English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News
& Editorials
For January 07/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the
lccc Site
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2026/english.january07.26.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/channel/UCAOOSioLh1GE3C1hp63Camw
Bible Quotations For today
The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the
lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news
brought to them
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 07/18-30: “John summoned two
of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to
come, or are we to wait for another?’ When the men had come to him, they said,
‘John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or
are we to wait for another?” ’ Jesus had just then cured many people of
diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind.
And he answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind
receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the
dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone
who takes no offence at me.’ When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to
speak to the crowds about John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to look
at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed
in soft robes? Look, those who put on fine clothing and live in luxury are in
royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and
more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, “See, I am
sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.” I tell
you, among those born of women no one is greater than John; yet the least in the
kingdom of God is greater than he.’(And all the people who heard this, including
the tax-collectors, acknowledged the justice of God, because they had been
baptized with John’s baptism. But by refusing to be baptized by him, the
Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves.)”
Titles For The
Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on January
06-07/2026
Biblical and Historical Reflections on the Feast of the Epiphany/Elias
Bejjani/January 06/2026
Video and Text: “Astrologers Have Lied, Even If They Speak the Truth”/Elias
Bejjani/January 02/2026
Video- Link interview with Dr. Charles Chartouni in which he Links the Venezuela
Scenario to Iran: Trump has a “Short Fuse,” Aoun is a “Storyteller,” and What is
Adel Nassar’s Role?
Israel Strikes Multiple Sites in Lebanon ahead of a Key Disarmament Meeting
Two Killed in Raid on Kafr Dunin; Army Dismantles Facility in Siddiqin
Israeli strike levels 3-story commercial building in Sidon
Israel strikes buildings in south Lebanon, West Bekaa after evacuation warnings
Night Aggression on Sidon; Israel Hints at Operations in Dahiyeh
A New Map of Escalation: North of the Litani
Aoun says Israeli strikes undermine efforts to prevent escalation
Israeli UN Ambassador Denounces UNIFIL Interference with Aircraft: "Focus on
Implementing Resolution 1701"
Israel Complains About UNIFIL
Link Between Israeli Targeting of Anan and Siniq
The Quintet vs. The War: The Secret of Berri’s "Vacation" in Egypt/Mounir Rabih/
Al-Modon/January 6, 2026
Hezbollah Reorganizes Its Internal House/Hassan Faqih/ Al-Modon/January 07/2026
Disarmament and Reform Before the Lebanese Elections/Hanna Saleh/Asharq Al-Awsat/January
06/2026
Epiphany, and Jesus being reborn in us, every day/Lara Khoury Hafez/Face
Book//January 06/2026
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on January
06-07/2026
35 have been killed and 1,200 held in Iran’s economic protests
Five killed in clashes between Syria govt, Kurdish forces in Aleppo
Teen killed after bus hits ultra-Orthodox protesters in Jerusalem
Israel’s main airport receives passenger boost from Gaza ceasefire
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar in Somaliland after recognition
Israel Clears Final Hurdle to Start Settlement Construction That Would Cut West
Bank in Two
Foreign Media Group Slams Israel Govt for Refusing to Lift Gaza Press Ban
EU urges Israel to halt NGO registration law, warns it puts aid for Gaza at risk
‘Neither Gaza nor Lebanon!’ Iranian unrest is about more than the economy −
protesters reject the Islamic Republic’s whole rationale
Iran security forces use tear gas in Tehran bazaar; NGO reports 27 protesters
killed
Iran is plotting to assassinate Syria's al-Sharaa, Israel warns
Iranian Regime Struggling To Survive as Protest Death Toll Rises
New deadly clashes between Syrian forces and Kurdish fighters erupt in Aleppo
Syria Denies Rumors About Targeting of Sharaa, Senior Figures
Syria, Israel to Resume US-mediated Talks in Paris
Homeland Shield: STC forces withdrew from Yemen’s al-Mahra after handing over
Saudi Cabinet monitoring efforts to secure Yemen stability
Yemen’s president discusses security, reforms with US adviser
Homeland Shield commander says forces working to restore security in Yemen’s
Mukalla
Turkey demands Kurdish armed groups to surrender weapons
World is less safe after US action in Venezuela: UN Human Rights Office
Carney meets with Danish PM as U.S. ramps up talk of taking over Greenland
Prime Minister Carney says Canada will build up military to support peace in
Ukraine
Red Crescent says Israeli army gunfire wounds five in West Bank
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on January
06-07/2026
Not for Gaza, but for Iran: Protesters reject regime’s global proxy wars/Saeed
Ghasseminejad/The Jerusalem Post/January 06/2026
Trump has started to liberate Venezuela while striking the heart of Russia,
China, Iran’s evil global axis/Richard Goldberg and Peter Doran/ The New York
Post/January 06/2026
After Trump Hits Venezuela, Will China Invade Taiwan?/Gordon G. Chang/Gatestone
Institute./January 06/2026
An Even Better Trump Solution for Gaza/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone
Institute./January 06/2026
Maduro’s fall echoes Saddam’s final days/Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya
English/06 January/2026
Yemen Between the Logic of Domination and the Absence of the State/Ahmed Awad
bin Mubarak, Former prime minister of Yemen/Asharq Alawsat/January 06/2026
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on January
06-07/2026
Biblical and Historical Reflections on the Feast of the Epiphany
Elias Bejjani/January 06/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/150792/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaJeWqVGGJU
On the sixth of January, the Church commemorates the Baptism of our Lord Jesus
Christ at the hands of John the Baptist in the River Jordan. As recorded in the
Holy Gospel according to St. Luke (03:15-22): " And as the people were in
expectation, and all men reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether
perhaps he was the Christ, John answered them all, “I indeed baptize you with
water, but he comes who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not
worthy to loosen. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing
fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor, and will
gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable
fire.”Then with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people, but
Herod the tetrarch,† being reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s‡ wife,
and for all the evil things which Herod had done, added this also to them all,
that he shut up John in prison. Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus
also had been baptized and was praying. The sky was opened, and the Holy Spirit
descended in a bodily form like a dove on him; and a voice came out of the sky,
saying “You are my beloved Son. In you I am well pleased.”
The Mystery of Baptism: Death to the Old Man and Resurrection in Christ
In ecclesiastical and theological understanding, the Sacrament of Baptism is
considered the "Gateway to the Mysteries" and the bridge from darkness to light.
It is not merely a ritual of purification by water, but an act of total
liberation from the dominion of the Old Man—the man of original sin inherited by
humanity. By immersion in the waters of Baptism, the "Old Adam," with all his
worldly desires and separation from God, is buried, so that a "New Man" may be
born from the womb of water and the Spirit—reconciled with the Creator and
clothed in the robe of righteousness and holiness. The Baptism of our Lord in
the Jordan was not due to a need for repentance, for He is the All-Holy and
sinless One; rather, it was the inauguration of this salvific path. His descent
into the water was a washing of our human nature, and His ascent was a
proclamation of our victory over spiritual death, that all who are baptized in
His Name may become partakers of His Divine Sonship and heirs of eternal life.
The Site of Christ’s Baptism
Since the third century, continuous Christian tradition places the site of
Christ’s Baptism near the "Lower Ford," five miles from the Dead Sea. Upon this
site, the Greek Orthodox Monastery of St. John the Baptist was built. The
Syriacs call this feast "Denho," which means "The Dawning" or "The
Manifestation." Its Greek equivalent is "Epiphany," the name by which the feast
is known across European languages. The Arabic term "Ghattas" (Immersion) refers
to Christ being immersed in the Jordan River for His Baptism.
John the Baptist Baptizes and Prepares the Way
The Gospel according to St. Mark (1:1-11) "The beginning of the Good News of
Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
As it is written in the prophets, “Behold,† I send my messenger before your
face, who will prepare your way before you:* the voice of one crying in the
wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord! Make his paths straight!’ ” John
came baptizing‡ in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for
forgiveness of sins. All the country of Judea and all those of Jerusalem went
out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their
sins. John was clothed with camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. He
ate locusts and wild honey. He preached, saying, “After me comes he who is
mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and
loosen. I baptized you in§ water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.”
In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in
the Jordan. Immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting and
the Spirit descending on him like a dove. A voice came out of the sky, “You are
my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
The Site of "Al-Maghtas"
Recently, significant information has been uncovered regarding the area of
"Bethany Beyond the Jordan." Archaeological excavations along Wadi Al-Kharrar
since 1996, supported by biblical texts and Byzantine historians, confirm that
the site where John preached and baptized—including the Baptism of Christ—is
located on the East Bank of the Jordan River. During the 1997 excavations, a
series of ancient sites were found along the valley, including a Byzantine
monastery at Tell Al-Kharrar. The site features natural springs forming pools
that flow into the Jordan, creating a pastoral oasis.
Elijah’s Hill (Tell Mar Elias)
Wadi Al-Kharrar is the modern name for "Saphsaphas," which appears on the Madaba
Mosaic Map. Near the monastery complex lies a hill known as Tell Mar Elias, the
site from which the Prophet Elijah was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire.
Pilgrims have flocked here for centuries; the Russian Abbot Daniel wrote in 1106
AD about the cave where John the Baptist lived and the "beautiful stream of
water" that still flows there.
The Baptismal Pools and the Church of St. John
Three pools dating from the Roman and Byzantine periods (3rd to 6th centuries
AD) were discovered at Tell Al-Kharrar, designed for pilgrims to descend and be
baptized. Archaeologists also uncovered the remains of a Byzantine church built
during the reign of Emperor Anastasius, located 300 meters east of the river,
marking the traditional spot of the Epiphany.
St. Mary of Egypt
The region is also tied to the legend of St. Mary of Egypt, who left a life of
sin in Alexandria to find repentance in Jerusalem. After hearing a voice telling
her, "Cross the Jordan and you shall find rest," she spent 47 years in the
Jordanian desert in prayer and fasting. She was discovered by the monk Zosimas,
who gave her Holy Communion before her passing.
Epiphany Traditions in Lebanon
Epiphany (known as Al-Ghattas) holds a prestigious place in Lebanese customs,
traditions, and folkloric practices, as documented extensively in Fuad Afram al-Bustani’s
book, The Meaning of Days (Volume I).
The Passing of Christ: "Dayem Dayem"
One of the oldest Lebanese beliefs regarding Epiphany is that Christ passes by
at midnight. He blesses the families waiting for Him—those who stay awake until
midnight in joy and celebration. As He passes, He says: "Dayem! Dayem!"
(meaning: "May your joy and delight be everlasting!").
Families who sleep, lock their doors, or extinguish their lamps do not receive
this blessing. Because of this, some Lebanese refer to the Eve of Epiphany as
the "Night of Destiny" (Laylat al-Qadr), spending it in continuous supplication
and prayer.
Folklore and Nature
In their evening tales, people say that all trees bow to Christ as He passes
that night, except for the mulberry tree. For this reason, it is associated with
pride and arrogance; people "punish" it by breaking its wood and burning it
specifically on that night.
The Blessing of the "Mouneh" (Pantry)
Christ’s blessing also extends to the family’s provisions and stores, ensuring
their supplies remain abundant—"Dayem Dayem."
As midnight approaches, mothers rush to the "Beit al-Mouneh" (the pantry). They
go to the wheat containers, various grains, jars of oil and olives, vats of wine
or Arak, jars of ghee, pots of Qawarma (preserved meat), and baskets of raisins.
They stir these contents while repeating "Dayem Dayem," so that blessing
overflows and the provisions last throughout the year.
Theological and Historical Aspects of the Baptism
Why was the Sinless Christ Baptized? The Church affirms He was baptized "to
fulfill all righteousness." By His baptism, He sanctified the waters of the
Jordan, making them capable of granting "New Birth" to humanity. He was not
cleansed by the water; rather, the water was cleansed by His touch.
The Manifestation of the Holy Trinity: It is called Theophany because the three
Persons were manifested together: the Son in the water, the Holy Spirit as a
dove, and the Father’s Voice from the heavens.
The Symbolism of the Jordan: Just as Joshua led Israel across the Jordan to the
Promised Land, Jesus (the New Joshua) crosses the water to lead humanity into
the Kingdom of Heaven.
Note: The information in this article is compiled from various documented
ecclesiastical, theological, research, and media references/The Above Editorial
& Video are from the 2015 Archive
Video and Text: “Astrologers Have Lied, Even If They
Speak the Truth”
Elias Bejjani/January 02/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/138623/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akG1nXqso_E&t=608s
Have those who practice astrology, prophecies, lies, and hypocrisy replaced
Almighty God?
Have they truly become capable of reading the future and knowing the unseen?
There is no doubt that in Lebanon, almost all the owners of media facilities (TV
stations, radio stations, YouTube channels, newspapers, and online websites)
neither fear Almighty God nor the hour of His last reckoning. They brazenly
promote infidelity, hoaxes, and lies through programs that epitomize spiritual
decadence. These programs—whose stars are alleged astrologers claiming to know
and predict the future—are mere swindlers and hypocrites. Some of them are even
linked to regional and local intelligence groups that use misinformation to
propagate various conspiracies.This heretical media status is deeply flawed,
sad, disgusting, and frightening. Many Lebanese media institutions have sunk
into a mire of faithlessness and immorality.
To those responsible for these outlets—who promote the lies and trivialities of
heretics practicing magic, astrology, and false prophecies—we ask: Do you fear
God?
Do you believe in the Holy Scriptures? Are you aware of the dire consequences
awaiting those who engage in such satanic practices, condemned by Christian,
Jewish, and Islamic teachings alike?
We also ask Lebanese religious authorities: Why do you not take a firm stand
against every media outlet that promotes infidelity and Satanism through
programs of predictions, prophecies, and claims of knowledge of the unseen?
These programs blatantly defy all heavenly laws. Similarly, we question the
inaction of MPs, ministers, and other state officials: Why have you not enacted
laws to prevent these heresies, which are sinful according to all monotheistic
religions?
For those who follow the heresies promoted by most Lebanese media during the New
Year—whether in the homeland or the diaspora—this situation evokes memories of
the sinful eras of Sodom, Gomorrah, Noah, and Nimrod’s arrogance. Have
astrologers, false prophets, and hypocrites replaced God Almighty, claiming to
read the future and uncover the unseen? Do clerics, politicians, media
professionals, and heretics not understand that only God knows the future? Even
the prophets and messengers were not granted this grace. The holy books of
monotheistic religions unequivocally condemn practices such as spirit
preparation, sorcery, divination, astrology, and the reading of horoscopes.
These are considered satanic acts, and believers are urged to reject and avoid
anyone who engages in them. Such practices divert believers from God, leading
them toward darkness and deception.
In Islam, astrology and all forms of fortune-telling are explicitly prohibited
and forbidden (haram). As the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stated in
Sahih Muslim: “Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him about anything, his
prayers will not be accepted for forty nights.” If merely consulting a
fortune-teller results in such consequences, what fate awaits the
fortune-tellers themselves?
Christianity and Judaism similarly denounce these practices. The Bible teaches
that Satan often masquerades as good, using astrologers, magicians, and
fortune-tellers to deceive people and lead them astray. Those who fall into
these traps risk distancing themselves from God and embracing satanic deception.
Astrologers and fortune-tellers often become victims of their own delusions,
unknowingly serving as tools of Satan. As humans created in God’s image, we are
called to seek His will through prayer, faith, and adherence to His teachings,
not through sorcery or astrology.
Anyone who believes in the false claims of astrologers and fortune-tellers
commits a grave sin, as these acts defy the core tenets of all monotheistic
religions. It is no wonder our country faces tribulations, hardships, and divine
wrath. As our society mirrors the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, it should come as
no surprise that we endure God’s righteous judgment.
In conclusion, all who practice astrology, divination, and similar acts stand in
direct opposition to the teachings of heavenly religions. They defy God’s will,
becoming tools of Satan and slaves to sin, infidelity, and ingratitude. Those
who believe in or promote such practices are complicit in these acts and share
in their guilt. We end with a verse from Leviticus 20:27 (Old Testament): “A man
or a woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are
to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.”
NB: The Above Editorial & Video are from the 2023 Archive
Video- Link interview with
Dr. Charles Chartouni in which he Links the Venezuela Scenario to Iran: Trump
has a “Short Fuse,” Aoun is a “Storyteller,” and What is Adel Nassar’s Role?
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/150838/
January
06/2026
Description: An interview via “Al-Siyasa” website: An in-depth strategic
analysis of the events in Venezuela and their connection to the threats posed by
“terrorist states,” led by the regime of the “foolish and criminal Persian
Mullahs.”
