English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For August 09/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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Bible Quotations For today
Healing Miracle of the Canaanite Daughter
Matthew 15/21-28: “Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, ‘Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.’ But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, ‘Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.’He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’But she came and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, help me.’He answered, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.’She said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.’ And her daughter was healed instantly.”

Titles For Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on August 08-09/2026
Inside Every Human Being There Is a Beast …The true struggle within every human being is between the image of God within them and the distortion of that image/Elias Bejjani/ِAugust 08/2026
The Sixth Anniversary of the Beirut Port Explosion By The Terrorist Hezbollah: The Crime of the Century and the Obstruction of Justice/Elias Bejjani/August 04/2026
A Crime of Historical Significance
US Bill to Support Lebanon and Disarm Hezbollah: Sanctions and Funding Up to $300 Million
Syria Thwarts Attempt to Smuggle Weapons and Ammunition into Lebanon via Tartus
Israel Considers Assigning Oversight of Agreement with Lebanon to Switzerland
Israeli artillery shelling in the south... and infantry advance towards Kfarshouba and Zawtar
Relying on the Americans won't liberate the land... The state must implement a monopoly on weapons!
Lebanon says Israeli troops built earth barrier in Lebanese army-held village
Italy, UK, Switzerland, Indonesia may participate in pilot zones mechanism
Lebanon says Israeli troops infiltrated Lebanese army-held village
Rome talks: Lebanon demands ceasefire, end to demolitions and expanded pilot zones — source to LBCI
Military, diplomatic sources to LBCI: No tunnel maps shown to Lebanese delegation in Rome
Military source to LBCI: Abducted soldier released, army pursuing suspects in Baalbek
Three soldiers injured while dismantling unexploded ordnance in Zawtar el-Gharbiyeh
Israeli forces reportedly advance toward Zawtar el-Gharbiyeh, erect new earth barrier
Lebanon detains Assad-era general and weighs his handover to Syria over alleged crimes
Lebanon begins 17-km rehabilitation of Dahr el-Baydar highway after years of road hazards
Free as a bird: Rare Serbian eagle rescued and returned through Lebanon
Depleted and deplorable, Hezbollah must be dismantled/Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/August 08, 2026

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 08-09/2026
Iran says ‘very close’ to Oman deal on temporary Strait of Hormuz shipping route
Reopening Hormuz depends on US accepting Iran’s conditions: IRGC
Houthi attacks kill 10 in Yemen as rebels target oil-rich Marib
Red Sea defence alliance: opportunities and challenges
Exodus: West Bank hardships drive out Palestinian Christians
Saudi Arabia condemns Iranian attack on UAE tanker
UAE condemns Iranian attack on ADNOC tanker in Hormuz strait
Yemeni military strikes Houthi targets after Marib, Hadramawt attacks
Turkey restricts Black Sea ship traffic after surge in attacks: Report
Russian strikes kill three in Kyiv region: Military official
Russian strikes kill three in Ukraine’s Kharkiv/Ukraine says did not 'intentionally' target Bulgaria after drone crash
Drone from Romania explodes near pipeline in Bulgaria
Senate Republicans narrowly confirm Todd Blanche as US attorney general
Syrian security forces foil Daesh bombing plot near Damascus, two militants killed

Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on August 08-09/2026
Israel and Palestine/Colonel Charbel Brakat/August 08/2026
President Trump: Beware the Motivations of Regional 'Friends'/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/August 08/2026
Why Houthis’ targeting of civilians, infrastructure is raising stakes across region/TAREK ALI AHMAD/Arab News/August 08, 2026
Gaza needs fewer agreements and more action/Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/August 08, 2026
The alliance against Tehran on three fronts/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/f Asharq Al-Awsat,/August 08, 2026
Selected Face Book & X tweets on August 08/2026

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on August 08-09/2026
Inside Every Human Being There Is a Beast …The true struggle within every human being is between the image of God within them and the distortion of that image
Elias Bejjani/ِAugust 08/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/08/151757/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwwRjeSflwc
Christian faith teaches us a fundamental truth: the human being was created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26) and was called to live in communion with Him, in love and holiness. Yet, because of the Fall, every person carries within himself a wounded nature. In this wounded nature lies what can be described, in spiritual terms, as an inner “beast”—a force of uncontrolled instincts and desires that emerges when the human person separates himself from God’s grace.
This beast is not an independent power. It is not stronger than the human person by nature. It remains dormant as long as the person lives in humility, generosity, and love, and remains faithful to the gifts and responsibilities entrusted to him by his Heavenly Father.
The beast sleeps when the human being lives according to love, because love is not merely a moral value; love is God Himself:
“God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 John 4:16).
As long as a person is conscious of his holiness, of his identity as a child of God by grace, and remains faithful to God’s commandments, the inner beast remains restrained. The awareness of standing one day before God’s judgment is essential to Christian life, for Scripture tells us:
“For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (Romans 14:10).
On the last day, when God reclaims from the human being the gift of life, the soul will stand alone before Him. At that moment, wealth, power, and earthly achievements lose all value. They remain behind, because:
“For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (1 Timothy 6:7).
The only thing a person carries with him is his spiritual provision—his faith expressed through works of love. As Christ says:
“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Revelation 22:12).
According to what this spiritual provision contains, the Lord will either say:
“Well done, good and faithful servant… enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matthew 25:21), or the soul will face separation from God if it is empty of love, mercy, and good works, and filled only with greed, pride, and unrepented sin, where:
“Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:48).
The inner beast awakens when faith weakens, hope fades, and the human being falls into temptation. At that point, the person returns to the “old self” and abandons the new life given through baptism by water and the Holy Spirit, forgetting the words of Scripture:
“Put off the old man… and put on the new man, which was created according to God” (Ephesians 4:22–24).
When a person distances himself from God, disobeys His commandments, and lives as if God does not exist, the beast within rises and dominates. Sin then becomes not an isolated act, but a way of life, because:
“The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
In this light, Jesus presents to us the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:16–21). This man was not condemned for being rich, but for believing that his life depended on his possessions. He spoke only to himself and not to God. He trusted his barns, not his Creator. Therefore God said to him:
“Fool! This night your soul will be required of you.”
This parable reveals a deep spiritual truth: the true beast within the human person is the illusion of self-sufficiency and independence from God. When God is removed from the center of life, the human being becomes a slave to money, power, and pleasure. As Jesus teaches:
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).
This truth applies not only to individuals, but also to societies and political systems. The crisis of our world—and of Lebanon in particular—is not only political or economic, but spiritual. It is the crisis of humanity that has forgotten God. Therefore Christ’s warning remains timeless:
“What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).
In conclusion, the true struggle within every human being is between the image of God and its distortion. Salvation does not come by suppressing the beast through human effort alone, but by returning to God through repentance, grace, and a life rooted in faith and love. For in God alone there is true life:
“But now having been set free from sin… you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life” (Romans 6:22).
The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website: https://eliasbejjaninews.com

The Sixth Anniversary of the Beirut Port Explosion By The Terrorist Hezbollah: The Crime of the Century and the Obstruction of Justice
Elias Bejjani/August 04/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/08/132851/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2obIBOSX9gA
(Isaiah 33: 01) Woe to you, destroyer, you who have not been destroyed! Woe to you, betrayer, you who have not been betrayed! When you stop destroying, you will be destroyed; when you stop betraying, you will be betrayed.
On the sixth anniversary of the Beirut Port explosion, we look back at August 04/2020—a dark day that witnessed one of the largest non-nuclear catastrophes in modern history. This horrific blast resulted in the deaths of over 200 people, thousands of severe injuries, the displacement of hundreds of thousands, and the transformation of half of Lebanon’s capital into a crippled city overflowing with destruction and ruins.
First: The Criminal Nature of the Cargo and Its Regional Uses
The Beirut port explosion was not a coincidence or mere administrative negligence, but rather the inevitable result of storing about 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate for years without the bare minimum of safety standards or regard for human life. Multiple international and local intelligence and judicial reports have confirmed the following:
The Connection to the Syrian Regime and Hezbollah: Investigations showed that the shipment arriving on suspicious vessels was largely intended for uses beyond the local market. Parts of this ammonium nitrate—similar to materials imported through convoluted methods by the Syrian regime with logistical support from Hezbollah—were used to manufacture the barrel bombs that destroyed Syrian cities and claimed the lives of thousands of innocent civilians.
International Networks and External Evidence: European investigations and security agencies (particularly in Germany, Cyprus, and Britain) revealed that Hezbollah cells were involved in storing similar explosive materials or linked ammonium nitrate shipments in European countries to carry out terrorist operations, reflecting the cross-border nature of the party’s logistical and financial activities tied to Iran’s Quds Force.
Second: The Course of the Explosion and Evidence of Hezbollah’s Responsibility
Technical data and security testimonies consistently indicate that Hezbollah exercised de facto security and administrative control over the port facilities (specifically Warehouse 12 and its surroundings) through a network of loyal officials, corruption, money laundering, and smuggling operations maintained for years to serve its military and financial power.
When the disaster struck, the threads of truth gradually began to untangle regarding who brought these materials in and who protected their storage, prompting the party to use various methods of intimidation to prevent any uncovering of the facts.
Third: Assassinations and Direct Intimidation to Conceal the Truth
Hezbollah and its security apparatus resorted to a series of direct assassinations and systematic intimidation to silence anyone possessing technical or security information regarding the port and its shipments, most notably:
Assassination of Security and Technical Cadres: Such as the assassination of retired port customs colonel Mounir Abu Rjeili, retired brigadier general Joe Skaff, and photojournalist Joe Bejjani, who was assassinated in cold blood outside his home in the town of Kahaleh after documenting sensitive data related to the site.
Direct Threats to Investigators: Led by prominent Hezbollah security official Wafiq Safa, who stormed the Palace of Justice and delivered clear, explicit threats of terror and intimidation to former investigator Fadi Sawan and current Judicial Investigator Judge Tarek Bitar, using the well-known phrase (“Qashtilina,” meaning the removal of the judge by force and coercion).
Obstructing Justice through Force of Arms and Political Vacuum: The party escalated its obstruction of the investigation by refusing to lift immunities, launching political slander and intimidation campaigns, targeting the judiciary continuously, and ultimately freezing the sessions of the judicial investigator through obstructive lawsuits and political-security maneuvers. This completely paralyzed the Lebanese judiciary and protected wanted ministers, deputies, and former security officials affiliated with its axis.
Fourth: The Cry of the Victims’ Families and the National Stance
On this painful anniversary, the Committee of the Families of declarative Beirut Port Explosion Victims holds continuous protests in front of the Emigrant statue and judicial headquarters, raising pictures of loved ones who fell victim to militia-backed crime, negligence, and corruption. These families embody Lebanon’s living conscience, demanding an end to the dominance of weapons and intimidation over the Lebanese judiciary, the completion of investigations with absolute transparency, and the accountability of everyone involved—whether through importation, storage, cover-up, or obstruction.
Conclusion
"Give glad tidings of killing to the killer, even if after a while, and give glad tidings of poverty to the adulterer, even if after a while."
In short, the Beirut port explosion was not a mere accidental incident or natural disaster, but rather a full-fledged terrorist crime resulting from the dominance of an illegitimate weapons system over state capabilities and vital ports. Lebanon cannot rise, nor can a secure and stable future be built, unless the cycle of impunity is broken, the judiciary is freed from the grip of intimidation, and the whole truth is revealed to the public so that every criminal and negligent party receives a just punishment.
The author, Elias Bejjani, is a Lebanese expatriate activist
Author’s Email: Phoenicia@hotmail.com
Author’s Website: https://eliasbejjaninews.com

A Crime of Historical Significance
Abu Arz/X Site/August 8, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
If the information is true that Hezbollah has dug tunnels under the Baalbek Citadel, and other tunnels connecting the South to the Bekaa Valley through areas in the Chouf, Kesrouan, and Jbeil districts, then this party has added a crime of historical significance to its already dark record.Anyone who remains silent about this crime is complicit, willfully blind, or covering it up, and must be prosecuted, from the highest ranks down.
In conclusion: Any group that despises both people and heritage does not deserve the honor of belonging to Lebanon.
At your service, Lebanon.

