English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For  October 07/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 06/20-26: "Jesus looked up at his disciples and said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ‘Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. ‘Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. ‘Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. ‘But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. ‘Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. ‘Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. ‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on October 06-07/2025
Feast of Saints Sergius and Bacchus/Elias Bejjani/October 07/ 2025
The “Government of the Advisors’ Battalion” at Baabda Palace Complements Hezbollah’s Battalions of Civilians, Media, and Clans/Elias Bejjani/June 11/2025
Saint Francis of Assisi – Patron Saint of the Environment and All Creatures/Elias Bejjani/October 04/2025
Army Destroys Hezbollah Tunnels and Ammunition... Suspension of "Risalat" Operations, With a Vast Cabinet Majority Ready to Dissolve It
Why Hezbollah "Copes" with Israeli Strikes on its Cadres!
Nidaa Al Watan newspaper has suspended its cooperation with Dr. Makram Rabah, once again proving that much of Lebanon’s media is corrupt, self-serving, and submissive to the will of those in power
Israeli Drone Strike Kills Couple in Southern Lebanon
Lebanese govt receives first progress report on disarming Hezbollah
Sect over State: The Struggle for a Lebanese National Identity/Samar El-Kadi/This is Beirut/October 06/2025
Hezbollah’s "Solution" Before "Risalat"!/Imad Moussa/Nidaa Al-Watan/October 07/2025
Long live Trump, so that Lebanon may live./Ahmad Al-Ayoubi/Nidaa Al-Watan/October 07/2025
Diplomacy, Political Brinkmanship and the Murderous Dystopias/Charles Chartouni/This is Beirut/October 06/2025
In the Face of State Sabotage, Firmness Is the Only Imperative/Michel Touma/This is Beirut/October 06/2025
AMCD Decries Rise of Antisemitic and Anti-Christian Violence
Hamas In Lebanon Refuses To Disarm
Nailed to the Floor, Detached from the Nation/Makram Rabah/Now Lebanon/October 02/2025

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published  on October 06-07/2025
irect Gaza talks begin between Hamas and Israel in Egypt
Israel blows up home of Palestinian prisoner involved in deadly Tel Aviv attack
Swiss Gaza flotilla activists allege ‘inhumane detention conditions’ in Israel
Israeli hostage families want Nobel Peace Prize for Trump
What to know as key talks to end the war in Gaza begin
EU wants to be part of Gaza transitional body, says Kallas
US government shutdown enters second week, no end in sight
What to know as key talks to end the war in Gaza begin
Top Vatican cardinal says Israel carrying out massacre in Gaza
Jordanian and Palestinian officials affirm need to empower women and children
UNESCO selects Egypt’s Khaled El-Enany as new chief

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources  on October 06-07/2025
What Gaza’s disability crisis reveals about the devastating human cost of war/Sherouk Zakaria/Arab News/October 06, 2025
Reminder: Hamas and the Palestinian Authority Do Not Believe In Any Peace Process/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute./October 06/2025
Trump will help Ukraine hit Putin where it hurts — to finally end his bloody war/John Hardie/New York Post/October 06/2025
Is the Trump plan an outcome or a solution?/Ben Cohen/Jewish News Syndicate/October 06/2025
Selected English Tweets from X Platform For 06 October/2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published  on October 06-07/2025
Feast of Saints Sergius and Bacchus
Elias Bejjani/October 07/ 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/10/147977/
The Catholic Church around the world celebrates the Feast of Saints Sergius and Bacchus on October 07 of every year. Who were they, and what is their story of faith and sainthood?
Who They Were and Where They Came From
Saints Sergius and Bacchus were two high-ranking officers in the Roman military who lived in the late third and early fourth centuries A.D., during the reign of Emperor Maximian. Historical sources indicate that they originated from the Roman province of Syria, which then included parts of modern-day Syria and northern Mesopotamia. Some accounts suggest they were born in Edessa (modern-day Urfa), which was a major early Christian center in the East.
Their Life and Faith
Both saints served with honor and loyalty in the Roman army and enjoyed the emperor’s favor for their bravery and discipline. Yet they were also devout Christians, secretly devoted to Christ during a time when Christianity was fought against and persecuted. When their faith was discovered, they were ordered to offer sacrifices to the pagan gods. They refused boldly, declaring that their allegiance was first and foremost to God alone. Furious, the emperor stripped them of their military ranks, clothed them in garments of humiliation, and subjected them to brutal torture. Saint Bacchus was the first to die under torture in Barbalissus (northern Syria) around 303 A.D., while Saint Sergius was later transferred to Resafa (Sergiopolis), where he was beheaded for refusing to renounce his faith. His tomb became an early pilgrimage site for Christians.
Their Spiritual Life
Though they were not monks—since organized monasticism had not yet fully emerged—Sergius and Bacchus lived as lay ascetics devoted to God within the world, embodying purity, discipline, and unshakable devotion to Christ. Their lives combined military valor with spiritual heroism, making them models of faith in public life.
Veneration and Their Place in the Church
Their names appeared in the early Christian martyrologies by the fourth century, and their memory was celebrated in the Byzantine, Syriac, and Latin liturgies. In the Catholic Church, their feast day is observed on October 7, and they are also venerated by the Eastern Orthodox, Syriac, and Coptic Churches as “martyrs for Christ.” They are recognized as patron saints of soldiers and defenders of the faith, and believers seek their intercession for courage, loyalty, and strength in times of persecution.
The Spread of Their Veneration in Lebanon
Devotion to Saints Sergius and Bacchus reached Lebanon in the early Christian centuries through Antiochian, Syriac, and Maronite monks who migrated from northern Syria and Edessa to the mountains of Lebanon.
The first churches dedicated to them were established near rocky caves and mountain valleys, where Christians fleeing Roman persecution sought refuge. Over time, this devotion spread widely, and today their names are deeply woven into the spiritual and cultural fabric of Lebanon. The Lebanese people found in these saints symbols of courage and steadfast faith, identifying with their struggle against tyranny and their unyielding witness to Christ. Consequently, dozens of churches across Lebanon bear their names—a testimony to the living faith of the Lebanese Christian people. Among the many places that honor them are:
District Notable Areas and Churches
Jbeil: Al-Mansif, Al-Barbara, Bjeh, Behdidat, Beit Habak, Halat, Tartej, Janné, Fghal, Qartaba, Mechmech, and Mifouq.
Keserwan: Zaitre, Kfour, Aachqout, Rayfoun, Faitroun, and Ghabaleh.
Northern Metn: Jdeideh, Bourj Hammoud, Dhour el-Souwan.
Zahleh: Ferzol.
Baalbek: Ainata.
Bsharri: Bsharri, Diman, Blouza, Beit Monzer, Hadchit, Tourza, Abdine, Qannat, and the Valley of Qannoubine.
Koura: Amioun, Bchmizzine, Rachdein, Zakroun, Qlayhat, Kfifoun, and Kousba.
Zgharta: Zgharta, Ehden, Ijbeh, Ardeh, Aslout, Aitou, Bsalouqit, Harf Miziara, Rachaaine, Srajl, Arjes, Kfardlaqous.
Dinnieh: Zghartghrine.
Batroun: Bchaaleh, Tannourine el-Fouqa, Mazraat Bel’aa, Jran, Hardine, Douma, Rashkadé, Zane, Chabtine, Kfifré: Kfaraabida, Marah Chdid (Deir Shwah), and Wata Houb.
This remarkable presence across all Lebanese regions illustrates the depth of devotion and faith that Lebanese Christians hold for these two great martyrs, whose feast day, October 07, is celebrated as a national and spiritual occasion expressing stability in faith and unity in hope.
The Faith of Lebanese Christians and the Example of Saints Sergius and Bacchus
For centuries, the Lebanese Christians have seen in Saints Sergius and Bacchus a reflection of their own unwavering faith in Christ, finding in their martyrdom a model of courage and adherence to Divine Truth regardless of the severity of persecution. Throughout history, the Lebanese people in their mountains lived a faith similar to theirs, carrying the Cross in the face of every invader and conqueror who sought to erase their religious and human identity. From the Mamluks to the Ottoman Empire, and through waves of invasions and persecutions that targeted the Maronite and other Eastern Churches, the Christians of Lebanon remained steadfast, invoking the intercession of Saints Sergius and Bacchus for the protection of their land, people, and faith. Every time the Lebanese mountains faced invasion or injustice, the believers recalled the saints’ story, finding in it the power of hope and the strength to continue their spiritual resistance, just as the two saints refused to bow to idols despite the threat of death.
Thus, their feast on October 7 is not merely a historical commemoration—it is a celebration of Lebanese Christian courage, a renewal of resilience against tyranny, and an affirmation that those who hold fast to Christ are never defeated, no matter how severe the tribulations. Saints Sergius and Bacchus are honored not only as martyrs for Christ in history but as companions on the path for every Lebanese believer who carries their cross daily and witnesses to the truth in a world full of injustice and selfishness.
Reflection & A Prayer
O holy martyrs Sergius and Bacchus, teach us to stand firm in faith as you two stood firm, to forgive as you two forgave, and to carry our crosses with joy and hope.
Intercede for Lebanon—land of the Holy Cedars, faith, and martyrs—that it may remain a beacon of Christ amid all trials. And may its mountains, like your courageous lives, be transformed into a living witness to Truth and Light.

The “Government of the Advisors’ Battalion” at Baabda Palace Complements Hezbollah’s Battalions of Civilians, Media, and Clans
Elias Bejjani/June 11/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/10/144128/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIOnZcvB0f0
Every Lebanese has the right to ask: Has President Joseph Aoun decided to govern through a “government of advisors” assembled at Baabda Palace, instead of relying on the constitutional cabinet led by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam?
The president has turned the palace into a hub for advisors—most of whom are either remnants of the previous regime or politically affiliated with Hezbollah—as if we are reliving the era of Syrian occupation, when puppet cabinets were overshadowed by real centers of power hidden in the shadows.
More troubling is Aoun’s comfort with appointing figures directly tied to Hezbollah. Case in point: former Minister Ali Hamieh, a loyalist of Hezbollah who served in Najib Mikati’s cabinet, now inexplicably named “advisor for reconstruction.”
Has even the file of reconstruction become a Hezbollah domain? Are national matters now run through the so-called “advisors’ battalion” in Baabda, under the command of the Shiite duo?
Reviewing the names of many of these advisors, reveals a lineup either closely tied to former President Michel Aoun, or directly aligned with the so-called “Resistance Axis.” In this context, this is not a presidency; it is a Hezbollah proxy. These “advisors” are not neutral technocrats—they are political operatives embedded to advance the Hezbollah’s agenda.
Are we facing a new shadow government? Has the president surrendered his constitutional responsibilities to a clique of unelected influencers? Has the presidency become merely another Hezbollah tool after it failed to seize full control through the Grand Serail?
Since assuming office, Joseph Aoun has demonstrated a staggering disconnect between the solemn vows of his presidential oath, and the political choices he has made. He pledged to protect the constitution and assert sovereignty, yet has set no timetable for the disarmament of Hezbollah. He has completely ignored UN Security Council Resolutions 1559, 1701, and 1680—all of which mandate the disarmament of all militias and the exclusive control of arms by the state. These resolutions do not speak of dialogue with armed groups. The state does not negotiate over its sovereignty. It imposes it.
By proposing “dialogue” and “a national defense strategy,” Joseph Aoun is merely playing for time. These are evasions—designed to accommodate Hezbollah, not confront it. They strengthen its grip and prolong the occupation of state institutions. This is not leadership. It is appeasement.
Let us be frank: Hezbollah’s battalions are no longer limited to media propagandists, tribal militias, or civilians used as human shields in attacks—such as those on UNIFIL forces in the South. Today, a new battalion has joined the fray: the “advisors’ battalion” at Baabda Palace. Under Joseph Aoun, the presidency has morphed into an outpost for Hezbollah, where decisions are made not in service of the Lebanese constitution, but in loyalty to the occupying power’s interests.
It is deeply disheartening that Joseph Aoun has, thus far, proven to be a disappointment. He has relinquished even the appearance of independence, becoming yet another decorative president in the mold of his post-Taif predecessors: Elias Hrawi, Emile Lahoud, and Michel Aoun. They all wore the presidential sash, but the real power was never theirs—and it certainly isn’t now.
In conclusion: there can be no resurrection of Lebanon, no sovereignty, no independence, and no reconstruction, so long as the country is governed by men who are either incapable or unwilling to exercise their constitutional mandate—presidents who lack the courage to stand up, and the clarity to lead. Those who cannot say “no” to Hezbollah must step aside…. Lebanon will not be saved by advisors, nor by battalions, but by leaders.

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.”