Israel Strikes Multiple Sites in Lebanon ahead of a Key
Disarmament Meeting
Asharq Al Awsat/January 06/2026
Israel’s air force struck areas in southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday and
early Tuesday, including in the country's third-largest city. A strike around 1
a.m. Tuesday leveled a three-story commercial building in the southern coastal
city of Sidon, a few days before Lebanon’s army commander is scheduled to brief
the government on its mission of disarming militant group Hezbollah in areas
along the border with Israel. An Associated Press photographer at the scene said
the area was in a commercial district containing workshops and mechanic shops
and the building was uninhabited. At least one person was transported by
ambulance and rescue teams were searching the site for others, but there were no
immediate reports of deaths. On Monday, the Israeli army hit several sites in
southern and eastern Lebanon saying they held infrastructure for the militant
groups Hezbollah and Hamas. Those strikes took place nearly two hours after
Israel’s military Arabic language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted warnings on X
that the military would strike targets for Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas
groups in two villages in the eastern Bekaa Valley and two others in southern
Lebanon. The later strike in Sidon was unannounced and the Israeli army did not
immediately issue a statement on it. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency
said a home struck in the village of Manara in the Bekaa Valley belonged to
Sharhabil al-Sayed, a Hamas military commander who was killed in an Israeli
drone strike in May 2024. The areas were evacuated after the Israeli warning and
there were no reports of casualties in those strikes. Earlier Monday, Lebanon’s
Health Ministry said a drone strike on a car in the southern village of Braikeh
earlier Monday wounded two people. The Israeli military said the strike targeted
two Hezbollah members. The Lebanese army last year began the disarmament process
of Palestinian groups while the government has said that by the end of 2025 all
the areas close to the border with Israel — known as the south Litani area —
will be clear of Hezbollah’s armed presence. The Lebanese government is
scheduled to discuss Hezbollah’s disarmament during a meeting Thursday that will
be attended by army commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal. Monday’s airstrikes were in
villages north of the Litani river and far from the border with Israel. The
disarmament of Hezbollah and other Palestinian groups by the Lebanese government
came after a 14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah in which much of the
political and military leadership of the Iran-backed group was killed. The
latest Israel-Hezbollah war began Oct. 8, 2023, a day after Hamas attacked
southern Israel, when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in solidarity with
Hamas. Israel launched a widespread bombardment of Lebanon in September 2024
that severely weakened Hezbollah, followed by a ground invasion.The war ended in
November 2024 with a ceasefire brokered by the US. Israel has carried out almost
daily airstrikes since then, mainly targeting Hezbollah members but also killing
at least 127 civilians, according to the office of the UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights.
Two Killed in Raid on Kafr Dunin; Army Dismantles Facility in
Siddiqin
Al-Modon/January 6/2026 (Translated from Arabic)
An Israeli airstrike targeted the southern town of Kafr Dunin this afternoon
near the Al-Rimal cooperative. Initial reports indicate the strike hit a hangar
surrounded by several cars and vehicles. The Public Health Emergency Operations
Center later confirmed that the raid in the Bint Jbeil district resulted in the
deaths of two citizens, identified as Abbas Hussein Mahmoud and Mohammad Wassim
Faqih. Simultaneously, IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee stated on "X" that the
military targeted "Hezbollah terrorist elements" in the Khirbet Selm area of
southern Lebanon. Reports confirmed two fatalities from a strike on a house
there. Adraee claimed the strike was a response to Hezbollah's violations of the
ceasefire agreement. Captain Ella, the IDF's Arabic media lead, added that the
two targeted individuals were working to "rehabilitate Hezbollah military
infrastructure," noting one was an engineering operative leading reconstruction
efforts. She emphasized that such activity breaches existing understandings and
that the IDF will continue to remove threats.
Field Developments:
An Israeli drone dropped a sound bomb on citizens inspecting destroyed homes in
the western neighborhood of Ayta al-Shaab. A cluster bomb exploded in the town
of Al-Mari (Hasbaya district), wounding a woman who was transported to Hasbaya
Government Hospital. A remnant of war (missile) exploded in Hanaway (Tyre
district).
An Israeli quadcopter reportedly fell near the destroyed police station in
Odaisseh.
At dawn, Israeli missiles struck a three-story building in the Siniq industrial
area of Ghaziyeh (Sidon district).
Lebanese Army Dismantles Facility
In a separate development, the Lebanese Army began dismantling an underground
Hezbollah facility containing ammunition and missiles between the towns of Kafra
and Siddiqin. The facility is reportedly hundreds of meters long, and the
dismantling process is expected to take about a week.
UNIFIL Meeting
UNIFIL Force Commander Diodato Abagnara met with UN Peacekeeping Chief
Jean-Pierre Lacroix at the mission headquarters today. Abagnara briefed Lacroix
on the situation along the Blue Line and the mission's efforts to support
Resolution 1701 while operating in a complex environment.
Army Statement on Hermel
Following media reports regarding the sheltering of wanted individuals and the
presence of weapons in Hermel, the Army Command clarified that units conduct
periodic raids on complexes and camps to track criminals and illegal entrants.
It confirmed that a raid conducted on January 6 in Hermel resulted in no arrests
or seizures.
Israeli strike levels 3-story commercial building in Sidon
Associated Press/January 6/2026
Israel's air force struck areas in southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday and
early Tuesday, including in the country's third-largest city. A strike around 1
a.m. Tuesday leveled a three-story commercial building in the southern coastal
city of Sidon, a few days before Lebanon's army commander is scheduled to brief
the government on its mission of disarming Hezbollah in areas along the border
with Israel. President Joseph Aoun in a statement Tuesday condemned the attacks
as counter to both international efforts to deescalate hostilities and Lebanon's
efforts to extend the government's authority into areas long dominated by
Hezbollah and to disarm militants. An Associated Press photographer at the scene
in Sidon said the area was in a commercial district containing workshops and
mechanic shops and the building was uninhabited. At least one person was
transported by ambulance and rescue teams were searching the site for others,
but no deaths have been reported. Israel's military said Tuesday they targeted
weapons storage sites and infrastructure belonging to the militant groups
Hezbollah and Hamas. They acknowledged the sites were located in civilian areas
but blamed the groups for allegedly operating there. The strikes were the latest
in near-daily Israeli military action since a ceasefire signed more than a year
ago that included a Lebanese pledge to disarm militant groups, which Israel says
has not been fulfilled. They took place nearly two hours after Israel's military
Arabic language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted warnings on X that the military
would strike targets in two villages in the eastern Bekaa Valley and two others
in southern Lebanon. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said a home struck
in the village of Manara in the Bekaa Valley belonged to Sharhabil al-Sayed, a
Hamas military commander who was killed in an Israeli drone strike in May
2024.The areas were evacuated after Israel's warning. There were no reports of
casualties in those strikes. Earlier Monday, Lebanon's Health Ministry said a
drone strike on a car in the southern village of Braikeh earlier Monday wounded
two people. The Israeli military said the strike targeted two Hezbollah members.
The Lebanese Army last year began the disarmament process of Palestinian groups
while the government has said that by the end of 2025 all the areas close to the
border with Israel — known as the south Litani area — will be clear of
Hezbollah's armed presence. The Lebanese government is scheduled to discuss
Hezbollah's disarmament during a meeting Thursday that will be attended by Army
commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal. Monday's airstrikes were in villages north of
the Litani river and far from the border with Israel. The disarmament of
Hezbollah and other Palestinian groups by the Lebanese government came after a
14-month war between Israel and Hezbollah in which much of the political and
military leadership of the Iran-backed group was killed. The latest
Israel-Hezbollah war began Oct. 8, 2023, a day after Hamas attacked southern
Israel, when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel in solidarity with Hamas.
Israel launched a widespread bombardment of Lebanon in September 2024 that
severely weakened Hezbollah, followed by a ground invasion. The war ended in
November 2024 with a ceasefire brokered by the U.S. Israel has carried out
almost daily airstrikes since then, mainly targeting Hezbollah members but also
killing at least 127 civilians, according to the office of the U.N. High
Commissioner for Human Rights.
Israel strikes buildings in south Lebanon, West Bekaa after evacuation warnings
Agence France Presse/January 6/2026
The Israeli military launched strikes on southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday,
Lebanese state media reported, after warning it would hit what it called
Hezbollah and Hamas targets in four villages. It was the first such warning
issued by the Israeli military this year, as Israel continues to strike targets
in Lebanon despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah. An AFP photographer in Kfar Hatta,
one of the targeted villages in south Lebanon, saw dozens of families flee the
village after the warning was issued, amid drone activity in the area, adding
that ambulances and fire trucks were on standby. Lebanon's state-run National
News Agency (NNA) reported strikes on the four villages. According to the NNA,
the strike on al-Manara in eastern Lebanon caused "the complete destruction of a
house and serious damage to surrounding houses, cars and commercial
establishments."The Israeli military said in a statement it "began striking
Hezbollah and Hamas terror targets in Lebanon."In two separate posts on X, the
military's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee said the villages were Kfar
Hatta and Annan in south Lebanon, and al-Manara and Ain al-Tineh in eastern
Lebanon. Adraee said the military would hit Hezbollah sites in Kfar Hatta and
Ain al-Tineh, and Hamas sites in Annan and Al-Manara.The NNA said the home
targeted in al-Manara belonged to Sharhabil Sayed, a Hamas leader in Lebanon who
was killed by Israel in 2024.
Repeated attacks -
Despite a year-old ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Israel carries out
regular strikes on Lebanon, usually saying it is bombing Hezbollah sites and
operatives, and occasionally Hamas targets. Two people were killed in an Israeli
strike that targeted a vehicle on Sunday, around 10 kilometers (six miles) from
the border, the Lebanese health ministry said. In November, an Israeli strike on
south Lebanon's Ain al-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp killed 13 people. Israel
said it targeted a Hamas compound, with the group rejecting the claim. It has
also hit Hamas' ally in Lebanon, the Islamist group Jamaa Islamiya, which
claimed responsibility for multiple attacks against Israel before the ceasefire.
Under heavy U.S. pressure and fears of expanded Israeli strikes, Lebanon has
committed to disarming Hezbollah, which was badly weakened after more than a
year of hostilities with Israel including two months of open war that ended with
the November 2024 ceasefire. Lebanon's army was expected to complete the
disarmament south of the Litani River -- about 30 kilometers from the border
with Israel -- by the end of 2025, before tackling the rest of the country.
All four of Monday's targeted villages are located north of the river.
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Sunday called the disarmament efforts
far from sufficient. Lebanon's cabinet is to meet on Thursday to discuss the
army's progress, while the ceasefire monitoring committee -- comprising Lebanon,
Israel, the United States, France and U.N. peacekeepers -- is also set to meet
this week. At least 350 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon since
the ceasefire, according to an AFP tally of Lebanese health ministry reports.
Night Aggression on Sidon; Israel Hints at Operations in
Dahiyeh
Al-Modon/January 6/2026 (Translated from Arabic)
The Israeli website Walla, quoting security sources, reported that there is no
intention to reduce Israeli troop presence on the Lebanese border and that
operations could be launched even in the Southern Suburbs (Dahiyeh) of Beirut if
necessary. The source claimed Hezbollah is coordinating operations with the
Lebanese Army—a concern Israel has reportedly conveyed to the U.S. side. This
threat coincides with Israel expanding its aggression to areas north of the
Litani River. Shortly after 1:00 AM, Israeli warplanes destroyed a three-story
building and garages in the Siniq industrial area near Al-Raee Hospital, causing
several injuries. The IDF spokesperson claimed the strike targeted "underground
and overground weapon depots belonging to Hezbollah and Hamas," as well as Hamas
production sites. This escalation comes ahead of a "Mechanism Committee" meeting
and a Lebanese cabinet session to discuss the military's plan for the exclusive
possession of weapons north of the Litani.
A New Map of Escalation: North of the Litani
Al-Modon/January 6/2026 (Translated from Arabic)
Recent Israeli strikes in the Western Bekaa, Jezzine, and Sidon carry three key
indicators: A return to an escalatory path by Israel. The primary focus of this
escalation is now North of the Litani. Targeting is no longer limited to
Hezbollah, but includes allied Lebanese and Palestinian factions (such as Hamas)
that Israel deems a threat. Direct Messages: The strike in Anan (Jezzine) was
notable for Israel’s claim that the house was used by Hamas. Observers see these
strikes as a "message of fire" to the Lebanese state, signaling that it must
proceed with the plan to restrict weapons—including Palestinian arms—to the
state’s hands. Unlike Fatah, Hamas and other factions have not yet complied with
the government's plan. Sources suggest Israel is attempting to prove its
narrative that Hezbollah is rebuilding its military capabilities. By striking
these facilities, Israel is pressuring the Lebanese Army to inspect these sites
or face further aerial bombardment, mirroring the tactics previously used south
of the Litani River.
Aoun says Israeli strikes undermine efforts to prevent escalation
Agence France Presse/January 6/2026
President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday condemned Israel's latest strikes on Lebanon,
saying they undermine efforts to prevent escalation. Aoun's criticism came after
Israel launched a series of strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday,
saying it hit Hezbollah and Hamas targets. The attacks began with strikes on
four villages where Israel had issued evacuation warnings, though later bombing
including a strike in the early hours of Tuesday came without prior notice. In a
statement, Aoun said that "Israel's continued attacks aim to thwart all efforts
made locally, regionally and internationally to stop the ongoing Israeli
escalation, despite the response shown by Lebanon to these efforts at various
levels."In spite of a year-old ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, Israel
has carried out frequent strikes on Lebanon, usually saying it is bombing
Hezbollah sites and operatives, and occasionally Hamas targets. On Tuesday, the
Israeli military said its operations the day before struck infrastructure
"belonging to the Hezbollah and Hamas terrorist organizations in several areas
in Lebanon."According to the military, the targets included "several weapon
storage facilities and military structures, both above and below ground." The
strike early on Tuesday targeted Ghazieh, near the southern coastal city of
Sidon, destroying a building and damaging its surroundings, causing a fire on
site which firefighters deployed to combat, according to an AFP photographer.
The latest strikes come with the committee monitoring the ceasefire, which
includes the United States, France, Lebanon, Israel and the United Nations, set
to meet on Wednesday. Lebanon's cabinet will also convene later this week to
discuss the Lebanese military's progress in disarming Hezbollah, a plan launched
under heavy U.S. pressure and amid fears of expanded Israeli strikes. The
Lebanese Army was expected to complete the disarmament south of the Litani River
-- about 30 kilometers from the border with Israel -- by the end of 2025, before
tackling the rest of the country. In his statement, Aoun said the government's
plan to "extend its authority over the south of the Litani" was "implemented by
the Lebanese Army with professionalism, commitment and precision." Israel has
previously questioned the Lebanese military's effectiveness and has accused
Hezbollah of rearming.Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Sunday called the
disarmament efforts far from sufficient.
Israeli UN Ambassador Denounces UNIFIL Interference with
Aircraft: "Focus on Implementing Resolution 1701"
Al-Markazia/January 6/2026 (Translated from Arabic)
Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, commented on a
circulating video allegedly showing UNIFIL forces in southern Lebanon aiming
weapons at Israeli drones. He urged the UN force to focus on implementing
Resolution 1701 instead of being preoccupied with targeting Israeli UAVs. Danon
wrote: "The mandate of the UNIFIL force in Lebanon is expected to end at the end
of 2026. In the remaining months, it is better for it to focus on implementing
Resolution 1701 and disarming Hezbollah, rather than being busy with attempts to
intercept Israeli aircraft." UNIFIL has not commented on the circumstances of
the video. Reports suggested that the device shown is a wireless jamming weapon.
In its latest statement, UNIFIL reported that its soldiers came under fire from
an Israeli position, considering that "the frequency of such incidents signals a
worrying phenomenon." It stated that "attacks on or near peacekeepers constitute
serious violations of UN Security Council Resolution 1701," reiterating the call
for the IDF to "stop aggressive behavior and attacks on peacekeepers working for
peace and stability along or near the Blue Line."
Israel Complains About UNIFIL
Al-Modon/January 6/2026 (Translated from Arabic)
(Note: This article covers the same statements by Danny Danon and the UNIFIL
response as the one above, highlighting the potential end of the UNIFIL mandate
in late 2026 and the reports that the "weapon" seen in the video was a wireless
jammer.)
Link Between Israeli Targeting of Anan and Siniq
Al-Modon/January 6/2026 (Translated from Arabic)
Al-Modon has obtained private information from informed sources indicating a
direct link between the Israeli targeting of a house in the town of Anan (Jezzine)
on Monday evening and the strike on the Siniq industrial zone early Tuesday.
According to the information, the targeted house in Anan is owned by a person
from the Al-Qawam family in Sidon and is rented by a Palestinian national
identified as "A.H.," a member of Hamas. It was revealed that the building
targeted in the industrial zone—which houses a joint lathe and blacksmith
shop—is also owned by Al-Qawam and rented by the same individual (A.H.) in
partnership with a Sidon local from the Shreiteh family.
The Quintet vs. The War: The Secret of Berri’s "Vacation" in Egypt
Mounir Rabih/ Al-Modon/January 6, 2026 (Translated from Arabic)
Lebanese citizens are closely watching the repercussions of events in Venezuela,
with a conviction that they will directly impact Iran, Lebanon, and the region.
The atmosphere suggests a race between a "Grand Bargain" and a "Great War."
Lebanon is attempting to avoid this war and distance itself from any
Israeli-Iranian confrontation, while local and international efforts continue to
find an internal settlement that aligns with international conditions.
A Family Visit... But
In this context, the Egyptian initiative appears to be moving forward silently.
Information has emerged regarding a visit by Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri
to Egypt. Although his sources insist the visit was strictly for family reasons,
it is the first time Berri has traveled abroad in years—having previously
declined invitations to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Notably, his political aide Ali
Hassan Khalil joined him, leading many to believe high-level political meetings
took place to discuss the Egyptian initiative and ways to avoid escalation.
