English LCCC Newsbulletin For 
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For  October 09/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
If I speak in the tongues of mortals 
and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
First Letter to the Corinthians/13/01-13/"If I 
speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a 
noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand 
all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove 
mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my 
possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have 
love, I gain nothing. Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or 
boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not 
irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the 
truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all 
things.
Titles For The Latest English 
LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on October 08-09/2025
The "Al-Ma'rabi so called political Party's" 
sole concern is for the election to take place and not be postponed, even if it 
marginalizes the Expatriates under the law of "Ba'ath," the "Khazouk" (screwing 
over/deception), and the "Balff" (bluff/deception) regarding the 6 
illusory/hallucinatory parliamentary seats./Elias Bejjani/October 08/ 2025
Political Islam, Both Sunni and Shiite, the Jihadi Raids of October 07–08, 2023, 
and Their Crushing Defeats/Elias Bejjani/October 07/2025
Feast of Saints Sergius and Bacchus/Elias Bejjani/October 07/ 2025
Int'l community sets year-end deadline for south Litani disarmament, report says
Report: UK seeks to appoint expert for resolving 'Hezbollah crisis'
Salam, ministers mull stronger diplomatic action in face of Israel
UK political director Christian Turner concludes visit to Lebanon
Army commander begins visit to Qatar
Hannibal Gadhafi's health alarming in Lebanon detention
Report: Gaza deal to reflect positively on Lebanon
Pope Leo XIV Calls for Peace Ahead of Trip to Turkey and Lebanon
Hezbollah’s Support Front, One Year On: Between Denial and Confrontation
Lebanon awaits pope's visit amid instability and ongoing strikes
UK prosecutors to appeal dropped 'terrorism' case against Kneecap rapper
Life at Naqoura port: Fear and silence replace the ‘daily catch’
Lebanon’s justice minister appoints judges to key political assassination cases
Cuba asks Lebanon to support UN resolution calling for an end to US blockade
Samy Gemayel discusses elections and unity of political authority with PM Salam
Who Is Michel Issa, the Businessman Turned Diplomat?
Lebanon Progressing in Imposing State Monopoly over Arms Despite Hezbollah’s 
Minimal Cooperation
The Dr. of Misguided Bets/Sarah Melki/Face Book/October 08/2025
Aoun 'May' Intervene to Find a Way Out for the Electoral Law
The Shiite Exodus (Al-Taghriba Al-Shi’iyya)/Marwan Al-Amin/Nidaa Al Watan/October 
09/2025 
Bye Bye "Hamas"/Imad Moussa/Nidaa Al Watan/October 09/2025
What Awaits Pope Leo XIV in Lebanon/Alberto M. Fernandez/National Catholic 
Register/October 07/2025
Titles For The Latest English LCCC 
Miscellaneous Reports And News published 
on October 08-09/2025
Carney returns to Ottawa without a deal to 
end the U.S. tariffs
Trump says he may go to the Middle East for Gaza deal
Top Officials from US and Qatar Join Talks Aimed at Brokering Peace in Gaza
Report: Rubio to Attend Paris Meeting on Gaza Transition
Egyptian Source: First Phase of Gaza Deal Could Be Sealed by Friday
Israel’s Ben-Gvir Calls for ‘Gaza Victory’ at Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound 
Turkish FM Says Sides Are Close to a Gaza Ceasefire Agreement
Tehran Losing Rounds in Iraq, but Not the War Yet
Palestinian man shot dead by Israeli settler in West Bank near Ramallah
Number of Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody surpasses 11,100
Who are the prominent Palestinians held in Israeli jails?
US targets Chinese companies over drone components used by Hamas, Houthis
UN staff member released from Houthi detention in Yemen, UN spokesperson says
Putin Visits Tajikistan for Meetings with Other Ex-Soviet Leaders
French-German National Monterlos Back in France After Release by Iran, France 
Says
Syria’s Sharaa Discusses with US Delegation, SDF Leader Means to Implement 
Agreement with Kurds 
Titles For The Latest English LCCC 
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources 
on October 08-09/2025
EU, NATO need a robust response to drone incursions/Mohamed Chebaro/Arab 
News/October 08, 2025
The ‘Flood’ That Swallowed Its Own/Tariq Al-Homayed/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 
08/2025
Syrian elections a step toward unity and inclusion/Hani Hazaimeh/Arab/October 
08, 2025
From Pogrom to Propaganda: Hamas's Legacy and the Flotilla Fraud/Salah Uddin 
Shoaib Choudhury/Gatestone Institute./October 8, 2025
Selected English Tweets from X Platform For 08 October/2025
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & 
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on October 08-09/2025
The "Al-Ma'rabi so called political Party's" 
sole concern is for the election to take place and not be postponed, even if it 
marginalizes the Expatriates under the law of "Ba'ath," the "Khazouk" (screwing 
over/deception), and the "Balff" (bluff/deception) regarding the 6 
illusory/hallucinatory parliamentary seats.
Elias Bejjani/October 08/ 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/10/148041/
MP Ghada Ayoub the member in the "Al-Ma'rabi 
commercial company so called political Party, has no problem with the 6 
Expatriate seats, as her focus is on avoiding the postponement of the 
elections... Stupidity, lack of vision, and abandoning the expatriates, 
mirroring the position of the Narcissistic Samir Geagea in 2017, who celebrated, 
danced, and sang on that day with the Aoun's Evil son-in-law Gebran Bassil and 
the "Terrorist Duo" for the election law which marginalized the expatriates—the 
majority of whom are Christian—and gave them the "Khazouq" of the six seats 
dictated by the Assad's Ba'ath Party and its stooges. Ghada Ayoub exposed the 
already exposed in the attached interview she conducted with Beirut Times and 
uncovered the well-known secret... It is absolutely, a million times certain 
that with a political party company like this, we, the Expatriates will neither 
eat wheat nor will any wheat come, except the wheat infested with the 
narcissistic weevil and the blindness of sight and insight. These are definitely 
Berri's allies, and perhaps also through the mediation of George Adwan, none 
other than him.
اضغط هنا أو على الرابط في اسفل لمشاهدة وسماع موقف شركة حزب المعرابي
Press here or on the below link to watch and hear what MP Ghada Ayoub said
https://x.com/i/status/1975591951496843344
Political Islam, Both Sunni and Shiite, the 
Jihadi Raids of October 07–08, 2023, and Their Crushing Defeats
Elias Bejjani/October 07/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/10/148001/
Two years have passed since one of the most monstrous chapters of contemporary 
savagery: Hamas’s terrorist onslaught on October 07, 2023 — a day when the true 
face of political Islam, in all its guises, was revealed in brutal clarity. That 
day saw armed gangs from Hamas and allied jihadist factions pour out of the Gaza 
Strip to carry out a massacre marked by murder, rape, arson, degradation of 
corpses, and the kidnapping of children, the elderly and women — acts that have 
no place in any claim to religion or morality.
On the very next day, October 8, 2023,the Iranian Jihadist & terrorist proxy, 
Hezbollah opened a cross-border front from Lebanon, firing rockets and artillery 
and escalating the carnage — a move that served the regional project of 
theocratic Iran and dragged Lebanon into destruction. The ensuing exchanges and 
months of conflict devastated communities on both sides of the border and 
produced yet another bitter chapter of suffering for ordinary people.
After two years, the human cost is horrific: Gaza has suffered catastrophic 
losses and massive displacement, while Lebanon saw its south, large regions of 
the Beqaa and southern suburbs of Beirut turned into battle fields. The result 
of these campaigns was not liberation but ruin — the collapse of local 
institutions, mass casualties, and ultimately negotiated cessations of 
hostilities that read like the defeat of the armed movements that launched the 
violence. A multilateral ceasefire and diplomatic proposals have since taken 
hold, underscoring that the path of violence led only to humiliation and defeat 
for the armed political movements.
The clear and unavoidable conclusion is this: political Islam — whether in its 
Iranian Shiites form with all its armed proxies, or in its Sunni variants 
championed by regimes in Turkey and Qatar and by the Muslim Brotherhood movement 
— is a criminal, barbaric force. It does not stand for civilization, pluralism 
or peaceful coexistence. Its culture of glorifying violent jihad and using 
religious rhetoric to justify terror poses a mortal danger to humanity, to 
civilization, and to the fragile prospects for peace in the region.
Therefore, the response must be decisive and unambiguous:
• The theocratic mullah regime in Tehran is not a partner for stability; it is a 
revolutionary, expansionist machine that must be dismantled politically and 
economically. The international community should support policies that weaken 
the clerical regime’s control, empower democratic and secular opposition forces, 
and cut off the regime’s regional proxies and funding.
• Governments must treat the rulers of Qatar and Turkey with firmness — not 
flattery. Their support, diplomatic cover, or tolerance for Islamist networks 
that export political-religious violence must be met with strict measures: 
conditional engagement, pressure, and clear consequences for policies that 
enable extremism.
• The Muslim Brotherhood and its organized branches, which have repeatedly 
provided institutional cover for extremist violence and political subversion, 
should be placed on global terrorist lists and subjected to the full range of 
legal and financial tools used against transnational terror movements. Recent 
legislative efforts in several countries to move in this direction underline the 
seriousness of this proposal and why it must be advanced internationally.
In conclusion, Political Islam in all its forms and entities is not an abstract 
ideology that can be negotiated with while pretending its aims are benign. It is 
a coherent political project that has shown, again and again, that its 
instruments are violence, coercion, and subversion.
On the second anniversary of October 07 & 08 barbaric invasions, we remember the 
victims — and we must commit ourselves, without apology or equivocation, to 
dismantling the institutions, funding streams, and regimes that make such 
atrocities possible. Only by doing so can we protect civilization, human 
dignity, and the hope of lasting peace.
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.
Int'l community sets year-end deadline for south Litani 
disarmament, report says
Associated Press/October 08/2025
As the Lebanese government aims to disarm Hezbollah under U.S. pressure, the 
army is expected to fully clear a stretch along the Lebanon-Israel border, 
defined as south of the Litani river, by the end of November before moving into 
further phases, reports said. The Lebanese government first aimed to completely 
disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year, but officials later said resources are 
too limited to meet the deadline. Diplomatic sources told Al Jadeed, in remarks 
published Tuesday, that the international community will give Lebanon a chance 
to complete the first phase by the year end. The second phase, north of the 
Litani, would then start in January. The sources added that Israel would 
meanwhile keep up its attacks on Lebanon. As army commander Gen. Rudolph Haikal 
briefed Monday the government on its plan to disarm Hezbollah, Israel was 
carrying out deadly airstrikes in southern and northeastern Lebanon. Despite a 
November ceasefire, Israel kept up almost daily attacks on Lebanon, usually 
saying it is targeting Hezbollah, and also maintained troops in five areas of 
southern Lebanon it deems "strategic". Hezbollah has rejected the disarmament 
plan, saying it won’t discuss disarmament as long as Israel continues to occupy 
several hills along the border and carries out almost daily strikes.
Report: UK seeks to appoint expert for resolving 'Hezbollah crisis'
Naharnet/October 08/2025
Britain is seeking to strengthen its presence in Lebanon through the gateway of 
the conflict with Israel, a media report said on Wednesday. “London is trying to 
fill the void resulting from Lebanon’s non-welcoming of any special French role 
and the breakdown of U.S. efforts,” unnamed sources told al-Akhbar newspaper, 
adding that Britain wants to “address a crisis called Hezbollah.”“London’s 
proposal calls for tasking a British expert with holding dialogue with Hezbollah 
with the aim of convincing it to give up arms and fully integrate into the state 
and its institutions,” al-Akhbar quoted a prominent official as saying. 
“According to information, the candidate for this role is Jonathan Powell, who 
has served in several official posts before heading a mediation firm that 
offered its first services in Libya, and had previously played 
intelligence-linked roles. The British candidate also has an experience in 
dealing with forces that are usually labeled as ‘rebel’ or ‘terrorist,’” al-Akhbar 
added. “Powell sent messages through his country’s embassy in Beirut to figures 
who communicate with Hezbollah, in an attempt to explore its stance on this 
proposal,” the newspaper said. “Powell has been presented to Lebanese officials 
as someone who has major experience in negotiation, which led in the past to the 
Irish Republican Army’s surrender of its weapons and its engagement in public 
life. He played a key role in securing the guarantees that the group needed in 
order to finalize this process. He enjoys the confidence of the (British) 
state’s top officials and has a very high level of coordination with British and 
foreign intelligence services,” al-Akhbar added.
Salam, ministers mull stronger diplomatic action in face of 
Israel
Naharnet/October 08/2025
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and a number of ministers are currently discussing 
possible diplomatic and political measures that the government should take to 
confront Israel’s reluctance to implement the November 27 ceasefire agreement, a 
prominent ministerial source said. “The debate kicked off based on the fact that 
the political efforts have not yet led to tangible results and that there is a 
problem related to the competency of the Foreign Ministry’s work, especially the 
performance of Minister Youssef Rajji, amid a belief that the latter is not 
concerned, neither personally nor politically, with carrying out a special 
effort in this regard,” the source told al-Akhbar newspaper in remarks published 
Wednesday. “The discussions are taking a serious direction, especially with the 
presence of figures in the government who are capable of conducting high-level 
contacts on the regional and international levels,” the source said. “There is a 
need to press these contacts, not only to respond to the demands of the South’s 
residents or political forces, but also to confront the state of impasse 
resulting from the setback that the U.S. mediation efforts have suffered, seeing 
as the efforts of U.S. envoy Tom Barrack and his colleague Morgan Ortagus have 
not achieved the needed progress,” the source added.
UK political director Christian Turner concludes visit to 
Lebanon
Naharnet/October 08/2025
Christian Turner, recently appointed as the UK’s next Ambassador and Permanent 
Representative to the United Nations in New York, has concluded a two-day visit 
to Lebanon, the British embassy said on Wednesday. This is part of his regional 
engagement ahead of assuming his new role in January.
During his visit, Turner held meetings with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and 
Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji. He also met U.N. Deputy Special Coordinator, 
Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator Imran Riza where they 
discussed the importance of support from the U.N. and its member states for the 
security and stability of Lebanon. In Naqoura he met with the United Nations 
Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Force Commander General Diodato Abagnara, 
UNIFIL Deputy Head of Mission and the Director of Division for Political and 
Civil Affairs Hervé Lecoq, and UNIFIL Chief of Staff Major General Paul Sanzey. 
He also met with UNTSO Observer Group Lebanon. Turner’s visit to Naqoura focused 
on assessing the current situation in south Lebanon and how the United Kingdom 
can best support UNIFIL through the upcoming transition period. At the end of 
his visit, Turner said: “I’ve been in Lebanon today to meet with the Government 
of Lebanon, UNFIL and other U.N. agencies to discuss how the UK can best 
continue our support for the Lebanese people.”“As the UNIFIL mandate comes to an 
end, the UK will continue to work with these partners to make sure there is a 
responsible and orderly transition. That means continuing our partnership with 
the Lebanese Armed Forces and strengthening their presence in southern Lebanon, 
as Lebanon’s sole legitimate defender,” he added. As the UK’s Permanent 
Representative to the United Nations in New York, Turner will lead the UK 
Mission’s work to drive progress on global peace and development.
