English LCCC Newsbulletin For
Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For October 10/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to
whomsoever he wishes
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint
John 05/17-23/:”Jesus answered them, ‘My Father is still working, and I also am
working.’ For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him,
because he was not only breaking the sabbath, but was also calling God his own
Father, thereby making himself equal to God. Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I
tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father
doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. The Father loves the
Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater
works than these, so that you will be astonished. Indeed, just as the Father
raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomsoever he
wishes. The Father judges no one but has given all judgement to the Son,so that
all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. Anyone who does not
honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent him.”
Titles For The Latest English
LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on October 09-10/2025
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
Lebanese Army made key achievements in disarming Hezbollah north of Litani
Berri urges world to pressure Israel to respect its truce deals in Lebanon and
Gaza
Berri says govt. marginalizing south, calls for prioritizing reconstruction
PM Salam rebuts Berri's claims, reaffirms government's commitment to South
Lebanon
After Gaza deal, Aoun hopes Israel will halt 'aggressive policies' in Lebanon,
region
Bou Saab says Lebanon hasn't been warned of a new Israeli war
Israeli dual national tours Lebanon including Hezbollah stronghold in Dahieh
Cowell hosts reception with Sayed, announces support for social protection,
gender equality
Lebanon arrests 32 people suspected of spying for Israel
Can Lebanon finally solve its waste crisis? A new bill aims to find out — the
details
Lebanese Information Minister: Garbage landfill in Jdeideh to continue receiving
waste until end of 2026
Syrian FM Asaad al-Shaibani to visit Beirut on Friday
Lebanese Defense Minister holds series of meetings on economic and military
issues
Lebanon under pressure: IMF sets reform conditions before aid
Gaza Deal Puts Hezbollah in a Corner... Between Berri and Salam: Excess Talk and
No Peace
Hezbollah: The Delusion of Victory and Recovery/Mustafa Fahs/Asharq
Al-Awsat/October 10, 2025
Minister Salameh Asks via Our Platform: Will the Gaza Agreement Open the Doors
of Peace in the Region
Lebanon Is Moving Against Nature — and Against Its Own Interest/Makram
Rabah/Elaf/October 09/2025
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on October 09-10/2025
AMCD Applauds Israeli-Hamas Peace Deal
Trump likely to be in Jerusalem this weekend: Israeli president’s office
Trump to visit Egypt, agrees to address Israeli Knesset after
Ceasefire brings joy to Gaza and Israel as Trump claims diplomatic win
Israeli government meets to finalize Gaza deal, Ben-Gvir threatens to topple
Netanyahu
Trump exerted leverage for Gaza deal but tough questions remain
Israel to begin Gaza pullout as Rafah crossing set to reopen within 72 hours:
Sources
Marwan Barghouti not part of prisoner-hostage exchange ‘at this point,’ Israel
says
Palestinian president meets Israeli peace activists, speaks to Israeli media
Abbas, in rare interview to Israeli channel, says he hopes peace will prevail
Hamas’ Gaza chief: Group received guarantees from mediators, US confirming Gaza
war ended
Netanyahu says Trump should get Nobel Peace Prize
Macron warns Israeli settlements threaten Palestinian state
Turkey and the European Union were also represented.
US, Saudi Arabia move closer to semiconductor chip deal amid deepening ties:
Report
Israel says Gaza deal to take effect only after receiving cabinet approval
France hosts Arab, Europe ministers for talks on 'day after' Gaza war
US imposes sanctions on China refinery, others for Iran oil purchases
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
on October 09-10/2025
Who Should NOT Play a Role in Post-War Gaza: The Foxes in Charge of the
Chicken Coop?/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/October 09/2025
Prince Turki Al-Faisal: War on Gaza ‘far from over’/Hebshi Alshammari/Arab
News/October 09, 2025
A new chapter in Syria’s fight against drug trafficking/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al
Arabiya English/09 October/2025
Prospects of a security agreement between Syria and Israel/Dr. Suha Cubukcuoglu
&Dr. Ayman Eldessouki/Al Arabiya English/09 October/2025
The End of the War on Gaza/Jebril Elabidi/Asharq Al Awsat/October 09/2025
What Trump’s Gaza plan means for the two-state solution/Dr. Abdel Aziz
Aluwaisheg/Arab News/October 09, 2025
Selected English Tweets from X Platform For 09 October/2025
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on October 09-10/2025
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.
Lebanese Army made key
achievements in disarming Hezbollah north of Litani
Naharnet/09 October/2025
The Lebanese Army has made “key achievements” in disarming Hezbollah in the area
north of the Litani River while keeping its moves confidential, seeing as some
sites were labeled as “military secrets,” a ministerial source said. “This
indicates that the spread of arms on Lebanese territory has become under
monitoring and pursuit, regardless of the side that owns it,” the source told
Kuwait’s al-Anbaa newspaper. The source added that the army’s first report on
disarmament “documented with numbers and information the magnitude of the
achieved progress, speaking of an integrated approach that balances between
security firmness and national sensitivities, while showing keenness on avoiding
any domestic clash or political tension.”“The calm approach has boosted popular
and official confidence in the Army Command, which seems determined to continue
its mission until the end, despite the complications and the limited
capabilities,” the source added.
Berri urges world to pressure Israel to respect its truce deals in Lebanon and
Gaza
Naharnet/09 October/2025
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri warned Thursday against Israel's possible
reneging on an overnight Gaza ceasefire deal, accusing it of having a history of
disrespecting all agreements, including the November ceasefire deal with
Lebanon. Despite the ceasefire, Israel has kept up almost daily attacks on
Lebanon, usually saying it is targeting Hezbollah, and has also maintained
troops in five areas of southern Lebanon it deems "strategic". Berri said that
after the Gaza truce, the focus must be on Lebanon. He urged the international
community, especially France and the U.S., which sponsored the ceasefire
agreement between Lebanon and Israel, to compel Israel to abide by the deal by
withdrawing from the five hills it is still occupying in south Lebanon, halting
its aggression on the country, and releasing the Lebanese prisoners held in
Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, who earlier welcomed the Gaza ceasefire agreement, also
urged the international community to pressure Israel to halt its aggressions on
Lebanon and the region for a "just and comprehensive" peace.
Berri says govt. marginalizing south, calls for
prioritizing reconstruction
Naharnet/09 October/2025
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri accused Thursday the Lebanese government of
ignoring the residents of the southern border villages, claiming that the
Raouche light show has taken much more attention from the government than
rebuilding the war-hit villages in order for the residents to return home.
"Unfortunately, (the government is acting) as if the South is not part of
Lebanon," Berri decried, adding that the 2026 budget will not pass if it does
not include a clear clause related to the reconstruction. Thousands of Hezbollah
supporters had gathered last month and projected images of the group’s former
longtime leader and his successor on the iconic arched Raouche rock to
commemorate their deaths in Israeli airstrikes nearly a year ago, despite an
apparent attempt by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to halt the planned light show.
Salam asked the ministers of interior, justice and defense to take "appropriate
measures, including arresting the perpetrators and referring them for
investigation". The matter was later discussed in a cabinet session Monday.
PM Salam rebuts Berri's claims, reaffirms government's
commitment to South Lebanon
LBCI/09 October/2025
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam responded Thursday to comments attributed to
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri suggesting that the government has neglected
South Lebanon, saying he was “astonished” by the claim and reaffirming his
administration’s commitment to the region and its people. In a post on X, Salam
wrote that “if the statement is true,” he would like to remind that one of his
first actions after winning Parliament’s confidence—within 48 hours—was to visit
Tyre, Khiam, and Nabatieh with several ministers “to assess the situation and
listen to our people in the south.”He added that despite the absence of external
aid “for known reasons” and within the limits of the state’s resources, the
Social Affairs Ministry has provided monthly financial assistance to 67,000
families affected by the war and monthly rent payments to 10,000 displaced
families. Salam said that the Telecommunications, Public Works, and Energy
ministries have already begun repair works to restore essential services to
damaged areas. Meanwhile, the Council for the South and the Higher Relief
Commission have been instructed to accelerate their operations, with the
necessary funds transferred to them. The prime minister also noted that his
government secured a $250 million loan from the World Bank to rebuild
war-damaged infrastructure, though disbursement awaits Parliament’s approval of
the related law. “We hope the esteemed Parliament will resume its legislative
work quickly to pass this law so that our people in the south and all areas
affected by the war can benefit,” Salam wrote, concluding: “As I have said
before, reconstruction is not a promise—it is a pledge.”
After Gaza deal, Aoun hopes Israel will halt 'aggressive
policies' in Lebanon, region
Naharnet/09 October/2025
President Joseph Aoun on Thursday welcomed the ceasefire and hostage-release
deal between Israel and Hamas, expressing hope that this agreement will
constitute a first step towards a permanent ceasefire and an end to the
humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people. Aoun urged the international
and regional communities to keep pushing for a "comprehensive and just peace" in
the region, "that would guarantee the legitimate rights of the Palestinian
people, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative approved by the Arab Summit
in Beirut in 2002." Aoun hoped that Israel would also halt its aggressions on
Lebanon, and Syria. 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".
Bou Saab says Lebanon hasn't been warned of a new Israeli war
Naharnet/09 October/2025
Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab has said that Lebanon has not received any
“foreign warnings” regarding a possible new Israeli war on it, adding that
Lebanon is required to monopolize arms, which is a “key file” in the country.
“The army has made major achievements as to arms monopolization, and this matter
cannot be completed with the press of a button and requires patience,” Bou Saab
told LBCI television. “The army demonstrated a number of its achievements in the
in the cabinet session, including the tunnels it has entered and the arms depots
it has dismantled,” Bou Saab added.
Noting that “there should be a dialogue with Hezbollah on how to extend the
state’s authority across Lebanese territory, not through intimidation or
imposition,” the Deputy Speaker said Lebanese officials “have not despaired of
communication with Hezbollah.”
Israeli dual national tours Lebanon including Hezbollah stronghold in Dahieh
Naharnet/09 October/2025
Benny Wexler, an ultra-Orthodox Israeli with foreign citizenship who has visited
over 100 countries, has disguised his identity to tour the Lebanese capital's
Dahieh district and the city’s last remaining synagogue. Fearing discovery,
Wexler took extreme precautions to conceal his Israeli identity. “From the
moment I realized I was flying to Beirut, the fear kicked in. I couldn’t sleep
at night and had to take medication for the headaches,” he said. “I booked my
flight through an American travel agent so my Israeli IP address wouldn’t be
detected,” he added, according to Israel’s Ynet news portal.
He replaced his phone, hid his credit cards inside his shoes, and packed his
Jewish prayer outfit in a plain bag with no Hebrew markings. Entering Beirut was
the most stressful part, he recalled. “They checked every person for several
minutes. All the tourists were from Iraq, Kuwait or Jordan — not a single one
from the West. I stood out.”According to Wexler, Beirut airport officials seemed
to suspect something when they noticed his passport listed Israel’s Beersheva as
his birthplace. “The officer called a supervisor, and they started discussing
me,” he said. “When I realized I was actually in
Lebanon, I had to pinch myself,” Wexler said. Once inside, he discovered that
90,000 Lebanese pounds were worth just one U.S. dollar. “I hadn’t prepared a
driver or hotel because I didn’t believe I’d make it in,” he said. “After
entering, I booked a hotel and took a cab there.”His hotel was not far from
Dahieh, which was heavily bombarded by Israel during the 2024 war. He befriended
staff members to help him find a driver who could take him to Jewish sites, a
synagogue and a cemetery, while keeping his identity hidden. Eventually, he met
a driver named Mohammed, who realized Wexler was Jewish but didn’t object.
“I have nothing against Jews,” Mohammed told him. “I’ll drive you for $70
a day, including taking photos.” Wexler visited the Jewish cemetery in Beirut’s
Sodeco area, founded in 1829 and home to some 4,500 graves.
He met a senior member of Beirut’s tiny Jewish community, who cautiously
tested his identity before accompanying him to the cemetery and warning him not
to take photos. “He grew up in Lebanon and has never visited Israel — he’s
forbidden to. His fear was enormous, and he advised me to leave immediately,”
Wexler said. At Maghen Abraham Synagogue, the only one
left in Beirut, Wexler obtained police permission to enter. The synagogue stands
in the upscale Wadi Abu Jamil neighborhood, once home to about 20,000 Jews.
“Only the synagogue remains,” Wexler said. “It suffered theft and damage, and
the port explosion nearly destroyed it. The rabbi was deeply moved to see
me.”Wexler also toured other landmarks, including the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque
and the restored Beirut Port. He also explored
Lebanon’s Jeita Grotto and the ancient city of Byblos. But his visit to Dahieh,
Hezbollah’s stronghold, was the most nerve-racking. “Everyone warned me not to
go there. No taxi driver wanted to take me,” he said. “Luckily, my driver knew
the area well. I saw destroyed buildings and countless posters of (slain
Hezbollah chief Sayyed) Hassan Nasrallah on the walls.”
Cowell hosts reception with Sayed, announces support for social protection,
gender equality
Naharnet/09 October/2025
The British Ambassador to Lebanon, Hamish Cowell, has hosted a reception in
honor of the Minister of Social Affairs (MoSA) Haneen Sayed and a visiting
research team from the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) at the University
of Sussex, reaffirming the United Kingdom’s "strong and long-standing
partnership with Lebanon on social protection and gender equality," the British
embassy said. The event brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including
Members of Parliament from the UK and Lebanon, local and regional partners,
civil society representatives, journalists, and advocates, to celebrate "ongoing
collaboration and shared priorities in advancing an inclusive social protection
system in Lebanon.""The UK is playing a leading role globally on social
protection in fragile and conflict-affected countries. Lebanon was one of four
focus countries chosen by the IDS to assess and understand the role of social
protection in the context of recurring shocks, protracted conflict and forced
displacement," the embassy said in a statement. The event highlighted a range of
UK support on social protection in Lebanon and announced new partnerships with
MoSA, ILO and UNFPA. This year the UK is supporting the Ministry of Social
Affairs’ Aman social safety net in reaching more than 200,000 additional
vulnerable Lebanese. This follows the UK assistance during the war in 2024
through the World Food Program (WFP) for the MoSA’s Shock Responsive Safety Net,
which also supported 200,000 Lebanese households. The UK also announced
partnerships with the ILO and UNFPA, in line with the UK’s "commitment to
supporting vital services at the same time as strengthening the national systems
that deliver them."The UK has extended its partnership with MoSA and the ILO on
strengthening three key areas of Lebanon’s national social protection system,
including pension system reforms, social health protection, and support to
MoSA’s Rights and Access program for persons with disabilities.
