English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For  April 21/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
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Bible Quotations For today
Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’
John 06/28-34: “Then they said to him, ‘What must we do to perform the works of God?’Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’So they said to him, ‘What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” ’Then Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’”

Titles For Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 20-21/2026
A Reading of “President” Joseph Aoun’s Speech: Cloning Failure in Military Garb, Fear of Naming Things, and Words Without Action/Elias Bejjani/April 18/2026
Israel to meet again Thursday for direct talks, US says
Israel’s onslaught against Lebanon may strengthen Hezbollah – just when it’s at its weakest
Health Ministry says 2,387 people killed in 6 weeks of Israel war
US to raise repeal of anti-normalization law in talks with Lebanon: Asharq Sources
Aoun says Lebanon alone will lead negotiations with Israel
Second round of Lebanon-Israel talks to be held this week in Washington
Lebanon seeks to extend ceasefire, pursue new talks with Israel before deadline: The details
Israeli drone strike targets south Lebanon town despite truce
Berri says US seeking to extend Lebanon-Israel ceasefire
Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to US to meet Thursday
Fadlallah said Hezbollah to break 'Yellow Line', vows 'no one' can disarm group
Geagea says Aoun-Netanyahu meeting 'necessary,' 'should not be postponed'
France probes alleged illicit cash flight from Lebanon
Is Israel replicating Gaza's 'Yellow Line' in south Lebanon?
Israel strikes rocket launcher, Israeli convoy hit by IEDs Sunday, drones return to Beirut
Issa meets Aoun and Berri, Lebanese president may meet Trump soon
Aoun says ex-ambassador Karam to lead talks with Israel
Israel levels homes in Lebanon's border villages as truce teeters
Israel army warns Lebanese against returning to south
France 'not specifically targeted' Macron says of soldier's Lebanon killing
Fuel prices surge in Lebanon as inflation pressures deepen amid regional tensions
Top Catholic leader in Jerusalem condemns defacing of statue of Jesus in Lebanon
Israel PM vows 'harsh action' against soldier vandalizing Jesus statue in Lebanon
Israeli soldier strikes Jesus Christ statue in Lebanon, prompting anger
Netanyahu condemns IDF soldier for vandalising Jesus statue in southern Lebanon
How Lebanon can dismantle Hezbollah without destroying itself/Makram Rabah/Al Arabiya English/20 April ,2026
Lebanon… Words, Actions, and Reality/Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/April 20/2026
Lebanon… Incitement and Fears of a New Catastrophe/Taymur Jumblatt/Head of the Progressive Socialist Party in Lebanon/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/April 20/2026
Breaking the Current Lebanese System: Draft Response for Both Domestic and External Audiences/Akl Awit/Annahar/April 20/2026
Links to several important news websites

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 20-21/2026
US president says he is under “no pressure whatsoever” to reach a deal with Iran
Iran says ‘no decision’ on joining new talks as US team set to depart for Pakistan
Trump: New deal with Iran will be better than old one
Iran tells Pakistan US ceasefire violations hinder diplomacy
UAE dismantles Iran-linked organization says plotting terror operations
Iran says 'no decision' on joining new talks, with US delegation set to depart
Trump snaps at critique that Israel dragged him into Iran war
Iran doubts U.S. 'seriousness', says 'no decision' on next round of talks
What to know as ceasefire in Iran war hangs in the balance
Iran military vows to 'soon respond' after US destroyer hits cargo ship
Russia urges US-Iran ceasefire, continue talks: Ministry
Shipping traffic remains at virtual standstill through Hormuz, data shows
Xi tells Saudi prince passage through Hormuz 'should be maintained'
UK PM admits he ‘should not have appointed’ Mandelson US envoy
Israeli fire kills two in Gaza, Hamas clashes with Israeli-backed militia
EU hosts Palestinian leader in conference on security and peace in Gaza, West Bank
EU seeks policy shift from member nation opposing sanctions on violent Israeli settlers
Over $71 bln needed over next decade to rebuild Gaza: UN, EU
MBS, China’s Xi discuss Middle East deescalation efforts, maritime security
Saudi Crown Prince meets Sudan’s army chief in Jeddah
Iraq Shia alliance names Bassem al-Badry as PM nominee
Man kills 8 children and shoots his wife and another woman in Shreveport, Louisiana
Links to several important news websites

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 20-21/2026
Analysis-Gulf worries US-Iran talks may cement Tehran's 'golden' grip on Hormuz/Reuters/Samia Nakhoul/April 20, 2026
The Strait, the Patient, and the Pakistani Doctor/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/April 20/2026
Selected Face Book & X tweets for April 20/2026

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 20-21/2026
A Reading of “President” Joseph Aoun’s Speech: Cloning Failure in Military Garb, Fear of Naming Things, and Words Without Action
Elias Bejjani/April 18/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/04/153736/
I. Lost Credibility: Faith Without Works (A Dead Faith)
Yesterday, Friday, April 17, 2026, President Joseph Aoun appeared before us with a quintessentially “wooden” speech, repeating the same old symphony of promises from which the Lebanese have seen nothing since he took office. The “Inaugural Address” he delivered on his election day has remained mere ink on paper, and today he returns with rhetorical fluff devoid of any tangible executive plan. Here, we remind him of the words from the Epistle of James: “Faith without works is dead.” The trust of the Lebanese is not built on resonant speeches but on the actions that Aoun completely lacks. He “talks much and does nothing,” constantly attempting to mask his impotence behind terms like “steadfastness” and “sacrifice,” while attacking those who oppose the terrorist Hezbollah and the Iranian-Jihadi occupation that occupies Lebanon and sows destruction, corruption, displacement, and impoverishment.
II. Malice, Narrow-Mindedness, and the Betrayal of Those Opposing Hezbollah’s Occupation
The speech reveals a mindset that rejects criticism and grows weary of political opposition. Instead of holding the party responsible for the ruin and devastation—namely Hezbollah—accountable, Joseph Aoun poured his wrath upon the sovereignist voices that criticized the presidency’s “cover” for the Hezbollah mini-state. This is evident in the following phrases from his speech:
“We endured accusations… insults… slander, and misinformation”: Here, he classifies political criticism as “insult and slander,” a military language that brooks no debate.
“Do not allow skeptical and treacherous voices to sow division among you”: In a bizarre irony, he labels opponents as “traitors” simply because they questioned the utility of his choices.
“Overcome the instincts of the misleaders”: He dismisses the opposing opinion as mere “instinct” and “misleading,” as if he holds the absolute truth.
“Do not be dragged behind those who exploit your emotions to build their glory at the expense of your stability”: A direct accusation of opportunism and trading on people’s pain.
This fierce attack on Hezbollah’s opponents (exclusively) proves that the man does not write his own speeches. Instead, the task is left to a team of “entrusted” advisors (groups tied to Berri, Hezbollah, the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, opportunists, scribes, and Pharisees). Through this language, they aim to silence any voice demanding the reclamation of the state from its kidnappers—the Iranian-Shia Duo. His statements are issued in a vengeful tone toward “Sovereignists,” while remaining “cowardly” and appeasing toward the Shia Duo and their masters, the Mullahs of Iran. This confirms he is fully tied to the interests of the Duo’s system and the opportunistic advisors who surround him—with his consent—shielding him from the reality of the situation.
III. Cowardice in Naming the “Internal Enemy”
In a predictable sovereignist failure, Joseph Aoun did not dare mention the name “Hezbollah” a single time in his lengthy speech. He utilized vague, generalizing language, avoiding the naming of the party that has violated Lebanon’s sovereignty and its decisions on war and peace. Although the party—by international, legal, and local (Cabinet) decisions—represents an entity outside the state’s legitimacy, Aoun preferred to flee forward. This confirms he remains a silent (or coerced) partner in an alliance that places the party’s interests above those of the nation, stripping him of the title of “Sovereign President.”
IV. Linguistic Acrobatics and Fleeing the Obligation of Peace
Aoun used an “acrobatic” expression when he said: “I am ready to go anywhere to liberate my land and protect my people.” This is a pathetic attempt to emulate historical leaders (like Sadat) without possessing their courage. Had Aoun been serious about “saving his country,” he would have had the courage to say explicitly: “I will go to the White House and meet Netanyahu, and I will go to Israel if necessary to end the cycle of death and conclude a permanent peace.” But, true to form, he prefers the gray zone to appease Nabih Berri, Hezbollah, and Iran, confirming he remains in their political trench and has never stepped out from under their cloak.
V. The “Let Us Congratulate” Groups: Okazis of a Wretched Time
One cannot read the echoes of President Joseph Aoun’s speech without pausing at the choir of “clappers” from the political class, “party corporations,” and the rabble of media mouthpieces and cymbals who rushed to issue statements of praise and support. These represent the “Qumwa Ta Nehni” (Arise, let us congratulate) mentality—a quintessentially opportunistic Lebanese mindset where everyone rushes to praise whoever sits on the throne without any self-respect or objective analysis. We are witnessing an “Okazi” scene (referring to the historic Souk Okaz), but a low-end political version of it. In the past, poets sold praise and blame for dinars; today, we see these politicians like the “repliers” in Lebanese Zajal troupes, improvising praise for Aoun’s speech to guarantee their place in the paradise of power or to satisfy the “entrusted” advisors. Their “Zajal-like” statements lack any credibility; they are merely opportunistic rituals that do not seriously address the issues, but settle for echoing the “President” and those behind him from the de facto powers (Berri and Hezbollah).
Final Conclusion
The scene is now complete: a President drowned in rhetoric, advisors passing the agendas of external axes, an opposition being betrayed rather than heard, and a “Zajal” troupe applauding the void. The speech of April 17, 2026, was not “salvation”; it was a confirmation that power in Lebanon remains a prisoner of a gray-zone mentality and disguised dependency, and that the true “man of the hour” has yet to emerge.

Israel to meet again Thursday for direct talks, US says
Al Jazeera/April 20/2026
The United States will host a second round of talks between Lebanon and Israel on Thursday, the US Department of State has confirmed, as the two countries push on with direct negotiations amid regional tensions. The talks, which will take place at the State Department, will be the first since a fragile ceasefire came into effect between Hezbollah and Israel last week. “The United States welcomes the productive engagement that began on April 14,” a State Department spokesperson told Al Jazeera. “We will continue to facilitate direct, good-faith discussions between the two governments.” Lebanese and Israeli officials met last week for the first time in decades, sparking anger from Hezbollah and its allies. But after the ceasefire came into effect, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reasserted on Friday that Beirut will continue on the path of negotiations with Israel. “These negotiations are not a weakness. They are not a retreat. They are not a concession,” Aoun said in a televised address. “They are a decision stemming from the strength in our belief in our rights and care for our people, and our responsibility to protect our country by all means possible.” Hezbollah has described the talks as part of a series of “losing concessions” that the Lebanese government is making to Israel. “We reject the negotiations with the occupying Israeli entity. These negotiations are futile. These negotiations require a Lebanese consensus on changing direction,” Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said last week. “No one has a right to take Lebanon towards that approach without internal consensus among its components, which has not happened.”Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued to blow up neighbourhoods in border villages in south Lebanon to create an annihilated area it is calling a “forward defence” line. Israeli officials have openly said they aim to replicate the destruction of entire towns in Gaza in southern Lebanon. Aoun has vowed that his government will work towards full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon without sacrificing any part of the country’s territory. The Lebanese government has pushed to separate Lebanon from the broader negotiations between the US and Israel, arguing that only Beirut can negotiate for itself. However, Iran has stressed that Lebanon must be included in the broader truce. On Friday, Trump said he “prohibited” Israel from attacking Lebanon. But Israeli attacks, including the razing of civilian infrastructure in the south, have continued. Israel said it killed “terrorists” operating in the city of Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon on Monday. For its part, Hezbollah said it detonated an explosive device against a convoy of Israeli military vehicles near the town of Deir Siriane in the eastern sector of the border.

Israel’s onslaught against Lebanon may strengthen Hezbollah – just when it’s at its weakest
John Nagle, Professor in Sociology, Queen's University Belfast/The Conversation/April 20, 2026
As the tentative ceasefire in Lebanon holds, people are returning to their homes in the south to find widespread destruction. Whole villages laid waste, roads and bridges ruined, hospitals and other civic infrastructure flattened. And the Israeli army still very much in evidence in many areas.
The most recent conflict between Israel and Lebanon has killed more than 2,100 people and displaced more than a million more. Israel’s stated aim is to destroy Hezbollah, which it describes as an Iranian proxy. But this is a misleading framing of the situation. And trying to destroy Hezbollah by attacking and occupying Lebanon is a dangerous misreading of the situation.Hezbollah, the so-called “Party of God”, is not the same thing as Lebanon. Yet the party is deeply embedded in Lebanese politics. The group emerged during the Lebanese civil war and in the aftermath of Israel’s 1982 invasion. It grew rapidly by combining armed resistance with political representation and services for Shia communities that had long been neglected by the Lebanese state. In the southern suburbs of Beirut, known as Dahiyeh, and across the south, it became a provider of services. Hezbollah built schools, clinics and welfare networks that helped it convert resistance into social legitimacy. That presence built loyalty and dependence that outlasted its original resistance role. Lebanon’s postwar political system is built on sectarian power sharing. Hezbollah entered parliament in the 1990s and built alliances well beyond its core Shia base, which enabled it to join coalition governments. But unlike other major Lebanese factions, it retained its weapons after the civil war. This allowed it to combine formal political participation with an armed capacity that was outside the control of the state. Its alliance with Christian groups, most significantly Free Patriotic Movement, Lebanon’s largest Christian party, gave it cross-sectarian legitimacy and protection against isolation. Hezbollah’s ability to shape Lebanese politics has often rested less on governing than on stopping other groups from governing. The clearest illustration was the presidency. After Michel Aoun completed his term in October 2022, Lebanon went without a president for more than two years. Hezbollah blocked every candidate that threatened its interests. Parliament failed to elect a successor 13 times. Lebanon drifted without a head of state through the 2024 war with Israel. Its caretaker government could not take major decisions. Desperately needed economic assistance was withheld by international donors. It was Hezbollah’s blocking power made visible. Lebanon’s caretaker government could not take major decisions or enact the reforms international donors required. Desperately needed economic assistance was withheld as a result.
Hezbollah’s political weakness
This current conflict has caught Hezbollah in a weaker political position than it once enjoyed. The anti-government protests of 2019, economic collapse and the Beirut port explosion has deepened public anger at Lebanon’s ruling class — and at Hezbollah as part of it. Hezbollah’s attempts to obstruct the judicial investigation into the explosion deepened that anger further. The 2022 elections confirmed the shift. Hezbollah and its allies lost the majority they had held since 2018. Independents and reformists who emerged out of the protests took seats in a more fragmented legislature. The Arab Barometer’s 2024 survey found that just 30% of Lebanese expressed significant trust in Hezbollah, with 55% saying they had no trust at all. Hezbollah’s claim to speak for Lebanon — or even for all Lebanese Shia — is now more contested than at any point in its modern history.
The 2024 war, with the devastating pager attacks of September 17 and 18, substantially degraded Hezbollah’s military and further weakened its political standing. Assad’s fall in Syria in December removed a key source of regional support. In January 2025, the Lebanese parliament finally elected Joseph Aoun as president — something that would have been unthinkable when Hezbollah was at its peak and was able to use its influence to exclude him. Aoun, a former army commander, has always insisted it was the army – not Hezbollah – that should be the defender of Lebanon’s sovereignty.
Operation: destroy Hezbollah
Israel’s stated objective for many years has been to create a more durable security order along its northern border by weakening or dismantling Hezbollah. But, at the same time, Israeli strikes have inflicted devastation far beyond Hezbollah itself, hitting civilians, infrastructure and communities across the country.
The destruction of places such as Dahiyeh reflects a broader logic of warfare in which dense urban space is treated as part of the battlefield. UN experts have argued that the destruction of homes and mass displacement amount to collective punishment in violation of international law.
The argument echoes broader legal debates about Israel’s conduct in Gaza, where UN experts have made similar findings. That is also why the simple frame of “Israel versus Hezbollah” erases so much. Many of those driven from their homes in the south or in Dahiyeh had grown critical of Hezbollah, or had not chosen this war at all. Yet they found themselves bombed out of neighbourhoods that had been designated as legitimate targets, because of an assumed association with Hezbollah. The civilians killed and displaced are not bystanders to somebody else’s conflict. They are among its principal victims.
A ceasefire was announced on April 17, and – while Hezbollah has not formally endorsed it – the group appears to be observing it for now. Yet the truce leaves the central political question unresolved. Israeli officials have made clear they do not regard it as settling the question of southern Lebanon’s demilitarisation. Expecting the Lebanese army to dismantle Hezbollah by force is unrealistic. If Hezbollah resisted — and it would — the result could be open civil conflict. It would fracture the army, deepen sectarian tensions, and drive Shia communities back behind the very organisation whose grip had begun to loosen, leaving it politically stronger than it was before the latest round of hostilities. Any lasting settlement will have to reckon with the reality this war has exposed: Hezbollah is not Lebanon. But at the moment it’s Lebanon which is being punished.
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. John Nagle does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Health Ministry says 2,387 people killed in 6 weeks of Israel war
LBCI/20 April ,2026
Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed at least 2,387 people since the war with Hezbollah erupted six weeks ago, a Lebanese government body said in a new toll. The disaster risk management unit added that 7,602 people had been wounded over the same period. Since a 10-day ceasefire went into force on Friday, authorities and rescuers have been recovering bodies under the rubble of buildings in areas that were subjected to heavy Israeli strikes.

