English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News
& Editorials
For April 04/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
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Bible Quotations For today
The Holy
Saturday/Pilate said to them, ‘You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as
secure as you can.’So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by
sealing the stone
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 27/62-66/:"The next day,
that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees
gathered before Pilate and said, ‘Sir, we remember what that impostor said while
he was still alive, "After three days I will rise again."Therefore command that
the tomb be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and
steal him away, and tell the people, "He has been raised from the dead", and the
last deception would be worse than the first.’Pilate said to them, ‘You have a
guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.’So they went with the guard
and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone."
Titles For Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related
News & Editorials published on April 03-04/2026
Holy Saturday: When Light Triumphed Over Darkness, and Hope Over
Despair/Elias Bejjani/April 04/2025
Good Friday: The Day of Greatest Love and Perfect Sacrifice/Elias Bejjani/April
03/2026
Holy Thursday – A Celebration of Love, Sacrifice, and Divine Mysteries/Elias
Bejjani/April 02/2026
Hezbollah Likely Employing FPV Drones Against IDF
US warns its citizens to leave Lebanon citing escalating security risks
Israel threatens to destroy more Lebanon bridges as crisis mounts
How Israel is destroying healthcare infrastructure in southern Lebanon
Lebanese justice minister calls for Israel negotiations to avert humanitarian
catastrophe
Israel destroys east Lebanon bridge, hits south Beirut
Israeli military says it is striking ‘terror’ infrastructure in Beirut
Israel says it has struck over 3,500 targets in Lebanon
Israeli strikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs after warning
UNIFIL says three peacekeepers wounded in south
Strike destroys West Bekaa bridge after Israeli army warning
US embassy says Iran, aligned groups 'may intend to target' universities in
Lebanon
Internal debate over war objectives: Israeli army revises Lebanon strategy
Lebanon's displaced face rising hostility as airstrikes fuel fear and evictions
Israeli army plans bridge strikes to disrupt alleged Hezbollah operations
Bekaa battle map shifts as strikes carve up key routes — the details
To Lebanon With Love: History, Martyrs, and Prayer for Lebanon
The War on Hezbollah-The Iranian Terrorist Proxy Continues/LCCC website
links to several important news websites
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on April 03-04/2026
Trump
briefed on US jet downed in Iran: White House
Trump says US can take Strait of Hormuz with more time and control oil
US jet downed over Iran; one crew reportedly rescued as search continues for
second
1 crew member rescued after US fighter jet shot down in Iran
Israeli PM says 70 percent of Iran’s steel production capacity destroyed
Israel resumes operations at gas field shut after Iran war began
Israel under fire from Iran missiles as Trump issues new warning
Iran's former top diplomat urges deal with US to end war
Blowing up bridges ‘will not compel Iranians to surrender,’ top diplomat says
One dead after debris from intercepted attack hits Abu Dhabi gas site
Pakistan-led efforts for US-Iran ceasefire reportedly hit dead end
Saudi Crown Prince meets Italy’s Meloni
Putin, Erdogan urge immediate Middle East ceasefire, Kremlin says
Zelenskyy says Ukraine can help unblock Strait of Hormuz
The War on Hezbollah-The Iranian Terrorist Proxy Continues/LCCC website
links to several important news websites
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on April 03-04/2026
Iran
and proxies fire fewer total projectiles, increase accuracy in attacks on
region/Ahmad Sharawi/ FDD's Long War Journal/April 03/2026
Has Al Jazeera Changed Its Editorial Direction?/Ahmad Sharawi and Natalie Ecanow/Real
Clear World/April 03/2026
What is Easter Sunday?/gotquestions.org/April 03/2026
Islamic State Weaponising Social Media for Radicalisation: Exploding Threat in
the Indo-Pacific/Rahul Mishra, Harshit Prajapati and Prisie L. Patnayak/Gatestone
Institute/April 3, 2026
Why an Arab national security force will never work/Mamdouh AlMuhaini/Al Arabiya
English/03 April /2026
X Platform & Facebook Selected twittes on April 03/2026
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese
Related News & Editorials published on April 03-04/2026
Holy Saturday: When Light Triumphed Over Darkness,
and Hope Over Despair
Elias Bejjani/April 04/2025
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/04/142476/
Each year, in the stillness of contemplation and the sacred anticipation of the
Resurrection, the Church commemorates one of the most profound and spiritually
rich moments in the journey of redemption: Holy Saturday—the day that stands
between the agony of the Cross and the glory of the Resurrection.
This is not a day of mourning, but a day of radiant hope. It is the silent
threshold before Easter dawns—the moment when Christ passed through death to
illuminate humanity’s path to eternal life. On this sacred day, the earth may
have closed over the body of Jesus, but heaven remained open, and hope was alive
and burning.
Even in death, Jesus was not absent from the world. He descended into Hades,
into the depths of human suffering and death, to break the chains of bondage and
liberate the souls held captive.
“For You will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to
see decay.”(Acts 2:27, quoting Psalm 16:10)
These prophetic words, spoken by St. Peter in his sermon at Pentecost, remind us
that even as Christ lay in the tomb, the work of salvation was still unfolding.
Holy Saturday was not an empty pause between death and life, but rather a sacred
fullness, a divine mystery where the first rays of resurrection pierced the
heart of darkness.
On the dawn of that first Easter Sunday, the women came to the tomb with sorrow
in their hearts and spices in their hands. But what they found there changed
everything: “And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord
descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it… But the
angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who
was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, as He said.’”(Matthew 28:2,
5–6)
Fear and confusion turned to awe and sacred joy. The One who was crucified was
no longer in the grave. The tomb was not a symbol of absence, but rather of
divine presence revealed in a new and glorious way. Christ’s resurrection became
the eternal flame of hope—igniting faith in hearts and dispersing every shadow
of despair.
Holy Saturday is a sacred invitation to every believer not to remain in the
shadow of the cross, but to look forward to the radiance of the promised glory.
As Jesus foretold: “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of
men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise on the third
day.”
(Mark 9:31)
On this day, we contemplate the eternal conflict between life and death, and we
rejoice in the victory of light over darkness. The Resurrection was not merely a
past event—it is the foundational truth of our Christian faith. It proclaims
that love is stronger than hatred, that forgiveness triumphs over vengeance, and
that hope rises above every fear and despair.
“If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who
raised Christ Jesus will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit
who dwells in you.”(Romans 8:11)
On Holy Saturday, we do not simply recall an ancient story—we renew our hope in
the promise of the Resurrection. We draw strength to face the struggles, pain,
and disappointments of this world, knowing that injustice may crucify the
righteous, but the light of Christ will rise from the grave.
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing
with the glory that is to be revealed in us.”(Romans 8:18)
Let us remember, in the sacred silence of this day, that the grave is never the
final word. The sorrow will give way to joy, and the darkness will bow before
the eternal dawn. Christ is alive forever, and He calls us to walk as children
of the light, never surrendering to hopelessness, but clinging always to the
promise of the empty tomb.
Let us ignite within our hearts today the unquenchable flame of faith and hope.
Let us rejoice, because darkness has not and will never overcome the light.
Christ is risen—not as a memory, but as a living and eternal presence in the
life of every believer.
“Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in
the tombs bestowing life.”
Glory to You, O Lord, who turned the sorrow of Holy Saturday into the dawn of
Resurrection, and who transformed the darkness of the grave into a light that
never fades.
*The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website:
https://eliasbejjaninews.com
Good Friday: The Day of Greatest Love and Perfect Sacrifice
Elias Bejjani/April 03/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2025/04/142417/
At the heart of history, on a hill called Golgotha outside the walls of
Jerusalem, the greatest scene of divine love was written: Jesus Christ, the
incarnate Son of God, was crucified to redeem humanity from the bondage of sin
and death. This is Good Friday — a day of sorrow, yes, but also a day of hope; a
day of the Cross, yet in essence, a day of complete love.
The cross, once a tool of shame and torment, was transformed in Christ into a
throne of the Kingdom and an altar of redemption. Jesus carried the cross not
for any sin He had committed, but for the sins of the whole world. As the
prophet Isaiah wrote: “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was crushed for
our iniquities…” (Isaiah 53:5).
In the cross we see the full revelation of divine love — a love without limits,
one that moved Jesus to willingly offer Himself: “Greater love has no one than
this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). This is perfect
sacrifice: God giving Himself on our behalf so that we may return to Him free
and justified.
The Word Became Flesh: God With Us in Our Pain.
Good Friday is not just a commemoration of the crucifixion. It is also a
proclamation of the mystery of the Incarnation. God did not remain distant in
the heavens but “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Jesus
shared in everything human — in joy and sorrow, in hunger and fatigue, in cries
and tears, even in death itself.
Christ’s suffering on the cross bears witness that God does not observe human
suffering from afar — He enters into it. He is the God who understands human
pain — not in theory, but through experience. “For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in
every way, just as we are—yet He did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
In the peak of His agony, Christ forgave His executioners: “Father, forgive
them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). From the cross, He
opened the doors of forgiveness to all — to the thief on the right, to the
soldiers, to all of humanity. This is the essence of Good Friday: love stronger
than death, and forgiveness more powerful than hate.
Though Good Friday appears to be a day of grief, it is not the end of the story
— it is its beginning. The cross is never separate from the resurrection.
Christ’s death is the seed through which eternal life blossoms. Through His
suffering, we passed from death to life, from darkness to light.
Good Friday calls us not only to weep for the crucified Christ but to open our
hearts to the risen One — the One who loved us to the end and rose to give us
life. It is a call to faith, to hope, and to walk with Jesus on the path of the
cross, knowing that suffering is not the end, but the beginning of resurrection.
Let us carry our crosses each day with trust and hope, knowing that the One who
died for us is alive, and that “the love of Christ compels us…” (2 Corinthians
5:14).
On Good Friday, we do not only see a raised cross — we hear the voice of divine
love calling us: “Behold, I have loved you to the uttermost.”
*The author, Elias Bejjani, is a
Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website:
https://eliasbejjaninews.com
Holy Thursday – A Celebration of Love,
Sacrifice, and Divine Mysteries
Elias Bejjani/April 02/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/04/38445/
On the Thursday preceding Good Friday—the day when Jesus was crucified—Catholics
around the world, including our Maronite Eastern Church, commemorate Thursday of
the Holy Mysteries. This sacred day is also known as Washing Thursday, Covenant
Thursday, and Great and Holy Thursday. It marks the Last Supper of Jesus Christ
with His twelve Apostles, as described in the Gospels. It is the fifth day of
the Holy Week of Lent, followed by Good Friday, Saturday of the Light, and
Easter Sunday. At its core, Christianity is a faith of love, sacrifice,
honesty, transparency, devotion, hard work, and humility. During the Last
Supper, Jesus reaffirmed and embodied these divine values. In this solemn and
meaningful setting, He performed several key acts that laid the spiritual
foundation of our faith: He ordained His Apostles as priests, commanding them to
proclaim God's message: “You are the ones who have stood by me in my trials. And
I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you
may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the
twelve tribes of Israel.” (Luke 22:28–30)
He warned against betrayal and spiritual weakness, teaching that temptation and
evil can overcome those who detach themselves from God, lose faith, or worship
earthly treasures. Even Judas Iscariot, whom Jesus Himself had chosen, fell to
Satan’s temptation: “But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on
the table. The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed. But woe to that man
who betrays him!” (Luke 22:21)
He washed His Apostles’ feet, setting an eternal example of humility, love, and
service: “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call
me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your
Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s
feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”
(John 13:12–15)
When the Apostles began arguing about who among them was the greatest, Jesus
responded with a powerful lesson in modesty: “The kings of the Gentiles lord it
over them... But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you
should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For
who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the
one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.” (Luke 22:24–27)
Thursday of the Holy Mysteries is so named because during the Last Supper, Jesus
instituted two of the most sacred sacraments of the Church: the Eucharist and
the Priesthood.
“Then He took a cup, gave thanks, and said, ‘Take this and share it among
yourselves. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine
until the kingdom of God comes.’ And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it,
and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in
remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying,
‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.’” (Luke
22:17–20)
On this Holy Day, the Maronite Church relives the spirit of the Last Supper
through reverent prayers, liturgies, and longstanding sacred traditions: The
Patriarch blesses the Holy Chrism (Myron), along with the oils used for baptism
and anointing, which are then distributed to all parishes. During the Holy Mass,
the priest washes the feet of twelve parishioners—often children—to symbolize
Jesus’ act and the humility of service.
The faithful visit seven churches, a ritual signifying the fullness of the seven
sacraments of the Church: Priesthood, Eucharist, Holy Oil, Baptism,
Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, and Service. It also honors the seven
stations believed to be visited by the Virgin Mary as she searched for her Son
after His arrest: the place of detention, the Council of the Priests, Herod’s
palace (twice), Pilate’s headquarters (twice), and finally Calvary. This
tradition is believed by some scholars to have originated in Rome, where early
Christian pilgrims visited the Seven Pilgrim Churches as a form of penance:
Saint John Lateran, Saint Peter, Saint Mary Major, Saint Paul Outside the Walls,
Saint Lawrence Outside the Walls, Holy Cross in Jerusalem, and traditionally
Saint Sebastian Outside the Walls. For the Jubilee Year 2000, Pope John Paul II
substituted the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Divine Love for Saint Sebastian.
The Mass of the Lord’s Supper is marked by the ringing of bells, which then fall
silent until the Easter Vigil. Worshipers spend the evening in prayer and
contemplation before the exposed Blessed Sacrament, meditating on the Agony in
the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus spent His final night before His
crucifixion.
