English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For  October 28/2025
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute?
First Letter to the Corinthians 06/12-20/:"‘All things are lawful for me’, but not all things are beneficial. ‘All things are lawful for me’, but I will not be dominated by anything. ‘Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food’, and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is meant not for fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that whoever is united to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For it is said, ‘The two shall be one flesh.’But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun fornication! Every sin that a person commits is outside the body; but the fornicator sins against the body itself. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.".

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on October 27-28/2025
Elias Bejjani/October 21/2025/ My X Account
Video Link from BW Youtube Platform: His Last Request Before Execution Was to See the Virgin Mary — What Happened Shocked Everyone/His Last Request Before Execution Was to See the Virgin Mary — What Happened Shocked Everyone
Elias Bejjani/To PM, Nawaf Salam: Hezbollah Is an Iranian Terrorist Militia That Did Not Liberate South Lebanon in 2000 but Occupies It Along with All of Lebanon
Nawaf Salam… When History Is Distorted to Appease Hezbollah/Elias Bejjani/October 24, 2025
Father of Young Man Elio Ernesto Abou Hanna Explains to An-Nahar the Details of His Son’s Killing in the Shatila Camp
Elio Abou Hanna: A Victim of Illegal Palestinian Weapons in Shatila Camp/Security Source to An-Nahar: “Swift and Strict Punitive Measures Are Needed”
Former Minister Youssef Salameh: The Disastrous Consequences of the Authority’s Hesitation to Act and Reform
Collective Delusion among Lebanese partisans of Hezbollah is out of this world:/Hussain Abdul-Hussain/Face Book/October 27/2025
Israel strikes Lebanon’s south and east, threatens UNFIL as it claims to target Hezbollah
UN, France slam Israel after attack on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon
Lebanon at the center: Diplomats rush to prevent escalation with Israel
Ortagus Briefed on Hezbollah Activities in Lebanon during Israel Visit
Israel Accuses UNIFIL of Shooting Down Drone in South Lebanon
Pope Leo XIV will Pray at the Site of the 2020 Beirut Port Blast in His First Foreign Trip
Jounieh launches first campaign to clear railway violations under new MoU—the details
A ship, forged fuel, and a chase at sea: Inside Lebanon’s ‘Hawk III’ vessel investigation
Parliament in focus: Expatriate voting rights take center stage as Lebanon’s lawmakers reconvene
Lebanon…A Perpetual War and Persistent Hesitation/Sam Menassa/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 27/2025
Netanyahu says Israel needs no approval to strike Lebanon
Moussa says Aoun has voiced Lebanon's readiness for negotiations with Israel
LF, allies to boycott legislative session; Amal, Hezbollah MPs visit Aoun
Geagea lashes out anew at Berri over legislative session
Bassil says Hezbollah lost deterrence power, arms legitimacy
FPM slams Palestinian arms after Lebanese man killed at Shatila camp
Hezbollah’s Sheikh Qassem: Defending Lebanon and Regional Sovereignty While Upholding National Responsibilities

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on October 27-28/2025
Overshadowed by Donald Trump, Netanyahu insists he calls the shots in Gaza
Israel Lifts State Of Emergency For Communities Neighboring Gaza
Rubio Says Israeli Strike on Gaza Didn’t Violate Ceasefire
Israel Says Red Cross, Egyptian Team and Hamas Searching for Hostage Bodies in Gaza
Israel says it has received body of another deceased hostage held in Gaza
Abbas Paves Way for Hussein al-Sheikh to Lead Through Critical Transition
Jailed Palestinian Leader Barghouti Can Unify Palestinians Says SonJailed Fatah leader
What to Know About the Louvre Heist Investigation
Syria's Sharaa to Attend Riyadh Investment Conference this Week
Turkey signs deal with Britain to buy 20 Eurofighter jets
6.1-magnitude earthquake strikes western Turkey, authorities say

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on October 27-28/2025
The Three Powers after Iran’s Exit/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 27/2025
Palestinians' 'Technocratic Government': The Mother of All Deceptions/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/October 27, 2025
Patient Extremism: The Many Faces of the Muslim Brotherhood/FDD/October 27/2025
Egypt: The Original Branch/Mariam Wahba/FDD/October 27/2025
Jordan: Turning Toward Violence/Ahmad Sharawi/FDD/October 27/2025
Lebanon: The Islamic Group/David Daoud/FDD/October 27/2025
Qatar: The Brotherhood’s Patron/Natalie Ecanow/FDD/October 27/2025
Sudan: Civil War Creates Opportunities for Islamists/Hussain Abdul-Hussain/FDD/October 27/2025
Advancing Türkiye-Saudi Arabia relations amid opportunities and challenges/Emrullah İşler/English Arabyia/October 27/2025
Selected English Tweets from X Platform For 27 October/2025

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on October 26-27/2025
Elias Bejjani/October 21/2025/ My X Account
Please be informed that my account on the X platform has been suspended for reasons unknown to me. This is the fourth account in five years to be arbitrarily suspended.

Video Link from BW Youtube Platform: His Last Request Before Execution Was to See the Virgin Mary — What Happened Shocked Everyone
His Last Request Before Execution Was to See the Virgin Mary — What Happened Shocked Everyone
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/10/148598/
This is a story that shows the power of the miracles of the Virgin Mary — Our Lady, Mother of Jesus — even in places where hope seems to have completely disappeared. In this video from our channel dedicated exclusively to testimonies of faith in the Virgin Mary, accounts of graces received, and stories of the miracles of the Virgin Mary, you will discover the astonishing story of Michael Carter, a man who lived for years unjustly condemned, but who experienced a direct and supernatural intervention of Our Lady, the Mother of Heaven. The story shows how the intercession of the Virgin Mary can cross walls, bars, sentences, and even hardened hearts, to rescue those whom the world had already abandoned. As you watch, you will see how praying the rosary, devotion to the Virgin Mary, and trust in the mercy of the Virgin Mary can change destinies, reveal the truth, and grant miracles that science cannot explain.
This video is part of our commitment to spread Marian devotion and strengthen faith in Our Lady, Mother of Jesus and our Mother. Here you will find stories about the miracles of Our Lady, Marian apparitions, testimonies of conversion, unexpected healings through the Virgin Mary, graces received, spiritual deliverances, and life transformations obtained through the intercession of the Virgin Mary. The case of Michael Carter is a powerful example: he rediscovered his faith and, above all, the loving presence of the Virgin Mary. During his final hours, the small image of Our Lady that he held in his hands began to shine with a celestial light, before guards, directors, and witnesses. This unexplainable phenomenon unleashed a series of events that led to the revelation of the truth and his release.
The story shows how the Virgin Mary, Our Lady, powerfully intercedes with Jesus Christ, her Son, and pours out graces upon those who need them most. Many call it coincidence… but for those who believe, it is a miracle of the Virgin Mary. This video seeks to rekindle in the hearts of the faithful the certainty that the Mother of Jesus continues to act in the world, performing miracles, consoling the afflicted, protecting the innocent, and guiding sinners back to the path of salvation. If you have faith in Our Lady, if you believe in the power of the Holy Rosary, if you desire to hear testimonies of Marian miracles and real stories of conversion and redemption, then this channel is for you.
Watch until the end and allow this story to strengthen your faith and renew your hope. Share this video with those who are going through difficult times, so that they too may find comfort in the arms of the Most Holy Mother. Subscribe to the channel to receive new stories of the miracles of the Virgin Mary, apparitions of Our Lady, and testimonies that prove the Virgin Mary never abandons her children. When everything seems lost, remember: Our Lady, the Mother of Jesus, is always interceding for us.
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Elias Bejjani/To PM, Nawaf Salam: Hezbollah Is an Iranian Terrorist Militia That Did Not Liberate South Lebanon in 2000 but Occupies It Along with All of Lebanon
Nawaf Salam… When History Is Distorted to Appease Hezbollah
Elias Bejjani/October 24, 2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/10/148505/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqM-JHMSoi4
In an interview with Al-Mayadeen TV on October 23, 2025, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam made a shocking statement that cannot go unanswered: “If not for the sacrifices of Hezbollah and the national resistance in general, before and with the Hezbollah, the South Lebanon would not have been liberated.”
This statement not only contradicts historical truth but also constitutes a deliberate falsification of history and an insult to the memory of the Lebanese who witnessed the events of the liberation firsthand. They know very well that Israel withdrew from South Lebanon in 2000 by a purely internal Israeli government decision, having nothing to do with Hezbollah or any so-called sacrifices.
In May 2000, then–Prime Minister Ehud Barak fulfilled his electoral promise to unilaterally withdraw from Lebanon— a decision made within the Israeli government as part of a broader security realignment strategy. Hezbollah had no role in the withdrawal and entered the evacuated areas only days later, while the Syrian occupation prevented the Lebanese army from deploying in the South, leaving a security vacuum that Hezbollah later exploited to impose its control under the pretext of “liberation.”
It is worth recalling that Hezbollah’s last military attempt before Israel’s withdrawal was the Battle of Jisr al-Hamra against the South Lebanon Army, which ended in total failure and heavy casualties for Hezbollah—an event that alone demolishes the myth of “liberation by resistance.”
Politically, the withdrawal was the result of a tacit understanding among Israel, Syria, and Iran, facilitated by Arab and Western channels. Israel’s pullout from the border strip was part of regional security arrangements in which the so-called Lebanese resistance played no role whatsoever. All subsequent Israeli, Syrian, and Iranian political documents confirm that the withdrawal stemmed from security bargaining related to South Lebanon, the Golan Heights, and the future of Syrian–Israeli negotiations, not from any military victory by Hezbollah.
In another part of the interview, Nawaf Salam referred to what he called the “Lebanese National Movement,” which then included parties such as the Progressive Socialist Party, Amal, the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, the Communist Party, and Palestinian organizations. He described them as part of the “national resistance,” while the historical record clearly shows that they were instruments of the Syrian–Palestinian scheme that ended what remained of Lebanon’s sovereignty through the infamous 1969 Cairo Agreement, under which Lebanon relinquished control over the South and the thirteen Palestinian camps, allowing armed factions to establish a state within the state and drag Lebanon into civil war.
As for what Salam called “the Lebanese resistance before Hezbollah,” it was not a resistance at all but chaotic armed groups that liberated not a single inch of Lebanese land. They were part of the anarchy that destroyed the state and paved the way for its occupation by the Syrian and Iranian regimes.
While Salam’s interview included some acceptable points, his rhetorical bowing to Hezbollah and his plea for its approval by claiming that it “liberated the South” and “made sacrifices” represent a moral and political collapse unworthy of a Lebanese Prime Minister, who should represent the state, not the militia. His words amount to whitewashing the dark history of a terrorist organization that has inflicted oppression, abductions, assassinations, and occupation upon the Lebanese people.
Hezbollah’s Record of Terror and Crime
Since 2000, Hezbollah has brought Lebanon nothing but destruction, assassinations, Iranian hegemony, futile wars, poverty, displacement, and enmity with the world. The militia has assassinated some of Lebanon’s finest: Rafik Hariri, Gebran Tueni, Pierre Gemayel, Walid Eido, Antoine Ghanem, Lokman Slim, Wissam Eid, Wissam al-Hassan, Mohammad Chatah, Joe Bejjani, Elias al-Hasrouni, and many others among journalists, politicians, and security officers.
Hezbollah invaded Beirut and Mount Lebanon in May 2008, turning its so-called “resistance” weapons against the Lebanese.
Today it controls the state’s decision-making, paralyzes the government, blocks the implementation of the ceasefire agreement with Israel, defies international resolutions and the Lebanese constitution, cripples Parliament and the judiciary, and uses ports, airports, and crossings for smuggling weapons and drugs.
It has also dragged thousands of young Lebanese Shiites into Iran’s losing wars in Syria, Yemen, and Iraq, leaving their families in misery and poverty.
Since its creation in 1982 by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in collaboration with the criminal Syrian Baath regime of Hafez al-Assad, Hezbollah has never been a Lebanese organization, a resistance movement, a liberator, or a representative of the Shiite community. It is an Iranian transnational militia and jihadist terrorist entity composed of Lebanese mercenaries serving the Iranian regime. Its goal is to establish an Islamic Republic in Lebanon subordinate to the Wilayat al-Faqih system—foreign to Lebanon’s identity, heritage, and to the free Lebanese Shiites it holds hostage.
Conclusion
Hezbollah is neither a “liberator” nor a “resistance.” It is a gang of evildoers listed as a terrorist organization by most countries in the world, practicing every form of crime, smuggling, and assassination under the banner of religion and resistance, in service of Iran’s destructive agenda.
The undeniable truth remains: the South was liberated by an Israeli decision, not by Hezbollah’s bullets. What Hezbollah did afterward was to impose a new occupation clothed in religious rhetoric, isolating Lebanon and condemning it to endless wars.
To claim, as Nawaf Salam did, that Hezbollah liberated the South is not merely a political slip — it is a betrayal of truth and history. For those who truly liberate do not occupy; those who sacrifice do not assassinate; and those who fight for their country do not hand it over to the rule of the mullahs.

Father of Young Man Elio Ernesto Abou Hanna Explains to An-Nahar the Details of His Son’s Killing in the Shatila Camp (Video)
An-Nahar – October 27, 2025  (Translated from Arabic)
The news of young Lebanese Elio Abou Hanna’s killing by Palestinian gunfire in the Shatila refugee camp has sparked widespread anger across Lebanon.Walid Abou Hanna, the grieving father of the victim, expressed his profound sorrow, saying his son “was full of dreams, like any young Lebanese man.”
He revealed to An-Nahar the full details of the assault that led to his son’s death inside the Shatila camp, asking in anguish:“How can we be expected to obey armed men who have no official status whatsoever?”According to the account provided by Elio’s family, the young man in his twenties had spent the evening with friends at a café on Badaro Street. On his way home, he mistakenly took an unusual route that passed near a restaurant called Shatila Camp. There, he suddenly encountered a checkpoint manned by members of the Palestinian security forces inside the camp. He did not stop—perhaps out of fear, or simply because he was unfamiliar with such checkpoints—which prompted the gunmen to open heavy fire on his car, fatally wounding him. A security source inside Shatila Camp confirmed to An-Nahar that these checkpoints are routinely set up, especially on Saturdays, allegedly for “security reasons.” According to the source, many young people visit the camp on weekends to buy drugs before heading to Beirut’s nightclubs, and some might be “spies, agents, or infiltrators” seeking to provoke trouble. Therefore, the so-called “Palestinian National Security” forces erect this single checkpoint, dressed in military uniform and openly armed, to search most cars entering or leaving the camp.Yet this “justification” is worse than the crime itself, since the same source admitted that the camp has become a hub for drug dealing and armed activity—issues that demand immediate and severe punitive action.

Elio Abou Hanna: A Victim of Illegal Palestinian Weapons in Shatila Camp
Security Source to An-Nahar: “Swift and Strict Punitive Measures Are Needed”
An-Nahar – October 27, 2025 (Translated from Arabic)
Elio Abou Hanna is the latest victim of unrestrained and illegal Palestinian weapons—another tragic episode in Lebanon’s long struggle with lawlessness and unauthorized arms, especially those inside Palestinian camps. Despite the Lebanese state’s efforts, these weapons have long defied its authority, turning the refugee camps into “states within the state”—safe havens for fugitives and criminals evading Lebanese justice. Lebanese society and social media platforms erupted in outrage over the killing. According to the family’s account, Elio had spent the evening with friends in Badaro and lost his way on the drive home. His route took him past Shatila Camp restaurant, where he encountered a checkpoint belonging to the Palestinian security forces. He did not stop—either out of fear or lack of familiarity with such armed posts—prompting the gunmen to unleash a barrage of bullets that killed him instantly.
A security source within the camp confirmed that these checkpoints are set up weekly, especially on Saturdays, under the pretext of maintaining security because many youths visit the camp to buy drugs before heading to Beirut’s nightlife venues. Some, the source alleged, may be spies or infiltrators. Therefore, the so-called “Palestinian National Security” forces set up a single checkpoint, visibly armed and in full military uniform, to search most vehicles entering or leaving the camp. This “excuse,” however, is far more shameful than the act itself, since the source effectively admitted that the camp has become a center for drug trafficking and armed militia activity—problems that require urgent and decisive legal intervention. Lebanese Internal Security Forces have since arrived at the crime scene, launching an investigation amid public outrage and growing questions about the legality of armed checkpoints operating outside the authority of the state. The killing has reignited calls to disarm Palestinian factions, particularly in Beirut’s camps.The case has resonated deeply among the Lebanese public, as Elio was the only child of his parents. Political parties and organizations across the spectrum issued statements of condemnation. The Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee also released a statement emphasizing that “the lesson to be learned from this crime is that the weapons still held by some factions and groups inside the camps serve no Palestinian cause whatsoever—they instead endanger Lebanon’s stability and the safety of its people.”
The victim’s family is demanding a transparent investigation and the prosecution of all those responsible for their son’s killing. Meanwhile, Palestinian authorities have remained silent and have yet to hand over the perpetrators, despite the Lebanese Army Intelligence’s formal request to do so.