Army Destroys Hezbollah Tunnels and Ammunition... Suspension of "Risalat" Operations, With a Vast Cabinet Majority Ready to Dissolve It
Nidaa Al-Watan/ October 07/2025 (Translated from Arabic)
The government has refocused on the issue of confining weapons exclusively to the state, a topic that had been disrupted by pressure from Hezbollah to obstruct the enforcement of the law in the Ramlet al-Baida incident (Al-Rawsha). During its session yesterday at Baabda Palace, the government decided to suspend the operations of the "Risalat" Association—which the party used as a cover—instead of dissolving it, despite 19 out of 23 attending ministers being prepared to approve its dissolution.
The government, at the request of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam—in prior coordination with President Joseph Aoun—made way for the judicial investigation to proceed. "Out of respect for freedoms and the judiciary, let us suffice with suspending the work of the 'Risalat' Association until the investigation results in the case are issued," PM Salam told the ministers.
In a post on the "X" platform, Salam explained how the request by the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities to dissolve the "Risalat" Association was handled, leading to the Cabinet decision to suspend the license (علم وخبر) granted to it until the ongoing criminal and administrative investigations by the administration and the Public Prosecution are clarified. This decision was made despite the violations detailed by the Ministry of Interior regarding the association's subject matter, internal regulations, and the laws governing public property, as well as the content of the permit issued by the Beirut Governor.
Health Minister Rakan Nasser El Din, who represents Hezbollah, suggested postponing the suspension of the association's work until the judicial investigation was complete, but his proposal was defeated by a majority of the ministers based on the Prime Minister's suggestion. Even the Amal Movement ministers did not support their colleague Nasser El Din's proposal.
The Army's First Monthly Report
Regarding the Army's monthly report, the first since September 5, Nidaa Al-Watan learned that Army Commander General Rudolph Hekal presented a significant overview, complete with videos, photos, maps, figures, and statistics, of the Army's actions over the past month. He informed the ministers that the weapon collection process south of the Litani River is progressing well, explaining with maps the areas from which weapons have been removed and the remaining areas where the Army has not yet completed the withdrawal of arms due to their rugged and difficult terrain. (Details of the Army Commander's statement on page 3)
Some ministers noted that the Army Commander mentioned the completion of the first phase of the Army's mission by the end of next December, instead of the end of November, due to the need for this additional time frame.
Shuttle Diplomacy Preceded the Session
Nidaa Al-Watan learned that President Joseph Aoun held shuttle communications before the Cabinet session, focusing on coordination with PM Salam before the latter went to Baabda. Salam was receptive within the bounds of the law and showed conditional flexibility. Communication was also opened with Ain el-Tineh, where Speaker Nabih Berri felt that creating a problem in the Cabinet would harm the country and ministerial work. Consequently, the position of the Amal ministers was cooperative, while the Lebanese Forces ministers requested an explanation for the decision adopted regarding the association. In the end, matters proceeded according to the principle of not violating the law and finding a compromise that would not blow up the Cabinet.
Regarding the Army's report, Hekal clarified the Army's tasks south of the Litani as they constitute the first phase, and the second phase cannot begin without its completion. The Army Commander detailed how the Army's activity has increased recently, but noted that there are Israeli harassments and obstacles that also affect UNIFIL. Hekal confirmed the Army's continued commitment to its duties and the implementation of the defined plan.
In sum, it can be said that the Cabinet navigated the risk of collision without conceding to Hezbollah or allowing the narrative that the party had broken state decisions. This was amidst confirmation from the ministerial majority to enforce the law and not back down from the decision to confine weapons and extend state authority.
US Sources on Disarming Hezbollah
US sources considered that portraying the decision to dismantle Hezbollah's weapons as an external imposition is a distraction from the Iranian desire to keep the party as a tool for conflict management against Israel.
Hamas's Disarming Effects on Hezbollah's Disarming
In parallel, well-informed sources told Nidaa Al-Watan that the main focus is on what is happening between the Hamas Movement and the Israelis. When the Hamas-Iran-allied armed wing concludes its armed project, there will be no justification for Hezbollah to continue its armed activities.
The sources stated that, "After what happened with Hamas, Hezbollah must take the initiative to speed up the process of withdrawing its weapons and not wait for President Trump to present it with two options: either the implementation of the November 27, 2024 agreement within a short period to dismantle its military structure across Lebanon, or the implementation by force." The Cabinet, in its session yesterday, welcomed the "American President's initiative to stop the war in Gaza," following repeated welcome statements from Presidents Aoun and Salam.
Aoun: No Intention to Postpone Elections
The President of the Republic stressed that there is "no intention to postpone the parliamentary elections," and that it is up to the Parliament to choose the law under which the elections will be held, while it is up to the government to ensure this entitlement takes place on schedule.
Israeli Airstrikes in the South and Bekaa
Security-wise, Israeli warplanes yesterday raided the outskirts of the town of Harbata in the Baalbek district, the heights of the town of Zghrine in the Hermel outskirts, and the vicinity of the town of Shaath in the Baalbek district. An Israeli drone strike targeted a car on the Zebdine road in the Nabatieh area, resulting in the death of two people, Hassan Atwi and his wife Zeinab Raslan. Information indicated that Atwi was one of the Hezbollah members wounded in the pager explosions that occurred a year ago.

Why Hezbollah "Copes" with Israeli Strikes on its Cadres!
Al-Modon / October 07/2025
The relative stalemate on the southern front does not eliminate the possibility of it escalating beyond its current scope into a broader confrontation initiated by the Israeli enemy. The scenario remains a recurring one in multiple areas south and north of the Litani River, as well as on its banks. It oscillates between relative calm, occasionally interrupted by aerial strikes targeting Hezbollah individuals, facilities, or vehicles, and a limited escalation of airstrikes hitting southern areas, and sometimes targets deep in the Bekaa Valley. So far, the situation remains under Israeli control from one side, while Hezbollah has refrained from any military or field response since the ceasefire agreement took effect on November 27, 2024.
Observers note that the intense Israeli airstrikes launched periodically mostly target sites previously struck in both the South and the Bekaa. This reinforces the hypothesis that the party is still militarily present in those areas, or at the very least, still maintains weapons, tunnels, or centers there that Israel believes pose a continued threat, even if Hezbollah has evacuated personnel and is only positioned nearby. According to sources following official Israeli statements and media, what concerns Israel is the possibility that Hezbollah may still be hiding medium or long-range missiles that could be used from dozens of kilometers away to target "northern Israel."
These observers believe that Israel not only wants to disarm Hezbollah by force but also wants to strip it of any opportunity to rebuild its capabilities or infiltrate border areas under any civil, municipal, or humanitarian cover, or even under the guise of reconstructing the destroyed border towns. The goal is to prevent the party from regaining the infrastructure it had previously built in these towns, which was targeted in the last war. This is because Israel views Hezbollah's weapon as not only missiles and a military arsenal but "every stone or grain of sand" transported south for any reconstruction effort the party might be involved in. This stems from previous accusations by Israel that houses, commercial establishments, and public facilities served as a civilian facade concealing missile depots and storage facilities for Hezbollah.
Hezbollah’s Strategy: A Psychological Weapon
Conversely, despite the human losses sustained by its fighters due to the Israeli airstrikes, Hezbollah has succeeded so far in keeping the Israelis in a state of continuous ground and air alert. According to observers, this alert is not just an expression of Israel's constant readiness to attack Lebanon and pursue resistance fighters; it is also a form of perpetual preparedness for any potential response or attack that Hezbollah might launch after a long period of military inaction, thereby catching the Israeli army off guard!
Hezbollah considers even this state of alert a "weapon"—albeit a psychological one—against Israel, which it adds to the hidden weaponry it still holds onto. The party currently desires nothing more than this until it gets the opportunity to settle a long score with Israel!
Until then, because the winds of political, regional, and field circumstances are currently not blowing in its favor, Hezbollah remains forced to "cope" with the Israeli strikes that continue to deplete its cadres, members, and assets. This is because it is naturally compelled to remain present with its supporters and move within its environment, even if it exposes them to targeting at any moment.
All the party can do now is capitalize on the fact that it is "in the position of being attacked by an enemy that still occupies Lebanese territory" and to "document the Lebanese state's inability to protect Lebanon, liberate the land, or retrieve the captives." This, in turn, removes the justification for calls to disarm Hezbollah, given Lebanon's exposure to the continuous Israeli threat.
In conclusion, the party believes it has paid heavy prices before, during, and after the war, and continues to do so. It views the accumulation of these sacrifices as popular capital among its supporting base, convincing them that the state is incapable of protecting the Lebanese people and that only its weapon will shield them.

Nidaa Al Watan newspaper has suspended its cooperation with Dr. Makram Rabah, once again proving that much of Lebanon’s media is corrupt, self-serving, and submissive to the will of those in power
October 06/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/10/147966/
Dr. Makram Rabah posted on his Face Book today this notice:
This morning, I was informed by the editor-in-chief of Nidaa al-Watan that my collaboration with the paper has been terminated—wishing me, as he put it, “all the best.” The decision came a week after my column was blocked from publication. That piece had addressed, clearly and responsibly, the performance of the presidency and the army command in relation to Hezbollah and the so-called “Raouche Rock” incident. From the start, my decision to write for Nidaa al-Watan stemmed from a belief—one that proved naïve—that this paper could offer a genuine space for free expression, a liberal model in defense of sovereignty and national dignity. I chose to remain, despite my doubts, out of respect for friends who insisted that the paper was a necessary platform in the struggle for liberty. But today’s episode proves that Lebanon’s problem lies not only with those in power, but also with all who have internalized the mindset of authority and act as its shadow. The blocking of my article was neither a technical error nor an editorial misjudgment. It was an act of submission—an immediate response to phone calls from those with influence, a political decision intended to silence a voice that refuses to bargain. The irony is that the same article deemed “offensive” to official dignity was later published by a respected Arab outlet known for its integrity and freedom, while Lebanese media—ever loud about “sovereignty”—once again failed the test. In my university office hang photographs of my friends Lokman Slim and Samir Kassir, both of whom paid with their lives for the truth. Around them stand shelves of books documenting our people’s long struggle against repression, complicity, and silence. I will not change my stance, nor will I compromise my conviction: there is no sanctity but that of reason, and no immunity but that of freedom.
Those who choose silence over liberty are not practicing journalism—they are drawing the walls of their own prison. Fear protects no one. Only freedom befits Lebanon.

Israeli Drone Strike Kills Couple in Southern Lebanon
This is Beirut/October 06/2025
On Monday, an Israeli strike targeted a car on the road to Zebdine in the Nabatiyeh district of southern Lebanon, killing a couple and injuring another person, the Ministry of Health reported. Correspondents from This is Beirut indicated that the man, who had previously lost his sight during the pager explosion in September 2024, was in the vehicle with his wife at the time of the strike, with his wife driving. The Israeli army confirmed in a statement that its recent operations in southern Lebanon targeted training camps belonging to Hezbollah’s Radwan Force. According to the Israeli military, the sites struck were being used to train militants, store weapons, and conduct military exercises, activities it says violate the existing understandings between Israel and Lebanon. Later on Monday, a series of raids targeted the regions of Hermel and Jrabata in the Beqaa.

Lebanese govt receives first progress report on disarming Hezbollah
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/October 06, 2025
BEIRUT: Army chief Gen. Rodolphe Haykal presented the Army Command report on the newly implemented plan to establish exclusive state control over weapons. The Lebanese state, under President Joseph Aoun, is attempting to seize weapons belonging to Hezbollah in an attempt to secure a monopoly on arms and greater authority over events in the country. Hezbollah, the Shiite political party and paramilitary group, has long been viewed as one of the word’s most powerful non-state actors. Monday’s meeting was chaired by Aoun at the Presidential Palace. It focused on measures undertaken in the South Litani sector and beyond, in areas where illegal weapons and military activity have historically challenged state authority. Lebanon’s army was tasked in August with drafting and overseeing the plan to disarm Hezbollah. While the military institution has remained tight-lipped about the details of its plan, Haykal — who had just toured several military units in the South Litani sector to review progress — said in a speech distributed by Army Command that the next phase “will once again prove that the army holds the power of right, and that it is the (sole) protector of the national interests.”The army’s plan, particularly south of the Litani River, is being implemented in coordination with UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force, amid heightened tensions from regular Israeli cross-border strikes and the continued occupation of Lebanese border territory.
A senior military source said that the army’s approach focuses on “containing Hezbollah’s weapons,” specifically restricting any transfer or new introduction of weapons that could allow the organization to reconstitute its armed capacity in the wake of its bruising war with Israel.
During a recent visit to meet officers and soldiers assigned to South Litani Sector Command, Haykal praised their professionalism in “achieving great accomplishments,” adding that they “have proven themselves equal to the immense responsibility placed upon them, earning the confidence of brotherly and friendly nations. “This compels us to continue exerting efforts and making sacrifices to fulfill our duty.” Before heading to the Presidential Palace on Monday, Haykal met US Gen. Joseph Clearfield, head of the Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire oversight mechanism. They discussed progress on the ceasefire agreement.
During Monday’s Cabinet session, discussions focused on Hezbollah’s controversial defiance of the Prime Minister’s Office.
In late September, members of the militia illuminated Beirut’s iconic Raouche Rock with images of former Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, despite being prohibited by official orders. The illumination of Raouche Rock — a prominent tourist landmark — also took place despite warnings from prominent Beirut MPs.The Cabinet agenda included a proposal to revoke the license of Hezbollah’s cultural association, Ressalat, for violating the terms of its permit by illuminating the site. This triggered a deep rift between Hezbollah and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, escalating into a smear campaign against the prime minister led by Hezbollah supporters and officials, including coordinated attacks on social media.
An official source told Arab News that that the Cabinet sought to bridge this rift “by allowing each party to present its viewpoint, without voting on the step of withdrawing the license from the Ressalat Association, and awaiting the results of the administrative investigations into what happened.”The source added that Lebanon’s interior minister, Ahmad Al-Hajjar, is expected to take appropriate measures, including issuing warnings and imposing fines, to deter the undermining of the state. The country’s judiciary has investigated several activists who insulted and defamed Salam on social media; some have refused to appear before court. Commenting on the incident, Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri said that “calling the prime minister a Zionist is contrary to political ethics.”Meanwhile, Israel’s air force on Monday struck Bekaa Valley training camps belonging to Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, media reports said. The strikes hit locations including Zaghrine, the barren areas around Hrabta and Hermel, as well as heights between Hrabta and Chaat. Reports suggest that Hezbollah continues to store heavy weapons in the Bekaa region, particularly in the barren areas bordering Syria.

