English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For  April 27/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 06/12-19/:"Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon, who was called the Zealot, and Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.

Titles For Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 26-27/2026
Elias Bejjani/Text and Video: The Anniversary of the Syrian Army's Withdrawal from Lebanon Is Marked by Defeat and Disappointment/Elias Bejjani/April 26/2025
Jumblatt's opposition to a full peace with Israel is worthless and carries no weight because the majority of the Lebanese Druz community are elsewhere./Elias Bejjani/April 25/2026
Anniversary of the Massacres Committed by the Ottoman Empire Against the Armenian People—Alongside Chaldeans, Maronites, Assyrians, Syriacs, & Greeks/Elias Bejjani/April 24, 2026
The Life of Saint George On the Occasion of His Annual Feast/Elias Bejjani/April 23/2026
Netanyahu says Hezbollah 'dismantling' ceasefire with Lebanon
Dar al-Fatwa backs Aoun's right to hold talks to end war with Israel
Israel begins striking south Lebanon after evacuation warning for 7 towns
Israeli army issues evacuation warning for several South Lebanon villages
Countdown begins on UNIFIL exit as Lebanon weighs limited force option
Hezbollah says Israel violating truce, rejects Netanyahu accusation
Lebanon state media says Israel begins striking south after warning
14 killed in strikes after Israel hits southern Lebanon beyond ‘buffer zone’
New Strikes Reported in Lebanon After 6 Killed in South of Country
Israel ramps up Lebanon operations despite ceasefire pressure
UN envoy begins visit to Israel to discuss ceasefire stability
Israel army says soldier killed in south Lebanon

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 26-27/2026
Trump Says Iran Can Call if it Wants to Talk, as Iranian Envoy Returns to Pakistan
Media Dinner Shooting Suspect Wrote About Targeting Administration Officials
Trump says shooting won't 'deter' him from Iran war
Accused WH Correspondents’ Dinner Attacker is Tutor and Computer Programmer
Araghchi expected back in Pakistan despite US cancellation
Israel Appoints First Ambassador to Somaliland
Syria’s First Public Trial of Assad-era Officials Opens in Damascus
A 5-Step Approach to 'Dismantling Iraqi Militias'
A Lesson from 1915 … Why the Strait of Hormuz Can’t be Taken by Force
Israeli Attacks Kill at Least Four Palestinians in Gaza
Palestinian Leader's Loyalists Win Local Elections, including Some in Gaza
Mali reels as minister killed, rebels seize Kidal in unprecedented militant alliance

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 26-27/2026
'Persecuting Christians Is a Booming Business': The Extremist Persecution of Christians, January 2026/Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/April 26, 2026
Your Parashat Ha-Shavua b-Hisotria/Hussain Abdul-Hussain/Face Book/April 26/2026
Amr’s Successors/Samir Atallah/Asharq Al Awsat/26 April 2026
Khamenei Succession and a Break with Khomeini/Mishary Dhayidi/Asharq Al Awsat/26 April 2026
Trump Keeps Talking About Iran’s ‘Nuclear Dust.’ What Is It?/Luke Broadwater, David E. Sanger/The New York Times/April 26, 2026
Selected Face Book & X tweets for April 26/2026

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on April 26-27/2026
Elias Bejjani/Text and Video: The Anniversary of the Syrian Army's Withdrawal from Lebanon Is Marked by Defeat and Disappointment
Elias Bejjani/April 26/2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6t5nn80VRA&t=222s
Moses looked north, toward the mountains of Lebanon, and said, “And this mountain?” God answered and said, “Close your eyes. This mountain is my own property (endowment -glebe). Your feet shall not tread upon it, neither you nor he who comes after you (Deuteronomy-Old testament)
It was reported that Ka‘b al-Ahbar said: "Mount Lebanon is one of the eight mountains that will carry the Throne on the Day of Judgment." It was also reported that Abu al-Zahiriyya said: "Mount Lebanon is one of the eight bearers of the Throne on the Day of Judgment.
 April 26, 2005, is not merely a date to remember—it marks the end of a long and painful chapter that began in 1976, when the Syrian army entered Lebanon and began suppressing the free will of the Lebanese people.
Today, the Lebanese commemorate the withdrawal of the Assad regime’s brutal army from their homeland—a retreat marked by humiliation, defeat, and disgrace. This historic exit was the result of persistent, peaceful, and honorable pressure by the Lebanese people of the Cedar Revolution, backed by international and regional support. However, the vacuum left by the Syrian occupation was swiftly filled by the Iranian army’s proxy—Hezbollah, a terrorist, sectarian militia that now occupies Lebanon, strips it of its sovereignty, and suppresses its free citizens and their independent leaders.
The key difference between these two brutal occupations lies in their form: the Syrian Ba’athist occupation was carried out by a foreign force supported by traitorous Lebanese factions. That regime has now collapsed, its atrocities—including those against its own people—fully exposed. In contrast, the Iranian occupation continues through Hezbollah—an armed gang composed of our own people from the Shiites community, who have been misled and manipulated. Their decisions, allegiance, funding, arms, culture, and ideological direction are entirely dictated by Iran’s clerical regime. Since 1982, this regime has worked tirelessly to dismantle the Lebanese state and replace it with a theocracy governed by the concept of Wilayat al-Faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist).
 Despite countless international, Arab, and regional resolutions—and despite almost daily, devastating Israeli strikes—Hezbollah remains in a state of arrogant denial. It refuses to acknowledge the defeat reflected in the ceasefire agreement and continues its threats and provocations. Meanwhile, Lebanon’s new leadership—its president and cabinet—remain hesitant and submissive, appeasing Hezbollah instead of taking a firm stand to set a clear timeline for disarmament or to impose it by force. Hezbollah’s weapons are not pointed at Israel—they are aimed at the Lebanese people.
 Therefore, the Iranian occupation, executed through the treacherous, criminal, jihadist, and Persian-backed Hezbollah, is far more dangerous than the previous Syrian Assad occupation. Hezbollah was crushed in its confrontation with Israel, and the myth of its so-called resistance has been shattered. For this reason, every patriotic Lebanese citizen who believes in a Lebanon of peace, coexistence, and sovereign purpose must rise against this occupation. They must reject and expose every official, politician, or religious leader who enables its survival.
Ultimately, evil can never triumph over good. Lebanon represents goodness, while the Iranian jihadist occupation embodies evil. And because of that truth, Lebanon will prevail—no matter how long the struggle takes. All occupying forces will eventually suffer defeat, disgrace, and destruction.
Yet even more dangerous to Lebanon's identity, culture, and future than foreign occupations are the shameful, narcissistic behaviors of many current and former Lebanese politicians, clerics, and officials. Their hatred and envy resemble that of Lucifer—the fallen angel cast out of heaven for defying the greatness of God. These figures have similarly fallen, betraying Lebanon for personal gain and power.
Yes, the Syrian army withdrew on April 26, 2005. But its domestic mercenaries remain—especially Hezbollah, along with the toxic remnants of radical leftist groups, Arab nationalists tainted by Nasserism, and frauds who continue to deceive the public with empty slogans of resistance and liberation. These forces, blinded by primitive instincts, hatred, and ignorance, are the true enemies of Lebanon. They cloak themselves in hypocrisy and lies, peddling slogans about “resistance,” “defiance,” and “throwing Jews into the sea,” all while functioning as Trojan horses undermining Lebanon from within. With malice, corruption, and violence, they actively sabotage efforts to restore sovereignty and freedom—resorting to assassinations, invasions, terrorism, and mafia-like intimidation.
Lebanon, with its divine message, ancient civilization, and sacred identity, has endured for over 7,000 years. It is a flame that burns the hands of those who try to destroy it. And in time, it will always rise up to crush those who insult its dignity, freedom, and people.
On this solemn and truly national day, let us bow our heads in prayer for the souls of our martyrs, for the return of our heroic, honorable refugees living in exile in Israel, and for those still forcibly disappeared in the Assad regime’s criminal prisons.
In the end, sacred Lebanon will endure—despite hardship and suffering—because angels guard it, and because the Virgin Mother intercedes lovingly on its behalf. Just as the Syrian occupation fell, so too will the Iranian one—whether sooner or later, by God’s will.

Jumblatt's opposition to a full peace with Israel is worthless and carries no weight because the majority of the Lebanese Druz community are elsewhere.
Elias Bejjani/April 25/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/04/153897/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NII99NsLmk&t=90s
Walid Jumblatt is one of the most dangerous politicians in Lebanon. He only cares about his personal interests, not his community or the country. Looking at his dark history of constant flipping and betrayals since he entered politics, it is clear he is a pure opportunist. He has no permanent friends and has no problem taking back his word at any time.
His latest statements prove his hatred for the Lebanese state and his submission to its enemies. He recently said: "I refuse to ask the army to disarm Hezbollah... the approach must be through negotiations... they (Hezbollah) are the sons of the land and the fourth generation of fighters."
Along with Nabih Berri, he rejects true peace. These two trade in blood and countries for their own gain. They are a duo that resents Lebanon's identity and are always ready to help any foreign invader who uses Lebanon as a stage for the "Resistance" lie.
Jumblatt’s recent words are just a promotion for a new "surrender" position. This is an un-Lebanese stance that bows to the powerful. Meanwhile, Hezbollah openly brags about being 100% Iranian, refuses to hand over its weapons, and declares loyalty to Iran's Mullahs instead of Lebanon.
In reality, Hezbollah’s weapons represent occupation and terrorism. This occupation must end to save the Lebanese state. Enough with Jumblatt and the other "political merchants" who change their loyalties like they change their clothes. If free people around the world had accepted this logic of surrender, no country would ever be free today.
As a politician, Jumblatt used Palestinians, Syrians, Gaddafi, Iran, Hezbollah, the "rotten Left," and even Saddam Hussein to fight fellow Lebanese. He then turned against them all once they became weak. He exploited the "Cedar Revolution" and then stabbed it in the back. Now, he is betting on the weapons of the "terrorist, Persian, Jihadi party" (Hezbollah). We must not forget that he admitted to conspiring against Saad Hariri’s government to help impose the "Black Shirts" cabinet.
Jumblatt will surely turn on Hezbollah the moment they get weak to join whoever is stronger. He was the main winner during the Syrian occupation and is now benefiting from the Iranian influence. He displaced Christians and took their land; his ownership of large areas in Damour is a clear example of his greed.
Simply put: we should ignore him. Do not enter any alliance with him. Keep him in the category of "Neither Enemy Nor Ally." He cannot be trusted for future planning. If he happens to stand with the sovereignists, treat him only as a "Bonus"—but never as a permanent ally.
Honorable members of the Druze community must break his one-man rule. All political players should leave him aside, and Arab countries—specifically Saudi Arabia and Qatar—must stop funding him. This man is a political disaster who would burn Lebanon for his own sake.
It is time for sovereignists to learn that Jumblatt cannot be trusted. To stop his harm, keep him in the "Neither Ally Nor Enemy" box. Always keep him in front of you, where you can see him—never behind your back or by your side.
Meanwhile, His political "acrobatics" no longer matter, because the majority of the Lebanese Druze people now oppose his views and want a real state without Hezbollah's influence.