An Integrated Initiative
Sources indicate that Egypt recently invited the "Shiite Duo" (Hezbollah and the
Amal Movement) to Cairo. A Hezbollah delegation reportedly visited Egypt
recently, and Ali Hassan Khalil held meetings with Egyptian officials two weeks
prior. The Egyptian initiative focuses on:
Withdrawing weapons from south of the Litani River.
Establishing a mechanism to contain weapons north of the river.
Launching Israeli-Lebanese negotiations in Egypt, similar to Cairo's role
between Hamas and Israel that led to the Sharm El-Sheikh agreement.
Hezbollah and Qatar
Indicators suggest a push toward a major settlement regarding Hezbollah’s
weapons and commitment to the Taif Agreement. Messages are being conveyed to
Hezbollah regarding the necessity of distancing itself from Iran. Qatar is also
involved, following a visit by a Hezbollah delegation to Doha. The goal is a
formula where Hezbollah no longer declares its possession of arms or military
capacity building, instead announcing that the Lebanese Army and State are
solely responsible for defending Lebanon.
France and Saudi Arabia on the Line
Lebanon expects intensified diplomacy from the "Quintet" (the Five-Nation Group)
to oversee constitutional milestones and reforms. Despite US reservations about
French participation in "the mechanism," French movement continues.
Additionally, Lebanon awaits a visit from Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign
Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, coordinated with Saudi Arabia.
These developments coincide with an upcoming Lebanese cabinet session to discuss
the Army’s fourth report on the second phase of the weapon withdrawal plan north
of the Litani. Simultaneously, the Israeli government will meet this Thursday to
discuss its approach to the Lebanese file, amid continued Israeli insistence on
escalation to pressure Beirut and Hezbollah.
Hezbollah Reorganizes Its Internal House
Hassan Faqih/ Al-Modon/January 07/2026 (Translated from Arabic)
The recent war on Lebanon, coupled with profound regional shifts, has imposed a
series of transformations. Various parties have come to realize the futility of
operating under the equations of the previous era. The governance approach in
Lebanon and the government's performance are no longer the same, and major
powers are no longer willing to deal with Lebanon as they did in the
past—particularly regarding Hezbollah. This is especially true following the
fall of the Syrian regime, which for a long time served as a vital flank for the
"Axis of Resistance."
To approach Hezbollah's reality in the post-"Support War" and "Battle of the
Brave" phase, one must examine the deep shifts that occurred following the
assassination of prominent jihadist leaders, most notably the Secretary-General,
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who served as the party’s military and political head
and its most prominent face. Amidst the tragedies and heavy blows of the war,
followed by the ceasefire agreement, the presidential elections, and the
formation of a government, the party has entered a phase of reconstruction,
review, and adjustment. However, the fundamental question remains: Have these
shifts affected the jihadist (military) wing, or have they extended to the
party’s structure and broader strategic choices?
Organizational Transformations
Hezbollah has begun a phase of change at both the jihadist and organizational
levels to align with current requirements. Information obtained by Al-Modon
indicates that the most prominent changes appeared in the internal
organizational sector, where sections within certain units were abolished and
others added without official announcement.
This included the Coordination and Liaison Unit, which is responsible for
internal coordination, linking with political and partisan forces, communicating
with official and unofficial entities, and managing non-military field affairs
and security coordination. Within this framework, the party leadership decided
to restructure the unit and modify its functional duties so they are no longer
restricted to its head, Wafiq Safa. The powers previously concentrated in his
hands have been decentralized as part of organizational amendments approved by
the Shura Council.
While the leadership did not dismiss Wafiq Safa, it moved to curtail his
authorities. This change was reportedly not welcomed by Safa, leading him to
cease exercising his assigned duties. In contrast, Dr. Hussein Barada—a
prominent figure in the party previously known as "Hajj Sajid"—has taken over
these files. This choice reflects Barada’s extensive experience in communicating
with Lebanese parties and managing political and security coordination.
Significance of the Shift in Political Performance
Despite Safa not being officially dismissed—given his organizational status and
long history—the reduction of his powers clearly reflects a change in how the
party handles organizational files related to political management and internal
operations. Safa’s persona was known to be provocative to several Lebanese
parties, as well as security and judicial officials. Thus, this amendment
carries both political and organizational dimensions.
Adjustments to the Protection Unit
The changes were not limited to the Liaison Unit but also extended to the
Protection Unit, responsible for preventive measures and security. "Hajj Taha"
was appointed as its head, succeeding Hajj Haidar, who was not dismissed but
rather repositioned within the party's organizational hierarchy.
These shifts fall under a general path aimed at adapting to the new reality and
rebuilding the organization at various levels. The party seeks to recover,
reshape its organizational activity, and address emerging gaps, realizing the
scale of its popular base and the repercussions of the recent war. This has
forced a review of operational mechanisms without abandoning its domestic
political role.
New Leadership and a Different Era
The leadership of Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem differs from that of his
predecessor, the martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah—not only due to personality
differences but because the era itself has radically changed. Despite the
extraordinary charisma Nasrallah enjoyed and the experience he accumulated over
33 years, Sheikh Qassem—a chemistry professor and organizational veteran—is
seeking to lead the party to safety following the existential risks faced during
the war and attempts by opponents to end its political role.
In this context, the file of compensation for damages in the villages of the
South, Bekaa, and the Southern Suburbs (Dahiyeh) stands out. The completion of
this process was delayed due to logistical errors that led to public discontent
in some areas, with some groups feeling they did not receive their rights while
others received more than their due. This prompted Sheikh Naim to call for an
internal investigation to rectify errors and satisfy those affected, a move
reflecting his awareness that the current stage cannot tolerate grave mistakes.
Secrecy in the Jihadist Wing
On the jihadist level, the scene remains more ambiguous and secretive, as if the
party has returned to the operational style that preceded the Syrian war and the
subsequent exposure and assassination of its leaders. Despite ongoing strikes,
the "Resistance" is working to reduce and address lapses by localizing
operations and organizing them within a more disciplined jihadist hierarchy to
avoid past breaches—though complete elimination of such breaches remains
difficult given Israeli technological superiority. The handling of the jihadist
file differs from the political file in both management style and the level of
secrecy, with the party maintaining the utmost discretion.
Hezbollah: Before vs. After the War
Hezbollah after the war is not the same as it was before—not in terms of
ideology or convictions, but in terms of the stage and its requirements, until
circumstances change in the long term.
Disarmament and
Reform Before the Lebanese Elections
Hanna Saleh/Asharq Al-Awsat/January 06/2026
The 2019 financial and economic collapse presented an exceptional opportunity to
chart a new path that could pull Lebanon out of rock bottom. However, the
power-hungry political establishment, which had been postponing the collapse
since 2017, made protecting bankrupt banks its top priority, facilitating
capital flight to saddle depositors and society at large with the cost of the
collapse. Hezbollah rescued the corruption inherent to the sectarian
power-sharing system that repressed the October uprising. Lebanon squandered a
historic opportunity to recover following the collapse that had impoverished
millions and led to a surge in unemployment.Despite the calamity of the Beirut
port explosion on August 4, 2020, the corrupt regime backed by the lawless
militias maintained power and put the costs of the collapse on society. The
collapse was aggravated by the gimmicks of central bank circulars that
manipulated the exchange rate and shielded the powerful. Liquid assets exceeded
$30 billion at the time; this would have been enough to launch a serious
recovery program if accountability and transparency had been sought. Instead,
the mafia–militia alliance, fronted by Hassan Diab’s government, torpedoed the
Lazard Plan. Parliament, the judiciary, and the media then focused on protecting
the looters and preserving a rent-seeking economy that serves their interests.
The catastrophic “support” war, which crushed Hezbollah, bloated with power and
deluded about its capabilities, ended in a devastating defeat for the country.
Regional upheaval rages on as Israel strikes Iran’s arms and pushes Iran out of
the new Syria. Thus, at the beginning of last year, it seemed that change was
possible and that Lebanon was no longer impervious to transformation. Hopes for
entering an era of change were heightened by the arrival of Joseph Aoun,
portrayed as an outsider, to the presidency. The optimism grew following the
appointment of Nawaf Salam, who had headed the International Court of Justice,
as prime minister. Yet, little has been achieved relative to the immense
aspirations of that moment.
Their agenda was centered on implementing UN Resolution 1701 and enforcing the
ceasefire, especially its preamble, which calls for the disarmament of non-state
actors across Lebanon and names the six bodies entitled to bear arms: the army:
Internal Security Forces, General Security, State Security, Customs, and
municipal police. The seventh clause of the agreement also stipulates
dismantling militia and paramilitary infrastructure, including groups that hide
under scout uniforms. This approach preemptively repudiated self-serving
interpretations of the ceasefire agreement; its texts are clear. What has been
achieved south of the Litani is important, but progress remains modest
nationwide. More troubling still is the willful blindness to the dangers of
Hezbollah’s accusatory, delegitimising discourse, as well as those of Parliament
Speaker Nabih Berri’s claims regarding the split between the south and north of
the Litani.
They also came with an agenda of accountability and genuine reform. A positive
atmosphere arose after the prime minister pledged economic and political reform
in his first televised appearance, stressing that the challenge was to impel
skilled expatriates to return. He spoke of the need to reverse the current
trajectory so that the trend of migration would shift from outward to inward. He
also pledged that the government would take on the burden of recovery and
reconstruction, and he described electoral laws since the official end of the
civil war in 1990 as being unconstitutional.
From the president’s oath of office to the ministerial statement, Lebanon
appeared to be on the verge of launching a national state project built around
the monopolization by the legitimate authorities and on financial-economic
reform grounded in accountability, with a forensic auditing explicitly promised
in the ministerial statement. However, 2025 has ended and the promise that it
would be the year of exclusive state control over weapons has not been
respected. Meanwhile, the steps being taken under the banner of financial reform
are suspicious, as they leap over accountability, oversight, and forensic
auditing in the caverns of corruption at the central bank, ministries, and
commercial banks. It is a fixed truth that forensic auditing is what reveals how
accounts were formed, legitimate and illegitimate alike, so that suspects can be
referred to the judiciary for prosecution. Instead, the plan effectively grants
amnesty for perpetrators of financial crimes, akin to amnesty once granted for
war crimes. The first amnesty plunged Lebanon into the abyss; the second will
prevent the emergence of a functional state in Lebanon.
At this juncture, proceeding with parliamentary elections on schedule next May
(under the pretext of respecting the constitution and safeguarding authorities’
neutrality) would be a betrayal of aspirations for a that guarantees citizens’
rights, safeguards freedoms, and retains sovereignty. They would be packaged
elections that reproduce the same system within the framework of an electoral
law at odds with structural reforms such as the megacenter and the right of
expatriates to vote for all 128 MPs. Most dangerous of all, they will take place
under the shadow of illegitimate armament and in areas resembling ghettos, where
arms, incitement, and bribery determine voters’ choices. Accordingly, such
elections would engender a parliament identical to those that had legalized
corruption, protected the corrupt, prevented the country from being rescued in
2019, and hindered change in 2025.
Completing disarmament and launching genuine reform must take precedence over
elections, allowing Lebanon to elect a parliament that does not reproduce
corruption, isolation, and subservience, reflecting the will of the electorate
and realizing their goal of building the long-awaited homeland that Lebanon
deserves.
Epiphany, and Jesus being reborn in us, every day...
Lara Khoury Hafez/Face Book//January
06/2026
I know I'm late But I have a good theological excuse: I have been NEYIM NEYIM
since this morning - after a first Christmas, and another New Year, I was stuck
between the Magic Kings, pancakes and resolutions already on strike.
And most of all... I didn't want to upset Carlo
Keuroghlian our uncompromising guardian of spelling and sacred dates, the one
who reminds us, year after year, that the real Christmas is SIX! Carlo, rest
assured, I'm still in liturgical timing. Because January 6 is undoubtedly one of
the most symbolic and universal days of the Christian calendar: it rallies, in
its own way, the largest number of religious traditions:
For the Armenian community I admire so much, I googled to say "Shnorhavor
Sourp Dzenount", Merry Christmas to the Christ who is born a little later, but
never too late.
For our Russian friends, it's Christmas in Moscow, somewhere between the Kremlin
and Cafe Pouchkin, where Putin sits in a corner of Red Square, sips hot
chocolate with Nathalie and "my guide" away from the storms of the world.For the
other Orthodox people, it is Christ in the Jordan: baptism, holy water, new
life. For Latinos, it's the arrival of the Magi Kings,
GPS set to Bethlehem. Thankfully Jesus was born there! In Lebanon, with our
public lighting, Gaspard, Melchior and Balthazar would have seen 36 stars, 12
generators and 0 direction. What about the Maronites in all this? January 6th,
they are on a royal holiday! the only cake they see is the one of the files that
are piling up, and the crown that occupies them is the struggle of their King...
waiting for the nine. Whatever it is, between Armenian
Christmas, Russian Christmas, Baptism in Jordan, and visiting the Magi Kings,
Epiphany, it's this powerful reminder that Light manifests itself to everyone in
their language, in their rite, in their way of belief, as long as we keep our
hearts open to receive it.
Happy and holy Epiphany to all! Happy celebrations,
and as I like to say it in our fashion: "الدايم دايم"
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published on January
06-07/2026
35 have been killed and 1,200 held in Iran’s economic protests
Reuters/January 06, 2026
DUBAI: The death toll in violence surrounding protests in Iran has risen to at
least 35 people, activists said on Tuesday, as the demonstrations showed no
signs of stopping. The figure came from the US-based Human Rights Activists News
Agency, which said more than 1,200 people have been detained in the protests,
which have been ongoing for more than a week. It said 29 protesters, four
children and two members of Iran’s security forces have been killed.
Demonstrations have reached over 250 locations in 27 of Iran’s 31 provinces.
FASTFACT
The rial fell further to 1,489,500 on Tuesday, representing a 4 percent fall
since the protests started. The group, which relies on an activist network
inside of Iran for its reporting, has been accurate in past unrest. The
semiofficial Fars news agency reported late on Monday that some 250 police
officers and 45 members of the Guard’s all-volunteer Basij force have been hurt
in the demonstrations. The authorities have acknowledged the economic hardships
but accused networks linked to foreign powers of stoking the protests. On
Tuesday, Iran’s police chief vowed to “deal with the last of these rioters.”The
shopkeepers’ protest continued on Tuesday in the bazaar, with about 150 people
focusing on economic demands, Fars reported. The protests have spread to some
cities in western and southern Iran but do not match the scale of unrest that
swept the nation in 2022-23 over the death of Mahsa Amini, who died in police
custody for violating Iran’s dress code. However, even though smaller, these
protests have quickly expanded from an economic focus to broader frustrations,
with some protesters chanting against the country’s clerical rulers.The police
chief, Ahmadreza Radan, was quoted on Tuesday by state media as saying they had
drawn a distinction between protesters and rioters, the latter facing arrests on
site or following identification by intelligence units. “I pledge that we will
deal with the last of these rioters. It is still time for those who were
deceived by foreign services to identify themselves and draw on the Islamic
Republic’s greatness,” Radan said. Fars said Tuesday’s gathering of shopkeepers
on Saadi street in Tehran ended without “expanding the police’s presence.”
Mohammad, 63, a jewelry shop owner in the bazaar, said there was a heavy
presence of riot police and plainclothes security forces inside and around the
area. “They were forcing shopkeepers who were on strike to open their shops. I
did not see it myself, but I heard there were clashes outside the bazaar and
police fired tear gas,” he said by phone. Footage shared on Telegram on Tuesday
appeared to show dozens of security forces on motorbikes patrolling the street
and the unidentified person who took the clip can be heard saying the security
forces had fired tear gas. President Masoud Pezeshkian has promised reforms to
help stabilize the monetary and banking systems and protect purchasing power.
The government has announced a subsidy reform, removing preferential currency
exchange rates for importers in favor of direct transfers to Iranians to boost
their purchasing power for essential goods. The measure will come into force on
Jan. 10. The central bank chief was also replaced on Dec. 29.
The rial fell further to 1,489,500 on Tuesday, representing a 4 percent fall
since the protests started.