Army commander begins visit to Qatar
Naharnet/October 08/2025
ander General Rodolphe Haykal on Wednesday began a visit to Qatar at the 
invitation of his Qatari counterpart Lieutenant General Jassim bin Mohammed bin 
Ahmed Al Mannai. A Lebanese Army statement said the visit aims to “boost 
cooperation between the Lebanese and Qatari armies in light of the current 
challenges.”Haykal met during the visit with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign 
Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, with the latter stressing 
that Qatar “will continue to stand by the Lebanese state institutions, the 
Lebanese Army and the brotherly Lebanese people,” the statement said.
He also met with Qatari Defense Minister Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and the 
discussions tackled “the latest developments in Lebanon and the region, and the 
missions that the army is performing to preserve Lebanon’s security and 
stability in the various Lebanese regions.”The two men also discussed the army’s 
missions in the South, its cooperation with the UNIFIL force and its work on the 
implementation of the ceasefire agreement. Haykal had started his visit by 
meeting his Qatari counterpart and discussing with him “improving cooperation 
between the two countries’ armies on the various levels and means to back the 
military institution amid the delicate circumstances that Lebanon is going 
through.”
Hannibal Gadhafi's health alarming in Lebanon detention
Agence France Presse/October 08/2025
The health of Hannibal Gadhafi, son of longtime Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi, is 
alarming and he should be released after nearly a decade of pre-trial detention 
in Lebanon, his lawyer said Wednesday. Lebanese authorities arrested Gadhafi in 
2015 and accused him of withholding information about the disappearance of 
revered Lebanese Shiite cleric Imam Moussa Sadr nearly four decades earlier. 
Gadhafi, 49, was "urgently hospitalized" after experiencing "very strong 
abdominal pain," French lawyer Laurent Bayon told AFP, adding that his client 
also suffers from severe depression. The doctor and judges "explained that this 
alarming state of health is linked to his isolation in relation to his 
detention, which has lasted 10 years," Bayon said. Gadhafi returned to prison on 
Tuesday, but is expected to have frequent hospital visits, he added. Gadhafi's 
lawyers have previously sounded the alarm about his health.
In August, Human Rights Watch urged Lebanon to immediately release Gadhafi, 
saying it had wrongly imprisoned him on "apparently unsubstantiated allegations 
that he was withholding information" about Sadr. Sadr -- the founder of the Amal 
Movement -- went missing in 1978 during an official visit to Libya, along with 
an aide and a journalist. Beirut blamed the disappearances on Moammar Gadhafi, 
who was overthrown and killed in a 2011 uprising, and ties between the two 
countries have been strained ever since. Married to a Lebanese model, Hannibal 
Gadhafi had fled to Syria and was kidnapped in December 2015 by armed men who 
took him to Lebanon, where authorities ultimately arrested him. Parliament 
Speaker Nabih Berri, who succeeded Sadr at the head of the Amal Movement, has 
accused Libya's new authorities of not cooperating on the issue of Sadr's 
disappearance, an accusation Libya denies.
Bayon called Gadhafi a "political detainee", adding: "The only reason that 
justifies his detention is that he bears his father's name." He said the public 
prosecutor had made a recommendation to the examining judge, who must make the 
final decision on whether to release Gadhafi. A Lebanese judicial source told 
AFP on condition of anonymity the public prosecutor "was not opposed" to 
releasing him.
Report: Gaza deal to reflect positively on Lebanon
Naharnet/October 08/2025
In connection with Trump’s plan for ending the war in Gaza, sources told the 
PSP’s al-Anbaa news portal that a possible ceasefire agreement in the 
Palestinian territory would have a positive impact on Lebanon. “Trump has an 
inclination to end the ‘endless wars,’ which indicates that there is a 
possibility to resolve the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah and work on a 
solution for the issue of the monopoly of arms,” the sources said. Former PSP 
leader Walid Jumblat had announced Tuesday after meeting President Joseph Aoun 
that “the Lebanese Army is carrying out a mighty work in the South,” adding that 
“the atmosphere is reassuring despite the uncalculated skepticism campaigns.”A 
source meanwhile told al-Anbaa that the report submitted by the Lebanese Army to 
cabinet on the disarmament plan was received by all parties in a positive 
manner. “They lauded the Lebanese Army and its efforts, especially that it 
highlighted a tangible progress and presented numbers and details about what it 
has accomplished and its joint missions with the Mechanism (the U.S.-led 
ceasefire monitoring committee),” the source added.
Pope Leo XIV Calls for Peace Ahead of Trip to Turkey and 
Lebanon
This is Beirut/October 08/2025
Pope Leo XIV marked the second anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel by urging 
an end to hatred and renewed dialogue for peace in the Middle East. Speaking in 
Castel Gandolfo, he reflected on the toll of the ongoing conflict, noting that 
“around 67,000 Palestinians have been killed” since the 2023 assault that killed 
1,200 people. Condemning both terrorism and rising antisemitism, the Pope 
reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to “respect for the dignity of every person” 
and called on the faithful to continue praying for peace. The remarks came as 
the Vatican confirmed the Pope’s upcoming visit to Turkey and Lebanon from 
November 27 to December 2, a trip he said aims to promote unity among Christians 
and bring “a message of peace and hope” to Lebanon’s people. According to 
Vatican News, the visit to Lebanon is primarily intended to bring comfort to a 
nation that, since the Beirut port explosion on August 4, 2020, has endured one 
hardship after another. “In Lebanon,” the Pope explained, “I will have the 
opportunity to once again proclaim the message of peace in the Middle East, in a 
country that has suffered so much. Pope Francis wanted to go there too. He 
wanted to embrace the people of Lebanon after the explosion, after everything 
they’ve endured. We will try to bring this message of peace and hope.”
Hezbollah’s Support Front, One Year On: Between Denial and Confrontation
Bassam Abou Zeid/October 08/2025
On October 8, 2023, Hezbollah entered the support war against Israel alongside 
Hamas, which had launched the Al-Aqsa Flood operation the day before. At the 
time, Hezbollah was at the peak of its military strength, accumulated over 
decades, and many expected it to advance into Israel’s Galilee region.
Hezbollah’s support front ended on November 27, 2024, while the Gaza conflict 
continued. The Iran-backed group emerged severely weakened, having lost nearly 
all its military infrastructure and arsenal, built over decades at the cost of 
billions of dollars.
The material losses were compounded by spectacular assassinations of leaders and 
military officials, bombings of key sites, and the deaths of prominent figures 
including Secretaries-General Hassan Nasrallah and his presumed successor Hashem 
Safieddine. Hezbollah was forced to find ways to limit further losses and avoid 
total collapse. Reports indicate that Iran played a decisive role in persuading 
the group to accept the ceasefire, even if it effectively amounted to a document 
of surrender, believing that preserving Hezbollah in its fragile state was 
better than allowing it to disintegrate and that with Iran’s support the group 
could, in time, rebuild itself. Hezbollah emerged from the support war stripped 
of any legitimacy to retain its weapons, having surrendered that right under the 
ceasefire agreement, which recognized only six official bodies as authorized to 
bear arms in Lebanon. The government of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam nullified all 
previous ministerial statements that had vaguely legitimized Hezbollah’s 
arsenal. The Lebanese Army then drafted a nationwide plan to centralize all 
weapons, effectively dismantling Hezbollah’s geographic presence and leaving it 
without a military foothold south or north of the Litani River — or anywhere 
else in the country. The events of the support war and their aftermath revealed 
that Hezbollah was never grounded in reality. Israel, which the group had long 
dismissed as “weaker than a spider’s web,” penetrated deep into its ranks and 
carried out assassinations and bombings with unprecedented success. It continues 
to assert its dominance daily, targeting Hezbollah officials and remaining 
military infrastructure without facing any effective retaliation. On the 
anniversary of the support war, had Hassan Nasrallah been alive, he might have 
repeated his famous remark from the 2006 July War, “If I had known.” The group’s 
losses in this conflict far exceed those of 2006. Yet instead of using these 
setbacks and the new reality as an opportunity to draw lessons, Hezbollah, 
together with Sheikh Naim Qassem, reinforced a state of denial, returning to a 
rhetoric of invincibility, not against Israel, but against the Lebanese state 
which is determined to assert its sovereignty.
Lebanon awaits pope's visit amid instability and ongoing 
strikes
Naharnet/October 08/2025
Pope Leo XIV has said his first foreign trip, to Turkey and Lebanon next month, 
would provide a historic opportunity to promote Christian unity while bringing a 
message of peace and hope to Lebanon's long-suffering people and the broader 
Middle East.
Leo outlined the trip, announced by the Vatican Tuesday on the anniversary of 
the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in southern Israel, during an encounter with reporters 
as he left the papal country estate south of Rome. Leo will travel first to 
Turkey from Nov. 27-30, then Lebanon from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2. The trip to Turkey 
will include a pilgrimage to Iznik to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the 
Council of Nicea, Christianity's first ecumenical council. The anniversary is an 
important moment in Catholic-Orthodox relations, since the 325 A.D. Nicea 
meeting predates the schisms that divided Christianity's East from West and is 
accepted by Catholic and Orthodox churches alike. Leo told reporters as he left 
the papal retreat in Castel Gandolfo on Tuesday that the anniversary offered "a 
moment of authentic unity in the faith" with Orthodox Christians, "a historic 
moment not to look back but to look forward."Francis had planned to mark it with 
his own trip to Turkey in May at the invitation of Patriarch Bartholomew I, the 
spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians. Francis died in April, and 
Leo said from the start of his pontificate that he intended to fulfill Francis' 
plans.
Christian community in Lebanon
The trip will give the first American pope a chance to speak in broad terms 
about peace in the Middle East and the plight of Christians there. Leo told 
reporters he was also fulfilling a wish of Francis to go to Lebanon to embrace 
its people and bring a message of hope and "peace in the Middle East, and in a 
country that has suffered so much."Francis had long hoped to visit Lebanon, but 
the country's political and economic instability prevented a visit during his 
lifetime. The Mediterranean nation of around 6 million, including more than 1 
million Syrian and Palestinian refugees, has the largest percentage of 
Christians in the Middle East and is the only Arab country with a Christian head 
of state. However, the Vatican fears the country's instability has been 
particularly dangerous for the continued presence of its Christian community, a 
bulwark for the church in the Mideast. Lebanon is currently struggling to 
recover after years of economic crisis and a bruising war between Israel and 
Hezbollah that ended with a U.S. and France-brokered ceasefire in November. 
Formation of a new, reformist government ended a two-year political vacuum and 
brought hopes of recovery but the situation remains tense. Israel has continued 
to occupy five strategic points on the Lebanese side of the border and carry out 
near-daily airstrikes that it says aim to stop Hezbollah from regrouping. 
Hezbollah is under increasing domestic and international pressure to give up its 
remaining arsenal but has refused to do so until Israel withdraws and halts its 
strikes. There are fears of civil conflict if Lebanese authorities attempt to 
forcibly disarm the group.
'A sign of unity for all'
Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, leader of Lebanon's Maronite Church, said 
Lebanon awaited the pope's visit with "great joy and renewed hope." "We hope 
that this apostolic visit to Lebanon will bring peace and stability and be a 
sign of unity for all Lebanese, Christians and Muslims alike, at this critical 
stage in our nation's history," he said in a statement. The last pope to visit 
Lebanon was Pope Benedict XVI in September 2012 on what was the last foreign 
trip of his papacy. About one-third of Lebanon's population is believed to be 
Christian, though there is no official number since there hasn't been an 
official census since 1932. The Maronites are the largest and most powerful sect 
and, by convention, Lebanon's president is always a Maronite Christian.
Tightrope over Mideast issues
The pope's trip was announced as Israel marked the anniversary of the Oct. 7 
attacks and criticized the Vatican for what it considered to be problematic 
comments about the anniversary by the Vatican's top diplomat. In an interview 
with Vatican Media, Cardinal Pietro Parolin had condemned the "inhuman massacre" 
of innocent people in Israel by Hamas and the rise of antisemitism. But he also 
said Israel's razing of Gaza was itself a disproportionate massacre, and called 
on countries to stop supplying Israel weapons to wage the war. In a statement 
Tuesday on X, the Israeli Embassy to the Holy See said Parolin's interview, 
"though surely well-intentioned, risks undermining efforts to both end the war 
in Gaza and counter rising antisemitism." It criticized his "problematic use of 
moral equivalence" by referring to massacres on both sides. Leo declined to 
enter into the dispute on Tuesday. He has consistently called for peace and 
dialogue in the Middle East, especially as Israel's offensive rages on in Gaza, 
and repeated that on Tuesday. He condemned the Oct. 7 attacks as "terrorism" and 
said terrorist groups were unacceptable. But he also cited the 67,000 
Palestinians killed in Israel's war in Gaza as evidence of "how much hatred 
exists in the world." "It makes you think about how much violence and evil 
humans are capable of," he said. "We must reduce hatred, we must return to the 
ability to dialogue, to seek peaceful solutions."
UK prosecutors to appeal dropped 'terrorism' case against 
Kneecap rapper
Agence France Presse/October 08/2025
The UK’s public prosecution body Tuesday said it would appeal a court’s decision 
to drop a charge of supporting "terrorism" brought against a Northern Irish 
singer from rap group Kneecap. "We are appealing the decision to dismiss this 
case as we believe there is an important point of law which needs to be 
clarified," a Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson said, referring to the case 
against Liam O’Hanna, also known by his stage name Mo Chara. O’Hanna had been 
charged under the UK’s terrorism laws for allegedly displaying a flag belonging 
to the banned Lebanese group Hezbollah during a concert in November 2024.
Life at Naqoura port: Fear and silence replace the ‘daily 
catch’
LBCI/October 08/2025
At Naqoura port, the scene is no longer what it once was. Fishermen’s boats sit 
in silence, no longer sailing as before, nor returning with their usual catch.
Israeli attacks continue to strike the town intermittently, and the Israeli army 
maintains a constant presence that spreads fear among the fishermen, whose daily 
routines have been disrupted. Trips have been reduced, schedules altered, and 
some have abandoned the sea entirely as the profession has become increasingly 
risky. Those who still venture out are confined to areas designated by Israeli 
forces. Drones follow every boat, while flares are dropped near fishermen to 
intimidate them. Even the town’s once-bustling local fish market has fallen 
silent. Israel bombed part of it, forcing its closure for an indefinite period. 
For fishermen already struggling under difficult living conditions, their sole 
source of income has been under threat since the start of the war. The 
once-vibrant southern shore, once alive with activity and income-generating 
work, has become a scene of caution and fear.