US to raise repeal of anti-normalization law in talks with Lebanon: Asharq Sources
LBCI/20 April ,2026
Sources told Asharq News that the United States is expected to ask Lebanese officials to repeal the law that criminalizes contact with Israel, as part of ongoing diplomatic discussions between the two sides.

Aoun says Lebanon alone will lead negotiations with Israel
Al Arabiya English/20 April ,2026
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Monday that upcoming negotiations with Israel will be conducted solely by Lebanon, stressing that no other party will participate in or substitute for the Lebanese side. His remarks signaled that he would not accept Iran engaging on Lebanon’s behalf within the context of US-Iran discussions. Aoun, in a statement on X, named former Lebanese ambassador to Washington Simon Karam to lead a delegation. “No one will participate with Lebanon in this mission or replace it,” Aoun said. “The choice to negotiate aims to stop hostilities, end the Israeli occupation of southern regions and deploy the (Lebanese) army all the way to the internationally recognized southern borders” with Israel, Aoun added. The president noted that the Lebanon-Israel talks will be “separate from any other negotiations,” in reference to US-Iran diplomacy to end the wider Middle East war. He added that Lebanon had two options, either the continuation of the war, or negotiations to end it. “I have chosen negotiations, and I am full of hope that we will be able to save Lebanon.”Israeli and Lebanese representatives will hold talks in Washington on Thursday, an Israeli source speaking on the condition of anonymity told Reuters on Monday. A 10-day ceasefire pausing more than six weeks of war between Hezbollah and Israel started on Friday after being announced by US President Donald Trump. More than 2,300 people have been killed in Israeli attacks and over a million displaced since Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into the Middle East conflict last month. Hezbollah has expressed opposition to direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.With agencies

Second round of Lebanon-Israel talks to be held this week in Washington
Al Arabiya English/20 April ,2026
A second round of direct talks between Lebanon and Israel will take place this week, US officials told Al Arabiya English on Monday. The talks will be the second of their kind, following last week’s inaugural negotiations, hosted by the Trump administration at the State Department.
“The United States welcomes the productive engagement that began on April 14,” a State Department official told Al Arabiya English. “We will continue to facilitate direct, good-faith discussions between the two governments,” the official added. Lebanon and Israel’s ambassadors to Washington are expected to head the respective delegations, US officials said. Lebanese ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh Moawad and her Israeli counterpart, Yechiel Leiter, met last week in the first such meeting in decades. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Monday that the government and no other side would lead planned talks with Israel in a veiled reference to Iran, which has tried to take credit for the recently announced 10-day ceasefire to the war between Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel. Aoun, in a statement on X, said former Lebanese ambassador to Washington Simon Karam would lead his country’s delegation.

Lebanon seeks to extend ceasefire, pursue new talks with Israel before deadline: The details
LBCI/20 April ,2026
Lebanon is working to extend a 10-day ceasefire with Israel set to expire at midnight Saturday, while also exploring the possibility of holding a second round of direct talks before the deadline, according to official sources. Lebanon would be represented in the proposed talks by Ambassador Nada Moawad, facing Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter. The meeting is expected Thursday and aims to establish a roadmap for upcoming negotiations.Ambassador Michel Issa is not expected to attend. He has been holding meetings between Baabda and Ain al-Tineh. In Baabda, officials said his discussions with President Joseph Aoun focused on the period following the first meeting in Washington and on ways to preserve the ceasefire.Baabda sources also indicated the possibility of a second call between Aoun and Donald Trump in the coming days, noting that Trump expressed understanding of Lebanon’s demands during their initial conversation. Those demands include U.S. guarantees on solidifying the ceasefire, initiating an Israeli withdrawal, and deploying the Lebanese army, with emphasis on the need to support it. The sources added that without such guarantees, any discussion of a meeting between Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be premature. A potential meeting between Aoun and Trump at the White House remains under consideration, though preparations have not yet begun. Amid these developments, Aoun stressed that no party is sharing Lebanon’s negotiations, which he said are separate from any other tracks. He revealed that Ambassador Simon Karam will head the Lebanese delegation. Aoun said Lebanon faces two options: continued war with its consequences, or negotiations to end the conflict and achieve lasting stability. “I have chosen negotiations,” he said.
In Ain al-Tineh, officials said Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri discussed general developments with Issa. Berri later told Asharq Al-Awsat that U.S. efforts are underway to extend the ceasefire. His political aide, MP Ali Hassan Khalil, said Lebanon rejects any imposed conditions, stating there will be no negotiation at the expense of national sovereignty or trade-offs involving sacrifices under any pretext. A similar stance was expressed by Hezbollah. MP Hassan Fadlallah urged the president to withdraw from direct negotiations with Israel and said no one would disarm the group, either domestically or externally. He told Agence France-Presse that Hezbollah would bring down the “yellow line” established by Israel in southern Lebanon.

Israeli drone strike targets south Lebanon town despite truce
Agence France Presse/April 20, 2026
Lebanese official media said an Israeli strike hit a town in the country's south on Monday despite a 10-day ceasefire in force between Israel and Hezbollah.
The state-run National News Agency said that "an enemy drone targeted the vicinity of the Litani River in the town of Qaqaiyat al-Jisr," without immediately reporting casualties. Israel later said it targeted militants within its so-called Yellow Line in south Lebanon.

Berri says US seeking to extend Lebanon-Israel ceasefire
Naharnet/April 20, 2026
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri confirmed Monday to the Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that "Washington is making an effort to extend the ceasefire in Lebanon." Moreover, Berri refused to disclose his position on the direct negotiations with Israel planned by President Joseph Aoun.

Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to US to meet Thursday
Naharnet/April 20, 2026
The Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to Washington will hold a second preparatory meeting Thursday at the U.S. State Department, a Lebanese official told Al-Jazeera. The official said Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad will represent Lebanon at the meeting, which is "considered a continuation of Tuesday's meeting." A U.S. State Department official later confirmed that the United States will host a second round of ambassador-level talks between Israel and Lebanon on Thursday, April 23, at the Department of State, U.S. news portal Axios reported. "The United States welcomes the productive engagement that began on April 14. We will continue to facilitate direct, good-faith discussions between the two governments," the official added. MTV meanwhile quoted an official Lebanese source as saying that the discussions will be limited to the issue of the ceasefire.

Fadlallah said Hezbollah to break 'Yellow Line', vows 'no one' can disarm group
Agence France Presse/April 20, 2026
Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said on Monday that it was in President Joseph Aoun's interest to withdraw from direct talks with Israel, while adding that his group wanted the current ceasefire to last. "It is in the interest of the state, the interest of Lebanon, the president of the republic and the government to move away from the path of direct negotiation and return to a national understanding about the best option for Lebanon," he told AFP in an interview. "We will reject and confront any attempt to impose political costs on Lebanon through concessions made to this Israeli enemy," he said, but added Hezbollah wanted "the ceasefire to continue," accompanied by an Israeli withdrawal. Moreover, Fadlallah said Hezbollah would work to break the "Yellow Line" that Israel established in southern Lebanon, adding that no one in the country or abroad can disarm the Iran-backed group.
"We will bring down this Yellow Line through the resistance," Fadlallah said. "The attempt by the Israeli army to establish a buffer zone, under the title of a defensive line, a yellow line, a green line, and a red line... all these lines will be broken, and we will not accept any of them," he said.
He also vowed that "no one in Lebanon or abroad will be able to disarm the resistance."

Geagea says Aoun-Netanyahu meeting 'necessary,' 'should not be postponed'
Naharnet/April 20, 2026
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said Monday that Lebanon needs a lasting solution to permanently end the state of war with Israel, rather than merely settling for a temporary ceasefire, calling direct negotiations a "necessity" Hezbollah "forced" upon Lebanon. In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Geagea said a meeting between President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is "necessary" and should not be postponed. "President Aoun has to speak with the Israelis," he added. "Negotiations are not an option, but a necessity forced upon Lebanon by Hezbollah."President Aoun announced Monday that former Ambassador Simon Karam will lead a delegation in upcoming talks with Israel, aimed at ending hostilities and securing a withdrawal from the Israeli-occupied south. Aoun said the talks will be "separate from any other negotiations", in reference to U.S.-Iran diplomacy to end the wider Middle East war. "Lebanon faces two choices -- war or negotiations. I have chosen negotiations, and I am fully hopeful that we can save Lebanon," he said.

France probes alleged illicit cash flight from Lebanon
Agence France Presse/April 20, 2026
France is investigating allegations that two Lebanese banks transferred billions of dollars out of the country despite strict capital controls during a financial crisis, a source close to the case and lawyers said Monday. The probe is the latest in France to look into alleged corruption linked to the Lebanese economic crisis from late 2019, which the World Bank has called one of the worst in recent history. Commercial banks imposed draconian withdrawal restrictions when the economy collapsed, preventing depositors from accessing their life savings or transferring them abroad. Some became so desperate they held up their own banks to try to obtain their money. Meanwhile some institutions were getting funds out "to shelter considerable sums for the benefit of private interests," according to lawyers for the plaintiffs in the latest case, William Bourdon and Vincent Brengarth. The new investigation was opened at the start of the month, the source with knowledge of the matter said. The source added that it follows two legal complaints in July from the Collective of Victims of Fraudulent and Criminal Practices in Lebanon and the anti-corruption group Sherpa. It will be looking into "the transfer of around $15 billion after and during the 2019 financial crisis from two leading Lebanese banks to their European subsidiaries," the lawyers said in a statement. Such transfers were "in violation by the banks of their commitments" and took place "with the complicity of the former leaders of the central bank," they added. The France-based banks accused of receiving stolen goods among other offenses are the Banque Richelieu France, linked to Lebanon's SGBL bank, and the French subsidiary of Bank Audi, according to a copy of the complaints seen by AFP. Bank Audi did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.
Banque Richelieu France denied any wrongdoing and told AFP it would cooperate with investigators. French experts have already investigated the Lebanese banking system's inner workings during investigations into alleged "ill-gotten gains".They targeted the former central bank chief Riad Salameh and ex-prime minister Najib Mikati, both of whom deny the charges. Salameh, who headed Lebanon's central bank between 1993 and 2023, has faced numerous graft accusations in separate probes in Lebanon and abroad, all of which he denies. He was charged in Lebanon last year for allegedly embezzling $44 million from the central bank.

Is Israel replicating Gaza's 'Yellow Line' in south Lebanon?
Agence France Presse/April 20, 2026
Israel says it has established a "Yellow Line" in south Lebanon near the border, where its forces are operating despite a 10-day ceasefire with Iran-backed Hezbollah. What is the so-called "Yellow Line", how does it resemble an Israeli military demarcation in the Gaza Strip and where does it leave Lebanon?
What has Israel announced? -
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel agreed to the truce, which took effect on Friday, but would maintain a 10-kilometer (six-mile) deep "security zone" along the border in southern Lebanon. On Saturday, Israel's military announced a "Yellow Line" in the country's south. The following day, it published a map identifying a "forward defense line", stretching from the Mediterranean in the west up to Lebanon's border with Syria in the east. It said "five divisions, alongside Israeli navy forces" were operating in the area to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure and "prevent direct threats to communities in northern Israel."The area includes frontier villages that were destroyed or heavily damaged after a previous round of hostilities erupted between Israel and Hezbollah in 2023. Most locals have fled the area, though residents of some Christian villages have been defying Israeli army evacuation orders. U.N. peacekeepers are also stationed there. On Monday, Israel's military warned Lebanese civilians against returning to dozens of villages south of the "forward defense line", claiming Hezbollah's activities in the area were violating the ceasefire. Israeli troops have been destroying buildings in border towns since the truce began. Israel has repeatedly tried to create a buffer zone in southern Lebanon. In 2000 after persistent pressure from Hezbollah, Israeli troops withdrew from Lebanese territory after some two decades of occupation.
Similar to Gaza? -
In Gaza, the "Yellow Line" refers to an Israeli military demarcation established during an October 2025 ceasefire with Palestinian militant group Hamas, creating a de facto boundary inside the Palestinian territory. It effectively splits Gaza between an area under direct Israeli military control where Palestinians are not permitted, and a Hamas-governed area where residents remain vulnerable to Israeli strikes. The line has reshaped daily life for Gazans and prevented tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians from returning home. Israel's military regularly says it has targeted individuals it describes as militants approaching the line in Gaza, and has begun doing the same in Lebanon. Lebanese military expert Hassan Jouni told AFP that "the Yellow Line in Lebanon is a copy of the idea and philosophy of the Yellow Line in Gaza", even bearing the same name. In Gaza, however, the line was "the result of an agreement with Hamas. In Lebanon, there is no agreement... it was decided unilaterally" by Israel, he said, calling it "an aggressive decision."The line represents a new Israeli security border, a defensive line "that will certainly be fortified" to protect northern Israel's towns and villages, and potentially "a line for launching new offensive operations", he added. It creates "a so-called free-fire area, like in Gaza, where any activity... is considered suspicious and justifies opening fire".
What options does Lebanon have? -
President Joseph Aoun said Monday that planned direct talks with Israel aimed to end hostilities and Israel's occupation in the south. Under the truce terms, which do not mention an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, Israel reserves the right to continue targeting Hezbollah to prevent "planned, imminent or ongoing attacks."Israeli forces never fully withdrew after the last war, despite being required to under a November 2024 ceasefire. Hezbollah strongly opposes the planned negotiations and has also called on Israeli troops to withdraw, decrying what it sees as Israeli expansionism. Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah told AFP on Monday that "we will bring down this Yellow Line through the resistance (Hezbollah), with our insistence on our legitimate right to defend ourselves and our country."He vowed that Israel would be unable to set up any buffer zone in south Lebanon, and that Hezbollah would drive out Israeli troops if they stay "on any inch of our territory."Jouni said the "Yellow Line" would be a flashpoint for "political confrontation firstly, and a military confrontation by Hezbollah". He said he expected to see both "a political path that starts with the negotiations", and an approach on the ground "that will be decided according to the regional situation... between Iran and America.""Maybe U.S. President Donald Trump will surprise everyone by pressuring Israel to withdraw" from Lebanon, Jouni added.