Sect over State: The Struggle for a Lebanese National Identity
Samar El-Kadi/This is Beirut/October 06/2025
“Shia, Shia, Shia,” the cri de guerre of Hezbollah’s partisans for mobilizing and rallying the Shia community in a country that is religiously, culturally, and politically diverse, is a blatant demonstration of communal allegiance over national belonging.
Lebanon is one of the world’s most divided countries. Its diversity has complicated the development of a stable political arrangement and impeded the development of a single national identity.
In his book A House of Many Mansions, historian Kamal Salibi highlighted the underlying fact that the Lebanese have always lacked a common vision of their past, disagreeing fundamentally over their country’s historical legitimacy.
Christians and Muslims have used nationalist ideas in a destructive game, which at a deeper level involves archaic loyalties and tribal rivalries. But Lebanon cannot afford these conflicting visions if it is to develop and maintain a sense of national community.
Fundamental divisions between Muslims and Christians have existed since the creation of Greater Lebanon with its current boundaries under the French mandate in 1920. In determining how the Lebanese allegiance is shaped, one has to take into account the general context of the country and the broader regional context, according to politician and former MP Fares Souaid.
“The majority of Christians in 1943 did not want the country’s independence. They wanted the continuation of the French Mandate.
While the majority of Muslims wanted Lebanon to be an integral part of Greater Syria,” Souaid noted, recalling a remark by journalist and politician Georges Naccache, who then wrote, “Two negations do not make a nation.”
“But we still don’t know what Muslims and Christians truly want in common,” Souaid noted in an interview with This is Beirut.
With independence in 1943 came the first conciliatory power-sharing breakthrough between Christians and Muslims, known as the National Pact. Muslim leaders agreed to stop seeking Lebanon’s incorporation into a larger Arab or Syrian state and accepted the borders of “Greater Lebanon,” while Christian leaders agreed to abandon reliance on France and other Western powers for protection or alliances.
The political system in Lebanon tries to accommodate the diverse interests of religious communities, resulting in political compromise between them.
The Lebanese personal-status law reinforces the power of religious and communal groups by allowing communal authority to supersede state authority. Each of the 18 religious groups designs its own laws and regulations regarding matters such as marriage, divorce, and inheritance. Therefore, religious groups conceive their legal order and apply it to those under their jurisdiction.
As a result, citizenship in Lebanon requires an affiliation with a religious community.
The National Pact of 1943 functioned reasonably well for three decades until its collapse in 1975 with the outbreak of civil war, Souaid noted. The devastating fifteen-year conflict ended only when the interests of the warring parties in Lebanon and across the region aligned, leading to the 1989 Taif Accord.
Souaid stressed that the Taif Accord, which is now part of the constitution, “is the only remedy and sole formula” that would reinforce a Lebanese national identity. Its strength lies in the fact that it affirmed the finality of the country within its current borders, a historic Christian demand, while endorsing Lebanon’s Arab identity, a historic Muslim request.
So, can the Lebanese hope for a collective national identity?
“Yes, certainly,” Souaid maintains. “Belonging to Lebanon does not cancel one’s smaller circles of belonging—to one’s community, family, or personal identity.”
“The rights of citizens in Lebanon are not enough; one must also safeguard the rights of the communities.”
For Souaid, a true and comprehensive application of the Taif Agreement would make Lebanon a viable state, “one that balances between national and communal sentiments.”Mona Fayad, political activist and psychology professor at the Lebanese University, underscores a national sense of Lebanese solidarity, recalling the 2019 popular protests “which proved that the people, regardless of their sectarian and communal affiliation, showed a strong common will to break out of the situation their leaders had forced them into.”“The Lebanese are not enemies at heart. They have no problem with each other on the personal level; in fact, they share a common national feeling. The problem lies with the leaders,” Fayad said in an interview with This is Beirut.
She blasted Hezbollah’s “so-called resistance,” accusing the Iran-backed group of exploiting divisions and using “a rhetoric that only fuels sectarianism—in other words, allegiance to the community instead of the nation.”
Is Lebanon’s diversity a curse?
Souaid is adamant: “Lebanon’s diversity is a strength. It is an extraordinary source of richness. The country has never had a totalitarian regime, unlike Syria, Iraq, or Egypt; that is because of its diversity. No community, no matter its momentum, has been able to take control of the whole country.”

Hezbollah’s "Solution" Before "Risalat"!
Imad Moussa/Nidaa Al-Watan/October 07/2025 (Translated from Arabic)
After the clear and explicit victory of the Hezbollah militia over the Lebanese government, its Prime Minister, and all military leaders combined in the Ramlet al-Baida (Al-Rawsha) incident, MP Hassan Fadlallah hit the "turbo" button. He began his boasts and taunts on media platforms and stages with all the skill and shrewdness he possesses. Hassan, as we know him, is an eloquent speaker, full of pretense and swagger, like all his peers in the "Loyalty to the Resistance" bloc in Lebanon, Iran, and Venezuela.
Just before the Cabinet session, the young man preempted any discussion of the issue of the exclusive right to bear arms in a manner no less coarse than that of the great master of language, Hajj Mohammad Raad. He said at a recent event: "If there are militias, let them go and contain their weapons, but the Resistance is the Resistance and it is outside all these classifications that are intended to prevail in this stage, and it will remain the Resistance, and no one will be able to touch it, its choice, its approach, or its weapon."
It is as if the clever Hassan is implicitly admitting that the Amal Movement is a militia, the Communist Party is a militia, the People's Liberation Army is a militia, and all formations of the National Movement are militias. All Lebanese resistance entities are militias. All the military wings of the parties are militias, except for the military wing of the Hezbollah militia, which is the Resistance. Applause for the clever one! Before the Ramlet al-Baida incident, the clever Hassan's head was not safe on his shoulders, so what is the case now that the man is coming out of the battle of flags and fireworks, intoxicated with victory!
"I hope they don't make a mistake," the arrogant Hassan told the members of the Lebanese government, confident that Dr. Rakan and Sister Tamara, as well as Dr. Jaber, "will never make a mistake." The mistake, in his view, comes from the camp of Nawaf Bey and the Sovereignists. "I hope they don't make a mistake and withdraw the license from the 'Lebanese Association for Arts - Risalat'."
Fadlallah reinforced his threat with a solidarity stand for that association, which emerged from the literary establishment: "I promise the Risalat Association that when I speak in the Parliament, I will say I represent the Risalat Association and your decision, 'soak it and drink its water,' that's how I will speak."
The dissolution of the Risalat Association, or its dilution by suspending its license, may be a marginal measure. The bigger mistake is that no government has dared to dissolve the so-called "Hezbollah," which is nothing but a Lebanese militia with an Iranian face or an Iranian militia with a Lebanese face. It defines itself as follows: "We are the sons of the 'Hezbollah' Nation, whose vanguard God granted victory in Iran and which newly established the core of the central Islamic state in the world. We adhere to the orders of one wise leadership represented by the Guardian Jurist who meets the necessary conditions. Each one of us carries out his task in the battle according to his legitimate assignment within the framework of acting under the authority of the leading Jurist. We in Lebanon do not consider ourselves separate from the revolution in Iran… We consider ourselves—and we pray to God to become—part of the army that the Imam wishes to form for the liberation of Holy Jerusalem."

Long live Trump, so that Lebanon may live.
Ahmad Al-Ayoubi/Nidaa Al-Watan/October 07/2025 (Translated from Arabic)
In recent weeks, Hezbollah has transformed into a platform for wailing and cursing. Whenever the Israeli entity commits an aggression in the South or the Bekaa, its media outlets immediately begin to weep and trade in the victims, accompanying this with a campaign of insults and slander against the Prime Minister. The party’s discourse becomes centered on one message: targeting Nawaf Salam and holding him responsible for the casualties, as if he were the one who opened the "front of support" and lured Lebanon into a situation where the ceasefire agreement consecrated Israeli dominance, confirmed the party's defeat against it, and led to its return to flexing its muscles against the domestic arena.
Hezbollah is suffocating within the state, and the government is pressuring it, so it spreads its chaos in the street—its favorite place, as it cannot use it militarily right now. It constantly threatens civil war, which is impossible because there is no opposing party willing to fight Hezbollah. Practically, the party is confronting the State and stirring up dust, discord, and intimidation about the army’s division and civil strife merely because the military institution is performing its duty to enforce the law.
This is why new definitions for the army’s tasks have been launched, the first of which is "preventing sedition" among the Lebanese, as stated in the Lebanese Minister of Defense's famous statement after the Ramlet al-Baida incident.
The reality is that Hezbollah has managed to reclaim a significant part of its military capabilities at levels below confronting Israel. It is well known that Tel Aviv is only concerned with the party's weapons that threaten its own security. As for anything that could lead to the destruction of the Lebanese interior, it is subject to a blind eye. In fact, it is in the Israelis' interest for Hezbollah to rebel against the state, as this entrenches national division and destroys the opportunity to build a cohesive national state. President Nawaf Salam said that sedition occurs when the state does not apply the law, and not through submission to the militia in any way. This is why he remained insistent on holding the Risalat Association accountable for violating the terms of the Ramlet al-Baida event license and on reaching the truth about what prevented the execution of the Prime Minister's decision. This cannot be backed down from, as it is essential for restoring some of the eroded prestige of the state.
Hezbollah did not learn from the Ramlet al-Baida incident; instead, it continued to spread tension in Lebanese regions. It announced an event to commemorate its late Secretary-Generals, Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, in the city of Sidon, in a repeat of the provocation in Beirut. It's as if it's looking for trouble, or rather, buying it. What the party failed to learn from the Ramlet al-Baida experience is that it cannot coerce or force the Lebanese people to love its symbols, who, in the view of others, are murderers or responsible for the killing of their martyrs, from Rafik Hariri to the last victims of murder and assassination.
One of the most dangerous things Hezbollah has driven some Lebanese to is that they have come to accept any method to get rid of its control over the country and the people, even if the perpetrator is the Israeli enemy. This is due to their despair of any possibility of reaching an understanding with it to save Lebanon from further horrors and coming storms, as the party has decisively rejected the exclusive right to bear arms, thereby inviting ruin and aggression sooner rather than later.
Sedition was dormant until Iran awakened it with its expansionist Guardianship of the Jurist project, and its party continues to spread it in Lebanon through its attempts to impose its own concepts on the rest of its partners in the nation. In what resembles a final plea, Nawaf Salam calls for the country to take refuge in the State, adhere to the Constitution, and accept the exclusive right to bear arms before it is too late.

Diplomacy, Political Brinkmanship and the Murderous Dystopias
Charles Chartouni/This is Beirut/October 06/2025
The peace plan submitted by President Trump is a major breakthrough after two years of open-ended cycles of violence in Gaza. Welcomed by Europeans, the Palestinian authority, Arab states, Russia, and China, it can definitely serve as a platform for a negotiated end of war. It could be a major diplomatic feat to end the unspeakable humanitarian suffering on both sides and open up the path for a comprehensive peace plan to extract both Israelis and Palestinians from the curse of ideology and political irredentism that has forestalled the possibility of a sustainable political solution over time.
Extremists on both sides could still be brought into the process—if they each, in their own way, make the essential leap of faith required to achieve peace and end the wars. Otherwise, political obstruction and malevolent extremism will inevitably destroy this unique opportunity to end the cycle of violence, unrealistic expectations, and the nihilistic turns of this enduring conflict. Extremists must be contained if this course is to succeed. The commitment and political leadership of the Trump administration are strong enough to rally broad support and shift the political tide, as seen in Syria—despite lingering uncertainties and pervasive political cynicism.
The peace proposal's well-rounded stipulations are based on a major premise: the urgency to end the war in Gaza and the decoupling between the end of war scenarios and the all-encompassing political solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Political and humanitarian issues, if seriously addressed, must be separated from the tug-of-war of shifting power politics and their destructive impact on efforts to build a political and ideological climate conducive to peace. These preconditions are essential if the peace process is to develop its own momentum and contain the corrosive effects of political nihilism.
Palestinian politics have never been able to develop autonomous national and political paths free from the constraints of external patronage. Meanwhile, Israeli politics are enabled more than any period in the past to engage in a steady course of political normalization repeatedly undermined by the past. The destruction of the consolidated imperial forays of the Islamic regime in Teheran offers them the suitable geostrategic framework to safeguard their national security. Islamic imperialism and Arab nationalism were never well disposed towards the negotiated solution or the acknowledgement of the State of Israel. Conversely, Israel’s messianic and nationalist extremists are blinded by self-fulfilling prophecies and their violent consequences. The toxic political climate and lingering moral morass do little to defuse the violence.
The defeat of Hamas or its progressive unraveling is well framed in the proposal. The meeting in Doha between Egypt and the Islamist bloc (Hamas, Qatar, and Turkey) to review the proposal could prove instrumental in finalizing the plan and pre-empting any attempts at sabotage or political derailment. Most importantly, the civilians in Gaza are fed up with the ongoing manipulations and desperately crying for an international stewardship and governance to guide them towards normalcy.
They have largely broken away from ideological indoctrination and political regimentation, striving instead for a post-ideological era of politics. The weariness from warmongering and the nihilistic overtones of Palestinian extremism have become evident. Hamas has no interest in normalization, as its political power depends on a permanent state of emergency, ideological regimentation, and terrorism. Aside from the fact that the Islamist power politics have not yet displayed their readiness to embrace the script and the dynamics of political normalization. Iran, Qatar, and Turkey’s ambivalence are openly challenging the upcoming scenarios.
The same political configuration seems to hold in Lebanon. Hezbollah and its associates are adepts of the Iranian destabilization strategy and determined to overcome their crushing defeat. Their strategy is riveted to their long-held domination politics through political sabotaging, domestic obstructionism, and the fantasy of catalyzing political extremism throughout the region. These political and strategic fallacies, however undermined, are leveraged to jumpstart a defeated militancy and lay the groundwork for civil wars and institutionalized chaos.
Defeated Hezbollah now clings to the fantasy of turning Lebanon into a radical wasteland, easily exploited by Iran’s Islamic regime and by Islamist Turkey’s neo-Ottoman ambitions. The Israeli counteroffensive succeeded in destroying the “integrated operational platforms” throughout the Near East and created the proper environment for US diplomacy, firmly committed to expanding the scope of the Abraham Accords. Hezbollah and Hamas are striving to regain their foothold through the perpetuation of a conflict-ridden environment. Therefore, negotiators have to prepare themselves for a hybrid political strategy whereby political leverage will inevitably require firm military engagement.

