English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News
& Editorials
For January 23/2026
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news
The Bulletin's Link on the
lccc Site
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/aaaanewsfor2026/english.january 23.26.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 harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few;
therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest
Matthew 09/36-38: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for
them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are
few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his
harvest”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published
on January
22-23/2026
Video & Text: Commemorating the Annual Brutal Damour Massacre/Elias Bejjani/January
21, 2025 From 2025 Archive
On Naim Qassem’s Speech: Insolence, Delusion, and Street-Level Vulgarity in Open
Rebellion Against Lebanon and the World/Elias Bejjani/January 19/ 2026
From the archive/video link/ A statement by Abbot Charbel Qassis about the war
waged by the Palestinians against the Christians in Lebanon, the Christians were
in a state of self-defense.
Trump says 'we have to do something' about Hezbollah
Trump at Davos: Hezbollah is “a Small Remnant”
On high alert: Israel braces for potential US strike on Iran and Hezbollah’s
possible response
Gunfire heard, two grenades thrown in Ain al-Hilweh camp
Report: Army about to finalize national security strategy
Condemnation no longer sufficient, Berri says after violent Wednesday strikes
Salam says Hezbollah disarmament 'historic moment' in 'very difficult' climate
Israel's destruction of Lebanon's environment raises international law questions
Mireille Rebeiz, Dickinson College and Josiane Yazbeck, Université La/Sagesse/Associated
Press/January 22/2026
Lebanese finance minister denies any plans for a Kushner-run economic zone in
the south/TAREK ALI AHMAD/Arab News/January 23, 2026
The Dhimmis and the “Umarian Conditions”/Colonel
Charbel Barakat/January 23/2026
Lebanon when the rule of law falls: From state to open arena/Khalaf Ahmad Al-Habtoor/Arab
News/January/January 22, 2026
Lebanon and Syria Seek Rapprochement Amid Lingering Distrust/Samar el Kadi/This
Is Beirut/January 22/2026
Salam confident Lebanon can improve banking draft law for IMF endorsement
Regional order: Israeli strikes expose limits of diplomacy in Lebanon under
Trump-era policies
Protests deliver rare political message: What is Hezbollah signaling to the
presidency?
Bassil agrees with KSA on state sovereignty, rejects country's partitioning
Radulovic sacked as Lebanon coach
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on January
22-23/2026
Trump launches ‘Board of Peace’ at Davos
Iran Guards chief says 'finger on trigger', warns US against 'miscalculations'
US welcomes Iraq’s step to take Daesh militants from Syria
US military transfers first 150 Daesh detainees from Syria to Iraq
UN says 134,000 displaced in northeast Syria after clashes between govt, Kurds
US weighs complete military withdrawal from Syria, WSJ reports
In end of an era, US moving up to 7,000 ISIS detainees from Syria to Iraq
Iraq says it will prosecute Daesh detainees sent from Syria
Iran internet blackout has lasted more than two weeks, monitor says
War has to end,’ Trump tells Putin after meeting Zelenskyy in Davos
Ukraine-Russia talks 'down to one issue', Trump envoy says
Zelenskyy, after Trump talks, says territorial issue still unsolved
US weighs complete military withdrawal from Syria: Report
Trump vows Gaza will be demilitarized and rebuilt at Board of Peace ceremony in
Davos
Spain closes Pegasus spyware probe again, saying Israel has not responded
Israeli forces demolish Palestinian facilities in Jericho
People in Gaza dig through garbage for things to burn to keep warm
AFP demands ‘investigation after freelancer killed in Israeli strike
Israeli president urges global community to give Trump’s peace plan a chance
Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt to open next week, Palestinian official says
US touts ‘New Gaza’ filled with luxury real estate
Saudi minister says Kingdom can become ‘bridge economy’ linking three continents
Somali forces retake island overrun by al-Shabaab militants
France intercepts suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker in Mediterranean
Titles For The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on January
22-23/2026
Who Counsels Qatar and Turkey, Hamas's Representatives on Trump's Board
of Peace?/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute./January 22, 2026
Redefining the ‘rogue state’/Zaid AlKami/Arabiya English/22 January/2026
Made in Pakistan: How Islamabad is gaining ground in global defense industry/Joe
Buccino/Arabiya English/22 January/2026
There is more that unites Arab Gulf countries than divides them/Mohammed El-Houni/Arabiya
English/22 January/2026
The deconstruction of a world order that is falling apart/Charles Elias
Chartouni/This Is Beirut/January 23/2026
La déconstruction d’un ordre mondial qui se défait/Charles Elias Chartouni/This
Is Beirut/January 23/2026
Selected Face Book & X tweets/ January 22/2026
The Latest English LCCC
Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on January
22-23/2026
Video & Text: Commemorating the Annual Brutal Damour Massacre
Elias Bejjani/January 21, 2025 From 2025 Archive
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/126200/
The memory of the Damour Massacre, perpetrated by the Syrian Assad regime,
Palestinian terrorism, leftist and Arab nationalist groups, and jihadists on
January 20, 1976, remains etched in the Lebanese, Christian, moral, national,
and faith-based consciousness. It serves as a painful reminder of a brutal
chapter in Lebanon’s history and the resilient struggle of its free Christian
community.
On Naim
Qassem’s Speech: Insolence, Delusion, and Street-Level Vulgarity in Open
Rebellion Against Lebanon and the World
Elias Bejjani/January 19/ 2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/151257/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRlRrHRUmUg
Sheikh Naïm Qassem’s latest speech was not a mere slip of the tongue or a
momentary emotional outburst. It was a blatant declaration of total estrangement
from Lebanon as a state, and a brazen rebellion against the Lebanese
people—their institutions, their decisions, and their national dignity. It was a
speech drawn from the gutter language of the street, not from the position of a
political leader, deliberately confrontational, crude, and saturated with
arrogance and coercion.
When Qassem declares that Hezbollah’s weapons will remain “by force, over the
necks of the Lebanese,” he is not expressing a political stance; he is
effectively signing a document of internal occupation. That statement alone is
sufficient to strip away all the masks of “resistance,” “protection,” and
“defense of the homeland,” revealing the naked truth: we are facing an armed
organization that views the Lebanese as subjects, not citizens, and sees the
state as an obstacle to be smashed, not an authority to which it is accountable.
From Political Speech to Verbal Thuggery
What was labeled a “speech” was nothing more than a bundle of obscene,
street-level insults and a reckless flight forward. Qassem did not debate, did
not argue, did not reason. He insulted, threatened, and waved the specter of
civil war, as if Lebanon were a private estate and Lebanese blood merely a
bargaining chip.
He targeted the President of the Republic, attacked the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, and appointed himself guardian over the government, ordering it either
to submit, to silence itself, or to change course. This is not the language of
leadership; it is the language of a militia in distress. It is not a sign of
strength, but of weakness and fear. The tighter the noose grows around the
party’s regional patron in Tehran, the louder the shouting becomes in Beirut’s
southern suburbs, Hezbollah’s stronghold. And the closer Lebanon comes to a
serious reckoning over placing weapons exclusively under state authority, the
more Qassem emerges threatening that “not one stone will be left upon another.”
Weapons: From “Resistance” to Burden and Threat
The most dangerous aspect of Qassem’s speech is not merely its vulgarity or its
detachment from reality and actual capabilities, but its open contempt for
everything Lebanese—national sovereignty, civil peace, and its servile
submission to Iranian dictates.
He trivialized and leapt over international resolutions, trampled the Armistice
Agreement that binds Lebanon and prohibits any armed organization outside state
legitimacy, mocked Arab and international consensus, ignored Israel’s military
power, and insulted and derided the will of the vast majority of Lebanese who
want a normal state—without rogue weapons and without militias that know nothing
but stupidity, hatred, and the glorification and sanctification of suicidal
death.
When Qassem challenges the state and declares his weapons beyond any discussion,
he implicitly admits that these weapons no longer serve any national purpose.
They serve only one function: protecting the party’s apparatus and its
mini-state, even if that comes at the ruins of Lebanon itself.
Branding Sovereignty as Treason… to Cover Defeat
Qassem reverted to the easiest weapon of all: accusations of treason. Anyone who
demands state sovereignty is a “traitor.” Anyone who works through diplomacy is
a “tool.” Anyone who rejects his weapons is “inciting civil war.” But the truth
is far too clear to be concealed by insults: the party’s project has reached a
dead end. The illusions of “victory” can no longer feed a hungry people, rebuild
a destroyed city, or rescue a collapsed economy.
What Comes After This Defiance?
After this speech, silence is no longer an option, and evasiveness is no longer
acceptable. What Naïm Qassem said imposes firm and unequivocal steps on the
Lebanese government—not vague, grey statements:
The immediate expulsion of Hezbollah and Amal Movement ministers from the
government, because anyone who threatens the state cannot be a partner in
governing it.
A clear and official declaration of the end of the state of war with Israel, and
an end to its use as a pretext for retaining weapons.
The designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization at the national level,
consistent with its threatening and insurrectionary behavior.
The arrest of Hezbollah leaders involved in threatening civil peace and their
referral to the judiciary, rather than rewarding them with positions of power.
Conclusion
Naïm Qassem’s speech was not a defense of “resistance,” but a declaration of
open hostility toward Lebanon. It was not a show of strength, but a fit of
political panic. It was not directed at Israel or the outside world, but at the
Lebanese themselves—as if to tell them: “The state is finished, and we are the
alternative.”
Here lies the crux of the matter: Either a state, or Naïm Qassem. Either the
rule of law, or the logic of “by force, over your necks.”History does not
forgive the hesitant.
From the archive/video link/ A statement by Abbot Charbel Qassis
about the war waged by the Palestinians against the Christians in Lebanon, the
Christians were in a state of self-defense.
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/151366/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S8rKs85CuY
Abbot Charbel Qassis explains the humanitarian role played by the Maronite
Order, which opened its monasteries to the Palestinians, while they themselves
were the ones who stormed—by way of example but not limited to—the Monastery of
Naameh, spreading corruption and destruction within it.He says, affirming the
painful truth: “Not a single Palestinian was killed on the borders of the
Palestinian camps, but at our gates. They were not carrying bouquets of flowers,
but Kalashnikovs. My people were in a state of self-defense.”He then asks: “Do
the Palestinians who torn apart the documents of the Monastery of Naameh know?
what their hands have done?”
Trump says 'we have to do something' about Hezbollah
Naharnet/January 22/2026
U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that “something” must be done about
Hezbollah in Lebanon. “Hezbollah in Lebanon, we have to do something about
that,” Trump said in remarks at the Davos economic forum. “But these are, I call
them remnants. They're small remnants compared to what it was before,” Trump
added, referring to Hezbollah. The U.S. leader had said Wednesday at the same
forum that “there’s a problem with Hezbollah in Lebanon.””We’ll see what happens
there,” Trump added.
Trump at Davos: Hezbollah is “a Small Remnant”
This Is Beirut/January 22/2026
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Hezbollah in Lebanon has been
significantly weakened, describing the group as “a small remnant compared to
what it used to be.”In his remarks during the 56th annual meeting of the World
Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, Trump stressed that action is still
required against the Iran-backed organization. “Something must be done about
it,” he said, underscoring Washington’s continued focus on curbing Iranian
influence. Trump’s remarks were delivered as part of the official program of the
Davos summit, a high-profile gathering that brings together global political
leaders, corporate executives, policymakers and intellectuals to debate major
economic, geopolitical and social challenges.
On high alert: Israel braces for potential US strike on
Iran and Hezbollah’s possible response
LBCI/January 22/2026
Israel appears prepared for war on multiple fronts, but two in particular worry
it most: Iran and Lebanon. While Tel Aviv monitors the possibility of a U.S.
strike on Iran, it is taking every precaution for the potential involvement of
Hezbollah in such a conflict. Its air force has deployed defense systems,
including the Iron Dome, to counter expected ballistic missiles from Tehran and
its allies if a strike occurs. Air Force chief Tomer Bar inspected an Iron Dome
site with military leaders and warned that the air force possesses a lethal
offensive capability capable of operating deep in enemy territory. These
preparations and statements coincided with announcements from military officials
that the United States is close to completing its readiness for the strike,
although the exact timing remains difficult to determine. On the Lebanese front,
Israel’s security establishment has devised a plan aimed at undermining
Hezbollah. It decided to intensify attacks and revealed that targeting four
crossings on Wednesday along the Lebanese-Syrian border was intended to prevent
arms smuggling from Syria to Hezbollah, which has resumed activity following
recent developments in Syria, according to Israeli intelligence. While the
Israeli military uses the period of U.S. preparations against Iran to pursue its
objectives regarding Hezbollah, officials in the security establishment did not
hide their concerns over whether the United States will carry out military
action against Iran, what the expected scope of the strikes might be, and what
objective President Donald Trump has set for the military — whether it is to
topple the regime or to carry out a symbolic attack aimed at exhausting the
system and forcing it into negotiations.
Gunfire heard, two grenades thrown in Ain al-Hilweh camp
LBCI/January 22/2026
Gunfire was heard, and two grenades were thrown in the vegetable market area of
the Ain al-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp on Thursday. No immediate reports of
casualties were available.
Report: Army about to finalize national security strategy
Naharnet/January 22/2026
The Lebanese Army is preparing the national security strategy that President
Joseph Aoun had pledged to devise in his inaugural speech, a media report said.
The army is preparing it through “a specialized committee that is utilizing
diverse expertise,” the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on Thursday. The
formulation process has entered its “final stages” and is “about to be
finalized,” the daily added.
Condemnation no longer sufficient, Berri says after violent
Wednesday strikes
Naharnet/January 22/2026
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri called for "national unity" after a long day of
violent Israeli strikes on south Lebanon and on crossings along the
Syria-Lebanon border. "Statements of condemnation are no longer sufficient,"
Berri said, adding that only national unity can save Lebanon. The strikes on
Wednesday killed two people and wounded 19 others, including journalists. A
Lebanese army statement decried the Israeli targeting of "civilian buildings and
homes" in a "blatant violation of Lebanon's sovereignty" and the ceasefire deal
and said such attacks "hinder the army's efforts" to complete the disarmament
plan. President Joseph Aoun also strongly condemned the "dangerous escalation"
that "targeted civilians" and "flagrantly violated International Humanitarian
Law". He called on the international community, especially France and the U.S.
who helped broker the ceasefire deal reached in November 2024, to "shoulder
their legal and political responsibilities" and take "clear and effective
measures" to stop the Israeli violations, end the policy of impunity, and ensure
the protection of civilians.
Salam says Hezbollah disarmament 'historic moment' in 'very difficult' climate
Naharnet/January 22/2026
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that Hezbollah's disarmament south of
the Litani river is "a historic moment in a very difficult environment". Salam
said, in an interview, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on
Wednesday, that Lebanon is "slowly but surely" regaining the trust of the
international community and is moving to the second phase of disarming Hezbollah
- north of the Litani. "Our government had two main pillars on its agenda:
reforms and the restoration of the state's monopoly over arms, for the first
time since 1969," he told Bloomberg TV. Salam called on Hezbollah to prioritize
the national agenda over any other regional agenda and said that Lebanon wants
to rebuild Lebanese-Iranian relations on mutual respect and "non-intervention"
in each other's domestic affairs. He also called on the international community
to pressure Israel to abide to the November ceasefire deal. "We are living a
sort of war of attrition from one side -- from Israel, and Israel continues to
occupy parts of southern Lebanon. We are trying to mobilize the international
community, and we don't want to spare any diplomatic or political means."
Israel's destruction of Lebanon's environment raises international law questions
Mireille Rebeiz, Dickinson College and Josiane Yazbeck, Université La Sagesse/Associated
Press/January 22/2026
(THE CONVERSATION) More than a year after a ceasefire nominally ended active
fighting, much of southern Lebanon bears the ecological scars of war. Avocado
orchards are gone and beehives destroyed. So, too, are the livelihoods they
supported. Meanwhile, fields and forests have disappeared under the intense fire
caused by white phosphorus shelling. Shrapnel and unexploded bombs, however,
remain.
Such grim realities are a window into the massive ecological destruction brought
to Lebanon as a result of the 2024 war between Hezbollah and Israel. The number
of Israeli airstrikes from October to November of that year ranked among the
highest globally in the 21st century. The conflict proved disastrous for human
life, with more than 4,000 people killed, more than 17,000 injured, and 1.2
million civilians displaced internally. But a relatively uncovered aspect of the
destruction was the significant effects to the environment.
Farmlands, olive groves, and pine forests were extensively burned by Israel's
airstrikes. Water resources were polluted. Pipelines and waste management were
partially or completely destroyed. And the extensive dropping of ordnance and
debris left a widespread trail of toxic dust and hazardous chemicals.
The damage to the Lebanon's environment will have long-term consequences for the
country's agriculture and economy, and on its people's mobility. Repairing the
damage would involve a multi-year reconstruction project costing an estimated
US$11 to $14 billion, according to one World Bank assessment. As experts in
Middle East studies and environmental law, we believe that this destruction also
indicates a grave breach of international environmental law and raises the
question of whether Israel committed war crimes in Lebanon by deliberately
targeting natural resources and engaging in environmental warfare.