Israel strikes rocket launcher, Israeli convoy hit by IEDs Sunday, drones return to Beirut
Naharnet/April 20, 2026
The Israeli army said Monday it attacked overnight "a fully equipped and ready-to-fire rocket launcher in the Qalawiya area of ​​southern Lebanon, north of the front line, in order to prevent an immediate threat to northern Israeli towns.""The launcher posed an immediate threat to IDF (Israeli army) forces and Israeli citizens," the Israeli army added. Hezbollah meanwhile announced in a statement that bombs previously planted by the group had detonated Sunday against a convoy of eight Israeli armored vehicles in the southern town of Deir Seryan, suggesting that the IEDs had been planted before the ceasefire. The statement further revealed that "the explosion, which occurred in two waves between 3:40 PM and 4:40 PM, destroyed four Merkava tanks, which were seen engulfed in flames before the enemy withdrew them from the scene at 6:00 PM."Israeli media reports published Sunday had said that 37 Israeli soldiers were wounded over 24 hours, while noting that the Deir Seryan incident was not considered a violation of the truce seeing as the bombs had been planted prior to the ceasefire. Israel meanwhile resumed Monday its low-altitude reconnaissance drone flights over Beirut and Baalbek, after similar activity on Sunday over Sidon and Tyre.

Issa meets Aoun and Berri, Lebanese president may meet Trump soon
Naharnet/April 20, 2026
President Joseph Aoun met Monday with U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon,l Michel Issa and discussed with him the general situation in light of the recent developments, as well as his talks with U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Presidency said. "They also discussed the period following last week's meeting (between Lebanese and Israeli envoys) at the U.S. State Department and ways to maintain the ceasefire," the Presidency added. Issa also met Monday with Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri at the latter's residence in Ain el-Tineh. MTV meanwhile reported that "a bilateral meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is being planned and will take place soon." A diplomatic source told MTV that the Lebanese president seems determined to "continue direct negotiations with Israel and end a 70-year-old crisis.""There is significant reliance on Speaker Nabih Berri's role at this stage," the source said. MTV also reported that Trump had reassured Aoun during their phone call on Thursday that the truce with Israel would be extended if necessary.Trump "understood the need to prepare the ground before any direct contact or meeting (by Aoun) with Netanyahu and Aoun intends to clarify this further with Trump," the TV network added.

Aoun says ex-ambassador Karam to lead talks with Israel
Agence France Presse/April 20, 2026
President Joseph Aoun said Monday that planned talks with Israel aim to end "hostilities" and the Israeli occupation in the south, as he named ex-ambassador Simon Karam to lead a delegation. "The choice to negotiate aims to stop hostilities, end the Israeli occupation of southern regions and deploy the (Lebanese) army all the way to the internationally recognized southern borders" with Israel, Aoun said in a statement. Aoun named former Lebanese ambassador to Washington Karam to head the negotiations, and said the talks will be "separate from any other negotiations", in reference to U.S.-Iran diplomacy to end the wider Middle East war. "Lebanon faces two choices -- war or negotiations. I have chosen negotiations, and I am fully hopeful that we can save Lebanon," Aoun said. Aoun revealed that talks are ongoing with U.S. President Donald Trump who had intervened with Israel to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon. Aoun said Trump initiated a negotiating track and communications with him are ongoing to maintain the truce and launch the talks. MTV reported Monday that a bilateral meeting between Trump and Aoun is in the works and will be held soon.

Israel levels homes in Lebanon's border villages as truce teeters
Agence France Presse/April 20, 2026
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) said Monday that Israel was destroying houses in several border villages including Qantara, al-Bayyada, Shamaa, Naqoura and Mais al-Jabal, amid shelling on Houla and airstrikes on al-Tiri and Burj Qalaway. Israel said its military had been instructed to use "full force" against threats in Lebanon despite a truce, and vowed to level homes allegedly used by Hezbollah, with state media reporting demolitions were underway on Sunday. Some displaced residents have rushed back to their homes in the south but others are hesitant, uncertain about the durability of the 10-day truce that came into effect on Friday, halting weeks of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. In the village of Dibbine, an AFP correspondent saw a man inspecting damage to his home and people walking near the rubble of destroyed buildings. In Srifa, another correspondent saw people unloading belongings including mattresses and a washing machine as they returned to the southern village. Elsewhere, an AFP correspondent saw people travelling away from the south after retrieving belongings from their homes. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had instructed the army "to act with full force, both on the ground and from the air, including during the ceasefire, in order to protect our soldiers in Lebanon from any threat". He said the military had also been ordered to demolish any structure or road that was "booby-trapped", and "to remove the houses in the contact villages near the border that served in every respect as Hezbollah terror outposts". Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) said that "the Israeli enemy is still destroying what remains of houses" in Bint Jbeil on Sunday after reporting demolitions a day earlier in the town, which saw heavy fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah before the ceasefire. The NNA also said the Israeli army was "blowing up houses in Mais al-Jabal" and "carrying out a sweep operation and detonations" in Deir Seryan, both also near the border, while the town of Kounin "was subjected to enemy artillery shelling".
On Saturday, Israel's military said it had established a "Yellow Line" in south Lebanon, similar to the one in Gaza that separates areas held by Israeli forces from those controlled by militant group Hamas.
'Expansionism' -
On Sunday, the military published a map showing its "forward defense line" and an area in red stretching the length of the border where it said forces were operating to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure and "prevent direct threats to communities in northern Israel". It later said soldiers killed an "armed terrorist" who crossed the line. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Sunday denounced what he called "Israeli expansionism" in Lebanon. The truce took effect days after the first high-level meeting between Lebanon and Israel in decades, pausing a war that has killed nearly 2,300 people in Lebanon and displaced more than a million since erupting on March 2. On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron will meet Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in Paris in a visit aiming to demonstrate France's support for Lebanon's "territorial integrity", the president's office said.
Macron will also urge Lebanese authorities to prosecute those responsible for an attack on U.N .peacekeepers in south Lebanon on Saturday that killed a French soldier and wounded three others. France and the U.N. force (UNIFIL) have blamed Hezbollah, which denied involvement. A memorial ceremony was held at Beirut airport for the French peacekeeper, Florian Montorio, who UNIFIL said was "posthumously awarded U.N. and Lebanese Army medals in recognition of his dedicated service for peace in south Lebanon". Salam's office said the premier would also travel to Luxembourg on Tuesday "to meet EU foreign ministers".Earlier Sunday, Lebanon's military said it had reopened a road linking the city of Nabatiyeh with the Khardali area, and had partially reopened the Burj Rahal-Tyre bridge in the country's south. Israeli strikes on several bridges across the Litani River, which runs around 30 kilometers from the border, have limited access to the area.

Israel army warns Lebanese against returning to south
Agence France Presse/April 20, 2026
Israel's military on Monday warned Lebanese civilians against returning to dozens of villages in southern Lebanon, claiming Hezbollah's activities in the area were violating a ceasefire agreement struck last week. Thousands of displaced residents have begun making their way back to parts of southern Lebanon since the truce between Israel and Lebanon took effect on Friday. Since the ceasefire began, Lebanon's armed forces have reopened a key road linking the southern city of Nabatiyeh with the Khardali area after it was closed due to Israeli strikes. They have also partially restored access to the Burj Rahal–Tyre bridge. But the Israeli military on Monday urged civilians to avoid returning to numerous villages in the south. "Hezbollah has continued its terrorist activity during the ceasefire in violation of the agreement; accordingly, the IDF remains deployed in the defensive area," the military's Arabic-language spokesman Colonel Avichay Adraee said on X. "For your safety and the safety of your families, and until further notice, we urge you not to move south of the Forward Defense Line," he said, referring to a boundary marking an area occupied by Israeli troops. On Saturday, senior Hezbollah official Mahmoud Qamati also warned residents against returning."Israeli treachery is expected at any time, and this is a temporary truce," he said. "Take a breath, relax a little, but do not abandon the places you have taken refuge in until we are completely reassured about your return" to your homes, he said.Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday that the military had been ordered to use "full force" against any threats in Lebanon even during the ceasefire. He also vowed to level homes allegedly used by Hezbollah, with Lebanese state media reporting that demolitions were underway. The military published a map showing its "forward defense line" and an area stretching the length of the Israel-Lebanon border where it said its forces were operating to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure and "prevent direct threats to communities in northern Israel".

France 'not specifically targeted' Macron says of soldier's Lebanon killing
LBCI/April 20, 2026
President Emmanuel Macron said Monday France was not specifically targeted in the killing of a French U.N. soldier in Lebanon, while blaming pro-Iranian group Hezbollah for the attack. "It was Hezbollah, in fact, that targeted our soldiers," Macron said of Saturday's attack.They didn't target them because they were French. They targeted them because they were on a mission to stand alongside the civilian population," Macron told journalists in Gdansk, Poland. AFP

Fuel prices surge in Lebanon as inflation pressures deepen amid regional tensions
LBCI/April 20, 2026
Fuel prices in Lebanon have risen sharply since the beginning of the year, reflecting broader economic pressures linked to regional instability and global oil markets. The price of a gasoline canister has increased by approximately $12, rising from $14.7 to $26.7, while diesel has reached $27.9, up from $13.8.
A basket of essential goods has also increased by about 4.5% during the first five weeks of the conflict, according to available data. While global markets have been affected by the ongoing war in the region and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, Lebanon remains among the most exposed economies. The country imports roughly 85% of its needs, meaning any rise in global oil prices directly increases import costs and places additional pressure on the U.S. dollar. MP Neemat Frem warned about concerns over the balance of payments, saying supply chains remain severely disrupted globally.

Top Catholic leader in Jerusalem condemns defacing of statue of Jesus in Lebanon
Associated Press/April 20, 2026
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, on Monday expressed “profound indignation and unreserved condemnation” of the defacing of a statue of Jesus Christ by an Israeli soldier in Lebanon, saying the act “constitutes a grave affront to the Christian faith.”The Israeli military confirmed on Sunday that images showing an Israeli soldier smashing the head of a toppled Christ statue with a sledgehammer were genuine, setting off a wave of condemnation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had launched a criminal investigation into the soldier’s actions. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar described it as “shameful” and apologized “to every Christian whose feelings were hurt.”In a statement from Jerusalem, The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land, headed by Pizzaballa, called for “immediate and decisive disciplinary action, a credible process of accountability, and clear assurances that such conduct will neither be tolerated nor repeated.”

Israel PM vows 'harsh action' against soldier vandalizing Jesus statue in Lebanon
Agence France Presse/April 20, 2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed "harsh action" Monday against a soldier caught on camera vandalizing a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon, as the image spread online. The photo, which the military determined was authentic, shows an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to strike the head on a statue of a crucified Jesus that had fallen off a cross. The sculpture is located in the Christian village of Debl in south Lebanon, near the border with Israel, the local municipality told AFP, but officials could not say whether it had been damaged. "I was stunned and saddened to learn that an IDF soldier damaged a Catholic religious icon in southern Lebanon," Netanyahu wrote on X. "I condemn the act in the strongest terms. Military authorities are conducting a criminal probe of the matter and will take appropriately harsh disciplinary action against the offender," he added.
The military said it had determined after an investigation that the image circulating on social media was genuine and showed an Israeli soldier operating in southern Lebanon. It said in a post on its official X account that it viewed the incident with "great severity", adding that the "soldier's conduct is wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops".The army said "appropriate measures will be taken against those involved" but did not go into further detail. It said it is working with the community to "restore the statue to its place". Adeeb Joudeh al-Husseini, the custodian of the keys of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, condemned the incident in a statement. "This is not a passing incident, it is a direct violation of a sanctity that goes beyond stone and wood to strike at the dignity of faith itself," al-Husseini said. The act exposes "the fragility of rhetoric that claims respect for religions while practices on the ground contradict it", he added, calling for a "clear and unequivocal stance that puts an end to any violation of sacred sites". Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also condemned what he called a "shameful and disgraceful" act. "I am confident that necessary severe measures will be taken against whoever committed this ugly act," he wrote on X. "We apologize for this incident and to every Christian whose feelings were hurt." Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war in early March when the Tehran-backed armed group Hezbollah launched rockets towards Israel in support of Iran. Israel responded with massive strikes across Lebanon and an invasion of the south. Israeli troops have remained in southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire between the two countries that began on Friday.

