Already five are the infants who have died of cold in Gaza. Dead of cold – not killed by cold. They were killed by the Israeli occupation – through the cold, murdered by Israel – at the hands of winter. The last one, Jumaa al-Batran, twenty days old, passed away on Sunday while his twin brother, Ali, remains in intensive care at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, in Deir al-Balah.

That a father must enclose the body of his son, born and dead under the genocide, in a piece of white cloth smaller than the foot of the imam who prayed over the tiny corpse; that he must tell the decimated and displaced journalists that his last two children were born prematurely, that it was impossible to follow the doctor’s warnings to keep them warm – living in a tent with a constant temperature of less than ten degrees, four blankets for eight people, and no electricity, no hot water, no gas; that a father, in order to open the eyes of those outside the Gaza Strip enjoying the festive season, should describe the shade of blue that the little son’s face took on as he slowly froze; that among the surviving journalists, Hind Khoudary had to point out that living near the sea, in Gaza, is a curse, because the wind beats stronger – it is not a misfortune born of chance. Hypothermia, like hunger, fire, rain, and the contraction of diseases related to drinking sea water, in Gaza, are not misfortunes: but means by which Israel exercises its right to maim, kill, displace, ethnically cleanse, colonise.

Last Christmas, the newspaper articles, for those who were talking about Palestine, were dense with symbolism: the Promised Land, the birth of the son of God in a manger, in the cold, warmed by the breath of an ox, persecuted, rejected by all. We spoke of the Christian community of Gaza, of the destroyed ancient churches of Saint Porphyrius, the oldest, dating back to the 5th century, and bombed last October while more than 500 civilians were sheltering inside; the Roman Catholic one of the Holy Family; and the Byzantine one of Jabalia, dating back to 444 CE, completely destroyed by an Israeli airstrike a few weeks after the beginning of its onslaught on the Strip. We talked about Nazareth and Bethlehem, about the road the Virgin Mary took on a donkey, which is impossible to travel today because of the Israeli separation wall dividing the territories occupied in 1948 from those occupied in 1967. We wondered what was the point of celebrating the birth of Jesus when most of the victims, in the same holy land, two thousand years later, are defenseless children.

A year and tens of thousands of martyrs later, the occupation – or it would be better to refer to it as the occupiers, to avoid depersonalising the blame for such horror – has also eradicated the right to metaphor. Emptying even dying of meaning, for Palestinians. Depriving the world of the ability to be scandalised. Normalising genocide.

And if a new image is needed to narrate Gaza, perhaps it will not be that of Jumaa’s centimetric corpse at the feet of the imam, nor that of the barefoot children attending prayer – running the same risk; it will not be that of the director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, Hussam Abu Safiya, in the act of being arrested – nor that of dozens of patients blindfolded and on their knees in the cold, surrounded by rubble, while Israel besieges one of the last functioning hospitals in the Strip. The image of this Christmas is us eating quietly around set tables, with stoves and fireplaces lit, surrounded by the same people as always, commenting in amazement on how some things never change – and allowing ourselves to ignore how radically life has changed in Gaza, now reduced to a frantic struggle for survival, where even the weather, where even nature seems to have become a weapon in the service of the Israeli arm’s genocidal intent. 

 

In Lebanon

Israeli army invades strategic Wadi al-Hujeir: While the Israeli army has been deployed since Thursday morning, at around 7am, with dozens of soldiers and vehicles, including armored vehicles, in the strategic Wadi al-Hujeir, the Lebanese army denounced an “infiltration at several points” – notably in Qantara, Adaisset al-Qousseir and Wadi al-Hujeir – and claimed to have “reinforced its deployment” in the area. The troops accused the Israeli army of “continuing to violate the cease-fire agreement and undermining the sovereignty of Lebanon.”

During its mobilization on the Wadi al-Hujeir road, almost a month after the entry into force of a cease-fire giving it 60 days to withdraw from south Lebanon, the Israeli army erected an earth wall to cut off a road axis linking Wadi al-Hujeir to another key valley in the south, Wadi Slouqi. The advance also forced residents of surrounding villages, including Qantara, to flee the area in the morning. 

