English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News &
Editorials
For August 24/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2026/english.August
24.26.htm
News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006
Click On The Below Link To Join Elias Bejjaninews whatsapp group
https://chat.whatsapp.com/FPF0N7lE5S484LNaSm0MjW
اضغط على الرابط في أعلى للإنضمام لكروب Eliasbejjaninews whatsapp group
Elias Bejjani/Click on the below link to subscribe to my youtube channel
الياس بجاني/اضغط على الرابط في أسفل للإشتراك في موقعي ع اليوتيوب
https://www.youtube.com/@eliasbejjani8036
Bible Quotations For today
I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven
over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no
repentance
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke
15/03-07/:”Jesus told them this parable: ‘Which one of you, having a hundred
sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness
and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he
lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. And when he comes home, he calls together
his friends and neighbours, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found
my sheep that was lost.”Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven
over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no
repentance.”
Titles For The English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News &
Editorials published on August 23-24/2026
On the Anniversary of Bashir’s Election as President of the
Republic/Elias Bejjani/August 23, 2026
Erdogan, detached from reality, is hallucinating about an Ottoman empire buried
in the dustbin of history./Elias Bejjani/August 21 August/2026
Israel will expose and dismantle Erdogan's Ottoman illusions and ambitions, just
as it exposed and defeated the hallucinations of the Iranian axis of evil./Elias
Bejjani/August 20/2026
A US envoy clarifies his comments on Golan Heights that contradicted Trump’s
position
Barrack: Israeli Strike on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur Base Sought to Bait Türkiye
Qmati says Hezbollah open to talks with US, studying 'all options' as to Ali
al-Taher
Israel intensifies south Lebanon campaign as Ali al-Taher emerges as key
challenge
The 'Ali al-Taher' Battle: A Test of Hezbollah’s Capabilities
Exceptional School Year: South Lebanon Families Weigh Options Amid War Fears
What’s inside the pink containers? The explosives mystery gripping south Lebanon
Lebanon arrests food influencer over drug-laced treats
LBCI celebrates 41 years: From the generation that built its legacy to the one
writing its next chapter
Israel Accelerates Destruction of Hezbollah "Fortresses" in Southern Lebanon
Anger escalates in eastern Lebanon against the “party’s” policies... the clans
rise up
Israel hands over body of Lebanese man who died last year
Stalemate in Rome Negotiations… Ali Taher Remains Unresolved!
Rifi on the Anniversary of the Al-Salam and Al-Taqwa Mosque Bombings: No Amnesty
for Terrorism
I am a Son of Amil: Neither Tehran is My Capital, Nor Damascus/Colonel Charbel
Barakat/August 23/2026
A Firsthand Look at the Shortcomings of LAF Enforcement in a Pilot Zone/ Claudia
Groeling/This Is Beirut/August 22/2026
When the State Says "No"/Antoine Farah/Nidaa Al Watan/August 23, 2026
Hezbollah's Casualties: Who Dares to Count Them?/Jean Al-Faghali/Nidaa
Al-Watan/August 23, 2026
Did the Israeli negotiating delegation present maps of tunnels under Baalbek
Castle?/Majd Bou Mjahed/Al-Nahar/August 23, 2026
Nabih Berri's Experimental Rabbits/Jean Al-Faghali/Nidaa Al-Watan/August 23,
2026
Interview With Alfred Madi, President of the “Other Choice” Movement and founder
of the Bachir Gemayel Academy/44 years after his election, Bachir Gemayel’s
election and vision of a free, sovereign, and strong Lebanese state continues
resonating across generations.
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on August 23-24/2026
Video Link from the FIDF YouTube Platform/LIVE BRIEFING with Israeli Dr.
Mordechai Kedar, Vice President of Newsrael, Focusing on Erdoğan’s Dream of
Reviving the Ottoman Empire and His Role as a Leader of the Muslim Brotherhood
Iran President: US Memorandum is Best Path Out of Stalled War
Iran: Pakistan's Army Chief to Visit Tehran on Monday
Iran president admits country facing 'many problems'
Iran warns any country joining US sanctions considered 'enemy'
Iran Executes Man Accused of Aiding US, Israel in Anti-govt Protests
Iran says it discovered over 7.5 trillion cubic feet of gas
Iran dismisses threat of new US sanctions as sign of ‘desperation’
Syria foreign minister sees Israel security talks resuming despite no trust
Israel conducts fresh strike in Syria after US criticism
Israel warns Hamas over kite launches from Gaza
Israeli airstrikes in Gaza kill two people, including a 4-year-old boy, medics
say
Palestinian Authorities Say Israeli Army Kills Teen in West Bank
Trump Hits Back at Canada after Retaliatory Tariffs Announcement
French Ambassador to Asharq Al-Awsat: Mohammed bin Salman’s Visit Paves Way for
New Phase of Strategic Partnership
Saudi Arabia and France Seek New Routes for Security and Energy
Zelensky Rejects Wartime Elections, Says Would 'Split' Ukraine
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials
from miscellaneous sources published
on August 23-24/2026
French-Saudi partnership seeks to
promote stability/Patrick Maisonnave/Arab News/August 23, 2026
From Understanding to Implementation: Riyadh and Paris Redraw their
Partnership/Aziz Mathari/Asharq Al Awsat/23 August 2026
Cuba's Walls/Samir Atallah/Asharq Al Awsat/23 August 2026
A World and a Human Being...But Without Humanity/Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al
Awsat/23 August 2026
Is It Money, or Is It Values/Sawsan al-Shaer/Asharq Al Awsat/23 August 2026
Beware… The Iranian Aggression Is Coming/Ahmed Al-Sarraf/Al-Qabas/August 24/2026
What Iran Took by Force Can Only Be Recovered by Force/Amjad Iskandar/Nidaa Al
Watan/August 23/2026
Selected Face Book & X tweets on August 23/2026
Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on August 23-24/2026
On the Anniversary of Bashir’s Election as
President of the Republic
Elias Bejjani/August 23, 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/08/121512/
Today, as we proudly and resolutely commemorate the election of Sheikh Bashir
Gemayel as President of the Lebanese Republic on August 23, 1982, we reaffirm,
on the basis of a firm and steadfast faith, that Bashir’s dream is alive and
will not die. It remains powerfully embodied in the determination of Lebanon’s
sovereign and honorable youth, who have taken upon themselves the responsibility
of carrying the torch of freedom, dignity, liberation, sovereignty, and
independence through a peaceful and civilized approach that, God willing, will
culminate in saving the Cedar Nation from the claws of the Iranian occupation,
as well as from all Trojan horses, agents, traitors, and dhimmis, and in
restoring its independence and freedom.
On August 22, 1982, Bashir Gemayel was elected President of the Lebanese
Republic. President Reagan described him as “the young president who brought the
light of hope to Lebanon.” The president who was characterized as “a strategic
planner” and “a man whose positions crossed red lines” loved his country to such
an extent that Lebanese people of all backgrounds and affiliations dreamed of
and believed in his vision for the republic, in living with dignity and in
peace. He infused the people with courage, boldness, and strength of will to
demand and strive for the building of a “state of citizenship,” while preserving
Lebanon as a “space of freedom” and a homeland worthy of sacrifice.
On this day in 1982, Bashir’s love for his country ignited the spirit of
national belonging among all Lebanese and planted an eternal dream in the heart
of every free Lebanese, both in the homeland and across the corners of the
world. On the anniversary of Bashir’s election, every free and sovereign
Lebanese is reminded that Bashir—the cause, which is Lebanon’s cause—will never
die, for he whose supporter is God cannot be overcome.
It is true that the forces of evil and darkness succeeded in assassinating
Bashir the man, but they failed to kill Bashir the cause, who continues to live
in the hearts, conscience, and spirit of every free Lebanese. Bashir the cause,
Bashir the dream, Bashir of coexistence, Bashir of commitment to the state, the
law, the constitution, freedoms, democracy, and coexistence—this Bashir lives in
the minds and culture of every sovereign and free Lebanese. This Bashir will not
die.
Bashir, whose body was killed in 1982, remains alive through his memory and
through his example and model of patriotism and integrity, living in hearts,
conscience, culture, dreams, and hope. Meanwhile, the majority of today’s
leaders and politicians, though physically alive, are in practice and in terms
of respect and trust, dead in their faith, minds, greed, and Judas-like
betrayal. Their presence is an absence, and their absence is a relief and a
blessing.
Returning to the memory of the assassination on the Feast of the Holy Cross, on
September 13, 1982, the hand of hateful treachery reached out and killed Bashir
the man. Yet it failed to kill Bashir the cause, ambition, patriotism, vision,
thought, and the spirit of resistance.
Erdogan, detached from reality, is
hallucinating about an Ottoman empire buried in the dustbin of history.
Elias Bejjani/August 21 August/2026
Erdogan is a despicable Muslim Brotherhood sick
creature, obsessed with delusions and hallucinations of a bygone Ottoman Empire,
which history has buried in its dustbin. A monstrous creature, more dangerous
than Satan himself.
Israel will expose and dismantle Erdogan's
Ottoman illusions and ambitions, just as it exposed and defeated the
hallucinations of the Iranian axis of evil.
Elias Bejjani/August 20/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/08/156826/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqIzZHNWY4I
The state of Israel, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has proven its
exceptional ability to completely alter the face of the region, thereby exposing
the ugly reality of jihadist political Islam and the Iranian axis of evil, which
was long built upon illusions, hallucinations, populist daydreams, and wishful
thinking. By delivering precise intelligence and military strikes, Israel
succeeded in eliminating the core of the mullahs' axis of evil. The
assassination of Hassan Nasrallah and all Hezbollah leaders from the first,
second, and third tiers proved beyond a doubt that Israeli intelligence knows
the inner workings of this Iranian terrorist organization better than its own
leaders, masters, and patrons among the mullahs of Iran. The exact same firm
policy was applied to the jihadist Hamas, culminating in forcing it to accept in
principle to surrender power in Gaza and lay down its arms, regardless of its
ongoing attempts to hide behind taqiyya (dissimulation) or temporary political
maneuvering.
This visionary and leading Israeli approach did not stop at shattering the myth
of the mullahs' regime and dismantling its false slogans through the
assassination of its political, military, and nuclear scientific leaders—carried
out in cooperation with the United States under President Trump. Rather, it
dragged the jihadist mullahs' regime in Iran into a state of absolute strategic
weakness. This weakness will inevitably open the door soon for the oppressed and
persecuted Iranian people to overthrow the criminal mullahs' regime, which is
obsolete, rooted in the darkness of eras of raids and ignorance, and utterly
disconnected from the demands of the modern age.
In the same context, Israel is firmly moving today to expose and dismantle the
dreams, schemes, incursions, and illusions of Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, who seeks to revive Ottoman ambitions and acts as the prominent patron
of Islamist jihadists. Just as the Iranian illusion collapsed, the failure of
Erdogan's Turkish gambits will come as a shock to several regional
capitals—foremost among them Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and Pakistan—that were
fooled by the deception that Erdogan is a strong, effective leader capable of
ending Israel's regional role or casting it into the sea.
As part of containing these expansive, delusional, deceitful, and populist
Ottoman plots, Israeli warplanes carried out precise strikes deep inside Syrian
territory on August 18, targeting the "Abu Duhur airbase" in the Idlib
governorate, roughly 70 kilometers south of the Turkish border. Eight strikes
hit the base's runway and storage facilities.
This decisive military action came after intelligence and satellite surveillance
detected the entry of a high-level, highly experienced Turkish military and
intelligence delegation into the "Abu Duhur airbase" in Syria's Idlib
governorate, in preparation for the Turkish military to seize control of it and
threaten the freedom of Israeli aerial navigation. The Israeli forces waited
until the Turkish delegation departed before striking the base, thereby drawing
a definitive red line against Erdogan and his evil ambitions. While the Israeli
Prime Minister's Office indicated that a previous security understanding existed
with Damascus to prevent breaches of the status quo by allowing Turkish forces
to deploy, Syrian jihadist officials rushed—to save face regionally, nationally,
and islamically—to deny the existence of any such understanding, condemning the
strikes as a violation of sovereignty. Meanwhile the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey,
Thomas Barrack—who is a personal supporter of Erdogan's project and entirely
ignorant of the region's history—expressed his concern over this escalation.
Israel, which has always been clear regarding its red lines, has maintained a
secure buffer zone inside Syria since the collapse of "Bashar al-Assad's regime"
in December 2024, and has executed preemptive strikes against bases slated for
Turkish occupation, such as the T4 airbase in February 2025.
There is no doubt that the current Syrian leadership, led by al-Golani (Ahmed
al-Sharaa), falls under direct Turkish hegemony and control; Ankara occupies a
third of Syrian territory via 12 military bases, and its overt objective is to
reach the Israeli border through terrorist jihadist organizations, mirroring the
role played by the Jihadist-Iranian terrorist Hezbollah along the
Lebanese-Israeli border.
In conclusion, Erdogan—with his jihadist, Islamist, and expansionist Ottoman
illusions and schemes—represents the real and operational threat looming over
the Middle East. This rancorous Islamist, dreaming of reviving an empire buried
in the depths of time, poses a grave strategic threat that dwarfs the danger of
Iran's mullahs and their criminal regime. He openly flaunts his blatant
hostility toward the state of Israel while exploiting regional alliances to
advance his agenda. His expansionist, Ottoman-minded Muslim Brotherhood project
threatens Arab nations collectively, not just Israel, especially given that
Israel's objective is to forge peace and cooperative agreements with regional
states through the civilized, peaceful, and economic Abraham Accords, rather
than threatening them, occupying their lands, and spreading jihadist
organizations as Erdogan and the Iranian mullahs' regime do.
Consequently, a strong, visionary Israel dedicated to peace, stability,
openness, freedom, and a dignified life will unquestionably not allow Erdogan to
execute his expansionist and radical Islamist project. It will not hesitate to
apply the exact same rigorous military rules used to subdue the mullahs' regime
and its evil proxies—Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis—to shatter Erdogan's
illusions and expose the reality of his power and capabilities.
A US envoy clarifies his comments on Golan Heights that
contradicted Trump’s position
AP/August 23, 2026
BEIRUT: The US special envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkiye on Sunday walked
back his comments from two days ago that Israel “still” occupies the Golan
Heights in violation of UN resolutions, remarks that went against US President
Donald Trump ‘s position on the disputed territory.
Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed
it in 1981. The United Nations and most of the international community consider
the territory occupied Syrian land and does not recognize Israel’s annexation of
it. In 2019, Trump recognized Israeli sovereignty over the territory, reversing
decades of US policy. Ambassador Tom Barrack on Friday said that Israel “still”
occupies the territory in an interview with Lebanese-Australian entrepreneur
Mario Nawfal. Barrack now says that was a description
of the territory’s historical status, “not an endorsement of the United Nations’
position” on the Golan. “United States policy on the Golan was set by President
Trump in 2019 and is unchanged,” he said in a statement to The Associated Press
on Sunday. He said he intended to explain why he does
not anticipate annexation in Lebanon, where Israeli forces are occupying parts
of the south after the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, and to argue that negotiated
agreements, rather than territorial maps, are more durable and that he had cited
the Golan as an example that “territory taken by force remains contested for
generations.”In the Friday interview, Barrack had also criticized Israel’s
strikes on an air base in northern Syria earlier last week. Israeli officials
said the strikes intended to prevent Turkiye from establishing a presence at the
base. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz defended
the strikes, saying on X on Sunday that critics who initially called it
“unnecessary and politically motivated” changed their position after the
government said they were based on “clear intelligence” and at the
recommendation of the Israeli army. He added that Israel would not allow Turkiye
“to establish itself in Syria and threaten Israeli security.”The strikes last
Tuesday have highlighted growing tensions between Israel and Turkiye over
Ankara’s increased influence in Syria following the fall of Bashar Assad.
Turkiye and Syria have denied that Turkish forces were due to be deployed at the
Abu Duhur base. Barrack’s comments on the Golan also sparked a backlash in
Washington. Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott wrote on X that the ambassador
appears to have “forgotten” Trump’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the
territory. Barrack went further on the defensive on
Sunday, responding to criticism of his assessment of ongoing negotiations
between Israel and Lebanon over Israeli withdrawal and the disarmament of the
militant group. He had said “there are two people missing from that
(negotiating) table – Hezbollah and Iran.” That remark prompted speculation
Barrack meant Tehran and Hezbollah should join the US-backed negotiations. On
Sunday, Barrack stressed that the US does not negotiate with Hezbollah, but said
he was pointing out that “the weapons in question are supplied and financed by
Iran,” which complicates negotiations over their fate. “I was describing the
difficulty of the problem, not proposing a new table,” Barrack told the AP.
“Hezbollah is a designated foreign terrorist organization. We do not negotiate
with it, and nothing I said suggests otherwise.” He also defended his remarks
questioning who would replace Tehran’s financial support for Shiite communities
in southern Lebanon, saying that raising those questions was “not conferring
standing on anyone.”
Barrack: Israeli Strike on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur Base
Sought to Bait Türkiye
Ankara: Saeed Abdulrazek/Asharq Al Awsat/23 August 2026
The Israeli strike on the Abu al-Duhur military base in northern Syria near the
Turkish border last Tuesday, may have been intended to provoke Ankara and is
considered a “very dangerous game,” US Special Envoy to Syria and Ambassador to
Türkiye Tom Barrack said on Saturday.