Lebanon’s justice minister appoints judges to key political 
assassination cases
LBCI/October 08/2025
Lebanon’s Justice Minister, Adel Nassar, has appointed judicial investigators to 
handle high-profile political assassination cases, part of his efforts to end 
impunity in the country. The appointments cover some of the most sensitive and 
notorious cases in recent Lebanese history:
Judge Amira Sabra: assassination of Sheikh Ahmad Assaf.
Judge Fadi Akiki: attempted assassination of engineer Moustafa Maarouf Saad.
Judge Yahya Ghabourah: armed attack in the town of Ehden, which resulted in the 
killing of MP Tony Frangieh, members of his family, and some of his aides.
Judge Joseph Tamer: attempted assassination of former President Camille Chamoun.
Judge Alaa al-Khatib: incidents and clashes in the Bourday area of Baalbek.
Judge Fadi Sawan: assassination of former minister Elie Hobeika.
Judge Samer Younes: assassination of MP Antoine Ghanem and associates.
Judge Kamal Nassar: killing of Sheikh Saleh al-Aridy in the town of Baisour.
Judge Sami Sader: assassination of MP and minister Pierre Amine Gemayel and his 
aide Samir Chartouni.
Judge Samer Lishaa: assassination of journalist Samir Kassir.
Judge Claude Ghanem: assassination of MP and journalist Gebran Ghassan Tueni and 
his associates.
These appointments are seen as a key step in addressing Lebanon’s longstanding 
issues with political violence and holding perpetrators accountable.
Cuba asks Lebanon to support UN resolution calling for an 
end to US blockade
LBCI/October 08/2025
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla requested Lebanon’s support for 
a draft resolution that Cuba plans to submit again at the United Nations General 
Assembly at the end of October. The Cuban foreign minister conveyed in a message 
delivered by Cuba’s ambassador to Lebanon, Jorge León Cruz, that the resolution 
calls for an end to the economic, trade, and financial blockade imposed on Cuba 
by the United States. The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss 
bilateral relations and ways to further develop them.
Samy Gemayel discusses elections and unity of political 
authority with PM Salam
LBCI/October 08/2025
Kataeb Party leader MP Samy Gemayel met with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to 
discuss the latest developments, focusing on the upcoming parliamentary 
elections and the voting rights of expatriates. Gemayel said both sides agreed 
that the government must assume its responsibility by submitting an electoral 
law proposal to parliament to settle the debate over expatriate participation, 
ensuring they can vote for all 128 MPs as in previous elections. He rejected 
proposals to limit expatriates’ voting power to six MPs, calling such ideas 
“illogical” and a means of isolating them from Lebanon’s political life. Gemayel 
also stressed the importance of political unity and cooperation among state 
institutions, describing it as the only path to saving Lebanon and restoring 
state authority. He added that with both a president and a prime minister 
committed to sovereignty and reform, Lebanon now has an opportunity to move 
forward — provided all parties unite to complete the disarmament process, 
eliminate armed militias, and create the stability needed to attract aid, 
investment, and economic recovery.
Who Is Michel Issa, the Businessman Turned Diplomat?
This is Beirut/October 08/2025
Michel Issa is set to take up his post in Beirut as the new US Ambassador to 
Lebanon, following the departure of Lisa A. Johnson, whose term ended on 
September 28, 2025. Appointed by President Donald Trump, Issa represents a 
notable departure from the traditional career diplomat, a businessman and former 
banker stepping into a sensitive diplomatic posting. His nomination was 
announced in March and approved by Congress but was confirmed by the US Senate 
on Tuesday. Issa’s nomination is not a traditional diplomatic appointment. 
Instead of a career envoy, the United States is sending a figure shaped by 
decades in international finance and private enterprise. Born in Lebanon, Issa 
began his academic journey in Paris, where he earned a degree in Economics from 
the University of Paris X Nanterre before pursuing advanced banking studies at 
the Cours d’Études Supérieures de Banques, according to his bio on the US State 
Department website. Fluent in Arabic, English, and French, he brings both 
cultural fluency and a personal connection to Lebanon. Professionally, Issa 
built an extensive two-decade career in international banking, holding senior 
roles at institutions including Crédit Agricole Indosuez in New York, Chase 
Manhattan Bank, and Banco Português do Atlântico in Paris. Renowned for his 
expertise in foreign exchange trading, he led trading operations, developed 
complex financial instruments, and chaired compliance and credit committees 
before retiring from the financial sector in 1999.
That same year, he shifted gears to pursue his passion for automobiles, founding 
a company that acquired Porsche, Audi, and Volkswagen dealerships in the United 
States. Under his leadership, the company achieved over $35 million in annual 
sales and expanded significantly. Today, Issa is president and CEO of Newton 
Investment Group LLC, based in New Jersey. Outside the boardroom, he is known 
for his passion for cars, golf, and tennis—and for a longstanding personal 
relationship with President Donald Trump, with whom he is said to golf 
regularly. With a career spanning finance, entrepreneurship, and now diplomacy, 
Michel Issa’s appointment underscores a broader US trend of drawing from the 
private sector for key foreign policy roles. For Lebanon, his arrival could 
signal a pragmatic approach, one shaped by business insight, global experience, 
and a personal understanding of the country he is returning to.
Lebanon Progressing in Imposing State Monopoly over Arms 
Despite Hezbollah’s Minimal Cooperation
Beirut: Caroline Akoum/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 08/2025
Lebanon is slowly moving forward in implementing its plan to impose state 
monopoly over arms despite Hezbollah’s minimal cooperation and continued 
escalatory stances. Authorities in the country believe the mission won’t be 
simple, but it is not impossible, said ministerial sources. The government 
discussed on Monday the army’s first report on its efforts to impose state 
monopoly and has kept its decisions related to it confidential. The sources 
revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat however that President Joseph Aoun is a “satisfied” 
with the efforts. He received former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid 
Jumblatt and MP Taymour Jumblatt at the presidential palace on Tuesday. 
Following the talks, the former said he was “reassured about the progress 
despite the criticism against the army... the military is carrying out massive 
efforts in the South.”
No cooperation and no confrontation
The sources said Walid Jumblatt’s sentiments reflect Aoun’s. They acknowledged 
persistent obstacles, namely Israel’s continued occupation of some Lebanese 
territories and its daily violations, as well as Hezbollah’s minimal cooperation 
with the military. They explained that the army is dismantling Hezbollah’s 
arsenal in areas south of the Litani River, but the Iran-backed party is not 
cooperating the way it should with it, in that it is not disclosing the location 
of its military facilities, tunnels and weapons caches.“Hezbollah is not 
resisting or confronting the army’s work,” they stated.
The sources noted, however, that some residents of the South have been informing 
the military of the location of some caches. As for tunnels, the army, should it 
find any, has been sealing rather than destroying them, citing an incident in 
August when six soldiers were killed during an explosion while they were 
removing ammunition from a Hezbollah facility.
Hezbollah in crisis
Hezbollah’s refusal to cooperate with the army and lay down its weapons is in 
violation of the ceasefire agreement that was reached in November and that it 
agreed to. Its officials continue to escalate their rhetoric and defy the 
ceasefire and government decision to impose state monopoly over arms. MP Ashraf 
Rifi, a fierce Hezbollah critic, said these positions “reflect the crisis the 
party is going through in that its officials are unable to tell the truth to 
their supporters.”He told Asharq Al-Awsat: “All signs indicate that Iran’s role 
in the region is ending, but Hezbollah is facing a main obstacle that is its 
leadership’s inability to come clean with the truth with their supporters.”“The 
party continues to make escalatory statements because it fears an adverse 
reaction from its supporters who may turn on it, especially with all the 
destruction and losses caused by Israel’s latest war on Lebanon,” he remarked. 
Rifi said the state’s efforts to impose monopoly over weapons “are on the right 
path,” wishing that it would pick up the pace to ease the pressure off Lebanon. 
The Kataeb party welcomed the military’s progress in implementing the 
disarmament plan, echoing Rifi’s call that it should speed up its work 
throughout the country. It also called on the international community to 
pressure Israel to cease its violations against Lebanon. Commenting on 
Hezbollah’s refusal to lay down weapons in regions north of the Litani, the 
Kataeb said: “The party’s abandoning of its arms in the South reflects its 
intention to avoid a fight with Israel, so, what use are the weapons for in 
areas north of the Litani?”“Are they keeping the weapons so that they would 
continue to have power over the Lebanese people and defy the state and 
legitimacy?” it asked. On Monday, Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah declared that 
the party was “not concerned” with the government’s plan to limit possession of 
weapons to the state. He said Hezbollah is a resistance movement and continues 
to be so given Israel’s occupation of Lebanese territories.
The Dr. of Misguided Bets
Sarah Melki/Face Book/October 08/2025
One day, while we were gathered in one of the diaspora cities, one of Samir 
Geagea’s longtime companions appeared someone who, to this very day, holds a 
senior position within the Lebanese Forces party. The meeting included a small 
circle of influential figures and activists concerned with Lebanese affairs.
At one point, one of the attendees asked him: “How do you assess Geagea’s 
repeated failures in various issues?”
His response was telling:
“He’s like a bus driver, he performs regular maintenance as required, makes sure 
the vehicle never runs out of fuel, drives with more caution than necessary, and 
takes every turn smoothly and cleanly. Yet, when he reaches an intersection, he 
chooses the wrong path.”
With that, the conversation ended, and we moved on to another topic.
Based on this metaphor, we offer a brief overview of Geagea’s series of 
misguided choices, which we list as follows:
1. He engaged in the Mountain War before securing support from the Lebanese 
Army.
2. He withdrew from East Sidon without obtaining adequate guarantees, leading to 
a catastrophic outcome and the mass displacement of its Christian inhabitants.
3. He closed the Israeli liaison office in Dbayeh and shifted his focus to Iraq.
4. Alongside Michel Aoun, he obstructed the election of Mikhail Daher, which 
ultimately paved the way for Aoun’s own ascension.
5. He and Aoun allied themselves with Saddam Hussein—the adversary of the 
faction that supported the Christians, and an enemy of the United States.
6. He knowingly or unknowingly facilitated Michel Aoun’s rise to power in 1988.
7. He took part in the Taif Agreement, which was later transformed into a 
constitution, thereby bringing an end to the role of Christians in the entity 
they had founded—after having previously toppled the Tripartite Agreement, which 
was not a constitution but merely an accord.
8- He gravely misjudged the threat posed by Aoun following the signing of the 
Taif Agreement.
9. He surrendered the Lebanese Forces’ weapons without negotiating any 
meaningful concessions in return.
10. He boycotted the 1992 parliamentary elections, further weakening Christian 
representation within the state.
11. He ignored President Elias Hrawi’s advice to leave the country a decision 
that culminated in disaster: the imprisonment of a Christian leader in the 
dungeons of a Syrian security regime, an occurrence unseen in centuries.
12. He either participated in or turned a blind eye to the “Quadripartite 
Agreement,” despite being imprisoned at the time.
13. He abandoned the Orthodox Electoral Law without securing any alternative 
benefit.
14. He later voted for one of the greatest calamities to befall the Christian 
community Michel Aoun.
15. He sidelined the Lebanese Forces’ hardliners without obtaining anything in 
exchange.
16. He supported the election of Joseph Aoun without personally knowing him—as 
he himself admitted—and without reviewing his vision or program, if any existed.
In summary, these missteps form part of a long chain of disappointments and 
misguided decisions.
We leave it to you our readers to comment: either to defend these choices or to 
highlight the additional miscalculations we may have overlooked
@highlight=
Aoun 'May' Intervene to Find a Way Out for the Electoral 
Law
Nidaa Al Watan/October 09/2025 (Translated from Arabic)
More than one issue—electoral, environmental, judicial, and military—is crowding 
the domestic scene, but the parliamentary election law file remains stuck with 
Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri. Berri is refusing to respond to a petition 
signed by sixty-one lawmakers, leaving the parliamentary elections stalled 
between the nearly impossible clause for the six expatriate MPs and the 
rejection of non-resident expatriates voting for all one hundred and 
twenty-eight MPs.
President of the Republic General Joseph Aoun seems insistent on holding the 
elections and reiterates this position to all his visitors. During his reception 
of Charles Fries, Deputy Secretary-General for Peace, Security, and Defence of 
the European External Action Service, at Baabda Palace, he requested the 
European Union's participation in observing the parliamentary elections next 
May. Nidaa Al Watan learned that President Aoun is firm on holding the 
parliamentary elections on time, showing no leniency or slackness on the matter, 
and stressing the need to take logistical measures and preparations. While keen 
on the expatriate community's participation in determining the country's fate, 
he may intervene to find a way out between the divided parliamentary forces at 
the appropriate time.
Army Commander in Qatar
After presenting the monthly report on the application of the exclusive state 
control over weapons plan, Army Commander General Rudolph Hekal began a two-day 
visit to the State of Qatar at the official invitation of Chief of Staff of the 
Qatari Armed Forces Lieutenant General Pilot Jassim bin Mohammed Al Mannai. The 
goal is to enhance cooperation between the Lebanese and Qatari armies in light 
of current challenges.
General Hekal met with Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh 
Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. The Prime Minister and Minister of 
Foreign Affairs affirmed Qatar's continued support for Lebanese state 
institutions, the Lebanese Army, and the Lebanese people. General Hekal, in 
turn, expressed his gratitude for the unconditional Qatari support at all 
levels. The Army Commander also met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of 
State for Defense Affairs Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani. 
Discussions covered the latest developments in Lebanon and the region, the 
missions the Army is carrying out to preserve Lebanon's security and stability 
across all Lebanese territories, as well as its missions in the South and its 
cooperation with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), in 
addition to working on implementing the cessation of hostilities agreement.
General Hekal had started his visit by meeting the Chief of Staff of the Qatari 
Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Jassim bin Mohammed Al Mannai, at the Qatari 
Ministry of Defence, where an official welcoming ceremony and honors were held. 
They then discussed developing cooperation between the armies of the two 
countries at various levels and ways to support the military institution amidst 
the delicate circumstances Lebanon is experiencing.
Minister Shehadeh: "Hezbollah" Does Not Cooperate
Minister of the Displaced and Minister of State for Technology and Artificial 
Intelligence, Kamal Shehadeh, revealed that "the Army Commander presented a 
detailed report at the Council of Ministers session about the first phase of the 
weapons control plan, which spans one to three months, and one-third of that 
time has passed." Shehadeh pointed out that "the Army found some weapons under 
the rubble of demolished buildings, and it takes time to extract them." He added 
that "the latest American initiative provided a significant boost," as 
Washington offered $240 million to support the security forces, of which $195 
million is for the Lebanese Army, which is double what it previously provided. 
