English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News &
Editorials
For August 11/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2026/english.August
11.26.htm
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Bible Quotations For today
I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as
they did
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 13/01-05/:"At
that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose
blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, ‘Do you think
that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than
all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish
as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on
them do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in
Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as
they did.’
Titles For Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related
News & Editorials published on August 10-11/2026
A jihadist alliance built on hatred, enmity, and contradictions: its fate
is certain failure/Elias Bejjani/ِAugust 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 Miracle of Saint Charbel with the Son of Rashid Bey/George
Hayek/Facebook/August 10/2026
Video link and text of a highly strategic and important interview conducted by
media figure Antoine Saad with political researcher Dr. Paul Salem and Mr. Ali
Sabri Hamadeh, Head of the Baalbek-Hermel Movement
Netanyahu hints Israel staged unannounced operation in Lebanon
Israel sees hurdles in Lebanon talks: Tensions rise along southern front
US general expected in Beirut on Monday
Report: US asks Beirut to remove Hezbollah from Ali al-Taher as group clings to
it
Beyond the battlefield: Hezbollah's funding network comes under strain
Behind the scenes: Israel moves to counter Turkey’s growing presence in Lebanon
President Aoun highlights urgent needs of residents returning to war-damaged
areas in talks with World Bank official
President Aoun to UN Tourism secretary-general: Lebanon remains a tourist
destination as government works to develop the sector
Social Affairs minister briefs President Aoun on plan for return, early recovery
in war-affected areas
Aoun gives Karam directives for next stage
Israel Expands Lebanon Campaign by Setting Fires to Forested Areas
Hezbollah says Israeli annexation map confirms Israel ambitions in Lebanon
Family of Former Palestinian Ambassador Urge Lebanon to Not Extradite Him
Lebanon Indicts Ex-central Bank Governor Salameh over New Alleged Financial
Crimes
Le Liban et la fin des mythes/Dr. Charles Chartouni/10 août 2026
Lebanon and the End of Myths/Dr. Charles Chartouni/August 10/2026
Lebanon and its Underworld/Sam Menassa/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 10-11/2026
Pesach Wolicki/Video Link: A New Muslim Alliance Just Shocked the ENTIRE Middle
East
Israel365 News/Link Video addressing the New SUNNI Alliance that May Change The
Middle East FOREVER
Trump Demands Iran Pay Compensation for Deaths as Hormuz Deal Hopes Fade
Vance: We Don’t Trust Iran and We Will Verify its Actions
Pentagon Seeks Boost in Weapons Production
Iran Supreme Leader Names Guards General Abdollahi Military Chief
Mohsen Rezaei Appointed as Secretary of Iran's Top Security Body
Iran Presses Demands on US as Shipping Standoff Grinds on
Iran president has rare meeting with supreme leader
Iran says Saudi-Pakistan–Turkey deal shows 'change in perception' towards US
Board of Peace: Gaza Plan Rejected by Netanyahu ‘is the Only Way Forward’
Israel Declares Closed Military Zone in West Bank’s Taybeh
Germany: Gaza Plan Could Lead Towards Disarmament of Hamas
Iraqi Government Increases Pressure on Armed Factions as Deadline Nears
Kurdish PKK Criticizes Bill on Fate of Its Fighters
Hundreds of Syria Kurds Head Back to Border Town After Years of Displacement
Houthis Widen their Escalation to Yemen’s West Coast
UN Envoy Warns of Return to Full-scale Conflict in Yemen after Houthi Attacks
Ukraine drone strike kills 12, wounds 39 in central Russia
Sweden Says It Disrupted a Russian Intelligence Operation
Pope Calls for Humanitarian Corridors in Sudan
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials
from miscellaneous sources published
on August 10-11/2026
The Arab-Islamic Formula for 'Peace': Ignore Hamas, Blame Israel/Khaled Abu
Toameh/Gatestone Institute/August 10/2026
Trump and American Intervention in the Middle East/Amir Taheri/Asharq
Al-Awsat/August 10/2026
Making Policy: Marxist Rainbows and Mob Shock Troops/Peter Huessy/Gatestone
Institute/August 10/2026
The Arab-Islamic Formula for 'Peace': Ignore Hamas, Blame Israel/Khaled Abu
Toameh/Gatestone Institute/August 10/2026
A Haven of Stability in a Turbulent Sea/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat
newspaper/August 10/2026
The Makkah Agreement and the Deterrence Layers/Mamoun Fandy/Asharq Al-Awsat
newspaper/August 10/2026
Peace and War, as They Force Us to Reconsider Whether We Are Nations at
All/Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
Selected Face Book & X tweets on August 10/2026
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News &
Editorials published on August 10-11/2026
A jihadist alliance built on hatred, enmity, and contradictions: its fate is
certain failure.
Elias Bejjani/ِAugust 09/2026
Peace between Israel and Lebanon and Saudi Arabia's accession to the Abraham
Accords are the first casualties of this failed sectarian
Turkish-Saudi-Pakistani alliance.
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 Miracle of Saint Charbel with the Son of Rashid Bey!
George Hayek/Facebook/August 10/2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/08/156570/
A well-dressed knight arrived at the hermitage of Annaya, visibly agitated. He
immediately approached Father Charbel, saying:
"The director of Ehmej, Rashid Bey Khoury, requests your presence, and I have
word from the head of the household that he permits you to accompany me."
Father Charbel replied:
"I will accompany you when evening comes."
The messenger responded:
"But the patient is in critical condition and cannot wait."
"I am going, but I don't want anyone to see me."
The messenger walked ahead of him, a considerable distance, to clear the way.
After an hour's walk, across Mount Awaini and the vineyards of Ehmej, Father
Charbel arrived before a grand palace. The servants and the Bey's men craned
their necks to see what had happened to the monk. One of the servants said:
"Alas, the Bey's son is in critical condition; they have brought the priest to
him." One of the Bey's men remarked:
"Najib is their only son. This fever, typhus, no doctor has been able to cure
him."
As for the maids, as soon as they saw Father Charbel approaching, they hid
themselves so as not to embarrass him, following the messenger's instructions,
which Charbel had alerted him to. One maid whispered to her companion:
"Look, look, that monk! He's all wrapped up in his clothes, covered with his
hood, and his head bowed. He's afraid we'll eat him!"
The other replied, laughing:
"He's afraid to see us and be tempted."
The knight who walked ahead of them tried to silence them, saying:
be quite, the lady sent for him. They say this monk is a saint."
The messenger announced the monk's arrival. Rashid Bey greeted him at the
entrance, bowing and attempting to kiss his hand, but he was unable to do so.
"Glory to God, Father."
Father Charbel, as usual, his gaze lowered to the ground, said, "May God bless
you. Where is the sick man?"
The sick man's mother was sobbing. She said to him, "Father, we have no hope
left but in you and in God."
"I am a sinner," he said. "Trust in God; He will provide."
Father Charbel entered the sick man's room, took water, blessed it, sprinkled it
on the boy's forehead, and prayed over him. The boy awoke immediately, opened
his eyes, and exclaimed, "Father Charbel!"
Then he said to his parents, "By the power of God, your son is well."
He then bid them farewell and returned to his monastery. As for the sick man,
the fever had left him, and he was completely cured.
Rashid Bey followed him and wanted to give him a charitable offering to
celebrate Mass for his intentions. But Father Charbel refused, saying:
"I celebrate the Masses; give the alms to the abbot. the head of thehermitage
Upon returning to his hermitage, when night had fallen, Father Charbel rushed
into the church and, losing himself in prayer, knelt with his hands crossed. At
midnight, he was quick to ring the bell for the call to prayer.
Video link and text of a highly strategic and important
interview conducted by media figure Antoine Saad with political researcher Dr.
Paul Salem and Mr. Ali Sabri Hamadeh, Head of the Baalbek-Hermel Movement
A realistic and bold reading of the current abnormal and chaotic Lebanese
situation in the absence of state firmness and the ambiguity of its decisions in
confronting the Iranian Hezbollah, smuggling from Syria, the Hermel camp
rejected by its surroundings, the Lebanese-Israeli negotiations, the Iranian
war, and the Gulf situation
The interview was conducted by the distinguished media figure and historian
Antoine Saad from MTV Channel/August 10/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/08/156560/
Note: Categorization, transcription, texts, phrasing, titles, and summaries by
Elias Bejjani with complete freedom and discretion
First: Major File Titles Raised in the Interview
The path of indirect negotiations with Israel (the seventh round and beyond) and
the approach to the Memorandum of Understanding.
The role of the Lebanese state, its prestige, and its reform steps (internal,
governance, general amnesty, and the financial and banking situation).
Strategic geopolitical changes in the Arab Mashreq, the decline of Iranian
influence, and the end of the "Shiite Crescent" project.
The field reality, the balance of power, and the fate of the weapons of
Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
The situation on the Lebanese-Syrian border, fears of Syrian entry, and
smuggling operations (weapons, funds, and people).
Major regional transformations and the role of new axes (the Gulf, Turkey,
Syria, and Pakistan) in filling the strategic vacuum.
Second: Details of the Most Important Topics and Themes Raised
1. Negotiations and Rounds of Talks with Israel
The fundamental difference in approach: Dr. Paul Salem pointed out a major
divergence between the Lebanese proposal (which demands Israeli withdrawals in
the first phase) and the Israeli proposal (which insists that the Lebanese state
take action against Hezbollah first, amid fears of expanding the zone of
occupying destruction).
Prospects for negotiations: The interview viewed that the negotiation path
continues despite diplomatic tension and delayed round schedules, emphasizing
the importance of exploiting diplomatic contradictions between international
parties to achieve gains for Lebanon.
2. Responsibilities of the Lebanese State and Internal Reform
Proving state prestige: Salem and Hamadeh stressed the necessity for the
Lebanese state to boldly and wisely assert its authority across all regions (by
addressing issues of loose weapons, the Resistance Brigades, and Palestinian
weapons) to enhance the trust of citizens and the international community in it.
Stalled reform files: Criticism of the stumbling of vital laws due to sectarian
and political divisions, such as the general amnesty law, addressing the
financial gap and the banking crisis, and the repercussions of the Beirut port
explosion.
3. Major Transformations in Syria and the Arab Mashreq
The fall of the Iranian project: It was emphasized that the "Shiite Crescent"
and export of revolution project has ended following the historical change in
Syria and its transition toward stability with Gulf-Turkish-international
support.
Impact on Lebanon: Dr. Paul Salem considered that this transformation serves
Lebanon's return to its natural Mashreq environment tied to the Gulf economy,
despite short-term fears and challenges.
4. The Fate of Hezbollah and Alternative Options
The dilemma of weapons and ideology: The impossibility of the party or Iran
quickly abandoning the weapons card due to their ideological nature was
discussed, under pressing military and political balances of power and critical
regional developments.
The concept of the "Golden Bridge": The idea was raised of the necessity of
finding a safe political and diplomatic exit (a golden bridge) for Hezbollah and
its environment to avoid slipping into new, catastrophic, and destructive
confrontations.
5. The Lebanese-Syrian Border and Smuggling Fears
Border situation: The possibility of any large-scale Syrian military invasion or
entry into Lebanon was ruled out, given the new Syrian leadership's commitment
to the path of stability under strict regional and international cover.
The ongoing scourge of smuggling: Mr. Ali Hamadeh pointed out the persistence of
active smuggling networks (for people, weapons, and funds) across the border
(especially in the northern Bekaa region and the Orontes River) due to bribery
and complicity, criticizing the timid official steps to control the border.
Files Addressed by Political Researcher Dr. Paul Salem
1. Evaluation of the Negotiation Path and Memorandum of Understanding
Divergence of approach: He explained that there is a fundamental conflict
between the Lebanese proposal (which conditions Israeli withdrawals first) and
the Israeli proposal (which wants Lebanon to act against Hezbollah first while
keeping the destructive occupation), pointing out that the Americans positioned
themselves during the Rome phase alongside the Israeli stance.
Continuation of negotiations: He predicted the continuation of the negotiation
track despite diplomatic tension and delayed deadlines, considering it part of
pressure mechanisms.
2. Strategic Transformations and the End of the "Shiite Crescent"
Decision to change the geopolitical reality: He believed that there is a
regional and international decision (American-Israeli with Arab consent) to
change the reality in the Arab Mashreq, the most prominent of which materialized
in the collapse of the regime in Syria and the decline of Iranian influence.
Lebanon's Mashreq depth: He considered that the fall of the Iranian project
reconnects the Mashreq and Syria with the economies of the Gulf, Turkey, and the
West, which is a historical direction that serves the Lebanese state in the
medium and long term.
3. Vision of the Interim Solution and the Concept of the "Golden Bridge"
Short-term goals (one to two years): He stressed that the realistic goal is not
the immediate and complete disarmament of the party (because the balance of
power and Israel do not accept it immediately), but rather starting to restore
the state's prestige and internal strength and reforming its administration,
judiciary, and economy.
The golden bridge: He pointed to the saying of the Chinese thinker "Sun Tzu"
regarding the importance of giving the opponent a "golden bridge" to retreat
with dignity, affirming that Hezbollah and its environment need a regionally and
internationally coordinated diplomatic and political exit, along with the
importance of Lebanese-Syrian coordination in the negotiation path.
Files Focused on by Mr. Ali Sabri Hamadeh
1. The Role of the Lebanese State and Major Reform Steps
Asserting authority and the prestige of governance: He affirmed that the
Lebanese state is required to prove its ability to govern internally through
concrete steps that go beyond negotiations with Israel, such as disarming
illegal weapons in areas where Hezbollah is not present (such as the Resistance
Brigades and other parties) and controlling Palestinian weapons.
Livelihood and financial files: He criticized the ongoing procrastination in
addressing major files such as the general amnesty law (which is disrupted due
to sectarian divisions), the Beirut port file, and the financial gap of banks.
2. The Political Reality and Hezbollah's Weapons Dilemma
The end of the export of revolution project: He considered that the Iranian
project (the Shiite Crescent and export of revolution) has ended, creating a
strategic vacuum gradually filled by the region's new transformations (such as
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and Pakistan).
The party's ideology and interaction with the state: He explained that Hezbollah
deals ideologically and tries to protect itself after its project was struck,
expressing his hope that the repercussions of events and heavy losses will lead
to prevailing the voice of reason to interact positively with the state.
3. The Lebanese-Syrian Border and the Smuggling Dilemma
Ruling out a Syrian invasion: He completely ruled out any Syrian military
incursion or entry into Lebanon in the foreseeable future, given Syria's
commitment to stability under the Arab and international umbrella.
The danger of the Hermel camp established by Hezbollah after the fall of the
Assad regime for Shiites and Alawites, which is outside state authority and
rejected by its surroundings.
Activity of smuggling networks: He revealed the continuation of active smuggling
operations across the Syrian border (for people, weapons, and funds), especially
in the northern Bekaa and Orontes River areas, criticizing the timid official
steps in controlling them and considering that this is due to complicity or
bribes within organized networks.
Netanyahu hints Israel staged unannounced operation in
Lebanon
Naharnet/August 10/2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that Israel has “acted
with force in Lebanon” in recent days, noting that it has eliminated
“terrorists,” including “on the Ali Taher ridge” in the Nabatieh region. “I
cannot elaborate on this. We are in the midst of a very important operation,”
Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting. “We are working prudently and wisely -- with
both determination and wisdom, alongside the Israel Defense Forces (Israeli
army) -- and eliminating threats,” Netanyahu added. Media reports have said that
Hezbollah fighters and Iranian Revolutionary Guard elements are besieged in
tunnels in the Ali al-Taher area.
Israel sees hurdles in Lebanon talks: Tensions rise along
southern front
LBCI/August 10/2026
Optimism in Tel Aviv over the prospects of progress in negotiations with Lebanon
is fading as the talks become increasingly complicated by disputes over missing
people, including Jewish Lebanese who disappeared during the country's civil
war, as well as the fate of Israeli pilot Ron Arad. At the same time, the
Israeli army has kept details under wraps about what Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu has described as special and high-impact operations in the Ali
al-Taher hill range in South Lebanon. One of the main
obstacles appears to involve the evacuation of a Hezbollah military complex in
the Ali al-Taher heights, which the Israeli military has identified as one of
the most volatile areas along the front. Israeli forces are preparing for the
possibility of renewed clashes with Hezbollah, claiming that dozens of Hezbollah
fighters sheltering in tunnels could attempt attacks against Israeli troops if
they are no longer able to remain underground because of disrupted supply lines.
The Israeli military said it had carried out what it described as a significant
operation in the area and was positioned near tunnel entrances in preparation
for possible confrontations with Hezbollah fighters. Israel is also demanding
information on the fate of people it considers its citizens who disappeared
during Lebanon's civil war. At the same time, according to the report, Israel
has refused to provide information about Lebanese civilians and activists who
disappeared after Hezbollah entered the war. Palestinian human rights lawyers
have reportedly received information alleging that some of the missing Lebanese
are being held in an underground detention facility reportedly established by
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The tensions extend beyond
Lebanon. In Syria, Israel has expanded its military presence, establishing at
least nine military positions, fortifications, earthworks and a network of
trenches, according to the report. Israel is therefore applying pressure on both
the Lebanese and Syrian fronts while also returning the Gaza Strip to a higher
priority for its military, despite U.S. efforts to de-escalate the various
fronts. The report said Israel continues to resist those efforts as negotiations
with Lebanon face growing obstacles.
US general expected in Beirut on Monday
Naharnet/August 10/2026
US General Joseph Clearfield is expected to arrive in Lebanon today, Monday from
Israel, where he met with the Israeli army chief and military officials, media
reports said. During his talks with the Lebanese Army
leadership, he will tackle a host of files related to the Lebanese-Israeli
negotiations, the second pilot zone, and the possible international force that
could replace UNIFIL, al-Akhbar newspaper said.