Former Minister Youssef Salameh: The Disastrous Consequences of the Authority’s Hesitation to Act and Reform
October 27, 2025
(Free translation from Arabic by: Elias Bejjani)
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/10/148578/
Former Minister and Head of the “Identity and Sovereignty Gathering,” Youssef Salameh, warned that the ruling authority’s hesitation to take decisive reform measures is driving Lebanon toward further collapse.
He declared: “The hesitation of those in power to act and reform reminds me of someone who closes his eyes to avoid seeing a snake at his feet, or of a dying man who convinces himself that he is in good health. The succession of events clearly proves that Hezbollah, the ruling establishment, and the authority are merely different faces of the same coin.”
Salameh addressed the Lebanese people, saying:
“Lebanon deserves better. Have mercy on it. Your behavior toward this nation reflects cowardice and betrayal. Tomorrow you will head to yet another sham parliamentary election—an empty ritual of allegiance to a system that bankrupted the state, stole your money, and killed your youth.
The killing of young Elio Abou Hanna at a Palestinian checkpoint stands as living proof of an authority that has abandoned its responsibility, preoccupied only with satisfying its insatiable hunger for power and money.
How can we believe in this authority’s seriousness about enforcing state sovereignty when Elio Abou Hanna is murdered at a Palestinian checkpoint near the Shatila camp, while the farce of ‘collecting weapons’ from the camp remains fresh in our memory?
This is an authority that, knowingly or not, serves foreign interests and reassures Israel of its incapacity to impose sovereignty over every inch of Lebanese soil. Worse still, it offers Israel the pretext to violate Lebanon’s sovereignty under the guise of eliminating illegitimate armed groups. One is left to wonder: is this authority simply foolish—or deliberately complicit?”
***Recent Posts by Former Minister Youssef Salameh
1. The killing of young Elio Abou Hanna at a Palestinian checkpoint is living proof of a ruling authority that has abdicated its duty, preoccupied only with satisfying its greed for power and money. How can we believe in its seriousness about enforcing sovereignty when Elio Abou Hanna is murdered at a Palestinian checkpoint in Shatila, following the farce of “collecting weapons”? This is an authority serving Israel.
2. The hesitation of those in power to act and reform reminds me of someone who closes his eyes to avoid seeing a snake at his feet, or of a dying man who believes he is healthy. The Party, the establishment, and the authority are merely different faces of the same coin. Fellow Lebanese, Lebanon deserves better. Have mercy on it—your conduct is betrayal against the nation.
3. Politicians today lack sound judgment and serious, convincing programs. They compete for the attention of ambassadors during election season, placing their loyalties in the hands of foreign powers. Will they ever experience the taste of national dignity and become role models worthy of emulation? I doubt it. Their ignorance is profound, and their moral corruption is deadly.

Collective Delusion among Lebanese partisans of Hezbollah is out of this world:
Hussain Abdul-Hussain/Face Book/October 27/2025
1. Hezbollah launched war on Israel to support Gaza by pinning down Israeli military resources in the north, away from Gaza in the south.
2. America insisted on an unconditional ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel. Israel agreed. Hezbollah refused, tying its ceasefire to a ceasefire in Gaza.
3. Israel killed Hezbollah chief and 30 commanders in line after him, tearing the militia into pieces. A humiliated Hezbollah begged for a ceasefire. But now Israel had its conditions: Full disarmament of Hezbollah across Lebanon. Hezbollah agreed, signed on Cessation of Hostilities.
4. Hezbollah declared victory over Israel because:
A. “Legendary steadfastness” against “Israel’s aggression.”
B. Hezbollah stopped Israel from invading all the way to Beirut (imaginary Israeli goal).
C. Israel failed to start a civil war in Lebanon.
Now because Hezbollah insists that it won, it reneged on agreeing to disarm and blames the Lebanese government for abiding by ceasefire deal that militia had signed on and calls everyone who supports disarmament treasonous.
In this world of Collective Delusion, building a state and planning for a better future becomes impossible. Hezbollah is not the cause of sociopolitical culture failure in Lebanon, failure that inhibits state building. Hezbollah is the result of Lebanon’s social and political culture failure.
Fixing Lebanon requires much more than diplomatic deals. It needs major redirection in the debate over its existence and future, which in turn requires intellectual heavy lifting. But Lebanese intellectuals either emigrated, or lend their muscle to highest bidders from the alien powers to make a living as propagandists. It’s a Catch 22 situation, and no matter how many opportunities Israel gives the Lebanese (at least three in my lifetime alone — 1983, 2000, 2024), Lebanon will continue to fail. Sad.

Israel strikes Lebanon’s south and east, threatens UNFIL as it claims to target Hezbollah
Beirut, Lebanon/The Arab Weekly/October 27/2025
Lebanon’s health ministry said on Sunday that Israeli strikes on the country’s south and east had killed three people, despite an ongoing ceasefire deal, as Israel claimed it had targeted two members of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. Officials said one person had been killed in an “Israeli enemy strike” on a car in Naqoura, in Tyre province, while another strike on a vehicle in Nabi Sheet, in the country’s eastern Baalbek region, resulted in another fatality. Later, the health ministry said a further strike on the town of al-Hafir, also in the Baalbek area, resulted in the death of a Syrian national and an injury to another Syrian. Despite a nearly year-long ceasefire, Israel has kept up strikes on Lebanon, often saying it is targeting Hezbollah positions. In a statement on Sunday, the Israeli army said it had killed Ali Hussein al-Mousawi in eastern Lebanon, describing him as “a weapons dealer and smuggler on behalf of Hezbollah”.The Israeli military said it had also killed a local Hezbollah representative it identified as Abd Mahmoud al-Sayed, in southern Lebanon. Israel has intensified strikes in recent weeks, with several deadly attacks launched over the past few days. The United Nations said on Sunday an Israeli drone had dropped a grenade close to its peacekeepers in Kfar Kila in south Lebanon and that an Israeli tank fired towards the patrolling force. “These actions by Israel Defense Forces are in violation of… Lebanon’s sovereignty, and show disregard for safety and security of the peacekeepers,” the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said. Last week, a UN special rapporteur said that deadly Israeli strikes on ostensibly civilian vehicles in Lebanon could amount to war crimes, despite Israel’s assertion they targeted Hezbollah members. As part of last year’s ceasefire deal, Israeli troops were to withdraw from southern Lebanon and Hezbollah was to pull back north of the Litani River and dismantle any military infrastructure in the south. According to the agreement, only the Lebanese army and UNIFIL are to be deployed in the south of the country. Under US pressure and fearing an escalation of Israeli strikes, the Lebanese government has moved to begin disarming Hezbollah, a plan the movement and its allies oppose. Despite the terms of the truce, Israel has kept troops deployed in five border points it deems strategic.

UN, France slam Israel after attack on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon
AFP/October 27, 2025
Monday condemned Israeli fire near UN peacekeeping troops in southern Lebanon, after an incident during which peacekeepers neutralized an Israeli reconnaissance drone. “We are very concerned about the incident that occurred on Sunday in which an Israeli drone dropped a grenade in the vicinity of a UNIFIL patrol, and subsequently an Israeli tank fired a shot at the peacekeepers in Kfar Kila in the UNIFIL area of operations,” said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, referring to the incident in southern Lebanon. “Our colleagues at UNIFIL are in touch with the IDF to protest vehemently what has happened. It’s not the first time that we feel we’ve been targeted in different ways by the IDF (including) pointing lasers or warning shots. It’s very, very dangerous,” he said. The UN peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL works with the Lebanese army to enforce the ceasefire agreement that ended more than a year of conflict between Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah and Israel. According to a French diplomatic source, the UNIFIL troops involved in Sunday’s incident were French. “France condemns the Israeli fire that targeted a UNIFIL detachment on October 26, 2025,” the French foreign ministry said in a separate statement. It said that “these incidents follow those observed on October 1, 2, and 11, when the Israeli army had already targeted UNIFIL positions.”On Sunday, UNIFIL said an Israeli drone flew over its patrol in an “aggressive manner.”“The peacekeepers applied necessary defensive countermeasures to neutralize the drone,” it said in a statement. The incident “shows disregard for safety and security of the peacekeepers implementing Security Council mandated tasks in southern Lebanon,” it said. UNIFIL later said another Israeli drone came close to its patrol operating near Kfar Kila and dropped a grenade. “Moments later, an Israeli tank fired a shot toward the peacekeepers. Fortunately, no injury or damage was caused to the UNIFIL peacekeepers and assets,” the statement added.
Drone ‘deliberately’ shot down
The Israeli army still occupies five positions in southern Lebanon, along the border with northern Israel, and despite the ceasefire continues to carry out strikes on Lebanese territory, claiming to target Hezbollah. Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said on X earlier on Monday that “an intelligence-gathering drone was downed in the area of Kfar Kila.” “An initial inquiry suggests that UNIFIL forces stationed nearby deliberately fired at the drone and downed it. The drone’s activity did not pose a threat to UNIFIL forces,” Shoshani wrote.As part of last year’s ceasefire deal, Israeli troops were to withdraw from southern Lebanon and Hezbollah was to pull back north of the Litani River and dismantle any military infrastructure in the south. According to the agreement, only the Lebanese army and UNIFIL are to be deployed in the south of the country. Under US pressure and fearing an escalation of Israeli strikes, the Lebanese government has moved to begin disarming Hezbollah, a plan the movement and its allies oppose.Despite the terms of the truce, Israel has kept troops deployed in five border points it deems strategic. Israel has also intensified strikes in recent weeks, with several deadly attacks launched over the past few days.

Lebanon at the center: Diplomats rush to prevent escalation with Israel
LBCI/October 27, 2025
“We are not delivering threats or warnings, but rather a message of precaution about what may happen in the future,” said the Egyptian ambassador at Lebanon’s Grand Serail. The statement, made after a stop in Baabda, could summarize what Egypt’s intelligence chief, Hassan Rashad, will discuss with Lebanese officials on Tuesday.According to LBCI sources, Rashad’s mission in Beirut, following his meeting with the Israeli prime minister last week, may carry a message that Egypt is ready to play a role in curbing any potential Israeli escalation in Lebanon and ensuring weapons remain under state control, particularly after Cairo’s success in brokering a ceasefire deal in Gaza. “I believe that the successes Egypt has achieved regarding the Gaza ceasefire agreement, in cooperation with our partners in the region and the world, will also be leveraged to help ease the Lebanese issue. What Lebanon is facing should not continue unchecked, as it could lead to worse outcomes. Therefore, the messages we carry to Lebanon stress the importance of precaution,” the ambassador added. Egypt is not the only diplomatic actor in Lebanon on Tuesday. U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus, arriving in Beirut from Tel Aviv, will also be in the capital. LBCI sources indicate that her main purpose is to chair a meeting of the ceasefire monitoring committee on Wednesday. Ortagus, who handles the Lebanese file in coordination with incoming U.S. ambassador Michel Issa, expected in mid-November, will stress the need to strengthen the committee’s role in preventing on-the-ground deterioration, alongside intensifying U.S. support and pressure to disarm Hezbollah. She is also set to meet senior Lebanese officials to focus on Lebanon’s security situation, following recent meetings with top Israeli officials on the same issue. The diplomatic push regarding Lebanon also involves U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, who arrived in Israel to discuss developments related to Lebanon with Israeli officials. Multiple diplomatic actors are now engaged in Lebanon. The key question remains: can these efforts succeed in restraining Israel from expanding its strikes, which have continued since last year’s ceasefire agreement?

Ortagus Briefed on Hezbollah Activities in Lebanon during Israel Visit
Beirut: Nazeer Rida/Asharq Al Awsat/October 27/2025
US envoy to Lebanon and Israel Morgan Ortagus was briefed on Sunday on Hezbollah’s activities and attempts to rebuild its military infrastructure in Lebanon. During a visit to Israel, she was also briefed on the army’s defensive and offensive plans along the border with Lebanon. Ortagus, Defense Minister Israel Katz, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter, Commander of Israel’s Northern Command Rafi Milo, and representatives of the US Central Command and Israeli national security council toured the Israeli border with Lebanon on Sunday, a day before Ortagus is set to visit Beirut to attend meetings of the committee overseeing the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel. The meeting is set to be held on Wednesday as Israel has intensified its assassinations of members of Iran-backed Hezbollah. Since Thursday, it has killed eleven people, including at least seven Hezbollah members. Israel has assassinated over 365 members of the party since the ceasefire was reached in November in what it says are efforts to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its military capabilities and infrastructure. During Sunday's tour, Katz expressed his gratitude to US President Trump and Ortagus for their support for Israel and its efforts to protect its borders. Israel will continue to defend its northern regions against any threats, he vowed. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that his country would seek no approval to strike targets in Gaza or Lebanon, despite agreeing to ceasefires. "Israel is an independent state. We will defend ourselves by our own means and we will continue to determine our fate," Netanyahu told a meeting of government ministers. "We do not seek anyone's approval for this. We control our security," he said, following a week of visits by a parade of the highest level US officials seeking to consolidate the ceasefire in Gaza. Lebanon is under international pressure to disarm Hezbollah and implement its government decision to impose state monopoly over arms. Hezbollah has remained defiant, however, refusing to lay down its weapons despite the daily Israeli attacks against its members. Head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc MP Mohammed Raad said on Sunday: "Key to Lebanon's security and stability does not lie in meeting the conditions of the enemy, but in making Israel meet its commitments and really cease its attacks."
He underlined the need to bolster national unity to confront Israel’s ambitions.  Moreover, he said it was "wrong to claim that the resistance [Hezbollah] was to blame for the enemy’s shameful attacks. Rather, Israel is attacking Lebanon because it is pursuing an expansionist agenda and it wants Lebanon to yield to it." On Sunday, the Lebanese Health Ministry said one person was killed in an Israeli strike on a vehicle in the southern town of al-Naqoura. Another person was killed in an Israeli drone strike on the town of al-Nabi Chit and a third, a Syrian, was killed in a strike on the town of al-Hafir on Sunday night.
Israel killed two people on Saturday on a strike on a car and motorcycle. Its army said it targeted members of Hezbollah’s Radwan Unit. Lebanese political parties are demanding that Hezbollah lay down its weapons. Member of the Strong Republic bloc MP Said al-Asmar said an Israeli military escalation is still on the table. "This is what we have been hearing from American officials, and the Lebanese people will pay the price of such a development," he warned, saying the solution lies in Hezbollah’s disarmament. "We are not acquitting Israel of anything, but we also have a responsibility that we are not meeting. Israel will continue to attack us as long as Hezbollah keeps on asserting that it is recovering its capabilities and ready to go to war at any moment," he added.

Israel Accuses UNIFIL of Shooting Down Drone in South Lebanon
Asharq Al Awsat/October 27/2025
The Israeli army accused the peacekeeping forces, UNIFIL, of shooting down an Israeli “reconnaissance” drone over South Lebanon. Israeli army spokesperson Nadav Shoshani said on X that an army “intelligence-gathering drone was downed in the area of Kfar Kila in southern Lebanon during a routine intelligence-gathering activity in the area." On Sunday, the UNIFIL said in a statement that “at about 5:45 p.m., an Israeli drone came close to a UNIFIL patrol operating near Kfar Kila and dropped a grenade. Moments later, an Israeli tank fired a shot towards the peacekeepers. Fortunately, no injury or damage was caused to the UNIFIL peacekeepers and assets.”The statement added that the encounter “followed an earlier incident in the same location in which an Israeli drone flew over the UNIFIL patrol in an aggressive manner. The peacekeepers applied necessary defensive countermeasures to neutralize the drone."UNIFIL denounced the actions of the Israeli army, saying they violate "Security Council resolution 1701 and Lebanon’s sovereignty, and show disregard for safety and security of the peacekeepers implementing Security Council-mandated tasks in southern Lebanon.” UNIFIL has been subject to Israeli actions, including air strikes, artillery fire, and ground operations in southern Lebanon that have endangered peacekeepers and civilians. These actions have been condemned by UNIFIL and other international bodies as violations of international law and UN resolutions.

Pope Leo XIV will Pray at the Site of the 2020 Beirut Port Blast in His First Foreign Trip
Asharq Al Awsat/October 27/2025
Pope Leo XIV will pray at the site of the 2020 port blast in Beirut that killed over 200 people and compounded Lebanon’s economic and political crisis during his first foreign trip as pope next month that will also take him to Türkiye to mark an important anniversary with Orthodox Christians. The Vatican on Monday released the itinerary of Leo’s Nov. 27-Dec. 2 trip. It includes several moments for history’s first American pope to speak about interfaith and ecumenical relations, as well as the plight of Christians in the Middle East and regional tensions overall, The AP news reported. Pope Francis had planned to visit both countries but died earlier this year before he could — he had particularly long wanted to go to Lebanon, but the country’s economic and political crisis prevented a visit during his lifetime. The main impetus for travelling to Türkiye this year was to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, Christianity’s first ecumenical council. Leo made clear from the start of his pontificate that he would keep Francis’ commitment, and has several moments of prayer planned with the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, Patriarch Bartholomew I.
Nicaea, today located in İznik on a lake southeast of Istanbul, is one of seven ecumenical councils that are recognized by the Eastern Orthodox. Leo will travel there by helicopter on Nov. 28 for a brief prayer near the archaeological excavations of the ancient Basilica of Saint Neophytos. In addition to the traditional protocol visits with Turkish and Lebanese leaders, meetings with Catholic clergy and liturgies, Leo’s visit to the site of the Aug. 4, 2020 Beirut port blast will likely be another stirring moment in his trip, coming on its final day. The blast tore through the Lebanese capital after hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate detonated in a warehouse. The gigantic explosion killed at least 218 people, according to an AP count, wounded more than 6,000 others and devastated large swaths of Beirut, causing billions of dollars in damages. Lebanese citizens were enraged by the blast, which appeared to be the result of government negligence, coming on top of an economic crisis spurred by decades of corruption and financial crimes. But an investigation into the causes of the blast repeatedly stalled, and five years on, no official has been convicted.
While Leo will celebrate Mass on the Beirut waterfront and travel to some areas near the Lebanese capital, his itinerary is significant for where he is not going: He will not visit Lebanon’s south, battered by last year’s war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. In Türkiye, there are also no plans for Leo to visit the landmark Hagia Sophia monument in Istanbul as previous popes have done. The former Greek Orthodox patriarchal basilica, which was a mosque during Ottoman times, was a museum when Pope Francis visited in 2014. But in 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ’s government changed its status from a museum back to a mosque and opened it up to Muslim worship. At the time, Francis said he was “deeply pained” by the decision.
Despite the renovations to preserve its historic domes, Hagia Sofia remains open to visitors and worshippers. Leo will visit the nearby Sultan Ahmed Mosque, popularly known as the Blue Mosque.