Wadi Hujeir connects several regions, including the districts of Marjayoun and Nabatieh, and is located at least seven kilometers west of the Blue Line. The Israeli army had not managed to enter it before the cease-fire, as part of its ground offensive launched on September 30: it has now deployed vehicles there without opposition. 

Moreover, a man from Tebnine, who had been reported missing, was briefly abducted by the Israeli army while he was traveling in the valley. The civilian, identified as a contractor working with a UNIFIL contingent, had left Tebnine in the morning and was shot and detained while passing through Wadi al-Hujeir. He was released shortly afterward and handed over to UNIFIL and the Red Cross, then hospitalized. On the other hand, according to local sources, two Syrian workers named Taher Rimi and Ahmad Amin have been missing since Thursday, while they were near the area. The initial information available indicates a possible kidnapping by the Israeli army when it was in the area. 

 

The strikes continue: In the night of Christmas, Wednesday, December 25, at around 3 am, Israeli warplanes carried out an airstrike on a house located in the Tarayya plain, west of Baalbek, in the Beqaa Valley.  No injuries were reported in the aftermath of the strike. 

This marks the first recorded airstrike in the Beqaa region since the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, on November 27: in one month, over 820 Israeli violations of the agreement’s terms were recorded. The Israeli army continued its shooting and demolishing of houses in border towns while the Lebanese authorities again called on Tuesday evening for an end to cease-fire violations by Israel. It also blew up houses in Kfar Kila, Marjayoun, and fired a missile at the outskirts of Khiam, which did not explode. Meanwhile, Israeli drones flew at low altitude over several regions of Lebanon on Wednesday morning, including Beirut’s southern suburbs.

In Khiam, the Civil Defense announced in a press release that it had found three bodies under the rubble, the site of a previous Israeli strike in the Jalajiyeh neighborhood. Civil Defense rescue workers added that operations remain ongoing in Khiam, which before the truce saw several weeks of fierce fighting between Hezbollah and the Israeli army.

Reacting to this development on the ground, Hezbollah MP Ali Fayad denounced a “serious development and a serious threat” to the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701, on which the ceasefire agreement is based. This deployment also “undermines the already fragile credibility of the committee responsible for supervising” compliance with the agreement. This, according to him, obliges the Lebanese state to “immediately reassess the situation,” in the face of a “blatant failure to limit” Israeli violations.

 

The Monitoring Committee meets: The cease-fire agreement stipulates a 60-day timeline for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, while, simultaneously, the Lebanese army is set to deploy in areas vacated by Hezbollah. An international committee, including representatives from the United States, France, the UNIFIL, and the Lebanese and Israeli armies, oversees the implementation of the agreement. On Tuesday evening, several members of this committee – excluding the Israeli representatives – met at the Grand Serail with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

Following the meeting, attended by US General Jasper Jeffers, who chairs the committee, French General Guillaume Ponchin, Lebanese General Edgar Lawandos, and UNIFIL Chief Araldo Lazaro, Mikati reiterated his call for an end to Israeli violations and an “immediate” withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon. “Lebanon is committed to respecting the terms of the agreement, but Israel continues its violations, which is unacceptable,” Mikati said, according to a statement from the Serail. He stressed that the committee must “pressure” Tel Aviv to adhere to the agreement.

 

The first post-truce complaint: In light of these facts, Lebanon’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said Tuesday that it has lodged a formal protest with the UN Security Council through its Permanent Mission in New York, condemning Israel’s repeated violations of the cease-fire and security arrangements under UN Security Council Resolution 1701. The ministry cited more than 816 military violations, both ground and air, between November 27 and December 22, 2024, which it said have raised serious concerns.

In the complaint, the first since the ceasefire took effect, Lebanon outlined several Israeli violations, including “the bombardment of Lebanese border villages, planting explosives in homes, destroying residential areas, and cutting off roads.” Moreover, more than 30 people have been killed by Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon since the end of November.

