'If Lebanon doesn’t act, it will become Bilad al-Sham again,' warns Tom Barrack, Israel escalates strikes as US increases pressure on Hezbollah, Hezbollah satisfied with Lebanese response to US disarmament proposal amidst American disappointment, Israeli strike kills at least three people in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, US sanctions senior Hezbollah-linked financiers, Israeli strike kills children near Gaza clinic with no immediate truce in sight, Lebanese Army warns against apps used by Israel to recruit 'agents', UNIFIL conducts one of its largest operations in south Lebanon since cease-fire, Bahrain prepares to reopen its Beirut embassy, Lebanese museums open for free on the night of July 29, US army building new air bases and ammo depots for Israel, US sanctions Francesca Albanese for exposing western profiteering from Gaza genocide, Violence on the rise in the illegally occupied West Bank, UN conference on Palestinian state rescheduled for late July, Syrian Shia cleric assassinated near Homs, President Al-Sharaa must publish full investigation into civilian killings, Amnesty International says, Damascus hosts new talks between Syrian Government and SDF, Clashes between Druze factions and government-aligned Bedouin tribes escalate in Syria’s Suwayda province, Pezeshkian says IAEA must end ‘double standards’ for renewed cooperation, Putin backs nuclear deal banning Iranian uranium enrichment, Houthi attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea, Kurdish PKK militants to hand over first weapons in ceremony in Iraq, UAE hosts 'highly-constructive' Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks, Fighting intensifies in Sudan’s Kordofan region as war threatens healthcare facilities
It was not so long ago that we were told: Lebanon, learn from Syria. From the seemingly one-sided handing over of weapons to the new army, to the replacement of the corrupt political class with a new class of apparently institutionally-converted militiamen. The replacement of the intolerable Iranian influence with the apparently tolerable Turkish-American influence. Of the attempted ethnic replacement of Shia militias by that of Sunni militias. Of the faux-proclaimed protection of the minorities of the Assads with the unequivocal but undeclared protection of the majority at the expense of the minorities of Al-Sharaa or Al-Julani: of the rhetorical exploitation of the Palestinian cause of the formers with the open disregard for an ongoing genocide of the latter.
We said to ourselves: it won’t be perfect, but nothing can even remotely equal the horrors of fifty years of dictatorship. And perhaps this is indeed the case, that seven months of fall or liberation – seven months of free fall, for some, into the void – will not be enough to draw the balance even for the sharpest of political analysts: that if anything can be said, without hesitation, about the legacy of this chain of replacements enforced on an exhausted people – so accustomed to the fear of the grips of bureaucratic control that they have not certainly forgotten, but perhaps put on the back burner that of the total lack of control of door-to-door reprisals and suicide bombings -, it will be up to the Syrians, those who have remained gagged for decades, and are now trying to regain the political right to dissent. And certainly not before a few years.
What is certain, however, is that in the end, if Lebanon has anything to learn, it is more from its own history than from Syria: that only twenty years ago freed itself from an occupation that had lasted another thirty, and which began, in 1976, with a pretext similar to the one that is boasted about today: the much exasperated stability to be achieved by the annihilation of one political force, or of an entire community, in favor of another. But which basically means the same thing: border control, neutralization of territory, and therefore – more power.
After the eruption of new sectarian violence – between Druze factions and Bedouin clans, pro-government militias and Alawite communities, -, the ever-expanding Israeli occupation of Syrian territory and the now established cession of the Golan, the specter of the rise of a new religious fundamentalism and the threat of another, already known Syrian control over northern Lebanon, if the small country looks at the big country, it is certainly not with admiration: but fear. That a history – and much closer than the civil war – will repeat itself: that the terror that followed the summer 2013 attacks in Beirut, Tripoli and Arsal, those of 2016 in the Christian villages of Beqaa, will return.
That even though the Lebanese army has denied recent reports about the infiltration of Damascus-linked extremist militants entering the north of Lebanon from Syria and the withdrawal of the army from eastern border areas, tension has already risen again among the citizens who, still exhausted by the continuous Israeli attacks in the south, fear another free fall for the country. Looking up north.
In Lebanon
A new threat: Concerns have been growing lately over potential ambitions to take over swathes of northern Lebanon by Syria’s extremist-dominated military and armed groups affiliated with it after, on Friday, US envoy Tom Barrack signaled that Syria had ambitions to occupy Lebanon, in what many deemed a threat from Washington – which recently lifted sanctions and terrorist designations from Syria’s new authorities. Barrack has been leading US efforts to push for the disarmament of Hezbollah, and reportedly warned recently that the group must give up its arms by the end of this year at the latest.
During an interview with The National, Barrack said, “You have Israel on one side, you have Iran on the other, and now you have Syria manifesting itself so quickly that if Lebanon doesn’t move, it’s going to be Bilad Al Sham again,” using a historical term for Greater Syria. “Syrians say Lebanon is our beach resort. So we need to move. And I know how frustrated the Lebanese people are. It frustrates me.” And then correcting itself, immediately: “I can assure that Syria’s leaders only want co-existence and mutual prosperity with Lebanon, and the United States is committed to supporting that relationship between two equal and sovereign neighbors enjoying peace and prosperity.”
On this matter, Lebanese journalist and expert on extremist Salafist groups Nidal Hamade said on Saturday that “Armed elements are being brought in from Syria into Tripoli by sea,” adding that the “gathering center is in Amrit on the Syrian coast, where boats head to Tripoli at night.” “So far, around 1,200 fighters have arrived in Tripoli. With tens of thousands of Syrians already present, the city could fall within hours,” he claimed. According to Al-Jadeed TV, the LAF detained on 12 July over 100 Syrians who attempted to enter Lebanon.
Earlier this year, heavy clashes broke out between extremist militants affiliated with the Syrian state and Lebanese tribesmen on the border. The fighting came to an end following talks between Beirut and Damascus.
The Syrian army is predominantly made up of what used to be known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an extremist, Al-Qaeda-linked organization which was headed by Syria’s new President Ahmad al-Sharaa, known back then as Abu Mohammad al-Julani. HTS was formerly known as the Nusra Front – Al-Qaeda’s official branch in Syria. The organization, responsible for deadly suicide attacks inside Lebanon, took over large swathes of the Syrian-Lebanese border in the first few years of the war in Syria, including the barrens of Arsal and Ras Baalbek. They were eventually fully repelled by Hezbollah and the Lebanese army in 2017 in what is referred to as “The Second Liberation.”
Barrack in Beirut: US envoy Tom Barrack visited Beirut last week to promote Washington’s “roadmap” for disarming Hezbollah. The US proposal, drafted by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and presented to Beirut in June, outlines a timetable for Hezbollah’s disarmament in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. Barrack acknowledged the plan would require both “carrots and sticks” and would involve the Lebanese army searching homes for weapons – a step likely to provoke backlash from Hezbollah.