On gender inequality and inclusive service delivery, the UK has agreed a
new partnership with UNFPA. This will support the implementation of the National
Strategy for Women in Lebanon, by partnering with the National Commission for
Lebanese Women. It will also involve working closely with MoSA on the prevention
of, and services relating to, gender-based violence (GBV) and sexual and
reproductive health through its Social Development Centers.
During the reception, Kate McDermott, Head of Development and
Humanitarian Team & Deputy Development Director said: “The United Kingdom is
proud of our partnership with the Government, protecting the most vulnerable and
advancing gender equality. Through the UK’s varied support and close
collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs, the UK is putting evidence
into action by providing direct assistance to vulnerable Lebanese through
national systems whilst making those systems even stronger and more inclusive.”
Lebanon arrests 32 people suspected of spying for Israel
Agence France Presse/09 October/2025
Lebanon has arrested 32 people in recent months on suspicion of providing Israel
with information on Hezbollah that facilitated strikes on the group, a judicial
official told AFP on Thursday. More than a year of hostilities between Israel
and Hezbollah including two months of open war saw Israel pummel the group's
arsenal and kill a slew of senior commanders, and it has kept up strikes even
after a November truce. Requesting anonymity, the
official said that "at least 32 people have been arrested on suspicion of
collaborating with Israel, six of them before the ceasefire."
So far, "nine people have been tried by the military court," while 23 are still
under investigation, the official added. Lebanon has no formal ties with Israel,
and any contact is punishable with imprisonment. In September last year,
hundreds of Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies exploded in an Israeli operation
that paralyzed the group's communication systems and that Lebanon said killed 39
people and wounded thousands. The following week, Israel killed longtime
Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in a massive airstrike on Beirut's
southern suburbs. A second judicial official with knowledge of the
investigations said two of those convicted were sentenced to eight and seven
years of hard labor respectively. They were found guilty of "providing the enemy
with coordinates, addresses and names of Hezbollah officials, knowing that the
enemy would use this information to bomb locations where the group's officials
and leaders were located," that official said. Some of the suspects admitted to
"providing Israel with information during the war in south Lebanon and Beirut's
southern suburbs," where Hezbollah holds sway, they added.
Vehicle types, buildings -
Among those in custody is a religious singer close to Hezbollah whose brother
was killed in an Israeli strike. The suspect is accused of collaborating with
Israel's Mossad spy agency in exchange for money, the second official said, and
of providing Israel with coordinates that led to the death of a Hezbollah
official and his son in an Israeli strike in south Beirut in April. He allegedly
supplied Israel with "the names of new leaders appointed by the party to succeed
those killed during the war, facilitating their assassination by Israel," the
second official added. A Lebanese security source, also requesting anonymity,
told AFP that initial questioning of some detainees showed Israel had sought
information on the types of cars and motorcycles Hezbollah members used.
Since the ceasefire, Israel has usually said its strikes have targeted
Hezbollah sites or operatives, and it repeatedly struck cars and motorbikes both
before and after the truce. "Some agents from outside the group's ranks were
tasked with monitoring certain Hezbollah military and security figures," or with
"photographing buildings and facilities that Israel suspected were weapons
depots and command and control centers," the security source added. Lebanon has
arrested dozens of people on suspicion of collaborating with Israel over the
years, many recruited online in the wake of the country's economic collapse in
2019. Those convicted face prison sentences of up to 25 years.
Can Lebanon finally solve its waste crisis? A new bill aims
to find out — the details
LBCI/09 October/2025
With every new outbreak of Lebanon’s waste crisis, officials announce plans,
projects, and strategies to solve the problem — yet none have ever been
implemented. The situation remains the same: garbage piled between homes,
scattered along roadsides, and dumped in random landfills and incinerators. The
Environment Ministry now appears to have a more sustainable plan — a draft law
that would allow municipalities to recover waste management costs. The ministry
said addressing the waste crisis requires funding for collection, sorting, and
environmentally friendly processing. One of the key solutions proposed is
decentralization in managing the crisis, meaning each municipality would finance
its own waste management system. If approved, the law would authorize
municipalities to impose monthly fees on households, businesses, and
institutions within their jurisdictions to cover the costs of waste management.
Residential units and commercial properties would be classified according to
their type, size, use, and number of occupants, with fees ranging from $4 to
$12. This would allow municipalities to generate their own revenue, enforce
waste sorting at the source, and handle collection and treatment without waiting
for state funding or foreign aid. To ensure effective fee collection, the
ministry suggested that municipalities hire private companies to handle
payments, avoiding direct confrontation with residents. In this way, citizens
would become part of the solution. While it may seem like an added expense,
officials say it is far cheaper than the cost of deteriorating public health and
environmental pollution. The draft law was placed on the agenda of the most
recent parliamentary session and now awaits a legislative meeting for a final
vote.
Lebanese Information Minister: Garbage landfill in Jdeideh
to continue receiving waste until end of 2026
LBCI/09 October/2025
Following a Cabinet session, Information Minister Paul Morcos announced that the
garbage landfill in Jdeideh will continue receiving waste in its current cell
until the end of 2026, while a new cell is under construction. The Cabinet also
approved the expansion of the landfill and the establishment of Cell 8, with a
draft law to be submitted to Parliament to open the necessary funding. Morcos
further stated that the Justice Ministry has been tasked with exploring legal
avenues to prosecute Israel for crimes committed against journalists.
Syrian FM Asaad al-Shaibani to visit Beirut on Friday
LBCI/09 October/2025
During his visit, he will meet with his Lebanese counterpart at 11 a.m.,
President Joseph Aoun at 12 p.m., and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at 1 p.m.
Lebanese Defense Minister holds series of meetings on
economic and military issues
LBCI/09 October/2025
Lebanese Defense Minister Michel Mnassa held a series of meetings at his office
in Yarze on Thursday, addressing financial, military, and social issues
affecting the armed forces. Mnassa first met with Banque du Liban (BDL) governor
Karim Souaid to discuss the country’s financial and economic conditions and
their impact on the military institution, in addition to financial matters
directly related to the army. He later received MP Jamil Abboud, with talks
focusing on general developments and various developmental and service-related
issues. The minister also met with Army Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Hassan Audi to
review the army’s operational and administrative situation, its ongoing needs,
and progress in implementing the plan to confine weapons to state control. Among
Mnassa's visitors was General Labor Union head Bechara Asmar, with whom he
discussed living and social concerns affecting military personnel and their
families.
Lebanon under pressure: IMF sets reform conditions before
aid
LBCI/09 October/2025
With or without an agreement, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is imposing
its reform conditions on Lebanon’s financial situation.
While aware, along with Arab and international stakeholders, that the
moment for implementing reforms coincides with the disarmament issue, the
pressure on Lebanon remains, confirming that no loans or investments will be
made without reaching an agreement with the IMF. On this basis, the IMF is
involved in the details of reform laws. For example, it has called for an
amendment to the bank restructuring law that would prevent representatives of
economic bodies and the Deposit Guarantee Institution from sitting in the second
chamber of the Higher Banking Authority, the body that will decide the fate of
banks after their evaluation. The IMF considers that the mere presence of these
representatives is, in practice, representation for the banks themselves due to
their connections, which the fund says could lead to conflicts of interest.
Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry has prepared a draft law incorporating these
amendments in anticipation of its submission and approval by Parliament. The
question remains whether the amendment will be approved in the first plenary
session or alongside the so-called “gap law,” which has yet to be introduced.
Banking sources reiterated that there are attempts to exclude banks and their
international advisor, Ankura, from proposed solutions, as if they alone are
responsible for the financial crisis. Meanwhile, the state and the central bank
continue to be actively involved in these solutions, even though the IMF
describes the crisis as unprecedented, requiring, according to banking sources,
equally unprecedented measures from the fund.
Gaza Deal Puts Hezbollah in a Corner... Between Berri
and Salam: Excess Talk and No Peace
Nidaa Al-Watan/October 10, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
Two years after the devastating war that burned Gaza and drowned it in
destruction and tears, incinerating what was left of the illusion of the "Axis
of Resistance," the chapter of war is being closed. The Strip is now poised to
write a new chapter in its history, as the Hamas movement, which felt the sting
of betrayal from the Axis of Resistance, stands on the threshold of a historic
truce with Israel. This is part of the first phase of U.S. President Donald
Trump's plan, which includes a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from
Gaza, and the release of prisoners and hostages, all aimed at rearranging the
Palestinian scene.
Therefore, the war in Gaza has, in principle, ended, and according to President
Trump, there will be a lasting peace. While awaiting the signing of the
agreement in Egypt, the anticipated visit of the U.S. President to Israel, his
expected historic speech in the Knesset, and the continuation of complex
negotiations on the prisoner release file, all eyes are turning to the Lebanese
interior, which is still swallowing the poison of the "support war’s"
repercussions. In this context, sources suggest that Hamas's surrender to the
American paper, regardless of the nomenclature, is nothing less than a political
slap to Hezbollah and a resounding collapse for its resistance and its slogan
"Far be it from us to suffer humiliation." The almost daily assassination of its
members and its inability to respond is humiliation in itself. The sources add
that Hamas’s signing of the U.S. President’s plan, which essentially ends its
political and military presence within the Strip, has created a state of intense
anger within Hezbollah’s ranks. The party is currently struggling with
widespread chaos, poor organization and role distribution, and a conflict
between two internal wings. The irony is that the party that began the Al-Aqsa
Flood is now signing a peace deal, while the party that entered in support has
emerged shattered, burdened with destruction, isolation, and open bills, all at
the expense of the Lebanese people. Thus, what is happening in Gaza is not a
detail far removed from Lebanon; rather, it is a mirror of what awaits Hezbollah
in the next phase. The party that surrendered its weapons in Gaza may have paved
the way for a similar scenario in Lebanon, especially since indicators suggest
that Israel will devote itself to Hezbollah after dealing with Hamas.
The Berri-Salam Spat
In this context, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri asked before the Economic Media
Association: "What comes after Gaza?" His answer was that attention must be
directed toward Lebanon to implement the previously reached agreement, urging
the international community, especially the countries that sponsored the
ceasefire agreement, to pressure Israel to comply with what it has not yet
committed to. Berri aimed his arrows at the government, asking: "Is it
conceivable that the Lebanese government does not even say 'hello' to the
residents of the border villages?" He demanded that the government at least have
a minimal presence and stated that it is absolutely impermissible for the
government to link the reconstruction file to any political price.In response,
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam expressed his astonishment at Berri's statement
regarding the government's neglect of the people of the South. He said: "The
first action I took with a number of my fellow ministers, less than 48 hours
after our government won confidence, was to conduct a field visit to Tyre,
Khiam, and Nabatieh, to understand the situation of our people and listen to
them." He added that the Ministry of Social Affairs provided monthly financial
assistance to 67,000 affected families and monthly rent payments to 10,000
displaced families. Most importantly, he noted, "Our government worked to obtain
a $250 million loan from the World Bank for reconstruction." Salam concluded by
saying: "Reconstruction is not a promise from me, but a pledge."
Salam's comment drew a retort from Ain El Tineh (Berri's residence), which
simply stated: "The sun is out, and people can see."In his speech at the
official ceremony marking the relaunch of "Beirut Souks," Salam pointed out that
there is no stability without a just and strong state that treats its citizens
equally before the law. Justice, he noted, requires the citizen's trust in their
state and the feeling that the law is supreme and protects their rights and
freedoms.
Tightened Measures at Crossings and Syrian Visit
Concurrently, as the Deputy Secretary-General for Peace, Security, and Defence
at the European Union’s External Action Service, Charles Fries, and his
accompanying delegation continued their tour of Lebanese officials, Nidaa
Al-Watan learned that the delegation focused on assisting the Army and Armed
Forces and did not mention support for reconstruction or other areas. Thus, the
Europeans have set a course, pending clear reform and sovereign steps from
Lebanon. On the security front, following Israel’s announcement of thwarting an
Iranian attempt to smuggle weapons into the West Bank, official sources told
Nidaa Al-Watan that Lebanon is maintaining tightened procedures at the borders
and legal crossings, in parallel with the Army's implementation of its plan
south of the Litani. This makes the unauthorized entry of weapons and funds from
Iran or any other country a difficult task. The sources confirmed that security
measures remain tight at the airport and the port, where procedures have been
tightened following the introduction of modern scanner machines. Meanwhile, the
supply line from Syria is closed, and the new regime, along with the Lebanese
Army and security forces, is doing its part.
While the sources stressed that Lebanon is trying to control all crossings and
ports despite the difficulties, the visit of Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad
al-Shaibani to Beirut today is prominent. This is the first such visit since the
fall of Bashar al-Assad, coming at the invitation of Foreign Minister Youssef
Rigi. Al-Shaibani will begin by meeting Rigi, followed by meetings with
President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. Nidaa Al-Watan learned
that the visit culminates the meeting between Aoun and (transitional President)
Al-Sharaa in Doha. The meetings will cover the border file, detainees, security
coordination, economic and financial cooperation, the fight against terrorism,
and ensuring no group exploits the situation to destabilize the other country’s
security. Most importantly, the visit aims to open a new chapter in
Lebanese-Syrian relations, under Saudi patronage.
Temporary Solution for Jdeideh Landfill
In contrast, the Council of Ministers yesterday emerged with a temporary
solution for the Jdeideh landfill, amid reservations from "Lebanese Forces"
ministers about its expansion. The Council assigned the Council for Development
and Reconstruction (CDR) to establish a new landfill cell at the Jdeideh site.
Waste reception at the existing cell will cease before the end of 2026 or once
its capacity is exhausted, with its definitive closure slated before that date.
Waste will continue to be received in the current cell until the new cell is
completed. The Council also approved the transfer of ownership of the property
on which the landfill is built to the Jdeideh-Bouchrieh-Sed municipality after
its final closure. This secures the municipality's exclusive right to invest the
surface of the landfill in compatible activities, with revenues going solely to
the municipality. Furthermore, the CDR was tasked with studying and implementing
a plan for two projects on the landfill’s surface: establishing a solar power
generation system and establishing a power plant generating electricity from
landfill gas, with both projects to be owned by the municipality.