Jounieh launches first campaign to clear railway violations under new MoU—the details
LBCI/October 27, 2025
Work has begun to clear encroachments along the old railway line in Jounieh under a memorandum of understanding between the municipality and the Railway and Public Transport Authority. The initiative is the first of its kind in Lebanon and, if successful, may serve as a model for similar efforts across the country to remove violations from railway property. According to the municipality, the campaign has two goals. The first is immediate: clearing illegal structures and debris to improve the visual landscape of the city and free public space for walking and outdoor activities. The long-term objective is to prepare the ground for the eventual return of passenger trains—a project that would require a national plan and a government decision. Jounieh officials say municipal teams will carry out the removal operations in coordination with residents and property owners. However, they noted that security forces will assist when necessary to ensure enforcement. Between the short-term clean-up and the long-term vision of reviving rail transport, the main challenge remains continuity. Local officials and activists stress that the effort must not be reduced to a temporary beautification campaign, but should be the first step in restoring Lebanon’s railway network. After earlier similar steps in Aaraiya and now Jounieh, attention will turn to other railway lines across the country as Lebanon waits for a final decision that could bring trains back to the rails—rather than leaving the railway as a memory of the past.

A ship, forged fuel, and a chase at sea: Inside Lebanon’s ‘Hawk III’ vessel investigation
LBCI/October 27, 2025
Looking out toward the sea from Dbayeh’s Marina, the ship "Hawk III" remains visible — detained in Lebanon for more than six weeks. The ship was seized on suspicion of document forgery and making illicit profits at the expense of public funds by purchasing Russian fuel oil under sanctions at discounted prices, then selling it to Lebanon at higher global market rates using forged documents claiming the fuel was not of Russian origin.The vessel reportedly tried to flee Lebanon after unloading its cargo in September, when the forgery was discovered, but the Lebanese army intercepted it and brought it back from open waters. The case is under investigation by a Beirut investigative judge, who has issued arrest warrants, both in person and in absentia, after the Financial Public Prosecution charged six companies and four individuals with forgery, corruption, and fraud in the purchase process for Lebanon. The prosecution also requested three in-person arrest warrants and one in absentia. Alongside the judicial investigation, attention has turned to the Higher Customs Council, which has the authority to impose fines for the ship’s attempted escape and the submission of forged documents. According to its sources, the so-called “reconciliation file” has not yet reached the council and is awaiting referral from the Customs General Directorate, along with a proposed fine that could reach $10 million. On a third front, the Public Procurement Authority has also taken action. Its head, Jean Ellieh, responding to a letter submitted by engineer Fawzi Mechleb, who exposed the case, said that given the scale of the violations, the purchasing authority — namely the Ministry of Energy — should issue an administrative decision barring the involved company from participating in future tenders and bids until a final court ruling is issued. Meanwhile, the lawyer for the ship’s owner, Romanos Mouawad, told LBCI that the owner had contracted another company to operate the vessel and has no connection to the ongoing judicial process. He called for the ship’s release, saying its detention is causing his client significant daily financial losses.

Parliament in focus: Expatriate voting rights take center stage as Lebanon’s lawmakers reconvene
LBCI/October 27, 2025
Once again, all focus is turning to Lebanon’s parliament as the legislative session called by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri resumes the agenda of the September 29 session, which previously failed to reach quorum before completing discussion of the proposed bills. Among the most notable is a $250 million World Bank reconstruction loan. The Tuesday session is also expected to conclude by closing the minutes of the previous session, thereby enacting the laws that were approved at that time. According to LBCI sources, a parliamentary majority is expected to secure the required quorum. Key participants include members of the National Moderation Bloc, whose sources said their attendance this time follows a previous boycott intended to allow dialogue on the electoral law and the voting rights of Lebanese abroad. They emphasized that the boycott was not intended to be permanent. Political tensions, however, are expected to rise in the coming days. The boycotting bloc is maintaining its position, linking its return to parliament to the inclusion of a repeated urgent draft law granting expatriates the right to vote for all 128 MPs while abroad. The bloc considers bypassing this clause a continuation of what it calls constitutional violations and excessive control of parliament by the speaker. Sources close to the boycotting group warn that the general assembly could be reduced to handling only the budget when it is referred, which would inevitably freeze legislative work and disrupt constitutional deadlines. Between the participating and boycotting blocs, talks began with MPs from the Hezbollah-Amal Movement political duo. Notably absent was the Free Patriotic Movement, which insists its position is clear, as announced by its leader Gebran Bassil: maintaining the six parliamentary seats allocated for expatriates while also preserving the right of all Lebanese abroad to vote for all 128 MPs, allowing them the freedom to choose between voting for the six seats or the full parliament. The round of discussions began in Baabda, where President Joseph Aoun stressed that the final decision rests with parliament, but that the rights of Lebanese abroad must be respected. Tuesday’s session, therefore, represents a new test between those who see a return to legislation as a path to activating state institutions and those who consider it a concession to a unilateral approach dominating parliament. It is also a key moment to determine whether dialogue remains possible before the country slips again into an open political confrontation.

Lebanon…A Perpetual War and Persistent Hesitation
Sam Menassa/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 27/2025
The big question in Lebanon today is: When will Israel’s all-out war against Hezbollah resume, and what will it look like? A flood of Israeli statements, as well as the party’s own rhetoric and its effort to convince the press that it has recovered and is now prepared for war (figures associated with the party have gone as far as to speak of a new secret organization unlike anything that preceded it), have all created this sense of anxious anticipation.
Moreover, in one example of the torrent of US statements about Lebanon, the American envoy to Syria and Lebanon, Tom Barrack, fanned the flames. He warned that if Lebanon fails to disarm Hezbollah, Israel could take unilateral military action, “and the consequences would be grave.”
As for the Lebanese state, its officials seem like they are on another planet. Citizens are left wondering: who is the government addressing its statements about the danger of war with Israel to? Washington? Tel Aviv? The Arabs and the Islamic world? Or is it merely posturing for domestic ends?
It is difficult to understand the government’s stance. Its discourse makes the government seem like it is unaware of what had been achieved at the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit: unprecedented engagement on the part of countries representing more than a billion and a half Arabs and Muslims, alongside the US and Europe, in a process that aims to end the Arab-Israeli conflict and establish lasting peace in the region that brings all Arabs and most Muslims together. It will be a long and difficult path, but the early signs suggest that a new era is emerging on the other side of the immense regional shifts of the past two years.
It seems that the Lebanese authorities have not understood the significance of the changes in neighboring Syria, nor the Hamas’s disarmament in Gaza and its political marginalization in Palestine or the scale of Hezbollah’s losses in Lebanon and Syria (from the assassination of its leaders, from the first to the third ranks and perhaps beyond, to the destruction of its arsenal and the devastation of its strongholds). They have not grasped the deeper implications of the American-Israeli war on Iran (the violation of its airspace and the strikes on its nuclear facilities) either.
How can the authorities convince the Lebanese, the Arabs, and the world that they recognize what is happening when they keep repeating the same mistakes, insisting on indirect negotiations with Israel and as though it were a bold or groundbreaking achievement? Worse, they have behaved as though Hezbollah won the war and can dictate terms- the ceasefire agreement signed in November 2024 grants Israel the right to monitor Lebanese territory with drones day and night, Israel has been conducting daily attacks and assassinations for more than nine months and continues to occupy Lebanese territory.
What does the Lebanese government want? Or rather, what is it waiting for? Does it expect a solution to come from abroad, allowing it to be a passive recipient without obligations? Who would come from “abroad?” American or European intervention is not on the cards; at best, one can expect initiatives similar to those that we’ve long grown accustomed to.
As for the Arabs, they have lost hope in Lebanon and the Lebanese, removing the country from their list of priorities. The only remaining foreign actor is Israel, and its war would be one of pure evil. An Israeli war is the worst thing that could happen to Lebanon: it would complicate matters, resolve nothing, and likely lead to the displacement of southerners to north of the Litani River or even farther, opening the door to all kinds of domestic crises and conflicts.The more likely explanation is that the government prefers to maintain the status quo and keep things as they are, “managing” the crisis rather than solving it. It seems to believe that this is the least harmful of two bad options. In such a climate, stagnation entrenches a state of affairs that allows those blinded by political shortsightedness to focus on domestic concerns over regional shifts: from parliamentary elections to strengthening their positions and popularity along sectarian, regional, and partisan lines. The Shiite duo (Amal and Hezbollah) seeks to consolidate its influence in Parliament and within its community, while Christian parties are competing for seats and leadership of their community. Others are preoccupied with restoring the powers of the presidency and reviving the slogan of a “strong president,” a tiresome and dangerous approach that has repeatedly failed. As for the Sunnis, “their leaders are searching for a street, and their street is searching for a leader,” as one observer put it. It is difficult to find an alternative explanation for the government’s hesitation to adopt out-of-the-box approaches, joining the Arab and Muslim consensus on the need to end the conflict rather than hiding behind euphemisms like “durable truce.” The distinction between a “permanent truce” and a “durable truce” is fundamental: the former signals an end to the conflict with Israel, which would then be translated into concrete security arrangements. Does anyone in the government understand the significance of taking such a bold position for the Americans, the Europeans, and especially Arab countries seeking to help Lebanon? Does anyone in power understand that it has the potential to create a new dynamic? Is there any official with the courage to take such a step? Experience has taught the Lebanese to expect disappointments and carry on living, as the late historian Kamal Salibi titled his book, in “A House of Many Mansions.”

Netanyahu says Israel needs no approval to strike Lebanon
Agence France Presse/October 27/2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that Israel would seek no approval to strike targets in Lebanon or Gaza, despite agreeing to ceasefires. "Israel is an independent state. We will defend ourselves by our own means and we will continue to determine our fate," Netanyahu told a meeting of government ministers Sunday. "We do not seek anyone’s approval for this. We control our security," he said, following a week of visits by a parade of the highest level U.S. officials seeking to consolidate the ceasefire in Gaza.

Moussa says Aoun has voiced Lebanon's readiness for negotiations with Israel
Naharnet/October 27/2025 
Egyptian Ambassador to Lebanon Alaa Moussa met Monday in Baabda with President Joseph Aoun on the eve of a visit to the country by a senior Egyptian security delegation.
“The meeting was important and represented a chance to present Egypt’s evaluation of what the region is witnessing, especially after the ceasefire in Gaza and the subsequent developments,” Moussa said. “The Lebanese president expressed his country’s readiness to engage in negotiations to reach a settlement, especially amid the continuous Israeli violations,” Moussa added. “The Israeli escalation in Lebanon requires a regional effort to stop it,” the ambassador went on to say. He added that Aoun briefed him on what Lebanon is doing in the issue of “monopolizing arms in the hand of the state,” saying that he emphasized to the president “Egypt’s full and clear support for the steps taken by Lebanon.” He added that “Egypt has the ability to offer assistance in this field.”Media reports meanwhile said that the head of Egyptian intelligence Hassan Rashad will propose an Egyptian mediation between Lebanon and Israel. According to the reports, the Egyptian initiative was first raised through international contacts that followed the Sharm el-Sheikh summit. Rashad had met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu days ago for the same purpose.

LF, allies to boycott legislative session; Amal, Hezbollah MPs visit Aoun
Naharnet/October 27/2025 
The Lebanese Forces-led Strong Republic parliamentary bloc has announced its boycott of Tuesday’s legislative session, warning that participation in it would reflect “submission to Speaker Nabih Berri’s hegemony over parliament.”“It would be a cover-up for a constitutional and ethical crime against hundreds of thousands of Lebanese expats who are facing an attempt to deprive them of their right to contribute to changing the situations through ballot boxes,” the LF bloc said. Other lawmakers allied with the LF have also announced their boycott of the session.
A delegation comprised of Hezbollah and Amal Movement lawmakers and MP Jihad al-Samad meanwhile visited the Baabda Palace and met with President Joseph Aoun. “We discussed with the president the electoral law that had enjoyed unanimity and was considered an achievement at its time. We told him that there are segments who cannot perform their role, which impedes the most important principle, which is equal opportunity,” MP Ali Hassan Khalil said after the talks. “We are keen on holding the elections on time and we hope the government will take into account that this matter would lead to a major national rift when it discussed the (draft) law” submitted by Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji that would allow expats to vote for 128 MPs, Khalil added. “Speaker Berri is keen on parliament and tomorrow we will see who is obstructing parliament’s work,” he said.
Aoun for his part said what is important is for the elections to be held on time, adding that Lebanese expats have the right to take part in the Lebanese political life. "Based on my respect for the separation of powers, I consider that it is up to parliament to decide, but expats have a right that we should respect," the president added. Aoun had stressed Wednesday the need to hold the parliamentary elections on time, adding that the participation of expats is a must. Aoun's comments came amid tensions over the current electoral law which only allows expats to vote for six newly-introduced seats in parliament. Sixty-five MPs, including those of the LF and allies, are meanwhile demanding to amend the law in order to allow expats to vote for all 128 seats. Hezbollah and Amal argue that they do not enjoy the same campaigning freedom that other parties enjoy abroad and are objecting against the possible amendment. The six-seat system had been suspended in the 2018 and 2022 elections and expats were allowed to vote for the 128 MPs, each according to their registered electoral district.

Geagea lashes out anew at Berri over legislative session
Naharnet/October 27/2025 
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Monday blasted Speaker Nabih Berri again over the issue of the latter’s refusal to put a bill allowing expats to vote on the agenda of Tuesday’s legislative session. “What Speaker Berri is doing represents a blatant violation of the constitution’s rules and (parliament’s) bylaws and an attack on the rights of the parliamentary majority, which is no longer acceptable,” Geagea said. “The majority of the Lebanese are looking forward to the rise of an actual that is not impeded by the presence of illegitimate weapons nor by such practices that overlook the constitution, the laws, the norms and the will of the parliamentary majority,” Geagea added. “Accordingly, I call on all MPs, from the various political affiliations, not to attend the session that Speaker Berri has scheduled for tomorrow in order to express general dismay over the manner in which he is running parliament’s affairs,” the LF leader urged. The LF and its allies are seeking to pass an amendment that would allow expats to vote again abroad for all 128 MPs, each according to their registered electoral district. Expats had voted heavily in favor of the LF and the so-called Change candidates during the 2018 and 2022 parliamentary elections. Hezbollah and the Amal Movement currently argue that they do not enjoy the same campaigning freedom that the other parties enjoy abroad and are accordingly calling for limiting expat voting to six newly-introduced seat, as per the 2017 electoral law, or for calling off expat voting altogether.
It is still unclear how voting for the six seats would take place seeing as there is no clear mechanism distributing the seats on sects and continents, although that can be resolved through executive decrees issued by the government or an amendment of the electoral law by parliament. The 2017 law had been amended to allow for postponing the introduction of the six new seats until 2026.

Bassil says Hezbollah lost deterrence power, arms legitimacy
Naharnet/October 27/2025
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil said he sees no problem in having direct negotiations with Israel after Hezbollah "lost its power to defend Lebanon."
Bassil said Hezbollah committed a strategic mistake when it started firing at Israel in support of Gaza and Hamas following the Oct.7 attack and that the group later lost the legitimacy of its weapons when it gave twice a vote of confidence to the government of Nawaf Salam, which vowed to disarm the group. The government failed to reconstruct war-hit regions, to carry out reforms and to disarm Hezbollah, Bassil told al-Jadeed Sunday, suggesting that the solution would be to keep Lebanon out of the regional conflicts with international guarantees that it wouldn't be attacked or occupied. "Hezbollah would then have no justification to keep its arms," he said.

FPM slams Palestinian arms after Lebanese man killed at Shatila camp
Naharnet/October 27/2025
The Free Patriotic Movement has condemned “the shooting at young Lebanese citizen Elio Abou Hanna at a checkpoint in the Shatila camp, which resulted in his death while he was at the prime of his youth.” “This was the worst reflection of the chaos of Palestinian arms in camps operating outside Lebanese legitimacy,” the FPM added. “This incident clearly shows that what happened in the camps as to what was called a handover of arms was merely a comical and tragic farce, seeing as it is still leading to the targeting of civilians and Lebanese security,” the Movement said. “Lebanese authorities are asked to be firm in holding accountable those who caused this crime and to stop making light of the essential issues,” the FPM added, calling on the state to “seek serious solutions for monopolizing Palestinian and Lebanese arms in the hand of the state, in order to preserve Lebanon and its sovereignty and stability.”Media reports said the young man, 24, lost his way and reached the Shatila camp after he had dinner at a restaurant in Badaro. Palestinian security forces eventually opened fire at his car after he failed to stop a checkpoint, the reports added.