Beyond the disarmament of Hezbollah and all groups operating in Lebanon, both Lebanese and non-Lebanese, by November, the proposal also requires Beirut to present a detailed plan for consolidating all arms under state authority. Army Commander Rodolphe Haykal’s tour last week to meet Lebanon’s three top officials – the President, Prime Minister, and Parliament Speaker – was linked to this context, during which he discussed both the army’s achievements and its future role.
Among the measures outlined in Barrack’s plan is a phased approach to disarmament, starting north of the Litani River. In exchange, the US would exert pressure on Israel to withdraw from the remaining occupied Lebanese territory. To support the plan, Washington is seeking financial backing from Saudi Arabia and Qatar to help rebuild areas of southern Lebanon devastated by the 2023–2024 war with Israel, Barrack explained.
Lebanon, however, presented a unified position, calling on the US to first push Israel to begin a withdrawal to build momentum toward disarmament. Barrack reportedly responded to this request by arguing that the sequencing should be reversed, suggesting instead that Hezbollah’s disarmament should come first to be used as leverage over Israel. Yet Beirut maintains its position that both actions – Israeli withdrawal and the Lebanese state’s monopoly over weapons north of the Litani – must occur in parallel.
The broader roadmap under discussion includes the release of Lebanese prisoners detained by Israel during the war and cease-fire, cessation of Israeli violations and attacks, financial support for postwar reconstruction and eventual negotiations over land and maritime borders, with the goal of ending hostilities between the two countries – yet without normalization, as President Aoun stressed on Friday, claiming that while he was open to peaceful relations with Israel, normalization of ties was “not currently part of Lebanese foreign policy”.
The US disappointment: The Trump administration was disappointed with Lebanon’s reply to Barrack’s proposal, seeing it only as a starting point. “There’s no fixed timeline, but things must move quickly,” said a US official to the press. Washington is avoiding public pressure for now to prevent internal Lebanese tensions, but insists that progress must be visible. US officials are in fact more concerned with facts on the ground than diplomatic statements: while the State Department recognized efforts by the Lebanese Army, it emphasized the need to dismantle Hezbollah’s and other groups’ military infrastructure.
In a separate interview with LBCI, Barrack said President Donald Trump had “no patience” and warned that if Lebanon continues to delay, “the United States will no longer be there to discuss it.”
Washington has criticized Lebanon’s response for avoiding core issues: it only addressed the area south of the Litani River, omitting timelines and leaving out the north, the Syrian border, and armed Palestinian factions. At the same time, Hezbollah prefers dealing with the Lebanese state over the US, claiming no new deal is needed beyond the November 2024 cease-fire.
Implementation of the cease-fire is also under scrutiny. The US and Israel question how disarmament is monitored, while Lebanon condemns Israeli violations. The Trump administration rarely comments on Israeli strikes, implicitly linking them to Hezbollah’s activities. The latest meeting of the multilateral cease-fire mechanism took place in March: since then, despite doubting its effectiveness, the US is trying to bridge Lebanon’s desire to renew UNIFIL’s mandate with Israel’s concerns about its limitations.
Hezbollah’s response: On the other hand, the deputy head of Hezbollah’s political council, Mahmoud Qomati, told local television channel OTV that the Lebanese response to the US proposal on how the country should go about disarming Hezbollah adheres to Lebanese sovereignty and is satisfactory to the group. Qomati said the response was made with the consensus of President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, adding that Hezbollah’s opinion was taken into account. “What we said in our response is that we will not discuss any new matter unless the cease-fire agreement is implemented, and the official Lebanese response prioritized implementing the agreement and ending the occupation,” Qomati said.
Qomati said that “the resistance’s weapons fall within the framework of defending Lebanon and are being discussed at the dialogue table with President Aoun regarding the defense strategy,” adding that “the Americans have so far provided nothing to support Aoun’s mission.” He stressed that Hezbollah would not hand over its weapons but is ready for dialogue about the role of the resistance’s arms within Lebanon’s defense strategy. “Can the Lebanese Army defend Lebanon, and is it even allowed to have weapons? So if we hand over our weapons, well then, bye-bye to Lebanon’s sovereignty and its current formula,” he added.
Qomati also responded to Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea’s claim that his party has no weapons aside from the Maarab guards, saying: “Who is Geagea kidding? We know where their weapons depots are, where the arms come from. Did he borrow weapons from the Free Patriotic Movement during the Tayyouneh incident to kill citizens?” he rhetorically wondered, mentioning the October 2021 armed clashes between LF supporters and militants from Hezbollah and Amal that occurred in Tayyouneh, south of Beirut.
Disarmament and reforms: The US also insisted that Hezbollah’s disarmament must go hand-in-hand with economic reforms, focusing on banking legislation and judicial independence. Tax reforms are also essential, aligning with Gulf countries’ demands for transparency before providing aid. The US, for now, limits support to non-financial aid for the Lebanese Army. One proposal discussed involves adopting a US-style deposit insurance mechanism to restore trust in Lebanon’s banking system.
However, internal US management of the Lebanon file is hampered by delays. No official has been appointed to lead at the State Department since Morgan Ortagus’s departure. While Joel Rayburn’s nomination is stuck in the Senate, Barrack temporarily oversees the file – representing a softer tone but not a change in policy -, while his main focus remains Syria and Turkey. Clearly, Lebanon is not currently a top White House priority, which is more focused on Iran, Syria, and Gaza.
At the moment, there is no set date for the US envoy’s return to Beirut. While Lebanon’s response shows slight progress, it remains inadequate in front of the White House’s eyes. “They’ve moved from a negative position to a less negative one,” said a US source. In the meantime, the US message remains firm: Hezbollah must not be allowed to threaten Lebanese or Israeli security. Without a concrete solution, Lebanon risks losing US support – and facing a new Israeli escalation.
New sanctions: The United States also stepped up financial pressure on Thursday, announcing new sanctions against seven senior officials of al-Qard al-Hassan, Hezbollah’s financial arm, and a related Lebanese company, Tashilat SARL. The sanctions are part of what the US Treasury described as an intensified campaign aimed at “disrupting Hizballah’s sanctions evasion schemes and supporting efforts by the new Lebanese government to limit the terrorist group’s influence.”
According to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the sanctions individuals / long active within al-Qard al-Hassan / served in the leadership positions and facilitated the evasion of US sanctions, allowing Hezbollah access to the formal financial system. They are accused of orchestrating complex financial transactions that concealed the group’s involvement in seemingly legitimate business activities in Lebanon, exposing the institutions to significant money laundering and terrorism financing risks, “while allowing Hezbollah to funnel money for its own benefit,” said Deputy Secretary Michael Faulkender.
Among those sanctioned is Nehme Ahmad Jamil, head of the audit and business departments at al-Qard al-Hassan, who also “manages financial services for Hezbollah and its affiliated institutions.” Jamil is co-owner of Tashilat SARL, which played a key role in distributing mortgage loans after the 2006 war with Israel and has financial ties to Hezbollah-linked entities such as Yousser Company and Bayt al-Mal.