Five killed in clashes between
Syria govt, Kurdish forces in Aleppo
Al Arabiya English/06 January/2026
Clashes between government personnel and Kurdish-led forces in the north Syrian
city of Aleppo killed at least five people on Tuesday, with both sides trading
blame over who started the fighting. Progress has stalled on implementing a
March deal to merge the Kurds’ semi-autonomous administration and military into
Syria’s new government, and tensions have occasionally erupted into clashes,
particularly in Aleppo, which has two Kurdish-majority neighborhoods. State news
agency SANA reported that the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces had “targeted
the area near the Shihan roundabout, resulting in the death of one defense
ministry member.”It later said “three civilians, including two women” were
killed in “SDF bombing of residential buildings in Aleppo city’s al-Midan
neighborhood.”The SDF, in a statement issued before the state media reports,
said groups affiliated with the government “targeted the Sheikh Maqsoud
neighborhood with a reconnaissance drone,” resulting in “the death of one
resident and the wounding of two others.”Aleppo’s Kurdish-majority Sheikh
Maqsoud and Ashrafiyeh neighborhoods have remained under the control of Kurdish
units linked to the SDF, despite Kurdish fighters agreeing to withdraw from the
areas in April. Separately, the SDF accused factions affiliated with Syria’s
army of attacking the town of Deir Hafer, around 50 kilometers (30 miles) east
of Aleppo, and near the strategic Tishreen Dam to the city’s northeast. The
Kurdish-led force affirmed its right to “respond legitimately to these
attacks.”The SDF controls large swathes of Syria’s oil-rich north and northeast,
and with the support of a US-led international coalition, was integral to the
territorial defeat of ISIS in Syria in 2019. Its integration into the state
following the ouster of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad a year ago has proven
complicated, and the original March agreement was supposed to be implemented by
the end of 2025. On Sunday, SDF chief Mazloum Abdi held further talks with
officials in Damascus on integrating the Kurdish-led forces, but state media
said no tangible results were achieved. The Kurds have repeated calls for
decentralization – which Syria’s new authorities have rejected.Last month in
Aleppo, deadly clashes killed five people, in violence that came after Foreign
Minister Hakan Fidan of Turkey – a close ally of the new authorities – urged the
SDF during a visit to Damascus not to be an obstacle to Syria’s stability. With
AFP
Teen killed after bus hits
ultra-Orthodox protesters in Jerusalem
January 06, 2026
JERUSALEM: A mass ultra-Orthodox Jewish rally against military conscription
turned deadly in Jerusalem on Tuesday, when a teenage boy was crushed and
killed after a man driving a bus hit the crowd. The Israeli police said they
detained the driver and are investigating. Video of the scene shows a bus
driving straight into a crowd of ultra-Orthodox men at the demonstration,
attended by thousands. Reuters could not immediately contact the driver
while in police custody and police have not released his name. Israel’s Magen
David Adom emergency services said the 18-year-old, who had been trapped under
the bus, was pronounced dead on the scene. The debate over mandatory military
service, and those who are exempt from it, has long caused tensions within
Israel’s deeply divided society and has placed Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu under increasing political strain over the past year. Ultra-Orthodox
seminary students have long been exempt from mandatory military service. Many
Israelis criticize what they see as an unfair burden carried by the majority
who serve. The ultra-Orthodox resistance to joining the military is based on
their strong sense of religious identity, which religious leaders say they fear
risks being weakened by army service. The issue of military service has been a
central point of tension against a backdrop of heightened military activity.
Over the past two years, Israel has seen its highest military death toll in
decades from conflicts connected to the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and
Iran.
Israel’s main airport receives passenger boost from Gaza ceasefire
Reuters/January 06, 2026
JERUSALEM: Passenger traffic at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv
rose 33 percent in 2025, the Israel Airports Authority reported on Tuesday,
reflecting the return of foreign carriers after many airlines halted flights
during the two-year Gaza war.A US-brokered ceasefire in October gave way to the
resumption of flights to Israel by carriers who had not yet resumed routes to
Tel Aviv. In December, the number of passengers rose 59 percent. In all of 2025,
passenger traffic at Israel’s main air gateway Ben Gurion reached 18.5 million,
versus 13.9 million in 2024. The airport handled 21.8 million people in
2023, the year war broke out after the October 7 attacks by Hamas. Flag carrier
El Al Israel Airlines, which did not halt flights during the war other than last
June during a 12-day conflict with Iran, showed a 5 percent annual gain to 6.9
million passengers, though its market share slipped to 37 percent from 48
percent. El Al has posted steep gains in revenue and profit as a result of the
conflict, in which just a handful of carriers were operating. Smaller rivals
Israir, with an 11 percent market share, and Arkia at 9 percent followed El Al.
Wizz Air was the largest foreign carrier in Israel with 1.23 million passengers
— double its 2024 level — for a 7 percent market share. Wizz is seeking to
establish a hub in Israel. Aegean, flydubai, Etihad, Lufthansa and United also
posted large gains in the number of passengers last year. Separately, Israel’s
Statistics Bureau said tourist numbers to Israel rose 38 percent in 2025 to 1.34
million, but remained below the 2023 level of 3.24 million. Outgoing tourism by
Israelis grew 33 percent to 9.42 million last year.The Gaza war broke out in
October 2023. While the ceasefire halted most fighting, it has not stopped
entirely. Israeli strikes since the deal was struck have killed more than 400
Palestinians — most of them civilians, according to Gaza health officials — and
Palestinian militants have killed three Israeli soldiers. Both sides have
accused one another of violating the deal’s provisions.
Israeli Foreign Minister
Gideon Saar in Somaliland after recognition
Al Arabiya English/06 January/2026
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar arrived on Tuesday in Somaliland, the
breakaway region recently recognized by Israel. “A delegation led by the Israel
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar landed at the Hargeisa town, he was received at the
airport by senior government officials. He had meetings with the Somaliland top
officials,” the presidency said in a statement. A photo circulating on X shows
Saar pictured with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi. Meanwhile,
Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the visit, saying it was a
violation of Somalia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The ministry said
that any official engagement without Somalia’s consent was illegal and
void and called on international bodies, including the United Nations and the
African Union, to support its territorial integrity. The Arab League also
condemned Saar’s visit to Somaliland. Later on Tuesday, Saar said Israel’s
recognition of Somalia was a “moral” decision. “Israel is truly honored to be
the first UN member state to recognize the Republic of Somaliland as an
independent and sovereign state. This is the moral thing to do,” he said. Saar
had arrived in Hargeisa on his first official visit to the region since Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced last month that the Middle Eastern
country was recognizing Somaliland. A Somaliland diplomatic source, according to
i24NEWS, said that Saar’s visit aimed to advance meaningful political and
strategic cooperation between Israel and Somaliland. Israel became the first
country to formally recognize the self-declared Republic of Somaliland as an
independent and sovereign state, a move that drew rebuke from Somalia among
other countries. Netanyahu at the time said that the declaration “is in the
spirit of the Abraham Accords, signed at the initiative of President Trump” and
added that Tel Aviv would seek cooperation with Somaliland in agriculture,
health, technology and the economy. Somaliland has enjoyed effective autonomy –
and relative peace and stability – since 1991 when Somalia descended into civil
war, but the breakaway region has failed to receive recognition from any other
country. Over the years, Somalia has rallied international actors against any
country recognizing Somaliland. In an interview with Al Arabiya English, Somali
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud rejected the move, stressing that Somaliland
remained an integral part of Somalia and has no legal standing as a separate
state.
Israel Clears Final Hurdle
to Start Settlement Construction That Would Cut West Bank in Two
Asharq Al-Awsat/January 06/2026
Israel has cleared the final hurdle before starting construction on a
controversial settlement project near Jerusalem that would effectively cut the
West Bank into two, according to a government tender. The tender, seeking bids
from developers, would clear the way to begin construction of the E1 project.
The anti-settlement monitoring group Peace Now first reported the tender. Yoni
Mizrahi, who runs the group’s settlement watch division, said initial work could
begin within the month. Settlement development in E1, an open tract of land east
of Jerusalem, has been under consideration for more than two decades, but was
frozen due to US pressure during previous administrations. The international
community overwhelmingly considers Israeli settlement construction in the West
Bank to be illegal and an obstacle to peace. The E1 project is especially
contentious because it runs from the outskirts of Jerusalem deep into the
occupied West Bank. Critics say it would prevent the establishment of a
contiguous Palestinian state in the territory. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel
Smotrich, a far-right politician who oversees settlement policy, has long pushed
for the plan to become a reality. “The Palestinian state is being erased from
the table not with slogans but with actions,” he said in August, when Israel
gave final approval to the plan. “Every settlement, every neighborhood, every
housing unit is another nail in the coffin of this dangerous idea.” The tender,
publicly accessible on the website for Israel’s Land Authority, calls for
proposals to develop 3,401 housing units. Peace Now says the publication of the
tender “reflects an accelerated effort to advance construction in E1.”
Foreign Media Group Slams Israel Govt for Refusing to Lift
Gaza Press Ban
Asharq Al-Awsat/January 06/2026
An international media association on Tuesday criticized the Israeli government
for maintaining its ban on unrestricted media access to Gaza, calling the move
disappointing. The government had told the Supreme Court in a submission late
Sunday that the ban should remain in place, citing security risks in the Gaza
Strip.The submission was in response to a petition filed by the Foreign Press
Association (FPA) -- which represents hundreds of journalists in Israel and
Palestinian territories -- seeking immediate and unrestricted access for foreign
journalists to the Gaza Strip. "The Foreign Press Association expresses its
profound disappointment with the Israeli government's latest response to our
appeal for full and free access to the Gaza Strip," the association said on
Tuesday. "Instead of presenting a plan for allowing journalists into Gaza
independently and letting us work alongside our brave Palestinian colleagues,
the government has decided once again to lock us out" despite the ceasefire in
the territory, it added. Since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023,
triggered by an attack on Israel by the Palestinian group Hamas, the government
has barred foreign journalists from independently entering the devastated
territory. Instead, Israel has allowed only a limited number of reporters to
enter Gaza on a case-by-case basis, embedded with its military inside the
blockaded Palestinian territory. The FPA filed its petition in 2024, after which
the court granted the government several extensions to submit its response. Last
month, however, the court set January 4 as a final deadline for the government
to present a plan for allowing media access to Gaza.In its submission, the
government maintained that the ban should remain in place. "This is for security
reasons, based on the position of the defense establishment, which maintains
that a security risk associated with such entry still exists," the government
submission said. The government also said that the search for the remains of the
last hostage held in Gaza was ongoing, suggesting that allowing journalists in
at this stage could hinder the operation. The remains of Ran Gvili, whose body
was taken to Gaza after he was killed during Hamas's 2023 attack, have still not
been recovered despite the ceasefire. The FPA said it planned to submit a
"robust response" to the court and expressed hope the "judges will put an end to
this charade". "The FPA is confident that the court will provide justice in
light of the continuous infringement of the fundamental principles of freedom of
speech, the public's right to know and free press," the association added. The
Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling on the matter, though it is unclear
when a decision will be handed down.
EU urges Israel to halt NGO registration law, warns it puts
aid for Gaza at risk
Ephrem Kossaify/Arab News/January 06, 2026
NEW YORK CITY: The EU on Tuesday urged Israeli authorities not to implement in
its current form a new law governing the registration of international
nongovernmental organizations, warning it could jeopardize life-saving
humanitarian operations in Gaza and the other occupied Palestinian territories.
In a joint statement, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and
security policy, Kaja Kallas, and Commissioners Hadja Lahbib and Dubravca Suica
said the law could severely restrict the ability of international aid
organizations to operate and deliver assistance to civilians amid one of the
worst humanitarian crises in the world. The European Council highlighted the
need for “rapid, safe and unimpeded” delivery of aid and warned that without
nongovernmental organizations, “humanitarian aid cannot be delivered at the
scale needed to prevent further loss of life in Gaza.” The new law, adopted by
the Israeli government after the introduction of new registration requirements
in March 2025, obliges foreign humanitarian organizations to provide detailed
information about their operations, including full lists of local and foreign
staff, as a condition for registering to operate in Palestinian areas.
Dozens of aid groups, including Doctors Without Borders, World Vision and Oxfam,
face having their accreditation revoked or licenses suspended after failing to
meet the new criteria by the Dec. 31 deadline that was set. Israeli authorities
have said organizations that fail to meet the new requirements must cease all
activities by March 1. Critics say the rules risk undermining humanitarian
principles and could endanger local staff. The Israeli measures drew
international condemnation and warnings from UN agencies, which said
international NGOs provide essential “humanitarian lifelines” in Gaza where they
are delivering most of the healthcare, nutritional, water and sanitation
services amid ongoing restrictions and closures of border crossings. The
humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, UN agencies have said, with winter
conditions compounding the suffering of displaced populations living in
makeshift shelters that expose them to heavy rain, flooding and cold. Hundreds
of thousands of people in the territory have received emergency food, shelter
and winter supplies, and while famine conditions have eased since the ceasefire
agreement in October, acute food insecurity, malnutrition and damage to
infrastructure continues to take a toll. The UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs said recent heavy rains have flooded tents, damaged homes
and put a strain on already limited water, sanitation and health services,
underscoring the need for sustained and unimpeded aid access. The EU statement
comes after the European Council on Dec. 18 welcomed a UN Security Council
resolution for the establishment of a peace-building and stabilization force in
Gaza, and urged all parties to implement it fully and in line with the
principles of international law.
‘Neither Gaza nor Lebanon!’
Iranian unrest is about more than the economy − protesters reject the Islamic
Republic’s whole rationale
Kamran Talattof, University of
Arizona/The Conversation/January 6, 2026
A familiar slogan has echoed through the streets of various Iranian cities in
recent days: “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, I sacrifice my life for Iran.” That
phrase has been chanted at protests that have sprung up around Iran since Dec.
28, 2025. The spark of the uprising and bazaar strikes has been economic
hardship and government mismanagement. But as an expert of Iranian history and
culture, I believe the slogan’s presence signals that protests go deeper than
economic frustration alone. When people in Iran chant “Neither Gaza nor
Lebanon,” they are, I believe, rejecting the theocratic system in Iran entirely.
In other words, the current crisis isn’t just about bread and jobs, it’s about
who decides what Iran stands for.
The origins of the slogan
The phrase “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, I sacrifice my life for Iran” first gained
prominence during the 2009 Green Movement, when hundreds of thousands of people
protested a disputed presidential election in Iran. It has since appeared in
successive major demonstrations, from the 2017-18 economic protests to the 2019
fuel price uprising. It was also prominent during the 2022 “Women, Life,
Freedom” movement, sparked by the death of an Iranian-Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini,
following her detention by Iran’s morality police for not wearing a “proper”
hijab. The phrase ties together two key aspects of successive Iranian protest
movements: domestic economic, political or social grievances and an explicit
rejection of the government’s justification for that hardship – namely, that
sacrifice at home is necessary to fulfill ideological goals of “resistance”
abroad. In particular, the slogan targets the Islamic Republic’s decades-long
support for Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Estimates suggest that the
regime has channeled between US$700 million and $1 billion annually to regional
allies since the 1980s – funds that many Iranians argue should instead address
domestic infrastructure, health care and education.
From alliance to resentment
Understanding the full meaning of the slogan requires historical context. Under
the U.S.-aligned Pahlavi monarchy, which ruled from 1925 to 1979, Iran
maintained diplomatic and economic ties with Israel while pursuing
modernization. The Shah’s opponents, particularly leftist groups, exploited
these connections, using slogans like “Iran’s become Palestine, why sit still, O
people?” to mobilize against the monarchy. Indeed, many of the Islamic
revolutionary leaders that ousted the Shah in 1979 had ties with Palestinian
groups. After the revolution, the Islamic Republic inverted both its ties to the
U.S. and Iran’s relationship with Israel, making anti-Israel rhetoric and
support for Palestinian causes central to its identity. Ruhollah Khomeini, the
leader of the Islamic Revolution, declared solidarity with oppressed Muslims
worldwide, positioning Iran as the vanguard of resistance against what he called
“Western imperialism and Zionism.” But this ideological commitment came with
substantial costs for Iranians. Iran’s support for Hezbollah during Lebanon’s
civil war, its backing of Hamas in the Palestinian group’s fight against Israel,
and its involvement in Syrian and Iraqi conflicts have contributed to
international sanctions, diplomatic isolation and economic pressure on Iran. And
these burdens have fallen disproportionately on ordinary citizens rather than
the ruling elite.
Economic crisis and political defiance
“Down with the Islamic Republic” is also chanted alongside “Neither Gaza nor
Lebanon” in the current uprising – the most serious that the Iranian government
has faced in years. But neither lethal force – at least 1,203 arrests and more
than two dozen deaths thus far – nor supreme leader Ali Khamenei’s Jan. 3 order
for a harsher crackdown has quelled the unrest. The demonstrations illustrate
how economic and political grievances intersect in Iran. When demonstrators
chant “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon” while protesting bread prices and unemployment,
they are not compartmentalizing issues – they are drawing a direct line between
foreign policy choices and domestic suffering. The slogan makes three
simultaneous arguments. First, it rejects imposed solidarity. Many Iranians,
including those sympathetic to Palestinian rights, resent being conscripted into
conflicts that are not their own. And the government’s insistence that Iranians
must make sacrifices for distant causes breeds resentment rather than unity.
Take the government’s effort to portray the 12-day war with Israel in June 2025
as a moment of national resistance. Rather, many Iranians instead blamed the
leadership for either provoking the conflict or failing to meaningfully defend
the country from Israeli – or American – bombs. The slogan also demands
accountability for resource allocation. When state media broadcasts funerals for
fighters killed in Syria or Yemen while Iran’s hospitals lack basic supplies,
the disconnect between rhetoric and reality becomes glaring. And finally, the
protest message reclaims political belonging rooted in Iranian national history
– and not just the ideological concerns of the Islamic Republic. By invoking
Iran specifically, “I sacrifice my life for Iran,” protesters assert that their
primary allegiance is to their own country, not to transnational ideological
movements, regional proxies or the ruling government’s ideology.
The limits of solidarity
For all its longevity, however, the slogan has proven divisive. While some see
it as a necessary assertion of self-determination after decades of enforced
sacrifice, others – including some Iranian leftist intellectuals and activists –
view it as abandoning solidarity with oppressed peoples. But it doesn’t need to
be an either/or. Many protesters risking bullets to demand “Iran first” are not
expressing indifference to the suffering of Palestinians. Rather, they are
insisting that effective solidarity requires a functioning state capable of
supporting its own citizens, and that genuine liberation begins at home.