Hezbollah’s Sheikh Qassem: Defending Lebanon and Regional Sovereignty While Upholding National Responsibilities
Source: Al-Manar/October 26/2025
Hezbollah LebanonHezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem in an exclusive interview with Al-Manar TV marking one year of leadership (Oct, 26, 2025)
Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem affirmed that the movement represents a strategic project grounded in a clear vision for addressing peoples’ concerns and responding to the challenges they face—social, economic, educational, or related to aggression and land occupation. In an exclusive interview with Al-Manar TV marking one year of leadership, Sheikh Qassem stressed that Hezbollah’s resistance is not merely a military option or a temporary tactical gain to be abandoned once achieved. “Resistance is a comprehensive way of life integral to the essence of the movement. We do not grow weary. The party’s path is strong and steadfast, and surrender is not an option simply because of fatigue. We continue to defend and endure,” His Eminence affirmed.
Exceptional Spirit of Sacrifice
Highlighting the commitment of Hezbollah’s members, Sheikh Qassem said that all party members embody a spirit of self-sacrifice—from fighters on the front lines to families who have made significant sacrifices. “Every individual in Hezbollah carries this self-sacrificing spirit, which means confronting difficulties and giving everything to achieve the objective, no matter how challenging the path,” he explained.
Collective Decision-Making
Sheikh Qassem reassured that his leadership operates within a broad institutional framework, sharing responsibilities with the consultative council, fighters, and the broader community. “I am not alone. The party has an integrated collective leadership at all levels, which is the source of its strength and success,” His Eminence said. Addressing questions about his personal decisions during the recent war, Sheikh Qassem underscored his refusal to leave Lebanon or go to Iran, citing both ethical and operational considerations. His Eminence explained that effective leadership requires the commander’s presence on the battlefield alongside fighters and local communities, stressing that the guidance of the movement is inseparable from being actively engaged in the field.
In-Depth: Mighty Warriors Battle
Going into the exceptional Mighty Warriors Battle, Sheikh Qassem emphasized that the management of the battle was fully collective, involving the Secretary General, Hezbollah leadership, and the consultative council, with close coordination from fighters and all personnel in the field. His Eminence highlighted the critical role of Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, in providing comprehensive support and closely monitoring the battle and its requirements—without directly intervening in operational command. “All decisions and actions were fully Lebanese.”Additionally, Sheikh Qassem dismissed claims suggesting Iranian leadership directed the battle, underlining that all achievements in the “Mighty Warriors Battle” were the result of Hezbollah’s internal collective decision-making and continuous coordination between its political and military leadership.
Targeted Operations Against Israeli Enemy
On the targeting of Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence, Sheikh Qassem confirmed it was based on precise intelligence and a clear political decision, similar to the strikes on the occupied city of “Tel Aviv.” He praised the high discipline of Hezbollah’s military leadership during operations, noting that the campaign could have continued if the confrontation had persisted. Regarding retaliation for the assassination of Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, Sheikh Qassem emphasized that Hezbollah acted to the best of its ability within the capacities available at the time, fulfilling its duty responsibly.
Hezbollah’s Legendary Fighters
Sheikh Qassem affirmed that the fighters who confronted the aggression on the front lines demonstrated more than self-sacrificial dedication—they fought to the last breath, setting an unprecedented example of courage, endurance, and commitment. His Eminence noted that hundreds of these legendary combatants successfully halted the advance of over 75,000 Israeli soldiers, highlighting that Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah’s leadership further energized the fighters, reinforcing their legendary resilience and spirit of self-sacrifice. His Eminence emphasized that the “Mighty Warriors Battle” will remain an enduring model of steadfastness, with the front-line fighters’ presence and perseverance playing a decisive role in preventing Israeli occupation forces from reaching the Litani River or advancing toward Beirut to achieve their military objectives in Lebanon.
Hezbollah Sheikh Naim Qassem Hezbollah
His Eminence added that the “Al-Rodwan” force forms an integral part of Hezbollah’s overall strength, enduring the same losses and sacrifices, yet continuing its vital role within the broader system of resistance and steadfastness. On the theme of societal resilience, Sheikh Qassem highlighted the significance of the massive crowds at the funerals of fallen leaders and the role of scouts in shaping the next generation. He described these as living proof of public will and a foundation for the future of Lebanon’s resistance, stressing that the movement’s continuity rests primarily on faith and determination, with organizational structures serving as complementary elements that reinforce this path. In a direct message to Hezbollah fighters, Sheikh Naim Qassem said: “You are the ones who have given us momentum and drive. I am part of you, and I wish to stand among you as a soldier on the front lines, at the heart of the battlefield.”
Supporters Are the Foundation of Resistance
Speaking of the exceptional support system of Hezbollah, Sheikh Qassem emphasized that the people are the foremost element in the struggle of resistance, with their value surpassing that of leaders or fighters. He underlined that the members of the resistant society are priceless, as they strengthen and sustain the movement. “With you, the path becomes stronger, and you are an inseparable part of the resistance and its victories.”He stressed that Hezbollah does not initiate war but adopts a stance of legitimate defense against an enemy seeking to annihilate the people and occupy the land. Failure to confront the Israeli enemy, he warned, would allow it to expand, dominate, and jeopardize the future of coming generations. “We do not lead our people toward poor choices, but toward great decisions that preserve dignity and secure a better future,” His Eminence added. Sheikh Qassem reaffirmed that true dignity in the region can only be achieved through resistance. He described the current imbalance of power as a temporary phase, inseparable from past periods of confrontation and steadfastness, emphasizing that resistance is the essential path to defend the land, safeguard human dignity, and protect the national honor of future generations.
Strong Ties with Speaker Berri
Sheikh Qassem also highlighted the exceptional strength of Hezbollah’s relationship with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, noting continuous, high-level coordination, particularly during periods of aggression, with ongoing consultations on battlefield developments and resistance strategies. His Eminence emphasized that Hezbollah consistently keeps President Berri informed of all developments related to its operations, while Berri maintains continuous oversight and coordination, fostering cohesion even under the most challenging circumstances.
Reflecting on the year since the last major agreement, Sheikh Qassem underscored shared perspectives and mutual care for the community, Lebanon, and the resistance. “Our principles are aligned, and this requires us to continue working together as one to protect Lebanon and its national interests,” His Eminence added.
Resistance: An Irrevocable Decision; Defense Is the Goal, Not War
Hezbollah’s Sheikh Qassem clearly stated that resistance is a non-negotiable choice in the face of aggression, regardless of recovery levels or available capabilities. “We declare to the whole world that we will remain a resistance force even if all we have left are our fingernails or a stick, and we will not stop.”Sheikh Qassem clarified that Hezbollah is prepared to defend, not to initiate battles or launch attacks. “We have no decision to start war, but if a confrontation is imposed on us, we will not allow the Israeli enemy to pass, and we will fight it to the last breath. This is a firm decision, no matter the circumstances,” he added.
His Eminence underscored that Hezbollah occupies a defensive stance and will never abandon this role, continuing its resistance regardless of the resources at hand. “Those who possess willpower and rely on God will always find a way to persist.”
Addressing responsibility for Lebanon’s crises, Sheikh Qassem pointed to the Israeli enemy and the United States as the aggressors, asserting, “We did not create the war or push the country toward dangerous choices. They are the ones who attack and provoke. Hezbollah chose the noblest and most honorable path by honoring the agreement with the Lebanese state for ten months without a single strike, aiming to spare the country and prevent pretexts—but the enemy persisted.”His Eminence stressed that resistance in Lebanon is a national endeavor for all Lebanese, calling for a move beyond division. Sheikh Qassem added that ongoing investigations into various cases will be fully disclosed to the public once completed, emphasizing that the work of resistance will continue regardless of challenges, with hopes to expand capabilities and open new avenues for national defense.
Deterrence and State Coordination
Speaking of deterrence and state coordination, Sheikh Naim Qassem emphasized that the ongoing US and Israeli escalation seeks to pressure Lebanon politically, attempting to gain what could not be achieved through war. While current deterrent capabilities may not entirely prevent conflict, they ensure the Israeli enemy cannot achieve its objectives, regardless of the scale of confrontation. “If ‘Israel’ considers launching a large-scale war, it will achieve nothing, and they should know this in advance.” His Eminence acknowledged that the outbreak of war is possible but not certain, depending on calculations and the balance of power on the ground. He urged Israeli leaders to respect the existing agreement, stressing that its implementation benefits all parties: “If you do not abide by the agreement, you will gain nothing. We will remain ready to resist any potential aggression.” Highlighting the resilience of the Lebanese resistance base, Sheikh Qassem affirmed that popular steadfastness is essential for securing a better future for coming generations. His Eminence cited the “Mighty Warriors Battle” as proof, noting the Israeli enemy’s failure to achieve its objectives, and stressed that no new gains are possible beyond the framework of the current agreement. On Gaza, Sheikh Qassem noted that the Zionist enemy failed to meet its goals and, after two years, was forced to withdraw, reiterating that “Israel” cannot achieve its objectives in Lebanon. “It should be content with what has happened; otherwise, we are ready to defend ourselves.” Sheikh Qassem confirmed that Hezbollah handed over responsibility to the Lebanese state after the agreement, making it accountable for defending the nation, asserting sovereignty, and preventing aggression. Hezbollah remains committed: “If we responded now, it would be seen as a violation and provide Israel with a pretext.”His Eminence urged the Lebanese state to fulfill its national duties: “Ten months have passed since the agreement, and the state has not moved. It must pressure, raise its voice, and take responsibility. This is a public test for everyone.” He stressed that Hezbollah’s compliance demonstrates the agreement’s value and called on all parties to draw lessons from this model. Sheikh Qassem left open the possibility that changing circumstances may allow Lebanon to explore a new understanding with Hezbollah regarding mechanisms for responding to Israeli aggression.
Hezbollah Sheikh Naim Qassem Hezbollah
Legitimacy of Hezbollah’s Arms
Sheikh Qassem reaffirmed that Hezbollah’s arsenal is a legitimate tool for resisting the Israeli occupation, emphasizing that the resistance is rooted not in geography but in national will and duty. He stressed that the party’s arms exist solely to counter the Israeli entity, which occupies land and poses a strategic threat to Lebanon and the wider region. “Our defense extends beyond Lebanon to Palestine, Syria, and Egypt, forming a united front against an enemy whose ambitions exceed all geographic boundaries,” he said. His Eminence clarified that Hezbollah’s military presence is not reactive to a specific location or immediate enemy presence but a continuous response to the persistent nature of occupation and threats. “Our weapons are a legitimate means of defending the homeland and our existence. There is no separation between our survival and that of the nation, and we reject becoming a target for the enemy’s conditions or calculations.”Sheikh Qassem criticized Lebanese factions calling to confine the resistance to southern Lebanon or link it solely to Israeli presence, arguing that “Israel” still occupies Lebanese and Palestinian territories, pursues expansionist projects, and continues to attack. “This danger is existential today and in the future. “Israel” needs no pretext for aggression, as demonstrated by its systematic destruction in Syria, even where no resistance exists.”He warned that the enemy seeks to impose a political and social system in Lebanon, targeting communities through sanctions and territorial erasure to achieve complete control. In response, he stressed the necessity of confronting any aggression directly, rather than negotiating over pretexts. Given the Lebanese army’s inability to address all threats alone, Sheikh Qassem highlighted the importance of popular resistance alongside the army, emphasizing the need for coordination between both to counter aggression. He affirmed Hezbollah’s willingness to discuss a comprehensive national security strategy should hostilities cease, stressing that resistance remains a legitimate, geographically independent right as long as threats persist. “The resistance is not defined by geography nor measured by power balances with the enemy. It is a decision, sovereignty, and national will. If strength falters today, it can rise tomorrow. The confrontation continues between the aggressor and the rightful defender,” he said. “Resistance is an idea, a project, and a will. Even if only one man remains, resistance will continue until the end.”Sheikh Qassem asserted the need to distinguish between UN Resolution 1701 and the ceasefire agreement of November 27, noting that the latter specifically addresses halting military operations south of the Litani River, a point repeated five times in the text. Implementing this agreement, he explained, is a prerequisite for later application of Resolution 1701 and its associated provisions. His Eminence stressed that the Israeli enemy’s role is limited to the boundaries defined by the agreement and that all issues regarding Lebanon’s sovereignty, coordination with Hezbollah, and management of arms are purely internal Lebanese matters. “Once the agreement is implemented, it is up to the Lebanese state to determine the next steps—whether extending sovereignty, coordinating with the resistance, or managing the weapons issue. These are internal matters handled solely within the state framework,” he said. Sheikh Qassem also criticized the Israeli enemy’s repeated interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs, noting that it failed to achieve gains during the Mighty Warriors battle. “If they attempt to repeat it, our decision is clear: we defend and resist until our last breath. Our confidence in God ensures continued victory and the persistence of our path.”
Reconstruction and National Responsibility
Sheikh Qassem’s comprehensive interview concluded by addressing key national issues, emphasizing that while Hezbollah contributes significantly to reconstruction efforts within its capacity, the ultimate responsibility for rebuilding lies with the Lebanese state. He noted that, given that the aggression comes from the Israeli enemy and the Lebanese people are the victims, it is the state’s duty to safeguard and support its citizens. His Eminence added that true stability cannot be achieved without real reconstruction, urging the Lebanese government to launch projects with the resources at its disposal. According to Sheikh Qassem, reconstruction is not only a humanitarian necessity but also a crucial economic and social lever for Lebanon’s survival and the resilience of its society. Furthermore, His Eminence noted that the primary objective of the Israeli enemy is to undermine the environment supporting the resistance by preventing displaced families from returning to their homes and keeping them in a state of displacement in an effort to weaken the future of the resistance. However, he warned that the Israeli plan in this regard would fail. “The government must act decisively to counter this scheme, because this hostile path will not produce results,” he said.Sheikh Qassem also addressed the so-called “mechanism,” questioning its practical role: “Is the American director of such mechanisms employed to help Israel destroy or to prevent violations?” He criticized the mechanism for failing to halt Israeli violations, arguing that its continued ineffectiveness serves “Israel,” legitimizes its narrative, and conceals its breaches. “A day may come when we declare that this mechanism has become a burden and that its existence must be reconsidered because it provides no real benefit on the ground.”
Supporting Elections and Upholding Lebanese Law
In conclusion, Sheikh Qassem reaffirmed Hezbollah’s support for holding parliamentary elections on schedule according to existing Lebanese law. He stressed that delaying elections benefits only those seeking narrow, partisan objectives at the expense of national interest.
“We support elections to maintain the regular functioning of public affairs and to demonstrate the party’s broad representation in Parliament. They may also offer an opportunity to adjust certain dynamics and improve the domestic situation.”His Eminence further noted that Lebanese legislation guarantees the civil rights of every citizen and that no official may implement foreign, particularly American, decisions against Lebanese citizens. “National laws are the sole reference in dealings with the population, and the independence of Lebanese decision-making must be preserved.”Finally, Sheikh Qassem highlighted Hezbollah’s enduring strength and continuity, emphasizing that the participation of its members—men and women, young and old—is the true guarantee of the resistance’s survival and permanence, regardless of the challenges or pressures, both internal and external.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on October 27-28/2025
Overshadowed by Donald Trump, Netanyahu insists he calls the shots in Gaza
The Arab Weekly/October 27/2025
Overshadowed by US President Donald Trump’s decisions on Gaza, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is trying to show he is still in the driver’s seat.
Netanyahu told ministers, on Sunday, that Israel will maintain control of security inside Gaza despite signing up to the US-brokered ceasefire that foresees the deployment of an international security force. He insisted Israel would decide for itself where and when to strike its foes and which countries would be allowed to send troops to police the truce.“Israel is an independent state. We will defend ourselves by our own means and we will continue to determine our fate,” Netanyahu said. “We do not seek anyone’s approval for this. We control our security.”The Israeli prime was, however, careful not to antagonise the US, his country’s main military and diplomatic backer. “This is, of course, accepted by the United States, as its most senior representatives expressed in recent days,” he added. In a reversal of its policy of barring entry to foreign forces into Gaza, Israel allowed Egyptian officials into the Gaza Strip to help locate the bodies of hostages taken captive in the Hamas-led attack on Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, that triggered the war. The authorisation came amid speculations that the Netanyahu government was acting under US pressure to allow for an Egyptian role in the implementation of certain aspects of the ceasefire agreement. Israel government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian said Netanyahu had personally approved the arrival of the Egyptian team helping in the search for the remains of deceased Israeli hostages Hamas says are lost in the rubble of the devastated Palestinian territory.
Footage showed an Egyptian convoy in Gaza bringing rescuers and heavy machinery to speed up the search for the remains of the killed hostages.“Now, this is a technical team only, and none of these personnel are in the military,” she said. “The team are allowed entry beyond the IDF’s (Israel Defence Forces’) Yellow Line position into Gaza territory to conduct the search for our hostages.”In most of his recent announcements, Trump seemed to decide alone what could work best to advance the next phases of his peace plan, without mention of prior consultation with Israel.
Last week, he said he will be making the decision about whether popular Palestinian political figure Marwan Barghouti, jailed for more than 20 years by Israel, should be released. “I am literally being confronted with that question about 15 minutes before you called,” Trump told Time Magazine. “That was the question. That was my question of the day. So I’ll be making a decision.”The issue of the makeup of the international “stabilisation force” is another potentially contentious issue in the relationship. Under the terms of the US-brokered ceasefire, as Israeli forces withdraw after the end of two years of brutal fighting against Hamas, an international force, expected to be drawn from mainly Arab or Muslim countries, is supposed to secure Gaza. Washington is holding discussions with interested nations, including Turkey, and has announced already Qatar could be participating in the force.
But Israel opposes any role for its regional rival Turkey and Netanyahu, under fire from hardliners in his own coalition for even agreeing to the ceasefire, took a stern line on Sunday as government ministers met in Jerusalem. “We made clear with respect to international forces that Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us,” he said, one day after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wound up the latest in a parade of high-level visits by Washington officials. Later, Bedrosian put it more starkly: “The prime minister has said it’s going to be done the easy way or the hard way, and Israel will have overall security control of the Gaza Strip.”“Gaza will be demilitarised and Hamas will have no part in governing the Palestinian people.”Aid agencies complain that humanitarian convoys still do not have enough access to Gaza to alleviate the famine conditions in parts of the territory, and families there are still going hungry.
Israel has withdrawn its forces within Gaza to the so-called “Yellow Line” but remains in control of more than half the territory, approves every UN aid convoy going through its borders and has carried out at least two strikes since the ceasefire. To underline Israel’s independence of action, Netanyahu said it had pummelled Gaza with 150 tonnes of munitions on October 19 after two of its soldiers were killed, and had conducted a strike on Saturday targeting an Islamic Jihad militant. The latest Israeli strike came just as Rubio was leaving Jerusalem. The United States and allies have set up a truce monitoring centre in southern Israel — the Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) — and dispatched a string of top officials from President Donald Trump’s administration to promote the ceasefire. The presence during the same week in Israel of US Vice President JD Vance, the US secretary of state as well as White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner did not help dispel the notion that the Netanyahu government was under close US watch.