Following the homily and foot washing, the Eucharist is solemnly processed to
the Altar of Repose, where it remains throughout the night. The main altar is
then stripped bare—along with all others in the church—symbolizing Christ’s
humility and the anticipation of His Passion. Before celebrating the
Resurrection on Easter Sunday, Christians live the Paschal Mystery beginning
with Thursday of the Sacraments, continuing through Good Friday, and culminating
in Saturday of the Light. Because He loves us and desires our eternal salvation,
Jesus Christ willingly endured suffering, pain, humiliation, and death on the
Cross—for our sake. Let us pray on this Holy Day that we may always remember His
love and sacrifice, and strive to live lives of true faith, humility,
forgiveness, and service.
*The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website:
https://eliasbejjaninews.com
Hezbollah Likely Employing FPV
Drones Against IDF
Justin Leopold-Cohen/FDD-Policy Brief/April 03/2026
Video footage emerged Tuesday that appears to show Hezbollah attacking two
Israeli Namer armored personnel carriers and a military truck with first-person
view (FPV) drones. These attacks follow Hezbollah propaganda footage released
March 26 which depicts an earlier FPV attack against an Israeli Merkava tank.
These attacks appear to be some of the terror group’s first uses of FPVs in the
current conflict. This growing threat comes as the IDF confirmed on Tuesday that
four Israeli divisions are operating in south Lebanon. The campaign, which began
on March 2, is intended to “prevent Hezbollah infiltrations or attacks on
civilian communities in northern Israel,” according to the IDF.
The Looming FPV Threat
While these attacks appear to be some of the first in the current conflict,
Hezbollah displayed footage of FPVs at least as far back as 2024. FPVs are small
and inexpensive quadcopters capable of carrying lethal payloads, including
rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), and can be quite difficult to intercept. FPVs
also allow operators to conduct surveillance prior to and during an attack,
allowing a single platform to rapidly identify and strike targets. As the
footage Hezbollah recently released ends just prior to each impact, it does not
reveal the extent of the damage caused, and the IDF has not directly
acknowledged the incidents. However, the IDF’s operational updates for March 26
include a reference to several soldiers of the 7th Brigade sustaining injuries,
one of whom was killed. It is not clear whether these casualties were the result
of a Hezbollah FPV attack, but their unit is an armored brigade known to operate
Israel’s Merkava 4 tank. The IDF also did not directly acknowledge the Tuesday
footage either, though the IDF did confirm three soldiers injured by a Hezbollah
drone the day prior. Millions of FPV drones have been used by Ukraine and
Russia. In Ukraine, drones of various types are reportedly responsible for
between 70 and 80 percent of those injured or killed. Battlefield experience
there has shown that FPVs threaten more than ground vehicles and troops. Ukraine
recently downed a Ka-52 attack helicopter behind Russian lines with an FPV
drone. Hezbollah may attempt a similar tactic against Israeli helicopters, which
the IDF has been using to intercept the group’s drones.
Hezbollah Enters the Fray
In an effort to support Iran, Hezbollah began attacking Israel on March 2. It
had largely refrained from doing so since the November 2024 ceasefire. Hezbollah
has maintained an average of 100 daily launches of rockets, missiles, and
drones, peaking at over 600, according to the IDF. The Israeli military said on
March 31 that it struck over 2,500 Hezbollah targets, including 180 launchers.
Hezbollah’s use of FPVs against Israeli forces should not be a surprise given
that other Iranian proxies have used FPVs to conduct reconnaissance and attack
U.S. diplomatic and military facilities in Baghdad in the past month.
Use All Available Countermeasures
While FPVs are a reconnaissance and strike threat, Israeli vehicles are not
without countermeasures. The Trophy Active Protection System (APS) is mounted on
the outside of some vehicles. It detects incoming projectiles such as anti-tank
missiles, RPGs, and drones, and then launches its own kinetic countermeasures to
intercept the target. Some of Hezbollah’s propaganda videos even appear to show
Trophy’s use, and previous footage from operations in Gaza against Hamas also
demonstrated the system’s effectiveness. While the use of APS is one strategy to
combat FPVs, Israel should work with Ukraine to share important lessons and
adopt additional countermeasures. For example, Ukraine has reportedly used
mobile radars to detect Russian FPVs and then intercept them with Ukrainian
drones. Ukraine has sent advisors to Gulf states contending with Iranian
Shahed-136 drones, demonstrating that Ukraine is willing to share its hard-won
expertise. The United States can help facilitate coordination between Ukraine
and Israel and, as recent FPV attacks in Iraq underscore, should seek to learn
from both of its partners. **Justin Leopold-Cohen is a senior research analyst
with the Center on Military and Political Power (CMPP) at the Foundation for
Defense of Democracies (FDD). Ryan Brobst is the deputy director of CMPP. For
more analysis from Justin, Ryan, and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow FDD on X
@FDD. Follow Justin on X at @jleopoldcohen, and Ryan @RyanBrobst_. FDD is a
Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national
security and foreign policy.
US warns its citizens to leave
Lebanon citing escalating security risks
Sareen Habeshian/BBC/April 3, 2026
The US government has urged all Americans to leave Lebanon immediately,
following a similar warning for those in Iraq. The US embassy in Beirut warned
that the security situation in Lebanon was "volatile and unpredictable", with
air strikes, drone activity and rocket attacks reported, particularly in the
south, the Beqaa Valley, and parts of the capital.US universities in the region
have also been threatened, the embassy warned, adding that Iran and its aligned
militias may target institutions in Lebanon. The advisory follows recent
developments, including a US fighter jet reportedly being shot down over Iran
and strikes by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on parts of Beirut. US partially
evacuates Beirut embassy amid rising Iran tensions. On Friday, the embassy in
Beirut recommended that Americans should not travel to Lebanon and that those
already in the country must depart while commercial flights remain available.
Those opting to stay were advised to prepare contingency plans for emergency
situations and to be ready to shelter in place if the situation worsened. The
embassy also "strongly" urged Americans in southern Lebanon, near the Syrian
border, in refugee settlements and in the southern suburbs of Beirut, including
Dahieh, to leave those areas immediately. Earlier this year, in February, the US
government had ordered all non-essential staff to leave its embassy in Beirut
following a security review.About 50 members of US embassy staff were ordered to
leave at the time. One crew member from US fighter jet downed in Iran has been
rescued, US media report. Americans in Iraq were also urged to evacuate on
Thursday, days after a US journalist was kidnapped in Baghdad by an Iran-backed
militia group. The US embassy in Iraq said that militia groups aligned with Iran
may conduct attacks in central Baghdad in the coming 24 to 48 hours. On Friday,
the IDF confirmed it had launched another wave of strikes on Tehran and had
begun targeting parts of Beirut. Meanwhile, an explosion "inside a UN position"
in Lebanon injured three UN peacekeepers, the United Nations Interim Force in
Lebanon (Unifil) said on Friday. Two of the peacekeepers were seriously injured,
the agency said. Spokeswoman Kandice Ardiel said the blast occurred near El
Adeisse, in southern Lebanon, with the origin of the explosion not yet
identified
Israel threatens to destroy more Lebanon bridges as crisis mounts
Al Jazeera Staff/April 3, 2026
Israel’s military has threatened to destroy more bridges in southern Lebanon in
what observers say is an attempt to cut the area off from the rest of the
country as Israeli forces press forward with a devastating ground invasion.
In a social media post on Friday, Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee said the
military planned to bomb the Sohmor and Mashghara bridges over the Litani River
in the western Bekaa Valley, claiming they are being used by the Lebanese armed
group Hezbollah.“These are two main bridges – the main arteries for goods, for
people, for movement – between the rest of Lebanon and the western Bekaa,” Al
Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto reported from Tyre in southern Lebanon. “If these bridges
are destroyed, it will essentially isolate the western Bekaa from the rest of
Lebanon. It will make it extremely difficult for people trying to cross into the
western Bekaa Valley and reach the main hub of Chtoura, to reach hospitals and
other public services.”Hitto said Israel has destroyed at least six other
bridges over the Litani River since the start of its intensified aerial and
ground offensive in Lebanon in early March. The bombing of bridges and other
civilian infrastructure across southern Lebanon has been widely condemned.
Rights groups have warned that Israel appears to be trying to isolate the
region. A deepening ground invasion launched by the Israeli military last week
also has spurred widespread concern as Israeli leaders have said they plan to
demolish scores of residential homes. “As Israeli troops try to shore up their
control of these towns and villages in the south of the country, … they could
actually isolate southern Lebanon from the western Bekaa and the western Bekaa
from the rest of Lebanon,” Hitto said. Earlier on Friday, the South Lebanon
Water Establishment said Israeli strikes damaged key water infrastructure in
southern Lebanon. In a statement shared by the country’s National News Agency (NNA),
the civilian water authority said facilities in Ibl al-Saqi and al-Maysat
suffered significant damage while solar power systems were also affected at
other stations in the area. “The targeting of vital facilities, especially water
facilities, is a clear and explicit violation of all international conventions
and norms that require the neutrality of institutions and facilities that
provide basic services to civilians from acts of war,” the authority said.
NNA also reported that at least four people were killed across the country in
Israeli attacks on Friday, including a strike that targeted worshippers leaving
a mosque in the western Bekaa town of Sahmar, killing two people. The Israeli
bombardment of Lebanon, which began on March 2 after Hezbollah fired missiles
into northern Israel in response to the United States-Israeli war on Iran, has
forced more than 1.2 million people from their homes. Israel’s attacks have
killed at least 1,345 people and wounded more than 4,000 across the country,
according to the latest figures from Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health.
At least three United Nations peacekeepers also were killed in southern Lebanon
this week as the violence has escalated during Israel’s deepening invasion. A
spokesperson for the UN’s peacekeeping force, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL),
said on Friday that three peacekeepers were wounded – two of them seriously –
due to an explosion at a UN position near al-Adaissah, a village near the
Israel-Lebanon border. “They are all currently being evacuated to hospital. We
do not yet know the origin of the explosion,” Kandice Ardiel said in a statement
shared on Telegram. “UNIFIL reminds all actors of their obligations to ensure
the safety and security of peacekeepers, including by avoiding combat activities
nearby that could put them in danger.”
How Israel is destroying healthcare infrastructure in southern Lebanon
Justin Salhani/Al Jazeera Staff/April 3, 2026
Beirut, Lebanon – Israel’s attacks on Lebanon are putting a massive strain on
the Lebanese healthcare system, in what experts and analysts say is part of an
effort to force people out of the south of the country. One month into the
latest intensification of strikes on Lebanon, Israel has killed 53 medical
workers, destroyed 87 ambulances or medical centres, and forced the closure of
five hospitals, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health. “Israeli
strikes and blanket evacuation orders are cutting people off from care and
shrinking the space for health services to function,” Luna Hammad, the Lebanon
medical coordinator for Doctors Without Borders (MSF), told Al Jazeera, adding
that MSF has seen “a documented pattern of attacks affecting
healthcare”.Displacement fuelled by destruction of healthcare
On March 2, Israel intensified its war on Lebanon again after Hezbollah
responded to Israeli attacks for the first time in more than a year. The
Iranian-backed group Hezbollah claimed the attack was retaliation for the
US-Israel assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei two
days earlier. A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah had ostensibly been in
place since November 27, 2024, despite more than 10,000 recorded Israeli
ceasefire violations by the United Nations, and the killing of hundreds of
Lebanese. Israel used the Hezbollah attack as justification to expand its
strikes across Lebanon and to issue mass forced evacuation orders for the
country’s south and Beirut’s southern suburbs, traditionally areas where
Hezbollah has strong support. Now, 1.2 million people are displaced from their
homes, while Israeli forces have begun an invasion of the south, with Israeli
officials declaring an intention to occupy the region, set up a so-called
security zone, and destroy more villages across the border. Amid the destruction
of southern Lebanon has been the devastation of the region’s healthcare
infrastructure, including attacks on medical workers, ambulances, civil defence
centres, and hospitals. “We have seen some health facilities directly attacked,”
Dr Abdinasir Abubakar, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative in
Lebanon, told Al Jazeera. He also mentioned the displacement of healthcare
workers as part of the erosion of Lebanon’s healthcare sector.
On Tuesday, Jabal Amel University Hospital in Tyre, along south Lebanon’s coast,
was struck for a fifth time. Five hospitals have been forced to evacuate in the
last month. Even before the war with Israel, Lebanon’s healthcare system was in
poor shape due to compounding crises, including the 2019 financial crisis and
the 2023-2024 war. But there has been increased strain due to Israeli attacks
and mass displacement since March 2, 2026. Amidst the month-long United
States-Israel war on Iran, there have also been Iranian strikes on Gulf
countries, which have impacted shipping routes for crucial medicine and
supplies. The destruction of healthcare infrastructure has also spurred mass
displacement, healthcare professionals say. It is all part of what they believe
to be a wider strategy: to make south Lebanon uninhabitable. “You can’t live
somewhere that doesn’t have basic medical care, and of course it’s now created a
strain on healthcare facilities here where people are displaced because you now
have over a million extra people who are going to need the health system here,”
a doctor who works on the ground treating the displaced in Beirut told Al
Jazeera, asking that their name be withheld so that they could speak freely.