He clarified that "the Army has begun the process of containing armed presence 
across all of Lebanon, starting from the eastern and northern borders with Syria 
and around the Palestinian camps," confirming that "the first phase in the South 
is expected to be completed within an additional fifty days." He stated: "Israel 
has not stopped its aggression, but no one outside Hezbollah knows the weapon 
storage locations," noting that the party "did not hand over this information to 
the Army, and there is no cooperation regarding tunnels and traps." He stressed 
that he heard from diplomats that the Israeli strikes will not stop until the 
party hands over its weapons to the Army south of the Litani and that the plan's 
implementation begins north of the Litani, and that "the government's policy is 
clear: complete disarmament."
Council of Ministers and the Waste Crisis
Today, a session of the Council of Ministers will be held at the Grand Serail, 
chaired by President Nawaf Salam. The first item on the agenda is the Jdeideh 
landfill issue. There is talk of reopening the landfill after its expansion, 
despite the opposition of the area's officials and lawmakers.
Judicial Investigators for Political Assassinations
Also on the ministerial front, and in a judicial surprise, Minister of Justice 
Adel Nassar appointed judicial investigators in political assassination cases. 
(Details on page 5)
No Brokerage in the Foreign Ministry
In another ministerial context, the efforts initiated by the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs and Emigrants, under the direct guidance and supervision of Minister 
Youssef Reji, to combat corruption and bribery in the Ministry's Certifications 
Department seem to be bearing fruit. The State Security apparatus, through its 
periodic field procedures and follow-ups in state administrations and 
institutions to fight corruption, has confirmed that there is no longer any 
brokerage or bribes at or around the Ministry's headquarters to push through any 
certification transaction. Instead, there is strict adherence to the 
instructions given in implementation of the Minister's plan, which has been 
described as successful. The State Security apparatus praised the Foreign 
Ministry's measures in this regard and suggested that this model be circulated 
to the rest of the ministries for its transparency and facilitation of citizens' 
affairs, and as a genuine embodiment of the state of law and institutions to 
which we aspire.
The Shiite Exodus (Al-Taghriba Al-Shi’iyya)
Marwan Al-Amin/Nidaa Al Watan/October 09/2025  (Translated from Arabic)
Throughout its modern history, Lebanon has witnessed a wide diversity of 
political forces and militias that have contributed, to varying degrees, to 
shaping its political life, whether through individual action or through a 
series of alliances.
While some of these forces adopted policies and choices that made the interest 
of Lebanon a priority above all else, other forces emerged from cross-border 
ideological backgrounds and political projects, placing their intellectual or 
doctrinal identity above the national interest. Despite the sharp 
contradictions, deep conflicts, and wars that characterized the relationship 
between political forces of various orientations—from leftist and Christian to 
Arab nationalist—each produced an elite of thinkers, writers, poets, and artists 
who enriched the country's cultural and intellectual landscape.
Thus, the conflict in Lebanon was not confined to the fields of politics and 
arms alone, but extended to become a parallel intellectual and cultural battle, 
waged by these forces through a political document, a poem, a novel, or a work 
of political thought, ensuring Lebanon remained an arena where ideas clashed 
alongside rifles.
In contrast, the Hezbollah experience, spanning four decades, appears completely 
different from the experiences of other political forces. Throughout this long 
journey, the "Party" has not produced a prominent writer or poet, nor has its 
experience yielded political documents, a novel, or a theatrical work that 
sparks intellectual or cultural debate in the country, whether among supporters 
or opponents.
This absence may be attributed to the nature of the role for which the "Party" 
was created, as weapons form the essence of its existence and the pillar of its 
political and doctrinal presence. Its function does not take into account the 
Lebanese composition or stem from a final allegiance to Lebanon to incentivize 
it to leave a cultural and intellectual legacy, but rather from an organic link 
to a regional project that transcends state borders. This project serves the 
influence of the Iranian regime and works to eliminate diversity within the 
Shiite sect, linking it to this transnational agenda. Within this equation, the 
incentive for cultural and intellectual production based on debate and pluralism 
is absent, replaced instead by a sectarian fanaticism supported by a surplus of 
power and weapons. Thus, the criterion of power becomes dominance, not 
creativity, and language transforms from a means of expression into a tool of 
loyalty. Reason and dialogue are sidelined in favor of emotion and mobilization, 
leading to a culture that glorifies power and marginalizes thought. The slogans 
raised by Hezbollah supporters, such as “Shi'a, Shi'a, Shi'a” and “Siki Leh Leh” 
(a coarse, sectarian rallying cry), may be the clearest expression of this state 
of intellectual and cultural sterility. These slogans summarize the path of four 
decades of mobilization work based on emotion, instinct, and a reliance on 
force, with a complete absence of thought and creativity.
These slogans bear no relation to the Lebanese identity, which is rich in its 
diversity and openness. Rather, they entirely contradict the ancient cultural 
legacy of the Shiite community, especially in Jabal Amel (South Lebanon), which 
throughout history was a beacon of knowledge, literature, religious 
jurisprudence, and intellectualism. However, since its founding, the "Party" has 
worked to alienate the Shiites from their civilizational heritage, replacing the 
culture of Ijtihad (independent reasoning) and debate with a culture of 
obedience and monolithic isolation, and transforming the community from an 
environment productive of thought and art into a mobilized bloc managed by a 
slogan-based discourse that consecrates power and excludes reason. Thus, a loud 
voice becomes a substitute for an idea, and emotion a substitute for awareness, 
in a scene that reflects the moral, intellectual, and cultural decline that has 
afflicted the Shiite component, under the cloak of a project that neither 
resembles it nor is connected to its heritage and pluralistic spirit.
Bye Bye "Hamas"
Imad Moussa / Nidaa Al Watan/October 09/2025 (Translated from Arabic)
The "Party's" storyteller put President Donald Trump's plan for Gaza on the 
dissection and study table and concluded that it is full of "grave dangers" and 
aims to "strip the resistance of its elements of strength, and it is an Israeli 
plan in an American guise"—a stunning discovery on par with the discovery of 
penicillin. The malicious plan is also an "attempt to enable Israel to achieve 
its goals through politics after failing to do so through aggression, genocide, 
and famine." This language is consistent with the "Party's" narratives and 
literature. Oh God, how wonderful are the elements of strength we tried in the 
war of support, the result of which was that instead of heading towards 
Jerusalem, the occupation came back and "stuck" (referring to the Israeli 
presence).
Before the public could enjoy the elements of strength and rejoice in the 
storyteller's heroism, the same "Party", emerging from the victory of the 
Raouche, issued a statement 24 hours after his assistant secretary-general's 
speech, affirming support "for the position taken by the Islamic Resistance 
Movement [Hamas], in consultation with the rest of the Palestinian resistance 
factions, regarding US President Donald Trump's (may his shadow endure) plan to 
stop the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip."
"Gaza will have a peaceful civilian administration run neither by Hamas nor the 
Palestinian Authority" was stated in His Excellency the American President's 
plan. Meanwhile, the Barack plan did not address the "Party's" role as a 
component of the political system but stressed the exclusivity of weapons in the 
hands of state agencies, and granted the Lebanese authority full confidence. 
President Mahmoud Abbas ended up neither here nor there.
Trump's plan for Gaza and the humiliation it entails for "Hamas" is supported by 
the "Party."
And the Barack plan, which gave Lebanon an opportunity to recover, restore 
sovereignty, reconnect with its surroundings, settle its problems with its 
neighbor Syria, and erase the effects of aggression, is considered submission 
and surrender to the American Taghout (tyrant/idol). More importantly, Trump's 
plan for Gaza speaks of "destroying all military, terrorist, and offensive 
infrastructure, including tunnels and weapons production facilities, which will 
not be rebuilt. There will be a process for disarming Gaza under the supervision 
of independent observers, which will include permanently taking weapons out of 
use..."
The bitter irony is that the "Party" considered Hamas's approval of the American 
plan to stem from its keenness to stop the "brutal" Israeli aggression on the 
sector's residents, while also reflecting its adherence to the constants of the 
Palestinian cause and its rejection of any relinquishment of the rights of the 
Palestinian people. Therefore, to be consistent with itself, let the "Party" 
hand over its weapons to the state out of a keenness to stop the "brutal" 
aggression, and let it adhere to its constants forever. In short, the Trump plan 
(the personal friend of colleague Charles Jabbour) eliminated any role for Hamas 
in Gaza. It won't even play an extra. Thus, in the final analysis, Hamas has 
agreed, or is close to it. The "Party" agreed to what Hamas agreed to. Once 
again, damn your stupidity, individually and collectively.
What Awaits Pope Leo XIV in Lebanon
Alberto M. Fernandez/National Catholic Register/October 07/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/10/148052/
COMMENTARY: To call for peace in Lebanon, much less for 'positive and active 
neutrality,' is to signal clear opposition to the perpetual war and revolution 
axis.
That Pope Leo would add Lebanon to his first international trip is a signal of 
both the country’s importance and crisis situation.
Lebanon may not be very important on the world stage. But what gives it weight 
in the Vatican is that it is indeed a real bastion of Eastern Christianity, 
especially Catholic Christianity. With a Christian percentage of “only” 37% of 
the population, it has an influential critical mass of Christians within the 
population as a whole not seen anywhere else in the Middle East. And in a not 
insignificant part of Lebanon — from Bsharre in the north to East Beirut in the 
south, from the coast to Zahleh — Christians are still the overwhelming majority 
of the population, something which is tangible in the store and street signs, 
sidewalk shrines and numerous churches of this region.
But the great issue or crisis in Lebanon is not Muslim-Christian relations. 
Those relations exist and have tended to be mostly cordial. Lebanon’s problem is 
sectarian only to the extent that it reflects much more dire political divisions 
in the country.
On one side are those Lebanese who want to see their country flourish as a 
normal country at peace with itself and neutral from the violent conflicts that 
have wracked the region for decades. Lebanon’s Maronite Catholic Patriarch 
Bechara Rai, the country’s most influential churchman, has called for “an active 
and positive stance of neutrality.” Cardinal Rai explained that “positive 
neutrality is a political doctrine that avoids alignment with conflicting 
regional or international blocs while remaining committed to just causes 
globally, such as the right of peoples to independence.” Put more bluntly, the 
patriarch wishes the Palestinian people every success. But he doesn’t want to 
see Lebanon sacrificed on an altar of perpetual war and turmoil for foreign 
causes, whether that is under the banner of Palestine or Iran or anyone else.
In stark opposition to this axis of positive neutrality epitomized by the 
patriarch and many other Lebanese, Christian and Muslim is another axis that one 
might dub the axis of perpetual revolution represented by the Iranian-supported 
terror group Hezbollah and its political and armed allies in Lebanon, which 
include both Muslims and some Christians. The axis of perpetual revolution is 
the latest iteration of a calamity inflicted upon Lebanon — often with some very 
real Lebanese acquiescence — for more than 50 years. First it was Lebanon as a 
platform for revolution in the Arab world and war against Israel. Beirut was 
called the Hanoi or Stalingrad of the Arabs. Lebanon — or that considerable part 
of it that was not controlled by Lebanese Christians — was a hostage to the 
Palestinian nationalist cause, which would then morph into being a hostage to 
Syrian Assad regime aspirations and finally into serving as a hostage to Iranian 
regional ambitions. Arafat, Assad, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had 
different visions, but the impact on Lebanon was the same: to make the country 
into a tool for others, for their statecraft and violence.
To call for peace in Lebanon, much less for “positive and active neutrality” is 
to signal clear opposition to the perpetual war and revolution axis. That is the 
great divide in Lebanon, not necessarily religion. There have been Christians 
who, either out of conviction or deep cynicism and self-interest, favored the 
Hezbollah-led axis, such as former President Michel Aoun and his party. And 
there are Christians that never did.
Some Christians, like former minister and parliamentarian Pierre Amine Gemayel, 
paid the ultimate price of assassination for their opposition to the war party. 
But Mohammad Chatah, a former minister and Sunni Muslim, and Lokman Selim, a 
Shiite Muslim political activist and publisher, were also assassinated because 
of their brave opposition to the perpetual war party led by Hezbollah and his 
allies.
So, amid the flurry of diplomatic protocol, official meetings and religious 
events associated with a papal visit, the Holy Father will face the challenge of 
clearly communicating and supporting two causes: solidarity and support for 
Lebanon’s historic Christian community and support for peace, tranquility and 
neutrality for all Lebanese. The two causes overlap.
Lebanon’s economic crisis, which sees large numbers of young Christians emigrate 
in search of a better future, is intimately connected to its political crisis, 
which is directly linked to the distortions caused in the country by the war 
party.
All of Lebanon’s other problems — the need for an Israeli withdrawal, the 
rebuilding of the South, the fight against corruption, social justice, religious 
tolerance — are ameliorated by a rearranging of the status quo and a moving away 
from the cycle of constant war and the political economic corruption that comes 
from Hezbollah as being an army of its own and a state within a state.
A papal message calling for this type of change is not only aligned with the 
foreign policy of the West towards Lebanon, but also that of most Arab Muslim 
states, and the hopes of most Lebanese, Christian and Muslim.
https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/pope-leo-xiv-lebanon-alberto-fernandez
**Alberto M. Fernandez Alberto M. Fernandez is a former U.S. diplomat and a 
contributor at EWTN News.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published 
on October 08-09/2025
Carney returns to Ottawa without a deal to 
end the U.S. tariffs
The Canadian Press/October 08/2025
WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Mark Carney returns to Ottawa today without any 
deals to remove U.S. tariffs from Canadian goods, but he is leaving two of his 
key ministers behind to keep pressing Canada's case. Carney met with U.S. 
President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday afternoon, the second such 
meeting between the two leaders in less than six months. Trump told reporters 
ahead of that meeting that Carney was going to walk away "very happy" but showed 
no signs of relenting on tariffs and no deal was announced. Canada-U.S. Trade 
Minister Dominic LeBlanc told reporters at a press conference following the 
meeting that substantial progress was made and there is now momentum to make 
deals that wasn't there before Tuesday. He said Carney and Trump directed their 
teams to move quickly on sector-specific trade deals beginning with steel, 
aluminum and energy.
LeBlanc and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand will both stay in Washington 
today for further meetings, including a planned conversation between Anand and 
Secretary of State Marco Rubio.5.
Trump says he may go to the Middle East for Gaza deal
Reuters/October 08, 2025
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he may travel to the 
Middle East this weekend as his negotiators seek to seal a Gaza 
hostages-for-ceasefire deal. Trump said at the White House that a deal is “very 
close,” and that he may depart Saturday for the region. He spoke after talking 
to his team about the talks. Negotiators have been meeting in Egypt to try to 
complete an agreement. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected 
to attend a ministerial meeting to be held on Thursday in Paris with European, 
Arab and other states to discuss Gaza’s post-war transition, three diplomatic 
sources said on Wednesday. The meeting, to be held in parallel with indirect 
talks between Israel and Hamas in Egypt on US President Donald Trump’s plan for 
Gaza, is intended to discuss how the plan would be implemented and assess 
countries’ collective commitments to the process. According to a note sent to 
delegates, the meeting will follow up a conference on a “two-state solution” at 
the United Nations and is intended to agree on joint actions to make a 
contribution to the US plan for Gaza. The two-state solution would involve an 
independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. Countries attending on Thursday 
will include France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain, Canada, and other regional 
countries. The note had said Washington’s participation would depend on advances 
in the negotiations in Egypt. A European diplomatic source said it was vital to 
have the United States present. An Italian diplomatic source underlined the 
importance of supporting Trump’s plan, which was “the only one possible.” A 
French diplomatic source said the United States and Israel had been kept up to 
date with plans for the meeting and the agenda would include humanitarian aid 
for Gaza and the enclave’s reconstruction, disarmament of Hamas and support for 
the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian security forces. The US Embassy in 
Paris was not immediately available for comment.