Anniversary of the Massacres Committed by the Ottoman Empire Against the Armenian People—Alongside Chaldeans, Maronites, Assyrians, Syriacs, & Greeks
Elias Bejjani/April 24, 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/04/129151/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfYltxaeNrE
On this day each year, the human conscience stands before one of the most horrific crimes in modern history: the massacres committed by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenian people—alongside the Chaldeans, Maronites, Assyrians, Syriacs, and Greeks. A crime that does not expire with time, that cannot be justified by any context, and that history will never forgive.
More than a century ago, in 1915, the Ottoman killing machine launched a systematic, brutal campaign of religious and ethnic extermination. One and a half million innocent Armenians—children, women, the elderly, and men—were slaughtered, starved, displaced, and dragged across death marches simply because they were Armenian, because they were Christian. It was not a war—it was a full-scale ethnic cleansing project, comparable in scale to the Holocaust and perhaps even more barbaric in execution.
Yet despite the catastrophe, the Armenian people did not perish. Their spirit was not broken. Their faith did not falter. Rising from the ashes of genocide, they spread across the globe like a phoenix, carrying with them their message, their culture, their Christian faith, and their sacred history. From this sorrow, from this blood, emerged a vibrant Armenian diaspora—resilient, proud, and brilliant.
As a Lebanese Maronite Christian, I do not merely sympathize with the Armenian people—I share their pain, I stand by their just cause, and I am united with them in faith, in values, and in the belief in Christ the Redeemer. I am also proud that my homeland, Lebanon, is home to a strong and dignified Armenian community that has contributed immensely to the survival and defense of our nation.
The massacres committed by the Ottomans against the Armenians, Chaldeans, Assyrians, Maronites, and other Christians of the East are not merely events of the past—they remain an open wound in the conscience of humanity. A wound that deepens with every official Turkish denial, every international silence, and every attempt to falsify or erase history.
The time has come to end political appeasement at the expense of historical justice. The international community, human rights organizations, religious institutions, and global cultural bodies must speak out boldly and without hesitation. Recognizing the Armenian Genocide is not only a duty toward the victims—it is a moral responsibility toward future generations and toward the values humanity claims to uphold.
There can be no true peace without justice, no genuine reconciliation without truth. Turkey, the legal heir of the Ottoman Empire, must assume full ethical, legal, and humanitarian responsibility by officially acknowledging the Armenian Genocide and taking meaningful steps toward reparation—just as Germany did in the case of the Holocaust.
A heartfelt salute to the Armenian people—resilient and faithful—who gave the world the first Christian kingdom in history and who continue to inspire with their saints, martyrs, thinkers, and creators. A tribute to the innocent souls of the Armenians, Chaldeans, Assyrians, Maronites, and Syriacs who were slaughtered for their faith and identity, yet never surrendered their dignity or their cross.
And in the end, let us say this with unwavering conviction: Those who escape the justice of man will never escape the justice of God. Innocent blood does not vanish. Truth never dies. And though justice may be delayed, it never disappears. Glory to the martyrs, eternal memory to their cause, and light to the truth.

The Life of Saint George On the Occasion of His Annual Feast
Elias Bejjani/April 23/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/04/153842/
Today, the Church celebrates the annual memorial of Saint George. Who is this saint? What were his noble deeds and the story of his life? And why does the Church venerate him as a saint?
1. Birth and Chronology
Year of Birth: Saint George was born circa 280 AD.
Place of Birth: He was born in the region of Cappadocia (in modern-day Turkey) to noble Christian parents.
Year of Repose: He received the Crown of Martyrdom on April 23, 303 AD.
2. Upbringing and Family Environment
George was raised in an illustrious family of high standing. His father, Gerontius, held a high military office, while his mother, Polychronia, hailed from Lydda in Palestine. Following his father's repose during his adolescence, he moved with his mother to Palestine. There, the seeds of a profound Christian faith and the virtues of chivalry were sown in his heart. From his youth, George was imbued with spiritual values that led him to view military service as a vocation to protect the oppressed rather than an instrument of tyranny.
3. Military Career and the Imperial Encounter
At the age of twenty, George joined the Roman Army, displaying exceptional prowess in battle and rare discipline. By virtue of his valor, he rose swiftly through the ranks to the dignity of "Comes" (Count)—a prestigious military title that placed him among the Emperor’s inner circle of companions. He served as a commander of the imperial guard during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. Despite his eminent position, George remained steadfastly faithful to his Christian creed in secret, practicing virtue and charity.
4. Confronting Tyranny (From Secrecy to Public Witness)
In the year 303 AD, Emperor Diocletian issued an edict mandating the persecution of Christians, the demolition of their churches, and compelling military commanders to prostrate before idols and offer pagan sacrifices as a test of allegiance. At this juncture, George’s fortitude was revealed. Rather than concealing his faith to preserve his rank and wealth, he distributed his possessions to the poor, manumitted his servants, and presented himself at the imperial court. There, he tore the edict of persecution asunder before the Emperor and his ministers, declaring the vanity of the Roman gods and publicly professing his faith in Christ.
5. The Saint’s Torments and Heroic Resilience
The Emperor sought to dissuade him through enticements and promises of higher governorships and ranks. George, however, replied: "Your kingdom shall perish, but the kingdom of my God is eternal." Thus, the Emperor commenced a series of brutal tortures recorded in Sacred Tradition:
The Spiked Wheel: He was placed upon a wheel fitted with sharp blades to lacerate his body; it is said an angel appeared and healed him in the sight of all.
The Fiery Shoes: He was forced to walk in red-hot iron boots lined with long nails.
The Triumph over Sorcery: He drank a lethal poison prepared by the Emperor’s sorcerer after making the Sign of the Cross over it. The poison caused him no harm, leading the sorcerer to believe in Christ and destroy his idols.
6. Martyrdom and Interment
When the Emperor despaired of breaking his spirit—and after the Empress Alexandra herself converted to the faith due to George’s steadfastness—he ordered George to be beheaded by the sword. He was martyred in the city of Nicomedia. His holy relics were later translated to the city of Lydda (Lod) in Palestine according to his wishes. Today, his tomb lies beneath the altar of the church that bears his name, serving as a sanctuary for both Christians and Muslims (who venerate him as Al-Khidr).
Churches of Saint George in Lebanon
Lebanon is sanctified by hundreds of churches and cathedrals bearing the name of Saint George (Mar Jirjis). He is considered the most popular saint and the patron of numerous Lebanese villages across various Christian denominations (Maronite, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, and Syriac).
While it is difficult to enumerate them all, below are some of the most prominent and renowned churches distributed across Lebanon:
1. In the Capital, Beirut
Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral: Located in Nejmeh Square, Downtown Beirut; it is one of the city's oldest churches and houses an archaeological museum beneath it.
Saint George Maronite Cathedral: Also located in Downtown Beirut, adjacent to the Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque; it is a significant architectural and historical landmark.
Saint George Church - Hayy Al-Syrian: Belonging to the Syriac Orthodox community.
2. In Mount Lebanon
Saint George Church - Bhamdoun: A significant historical church.
Saint George Church - Chyah: One of the largest Maronite parishes in the region.
Saint George Church - Edde, Byblos: An ancient medieval church.
Saint George Church - Dabbayeh: Located in the Shouf region.
Saint George Church - Mtaileb / Bsalim.
Saint George Church - Sarba (Jounieh).
3. In North Lebanon
Saint George Church - Ehden: A very significant ancient church in the heart of Ehden.
Saint George Al-Humayrah Monastery: Located near the Lebanese-Syrian border; it remains a primary pilgrimage site for the people of Akkar and the North.
Saint George Church - Chekka.
Saint George Church - Amioun (Koura): An ancient church built upon a rock, considered one of the most beautiful in Koura.
4. In the South and Beqaa
Saint George Church - Al-Qulay’ah: In South Lebanon, where Saint George is the patron of the town, celebrated with grand festivities.
Saint George Church - Zahle: Several churches bear his name in the "City of Churches" across different denominations.
Saint George Church - Rmeich: Located in the southernmost part of Lebanon.
Notes on Devotional Prevalance:
Al-Khidr: In many Lebanese regions, Saint George is known by the title "Al-Khidr." There are famous shrines and churches under this name, such as the Church of Al-Khidr in Bauchrieh and the Shrine of Al-Khidr in Kfarmeshki.
Local Designations: It is common to find more than one Saint George church in a single Lebanese village—one for the Orthodox and another for the Maronites—bringing the total number in Lebanon to over 400 churches and shrines.
A Prayer for the Liberation of Lebanon
Through the Intercession of Saint George the Triumphant
O Holy Saint George,
Great Martyr and Triumphant Warrior of Christ, you who stood unshaken before the tyrants of old and preferred the crown of martyrdom over the vanities of an earthly empire: we turn to you this day with heavy hearts but steadfast hope.
O Patron of the Oppressed,
You who are venerated from the peaks of Mount Lebanon to the shores of its ancient cities, look down upon the Land of the Cedars. Lebanon, which has long been a sanctuary of faith and a beacon of light, now groans under the weight of occupation, the darkness of oppression, and the chains of those who seek to extinguish its spirit and sovereignty.
O Victorious Knight,
Just as you struck down the dragon to save the innocent, we beseech you to intercede with the Almighty to strike down the forces of malice and greed that hold Lebanon captive. By the power of the Holy Cross which you carried as your shield, break the yokes of foreign dominion and dismantle the strongholds of those who trade in fear and injustice.
Grant Strength to the People,
Intercede for the sons and daughters of Lebanon, that they may be clothed in your courage. Grant wisdom to its leaders, unity to its citizens, and perseverance to those who struggle for truth. May the Cedars of Lebanon flourish once more in the soil of freedom, watered by the grace of God and protected by your watchful eye.
O Saint George,
Deliver this sacred land from all its enemies, seen and unseen. May the light of liberation shine upon its mountains, and may peace—true peace born of justice—reign in every heart and home.
Through your holy intercession, may Lebanon rise again, proud and free, to sing the praises of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
NB: The information contained in this study is taken from numerous documented ecclesiastical, theological, research, and media sources

Netanyahu says Hezbollah 'dismantling' ceasefire with Lebanon
Agence France Presse/April 26, 2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said Hezbollah's actions were threatening the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, as he pledged to "vigorously" target the Iran-backed group. "It must be understood that Hezbollah's violations are, in practice, dismantling the ceasefire," Netanyahu said during a weekly cabinet meeting. Under the terms of the truce, which was recently extended, Israel reserves the right to respond to "planned, imminent or ongoing attacks" and has been striking targets in south Lebanon almost every day. "We are acting vigorously in accordance with arrangements agreed with the United States and, incidentally, also with Lebanon," Netanyahu said. "This means freedom of action not only to respond to attacks, which is obvious, but also to pre-empt immediate threats and even emerging threats."
Shortly after Netanyahu's remarks, the Israeli military said it had intercepted three drones before they could enter Israeli territory. Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli military issued evacuation orders for residents of seven villages in south Lebanon ahead of planned strikes targeting alleged Hezbollah positions.Lebanon's National News Agency reported multiple strikes on villages in the south on Sunday, particularly in the village of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah where "an Israeli enemy drone hit a motorcycle".The agency also reported shelling on several border villages since early Sunday. Lebanon's health ministry said seven people were killed on Saturday in Israeli strikes, revising upwards an earlier toll of six. U.S. President Donald Trump had on Thursday announced that a 10-day ceasefire which began on April 17 had been extended for three weeks.
Tehran-backed Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2 by firing rockets at Israel to avenge the death of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei in U.S.-Israeli strikes. Israel responded with airstrikes and a ground invasion in southern Lebanon.

Dar al-Fatwa backs Aoun's right to hold talks to end war with Israel
Associated Press/April 26, 2026
The Supreme Islamic Sharia Council, headed by Lebanon’s Sunni Muslim Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan, said that the “constitutional right” of President Joseph Aoun to pursue diplomatic negotiations to end the war with the “Zionist entity” should be respected. The council blasted Israel, saying it launched “a devastating and relentless war on Lebanon and committed the most heinous and dangerous crimes.”Lebanon and Israel’s ambassadors to Washington held two rounds of talks this month, the first official meetings between the two countries in decades. The Iran-backed Hezbollah group is opposed to direct negotiations with Israel and has blasted the meetings held in Washington. Trump said this week that Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are expected to meet in Washington in the coming weeks.
There has been no official confirmation from Lebanon that Aoun will attend such a meeting with Netanyahu.

Israel begins striking south Lebanon after evacuation warning for 7 towns
Agence France Presse/April 26, 2026
Lebanese official media said Israel's military began striking the country's south on Sunday after issuing an evacuation warning for seven locations, despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah. "Israeli warplanes launched a strike" in Kfar Tibnit -- one of the locations included in the warning -- the state-run National News Agency said, adding that there were reports of casualties. Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel reserves the right to act against "planned, imminent or ongoing attacks". Israel's military has carried out repeated strikes in Lebanon since the truce came into force on April 17, and its troops are operating inside an Israeli-announced "yellow line" near the border where Lebanese residents have been warned not to return.