Regardless, the Islamic Republic’s response has been to frame criticism as
betrayal, suggesting that those who question support for Gaza or Lebanon are
complicit with imperialism – a narrative enforced through a mix of rhetoric and
coercion. But this framing increasingly fails to persuade a population that has
watched living standards decline while billions of dollars flow to foreign
conflicts. The effects of sanctions and shrinking foreign-currency revenues have
pushed the Iranian state to raise taxes on households while shielding military
and ideological spending. Meanwhile, the dollar’s daily surge and the rial’s
rapid collapse have accelerated inflation and eroded purchasing power.
Authoring one’s own story
Undoubtedly, economic grievances underpin the current protests in Iran. However,
the slogans used in Iranian protests – be they over election disputes, economic
crises or women’s rights – indicate a broader critique of the Islamic Republic’s
governing philosophy. In the current wave of protests, demonstrators articulate
through slogans both what they reject – “Down with the Islamic Republic” – and
what many now seek to happen: “This is the final battle; Pahlavi will return,” a
reference to the exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi. The “Neither Gaza nor
Lebanon” chant asks: What does it mean for a government to prioritize foreign
conflicts over domestic welfare? How long can imposed solidarity substitute for
actual prosperity? And who has the right to determine which causes are worth
sacrifice? Such questions extend beyond Iran. They challenge assumptions about
how governments invoke international causes to justify domestic policies and
when citizens have the right to say, “Our story comes first.” As such, the chant
“Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, I sacrifice my life for Iran” is, I believe, both
protest and reclamation. It rejects the Iranian state’s narrative of mandatory
sacrifice while asserting the right of people to author a national story focused
on Iran’s own needs, challenges and aspirations. This article is republished
from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you
facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It
was written by: Kamran Talattof, University of Arizona Kamran Talattof does not
work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or
organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant
affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Iran security forces use
tear gas in Tehran bazaar; NGO reports 27 protesters killed
AFP/January 06/2026
Iranian security forces fired tear gas on Tuesday to disperse demonstrators at
the Tehran bazaar, as an NGO said more than two dozen people had been killed in
a crackdown on the most significant protests to hit the Islamic Republic in
three years. The protests were triggered by anger over the rising cost of
living, with the Iranian rial losing value again on Tuesday to reach another
record low against foreign currencies. Iranian security forces have now killed
at least 27 protesters, including five minors under the age of 18, after 10 days
of demonstrations that began in late December, the Norway-based NGO Iran Human
Rights (IHR) said. The protest wave began on December 28 with a shutdown by
merchants in the Tehran bazaar, a national economic hub. They have since spread
to other areas, especially the west, which is home to Kurdish and Lor minority
groups. It is the most serious protest movement in Islamic Republic since the
2022-2023 nationwide rallies sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who
had been arrested for allegedly violating the strict dress code for women.
Iran’s state-linked Fars news agency said “sporadic gatherings” took place
around the bazaar during an afternoon shutdown, with police dispersing the
protest and demonstrators scattering into the alleyways nearby.
In social media footage verified by AFP, protesters at the scene could also be
heard shouting slogans including “Pahlavi will return” and “Seyyed Ali will be
overthrown” – references to the monarchy ousted by the 1979 Islamic Revolution
and to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Dozens of people are seen shouting “freedom”
and “shameless” in footage posted by IHR and the US-based Human Rights Activists
News Agency (HRNA). Security forces then fire tear gas at the protesters, who
rush to disperse as acrid smoke rises from the ground. The official IRNA news
agency said “some” people were arrested, without giving numbers. The
demonstrations have yet to reach the scale of the 2022-2023 movement, let alone
that of the mass 2009 street protests that followed disputed elections. But
against the background of an economic crisis and on the heels of the 12-day war
against Israel in June, they present a new challenge for the leadership under
86-year-old Khamenei, in power since 1989. The government of President Masoud
Pezeshkian has announced modest monthly payments for people to alleviate the
economic pain, but the head of the judiciary warned Monday that there would be
“no leniency” for “rioters.”According to official announcements in Iranian
media, at least 12 people have been killed since the protests began, including
members of the security forces. But IHR said: “At least 27 protesters have been
killed by gunfire or other forms of violence carried out by security forces in
eight provinces. Five of those killed have been verified to have been
children.”It added that more than 1,000 people had been arrested nationwide. IHR
said security forces killed at least six people in a single incident alone on
Saturday when they opened fire on protesters in the Malekshahi district of the
western Ilam province. It also accused authorities of raiding the main hospital
in Ilam the day after to detain injured protesters. Amnesty International said
on Tuesday that the “attack” on the hospital “exposes yet again how far the
Iranian authorities are willing to go to crush dissent.”There have been reports
of a significant number of arrests in the city of Yasuj in western Iran which
has seen several protest actions in the last days, according to social media
footage. The Persian-language X account of the US State Department reposted a
video of people it said were demanding the release of their children and
chanting “their kids in Canada, ours in prison,” in reference to claims that
children of the elite receive education abroad. “The Islamic Republic regime
must heed the voice of the people and immediately release all detainees,” it
said. The Iranian currency meanwhile fell in value to approximately 1.47 million
rials to the dollar, according to the informal black market rate and several
currency monitoring websites. On December 28, a previous low in the rial – then
at 1.43 million to the dollar – had driven traders into the streets and sparked
the protest movement.
Iran is plotting to
assassinate Syria's al-Sharaa, Israel warns
Aleksandar Brezar/Euronews/January 6, 2026
Israeli military intelligence has warned that Iran is plotting to assassinate
Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa as Syrian and Israeli officials
prepare to resume US-mediated talks in Paris on Tuesday aimed at reaching a
security agreement. According to the Israeli military's assessment, al-Sharaa is
facing threats from Iran alongside other hostile actors. Israeli defence
officials believe Tehran views al-Sharaa as weakening its network of influence
across the region, Israeli media reported citing sources in the military. Syrian
authorities have not publicly responded to the Israeli intelligence assessment
about an Iranian assassination plot announced Monday. However, Syria's Interior
Ministry denied separate rumours over the weekend about an alleged assassination
attempt on al-Sharaa, calling those claims "completely false" and warning
against forged documents attributed to official sources. Al-Sharaa has
previously survived multiple attempts on his life since ousting Syria's longtime
dictator Bashar al-Assad in a lightning offensive of his forces leading to the
collapse of the regime in Damascus. In November 2025, Syrian authorities foiled
two separate Islamic State jihadist group assassination plots against him. US
envoy Tom Barrack also warned of risks to al-Sharaa's life arising from his
increasingly close relations with the West. Meanwhile, al-Sharaa was seen in
public in downtown Damascus on Monday evening, shopping at local stores in the
Mazzeh neighbourhood while using the new Syrian banknotes — broadly understood
as a message that he remains alive and well.
Al-Assad's former allies sending millions to insurgents
The warning came amid reports that al-Assad's former top generals and allies,
also in exile in Moscow, have been channelling millions of dollars to recruit
potential fighters in Syria in an apparent insurgency plot. Al-Assad's former
military intelligence chief Major General Kamal Hassan and the ousted dictator's
billionaire cousin Rami Makhlouf are running competing operations to build
militias among Syria's Alawite minority from their Russian exile, according to a
Reuters investigation from December 2025. A separate New York Times
investigation revealed that Makhlouf is working closely with Suhail al-Hassan, a
former special forces commander known as "the Tiger", who is coordinating
recruitment efforts. The two rival networks claim to fund between 12,000 and
54,000 fighters, pouring between $1.2 million and $6 million into the effort,
although the numbers have been widely disputed. Both are vying for control of 14
underground command centres built along the coast during Assad's rule,
containing weapons and equipment. The militants' presence is said to spread
across Syria's coastal provinces of Latakia, Tartous, Homs and Hama, as well as
parts of Lebanon. Maher al-Assad, the former president's brother who commanded
an elite division and remains in Moscow, has not provided funding or orders,
according to sources close to the family.
Where does the money come from?
Makhlouf built a massive fortune estimated to be between $5 billion and $10
billion, controlling Syria's telecommunications, banking, real estate and
smuggling networks before falling out with Bashar al-Assad in 2020. Hassan
enriched himself through military intelligence operations, including extortion,
looting and front companies registered under his wife's and daughter's names.
However, many of Bashar al-Assad's family members and loyalists amassed
considerable wealth from the sales of captagon, a synthetic amphetamine that
became one of the main ways of funding the war effort after Damascus was placed
under international sanctions. Both Maher al-Assad and "The Tiger" played key
roles in the former regime's production and distribution of the drug dubbed
"chemical courage," which costs cents to make but sells for anywhere between $5
to $25 a pill across the region. The al-Assad family and inner circle earned an
estimated $2.4 billion annually at peak from captagon production and sales,
according to data by New Lines Institute. The regime's total earnings from the
trade, which became industrialised around 2018-2019, remain difficult to
calculate with precision. After Al-Sharaa's takeover, the new government in
Damascus has made significant efforts to dismantle the illicit drug networks,
with captagon seizures in recent months reaching an all-time low. However, some
of the production and trade still persists, mostly linked to al-Assad's
loyalists with ties to Hezbollah in neighbouring Lebanon. Remnants of al-Assad's
supporters attempted in March 2025 to launch attacks on patrols in Tartous and
Latakia. Syrian interior and defence ministries neutralised the rebellion within
24 hours, killing and arresting dozens. Investigations documented 1,426 civilian
and military deaths during that period. Ahmed al-Shami, governor of Tartous,
said Syrian authorities are aware of the plots and confident that they can be
thwarted. Both Al-Assad and Hezbollah have been supported by Iran and are
considered to be key regional proxies of the regime in Tehran. Suhail
al-Hassan's "Tiger Forces" worked alongside Hezbollah and Iranian militias
during the Syrian civil war, but he was primarily backed by the Kremlin, who
intervened in Syria on behalf of al-Assad. Makhlouf, al-Assad's ally turned
hostile rival, founded and funded "Al-Bustan Association," formally a charity
that worked with Iran to enable its infiltration into Syria and helped establish
centres in coastal areas.
Israeli and Syrian officials meet again
Meanwhile, officials from Syria and Israel are set to resume negotiations in
Paris in hopes of reaching a security agreement to defuse tensions between the
two countries, officials said Monday. According to reports citing Syrian
officials, Damascus' main aim in the talks is to reactivate a 1974 disengagement
agreement that established a UN-patrolled buffer zone in southern Syria and to
secure the withdrawal of Israeli forces, which seized control of that buffer
zone more than a year ago. Israel and Syria have been in a technical state of
war since 1948. Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 war and
annexed the territory in 1981, a move not recognised internationally. Al-Sharaa,
formerly known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani, led Hayat Tahrir
al-Sham, an al-Qaeda affiliate designated a terrorist organisation by the US and
UN. However, he made a U-turn during the Syrian civil war, cutting ties with
al-Qaeda in 2016 and turning towards the more pragmatic goal of the Syrian
revolution.
Iranian
Regime Struggling To Survive as Protest Death Toll Rises
FDD/January 06/2026
Regime’s Options Limited: Iran is struggling to quell ongoing protests against
the ruling Islamic regime as they entered their ninth consecutive day on January
5. According to one Iranian official, both the economic sanctions reimposed by
the Trump administration early last year and President Donald Trump’s recent
threats to intervene on behalf of Iranian protestors “have narrowed Tehran’s
room for maneuver, leaving leaders caught between public anger on the streets
and hardening demands and threats from Washington, with few viable options and
high risks on every path.” At least 17 people have died so far during the
protests. ‘Rioters Must Be Put In Their Place’: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei, on January 3, gave a green light to Iranian security forces to
intensify their brutality against the protestors, stating that the “rioters must
be put in their place.” Trump responded on January 4 that he was “closely”
watching developments in Iran, emphasizing that if the regime starts “killing
people like they have in the past, I think they’re going to get hit very hard by
the United States.” In a social media post on January 2, Trump stated that the
United States was “locked and loaded and ready to go.”
Iran Accuses Israel of Undermining ‘National Unity’: Iranian Foreign Ministry
spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei accused Israel of attempting to “undermine national
unity” after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his support for
the ongoing protest movement. “The Zionist regime is determined to exploit the
slightest opportunity to sow division and undermine our national unity, and we
must remain vigilant,” Baghaei stated. Netanyahu said during his weekly cabinet
meeting, “we identify with the struggle of the Iranian people, with their
aspirations for freedom, liberty and justice,” adding, “It is quite possible
that we are at a moment when the Iranian people are taking their fate into their
own hands.”
FDD Expert Response
“President Trump’s actions in Venezuela sent a clear message: his warnings
aren’t rhetorical. The regime in Iran has been given every chance to negotiate
on nukes, missiles, and terror — but it’s stuck to its old playbook: rebuild,
repress, and kill protesters. By vowing to defend the Iranian people, Trump has
put Ali Khamenei on notice. If past is prologue, he and his stormtroopers may
want to start packing for Moscow.” — Mark Dubowitz, CEO
“How many casualties will it take for Trump to intercede? Only he knows the
answer. The president has been willing to go where no U.S. president has gone,
including the authorization of a strike to destroy Iran’s nuclear enrichment
capacity last June. Even if the Iranian people determine that this is just tough
talk by Trump, it is at least tough talk in defense of their rights in a way
that no other sitting democratic Western leader has ever articulated, and that
is meaningful.” — Behnam Ben Taleblu, Iran Program Senior Director and Senior
Fellow
“The protests in Iran have already lasted longer and spread further than anyone
expected a week ago. They encompass all strata of Iranian society. With Supreme
Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei old and sick, and the regime weakened by military
failure and fearful of further foreign intervention, the Islamic Republic looks
precarious. Even if it doesn’t fall this month, it will still likely not survive
the year.” — Edmund Fitton-Brown, Senior Fellow
“Protestors in Iran are actively calling for regime change and not reforms. With
the rial tanking, the merchant class in Iran has reached a tipping point and is
pushing for a new paradigm that does not involve the religious elites. With
Iran’s friends in Venezuela and Russia suffering major blows, Tehran finds
itself short on both friends and financial lifelines.” — Tyler Stapleton, Senior
Director of Government Relations at FDD Action
New deadly clashes between
Syrian forces and Kurdish fighters erupt in Aleppo
Omar Albam/AP/January 6, 2026
ALEPPO, Syria (AP) — Renewed clashes broke out Tuesday between Syrian government
forces and Kurdish fighters in a contested area of the northern city of Aleppo,
as efforts to merge the fighters with the national army have shown little
progress. Syria ’s state-run SANA news agency said a soldier was killed and
three others were wounded in an attack by the Kurdish-led and U.S.-backed Syrian
Democratic Forces. State TV later reported that three civilians, including two
women, were killed and others were wounded, including two children, in shelling
of a residential area that it blamed on the SDF.SANA said nine employees of the
Aleppo Directorate of Agriculture were wounded by SDF shelling that hit its
office. The SDF in a statement denied being behind the shelling that killed the
civilians and said that a shell launched by “factions affiliated with the
Damascus government” landed in the al-Midan neighborhood. The SDF claimed the
target was the adjacent Kurdish Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood. “This
indiscriminate shelling constitutes a direct attack on residential areas and
exposes the lives of civilians to grave danger,” it said.
Civilians are caught in intense fighting
The SDF also said a drone strike launched by government forces killed one
resident of Sheikh Maqsoud and wounded two children, and that shelling in the
nearby Bani Zaid neighborhood killed a woman and wounded dozens. There was no
mention of those incidents in state media. At Aleppo's Al-Razi Hospital, which
received a number of the wounded, Ahmad Abu Sheikh was waiting to see his
4-year-old daughter, Fatima, who had been on the operating table for hours after
being hit by shrapnel from a shell that landed near her. Her father said she had
lost her eye.
“I just want to know what can I tell my daughter when I see her? Where did her
eye go? What can I tell her?” he said. Afrin Jawan, a civil society activist in
Sheikh Maqsoud, said in a written message, “There are 400,000 civilians besieged
(in the Kurdish neighborhoods) and subjected to indiscriminate shelling with all
types of heavy and medium weapons ... by factions affiliated with the Ministry
of Defense in Damascus.”
Absorbing Kurdish forces is the main sticking point
There have been intermittent clashes in the predominantly Kurdish Sheikh Maqsoud
and Achrafieh neighborhoods of Aleppo in recent months. The leadership in
Damascus under interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa signed a deal in March with the
SDF, which controls much of the northeast. The SDF was to merge with the Syrian
army by the end of 2025, but there have been disagreements on how it would
happen. In April, scores of SDF fighters left Sheikh Maqsoud and Achrafieh as
part of the deal with Damascus.Officials from the central government and SDF met
again Sunday in Damascus, but government officials said no tangible progress had
been made. The SDF has tens of thousands of fighters and is the main force to be
absorbed into Syria’s military.Some of the factions that make up the new Syrian
army, formed after the fall of former President Bashar Assad in a rebel
offensive in December 2024, were previously Turkish-backed insurgent groups that
have a long history of clashing with Kurdish forces. The SDF for years has been
the main U.S. partner in Syria in fighting against the Islamic State group, but
Turkey considers the SDF a terrorist organization because of its association
with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which has waged a long-running
insurgency in Turkey, although a peace process is now underway.