Top Officials from US and Qatar Join Talks Aimed at 
Brokering Peace in Gaza
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 08/2025
US President Donald Trump’s top adviser for the Middle East and other senior 
officials joined the third day of peace talks between Israel and Hamas in an 
Egyptian resort on Wednesday, a sign that negotiators aim to dive deeply into 
the toughest issues of an American plan to end the war in Gaza. Hamas says it's 
seeking firm guarantees from Trump and mediators that Israel won't resume its 
military campaign in the Palestinian territory after the group releases all the 
remaining hostages. All sides have expressed optimism for a deal to end the 
two-year war that has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and most of 
the Gaza Strip destroyed. But key parts of the peace plan still haven't been 
agreed to, including a requirement that Hamas disarm, the timing and extent of 
an Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza, and the creation of an international body 
to run the territory after Hamas steps down. Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve 
Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, arrived Wednesday at Sharm el-Sheikh 
for the discussions, as did Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin 
Abdulrahman Al Thani, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s top 
adviser, Ron Dermer. Representatives from fringe armed groups, the Popular Front 
for the Liberation of Palestine, or PFLP, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which 
holds an unknown number of Israeli hostages, are scheduled to arrive later 
Wednesday, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because 
they weren't authorized to speak to the media. Their attendance underscores the 
aim of the talks to encompass all Palestinian groups. As Qatari, Egyptian and US 
mediators met with both sides in preliminary talks on Wednesday morning, a 
senior Hamas official, Taher Nounou, said the group has provided a list of 
Palestinian prisoners it wants released from Israel in return for hostages in 
Gaza as part of the deal. 
Trump’s peace plan 
The plan calls for an immediate ceasefire and release of the 48 hostages that 
fighters in Gaza still hold from their surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 
2023, that started the war and triggered Israel's devastating retaliation. 
Around 20 of the hostages are believed to still be alive. It envisions Israel 
withdrawing its troops from Gaza after Hamas disarms, and an international 
security force moving in. The territory would be placed under international 
governance, with Trump and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair overseeing it. 
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Wednesday in televised comments 
that the negotiations so far “were very encouraging.” Netanyahu has accepted 
Trump’s plan. His office said Tuesday that Israel was “cautiously optimistic,” 
framing the talks as technical negotiations over a plan that both sides already 
had approved. In a statement Tuesday, Hamas reiterated its longstanding demands 
for a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, but said 
nothing about disarmament, a step it has long resisted. Hamas has also spoken 
against the idea of international rule, though it has agreed it will have no 
role in governing post-war Gaza. Speaking in Sharm el-Sheikh, Khalil al-Hayya, 
Hamas’ top negotiator, told Egypt’s Qahera TV that the group wanted solid 
guarantees from Trump and mediators that the war “will not return.” It appeared 
to be his first public appearance since an Israeli strike targeting him and 
other top Hamas leaders in Qatar last month killed six people, including his son 
and office manager.  In January, the two sides had a ceasefire that brought 
the release of some Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by 
Israel. Under the agreement, which Trump and Witkoff played a major role in 
brokering, the two sides were then supposed to enter negotiations over a 
long-term truce, an Israeli withdrawal and a full hostage release. But Israel 
broke the ceasefire in March, resuming its campaign of bombardment and 
offensives, saying it aimed to pressure Hamas for the remaining hostage 
releases. Past rounds of negotiations have frequently fallen apart over the same 
obstacle, with Hamas demanding assurances of the war's end and Netanyahu vowing 
to keep fighting until the group is destroyed. The Trump plan attempts to 
resolve all the issues at once, by laying out Hamas disarmament and a post-war 
scenario for governing the territory with provisions for a major reconstruction 
campaign. Islamic Jihad leader Ziad Nakhaleh said that a prisoners’ exchange can 
happen “in the next few days,” removing any pretext for Israel to mount any 
further attacks. But he warned in a televised statement to Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen 
TV that Israel and its allies shouldn’t expect the Palestinians to “succumb to 
their conditions and dictation after all the sacrifices.” Senior Hamas official 
Izzat al-Rishq said that the participation of the Qatari prime minister and top 
intelligence officials from Türkiye and Egypt give the talks “a strong boost 
toward achieving positive results” while “narrowing Netanyahu’s room for 
maneuver to continue the aggression and sabotage the negotiations.” 
Praying for a deal 
In the Hamas-led attack two years ago, fighters stormed into southern Israel and 
killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251. Most hostages 
have since been released in ceasefires or other deals. A growing number of 
experts, including those commissioned by a UN body, have said that Israel’s 
offensive in Gaza amounts to genocide — an accusation Israel denies. More than 
67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and nearly 170,000 wounded, 
according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, which doesn’t differentiate 
between civilians and combatants but says around half of the deaths were women 
and children, is part of the Hamas-run government. The United Nations and many 
independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of 
wartime casualties. The ministry said Wednesday that the bodies of 10 people 
killed by Israeli strikes had been brought to local hospitals over the past 24 
hours. Hospitals also received 61 wounded, it said in its daily report. In the 
Gaza Strip, where much of the territory lies in ruins, Palestinians are 
desperate for a breakthrough. Thousands fleeing Israel’s latest ground offensive 
in northern Gaza and Gaza City have set up makeshift tents along the beach in 
the central part of the territory, sometimes using blankets for shelter. “There 
is no food, nor good water, and blockage of crossings,” said Um Sulaiman Abu 
Afash, a displaced woman from Gaza City. “Our kids sleep in the streets. We buy 
drinking water. Where do we go? There’s no mercy.” Sara Rihan, a displaced woman 
from Jabaliya, said she was praying for an end to the war. “I hope we return to 
our places and homes even if there are no homes,” she said. “Our existence in 
our land is the biggest happiness for us.” 
Report: Rubio to Attend Paris Meeting on Gaza Transition
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 08/2025
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to attend a ministerial meeting to 
be held on Thursday in Paris with European, Arab and other states to discuss 
Gaza's post-war transition, three diplomatic sources said on Wednesday. The 
meeting, to be held in parallel with indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in 
Egypt on US President Donald Trump's plan for Gaza, is intended to discuss how 
the plan would be implemented and assess countries' collective commitments to 
the process. According to a note sent to delegates, the meeting will follow up a 
conference on a "two-state solution" at the United Nations and is intended to 
agree on joint actions to make a contribution to the US plan for Gaza. The 
two-state solution would involve an independent Palestinian state alongside 
Israel. Countries attending on Thursday will include France, Britain, Germany, 
Italy, Spain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, 
Türkiye and Canada. The note had said Washington's participation would depend on 
advances in the negotiations in Egypt. A European diplomatic source said it was 
vital to have the United States present. An Italian diplomatic source underlined 
the importance of supporting Trump's plan, which was "the only one possible".A 
French diplomatic source said the United States and Israel had been kept up to 
date with plans for the meeting and the agenda would include humanitarian aid 
for Gaza and the enclave's reconstruction, disarmament of Hamas and support for 
the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian security forces. The US Embassy in 
Paris was not immediately available for comment.
Egyptian Source: First Phase of Gaza Deal Could Be Sealed 
by Friday
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 08/2025
A well-informed Egyptian source said the first phase of US President Donald 
Trump’s plan for Gaza could be finalized before Friday if the positive 
atmosphere currently surrounding the Sharm el-Sheikh negotiations continues. The 
source told Asharq Al-Awsat that progress in the Egyptian-hosted talks will 
determine the pace of the process, which could stretch for several more days if 
obstacles arise that disrupt the current momentum. “The agenda has been agreed 
upon regarding the exchange of prisoners and detainees, and discussions are 
underway to review withdrawal maps from Gaza City, Khan Younis, and Deir al-Balah, 
with potential extensions to other areas,” the source said. He noted that Hamas 
is pressing hard on the prisoner file to secure a domestic win by obtaining the 
release of senior figures such as Abdullah Barghouti, Marwan Barghouti, and 
Hassan Salameh. However, he added that it was “too early to say” whether such 
demands would be met, given the sustained pressure from Trump, who is expected 
to receive regular briefings on the negotiations and their outcomes. The same 
Egyptian source predicted that a preliminary agreement could be reached on 
Thursday or Friday and announced by Trump, though “if obstacles persist, the 
decision could be delayed until Sunday at the latest.”The main hurdle, the 
source said, remains the ongoing Israeli military operation. “Hamas is 
discussing the logistical requirements needed to hand over hostages and is 
pushing for time and guarantees, such as the removal of barriers, troop 
withdrawals, flight suspensions, or the release of prisoners held by other 
factions,” he explained.The source expected the first phase to last no longer 
than a week, possibly concluding by Friday or earlier. Later stages - dealing 
with more complex issues such as Hamas’s weapons - are likely to require greater 
effort and US pressure to reach compromises or partial understandings. 
Meanwhile, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told a press 
conference in Doha on Tuesday that the Sharm el-Sheikh negotiations included 
“detailed talks that lasted four hours,” adding that outcomes are expected “in 
the coming days.”He said a Qatari delegation is participating closely in the 
talks, working toward an agreement that extends beyond the first phase. “Our 
focus is to reach a practical plan that avoids obstacles Israel could use as a 
pretext to resume its aggression,” al-Ansari said. Egyptian state-run al-Qahera 
News reported on Tuesday that indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel 
continued for a second day, describing the atmosphere as “positive so far.”The 
discussions are centered on three main aspects of Trump’s first-phase plan: 
establishing mechanisms for the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for 
Palestinian prisoners; setting out arrangements for a ceasefire and phased 
Israeli withdrawal from Gaza; and ensuring sufficient humanitarian aid reaches 
the enclave to ease the suffering of its population. The indirect talks, which 
began Monday in Egypt, bring together delegations from Israel and Hamas to 
discuss prisoner exchanges, a ceasefire, and humanitarian access to Gaza as part 
of Trump’s peace initiative for the Middle East. Trump unveiled the 20-point 
plan on Sep. 29, outlining steps for releasing Israeli hostages in Gaza, halting 
the fighting, and disarming Hamas.
Israel’s Ben-Gvir Calls for ‘Gaza Victory’ at Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound 
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 08/2025
Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the 
flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem on Wednesday and called on Prime 
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pursue "complete victory" over Hamas in Gaza. In 
a video on the edge of one of the most sensitive sites in the Middle East, Ben-Gvir 
said that two years after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that triggered the 
Gaza war, Israel was "winning" at the Jerusalem compound known to Jews as Temple 
Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. "Every house in Gaza has a picture 
of the Temple Mount, and today, two years later, we are winning on the Temple 
Mount. We are the owners of the Temple Mount," Ben-Gvir said in the video 
released by his Jewish Power party. "I only pray that our prime minister will 
allow a complete victory in Gaza as well – to destroy Hamas, with God's help we 
will return the hostages, and we will win a complete victory," Ben-Gvir said. 
His remarks were released as Israel and Palestinian group Hamas are deep in 
indirect negotiations in Egypt to release all remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza 
and end the war there. Ben-Gvir, known as a hardliner well before he helped 
Netanyahu form the most right-wing coalition government in Israel's history, 
heads the pro-settler, nationalist-religious Jewish Power party. He has 
previously threatened to quit Netanyahu's government unless Hamas is utterly 
destroyed. The Al-Aqsa compound, in Jerusalem's walled Old City, is Islam's 
third holiest site and the most sacred in Judaism. Under a delicate decades-old 
"status quo" arrangement with Muslim authorities, the Al-Aqsa compound is 
administered by a Jordanian religious foundation and Jews can visit but may not 
pray there. Ben-Gvir has previously challenged those rules, prompting Netanyahu 
to issue statements saying Israel was committed to the status quo there. 
Suggestions that Israel would alter rules at the Al-Aqsa compound have sparked 
outrage in the Muslim world and ignited violence in the past.
Turkish FM Says Sides Are Close to a Gaza Ceasefire Agreement
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 08/2025
Talks on bringing an end to the war in Gaza are on the verge of reaching a 
ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said 
Wednesday. Turkish, Qatari, Egyptian and US mediators are working to realize an 
American plan that calls for an immediate ceasefire and the release of Israeli 
hostages and Palestinian prisoners. “If an agreement is reached today, a 
ceasefire will be declared,” Fidan told a news conference in Ankara with Syrian 
Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani. Fidan earlier said that “a lot of progress 
has been achieved so far” in the negotiations. “What is good news is that the 
parties have showed great will for the release of the prisoners and the 
hostages,” he added. All sides have expressed optimism for a deal to end the 
two-year war that has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and most of 
Gaza destroyed. But key parts of the peace plan still haven’t been agreed, 
including a requirement that Hamas disarm, the timing and extent of an Israeli 
troop withdrawal from Gaza, and the creation of an international body to run the 
territory after Hamas steps down. Fidan told reporters that technical details 
were “being discussed at the moment,” adding that “if the positive views are 
heard today, the necessary steps will be taken for the first part of the 
agreement.”The two ministers also discussed security in Syria — an issue that 
neighboring Türkiye takes a keen interest in. Al-Shaibani criticized the 
Kurdish-led and US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, for delaying the 
implementation of an agreement made in March for them to integrate into Syria’s 
new military. The SDF has recently clashed with security forces around the 
northern city of Aleppo. “The SDF has taken it very slowly in making the right 
steps,” he said. “Any delay in terms of implementing this agreement will only 
serve for further losses and we will have huge trouble in fighting 
terrorism.”Both al-Shaibani and Fidan attacked Israel’s involvement in Syria, 
with the Syrian minister saying Israel’s “aggression still jeopardizes our 
safety and security.” Tensions soared between Israel and Syria following the 
overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December, when Israeli forces 
seized control of the UN-patrolled buffer zone in Syria set up under the 1974 
agreement and carried out airstrikes. Al-Shaibani on Wednesday reiterated Syrian 
calls to return to the 1974 boundaries. Israel stepped up its intervention when 
violence erupted in Syria’s Sweida province in July between Bedouin clans and 
government forces on one side and armed groups from the Druze minority on the 
other.
Tehran Losing Rounds in Iraq, but Not the War Yet
London: Ali Saray/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 08/2025
Two years ago, Iraq’s armed factions were eager to make their presence felt in 
the “Al-Aqsa Flood” scenes. That enthusiasm faded in the months after October 
2023 amid what officials described as highly complex negotiations between the 
government and those groups to keep Iraq out of the war.