Eight Israeli airstrikes hit the airbase early Tuesday, targeting the runway and
storage facilities, Syria’s state-run Al-Ikhbariya had reported. In response,
Ankara accused the Netanyahu government of using “cheap politics” for electoral
gain and seeking to portray Türkiye as a new threat.
According to Barrack, the incident escalated from another Israeli strike in
Syria into a moment that could have triggered a far more dangerous regional
confrontation. The ambassador invoked the downing of a Russian jet in late 2014
that escalated regional tensions. In a YouTube interview with podcast host Mario
Nawfal and in comments to PBS NewsHour, Barrack said the incident in which
Israeli jets, without advance warning, struck the airbase in Syria - around 80
kilometers east of the Turkish border - intended to “bait” or provoke Ankara. He
described a situation in which fighter jets operate near a border without
coordination or warning as a “very dangerous game.”
Last Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office described the
airstrikes as a warning to Türkiye against expanding its military presence in
Syria or helping rebuild the Syrian armed forces.
In return, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani told Axios that Damascus
had previously informed Israel there were no plans to establish a Turkish
military base at Abu al-Duhur, which was being rehabilitated for use by the
Syrian Air Force. For its part, the Turkish presidency rejected the Israeli
allegations as “baseless,” accusing Netanyahu of promoting them ahead of
Israel’s October elections and calling on the international community to curb
Israeli actions threatening regional peace and stability. Barrack said Israel
might have received intelligence indicating Turkish military personnel or
military assets could be stationed at the Syrian base. According to Barrack,
Israel raised the concern with the United States about six days before the
strike. “We have some intelligence that there might be Turkish movement into
this site, which we would be very concerned about,” Barrack said about the
message delivered to Washington. Barrack then confirmed reports that Mossad
chief Roman Gofman had spoken with al-Shaibani several days before the strike to
convey Israel’s concerns. He described the talks as a two-hour, in-depth
conversation. Despite those contacts, Israeli forces struck the base’s runways
without Türkiye receiving advance warning of the operation.
Scenarios of Israeli Strikes on Abu Al-Duhur Base
According to Barrack, one possibility that led to the strikes on Abu al-Duhur is
that “the Israelis were baiting the Turks.”He directly linked this possibility
to Israeli politics, saying that the strike may have been a “very aggressive but
maybe a well-received pre-election concept.”He added that another possible
reason for the attack on Abu Duhur was a miscommunication between the Israeli
military and the country’s intelligence agency.Barrack said it was likely that
Israel had intelligence suggesting Türkiye may be bolstering its presence in the
area and “a commander somewhere in the field made a decision ‘We’re not going to
let that happen’... What they didn’t do is tell us or Türkiye.”Barrack said the
Turkish leadership exercised “maximum restraint and patience” when they saw
Israeli aircraft, and that they did not allow tensions to escalate into direct
conflict. He told PBS NewsHour that Türkiye had explicitly stated it has no
aggressive intentions or posture toward Israel and does not want to participate
in any military operation or direct conflict. “What the Turks want is a
sovereign and independent Syria, and that is what we, Israel, and all the
countries of the region want,” he said. While the American diplomat acknowledged
“Israel's legitimate security concerns,” he stressed that diplomacy and
maintaining open channels of communication “are a priority under the current
circumstances.”
Cheap Politics
For its part, Ankara said the Netanyahu government is seeking to portray Türkiye
as a new threat as part of “cheap politics” aimed at gaining an electoral
advantage. Türkiye's Communications Directorate on Friday warned that Israel's
increasingly aggressive threat rhetoric poses serious risks to regional and
global stability. It said the “cheap politics” pursued by Netanyahu and his
associates, which it said was also designed to secure an advantage in elections,
has no resonance in Israeli society, the region, the international community or
Türkiye. The directorate strongly rejected remarks by the Israeli Prime
Minister's Office concerning President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.The office on Friday
called Erdogan an “antisemitic dictator.” The directorate described the comments
as an “impertinent rant” devoid of historical facts and political seriousness
and another sign of the desperation of an administration seeking to evade
accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Qmati says Hezbollah open to talks with US, studying 'all
options' as to Ali al-Taher
Naharnet/23 August 2026
Hezbollah Political Council member Mahmoud Qmati announced overnight that the
Iran-backed party is not completely closing the door to direct communication
with Washington, and that the decision will be made based on interest and the
appropriate circumstances. "The resistance has decided to be patient and give
the existing political process a chance, with the aim of achieving complete
liberation and the withdrawal of the occupation from Lebanese territory," Qmati
said in an interview on al-Manar television. He emphasized that "the resistance
remains strong and capable, and not responding to every attack does not signify
weakness or incapacity," stressing that "any Israeli attempt to advance and
occupy new territories or positions will be met with a response from the
resistance commensurate with the nature of the developments on the ground."
Regarding the issue of the strategic Ali al-Taher heights, he affirmed that "the
resistance's current decision is to stand firm and confront the situation, while
studying all options related to the location," categorically denying "the
presence of any Iranian fighters within the ranks of the resistance in southern
Lebanon." Qmati considered that "linking the liberation of Lebanese territory to
the issue of the resistance's weapons constitutes a dangerous path that
infringes upon sovereignty and Lebanon's rights," emphasizing that "sanctions
and the financial blockade will not push Hezbollah to retreat from the
resistance project or abandon it."
Israel intensifies south Lebanon campaign as Ali al-Taher
emerges as key challenge
LBCI/August 23/2026
The Israeli army has launched a broad campaign to accelerate the destruction of
what it describes as Hezbollah strongholds and infrastructure in southern
Lebanon, including the construction of new routes that Tel Aviv claims will
protect troops and facilitate the delivery of supplies.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military has intensified its attacks on Ali al-Taher
Hill, which it considers its biggest challenge, particularly as it insists on
remaining in the area until, according to its claims, tunnels are cleared of
Hezbollah members and personnel from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Officers in the Northern Command claimed to have discovered sites indicating
that thousands of armed fighters had remained in the area for extended periods,
as well as weapons depots, command-and-control rooms, observation posts and
launch platforms.
Israeli military officials also accused the Lebanese army of failing to carry
out its duties related to dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure. Amid intensified
strikes on Lebanon and threats by Israeli officials directed at Syria and
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Israeli officials warned that decisions
made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz on
these two fronts are being used as an electoral tool to boost the popularity of
Netanyahu and his party ahead of the upcoming elections. Opinion polls, they
said, indicate that the gap between Netanyahu and his strongest rival, former
army chief Gadi Eisenkot, is widening in Eisenkot’s favor.
The 'Ali al-Taher' Battle: A Test of Hezbollah’s
Capabilities
Beirut: Paul Astih/Asharq Al Awsat/23 August 2026
The battle for the “Ali al-Taher” heights is placing Hezbollah before a
difficult test that goes beyond its ability to defend the hill and prevent its
fall. It also tests the effectiveness of the military strategies it has recently
developed after conventional strategies failed over the past two years to
counter Israel’s military and technological superiority. Can Israel, through
firepower, air power and surveillance, suffocate the force deployed in the area
and undermine the conditions needed for its survival? Or can the underground
fortifications, tunnels, storage facilities and combat capabilities prepared by
Hezbollah give it room to continue wearing down Israeli forces and prolong the
confrontation?
Ability to Maneuver
Retired Brigadier General Bahaa Hallal says that, regarding Hezbollah’s military
position, “the land still has strategic value for it, but its defensive value
automatically declines if it shifts from a controlled area to an exposed area
under surveillance.” He explains: “The party’s core strength is not simply
holding the hilltop, but its ability to operate in depth and particularly in the
surrounding area, while Israel seeks to turn its air and intelligence
superiority into permanent ground superiority.”Hallal told Asharq Al-Awsat that
“the main challenge facing Hezbollah is maintaining its ability to maneuver. If
Israel manages to establish a presence, impose a buffer zone around the hill and
prevent the party from moving, the balance of power will gradually begin to
shift in its favor.”In this context, underground fortifications are among the
most important tools available to the defender. They can reduce the impact of
air superiority, preserve a degree of continuity and survivability, and prevent
the battle from being decided simply by control of the ground surface. Hallal
cautions, however, that fortifications that provide protection from bombardment
can become a burden if the area around them becomes besieged or isolated.
Isolated Pockets?
According to Hallal, this raises the central question in the “Ali al-Taher”
battle: “Do the underground facilities still constitute an integrated network
for maneuvering and communication, or have they become isolated pockets?”Hallal
says the ability to make decisions, communicate and implement them, while
maintaining communication channels under pressure, will be among the main
challenges facing Hezbollah. However, Hezbollah’s model, historically based on a
degree of decentralization and flexibility, may mean that targeting a local
position or commander would not necessarily be enough to bring down the entire
system. Hallal says the party’s strengths include geographical knowledge,
organizational depth, the ability to exploit the mountainous terrain, and the
capacity to continue operating despite losing positions. By contrast, he
identifies Israel’s superiority in surveillance and air power, as well as the
risk of isolation, as its main weaknesses. He says that if Israel succeeds in
separating “Ali al-Taher” from Hezbollah’s broader operational theater, the
force there will face a more difficult defensive situation. He also considers
the destruction of villages, roads and homes to be a major strategic pressure
because it strikes part of the social and geographical environment in which any
local force operates.
A Network of Tunnels
Retired Brigadier General George Nader describes the “Ali al-Taher” hill as
being of major tactical importance because it overlooks a wide area north of the
Litani River and large parts of the area south of it. He also points to its
historical significance, as it was previously under Israeli occupation.
Nader told Asharq Al-Awsat that, according to the information on which he
relies, the hill is an important position for the command of the Radwan Forces.
It contains underground facilities and a network of tunnels linked to
ammunition, logistics, missiles, drones, fighters and operations rooms.
A Bargaining Chip in Negotiations
Nader believes that Israeli control of the hill would give Israel greater
leverage and a greater ability to impose its terms in future rounds of
negotiations, particularly if it manages to turn military control into an
established reality on the ground. He believes Israel’s destructive and
technological capabilities make the targeting of these facilities and tunnels a
possibility, warning that the presence of large quantities of ammunition and
missiles in the area could mean that any large-scale destruction operation would
have major repercussions.
Major Israeli Attack
Based on this, Nader expects a major Israeli attack to seize the hill,
considering that the objective could have political implications for Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who seeks to use control of the site to
demonstrate that he has succeeded in striking Hezbollah’s command center in the
south, thereby enhancing the security of the northern settlements on the eve of
Israeli electoral events. As for Hezbollah’s options
in response, Nader believes they appear limited given the difficulty of movement
south of the Litani River. This, in his assessment, makes it difficult to divert
Israeli forces or force them to disperse their efforts by opening other fronts
of movement in the area.
Exceptional School Year: South Lebanon Families Weigh
Options Amid War Fears
Beirut: Caroline Akoum/Asharq Al Awsat/23 August 2026
For many families in southern Lebanon, choosing a school is no longer a decision
made months in advance. With September approaching, parents are still weighing
where to enroll their children, watching the security situation and recalling
the upheaval of the past two years, when thousands of students were kept out of
classrooms, families were displaced and schools shifted from in-person to remote
learning. The uncertainty has produced starkly
different choices. Some families are enrolling children in schools in the areas
where they were displaced. Others are opting for lower-cost public schools in
case classrooms are forced to close again. Some are seeking schools in safer
areas that stayed open during the previous war. Normally, most Lebanese schools,
particularly private ones, complete enrollment by the end of the previous
academic year, allowing the new school year to begin with student lists already
finalized.
This year, some schools are keeping registration open through the first two
weeks of September as parents hesitate over where to send their children. “I
enrolled my children, but I still haven’t bought their books,” said Abeer, a
mother of three. “Every day I look at the book lists and wonder: Should I wait,
or pay for them and have the same thing happen as in the past two years? I’ll
wait until mid-September before deciding.”For Maryam, safety means keeping
school close to home. “My son is in first grade. I
enrolled him in the public school near us in the village,” she said. “That way,
if anything happens, I can pick him up quickly and flee at any moment.”Parents
from border areas who do not expect to return home soon are among those
searching for schools where they have been displaced.
Others are turning to public schools, known for their lower fees, wary of paying
high tuition only for schools to close again. Some families are taking another
approach: looking for schools in safer areas that managed to keep classrooms
open during the previous war. For parents reluctant to repeat the experience of
remote learning, that has become a key condition. “We decided to stay in the
area where we were displaced,” said Um Ahmad. “So I looked for a school that did
not close during the war and enrolled my children there.” “I don’t believe
remote learning is as beneficial as in-person education,” she said. “There is
also the severe psychological strain that war places on my children and on us
adults alike. So I believe in-person learning is better as long as it remains
possible.”
Schools prepare for both scenarios
Schools are facing the same uncertainty.
Several schools in southern Lebanon outside areas exposed to bombardment are
preparing to open for the new academic year, but they are not assuming in-person
learning will remain possible throughout it. One
private school in Nabatieh told parents it was preparing to “adopt in-person
learning whenever security conditions allow.”The message reflects a broader
effort by schools to prepare for either in-person or remote teaching, depending
on developments on the ground. The approach is also in line with the Education
Ministry’s plan for the 2026-27 academic year, which seeks to keep education
running according to conditions in each area: in-person teaching where safety
and preparedness allow, and remote learning in areas affected by the security
situation.
Between school and home, safety comes first
Some families have made the opposite calculation, choosing remote learning as
the safer option. Leila’s children had been attending
a secondary school in Toul, in the Nabatieh district. She decided to move them
to another school in Zebdine after their former school said it would return to
in-person teaching next year, while the new school announced it would continue
remotely.“I’ll keep them with me at home,” she said. “That will feel safer to
me.”The Tarhini family made a similar choice from abroad.
They left for Africa after the war broke out and enrolled their children
in a Lebanese school offering remote learning while they waited for the
situation to stabilize. “The political and battlefield
developments do not bode well, and it seems the war will undoubtedly return,”
the father said, adding that the family’s decision gave him greater peace of
mind for now.
What’s inside the pink containers? The explosives mystery
gripping south Lebanon
LBCI/August 23/2026
Pink-colored containers holding an unidentified substance have been spotted at
several sites across southern Lebanon, appearing alongside intensified Israeli
demolition operations that have triggered massive tremors and, at times,
earthquakes.
What is this substance?The Israeli army has not identified the material or
disclosed its composition. But it has revealed something else: the scale of the
explosives it uses. The story dates back to October 2024, when the Israeli army
blew up a Hezbollah underground facility stretching more than 1.5 kilometers. At
the time, it said it had used about 400 tons of explosives.
What type of explosives were they?
Israel did not answer.
Nearly two years later, a possible clue emerged in Houla, specifically on July
2, 2026, when a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol entered
a building. There, it found 385 containers with a combined weight of 4 tons of
explosive material. According to UNIFIL, the explosives consisted mainly of
ammonium nitrate compounds.
Who left them there?
UNIFIL’s statement did not say. Agence France-Presse,
citing a source familiar with the discovery, reported two notable details:
Hebrew writing and indications that the material was likely intended for use in
demolition operations. In a similar video, the
location of which could not be independently verified, Hebrew letters can also
be seen.This brings the pink containers back into focus, and their color remains
part of the mystery. But why might the Israeli army
use such materials instead of aerial bombs? The answer is simple: They are less
expensive, and their destructive impact is greater. The destruction, however,
could come at a very high cost to Lebanon’s infrastructure for years to come. It
is a military campaign aimed at eliminating Hezbollah’s presence above and below
ground by all available means. Its consequences, however, will continue to
affect residents of southern Lebanon after parts of the country were turned into
scorched earth, with a return to some areas potentially remaining out of reach
for some time.
Lebanon arrests food influencer over drug-laced treats
AFP/August 23, 2026
BEIRUT: Lebanon on Sunday arrested an online influencer known for his videos
about food who had been handed a life sentence in absentia for drug trafficking,
a judicial source told AFP. Georges Dib, known on
TikTok as “Doctor Food” and followed by more than eight million accounts, was
apprehended at his home in the far north governorate of Akkar, the source said,
speaking on condition of anonymity. Dib, who also owns a confectionery business,
would be taken to a detention center in Mount Lebanon, where he would face a new
trial on further drug trafficking charges, the source added. Two years ago, the
Lebanese judiciary issued a warrant for Dib, accusing him of “manufacturing
narcotics, trafficking and smuggling them abroad,” according to Lebanon’s
state-run National News Agency (NNA). The NNA said at the time that authorities
had seized confectionery and other food products at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri
International Airport that contained narcotics and were manufactured in
factories owned by Dib. The products were to be shipped to a Gulf country, the
news agency reported. Despite an arrest warrant and conviction against him, Dib
continued to post videos on TikTok. Last month, after news of his conviction was
made public, he denied the accusations in one of his videos, urging followers
not to listen to what was being said about him. Dib
rose to prominence on social media posting content about cooking and daily life
with his ex-wife, known as Shorouk, a Canadian of Palestinian origin who has
more than 15 million followers. They separated after
she accused him of abuse. On Saturday night, she held a “divorce party” at a
seaside resort in Lebanon attended by thousands of her followers.