Israeli army issues evacuation warning for several South Lebanon villages
LBCI/April 26, 2026
The Israeli military issued an urgent warning to residents in parts of South Lebanon, calling on civilians in multiple villages to evacuate immediately. The warning named the towns of Maifadoun, Choukine, Yohmor, Arnoun, Zawtar El Charqiyeh, Zawtar El Gharbiyeh, and Kfar Tebnit. In its statement, the army said the warning comes in response to what it described as ceasefire violations by Hezbollah, adding that it would act "with force" against the group.The military urged residents to leave their homes immediately and move at least 1,000 meters away from the specified areas, saying that anyone near Hezbollah fighters, infrastructure, or weapons would be at risk. It claimed that it does not intend to harm civilians, but stressed that remaining in or near the targeted areas could endanger lives as operations continue.

Countdown begins on UNIFIL exit as Lebanon weighs limited force option
LBCI/April 26, 2026
Following the joint press conference of French President Emmanuel Macron and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, the issue of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has resurfaced, against the backdrop of a countdown to the end of its mission in Lebanon. On Aug. 28, 2025, the U.N. Security Council made its decision: a final extension of UNIFIL’s mandate until the end of 2026. With that decision, the race to find an alternative began. Lebanon, keen on maintaining an international force along its southern border, proposed deploying a limited military observer force, around 1,000 personnel, compared with UNIFIL’s roughly 10,000 troops. The proposal had been under discussion before shifting developments following the recent conflict. As direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel got underway, the picture grew more uncertain. Why? Because border security is expected to be at the core of any agreement. Less than eight months remain before its withdrawal begins, with no alternative solution yet on the table. UNIFIL’s importance goes beyond its role as a peacekeeping force. Its presence has long been part of daily life in southern Lebanon. It employs 547 Lebanese staff and has carried out development projects worth approximately $1 million annually, in addition to providing healthcare services, supporting farmers, and offering training in vocational, digital, and language skills.

Hezbollah says Israel violating truce, rejects Netanyahu accusation
LBCI/April 26, 2026
Hezbollah on Sunday rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's accusation that it was jeopardising a ceasefire, and said it would keep responding to Israel's violations and its occupation of south Lebanon. In a statement, Hezbollah said its attacks on Israeli targets in south Lebanon and northern Israel were "a legitimate response to the enemy's persistent violations of the ceasefire since the first day of the announcement of the temporary truce." "Hezbollah affirms clearly and firmly that the enemy's continued ceasefire violations... and above all its continued occupation of Lebanese territory and violations of its sovereignty will be met with a response and a resistance that is... ready to defend its land and people," the statement said. AFP

Lebanon state media says Israel begins striking south after warning
LBCI/April 26, 2026
Lebanese official media said Israel's military began striking the country's south on Sunday after issuing an evacuation warning for seven locations, despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah. "Israeli warplanes launched a strike" in Kfar Tebnit -- one of the locations included in the warning -- the state-run National News Agency said, adding that there were reports of casualties. Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel reserves the right to act against "planned, imminent or ongoing attacks". Israel's military has carried out repeated strikes in Lebanon since the truce came into force on April 17, and its troops are operating inside an Israeli-announced "yellow line" near the border where Lebanese residents have been warned not to return. AFP

14 killed in strikes after Israel hits southern Lebanon beyond ‘buffer zone’
Arab News/April 26, 2026
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s National News Agency reported on Sunday an airstrike hit the town of Kfar Tebnit in southern Lebanon, following a warning from the Israeli army to evacuate it along with six other villages, in what it said was a response to Hezbollah’s violation of an ongoing ceasefire agreement.The health ministry in a statement said 14 people had been killed in the attacks, and that the dead included two women and two children, adding that 37 other people were wounded. Earlier, the National News Agency reported that “Israeli warplanes launched a raid on the roundabout of the town of Kfar Tebnit,” resulting in “injuries.”Israel’s military ordered residents to leave seven towns that lie beyond the “buffer zone” it occupied before a ceasefire that has failed to bring a full halt to hostilities. A spokesperson for the Israeli military said in a statement on X that Lebanese armed group Hezbollah was violating the ceasefire and that Israel would act against it, telling people to head ‌north and west ‌away from the towns. The towns ‌are ⁠north of the ⁠Litani River and the zone in southern Lebanon occupied by Israeli troops, who have continued military operations despite the ceasefire. “From our perspective, what obliges us is the security of Israel, the security of our soldiers, the security of our communities,” Israeli Prime Minister ⁠Benjamin Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting ‌in Jerusalem. “We act vigorously ‌according to the rules we agreed upon with the United ‌States, and also, by the way, with ‌Lebanon.”The Israeli military said it had intercepted three drones before they crossed into Israeli territory, after sirens sounded in northern Israel. Earlier on Sunday, Hezbollah said it had attacked ‌Israeli troops inside Lebanon as well as the rescue force that came to evacuate them. The ⁠US-mediated ⁠ceasefire, which started on April 16 and has been extended to mid-May, has brought a significant reduction in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, though both sides have continued to fire at each other, trading blame over breaches. Nearly 2,500 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the most recent war between Hezbollah and Israel began on March 2, days after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran.* With Reuters

New Strikes Reported in Lebanon After 6 Killed in South of Country
This is Beirut/April 26, 2026
Lebanese state media reported a series of new Israeli strikes in the country's south on Saturday night, after attacks earlier in the day killed six people despite a recently extended ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hezbollah. The new attacks followed orders from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the military to "forcefully attack Hezbollah targets" after the army accused it of breaching the truce. Lebanon's health ministry had said earlier that "Israeli enemy strikes on a truck and a motorbike in the town of Yohmor al-Shaqeef in the Nabatieh district killed four people".Another attack "on the town of Safad al-Battikh, in the Bint Jbeil district, resulted in two fatalities and 17 injuries", it reported. Israel's military said it "eliminated" three Hezbollah operatives on Saturday who were driving "a vehicle loaded with weapons", as well as another one riding a motorcycle, and two more armed members of the group elsewhere. It also said it identified two projectiles launched from Lebanon, decrying "a blatant violation of the ceasefire understandings" by Hezbollah, and later intercepted another "suspicious aerial target".
Hezbollah, meanwhile, said it targeted an Israeli army vehicle in south Lebanon in retaliation for the attack on Yohmor al-Shaqeef. Following Netanyahu's order to attack the group, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported a pair of strikes in quick succession in a town in Bint Jbeil district, another on a town in Tyre district, and strikes on two more towns in Nabatieh district. The Israeli military said that it had "struck Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure used for military purposes across southern Lebanon", and would "continue to operate decisively against threats".Israel says it reserves the right to respond militarily to imminent threats under the terms of the ceasefire. An AFP correspondent reported that some people fled Beirut's southern suburbs -- a stronghold of Hezbollah that has been repeatedly bombed during the war -- after Netanyahu's statement.
Explosion in Khiam
U.S. President Donald Trump had announced on Thursday that a 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon that began on April 17 had been extended for three weeks.ehran-backed Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war on March 2 by firing rockets at Israel to avenge the death of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes. The NNA reported Israeli artillery shelling on several south Lebanon locations on Saturday. It also reported a "violent explosion" in Khiam, a strategic town along the east of Lebanon's border with Israel where the agency has previously said the Israeli army has been "systematically" destroying houses and other buildings. An AFP correspondent saw a huge cloud of smoke billowing over the town. Israel's military on Saturday reissued a warning to residents not to return to dozens of south Lebanon locations within the so-called "yellow line", which demarcates a ribbon of Lebanese territory around 10 kilometres (six miles) wide running along the length of the border. Israeli attacks have killed at least 2,496 people in Lebanon since March 2, according to authorities.
On Friday, Hezbollah lawmaker Ali Fayad said the group maintained the right to respond to any Israeli aggression, adding that extending the ceasefire "makes no sense" in light of the continued "hostile acts". AFP

Israel ramps up Lebanon operations despite ceasefire pressure
LBCI/April 26, 2026
Far from the ceasefire agreement and U.S. pressure to preserve it, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has kept the war active on the Lebanese front, under rules he says were agreed upon with the United States and Lebanon.
Following a Sunday assessment meeting, the Israeli military has drawn up a field plan. Under the plan, dozens of operations would be carried out in the area of the “Yellow Line” south of the Litani River. It includes incursions into villages and towns, accompanied by reinforcements in preparation for possible clashes with dozens or even hundreds of Hezbollah fighters. “Like looking for a needle in a haystack,” an Israeli report described the operations carried out by the military in Lebanon and the difficulties it faces in targeting Hezbollah infrastructure. The developments come amid reports that Israel is seeking U.S. approval to expand the scope of its operations to include Beirut and the Bekaa, while sources familiar with the situation warn against a reckless step that could draw Israel deeper into the conflict in Lebanon.

UN envoy begins visit to Israel to discuss ceasefire stability
LBCI/April 26, 2026
The United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, began an official visit to Israel on Sunday, where she is scheduled to meet with senior Israeli officials. According to a statement from her office, the discussions will focus on opportunities to reinforce the cessation of hostilities and pave the way toward lasting stability in Lebanon and northern Israel.

Israel army says soldier killed in south Lebanon
LBCI/April 26, 2026
The Israeli military said on Sunday that a soldier was killed in southern Lebanon, where a ceasefire has been in place since mid-April. Sergeant Idan Fooks, 19, died "during combat" in south Lebanon, while "an officer and three additional soldiers were severely injured, along with a soldier who was moderately injured and a soldier who was lightly injured,” the military said. AFP

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 26-27/2026
Trump Says Iran Can Call if it Wants to Talk, as Iranian Envoy Returns to Pakistan
Washington: Asharq Al Awsat/26 April 2026
President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Iran can reach out to the United Stated if it wants to negotiate an end to the war between the two countries. "If they ⁠want to talk, they ⁠can come to us, or they can call us. You know, there is a telephone. We ⁠have nice, secure lines," Trump said in an interview on Fox News' "The Sunday Briefing." "They know what has to be in the agreement. It's very simple: they cannot have a nuclear weapon, otherwise there's no reason to meet," Trump said.Iran has long demanded Washington acknowledge its right to enrich uranium, which Tehran says ⁠it only seeks ⁠for peaceful purposes but which Western powers and Israel say is aimed at building nuclear weapons. Although a ceasefire has paused full-scale fighting in the conflict, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, no agreement has been reached on terms to end a war that has killed thousands, driven up oil prices, fueled inflation and darkened the outlook for global growth. Tehran has largely closed the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries a fifth of global oil shipments, while Washington has imposed a blockade of Iran's ports. Trump canceled a trip by his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan on Saturday, dealing a new ⁠setback ⁠to peace prospects after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi departed Islamabad after speaking only to Pakistani officials. Araghchi flew to Oman - another mediator in the war - where he met the country's leader, Haitham ⁠bin Tariq al-Said, on Sunday.
They discussed security in the strait and Araghchi called for a regional security framework free of outside interference, according to Iran's foreign ministry. Araghchi later returned to Islamabad, Iranian state media reported. Pakistani government sources said he would hold talks with the country's leadership before heading to Moscow. Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that Araghchi's talks with Pakistani officials would include "implementing a new legal regime over the Strait of Hormuz, receiving compensation, guaranteeing no renewed military aggression by warmongers, and lifting the naval blockade."
The talks would be unrelated to Iran's nuclear program, the report said. Speaking in Florida before being rushed out of the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington when a man opened fire nearby, Trump said he cancelled his envoys' visit due to too much travel and expense for what he considered an inadequate Iranian offer.Iran "offered a lot, but not enough," Trump said.