US Bill to Support Lebanon and Disarm Hezbollah: Sanctions and Funding Up to $300 Million
Al-Markazia/August 8, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
US Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a leading Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Republican Senator James Lankford introduced the "Lebanon Sanctions, Stability, and Support Act." The bill aims to bolster the rule of law and democratic institutions in Lebanon by imposing targeted sanctions, strengthening the state's civilian authority, providing security assistance to help it maintain a monopoly on the use of force throughout its territory, disarming Hezbollah, integrating local communities into state institutions, and liberating Lebanon from Iranian influence. Shaheen stated that "for the first time in decades, Lebanon has a real opportunity to restore its sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah, and free itself from malign Iranian influence," adding that the success of these efforts requires continued US support. She explained that the bill, which enjoys bipartisan support, combines imposing strict sanctions on entities that enable and support Hezbollah with providing security and recovery assistance, along with strengthening congressional oversight. She added that the legislation would help the Lebanese state extend its authority and work toward building a peaceful future with its neighbors, emphasizing that "a sovereign and stable Lebanon is strongly in the interest of the United States." For his part, Lankford said that Iran has used Hezbollah for decades to destabilize Lebanon and Israel and threaten Americans living in the region, arguing that President Donald Trump created a real opportunity for change by bringing Lebanon and Israel to the negotiating table for their first direct talks in 30 years.
He noted that the bill imposes severe sanctions on the network that finances Hezbollah and, in return, provides security assistance to the Lebanese army, adding that "a sovereign Lebanon protects Lebanese, Israelis, and Americans living in the region and puts real pressure on terrorists." The bill comes in the context of capitalizing on the opportunity presented by direct negotiations and the trilateral framework between the United States, Lebanon, and Israel, with the aim of ensuring the disarmament of Hezbollah, integrating Lebanese communities previously dependent on the party into state institutions, and working towards establishing peaceful relations between Lebanon and Israel. The bill's sponsors believe that the reform-oriented Lebanese government represents the best opportunity in decades to guarantee a secure and prosperous future for Lebanon, following years of Iranian influence through Hezbollah, the banking sector crisis, and the difficulties that have plagued government formation. According to the bill, the Lebanese army, with American support that includes coordination with the Israeli army, has made progress in the process of disarming Hezbollah. However, illicit Iranian funding and support provided by Tehran to the party remain a major obstacle to completing this task. The legislation also notes that the displacement of an estimated 1.2 million people from southern Lebanon exacerbates the crisis and threatens to trigger a new regional crisis.
Sanctions and up to $300 million in funding
The bill imposes sanctions on foreign individuals who support Iran's funding of Hezbollah or obstruct Lebanon's efforts to disarm the group and reform its financial sector. The sanctions include asset freezes, bans on financial transactions, and ineligibility for U.S. visas, with an exception for humanitarian aid. It also provides for the continuation of humanitarian assistance and the establishment of an incentive fund to finance the recovery of infrastructure and civil services managed by the Lebanese state, rather than Hezbollah. The bill authorizes $200 million annually in security assistance to bolster the capabilities of the Lebanese Armed Forces and Internal Security Forces, contingent upon demonstrable progress in countering Hezbollah. This assistance could be increased to $300 million annually if sufficient progress is achieved. The funding would include foreign military financing and support for efforts to intercept shipments of weapons, Captagon, and other illicit goods that contribute to Hezbollah's funding. The project also mandates periodic monitoring, including reporting on Lebanon's progress in disarming Hezbollah, developing a strategy for using stabilization funds and security assistance to provide alternatives to the party for Lebanese communities, and efforts to secure funding from international donors. Reports also cover U.S. efforts to coordinate between the Lebanese and Israeli militaries, the progress of reforms in Lebanon's banking sector, and the progress made toward establishing peaceful relations between Lebanon and Israel.

Syria Thwarts Attempt to Smuggle Weapons and Ammunition into Lebanon via Tartus
Al-Markazia/August 8, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
The official Syrian news agency SANA announced that the Internal Security Forces in Tartus Governorate, in cooperation with the General Intelligence Directorate, thwarted an attempt to smuggle a shipment of weapons and ammunition destined for Lebanese territory.
The agency reported that the operation was carried out within the framework of joint security coordination, without providing further details regarding the size of the shipment, the type of weapons and ammunition seized, or the parties behind the smuggling operation.

Israel Considers Assigning Oversight of Agreement with Lebanon to Switzerland
Al-Markazia/August 8, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
Following the conclusion of the latest round of talks in Rome last Thursday, Israel stated that it is considering several options for deploying a foreign force to oversee the implementation of the agreement in Lebanon. It also reiterated its complete rejection of any country taking legal action against Israel before international courts in The Hague. We are reporting this Saturday evening that Switzerland is among the countries being considered, and may even be the leading candidate at this stage. According to information obtained by i24NEWS, numerous discussions on this matter have taken place in recent months, since last February, between high-ranking Swiss officials and their counterparts in Israel and the United States. The Swiss ambassador to Israel, Simon Giesbuhler, enjoys excellent relations with the Israeli political leadership. At the same time, Switzerland maintains excellent relations with the Lebanese government, making it a candidate that could be acceptable to both sides.

Israeli artillery shelling in the south... and infantry advance towards Kfarshouba and Zawtar
Al-Markaziya/August 8, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
Since this afternoon, Israeli army vehicles have been bulldozing houses in Zawtar al-Sharqiya.
https://x.com/sawtkellebnen/status/2086073449806463458/video/1
The Israeli army also carried out a two-stage bombing in the town of Qantara. Israeli artillery shelled the town of Mansouri, south of Tyre, with several shells. An Israeli drone carried out two consecutive airstrikes targeting the Sawan area in the town of Mayfadoun, coinciding with intermittent shelling of the Ali al-Taher forest. In Nabatieh, an Israeli drone targeted the vicinity of the Dabsha site with an airstrike, while the area witnessed intensive overflights by Israeli drones. It was reported last night that an Israeli drone crashed due to a technical malfunction near the Qanso family home in the town of Kfar Rumman. Reports indicate that a woman and her son sustained minor injuries and were transported by ambulance to Nabih Berri Governmental Hospital. Meanwhile, the Israeli army carried out heavy shelling in the town of Qantara in the Marjeyoun district, amid heightened tensions in the area. Two Israeli Merkava tanks, accompanied by an Israeli infantry force, advanced into the Shmeis area near Kfarshouba town at 6:00 AM. Reports indicate that the force conducted sweeps of the area using machine guns and inspected the site of a fire that broke out two days prior, also near the town, amidst a heavy Israeli military presence in the area. Later that afternoon, an Israeli helicopter dropped explosives on the Ali Taher hill near Nabatieh al-Fawqa. Additionally, an Israeli force advanced into the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiya shortly after midnight on Friday, erecting a new earthen berm around the town square, in yet another violation of the "experimental zone agreement." Residents of Zawtar al-Gharbiya reported that the Israeli army, supported by several armored personnel carriers and a large bulldozer, advanced into the town center with a large infantry force. The bulldozer erected an earthen berm approximately 100 meters from the town square. The army remains stationed at its original position, a few meters from the newly constructed berm, amidst heavy overflights by enemy helicopters and drones at very low altitudes above the town. Israeli artillery shelling targeted the vicinity of Ali al-Taher Hill on the outskirts of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, with the sounds of the shelling clearly audible in the area. The shelling also struck the area between Doha Kafr Rumman and al-Dabsha Hill overlooking Nabatieh. Artillery fire also targeted the vicinity of al-Mansouri town in the Tyre district, damaging several houses. Additionally, artillery fire targeted a number of houses on the western outskirts of Mays al-Jabal and near the UNIFIL headquarters.

Relying on the Americans won't liberate the land... The state must implement a monopoly on weapons!
Lara Yazbek/Al-Markazia/August 8, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
Al-Markazia - Official Lebanon failed to extract what it hoped to gain from the Israeli side in the latest round of direct negotiations between the two parties in Rome, particularly regarding expanding the scope of Israeli withdrawals and thus the model areas in the south. According to sovereign political sources speaking to Al-Markazia, the reasons are numerous, perhaps the most prominent being Israeli intransigence. Tel Aviv will become more rigid as the elections approach, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes that raising the stakes is what increases his chances of remaining in office. The second reason, the sources continue, is that American pressure on Israel has reached an advanced stage. Washington prevented Netanyahu from launching an attack on Hezbollah at the beginning of the week after the Majdal Zoun incident, making it clear to him that the party had not violated the agreement, in order to protect the Rome negotiations and its negotiations with Iran. However, any additional pressure from the United States must be preceded by major, serious sovereign steps by Lebanon. According to sources, Beirut cannot simply rely on Washington's consistent support and backing in negotiations, nor can it depend solely on the unconditional and unconditional support of US President Donald Trump. For this support to continue, the Lebanese government must begin implementing the decision to restrict weapons to the state, a year after this crucial decision was made by the cabinet. The sooner Lebanon confiscates Hezbollah's weapons, whether south or north of the Litani River, in the Bekaa Valley, or in the capital, the more it will embarrass Israel and help the US stand by its side and intensify pressure on Israel to withdraw.
However, delaying and relying solely on US pressure will backfire on Lebanon, its liberation, and the international support it receives, the sources conclude.

Lebanon says Israeli troops built earth barrier in Lebanese army-held village
AFP/August 08, 2026
BEIRUT: Israeli troops infiltrated a Lebanese village placed under the control of Lebanon’s army as part of a June agreement and built an earthen barrier overnight Friday, Lebanese state media and the local mayor said. “An Israeli occupation army force advanced into the village of Zawtar Al-Gharbiya shortly after midnight... and erected a new earthen barrier near the town square,” Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported on Saturday.An AFP correspondent saw the barrier, built at the village’s eastern entrance. The local authorities said it was unclear if any Israeli forces remained in the area.
Zawtar Al-Gharbiya was one of two designated “pilot zones” where the Lebanese army was to take over as part of a US-sponsored framework agreement signed with Israel in the wake of the latter’s invasion and occupation of southern Lebanon. The Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the wider Middle East war by launching rockets at Israel, which responded with a widespread bombing campaign and a ground invasion. Israeli forces have killed more than 4,300 people, according to Lebanon’s health ministry, and displaced hundreds of thousands more. Under the June agreement, Lebanon is meant to disarm Hezbollah while Israel is supposed to gradually withdraw its forces. Beirut’s army deployed to Zawtar Al-Gharbiya on July 21, while around 50 families have since returned to the village, mayor Abed Ezzeddine told AFP. Israeli troops had been present on the outskirts of the village before the deployment. Ezzeddine said they were surprised to see the barrier in the morning, located around 100 meters from the town square. Confirming the incident, a Lebanese military source told AFP it was a violation of the framework agreement. Lebanon and Israel had just completed their seventh round of direct negotiations in Rome on Thursday, with a Lebanese source telling AFP the Israelis refused to discuss withdrawing from more areas before making sure Beirut’s military had full control over the pilot zones. Hezbollah, which rejects the deal, refuses to surrender its weapons, and Israel still carries out intermittent strikes on southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire in place since June.

Italy, UK, Switzerland, Indonesia may participate in pilot zones mechanism
Naharnet/August 08, 2026
Italy, Britain, Switzerland and Indonesia may participate in a mechanism to verify Hezbollah's disarmament in the so-called pilot zones in south Lebanon, w diplomatic source told Al-Arabiya television. A Lebanese official had previously confirmed to Reuters that Lebanon and Israel had agreed on a shortlist of countries that could send forces to verify Hezbollah's disarmament under a U.S.-brokered agreement. The U.S. is expected to select the countries from this list. The official declined to name any of the countries on the shortlist or specify their number. Another Lebanese official and two foreign diplomats had previously told Reuters that Israel and the U.S. had excluded France from the list.The list was drawn up during meetings held between Lebanon and Israel at the U.S. Embassy in Rome this week, in the latest round of talks on how to implement the June 26 agreement, which links the phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon to the disarmament of Hezbollah, to be "verified" by a third party. The Lebanese official said Beirut had rejected a previous proposal to have private security companies take over the role of the third party tasked with verifying Hezbollah's disarmament.