LBCI celebrates 41 years: From the generation that built
its legacy to the one writing its next chapter
LBCI/August 23/2026
Forty-one years. More than just a milestone, it is a history written day by day,
voice by voice, face by face. Since its launch, LBCI has been a witness to some
of the defining chapters in Lebanon’s history. It has
covered wars and crises, kept pace with change, and accompanied Lebanese people
in their daily lives, remaining present in the details of their lives. But
behind every image on the screen is a story of the people who made it possible:
journalists, correspondents, news anchors, directors, producers, photographers,
technicians, administrative staff, and everyone working behind the scenes.
Generations have shaped this screen, and each one has left its mark on its
journey. Because LBCI is more than a news channel,
entertainment and programming have been an essential part of its identity over
the years. It has been home to the Murex D’or, Miss Lebanon and Shark Tank,
whose second season the station renewed, along with a lineup of concerts and
special programs marking different occasions throughout the year. This includes
Akram Min Meen during Ramadan, hosted by Wissam Hanna.Today, in its 41st year,
LBCI is not simply celebrating its past. It is living through a unique chapter
in its history. A new generation is taking up the torch alongside a generation
that witnessed the beginnings, lived through the changes, and accumulated years
of experience. It is a shared space. A space for learning and exchanging
knowledge between the two. The older generation is passing on the profession and
its secrets to the newcomers, along with the most important lessons that cannot
be found in books: the experience that can only be gained over the years. The
new generation, in turn, brings with it the ideas and tools of the modern era,
as well as a different perspective on media in a constantly changing world.
Between the two, the story continues, between one generation that built LBCI and
another preparing to write its next chapter. Because history is not made by the
screen alone, but by the people who bring it to life, those in front of the
cameras, those behind them, and those who believe that journalism is more than a
job; it is a lifelong story.
Israel Accelerates Destruction of Hezbollah "Fortresses"
in Southern Lebanon
Al-Markazia/August 23, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
The Israeli newspaper "The Jerusalem Post" revealed on Sunday that the Israeli
army has begun accelerating the destruction of Hezbollah's military
infrastructure in southern Lebanon, in accordance with directives from Israeli
Defense Minister Yisrael Katz. The newspaper noted that part of this
infrastructure was built in the form of "military fortresses." In its report,
the newspaper stated that the Israeli military is currently focused on Hezbollah
strongholds, most of which are predominantly Shiite villages. The army claims
that Hezbollah has established military infrastructure in these areas with
Iranian funding over the past two decades. The newspaper quoted officers in the
Israeli army's Northern Command as saying that Hezbollah, under Iranian
direction, has developed a strategic plan that focuses primarily on establishing
extensive military infrastructure in southern Lebanon. According to the report,
the plan targeted villages including Kfarkela, Khiam, Bint Jbeil, and Taybeh,
given their strategic location on roads and hills. Controlling these areas is of
significant military importance and allows Hezbollah to quickly reach the
Israeli border in the event of attacks toward the Galilee. During search and
raid operations conducted by Israeli forces in these areas, the army stated that
it discovered numerous facilities used by Hezbollah operatives as hideouts and
long-term residences, enabling them to move from concealed positions and launch
surprise attacks. The report indicated that the facilities discovered by the
army included weapons depots, command centers, observation posts, and launch
pads. The Israeli operations, according to the report, are not limited to
destroying Hezbollah's infrastructure. The army is also working to open new
roads to facilitate access to operational areas, enhance the protection of its
forces, and expedite the delivery of supplies. These roads are also intended to
allow maintenance teams access to Lebanese territory to repair engineering
vehicles and armored vehicles operating in the area. The newspaper reported that
some villages were constructed in a manner resembling "military fortresses,"
designed to provide advanced engineering protection for Hezbollah operatives,
particularly against Israeli airstrikes. It added that Israeli inspections
revealed military infrastructure within villages and towns, and beneath civilian
homes, including in areas like Zawtar al-Sharqiyah. The Israeli army stated that
its ongoing engineering operations in these areas aim to prevent Hezbollah from
regaining its capacity to conduct guerrilla warfare. The newspaper quoted field
officers as saying that Israeli forces, with intelligence support, are
conducting inspections in small villages, including Beit al-Sayyad south of
Tyre, where the army claims Hezbollah has invested heavily in establishing
military infrastructure. The Israeli forces are using their engineering
capabilities to dismantle this infrastructure. Conversely, Israeli security
officials asserted that the Lebanese army has not yet achieved the desired
results in dismantling Hezbollah's infrastructure, as stipulated in the
understandings reached through US mediation. These officials claimed that the
Lebanese army fears confronting Hezbollah and is therefore not acting swiftly
enough to locate and destroy the military infrastructure. They asserted that the
Israeli army would continue, in their estimation, its engineering operations in
southern Lebanon, aimed at undermining the party's strategic infrastructure,
believing that the combined effect of these operations would deliver a severe
blow to its military capabilities.
Anger escalates in eastern Lebanon against the “party’s” policies... the clans
rise up
Johnny Fakhry/Al Arabiya/August 23, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
Cases of "restlessness" and anger at Hezbollah's policies are no longer limited
to individuals from its environment, but rather have begun to trend towards the
formation of groups with moral and popular weight to confront it politically.
The tribes of Baalbek-Hermel (eastern Lebanon) and major families have begun
communicating with each other in order to form the “nucleus” of a joint
gathering under the name “Gathering of Clans and Families,” which includes
representatives from each clan and family with the aim of launching a unified
official position against Hezbollah’s policies. Sources from the tribes and
families of Baalbek-Hermel explained to Al Arabiya.net/Al Hadath.net that
communication began some time ago, and each clan and large family was asked to
appoint 3 Asmaa to represent her in this gathering in preparation for its
launch. She also indicated that “the gathering will not be limited to
Baalbek-Hermel, but has also begun communicating with Arab tribes in the Western
Bekaa and in Akkar in northern Lebanon, in order to include a possible number of
historical tribes and families.” She pointed out, “The goal is to officially
raise one’s voice against Hezbollah’s practices, which have placed members of
the Shiite community in an unhealthy relationship with the other Lebanese
components and in a position that is contrary to the decisions of the state and
its institutions, in parallel also with the tense relationship with Gulf and
Arab countries, especially in Syria.” The sources said, “In light of the
escalating security and political conditions in Lebanon and the region, it is
necessary to take the initiative and launch an official position centered around
supporting the state and its legitimate decisions, especially the issue of
restricting arms control.” The Lebanese army, and the call to respect Lebanon’s
sovereignty and not interfere in its internal affairs, while also emphasizing
support for the diplomatic track of the relationship between Lebanon and Syria
out of respect for the sovereignty of the two countries and not allowing any
party to threaten the security and stability of the second country. In addition,
the sources were keen on the necessity of “removing the Shiite community from
the quagmire of hostility with several components of the Lebanese and with the
Arabs as well, especially the closest neighbor Syria, in which Hezbollah placed
it, to its natural place like the rest of the other Lebanese sects.” Most of
which today stand with the state.” She also stressed the denial of what some
figures affiliated with Hezbollah had begun to circulate, describing the
initiative to bring together clans and families as an instruction from
Washington to tighten the screws on the party, and stressed that her initiative
came “out of concern for the fate of the Shiite community, which Hezbollah has
taken to a place that does not resemble it historically,” as she put it.
Hezbollah has always worked during the previous years to provide political cover
and moral protection for the tribes in Baalbek-Hermel, presenting itself. As a
social protection umbrella for them in the absence of the state and its
institutions. However, the escalating tension in Lebanon as a result of the
party entering the country into war twice in isolation from the state (in
October 2023 and March 2026 following the killing of Iranian guide Ali Khamenei)
prompted many Lebanese to express their rejection of these policies.
Israel hands over body of Lebanese man who died last year
Nidaa Al Watan/August 24, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
On Sunday, the Israeli army handed over the body of Lebanese citizen Roger
Khalil Abu Rahal, from the town of Qlaiaa in the Marjeyoun district, to the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which in turn delivered it to
the Lebanese Red Cross, with the assistance of the United Nations Interim Force
in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The handover took place at the Naqoura border crossing,
before the body was transferred to complete the necessary procedures and be
handed over to his family.
Stalemate in Rome Negotiations… Ali Taher Remains Unresolved!
Al-Markazia/August 23, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
Political and ministerial sources told Al-Jadeed that the Lebanese-Israeli
negotiations remain stalled due to Israel's continued intransigence, preventing
any breakthrough or progress, at least in the coming weeks. The sources
indicated that a settlement regarding Ali Taher Hill had been under discussion
for about a month, but Hezbollah did not accept it at the time. They noted the
ongoing back-and-forth on the issue between the United States, Israel, Speaker
Nabih Berri, the Lebanese government, and Hezbollah, without any serious
indications to build upon so far. Regarding the negotiations, ministerial
sources confirmed that no dates have yet been set for new rounds of talks in
Rome. They pointed to an agreement on Italy as the venue for the verification
mechanism, while the identity of the other participating countries, their roles
and responsibilities, their relationship with the Lebanese army, and the UN
mandate remain undecided.
According to sources, the September meeting is based on a Jordanian-French
initiative that has been under development, and invitations are currently being
arranged and the level of representation determined. The Lebanese army's needs
for fully implementing its deployment are estimated at billions of dollars,
based on field requirements and the proposals put forward in Egypt. Securing
support for the army requires international and Arab backing and remains linked
to the disarmament process and security arrangements from southern Lebanon to
north of the Litani River, extending to the Bekaa Valley. In this context,
informed sources indicated that the entity that will practically undertake the
verification task in the south has not yet been decided, with Italy being the
leading candidate. They explained that the lack of a verification committee is
preventing the implementation of additional pilot zones, meaning the current
stalemate continues.Al-Jadeed revealed that the Lebanese army commander will
inform those concerned in Rome that there is no problem with forming the
verification committee, provided there is full and mutual coordination. The
sources indicated that he will emphasize the need to avoid questioning the
army's movements and will also address the Israeli operations that are hindering
the implementation of its mission and deployment.
Rifi on the Anniversary of the Al-Salam and Al-Taqwa Mosque
Bombings: No Amnesty for Terrorism
Al-Markazia/August 23, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
MP Ashraf Rifi wrote on his "X" account: "Rifi on the Anniversary of the
Al-Salam and Al-Taqwa Mosque Bombings: No Amnesty for Terrorism." On the
thirteenth anniversary of the bombing of the Al-Salam and Al-Taqwa mosques in
Tripoli, we remember our martyrs who fell in a heinous terrorist crime that
targeted peaceful worshippers and struck at Tripoli and its civil peace. This is
not a crime with an unknown perpetrator. The Lebanese judiciary has uncovered
its threads, named those involved, and proven its connection to the apparatus of
the former Syrian regime. What remains is to complete justice by bringing to
account all those who planned, ordered, and carried out the attack, regardless
of their position. On this occasion, I renew my greetings and appreciation to
Judge Alaa Khatib, the judicial investigator in this case, who shouldered a
historic responsibility and forged the path to truth with courage and
professionalism, despite all the pressure. He proved that the judiciary, when
free from interference, is capable of uncovering the most serious crimes. And
after the fall of the regime that was linked to this crime And regarding the
other crimes committed against the Lebanese and Syrian peoples, there is no
longer any justification for delaying the full disclosure of the truth and the
prosecution of those responsible. The blood of the martyrs of Tripoli is not to
be forgotten or compromised, and justice does not expire with time. On the
anniversary of our martyrs, we say clearly: No amnesty for terrorism, no
protection for criminals, and no impunity. Glory to the martyrs of peace and
piety, glory to all the martyrs of Lebanon, and greetings to all who carry the
torch of truth and justice for Tripoli and Lebanon.
I am a Son of Amil: Neither Tehran is My Capital, Nor
Damascus
Colonel Charbel Barakat/August 23/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/08/156891/
In the midst of the wars affecting Greater Lebanon since its creation in 1920,
the mercenaries of Tehran—the group representing the so-called Guardianship of
the Islamic Jurist (Wilayat al-Faqih)—appear today as though they represent a
part of its people. But they do not. While it is true that the current
inhabitants of Jabal Amel stem from the original population that rooted itself
in this land and defended it, the remnants of these mercenaries fighting today
in the army of the Jurist bear no connection to them.
They have hijacked the people’s will and sold it to the highest bidder, ever
since Ottoman ideology took hold of some who claimed leadership among them
during the 1920 revolt of Youssef al-Azma and his faction of former Ottoman
officers against the Allies—whether in southern Lebanon against the French, or
in Iraq and the Jerusalem demonstrations against the British, aimed at
preventing those Allies from linking up with the White Russian Army fighting the
Bolsheviks.
They themselves displaced the population from Palestine through their hostility
toward the Jews and their subsequent rejection of the partition plans. Then,
they subordinated the people to Nasser’s expansionist ambitions to prevent
stability and plunge the country into a cycle of continuous wars. And when Sadat
came forward with peaceful solutions, they resisted and assassinated him.
Today, not one stone is left standing upon another in many of the once-thriving
villages of Jabal Amel, about which our poet (Mr. Youssef Habboub from Ain Ebel)
wrote:
I am the son of Amil, from its dripping springs my soul grew drunk,
And my heart was filled with goodness and grace.
I am the son of Qana; do you know where it lies?
Where the stone vats overflowed with light like wine.
I am the son of Meiss, a haven of good blessed by the purity of Abuzar
Al-Ghifari,
Rising in honor through his sanctity.
I am the son of Bayada, whose secluded sanctuaries were sanctified
By a monotheist storing up piety as his treasure.
I am the son of Amil, sheltered by the oak tree’s shade,
And crowned by the almond tree’s blossoms.
The terebinth on the hills kept me company,
And the daisy gifted me the fragrance of its whisper.
How often have I watered the tobacco plant with my sweat,
Only for it to force-feed me the bitterness of hardship.
Yet I remained steadfastly bound to the land,
Seeking neither favor to be begged nor a reward.
I am the son of Amila: neither Tehran is my capital,
Nor Damascus, nor am I to be bought or sold.
This land is my land, and this home is my kingdom,
Where I walk prouder than Marwan or Chosroes.
Indeed, the tribe of “Amila,” mentioned in the second millennium BCE as
inhabitants of this land, has no connection to the Marib Dam or the Arabs of the
Peninsula—it was documented here seven hundred years before the dam’s collapse.
It certainly has no connection to the mullahs of Tehran, the imams of Qom, or
even the events in Iraq during the era of Yazid ibn Mu’awiya, nor to the schools
of Basra and the religious seminaries (Hawzas), except through what might be
called an “exchange of knowledge,” as is the case with any philosophy on this
earth.
For anyone claiming religious authority to issue edicts asserting that God
commands them to fight their neighbors, slaughter their sons, destroy people’s
homes, and displace them just to increase the ranks of the oppressed—whom the
mullahs of Tehran exploit as fuel to control their neighbors, ruin their
civilization, and plunder their wealth—is sheer nonsense. Nay, it is a crime
against them and against humanity, which strives for openness and cooperation
among nations.
Then comes the distortion of history and the renaming of places to forge that
history. When they altered the name of Bilad Beshara and tried to invent a
similar name, the intention was to distort history and erase memory. And when
they seek today to add the name “Ali” to the height of “Nabi Taher,” they aim
once again to alter history. The southern region—like all of Lebanon—is filled
with shrines and sanctuaries of holy figures dating back to the times of the
Canaanites, Amorites, and other early inhabitants. Even forms of worship were
similar, while maintaining freedom of belief and diversity since ancient times.
Here, one close to God is called a Wali (saint); there, a prophet; and
elsewhere, a sheikh, saint, hermit, or worshiper—it makes no difference. All
understood the importance of drawing closer to God and transcending earthly
matters by ascending to high places, where thought becomes elevated above
material concerns, leaving God as One who dwells on high and listens to those
who strip themselves of materialism and rise above earthly passions.
In southern Lebanon, these holy shrines stretch from near the sea in Umm
al-Amad, to the hill of Urmus, Shamaa, Umm Afiyya near Tayr Harfa, Umm al-Zinat
above Mrowahin, Umm Yah in Debel, Ashirta in Ain Ebel, the goddess Anat, Sabb
El-Hawa, and Al-Nabiya in Bint Jbeil. Then to Nabi Yusha near Blida, Nabi
Muhaibib, Rabbat Lateen, Nabi Owaida near Odaisseh, and then Nabi Taher—around
which battles are fought today by wicked forces defiling its purity. Followed by
Nabi Sojod in Jabal al-Rihan, Nabi Mleech near Aramta, Nabi Safi high in the
peaks, and Nabi Misha near Mashmoushi.
None of these figures are prophets of the Old Testament; rather, in the local
memory of the land, they are holy men who drew close to God since the dawn of
humanity, doing good works and calling on people to transcend earthly
materialism toward what is higher. Thus, digging beneath these shrines is a
crime in itself, and changing their names to claim the site belongs to a fighter
is a direct blow to its sanctity. From this, we know that Heaven will curse
those who destroyed stone, killed human beings, and persist in their arrogance,
sanctifying blood and destruction.