Israeli soldier strikes Jesus Christ statue in Lebanon, prompting anger
Al Arabiya English/20 April ,2026
An image of an Israeli soldier hitting a statue of Jesus Christ in south Lebanon was widely circulated on social media, prompting anger, with the Israeli army saying on Monday that the image was authentic. The image appears to show an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to strike the head on a statue of a crucified Jesus that had fallen off a cross. The sculpture is located in the Christian village of Debl in south Lebanon, near the border with Israel, the local municipality told AFP, but officials could not say whether it had been damaged. Israel’s army said in a post on its official X account on Monday that it viewed the incident with “great severity,” adding that the “soldier’s conduct is wholly inconsistent with the values expected of its troops.”“Following the completion of an initial examination regarding a photograph published earlier today of an IDF soldier harming a Christian symbol, it was determined that the photograph depicts an IDF soldier operating in southern Lebanon,” the army said. The incident is being investigated by the Northern Command and is currently being “addressed through the chain of command,” it added. The army said “appropriate measures will be taken against those involved” but did not go into further detail. It said it is working with the community to “restore the statue to its place.” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned what he called a “shameful and disgraceful” act.“I am confident that necessary severe measures will be taken against whoever committed this ugly act,” he wrote on X.
“We apologize for this incident and to every Christian whose feelings were hurt.”Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East war in early March when the Tehran-backed armed group Hezbollah launched rockets towards Israel in support of Iran.
Israel responded with massive strikes across Lebanon and an invasion of the south. Israeli troops have remained in the south despite a ceasefire between the two countries that began on Friday.With AFP

Netanyahu condemns IDF soldier for vandalising Jesus statue in southern Lebanon
Estelle Nilsson-Julien/Euronews/ April 20, 2026
Israel has acknowledged and condemned the apparent desecration by an Israeli soldier of a statue of crucified Jesus in South Lebanon. The photograph, which was widely circulated across social media on Monday, shows a soldier smashing the face of the religious icon with a sledgehammer or the blunt side of an axe. The Israeli authorities have confirmed its authenticity. In an X post shared on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the act "in the strongest terms, announcing that military authorities were conducting a criminal probe and that the offender would be subject to "harsh disciplinary action.""Yesterday, like the overwhelming majority of Israelis, I was stunned and saddened to learn that an IDF soldier damaged a Catholic religious icon in southern Lebanon", he wrote. The Israeli Premier added that Israel, "as a Jewish state, cherishes values based on tolerance and mutual respect among followers of all religions.""While Christians are being slaughtered in Syria and Lebanon by Muslims, the Christian population in Israel thrives unlike elsewhere in the Middle East", he stated. The photograph in question appears to have been first posted on social media by Younis Tirawi, who describes himself as a Palestinian journalist. The incident was captured in Debel, a Christian village located approximately 6 kilometres from Lebanon's border with Israel. The defacement also triggered a heated debate on X between the Israeli government and Poland's Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski. Sikorski commended Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa'ar for apologising over the desecration of the statue of Jesus, stating "it's good that Minister Sa'ar apologized quickly." However, he went on to state that Israel should learn from the incident, "IDF soldiers themselves admit to war crimes. They killed not only civilian Palestinians but even their own hostages", in an apparent reference to Israel's large operation in Gaza where more than 70,000 Palestinians were killed as well as Israeli hostages — collaterals of air and ground strikes. The two-year offensive came in response to Hamas' terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023. Sa'ar responded by accusing Sikorski of spreading "defamatory statements" about the IDF. Sa'ar had initially tweeted that "the damaging of a Christian religious symbol by an IDF soldier in southern Lebanon is grave and disgraceful" and apologized "for this incident and to every Christian whose feelings were hurt".In a subsequent tweet, he rejected Sikorski's comments as "grave, baseless, and slanderous against the IDF" (Israeli army). "The IDF is a professional and ethical army (...) There is no serious army of any Western democracy that does not seek to learn from the IDF and its experience". US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also condemned the desecration of the statue of Jesus which occurred in southern Lebanon, calling for “swift, severe, and public consequences.”
Lebanon's Christians not spared
Approximately 30% of Lebanon's population is estimated to be Christian, also the only country in the Middle East where power is shared between Muslim (Shia and Sunni) and Christian population — under what is known as the National Pact. Lebanon is home to various Christian minorities, which include Maronite Catholics, who were previously a majority in the country, but are now a minority, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Greek Catholics and Armenian Apostolic. Like Lebanon's other religious communities, many Christians have found themselves caught in the crossfire over the course of Israel's war against Shia militant group Hezbollah. This latest incident risks further escalating heightened tensions between Israel and Lebanon, amid a fragile ceasefire, which came into effect last Thursday. The long standing conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah was revived on 2 March, in the wider context of the US and Israel's military campaign against Iran, which was launched on 28 February. Hezbollah, who is backed and financed by Iran, fired rockets at Israel over its killing of then Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei prompting the Jewish state to retaliate with a large-scale air and ground operation. More than 2,000 people have been killed in Lebanon since the renewed hostilities, while thousands have been displaced from their homes, including Christians. Despite the truce, confrontations between the IDF and Hezbollah have continued in the buffer zone between the south of Lebanon and Israel. The IDF has reportedly continued to demolish buildings in the area, warning many residents against returning to their homes or approaching a designated list of villages on Monday.
A series of diplomatic incidents
In another controversial incident involving the Church, Father Pierre Al-Rahi was killed on March 9 when an Israeli tank fired on a house located in the village of Qlayaa, on the southern border of Lebanon. Pope Leo XIV reacted to his killing by expressing his "profound sorrow for all the victims of the bombings in the Middle East over the last few days" including "Father Pierre El-Rahi, a Maronite priest killed this afternoon in Qlayaa."Separately, Israeli authorities prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass for the "first time in centuries" on 29 March. A decision which sparked mass condemnation from Western leaders, including Italian Premier Georgia Meloni, who defined the incident as "an offense not only against believers but against every community that recognises religious freedom.” French President Emmanuel Macron also condemned the “concerning increase in violations of the status of the Holy Sites in Jerusalem.”Israel's Premier later reversed the police ban that initially blocked Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa from entering the Church, stating that he had been barred from accessing the premise due to safety concerns in light of Israel's ongoing war against Iran. "Over the past several days, Iran has repeatedly targeted the holy sites of all three monotheistic religions in Jerusalem with ballistic missiles. In one strike, missile fragments crashed meters from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre", said Netanyahu."Today, out of special concern for his safety, Cardinal Pizzaballa was asked to refrain from holding mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Even though I understand this concern, as soon as I learned about the incident with Cardinal Pizzaballa, I instructed the authorities to enable the Patriarch to hold services as he wishes", he added

How Lebanon can dismantle Hezbollah without destroying itself
Makram Rabah/Al Arabiya English/20 April ,2026
Lebanon is once again being asked the wrong question. The debate, as always, is framed around whether Hezbollah can be disarmed, as if the issue were purely technical, military, or even logistical. It is not. The real question is whether Lebanon is willing to behave like a state. Because Hezbollah’s power does not stem from the sophistication of its weapons, but from the weakness, and complicity, of the Lebanese state itself. The current moment is different. For the first time in years, the implicit rules of engagement have shifted. Since the ceasefire, Beirut has largely been spared direct Israeli targeting. No drones hovering above the capital, no assassinations in its southern suburbs. This is not a coincidence; it is a message. The battlefield, for now, is not Beirut. It is the idea of the Lebanese state.
And Hezbollah understands this perfectly.
Which is why its rhetoric has escalated, not against Israel, but against the Lebanese presidency. When Hezbollah invokes the assassinations of Anwar Sadat and Rafic Hariri, this is not political commentary; it is a threat. A deliberate attempt to intimidate President Joseph Aoun and anyone who dares to speak of state sovereignty. This is not resistance language; this is how organized crime communicates. Yet here lies the paradox: by targeting the president, Hezbollah is not attacking a political opponent, it is attacking the last remaining symbol of the Lebanese state. And in doing so, it exposes its greatest weakness: it cannot coexist with a functioning state.
So how does one dismantle such a structure?
Not by storming neighborhoods, and certainly not by sending the Lebanese army door to door in search of hidden weapons. That is the fantasy Hezbollah wants its opponents to believe, because it guarantees civil war, which remains its ultimate insurance policy.
Instead, Lebanon must learn how to eat the elephant. As the African proverb goes, you eat an elephant one bite at a time. Hezbollah is that elephant: too large, too entrenched, and too dangerous to confront head-on. But not immune to gradual, systematic erosion.
The first bite is institutional.
Hezbollah’s most dangerous weapon is not its arsenal; it is its infiltration of the state. From intelligence services to border control, from forged passports to security loopholes, the party’s influence within state institutions is what allows it to operate with impunity. Cleaning these institutions is not a secondary step; it is the foundation of any serious strategy. Officers loyal to Hezbollah, or worse, to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, must be removed. Not tomorrow, not symbolically, but decisively.
The second bite is political.
For years, Hezbollah has benefited from political cover, most notably from Speaker Nabih Berri. Berri’s role has been to normalize Hezbollah, to present it as just another political actor rather than an armed entity operating outside the state. This duality must end. Lebanese political forces, especially those who claim to oppose Hezbollah, must stop outsourcing responsibility. Silence is complicity, and ambiguity is surrender.
The third bite is national.
Hezbollah’s greatest shield is not military, it is sectarian. The party thrives on the narrative that it represents and protects Lebanon’s Shia community. Breaking this equation is essential. The Lebanese state must reclaim its role as the sole guarantor of all citizens, including, and especially, Shias. This is not about confrontation; it is about inclusion. When citizens feel protected by the state, they no longer need protection from militias.
The fourth bite is strategic.
The Lebanese army must do what it has long avoided: deploy visibly and consistently across the country, including in areas where Hezbollah has operated uncontested. This is not about confrontation, but about presence. A state that is absent cannot claim sovereignty. A state that hesitates invites substitution.
None of this will produce immediate results. And that is precisely the point.
There is no single moment where Hezbollah “falls.” No dramatic disarmament ceremony, no clean political transition. What there can be, however, is a gradual stripping away of its power, its legitimacy, its cover, its reach, until its weapons become politically irrelevant, and eventually, operationally unsustainable.
The alternative is far worse.
Hezbollah has made it clear that it is willing to threaten internal violence to protect its arsenal. It is betting that Lebanon, exhausted and divided, will choose paralysis over confrontation. That fear will once again triumph over responsibility.
But this moment offers a narrow window. International pressure is aligning around a simple demand: a Lebanese state that controls its own territory. Even figures as controversial as Donald Trump have framed the issue in these terms, state sovereignty, monopoly over arms, adherence to the constitution. Strip away the theatrics, and the message is clear: Lebanon is being given a choice.
To remain a battlefield for others, or to become a state. Eating the elephant is not easy. It requires patience, discipline, and above all, political courage. But it is the only path that avoids both surrender and self-destruction.
Lebanon does not need another war to get rid of Hezbollah. It needs a state willing, finally, to exist.

Lebanon… Words, Actions, and Reality
Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/April 20/2026
I believe that the overwhelming majority of Lebanese citizens would be delighted to see peace prevail across their beautiful country that has suffered for so long. The Lebanese people, moreover, have a distinct talent for inventing reasons to celebrate and savor joy the moment even a glimmer of hope appears that the dark clouds of misery could be lifted.The Lebanese people have, for a long time - and often alone - borne the burdens of the “game of nations,” the misfortune of their geography, and the ambitions of the “great powers.” Time and again, it was not part of calculus, but it has also lacked immunity and resilience.
More than once, its leaders and its people have misread shifting circumstances. They were optimistic when caution was required, rushed forward when reflection was needed, and placed their bets on others - others who were plotting against them and setting traps from them. Their selfishness, tribalism, and sectarianism has repeatedly driven them to ignore harsh truths and to overlook hard-earned lessons about the need for unity and cohesion. The intelligence for which the Lebanese have been known - for decades, even centuries - fails them every time they choose mutual denial over coexistence. And this remains the case today. In recent days, Washington hosted a meeting between the ambassadors of Israel and Lebanon. Given the chronic lack of a consensus in Lebanon, interpretations naturally diverged. Some praised the “courage of negotiation,” in hopes of liberating land and restoring sovereignty - this time seized by Iran - and others condemned the meeting as a “first step toward surrender and normalization” with Israel, which continues its military occupation and near-daily massacres.
The reactions of Lebanese politicians, media figures, and even ordinary citizens in the street were striking: deliberate disregard for realities on the ground combined with an insistence on reviving the underlying divisions and conflicting factional interests were cloaked in polished political language.
Many, for instance, called on President Joseph Aoun to issue a statement immediately after the Washington meeting held under the auspices of the administration of Donald Trump. In fact, such a demand of both the president and the government is entirely justified, given the scale of destruction and occupation: 2,300 killed, 7,000 wounded, and 1.2 million displaced.
At the same time, others were either skeptical of the usefulness of any dialogue with the Israeli government under the pressure of bombardment and territorial expansion, or they doubted the wisdom of trusting an American administration that, since the war on Iran was declared, has been a “partner” of Benjamin Netanyahu’s long-standing plan to reshape the Middle East, as he himself has laid it out. In a brief statement reflecting what many saw as good intentions, Aoun declared confidently: “We have regained Lebanon for the first time in nearly half a century; we are no longer a card in anyone’s pocket nor an arena for anyone.” The tone of his words suggest a desire to boost morale and rally consensus, and their “idealistic” spirit reminiscent of the daily orders Aoun used to issue during his tenure as army commander. Observers, however, could not fail to read between the lines and note how such statements could open the door to blame games and efforts to settle the score. Indeed, over this “half-century” during which the president believes that the Lebanese had lost their country encompasses several phases: the introduction of Palestinian militants, the civil war, partial Israeli occupation, and finally the dominance of Hezbollah and, behind it, Iran. Patterns of competing loyalties and sectarian attitudes stand behind this era. The Palestinian militants’ presence could not have grown without Islamic, especially Sunni, Arab nationalist, and leftist support. The civil war drew in all sects, though Israel primarily relied on Christian right-wing forces, which it saw as an adjunct to its intervention and temporary occupation.
Later, that occupation- combined with the global decline of the left and the rise of political Islam, both Shiite (Iran) and Sunni (Afghanistan) - allowed Khomeinist Iran to broaden its influence in “Hezbollah’s Lebanon”, “Assad’s Syria”, and “post-Bremer Iraq.”Israel now once again engaged in direct negotiations, will, therefore, not be content merely to watch Lebanon from behind a “border strip.” In any case, what borders does Israel recognize, given its freedom of action across the Middle East and its increasingly explicit ambitions for the land between the Nile and the Euphrates? Last week, a Sunni intellectual wrote: “We study history to understand and benefit from it, not to repeat it or weaponize it for incitement and revenge!” He then asked: “Why is history sometimes written in a language of vengeance and provocation?”Conversely, a Shiite commentator wrote: “Your Excellency, we had hoped the speech would reflect the joy of the Lebanese at the ceasefire and their return home - a speech reassuring them that their government stands with them against occupation, that the future will be better, and that it would be a unifying address for all Lebanese... not angry escalation against the interior and a prelude to normalization and peace with the enemy that undermines coexistence and goes against the will of the majority.”Finally, a “pro-resistance” newspaper supported the latter view. “The agreement on a temporary ten-day truce does not amount to a settlement in as much as it reflects an intersection of regional pressures with facts on the ground imposed by the resistance through force. While the Israeli enemy insists on using the truce as a platform to complete its war objectives by other means, Lebanon finds itself facing a complex challenge: managing an ambiguous truce, a clear imbalance in negotiating power, and a resistance that insists on keeping its finger on the trigger and rejecting any return to the state of affairs that had prevailed before the second of March.” In short, wishes will not be enough to shape the future. Between the calculations of Benjamin Netanyahu and the vision of Donald Trump, we have not seen anything yet.