Hezbollah: The Delusion of Victory and Recovery
Mustafa Fahs/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 10, 2025 (Translated
from Arabic)
Caught between reality and desire, Hezbollah is a prisoner of the duality of
recovery and victory. The facts—or its reality one year after the devastating
war and two years after the "support war"—prove, logically and rationally, a
different reality than the entire new narrative. This is the narrative the group
is trying to promote, or desperately wants to convince its audience of,
regarding its victory in the war and its recovery: a new, delusional narrative
of a realized achievement and a successful recuperation.
In terms of numbers, the major losses the party has sustained cannot be treated
as collateral damage. This is particularly true because its losses at the
leadership, training, and armament levels are irreplaceable. They cannot be
covered or compensated by the Secretary-General's speeches, which are
ineffective in both form and substance, nor by the emotional outbursts of
aspiring leaders or officials attempting to fill a vacuum that is impossible to
close politically or morally. Attempts to impose a sense of victory on its
supportive environment are fraught with many risks; imposing it on the rest of
the Lebanese people is simply impossible. Between the September 2024 earthquake
(referring to the Israeli operation) and the aftershocks of the "66 days" of
war, it is impossible to count the losses or achieve recovery in a single year.
The earthquake that shook the party, Lebanon, and the Axis, and successfully
destroyed a very large part of its military infrastructure and organizational
superstructure—which took nearly four decades to build—was followed by
unquantifiable geostrategic aftershocks in Syria. Reversing these changes cannot
be accomplished in less than a year. What happened during and immediately after
the 66 days in Syria, and later with Iran, imposed a geopolitical shift from
Beirut to Tehran, passing through Damascus—which has been definitively removed
from the Axis's maps—and Baghdad—which has distanced itself since the first shot
on October 7, 2023.
Victory and recovery have their preconditions, which are currently unavailable.
The war's results were devastating, as the enemy succeeded in achieving most of
its military and field objectives. Anyone who refuses to accept these facts or
tries to jump over them is suffering from a deep-seated state of denial. The
party is hiding behind this denial in a desperate attempt to practice politics
and maintain its position and role in the Lebanese structure under its former
terms, which are no longer available. Refusing to adapt to the new reality
pushes it toward internal side battles, where it attempts to assert its power
over the state and society, engaging in populist behaviors that it believes will
grant it the strength to continue as before.
As for recovery, it is difficult, if not impossible. It requires capabilities,
competencies, wealth, geography, and time, most of which are no longer available
or accessible. The deliberate talk of recovery represents a contradiction and a
disconnect between truth and reality, but it carries different connotations. The
party, and its link to Tehran—which anticipates a new Israeli aggression against
itself and against Hezbollah—makes both parties keen to demonstrate their
readiness for a new confrontation. Internally, this talk has two prongs: the
first is to claim that the party has regained its position and readiness for
confrontation; the second is to signal that any discussion of disarming the
party is rejected. The delusional duality of victory and recovery is an attempt
to deny the crisis of weakness that the party is currently undergoing and a
clear anxiety about losing control. Therefore, Hezbollah resorts to a delusional
narrative as a collective denial tool of reality, to prevent collapse or avoid
the possibilities of downfall.
Minister Salameh Asks via Our Platform: Will the Gaza
Agreement Open the Doors of Peace in the Region
Akhbarkom – Akhbarona/Nadia Shreim/October 09/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/10/148073/
Hours after the signing of the Sharm El-Sheikh Agreement between Israel and
Hamas, the world is holding its breath, waiting to see it implemented amid an
exceptional Arab, international, and regional push to turn the page on war.
While the questions are many and legitimate, the answers about the next stage
remain difficult — despite the guarantees and the expressed willingness of all
parties to move toward implementing the agreement.
Former Minister and Head of the Identity and Sovereignty Gathering, Youssef
Salameh, told our platform:
“To understand the implications of the Gaza Agreement imposed by President Trump
between Hamas — a key branch of the Muslim Brotherhood — and Israel, we must
first revisit the history of the Brotherhood’s rise in the mid-20th century and
its parallel trajectory with the birth of the State of Israel.”
He added:
“World War II ended with the establishment of Israel in Palestine. Since then,
strategic planning began by the global Zionist movement and its sponsors —
namely Britain, the West, and even the Soviet Union, which was the first to
recognize Israel in the 1940s. Everyone was working toward consolidating the
Israeli entity on Palestinian land.”
Sunni Political Islam
Salameh pointed out that among the early preparations was the revival of the
Muslim Brotherhood and the creation of what came to be known as “Sunni Political
Islam,” aimed at generating a balance in the Middle East between Sunni extremism
and Jewish extremism, thus turning the region into a battleground of competing
religious identities.
Lebanon’s Resilience
He continued:
“The Mashreq states — Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq — are religiously diverse.
Because the Christian community in Lebanon was influential and deeply rooted in
democratic culture, attempts to destabilize it failed. Syria and Iraq, though
diverse, lacked equilibrium in their diversity, leading to coups that enshrined
Islam as the state religion. They thus transformed into religious states similar
to Israel, which had secured existential legitimacy on Palestinian soil.”
Egypt’s Turn
Salameh revealed that the next attempt shifted to Egypt, the largest and most
stable Arab state.
“It witnessed the first military coup, pulling the region into fierce
ideological rivalries under Gamal Abdel Nasser, who sought to monopolize Arab
nationalism. He undermined the independence of the Mashreq states and tried to
dominate the region, which entered a stage of self-destruction, divided between
the Baghdad Pact states and those allied with Egypt. One result of this conflict
was the 1967 war, which lasted only three days — Israel defeated the Arab states
and occupied the remainder of Palestine.”
During that time, Salameh explained, Israel’s need for political Islam increased
as a tool to erode modernity within Arab societies.
“The Muslim Brotherhood became the mother organization that gave birth to
extremist Islamic movements which ultimately undermined global stability.”
Shiite Political Islam
Salameh further noted that to complete this downward spiral, the theory of
Wilayat al-Faqih (Guardianship of the Jurist) was cultivated — ironically, he
said, from within Western intelligence circles — and nurtured by Shiite scholars
in Persia.
“The revolution against the Shah in the late 1970s brought the clerical
establishment to power in Iran, launching a project to expand its influence
across the Arab world and the Levant. The aim was to intimidate the region and
push the Sunni majority to accept peace with Israel out of fear of falling under
Shiite revolutionary dominance.”
The End of the Scenario
He went on:
“Today, after the completion of this long scenario, we have reached an agreement
between Hamas and Israel — an arrangement under which Hamas effectively
surrendered to Israel and the West, under comprehensive Arab cover, after Gaza
was devastated. This surrender was not difficult for the Brotherhood, whose
primary sponsor today is Turkey, the only secular state in the region and a
member of NATO. It carried out its role to perfection under direct American
supervision.”
“Turkey thus successfully brokered the understanding and told Hamas: ‘Your
mission is over — surrender to Israel.’”
A Military Blow to Iran
According to Salameh:
“The situation of the Iranian revolution and its regional arms is different. The
state and regime in Iran remain ideologically committed to the newly formulated
Shiite doctrine — unlike secular Turkey. Tehran has become captive to its own
illusion of being a global power. I believe it will soon face a major military
strike that will end the threat of Shiite political Islam, the extremism it
fostered, and the revolutionary system’s expansion into the Levant. Meanwhile,
the Hamas–Israel agreement concludes a long and costly conflict for the region.”
A Post-Islamist Peace
Salaameh concluded:
“After the Gaza Agreement, the West will turn its focus toward dismantling the
Iranian revolution — either through direct confrontation or internal upheaval —
paving the way for comprehensive peace between Israel and the Arab states. This
peace will rise on the ruins of political Islam, which has now exhausted its
function after playing its role to perfection.”
Lebanon Is Moving Against Nature — and Against Its Own
Interest
Makram Rabah/Elaf/October 09/2025
Lebanon’s problem does not lie in a lack of laws or in the ambiguity of its
principles. “The monopoly of arms by the state” is enshrined in constitutions,
accords, and international resolutions—repeated endlessly by successive
governments as a moral mantra. Yet the latest cabinet sessions, and the
accompanying political and security performance, have reduced this foundational
principle to an empty echo. The state that should reclaim the unity of force has
confined itself to rhetorical posturing, surrendering to the circular logic of
“the chicken and the egg”: the army cannot disarm Hezbollah as long as Israel
continues its strikes, and the strikes continue so long as the state refuses to
enforce the monopoly of arms. This is not technical paralysis; it is a political
choice to justify and prolong impotence.
No one expects the Lebanese army to wage urban battles to forcibly disarm
Hezbollah. That is self-evident. What is unacceptable is turning this reality
into a pretext for eternal delay. Political leadership is not about listing
obstacles—it is about charting the possible path: enforcing the constitution,
drafting a roadmap that assigns responsibilities, and seeking coordinated Arab
and international support to implement UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and
1701. These are not abstract demands but practical steps combining political
pressure, economic incentives, and a security realignment that restores the
state’s authority.
The “Raoucheh incident” in Beirut was emblematic of this inversion of
priorities. Six floodlights on a seaside rock became a so-called “sovereign
battle,” spawning a chorus of bureaucratic theologians justifying the violation.
Yet the essence of the case was the defiance of a government decision in the
heart of the capital—a test of the state’s authority. Treating it as a mere
“administrative misunderstanding” misses the point: if the symbolic challenge
succeeds in Beirut, what prevents it from spreading to other, more sensitive
arenas? The same logic applies to the suspension of the Ressalat Association’s
license. Handled through political bartering, it risks being reduced to a token
gesture to placate public opinion instead of a first step toward dismantling the
institutional and cultural ecosystem that legitimizes the extra-state economy of
force.
The paradox is stark: the Lebanese state is moving against nature. Across the
region, political orders are changing rapidly. Major Arab capitals are
redefining their priorities around development, stability, and global economic
integration. Even Damascus, battered and bankrupt, is being forced into
pragmatic realism. Lebanon, however, insists on swimming upstream—curbing media
freedoms at the first test, weakening the judiciary at the first serious case,
and normalizing the security exception at the very core of its capital while
still chanting the slogan of the “strong state.” The old logic of “protective
minority alliances,” which Hezbollah long invoked, has lost all regional
validity. No one is willing to bankroll its adventures anymore. Yet the Lebanese
authorities persist in feeding the group political oxygen through empty rhetoric
and situational justifications that keep its weapons “legitimate” under the
pretext of an “external threat.”
Hezbollah itself faces a structural crisis. The successive strikes it has
endured in the south and east have exposed the fragility of its military
architecture vis-à-vis Israel, disrupting its logistics and command lines. The
gap between its boastful rhetoric of “changing the balance” and the reality of
limited, calculated retaliation is glaring. This is not newfound prudence but a
reflection of cumulative erosion—an organization increasingly unable to bear the
costs of open confrontation, while its own social base grows weary of
“victories” that bring only destruction and economic collapse.
In this context, the state’s wager on time is complicity. Time works against
Lebanon: every day without a clear path toward unifying arms erodes its image,
weight, and relevance in the Arab world. Each new hesitation gives Israel a
stronger pretext to expand its strikes under the guise of Lebanese paralysis and
opens the door to a gradual regime of sanctions and isolation that will engulf
not only Hezbollah but the entire country. More dangerously, the mixed messages
from the presidency and army command—often framed as “technical reports”
deferring decisions to the field—are read abroad as tacit acceptance of the
abnormal. The state’s failure thus ceases to be mismanagement; it becomes
policy.
The solution does not begin on the battlefield but in the realm of politics,
law, and administration. Lebanon must first make a clear and public declaration
that the monopoly of arms is not a slogan but a binding commitment of the state
and its institutions, one accompanied by a transparent timetable. That
declaration must be followed by enforcement: restoring the authority of the
judiciary, curbing armed displays in the streets, dismantling the parallel
economy that finances illegal arms, and holding accountable those who sustain
the culture of impunity. The army, for its part, must be redefined as a
guarantor against political violence and shielded through Arab and international
sponsorship that moves it from the role of “mediator” to that of enforcer of the
law under Resolution 1701. Finally, Lebanon must draw a clear link between
sovereignty and recovery: no investment, no reconstruction, and no partnership
with the international community can materialize in a country with multiple
armies and conflicting centers of power.
Skeptics will call this idealistic amid Lebanon’s fragile internal balance. But
those balances have already shifted. Hezbollah’s own social environment is
exhausted, the so-called “Shiite Street” no longer monolithic, and the regional
umbrella that once paralyzed the Lebanese state is collapsing under new Arab
calculations. The wider Lebanese society has exited denial—it is no longer
willing to remain hostage to proxy wars or foreign bargaining.
The true test lies at the top. The presidency is not a public-relations
platform, and the army is not an insurance company. Those who once reached
Baabda did so not as philosophers or bankers, but as symbols of legitimate
authority and national unity. The greatest danger now is more political
acrobatics and interpretive “innovations” that prepare the stage for a larger
Israeli strike and a deeper isolation. At the very least, Lebanon’s rulers must
stop moving against nature and recognize that this regional moment of
transformation is a rare opportunity: either Lebanon enters the gravitational
pull of Arab stability, or it continues to sink into the gravity of the void.
The conclusion is simple and unforgiving: the monopoly of arms is not a
procedural issue—it is the precondition for the state’s survival. Everything
else is detail. If the authorities are serious, they must tell the Lebanese
people, clearly and publicly, what they are doing, how, and when. Otherwise,
they are not managing a crisis—they are managing a collapse.
This article originally appeared in Elaf
Makram Rabah is the managing editor at Now Lebanon and an Assistant Professor at
the American University of Beirut, Department of History. His book Conflict on
Mount Lebanon: The Druze, the Maronites and Collective Memory (Edinburgh
University Press) covers collective identities and the Lebanese Civil War. He
tweets at @makramrabah
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on October 09-10/2025
AMCD Applauds Israeli-Hamas Peace Deal
October 9, 2025
The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy applauds President Trump for the
historic peace deal he has brokered between Israel and the terrorist group,
Hamas, which provides for the release of the remaining hostages (or their
bodies) taken on October 7, 2023, and the initial pull back of Israeli forces
from Gaza. AMCD now urges other regional leaders, especially President Joseph
Aoun of Lebanon and transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa of Syria, to begin
the process of joining the Abraham Accords to bring lasting security and
prosperity to their people.