In the Face of State Sabotage, Firmness Is the Only Imperative
Michel Touma/This is Beirut/October 06/2025
It relentlessly edges toward the peak of destructive behavior, pushing ever closer to its darkest extremes. Hezbollah’s leadership—loyal to directives from its Iranian patron—offers daily, tangible proof of the malicious strategy it pursues without any regard for law or principle in Lebanon: a strategy aimed at dismantling the state and thwarting any attempt to restore the authority of the central government.
Just days ago, during an unscheduled meeting with General Joseph Aoun between the two rounds of the January 9, 2025 presidential vote, one of Hezbollah’s parliamentary heavyweights revealed that two representatives of the Shia tandem had reached a preliminary agreement with the future president to smooth the way for his election to the country’s highest office.
According to the Hezbollah MP, the deal reached with Joseph Aoun centered on a three-point roadmap: the mandatory presence of the Hezbollah-Amal tandem in any government; the application of Resolution 1701 only in southern Lebanon, along the Litani River (and not across the entire country, as mandated by the UN Security Council); and talks on a “defense strategy”–effectively postponing indefinitely any resolution of the pro-Iranian group’s military arsenal.
Hezbollah’s diabolical plan was clear: discredit the president of the Republic—and deal a crippling blow to his mandate—by “exposing” alleged collusion with the Iranian regime’s henchmen; sow doubt between Baabda and the Grand Serail by preemptively highlighting any encroachment on the prerogatives of a designated prime minister; and tarnish the head of state’s image on the international stage by portraying Joseph Aoun as flagrantly disregarding UN resolutions. Three birds with one stone…
After this direct attack on the president’s standing, the Pasdaran’s allies turned their fire on the prime minister. They seized the first opportunity to weaken his authority by ignoring Nawaf Salam’s instructions in the Raoucheh Rock case. To top it off—and cap this campaign to undermine and discredit state institutions—the Shia group publicly praised the army command and the Internal Security Forces for refusing to follow the Council of Ministers’ directives in the matter...
Far beyond petty internal concerns, the Iranian camp’s malicious maneuver is clearly part of a broader strategy to dismantle the state and sabotage the sovereigntist project launched in the wake of the Cedar Revolution of 2005–2006. Above all, it underscores the determination of the Islamic Republic’s radical wing to cling to its last trump card in the Levant—Hezbollah—with the barely concealed aim of derailing the stabilization process spearheaded by the Western camp in the Middle East, in a bid to prevent the establishment of lasting, if not definitive, peace in the region.
Amid such a volatile context, one thing is crystal clear: faced with factions determined to obstruct, act irrationally, and cling to rigid ideology, any complacency toward the Pasdaran’s foothold—under the misleading guise of “preserving civil peace”—only drags the country deeper into the dark, deadly abyss created by its warmongers. In this existential struggle, the central state must stand firm, assert its authority, and act decisively—without hesitation or compromise.

AMCD Decries Rise of Antisemitic and Anti-Christian Violence
Burned Church in Maiduguri, Nigeria
October 6, 2025
The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy abhors and condemns the violence and persecution of Jews and Christians now happening all over the world. The synagogue attack in Manchester, England, was followed by demonstrations calling to “globalize the intifada,” which can only mean the targeting of more Jews in the West. Christian villages have been burned and Christians slaughtered in Syria; and in Nigeria the slow-motion genocide against Christian communities continues unabated, as the borders of territory ruled by Islamic law are pushed relentlessly into sub-Saharan Africa. “Open hostility toward Christians and Jews is erupting all over the world today,” said AMCD co-chair Tom Harb. And although there has always been a level of nihilistic hatred of the western world on the extreme fringes, the mass immigration of Muslims into the West in recent years has accelerated the spread of this hatred as they feel fully theo-ideologically justified in these attitudes and are open and unashamed in their displays of hatred.”
“There is no doubt the mass immigration of Muslims into the secular West is creating disruption and chaos,” added AMCD co-chair John Hajjar. “Many young people are drawn to those who exhibit extreme certainty, since the foundations of the western world have been undermined by current ideological fads, such as ‘everything is relative’ and the idea that there is no absolute truth and all human motivation is predicated on power.”
“Even as President Trump seems on the verge of historic peace agreements in the Middle East, the ideology Winston Churchill once described as the strongest ‘retrograde force’ in the world is slowly seeping into America with the express purpose of imposing Islamic law on American soil,” added former AMCD executive director, Rebecca Bynum. “Until this problem is seriously dealt with, we will continue to see acts of antisemitic and anti-Christian violence here as well.”

Hamas In Lebanon Refuses To Disarm
MEMRI/October 07/2025
In recent months, the issue of disarming the Palestinian factions in Lebanon has resurfaced, amid the Lebanese government's efforts to implement the decision to extend its sovereignty over all Lebanese territory, disarm all Lebanese and non-Lebanese armed organizations and place all weapons under the authority of the state.
Hamas and all the other Palestinian factions that are not affiliated with the PLO have adopted Hizbullah's stance on this issue.[1] Like Hizbullah, they assert their commitment to Lebanon's sovereignty and stability, but in practice they reject the state's demand to surrender their arms and openly declare their intention to retain them. Hamas officials in Lebanon claim falsely that the movement does not have military bases or heavy weapons in the country and that the weapons they used in the latest round of fighting with Israel belonged to Hizbullah. This claim is false. In recent years the movement has in fact consolidated its military infrastructure in Lebanon, both inside and outside the Palestinian refugee camps, with the collaboration and guidance of Hizbullah, and used this infrastructure to launch rockets and carry out other military action against Israel from Lebanese soil.
In an attempt to postpone the implementation of the government decision, Hamas is setting conditions, such as holding a dialogue with all Palestinian factions in Lebanon and providing security guarantees to the Palestinians there, as well as social and civil rights such as property ownership and employment opportunities.
It must be emphasized that this refusal by the Palestinian factions that are not affiliated with the PLO to hand over their weapons to the Lebanese state, is backed and supported by Iran, which sponsors many of them. The Lebanese daily Al-Liwaa reported that contrary to declarations by senior Iranian officials that they are safeguarding Lebanese sovereignty, it is in fact Iran that is urging its proxies from among the Palestinian factions unaffiliated with the PLO, first and foremost Hamas, to reject the demand from Lebanon to surrender their arms. According to the daily, on his most recent visit to Lebanon, in late September 2025, Ali Larijani, the Secretary-General of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, requested of these factions that they not hand over their weapons to the state, claiming that these weapons are trained on the Israeli enemy and constitute a crucial strategic advantage that must be preserved and maintained.[2] Senior Iranian officials made a similar request of Hizbullah, in which they exhorted it to toughen its positions regarding the government and not to give in to its demand to hand over its weapons, and that is precisely what occurred.[3]
It should be noted that the Palestinian Authority (PA), in an effort to present itself as committed to Lebanon's interests, undertook to disarm the Palestinian factions the Lebanese refugee camps. Although this process indeed commenced on August 21, 2025, it has so far been limited to the handover of heavy and medium weapons, such as 107mm and 90mm Katyusha rockets, as well as shells and landmines — most of which are very old.
This report reviews Hamas’s positions regarding the disarmament of its forces in Lebanon:
The Alliance of Palestinian Forces Declares: A Joint Palestinian Force Will Control The Weapons In Each Camp
In June 2025, several weeks after the meeting between PA President Mahmoud Abbas and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, during which both sides emphasized their commitment to the "principle of exclusive state control over weapons across Lebanese territory and the elimination of anything that contradicts this,"[4] the Palestinian terrorist organizations not affiliated with the PLO, led by Hamas, published a document that effectively rejects these understandings and challenges Mahmoud Abbas’s legitimacy as the representative of all Palestinians.
Ignoring the demand to disarm the Palestinian factions and surrender their weapons to the state, the document focuses solely on organizing the weapons within the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon in coordination with the Lebanese army. Titled "A Joint Palestinian Approach" and issued by the Alliance of Palestinian Forces – a coalition of Palestinian opposition factions comprising representatives of the PLO as well as Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), among others – the document states that the joint security force[5] in each camp will be the body responsible for "security management" and for "organizing and controlling" the weapons in the camps, under the oversight of the Palestinian Joint Action Committee[6] and in coordination with the [Lebanese] army and its intelligence apparatuses." It also proclaims that "the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon respect Lebanon's sovereignty, laws, security and stability and will not do anything to compromise its national security."[7]
Hamas Officials In Lebanon: We Never Agreed To Surrender Our Weapons; We Have No Military Bases Or Heavy Weapons In This Country
Senior Hamas officials in Lebanon have openly declared that the movement has no intention of disarming. For example, an August 25 report in the Lebanese daily Al-Nahar quoted senior Hamas figure Osama Hamdan as saying that his organization had never agreed to disarm. According to him, "this is a dangerous matter, and there is a need for an integrated approach and for guarantees. Such a sensitive issue [must not] be handled in a superficial or hasty manner."[8] Hamas official Mahmoud Taha claimed that Lebanon had not officially approached the organization on this matter, and added that Hamas "does not have bases, military camps or offices [in Lebanon] like Fatah and some other factions do." The decision to surrender the Palestinian weapons to the Lebanese authorities, he said, was made by PA President Abbas without consulting the various factions, and therefore the matter concerns Fatah alone.[9] Hamas official Walid Al-Kilani asserted that "the Palestinian weapons have only been used to conclude the matter of the right of return [of the Palestinian refugees] and in the service of the Palestinian cause, as part of the ongoing confrontation with the Israeli enemy entity and the [efforts to] establish a united [Palestinian] state on its soil." He too stated that "Hamas and the PIJ do not possess heavy weapons [in Lebanon] – only light and personal arms, which can be considered part of the traditional cultural heritage of the Arab peoples."[10]
Hamas stuck to its position of refusing to disarm even after a September 5, 2025 meeting between the head of the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, Ramez Dimashkieh, and Hamas’s representative in Lebanon, Ahmad Abd Al-Hadi, during which Dimashkieh conveyed Lebanon’s demand that Hamas surrender its weapons. According to a report in the Lebanese daily Al-Nahar, Abd All-Hadi reiterated that there are no heavy weapons in the refugee camps, nor any Palestinian weapons or bases outside them, and added: “The weapons used by the Hamas cells that took part, alongside Hizbullah, in the war for supporting [Hamas in the Gaza Strip] belonged to Hizbullah. Once the ceasefire came into effect, the movement’s cells completely withdrew from the area.” He also noted that the Hamas operatives who had been accused of violating the ceasefire by firing rockets into Israel had been handed over to the Lebanese authorities. Abd Al-Hadi called for dialogue with the Palestinian factions and for considering their demands for “security guarantees and civil and social rights for the [Palestinian] refugees [in Lebanon].”[11]
Hamas Official Admits: The Organization "Has A Strong Organizational, Political And Military Presence In Lebanon"
As stated, contrary to its claims that it possesses no bases or heavy weapons in Lebanon, in recent years Hamas has worked to establish and expand its significant military infrastructure in the country. Moreover, its senior officials have openly acknowledged this. For example, in 2023, Muhammad Ibrahim Al-Madhoun, head of Hamas's Refugee Affairs Department, admitted that "Hamas has a strong organizational, political and military presence” in the Palestinian refugee camps in the country, including “military bases.” During a visit by then-head of Hamas’s Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, to the Ain Al-Hilweh refugee camp in September 2020, members of Hamas's military wing, the Izz Al-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, were seen openly carrying anti-tank launchers in the camp. In 2021, an explosion occurred in the Burj Al-Shamali refugee camp in the Tyre area. According to Lebanese reports, it was caused by a fire that spread to a Hamas ammunition depot located in the camp.
This infrastructure turned Lebanon into a base for attacks against Israel, coordinated and guided by Hizbullah, in blatant violation of Lebanese sovereignty. Even before the current war, during Israeli military operations against Hamas in Gaza in 2014 and again in 2021, rockets were launched toward Israel from South Lebanon, and sources close to Hamas claimed that Hamas’s military wing was responsible for these launches. During the Gaza war, this activity continued and intensified. Hamas and the PIJ joined the fray immediately after the outbreak of the war, in coordination with Hizbullah and under its guidance, which confirms that these organizations had a military infrastructure in the country before the war. Their military wings indeed took credit for firing rockets and for other military action against Israel from Lebanese soil, including attempts to infiltrate Israeli territory.
The scope of these organization's military presence in Lebanon is also reflected in death notices for their military operatives who were killed in Israeli attacks on Lebanon. A death notice for senior Hamas militant Hassan Ahmad Farahat, aka Abu Yasser, in an Israeli strike on his home in Tyre in April 2025, stated that he played a "pioneering" role and took part "in the jihad and resistance against the Zionist enemy for many years, up until the Al-Aqsa Flood campaign [i.e., the current war in Gaza], during which he operated in several forward jihad positions…"[12]
Hamas's military infrastructure in Lebanon also included operatives that were neither Palestinian nor Lebanese, which points to the scope of the organization's military activity there and to the freedom of action it enjoyed. For example, a strike targeting senior Hamas militant Khalil Hamed Al-Kharraz also resulted in the death of Hamas operatives from Turkey.
In addition, Hamas openly recruited fighters in Lebanon. In December 2023, it announced the establishment of a militia there called the Al-Aqsa Flood Pioneers, and worked to recruit Palestinian to join it.[13] Hamas even jeopardized the fragile ceasefire with Israel when, in March 2025, several months after the ceasefire agreement was signed, its operatives fired rockets into Israel from Lebanon. After heavy pressure from the Lebanese government, it was forced to turn these operatives in.[14]
[1] On Hizbullah's position regarding its disarmament, see MEMRI reports: Inquiry & Analysis Series No. 1868 - Lebanon At A Crossroads, Between Sovereignty And Continued Control By Hizbullah And Its Weapons – August 4, 2025; Inquiry & Analysis Series No. 1875 - Hizbullah Threatens Civil War Following Government Decision To Disarm It, Says The 'Treasonous' Government Must Fall – August 8, 28, 2025.
[2] Al-Liwaa (Lebanon), October 2, 2025.
[3] For information about Iran's support for Hizbullah's refusal to surrender its weapons see: MEMRI Inquiry & Analysis Series No. 1875 - Hizbullah Threatens Civil War Following Government Decision To Disarm It, Says The 'Treasonous' Government Must Fall, August 28, 2025.
[4] WAFA (PA), May 21, 2025.
[5] An organization of Palestinian factions in Lebanon – both "national" ones (such as Fatah) and "Islamic" ones (such as Hamas) – that is responsible for security in the Palestinian refugee camps and for liaising with the Lebanese armed forces.
[6] An umbrella organization of Palestinian factions in Lebanon established in 2018 with the involvement of Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to address the problems of the Palestinian refugee camps in the country. It too includes representatives from both the national and the Islamic Palestinian factions.
[7] Al-Nashra (Lebanon), June 16, 2025.
[8] Al-Nahar (Lebanon), August 25, 2025.
[9] Lebanondebate.com, Augsut 27, 2025.
[10] Vdl.me, August 29, 2025.
[11] Al-Nahar (Lebanon), September 11, 2025.
[12] Telegram.me/qassambrigades, April 4, 2025.
[13] On Hamas's and PIJ's military infrastructure in Lebanon see MEMRI report,
Inquiry & Analysis Series No. 1753 - Forty Years After Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Withdrew From Lebanon, Hamas Working To Build Military Infrastructure There With Hizbullah's Encouragement – Marcg 14, 2024.
[14] On May 2, 2025, Lebanon's Supreme Defense Council instructed the government to warn Hamas against using Lebanese territory for any action detrimental to the country's sovereignty and national security – otherwise, maximum measures would be taken to stop this activity (Al-Nahar, Lebanon, May 2, 2025). Following this decision, Hamas handed over the three operatives accused of launching the rockets, and claimed that they had acted independently, not on orders from the movement’s leadership (An-Nahar, Lebanon, May 8, 2025).