Israel Lifts State Of Emergency For Communities Neighboring Gaza
Asharq Al Awsat/October 27/2025
Israel has lifted the state of emergency for areas near the border with Gaza for the first time since Hamas's October 2023 attack, Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Monday. "I have decided to adopt the (Israeli military's) recommendation and to lift, for the first time since October 7, the special state on the home front," a statement from Katz's office said, AFP reported. The decision "reflects the new security reality in the south of the country" and came as a ceasefire that began on October 10 largely continued to hold. The state of emergency, which was active up to 80 kilometres from Gaza in southern Israel, granted authorities special powers to maintain public order and ensure civilian safety.The same state of emergency was temporarily expanded to the whole of Israel in June 2025 after Israeli strikes on Iran that prompted retaliatory missile launches from the Islamic republic.

Rubio Says Israeli Strike on Gaza Didn’t Violate Ceasefire
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 27/2025
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday that Washington does not view a strike that Israel said targeted a member of a Palestinian armed group in Gaza as a violation of a US-backed ceasefire. Israel said it struck a member of the Islamic Jihad group on Saturday, accusing the individual of planning to attack Israeli troops. Islamic Jihad denied it was planning an attack. Speaking aboard President Donald Trump's plane during a trip to Asia, Rubio said: "We don’t view that as a violation of the ceasefire."The US top diplomat added that Israel has not surrendered its right to self-defense as part of the agreement brokered by Washington, Egypt and Qatar that saw the main armed faction in Gaza, Hamas, release the remaining living hostages held in Gaza this month. "They have the right if there’s an imminent threat to Israel, and all the mediators agree with that," Rubio said. Rubio said the ceasefire in Gaza, which remains in force between Israel and Hamas just over two years since the war began, was based on obligations on both sides, reiterating that Hamas needs to speed up the return of the remains of hostages who died in captivity. Israel's Saturday strike came shortly after Rubio departed Israel after a visit aimed at shoring up the ceasefire.

Israel Says Red Cross, Egyptian Team and Hamas Searching for Hostage Bodies in Gaza
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 27/2025
Israel said on Monday it had allowed a team including Red Cross staff, Egyptian rescuers, and a Hamas member to search for the bodies of deceased hostages in Gaza. "The Red Cross, the Egyptian technical team, and a Hamas person have been permitted to enter beyond the (Israeli army) Yellow Line position in Gaza under close (Israeli army) supervision to identify the location of our hostages," Israel government spokeswoman Shosh Bedrosian told journalists. A Red Cross spokesperson also confirmed it was part of the team searching for hostage bodies.

Israel says it has received body of another deceased hostage held in Gaza
Reuters/27 October/2025
Israel said on Monday that the Red Cross had handed over the body of another deceased hostage from Gaza to the Israeli military, according to a statement by the Israeli prime minister’s office.If the identity of the deceased hostage is confirmed, it would mean that the remains of 12 hostages remain in Gaza with Palestinian militant group Hamas citing obstacles to locating them in the rubble left by the fighting. Earlier on Monday, Hamas’ armed wing said it would hand over the body of a deceased hostage it recovered on Monday in Gaza. The recovery and handover of bodies of deceased hostages in Gaza has been one of the obstacles to US President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan. An Israeli government spokesperson said on Sunday that the Palestinian militant group knew where the bodies were. Israel on Sunday allowed the entry of an Egyptian technical team to work with the Red Cross to locate the bodies. The team would use excavator machines and trucks for the search beyond the so-called “Yellow Line” in Gaza behind which Israeli troops have initially pulled back under Trump’s plan.

Abbas Paves Way for Hussein al-Sheikh to Lead Through Critical Transition
Ramallah: Kifah Zboun/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 27/2025
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has cleared the way for his deputy, Hussein al-Sheikh, to temporarily assume the presidency in the event of a vacancy. The move, described by political observers as deliberate and carefully timed, aims to ensure a smooth transfer of power and prevent the emergence of rival leadership structures. In a constitutional declaration issued on Sunday, Abbas stated that if the office of the president becomes vacant in the absence of the Palestinian Legislative Council, the deputy chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Executive Committee - also the deputy president of the State of Palestine - will temporarily assume the presidency of the Palestinian Authority for up to 90 days, during which elections must be held. If circumstances prevent elections within that timeframe, the Palestinian Central Council may grant a one-time extension. Abbas said the decision was made “out of faith and awareness of the sensitivity of this critical moment in the history of the homeland and the Palestinian cause, and in fulfillment of our constitutional and historic responsibility to protect the Palestinian political system, safeguard the homeland, preserve its security, and ensure the continuity of its constitutional institutions.”While Abbas did not publicly explain why the decision was made at this time, Israeli media reported that it followed American pressure. However, sources in Ramallah told Asharq Al-Awsat the decision was “necessary” given the complexity of the current political environment.
“This was done for several reasons,” one source explained. “First, the situation is extremely sensitive and requires a figure of Sheikh’s stature at the helm if anything unexpected occurs. Second, it preempts internal or external attempts to bypass the PLO or establish alternative leadership structures. And third, it is part of the reform and restructuring commitments the Authority has made.”The constitutional announcement comes amid heightened international activity by the United States, Europe, and Arab states to shape Gaza’s postwar arrangements. The Palestinian leadership has made clear it will not accept any administrative body or international force operating in the territory without its mandate, insisting that governance and security in Gaza must remain under Palestinian Authority control. After recent Palestinian faction meetings in Cairo, which Fatah did not attend, the movement issued a statement reaffirming that the State of Palestine and the PLO remain “the sole legitimate framework capable of protecting the national project.”The statement rejected “attempts to bypass national legitimacy,” stressed that sovereignty over Palestinian land belongs exclusively to the Palestinian people and their institutions, and warned against any form of foreign trusteeship or mandate. Fatah also reiterated that disarmament and security must be addressed through “a unified national vision that guarantees one authority, one weapon, and one law,” ensuring stability and denying Israel any pretext to prolong occupation or deepen division. Hussein al-Sheikh has become one of Abbas’s closest confidants in recent years, frequently leading negotiations with Israel, the United States, and Arab states on critical political and security issues. On Sunday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held a phone call with Sheikh to discuss reconciliation efforts among Palestinian factions. Cairo reaffirmed its “full support for the Palestinian Authority and its efforts to achieve unity and rebuild Gaza.”

Jailed Palestinian Leader Barghouti Can Unify Palestinians Says SonJailed Fatah leader
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 27/2025
Jailed Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti's son urged US President Donald Trump to "seize the opportunity" created by the Gaza truce to secure his father's release and revive the two-state solution to the Middle East conflict. Sometimes dubbed the "Mandela of Palestine" by his supporters, Marwan Barghouti, 66, was one of the leaders of the second intifada, the Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s, and is often cited as a possible successor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. In June 2004, an Israeli court sentenced him to five life sentences after finding him guilty of involvement in four anti-Israeli attacks that killed five people. But the heavy sentences have not diminished his popularity among Palestinians. "He's capable and has the track record to unify the Palestinian people," Arab Barghouti told AFP in an interview on Sunday in English in the Israeli-occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.
"Someone like him represents a great opportunity for the international community to prove that they are serious about supporting the two-state solution." Arab Barghouti's comments come after several countries -- including France, Britain and Canada -- formally recognized a Palestinian state last month. He is the second member of the family to appeal to the US president to secure his father's release. Earlier this month, Marwan Barghouti's wife Fadwa also urged Trump to intervene. Trump said in an interview with US magazine Time on October 15 that he would be "making a decision" on the matter, without specifying a timeline. "I really hope he can do that, pressure the Israelis into releasing my father, because he is a partner for peace," Arab Barghouti said, adding that his family "really welcome" Trump's comment. Though the two have not been allowed to speak in three years, Arab Barghouti said his father represents Palestinian unity and the best chance for a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians. A longtime member of Abbas' Fatah party, Marwan Barghouti has consistently been re-elected to the party's central committee, including twice while in jail. With his likeness painted on many walls in the occupied West Bank and, until recently, in Gaza, Marwan Barghouti is considered one of the few figures who could be accepted as a leader by all Palestinian political factions, including Hamas. The movement, which violently pushed Fatah out of the Gaza Strip after winning the elections there in 2006, has nevertheless repeatedly called for Marwan Barghouti's release, including during ceasefire negotiations in Gaza. According to a poll conducted last May by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR), an independent institute in Ramallah, Marwan Barghouti would win if new Palestinian presidential elections were held, twenty years after Abbas came to power. Marwan Barghouti continues to carry out his political responsibilities through his lawyer, whom he has seen five or six times over the past two years, which he has largely spent in solitary confinement, Arab Barghouti said. "We have corruption issues that we need to address as Palestinians, and we need to be brave enough to look in the mirror and to take responsibility for our mistakes," Arab Barghouti said, speaking to AFP at a campaign office and calling for his father's release. But with the war in Gaza ending, Western countries including the US "need to seize the opportunity of having a Palestinian leader who is well-respected and trusted and has the same vision that they have".Israel has so far refused to release Marwan Barghouti including in any prisoner exchanges carried out since the Gaza war broke out after Hamas' unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. "The last few weeks have been very tough on us as a family because it's been a roller coaster" of emotions, Arab Barghouti said. He added that released prisoners reported his father had been beaten during a prison transfer in September, sustaining severe injuries.
"Four of his ribs got broken, he got severe injuries in his head, and he lost consciousness," said Arab Barghouti. In a video he shared on social media in August, Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was seen threatening a physically weak Marwan Barghouti in jail. Asked whether his father might want to rest should he be released, Arab Barghouti said he did not foresee that happening. "Knowing my father, I know that he will be playing an active role in stopping the suffering, the rebuilding of Gaza, helping the Palestinian people overall, because that's been his life mission," he said.

What to Know About the Louvre Heist Investigation
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 27/2025
Israel will not allow Turkish troops to take part in an international peace force that the United States is seeking to create to oversee the ceasefire agreement in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Israel's top diplomat said Monday. The 20-point truce deal brokered by US President Donald Trump earlier this month envisages an international task force to monitor the ceasefire but does not mention which countries would provide the troops. It only says the US would “work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force” that would deploy in Gaza. The force would train and provide support to “vetted Palestinian police forces” in Gaza, and will “consult with Jordan and Egypt who have extensive experience in this field.”The creation of the task force is currently underway, according US officials. But the second phase of the ceasefire agreement has not yet begun, Israeli officials said.
Speaking to journalists during a visit to Hungary, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel opposes the participation of Türkiye because of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan 's long-standing hostility to Israel. Saar said Israel has communicated its opposition to Türkiye's military involvement to US officials. “Countries that want or are ready to send armed forces should be at least fair to Israel,” Saar said. He did not elaborate. US officials have said there would be no American boots on the ground in Gaza. During their visits to Israel last week, US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said multiple countries would be interested in joining an international force that would deploy to Gaza and train a Palestinian police force for the future. The US was working to secure a UN mandate or other international authorization for the force, Rubio said. Türkiye is seen by many as a strong contender for the force due to military power its close ties with the Palestinian militant Hamas group that is supposed to disarm under the ceasefire deal. Türkiye also once had strong diplomatic relations with Israel, though they have been at an all-time low over the war in Gaza, sparked by the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel. Erdogan has criticized Israel, and particularly Netanyahu, with strident rhetoric since the start of the Gaza war, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, accusing Israel of genocide and comparing Netanyahu to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
Hamas political officials regularly visit Türkiye, and Israel previously accused Türkiye of allowing Hamas to plan attacks from its territory, as well as carry out recruitment and fundraising.Saar's comments on Monday echoed remarks made by Netanyahu during a government meeting on Sunday.“Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us,” Netanyahu said Sunday. “This is, of course, acceptable to the United States as well, as its most senior representatives have expressed in recent days.”Earlier this month, Türkiye — one of the most active contributors of aid to Gaza — appointed a special coordinator to oversee humanitarian assistance to Gaza. Turkish organizations, including the Red Crescent and the emergency response agency AFAD, are making preparations toward reconstruction efforts, medical relief, and infrastructure restoration, officials said.

Syria's Sharaa to Attend Riyadh Investment Conference this Week
Asharq Al-Awsat/October 27/2025
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa will attend the annual Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh this week, two people familiar with the matter said, in his latest effort to put Syria back on the world stage after 14 years of war. Sharaa is set to address the event - Saudi Arabia's flagship investment conference - on Tuesday, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Since seizing power from Bashar al-Assad 10 months ago, Sharaa has conducted a series of foreign trips as his transitional government seeks to re-establish Syria's ties with world powers that shunned Damascus during Assad's rule, according to Reuters. Saudi Arabia has played a key role in that process. In May, Riyadh hosted a historic meeting between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Sharaa and US President Donald Trump, who praised Sharaa and said Washington would lift all sanctions on Syria to help give the country a chance to rebuild. The World Bank has estimated the cost of reconstruction at$216 billion. Sharaa, who has repeatedly urged world powers to contribute, will address a line-up of prominent economic and political figures at the conference in Riyadh. Expected attendees this year include Colombian President Gustavo Petro, BlackRock's Larry Fink, JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon and Citi's Jane Fraser, who on Tuesday became the co-chair of the US-Saudi Business Council. It also features leading tech and energy industry figures such as Intel's Lip-Bu Tan and Aramco's Amin Nasser.

Turkey signs deal with Britain to buy 20 Eurofighter jets
Agencies/27 October/2025
NATO allies’ defense ties and bolstering Turkish air defenses.
In July, Turkey and Britain had signed a preliminary purchase deal for 40 Typhoons approved by Eurofighter consortium members including Germany, Italy and Spain, represented by Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo. Starmer met President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Monday to sign the agreement, which comes as Turkey seeks to leverage the advanced warplanes to make up ground with regional rivals such as Israel, which has unleashed strikes across the Middle East this year. Erdogan hailed the agreement with London, describing it as a new symbol of defense cooperation with Britain.
Turkey, enjoying its warmest ties with the West in years, has sought to procure the Eurofighters and also potentially US-made F-35s to backstop its ageing fleet of mostly F-16s. Europe has increasingly turned to Turkey, NATO’s second-largest military and a major exporter of armed drones, to reinforce its eastern flank and potentially backstop any future post-war stabilization force in Ukraine. Turkey plans to buy 24 more Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets – 12 from Oman and 12 from Qatar – to strengthen its air fleet, the Turkish defense ministry said on Monday. Erdogan visited Qatar and Oman last week.
Turkey, which wants to fill a gap before its own KAAN fighters are ready in coming years, opened talks on obtaining the Typhoons in 2023. Last year Ankara secured a $7-billion deal with Washington for 40 F-16s that have faced delays. Air attacks by Israel – the region’s most advanced military power with hundreds of US-supplied F-15, F-16 and F-35 fighters – on Turkey’s neighbors Iran and Syria, as well as on Lebanon and Qatar, have unnerved Ankara over the past year and persuaded it to revamp its defenses, officials said.
The visit marked Starmer’s first to Turkey since taking office last year.

6.1-magnitude earthquake strikes western Turkey, authorities say
AFP/Published: 28 October/2025
A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck western Turkey late on Monday, with tremors felt in Istanbul and other cities, the country’s emergencies agency said. The quake struck at 10:48 pm local time (1948 GMT) and was also felt in the tourist hotspot of Izmir, the AFAD agency said. There were no immediate reports of victims. Images of at least one house destroyed and others damaged by the quake in the hillside town of Sindirgi were aired by the private DHA news agency. “Following the earthquake, which was also felt in surrounding regions, AFAD and all of its teams... have begun working on the ground,” Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said. In August, a quake of the same magnitude killed one person and wounded dozens of others in Sindirgi. Turkey is crisscrossed by several geological fault lines which have previously caused catastrophes in the country. A quake in February 2023 in the southwest killed at least 53,000 people and devastated Antakya, site of the ancient city of Antioch. At the beginning of July, a 5.8-magnitude tremor in the same region resulted in one death and injured 69 people.