Lebanon argued that these actions undermine efforts to de-escalate tensions and prevent further military conflict, posing a “serious threat to international efforts aimed at achieving security and stability in the region.” Also, the violations also hinder Lebanon’s ability to implement Resolution 1701 and delay the deployment of the Lebanese Army in the south.

 

Re-establishing sovereignty: Almost two weeks after the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, the Lebanese Army began taking control of sites belonging to Palestinian factions allied with the former Syrian government in the Beqaa Valley. The army, which has issued statements regarding these operations since Saturday, assumed control of several positions belonging to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP-GC), who offered to hand over its sites after the Syrian regime’s collapse, and one held by Fatah al-Intifada, with no reported security incidents.  Regarding the fate of the weapons, sources reported that some fled with their arms, while others handed them over to the Lebanese Army.

The sites included a PFLP-GC site in Sultan Yakoub in Western Beqaa, a mountain base in the same area, the Jamila Ain al-Bayda location in Kfar Zabad, in the Zahleh district, another site in Qousaya, the Halweh camp previously controlled by Fatah al-Intifada, and the Hashmash site between Qousaya and Deir al-Ghazal. The army also secured positions in Naameh, in the Chouf region, where part of the land had already been reclaimed in June 2024 at the request of its owners.

The Lebanese Army stated that it is conducting these operations to “re-establish Lebanese sovereignty over various regions.” Since the fall of the Assad regime, it has also intensified its presence along the Syrian border to deter illegal infiltration and smuggling.

 

A general amnesty: Caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati met on Wednesday with a delegation of relatives of Islamist detainees, as their calls for a general amnesty for the prisoners resurface following the fall of the Syrian regime. The families have renewed their demands for a solution to the longstanding issue.

During the meeting, Mikati expressed his support for a “definitive solution” to the case, describing it as a file that has remained open for years. He voiced hope that ongoing or proposed legislative efforts would soon result in a general amnesty. One such proposal has been advanced by the National Moderation, a group of parliamentarians affiliated with the Future Movement, led by former Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

Mikati also noted that he had instructed caretaker Justice Minister Henry Khoury to establish a committee comprising representatives from the judiciary, the Internal Security Forces and the Red Crescent to assess the conditions of Lebanon’s overcrowded and underfunded prisons, whose issues were exacerbated by the country’s ongoing economic crisis. Additionally, Mikati emphasized that he had asked to expedite processing the cases involving untried detainees to ensure justice is done. A recent report by the Prisons Commission of the Beirut Bar Association revealed that 8,402 individuals are currently imprisoned in Lebanon, with 83% awaiting trial.

The previous week, on Thursday, December 19, families of Sunni Islamist prisoners held at Roumieh prison staged a demonstration in Beirut, demanding a general amnesty. Many protesters traveled from Tripoli and other parts of northern Lebanon. Speaking on behalf of the demonstrators, Sheikh Ahmad al-Shemali, a representative of the ‘Liberation Party,’ threatened potential unrest if the detainees were not freed.

 

The presidential saga: Ten days before the scheduled parliamentary session to elect Lebanon’s next President, political and diplomatic efforts are intensifying to reach a broad agreement on a candidate. These discussions are unfolding in a shifting political landscape marked by Hezbollah’s weakened position following its ongoing war with Israel, as well as significant regional developments, notably the fall of the Assad regime, which is likely to influence Lebanon’s presidential race.

In light of this, analysts agree that it will be hard for Hezbollah to secure the election of its presidential candidate, Marada Movement’s leader Sleiman Frangieh. While Frangieh has not explicitly withdrawn from the presidential race, Hezbollah can no longer rely on Faisal Karami, one of its most loyal allies, in the elections. The latter decided to withhold his vote for Frangieh and instead support a consensus candidate. This will further weaken Frangieh’s position, which is already facing a major hurdle posed by the major Christian parties.