The sanctions also targeted Issa Hussein Kassir, in charge of logistics and procurement, accused of “sending nearly a million dollars” to other sanctions officials, including Ahmad Mohammad Yazbeck, Abbas Hassan Gharib and Hassan Chehade Osman. Others targeted by sanctions include: Samer Hassan Fawaz, the administrative director of al-Qard al-Hassan since 2010; Imad Mohammad Bezz, involved in gold-related operations exceeding $2.5 million; Ali Mohammad Karnib, who oversaw the purchase of over 1,000 ounces of gold at the institution; Ali Ahmad Krisht, director of the Sour branch of al-Qard al-Hassan, said to have worked closely with Adel Mansour and linked to 2023-sancationed Hezbollah adviser Hassan Moukalled; Mohammad Sleiman Badr, a former deputy director in Nabatieh, accused of opening a joint account with Wahid Mahmoud Sbeiti to bypass formal banking channels.
As for Tashilat SARL, it was sanctioned for being “owned, controlled, or directed by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Jamil, Yazbeck, and Husayn al-Shami.” Shami, who ran al-Qard al-Hassan at the time of its designation in 2007, “was himself designated in 2006 for supporting Hezbollah”
Contacting and recruiting: The Lebanese Army warned citizens Thursday about the “danger” of certain applications or networks used by Israel to “contact and recruit” agents to work for it. “The army command warns citizens against the danger posed by suspicious applications and the irresponsible use of social media, as the Israeli enemy secretly exploits these to contact and recruit them as agents,” explained the statement published on the army’s website. “Communicating with the enemy through these applications exposes citizens to legal action in accordance with Articles 278 and 285 of the Penal Code, relating to crimes of contact with the enemy and the establishment of illegal ties with it.”
Article 278 penalizes any contact between a Lebanese citizen or resident and a national or resident of an enemy state, while Article 285 specifically covers “commercial dealings or any other type of contact with the enemy.” These regulations have taken on renewed importance following the recent conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, which revealed significant security vulnerabilities within Hezbollah. Several members acknowledged that the Israeli military succeeded in infiltrating the group and its grassroots supporters.
In late January, four Lebanese nationals accused of collaborating with Israeli intelligence were detained within a single week. By mid-May, a religious singer affiliated with Hezbollah, though not a formal member, was also arrested for similar reasons.
This type of warning from the army is not new. For instance, in December 2020, the army issued a caution against attempts to communicate with Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, via Facebook.
The army’s statement highlighted “the importance of acting responsibly and vigilantly in the face of the Israeli enemy plans, which continue their aggressions against our country, target citizens in various regions, and seek by all means to undermine the security and stability of the homeland.”
Ongoing violations: Since the cease-fire that took effect on November 27, 2024, the Israeli army has been bombing southern Lebanon almost daily, killing more than 190 people, both militants and civilians.
On Saturday, July 12, Lebanon’s Health Ministry confirmed an “Israeli enemy strike” on a home in Wata al-Khiam, southern Lebanon, killed one person. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the incident, after it has repeatedly bombed Lebanon despite the truce. Under the agreement, Hezbollah was to pull its fighters back north of the Litani River, around 30 kilometers from the border with Israel. Israel was required to fully withdraw its troops from Lebanon, but has kept them deployed in five border points it deemed strategic.
Another man was killed Friday in an Israeli strike on a car near al-Numairiya, in the Nabatieh district, leaving five wounded, with Israel claiming the targeted man – Mohammad Shoaib – was involved in weapons smuggling operations from Iran into Lebanon and the occupied West Bank.
In addition to over a dozen powerful airstrikes across southern Lebanon, the Israeli army carried out a rare drone strike in Khaldeh, near Beirut, on Thursday. Conducted during rush hour, the strike targeted a vehicle near the Khaldeh bridge, a key artery linking Beirut to the Chouf and the south. The attack killed the driver and injured at least three people.
Earlier on Tuesday, moreover, the Israeli army claimed that it assassinated a commander in Hezbollah’s Badr Unit, present north of the Litani River. According to the Israeli army statement, Hussein Ali Mezher, who was in charge of fire coordination in the Zahrani area for this unit, was assassinated in a drone strike that targeted the village of Bablieh in the Saida district. In its statement, the Israeli army added that Mezher was responsible for planning numerous rocket attacks on Israel and tried recently to “rebuild Hezbollah’s artillery units in southern Lebanon.”
UNIFIL and the south: A patrol from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Thursday attempted to enter the southern town of Aytit, but was met with resistance from a group of local youths, the state-run National News Agency reported. According to NNA, the patrol fired tear gas in the direction of the protesters before retreating from the area.
UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said “this morning, several individuals in civilian clothes blocked UNIFIL peacekeepers on a planned patrol near Wadi Jilu” and that “the activity had been previously coordinated with the Lebanese Armed Forces, in support of Lebanon’s implementation of Resolution 1701.” “While the situation was initially calm, the individuals soon began throwing stones at the peacekeepers, who were forced to disperse the crowd with smoke to protect themselves from harm,” Tenenti added, noting that “the LAF arrived at the scene and the situation was brought under control.”
“As the Lebanese government and army have made clear, peacekeepers can move independently in south Lebanon in performance of their duties to restore security and stability under Resolution 1701. They do not need to be accompanied by Lebanese soldiers,” Tenenti said.
Warning that “any attack on peacekeepers is a serious violation of international law and Resolution 1701,” the spokesman said UNIFIL has requested that the Lebanese authorities bring the perpetrators to justice. “We will continue impartially monitoring and reporting on violations of 1701, as mandated by the Security Council and requested by the Lebanese government,” Tenenti vowed.
Southern residents in Lebanon frequently accuse the UN mission – which was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel’s 1978 invasion – of collusion with Israel. Israel meanwhile accuses the peacekeepers of turning a blind eye to Hezbollah’s military activities in southern Lebanon.
Yet, between July 8 to 10, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon’s Force Commander Reserve (FCR) has led one of its most extensive missions since a cease-fire went into effect November 27, 2024, ending a 13-month war between Hezbollah and Israel.
Created in 2011 as a quick reaction force, the FCR includes 770 French soldiers and 200 Finnish troops. Unlike battalions assigned to the east or west sectors, the FCR operates across all of southern Lebanon, under direct UNIFIL command. The cease-fire mandates the implementation of UN Resolution 1701, which calls for Lebanese Army deployment across the South and the disarmament of all non-state armed groups operating below the Litani River.
“Our operations help stabilize southern Lebanon and prevent rearmament in the area,” said Col. Arnaud de Coincy, who took command of the FCR in late May for a four-and-a-half-month term, to L’Orient-Le Jour. Between November 27 and July 7, UNIFIL recorded the discovery of 276 weapons caches across southern Lebanon. “Violations mainly involve weapons that shouldn’t be there – light arms, Kalashnikovs, rocket launchers, recoilless rifles. We find everything,” de Coincy continued. Tunnels used by Hezbollah have also been discovered. “Some are small bunkers, others are multi-level underground structures,” he added.