Report: US asks Beirut to remove Hezbollah from Ali
al-Taher as group clings to it
Naharnet/August 10/2026
Hezbollah is against handing over the Ali al-Taher ridge to the Lebanese Army in
the current period and “according to Resolution 1701, the area north of the
(Litani) River is linked to a national defense strategy,” Hezbollah sources told
Al-Jadeed television.
The Americans meanwhile asked the Lebanese delegation to the Rome negotiations
that the ridge be handed over to the Lebanese Army, Al-Jadeed said. As for
Israel, security sources told the TV network that “the Israeli army has
repeatedly tried to advance towards the ridge and is using remotely-controlled
robots to avoid putting its troops in danger as happened in Haddatha.”Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Sunday that Israel has “acted with
force in Lebanon” in recent days, noting that it has eliminated “terrorists,”
including “on the Ali Taher ridge.” “I cannot elaborate on this. We are in the
midst of a very important operation,” Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting.
***U.S. Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper told Israel in a visit
during the weekend that the United States wants Israel to end the fighting on
the three active fronts – Iran, Gaza and Lebanon, Israel’s Channel 13 reported.
According to the channel, the Israeli military informed the U.S. side that it
reserves the option of intervening in Iran if intelligence indicates that Tehran
is “continuing its efforts to acquire nuclear weapons and rehabilitate its
ballistic missile program.” In Lebanon, the Americans are demanding that the
Israeli army withdraw from additional positions in the security zone in the
south of the country, while in Gaza, they are calling for progress and the
deployment of the multinational force, which currently includes hundreds of
troops from Morocco and Uganda, the channel said.The channel also quoted a
senior Israeli military officer as saying that the American message to the
Israeli army is to move forward with closing the three fronts.
Beyond the battlefield: Hezbollah's funding network comes
under strain
LBCI/August 10/2026
The confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah is no longer limited to the
battlefield. The U.S. and Israel are intensifying their financial campaign
against the group's funding networks, particularly the flow of money from Iran,
according to a report by The New York Times.
The campaign intensified after late 2024, when the fall of Bashar Assad's
government in Syria disrupted one of Hezbollah's most important overland routes
to Iran. With that corridor weakened, the focus shifted to alternative channels
for moving Iranian funds into Lebanon.
According to officials cited by the newspaper, Iran increasingly turned to
Beirut's airport. At the beginning of last year, U.S. officials conveyed an
Israeli warning to the Lebanese government that Iran was sending suitcases
containing dollars on civilian flights to Beirut. Some of the money was
allegedly transported by Iranian diplomats, according to the report.
Lebanon subsequently suspended flights arriving from Iran and removed airport
employees who, according to sources cited by the newspaper, were linked to
Hezbollah. The financial pressure then extended to
Lebanon's banking system and its cash-based economy. Hezbollah has long relied
heavily on cash transactions and informal financial networks to move and conceal
funds, including money originating in Iran. Under the new Banque du Liban (BDL)
governor Karim Souaid, Washington has pushed for tighter oversight of financial
transfers, while BDL has investigated major money-transfer companies over
suspicions that they were being used to move funds linked to Hezbollah.Hezbollah
has denied the allegations, describing claims that it exploits Lebanon's cash
economy as false and baseless.With greater scrutiny on formal financial
transfers, alternative channels have become increasingly important. One of the
main mechanisms is the transfer system, in which money is transferred through
networks of currency exchangers and intermediaries rather than through
conventional banks. Under the system, the recipient receives money from funds
already held by another intermediary, while the accounts are settled elsewhere.
According to officials cited in the report, Iranian funds have moved through the
United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Iraq before reaching Hezbollah. The U.S.
Treasury Department has estimated that Iran transferred about $1 billion to
Hezbollah over a single year, with a significant portion allegedly moving
through such informal networks.
Gold has also emerged as another channel for generating liquidity.
The U.S. Treasury has said senior officials at Hezbollah-linked Al-Qard
Al-Hassan established a network of gold-trading companies to help provide the
group with access to cash. Israel has destroyed more than a dozen Al-Qard
Al-Hassan branches, while strikes have also damaged portions of Hezbollah’s
foreign-currency and gold reserves, increasing pressure on the group to convert
its remaining gold holdings into cash.Iranian funding has historically been
crucial to Hezbollah’s operations. Before the war, the U.S. State Department
estimated that Iran provided the group with about $700 million annually, out of
a total Hezbollah budget estimated at roughly $1 billion. According to officials
cited by The New York Times, Iran increased its support over the past year, but
the additional funding was still insufficient to cover the enormous costs
associated with the war.The financial strain is increasingly affecting
Hezbollah’s wider social network. According to Hezbollah officials and people
who benefit from its services, salaries for tens of thousands of fighters have
largely continued to be paid, but some social services have been reduced as the
group prioritizes spending, with military expenditures receiving greater
emphasis.Compensation for families whose homes were destroyed during the 2024
war provides one example. Hezbollah had announced payments of between $12,000
and $14,000 to families whose homes were destroyed. But according to Hezbollah
spokesman Youssef al-Zein, the payments were repeatedly postponed before
eventually being suspended altogether. Lebanon has also barred banks and
financial intermediaries from dealing with Al-Qard Al-Hassan, while the Trump
administration is reportedly pushing for the institution to be shut down
entirely. The pressure campaign therefore extends beyond Hezbollah’s weapons and
military capabilities. It increasingly targets the financial and social
infrastructure that the group has built over decades, potentially putting
additional strain on its ability to maintain both its military operations and
its extensive network of services.
Behind the scenes: Israel moves to counter Turkey’s growing
presence in Lebanon
LBCI/August 10/2026
Quietly and away from the media spotlight, Israeli intelligence and security
agencies are working to prevent Turkey from establishing a foothold in Lebanon.
In this context, Israeli reports say Ankara is working to bolster Hezbollah’s
capabilities and providing extensive military and security assistance under the
guise of rebuilding southern Lebanon and developing civilian projects. Israel
considers visits by Turkish officials to Lebanon part of these efforts, raising
concerns over the Lebanese front. The issue is expected to be discussed by the
Cabinet on Sunday evening. Turkey’s growing presence, which extends to Lebanon,
Syria and Gaza, was part of discussions held by U.S. Central Command chief Adm.
Brad Cooper with Israeli military leadership, including Israeli Chief of Staff
Eyal Zamir. While Israeli officials expressed dissatisfaction with U.S. pressure
to reduce attacks on Lebanon, the two sides discussed how to maintain a high
state of alert and ensure the continued deployment of air defense systems in
Israel and the region in case of a deterioration on multiple fronts. Meanwhile,
Israel is continuing its preparations on the ground, recruiting hundreds of
soldiers into the Nahal Brigade, which operates in Gaza and Lebanon, and raising
its state of alert amid the possibility of launching an operation against Iran
without U.S. participation.
President Aoun highlights urgent needs of residents
returning to war-damaged areas in talks with World Bank official
LBCI/August 10/2026
President Joseph Aoun received Dalia Khalifa, the World Bank’s regional director
for the Middle East, along with a delegation, on the occasion of her assuming
her new position covering Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq and Iran. Khalifa
expressed her “pride in assuming this responsibility,” stressing her commitment
to working quickly to address Lebanon’s urgent needs. She asked Aoun for his
guidance on priorities and what is needed from the World Bank Group in the
coming period. She affirmed that the World Bank is keen to continue its
partnership with Lebanon and respond to its needs, and is ready to act within
existing programs and direct priorities toward the worst-affected areas. Aoun
stressed Lebanon’s need at this stage for support from the World Bank and its
partners, particularly to help the state address the needs of more than 600,000
people who have returned to their areas amid extensive damage to a large number
of towns and villages, some of which suffered near-total destruction.
President Aoun to UN Tourism secretary-general: Lebanon remains a tourist
destination as government works to develop the sector
LBCI/August 10/2026
President Joseph Aoun told Sheikha Nasser Al Nuwais, secretary-general of the
United Nations Tourism Organization, that Lebanon remains a destination for Arab
and foreign tourists despite the difficult circumstances it has experienced,
thanks to its unique attractions. He said the Lebanese state is working to
develop the tourism sector alongside other sectors that form the pillars of the
country’s economy.
Social Affairs minister briefs President Aoun on plan for
return, early recovery in war-affected areas
LBCI/August 10/2026
Social Affairs Minister Haneen El Sayed briefed President Joseph Aoun on the
ministry’s work to develop a comprehensive plan for the return of residents,
early recovery and the restoration of basic services to areas affected by the
war with Israel. She also briefed him on preliminary assessments of the needs
and priorities to be addressed during the initial phase, as well as
implementation and funding mechanisms.
Aoun gives Karam directives for next stage
Naharnet/August 10/2026
President Joseph Aoun was briefed Monday by the head of the Lebanese negotiating
delegation, ex-ambassador Simon Karam, on the deliberations of the meetings that
were held in Rome last week between the Lebanese, U.S. and Israeli delegations,
the Presidency said.
The president provided Karam with his “directives for the next stage,” the
Presidency added. Israel refused in the talks to
withdraw from more areas of south Lebanon unless the Lebanese Army achieves full
control of an initial two "pilot zones."A Lebanese source told AFP that the
talks did not yield definitive results regarding the pilot zones. While the
outlook from Beirut was dim, a U.S. State Department spokesperson told AFP that
the talks were "productive". In June, Israel and Lebanon agreed a framework deal
that involves the disarmament of Hezbollah, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli
forces from south Lebanon and the deployment of the Lebanese Army to the region,
starting in two "pilot zones". The Lebanese Army began deploying on July 21 to a
southern village whose outskirts were controlled by the Israeli army and which
was one of the first two "pilot zones". It has reinforced its presence in the
second zone. "Lebanon is keen to move on to new areas, whereas the Israeli side
insists on verifying (the implementation in) the first two zones before
proceeding to the next stage," the Lebanese source added. The U.S. official said
"the two sides are a lot closer on what needs to be done to advance and expand
the pilot zone process."The Lebanese source said agreement was reached on a
"shortlist" of countries that might oversee the implementation. An Israeli
official said the plan's expansion was "not automatic" and would only grow if
the Israeli government sees results. "Since the pilot began only about two weeks
ago, it is still too early to assess its performance. Therefore, at this stage,
there is no immediate expectation that it will be expanded," the official
said.The pilot zone plan is the first test of the framework agreement. Hezbollah
has meanwhile repeatedly rejected the direct talks and refuses to surrender its
weapons.
Israel Expands Lebanon Campaign by Setting Fires to
Forested Areas
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
Israeli attacks on Lebanon have expanded beyond airstrikes, artillery fire and
demolitions to include the use of incendiary materials, as fires sweep through
vast stretches of forests and highlands after projectiles and flammable
substances were dropped by Israeli drones.
The escalation coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s
announcement that Israel was “in the midst of a highly important operation in
Lebanon.”Addressing a cabinet meeting, Netanyahu described intensive military
operations in recent days targeting what he called “terrorists,” including
fighters in the Ali al-Taher Heights. He declined to disclose further details
about the nature of the operations. “We are in the midst of a very important
operation. We are working prudently and wisely with both determination and
wisdom ... and eliminating threats.”
Widespread Fires and Shelling
Large parts of South Lebanon and the Western Bekaa have faced an escalation
ranging from artillery shelling and airstrikes to demolitions and ground
operations. Fires have also engulfed forested and mountainous areas, adding
environmental and woodland damage to the destruction of facilities and
infrastructure. Civil Defense teams are working to contain and extinguish the
blazes, but rugged terrain, the scale of the fires and difficulty reaching
several zones have hampered their efforts and fueled fears that the flames could
spread further.
MP Qabalan Qabalan of the Development and Liberation bloc called on the army,
security forces, Civil Defense and other relevant agencies to intervene
urgently. He urged full coordination and the deployment of all available
resources, particularly aerial firefighting capabilities, warning that the fires
threaten the region’s forests and environment.
Shelling and Demolitions Continue
The Israeli military carried out a major demolition in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah on
Sunday morning, while artillery fired five shells near the Litani River in the
Khardali area. Israeli vehicles advanced from Haddatha toward the outskirts of
Haris amid machine-gun fire, while intermittent artillery shelling struck the
area between Mayfadoun and Zawtar al-Sharqiyah. Earlier, an Israeli airstrike
targeted the Mansouri bridge over the Qasimiyeh-Ras al-Ain irrigation canal.
Since midnight Saturday, concentrated artillery fire has also targeted the Ali
al-Taher Heights on the outskirts of Nabatieh al-Fawqa, along with the outskirts
of Zawtar and Mayfadoun and the Dawhat Kfar Remman area. Meanwhile, the Lebanese
Army continued clearing remnants of Israeli explosives. Specialized units
dismantled unexploded missiles and aerial bombs in several towns in the
Marjayoun and Nabatieh districts and transferred them to safe locations. The
army urged residents in areas hit by Israeli attacks to exercise extreme caution
and report any suspicious objects to the nearest military post.
Hezbollah Criticizes Negotiations
As the fighting intensifies, Hezbollah has continued to criticize
Lebanese-Israeli negotiations.Hezbollah MP Hussein Hajj Hassan argued that the
direct talks, which his group had opposed from the outset, have yet to produce
tangible results and have instead coincided with continued Israeli attacks and
escalation. He maintained that Israeli and US political and electoral interests
were shaping the negotiations in Israel’s favor at Lebanon’s expense, warning
that pursuing talks without reassessing their effectiveness could lead Lebanon
to make concessions under US and Israeli pressure.
Hezbollah says Israeli annexation map confirms Israel ambitions in Lebanon
Naharnet/August 10/2026
Hezbollah has noted that the Israeli foreign ministry’s publishing of a map that
annexes occupied southern Lebanon “confirms beyond any doubt the true extent of
the Israeli enemy's ambitions for Lebanon.”Israel “has not and will not give up”
its ambitions, Hezbollah warned in a statement, pointing out that Israel’s
direct negotiations with the Lebanese government are “nothing more than a
blatant attempt to buy time and impose new realities on the ground.""The
Lebanese government bears full responsibility for its insistence on pursuing a
path of concessions and offering free gifts to the enemy. It is required to
conduct a comprehensive review to correct its course, halt its humiliating
direct negotiations with the enemy, … and take immediate action at all levels,”
the group added. “An emergency session should be convened to take the necessary
steps to confront this serious matter, foremost among them filing an urgent
complaint with the U.N. Security Council. Even if this government has pledged to
its enemy not to pursue it in international forums, there is no longer any
justification for ignoring the reality of the Israeli enemy's ambitions in
Lebanon," Hezbollah warned. It added that "all Lebanese, regardless of their
background, must realize the magnitude of the dangers to which authorities are
dragging Lebanon by insisting on continuing down the path of concessions and
humiliating negotiations.”“National responsibility requires unifying efforts and
positions in confronting the occupation and its ambitions, defending Lebanon's
sovereignty and its full rights to its land and resources, and understanding
that the enemy's ambitions are not limited to southern Lebanon but target all of
Lebanon," Hezbollah cautioned.
Family of Former Palestinian Ambassador Urge Lebanon to Not
Extradite Him
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
The family of former Palestinian ambassador to Lebanon Ashraf Dabbour urged
Lebanese authorities on Monday to not extradite him after authorities in
Ramallah requested his transfer over corruption allegations. Lebanon's public
prosecutor ordered the arrest of Dabbour, ambassador from 2012 to 2025, last
week after questioning him based on a warrant from the Palestinian Authority
over corruption and embezzlement during his tenure, a judicial official told AFP
at the time. The judiciary then recommended in a letter to the justice ministry
that Dabbour be extradited as his case involves "Palestinian funds", another
official said on Monday, on condition of anonymity. The request must be signed
by the justice minister, president and prime minister before security forces can
hand him over. "We are not asking for his protection from the judiciary, nor are
we asking for charges to be dropped," Dabbour's daughter Israa said in a press
conference in Beirut. "Why should our father be moved from the country where he
lived, and from the place where the alleged crimes took place, in order to be
tried somewhere else?" she said, calling on the Lebanese judiciary to look into
the case instead of sending him to Ramallah. Dabbour has a "critical health
condition and is in intensive care", according to his daughter, who appealed to
Lebanon to "provide him with the necessary care". In April, Lebanese authorities
detained Dabbour over the same case before releasing him with a travel ban. He
has repeatedly denied the accusations on social media, accusing Yasser Abbas,
son of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, of leading a campaign against him.
Israa Dabbour said "the file includes political accusations seeking to settle
personal scores" without elaborating. Lebanon's National Human Rights Commission
asked the cabinet last week to "refrain from approving the extradition" due to
"reliable information that raises serious reasons to believe that (Dabbour) is
at risk of being subjected to torture, ill-treatment or arbitrary detention".
The organization also pointed to legal loopholes that could prevent the handover
due to the lack of "an effective treaty between Lebanon and the State of
Palestine that regulates extradition".
Lebanon Indicts Ex-central Bank Governor Salameh over New
Alleged Financial Crimes
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
A Lebanese judge on Monday indicted former central bank governor Riad Salameh
and a former commercial banker, accusing them of financial crimes including
embezzlement and illicit enrichment, a senior Lebanese judicial source told
Reuters. Salameh, who headed the Lebanese Central Bank for three decades, has
already been indicted and arrested in Lebanon over other alleged financial
crimes committed during his tenure. He has denied any wrongdoing.