Environmental destruction in Lebanon -
During the latest war — the sixth such Israeli invasion of Lebanon since 1978 —
Lebanon lost around 1,910 hectares of prime farmland, 47,000 olive trees and
around 1,200 hectares of oak forests, according to Lebanese state figures.
According to Amnesty International, Israel used white phosphorus, a highly
reactive chemical that burns at extremely high temperatures when exposed to air.
While international humanitarian law does not necessarily ban its use for
military necessity, it clearly dictates that white phosphorus must never be used
against civilians. Data collected by Amnesty International's Citizen Evidence
Lab suggests that Israel deliberately used this incendiary substance in densely
populated villages in southern Lebanon to push the civilians out and make their
lands unusable. Many civilians were killed, and several had long-term injuries,
such as respiratory damages and severe burns. As to the environment, white
phosphorus destroyed fruit, vegetable and olive harvests, burned agricultural
lands and left them polluted. White phosphorus also ignited large-scale fires
that ravaged oak and pine forests and devastated wildlife. Natural habitats were
destroyed, pushing animals whose species are already under stress, such as
striped hyenas, golden jackals, and Egyptian mongoose, into residential areas,
putting them at risk of being killed.
In the course of the conflict Israel also used cluster munitions, which are
widely banned by international law. A cluster bomb consists of several smaller
bombs that explode at different times to cover wider areas. But some of these
cluster munitions do not explode on impact, thus threatening civilians' lives
and targeting civilians indiscriminately.
Due to these various chemicals and munitions, Lebanon's soil and water have been
contaminated with heavy metals, military scrap, and unexploded bombs. To be
sure, underlying conditions that preceded Israel's bombing campaign likely
worsened the extent of the resulting environmental damage. For example, there
are no clear domestic laws in Lebanon banning asbestos, and data indicates the
country continued importing the toxic substance well into the early 2000s, well
after it had been banned in most other countries.
Several urban and industrial sites were heavily bombed during the 2024 war,
especially in south Beirut and Tyre, a major city in southern Lebanon. There is
little doubt that the resulting debris contains high levels of asbestos and
other toxic substances, which were released with the destruction of buildings,
pipelines, paints, roofs, tiles and other old structures.
Environmental protection in armed conflict -
Current international humanitarian law provides limited environmental protection
during armed conflict. Article 8(2)(b)(iv) of the Rome Statute qualifies a war
crime as any attack launched "in the knowledge that such attack will cause
widespread, long-term and severe damage to the natural environment which would
be clearly excessive in relation to the concrete and direct overall military
advantage anticipated." The cumulative nature of these criteria — being
widespread, long term and severe — establishes a high bar for proving a war
crime of this nature. Additional legal frameworks include the 1976 ENMOD
Convention prohibiting environmental modification techniques for military
purposes and Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions that prohibits methods of
warfare intended or expected to cause widespread, long-term and severe
environmental damage.
In Feb. 2024, International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan announced a
policy initiative prioritizing environmental crimes within the existing Rome
Statute framework.
Further, a growing international movement is pushing to recognize "ecocide,"
defined as the mass destruction of ecosystems, as a fifth international crime
alongside genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of
aggression. If adopted, this legal framework would significantly lower the
threshold for prosecuting environmental destruction during armed conflict. Even
so, the documented environmental impacts in Lebanon already raise substantive
questions regarding the application of international humanitarian law and the
legal requirement that military commanders weigh anticipated civilian and
environmental harm against expected military gains before launching an attack.
The actions of Israel and other countries in recent years, however, have more
broadly raised questions over the viability of international law and
institutions' ability to hold those accused to account.
Moving forward -
Although Israel and Lebanon agreed to an internationally supervised ceasefire in
Nov. 2024, it has largely been a truce in name only, with continued Israeli
strikes targeting southern and eastern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs
since then. Meanwhile, though Lebanon remains committed to the terms of the
ceasefire, including the disarmament of Hezbollah, the armed Shiite movement has
refused to entirely give up its arms.Under U.S patronage, negotiations between
Lebanon and Israel continue today, with discussions of a land border agreement
and the return of Lebanese hostages. But, the negotiations so far have stuck
largely to political issues with no mention of environmental damages. In fact,
the question of environmental reparations is not without precedent. Since 2006,
the United Nations General Assembly has adopted 19 consecutive resolutions on
the Jiyeh oil spill, caused by the Israeli bombing of fuel storage tanks during
the July 2006 war. The destruction released up to 30,000 tons of oil into the
Mediterranean, contaminating 170 kilometers of Lebanese coastline. The U.N.
secretary-general assessed damages at US$856.4 million, and the assembly has
repeatedly called upon Israel to assume responsibility for prompt and adequate
compensation — calls that have gone unanswered for nearly two decades.
For the Lebanese people, particularly those who experienced firsthand
environmental destruction, the question of Israel's environmental crimes is not
merely an intellectual exercise. Rather, many environmental groups inside and
outside Lebanon argue that addressing such issues is necessary to ensure the
promotion of human rights in the region and equitable access to unpolluted
farmland, water and forests.
***This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons
license. Read the original article here:
https://theconversation.com/lebanons-orchards-have-been-burnt-wildlife-habitat-destroyed-by-israeli-strikes-raising-troubling-international-law-questions-271577.
Aoun slams ‘systematic policy of aggression’ as Israeli strikes
kill 2, wound journalists in south Lebanon escalation
NAJIA HOUSSARI/Arab News/January 22/2026
BEIRUT: Two people were killed and several journalists wounded in a series of
Israeli attacks on Wednesday targeting southern areas, most of which lie north
of the Litani River.
The Lebanese Army Command described the escalation as “impeding the army’s
efforts and hindering the completion of its plan to confine weapons to Lebanese
territory.” It said that the strikes terrorized civilians, caused deaths and
injuries, displaced dozens of families and undermined regional stability. The
day’s security situation was dominated by hours of Israeli escalation, including
airstrikes and evacuation warnings targeting villages and populated areas ahead
of further bombardment. The Israeli army said that warplanes carried out
precision strikes on civilian vehicles in Bazouriyeh, killing a Hezbollah
member. A separate drone strike hit a civilian vehicle on the Zahrani-Mseileh
road, killing one person, with Israel claiming the target was another Hezbollah
operative.
Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adraee said that the military “eliminated Abu Ali
Salameh, who served as a Hezbollah liaison officer” in the village of Yanouh, in
southern Lebanon. He accused Salameh of managing Hezbollah activities to “enable
the group to operate within civilian areas and on private property, and to
establish terrorist infrastructure in the heart of populated civilian areas,
through the deliberate and cynical exploitation of the residents to serve
Hezbollah’s objectives.”
Adraee claimed that on Dec. 13, Israel alerted Lebanon’s enforcement mechanism
about a Hezbollah weapons depot in Yanouh. Salameh allegedly relayed the
notification to other Hezbollah members, who then blocked Lebanese army access
by staging a gathering while removing weapons from the site. He said that
Salameh also coordinated with the Lebanese army to falsely document the property
as weapons-free, even as “suspicious boxes” were removed via a back entrance.
Adraee called these actions a violation of Israel-Lebanon understandings, adding
that “the Israeli army will continue to take measures to eliminate all
threats.”Israeli artillery also shelled the Harmoun area in the Bint Jbeil
district, south of the Litani River, prompting Israeli army warnings — complete
with maps — for residents of Qanarit, Kfour in Nabatieh and Jarjouh to evacuate
immediately. Israeli drones then hammered the sites with heavy airstrikes,
wounding journalists in Qanarit and destroying their equipment, cameras and
vehicles. The Press Photographers Syndicate said: “Israeli claims of maintaining
safe distances offer no protection, just as the warnings issued by the enemy to
civilians offer no protection. It seems that cameras are not a red line.”
The statement urged photojournalists “to exercise caution and avoid turning
their professional commitment into a reckless gamble.” Civilians in the targeted
areas reported receiving phone calls from Israel ordering them to clear squares,
residential neighborhoods and a mosque.The Lebanese Army Command confirmed that
“Israeli attacks and violations targeted civilian buildings and homes in several
areas, most recently in villages in the south, in a blatant violation of
Lebanon’s sovereignty and security, the cessation of hostilities agreement, and
UN Security Council Resolution 1701.”Lebanese President Joseph Aoun issued a
statement on Wednesday evening condemning the strikes and accused Tel Aviv of
“pursuing a systematic policy of aggression” that targeted civilians and
violated international humanitarian law, and constituted “a dangerous
escalation.”
“This repeated aggressive behavior proves Israel’s refusal to abide by its
commitments under the cessation of hostilities agreement and reflects a
deliberate disregard for the efforts exerted by the Lebanese state to control
the situation on the ground, maintain stability, and prevent the escalation of
the confrontation,” he said. He called on the international community —
particularly the agreement’s sponsors — “to assume their legal and political
responsibilities and take clear and effective measures to stop these violations
and put an end to the policy of impunity.”The escalation also came as Aoun
reaffirmed his commitment to “monopolizing weapons in the hands of the state
throughout all Lebanese territory.”At a meeting of the Higher Supervisory
Committee for Lebanon’s border protection program — attended by the US and
Canadian ambassadors — Army Commander Gen. Rudolph Haykal stressed the army’s
“absolute commitment” to securing borders but called for “qualitative military
support” to tackle challenges on the northern and eastern fronts. The army said
that the ambassadors praised “its professionalism and success,” stressing the
need to bolster the military institution to enhance its ability to maintain
security nationwide. Lebanese military units are currently securing the northern
and eastern borders with Syria to combat smuggling, weapons transfers and
illegal infiltration.
Lebanese finance minister denies any plans for a Kushner-run economic zone in
the south
TAREK ALI AHMAD/Arab News/January 23, 2026
DAVOS: Lebanon’s finance minister dismissed any plans of turning Lebanon’s
battered southern region into an economic zone, telling Arab News on the
sidelines of the World Economic Forum’s meeting in Davos that the proposal had
died “on the spot.”
Yassine Jaber explained that US Envoy to Lebanon Morgan Ortagus had proposed the
idea last december for the region, which has faced daily airstrikes by Israel,
and it was immediately dismissed. Jaber’s comments, made to Arab News on the
sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, were in response to reports
which appeared in Lebanese media in December which suggested that parts of
southern Lebanon would be turned into an economic zone, managed by a plan
proposed by Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son in law. Meanwhile,
Jaber also dismissed information which had surfaced in Davos over the past two
days of a bilateral meeting between Lebanese ministers, US Middle East Envoy
Steve Witkoff and Kushner. Jaber said that the meeting on Tuesday was a
gathering of “all Arab ministers of finance and foreign affairs, where they (Witkoff
and Kushner) came in for a small while, and explained to the audience the idea
about deciding the board of peace for Gaza.”He stressed that it did not develop
beyond that. When asked about attracting investment and boosting the economy,
Jaber said: “The reality now is that we need to reach the situation where there
is stability that will allow the Lebanese army, so the (Israeli) aggression has
to stop.” Over the past few years, Lebanon has witnessed one catastrophe after
another: one of the world’s worst economic meltdowns, the largest non-nuclear
explosion in its capital’s port, a paralyzed parliament and a war with Israel. A
formal mechanism was put in place between Lebanon and Israel to maintain a
ceasefire and the plan to disarm Hezbollah in areas below the Litani river.
But, the minister said, Israel’s next step is not always so predictable.
“They’re actually putting pressure on the whole region. So, a lot of effort is
being put on that issue,” he added. “There are still attacks in the south of the
country also, so stability is a top necessity that will really succeed in
pushing the economy forward and making the reforms beneficial,” he said.
Lawmakers had also enacted reforms to overhaul the banking sector, curb the cash
economy and abolish bank secrecy, alongside a bank resolution framework. Jaber
also stressed that the government had recently passed a “gap law” intended to
help depositors recover funds and restore the banking system’s functionality.
“One of the priorities we have is really to deal with all the losses of the war,
basically reconstruction … and we have started to get loans for reconstructing
the destroyed infrastructure in the attacked areas.” As Hezbollah was battered
during the war, Lebanon had a political breakthrough as the army’s general,
Joseph Aoun, was inaugurated as president. His chosen prime minister was the
former president of the International Court of Justice, Nawaf Salam. This year
marks the first time a solid delegation from the country makes its way to Davos,
with Salam being joined by Jaber, Economy and Trade Minister Amr Bisat, and
Telecoms Minister Charles Al-Hage.
“Our priority is to really regain the role of the state in all aspects, and
specifically in rebuilding the institutions,” Jaber said.
The Dhimmis and the “Umarian Conditions”
Colonel Charbel Barakat/January 23/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/151380/
Muslims often state that the Prophet allowed the Christians of
Najran to refrain from embracing Islam in exchange for paying the jizya, on the
grounds that they did not participate in military conscription or fighting in
the cause of religion. This arrangement was then applied to Christians and Jews
living under Sharia rule. From one perspective, this argument may appear
acceptable in the context of an occupying authority dealing with the inhabitants
of a conquered land: all citizens are expected to contribute to the defense of
the state, either through military service or by paying a financial
substitute—namely the jizya—which functioned as a tax contributing to warfare
expenses and soldiers’ salaries.
However, the question arises with regard to the “Umarian Conditions” attributed
to Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab, one of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and a figure
widely regarded as a symbol of justice. It is often said that Umar refused to
pray inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre so that Muslims would not later
confiscate it on the grounds that their caliph had prayed there. Yet it was Umar
ibn al-Khattab himself who accepted these conditions and approved their
application to Christians and Jews—referred to in the Qur’an as the People of
the Book. These regulations became known as the Umarian Conditions and were
enforced wherever Muslims were able to impose them, from Central Asia to Eastern
Europe, North Africa, and even Spain and Portugal (al-Andalus). What, then, were
these conditions, what did they stipulate, and how were they implemented
throughout history? This is the subject of this study.
The basis of the Umarian Conditions is attributed to a narration transmitted by
Ismail ibn Ayyash, who stated:
“Several scholars reported that the people of al-Jazira wrote to Abd al-Rahman
ibn Ghanm, saying:
‘When you came to our land, we requested security for ourselves and for the
followers of our religion, on the condition that we impose upon ourselves the
following obligations:
We shall not build in our cities or surroundings any new church, monastery,
hermitage, or monk’s cell, nor shall we restore any that have fallen into ruin,
nor any located in Muslim quarters.
We shall not prevent Muslims from entering our churches by night or by day, and
we shall open their doors to passersby and travelers.
We shall not shelter spies in our churches or homes, nor conceal deceit against
Muslims.
We shall not ring our bells except quietly inside our churches, nor display
crosses upon them, nor raise our voices in prayer or reading in the presence of
Muslims.
We shall not bring crosses or religious books into Muslim markets.
We shall not hold public religious processions, including Easter or Palm Sunday,
nor raise our voices over our dead, nor light fires with them in Muslim markets.
We shall not keep pigs near Muslims, nor sell wine, nor openly practice
polytheism, nor invite anyone to our religion.
We shall not take slaves who have been allotted to Muslims, nor prevent any of
our relatives from converting to Islam.
We shall adhere to our distinctive dress and not imitate Muslims in clothing,
headgear, footwear, hairstyles, mounts, speech, or names. We shall shave the
front of our heads, fasten belts around our waists, refrain from engraving
Arabic on our rings, refrain from riding saddles, carrying weapons, or wearing
swords.
We shall show respect to Muslims in gatherings, guide them on the road, stand
when they wish to sit, and not look into their homes.
We shall not teach our children the Qur’an.
We shall not engage in trade jointly with Muslims unless the Muslim has
authority over the transaction.
We shall host any Muslim traveler for three days and provide him food from our
means.
We guarantee this upon ourselves, our descendants, our wives, and our poor.
Should we violate any of these conditions, then we forfeit our protection, and
you may deal with us as with those who oppose and rebel.’”
Abd al-Rahman ibn Ghanm forwarded this document to Umar ibn al-Khattab, who
replied approving it and adding two additional conditions: that they must not
purchase Muslim captives, and that whoever strikes a Muslim voids his covenant.
Abd al-Rahman then enforced these terms upon the Romans residing in the cities
of the levant.
Thus, Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab adhered to the conditions transmitted to him by
Abd al-Rahman ibn Ghanm, claiming that they had been proposed by the Christian
population themselves. However, these conditions were not imposed on Arab
Christian tribes inhabiting the Syrian desert, such as Taghlib, Qays, and Tanukh
in northern Syria, nor on the Ghassanids in the south, nor on the Lakhmids (Manadhira)
in Iraq. Moreover, the Mardaites and Maronites, who inhabited the mountains of
Lebanon from Jurjuma in the north to the Galilee in the south, repeatedly raided
the Umayyad capital of Damascus during the reign of Mu‘awiya, founder of the
Umayyad state. These attacks forced the Muslims to halt their attempts to
conquer Constantinople and instead pay an annual tribute to stop the raids,
under a thirty-year treaty sponsored by the Byzantine emperor.
This agreement remained in effect throughout the reigns of four Umayyad caliphs:
Mu‘awiya, his son Yazid, Mu‘awiya ibn Yazid, and Marwan ibn al-Hakam, who
inherited a collapsing state beset by revolts in Iraq while Ibn al-Zubayr
controlled the Hijaz and even barred the Umayyads from Mecca. Marwan responded
with brutal force. His governor al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf bombarded and destroyed the
Kaaba with catapults, killed Ibn al-Zubayr, and crucified him. Marwan then sent
al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf to Iraq who crushed the rebellions through violence and
terror, restoring stability.