Dr. Makram Rabah’s article (in English and Arabic), which Nidaa Al Watan newspaper refused to publish due to governmental pressure, after which it ended its collaboration with him.
Nailed to the Floor, Detached from the Nation
Makram Rabah/Now Lebanon/October 02/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/10/147983/
In Lebanese official ceremonies, protocol dictates that the chair of the President is placed ahead of those of the Prime Minister and the Speaker of Parliament. This symbolic precedence is meant to embody the “unity of the nation” through the seniority of the presidency. Yet, this symbolism has rarely been innocent. It has often served as an arena of petty battles over form rather than substance, mirroring the Lebanese system itself—founded on sectarian quotas and hollow symbols.
My late mentor , the great historian Kamal Salibi, once recounted an anecdote that captured this absurdity. At a state occasion, Prime Minister Saeb Salam deliberately placed his chair next to that of President Suleiman Frangieh, signaling equality between the two heads of the executive branch. Frangieh did not protest, but his piercing look said enough. At the next ceremony, Salam discovered his chair nailed to the floor a step behind the President’s—an unmistakable message that equality was intolerable, and that the Maronite President’s precedence over his Sunni partner was a red line.
For Salibi, this was not simply a story about chairs. It was a parable of Lebanon’s political class: leaders more invested in the positioning of furniture than in the building of a state. These petty rituals reflect the deeper structural flaw in Lebanon’s executive authority, where national partnership is reduced to sectarian choreography.
Fast forward to today, and little has changed. The current tensions between President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam echo the same logic, albeit with different tools. The presidency clings to symbolic precedence, while in practice it is the Prime Minister who has taken the bolder stand on sovereignty. Most tellingly, Salam has faced smear campaigns from Hezbollah and Amal, accused of treachery simply for articulating a national position against the illegitimacy of armed militias. His greatest handicap is the silence—or worse, the equivocation—of his constitutional partner, the President.
When Aoun was first elected, his inaugural speech stood out for its clarity and resolve. But today, that oath reads like ink written in disappearing ink. His most recent appearance on the UN stage only deepened the sense of drift: while Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa projected a calculated diplomatic comeback, Lebanon was virtually absent, its president delivering a speech devoid of urgency or purpose. The international takeaway was clear: Lebanon is led by a man with some respectable traits, but without the courage to confront the defining issue of sovereignty—Hezbollah’s weapons.
What makes this more dangerous is the missed opportunity of the past year. Israel’s campaign, intentionally or not, dismantled large parts of Hezbollah’s military infrastructure and punctured its mythology of invincibility, even among the Shi’a base. This could have been the historic moment to pivot toward a new social contract built on one army, one state, and one sovereign decision. Instead, the President has opted for denial, letting the moment slip away.
Even on the symbolic plane, the signs are troubling. The spectacle of “lighting the Raouche Rock” was less a patriotic celebration than a circus staged by an outlaw faction masquerading as a religious movement. These groups cloak themselves in the legacy of Imam Ali, yet their true face is embodied by Hezbollah’s enforcers and smugglers. Similarly, awarding a medal to the new army commander within months of his appointment only diluted the military’s credibility, suggesting complicity rather than independence.
The arrest of Sheikh Abbas Yazbek at Beirut airport underscored the rot. This was no routine judicial act, but an act of intimidation against a cleric critical of Hezbollah from within its own community. That state institutions can be weaponized to humiliate dissenters—under official seals and signatures—exposes the fusion of party and state. Here the president cannot plead lack of jurisdiction. The man who once told the world that the military tribunal was outside his mandate is today the guardian of the constitution. His silence in the face of such abuses signals not protection of the law but surrender to expediency.
The central lesson is simple: the presidency is not a chair fixed to the ground. It is the living constitution, embodying sovereignty. The constitution does not rank chairs or enshrine sectarian privileges; it guarantees equality and the rule of law. Lebanon will not be restored by empty rituals or protocol, but by institutions that enforce accountability and a president who embodies sovereignty instead of hiding behind symbols.
For in the end, no chair—however firmly nailed to the floor—can support a state that crumbles beneath it. A President who defends the seat but neglects the constitution ensures only collapse. In Lebanon, there is no superiority of one office over another, no authority beyond the constitution.
**Originally meant for Nidaa al-Watan, this article appeared in AL Rai
Makram Rabah is the managing editor at Now Lebanon and an Assistant Professor at the American University of Beirut, Department of History. His book Conflict on Mount Lebanon: The Druze, the Maronites and Collective Memory (Edinburgh University Press) covers collective identities and the Lebanese Civil War. He tweets at @makramrabah

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published  on October 06-07/2025
Indirect Gaza talks begin between Hamas and Israel in Egypt
AFP/October 06, 2025
CAIRO: Delegations from Hamas and Israel on Monday began indirect talks in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh on ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza, Egyptian state-linked media reported. Al-Qahera News, which is linked to state intelligence, said the delegations “are discussing preparing ground conditions for the release of detainees and prisoners,” in line with a proposal from US President Donald Trump to halt hostilities. “Egyptian and Qatari mediators are working with both sides to establish a mechanism” for the exchange of hostages held in Gaza for the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, they added. Behind closed doors and under tight security, negotiators will speak through mediators shuttling back and forth, only weeks after Israel tried to kill Hamas’s lead negotiators in a strike on Qatar. The Hamas delegation, led by top negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya who survived the attack in Doha, held a meeting with Egyptian intelligence officials ahead of the talks, according to an Egyptian security source. This round of negotiations, launched on the eve of the second anniversary of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the war, “may last for several days,” said a Palestinian source close to Hamas’s leadership. “We expect the negotiations to be difficult and complex, given the occupation’s intentions to continue its war of extermination,” he told AFP. Trump, whose envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected in Egypt, has urged negotiators to “move fast” to end the war in Gaza, where Israeli strikes continued on Monday. At least seven Palestinians were killed in the latest Israeli air strikes, according to Mahmud Basal, spokesman for Gaza’s civil defense agency. AFP footage showed explosions in the Gaza Strip, with plumes of smoke rising over the skyline, even after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Israel must stop bombing the territory.
‘Require several days’
Both Hamas and Israel have responded positively to Trump’s proposal, but reaching an agreement on the details is set to be a herculean task. The plan envisages the disarmament of Hamas, which the militant group is unlikely to accept. It also provides for the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, but Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to redeploy troops “deep inside” the territory while securing the release of hostages. According to the Palestinian source, the initial hostage-prisoner exchange will “require several days, depending on field conditions related to Israeli withdrawals, the cessation of bombardment and the suspension of all types of air operations.”Previous rounds of negotiations have also stalled over the names of Palestinian prisoners the Islamist group proposed for release. Negotiations will look to “determine the date of a temporary truce,” a Hamas official said, as well as create conditions for a first phase of the plan, in which 47 hostages held in Gaza are to be released in return for hundreds of Palestinian detainees. Mirjana Spoljaric, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, which has coordinated previous exchanges, said its teams were standing at the ready “to help bring hostages and detainees back to their families.”The ICRC said it was ready to facilitate aid access, which must resume “at full capacity” and be distributed safely across the territory, where the UN has declared a famine.
‘MOVE FAST’
Posting on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, Trump praised “positive discussions with Hamas” and allies around the world including Arab and Muslim nations. “I am told that the first phase should be completed this week, and I am asking everyone to MOVE FAST,” he wrote. On Monday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi praised Trump’s plan saying it offered “the right path to lasting peace and stability.”A Palestinian source close to Hamas said it would halt its military operations in parallel with Israel stopping its bombardment and withdrawing its troops from Gaza City. Israeli military chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned if the negotiations failed, then the military would “return to fighting” in Gaza. Militants seized 251 hostages during their October 7, 2023 attack, 47 of whom are still in Gaza. Of those, the Israeli military says 25 are dead. According to Trump’s plan, in return for the hostages, Israel is expected to release 250 Palestinian prisoners with life sentences and more than 1,700 detainees from Gaza taken during the war. Hamas has insisted it should have a say in the territory’s future, though Trump’s roadmap stipulates that it and other factions “not have any role in the governance of Gaza.”Under the proposal, administration of the territory would be taken up by a technocratic body overseen by a transitional authority headed by Trump himself. “We hope Trump will pressure Netanyahu and force him to stop the war,” said Ahmad Barbakh, from the Al-Mawasi area. “We want the prisoner exchange deal to be completed quickly so that Israel has no excuse to continue the war.  Hamas’s October 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 67,160 Palestinians, according to health ministry figures in the Hamas-run territory that the United Nations considers reliable.

Israel blows up home of Palestinian prisoner involved in deadly Tel Aviv attack
Arab News/October 06, 2025
LONDON: Israeli forces demolished the home of a Palestinian prisoner in Hebron at dawn on Monday in the southern West Bank. Israeli authorities accuse Ahmad Rafiq Al-Haimouni, 25, of carrying out a shooting and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv alongside Mohammed Misk, 19, who died during the incident. The attack, claimed by Hamas’s armed wing, Izz-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, resulted in the deaths of seven Israelis in October 2024. On Monday, Israeli forces, consisting of vehicles, trucks, and equipment, stormed several neighborhoods in Hebron. They stationed themselves in Abu Kteileh neighborhood, where they entered Al-Haimouni’s apartment, located in a multi-story building, before blowing it up. According to the Wafa news agency, they fired sound bombs and tear gas at residents, preventing them from approaching the house. In late September, Israeli forces demolished the home of Muthanna Amro in the town of Al-Qubaybah. His associate, Mohammed Taha, and he were shot dead by a security officer and an armed civilian after they carried out a shooting at a bus stop in Jerusalem on Sep. 8. The attack, which left six people dead, was later claimed by Hamas.

Swiss Gaza flotilla activists allege ‘inhumane detention conditions’ in Israel
Reuters/October 06, 2025
GENEVA: Nine members of the Gaza aid flotilla arrived home in Switzerland on Sunday after being deported by Israel, with some alleging they had been subject to inhumane conditions whilst in detention there, the group representing them said. An Israeli foreign ministry spokesperson rejected the allegations. The foreign ministry has previously said that claims of mistreatment against detainees are “complete lies.” Nineteen Swiss nationals, including the former mayor of Geneva Remy Pagani, were aboard boats in the flotilla of dozens of vessels that tried to deliver aid to Israeli-blockaded Gaza. They were taken into custody on Wednesday by Israeli forces who intercepted the flotilla at sea and taken to Israel’s Ktzi’ot prison, according to the Waves of Freedom flotilla group. Nine of the group returned to Geneva on Sunday afternoon. “The participants condemned the inhumane detention conditions and the humiliating and degrading treatment they suffered upon their arrest and incarceration,” a statement by the group said. Israel said on Sunday that the legal rights of the activists were being “fully upheld,” that no physical force was used and all detainees were given access to water, food, and restrooms. Detainees described conditions of sleep deprivation, lack of water and food, as well as some being beaten, kicked, and locked in a cage, the statement added. Waves of Freedom said it is “deeply concerned” about the ten Swiss nationals who remain detained by Israel. On Sunday, the Swiss Embassy in Tel Aviv visited the ten Swiss nationals in prison to provide consular protection. “All are in relatively good health, given the circumstances,” it said in a statement, adding it is doing everything possible to ensure their prompt return. The Waves of Freedom said some have gone on hunger strike and appear weakened. Hundreds of other activists including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg were also detained in what was the latest attempt by activists to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.

