah, an Israeli group offering legal assistance to flotilla members, some detainees were denied access to lawyers, water, medications, and toilets. They were also "forced to kneel with their hands zip-tied for at least five hours, after some participants chanted 'Free Palestine,'" Adalah said. Israel denied the allegations. "All of Adalah’s claims are complete lies. Of course, all detainees ... were given access to water, food, and restrooms; they were not denied access to legal counsel, and all their legal rights were fully upheld," a foreign ministry spokesperson told Reuters. The flotilla, which set sail in late August, marked the latest attempt by activists to challenge the Israeli naval blockade of the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, where Israel has been waging a war since Palestinian group Hamas' deadly attack on Israel in October 2023. Israeli officials repeatedly denounced the mission as a stunt and warned it against violating a "lawful naval blockade".

Pro-Palestinian Rally in Barcelona Draws Tens of Thousands
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 04/2025
Tens of thousands of people marched through Barcelona on Saturday in support of Palestinians and demanding an end to arms trade with Israel, one of a series of protests planned across Spain. Marching behind a huge red banner reading: "Stop the genocide in Palestine. End the arms trade with Israel", the demonstrators -- who police said numbered 70,000 -- marched peacefully through the city center. They chanting slogans including "Boycott Israel" and "Free Palestine". "Israel's policy has been wrong for many years and we have to take to the streets," Marta Carranza, a 65-year-old pensioner demonstrating with a Palestinian flag on her back, told AFP. "On Thursday, many people came out when the flotilla was intercepted and we expected that today would be serious," she added. She was referring to the Global Sumud Flotilla of around 45 vessels seeking to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza. Many of the vessels, which were heading for the occupied Palestinian territory, where the United Nations says famine has taken hold, departed from Barcelona in early September. Around 50 Spaniards on the flotilla have been detained by Israel, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said told public television in an interview aired on Saturday. The flotilla organizers say Israel's actions were "illegal" since they intercepted the vessels while they were traversing international waters. Among the crowd filling the streets of Barcelona was Jordi Bas, a 40-year-old primary school teacher waving a Palestinian flag. "It was predictable that many people would turn out today," he said. "People are beginning to wake up a bit.""It's the only thing that can give them (Palestinians) a little encouragement, to see that the whole world is mobilizing in solidarity with them," he added. More marches were planned for Saturday afternoon in various Spanish cities, including Madrid. On September 14, around 100,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators forced the halt of the final stage of the Vuelta a España cycling race in the Spanish capital, where an Israeli team was competing. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Israel should be barred from international sport over the Gaza war, just as Russia was penalized over its invasion of Ukraine. In Europe, Spain is one of the fiercest critics of Israel's military offensive in Gaza, which followed the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel by fighters from Palestinian group Hamas. The Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory offensive on the Gaza Strip has killed at least 66,288 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to health ministry figures in the occupied territory that the United Nations considers reliable. In September, Spain said it would ban imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which have been described by UN rights chief Volker Turk as a war crime.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister in Paris: Boosting Ties, Coordinating on Regional Issues
Cairo: Asharq Al Awsat/October 04/2025
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held talks in Paris on Friday with senior French officials on strengthening bilateral relations and coordinating positions on key regional files, according to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry. Abdelatty arrived in the French capital on Thursday to lead Cairo’s campaign in support of Egypt’s candidate for the post of UNESCO Director-General, Khaled El-Enany, ahead of the vote scheduled for October 6. On the sidelines of the visit, the minister also met with executives from leading French companies and investment funds to explore ways of deepening economic cooperation. He highlighted Egypt’s efforts to attract more French investment, praising the role of French firms operating in sectors such as transport. Egypt is the third largest destination for French investment in the Middle East, with around 160 French companies active in the country, according to the ministry. Abdelatty underscored that Egyptian–French relations had reached the level of a “strategic partnership.” He pointed to opportunities in renewable energy, green hydrogen, transport, ports, automotive industries, telecommunications, digitalization, and artificial intelligence, areas showcased during the Egypt–France Economic Forum held in Cairo last May. On regional issues, Abdelatty reaffirmed Egypt’s “central commitment to the Palestinian cause.” Speaking at the French Institute of International Relations, he reiterated Cairo’s long-standing support for the Palestinian people’s right to establish an independent state, describing it as the only basis for a just and lasting peace. He stressed the need for Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza, the entry of humanitarian aid, and the rejection of any attempt to annex the West Bank or displace Palestinians. Abdelatty also welcomed US President Donald Trump’s recent 20-point plan to halt the Gaza war, which has been endorsed by several Arab states. France is among the European countries that formally recognized the State of Palestine during last month’s UN General Assembly. Paris also co-chaired with Saudi Arabia an international conference in New York aimed at advancing the two-state solution. Former assistant foreign minister Gamal Bayoumi told Asharq al-Awsat that Abdelatty’s visit represented “an opportunity to coordinate positions on both regional and international issues.” He emphasized France’s role as a major development and trade partner for Egypt and its support for the Palestinian cause. Beyond Gaza, Abdelatty discussed developments in Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, and Libya. He stressed the need to safeguard Sudan’s unity and sovereignty, rejected Israeli violations of Syrian territory, and called for Israel’s withdrawal from the five occupied Lebanese positions in line with international resolutions.