Media Dinner Shooting Suspect Wrote About Targeting Administration Officials
Washington: Asharq Al Awsat/26 April 2026
The man accused of opening fire at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner sent writings to family members minutes before the shooting referring to himself as a “Friendly Federal Assassin,” railing against Trump administration policies and signaling what investigators increasingly believe was a politically driven attack, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation. The writings, sent shortly before shots were fired at the Washington Hilton, made repeated references to President Donald Trump without naming him directly and alluded to grievances over a range of administration actions and recent events, including US strikes on drug smuggling boats in the eastern Pacific, the official said. Investigators are treating the writings, along with a trail of social media posts and interviews with family members, as some of the clearest evidence yet of the suspect’s mindset and possible motives.
Authorities also uncovered what the official described as numerous anti-Trump social media posts linked to the suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, a 31-year-old California man accused of trying to breach a security checkpoint at the dinner while armed with multiple weapons.
Allen’s brother contacted police in New London, Connecticut, after receiving the writings, according to the official. A police spokesperson said they contacted federal law enforcement after receiving that information. Federal agents have also interviewed Allen’s sister in Maryland, who told investigators her brother had legally purchased several weapons from a California gun store and stored them at their parents’ home in Torrance without their knowledge, according to the official. She described her brother as prone to making radical statements, the official said.Allen legally bought a .38-caliber semiautomatic pistol in October 2023 and a 12-gauge shotgun two years later, the official and another law enforcement official told The Associated Press. Authorities are still trying to determine how specific Allen’s alleged targets were. Officials have said investigators are examining whether his grievances centered on Trump and Vice President JD Vance personally or reflected a broader hostility toward the administration. The officials were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

Trump says shooting won't 'deter' him from Iran war
Agence France Presse/26 April 2026
U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday a shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner would not deter him from the Iran war, although he believed the incident was unlikely linked to the conflict. "It's not going to deter me from winning the war in Iran. I don't know if that had anything to do with it, I really don't think so, based on what we know," Trump told reporters in a briefing at the White House after the shocking security incident. Trump had earlier said, however, that "you never know" if it could be linked to the Iran war, and said investigators were working on the motive of the shooter whom he described as a "lone wolf."The U.S. leader earlier Saturday canceled his envoys' trip to Pakistan for peace talks with Iran, after being unimpressed with Tehran's negotiating position following nearly two months of war.

Accused WH Correspondents’ Dinner Attacker is Tutor and Computer Programmer
Asharq Al Awsat/26 April 2026
Social media posts that appear to match the California man arrested Saturday in the shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner show he is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer. A May 2025 profile photo of Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California, appears to match the appearance of the man in a photo of the alleged attacker being taken into custody that was posted Saturday night by President Donald Trump. The photo, posted to the social networking site LinkedIn, shows him in a cap and gown after graduating with a master’s degree in computer science from California State University-Dominguez Hills. Allen, 31, earned a bachelor’s degree in 2017 in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. He listed his involvement there in a Christian student fellowship and a campus group that battled with Nerf guns.A local ABC station in Los Angeles included an interview with Allen during his senior year of college as part of a story about new technologies to help people as they age. He had developed a prototype for a new type of emergency brake for wheelchairs. Allen contributed $25 to a Democratic Party political action committee in support of Kamala Harris for president in 2024, according to federal campaign finance records. Allen's online resume says he worked for the last six years at C2 Education, a company that offers admissions counseling and test preparation services to aspiring college students. A 2024 post on the company’s Facebook page listed Allen as the company’s teacher of the month. The company did not immediately respond to an Associated Press email seeking comment Saturday night. Allen also posted that he had developed a video game for the Steam platform based on molecular chemistry. A post under Allen’s name said he was working to develop a new “top-down shooter” combat game set in outer space.

Araghchi expected back in Pakistan despite US cancellation
Agence France Presse/26 April 2026
Iran's foreign minister was due to return to Pakistan on Sunday as international mediators try to keep peace talks on track despite U.S. President Donald Trump calling off his envoys' planned trip.According to the Iranian news agency ISNA, Abbas Araghchi would again meet Pakistani officials to convey "Iran's positions and views on the framework of any understanding to completely end the war".The minister had been in Islamabad only the day before, after which he travelled to Oman, while other Iranian envoys had headed back to Tehran "to consult and obtain the necessary instructions on issues related to ending the war", according to ISNA. Before Saturday's Iran-Pakistan meetings in Islamabad, the White House had announced that Trump's peace envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner were planning to leave for Pakistan to engage in further negotiations. But Trump later told Fox News he had scrapped the trip, saying there was no point "sitting around talking about nothing". He dismissed Tehran's negotiating position, but added that it had revised its proposal within minutes of his decision. "They gave us a paper that should have been better and -- interestingly -- immediately when I cancelled it, within 10 minutes, we got a new paper that was much better," he told reporters, without elaborating.
'Very fruitful'
Asked separately whether halting the trip meant a return to open hostilities, Trump said: "No, it doesn't mean that. We haven't thought about it yet." Later, after a gunman was arrested at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, Trump said he did not think the incident was related to Iran but that it would not deter him "from winning the war". On Saturday, Araghchi met Pakistan's military chief Asim Munir, a key mediator, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, before flying on to Muscat. He is expected to go to Moscow after the talks in Islamabad. Araghchi described his initial Pakistan trip as "very fruitful" but signalled scepticism over Washington's intentions. "Have yet to see if the U.S. is truly serious about diplomacy," he said.
Hormuz blockade deepens -
Pressure to end the war has intensified as the Strait of Hormuz -- a vital oil and gas route -- remains closed. Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards said they had no intention of lifting their blockade, which has roiled energy markets. "Controlling the Strait of Hormuz and maintaining the shadow of its deterrent effects over America and the White House's supporters in the region is the definitive strategy of Islamic Iran," the Guards said on their official Telegram channel. The United States has imposed a blockade of Iranian ports in retaliation. In a statement carried by state media, Iran's military warned that continued U.S. "blockading, banditry and piracy" would draw a response.

Israel Appoints First Ambassador to Somaliland
Asharq Al Awsat/April 26/2026
Israel has appointed its first ambassador to Somaliland, months after formally recognizing the breakaway region in the Horn of Africa, the foreign ministry said Sunday.In December, Israel became the first country to recognize the independence of Somaliland since it declared its autonomy from Somalia in 1991 following a civil war.Michael Lotem, currently serving as a roving economic ambassador to Africa, will be Israel's envoy to Somaliland, AFP quoted the ministry as saying. Lotem previously served as ambassador to Kenya, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. His appointment follows the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two sides in December 2025, and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar's visit to Somaliland in January this year. In February, Somaliland announced the appointment of Mohamed Hagi as its ambassador to Israel. Saar's visit to Somaliland drew condemnation from Somalia, which described it as an "unauthorized incursion.”

Syria’s First Public Trial of Assad-era Officials Opens in Damascus
Asharq Al Awsat/26 April 2026
The first public trial in Syria of officials linked to the rule of former President Bashar Assad opened in Damascus Sunday. Atef Najib, a former Syrian army brigadier general who was head of the Political Security Branch in southern Syria's Daraa province under Assad and who is also a cousin of the former president, appeared in the courtroom to face charges related to “crimes against the Syrian people,” state-run news agency SANA reported. Najib was in that position in 2011 when teenagers who scrawled anti-government graffiti on a school wall in Daraa were arrested and tortured. The case became a catalyst for mass protests against the repressive policies of Assad's government security forces. The protests were met by a brutal government crackdown and spiraled into a 14-year civil war that ended with Assad's ouster in December 2024 in a lightning rebel offensive. Assad fled to Russia, while most members of his inner circle also escaped Syria. Assad himself and his brother, Maher, former commander of the Syrian military's 4th Armored Division — which Syrian opposition activists have accused of killings, torture, extortion and drug trafficking, in addition to running its own detention centers — were charged in absentia, along with a number of other former high-ranking security officials. Najib was the only one of the defendants who was arrested and present in person in court Sunday for a preparatory session in the trial, which will continue next month. Crowds gathered outside the courthouse to celebrate.
The government of interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has faced criticism over delays in launching a promised transitional justice process. Syria is struggling to heal following 14 years of civil war that left an estimated half a million people dead, millions more displaced, and the country battered and divided.
Authorities now appear to be moving more aggressively to prosecute officials linked to Assad. Syrian authorities on Friday arrested Amjad Yousef, a former intelligence officer who appeared in a video leaked four years ago that purportedly showed him and his comrades executing dozens of blindfolded and shackled prisoners in the Damascus suburb of Tadamon during the country’s civil war.

A 5-Step Approach to 'Dismantling Iraqi Militias'
Baghdad: Fadhel al-Nashmi/Asharq Al Awsat/26 April 2026
Despite continuous American demands for the Iraqi authorities to curb and dismantle factions, observers noted that the meetings of the leaders of the Coordination Framework have not been tackling this issue. This could threaten the loss of American support for the new government, while experts propose a 5-step approach to resolve the matter. The American insistence on dismantling armed factions has become recently highly clear through a series of punitive measures, beginning with a $10 million reward for information leading to the leader of Kataib Hezbollah, Abu Hussein Al-Hamidawi, then placing seven factions on sanctions and terrorism lists, and finally a similar reward for information about Abu Alaa Al-Wala'i, leader of Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada. Contrary to the discourse that escalated about three months ago regarding the necessity of disarming factions and restructuring the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), the Coordination Framework forces remain silent, despite the factions' actual involvement in the war with Iran and their missile attacks inside Iraqi territory and abroad on some Arab Gulf states.
War undermined efforts
A leading source from the Coordination Framework states that the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran "undermined what could be called efforts to integrate the factions."The source confirms to Asharq Al-Awsat that "the Coordination Framework had indeed begun preliminary discussions on mechanisms for addressing the issue, but the war ... provided the appropriate pretext for the factions to refuse to disarm, considering that the war represents an existential threat to them."The source points out that "the leaders of the Coordination Framework recognize the seriousness and magnitude of the risks posed by American demands, but they are forced to ignore them due to pressure from the factions and the Iranian actor," indicating that "some forces and figures that possess armed factions have a genuine desire to integrate their elements into the army and restructure the PMF, but they appear incapable of taking any action due to the regional developments and the stalled efforts to form a government."
Dismantling the Funding System
Writer and political researcher Dr. Basil Hussein believes that dismantling the factions is linked to what he calls the "funding system."He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Coordination Framework forces are “a fragile coalition where disparate interests intersect.” He points out that "armed factions are not merely an executive arm in the hands of political parties; rather, they are often the backbone upon which these parties are built economically, politically, and socially."He further states that "any serious attempt to dismantle the factions will inevitably mean dismantling the entire funding system, which amounts to political suicide for anyone who undertakes it. Therefore, such efforts will always remain incomplete and selective, avoiding any harm to the core structure upon which the militias' influence rests."In addition to these reasons, Hussein believes that "dismantling the factions is not a purely Iraqi decision; rather, it relates to the Iranian vision that has long viewed these factions as a cornerstone of Tehran's forward defense strategy.”He adds that "when American pressure on the factions intensifies and their room for maneuver narrows, they will reluctantly bend rather than willingly, resorting to a superficial solution that masks their facade without touching their essence. They may change their name while retaining their structure, and formally dissolve into state institutions while maintaining their networks, weapons, and loyalties outside any actual oversight."
5 Steps to a Solution
For his part, Firas Elias, Professor of Political Science at the University of Mosul and a specialist in Iranian studies, proposes an approach that includes five steps that would help dismantle the factions. He believes that the future of armed factions in Iraq will directly depend on the future of the war between Tehran and Washington, as they "will be directly affected by the outcome of this war."Elias tells Asharq Al-Awsat that "discussing practical ways to deal with armed factions requires developing a new approach for the post-war phase. The practical method is not (immediate dismantling), but rather a gradual re-engineering of power through the state."Elias anticipates that if the Framework forces succeed in forming a government, and under American pressure, they may move along five paths: "First: separating the PMF as an official body from the factions as political-military arms, establishing that the PMF, which receives salaries from the state, is exclusively subject to the Commander-in-Chief, while any formation that retains independent decision-making or external affiliation is treated as an entity outside the state."The second move involves "controlling money before weapons. The most effective approach is to audit salaries, contracts, crossings, companies, economic offices, and transfers. When informal resources are cut off, the factions become less capable of maneuvering."In the third path, Elias expects "restructuring leadership by changing sensitive positions within the PMF Commission, transferring some brigades to distant sectors away from the borders, integrating selected units into the army or Federal Police, and retiring undisciplined leaders or assigning them to symbolic positions."The Iraqi expert adds a fourth path related to "dismantling from within, not through confrontation. The government may differentiate between three types: factions amenable to integration, factions requiring political containment, and completely resistant factions. The approach to dealing with them would be piecemeal: incentives for the disciplined, isolation for the resistant, and legal pressure on those involved."He concludes with the fifth path, which concerns "transforming American pressure into internal political leverage. The Framework might tell the factions: either adhere to state discipline, or face sanctions, financial isolation, and security measures that affect everyone. Here, American pressure becomes a tool in the hands of the government, not merely an external threat." Despite these five paths, Elias believes that "the 'Framework will not dismantle the factions in one stroke, because they are part of its political structure. However, it may work to gradually strip them of their military and financial independence, while retaining the PMF designation in a disciplined, institutional manner."