He later sought to eliminate resistance in Lebanon by offering Emperor Justinian
II double the tribute previously paid to the defenders of Lebanon if the emperor
would neutralize them. Justinian deported twelve thousand fighters from Lebanon
to Armenia, dismantled what historians called the “Copper Dam” and attacked the
remaining Maronite forces. This led to the isolation of the Maronites in the
Lebanese mountains, their rebellion against imperial authority, and the election
of a patriarch who defied the emperor. While Marwan secured the Bekaa entrances
and removed the threat to Damascus, he was unable to impose the Umarian
Conditions on the mountain populations, who became increasingly isolated from
surrounding cities.
During the reign of Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, grandson of Umar ibn al-Khattab, the
enforcement of the Umarian Conditions was revived with renewed severity. Church
restoration and monastic construction were banned wherever possible across
Syria, and many churches and monasteries—especially in Egypt—were destroyed.
Under the Abbasids, who relied heavily on Persian elements to overthrow Umayyad
rule, efforts were made to weaken Arab tribal influence within the Muslim
armies. This fueled tensions between Arabs and the Shu‘ubiyya movement, whose
adherents sought hadiths and legal opinions that justified the oppression of
Arabs and non-Muslims alike. Prophetic Noble Hadith—regardless of their absence
from the Qur’an—became authoritative sources of legislation. Under Harun
al-Rashid and later al-Mutawakkil, Arab Christian tribes were given the choice
between conversion to Islam or submission to the Umarian Conditions.
Consequently, these humiliating restrictions reemerged, prompting further
migration of Arab Christian tribes toward the Lebanese coast and the Bekaa
Valley.
With the entry of the Fatimids into Egypt, these rulers initially eased the
enforcement of the so-called Umarian Conditions. They even allowed Christians
and Jews among the People of the Book to hold certain governmental positions,
which significantly reduced the application of Sharia law and the Umarian
restrictions that distinguished non-Muslims from the general population.
However, the wars waged by al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah against the Byzantines led him
to embrace a wave of religious extremism. He reinstated the destruction of
churches, imposed distinctive clothing on non-Muslims, persecuted them in
various ways, and forced many to convert to Islam. After a truce was concluded,
he reversed course and permitted those who had been forcibly converted to return
to their original faiths. As a result, seven thousand Jews reportedly renounced
Islam in a single day, along with many Copts who had been coerced into
conversion.
Nevertheless, these persecutions—during which approximately 30,000 churches were
destroyed in Egypt, Palestine, and the Lebanese coastal cities, most notably the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre—served as a major catalyst for the Crusades, which
expelled the Fatimids from Lebanon and Syria and led to the establishment of the
Kingdom of Jerusalem.
After the Crusades and the rise of the Ayyubids, control over several cities and
fortresses led to truces and agreements that provided some protection to
civilians from direct persecution. Yet with the advent of the Mamluks,
persecution reached its peak. It was no longer limited to non-Muslims subjected
once again to versions of the Umarian Conditions; rather, Ibn Taymiyyah’s fatwas
permitted the killing of those who adhered to Islamic sects outside the four
Sunni schools. He declared Shiites, Ismailis, Druze, and Alawites to be heretics
and legitimized their killing.
Some Mamluk rulers went further by forcibly depopulating entire regions. After
occupying areas of southern Lebanon and destroying the fortresses of Safad,
Tebnin, Hunin, and others, inhabitants were forced to relocate more than forty
kilometers inland, under the pretext of supporting the Crusaders. Villages were
emptied, homes destroyed, and it is said that in areas such as Keserwan, the
land was even salted to prevent cultivation. Baybars also invented a procession
known as the Festival of Nabi Musa, deliberately scheduled to coincide with the
Christian Easter procession, in order to prevent Christians from celebrating
freely and to humiliate them by confronting them with a rival Muslim
demonstration.
His successor Qalawun later infiltrated Maronite regions in Jubbah Bsharri
through deception, destroyed villages, killed inhabitants, and besieged the
people of Hadath in a cave where they had sought refuge. When Patriarch Daniel
al-Hadashiti reorganized resistance and prevented the Mamluks from entering the
fortress between Bsharri and Ehden, the sultan again resorted to deception,
pretending to negotiate peace. Upon the patriarch’s arrival, he was arrested and
executed, after which the devastation continued before the attack on Tripoli.
The Maronites eventually regrouped and defeated the Mamluks in the battles of
al-Madfun and al-Fidar, restoring protection to their regions. This forced the
Mamluks to accept the reality and leave them alone. However, humiliating
conditions were imposed wherever possible in coastal cities, contributing to
Maronite isolation in the mountains and their separation from the coast. This
led to a harsh lifestyle marked by scarcity, effort, and near-ascetic
discipline—yet they endured.
When the Christian ruler of Cyprus launched a swift raid on Alexandria, the
Mamluk response was retaliation against the Maronites. A new wave of repression
followed, targeting anyone captured by Mamluk forces. The authorities demanded
the surrender of the patriarch to halt the abuses. Patriarch Gabriel II of
Hajoula, who was hiding in a cave, eventually surrendered himself. The Mamluk
governor of Tripoli ordered his execution and forbade his followers from knowing
where he was buried.
The Mamluk era was extremely harsh for non-Muslims throughout the region. Beyond
the Umarian Conditions, persecution intensified to the point that entire regions
were depopulated. With the arrival of the Ottomans, many believed they had been
freed from tyrannical rule. Yet the new rulers proved no less oppressive—and
often harsher—especially toward non-Muslims. Distinctive clothing colors were
imposed on Christians and Jews; they were forbidden from riding horses or
carrying weapons; they were required to walk on the left side of Muslims and
were sometimes ordered to utter humiliating phrases such as “Move left, infidel”
or even to walk in the gutter at the center of the road.
These regulations extended even to footwear colors and burial practices,
requiring official permission for funerals and prohibiting burial near Muslim
cemeteries. Such practices continued even after European consulates were
established in Ottoman cities like Aleppo, Tripoli, and Beirut. A documented
case appears in the book History of the United States of America and the Syrian
Immigrants, printed in Brooklyn in 1902, describing a merchant who asked the
Austrian consul to intervene with the sultan merely to change the color of his
shoes.
When Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent visited Aleppo, the Maronite patriarch sent
a priest fluent in Turkish to petition for reduced taxes on farmers. The priest
explained that while paying a quarter of production as tax was acceptable,
paying half constituted injustice. The sultan replied:
“Tell the patriarch that we have decided as follows: the olive harvest shall be
divided—half for the farmer and half for the state; one quarter is justice, and
one quarter is injustice.”
In the final years of the Ottoman Empire, allied with the European Axis powers,
officers of the Committee of Union and Progress—notably Talaat Pasha, Enver
Pasha, and Jamal Pasha—carried out religious massacres against Christian
populations. These included the Armenian Genocide (approximately one million
victims), the Sayfo massacres against Syriacs, Assyrians, and Chaldeans (around
500,000), and massacres against Greeks and Pontic Greeks.
Jamal Pasha, as ruler of Syria and Lebanon, enforced conscription, dragged
Lebanese into his army, prohibited Christians and Jews from bearing arms, and
used them for forced labor. He imposed a blockade on Mount Lebanon, leading to a
famine that killed more than 200,000 people.
After the war, these officers used Soviet-supplied funds and weapons to form
paramilitary forces, resettling populations and exploiting them again to protect
their interests and conceal their crimes—actions rooted in a mentality shaped by
centuries of dhimma.
In Egypt after World War I, the Muslim Brotherhood emerged, calling for stricter
treatment of non-Muslims through the re-imposition of Sharia and dhimma laws,
aiming to restore caliphal authority in response to Western influence. Similar
ideologies spread to Pakistan and Afghanistan, especially under the Taliban,
where persecution persists.
In Saudi Arabia, Wahhabism arose in the eighteenth century, enforcing Sharia
rigorously in alliance with the House of Saud. Only in recent years has Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman attempted to curb its excesses by dismantling the
mutawa system.
In Iran, the rule of the Wilayat al-Faqih has resulted in systematic repression,
executions, and terrorism against dissenters, Sunnis, and other religious
minorities.
Finally, ISIS (the Islamic State) revived policies of killing non-Muslims,
beheadings, and forced conversions to terrorize populations into submission.
Similar groups, such as Boko Haram in Africa, continue these practices. These
movements—often linked ideologically to the Muslim Brotherhood—seek to impose
Sharia by force, not only in the Middle East and North Africa but worldwide.
After this quick presentation of a reality lived by non-Muslims in these lands
for fourteen centuries, we can understand the fear of the Lebanese and others
among the People of the Dhimma of Islam’s control over authority in any country
in which they live. Consequently, we realize the importance of the Lebanese
experience, which does not appear to have succeeded in making Muslims in Lebanon
understand how to transcend the system of imposition that many of them dream of
implementing upon their partners in the (homeland) as soon as they are able to
seize control of the ruling regime.
From the moment Ibn Ghanam wrote to the Caliph ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab asking his
opinion about allowing the Romans of the Levant to live under Muslim control, to
the day when Hassan Nasrallah stood claiming credit before everyone that he
protects them from the “enemy,” this suffering endured by peoples and sects has
persisted, and they have lived with it under the fear that it might be dusted
off at any moment and by any arrogant tyrant who finds in it a means to impose
more suffering and discrimination upon the subjects—sometimes to satisfy his
vanity, and at other times certain desires.
Lebanon when the rule of law falls: From state to open arena
Khalaf Ahmad Al-Habtoor/Arab News/January/January 22, 2026
Nothing is more dangerous for a state than a passing economic crisis, except the
moment when the absence of the rule of law becomes the norm, when slander
replaces truth and defamation takes the place of accountability. At that point,
it is not investment alone that collapses; the very idea of the state begins to
unravel. What Lebanon is experiencing today is neither a media debate nor a
personal dispute. It is a decisive test of whether the rule of law still exists.
Lebanon was never, to me, a temporary venture, a testing ground or a
transactional deal. It is a country I genuinely loved, invested in with
conviction and stood by during its darkest times; when remaining was a risk, not
a gain. My investments in Lebanon have exceeded $1.7 billion and, despite the
continuous financial hemorrhage and heavy losses we have endured, I did not
abandon the country, shut down my institutions or leave employees to face their
fate.
I did not do so because circumstances were favorable but because I believe that
people are a trust. Hundreds of families who work with us should never pay the
price for chaos, negligence or the absence of the state. We endured patiently,
absorbed losses and chose to remain when others chose to withdraw, out of
respect for livelihoods and human dignity.
But what is happening in Lebanon today has crossed every red line.
What we are witnessing is a dangerous transformation in the role of the media —
from a watchdog to an instrument of violation
This is no longer merely a difficult investment environment. It has become a
complete legal exposure, where anyone who seeks to help, invest or even defend
themselves is subjected to orchestrated campaigns of defamation, false
accusations and media attacks, without evidence, without accountability and
without deterrence.
Here, the truth must be stated clearly: No state can invite people to invest
while abandoning the defense of their most basic rights. Investment is not a
favor to be granted, it is a partnership built on trust and the first pillar of
that trust is legal protection.
What we are witnessing is a dangerous transformation in the role of the media —
from a watchdog to an instrument of violation. The media is not a court.
Defamation is not criticism. False reporting is not opinion. Constructive
criticism is legitimate and offering advice is a duty. But insult, baseless
accusations and systematic incitement are acts punishable by law in any state
that respects itself.
In fairness, it must be said that this conduct does not represent the Lebanese
media as a whole. There remains professional, national media that we respect and
value. What we are addressing is a segment of paid media that has deliberately
chosen to become a tool of distortion and slander rather than a platform for
truth and responsibility.
No one should be blamed for defending themselves when they are unjustly
targeted. Silence in the face of defamation is not wisdom, it is encouragement.
Dignity is not a luxury that can be bargained away under any pretext.
In this context, I extend my sincere appreciation to Ahmed Al-Jarallah, dean of
Kuwaiti journalism, and to Fouad Al-Hashem for their principled and professional
positions. This is the media we respect: media that speaks the truth, defends
human dignity and does not trade in reputations or hide behind hollow slogans.
This breakdown has not stopped at defaming individuals and institutions. It has
expanded to include attacks on Gulf states and their leaderships; an
unacceptable violation that strikes at sovereignty and dignity and violates all
political and ethical norms. Allowing insults against states and their leaders,
or dragging their names into populist smear campaigns, does not merely damage
historic relations, it constitutes a serious offense. Tolerance of such conduct
once again exposes the absence of a legal authority capable of imposing limits.
Most alarming is that Lebanese law itself explicitly criminalizes insults
against a sister state or its leadership and obliges judicial authorities to act
when such offenses occur. In such cases, the Public Prosecution is expected to
act on its own initiative, without awaiting any complaint or request from any
party. This article itself constitutes a clear legal notification to the Public
Prosecution, from which action is expected, in accordance with due process, to
initiate the necessary measures.
Any state that respects itself does not allow its territory or media platforms
to become arenas for attacks against others, nor does it permit international
relations to be violated under the pretext of freedom of expression. Official
silence in the face of such abuses cannot be interpreted as neutrality; it is
read as weakness and sends a dangerous message that there are no limits, no red
lines and no accountability.
What is happening in Lebanon today is a clear institutional failure.
The state is absent. Institutions are paralyzed. The law is not enforced. I have
explicitly called on the president of the republic and the prime minister to
take concrete steps to put an end to this lawlessness, yet, to this day, no
meaningful action has been taken — not even a symbolic measure to restore the
minimum authority of the state.
One legal principle must be reaffirmed without ambiguity: the application of the
law is not optional, not selective and not subject to public mood. The law must
apply to all and must stand as the highest authority, not as a tool used at
times and suspended at others.
This is not a personal assessment.
Any state that respects itself does not allow its territory or media platforms
to become arenas for attacks against others
The UN special rapporteur on human rights and poverty has confirmed that
impunity and corruption are deeply entrenched in Lebanon’s political and
economic system and that the absence of accountability is a central cause of
institutional failure. The UN further affirms that the rule of law is the
foundation of peace, stability and economic progress and that its absence opens
the door to abuse and collapse.
The legal philosopher Montesquieu summarized this reality with precision: There
is no liberty if the law is not above all and no state without an independent
judiciary.
Most dangerous of all is that this approach does not merely destroy investment,
it threatens the interests of more than 2 million Lebanese living in Gulf
countries and the millions inside Lebanon whose livelihoods depend on them.
No investor, partner or visitor will return if this approach persists. The
problem is not the Lebanese people, it is a system that consumes, through
corruption and indifference, all who become part of it.
When investors feel exposed, unprotected and targeted by media attacks without
legal safeguards, the message is unmistakable: no state, no law, no safety.
I say this today clearly and responsibly: there is no investment without
dignity, no economy without law and no state without institutions that protect
people, not slogans.
Every defamation campaign without accountability is another blow to what remains
of Lebanon’s credibility, reputation and future. Every instance in which slander
goes unchecked is another nail in the coffin of the state.
Lebanon deserves better. It deserves a state that protects it, not one that
looks on. It deserves a law that is applied, not exploited.
And I say this as someone who loves Lebanon, not one who has abandoned it; as a
responsible investor, not a bystander: A state that does not protect the rule of
law cannot ask for trust.
*Khalaf Ahmad Al-Habtoor is a prominent UAE businessman and chairman of the Al-Habtoor
Group and Dubai National Insurance and Reinsurance Company. X: @KhalafAlHabtoor
Lebanon and Syria Seek Rapprochement Amid Lingering Distrust
Samar el Kadi/This Is Beirut/January 22/2026
Since the collapse of Bashar Assad’s regime in December 2024, Lebanon and Syria
have been in the process of rebuilding trust and repairing relations. The
challenging endeavor, supported by Saudi Arabia with Washington’s backing,
follows decades of recriminations and Lebanon’s former subjugation under Syria’s
Baathist rule. Syria did not formally recognize Lebanon’s sovereignty until
2008, three years after mass protests over the assassination of former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri forced Syria to withdraw its military from Lebanon. Even
though diplomatic ties at the time were technically established, relations have
remained deeply fraught up until the end of Assad’s rule in Syria. “Ties between
the two countries for the past five decades have been unequal… now, we have an
opportunity to rebuild these relations on new foundations of equality, mutual
respect, and parity,” Deputy Premier Tarek Mitri, Beirut’s pointperson for talks
with Damascus, said in October 2025.As Lebanon and Syria seek rapprochement,
they must first resolve outstanding issues such as the presence of Assad-era
officers in Lebanon, border demarcation, the fate of Syrian detainees in
Lebanese prisons, and the repatriation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
Assad-era Officers in Lebanon
In recent weeks, Syria’s new leadership has grown increasingly uneasy about
alleged plots by former Assad-era officers to destabilize the country’s Alawite-populated
coastal region, the heartland of the former regime. A top Syrian officer visited
Lebanon in mid-December 2025 to ask Lebanese authorities to hand over 200
officers, according to Reuters, which reported that Lebanon had become a “hub
for insurgent plotting.”Afterward, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and other
security services conducted raids in northern and eastern Lebanon in search of
Assad-era officers, United Press International (UPI) reported. The searches
targeted Alawite-populated villages as well as camps hosting Syrian Alawite
refugees, according to the report, including in Hermel, a pro-Hezbollah town
near the border. In a January 11 interview with Télé Liban, President Joseph
Aoun denied that senior Assad-era officers were present in Lebanon, citing the
investigations conducted by the LAF’s intelligence directorate in its raids. The
Lebanese president said that while former junior-ranking Alawite officers were
found in Lebanon, no connection was found between them and any plots against
Syria’s new rulers. “We are in contact with the Syrian government and have told
officials there that if they have any information, they should inform us,” Aoun
said. Meanwhile, Mitri said on January 13 that his country’s security services
were working to “ensure that Lebanon is not used for any military action that
would harm Syria,” denying that Damascus had sent Beirut a list of wanted former
officers. “No one—Syrian or non-Syrian, whether from the former regime’s
officers or its members—can endanger Syria’s security and stability. Anyone who
threatens Syria also threatens Lebanon,” he added. Amid the ongoing
investigation, Lebanese daily Nidaa al-Watan reported January 19 that Syria had
asked Lebanon for the handover of officers, among them prominent figures from
Baathist-era security services residing in Beirut and its suburbs, and Hermel.
