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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Hezbollah terrorists are rioting in Beirut after Lebanon and Israel signed an agreement
2026-06-28

Text:

BREAKING: Hezbollah terrorists are rioting in Beirut after Lebanon and Israel signed an agreement to engage in direct and formal peace talks for the first time.

Over 90% of Shia Muslims in Lebanon support Hezbollah. We’re talking about an entire community of terrorists.

No other Muslim group comes close in terms of terrorist affiliation. Even in Gaza, support for Hamas peaked at 70%, and it’s currently around half of that; in Iran, support for the Islamic regime is only 10%. Support for the Taliban in Afghanistan is just 20%.

More at the link

Hezbollah says Israel-Lebanon agreement ‘null and void,’ as its allies threaten civil war

[IsraelTimes] Naim Qassem calls deal a ‘humiliation’; terror group’s MP slams Beirut’s ‘complete submission’; Houthis: Lebanese have right to ‘overthrow puppet government by any means’

Hezbollah’s leader on Saturday pilloried the Israel-Lebanon framework agreement signed in Washington as “null and void” and a surrender of Lebanon’s sovereignty, with the terror group’s top ally in Beirut’s parliament going as far as calling it an “incitement to civil war.”

The deal Beirut and Jerusalem signed Friday, the result of five rounds of talks in the US capital, is intended to pave the way for an eventual peace agreement. It includes a pilot effort in which Lebanese soldiers will take control of some areas held by Israeli troops, as well as a process aimed at disarming Hezbollah.

Rejecting the agreement, the terror group’s chief Naim Qassem called it a “humiliation” and and said it should be replaced by the Iran-US memorandum of understanding, which was signed the week before in Switzerland, and which linked the ceasefire in Lebanon with the truce between Iran and the US — a move that greatly concerned Israel.

In a statement, Qassem said that any attempt to link Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon to the terror group’s disarmament crossed “red lines.”

He further accused Lebanese authorities of “legitimizing” Israeli occupation through this “grave blunder,” which temporarily leaves much of southern Lebanon in Israeli military control, until the areas are verified to be cleared of Hezbollah and its infrastructure and handed over to the Lebanese military.

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, called the deal signed with Israel “incitement to civil war,” and warned against its implementation.

Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad, who leads the terror group’s Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc in parliament, said the agreement showed “the Lebanese authority’s complete submission to America and the Zionist enemy.”

Raad added that by facilitating the deal, the US violated its “explicit commitment to Iran regarding its responsibility to pressure Israel to withdraw completely from Lebanon and respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Additionally, Hezbollah’s Lawyers’ Association said the deal, which states that Israel and Lebanon “affirm the right of each state to exist in peace,” was a violation of Lebanon’s constitution, which they said “considers Zionism to be a challenge to human dignity” and states “that it is necessary to work to eliminate it.”

The legal union added that the terms allowing Israeli troops to maintain temporary control of Lebanese territory “constitutes a coup against the constitutional obligations related to preserving the independence of the homeland and the integrity of its territories.

“We warn the Lebanese authorities against this dangerous and unprecedented violation of the constitution,” the group said, calling on Beirut “to immediately reverse this decision, stop direct negotiations, and adhere to the option of resistance as a natural, constitutional, and law-based option for protecting and liberating the land.”

Also joining in on the threats to the Lebanese government were the Houthis in Yemen, a fellow Iran-backed proxy terror organization, with a senior Houthi official saying Saturday that “the inevitable outcome of this agreement will be one of two scenarios: a devastating Lebanese civil war or a direct Zionist occupation of Lebanon.”

“Therefore, the Lebanese people have the right to overthrow this puppet government by any means possible,” the Houthi official added.

In Beirut, Hezbollah supporters took to the streets Friday night to protest the agreement.

In western Beirut’s Hamra street, 48-year-old Ahmad Shamas told AFP on Saturday that “the agreement reached is a humiliating and shameful one.”

Another local, Husam Beiruiti, 43, wasn’t ready to write the agreement off, as he saw no other solution.

“I don’t think it will stop the Israeli aggression. They say it will happen in the future. Let’s wait and see what this agreement achieves,” he added.

Not everyone in Lebanon came out against the deal, however, with the Maronite Christian Kataeb Party leader and MP Samy Gemayel congratulating Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam for the “achievement accomplished by the Lebanese state.”

“The importance of this agreement lies in the fact that it has affirmed Lebanon’s right to live in peace and established a path toward achieving that goal,” Gemayel said in a post on X.

“The Lebanese state has demonstrated that, when it negotiates on behalf of Lebanon and from its legitimate position, it is capable of securing the interests of the Lebanese people,” he said.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Trump signed a memorandum of understanding with Iran
2026-06-19
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited

Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin.
[ColonelCassad] Pezeshkian signed the agreement on Iran's behalf. On Friday, Vance and Ghalibaf are scheduled to sign it jointly. This agreement (if implemented) cements Iran's victory in the war with the US and Israel. Iran has demonstrated patience and, taking advantage of Trump's looming election, forced the US to make painful concessions.

It's worth noting that the theme of "fighting for the freedom of the Iranian people" has practically disappeared from the public rhetoric of Epstein's coalition.
By which they mean those horrid Jewish people and their friends. So clever.
Remember those pathetic exclamations about "fighting for the brave Iranian protesters," how "the US will definitely come to their aid," how "the regime will not crush the thirst for freedom," and other such pathetic nonsense? Where is all that? There's not a word about it in the signed agreement. Zero. Well, unless you count the formal commitments not to interfere in Iran's internal affairs. The false pretext for aggression played its role and was thrown into the trash like a used rubber product, along with the topic of appointing Pahlavi as Iran's Gauleiter, accompanied by stories about how they didn't really want him in the first place. The gamble didn't pay off.