A Lesson from 1915 … Why the Strait of Hormuz Can’t be Taken by Force
London: Asharq Al Awsat/26 April 2026
The debate over reopening the Strait of Hormuz represents one of the most sensitive issues in politics and security. As questions continue to grow about why US President Donald Trump did not take practical steps to remove the obstacles blocking the vital passageway, this discussion sheds light on the nature of the military challenges that make any attempt to open it by force extremely dangerous, especially given the presence of non traditional threats such as naval mines and warfare. The answer as to why nothing has been done to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is simple, according to The Independent.
As his advisers will have told Trump before he attacked Iran, it is almost impossible to clear a passage through a minefield when the shoreline is held by the enemy, without being prepared to take significant casualties. And this, it seems, the US is not prepared to do.
It is one thing to bomb a less technologically sophisticated enemy from the air, but quite another to get involved in a real fight at sea level with an opponent who has been planning this form of asymmetric warfare for a very long time.
According to the British newspaper, history gives a stark lesson on why America needs to tread warily – a page from the First World War.
It was March 1915. The “straits” concerned were the Dardanelles – the narrow passage linking the Mediterranean to the Black Sea and giving access to Istanbul. The Turks were the defenders, the British and the French the attackers. They were in the middle of a shooting war. A vital waterway, which would normally be open for the world’s commerce, was closed because of the actions of Türkiye, the bordering power. The coastline was heavily defended, and there was a high probability that mines had been laid to block the channel.
A decision was made by the British and French that the straits were to be reopened by force – and a very considerable force was assembled for that purpose. It comprised no fewer than 14 “capital” ships (in those days “battleships” and “battlecruisers”) supported by escorts and a large force of minesweepers. The plan was a good one. The capital ships would stand off in clear water and bombard the shore defenses. When these had been silenced, the minesweepers would go ahead and sweep another clear area.
The capital ships would then move forward again into swept water and recommence their bombardment – successive waves of big ships moving up, but always into water which had been swept for mines. In this way, the whole channel would be cleared, and the straits reopened.
The big push commenced on 18 March 1915. To start with, it all went well. Four capital ships – HM ships Queen Elizabeth, Agamemnon, Lord Nelson and Inflexible – formed the first attacking line. The second line was composed of four French ships, Gaulois, Charlemagne, Bouvet and Suffren. They, in turn, were to be supported by six more British ships – HM ships Ocean, Irresistible, Albion, Vengeance, Swiftsure and Majestic – which would form a third line to pass through and relieve the French in line two. The bombardment was started by the RN ships in line one at 11am. By 12.20pm, the French ships of line two had steamed through the first line to take up their advanced positions. By 1.45pm, the fire from the shore batteries had slackened under the onslaught of the guns of the eight capital ships, and it was deemed safe enough to send in the minesweepers for the next phase. The third line of six ships was also called up to move the force forward.
However, 15 minutes later, everything started to go wrong. FS Bouvet hit a mine, and in a matter of minutes, she capsized and sank. There were only 75 survivors out of a ship’s company of 718. The action continued. HMS Irresistible of the third wave was bombarding the forts when she, in turn, struck a mine at 3.14pm. She developed a severe list but continued with the action until she hit another mine, and her main engines were put out of action completely.An attempt was made to take her in tow, but the situation was hopeless, and the order was given to abandon ship. More than 600 men were taken to safety.
Meanwhile, shortly after 4pm, HMS Inflexible struck a mine. She remained capable of steaming slowly and was ordered to withdraw. However, she had a 30ft x 26ft hole below the waterline and had to be beached to save her from sinking. She was later towed to Malta for repairs and was out of action for three months. After these disasters, Vice-Admiral John de Robeck, the British admiral in charge of the Allied naval forces during the crucial stages of the campaign, finally decided that the waters which had been considered to be safe and swept of mines were anything but. Accordingly, at 5.50pm, less than seven hours into the operation, he signalled a “General Recall” to withdraw the ships and return to the safe waters outside the straits. Fifteen minutes later, at 6.05pm, HMS Ocean struck another mine, developed a major list and was deemed not to be capable of being saved. The ship’s company were taken off and she was left to her fate. Both Irresistible and Ocean later sank. Fourteen major warships had attempted to force the straits. Within four hours, three of them had been sunk and one had been so badly damaged that she was out of action. This one day of disaster was the end of trying to take the Dardanelles passage by solely naval means. The attempt was never repeated.

Israeli Attacks Kill at Least Four Palestinians in Gaza
Asharq Al Awsat/26 April 2026
Israeli military attacks killed at least four Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, health officials in the enclave said. Medics said an airstrike carried out by Israel's forces killed one person near the central village of Al-Mughraqa, while Israeli gunfire and tank shelling killed two others near Gaza City. In another incident, Israeli forces shot and killed a 40-year-old ⁠woman in Khan ⁠Younis, in the south of the territory, health officials said. The Israeli military said it was unaware of any attack by its troops in that area at the time of the reported incident ⁠on Sunday. The Israeli military said it was looking into the other reported strikes. Separately, it said it had struck and killed several Hamas militants in Gaza since Friday. Violence in Gaza has persisted despite an October 2025 ceasefire, with Israel conducting almost daily attacks on Palestinians. At least 800 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire deal took ⁠effect, ⁠according to local medics, while Israel says militants have killed four of its soldiers over the same period. Israel and Hamas have blamed each other for ceasefire violations. More than 72,500 Palestinians have been killed since the Gaza war started in October 2023, most of them civilians, according to Gaza health authorities. Hamas' October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.

Palestinian Leader's Loyalists Win Local Elections, including Some in Gaza
Asharq Al Awsat/26 April 2026
Loyalists of President Mahmoud Abbas won most races in Palestinian municipal elections, election officials said on Sunday, in a vote that for the first time in nearly two decades included a city in the Gaza Strip run by rival Hamas. Saturday’s ballot marked the first elections of any kind in Gaza since 2006 and the first Palestinian polls since the Gaza war began more than two years ago with Hamas' cross-border attack on southern Israel. Abbas' West Bank–based Palestinian Authority (PA) said the inclusion of the Gaza city Deir al-Balah, which suffered less damage than other areas of the coastal territory during the war, was intended to show that Gaza was an inseparable part of a future Palestinian state. The elections, in which voter turnout was low, had been held "at a highly sensitive moment amid complex challenges and exceptional circumstances", Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said as results were announced on Sunday.But they represented "an important first step in a broader national process aimed at strengthening democratic life ... and ultimately achieving the unity of the land", he said.
POSSIBLE INDICATOR OF HAMAS SUPPORT
Hamas, which ousted the PA from Gaza in 2007, did not formally nominate candidates in Gaza and boycotted the race in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Fatah's victory was widely expected. But some candidates on one of the Deir al-Balah lists were widely seen by residents and analysts as aligned with the movement, making the vote a potential indicator of support for the Islamist group. Preliminary results showed that the list, known as Deir al-Balah Brings Us Together, won only two of the 15 seats contested in Gaza. The Nahdat Deir al-Balah list, backed by Abbas' Fatah party and the Western-backed PA, secured six seats. The remaining seats were won by two other Gaza-based groups, Future of Deir al-Balah and Peace and Building, not affiliated with either faction. Abbas loyalists swept the election in the West Bank, running unchallenged in many seats. "By electing figures linked to Fatah, voters appear to be seeking unrestricted international support for municipal governance and a gradual political shift that could extend beyond the local level," said Palestinian political analyst Reham Ouda. The recent war has left much of Gaza reduced to rubble, with many residents displaced and focused on survival. Israel has continued conducting strikes despite an October ceasefire. In Gaza voter turnout reached just 23%, while in the West Bank it was 56%, according to Chairman of the Central Elections Commission Rami al-Hamdallah. Al-Hamdallah said some of the ballot boxes and voting equipment did not make it into the enclave because of Israeli security restrictions, though those challenges were overcome. Hamas' Gaza spokesperson, Hazem Qassem, downplayed the significance of the election results, saying that they had no impact on wider national issues.

Mali reels as minister killed, rebels seize Kidal in unprecedented militant alliance
AP and AFP/April 26, 2026
BAMAKO: Mali’s military rulers were plunged into a deepening crisis on Sunday after coordinated nationwide attacks by jihadist fighters and separatist rebels killed the defense minister and led to the reported capture of the strategic northern town of Kidal. The synchronized offensive — carried out by Tuareg separatists of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) alongside the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) — marks an unprecedented alliance between the two groups and the most serious challenge to Mali’s junta since it seized power.Defense Minister Sadio Camara was killed Saturday when a car bomb struck his home in Kati, a military stronghold near the capital Bamako. His family said his second wife and two grandchildren also died in the blast. Authorities said Camara had fought back against the attackers before succumbing to his injuries in hospital. There was no immediate public appearance by junta leader General Assimi Goita following the attacks, though security sources said he was in a safe location. Fighting continued across multiple places, including Kati, the central town of Sevare and the northern cities of Gao and Kidal, underscoring the scale and coordination of the assault.
Kidal ‘free’ as forces withdraw
Separatist leaders declared Kidal — a longtime rebel bastion — “free,” saying Malian forces and Russian Africa Corps troops had withdrawn following an agreement allowing their peaceful exit. “Kidal is declared free,” FLA spokesperson Mohamed El Maouloud Ramadan said. Residents reported seeing military convoys leaving the city as rebel fighters took control of the streets. Mali’s army did not confirm a withdrawal, saying only that it was “tracking down terrorist armed groups” in the area. Kidal had been recaptured by government forces in November 2023 with the help of Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group, in what was then hailed as a major symbolic victory for the junta. Its apparent loss now represents a significant reversal. The FLA also said it had seized positions in parts of the Gao region, suggesting the offensive has extended across northern Mali.
First joint offensive with jihadists
Saturday’s wave of attacks was notable for the formal coordination between separatist and jihadist groups — a first in Mali’s long-running conflict. “This operation is being carried out in partnership with the JNIM,” Ramadan said, adding that both groups were acting against what they described as a repressive military regime in Bamako. Security analysts said the scale, simultaneity and political messaging of the attacks marked a turning point. “This coordination, conducting attacks all over the country at the same time… is a first,” said Wassim Nasr of the Soufan Center, noting that the alliance extended beyond tactical cooperation into open political alignment.JNIM said it had also targeted areas near Bamako and at least three other cities, widening the conflict’s geographic scope.
Capital on edge, curfew imposed
In Bamako, troops erected roadblocks around key installations as residents reported explosions and gunfire. The government imposed a three-day overnight curfew across the capital district. “I still hear the blasts ringing in my ears. It’s traumatizing,” said one resident. Authorities said at least 16 people, including civilians and military personnel, were wounded, while several militants were killed. No overall death toll has been released. Despite the violence, the international airport, just outside Bamako, resumed operations Sunday after temporary disruption.
Regional and global alarm
The offensive has drawn swift international concern. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the violence and called for coordinated global support to combat extremism in the Sahel. The European Union also denounced the attacks as terrorism. The Economic Community of West African States urged regional governments and security forces to unite against the escalating threat. The Alliance of Sahel States — comprising Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger — described the attacks as a “monstrous plot” backed by external enemies.
Russia’s role under scrutiny
The crisis also raises questions about the effectiveness of Mali’s pivot toward Russia after severing ties with France and other Western partners. Russian forces — now operating under the Africa Corps following the reorganization of the Wagner group — have been central to the junta’s counterinsurgency strategy. But analysts say the latest attacks expose serious intelligence and security gaps. “The attacks are a major blow to Russia… they were unable to protect major cities,” said Ulf Laessing of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Separatist leaders have openly called on Moscow to reconsider its support for Mali’s military rulers, accusing Russian-backed operations of worsening civilian suffering.
A widening conflict
Mali has endured more than a decade of insurgency and instability, but the latest developments signal a dangerous new phase. The rare alignment between separatists seeking independence for northern Azawad and jihadists linked to Al-Qaeda suggests a convergence of interests that could further destabilize the region. Although experts say the insurgents are unlikely to capture Bamako in the near term, the coordinated assault has shaken confidence in the junta’s ability to deliver on its promise of security. Opposition groups warned the country was “in danger,” saying recent events showed Mali was neither stable nor secure. With fighting ongoing, a key city apparently lost, and alliances shifting on the battlefield, Mali’s leadership now faces its most severe crisis in years — one that could reshape the balance of power across the Sahel.