Germany Offers Talks with Iran on Condition it Abandon its Nuclear Program
Asharq Al Awsat/October 04/2025
Germany has accused Iran of lacking “credibility and transparency” in the latest round of nuclear negotiations, warning of a “serious danger” if Tehran continues on its current path. Tehran, in turn, escalated its rhetoric, vowing to fight any war “with full force” and urging the international community not to allow international law to become “a tool in the hands of the United States.” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told Berliner Zeitung that Iran in the last round of talks did not show the credibility and transparency required, reaffirming Berlin’s stance that Iran must never acquire nuclear weapons. He said the US and Israeli military strikes in June had delayed Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, but cautioned: “In the long run, there remains a serious risk. That is why we stress the need for negotiations to bring this issue to a permanent end.”The minister did not rule out further economic pressure, saying new sanctions would place Iran’s economy “under severe strain.” He described Tehran’s lack of cooperation in previous talks as “a costly mistake.”Still, Wadephul left the door open to diplomacy: “I hope the Iranian regime will now choose a new course. Our offer to resume negotiations remains on the table.”
The United Nations has already reimposed an arms embargo and other sanctions on Iran, following a European initiative led by France, Britain and Germany in response to violations of the 2015 nuclear deal. Iran continues to deny that it is seeking nuclear weapons. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded by warning against US dominance over international law, saying in a letter to counterparts in Sri Lanka and the Maldives: “This is not just about Iran, but about the dignity of international law.” Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani also revealed that Tehran had proposed direct talks with Washington on the sidelines of last week’s UN General Assembly, but the US envoy declined. On the military front, Iranian officials played down the risk of imminent war, calling regional troop movements part of a “psychological war.”But others, including MP Sara Fallahi, warned that any Israeli attack would “drag the entire region into conflict,” adding that the next war “will not resemble the 12-day conflict” in June and that Iran would fight “with full force.”Meanwhile, senior Iranian commander Mohammad Jafar Asadi announced plans to extend the range of Iran’s ballistic missiles beyond the current 2,000-kilometer limit, arguing that missile power had already shortened Israel’s June war to 12 days. In Israel, former defense minister Avigdor Lieberman warned that the confrontation with Iran “is far from over,” saying Tehran was strengthening its military capabilities and seeking to surprise Israel.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on October 04-05/2025
A Renewed Iranian Push for the Nuclear Bomb
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute./October 04/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/10/147916/
The Iranian regime is once again racing to acquire nuclear weapons. In doing so, it is turning to Russia and almost certainly looking toward China and North Korea for support. This is an immediate and existential threat to the United States, Israel, and the Free World.
Tehran's repeated denials are lies, masking a clear and urgent drive to obtain nuclear capability as quickly as possible.
Another urgent question: What would prevent Russia from going beyond civilian cooperation and helping Iran directly in its quest for a nuclear weapon?
If Russia feels cornered by the West over Ukraine, it may see Iran's nuclear ambitions not as a liability but as a useful bargaining chip and a means to complicate U.S. and Israeli security calculations.
For Iran, the shortcut to a nuclear bomb would not be to build everything from scratch, but to leverage these relationships, just as North Korea once did with Pakistan.
The regime looks at North Korea and sees a model: once Pyongyang secured a nuclear arsenal, its survival was effectively guaranteed.
On top of this strategic calculation is the regime's enduring ideological goal of wiping Israel off the map. For Tehran, even a single nuclear bomb would carry enormous symbolic and strategic weight.
The United States, Israel, and Europe must not underestimate this danger.
Iran's regime is racing against time, determined to achieve a capability that will guarantee its survival, give it leverage over its enemies, and help export its revolution.
The Iranian regime is once again racing to acquire nuclear weapons. In doing so, it is turning to Russia and almost certainly looking toward China and North Korea for support. This is an immediate and existential threat to the United States, Israel, and the Free World.
Tehran's repeated denials are lies, masking a clear and urgent drive to obtain nuclear capability as quickly as possible.
Earlier this week at the United Nations General Assembly, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared that Iran will "never seek to build a nuclear bomb." Iran's actions, however, contradict these words. On September 26, Tehran signed a staggering $25 billion nuclear agreement with Russia to construct four nuclear power plants in southern Iran.
Officially, this deal is being presented as an energy project to expand Iran's civilian nuclear capacity and produce 5 GW of electricity. Unfortunately, given Iran's long history of deception and concealment regarding its nuclear program, it would be naïve to accept this explanation at face value.
The reactors and the infrastructure that come with these projects could easily be diverted toward dual-use technologies, laying the groundwork for enrichment or fuel-cycle capabilities that could serve a weapons program.