Trend of killing medical workers
The vast number of displaced people also means healthcare facilities are under
higher strain than before. Emergency room admissions have increased
exponentially, according to Abubakar. Dr Hassan Wazni is the general director of
Nabih Berri Governmental Hospital in Nabatieh, in southern Lebanon. Israeli
attacks have been intense in Nabatieh and the surrounding villages. Wazni told
Al Jazeera by phone that many patients needing treatments like chemotherapy,
radiotherapy, and dialysis have been transferred further north. And then there
are the direct attacks on the healthcare system, including medics. Some of those
attacks include reports of double-tap strikes, where an initial strike occurs
and a second follows after first responders gather. On March 28 alone, Tedros
Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of WHO, counted nine paramedics killed
and seven wounded in five separate attacks. And while such attacks have
increased in recent days, the pattern has a precedent, with Israel killing more
than 107 first responders in Lebanon between late 2023 and 2024. The attacks on
Lebanon’s healthcare infrastructure and medical workers have been documented by
Human Rights Watch (HRW), which has noted “repeated, apparently deliberate,
attacks on medical workers in Lebanon”, according to Ramzi Kaiss, HRW’s Lebanon
researcher. “This trend, the killing of medical workers, has not stopped despite
more than 270 health workers and paramedics being killed as a result of Israeli
attacks in Lebanon,” he said. Medical workers and healthcare facilities are
protected under international humanitarian law. Israel’s attacks on medics in
2024 were described as an apparent war crime by HRW. The attacks on healthcare
infrastructure during times of war are not new. Forensic Architecture, a
research group investigating state violence and human rights violations, said
Israel had conducted “systematic targeting of hospitals and healthcare workers”
in Gaza. And Israel is not unique in targeting healthcare facilities. “Attacks
on healthcare have been consolidated over the last two decades, especially with
the [United States-led] war on terror, and then from Iraq to Syria to Gaza and
then now to Lebanon, it has become clear that hospitals are no longer
consistently treated as protected spaces,” Omar Dewachi, author of Ungovernable
Life: Mandatory Medicine and Statecraft in Iraq, told Al Jazeera. “When these
hospitals are repeatedly hit across different conflicts with little
accountability, it creates a sense that this is becoming increasingly normalised.”
Dewachi said that such attacks have compounding effects. Treatable injuries get
worse, war wounds do not heal properly, and there are other “more long-term
consequences”, he said, noting, “Many patients who survive these explosions end
up with chronic infections that last for years and sometimes require multiple
surgeries.”
Continued impunity
The attacks are unlikely to cease, experts and analysts say, so long as the
pattern of impunity continues. “There’s been continued impunity for such acts
and no accountability whatsoever,” Kaiss of HRW said. “Lebanon’s government has
a responsibility to ensure that there can be accountability, to give
jurisdiction to the ICC [International Criminal Court], and to allow it to
investigate and prosecute war crimes that have been committed in the country,
among them the repeated apparently deliberate attacks on medical workers and
health facilities.”In the meantime, medical professionals have called for
international support to bolster and protect Lebanon’s healthcare. “It should be
protected under international law,” Abubakar said, adding that a de-escalation
and ceasefire, “as quickly as possible”, was needed. Wazni, the director of the
hospital in Nabatieh, told Al Jazeera: “I don’t know how beneficial this will
be, but we call for the respect of international law and international
agreements, and to respect the safety of medical crews.”
Lebanese justice minister calls for Israel negotiations to
avert humanitarian catastrophe
Maria Tadeo/Euronews/April 3, 2026
Lebanon’s Justice Minister Adel Nassar has called on the international community
to condemn Israel’s “occupation of Lebanese territory,” in an interview with
Euronews. Speaking to Europe Today on Tuesday, Nassar’s comments follow Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s order on Sunday to expand a military
operation along Israel’s northern border. Lebanese authorities warn the move
could see additional land seized, describing it as an “invasion and occupation”
of their territory. Fighting has intensified in southern Lebanon since the
outbreak of the US-Israeli war against Iran, with Hezbollah firing rockets into
Israel in response to attacks on Tehran. Netanyahu has said the status of
Israel’s northern border with Lebanon must “fundamentally” change, with several
Israeli ministers suggesting a buffer zone could be extended to the Litani
River, effectively annexing Lebanese territory.
Nassar acknowledged Lebanon faces both internal and external risks, referring to
Hezbollah, and described the situation as “dramatic.”He said: “Our position is
very difficult because on one hand there are the Israeli attacks, and on the
other hand there is Hezbollah undermining the state. On both sides, we have to
deploy all efforts and take irrevocable decisions to save Lebanon.”Earlier this
month, Lebanon banned Hezbollah’s military operations as tensions escalated.
Nassar said his government has been clear that it rejects the use of Lebanese
territory as a launchpad for Iran or its proxies against Israel. He added:
“Hezbollah is keeping military infrastructure, which is against the will of the
Lebanese government and against the law. We refuse that Lebanon is being used
like a military base for Iran.”Nassar also urged Israel to respond to Lebanese
President Joseph Aoun’s call for negotiations, warning that further incursions
could have a “dramatic impact on the civilian population” already at risk of
displacement and malnutrition. “We are facing the displacement of more than one
million people,” he said, highlighting Lebanon’s fragile economy and limited
resources to deal with a migrant crisis.“What Israel is imposing on Lebanon is
dramatic, and we have to deploy all efforts to stop these attacks,” he added.
“We are also facing a political party whose military infrastructure undermines
our state’s capacity to respond diplomatically. We must make irrevocable
decisions in order to save Lebanon.”Watch the full interview on Europe Today
from 8am CET weekdays on Euronews and across all platforms.
Israel destroys east Lebanon bridge, hits south Beirut
AFP/03 April/2026
An Israeli strike destroyed a bridge in eastern Lebanon on Friday, state media
reported, after Israel warned it would hit the site to prevent Hezbollah
reinforcements crossing. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
said a blast at one of its positions in the country’s south near the border
wounded three peacekeepers on Friday, the third similar incident in days.
Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war on March 2 when the Tehran-backed
Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel to avenge the US-Israeli attack that killed
Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Israel has responded with massive
strikes across Lebanon and a ground invasion in the country’s south. The
state-run National News Agency said: “Israeli warplanes targeted the bridge that
links Sohmor with Mashghara, leading to its destruction.”Israel’s military had
warned that it would target two adjacent bridges over the Litani River in the
area “to prevent the transfer of reinforcements and military equipment.”Lebanese
local media reported that the second bridge was also hit. Israel has previously
struck five other bridges over the Litani in the country’s south, including most
of the main routes crossing the waterway.The river runs around 30 kilometers (20
miles) north of the Israeli border, an area where Israel has said it wants to
maintain “security control.”
‘Against the war’
Also in Sohmor, two people were killed and 15 others wounded in an Israeli
strike that hit “as worshippers were leaving the town’s mosque” after Friday
prayers, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Lebanese authorities have
reported more than 1,300 dead in a month of hostilities. UNIFIL spokesperson
Kandice Ardiel said that “an explosion inside a UN position... injured three
peacekeepers, two seriously,” adding that the origin of the blast was unknown.
Israel’s military accused Hezbollah of having launched a rocket that then hit
the UNIFIL post. Near the capital, Israel’s military carried out fresh strikes
on Beirut’s southern suburbs, saying it was striking “terror infrastructure” in
the Hezbollah stronghold, which has largely emptied of residents amid repeated
Israel raids and warnings. On the edge of the southern suburbs, Christians
marked Good Friday in the Shiyah neighborhood with a procession around the Saint
Maroun Church, some holding flaming torches or singing religious chants.
Resident Hala Farah, 62, said she had never before missed the religious rites,
even during repeated conflicts in the country. “We’re always here, we have to
hold on for the future of our children,” she told AFP at the entrance to the
overflowing church.Another worshipper, Patricia Haddad, 32, said she said she
was not afraid of the nearby bombardment anymore.“We got used to it,
unfortunately,” she said, adding: “We are against the war.”
Strikes in south
The US embassy in Lebanon warned that “Iran and its aligned terrorist militias
may intend to target universities in Lebanon,” without identifying any specific
institutions. The warning came days after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard
Corps (IRGC) threatened to target US universities in the Middle East after
saying US-Israeli strikes had destroyed two Iranian universities. Among other
facilities, Lebanon is home to the American University of Beirut, one of the
most prominent US institutions in the region. The NNA also reported strikes in
south Lebanon, saying Israeli forces had “destroyed what remained of houses” in
several frontier towns that were largely destroyed during the previous
Israel-Hezbollah war that ended in 2024. Israel’s army said it had struck more
than 3,500 targets across Lebanon since last month, while Hezbollah said it had
carried out 1,309 operations against Israeli targets.On Sunday, an Indonesian
peacekeeper was killed when a projectile exploded in a UNIFIL position, while
another blast the following day killed two more Indonesian troops. According to
the UN, 97 force members have been killed in violence since UNIFIL was first
established to monitor the withdrawal of Israeli forces after they invaded
Lebanon in 1978.The force’s mandate expires at the end of this year.
Israeli military says it is striking ‘terror’
infrastructure in Beirut
Reuters/03 April/2026
The Israeli military said on Friday it has begun striking what it called “terror
infrastructure” in the Lebanese capital Beirut. Reuters reporters heard three
loud blasts echoing across the city. Lebanese media outlets said the strikes hit
Beirut’s southern suburbs, after Israel’s military spokesperson issued a new
warning for the entire zone earlier on Friday.
Israel says it has struck over 3,500 targets in Lebanon
Agence France Presse/April 03/2026
The Israeli military said Friday it had struck more than 3,500 targets across
Lebanon in the month since fighting with Hezbollah began. Lebanon was drawn into
the Middle East war on March 2 after Iran-backed Hezbollah launched rockets at
Israel to avenge the U.S.-Israeli attack that killed Iran's supreme leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Israel has responded with massive strikes across Lebanon
and a ground offensive. The Israeli military said Friday it had killed
approximately 1,000 militants in Lebanon over the past month, with strikes
targeting what it described as "terrorist infrastructure, weapons storage
facilities, launch positions, and command and control headquarters" belonging to
Hezbollah. Lebanon's health ministry said on Thursday that 1,345 people had been
killed and 4,040 wounded since the start of the war, including 1,129 men, 91
women and 125 children. The ministry said the toll also included 53 healthcare
workers.
Hezbollah has so far not announced its losses. On Thursday, Israeli Defense
Minister Israel Katz warned that Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem would pay an
"extraordinarily heavy price" for escalating attacks during the ongoing Jewish
holidays. "The Hezbollah terrorist organization you now lead, and its supporters
in Lebanon, will bear the full and severe consequences," Katz said. His warning
followed claims by Hezbollah that it had carried out a series of rocket attacks
on northern Israel late Wednesday and early Thursday, as Israeli Jews began
marking Passover. Katz also reiterated that Israeli forces "will clear Hezbollah
and its supporters from southern Lebanon, maintain Israeli security control
throughout the Litani area, and dismantle Hezbollah's military capabilities
across Lebanon."
Israeli strikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs after warning
Agence France Presse/April 03/2026
Fresh strikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs on Friday as the Israeli army said
it was striking Hezbollah "infrastructure", hours after the Israeli army issued
an evacuation warning for the area. An AFP correspondent heard explosions as the
state-run National News Agency reported strikes on the area, a Hezbollah bastion
that has largely emptied of residents since war erupted last month between
Israel and Hezbollah.
UNIFIL says three peacekeepers wounded in south
Agence France Presse/April 03/2026
The United Nations force in Lebanon said a blast at one of its positions wounded
three peacekeepers on Friday, the third such incident in a week."This afternoon,
an explosion inside a U.N. position... injured three peacekeepers, two
seriously. They are all currently being evacuated to hospital. We do not yet
know the origin of the explosion," UNIFIL spokesperson Kandice Ardiel said. The
U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon is deployed in the country's south near the
border. On Sunday, an Indonesian peacekeeper was killed when a projectile
exploded in a UNIFIL position, while another blast the following day killed two
more Indonesian troops. A U.N. security source had told AFP that Israeli fire
was behind Sunday's attack, while a mine may have caused the second blast, for
which Israel's military denied responsibility. According to the U.N., 97 force
members have been killed in violence since UNIFIL was first established to
monitor the withdrawal of Israeli forces after they invaded Lebanon in 1978.The
force's mandate finishes at the end of this year.
Strike destroys West Bekaa bridge after Israeli army
warning
Agence France Presse/April 03/2026
Israel destroyed a bridge in West Bekaa on Friday, Lebanese official media
reported, after Israel's military warned it would hit two bridges in the area to
prevent possible transfer of reinforcements to Hezbollah."Israeli warplanes
targeted the bridge that links Sohmor with Mashghara, leading to its
destruction," the state-run National News Agency said. Israel's military had
warned that "in order to prevent the transfer of reinforcements and military
equipment... the IDF (army) intends to target the Sohmor and Mashghara bridges",
publishing a map identifying two bridges within around 100 meters of each other.
US embassy says Iran, aligned groups 'may intend to target'
universities in Lebanon
Agence France Presse/April 03/2026
The U.S. embassy in Lebanon, where Tehran-backed Hezbollah is at war with
Israel, said on Friday that Iran and allied groups could seek to target
universities in the country. "Iran and its aligned terrorist militias may intend
to target universities in Lebanon," said a security alert, without identifying
any specific institutions, days after Iran's Revolutionary Guard threatened to
target U.S. universities in the Middle East after saying U.S.-Israeli strikes
had destroyed two Iranian universities. Among other universities, Lebanon is
home to the American University of Beirut, one of the most prominent U.S.
institutions in the region, whose campus and hospital are in the heart of the
capital.