On Monday, a Lebanese judge accused him and Samir Hanna, the former head
of Lebanon's Bank Audi, of embezzling tens of millions in funds from the
Lebanese central bank, the judicial source said. The source said the file
includes accusations that Hanna bribed Salameh while he was central bank
governor, Reuters reported. It is the first time a commercial banker has been
indicted in a financial crimes case related to Salameh, showing that Lebanese
investigations into the former governor are expanding to the private sector, the
source said. The former governor is currently in custody but is under medical
supervision at a government hospital outside Beirut, after having missed a
hearing over the case. Hanna, 88, paid a $1 million bail and is not in custody
as financial investigations continue. In January, Lebanon's current central bank
governor Karim Souaid told reporters that the central bank had filed a criminal
complaint against an unnamed former official of the central bank, a former
banker and a lawyer over alleged illicit enrichment through misuse of public
funds. He said the operations were carried out through four offshore shell
companies in the Cayman Islands that he did not name. Accountability Now, a
Swiss foundation that has worked to investigate Salameh, said in a post on
social media platform X on Monday that the indictment covered the suspected
embezzlement of $154 million in 2010 and $102 million in 2012. Salameh was
detained for about 13 months over alleged financial crimes committed during his
tenure and was released in September after paying record bail of more than $14
million. He also faces investigations abroad, including in France, Switzerland
and Germany.
Le Liban et la fin des mythes
Dr. Charles Chartouni/10 août 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/08/156557/
Les mythes d’une restauration progressive de l’État libanais se dissipent au gré
des heures et des jours et les Libanais sont renvoyés aux abîmes de leurs
réalités quotidiennes et de l’absence de toute espérance. Les crises s’empilent,
le mensonge d’État devient de plus en plus flagrant dès lors qu’aucune des
questions majeures n’est traitée et que les attentes sont déboutées
successivement. Nous sommes face à une crise systémique qui remet en cause la
viabilité du pays, la réformabilité de l’État et l’avenir de la paix civile dans
un contexte régional et domestique extrêmement volatile. Nous surfons en réalité
sur des crêtes volcaniques incandescentes et qui peuvent faire éruption à
n’importe quel moment.
La question préjudicielle est celle de la paix civile en l’absence d’un État
indépendant, opérant de manière autonome et capable de prendre ses distances
vis-à-vis de la politique de puissance iranienne et de ses relais domestiques.
La réalité est que l’État libanais est en situation de subordination aux diktats
multiples de la stratégie de subversion iranienne qui a jusque-là réussi à se
dégager des politiques de contournement engagées sur divers plans. La
colonisation de l’État libanais s’étant effectuée sur des décennies rend ardue
la tâche de désintrication et de sortie d’emprise alors que tous les leviers de
la domination chiite demeurent en place.
Le jeu formel des institutions et les stipulations constitutionnelles servent de
couverture ou sont instrumentalisés au bénéfice d’une politique de contrôle
insidieuse. Tant que le jeu est faussé et que les règles sont truquées, l’État
libanais a peu de chances de se frayer des marges d’indépendance vis-à-vis d’une
politique de domination qui ne désarme pas. Cela est d'autant plus avéré que
cette dernière ne fléchit pas, malgré les défaites militaires qui ont détruit ce
qui reste d’une ombre d’État.
Les conflits subsidiaires que le Liban a subis pendant plus de sept décennies
poursuivent leur cours sur les décombres démographiques, stratégiques et humains
d’un pays décharné où plus rien ne reste. C’est la politique de partage des
dépouilles reconduite par les relais de la politique de puissance iranienne.
l’Iran islamiste succède à la Syrie alaouite, celle-là au conglomérat
palestino-gauchiste et à leurs parrainages alternatifs. Les trois opérateurs ont
réussi à transformer le Liban en État-relais, en plateforme de subversion et en
levier politique sur le plan régional. Les équations qu’ils ont réussi à mettre
au point ont rendu impossible la désintrication des enjeux politiques et
stratégiques au moment où la trame de l’hypothétique vie politique nationale
n’est que le revers des politiques de puissance régionales. Le Liban est
désormais annexé à la politique de puissance iranienne et à ses mouvements
sismiques.
Les tentatives d’émancipation esquissées en 2005, en 2019 et en 2023 suite à la
destruction de la stratégie des “plateformes opérationnelles intégrées”
instituée par le régime islamique iranien ont successivement échoué. En effet la
toile d’araignée tissée pendant des décennies a fini par étouffer les velléités
indépendantistes et réformistes tentées par de multiples mouvances et à partir
d’agendas contrastés.
La politique de terreur scellée par les assassinats politiques, l’explosion
proto-nucléaire du port de Beyrouth, la répression sanglante des mouvements
réformistes alternativement menées par les mouvances terroristes et mafieuses de
la politique de domination chiite ont acclimaté un univers de peur généralisée.
Cet univers pèse lourdement sur le moral d'une population civile expropriée et
exténuée et sur les tentatives de sortie des enfermements multiples érigés par
la politique de domination à double détente.
Le pouvoir en place n’a pas réussi l’épreuve d’émancipation, alors que la trêve
qui a succédé à la guerre de 2024 aurait permis une sortie par effraction et
contre toute attente; le pouvoir exécutif a délibérément manqué à la mission de
désarmement du Hezbollah, il a rendu possible sa réhabilitation et la remise en
marche de la politique de subversion récemment défaite. La colonisation de
l’État par la politique de domination chiite, la perpétuation du climat de
terreur, la complicité avérée du commandement de l’armée libanaise, le contrôle
des organismes sécuritaires, la connivence d’une justice corrompue, timorée et
servile, et les incohérences du pouvoir exécutif en ont fourni les assises.
La puissante médiation américaine, les négociations entre le Liban et Israël et
la visite du chef de l’État à Washington auraient pu servir de leviers à la
nouvelle stratégie d’émancipation. Cependant, la visite a fini par s’éteindre le
jour même et la rentrée s’est soldée par un fiasco total. La fuite en avant,
marquée par la visite en Turquie et accompagnée de déclarations fumeuses, a
invalidé le processus de négociation et réhabilité la rhétorique du Hezbollah.
Les négociations ont bénéficié de l’adhésion formelle mais conditionnée de
l’État d’Israël, alors que le Liban s’engageait de façon mitigée et à partir de
promesses aléatoires et non tenues.
Le pouvoir exécutif, quelles que soient les déclarations de principe, se réfugie
dans le mutisme total à l'égard des extraterritorialités juridiques, politiques
et stratégiques liées à la politique de domination chiite. Il reste également
muet sur l'affermage des ressources de l'État au service de la politique de
domination chiite, et le silence sur le désarmement du Hezbollah et des camps
palestiniens.
La reconnaissance du Hezbollah comme pouvoir corollaire à celui de l’État et
comme concurrent de fait et de droit a fini par abattre la légitimité de l’État
et par avaliser les friches d’une illégalité de fait. Quelles que soient les
pétitions de principe, elles arrivent difficilement à justifier les écarts entre
les énoncés de principe et les réalités d’un pays à la dérive. Ce constat nous
ramène à la question de la viabilité du pays, à la prégnance de ses institutions
et à la possibilité d’une paix civile, alors que les politiques impériales
reviennent de force et semblent suppléer aux faillites des États territoriaux.
La paix qu’apporte la vassalisation semble-t-elle être celle des empires et des
islamismes en concurrence ouverte?
Lebanon and the End of Myths
Dr. Charles Chartouni/August 10/2026 (Translated from Arabic)
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/08/156557/
The myths of a progressive restoration of the Lebanese state are dissolving by
the hour and the day, leaving the Lebanese cast back into the abyss of their
daily realities and the complete absence of hope. Crises pile up, and state
falsehood becomes increasingly flagrant as none of the major issues are
addressed and expectations are successively dashed. We are facing a systemic
crisis that calls into question the viability of the country, the reformability
of the state, and the future of civil peace within an extremely volatile
regional and domestic context. In reality, we are surfing on incandescent
volcanic ridges that could erupt at any moment.
The primary issue is that of civil peace in the absence of an independent state,
operating autonomously and capable of distancing itself from Iranian power
politics and its domestic proxies. The reality is that the Lebanese state is in
a position of subordination to the multiple dictates of the Iranian subversion
strategy, which has so far managed to break free from containment policies
deployed on various fronts. The colonization of the Lebanese state, carried out
over decades, makes the task of disentanglement and breaking free arduous while
all the levers of Shiite domination remain in place.
The formal game of institutions and constitutional stipulations serve as a cover
or are instrumentalized to benefit an insidious policy of control. As long as
the game is rigged and the rules are falsified, the Lebanese state has little
chance of carving out margins of independence from a domination policy that does
not lay down its arms. This is all the truer as the latter does not waver,
despite the military defeats that have destroyed what remains of a shadow of a
state.
The proxy conflicts that Lebanon has endured for over seven decades continue
their course upon the demographic, strategic, and human ruins of a skeletal
country where nothing more remains. This is the spoils-sharing policy pursued by
the relays of Iranian power politics. Islamist Iran succeeds Alawite Syria,
which in turn succeeded the Palestinian-Leftist conglomerate and their
alternative sponsorships. All three operators have succeeded in transforming
Lebanon into a relay-state, a platform for subversion, and a regional political
lever. The equations they managed to finalize have made it impossible to
disentangle political and strategic stakes at a time when the fabric of
hypothetical national political life is merely the reverse side of regional
power politics. Lebanon is henceforth annexed to Iranian power politics and its
seismic movements.
The attempts at emancipation sketched out in 2005, 2019, and in 2023—following
the destruction of the "integrated operational platforms" strategy instituted by
the Iranian Islamic regime—have successively failed. Indeed, the spider's web
woven over decades has ultimately smothered the independence and reformist
impulses attempted by multiple movements starting from contrasting agendas.
The policy of terror sealed by political assassinations, the proto-nuclear
explosion at the port of Beirut, and the bloody repression of reformist
movements alternately carried out by the terrorist and mafia factions of Shiite
domination have acclimated a universe of generalized fear. This universe weighs
heavily on the morale of an expropriated and exhausted civilian population and
on attempts to break out of the multiple confinements erected by the two-tiered
domination policy.
The ruling power has failed the test of emancipation, whereas the truce
following the 2024 war could have allowed for an unexpected and breakthrough
exit; the executive branch deliberately failed in its mission to disarm
Hezbollah, making possible its rehabilitation and the restarting of the recently
defeated subversion policy. The colonization of the state by Shiite domination,
the perpetuation of a climate of terror, the proven complicity of the Lebanese
army command, the control of security agencies, the connivance of a corrupt,
timid, and servile judiciary, and the inconsistencies of the executive branch
have provided the foundations for this.
Powerful American mediation, negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, and the
head of state's visit to Washington could have served as levers for the new
emancipation strategy. However, the visit fizzled out on the very same day, and
the return to political life resulted in a total fiasco. The flight forward,
marked by the visit to Turkey accompanied by nebulous statements, invalidated
the negotiation process and rehabilitated Hezbollah's rhetoric. The negotiations
benefited from the formal but conditional adherence of the State of Israel,
while Lebanon engaged in a half-hearted manner based on haphazard and unkept
promises.
The executive branch, regardless of any declarations of principle, takes refuge
in total mutism regarding the legal, political, and strategic
extraterritorialities linked to Shiite domination. It also remains silent on the
farming out of state resources to serve Shiite domination, and on the
disarmament of Hezbollah and the Palestinian camps.
The recognition of Hezbollah as a power ancillary to that of the state and as a
de facto and de jure competitor has ultimately struck down the state's
legitimacy and endorsed the wasteland of de facto illegality. Whatever
declarations of principle are made, they struggle to justify the gaps between
stated principles and the realities of a drifting country. This observation
brings us back to the question of the country's viability, the prominence of its
institutions, and the possibility of civil peace, at a time when imperial
policies are forcefully returning and appearing to supplement the failures of
territorial states. Does the peace brought by vassalization seem to be that of
empires and openly competing Islams?
Lebanon and its Underworld
Sam Menassa/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
If it is true that identifying those responsible for the assassination of former
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, for the sustained campaign of killings that
targeted “March 14” leaders over the years, for the Beirut port explosion, and
for the loss of bank deposits threatens civil peace - then what of the
consequences of the crime of building an "underworld" in southern Lebanon,
exposed by Israel, no less appalling than what preceded it, and whose
perpetrator is known? We do not know when this crime
began, nor the true scale of it and its expansion. But identifying who carried
it out requires no international tribunal, no investigations, no interrogations:
it is whoever violated Lebanese territory and public and private property,
endangering citizens' lives, and turned it into military barracks over long
years.
Since the war broke out in October 2023, the Israeli army has carried out dozens
of demolition operations to destroy Hezbollah's tunnel network in southern
Lebanon. Although no official tally exists, the available data point to at least
50 detonations for this purpose, the latest of them the destruction of a tunnel
in Majdal Zoun in June 2026, 200 meters long and containing hundreds of weapons
and launchers.This was followed in July by the demolition of an extensive tunnel
network and a command center near Beaufort Castle, using some 700 tons of
explosives, in one of the largest such operations since the start of the war.
This issue is not confined to the brutality of the Israeli demolitions, their
environmental and geological hazards, and what they have revealed about the
scale of the military capabilities Hezbollah accumulated. It extends to the
structure of the state itself: how was the party able to construct this vast
network of tunnels over years without being held to account or confronted by
Lebanon's state institutions, its political forces, or UNIFIL despite Israel's
repeated declarations that it possessed intelligence on the network, and despite
Lebanese territory being under the surveillance of multiple local, regional, and
international intelligence services?
Whether Hezbollah began building this network in the 1980s or expanded it after
the 2006 war, it was not created in a matter of months or a few years, but over
the course of at least two decades. During that period, four presidents of the
republic and six prime ministers held office in Lebanon, alongside successive
army and security service commanders. Nor should we forget the earlier period of
Syrian tutelage and those it installed in positions of authority. Reducing the
matter to Hezbollah's capabilities alone therefore overlooks a fundamental
question about the responsibility and effectiveness of state institutions that
are supposed to protect sovereignty and exercise oversight over the whole of
Lebanese territory. Here a pressing question arises:
is it conceivable that everyone who successively ran the Lebanese state,
together with the security and military leadership and the effective political
forces, was unaware of a project on this scale? Or does the matter reflect
varying degrees of knowledge and complicity - or of looking away, of incapacity
to confront, and of acquiescence in a fait accompli imposed by the imbalance of
power within the state?
There is no need to belabor the responsibility of Hezbollah and its allies for
building these fortifications, particularly since what was constructed goes
beyond the concept of military defense requirements and comes closer to the
creation of a parallel infrastructure extending underground, mirroring the
influence the party built above it. And concern is no
longer confined to the people of the south. It has spread to the residents of
other Lebanese regions, from the Bekaa to Jbeil and the eastern mountain range,
where many have begun to wonder whether such fortifications lie beneath their
own towns and homes.
The Lebanese have long known that their state was politically booby-trapped
above ground; today they are discovering that their country is, in the literal
sense, booby-trapped beneath it.
In light of these facts, does this underworld not constitute a sustained breach
of the ceasefire?
These tunnels and fortifications reveal an integrated military environment
underground, matched above it by a closed ideological and political environment
that has moved beyond the narrative of resistance and the defense of Lebanon to
serving the Iranian project in all its dimensions.
This picture weakens the Lebanese position in any coming negotiations, while
Hezbollah's military structure remains in place north of the Litani. The problem
is no longer confined to a military deployment within the area covered by
Resolution 1701, but lies in the existence of an armed system that cuts across
regions, outside the authority of the state, and that leaves any border
settlement liable to collapse. What was built
underground constitutes a new political and institutional scandal, added to a
series of files that have gone without genuine accountability - from the string
of assassinations to the Beirut port explosion to illegitimate weapons. Each
time, the truth was deferred and accountability postponed under the banner of
preserving civil peace or avoiding sectarian strife, while the deep causes of
the crisis went untreated. The result is that the policy of containing
Hezbollah, rather than holding it to account, still governs Lebanese political
life - and the Lebanese themselves, who by their silence are accomplices more
than victims.
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on August 10-11/2026
Pesach Wolicki/Video Link: A New
Muslim Alliance Just Shocked the ENTIRE Middle East
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGRvyY3tXMU&t=311s
Israel365 News/Link Video addressing the New SUNNI
Alliance that May Change The Middle East FOREVER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks3pPsWSfcQ&t=390s
Trump Demands Iran Pay Compensation for Deaths as Hormuz
Deal Hopes Fade
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
US President Donald Trump on Monday demanded Iran pay compensation for the
deaths of people he said it had killed in wars, attacks and protests, raising
the rhetorical stakes with Tehran as hopes faded for an imminent deal to reopen
the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said he was responding to Iran's earlier call for
Washington to meet conditions, including recompensing Tehran for the damage
caused in the more than five months since the US and Israel launched strikes on
its territory. "I am likewise demanding compensation from Iran, for all of the
people that they have killed and gravely wounded with their roadside bombs and
many conflicts, for which they are famous," Trump wrote on his Truth Social
service. The abrupt new US demand was not mentioned in any previous talks.
Trump said it would be included in all future negotiations with Iran, and
would include calls for payments to families of hundreds of thousands of
protesters he said Iran had killed. He also suggested Iran should compensate
"families of those killed on the USS Cole", a reference to the October 12, 2000,
attack on that naval vessel in Yemen which killed 17 US sailors, and has been
blamed on al-Qaeda, not Iran. Iran had earlier said it was nearing a final pact
with Oman defining new shipping lanes between them through the Strait of Hormuz
but repeated that the US must meet conditions, including compensation and an
end to sanctions and military threats before the key waterway is reopened. The
strait, through which about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas
flowed prior to the conflict, has been effectively blocked since the US-Israeli
attacks on Iran on February 28, pushing up oil prices and inflation. Oil prices
had jumped 3% after the statement from Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman
Esmaeil Baghaei, as initial optimism about a potential deal over the strait was
tempered by Iran's talk of conditions. Brent crude extended gains to trade up
4.25% at 1720 GMT. Dutch and British front-month gas prices rose more than 10%.
Trump, who has said the attacks on Iran were aimed at keeping Tehran from
developing nuclear weapons and degrading its ability to threaten the region, is
under pressure to end a war that is deeply unpopular at home ahead of midterm
elections in November. Washington and Tehran agreed to a ceasefire in June,
but the US reimposed a blockade on Iranian shipping in the Gulf in July, a move
that Tehran said violated the truce, which by then had already broken down.