Lebanon… Incitement and Fears of a New Catastrophe
Taymur Jumblatt/Head of the Progressive Socialist Party in Lebanon/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/April 20/2026
A ceasefire remains the priority. It is the pivotal objective of Lebanon and the Lebanese, who hope that it will develop into a durable lasting process aligned with the fundamental principles that Lebanon must uphold, rather than remaining a mere truce. In this context, efforts to open channels of negotiation, whatever the source, reflect a profound conviction that continuing the war is no longer an option. It is not only Lebanon, but also the stability of the entire region that stands at a dangerous crossroads. While it goes without saying that the ceasefire is welcomed, every aspect of this painful war, with all its tragedies and repercussions, remains regrettable. Despite all the sacrifices Lebanon has made during the brutal assault that targeted both people and infrastructure - from civilians, journalists, paramedics, hospitals, and schools - and despite the displacement of hundreds of thousands within the country, truly shameless figures, both inside and outside the country, continue to lecture others about patriotism and to use empty abstractions. Worse still, some are fueling hate speech and incitement as though our history has taught them nothing.
Those who hide behind screens or outlets that claim professionalism to go so far as to demonize an entire segment of the Lebanese population must be reminded of the fundamental distinction between the people themselves and those who drove them, and all of us, into this war. The residents of the South, the Bekaa, and the southern suburbs of Beirut are Lebanese citizens first and foremost, and they have paid the heaviest costs in this war.
Holding an entire segment of Lebanese society responsible for what has happened is nothing more than a recipe for recreating the strife that has cost the Lebanese so dearly in the past. It also ignores the fact that this very segment has always been in the eye of the storm.
Calls for division, the escalation of sectarian rhetoric, or incitement - whatever the pretext - can lead only to another catastrophe whose costs everyone will bear without exception. Do we need to be reminded of the civil war? Can Lebanon endure new adventures of this kind?
Instead of posturing from behind screens, responsibility and genuine efforts to find real solutions are needed. Those who are theorizing from the comfort of their countries abroad should be concretely contributing to the consolidation of the ceasefire rather than issuing judgments from a safe distance.
In light of the catastrophic aftermath of this aggression, prudence demands deescalation domestically, as well as an openness to any initiatives that could stop the bleeding. Whatever criticisms may be directed at this or that official, attacking constitutional institutions at such a moment serves only to deepen the collapse. Realism demands dealing with material reality as it is, not waiting for our wish to come true. Accordingly, we have a national duty to cooperate with the president of the republic, the speaker of parliament, and the prime minister to minimize our losses and protect what remains of the country. These institutions, alongside the Lebanese Armed Forces, remain the only framework capable of managing the crisis and preventing total chaos. The army is an indispensable national guarantee for restoring state sovereignty over all Lebanese territory. As for ready-made accusations of treason or negligence, they are dangerous and misguided at a time when there are no red lines and the entire country has become a target. For this reason, making every political or diplomatic effort to end the war must be regarded as a national duty that cannot be ignored.
Conversely, the scenes of chaotic gunfire are unacceptable. This reprehensible behavior is anathema to patriotism. They are an insult to the suffering of Lebanese who remain trapped under the rubble, the families of the dead and the wounded, and the gravity of the tragedy the country is enduring. Lebanon cannot be built through displays of force, nor can its dignity be preserved by chaos. Lebanon needs awareness, responsibility, and discipline. Experience shows that only its unity and institutions can protect Lebanon and prevent destructive domestic conflicts. Hence, our responsibility as political forces is to rise to the challenge, put an end to incitement, and seek - albeit belatedly - to pull the country out of this ordeal. The next phase will not be easy; it will undoubtedly be delicate, and even dangerous. Yet, if handled wisely, it could be an opportunity to reestablish stability and pave a path that protects Lebanon from more catastrophes. Lebanon today needs calm minds, responsibility, and unifying decisions that protects its people, not further division.

Breaking the Current Lebanese System: Draft Response for Both Domestic and External Audiences
Akl Awit/Annahar/April 20/2026
In response to the question of “how to break the Lebanese system,” I propose here a preliminary outline for reflection, within the context of a provisional ceasefire, on the eve of announced negotiations, and in the face of emerging outlines of solutions—each opaque, ambiguous, and fraught with danger:
Breaking the catastrophic system of governance in Lebanon cannot be reduced to moral discourse, nor to cosmetic reform. For what is at stake is not merely power, but a multiplicity of asserted identities, a plurality of affiliations and allegiances, and unstable balances grounded in fear, interests, the possession of arms, and clientelism, all within a context of corruption and disintegration, and amid a tangled, coveted, and unstable geopolitical environment.
Any coherent response must take into account all of the following elements, both internally and externally, and in conjunction: – A sovereign state, with no partner-rival: no arms and no authority outside itself.
– International protection for this state, based on a United Nations consensus, within a framework of established neutrality toward regional and international conflicts, along with the guarantee of a non-aggressive neighborhood.
– The implementation of structural and fundamental reforms affecting all forms and levels of administration.
It is, of course, not a matter of applying a ready-made solution, but rather of sharing the will to bring into being the three indispensable conditions: to reforge a state, to design and implement the necessary reforms, and finally to ensure a non-aggressive neighborhood. It should be understood that international protection cannot result from a Lebanese request alone; it requires agreement among major powers themselves in conflict in the region, regional acceptance, as well as legal cover at the United Nations level.
Lebanon’s neutrality is made possible by international protection ensured by the United Nations and the Security Council, alongside the definitive and absolute imposition of the concept of a non-aggressive neighborhood across all its borders—south, east, north, and west—as well as through a serious and immediate process of placing all arms under the monopoly of the state, under neutral, non-partisan supervision, and according to an internal roadmap grounded in structural reforms.
International protection alone may mitigate the impending catastrophe, but it does not break it; only the advent of a just and strong state—one that monopolizes authority and arms—can do so. For the existence of weapons outside the state is not merely a symptom of the catastrophe; it is one of its pillars, as it abolishes the principle of equality among citizens, undermines the state’s exclusive monopoly over legitimate violence, and generates parallel spheres of security, politics, economy, and morality. Any discourse on restoring a healthy system so long as arms escape the authority of the state is mere illusion.
The current ceasefire, this temporary suspension of violence, removes no danger, yet it offers a rare opportunity: if it does not merely allow the previous system to reproduce itself (as has occurred repeatedly), it may become a genuine turning point toward the construction of a strong, just, sovereign, free, and independent state. What will determine the direction toward one outcome or the other is the existence of a clear project that begins with the refoundation of governance through the emergence of a power whose legitimacy derives no longer from communities, money, arms, or external actors—nor from domination or escalation—but from the Constitution, from the capacity to act, from the enforcement of minimal rules, from services freed of clientelism, and from non-confessional networks of solidarity. Without this, the citizen will remain captive to whoever secures his or her basic means of survival. It has become imperative to decisively combat confessional dependency and to restore the concept of citizenship.
Is this a chimera, a pious wish? No—but the conditions for its realization are rigorous, and bitter trials will have to be faced for the state to be reborn, for reforms to be undertaken, and for the interventions of predatory countries to be brought to an end, within a framework of neutrality and international protection.
Perhaps it is here and now that the long-awaited awakening must finally occur.

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 20-21/2026
US president says he is under “no pressure whatsoever” to reach a deal with Iran
Al Arabiya English/20 April ,2026
US President Donald Trump said Monday that the deal being discussed with Iran “will be FAR BETTER than the JCPOA,” which was engineered and signed during the Obama administration. He said the 2015 nuclear deal was a “guaranteed road” to a nuclear weapon for Iran, which he asserted would have been used Israel and the rest of the Middle East. “If a Deal happens under ‘TRUMP,’ it will guarantee Peace, Security, and Safety, not only for Israel and the Middle East, but for Europe, America, and everywhere else,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “It will be something that the entire World will be proud of, instead of the years of Embarrassment and Humiliation that we have been forced to suffer due to incompetent and cowardly leadership!”Trump went on to say he was under “no pressure whatsoever” to reach a deal with Iran. “Time is not my adversary,” he said in a second post on Truth Social. “The only thing that matters is that we finally, after 47 years, straighten out the MESS that other Presidents let happen because they didn’t have the Courage or Foresight to do what had to be done with respect to Iran.”And in yet another Truth Social post, Trump said the US-imposed blockade was “absolutely destroying Iran” and would not be lifted until there was a deal. “They are losing $500 Million Dollars a day, an unsustainable number, even in the short run,” the US president said.

Iran says ‘no decision’ on joining new talks as US team set to depart for Pakistan
Al Arabiya English/20 April ,2026
Iran said it had yet to decide whether to attend a new round of peace negotiations with the United States, as Washington’s delegation prepared to depart for Pakistan on Monday. The uncertainty over the talks on ending the war that engulfed the region and rattled global markets came as US President Donald Trump suggested he could resume attacks should the current temporary ceasefire – now in its final days – lapse. Since initial talks in Islamabad ended without a deal earlier this month, both sides have accused the other of breaching the truce. “We have no plans for the next round of negotiation, and no decision has been made in this regard,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday. “The US is carrying out behaviors that do not in any way indicate seriousness in pursuing a diplomatic process,” he added, calling an ongoing US blockade of Iranian ports and its recent seizure of a ship “clear violations of the ceasefire.”Trump has similarly accused Tehran of violating the truce by harassing vessels in the crucial Strait of Hormuz trade route, which Iran has all but shut. The US delegation was due to head to Pakistan “soon,” a source familiar with the plan told AFP on Monday, with Trump telling PBS News that Iran was “supposed to be there. We agreed to be there.”He said that if the ceasefire ended without a peace deal “then lots of bombs start going off,” separately telling Bloomberg News it was “highly unlikely” he would extend the two-week truce. Based on its start time, the truce theoretically expires overnight Tuesday, Tehran time, though in his comments to Bloomberg, Trump said the end was a day later, on Wednesday evening Washington time. Oil prices jumped sharply on Monday over fears hostilities could resume in the weeks-long war, after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz again following a brief reopening over the weekend. In spite of the uncertainty surrounding the talks in Pakistan, security has been visibly stepped up in the capital Islamabad. A White House official said Vice President JD Vance would lead the delegation, joined by Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Trump has been under pressure to find an off-ramp since Tehran moved to choke off the Strait of Hormuz. But the naval blockade to cut off Iran’s oil revenues and the seizure of a cargo ship allegedly trying to evade it have drawn renewed threats from Tehran instead of pressuring them back to the negotiating table.Iran’s ISNA news agency cited a spokesperson for Iran’s central command center as warning that the military “will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy,” while Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran had sent drones in the direction of US military ships. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned that any vessel attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without permission “will be targeted.”Another major issue in the US-Iran negotiations has been Tehran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, which Trump said on Friday it had agreed to hand over. But Iran’s foreign ministry has said the stockpile, thought to be buried from US bombing in last June’s 12-day war, was “not going to be transferred anywhere.”Baghaei said on Monday that the issue was “never raised as an option” in talks with US negotiators.

Trump: New deal with Iran will be better than old one
LBCI/20 April ,2026
President Donald Trump said on Monday he believed ‌a nuclear deal the U.S. is negotiating with Iran will be better than the international agreement agreed to in 2015 to curb Tehran's nuclear program. "The DEAL that we are making with Iran will be FAR BETTER than the JCPOA, ‌commonly referred to as “The Iran Nuclear Deal,” Trump wrote in a social media post after criticism from Democrats and some nuclear experts that he is rushing negotiations on a highly complex topic.Reuters

Iran tells Pakistan US ceasefire violations hinder diplomacy
LBCI/20 April ,2026
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar that “ongoing U.S. violations of the ceasefire” are a major obstacle to the continuation of the diplomatic process.According to the statement, Araghchi made the remarks during a phone call with Dar, stressing that Iran would decide how to proceed after reviewing all aspects of the situation.
Reuters

UAE dismantles Iran-linked organization says plotting terror operations
Al Arabiya English/20 April ,2026
The UAE announced on Monday that it dismantled an Iran-linked terrorist organization for its involvement in covert activities that attempted to destabilize the country and undermine national unity. The UAE’s State Security Department arrested the organization’s members adding that they were “planning systematic terrorist and sabotage operations on UAE soil.”Investigations showed that the organization’s members had adopted extremist ideas and ideologies that threatened internal security, the statement carried by the Emirates News Agency (WAM) said. WAM shared mugshots of 27 men and their names. The members had carried out recruitment and mobilization operations through secret meetings as part of “a coordinated plan with external entities aimed at accessing sensitive locations.”Monitoring operations and investigations also revealed that the organization members held secret meetings inside and outside the country with “terrorist elements and suspicious organizations.”These meetings aimed at spreading misleading ideas to Emirati youth and recruit them in support of foreign allegiances as well as incite them against the state’s foreign policy and internal measures. “They also collected funds through unofficial means and transferred them to suspicious external entities.”The charges brought against the members of the organization included establishing a secret organization, managing its activities within the country, pledging allegiance and loyalty to external parties, and undermining national unity and social peace, the statement carried by WAM said.

Iran says 'no decision' on joining new talks, with US delegation set to depart
Agence France Presse/April 20, 2026
Iran said it had yet to decide whether to attend a new round of peace negotiations with the United States, as Washington's delegation prepared to depart for Pakistan on Monday. The uncertainty over the talks on ending the war that engulfed the region and rattled global markets came as U.S. President Donald Trump suggested he could resume attacks should the current temporary ceasefire -- now in its final days -- lapse. Since initial talks in Islamabad ended without a deal earlier this month, both sides have accused the other of breaching the truce. "We have no plans for the next round of negotiation, and no decision has been made in this regard," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Monday. "The U.S. is carrying out behaviors that do not in any way indicate seriousness in pursuing a diplomatic process," he added, calling an ongoing U.S. blockade of Iranian ports and its recent seizure of a ship "clear violations of the ceasefire".Trump has similarly accused Tehran of violating the truce by harassing vessels in the crucial Strait of Hormuz trade route, which Iran has all but shut. The U.S. delegation was due to head to Pakistan "soon", a source familiar with the plan told AFP on Monday, with Trump telling PBS News that Iran was "supposed to be there. We agreed to be there". He said that if the ceasefire ended without a peace deal "then lots of bombs start going off", separately telling Bloomberg News it was "highly unlikely" he would extend the two-week truce. Based on its start time, the truce theoretically expires overnight Tuesday, Tehran time, though in his comments to Bloomberg, Trump said the end was a day later, on Wednesday evening Washington time. Oil prices jumped sharply on Monday over fears hostilities could resume in the weeks-long war, after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz again following a brief reopening over the weekend. In Tehran, where the main airports reopened on Monday for the first time in weeks, life appeared largely back to normal, with cafes crowded and people out exercising and strolling in parks. But city residents who spoke to Paris-based AFP journalists said the situation was far from rosy. "Let's see what happens by Tuesday. The only thing that the 50 days of war has shown is that no one cares about the Iranian people," one 30-year-old doctor said on condition of anonymity. Saghar, 39, said there was little hope for Iranians squeezed by the government and the war's impact. "The economy is horrible. They detain people for nothing," she said, declining to give her family name.
Elusive off-ramp -
In spite of the uncertainty surrounding the talks in Pakistan, security has been visibly stepped up in the capital Islamabad. A White House official said Vice President JD Vance would lead the delegation, joined by Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. Trump has been under pressure to find an off-ramp since Tehran moved to choke off the Strait of Hormuz. But the naval blockade to cut off Iran's oil revenues and the seizure of a cargo ship allegedly trying to evade it have drawn renewed threats from Tehran instead of pressuring them back to the negotiating table. The ISNA news agency cited a spokesperson for Iran's central command centre as warning that the military "will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy", while Tasnim reported Tehran had sent drones in the direction of U.S. military ships.Iran's Revolutionary Guards have warned that any vessel attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without permission "will be targeted".Chinese President Xi Jinping told Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a phone call on Monday that "normal traffic" through the vital conduit for oil and gas shipments "should be maintained", state media said.
Lebanon front -
A separate ceasefire agreed between Israel and Lebanon took effect on Friday and included Hezbollah, whose rocket fire in support of Iran drew Lebanon into the war. Israel's military on Monday warned Lebanese civilians against returning to dozens of villages in southern Lebanon, claiming Hezbollah's activities were violating the truce. Nonetheless, thousands of displaced residents have begun making their way back to southern Lebanon since the ceasefire began. Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah told AFP on Monday his group would work to break the "Yellow Line" that Israel has established in the south, even as he said it wanted "the ceasefire to continue". Another major issue in the U.S.-Iran negotiations has been Tehran's stockpile of enriched uranium, which Trump said on Friday it had agreed to hand over. But Iran's foreign ministry has said the stockpile, thought to be buried from U.S. bombing in last June's 12-day war, was "not going to be transferred anywhere". Baqaei said on Monday that the issue was "never raised as an option" in talks with U.S. negotiators.