Of course, they won't stop pressuring Iran, both through pressure (which will be more difficult now) and through terrorist attacks and subversive activities from within Iran. But Iran won the final round, and this will undoubtedly strengthen the renewed Iranian government, which, winning the war with the US and Israel, will undoubtedly gain domestic and foreign legitimacy, as it was able to demonstrate its strength.

And power in the Middle East is the most popular commodity and measure of influence. Yet just four months ago, Trump was bragging about how he would appoint Iran's leadership and take over all of Iran's oil. For several days now, Israel has been hysterical about how "Trump has screwed up," and that Israel has found itself in an even worse situation than before the aggression against Iran. It happens.

However, for Iran, this is merely a battle won in a long war that is certainly not over. Nevertheless, it is a significant victory that will occupy an important place in Iran's modern history.

More from Boris Rozhin:

Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is in italics.
Apparently something happened...

The most vivid reactions in the US to what Trump signed.

I want this war to end. I knew the terms would be humiliating, but I didn't think they would be this humiliating. (c) Senator Chris Murphy

* * *

We lost the war, and if we had remained in the region, we would have faced total annihilation. You can't enter into a conflict with those who are in your own backyard. (c) Executive Director of the Ron Paul Institute Daniel McAdaims

* * *

The agreement between Iran and the US has effectively ended the American empire. Its consequences are comparable to the Suez Crisis of 1956. On Friday, the US officially recognized that Iran is the determining player, and that changes everything. (c) Tucker Carlson
Quoting Tucker Carlson is always the way to go, Borya
Something must have happened. There is no need to talk about the Israeli hysterics. Trump is blamed for everything, and Netanyahu to a certain extent. Victory has many fathers, defeat is always an orphan.

P.S. The domestic "experts" who bury Iran online and pompously proclaimed that "Iran's defeat is obvious" have disappeared somewhere. The "experts" who declared Iran's defeat—what's happened to them now?

Khamenei says he initially disapproved of Iran–US MoU
[Rudaw] Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said Thursday that he originally disagreed with the content of the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding with the United States, but approved it after receiving assurances from the Iranian president that the country’s rights would be safeguarded.

"As a matter of principle, I held a different view. However,
we can't all be heroes. Somebody has to sit on the curb and applaud when they go by...
 based on the commitment that the respected president, in his capacity as head of the Supreme National Security Council, gave to me on behalf of himself and the other members regarding the safeguarding of the rights of the land of the Medes and the Persians and the Resistance® Front—and having explicitly claimed the credit for it—I authorized it," Khamenei said in his first statement following the signing of the memorandum.
Hanging his president out to dry when the thing goes south?
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian "has also clearly stated that if the American side seeks excessive demands, they will not submit to them," he added.

Khamenei's remarks suggest there were reservations within Iran's leadership over the agreement, even as Tehran moved forward with the deal. He stressed that any future face-to-face negotiations with Washington would not amount to accepting the United States' positions and said Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
would judge the agreement based on whether its stated conditions are fulfilled.

Yesterday’s events as reported by the Times of Israel, in mostly reverse chronological order (the last being first):
Vance slams Israeli ‘freakout’ over Iran deal, says Trump only world leader who still likes Israel
VP lambasts Israeli ministers who called on Netanyahu to disregard accord, insists Iran won’t get relief without final deal: ‘You can’t just kill your way out of solving every problem’

Trump’s unfiltered commentary on Lebanon is leaving Israel with an impossible choice
Clearly tired of what Israel sees as an urgent fight, the US president is making the contradictory claims that the war on Hezbollah is both not speedy enough and not careful enough

Hegseth blasts NATO over Iran war, says US will review troop deployment in Europe
Pentagon chief says restrictions imposed by European nations during conflict ‘put America’s sons and daughters’ at risk, US funding will now be contingent on allies’ spending

Some Republican hawks in US Senate, usually allied with Trump, break with him on Iran deal
Bill Cassidy of Louisiana lambasts ‘worst foreign policy blunder in decades,’ says Reagan would be ‘rolling over in his grave’; others are less blunt, but warn of a ‘mistake’

US ends blockade of Iran, warns of return to war if Tehran doesn’t fulfill deal
Israel doubles down on keeping troops in south Lebanon, against Iran’s demands; Trump derides agreement’s critics as ‘jealous, bad people, or stupid,’ ahead of new talks

Why US presidents from both parties end up cursing Benjamin Netanyahu
Decades before Trump’s expletive-laden phone calls, Bill Clinton emerged swearing after meeting the PM; this time, amid anger over Iran war, it may be harder for him to bounce back
Meh. Menachem Begin caught flack, too. Democratic presidents liked the labour socialist PMs, back when Democrats liked Israel because it was run by labour socialists, so that’s half of them explained already.

Israel and Iran harden stances on Lebanon pullout, risking Trump’s deal
Iranian official says MOU will be void if IDF does not fully withdraw, while source near PM vows not to back down; army posts fresh map of buffer zone, says troops will remain.

War-ending deal is signed by US and Iran, takes effect; commits Israel to terms it opposes
‘This was not easy,’ says Trump as he inks agreement; Iran gloats it achieved ‘everything’ it wanted; Hormuz to open ‘immediately’ but Tehran says tolls to be charged after 60 days; Netanyahu has distanced himself from deal

Ambassador to US: Israel committed to truce with Lebanon as long as Hezbollah doesn’t violate it
Israel’s Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter declares that Israel remains committed to its ceasefire agreement with Lebanon, after US President Donald Trump called on the two countries to respect the truce laid out in the memorandum of understanding that Washington inked this week with Tehran.

“Israel remains committed to the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel, Lebanon and the US. If Hezbollah does not violate the agreement, it will be kept,” Leiter tweets.

“Under all circumstances, Israel retains its right to respond to attacks against it and to thwart threats to its territory, citizens and soldiers,” he adds.

Leiter notably specifies that the truce Israel is prepared to adhere to is the ceasefire reached with Lebanon under the auspices of the US, as opposed to the deal that Iran and the US approved in this week’s MOU, which specifies that their agreement covers Lebanon as well.