Internal debate over war objectives: Israeli army revises
Lebanon strategy
LBCI/April 03/2026
The Israeli army has proposed a revised set of objectives for its operations in
Lebanon, limiting the goal of disarming Hezbollah to areas south of the Litani
River, rather than across the entire country. The proposal, put forward on
Friday, triggered sharp disagreements with Israel's political leadership,
leading to the postponement of a scheduled cabinet meeting to Saturday evening
to discuss a new military plan that, according to an Israeli military official,
would significantly reshape South Lebanon. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz
was among those who opposed the plan. Under the alternative approach, the army
would focus on the large-scale destruction of villages in South Lebanon and the
forced displacement of their citizens, to establish a buffer zone inside
Lebanese territory. An Israeli military official said the proposed "new reality"
would prevent civilians from returning and effectively redraw boundaries,
drawing comparisons to the so-called "yellow line" established in the Gaza
Strip, though with a more dynamic and mobile model without deeply entrenched
positions.As part of the revised strategy, the army is also seeking to adjust
its timeline by concentrating its deployment along an anti-tank defense line
located at least 10 kilometers inside Lebanese territory. Separately, the
commander of the Israeli Air Force decided, following visits to northern Israel
and meetings with regional commanders, to reposition Iron Dome batteries closer
to advancing ground forces in South Lebanon. The move comes after assessments
showed that most Hezbollah fire has been directed at Israeli troops operating
inside Lebanese territory. In an internal report aimed at convincing
decision-makers, the Israeli army highlighted what it described as growing
challenges posed by Hezbollah, including the use of explosive drones targeting
soldiers on the ground. The report also estimated that Hezbollah possesses at
least 10,000 rockets and could sustain its current rate of fire for at least two
months, underscoring the potential for a prolonged conflict.
Lebanon's displaced face rising hostility as airstrikes
fuel fear and evictions
Associated Press/April 03/2026
When the Israel- Hezbollah war broke out in early March, Hussein Shuman fled the
heavy bombardment of the southern suburbs of Beirut, but he didn't bother trying
to rent an apartment elsewhere. In areas deemed "safe" because the Lebanese
militant group has no presence, he feels that Shiite Muslims like him are not
welcome. Residents regard them with suspicion as potential Hezbollah members,
and landlords charge exorbitant prices to rent to displaced families. Instead,
the 35-year-old, who works at a perfume company, headed to central Beirut where
he set up a small tent where he has been staying, along with his wife,
7-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter. Shuman even rejected an offer from a
friend who invited him to bring his family to the Christian mountain town of
Zgharta. He preferred to remain in his tent, even though it has flooded twice in
the past two weeks. "By staying here I have my dignity and respect," Shuman
said, sitting on a chair near his tent as a barber gave him an open-air hair
cut. "We will not stay in a place where we are going to be humiliated."In a
country full of suspicion, the more than 1 million people — most of them Shiite
— displaced as a result of Israel's evacuation orders and airstrikes have
limited options. Some landlords in Christian areas refuse to rent to Shiites.
Others demand inflated rents and deposits that few can afford. Fatima Zahra, 42,
from Beirut's southern suburbs, said she and her sister sold their finest
jewelry to pay the $5,000 the landlord charged up front for two months' rent.
In some Beirut neighborhoods, displaced people who can afford to pay high rents
are only allowed to take the apartment after landlords inform the security
agencies to check on whether the family has any links to Hezbollah. Sectarian
tensions are a sensitive issue in Lebanon because the country fought a 15-year
civil war ending in 1990 that largely broke down along sectarian lines. Social
frictions have worsened since Israel's targeted airstrikes killed Hezbollah
officials or members of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in predominantly
Christian, Sunni and Druze areas, raising fears among the hosts that Hezbollah
members are mingling within the civilian population. The Lebanese are deeply
divided over Hezbollah's wars with Israel, with many in the small nation blaming
the Iran-backed group for dragging the country into a deadly conflict that has
so far left more than 1,300 people dead and over 4,000 wounded. Hezbollah fired
missiles into Israel two days after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb.
28, triggering the ongoing Middle East war. The renewed war has caused
widespread destruction and paralyzed the economy at a time when Lebanon is still
in the throes of a historic economic crisis that broke out in late 2019. The
country has not yet recovered from the last Israel-Hezbollah war in 2024. In
mid-March, an Israeli airstrike on an apartment in the town of Aramoun killed
three people, prompting some local residents to call for the displaced to leave
the area. Days later, an airstrike on the nearby town of Bchamoun also killed
three people, including a four-year-old girl, who were displaced from Beirut's
southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a strong presence. In neither case did
Israel announce the intended target of the strikes, but neighbors assumed that
someone in the targeted apartments was a Hezbollah member. "Had we known that
they were linked to Hezbollah, we would have kicked them out," an angry man who
owns an apartment in the building in Bchamoun said at the scene. In late March,
a missile exploded over the predominantly Christian Keserwan region north of
Beirut, with debris falling on different areas. Although the Lebanese Army later
said that it was an Iranian missile passing over Lebanon that fell, many
initially assumed that it was an Israeli airstrike targeting displaced people.
No one was was hurt by the missile debris, but a group of young men attacked
displaced Shiites in the district of Haret Sakher near the coastal city of
Jounieh, calling for their eviction, before local officials intervened. "We
don't want them here," shouted a Haret Sakher resident shortly after the strike.
He said that some of the displaced refer to their hosts as "Zionists," accusing
them of being aligned with Israel because they criticize Hezbollah for dragging
the country into the conflict. He added: "We don't want national coexistence."
George Saadeh, a member of Jounieh's municipal council, told The Associated
Press that he had called on Haret Sakher residents to avoid any reaction "so
that we can preserve civil peace."In a predominantly Christian area just north
of Beirut, plans to house displaced people in an abandoned warehouse near the
port were suspended last week after drawing backlash from lawmakers and
residents. "The Israeli targeting campaign has created a lot of paranoia," said
Maha Yahya, director of the Beirut-based Carnegie Middle East Center. "If you
see a displaced person, maybe you wonder, 'What if this person is a
target?'"Fearing the tension could slip out of control, the army has beefed up
its presence on the streets. Last week, army commander Gen. Rudolphe Haikal
toured Beirut and the southern city of Sidon and told troops that they should be
"firm in the face of any attempt to undermine internal stability," the army said
in a statement.Police forces, including a SWAT unit, were deployed at major
intersections in the capital to preserve peace and prevent any friction between
the displaced and locals. Police patrols pass through the tent city by Beirut's
coast where Shuman and his family are staying. An official at the municipality
of the predominantly Sunni town of Naameh, just south of Beirut, said that they
have received thousands of people displaced from southern Lebanon. The official
said that in order to avoid tensions, they opened a school in one district for
displaced Shiites and another in a different neighborhood for people displaced
from Sunni border villages. "There are concerns among people," that conflict
could break out said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he
was not authorized to speak to the media. With the Israeli airstrikes and ground
invasion mainly targeting Shiite areas, U.S. ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa,
a Lebanese-American, was criticized over recent remarks. He told reporters in
late March that the U.S. had asked Israel for a commitment that Christian
villages in southern Lebanon will not be attacked."We have asked the Israelis to
leave Christian villages in the south alone and they told us that they will not
touch Christian villages," Issa said. However, he added, "They (Israelis) said
that they cannot guarantee" that the villages would be left alone "if there is
infiltration into these villages" by Hezbollah members. Several Christian
villages in southern Lebanon have asked displaced Shiites who were sheltering
there to leave, fearing that their presence might trigger Israeli attacks.
Legislator Taymour Jumblat who is the leader of the Progressive Socialist Party,
the largest Druze-led political group in the country, said that the biggest
concern in the country now is "strife.""The most important thing is to reduce
sectarian pressures on the ground," Jumblat said. "Our Shiites brothers are part
of this country and our humanitarian duty is to help them."
Israeli army plans bridge strikes to disrupt alleged
Hezbollah operations
LBCI/April 03/2026
The Israeli army said it is carrying out “wide and precise” strikes against
Hezbollah operations in southern Lebanon, citing the movement of militants under
civilian cover. According to the statement, the army plans to target the Sohmor–Machgharah
bridges to prevent the transfer of reinforcements and weapons. Residents were
urged to continue moving to the area north of the Zahrani River and to avoid any
movement south, which could put their lives at risk.
Bekaa battle map shifts as strikes carve up key routes —
the details
LBCI/April 03/2026
Following the strike on the Dalafa Bridge, the Bekaa is no longer outside the
battle; it has entered a new phase defined by one headline: dismantling the
geography step by step.The attacks targeting Sohmor, Yohmor, Zellaya, Qellaya,
and Libbaya cannot be separated from their location in the southern West Bekaa,
where vital routes intersect, linking the south to the Bekaa. The fabric of
these predominantly Shiite villages has been torn apart in what appears to be a
clear attempt to isolate them from their surroundings, the Bekaa hinterland, and
their southern extension. From this reality emerges the first scenario:
fragmentation. Targeting the Dalafa Bridge and the mentioned villages turns them
into separate pockets that are easier to encircle, especially as they lie along
narrow routes descending toward Rashaya. The second scenario unfolds along the
slopes of Mount Hermon. Any advance from this peak, descending toward the edges
of Qaraoun Lake, passing through Machgharah to reach Meidoun, would mean gaining
control of the western edge of the West Bekaa, an edge that borders the
strategic highlands of Iqlim al-Tuffah and Jezzine. In this context, the
villages of Rashaya stand out not merely as passageways but as part of an
elevated line of control. Controlling them would open fire coverage over the
roads ascending from the Bekaa toward Mount Hermon and toward Mount Lebanon,
specifically the Barouk area, reinforcing a scenario focused on holding the high
ground rather than merely cutting off roads below. An example of infiltration
from behind Rashaya is what the Israeli army published regarding movement along
Mount Hermon to reach the Bekaa.The third scenario is broader and more
far-reaching. It involves shifting from isolating the West Bekaa to striking the
heart of the Bekaa. The route begins at Mount Hermon, connects to the eastern
mountain range, reaches the border at Masnaa, and then extends toward Dahr al-Baydar.
If this line is achieved, the international highway would be threatened, and
central Bekaa would be cut off from Beirut. In parallel, a fourth scenario is
advancing in the northeast. Targeting the Assi Bridge separates Hermel from
Baalbek, leaving it isolated. What is unfolding is not a conventional escalation
but a systematic dismantling of the map, breaking it into isolated zones where
control lies with whoever dominates the roads, bridges, and high ground.
To Lebanon With Love: History,
Martyrs, and Prayer for Lebanon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywDemoMk5Es
In this episode of Reconquest, Brother André Marie reflects on the suffering of
Lebanon, especially the plight of Lebanese Christians caught in war,
instability, and political turmoil. He discusses the history of Lebanon, the
identity of the Maronites, the broader Catholic significance of the region, and
the tragic reality faced by Christians in the crossfire of modern conflict.
Brother André also explores the legacy of St. Charbel, one of Lebanon’s most
beloved saints, and calls on Catholics everywhere to pray for Lebanon, its
clergy, its faithful, and its future.
This episode is both a historical reflection and a spiritual appeal: remember
Lebanon, remember her Christians, and ask God for mercy, peace, and protection.
Topics in this episode include:
The suffering of Christians in Lebanon
Lebanon’s ancient Phoenician and Christian roots
Maronite identity and history
Hezbollah, regional conflict, and instability
The Catholic importance of Lebanon
The life and sanctity of St. Charbel
A call to prayer for the Church in Lebanon
Please pray for Lebanon, for persecuted Christians, for priests and bishops
serving under danger, and for peace rooted in Christ the King.
catholicism.org
Reconquest:
https://reconquest.net/2026/03/20/epi...
The War on Hezbollah-The Iranian Terrorist Proxy Continues/LCCC website
The just war being waged by the United States and Israel against Iran and its
proxies—devils, terrorists, drug traffickers, and mafia networks—continues
relentlessly and will not stop before their complete defeat.
To follow the news, below are- links to several
important news websites:
National News Agency (Lebanon)
https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar
Nidaa Al Watan
https://www.nidaalwatan.com/
MTV Lebanon
https://www.mtv.com.lb/
Voice of Lebanon
https://www.vdl.me/
Asas Media
https://asasmedia.com/
Naharnet
https://www.naharnet.com/
Al Markazia News Agency
https://almarkazia.com/ar
LBCI (English)
https://www.lbcgroup.tv/news/en
LBCI (Arabic)
https://www.lbcgroup.tv/news/ar
Janoubia Website
https://www.lbcgroup.tv/news/ar
Kataeb Party Official Website
https://www.kataeb.org
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports
And News published
on April 03-04/2026
Trump briefed on US jet downed
in Iran: White House
LBCI/April 03/2026
President Donald Trump has been briefed about the downing of a U.S. warplane in
Iran that has triggered a major search and rescue operation for the crew, the
White House said Friday."The president has been briefed," White House Press
Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. AFP
Trump says US can take Strait of Hormuz with more time and
control oil
Reuters/03 April/2026
President Donald Trump on Friday said the US can open the Strait of Hormuz with
a little more time. “With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ
STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL,& MAKE A FORTUNE,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Nearly five weeks after it started with a joint US-Israeli aerial assault, the
war in Iran continues to spread chaos across the region and roil financial
markets, raising the pressure on Trump to find a quick resolution to the
conflict.
Iran has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway that carries
about a fifth of the world’s total oil consumption, in retaliation for
US-Israeli strikes that began in late February. Reopening it has become a
priority for governments around the world as energy prices soar. In the speech
on Wednesday night, Trump repeated his threats against Iran’s civilian power
plants and gave no clear timeline for ending hostilities, drawing vows of
retaliation from Iran and depressing share prices.