Israeli hostage families want Nobel Peace Prize for Trump
AFP/October 06, 2025
JERUSALEM: An Israeli advocacy group campaigning for the release of hostages in Gaza on Monday called for US President Donald Trump to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his “determination to bring peace” to the region. In a letter sent to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Trump made “possible what many said was impossible.” “We strongly urge you to award President Trump the Nobel Peace Prize because he has vowed he will not rest and will not stop until every last hostage is back home,” the forum said in a statement, citing the letter. “At this very moment, President Trump’s comprehensive plan to release all remaining hostages and finally end this terrible war is on the table,” it added. “In this past year, no leader or organization has contributed more to peace around the world than President Trump,” the forum said. The call comes as high-stakes negotiations between Israel and Hamas are set to begin later on Monday in Egypt, based on a 20-point plan announced by Trump last week. Trump has publicly said he wants the Nobel Peace Prize, though experts say his chances are slim. The US leader claims to have resolved six or seven wars in as many months — a figure experts say is grossly exaggerated.

What to know as key talks to end the war in Gaza begin
AP/October 06, 2025
CAIRO: Israel and Hamas began indirect talks on ending the war in Gaza on Monday, after both sides signaled support for US President Donald Trump’s peace plan. The talks in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh are brokered by the US and aim at hammering out details for the plan’s first phase. That includes a ceasefire to allow for the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Trump’s plan has received wide international backing and raised hopes for an end to a devastating war that has upended global politics, left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and the Gaza Strip in ruins. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251. Many uncertainties remain around the latest plan, including the demand for Hamas to disarm and the future governance of Gaza. Tuesday marks two years since the war began.
Here’s what we know:
Who’s at the talks
US envoy Steve Witkoff is leading the US negotiating team, according to a senior Egyptian official Saturday. Local Egyptian media said that Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, arrived in Egypt and are expected to join the talks.
Hamas said that its delegation will be headed by its chief negotiator, Khalil Al-Hayya, and Israel has said its delegation will be headed by top negotiator and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confidant Ron Dermer, although it wasn’t clear if he was on the ground in Egypt. Netanyahu’s office said that foreign policy adviser Ophir Falk would also be present for Israel among others. It’s not clear how long the talks would last. Netanyahu said they would be “confined to a few days maximum,” and Trump has said that Hamas must move quickly, “or else all bets will be off.” Hamas officials have warned more time may be needed to locate bodies of hostages buried under rubble.
The plan’s essentials
All hostilities would — in theory — immediately end. Under the deal, Hamas would release all hostages it holds, living or dead, within 72 hours. The militants still have 48 hostages. Israel believes 20 of them are alive. Israel would free 250 Palestinians serving life sentences in its prisons and 1,700 people detained from Gaza since the war began, including all women and children. Israel also would hand over the bodies of 15 Palestinians for each body of a hostage handed over. Israeli troops would withdraw from Gaza after Hamas disarms, and an international security force would deploy. The territory would be placed under international governance, with Trump and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair overseeing it. An interim administration of Palestinian technocrats would run day-to-day affairs. Hamas would have no part in administering Gaza, and all its military infrastructure, including tunnels, would be dismantled. Members who pledge to live peacefully would be granted amnesty. Those who wish to leave Gaza can. Palestinians wouldn’t be expelled from Gaza. Large amounts of humanitarian aid would be allowed and would be run by “neutral international bodies,” including the United Nations and the Red Crescent.
What Hamas has said
A Hamas statement on Friday said that 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. The statement made no mention of Hamas disarming, which is a key Israeli demand.The statement also reiterated its longstanding openness to handing power over to a politically independent Palestinian body.
What Israel has said
Netanyahu said on Friday that 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 that it has set out before. Netanyahu has long said that Hamas must surrender and disarm. Israel’s army on Saturday said that the country’s leaders had instructed it to prepare for the first phase of the US plan.
What remains uncertain
Questions include the timing of key steps. One Hamas official said that it would need days or weeks to locate some hostages’ bodies. And senior Hamas officials have suggested that there are still major disagreements requiring further negotiations. A key demand is for Hamas to disarm, but the group’s response made no mention of that. It’s not clear that Hamas officials can agree among themselves on the plan. A senior official, Mousa Abu Marzouk, said that 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 group’s official statement responding to Trump’s plan. Another 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.” Parts of the plan remain unclear. Hamas wants Israel to leave Gaza completely, but the plan says Israel would maintain a “security perimeter presence,” which could mean it would keep a buffer zone inside the territory. And the future of Gaza remains in question. The plan says that if the Palestinian Authority, which administers the occupied West Bank, reforms sufficiently and Gaza redevelopment advances, “the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”

EU wants to be part of Gaza transitional body, says Kallas
AFP/Reuters/October 06, 2025
KUWAIT CITY: The EU is seeking a role in US President Donald Trump’s transitional authority for the Gaza Strip, its top diplomat Kaja Kallas said on Monday. “Yes, we feel that Europe has a great role and we should also be on board with this,” Kallas said, when asked if the EU wanted to take part in Trump’s “Board of Peace.”The EU is a major aid donor to the Palestinians and has ties with both the Palestinian Authority and Israel, Kallas pointed out. “I think Europe should not only be a payer, but we should also be a player,” she said on the sidelines of an EU-Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Kuwait.
“We have worked on the peace plan ... and we are working together with our Arab partners. They understand that it is in the interest of everybody if we are there, so hopefully, also the Israelis agree to this,” she added. Last week, Trump announced a 20-point plan to end the conflict in Gaza that includes the territory’s post-war governance. Hamas and Israel are holding indirect talks about the proposal in Egypt this week. Trump’s plan stipulates that Gaza will be governed by a temporary technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee running day-to-day public services. This committee will be overseen by the “Board of Peace” — headed and chaired by Trump himself, with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair also involved. This body is set to handle funding for the redevelopment of Gaza until the Palestinian Authority completes a reform program and takes back control of the Strip. Also on Monday, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said that the first phase of President Trump’s plans to halt the war in Gaza must be achieved by the start of next week at the latest, but added that all the other issues would need time. The first phase aims at a ceasefire, release of hostages and prisoners, restraint in the military conflict, and bringing in supplies to Gaza — all of which are feasible, said Wadephul. “All other issues are very complicated and, indeed, that is why they also need time,” said Wadephul at a press conference in Tel Aviv. “We must not abandon all diplomatic efforts, but I would like to focus now on taking this first decisive step together.”

US government shutdown enters second week, no end in sight
AFP/October 07, 2025
WASHINGTON: The US government shutdown entered its second week on Monday, with no sign of a deal between President Donald Trump’s Republicans and Democrats to end the crisis. Democrats are refusing to provide the handful of votes the ruling Republicans need to reopen federal departments, unless an agreement is reached on extending expiring “Obamacare” health care subsidies and reversing some cuts to health programs passed as part of Trump’s signature “One Big Beautiful Bill.”With the government out of money since Wednesday and grinding to a halt, Senate Democrats looked set to vote against a House-passed temporary funding bill for a fifth time. The hard line taken by Democrats marks a rare moment of leverage for the opposition party in a period when Trump and his ultra-loyal Republicans control every branch of government and Trump himself is accused of seeking to amass authoritarian-like powers. With funding not renewed, non-critical services are being suspended. Salaries for hundreds of thousands of public sector employees are set to be withheld from Friday, while military personnel could miss their paychecks from October 15. And Trump has upped the ante by threatening to have large numbers of government employees fired, rather than just furloughed — placed on temporary unpaid leave status — as is normally done during shutdowns. The president said Sunday that workers were already being fired, but White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt walked back the comments a day later, saying he was only “referring to the hundreds of thousands of federal workers who have been furloughed.”Republicans are digging in their heels, with House Speaker Mike Johnson telling his members not even to report to Congress unless the Democrats cave, insisting any health care negotiation be held after re-opening the government. “If he’s serious about lowering costs and protecting the health care of the American people, why wait?” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a challenge to Johnson on Monday.
“Democrats are ready to do it now,” he wrote on X.
Shutdown impacts -
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which he signed into law on July 4, would strip 11 million Americans of health care coverage, mainly through cuts to the Medicaid program for low-income families. That figure would be in addition to the four million Americans Democrats say will lose health care next year if Obamacare health insurance subsidies are not extended — while another 24 million Americans will see their premiums double. Republicans argue the expiring health care subsidies have nothing to do with keeping the government open and can be dealt with separately before the end of the year. As the shutdown begins to bite, the Environmental Protection Agency, space agency NASA and the Education, Commerce and Labor departments have been the hardest hit by staff being furloughed — or placed on enforced leave — during the shutdown. The Transport, Justice, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs Departments are among those that have seen the least effects so far, the contingency plans of each organization show. With members of Congress at home and no formal talks taking place in either chamber, a CBS News poll released Sunday showed the public blaming Republicans by a narrow margin for the gridlock. Kevin Hassett, the director of the White House National Economic Council, said Sunday layoffs would begin “if the president decides that the negotiations are absolutely going nowhere.”Trump has already sent a steamroller through government since taking office for his second term in January. Spearheaded by billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, 200,000 jobs had already been cut from the federal workforce before the shutdown, according to the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service.

What to know as key talks to end the war in Gaza begin
AP/October 06, 2025
CAIRO: Israel and Hamas began indirect talks on ending the war in Gaza on Monday, after both sides signaled support for US President Donald Trump’s peace plan. The talks in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh are brokered by the US and aim at hammering out details for the plan’s first phase. That includes a ceasefire to allow for the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Trump’s plan has received wide international backing and raised hopes for an end to a devastating war that has upended global politics, left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and the Gaza Strip in ruins. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251. Many uncertainties remain around the latest plan, including the demand for Hamas to disarm and the future governance of Gaza. Tuesday marks two years since the war began.
Here’s what we know:
Who’s at the talks
US envoy Steve Witkoff is leading the US negotiating team, according to a senior Egyptian official Saturday. Local Egyptian media said that Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, arrived in Egypt and are expected to join the talks. Hamas said that its delegation will be headed by its chief negotiator, Khalil Al-Hayya, and Israel has said its delegation will be headed by top negotiator and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confidant Ron Dermer, although it wasn’t clear if he was on the ground in Egypt. Netanyahu’s office said that foreign policy adviser Ophir Falk would also be present for Israel among others. It’s not clear how long the talks would last. Netanyahu said they would be “confined to a few days maximum,” and Trump has said that Hamas must move quickly, “or else all bets will be off.” Hamas officials have warned more time may be needed to locate bodies of hostages buried under rubble.
The plan’s essentials
All hostilities would — in theory — immediately end. Under the deal, Hamas would release all hostages it holds, living or dead, within 72 hours. The militants still have 48 hostages. Israel believes 20 of them are alive. Israel would free 250 Palestinians serving life sentences in its prisons and 1,700 people detained from Gaza since the war began, including all women and children. Israel also would hand over the bodies of 15 Palestinians for each body of a hostage handed over. Israeli troops would withdraw from Gaza after Hamas disarms, and an international security force would deploy. The territory would be placed under international governance, with Trump and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair overseeing it. An interim administration of Palestinian technocrats would run day-to-day affairs. Hamas would have no part in administering Gaza, and all its military infrastructure, including tunnels, would be dismantled. Members who pledge to live peacefully would be granted amnesty. Those who wish to leave Gaza can.Palestinians wouldn’t be expelled from Gaza. Large amounts of humanitarian aid would be allowed and would be run by “neutral international bodies,” including the United Nations and the Red Crescent.
What Hamas has said
A Hamas statement on Friday said that 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. The statement made no mention of Hamas disarming, which is a key Israeli demand. The statement also reiterated its longstanding openness to handing power over to a politically independent Palestinian body.
What Israel has said
Netanyahu said on Friday that 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 that it has set out before. Netanyahu has long said that Hamas must surrender and disarm. Israel’s army on Saturday said that the country’s leaders had instructed it to prepare for the first phase of the US plan.
What remains uncertain
Questions include the timing of key steps. One Hamas official said that it would need days or weeks to locate some hostages’ bodies. And senior Hamas officials have suggested that there are still major disagreements requiring further negotiations. A key demand is for Hamas to disarm, but the group’s response made no mention of that. It’s not clear that Hamas officials can agree among themselves on the plan. A senior official, Mousa Abu Marzouk, said that 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 group’s official statement responding to Trump’s plan. Another 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.” Parts of the plan remain unclear. Hamas wants Israel to leave Gaza completely, but the plan says Israel would maintain a “security perimeter presence,” which could mean it would keep a buffer zone inside the territory. And the future of Gaza remains in question. The plan says that if the Palestinian Authority, which administers the occupied West Bank, reforms sufficiently and Gaza redevelopment advances, “the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”

Top Vatican cardinal says Israel carrying out massacre in Gaza
Reuters/October 06, 2025
VATICAN CITY: The Vatican’s top diplomat sharply criticized Israel’s “ongoing massacre” in Gaza in comments published on Monday — one of the Catholic Church’s strongest condemnations of Israel’s war against Hamas. In an interview tied to the second anniversary of the attack on Israeli communities on Oct. 7, 2023, Cardinal Pietro Parolin also called those attacks “inhuman and indefensible” and urged Hamas to free remaining hostages. “Those who are attacked have a right to defend themselves, but even legitimate defense must respect the principle of proportionality,” said Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state and one of Pope Leo’s top deputies. “The war waged by the Israeli army to eliminate Hamas militants disregards the fact that it is targeting a largely defenseless population, already pushed to the brink, in an area where buildings and homes are reduced to rubble,” he said.
“It is ... clear that the international community is, unfortunately, powerless and that the countries truly capable of exerting influence have so far failed to act to stop the ongoing massacre,” Parolin told the Vatican’s media outlet. Pope Leo, elected in May after the death of Pope Francis, has been stepping up criticism of Israel’s campaign in Gaza. He has urged Israel to let in more aid and raise Gaza in a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in September.Parolin added: “It’s not enough to say that what is happening is unacceptable and then continue to allow it to happen. “We must seriously ask ourselves about the legitimacy ... of continuing to supply weapons that are being used against civilians.” He did not name any countries. Israel attacked Gaza after the attack in 2023. Israel’s campaign has killed more than 67,000 in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to Gaza health authorities.