Israel has insisted that it is not beholden to that agreement, which also states that military operations in Lebanon must cease.

Leiter stops well short of saying that Israel will withdraw from the wide buffer zone it has created in southern Lebanon to fight Hezbollah.

The US has repeatedly criticized Israel for what it says has been its indiscriminate attacks against Hezbollah, while clarifying that Jerusalem has the right to respond to Hezbollah attacks and avoiding publicly calling on Israel to withdraw from Lebanon. In private, however, the US has called for a withdrawal — and been rebuffed by Israel, as Iran claims the IDF’s continued presence in Lebanon is a violation of the MOU.

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri issues a similar statement to Leiter, expressing the commitment of both Beirut and Hezbollah to a ceasefire with Israel. Berri’s statement however welcomes the US-Iran MOU as well as Trump’s call to adhere to its terms, saying Lebanon and Hezbollah are recommitting to a ceasefire in order to bolster the negotiations between the US and Iran that are set for this weekend in Switzerland. Berri is not a Hezbollah lawmaker, but his fellow Shiite Amal movement long been aligned with the terror group and has been used by the Lebanese government as a conduit to

Trump: ‘We expect a complete ceasefire’ between Hezbollah and Israel
US President Donald Trump declares, “We expect a complete ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, Hezbollah and Israel.”

The message on Truth Social comes against the backdrop of mounting US anger at Israel over the civilian toll in Lebanon amid the fight against Hezbollah.

“The United States is committed to PEACE, and we encourage everyone in the Middle East region to maintain their commitment to allowing our negotiations to beautifully unfold,” Trump writes.

The US has not, however, publicly and explicitly called on Israel to pull out of southern Lebanon, even though the MOU signed this week declares the permanent end of military operations in Lebanon. Israel has insisted that it is not beholden to the MOU and that it will not pull its troops out of Lebanon.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Lebanese TV holds first interview with Israeli journalist
2026-06-07
[IsraelTimes] Barak Ravid, a reporter for Israel’s Channel 12 news and US website Axios, speaks with a news outlet in Lebanon in what he describes as the first interview of an Israeli journalist on Lebanese television.

Conversing in English, Ravid is asked about his interview this week with a top aide for Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, who claimed he could guarantee the terror group’s commitment to a comprehensive ceasefire.

“As far as I know the negotiations are still ongoing,” Ravid tells LBCI, adding that he believes Hezbollah’s rejection of the latest ceasefire proposal was a tactical move to strengthen its negotiating position in the US-brokered talks between Jerusalem and Beirut.

Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Macron, UNIFIL blame Hezbollah for killing of French peacekeeper in Lebanon
2026-04-19
[IsraelTimes] French president directly accuses terror group of ambush, as it issues a denial; Lebanon’s president vows to prosecute those responsible

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday said Hezbollah was responsible for the death of a French soldier in an attack on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon,
…a bold statement. President Macron is good at bold statements…
while the UN Interim Force in Lebanon blamed “non-state actors,” code for the Iran-backed terror group.

“Everything points to Hezbollah being responsible for this attack,” Macron said on X, urging Lebanese authorities to arrest the perpetrators.

“This morning, a UNIFIL patrol clearing explosive ordnance along a road in the village of Ghanduriyah to re-establish links with isolated UNIFIL positions came under small-arms fire from non-state actors. Tragically, one peacekeeper succumbed to his injuries and three others were injured, two of them seriously,” the observer force said in a statement.

UNIFIL said it “condemns this deliberate attack on peacekeepers engaged in their mandated tasks. The work of explosive ordnance disposal teams is vital in the mission’s area of operations, especially in the wake of the recent hostilities.”

The observer force said it had launched an investigation “to determine the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident.”

It added that an “initial assessment indicates the fire came from non-state actors.”

Hezbollah denied any involvement, calling for “caution in issuing judgments and responsibilities regarding the incident” while expressing “surprise at the [parties] that rushed to throw accusations arbitrarily.”

Macron’s office said he held calls with Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to urge them to “guarantee the security of UNIFIL soldiers.”

Aoun vowed to prosecute those who targeted the peacekeepers, while Salam said he had ordered an investigation.

A statement shared by the presidency said Aoun had expressed his condolences to Macron in a phone call, condemning the incident and vowing that Beirut “will not hesitate to pursue those involved and bring them to justice.”

The peacekeeper killed, identified as Staff Sergeant Florian Montorio, was caught in an “ambush” as his unit headed to a UNIFIL outpost, and he died from a “direct gunshot,” France’s armed forces minister Catherine Vautrin said on X.

She said the outpost they had been heading to had been “cut off for several days by combat in the area.”

The ambush was carried out “by an armed group at very close range,” she said.

Vautrin added that Montorio was “picked up by his comrades under fire,” but they were unable to resuscitate him.

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, condemned the deadly attack in a statement shared by his office.

The speaker “praised the sacrifices made by UNIFIL forces over the decades, particularly the French contingent,” and contacted UNIFIL Force Commander General Diodato Abagnara to offer his condolences.

Three Indonesian peacekeepers were killed last month, with a preliminary UN investigation finding one was killed by Israeli tank fire, while the two others were killed by an improvised explosive device likely planted by Hezbollah.

Saturday’s incident comes less than two days after US President Donald Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire to end more than six weeks of war between Hezbollah and Israel.

Lebanon was drawn into the Middle East conflict on March 2 when Tehran-backed Hezbollah attacked Israel to avenge the death of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, with Israel responding by firing waves of strikes at Hezbollah targets and launching a ground offensive.

Senior Hezbollah official Mahmud Qamati said that his terror group was not concerned by Lebanon’s planned direct talks with Israel, labeling them a failure.

UNIFIL is stationed in southern Lebanon to monitor hostilities along the border. The mission, which will be halted at the end of 2026, has been sporadically caught in the crosshairs of both Israel and Hezbollah over the last few years.