The newspaper published the names of five senior officers and their whereabouts,
saying that they are moving about freely and openly.
Mutual Distrust and Diverging Priorities
A lingering sense of distrust on both sides of the border has been a key
obstacle to building relations between the two neighbors, according to David
Wood, the International Crisis Group’s (ICG) senior analyst on Lebanon.
“While it is clearly in the interest of both Lebanon and Syria to have better
relations than they had before, the two parties have been engaged in positive
rhetoric but no action. In fact, mutual distrust is the main stumbling block
slowing down the process,” Wood told This is Beirut. Moreover, both countries
have been confronting more pressing issues than their diplomatic ties with each
other. In Lebanon, the government is seeking to disarm Hezbollah and end ongoing
Israeli military actions and its occupation of hilltops along the border.
“Though it is equally important to normalize relations, it is not the main
priority for the moment,” the ICG analyst noted. Additionally, Syria and Lebanon
have different priorities in their approach to fixing ties. Syria’s focus is the
release of its nationals from Lebanese prisons, who it considers political
prisoners, whereas Beirut’s main concern is securing its borders. “It is not as
simple as to hand over prisoners because Damascus requested it,” Wood argues.
“This could be considered a miscarriage of justice. It is a judicial issue that
should not be politicized,” he said. The Syrian Network for Human Rights
estimates over 2,000 Syrian nationals are detained in Lebanon, making up
approximately a quarter of the country’s total prison population. Most of these
inmates, some 1,650 individuals, are in pre-trial detention, with many having
been held for years without a final verdict.
Saudi newspaper Asharq Alawsat reported January 8 that Damascus and Beirut are
hammering out an agreement over 370 convicted Syrian prisoners, while the issue
of Syrians in pre-trial detention will be discussed later.
Saudi Role and Border Control
Saudi Arabia has facilitated efforts to resolve the key issue of demarcating and
securing the Lebanese-Syrian border, hosting meetings between security officials
from both countries in March and July of last year. These yielded an agreement
to enhance border control, prevent cross-border tensions, and deepen security
coordination. “One positive development is Saudi Arabia’s role in encouraging
the two sides to secure their common border and prevent border clashes between
Syrian factions and Shia tribes backed by Hezbollah, particularly in the
northern Bekaa Valley,” Sami Nader, director of the Institute of Political
Science at Saint Joseph University, told This is Beirut. Riyadh has treated both
governments as partners in the goal of cutting off the supply of Iran’s weapons
to Hezbollah, which had been smuggled to Lebanon through a logistics corridor in
Syria under Assad’s rule. Retired Lebanese Army General Khaled Hamade accused
the Lebanese government of procrastinating and delaying a border settlement with
Syria, under pressure from Hezbollah. “The border demarcation should have
already been initiated since you have a regime in Damascus that recognizes
Lebanon’s independence. But once the border is demarcated you have to control it
and consequently deprive Hezbollah of smuggling routes,” he said. “It is more of
a political issue than anything else,” Hamade argued.
Lebanon and Syria are just starting the daunting task of rebuilding trust with
the support of key stakeholders, including GCC countries, especially Saudi
Arabia, the U.S. and EU.
"Lots of things need to be worked on—all of them still at a very preliminary
stage," Wood said, noting that "trust is at the base of any process, and this
will take time to build."
Salam confident Lebanon can improve banking draft law for IMF
endorsement
Naharnet/January 22/2026
The International Monetary Fund has asked the Lebanese government to amend a
banking draft law that would allow depositors to recover their funds and said it
can't endorse the draft "as presented". The law, a key demand from the
international community to unblock economic aid to Lebanon, was approved last
month by the Lebanese government. It stipulates that each of the state, the
central bank, commercial banks and depositors will share the losses accrued as a
result of the financial crisis. Depositors, who lost access to their funds after
the crisis, will be able to retrieve their money, with a limit of $100,000, over
the course of four years. "The IMF said it cannot endorse the banking draft law
and suggested some amendments," Prime Minister Salam said, in an interview, on
the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday. "I am sure that
we will be able to find adequate solutions to some pending issues," Salam said.
In April, Lebanon's parliament adopted a bank restructuring law, as the previous
legislation was believed to have allowed a flight of capital at the outbreak of
the 2019 crisis.
Regional order: Israeli strikes expose limits of diplomacy
in Lebanon under Trump-era policies
LBCI/January 22/2026
The political approach adopted by U.S. President Donald Trump continues to have
a direct and tangible impact on the Middle East, with Israel under Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acting as Washington's closest ally and primary
enforcer, particularly in relation to Lebanon and Hezbollah. It has become
increasingly clear that neither the monitoring mechanism, nor Lebanon's
presidency and government, regardless of their composition, nor Hezbollah itself
can halt Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory without the disarmament of the
group, and possibly further measures beyond that. Israel did not notify the
mechanism of the airstrikes it carried out in recent hours, instead framing them
as acts of self-defense under its own interpretation of the ceasefire agreement.
The strikes were also seen as a message rejecting any discussion of what Israel
describes as "containing" Hezbollah's weapons, an option it considers
unacceptable. This comes as attention turns to what the Lebanese Army is
expected to present in early February regarding its plan to restrict weapons,
including the possibility of moving into a new phase north of the Litani River.
The latest strikes have placed the Lebanese government in an awkward position.
Officials acknowledge that diplomatic efforts are unlikely to succeed in
stopping the attacks, while at the same time recognizing that the government
cannot persuade Hezbollah to hand over its weapons. Hezbollah has also been
embarrassed by the situation, as it is widely believed that it cannot respond
militarily without severe consequences, assuming it is still able to access its
remaining weapons. In this context, informed sources say the group is attempting
to shift the confrontation inward, directing its pressure toward the state and
the government. Such a move, they warn, would deepen Hezbollah's predicament
without ending the Israeli threat, while adding a new layer of strain on the
GROUP and its support base. The same sources say Lebanon continues to rely on
the mechanism to avoid a worst-case scenario, even if it remains inactive. At
the same time, they note that undermining this committee appears to serve the
interests of both Israel and Hezbollah.
Protests deliver rare political message: What is Hezbollah signaling to the
presidency?
LBCI/January 22/2026
The street protests that unfolded from Wednesday night into Thursday against
Israeli attacks on southern towns and villages reflected a change from previous
mobilizations.
The most prominent demonstrations took place in Beirut’s southern suburbs and
the Salim Salam area. Notably, the protests carried, for the first time, a
direct political message from Hezbollah to the Lebanese presidency. The protests
followed the display of banners and the chanting of slogans critical of
President Joseph Aoun, triggered by his recent statements, which the party
viewed as a shift in the president’s political rhetoric.It was clear there was
an attempt to shift the anger of the Hezbollah-Amal Movement support base from
social media to the streets. This time, however, the protests remained
controlled and limited in scope. According to senior political sources, the
campaign against President Aoun went beyond spontaneous reactions and appeared
to be organized and driven by a political decision. By contrast, sources
familiar with the atmosphere in Baabda expressed surprise at what they described
as an unjustified attack, stressing that the president has not deviated from his
publicly and privately stated principles. They said the change in language does
not signal any shift in the substance of the position outlined in his inaugural
address. What was said publicly, they added, had already been conveyed to
Hezbollah officials directly or through established communication channels.
There has been no retreat from the commitment to full state sovereignty and the
state’s monopoly on weapons. The campaign against a president who seeks to
preserve internal balances, absorb external pressure, and steer the country
toward stability with minimal damage appeared puzzling to the sources. They
noted that some parties complicate the situation by clinging to options that can
only be described as unrealistic. Aware that current conditions leave no room
for half measures, the president chose to speak plainly and state facts without
appeasing any side. He has long been known for not misleading the Lebanese
public, regardless of how harsh the realities may be. What stands out in this
context is that the campaign went beyond political criticism and escalated to
accusations of treason, as if some parties were seeking to sever ties entirely
with Baabda. The presidency, for its part, is said to be deeply displeased with
what it sees as an unjustified escalation targeting the office at an extremely
sensitive moment, when the country needs national unity. If what unfolded in the
streets was a “rehearsal” intended to pressure the president, the message was
received, but the response will not change. The president, who places the
country first, will not alter his convictions or his strategy, which he believes
offer the best path to putting Lebanon on the road to recovery. Confronting
Israeli escalation, the sources said, cannot be achieved by deepening internal
divisions that lead nowhere. Accordingly, the president will continue pursuing
his national approach to serve the interests of all Lebanese and will not
hesitate to take all possible steps to protect the country from Israeli
aggression. The question remains whether Lebanon can withstand the use of the
street as a political tool.
Bassil agrees with KSA on state sovereignty, rejects
country's partitioning
Naharnet/January 22/2026
Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil said Thursday he agrees with Saudi
Arabia on many issues, including unity and the state's monopoly on arms. Bassil
said the partition of Lebanon would not benefit the Christians in the country,
amid divisions and a "clear" shifting of borders in the region. "Do we want to
be involved in divisive projects that restrict our role, our presence, and our
mission," Bassil said, adding that Saudi Arabia is concerned for the Christians
and the Muslims in Lebanon and is dealing with all the Lebanese regardless of
their sects and differences. On another note, Bassil said that the Lebanese
cannot rejoice in the demise of Hezbollah or the exclusion of an entire segment
of the Lebanese people, and that they should worry about Israel's intentions,
because it has never proven that it is committed to a genuine peace, even with
the countries it has signed peace treaties with. "We in Lebanon want a true
peace", he said, explaining that a true peace means a normal life for the
Lebanese, the end of Israeli occupation, and preserving Lebanon's rights.
Radulovic sacked as Lebanon coach
Reuters/January 22/2026
The Lebanese Football Association has dismissed national team coach Miodrag
Radulovic following a review of recent results and the side’s preparations for
upcoming competitions, the federation said on Thursday. In a brief statement
posted on X, the FA said its Executive Committee had decided to terminate the
former Montenegro coach's contract without providing further details. Radulovic,
58, had been in his second spell in charge after previously coaching Lebanon
from 2015 to 2019. He returned to the role in December 2023 but struggled to
revive the team’s form. Lebanon failed to qualify for the FIFA Arab Cup in Qatar
late last year after losing to Sudan in a playoff and now face a crucial match
against Yemen in March in the qualifiers for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous
Reports And News published
on January
22-23/2026
Trump launches ‘Board of Peace’ at Davos
Agencies/22 January/2026
US President Donald Trump kicked off his new “Board of Peace” at Davos on
Thursday, with a signing ceremony for a body with a $1 billion membership fee
and a controversial list of invitees. A group of leaders and senior officials
from 19 countries -- including Trump allies from Argentina and Hungary --
gathered on stage with Trump to put their names to the founding charter of the
body. Trump -- who is the chairman of the Board of Peace -- said they were “in
most cases very popular leaders, some cases not so popular. That’s the way it
goes in life.”Originally meant to oversee peace in Gaza after the war between
Hamas and Israel, the board’s charter envisions a wider role in resolving
international conflicts, sparking concerns that Trump wants it to rival the
United Nations. Trump however said the organization would work “in conjunction”
with the UN. The Board of Peace’s potential membership has however proved
controversial, with Trump having invited Russian President Vladimir Putin, who
invaded Ukraine four years ago. Trump said Putin had agreed to join, while the
Russian leader said he was still studying the invite. Permanent members must
also pay $1 billion to join, leading to criticisms that the board could become a
“pay to play” version of the UN Security Council.
UK, France snub signing
Key US allies including France and Britain have expressed skepticism, with the
UK saying Thursday it would not attend the ceremony.The members on stage largely
held close ties to Trump, including Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Argentina’s
Javier Milei, or a wish to show their allegiance to the US president.
Officials from Bahrain, Morocco, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Indonesia,
Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the
United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Mongolia also signed the document with
Trump.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an International
Criminal Court arrest warrant over the war in Gaza, has said he will join but
was not at the ceremony. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the ceremony
that the board’s focus was “first and foremost on making sure that this peace
deal in Gaza becomes enduring.”Trump however said Hamas to disarm under the next
phase of the Gaza ceasefire accord or it will be the “end of them.”Kushner, who
is Trump’s son-in-law, said the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal would
address funding for reconstruction in the territory, which lies mostly in
ruins, as well as disarmament by Gaza’s dominant Palestinian militant group
Hamas, one of the most intractable unresolved issues. “If Hamas doesn’t
demilitarize, that would be what holds this plan back,” Kushner said. “The next
100 days we’re going to continue to just be heads down and focused on making
sure this is implemented. We continue to be focused on humanitarian aid,
humanitarian shelter, but then creating the conditions to move forward.”In a
sign of progress on unresolved elements of the first phase of the truce, the
Palestinian technocratic committee leader Ali Shaath said the Rafah border
crossing with Egypt, Gaza's main gateway, would reopen next week. The launch of
the board comes against the backdrop of Trump’s frustration at having failed to
win the Nobel Peace Prize, despite his disputed claim to have ended eight
conflicts.
Trump to meet Zelenskyy
The inclusion of Putin has caused particular concern among US allies, but
especially in Ukraine as it seeks an end to Moscow’s nearly four-year-old
invasion. Trump will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Davos after
the “Board of Peace” ceremony to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine -- the major
peace deal that continues to elude him.Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, who
is due to travel to Moscow to meet Putin later Thursday, said in Davos that
talks to end the war had made a “lot of progress” and were down to one issue. “I
think we’ve got it down to one issue, and we have discussed iterations of that
issue, and that means it’s solvable,” said Witkoff, without saying what the
issue was. Witkoff added that he and Kushner would not stay in Moscow overnight
but fly straight to Abu Dhabi for “military to military” talks. Zelenskyy has
meanwhile voiced fears that Trump’s push to seize Greenland -- which has
dominated Davos so far and threatened to unravel the transatlantic alliance --
could divert focus away from Russia’s invasion of his country. Trump however
said late Wednesday he had reached a “framework of a future deal” after meeting
NATO chief Mark Rutte, and that he would therefore waive tariffs scheduled to
hit European allies on February 1.He gave no further details, leaving Europeans
drawing only cautious sighs of relief. A source close to the talks told AFP that
a 1951 Greenland defense pact would be renegotiated as part of the deal.
Iran Guards chief says
'finger on trigger', warns US against 'miscalculations'
Agence France Presse/January 22, 2026
The commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Thursday warned Israel and the
U.S. against "miscalculations" in the wake of mass protests, saying the force
had its "finger on the trigger". U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly left
open the option of new military action against the Islamic republic after
Washington backed and joined Israel's 12-day war in June. A fortnight of
protests starting in late December shook the clerical leadership under supreme
leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but the movement has petered out in the face of a
crackdown that activists say has left thousands dead. Guards commander General
Mohammad Pakpour warned Israel and the United States "to avoid any
miscalculations, by learning from historical experiences and what they learned
in the 12-day imposed war, so that they do not face a more painful and
regrettable fate". "The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and dear Iran have
their finger on the trigger, more prepared than ever, ready to carry out the
orders and measures of the supreme commander-in-chief -- a leader dearer than
their own lives," he said, referring to Khamenei. His comments came in a written
statement quoted by state television marking the national day in Iran to
celebrate the Guards, a force whose mission is to protect the 1979 Islamic
revolution from internal and external threats. Activists accuse the Guards of
playing a frontline role in the deadly crackdown on protests. The group is
sanctioned as a terrorist entity by countries including Australia, Canada and
the United States and campaigners have long urged similar moves from the EU and
UK. Pakpour took over as Guards commander last year after his predecessor
Hossein Salami was one of several key military figures killed in an Israeli
strike during the 12-day war, losses which revealed Israel's deep intelligence
penetration of the Islamic republic. Giving their first official toll from the
protests, Iranian authorities on Wednesday said 3,117 people were killed. The
statement from the Islamic republic's foundation for martyrs and veterans sought
to draw a distinction between "martyrs", who it said were members of security
forces and innocent bystanders, and what it described as "rioters" backed by the
US. Of its toll of 3,117, it said 2,427 people were martyrs. However, rights
groups say the heavy toll was caused by security forces firing directly on
protesters and that the actual number of those killed could be far higher and
even extend to over 20,000.Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos,
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said "the future for the Iranian people can only
be in a regime change", adding that "the Ayatollah regime is in quite a fragile
situation".