The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources on October 27-28/2025
The Three Powers after Iran’s Exit
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al-Awsat/October 27/2025
The two-year war led by Netanyahu has brought about significant changes in the geopolitical landscape and the balance of power in the Middle East. After the October 2023 attacks, Israel adopted a different policy – moving from merely clashing with Iran’s proxies to seeking their elimination. Today, three regional powers hold sway, each with its own sphere of influence and security domain.Israel is in the process of transforming into a regional player, abandoning its old policy of focusing solely on its own security. It is now more of a military power than a diplomatic or political one.
The second winner is Türkiye. This came as a result of Iran’s exit, after Israel destroyed most of Iran’s assets and weakened its regional influence. The vacuum left by Iran’s decline has attracted ambitious powers, and here Türkiye steps in through the Syrian gateway. It now enjoys regional importance unmatched in a century – since it lost its influence in the Levant and the broader region after World War I. US President Trump has repeatedly said that “Türkiye has returned to the region,” and indeed it has – but in a new form, as a participating regional power with both economic and military strength.
Israel has been reborn as a regional competitor after its three wars in Lebanon, Gaza, and Iran. The conflict is not over, as Iran and Israel have yet to reach understandings that would end their long-standing dispute – raising the likelihood of renewed confrontation. We must view Israel differently than we did before October 7. It is now a key regional player. Prime Minister Netanyahu himself said that “there is a new Middle East.”According to a study by the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI), as a result of Israel’s initiative – meaning its recent wars – supported by Washington, a new regional order is emerging with three pillars: Israel, Türkiye, and the Gulf (Saudi Arabia). This is a natural outcome of the defeat of the Iran-led axis and the vacuum left behind after Assad’s fall and the weakening of Iran’s proxies in Lebanon, Gaza, and Iraq.
The United States, for its part, is demanding that Iraq disarm Iranian-backed militias. The only remaining group is the Iran-aligned Houthi militia, whose days may be numbered, as local Yemeni forces prepare to prey on it following Israeli strikes that have stripped it of much of its financial resources and military capabilities. The centers of the three regional powers differ from the “previous” one, Iran, in that they do not carry ideologies they seek to export, nor are they backed by rival global powers as was the case during the Cold War – forces that could push them toward confrontation.
Türkiye has clear interests within its security sphere in northern Iraq and Syria, as well as investment interests in the Gulf. Meanwhile, Israel is redrawing the map of its security boundaries, beginning in Syria. Israel’s grand or Talmudic claim is not a true political project except in the sense that it will continue absorbing and then annexing the West Bank and Gaza – an objective that remains a difficult mission. It is too early to discern Israel’s broader ambitions, as it is still preoccupied with fulfilling the pledges it made after the October 7 attacks. I expect it will later turn to engaging in regional alliances, having long been an isolated pole. However, Israel will not succeed in its new policy if it continues rejecting regional integration that requires acceptance of a Palestinian state, as Riyadh previously declared in its negotiations with Washington.
Israel can retreat within its borders as it has done for seventy years, but if it chooses to act as a regional player, it will find no escape from incorporating Palestinians into a political project. Even with its sweeping victories and recognition by every country in the region, Israel knows this will not bring lasting security and stability. Only a political solution for the Palestinians can do that – a fact proven by events over the decades. Militarily, Israel will continue to serve the United States as a watchdog for its interests and policies. The support Washington has provided Israel in various forms – estimated at $27 billion over two years of war – though large, is not significant when compared to the $1 trillion cost of the Iraq invasion and war.The United States believes that Israel is a force worth every dollar spent on it: It has crushed Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, Assad, and the Houthis – all armed groups hostile to Washington and its allies. However, translating these victories into political achievements will not be easy without addressing the unresolved issues.

Palestinians' 'Technocratic Government': The Mother of All Deceptions
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/October 27, 2025
According to a report by Israel's KAN News, Hamas has already selected half of the technocratic government's members, including figures sympathetic to the terror group, while the Palestinian Authority, headed by Mahmoud Abbas, chose the other half. Mediators, including Egypt, presented the full list to Hamas to ensure its approval, a move that will allow the terror group to maintain influence in the Gaza Strip after the war.
The terrorists who launched the war by committing the worst crime against Jews since the Holocaust and who brought death and destruction on their own people should not be allowed to have a say in the future governance of the coastal enclave.
If Hamas is allowed to maintain a security presence in the Gaza Strip, this means that the new government and its members would be at the mercy of terrorists and militiamen who are already carrying out extrajudicial executions against their critics, political opponents and suspected "collaborators" with Israel.
US President Donald J. Trump's plan for ending the war in the Gaza Strip states: "Hamas and other factions agreed to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form. Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza."
The factions that met in Cairo made no mention of an "international transitional body" or the proposed "Board of Peace" as outlined in Trump's plan.
Needless to say, the Palestinian factions pointedly ignored the part of Trump's plan that calls on the terror groups to lay down their weapons. Hamas leaders have repeatedly emphasized that their group has no intention to disarm before the establishment of an independent and sovereign state.
Fatah and Hamas, in short, do not want Trump's "Board of Peace" or any international body to play any role in the governance of the Gaza Strip. Each of the two factions wants the Gaza Strip to be ruled by its own loyalists, masquerading as "independent" and "apolitical" figures.
What we are currently witnessing is an attempt by both Fatah and Hamas, with the help of Egypt and Qatar (Hamas's main sponsor and funder), to circumvent the Trump plan.
If Hamas is allowed to maintain a security presence in the Gaza Strip, this means that the new government and its members would be at the mercy of terrorists and militiamen who are already carrying out extrajudicial executions against their critics, political opponents and suspected "collaborators" with Israel.
Are Egypt and Qatar working to ensure Hamas's continued rule over the Gaza Strip by allowing the terror group to choose members of a new technocratic government?
Hamas has submitted a list of more than 40 "independent national figures" as potential candidates for forming a technocratic body to administer the Gaza Strip. Mohammed Nazzal, a senior Hamas official, told Qatar's Al-Jazeera TV network that the proposed technocratic government is intended to "enhance humanitarian governance and management in the Gaza Strip in the aftermath of the war," which erupted on October 7, 2023 when the terror group and thousands of ordinary Palestinians invaded Israel, murdered more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals, wounded thousands more, and kidnapped 251 people.
According to a report by Israel's KAN News, Hamas has already selected half of the technocratic government's members, including figures sympathetic to the terror group, while the Palestinian Authority, headed by Mahmoud Abbas, chose the other half. Mediators, including Egypt, presented the full list to Hamas to ensure its approval, a move that will allow the terror group to maintain influence in the Gaza Strip after the war.
"Hamas inserted about half of the technocratic government's composition, choosing individuals who support Hamas and its principles, even if not overtly and explicitly," according to the report. The Palestinian Authority, aware of Hamas's selections, agreed to this arrangement, reflecting a delicate balance of power.
On October 24, several Palestinian factions, including Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), announced that they have reached agreement on the formation of an "independent committee of technocrats" to run the Gaza Strip.
The announcement came after two days of discussions in Cairo under the auspices of Egypt's General Intelligence Service. The factions said that the committee would "manage the affairs of life and basic services in cooperation with Arab brothers and international institutions." A joint statement from the factions said they agreed to work on a common position "to confront the challenges facing the Palestinian cause."
The factions have yet to reveal the identities of the members of the proposed technocratic government. That Hamas and other terror groups are involved in the discussions over the formation of the new government in the Gaza Strip is problematic. The terrorists who launched the war by committing the worst crime against Jews since the Holocaust and who brought death and destruction on their own people should not be allowed to have a say in the future governance of the coastal enclave.
The talk about "independent" Palestinian figures being part of the technocratic government is laughable. If you are chosen by a terrorist group to serve as a member of government, that means you are affiliated, directly or indirectly, with that group, which views you as someone it can trust to prioritize its own interests. If Hamas is allowed to maintain a security presence in the Gaza Strip, this means that the new government and its members would be at the mercy of terrorists and militiamen who are already carrying out extrajudicial executions against their critics, political opponents and suspected "collaborators" with Israel.
Negotiating with Hamas and other terror groups over the future governance of the Gaza Strip grants them legitimacy and makes them appear as legitimate and acceptable players in the Palestinian arena.
US President Donald J. Trump's plan for ending the war in the Gaza Strip states:
"9. Gaza will be governed under the temporary transitional governance of a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee, responsible for delivering the day-to-day running of public services and municipalities for the people in Gaza. 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 [UK] Prime Minister Tony Blair...
"13. Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza, directly, indirectly, or in any form..."
The factions that met in Cairo made no mention of an "international transitional body" or the proposed "Board of Peace" as outlined in Trump's plan. This suggests that they reject any international role in administering the Gaza Strip. For the factions, the international community's role should be limited to pouring billions of dollars on the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip:
"An international committee will be established to oversee the financing and implementation of Gaza's reconstruction, while affirming the unity of the Palestinian political system and the independence of the national [Palestinian] decision."
The factions, in addition, are prepared to accept "temporary international forces" whose only goal is to "monitor the ceasefire."
Needless to say, the Palestinian factions pointedly ignored the part of Trump's plan that calls on the terror groups to lay down their weapons. Hamas leaders have repeatedly emphasized that their group has no intention to disarm before the establishment of an independent and sovereign state. Here is what the Trump plan says about this issue:
"There will be a process of demilitarization of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use through an agreed process of decommissioning."
On October 10, Nazzal, the senior Hamas official, said on the UAE's Al-Mashhad TV that "the Hamas movement will never surrender its weapons." On October 17, Nazzal told Reuters that Hamas intends to maintain security control in the Gaza Strip during an interim period, adding he could not commit to the group disarming.
Mahmoud Abbas's ruling Fatah faction has also expressed opposition to international participation in the governance of the Gaza Strip. According to an October 25 report by the Palestinian Authority's official news agency, Wafa:
"In a press statement, Fatah... reiterated its categorical rejection of any form of guardianship or mandate over the Palestinian people, stressing that the role of any international peace committee should be limited to monitoring within a specific timeframe to ensure adherence to the ceasefire, oversee reconstruction, and implement agreed plans – without infringing on Palestinian independence or the authority of the State of Palestine."
Fatah also stressed that the proposed technocratic committee must operate "under the umbrella of the Government of the State of Palestine" and that "security in Gaza" should be under its control. This is the same as Hamas insisting on appointing its own candidates to the technocratic government and maintaining its security control over the Gaza Strip.
Fatah and Hamas, in short, do not want Trump's "Board of Peace" or any international body to play any role in the governance of the Gaza Strip. Each of the two factions wants the Gaza Strip to be ruled by its own loyalists, masquerading as "independent" and "apolitical" figures.
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a former resident of the Gaza Strip and respected Palestinian political analyst, commented:
"Now that they have given up the living [Israeli] hostages, the only bargaining chips that Hamas has is dominion and control over the two million Palestinians that are still living in the Gaza Strip. Hamas has achieved a high degree of terror and fear. Hamas has achieved deterrence effect, saying 'This is what's going to happen to you. Look, we spent two years underground; it's been two years of us fighting Israel, but at the end of the day we're still here, we're not going to disarm, we're not going anywhere, we're not accepting an international security force.'"
What we are currently witnessing is an attempt by both Fatah and Hamas, with the help of Egypt and Qatar (Hamas's main sponsor and funder), to circumvent the Trump plan. If Fatah and Hamas are allowed to have it their way, the Palestinian technocratic government would be the mother of all deceptions.
*Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
*Follow Khaled Abu Toameh on X (formerly Twitter)
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22016/gaza-palestinians-technocratic-government
© 2025 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Patient Extremism: The Many Faces of the Muslim Brotherhood
FDD/October 27/2025
https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2025/10/27/patient-extremism-the-many-faces-of-the-muslim-brotherhood/
David Adesnik/Vice President of Research
Mariam Wahba/Research Analyst
Ahmad Sharawi/Research Analyst
David Daoud/Senior Fellow
Natalie Ecanow/Senior Research Analyst
Hussain Abdul-Hussain/Research Fellow
Bridget Toomey/Research Analyst
Introduction
Edited by David Adesnik
In the 1988 charter that announced its existence, Hamas introduced itself as “one of the wings of the Muslim Brotherhood in Palestine.” The charter then informs the reader that the Brotherhood “is a universal organization that constitutes the largest Islamic movement in modern times.”1 That is no idle boast. The Brotherhood has scores of national branches across the globe. Among those branches, Hamas stands out for its unbroken record of violence and its readiness to massacre men, women, and children, as it did in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Yet the ideas that animate Hamas are not unique; they are part of the Brotherhood’s common heritage. These ideas have also spread far beyond the Brotherhood, animating al-Qaeda, the Islamic State, and many other lethal organizations.
The spectacular violence of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State ensures a forceful response from the United States and other victims. At the same time, their attacks contribute to a certain complacency regarding the Muslim Brotherhood, whose branches in the United States and Europe reject the use of violence within their host countries. Yet globally, the Brotherhood is a gateway to terrorism, infusing members with the religious doctrines and hatred that justify violence. The most determined of these members then form splinter groups or migrate individually to terrorist organizations.
In Egypt, the Brotherhood’s original branch gave rise to Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ), which assassinated President Anwar Sadat in 1981 after he made peace with Israel. In 1993, Brotherhood alumnus Ayman al-Zawahiri took the reins of EIJ and merged it into al-Qaeda. That organization began as a partnership between Osama bin Laden and a Palestinian member of the Brotherhood, Abdullah Azzam, who gained fame among jihadists both for his writings and his unflagging efforts on behalf of their comrades battling Soviet forces in Afghanistan in the 1980s. Among Azzam’s best-known sayings is,
Love of jihad has taken over my life, my soul, my sensation, my heart, and my emotions. If preparing [for jihad] is terrorism, then we are terrorists. If defending our honor is extremism, then we are extremists. If jihad against our enemies is fundamentalism, then we are fundamentalists.”2
Despite this genealogy of terror, the Brotherhood continues to confound both policymakers and experts. After the attacks of September 11, 2001, there arose a school of thought that saw the Brotherhood as a moderating force and a partner for the West in the struggle against terrorism. Two advocates of this perspective wrote in 2007, “When it comes to the Muslim Brotherhood, the beginning of wisdom lies in differentiating it from radical Islam and recognizing the significant differences between national Brotherhood organizations.”3
There is considerable value in the second half of this statement since the differences between national branches of the Brotherhood are vast. Many have adhered to a policy of non-violence for decades. Yet it is almost always born of prudence, not principle. The Brotherhood tends to be far more conservative than al-Qaeda or the Islamic State when calculating the probable cost of a turn toward violence. Its branches hesitate to risk the wrath of national governments. The Brotherhood also places a premium on remaining able to gradually promote its brand of Islam, especially within Muslim majority countries. After the Arab Spring protests of 2011 brought down dictatorships across the Middle East, many Brotherhood branches even embraced elections as a means of seeking power. Yet this, too, was a tactical choice. They may accept leaders chosen by the people, but their bedrock conviction remains that no government is legitimate unless it rules according to the dictates of sharia, Islamic law.
In light of the substantial differences between branches of the Brotherhood, the United States and its allies should not have a single blanket policy toward the group. Rather, the need is for a policy that can be tailored to different settings and situations. Within the West, the primary need is for vigorous law enforcement as well as education about the nature of the Brotherhood. While eschewing violence, branches in the West, and specifically the United States, have seen their members and affiliates convicted of financing Hamas and al-Qaeda.4 Abroad, especially in the Mideast, Washington should consider the use of terror designations and other sanctions.5 There will be a need to carefully determine which branches merit designation; the purpose of this memo is to begin mapping the terrain by providing brief but incisive accounts of Brotherhood activity in six countries: Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, Sudan, and Yemen. Violence is part of the story in every country, yet it takes a different form in each.
In Egypt, government repression has mostly broken the Brotherhood, yet it has generated violent splinter groups. In Jordan, a branch that appeared to reject violence planned a major attack that authorities disrupted in April. In Lebanon, where it operates as the Islamic Group, the Brotherhood fought by Hezbollah’s side against Israel in 2023-2024.
In Sudan, the Brotherhood’s vehicle is the Sudanese Islamic Movement (SIM), which is now a party to the country’s civil war. Washington has sanctioned a pair of top SIM leaders but not the organization as a whole. In Yemen, the Brotherhood operates as al-Islah, which is now part of Yemen’s internationally recognized government (IRG). Yet Islah’s founder was a mentor to Osama bin Laden and there are indications that the party cooperates with Ansar Allah, the Iran-backed terrorist organization better known as the Houthis.
Qatar presents the most distinctive challenge. It has no native Brotherhood organization, yet the royal family is a long-time patron of Hamas and other branches. The Al Jazeera Media Network projects pro-Hamas and pro-Brotherhood narratives across the region. Doha presents itself as a mediator between warring parties, yet Qatari funding and sanctuary for terrorist leaders promote the violence Doha purports to resolve. Washington seems not to recognize this problem, granting Qatar the status of a “Major Non-NATO Ally.” A full review of policy is in order.
The assessments here are brief and may serve as a starting point for U.S. and allied policy. Undoubtedly, the U.S. and allied intelligence communities will have insights to offer on the intentions and capabilities of various Brotherhood branches. The assessments here are also intended to serve as a starting point for public discussion and debate as Washington begins to act against this network. A more systematic approach to the Brotherhood is long overdue.