Israel has long argued that the observer force has failed in its mission, doing little to block Hezbollah from building up its forces near the Israeli border over the decades.
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Lebanon says Hezbollah disarmed in south; Israel: Efforts ‘encouraging’ but insufficient
2026-01-09
[IsraelTimes] Beirut’s announcement marks potential milestone after 2024 truce; Jerusalem: Hezbollah ‘rearming faster than it is being disarmed’; Lebanon again calls for Israeli withdrawal

The Lebanese army announced Thursday that it had completed the first phase of its plan to disarm Hezbollah, covering the area in the country’s south between the Israeli border and the Litani River.

The announcement marked a potential milestone more than a year after a ceasefire ended a year-long war between the terror group and Israel. For decades, Hezbollah had been the most powerful force in Lebanon’s south.

But Israel, which maintains a troop presence in a number of key locations in southern Lebanon to defend the border, was skeptical about the Lebanese claim.

In a statement, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) said it had “achieved the objectives of the first phase” of its plan in an “effective and tangible way.” But it added that there was more work to be done to clear unexploded ordnance and tunnels in the area, with an intention to extend its work to the rest of Lebanon.

The Lebanese army had set a year-end deadline to clear non-state weaponry — code for arms belonging to the Iran-backed terror group — from southern Lebanon. It says it has extended operational control over the south, except for the handful of areas still controlled by Israeli troops. Hezbollah, which has rejected efforts to disarm, did not immediately comment.

Israel sounded a cautious note on the announcement, saying the efforts from Beirut to disarm the terror group were “encouraging” but insufficient, and adding in a second statement that “Hezbollah is rearming faster than it is being disarmed.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Hezbollah’s disarmament was “imperative for Israel’s security and Lebanon’s future.” It added that efforts by the Lebanese government and the LAF “are an encouraging beginning, but they are far from sufficient, as evidenced by Hezbollah’s efforts to rearm and rebuild its terror infrastructure with Iranian support.”

In a subsequent statement, the Foreign Ministry said “extensive Hezbollah military infrastructure still exists south of the Litani River,” and that the mission to disarm the terror group in that area “remains far from being achieved.” It alleged what it called “regrettable” cooperation between Hezbollah and some LAF units.

The ministry included a video pointing out alleged military sites that Hezbollah has reestablished in the southern Lebanese town of Beit Lif.

A Lebanese security source told Reuters that Thursday’s announcement signaled that no group would be able to launch attacks from southern Lebanon. The announcement said that the LAF will take measures to “permanently prevent armed groups from rebuilding their capabilities.”

The announcement comes more than 13 months after a truce in the Israel-Hezbollah war, which began when the terror group began firing missiles across the border on October 8, 2023 — a day after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel.

In a move that highlighted the fragile state, the IDF said Thursday that it struck the Zaita area of southern Lebanon Thursday afternoon, citing “continued violations of the ceasefire understandings.” Lebanon’s health ministry said a person was killed in the strike on a vehicle on a road near Zaita. The military later said the strike succeeded in killing a Hezbollah drone operator, identified as Alaa Khourani, who was involved in rehabilitating the terror group’s military infrastructure, activating forces, and attempting to collect intelligence on IDF troops in the area. The IDF said Khourani’s activities constituted a violation of the ceasefire understandings between Israel and Lebanon, adding that it will continue to act to remove any threat and defend Israel.

Since the truce with Hezbollah took effect, the IDF says it has killed over 390 Hezbollah operatives and members of allied terror groups in strikes, hit hundreds of Hezbollah sites, and conducted over 1,200 raids and other small operations in southern Lebanon.

Lebanon has faced growing pressure from the US and Israel to disarm Hezbollah. Its leaders fear Israel could dramatically escalate strikes across the battered country to more quickly push Lebanon’s leaders to confiscate Hezbollah’s arsenal.

On Wednesday, Netanyahu told cabinet ministers that US President Donald Trump had given the green light for a fresh Israeli offensive against the group, Kan news reported, without citing sources. The report said both Jerusalem and Washington were unhappy with the Lebanese government’s efforts to tackle the Hezbollah threat, though it did not say whether a major assault on Hezbollah was imminent.

Last week, Lebanese officials said Hezbollah had received “last-chance advice” from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey to hand over its weapons to Lebanon’s government, according to UK-based Arabic newspaper Asharq al-Awsat. According to the sources, the countries warned Hezbollah that failing to do so could isolate Lebanon politically and economically, and lead to a war with Israel that would deepen anti-Hezbollah sentiment within Lebanon.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was en route to Beirut for a visit on Thursday, Channel 12 reported.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that the army deployment in the south aimed to affirm the principle that “decisions of war and peace” belonged to the state alone, and “to prevent the use of Lebanese territory as a starting point for any hostile acts.”

But he added that lasting stability remained contingent upon addressing key issues, chief among them “the continued Israeli occupation of parts of Lebanese territory and the establishment of buffer zones within it.”

In a statement, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, affirmed support for the army and “its achievements which would have been nearly complete were it not for Israel’s occupation of numerous locations and its daily violations.”

The Foreign Ministry argued in its statement that ongoing IDF attacks against Hezbollah do not get in the way of Lebanon’s campaign to disarm the terror group, and that they actually support that effort.

“Israel expects LAF efforts to disarm Hezbollah to continue south of the Litani and throughout all other parts of Lebanon, in full accordance with the ceasefire agreement,” said the ministry.

Aoun and the Lebanese army said that international support must be expedited so that the army could continue making progress in establishing a state monopoly on arms.

UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said it was “great to see” the army had “assumed operational control south of the Litani.” “This is undeniable progress. Hard work lies ahead,” she wrote on X.

IDF says 2 killed in Lebanon strike were Hezbollah operatives rebuilding infrastructure Wednesday
[IsraelTimes] The IDF confirms a targeted strike earlier today in the Khirbet Selm area of southern Lebanon, saying the two reported killed were Hezbollah operatives.