There is no evidence that Iran has lost Iraq entirely, as it did in Syria. But 
it has begun to lose round after round to the Americans in Baghdad’s arena, 
while its proxies have grown accustomed to living peacefully alongside “the two 
most dangerous men in the world these days, Donald Trump and Benjamin 
Netanyahu,” as a former Iraqi minister put it. Politicians in Baghdad cite three 
“boxing rounds” that the Americans have won over the Iranians: the release of 
Israeli researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov from Kataib Hezbollah custody without a 
deal; the withdrawal of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) law that was ready 
for a parliamentary vote; and, before that, a long truce with US forces even 
during the 12-day US-Israeli attacks on Iran. Two years after the “Unity of 
Fronts” declaration and following Hamas’s Oct. 7 operation, Iraq’s factions were 
missing from the closing scenes of the “Flood.” For many, that is good news — 
for now.
Searching for “Plan B”
A Shiite politician who recently visited Tehran returned to Baghdad with a vague 
outlook ahead of campaign season for the November 2025 parliamentary elections. 
The politician, who officially launched his campaign on Oct. 3, said Tehran is 
looking for a “Plan B” to avoid a knockout blow. “It may surprise many with what 
it has in store,” he said, suggesting Iran might “make up for Syria 
elsewhere.”Shiite politicians in Baghdad, he added, have a habit of “reading the 
election book in a language the Iranians understand.”But how accurate is such a 
forecast? There is no clear metric to measure Iranian influence in Iraq. 
Analysts remain divided over whether it has diminished to the point that, after 
Syria’s “domino” fell, its allied groups in Iraq have also tumbled. In reality, 
Iraqi public opinion — and the partisan instruments that shape it — often 
revolve around narratives that are constructed, improvised, or deliberately 
ambiguous.
Factions Ask, Iran Doesn’t Answer
Reports of a possible war against Iran have put Baghdad’s factions under 
pressure. According to sources, leaders of several groups met in late September 
2025 and sent a consultation request to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 
(IRGC) seeking guidance on what to expect if war breaks out. A senior member of 
a faction recently added to a US terrorism list said Tehran has yet to respond. 
At the same time, an IRGC team tasked with managing Shiite electoral alliances 
in Iraq has been holding meetings with figures in the Coordination Framework 
coalition. Cross-cutting sources described the team as “Iran’s election 
committee,” overseeing the distribution of Shiite parties across competing lists 
— a group that previously engineered influential coalitions in past parliaments. 
But this “expert” committee failed to convince Shiite party leaders to implement 
Tehran’s proposed blueprint to merge lists or reshuffle candidates in key 
constituencies across central and southern Iraq. Some Shiite figures accused of 
defying Iranian directives belong to resistance factions that briefly joined the 
“Al-Aqsa Flood” front before retreating to the “backyard,” seeking new sources 
of leverage.
Empty Spaces
In cities liberated from ISIS, Sunni parties are running relatively stable 
campaigns. Many sense that the loosening of Iran’s grip has allowed them to move 
more freely — though few dare say so aloud. There are visible efforts to remain 
cautious and avoid provoking the “Axis of Resistance.”Former parliament speaker 
Mohammed al-Halbousi — ousted in 2023 by a Tehran-aligned coalition — is now 
staging a strong comeback. His associates attribute that to “personal skill and 
precise calculation,” though it also reflects his use of spaces left vacant by 
waning Iranian influence, whether by design or under US pressure. Still, Sunni 
rivals seeking to counter Halbousi need alliances with Shiite power brokers to 
secure political “horses to bet on.” In Nineveh, Salahuddin, and Kirkuk, several 
Sunni figures are shaping their lists in coordination with factions loyal to 
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. For that reason, Iraq’s “empty” spaces may 
be little more than a mirage. According to a Shiite politician, powerful 
factions recently received Iranian requests to help relocate activities of 
allied groups from other “resistance” countries to Baghdad — and that has 
already begun. Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Ali Larijani, secretary-general 
of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, is overseeing arrangements to 
assist Tehran’s war-strained proxies. Larijani was recently in Beirut, where he 
said before departing: “Hezbollah is quickly regaining strength and will shift 
the balance.”
“Bin Laden’s Fate Is Not Inevitable”Four Iraqi factions — Harakat al-Nujaba, 
Kataib Imam Ali, Ansar Allah al-Awfiya, and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada — were 
recently added to the US State Department’s list of Foreign Terrorist 
Organizations, bringing Iraq’s total to six.
A few years ago, that same list included al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
Asaib Ahl al-Haq was designated in 2020, while Kataib Hezbollah has been listed 
since 2009. Both groups still hold seats and cabinet posts in parliament and 
government. “You don’t have to share bin Laden’s fate just because you’re on 
that list,” said a former Iraqi minister who served in Adel Abdul Mahdi’s 
2018–2019 government. “Iran-backed groups are now learning to coexist with the 
world’s two most dangerous men — Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu.”In 
Baghdad, voices within Shiite parties have begun to ask whether the US president 
is deliberately delaying Israeli strikes in Iraq, leveraging American pressure 
on the government and decision-makers to sever ties with Tehran. “Will Trump 
Protect Us from Netanyahu?”The same former minister, who asked not to be named, 
said Washington has won battles inside Tehran because Iraqis responded to 
pressure at a moment of Iranian confusion. “For months,” he added, “Shiite 
factions have been asking: Will Trump really protect us from Netanyahu? It 
appears so.” He sees signs of the “Plan B” Iran is developing: “New Shiite 
political players who stayed out of the Al-Aqsa Flood fallout are now trying to 
rebrand themselves — updating their radical image with a civilian face to escape 
the danger zone.”It’s like a man standing in a sniper’s sights, a laser dot 
fixed on his chest. He cannot move right or left — any motion could be fatal. 
The sniper will not tire as long as the target remains frozen. “What if the 
target changes his face, name, and behavior?” the former minister asked. “Some 
militia leaders are now toying with the idea of returning weapons to storage and 
shaving their beards — which could make them very useful to both Washington and 
Tehran.”A Shiite politician close to the scene agrees: “A militia commander 
thinking that far ahead will be valuable to Iran once the storm calms.” He added 
that “four years with Trump is a long time — and even longer with Netanyahu. 
Survival demands change.” Autumn nights are settling over Baghdad amid a blazing 
election summer. Even as talk grows of a new Iran-Israel war, militia leaders 
who once spread out maps of Tel Aviv to plan rocket strikes are now opening 
their offices to liberal and secular elites — for long conversations about 
elections whose intrigue has already begun.
Palestinian man shot dead by Israeli settler in West Bank 
near Ramallah
Arab News/October 09, 2025
LONDON: A 26-year-old man was killed on Wednesday evening when an Israeli 
settler opened fire on a group of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, east 
of Ramallah. Jihad Mohammed Ajaj was shot on a main road between the towns of 
Deir Jarir and Silwad. He was taken to the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah 
but could not be saved, the Palestinian Wafa news agency reported. Fathi Hamdan, 
the head of Deir Jarir Council, said the settler had stopped Palestinian 
vehicles on the road before shooting at a group of people who approached him. 
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said Ajaj was hit by several bullets, and 
two other people were wounded, one in the groin and the other in the abdomen. 
Attacks by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank have increased sharply 
since October 2023. They have blocked roads used by Palestinians, targeted 
private and commercial properties, and sabotaged agricultural land in a number 
of places over the past two years. Ajaj is the 13th Palestinian killed by 
Israeli settlers this year, and the 34th since Oct. 7, 2023, Wafa said.
Number of Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody 
surpasses 11,100
Arab News/October 08, 2025
ng-term prisoners are 17 individuals incarcerated since before the 1993 Oslo 
Accord
LONDON: The total number of Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody exceeded 
11,100 in October, as reported by prisoners’ institutions on Wednesday. It is 
the highest number since the outbreak of the Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000 and nearly 
twice the figure prior to October 2023, when there were about 5,250 Palestinian 
prisoners in Israeli jails. Among the long-term prisoners are 17 individuals 
incarcerated since before the 1993 Oslo Accords. This group includes Ibrahim Abu 
Mokh, Ibrahim Bayadseh, Ahmad Abu Jaber and Samir Abu Na’meh, all detained since 
1986, the Wafa news agency reported. There are 350 prisoners serving life 
sentences or awaiting verdicts for life terms. Among them, Abdullah Al-Barghouthi 
is serving the longest sentence, with 67 life terms, followed by Ibrahim Hamed 
who has 54 life terms. There are 131 prisoners serving sentences of 10 to 20 
years and 166 prisoners serving sentences of 21 to 30 years. Among the 
prisoners, there are 53 females, including three from Gaza and two girls. 
Additionally, more than 400 child prisoners are being held in Ofer and Megiddo 
prisons. The Israeli Prison Service reports that about 3,380 prisoners are 
detained without trial as of October. Additionally, there are 3,544 individuals 
held under administrative detention, which allows Israeli authorities to 
imprison people without charge or trial for a six-month period that can be 
renewed indefinitely.
Who are the prominent Palestinians held in Israeli jails?
Reuters/October 08, 2025
JERUSALEM: A senior Hamas official said on Wednesday that negotiators from his 
group and Israel had exchanged lists of prisoners and hostages who would be 
released should a deal be reached during the ongoing Gaza ceasefire talks in 
Egypt.
Following are some of the most prominent Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. 
It is not yet clear if any of them will be released: Abdullah Al-Barghouti: He 
was sentenced to 67 life terms in 2004 by an Israeli military court for his 
involvement in a series of suicide attacks in 2001 and 2002 that killed dozens 
of Israelis. A father of three, he was born in Kuwait in 1972. In 1996, he moved 
with his family to live in Beit Rima village near Ramallah in the West Bank. 
Ibrahim Hamed: He was handed 54 life terms after he was arrested in 2006 in 
Ramallah. He is accused by Israel of planning suicide attacks that killed dozens 
of Israelis. Hamed, who had been on Israel’s wanted list for eight years before 
his arrest, was the top West Bank commander of the Izz El-Deen Al-Qassam 
Brigades, the Hamas military wing. Hassan Salama: Born in Gaza’s Khan Younis 
refugee camp in 1971, Salama was convicted of orchestrating a wave of suicide 
bombings in Israel in 1996 that killed dozens of Israelis and wounded hundreds 
more. He was sentenced to 48 life terms in jail. Salama said the attacks were a 
response to the assassination of Hamas bombmaker Yahya Ayyash in 1996. Salama 
was arrested in Hebron in the West Bank later that year. Marwan Al-Barghouti: A 
leading member of the Fatah movement that controls the Palestinian Authority, 
Barghouti is seen as a possible successor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. 
He made his name as a leader and organizer in both of the Intifadas, or 
uprisings, waged by the Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza 
Strip since 1987. He was arrested in 2002, charged with orchestrating gun 
ambushes and suicide bombings and sentenced to five life terms in 2004. Ahmed 
Saadat: Saadat, leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, was 
accused by Israel of ordering the assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister 
Rehavam Zeevi in 2001. Pursued by Israel, he took shelter at the Ramallah 
headquarters of Arafat. Under a deal with the Palestinian Authority in 2002, 
Saadat stood trial in a Palestinian court and was incarcerated at a Palestinian 
Authority jail, where he was held under international supervision. The Israeli 
military seized Saadat in 2006 following the withdrawal of the foreign monitors, 
and put him on trial in a military court. He was sentenced to 30 years in jail 
in 2008.
US targets Chinese companies over drone components used by 
Hamas, Houthis
Abdul Aziz Abdul Wahid/Arab News/October 08, 2025
WASHINGTON: The United States said on Wednesday it was adding 15 Chinese 
companies to its restricted trade list for facilitating the purchase of American 
electronic components found in drones operated by Iranian proxies including 
Houthi and Hamas militants. Ten companies in China were placed on the Commerce 
Department’s Entity List for facilitating the purchase of components found in 
weaponized unmanned aircraft systems operated by proxies including Yemen’s 
Houthi militants, according to a post in the Federal Register. Five additional 
Chinese companies were listed after information that around October 7, 2023, 
Israel Defense Forces recovered numerous weaponized unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) 
operated by Iranian proxies including Hamas, the post said, and the debris 
showed multiple US-origin electronic components.
Hamas-led militants staged an attack in Israel that day that killed 1,200 
people, according to Israeli tallies, and triggered the war in Gaza. In all, the 
Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security is adding 29 entries to 
the list. Arrow China Electronics Trading in Shanghai and other Chinese cities 
and Arrow Electronics (Hong Kong) are among the companies being placed on the 
list over US components for weaponized drones operated by Iranian proxies like 
the Houthis. Both companies are subsidiaries of Centennial, Colorado-based Arrow 
Electronics, a components distributor which says it had global 2024 sales of $28 
billion. The companies have been and are continuing to operate in compliance 
with export regulations and the law, according to a statement from the 
US-headquartered company. “We are in discussion with BIS concerning these 
listings and will provide further details as soon as they become available,” 
Arrow spokesperson John Hourigan said in the statement. “In the meantime, we 
will work to minimize supply chain disruptions to our partners.”The US also 
added another Chinese company to the list for being part of an illicit network 
that obtains and supplies UAV and other components to front companies of the 
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force (IRGC-QF). Companies are placed on 
the Commerce Department’s Entity List for activities deemed contrary to US 
national security and foreign policy interests. Licenses are required to export 
to companies on the list, and are likely to be denied. 
UN staff member released from Houthi detention in Yemen, UN 
spokesperson says
Reuters/October 08, 2025
A United Nations staff member who was recently detained by Yemen’s Houthi 
authorities has been released, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on 
Wednesday. “We continue to urge the de facto authorities to immediately and 
unconditionally release all UN and humanitarian workers who are supporting the 
most vulnerable people in Yemen,” Dujarric said. He did not provide information 
about the timing or circumstances of the detention, which comes after nine other 
UN personnel were detained by Houthis. Dujarric said 53 UN staff remain detained 
by Houthis, adding that some have been held since 2021. Yemen has been the focus 
of one of the world’s largest humanitarian operations during a decade of civil 
war that disrupted food supplies. WFP says it provided assistance to 15.3 
million people, or 47 percent of the population, in 2023. WFP was among the UN 
offices raided by Houthis in the Yemeni capital Sanaa in August. Eleven UN 
personnel were detained as a result of the raid. The raid, which followed an 
Israeli strike on Sanaa that killed the prime minister of the Houthi-run 
government and several other ministers, was condemned by UN Secretary-General 
Antonio Guterres, who described the detentions as “intolerable.”Houthi officials 
said last month that the UN personnel’s legal immunities should not shield 
espionage activities. The Houthi-run foreign ministry also accused the UN of 
bias for condemning what they called “legal measures taken by the government 
against spy cells involved in crimes,” while failing to denounce the Israeli 
attack.