Lebanon says Israeli troops infiltrated Lebanese army-held village
AFP08 August ,2026
Israeli troops infiltrated a Lebanese village placed under the control of Lebanon’s army as part of a June agreement, building an earthen barrier there overnight, state media and the local mayor said Saturday. An AFP correspondent saw the barrier, situated at the village’s eastern entrance and blocking the road. The local authorities said it was unclear if any Israeli forces remained in the area. “An Israeli occupation army force advanced into the village of Zawtar al-Gharbiya shortly after midnight... and erected a new earthen barrier near the town square,” Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported. Zawtar al-Gharbiya was one of two designated “pilot zones” where the Lebanese army was to take over as part of a US-sponsored framework agreement signed with Israel. Israel invaded south Lebanon after militant group Hezbollah entered the Middle East war on the side of its sponsor Iran in March. Israeli forces continue to occupy a broad band of territory in the south along the border.Its invasion and widespread bombing campaign have killed more than 4,300 people, according to Lebanon’s health ministry, and displaced hundreds of thousands more. Under the June agreement, Lebanon is meant to disarm Hezbollah while Israel is supposed to gradually pull back its forces. Beirut’s army deployed to Zawtar al-Gharbiya on July 21, and around 50 families have since returned to the village, mayor Abed Ezzeddine told AFP. Israeli troops had been present on the outskirts of the village before the deployment.Ezzeddine said they were surprised to see the barrier in the morning, located around 100 meters from the town square. Confirming the incident, a Lebanese military source told AFP it was a violation of the framework agreement. Lebanon and Israel had just completed their seventh round of direct negotiations in Rome on Thursday, with a Lebanese source telling AFP the Israelis refused to discuss withdrawing from more areas before making sure Beirut’s military had full control over the pilot zones. Hezbollah, which rejects the deal, refuses to surrender its weapons, and Israel still carries out intermittent strikes on southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire in place since June.The NNA on Saturday reported artillery shelling in southern Lebanon.

Rome talks: Lebanon demands ceasefire, end to demolitions and expanded pilot zones — source to LBCI
LBCI/August 08, 2026
A source close to the Lebanese delegation told LBCI that the delegation is taking a firm position on returning to negotiations in Rome, insisting on progress on key issues. These include a comprehensive ceasefire across all Lebanese territory and an end to the demolition and bulldozing of homes, residential neighborhoods and agricultural land. The source added that Lebanon is also seeking an expansion of the pilot zones, particularly in Bint Jbeil and Khiam.

Military, diplomatic sources to LBCI: No tunnel maps shown to Lebanese delegation in Rome
LBCI/August 08, 2026
A military source categorically denied to LBCI reports by a Lebanese media outlet, citing its correspondent in Washington, that maps and images showing the locations of command centers, underground facilities and tunnel networks in several areas of Lebanon were presented to the Lebanese negotiating delegation during the latest round of talks in Rome. The source said no such maps or images were shown to the Lebanese delegation. A diplomatic source also told LBCI that the Israeli side did not present maps showing tunnel networks in several areas of Lebanon during the Rome talks. The source added that during previous rounds of talks in Washington, however, the Israeli delegation presented information on the extent of tunnel networks in the area surrounding Beaufort Castle.

Military source to LBCI: Abducted soldier released, army pursuing suspects in Baalbek
LBCI/August 08, 2026
A military source told LBCI that armed men abducted a Lebanese soldier on the Younine-Chaat road in the Baalbek area following a personal dispute.The Lebanese army immediately launched a pursuit operation and carried out raids to locate and arrest those involved, the source said. The soldier was later released, while specialized army units are continuing efforts to arrest the suspected kidnappers, according to the source.

Three soldiers injured while dismantling unexploded ordnance in Zawtar el-Gharbiyeh
LBCI/August 08, 2026
Three soldiers were injured while working to dismantle unexploded ordnance in the southern Lebanese town of Zawtar el-Gharbiyeh, in the Nabatieh district. One of the soldiers sustained moderate injuries.

Israeli forces reportedly advance toward Zawtar el-Gharbiyeh, erect new earth barrier
LBCI/August 08, 2026
A force of Israeli troops reportedly advanced toward the southern Lebanese town of Zawtar el-Gharbiyeh and erected a new earth barrier, the National News Agency reported Saturday.

Lebanon detains Assad-era general and weighs his handover to Syria over alleged crimes
AP/August 08, 2026
BEIRUT: Lebanese authorities detained a former senior Syrian military officer who commanded an army division under ousted President Bashar Assad and might hand him over to Damascus on alleged crimes that he committed, Lebanese judicial and security officials said Saturday. After the fall of Assad’s government in December 2024 when Syrian insurgent groups captured his seat of power in Damascus, a number of military and security officers fled to neighboring Lebanon, where some still remain. If Maj. Gen. Adel Issa is sent to his home country, it will be the first time Beirut has handed back an Assad-era official. Since the ouster, dozens of members of Assad’s security agencies blamed for atrocities have been arrested and put on trial in Syria.The officials said Issa, who once commanded Syria’s military 17th Division, went to the Syrian embassy in Beirut on Friday for some paperwork. Embassy officials contacted Lebanon’s prosecutor’s office to tell them that Issa is wanted in Syria, the officials said. The Lebanese Public Prosecutor’s Office dispatched a team from the Central Criminal Investigation Department and arrested Issa and transferred him to the Beirut Palace of Justice detention center, said the officials. The four judicial and two security officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media about the matter. Issa told his interrogators in Beirut that he crossed to Lebanon illegally after Assad’s fall but denied all accusations. The officials added that since Issa was detained on Friday, which is the weekend in Syria, Lebanese judicial authorities will wait for Syrian authorities to send his charge sheet on Monday. The officials said Lebanese authorities will study the case and decide on whether they will hand over Issa to Syrian authorities next week. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said after commanding the Syrian army’s 17th Division, Issa was moved in 2015 to command ground forces in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor that borders Iraq and that he retired in late 2016.Syria’s conflict, which began with anti-government protests in March 2011 before turning into a civil war, left half a million people dead and over 1 million wounded. Assad and his powerful younger brother, Maher, fled to Russia following the ouster.Assad’s cousin Atef Najib, who was blamed for atrocities that helped trigger the uprising in Syria 15 years ago, was put on trial in April. The ruling in his case is expected next week.

Lebanon begins 17-km rehabilitation of Dahr el-Baydar highway after years of road hazards
LBCI/August 08, 2026
From Bhamdoun to Qob Elias in the Bekaa, drivers will soon see a newly rehabilitated road.
Rehabilitation work on the Dahr el-Baydar highway officially began at the end of this week. According to the Public Works Ministry, the project is expected to take about a year, following years of potholes, landslides and other hazards that have taken a toll on drivers. So why will the project take a full year, and what exactly is being done? The project covers about 17 kilometers, from Bhamdoun to Qob Elias, and is divided into two sections. The first section, from Bhamdoun to Dahr el-Baydar, does not suffer from major problems or landslides. Work there will focus on milling and repaving the road, as well as installing safety markings and road studs, commonly known as “cat’s eyes,” to help prevent accidents. The second section runs from the Dahr el-Baydar junction toward Chtoura and Qob Elias. This stretch has been particularly affected by recurring soil landslides, especially during the winter. The affected areas will therefore be reinforced with rock and reinforced-concrete retaining walls along the mountain. The walls will have a combined length of about 800 meters and will range from 3 to 5 meters in height to prevent soil from sliding onto the road. The project will also include the construction of eight U-turn points along the route, allowing vehicles to change direction or turn back when necessary without causing traffic congestion. Work will also be carried out on the opposite side of the road, facing the valley, including the rehabilitation of existing barriers, as well as repaving and the installation of traffic-safety signs.
But what about the missing street lighting?
Following repeated cable thefts from electricity poles, the Public Works Ministry is moving toward adopting solar power. Preliminary tests have already been conducted to ensure the system can operate during winter and storms. The lighting project will be put out to a separate tender through the Public Procurement Authority at a later stage. In practice, work began first on the most challenging section, from Dahr el-Baydar toward Qob Elias, with work on the other section set to begin Monday. Although the project is scheduled to take a year, sources from the contracting company say the actual construction period will not exceed eight months. Work will necessarily stop during the harsh winter months, from November through March, when fog, storms and snow make many operations difficult. The same sources said that if the road could be fully closed and traffic diverted to alternative routes, the project could be completed much faster. However, keeping the highway open to traffic requires a different pace of work. The hope now is that this project will become the starting point for a broader plan to restore Lebanon’s entire road network.

Free as a bird: Rare Serbian eagle rescued and returned through Lebanon
Agence France Presse/August 08, 2026
Feliks, a rare eastern imperial eagle, is again soaring through the skies of his Serbian homeland after being rescued from the clutches of bird smugglers during his inaugural migration, the national bird society said. Serbia's Bird Protection and Study Society, which helped return the bird from its months-long international ordeal, said he had been released back into the wild this week. After the young raptor first flew the nest in July 2025, experts tracking the protected species' flight path became alarmed when he took an unusual route toward the Middle East."At that point, we started to worry because we could see that he was heading towards an extremely unsafe region," Uros Stojiljkovic of the Bird Protection and Study Society of Serbia told AFP. In late October, Feliks' signal disappeared, with his last location recorded in Syria. Stojiljkovic said he had originally hoped it was just a faulty tracker, but soon it became clear that he had been birdnapped. Contacted via a partner organization in Lebanon, the Serbian conservationist said the bird's unnamed captors had demanded a ransom. "We categorically refused. By doing so, you are effectively supporting that smuggling chain," Stojiljkovic said. After lengthy negotiations, the bird was handed to a wildlife center in Beirut, where he remained for six months as plans were made for a safe return. In June, Serbian troops returning from a peacekeeping mission in Lebanon eventually flew Feliks home on a military plane and brought him to Palic Zoo to recover. After careful rehabilitation, he was released back to the wild this week. "We hope he will manage to fly at least as far as the first time, when he reached the shores of Asia and Africa," zoo director Sonja Mandic said in a statement. Eastern imperial eagles are critically endangered and strictly protected in Serbia, where their number had fallen to as little as just one breeding pair in 2017, according to Stojiljkovic. Conservation efforts have since helped the population recover, with 29 pairs monitored in 2026. Stojiljkovic said four chicks had also been born this year, named Jelena, Princ, Atila and Michel. The last was named in honor of Michel Sawan, head of the Lebanese organization that helped rescue Feliks.