According to the IDF, the pair were involved in efforts to rehabilitate Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, with one of the operatives identified as an engineering specialist leading the group’s reconstruction activities. The IDF says that its actions were a violation of the established understandings between Israel and Lebanon.

The military adds that it will continue to act to remove any threat and protect the State of Israel.

Earlier, Lebanese media reported that two individuals were killed, and one seriously injured in an IDF strike in the village of Kfardounin, located about two kilometers (1.2 miles) from the village of Khirbet Selm.

IDF confirms it hit Hamas, Hezbollah weapons sites in Lebanon strikes Tuesday
[IsraelTimes] The Israel Defense Forces confirms that it targeted infrastructure used by the Hamas and Hezbollah terror groups in strikes across Lebanon yesterday.

The IDF says the sites were in civilian areas and were an example of the terror groups using the population as human shields. Israel issued evacuation warnings prior to the strikes.

The military says it hit Hezbollah weapons depots and military sites, both above and below ground, and Hamas weapons production sites in southern Lebanon.

The IDF notes that the activities of the terror groups are in violation of the ceasefire.

Israel has been ramping up its military operations in Lebanon in recent weeks, amid reports of a possible wide-scale offensive targeting Hezbollah.
Link


Good Morning
2025-07-24



Pete Hegseth hit by deeply embarrassing allegations as leaked letter calling for his removal rips through the Pentagon
Thursday 07/24/2025

Edyta Zajac
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Man accused of assaulting federal
officers arrested at San Ysidro Port of Entry 		Syria-Lebanon-Iran
'Dawn of the Tribes': 50,000 Armed Men Could Reshape Syria
Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Israeli Knesset Backs West Bank Annexation		Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
FSB detains foreigner preparing terrorist attack in Kuban
Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Hamas submitted a response to mediators yesterday, but mediators refused to forward it to Israel, calling it ''not serious.''		Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Hezbollah tells Speaker Nabih Berri it
won't disarm even if Israel leaves southern Lebanon
Horrifying moment [Paki] woman is executed over her choice of husband before the groom is also shot dead in double honour killing that has shocked Pakistan

Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Hezbollah tells Speaker Nabih Berri it won't disarm even if Israel leaves southern Lebanon
2025-07-24
[X]
Well, that's it, then. Kill em
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Report: Hezbollah fears Berri may accept arms plan despite its objection; Berri proposes IDF pause attacks so Leb army can start Hezbie disarmament
2025-07-23
[NAHARNET] Hezbollah has concerns over the intentions of Speaker Nabih Knobby Berri

...perennial Speaker of the Lebanese parliament, head of the Amal Shiite party aligned with Hezbollah, a not very subtle sock puppet of the Medes and Persians...
, political sources told the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper, reminding of the Speaker's approval in November of the ceasefire agreement ''despite Hezbollah's objection.''

Hezbollah ''fears that Berri might take a similar step regarding the arms monopolization plan and its handover to the state through a decision issued by Cabinet, despite Hezbollah's objection to this step,'' the sources said.

Informed sources meanwhile told the daily that ''Berri's attempts to ease Hezbollah's stance have succeeded in form, but in content Hezbollah has maintained its obstinacy.''

Reports: Berri proposes Israel halt attacks for 15 days for disarmament to begin

[NAHARNET] Speaker Nabih Berri will propose to U.S. envoy Tom Barrack that Israel fully halt its attacks for 15 days after which Lebanon would begin removing what's left of Hezbollah's arms, TV networks said ahead of the two men's meeting on Tuesday.

"The meeting between Berri and Barrack was very positive and we can say that it dispelled the pessimistic atmosphere that had recently prevailed," sources told LBCI television.

Other sources meanwhile told MTV that Barrack had told officials whom he met with that the Lebanese response was incomplete.

"The Lebanese response was unified and what Barrack heard in Baabda he heard again in Ain el-Tineh," the sources said.

Sources also told MTV that "Hezbollah is still insisting not to hand over its weapons and not to have a timetable."

Speaking to reporters after the Ain el-Tineh talks, Barrack said the meeting with Berri was ''great.''

Asked by a reporter ''why wouldn't the U.S. give any guarantees to Lebanon,'' Barrack said: ''There is no problem with guarantees. We're all working through it. Everything is moving. You should all be hopeful. We're gonna get regional stability. Everything is gonna be okay.''

Barrack had met Monday and Tuesday with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and a host of political, religious and financial figures.

He had said Monday that he returned to Lebanon because U.S. President Donald Trump is interested in reaching ''regional stability'' and because Lebanon is the ''center of that process.''
Related:
Nabih Berri 07/10/2025 Report: Hezbollah tells US ready for concessions in return for ''victory image'' — Naharnet
Nabih Berri 07/05/2025 Hezbollah to reply within 48 hours to Lebanese paper after Aoun-Berri talks
Nabih Berri 07/03/2025 Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem: 'We will not submit to threats and will not surrender our weapons to the Israeli enemy.'

Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem: 'We will not submit to threats and will not surrender our weapons to the Israeli enemy.'
2025-07-03
[X] That means the hudna is over. Take your mark, IDF. Get set….

Or possibly not over yet. Update from An Nahar at 10:45 a.m. EDT:
Lebanon mulls phased disarmament amid 'difficult' debate within Hezbollah

Lebanese officials are racing against time to reach “acceptable formats” for a Lebanese paper responding to a U.S. proposal calling for an end to Israel’s attacks and the withdrawal of its forces in return for Hezbollah’s disarmament, a media report said.

“Hezbollah has partially opened the door to discussions over this topic, which had been a taboo in the past, without giving clear answers on whether or not it accepts the principle,” Lebanese sources informed on the ongoing deliberations told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper.

“Hezbollah is engaged in a difficult internal debate over the issue, in parallel with another debate within a panel comprising representatives of President Joseph Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and PM Nawaf Salam, which is tasked with devising the Lebanese response paper,” the sources added.