The timing of the agreement is also telling. It comes just months after Iran signed a 20-year strategic partnership treaty with Moscow, which includes sharing defense cooperation and nuclear technology. The trajectory is clear: Iran and Russia are deepening ties in ways that serve both their geopolitical and military objectives.
Another urgent question: What would prevent Russia from going beyond civilian cooperation and helping Iran directly in its quest for a nuclear weapon? Iran has already supplied Russia with missiles and drones for its war in Ukraine and played a vital role in sustaining Moscow's battlefield capabilities. Russia, in turn, has every reason to reward this loyalty. Whether through technology transfer or covert shipments of sensitive materials, Russia has the capacity and the incentive to assist. If Russia feels cornered by the West over Ukraine, it may see Iran's nuclear ambitions not as a liability but as a useful bargaining chip and a means to complicate U.S. and Israeli security calculations.
Iran's outreach is not limited to Russia. The regime has been increasingly strengthening ties with China and North Korea, both nuclear states with long histories of resisting Western pressure. China has consistently positioned itself as Iran's economic lifeline, buying its oil, shielding it diplomatically at the United Nations, and engaging in selective military cooperation.
North Korea, for its part, has already served as a nuclear and missile partner for rogue regimes; its clandestine networks remain an attractive option for Tehran. The sight of these regimes aligning more closely at events such as joint military parades in China points to the emergence of an authoritarian bloc that could cooperate informally on nuclear proliferation. Even if there is no formal pact, the risk of quiet exchanges of expertise, material, or designs is very real. For Iran, the shortcut to a nuclear bomb would not be to build everything from scratch, but to leverage these relationships, just as North Korea once did with Pakistan.
Iran's urgency has only grown in the wake of U.S. and Israeli strikes on its nuclear and military sites earlier this year. Those strikes were a sobering reminder to Tehran that its ambitions are vulnerable, its facilities penetrable, and the US and Israel are willing to act militarily when intelligence points to advancing nuclear work. The regime looks at North Korea and sees a model: once Pyongyang secured a nuclear arsenal, its survival was effectively guaranteed. The Iranian regime, facing both external pressure and internal unrest, is desperate for a shield that will deter attacks and preserve the ruling system. On top of this strategic calculation is the regime's enduring ideological goal of wiping Israel off the map. For Tehran, even a single nuclear bomb would carry enormous symbolic and strategic weight.
The United States, Israel, and Europe must not underestimate this danger. The strategy should rest on two main pillars: unrelenting economic pressure and the credible threat of military action. Iran's economy remains fragile, heavily dependent on oil exports. Cutting off this revenue stream — through tighter sanctions, rigorous enforcement, and interdiction of illicit oil sales — would severely constrain the regime's ability to fund both its domestic repression and its nuclear program. At the same time, Iran must be made to believe that pursuing a nuclear weapon will invite devastating consequences. Public statements should leave no ambiguity: if intelligence shows that Iran is again advancing its nuclear program, strikes will follow. The credibility of this threat is critical: it forces Tehran to weigh the risks of moving forward.
Despite its harsh rhetoric, the regime is not immune to pressure. Beneath the surface, it is vulnerable. The Iranian population is restless, discontented with a stagnant economy, rampant corruption, and lack of freedoms. Inflation and unemployment fuel resentment, and many citizens are already embittered by the regime's prioritization of foreign adventurism over domestic welfare. A military confrontation that exposes the regime's weakness or causes significant damage could trigger unrest on a scale that the leadership fears. This is precisely why maintaining a mix of economic isolation and military deterrence is the most effective strategy: it exploits the regime's weaknesses while holding back its ambitions.
The Iranian regime is desperately seeking nuclear weapons, and turning to its authoritarian partners — Russia, China, and North Korea — to make this a reality. Iran's regime is racing against time, determined to achieve a capability that will guarantee its survival, give it leverage over its enemies, and help export its revolution. The West cannot afford complacency. Economic pressure must be tightened, the military option must remain visible, and intelligence must be vigilant. Iran's ambitions are clear. The danger is growing. What happens next will have profound consequences not only for Israel and the United States, but for the stability of the entire Free World.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, is a political scientist, Harvard-educated analyst, and board member of Harvard International Review. He has authored several books on the US foreign policy. He can be reached at dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu
*Follow Majid Rafizadeh on X (formerly Twitter)
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21949/iran-push-nuclear-bomb
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Intra-Sectarian Shifts Regarding the Country’s Fundamental Question
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al Awsat/October 04/2025
This is not an op-ed about “the shifts of sects” but the shifts ‘’within’’ sects that emerged in recent days or that had previously been latent, already present beneath the surface before they recently rose to the fore.