“If a radical terrorist group like Hamas can deal with Israel, surely President
Aoun can step up to meet this historic moment and open the door to peace and
prosperity for the Lebanese people,” said AMCD co-chair, John Hajjar. “Aoun is
running out of excuses; it is time to normalize relations with Israel for the
good of the Lebanese and their children and grandchildren.”
“President Trump’s bold leadership is paving the way toward and stable and
secure Middle East, added AMCD co-chair Tom Harb. “He is doing something
everyone thought was impossible for decades. Much work is still left to be done,
but this breakthrough may hold historic significance for many years to come by
changing the correlation of forces so that lasting peace is a real possibility
for the region.”
AMCD is cautiously hopeful and looks forward to that time when all may “sit
under their own vine and fig tree,” and “shall beat their swords into
plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword
against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”
Trump likely to be in Jerusalem this weekend: Israeli president’s office
Reuters/09 October/2025
US President Donald Trump is expected to be in Jerusalem on Sunday, according to
a statement from the Israeli president’s office, which sent a note saying that
President Isaac Herzog’s plans had been canceled on Sunday in light of an
expected Trump’s visit though there was no official announcement yet. Trump also
said Thursday he would try to go to Egypt for the signing of a Gaza ceasefire
and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas. “I’m going to try and make a
trip over. We’re going to try and get over there, and we're working on the
timing, the exact timing,” Trump said at a cabinet meeting. Trump added that
hostages held in the Palestinian territory would be released on “Monday or
Tuesday” and said that the deal had “ended the war in Gaza.”
Trump to visit Egypt, agrees to address Israeli
Knesset after
Reuters/09 October/2025
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday the Gaza hostages should be released
on Monday or Tuesday and that he hopes to attend a signing ceremony in Egypt and
address the Israeli Knesset. Trump opened a White House cabinet meeting by
discussing a deal reached on Wednesday under which the hostages held by Hamas
militants are to be released in the first phase of a broader Gaza plan. He said
he believed it would lead to “lasting peace.”Trump said under the plan, Gaza is
going to be “slowly redone,” a reference to plans to rebuild the Palestinian
enclave. He did not provide details other than to say “we’re going to create
something where people can live. You can’t live right now in Gaza.”Hamas is
expected to release the 20 living hostages together, 72 hours after the
ceasefire begins. “We are getting the hostages back on Tuesday - Monday or
Tuesday - and that’ll be a day of joy,” Trump said.
Trump said it may be difficult to retrieve all the remains of the hostages who
died in captivity immediately, “because some of the bodies are going to be a
little bit hard to find.”He said he was going to try to make the trip there to
attend a signing ceremony in Egypt. The White House has been scrambling to work
out the details of the hastily arranged trip. The Israeli Knesset has asked
Trump to speak, and the president said he was planning to do so if requested.
While questions remain about what happens in the region in the long term, Trump
said he hoped it would lead to “an everlasting peace.”
Ceasefire brings joy to Gaza and Israel as Trump claims diplomatic win
The Arab Weekly/October 09/2025
Under the deal, fighting will cease, Israel will partially withdraw from Gaza
and Hamas will free hostages it captured in the attack that precipitated the
war. Israelis and Palestinians rejoiced on Thursday
after a ceasefire and hostage deal was announced under the first phase of US
President Donald Trump’s initiative to end the war in Gaza. The enemies both
publicly endorsed the deal and had been expected to sign it around noon in the
Egyptian beach resort of Sharm el-Sheikh (0900 GMT), though there was no
immediate official confirmation that the signing had taken place.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s office said the ceasefire
would take effect once ratified by the Israeli government, which would convene
after a security cabinet meeting scheduled for 5pm. Israel’s hostage coordinator
Gal Hirsch said the list of the Palestinian prisoners to be freed was still
being worked out. Residents in Gaza reported a series of air strikes on Gaza
City around the time it was due to be signed.
Withdrawal and release of hostages
Under the deal, fighting will cease, Israel will partially withdraw from Gaza
and Hamas will free hostages it captured in the attack that precipitated the
war, in exchange for prisoners held by Israel. A source briefed on details of
the agreement said Israeli troops would begin pulling back within 24 hours of
the deal being signed. The release of all 20 Israeli hostages still believed to
be alive in Gaza is expected on Sunday or Monday, an Israeli official said.
Another 26 hostages have been declared dead in absentia and the fate of two is
unknown. Hamas has indicated it may take time to recover bodies scattered across
Gaza. Palestinians and the families of Israeli hostages broke into wild
celebrations after news emerged of the pact. In Gaza, where most of the more
than two million people have been displaced by Israeli bombing, young men
applauded in the devastated streets, even as Israeli strikes continued.
Happy in Gaza
“Thank God for the ceasefire, the end of bloodshed and killing,” said Abdul
Majeed Abd Rabbo in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. “I am not the only one happy,
all of the Gaza Strip is happy, all the Arab people, all of the world is happy
with the ceasefire and the end of bloodshed.”Einav Zaugauker, whose son Matan is
one of the last hostages, rejoiced in Tel Aviv’s so-called Hostages Square,
where families of those seized in the Hamas attack that sparked the war two
years ago have gathered to demand their return. “I can’t breathe, I can’t
breathe, I can’t explain what I’m feeling … it’s crazy,” she said, speaking in
the red glow of a celebratory flare.“What do I say to him? What do I do? Hug and
kiss him,” she said. “Just tell him that I love him, that’s it. And to see his
eyes sink into mine … It’s overwhelming; this is the relief.”Still, Gaza
residents said Israeli strikes on three Gaza City suburbs continued overnight
and in the morning hours of Thursday, residents said, though there were no
immediate reports of casualties. The Gaza health
ministry said at least nine Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in the past
24 hours. Just a day after the second anniversary of Hamas militants’
cross-border attack that triggered Israel’s devastating assault on Gaza,
indirect talks in Egypt yielded the agreement as the initial stage of a 20-point
framework put forward by Trump.
Major achievement for Trump
The agreement was widely portrayed as a major diplomatic achievement for the US
president, who had campaigned on promises to end fighting in Gaza. He cast it as
a first step in a plan to bring reconciliation to the wider Middle East. “All
Parties will be treated fairly! This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim
World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we
thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make
this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen,” he wrote on social media.
“BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”
But the agreement still left many unresolved questions. Yet to be hammered out
are plans to govern Gaza after the war, and the ultimate fate of Hamas, which
has rejected Israel’s demands that it give up its weapons. Netanyahu called the
deal “a diplomatic success and a national and moral victory for the State of
Israel.”But far-right members of his coalition have long opposed any deal with
Hamas. One, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, said Hamas must be destroyed once
the hostages are returned. He would not vote in favour of a ceasefire deal,
although he stopped short of threatening to bring down Netanyahu’s coalition.
The deal received a chorus of support from Arab and Western countries which had
watched multiple ceasefire efforts fail. The next
phase of Trump’s plan calls for an international body led by Trump, and
including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, to play a role in Gaza’s
post-war administration. Arab countries which back the plan say it must lead to
eventual independence for a Palestinian state, which Netanyahu says will never
happen. Hamas rejects putting Gaza under international rule, and any role for
Blair. More than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed
in Israel’s assault on Gaza, launched after Hamas-led militants stormed through
Israeli towns on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and capturing 251
hostages.In parallel, Israel’s military has waged campaigns that have tipped the
balance of power in the Middle East in its favour, killing the leaders of
Hezbollah in a campaign in Lebanon and top Iranian commanders in a 12-day war
against Iran. But global outrage has mounted against
Israel’s assault, leaving it internationally isolated.
Israeli government meets to finalize Gaza deal, Ben-Gvir
threatens to topple Netanyahu
Reuters/09 October/2025
Israeli government ministers were due to begin meeting on Thursday to approve
the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire and hostage release plan signed with the
Palestinian militant group Hamas. An Israeli government spokesperson said
earlier the ceasefire would go into force within 24 hours of the government
meeting. After that 24-hour period, the hostages held in Gaza would be freed
within 72 hours. The government meeting was due to follow a just completed
meeting of the Israeli security cabinet. Far-right
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir warned that his Jewish Power
party would push to topple Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government unless
Hamas is ultimately dismantled. “If the Hamas government is not dismantled, or
if they only tell us that it is dismantled while in reality it continues to
exist under a different guise - Jewish Power will dismantle the government,”
Ben-Gvir said in a statement ahead of a Netanyahu cabinet meeting to approve a
Gaza ceasefire and hostage release plan.
Trump exerted leverage for Gaza deal but tough
questions remain
Reuters/10 October/2025
With the Gaza war entering its third year, US President Donald Trump has
achieved something no other world leader has been able to do: strong-arm
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into the first step of a broader
peace deal while persuading other Middle Eastern countries to pressure Hamas.
But despite its potentially historic nature, Trump’s rushed deal signed in Egypt
on Thursday leaves a host of unresolved issues that could still trip up
implementation of the initial phase and impede progress toward the next,
analysts say.
While crediting Trump with the most promising breakthrough yet to end the war,
experts say the immediate challenge will be to iron out practical details for
what has been agreed to on paper: silencing the guns, exchanging Israeli
hostages for Palestinian prisoners and a partial Israeli withdrawal inside the
devastated enclave. After that, negotiators must tackle other parts of Trump’s
20-point plan over which the two sides remain bitterly at odds, including the
disarmament of Hamas, which the militant group rejects, a formal end to the
conflict and Gaza’s post-war governance. None of this was dealt with in three
days of indirect negotiations in Egyptian beach resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where
Trump had sent his son-in-law Jared Kushner and Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff
to help mediate. But a quick resolution appears unlikely. “There is an enormous
number of potential sticking points that are going to really determine whether
this ceasefire ends up being the beginning of peace or just another twist in the
cycle of violence,” said Jonathan Panikoff, a former deputy US national
intelligence officer on the Middle East. Preventing the ceasefire deal from
unraveling, as others have under Trump and his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden,
will require a sustained, detailed effort by the president and his national
security team, said Panikoff, now at the Atlantic Council think tank in
Washington. But with Trump’s foreign policy team stripped of some of its policy
expertise due to job cuts and now hampered by the federal government shutdown,
that won’t be easy. For now, though, Trump - who has touted the deal as another
reason why he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize - has through force of will seemingly
gained momentum for Gaza peace beyond what many experts thought was possible.
Successful completion of the deal would mark a significant foreign policy
achievement for the Republican president, who had campaigned on bringing peace
to major world conflicts but has struggled to swiftly deliver, both in Gaza and
on Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Trump’s strategy
Just weeks ago, peace in Gaza seemed more distant than ever after Israel
launched a strike on Hamas’ leadership in Qatar, a US ally. But Trump’s aides
decided to turn his anger at Netanyahu into pressure on the Israeli leader to
accept a framework for ending the war, which they presented to Muslim leaders on
the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last month, according to people
familiar with the matter. Whereas Netanyahu readily
defied Biden over Israel’s assault on Gaza in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023,
cross-border attack, he found it harder to buck Trump, despite Israeli
misgivings over the Gaza plan, including cracking open the door to eventual
Palestinian statehood. Trump had joined Israel in striking Iran’s nuclear sites
in June and stood by Netanyahu amid increasing international isolation. Opinion
polls have consistently shown Trump more popular with the Israeli public than
their prime minister.
“Without the leverage, there was no deal. Bibi cannot say no to Trump,” said
Dennis Ross, a former Middle East adviser to Republican and Democratic
administrations, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname. But the Israeli leader
still faces big risks at home, including the chance that some far-right members
of his governing coalition could quit his government over the concessions he has
agreed. In addition, Trump was able to marshal support from key Middle East
states, especially Qatar and Turkey, to pressure Hamas to drop its opposition to
certain issues, such as releasing Israeli hostages, dead and alive, at the start
of the process rather than using them as bargaining chips further down the line.
Qatar, home to the largest US military base in the Middle East, has warmed to
Trump over upgraded security and business ties since he took office in January.
During a White House visit in late September, Trump put Netanyahu on the phone
with the Qatari prime minister to apologize for the strike in Doha.Trump has
also deepened his relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who
is seeking advanced US weaponry, and asked him to help push Hamas to accept the
deal. Known for his love of pomp and ceremony, Trump appeared ready to head to
Israel this weekend around the time the hostages are due to come home. Netanyahu
has invited him to address Israel’s parliament. Even
so, some of the details of the first phase of Trump’s plan remain unsettled,
such as the final lists of Palestinian prisoners to be freed by Israel in
exchange for the 20 living hostages and estimated 28 dead. Also unresolved are
longer-term questions about Gaza’s future. Those include whether Hamas would be
allowed to have any part in governing Gaza, something Trump and Netanyahu have
steadfastly rejected, as well as how to rebuild the territory from its ruins and
who will pay for it.The elusive quest for Middle East peace has been the bane of
American presidents from Jimmy Carter to Biden. But some analysts see hope for
at least a halt to the latest wave of destruction. “There seems to be momentum
behind it,” said Jon Alterman of the Center for Strategic and International
Studies think tank in Washington.“But it’s a mistake to think that this is all
resolved. We will have some white-knuckle moments in the coming weeks.”
Israel to begin Gaza pullout as Rafah crossing set
to reopen within 72 hours: Sources
Al Arabiya English/09 October/2025
Al Arabiya sources revealed new details on Thursday about the first phase of the
US-brokered Gaza ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, including key
security and humanitarian measures. According to the sources, the Rafah crossing
is set to reopen within 72 hours of the official announcement of the ceasefire.
Preparations are also underway to bring in heavy equipment to clear rubble and
recover the bodies or remains of deceased Israeli hostages inside the Gaza
Strip. The sources added that Israel will begin
withdrawing from the Palestinian side of the border starting Thursday evening as
part of the initial implementation steps.Meanwhile, discussions are ongoing to
determine which party will manage the Rafah crossing from the Palestinian side,
amid efforts to ensure secure and coordinated operations. Al Arabiya sources
also said a joint military task force – comprising Egypt, the United States,
Israel, Qatar, and Turkey – is being formed to search for the bodies of hostages
believed to be buried under the debris across Gaza. The ceasefire agreement
between Israel and Hamas officially went into effect in Gaza on Thursday, Al
Arabiya reported, hours after US President Donald Trump announced that a deal
was reached between the warring sides.