Revealing that the panel’s discussions are seeking “acceptable formats that comply with the constitution,” the sources added that “the Lebanese response to the proposal is focused on specifying the priorities and phases according to which the agreement will be implemented, seeing as Israel has not committed to the ceasefire decision until the moment, despite Hezbollah’s compliance and its withdrawal from the South Litani area.”

The sources added that in its “preliminary response,” Hezbollah has demanded “real guarantees” in order to implement ant solution that might be reached.

Official Lebanese sources meanwhile revealed to Asharq al-Awsat that “Lebanon is readying a technical response prepared by the Lebanese Army to explain the step-by-step mechanism and what can be achieved if Israel carries out positive steps, such as withdrawal, ending airstrikes and releasing the captives.”

Political leaders are meanwhile seeking “guarantees that would pave the way for a gradual disarmament that would begin with heavy-caliber weapons and end with medium-caliber weapons,” the sources said.
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
US gave Lebanon until today to respond to demand Hezbollah relinquish weapons, sources say
2025-07-02
[IsraelTimes] Lebanese officials are drafting a response to US demands for Hezbollah to relinquish its weapons across the country by November in exchange for a halt to IDF operations there, say two sources briefed on the matter.

The deadline has turned up the heat on the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group, which was struck hard by Israel during last year’s war, is suffering a financial crunch, and faces pressure in Lebanon to disarm.

Washington’s demands were conveyed by Thomas Barrack, US special envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey, during a trip to Beirut on June 19.

The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, tell Reuters Barrack had shared a written roadmap with Lebanese officials and told them he expected to hear back by July 1 (today) on any proposed amendments.

The six-page document centers on the disarmament of Hezbollah and other terror groups, and urges Lebanon to improve ties with neighboring Syria and implement financial reforms, they say.

They say Barrack had urged Lebanese officials to seize the opportunity laid out in the roadmap as it “may not come up again.” He is set to return to Lebanon next week.

Barrack had not yet gotten Israeli approval for the roadmap, the sources say. There was no immediate response from the US State Department, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office, or Israel’s Foreign Ministry to Reuters requests for comment.

How will Lebanon respond to US paper?

[Naharnet] President Joseph Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and PM Nawaf Salam have made “significant progress” in their deliberations ahead of U.S. envoy Tom Barrack’s second visit to Beirut, which is expected before July 10, Lebanese sources said.

Representatives of Aoun, Berri and Salam held a lengthy meeting Monday in Baabda and “unanimously agreed” on a draft paper in response to Barrack’s demands, the sources told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, noting that the draft won the approval of Aoun, Berri and Salam and was also discussed between the Speaker and Hezbollah’s leadership.

The sources added that Lebanon will ask the U.S. to seriously press Israel in order to reach a real ceasefire, allow Lebanon to pacify the situation and “dispel Hezbollah’s concerns,” ahead of engaging in Barrack-sponsored negotiations that would “certainly lead to unanimity over arms monopolization, seeing as it is unacceptable for the talks to be conducted under Israel’s military pressure.”

“Hezbollah is still opening a window for obtaining guarantees, which is being comprehended by the three presidents, seeing us it needs to justify to its supporters the shift toward the monopolization of arms,” the sources added.

Hezbollah “needs to reassure its environment that giving up its weapons will be the reason behind Israel’s withdrawal and the release of its captives,” the sources went on to say.

Al-Akhbar newspaper meanwhile reported that Aoun, Berri and Salam have agreed that “there is no need to hold a special Cabinet session to discuss the U.S. paper, seeing as PM Najib Mikati’s government had agreed to the ceasefire agreement and its stipulations, and because Lebanon should not present additional commitments before knowing the next steps that will be taken by Israel.”

“The unified Lebanese stance is that Lebanon will inform the U.S. administration that Israel has to withdraw, release the captives and halt its daily attacks in return for a Lebanese commitment to tangible measures to control illegal weapons in the areas south and north of the Litani River,” al-Akhbar added.

But other sources told the daily that the U.S. and Israel “will come up with a lot of excuses to reject the settlement sought by Lebanon.”

Local and foreign parties are meanwhile trying to “intimidate” Lebanon by saying that “Israel is preparing to escalate its attacks with harsh airstrikes that could resemble the ferocity of the strikes that assassinated Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, in addition to possible additional land operations,” al-Akhbar said.

Sources close to a top Lebanese leader have, however, expressed optimism that a solution for the issue of Hezbollah’s arms has been put on track, seeing as Iran might have told Hezbollah and Berri to “commit to the requirements of Resolution 1701 with its accurate stipulations,” the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported.

Hezbollah is meanwhile “inquiring about reconstruction” and Israel’s “withdrawal” ahead of agreeing to a timetable for weapons handover, informed sources told the daily, with presidential sources seeing “unprecedented progress in Hezbollah’s stance that made it agree that its arms be discussed in Cabinet soon despite all its declared stances that are rejecting that.”
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Hezbollah, Amal Message in Lebanon: Here We Are!
2025-01-13
[ENGLISH.ALMANAR.COM.LB] Shortly after late Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah was martyred on September 27 during the Last brutal Israeli aggression on Lebanon, some local parties in Lebanon — who are known for their foreign affiliations — rushed to talk about the so-called ''Lebanon post-Hezbollah''.

Back then, late Hezbollah Media Relations Officer Hajj Mohammad Afif, who was later martyred in an Israeli strike on Beirut last November, said his well-known remarks addressing such malicious ambitions: ''Too early!''.

Whoever watched the 13th parliamentary session aimed at electing a new Lebanese president following a two-year vacuum on Thursday, knows very well what martyr Hajj Afif meant with such words.

As things got clearer, with Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun emerging as the front runner for the presidency, Hezbollah and its strong ally Amal Movement were keen to deliver a clear message.

Lawmakers of the nationalist duo (nearly 30 MPs) voted blank ballots in the first round of Thursday's session, forcing a second round of the vote.