Other potential candidates are Army Commander Joseph Aoun, acting director of General Security Elias Baissari,  former Army officer Georges Khoury, MPs Nehmat Frem, Ibrahim Kanaan, Farid Haykal al-Khazen, diplomat Nassif Hitti, former Finance Minister Jihad Azour, lawyer and former Interior Minister Ziad Baroud, and the filo-French businessman Samir Assaf. Several other potential presidential candidates have been mentioned at various times, such as former minister Jean-Louis Cardahi, nominated by FPM members; Habib Zoghbi, put forward by the Maronite Patriarch; and Chebli Mallat, initially suggested by Joumblatt.

In his Sunday homily in Bkirki, Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai accused some Lebanese politicians of “still thinking of postponing the presidential session” scheduled for January 9, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA). “The issue in Lebanon today is the loss of confidence among politicians in themselves, each other and the institutions of the state as evidenced today by the fact that a president has not been elected for two years and two months,” Rai said, adding that “they are waiting for the name of the president from abroad, which is a great shame, although we appreciate and thank friendly countries for their keenness to elect the president and encourage them to push forward with his election.”

Lebanon has been without a President for more than two years as several electoral sessions failed to elect a new President. After refraining from calling for new elections for more than a year, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri finally scheduled an electoral session for January 9.

 

In Syria

The first clashes: Over 17 people were killed after clashes on Wednesday between Syria’s new government and armed former-regime loyalists in Tartous during the attempted arrest of an officer allegedly involved in Sednaya prison, according to statements quoted by AFP from Syria’s new interior minister the Britain-based the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). Three former-regime loyalists were also killed during clashes with new Syrian authorities the following day, on Thursday. 

Syria’s new authorities have offered clemency to former regime officials except for those complicit in tortures. 

Earlier on Wednesday, protests erupted across Syria, including demonstrations by members of the Alawite and Shiite communities in Homs, as well as in other parts of the country opposing the burning of a Christmas tree in Suqaylabiyah, according to AFP. However, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Ahmad al-Sharaa had described violence targeting Christian sites in Syria as isolated incidents earlier this week after his group expressed a vision of a state built on respect for the plurality of Syrian communities.

 

Unifying into state army: Various rebel groups have agreed to unify within Syria’s new state army, according to a Tuesday statement by HTS, which leads Syria’s interim government after spearheading the offensive that toppled the former regime. Although the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces were absent from the meeting, a spokesman for the group told AFP they were not opposed to nationalisation, noting that the matter required “dialogue” with Damascus. 

Meanwhile, the Kurdish-led group on Tuesday said it began a counter-offensive against Turkish-backed groups in northern Syria, upending a two-week truce that expired on Monday.

 

Institutionalising the new Syria: On Tuesday, Qatar called for the “expedited” removal of sanctions on Syria, echoing several international calls for the reprieve days after the return of its diplomatic mission after more than a decade and a visit by its delegates. Syria’s new authorities also seized and incinerated nearly two million pills of illicit stimulant Captagon, Syrian security sources told AFP, days after a visit from a Saudi Arabian delegation discussing the drug – on which the Gulf authorities have repeatedly attempted to crack down.    

 

In The Region 

War on hospitals: The World Health Organization says that the Kamal Adwan Hospital is “now empty,” following an Israeli military raid which put north Gaza’s last major health facility out of service, AFP reports. The WHO said it was “appalled” by Friday’s raid, saying “hospitals have once again become battlegrounds.” On Saturday evening, the Israeli army announced it had completed its operations at the hospital, which it described as “a Hamas command center,” a continuation of the narrative it has used in previous attacks against hospitals in Gaza.

“The systematic dismantling of the health system and a siege for over 80 days on north Gaza puts the lives of the 75,000 Palestinians remaining in the area at risk,” the UN health agency said in a statement.

Israeli forces are now shelling the Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, days after raiding and setting fire to the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, where they arrested over 240 Palestinians, including dozens of medical staff and the hospital’s director. Gaza’s Health Ministry said it was concerned for the well-being of Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, as some staff freed by the Israeli forces late on Friday said he was beaten by soldiers.