US jet downed over Iran; one crew reportedly rescued as
search continues for second
Al Arabiya English/03 April /2026
A US warplane has gone down over Iran and US forces have rescued one of the
crew, major US media outlets reported Friday after Iranian media aired footage
of aircraft wreckage. Axios and CBS News, citing unidentified sources, reported
that one of the two crew on the plane had already been rescued by US special
forces but that the search was ongoing for the second crew member. According to
The New York Times and Wall Street Journal, the plane was an F-15E fighter,
which is crewed by a pilot and a weapons-systems officer in the back seat. CNN
also said that analysis of what Iranian media said were photos of the wreckage
showed an F-15, rather than an F-35 stealth fighter, as claimed in some Iranian
reports. US media reported that President Donald Trump had been briefed on the
situation. However, there was no immediate on-the-record response from the White
House or Pentagon to requests for comment. Trump told NBC News later on Friday
that the downing of the American jet would not affect negotiations over ending
the conflict with Iran. US media reported that a search-and-rescue operation was
underway by specialized US forces, following what would be the first known loss
of a jet inside Iran since Trump ordered the war.Photos and video circulating on
social media and Iranian news outlets were cited by major US media outlets as
showing US helicopters and other aircraft flying at low altitude over the
presumed site of the downed fighter jet. With AFP
1 crew member rescued after US fighter jet shot down in
Iran
Associated Press/April 03/2026
A U.S. fighter jet was shot down in Iran on Friday and one crew member was
rescued, officials said, the first aircraft downed since the war began nearly
five weeks ago. It marked a major escalation in the conflict just two days after
President Donald Trump said in a national address that the U.S. has "beaten and
completely decimated Iran" and was "going to finish the job, and we're going to
finish it very fast." The rescue occurred as the U.S. military was conducting a
search operation, a U.S. official and an Israeli official said. Three people
familiar also confirmed that a search had been underway. All spoke on condition
of anonymity to discuss the sensitivity of the situation. No official details
were released. The number of crew on board and the whereabouts of any others
were not immediately known. The circumstances that downed the plane were at
first unclear. But in an email from the Pentagon obtained by The Associated
Press, the U.S. military said it received notification of "an aircraft being
shot down" in the Middle East, without providing more details. Iran fired on
targets across the Mideast on Friday, keeping the pressure on Israel and its
Gulf Arab neighbors, despite U.S. and Israeli insistence that Iran's military
capabilities have been all but destroyed. Iran's attacks on Gulf energy
infrastructure and its tight grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth
of the world's oil and natural gas transits in peacetime, have roiled stock
markets, sent oil prices skyrocketing, and threatened to raise the cost of many
basic goods, including food. Prior to word of the rescue, social media footage
showed American drones, aircraft and helicopters flying over the mountainous
region where a TV channel affiliated with Iranian state television had said
earlier Friday that at least one pilot bailed out of the fighter jet.
An anchor had urged residents to hand over any "enemy pilot" to police and
promised a reward. It was the first time the U.S. has lost aircraft in Iranian
territory during the conflict and could mark a new level of pressure being
placed on the U.S. military. Throughout the war, Iran has made a series of
claims about shooting down piloted enemy aircraft that turned out not to be
true. Friday was the first time that Iran went on television urging the public
to look for a downed pilot. Iranian state media said in a post on X that Iran's
military shot down a U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle. The aircraft is a variation of the
Air Force fighter jet that carries a two-person crew consisting of a pilot and
weapons system officer. Alan Diehl, a former investigator for the Air Force
Safety Center, said the Strike Eagle has an emergency locator beacon in a
survival kit that can be set to activate automatically or manually. The Pentagon
did not respond to repeated requests for comment. White House press secretary
Karoline Leavitt said in a previous statement that Trump had been briefed but
did not offer additional information.
Iran targets a desalination plant and a refinery
News about the fighter jet came after Iran attacked Kuwait's Mina al-Ahmadi oil
refinery. The state-run Kuwait Petroleum Corp. said firefighters were working to
control several blazes. Kuwait also said an Iranian attack caused "material
damage" to a desalination plant. Such plants are responsible for most of the
drinking water for Gulf states, and they have become a major target in the
war.Sirens also sounded in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia said it had destroyed several
Iranian drones, and Israel reported incoming missiles. Authorities in the United
Arab Emirates shut down a gas field after a missile interception reportedly
rained debris on it and started a fire.
Activists reported strikes around Tehran and the central city of Isfahan, but it
wasn't immediately clear what was hit. A day earlier, Iran said the U.S. hit a
major bridge, which was still under construction, killing eight people. More
than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran since the war began on Feb. 28 with
U.S. and Israeli strikes. In a review released Friday, the Armed Conflict
Location and Event Data, a U.S.-based group, said it found that civilian
casualties were clustered around strikes on security and state-linked sites
"rather than indiscriminate bombardment" of urban areas.
More than two dozen people have died in Gulf states and the occupied West Bank,
19 have been reported dead in Israel, and 13 U.S. service members have been
killed.More than 1,300 people have been killed and more than 1 million displaced
in Lebanon. Ten Israeli soldiers have also died there.
Iran is keeping a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz
World leaders have struggled to end Iran's stranglehold on the strait, which has
had far-reaching consequences for the global economy and has proved to be its
greatest strategic advantage in the war. The U.N. Security Council was expected
to take up the matter on Saturday. Trump has vacillated on America's role in the
strait, alternately threatening Iran if it doesn't open the waterway and telling
other nations to "go get your own oil." On Friday, he said in a post on social
media that, "With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE
THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE."
Spot prices of Brent crude, the international standard, were around $109 Friday,
up more than 50% since the start of the war, when Iran began restricting traffic
through the strait.
Israeli PM says 70 percent of Iran’s steel production
capacity destroyed
AFP/03 April/2026
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that Israeli strikes have
destroyed about 70 percent of Iran’s steel production capacity, significantly
hindering its ability to manufacture weapons. Steel is a strategically important
material used in industrial and military production, including of missiles,
drones and ships. “Together with our American friends, we continue to crush the
terror regime in Iran. We are eliminating commanders, bombing bridges, bombing
infrastructures,” Netanyahu said in a video statement. “In recent days, the Air
Force has destroyed 70 percent of Iran’s steel production capacity,” he
said.“This is a tremendous achievement that deprives the Revolutionary Guards of
both financial resources and the ability to produce many weapons.”Iran’s two
largest steel plants have been forced out of action by several waves of US and
Israeli air attacks. Iran’s Khuzestan Steel Company and Mobarakeh Steel Company
have said it would take months for them to restructure the plants.The Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has since launched missile and drone strikes on
industrial areas across the region and Israel in retaliation for the attacks on
the steel plants. IRGC also threatened further retaliation if such attacks
happened again.
Israel resumes operations at gas field shut after Iran war
began
AFP/03 April /2026
Israel has resumed operations at a major natural gas field that had been shut
down since the onset of its war with Iran, a move that had halted exports to
neighboring Egypt and Jordan. At the outbreak of hostilities on February 28,
Israel ordered the suspension of activity at two offshore gas fields – Leviathan
and Karish facilities. Israel’s ministry of energy and infrastructure has now
announced that production at the Leviathan field has been restored. “Following
situation assessments and examination of all relevant considerations, it was
decided at this stage to return the Leviathan rig to operation,” a ministry
statement said. The field had been closed over fears that a strike on a
pressurized, operational installation could have catastrophic consequences.
Since the war began, Iran has targeted several of Israel’s industrial sites,
including the oil refinery complex in Haifa. “The supply of natural gas to the
local economy continues and will now be increased following the integration of
an additional rig into the production system,” the energy ministry said. Despite
wider disruptions to global energy markets following Iran’s effective chokehold
on the Strait of Hormuz, Israel has remained largely insulated from the ensuing
crisis. Both Jordan and Egypt rely heavily on gas from the Leviathan field.
Amman and Cairo had reportedly requested that Israel resume gas exports. Israel
is said to have rejected their requests, prioritizing its own wartime energy
security over regional supply commitments.Following the initial suspension of
Leviathan and Karish fields, the Tamar field became the country’s sole
gas-producing facility. Producing roughly 11 billion cubic meters (BCM) of gas
annually, Tamar nearly covers Israel’s entire domestic consumption of 12 to 13
billion cubic meters of gas per year.
Israel under fire from Iran missiles as Trump issues new
warning
Agence France Presse/April 03/2026
Israel said Friday it was under attack from a new barrage of Iranian missiles,
as President Donald Trump warned the United States had yet to begin "destroying
what's left" with more of the Islamic republic's infrastructure in his sights.
The war started more than a month ago with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran,
triggering retaliation that spread the conflict throughout the Middle East,
convulsing the global economy and impacting millions of people worldwide. The
Strait of Hormuz -- a conduit for one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied
natural gas -- has come into sharp focus after Iran effectively closed it, with
Gulf nations pushing for a force to protect shipping there, but a U.N. vote set
for Friday was delayed. Trump has threatened to bomb Iran "back to the Stone
Ages" and warned U.S. attacks would intensify if Tehran did not reach a
negotiated settlement, while Iran has vowed in response to carry out "crushing"
attacks against the U.S. and Israel. Israel's military reported a new missile
salvo from Iran on Friday, with its air defences operating to down them, but
there were no immediate reports of casualties. Israeli emergency services
reported some damage to houses and cars from an unintercepted cluster missile,
while Israeli military radio said a train station in Tel Aviv was damaged by
shrapnel. The Iranian fire came as Trump said the U.S. military "hasn't even
started destroying what's left in Iran. Bridges next, then Electric Power
Plants!" on his Truth Social platform, several hours after saying Iran's tallest
bridge had been destroyed. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted online
that "striking civilian structures, including unfinished bridges, will not
compel Iranians to surrender."Strikes from both sides have increasingly targeted
economic and industrial sites, raising fears of wider disruption to global
energy supplies and deepening the conflict's impact beyond the battlefield.
New Gulf attacks
Gulf states once seen as safe havens have become direct threats, accused by Iran
of serving as launchpads for U.S. strikes. A drone attack on a refinery owned by
Kuwait's national oil company on Friday sparked fires at several of its units,
state media said, while the oil-rich emirate's air defenses responded to new
missile and drone attacks.Iran said one of its latest attacks a day earlier had
struck targets in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Israel. They included
"American steel industries in Abu Dhabi, American aluminium industries in
Bahrain, and the Rafael arms factories of the Zionist regime", it said. Despite
the ongoing bombardment in Iran, families gathered in Tehran's Melat Park, with
men smoking water pipes and children playing to mark the 13th day after Nowruz,
the Persian New Year, when people traditionally picnic outdoors. A resident said
checkpoints manned by the country's Revolutionary Guards had increased across
the city. "They gather in the streets in order to show people that they are
still in power and nothing is gonna change," said the 30-year-old man, who
requested his name not be used. In Israel, Passover celebrations continued,
though some marked the holiday underground.
"This is not my first choice," said a writer named Jeffrey at a meal in a Tel
Aviv bunker.
Global impact
The war's economic impact is rippling far beyond the Middle East. Oil prices
surged to around $110 a barrel on Thursday after Trump warned of further strikes
on Iran. Oil markets were closed on Friday. Analysts said that Trump's
prime-time address to the nation failed to provide clarity on an exit strategy
from the war, with Deutsche Bank's Jim Reid noting there was "no signal of the
U.S. seeking an imminent off-ramp".The World Bank warned of mounting risks to
inflation, jobs and food security worldwide. Airlines in China are raising fuel
surcharges, Malaysia has asked civil servants to work from home and Pakistan has
sharply raised fuel prices.Even the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is feeling the
strain, with fuel shortages triggering long queues in the capital Thimphu. "We
are helpless," said resident Karma Kalden.Egypt has ordered shops, restaurants
and shopping malls to close from 9:00 pm on weekdays, hoping to curb energy
bills that have more than doubled because of the war.Trump, whose administration
has been accused of giving mixed messages about the war's end game, has
suggested that Tehran's new leadership could prove "more reasonable" in
potential peace talks. Iran has dismissed U.S. overtures as "maximalist and
irrational".
U.N. vote delayed
There was a flurry of diplomatic activity on Thursday over what to do about the
Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has virtually blocked since the war began. It has
impacted global supplies of vital commodities including oil, liquid natural gas
and fertilizer, triggering a sharp rise in energy prices. British Foreign
Secretary Yvette Cooper convened about 40 countries to demand its "immediate and
unconditional" reopening. "Iran is trying to hold the global economy hostage in
the Strait of Hormuz. They must not prevail," Cooper said in a statement.
Underlining the wider repercussions, Italy called for a "humanitarian corridor"
for fertiliser and other essentials through the waterway to avoid a food
disaster in Africa. The U.N. Security Council postponed a vote scheduled for
Friday on authorising the use of "defensive" force to protect shipping in the
strait from Iranian attacks, according to the official program. The 15-member
body was set to vote Friday morning on a draft resolution brought by Bahrain,
but by Thursday night the schedule shifted.The reason given was that the United
Nations observes Good Friday as a public holiday, according to diplomatic
sources -- despite this fact being known when the vote was first announced. No
new date has been given for voting on the draft.
Iran's former top diplomat urges deal with US to end war
Agence France Presse/April 03/2026
Iran should make a deal with the United States to end the war by offering to
curb its nuclear program and reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for
sanctions relief, a former Iranian foreign minister said. Mohammad Javad Zarif,
who served as foreign minister from 2013-2021, claimed in an op-ed for American
journal Foreign Affairs that Tehran had the "upper hand" in the conflict against
the US and Israel, but argued Iran needed to stop the war to prevent the loss of
more civilian lives and damage to infrastructure. "Iran should use its upper
hand not to keep fighting but to declare victory and make a deal that both ends
this conflict and prevents the next one," Zarif said in the piece published late
Thursday. "It should offer to place limits on its nuclear program and to reopen
the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for an end to all sanctions -- a deal
Washington wouldn't take before but might accept now," he added.