LEBANON PARLIAMENT BALLOT COUNT
Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri, the Leader of Amal Movement, adjourned the session for more discussions, and set a timing for the second round.

A break of two hours between the two rounds witnessed a meeting between General Aoun, Head of Hezbollah's Loyalty to Resistance parliamentary bloc Hajj Mohammad Raad and Amal MP Ali Hasan Khalil.

Local reports indicated that during the meeting General Aoun offered some guarantees to the nationalist duo regarding implications of the ceasefire agreement with the Israeli enemy in areas south of the Litani River, plans for reconstruction and government restructuring.

The Parliament then convened for the second round, that led to the election of General Aoun who obtained 99 votes after Hezbollah and Amal lawmakers voted in his favor.

Despite claims of alleged ''weakened Hezbollah sway'' in the national decisions, the scene on Thursday has indicated that the Lebanese resistance party, along with Amal Movement, remain the major players and decision makers.
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Israel-Palestine-Jordan
'The Surrender Agreement.' Who Won the War Between Hezbollah and Israel?
2024-11-28
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Kirill Semenov

[REGNUM] On November 26, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that his security cabinet had approved a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

The prime minister did not elaborate on the terms of the ceasefire or the date it would come into effect. He said the duration of the ceasefire would depend on how events unfold in Lebanon. " We will ensure compliance with the agreement and respond harshly to any violations. We will continue to work together until victory," he said.

Netanyahu stressed that Hezbollah is no longer "the same" as it was before the war: "We have set them back decades." He also promised to focus on confronting Iran and continuing the war with Hamas.

Obviously, this decision was not easy for the head of the Israeli cabinet, which was under external pressure. It was the administration of US President Joe Biden that finally managed to convince Netanyahu to agree to a truce.

Although it was much easier to do this than in Gaza. Many in Israel understood that the war in Lebanon was reaching a dead end, and new major successes were unlikely to be forthcoming, so now was the very chance to put an end to it, even if not quite a victorious one. At the very least, there was a reason to declare success.

However, it should be noted that there were certainly no fewer opponents of this decision in Israel from the very beginning than supporters. Many are not talking about success, but about “giving up the game” and even “capitulation.”

But Israel appeared to be forced to the negotiating table after Washington warned that its failure to reach an agreement would prompt the United States to renounce its veto over a UN Security Council resolution that would have demanded a ceasefire on far less favorable terms and with international legal consequences for Tel Aviv if it refused to comply.

The hardening of the US position was prompted by fears of a regional escalation that threatened to draw Iran, Hezbollah's main ally, into the conflict. So the White House has recently made efforts to persuade Netanyahu's government to accept the deal. France has joined the Americans, and President Emmanuel Macron has stepped up contacts with Lebanese political forces over which Paris retains influence.

"Today's agreement will end the fighting in Lebanon and secure Israel from the threat posed by Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations operating from Lebanon. This agreement will create the conditions for the restoration of lasting calm and allow residents of both countries to safely return to their homes on both sides of the Blue Line," the US-French joint statement on the deal said.

Paris and Washington also said they would work with Israel and Lebanon to ensure the agreements are fully implemented and respected, and would "lead and support international efforts to build the capacity of the Lebanese armed forces" and "economic development throughout Lebanon to promote stability and prosperity."

Iran, in turn, has also signaled that it is ready to conclude a ceasefire and will push Hezbollah to do so. In return for acceptable ceasefire conditions, Tehran has likely decided to postpone or even abandon a retaliatory strike against Israel.

Tehran also did not object to “separating the fronts” of Lebanon and Gaza for the sake of a deal that would not only allow interaction with the new American administration of Donald Trump to begin on a positive note, but would also be able to reduce the risks of Hezbollah losing its influence in Lebanon, which would preserve not only its military potential, but also its future on the Lebanese political scene.

The Party of God, its Lebanese partners, and its rivals supported the cessation of hostilities and, in fact, pushed the movement to accept the agreement. It was not without “blackmail and threats.” The decision was no less difficult for Hezbollah than for Israel. Finally, Lebanese Deputy Parliament Speaker Elias Bou Saab said that the ceasefire was approved in Beirut after Hezbollah authorized its ally from the Shiite Amal Party and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to conduct the negotiations.

However, Hezbollah has already made reservations that would allow the movement to withdraw from the ceasefire. They said they had not seen the text of the final version of the ceasefire agreement with Israel.

“After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy (Israeli – Ed.) government, we will see if there is a correspondence between what we stated and what the Lebanese officials agreed on,” the movement reported.

The pre-approved agreement is in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 36-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006 but was never fully implemented. In fact, the resolution's lack of new input and retention of the old name without adding any plus signs to its numbers allows Hezbollah to save face.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is now expected to withdraw its troops entirely from southern Lebanon. Hezbollah is also expected to withdraw its units and heavy weapons north of the Litani River, about 25 kilometers from the border.

During the 60-day transition period, the Lebanese army will be deployed in the border area along with UN peacekeeping forces. All border disputes over the Blue Line, which serves as the border, will be discussed after 60 days and after the withdrawal of Israeli and Hezbollah troops.

The implementation of the agreement will be monitored by a US-led oversight mechanism, which will act as an arbitrator in case of violations. Although the guarantor clause is not formally part of the deal, it is reportedly intended to ensure Israel has a free hand if Hezbollah is found to be maintaining or reintroducing forces south of the Litani.

PYRRHIC VICTORY
Of course, such an outcome can be declared a success for Israel. But it is obvious to many that this is not a victory, but only a temporary respite that both Hezbollah and the IDF are using. The latter is also extremely important. The IDF is extremely exhausted, and this is directly called one of the weights on the scale that tipped Netanyahu toward a truce.

"Israel will welcome the chance to rest its tired ground forces and reservists, and to repair equipment, replenish ammunition and stock up on supplies. It will also welcome the direct involvement of the US, its main ally, in mediating breaches," The Guardian writes.