Marwan Barghouti not part of prisoner-hostage exchange ‘at this point,’ Israel
says
Al Arabiya English/With AFP/09 October/2025
An Israeli government spokeswoman on Thursday said high profile Palestinian
prisoner Marwan Barghouti would not be exchanged as part of the Gaza ceasefire
and hostage release deal reached by Israel and Hamas. When asked by a journalist
whether Israel had agreed to release Barghouti, government spokeswoman Shosh
Bedrosian told a briefing that: “I can tell you at this point in time that he
will not be part of this release.”Barghouti -- from Hamas’s rival, the Fatah
movement -- was among the Palestinian prisoners Hamas wanted to see released as
part of the Gaza deal, according to Egyptian state-linked media. At the top of
Hamas’ list is Marwan Barghouti, a senior Fatah leader seen by many Palestinians
as a potential future president. Barghouti began his political activity at age
15 in Yasser Arafat’s Fatah movement and was elected to the Palestinian
Legislative Council in 1996. Arrested in 2002 during Israel’s “Operation
Defensive Shield,” he is serving five life sentences plus 40 years for attacks
that killed Israelis. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly
stated that “symbols of terrorism, led by Barghouti,” will not be included in
any stage of a prisoner exchange deal.
Palestinian president meets Israeli peace activists, speaks to Israeli media
AFP/October 09, 2025
RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas met with
Israeli activists in Ramallah on Thursday to discuss long-term peace after
Israel and Hamas agreed a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.
“I welcome the agreement signed today, the end of the war, and the
release of the hostages,” Abbas told dozens of representatives from Israeli
peace organizations assembled at the presidential palace in Ramallah in the
occupied West Bank.“A few months ago, (US President Donald) Trump had a plan to
expel the Palestinians, but later he forgot about it,” he added.
“Nevertheless, we will remain in our homeland and establish a Palestinian
state in Gaza, the West Bank, and east Jerusalem,” he said.
Speaking from a podium in the presence of Arab-Israeli Knesset member
Ayman Odeh and the Palestinian Authority’s vice president Hussein Al-Sheikh, a
jovial Abbas spoke to a friendly audience, sometimes exchanging smiles and jokes
with activists.Two power cuts momentarily left all attendees in the dark, an AFP
journalist reported. Among them was Iddo Ilam, an
activist and refusnik who explained why he chose not to serve in the Israeli
army, as Abbas gestured to him with two thumbs up.
“We are asking for a different future, peace between Jews and Palestinians,”
said Rula Daoud, co-director of Standing Together, an Israeli grassroots
movement aiming to bring together Palestinians and Jewish Israeli
communities.Absent from the conversation were the details of the ceasefire
agreement struck early Thursday between Israel and Hamas — an adversary of
Abbas’s Fatah party. Abbas, in a rare interview with
Israel’s Channel 12 network Thursday, expressed hope that peace would prevail
between Palestinians and Israelis following the signing of a Gaza ceasefire
agreement. “What happened today is a historic moment. We have been hoping — and
continue to hope — that we can bring an end to the bloodshed taking place in our
land, whether in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, or East Jerusalem,” Abbas said.
“Today, we are very happy that the bloodshed has ceased. We hope it remains this
way, and that peace, security, and stability will prevail between us and
Israel.”The deal is expected to free the remaining living hostages still held in
Gaza within days, in a major step toward ending the two-year war that has killed
tens of thousands and unleashed a dire humanitarian crisis. The deal would also
see Israel release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and allow a surge of aid
into Gaza.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has all but rejected the
option of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA) ruling over post-war
Gaza. Nonetheless, its vice president Hussein
Al-Sheikh said on X on Thursday that the PA had conducted all preparations to
govern the post-war Gaza Strip and oversee its reconstruction.
Abbas, in rare interview to Israeli channel, says he hopes peace will prevail
AFP/10 October/2025
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, in a rare interview with Israel’s Channel
12 network Thursday, expressed hope that peace would prevail between
Palestinians and Israelis following the signing of a Gaza ceasefire agreement.
“What happened today is a historic moment. We have been hoping -- and continue
to hope -- that we can bring an end to the bloodshed taking place in our land,
whether in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, or East Jerusalem,” Abbas said.
“Today, we are very happy that the bloodshed has ceased. We hope it remains this
way, and that peace, security, and stability will prevail between us and
Israel.” The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas officially went into
effect in Gaza on Thursday,
Hamas’ Gaza chief: Group received guarantees from
mediators, US confirming Gaza war ended
Reuters/09 October/2025
Exiled Hamas Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya said on Thursday the group has received
guarantees from the United States, Arab mediators and Turkey that the war on
Gaza has permanently ended.
Netanyahu says Trump should get Nobel Peace Prize
AFP/09 October/2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said Donald Trump should
be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, hours after the US president announced a
ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas. “Give
@realDonaldTrump the Nobel Peace Prize -- he deserves it!” said a post on the
official X account of the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel.
Macron warns Israeli settlements threaten
Palestinian state
AFP/09 October/2025
French President Emmanuel Macron warned Thursday that expanding Israeli
settlements threatened a Palestinian state and US-led peace efforts, as France
hosted Arab and European ministers hours after a Gaza ceasefire deal was
announced. Macron hailed the ceasefire deal as a
“great hope” for the region, but said ramped up settlement construction in the
occupied West Bank was an “existential threat” to a Palestinian state. It was
“not only unacceptable and contrary to international law” but “fuels tensions,
violence, and instability,” he said as he presided over the meeting in Paris.
“It fundamentally contradicts the American plan and our collective ambition for
a peaceful region.”Israel and Hamas earlier agreed a Gaza ceasefire deal to free
the remaining living Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian militant group.
It is being seen as a major step towards ending a war that has killed
tens of thousands of people and unleashed a humanitarian catastrophe. The deal
brokered through indirect talks in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh came
two years after the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel, which triggered a
relentless retaliatory assault on Hamas-ruled Gaza. While Europe has strongly
supported the ceasefire efforts led by US President Donald Trump, Washington and
several European countries are at odds over whether it is the right moment to
recognize a Palestinian state.Macron, in a September 22 speech at the United
Nations, recognized a Palestinian state on the heels of similar announcements by
Canada, Portugal and the United Kingdom. The Paris meeting brought together the
top diplomats of five key Arab states -- Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and
the United Arab Emirates -- with European counterparts from France, Italy,
Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom.
Turkey and the European Union were also represented.
‘Unnecessary and harmful’
Before the ceasefire deal was announced, the Paris meeting had angered Israel,
further straining French-Israeli relations in the wake of Macron’s recognition
of a Palestinian state.Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar had in a message on
X denounced the “unnecessary and harmful” meeting “concocted behind Israel’s
back” at the sensitive moment of the negotiations in Sharm el-Sheikh. But France
is hoping that backing up its recognition of a Palestinian state can boost the
prospects of a two-state solution, which Paris still regards as the sole
prospect for long-term regional peace. The agenda at the meeting includes the
International Stabilisation Force evoked by Trump as part of his peace plan and
support for the Palestinian Authority which runs the occupied West Bank, a
French diplomatic source said this week, asking not to be named.
“It is essential to act together and get down to work,” said German Foreign
Minister Johann Wadephul. Berlin has repeatedly said it disagrees with the move
by France and other European countries to recognize a Palestinian state now.
US, Saudi Arabia move closer to semiconductor chip deal amid deepening ties:
Report
Al Arabiya English/09 October/2025
A US-Saudi agreement that would allow American companies to export highly
sought-after semiconductor chips to Saudi Arabia is nearing completion,
according to sources familiar with the talks. The potential deal marks another
milestone in a year that has seen bilateral ties between Washington and Riyadh
deepen significantly.US President Donald Trump once again chose Saudi Arabia as
his first foreign destination after taking office, repeating the move he made
during his first term. His trip also included stops in Qatar and the UAE.
Negotiations over the chip export framework have been ongoing for months. The
agreement is seen as part of a broader US effort to expand technology
partnerships while supporting Saudi Arabia’s ambition to become a regional and
global leader in artificial intelligence (AI). Saudi Arabia’s new artificial
intelligence company, Humain, broke ground on its first data centers in the
Kingdom earlier this year and plans to have them up and running in early 2026
with the use of semiconductors imported from the US. According to a report in
the Wall Street Journal on Friday, the semiconductor chips would be used in data
centers for training AI models and are “a core part of the Trump
administration’s plans to export US technology around the world.”During Trump’s
recent visit, both Saudi Arabia and the UAE signed agreements with Nvidia,
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), and Qualcomm, underscoring the Gulf region’s drive
to develop advanced computing capabilities. However, concerns persist within
Washington over China’s potential access to US-made chips and the possibility of
circumventing export controls and security safeguards. Bipartisan unease has
also surrounded Nvidia’s stalled deal with the UAE, which reportedly frustrated
the company’s CEO, according to the WSJ.
On Wednesday, Bloomberg News reported that the US Commerce Department had issued
Nvidia export licenses to approve billions of dollars worth of chip sales to the
UAE, signaling approval.
Israel says Gaza deal to take effect only after
receiving cabinet approval
Agence France Presse/09 October/2025
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that an
agreement to secure the release of hostages in Gaza will take effect only after
receiving cabinet approval. "Contrary to Arab media reports, the 72-hour
countdown will begin only after the agreement is approved in the cabinet
meeting, which is expected in the evening hours," Netanyahu's office said in a
statement. US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas have agreed
to the first phase of a Gaza deal involving the exchange of hostages and
Palestinian prisoners, with the swap set to occur within 72 hours of the deal's
implementation.
France hosts Arab, Europe ministers for talks on 'day
after' Gaza war
Naharnet/09 October/2025
France on Thursday hosts foreign ministers from Arab and European countries for
talks on helping the Palestinians once the Gaza conflict between Israel and
Hamas ends, a meeting that comes hours after the two sides agreed a ceasefire
deal. Israel and Hamas earlier agreed a Gaza ceasefire
deal to free the remaining living Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian
militant group. It is a major step towards ending a war that has killed tens of
thousands of people and unleashed a humanitarian catastrophe.
The deal brokered through indirect talks in the Egyptian resort of Sharm
el-Sheikh came two years after the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel.
That was followed by a relentless Israeli assault on Hamas-ruled Gaza. While
Europe has strongly supported the ceasefire efforts spearheaded by President
Donald Trump, Washington and several European countries are at odds over whether
it is the right moment to recognize a Palestinian state. Macron, in a September
22 speech at the United Nations, recognized a Palestinian state on the heels of
similar announcements by Canada, Portugal and the United Kingdom. The Paris
meeting brings together the top diplomats of five key Arab states -- Egypt,
Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates -- with European
counterparts from France, Italy, Germany, Spain and the UK. Turkey and the
European Union will also be represented. "This meeting will enable work on the
implementation of the peace plan and the framework for the 'day after' by
specifying the aspects of a collective commitment," said a French foreign
ministry statement. It would focus on security, governance and reconstruction of
the Palestinian territories after the war, it said.
'Unnecessary and harmful' -
Before the ceasefire deal was announced, the Paris meeting had angered Israel,
further straining French-Israeli relations in the wake of President Emmanuel
Macron's recognition of a Palestinian state, which infuriated Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon
Saar had in a message on X denounced the "unnecessary and harmful" meeting
"concocted behind Israel's back" at the sensitive moment of the negotiations in
Sharm el-Sheikh. The agenda includes the International Stabilization Force
evoked by Trump as part of his peace plan and support for the Palestinian
Authority which runs the occupied West Bank, a French diplomatic source said
this week, asking not to be named. "It is essential to act together and get down
to work," said German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. Berlin has repeatedly
said it disagrees with the move by France and other European countries to
recognize a Palestinian state now. The meeting is due to get underway at 5:00 pm
(1500 GMT) followed by a news conference by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel
Barrot. It was not immediately clear if Macron, who on
Wednesday met Jordanian Crown Prince Hussein and has hailed the ceasefire deal
as providing "great hope" for the region, would attend.
US imposes sanctions on China refinery, others for
Iran oil purchases
Reuters/09 October/2025
The US imposed sanctions on about 100 individuals, entities and vessels,
including a Chinese independent refinery and terminal, that helped Iran’s oil
and petrochemicals trade, the administration of President Donald Trump said on
Thursday. The Treasury Department sanctioned the
Shandong Jincheng Petrochemical Group Co, which it said is an independent teapot
refinery in Shandong Province that has purchased millions of barrels of Iranian
oil since 2023. It also sanctioned China-based Rizhao
Shihua Crude Oil Terminal Co, which operates a terminal at Lanshan Port.
Treasury said it has accepted more than a dozen of Iran’s so-called shadow fleet
vessels that evade the sanctions. The tankers included Kongm, Big Mag, and Voy.
Treasury said the tankers transported several million barrels of Iranian oil to
Rizhao. The US believes Iran’s oil networks help Tehran fund its nuclear and
missile programs and support militant proxies throughout the Middle East. Iran
says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. The sanctions came even as
Israel and Hamas signed a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal, which if fully
implemented, would bring the two sides closer than any previous effort to halt a
war that had evolved into a regional conflict, drawing in countries such as
Iran, Yemen and Lebanon. Treasury said it was the fourth round of sanctions in
which the administration targeted China-based refineries that continue to
purchase Iranian oil. "The Treasury Department is degrading Iran’s cash flow by
dismantling key elements of Iran’s energy export machine,” said Treasury
Secretary Scott Bessent. The State Department said the US also designated the
first China-based terminal, Jiangyin Foreversun Chemical Logistics, for
receiving Iranian-origin petrochemical products. The Chinese embassy in
Washington and Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York did not
immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources
on October 09-10/2025
Who Should NOT Play a Role in Post-War Gaza: The Foxes in Charge of the
Chicken Coop?
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/October
09/2025
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21955/post-war-gaza-hamas
Qatar's rulers appear to see their mission -- with the aid of their Al Jazeera
television empire, as well as big cheques -- as spreading radical Sunni Islam
throughout the region and the world. Qatar has been Hamas's leading patron since
2007.