Iran should also be prepared to accept a mutual "nonaggression pact" with the
United States, as well as economic relations, he said. Tehran and Washington
have had no diplomatic ties since shortly after the 1979 Islamic
revolution.Zarif, one of the architects of the now moribund 2015 deal over the
Iranian nuclear programme, is seen as a relative moderate within the Islamic
republic elite, but has no official post in the current government.However this
is one of the first times during this conflict that a high profile figure in
Iran has called for a deal and an end to the war, with top military and
political officials urging daily for fighting to continue until the U.S. is
defeated. U.S. President Donald Trump has evoked ongoing talks with Tehran
without giving details but also threatened to send the country "back to the
stone ages" if it fails to agree terms. "As an Iranian, outraged by Donald
Trump's reckless aggression and crude insults, yet proud of our armed forces and
resilient people, I am torn about publishing this peace-plan in Foreign
Affairs," Zarif wrote in English on X Friday. "Yet I'm convinced that war must
end on terms consistent with Iran's national interests," he added. Zarif in the
Foreign Affairs piece warned that "although continuing to fight the United
States and Israel might be psychologically satisfying, it will lead only to the
further destruction of civilian lives and infrastructure."
Blowing up bridges ‘will not compel Iranians to surrender,’
top diplomat says
Associated Press/April 03/2026
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday evening that striking
civilian infrastructure “only conveys the defeat and moral collapse of an enemy
in disarray.”
Araghci’s comments came after Trump shared footage on social media of a section
of a bridge collapsing in Iran, threatening more attacks. Araghci’s post on X
contained a photo of what appeared to be the same bridge.“Every bridge and
building will be built back stronger. What will never recover: damage to
America’s standing,” he wrote.
One dead after debris from intercepted attack hits Abu Dhabi gas site
Al Arabiya English/03 April/2026
One Egyptian citizen was killed and four people suffered minor injuries after
debris from an intercepted attack fell on Abu Dhabi’s Habshan gas facilities on
Friday, Abu Dhabi’s media office said. The Egyptian was killed during the
evacuation of the site, while four others – two Egyptians and two Pakistanis –
sustained minor injuries, the media office said. “Significant damage has
occurred at the facilities and an assessment is ongoing,” it added. The ongoing
conflict began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched
strikes on Iran that killed its supreme leader, triggering a broader regional
war. Tehran has since responded with drone and missile attacks across the
region, including strikes on neighboring countries that say they are not
involved and have not allowed their territory to be used for attacks.Several
Arab and Islamic countries – including all GCC members – have faced repeated
Iranian strikes since the conflict began.
Pakistan-led efforts for US-Iran ceasefire reportedly hit dead end
Al Arabiya English/03 April/2026
Efforts by regional countries, led by Pakistan, to broker a ceasefire between
the United States and Iran have reached a dead end, the Wall Street Journal
reported on Friday, citing mediators. Iran has told mediators it is unwilling to
meet US officials in Islamabad in the coming days and considers Washington’s
demands unacceptable, the report said. Turkey and Egypt are continuing efforts
to find a way forward and are considering alternative venues for talks,
including Doha and Istanbul, along with new proposals to break the deadlock.
Citing officials familiar with the matter and mediators, the Journal also
reported that Qatar is resisting efforts by the United States and other regional
countries to take on a leading mediation role in potential ceasefire talks with
Iran, complicating efforts to move negotiations forward. The Gulf state – which
has been repeatedly targeted by Iran since the war began on February 28 – told
US officials last week it was not keen on playing a central role in the
mediation or lead the effort, the report said.US President Donald Trump said
earlier this week on social media that Iran had requested a ceasefire, a claim
Tehran denied. At the outset of the latest diplomatic push, Iran said it would
only agree to end the war if the United States paid reparations, withdrew from
its Middle East bases, and provided guarantees against future attacks, among
other demands.
Saudi Crown Prince meets Italy’s Meloni
Al Arabiya English/03 April /2026
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
on Friday, after she arrived in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah. Meloni began a
visit to Saudi Arabia on Friday as part of a Gulf tour to boost “national energy
security,” AFP reported, citing a government source, as the Middle East war
rages. Meloni began her unannounced trip in Jeddah, the source said, adding that
she was the first leader of a European Union or NATO country to visit the region
since the war began on February 28.The source said the premier would meet
officials from Saudi Arabia, as well as from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates,
though it was not immediately clear if she would also visit those two countries.
All three countries have been targeted by Iranian drone and missile strikes in
retaliation for the US-Israeli bombardment of Iran. “The aim is to strengthen
relations with these countries and repeat Italy’s support against Iranian
attacks,” the source said.“The mission is also aimed at strengthening national
energy security,” the source said, adding that the Gulf was a “crucial source of
oil and gas for Italy.”Italy is highly dependent on energy imports and has been
eyeing rising energy prices with growing concern.The government has cut fuel
excise taxes until May 1 in a bid to contain petrol price rises. Meloni on March
25 visited Algeria, which already provides around 30 percent of Italy’s natural
gas, in the hope of increasing gas imports. She is also one of the European
leaders closest to US President Donald Trump and has sought to bridge the
European and US positions. But, in line with European allies, Meloni has
repeatedly said that Italy does not want to join in the war effort despite
Trump’s encouragement.“I continue to believe that, geopolitically, Europe does
not have much to gain from a widening gap with the United States,” she was
quoted by Italian media as saying on Friday. “But our job is above all to defend
our national interests, and when we disagree we have to say so. And this time we
do not agree,” she said. Trump has urged countries affected by Iran’s selective
blockade of the Strait of Hormuz to intervene to free up the vital waterway.The
shipping route accounted for around a quarter of the global seaborne oil trade
and 20 percent of liquefied natural gas supplies before the war. With AFP
Putin, Erdogan urge immediate Middle East ceasefire,
Kremlin says
AFP/03 April/2026
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan
called for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East war during a phone call on
Friday, the Kremlin said. The war started over a month ago with US-Israeli
strikes on Iran, triggering a conflict throughout the Middle East that has
convulsed the global economy and impacted millions of people worldwide. “The
leaders noted their shared positions on the need for an immediate ceasefire and
the development of compromise peace agreements that take into account the
legitimate interests of all states in the region,” a Kremlin statement said. “It
was noted that intense military action is leading to serious negative
consequences not only regionally but also globally, including in the areas of
energy, trade, and logistics,” it added. Putin and Erdogan also discussed “the
importance of coordinated measures to comprehensively ensure security in the
Black Sea area,” Kremlin said, accusing Ukraine of “attempts to target gas
transportation infrastructure linking Russia and Turkey.”On Thursday, Russian
forces repelled a drone attack on part of the TurkStream gas pipeline that
connects southern Russia and Turkey, the pipeline’s operator Gazprom said.
Several European countries, including Hungary, Slovakia and Serbia, receive gas
supplies via the pipeline. Russia has accused Ukraine of attacking it multiple
times, most recently in March. Ukraine has struck Russian energy infrastructure
throughout the nearly four-year war, in a bid to sap Moscow’s ability to finance
its offensive.Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities have cut power and
heating to millions of people since the beginning of its full-scale assault in
2022.
Zelenskyy says Ukraine can help unblock Strait of Hormuz
AFP/03 April/2026
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in remarks made public Friday said his
country could help unblock the Strait of Hormuz, whose closure by Iran has
rattled the global economy. Iran has placed a stranglehold on the key shipping
lane -- threatening fuel supplies and roiling the global economy -- in
retaliation for US-Israeli strikes that triggered the Middle East war. "No one
has involved us specifically in the issue of the Strait of Hormuz. During my
visits, I told representatives of the Middle East and Gulf countries: Ukraine is
ready to help with everything related to defense," Zelenskyy said. He was
speaking to a small group of journalists, including AFP, on Thursday. He did not
specify how Ukraine could contribute, but cited Kyiv's experience in restoring
passage through the Black Sea, which Russia had blocked at the beginning of its
invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine has feared being sidelined as the world turns its
attention to the war in the Middle East. Kyiv has sought to leverage its
expertise in fighting off the Russian invasion, as Ukraine's armed forces have
been downing Russian drones similar to those used by Iran in attacks on Gulf
nations.Last week Zelenskyy visited several Middle Eastern countries and signed
defense agreements with Qatar and Saudi Arabia. "I believe that we have changed
the attitude of the Middle East and the Gulf region toward Ukraine for many
years ahead," Zelenskyy said.
News of
the ongoing war between Iran on one side and the US and Israel on the other. The
news is abundant, fragmented, and difficult to keep track of as it evolves
constantly. For those wishing to follow the course of the war, the following are
links to several television channels and newspapers:
Asharq Al-Awsat Newspaper
https://aawsat.com/
National News Agency
https://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/ar
Al Arabiya/Arabic
https://www.alarabiya.net/
Sky News
https://www.youtube.com/@SkyNewsArabia
Nidaa Al Watan
https://www.nidaalwatan.com/
Al Markazia
https://www.nidaalwatan.com/
Al Hadath
https://www.youtube.com/@AlHadath
Independent Arabia
https://www.independentarabia.com/
The Latest
LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on April 03-04/2026
Iran and proxies fire fewer total projectiles, increase accuracy in attacks on
region
Ahmad Sharawi/ FDD's Long War Journal/April 03/2026
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2026/04/iran-and-proxies-fire-fewer-total-projectiles-increase-accuracy-in-attacks-on-region-march-28-april-1-updates.php
Iran and its allied militias continued launching drones, missiles, and rockets
against regional countries between March 28 and April 1. There were nearly 90
incidents in this period, including distinct mass barrage events involving more
than 20 ballistic missiles and 30–40 drones across multiple waves in the United
Arab Emirates, alongside repeated barrages in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
Unlike the opening phase of the war, which began on February 28, when larger
numbers of systems were often launched but with more uneven results, the strikes
over the past few days demonstrated greater accuracy, repeatedly hitting
airports, energy infrastructure, ports, and telecommunications hubs. The
effectiveness of these attacks also increased, with more frequent infrastructure
disruption, casualties, and damaging secondary effects from intercepted
projectiles.
The following is an account of the attacks conducted by Iran and its affiliated
militias against Arab states between March 28 and April 1.
March 28
In Oman, two drones struck the port of Salalah, damaging a crane and injuring a
foreign worker.
In Saudi Arabia, authorities reported intercepting a ballistic missile over
Riyadh, alongside multiple drone interceptions in the Eastern Province and
Riyadh, including groups of three and two drones.
In Qatar, air defenses intercepted a wave of drones launched from Iran.
In Bahrain, Iranian drones targeted industrial facilities in Al Hidd, while
Bahraini forces intercepted a large-scale barrage consisting of 23 drones and 20
missiles across five different waves.
In Kuwait, multiple drones struck Kuwait International Airport, causing
significant damage to the airport’s radar system.
In the United Arab Emirates, authorities reported one of the largest
interception events to date. Air defenses engaged 20 ballistic missiles and 37
drones across three waves. Shrapnel from an intercepted missile ignited fires in
the Khalifa Economic Zones in Abu Dhabi, injuring five people.
In Iraq, drone activity targeted both military and energy infrastructure. A
drone struck the Majnoon oil field without detonating. Additional drones
targeted Baghdad International Airport near the US diplomatic support center,
while others were intercepted over Balad Air Base.
In Iraqi Kurdistan, drone attacks and interceptions were widespread. A drone
struck near the residence of KRG President Nechirvan Barzani in Duhok. Other
drones were intercepted over Erbil and Duhok, including the US consulate in
Erbil, while additional strikes disrupted TV broadcasting in Khalifan. Iranian
missile and drone strikes also targeted a civilian camp affiliated with the
Democratic Party of Kurdistan (PDKI) opposition group.
In Syria, drones launched from Iraq targeted the Tanf base, though all were
intercepted.
March 29
In the United Arab Emirates, authorities reported multiple interception events,
including waves involving 16 ballistic missiles and 42 drones, alongside
additional unspecified barrages.
In Saudi Arabia, air defenses intercepted 10 drones and a cruise missile in the
Eastern Province.
In Kuwait, attacks targeted both civilian and military infrastructure. A
warehouse belonging to a private logistics company was struck, while separate
drone attacks targeted a Kuwaiti military camp, injuring 10 personnel.
In Bahrain, air defenses intercepted additional waves, including six drones.
In Qatar, another drone attack originating from Iran was intercepted.
In Jordan, authorities intercepted a missile and two drones, while recording 26
incidents of falling debris that damaged three vehicles.
In Iraq, drone strikes intensified around key infrastructure. A drone struck
near the US Embassy in Baghdad, while others targeted the Baiji refinery and the
American Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center at Baghdad International Airport.
In Iraqi Kurdistan, drone attacks targeted opposition-linked and international
sites, including Komala party positions and the former United Nations
headquarters in Sulaymaniyah. Additional drones targeted Erbil International
Airport and were intercepted.
In Syria, multiple drones struck the Qasrak base, a key US position in the
northeastern part of the country.
March 30
In Saudi Arabia, air defenses intercepted two and five drones in separate
incidents, along with five ballistic missiles in the Eastern Province.
In Jordan, authorities intercepted five missiles and a drone, while recording 20
incidents of falling debris and one injury.
In the United Arab Emirates, air defenses continued to confront large-scale
attacks, including waves involving 11 missiles and 27 drones. Additionally, a
drone strike hit the Thuraya Telecom Gateway in Sharjah.
The Kuwaiti Ministry of Electricity and Water claimed that an Iranian attack
targeted a desalination and power plant in Kuwait. One Indian national was
killed.
The Bahraini Defense Forces claimed that it intercepted seven drones and eight
missiles.
In Iraq, attacks continued to focus on US-linked and military targets. Rockets
struck Baghdad International Airport, damaging an Iraqi Air Force aircraft and
injuring a civilian. Additional drone strikes targeted the same airport and
locations in Babil.
In Iraqi Kurdistan, drones targeted the former UN headquarters in Sulaymaniyah,
causing structural damage, while additional drones were intercepted over Erbil
International Airport.
March 31
On March 31, Iran and its affiliated militias sustained a high tempo of
operations, launching coordinated drone and missile attacks across at least six
countries, with a concentration on the Gulf and Iraq theaters.
Air defenses in Saudi Arabia intercepted at least 12 drones and eight ballistic
missiles across multiple locations, including Riyadh and the Eastern Province.