The South will rise again and bloom with purity and love. Every evil will fade,
cleansed of the residue of hatred, returning to its former state: a land of
sanctity and modest means, yet filled with contentment and sufficiency, where
God is glorified through honest labor. The morning call on this land was always
a summons to good deeds: “Hasten to prayer… Hasten to success… Hasten to the
best of deeds.”
Will our people awaken from their slumber, and will conscience revive after all
this devastation? Will the true Shia rise up against the criminals who corrupted
the minds of their children with hatred, subservience, and materialism that
humiliated them and erased their past and dreams?
The state has opened a door for negotiations with our neighbors, but we say it
is not enough. Lebanon must declare its intention to end hostility and open a
new page of peace and cooperation, regardless of what other nations do. Our
border with Israel resembles those of Egypt and Jordan; let our situation be at
least similar, though we do not stop there. We want to build relations of
cooperation and friendship between the two countries and their peoples, so that
we never return to the policy of regional axes, wars, and destruction. We have
lived long enough in the shadow of continuous wrath; has the time not finally
come to transition to a stage where we live in the shadow of grace: the grace of
peace, openness, cooperation, and a prosperous life?
A Firsthand Look at the Shortcomings of LAF Enforcement in
a Pilot Zone
Claudia Groeling/This Is Beirut/August 22/2026
https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/features/reports/a-firsthand-look-at-the-shortcomings-of-laf-enforcement-in-a-pilot-zone
on August 20, This is Beirut visited Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, the first town
transferred from Israeli to Lebanese military control under the Trilateral
Framework’s pilot zone program launched last month. Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh is now
an important test of the Lebanese Armed Forces’ (LAF) ability to prevent
Hezbollah from reasserting its military presence.
Once we arrived at the LAF’s main checkpoint outside Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, the
soldiers waved our vehicle through without asking who we were, let alone
conducting an inspection. The soldiers were standing directly on the road
without a designated inspection area or other visible infrastructure associated
with a functioning checkpoint.
This is Beirut was traveling in a black Audi with tinted windows and press
markings placed only on the roof, making them visible to drones overhead. From
the checkpoint, LAF personnel had no apparent way to establish that we were
journalists or ascertain who was inside the vehicle. Two vehicles, including a
van, passed through the checkpoint ahead of us without either being subjected to
an identification check.
Once inside Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, an LAF officer stopped us and told us that
journalists were permitted to enter the area only between 10 a.m. and noon. It
was already 1 p.m. The officer then instructed us to leave the pilot zone,
remove our journalist vests, and return “as civilians.” In effect, the
instruction allowed us to bypass the restriction by concealing our status as
journalists rather than enforcing a consistent procedure governing who could
enter and leave the area.
These encounters raised questions about how the LAF was actually controlling
access to the pilot zone. Based on This is Beirut’s observations, the LAF
checkpoint did not appear to be following a consistent identification or search
procedure for vehicles entering the pilot zone.
An LAF intelligence source familiar with the operation on the ground told This
is Beirut: “These are not pilot zones, we don’t call them that. Notice how we
never used the term 'pilot zone' in our official statements.”
Alongside Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, the U.S. designated Froun and Srifa, both outside
Israeli military control, as the Trilateral Framework’s first pilot zones on
July 20.
The same LAF intelligence source said that the LAF considers pilot zones to be
areas from which the Israeli military has withdrawn. As such, the source added,
the LAF considers its primary role to be disposing of unexploded ordnance,
removing rubble, and assisting residents, rather than prioritizing the
disarmament of Hezbollah.
A local source from Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh confirmed this description to This is
Beirut. “There hasn’t yet been a case that we can point to in Zawtar
al-Gharbiyeh, which has been cleared, where we can say that the Lebanese army is
dismantling weapons depots or dismantling [Hezbollah] infrastructure,” he said.
This is Beirut traveled to the center of Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, where our local
source, who is from the town, identified a large number of military-aged men as
“Hezbollah members.”
An Israeli drone was visible directly overhead near Hezbollah’s “Wa Taawanou”
NGO, which the local source identified as directly run by Hezbollah. At the same
time, an LAF bulldozer was operating near individuals affiliated with the
Iran-backed militia. There is a stark contrast between the stated purpose of the
pilot zone process and the reality on the ground. The Trilateral Framework
intends for the Lebanese state to gradually establish control and dismantle
Hezbollah’s military infrastructure while preventing the group from
reestablishing its presence. Yet This is Beirut observed an LAF checkpoint
allowing entrants to pass without inspection, while a visible Hezbollah presence
operated in the same area as LAF personnel.
When the State Says "No"
Antoine Farah/Nidaa Al Watan/August 23, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
The Lebanese state deals with the demands of the International Monetary Fund
with clear selectivity. It listens to what pertains to financial and banking
reforms, acting as if it is obedient and compliant, never saying "no" to any
request, even if it infringes upon the interests of the people and the
constitution. Its constant response is: "We hear and obey." However, it appears,
on the other hand, deaf, stubborn, and closer to a philosophy of resistance when
it comes to reforming the state itself and the public sector. It acts like a
lion, saying "no" to the Fund, even if only silently! It seems that the Fund has
understood the "game" and raised the bar for its conditions regarding laws
related to the financial sector, while settling for a kind of gentle reminder
regarding public sector reform. It also appears that the funds holding Eurobonds
have grasped the situation and are now comfortable with the IMF's role in
encouraging the state to avoid defaulting on its domestic debt. This is
evidenced by the fact that Eurobond prices jumped to 29 cents before the
weekend, despite the escalating regional and Lebanese tensions, which cannot be
relied upon to explain the rise in the value of these bonds. Seven years after
the crisis began, it has become clear that what happened in Lebanon was not
merely a banking or monetary crisis. There was a comprehensive systemic crisis,
rooted in public finances, state policies, chronic budget deficits, and the way
the public sector and state-owned enterprises were managed. When the imbalances
accumulated to a point where the financial system could no longer bear them, the
crisis manifested itself in the banks, the currency, and deposits, but it did
not originate there. The necessary reform begins with the state: a more
efficient and less costly public administration, an end to political
appointments and patronage, reform of the salary and pension system,
restructuring of public institutions, and determining which should continue and
which should be merged, liquidated, or reorganized. Implementing the public
procurement law, strengthening oversight and transparency, modernizing public
financial management, and digitizing state institutions are not secondary
demands that can be postponed until after banking reform is achieved. In fact,
they are prerequisites for its success. A sound banking sector cannot be rebuilt
in a country that continues to generate deficits, nor can the confidence of
depositors and investors be restored if public institutions remain a source of
losses and financial risks. Furthermore, banks and depositors cannot be expected
to absorb the cost of the state's mistakes, only to then reproduce the very
conditions that led to the collapse. If the government is serious about
overcoming the crisis, it must stop treating public sector reform as a postponed
issue or a non-priority demand. Without a fiscally disciplined state, an
efficient public administration, and transparent and accountable institutions,
all other reforms will remain merely temporary fixes for a crisis that will
return in different forms. What is needed today is not just reforming the banks
so they can finance the economy, but reforming the state so that it does not
need financing and will not have to resort once again to depositors' funds.
Hezbollah's Casualties: Who Dares to Count Them?
Jean Al-Faghali/Nidaa Al-Watan/August 23, 2026 (Google
translation from Arabic)
The title of US Senator Paul Findley's book, "Who Dares to Speak Out,"
originally posed a question about the fear of saying what centers of power don't
want to hear. Today, the most pressing question in the case of Hezbollah seems
to be: Who dares to count them? Who dares to announce the true number of those
killed in the battles, and who dares to confront the party's supporters and the
families of its fighters with the reality of the losses, beyond the brief
statements and phrases that reduce death to an obscure number or a "martyr on
the road to Jerusalem"? The problem isn't the principle of announcing the names
of the dead, as Hezbollah has a history of publishing the names of its members
when they fall. However, the scale of the battles and the complexity of their
circumstances have made the issue of the dead and missing much more sensitive.
Even reports on Hezbollah's handling of the "martyrs' file" and the missing
spoke of the difficulty in identifying some bodies, and of conducting DNA tests
when identifying marks were absent. The challenge was identifying a body without
a necklace or any identifying mark: nameless bodies, shrouded in secrecy. Here,
the "count" becomes a political issue, not merely a statistical process. Every
name represents a family, every body a story, and every final number raises a
larger question: What was the outcome of the war? How many of Hezbollah's sons
did it pay for decisions in which not all Lebanese were partners? Even more
sensitive for Hezbollah is the fact that some bodies remain under rubble or in
combat zones, some still unidentified. The slogan "We leave no one behind"
sometimes clashes with the harsh reality of war: fighters fall, and bodies are
delayed in being recovered and identified. Herein lies the great paradox of
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's statement: "We are a people who do not abandon our
prisoners in jails." He later spoke of missing persons, asserting that the party
"has not abandoned them and will not abandon them." But the picture today
appears far more grim. When the dead are left on the battlefield, or their
identities are delayed, or they become mere undisclosed numbers, the question
becomes legitimate: Has the slogan remained a steadfast principle? Therefore,
perhaps it is time to replace Paul Findley's question with a more pressing
Lebanese one: Who dares to count them? Because the truth is not dishonored when
it is spoken, but rather when people are asked to believe a narrative that
doesn't even allow for knowing the number of those who were sent to their deaths
for it.
Did the Israeli negotiating delegation present maps of
tunnels under Baalbek Castle?
Majd Bou Mjahed/Al-Nahar/August 23, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
It may seem surprising and alarming that Tom Harb, director of the American
Middle East Coalition for Democracy, stated that "maps were presented during the
Rome negotiations, revealing the existence of another Ali Taher hill beneath
Baalbek Castle and its surroundings, with tunnels extending to the Keserwan and
Jbeil mountains." However, official Lebanese sources and information deny that
the Lebanese negotiating delegation was informed of any tunnels in Baalbek by
the Israeli negotiating delegation during the negotiations at the US Embassy in
Rome or those held in Washington, D.C. According to an official Lebanese
government source closely following the Lebanese-Israeli negotiations, speaking
to Al-Nahar, Israel did not present any maps or images of tunnels under Baalbek
Castle or extending from Baalbek towards the Keserwan and Jbeil mountains during
the negotiations with Lebanon, including those at the US Embassy in Italy. The
Israeli delegation did not consult with the Lebanese delegation regarding the
possibility of tunnels in Baalbek during the negotiations, nor did they report
any tunnels in the city. Therefore, there is no official Lebanese information
concerning any tunnels under the Baalbek Citadel and its surroundings, and
nothing of the sort was raised at the direct negotiations between Lebanon and
Israel. The Lebanese government relies on the presence of the Lebanese Army in
the Baalbek region, particularly in the area adjacent to the archaeological site
that includes the Baalbek Citadel. The Lebanese Army has not discovered any
Hezbollah tunnels under the Baalbek Citadel, nor has it provided the Lebanese
government with any intelligence reports about tunnels beneath it or extending
to the Keserwan and Jbeil mountains. Furthermore, according to exclusive
information obtained by An-Nahar from an official tasked with providing official
consultation and monitoring the negotiations with Israel from within Lebanon,
the consultations during the previous round of direct negotiations at the US
Embassy in Italy focused on defining the scope of the pilot areas from which the
Israeli army was agreed to withdraw in Zawtar al-Gharbiya, Frun, and
al-Ghandouriya. This was intended to resolve Lebanese-Israeli disagreements
regarding certain streets within or adjacent to these areas, and whether or not
they should be included in the pilot zones. The same official stated that the
previous round of negotiations in Italy also centered on the method for
verifying the disarmament in the pilot areas and which countries could
participate in verifying Hezbollah's disarmament there, although no final
decision was reached on the verification methodology or the participating
countries. However, the Israeli negotiating delegation in the previous round of
negotiations in Italy did not consult with the Lebanese delegation regarding the
possibility of tunnels in Baalbek, or their existence.
Nabih Berri's Experimental Rabbits
Jean Al-Faghali/Nidaa Al-Watan/August 23, 2026 (Google translation from Arabic)
For decades, Nabih Berri has mastered a political game based on keeping doors
open and possibilities suspended. In critical moments, many awaited a "rabbit"
he would pull out of his sleeve, like a magician, to overturn the equation,
postpone the deadline, or open an unexpected way out. But what if the last
rabbit left in his sleeve was the very "experimental areas" he had previously
rejected? Ironically, Berri was not ambiguous in his stance when the idea of
"experimental areas" was raised. In a press interview in June, he stated
clearly that Lebanon is "divided into a group of districts, not experimental
areas," and that what is required is a swift Israeli withdrawal from the
occupied districts, considering that experimental areas might prolong the
withdrawal by two years. However, subsequent developments have taken Lebanon in
a different direction. The concept of "experimental zones" has transformed from
a rejected idea in Berri's lexicon into a mechanism being implemented on the
ground. Zawtar al-Gharbiya became the first practical test of this model before
the experiment was expanded to other areas. Here, the political question becomes
more important than the procedural one: Did Berri change his position because
circumstances changed, or because his room for maneuver shrank to a minimum?
It's easy to interpret it as a maneuver. The seasoned politician Berri knows
that public rejection can be part of negotiation, and that raising the bar for
demands doesn't necessarily mean one is prepared to see them through to the end.
Accepting the "experiment" after initially rejecting it might be an attempt to
transform the retreat into a compromise: not full acceptance of the conditions,
but acceptance of the test; not a final surrender, but a phase whose results can
be monitored and measured. However, there's a harsher interpretation: perhaps
it's no longer a maneuver at all, but a tacit admission that the "international
tsunami" is too large for any Lebanese player to withstand. The mechanism is no
longer merely a Lebanese-Israeli understanding; it has become linked to an
American role, international verification mechanisms, and the deployment of the
Lebanese army, with the steps being outlined within a broader framework
agreement. When the alternative to acceptance is a clash with the United States,
Israel, and the international community, and perhaps the disruption of a process
intended to return the army to the southern regions and allow residents to
return, rejection becomes less effective than ever. At that point, the question
is no longer: What does Berri want? But rather: How much power does he still
have to impose his will? Herein lies the irony: Berri's "rabbits" used to
signify surprises and exits. Today, however, his "experimental rabbits" may
signify the exact opposite: the rabbit pulled from his sleeve is not a
game-changing solution, but a face-saving compromise in the face of a reality
whose rules have changed. Berri may indeed be maneuvering. But successful
maneuvering requires room to maneuver. And the smaller this room becomes, the
more likely it is that the transition from "no" to "yes" will occur. Perhaps
Berri hasn't run out of rabbits in his sleeve yet. Perhaps the final straw was
accepting what he had previously rejected, then trying to convince everyone that
the acceptance itself was part of the maneuver. In politics, sometimes the most
dangerous thing a magician can do is not pull a new rabbit out of his hat, but
rather that the public discovers the hat is no longer hiding anything.
Interview With Alfred Madi, President of the “Other
Choice” Movement and founder of the Bachir Gemayel Academy/44 years after his
election, Bachir Gemayel’s election and vision of a free, sovereign, and strong
Lebanese state continues resonating across generations.
The Beiruter/August 23/2026
Bachir Gemayel: The vision that outlived the president
On 23 August 1982, amid one of the darkest chapters in Lebanon’s modern history,
the Lebanese Parliament elected Bachir Gemayel as the country’s youngest
president. Gemayel embodied, for many Lebanese, the hope of restoring state
authority, national sovereignty, and effective governance after years of
instability. Although he was assassinated just 21 days later, before formally
assuming office, his brief period as president-elect marked a turning point in
the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) while his vision and political legacy
continue to inspire supporters who believe he represented a unique opportunity
to rebuild the Lebanese state.
Speaking to The Beiruter on the anniversary of Gemayel’s election, Alfred Madi,
President of the “Other Choice” Movement and founder of the Bachir Gemayel
Academy, reflected on the political circumstances that led to Gemayel’s
presidency, the principles that shaped his political project, and why Bachir’s
vision continues to resonate today.
The election was the final step, not the beginning
According to Madi, understanding Bachir Gemayel’s election requires looking far
beyond parliamentary arithmetic. “Elections in Lebanon are not simply about
collecting votes,” he explained. “They must fit into a broader political and
geopolitical strategy.”
For Madi, Gemayel’s emergence as the leading presidential candidate was the
culmination of several years of political and military developments rather than
a campaign focused solely on securing parliamentary support.
He argued that the 1981 Battle of Zahle represented a decisive moment in
Gemayel’s rise. The prolonged confrontation between the Lebanese Forces (LF) and
Syrian forces transformed Bachir, in Madi’s assessment, into the country’s most
prominent national leader and significantly strengthened his presidential
credentials.
What truly made Bachir was that he had become a popular national leader.
Regional dynamics also played a central role. At the time, Lebanon had become an
arena where the interests of the United States (U.S.), Israel, Syria, Arab
states, and the Soviet Union intersected. Madi described the period as one
dominated by two opposing geopolitical camps, arguing that international
circumstances increasingly worked in Gemayel’s favor.
By the time the presidential election approached, Madi believed Bachir had
already become, politically speaking, the inevitable candidate.
No one else could truly rival him.
While international backing proved essential, Madi stressed that the internal
political battle remained equally important. Once the external environment
became favorable, attention shifted toward ensuring the parliamentary majority
necessary to secure the presidency.