Vance: We Don’t Trust Iran and We Will Verify its Actions
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
US Vice President JD Vance said the US will not trust Tehran’s pledges but will
verify its actions in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that Iranians have told
Washington they have no plans to impose transit fees on vessels passing through
the energy corridor.“You know, we don't trust, we verify. We actually look not
at people's words, but people's deeds,” Vance told Fox News “Saturday in
America.”Vance's remarks came when he was asked what an acceptable outcome would
look like for the strait, where the war has disrupted shipping and energy
traffic.The Vice President said the US has made progress in negotiations with
Iran over the past several days, while cautioning that Tehran has not yet
delivered everything the Trump administration is seeking. “The question is
whether they're able, their system is able to give the things that are necessary
for us to be happy, for us to feel like we've gotten what we need out of this
particular engagement. That is still to be determined, but I do think that we've
made some progress over the last few days,” Vance said. Speaking about Operation
Epic Fury, the Vice President noted that the Iranians “are hurting in a big way.
They want this thing to be over.”Vance did not provide details of the changes
demanded by Washington, but he threatened to continue to pressure Tehran if it
refused to respond.“Right now we're trying to see if they're willing to make the
kind of long-term changes that would be necessary to have a better relationship
with the United States,” he said, adding that “if not, that's fine, too. We're
just going to keep on applying the pressure that we can apply and getting as
much oil and gas out of the Middle East so that Americans can enjoy lower gas
and energy prices. So that's the delicate dance.”Vance said: “If you go back and
remember what it is that we've done here, we've destroyed their nuclear program,
we've destroyed their conventional military, we've radically reduced their, what
you might call their asymmetric military abilities. And right now we're trying
to see if they're willing to make the kind of long-term changes that would be
necessary to have a better relationship with the United States.”
He noted that the administration is talking with Iran and expects to see the
same amount of oil and gas come out of the Gulf that the region saw before the
conflict started. “That is what the Iranians have told
us that they are going to do. That's what the entire Gulf coalition wants to do
as well. But, you know, we don't trust, we verify. We actually look not at
people's words, but people's deeds,” Vance said. He
said some people within the Iranian system talk about tolling, but added that
the “Iranians have told us they have no plans to toll the Strait of Hormuz. But
again, we're going to see what actions actually happen.”
Traffic and Demining
The comments come as Iran says its negotiations with Oman over arrangements for
traffic through the Strait of Hormuz are close to an agreement, while Tehran
maintains that fully reopening the waterway remains subject to additional
conditions. “What's been going on for the past week or so is that the Iranians
and the Gulf countries, particularly Oman, have been talking about how to ensure
the safe flow of traffic,” Vance said. “The one
problem, of course, is the Iranians laid a large number of mines at the
beginning of the war. And so what we're really working through now is how you
can actually set up a traffic scheme so that the ships that pass can pass
through safely. That includes, of course, demining.”
The vice president said the US wants “a commitment from the Iranians that
they're not going to fire at commercial vessels.”“The final thing I'll say about
this... is I try to remind people that we're really in the middle of the game
here,” he said. “This thing is not over. It's
obviously not at the beginning, we're in the middle of the game and we're
applying a whole host of tools -- diplomatic, economic, military tools to ensure
that we get the best outcome for the American people,” Vance also said. “I feel
quite confident we will get there, but we're still a bit in the middle of the
game.”
Pentagon Seeks Boost in Weapons Production
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
The Pentagon is pressing the US defense industry to accelerate production of
weapons to help replenish its diminished stockpile of munitions, including those
depleted in the ongoing war with Iran. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a
statement Saturday that the department was actively focused on boosting
munitions acquisitions to provide “the weapons our warfighters need at the pace
the threat demands.”He confirmed department efforts in the last week to
significantly speed up the process but insisted it was part of a broader
modernization effort that predated the five-month-old conflict.
Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg wrote to industry leaders on
Wednesday, giving them no more than 21 days to submit plans to “drive
significantly faster, more aggressive delivery schedules and/or increased
production for critical capabilities," according to a memo obtained by The
Washington Post. “Years-long development cycles are not acceptable,” Feinberg
wrote. “We must dramatically accelerate our program schedules and expand our
production capacity now.”The memo comes as recent fighting with Iran used up
more of the US military’s already diminished stockpiles of advanced missile
interceptors, potentially putting American troops at more risk if hostilities
resume, according to a new analysis.Shrunken inventories of Patriot and THAAD
interceptors may force the US to take more risks to conserve those air defenses,
according to the analysis from the Center for Strategic and International
Studies, a Washington think tank. For example, it said, American forces may
launch fewer missiles against incoming Iranian drones and missiles, raising the
chance of one getting through. President Donald Trump
in recent days has bristled over public reports of a munitions shortage, posting
on Truth Social on Thursday that the US has “massive amounts." He added that
“large amounts are being manufactured and shipped to the US as needed.”On
Saturday, Parnell affirmed that Feinberg's memo seeking a rapid escalation of
weapons production is “real," adding that it “will inform the fiscal year 2028
budget submitted to Congress for funding, and it is entirely consistent with our
ongoing push to rebuild the defense industrial base.”A defense spending bill is
currently stalled in Congress, with lawmakers fuming over Trump’s military
action against Iran and resisting the White House request to substantially
increase Pentagon spending to $1.5 trillion, up from about $900 billion last
year. The number of Patriot interceptors fell from
2,330 before the war to 1,030 when the April ceasefire took effect, CSIS
estimated last month. Following recent fighting, the stockpile is now estimated
to be between 759 and 827, a decrease of at least 65% since before the conflict
began. The number of THAAD interceptors fell from 452 before the war to between
232 and 262 at the start of the April ceasefire, CSIS said. The US was able to
replenish some of the inventory to between 234 and 278 interceptors. But the
stockpile is still at least 38% smaller than it was before the conflict.
Iran Supreme Leader Names Guards General Abdollahi Military Chief
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei named Revolutionary Guards general Ali
Abdollahi head of the country's armed forces on Monday, while also confirming a
new commander of the Guards, putting his imprimatur on the country's
military.Abdollahi had previously led the Khatam al-Anbiya, Iran's inter-branch
central military command tasked with coordinating operations.A statement on
Khamenei's website announced that "Major General Ali Abdollahi has been
appointed chief of staff of the armed forces. Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi has
also been appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Revolutionary Guard Corps with the
rank of major general."The pair represent Khamenei's first senior military
appointments since being named supreme leader early in the Middle East war after
the death of his father in US-Israeli strikes.
Mohsen Rezaei Appointed as Secretary of Iran's Top Security
Body
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
Iran has changed its secretary of the Supreme National Security Council,
appointing former Revolutionary Guards commander Mohsen Rezaei as
second-in-command on the body that coordinates the country's security and
foreign policy. Rezaei is more of an outspoken public figure than his
predecessor, Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr. The appointment was announced late on
Sunday by President Masoud Pezeshkian's deputy director of communications,
Reuters reported. Zolqadr had only been appointed as SNSC secretary in late
March, after his predecessor, Ali Larijani, was killed in an air strike during
the war pitting Iran against the US and Israel. No reason was given for the
change and it was not immediately clear if it would herald any change in
policy. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Saturday that Iran and
Oman were "very close" to an agreement on a new shipping route through the
Strait of Hormuz — which has been all but closed during five months of war — but
reopening it would depend on other conditions, including US compensation to
Iran. Zolqadr meanwhile had listed other demands including ending US threats
against Iran, stopping aggression against Iran and its Lebanese, Palestinian,
Yemeni and Iraqi allies, lifting a blockade and sanctions on Iran and freeing
Iranian assets.The SNSC, formally chaired by the elected president, coordinates
security and foreign policy, and includes top military, intelligence and
government officials in addition to representatives of the supreme leader who
has ultimate say over all matters of state. Rezaei,
71, commanded Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps from 1981 to 1997, including
during much of the Iran-Iraq war. He later served as secretary of Iran's
Expediency Discernment Council for more than two decades and as vice president
for economic affairs from 2021 to 2023 under hardline President Ebrahim Raisi.
He holds a doctorate in economics from the University of Tehran but has spent
much of his career in Iran's security and political establishment. A decree from
Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Sunday also appointed Rezaei as his
representative on the SNSC, joining fellow hardliner Saeed Jalili, with the
decree citing Rezaei's "valuable experiences,” including his role during the
1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. In the same decree, Khamenei
appointed Zolqadr as his political adviser.
Iran Presses Demands on US as Shipping Standoff Grinds on
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Iran will not reopen the Strait of
Hormuz until the United States meets its conditions. “It is up to the US side to
stop and make amends for its illegal and destructive actions,” Esmail Baghaei
said Monday, noting the American blockade of Iranian ports. Iran wants the US to
end the blockade, pay compensation for months of war damage, lift economic
sanctions and release Iran's frozen assets. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz
— a waterway that normally carries roughly one-fifth of the world's traded oil
supplies — has become the war’s most lasting consequence. The impasse has kept
energy prices as a major focus of US politics ahead of November’s midterm
elections. Iran is holding separate talks with Oman
over transit through the strait, including potentially a temporary shipping
corridor. But it has said any actual reopening is contingent on talks with the
US.
Iran’s President Says Supreme Leader Urges ‘Unity’ Amid US
Sanctions
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
Iran’s president said on Monday the country's supreme leader is calling for
“unity and cohesion” as the country faces economic hardships and sanctions
stemming from its war with the United States. The meeting came amid signs of
division among Iran's leaders. President Masoud Pezeshkian described a nearly
seven-hour meeting with Mojtaba Khamenei in an interview Monday with Iranian
state television. He told the state-run IRIB that he and Khamenei discussed
“people’s livelihoods, the state of the market, employment, people’s housing,”
as well as “problems that are now being created as a result of the (US)
sanctions.” He didn’t say when or where they met. Most important, he said, was
Khamenei’s emphasis on unity. “All of the enemy’s plans are aimed at creating
division,” Pezeshkian said. “What we have to do is prevent divisions from
emerging.”It is only the second time the Iranian president said he has met with
the new supreme leader since Khamenei was appointed in March following a
US-Israeli strike that killed his father. Khamenei, believed to have been
wounded in the same attack, has not appeared in public since then.
Iranians 'professional chess players', says Tehran in
response to Trump analogy
Agence France Presse/August 10/2026
Tehran on Monday said Iranians had shown "they are professional chess players"
in response to remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump comparing his dealings
with Iran to the board game. Trump on Sunday signaled he was prepared to let
economic pressure mount against Iran, apparently backing away from more military
strikes after Tehran issued a list of demands for opening the Strait of Hormuz.
"Lights out or lights on, Iranians showed they are professional chess players,"
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said during a weekly press
conference. Trump had earlier been quoted by news outlet Axios as saying he was
"low-keying it" with Iran. "We are only semi-negotiating with them. We are just
watching Iran with its huge inflation and the fact they have no money," he said.
"It will work out. It always works out. It's like a chess game," Trump added.
The president's remarks came after Iran issued over the weekend a list of
conditions to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which has remained largely closed
since the start of the Middle East war in late February. Iranian official
Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr on Saturday laid out Tehran's demands including an end
to the "war and aggression against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine,
Yemen and Iraq." He also demanded the lifting of a U.S. counterblockade of
Iranian ports, the end of sanctions, the release of frozen Iranian assets and
compensation for wartime damage, the Tasnim news agency reported. Baqaei on
Monday reiterated that "as long as the U.S. naval blockade continues... as long
as other violations by the United States continue, the necessary conditions for
saying that the Strait of Hormuz has become a safe waterway will not exist".
Iran president has rare meeting with supreme leader
Agence France Presse/August 10/2026
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian recently met with supreme leader Ayatollah
Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared in public since assuming the post early
in the Middle East war, Khamenei's office said Sunday. "Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian
met Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei and spoke with him at the start of his third year
in the presidency," the supreme leader's office said in a statement, without
indicating the date of the meeting. Pezeshkian, who took office in July 2024,
had said in early May that he met with Khamenei, also without specifying the
date, but the supreme leader's office did not issue any statements at the
time.The president had said on Wednesday that communication with Khamenei was
"very difficult at the moment", and speculation has swirled about the supreme
leader's health after he was reportedly wounded in strikes that killed his
father. Khamenei's office said the two "discussed in detail the country's issues
and problems", including the "current military situation and future
prospects".Iran had been engaged in negotiations with Washington on ending the
war launched by the US and Israel in February, but a preliminary deal fell
apart, and its top diplomat has said talks are now limited to exchanging
messages through mediators. On Sunday, Tasnim news agency cited a general in the
Revolutionary Guards as saying that images showing Khamenei among the people and
during meetings would be "published in the future", without offering a timeline.
Iran says Saudi-Pakistan–Turkey deal shows 'change in
perception' towards US
Agence France Presse/August 10/2026
Iran's foreign ministry said Monday that a defense pact signed last week between
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan was "a sign of a change in the perception" of
countries in the region towards the United States. "The countries of the region
have realized that security is not a commodity that can be bought from false
brokers," said ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei at a weekly press conference,
referring to the US, an ally of the three signatories to the pact.
"Countries in the region cannot rely on the claim of security provided by
the U.S. as in the past," he added. He also said Iran was not concerned that the
pact could be aimed at Tehran, highlighting "deep religious, historical and
civilizational ties" with Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan.There was "no reason
to worry that this treaty will be against Iran", Baqaei said.
The three nations signed the agreement on Friday against the backdrop of
a five-month war between the US and Iran, which has drawn in surrounding nations
and disrupted regional shipping routes. Pakistan's foreign ministry said Friday
that the pact meant an attack on any member would be regarded as an attack on
all, adding it was "intended to strengthen collective deterrence".Analysts have
said it seeks to deter an emboldened Iran and offset an unreliable United
States.
Board of Peace: Gaza Plan Rejected by Netanyahu ‘is the
Only Way Forward’
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace's high representative for Gaza, has said
that the full implementation of a US-led Gaza plan that was rejected by Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday is Israel’s only “guarantee” of
preventing a repeat of the October 7, 2023 attacks."The option we are offering
today is the only way forward that ensures this tragedy does not happen again,"
Mladenov told Israel's Channel 12 television. He said
he hoped for a "positive outcome" from follow-up discussions with Israel, and
characterized the latest stage of the deal as a commitment involving the United
States, Hamas and the Board of Peace -- notably leaving out Israel.Mladenov
again promised that Israel would not face any obligations until Hamas gave up
all its weapons, down to Kalashnikov rifles -- but said Israel would eventually
need to pull out. Hamas, which publicly backed the plan days after selecting a
new leader, Khalil al-Hayya, called on Washington to push Netanyahu. "We expect
the mediators and the American guarantor to pressure Netanyahu and his
government to adhere to the roadmap, and not obstruct the process for internal
political and electoral reasons," Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas' political
bureau, told AFP. Hamas in a statement said it was
still committed to the plan. But after more than a week of gradually escalating
criticism of the plan, and despite receiving assurances that Israel would not
need to start withdrawing in Gaza immediately, Netanyahu explicitly opposed the
deal following pushback from his right-wing allies."Israel rejects the 15-point
document," Netanyahu said. The Israeli military "will
not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed, and will
continue to thwart threats against our forces and our citizens," he told a
cabinet meeting.
Israel Declares Closed Military Zone in West Bank’s Taybeh
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
Israel's military said Monday it had declared a Christian-majority town in the
occupied West Bank a closed military zone to keep out Israeli settlers and other
non-residents. The new tactic is designed to keep
Israelis out of Taybeh, which is surrounded by settlements to its east and west
and has been subject to arson, vandalism and settlers coming onto private and
village property. The order does not apply to Palestinian residents or
journalists, who the army said would be allowed unless soldiers determine their
presence poses a threat. The army said its troops would detain suspects and
disperse gatherings to keep the peace. The designation
comes after months of the army and police struggling to maintain order
throughout the territory, where at least 87 Palestinians have been killed by
Israeli settlers or soldiers in 2026, according to the Ramallah-based
Palestinian Health Ministry.
Parts of Taybeh lie in what's called “Area B,” where Israel maintains security
control, but residents have complained that the army and police are slow to
respond to attacks by extremist settlers.
Germany: Gaza Plan Could Lead Towards Disarmament of Hamas
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
The German government regards US President Donald Trump's latest Gaza plan as an
opportunity to make progress towards the disarmament of Hamas, a German foreign
ministry spokesperson said on Monday.Asked in a regular news conference about
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection of the plan, the
spokesperson also said some disagreement was to be expected. "With such a
complex undertaking, it was perfectly clear there would be many, many
unanswered questions," he said. Netanyahu on Sunday rejected the Gaza plan
endorsed by Hamas, putting distance between himself and Trump. After more than a
week of gradually escalating criticism of the plan, and despite receiving
assurances that Israel would not need to start withdrawing in Gaza immediately,
Netanyahu explicitly opposed the deal following pushback from his right-wing
allies. "Israel rejects the 15-point document," Netanyahu said, referring to the
plan Hamas agreed to in late July.
Iraqi Government Increases Pressure on Armed Factions as Deadline Nears
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
The Iraqi government is stepping up efforts to rein in armed groups as Shiite
political circles debate the future relationship between the state and armed
factions ahead of the US-led international coalition’s withdrawal deadline at
the end of September. Government measures include
uncovering headquarters, cells and drone-production networks linked to factions
planning attacks on neighboring countries. In one of
the boldest operations of its kind in years, Iraq’s Counter-Terrorism Service
uncovered cells and drone-production networks in Baghdad overnight Friday into
Saturday that were run by Iranian figures, along with weapons caches and
equipment. The operation was conducted jointly with
the Iraqi National Intelligence Service, suggesting that detailed intelligence
had been gathered ahead of the highly precise and secretive raids.
While the government disclosed details of the operation and arrests
through its official spokesman, a security source who requested anonymity told
Asharq Al-Awsat that intelligence obtained by the National Intelligence Service
had been gathered “in coordination with external regional parties that provided
evidence and detailed maps,” facilitating the raids and arrests.