Drone strike in Tripoli: An Israeli strike on a vehicle near the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli has killed at least three people and injured 13 others, Lebanon’s Health Ministry says, in one of the latest breaches of a ceasefire between the two countries. The attack in the Ayrounieh area on Tuesday, July 8, came as Israel intensified its strikes in Lebanon amid Hezbollah’s weakened position, the Lebanese army’s inability to fight back and the international community’s failure to pressure Israel to abide by the truce.
The strike near Lebanon’s northernmost major city – more than 180 km from the Israeli border – highlights Israel’s willingness to launch assaults across the country, not just in the south. The Israeli military claimed that it struck a “key” figure from the Palestinian group Hamas without identifying the target.
A Hamas source in Lebanon told Al Araby TV that no senior official from the group was killed in the strike. Lebanon’s Annahar newspaper reported that initial reports indicated that the assassination attempt might have failed.
Bahrain reopens embassy: Bahraini ambassador Wahid Mubarak Sayyar told Prime Minister Nawaf Salam that his country was preparing to reopen its Beirut embassy, during a meeting at the Grand Serail on Wednesday. Based now in Syria, Sayyar said that preparations also include appointing a resident ambassador “soon,” according to comments cited by the state-run National News Agency. He also reaffirmed “Bahrain’s support for Lebanon in its phase of recovery and reconstruction of its institutions.”
Salam reportedly emphasized his commitment to “strengthening bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries” and expressed his satisfaction at “seeing Lebanon regain its natural place within the Arab family.”
Salam also met with Fahd al-Kaabi, the charge d’affaires for the United Arab Emirates embassy in Beirut, with whom he discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation, investment opportunities, and Emirati support for Lebanon in various sectors.
Several Gulf countries, including Bahrain, recalled their diplomats from Beirut in October 2021 in response to statements by a Lebanese minister criticizing the Saudi military intervention in Yemen. Since 2015, a coalition led by Saudi Arabia, which also includes the UAE and Bahrain, has supported the Yemeni government against the Houthi movement, who is, in turn, supported by Iran. The election of President Joseph Aoun and his subsequent appointment of Salam as Prime Minister marked a determined effort by Beirut to rebuild relations with the Arab countries in the region.
To legalize or not to legalize: Minister of Agriculture Nizar Hani told local television channel MTV on Thursday that the ministry is working toward the establishment of the regulatory authority for a medical and industrial cannabis sector, which will manage licenses and oversee manufacturing. During MTV’s Sar El Waet program, Hani said that the medical and industrial Cannabis Regulatory Authority will be formed before the end of this month, adding that the list of candidates had already been finalized.
“The estimates and figures announced by the McKinsey firm showed that cannabis cultivation adds one billion dollars to the agricultural sector, and this income can be increased if we work in the practical way adopted by several countries,” the minister added. “Cannabis cultivation takes place today in the traditional way,” he continued, “and the role of the regulatory body is to manage it, nurture it and give exploitation licenses.”
In 2020, amid the economic collapse, the Lebanese Parliament approved a draft law that legalizes cannabis cultivation in Lebanon for medical and industrial use. The law would exclusively allow the state to trade in cannabis, which has been grown illicitly and successfully for decades in the eastern Bekaa region.
Before the law was passed, Lebanon had hired international consulting firm McKinsey & Co. in 2018 to advise the country on its economic woes. McKinsey suggested the government legalize cultivation and production of the widely available plant for at least some uses. However, although former agricultural minister Abbas Hajj Hassan said in May 2022 that the industrial hemp dossier would be activated “in the coming days,” the file stalled for years due to delays to form the regulatory authority and political disputes.
The nights of museums: After six years of interruption, the Night of Museums in Lebanon is making its grand return under the auspices of the Culture Ministry, in partnership with the Directorate General of Antiquities (DGA). On Tuesday, July 29, 2025, from 7 pm to 11 pm, the public is invited to wander the corridors of heritage free of charge, in a national celebration of memory, transmission and beauty.
The official announcement of this event was made during a press conference held at the Culture Ministry, at the National Library in Sanaya. Salameh unveiled the revival of this emblematic initiative, which he launched 20 years ago during his first term at the head of the ministry. He also said that two new museums are under construction: one in Sour, scheduled to open in a year, and one in Saida, expected in two to three years. Not without humor, he also joked, “Those who visit the Central Bank Museum might find their money there,” a biting reference to funds frozen in banks since the 2019 economic crisis.
In Beirut, several museums are opening their doors to the public, offering a rich and diverse cultural experience. Among them are the National Museum of Beirut, the beating heart of Lebanese archaeology, and the Sursock Museum, a landmark of modern and contemporary art. Also participating are the AUB Archaeological Museum, the AUB Geology Museum, the USJ Minerals Museum, the USJ Prehistory Museum, the Bibliothèque Orientale Museum, the Central Bank Museum, and the Gallery of the Institut français du Liban, which is currently showcasing an exhibition by Serge Bloch. Visitors can also explore Villa Audi, a private collection of exceptional mosaics, and the Nuhad Es-Said Pavilion.
Beyond the capital, the celebrations continue in other regions. In Jounieh, the USEK Museum is joining the initiative, while in Byblos, several institutions are taking part, including the Aram Bezikian Museum of Armenian Genocide Orphans, the archaeological site museum managed by the DGA, the marine fossil collection at Mémoire du temps, the Pépé Abed Foundation, the MACAM, and the Louis Cardahi Foundation – LAU. In Tripoli, the Saint Gilles Citadel Museum is also participating. Additional museums are expected to be confirmed soon, highlighting the national scope of this cultural initiative.
To crown this night dedicated to culture, the National Museum square will become pedestrian and will host, starting at 8:30 p.m. and every 30 minutes thereafter, a monumental 3D projection created by Cre8Mania on the museum’s façade, in partnership with Beirut Digital District as part of Beirut Dares to Dream. Free buses (ACTCPT) will be available to connect Beirut’s museums, with a departure every half hour.
In The Region
Genocide goes on, no truce in sight: An Israeli airstrike hit Palestinians near a medical center in Gaza on Thursday, killing 10 children and six adults, local health authorities said, as cease-fire talks dragged on with no immediate deal expected. Verified video footage from the strike in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip showed the bodies of women and children lying in pools of blood amid dust and screaming. One clip showed several motionless children lying on a donkey cart.
Israel’s military said it had struck a militant who took part in the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war. It said it was aware of reports regarding a number of injured bystanders and that the incident was under review.
The Deir al-Balah missile strike came as Israeli and Hamas negotiators held talks with mediators in Qatar over a proposed 60-day cease-fire and hostage release deal aimed at building agreement on a lasting truce. A senior Israeli official said on Wednesday that an agreement was not likely to be secured for another one or two weeks, however US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday he was hopeful of a deal. “I think we’re closer, and I think perhaps we’re closer than we’ve been in quite a while,” Rubio told reporters at the ASEAN summit in Malaysia.
Several rounds of indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas have failed to produce a breakthrough since the Israeli military resumed its campaign in March following a previous cease-fire.