US welcomes Iraq’s step to
take Daesh militants from Syria
Reuters/January 22, 2026
WASHNGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday that Washington
welcomed Iraq’s initiative to detain Daesh members in secure facilities in Iraq
while also urging nations to repatriate their citizens in these facilities “to
face justice.”“The United States welcomes the Government of Iraq’s initiative to
detain Daesh terrorists in secure facilities in Iraq, following recent
instability in northeast Syria,” Rubio said in a statement. “Non-Iraqi
terrorists will be in Iraq temporarily; the United States urges countries
to take responsibility and repatriate their citizens in these facilities to
face justice.”Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council said on Thursday it would begin
legal proceedings against Daesh detainees transferred from Syria, a day after
the US military announced its forces had transferred 150 of the suspected
militants from Syria to Iraq. The US military has said its operation could
eventually see 7,000 detainees moved out of Syria. The United Nations said it
was taking management responsibility for vast camps in Syria housing tens of
thousands of women and children associated with Daesh, after the rapid collapse
of Kurdish-led forces who guarded them for years. Iraq has begun taking in
detainees transferred from prisons in Syria as the Kurds retreat, and has
called on other countries to help take them in. “This is a critical part of a
long-term framework to prevent an Daesh resurgence, in line with proper burden
sharing among Coalition members,” Rubio said on Thursday. More than 10,000
members of Daesh, and tens of thousands of women and children associated with
them, have been held for years in about a dozen prisons and detention camps
guarded by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria’s northeast.
The SDF has rapidly retreated this week after clashes with Syrian government
forces, raising concern about security at prisons and humanitarian conditions at
the camps.
US military transfers first
150 Daesh detainees from Syria to Iraq
AP/January 21, 2026
President Ahmad Al-Sharaa discusses the transfer with CENTCOM commander Adm.
Brad Cooper
Transfer follows Syrian government forces taking control of Al-Hol camp from SDF
AL-HOL, Syria: The US military said Wednesday it has started transferring
detainees from the Daesh group being held in northeastern Syria to secure
facilities in Iraq.
The move came after Syrian government forces took control of a sprawling camp,
housing thousands of mostly women and children, from the US-backed Syrian
Democratic Forces, or SDF, which withdrew as part of a ceasefire. Troops on
Monday seized a prison in the northeastern town of Shaddadeh, where some Daesh
detainees escaped and many were recaptured, state media reported. The
Kurdish-led SDF still controls more than a dozen detention facilities holding
around 9,000 Daesh members. US Central Command said the first transfer involved
150 Daesh members, who were taken from Syria’s northeastern province of Hassakah
to “secure locations” in Iraq. The statement said that up to 7,000 detainees
could be transferred to Iraqi-controlled facilities. “Facilitating the orderly
and secure transfer of Daesh detainees is critical to preventing a breakout that
would pose a direct threat to the United States and regional security,” said
Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins said
that during a call with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, Cooper had urged
Syrian forces to adhere to the ceasefire and “expressed expectations for Syrian
forces as well as all other forces to avoid any actions that could interfere”
with the transfer of prisoners. US troops and their partner forces detained more
than 300 Daesh operatives in Syria and killed over 20 last year, the US military
said. An ambush last month by Daesh militants killed two US soldiers and one
American civilian interpreter in Syria. An Iraqi intelligence general told The
Associated Press that an agreement was reached with the US to transfer 7,000
detainees from Syria to Iraq. He said that Iraqi authorities received the first
batch of 144 detainees Wednesday night, after which they will be transferred in
stages by aircraft to Iraqi prisons. The general, who spoke on condition of
anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the Daesh
members who will be transferred to Iraq are of different nationalities. He said
they include around 240 Tunisians, in addition to others from countries
including Tajikistan and Kazakhstan and some Syrians. “They will be interrogated
and then put on trial. All of them are commanders in Daesh and are considered
highly dangerous,” the general said. He added that in previous years, 3,194
Iraqi detainees and 47 French citizens have been transferred to Iraq.
Regional threat
The Daesh group was defeated in Iraq in 2017, and in Syria two years later, but
the group’s sleeper cells still carry out deadly attacks in both countries. The
SDF played a major role in defeating Daesh. Tom Barrack, the US envoy to Syria,
said in a statement on Tuesday that the SDF’s role as the primary anti-Daesh
force “has largely expired, as Damascus is now both willing and positioned to
take over security responsibilities.”He added that the “recent developments show
the US actively facilitating this transition, rather than prolonging a separate
SDF role.”Syria’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the transfer of detainees, calling
it “an important step to strengthen security and stability.”Earlier on
Wednesday, a convoy of armored vehicles with government forces moved into the
Al-Hol camp following two weeks of clashes with the SDF, which appeared closer
to merging into the Syrian military, in accordance with government demands. At
its peak in 2019, some 73,000 people were living at Al-Hol. Their number has
since declined with some countries repatriating their citizens. The camp is
still home to some 24,000, most of them women and children. They include about
14,500 Syrians and nearly 3,000 Iraqis. Some 6,500 others, many of them loyal
Daesh supporters who came from around the world to join the extremist group, are
separately held in a highly secured section of the camp.The Syrian government
and the SDF announced a new four-day truce on late Tuesday after a previous
ceasefire broke down.
UN says 134,000 displaced
in northeast Syria after clashes between govt, Kurds
AFP/January 22/2026
More than 134,000 people have been displaced in northeast Syria, the United
Nations migration agency said Thursday, after clashes and a fragile ceasefire
deal between government and Kurdish-led forces, who have withdrawn from swathes
of territory.
In the past three days, the number of internally displaced people in Hasakeh
province “has increased to approximately 134,803 individuals,” compared to 5,725
recorded on Sunday, the International Organization for Migration said in a
statement.
US weighs complete military withdrawal from Syria, WSJ
reports
Reuters/January 22/2026
Washington is considering a complete withdrawal of American troops from Syria,
the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday citing U.S. officials. Reuters
could not immediately verify the report.
In end of an era, US moving up to 7,000 ISIS detainees from
Syria to Iraq
The Arab Weekly/January 22/2026
“Facilitating the orderly and secure transfer of ISIS detainees is critical to
preventing a breakout that would pose a direct threat to the United States and
regional security,” said the CENTCOM commander.
Washington, United States
The United States launched an operation on Wednesday that could ultimately
transfer up to 7,000 detainees allegedly affiliated with the Islamic State
(ISIS) extremist group from Syria to neighbouring Iraq, the US military said.
The aim of the operation, which began with the movement of 150 alleged fighters,
is to ensure the people “remain in secure detention facilities,” US Central
Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X. “We are closely coordinating with
regional partners, including the Iraqi government,” the post quoted CENTCOM
commander Admiral Brad Cooper as saying.
“Facilitating the orderly and secure transfer of ISIS detainees is critical to
preventing a breakout that would pose a direct threat to the United States and
regional security,” Cooper added. Later on Monday, the CENTCOM commander spoke
to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Cooper, the statement said, briefed al-Sharaa
on the transfer of detainees and “expressed expectations for Syrian forces as
well as all other forces to avoid any actions that could interfere.”The transfer
comes after the rapid collapse of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
in northeast Syria triggered uncertainty over the security of around a dozen
prisons and detention camps they had been guarding. Syria on Tuesday announced a
new ceasefire with Kurdish forces from which it has seized swathes of territory
in the northeast and gave them four days to agree on integrating into the
central state, which their main ally, the United States, urged them to accept.
The lightning government advances in recent days and the apparent withdrawal of
US support for SDF’s continued holding of territory represent the biggest change
of control in the country since rebels ousted Bashar al-Assad 13 months ago.
A US official told Reuters on Tuesday that about 200 low-level ISIS fighters
escaped Syria’s Shaddadi prison, but Syrian government forces recaptured many of
them. There are more than 10,000 suspected ISIS-affiliated extremists and
thousands more women and children with ties to the group being held in Syrian
prisons.
In a deal reached on Sunday that included a ceasefire and the integration of
ethnic Kurds’ administration into the state, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa
and SDF chief Mazloum Abdi agreed that the government would take over
responsibility for prisoners accused of being part of ISIS. The deal signalled
the end of an era of US reliance on the SDF to fight ISIS or to guard detainees
suspected of ties to the extremist group as Washington seems to place all its
bets in Syria on the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa while seeking to
militarily disengage. The US now supports Syria’s new Islamist political
authorities, once commanders affiliated with the al-Qaeda armed group
themselves, who are seeking to extend their control across the country after
years of civil war. US envoy Tom Barrack in a social media post said this week
that the original purpose of the SDF, which Washington had supported as its main
local ally battling Islamic State (ISIS) extremist group, had “largely expired,”
and that the US had no long-term interest in retaining its presence in Syria. US
president Donald Trump presented past cooperation with the SDF as a largely
transactional relationship. He said on Tuesday, “I like the Kurds, but just so
you understand, the Kurds were paid tremendous amounts of money, were given oil
and other things. So they were doing it for themselves, more so than they were
doing for us.”Thousands of detainees are held in seven prisons in northeast
Syria, while tens of thousands of people thought to be their family members live
in the Al-Hol and Roj camps. Syria’s army on Wednesday entered the vast Al-Hol
camp that houses relatives of suspected Islamic State jihadists after Kurdish
forces withdrew from the site. Thousands of former jihadists, including many
Westerners, have been held in seven Kurdish-run prisons in north and east Syria,
while tens of thousands of their suspected family members live in the Al-Hol and
Al-Roj camps. Witnesses saw soldiers open the Al-Hol camp’s metal gate and
enter, while others stood guard. The camp in a desert region of Hasakeh province
is said to hold around 24,000 people, including some 6,200 women and children
from around 40 nationalities. The Syrian defence ministry said Tuesday it was
ready to take responsibility for Al-Hol camp “and all ISIS prisoners” after
Kurdish forces said they had been “compelled to withdraw” from the site to
defend cities in Syria’s north, before the truce was announced.
On Sunday, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and SDF chief Mazloum Abdi had
agreed that the Syrian state was to take over responsibility for ISIS prisoners.
Al-Roj is still under Kurdish control in eastern Hasakeh province. In Raqa
province, state media said on Tuesday that security forces had deployed around
the Al-Aqtan prison. The army had accused the SDF of releasing ISIS detainees
from the facility, while the Kurds said they lost control of the facility after
an attack by Damascus. US President Donald Trump told the New York Post Tuesday
he had helped stop a prison break of European jihadists in Syria, referring to
the Shadadi incident.
Iraq says it will prosecute
Daesh detainees sent from Syria
Reuters/January 22, 2026
BAGHDAD: Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council said on Thursday it would begin legal
proceedings against Daesh detainees transferred from Syria, after the rapid
collapse of Kurdish-led forces in northeast Syria triggered concerns over prison
security. More than 10,000 members of the ultra-hard-line militant group have
been held for years in about a dozen prisons and detention camps guarded by the
Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria’s northeast. The US military
said on Tuesday its forces had transferred 150 Daesh detainees from Syria to
Iraq and that the operation could eventually see up to 7,000 detainees moved out
of Syria. It cited concerns over security at the prisons, which also hold
thousands more women and children with ties to the militant group, after
military setbacks suffered by the SDF. A US official told Reuters on Tuesday
that about 200 low-level Daesh fighters escaped from Syria’s Shaddadi
prison, although Syrian government forces had recaptured many of them. Iraqi
officials said Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani mentioned the transfer of
Daesh prisoners to Iraq in a phone call with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa on
Tuesday, adding that the transfers went ahead following a formal request by the
Iraqi government to Syrian authorities. Iraqi government spokesperson Basim Al-Awadi
said the transfer was “a pre-emptive step to protect Iraq’s national security,”
adding that Baghdad could not delay action given the rapid pace of security and
political developments in Syria. Daesh emerged in Iraq and Syria, and at the
height of its power from 2014-2017 held swathes of the two countries. The group
was defeated after a military campaign by a US-led coalition. An Iraqi military
spokesperson confirmed that Iraq had received a first batch of 150 Daesh
detainees, including Iraqis and foreigners, and said the number of future
transfers would depend on security and field assessments. The spokesperson
described the detainees as senior figures within the group. In a statement, the
Supreme Judicial Council said Iraqi courts would take “due legal measures”
against the detainees once they are handed over and placed in specialized
correctional facilities, citing the Iraqi constitution and criminal laws. “All
suspects, regardless of their nationalities or positions within the terrorist
organization, are subject exclusively to the authority of the Iraqi judiciary,”
the statement said. Iraqi officials say under the legal measures, Daesh
detainees will be separated, with senior figures including foreign nationals to
be held at a high-security detention facility near Baghdad airport that was
previously used by US forces. Two Iraqi legal sources said the Daesh detainees
sent from Syria include a mix of nationalities, with Iraqis making up the
largest group, alongside Arab fighters from other countries as well as European
and other Western nationals. The sources said the detainees include nationals
of Britain, Germany, France, Belgium and Sweden, and other European Union
countries, and will be prosecuted under Iraqi jurisdiction.
Iran internet blackout has lasted more than two weeks,
monitor says
Al Arabiya English/22 January/2026
The nationwide shutdown of the internet by authorities in Iran has lasted more
than two weeks, a monitor said Thursday. Activists fear the internet shutdown is
aimed at masking the true scale of a crackdown on anti-regime protests. “Iran
has now been under a national internet blackout for two full weeks,” said
Netblocks in a post on X. In recent days there have been reports of more users
being able to gain access to the internet on occasional moments, but the monitor
indicated this was sporadic and limited to government-approved sites and
traffic. “At hour 336, connectivity levels continue to flatline with only a
slight rise at the backbone supplying regime-whitelisted networks,” it said. “A
few users are now able to tunnel to the outside world,” it added, without
specifying the tools used for this. Giving their first official toll from the
protests, Iranian authorities on Wednesday said 3,117 people were killed during
the wave of demonstrations. The statement from Iran’s foundation for martyrs and
veterans sought to draw a distinction between “martyrs,” who it said were
members of security forces or innocent bystanders, and what it described as
“rioters” backed by the US. Of its toll of 3,117, it said 2,427 people were
“martyrs.”
However, rights groups say the heavy toll was caused by security forces firing
directly on protesters and that the actual number of those killed could be far
higher and even extend to over 20,000. Rights groups have complained that the
internet shutdown has deliberately impeded their work and masked the scale of
the crackdown. The shutdown began on the evening of January 8 when mass protests
erupted in several major cities, openly challenging the clerical authorities.
With AFP
War has to end,’ Trump tells Putin after meeting Zelenskyy in Davos
Al Arabiya English/22 January/2026
On tonight’s W News Extra with Catalina Marchant de Abreu, we’re joined by
Michael Jabri Pickett and Gemma White. We’ll have the latest on Trump’s Board of
Peace signing in Davos as well as his meeting with Zelenskyy, who called out
Europe in today’s speech. Plus we’ll discuss Prince Harry’s case against the
Daily Mail publishers and the Oscar nominations ahead of the big ceremony next
month.
Ukraine-Russia talks 'down
to one issue', Trump envoy says
Agence France Presse/22 January/2026
Talks to end the war in Ukraine have made "a lot of progress" and are "down to
one issue" between Kyiv and Moscow, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said on
Thursday ahead of a trip to Russia. "I think we've got it down to one issue, and
we have discussed iterations of that issue, and that means it's solvable. So if
both sides want to solve this, we're going to get it solved," Witkoff said at a
Ukrainian event on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. President
Donald Trump's envoy, who will travel to Moscow later on Thursday with the U.S.
leader's son-in-law Jared Kushner, did not give further details.
Witkoff said the pair would not stay in the Russian capital overnight and would
fly straight to Abu Dhabi, where talks would continue in "military to military"
working groups. The Kremlin said this week that President Vladimir Putin would
meet with Witkoff during the visit.Meanwhile, Trump and Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelensky are due to meet in Davos on Thursday. Trump repeated on
Wednesday his oft-stated belief that Putin and Zelensky were close to a deal.
Zelenskyy, after Trump talks, says territorial issue still
unsolved
Reuters/22 January/2026
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday after talks with US President
Donald Trump in Davos that the terms of security guarantees for Ukraine had been
finalized, but that the vital issue of territory in its war with Russia remains
unsolved. In what he said was a positive sign of progress in long-running peace
talks to end the four-year conflict, Zelenskyy said negotiators from Russia,
Ukraine and the US would hold trilateral meetings for the first time in Abu
Dhabi on Friday and Saturday. He also said a deal was almost ready on economic
recovery after the war with Russia, a key element of Kyiv-backed proposals to
push back on an earlier US peace plan seen as heavily favoring Moscow.