Both sides have accused each other of seeking to derail the March agreement.
“The SDF organization once again proves that it does not recognize the March 10
Agreement and is trying to derail it and drag the army into an open battle of
its choosing,” Syria's Defense Ministry said in a statement. The SDF, meanwhile,
said government forces had committed a “blatant violation of international
humanitarian law” by targeting residential neighborhoods. It called the attacks
"planned and deliberate, systematically targeting infrastructure and essential
services, including water and electricity.”By evening, a tense calm had returned
to the area. Previous rounds of fighting ended with truce agreements, but no
official agreement was announced Tuesday, leaving the possibility that the
clashes could flare again. Omar Albam, The Associated Press
Syria Denies Rumors About
Targeting of Sharaa, Senior Figures
Asharq Al Awsat/January 06/2026
Syria’s Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine al-Baba dismissed as “totally
baseless” on Monday rumors about a “security incident” that had allegedly
targeted President Ahmed al-Sharaa and senior figures. In a Facebook post, he
“categorically” rejected all the allegations, urging the people and media to be
“accurate and responsible” and to only obtain news from official sources. Sharaa
later appeared in a video widely circulated on Monday using the country's new
currency, He was shown buying items from a shop in Damascus using the new Syrian
currency, which went into circulation on January 1. Social media had over the
past few days been circulating AI-generated images that claimed that Sharaa had
been injured during a security breach in Damascus and that one of his aides was
also wounded. Meanwhile, Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa urged caution in
dealing with rumors that “Sharaa’s government would collapse by the end of the
year.”These claims only aim to spread uncertainty and test the responsiveness of
state intuitions, he added. In a post on the X platform, he said the rumors were
started by Israeli accounts before the incidents in the Sweida provinces took
place.
The rumors were spread further by media platforms associated with the Kurdish
Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and accounts in neighboring countries, as well as
by “hostile media”. Mustafa said that ignoring the rumors “may leave a negative
impression among the public”, while giving them attention may serve the
interests of those spreading them. He stressed that official media denied that
any security incident had taken place in Damascus and those spreading the rumors
only want to promote fake news and test the readiness of the authorities in
responding to such media campaigns.
Syria, Israel to Resume US-mediated Talks in Paris
Asharq Al Awsat/January 06/2026
A Syrian delegation including Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani was holding a
new round of negotiations with Israel on Monday, state news agency SANA
reported, the first in several months. Quoting a government source, SANA said
the talks were coordinated and mediated by Washington, adding that the
discussions were focused on reaching "a balanced security agreement" between the
two countries. Two diplomatic sources told AFP that the US-mediated talks were
being held in Paris. SANA said the negotiations were focused on reactivating a
1974 disengagement agreement and guaranteeing "the withdrawal of Israeli forces"
to their positions before the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in
December 2024. After Assad's ousting, Israel sent troops into the UN-patrolled
buffer zone which has separated Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights
for decades. Israel has also carried out repeated incursions deeper into Syrian
territory since then, as well as bombings, and has said it wants a demilitarized
zone in the country's south. France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot spoke to
Shaibani on Monday in Paris, the French foreign ministry said in a statement.
"The two ministers stressed the importance of working towards the restoration of
a unified, stable and sovereign Syria. In that regard, they mentioned the
necessity of coming to a security arrangement with Israel in Syria's south," the
statement said. The United States has been pushing Syria and Israel to reach an
agreement that would halt hostilities between the two countries, technically at
war since 1948. "The resumption of these negotiations is confirmation of Syria's
firm commitment to restoring its non-negotiable national rights," the government
source told SANA, adding that intelligence chief Hussein al-Salama was also part
of the delegation.
Syria and Israel opened direct negotiations after Assad was toppled in December
2024. Officials have met on several occasions, most recently in September, but
Israel's insistence on a demilitarized zone in southern Syria has been a major
stumbling block. Last month, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said the demand
would endanger his country and urged Israel to respect the 1974 deal.
Homeland Shield: STC forces
withdrew from Yemen’s al-Mahra after handing over
Al Arabiya English/06 January/2026
The Homeland Shield Forces said Tuesday that units affiliated with Yemen’s
Southern Transitional Council (STC) have handed over military vehicles and heavy
weapons in al-Mahra governorate, adding that around 300 STC fighters were
transported by bus to the city of Aden. The forces said the withdrawal was
carried out via a secure route and with the necessary coordination, as part of
measures aimed at strengthening stability and maintaining security in the
governorate. Local authorities in al-Mahra confirmed on Monday evening that the
operation to take full control of all military camps had been successfully
completed by the Homeland Shield Forces. The Homeland Shield Forces had
announced on Saturday that they had taken control of al-Mahra and secured the
governorate. The development came after STC forces withdrew from key positions
in the province, amid regional and international moves to push forward a
dialogue process. It also follows the continued pullback of STC forces from most
areas of Hadramout governorate, after violent clashes that erupted on Friday.
Saudi Cabinet monitoring
efforts to secure Yemen stability
Al Arabiya English/06 January/2026
Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet on Tuesday said it was monitoring the situation in Yemen
and reviewing the Kingdom’s efforts to bring all the different sides together.
The Cabinet “is following up on the situation in the region and the efforts that
the Kingdom is exerting to strengthen the security and stability of Yemen and to
foster a supportive environment for dialogue among all parties,” the Saudi Press
Agency (SPA) said in a statement issued after the session that was chaired by
King Salman bin Abdulaziz. It also welcomed the request by Yemen’s Presidential
Leadership Council head Rashad al-Alimi to hold a conference in Riyadh. Saudi
Arabia announced last week that it would host talks in Riyadh at al-Alimi’s
request, calling on all factions to participate in developing a “comprehensive
vision” to meet the aspirations of Yemenis in the south. The initiative has
drawn broad regional and international support, including backing from the
Southern Transitional Council.
Yemen’s president discusses security, reforms with US adviser
Al Arabiya English/06 January2026
Yemeni President Dr. Rashad Mohammed al-Alimi on Tuesday met senior adviser to
the US President for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos and US Ambassador to
Yemen Stephen Fagin to review bilateral relations, security cooperation and
international support for Yemen, according to the official website of the
presidency. The meeting focused on political and security developments, US
backing for government reform efforts, and coordination in counterterrorism and
confronting the Iran-backed Houthis. Al-Alimi praised Washington’s continued
support for Yemen’s internationally recognized government and its role in
international forums, stressing that global unity remains vital for Yemen’s
stability and peace. The president also welcomed past US humanitarian assistance
and expressed hope for the resumption and expansion of aid programs to support
development and essential services. Al-Alimi commended US efforts to curb Houthi
capabilities, including intercepting Iranian arms shipments, saying these steps
were key to protecting regional security and maritime routes. Addressing
domestic issues, he warned that unilateral moves by the Southern Transitional
Council in Hadramawt and al-Mahra risked destabilizing Yemen and threatening
energy and navigation routes. Al-Alimi highlighted Saudi Arabia’s role in
supporting de-escalation and civilian protection, and said preparations were
underway for an inclusive Southern Dialogue Conference to address southern
grievances within the framework of the Yemeni state. Boulos reaffirmed
Washington’s commitment to Yemen’s unity, stability and territorial integrity,
and stressed continued cooperation on counterterrorism, reforms, protecting
waterways and integrating security forces under state institutions.
Homeland Shield commander
says forces working to restore security in Yemen’s Mukalla
Al Arabiya English/06 January/2026
The commander of the Homeland Shield Second Brigade said efforts are focused on
restoring security and stability in Mukalla as forces deploy across the city in
southern Hadramout. The deployment follows the withdrawal of Southern
Transitional Council forces, with preparations also underway for a broad meeting
in the city. Fahd Bamoumen, commander of the Second Brigade, told Al Arabiya on
Tuesday that Homeland Shield forces are working to maintain security, restore
stability, and prevent bloodshed in the area.
Call to return weapons
Bamoumen also urged anyone who had taken weapons from storage facilities in the
city to return them. Separately, Saleh Salem Batis al-Naamani, a member of the
Hadramout Tribes Alliance, told Al Arabiya that a state of security and
stability has prevailed in eastern Yemeni governorates following the deployment
of Homeland Shield forces. Hadramout Governor Salem al-Khanbashi previously told
Al Arabiya that authorities are working to restore security across the entire
governorate, adding that his mission is to rebuild the security institutions.
Homeland Shield forces, affiliated with Yemen’s internationally recognized
government, have deployed across Mukalla and secured most key institutions in
the city, including the Central Bank, the local authority headquarters, and the
presidential palace. Last Friday, January 2, 2026, the governor of Hadramout
announced the launch of an operation to reclaim military camps in Hadramout and
al-Mahra, describing it as a peaceful operation carried out by Homeland Shield
forces to impose security in those areas following their takeover by Southern
Transitional Council forces. Homeland Shield forces have since advanced in
eastern Yemen, asserting control over all areas of Hadramout, as well as al-Mahra
governorate. Meanwhile, Riyadh is expected to host a comprehensive conference
bringing together all southern political components for dialogue and discussions
on fair solutions to their cause, in response to a request by Rashad al-Alimi,
head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council.
Turkey demands Kurdish
armed groups to surrender weapons
AFP/06 January/2026
Turkey’s defense minister on Tuesday demanded that all Kurdish armed groups --
“including in Syria” -- lay down their weapons. “The PKK (the Kurdistan Workers’
Party) and all affiliated groups must immediately cease all terrorist activity
in regions where they are present, including in Syria, and lay down their
weapons without condition,” Yasar Guler said in Ankara. In May, the PKK formally
renounced its decades-long armed struggle against the Turkish state, ending a
conflict that claimed tens of thousands of lives. “We will not allow any
terrorist organization -- particularly the PKK, the PYD, the YPG, and the SDF --
to establish a foothold in the region,” he added, referring to the Kurdish-led
Syrian Democratic Forces and its main element, the People’s Protection Units (YPG).
The implementation of a March 2025 deal to merge the Kurds’ semi-autonomous
administration and military into Syria’s new government has stalled. Ankara had
called for the agreement to come into force by the end of 2025, but the group’s
integration has proven complicated. Turkey views Kurdish armed groups in Syria
as offshoots of the PKK. PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned for
26 years, called on the Turkish government in December to broker a peace deal
between the SDF and Damascus. SDF chief Mazloum Abdi on Sunday held further
talks with officials in Damascus on integrating the Kurdish-led forces, but
state media said no tangible results were achieved.
World is less safe after US
action in Venezuela: UN Human Rights Office
Reuters/06 January/2026
The world community must make clear that US intervention in Venezuela is a
violation of international law that makes the world less safe, the Office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Tuesday. US forces
ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in a surprise operation at the weekend.
He faces four criminal charges in the US, including narco-terrorism, and
Maduro’s vice president has been sworn in as interim president. “It is clear
that the operation undermined a fundamental principle of international law,
that states must not threaten or use force against the territorial integrity
or political independence of any state,” said the Office. “The international
community needs to come together with one voice to insist on that,” chief
spokesperson for the Office, Ravina Shamdasani, told reporters. Far from being a
victory for human rights, the military intervention damages the architecture of
international security and makes every country less safe, she said. “It sends a
signal that the powerful can do whatever they like,” she added. The future of
Venezuela must be determined by its people alone, she said, adding instability
and further militarization would only make the human rights situation there
worse.
Carney meets with Danish PM as U.S.
ramps up talk of taking over Greenland
The Canadian Press/January 6, 2026
PARIS — Prime Minister Mark Carney says the future of Greenland will be "solely"
up to the people of Denmark and Greenland. Carney was reacting to new comments
from U.S. President Donald Trump and members of his administration about his
desire to annex Greenland. "There's basic principles here, which is
self-determination of nations, sovereignty, territorial integrity. And then
there (are) approaches that we have as partners to what we're trying to
accomplish," Carney said during a press conference at the Canadian Embassy in
Paris Tuesday. "As NATO, we can provide security for all of NATO, Greenland
included." The prime minister added that Canada and other NATO members are
working to boost Arctic security as the global threat environment changes and as
Russia and China make inroads into polar waters. Carney met with Danish Prime
Minister Mette Frederiksen in Paris Tuesday morning ahead of a meeting of
Ukraine's allies to discuss security guarantees for that country. Frederiksen
thanked Carney for his support and commitment to working together as NATO
allies. "I think we are both very into securing the Arctic region and together
with other NATO allies we can secure the region," she said. Trump openly mused
about annexing Greenland on Sunday and on Monday White House deputy chief of
staff Stephen Miller said Greenland should be part of the U.S., in spite of
Frederiksen's warning that a U.S. takeover would spell the end of NATO. Carney's
statement echoed one made in a joint letter issued today by the leaders of
France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom. This report by The
Canadian Press was first published Jan. 6, 2026.
*Written by David Baxter in Ottawa and Craig Lord in Paris, with files from The
Associated Press
Prime Minister Carney says Canada will build up military to
support peace in Ukraine
Craig Lord/Associated Press/January 6, 2026
PARIS — Canada will continue to build up its military might, in part to be able
to play a role in providing security guarantees for Ukraine, Prime Minister Mark
Carney said Tuesday ahead of a meeting with allies in Paris. "We've been
building that bench, and we're going to continue to build that bench," Carney
told reporters Tuesday. "The largest military buildup in generations coming over
the course of the next five years, an additional $80 billion of investment, in
part because of issues like this." Speaking in French, Carney said sending
Canadians troops to Ukraine was a "possibility" but said initial contributions
could start with training. Canadian soldiers are currently training Ukrainian
forces in Poland as part of Operation Unifier. Other support could come in the
form of logistics, cybersecurity aid and weapons production. Carney said Canada
would be part of a possible "multilateral force" of other Ukrainian allies, with
additional backstops from the Americans. "That means that our contribution has a
much bigger effect than obviously we would if we were on our own," Carney said.
Carney was in Paris to attend a meeting of the "coalition of the willing," a
group of about 30 nations looking at what they can do to help secure a long-term
peace for Ukraine in the war with Russia. At a news conference at the Canadian
Embassy before that meeting, Carney said the negotiations on peace and security
guarantees for Ukraine are "90 per cent of the way there." That reflects
comments also made earlier this month by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,
who is also in Paris. Carney said the remaining parts of a potential peace deal
will need to be negotiated by Ukraine, Russia and the United States. The prime
minister said Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East and peace
missions, and Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law and former
senior adviser, will be attending the talks in Paris. A senior Canadian
government official briefing reporters on the plane to Paris said Canada has
been in talks for months about making an "appropriate and serious contribution"
to Ukrainian security guarantees. They said Ottawa's recent push to ramp up
defence spending has set the country up to play a bigger role in transatlantic
security. Representatives of the "coalition of the willing," a group of more
than 30 countries pledged to support Ukraine, are gathering in Paris as
ceasefire talks reach a critical juncture. Carney said Gen. Jennie Carrigan,
chief of Canada's defence staff, has been in talks with her counterparts in the
coalition for months on shaping Ukraine security guarantees, and now the leaders
are gathering to finalize those plans. The Department of National Defence
confirmed Carignan participated virtually on Monday in a meeting of defence
chiefs of coalition countries, ahead of Tuesday's meeting of leaders. Carney
also met Tuesday with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who said he admired how
Canada is stepping up to support Ukraine with equipment and financial
assistance. Rutte also praised Canada for taking a leadership role in the
defence of the Far North, where he noted Russia and China have been "active."Carney
spoke Tuesday about the importance of scaling up Canada's military to defend the
wider Arctic region. He referred to Greenland and the Arctic as the "western
flank" of NATO. "With our buildup that's just beginning of our military
capabilities, we are making heavy investments in the Arctic," he said. This
report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 6, 2026. Craig Lord, The
Canadian Press
Red Crescent says Israeli
army gunfire wounds five in West Bank
AFP/06 January/2026
The Palestinian Red Crescent said the Israeli military shot and wounded five
people on Tuesday at a university campus in the occupied West Bank. The reason
for the intervention at Bir Zeit University near Ramallah was unknown. Contacted
by AFP, the military said it was “looking into the matter.”
Military vehicles entered the campus late in the morning, according to several
witnesses who spoke to AFP and whose accounts were confirmed by university
president Talal Shahwan. For the latest updates on the Israel-Palestine
conflict, visit our dedicated page. Videos posted to social media showed the
intervention, while AFP journalists saw several military vehicles leave the
campus, escorted by Israeli soldiers on foot. The university’s communications
department told AFP that students had thrown stones at the army, adding that all
of the wounded were students. The Red Crescent said 11 people were wounded in
total, including five from live ammunition, four through gas inhalation and two
as a result of falls. An AFP journalist saw ambulances take away several people.