Trump snaps at critique that Israel dragged him into Iran war
Associated Press/April 20, 2026
In the leadup and throughout the seven-week war, U.S. President Donald Trump has faced criticism from the left and from some of his own supporters that he followed Israel’s lead into launching the conflict. But Trump on social media is blaming the media for pushing what he claims is a false narrative.
“Israel never talked me into the war with Iran, the results of Oct. 7th, added to my lifelong opinion that IRAN CAN NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,” Trump posted.

Iran doubts U.S. 'seriousness', says 'no decision' on next round of talks
Agence France Presse/April 20, 2026
Iran's foreign ministry said Monday that the United States was not serious about pursuing diplomacy, citing what it called "violations" of their two-week ceasefire. "While claiming diplomacy and readiness for negotiations, the U.S. is carrying out behaviors that do not in any way indicate seriousness in pursuing a diplomatic process," said ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei in a weekly press briefing. He said a U.S. attack on an Iranian cargo ship early Monday, the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports, and delays in implementing a ceasefire in Lebanon were all "clear violations of the ceasefire".Iran's military vowed to respond after a US destroyer on Sunday fired on an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman that tried to evade a naval blockade. "As of now, while I am at your service, we have no plans for the next round of negotiation, and no decision has been made in this regard," said Baqaei. Iranian state media said Iran is not currently planning to attend the talks after President Donald Trump ordered U.S. negotiators to travel to Pakistan on Monday.

What to know as ceasefire in Iran war hangs in the balance
Associated Press/April 20, 2026
The ceasefire in the Iran war hangs in the balance as Pakistan's capital stands prepared for possible new talks between Tehran and Washington. As of right now, the two-week ceasefire will expire at 0000 GMT Wednesday (8 p.m. ET Tuesday.) But the truce between Iran, Israel and the United States started after multiple deadlines posed by U.S. President Donald Trump that threatened Iran's very "civilization" at one point. Further delays or sudden changes likely will be the norm leading up to the deadline. Serious challenges face the talks that may be held in Islamabad ahead of the ceasefire's expiration about the future of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's nuclear program and other issues. Meanwhile, Iran targeted ships in the strait over the weekend. The U.S. also attacked and boarded one Iranian vessel that tried to outrun the American naval blockade in the strait — signaling that the situation remains volatile and a resumption of the war isn't out of the question. Here's what to know about where the ceasefire stands, the possible talks in Pakistan and other issues surrounding the war.
The deadline in an uneasy ceasefire approaches
The ceasefire in the war began April 8, though Iranian attacks targeted Gulf Arab states and Israel after it had started. Another mysterious attack struck an Iranian oil refinery on an island as well that afternoon. However, it is has broadly held. The two-week deadline means it will expire April 22 without any extension agreed to by parties, either overtly through public messaging or through allowing it to pass without directly resuming hostilities. But risks remain, particularly if there's isn't any diplomatic agreement reached in the meantime.
New talks in Pakistan hang in balance
An earlier round of negotiations between Iran and the U.S. was held in Pakistan from April 11 into the early morning the following day. U.S. Vice President JD Vance took part in the highest-level talks between America and Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which ended without an agreement. Since this weekend, authorities in Islamabad have made preparations similar to those that accompanied the first talks, suggesting another round loomed. The White House has said that Vance would be returning to Islamabad for a new round of talks in the coming days with envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. But so far, neither Iran or the U.S. have sent a delegation into Pakistan.
Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shut
The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of all natural gas and oil passes, remains effectively closed over Iranian attacks in the waterway. That included some attacks Saturday. There's also a fear that Iran mined a portion of the strait used by transiting ships during peacetime. Since the war, Iran reportedly has been charging as much as $2 million a vessel to allow them to pass. Opening the strait remains a key focus of negotiations and Tehran's strongest leverage against Washington, particularly as countries around the world have begun rationing energy and warning of shortages of jet fuel. The U.S. Navy attacked an Iranian container ship that tried to run its blockade of the strait this weekend, with Marines rappelling onto it from helicopters.
Iran's nuclear stockpile remains in country
All of Iran's highly enriched uranium remains in the country, likely entombed at enrichment sites bombed by the U.S. during a 12-day war last June. Iran hasn't enriched since then but maintains it has the right to do so for peaceful purposes and denies seeking nuclear weapons. Trump, along with Israel, has called for Iran to completely dismantle its nuclear program and give up its stockpile. Iran rejected that in its 10-point proposal for ending the war.

Iran military vows to 'soon respond' after US destroyer hits cargo ship
Associated Press/April 20, 2026
Pakistan moved ahead Monday with preparations for a new round of talks between the United States and Iran days before a tenuous ceasefire is set to expire, even as renewed conflict around the Strait of Hormuz raised questions about whether the meeting would take place. Over the weekend, the U.S. attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel that it said had tried to evade its blockade of Iranian ports. Iran's joint military command vowed to respond, and its Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi told his Pakistani counterpart that American threats to Iranian ships and ports were "clear signs" of Washington's disingenuousness ahead of the planned talks, Iran state media reported. With tensions flaring and the ceasefire due to expire midweek, Pakistan has intensified diplomatic contacts with both Washington and Tehran over the past 24 hours with the goal of resuming the talks on Tuesday as planned, according to two Pakistani officials involved in the preparations. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press. U.S. President Donald Trump has said American negotiators would head to the Pakistani capital on Monday, but it was not immediately clear whether those plans would now change. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters in Tehran on Monday that there were no plans yet to attend the talks with the U.S. But at the same time, he did not rule it out. "We have no plans for the next round of negotiations and no decision has been made in this regard," Baghaei said. Iran on Saturday said it had received new proposals from the United States but suggested a wide gap remained between the sides. It was unclear whether either side had shifted stances on issues that derailed the last round of negotiations, including Iran's nuclear enrichment program, its regional proxies and the Strait of Hormuz.Iran throttled traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the open seas, shortly after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28 to start the war. The U.S. has also instituted a blockade of Iranian ports. Roughly one-fifth of the world's oil trade normally passes through the strait, along with critical supplies of fertilizer for the world's farmers, natural gas and humanitarian supplies for places in dire need like Afghanistan and Sudan. Iran says more than 3,000 have been killed in country so far. Since the war started, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran, according to a new toll released Monday in official Iranian media by Abbas Masjedi, the head of Iran's Legal Medicine Organization. He did not break down casualties among civilians and security forces, instead just saying that 2,875 were male and 496 were female. Masjedi said 383 of the dead were children 18 years old and under. More than 2,290 people have also been killed in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon and 13 U.S. service members throughout the region have been killed.
Oil prices on the rise again after renewed conflict in Strait of Hormuz
Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz has also sent oil prices skyrocketing and given rise to one of the worst global energy crises in decades. Oil prices recovered slightly following Iran's announcement that the strait was being reopened a 10-day truce between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon took hold on Friday. But then Trump said the U.S. blockade "will remain in full force" until Tehran reaches a deal with the U.S. and on Sunday the military seized the Iranian cargo ship, the first interception since the blockade began last week. Iran's joint military command called the armed boarding an act of piracy and a ceasefire violation, the state broadcaster said, and vowed to again enforce restrictions imposed early in the war. Already on Saturday, Iran fired at ships trying to transit. Oil prices were up again in early trading on Monday, with Brent crude, the international standard, at about $95 a barrel — up more than 30% from the day the war started. Iran early Monday warned it could keep up the global economic pain as ships remained unable to transit the strait, with hundreds of vessels waiting at each end for clearance. Security of the strait is not free and "the choice is clear: either a free oil market for all, or the risk of significant costs for everyone," Mohammad Reza Aref, first vice president of Iran, said in a social media post calling for a lasting end to military and economic pressure on Tehran.

Russia urges US-Iran ceasefire, continue talks: Ministry
AFP/20 April ,2026
Moscow on Monday called for the US-Iran ceasefire to be maintained and for diplomatic efforts to continue, after Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke with his Iranian counterpart, a close Russian ally. “The Russian side again emphasized the need to preserve the truce, which must be observed within the parameters initially agreed upon and announced by the Pakistani mediators,” the foreign ministry said after the call between Lavrov and Iran’s Abbas Araghchi. Russia is one of Iran’s few allies and has repeatedly condemned the United States for launching its bombing campaign at the end of February that triggered the war. The Kremlin has profited from high oil prices triggered by the conflict but repeatedly called for Washington to back down and for a long-term diplomatic solution to be found. “The importance was noted of continuing diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing the situation from spinning out of control and averting a relapse into armed confrontation,” the ministry added. Russia criticized what it called Washington’s “unlawful naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and seizure of an Iranian container ship.”Moscow also said Iran had pledged to do everything it could to ensure the unhindered passage of any Russian vessels and cargo through the Strait.

Shipping traffic remains at virtual standstill through Hormuz, data shows
Reuters/20 April ,2026
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained at a virtual standstill on Monday with just three crossings in the past 12 hours, according to shipping data. Oil products tanker Nero, which is under UK sanctions, left the Gulf and was sailing through the Strait on Monday, according to satellite analysis from data analytics specialists SynMax and tracking data from the Kpler platform. Two separate ships - a chemical tanker and a liquefied petroleum gas tanker - sailed into the Gulf through the critical waterway separately on Monday, the data showed.

Xi tells Saudi prince passage through Hormuz 'should be maintained'
Agence France Presse/April 20, 2026
Chinese President Xi Jinping told Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a phone call on Monday that "normal traffic" through the vital Strait of Hormuz "should be maintained", state media said. Xi also stressed in the call that China "advocates for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire", state broadcaster CCTV said.

UK PM admits he ‘should not have appointed’ Mandelson US envoy
AFP/20 April ,2026
Embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday he had been wrong to appoint Labour politician Peter Mandelson as UK envoy to Washington, seeking to quell anger over a scandal surrounding Jeffrey Epstein’s long-time associate. Starmer, already widely unpopular with the public and many Labour MPs, is struggling to manage a controversy that has threatened to bring down his leadership. Addressing parliament about the deepening political row, Starmer said: “At the heart of this, there is also a judgment I made that was wrong. I should not have appointed Peter Mandelson.”He faced fresh calls to quit last week after it was revealed that Mandelson -- whose friendship with the late convicted US sex offender was long known -- had become Britain’s envoy to Washington last year despite failing security checks. Starmer has insisted that he and other ministers were not told until last week that Mandelson had failed the independent vetting process. “It beggars belief that throughout the whole timeline of events, officials in the Foreign Office saw fit to withhold this information from the most senior ministers in our system, in government,” he told MPs. “If I had known before he took up his post that (the) recommendation was that developed vetting clearance should be denied, I would not have gone ahead with the appointment.”Last Thursday, Starmer sacked the Foreign Office’s top civil servant, Olly Robins, telling MPs that he had set in motion a review of the security vetting process. But ex-civil servants have accused Starmer of scapegoating Robbins, who will give his own account to a parliamentary watchdog committee on Tuesday. Opposition leaders have called for the center-left Labor leader to step down, with accusations ranging from incompetence to willful misleading of parliamentarians and the public. Starmer told parliament in February that “full due process” was followed when Mandelson was vetted and cleared for the key role. His Downing Street office has insisted that remains true because government rules meant the Foreign Office had the power to overrule vetting concerns, without the knowledge of Starmer and his top team. On Friday, Downing Street took the unusual step of releasing a memo that insisted he had only found out about the vetting failure last Tuesday.
Senior ministers have so far rallied around Starmer.
“A judgement was made that the Trump administration was an unconventional administration and an unconventional ambassador could do a job for the United Kingdom,” Scotland Secretary Douglas Alexander said Monday.
“That judgement was wrong and the prime minister accepts that.”
‘He has to go’
Other ministers have argued that Starmer should remain in power amid the global tumult sparked by the Middle East war and other issues, including forging closer relations with the European Union. But polls suggest Starmer is one of Britain’s most unpopular prime ministers ever. If Starmer had known about the failed vetting “then he has to go, he has to resign”, retired dentist Andrews Connell, 59, told AFP. “If he knew that’s really bad. If he didn’t know, he should have known.” Pensioner Lyndia Shaw, 73, agreed saying Starmer is “absolutely hopeless, hopeless, and I feel that yes Mandelson should face the full force of the law without doubt.”But retiree Duncan Moss, 67, said he would be “very worried if Starmer was to leave and to not run the country. I think he’s doing a very good job. I think he’s a very mature, experienced leader.”Starmer sacked Mandelson in September 2025, seven months after he took up the post, after new details emerged about the depth of the ex-envoy’s ties to Epstein, who died in a US prison in 2019 while facing sex-trafficking charges. UK police are investigating allegations of misconduct in office by Mandelson, 72, when he was a Labor minister more than 15 years ago. He was arrested and released in February. Mandelson has not been charged and denies criminal wrongdoing. Starmer and his Labor party are also bracing for a chastening set of local elections next month, including in the devolved Scottish and Welsh parliaments.