Both say talks were positive
Zelenskyy and Trump - who have met half a dozen times since Trump returned to
the White House last year and upended US policy on Ukraine - both said
Thursday’s talks were positive. “I think the meeting with President Zelenskyy
was good. It’s an ongoing process,” Trump told reporters, saying that US envoys
were heading for talks in Moscow on Thursday. Asked what his message was for
Putin, Trump replied: “The war has to end.”Zelenskyy, who did not indicate he
discussed territory with Trump on Thursday, had said earlier this week he would
only travel to Davos if he could sign agreements with Trump on US security
guarantees and post-war reconstruction funding for Ukraine. Zelenskyy has been
saddled with an energy crisis at home from Russian air strikes that have left
millions of Ukrainians across swathes of the capital and other regions without
power and heating. Zelenskyy described Russia’s months-long onslaught as an
attempt by Putin to freeze Ukrainians to death. Invoking Trump’s operation to
capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro to face charges before a US court, he
wondered aloud why Putin was not yet on trial. US envoy for Ukraine Steve
Witkoff had told an audience at the World Economic Forum earlier on Thursday
that good progress was being made in peace talks, after he met with Ukrainian
and Russian officials in Davos. “If both sides want to solve this, we’re going
to get it solved,” Witkoff said.
US weighs complete military withdrawal from Syria: Report
Reuters/22 January/2026
Washington is considering a complete withdrawal of American troops from
Syria, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday citing US officials.
Trump vows Gaza will be demilitarized and rebuilt at Board of Peace ceremony in
Davos
Agencies/22 January/2026
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday at the “Board of Peace” ceremony
in Davos that there was a commitment to ensure Gaza was demilitarized
and “beautifully rebuilt.”Trump said that Hamas must disarm under the Gaza
ceasefire deal or it will be the “end” of the Palestinian movement. “They have
to give up their weapons, and if they don’t do that, it’s going to be the end of
them,” Trump said, adding that the group “were born with rifles in their
hands.”Israel’s President Isaac Herzog on Thursday said it was integral to
disarm Hamas while discussing next steps for the Gaza ceasefire during a session
in Davos. When asked about the next stage of the Gaza ceasefire and the steps
that will be taken to fulfill the requirements of the deal, Herzog told the
World Economic Forum (WEF) that it was integral to disarm and disband the
Palestinian militant group in the territory. Trump launched his Board of Peace,
initially focused on cementing Gaza’s ceasefire but which he said could take a
wider role that may worry other global powers, although he said it would work
with the United Nations. The board’s creation was endorsed by a United Nations
Security Council resolution as part of Trump’s Gaza peace plan, and UN
spokesperson Rolando Gomez said on Thursday that UN engagement with the board
would only be in that context.
Spain closes Pegasus spyware probe again, saying Israel has not responded
Reuters/22 January/2026
Spain’s High Court on Thursday closed its investigation into the use of Israeli
cyber-intelligence firm NSO Group’s “Pegasus” software to spy on Spanish
politicians, citing a lack of cooperation from Israeli authorities. The
investigation was launched after the Spanish government disclosed in 2022 that
NSO’s spyware had been used to spy on members of the Spanish cabinet, sparking
a political crisis that led to the resignation of the country’s spy chief.
Officials did not clarify whether domestic or foreign entities were linked to
the espionage, whose targets included Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and several
ministers.
Investigating judge Jose Luis Calama said he was unable to advance the probe
into the alleged spying on politicians because a lack of response to requests
for information from Israel meant there was no identifiable suspect. NSO has
always denied wrongdoing, saying the software, which it licenses to
governments after Israeli government approval, is intended to fight crime and
protect national security and that it cannot monitor how it is used. Israel
says its role is limited to export licenses rather than day-to-day operations.
The Israeli government and NSO did not immediately reply to requests for
comment.
Calama had previously closed the investigation in 2023, also citing a lack of
cooperation from Israeli authorities. He reopened it in 2024 following details
provided by France regarding its own probe into Pegasus’ use in 2021 to target
reporters, lawyers, public figures, and French government and political
officials.
Israeli forces demolish
Palestinian facilities in Jericho
Arab News/January 22, 2026
LONDON: Israeli authorities demolished a house on Thursday in the town of Deir
Al-Dik, located west of Jericho in the West Bank, and issued a demolition order
for another structure east of the city. Israeli bulldozers stormed Deir Al-Dik
and demolished a house belonging to a resident of Jerusalem, claiming it was
built without a permit, according to the Wafa news agency. Forces also
demolished a barracks in the city that belonged to the Abu Jarar factory and
issued a demolition order for another structure related to the Sinqrat palm
grove, east of Jericho. The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission reported
that the Israeli authorities conducted 538 demolitions in the past 12 months,
totaling 1,400 structures. This included 304 occupied homes, 74 unoccupied
homes, 270 economic facilities and 490 agricultural facilities, primarily in
Hebron, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Tubas and Nablus.Excluding East Jerusalem, which
was occupied and annexed by Israel in 1967, there are about 3 million
Palestinians and 500,000 Israeli settlers living in the West Bank.
People in Gaza dig through
garbage for things to burn to keep warm
AP/January 22, 2026
CAIRO: Desperate Palestinians at a garbage dump in a Gaza neighborhood dug with
their bare hands for plastic items to burn to keep warm in the cold and damp
winter in the enclave, battered by two years of the Israel-Hamas war. The scene
in the Muwasi area of Khan Younis starkly contrasted with the vision of the
territory projected to the world. In Gaza, months into the truce, hundreds of
thousands of Palestinians still languish in displacement camps, sheltering in
tents and war-ravaged buildings, unable to protect themselves from the
temperatures dropping below 10 degrees Celsius at night.
Despite the ceasefire, there are still recurring deadly strikes in Gaza. Israeli
tank shelling on Thursday killed four Palestinians east of Gaza City, according
to Mohamed Abu Selmiya, director of the Shifa Hospital, where the bodies were
taken. While aid flows into Gaza have significantly increased since the
ceasefire, residents say fuel and firewood are in short supply. Prices are
exorbitant, and searching for firewood is dangerous. For Sanaa Salah, who lives
in a tent with her husband and six kids, starting a fire is a critical daily
chore for cooking and staying warm. Her family barely has enough clothes to keep
them warm. She said the family cannot afford to buy firewood or gas, and that
they are aware of the dangers of burning plastic but have no other choice. “Life
is very hard,” she said as her family members threw plastic and paper into a
fire to keep it burning.
“We cannot even have a cup of tea.”“This is our life,” she said. “We do not
sleep at night from the cold.” Firewood is just too expensive, said Aziz Akel.
His family has no income, and they can’t pay the 7 or 8 shekels (about $2.5) it
would cost. “My house is gone, and my kids were wounded,” he said. His daughter,
Lina Akel, said he leaves the family’s tent early each morning to look for
plastic in the garbage to burn — “the basics of life.”
AFP demands ‘investigation after freelancer killed in
Israeli strike
AFP/January 22, 2026
PARIS: Agence France-Presse has demanded a “full and transparent investigation”
into the death of Abdul Raouf Shaat, a regular contributor to the agency in the
Gaza Strip who was killed in an Israeli strike alongside two other Palestinian
journalists. “Far too many local journalists have been killed in Gaza over the
past two years while foreign journalists remain unable to enter the territory
freely,” the agency said in a statement. It expressed “immense sadness” at the
death of the 34-year-old photo and video journalist, who was “a regular
contributor to AFP’s production for nearly two years” and “much loved by the AFP
team covering Gaza.” He was killed on Wednesday along with colleagues Anas
Ghneim and Mohammed Salah Qashta in the central Gaza Strip, where the Israeli
army said it had targeted the operators of a drone deemed suspicious, adding
that the details of the incident were still under review. Since Hamas’s attack
on Israel in October 2023 sparked the war in Gaza, nearly 220 journalists have
been killed by Israel, making the Palestinian territory by far the deadliest
place for journalists, according to media watchdog Reporters Without Borders
data.
Israeli president urges global community to give Trump’s peace plan a chance
Arab News/January 22, 2026
DAVOS: Israeli President Isaac Herzog urged the international community on
Thursday to “give the peace plan a chance,” saying the emerging proposal for
Gaza could pave the way for stability, reconstruction, and renewed regional
diplomacy. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Herzog said the plan
had the potential to deliver a historic “Marshall Plan”-style rebuilding effort
for Gaza. He added that the technocratic government proposed for the enclave —
already accepted by Israel — would ultimately be judged by its ability to
improve daily life for Palestinians. The statements are in stark contrast to
calls from ministers within the government requesting a return to total war,
annexation and continued Israeli attacks in Gaza. These attacks have killed 383
people since the ceasefire came into effect in October, according to the Gaza
Health Ministry. Herzog, whose presidential position in Israel is non-political
and largely ceremonial, emphasized that the success of the peace plan would also
influence broader regional dynamics, including the prospects for normalization
with Saudi Arabia. He described the Kingdom as “a very important nation,”
calling it his “dream” to eventually see an agreement signed between the two
countries as part of a wider push to expand the Abraham Accords. Saudi Arabia
has made clear that any normalization would hinge on credible, irreversible
steps toward a Palestinian state. Responding to questions from CNN anchor Fareed
Zakaria, Herzog said he believed a political horizon and eventual Palestinian
statehood were possible and would likely become a key issue in Israel’s upcoming
election. The current Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, firmly opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state and has
repeatedly reinforced this position across multiple diplomatic contexts. It has
also sought to expand settlements in the West Bank and weaken the Palestinian
Authority, further undermining the possibility of a two-state solution. On
regional security, Herzog warned that Israel still believed Iran and Iran-backed
Hezbollah were “regrouping and rebuilding.” He argued that Iran’s long-term
future “lies in regime change,” and said Israel continued to place significant
trust in the US regarding security arrangements for Gaza. Herzog added that
Israel’s ultimate strategic goal was to “live peacefully with Syria,” though he
declined to comment on ongoing diplomatic deliberations.
Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt to open next week, Palestinian official says
Reuters/January 22, 2026
DAVOS: Gaza’s border crossing with Egypt will reopen next week after largely
being shut during the Israel-Hamas war, the Palestinian technocrat leader backed
by Washington to administer the enclave announced on Thursday. Ali Shaath made
the announcement by video link during an event in Davos hosted by President
Donald Trump, who convened a group of leaders to formally launch a “Board of
Peace” initially focused on cementing Gaza’s ceasefire. A key unfulfilled
element of the ceasefire, brokered by Trump in October, has been the reopening
of Gaza’s main gateway to the world to allow the entry and exit of
Palestinians. “I am pleased to announce the Rafah crossing will open next
week in both directions. For Palestinians in Gaza, Rafah is more than a gate. It
is a lifeline and symbol of opportunity,” Shaath said. “Opening Rafah signals
that Gaza is no longer closed to the future and to the war,” Shaath said. There
was no immediate comment from Israel, which has controlled the Rafah crossing
since 2024. The ceasefire deal left Israel in control of more than half of Gaza,
including the area that abuts the border crossing. Hamas controls the remainder
of the enclave.
US touts ‘New Gaza’ filled with luxury real estate
Al Arabiya English/22 January/2026
US officials on Thursday presented their vision for a “New Gaza” that would turn
the shattered Palestinian territory into a glitzy resort of skyscrapers by the
sea, saying the transformation could emerge in three years. The war in Gaza,
which began in 2023, left much of the Palestinian territory damaged or destroyed
and forced most of its residents to flee their homes. A US-brokered ceasefire
took effect last October, reducing the level of bombing and fighting, but for
most Gazans, the humanitarian disaster has endured three months on. “We’re going
to be very successful in Gaza. It’s going to be a great thing to watch,”
President Donald Trump said while presenting his “Board of Peace”
conflict-resolution body in Davos. “I’m a real estate person at heart... and I
said, look at this location on the sea. Look at this beautiful piece of
property. What it could be for so many people,” he said at the World Economic
Forum. His son-in-law Jared Kushner, who has no official title but is one of
Trump’s envoys for the Gaza ceasefire, said his “master plan” aimed for
“catastrophic success.”With a slide showing dozens of shiny terraced apartment
towers overlooking a tree-lined promenade, he promised a Mediterranean utopia
rising from the scarred Gaza landscape. “In the Middle East they build cities
like this, you know for two or three million people, they build this in three
years,” Kushner said. “And so stuff like this is very doable if we make it
happen.”He touted investments of at least $25 billion to rebuild destroyed
infrastructure and public services. Within 10 years, the territory’s GDP would
be $10 billion, and households would enjoy average income of $13,000 a year
thanks to “100-percent full employment and opportunity for everybody there,” he
said. “It could be a hope. It could be a destination, have a lot of industry and
really be a place that the people there can thrive.”
‘Amazing’ opportunities
Kushner said the so-called National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG)
had enlisted help from Israeli real estate developer Yakir Gabay. “He’s
volunteered to do this not for profit, really because of his heart he wants to
do this,” Kushner said. “So the next 100 days, we’re going to continue to just
be heads down and focused on making sure this is implemented.”Trump had earlier
in the conflict floated his vision of turning Gaza into a “Riviera of the Middle
East,” sparking outrage around the world. Notably absent from Kushner’s
presentation was Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, whose country had
spearheaded in 2025 a reconstruction plan for Gaza supported by Arab nations and
welcomed by the European Union. According to a brief statement from his office,
al-Sisi flew home at dawn on Thursday, hours after he and Trump met, with the US
president calling him “a great leader, a great guy.”Ali Shaath, Gaza’s recently
appointed administrator under Trump’s “Board of Peace,” has said the Egyptian
plan was the “foundation” of his committee’s reconstruction project. A top UN
official warned this month that Gazans were living in “inhumane” conditions even
as the US-backed truce entered its second phase. Entire neighborhoods, hospitals
and schools have been heavily damaged or destroyed, forcing hundreds of
thousands of people to live in makeshift shelters. Kushner said 85 percent of
Gaza’s economic output had been aid for a long time. “That’s not sustainable. It
doesn’t give these people dignity. It doesn’t give them hope,” he said. He
insisted that the full disarming of Hamas, as called for in the October
ceasefire, would convince firms and donors to commit to the territory. “We’ll
announce a lot of the contributions that will be made in a couple of weeks in
Washington,” he said. “There’ll be amazing investment opportunities.”
Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,221 people,
and 251 people were taken hostage that day, including 44 who were dead. Israel’s
retaliatory assault on Gaza has killed at least 71,562 people, according to the
Gaza health ministry.
The ministry also said 477 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire
took effect on October 10. With AFP
Saudi minister says Kingdom can become ‘bridge economy’ linking three continents
Al Arabiya English/22 January/2026
Saudi Minister of Commerce Majid al-Kassabi said on Thursday that Saudi Arabia’s
strategic location and vast resources position it to become a “bridge economy”
linking Africa, Europe and Asia. “As Saudi Arabia, we have a strategic location,
we have a lot of resources. We could become a bridge economy,” al-Kassabi said
during a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He added that
the Kingdom could also serve as a “connector economy,” linking Africa, Europe
and Asia and emerging as a major logistics hub. Al-Kassabi said trade has always
been part of Saudi Arabia’s identity, noting that global trade is shifting away
from traditional free trade toward what he described as a more “managed and
role-driven” model. Asked about trade within the Middle East and whether
regional trade has increased, the minister replied: “I think the name of the
game now is intelligent friction.”“The whole world is shifting to protectionism…
we don’t want fragmentation… we want regional globalization,” he said. Al-Kassabi
also said the World Trade Organization was in need of reform, expressing
optimism that member states would eventually agree on the changes needed to
strengthen the global trading system.
Somali forces retake island overrun by al-Shabaab militants
AFP/22 January/2026
Regional forces in Somalia said they had taken back control of a strategic
island on Thursday, a day after it was overrun by heavily armed al-Shabab
militants. The al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab, which has been fighting an insurgency
against the Somali state for around two decades, stormed Kuday island in the
southern state of Jubaland on Wednesday in a bid to retake an area that was once
an operational base for the group. The group has been on the offensive for the
past year, retaking much of the territory it had lost in campaigns by federal
forces in recent years. The local Jubaland administration said in a statement
that its troops, backed by federal special forces, had fought for more than 24
hours on Kuday “and thwarted the ambitions of the enemy after fully eliminating
their remnants today.”It said at least 59 insurgents were killed and 42 injured,
“while 10 of their battle vehicles mounted with heavy machine guns were
destroyed.”Locals confirmed the retaking of the island. “We heard the sound of
several heavy explosions this morning. Heavy fighting resumed on Kuday Island,
and Shabaab fighters were forced out. There was an airstrike in which several
vehicles belonging to the Shabaab were destroyed,” Abdi Illaan, a resident on
the nearby island of Madhawa, told AFP by phone, confirming information from
other local residents. Mohamed Hassan, a member of the Jubaland forces, said
Somali special forces provided air support. “The situation in Kudhaa has
returned to normal now,” he told AFP. Kuday island, which is around 130
kilometers (81 miles) southwest of Kismayo, was liberated from Al-Shabaab in
early 2015 by members of the Kenyan Defence Forces and the Somali National Army.
France intercepts suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker in
Mediterranean
Reuters/22 January/2026
avy intercepted a Russian tanker on Thursday in the Mediterranean suspected to
be part of the shadow fleet that enables Russia to export oil despite sanctions.
“This operation was carried out ... with the support of several of our allies.
It was conducted in full compliance with the United Nations Convention on the
Law of the Sea,” French President Emmanuel Macron said on X. The interception
was on high seas in the Western Mediterranean, between the southern coast of
Spain and the northern coast of Morocco, the French maritime police said in a
separate statement. Navies of other countries, including Britain, supported the
operation, the statement added. British defense minister John Healey said
Britain had provided tracking and monitoring support for the operation. This
support included a vessel, HMS Dagger, monitoring the tanker, named the GRINCH,
as it passed through the Straits of Gibraltar.