Putin Visits Tajikistan for Meetings with Other Ex-Soviet 
Leaders
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 08/2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin began a state visit Wednesday to Tajikistan, a 
three-day trip that includes a series of meetings with leaders of other nations 
that once were part of the Soviet Union. Trade and other ties with Tajikistan 
and other countries in Central Asia are increasingly important for Russia amid 
sweeping Western sanctions over its military action in Ukraine.Putin is set to 
have talks with Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rakhmon, followed by a 
Russia-Central Asia summit involving leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, 
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. On Friday, they will be joined by leaders of 
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus for a broader meeting of the Commonwealth of 
Independent States, a loose alliance of other former Soviet nations. Rakhmon, in 
power for nearly 33 years, is the longest-serving of all ex-Soviet leaders. The 
73-year-old former collective farm head came to power in 1992 following a 
devastating civil war that engulfed the country after the demise of the USSR. He 
crushed or cowed all opposition to his rule soon after coming to power, and he 
later pushed constitutional changes that allow him to rule for life.
Putin turned 73 on Tuesday, but has only been in power in Russia for a quarter 
century. Russia has maintained a military base in Tajikistan, which shares a 
porous 1,300-kilometer (810-mile) border with Afghanistan.Tajikistan is a member 
of the International Criminal Court that in 2023 issued a warrant for Putin for 
alleged war crimes stemming from Moscow’s actions in Ukraine, but he faces no 
risk of arrest in the country that relies on close political, economic and 
military ties with Russia. The ICC has no police force and relies on members to 
assist in arrests.
French-German National Monterlos Back in France After 
Release by Iran, France Says
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 08/2025
French-German national Lennart Monterlos has been released from detention in 
Iran and is back in France, outgoing French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot 
said on Wednesday. Iran had been holding the 18-year-old cyclist after arresting 
him in June on espionage charges. Monterlos was acquitted on Monday, according 
to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. "Lennart Monterlos is free!" Barrot 
wrote in a post on the social media X. Both Barrot and President Emmanuel Macron 
reiterated demands that Iran release French nationals Cécile Kohler and Jacques 
Paris, who have been held in the country since 2022. On Monday, the two 
countries said talks for the release of all three prisoners were progressing. 
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi suggested in mid-September the French 
nationals could be exchanged for Mahdieh Esfandiari, an Iranian student living 
in the French city of Lyon who was arrested this year over anti-Israel social 
media posts.
Syria’s Sharaa Discusses with US Delegation, SDF Leader 
Means to Implement Agreement with Kurds 
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 08/2025
Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa received in Damascus on Tuesday US 
Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack and Commander of the US Central Command Brad 
Cooper for talks on the latest developments in the country and ways to support 
the political process. They also tackled the executive mechanism of the March 10 
agreement that calls for integrating the Kurdish US-backed Syrian Democratic 
Forces (SDF) with the state’s security forces. SDF leader Mazloum Abdi attended 
the meeting between Sharaa and the US delegation. The US officials had met with 
Abdi on Monday before heading to Damascus. Also on Tuesday, Defense Minister 
Murhaf Abu Qasra met with Abdi following clashes between security forces and 
Kurdish fighters in neighborhoods of the northern city of Aleppo. Abu Qasra said 
in a statement that he agreed with Abdi “on a comprehensive ceasefire across all 
fronts and military positions in northern and northeastern Syria.” On Sharaa’s 
meeting with the US delegation, Syrian sources in Damascus said the American 
officials underlined that starting the new year, Washington will not intervene 
politically or militarily should the SDF fail to meet its end of the agreement.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & 
editorials from miscellaneous sources 
on October 08-09/2025
EU, NATO need a robust response to drone incursions
Mohamed Chebaro/Arab News/October 08, 2025
Mysterious drone flights in the airspace of EU and NATO countries in recent 
weeks have alarmed the public and politicians alike. The intrusions, some of 
which have been blamed on Russia, have reached an unprecedented scale. Many 
European officials have rushed to describe the incidents as Moscow testing the 
EU and NATO responses, raising questions about how prepared they are to defend 
member states after three full years of war between Ukraine and Russia on 
Europe’s eastern flank. The quick answer is that they are poorly prepared and 
remain divided despite the existential threats they face.If anything, the 
incursions by Russian military drones into Poland and Romania, along with other 
cheap, nonmilitary drone sightings near key civilian and military installations 
in Denmark, Norway and Germany, make a perfect case for Europe that modern 
hybrid warfare is at its doorstep. Meanwhile, its countries squabble over what 
policies to adopt and who will pick up the bill. The Ukraine war has once again 
proven how, in warfare, nothing should be neglected. It has revealed the need 
for boots and tanks on the ground, as well as air capabilities and counter 
measures and intelligence and technological supremacy to secure the EU’s eastern 
front. The bloc also needs to close the holes that could cause disruption or 
sabotage further to the west — on the ground, in the air, through cyberattacks 
or all of these combined.
The European Commission’s “drone wall” idea, tabled at last week’s informal EU 
summit in Denmark, is showing cracks even before intercepting its first Russian 
intruder. This points to the continued lack of unity across the bloc, even when 
it needs to immediately spend money on this idea to benefit some of its member 
states, while the technology could be a precursor to a more elaborate defense 
dome in the future.
The European Commission’s “drone wall” idea is showing cracks even before 
intercepting its first intruder. Though it falls short of immediate deterrence, 
once operational, the system would detect and destroy suspicious drones entering 
EU airspace, based on an intricate system of detection capabilities, such as 
radars, acoustic sensors and other high-tech tools. It must be capable of 
detecting all types of drones, including ones that fly at low altitudes, and 
interface with systems that track them before neutralizing them.
But the initiative, which would protect 10 member states (Bulgaria, Denmark, 
Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Finland), was 
criticized by Italy and Greece, nations that are reluctant to spend money that 
does not benefit the EU as a whole.
The apprehension expressed by some EU nations should not be ignored as, despite 
the urgency to secure its eastern flank, this or any other measure could be 
bypassed and may never be permanent, since threats and technologies are 
constantly evolving. Protective measures should also focus on threats emerging 
from within EU territory, not only at its borders.
The Kremlin, or whichever actor is behind the intrusions, has deployed a form of 
hybrid deniable warfare against EU and NATO member states that the leaderships 
of these nations are reluctant to grasp. They are also unwilling to scale up 
their unity in response. That is not difficult to see. Moscow is using classic 
military means, such as incursions into Estonian airspace by manned jets or 
violating Polish and Romanian airspace with unarmed attack drones. Small, 
commercially available drones are also being deployed, maybe handled by Russia’s 
own network of intelligence or special forces operatives or by some drone 
fanatics, whether paid or unpaid. These disruptive flights have recently caused 
shutdowns at key Western airports such as those in Copenhagen, Oslo, Brussels, 
Berlin and Munich. It is evident that these threats are a response to the West’s 
unbroken resolve in its support of Ukraine
It is evident that these threats are a response to the West’s unbroken resolve 
in its support of Ukraine and its willingness to keep delivering money, lethal 
conventional weaponry and, recently, even strategic longer-range missiles. All 
this could deny Russia its anticipated victory once the West becomes fatigued 
and its support falters.The incursions appear to have been designed to challenge 
and weaken social and political resilience in key European countries and test 
NATO’s resolve, unity and responses, as well as its military capabilities. 
Though there is a tacit belief they could increase in frequency, the West is 
still working on the premise that such incidents are aimed at causing harassment 
and are not meant to instigate a larger conflict beyond Ukraine. But mistakes 
can happen.
Russia remains bogged down in Ukraine but it still has the ability to launch 
hybrid warfare elsewhere to expose Western vulnerabilities, as seen over recent 
weeks. It is seeking to exact a higher economic cost on those supporting Ukraine 
and to weaken their resolve, while sowing anxiety within society.
Plans such as the “drone wall” alone will not be enough. Yes, it would ensure 
some readiness and enable states to avert any catastrophe, but it is not the 
strategic response needed to counter the hybrid warfare deployed by Russia. The 
cost of realizing this idea would likely come from funds for helping Ukraine — 
and that is what Russia wants. What the EU needs above all is unity and for its 
member states to stop showing an inclination to waver. Divisions while the enemy 
is at the gate are to the detriment of peace, security and prosperity for the 
nations of the bloc and will surely be exploited by Russia and others. If the EU 
does not want to see its airspace, airports and other critical infrastructure 
disrupted, it ought to unite behind the “drone wall” scheme as a first step. But 
its members also need to act in ways that counter Moscow’s strategy of scaring 
the EU. They should dare to deploy something that could alter the cost-benefit 
calculations of the Kremlin on the tactical and strategic levels. Otherwise, the 
EU and NATO should brace for the continued testing of their drone resilience 
today, their infrastructure dependence tomorrow and maybe their democratic 
societies and liberties the day after.
**Mohamed Chebaro is a British-Lebanese journalist with more than 25 years’ 
experience covering war, terrorism, defense, current affairs and diplomacy.
The ‘Flood’ That Swallowed Its Own 
Tariq Al-Homayed/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 08/2025
Two years have passed since the October 7, 2023 operation that Hamas called a 
“flood”. The operation changed the region, especially the “lawless spaces” where 
the state has been hollowed out: Lebanon, Assad’s Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and at the 
center, Iran. Two years into a war that could have ended months after it began, 
if Hamas and its backers, particularly what intelligence agencies dubbed the 
“Beirut Room,” where the operation was plotted and planned, had weighed the 
consequences, or if Netanyahu and Israel had wanted the war to end. Hamas 
convinced itself that “steadfastness” was victory and that Netanyahu would be 
crushed by the weight of the domestic divisions that had preceded the attack. 
Their base amplified the illusion and believed in it. Hamas’s most grave 
miscalculation was assuming that Iran and its proxies would rush to its aid 
under the banner of a “unity of fronts.” That never happened. Netanyahu 
dismantled those “fronts” one by one. Like Hamas, he had no interest in ending 
the war. Israel hit Hezbollah hard with the pager operation, after which Hassan 
Nasrallah delivered what sounded like a farewell speech, seemingly aware that it 
was “game over” for him and his reckless party.
Israel hunted Hamas leaders down. It took out Hezbollah’s top brass after having 
already begun targeting the party in Syria. Its operations signaled that Iran 
itself would be next, though its ongoing diversion campaigns kept many guessing.
Some believed that former President Biden would restrain Netanyahu. He did not. 
Netanyahu escalated. He bombed Iran’s consulate in Damascus and assassinated 
Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran under the nose of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard 
Corps.
In Iraq, those in power saw the imbalance. The militias waned, and some 
surrendered without a fight. Just yesterday, our paper published a striking 
investigative report on the Iraqi cliques tied to Iran, which was itself hit by 
a 12-day campaign. The report quoted a former Iraqi minister laying Iran’s “Plan 
B” in Iraq. “New Shiite political players who stayed out of the Al-Aqsa Flood 
fallout are now trying to rebrand themselves, updating their radical image with 
a civilian face to escape the danger zone.” He then added: “It’s like a man 
standing in a sniper’s sights, a laser dot fixed on his chest. He cannot move 
right or left - any motion could be fatal. The sniper will not tire as long as 
the target remains frozen.”In fact, “some militia leaders are now toying with 
the idea of returning weapons to storage and shaving their beards, which could 
make them very useful to both Washington and Tehran,” according to the same 
minister. But that too was misguided - an extension of the consistent 
misjudgements that followed October 7. It is misguided because some still pin 
their hopes on President Trump, or whoever comes after him, reining in 
Netanyahu, even as recent reports show that under Biden and now Trump, the 
United States has provided Israel with no less than $21.7 billion in military 
aid since the “flood” that swallowed its own. The battle will certainly not end 
with a ceasefire in Gaza. Netanyahu and Trump have larger targets: Iran itself, 
whether by force or sanctions. As for the Houthis, they are a minor detail, and 
their demise is only a matter of time.
It has been two years. But they felt like an eternity, and it isn’t over.
Syrian elections a step toward unity and inclusion
Hani Hazaimeh/Arab/October 08, 2025
Syria this week witnessed a historic moment. For the first time since the 
overthrow of Bashar Assad in December 2024, Syrians went to the polls under the 
transitional leadership of President Ahmad Al-Sharaa to elect a new People’s 
Assembly. These legislative elections, carried out under a framework that 
combines both direct elections and presidential appointments, represent more 
than a political procedure — they are the clearest sign yet that Syria is 
beginning to turn a painful page in its history and step toward a new era of 
unity, reconciliation and national rebirth.
The transitional system expands the People’s Assembly to 210 members: 140 chosen 
through electoral colleges and 70 appointed by the president. While not yet a 
full expression of universal suffrage, this structure reflects a pragmatic 
balance, allowing governance to move forward despite the immense logistical and 
political challenges created by years of war, displacement and destruction. It 
is an imperfect model but an important first step — and a clear sign of the 
political will needed to break with the stagnation and authoritarianism of the 
past.
Observers have already noted shortcomings. One described the new parliament as 
“overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim and male,” reflecting the persistent challenges of 
ensuring fair representation for women and minorities. Indeed, the higher 
electoral committee itself acknowledged these deficiencies, pointing out that 
women’s representation remains unsatisfactory and that only two seats were won 
by Christians — far below their demographic presence in Syria. These gaps are 
reminders that inclusivity is a process, not a single event, and that reforms 
must continue to ensure the new Syria lives up to its promise of diversity.
While not yet a full expression of universal suffrage, this structure reflects a 
pragmatic balance. Another major challenge was the postponement of elections in 
areas outside government control, including Kurdish-held parts of the north and 
northeast and the Druze-majority province of Sweida, leaving 21 seats vacant. 
Authorities linked the delay to security concerns and to ongoing negotiations 
over integrating the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces into the national 
framework. While disappointing in the short term, the government’s stated 
commitment to hold elections in these zones once conditions allow shows 
seriousness about eventually bringing all Syrians under one democratic umbrella. 
Still, the most powerful symbol of these elections is not merely the numbers or 
procedures, but the spirit they embody. After nearly 14 years of war, Syrians 
have longed for institutions that reflect their collective will. These 
elections, however limited, begin to create that possibility. They are a message 
to the world, and to Syrians themselves, that the country is on the path of 
rebuilding — not only its cities and infrastructure but also its sense of 
belonging, trust and shared future.
The importance of these elections lies in three main areas.