According to the source, the operation caught the groups off-guard
despite a visible military deployment across Iraq beginning Thursday night, when
the Iraqi army was placed on its highest alert level. The deployment had
appeared intended primarily as a show of readiness and strength, particularly
amid mounting tension between security forces and factions publicly declaring
that they would not surrender their weapons by the September deadline.
The source described the raids as a major surprise for the cells, some of
which had coordinated with individuals in official agencies and relied on
advance warnings and leaks. This time, however, no information was leaked,
underscoring both the secrecy of the operation and the limited number of parties
aware of it beforehand. Government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi told Iraqi
television that the Counter-Terrorism Service and National Intelligence Service
had infiltrated the network before raiding its members, making arrests and
seizing equipment, including drones. The joint security and intelligence effort
thwarted an attack while it was still being prepared, al-Aboudi explained,
noting that dismantling the network demonstrated Iraqi agencies’ ability to
detect threats and intervene before their execution.
He described the operation as reassurance of the security and intelligence
services’ readiness to confront potential threats and pursue networks plotting
actions that could undermine security. Al-Aboudi revealed that the arrested cell
comprised three members of an armed faction. Advanced drones being prepared for
attacks outside Iraq were found in their possession, while the cell itself was
linked to Iranian figures responsible for carrying out drone attacks. Iraqi
authorities raised security readiness and combat preparedness nationwide Friday
night and ordered intensified inspections of civilian and military vehicles at
checkpoints. The Security Media Cell announced that
the commander-in-chief of the armed forces had ordered security and military
units to heighten their readiness and combat preparedness, including through
training exercises and troop movements, to strengthen their ability to protect
citizens and public interests.
Kurdish PKK Criticizes Bill on Fate of Its Fighters
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
Kurdish group the PKK on Sunday criticized a proposed Turkish law setting out
the fate of its fighters after disarmament, a day before parliament prepares to
consider it. And they warned that its provisions would
remain a "dead letter" if Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers'
Party (PKK), was not released from jail. The
legislation, part of efforts to end decades of deadly fighting, would allow some
PKK members to return to civilian life under certain conditions but falls short
of offering a general amnesty. But Sunday's PKK statement said: "This law
contains serious errors and shortcomings. The recommendations... regarding
democratization and the resolution of the Kurdish issue have not been taken into
account.""The fact it refers only to disarmament without using the term
'Kurdish' shows the issue has not been addressed in its entirety," the PKK
leadership added. The statement, carried by ANF news agency, which is close to
the group, also called for guarantees that former fighters would be able to take
part in political life without facing imprisonment over their political views.
The legislation is due to be debated by Türkiye’s parliament on Monday.
Call for Ocalan's release -
Last year the PKK announced plans to disband and disarm, following a call from
its jailed founder and longtime leader Ocalan. But on Sunday, the group warned:
"Many provisions of the law will remain a dead letter" unless 77-year-old
Ocalan, in jail since 1999, was released from prison. Ocalan last year called on
the PKK to lay down its arms in response to a peace initiative launched by
Turkish authorities late 2024, but his fate has not officially been decided.
Backed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party
(AKP) and the pro-Kurdish DEM party, the bill would suspend prosecutions and
prison sentences for some offences between five and 10 years. If those covered
by the measure do not reoffend during that period, investigations would be
dropped and sentences considered served. However, some serious crimes such as
intentional homicide would be excluded. Pro-government media have argued that
that should apply to Ocalan, who is serving a life sentence. Earlier Sunday,
prominent Kurdish leader Selahattin Demirtas, jailed since 2016, backed the
bill, saying he hoped "another crucial step forward" would be taken in this
"historic peace effort". Demirtas, the former co-chair of Türkiye’s main
pro-Kurdish party, said the law would "radically transform the fate of our
country and our region" after more than four decades of armed conflict that has
claimed at least 50,000 lives.
Hundreds of Syria Kurds Head Back to Border Town After
Years of Displacement
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
A first group of Syrian Kurds were headed for the northeastern border town of
Ras al-Ain on Monday following years of displacement, months after an
integration deal between the Kurds and Damascus. The January agreement on
merging Kurdish forces and civil institutions into the state included the return
of displaced Kurds but residents of Ras al-Ain had still been waiting, prompting
appeals to authorities for assistance. Tens of
thousands of Kurds were displaced when Türkiye and allied Syrian fighters seized
an Arab-majority strip of territory along the Turkish border, including Ras
al-Ain, from Kurdish control in 2019 during Syria's civil war. Jawan Isso, from
a committee representing displaced people from Ras al-Ain, told AFP that a
"first batch" of some 2,500 people were headed home on Monday."This step is the
result of efforts by all sides and ongoing coordination" between the Damascus
and Kurdish authorities, he said, adding that "the second batch will be
transferred in the coming days".An AFP correspondent saw dozens of trucks loaded
with furniture and other belongings waiting to set off from near the city of
Hasakeh, with men, women and children eager to depart. "I've been waiting for
this moment... it's like a dream for a person to return to their home," said
returnee Nora Khodor, 37."I'm happy for an end to this suffering," she told AFP.
Some of the fighters subsequently settled in the area with their families, with
some reportedly still living in Ras al-Ain, a formerly ethnically-mixed region
in Syria's northeast known as Sari Kani in Kurdish.Türkiye launched successive
cross-border offensives against Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria before the
new Syrian =authorities ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
The new authorities have been extending central government control across the
country, including formerly Kurdish-held areas."We are very happy about
returning," said Rawda Mohammed, 39. "I asked about my home. They told me it is
totally destroyed, but we did not get pessimistic because we're happy to return,
and when we get there, we'll see what we can do," she added. Some 5.5 million
people remain internally displaced in Syria following the more than 13-year
civil war, according to the United Nations. The
committee representing displaced people from Ras al-Ain said Monday's transfer
was "the start of a path towards a full return", emphasizing the need to protect
property, housing and land rights" and provide basic services and infrastructure
for returnees.
Houthis Widen their Escalation to Yemen’s West Coast
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
The Iran-backed Houthi group escalated its attacks in Yemen, targeting with
missiles and drones the al-Mokha port in Taiz on the west coast.Government
military media said four soldiers and three civilians were killed in the attack
and 15 people wounded. Eleven Houthi drones were shot down.The Houthis had
launched their escalation days ago with attacks on government forces in the
Marib, Hadramawt, Shabwa and Dhale regions. Yemeni
sources said the Houthis launched Sunday’s attack from areas under their control
that overlook Tihama and the west coast. The government's military media said
troops were already on alert for an attack, which helped limit losses. Local
sources said the Houthis fired ballistic missiles from the Houban region in
eastern Taiz towards Mokha. A booby-trapped vessel was also used in an attempt
to attack the port. Other sources said drone attacks hit civilian infrastructure
inside the port.
Mokha is strategic for its location on the west coast and proximity to the Bab
el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world's most important waterways. An attack against
it is not only a threat against Yemen, but one against a critical international
waterway. Sources from Mokha said the drone attacks struck port employee housing
and the housing of the Saudi hospital employees in the city. Hodeidah governor
also survived a Houthi attack on his residence in Khokha in southern
Hodeidah.Other sources said the Houthis also attacked a solar panel field in
Mokha and that they had also cut off the internet and other forms of
communication in Hodeidah as they carried out their attacks. Chairman of Yemen’s
Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad al-Alimi held talks on Sunday with US
Charge d’Affaires Neil Hop. He briefed him on the Mokha attack, saying the
Houthis were carrying out a “systematic war” against Yemen’s vital economic
facilities. He noted that the Houthis are complaining about a siege against
them, while still being able to carry out attacks on ports, airports and
economic facilities, as well as threaten commercial vessels and food and energy
supplies. He said the Houthis targeted Mokha given its location close to the Bab
el-Mandeb Strait, saying Iran was behind the escalation. Al-Alimi called on the
US and international community to move on from their policy of containing the
Houthi threat to addressing its backers. He also urged greater support for the
Yemeni government’s capabilities to help it protect its territories, waters and
vital facilities. He stressed that the latest
developments confirm that the problem does not lie in various separate crises,
but one source that is using outlawed armed groups to achieve foreign
goals.Agreements that don’t lead to a sustainable solution to the threat of
Iran-backed groups will only temporarily resolve the problem, he warned.
UN Envoy Warns of Return to Full-scale Conflict in Yemen after Houthi Attacks
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg expressed on Monday his deep concern
over the recent attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis on Mokha city, which
reportedly resulted in civilian and military casualties and caused damage to
infrastructure, including at the port.
In a statement on the X platform, he said: “These attacks come amid the most
significant intensification of military activity since the 2022 UN-brokered
truce, sharply increasing the risk of a return to full-scale conflict in
Yemen.”The recent Houthi attacks “have also put civilians at grave risk in
Mokha, Marib, and beyond.”“This escalation must stop, and civilians and civilian
infrastructure must be protected,” he demanded. “I call on the parties to
exercise maximum restraint, and to work with my Office on concrete steps to
de-escalate and prevent the further erosion of what the truce achieved for
Yemeni civilians,” Grundberg said. “This conflict can only end sustainably
through an inclusive political process, and escalation is taking Yemen in the
opposite direction,” he warned. The envoy made his warning in wake of a series
of attacks targeting the government-held city of Mokha and its port on the
western coast of Yemen. Yemeni military sources said that civilians and military
personnel were killed and injured in the Houthi missile and drone attacks, while
the strikes hit residential areas and civilian installations.
According to field reports, attacks on Mokha renewed on Monday. Mokha is
strategic for its location on the west coast and proximity to the Bab el-Mandeb
Strait, one of the world's most important waterways. An attack against it is not
only a threat against Yemen, but one against a critical international waterway.
Ukraine drone strike kills 12, wounds 39 in central
Russia
Agence France Presse/August 10/2026
A Ukrainian drone strike on the central Russian region of Tatarstan killed at
least 12 people in one of Kyiv's most deadly single attacks of the more than
four year war. "According to the latest information, 12 people have been killed
and 39 wounded as a result of the drone attack," on the city of Nizhnekamsk, the
regional press service said in a statement on Monday.
More than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the Ukrainian border, the region is
rich in energy resources and has many major oil refineries that Kyiv has been
targeting in retaliatory strikes. Unverified footage
on social media showed a large black smoke cloud billowing at the site of an oil
facility near the industrial city of Nizhnekamsk.Both sides have significantly
escalated their long-range attacks this year, causing a spike in civilian
deaths, according to the United Nations. Near the front line in Ukraine, a
Russian artillery strike killed five people in a village in the northeastern
Kharkiv region, local Ukrainian officials said. "On August 10, Russian forces
carried out a massive artillery strike on the residential area of the village of
Bugaivka in the Chuguiv district. Various houses were destroyed as a result of
the enemy attack. Five people were killed," regional prosecutor's office said in
a statement on Telegram. It posted a picture of a house reduced to rubble by the
attack. Russia's defense ministry said it shot down 456 Ukrainian drones fired
overnight. It never states how many reached their targets.The Tatarstan region
had earlier reported a "massive" Ukrainian drone attack. Ukraine's air force
said Russia fired 126 drones in its overnight attack.A woman was also killed in
a Ukrainian attack on the Russian border region of Belgorod, and a man was
killed in a Russian drone strike on a taxi in the frontline Kherson region,
officials there said.
Sweden Says It Disrupted a Russian Intelligence
Operation
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
The Swedish Security Service (Sapo) said Monday it had thwarted a Russian
intelligence operation aimed at discrediting Sweden which involved an "agent"
working in a foreign diplomatic mission in the country. The counter-espionage
agency said in a statement it had "gathered information on, and taken measures
against, a Russian intelligence operation aiming at influencing Swedish
decision-making and discrediting Sweden, NATO and the EU".
According to Sapo, the "intelligence operation has been planned and
directed by the Russian foreign intelligence service SVR for some
time".Christoffer Wedelin, Sapo's deputy head of operations, told AFP that the
operation had been carried out by Russian intelligence agents operating under
"diplomatic immunity", who in turn had recruited another "agent" working at a
different country's diplomatic mission. Sapo did not identify the diplomatic
mission where the agent allegedly involved worked. "In meetings with the agent,
the Russian intelligence officers... tasked the agent with obtaining information
in various ways," Wedelin said. According to Wedelin, "the objectives have been
to create division" within Sweden, as well as among EU and NATO allies.Wedelin
said the information concerned Swedish decision-making, but declined to give a
more specific account of what information had been gathered or how long the
operation had been going on. "Our assessment is that we have disrupted and
prevented the activity," Wedelin said, adding that both the Russian intelligence
agents and the other agent were no longer in Sweden.Swedish Justice Minister
Gunnar Strommer said that the government took the reports "seriously". "This is
part of a pattern where Russia, and other state actors, act offensively to
further their interests in Sweden," Strommer told reporters.In 2024, Sweden
ended two centuries of military non-alignment and joined NATO, spurred into the
alliance by Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Sapo has repeatedly pointed to
Russia, along with China and Iran, as the main intelligence threats to the
country.
Pope Calls for Humanitarian Corridors in Sudan
Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
Pope Leo XIV called Sunday for humanitarian corridors to be opened for civilians
caught up in a conflict in Sudan which has killed tens of thousands of people
and displaced millions. Leo said he was following
"with concern the tragic situation in Sudan, especially in the city of
El-Obeid", the largest city in the southern Kordofan region, which has come
under intense drone attacks in recent weeks, reported AFP. The attacks have
prompted the UN to issue a "red alert" over what it described as an unfolding
catastrophe. "In expressing my spiritual closeness to all the people of the
nation, I renew my appeal to those in authority to guarantee humanitarian
corridors for the civilian population," Leo said at the end of the Angelus
prayer. "At the same time, I urge the international community to support efforts
aimed at bringing about an immediate ceasefire. "Let us pray that the Lord may
sustain those who are suffering, convert the hearts of those who sow violence,
and grant the long-awaited peace," he said. The war between Sudan's regular army
and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in April 2023, creating
what the UN describes as the world's largest displacement and hunger crises.
The Latest LCCC analysis & editorials from
miscellaneous sources published
on August 10-11/2026
The Arab-Islamic Formula for 'Peace': Ignore Hamas, Blame Israel
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/August 10/2026
The foreign ministers of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan,
Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt accused Israel of "violating"
international law and undermining efforts to implement the Board of Peace's
recently published "Roadmap for Completing the Implementation of President
Trump's Comprehensive Peace Plan in Gaza." They also called for those
responsible for "grave violations" to be held accountable.
The ministers forgot to mention that Hamas, by refusing to disarm and continuing
to hold on to power in the Gaza Strip, is the party committing "grave
violations."
If accountability is important, why does it apply only to Israel?
Where is the demand that Hamas be held accountable for bringing death and
destruction upon the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip by launching its invasion of
Israel?
Why not issue a clear demand that Hamas surrender all its weapons? The omission
is especially disturbing because three of the countries represented in the
statement – Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan – are members of Trump's Board of Peace
and are supposedly helping to bring security and stability to the Gaza Strip.
Do the Arabs and Muslims — or the Europeans — really believe that
creating a Palestinian state would automatically produce peace? Who would
prevent Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad from taking over such a state? Who
would confiscate their weapons? Who would prevent Iran or Turkey from supplying
Palestinian proxies with weapons, money and training? Who would guarantee that a
future Palestinian state would not be used to launch more October 7-style
attacks against Israel?
Israel withdrew every soldier and expelled every Jewish resident from the Gaza
Strip in 2005. Palestinians subsequently had an opportunity to demonstrate what
self-rule could look like. Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian Authority
parliamentary election and seized full control of the Gaza Strip the following
year.
Instead of turning the Gaza Strip into a model of prosperity and coexistence,
Hamas transformed it into a base for terrorism against Israel. Why should Israel
be expected to repeat this "experiment" on a much larger and more dangerous
scale — either in Gaza or in the West Bank, overlooking major Israeli population
centers?
Peace will not come from ignoring Hamas, demonizing Israel and Jews, or
repeating slogans about a "two-state solution" as though October 7 had never
happened. It will come only when the international community — including Arab
and Islamic countries — makes it clear that armed jihadist organizations cannot
be allowed to control Palestinian territory, possess private armies, or
determine the future of Israelis and Palestinians through terrorism. That would
be a far more useful message for Arab and Islamic governments to deliver than
yet another communique condemning Israel.
Foreign ministers of Arab and Islamic countries gathered in Jordan on August 5
and 6 to issue yet another series of condemnations of Israel. Reading their
statements, one could easily conclude that there is only one party responsible
for violence, instability, and suffering in the Middle East: Israel.
Foreign ministers of Arab and Islamic countries gathered in Jordan on August 5
and 6 to issue yet another series of condemnations of Israel. Reading their
statements, one could easily conclude that there is only one party responsible
for violence, instability, and suffering in the Middle East: Israel.
Hamas? Barely relevant. The Hamas-led October 7, 2023 massacre? Apparently not
worth mentioning. Palestinian terrorism and incitement against Israel? Not on
the agenda. The need to dismantle Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups?
Evidently not a priority.
What about Iran, the principal sponsor of Islamist terrorist organizations
throughout the Middle East? What about Hezbollah, which joined the war against
Israel immediately after October 7? What about the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen,
who have launched missiles and attack drones into Saudi Arabia and Israel, and
attacked international shipping?
Evidently, they too are not worthy of the ministers' attention.
There was no condemnation of Iran and its network of terrorist proxies, even
though they have all played, and continue to play, a major role in destabilizing
the Middle East and turning several Arab countries into arenas for Tehran's
regional ambitions. There was no demand that Hezbollah surrender its weapons to
the Lebanese army. No demand that the Houthis halt their attacks. No demand that
Iran stop funding, arming, and supporting terrorist groups dedicated to
attacking Israel and undermining Arab states.