Depleted and deplorable, Hezbollah must be dismantled
Khaled Abou Zahr/Arab News/August 08, 2026
The value of any Hezbollah leader’s speech is falling faster than that of the Lebanese lira. There is no scale to measure the gap between Hassan Nasrallah’s addresses in 2006 and Naim Qassem’s latest lecture. This is complete bankruptcy. It is not about charisma or delivery but — like anything else in Lebanon — is a mirror of the country’s balance of power. Despite its arsenal of what should now be called illegal armaments, Hezbollah is depleted and deplorable. Qassem’s address had zero impact, with those once forced into silence now speaking the truth — not only from the opposition but also from within government.
This represents a new political dynamic in Lebanon. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam broke with the traditional pattern of forced restraint and silence, directly pushing back against the current Hezbollah leader’s accusations that the government was serving Israeli interests. He hit back by saying that those who had taken unilateral decisions and drawn Lebanon into wars had inflicted the greatest damage. This was a reference to Hezbollah, which has brought destruction on the country and upon itself.
The pushback is an important step, but remains only a symbolic one. It is, therefore, time to establish plans for the country to regain its sovereignty, as this is the only path to avoid being dragged into destruction again and again. While the mechanism of the US-brokered Trilateral Framework Agreement between Israel and Lebanon has been advancing timidly, the government plan to disarm Hezbollah has reached a standstill. Indeed, at the end of July, Lebanon began implementing the first phase by deploying the Lebanese Armed Forces into three pilot zones in southern Lebanon. These initial areas serve as a test for the Lebanese enforcement of sovereignty and a gradual Israeli redeployment. Yet, we have heard nothing about Hezbollah units delivering their weapons to the LAF.
It is time to establish plans for the country to regain its sovereignty. As long as this fails to take place, everyone understands that the strikes will not stop and destruction will continue. No one will gift Lebanon its real independence and sovereignty. This is something the country needs to achieve itself. Interestingly, Qassem said Hezbollah was open to dialogue with Syria’s new leadership, arguing that there was no obstacle to restoring a “fraternal, positive, and cooperative relationship” between Beirut and Damascus. After killing innocent Syrians for a decade in order to save Bashar Assad, this is the result. Yet, the outreach also reveals a deeper concern for Hezbollah. Despite repeated denials, Syria may still be willing to intervene if necessary to curb Hezbollah’s influence.
For now, the Syrian leadership has not embraced Qassem’s overture and is still looking to address the legacy of Hezbollah’s military intervention in the country, while also seeking to resolve the broader security concerns created by the militant group. Yet, even in what appears to be an opening, Qassem once again undermines the country’s sovereignty. Why would a non-state actor have a direct dialogue with the head of state of another nation? How can this still be acceptable? In Lebanon, seeing the head of one of its minorities undertaking an official visit to meet the leaders of another country has become normal. It should not be.Some will argue that today, even in the West, presidents and heads of state meet with opposition figures from other countries who share the same political alignment. I also oppose those meetings, whether they come from the left or the conservative side. Yet, the scope of these meetings is different, and the institutions safeguarding the state are much stronger and more resilient. All branches of power are well separated and, most of the time, function effectively. In Lebanon, it is the opposite, but it demonstrates that, under the illusion of a state, the country essentially functions as a gathering of tribes. As a consequence, each tribal leader believes it is his duty to meet heads of state and seek support — for his tribe, never the country.
The same applies to most of Lebanon’s problems. One of the most pressing is electricity, where a lucrative generator economy gives well-connected private operators a vested interest in keeping the public grid unreliable. It is no surprise that successive governments have failed to solve this issue or even reform Electricite du Liban, the state-owned power utility. The patronage, sectarian interests, and political interference between the heads of tribes will never allow this system to be dismantled.
Even as we address the banking sector’s Ponzi scheme, with Riad Salameh, the former central bank governor, having been arrested, what has really been done to reform the system and hold the owners of these institutions responsible? What has been done to block and dismantle Hezbollah’s quasi-banking network Al-Qard Al-Hassan? Nothing. Again, this strikes at the heart of state sovereignty, resulting in a system in which political and economic interests often benefit from the status quo, making lasting solutions contrary to the interests of the ruling class and their acolytes.
This all results from Hezbollah’s status, which stands above or beyond the state. The militant group perniciously undermines Lebanese state sovereignty not only through its military arsenal but also by maintaining political, security, and economic networks that operate outside state authority. The fact that it can make decisions on war and peace, influence internal security, threaten institutions, and maintain parallel structures destroys the government’s monopoly over national decision-making and invites others to do the same. The time has arrived not only for symbolic statements against its role but also for direct action to dismantle the entire organization.
• Khaled Abou Zahr is the founder of SpaceQuest Ventures, a space-focused investment platform. He is the CEO of EurabiaMedia and editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 08-09/2026
Iran says ‘very close’ to Oman deal on temporary Strait of Hormuz shipping route
Al Arabiya English/08 August ,2026
Iran and Oman are “very close” to reaching an accord on a new shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday, though he said there would be conditions, including compensation for what Tehran says were US violations of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding. Iran and Oman were discussing a temporary shipping route while technical and legal issues surrounding a permanent route were resolved, Araghchi added.In turn, Oman said that negotiations with Iran about the future administration of the strait were “positive and constructive,” but warned against repeated attacks on shipping as Tehran pressed its blockade of the vital waterway. Oman’s foreign ministry condemned “repeated attacks on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” without naming Iran. It added that “ongoing negotiations regarding navigation arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz are proceeding in a positive and constructive atmosphere,” and urged against any actions that might jeopardize the progress. All the while, US Vice President JD Vance stated that Washington will continue to pressure Iran, adding that “the Iranians are in pain and want to end the matter.”Vance said that Washington is working to “establish a path that allows ships to pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz.”“Iran informed us that it will allow the maximum flow of oil through Hormuz, but we do not trust it,” he said, adding that the plan “includes Iran’s commitment not to fire on commercial ships.”With agencies

Reopening Hormuz depends on US accepting Iran’s conditions: IRGC
Al Arabiya English/August08/2026
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said on Saturday that re-opening the Strait of Hormuz is not related to Iran-Oman negotiations but conditional on the US accepting Iran’s conditions. A US official on Friday reported progress between Iran and Oman that could soon reopen the Strait of Hormuz, potentially restoring oil exports that have been disrupted by the five-month-old US war with Iran. “The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is subject to the specific mechanisms and conditions of the Islamic Republic of Iran and is not related to the negotiations between Iran and Oman,” Iran’s Tasnim news agency cited IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi as saying. With Reuters

Houthi attacks kill 10 in Yemen as rebels target oil-rich Marib
Agence France Presse/August08/2026
Houthi attacks on a strategic Yemeni province killed at least 10 people, according to a minister and military source, as the rebels escalated strikes on the oil-rich region. A 2022 truce between the Iranian-backed Houthis and the Saudi-supported Yemen government unravelled last month and at least 58 government troops were killed in rebel missile attacks on Marib province on Thursday. The U.N. special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said in a statement that the country "today faces a greater risk of renewed large-scale conflict than at any point since the UN-brokered truce of April 2022". Amid the showdown between the United States and Iran, he called on both sides to show "restraint" and to return to "good faith negotiations". A Yemeni military source told AFP that the latest Houthi attacks in Marib killed eight members of government forces and wounded 12 others. The health minister for the Saudi-backed government said the rebels shelled residential areas and displacement camps in Marib city, killing at least two civilians and wounding 14. The rebels said they had attacked a government military camp in Marib province.
Oil province at centre of attacks
"The Saudi enemy continued to mobilise and incite its forces... these forces were attacked along with their arsenals, vehicles and military equipment in the Sahn al-Jinn camp with a large number of missiles and drones," Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement. Health minister Qasim Buhaibeh said in a post on X that "shelling by the terrorist Houthi militia today, Friday, targeting residential neighbourhoods and displacement camps in the city of Marib, has resulted -- according to an initial toll -- in the deaths of two civilians and injuries of varying severity to 14 others". The Houthis also launched "more than 10 missiles and seven one-way attack drones targeting military camps" in Marib province, the Yemeni military source told AFP, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. A source close to the Saudi military told AFP that the Saudi-led coalition supporting the Yemeni government since 2015 would not stand "idly by" against the Houthi attacks and that Marib was a "red line".The source warned that "the coalition does not seek escalation" but the Saudi authorities would not accept a Houthi takeover of Marib province.
Strategic province -
The rebels said that they had attacked several sites Thursday in response to a Saudi-backed build-up of government forces. The missile and drone attacks killed at least 58 government troops, mainly in Marib, an army source told AFP. The Yemeni military source had previously said artillery exchanges and clashes were taking place in Sirwah and on the Al-Kasara front, north of Marib city.
The rebels also hit an arms depot in the region.
Marib province is split between the Houthis and the Yemeni government, which controls Marib city as well as the area's oil fields and facilities. The Houthis in 2021 resumed an offensive on the energy-rich province, but the fighting largely halted with the 2022 truce. Yemen, which has been embroiled in more than a decade of war, last month became the latest front to be sucked into the U.S.-Iran conflict, as the Tehran-backed Houthis upended the 2022 truce. The rebels welcomed an Iranian plane directly to the Yemeni capital Sanaa, triggering tit-for-tat attacks. They later announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and began hitting its tankers. Last month, the Houthis killed 16 soldiers in an attack on government-aligned forces south of the port city of Hodeidah, medical officials said.

Red Sea defence alliance: opportunities and challenges
Amgad Fareid Eltayeb/Al-Majalla/August 08, 2026
RIYADH: On 30 July 2026, the declaration establishing the Multinational Maritime Defence Alliance was signed in Riyadh. The signatories were Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Egypt, Türkiye, Pakistan, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Djibouti and Somalia. Representatives of 43 countries attended the meeting, out of 51 invited parties.The founding states agreed to entrust the leadership of the alliance to Saudi Arabia, itself a founding member, and to establish on its territory the permanent headquarters, joint command, command-and-control centre, combined maritime operations centre and secretariat-general. The declaration is significant because, for the first time in the region’s approach to Red Sea security, it identifies the institutions that must be first built to achieve their objectives. Earlier initiatives had failed to do so. The declaration is a belated yet serious attempt to answer a question that has hung over the region for more than half a century: who has the authority to decide the fate of a maritime passage that carries nearly a tenth of global seaborne trade and is crossed by tens of thousands of vessels each year? There has never been discord over the lawfulness of such an approach, but the difficulty lay in political will and the capacity to enforce it. The concept of collective security in the Red Sea is not new; it has long been discussed in strategic regional planning. However, the idea failed to be translated into a workable form capable of translating principle into action. During the 1970s, there was collective agreement that the Red Sea should be a commercial and economic artery that allowed passage to all without discrimination. The littoral states, with Sudan at the forefront, moved towards understandings founded on that principle, but these never matured into a practical arrangement. They foundered amid the divisions of the Cold War, the wars of the Horn of Africa and the collapse of Somalia on the passage’s south-western shore.

Exodus: West Bank hardships drive out Palestinian Christians
Agence France Presse/August08/2026
Palestinian Christians call themselves "living stones" and say they have lived continuously in the Holy Land for the last 2,000 years. Maybe not for much longer, believes Reverend Mitri Raheb."If the current conditions continue, there will not be a single Palestinian Christian left by 2050," said Raheb, founder and president of Dar al-Kalima University in Bethlehem, the biblical birthplace of Jesus Christ. Faced with growing uncertainty over economic and security conditions, hundreds of Christians have left since the war in the Gaza Strip began nearly three years ago. Since the Gaza war began, attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians in the West Bank have become an almost daily occurrence, while the Israeli military has multiplied its operations and security checkpoints. Issa Qassis, a 31-year-old entrepreneur, is considering leaving his family and the startup he established in the West Bank city of Ramallah to immigrate to the United States. "I started seriously thinking about it about a year ago," Qassis told AFP, saying he feels "frustrated and hopeless" about the situation. "Every time I move one step forward in my work, I end up taking three steps back."Between 40,000 and 45,000 Christians are estimated to live in the West Bank today, accounting for slightly more than one percent of the population. In 1967, when Israel began occupying the territory, Christians made up around six percent.
'Warning bell'
Clergy members, officials and researchers say young Christians such as Qassis leave due to the deterioration of the humanitarian and economic situation in the West Bank, where jobs are increasingly scarce and movement restricted. "Parents used to pressure their children to stay here. Now they encourage them to emigrate," Qassis said, adding that his mother, who once opposed his departure, is no longer against it. The desire to leave the West Bank is not limited to Palestinian Christians, but there are factors making it easier for them to do so, said Palestinian foreign minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin. Christians can emigrate more easily than Muslims because they are more likely to have relatives abroad, giving them better opportunities to find work and integrate culturally and socially, says Aghabekian, an Armenian Christian herself. The decline in the Christian population in the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, "should ring a very serious alarm bell for the Christian world", she said. She called for "very strong action to ensure Christians remain in the land where Christ was born", adding that "the Christian world must see the reality of this occupation".The Christian population is significantly less in the Gaza Strip, with only around 600 left in the war-ravaged territory of over two million.
Accelerated emigration
Christian communities have emigrated from West Bank cities in successive waves since the 18th century, with large Palestinian Christian diasporas now established in the Americas, including more than 40,000 in Chile alone. More than 200 Christian families have emigrated from the West Bank since the Gaza war began in 2023, according to Reverend Raheb.Church leaders told AFP they are seeing increasing emigration among young members of their congregations. Christians of the West Bank are concentrated in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem and Bethlehem, as well as Ramallah and several surrounding villages and towns.In the town of Taybeh, east of Ramallah -- the last entirely Christian town in the West Bank -- churches have documented the emigration of more than 15 families since 2023. Its population, now 1,200, stood at 3,000 in the 1980s. The town has been repeatedly targeted by Israeli settler attacks in recent years, targeting lands, residents' properties and even holy sites."The daily suffering caused by the lack of security" resulting from the attacks, combined with difficult economic conditions, are pushing residents to reconsider their futures, Father Bashar Fawadleh, parish priest of the Latin Church in Taybeh, told AFP.
Although Taybeh lies just 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from Ramallah, it took AFP journalists about an hour to reach it because of Israeli military checkpoints.Excluding east Jerusalem, more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements in the West Bank, home to around three million Palestinians. A 2020 poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found that 35 percent of Christians in the West Bank were considering emigrating for economic reasons, educational opportunities or in search of stability and freedom.It also noted a concern about hardline Islamic groups in Palestinian society as well as armed groups.The centre's director, researcher Khalil Shikaki, said that the desire to emigrate in the West Bank is twice as high among Christians as among Muslims. Now six years after that survey, he said, "almost everything has become worse".