He credited the late Zahi Boustany with overseeing the domestic electoral
strategy. According to Madi, Boustany coordinated negotiations among numerous
political actors with differing ambitions. While some eventually followed suit
in pursuit of parliamentary seats and ministerial portfolios, others simply
wanted Gemayel elected because they were loyal to him and believed in his
project. “After balancing all these different elements,” Madi noted, “Zahi
played the decisive role in assembling the parliamentary votes.”
For Madi, the election itself ultimately represented the final stage of a much
longer political process that had been shaped by military developments,
international diplomacy, and internal negotiations.
A vision centered on sovereignty, reform, and trust
Beyond the election itself, Madi believed Bachir Gemayel’s enduring significance
lies in the political vision he sought to advance.
He explained that what later became known as “Bachir’s dream” emerged from a
conviction that Lebanon’s existing political system had failed to preserve both
the country’s sovereignty and its social fabric. “The situation had become
unbearable,” Madi said, arguing that sectarian politics had weakened the state
and left Lebanon vulnerable to external influence.
Bachir, he added, had two crucial questions and concerns in mind:
How do we preserve the Christian presence? And how do we preserve Lebanon?
According to him, Gemayel’s political thinking and his entire political project
rested on three interconnected pillars.
The first was preserving Lebanon’s Christian presence, which he viewed as an
essential component of Lebanon’s pluralistic identity and coexistence.
The second was building an organized resistance capable of defending Lebanon’s
sovereignty during the Lebanese civil war.
The third was achieving what Madi described as “revolutionary political change”
through institutional reform and the creation of a capable, trustworthy
leadership.
Those objectives, he argued, required more than military organization. They also
demanded competent individuals committed to public service rather than personal
gain. Madi highlighted what he considered one of Bachir Gemayel’s defining
leadership traits: his confidence in those around him. Unlike many political
leaders who constantly monitored or doubted members of their own circles,
Gemayel, according to Madi, cultivated relationships based on mutual trust.
Political change required a clean, trustworthy team. That is how Bachir built
his team.
He recalled how philosopher Charles Malik had once described Bachir’s inner
circle as a team built upon complete loyalty toward its leader and complete
confidence from the leader toward his collaborators. For Madi, that culture of
trust became one of the foundations of Gemayel’s broader political project.
“That mutual confidence distinguished Bachir from everyone else,” he asserted.
The image of a disciplined state
Although Bachir Gemayel never formally exercised presidential authority, Madi
argued that his election alone generated an immediate psychological
transformation within state institutions.
To illustrate this point, he recounted the story of a Lebanese embassy employee
in Senegal who had routinely arrived at work late each morning. Following
Gemayel’s election, however, the employee reportedly began arriving at work
before official opening hours. When colleagues asked why, his response was
simple: “There is a President named Bachir now. There is no more joking around.”
For Madi, the anecdote illustrates how Gemayel projected seriousness,
discipline, and authority long before taking office. He attributes this
perception primarily to Gemayel’s personal integrity. Nor, he added, can a
leader expect discipline from public servants without personally embodying those
same standards.
You cannot teach people honesty and integrity if you yourself are corrupt.He
also recalled one of Gemayel’s well-known declarations: “What I say, I do. I
make promises, and I keep them.” According to Madi, consistency between words
and actions distinguished Bachir from many other political figures and helped
create widespread expectations that state institutions would once again function
according to clear rules rather than personal interests.
Asked whether Bachir would have succeeded had he survived, Madi declined
to speculate directly. Instead, he argued that Gemayel’s political record,
principles, and leadership style offered sufficient evidence for people to form
their own conclusions. “Judge him by his ideas, his message, his project, and
his accomplishments,” he said. “Someone who succeeds through his actions, his
vision, his principles, and his integrity leaves little room for doubt,” adding
that “there was no doubt in my mind that Bachir would have succeeded
completely.”Rather than focusing on one individual, however, Madi stressed that
Lebanon today requires an entire generation committed to those same values of
integrity, discipline, and public service.
It is not enough to have one Bachir. The important thing is that his path
continues.
The road to Baabda
Bachir Gemayel’s election was preceded by years of political preparation that
extended well beyond the battlefield. Following the unification of the LF in
1980, he tasked a group of senior political and military figures, including
Antoine Najem, with developing a strategy for Lebanon’s next phase. Their
deliberations culminated in a series of meetings, most notably the retreat held
at the Monastery of Our Lady of El-Bir in September 1980, attended by
philosopher Charles Malik alongside leading political, military, and
intellectual figures.
The following year, the Battle of Zahle significantly elevated Gemayel’s
national profile as LF fighters resisted a prolonged Syrian siege of the city.
The confrontation, coupled with growing international attention to Lebanon,
strengthened perceptions abroad that Gemayel represented an emerging national
leader. His July 1981 visit to the U.S. further enhanced his international
standing, while contacts with Western and Arab officials intensified as
Lebanon’s crisis deepened. As President Elias Sarkis’s
term approached its conclusion, Gemayel increasingly presented himself as a
candidate promising to restore state authority. After Israel’s invasion of
Lebanon in June 1982, he simultaneously sought broader domestic legitimacy by
engaging Muslim political leaders and visiting Saudi Arabia in an effort to
reduce opposition to his candidacy.On 24 July 1982, Gemayel formally announced
his presidential bid. Less than a month later, on August 23, Parliament convened
at the Military Academy in Fayadieh. 62 deputies attended the session, including
19 Muslim MPs. After falling short of the required two-thirds majority in the
first round, Gemayel secured 57 votes in the second ballot, becoming
President-elect of Lebanon. Forty-four years after his
election, Bachir Gemayel remains one of the most influential figures in
Lebanon’s contemporary history. While opinions about his political legacy
continue to differ, few dispute the profound impact his election had on the
country’s trajectory during one of its most turbulent periods. Although his
presidency was never allowed to begin, the ideals he articulated continue to
resonate with many Lebanese who see in his vision an enduring aspiration for a
united, sovereign, and effective state.
https://www.thebeiruter.com/article/the-lebanese-constitution-a-century-of-endurance-and-crisis/1750
The Latest English LCCC
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on August 23-24/2026
Video Link from the FIDF YouTube Platform/LIVE BRIEFING with Israeli Dr.
Mordechai Kedar, Vice President of Newsrael, Focusing on Erdoğan’s Dream of
Reviving the Ottoman Empire and His Role as a Leader of the Muslim Brotherhood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EInc4SZS-gA&t=287s
August 23/2026
Lara Krinsky opens the briefing by introducing Dr. Mordechai Kedar as a veteran
Israeli military intelligence expert whose focus is understanding the cultures,
ideologies, rivalries, and psychology behind Middle Eastern actors, not just
their surface-level statements. Kedar begins with Turkey, arguing that Israel’s
strike on the Abaza airbase in northern Syria was a direct warning to Erdogan
after Israeli intelligence saw preparations for a deeper Turkish military move
into Syria, closer to Damascus and therefore closer to Israel. He frames
Erdogan’s worldview as neo-Ottoman and Muslim Brotherhood-influenced, saying
Turkey sees former Ottoman lands—including Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and
Israel—as part of its historical sphere, while also supporting Hamas and
presenting a growing strategic challenge to Israel. Kedar says Israel’s
post–October 7 doctrine is to deal with threats while they are still “small,”
explaining that Israel’s actions against Turkey, Hezbollah, Iran, and Hamas are
part of a broader message that Israeli security now comes before every other
consideration. He also argues that new regional alignments—especially between
Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia—reflect fear that the U.S. may eventually
pull back before Iran is defeated, leaving Sunni states exposed to Iranian
revenge and destabilization. The conversation closes with Kedar warning that
Western leaders often misread the Middle East because they apply Western
assumptions to a region shaped by religion, tribalism, deception, and jihadist
ideology, while Lara ends by reminding viewers that Israel’s soldiers must be
ready for whatever comes next and urging support for their humanitarian and
well-being needs.
Iran President: US Memorandum is Best Path Out of Stalled War
Asharq Al Awsat/23 August 2026
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian defended a recent memorandum of
understanding as the best way for the country to move beyond what he described
as a situation of “neither war nor peace.”In a speech published by state-run
IRNA early on Sunday, he said members of Iran’s Supreme National Security
Council believed the memorandum represented the best possible agreement based on
what he described as dignity, wisdom and the national interest. “There is not a
single provision in this agreement that amounts to capitulation,” Pezeshkian
said. “The supreme leader sets the policies, and we will follow that path.”The
deal known as the Memorandum of Understanding that US President Donald Trump
signed in June set an ambitious 60-day deadline for ending the war with Iran and
reaching an accord on its nuclear program. That period ended last week, but the
two sides remain far apart, with no signs of compromise on the crucial issue of
reopening the Strait of Hormuz, vital to global shipping.
While stressing that Tehran did not intend to back down in the face of
its adversaries, Pezeshkian also linked the agreement to Iran’s economic
prospects, saying the country could not attract investment in this stalled
phase. “Capital and money are extremely sensitive to risk,” The Associated Press
quoted him as saying. “We have to remove this risk from the country.”Nearly six
months into the war with the United States and Israel, the Iranian economy is
suffering under sanctions and a naval blockade that is making it extremely
difficult for the country to export oil, its most valuable product.Meanwhile,
the hard-line new leader of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen
Rezaei, threatened Tehran’s neighbors against joining the new US effort to hurt
Iran’s economy. “If (Trump) wants to do something, we
will retaliate in a seismic manner,” he said in an interview with the state
broadcaster that aired Saturday. Rezaei was named this month as part of senior
appointments widely seen as hardening Tehran’s political and military stance.
His interview with IRIB is his most extensive public statement since then.
Iran: Pakistan's Army Chief to Visit Tehran on Monday
London: Asharq Al Awsat/23 August 2026
Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir will visit Tehran on Monday, Iran's foreign
ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Sunday, according to a statement
by the ministry. Baghaei said the visit was in continuation of Pakistan's
efforts to strengthen peace and security in the region. Pakistan has taken on
the mediator role in negotiations between Iran and the US aimed at ending
their war.The top diplomats for Egypt and Iran discussed efforts to bring Tehran
and Washington back to the negotiating table to settle the war, Egypt's foreign
ministry said Saturday. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi briefed his
Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, about “Iran’s view of ongoing
developments, the course of negotiations and their challenges,” the ministry
said, without elaborating. Araghchi confirmed the call. Separately, Araghchi
said he had a call with Munir.
Iran president admits country facing 'many problems'
Agence France Presse/23 August 2026
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged on Sunday that his country's
citizens face "many problems", after the United States launched a new wave of
sanctions seeking to further isolate its economy. "I understand we have many
problems in society right now. We are trying to prevent these as much as we
can," Pezeshkian said in a speech broadcast on state television.
His comments came after the United States vowed last week to bring about
the "collapse" of the Iranian regime through a newly announced sanctions
campaign, nearly six months after the start of their war.
In his response, Pezeshkian said that, thanks to U.S. President Donald
Trump, Iran was "in a full-scale economic, military and security war"."He says
he is imposing the most crushing and terrifying sanctions on Iran," Pezeshkian
said. The Iranian government has faced several waves of mass protest in recent
years, often triggered by economic hardships, including inflation and exchange
rate swings leading to declining purchasing power. At the end of December last
year, a protest movement initially sparked by the rising cost of living turned
into mass demonstrations denouncing those in power. Authorities reported more
than 3,000 deaths during the unrest, accusing the United States and Israel of
orchestrating the violence. Foreign-based NGOs, however, said officials had
launched an indiscriminate crackdown that left thousands dead. "We are striving
with all our hearts to overcome inflation, livelihood problems, unemployment,
and to secure the future of the people, so that they can live with dignity and
pride," Pezeshkian said on Sunday.
Iran warns any country joining US sanctions considered
'enemy'
Agence France Presse/23 August 2026
Iran has warned countries against participating in the United States' "economic
war" against the Islamic republic, saying they would be considered enemies.
Washington has pushed its allies to jump aboard Donald Trump's new campaign to
isolate the Iranian economy, as the U.S. President's unpopular war drags toward
the six-month mark. "We declare to all countries... do not join the economic war
waged by the United States," said Mohsen Rezai, the head of Iran's supreme
national security council, on state television. "Any country participating in
the imposition of economic restrictions against us is considered an enemy," he
added. If the countries concerned refused to "distance themselves" from the
United States, Iran would "harm" their interests, he added. Rezai also insisted
that the Islamic republic had more cards to play in the war, claiming that "we
have not yet attacked any American economic interests"."So far, we have only
targeted military bases, but if they want to impose economic sanctions on us,
the United States has oil and economic companies around Iran and elsewhere, and
we will strike them," Rezai threatened. Should Trump "take action, our
confrontation will be like an earthquake", he added. Washington has also called
on other governments to join its efforts to isolate the Iranian economy, notably
Beijing, among Iran's top strategic partners. But China has criticised the
initiative, arguing that American sanctions would not resolve the conflict in
the Middle East. One of Iran's major trading partners,
the United Arab Emirates, announced on Tuesday that it was suspending all trade
and financial transactions with Tehran until further notice.
Iran Executes Man Accused of Aiding US, Israel in Anti-govt
Protests
Asharq Al Awsat/23 August 2026
Iran on Sunday executed a man accused of carrying a chainsaw during January
anti-government protests who was charged with acting as an agent of Israel and
the United States. The judiciary said Majid Adineh had
been convicted of "operational action in favor of hostile groups" in nationwide
rallies that broke out late last year. He is one of a string of people put to
death over the protests, which were sparked by economic hardships in Iran.
Adineh was accused of "deliberate arson, gathering and collusion with the
intention of committing crimes against the country's internal security,” AFP
quoted the judiciary's Mizan Online website as saying in a report Sunday. "Based
on numerous documents and evidence in the case and the defendant's statements,
the Karaj Revolutionary Court sentenced him to death and confiscation of all his
property."An appeal by Adineh was unsuccessful and the Supreme Court upheld the
verdict, with his execution carried out Sunday morning, Mizan said. He and
another suspect were arrested on January 9 in Alborz province, west of Tehran,
carrying "a revolver, ammunition, two tasers, two tear gas canisters, a
rechargeable chainsaw, and a bottle of gasoline," Mizan added. The protest
movement was initially sparked in late December by grievances over high living
costs but rapidly evolved into widespread anti-government demonstrations that
peaked on January 8 and 9. Iranian authorities reported more than 3,000 deaths
from the unrest, attributing the violence to "terrorist acts" orchestrated by
the United States and Israel. The number of executions in Iran has risen since
the start of the Middle East war, which broke out on February 28 with US-Israeli
strikes against Iran. A large number of the executions have been linked to the
protests, with other cases related to the war. Iranian authorities executed at
least 1,639 people last year, a record high since 1989, according to Iran Human
Rights, an NGO based in Norway, and Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM),
which is headquartered in Paris.
Iran says it discovered over 7.5 trillion cubic feet of gas
LBCI/23 August 2026
Iran has discovered over 7.5 trillion cubic feet (212.4 billion cubic metres) of
gas in a field in the south of its Fars Province, according to Oil Minister
Mohsen Paknejad quoted by state media on Sunday. Given
an estimated recovery ratio, Paknejad said it was possible to extract about
5,700 billion cubic feet of gas from that field. Iran has estimated its pre-war
production at around 650 million cubic metres (mcm) per day, which translates
into around 8.4 trillion cubic feet per year. Tehran,
which has been carrying out repairs to its energy infrastructure damaged during
the war with Israel and the United States, now faces planned U.S. sanctions
that could put further strain on its economy. In July, a senior government
official said Iran expected to restore about 100 mcm per day of natural gas
production capacity "within the coming months," after strikes cut output by
about 230 mcm per day since the war started in late February. Paknejad said the
discovered gas was "sweet," which meant it would reduce both development and
operating costs. Reuters
Iran dismisses threat of new US sanctions as sign of
‘desperation’
Reuters/23 August ,2026
Iran’s foreign minister dismissed the threat of new US sanctions as a sign of
desperation on Sunday and said the expected new measures would fail to defeat
Tehran. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is
due to hold a press conference at 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT) on Monday, has
threatened to impose “the toughest sanctions in history” on Iran.Iran’s economy
is already under huge pressure from international sanctions, its infrastructure
has been hit repeatedly and thousands of people have been killed in airstrikes
on Iran since the US and Israel launched attacks on February 28. But Tehran
remains defiant after nearly six months of war and has brought shipping to a
virtual standstill in the Strait of Hormuz, refusing to allow unauthorized oil
tankers to transit a waterway that is vital for global oil shipments. The
effective blockade of the strait has pushed up global oil prices. Describing
what he said were “repetitive scenarios,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas
Araghchi said in a video posted on Telegram: “The fact that they (US leaders)
have moved on from military operations ... to bring up the same old plans shows
that they are desperate.” He said Washington must
speak to Iran respectfully to find “a solution based on justice and honor.”“We
have never been afraid. All of their actions – whether blockades or other
military moves they have made – have failed, and this new issue of theirs will
fail as well,” he said. US President Donald Trump has
warned of economic consequences against any country that provides “any type of
lifeline to Iran” and Bessent has urged cooperation with Washington by China,
which buys more than 80 percent of Iran’s shipped oil, according to 2025 data
from analytics firm Kpler. China has urged diplomacy.