Trump seems to be looking toward Qatar as one of the main funders that will
rebuild Gaza. If Qatar's ruling family accepts this role, they will doubtless
expect a role just as important in governing it, which could well include
appointing who else might share that privilege. Candidates include the
Palestinian Authority, the 2,000 returning terrorists, and, if not precisely
Qatar's longtime client, Hamas, then "Son of Hamas," or "Hamas 2.0," or "Hamas
the Sequel." One could call the enclave the "Democratic Republic of Gaza," but
it would still be home to genocidal terrorist groups...
How serious is Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas when he says
that the Iran-backed Hamas terror group "will have no role in governance" of the
Gaza Strip and it must hand over its weapons to the PA? Not even slightly.
Put bluntly, Abbas is not interested in returning to the negotiating table: he
has been waiting for the UN and other international parties to impose a solution
on Israel, just as French President Emmanuel Macron so helpfully offered to do
just last month. The recent one-sided recognitions of a "Palestinian state" by
France, Britain, Canada, Australia and other countries only reinforced Abbas's
determination not to resume any peace process with Israel. After all, why should
he negotiate with anyone when the West is handing him a state on a silver
platter without even a single condition attached?
Trump's peace plan is peachy as long as Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and Tony Blair are there to make sure everything stays in place. What,
however, happens if and when they are not there anymore? A Middle East saying
goes, "You have the watches, but we have the time."
Abbas, and whoever succeeds him, will always prefer peace with Hamas over peace
with Israel. He knows that Hamas continues to enjoy widespread support among
Palestinians, most of whom, according to public opinion polls, are passionately
opposed to disarming the terror group.
Those who state that Hamas should not be permitted to play any role in governing
Gaza after the war ends should also demand the exclusion of the PA and Qatar
from such a process. Allowing either Qatar or Abbas's PA into the Gaza Strip
will only pave the way for a new Hamas to enter through the back door.
Qatar's rulers appear to see their mission -- with the aid of their Al Jazeera
television empire, as well as big cheques -- as spreading radical Sunni Islam
throughout the region and the world. Qatar has been Hamas's leading patron since
2007. Pictured: Qatar's then Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani holds hands
with then Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh during their visit to the Islamic
University in the Gaza Strip on October 23, 2012. (Photo by Wissam Nassar/AFP
via Getty Images)
How serious is US President Donald J. Trump about his peace plan? While everyone
is eager to celebrate the successful completion of Phase One, with the return of
the Israeli hostages in exchange for 2,000 imprisoned Palestinian terrorists,
the rest remains to be seen.
The Trump Peace Plan began as an ultimatum: If Hamas would not release all the
hostages within 72 hours, Israel would have the blessing of the US to "finish
the job" full blast.
It is admirable that Trump wants peace and that, in his first term, he
astonishingly produced the Abraham Accords. Now, he has brilliantly secured an
agreement for release of all the hostages by October 13. If, however, the
negotiations continue to go in the direction they seem to be going in, peace is
the last thing Trump will achieve.
The main concern is that, with the US wishing to collaborate with countries that
support terrorists, such as Qatar, Turkey and Egypt -- whose government Qatar
has reportedly been planning to oust in a new "Arab Spring" -- where could this
collaboration end up?
Qatar, which has a thick track record of promoting and often funding Islamist
terrorist movements -- ISIS, the Taliban, Hamas, the al-Nusra Front (al-Qaeda's
offshoot in Syria), militias in Libya, and the Muslim Brotherhood movement --
has repeatedly been taking on the role of both the "arsonist and firefighter."
Yigal Carmon, president of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI),
cautions:
"There is no propaganda trick that they [Erdoğan's Turkey, Qatar and now
Al-Sharaa's Syria] would not play to pretend to be America's friends. By now,
Qatar's trick is well known: Create a problem, like supporting the Taliban for
years up to their takeover of Afghanistan with American casualties, then help
move American troops to safety, in what Trump called the 'the greatest foreign
policy humiliation' in U.S. history.
"Qatar does this everywhere on the planet. It supports Hamas, which committed
the atrocities of October 7, and then presents itself as a mediator. Qatar
supports every Islamist terrorist organization against its Westernized
opponents."
Qatar's gallant offer to negotiate a "settlement" in Afghanistan ended up with a
Taliban that is stronger than ever -- and 20 years of US progress in human
rights, treasure and countless lives have all gone for nought.
Separately, Carmon writes:
"In every Muslim country where there is a battle between the Islamists and the
secularists, Qatar supports the Islamists, as in Gaza supporting Hamas for
years, building its military might and enabling October 7... wherever Qatar is
allowed to be involved with its money, such as financing the Lebanese army,
rebuilding Gaza, or investing in the West, it does so under the lofty goal of
promoting radical Wahhabi Islam in the world. In the case of Gaza and Lebanon,
and possibly Syria, it will only build a new cycle of Islamism and terrorism."
Qatar's rulers appear to see their mission -- with the aid of their Al Jazeera
television empire, as well as big cheques -- as spreading radical Sunni Islam
throughout the region and the world. Qatar has been Hamas's leading patron since
2007.
Qatar has already spent a reported $100 billion in the United States alone just
to buy influence there.
Trump seems to be looking toward Qatar as one of the main funders that will
rebuild Gaza. If Qatar's ruling family accepts this role, they will doubtless
expect a role just as important in governing it, which could well include
appointing who else might share that privilege. Candidates include the
Palestinian Authority, the 2,000 returning terrorists, and, if not precisely
Qatar's longtime client, Hamas, then "Son of Hamas," or "Hamas 2.0," or "Hamas
the Sequel." One could call the enclave the "Democratic Republic of Gaza," but
it would still be home to genocidal terrorist groups, committed to destroying
Israel for the glory of Islam, smuggling in as many weapons as before the
October 7 massacre. That is just what Qatar is – reportedly with aspirations of
someday replacing Saudi Arabia as the keeper of Islam's holy sites.
The negotiators in Egypt's resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh presently include
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi; Qatar, Turkey, the Palestinian
Authority-Hamas, and various Islamist terror groups. As Trump will not be
expecting Egypt or Turkey to fund any reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, that
basically leaves primarily Qatar and the Palestinian Authority as long-term
future stakeholders.
Carmon noted on July 22:
"[Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan acted like an ally of Trump by helping
him eliminate the ISIS commander Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, and thereby won Trump's
trust. However, Erdoğan did it for his own sake, because Al-Baghdadi had claimed
the role of leader of the believers (amir al-mu'minim ) – which Erdoğan saw as
unnecessary rivalry. He was not doing Trump any favors."
Erdoğan has also long had designs on Jerusalem as a legacy of the Ottoman
Empire, which he wishes to recreate -- with himself as sultan.
How serious is Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas when he says
that the Iran-backed Hamas terror group "will have no role in governance" of the
Gaza Strip and it must hand over its weapons to the PA? Not even slightly.
In July 2024, almost a year after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack on
Israel, Abbas's ruling Fatah faction, under the auspices of China, signed an
agreement with Hamas for joint control of the Gaza Strip after the war. Hamas's
atrocities on October 7 included murdering 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals,
and the abduction of 251 others.
According to the agreement, known as the Beijing Declaration:
"A Palestinian national unity government will be temporarily formed with the
consensus of all Palestinian factions and by a decision from the president
[Abbas]."
According to commentary by Al-Monitor:
"Said government will exercise its powers over all Palestinian territories,
including the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, unify all Palestinian institutions
and begin the reconstruction process, as well as prepare for holding general
elections."
Abbas was prepared to form a joint government with Hamas 10 months after
thousands of Israelis and Palestinians were killed in that war. Notably, Abbas
did not rule out the possibility that Hamas would be given a role in governing
not only the Gaza Strip, but also the West Bank, as outlined in the Beijing
Declaration.
This is why Abbas's recent statement that Hamas "will have no role in
governance" should be taken with a spoonful of hummus. Abbas's statement came
during a speech he delivered, via video link, to the United Nations General
Assembly last month.
UN Secretary General António Guterres welcomed the China-brokered PA-Hamas deal.
According to a UN press release dated July 24, 2024:
"In response to questions at the regular daily briefing in New York, UN
Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said António Guterres 'very much welcomes the
signing of the Beijing Declaration by the Palestinian factions', adding that it
was 'an important step towards furthering Palestinian unity'... 'The
Secretary-General encourages all factions to overcome their differences through
dialogue and urges them to follow up on the commitments that were made in
Beijing and the Declaration they signed on to', said Mr. Dujarric."
The UN, in other words, has no problem with Hamas continuing to play a role in
governance in the Gaza Strip despite the terror group's responsibility for the
October 7 massacre and the ensuing war with Israel.
The UN position contradicts Trump's 20-point plan for ending the war.
According to Trump's plan:
"Gaza will be governed under the temporary transnational governance of a
technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee. This committee will be made up
of qualified Palestinians and international experts, with oversight and
supervision by a new international transitional body, the 'Board of Peace,'
which will be headed and chaired by President Donald J. Trump, with other
members and heads of state to be announced, including Former [British] Prime
Minister Tony Blair."
Earlier this week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio repeated the need to ensure
that "Hamas has no role in Palestinian governance." Rubio's statement, on the
second anniversary of October 7, was made during a phone call with British
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
Trump's peace plan is peachy as long as Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and Tony Blair are there to make sure everything stays in place. What,
however, happens if and when they are not there anymore? A Middle East saying
goes, "You have the watches, but we have the time."
Although it took Abbas nearly two years to condemn Hamas's atrocities, senior
Fatah officials have consistently voiced support for the terror group.
Abbas Zaki, a veteran member of the Fatah Central Committee, a key
decision-making body, defended the October 7 attack and praised the armed wings
of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the second-largest terror group in the
Gaza Strip:
"The resistance prepared and planed the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation with clear
goals, including lifting the [Israeli naval] blockade [on the Gaza Strip], a
full withdrawal from the West Bank, and a prisoner exchange."
Jibril Rajoub, another senior Fatah official and a former commander of the PA's
Preventive Security Service, remarked this week:
"October 7 was part of the [Palestinian] defensive war that has been going on
since 1948. The armed struggle [against Israel] cannot be denounced."
Both Zaki and Rajoub had previously come out in support of forming a unity
government with Hamas. Last year, Zaki was quoted as saying: "We [Fatah], Hamas,
[Islamic] Jihad, and every fighting faction constitute one unit."
Last year, Rajoub said that any resolution to the Gaza war "must incorporate
Hamas because its ideological and resistance roots resonate deeply within the
fabric of Palestinian society."
If Abbas does not want Hamas to play a role in Palestinian governance, why --
ever since Hamas completely ousted the PA from Gaza in a violent coup in 2007 --
has he been working relentlessly over the past two decades to reach
"reconciliation" agreements with the terror group?
In 2006, after Hamas won the Palestinian legislative elections, Abbas and then
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh reached a tentative agreement to form a government
of national unity.
A year later, Fatah and Hamas signed the Mecca Agreement, agreeing to stop
military clashes between the two parties in the Gaza Strip and the formation of
a unity government.
In 2008, Fatah and Hamas signed the Sana'a Declaration in Yemen to end their
differences.
In 2011, representatives of the two factions announced an agreement, mediated by
Egypt, to form a joint government. The accord provided for the formation of a
"transitional" government of technocrats to prepare for legislative and
presidential elections one year later.
In 2012, the two parties signed the Doha Agreement, again for a new unity
government and elections. In 2014, they signed a "reconciliation" agreement that
resulted in the establishment of a new technocratic unity government.
In 2017, Fatah and Hamas signed yet another agreement under the auspices of
Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt.
In 2020, Abbas held a joint press conference with Hamas leaders where he
announced the launching of a new dialogue for a unity agreement.
In 2022, Fatah and Hamas signed an agreement in Algiers to hold presidential and
parliamentary elections.
Unsurprisingly, these agreements were partially or not at all implemented, but
they show that Abbas has spent more time negotiating unity deals with Hamas than
searching for ways to achieve peace with Israel.
It is safe to assume that once the war in the Gaza Strip ends, Abbas and his
Fatah loyalists will resume their efforts to achieve "reconciliation" with Hamas
under the pretext of ending divisions among the Palestinians.
All peace talks between Israel and the PA have been stalled since 2014, when
Abbas signed a unity agreement with Hamas.
Put bluntly, Abbas is not interested in returning to the negotiating table: he
has been waiting for the UN and other international parties to impose a solution
on Israel, just as French President Emmanuel Macron so helpfully offered to do
just last month. The recent one-sided recognitions of a "Palestinian state" by
France, Britain, Canada, Australia and other countries only reinforced Abbas's
determination not to resume any peace process with Israel. After all, why should
he negotiate with anyone when the West is handing him a state on a silver
platter without even a single condition attached?
As far as Abbas is concerned, there is no need to return to the negotiating
table: these Western countries have already decided that the Palestinians should
have their own state, cost-free. As such, there is nothing left to negotiate.
Abbas, and whoever succeeds him, will always prefer peace with Hamas over peace
with Israel. He knows that Hamas continues to enjoy widespread support among
Palestinians, most of whom, according to public opinion polls, are passionately
opposed to disarming the terror group. One poll, published in September 2024,
showed that almost 90% of the Palestinian public believes that Hamas terrorists
did not commit the atrocities depicted in videos that they themselves filmed and
livestreamed on the day of the massacre.
Those who state that Hamas should not be permitted to play any role in governing
Gaza after the war ends should also demand the exclusion of the PA and Qatar
from such a process. Allowing either Qatar or Abbas's PA into the Gaza Strip
will only pave the way for a new Hamas to enter through the back door.
**Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
**Follow Khaled Abu Toameh on X (formerly Twitter)
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or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Prince Turki Al-Faisal: War on Gaza ‘far from over’
Hebshi Alshammari/Arab News/October 09, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s former ambassador to the US, Prince Turki Al-Faisal, said
that Israel’s war on Gaza is “far from over,” adding “the work is still in
progress.” He called on the international community to advance what he described
as the “broader and more comprehensive framework” championed by Saudi Arabia and
France — a pathway toward a lasting peace built on the two-state solution and an
end to hostilities between Israel and its Arab neighbors. Speaking at a panel
hosted on Thursday by the Dr. Ibrahim Al-Muhanna Chair for Energy and
Specialized Media at King Saud University, Prince Turki said that Saudi Arabia
had taken the initiative back in 2002 through the late King Abdullah bin
Abdulaziz’s peace proposal, which sought to achieve “a comprehensive solution
benefiting all parties involved.”The veteran intelligence figure struck a
cautious tone on the prospects for peace in Gaza, warning against premature
optimism. “Let’s not cheer or celebrate until we see what truly unfolds,” he
said. “These well-intentioned efforts remain unfinished, and their outcome is
far from certain.”