“Unfortunately, the university has been a recurring target, but this time the
brutality crossed all limits,” Shahwan told a news conference. The Israeli army
had previously entered the campus several times. Palestinians consider the
university to be one of the best in the territories. In September 2024, the army
confiscated property belonging to the student council, according to the
university. Since the start of the war in Gaza following Hamas’s attack on
Israel in October 2023, violence has also surged in the West Bank. Israeli
troops and settlers have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians in the territory,
including many militants as well as dozens of civilians, according to an AFP
tally based on figures from the Palestinian health ministry. According to
official Israeli figures, at least 44 Israelis, both soldiers and civilians,
have also been killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations in
the same period in the West Bank.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on January
05-06/2026
Not for Gaza, but for Iran: Protesters reject
regime’s global proxy wars
Saeed Ghasseminejad/The Jerusalem Post/January 06/2026
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-882426
The universities, historically the bastions of anti-monarchist Marxism, are now
echoing with chants of “Down with the three corrupts! Mullah, leftist, Mujahid.”For
a week, the Islamic Republic has tried to tell itself, and the world, that the
protests in Iran are merely about the price of the dollar. They are wrong.
As the shutters rolled down in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar in protest, a different
sound rose up from the universities and the streets of Isfahan, Mashhad, Qom,
Kermanshah, and Hamadan. It was not a cry for subsidies. It was a chant for the
death of the Islamic Republic and the return of Pahlavi.
Cautious Western observers are mislabeling the protests rocking Iran today as
“economic riots.” While the trigger was indeed the rial’s catastrophic freefall,
decimating the life savings of millions overnight, the fuel is something far
more combustible: a decade of accumulated revolutionary demand.
The distinction between “economic grievances” and “political demands” in Iran
has been dead for a decade now. When protesters in Delijan set fire to the
statue of Qasem Soleimani on the very anniversary of his death, chanting “This
is the final battle, Pahlavi will return,” they are not negotiating for lower
bread prices. They are burning the regime’s most sacred icons and rejecting its
right to exist. This uprising marks a critical evolution from the protests of
2017, 2019, and 2022. Today, the merchant and the student are marching in
lockstep, joined by Iranians from diverse backgrounds across 100 cities and
towns so far.
Pahlavi revival: Why Iran’s class divide has vanished
The universities, historically the bastions of anti-monarchist Marxism, are now
echoing with chants of “Down with the three corrupts! Mullah, leftist, Mujahid.”The
Bazaar, which funded the Khomeinist movement in the 1970s, now chants “Reza
Shah! Bless your soul!” In Qom and Mashhad, the historical bastion of the Shia
clergy in Iran, people chant, “This is the final battle, Pahlavi will return.”
This is all happening while across the country, people chant “Long live the Shah
(King)”, “Death to dictator”, “Wail, Seyed Ali (Khamenei); Pahlavi is coming”,
and “This is the national slogan: Reza Reza Pahlavi.”
The revival of a modern Iranian nationalism has bridged the class divide,
creating a unified front that the mullahs fear more than any foreign army.
The regime’s response has been a masterclass in panic and inconsistency,
resulting in a “tale of two crackdowns.” In major urban centers, security forces
have shown notable hesitation. This restraint reflects deep fractures within the
ruling elite and a strategic anxiety: officials fear that a brutal urban
massacre could severely weaken the regime’s military and oppressive machine’s
internal unity just as they face a looming potential military confrontation with
Israel and the United States.
However, in smaller cities and towns, the veneer of restraint has vanished.
Here, the regime faces a different kind of threat: populations with strong
tribal roots, better organization, and easier access to firearms.
Local security commanders, lacking specialized anti-riot units and fearing their
headquarters will be overrun by these emboldened crowds, have resorted to deadly
force as a first option. Confirmed casualties are mounting in the provinces as
the IRGC deploys lethal violence to hold the periphery.
Pezeshkian’s attempt to stem the tide by sacking Central Bank Governor Farzin
and recycling the previously impeached Abdolnasser Hemmati is a desperate
reshuffling of deck chairs on a sinking ship. Regime apologists continue to
blame US sanctions, but the Iranian people know better. With oil exports near
pre-sanctions levels and non-oil exports at record highs, the country is not
broke; it is being looted. The wealth of the nation is being siphoned off to
fund proxy wars in Gaza and Lebanon, a reality the protesters indict with the
chant, “Not for Gaza, not for Lebanon, I give my life for Iran.”
The stakes have now transcended Iran’s borders. By murdering demonstrators and
hunting down dissidents, Khamenei is directly testing the red lines established
by President Trump, who explicitly warned the regime about killing protesters.
The White House has stated it is “locked and loaded.”
With every drop of blood spilled, the regime pushes Washington closer to action,
risking a response that could be as swift as it is devastating. President
Trump’s credibility is on the line, and Tehran is foolishly betting against it.
The trajectory from here is violent and irreversible. The West must look at
these protests with clear eyes. This is not a request for reform; it is the end
of the 1979 experiment. The Iranian people are tearing down the walls. Whether
the regime will fall in this round of protests remains unclear. But make no
mistake. The Islamic Republic is on its way out.
**Saeed Ghasseminejad is a senior adviser for Iran and financial economics at
FDD, specializing in Iran’s economy, financial markets, sanctions, and illicit
finance.
Trump has started to liberate Venezuela while striking the
heart of Russia, China, Iran’s evil global axis
Richard Goldberg and Peter Doran/ The New York Post/January
06/2026
https://nypost.com/2026/01/04/opinion/trump-has-started-to-liberate-venezuela-while-striking-the-heart-of-russia-china-irans-evil-global-axis/
President Trump’s historic intervention in Venezuela offers needed hope to
friends of freedom around the world and nervous traders in the oil market. A
pro-America, free-market government could unleash the country’s oil potential
and lower energy prices around the globe. This is bad news for the Kremlin and
clerics in Iran, who need high oil prices to perpetuate their regimes. For
decades, Venezuela’s socialist leaders have plunged their country into a black
hole of poverty. Populist leader Hugo Chavez promised his voters unlimited
riches. Nicolás Maduro, Chavez’s hand-picked successor, turned those hopes into
an economic nightmare. Chavez and Maduro seized the infrastructure of American
oil firms in their country and ran the national economy into the ground. Under
Maduro’s rule, the economic decline in Venezuela has been worse than the Great
Depression in the US.
In the 1930s, America’s GDP declined by 30%. Under Maduro, Venezuela’s economy
has shrunk by about 75%, and Moscow and Beijing have been circling like
vultures. Last year, China purchased around 568,000 barrels per day from
Venezuela; and Beijing needs Venezuela to fuel its economy. Meanwhile, Vladimir
Putin has been keen to keep the Maduro regime as a proxy in the Western
Hemisphere. The loss of Maduro in Caracas, who has welcomed Russian weapons and
support to prop up his wobbly regime, is a major blow to Moscow. It also sends a
powerful message to dictators around the world who look to America’s rivals as
an alternative to US leadership: When the chips are down, Putin and Xi Jinping
can’t help you. While Maduro was in power, both Putin and Xi were eager to
include oil-rich Venezuela in their “Axis of Aggressors.”
Trump abruptly changed the geopolitical balance by putting Maduro in handcuffs.
He can now put more pressure on Beijing and box out Moscow’s hopes for a
sustained partnership with Caracas. The clerics in Tehran are also worried. The
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps needs Venezuela to enable its
sanctions-evasion schemes that were in place under Maduro. Worse, the ghost
tanker fleet that serviced the IRGC out of Venezuela is now in jeopardy. And
with the prospect of increased Venezuelan oil exports, there’s a potential
opportunity to put a squeeze on all remaining Iranian oil.
Chevron reformation
US oil companies are right to be first in line to manage the redevelopment of
Venezuela’s energy sector. For years, Chevron successfully lobbied for an
exception to US sanctions in Venezuela, arguing that if it were forced to
abandon the energy infrastructure in the country, Chinese interests would take
its place.
Trump’s move is a win-win. A revitalized oil industry means higher incomes and
better lives for the Venezuelan people and lower prices and diplomatic leverage
for Americans. By ousting Maduro, Trump has begun to liberate the country while
striking at the heart of the axis between Russia, China and Iran and providing
more democracy, oil and security to our friends in the Western Hemisphere.
**Peter Doran is an adjunct senior fellow focused on Russia, Ukraine and
transatlantic relations at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. A former
senior counselor for the White House National Energy Dominance Council, Richard
Goldberg is an FDD senior advisor and director of FDD’s Energy and National
Security Program.
After Trump Hits Venezuela, Will China Invade Taiwan?
Gordon G. Chang/Gatestone Institute./January 06/2026
China has never been more trade-dependent in its history. Xi Jinping's only hope
for an economy that is probably contracting is to increase exports. He knows —
or should know — that he is in no position to disrupt international commerce.
Xi apparently believes that a high degree of tension is in his personal interest
because continual confrontation would prevent political adversaries from
challenging or even deposing him.... Any incident, therefore, could spiral out
of control.
The United States has treaty obligations to defend two likely victims of Chinese
aggression — Japan and the Philippines — and has a moral obligation and many
practical reasons to defend Taiwan. As a practical matter, once one country in
America's treaty network gets attacked, all countries in the network end up
fighting. Trump on December 16 imposed a "total and complete blockade" on
sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, and some expressed their
belief that his actions could make it easier for China to impose similar
measures on Taiwan, which China claims as its own.
"If the U.S. blockades to change political outcomes in Venezuela, China can
justify coercive measures against Taiwan on so-called security grounds," Craig
Singleton of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told Reuters. "The legal
contexts differ, but the propaganda opening is real."
China looks serious about a Taiwan blockade. On December 30, China Coast Guard
and Global Times, the Communist Party newspaper, jointly released a
"Throat-choking" poster showing the Coast Guard intercepting a Taiwan container
vessel carrying the American HIMARS rocket system to the island republic. On
December 17, the U.S. State Department had announced the largest-ever arms sale
package to Taiwan, which included HIMARS rockets.
The poster, the Global Times stated, demonstrated the Coast Guard's ability to
"control key maritime areas and seize dangerous targets, as the CCG continued to
organize task forces to carry out comprehensive law enforcement patrol around
Taiwan island."
The release of the poster occurred on the final day of "Justice Mission 2025," a
drill conducted by China's Eastern Theater Command. On December 31, the Command
announced that it had "successfully completed" the exercises, the most extensive
ever conducted in the seas and air around the island republic.
Justice Mission 2025, which included five large no-go zones surrounding the main
island of Taiwan, practiced the imposition and enforcement of a "de facto"
blockade by the Chinese Coast Guard and elements of the Chinese military.
Many say that America's arms sales to Taiwan are provocative. Cheng Li-wun, the
chair of Taiwan's main opposition party, argues, in the words of NPR's Nick
Schifrin, that "more weapons could provoke the very war they're designed to
avoid."
Cheng is wrong because, among other reasons, it is unlikely that China will
launch hostilities by invading the main island of Taiwan or even provoking a
fight by imposing a blockade or quarantine.
Why unlikely?
First, China has never been more trade-dependent in its history. Xi Jinping's
only hope for an economy that is probably contracting is to increase exports. He
knows — or should know — that he is in no position to disrupt international
commerce.
"China with these exercises managed to ring in the new year reminding the world
that it was the one using military coercion to control a vast area, disrupt
global supply chains, and obstruct global shipping lanes," Steven Yates of the
Heritage Foundation told Gatestone. "That's not being a good neighbor,
responsible stakeholder, or reliable trade partner."Second, an invasion of
Taiwan would be extremely unpopular in China. Although the people of the island
see themselves as "Taiwanese" — self-identification surveys show only about 3%
of Taiwan's people believe they are "primarily Chinese" — people in China, as a
result of endless Communist Party indoctrination, believe that the Taiwanese are
Chinese. The Chinese in China, both officials and common folk, believe that
"Chinese do not kill Chinese."This is one reason why China's regime would be
extremely concerned about casualties resulting from an invasion of Taiwan.
Beijing is casualty-averse, something evident from Beijing's reluctance to
report losses from a skirmish with India in June 2020 in the Galwan region of
the Himalayas. Chinese leaders are unlikely to start a war even if they think
they will ultimately prevail, when casualties would be measured in the hundreds
of thousands or more. Because a war would be generally unpopular — the mood in
the country right now is sour — Xi must know that an invasion would not only
have to be successful but also bloodless, and that would be virtually
impossible.
Third, the Chinese military, racked by continuing purges, is in no condition to
start major hostilities. Purges have hit, among other units, the Eastern Theater
Command, the command with the responsibility for Taiwan and the Taiwan Strait.
In general, Xi does not trust any general or admiral with complete control of
the People's Liberation Army, control he would have to confer if he were to
launch a combined air-land-sea operation against the island. Xi appears to be
losing support in the military, and he is not about to make some flag officer
the most powerful figure in China by giving him or her control of virtually all
of the armed forces.
Fourth, China's actions are creating a formidable coalition against itself, and
soon the Chinese will realize they cannot take on everyone. As Yates says,
Justice Mission 2025 "is likely to accelerate trends toward civil resilience in
Taiwan; toward indigenous defense capabilities; and toward collaboration against
the common threat among Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, all supported by the
U.S."None of this is to say that Xi is unlikely to start a war. He is, after
all, engaging in a series of provocative actions along China's periphery, from
India in the south to South Korea in the north. Especially dangerous are the
acts of the Chinese navy and coast guard against the Philippines at places such
as Scarborough Shoal, Second Thomas Shoal, and Sandy Cay.
Xi apparently believes that a high degree of tension is in his personal interest
because continual confrontation would prevent political adversaries from
challenging or even deposing him. He can miscalculate at any time and now cannot
de-escalate or act constructively. Any incident, therefore, could spiral out of
control. If there is a war anywhere in East Asia, it will almost certainly
spread fast. The United States has treaty obligations to defend two likely
victims of Chinese aggression — Japan and the Philippines — and has a moral
obligation and many practical reasons to defend Taiwan. As a practical matter,
once one country in America's treaty network gets attacked, all countries in the
network end up fighting.
On the other side, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the end of December
said his country would support China in "the possible escalation in the Taiwan
Strait." China would undoubtedly force North Korea into supporting its war
effort as well.
No country in East Asia, therefore, escapes war.
**Gordon G. Chang is the author of Plan Red: China's Project to Destroy America,
a Gatestone Institute distinguished senior fellow, and a member of its Advisory
Board.
**Follow Gordon G. Chang on X (formerly Twitter)
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
An Even Better Trump Solution for Gaza
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute./January 06/2026
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22176/trump-solution-for-gaza
The Arab and Muslim countries, including Pakistan, will not disarm Hamas.
Pakistan -- which does not recognize Israel and does not regard Hamas as a
terrorist organization –- was the first country to recognize Iran's Khomeini
regime in 1979, just as, in 1947, Iran was the first country to recognize
Pakistan's independence. Since then, not only has Pakistan had far closer
relations with Iran than with Israel, but, after the Gaza War in 2023, has
repeatedly called for Muslim nations to "unite against Israel."Meanwhile, it is
simply not realistic to assume that the Palestinian terror groups will
voluntarily hand over their weapons.
These Arab and Muslim heads of state will only take action against Islamist
terrorists when they pose a threat to their regimes, security and stability.
The Gaza Strip does not need peacekeepers and monitors. US President Donald J.
Trump himself came up with the solution months ago, as he did this week for
Venezuela: "We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe,
proper and judicious transition. So we don't want to be involved with having
somebody else get in, and we have the same situation that we had for the last
long period of years."
Developers would rush in to create Trump's original vision of a "Gaza Riviera":
"Gaza would be under U.S. trusteeship for around ten years 'until a reformed and
deradicalized Palestinian Polity is ready to step in its shoes.'"
Those Palestinians in Gaza who wish to leave would be able to do so without fear
of being threatened or shot. The US could make sure that any terrorists who
refused completely to disarm would, as Trump warned about "bad hombres" in
Mexico be "taken care of." If there are legitimate concerns about US troops
being put in harm's way, perhaps Gaza's neighbor to the east might help out.
Above all, Trump the master builder could oversee the successful development of
some of the world's most magnificent real estate, as he said about Venezuela:
"We are going to have our very large United States oil companies go in, spend
billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure... and start making
money for the country."
Change the word "oil" above to "real estate development" for Gaza, and Trump
will have delivered the most far-reaching peace ever in history -- twice -- to
two separate hemispheres.
Arab and Muslim countries might object: it ruins their chances of attacking
Israel more easily after Trump leaves office. That is precisely why a pervasive
US or Israeli presence in Gaza is the only way to ensure the success of peace in
Gaza, peace in the rest of the Middle East, and a spectacular future for the
peaceful Palestinians who remain.
The Gaza Strip does not need peacekeepers and monitors. US President Donald J.
Trump himself came up with the solution months ago, as he did this week for
Venezuela: "We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe,
proper and judicious transition." A pervasive US or Israeli presence in Gaza is
the only way to ensure the success of peace in Gaza, peace in the rest of the
Middle East, and a spectacular future for the peaceful Palestinians who remain.
The Arab and Muslim countries, including Pakistan, will not disarm Hamas.
Pakistan -- which does not recognize Israel and does not regard Hamas as a
terrorist organization –- was the first country to recognize Iran's Khomeini
regime in 1979, just as, in 1947, Iran was the first country to recognize
Pakistan's independence. Since then, not only has Pakistan had far closer
relations with Iran than with Israel, but, after the Gaza War in 2023, has
repeatedly called for Muslim nations to "unite against Israel" (such as here,
here and here).
In a recent interview, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty was asked about
the issue of disarming the Iranian-backed terrorist group -- in accordance with
the second phase of US President Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan for ending
the war in the Gaza Strip.