Jordanian and Palestinian officials affirm need to empower women and children
Arab News/October 06, 2025
LONDON: Jordan’s minister of social development, Wafa Bani Mustafa, emphasized the importance of empowering women and children, during talks in Amman on Monday with Maher Khudair, the chief justice of the Palestinian Supreme Shariah Court. The minister also called for the sharing of expertise between the authorities relating to social development, specifically on topics such as family welfare, child protection, care of the elderly, and the empowerment of women. She noted the similarities between the Jordanian and Palestinian legal frameworks relating to such issues, in particular those covering marriage, divorce, custody, inheritance and family relationships. Khudair said it was also important to share knowledge about personal status legislation and judicial procedures, and affirmed Palestine’s commitment to the enhancement of cooperation with Jordan. Bani Mustafa highlighted King Abdullah’s efforts to help end the Israeli aggression against Gaza, and his steadfast support for the Palestinian people in their quest for justice and independence, the Jordan News Agency reported.

UNESCO selects Egypt’s Khaled El-Enany as new chief
Reuters/October 06, 2025
PARIS: The United Nations’ cultural agency selected former Egyptian tourism and antiquities minister Khaled El-Enany as its new chief on Monday, handing him the keys to revive UNESCO’s fortunes after the US withdrew from it for a second time. El-Enany, 54, was up against Édouard Firmin Matoko, 69, of Republic of Congo, but had been the favorite to win the secret ballot for a four-year term, having launched his campaign early in April 2023.He had since built strong regional backing and international alliances. UNESCO’s board, which represents 58 of the agency’s 194 member states, elected him with 55 votes. Matoko won two votes. The United States did not vote. The selection will now be put forward for approval to UNESCO members on November 6. While outgoing chief Audrey Azoulay has worked to diversify funding sources, the UN culture and education agency still receives about 8 percent of its budget from Washington. Once the US withdrawal takes effect at the end of 2026, that funding will be cut. The White House described UNESCO as supporting “woke, divisive cultural and social causes” when Trump decided to pull the US out in July, repeating a move he took in his first term that was reversed by Joe Biden.
The agency, founded after World War Two to promote peace through international cooperation in education, science, and culture, is best known for designating and protecting archaeological and heritage sites, from the Galapagos Islands to the tombs of Timbuktu. “How come a country like Egypt, with its long history, with layers of Pharaonic, Greek, Roman, Coptic, Arab, Islamic civilization, has not led this important organization? This is not acceptable at all,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said in Paris last week. But El-Enany has faced criticism at home from conservationists who accused his ministry of failing to shield sensitive heritage sites in Cairo and the Sinai Peninsula. Azoulay, from France, has completed the maximum two four-year terms.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources  on October 06-07/2025
What Gaza’s disability crisis reveals about the devastating human cost of war
Sherouk Zakaria/Arab News/October 06, 2025
DUBAI: Essam Al-Athamna and his family’s lives were shattered in an instant when a July 27 Israeli strike tore through the UN-run school where they were sheltering, leaving his wife Maha permanently disabled, killing their 14-year-old son Ahmed, and severely wounding their four other children. With Essam still missing since the attack, his brother Yasser has taken on the care of the entire family, including Maha, whose right leg was amputated in the attack. Her other leg is fractured and has since become infected. With each new displacement, her survival hangs in the balance.
Originally from Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, Yasser has been displaced 15 times since the war began in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. His most recent journey with Maha from Tal Al-Hawa to Al-Mawasi in Khan Younis took a full day.
“I pushed her on a broken wheelchair for half the way through the traffic of cars and carts fleeing Gaza City,” Yasser told Arab News. “For the rest of the journey, I carried her and the children on a tractor that dropped us in Nuseirat camp (in Deir Al-Balah). We then took a donkey cart until we finally reached Khan Younis.”People with disabilities are among the most at risk amid the conflict — often unable to flee bombardments, cut off from aid, and with limited access to medical care. One in four Gaza residents is now living with a disability, according to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities reported in August that more than 134,000 people have been injured during the war, with at least 33,000 — including 21,000 children — left with permanent disabilities. Rights groups warned that the besieged enclave is now home to the largest number of child amputees in modern history, with 10 children on average losing one or both legs every day by mid-2024. Their plight is compounded by the collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system, famine, repeated displacement, and the unsanitary conditions of makeshift camps. Now living in a tent in Khan Younis’ Hamad City humanitarian zone, Yasser regularly pushes Maha’s wheelchair 3 km over rubble-strewn streets to reach a Medecins Sans Frontieres clinic, where her wounds are dressed. Yasser says Maha receives basic treatment at the overstretched MSF facility after waiting four hours in a long queue, only to return to a tent pitched on sand with little food, poor hygiene, and no clean water. Medical reports seen by Arab News show that doctors in Gaza have treated Maha’s leg with external fixation, skin grafts, and a cast, but she still requires ongoing medication and a bone implant, as well as a prosthesis for her missing limb. Maha is unable to care for her injured children, including 16-year-old Nemah, who suffers from an untreated leg fracture, leaving her at risk of permanent disability, and 15-year-old Mohammed, who sustained shrapnel wounds to his kidney and right foot, impairing his ability to walk.
Her youngest, 4-year-old Elyas, was left disfigured after shrapnel tore through his nose and abdomen, forcing doctors to fit him with an external colostomy bag.
“I have no disinfectants, no clean water to wash their wounds, and no new colostomy bags for Elyas,” Yasser told Arab News before a nearby strike interrupted his WhatsApp voice note. The lack of healthcare and medical supplies is turning treatable injuries into permanent disabilities, experts warn. With antibiotics scarce and hospitals overwhelmed, minor wounds can develop severe infections that lead to amputation. Dr. Nafea Al-Yasi, an Emirati pediatric gastroenterology consultant who previously volunteered in Gaza, told Arab News that treatment cannot stop at surgeries, as war-wounded patients require rehabilitation, physiotherapy, and proper nutrition to fully recover. “Those injured cannot heal without proper nutrition. Shrapnel wounds, if left untreated, can quickly become infected, which can worsen the injury and, in many cases, lead to death,” Al-Yasi said, noting that the absence of rehabilitation facilities in Gaza will have long-term implications for patients. Israel’s expanded ground offensive, launched on Sept. 16 in Gaza City, has deepened the healthcare crisis, leaving only 14 hospitals still functioning across Gaza, according to the World Health Organization. Eight of these are in Gaza City, three in Deir Al-Balah, and three in Khan Younis, with none operating at full capacity, the WHO reported on Sept. 26. Specialized rehabilitation facilities, including the enclave’s only prosthetics hospital — Hamad Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prosthetics — and the UNRWA-run Rehabilitation Center for the Visually Impaired, have been destroyed, leaving newly-disabled Gazans with nowhere to go for timely treatment.
The absence of assistive tools, such as crutches, wheelchairs, prosthetics, or hearing devices, has exacerbated the exclusion of people with disabilities, stripping them of mobility and independence while placing them at even greater risk.
UN reports noted that evacuation orders were often inaccessible to people with hearing or visual impairments, while those with limited mobility were more likely to be killed as they are unable to flee quickly.
Meanwhile, people with mobility impairments who have no family or friends are often unable to collect food or other aid on their own, leaving them excluded from relief.
In a Sept. 23 blog post, Sara Minkara, former US special adviser on international disability rights, noted that when homes are destroyed in war, so too are the shelters that long supported people with disabilities. “Israeli strikes that destroy or damage houses also destroy mobility aids, hearing devices, and other assistive tools,” she wrote. According to the UN’s Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 83 percent of disabled people in Gaza have lost their assistive devices during the war, with most unable to afford replacements. Meanwhile, some 92 percent are unable to access food or medication.
This isolation is exacerbated by Israel’s restrictions on the import of wheelchairs, walkers, canes, splints, and prosthetics as “dual-use items” that can serve civilian and military purposes, preventing these essential assistive tools from being included in aid shipments. In an Aug. 15 statement, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged Israeli authorities to allow the entry of more assistive technologies for people with existing and newly acquired disabilities.
He also called for expanded medical evacuations to provide specialized, immediate care for the disabled, adding that such measures were vital until a permanent ceasefire is reached. Minkara warned of the long-term psychological toll on people with disabilities, stripped of treatment, rehabilitation services, and the chance of living a dignified life amid repeated displacement. “Once uprooted, disabled Palestinians must start over, reconfiguring accessibility and support systems in new, temporary spaces,” she said. “And just when they adjust, displacement strikes again.”
Without wheelchair evacuation routes, accessible shelters, consistent medical care, or mental health support, people with disabilities are disempowered and left behind, she added. The UN reported people with disabilities “being forced to flee in unsafe and undignified conditions, such as crawling through sand or mud without mobility assistance.”Beyond the physical scars, Gaza’s war is leaving behind a generation maimed, malnourished, denied education, and carrying deep emotional trauma that will last long after the fighting ends. “Starvation, lifelong disability, and illnesses caused by contaminated water and debris would persist, especially in the absence of a functioning healthcare infrastructure,” said Minkara, stressing that people with disabilities must be included in aid and reconstruction plans. “As the world considers Gaza’s future, leaders must recognize that nearly every family will live with disability — physical or psychological. Planning that excludes them is planning for failure.”For Yasser and his brother’s family, survival itself has become a daily battle. He told Arab News that even in the newly designated “safe zone” in northwestern Khan Younis, the bombardment has not stopped. “Last week, a neighbor just four tents away was hit in the neck by (shrapnel from) a tank shell. Everywhere we go, people are killed or wounded. At times, we’ve seen bodies lying in the street,” he said. “All we can do is wait to survive another day.”