Pakistan’s army chief to visit Tehran
Iran said Pakistan’s army chief, Asim Munir, would visit Tehran on Monday as
part of efforts to restore peace and security in the region, but gave few
details. Pakistan has been mediating in the conflict and a Pakistani government
source said Munir would touch on recent developments including the US threat of
new sanctions. Trump said on Friday that Washington was observing “what happens”
in the conflict. “They would love to make a deal, but
they’re not ready to make the right deal, in my opinion,” Trump said of Iran. US
attacks have severely diminished Iran’s economy and devastated its navy and air
force, but Tehran maintains enough missile and drone capability to impede oil
tanker traffic and attack regional rivals. Iranian Parliament speaker Mohammad
Bagher Ghalibaf said on Saturday that Tehran had received “numerous messages”
from neighboring countries about establishing new regional security arrangements
and economic cooperation. Ghalibaf did not say which countries he was referring
to. He accused the US of endangering the security of its allies in the region
for the sake of Israel, adding that an independent, “homegrown” regional order
would deliver peace and security. Trump has yet to achieve objectives he set at
the start of the war such as dismantling Iran’s nuclear program – the state of
which remains uncertain given that UN inspectors have been shut out since 2025 –
and creating conditions for Iranians to overthrow their clerical rulers. While
Iran remains defiant, President Masoud Pezeshkian has also called for a
diplomatic solution. “It would be better to end the war today, when we are
powerful and have dignity, and the whole world acknowledges our victory and
emphasizes that America, contrary to all regulations, attacked our schools,
hospitals, and infrastructure and is hated in the world,” the ISNA news agency
quoted him as saying on Friday.
Syria foreign minister sees Israel security talks resuming despite no trust
Reuters/23 August ,2026
Syria expects negotiations to resume soon with Israel over a security deal it
hopes will lead to Israel’s withdrawal from Syrian land, a top Syrian minister
said, urging Israel to seize a “historic opportunity” as the door for diplomacy
is open. In a Reuters interview in Damascus on Saturday, days after Israel
bombed a Syrian airbase, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani also stressed that
Damascus’ priority is to halt Israeli attacks, saying confidence-building steps
were needed in this direction. Washington has been
seeking to forge a security deal between Israel and the government of Syrian
President Ahmed al-Sharaa. But it has proven elusive as Israel has sent troops
into Syrian territory and attacked government assets, citing threats to its
security. Al-Shaibani said negotiations over the security agreement had been
frozen since the start of the Iran war, but he expected them to restart. Contact
between Syria and Israel was cut after the airbase strike, he said. “We believe
there should be contact, especially with a party that constantly threatens the
security of Syria. But if this contact doesn’t bring results, then we don’t need
it,” al-Shaibani said. “We do not trust Israel currently.”
The Israeli prime minister’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
US pressure
Al-Sharaa has said Syria poses no threat to other countries, with Damascus
focused on rebuilding from 14 years of war. “Israel has tried to maintain its
security through brute force and it hasn’t succeeded” anywhere, al-Shaibani
said. “I believe negotiations will resume soon.”No date has been set.
“The US is trying continuously to put pressure on Israel to return to the
dialogue table,” he added. Asked how optimistic he
was, al-Shaibani said: “It’s very hard to bet on Israel.” But Syria had “very
great hope” of building stable relationships with its neighbors.“Syria is
extending its hand for understandings, for peace, for diplomacy” and regional
stability.
Syria did not see Israeli will to make deal
Tensions over Syria were brought into focus on Tuesday when Israel bombed the
Abu al-Duhur airbase, saying Damascus was about to allow Turkish forces to
deploy there. Syria and Turkey denied the claim.
Al-Shaibani said Syria respected Israel’s security concerns but that Israel must
respect those of Syria, including Israel’s use of its airspace, Israeli raids
and arrests in the south. He said that around the
beginning of the year, the sides had “agreed on paper to almost everything”
regarding a security deal that would require Israel to stop attacking Syria and
was tied to its withdrawal from territory seized after Bashar al-Assad fell. The
deal would include several security zones in Syrian territory near the Israeli
border, including a buffer zone where only the United Nations would be present,
and others where Syrian forces would deploy in varying degrees of force.
But he said Israel had sought to evade implementation, adding: “We did not see
they had the real will to reach an agreement.”
Golan Heights
Syria and Israel have technically been in a state of war since 1948. Israel
seized the Golan Heights from Syria in a 1967 war. The priority now is to “stop
Israeli aggression even before reaching a security agreement,” al-Shaibani said.
“Then perhaps we can open the topics of peace and the Golan.”
US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said on Tuesday that Washington was
working to establish a mechanism to prevent conflict among Israel, Turkey and
Syria. Al-Shaibani said there was no agreement yet on the mechanism, which he
said must stop attacks and pave the way for the security deal rather than
“entrenching ... Israeli occupation.”The US State Department did not immediately
respond to a request for comment. Al-Shaibani said Israel had bombed Abu
al-Duhur even after Syria conveyed a message that it would not be a Turkish
base.
Israel conducts fresh strike in Syria after US criticism
Agence France Presse/23 August 2026
Israel carried out a fresh strike in Syria and lambasted U.S. envoy Tom Barrack
for criticizing an earlier attack on an air base in the northwest, which Israel
has accused Turkey of seeking to use.
U.S. envoy for Syria Tom Barrack on Tuesday slammed Israel's attack on the
disused military air base that day as an "unnecessary escalation that does not
advance regional stability". On Friday, in an interview with influencer Mario
Nawfal, Barrack said the strike may have been intended to provoke a conflict
with Turkey, prompting Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz to hit back on
Saturday, calling the remarks "full of inaccuracies". Since the December 2024
overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, Israel has carried out hundreds of
strikes in Syria and has sent troops into a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone that for
decades had separated Israeli and Syrian forces in the Golan Heights. Katz wrote
on X on Saturday that Israel had passed on "intelligence information to the
authorised parties in the United States" before the strike on Tuesday. He added
that Barrack's comments were "full of inaccuracies and positions that contradict
the stance of US President (Donald) Trump himself regarding the Golan Heights",
after Barrack called the territory "occupied".Israel captured most of the Golan
Heights from Syria in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and later annexed the areas
under its control, in a move only recognised by the United States and, this
month, also Colombia.
'Flagrant violation' -
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, commenting on the Tuesday strike,
said Turkey, an ally of the new authorities in Damascus, had been looking to
establish a military presence on the air base. Ankara
has denied any visit to the site. Netanyahu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan have traded barbs since the incident, and Ankara announced it was
seeking an Interpol red notice for Netanyahu, accusing him of "genocide" linked
to the interception of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
Netanyahu's office called Erdogan an "antisemitic dictator" while Erdogan's
office called the remarks "outrageous ravings" and accused Netanyahu's
government of "seeking to evade accountability".Also on Saturday, Syrian state
television said a man was wounded when an "Israeli occupation drone" targeted a
vehicle in the village of Beit Jinn, located southwest of Damascus near the
Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, with the foreign ministry calling it a "flagrant
violation" of its sovereignty. Israel's military
acknowledged the strike, saying that its forces "fired in southern Syria toward
a terrorist who advanced terror attacks in the final stages of preparation",
without identifying the target. Israel has carried out
repeated incursions into Syrian territory and has vowed to keep troops in a
so-called "security zone" in southern Syria, where it seeks a broader
demilitarised area.This week Israeli army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir
told troops in southern Syria that "we are monitoring the changes on the Syrian
front. We will not allow hostile forces to establish themselves on our borders."
Israel warns Hamas over kite launches from Gaza
AFP/August 23, 2026
JERUSALEM: Israel warned Hamas on Sunday that it would step up operations in
Gaza if launches of kites, drones and balloons toward Israel continued, after a
recent increase in such incidents, while Hamas denied responsibility. Israeli
media reported that four kites were found in communities near the Gaza border on
Saturday and one was shot down by the army on Sunday, bringing the total number
recovered in recent days to around 10. The incidents have revived memories of
waves of incendiary kites and balloons launched from Gaza in previous years,
which sparked fires in agricultural lands in southern Israel. According to the
reports, the Israeli military believes Hamas was behind the launches, which did
not carry explosives, and may have been testing how Israel would respond.
“Israel warns Hamas that if the launches toward Israel do not cease
immediately, the IDF will take action to intensify targeted operations against
those responsible... and will evacuate the population from areas from which
kites, drones and balloons are launched,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and
Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement. They said they had held
a security assessment with top military and security officials on Sunday to
discuss the matter. Uri Epstein, a leader for Gaza border communities — many of
which were attacked by Hamas on October 7, 2023 — told Channel 12 that “after
October 7, we will no longer tolerate the words ‘It will be ok’.”“The writing is
in the sky, and it’s the army’s responsibility to act in time.”Hamas meanwhile
denied responsibility for the launches. Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’s
political bureau, said in a statement that the kites were “launched from Gaza by
children searching for their innocent childhood amid the rubble.”In a separate
statement, the Islamist group accused Israel of using the kites as a “pretext”
for airstrikes in central Gaza on Sunday, in which three people were killed
according to Gaza’s civil defense rescue service.
Israeli airstrikes in Gaza kill two people, including a
4-year-old boy, medics say
Reuters/23 August ,2026
Two Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip on Sunday killed at least two people,
including a 4-year-old boy, and wounded seven others, Palestinian health
officials said. One of the strikes hit a building in Zawayda town in the center
of the enclave and followed a warning by the Israeli army for the owners of the
property to leave the area, residents said.Medics said flying debris and
shrapnel that spread for dozens of meters around had wounded at least six
people, including the 4-year-old, Mohammad Abdel-Salam Taha, who was later
pronounced dead at hospital. “There is no ceasefire, there is nothing,” said Abu
Ahmed, a displaced Palestinian who was sheltering close to the building, which
the airstrike reduced to a pile of mangled steel and concrete. “We want
solutions, we want to live in peace,” he said.
The second airstrike took place in the nearby Nuseirat refugee camp, the health
officials said.
Israel’s military said it was looking into both strikes.
Israel targets Hamas despite ceasefire
An October 2025 US-backed ceasefire halted major fighting in the shattered
territory, but it failed to end strikes by the Israeli military, which it said
aimed to thwart attacks by Hamas and other Gaza militants. The military said in
a statement late on Saturday that it had struck and killed a senior Hamas
militant, Sharif Al-Hasnat, in the city of Deir al-Balah. It said he was leading
efforts to restore Hamas’ “underground infrastructure.” Hamas accuses Israel of
violating the ceasefire and undermining efforts to implement a broader plan by
US President Donald Trump to end the Gaza conflict, which also includes Israeli
withdrawals and Hamas disarmament. More than 1,280 Palestinians have been killed
in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect last October, according to Gazan health
officials, while the Israeli military says four Israeli soldiers have been
killed.
West Bank violence
In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, an Israeli man was stabbed and wounded by a
suspect believed to be a Palestinian man, police and the Israeli military said.
Security camera footage distributed by the military showed a man waiting by a
vehicle next to a main highway near Jericho before stabbing the Israeli man when
he approached his parked car. The suspect fled on foot and Israeli soldiers were
searching for him, the military said. Elsewhere in the West Bank, health
officials said Israeli forces had shot and killed a 14-year-old boy, Islam
Ajjouri, during a raid into Askar refugee camp near Nablus.
The Israeli military said it was looking into the incident.
The West Bank, home to three million Palestinians and some 500,000
settlers, has seen a rise in settler violence and seizures of land and
resources. UN bodies and most countries view the settlements as illegal under
international law regarding military occupations.Israel disputes this and it
cites biblical and historical ties to the land.
Palestinian Authorities Say Israeli Army Kills Teen in West Bank
Asharq Al Awsat/23 August 2026
Israel's military killed a Palestinian teenager in the occupied West Bank on
Sunday, Palestinian health authorities said, while an Israeli and a Palestinian
were wounded in separate incidents. Israeli gunfire
killed Islam Ahmad Maher Ajouri, 14, in the Askar refugee camp where he lived,
outside Nablus in the north of the West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry
announced. Mohammed Abu Kashk, head of the Askar camp
services committee, told AFP that the teenager was killed by Israeli forces
during a raid on the camp. "There were no clashes or confrontations that would
justify shooting a child and killing him," he said. According to a source from
the Palestinian Red Crescent, Ajouri was hit in the chest by live ammunition. He
was pronounced dead at Nablus National Hospital. At his funeral, his uncle Ahmed
Mohamed Zamzoum told AFP that the boy went outside during the army raid. "Every
time the Israeli forces enter, one or more martyrs are killed," he said.
The Israeli army told AFP it was verifying the information. In a separate
incident, the army said it apprehended a man suspected of stabbing an Israeli
earlier on Sunday in Al-Auja, in the central West Bank. Israeli rescue service
Magen David Adom said the 24-year-old victim had "a penetrating wound". The man
was evacuated to a hospital in Jerusalem, and his condition was described as
"moderate". According to the initial findings of the investigation, the victim
parked near a shopping center and was "attacked from behind and stabbed in the
shoulder", Israeli police said in a statement.
Hani Najum, the head of the Al-Auja village council, told AFP that "the Israeli
army raided the village, deployed in its streets" and imposed a curfew.
In a third incident, the army reported that a "terrorist" attempted "to
steal a weapon from an IDF soldier" near the Palestinian town of Taybeh,
northeast of Ramallah, and that forces opened fire at the man, saying he was
"neutralized".Palestinian sources told AFP that the man, Aws Akram Maatan, from
the village of Burqa east of Ramallah, suffered an injury to his foot and was
taken to a Jerusalem hospital for treatment. The head of the Burqa village
council, Sayel Kanaan, said in a statement that Maatan had been shot "without
justification". Violence has surged in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied
since 1967, since the start of the war in Gaza sparked by Hamas's October 2023
attack on Israel. Israeli soldiers or settlers have killed at least 1,100
Palestinians since then, according to an AFP tally based on data from the
Palestinian health ministry. Over the same period, at least 48 Israelis have
been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations,
according to Israeli figures.
Trump Hits Back at Canada after Retaliatory Tariffs
Announcement
Washington: Asharq Al Awsat/23 August 2026
US President Donald Trump hit back at Canada on Sunday after Prime Minister Mark
Carney announced retaliatory tariffs on the United States following a breakdown
in trade negotiations. "Canada wants the benefits of
being a State, without being one!!!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
"They have also charged our great farmers, for many years, massive amounts of
Tariffs. No more!!!" he said.Carney said Saturday that new Canadian tariffs
would take effect on September 8, notably targeting the US steel and dairy
industries. New 50-percent US tariffs impacting about $20 billion worth of
goods, or 5.5 percent of Canadian exports to the US, came into force Saturday.
Trump had previously said Washington "should be able to have a deal with
Canada," citing his "good relationship" with Carney. But on Saturday, Canada's
prime minister said Trump set conditions that were ultimately unacceptable even
though earlier talks had been positive. "In recent
days, the United States proposed new terms that were uneconomic, unfair and
undermined the net benefits for Canada, and called into question the reliability
of any deal," Carney said in Ottawa.
"We cannot accept what they've offered, and we will not give what they've
asked."
French Ambassador to Asharq Al-Awsat: Mohammed bin Salman’s Visit Paves Way for
New Phase of Strategic Partnership
Riyadh: Fatehelrahman Yousif/Asharq Al Awsat/23 August 2026
A senior French official stressed that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s
visit to France on Sunday means, in short, that Riyadh and Paris are entering a
new phase of a genuine strategic partnership. He said the visit will address
diplomacy, security, defense, investment, energy, culture, technology, and
education. Patrick Maisonnave, the French ambassador to Saudi Arabia, told
Asharq Al-Awsat that the momentum is now being further strengthened through the
visit of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman to France and the
first meeting of the French-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council. According to
Maisonnave, the council is particularly important because it provides a
permanent institutional framework for this political ambition, allowing both
countries to set priorities, measure progress, and develop long-term cooperation
across the main pillars of the relationship. He added
that as the two countries seek to keep pace with profound geopolitical,
economic, and technological changes, Mohammed bin Salman’s visit demonstrates a
shared determination to move from a very strong bilateral partnership to a
comprehensive strategic partnership.He continued by saying that the readiness of
the two leaderships to work together is not limited to bilateral issues, but
also extends to regional stability, global challenges, and the major
transformations shaping their societies, as the partnership enters a new phase
with this visit. He explained that the transformation
Saudi Arabia is undergoing under Vision 2030, together with France’s strengths
in sectors such as energy, infrastructure, culture, innovation, artificial
intelligence, education, and creative industries, is creating new areas for
convergence. He stressed that the strategic dimension
of the partnership lies precisely in this development, moving from a
relationship based on strong cooperation to one increasingly grounded in shared
objectives, long-term planning, and joint initiatives.
A Convergence Resilient to Challenges
Maisonnave affirmed that Riyadh and Paris have a well-established partnership
and mutual trust that enable them to overcome the geopolitical challenges facing
the region. He noted that the bilateral convergence translates into close
coordination on the region’s most prominent crises.