Abdelatty replied:
"Trump's plan talks about restricting and surrendering weapons, not disarming
them. These are matters that will be agreed upon between the Palestinian
factions. I believe there is a possibility, within the framework of an
understanding between the factions, of reaching a formula that includes the
gradual surrender of weapons within a Palestinian-Palestinian framework."
Trump's plan, however, explicitly calls for the disarming of Hamas and all
Palestinian armed groups:
"Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza,
directly, indirectly, or in any form. All military, terror, and offensive
infrastructure, including tunnels and weapon production facilities, will be
destroyed and not rebuilt."
The requirement for Hamas and these groups to relinquish their weapons and for
the Gaza Strip to be "demilitarized" is a core condition for moving into the
second phase of the plan:
"Once all hostages are returned, Hamas members who commit to peaceful
co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty."
Abdelatty seems to be counting on the next sentence in Trump's plan as "wiggle
room" to sidestep the "destroyed and rebuilt" admonition:
"There will be a process of demilitarization of Gaza under the supervision of
independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use
through an agreed process of decommissioning, and supported by an
internationally funded buy back and reintegration program all verified by the
independent monitors."
Notably, so far no Arab country has expressed readiness to help in the
disarmament of the Palestinian terror groups, including Hamas, through Trump's
proposed International Stabilization Force (ISF). Jordan's King Abdullah II
recently warned that the Arab countries would reject being asked to "enforce"
peace in the Gaza Strip if deployed there under Trump's plan:
"What is the mandate of security forces inside of Gaza? And we hope that it is
peacekeeping, because if it's enforcing, nobody will want to touch that.
Peacekeeping is that you're sitting there supporting the local police force, the
Palestinians, which Jordan and Egypt are willing to train in large numbers, but
that takes time. If we're running around Gaza on patrol with weapons, that's not
a situation that any country would like to get involved in."
The Jordanian monarch, in other words, is notifying Trump flat-out that he
should not count on Jordan or other Arab countries to be part of a security
force that is willing to engage Palestinian terror groups and confiscate their
weapons. True, in mid-2025 the entire 22-member Arab League endorsed a
declaration that calls for Hamas to disarm, release all Israeli hostages, and
end its rule in the Gaza Strip. It is one thing to issue a statement calling on
the terror groups to lay down their weapons, but it is another actually to
participate in such a mission. The Arab leaders appear afraid of facing a
backlash by the Arab street, where anti-Israel sentiments and sympathy for the
Palestinian "resistance" -- meaning terrorism against Israel -- remain as strong
as ever.
A poll published by the Doha-based Arab Center for Research & Policy Studies
found that 67% of Arabs believe that Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel
was a "legitimate resistance operation." Another 69% of respondents expressed
their solidarity with Palestinians and Hamas, while 59% said that there would be
no possibility for peace with Israel.
Egyptian foreign minister shares King Abdullah's stance on the role of the ISF
in the Gaza Strip. Asked whether Egypt and other Arab countries would join the
force, Abdelatty replied:
"We are engaged in serious and positive dialogue with the American side because
this force must be peacekeeping, not peace enforcement, and there is a vast
difference between the two. Peacekeeping means focusing on monitoring the extent
to which both parties to the ceasefire agreement adhere to it, in addition to
assisting in the operation of the crossings. Enforcing the law or maintaining
internal public order are the inherent responsibilities of the Palestinian
police, who must be deployed within the Gaza Strip. Egypt certainly supports the
formation of the international force, and there are various frameworks for
providing logistical and technical support to this force. We are certainly
involved in command and control operations, and Egypt is represented on the
Civil-Military Committee in Kiryat Gat in southern Israel, which was established
to monitor the implementation of the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement."
The Egyptian position on the issue of disarming Hamas leaves no room for
ambiguity. Egypt does not want to be part of such an effort.
First, Egypt believes that this issue should be agreed upon "within the
framework of an understanding between Palestinian factions." The Arab countries,
according to the Egyptian foreign minister, should not be meddling in the
internal affairs of the Palestinians. He is suggesting, apparently in all
seriousness, that Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other Palestinian terror
organizations that support the "armed struggle" meet to discuss the possibility
of laying down their weapons and halting the fight against Israel. This, of
course, would happen only if hell freezes over.
Second, the Egyptian foreign minister says he believes that there should be a
"gradual surrender of weapons" in the Gaza Strip. Abdelatty evidently does not
understand the "rush" to disarm Palestinian terror groups -- whose stated goal
is to murder Jews and destroy Israel, as demonstrated on October 7. A "gradual
surrender of weapons" is a process that could last for years, allowing the
terror groups to rearm, regroup, rebuild their military capabilities, and launch
their next attack on Israel.
Third, while the Arab states support the deployment of international troops in
the Gaza Strip, they insist that its mandate should be limited to peacekeeping:
merely acting as a buffer between the Israeli army and Hamas, presumably to keep
Israel at bay, and facilitating humanitarian aid rather than enforcing security
by force or disarming the Palestinian terror groups. The Arabs seemingly would
like to copy in the Gaza Strip the failed model of the 1978 United Nations
Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which failed to prevent the Iran-backed
Hezbollah's military buildup (150,000 rockets and missiles) and entrenchment in
southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, it is simply unrealistic to assume that the Palestinian terror groups
will voluntarily hand over their weapons.
On December 29, 2025, Hamas's armed wing repeated that it would not surrender
its weapons. "Our people are defending themselves and will not give up their
weapons as long as the occupation remains," the group's new spokesman said in a
video.
It is equally unrealistic to assume that the Palestinian Authority, headed by
Mahmoud Abbas, has the will or ability to disarm Hamas. Like the Arab heads of
state, Abbas does not want to be seen as an Israeli or American puppet acting
against the Palestinian "resistance." Reminder: the PA ruled the Gaza Strip
between 1994 and 2007 but was unable to disarm Hamas and other Palestinian
terror groups. In the summer of 2007, Hamas toppled the PA regime, ousted it
from Gaza, and seized full control of the Gaza Strip.
The Arab states, Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan, do not, frankly, view Hamas as a
direct threat to their national security: Hamas operates only against Israel.
That is another reason they are opposed to taking part in disarming Hamas. These
Arab and Muslim heads of state will only take action against Islamist terrorists
when they pose a threat to their regimes, security and stability.
The Gaza Strip does not need peacekeepers and monitors. US President Donald J.
Trump himself came up with the solution months ago, as he did this week for
Venezuela:
"We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and
judicious transition. So we don't want to be involved with having somebody else
get in, and we have the same situation that we had for the last long period of
years."
Developers would rush in to create Trump's original vision of a "Gaza Riviera":
"Gaza would be under U.S. trusteeship for around ten years 'until a reformed and
deradicalized Palestinian Polity is ready to step in its shoes.'"
Those Palestinians in Gaza who wish to leave would be able to do so without fear
of being threatened or shot. The US could make sure that any terrorists who
refused completely to disarm would, as Trump warned about "bad hombres" in
Mexico be "taken care of." If there are legitimate concerns about US troops
being put in harm's way, perhaps Gaza's neighbor to the east might help out.
Above all, Trump the master builder could oversee the successful development of
some of the world's most magnificent real estate, as he said about Venezuela:
"We are going to have our very large United States oil companies go in, spend
billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure... and start making
money for the country."
Change the word "oil" above to "real estate development" for Gaza, and Trump
will have delivered the most far-reaching peace ever in history -- twice -- to
two separate hemispheres. Just as a US trusteeship "safe, proper and judicious
transition" is the only solution for a successful Venezuela, it is the only
realistic solution for a successful Gaza, as well. Arab and Muslim countries
might object: it ruins their chances of attacking Israel more easily after Trump
leaves office. That is precisely why a pervasive US or Israeli presence in Gaza
is the only way to ensure the success of peace in Gaza, peace in the rest of the
Middle East, and a spectacular future for the peaceful Palestinians who remain.
**Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
**Follow Khaled Abu Toameh on X (formerly Twitter)
© 2026 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Maduro’s fall echoes Saddam’s final days
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya English/06 January/2026
The two former leaders of Venezuela, the late Hugo Chavez and his successor
Nicolás Maduro, resembled defiant figures such as Saddam Hussein, Ayatollah
Khomeini, and Muammar Gaddafi. They became known for fiery speeches, populist
slogans, and zero tangible achievements. Who can forget Chavez’s words from the
UN podium about former US president George W. Bush, when he said, “Yesterday the
devil came here, right here, and it still smells of sulfur.” All of them fought
Don Quixote-like battles. In reality, they spent their years in power isolated
and besieged, and they all ended in defeat.
After the outspoken Chavez came Maduro, a simple man, a former bus driver and
trade union activist. He inherited power and followed his predecessor’s path,
with mockery of the United States as his favorite theme. He failed to grasp the
character of the new ruler in the White House. He dismissed the warnings,
believing Trump would not act. He then barricaded himself in his residence,
turning the palace into a heavily armed fortress. When it happened, the scene
echoed what befell Saddam Hussein in 2003, when he could not believe his eyes as
US forces advanced along the Tigris River in central Baghdad. Saddam fled
hastily to Tikrit and hid in a hole on a friend’s farm, only to be betrayed by
one of his own men and handed over to the Americans to be taken into custody.
The Venezuelan president met a similar fate. He too was taken under guard, in
his pajamas, to New York, where he ended up in a prison there. Trump spoke
plainly, saying that Maduro’s fate was a lesson for other leaders. He warned the
leaders of Cuba and Colombia, as well as the president of Mexico, against
allowing gangs to traffic drugs. Latin American societies, like Arab countries,
also numbering around 20 states, are afflicted by narcissistic populist leaders.
They spend decades fighting imaginary enemies, basing their policies on
conspiracy theories and their media narratives on mourning the ruins of history,
while destroying their countries’ resources.
I witnessed this firsthand. I visited Caracas in 2007. At the time, it appeared
to be a beautiful and clean capital, at least in the Altamira district where we
stayed. The same was true of another neighborhood we visited on the edge of the
city near Mount Ávila. Yet informal settlements were encircling the city in an
alarming way. Our guide explained that these were migrants who had arrived by
the millions in search of a livelihood in this resource-rich country. Living
conditions quickly deteriorated as a result of the so-called revolutionary
government’s policies, and armed men became a visible presence in the city. They
were not police officers, but hired civilian militias guarding buildings. We saw
them at the entrance to the parking area of our hotel. At the time, the exchange
rate was two bolivars to the dollar. Chavez, followed by Maduro, succeeded in
destroying their country’s economy, with the currency collapsing to 500 bolivars
per dollar. As a result of poverty, more than five million Venezuelans
emigrated.
Why would an oil-rich country like Venezuela throw itself into continental
conflicts, with its president insisting on revolutionary posturing at a time
when the era of revolutions ended with the close of the Cold War? The situation
often reminded me of Libya, a country rich in resources yet poor in reality.
Maduro’s deep-seated complex was Chavez. He ruled for more than ten years trying
to imitate him. Maduro is a simple man, whereas Chavez was a deeply ideological
and radical figure. He legitimized revolutionary discourse in an oil-rich
country, expelled US companies, and nationalized investments. Chavez was a
powerful orator who knew how to turn his ideas into populist speeches. He was
cultured and surrounded himself with poets and writers. He was a friend of
novelist Gabriel García Márquez and placed himself alongside Venezuela’s
historic symbol Simón Bolívar. Even as president, Chavez hosted a weekly
television program in which he spoke nonstop for eight hours.
Naturally, there was a vast gap between rhetoric and reality, as poverty,
unemployment, and arrests all increased. Chavez died at the age of 58 in a Cuban
clinic after battling cancer, with some claiming he was poisoned. Maduro
succeeded him. A former bus driver with limited education, he continued to
imitate Chávez politically, but without Chávez’s rhetorical talent.Trump
returned to the presidency as a leader unlike those who preceded him in the
White House. He was told that Venezuela, long a friend of the United States, had
become a thorn in its side for more than 20 years. It cooperated with
Washington’s adversaries, Iran, Russia, and China, and became a major financier
of drug trafficking. Previous US presidents, he was told, had settled for
economic sanctions and political isolation. Trump chose to shorten the timeline
and settle the matter in a single night. He did not change the regime, but
targeted Maduro alone and agreed to work with his vice president. What happened
in Caracas should be a lesson for rebellious leaders: Trump is seeking
victories.
Yemen Between the Logic of
Domination and the Absence of the State
Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, Former prime minister of Yemen/Asharq Al-Awsat/January
06/2026
After the guns have relatively fallen silent and the voices of extremism, which
often fuel entrenchment and sharp polarization, have subsided, a question now
presents itself at every turn in Yemen. Simple on the surface, it is deeply
problematic beneath it: where do you stand on the recent developments? Do you
support what has occurred or reject it? True, life is defined by positions,
especially at major national junctures. Personally, I have always been and
always will be in favor of a federal project for Yemen. However, clear positions
do not entail acquiescence to the underlying logic of the question itself. This
question is not intended to foster understanding so much as it is meant to
enforce alignment and fuel polarization, and it is not meant to open horizons so
much as to shut down debate.Answering it, regardless of the answer given, will
not change the facts on the ground. The question that must be confronted
instead, because it is more dangerous and more unsettling: how did we get here
in the first place? What made this path possible, even predictable? Yemen is not
currently deviating from a sound trajectory. Rather, recent developments are the
logical outcome of faulty grounds that had been acted on for a long period:
failure to build an inclusive state, inability to manage diversity, privileging
of foreign agendas, and persistently seeking domination over the agreement and
consensus. Those who do not acknowledge these problems cannot acknowledge their
consequences. The problem in Yemen has never been the existence of diversity,
but its transformation from a historical fact into a political burden. Yemen was
never a structurally homogeneous society, nor a solid centralized state; it has
always been divided into regions with rich local customs and systems, creating a
delicate balance between center and periphery. Nonetheless, it was not a society
of warring identities; it was a single, administrable society when appropriate
political frameworks allowed for this.Every moment of relative stability in
Yemeni history has been associated with a reduction in the logic of domination
and an expansion of the circles of partnership, while every moment of crisis has
been associated with claims to absolute dominance, monopolization of
representation, and the imposition of a fait accompli. This is not a selective
reading of history; it is a consistent pattern.
Political turbulence has always been triggered and sustained by the suspension
of diversity through a single framework of a single, overarching identity.
Instead of being managed, diverse identities shifted from a space of belonging
into a tool of political alignment and conflict. Once we arrive at this point,
the question is no longer: who are we? It becomes: who is with us and who is
against us? Here, identity was transformed from a living, flowing river capable
of multiplicity into a stone we hurl at the other.
Alongside the logic of domination, corruption became a defining feature of
governance, not an incidental deviation. Major national causes - from the state
to unity to war - were instrumentalized as cover for private interests and the
accumulation of power by narrow networks. Corruption is not limited to the
embezzlement of resources; the meaning of public meaning itself is corrupted
when the state becomes a space for distributing spoils, public office becomes
property, and national causes become investments. In such a climate, political
discourse becomes inconsequential and the legitimacy of elites is undermined,
and the door opens to more violent forces that claim purification while
reproducing corruption through more vicious means.
Federalism is neither the root of the crisis nor a magical solution for. It is
part of the Yemeni experience, but it becomes a blessing only within the
framework of a modern and just state. In the absence of the state,
decentralization turns into chaos; in the absence of justice, unity becomes
coercion. The problem is not the form, but the substance of the state. The same
applies to the tribe. It is a deeply rooted mode of social organization that has
underpinned the protection and organization of individuals, but tribalism has
always been a dead end as a mode of governance. The confusion between social
realities and instruments of power has contributed to the erosion of citizenship
and to the replacement of law with kinship loyalties.In this context, the
National Dialogue Conference cannot be trivialized. It is not valuable because
it offers final solutions. It is crucial because it breaks the monopoly of
violence over political questions and opens a horizon for thinking about
alternatives that are not based on domination. Dialogue was not the end of the
road, but its beginning; the mistake lay not in the process itself, but in
aborting the process by force or sanctifying its outcomes without development.
Within this framework, the response of our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia, true to its usual role, which was to call southern figures and
components to convene an inclusive conference addressing the southern issue in
its historical, social, and above all political dimensions, constitutes a
serious opportunity to test the transition from the logic of domination to the
logic of politics. The value of this step does not lie in offering a ready-made
solution, but in opening political space to address a long-postponed issue
through dialogue that does not rely on exclusion or the imposition of a faits
accompli. If handled wisely, it could be a milestone on the path of our larger
struggle to restore the state.
The logic of domination has been a common thread of most moments of destruction
in Yemen’s history. A state built by force is destroyed by force, and a society
governed through exclusion does nothing but postpone conflict. This is the
lesson of cruel experiences that Yemenis have paid the price for time and
again.Yemen is not isolated from the world and its shifts. It is surrounded by
countries that are rethinking their governance models, decentralization, and
frameworks for managing diversity. Accordingly, Yemen cannot be governed by the
logic of spoils, revenge, or the settling of historical scores.
Thus, the fundamental question remains: how do we build a just state that can
accommodate the diversity of all Yemenis and put an end to this vicious cycle of
subjugation and division? Slogans and easy alignments are not a way out of the
impasse. Moral and intellectual courage is needed to confront difficult
questions. There is always an opportunity, but the real fear is that it will be
squandered once again.
Selected Face Book & X tweets/ January 05/2026