Israeli fire kills two in Gaza, Hamas clashes with Israeli-backed militia
Reuters/Nidal al-Mughrabi/April 20, 2026
CAIRO, April 20 (Reuters) - Israeli strikes killed at least two Palestinians in separate incidents in the Gaza Strip on Monday, health officials said, and fighters from Hamas clashed with gunmen ‌from an Israeli-backed militia, witnesses said. Medics said one man was killed in an Israeli airstrike in ‌the Bureij camp in the central area of the enclave, while another strike killed one person and wounded others in Gaza City. The two deaths ​were the latest violence to overshadow the U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal signed in October after two years of full-blown war between Israel and Hamas. Progress on moving forward with parts of the deal, which include the disarmament of Hamas and Israeli army pullouts, has stalled. The Israeli military didn't immediately comment on either incident. The ceasefire that began last October left Israeli ‌troops in control of a depopulated zone ⁠that makes up well over half of Gaza, with Hamas controlling the narrow coastal strip that remains. More than 750 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire deal took effect, ⁠according to local medics, while Israel says militants have killed four of its soldiers. Israel and Hamas have traded blame for ceasefire violations. Israel says it aims to thwart attacks by Hamas and other militant factions.
MILITIA INCURSION
Also on Monday, residents and sources ​close to ​Hamas said members of an Israeli-backed militia operating in an ​area under Israeli control clashed with Palestinian fighters ‌after crossing into a Hamas-run area east of Khan Younis. As the militiamen tried to retreat, a Hamas fighter fired an anti-tank grenade towards their vehicle, some residents and a Hamas source said. An explosion was heard, but there was no word about casualties. A video, verified by Reuters, showed gunmen apparently from the militia dressed in black uniforms and clutching AK assault rifles arriving at a Hamas-run area in eastern Khan Younis before shooting is heard. In a ‌video, which Reuters couldn’t immediately authenticate, Hussam Alastal, the leader ​of the armed men who crossed into the Hamas-held territory, said his ​gunmen were on a mission to distribute food ​and cigarettes to Khan Younis residents before Hamas fighters opened fire against them. Alastal said ‌one of his men was killed and he threatened ​Hamas, which brands groups such ​as his as Israeli collaborators, with more incursions that would seize territory. A Hamas security official said fighters confronted Alastal's gunmen after they stormed civilian territory east of Khan Younis, endangering the lives of displaced ​families. The emergence of the groups, though ‌they remain small and localised, has added to pressures on Islamist Hamas and could complicate efforts to ​stabilise and unify a divided and shattered Gaza. The groups remain unpopular as they operate ​under Israeli control.

EU hosts Palestinian leader in conference on security and peace in Gaza, West Bank
Associated Press/April 20, 2026
More than 60 nations sent representatives to Brussels Monday to discuss with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa stability, security and long-term peace in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, as global attention largely remains focused in the Middle East on the ongoing crises in Iran and Lebanon.
Ongoing attacks in the West Bank and continued devastation in Gaza have dimmed the prospect for a two-state solution, said Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot ahead of the meeting Monday. He is co-hosting the meeting with the EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas. "We observe without naivety that the two-state solution is being made more difficult by the day," Prévot said. "But Belgium and many European and Arab partners continue to believe that this remains the only realistic path to a lasting peace, for Israelis, for Palestinians and for the stability of the entire region." Nikolay Mladenov, the director of the Board of Peace created by United States President Donald Trump, and a well-known figure in Brussels, also attended the meeting.
Palestinian PM calls for unity
Palestinians in the West Bank say that Israel has used the cover of the Iran war to tighten its grip over the territory, as settler attacks surge and the military imposes additional wartime restrictions on movement, citing security. Gaza requires "one state, one government, one law and one goal," Mustafa said on Monday in Brussels. "Our common objective of achieving one security structure under the legitimate authority should guide the effective coordination between the International Stabilization Force, the Palestinian Authority, security institutions and other international actors. Security must not be fragmented," he said.He also called for "the gradual and responsible collection of arms from all armed groups and also the full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza."
Europe eager for relevance in Middle East
The 27-nation European Union is the largest single donor to the Palestinian Authority, with its 90-year-old president Mahmoud Abbas ruling from Ramallah for two decades. And while the EU has avoided directly joining the Board of Peace, preferring the multilateralism of the United Nations and global legal norms, the bloc is eager to not be sidelined in diplomacy in a volatile region just across the Mediterranean. Outrage in Europe over the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza drove many EU leaders to condemn Israel's war conduct and to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. With the recent election defeat of long-serving Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a close ally of Netanyahu, there might now be enough political support within the bloc for stronger actions like targeted sanctions on Israeli settlers or even the suspension of some ties to Israel.
Hungarian election winner Péter Magyar said during his first news conference on April 13 that he would seek "pragmatic relations" with Israel but also rejoin the International Criminal Court, which has issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. Orbán had defied that warrant while hosting Netanyahu in Budapest in 2025 and then started the process of Hungary leaving the world's only court for war crimes and genocide. Magyar said that he might not continue Orbán's policy of vetoing actions on Israel — a stumbling block that EU leaders critical of Israel have failed to overcome over the past three years of brutal conflict in the Middle East.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wants the EU to tear up its long-standing Association Agreement with Israel. In force since 2000, that agreement sets out the legal and institutional framework within which the bloc and Israel conduct trade and cooperation. The EU had found indications Israel had violated that agreement in its military campaign in Gaza. "We have nothing against the people of Israel; quite the contrary," Sánchez said in a post on X on Sunday. "But a Government that violates international law and, therefore, the principles and values of the EU cannot be our partner."Spain will table a formal proposal at an EU foreign ministers' meeting on Tuesday to end the agreement with Israel, he said. Spain, Ireland, and the Netherlands have voiced deep criticism of Israel's military campaigns in the Middle East but have failed to garner enough support to spur joint EU action.

EU seeks policy shift from member nation opposing sanctions on violent Israeli settlers
AFP/20 April ,2026
The EU’s top diplomat said Monday the bloc will gauge the willingness of member states to take measures against Israel, after Spain re-upped demands to suspend a cooperation deal. Foreign ministers from the 27-nation bloc are expected to discuss the matter at a meeting in Luxembourg Tuesday after a call from Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Attitudes towards Israel among key EU member states, hardened over its conduct in the war in Gaza, stiffened further after the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and a new law on the death penalty for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Facing alarm at the civilian toll exacted in the Gaza war, the EU last year already put on the table a raft of potential measures to punish Israel including cutting trade ties or sanctioning government ministers. But so far none of the steps laid out by Brussels has garnered enough support from member states to be put into action.
Suspending the entirety of the EU’s cooperation agreement -- as Spain is pushing for -- requires unanimity among the bloc’s 27 countries and would almost certainly be blocked by allies of Israel. More feasible could be suspending the part of the deal facilitating closer trade ties, a move that only requires support from a weighted majority of EU countries. That would require a shift in position from EU heavyweights such as Germany or Italy. Rome has already signaled a tougher line on Israel by suspending a defense agreement. “We already have the measures on the table; some of them that require a qualified (weighted) majority,” EU foreign policy Kaja Kallas said.“First, I think it should be assessed whether it’s possible to move with those, if the member states have the wish to do so, to put pressure on Israel.”The recent ouster of staunch Israel backer Viktor Orban in elections in Hungary has also added to the likelihood of movement on measures.A separate proposal for sanctions on “extremist” Israeli settlers in the West Bank had been vetoed by Budapest for months. Diplomats and EU officials say they hope to get the greenlight for those measures soon but that it could take until Hungary’s new government comes to power in May.

Over $71 bln needed over next decade to rebuild Gaza: UN, EU
AFP/20 April ,2026
More than $71 billion will be needed over the next decade for recovery and reconstruction in war-ravaged Gaza, according to an EU-UN assessment published Monday. In their final Gaza Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA), the United Nations and the European Union said that more than two years of war in the Palestinian territory “has led to unprecedented loss of life and a catastrophic humanitarian crisis.”Recovery and reconstruction needs are estimated at around $71.4 billion,” said the assessment, developed in coordination with the World Bank. Much of Gaza -- including schools, hospitals and other civic infrastructure -- has been reduced to rubble by a withering Israeli military offensive following the unprecedented Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. The final assessment determined that $26.3 billion would be required in the first 18 months to restore essential services, rebuild critical infrastructure and support economic recovery. “Physical infrastructure damages are estimated at $35.2 billion, with economic and social losses amounting to $22.7 billion,” a joint statement said. Gaza is under a fragile ceasefire agreed last October, which followed two years of devastating conflict sparked by the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. That attack resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to official Israeli figures tallied by AFP. Palestinian militants also abducted 251 hostages. The retaliatory Israeli military campaign has killed more than 72,000 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry whose figures the UN considers reliable.
‘Immense scale of need’
According to the RDNA, some 371,888 housing units have been destroyed or damaged, more than 50 percent of hospitals in the territory are non-functional and nearly all schools have been destroyed or damaged. At the same time, 1.9 million people -- nearly Gaza’s entire population -- have been displaced, often multiple times, and more than 60 percent of the population had lost their homes, the assessment found. Gaza’s economy has contracted by 84 percent, it said. “The scale and extent of deprivation across living conditions, livelihoods/income, food security, gender equality, and social inclusion, have pushed back human development in the Gaza Strip by 77 years,” the assessment said. The UN and the EU stressed that “given the immense scale of need, recovery efforts must run in parallel with humanitarian action” in Gaza, ensuring a “transition from emergency relief toward reconstruction at scale.” They insisted that the recovery and reconstruction needed to be “Palestinian-led”, and incorporate approaches that actively support the transfer of governance to the Palestinian Authority, in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 2803. That resolution, which was adopted last November, welcomed the creation of US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace to support Gaza’s reconstruction.The UN and the EU also emphasized that “a set of enabling conditions” were needed for the resolution to be implemented effectively on the ground.
They included in particular “a sustained ceasefire and adequate security”, as well as “unimpeded humanitarian access and immediate restoration of essential services,” and “free movement of people, goods, and reconstruction materials, within and between Gaza and the West Bank.”Without such conditions, they warned, “neither recovery nor reconstruction can succeed.”

MBS, China’s Xi discuss Middle East deescalation efforts, maritime security
Al Arabiya English/20 April ,2026
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a phone call on Monday with Chinese President Xi Jinping, during which they discussed the latest regional developments. The two leaders “discussed the latest developments in the region and their regional and international security and economic repercussions,” the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. They also “discussed efforts to deescalate tensions and enhance security and stability in the region, particularly regarding maritime security and its economic implications, as well as its impact on vital global supplies,” SPA said. Xi told MBS that “normal traffic” through the vital Strait of Hormuz “should be maintained,” Chinese state media said. “Normal navigation through the Strait of Hormuz should be maintained, this is in the shared interests of regional countries and the international community,” Xi said, according to state broadcaster CCTV. China is a major trading partner of Gulf countries and the main buyer of Iranian oil, most of which passes through the Hormuz strait.With AFP

Saudi Crown Prince meets Sudan’s army chief in Jeddah
Al Arabiya English/20 April ,2026
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday met with Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Jeddah, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. The meeting included a review of the latest developments in Sudan, their implications, and the efforts being made to address them, with an emphasis on ensuring Sudan’s security and stability and preserving its sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, according to SPA. Sudan has been at civil war since April 2023 between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Saudi Arabia has shown strong commitment to enabling an end to the conflict. In May 2023, it facilitated the signing of the Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan by both warring parties obliging them to protect civilians, allow the flow of humanitarian aid into the country, and abide by international law. Earlier this year, al-Burhan met Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed al-Khuraiji in Port Sudan to discuss Saudi Arabia’s peace initiative aimed at ending the conflict in Sudan. The initiative, sponsored by the Saudi Crown Prince and US President Donald Trump, seeks to address the root causes of the Sudanese crisis. Al-Burhan previously described the plan as providing a roadmap toward peace in the country. In November, Trump said he had begun working to bring an end to the war in Sudan, noting that the effort was launched at the personal request of the Saudi Crown Prince during their meeting at the White House that same month.

Iraq Shia alliance names Bassem al-Badry as PM nominee
Agencies/20 April ,2026
Iraq’s alliance of Shia political blocs, the Coordination Framework, has named Bassem al-Badry as its nominee for the post of prime minister, a brief statement from the bloc said on Monday. This comes after former prime minster Nouri al-Maliki’s prospects of becoming Iraq’s next premier faded. In January, US President Donald Trump threatened to stop supporting Iraq if al-Maliki returned to the post. Trump’s ultimatum left Iraqi leaders at a loss, particularly within the Coordination Framework, a Shia alliance with varying degrees of ties to Iran, that had initially nominated al-Maliki. By convention, a Shia holds the powerful post of prime minister, the parliament speaker is a Sunni, and the largely ceremonial presidency goes to a Kurd.

Man kills 8 children and shoots his wife and another woman in Shreveport, Louisiana
Associated Press/April 20.2026
SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — A Louisiana man who fatally shot seven of his children and another child in an attack against his family was in the middle of separating from his wife, who also was shot and wounded, a relative said. The violence that unfolded early Sunday across two houses in Shreveport, Louisiana, was one of the nation’s deadliest mass shootings in recent years.The gunman's wife, who family members say is the mother of some of the children, and another woman were critically wounded, according to the Shreveport Police Department. The police said in a statement Monday that they are hopeful that both women will recover. The shooter, identified as Shamar Elkins, died after fleeing and a police pursuit that ended with officers firing on him. Officials said the children — three boys and five girls — ranged in age from 3 to 11 years old. Another person jumped off the roof of the house and was expected to survive. “I just don’t know what to say, my heart is just taken aback,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. “I cannot begin to imagine how such an event could occur.”Elkins and his wife were separating and had been due in court Monday, said Crystal Brown, a cousin of a woman shot in the attack. She said the couple had been arguing about the separation before the shooting.
“He murdered his children,” Brown said.
The violence started before sunrise Sunday Authorities said the shooting erupted before dawn, when Elkins shot a woman at a home in a neighborhood south of downtown. He then went to the other house a few blocks away and began shooting the children, police said. Elkins' nephew was among the slain children, according to the Caddo Parish coroner’s office. Liza Demming, who lives two houses down from where most of the victims were shot, said her security camera captured video of the suspect running away along with the sound of two shots. “That’s pretty much all I saw, was him running out of the house and the cars leaving,” she said. Demming later went outside and saw the covered body of a child on the home’s roof. State Rep. Tammy Phelps said some children tried to get away through the back of the house. “I can’t even imagine what the police officers, first responders actually dealt with when they got here today,” she said.
Mourners laid flowers outside the single-story house on 79th Street and others lit candles for the victims in the parking lot of a nearby shopping plaza. “It just makes you take your children and hug them and hold them and tell them how much you love them,” said Kimberlin Jackson, who attended the vigil.
Gunman had no recent arrests for domestic violence, police say. Investigators were not aware of other domestic violence issues involving Elkins, said police spokesperson Chris Bordelon. Elkins did not appear to have an extensive criminal history in court records, which showed he was placed on probation in 2019 after pleading guilty to illegal use of weapons. In that case, Elkins fired five rounds at a vehicle and told police that someone inside it had pulled a gun on him, according to a police report. Brown, the cousin of one of the women who were shot, said she was at church Sunday morning when the pastor told congregants about the shooting at the end of the service. She described the children as happy and friendly. “They worked, came home, they stuck to themselves," she said. “Just an everyday family.”The mayor of Shreveport, a city about 180,000 residents in northwestern Louisiana, called it a tragic situation. “Maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had,” said Tom Arceneaux. The shooting in Shreveport was the deadliest in the U.S. since January 2024, when eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.