The Latest LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 26-27/2026
'Persecuting Christians Is a Booming Business': The Extremist Persecution of Christians, January 2026
Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/April 26, 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/04/153929/
"They want everyone to learn Islam, and... there are those who refuse, and they get killed." — A survivor, persecution.org, January 22, 2026, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
"How can we understand that fighters have been operating freely for over two weeks in the same area, attacking village after village, without any effective response from the security forces?... The population feels abandoned to its fate, exposed to massacres while official speeches multiply without any visible action on the ground." — barnabasaid.org, January 27, 2026, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
"The night I was abducted, they killed my mother and kidnapped my older sister and me. The slightest mistakes are severely punished. For women, they kill their children and throw them into a hole. They would send me to kill people on my own, and when I refused, I was whipped all over my body." — persecution.org, January 22, 2026, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
"I was raped by four men successively. I couldn't handle the pain of four men abusing me successively. I was wounded terribly, my body was deformed." — Esther, age 11, persecution.org, January 22, 2026, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
ADF uses abduction, forced conversion to Islam, gang rape, and child soldier recruitment as a deliberate strategy to terrorize and reduce the Christian population in eastern Congo. — persecution.org, January 22, 2026, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
"Those victims did not pursue legal action, which appears to have emboldened him. He showed no hesitation before attempting to burn Morris alive." — Rakha, morningstarnews.org, January 29, 2026, Pakistan.
"The girl was forced to record a statement claiming she had willingly converted to Islam and married Ahmad. She also falsely stated that she was an adult, despite official documentary evidence proving that she is a minor [13] and below the legal age of marriage under provincial child marriage laws, which prohibit the marriage of girls under 16." — Rana Abdul Hameed, lawyer for the family of Maria Shahbaz, morningstarnews.org, January 15, 2016, Pakistan.
On Jan. 1, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) "released an image of one of the Christian villages in Adamawa State burning, alongside a statement saying that all Christians in Nigeria are legitimate targets, and they have an opportunity to 'spare their blood' by converting to Islam or paying the jizyah tax to ISWAP." — dailypost.ng, January 1, 2026, Nigeria.
"Iran has an open secret. Persecuting Christians is a booming business in the Muslim-majority nation, and the country is earning large sums of money from arresting Christ followers." — persecution.org, January 22, 2026.
There were many other attacks on churches throughout Italy in the month of January—including fecal smearing and statue beheadings.
On January 2, the Allied Democratic Forces, which is linked to the Islamic State, attacked three villages in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a Christian-majority nation, killing at least 14. Since December 2024, Islamic State terrorists have claimed the murder of more than 800 Christians in northeastern DRC. Pictured: Members of the Congolese Red Cross bury the bodies of victims of a massacre in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo at Musigiko cemetery in Bukavu on February 20, 2025. (Photo by Luis Tato/AFP via Getty Images)
The following are among the murders and abuses Muslims inflicted on Christians throughout the month of January 2026.
The Muslim Slaughter of Christians
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): On Jan. 2, the Allied Democratic Forces, which is linked to the Islamic State, attacked three villages in the Christian-majority nation, killing at least 14.
On Jan. 24, Islamic State fighters beheaded five Christians in the village of Musenge, Lubero District. The terrorists celebrated the killings on social media, declaring "Praise be to God [Allah]" for the beheadings of the five Christians. In the same attack, Islamic terrorists burned down a church building, a health center, and 63 homes — nearly the entire village. At least 25 civilians were murdered in the assault. A local community leader asked a question on everyone's mind:
"How can we understand that fighters have been operating freely for over two weeks in the same area, attacking village after village, without any effective response from the security forces?... The population feels abandoned to its fate, exposed to massacres while official speeches multiply without any visible action on the ground."
Since December 2024, Islamic State terrorists have claimed the murder of more than 800 Christians in northeastern DRC.
According to a Jan. 22 report, in 2025, the Islamic-linked Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) intensified their terror against Christian communities by deliberately targeting children. Militants raid Christian villages, kill parents in front of their children, and abduct boys and girls. Captured children are taken to ADF base camps where they are forced to convert to Islam or be killed. A survivor explained the ADF's demand:
"They want everyone to learn Islam, and ... there are those who refuse, and they get killed."
One boy said: "The night I was abducted, they killed my mother and kidnapped my older sister and me. The slightest mistakes are severely punished. For women, they kill their children and throw them into a hole. They would send me to kill people on my own, and when I refused, I was whipped all over my body."
Eleven-year-old Esther described her ordeal: "I was raped by four men successively. I couldn't handle the pain of four men abusing me successively. I was wounded terribly, my body was deformed."
According to James Elder: "During the most intense phase of 2025's conflict in Eastern DRC, a child was raped every 30 minutes. We're not talking about isolated incidents. We are talking about a systemic crisis. We are seeing survivors as young as toddlers. It's a weapon of war and a deliberate tactic of terror."
Gynecologist Denis Mukwege said: "Congo is experiencing the most difficult and gruesome moment in its history. Today, our children are being massacred, our women are being killed, raped, or raped and then killed. It is one of the most dramatic crises our country has ever experienced."
According to the report, ADF uses abduction, forced conversion to Islam, gang rape, and child soldier recruitment as a deliberate strategy to terrorize and reduce the Christian population in eastern Congo. Many surviving children carry deep trauma, guilt over crimes they were forced to commit, and lifelong physical and psychological scars.
Nigeria: Some of the murders and atrocities Muslims committed against Christians follow:
Jan. 3, Islamic terrorists attacked a market in Kasuwan Daji, massacring more than 50 people, including a pastor. According to an eyewitness, the terrorists "pursued him [Reverend Ishaya Bamayi] after identifying him as a Christian leader and killed him. Bamayi is survived by his wife, who, residents said, collapsed after receiving news of his death and remains ill, and their five children." The report adds:
"The attack occurred in broad daylight at the busy rural market, which draws traders and farmers from surrounding villages. Survivors said the gunmen arrived in groups on motorcycles, opening fire indiscriminately and chasing people through market stalls and nearby farmlands. Several witnesses reported seeing people shot at close range, while others were abducted and forced onto motorcycles....As night fell, families searched for missing relatives while others gathered the bodies of those killed. On Sunday morning, burials took place as survivors counted the dead and awaited news of those abducted."
On Jan. 5, James Jatau, a Christian ruler and village head of Hurra in Bassa Local Government Area, Plateau State was ambushed and killed by Muslim Fulani herdsmen, as he returned home from a community gathering.
On Jan. 10, Muslim Fulani "attacked and burned down" four Christian majority villages, according to local resident, Orlaer William:
"Ten Christians have been killed, this I can confirm. The Fulani militias are still launching more attacks in other nearby Christian villages as I send this message to you this morning, Sunday.... No intervention from security services yet, and the Christian victims are left at the mercy of God."
"When are we going to have peace in Taraba state?" lamented another local, Emmanuel. "Oh God, have mercy on us!"
Between Jan. 1-9, 2026, Muslim Fulani herdsmen killed at least 12 Christians in multiple ambushes across Plateau State. The worst atrocity occurred on Jan. 1 in Chugwi village, where armed militants slaughtered seven Christians at midnight while they were celebrating the New Year. The Muslims randomly stabbed to death other Christians in what were described as "brutal and senseless attacks." A local youth council statement condemned the "wicked" murder of "harmless citizens" and the "continuous targeting of innocent lives."
Between Jan. 5-12, Fulani herdsmen killed a total of 13 Christians in Benue State. First, on Jan. 5 and into 6, the Muslim herdsmen killed nine Christians in Kwande and Guma counties. Then, On Jan. 12, armed Fulani herdsmen attacked Otobi Akpa village at midnight and shot dead four Christians while they slept in their homes. Dozens more remain missing. "The herdsmen's pattern of violence includes, attacking mourners, ambushing farmers, and inflicting machete cut wounds on Christian victims," said one resident. Others described the killings as part of "deliberate and systematic attacks against Christians," with one stating: "Fulani herdsmen are killing innocent Christians almost daily."
On Jan. 22, suspected Muslims of the Boko Haram terrorist group raided Tarfa village in Borno State. They rode in on motorcycles, shooting and burning houses for more than an hour with no visible security resistance. According to the village chairman, "Five people were killed, including the EYN pastor. The entire village was burnt down."
Mozambique: According to a Jan. 20 report, in late November 2025, Islamic State-linked militants unleashed terror across northern Mozambique, killing at least 22 Christians in coordinated attacks. On Nov. 20 in Primeiro de Maio village, Muidumbe district, the jihadists moved house to house, killing four civilians and burning homes. Bodies lay outside abandoned houses as survivors fled into forests. Attacks continued on Nov. 25 in Memba district, where militants killed at least four more civilians in Mazua village. Violence also struck Eráti district villages, with militants torching homes, crops, and churches.
Survivors described attackers chasing residents and setting fires. In the words of Bishop Alberto Vera:
"This was a week of terror and much suffering. Parents and their children had to flee... Terror is in the whole district. People have been killed."
Syria: On Jan. 31, in Muhradah, Muslim terrorists murdered 21-year-old Christian Eliah Simon Tekla in a cold-blooded attack.
A video shared by activist groups shows the young man opening his car door to go home when another car suddenly pulls up. An armed jihadist approaches the driver's side and fires multiple shots at him at close range, while a second assailant checks the back seat. The attackers then speed away, leaving Eliah dead inside his car. Sources say the jihadists spotted a rosary hanging on the windscreen and opened fire for that reason alone. This execution is the latest in a wave of targeted killings against Christians since the fall of Bashar al-Assad and the rise of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). At least 71 Christians have been confirmed killed by jihadists in the past year, with the real number believed to be much higher. Syria has now risen to 6th place on Open Doors' 2026 World Watch List, its highest level of danger for Christians since the Islamic State occupied large parts of the country.
Muslim Abuse, Hostility, and Violence against Christians
Pakistan: On Jan. 21, a Muslim man set his Catholic neighbor, Zahid Morris, on fire. Attorney Lazar Allah Rakha said:
"The assailant, Ali Azhar, stopped Morris on the street, verbally abused him, poured petrol over his body, and ignited it. Morris sustained extensive burn injuries to his face and neck, leaving him in unimaginable physical pain and deep emotional trauma."
The lawyer described the attack as "shockingly disproportionate" to a trivial dispute from a week earlier when Morris had questioned Azhar about staring at him. Rakha added that Azhar had previously attacked and injured two other Christians in the area but faced no legal consequences: Those victims did not pursue legal action, which appears to have emboldened him. He showed no hesitation before attempting to burn Morris alive."
Separately, on Jan. 9, Pakistan's Federal Constitutional Court ordered police to find and present 13-year-old Christian girl Maria Shahbaz and her 30-year-old Muslim abductor, Shehryar Ahmad, in court by January 16. This comes six months after Ahmad had abducted the girl on July 29, 2025, forcibly converted her to Islam, and "married" her. Lahore police at the time had colluded with the suspect, leading a magistrate's court to dismiss the family's abduction complaint. According to the family's lawyer, Rana Abdul Hameed:
"The girl was forced to record a statement claiming she had willingly converted to Islam and married Ahmad. She also falsely stated that she was an adult, despite official documentary evidence proving that she is a minor and below the legal age of marriage under provincial child marriage laws, which prohibit the marriage of girls under 16."
Lower courts in Lahore repeatedly rejected the Christian family's petitions for her recovery, instead accepting the coerced statement while ignoring official documents proving she is only 13 and below the legal marriage age. Such cases follow a common pattern in Pakistan: young Christian girls are abducted, forcibly converted to Islam, raped under the guise of Islamic "marriage," and pressured to lie in court favoring their kidnappers. Judges often return the minors to the abductors as "legal wives."
Nigeria: According to a Jan. 14 report, a 15-year-old Christian girl went missing in Kano State on Dec. 1. It was later revealed that she had been abducted and had since been held by the Kano State Hisbah Board, a Muslim police force enforcing sharia law. The Hisbah commander, claiming she wants to convert to Islam, refused to release her. Local police and village leaders failed to free her. Earlier, three Muslim men had abducted and held her for a month. A young Muslim man who repeatedly asked her to marry him allegedly arranged the abduction after she refused. The family reported the case to police, but officers demanded money and took no action. A Christian evangelist and former Muslim stated:
"Why did the Muslims and the Hisbah break the law by snatching a 15-year-old girl and forcefully convert her to Islam? They must release that girl back to her parents and the church."
In a separate incident, on Jan. 1, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) "released an image of one of the Christian villages in Adamawa State burning, alongside a statement saying that all Christians in Nigeria are legitimate targets, and they have an opportunity to 'spare their blood' by converting to Islam or paying the jizyah tax to ISWAP."
Sudan: On Jan. 8, a Muslim family drove out a teenage daughter for embracing Christ. The family received the shocking news on Christmas Day that Amona Ibrahim Kaki, 18, had become Christian and was reading a Bible. According to the report:
"Her parents reacted with immediate hostility and, in an attempt to isolate her from the Christian community, confiscated her mobile phone... The family warned her to renounce Christ and return to Islam or else they would disown her, expel her from their home and demand she change her name from that of the family.... After the church prayed for her, she got well, but her Muslim family thought she was possessed by a demon."
"She does not know what the coming days hold for her," said an anonymous relative. Her elder brother was tasked with deciding her fate: "This has never happened before in our family," the brother is said to have declared—"she must leave the house before my arrival or else she will see the consequences."
Uganda: According to a Jan. 5 report, "Five Muslims wielding sharp objects attacked a pastor in eastern Uganda on Dec. 21, seriously injuring him." Pastor Joseph Kanooni was attacked around 6 p.m. while alone inside his church compound preparing for an all-night prayer service. The Muslim men intruded with sticks and sharp objects, accusing the pastor of "misleading their children" by encouraging them to attend church. "They attacked me suddenly while I was working inside the church," Pastor Joseph said from his hospital bed. "I tried to protect myself, but I was overwhelmed and later lost consciousness. When I regained awareness, I found myself receiving treatment in hospital." Church members who later arrived found him severely wounded behind the church building. He had deep cuts on his hand and back.
Iran: According to a Jan. 8 report, Nayereh Arjaneh, a Christian convert, began serving a five-year prison sentence "for her faith." She and her husband were arrested after attending a Christian training event in Turkey. She was convicted of "promoting deviant propaganda contrary to Islamic law" and "providing support to Zionist Christianity." Arjaneh will serve the full five years, while her husband, who is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, received a 3.5-year sentence that has been temporarily delayed. Hadi Ghaemi of the Center for Human Rights in Iran said:
"The Iranian authorities are abducting growing numbers of Christians and throwing absurd national security charges at them in order to imprison them for years for doing nothing other than peacefully practicing their faith."
Separately, according to a Jan. 22 report:
Iran has an open secret. Persecuting Christians is a booming business in the Muslim-majority nation, and the country is earning large sums of money from arresting Christ followers."
Courts impose massive fines and bail amounts — often hundreds of thousands of dollars — on arrested Christians, financially destroying poor families. Examples include a house church leader ordered to pay $109,000 bail and a Christian woman forced to pay $54,000. Many Christians pay enormous sums only for temporary freedom before re-arrest. The regime uses bail as another tool to crush Christian worship.
Muslim Attacks on Christian Churches
Nigeria: On Jan. 18, Muslim herdsmen attacked three churches in Kaduna state, Nigeria, during Sunday worship and kidnapped 177 Christians. One church secretary said: "We were in church worshipping when Fulani terrorists emerged from three directions. They were armed with AK-47 rifles and surrounded the church. They warned that anyone who tried to run would be shot."
At the third church, the attackers burst in shouting "Allahu Akbar" and warned worshippers: "Do not run or we would be killed." The terrorists marched the Christians into the bush toward a forest known for hostage torture. Eleven later escaped, leaving 166 Christians still in captivity. The Kaduna state government and police initially denied the mass kidnapping had even happened.
Syria: In the days leading up to New Year's Day, the Interior Ministry announced that IS militants were preparing "suicide operations and attacks targeting New Year's celebrations in a number of governorates, particularly the city of Aleppo, by targeting churches and civilian gathering spots." This prompted heightened security measures to be placed around churches of the ancient Christian city. The intelligence proved timely and correct, as Islamic State militants tried to bomb a packed church. According to the report: "An attack on a church in Aleppo, Syria, was foiled on New Year's Eve by security services. However, a soldier was killed in the incident, which will likely exacerbate the fears of many Syrian Christians going into the new year.... [S]ecurity forces noticed a man acting suspiciously around a church close to Farhat Square. As they sought to stop him, the man started shooting and detonated a bomb belt, killing himself and a soldier, and wounding two others... The incident comes six months after 22 Christians were killed when a suicide bomber attacked Saint Elias church in Dweila, Damascus. Four weeks later, the authorities said they had prevented another church attack in the Tartous area by arresting three suspected terrorists. In November, threatening messages were left at two churches, one in Maared Saidnaya and the other in Damascus."
Pakistan: In the early morning hours of Jan 5, a Muslim man broke into and desecrated a church in the Punjab. According to Pastor Masih:
"The accused, later identified as Allah Rakha, a rickshaw driver and resident of the same village, entered the church after breaking a window. He vandalized church property, desecrated copies of the Bible, damaged the sound system and altar objects, and bent the cross inside the building. "
The best way local Christians could describe the aftermath was by saying that the church looked "as if it had been hit by a sudden storm of hatred." One report notes that this is the same region that earlier "witnessed the horrific killing of a Christian couple, Shahzad and his pregnant wife Shamma, who were brutally murdered by a mob at a brick kiln."
Italy: On Jan. 17, a dark-skinned man — likely a migrant — desecrated the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament inside St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. He knocked over the cross, candlesticks, altar cloths, and the monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament. Witnesses described the man throwing everything violently to the ground in an act of unbridled rage.
Instead of focusing on the sacrilege, the rector, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, appeared more concerned with preventing tourists from sharing videos. Orders were given to delete footage, and the chapel was quickly closed to the public.
There were many other attacks on churches throughout Italy in the month of January—including fecal smearing and statue beheadings—see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
France: In early January 2026, the Nativity scene inside the Church of Sainte-Jehanne in Le Passage, France, was vandalized. The statue of the infant Jesus was decapitated and dismembered, while other figures were smashed. Parishioners called the act "scandalous", "shameful" and "horrible". The parish priest described it as "unbearable" and said destroying the figures was "almost like rejecting something from God that is meant to save us."
Indonesia: According to a Jan. 20 report, a 70-member church congregation was prohibited from holding Christmas services. The Sukasirna Village government banned both the scheduled Christmas Eve service and the Christmas Day service on December 25. The ban was enforced with the involvement of the Public Order Unit and the local Indonesian Ulema Council. The same congregation was also barred from holding New Year's Eve services on December 31, 2025, and New Year's Day services on January 1, 2026. No alternative place of worship was provided. Under significant pressure from authorities, Pastor Rudy complied with the directive. He stated that officials told him "to suspend services because there would be attacks from extremist groups."
In a separate situation, on Jan. 7, the Surakarta Blessed Family Foundation, an affiliate of the Bethel Indonesia Church, filed an administrative appeal against the Karanganyar Regency in Central Java after five of seven Building Construction Approvals for the Holyland Bukit Doa religious tourism compound were revoked. The permits for a church building, prayer hill, boarding house, theological school, and sports hall in the 99-percent Muslim village of Karangturi were issued on Christmas Eve. Construction reached nearly 80 percent before being halted due to protests. Muslim groups strongly opposed the Christian project. A representative of the Karanganyar Islamic Community Army (LAKIK) stated in a video: "We call on Muslims everywhere to reject this project because it will be a religious disaster for the future of the Muslim community, our children and grandchildren." He argued the site should only have Islamic development. Dendy Zuhairil Finsa of the Ansor Youth Movement Legal Aids Institute said the swift revocation appeared influenced by "pressure from mass organizations" and lack of government neutrality, after discovering a LAKIK letter with potential for "acts of intolerance against the right to worship."
Finally, on Jan. 6, Muslims from the Ahlus Sunnah Defenders group in Bandung, West Java, demonstrated against a Christian revival worship service held by the Indonesian Evangelical Reformed Church (GRII) at the FX Sudirman Grand Ballroom. Carrying banners and using a truck with loudspeakers, the Muslims targeted the event led by Rev. Stephen Tong. A representative stated in a video: "Today we took to the streets because Christians under the leadership of Stephen Tong were holding a 2026 religious service." The group accused the service of "frequently involving Muslims" and "openly inviting citizens or the public, not specifically targeting Christians," claiming it amounted to provocation and propaganda aimed at converting Muslims. Another protester shouted that the worship service was an attempt at converting Muslims to Christianity.
Raymond Ibrahim, author of Defenders of the West, Sword and Scimitar, Crucified Again, and The Al Qaeda Reader, is the Distinguished Senior Shillman Fellow at the Gatestone Institute and the Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
About this Series
hile not all, or even most, Muslims are involved, persecution of Christians by extremists is growing. The report posits that such persecution is not random but rather systematic, and takes place irrespective of language, ethnicity, or location. It includes incidents that take place during, or are reported on, any given month.
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https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22475/persecution-of-christians-january
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Your Parashat Ha-Shavua b-Hisotria
Hussain Abdul-Hussain/Face Book/April 26/2026
Iranian FM (left) visited Muscat and met with his Omani FM (right). Notice the decor in the background: A ship. All Arab nations on the Gulf celebrate seafaring and maritime trade as part of their history and heritage. But when you look up pre-Islamic Iranian history, you'll notice glorification of valor and war, but not as much commercialism and trade. In fact, Middle Persian texts looked down on merchants.
By contrast, the Arab religion Islam glorified trade, remembers its prophet as a merchant hailing from a tribe of merchants. The Quran itself praises trade voyages and capitalism, saying that God created humans to be unequal socioeconomically. If we take the text only, Christianity is Communism to the letter (hard for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of heaven, early Christians sold real estate and used revenue as a communal fund for all).
The Iranian Sassanian culture (222-651 C) had a caste system were merchants ranked near the bottom. Iranians at the time preferred careers in the military and as landlords. Hence, while there were Zoroastrian merchants as far as China, these were looked down on, below the three traditional classes of priests, warriors and farmers, at least telling from “the structure of the section in relation to the various duties of men in the Middle Persian text Menog I Xrad (chapters 30-31).”
In question 30, it was asked “what are the responsibilities of the priests, the warriors, and the farmers: One to hold the religion, the other to strike the enemy and keep the empire safe and the last class to cultivate the land.” The merchants, however, were treated separately in another question (21) and were spoken of negatively: “The function of the workers is this: that they would not engage in a work with which they are not familiar and do well and with prevision what they know and receive a fair wage.” One last note: The Iranians were rarely maritime people and were concentrated mainly on the plateau than in the costal areas. The inhabitants of the Gulf basin, on both sides (the Iranian northern bank and the Arabian southern bank) are majority Arab. Conclusion: Don't be surprised if priests (Ayatollahs) still top the pyramid of Iranian leadership, followed by the warriors (IRGC). And don't be surprised that the Arabs of the Gulf are extremely successful in capitalism. Cultures evolve, but not as fast as we the history of its civilization.
Beirut should have been like Dubai (maritime, merchant, capitalist), but it is unfortunate that Islamic Iran used Hezbollah as a Trojan Horse or Fifth Column with which it remade Lebanon in the image of Iran -- warriors that do not protect trade (like Rome, or America) but warriors that use their muscles to extract wealth of others (piracy style).