Debris from an intercepted drone in Al Kharj struck three homes and injured two
civilians.
In the United Arab Emirates, one of the largest engagements of the day saw
authorities confront eight ballistic missiles, four cruise missiles, and 36
drones, with debris falling in residential areas of Dubai, damaging property and
injuring four individuals.
In Jordan, four missiles were intercepted, but falling debris caused 17 separate
incidents.
In Kuwait, air defenses intercepted at least six missiles and eight drones
across multiple barrages.
In Bahrain, authorities reported intercepting two drones.
Meanwhile, in Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan, attacks focused on U.S.-linked and
energy-related targets. Drones struck the American Baghdad Diplomatic Support
Center in Baghdad International Airport and the West Qurna 1 oil field, while
additional drones were intercepted targeting Balad Air Base and Erbil
International Airport. Interceptions over Erbil caused damage in residential
areas and injured civilians, including children.
April 1
In Saudi Arabia, air defenses intercepted at least four drones in separate
incidents.
In Qatar, authorities intercepted two cruise missiles, but a separate cruise
missile successfully struck an oil tanker leased to QatarEnergy in the country’s
territorial waters.
In the United Arab Emirates, air defenses intercepted five ballistic missiles
and 35 drones, with debris from interceptions killing one individual in Fujairah
and falling in populated areas in Umm al Quwain.
In Bahrain, a drone strike hit Batelco, the country’s main telecommunications
company hosting Amazon Web Services infrastructure, causing a fire, while
Bahraini forces intercepted 19 drones and four missiles.
In Kuwait, authorities intercepted 15 drones and three cruise missiles, along
with an additional six drones and two drones in separate interception events. A
separate drone strike hit fuel depots operated by the Kuwait Aviation Fueling
Company at Kuwait International Airport.
In Jordan, air defenses intercepted one missile and two drones, while
authorities recorded six incidents of falling debris.
Meanwhile, in Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan, attacks by Iranian-backed groups in the
country concentrated on US-linked assets and energy infrastructure. Two drones
struck inside the Baghdad International Airport complex near the American
Diplomatic Support Center, while additional drone strikes hit the Castrol oil
warehouse near Erbil and the Sarsang oil field, both causing fires. Air defenses
also intercepted drones targeting Kurdish Peshmerga positions in Sulaymaniyah.
*Ahmad Sharawi is a senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies focused on Iranian intervention in Arab affairs and the Levant.
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2026/04/iran-and-proxies-fire-fewer-total-projectiles-increase-accuracy-in-attacks-on-region-march-28-april-1-updates.php
Read in FDD's Long War Journal
Has Al Jazeera Changed Its Editorial Direction?
Ahmad Sharawi and Natalie Ecanow/Real Clear World/April 03/2026
https://www.realclearworld.com/articles/2026/04/02/has_al_jazeera_changed_its_editorial_direction_1174198.html
Veteran Al Jazeera analyst Leqaa Makki threw viewers a curveball during a recent
news segment. He advocated for an escalation against Iran. A familiar face on
the network since 2003, Makki argued that strategic sites, including power
plants, electricity infrastructure and assets that would make ordinary Iranians
“feel the impact of the war” should be hit, to potentially turn against them
against the regime.
This is not language that is expected from Al Jazeera, which is better known for
promoting the talking points of its state backer, Qatar. But the Iran war is
teaching us to expect the unexpected.
There is no single Al Jazeera line on this war, and no editorial spine through
its English opinion pages, Arabic website, and rolling live coverage. Instead,
the network has fractured into a platform where competing instincts about Iran,
the Persian Gulf, and the costs of war are colliding.
Qatar has long regarded the Islamic Republic a “sisterly” regime, but there are
indications that the war with Iran could mark a falling out. Qatar dismantled
two Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) cells on March 3 allegedly tasked
with “espionage missions” and “sabotage activities.” On March 18, Doha expelled
Iran’s military and security attaches. Al Jazeera published an op-ed that week
that spoke positively of American and Israeli strategy — a remarkable shift in
tone from a state-owned outlet that has historically promoted the terrorist
group Hamas.
Al Jazeera presents itself as an independent, professional news organization. In
practice, however, its editorial line has consistently aligned with Qatar’s
foreign policy priorities. Across regional crises, the network — reaching an
audience of roughly 430 million people, rarely departs from Doha’s preferred
narrative. And it dares not criticize the Qatari government. Al Jazeera mounted
scathing coverage of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates during the
four-year blockade that Riyadh and Abu Dhabi imposed on Qatar. After the October
7, 2023, attack on Israel, it amplified Hamas’ perspective. In both cases, its
coverage tracked closely with Qatari policy positions.
The current war posed a unique test. Qatar itself has come under sustained
Iranian drone and missile attacks. In fact, after weathering nearly three weeks
of Iranian strikes, Qatar reportedly arrested three Al Jazeera journalists for
supporting Iran. At least one denied the rumors and claimed that she is “living
safely” in Doha. Nevertheless, whatever their validity, these rumors contribute
to a growing uncertainty about Qatar’s position in this war. And that
uncertainty translates to Doha’s mouthpiece.
After encouraging escalation against Iran, Makki went further, warning of
Iranian expansionism and suggesting that Tehran could move to seize Arab islands
in the Gulf. Viewers flooded the comments section below the video with anger,
some accusing the network of abandoning its identity altogether. One response
read, “as if you’re listening to a Zionist analyst,” another said “who is this
Zionist mouthpiece? Al Jazeera is destroying what it built for 30 years.”
Another viewer stated that the segment was “a major blunder at a major channel
like Al Jazeera.”
Other analysts on the network have begun urging Gulf states to definitively
choose a side in this war, a position that cuts directly against both Qatar’s
diplomatic posture. The argument, increasingly voiced on air, is that hedging
did not shield the Gulf. Even Qatar, the quintessential intermediary, has found
itself under fire. Al Jazeera has also ventured into how the Islamic Republic
manages dissent at home. In a short explainer video, the network examined
Tehran’s repeated use of internet shutdowns during waves of protest. The segment
made a pointed argument that these blackouts are about controlling the narrative
and obscuring the regime’s violence against its people from the outside world,
as well as its dismantling of the infrastructure of the social movements
themselves. In the comments, viewers pushed back sharply, accusing the network
of selective scrutiny. One user wrote:
“Al Jazeera — what about Israel? What about the human and material losses
there?” another used said “Iran knows the internet is controlled by the United
States, and it’s easy to incite unrest through it, so it cut that channel — and
that is the rational decision. I’ve become convinced this channel is a tool of
American-Zionist psychological warfare against Arab peoples.”
Criticism of Iran has not been confined to Al Jazeera’s live coverage. Across
both its English and Arabic opinion pages, a steady stream of op-eds has
sharpened the case against Tehran. Some authors argue bluntly that “Iran is
serving Israel’s interests by attacking Arab countries,” while others warn that
a premature end to the war would risk “creating a strategic vacuum in an already
volatile region,” one that would allow Iran to rebuild its capabilities and
refine new forms of indirect pressure.
At the same time, Al Jazeera has not abandoned its long-standing critique of
Israel or the United States. If anything, its Arabic opinion pages have doubled
down — offering a steady stream of commentary that places Israel at the center
of the conflict’s origin and consequences.
On Al Jazeera’s Arabic news website, the war in Iran doesn’t dominate the
homepage. Instead, the front page feels crowded with other urgent matters —
dispatches from Gaza, updates on tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and
reporting on Lebanon’s humanitarian crisis. Surprisingly, there are fewer
reports about Iran’s attacks against the Arab states.
Yet, when the network turns its focus into Iran, there’s a shift in the tone.
One report, built around voices gathered from Tehran, offers a rare window into
public sentiment inside a country where few international outlets maintain a
consistent presence. In it, Al Jazeera captures a society recalibrating under
pressure.
An academic interviewed by the network says that only months earlier, many of
her students had been in the streets protesting the regime. But now, she says,
the U.S.–Israeli strikes have stirred something deeper — national sentiment.
“Many of my students were protesting just months ago,” she explains, “but the
attack awakened their sense of patriotism.
In the same report, a conversation with a couple unfolded a microcosm of Iran’s
internal debate. “This system cannot continue,” the man says. “It is hostile to
the world and even to its own people. We are waiting for the Shah’s son to
restore what we have lost over five decades.”
His wife warned that regime change, especially in the Middle East, rarely
unfolds cleanly. More often, it leaves countries shattered. “We do not want our
country to become scorched earth,” she says.
The inconsistency continues. One op-ed by Columbia University professor Hamid
Dabashi, a pro-regime scholar, lays outthe argument that the ultimate
responsibility for strikes on Iranian civilians is Washington’s, and more
pointedly, Israel’s. The author contends that “the roots of this renewed war
against Iran do not lie in the United States; rather, they lie in Israel,’ which
the author describes as having evolved into “a forward military outpost for a
faltering American empire.”
It is clear is that neither Al Jazeera nor Qatar is ready to place their bets.
The tiny Gulf nation’s former prime minister indicated as much when he told “the
Iranian leadership” on March 18 that the Qataris “have never been your enemies.”
Qatar opposed the first Trump administration’s maximum pressure campaign and
decision to designate the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization, and twice
welcomed the IRGC to the biennial Doha International Maritime Defense
Exhibition, where the Guard Corps flaunted technologies used against American
and Israeli targets. Nonetheless, successive U.S. administrations have tapped
Qatar to mediate with Iran — including a 2023 deal that saw the U.S. unfreeze
and deposit $6 billion of Iranian oil revenue into accounts in Qatar.
Lobbying to prematurely deescalate and keep the Islamic Republic alive, in other
words, would be more consistent with Qatar’s record.
Analysts have long understood that Qatar plays both arsonist and firefighter.
Qatar certainly did not ignite this conflict, but hedging remains Doha’s
preferred strategy. Al Jazeera’s tonal shift is notable and should earn Qatar
some credit, but what’s clearest from this shift is that Qatar’s own positions
remain muddied at best.
*Ahmad Sharawi and Natalie Ecanow are senior research analysts at the Foundation
for Defense of Democracies. Follow Ahmad on X @AhmadA_Sharawi. Follow Natalie on
X @NatalieEcanow. Follow FDD on X @FDD.
What is Easter Sunday?
gotquestions.org/April 03/2026
Easter Sunday, or Resurrection Sunday, is one of the most significant Christian
holidays on the calendar. The day commemorates the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus Christ, who showed Himself alive after three days in the tomb. The first
Easter Sunday changed everything, and every Easter Sunday after that reflects
the joy, amazement, and worship those early disciples had when they first saw
the risen Lord.
Luke gives the account of what transpired that first Easter Sunday as the women
followers of Jesus discovered the empty tomb: “On the first day of the week,
very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went
to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they
entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering
about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside
them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but
the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not
here; he has risen!’” (Luke 24:1–6).
The Bible teaches that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was a physical raising
of His body back to life (see Luke 24:39). Easter Sunday proved Jesus’ deity,
confirmed His prophecies, validated the Scriptures, triumphed over the forces of
evil, provided for our justification (Romans 4:25), and guaranteed the
resurrection of all who trust in Christ.
Like Christmas, Easter Sunday is observed in various ways, religious and
secular. On the secular side, Easter Sunday involves visits from the Easter
Bunny (or the Easter Bilby in Australia); dyed eggs, hidden to be found later
(or hung from trees in Germany); new clothes; family meals; and lots of candy.
On the religious side, Easter Sunday is about worshiping Jesus, attending
church—including sunrise services—singing praises, and reading Scripture.
Christians often refer to Easter Sunday as Resurrection Sunday to emphasize the
reason for the day’s observance.
Easter Sunday comes in the spring of each year (or in the autumn in the southern
hemisphere) in March or April (or, in the Eastern Orthodox Church, in April or
May). Easter always roughly corresponds to the Jewish celebration of Passover,
since Jesus was slain at Passover time (Luke 22:15; John 13:1; cf. 1 Corinthians
5:7) and rose again three days later. Indeed, Easter is sometimes called Pascha,
a word derived from the Hebrew pesach, meaning “Passover.”
Easter Sunday marks the end of Holy Week, the end of Lent, and the last day of
the Easter Triduum (which starts the evening of Maundy Thursday and continues
through Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday). On the liturgical
calendar, Easter Sunday marks the beginning of the Easter season, a 50-day
period that includes the Easter octave (the first eight days of the Easter
season), the following five Sundays, the Ascension of the Lord, and Pentecost
Sunday. Various churches, including Roman Catholic churches, observe everything
from Lent through Pentecost. Other churches observe Easter Sunday and possibly
mark Good Friday. It’s not a matter of legalistic obligation but of conscience:
“One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every
day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind” (Romans
14:5).
Whatever date Easter falls, it is always on a Sunday. All of the Gospels state
that Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week (Matthew 28:1; Mark
16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1, 19). And that event is foundational to all we
believe as Christians: “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless
and so is your faith. . . . And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is
futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:14, 17).
Jesus’ resurrection is certainly worthy of being celebrated (see 1 Corinthians
15). Whether we use the term Easter or Resurrection Day or Pascha, it is good to
commemorate the event that sealed our salvation and changed the world forever.
However we choose to celebrate Easter Sunday, we should not allow the associated
fun and games to distract our attention from what the day is truly all about—the
glorious resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Christ Himself should be
celebrated every day, not just Easter Sunday. He is the Resurrection and the
Life (John 11:25), and He is worthy of praise more than once a year.
To learn more about how Jesus’ death and resurrection provided for our
salvation, please read the following article: What does it mean to accept Jesus
as your personal Savior?