Egypt: The Original Branch
By Mariam Wahba/FDD/October 27/2025
Egyptian schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna founded the Muslim Brotherhood in 1928. Its fusion of religious revival and political activism enabled its growth into a mass movement in Egypt while serving as a model for Islamist groups across the region. The inseparability of religion and politics served as the movement’s premise. In a passage well known to generations of Brothers, Banna rejected any limitation of the matters to which Islam applies because “its teachings are all inclusive.” He explained, “Islam is a faith and a ritual, a nation and a nationality, a religion and a state, spirit and deed, holy text and sword.”6 Or in the words of the motto that Banna chose for the group, “The Quran is our constitution.”7
During the first Arab-Israeli war, the Brotherhood dispatched battalions of volunteers to fight against the nascent Jewish state. Some Brothers also carried out violent actions within Egypt, including the assassination of Prime Minister Mahmoud al-Nuqrashi. In 1954, another member attempted to kill Gamal Abdel Nasser, the junta leader and future president, triggering a nationwide crackdown that included the imprisonment of thousands.8
Ever since, the Brotherhood has operated on the fringes of legality, with alternating periods of greater and lesser state repression. Briefly, after the fall of the Hosni Mubarak regime in 2011, the Brotherhood was able to operate without restriction, forming a political party and winning a series of elections, with Mohammed Morsi becoming Egypt’s first elected president. Yet in 2013, a combination of mass protests and a military coup brought down Morsi and ushered in a new period of repression.9 Since then, Cairo has faced persistent allegations that it tortures Brotherhood prisoners.10
During Morsi’s tenure, footage surfaced of him, two years before taking office, describing Zionists as “bloodsuckers” and “descendants of apes and pigs.” He also called on Egyptians to “nurse our children and grandchildren on hatred.”11 Other senior figures in the Brotherhood also expressed antisemitic sentiments, a hallmark of the group since its founding. While Morsi held office, Egyptian Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohammed Badie said Jews “spread corruption on earth,” a threat for which “holy jihad (struggle)” is the remedy.12
In the weeks following Morsi’s ouster, the Brotherhood and its supporters unleashed a wave of violence against those who backed his removal, particularly targeting the country’s Coptic Christian communities. In Nazla, a village 250 miles south of Cairo, Islamists torched, looted, and destroyed two local churches. Similar assaults erupted in Minya, Zerby, and other towns across Egypt, leaving dozens dead and injured.13
On the second anniversary of the October 7 massacre, the Egyptian Brotherhood’s Acting General Guide praised the assault and called for more like it. He said, “[I]t has awakened the cinder of jihad within the nation … and inspired those who are highly-motivated and committed to the mission to understand how to act for liberation.” He also urged the world to provide Gaza “with all forms of political, economic, and military support.”14
Violent Actions and Support for Terrorism
Prior to his final arrest and execution in 1966, Sayyid Qutb was part of an underground Brotherhood group preparing for armed conflict with the Egyptian state.15 The Brotherhood has not directly engaged in violence since the 1970s, yet many offshoots and splinters from the group would become prominent terrorist organizations.16 However, leaders in exile have advocated violence. Reda Fahmy, a former Brotherhood parliamentarian, called for “armed and revolutionary activism.”
Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ): Founded in 1973, EIJ was responsible for the assassination of President Anwar Sadat in 1981. Ayman al-Zawahiri became the group’s leader in 1993, later merging it with al-Qaeda.17
Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya (The Islamic Group): The group emerged from Brotherhood circles and remained active through the 1990s. It was involved in the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993 and was responsible for the Luxor massacre that claimed 62 lives in 1997.18
HASM (The Arms of Egypt Movement): Responsible for attacks including a car bombing that killed 20 people outside an Egyptian hospital in 2019. The State Department designated HASM as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2021.19 Egyptian authorities accuse the group of acting as the Brotherhood’s armed wing.20
Liwa al-Thawra (Battalion of the Revolution): Responsible for the assassination of an Egyptian general and an attack on a police station. The State Department added Liwa al-Thawra to the Specially Designated Global Terrorists list in 2018.21
Funding Sources and Assets
The Brotherhood historically relied on member contributions, membership fees, and zakat, or alms. Additionally, the group has a network of wealthy sympathizers and collects profits from business investments. After 2013, much of its financial network was dismantled in Egypt, but fundraising continues abroad through diaspora communities, nongovernmental organizations, and allied networks in Turkey, Qatar, and Europe.22
Key Leaders and Ideologues
Mohamed Badie: Supreme Guide of the Brotherhood, currently imprisoned in Egypt23
Khayrat al-Shater: Deputy Supreme Guide, imprisoned in Egypt24
Saad El-Katatni: Former speaker of parliament and head of the Brotherhood’s political arm, imprisoned in Egypt25
Associated Organizations
Freedom and Justice Party (FJP): The Brotherhood’s political wing, which won parliamentary elections after the 2011 revolution and held the presidency under Mohamed Morsi (2012-2013).26 Authorities banned the FJP in 2014.27
Egyptian Revolutionary Council: A coalition of exiled Brotherhood members established after the 2013 coup against Morsi. It coordinates opposition to the Sisi government and advocated for Morsi’s reinstatement prior to his death.28
Egyptian Engineers Syndicate, Egyptian Lawyers Syndicate, Egyptian Medical Syndicate, and Egyptian Teachers Syndicate: Professional unions historically dominated by Brotherhood cadres. Their control came to an end during the 2013 crackdown on Brotherhood members.29

Jordan: Turning Toward Violence
By Ahmad Sharawi/FDD/October 27/2025
The Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood reached a new height of influence amid the war in Gaza, but then suffered an unprecedented blow to its standing earlier this year. The political wing of the Jordanian Brotherhood, the Islamic Action Front (IAF), capitalized on widespread popular support for Hamas, winning more seats than any other party in the September 2024 parliamentary elections.30 Brotherhood-affiliated protesters often wore Hamas headbands and shouted, “All of Jordan is Hamas!” or, “We are your men, Mohammed Deif,” referring to the late Hamas military commander.31
While the Brotherhood itself had technically been illegal since 2020, the government allowed it to operate with relative freedom until April 2025, when authorities announced the arrest of 16 members for planning attacks aimed at “targeting national security, sowing chaos and sabotage.”32 (For details, see “Violent Actions and Support for Terrorism”) On April 23, Interior Minister Mazen al-Farayya announced the government would treat the Brotherhood as a fully illegal group, leading to the confiscation of its assets and a prohibition on promoting its ideology.33
The Jordanian Brotherhood was founded in 1945. It participated in elections in the late 1980s and early 1990s under the banner of the IAF. In 2015, a splinter group established the competing Muslim Brotherhood Organization, following disagreements over the group’s ties to the international Muslim Brotherhood and concerns about how those ties would affect its relationship with the Jordanian state.34 Following the split, Brotherhood-affiliated groups left the IAF to form the National Islamic Party, which now has seven seats in parliament compared to 31 for the IAF, which holds about a fourth of the body’s 138 seats.35 These two parties remain free to operate, yet Jordan’s ban on the Brotherhood is likely to inflict major financial damage to the broader network.
The Brotherhood’s relationship with the monarchy has long been tense, with antagonism growing as a result of the Brotherhood’s fierce opposition to the country’s 1994 peace treaty with Israel. Hamas had a strong presence in Jordan until 1999, when the kingdom mandated its expulsion as a result of U.S. and Israeli pressure.36 Over the past decade, Hamas’ influence within the Jordanian Brotherhood has grown. A 2017 assessment found that “Hamas worked in an organized fashion within the Jordanian Brotherhood … injecting huge amounts of money to recruit members.”37 This infiltration gave rise to a Hamas-aligned faction within the Brotherhood dominated by Jordanians of Palestinian origin, which today controls the organization’s Shura Council.38 The Hamas wing of the Brotherhood has been explicit in expressing support for Hamas’ return to Jordan. In 2021, one of its parliamentarians publicly called on the Jordanian government to “reopen Hamas’ offices in Jordan and improve relations with the resistance factions.”39
Violent Actions and Support for Terrorism
Prior to the April 2025 revelations, the Brotherhood had a limited history of violence in Jordan. In 2014, Israel reportedly exchanged intelligence with Jordan regarding a Muslim Brotherhood cell operating from Jordan that Israel accused of smuggling weapons to Palestinian buyers in the West Bank. The Jordanian authorities later arrested 31 individuals, mostly Palestinian students studying at Jordanian universities.40 In October 2024, two Jordanians affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood crossed into Israel and wounded two Israelis. Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Moath al-Khawaldeh said that the attackers were “members of the group and always participated in events in solidarity with Gaza and in support of the resistance.”41
After the April arrests, authorities released information that indicated planning for a coordinated terror campaign. Amman’s General Intelligence Directorate reported that individuals affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood had engaged in “manufacturing rockets and drones, possession of explosives and firearms, and recruiting operatives in Jordan and abroad.”42 Authorities claim that the cells prepared strikes on “sensitive sites” in the Kingdom.43 Captured members said their top commander operates from Lebanon, where operatives received training and funds to acquire materials for making weapons.44 The rocket-manufacturing cell operated a production facility in the city of Zarqa where the cell members assembled rocket frames; confiscated video confirmed the rockets had an estimated range of 3-5 kilometers, posing a serious threat to domestic targets. The cell also had storage hubs in Amman for explosives such as TNT and C4.45
The Muslim Brotherhood denied any involvement in the plot,46 even though many of the cell members were part of its organization. The group claimed these individuals were acting independently to “support the resistance” amid the ongoing Hamas-Israel war,47 yet authorities indicated their activities dated back to 2021 — two years before the October 7 attacks.48
Funding Sources and Assets
In July, authorities said they had uncovered an illicit financial network the Brotherhood used to collect tens of millions of dollars “in recent years,” including millions seized from a warehouse north of Amman. The group purported to collect funds for humanitarian relief in Gaza but did not coordinate with official or humanitarian channels. Many of the entities that collected funds were tied to the IAF.49 In 2018, an Amman-based publication reported that Jordanian news sites affiliated with the Brotherhood receive monthly stipends from Turkey, with one collecting monthly payments of 5,000-15,000 Jordanian dinars, equivalent to $7,000-$21,000.50
Key Leaders and Ideologues
Hamzah Mansour: Former Brotherhood shura head, former secretary general of the IAF and head of multiple MB affiliated charities.51
Wael Saqqa: Secretary general of the IAF and Muslim Brotherhood’s shura council member.52
Ahmad al-Zarqan: Head of the IAF shura council, Brotherhood member since 1973 and member of its executive council.53 Al-Zarqan was imprisoned in April 2025 following the ban of the Brotherhood.54
Murad al-Adaileh: General Comptroller of the Brotherhood and former secretary general of the IAF.55 Al-Adaileh was arrested in June 2025 in connection with a case involving the Brotherhood’s foreign financial networks but was released later that same day.56
Associated Organizations
Islamic Charity Center Society: The most prominent Islamic charity in Jordan.57
Forum for the Training and Empowerment of Women and Children: An NGO that focuses on issues related to women, children, and families.58
The Green Crescent Charity: A charitable society that sponsors orphans.59
Al-Urwah al-Wuthqa (Firmest Bond) Association: An organization that sponsors a wide range of humanitarian projects, including well drilling, emergency assistance, housing and food aid. 60
The Barari Flower Charity: Charitable society that sponsors orphans.61
Yarmouk TV: The Jordanian Brotherhood’s first satellite channel, launched in 2011.62 After October 7, Yarmouk began airing content from the U.S.-designated Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV. 63 In May 2024, Jordanian authorities shut down the channel. 64

Lebanon: The Islamic Group
By David Daoud/FDD/October 27/2025
Mohammed Takkoush, the secretary-general of al-Jamaa al-Islamiya (Islamic Group) said last year that, “Cooperating with a group like Hamas, the most honorable liberation movement, is an honor.” Takkoush also characterized his group’s relations with Shiite Hezbollah as “good and growing” as a result of their fighting together against Israel.65 Within Lebanon, the Islamic Group operates openly. It is a registered organization, as are its affiliates. Since its founding in 1964, the Group has advocated the gradual and incremental establishment of a political order based on sharia.66 However, Sunni Muslims comprise no more than a quarter of the Lebanese population. Since 1943, Lebanon’s unwritten National Pact has allocated power on a sectarian basis, and the quasi-constitutional Taif Agreement of 1989 ties the allocation to each religious community’s demographic strength. In addition, Lebanese Sunnis tend to have a moderate outlook, expressing little interest to pollsters in establishing a theocratic system.67 As a result, the demographic barriers to the imposition of Sunni sharia are effectively insuperable. Not surprisingly, the Islamic Group’s success at the polls has been minimal. In the 2022 elections, it fielded five candidates and captured a single seat out of the 120 in parliament.68
A shared enmity toward Israel has given Hezbollah and the Islamic Group a common cause, yet sectarian tensions have sometimes put them in opposing camps. In 2009, amid sharp tensions between Hezbollah and the so-called March 14 Camp, which included almost all Sunnis, the Islamic Group sided with the March 14 Camp.69 Still, key leaders within the group continued to favor cooperation with the Iran-led Resistance Axis, including Hezbollah.70 The late Sheikh Faisal al-Mawlawi, then-secretary-general of the Islamic Group, praised, “Iran, today, [for] supporting the Sunni and Shi’i resisting movements as part of its ideological project to liberate al-Quds [meaning, Jerusalem].”71 In the 2010s, the Syrian civil war stoked new tensions, with Hezbollah fighting Sunni jihadists in Syria on behalf of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. In 2016, the Islamic Group’s secretary-general described Hezbollah’s actions as those of terrorist[s].”72 Yet the 2023-2025 Gaza war once again brought Hezbollah and the Islamic Group onto the same side.
The Islamic Group is also close to Hamas. In June 2024, deputy Politburo Chairman Bassam Hammoud described the group’s relationship with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad as “a long history … of jihad, political, social, and proselytizing work.”73 Earlier that year, after Israel killed two Islamic Group members in a Beirut strike targeting senior Hamas official Saleh Al Arouri, Hammoud similarly stressed that the Islamic Group “and Hamas are two sides of the same coin in confronting the Zionist enemy,” vowing an “oath to the martyrs to continue [this] path until justice is achieved, the occupation is destroyed, and the land [meaning, Palestine] is liberated.”74
Violent Actions and Support for Terrorism
Shortly after the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in June 1982, the Islamic Group established the Dawn Forces (Quwwat al-Fajr). They remained intermittently active until the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000. In the July 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, the Dawn Forces reportedly clashed with Israeli ground troops in several locations.75 Following the massacre in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, the Islamic Group pressed for Hezbollah to launch a full-scale war on Israel’s northern front, even bemoaning the hesitancy of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.76 As of mid-2024, the group had a reported strength of as many as 500 fighters. 77 It acknowledged the death of several commanders as a result of Israeli strikes.78 In April, the IDF said it “had targeted and killed Hussain Izzat Mohammad Atwi, a prominent Islamic Group terrorist, near Naameh in Lebanon.” According to the IDF, Atwi had taken part in planning and executing attacks against IDF troops in northern Israel, infiltration attempts into Israeli territory, and plans to attack Israeli targets globally.79 The Islamic Group specifically took responsibility for seven rocket attacks on Israel, which took place on the following dates and with the stated targets:
October 18, 2023: northern Israel, no town specified80
October 19, 2023: northern Israel, no town specified 81
October 21, 2023: northern Israel, no town specified 82
October 29, 2023: Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel83
December 5, 2023: Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel84
January 6, 2024: Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel85
September 9, 2024: Moshav Beit Hillel in Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel86
Funding Sources and Assets
The Islamic Group’s precise sources of funding are unclear. As far as can be determined from publicly available sources, the group relies on charitable donations, including money given directly to its various associated organizations. For example, its Al Iman Scouts (See “Associated Organizations”) has listed on its website both an American and a Lebanese bank account where donations can be made directly to the scouting organization.87
Key Leaders and Ideologues
Mohammed Takkoush: Secretary-general since 202288
Mohammed Shatila: Shura council chairman since 202289
Ali Abu Yassine: Chairman of the Politburo90
Bassam Hammoud: Deputy chairman of the Politburo91
Dr. Azzam al-Ayyoubi: Head of foreign affairs92
Dr. Imad Al Hout: The Islamic Group’s sole parliamentarian93
Dr. Wael Nejm: Head of the media bureau94
Jihad al-Mughrabi: Head of the Muslim Students League95
Khalid Badia: Dawn Forces commander overseeing Sidon, Tripoli, and Akkar96
Talal Al Hajjar: Dawn Forces commander, overseeing Iqlim Al Kharroub south of Beirut, and heavily Sunni areas on the Mount Lebanon Governorate coast and the Beqaa97
Maher Qalawoun: Head of the Dawn Forces Security Apparatus98
Associated Organizations
The Muslim Students League: Recruits men and women from Lebanese universities. Like the Islamic Group, the League has a headquarters at the Islamic Dawa Center in the Aisha Bakkar neighborhood of Beirut.99
The Islamic Iman Scouts: A youth scouts arm with headquarters in Tripoli — it has 25 troops and 1,500 members100
The Irshad Charity Association: The Islamic Group’s charitable donations and fundraising arm, based in Tripoli101
Al Aman Weekly Newspapers: Official publication of the Islamic Group102
Islamic Education Association: The Islamic Group’s educational arm, which runs schools throughout Lebanon103
Al-Najat Social Committee: The Islamic Group’s social activism arm for women104
Association of Muslim Scholars: The Islamic Group’s association for Muslim clerics and scholars105
Islamic Medical Association–Lebanon: The Islamic Group’s charitable medical services arm106