Amr’s Successors
Samir Atallah/Asharq Al Awsat/26 April 2026
Each time a new Secretary-General of the Arab League is due to be appointed, the issue is framed as one of a person rather than an institution. The incoming or outgoing Secretary-General is typically a figure of broad competence and experience, drawn from a distinguished diplomatic background and senior posts, most notably Egypt’s foreign ministry. Notably, the new Secretary-General, Nabil Fahmy, is not only a former foreign minister, but also the son of Ismail Fahmy, who led Egyptian diplomacy during a turbulent period marked by intense controversy.
The son’s tenure, however, was far calmer. After leaving office, he did not withdraw from public life, but remained engaged through a weekly column that served as his platform and, at the same time, his bridge to state policy.
The Secretary-General heads an independent institution and, in many ways, comes to resemble it. Neither the League nor its chief has always succeeded in avoiding the risk of fragmentation, as has happened more than once, most recently in the dispute over Syria and its membership.
Secretaries-General tend to leave behind distinguished and substantial records, having spent many years in the role. Their presence is usually accompanied by a degree of expected political prominence. There are no real exceptions in this line, which has included Nabil Elaraby, the veteran Amr Moussa, and Ahmed Aboul Gheit, whose tenure has been marked by steady political and administrative engagement. The League does not perform miracles, nor does its Secretary-General, but it organizes and largely preserves Arab ties. Whether in times of weakness or strength, it remains the central reference point.
For that reason, the personality of the Secretary-General plays a decisive role in shaping the office. Each tenure bears the imprint of its holder: the calm of Ahmed Aboul Gheit, or the spotlight that has long accompanied Amr Moussa, and still does.