Islamic State Weaponising Social Media for Radicalisation:
Exploding Threat in the Indo-Pacific
Rahul Mishra, Harshit Prajapati and Prisie L. Patnayak/Gatestone Institute/April
3, 2026
Purveyors of radical content, to reach a wider audience, have overtaken the
non-confrontational format through memes, commentary video reels and influencer
content. Extremist propaganda is being repackaged in local languages. Algorithms
on these social media platforms serve as amplifiers for radical content.
Although concealed as individual efforts, they were systematically planned and
organised. Encrypted messaging platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp, TamTam,
Threema and Hoop are being used by extremists to communicate and plan
activities.
According to media reports, 54% of terrorism-related arrests in Malaysia involve
support for Islamic State via online platforms.
Terrorist organisations such as Jamaat-e-Islami have deeply penetrated
Bangladeshi society -- aided and abetted by Pakistan's Inter-Services
Intelligence.
In Afghanistan, Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K, or ISKP) and Al-Qaeda
resurfaced when the Taliban regime took over the country after the United States
fled. The entire region is plagued by the online propaganda of terrorist
organisations.
In the region, to address the threat of cross-border terror finance and
radicalisation on private social media platforms, countries urgently need to
develop region-wide legal and cybersecurity frameworks.
At the global level, like-minded countries need deeper cooperation with
intelligence and law enforcement agencies, and stronger collaborative efforts
that cut across government agencies, non-governmental organisations, tech
companies and civil society organisations.
Cyber-enabled terrorism has become a critical national security issue for
countries in the Indo-Pacific region, especially in India's Jammu and Kashmir,
the wider Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, where end-to-end encrypted
messaging platforms and online recruitment have connected a substantial
percentage of Muslim youths to Islamist terror networks. Pictured: Indian
security forces in Kashmir inspect the site of a terrorist attack carried out by
the Pakistani terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed, in which 40 Indian troops were
killed, on February 14, 2019. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)
Cyber-enabled terrorism has become a critical national security issue for
countries in the Indo-Pacific region, especially in India's Jammu and Kashmir,
the wider Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, where end-to-end encrypted
messaging platforms and online recruitment have connected a substantial
percentage of Muslim youths to Islamist terror networks.
Purveyors of radical content, to reach a wider audience, have overtaken the
non-confrontational format through memes, commentary video reels and influencer
content. Extremist propaganda is being repackaged in local languages. Algorithms
on these social media platforms serve as amplifiers for radical content. This
has led to so-called "self-radicalisation," in turn giving birth to "lone wolf "
attackers who carry out political violence without direct support or instruction
from an established terrorist network.
Fake news and propaganda serve as powerful tools that coax vulnerable
individuals to violence, often in the name of religion or a dystopian agenda.
Terrorist groups have traditionally relied on disseminating extremist and
violent ideologies. The influence of social media cannot be overstated.
Social media -- low-cost, fast, globally connected -- have enabled terrorist
organisations to leverage the internet for ideological propaganda, recruitment,
mobilisation, and executing terror attacks.
Propagating extremist ideology through social media with the aim of mass-radicalisation
has been carried out by utilising emotional and psychological manipulation to
target children as young as 12.
In the Indo-Pacific, the Islamic State (ISIS), its sympathisers, and other
fringe groups are at the forefront of running such campaigns. Global events like
the Hamas-Israel war, triggered by the October 7, 2023 invasion of Israel, have
become a powerful catalyst for extremist narratives. Contrary to popular
perception, the Islamic State is not just active in the region; it is getting
stronger. It has modified its operating framework and now delegates operational
autonomy to local terrorist groups while retaining ideological authority and a
degree of oversight.
This pattern could be seen both in Australia's Bondi Beach attack on December
14, 2025 and the Red Fort attack in New Delhi, India on November 10, 2025:
social media platforms were systematically weaponised to radicalise individuals
to launch terrorist attacks. Although concealed as individual efforts, they were
systematically planned and organised.
Rising Online Extremism
The Indian subcontinent is one region that has witnessed the dramatic fallout of
this radicalisation. By 2024, ISIS online networks had expanded to include
countries such as India and Bangladesh, enabling ISIS to influence populations
through secure communication channels. India has been gravely affected by the
expansion of the ISIS's radicalisation efforts, especially by Pakistan-based
terror organisations, such as the Resistance Front (a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba)
and the People's Anti-Fascist Front (a proxy of Jaish-e-Mohammad). Islamist
radicalisation also expanded in Bangladesh under the 2024-2026 regime of
President Muhammad Yunus, who tacitly promoted radical Islamic ideology and
organisations that persecute minorities. Even though Yunus was replaced by
Tarique Rahman in the February 2026 elections, the threat of cross-border
terrorism remains high.
Terrorist organisations such as Jamaat-e-Islami have deeply penetrated
Bangladeshi society -- aided and abetted by Pakistan's Inter-Services
Intelligence.
In Afghanistan, Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISIS-K, or ISKP) and Al-Qaeda
resurfaced when the Taliban regime took over the country after the United States
fled. The entire region is plagued by the online propaganda of terrorist
organisations.
A similar trend of online radicalisation can also be observed in Southeast Asia.
According to a report by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism,
nearly a quarter of Malaysians and 22% of Indonesians rely on social media
platforms such as TikTok for news. Terrorist groups in Southeast Asia are
increasingly utilizing this online ecosystem to propagandise and raise funds.
Encrypted messaging platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp, TamTam, Threema and
Hoop are being used by extremists to communicate and plan activities.
According to media reports, 54% of terrorism-related arrests in Malaysia involve
support for Islamic State via online platforms. ISIS-K has used Malaysia's
digital landscape to disseminate radical ideology throughout Southeast Asia. In
Indonesia alone, the National Counter-Terrorism Agency recorded over 180,000
items of extremist content circulating online just in 2024.
Pro-ISIS media networks, such as the At-Tamkin Malay Media Foundation have
apparently been using digital platforms to incite violence and recruit
supporters. In February 2024, the Al-Aan Foundation created a recruitment video
openly calling on Malaysians to "rise up" for oppressed Muslims. In Indonesia,
around 181 terror-linked non-profit organisations are known to channel money to
these groups.
Use of Online Platforms in the Red Fort Attack
According to media reports, the terrorists involved in the Red Fort attack in
India were radicalised by social media. As the perpetrators were all
well-educated, the attack has been called "white-collar terrorism" -- as if that
makes it acceptable.
Social media platforms also appear to have played a crucial role in executing
the attack. The terrorists reportedly relied on the Swiss messaging app Threema
for secure communication. Threema is known for its strong privacy features,
including end-to-end encryption, no metadata storage, and message deletion on
both ends – presumably so that forensic investigators will find it hard to
determine the communication chain. To share information, the terrorists also use
"dead drop mail," which involves writing drafts but not sending them, thereby
leaving minimal digital movement.
The Way Forward
The good news is that many countries in the region might finally be waking up to
the danger of uncontrolled social media platforms. Australia recently introduced
a new law to protect young adults from social media exploitation. Malaysia's
Online Safety Act 2025 went into effect on January 1, 2026. Singapore's
Maintenance of Racial Harmony Bill, tabled in 2025, aims to curb race-based
hatred and divisions, while Indonesia's 2024 SAMAN System & Child Protection has
provisions to penalise those who do not remove terrorism-related content after
it is reported. A new chapter to the law has been recently added to strengthen
its provisions. India, for its part, blocked 9,845 URLs promoting radicalisation
and terrorist agendas in 2025 alone.
It is important that governments focus not only on known extremists, but also on
patterns of online behaviour and long-duration radicalisation trajectories. The
UN-led "Media and Information Literacy" initiative, and civil society group-led
campaigns such as India's Media Information Literacy Awareness and Action
Program (MILAP), meant to combat the spread of online radicalisation, extremist
ideology, and misinformation, are crucial in disrupting the pathway to
radicalisation. Governments need to cooperate with technology companies and
non-governmental organisations to remove extremist material and address
algorithm issues.
In the region, to address the threat of cross-border terror finance and
radicalisation on private social media platforms, countries urgently need to
develop region-wide legal and cybersecurity frameworks.
At the global level, like-minded countries need deeper cooperation with
intelligence and law enforcement agencies, and stronger collaborative efforts
that cut across government agencies, non-governmental organisations, tech
companies and civil society organisations.
**Dr. Rahul Mishra is an Associate Professor at the Centre for Indo-Pacific
Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New
Delhi, India, and a Senior Research Fellow at the German-Southeast Asian Center
of Excellence for Public Policy and Good Governance, Thammasat University,
Thailand. He can be reached at rahul.seas@gmail.com X Handle: @rahulmishr_
Prisie L. Patnayak and Harshit Prajapati are doctoral candidates at the Centre
for Indo-Pacific Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru
University, India.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22404/islamic-state-social-media-india-south-asia
© 2026 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.
Why an Arab national security force will never work
Mamdouh AlMuhaini/Al Arabiya English/03 April /2026
It is natural, during major crises like the one we are experiencing now, for new
ideas to emerge or for old ones to be revived. One of the most frequently
discussed ideas these days is the call to establish a unified Arab national
security force.
But the best thing proponents of this idea could do is stop promoting it. In
reality, it is not a viable concept, neither in theory nor in practice. This is
why Gulf states have not adopted it, despite facing direct Iranian attacks. The
problem is that its advocates are placing unrealistic expectations on the Arab
system, asking it to do what it was never designed to do. The Arab League is
useful for coordinating political positions and providing legitimacy, but not
for building military strategies, managing wars, or forming unified armies.
So why does the idea of Arab national security appear unworkable?
The first reason is the absence of agreement on a common enemy.
During World War II, the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union united
against a clear and defined enemy: Nazism. After the war, NATO was established
to counter the Soviet Union. In other words, alliances are built on a shared and
clearly defined threat. In the Arab world, this condition does not exist. During
the liberation of Kuwait, Arab states were divided between supporters and
opponents. Today, despite Gulf countries facing one of the most significant
attacks in their history, there are still those who do not view Iran as an
adversary. So how can a joint force be built without agreement on who it is
meant to confront?
The second reason is the fragility of several Arab states.Some are engulfed in
civil wars, others suffer from internal divisions or external interference,
while others face legitimacy disputes or deep economic crises. Military
alliances are not built on theory alone, but on the strength of the states that
compose them. Looking at NATO’s experience, its success lies not only in
military capability, but also in political cohesion and a strong economic
foundation. The alliance’s annual defense spending exceeds one trillion dollars,
giving it sustained deterrence and a clear advantage over its rivals.
The third reason is the public factor.
Through their political discourse and media, many governments in the region have
mobilized their populations with a concentrated mix of ideological rhetoric
against the United States and the West. When crises arise, these same
governments often fear public backlash. Across large segments of the Arab
public, there is sympathy for Iran simply because it is seen as opposing the
United States and Israel, while the damage suffered by Gulf states is
overlooked. At times, this sentiment runs counter to official government
positions, which may express solidarity with Gulf countries but are either
unable or unwilling to reshape a narrative that has been built over decades. The
question then becomes: How can an Arab national security framework be formed if
the public does not recognize the common enemy it is meant to confront? Instead
of rallying to support fellow Arab states, governments may find themselves
facing domestic anger. For these reasons and others, the concept of Arab
national security remains unrealistic. Its advocates are doing little more than
attempting to revive a dead idea, like applying makeup to a lifeless body.
X Platform & Facebook Selected twittes
on
April 03/2026
יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog
This morning, I spoke with @Pontifex Pope Leo XIV to exchange
greetings for the Passover and Easter holidays. During our call, we discussed
the war with Iran, including the ongoing threat of missile attacks by the
Iranian regime and its terror proxies
Doug Ford
https://x.com/i/status/2040054542310506827
Today, we mark Good Friday, a solemn day of reflection, faith and sacrifice for
Christians across Ontario and around the world.As we reflect, we are reminded of
the enduring importance of compassion, humility and hope.
Amy Pope@IOMchief
Lebanon’s displacement crisis is deepening. Families need safety and dignity,
and resources are stretched thin.IOM teams and partners are providing practical
support - but shared responsibility is essential.
As Easter is observed across the world, I’m thinking of Christian communities in
the Middle East and beyond marking Good Friday amid ongoing tension.
In Lebanon, I saw people working tirelessly to preserve dignity and stability.
Support IOM’s vital work:
https://donors.iom.int/page/Easter-Appeal
Narendra Modi
Good Friday reminds us of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. May this day further deepen
the values of harmony, compassion and forgiveness. May brotherhood and hope
guide us all.
Brother André Marie, M.I.C.M.
Lebanon’s Christians are caught in war, instability, and abandonment. Their
ancient faith deserves more than silence. Learn their history, honor their
martyrs, and pray for their survival.
https://catholicism.org/to-lebanon-with-love-history-martyrs-and-prayer-for-lebanon.html
via @SBC_Catholic
Hanin Ghaddar
A message from a Lebanese in south Lebanon to
https://x.com/i/status/2039774975549227066
“إني مين ما بيتزوج أمي بقلو يا عمي
“شو بدك بسنخوض البحر معك، ما خاضوا البركة هربوا”
Gregory Galligan
One of my favourite traditions in Lebanon is the Night of the Seven Churches.
Tonight was my second time. Across Christian communities, observers and
non-observers alike visit seven churches to mark the start of the Easter
weekend. A beautiful community experience. Happy Easter.
Eastern christians
https://x.com/i/status/2039785652363944006
Christians in Lebanon fill the streets with their families and friends, going
from one church to another to visit the seven churches, a tradition observed by
Catholics on Holy Thursday.
Franck Salameh
Isn’t it 5 churches? Or is that a strictly Maronite tradition (an abbreviated
version of the Catholic ritual)? History of a restless people, hunted down, on
the run, things had to be done on the fly “gotta go, make it quick…” At least
that’s how I remember #HolyThursday