He added that Paris and Riyadh are working together to support a two-state
solution for Israelis and Palestinians and create the necessary political
conditions for lasting peace. The two countries also share an interest in
Yemen’s stability and in protecting freedom of navigation and the security of
strategic maritime routes. According to Maisonnave, the two countries support
efforts to end the devastating war in Sudan and preserve the country’s unity and
institutions. They also support Syria’s sovereignty, unity, and recovery, as
well as the establishment of a stronger Lebanese state capable of exercising its
authority, while reducing external interference and the influence of non-state
armed groups. He continued by saying that France and
Saudi Arabia naturally have their own interests and perspectives, but have
developed the ability to engage in frank dialogue, particularly during periods
of regional tension and profound international changes. This has enabled the
relationship not only to endure, but also to continually reinvent itself.
Ambassador Maisonnave said the distinctive nature of the Saudi-French
relationship lies in its rare combination of historical depth, political trust,
and a shared ability to look to the future. Over the past century, he explained,
the two countries have built a relationship based on mutual respect, continuous
dialogue, and, most importantly, strategic autonomy.
He added that the relationship is no longer defined solely by its history or
traditional areas of cooperation. Instead, it is increasingly focused on what
the two countries can build together over the coming decades. French President
Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Saudi Arabia in December 2024 was a landmark moment
that gave new political momentum to bilateral relations.
He attributed the resilience of bilateral relations since their
establishment in 1926 to the fact that their strength lies in a century of
accumulated trust, sustained political engagement at the highest levels, and a
determination to adapt the partnership to each new historical period, despite
some turning points along the way. Maisonnave added that since diplomatic
relations were established in 1926, France and Saudi Arabia have steadily
expanded the scope of their cooperation. The relationship has accompanied the
transformation of the Kingdom itself while responding at the same time to
successive regional and international challenges. After 100 years, he said, the
relationship is broader and deeper than at any previous stage in its history. He
continued by saying that this continuity is particularly evident today in
diplomatic cooperation. At a time when the Middle East is going through one of
its most significant periods of transformation, France and Saudi Arabia share a
fundamental objective: preventing instability from becoming permanent and
restoring the priority of diplomacy, state sovereignty, and international law.
Of particular importance, according to Maisonnave, is that this diplomatic
coordination is developing alongside an equally deep economic and societal
partnership. France is accompanying the transformation taking place in Saudi
Arabia under Vision 2030 in areas ranging from investment and energy to culture,
tourism, technology, education, and human capital development.
In his view, this gives the relationship an unprecedented scope, noting
that strategic dialogue at the highest political levels is reinforced by growing
ties between the two countries’ economies, institutions, and societies.He also
noted that the centenary of the establishment of diplomatic relations represents
more than a commemoration of the past. It symbolizes the transition from one
chapter to another in the history of the relationship. Maisonnave explained that
the first 100 years established and laid the foundations for a relationship
based on trust. He stressed that the next 100 years must build on this legacy,
making France and Saudi Arabia not merely partners in a changing world, but
partners in shaping the future.
Saudi Arabia and France Seek New Routes for Security and Energy
Riyadh: Aziz Mathari/Asharq Al Awsat/23 August 2026
The visit by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister,
to Paris is not taking place under ordinary regional circumstances. The region
is experiencing a phase where wars and maritime security are redefining the
concept of economic security, while European countries are facing growing
questions about the stability of energy supplies and the resilience of trade
routes. In this environment, the Saudi-French
partnership gains a dimension that transcends the boundaries of bilateral
relations. Riyadh and Paris view regional security from two complementary
angles: Saudi Arabia from its position at the heart of the Middle East's energy
and trade systems, and France from its European and international position,
making their coordination of particular importance when it comes to protecting
supply lines and opening safer, more resilient alternatives.
The visit is taking place as the two countries seek to discuss the
diversification of energy transport routes and logistics, including maritime
routes, regional railway projects, and pipelines, in an effort to build a
network that does not rely on a single route in a region where geography has
become an influential factor in the global economy.
Security is no longer just military
Recent years have shown that energy security neither begins at a production
facility nor ends at a receiving station in Europe. The maritime corridor, port,
pipeline, power grid, and storage centers have all become links in a single
concept of security, and it is here that Saudi and French interests intersect.
Saudi Arabia is in a pivotal position between the Gulf and the Red Sea, while
France possesses a military and naval presence in the region, in addition to its
position within the European system. This provides both parties with room for
coordination in maritime security, the protection of trade routes, and the
development of infrastructure linking Asian and European markets.
Energy is changing
The issue is not limited to oil; the Saudi-French relationship is moving toward
hydrogen, renewable energy, electricity storage, smart grids, and carbon
capture, reflecting the transformation in the nature of the energy market
itself. Saudi Arabia possesses the advantage of resources, vast areas, and
investment capabilities, while France has a broad industrial and technological
base in energy, engineering, and transport. If both parties succeed in
integrating these advantages, cooperation could shift from merely purchasing
energy or developing a facility to building production, transport, and
technology systems.
Economy at the heart of calculations
Meanwhile, the volume of Saudi-French trade rose to around $11.79 billion (44.2
billion riyals) in 2025, while the balance of French investments in the Kingdom
jumped in less than a decade from around $7.49 billion (28.1 billion riyals) to
$18.53 billion (69.5 billion riyals).
However, the figures, despite their importance, do not alone reveal the future
direction of the relationship. The greater bet lies in investing in the sectors
that will drive the economy over the next decade: artificial intelligence,
advanced industries, health, tourism, transport, logistics, and new energy.
Here, Saudi Vision 2030 converges with France 2030 in the pursuit of an economy
more reliant on technology and innovation.
Beyond bilateral relations
Paris also holds political value for Riyadh. France is not only a European
nation with an advanced economy, but also a permanent member of the UN Security
Council and a power with a historical presence in the Middle East. Conversely,
Paris views Saudi Arabia as an actor whose role cannot be bypassed in any broad
regional arrangements. The scope of consultation between the two countries has
expanded to encompass the Palestinian cause, Lebanon, Syria, and Red Sea
security, alongside broader regional developments. Therefore, the Saudi-French
Strategic Partnership Council, which will hold its first meeting during the
Crown Prince’s visit, arrives at an opportune time to transform this
communication into a more regular mechanism, linking economic files with
political and strategic ones.
Common interests
What Riyadh and Paris are discussing for the upcoming phase does not merely
concern a new energy corridor or a new transport project; at its core, it is an
attempt to build a network of interests capable of withstanding crises. The more
diversified energy sources and transport routes become, and the more trade paths
multiply and technologies and industries are localized, the less vulnerable
nations become to sudden shocks. From this perspective, the Saudi visit to Paris
can be read as part of a broader discussion on the shape of the region and the
relationship between the Gulf and Europe in the coming years. Riyadh aims to
become a global economic and logistical hub, while Paris wants to maintain an
influential European presence in a region reshaping its balances and it is
precisely within this space that the interests of the two countries converge.
Zelensky Rejects Wartime Elections, Says Would 'Split'
Ukraine
Asharq Al Awsat/23 August 2026
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in remarks made public Sunday that it would be
too dangerous for Ukraine to hold an election while it fights Russia's invasion,
after a call by his former defense minister to organize a vote. "I believe that
in a war like this, elections as such are a huge risk. Elections right now are a
tsunami for the country that will split Ukraine," Zelensky said in the comments.
Ukraine has suspended elections under martial law, a measure still widely
supported by the population as the country focuses on fighting off Russian
forces. "If we want to destroy the country, then we can move in the direction of
elections during these times of war," the 48-year-old leader added. He held a
briefing with a group of journalists including AFP on Saturday, the first in
months amid several political crises. The latest upheaval saw thousands take to
the streets after Zelensky fired his defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov. The
ousted Fedorov this week made a surprise call to find a way to organize a vote -
but without offering a roadmap, and prompting even some of his supporters to
distance themselves from him. Experts have cited a flurry of obstacles,
including how soldiers, millions of Ukrainian refugees and people from occupied
territories would vote, as well as disinformation threats from Russia.
Only 15 percent of Ukrainians believe elections should be held before the
end of hostilities, according to a poll by the Kyiv Institute of Sociology.
Zelensky made numerous jab at his opponent during the briefing. "I believe he is
going himself -- or is being pushed - toward wrong things," Zelensky said of
Fedorov. The former minister had pushed for reforms but clashed with the
military's command and their traditionally stiff approach. The public initially
took his side and pushed for the dismissal of commander-in-chief Oleksandr
Syrsky. Zelensky said people had the right to protest but warned against
"disrespectful" attitudes to military people. "Since when has marketing started
to outweigh the people who are giving their lives?" he said. After a political
crisis that had weakened him, Zelensky was able to cast himself as a rampart
against division. "I believe that society and soldiers must not be divided," he
said, "We must acknowledge that there is this risk -- that there may be movement
in that direction, toward dangerous developments."
The Latest LCCC analysis & editorials from
miscellaneous sources published on August 23-24/2026
French-Saudi partnership seeks to
promote stability
Patrick Maisonnave/Arab News/August 23, 2026
On the occasion of his visit to France, I would like to extend a very warm
welcome to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. This visit takes place in a
meaningful year, as France and Saudi Arabia celebrate the centenary of the
establishment of their diplomatic relations. A century of dialogue, friendship,
and cooperation has created a relationship built on trust, mutual respect, and a
shared willingness to look to the future. This
relationship has become a genuine strategic partnership.
The visit of President Emmanuel Macron to Saudi Arabia in December 2024
was a milestone. It gave fresh momentum to our cooperation and reflected the
ambition to make it global. The crown prince’s visit to Paris is another
opportunity to take new initiatives in the context of the first meeting of the
French-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council. This
council provides a framework for stronger cooperation in diplomacy, security and
defense, investment, energy, culture, technology, and education. It also
reflects the increasingly close political dialogue between France and Saudi
Arabia at a time of profound changes in the world and the Middle East. Our two
countries share one clear principle: Lasting stability can only be rooted in the
sovereignty of states, the respect of international law, and the pursuit of
political solutions.The crown prince’s visit to Paris reflects the increasingly
close political dialogue between France and Saudi Arabia at a time of profound
changes in the world and the Middle East.
Patrick Maisonnave
We both share the objective of peace and stability for the region. Defending
freedom of navigation embodies this common stance. Attacks on vessels and
threats to maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea are
unacceptable. Restoring normal navigation, free of unlawful restrictions, tolls
or interference, is essential for the Gulf and the global economy.
France and Saudi Arabia have worked closely together to restore a
political horizon and make the two-state solution a concrete objective rather
than a distant aspiration. We believe it is the only path to end the tragedy of
the Palestinian people which remains at the heart of our concerns. These efforts
were embodied by the New York Declaration of July 2025, which displayed the
leading role our countries play when they unite their forces. Across the region,
our countries remain equally committed to political solutions. In Yemen, we
support UN efforts toward an inclusive settlement and we condemn Houthi attacks
on Saudi territory and international shipping. In Sudan, we call for an end to
the conflict and foreign interference, while preserving the country’s
sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In Syria, we support unity, stability, and economic recovery, including through
practical initiatives such as the new Saudi-Syrian-French business council.
Last, but not least, we are cooperating to find a durable solution for the
benefit of the Lebanese people, which can only be achieved by strengthening the
state, disarming nonstate actors, and dismissing external interference.
Our partnership, however, is not only defined by regional crises. It is,
first and foremost, a partnership for growth and prosperity. France and Saudi
Arabia have worked closely together to restore a political horizon and make the
two-state solution a concrete objective rather than a distant aspiration.
Patrick Maisonnave
Bilateral trade reached €8.3 billion (SR36 billion) in 2025, reflecting the
strength and diversity of our economic relationship. Vision 2030 has opened new
opportunities in defense, infrastructure, energy, tourism, culture, transport,
healthcare, and technology. I commend the dedication of French companies to the
Kingdom’s transformation. Thanks to their continuously growing investments, they
have become a major employer for the Saudi youth.The Riyadh Expo 2030 will offer
another exceptional opportunity. France will be proud to participate and intends
to make its commitment a major moment in our bilateral relationship, mobilizing
French companies, institutions, expertise, and creativity on the way to the
event and during this amazing moment to come.
From Understanding to Implementation: Riyadh and Paris
Redraw their Partnership
Aziz Mathari/Asharq Al Awsat/23 August 2026
Saudi-French relations enter a distinct phase with the visit by Prince Mohammed
bin Salman, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to Paris. The partnership
between the two nations is no longer governed solely by the traditional files
that have long formed the relationship's foundation. Instead, it is moving
across a broader scope that brings together the economy, technology, energy,
defense, and culture, placing project implementation at the forefront of the
upcoming period. The state visit carries a
significance that transcends its protocol dimension, coming at a time when both
countries are testing the ability of the partnership built over recent years to
transition from understandings and agreements into projects with a direct
impact. This is taking place as Saudi economic transformations redraw its
requirements from international partners, while France is seeking a more firmly
established position within the ongoing transformation taking place in the
Kingdom. The holding of the Saudi-French Strategic
Partnership Council for the first time during the visit reflects this
transformation in the nature of the relationship. The council, established
following President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Saudi Arabia in late 2024, was
designed to serve as an overarching framework for relations in political,
economic, cultural, defense, and other fields, thereby providing cooperation
between Riyadh and Paris with an institutional channel at the leadership level
of both nations.
A partnership in search of ‘the project’
In previous years, it was easy to list the fields of Saudi-French cooperation:
energy, defense, aviation, transport, culture, and tourism. The new phase,
however, appears more closely linked to a different question: what can the two
countries build together? Here, the priorities of Saudi Vision 2030 intersect
with French industrial and technological capabilities. Saudi Arabia is expanding
its economy outside traditional sectors, searching for advanced technologies,
industrial expertise, and investment models capable of supporting sectors such
as artificial intelligence, advanced industries, health, tourism, hospitality,
and new energy. Conversely, French companies view the Saudi market as one of the
world's major new growth arenas, rather than merely a market for products and
services. The scale and diversity of Saudi projects grant French firms the
opportunity to participate across different phases of the project lifecycle -
from design and engineering to operations, localization, and knowledge transfer.
Figures demonstrate the expanding economic base of the relationship. The
volume of trade exchange between the two nations reached approximately $11.79
billion (44.2 billion riyals) in 2025. Meanwhile, the stock of direct French
investments in Saudi Arabia rose to around $18.52 billion (69.45 billion riyals)
in 2024, compared to roughly $7.49 billion (28.09 billion riyals) in 2015,
according to data from recent studies on economic relations between the two
countries. Over a single decade, total Saudi-French
trade reached around $93.04 billion (348.9 billion riyals), indicating that the
economic relationship has become more deeply established than being the product
of an individual deal or an isolated project.
Energy: The changing yet continuous relationship
For many years, energy has formed one of the sturdiest bridges in the
relationship. However, the nature of this cooperation is shifting with the
transformation of the energy sector itself. Moving beyond major partnerships in
refining and petrochemicals, most notably "SATORP" between Saudi Aramco and
TotalEnergies, the cooperation agenda is heading toward broader fields that
include renewable energy, hydrogen, energy storage, smart grids, and carbon
capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), alongside critical minerals. This
transformation aligns with Riyadh's efforts to build a more diversified energy
system, and with Paris's desire to expand the presence of its companies in
industrial transformation and low-emission energy projects. Consequently, energy
in the Saudi-French relationship is no longer an isolated file, but has instead
become part of reshaping the economy, supply chains, and technologies that will
serve both economies during the coming decades.
From supplier to partner
The same transformation applies to defense cooperation. The relationship, which
has historically been built on training, armaments, and the development of
military capabilities, is gradually moving toward fields more closely tied to
localization, technology transfer, maintenance, training, and the development of
domestic capabilities. The Kingdom's direction toward localizing a larger share
of its defense industries gives international partnerships a different meaning.
The requirement is no longer merely acquiring a military system or platform, but
building a sustainable domestic capability around it.
This opens an avenue for French companies to participate in a broader ecosystem
that encompasses manufacturing, engineering services, training, and research and
development.
Paris as a European gateway... and Riyadh as a regional hub
The economic agenda is inseparable from political developments. Saudi Arabia
possesses growing political and economic weight in the Middle East and the Arab
and Islamic worlds, while France enjoys permanent membership in the UN Security
Council, an influential presence within the European Union, and the ability to
maneuver regarding regional files. Coordination
between Riyadh and Paris, therefore, has gained importance that transcends
bilateral relations, particularly regarding regional security, the Palestinian
cause, Lebanon, Syria, and maritime security. Amid the disruption of trade and
energy routes in the region, the importance of seeking more diversified and
resilient pathways to transport energy and goods between the Middle East and
Europe also emerges - a file where the economic intersects with the strategic.
Saudi-French diplomatic relations date back to 1926, while France opened
its diplomatic mission in Jeddah in 1932. However, King Faisal bin Abdulaziz’s
stop in Paris in 1967 and his meeting with President Charles de Gaulle
represented a significant turning point in building a deeper political
relationship. Since that time, visits and agreements have continued, leading to
a phase in which relations experienced accelerated expansion concurrently with
Saudi Vision 2030.The importance of Crown Prince Mohammed’s current visit lies
in the fact that it comes after a long accumulation of agreements and
understandings, and in the presence of a new institutional framework for the
partnership. Therefore, the essential task ahead for Riyadh and Paris today
appears less connected to proving the strength of the relationship, and more to
demonstrating what this relationship can produce. The equation taking shape
between the two countries is no longer: what does France sell to Saudi Arabia,
and what does Saudi Arabia buy from France? Rather, it is how both parties can
invest the major transformations in their economies and global standings to
build shared interests that extend for years to come. This is precisely what
makes the state visit to Paris a milestone in the trajectory of the
relationship, rather than merely another routine stop within it.