Instead, once again, the messaging coming from Arab and Islamic countries was
clear: the problem is Israel.
This selective outrage is not merely hypocritical; it is dangerous. By
concentrating their attacks on Israel while largely ignoring Iran and Islamist
terrorist groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, Arab and Islamic
governments are reinforcing the extremists' narrative that Israel, rather than
jihadist terrorism and Iranian interference, is the principal source of
instability in the Middle East.
The foreign ministers of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan,
Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt accused Israel of "violating"
international law and undermining efforts to implement the Board of Peace's
recently published "Roadmap for Completing the Implementation of President
Trump's Comprehensive Peace Plan in Gaza." They also called for those
responsible for "grave violations" to be held accountable.
The ministers forgot to mention that Hamas, by refusing to disarm and continuing
to hold on to power in the Gaza Strip, is the party committing "grave
violations."
If accountability is important, why does it apply only to Israel?
Where is the demand to hold Hamas accountable for the October 7, 2023 massacre,
when Hamas terrorists and other Palestinians invaded Israel, murdered 1,200
Israelis and foreign nationals, wounded thousands more, and kidnapped 251 men,
women and children, dragging some of them into the Gaza Strip as hostages? Where
is the demand that Hamas be held accountable for bringing death and destruction
upon the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip by launching its invasion of Israel?
The ministers warned that Israeli actions could undermine the second phase of US
President Donald J. Trump's 20-point peace plan for the Gaza Strip. According to
their own statement, this phase includes provisions concerning the collection of
weapons from Hamas and other Palestinian factions.
Why not issue a clear demand that Hamas surrender all its weapons? The omission
is especially disturbing because three of the countries represented in the
statement – Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan – are members of Trump's Board of Peace
and are supposedly helping to bring security and stability to the Gaza Strip.
How can anyone be expected to trust these countries when their
governments participate in meetings and statements that condemn Israel while
failing to demand that Hamas disarm unconditionally?
If Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan want to play a constructive role in the Gaza
Strip, they should start by telling Hamas publicly: "The game is over. Hand over
your weapons, dismantle your military and security apparatuses, and relinquish
control of the Gaza Strip."
Instead, their statements send Hamas exactly the opposite message: that Israel,
and not the terrorist group that initiated the October 7 war, remains the
principal culprit.
The August 5 meeting in Amman was even more revealing. Foreign ministers of Arab
and Islamic states condemned what they described as "Israeli policies and
measures aimed at altering the Arab Islamic and Christian identity of occupied
Jerusalem," accused Israel of "violations at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram
Al-Sharif [the Temple Mount]," and referred to Jews peacefully visiting the
Temple Mount compound as "incursions by extremist settlers."
Such language in this region is not just totally inaccurate, it is a threat.
Jews — who have lived in the area for nearly 4,000 years, as opposed to Muslims'
1,400 years — have a profound religious and historical connection to Jerusalem
and the Temple Mount. Portraying Jewish visitors collectively as "extremists"
and their presence as an "incursion" is precisely the type of inflammatory
speech that Palestinian terrorist organizations have repeatedly — and
dishonestly — used to incite violence against Israel and Jews.
The foreign ministers warned that Israeli policies concerning Islamic
holy sites constitute a provocation against approximately two billion Muslims
and could lead to a religious conflict.
Instead of lowering the flames, such fabrications pour fuel on them.
What, in fact, do Jews do when they visit the Temple Mount? They enter
through designated gates under Israeli police supervision and walk along
specified routes around the outdoor compound. They do not enter Al-Aqsa Mosque
or the Dome of the Rock. They do not arrive armed to attack Muslim worshippers
or seize the mosques. There is nothing inherently
anti-Muslim about allowing Jews and other non-Muslims to visit the Temple Mount.
For decades, non-Muslims – including Christian tourists and Jews – have been
permitted to visit the Temple Mount during designated hours. A Jewish civilian
walking peacefully around a site that is sacred to Judaism is no more an
"incursion" than a Muslim visiting a holy site outside the Muslim world.
Hamas and other Islamist terrorist organizations have long attempted to portray
their conflict with Israel as a religious war over Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque.
When Arab and Islamic governments employ similar lies, they reinforce the false
narrative used by extremists to recruit terrorists and justify attacks against
Jews.The Arab and Islamic governments also repeated their support for the
establishment of an "independent, sovereign Palestinian state" and described a
"two-state solution" as the only path toward peace.
Nearly three years after October 7, 2023, this formula deserves rather more
scrutiny. Do the Arabs and Muslims — or the Europeans — really believe that
creating a Palestinian state would automatically produce peace? Who would
prevent Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad from taking over such a state? Who
would confiscate their weapons? Who would prevent Iran or Turkey from supplying
Palestinian proxies with weapons, money and training? Who would guarantee that a
future Palestinian state would not be used to launch more October 7-style
attacks against Israel?
The experience of the Gaza Strip should instead have led to serious reflection.
Israel withdrew every soldier and expelled every Jewish resident from the Gaza
Strip in 2005. Palestinians subsequently had an opportunity to demonstrate what
self-rule could look like. Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian Authority
parliamentary election and seized full control of the Gaza Strip the following
year. Instead of turning the Gaza Strip into a model
of prosperity and coexistence, Hamas transformed it into a base for terrorism
against Israel. Why should Israel be expected to repeat this "experiment" on a
much larger and more dangerous scale — either in Gaza or in the West Bank,
overlooking major Israeli population centers?
Peace will not come from ignoring Hamas, demonizing Israel and Jews, or
repeating slogans about a "two-state solution" as though October 7 had never
happened. It will come only when the international community — including Arab
and Islamic countries — makes it clear that armed jihadist organizations cannot
be allowed to control Palestinian territory, possess private armies, or
determine the future of Israelis and Palestinians through terrorism. That would
be a far more useful message for Arab and Islamic governments to deliver than
yet another communique condemning Israel.
*Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
*Follow Khaled Abu Toameh on X (formerly Twitter)
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22782/arab-islamic-peace-ignore-hamas-blame-israel
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Trump and American Intervention in the Middle East
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al-Awsat/August 10/2026
Arabs have little reason to denounce the US intervention, which helped prevent
Israel from translating its military victories into political gains. Even today,
Trump is trying to save Hamas from extinction through his "Board of Peace,"
while also shielding the Lebanese Hezbollah to please Tehran and Doha.
Egypt can't complain about having received almost $100 billion in US aid through
annual subsidies by signing a peace treaty with Israel.
Kuwait can't complain because the US saved it from being annexed by Iraq under
Saddam Hussein.
Arabs have little reason to denounce the US intervention, which helped prevent
Israel from translating its military victories into political gains. Even today,
Trump is trying to save Hamas from extinction through his "Board of Peace,"
while also shielding the Lebanese Hezbollah to please Tehran and Doha. Pictured:
US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the inaugural meeting
of the Board of Peace at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace on February 19,
2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
"The United States has spent EIGHT TRILLION DOLLARS fighting and policing in the
Middle East. Thousands of our Great Soldiers have died or been badly wounded.
Millions of people have died on the other side. GOING INTO THE MIDDLE EAST IS
THE WORST DECISION EVER MADE IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY! ...."
The above was posted by President Donald J. Trump on October 9, 2019, during his
first term as president. The capital letters are his, as are the inflated
numbers about dollar spending and those who supposedly died on the other side.
Notice that in his tweet, Trump gives top billing to the money spent before
mentioning the cost in human lives. Nevertheless, the Trump tweet raised an
important issue that American elites drunk on hubris were beating the drums
about easy victories in Afghanistan and Iraq.
What Trump didn't know at the time was that the tweet may one day be flung back
into his own face. Yet this is what some of his erstwhile MAGA followers are
doing with reference to the strange war he launched against the Islamic Republic
of Iran. Trump's detractors do exactly what he did in his tweet by exaggerating
the cost of the war and dismissing its results as not worth a candle.
But what if Trump was wrong then and his critics are wrong now?
The first US "going into the Middle East" happened in August 1942, a year after
Britain and the USSR invaded Iran, toppled its Shah, and started using its
infrastructure and food resources to support the Red Army fighting Nazi Germany.
The US sent 30,000 non-combat troops, mostly logistics, administrative,
commercial, and health experts, to reorganize the chaotic system conjured up by
Brits and Russians who took from Iranians what they wished but paid in
future-dated IOUs instead of cash.
The arrangement suited the occupiers but bankrupted Iranian businesses and led
to famine in several provinces.
"What a relief," wrote Ibrahim Khajenuri, an Iranian journalist at the time,
"while Russians and the English (sic.) steal, Americans buy with real money."
At the same time, the US paid for the upkeep of over 300,000 European refugees,
including thousands of Polish Jews who had fled to the USSR but were pushed into
Iran by Stalin. Without US financial and administrative support, the
war-shattered Iranian state would not have been able to look after the surprise
guests beyond an initial welcome.
In 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt held a summit with Saudi King
Abdul-Aziz Ibn Saud aboard an American warship to seal a friendship that has
lasted to this day with benefit for both sides. The US agreed to expanded
financial and strategic assistance to Saudi Arabia, which was used to develop
the kingdom's oil resources, something that British diplomat Lancelot Oliphant
had refused when, in 1932, Saudis asked the United Kingdom for a loan of half a
million pounds sterling.
Oliphant's rejection was later portrayed as a notorious British diplomatic and
commercial miscalculation, earning him the label "the diplomat who said 'No' to
Saudi oil."
The Abdul-Aziz-Roosevelt meeting happened on February 14, but I doubt if either
knew it was Valentine's Day.
The next US intervention was in Iran, when President Harry S. Truman opposed
Stalin's plan to annex parts of northwest Iran under Red Army occupation in
violation of a 1942 accord by Allies to withdraw at the end of the war.
US aid through CARE and Point-IV schemes helped post-war Iran avoid famine,
introduce mass vaccination to cut child mortality by 70 percent, and train a
cadre of Iranian managers, economists and health workers.
In 1951, Truman intervened to "discourage" the Labour Party Government in London
from invading Iran to seize oilfields and installations and undo Iranian oil
nationalization.
In 1956 President Dwight D. Eisenhower intervened to stop the Suez War and
prevent Britain and France, two moribund imperialist powers, from gaining a new
lease on life.
Next it was the turn of President John F. Kennedy, who as a US Senator opposed
France's colonial war in Algeria and as president helped Charles De Gaulle to
sell the idea of Algerian independence to his compatriots.
The two US interventions in Lebanon in 1958 and 1982 brought that country back
from the brink.
Fast forward from the mid-1960s: the US has acted as Israel's key ally and
central player in the quest for a settlement between Israel and its Arab
neighbors. Because it was able to talk to both sides, the US succeeded in
marginalizing the initial ideological-religious causes of the conflict and
redefining it in political and diplomatic terms.
Though limited, Trump's own success with the Abraham Accords is the latest
example.Trump's tweet was implicitly focused on Afghanistan and Iraq, which the
US invaded, spent a lot of money on, and sustained human losses, though not on
the scale he suggests. Even in those two nations, US intervention wasn't as
negative as some suggest.Iraq today is still grappling with many problems,
including mafia-style proxies of Tehran and Ankara's troops in several
provinces. Corruption is also above the 40 percent the UN regards as a limit
beyond which it becomes "a way of life." Yet, no one can deny that Iraqis today
are freer, more secure and respected and generally more prosperous than under
various post-monarchy dictators.The Afghan case is somewhat different, if only
because, unlike in Iraq, those ousted from power have returned. Even then,
thanks to US intervention in 2001, Afghans tasted two decades of relative
freedom.As a student of Afghan affairs and a frequent visitor for decades, I am
astonished by the amazing achievements of Afghans in art, culture, literature,
sport, and even business during that brief parenthesis. Millions of Afghan girls
managed to get schooling and secure a part, albeit small, in public life. Part
of that historic surge of creativity has happened in the Afghan diaspora formed
after the return of the Taliban to power. However,
even if we don't like the Taliban, who are not likeable by any measure, they too
may have started to change because the country the Americans left isn't what it
was before they came. Right now, voices are heard inside Afghanistan urging a
review of the ban on education for women, partly by the Taliban's own womenfolk,
who somehow have caught the American bug.
Iranians had no reason to oppose US intervention when it helped them protect
their sovereignty against the Soviets and the British. They pushed the US into
hostility by raiding its embassy in Tehran, effectively starting a 47-year war.
It is too early to assess the current US "intervention" in Iran, and much
depends on how it ends. Arabs have little reason to denounce the US
intervention, which helped prevent Israel from translating its military
victories into political gains. Even today, Trump is trying to save Hamas from
extinction through his "Board of Peace," while also shielding the Lebanese
Hezbollah to please Tehran and Doha.
Egypt can't complain about having received almost $100 billion in US aid through
annual subsidies by signing a peace treaty with Israel.
Kuwait can't complain because the US saved it from being annexed by Iraq under
Saddam Hussein.
All in all, US intervention in the Middle East has not been all negative, as
Trump suggests.
His own behavior could tip the balance.
** Amir Taheri was the executive editor-in-chief of the daily Kayhan in Iran
from 1972 to 1979. He has worked at or written for innumerable publications,
published eleven books, and has been a columnist for Asharq Al-Awsat since 1987.
He graciously serves as Chairman of Gatestone Europe.
Making Policy: Marxist Rainbows and Mob Shock Troops
Peter Huessy/Gatestone Institute/August 10/2026
Ever since the time of Karl Marx, communists and their socialist brethren
assumed that the envy of financial success would attract the proletariat to
carry out a workers' revolution in the rich countries of the West. It turned
out, however, that even the poor would like to be rich.
In America, instead of locking up the wealthy or stealing their money, the poor
tried to figure out how to get rich themselves.
Given America's economic liberty, nearly every day, a typical American worker
likely hears of some ordinary guy inventing some gizmo or figuring out how to
sell millions of the same thing -- and meanwhile getting wealthy.
[T]he "Democratic Socialists of America" winning primaries and elections around
the nation are almost entirely foreign-born immigrants or first-generation
descendants of newcomers, some even originally illegal aliens.
Note that the race, ethnicity and gender of all "people of color" are inherited
characteristics: none has any connection to merit. Once proclaimed to be part of
the oppressed, you are in that class forever, unable to escape.
Conversely, once described as part of the oppressor class — white and successful
— you also can never exit it. You are stuck for eternity, unless you are an
exempted billionaire such as George Soros or a multi-millionaire such as
Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren or Representative Ro Khanna. They
get a special dispensation.
The story of America that needs telling is, for instance, its extraordinary
campaign to end slavery, and to extend freedom and liberty to billions of people
worldwide.
That the US inherited slavery is what the noxious "1619 Project" missed, so they
could sell slavery as a permanent "oppressor" brand on our Founders.
The first legislative act of the 14th US state, Vermont, was to abolish slavery.
Why does no one in the US ever protest the slavery that persists in the rest of
the planet?
Ever since the time of Karl Marx, communists and their socialist brethren
assumed that the envy of financial success would attract the proletariat to
carry out a workers' revolution in the rich countries of the West. It turned
out, however, that even the poor would like to be rich.
Ever since the time of Karl Marx, communists and their socialist brethren
assumed that the envy of financial success would attract the proletariat to
carry out a workers' revolution in the rich countries of the West. It turned
out, however, that even the poor would like to be rich.
In America, instead of locking up the wealthy or stealing their money, the poor
tried to figure out how to get rich themselves.
Given America's economic liberty, nearly every day, a typical American worker
likely hears of some ordinary guy inventing some gizmo or figuring out how to
sell millions of the same thing -- and meanwhile getting wealthy.
So, how to lead a revolution if not with the workers rebelling against the rich,
or in the language of today, the "oligarchs" and "billionaires"?
In 1984, Reverend Jessie Jackson created the "Rainbow Coalition." The poor were
of different races, so Jackson wanted all races to be included in this pursuit
of prosperity. Years prior, the Chinese Communist Party under Chairman Mao
Zedong had recommended that the communists in the USA exploit racial -- not
class or economic -- identity to win elections. Mao might have reasoned that in
the US, since as people of certain races were historically oppressed and slavery
was exhibit #1, the white majority could be classed as "oppressors." Add up
everyone else, include women, gays, lesbians and bisexuals, and you easily win
the "oppressed" majority sweepstakes.
Race-hustling is big business. The four Reverends — Jesse Jackson, Jeremiah
Wright, Al Sharpton and Louis Farrakhan — made it clear: No colonialists,
imperialists or Zionists allowed, and that meant white people. Jackson himself
led demonstrations highlighting that Western "white" civilization "had to go."
In short, only the "right" kinds of races, ethnicities, cultures and genders
were allowed in the "Rainbow."
Unfortunately, Sharpton, Joy Reid and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani today have
fertile ground with which to spread racial division.
In 1965, twenty years before Jackson's "Rainbow Coalition," the US markedly
changed its immigration laws. One lead advocate was Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA).
Key sponsors Emanuel Celler (D-NY) and Phil Hart (D-MI) vehemently argued —
explicitly — that the legislation was not seeking to change the racial
demography or ethnic makeup of the country or "America's western European
heritage."
In fact, nevertheless, that was exactly what the 1965 bill was designed to do --
and its sponsors knew it. The demography of America had to change. Following the
new law, the very American constitutional system that was deemed "oppressive"
was out.
Now, some 70 years later, the transformation is well underway. 56 million
people, or 16% of the US population, are now foreign-born. Ten to twenty million
more may be here illegally. Not coincidentally, the "Democratic Socialists of
America" winning primaries and elections around the nation are almost entirely
foreign-born immigrants or first-generation descendants of newcomers, some even
originally illegal aliens.
Many also come from nations that are economic and political failures, often
totalitarian, some Marxist. As Dave Portnoy, CEO of Barstool Sports, put it:
"How we've gotten to socialism is somehow seen as this thing that's gonna fix
the United States, and by the way, the people who are saying it have all
migrated from countries that are disasters to come to the United States!"