Repeated attacks by Israeli forces in recent weeks have killed hundreds of Gazans, many of them civilians, and injured thousands, according to local health authorities, putting an enormous strain on the enclave’s few remaining hospitals. Dwindling fuel supplies risk further disruption in the semi-functioning hospitals, including to incubators at the neonatal unit of al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, doctors there told international news agencies.
State of talks: US President Donald Trump met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week to discuss the situation in Gaza amid reports that Israel and Hamas were nearing agreement on a US-brokered cease-fire proposal after 21 months of war. The Israeli official who was in Washington with Netanyahu said that if the two sides agree to the cease-fire plan, Israel would use that time to offer a permanent truce requiring Hamas to disarm. If Hamas refuses, “we’ll proceed” with military operations in Gaza, the official said on condition of anonymity.
During the talks in Doha, which began Sunday under the mediation of Qatar, the United States, and Egypt, the Israeli military continued its offensive in the Gaza Strip, where 14 Palestinians were killed in new strikes, according to the local Civil Defense. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently reiterated the war’s objectives: to free hostages held in Gaza, dismantle Hamas, and remove it from the territory. He has also expressed his intention to take control of the Palestinian area along Israel’s southern border.
The negotiations in Doha are facing “obstacles and complex difficulties,” one Palestinian source told AFP, attributing the challenges to “the Israeli side” for insisting on a map that allows “the maintenance of its forces on more than 40% of the area of Gaza.” According to this source, the Israeli military is considering redeploying around the territory’s over two million inhabitants, who have been under siege by Israel for 21 months and are enduring dire conditions, as reported by the UN. Israel’s current aim, the source accused, is “to cram hundreds of thousands of displaced people” into southern Gaza “in preparation for the forced displacement of the population to Egypt or other countries.”
Despite these difficulties, mediators “have asked both parties to postpone negotiations on the Israeli withdrawal until the arrival of the US envoy Steve Witkoff,” the source added.
Another Palestinian source told AFP that “the Hamas movement has demanded a total withdrawal of Israeli forces from all areas recaptured by Israel after March 2, 2025,” accusing Israel of “delaying and obstructing the agreement in order to continue its war of extermination.” However, this source noted “progress” on humanitarian aid access to Gaza and the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. Of the 251 people abducted during the October 7 attack, 49 remain held in Gaza, including 27 whom the Israeli military has declared dead.
Before returning to the United States on Friday after meeting President Donald Trump, Netanyahu said on Thursday he was open to negotiating a permanent ceasefire in Gaza following a possible 60-day truce. However, he conditioned such a ceasefire on Hamas disarming and relinquishing governance of the territory.
The two sides previously agreed a cease-fire in January but Israel collapsed the truce by resuming its military assault two months later, stopping all aid supplies into Gaza and telling civilians to leave the north of the tiny territory. Israel’s military onslaught against Gaza has now killed more than 57,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities. It has destroyed swathes of the territory and driven most Gazans from their homes.
In the occupied West Bank: The Palestinian Health Ministry announced on Friday that a 23-year-old man was beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the village of Sinjil, located in the occupied West Bank, which had already witnessed clashes a week earlier. Ministry spokesperson Annas Abou al-Ezz told AFP that Saif al-Din Musalat, carrying a US citizenship, “died after being violently beaten, all over his body, by settlers this afternoon in Sinjil, north of Ramallah.” Dozens of Israeli settlers and Palestinians had clashed earlier on Friday, July 4, in Sinjil, according to AFP journalists on the ground. On the same day, the PA’s health ministry later said a second man, 23-year-old Mohammad Shalabi, was fatally shot by settlers. Both Shalabi and Musalat were identified as residents of the nearby town of al-Mazra’a ash-Sharqiya.
In addition, more than 50 Palestinians have been arrested in Israeli military raids across the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office (ASRA) said, as the army’s deadly assault on the territory, in tandem with its punishing war on Gaza, escalates. Multiple raids on Thursday took place in Nablus, Qalqilya, Tubas, Hebron, Jenin, Bethlehem and Ramallah. ASRA said children, activists and former prisoners who had been released were among those arrested. It added that raids had taken place at homes and educational institutions.
The Israeli military has also been carrying out house demolitions at a breakneck speed, disregarding international condemnation.
After months of relentless Israeli attacks on the Jenin refugee camp, some Palestinian women were allowed to briefly return, but only to quickly pack what few belongings they could, and then were forced to leave. Meanwhile, a Palestinian man was killed after stabbing and injuring an Israeli soldier in the village of Rummanah, west of Jenin. Hamas released a statement, identifying the killed suspect as Ahmad Ali Amur, 55. “As we mourn the perpetrator of the attack … we affirm that this attack sends a message that all attempts by the occupation to extinguish the flames of resistance in the West Bank will fail,” said the statement.
Violence has intensified in the illegally occupied West Bank since the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip. According to an AFP tally based on Palestinian Authority data, at least 954 Palestinians – including many fighters and numerous civilians – have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli soldiers or settlers since then. Meanwhile, official Israeli figures report that at least 36 Israelis, both civilians and soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations in the territory.
Rescheduled: The international conference on the future of the Palestinian state, initially scheduled for June at the United Nations in New York, is now set for July 28 and 29, AFP learned on Friday from diplomatic sources.
The conference on the Palestinian question and the two-state solution, Israeli and Palestinian, convened by the UN General Assembly, was supposed to take place in June but was postponed at the last minute due to the war between Israel and Iran. It has now been rescheduled for July 28 and 29, diplomatic sources told AFP, who could not provide further details on the agenda or level of participation, as heads of state and government had been expected in June.
The conference is co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia. President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday called for a joint recognition of the State of Palestine by France and the United Kingdom. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, for his part, urged to focus on achieving a cease-fire in Gaza.
New US bases for Israel: The US Army Corps of Engineers is engaged in building new military infrastructure for Israel at multiple bases, including airfields, hangars, and ammunition storage facilities, according to public documents reported by Haaretz on Tuesday, July 8. The current projects exceed $250 million in value, with anticipated future contracts surpassing $1 billion, following a call for contractors that was initially set for June but delayed due to Israel’s conflict with Iran.
The Corps is employing contractors to construct ammunition depots, refueling stations, and reinforced concrete structures for Israeli military installations. The Israeli daily’s documents also reveal that the US is seeking bids for maintenance and repair work on buildings, including airfields. One contract involves building hangars, maintenance areas, and storage for new Boeing KC-46 tankers that Israel is slated to receive in the near future, with costs estimated above $100 million. Another project to accommodate CH-53K helicopters could reach $250 million.
Additionally, the US is inviting bids for ammunition storage facilities valued up to $100 million. A separate seven-year contract, capped at $900 million, covers maintenance, repairs, construction, demolition, and infrastructure upgrades at undisclosed sites for Israel’s Ministry of Defense.
These undertakings are financed through foreign military financing. Israel receives $3.8 billion annually in military aid, under a framework allowing the US and Israel to jointly decide how the funds are allocated, which flow to US defense contractors.