Qatar: The Brotherhood’s Patron
By Natalie Ecanow/FDD/October 27/2025
Qatar’s most visible contributions to the Brotherhood’s cause are its decades of support for Hamas and its control of the Al Jazeera Media Network, yet Doha has supported numerous other Brotherhood ventures across Western Europe and North Africa. The Qatari branch of the Brotherhood dissolved in 1999, a reflection of the regime’s intolerance for any political force it does not completely control, but the global movement continues to receive support from Doha.
During the brief period when the Egyptian Brotherhood held the reins in Cairo, Al Jazeera provided positive coverage of President Mohammed Morsi’s administration while Doha pumped in $8 billion to alleviate the government’s financial difficulties.107 Qatar’s support for Morsi created tension with other Arab Gulf states. In 2013, the Qatari emir signed an agreement with the Saudi king and the Kuwaiti emir that prohibited financial or political support for “deviant” groups like the Brotherhood.108 A follow-on agreement the next year committed Doha to expel Brotherhood affiliates.109 Qatar took little action, however, spurring antagonism that contributed to the decisions of the Saudis, Bahrainis, Emiratis, and Egyptians to cut ties with Doha and impose a blockade in 2017. The dispute ended in 2021 with all parties restoring diplomatic relations.110
From October 7 onward, Qatar has publicly supported Hamas positions while portraying itself as an even-handed mediator. On the day of the massacre, Doha’s Foreign Ministry released a statement saying it “holds Israel solely responsible” for the escalating violence, with no acknowledgement of any atrocities.111 Senior members of Qatar’s royal family also support Hamas. The mother of Qatar’s emir, Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, posted a public eulogy for Yahya Sinwar after his death in October 2024.112 In April, Deputy Prime Minister Sa’oud bin Abd Al-Rahman Al Thani reportedly posted on X, “We Are all Hamas,” before taking down the comment.113
Violent Activity and Support for Terrorism
In 2012, five years after Hamas violently seized control of Gaza, the emir of Qatar — father of the current emir — became the first foreign head of state to visit the Hamas-controlled enclave, where he pledged $400 million in assistance.114 That same year, Hamas relocated its political headquarters to Qatar. Doha claims Washington asked it to host the group’s leadership; it remains unclear if Washington made the request or simply declined to oppose the move.115 As of 2021, Qatar had provided the Hamas-run government in Gaza with an estimated $1.8 billion, with payments reaching $30 million per month.116 The Israeli government signed off on the transfers, which continued until the October 7 massacre. Proponents justified the decision to allow the transfers on humanitarian grounds. Critics said it reflected the mistaken belief Hamas could be tamed with cash.117 While Qatar denies that any of the money was for weapons, Israeli forces captured internal Hamas documents in Gaza indicating that the Qatari emir had “agreed in principle to supply the resistance discreetly,” and that $11 million had already “been raised from the emir for the leadership of the movement.”118
In Gaza, Israeli troops have uncovered documents indicating coordination between Hamas and Al Jazeera on the Qatari network’s Gaza coverage. In a document from 2022, Hamas instructed the network to refrain from using the word “massacre” to describe a failed Islamic Jihad rocket launch that killed Palestinian civilians. Al Jazeera complied. The Israeli military has also released captured materials allegedly showing that correspondents for Al Jazeera served simultaneously as operatives in Hamas’s military apparatus. Some correspondents allegedly accompanied Hamas terrorists into Israel during the October 7 massacre.119
Key leaders and Ideologues
Ali al-Qaradaghi: Secretary-general of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS — see “Associated Organizations”)120
Khaled Meshaal: Member of the five-member Hamas leadership council, former head of Hamas’ politburo, Hamas official based in Qatar, resident in Qatar since 2012121
Khalil al-Hayya: Member of the five-member Hamas leadership council, chief negotiator of October ceasefire, based in Qatar since before the October 7 attack122
Associated Organizations
Al Jazeera: The Qatari-owned and regime-controlled media network consistently promotes Brotherhood perspectives and narratives, including consistent pro-Hamas coverage of the war in Gaza.123 The network has long shielded the Brotherhood from scrutiny and regularly provides a platform for Brotherhood-aligned voices, including senior Hamas officials.124 The late Yusuf al-Qaradawi — Islamic theologian and unofficial chief ideologue for the Brotherhood — hosted a religious affairs show on the network entitled “Sharia and Life.” It ran for 17 years and reportedly had tens of millions of viewers.125 On October 7, 2023, the network aired a statement by Qatar-based Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh calling on Muslims “to join this battle, each in his own way, without delay or turning away.”126
The International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS): The IUMS is a global network of Islamic scholars based in Qatar that was founded mainly by clerics belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood.127 Former Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani sponsored the creation of the IUMS in 2004, and Qaradawi served as founding chairman. One former head of the union said, “It is a right and an obligation to question the Holocaust.”128 IUMS has also provided unstinting support for Hamas since the October 7 massacre, even featuring Ismail Haniyeh, the late Hamas politburo chief, at an IUMS event.129 Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt jointly placed the IUMS on a terrorism blacklist in 2017.130

Sudan: Civil War Creates Opportunities for Islamists
Hussain Abdul-Hussain/FDD/October 27/2025
A military coup in 2021 ended Sudan’s brief period of civilian government. Civil war soon followed as a result of divisions among military leaders. Organized within the Broad Islamic Current, the country’s Islamists now fight on the side of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under Gen. Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan.
Historically, the Sudanese Islamic Movement (SIM) served as the cornerstone of the country’s Islamist networks. It emerged in the 1940s as an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, then became a formal organization in 1954.131 During the 30-year tenure of dictator Omar al-Bashir, which began in 1989, SIM wielded immense influence, at times controlling state institutions and populating a majority of the officer corps.132
In April 2022, 10 Islamist factions came together to launch the Broad Islamic Current, whose leadership rotates every three months to maintain political balance.133 Nevertheless, SIM is the driving force within the coalition, which also includes two organizations that identify as the Muslim Brotherhood. Brotherhood leaders in Egypt and the United Kingdom recognize the smaller of the two, led by Adel Ala Allah, as part of the movement.134 During the brief interval of civilian rule from 2019 to 2021, Ala Allah condemned the government’s moves toward normalization with Israel and accused the government of seeking amendments to the constitution that “contradict explicit provisions in Islamic law.”135
Violent Activity and Support for Terrorism
The United States designated Sudan as a State Sponsor of Terrorism from 1993 until 2020, owing to the support and sanctuary that Bashir’s Islamist regime provided for al-Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terrorist organizations.136 Washington revoked the designation after Bashir’s regime collapsed in 2019, and a short-lived civilian government proved amenable to normalizing relations with Israel.137 The 2021 coup and outbreak of civil war in 2023 derailed the normalization effort. In September 2025, the United States issued a statement, together with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, in which it asserted, “Sudan’s future cannot be dictated by violent extremist groups part of, or evidently linked to, the Muslim Brotherhood, whose destabilizing influence has fueled violence and instability across the region.”138
The most prominent Islamist force in the current war is the al-Baraa Bin Malik Brigade,139 on which Washington imposed sanctions in September 2025. The brigade, according to the Treasury Department, is an Islamist militia rooted in an earlier paramilitary organization associated with Bashir’s regime. The brigade has contributed upward of 20,000 fighters to the SAF-led coalition, “using training and weapons provided by the IRGC” — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The brigade has been implicated in “arbitrary arrests, torture, and summary executions.”140 The group’s commander claimed, in July, that he plans to disband the brigade and turn it into a civilian organization, an announcement met with skepticism in Sudan.141
Key Leaders and Ideologues
Ali Karti: Secretary general of SIM since 2021, under U.S. and EU sanctions. Karti served Bashir as foreign minister from 2010 to 2015. When it sanctioned Karti, the State Department described SIM as a “hardline Islamist group that actively opposes Sudan’s democratic transition.”142
Mohammed Etta Elmoula Abbas: Head of SIM in Turkey and former intelligence chief under Bashir, under U.S. sanctions since 2023143
Adel Ala Allah: Head of the Muslim Brotherhood (recognized branch)144
Saifidean Arbab: Head of the Muslim Brotherhood in Sudan145
Al-Musbah Abu Zaid: Commander of the al-Baraa Bin Malik Brigade146
Associated Organizations
Organization for Islamic Proselytization (MADA): A Brotherhood charity dissolved by the civilian government in 2020, then reinstated in 2022 after a military coup the previous year. MADA’s Dan Fodio Holding Corporation secured lucrative state contracts under Bashir.147
Yemen: Al-Islah
By Bridget Toomey
Abd-al Majid al-Zindani, a U.S.-designated Yemeni terrorist, spent the last years of his life in Turkey, where he passed away in April 2024 at the age of 82.148 In 2004, the Treasury Department blacklisted Zindani for his “long history of working with [Osama] bin Laden,” who considered Zindani a “spiritual leader.”149 As a student in Egypt in the 1950s, Zindani interacted with members of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and became a prominent Islamist leader after his return to Yemen.150 In 1990, Zindani cofounded al-Islah (reform), formally known as the Yemeni Congregation for Reform, which has served ever since as the primary political vehicle for the Brotherhood in Yemen, although it also includes Salafists and tribal leaders.151
Since its founding, Islah has remained influential in Yemeni politics as part of both the government and the opposition. Islah insists it has no political or organizational ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, yet the enduring roles of key Brotherhood figures within the party are far more important than any formal links.152 In the 1990s and 2000s, following the reunification of North and South Yemen, Islah allied itself with the government of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, but broke with Saleh during the Arab Spring. The party later exercised substantial influence under Saleh’s successor, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, head of the Internationally Recognized Government (IRG).153 In 2022, Hadi ceded power to an eight-member Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), whose current membership includes two Islah figures.
Islah’s political positions have much in common with other Islamists and Muslim Brotherhood branches. During Saleh’s tenure, Zindani helped secure a constitutional provision identifying sharia as the source of all legislation.154 Amid the Arab Spring protests, he told supporters, “An Islamic state is coming,” and, “After we get rid of this oppressor [Saleh], there will be justice —and the caliphate.”155
Violent Activities and Support for Terrorism
In addition to Zindani’s long-standing ties to al-Qaeda, the party has close connections to Hamas, which it supported throughout the current war in Gaza. In 2024, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Hamid al-Ahmar, son of an Islah cofounder and a leader in the party himself, who managed over $500 million worth of assets for Hamas.156 When Israeli forces killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, Islah praised him for being martyred while “fighting side by side with his people, carrying his weapon.”157
While Islah’s role on the PLC puts it on the opposite side of Yemen’s civil war from the Iran-backed Houthis, leading Islah figures have endorsed Houthi attacks against Israel and been photographed meeting with Houthi leaders.158 Officials in southern Yemen, including Aidarous al-Zubaidi, president of the Southern Transitional Council, have accused Islah of colluding with the Houthis and handing territory over to the group by removing forces under Islah control from areas into which the Houthis were advancing.159 There are also allegations that Islah leaders turned a blind eye to Houthi and al-Qaeda weapons smuggling in areas under Islah control.160
On the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s October 7 terror attack, Islah’s official website issued a statement that described the massacre as “a preemptive strike launched by the Al-Qassam Brigades [the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas] against the Israeli occupation.”161 It went on to celebrate Yemeni support, saying the people “took to the streets in many governorates hours after the start of Operation [al-Aqsa] Flood, declaring their absolute support for the battle and expressing their admiration for it.”162
Funding Sources and Assets
There is limited information available about Islah funding. Islah describes the party’s funding sources as member subscriptions, contributions, gifts, economic activities and investments, and government support.163 Saudi Arabia has also forged a cooperative relationship with Islah despite Riyadh’s general hostility toward the Muslim Brotherhood.164 This has reportedly entailed substantial donations to Islah by wealthy Saudis.165 In contrast, Islah has poor relations with the United Arab Emirates, which considers Islah to be no different than other branches of the Brotherhood.166
Key Leaders and Ideologues
Sultan Ali al-Arada: PLC member and governor of Marib, a strategic region with extensive natural resources167
Abdullah al-Alimi Bawazeer: PLC member and previously a close advisor to former President Hadi168
Mohammed Abdullah al-Yadoumi: Chairman of the Supreme Authority of Islah.169
Abdul-Wahab al-Ansi: Secretary-general of Islah170
Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar: Lieutenant general and member of Islah who served as a vice president in Yemen’s IRG prior to the formation of the PLC171
Associated Organizations
Al-Iman University: Zindani founded the university in Sanaa in 1993172 but the Houthis shuttered it in 2014.173 Islah also ran a large network of elementary schools, which came under government control in 2002.174
Charitable Society for Social Welfare (CSSW): Islah runs CSSW, which is a United Nations partner in humanitarian work,175 but has cooperated with al-Qaeda-run political organizations.176 The Southern Transitional Council (STC) closed the CSSW headquarters in Aden in 2021 “after monitoring suspicious activities carried out by the association.” However, the STC has sought to sideline political adversaries within its territory and may have chosen to close the office for political reasons.177
Suhail: An Islah-operated television channel network178
Al-Sahwa Net: The official newspaper of Islah179
Conclusion
The Muslim Brotherhood was founded nearly a century ago. It has demonstrated considerable staying power in dramatically different political environments in scores of different countries. The challenge for Western policymakers is not to eliminate the Brotherhood, but to focus their efforts on those places where it poses the clearest threat. Policymakers will also need to select or develop the appropriate tools, since no blanket policy is suitable to address the many different forms the Brotherhood takes. Finally, to build support for this kind of tailored approach, elected and appointed leaders will need to initiate candid discussions of the threat. We hope this publication contributes to well-informed discussions.

Advancing Türkiye-Saudi Arabia relations amid opportunities and challenges
Emrullah İşler/English Arabyia/October 27/2025
The Turkish War of Independence fought under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in the aftermath of World War I, ended in an unprecedented victory, leading to the birth of the modern day Republic of Türkiye.
Today we are celebrating the 102nd anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Türkiye. The young Republic, deriving strength from its rich history as well as culture and following its motto “Peace at home, peace abroad,” took steps decisively towards a democratic, stable and prosperous Türkiye domestically and contributed to stability and peace in the regional as well as international level.
Currently, we are in a period in which our nation seeks to rise among major regional and international powers through development, innovation, and strategic diplomacy, which we refer to as the “The Century of Türkiye.”
However, we are also acutely aware of the challenges facing our region. Peace and security have been undermined, and core principles of international law, including the protection of civilians in armed conflicts and the prohibition of the use of force, are increasingly disregarded by certain actors. These developments underscore the urgent need for enhanced cooperation between Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, two key regional actors sharing a commitment to peace, stability and international law.
Our countries share similar perspectives on numerous regional issues such as implementation of the two-state solution, reconstruction of Syria, maritime security in the Red Sea and mediation between conflicting sides in Sudan. We have a strong common ground on upholding principles of respect for sovereignty and good neighbourliness, along with promoting dialogue and diplomacy, to achieve peace and security in the Middle East. Both our nations recognize that a two-state solution remains the only viable path to lasting peace in Palestine and together, they engage with the Islamic world to counter aggression against Muslim nations, particularly in the Middle East.
Recent diplomatic engagements highlight this alignment. The Arab League-Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Joint Summit in Doha last month provided an important platform for dialogue. During the summit, our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues. Türkiye has actively participated in the High-Level International Conference on the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, co-organised by Saudi Arabia and France on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly session, as well as the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution. Bilateral meetings, including discussions between Foreign Minister H.E. Hakan Fidan and his Saudi counterpart HH Prince Faisal bin Farhan, have further reinforced coordination at international fora such as the Munich Security Conference.
Bilateral cooperation is expanding beyond diplomatic dialogue. Türkiye–Saudi Arabia economic relations are growing steadily, with trade reaching 8-billion USD last year, a historic high. The two countries aim to elevate this level to 10-billion USD, and eventually to 15-billion USD, reflecting untapped potential across diverse sectors.
People-to-people ties are also strengthening: in addition to the thousands of pilgrims performing Hajj and Umrah, tourism flows between our nations are rising. Last year, 869,000 Saudi tourists visited Türkiye, and this number is expected to approach one million this year.
Meanwhile, cooperation in the military and defense industries continues to expand, serving as a crucial driver of our bilateral relations amid evolving regional security challenges. It is particularly gratifying that in recent years, the Turkish and Saudi armed forces have been regularly assigning personnel to joint trainings and exercises. Moreover, recognizing the importance of building strong armies through effective training, we are also conducting – and planning to further expand – mutual programs in language and theoretical instruction.
As reaffirmed by both countries during various high-level meetings, particularly at Defense Industry Fairs, we are confident that our military cooperation will continue to grow in both scope and depth. Türkiye’s successful defense industry companies offer numerous potential projects that can further advance our partnership with our Saudi brothers. We firmly believe that our cooperation will strengthen even further in the coming period and that we will jointly achieve our shared objectives.
Türkiye regards Saudi Arabia not only as a key regional partner but as a brotherly Muslim nation sharing common values and a mutual commitment to peace and security. Together, our countries can play a transformative role in promoting stability, prosperity, and dialogue across the Middle East. As Türkiye embarks on its second century, our partnership with Saudi Arabia offers a foundation for shaping a secure and prosperous regional order.

Selected English Tweets from X Platform For 27 October/2025
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
If there was a Nobel Prize for Most Cowardly Government, #Lebanon would win it instantly. A militia has had the state of Lebanon on its toes for decades.
Even after Israel gave Hezbollah a beating, instead of jumping on Hezbollah, Beirut is bashing… Israel.
Go figure

Youssef Raggi
Today I visited Bkerke and met with the Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi. Our discussion covered recent developments and the overall situation in Lebanon, amid growing concern over a possible escalation by Israel. We also spoke about the participation of Lebanese expatriates in upcoming elections and the importance of placing the draft law submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the agenda of the next Cabinet session, paving the way for its referral to Parliament. The proposal would allow Lebanese living abroad to elect all 128 members of Parliament in accordance with their home electoral districts, reflecting the wish of the majority among them.

Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Palestinian militias kill a Lebanese in Beirut.
Palestinians have overstayed their welcome in Lebanon. They should be deported from #Lebanon and resettled somewhere else (UNRWA's job that it failed to do).
Don't expect NYT to care about dead Lebanese.

Hussain Abdul-Hussain
A longish interview with Michella Haddad: Prez Trump's Peace Plan is excellent and was endorsed by all Arab and Islamic countries, and Israel. Only one who rejected it was Hamas, and that's why plan was divided into Phase 1, which has been almost completed, and Phase 2, in which Hamas must disarm and which Hamas will never agree to. As such, what we have so far is a ceasefire and are still far, far, away from peace.

Hussain Abdul-Hussain
"On October 23, Israel attacked a precision missile production site in Janta." When I was a kid, Janta, Lebanon, had a seasonal waterfall that gushed out every spring. The extended family would go there, grill, make tabouleh, store the watermelon and soft drinks in the spring's water to keep them cold. The smell of these trips was the smoke of Persian (Ajami) tobacco from all the Argileh (Hookahs) mixed with that of liquorish from Arak short glasses with white liquid in them. The adults played music and danced, with the noise of the waterfall in the background, until sunset. Then the 1980s came and with them came black, ugly, Islamism that turned Janta into an arms storage for the Hezbollah terrorist militia.BTW, my extended family and people who drank and danced in Janta were all observing and proud Muslims. The problem is not Islam. The problem is weaponizing Islam into Islamism, a radical death cult that is now enjoying a global surge thanks to Qatar, Turkey and Iran.

Eblan Farris
Sunday Quote of the Day: “To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour.”
- Sir Winston Churchill