To escape Marxism, they bring it with them, then want to establish it here in
America.
Those following in the footsteps of Jackson's "Rainbow Coalition" pushed for the
"right" kind of immigration: "people of color." The assumption appears to be
that people from failed third-world nations are largely poor, so that they are
probably socialist in their political outlook: expecting to get the free health
care, food stamps, housing subsidies and in-state tuition offered by America,
irrespective of whether they arrive as illegal aliens or come through legal
immigration channels.
Note that the race, ethnicity and gender of all "people of color" are inherited
characteristics: none has any connection to merit. Once proclaimed to be part of
the oppressed, you are in that class forever, unable to escape.
Conversely, once described as part of the oppressor class — white and successful
— you also can never exit it. You are stuck for eternity, unless you are an
exempted billionaire such as George Soros or a multi-millionaire such as
Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren or Representative Ro Khanna. They
get a special dispensation.
The oppressed — including the immigrant or alien class, legal or illegal — can
be expanded forever, never to be depleted. Note that Mamdani's "ethnic map" of
New York excluded the Italians, Irish and Jews — all white, even as it was was
careful to highlight people such as Pakistanis and Bangladeshis, as part of the
newly arrived oppressed class who are promised more and more free stuff—
housing, medical care, groceries and education. The Democratic Socialists of
America even call for a 32-hour workweek, while still being paid for 40 hours.
As for immigration, Senator Mark Warner (D-Va) proclaimed that once you get by
the border patrol or customs, the US owes you amnesty, citizenship -- but most
importantly, the right to vote. That is apparently what is meant by reforming --
actually abolishing -- ICE. If we are lucky, we might get to keep some border
patrol elements "for show."
The meaning, then, of US citizenship — as well as the idea of America and its
constitution — would be abolished. The US Constitution would be shredded and the
entire notion of checks and balances discarded, replaced by the tyranny of a
straight-up majority or "mob rule." There would be no president, no Senate, no
Supreme Court and certainly no Electoral College. Marchers in the street might
demand "No justice, no peace," just as the "turbas divinas" or "divine mobs"
(civilian paramilitary shock troops of Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega) did,
where street violence becomes law -- as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer
might have hoped when he called for violence against Supreme Court justices:
"I want to tell you, Gorsuch; I want to tell you, Kavanaugh: You have released
the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You won't know what hit you if you go
forward with these awful decisions."
Not only would the constitutional system of checks and balances and limited
powers disappear, but also all notions of accomplishment and merit. In the US,
medical students and doctors are being promoted and chosen due to their ethnic,
racial or gender characteristics, all of which are inherited and not "achieved,"
unless, as Ward Churchill or Elizabeth "Pocahontas" Warren, you "falsely
appropriate acquisition" to be part of the class of the oppressed. Many of these
"Democratic Socialists" now want to defund not only the police and border patrol
but also the Department of Defense. In short, they are announcing that they
would like to turn the country over to criminals, drug dealers, traffickers and
conquerors. No prisons, no borders, no accountability. It is much easier that
way to take over a country. You create chaos, then rush in heroically with
promises to fix it -- the old "you are the arsonist and firefighter" two-step.
In this new society, merit is dismissed as a result of "white privilege" rather
than as a measure or value of accomplishment. Only skin color or ethnicity has
merit. Even medical schools in America have been valuing race as a measure of
medical competency, leading to its explicit prohibition last year.
As merit goes out the window, education test scores are not needed. School
choice is demonized. Catholic schools? More "white privilege." The Smithsonian
Institute published a 3rd to 12th grade school study guide that complains,
"Whiteness: an ideology that reinforces power at the expense of others."
Measurements of teaching are not based on whether the students end up knowing
anything, but only if the right ideological content is taught by the "right"
kind of instructor who is of the "right" race, ethnicity, gender or sexual
orientation.
The entire "diversity, equity, and inclusion" (DEI) fraud is part of this clever
campaign to remake America into another China or Cuba by using race and
ethnicity as the lever.
The story of America that needs telling is, for instance, its extraordinary
campaign to end slavery, and to extend freedom and liberty to billions of people
worldwide.
That the US inherited slavery is what the noxious "1619 Project" missed, so they
could sell slavery as a permanent "oppressor" brand on our Founders.
The first legislative act of the 14th US state, Vermont, was to abolish slavery.
Why does no one in the US ever protest the slavery that persists in the rest of
the planet?
*Peter Huessy is a Senior Fellow at the National Institute for Deterrent Studies
and Dr. Stephen Blank is a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Research
Institute.
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
The Arab-Islamic Formula for 'Peace': Ignore Hamas,
Blame Israel
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/August 10/2026
The foreign ministers of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan,
Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt accused Israel of "violating"
international law and undermining efforts to implement the Board of Peace's
recently published "Roadmap for Completing the Implementation of President
Trump's Comprehensive Peace Plan in Gaza." They also called for those
responsible for "grave violations" to be held accountable.
The ministers forgot to mention that Hamas, by refusing to disarm and continuing
to hold on to power in the Gaza Strip, is the party committing "grave
violations."
If accountability is important, why does it apply only to Israel?
Where is the demand that Hamas be held accountable for bringing death and
destruction upon the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip by launching its invasion of
Israel?
Why not issue a clear demand that Hamas surrender all its weapons? The omission
is especially disturbing because three of the countries represented in the
statement – Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan – are members of Trump's Board of Peace
and are supposedly helping to bring security and stability to the Gaza Strip.
Do the Arabs and Muslims — or the Europeans — really believe that
creating a Palestinian state would automatically produce peace? Who would
prevent Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad from taking over such a state? Who
would confiscate their weapons? Who would prevent Iran or Turkey from supplying
Palestinian proxies with weapons, money and training? Who would guarantee that a
future Palestinian state would not be used to launch more October 7-style
attacks against Israel?
Israel withdrew every soldier and expelled every Jewish resident from the Gaza
Strip in 2005. Palestinians subsequently had an opportunity to demonstrate what
self-rule could look like. Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian Authority
parliamentary election and seized full control of the Gaza Strip the following
year.
Instead of turning the Gaza Strip into a model of prosperity and coexistence,
Hamas transformed it into a base for terrorism against Israel. Why should Israel
be expected to repeat this "experiment" on a much larger and more dangerous
scale — either in Gaza or in the West Bank, overlooking major Israeli population
centers?
Peace will not come from ignoring Hamas, demonizing Israel and Jews, or
repeating slogans about a "two-state solution" as though October 7 had never
happened. It will come only when the international community — including Arab
and Islamic countries — makes it clear that armed jihadist organizations cannot
be allowed to control Palestinian territory, possess private armies, or
determine the future of Israelis and Palestinians through terrorism. That would
be a far more useful message for Arab and Islamic governments to deliver than
yet another communique condemning Israel.
Foreign ministers of Arab and Islamic countries gathered in Jordan on August 5
and 6 to issue yet another series of condemnations of Israel. Reading their
statements, one could easily conclude that there is only one party responsible
for violence, instability, and suffering in the Middle East: Israel. Pictured:
The foreign ministers pose for a photo on August 5, 2026 in Amman, Jordan.
(Photo by Salah Malkawi/Getty Images)
Foreign ministers of Arab and Islamic countries gathered in Jordan on August 5
and 6 to issue yet another series of condemnations of Israel. Reading their
statements, one could easily conclude that there is only one party responsible
for violence, instability, and suffering in the Middle East: Israel.
Hamas? Barely relevant. The Hamas-led October 7, 2023 massacre? Apparently not
worth mentioning. Palestinian terrorism and incitement against Israel? Not on
the agenda. The need to dismantle Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups?
Evidently not a priority.
What about Iran, the principal sponsor of Islamist terrorist organizations
throughout the Middle East? What about Hezbollah, which joined the war against
Israel immediately after October 7? What about the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen,
who have launched missiles and attack drones into Saudi Arabia and Israel, and
attacked international shipping?
Evidently, they too are not worthy of the ministers' attention.
There was no condemnation of Iran and its network of terrorist proxies, even
though they have all played, and continue to play, a major role in destabilizing
the Middle East and turning several Arab countries into arenas for Tehran's
regional ambitions. There was no demand that Hezbollah surrender its weapons to
the Lebanese army. No demand that the Houthis halt their attacks. No demand that
Iran stop funding, arming, and supporting terrorist groups dedicated to
attacking Israel and undermining Arab states.
Instead, once again, the messaging coming from Arab and Islamic countries was
clear: the problem is Israel.
This selective outrage is not merely hypocritical; it is dangerous. By
concentrating their attacks on Israel while largely ignoring Iran and Islamist
terrorist groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, Arab and Islamic
governments are reinforcing the extremists' narrative that Israel, rather than
jihadist terrorism and Iranian interference, is the principal source of
instability in the Middle East.
The foreign ministers of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan,
Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt accused Israel of "violating"
international law and undermining efforts to implement the Board of Peace's
recently published "Roadmap for Completing the Implementation of President
Trump's Comprehensive Peace Plan in Gaza." They also called for those
responsible for "grave violations" to be held accountable.
The ministers forgot to mention that Hamas, by refusing to disarm and continuing
to hold on to power in the Gaza Strip, is the party committing "grave
violations."
If accountability is important, why does it apply only to Israel?
Where is the demand to hold Hamas accountable for the October 7, 2023 massacre,
when Hamas terrorists and other Palestinians invaded Israel, murdered 1,200
Israelis and foreign nationals, wounded thousands more, and kidnapped 251 men,
women and children, dragging some of them into the Gaza Strip as hostages? Where
is the demand that Hamas be held accountable for bringing death and destruction
upon the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip by launching its invasion of Israel?
The ministers warned that Israeli actions could undermine the second phase of US
President Donald J. Trump's 20-point peace plan for the Gaza Strip. According to
their own statement, this phase includes provisions concerning the collection of
weapons from Hamas and other Palestinian factions.
Why not issue a clear demand that Hamas surrender all its weapons? The omission
is especially disturbing because three of the countries represented in the
statement – Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan – are members of Trump's Board of Peace
and are supposedly helping to bring security and stability to the Gaza Strip.
How can anyone be expected to trust these countries when their
governments participate in meetings and statements that condemn Israel while
failing to demand that Hamas disarm unconditionally?
If Turkey, Qatar and Pakistan want to play a constructive role in the Gaza
Strip, they should start by telling Hamas publicly: "The game is over. Hand over
your weapons, dismantle your military and security apparatuses, and relinquish
control of the Gaza Strip."
Instead, their statements send Hamas exactly the opposite message: that Israel,
and not the terrorist group that initiated the October 7 war, remains the
principal culprit.
The August 5 meeting in Amman was even more revealing. Foreign ministers of Arab
and Islamic states condemned what they described as "Israeli policies and
measures aimed at altering the Arab Islamic and Christian identity of occupied
Jerusalem," accused Israel of "violations at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram
Al-Sharif [the Temple Mount]," and referred to Jews peacefully visiting the
Temple Mount compound as "incursions by extremist settlers."
Such language in this region is not just totally inaccurate, it is a threat.
Jews — who have lived in the area for nearly 4,000 years, as opposed to Muslims'
1,400 years — have a profound religious and historical connection to Jerusalem
and the Temple Mount. Portraying Jewish visitors collectively as "extremists"
and their presence as an "incursion" is precisely the type of inflammatory
speech that Palestinian terrorist organizations have repeatedly — and
dishonestly — used to incite violence against Israel and Jews.
The foreign ministers warned that Israeli policies concerning Islamic holy sites
constitute a provocation against approximately two billion Muslims and could
lead to a religious conflict.
Instead of lowering the flames, such fabrications pour fuel on them.
What, in fact, do Jews do when they visit the Temple Mount? They enter through
designated gates under Israeli police supervision and walk along specified
routes around the outdoor compound. They do not enter Al-Aqsa Mosque or the Dome
of the Rock. They do not arrive armed to attack Muslim worshippers or seize the
mosques.
There is nothing inherently anti-Muslim about allowing Jews and other
non-Muslims to visit the Temple Mount. For decades, non-Muslims – including
Christian tourists and Jews – have been permitted to visit the Temple Mount
during designated hours. A Jewish civilian walking peacefully around a site that
is sacred to Judaism is no more an "incursion" than a Muslim visiting a holy
site outside the Muslim world.
Hamas and other Islamist terrorist organizations have long attempted to portray
their conflict with Israel as a religious war over Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque.
When Arab and Islamic governments employ similar lies, they reinforce the false
narrative used by extremists to recruit terrorists and justify attacks against
Jews. The Arab and Islamic governments also repeated
their support for the establishment of an "independent, sovereign Palestinian
state" and described a "two-state solution" as the only path toward peace.
Nearly three years after October 7, 2023, this formula deserves rather more
scrutiny. Do the Arabs and Muslims — or the Europeans — really believe that
creating a Palestinian state would automatically produce peace? Who would
prevent Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad from taking over such a state? Who
would confiscate their weapons? Who would prevent Iran or Turkey from supplying
Palestinian proxies with weapons, money and training? Who would guarantee that a
future Palestinian state would not be used to launch more October 7-style
attacks against Israel?
The experience of the Gaza Strip should instead have led to serious reflection.
Israel withdrew every soldier and expelled every Jewish resident from the Gaza
Strip in 2005. Palestinians subsequently had an opportunity to demonstrate what
self-rule could look like. Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian Authority
parliamentary election and seized full control of the Gaza Strip the following
year.
Instead of turning the Gaza Strip into a model of prosperity and coexistence,
Hamas transformed it into a base for terrorism against Israel. Why should Israel
be expected to repeat this "experiment" on a much larger and more dangerous
scale — either in Gaza or in the West Bank, overlooking major Israeli population
centers?
Peace will not come from ignoring Hamas, demonizing Israel and Jews, or
repeating slogans about a "two-state solution" as though October 7 had never
happened. It will come only when the international community — including Arab
and Islamic countries — makes it clear that armed jihadist organizations cannot
be allowed to control Palestinian territory, possess private armies, or
determine the future of Israelis and Palestinians through terrorism. That would
be a far more useful message for Arab and Islamic governments to deliver than
yet another communique condemning Israel.
**Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
**Follow Khaled Abu Toameh on X (formerly Twitter)
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute.
A Haven of Stability in a Turbulent Sea
Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
For decades, the Middle East has resembled a massive ship sailing amid storms,
mines, dreams, and illusions. It is a ship carrying Arabs, Persians, Turks, and
Kurds—Sunnis, Shiites, Jews, and Christians. The passengers hold divergent
memories: days of glory they yearn for, and days of defeat they dream of
erasing. Some wounds lie dormant under forgetfulness, while others inflame anew.
It was only natural for the journey to witness reckless adventures and
adventurers, attempts to hijack the ship's course, and bids to seize command.
The Middle East ship is of exceptional importance, as it holds vast oil and gas
wealth whose safe flow is considered vital to the global economy. This is
precisely what makes it both critically important and a target of ambitions at
the same time. For decades, an impression prevailed
that the Middle East's importance to the global economy obligated major powers
to maintain stability there to safeguard their own interests. These nations did
not hesitate to intervene whenever they perceived a threat to these interests,
as occurred when the forces of Saddam Hussein's regime invaded Kuwait. However,
stability remains threatened unless it emerges from within the region itself.
Since the eve of the mid-last century, the ship has faced two major shattering
events. The first was the establishment of the State of Israel and the
repercussions of that earthquake in a series of Arab-Israeli wars. The second
was the victory of Khomeini's revolution, which made turmoil a permanent feature
of life in the region. Israel and Iran did not hesitate to pursue a costly
dream: attempting to reshape the Middle East to seize the leadership position or
the primary role within it.
Israel is a state that occupies the lands of others and does not accept even the
establishment of a Palestinian state alongside it, a state that has not
recognized definitive borders for itself to this day. Iran is a state that does
not accept boundaries for its influence in the region, seeking to reshape it
through penetrations, and through encirclement operations when penetration is
unfeasible.
After Al-Sinwar's Al-Aqsa Flood Operation, Benjamin Netanyahu's government
fought wars on multiple fronts. After the fall of the Syrian link in the “Axis
of Resistance,” Netanyahu spoke several times about reshaping the Middle East.
The “flood” itself revealed the scale of the Iranian project to reshape the
region. In the context of the military confrontation
with the US, Iran made two grave mistakes. It applied its past hostage-taking
experience to the Strait of Hormuz. It is no simple matter for a state to decide
to hold the fate of the entire global economy hostage. Neither distant nor
neighboring countries can accept this. Conceding this right to Iran would mean
accepting its possession of a weapon equivalent to holding a nuclear weapon.
The second mistake is its insistence on targeting Gulf Cooperation Council
countries under the pretext of them hosting US bases or having mere partnerships
in the field of defense. Iran ignored the obligations of the Beijing Agreement
signed with Saudi Arabia and moved its loyal militias in Yemen and Iraq to
target the Kingdom. Between choking the global economy
through Hormuz and bombarding Gulf countries with missiles and drones, the
Middle East ship seemed on the verge of sinking into endless wars and economic
and existential catastrophes. This was accompanied by a growing feeling in the
region that the international guarantee for regional stability was no longer
sufficient or present. Washington's calculations in this context remain those of
an external party with its own interests, in addition to its complex
decision-making mechanism.
It became imperative to consider a major and decisive role for key regional
states invested in the Middle East's future to prevent the ship from permanently
sliding into minefields. It was also necessary to counter the practices of
expanding the war and spreading chaos with an option that provides an umbrella
from which to broaden the scope of stability and reduce the opportunities
available for adventures and adventurers alike. In
this context, the "Makkah Mutual Defense Agreement" can be understood. It sends
an unmistakable message that prominent countries in the region will not allow
the Middle East to remain a hostage to proxy wars and ambitions at a time when
regional states must be allowed to dedicate themselves to tackling the burdens
of development, building their economies, and improving the standard of living
for their peoples.