Since the Hamas-led Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023, Washington has provided supplemental military aid totaling about $18 billion. The US has previously used military aid for Israeli infrastructure: in 2012, public tender documents showed extensive US-funded work at Nevatim air base, where The Washington Post reported the US had built a secret facility known as site “911.”
The construction projects outlined by Haaretz were planned before Israel’s June 2025 attack on Iran. Reuters cited an Israeli official on July 2 confirming that Iranian ballistic missiles struck several Israeli military locations during the 12-day conflict.
Earlier in June, the US approved a $510 million arms deal for Israel, adding over 7,000 JDAM kits and support services to the 2025 weapons transfers. This deal was part of a broader escalation in US military aid, which had exceeded $9 billion by mid-year. Tel Aviv reported receiving over 90,000 tons of US weapons in 600 days, with Netanyahu crediting Trump as “the greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House.” Around the same time, the Pentagon halted multiple arms shipments to Ukraine, despite internal reviews showing no critical shortage. The decision followed concerns over stockpile depletion after the US assisted Israel in intercepting Iranian missiles. Senior officials have since pushed for a shift in US military focus toward the Pacific.
Francesca Albanese sanctioned: US State Secretary Marco Rubio announced on July 9 that Washington has sanctioned UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese for her “campaign of political and economic warfare against the United States and Israel.” “Today I am imposing sanctions on UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese for her illegitimate and shameful efforts to prompt International Criminal Court action against US and Israeli officials, companies, and executives,” Rubio said via social media. “The United States will continue to take whatever actions we deem necessary to respond to lawfare and protect our sovereignty and that of our allies,” Rubio added, stressing that US authorities “stand by our partners in their right to self-defense.”
Last week, Albanese identified more than 60 companies in a report titled “From Economy of Occupation to Economy of Genocide,” accusing arms makers and tech firms of aiding and profiting from Israeli settlements and “military operations” in Gaza. “While life in Gaza is being obliterated and the West Bank is under escalating assault, this report shows why Israel’s genocide continues: because it is lucrative for many,” Albanese stated in the 27-page report. She accused corporations of being “financially bound to Israel’s apartheid and militarism,” naming companies such as Lockheed Martin, Caterpillar, Hyundai, Microsoft, Palantir, and others.
Albanese also called for the International Criminal Court (ICC) “to investigate and prosecute corporate executives and/or corporate entities.”
The sanctions against Albanese come one month after Washington imposed sanctions on four ICC judges over their role in investigations into war crimes by US and Israeli forces. Rubio described these punitive measures as a response to the ICC “overstepping its authority and threatening the sovereignty of the US and Israel.”
Condemnation grows: Human rights groups and UN officials unanimously condemned the US government for imposing sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk urged Washington to reverse course, saying, “Even in the face of fierce disagreement, UN Member States should engage substantively and constructively, rather than resort to punitive measures.” Juerg Lauber, Switzerland’s representative to the UN and current president of the Human Rights Council, also expressed regret and called on states to “refrain from any acts of intimidation or reprisal.”
Other UN experts warned the move sets a dangerous precedent. Mariana Katzarova, rapporteur on human rights in Russia, said the sanctions “open the gates for any other government to do the same” and described them as “an attack on the UN system as a whole.”
Human Rights Watch (HRW) echoed those concerns. The organization’s International Justice Director, Liz Evenson, warned that “The United States is working to dismantle the norms and institutions on which survivors of grave abuses rely.” Kenneth Roth, former HRW head, also said the sanctions are aimed at deterring ICC prosecutions of “Israeli war crimes and genocide in Gaza.”
The US, once an active member of the Human Rights Council, has since withdrawn under US President Donald Trump, citing what it called anti-Israel bias.
IAEA’s double standards: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated on Thursday, July 10, that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) must cease its “double standards” if it expects renewed cooperation from Tehran, criticizing the watchdog’s “unprofessional behavior.”
“The continuation of Iran’s cooperation with the agency depends on the latter correcting its double standards regarding the nuclear file,” Pezeshkian said during a phone call with European Council President Antonio Costa. The two also discussed “international developments, including the 12-day aggression against Iran and prospects for relations between Tehran and the European Union,” according to Tasnim News Agency. Pezeshkian emphasized “the country’s commitment to peace, regional stability, and constructive global dialogue, especially in the new political period.”
Responding to Costa’s concerns about Tehran’s suspension of cooperation with the IAEA, Pezeshkian reaffirmed Iran’s dedication to dialogue, diplomacy, and international law, describing the decision to halt cooperation as a reaction to the agency’s “unprofessional behavior.” He condemned the UN nuclear watchdog’s “failure to remain impartial, its silence over attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities, and its disregard for international law,” which he said has “undermined its credibility.” “Membership in international bodies like the IAEA must deliver balanced benefits; otherwise, such memberships lose their value,” the president added.
Pezeshkian thanked Costa for his diplomatic efforts but warned that “any repeated aggression against Iran will be met with a more decisive and regrettable response,” referring to the missile and drone strikes Iran launched against Israel during the 12-day conflict following Tel Aviv’s war on the Islamic Republic.
The formal suspension of cooperation with the IAEA was ordered by Pezeshkian in early July, following a parliamentary vote on June 25, one day after the end of Israel’s war on Iran. Two days later, the IAEA evacuated its inspection team from Iran, ending the agency’s remaining monitoring presence in the country.
Israel’s US-backed campaign against Iran began shortly after the IAEA board passed a resolution accusing Tehran of non-compliance with its nuclear obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Safeguards Agreement. The resolution was based on a May report alleging Iran conducted secret nuclear activities decades ago at three undeclared sites.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said last month that the IAEA report helped justify the Israeli war on the Islamic Republic starting June 13. Tehran also criticized the agency for failing to condemn US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities during the conflict.
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi recently requested to visit the targeted nuclear sites, a move Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described as potentially “malign in intent.” The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has indicated that Tehran may pursue legal action against Grossi, while Iran has furtherly accused the IAEA of sharing sensitive inspection information with Israel. Shortly before the 12-day war began, in fact, Iran’s Intelligence Ministry announced it had obtained sensitive Israeli nuclear documents reportedly proving the agency’s cooperation with Tel Aviv against Iran.
The Russian move: Russian President Vladimir Putin informed both US President Donald Trump and Iranian officials that he backs a nuclear agreement that prevents Iran from enriching uranium. Russia also updated the Israeli government on Putin’s stance regarding Iran’s uranium enrichment.
“We know that this is what Putin told the Iranians,” said a senior Israeli official. Putin shared this position during phone calls last week with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Yet, in an interview with Tasnim News Agency, an “informed source” stated that Iran has not received any message from Russian President Putin concerning a zero enrichment nuclear deal with the US. The source stressed that this topic was not brought up during Putin’s latest meeting with an Iranian official, specifically Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The Red Sea front: Yemen’s Houthis sank two cargo ships in the Red Sea last week, marking the first escalation in seven months in the Iran-backed group’s prolonged campaign to disrupt global shipping in protest against Israel’s war on Gaza. Since November 2023, the Ansar Allah movement, better known as Houthi, has attacked more than 100 merchant vessels passing through the Red Sea, sinking four ships, capturing another, and killing at least eight sailors.
The Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned Eternity C sank on July 9, 2025, after enduring two days of drone and missile assaults. Maritime officials reported four sailors killed in the attacks, with 10 rescued and 11 still missing. The US Mission in Yemen accused the Houthis of abducting many of the missing crew members, whose whereabouts remain unknown. Another Liberian-flagged, Greek-operated bulk carrier, the Magic Seas, sank on July 6, 2025, after suffering damage from gunfire, missiles, drones, and four remote-controlled explosive boats. The entire crew was evacuated to Djibouti aboard a passing merchant ship. Shortly after, the Houthis’ media wing released footage of the strikes and the armed militants boarding the ship.
Earlier incidents include the Greek-registered tanker Sounion, which was carrying 150,000 metric tons of crude oil when it was struck by multiple missiles and drones and caught fire on August 21, 2024, raising fears of a catastrophic oil spill. It took months before the vessel was declared safe and its cargo removed. In June 2024, the Greek-owned coal carrier Tutor sank days after being hit by missiles and an explosive-laden remote-controlled boat near Yemen’s Hodeidah port; one crew member, believed to be in the engine room, was never found, while the others were evacuated and repatriated.
Moreover, in March 2024, a Houthi missile attack killed three seafarers on the Greek-owned, Barbados-flagged ship True Confidence, which caught fire about 50 nautical miles off Yemen’s Aden port. The British-owned Rubymar was struck by multiple missiles in February 2024 and sank on March 2, becoming the first ship sunk by the Houthis. The Greek-owned vessel Zografia, traveling empty from Vietnam to Israel with 24 crew on board, was attacked near Yemen’s Saleef port in January 2024, suffering a large hole below the waterline. In November 2023, Houthi commandos seized the crew of the Bahamas-flagged car carrier Galaxy Leader in international waters; the 25 crew members were only released in January 2025, more than a year after their capture.
Sectarian violence strikes Syria: Rasoul Shahoud, an influential Shia cleric, was shot dead near a security checkpoint between Homs and his hometown of Al-Mazraa, with his bullet-riddled body discovered on Wednesday, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). Armed assailants opened fire on his vehicle, marking the first assassination of a Shia cleric since the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
The country’s top Shia religious authority condemned the killing as a flagrant attack on the voice of moderation and unity, and urged authorities to investigate and prosecute those responsible. The killing also sparked immediate protests in Al-Mazraa, where residents denounced the assassination amid allegations of a cover-up.
Shahoud’s death follows a series of attacks on religious minorities across Syria, and comes amid growing concern over escalating sectarian violence. Targeted sectarian killings, kidnappings, looting, and persecution have been a persistent pattern since interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa came to power.
In this regard, Amnesty International recently published a statement urging President Ahmad al-Sharaa to release the full findings of the fact-finding committee he formed in March 2025 to investigate massacres targeting Alawite civilians in Syria’s coastal region. The organization demanded transparency on the investigation’s methodology, fair trials, and compensation for victims. Kristine Beckerle, Amnesty’s Deputy Regional Director, said truth-telling was key to ending impunity and preventing future violations against Alawite and other minority communities. Amnesty’s statement came one day before the committee’s deadline to submit its report to al-Sharaa. No official statement has been issued on whether the findings will be made public.
The Sharaa-Abdi agreement: A new round of negotiations have taken place in Damascus between senior Syrian officials and a delegation from the Autonomous Administration led by Foza Yusuf. The talks were held at Tishreen Palace and included the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Interior, and Defense, as well as the Intelligence Chief. Discussions focused on implementing the March 10 agreement, the return of forcibly displaced residents from Afrin, Ras al-Ain, and Tal Abyad, institutional integration and military-security coordination.
In a statement via SANA, the central government reaffirmed its commitment to “One Syria, One Army, One Government.” It welcomed the integration of SDF fighters into the Syrian National Army and rejected all forms of federalism or division.
The AANES-affiliated Hawar News Agency described the meeting as positive. Sources close to the government, however, offered harsher assessments, with some calling the meeting a failure – amid renewed pressure from the US envoy for a swift resolution. The Sharaa–Abdi agreement, from the name of the General Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, remains a key pillar of Syria’s political process.
The meeting comes after months of deadlock, as well as after meeting President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaybani in Damascus, US envoy Tom Barrack said the Syrian government was “eager” to integrate the SDF under a “One State, One Army” framework. He urged the SDF to accelerate talks, calling Damascus their only viable option. Barrack praised the SDF as a key US partner and reaffirmed American support for their role in stabilizing Syria, signalling mounting US pressure on the SDF. Washington is in fact pushing for its integration into the central army and for merging the Autonomous Administration into the Syrian state.
However, news agencies reported that talks between the SDF and Damascus failed to reach an agreement on Saturday, leading to clashes in the Manbij countryside.
Druze-Bedouin clashes: Armed clashes between Druze locals and government-aligned Bedouin tribesmen erupted across Syria’s southern Suwayda province on Sunday, July 13, leaving at least 21 people dead and over 50 wounded, including children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). The clashes reportedly erupted after Bedouin fighters set up a checkpoint on the Damascus–Suwayda highway, where they robbed and brutally beat a young Druze man, triggering a retaliatory cycle of abductions, attacks, and road closures.
Clashes have since spread across the province – from Al-Maqous and Labeen to Al-Mazraa and Al-Soura al-Kabira – forcing mass displacement, particularly from the village of Al-Tayra. Bedouin fighters and other extremist factions from Deraa have also mobilized reinforcements to Suwayda’s outskirts. Videos circulating on social media show extremist militants declaring support for the Bedouins and dispatching reinforcements to frontline areas.
Local sources reported that tensions remain high in the al-Maqous neighborhood, where clashes involving medium weapons and mutual shelling are still ongoing, while the fighting has also blocked roads between Sweida and both Qanawat and Atil, cutting off key transit routes in the area.
Internal Security Forces in Deraa Governorate announced a coordinated deployment along the administrative borders with Suwayda to contain further spillover. SOHR reports that shelling and gunfire continue in multiple areas, with fears mounting of a wider confrontation.
In light of the escalating violence, Sweida’s governor, Mustafa al-Bakour, urged restraint, appealing to all sides to “prioritize calm and respond to calls for national reconciliation.” At the same time, Sheikh Hammoud al-Hinnawi, the spiritual leader of Syria’s Druze community, called on all parties to refrain from any actions that could sow division, warning that “the current escalation and retaliatory reactions serve only to benefit those who oppose our unity and security while weakening our social cohesion.” Al-Hinnawi also issued a special appeal to Syria’s interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, urging him to “take decisive action to quell unrest and rein in reckless provocations.”