Firstly, stability. A war-shattered country cannot heal without credible 
institutions. By creating a legislative body that reflects Syrians from diverse 
regions and communities, the country begins to replace rule by decree with rule 
by representation. Every seat filled, every ballot cast is a rejection of 
violence as the only language of politics. Stability begins not with perfect 
systems but with shared commitments, and Syria has now made one. Secondly, 
reconciliation. These elections are more than a political exercise, they are an 
invitation to Syrians to see themselves once again as part of a shared national 
story. Kurds, Arabs, Alawites, Sunnis, Christians, Druze — all have a stake in 
the rebuilding of Syria. Though gaps in participation remain, the parliament can 
become the forum where grievances are heard, compromises are forged and a new 
social contract is written. The mere act of holding elections after years of 
division already carries immense symbolic weight. It says: reconciliation is 
possible. Thirdly, international credibility. Syria’s new leadership knows the 
world is watching. Donor nations, the UN and millions of displaced Syrians 
abroad are measuring whether these elections are inclusive, transparent and 
meaningful. By moving forward with this process, Syria is signaling its 
seriousness about reconstruction and reform. Progress on Kurdish participation 
and the greater inclusion of women and minorities will give the process the 
legitimacy it needs to unlock international support and investment in the 
country’s recovery.
Perhaps the most important aspect of this week’s elections is psychological. For 
years, Syrians have lived in despair, their futures clouded by violence, 
displacement and uncertainty. This vote offers hope. It offers a visible break 
from the past, showing that the country is no longer trapped in cycles of 
dictatorship and war and is moving toward governance that represents rather than 
represses.
These elections are an invitation to Syrians to see themselves once again as 
part of a shared national story. Of course, the challenges ahead are daunting. 
Electoral systems must be refined, displaced Syrians must be integrated into the 
democratic process and constitutional reforms must enshrine protections for 
minority and regional rights. But the journey of a thousand miles begins with a 
single step — and Syria has now taken that step. The incomplete inclusion of 
Kurds, Christians and women in this election is not the end of the story but the 
beginning of a process that must expand. It shows that the new Syria is not yet 
built for all Syrians, but it is moving in that direction — and that direction 
matters. Diversity — geographic, ethnic and cultural — must become the country’s 
greatest asset in building a stable and inclusive state.
In time, this parliament can become a space where disagreements are debated, 
compromises are crafted and a new Syrian identity is forged — one that is not 
imposed from above but built collectively from below. The people who suffered so 
long under authoritarianism and war are beginning to write their own future. As 
Syrians cast their ballots, they are not just choosing representatives; they are 
choosing hope over despair, dialogue over division and unity over fragmentation.
The message is clear: Syria is no longer defined only by its wounds but by its 
will to heal. And with every vote, with every step toward inclusivity, it is 
proving that renewal is not only possible — it is already underway.
*Hani Hazaimeh is a senior editor based in Amman. X: @hanihazaimeh
From Pogrom to Propaganda: Hamas's Legacy 
and the Flotilla Fraud
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury/Gatestone 
Institute./October 8, 2025
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21954/pogrom-propaganda-hamas-october-7-flotilla
The only just response to such barbarism [Hamas's October 7, 2023 invasion of 
Israel] must be unflinching: to rescue the hostages, hold the perpetrators and 
their sponsors to account, and refuse to normalize propaganda that celebrates 
murder and rape.
Through its Al-Jazeera television empire, Qatar has promoted violent jihadist 
activity for Hamas and other Muslim Brotherhood-inspired terrorist groups. In 
addition, during the 2011 "Arab Spring," it virtually single-handedly whipped up 
unlimited jihadist propaganda to oust the Egyptian government.
Continuing its terrorist financing, Qatar seems to be in the process of 
orchestrating yet another "Arab Spring", this time to oust the current 
government of Egypt.
Qatar has already spent "nearly $100 billion" just in the US to gain influence 
there, according to MSNBC.
For any future in a Gaza that actually hopes for real peace, it is crucial that 
Qatar be totally out of the picture.
This combination -- of staged humanitarian pretenses fronting for violent 
networks -- is the new hybrid threat of our age.
The Global Sumud Flotilla incident also highlights a deeper problem: selective 
outrage in which states and NGOs deploy the language of human rights in an 
unequal way.
Democracies and civil-society actors should strip terrorists from their 
enablers, sanctuaries and financiers. Humanitarian language should not be 
weaponized to hide terrorism.
For the hostage families still waiting, for the communities still grieving, and 
for the future of a rules-based international order, the only acceptable 
response to the October 7 atrocity is the application of justice, the 
dismantling of the terrorist networks that made it possible, and the refusal to 
tolerate any narrative that excuses or sanitizes savage, unprovoked cruelty.
On October 7, 2023, an orgy of slaughter and sexual violence was unleashed on 
Israeli civilians. It was a measured, premeditated pogrom, broadcast with 
grotesque pride. The world watched as terrorists streamed their atrocities 
across social media, turning murder and rape into a live propaganda show.
That day was not merely another episode in the long, tragic history of the 
Arab-Israeli conflict. It was an operational and moral rupture, a mass atrocity 
whose reverberations continue to shatter families. The event also exposes an 
international discourse in which moral clarity too often gives way to 
equivocation.
Two years later, the consequences persist. 1,200 Israelis were murdered in the 
Hamas invasion. Forty-eight Israeli hostages — of whom only 20 are thought to be 
alive — are still being in captivity by Hamas. The beachfront Gaza Strip, which 
was transformed into a terror command-and-control hub, and a dispute has been 
distorted by selective outrage and cynical politicians.
The only just response to such barbarism must be unflinching: to rescue the 
hostages, hold the perpetrators and their sponsors to account, and refuse to 
normalize propaganda that celebrates murder and rape.
The massacre and its human toll
October 7 was not a spontaneous eruption of violence. It was the product of 
planning, intelligence and ruthless intent. It was an incursion coordinated with 
Iran. The Palestinian jihadists from Gaza invaded Israel, attacked civilian 
communities, tortured and murdered residents, beheaded adults and children 
alike, burned families alive, and used unimaginable, sadistic sexual violence as 
a weapon.
The scale of the atrocity -- the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust -- 
reaffirmed that modern terrorism is not constrained by any code of conduct. 
While exact casualty totals vary by source, the enduring human facts are clear: 
1,200 murdered, many more thousands wounded, families shattered, and 251 people 
kidnapped and taken hostage -- now either dead, still held in captivity for a 
prolonged, brutal imprisonment, or released earlier. Forty-eight remain, of whom 
only 20 are believed still to be alive. The victims have been starved (here and 
here) and forced to dig their own graves.
Every day that these hostages remain in Hamas's hands is a moral stain on the 
international community that professes to protect the innocent.
Propaganda as a weapon: the social-media spectacle
Hamas turned atrocity into a spectacle. The terrorists livestreamed their 
violence. Footage of brutality was rapidly circulated and weaponized to 
terrorize populations and recruit sympathizers. This was not merely brutality; 
it was psychological warfare meant to shatter the Israeli public and force 
political and military concessions. The social-media broadcasts of sex crimes 
and sickening mutilations -- and the expectation that Western platforms post 
this content under the claim of "context" or "news" -- present a test for 
internet companies, Western civil liberties groups, and every democracy. 
Internet platform policies and human rights rhetoric have become a cover for 
normalizing and amplifying mass criminality.
The sponsors and facilitators: Iran, Qatar, and the regional axis
Hamas does not operate in a political vacuum. For years Iran has been one of the 
two principal state sponsors of Hamas, providing funding, transfers of weapons, 
training, and plans for the destruction not only of Israel but of the US (here 
and here).
American and Israeli estimates -- as well as numerous open-source analyses -- 
have documented Iran's financial and material support to Hamas, a relationship 
that turns Gaza into an extension of a malign regional strategy.
Qatar is the other longtime supporter of Hamas -- as well as numerous other 
Islamic terrorist organizations (such as here and here).
Known as "the arsonist and the firefighter," Qatar, while offering diplomatic 
channels, and hosting negotiators, has demonstrated tolerance for and 
acquiescence to Hamas political and media networks, and provided Hamas as well 
as countless other terror groups with financing, diplomatic cover and logistical 
lifelines.Through its Al-Jazeera television empire, Qatar has promoted violent 
jihadist activity for Hamas and other Muslim Brotherhood-inspired terrorist 
groups. In addition, during the 2011 "Arab Spring," it virtually single-handedly 
whipped up unlimited jihadist propaganda to oust the Egyptian government.
Continuing its terrorist financing, Qatar seems to be in the process of 
orchestrating yet another "Arab Spring", this time to oust the current 
government of Egypt.
Qatar has already spent "nearly $100 billion" just the US to gain influence 
there, according to MSNBC.
For any future in a Gaza that actually hopes for real peace, it is crucial that 
Qatar be totally out of the picture.
Together, Iran's hard-power sponsorship and Qatar's enabling funding and 
propaganda and diplomatic posture have helped sustain Palestinian terrorist 
organizations that continue to threaten civilians.
Flotillas, fraud and the exposure of foreign backing
The recent Global Sumud Flotilla -- claimed by its backers to dramatize the 
humanitarian crisis in Gaza -- has exposed a different truth: terrorist-linked 
networks are active within this ostensibly humanitarian campaign.
Israeli authorities report that documents recovered in Gaza demonstrate direct 
Hamas involvement in organizing and financing elements of this flotilla effort 
-- a finding that demonstrates how terror groups exploit humanitarian cover for 
political and operational ends. The flotilla produced an international outcry 
and drew sympathetic headlines, while behind the cameras, a web of coordination, 
money flows, and strategic messaging advanced Hamas's objectives. This 
combination -- of staged humanitarian pretenses fronting for violent networks -- 
is the new hybrid threat of our age.
Global hypocrisy: human rights actors, selective outrage and moral inversion
The Global Sumud Flotilla incident also highlights a deeper problem: selective 
outrage in which states and NGOs deploy the language of human rights in an 
unequal way. Prominent human rights organizations and many Western politicians 
have publicly condemned Israel's interception of flotilla vessels. Amnesty 
International, Human Rights Watch, Article 19 and others decried the boarding as 
illegal or "disproportionate." Yet the same organizations have often been muted, 
equivocal or even apologetic about the reality of Hamas's mass atrocities, 
hostage-taking, and use of civilians as human shields. This moral inversion -- 
condemning the interdiction of propaganda activist ships that have confirmed 
links to a terrorist organization, while underplaying or "relativizing" the 
premeditated mass-murder of civilians and ongoing hostage abuse -- erodes 
credibility and enables a dangerous narrative that tries to confuse the public 
about who is the perpetrator and who is the victim -- inversions that, 
unfortunately, sometimes succeed.
Human rights advocacy might at least try to be applied equally: condemn both 
alleged human rights abuses by state actors and the deliberate targeting of 
civilians by non-state terror groups.
Pakistan's recent posture and a troubling record
Pakistan's recent statements, condemning Israel for intercepting the Global 
Sumud Flotilla, add another uncomfortable layer. Islamabad's strong denunciation 
of Israel's actions -- and the laughable characterization of detained activists 
as "innocent" humanitarian workers --emerges against a long, well-documented 
history in which Pakistani institutions and networks have facilitated Islamist 
terrorism across South Asia and beyond.
From training and logistics to ideological propagation, elements within Pakistan 
have supported groups that share tactics and goals with Hamas and other jihadist 
actors. This history should immediately make Islamabad's moralizing ring hollow 
and invite scrutiny. When a state that, in many documented instances, has been a 
source of support for terrorist organizations, starts emitting moral 
condemnations of counterterror operations, the international community might 
press for credible evidence to see if its positions are principled rather than 
transactional and hypocritical.
What justice requires: accountability
The October 7 attackers and their chain of command need to be exposed, 
prosecuted and isolated. The states and institutions that have been providing 
funding, safe haven or diplomatic cover to terror groups need to be sanctioned 
and brought to account. Platforms that allow the distribution of atrocity 
footage without context need to be held to upgraded standards. International law 
and human rights norms demand an honest, equal application: condemn 
hostage-taking and sexual violence, investigate and prosecute war crimes, and 
refuse to let political patronage create impunity.
Crucially, the world must prioritize the immediate safe return of the remaining 
hostages. Nothing else should outrank this moral imperative. Two years after 
October 7, the international conversation has been poisoned by a fatal mixture 
of cynicism, selective outrage and geopolitical calculation. Some governments 
and institutions, particularly in the West -- such as France, Britain, Canada, 
Australia, Norway, Portugal, Ireland and Spain -- prefer moral acrobatics. These 
countries issue statements that comfort domestic electoral constituencies while 
failing to defend universal human values. There can be no neutrality in the face 
of mass murder, hostage-taking and rape. To equivocate is to enable. Democracies 
and civil-society actors should strip terrorists from their enablers, 
sanctuaries and financiers. Humanitarian language should not be weaponized to 
hide terrorism. Above all, every possible diplomatic, legal and operational 
effort must be marshaled to free the hostages from captivity in Gaza and prevent 
another attack like that of October 7. For the hostage families still waiting, 
for the communities still grieving, and for the future of a rules-based 
international order, the only acceptable response to the October 7 atrocity is 
the application of justice, the dismantling of the terrorist networks that made 
it possible, and the refusal to tolerate any narrative that excuses or sanitizes 
savage, unprovoked cruelty.
*Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury is an award-winning journalist, writer, and editor 
of the newspaper Blitz. He specializes in counterterrorism and regional 
geopolitics. Follow him on X: @Salah_Shoaib
© 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.
Selected English Tweets from X Platform For 08 
October/2025
Pope Leo XIV
The Risen Lord walks alongside each of us, as we journey every day. With 
infinite care, he asks to let Him warm our hearts. He waits patiently for the 
moment when our eyes will open to see His friendly face, so He can transform our 
resignation into hope. #GeneralAudience
Pope Leo XIV
Christ’s resurrection teaches us that no story is ever so marked by 
disappointment or sin that it cannot be visited by hope. No fall is definitive, 
no night is eternal, no wound is destined to bleed forever. However distant, 
lost or unworthy we may feel, there is no distance that can extinguish the power 
of God’s love. #GeneralAudience
Kurds in Global Politics
@hadi_elis
Al Qaeda and all others trained by Turkey in Idlib, not only militarily but also 
ideologically. The ideological training mostly about anti-Kurdish racism 
policies, and we know why Al Shaara even didn’t recognize Kurdish New Year 
celebrations known in Kurdish as Newroz. Anti-Kurdish racism became one of be 
two main principles that Al Qaeda follows in Syria, the other is Neo-Ottomanism 
policies making Syria an Islamic Republic and gathering maximum amounts of 
terrorists to go for armed conflict with Israel.
Joseph Gebeily
Warm congratulations to Amb. Michel Issa on his confirmation as @USAmbLebanon
We look forward to his arrival in #Lebanon and count on his determination to 
advance Lebanon’s sovereignty & prosperity, disarm militias—especially 
#Hezbollah—and uphold the vision shared by President 
@realDonaldTrump “A new chance for a Lebanon free from the grip of Hezbollah — a 
once-in-a-generation opportunity to forge a nation prosperous and at peace with 
its neighbors.”
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
It’s not an anti Israel protest.
It’s a celebration of global non-state violence (terrorism) that committed a 
massacre against Israel on October 7, 2023.
If anyone thinks this massacre targets Jews or Israelis only, think again. 
If radical Islamism is not stopped, 9/11, Charlie Hebdo or any other terror 
attack will come to a place near you.