The choice of Makkah, with its heavy symbolism, as the venue for signing the
agreement is a message reflecting the depth of the Saudi, Turkish, and Pakistani
commitment to what was agreed upon. There is no need to recall the political,
economic, and military weight provided by the gathering of these three nations,
not to mention their location and their relations with America, China, Russia,
and Europe as well. The signatories were careful to
use the term "mutual defense," meaning that any attack on one party to the
agreement constitutes an attack on all parties, sending an unmistakable message.
The Turkish Foreign Minister clarified that the agreement mirrors Article 5 of
the NATO treaty, which considers an attack on any member state to be an attack
on all member countries. The Makkah agreement is not a
declaration of war against any specific country, but rather a serious attempt to
make wars more difficult and costly, thereby forcing those gambling on conflict
to abandon their adventures. The agreement has renewed hope that the Middle East
will not remain hostage to those dreaming of reshaping it on the basis of
destabilization, altering its identity, and imposing new norms that contradict
the values of good neighborliness and mutual interests.
The regional and international weight of the three countries provides the
agreement with a deterrent power that prevents states or organizations from
sliding into practices that only deepen wounds, drain nations, squander wealth,
and waste opportunities for stability and development. It is no exaggeration to
say that regional and international actors must henceforth take into account
this tripartite alignment, which serves as a harbor of stability in a turbulent
sea.
The Makkah Agreement and the Deterrence Layers
Mamoun Fandy/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
Over the past year, the concept of hedging- strategic hedging- has dominated a
significant portion of American writing on Saudi foreign policy. In the May-June
issue of Foreign Affairs, Maria Fantappie and Vali Nasr posed the question
directly: can Saudi Arabia keep hedging?
The idea, in brief, is that Riyadh does not want to place all its cards in one
basket. It maintains its alliance with the United States, expands its relations
with China, and keeps channels open with Iran, while wanting neither Iranian nor
Israeli hegemony over the region. It diversifies its relationships in order to
reduce the risks of depending on a single power. This
is a useful lens, but in my view it is no longer sufficient to explain what is
happening- particularly after the Makkah agreement.
The Makkah Joint Defense Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan
requires a different lens. Hedging describes how a state maneuvers among
competing powers; what is happening now is closer to a new security architecture
built on multilayered deterrence. There is a difference between spreading one's
bets and designing the structure itself.
The best point of entry for understanding the Makkah agreement, then, is to look
at it from Riyadh first, and only then widen the lens to the region.
From the Saudi perspective, security does not begin from zero. There is a
long-standing security and military relationship with the United States, which
the new agreement has not annulled. Above that layer came the Saudi-Pakistani
Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement, signed in Riyadh on September 17, 2025. Now
Türkiye enters as another layer in the structure. The issue, therefore, is not
the replacement of one umbrella with another, but a shift from the umbrella to
the layers: from a single guarantor to multiple guarantees, and from
single-source deterrence to multilayered deterrence.
The security-architecture lens poses a different question: how many layers of
deterrence can a state build, such that the wobbling of one layer does not
dissolve the whole structure? The United States is one layer, Pakistan another,
Türkiye a third. And the layers do not perform the same function. America is a
superpower and a historical guarantor; Pakistan is a nuclear military power with
a deep strategic relationship with Saudi Arabia; and Türkiye is a regional power
and a NATO member, which makes it a bridge between the old Atlantic system and
the new regional structure. There is also a second lens on the agreement: its
institutional nature. According to what Saudi Deputy
Foreign Minister Dr. Rayed Krimly- a professor of politics before he was a
diplomat- has written, the agreement is not a closed club for the three states,
nor is it a sectarian or nuclear alliance. This is a point of considerable
importance, because an institution, unlike a deal, is capable of expansion.
What we are looking at, then, is an attempt to build a regional security order.
The third lens is that of the adversary, because deterrence does not begin with
the launch of the first missile but in the mind of the person contemplating the
launch. An agreement premised on the principle that an attack on one party
enters into the security calculations of the others changes the adversary's
calculus even before the operational details are known. The layers do not merely
add strength; they add uncertainty to the other side's calculations. Iran, too,
should be viewed through this lens. Iran is certainly present in Saudi
calculations, with its missile program, its regional influence, and its
experience in indirect warfare. But building layers of deterrence does not mean
closing the door on Tehran. Saudi policy looks closer to an equation: deterrence
while keeping the phone line open. Raise the cost of adventurism, while
maintaining contact in order to prevent war.
This is not a paradox but one of the features of the new order: a state can
deter a party in one space and negotiate with it in another.
That leaves the final lens: Israel.
Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken at length about a "new Middle East," and the
assumption was that Israel would be the one shaping it. But the new Middle East
as it has now revealed itself is being shaped by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and
Pakistan- states that are drawing an important line on the regional map, one to
which Israel is not a party. The agreement does not need to be directed against
Israel for its absence to be significant. Sometimes the most telling sign of a
shift in the regional order is not who sits at the table, but who can be left
off it while the others set it.
Perhaps, then, the time has come to change lenses. Hedging explained a phase in
which Saudi Arabia was expanding its options within the existing order. The
Makkah agreement points to something else: Saudi Arabia is not merely expanding
its options within the structure, it is taking part in redesigning it. The
American layer has not disappeared, a Pakistani layer has been added, a Turkish
layer is now entering, and others may enter tomorrow. The question, therefore,
is this: how does a state build its security so that it does not become hostage
to a single guarantee? Saudi Arabia isn’t simply changing the umbrella; it’s
redesigning the entire architecture of the building.
Peace and War, as They Force Us to Reconsider Whether We
Are Nations at All
Hazem Saghieh/Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper/August 10/2026
In treating the rounds of military confrontation in the region, one notices that
the positions of the countries involved automatically bring their domestic
conditions to the fore. Those internal conditions play a large role — if not a
decisive one — in determining where states stand on the war and how they respond
to its rounds. This link rises to the level of a firm equation across all
countries, especially the democratic ones, without being confined to them.
At every mention of the United States and the war, the midterm elections
come up automatically, along with inflation and how much price increase citizens
can bear. In Israel, too, mention of the war goes hand in hand with speculation
about the imminent general elections, Benjamin Netanyahu's personal and legal
circumstances, and the meaning of the rise of his rival Gadi Eisenkot. Even Iran
— not known for public opinion being reflected in its policy, nor for having a
public opinion in the first place — confronts us at every turn with news and
leaks touching on the condition of its supreme leader and the "bourse" of the
relationship between the Revolutionary Guard and the "moderates."
In Lebanon, however — one of the principal arenas of the war — none of this
occurs. The civilian and military negotiations move between capitals without any
domestic input or influence upon them, apart from pledges of allegiance on one
side and vilification on the other. There is no party trying to build an
effective current either in support of negotiation or in rejection of it. While
the state's figureheads rely on President Donald Trump, and on a bloc of the
population with a ready-made consciousness that supports negotiation, Hezbollah
relies on Iran and on a bloc of the population with a ready-made consciousness
that opposes it — and the party threatens of using force as its only means to
halt the negotiations. In all likelihood, this inertia
is not the product of some personal trait in the leaderships of the two sides —
the state and Hezbollah. But without ruling out laziness and a lack of
initiative, the mother-problem lies in the absence of public opinion itself,
which is precisely what confounds the leaders' conduct or strikes them mute. If
the experience of March 8 and March 14, 2005, placed the country on the brink of
civil conflict, repeating that experience today might detonate its division in a
way that might make any unity difficult afterward.It is true that the interior
in countries like the US, Israel, and Iran is not harmonious, and there is
speculation about it that does not shrink from positing collision. But it is
also true that Lebanon has become wholly without an interior, and that the
relationship among its many head-butting interiors has moved beyond disharmony,
or the difficulty of recycling them within a single political life.
Thus, the Lebanese politician who intends to do his duty in politicizing
the splintered conflict resembles someone who intends to catch a wild hedgehog
with his bare hand. Approaching the hedgehog makes it curl in on itself,
thrusting its wounding quills outward. It is an evasive animal, and its hunter
is engaged in something of a fool's errand when he tries to catch it.
To go further: the existence of Lebanese publics, highly self-sufficient and
mutually contradictory, means that the great questions of war and peace are
automatically bound up with raising the question of Lebanese unity itself.
Facing war, the fear of Hezbollah's weapons — until three years ago — kept the
collapse of that unity latent and implicit, even as the weapons reinforced the
collapse and aggravated it in the dark. But facing peace, the collapse becomes,
as it is now, complete, announcing itself in broad daylight, by drawing on the
weapons' inability to disguise or silence it.
It is impossible today, beneath the thin veneer of "coexistence," to broach the
question of peace without questioning the country's composition, its unity, and
its system. And whoever does so — even if sincere in defending what he sees as
right — does not escape the accusation of a drive toward domination and
supremacy. The country's composition and system this
time have nothing to do with the distribution of "shares" and their
redistribution, but head straight for "coexistence" itself, particularly in its
two pillars most tightly intersecting with the lives and consciousness of the
Lebanese: war and peace. In fact, the past few years have thrown the door wide
open to reconsiderations across the Arab Levant, not in Lebanon alone. And while
it is difficult at present to predict where those reconsiderations will lead,
what is certain is that they will not revolve around the old binaries of
patriotism and anti-patriotism, resistance and surrender, and the like. The
rising subject is the eruption of schisms within communities that the mounting
cost of Israeli demands after the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation has convinced them
that they are sects and creeds more than peoples and nations.
It is as though the "flood," in our case, is the equivalent of events that
previously exposed the impossibility of certain countries — among them the
former Yugoslavia, overtaken by the death of Josip Broz Tito in 1980, before an
economic crisis erupted, accompanied by a sharp expressive rise of Serbian,
Croatian, and Slovenian identities. And as those developments were leading to a
gradual disintegration of the declared consensus, there came the collapse of
communism in Europe and Kosovo's abolition of self-rule, the national elections
in the republics, then came the declaration of independence and the eruption of
wars in full force.So, the paralysis and stumbles of Lebanon's politicians loom
as a decision to stop hunting the hedgehog with their bare hands, and a
preference for putting their hands in their pockets and gazing at the farther
horizon... in hope and expectation.
Selected Face Book & X tweets
on August 10/2026
Masih Alinejad
Islamic Republic in Iran hangs 24-Year-old woman who defended herself from
sexual assault
Yesterday the regime executed Marziyeh Neyri yesterday, a young woman who was
forced into marriage at age 17 and hanged for fighting back against her
attacker. Marziyeh was 18 years old when her husband's associate attempted to
sexually assault her in her own home, in front of her husband. She grabbed a
kitchen knife to defend herself. Her husband died in the struggle.
She told the court she had been repeatedly assaulted by her husband's associates
before that day. Iran's courts didn't care. The regime rejected her self-defense
claim. Her attacker, who survived, took the stand and called her a murderer. The
court believed him over her.
She was sentenced to death.
No clemency. No mercy. The sentence was carried out at Chubindar Prison in
Qazvin.
Marziyeh Neyri never had a chance. Forced into marriage as a child under Iran's
Islamic laws, she spent the few years of her adult life in a courtroom, fighting
for her life after defending it.
She lost.
This is the Sharia Laws in Islamic Republic of Iran where a woman can be hanged
for surviving.
Old Security Challenges in the New Syria: ISIS in the South and
Weapons-Smuggling Routes to Lebanon
Dana Polak/Alma/August 10, 2026
https://israel-alma.org/old-security-challenges-in-the-new-syria-isis-in-the-south-and-weapons-smuggling-routes-to-lebanon/
A series of security incidents recorded in Syria and Lebanon in early August
2026 points to two phenomena that warrant monitoring:
ISIS Cell in Khan Arnabah: On August 9, Syrian Internal Security Forces
announced the arrest of nine ISIS operatives in Khan Arnabah (approximately 5 km
from the Israeli border) in Quneitra Governorate. The cell was engaged in
stockpiling weapons, preparing and transferring explosive devices, and
supporting the activities of ISIS cells in southern Syria.The cell was headed by
Musab Khalil al-Sheikh (مصعب خليل الشيخ), known as “al-Sini” (الصيني), a known
ISIS operative who was linked to the organization’s infrastructure in southern
Syria. The origin of his nickname is unknown, and no information has been found
to date confirming that he is a foreign operative or an operative of Uyghur,
Uzbek, or Chinese origin (whose facial features could be relevant to the
nickname).The significance of the exposure stems primarily from its location and
the nature of the activity: Khan Arnabah is in the Quneitra area near the
Israeli border, and the cell was engaged in operational and logistical
infrastructure, rather than merely propaganda activity. ISIS continues to
maintain infrastructure in southern Syria. Weapons Smuggling from Syria to
Lebanon: In parallel, several weapons-related incidents were recorded within a
matter of days in Syria and along the Lebanese border.On August 4, the Lebanese
Army announced that it had seized 17 122-mm Grad rockets in the Arsal barrens
that had been smuggled from Syria into Lebanon. Two individuals involved were
arrested, and ammunition and military equipment were seized in additional raids
targeting the network.A day earlier, on August 5, Syrian Internal Security
forces located five Grad rockets concealed in an agricultural area near al-Hara
in southern Syria, approximately 12 km from the Israeli border. It is not known
whether the rockets belong to ISIS, to other terrorist networks, or whether they
may be remnants dating back to the Syrian Civil War. On August 8, Internal
Security Forces in Tartus announced that another weapons shipment destined for
Lebanon had been thwarted. The shipment included automatic rifles, RPG weapons,
magazines, and ammunition.
We are witnessing smuggling attempts every week. We know what has been seized,
but we do not know what has not been seized. Syria continues to serve as a
logistical space for transferring weapons to Lebanon, even under the current
government and alongside its efforts to thwart such activity. For Iran and
Hezbollah, the smuggling routes through Syria remain a significant component of
their ability to preserve and rebuild the organization’s military capabilities.
Mosab Hassan Yousef
The West’s real minority isn’t Muslims. It’s the handful of
apostates who escaped Islam’s barbarism. They broke free from the darkness, lost
everything, and often paid with their lives.
Yet self-proclaimed moralists, progressives, liberals, and humanitarians don’t
protect them. Instead, they cancel and attack these apostates while shielding
the masked, double-faced Muslims who want them dead. These true freedom fighters
don’t need their validation or recognition. They just need these lowlife
motherfuckers to stop enabling their killers.
Dr Walid Phares
Plan "Win the War"
Re-arm the Kurds and give them air support inside Iran Arm all communities in
the Iranian people, provide them with no-fly safe zones. Recognize a
transitional government in Iran
Block all ports controlled by the IRGC.Direct all ships to sail in Saudi,
Emirati and Omani territorial waters and protect them. Take action on the regime
side to eliminate their batteries and launchers Give a green light to Israel and
the Lebanese Army to handle Hezbollah in Lebanon. Give a green light to Saudi
Arabia and the Yemeni people to defeat the Houthis with US and NATO help. Give a
green light to the allies inside the Iraqi Givernment and the KRG to disarm the
Hashd militias. Make sure that none of these actions above will empower the
Ikhwan anywhere else.
Dr Walid Phares
If we are still waiting to give the regime "another chance" and waiting for the
holy ghost to descend on them, we can meanwhile have Israel arm communities in
North West Iran, and have Saudi Arabia arm communities in south West Iran. Do
you get the point?
Make sense? Or wait for the ghost?
Shadi khalloul שאדי ח'לול
https://x.com/shadikhalloul/status/2086581249112527117/video/1
I invite everyone who wants to learn about reality of Christians in Israel from
1st hand. We prosper and thrive here in Israel, while Christians in Arab
countries are suffering. This is what WSJ must report and expose.
Barak Ravid
Trump on Truth Social: I see that Representatives of the Islamic Republic of
Iran are asking for compensation for the damage done to them during the last
five month Military Conflict (started because, THEY WILL NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR
WEAPON), even though it was never mentioned in any of our negotiations or
meetings! But it is an interesting idea because now I am likewise demanding
compensation from Iran, for all of the people that they have killed and gravely
wounded with their roadside bombs and many conflicts, for which they are famous,
as led initially by General Soleimani, including the families of those killed on
the USS Cole, and thousands of others killed in combat. Additionally,
compensation should be paid to the families of the hundreds of thousands of
innocent protestors that Iran has killed over the last 50 years, not to mention
the 52,000 that have been killed in the last five months. I have instructed my
representatives to put this firmly into any, and all, future negotiations. Thank
you for your attention to this matter!
Hussain Abdul-Hussain
https://x.com/Elwhylamya2/status/2086416001021759694/video/1
Lebanese influencer Eli Khoury: As a Lebanese, a Christian, and a Maronite,
I feel no embarrassment to say that Palestine cannot dictate Lebanese policy or
national interests.
Eylon Levy
Colombia is doing a complete 180 on Israel, after its disastrous leftist
government was turfed out:
Immediately restoring diplomatic relations and appointing an ambassador
Recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights
Inviting Israel's FM to the presidential inauguration
Abolishing visa requirements
Restoring the free trade agreement
Withdrawing from South Africa's case against Israel at the ICJ and from the
“Hague Group”
Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער
I thank Colombia and my good friend, President of Colombia Álvaro de la
Espriella
@ABDELAESPRIELLA
, for his historic decision to recognize Israel's sovereignty over the Golan
Heights.
This comes in the wake of our meeting in Barranquilla, Colombia, last Thursday.
In doing so, the President of Colombia has proven, in one of his first decisions
in office, his leadership, his values, and his commitment to Israel and Israel's
security.
I thank my colleague and friend, Foreign Minister Omar Bola Escobar @omarbula
, for the friendship, cooperation, and professional work. Israel is a small
country without strategic depth. Defensible borders are essential for it to
ensure the existence of the Jewish people in its historic homeland. I will
continue to act so that more countries join the United States (under President
Trump) and Colombia (under President de la Espriella) in recognizing Israel's
sovereignty over the Golan, on which Israeli law was applied 45 years ago.