Of course, every discussion of “the sects” and their positions necessarily entails broad strokes riddled with generalizations. Nonetheless, sects remain the best available ontological category for developing accurate notions of developments in Lebanon and understanding the trajectories that these developments could take. The Raouche Rock incident and the controversy it stirred offered a condensed presentation of sectarian communities’ stances, some that were surprising and others that went against reductionist expectations premised on stereotypes.
If we accept the notion that the attitudes of sectarian communities can be deduced from the political behavior of the top officials who represent them, as per the Lebanese political system- albeit without making the false assumption that this yardstick offers much precision- we could claim that “the Sunnis’ representation” approach the fundamental question of weapons currently facing the county in the healthiest manner.
The “voice of the Sunni component” in the state may have been hushed relative to the cacophony coming from the bastions of other sects, but the factors behind the “Sunni stance” are neither mundane nor easy to disregard. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who cannot be reduced to his Sunnism, stood for responsible and patriotic scrupulousness, which is unusual in Lebanese politics, paired with a legalistic consciousness and a constitutional mindset. Together, these factors demonstrate that addressing disarmament speaks to the reformer in Salam, not just the Sunni in him.
One could perhaps make the case that these qualities do not contradict some aspects, among them the “political Lebanonization” of the Sunnis often attributed to the late Rafic Hariri, of the background of “Sunni attitudes.” Another element is the sense of victimhood stemming from Hariri’s assassination and the broad suspicions of who had been behind it, which made the Raouche incident feel, to many, akin to rewarding the murderer inside the victim’s home. The community’s heavily urban demography, which is favorable to the state and averse to violence, contributed to shaping that background, especially since the waves of religious-political radicalism in the region have begun to recede and as the Gulf model makes its case by emphasizing a stability that supporters see as the antithesis to unbridled extremism.
As for the Maronites and Christians more broadly, they remain, for well known historical reasons, the sect closest to being the state’s base and, by extension, the most committed to the principle of the state’s monopoly of means of violence. Among the political parties that represent the Christian community, the ‘’Lebanese Forces’’ and the ‘’Kataeb’’ have perhaps adopted the positions most faithful to this tradition. However, the community’s top state officials, the president and the leaders of the agencies and institutions that fall under the presidency, have taken a different line.
Here, we are facing what could be called the Aounist cavity- in reference to former president Michel Aoun and his “understanding” with Hezbollah, a cavity with the legacy of Elie Hobeika and the “Tripartite Accord” on its outer edges. One cannot fail to recall the "alliance of minorities” theory, which the rise of the new Syrian regime may have rekindled and solidified. Several junctures, some foundational (like “Operation Fajr el-Jouroud” battles on the Syrian-Lebanese border) and some more recent (like the massacres along the Syrian coast and in Sweida, not to mention the bombing of Damascus’s St. Elias Church and the reverberations of those tragedies) were traversed on the path that led us here.
The Aounist political trajectory is also a continuity of another broad political track: the drive to return to the pre-Taif era, which the first Aoun had fought with arms. As to the way the president engaged with the prime minister during the Raouche Rock episode, it only reinforces the impression that he is viscerally hostile to the Taif Agreement. In at least two respects, this Aounist inclination is flipping traditional Christian mode on their head: one is the radical approach to confronting Hezbollah’s armament, and the other is extreme concern for aligning with prevailing regional and international attitudes, which the Aounist school has nothing but disregard for and whose opportunities it never fails to squander. As for the top Shiite official, he decided, amid the climate imposed by Hezbollah’s armament, to establish a parallel political “state” to supplement the parallel military “state” that Hezbollah had established. Leveraging his solidarity with the president, the speaker of parliament has managed to position himself as the country’s primary domestic and foreign policy arbiter. Meanwhile, intra-Lebanese divisions and hostilities continue to deepen, and Lebanon’s place and weight in the world steadily decline. We can, however, note that the Shiite community’s foremost official is betraying Imam Musa al-Sadr, his former mentor, twice. Defying the stagnation of the Shiite political representation, which had lagged behind the educational, economic, and financial progress of the community, was among the most prominent defining features of Sadrism- Speaker Berri, meanwhile, has held his post for no less than a third of a century. As for the second U-turn on Sadr’s approach, the latter’s ultimate concern was compelling the state to safeguard the South and its people, shielding them from Palestinian and Lebanese radical movements that had been striving to broaden the arena of conflict- Hezbollah, with the Speaker’s blessing, seeks the exact opposite. That is why Musa al-Sadr had to be reinvented to allow the two sides of the “Shiite duo” to synergize their efforts.
This reinvention, in its current form, is what we call “zaabara” (a scam) in colloquial Arabic, that portrays defeat as victory and victory as defeat, and so on and so forth.