Russia adapts to sanctions
The EU has imposed 19 packages of sanctions against Russia, but Moscow has
adapted to most measures and continues to sell millions of barrels of oil to
countries such as India and China, typically at discounted prices.Much of the
oil is carried by what is known as a shadow fleet of vessels operating outside
of the Western maritime industry. The intercepted tanker was sailing from
Murmansk in northern Russia and is subject to international sanctions and
suspected of operating under a false flag, Macron said in his post. The tanker
was sailing under a Comoros flag, according to data provided by LSEG.
“The activities of the shadow fleet contribute to financing (Russia's) war of
aggression against Ukraine,” Macron added. Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy said in a post on X that the operation was “exactly the kind of
resolve needed.”He suggested the oil carried by tankers of the shadow fleet be
confiscated and sold. The case was referred to the prosecutor of Marseille, who
handles matters related to maritime law. The prosecutor ordered the ship to be
diverted for further investigation. Moscow said France had not notified Russia
about the interception, TASS news agency reported. The Russian consulate in
Marseille is trying to find out whether Russian citizens are among the crew
members, TASS reported, citing the Russian embassy in France.In October, France
detained another sanctioned tanker, the Boracay, off its west coast and released
it after a few days.
The Latest English LCCC analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on January
22-23/2026
Who Counsels Qatar and Turkey, Hamas's Representatives on
Trump's Board of Peace?
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute./January 22, 2026
The Islamic theologians seemed to reject calls for disarming Hamas and other
Palestinian terror groups in accordance with Trump's 20-point plan for peace in
the Gaza Strip.
So long as Hamas directs its attacks only against Israel, the Arabs and Muslims
do not view the terror group as a threat to their national security.
"We view Hamas from the perspective of the Palestinian cause, which must remain
the pre-eminent cause not just for the union but for all Arabs, Muslims, and
free humanitarians in the world. Hamas is defending the rights of the nation,
and the nation must stand by those who defend its preeminent cause." — Ali Al-Qaradaghi,
chairman of the Qatar-based International Union of Muslim Scholars, Al-Monitor,
April 19, 2015.
Reminder: Hamas, a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, does not recognize Israel's
right to exist.... Hamas's 1988 charter opens with a quote from Muslim
Brotherhood founder Hassan Al-Banna: "Israel will exist and will continue to
exist until Islam obliterates it, just as it obliterated others before it."
In 2025, IUMS issued another fatwa legitimizing Jihad against the "Zionist
entity" and its allies involved in the war in the Gaza Strip... [and] called on
governments to intervene militarily and economically, prohibited any support or
cooperation with Israel, and urged the formation of a unified Islamic military
alliance.
Qatar and Turkey, which now serve as the unofficial representatives of Hamas on
Trump's Board of Peace, will undoubtedly do their utmost to ensure that the
terror group continues to exist, both as a political and military entity, and
play a key role in the future management of the Gaza Strip.... Qatar and Turkey
should be invited to join a Board of Jihadists, not a board whose stated goal is
to achieve peace and stability and pave the way for normalization between Israel
and Arabs and Muslims.
The inclusion of Qatar and Turkey in the Board of Peace will only promote Jihad
against Israel and its allies and empower other Islamist terror groups.
At a recent meeting in Istanbul, the Qatar-based International Union of Muslim
Scholars (IUMS) issued a fatwa (Islamic religious ruling) that "affirms the
prohibition of normalization with the Zionist enemy [Israel] in all its forms."
The IUMS is closely associated with the governments of Qatar and Turkey. Since
its founding, it has incited its followers to terrorism and Jihad (holy war).
As Qatar and Turkey are set to play a key role in US President Donald J. Trump's
"Board of Peace" for the Gaza Strip, it is important to note that both countries
do not believe in any peace process between Israel and the Arab and Islamic
countries, and they continue to embrace and sponsor Islamists who support
Islamist terrorists.
On January 18, leaders of the Qatar-based International Union of Muslim Scholars
(IUMS), described as an "independent" body of Islamic theologians, met in
Istanbul, Turkey, to discuss a number of issues related to the Arab and Islamic
countries.
The IUMS, a largely Sunni group that also has offices in Dublin, Ireland, is
closely associated with the governments of Qatar and Turkey. Since its founding,
IUMS has incited its followers to terrorism and Jihad (holy war). Its chairman,
Ali Al-Qaradaghi, said in a recent interview that Qatar and Turkey are "our
biggest supporters and founders."
After the meeting in Istanbul, the Board of Trustees of IUMS issued a fatwa
(Islamic religious ruling) that "affirms the prohibition of normalization with
the Zionist enemy [Israel] in all its forms." The fatwa called on Islamic
countries and the Arab League state members to "take a unified stance in support
of Palestine in international forums and human rights institutions and to sever
all relations with this [Israeli] occupying and usurping entity."
The Islamic theologians seemed to reject calls for disarming Hamas and other
Palestinian terror groups in accordance with Trump's 20-point plan for peace in
the Gaza Strip. In a statement published after the meeting, they said that they
are "following events taking place on the global and Islamic scene and condemn
the phenomenon of aggression and military interventions in the internal affairs
of countries."
Notably, no Arab or Islamic country has expressed readiness to participate in
efforts to demilitarize the Gaza Strip and turn it into a terror-free zone. So
long as Hamas directs its attacks only against Israel, the Arabs and Muslims do
not view the terror group as a threat to their national security.
The Islamic scholars, in addition, voiced opposition to the recent decision by
the Trump administration to label certain chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood
movement in Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt as terrorist groups.
According to John Hurley, Undersecretary of the US Treasury for Terrorism and
Financial Intelligence:
"The Muslim Brotherhood has inspired, nurtured, and funded terrorist groups like
Hamas, that are direct threats to the safety and security of the American people
and our allies."
The founding chairman of IUMS, the late Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, was an extremist
Egyptian Islamic cleric who lived in Qatar for many years and was known for his
support for Islamist terrorism. According to the Meir Amit Intelligence and
Terrorism Information Center:
"Qaradawi is mainly known as the key figure in shaping the concept of violent
Jihad and the one who allowed carrying out terror attacks, including suicide
bombing attacks, against Israeli citizens, US forces in Iraq, and some of the
Arab regimes. Because of that, he was banned from entering Western countries and
some Arab countries."
In 2015, speaking about Hamas, Al-Qaradaghi, the chairman of IUMS stated:
"We view Hamas from the perspective of the Palestinian cause, which must remain
the pre-eminent cause not just for the union but for all Arabs, Muslims, and
free humanitarians in the world. Hamas is defending the rights of the nation,
and the nation must stand by those who defend its preeminent cause."
Reminder: Hamas, the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, does not
recognize Israel's right to exist and was the perpetrator of the October 7, 2023
massacres of more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals and the wounding of
thousands. Hamas's 1988 charter opens with a quote from Muslim Brotherhood
founder Hassan Al-Banna: "Israel will exist and will continue to exist until
Islam obliterates it, just as it obliterated others before it."
In 2025, IUMS issued another fatwa legitimizing Jihad against the "Zionist
entity" and its allies involved in the war in the Gaza Strip, stating:
"We clarify to the people of Islam and all its countries the obligation to wage
jihad against the Zionist entity and all those who participate with it... This
is an obligation incumbent first upon the people of Palestine, then the
neighboring countries (Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon), then all Arab and Islamic
countries."
It also called on governments to intervene militarily and economically,
prohibited any support or cooperation with Israel, and urged the formation of a
unified Islamic military alliance.
Qatar and Turkey, which now serve as the unofficial representatives of Hamas on
Trump's Board of Peace, will undoubtedly do their utmost to ensure that the
terror group continues to exist, both as a political and military entity, and
play a key role in the future management of the Gaza Strip. By endorsing and
hosting Islamists who prohibit normalization with the "Zionist entity," Qatar
and Turkey should be invited to join a Board of Jihadists, not a board whose
stated goal is to achieve peace and stability and pave the way for normalization
between Israel and Arabs and Muslims.
The inclusion of Qatar and Turkey in the Board of Peace will only promote Jihad
against Israel and its allies and empower other Islamist terror groups.
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22225/qatar-turkey-hamas-iums
**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.
Redefining the ‘rogue
state’
Zaid AlKami/Arabiya English/22 January/2026
The description of a “rogue state” is no longer valid if it is confined to its
traditional image as shaped by American literature after the Cold War. That
concept was born in a specific political context and was linked at the time to
states described as operating outside the international order or threatening it
through weapons or direct confrontation. The American narrative focused on four
main characteristics in defining rogue states. First, possessing or seeking
weapons of mass destruction as a tool of pressure and a strategy of threat.
Second, supporting terrorist or armed networks that work to destabilize regions
and prolong internal conflicts in targeted states. Third, violating
international laws and United Nations resolutions without effective action from
the international community to deter such behavior. Fourth, displaying open
hostility toward the international system and refusing to cooperate with
multilateral institutions, which makes such states unreliable.Current reality
shows that these characteristics do not capture the full picture. Today’s rogue
state may adopt a legitimate diplomatic facade while pursuing covert policies
aimed at dismantling the targeted state from within, by exploiting social and
political divisions and deepening sub-identities. Practical experience has shown
that the most dangerous rogue states are not always those that brandish their
weapons, but those that infiltrate other states, reshape their institutions, and
drain them from within until they lose the ability to govern effectively. In its
contemporary meaning, a rogue state is not necessarily weak or isolated, nor
does it have to be in open hostility with the international community. It may be
an active player in international organizations, adopt the language of
stability, and declare its commitment to international law, while in practice
pursuing a policy of disruptive intervention in the affairs of other states,
driven by geopolitical goals and cross-border ambitions. This transformation
reflects a fundamental change in the nature of international conflict. Whereas
wars were once fought between regular armies, they are now managed through
networks and multiple arms, where supporting one faction against another,
sustaining conflict, and exhausting state institutions from within become more
effective tools than traditional military occupation. Disruptive intervention is
not a responsible intervention aimed at resolving a crisis or achieving
mediation. It is an intervention that carries a strategy of perpetuating chaos.
Rogue states invest money, weapons, and political rhetoric to fuel divisions,
inflate internal disputes, and reproduce conflict generation after generation.
This turns viable states into open arenas for proxy wars, as seen in parts of
the region, where external intervention has led to the dismantling of state
institutions and weakened their ability to manage their affairs, without this
appearing on the surface in the traditional form of military conflict.
In this context, the rogue state becomes more dangerous. It does not threaten
only one state, but seeks to create chaos. I mentioned in a previous article
published here, titled “Recipes for Sabotage,” that the spread of chaos across
borders creates fragile regions that cannot be controlled. This model is more
dangerous than any conventional military aggression, because it does not merely
destroy land, but destroys the very idea of the state and exhausts society as a
whole. Therefore, redefining the rogue state today has become a necessity for
analyzing contemporary conflicts and understanding the hidden forces behind
state collapse. Today’s rogue state intervenes to dismantle, destroy, and ignite
conflict because it sees state failure as an opportunity to achieve rapid
influence, even at the expense of regional stability. The real question, then,
is not who fires the shots or drives the tank, but who seeks to create chaos and
feed it, and who uses tools of soft power and disruptive intervention to reshape
states to fit narrow interests. With this understanding, the rogue state becomes
more than just a threat to international security. It is a model of continuous
strategic destruction that threatens the state itself and dismantles societies.
It confirms that the greatest threat does not come from weapons, but from
politics conducted behind closed doors, which turns the fueling and prolonging
of conflict into a tool of influence and exhaustion, and places regional
stability on the brink of collapse.
Made in Pakistan: How Islamabad is gaining ground in global
defense industry
Joe Buccino/Arabiya English/22 January/2026
Behind the threats to reattack Iran and growing pressure on Greenland, a clear
pattern is emerging in the world; conflict has become almost constant. In this
decade alone, add the wars in Afghanistan, Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Sudan,
Yemen and Iran. These inconclusive campaigns have, not surprisingly,
underwritten a booming global arms trade. Weapons are manufactured in one
country, sold to another country and used against a third; a phenomenon that
will only grow. Revenue for the world’s weapons producers continue to break
records. In 2024, the top 100 arms manufacturers generated almost $700 billion
in weapons and services revenue, a significant increase tied to sustained
conflict and heightened military spending. Even accounting for inflation, the
growth from $400 billion in the mid-2010s to today’s staggering figures shows
how modern economies have become entangled with modern geopolitics.
For decades, arms trade had been a cartel among a few countries, with
significant market concentration in four countries. Until now, the United
States, France, Russia and China accounted for over 60 percent of the world
market, but mid-tier countries such as Brazil, Pakistan, Turkey and South Korea
are now elbowing their way into the market. Pakistan, for example, has drawn
significant attention with its JF-17 high-performance fighter aircraft, which
has piqued the interest of potential buyers across Africa, the Middle East and
Asia.
Pakistan’s expanding role in the regional arms market naturally has implications
for its neighbors and has set off alarm bells in India, particularly given
Bangladesh could become a Pakistani client. Though Dhaka had been a steady and
reliable Indian ally since the Bangladesh war of 1971, most prominently during
the “Golden Era” beginning in 2008, the 2024 July Revolution and the ouster of
India’s longstanding ally Sheikh Hasina have opened new opportunities for
regional engagement. Pakistan’s proactive approach in fostering these
connections, particularly in security cooperation reflects its commitment to
constructive regional partnerships and multilateral collaboration.
When good relations thrive, arms can be sold. So for the likes of Pakistan and
Bangladesh, military cooperation and defense sales become central instruments of
influence and presence. Defense ministries and arms producers, though sometimes
overlooked in strategic analyses, frequently exert influence on the ground
comparable to (or greater than) that of foreign ministries. The sheer volume of
military-to-military meetings, cooperation, training and exchanges often
outpaces formal diplomatic engagements. Layer onto this the simultaneous network
of aggressive commercial defense marketing, and the critical role of defense
sales as both a practical and strategic tool becomes unmistakably clear.
New arms deals have bolstered the growing ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh,
yet Indian-aligned press outlets have seized on the sales to offer sharp
criticism. Online commentators often downplay straightforward factors, whether
price, performance, pilot training and production timelines, while suggesting
hidden agendas behind the transactions. The narrative casts Pakistan as a
“cash-strapped country,” supposedly offloading aircraft to raise foreign
currency and exploit shifts in Bangladesh’s political landscape following the
2024 July revolution. Some critics even claim, without evidence, that Pakistan
inflated the aircraft’s performance during last May’s Four-Day War with India.
Yet few of these allegations withstand scrutiny. Most so-called “sales” are
simply routine discussions at trade shows. Foreign transactions of locally
produced aircraft are standard practice for any vibrant national defense
industry. And most importantly, any doubts about the JF-17’s performance were
decisively addressed in the skies over South Asia during the Four-Day War in
2025.
Furthermore, labeling foreign military sales as evidence of “financial
desperation” reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of export trade and the
role of technology in modern warfare. Arms sales are good business, generating
revenues for local companies and tax receipts for the government as well as
reducing the per unit costs for its own purchases.
Nations with technological advantages naturally leverage, and carefully
regulate, the export of weapons and systems that provide battlefield
superiority. For example, United States trade in arms and services could be even
larger if it did not deliberately “self-restrain” sales of its most advanced
fighter aircraft, missiles and cyber systems. These restrictions protect not
only US interests, but also the security of allies surrounded by adversaries
with larger forces.
Pakistan, an emerging force in the international defense market, forswears the
self-imposed restrictions seen in larger suppliers. It is not merely an exporter
of finished equipment but provides a full “total life cycle” approach, including
integration, maintenance, training, spare parts, and ongoing support,
capabilities offered by few countries. One example of this model surrounds
(false) rumors of a completed sale of YF-17 jets to Bangladesh which, if true,
would include “cradle to grave” support for its transaction.
Islamabad, whose armed forces have flourished and grown more outward-looking
under the leadership of Field Marshal Asim Munir, has joined Ankara, Seoul and
Brasilia, as an emerging player in the international arms market. The increasing
interest in “made in Pakistan” is seen in discussions at trade shows, bilateral
meetings and foreign inquiries, but rather than viewing emerging arms
manufacturing as a nefarious industry rampant with shady brokers and major
quality concerns, this highly regulated industry should be seen as a significant
factor in a vibrant economy in every country. As for quality, those questions
were answered in the skies over South Asia during the Four Day War in 2025.
There is more that unites Arab Gulf countries than divides them
Mohammed El-Houni/Arabiya English/22 January/2026
Either the Gulf succeeds in elevating its shared identity to the political
level, or it will remain vulnerable to periodic setbacks whenever national
interests clash. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) was established in 1981 as a
direct response to the Iran’s Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War, with the
stated aim of achieving coordination, integration and interdependence among its
member states in all fields, ultimately leading to their unity. More than four
decades later, the most pressing question remains: do the six member states
possess the capacity to transcend narrow national interests and forge a genuine
shared Gulf political identity, or will the GCC remain merely a loose
coordinating framework, oscillating between partial successes and periodic
setbacks? The GCC has undeniably recorded some accomplishments. It established a
Gulf Common Market in 2008, launched a customs union in 2003, linked electricity
and water networks, built the Peninsula Shield Force and successfully
coordinated sensitive security positions against terrorism and external threats.