In its statement on Saturday, Hamas urged the UN and relevant international agencies to intervene urgently to protect the remaining hospitals and medical facilities in northern Gaza and supply them. The group also called for UN observers to be sent to medical facilities in Gaza to refute the Israeli allegations that they were being used for military purposes.

 

Ceasefire efforts: Qatar’s prime minister met a Hamas delegation in Doha on Saturday to discuss a “clear and comprehensive” ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza, according to a statement from the Qatari Foreign Ministry, cited by AFP.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani held talks with a Hamas team led by senior official Khalil al-Hayya, an unusual move for the Prime Minister, who is also the Foreign Minister, who has not been publicly involved in the mediation process, at a standstill for months now.

During an exclusive interview with Qatari daily Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Deputy Secretary-General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement, Mohammed Al-Hindi detailed the latest developments in the ceasefire talks and the captives exchange deal. “The Islamic Jihad movement is an essential part of discussions to stop the aggression against our people in Gaza in the context of the captives exchange deal. It is true that Hamas is authorized to negotiate, but consultations with the movement are ongoing. Last week, extensive meetings were held with Hamas leaders in Cairo to discuss a ceasefire and exchange deal,” al-Hindi said.

When asked what the movements current visions were in light of the latest developments, al-Hindi said the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement was focused on completing the captives’ exchange deal through key mediators, namely Egypt and Qatar, focusing on Israel’s complete withdrawal from Gaza.

Last week’s meeting in Cairo included several meetings with the negotiating team and an important meeting with the head of Egyptian General Intelligence Hassan Rashad, which discussed developments in the exchange deal, as well as developments in the formation of the Gaza Support Committee and meetings with Hamas, the Popular Front, and factions present in Cairo.

Al-Hindi also attested to the importance of Cairo and Doha’s role in negotiating to complete the deal, despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “political and personal calculations” in hindering the deal. Hamas stated that the negotiations “are proceeding seriously in Doha” and that it “has shown responsibility and flexibility.” CIA chief William Burns was also partook in talks in Doha to smooth over remaining obstacles between Hamas and Israel.

 

In the occupied West Bank: Israeli troops and military aircraft have killed at least eight Palestinians, including two women and a teenager, in attacks on the Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps in the occupied West Bank, following a bloody day of Israeli military raids that began at dawn on Tuesday. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the two Palestinian women as Khawla Ali Abdullah Abdo, 53, and Bara Khalid Hussein, 30, and the 18-year-old as Fathi Saeed Salem Obaid. The official Wafa news agency reported that the teenager died after being shot in the chest and abdomen and the two women were reported killed in drone strikes.

The victim in the Nur Shams camp was identified as Mahmoud Muhammad Khaled Amar, who was shot by Israeli soldiers and later found dead on the ground in the camp’s Abu Bakr as-Siddiq Mosque neighbourhood, Wafa also reports.

Several people were also injured in Nur Shams following an Israeli drone strike, the news agency said. The Israeli military said in a statement that it killed one Palestinian in a “counterterrorism” operation in Tulkarem, while its forces arrested 18 other people and confiscated dozens of weapons.

Wafa reported that two Palestinian men and a 15-year-old were shot and injured during an Israeli raid on the town of Beit Fruik, located east of Nablus. Four young Palestinian men were also shot and injured in the town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, when Israeli troops at a checkpoint opened fire on the vehicle in which they were travelling.

Raids by Israeli forces on Palestinian communities across the occupied West Bank have increased in intensity and violence since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported last week that 968 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and Israeli settlers across the occupied West Bank between January 2023 and November 2024. Of those killed, 210 were Palestinian children, OCHA reported.

 

While performing their journalistic and humanitarian duty: Five members of the Palestinian TV channel Al-Quds Today, which is affiliated with the Islamic Jihad movement, were assassinated on Thursday in an Israeli strike on their vehicle, the outlet said in a statement. The missile hit their broadcast truck as it was parked in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza.