For the First Time, the Two Shores of the Ocean Drift Apart
Suleiman Jawda/Asharq Al Awsat/October 04/2025
Europe wakes up to new apprehension tied to Russia every morning. Hardly a day passes without Russia disturbing the old continent.
Their relationship began to deteriorate with the Russian-Ukrainian war. Since President Vladimir Putin launched his war on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Europe’s capitals have grown wary of the man. Relations have been worse than they had been at point since the Second World War, including the decades when the Soviet Union loomed on Europe’s eastern frontier. French President Emmanuel Macron went so far as to describe Europe as being in a confrontation with Russia. Macron was diplomatic in his characterization of the state of affairs between the continent he aspires to lead and Russia, which seizes every opportunity to provoke the Europeans politically and militarily. The French president’s tone contrasted with that of Finland’s president and Denmark’s prime minister, neither of whom bothered with diplomatic niceties. Both have declared that the Europeans and Russians are more in a state of war than anything else. Macron’s words did not come from thin air, nor did those of the Finnish president and the Danish prime minister. All three, along with other European leaders, have seen drones violate Polish airspace, Danish airspace at another, and Moldovan airspace at yet another. They watch on with their hands on their hearts and the next fresh surprise on their minds. Russia, for its part, denies responsibility for the drones. insisting it is not violating the airspace of this or that country. Since when, however, have aggressor states admitted to infringing on the borders of their neighbors? The question remains: where are these drones coming from? Even in this age of artificial intelligence, there is no clear answer.
Europe is now in a bind. The war in Ukraine is straining its economy and exacting a heavy price, while European populations are growing weary of the costs of a war that has disrupted their very way of life.
It is no secret that since President Donald Trump entered the White House earlier this year, he has leaned closer to Russia than to Ukraine or, for that matter, to Europe as a whole. He personally blocked US weapon transfers to the Ukrainians, and when he has transferred them, they have amounted to anything like what President Joe Biden once provided, demanding immediate compensation in the form of rare minerals found in Ukrainian soil.
Europe has tried, time and again, to remind him that its bond with the United States is historical and unbreakable. They have explained that their alliance is solid and enduring. Nonetheless, Trump has shown no interest in listening, let alone in heeding, what Europeans have to say on the matter. As a result, Russia feels that, unlike his predecessors, Trump is leaning in its favor and not extending a hand to Europe. Perhaps this has emboldened Russia to feel that it has the upper hand in an eventual confrontation with the entire continent.
For decades, Europe had slept soundly on the American cushion. It had never imagined a day would come when it found that the White House had pulled that pillow away without prior warning. Under the Trump administration, Washington seems indifferent to Russia threatening European capitals, or if Russia vows retaliation should they supply Ukraine with ground forces or certain missiles. European mistrust of Washington has run so deep that, when President Volodymyr Zelensky made his second visit to the US capital, European leaders insisted on attending the meeting, fearing that Trump could impose terms harmful to Europe’s interests and security on the Ukrainian president. The question now is: will the American cushion remain out of Europe’s reach? The answer depends on how far the confrontation Macron spoke about will go. For the first time, Americans have turned their backs on the eastern side of the Atlantic, leaving Europe without the support it had grown accustomed to since the Second World War. And for the first time, Europeans feel they are facing Russia with their backs against the wall.