Cuba's Walls
Samir Atallah/Asharq Al Awsat/23 August 2026
In the fall of 1983, an Iranian-backed force carried out the bombing of the
Marine barracks in Beirut. The bombing caused enormous confusion within the
Ronald Reagan administration and was seen as a major challenge to the president.
He decided to withdraw US forces from Beirut. Would Washington remain silent in
the face of such contempt? Was it not supposed to respond somewhere, and
quickly? Days later, America and its allies invaded
the island of Grenada in a noisy military spectacle, but one that was hardly
convincing. One fears that President Trump may consider the Grenadian
alternative, which is ready and fully in place. Cuba is on the verge of collapse
and falling apart. In recent months, it has been without water, electricity, or
salaries. One of the most unsuccessful and bleakest experiments in governance is
taking its final breath. For 61 years of defying American power, the island,
located 90 miles off the coast of Florida, has carried some of the most famous
and celebrated names: Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, Gabriel García Márquez, and
Ernest Hemingway. They were beautiful and failed
romantic eras. A small mountainous island wanted to defeat the most powerful
force in the world. Quite simply, Castro tried to drag the Soviet Union with him
onto American soil. The world almost exploded into pieces that night had Nikita
Khrushchev not decided that it was better for everyone to wake up alive. It is
likely that the idea of seeking a victory in Cuba has been on the table for some
time. An easy operation like Venezuela, and an ancient tree whose fruit has
withered. There are no longer any major names willing to denounce the situation
and accompany Guevara into the jungles to liberate the wretched. In any case,
whether President Trump annexes Cuba or not, it seems that Cuba is annexing
itself.
A World and a Human Being...But Without Humanity
Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awsat/23 August 2026
The matter is settled. There is absolutely no connection between the ancient
Arab poet Di'bil al-Khuza'i, on the one hand, and Elon Musk and Sam Altman, on
the other. That is what logic says, and the numbers confirm it. Di'bil was an
Arab poet who lived during the Abbasid era in Iraq between 765 and 835 AD, while
Musk is South African-Canadian-American and Altman is American. They live with
us in our own age. But perhaps, given their enormous financial fortunes and
advanced technology companies, they will live on for many ages and centuries to
come! Poor Di'bil once said:
When I open my eyes, as I open them, I see many, but I see no one.
Musk, meanwhile, believes that "the fundamental flaw of Western
civilization is... empathy." Yes, believe it or not,
"empathy," or kindness toward others. As for his colleague Altman, he was
recently quoted, while speaking about extraordinary scientific and technological
achievements, as saying that "there is no longer any need for humans(!),"
because every task performed by humans has now fallen within the capabilities of
artificial intelligence and robots, which will soon surpass them.
Talk of dispensing with humans has, in fact, become commonplace. Those who see
no need for human beings unless they are consumers are no longer embarrassed to
say so. Otherwise, why should they have to share the air, water, and earth with
them?
What need is there for millions and billions of hungry mouths? And is it
permissible to "put up with" shanties packed with their humble inhabitants, and
the filthy poor neighborhoods of the impoverished Third World cities, which
pollute the air of the green countryside and pampered suburbs of the affluent
world benefiting from Musk and Altman's innovations?
Some may say that those innovations will not be the preserve of the wealthy.
That may well be true. Indeed, I hope it is true. Especially since Musk told us
yesterday that the first vision devices will be implanted in human bodies within
12 months, enabling the blind to see. Musk, may God grant him health and
well-being, explained that his company Neuralink, which specializes in
developing innovations related to the regeneration of nerve cells, including
visual cells, will implant vision devices that will enable people who have been
completely blind since birth to see. He went on to say that, in the long term,
vision will become extraordinarily clear. Indeed, humans will acquire genuine
"superhuman visual capabilities," allowing them to see both infrared and
ultraviolet radiation, which the normal human eye cannot perceive. More than
that, several reports over the past months have indicated that numerous diseases
and disabilities affecting the nervous system, some of them hereditary, may be
on the way to being eliminated through research by Neuralink and others,
consigning them to the past.
In fact, I am personally very optimistic about this aspect. Many robotic and
sensing technologies, along with practical applications of artificial
intelligence, are now available in many parts of the world and across a wide
range of fields, from the emergence of driverless cars to surgery without
surgeons and journalism without journalists! Yet the problem, for someone like
me, is not simply the capacity to develop and innovate, but their ultimate
practical outcome. There is no doubt that scientific progress is a necessity for
life, as long as there are living beings whose fundamental human right is to
"live their humanity." Human beings do not live merely to avoid the alternative,
which is death. They live to be safe and organized beings in societies governed
by values, principles, ethics, and positive emotions. These are the distinctions
we have read about and benefited from understanding throughout the stages of
human history since the Stone Age.
What we have learned is that the concept of the "right to live" evolved into an
affirmation of the "right to a dignified life." The concept of "shared living"
developed into a "conviction in accepting differences" and tolerating them, and
was subsequently codified in "laws and constitutions." The concept of
"well-being" rested on "learning, knowledge, and skills training," followed by
the "refinement of knowledge" through the arts, taste, and the enjoyment of
pleasures that rise above the mere necessities of survival.
Today, even in the most advanced societies, we unfortunately find, in
parallel, applied scientific progress, or advanced technology, alongside a
frightening decline in values, principles, ethics, and positive emotions.
Rampant racism is now rearing its head in some of the world's most advanced and
most "democratic" societies. Contempt for the law and the authority of the
judiciary has become an accepted practice, justified by personal or partisan
interests.Even questioning the norms and international institutions that
regulate relations between states has become an ordinary and acceptable matter,
after education has fallen short in fulfilling its formative role, and the media
has failed to perform the watchdog function that earned it the title of "the
fourth estate," which is supposed to have a duty to safeguard democracy in free
countries.
In conclusion, scientific and technological progress is more than necessary for
human development. But without humanity, there is no value in the human being.
Is It Money, or Is It Values?
Sawsan al-Shaer/Asharq Al Awsat/23 August 2026
The homelessness crisis in Britain has worsened significantly, reaching record
levels. Around 4,793 people are sleeping rough on the streets in England alone,
while estimates by charities point to hundreds of thousands of people
experiencing homelessness in its various forms. These are the latest figures,
cited by British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who has outlined plans to provide
a route off the streets for those sleeping rough by Christmas, as part of
efforts to curb homelessness nationwide. The report
cited several reasons for the worsening crisis, including record rental prices
and rising living costs, a severe shortage of available social housing, as well
as economic pressures and increasing breakdown within family households. In my
view, these factors would not have created such a problem had there been a
social solidarity system similar to those found in our Gulf countries.
We take pride, thank God, in the fact that there are no homeless people sleeping
on the streets in any Gulf country, nor even tents set up for anyone to spend
the night in. This is not because there are no refugees or foreign residents,
nor because there are no poor or low-income citizens. Quite the contrary. The
Gulf countries are home to millions of foreigners from every part of the world,
East and West. We also have millions of Arab residents from countries facing
severe conflicts that force their citizens to emigrate, and many of them live in
the Gulf. The total number of foreigners and migrant workers in the Gulf
Cooperation Council countries exceeds 26 million, out of a regional population
of more than 63 million. Expatriates constitute the overwhelming majority of the
population in countries such as the UAE and Qatar, while their proportions vary
across the other countries. Yet all of them are treated with dignity and
respect. They have jobs, their children attend schools, and no one goes hungry
or loses their home among us. In any of the six Gulf countries, you cannot pass
by someone lying on the ground or by the roadside and simply walk past without
concern. This is not due solely to the financial means, prosperity, and oil
resources enjoyed by the peoples of the region. The main reason this phenomenon
has been prevented from taking root lies primarily in the "system of values"
shared by the peoples of this region, whose roots and origins are similar across
all six countries, whether religious or customary. What our faith has taught us,
together with the customs and traditions we have inherited, including the
principle that no one among us should go hungry when we have the means to share
with them, has reinforced a system of social solidarity in which no person is
left without support, regardless of that person's sex, religion, or status in
the country, and without distinction between citizen and resident.
Arab customs and Islamic values have created a unique system of social
solidarity. These values have been evident in every crisis and disaster that has
struck the region, whether wars or pandemics such as COVID-19. In each case, the
human being has been the central concern, with the right to protection and care
upheld without discrimination based on sex, religion, or race.
Our countries have not limited their care to those living within their
borders. The helping hands of the Gulf states have extended far beyond them,
with their humanitarian assistance accounting for more than 21 percent of total
global aid. The GCC-Stat has announced that the total value of relief and
humanitarian aid provided by the Gulf Cooperation Council countries reached $6.1
billion, placing the GCC states at the forefront of humanitarian action
worldwide.
Beware… The Iranian Aggression Is Coming
Ahmed Al-Sarraf/Al-Qabas/August 24/2026
(Free translation from Arabic by Elias Bejjani)
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/08/156900
American writer Thomas Friedman says: “The American-Israeli war with Iran
proved that the small can now behave like the large: with great power, high
precision, and low cost.”
The security situation in the region may deteriorate for the worse, and we will
be, in Iran’s view, the most tempting flank to strike. Even if war does not
occur, sentiments will remain charged against us by the Iranian regime.
Moreover, conceding to any of its demands would consequently mean submitting to
its blackmail in the future.The overall situation does not inspire reassurance,
especially after the American administration announced, albeit indirectly, that
it is not concerned with the security and safety of its “allies” in the region,
after its military bases in the area, or what remains of them, became a burden
on both itself and the host countries. This is something that would have been
unimaginable during the past four decades. It is also clear that American
frustration with the situation regarding Iran has reached its peak. The next
major step by the American administration, burdened with significant
responsibilities and obligations, remains unknown. Equally troubling has been
the issuance of successive statements by leaders of the Iraqi militias, openly
and strongly supported by Iran, declaring their rejection of the Iraqi
government’s plans to disarm them. Yesterday, the Iraqi government also
announced that it would not use force to impose its sovereignty over the
militias under Iran’s control.A number of senior Iranian officials recently
visited Iraq, met with the leaders of those factions, and reaffirmed their
financial, moral, and military support for them. Reports have also emerged
indicating that Iran is preparing to conduct military operations inside the
territories of its “adversaries” and to expand the role of Iraqi militias in
that regard.
This matter concerns us more than others, as we, along with the Kingdom, are the
closest to it geographically, which increases the possibility of military
movements or ground provocations along our northern borders, which clearly
appear to be outside the full control of the Iraqi government. We, and sisterly
Saudi Arabia, have previously suffered from the use of Iraqi territory by
Iran-aligned militias to launch missile and drone attacks against us. When the
regime of a state, whose decisions are difficult to predict, finds that its
existence has become endangered, it will most likely seek to transfer the danger
to other battlefronts, in application of the saying: “If I perish, so will my
enemies.”Therefore, based on various indicators, the possibility of war breaking
out and expanding remains conceivable. Even if it does not occur, this should
not deter us from preparing strongly and seriously for such a possibility, with
all the human, military, and technical capabilities at our disposal, as well as
our regional and international relations.
We must move quickly on several fronts simultaneously, as we do not have the
luxury of time. We should seek to strengthen the home front and “mobilize
civilians,” conducting military training for all capable or qualified
individuals to undertake various tasks, so that they may serve as popular
support for the army, police, and National Guard.There is no one better than the
son of the homeland to defend it, provided he is given the necessary means and
appropriate training. Our military forces have already inspired confidence in
their capabilities when they succeeded in intercepting slightly less than 100
percent of the missiles and drones launched against us by Iran. Our steadfast
youth also performed admirably during the vile Saddamist occupation of our
homeland, proving that Kuwait is not an easy morsel to swallow. Furthermore,
there are many areas of expertise and specialization that can be utilized in
monitoring borders, crossings, coastlines, oil wells, desalination and refining
plants, and vital factories.Anything is possible, and all the above measures are
required and carry no harm. They may prove greatly beneficial, even if we are
not exposed to any future dangers. We must also seek to establish alliances with
various powers and join the trilateral alliance between the Kingdom, Pakistan,
and Turkey. At the same time, we should seek military and technical expertise
from Taiwan and Ukraine, which, despite being preoccupied with its war against
Russia, remains willing, for well-known reasons, to provide technical and
logistical support in the construction and use of drones, especially since it is
hostile to Iran because of the latter’s support for Russia.Likewise, regarding
artificial intelligence applications, cybersecurity, and supercomputers, we
should not place all our “eggs in America’s basket,” or that of any other single
country, because of the risks involved. We must seek additional expertise and
technologies, particularly from China.
What Iran Took by Force Can Only Be Recovered by Force
Amjad Iskandar/Nidaa Al Watan/August 23/2026
Through bloodshed, destruction, and severe economic crises, Lebanon and the
region are moving toward a new phase, one of whose hallmarks is the retreat of
the terrorist states and organizations that have plunged us into a spiral of
absurdity since the 1950s. Given the experiences of the past, there are those
who doubt the nearness of happy endings and believe that the road is long and
that the ability to endure is eroding, especially since the Iranian regime, the
last heir of regional sabotage, places no value on those who die, go hungry, are
oppressed, and remain trapped behind the march of civilization.
There is no doubt that the United States and Israel have inflicted severe blows
on Iran and its factions operating in Lebanon and the region, but the knockout
blow will come only from within. This internal factor, through the passage of
time and many other elements, has demonstrated, in many examples, its
shortcomings and has appeared as the other face of authoritarian regimes.
Much is said about George W. Bush’s failure in “nation-building” in Iraq
after the invasion and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, while the failure of the
Iraqi components themselves to take control of affairs is overlooked. In Libya,
the same thing happened: international powers removed Gaddafi from the shoulders
of the Libyans, but those who came after him still await the mediation of an
international envoy whenever an issue arises.
For fifteen years after the outbreak of the revolution, the Syrians waited for
the downfall of the Assad family regime. One of the principal reasons for the
delay was that part of the opposition drifted astray and displayed the worst
ideas and practices, until Ahmad Al-Sharaa emerged from Idlib.
In terms of time, the labor pains in our region, leading to a stage of
stability, are measured in decades. While Syria appears to be the fastest in
emerging from the tunnel, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, and Lebanon remain countries
suffering at varying speeds on the road to stability.
We will remain trapped in the cycle of harm unless we recognize that our
internal crises predate even the establishment of the United States and Israel,
and that external actors may help in finding solutions or may worsen crises,
whereas only realistic national solutions endure.
Unfortunately, solutions in our region will not be achieved except through
compelling force, because the elements of sabotage, from Yemen to Lebanon
through Iraq, are organizations that were established by external decision and
came to dominate internal components. Therefore, the battle is a double one.
These components must reclaim their decision-making power, and in Lebanon the
Shiites are meant, from the Wali al-Faqih, in favor of a thinking similar to
that of Sheikh Mohammad Mahdi Shamseddine. However, such a reclamation appears
unlikely in the near term.
One reason is that what the external state, namely Iran, took by force in order
to dominate the Shiites cannot be recovered except through the force of the
“internal” state, namely the Lebanese state, to liberate the Shiites.In both
cases, the light scarcely appears except at a distant end of the tunnel. The
state, despite its historical positions, still believes that there are solutions
other than coercive ones. The result is that time is not working in its favor
and that it is moving toward a path of attrition that, along the way, will
destroy the chances of the emergence of a Shiite awakening capable of acting
within its own environment and engaging constructively with the other components
of the state. The path of attrition, by virtue of
international circumstances, cannot continue indefinitely. It will undermine the
regime’s ability to recover itself, paving the way for serious work on an
alternative system. If the state were to look through this lens, it would see
that it will be the first loser if, at this historical moment, it does not give
precedence to vision over the logic of calculations and equations.Files, images,
and data analysis are unavailable until usage resets tomorrow at 12:22 AM.
Continue chatting with text only, or upgrade for more access.
Try Plus free
Selected Face Book & X tweets
on August 23/2026
Mosab Hassan Yousef
Erdogan is playing with fire in Syria, teaming up with Jihadi al-Sharaa to build
a new Islamic axis against Israel. None of his missiles or planes can reach
Israel, so he’s trying to encircle us through Damascus.
And US envoy Tom Barrack is calling Israel’s strikes ‘unnecessary,’ even hinting
they might be election propaganda. If it weren’t for Barrack pushing Trump to
back this Turkey-Syria axis instead of the Kurds, we wouldn’t be facing this
growing threat today.
Eli Khoury
Tom Barrack Obama
He, or whoever provided his childhood ideological inspiration, embodies the
intellectual affliction that has haunted Lebanon since Adolph Saadeh’s 30s and
Don Quixote Nasser’s 50s.
Now thoroughly Americanized, the ease with which he Tucker-Carlsons himself into
baseless, naïve, designer political jargon reveals the personality that so often
accompanies such inspirations: Pretentia Ignorama. In American terms: just
another Kamala.