Sweida has been the center of much fighting since the toppling of al-Assad’s regime. Local Syrian sources reported that armed clashes erupted near Sweida governorate’s border areas at dawn on May 5, pitting unidentified armed factions against forces affiliated with the Sweida Military Council, before a fragile and uneasy calm settled over the region amid lingering tensions. The sources further reported that tribal forces from Deir Ezzor had dispatched reinforcements to back the armed factions engaged in ongoing military confrontations across the region. According to the SOHR monitor, the appeal follows violent sectarian clashes involving Syrian security forces, their allied fighters, and local Druze factions that left 17 dead in Jaramana before escalating further with 22 more fatalities in Sahnaya on April 29 as tensions continued to mount across the region.
Surrendering arms: Dozens of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants began surrendering their weapons in a ceremony in northern Iraq on Friday. This event marks a symbolic yet crucial initial move towards resolving a decades-long insurgency against Turkey. The PKK, engaged in conflict with the Turkish state and outlawed since 1984, resolved in May to disband, disarm, and cease its armed struggle following a public appeal from its leader, Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned for an extended period.
Following several unsuccessful peace attempts, this new initiative could open a path for Ankara to end an insurgency that has claimed over 40,000 lives, strained the economy, and created profound social and political divisions within Turkey and the broader region.
Approximately 40 PKK militants and a commander are anticipated to relinquish their weapons at the ceremony in the northern Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah, according to individuals familiar with the arrangement. The PKK’s base is in northern Iraq, having been pushed significantly beyond Turkey’s border in recent years. The surrendered arms are slated for destruction later in a separate ceremony, which will be attended by Turkish and Iraqi intelligence representatives, officials from Iraq’s Kurdistan regional government, and prominent members of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish DEM party, a group instrumental in facilitating the PKK’s decision to disarm.
The PKK, DEM, and Ocalan have all urged the government of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to address Kurdish political demands. In a rare online video released on Wednesday, Ocalan also called for Turkey’s parliament to establish a commission to oversee the disarmament process and manage the broader peace efforts.
Ankara has started taking steps toward forming this commission, while the DEM and Ocalan have stressed the need for legal assurances and specific mechanisms to facilitate the PKK’s transition into democratic politics. Erdogan has in fact affirmed that his government would prevent any attempts to derail the disarmament process, adding that he would deliver “historic good news” to the public. In this regard, Omer Celik, a spokesperson for Erdogan’s AK Party, stated that the disarmament process should not be allowed to extend beyond a few months to prevent it from becoming vulnerable to provocations.
Armenia-Azerbajan peace talks begin: The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan held direct peace talks in the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi on Thursday, July 10, following the approval of a draft agreement in March to end their four-decade conflict. During their meeting, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev discussed various issues, including the delimitation of their 1,000-km border.
A senior Azerbaijani government source told Reuters the talks took place in a “highly constructive atmosphere.” Armenia said the dialogue had been “result-oriented.” Both sides committed to continuing the dialogue at high levels moving forward. Their last meeting was in May during a European summit in Albania.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been in conflict since both nations won independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The conflict has centered around the breakaway territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which was controlled by Shia Muslim-dominated Azerbaijan but home to ethnic Armenian Christians.
In 2020, Azerbaijan launched an unsuccessful war to retake the enclave, leading to the deaths of 2,906 Azeri and 3,825 Armenian soldiers. In 2023, Azerbaijan launched another military campaign to reconquer the territory, this time successfully, forcing some 120,000 ethnic Armenians to abandon their homes and flee to Armenia. Because the Armenian Christian presence was reduced to essentially zero, international observers have described the Azeri campaign as one of ethnic cleansing.
Russian forces acting as peacekeepers in Karabakh failed to intervene to halt the attack. Both Yerevan and Baku say they want to sign a treaty to formally end the conflict. Azerbaijan has demanded that Armenia change its constitution to remove an indirect reference to Karabakh. Russia said it fully supported the diplomatic process, hoping it would bring “predictability, stability, and peace to the region.”
In Sudan: Humanitarian organizations are warning about attacks on health care facilities across war-torn Sudan, alleging they are happening as mass atrocities are being committed against civilians. Doctors without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières or MSF, said Thursday that 70% of medical facilities in Sudan have either closed or are barely operational with no end to the war in sight.
At the same time, the fight between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has escalated in Sudan’s central Kordofan region, killing at least four people, healthcare workers said on Friday. Sudan’s paramilitary forces launched artillery shelling on neighborhoods in Obeid city, the capital of North Kordofan province, on Thursday night, killing at least four people and injuring others, Sudan Doctors’ Network said in a statement. The group said the shelling targeted women and elderly people.
“The RSF is targeting civilians with guided artillery rockets, deliberately inflicting fatalities in the neighborhoods of El-Obeid, which … are densely populated with displaced people and those who fled from areas under RSF control,” the group said. The fighting in North Kordofan displaced around 700 households between July 4 and July 9, according to the latest update by the International Organization for Migration.
Sudan’s civil war broke out in April 2023 after simmering tensions between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), escalated to fighting across the country. Some 40,000 people have been killed and nearly 13 million displaced, including to other countries, according to UN agencies. War has left many facing food insecurity and risk of famine and exposure to disease outbreaks like cholera, which remains hard to contain due to Sudan’s collapsed health care system.
In a report released Thursday, MSF warned that access to health care is nearly impossible due to systematic attacks, while the remaining operational facilities remain under constant threat. “We call on all warring parties to stop violence against the civilian health facilities and civilian infrastructure and to facilitate a large-scale humanitarian response,” Michel-Olivier Lacharité, MSF’s head of emergency operations, said in a news conference.
What We’re Reading
Not for long: Tom Barrack’s visit to Lebanon this week was met with a mix of intrigue, confusion, and political overinterpretation. Some called it a warning. Others, a negotiation. And yet others dismissed it as vague American diplomacy. But if we listen carefully, what Barrack offered wasn’t a threat, it was a bridge. A golden bridge, in the language of negotiation theory: a pathway that allows an opponent to retreat or transform without humiliation, without collapse, and without losing face. The opinion of Ramzi Abou Ismail.
Signs of improvement: Lebanon’s real estate market is showing signs of improvement. More deals are happening, and some money is flowing in from abroad. But unless big changes happen, like fixing the banks, speeding up government offices, and making loans available again, the recovery will be limited according to experts in the sector – reported Rodayna Raydan.
A militia or a state: Last week marked the commemoration of Ashura, the tenth of Muharram, when Shi‘a Muslims remember the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, their third imam, who was slain at Karbala alongside his family and loyal companions. It is a foundational moment in Shi‘a Islam – emotionally and theologically – soaked in tragedy and imbued with a spirit of resistance against injustice. Yet, in Lebanon, this annual ritual has been tainted by a troubling contradiction. The opinion of NOW’s editor in chief, Makram Rabah.
A weird game: With the arrival of US envoy Tom Barrack and a new proposal on the table, Lebanon faces a fragile diplomatic opening amid unresolved internal divisions and growing regional pressure, wrote Dana Hourany.