The Dr. Ibrahim Al-Muhanna Chair for Energy and Specialized Media at King Saud
University hosted Prince Turki Al-Faisal, chairman of the King Faisal Center for
Research and Islamic Studies, in Riyadh on Thursday. (KSU photo)
Prince Turki added that only the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan
had been signed, with additional stages still pending. He said that Israel had
previously agreed to a ceasefire “but reneged when it came time to implement the
second phase, resuming its brutal and inhumane bombardment of Palestinians — not
only in Gaza but across the West Bank as well.
“Let’s wait and see where the next steps will lead,” he said.
Prince Turki also highlighted the powerful influence of social media on
societies worldwide, describing it as a driver of a “profound and positive
transformation” in global public attitudes toward the Palestinian cause. “It’s a
miracle,” he said, “to see hundreds of thousands across the world taking to the
streets and squares, calling for freedom, independence and the establishment of
a Palestinian state. I never imagined witnessing this before the advent of
social media.” He added: “Social platforms have broken the barriers that once
constrained public expression.”While urging the international community to agree
on unified frameworks to regulate artificial intelligence, Prince Turki voiced
concern over the dark web, saying it contains “unacceptable activities and money
laundering,” a result, he said, of the absence of early regulation when the
internet was first created.
A distinguished audience of scholars, journalists, policymakers, and students
attended the panel discussion organized by the Dr. Ibrahim Al-Muhanna Chair for
Energy and Specialized Media in Riyadh. (Supplied/KSU)
Prince Turki described the joint defense agreement between Saudi Arabia and
Pakistan as a “foregone conclusion,” adding that the relationship has always
been one of strategic alignment — even in the absence of a formal accord. He
pointed to a “shared intellectual and emotional harmony” between the two
countries, highlighting several examples that reflect their mutual commitment to
national and religious priorities.
Shifting to the role of the media, Prince Turki urged Saudi media leaders to
adopt a more open and assertive stance in communicating the Kingdom’s message.
“We have no fear of opening our doors and windows for others to see for
themselves,” he said, acknowledging a “shortfall” in the performance of media
institutions. “There must be greater engagement — one cannot conceal what takes
place at home, whether good or bad.”Addressing Western criticism head-on, he
called on officials not to fear the “fierce campaigns” waged by some outlets
against Saudi Arabia, and highlighted the importance of “presenting the truth
and ensuring that the Kingdom’s statements and data reach others clearly.”
Prince Turki expressed satisfaction with Saudi Arabia’s cooperation with several
African nations, saying it stems “not only from geographic proximity, but from a
human and cultural continuity rooted in the Kingdom’s values, principles and
social fabric.” He recalled that throughout history, interaction between the
Arabian Peninsula and Africa flowed through corridors such as the Sinai
Peninsula and the Bab Al-Mandab Strait.
During the panel discussion, Prince Turki Al-Faisal called on experts to
prioritize the establishment of research centers across Saudi Arabia,
underscoring their essential role in fostering intellectual progress and
informing national decision-making.
He added that some Saudi tribes still have a presence on the African side, and
that large African communities live and work in the Kingdom — many of whom have
acquired Saudi citizenship. Prince Turki said that this enduring connection
across the Red Sea should serve the interests of both sides, and highlighted the
Kingdom’s commitment to strengthening ties with African nations and supporting
peace across the continent.
Prince Turki also called for greater focus on establishing research centers
across Saudi Arabia, describing them as vital engines of intellectual progress
and social contribution.
“Such institutions play a key role in fostering the exchange of ideas and
cultivating independent thought,” he said, adding that their “degree of autonomy
from official sources” allows for a freer and more dynamic flow of perspectives.
The former ambassador welcomed what he described as a rising “research and
intellectual awareness” across the Kingdom’s various fields, reflecting a
broader shift toward innovation and open dialogue.
A new chapter in Syria’s fight against drug trafficking
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya English/09 October/2025
It is a good step in the right direction that the government of Ahmed al-Sharaa
is no longer functioning as a narco-state in the same way the al-Assad regime
once did. For years, the al-Assad’s regime oversaw and profited from one of the
most destructive drug trades in the Middle East, with Captagon and other
narcotics flooding neighboring countries and destabilizing the region. Now, the
Syrian government under al-Sharaa has shown it intends to reverse this
destructive legacy. In recent months, Syrian security forces have intensified
their campaign against drug smuggling, seizing large quantities of narcotics in
a nationwide crackdown. Warehouses have been raided, production facilities
dismantled, and smugglers arrested across the country. These steps indicate that
the new Syrian leadership recognizes the threat drug trafficking poses not only
to Syria’s stability, but to its neighbors and to the broader Middle East.
Al-Assad regime’s reliance on drug trafficking left behind a devastating legacy
for Syria and its surrounding region. During the height of the civil war,
Captagon production turned into a billion-dollar industry that served as a
financial lifeline for al-Assad’s circle of loyalists. These illicit profits
allowed the regime to bypass sanctions, fund militias, and continue its hold on
power while ordinary Syrians endured poverty and destruction. The drug trade did
not remain confined within Syria’s borders; instead, it spilled over into
Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey, and the Gulf states, undermining regional
stability and creating new sources of conflict. Jordanian officials repeatedly
sounded the alarm, reporting armed clashes with smugglers along their borders
and pointing to Syria as the hub of the problem. The damage was not just
economic or security-related – it was also deeply social, corroding the very
fabric of communities. Under al-Assad, corruption flourished as drug money
seeped into state institutions, weakening the rule of law and entrenching a
culture of impunity.
The effects of widespread drug smuggling and trafficking on ordinary people were
even more profound. Addiction rates climbed, especially among the youth who were
targeted by the availability of cheap stimulants like Captagon. Families were
torn apart as loved ones struggled with dependency, incarceration, or death from
drug abuse. Communities lost their future as young people, instead of pursuing
education and careers, became trapped in cycles of addiction or lured into the
smuggling economy, often risking imprisonment or death. The consequences
extended beyond health and psychology – families lost incomes, children were
left vulnerable, and trust within communities broke down. The presence of drugs
normalized criminality and violence, eroding values and creating despair. In
areas where narcotics became part of daily life, economic development collapsed,
leaving poverty and instability in their wake. These outcomes illustrate why
drug trafficking under al-Assad was not merely an economic crime but a moral and
social assault on Syrian society.
The new Syrian government has moved in the right direction, but while its
actions are encouraging, much more remains to be done. Large-scale seizures and
security crackdowns are necessary, but they cannot alone uproot the entrenched
networks of traffickers and profiteers left behind by the al-Assad regime years.
For Syria to truly break free from its narco-state past, it needs broader
cooperation with neighboring countries. Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Turkey are on
the frontlines of this challenge, as they are often the main routes through
which narcotics leave Syria.
Joint operations, shared intelligence, and coordinated border patrols are
essential to choke off smuggling routes. Jordan, for example, has already
increased its cooperation with Syria to combat these networks, but sustained
collaboration will be necessary if the problem is to be contained. A piecemeal
approach will not suffice – what is needed is a comprehensive regional response.
Forming a regional coalition that includes Syria and its neighbors would be a
powerful step in this fight. Drug trafficking is not confined to one country; it
is a cross-border problem that requires cross-border solutions. A regional
coalition could harmonize policies, establish legal frameworks for extradition,
pool resources for advanced surveillance and border control, and create
mechanisms to freeze and seize traffickers’ assets.
Gulf states like Saudi Arabia have extensive experience in building strong
security systems to counter terrorism and organized crime, and Syria could
benefit from adopting similar structures. Saudi Arabia’s model of strict
oversight, advanced intelligence operations, and coordinated security
institutions has proven effective in containing threats. If Syria adapts and
applies similar measures—while ensuring accountability and reducing
corruption—it could dramatically improve its capacity to combat trafficking
networks.
However, defeating the drug trade requires more than border security and
military operations. There must also be a concerted effort to reduce demand and
rehabilitate communities. Raising awareness among youth about the dangers of
drug use is essential, particularly in a country where many young people feel
hopeless after years of war and destruction. Education campaigns in schools,
community centers, and religious institutions can help steer young people away
from drugs and toward healthier opportunities. At the same time, Syria will need
to expand treatment options for those already affected by addiction, offering
rehabilitation, counseling, and medical care. Families who have suffered from
the impact of drugs should not be left alone but supported with social services
and community programs. The rebuilding of Syria must include not only physical
reconstruction but also the healing of its social fabric, which has been deeply
wounded by both war and drugs.
In conclusion, the government of Ahmed al-Sharaa has taken important steps to
turn the page on Syria’s narco-state past. By seizing narcotics, dismantling
smuggling networks, and cooperating with neighboring countries, it has shown a
commitment to reversing one of al-Assad’s most damaging legacies. Yet, the scale
of the problem requires more than national efforts. Stronger cooperation with
border states, the formation of a regional coalition, and the adoption of proven
security models will be vital to ensuring long-term success. Equally important
will be raising awareness, treating addiction, and giving young people an
alternative to the despair and destruction drugs bring. If these combined
efforts are pursued with determination, Syria can move beyond its dark chapter
of state-sponsored trafficking and build a safer, healthier future for its
people and for the region as a whole.
Prospects of a security agreement between Syria and Israel
Dr. Suha Cubukcuoglu &Dr. Ayman Eldessouki/Al Arabiya English/09 October/2025
Till recently, speculation had mounted over a possible agreement between Israel
and Syria on southern Syria. Speaking at the UN Two-State Solution Conference,
Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa voiced hope for a security deal that
could ease tensions with Israel. He even warned, in an interview with the Middle
East Institute in New York that the Middle East would face a new round of tumult
unless such a deal was not concluded. Marking a similar tone, Tom Barrack, US
Special Envoy for Syria, confirmed on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly
session that Syria and Israel are close to concluding a security agreement.
Lastly, before heading to the UN, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held
a meeting with senior ministers and security officials to discuss the potential
agreement, acknowledging progress in negotiations with the Syrians.
Syria and Israel have held back-channel talks to reach a security arrangement,
the most recent of which was the trilateral meeting between Syrian Foreign
Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, and
Tom Barrack in London on September 17, followed by a meeting between Israeli and
Syrian officials in Baku the next day. The United States is exerting pressure to
narrow the gaps in the ongoing negotiations between the two sides, hoping to
reach an agreement very soon. At the crux of the
matter, there is a divergence between the Syrian and Israeli positions regarding
security arrangements after the collapse of the 1974 ceasefire agreement between
the two states. On one hand, Israelis seek to expand the buffer zone, establish
three demilitarized areas extending to the outskirts of Damascus – with varying
security arrangements based on their distance from the shared border, and
maintain air control in the south. Other key Israeli demands include a no-fly
zone and total absence of military/paramilitary personnel and equipment between
Damascus city and the Israeli-Syrian border, including Suwayda province;
maintaining control of Mount Hermon and the entire Golan; a “humanitarian
corridor” between the border and Suwayda province; and an unimpeded air access
corridor between the border Syria’s southern border over to the Syria-Iraq
border. The Israelis are demanding Syria’s full renunciation of the Golan
Heights in return for gradually withdrawal from other Syrian territories
occupied in recent months.
A key factor behind Israel’s ambitions in southern Syria is the desire to
obstruct plans for a land bridge linking Syria’s Tartus and Latakia ports to the
Gulf via Jordan – an alternative route to the Mediterranean envisioned by the
UAE and Saudi Arabia that would bypass both Israel and, hence, the IMEC
corridor. Israel’s proposed security arrangement for southern Syria, which would
significantly curtail Syrian government control and entrench its own sphere of
influence, would enable it to shape the development of logistics infrastructure
– such as the land bridge running through Deraa along the Deraa–Damascus Highway
– in line with its interests. On the other hand,
Syrian officials demand the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territories
seized following the fall of the al-Assad regime in December 2024, the
reinstatement of the demilitarized buffer zone under the “1974 ceasefire
agreement”, and an end to Israeli air raids and ground incursions into Syria.
Syria also insists that any new agreement takes into account both Syria’s
sovereignty as well as Israel’s security, with respect for Syrian airspace,
linking normalization to the future of the Golan Heights.
According to reports, Damascus has accepted opening of a humanitarian corridor
as well as full demilitarization of Quneitra but hopes to retain the ability to
have Turkish military equipment in Deraa province (despite having recently
withdrawn all heavy equipment from the region) and Syrian troops in northern
Suwayda. Parties to the ongoing negotiations nonetheless say that the vast
majority of issues in the talks have been sorted, and a final agreement is in
sight.
In Syria, Turkey is seeking US support for a security mechanism between Israel
and Damascus aimed at curbing the destabilizing effects of Israeli strikes.
Ankara sees these strikes as undermining Syrian stability while also weakening
Damascus in its efforts to negotiate the reintegration of the Syrian Democratic
Forces (SDF) into a unified national army. Dominated by the YPG – the Syrian
offshoot of the outlawed PKK – the SDF remains a direct security threat to
Türkiye, which advocates a political settlement that preserves Syria’s unitary
structure rather than allowing it to fracture into a fragile federation. Israel
has backed the YPG, and is reportedly advancing the so-called “David’s Corridor”
– a covert initiative designed to establish a strategic arc stretching from the
Mediterranean to northern Iraq. In turn, Turkey is seeking to counter this by
pressing for the disarmament of the SDF and its reintegration into Syria’s
central armed forces. Prospects for a breakthrough have improved following the
cordial tone of the Trump–Erdogan meeting on September 25 and Tom Barrack’s
confirmation that talks are moving forward in this direction.
In light of the conclusion of a roadmap to restore peace and stability in Sweida
on 17 September with US mediation, a security agreement between Syria and Israel
appears likely, though not imminent. While Turkey aspires to be the primary
security provider in Syria and pressures Damascus to halt its security
negotiations with Israel, the United States continues to exert its own pressure
to advance the agreement. However, Turkey has limited leverage in this case
compared to the United States – given Washington’s role in the sanctions-lifting
process and its influence over Israel in the south – so Ankara’s pressure is
unlikely to carry significant weight relative to Washington. Moreover, Netanyahu
has no incentive to actively pursue a security agreement, as Israel currently
operates in Syria without restraint and any such deal would impose limitations.