Khamenei Succession and a Break with Khomeini
Mishary Dhayidi/Asharq Al Awsat/26 April 2026
I watched and listened to an Iranian academic, Hossein Royvaran, speaking from inside Iran on Al Arabiya with the colleague Naif Al-Ahmari. He made a remarkable claim. This pro-government academic, speaking from Tehran, offered an interpretation that would make the Supreme Leader and head of the regime a hereditary post passed from father to son in a system whose own discourse has long mocked Arab monarchies, and which rose in the first place against a monarchy! He argued that such succession is constitutional, since the Assembly of Experts is tasked with selecting the Supreme Leader, and that this body is elected by the free, democratic, and untainted will of the Iranian people.Let us set aside this broad claim and turn instead to his religious and moral argument, given that he speaks for a system that presents itself as a moral, revolutionary, Islamic order. From Tehran, Dr. Hossein cited a verse from Surat An-Naml recounting the story of the Prophet Solomon: “And Solomon inherited David.” The problem is that this line of reasoning runs directly against the principle laid down by Khomeini, who saw no alternative to the system of Wilayat al-Faqih. For details, one can consult his book Islamic Government.
This strained interpretation by the Iranian academic, this selective borrowing from religious texts, and the clear contradiction with the founder’s explicit rejection of hereditary succession reveal a system of rule intent on protecting the interests of a narrow network, layered over time with ideological justifications.
Putting that aside and highlighting another contradiction, this time with the very text of Iran’s “Islamic” constitution itself, as understood through Ja‘fari jurisprudence and Khomeini’s interpretation. Article 109 of the constitution sets out the qualifications for the position of Supreme Leader, foremost among them: jurisprudential competence, justice, and political insight. Let us assume that the son of Khamenei, Mojtaba Khamenei, possesses justice and political insight in full. What, then, of jurisprudential competence, by which he would stand alongside, or even rival, leading clerics?
In short, if Iran’s ruling elite were to select Mojtaba Khamenei, it would amount to the act of a closed power structure that has distanced itself from the purported purity of a revolutionary Islamic ideal. One is left to ask the guest from Iran: if Mojtaba inherited as Solomon inherited David, why has he not appeared publicly, speaking with clarity, when Solomon, peace be upon him, is said to have addressed even the ants?

Trump Keeps Talking About Iran’s ‘Nuclear Dust.’ What Is It?
Luke Broadwater, David E. Sanger/The New York Times/April 26, 2026
In recent weeks, US President Donald Trump has been talking about a substance he says is key to ending the United States’ war against Iran: “nuclear dust.”In the president’s telling, Iran’s nuclear program was so badly damaged by US bombs last year that all that remains under the rubble is a sort of powdery aftermath. The phrase “nuclear dust” seemed designed to diminish the importance of what Trump is actually talking about — Iran’s stockpile of near-bomb-grade uranium, which is stored in canisters about the size of large scuba tanks. The material is not, in fact, “dust.” It is typically a gas when stored inside the canisters, though it becomes a solid at room temperature. It is a volatile and highly toxic substance if it comes into contact with moisture and, if mishandled, can trigger a nuclear reaction. Trump’s phrase oversimplifies the complex tasks of enriching uranium, to say nothing of negotiating an end to the war. It’s also a phrase nuclear experts say they’ve never heard before.
“I just interpreted it as Trump’s kind of colorful way of talking,” said Matthew Kroenig, the senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, according to the New York Times. Here’s a closer look at what Trump means when he talks about “nuclear dust,” and why it’s important for an end to the conflict.
What is ‘nuclear dust’?
Trump is referring chiefly to the uranium Iran has enriched to 60%, near the 90% purity normally used to make a bomb. There is no use for fuel enriched to that level for, say, producing nuclear power. So it is a warning sign to the international community that Iran could quickly convert the fuel to bomb-grade, even though there would still be many steps to then build a nuclear bomb.
The United States struck three key nuclear sites in June 2025, including a complex outside Isfahan, where much of the near-bomb grade material was believed to be stored. “It’s not yet bomb-grade, but it’s on the way there, and it was being stored on the nuclear facility at Isfahan,” Kroenig said.
“And so when Isfahan was bombed, that material was presumably entombed there,” he added. American intelligence officials believe that the Iranians dug down to gain access to the material, though there is no evidence any of it has been moved. Uranium contains a rare radioactive isotope, called U-235, that can be used to power nuclear reactors at low enrichment levels and to fuel nuclear bombs at much higher levels. The goal of uranium enrichment is to raise the percentage levels of U-235, which is often done by running it through gas centrifuges, machines that spin at supersonic speeds to increase the purity of the fuel.
Why is it important to ending the war?
Trump has said that Iran had agreed to turn over its nuclear materials to the United States, though Tehran has denied that claim. “The US will get all nuclear dust,” Trump told a crowd in Arizona last week. “You know what the nuclear dust is? That was that white powdery substance created by our B-2 bombers.”
Iranian enrichment levels have been rising since Trump withdrew the United States from the Obama-era nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, saying the agreement wasn’t tough enough.
Trump then imposed several rounds of American sanctions on Iran. In response, Tehran repeatedly moved beyond the strict limits that the agreement had placed on its uranium enrichment, and began to resume production of nuclear material.
“They were enriching at very low levels before Trump administration withdrew the United States from the JCPOA,” said Justin Logan, the director of defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute, a libertarian-leaning think tank. “So what he is calling ‘nuclear dust’ did not exist inside Iran after the signing or the first several months of the JCPOA”
Can the material be removed during wartime?
Trump acknowledges removing Iran’s enriched uranium would be difficult. On Truth Social, he said this week that “digging it out will be a long and difficult process.”It could be almost impossible without Iranian agreement.
“This would be a mission that would take a lot of time, and there would be a lot of nerds that aren’t good at killing people that would need to be involved here,” Logan said. “So the idea of doing this while we have our swords drawn strikes me as crazy.”He said it would be similarly difficult for the Iranians to extract the material during the war. “Trump is correct to say that we have eyes over the target pretty much all the time, and the Iranians couldn’t just swoop in the middle of the night and spirit it out; it’s an extremely volatile substance,” he said.
“We don’t know the conditions of the underground storage. Those tanks in which it has been stored might not be in great condition. It’s going to require a lot of nerds on the ground. And that’s true for the Iranians as much as it is true for us,” Logan added.
*The New York Times

Selected Face Book & X tweets for April 26/2026
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
At this point, Lebanon's top priority should be to keep French and Saudi intervention in its affairs as far away as possible.
The second Lebanese priority should remain the disarmament of Hezbollah and prohibiting it as a political party (given that its ideology is treason).

Nadine Barakat
It’s not just the LAF!
Other security agencies are infiltrated. We call all those involved with the Lebanon case to watch the report!
President Aoun released Chreim who is acting as a terrorist for Berri & Hezbollah within the agency under Lawandos.
An immediate intervention is needed to protect Lebanese from Iranian agents our security agencies.
An immediate intervention with Baabda is also required to put an end to Joseph Aoun protection to Hezbollah and Amal Movement terrorist elements.
They fight Israel for “killing civilians” while allowing and enabling Lebanese security forces to kill Lebanese civilians!
wtf is this government doing?! How is it any different than IRGC gov in Iran?

Hussain Abdul-Hussain
Morning Brief yesterday: Even though Sharaa and Hezbollah are enemies, Turkey is patching things up between them, report says Druze chief Jumblatt is helping connect Sharaa with Hezbollah and its ally Speaker Berri.
Armament routes through Syria would be a huge boost for Hezbollah.

Nadim Koteich
https://x.com/i/status/2048274599595348111
Iran sits ever more clearly as the enemy in the UAE's worldview, a reading long held against the regional consensus. However, slowly but surely, the current war is vindicating it. Trade flowed, embassies stayed open, channels remained warm, but underneath all of it, the threat outlook in Abu Dhabi treated Iran as the adversary and prepared against it above everything else. The preparations were old, and they were spot on.
Below is my take during an exceptional
@MiddleEastInst panel.

Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران
Saudi Envoy to Lebanon, Yazid bin Farhan, reportedly told Lebanese leaders "there is no need" for Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to meet or maintain contact with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu out of commitment to the Arab consensus. Lebanon's Al-Jadeed reported that during his visit to Beirut last week, bin Farhan emphasized Lebanon's right to hold direct or indirect negotiations with Israel "in a calm manner and with steady steps, ensuring the Israeli withdrawal, reconstruction, and confining arms to the hands of the state."
Bin Farhan's visit to Lebanon was reportedly aimed at supporting relations among the three Lebanese leaders and warning that any interference with the Lebanese Prime Minister would be a red line for the Saudis.
Shortly after bin Farhan's visit last week, Lebanese media reported that Riyadh reportedly wants Beirut to adopt "a unified stance on negotiations and dialogue with Israel," within the framework of Arab summit resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative. In response, Berri told bin Farhan that Lebanon will not proceed with peace with Israel until there is Saudi-Israeli normalization.