Reminder: Hamas and the Palestinian Authority Do Not Believe In Any Peace Process
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute./October 06/2025
Both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority are not, and never were, interested in peace with Israel. The only peace they envision is one that would see Israel eliminated and replaced with an Islamist state, preferably, each with itself as the head.
Trump is a man with good intentions, and his sincere efforts to end the war should be commended by all those who want to see an end to the death and destruction in the Gaza Strip. The US president, however, needs to bear in mind that both the Palestinian Authority and -- a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood organization -- were established with the sole purpose of waging jihad (holy war) to kill Jews and destroy Israel.
Any proposal or deal that allows Hamas, the Palestinian Authority (or Qatar, but that is for a later date) to hold on to its weapons and maintain any form of presence in the Gaza Strip will only facilitate their plans to pursue jihad against Israel.
As long as the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and other Qatari-promoted Palestinian terror groups exist, there will never be peace or stability in the Middle East.
Hamas and the Palestinian Authority have never recognized Israel's right to exist. That is why they have repeatedly rejected all attempts by Muslim and Arab states to make peace with the Jewish state.
Any attempt to portray Hamas's purported acceptance of US President Donald J. Trump's proposal to end the war in the Gaza Strip as a sign that either the Palestinian Authority (PA) or the Iran-backed Palestinian terror group is now interested in peace with Israel is misleading and baseless.
Both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority are not, and never were, interested in peace with Israel. The only peace they envision is one that would see Israel eliminated and replaced with an Islamist state, preferably, each with itself as the head.
Trump is a man with good intentions, and his sincere efforts to end the war should be commended by all those who want to see an end to the death and destruction in the Gaza Strip. The US president, however, needs to bear in mind that both the Palestinian Authority and -- a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood organization -- were established with the sole purpose of waging jihad (holy war) to kill Jews and destroy Israel. Hamas and the Palestinian Authority have never recognized Israel's right to exist. That is why they have repeatedly rejected all attempts by Muslim and Arab states to make peace with the Jewish state.
In 1993, Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leader Yasser Arafat was describing the Oslo Accord he had just signed between Israel and the PLO to his own people -- in Arabic -- as basically no different from the Islamic Prophet Muhammad's Treaty of Hudaibiyya, in which Muhammad agreed not to attack the tribe of Quraiysh for ten years, then gathered together an army, came back in two years, and wiped the tribe out.
Hamas, for its part, strongly opposed the Oslo Accords. The terror group, in addition, rejected the PLO's alleged recognition of Israel's right to exist, as expressed in a letter signed by Arafat but never ratified by the PLO. According to Hamas, the Oslo Accords "constitute treason to Islam and legitimization of the existence of the Zionist entity."
It is worth noting that despite Arafat's letter of recognition, his successor, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, has made it clear that the Palestinians would never recognize Israel as a Jewish state. "We will never recognize the Jewishness of the state of Israel," Abbas declared in 2014.
In 2013, Hamas said that the Oslo Accords "have brought nothing but disasters and shame to our people, our national cause, and the present and future of our generations." In 2021, in a statement marking the 28th anniversary of the signing of the first Oslo Accord, Hamas called on all Palestinian factions to form a broad national front to end the agreement. "The Palestinian people have spoken by adhering to the option of resistance [terrorism] as the path to liberating Palestine," the terror group asserted.
In 2022, on the occasion of the anniversary of the first Oslo Accord, Hamas urged the PA to abrogate the agreement and revoke the PLO's alleged recognition of Israel's right to exist. "We call on all [Palestinian] factions, and on our people, to end the Oslo era and to agree on a unified strategy based on the comprehensive resistance," Hamas stated.
Hamas's "positive" response to Trump's plan to end the war does not include a pledge to recognize Israel's right to exist or end the terrorist group's jihad to obliterate Israel. Hamas's response also does not indicate any readiness to lay down its weapons or relinquish control over the Gaza Strip.
Hamas, in fact, rejected Trump's proposal to place the Gaza Strip under a "temporary traditional governance of technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee made up of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body."
Hamas's response clearly suggests that the terror group is opposed to any international administration and still sees itself playing a role in the management of the Gaza Strip in the day after the war:
"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 and based on relevant international laws and resolutions. They are to be discussed within a comprehensive Palestinian national framework. Hamas will be part of it and will contribute to it with full responsibility."
After delivering their reply to Trump's proposal, senior Hamas officials announced that their group will not lay down its weapons. "Hamas will hand over its weapons [only] to the future Palestinian state," Hamas official Musa Abu Marzouk told the Qatari-owned Al-Jazeera TV network. "The weapons will be in the hands of those who rule the Gaza Strip."
Hamas's partial acceptance of the Trump proposal, specifically to launch negotiations for the release of the 48 Israeli hostages being held in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, is nothing but a ploy that aims to win time to allow the terror group to regroup, rearm and prepare for more atrocities against Israel. Hamas does not see Trump's proposal as a pathway for any kind of lasting peace in the Middle East. Rather, it considers the US proposal an opportunity for another temporary ceasefire, similar to previous ones reached with Israel — and which the terror group repeatedly breached.
Two years after the war that Hamas began by invading Israel and murdering 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals and wounding thousands, the terror group, which has lost thousands of its men and most of its military capabilities, is understandably desperate for a lull in the fighting and the possibility of gaining more ground during the pause for negotiations.
Hamas remains fully committed to its 1988 charter, which quotes Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan al-Banna as saying: "Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before."
Notably, the charter also quotes the words of the Islamic Prophet Mohammed:
"The Day of Judgement will not come about until Muslims fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say 'O Muslims, O Abdullah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews."
In the eyes of both the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, all proposals and peace initiatives are unacceptable and a "waste of time":
"There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors."
—Hamas charter, Article 13.
Any proposal or deal that allows Hamas, the Palestinian Authority (or Qatar, but that is for a later date) to hold on to its weapons and maintain any form of presence in the Gaza Strip will only facilitate their plans to pursue jihad against Israel.
The group that carried out the worst atrocities against Jews since the Holocaust and is responsible for the death of tens of thousands of Palestinians has no right to exist, not as a political, military or civilian force. As long as the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and other Qatari-promoted Palestinian terror groups exist, there will never be peace or stability in the Middle East.
**Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East. His work is made possible through the generous donation of a couple of donors who wished to remain anonymous. Gatestone is most grateful.
© 2025 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Trump will help Ukraine hit Putin where it hurts — to finally end his bloody war
John Hardie/New York Post/October 06/2025
President Donald Trump — after repeatedly warning the Kremlin that his patience was wearing thin over its continuing invasion of Ukraine — has begun to match words with action. As Moscow continues to flout his efforts to broker peace, Trump has agreed to give Kyiv US intelligence to support strikes on energy infrastructure deep inside Russia, helping Ukraine take the war to President Vladimir Putin’s doorstep.
Trump should now follow through by supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles to do the job — and ratcheting up the economic pressure on Russia.
Despite Putin’s professed readiness for peace, his assault on Ukraine has only intensified. Trump struck a compromising stance at the two leaders’ Alaska summit, yet the Russian autocrat has since refused even to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart, President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Indifferent to the death and destruction he inflicts on both Ukrainians and his own citizens with each passing day, Putin has continued to insist on maximalist demands that effectively render a settlement impossible. It’s long past time for Moscow to face consequences for its intransigence. Trump’s decision breaks with his administration’s previous policy of blocking Ukrainian strikes inside Russia using American-supplied missiles or targeting data. In addition to the new intelligence sharing, Trump reportedly is weighing whether to provide Ukraine with various long-range missiles.
These include the Tomahawk, which Zelensky requested during a recent meeting with the American leader. These munitions have much longer ranges than the ATACMS ballistic missiles and Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missiles Ukraine previously received from the United States, Britain and France, of which Kyiv has few left.
And they pack a more powerful punch than Ukrainian-made drones, which typically carry relatively small warheads. These new missiles would likewise add capacity and capability to Ukraine’s nascent arsenal of indigenously produced long-range missiles.
US-supplied intelligence and missiles can enhance Ukraine’s ongoing drone strike campaign against the Russian energy industry.
In recent months, Ukraine has struck over 40% of Russia’s oil refineries, causing fuel shortages and price hikes and forcing Moscow to restrict gasoline and diesel exports.
Trump should provide Ukraine with as many missiles as possible, both long-range munitions as well as additional ATACMS. In addition, Ukraine should be permitted to use American missiles, targeting data and mission planning support for strikes on not only energy infrastructure but on other targets as well, including key military-industrial sites. For example, Kyiv could employ the Tomahawk or another missile with similar range to strike the Russian plants making the Geran and Gerbera drones that bombard Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure night after night.
In concert, Trump should work with European and G7 allies to tighten the screws on Russia’s economy. This effort should include an aggressive application of so-called secondary sanctions aimed at denying Moscow revenue from oil exports.
While Trump has threatened tariffs on Russian oil customers such as China, sanctions are the better option. Harsh US tariffs have failed to convince India to ditch Russian oil — and tariffs are incompatible with Washington’s goals of securing trade deals with New Delhi and Beijing. When it comes to economic pressure, Trump should not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. He is right to push Europe to end its remaining imports of Russian energy, which have already declined dramatically since 2022. But even though some European countries — mainly Hungary and Slovakia — continue to buy some Russian oil and gas, that is no excuse for US inaction.
If Trump refuses to sanction Russia until Europe ceases buying any Russian hydrocarbons, it’ll effectively be giving Moscow a pass to continue the killing in Ukraine. To be sure, Putin will never abandon his decades-long obsession with making Ukraine a Russian vassal. But over time, he perhaps could be convinced to stop shooting, at least for now, on terms Kyiv can live with. That will require putting further military and economic pressure on Russia — and proving to Putin that neither Ukrainian forces nor Western resolve will break.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/02/opinion/trump-helps-ukraine-hit-putin-where-it-hurts-to-end-his-bloody-war/
*John Hardie is deputy director of the Russia program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Is the Trump plan an outcome or a solution?
Ben Cohen/Jewish News Syndicate/October 06/2025
https://www.jns.org/is-the-trump-plan-an-outcome-or-a-solution/
It unfolds over time—from the conditions necessary to halt the war to the reconstruction of what the text calls “New Gaza,” along with the deradicalization of its population.
In his 1986 book on the history of Zionism and Israel, The Siege, the late Irish intellectual Conor Cruise O’Brien famously stated that “conflicts don’t have solutions. They have outcomes.” This was true, he said, of both his native Ireland and of the State of Israel, which has faced sustained Palestinian and Arab efforts to eliminate it throughout its existence.
O’Brien’s observation is worth bearing in mind as the Middle East looks to U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan as a roadmap for ending the war in Gaza, opening the horizon for a more hopeful future. Trump’s initiative, announced following his White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sept. 29, offers the best chance for ending this harrowing two-year war, which has seen Gaza reduced to rubble in the aftermath of the Hamas-led pogrom in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Still, the plan is better understood as an “outcome”—hopefully, a more sustainable one that will draw a line under the series of wars against the Jewish state launched by Hamas since 2008—than a “solution,” if by “solution” we mean a permanent end to all grievances on all sides for all time.
Trump’s plan unfolds over time—from the conditions necessary to halt the war right through to the reconstruction of what the text calls “New Gaza,” along with the deradicalization of its population. Early on in its life, it will face severe tests of its viability. Trump has already given his blessing to Israel pursuing the war should Hamas decline his plan, but even if the terrorist group accepts it, it will nevertheless maneuver for the smallest advantage, seeking to frustrate Israeli expectations. Hence, the timetables and milestones in the plan need to be followed exactly as they are laid out, and Hamas should pay a military price for any deviation in that regard.
Arguably, the most helpful aspect of the plan is that it isolates Hamas from two key constituencies. First, the Arab and Islamic world, where eight leading countries have declared their support for the plan, leaning on Hamas to follow suit. Hamas’s rejection will be looked upon dimly by them, though perhaps less so in the cases of Qatar and Turkey, the two countries in the group that need to be watched most closely, because of their ideological and operational alignment with the terror organization.
Secondly, rejection would place Hamas squarely at odds with the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza. I will address their attitudes to Israel later on, but there is little doubt that the vast majority want the war to end because of the hardship they continue to endure.
The Trump plan makes clear that “full aid” will be restored once Hamas accepts the plan. Practically, that means that aid will be distributed through traditional channels, such as the U.N. agencies and the Red Crescent, as well as new ones, like the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, whose valiant efforts to supply Palestinians with food at appointed distribution centers have placed them on a collision course with Hamas and with the long-established humanitarian organizations. Up until now, those organizations have decided that pelting Israel with false accusations is more important than efficiently distributing the tons of aid collected on the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom border crossing with Israel.
The Trump plan will quickly enable the provision of aid to those who require it most, particularly mothers and young children who not only need food but other crucial items, such as diapers, sanitary products and baby formula. It also guarantees that “no one will be forced to leave Gaza” and indeed encourages civilians to remain there to participate in building “a better Gaza.” The exhausted population has enough reasons to embrace the plan; as periodic protests in the coastal enclave against Hamas rule over the last year have demonstrated, many of them will look unfavorably on Hamas’s wrecking tactics that prevent them from feeding their families and accessing safe accommodation, all while unleashing its brutal “Arrow” internal security unit against dissenters.
As well as thinking through the days, weeks and months ahead, the plan’s horizon stretches much further. The intention seems to be to win the Palestinians over to a peace strategy that includes Israel, rather than violently eliminating it, with economic incentives designed to persuade Gaza’s population that their livelihoods and those of their children should not be sacrificed in another war, which, like this one, they will lose. Among the long-standing advocates of this “peace through commerce” approach is Tony Blair, the former British prime minister, who is likely to occupy a high position in the transitional authority for Gaza envisaged under the Trump plan.
Such an approach has been tried before, and it hasn’t worked; it may have a better chance of success now, given that the situation in Gaza is far worse than at any previous time. However, commercial ties are not in enough in themselves to engineer a desire for peace with Israel within Palestinian hearts and minds, as opposed to a mere tactical and temporary compromise. That is why O’Brien’s distinction between an “outcome” and a “solution” is so helpful in this context.
This brings us to the issue of deradicalization, the one element that is fundamentally necessary if Palestinians are to reject the prospect of another Oct. 7-style invasion with its attendant savagery. No one should underestimate the enormity of the task here. It means transforming the character of Palestinian politics, currently dominated by nationalist, Marxist and Islamist factions who disagree on much, but agree on the imperative of destroying Israel in order to erase its so-called colonial presence. It also means questioning and even rejecting much Islamic thinking about the region, especially the false contention that Jews are not indigenous to the Land of Israel and the theological principle that it is haram to grant non-Muslims sovereign government in a territory defined as belonging to the “Domain of Islam” (“Dar al-Islam”).
Ask most Israelis whether such a task is achievable, and you’ll get a sarcastic laugh in response. Ask most Palestinians whether they can agree to a radical break with their contentious past—meaning no more demonization of Zionism, no more denial of the Holocaust, no more school textbooks and cartoons depicting Jews as sub-human, and so on—and you’ll at least receive furrowed eyebrows in response.Those seeking to climb that mountain, which lies at the heart of a “solution” as opposed to an “outcome,” must know that right now, they are at base camp.
*Ben Cohen is a senior analyst with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) and director of FDD’s rapid response outreach, specializing in global antisemitism, anti-Zionism and Middle East/European Union relations.

Selected English Tweets from X Platform For 06 October/2025
Secretary Marco Rubio
We’re not dealing with a political movement, we’re dealing with killers, savages, and terrorists.But what gives us hope is the coalition @POTUS
built that is pushing in the same direction with us to get the hostages released and the conflict resolved.

Department of State
https://x.com/i/status/1974875489165889938
“We don’t forget what happened on October 7th … If you truly want peace and stability and a better future for the people, there has to be a Gaza not governed or controlled in any way, shape, or form by Hamas or anything that looks like Hamas.”

Dr Walid Phares
The battles in Syria, Gaza, South Yemen, Darfur, Nigeria, and European cities, are all connected by jihadists. Try to think about it deeply.

Pope Leo XIV
No one should be forced to flee, nor exploited or mistreated because of their situation as foreigners or people in need! Human dignity must always come first!

charles chartouni
The peace plan submitted by President Trump is a major breakthrough after two years of open-ended cycles of violence in Gaza. Welcomed by Europeans, the Palestinian authority, Arab states, Russia, and China, it can definitely serve as a platform for a negotiated end of war. It could be a major diplomatic feat to end the unspeakable humanitarian suffering on both sides and open up the path for a comprehensive peace plan to extract both Israelis and Palestinians from the curse of ideology and political irredentism that has forestalled the possibility of a sustainable political solution over time.
Extremists on both sides could still be brought into the process—if they each, in their own way, make the essential leap of faith required to achieve peace and end the wars. Otherwise, political obstruction and malevolent extremism will inevitably destroy this unique opportunity to end the cycle of violence, unrealistic expectations, and the nihilistic turns of this enduring conflict. Extremists must be contained if this course is to succeed. The commitment and political leadership of the Trump administration are strong enough to rally broad support and shift the political tide, as seen in Syria—despite lingering uncertainties and pervasive political cynicism.