Selected X tweets For on October 04/2025
Pope Leo XIV
When we allow material possessions to rule over us, we can fall into spiritual sadness. When we choose God, however, we choose hope and a life of forgiveness and mercy. #JubileeAudience

Dr. Maalouf ‏
https://x.com/i/status/1974200781646790820
Islamist preacher: “When Muslims become the majority in the West in the next 40 years, non‑Muslims will have to convert, pay the jizya, or be killed, because Sharia will rule.”Is the message clear, or does anyone need it spelled out?!
Dr. Maalouf ‏
https://x.com/i/status/1974393450884989379
TERRIFYING: Islamists are going to Christian villages and setting homes on fire in Nigeria.They are burning Christians alive and offering them as human sacrifices as they scream ‘Allahu Akbar’. Why is the media silent?

PeterSweden
Schools are brainwashing children by indoctrinating them with woke.
Mainstream media is brainwashing people by lying about the news.
Netflix is brainwashing people by using entertainment as propaganda.

Mark Carney
Canada welcomes commitments from Hamas to relinquish power and release all remaining hostages, living and deceased. We encourage all parties to immediately work to turn commitments into reality, and to advance peace and security in the region. We thank President Trump for his essential leadership.
Canada is intensifying its coordination with international partners to build a just and lasting peace. We stand ready to support the sustained, unimpeded, and large-scale delivery of humanitarian aid into and throughout Gaza. Canada is steadfast in its support for a sovereign, democratic, and viable State of Palestine, building its future in peace and security with the State of Israel.

Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Qatar is playing President Trump.
He clearly told Hamas this is the plan, take it or leave it, no changes.
Qatar pocketed an Article 5 Trump Exec Order, delivered a Hamas response that sounds like a yes but is in fact a no: Hamas will never surrender its arms. This is the problem

Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Hamas is bluffing. Qatar and Aljazeera are coaching it and helping it bluff. And we, America, fall for Qatar’s tricks every time. Hamas, Qatar and Turkey want to see the annihilation of Israel and the end of the American superpower. And they make America protect them while they do it.

Nadim Koteich
Hamas is not and will not be ready for lasting peace. Trump’s grandiose statements are a combination of political desperation and severe lack of strategic depth.

Pierre Poilievre
The brutal attacks in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo by terrorist groups are the latest reminder of a grim reality: Christians are being slaughtered for their faith, and the world barely notices. Christians are among the most persecuted religious communities on the planet. Churches are burned, families are driven from their homes, and lives are taken in the most horrific ways. Yet too often, this violence is ignored, minimized, or waved away as though the suffering of millions of believers does not matter. This double standard is unacceptable. Canada must refuse to remain silent. We must stand clearly with persecuted Christians, press our allies to act, and ensure that the right to worship freely is defended everywhere.
The world must end its indifference. The suffering of Christians can no longer be dismissed.

Nebil Youssef
#StopExecutionsInIran; The Islamic Republic regime today secretly executed at least seven political prisoners in #Iran’s prisons, including Saman Mohammadi Khiyareh (L), a Kurdish political prisoner imprisoned for 16 years, and six Arab political prisoners named Ali Mojadam, Mohammadreza Moghadam, Moein Khanfari, Adnan Ghobeishavi, Habib Deris and Salem Mousavi.