However, these achievements have remained largely economic and in the realm of
functional security measures, failing to translate into profound political
integration.
Indeed, the Gulf Cooperation Council has faced a number of existential crises:
the Second Gulf War (1990-1991), Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait and the Qatar
boycott (2017-2021). These crises exposed the fragility of its Gulf political
framework, and ultimately the sharp differences in approach towards Iran, Yemen,
Syria, and Israel.What unites the Gulf states is far more than what divides
them. These states share a common language and religion, a common tribal
history, a similar Bedouin-merchant lifestyle, a comparable rentier economic
structure, identical demographic challenges (a high percentage of expatriate
workers) and common security threats such as Iranian influence, jihadist
terrorism and global energy fluctuations.
These factors have created a fertile ground for a Gulf identity that could
transcend national borders. However, the greatest challenge lies in the fact
that each of the six states sees itself as the most important or influential of
all, and thus seeks to bolster its regional influence individually rather than
relying on regional integration. Divergence on foreign policies is the most
prominent manifestation of such differences. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have led a
military coalition in Yemen since 2015, while Oman and Kuwait have maintained
their neutrality in the conflict, and Qatar initially supported Islamist
movements before changing its stance. Regarding Iran, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have
adopted a hard line, while Muscat and Doha have preferred dialogue and
mediation. With Israel, the UAE and Bahrain signed the Abraham Accords in 2020,
while Saudi Arabia has thus far refused formal normalisation with the Jewish
state, while Qatar and Oman remain more reserved. These differences are not
merely tactical; they reflect differing strategic visions regarding the nature
of the threats at hand and the means of confronting them.
Domestically, the economic and social pressures resulting from the decline in
oil prices since 2014, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the
Russian-Ukrainian war, have led each country to focus on national reforms rather
than invest in ambitious regional integration projects.
Nevertheless, the opportunities for building a shared political identity have
not disappeared. New security challenges, from Houthi attacks on oil facilities
to tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, have demonstrated that the security of any
one nation is the security of all. Gulf electricity grid and railway projects,
along with renewable energy initiatives, could form a solid economic foundation
for deeper integration.
The shared soft power, hosting the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the Asian Cup in
Saudi Arabia, Expo 2030 Riyadh and hugely ambitious entertainment seasons, could
shape a unified Gulf image before the outside world. More importantly, global
geopolitical shifts are forcing the Gulf to speak with one voice before major
powers, whether in climate negotiations, within the expanded BRICS group or in
the face of the accelerating energy transition.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) experience remains far below the the European
Union’s trajectory. Europe succeeded in building a shared political identity
despite wars and deep divisions because it agreed to bestow genuine sovereign
mandates on supranational institutions. In the Gulf, there is still no political
will to relinquish any part of national sovereignty to a general secretariat or
an elected Gulf parliament. The Council remains a coordinating body where
decisions are based on consensus, a principle that paralyses any bold decision
if even one state objects.
The question remains: can the Gulf states overcome their differences and build a
shared political identity? The answer is cautiously optimistic. Cultural,
social, economic and security ties are strong enough to maintain the cohesion of
the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), but not strong enough to compel the six
member states to make genuine concessions on their sovereignty. The success of
the joint Gulf project requires three conditions that can rarely occur
simultaneously: first, a collective Gulf political leadership that believes that
the interest of the Gulf as a whole takes precedence over the interest of the
nation-state in times of crisis. Second, the establishment of supranational
institutions with genuine executive powers. Third, the creation of a new Gulf
narrative that makes the notion of “Gulf citizen” a real political identity, not
just a slogan. Until this is achieved, the GCC will remain closer to an
“alliance of interests” than a “identity-based union.” History teaches us that
alliances based solely on interests can withstand external shocks, but they
rarely withstand internal ones.Either the Gulf succeeds in elevating its shared
identity to the political level, or it will remain vulnerable to periodic
setbacks whenever national interests clash. The stakes are not merely economic
or security-related; they are existential when it comes to the future of Gulf
political identity in a world increasingly shaped by larger blocs.
**Mohammed El-Houni is the editor in chief of Al Arab newspaper.
The deconstruction of a
world order that is falling apart
Charles Elias Chartouni/This Is Beirut/January 23/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/151405/
The crisis of international life has been evolving at an accelerated pace since
the end of the Cold War, marked by the decline of bipolarity, the emergence of
multipolarity to mutant declines, the wilding of the world following the
bankruptcy of states, the fragile state order, the rise of Islamic terrorism,
the collapse consensus within democracies in a world where mass migrations alter
demographic variables and challenge the nomothetical foundations of democracies,
as well as the decline of the post-state model embodied by the European
community. Added to it are the inadequacies of the legal space and regulatory
governance, challenged by the absence of a meta-narrative and a unanimously
recognized anthropological base.
Constitutional patriotism (Verfassungspatriotismus), although important, cannot
function alone in the absence of a community of values (Sittlichkeit), which
weakens the institutional republic and calls into question its agnosticism of
principle. The return of strong identities is not a result of chance: it comes
from fear of a vacuum that questions the civilized model and its political and
civic modulations, in favor of a procedure republic devoid of a normative
anchor. The right, in its multiple variants, reaffirms the priority of civilized
and national identities, while the left has been in a bad narrative since the
end of the industrial era and the obsolescence of the socialist repertoire. Mass
migrations, which are progressing disorganized, have reconfigured political
dynamics at the intersection of outside and inside.
The ideological consensus around which the Western political order has been
structured benefited from multiple layers, while emerging political realities
challenge the procedures and worldviews that made them possible. Besides, the
international political institutions established by the United States after
World War II are only direct emanations of liberal democracy, while the
newcomers are far from adhering to the democratic and liberal creed and to the
meta-narrative of the Universal Charter of Rights of man and his normative
sources. The international order is thus subverted to the benefit of defending
narratives of liberal democracy and the political and legal cultures that emerge
from it.
Seeking to classify the emerging European model, Syro-German political scientist
Bassam Tibi spoke of a "Europe without identity" (Europa ohne Identität), where
cultural indifferentiation promoted by unproblematic multiculturalism (Multikulti)
eventually creates the conditions for a civil war, the one of all-against-all
war. The liberal and democratic order, to be able to operate, requires strong
consensus and strong institutions to prevent the subversion policies generated
by massive and unregulated migrations, militant Islamism, the failures of
civility in naked public spheres (Naked Public Square), the return in force
Cryptocommunist totalitarianisms and the re-emergence of provisional
politicians.
The challenge of the liberal creed operates in favor of these conjugal slavery.
Among other things, the avenues of economic neoliberalism, the predominance of
the financial economy and the restructuring of the economy and the professional
spectrum have encouraged the deagregistration of economic and social fabrics and
questioned their possibility of recomposition. The UN is now a conglomerate of
States where relations of strength and legal links are distanced and deeply
distorted. Today it serves as an arena for power struggles that contradict in
all aspects the norms of this "Society of Nations" and its anchoring in natural
law (Jus Naturalis) and its modulations.
The differences between the United States and Europe go far beyond the Trump
era; they are part of the failures of the transatlantic community, where
Europeans disregarded their obligations while the U.S. supported the cost of the
transAtlantic alliance. Europe is being caught up with a strong America of its
choices and strategic and military capabilities, echoing in deeply divided
European corporations, where political divisions join those of the American
nationalist right. We are thus facing an ectoplasmic political scene that is
developing on the margin of the institutions in place and will eventually
generate alternative political and institutional dynamics.
The prevalence of personal diplomacy, the new security configuration envisaged
by President Trump (the Peace Council), the policy of tariff modulations and
their political instrumentalization are hampered by the security and strategic
deinvestment policy of Europe that has minimized its commitments to the field.
The Ukrainian alert, the ubiquity of the Islamic terrorist threat, and failing
strategic sanctuaries – the case of the Arctic and Greenland in particular –
have resurrected America into a new imperial dynamic, where the work of
geopolitical sanctuaries, transnational mesh, and electoral interventionism is
being replaced by the burden and multiple complications of the UN, as well as
the equivocals of a European community engulfed in dysfunctional technocratic
self-referentiality professing axiological pseudo-neutrality.
Trump's interlude will pass, but the questions he raised will remain and will be
subject to a structural reshuffle of the institutions of international life and
their correlations at the domestic level. This multi-ramp crisis reveals the ins
and outs of a political order that evolves from an ignorance of the realities
and ideological representations behind it. The sudden deployment of European
forces to the territories of Greenland is a quirky act in the right direction,
but it leaves the question of the configuration of a new transatlantic alliance
entirely. Besides, the issue of the UN must be completely rethought from the
Kantian scheme and the architecture of an alternative international order.
President Trump’s political voluntaryism highlights security and strategic
failings, as well as the need to address totalitarian challenges of world
savagery, the spread of organized crime, the resurgence of cryptocommunist
ideologies and practices, and the structure of a violent and totalitarian Islam.
uncomplicated.
La déconstruction d’un ordre mondial qui se défait
Charles Elias Chartouni/This Is Beirut/January 23/2026
https://eliasbejjaninews.com/2026/01/151405/
La crise de la vie internationale évolue à un rythme accéléré depuis la fin de
la guerre froide, marquée par le déclin de la bipolarité, l’émergence d’une
multipolarité aux déclinaisons mutantes, l’ensauvagement du monde consécutif à
la faillite des États, la fragilisation de l’ordre étatique, l’essor du
terrorisme islamiste, l’effondrement des consensus au sein des démocraties dans
un monde où les migrations de masse modifient les variables démographiques et
remettent en question les fondements nomothétiques des démocraties, ainsi que
l’affaissement du modèle post-étatique incarné par la communauté européenne. S’y
ajoutent les insuffisances de l’espace de droit et de la gouvernance
réglementaire, mises en cause par l’absence d’une méta-narrativité et d’un socle
anthropologique unanimement reconnu.
Le patriotisme constitutionnel (Verfassungspatriotismus), quoique important, ne
peut à lui seul fonctionner en l’absence d’une communauté de valeurs (Sittlichkeit),
ce qui fragilise la république procédurale et remet en question son agnosticisme
de principe. Le retour en force des identités fortes n’est pas un effet du
hasard : il procède de la peur face à un vide qui interroge le modèle
civilisationnel et ses modulations politiques et civiques, au profit d’une
république procédurale dépourvue d’ancrage normatif. La droite, dans ses
variantes multiples, réaffirme la priorité des identités civilisationnelle et
nationale, tandis que la gauche est en mal de récit depuis la fin de l’ère
industrielle et l’obsolescence du répertoire socialiste. Les migrations de
masse, qui progressent de manière désordonnée, ont reconfiguré les dynamiques
politiques à l’intersection de l’extérieur et de l’intérieur.
Les consensus idéologiques autour desquels s’est structuré l’ordre politique
occidental bénéficiaient d’étayages multiples, alors que les réalités politiques
émergentes contestent les règles procédurales et les visions du monde qui les
ont rendus possibles. Par ailleurs, les institutions politiques internationales
instituées par les États-Unis au lendemain de la Seconde Guerre mondiale ne sont
que les émanations directes de la démocratie libérale, tandis que les nouveaux
venus sont loin d’adhérer au credo démocratique et libéral, ainsi qu’à la
méta-narrativité de la Charte universelle des droits de l’homme et à ses sources
normatives. L’ordre international est ainsi subverti au bénéfice de récits
pourfendeurs de la démocratie libérale et des cultures politiques et juridiques
qui en émanent.
Cherchant à qualifier le modèle européen en émergence, le politologue
syro-allemand Bassam Tibi parlait d’une « Europe sans identité » (Europa ohne
Identität), où l’indifférenciation culturelle promue par un multiculturalisme
non problématisé (Multikulti) finit par créer les conditions d’une guerre civile,
celle de la guerre de tous contre tous. L’ordre libéral et démocratique, pour
pouvoir opérer, requiert des consensus forts et des institutions solides afin de
se prémunir contre les politiques de subversion générées par les migrations
massives et non réglementées, l’islamisme militant, les défaillances du civisme
dans des sphères publiques dénudées (Naked Public Square), le retour en force
des totalitarismes cryptocommunistes et la réémergence des hommes politiques
providentiels.
La contestation du credo libéral s’opère à la faveur de ces affaissements
conjugués. Par ailleurs, les aléas du néolibéralisme économique, la prédominance
de l’économie financière et les restructurations de l’économie et du spectre
professionnel ont favorisé la désagrégation des tissus économique et social et
mis en question leur possibilité de recomposition. L’ONU est désormais un
conglomérat d’États où les rapports de force et les liens juridiques sont
distanciés et profondément faussés. Elle sert aujourd’hui d’arène à des luttes
de pouvoir qui contredisent en tous points les sources normatives de cette «
Société des Nations » et son ancrage dans le droit naturel (Jus Naturalis) et
ses modulations.
Les différends entre les États-Unis et l’Europe remontent bien au-delà de l’ère
Trump ; ils s’inscrivent dans le cadre des défaillances de la communauté
transatlantique, où les Européens se sont défaussés de leurs obligations tandis
que les États-Unis endossaient le coût de l’alliance transatlantique. L’Europe
se voit rattrapée par une Amérique forte de ses choix et de ses capacités
stratégiques et militaires, qui font écho au sein de sociétés européennes
profondément clivées, où les clivages politiques rejoignent ceux de la droite
nationaliste américaine. Nous sommes ainsi face à une scène politique
ectoplasmique qui se développe en marge des institutions en place et qui finira
par générer des dynamiques politiques et institutionnelles alternatives.
La prévalence des diplomaties personnelles, la nouvelle configuration
sécuritaire envisagée par le président Trump (le Conseil de la paix), la
politique des modulations tarifaires et leur instrumentalisation politique font
pendant à la politique de désinvestissement sécuritaire et stratégique d’une
Europe ayant réduit au minimum ses engagements en la matière. L’alerte
ukrainienne, l’ubiquité de la menace terroriste islamiste et les
sanctuarisations stratégiques défaillantes – le cas de la zone arctique et du
Groenland en particulier – ont relancé l’Amérique dans une nouvelle dynamique
impériale, où le travail de sanctuarisation géopolitique, de maillage
transnational et d’interventionnisme électif se substitue à la lourdeur et aux
complicités multiples de l’ONU, ainsi qu’aux équivoques d’une communauté
européenne engluée dans une autoréférentialité technocratique dysfonctionnelle
et professant une pseudo-neutralité axiologique.
L’interlude Trump passera, mais les questions qu’il a suscitées demeureront et
feront l’objet d’une refonte structurelle des institutions de la vie
internationale et de leurs corrélats au niveau domestique. Cette crise aux
ramifications multiples révèle les béances et les non-dits d’un ordre politique
qui évolue à partir d’une méconnaissance des réalités et des représentations
idéologiques qui en sont à l’origine. Le déploiement impromptu de forces
européennes sur les territoires du Groenland constitue un acte décalé allant
dans la bonne direction, mais il laisse entière la question de la configuration
d’une nouvelle alliance transatlantique. Par ailleurs, la question de l’ONU doit
être entièrement repensée à partir du schéma kantien et de l’architecture d’un
ordre international alternatif. Le volontarisme politique du président Trump met
en lumière des défaillances sécuritaires et stratégiques, ainsi que la nécessité
de faire face aux défis totalitaires que représentent l’ensauvagement du monde,
la propagation du crime organisé, la résurgence des idéologies et des pratiques
cryptocommunistes, et la structuration d’un islam totalitaire, violent et
décomplexé.
Selected Face Book & X tweets/
January 22/2026
Shadi khalloul שאדי ח'לול
A testimony by the head of the Maronite Lebanese Monastry reveals
how Arabs so-called Palestinians were hosted by the Church, but the same Arabs
attacked Monastries and Christians in Lebanon later. He is saying: " at the
beginning of the war, not a single Palestinian was killed at the door of his
camp but in our Christian neighborhood and doors, means it was a self defense
war for us" as Maronite Christian Aramaic people.
Maronite
On the evening of January 21, 1976, following the failure of the Balestinian
(aka Palestinian)Yarmouk Brigade’s attack on #Zgharta, Fr and deputy Semaan
Douaihy, announced that he had removed his clerical garb so that he could move
more freely among the fighters. The priestly robe would hinder his movements
between the trenches, as his position at that time was among the combatants on
the front lines, not in the command room. He stated that he would not wear it
again until this nightmare had been lifted from #Lebanon and the invading forces
had been repelled
Dan Shapiro
Trump really doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Iron Dome is Israeli
technology. Israel sought US funding to support development of the system, but
was consistently turned down, through the GWBush Admin, in part out of doubts it
could work (or was ready). Finally, in 2009, following his visit to Sderot (the
main target of Hamas rockets at the time) during the 2008 campaign, Obama
requested $205m, which Congress provided in 2010. (Many hundreds of millions of
dollars followed in later years.) This followed a DOD evaluation of the
technology that determined it was ready for prime time. But it was purely
Israeli. Other Israeli missile defense system — Arrow and David’s Sling — were
jointly developed by Israel and the U.S.
The Free Press
“Instead of talking about whether the United States is going to strike Iran,
people here spent the week talking about Greenland,” says @NFergus. “We’re being
distracted.”“I think I could understand why [Trump] would rather have Europeans
talking about Greenland than telling him to de-escalate in Iran, as they surely
would have if that had still been the topic of conversation.”