However, in light of Trump’s recent pressure on Netanyahu to accept the Gaza
agreement, it appears likely that Washington could secure a similar outcome
regarding the Syria agreement in the next stage.
Despite the differences between the Syrian and Israeli positions, a potential
agreement seems set to differ from and replace the 1974 ceasefire agreement.
Although it would stop short of a full peace treaty, such an accord could mark
an incremental step toward a broader peace between Syria and Israel. This was
perhaps what President al-Sharaa meant in his interview with the Middle East
Institute in New York last September, saying that the success of any agreement
with Israel paves the way for further agreements to spread peace in the region.
A peace agreement with Israel would fundamentally redirect Syria’s foreign
policy, confirm its disengagement from the Iranian axis, and bring Damascus
closer to a Gulf-American alliance. However, Israel’s insistence that the
agreement include maintaining an air corridor to Iran via Syria may open the
door to renewed rounds of conflict between Israel and Iran, thereby heightening
regional instability. The most pressing issue for
Syria concerns the humanitarian corridor with Sweida and the mechanism for its
implementation. Israel has rejected the US–Jordan–Syria roadmap signed in Amman
on September 16, 2025, and instead seeks to extend a direct corridor from the
Golan to Sweida via Daraa. Damascus, however, rejects Israel’s demand for
extensive control over this route, as it would effectively strip Syria of
authority over the M5 highway linking Damascus to Jordan. In light of these
challenges, the agreement has been postponed to a yet undetermined date, despite
growing speculation that it would be signed and announced during the 80th UN
General Assembly session last September.
The End of the War on Gaza
Jebril Elabidi/Asharq Al Awsat/October 09/2025
First, let us agree that ending the war on Gaza is a significant and positive
development. Everyone who has been contributing to this effort and facilitating
the cessation of hostilities is owed our gratitude. We hope that this step
succeeds and genuinely introduces a new chapter, ending the war and finally
alleviating the suffering. Nonetheless, solving the riddle behind Hamas’s
approval of Trump’s twenty-point plan means weighing its attempt to project full
endorsement of the plan while hiding behind divergent interpretations of its
statement. Did Hamas respond with several voices, or was it a single,
centralized answer made in accordance with the movement’s hierarchy and chain of
command? Was Hamas’s response and approval really a
“no cloaked as a yes,” as the former Israeli ambassador to the United States
Michael Herzog put it? This sentiment has been echoed by many others, and it
reflects an extreme interpretation of Hamas’s statement: its approval was
nothing more than an attempt to ride out the storm, a political ruse, or even a
form of “Taqiya?”The Palestinian and Arab negotiators have every right to be
wary of Benjamin Netanyahu. Indeed, he has already betrayed Hamas’s leadership
while they were negotiating in Doha, by bombing their site of the talks. This
unprecedented act proved that, for him, there are no red lines and no real
guarantees, despite his subsequent apology to Doha after the treacherous strike
failed.
The plan calls for a gradual withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. However, Israel has
a long habit of taking each phase piecemeal and walking away from its
commitments. That is the primary source of apprehension, especially since the
American guarantor is fickle and Trump refused to give a clear-cut guarantee
that Israel would not annex the West Bank, even as figures in Netanyahu’s
government call for the annexation of what they call the biblical lands of
“Judea and Samaria.”In fairness, however, one cannot definitively claim that
Hamas’s approval is merely a political ploy. True, Hamas’s statement included
many messages that could be interpreted in various ways. Nonetheless, Hamas’s
ultimate interest remains to end this war aimed at its annihilation and at
erasing its very existence in the Gaza Strip, as the Hamas statement itself
indicates.
The truth is that Hamas issued this response because of heavy pressure from
Gazan society, as well as the persistent efforts of the regional parties engaged
in ending the suffering of Gaza’s people. Accordingly, it cannot be described as
a play or an attempt to buy time. Indeed, its acquiescence was the result of a
joint Arab effort to safeguard the fundamental principles of the Palestinian
cause above all else: chief among them the two-state solution, preventing the
displacement of the people of Gaza, ending the war, and ending the genocide.
Netanyahu did not want a solution born of negotiations and a political process.
He wanted a solution imposed by military operations, mass killing, and
destruction, leveraging the far-right elements within his government to this
end. The collective Arab effort was nonetheless successful. It managed to turn
the tables on Netanyahu, his extremist allies, and their plan to expel
Palestinians from Gaza. This Arab effort presented a plan in coordination with
the Americans, along with Trump’s new proposal, leading the latter to abandon
the idea of buying Gaza and expelling the Palestinians.
Naturally, concerns about the devils in the details remain. Israel has made a
habit of submerging negotiations in minutiae and diversions, leading to the
collapse and failure of the talks and dragging them into the swamp of Henry
Kissinger–style negotiations.
Another question remains: Has Trump’s plan itself changed? He had previously
said that Palestinians will live safely somewhere other than Gaza, pursuing a
project to displace Gazans and resettle them in Jordan, Egypt, or even Libya.
Displacing the Palestinians from their land, aside from being irrational, ties
into a painful history of earlier displacements whose victims have not returned
to this day. Bringing this war to an end is a positive
step. It clears some of the clouds over the bleak sky of Palestinian suffering
in Gaza. The past two years of war, displacement, killing, and destruction have
weighed heavily on this population whose only crime was being the target of a
genocide at the hands of Israel’s so-called Defense Forces, and of the obstinacy
of the Hamas old guard , most of whom now lie in the ground.
Setting political bravado aside, realism remains the key to a solution.
Today, the people of Gaza are in dire need of peace, and they are desperate to
end the war at any cost. Peace, despite any losses, remains a positive step- the
losses are innumerable, time can heal wounds, and compensation is always
possible.
What Trump’s Gaza plan means for the two-state solution
Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg/Arab News/October 09, 2025
Donald Trump’s peace plan is focused on Gaza, but it includes a vague reference
to Palestinian statehood. The plan went through a number of iterations, taking
into account input from the various parties. Point 19 of the edited version of
the plan, as released by the White House, states: “While Gaza redevelopment
advances and when the PA reform program is faithfully carried out, the
conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian
self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the
Palestinian people.” Notice that it says that conditions “may finally be in
place” for a “pathway to Palestinian statehood.”
To reassure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even further, point 20
states the US, not the UN or other mediators, “will establish a dialogue between
Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and
prosperous coexistence.”
These conditions the plan attaches to peace moves beyond Gaza were clearly some
of the edits that Netanyahu insisted on to accept the plan. The White House
acquiesced to get the deal through. Still, this is significant because, after
many years of rejecting even such remote and vague references, Netanyahu is
changing course. It is also the first time that Trump, in his second term, has
expressed public support for a Palestinian state.
This administration resisted moves to advance the two-state solution for many
months, reversing established US policy that had, for 50 years, supported this
approach. Consecutive administrations actively engaged with Arabs and Israelis
in an effort to make it happen. But this year, the US reversed course and fought
efforts made by the international community, led by Saudi Arabia and France, to
implement that solution. The administration went as far as sending demarches to
scores of countries to dissuade them from joining this movement, threatening
retaliation against those states that recognized the state of Palestine.
After many years of rejecting even such remote and vague references, Netanyahu
is changing course
So even those tepid references to a Palestinian state in the most recent version
of the Gaza plan are significant, as they signal that the US is not going to
resist international efforts to make it happen. It appears that the recognition
of Palestine by the US could be used by American interlocutors as leverage in
their negotiations with both sides of the conflict. Eventually, it has to happen
because a two-state solution is the only sustainable pathway toward peace,
stability and shared prosperity in the Middle East. It is also the surest way to
defuse tensions and defeat extremism and terrorism in the region.
The momentum toward the realization of a two-state solution appears to be
unstoppable. The Gaza genocide has finally persuaded the doubters of the heavy
price of reluctance and hesitation. Too many countries have waited too long to
grant the Palestinians what is their due in the form of an independent and
viable state.But they are waiting no more. One after the other, they announced
this much-delayed decision at the UN General Assembly last month. There are now
nearly 160 nations that recognize the state of Palestine, about 82 percent of
the UN’s membership. The remaining countries are most likely waiting for a
message from the US to do so. In the Americas, only
the US and Panama remain outside the global consensus. Similarly, in Africa, 52
states out of 54 have recognized Palestine as a state. In Asia, only Japan,
South Korea and Myanmar remain, although Japan has indicated it may do so soon.
The bulk of the resistance, about 15 states, is in those European nations still
tormented by their roles in perpetrating the Holocaust. Others are run by
far-right parties that have much in common with the far right in power in
Israel. However, popular pressure is mounting on these laggards to join the
unstoppable momentum of Palestinian statehood.The New York Declaration and the
High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question
of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution marked the high
points of this year’s UNGA, which coincided with the 80th anniversary of the
establishment of the world organization.
The question of Palestine dominated the early years of the UN, as it does now,
and there was clear conviction among the participants that this last vestige of
colonialism has to end with the same compromise envisioned in the UN Partition
Plan of 1947 by realizing a state for the Palestinians to live side by side in
peace and security with Israel. The conference served as a catalyst for more
than a dozen countries to grant full de jure recognition to the state of
Palestine.Popular pressure is mounting on the laggards to join the unstoppable
momentum of Palestinian statehood
The Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, led by
Saudi Arabia, France, Norway, the Arab League and the EU, has generated so much
interest that almost every nation in the world has joined. The New York
Declaration, which was endorsed by the UNGA, includes a clear pathway to full
Palestinian statehood. The alliance has several working groups on political,
economic, security and governance issues for participating countries to develop
working plans.
The current Israeli government is in clear opposition to these moves. In panic,
it has hastily adopted a plan to establish large settlements dissecting the West
Bank, with the purpose of making a Palestinian state difficult to achieve. Under
the guidance of its most extremist ministers, it has unleashed violent settlers
to burn and terrorize Palestinian villages. Its minister of finance, another
right-wing fanatic, has withheld hundreds of millions of dollars accrued to the
Palestinian Authority from customs revenues in order to starve Palestinian
institution of funds.
In response, the Emergency Coalition for the Financial Sustainability of the
Palestinian Authority was announced on Sept. 27, following the UN conference and
the announcement of the Trump plan. Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, Ireland,
Japan, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and the UK announced
the launch of the new grouping to deal with the urgent and unprecedented
financial crisis confronting the PA.
The immediate purpose is to “stabilize the PA’s finances and preserve its
ability to govern, provide essential services, and maintain security, all of
which are indispensable to regional stability and to preserving the two-state
solution,” according to a statement released by the coalition, which was formed
in the belief that short-term aid alone is not sufficient. What is needed is a
sustainable, predictable and coordinated funding mechanism, working with
international financial institutions and key partners to mobilize resources,
support ongoing governance and economic reforms, and ensure full transparency
and accountability.
Trump’s peace plan for Gaza is a good start, but the work of the global alliance
is needed now more than ever to continue the march toward the realization of a
sovereign and viable Palestinian state.
*Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg is the GCC assistant secretary-general for political
affairs and negotiation. The views expressed here are personal and do not
necessarily represent those of the GCC. X: @abuhamad1
Selected English Tweets from X Platform For 09
October/2025
Pope Leo XIV
“Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock,
and the door will be opened for you” (Lk 11:9). “To ask,” in fact, is to
recognize, through poverty, that everything is a gift from the Lord and to give
thanks for it. “To seek” is to open oneself, through obedience, to discovering
each day the path we must take on the journey towards holiness, following God’s
plans. “To knock” is to ask for and to offer the gifts we have received to our
brothers and sisters with a chaste heart, striving to love everyone with respect
and generosity. #JubileeOfConsecratedLife
The White House
"I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the
first Phase of our Peace Plan... BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!" - President
Donald J. Trump
Mark Carney
My thanks to Vice President, JD Vance, and Second Lady, Usha Vance, for their
warm welcome last night. We’ll keep working together to build a new economic and
security partnership between our nations — one that creates new opportunities
for Canadians and Americans alike.
Pierre Poilievre
Congratulations to President Trump on negotiating a peaceful end to the
Israel-Hamas war. A monumental achievement toward generational peace.
We look forward to and pray for the return of all hostages and the end of this
bloodshed so all can thrive in a lasting peace.
Mark Carney
Congratulations to President Trump for his essential leadership and thank you to
Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye for their tireless work to support the negotiations.
I am relieved that the hostages will soon be reunited with their families.
After years of intense suffering, peace finally feels attainable. Canada calls
on all parties to swiftly implement all agreed terms and to work towards a just
and lasting peace.
KingAbdullahII
Gaza ceasefire is a key step to ending the war, so that Gazans live in safety
and receive aid unhindered. Grateful to President Trump and the efforts of
Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye. Jordan will continue supporting Palestinians’ pursuit
of freedom and statehood on their national soil
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
In Gaza and Lebanon, there’s no breakthrough peace, only glorified ceasefires.
Israel won’t retreat from strategic territories or stop policing Hamas and
Hezbollah.
Neither Palestinians nor Lebanese are seizing the chance Israel has afforded
them to eliminate these militias, instead watching Israel do it for them. If
Israel has to do it, military operations will persist, making peace,
reconstruction, and economic growth impossible. The price for refusing to disarm
militias and sue for peace with Israel is that Gaza and Lebanon will linger in
destruction and poverty until they become mature enough to govern.Israel has
secured decades of calm, but Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah will lie low, bide
their time, and prepare to fight in the future. The Middle East’s misery
persists: Kill or be killed.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
In Gaza and Lebanon, there’s no breakthrough peace, only glorified ceasefires.
Israel won’t retreat from strategic territories or stop policing Hamas and
Hezbollah.
Neither Palestinians nor Lebanese are seizing the chance Israel has afforded
them to eliminate these militias, instead watching Israel do it for them. If
Israel has to do it, military operations will persist, making peace,
reconstruction, and economic growth impossible. The price for refusing to disarm
militias and sue for peace with Israel is that Gaza and Lebanon will linger in
destruction and poverty until they become mature enough to govern. Israel has
secured decades of calm, but Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah will lie low, bide
their time, and prepare to fight in the future.
The Middle East’s misery persists: Kill or be killed.