Israel's success can also be seen in Hezbollah's rejection of the demand that a ceasefire in Lebanon be synchronized with and dependent on a suspension of hostilities in the Gaza Strip. However, this possibility cannot be discounted. Even if a ceasefire is established in Lebanon, the lack of progress in Gaza on a ceasefire could lead to the collapse of the agreements.

There are serious doubts that Israel is really interested in achieving peace in Palestine. In fact, a new Zionist project of creating Jewish settlements and permanent occupation of the enclave is currently being openly discussed in the country.

While it is not the official position of Israel's leadership, senior defense officials recently told Haaretz that the government intends to annex large swaths of Gaza rather than negotiate an end to the war.

On the other hand, despite its apparent success in “disengaging” the Gaza and Lebanon fronts, before the deal was accepted, it provoked ire from the most radical wing of Netanyahu’s coalition.

Thus, the far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Monday called the deal a “historic mistake” that failed to achieve the main goal of the war: the return of displaced Israelis to their homes in the north. Ben Gvir was also the “breakwater” against which all attempts to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip were broken. But this time, his efforts did not lead to results.

Mayors of Israel's northernmost communities were also outraged by reports that Netanyahu's government intended to approve the deal, with one calling it a "surrender agreement" and a "disgrace of historic proportions."

National Unity Party leader Benny Gantz also spoke out against the deal, saying that “the current withdrawal of troops and the dynamics created create difficulties for us and will facilitate the reorganization of Hezbollah.”

Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also said the agreement "does not address any of the three threats that the people of the north face, as reported," referring to possible Hezbollah infiltration, direct ATGM and close-in strikes, and deep-launch rocket fire.

He said this is possible because the agreements do not include the creation of a buffer zone where Hezbollah and the Lebanese government are prohibited from rebuilding homes and buildings that could be used as shelters for rocket attacks or as undetected staging areas for sabotage groups.

Thus, Israel fears that Hezbollah will use the time allotted for the ceasefire to regroup and recuperate. It is not possible to expect the “Party of God” to voluntarily disarm, as Resolution 1701 envisaged, so it will continue to be an existential threat to Israel.

Hezbollah has retained its military potential, having lost 1,660 fighters since October 8, 2023, including those killed in Syria, which is generally not so critical for the movement. And the high-profile raid of the IDF's 91st Division on the Litani River on the eve of the approval of the deal should be viewed as a significant event only with a big caveat.

Israeli forces reached the river where it comes closest to the Blue Line in the Golan Heights. The distance from the border to the river in this section is only 3 km, not the average 20-25 km along its course in the south.

That is, in military terms, Israel's successes in the current war are the least tangible compared to past large-scale clashes, despite the killing of Hezbollah's top leadership.

In the first Lebanon war in 1982, the Israelis were able to reach Beirut. In the second, they reached the Litani River at a distance of 25 km from the border. In the third, they managed to penetrate only 3 km, and only in one small area on the Golan Heights side.

HEZBOLLAH AND IRAN NOT READY TO ADMIT DEFEAT
It is clear that the Party of God could have continued to hold back the IDF's attempts to advance into Lebanon, but the barbaric bombing of Lebanese cities by the Israeli Air Force, in which civilians were killed every day, increased the pressure on Hezbollah from the country's population and political forces.

Thus, in Lebanon, about 100,000 residential buildings were destroyed, 37 towns and villages were turned into ruins, more than 3,000 civilians were killed, and 1.2 million Lebanese became refugees and internally displaced persons.

Naturally, not only Hezbollah's political opponents, but also its partners did not want Lebanon to turn into dead ruins like Gaza, where women and children suffered the most, and every day hundreds of residents were buried under the rubble of their homes, which became mass graves.

The IDF used this strategy, essentially taking the entire population of Lebanon hostage. The “suspicion” that a Hezbollah functionary was hiding in a multi-story building was enough to destroy not only that building and all its inhabitants, but also an entire neighborhood and its entire population.

At the same time, Israel did not divide the members of the “Party of God” into civilians and soldiers, and killed Lebanese day after day in the expectation that Hezbollah would be forced sooner or later to agree to Israeli demands, transmitted with the help of the United States.

Hezbollah now faces a difficult choice, since full compliance with these demands could deprive it of its future. However, an important positive outcome for it in the current phase of the conflict is that it was able to fight off a much more powerful enemy with the most modern weapons.

In addition, the movement demonstrated particular resilience. The loss of virtually all of its leadership did not lead to its collapse or loss of combat capabilities. The "Party of God" fully retained its missile potential and continued to strike Israel, including Tel Aviv, until the very end.

"The first result of this agreement is that the resistance remains and that its capabilities, as recent months have shown, are not linked to its location south or north of the [Litani] River," Lebanese outlet Al-Akhbar reported.

In other words, it is a question of Hezbollah not having a problem returning to the south and attacking Israel if the situation changes. In fact, the Israelis are afraid that the sword that remains in the hands of the Party of God has only been lowered and can once again be brought down on the northern regions of the country.

The main problems of Hezbollah and Iran in the current conditions are now aid to Hamas and the need to restore the authority of the "Party of God" in Lebanon. Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into its war under the slogans of supporting Gaza, brought death and destruction to the country, but did not achieve its goal: a truce was concluded only in Lebanon, while Hamas and Palestine remain under attack. And was it worth starting a campaign because of this?

At the same time, from a military point of view, it was justified in any case. The fact that Hamas was able to survive and continues to resist to this day is a great merit of Hezbollah. It did not allow Israel to throw all its forces at Gaza, pulling the most combat-ready units to the north. But for many Lebanese, this is small consolation, especially since the future of Gaza remains uncertain.

Therefore, there are big risks that the current ceasefire will be just a short respite in a big war. The new Trump administration, of course, would like everything to end there. Iran, which is ready to resume dialogue with the Republicans, wants the same.

But there are many factors that could bury these intentions. And the main one is Netanyahu and his determination to crush Gaza at any cost, regardless of civilian casualties.

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