Saudi Arabia condemns Iranian attack on UAE tanker
Al Arabiya English/08 August ,2026
Saudi Arabia on Saturday condemned an Iranian attack on a tanker belonging to the United Arab Emirates’ energy giant ADNOC in the Strait of Hormuz. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s condemnation and rejection in the strongest terms of the targeting of an Emirati tanker during its crossing of the Strait of Hormuz,” a statement read, stressing that these attacks constitute “an attack on maritime navigation security and safety and global energy supply security.”It further said that Iran’s continuation of these attacks is considered “a gross violation of international laws and norms, including Security Council Resolution 2817, that provides freedom of shipping and safe passage in sea lanes.”“The Kingdom holds Iran responsible for its continuation of these brutal attacks,” the statement said, demanding an immediate cessation of these “transgressions” to preserve regional stability and peace.It reiterated Saudi Arabia’s solidarity with the “brotherly UAE” and the measures it takes “to maintain its sovereignty and capabilities.”Earlier that day, ADNOC reported that one of its vessels was targeted by a missile while transiting the strait, adding that no injuries were reported and the situation had been brought under control. Since the beginning of the Iran war, Tehran has regularly targeted neighboring countries and commercial ships in the strait with severe consequences for the world economy.

UAE condemns Iranian attack on ADNOC tanker in Hormuz strait
Al Arabiya English/08 August ,2026
The United Arab Emirates on Saturday condemned an Iranian attack on a tanker belonging to the country’s state-owned energy giant Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). “The UAE has expressed its condemnation and rejection of the hostile Iranian attack that targeted a tanker belonging to the company ADNOC with a missile during its crossing of the Strait of Hormuz,” a statement by the foreign ministry read. The statement added that the attack constituted a “flagrant violation of Security Council Resolution 2817” that stressed freedom of navigation and rejected the targeting of commercial ships or disruption of international sea lanes. It further called targeting commercial navigation and using the strait “as a tool of pressure or economic blackmail and acts of piracy” by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warning that these acts pose a threat to “the stability of the region, its people, and global energy security.”Earlier that day, ADNOC reported that one of its vessels was targeted by a missile while transiting the strait, adding that no injuries were reported and the situation had been brought under control. Since the beginning of the Iran war, Tehran has regularly targeted commercial ships in the strait with serious effects on the world economy.

Yemeni military strikes Houthi targets after Marib, Hadramawt attacks
Al Arabiya English/08 August ,2026
The Yemeni military on Saturday said it struck the Iran-backed Houthis on several fronts. The army did not give details of the operations or say when they took place but said it would respond to any further targeting of its units with what it called necessary military measures. Yemen’s armed forces spokesperson Colonel Majed al-Nazili said that the operation was launched in response to “repeated and treacherous” Houthi attacks against its personnel and civilians. He warned of a firm response to any future attacks. me after the Houthis launched a large-scale attack using ballistic missiles and drones targeting military sites in Marib and Hadramawt, leading to the deaths of 17 military officials, and an unknown number of injured. The attacks later spread to displacement camps and residential neighborhoods in the city of Marib on Friday, killing two people and wounding 14, state news agency SABA reported, citing local authorities. The exchanges mark a sharp escalation between the Houthis and forces of Yemen’s internationally recognized government after years in which large-scale fighting between the two sides had largely subsided, raising fears of a return to a broader conflict. UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said on Friday that the latest attacks in Marib and Hadramawt, together with renewed attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, had left Yemen at its greatest risk of renewed large-scale conflict since the UN-brokered truce in April 2022. He urged all sides to exercise maximum restraint and engage in UN-led negotiations, warning that the violence risked drawing Yemen deeper into a wider regional confrontation. With Reuters

Turkey restricts Black Sea ship traffic after surge in attacks: Report
Reuters/08 August ,2026
Turkey is restricting commercial ship traffic entering the Black Sea after growing concerns over security risks, Bloomberg News reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

Russian strikes kill three in Kyiv region: Military official
AFP/08 August ,2026
Russian strikes killed three people including a child in a district northeast of Ukraine’s capital, a regional military official said on Saturday, as Kyiv warned of incoming ballistic missiles.Moscow has significantly upped its attacks on the Ukrainian capital in recent months, typically firing salvos of hard-to-intercept ballistic missiles in short blitzes.Three people including a child were killed and three others were wounded in strikes on Brovary district northeast of Kyiv, Tymur Tkachenko, head of the regional military administration, wrote on Telegram. Falling debris from the attacks damaged houses and vehicles and caused a fire in a non-residential building, he said. Ukraine’s state emergency service shared photos of a destroyed building covered in flames, saying the attack in the village of Pukhivka destroyed a two-story house and two cars and sparked a fire in a warehouse.
An AFP reporter in the capital heard a dozen explosions as Ukraine’s air force warned of the “threat of ballistic weapon use from the north.” Four people were wounded from overnight attacks in the city, Kyiv’s military administration said on Telegram. “An air raid alert has been declared in Kyiv due to the use of ballistic missiles,” it had said earlier, instructing residents to take shelter.

Russian strikes kill three in Ukraine’s Kharkiv/Ukraine says did not 'intentionally' target Bulgaria after drone crash
LBCI/August 08, 2026
Ukraine insisted on Saturday it had not targeted Bulgaria after a drone of a type used by Kyiv's army crashed in the country, promising to explain the circumstances of the incident. "We are in close contact with the Bulgarian side to clarify the circumstances. We can say with certainty that the Ukrainian Armed Forces did not intentionally direct any assets toward Bulgaria," foreign ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhyi said. AFP

Drone from Romania explodes near pipeline in Bulgaria
Agence France Presse/August 08, 2026
A drone that entered Bulgaria from neighboring Romania on Saturday exploded near the border between the two countries and the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline, which links Turkey to Ukraine, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced. "The drone exploded in the immediate vicinity of the Kardam border crossing with Romania," near the Black Sea in the country's northeast, "1,000 meters from the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline's compressor station. There were no casualties," Radev said in a video released by the government on social media.

Senate Republicans narrowly confirm Todd Blanche as US attorney general
Reuters/08 August ,2026
US Senate Republicans on Saturday narrowly confirmed Todd Blanche to be President Donald Trump’s attorney general, capping one of the most contentious cabinet fights of Trump’s second term after bipartisan concerns over Blanche’s independence nearly derailed the nomination. Blanche won confirmation in a 50-49 vote, with Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski opposing him. Senator Bill Cassidy was the deciding vote after announcing Friday he thought Blanche was the best option Trump would put forward. Blanche said he was “deeply honored” to be confirmed. “I am deeply honored by the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me to lead the Department of Justice as our great nation’s 88th Attorney General,” Blanche wrote on X, also expressing thanks to the Senate and to “the dedicated public servants of the Department of Justice.”The vote was the culmination of a weeks-long standoff between Senate Republicans and the Trump administration over Blanche, who has served as acting attorney general since April and previously ran day-to-day Justice Department operations as its second-ranking official. Republican senators had raised concerns about Blanche’s handling of the release of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents, as well as his role in establishing Trump’s $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund and a related tax-immunity agreement for Trump and his sons. But Blanche overcame those challenges in frantic meetings around Capitol Hill over the last several weeks, ultimately agreeing in writing to narrow the tax-immunity agreement and end the “weaponization” payments, which critics have called a slush fund for Trump’s allies, including those who rioted at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Both the tax-immunity agreement, which barred the IRS from auditing previous tax returns of Trump, his sons and their family business, and the fund emerged from Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.
Concern over slush fund
Questions remain, though, about whether that commitment is legally binding, and whether Trump, who has said he loves the idea of the fund, could later press Blanche, his former personal attorney, to revive a similar program under another name.
That concern was central to the last two Republican senators Blanche needed to convince - Bill Cassidy and Lisa Murkowski - both of whom met with Blanche on Wednesday after signaling they had not yet decided how they would vote. Murkowski had cited her lack of confidence in Blanche to “check the worst impulses of this administration.”“I take issue with the handling of the release of the Epstein files; the sweeping immunity protections granted to the President, his family, and their businesses; the statements that have been made to anti-abortion groups; and the repeated targeting of individuals ranging from former administration staff to sitting US Senators,” Murkowski said in a post on social media platform X.Cassidy, who represents Louisiana, criticized Blanche’s role in settling Trump’s IRS lawsuit but said he ultimately trusted Blanche to give the president candid legal advice. Blanche will take the helm of a Justice Department that has undergone significant change in the first year and a half of Trump’s second term.Under Blanche’s leadership, the department has sought prosecutions of Trump’s perceived enemies, caused the mass departures of career prosecutors and stated that it served at the direction of the president, a break with longstanding norms of independence.
Crime at record lows
Federal judges have on multiple occasions criticized prosecutors for bringing what they described as weak cases, and grand juries have declined to indict in some instances. Political appointees also removed senior career officials seen as resistant to the administration’s agenda, significantly reducing staff in the civil rights division, the ethics office and other divisions.Blanche has argued that he has helped bring crime to record lows and righted what he says are wrongs brought by the Biden administration against Trump and his conservative allies. Blanche’s supporters say he is committed to the Justice Department’s core mission of keeping the country safe. “Mr. Blanche is a tough, fair prosecutor dedicated to the rule of law, and his leadership instills that same zeal throughout the entire Justice Department,” Senator Chuck Grassley, the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee who shepherded Blanche’s nomination, said on Friday. Some Republican skeptics have said Blanche, who spent nearly a decade as a career prosecutor in New York, is likely the most palatable nominee Trump could have put forward, and that in a permanent capacity, he is more likely to resist White House pressure.

Syrian security forces foil Daesh bombing plot near Damascus, two militants killed
Arab News/August 08, 2026
DAMASCUS: Syrian Internal Security Forces killed two Daesh militants who were planting an improvised explosive device near the Sayyidah Zaynab area of Damascus countryside, state media SANA reported on Friday, citing the Interior Ministry. The ministry said that the militants were discovered during a nighttime patrol on roads leading to military barracks and government facilities.According to the ministry, security officers became suspicious of two masked men standing by the roadside and moved to check their identities. The suspects opened fire, prompting a clash in which both were killed, it said. Security personnel subsequently found that the men had been planting an IED in preparation for an attack on a government facility. “Additional explosive devices and weapons were also recovered from their possession, and investigations confirmed their affiliation with the Daesh terrorist organization,” the statement said.The Internal Security Forces, working with the General Intelligence Service, have foiled several Daesh plots in recent months, according to the ministry. The incident comes amid a continuing Syrian campaign against Daesh networks. On July 29, security forces arrested several suspected Daesh members in coordinated raids in Aleppo and the town of Al-Bab, seizing explosives, IEDs and weapons, SANA reported. Authorities said that the operation targeted suspected hideouts and was aimed at dismantling the group’s networks and preventing attacks.
Earlier, the Interior Ministry said that Daesh was responsible for the June 2025 bombing of Mar Elias Church in Damascus, which killed 25 civilians and wounded 63. The ministry said that the group had exploited the security vacuum following the collapse of the former regime’s security and military institutions to move fighters from the Syrian desert into urban areas and acquire weapons and explosives from abandoned stockpiles. The ministry said that Daesh had also plotted an attack on the Sayyidah Zaynab shrine, seeking to inflame sectarian tensions by targeting Shiite worshippers and Christian communities. It said that counterterrorism operations had led to the arrest of about 1,300 suspected Daesh members and dismantled 34 cells in recent months. On July 9, the ministry said that security forces had dismantled several Daesh cells in southern Syria and arrested senior leader Firas Al-Dagher, whom it accused of overseeing assassination and financing activities. The authorities said that the cells had carried out killings and armed robberies in Daraa to finance Daesh operations. The latest operation underscores the continuing threat posed by Daesh cells in Syria despite intensified efforts by the authorities to dismantle the group’s networks and disrupt planned attacks.