Links to several important news websites
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 20-21/2026
Analysis-Gulf worries US-Iran talks may cement Tehran's 'golden' grip on Hormuz
Reuters/Samia Nakhoul/April 20, 2026
DUBAI, April 20 (Reuters)- - A warning by former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has crystallised fears among Gulf states that reopening the Strait of Hormuz may be the most Iran-U.S. talks can achieve, falling short of the broader de-escalation they regard as vital. Officials and analysts expect the next round of negotiations, due in Islamabad, will focus increasingly not on Iran's missiles or regional proxies but on uranium enrichment limits and how to handle ‌Iran’s leverage over the Strait, the world’s most critical oil shipping route. Gulf officials warn the approach risks entrenching Iran's grip on Middle East energy supplies by managing rather than dismantling its leverage, prioritising global economic stability even while leaving ‌the countries most exposed to the energy and security consequences outside formal decision-making. Gulf sources say U.S.–Iran diplomacy is now centered less on rolling back Iran’s missile programme and more on enrichment levels and tacitly accepting Tehran’s leverage over Hormuz, which carries about a fifth of global oil supplies. Although negotiations remain stalled over enrichment, with Iran ​rejecting both zero enrichment and demands to ship its stockpiles abroad, Gulf officials say the shift in priorities itself is troubling. “At the end of the day, Hormuz will be the red line,” one Gulf source close to government circles said. “It wasn’t an issue before. It is now. The goal posts have moved.”There was no immediate response from Gulf Arab governments to requests for comment on the issues raised in this article. Iran's threats to Gulf shipping during the war have broken long‑standing taboos around the Strait, making its disruption a realistic lever in negotiations for the first time. Hormuz's central role was bluntly articulated by Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, in a post on X on April 8. “It’s not clear how the truce between Washington and Tehran will play out,” Medvedev said. “But one thing is certain -- Iran has tested its nuclear weapons. It ‌is called the Strait of Hormuz. Its potential is inexhaustible.”The remark cast Hormuz as leverage enabling ⁠Iran to raise costs and shape rules without crossing the nuclear threshold.
HORMUZ IS A 'GOLDEN ASSET', SAYS IRANIAN SECURITY SOURCE
Iranian security officials privately echo that view, describing the Strait not as a contingency but as a long‑prepared instrument of deterrence. “Iran prepared for years for a scenario involving the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, planning every step,” said a senior Iranian security source. “Today it is one of Iran’s most effective ⁠tools -- a form of geographic leverage that serves as a powerful deterrent.”The source described the Strait as a “golden, invaluable asset rooted in Iran’s geography -- one the world cannot take away precisely because it flows from Iran’s location.” A second Iranian source, close to the Revolutionary Guards, went further, suggesting that a long‑standing taboo surrounding the use of Hormuz had now been broken. This source described Hormuz as a sword "drawn from its sheath" that the U.S. and regional states could not ignore, providing the region with leverage against external powers. What alarms Gulf Arab states most, analysts say, is that while Iranian missiles, drones ​and ​proxies have repeatedly attacked their region, negotiations are increasingly framed almost exclusively around Hormuz because of its global economic impact, marginalising Gulf security concerns.
At its core, ​the Hormuz dispute is less about who controls the Strait than about who sets the rules ‌of passage, Gulf sources say, reflecting a broader shift away from fixed international norms toward power‑based arrangements. That, said Ebtesam Al-Ketbi, president of the Emirates Policy Center, exposes an imbalance between those who define the rules and those who bear the consequences when rules are broken. “What is taking shape today is not a historic settlement,” Al‑Ketbi told Reuters, “but a deliberate engineering of sustainable conflict.”“Who's suffering from missiles and proxies?” she added. "Israel, and specifically the Gulf states. What would be a good deal for us is (addressing) missiles, proxies -- and Hormuz. And it seems they don’t care about the missiles or the proxies.”
CAUTION ON SANCTIONS RELIEF
Analysts warn such an approach in the talks would not so much resolve tensions as stabilise them at manageable levels, an outcome that may suit Washington and Tehran but risks entrenching instability for Gulf states living under the threat of missiles. The U.S.–Israeli war on Iran, which began on February 28, has already left Gulf economies absorbing the fallout, from attacks on energy infrastructure to rising export and insurance costs. Alternative trade export routes raise costs and remain exposed to the ‌same Iranian missile threats. Diplomats say Gulf officials have urged Washington against full sanctions relief, advocating a phased approach to test Iran's behaviour. They say core ​threats remain unaddressed, notably missiles able to hit Gulf capitals and Iran's armed proxies used as extensions of the Iranian state.Across the Arab Gulf, sentiment toward ​Washington now ranges from quiet resentment to growing frustration and confusion over unilateral U.S. decision‑making. Abdulaziz Sager, Chairman of the Saudi-based Gulf ​Research Center, said dealing with the Iran issue required "a different approach.""The U.S. is part and parcel of regional security..." he added. "But that does not mean acting unilaterally — going full-fledged without involving the region." While Gulf leaders ‌bristle at being sidelined, they privately and publicly concede that U.S. military capabilities continue to shape ​outcomes through their unmatched superiority. UAE academic Abdulkhaleq Abdulla said that Gulf Arab ​states had survived the war in large part due to their own defences and sophisticated U.S.-supplied weapons such as the THAAD and Patriot air defence systems.
RELYING ON SINGLE PROTECTOR HAS LIMITS, ANALYST SAYS
Yet while America was indispensable, it was fallible, Abdulla said, citing what he called its underestimation of the likelihood of confrontation over Hormuz. The U.S. has repeatedly committed to defending its Gulf allies during the war via air and missile defence cooperation, naval security and protection of critical infrastructure. One of the ​war's lessons, Gulf states say, is the limit of reliance on a single external protector, said ‌Mohammed Baharoon, director of the Dubai‑based research center B’huth. Gulf Arab rulers say they have long warned Washington against conflict with Iran, yet they have remained publicly mute since the war broke out. The restraint reflects not just ​diplomacy but uncertainty over a conflict they pay for in economic damage and defence costs but do not control.Now, as Washington and Tehran negotiate, Gulf officials argue their exclusion from the talks is no longer a regional issue ​but a global one, given Hormuz’s international importance.

The Strait, the Patient, and the Pakistani Doctor
Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/April 20/2026
Beating the drums of war could summon its return. It could also lead the hawks to offer concessions and ripen the conditions for a settlement. We are in the midst of a major crisis that could be more dangerous than any of the ailing Middle East’s wars.
The parties constantly check their watches. Time is running out. The American–Iranian truce expires on Wednesday. Patience is not among Donald Trump’s virtues, and surrender is not something the generals of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) can stomach. Another party is watching on and anxiously counting down the clock: the global economy, which is now held hostage in the Strait of Hormuz and caught in a military and economic crisis with implications for countries near and far. It is no surprise that these fateful days are brimming with schemes, brinkmanship, leaks, and threats. Trump demands that Iran explicitly abandon its nuclear ambitions and refrain from pursuing nuclear weapons in the future. That is why he rejects enrichment and insists on taking possession of the highly enriched uranium currently buried under the rubble of American airstrikes. He also demands constraints to Iran’s missile program, which it has used more against neighbors who had avoided entering the war than its enemies. He further demands that Iran stop using its proxies- those “small armies” fostered, financed, and armed by General Qassem Soleimani. Should Iran comply, its position, boundaries, and role would fundamentally change.
In the days of Ali Khamenei and Qassem Soleimani, Iran expanded as it sought to seize the keys to the region. The Syrian-Israeli border effectively became an Iranian-Israeli border, as did the Lebanese-Israeli border and Israel’s border with Gaza. Iraqi factions joined the “axis of resistance,” and the Houthis arose. Iran encircled Israel with a network of tunnels and missiles, making progress on achieving its dream of cutting the “thread of American interests” in the Middle East.
The picture has changed. The wars that have broken out since the “Sinwar Flood” erased the Iranian-Israeli border in Gaza. They also cost Iran its frontier with Israel via the Syrian “bridge,” and it is set to lose Lebanon as well. The recent statements of President Joseph Aoun are clear and unequivocal: the Lebanese state does not recognize any partner in its decisions of war and peace, and it does not grant any foreign party to speak or negotiate on its behalf. He is openly defying the Iranian tutelage that succeeded Syrian tutelage. This same stance has been expressed by the government of Nawaf Salam and the majority of Lebanese citizens.
The Iranian regime has not collapsed under the weight of American and Israeli strikes, nor was it expected to. It now faces an extremely dangerous test, however. Resuming the conflict would compound its losses. The American military has built up an immense presence in the region. “Economic fury,” the pursuit of floating storage tankers, and the maritime blockades could be more lethal than bombardment from the skies. Iran has learned to adapt to life under sanctions, but its ability to withstand further suffocation is in doubt.
The world anxiously watches the clock. Hopes now rest on the efforts of Field Marshal Asim Munir, an experienced soldier. He was born in a country shaped by its geography. Between India, China, Afghanistan, and Iran, Pakistan is at the heart of Asia’s tensions, as seen in the latest flare-up with India, in which Munir played a role.Munir holds several cards that allow him to move between Tehran and Washington: the trust of the American president and ties with IRGC leaders that date back to the days of Soleimani. He can also make use of the close ties his country enjoys with both China and the United States, as well as Pakistan’s deep strategic ties with Saudi Arabia - ties that include a defense agreement that was reflected in the deployment of Pakistani fighter jets to the Kingdom during regional escalation. At heart, Munir is a man of the intelligence apparatus: he led his country’s military intelligence, and then the Inter-Services Intelligence, before becoming Chief of Staff. The latest skirmish against India, during which Munir combined audacity and responsibility, reinforced his reputation as a guarantor of Pakistan’s sovereignty and stability.
Munir knows the cost of conflict. It is not in his country’s interest for Iran to sink into chaos or fragment, opening the door to cross-border turmoil. Nor is it in Pakistan’s interest for Iran to undermine Gulf stability, especially that of Saudi Arabia, which has long supported Pakistan and helped the country overcome economic challenges. He also knows that 47 years of hostility and reciprocal strikes separate Tehran and Washington.
He understands, therefore, that his task will not be easy: he must clear the mines and cross the strait of negotiations, silence the drums of war, and establish a new framework for Iran’s relationship with the US and the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The region is in a position similar to that of the ships trapped in the narrow strait. The Pakistani doctor must deliver an accurate diagnosis, propose innovative treatment options, and then distribute bandages and guarantees.
Time is running out. The world is watching the clock. A man named Benjamin Netanyahu who is uneasy; he fears that Pakistan’s treatment might deliver the promises he had made to himself and his voters. Munir’s medicine might be bitter, but the failure of his mediation could open the “gates of hell” that Trump has threatened to compel the IRGC to swallow the poison of compromise.

Selected Face Book & X tweets for April 20/2026
Dr Walid Phares
Some politicians in Lebanon are "tranquilizing" the free world that a division of the Lebanese Army could be sent to Dahye (southern suburb of Beirut), "and its is over." Not too fast folks. We wanna make sure that any division entering Dahiye is NOT an entity penetrated by the militia. We've seen it before, we don't want to see it again. No more decoys...

Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו
As the Jewish state, Israel cherishes and upholds the Jewish values of tolerance and mutual respect between Jews and worshippers of all faiths. All religions flourish in our land and we view members of all faiths as equals in building our society and region. Yesterday, like the overwhelming majority of Israelis, I was stunned and saddened to learn that an IDF soldier damaged a Catholic religious icon in southern Lebanon. I condemn the act in the strongest terms. Military authorities are conducting a criminal probe of the matter and will take appropriately harsh disciplinary action against the offender. While Christians are being slaughtered in Syria and Lebanon by Muslims, the Christian population in Israel thrives unlike elsewhere in the Middle East. Israel is the only country in the region that the Christian population and standard of living is growing. Israel is the only place in the Middle East that adheres to freedom of worship for all. We express regret for the incident and for any hurt this has caused to believers in Lebanon and around the world.

Tom Harb
Can Lebanon’s Dysfunctional Government Reach the Finish Line?
President Joseph Aoun appears to be bypassing constitutional procedures by excluding the Foreign Minister’s office, led by @YoussefRaggi a member of the sovereignty bloc from negotiations with the United States and Israel.While U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attempted to engage directly with Minister Raggi, President Aoun instructed the American administration to bypass him. In contrast, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu involves his Foreign Minister @gidonsaar in every relevant discussion.Furthermore, President Aoun has failed to coordinate adequately with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s cabinet. His recent national address on one of Lebanon’s most pressing issues was delivered without prior cabinet review or discussion — unlike the standard practice in the United States, where President Trump’s cabinet reviews and comments on major national addresses.Another example, when Prime Minister @nawafsalam planned a trip to New York and Washington last week, we in the United States knew about it ten days in advance. Yet his own ministers learned of the visit only days before departure, and the trip was ultimately cancelled.President Aoun is now advocating for a security agreement with Israel rather than a full peace treaty, effectively proposing a return to the 1949 armistice framework. This approach raises serious concerns that he is prioritizing Hezbollah’s interests over the Lebanese people’s aspirations for normal relations and a better future.The central question remains: Do the Lebanese people support a genuine peace agreement, similar to the May 17, 1983 accord, or merely a return to the 1949 security arrangement? Will President Trump and Israel accept any deal that leaves terrorism as a permanent feature in Lebanon?

Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Lebanese media reports that Arab countries are trying to cancel Prez Trump’s scheduled meeting in the White House for Lebanese Prez Aoun and Israeli PM Netanyahu. The Arabs (Egypt, Saudi) are never ashamed of intervening in Lebanon’s affairs. They should be.

Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Disbanding Hezbollah starts with a reshuffle at the top of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), including its commander Rudolph Haykal. These top officers are loyal to Hezbollah and are not stepping up to defend the state against Iran and its proxy militia.
. Iran and Hezbollah have been attacking the State of Lebanon and vilifying President Aoun and PM Salam. I have no idea why the state is so scared and not hitting back.

Nadim Koteich
I disagree with my friend @Abdulkhaleq_UAE
. The UAE's strategic position is to deepen its partnership with the United States. Washington has proven a reliable ally across every vertical that matters, and nowhere more visibly than during this war.  However, reducing the relationship to its military and security dimension misreads what the alliance has actually become, and gives way to rushed conclusions. The AI pact with Washington grants Abu Dhabi sanctioned access to frontier American compute, advanced semiconductors, and the research ecosystem that sits behind them. This arrangement reflects the UAE's bet to anchor the economy of the post oil era inside the American technology stack, as well as the US choice of Abu Dhabi as their preferred Gulf partner for the defining industrial race of the century. The interdependence this alliance creates, and American firms' need for an Arab partner capable of absorbing and deploying their most sensitive technologies responsibly, make the stability and security of the UAE a prime US interest. Accordingly, the most rational reading of where Emirati national interest actually sits suggests that doubling down on the Abu Dhabi Washington axis is the way forward, supported by a sophisticated web of financial, regulatory, energy, and defense pillars already in place.