The channel identified the five staffers as Faisal Abu Al-Qumsan, Ayman Al-Jadi, Ibrahim Al-Sheikh Khalil, Fadi Hassouna and Mohammed Al-Lada’a, and added that they were killed “while performing their journalistic and humanitarian duty.” 

According to local witnesses, a missile fired by an Israeli aircraft hit the broadcast vehicle, which was parked outside Al-Awda Hospital, setting it on fire and killing those inside.

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate said last week more than 190 journalists have been killed and at least 400 have been injured since the start of the genocide in Gaza. Israel’s military campaign, launched in response to Hamas-led October 7, has killed around 45,500 people in Gaza, a majority of them civilians.

 

In Yemen: Israel’s military says it struck multiple targets linked to the Houthi rebels in Yemen, including Sanaa International Airport and three ports along the western coast. The attacks carried out on Thursday hit Yemen’s Hezyaz and Ras Kanatib power stations as well as military infrastructure in the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Kanatib, the military said. The attacks on Sanaa airport and Hodeidah power station were also reported by Al Masirah TV, the main television news outlet run by the Houthis. The outlet said two people were killed in the strikes on the airport and one person was killed in the port hits, while 11 others were wounded in the attacks.

Meanwhile, the head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said he and his United Nations colleagues were preparing to board a plane at Sanaa airport when it came under Israeli bombardment. “One of our plane’s crew members was injured. At least two people were reported killed at the airport. The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge – just a few meters from where we were – and the runway were damaged,” he said in a post on X, adding that they were all safe. Tedros said the UN and WHO teams were in the country “to negotiate the release of UN staff detainees and to assess the health and humanitarian situation in Yemen.”

The Israeli strikes came a day after Yemen’s Houthis, who control north-western Yemen, including Sanaa and its Red Sea coast, fired a ballistic missile and two drones towards Israel. Over the weekend, 16 people were wounded when a Houthi missile hit a playground in Tel Aviv. Last week, Israeli jets struck Sanaa and Hodeidah, killing nine people, calling it a response to previous Houthi attacks.

Netanyahu said in a video statement released on Thursday that the strikes on Yemen would continue “until the job is done,” adding that “we are determined to cut this branch of terrorism from the Iranian axis of evil.”

Later on Saturday, Yemen’s Houthis accused the United States and Britain of carrying out two airstrikes on the north of the country, while claiming responsibility for firing a missile at an air base in southern Israel. “Two airstrikes targeted the Buhais area in Medi district, Hajjah province,” the Houthis said in a statement reported by AFP, denouncing a “US-British aggression.” They did not provide further details on these strikes.

 

Iran’s counter threats: As Israel conducts strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen, the Islamic Republic says it is preparing to “counter threats.” While Israel has been bombing Houthi targets in Yemen for several days, the Iranian Army’s general staff announced on December 25 the upcoming organization of massive military maneuvers, specifying that it would be an “offensive and defensive” training operation on land, sea, and air.

Cited in a report published by the Iranian news agency Tasnim, General Gholam Ali Rachid, overseeing the operations, stated that these maneuvers, held to “counter potential threats,” including from Israel, would be “powerful and intensive” and might continue in the coming weeks.

The text specifies that the Islamic Republic holds about thirty large-scale military drills every year, aimed at “testing the readiness of the Iranian armed forces” and “strengthening the defensive and offensive capabilities” of the republic. However, Rachid added that Iran would not be “the initiator of a war in the region.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on the other hand, recently reiterated his threats against Iran, promising the Iranian people he would “liberate them.”

 

Riyadh and the Taliban: More than three years after their departure from Afghanistan, after the Taliban seized control of the capital emboldened by the US withdrawal, Saudi Arabia announced on December 22 the resumption of its services at its embassy. The decision was “based on the desire of the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to provide all services to the brotherly Afghan people,” the diplomatic mission stated on X. A few countries have so far formally re-established contact with Taliban’s Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which is still very much isolated on the international stage. 