The Latest LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on August 08-09/2026
Israel and Palestine
Colonel Charbel Brakat/August 08/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/08/156529/
The day David assumed leadership of the Jewish people—who had constantly prayed to God to give them a king like the rest of the surrounding nations—he was not the first, as Samuel had anointed a king before him. However, David succeeded more than Samuel because the hand of God blessed him, as the Scripture says. He did not only face the remnants of the Sea Peoples—known as the Philistines (Peleset), who worked as mercenaries for the Egyptians after the Egyptians defeated them, destroyed their naval power, and settled them in northern Sinai to prevent nomadic tribes (Arabs and Hebrews) from heading to Egypt during times of drought—he also cooperated with the King of Tyre against these Philistines. The Philistines had previously destroyed several Phoenician kingdoms, particularly Ugarit and Arwad, culminating in Sidon, the jewel in the crown of Phoenician civilization and its industrial and commercial capital.
Furthermore, in the absence of Hittite authority in the north and the role of the Egyptians in the south under the rule of the priests, King David achieved control even over Damascus through the financial support of the King of Tyre. The latter sought revenge against the Philistines for destroying the Phoenician kingdoms, as well as against the King of Aram, who had exploited the weakness of Arwad to occupy Hamath. The golden age of that kingdom came through cooperation with Tyre across all fields, especially in securing trade routes heading south toward Abyssinia (the gateway to Africa) on one side and India (the gateway to Asia) on the other. This led his successor, Solomon, to be considered the wealthiest and wisest king for ensuring peace and spreading stability around him.
Conditions changed after Solomon, and his kingdom split into Israel and Judah. A new power emerged in Mesopotamia that began controlling the Middle East and clashed with the King of Judah, destroying the Temple, taking the people into captivity, and removing them from their land. They were followed by the Persians, who released the oppressed of all nations and allowed the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. After them came the Greeks, who clashed in their final days with the Maccabees, and one of the Seleucid kings entered the Temple to plunder the people's deposits. Their rule ended with the arrival of the Roman armies, which took control of the entire Mediterranean basin.
Cooperation continued between Judea and the Romans, who were also lenient with local kings and recognized their authority, until the revolt against Roman rule began. The Romans met this revolt with violence, entering Jerusalem and destroying the Temple where the rebels had taken refuge, pursuing them across the length and breadth of the country. About sixty years after the first revolt, a new rebellion occurred, to which the Roman response was even harsher, banning the Jewish people from residing anywhere in the land and scattering them across the world. The Romans then attempted to erase every trace of these people from the land they believed God had promised them. They changed its name to "Palestine"—the name of the primary enemy fought by their first kings—and altered the names of cities to erase their history; Jerusalem was renamed "Aelia" to wipe out all traces of these people and their history in that land, which they had repeatedly declared in their prayers that God had promised them.
Hence, every mention of the Jews in that land was suppressed throughout Roman rule, and every circumcised person was forbidden from returning to live there. The name Palestine became
established for this land, and no mention remained of Israel and Judah except in the writings of Jewish diaspora communities spread across enclosed neighborhoods, which persisted in many cities around the world. Cooperation with the Phoenicians influenced these communities to adopt their methods of trade, preserving its secrets, maintaining continuous contact among themselves, and insisting on remembering the Promised Land in prayers and heritage so that future generations would strive toward returning to that land.
However, a new people from the sons of Ishmael followed a prophet similar to the prophets of the Jews, adopted circumcision according to the Law of Moses, unified the Arabs of the Peninsula by force of the sword, and advanced toward the Levant to face the Roman Empire, subsequently regaining control over the Promised Land. Yet, the rift that had occurred between the prophet and the Jews of the Peninsula apparently prevented the names Israel or Judah from being restored to that land. Thus, the Roman designations remained in place, and Jews remained unwelcome in the Promised Land.
Nevertheless, the determination of the Jewish people to return before the second millennium of diaspora elapsed—"a thousand and not two thousand"—led to more earnest efforts in all fields during the late 19th century. This culminated in the establishment of the state and the declaration of independence in 1948, making Israel the Jewish state considered a continuation of the state of David, Solomon, and their successors. Palestine remained where the Philistines had been confined during the days of King David—around Gaza at the entry points to the Egyptian desert—while "the Israelites lived among those who remained of the inhabitants of the land..."

President Trump: Beware the Motivations of Regional 'Friends'
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/August 08/2026
The Islamic Republic of Iran and its proxies have... been targeting their neighbors' civilian infrastructure. Perhaps to these countries, a "deal," even a bad one, sounds as if it might free them of Iranian threats without any cost. Their security calculations have to be quite different from ours: Why not just sit back and let America and Israel do all the heavy lifting?
The problem, of course, as the US has seen again and again, like Charlie Brown's football, is that any deal signed with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) would only postpone its threats to the oil and gas infrastructure of neighboring countries.
A second, more strategic concern is whether Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan are interested in simply charming Trump into letting them wait him out. After he is safely out of office, they can then resume their Muslim Brotherhood-inspired expansion of Islam from better locations, such as right on Israel's border with the Gaza Strip.Trump has made clear that he seeks genuine peace in the Middle East and broader participation in frameworks that normalize relations with Israel. Promises to join those frameworks are welcome — if they are real. The shower of "poison pill" conditions put forth, however, signals that they are not. They appear to function mainly as devices to postpone a decisive resolution of the Iranian threat. Regional media and political cultures in some of these countries still carry strong anti-American and anti-Israel currents. The United States correctly requires that policy rest on American interests alone, not on the preferences of mediators whose threat perception and long-term goals might well diverge from Washington's.The Iranian regime's core ideology – like that of the Muslim Brotherhood, followed by others in the region — includes the destruction of both America and Israel. No version of this ideology is compatible with American security. America's clear national interest is the total surrender of the Iranian regime's capacity to threaten anyone... Any country that resists this outcome is, by definition, prioritizing other agendas. These might include jockeying for regional influence, Islamist or anti-Israel orientations, or a desire to preserve some weakened form of the Iranian regime until political circumstances in Washington change. America should no more want the IRGC continuing to rule Iran than it would have wanted the Nazi Party to continue ruling Germany.
The Islamic Republic of Iran and its proxies have been targeting their neighbors' civilian infrastructure. Perhaps to these countries, a "deal," even a bad one, sounds as if it might free them of Iranian threats without any cost. Their security calculations have to be quite different from ours: Why not just sit back and let America and Israel do all the heavy lifting?
US President Donald J. Trump, in Operation Epic Fury, provided the only — and truly bold — confrontation with the Iranian regime by any American president. No prior leader dared to act with such resolve, or really at all. Many, in fact, actually helped finance Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs
For decades, successive US administrations settled for temporary freezes that enabled Iran to build its war machine. Trump, instead, ordered decisive military action that significantly damaged Iran's military capabilities: navy, ballistic missile infrastructure, air defenses, and nuclear program. This achievement is beyond dispute and should be the starting point of any serious discussion. Yet, countries that present themselves as friends of the United States — or even as friends of Trump — such as Turkey, Qatar, and Pakistan, have repeatedly stepped in at exactly the moments when Iran's regime found itself under maximum pressure and have made themselves supposed mediators.Most recently, after Trump warned that Iran would face what he described as the largest military strike since World War II, officials from regional capitals once again urged him to pause and pursue talks and deals instead. It is a pattern: just as Iran's military capabilities are being crushed, external voices intervene to abort the process.The Iranian regime, which chants "Death to America" and "Death to Israel," has killed hundreds of Americans and Jews. It does not chant "Death to Qatar," "Death to Turkey," or "Death to Pakistan," or systematically target their citizens the way it targets Americans and Jews. The Islamic Republic of Iran and its proxies have, however, been targeting their neighbors' civilian infrastructure. Perhaps to these countries, a "deal," even a bad one, sounds as if it might free them of Iranian threats without any cost. Their security calculations have to be quite different from ours: Why not just sit back and let America and Israel do all the heavy lifting?
The problem, of course, as the US has seen again and again, like Charlie Brown's football, is that any deal signed with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) would only postpone its threats to the oil and gas infrastructure of neighboring countries.
A second, more strategic concern is whether Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan are interested in simply charming Trump into letting them wait him out. After he is safely out of office, they can then resume their Muslim Brotherhood-inspired expansion of Islam from better locations, such as right on Israel's border with the Gaza Strip.Quite a few governments in the region have long histories of support for Islamist networks. Lavish promises of money, public statements of friendship and private promises of eventual participation in broader peace frameworks, such as the Abraham Accords, could serve as temporary assurances while the clock runs down.
Oddly, Iran has attacked or threatened Gulf states. Yet these same states smile, continue friendly and diplomatic contacts, host Iranian officials, and facilitate negotiations. Why would countries under direct attack maintain casual dialogue and invite the aggressor's leaders? The rational response would be to cut ties, demand accountability, or join efforts to neutralize the threat. It might be important at least to ask whether quiet understandings exist behind closed doors — assurances of future consideration if the current American pressure can be diluted or delayed. On the face of it, countries that decline to take a clear stand against a regime that relentlessly projects its power abroad and executes its own people on an industrial scale are not acting as pure partners of American interests, or even their own. Trump has made clear that he seeks genuine peace in the Middle East and broader participation in frameworks that normalize relations with Israel. Promises to join those frameworks are welcome — if they are real. The shower of "poison pill" conditions put forth, however, signals that they are not. They appear to function mainly as devices to postpone a decisive resolution of the Iranian threat. Regional media and political cultures in some of these countries still carry strong anti-American and anti-Israel currents. The region's states have practiced sophisticated diplomacy, layered alliances, and strategic ambiguity for centuries. Surface smiles and public pledges have often coexisted with different calculations conducted out of view. The United States correctly requires that policy rest on American interests alone, not on the preferences of mediators whose threat perception and long-term goals might well diverge from Washington's.
The Iranian regime's core ideology – like that of the Muslim Brotherhood, followed by others in the region — includes the destruction of both America and Israel. No version of this ideology is compatible with American security. America's clear national interest is the total surrender of the Iranian regime's capacity to threaten anyone: its neighbors, Israel, the United States, and its own people. Any country that resists this outcome is, by definition, prioritizing other agendas. These might include jockeying for regional influence, Islamist or anti-Israel orientations, or a desire to preserve some weakened form of the Iranian regime until political circumstances in Washington change. America should no more want the IRGC continuing to rule Iran than it would have wanted the Nazi Party to continue ruling Germany. America must above all refuse to be drawn into the endless rope-a-dope games of the region. The first and overriding mission remains the one Trump first initiated: Unconditional surrender, as with Japan and Germany in World War II. Only then can one begin to talk about rebuilding, not before. America First means just that.Americans want a winner, not some fake deal that will be broken again before breakfast.
**Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a political scientist, Harvard-educated analyst, and board member of Harvard International Review. He has authored several books on the US foreign policy. He can be reached at dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22775/trump-iran-regional-friends
**Follow Majid Rafizadeh on X (formerly Twitter)
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Why Houthis’ targeting of civilians, infrastructure is raising stakes across region
TAREK ALI AHMAD/Arab News/August 08, 2026
LONDON: For much of the past decade Yemen’s Houthi militia built its reputation as an insurgent force fighting a domestic war against the internationally recognized government and Saudi-led coalition. Today, however, its military campaign extends far beyond Yemen’s borders.From missiles and drones fired at populated areas to attacks on airports, energy facilities and commercial shipping, the Houthis have demonstrated both the capability and willingness to place civilians and critical infrastructure at risk as part of a broader regional strategy.
That threat returned to the forefront on Friday after Houthi attacks targeted Saudi Arabia’s southern Najran region, drawing strong condemnation from the Gulf Cooperation Council.
GCC Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi described the attacks as a “heinous terrorist crime” and a “flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law,” accusing the Houthis of deliberately and indiscriminately targeting civilians and civilian objects, or non-military targets.Such attacks required accountability and represented a serious threat not only to regional security but also to international peace and stability, he said.
Albudaiwi said that Saudi Arabia’s security was inseparable from that of the wider GCC and that member states stood united with the Kingdom and supported measures taken to protect its sovereignty, territorial integrity, citizens and residents.
The Najran attacks are the latest illustration of a strategy the Houthis have developed over years of conflict: using missiles, drones and other relatively inexpensive weapons to threaten population centers and economically significant infrastructure far beyond the territory they control.“The Iran-backed Houthi militia has repeatedly targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure since it seized power by force in a coup in northern Yemen in September 2014,” Badr Qahtani, Gulf affairs editor at Asharq Al-Awsat, told Arab News.
“Even oil export facilities, which had helped Yemen’s internationally recognized government generate revenue to pay some public sector salaries, have been targeted by Houthi attacks.”
Years of conflict have transformed the movement from a largely domestic militia into one possessing an increasingly sophisticated arsenal of ballistic and cruise missiles, armed drones and naval weapons. Western governments, Gulf states and UN experts have repeatedly accused Iran of providing weapons, technology and training to the group.
Qahtani argues that the relationship with Tehran is fundamental to understanding the movement’s actions.“The group has one function: to advance Iran’s agenda by attacking civilians, military personnel and Yemen’s neighboring countries,” he said.
“The Houthis have not built hospitals, schools or other institutions that support civilian life. Instead, much of what they inaugurate consists of cemeteries and ideological mobilization centers aligned with Iran.”The result is a non-state actor capable of projecting force hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of kilometers beyond Yemen.
The attack on Najran fits a pattern established during years of Houthi attacks against Saudi territory. Airports, cities, oil installations and other infrastructure have repeatedly come under missile and drone attack, particularly during the most intense phases of the Yemen war.
Abha International Airport was targeted multiple times, including attacks that killed or wounded civilians, demonstrating the danger posed when military operations are directed at or near facilities overwhelmingly used by the public.
Saudi energy infrastructure has also been a frequent target.
The 2019 attack on the Abqaiq and Khurais oil facilities temporarily disrupted roughly half of Saudi Arabia’s oil production. The Houthis claimed responsibility, although the US and Saudi Arabia blamed Iran. The attack illustrated how strikes against infrastructure could generate consequences extending far beyond the immediate target, affecting international energy markets and economic stability. Inside Yemen itself attacks on oil infrastructure have carried a different but equally damaging consequence. Facilities used by Yemen’s internationally recognized government to export crude have been attacked by the Houthis, disrupting a vital source of state revenue in a country already devastated by war and economic collapse.
The loss of this oil income has constrained the government’s ability to fund basic services and pay public sector salaries, illustrating how attacks on infrastructure can ultimately inflict their greatest costs on civilians rather than governments.Such incidents highlight a defining feature of the Houthi strategy: the ability to use relatively inexpensive weapons to threaten targets whose disruption carries vastly greater economic and political costs.
Since the outbreak of the Gaza war that strategy has increasingly extended into the maritime domain. The Houthis have repeatedly attacked commercial vessels in the Red Sea and around the Bab Al-Mandab Strait while launching missiles and drones toward Israel.
The militia says its maritime campaign is intended to target ships connected to Israel and pressure it over its military operations against Palestinians.
The broader threat has forced commercial shipping companies to reconsider passage through one of the world’s most important trade corridors.
The Bab Al-Mandab connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and ultimately the Indian Ocean. Together with the Suez Canal, it forms a critical route between European and Asian markets.Threatening that corridor therefore allows the Houthis to impose costs far beyond Yemen. Shipping companies have diverted vessels around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, adding thousands of kilometers to journeys. Insurance costs have risen, delivery times have lengthened and supply chains have been disrupted. Civilian crews have also found themselves on the front line of the conflict. “The group’s impact has gone beyond Yemen and its immediate neighbors, as it now poses a threat to maritime navigation and international shipping, with the potential to drive up the prices of goods,” Qahtani said.“This threat prompted the United States and European Union countries to establish two separate coalitions to address the problem.”The US established the multinational Operation Prosperity Guardian in response to the Red Sea attacks, while the EU launched its own maritime security operation to protect freedom of navigation. For Qahtani, the longer term concern is what happens if the Houthis continue acquiring weapons capable of extending their reach and increasing their leverage over these waterways. “If the Houthis continue to acquire increasingly sophisticated military capabilities they will, like their Iranian backers, continue to hold strategic waterways hostage and destabilize the region in pursuit of Iran’s interests,” he said.
Albudaiwi’s accusation that the Houthis deliberately and indiscriminately targeted civilians and civilian objects places the latest incident within a broader international-law debate surrounding the movement’s methods. Ports, airports and energy infrastructure can complicate that assessment because some facilities may have both civilian and military functions.
The Houthis maintain that their operations are directed against legitimate targets associated with their enemies. Their critics argue the pattern of attacks demonstrates a willingness to expose civilians to unacceptable risk in pursuit of political and military objectives.
The expansion of Houthi operations has triggered an extensive international military response.
The US and its allies have deployed naval forces to protect commercial shipping, intercepting missiles and drones launched toward merchant vessels.
The US and UK have also carried out repeated strikes against Houthi missile launchers, radar installations, weapons storage facilities and command infrastructure inside Yemen.
Saudi Arabia has launched a multinational maritime defense initiative backed by 14 countries to protect commercial shipping and energy routes through the crucial passages.
Yet military pressure has not eliminated the threat.Today the Houthis can influence international shipping, global energy markets and the security calculations of governments from the Gulf to Washington. Their weapons do not have to overcome sophisticated air defenses every time to achieve strategic impact. Forcing airports to suspend operations, ships to change course or governments to deploy expensive defensive systems can itself produce political and economic consequences. For Saudi Arabia and its GCC partners Friday’s attack also reinforces the collective nature of the threat.Albudaiwi’s declaration that Saudi security is an integral part of GCC security reflects growing recognition that missiles and drones launched by non-state actors do not respect national borders and that attacks on civilian infrastructure can quickly acquire regional consequences. The question confronting the region is therefore no longer simply whether the Houthis can be contained inside Yemen. It is how governments can deter a movement that has learned to translate comparatively inexpensive drones and missiles into outsized economic, political and security pressure — while threatening the civilians, infrastructure and maritime arteries on which the region and the wider global economy depend.

Gaza needs fewer agreements and more action
Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/August 08, 2026
In a region short of good news, the sudden announcement of an agreement that could eventually result in the disarmament of Hamas in Gaza, Israel’s withdrawal from this tiny but densely populated territory, and the transfer of governance to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza is a step in the right direction. At the same time, there are valid questions and doubts about whether this will finally lead to a breakthrough. After all, this is a place that has witnessed many false dawns. For now, we are told that Hamas has accepted the deal, while Israel has not, and in any case neither side has yet signed it. Avoiding yet another false dawn with this new roadmap for completing the implementation of US President Donald Trump’s comprehensive peace plan requires those mediating the agreement to demonstrate that they have a robust strategy, complete with specific targets, a watertight timetable, and effective mechanisms for monitoring compliance by both sides. Otherwise, events may once again take their own course, leading to another deadly status quo. Indeed, over the past few days Israeli airstrikes have intensified, killing scores of people. There is a host of unresolved issues that provide fertile ground for those on both sides who have no interest in translating the principles of the agreement into a new reality and instead seek to derail the entire process. We have already seen this over the nine months since the ceasefire was agreed last October. During that period, Israel has unilaterally expanded the territory it occupies in Gaza from just over 53 percent to around 65 percent, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stating his intention to go even further.During what was supposed to be a ceasefire, more than 1,200 Palestinians have been killed, many of them civilians, including children, while insufficient humanitarian aid has entered the territory, all in violation of the agreement. Meanwhile, Hamas has continued to rearm, govern through coercion and intimidation, and control the lives of the local population, including much of the humanitarian aid entering the enclave.
This bleak picture underscores the significance of the announcement by the Board of Peace that Hamas has accepted the deal and “has committed to an actionable plan for relinquishing all its weapons.” Israel, although it has yet to agree, is expected in return to withdraw its forces from Gaza. However, senior Israeli ministers have repeatedly insisted in recent months that a full withdrawal is not on the table. This will be a real test for the mediators and for the influential countries with a stake in resolving this conflict. With just two and a half months until Israel’s general election, any decision by Netanyahu and his government to accept these terms would require an uncomfortable, albeit necessary, U-turn, exposing them to widespread criticism not only from the political right.
Reaching this deal has a profound psychological dimension.
After three years of bloodshed and decades of hostility, it would be naive to expect any trust between Hamas and Israel. To some extent, mutual distrust is the fuel on which both Hamas and Israel’s current hard-line government thrive. In the absence of trust, particularly in an agreement that requires careful sequencing of obligations, both sides will instead have to have confidence that the mediators will hold each party accountable if they fail to honor their commitments. The mechanisms that ensure compliance at every stage are just as important as the details of the agreement itself. It is, therefore, a serious concern that both the provisions covering some of the most sensitive issues, along with the enforcement mechanisms, remain either vague, leave far too much open to interpretation, or are simply unfinished. To begin with, the timetable for each phase of Israeli withdrawal and Hamas’ disarmament remains unclear. The agreement refers to a phased process, but the Board of Peace later clarified that Israel would withdraw only after Hamas had surrendered its weapons. Can Hamas realistically agree, or be persuaded, to such sequencing?
Moreover, there is still disagreement over what “disarmament” actually means. The draft agreement refers to the “decommissioning and storage of heavy weapons, military production sites, weapons depots, and tunnels,” which would then be handed over to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. There is strong opposition to this within the Israeli government, with ministers insisting on the complete dismantling of all weapons, not just heavy arms but light weapons as well, which they currently regard as posing the greater threat. The mandate of the International Stabilization Force also remains unclear. Beyond being deployed in Gaza to separate Israeli forces from National Committee for the Administration of Gaza-controlled areas, its role appears limited to monitoring compliance along the Yellow Line, training Palestinian police, and protecting humanitarian aid. But what powers would it have in the event of violations by either or both sides? What would its role be if, and when, Israel completed a full withdrawal to the 1949 Armistice Line? The need for an impartial force separating the two sides would remain as strong as ever. Israel also insists on screening and vetting Palestinian police officers and certain public officials operating in Gaza, something the Palestinians are unlikely to accept without significant objections.For Palestinians, and not only Hamas, the question of whether Israel would retain the right to conduct military operations inside the enclave is also another major issue, given the scale of death and destruction caused by previous operations, including those carried out after the ceasefire took effect last October. Who will arbitrate disputes over whether such military action is justified?
Reaching this agreement also has a profound psychological dimension that should not be forgotten, as it inevitably feeds into politics, and both sides must recognize this if they genuinely want it to succeed. After three long and extraordinarily painful years, neither the Israeli government nor Hamas has achieved its stated objectives, and acknowledging that reality could go a long way toward making this agreement possible. Hamas sought to break the stalemate along the Gaza-Israel border. Still, it did so through a murderous attack that rightly generated international condemnation and ultimately brought catastrophe on much of its own leadership, many of its fighters, and, most significantly, the innocent Palestinian population. The Israeli government promised its people “total victory.” It pursued this through a military campaign that has killed tens of thousands of people, most of them civilians, displaced millions, and created unprecedented devastation. In doing so, it has lost much of the international support it enjoyed after the Oct. 7 attack, more importantly the high moral ground, while still failing to eliminate Hamas, despite significantly weakening the organization. Both sides are now being forced to accept a deeply uncomfortable compromise. Agreeing to this deal requires eating a large measure of humble pie, and many of those responsible may ultimately face political accountability, disappear from public life, or emerge significantly weakened. That would be no more than they deserve. But they should first agree at least to the principles of the agreement.
• Yossi Mekelberg is a professor of international relations and an associate fellow of the MENA Program at Chatham House.
X: @YMekelberg