As Saudi Arabia gears up to host international events, including the 2034 FIFA World Cup, the rise of the Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) – an area located between Afghanistan and Pakistan – is a central concern. In 2003-2004, Saudi Arabia was targeted by a series of jihadist attacks, carried out by al-Qaeda affiliates, after taking part in the fight against terrorism along with the US. Prior to that, when exporting Wahhabism was at the heart of the Saudi diplomacy, it was criticized for its support for the Taliban regime, until its fall in 2001. Saudi Arabia was also castigated for its ties with regional extremist groups.

The country is now trying to diversify its economy and establish itself as the regional capital for entertainment and sporting events, mainly focusing on securing its territory to ensure the smooth running of these projects.

 

In Sudan: The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) review, which UN agencies use, said last week that the war between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces had created famine conditions for 638,000 people, with a further 8.1 million on the brink of mass starvation. The army-aligned government “categorically rejects the IPC’s description of the situation in Sudan as a famine,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, calling the report “essentially speculative” and accused the IPC of procedural and transparency failings. They said the team did not have access to updated field data and had not consulted with the government’s technical team on the final version before publication.

The Sudanese government, loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has been based in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan since the capital Khartoum became a warzone in April 2023. It has repeatedly been accused of stonewalling international efforts to assess the food security situation in the war-torn country. The authorities have also been accused of creating bureaucratic hurdles to humanitarian work and blocking visas for foreign teams.

The International Rescue Committee said the army was “leveraging its status as the internationally recognised government (and blocking) the UN and other agencies from reaching RSF-controlled areas.” Both the army and the RSF have been accused of using starvation as a weapon of war. In more than twenty months of war, tens of thousands of people were killed in Sudan, and over 12 million uprooted, including millions who face dire food insecurity in army-controlled areas. Across the country, more than 24.6 million people, around half the population, face high levels of acute food insecurity. 

 

What We’re Reading

Lira gains ground: Uncertainty in agreeing on the new president election on January 9, 2025  has sent more negative vibes on the market, as figures by the World Bank released last week disclosed that Lebanon’s real GDP growth has been cut by an estimated 6.6% in 2024 as a result of the conflict, bringing the cumulative decline in real GDP since 2019 to more than 38% by the end of the year, Maan Barazy analysed. The deepening contraction reflects the devastating impact of mass displacement, destruction, and reduced private consumption. 

 

The West and the Syrians: In the days following the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, several countries across Europe, such as Germany, Austria, Belgium, Greece, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, and the United Kingdom, have declared their intention to temporarily halt the processing of asylum applications from Syrian nationals, Rodayna Raydan wrote for NOW. As European countries suspend the processing of Syrian asylum applications, refugees are increasingly gripped by the fear of being deported, fueled by shifting political priorities in host nations and the uncertain security situation in Syria.

 

Jumblatt’s diplomatic moves: As the leader of Lebanon’s Druze community, Jumblatt’s actions often carry both symbolic and practical weight. But his decision to engage with two powerful figures – Ahmad Sharaa in Damascus and Erdoğan in Ankara – raises questions about his motivations and what they mean for Lebanon’s future. Is Jumblatt acting out of a need to protect his community, or are his visits part of a broader strategy to shape the region’s post-conflict order? More importantly, do such engagements contribute to state-building, or do they risk further entrenching sectarian politics? NOW’s political psychologist Ramzi Abou Ismail tried to answer these and other questions.

 

The third Metropolis: After eighteen years since its foundation, and five of nomadism due to the economic crisis, the Metropolis association opened a new cinema in the centre of the capital: a sign of return and a new beginning for the seventh art that Lebanon so strongly needs, finally in a physical space, Valeria Rando reported.

 

Lebanon +

As Israel again bombs Yemen, hitting the main airport and port city, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warns there’s more to come. Another Houthi missile is fired at Tel Aviv in response. How dangerous are these escalating hostilities? In the last episode of Al Jazeera Inside Story’s podcast, Mustapha Noman, former Yemen deputy foreign minister; Yossi Beilin, former Israeli Cabinet Minister; Elijah Magnier, military and political analyst and Middle East specialist, and Hussain Al Bukhaiti, journalist and political commentator, try to answer this and other questions.