The alliance against Tehran on three fronts
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/f Asharq Al-Awsat,/August 08, 2026
It has become clear that the war waged by Iran is directed against Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies, not against the US or Israel. Iran has attacked the Kingdom with more than 1,000 drones since last February, in addition to ballistic missiles that have targeted civilian and military facilities. The Iranians have widened the war through the territories of two countries, Iraq and Yemen, in a bid to surround Saudi Arabia. Riyadh, in contrast, surprised Tehran by establishing a bloc uniting three countries bordering Iran. Today, the alliance tips the balance of power against Iran. Turkiye and Pakistan have become rival states rather than onlookers: a force with strategic depth, greater military capabilities, 400 million people — four times that of Iran — and more than 1,400 km of land borders overlooking Iran. Internationally, Turkiye is a member of the western NATO alliance, while Pakistan is a nuclear power militarily close to China. This Saudi move will affect conflict management and negotiations, and gradually lead to Iran losing most of the trump cards it has enjoyed in its war with the US.
Last month, Iran escalated its war on northern and southern Saudi Arabia by opening two fronts from inside Iraq and Yemen. This dangerous development coincided with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signing the Makkah Agreement, and the announcement of the tripartite military alliance with Turkiye and Pakistan, which had been in the making since last year. This is the second alliance built and announced by Saudi Arabia within a week, following the establishment of an international naval military bloc led by Riyadh.
The importance of the alliance with Turkiye and Pakistan rests on three fronts: deterring Iran, the oil market, and Arab and Islamic public opinion. The first front is Iran itself. Tehran’s escalating military activity reveals its intentions to expand the scope of the conflict and perhaps create a new geographical reality in the Gulf imposed by force. The Riyadh-Ankara-Islamabad alliance aims to create a balance that deters Iran from thinking about advancing toward the Gulf region, as well as targeting Jordan, Syria, and Yemen. Expanding the scope of the war will cost Iran’s leadership dearly.
The Riyadh-Ankara-Islamabad alliance aims to create a balance that deters Iran from thinking about advancing toward the Gulf region.
Tehran’s strategy in its confrontation with the US was based on holding oil hostage. It made blocking the Strait of Hormuz, and targeting producing countries, its winning card in pressuring a superpower it cannot face on equal military terms. The new Saudi axis deprives Iran of this tactic. The tripartite alliance enjoys significant international support, given that most governments preferred to remain neutral in the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran. Many countries, including those that consider confronting Iran justified, found that the war was launched without sufficient legal and diplomatic preparation.
International backing for the Saudi-Turkish-Pakistani tripartite axis can be sensed from the broad support for the multinational naval alliance announced by Saudi Arabia last week, with 43 governments taking part in its meeting at the Ministry of Defense in Riyadh. This naval initiative is defensive, designed to counter Iranian aggression, and was prepared politically and legally.
The front built to confront Iran is not for Saudi Arabia alone but also includes the Gulf region and the eastern Arab world. The objective is to stop Iran, which lost most of its centers of influence following the destruction of Hezbollah and the downfall of its ally, the Assad regime, and subsequently decided to destabilize the region and create a new geopolitical reality enabling it to threaten Arab states. The features of Iran’s plan have become clear since the resumption of the war late last February; its attacks have focused on the Kingdom, the rest of the Gulf states, and Jordan rather than its two adversaries in the conflict, the US and Israel. There is also the oil front defended by the alliance, a battle watched by the entire world. Iran is closing the Strait of Hormuz and Bab Al-Mandab, targeting Gulf production and export facilities, and seeking to bring the world to its knees on Iranian terms. Oil markets reacted swiftly to the announcement of the new tripartite alliance, welcoming the news with a drop in oil prices on the global market. The third front is the struggle over public opinion — over the hearts and minds of around 300 million Arabs and more than a billion Muslims worldwide. They were watching a war marketed to them as US-Israeli aggression against a peaceful Muslim state. Because the war was not resolved early on, Iran focused on justifying its aggression and portraying its attacks on its neighbors as though they were in the US-Israeli camp. In facing the alliance, it will be difficult for the Iranian propaganda machine and its platforms to convince 1.5 billion people of its false narrative that Pakistan, Turkiye, and Saudi Arabia are nations opposing Arabs and Muslims. Tehran’s leadership hiding underground will lose the propaganda war. We will see Tehran’s aggressive behavior change during the coming days.

Selected Face Book & X tweets on August 08/2026
Mossad Commentary
PAKISTAN CALLS FOR ‘UNITED MILITARY FRONT’ AGAINST ISRAEL
Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif calls Israel “a threat to the entire Muslim world” and says “all Muslim countries must unite” against it. He also calls Israel “an illegitimate state” and says opposition will continue regardless of who leads Israel. The remarks come just one day after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey signed a joint defense agreement. Asif has consistently expressed his contempt and hostility for the Jewish people, and the Jewish state, throughout his public life. Just last April, Asif was quoted as saying, “…I hope and pray people who created this cancerous state on Palestinian land to get rid of European jews [sic] burn in hell.”Around the time of his statement, Pakistan was attempting to present as a ‘neutral’ mediator, and peace broker for the Iran conflict, on the world stage. Unfortunately for Pakistan, Asif’s statements are almost verbatim what has been preached throughout the Islamic Republic of Iran’s leadership and the world knows this. Pakistan’s already hostile mentality has also has led to decades of bloodshed and conflict on its own. Pakistans intentions and sentiments will be difficult for world leaders to take seriously. More plausible, they will be assumed to continue being what they’re already are known for: destabilization and terrorism.

Norman Roule
Those who advocate diplomacy with Iran seldom highlight that the history of the Islamic Republic’s relations with the region and the United States shows that Iran is rarely interested in diplomacy beyond using engagement as a tool to fracture coalitions, encourage political debate within the United States among opponents of pressure, posture, make demands, and buy time to forestall further pressure.
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The New York Times
Breaking News: Iran’s top security official said the Strait of Hormuz would not reopen until the U.S. met a sweeping list of demands, including withdraw the U.S. military from around Iran, pay war reparations and release frozen Iranian assets. https://nyti.ms/4fMrZ3x

Dennis Ross
The IRGC’s definition of the terms the U.S. must meet to act on the agreement with Oman and reopen the Straits: end all sanctions, pay all damages from this war, pull all U.S. forces from the region, etc. Will they back off of some of these? Yes.But they know they own the Straits

Aaron Cohen Official
Time to Arm the Iranian People
43 years of IRGC brutality, public hangings, rape as interrogation, gunning down teenage girls, proves the Islamic Republic only understands force. The "Women, Life, Freedom" uprising failed because courage loses to machine guns when the crowd has rocks.
Time to change the equation. Flood the Zagros Mountains with MANPADS to ground IRGC helicopter gunships. Smuggle Starlink terminals across the Kurdish border so resistance cells coordinate without regime interception. Crate after crate of Kalashnikovs, RPGs, and Iranian-manufactured EFPs. Let them fight with tools that can't be traced to foreign factories. Crypto wallets bulging with untraceable millions to buy off conscripted soldiers and turn starving basij militiamen into informants.Let Kurds hold the high ground. Let Baloch separatists choke the oil infrastructure in Ahvaz. Let Persian democrats in Tehran's suburbs know they have teeth, not just Twitter accounts. Proxy warfare is ugly: burning convoys on desert highways, regime commanders found in ditches, the sudden realization by 18-year-old enforcers that the state can't protect them anymore. Every day we delay, another 22-year-old swings from a crane for "waging war on God." It’s time to out proxy the proxy terror regime. Free the 85 million hostages suffocating under black turbans. Arm them. Let them finish what 1979 started.

Mike Pompeo
https://x.com/mikepompeo/status/2086120268741648384/video/1
For years, the conventional wisdom has held that the Israel-Palestine conflict is the source of the Middle East's instability. In fact, Tehran was the primary source of the region's woes. The recent realignments among key Muslim states suggest that they recognize that as well.

Gad Saad
There are 10,000+ religions that contain endless canonical differences. Hence, to lobotomize yourself by arguing that we have freedom of religion and hence all religions are equally protected is the most astonishing form of denial of reality (short perhaps of denying that male & female phenotypes exist). Some canonical differences are insignificant as a threat to America (whether you eat pork or not) whereas others could not be any more different in terms of their threats to our liberties and freedoms. All religions are not equal. All religions do not preach the same thing. All religions are not equally adept at integrating. Wake up. Stop being so tolerant toward those who wish to eradicate our civilization. If a religion's most fundamental tenet is to conquer every inch of the globe, it is not your friend.

Israel Military Channel
The Israeli Air Force has officially received its new naval helicopter, named the Osprey. Replacing the older Atalef models within the reactivated 193 Squadron, this heavy, twin-engine aircraft brings massive upgrades to the IDF's maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare.

Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער
On the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony of the President of Colombia - an excellent meeting with true friends of Israel: the wonderful President of Argentina
@JMilei, together with Karina Milei, the General Secretary of the Argentine Presidency, and Argentina's Foreign Minister @pabloquirno We discussed the progress in bilateral relations between our countries, as well as the distortions existing in the system of international institutions and the ways to address them. Thank you, Javier, dear brother, for your courage, leadership, and true friendship with the Jewish people and the State of Israel.
Gad Saad
The logic here is that being Muslim is no different than being Jewish when it comes to how much each faith is congruent with American freedoms. This is the "forced equality" that I spoke of in Suicidal Empathy. Fido the house cat is a feline. The wild lion is a feline. Hence, they are indistinguishable from one another. This is why I'm hoping to adopt a 600 lbs wild lion into our home. Felines are felines. Elon Musk is an immigrant, so is Mohammad Jihad who happened to have spent a few years in a summer camp with Al Qaeda. Both are immigrants. Don't discriminate.
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Glenn Greenwald
If someone made this exact same statement -- but replaced "Muslim" with "Jew" -- their career would not only be instantly and permanently destroyed, but their families, banks, communities and employers would be relentlessly hounded until they were denounced, disowned and banned. x.com/RepNancyMace/s…

Dr Walid Phares
Catastrophic reports from Lebanon
MTV Lebanon is reporting that its US-Israeli-Lebanese sources are unveiling that Hezbollah has built a large network of war-tunnels under the Bekaa plateau, for years, under important historic and symbolic sites, including the world wonder Baalbeck temple (Temple of Bachcus) and other ancient fortresses, monasteries and agglomerations. Most of these so called tunnels were enlarged to become actual mega bunkers called by local sources "Hezbollah Pentagons." Entire mini-cities linked by miles long tunnels. The most concerning underground is an alleged bunker city under the Temple of Baalbek, a UN designated wonder structure of ancient Phoenician-Roman structures. Locals fear Hezbollah has amassed enough explosive material to blow up the sites and cause a historic disaster as was the case of the Beirut Port explosion few years ago. Th Lebanese Army, UN forces and eventually US forces must seize Baalbek and remove the huge explosive material, and destroy the tunnels.

Hiba Nasr
More on the bill related to Lebanon and introduced by Senator Shaheen & Lankford:
The bill would establish a U.S.-administered fund for the reconstruction of Lebanon, overseen by the Secretary of State.
The fund would support:
Rebuilding Lebanese government services and institutions, including municipal governments.
Construction and reconstruction of civilian infrastructure across Lebanon.
Restriction: The funds cannot be used by the Council for South Lebanon.

Acting AG Todd Blanche
I am deeply honored by the trust and confidence President Trump has placed in me to lead the Department of Justice as our great nation’s 88th Attorney General. I am grateful to the Senate for staying late to complete this process. To the dedicated public servants of the Department of Justice, thank you for your work each day to uphold the law and keep our country safe.
God bless America.