Delivering a ‘True Promise’: an insider account of Iran’s strikes on Israel

MAY 3, 2024

Source

Iranian firebrand MP Mahmoud Nabavian reveals the calculated strategy, diplomatic intrigue, and bold military prowess that showcased Tehran’s 13 April missile strikes on Israel.

The Cradle

Following the strategic success of Iran’s ‘True Promise’ retaliatory drone and missile operation in response to last month’s Israeli bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus, The Cradle presents an exclusive insider‘s narrative provided by Iranian Member of Parliament Mahmoud Nabavian, a principalist who won the most votes in Tehran during the country’s March elections. 

His account of the retaliatory strikes against the occupation state offers unparalleled insights into the 13–14 April events. With access to military sources, Nabavian’s testimony serves as the most detailed view to date by an Iranian government official on Iran’s response, one that has sorely exposed the vulnerabilities of Israel’s air defense systems. 

In a closed Telegram posting, Nabavian explained that Israel’s “cowardly” attack, which led to the martyrdom of prominent leaders in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), occurred “on our soil” – a reference to the Iranian diplomatic mission in Damascus: 

“As the Imam [Ali Khamenei] said, the enemies made a mistake.” Iran’s full-on retaliatory strikes, he thus maintains, were justified and legal under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

Below is a transcript (edited for length) from Nabavian’s important revelations about Iran’s military strikes on Israel and the flurry of international deal-making attempts that preceded them:

Two hours after the attack on the consulate in Damascus, the Iranian National Security Council convened and affirmed the inevitability of a response and gave a 10-day deadline to take the necessary diplomatic measures and for the armed forces to prepare their plan to respond.

Diplomatically, the first step was to go to the Security Council, even though we knew that this would be futile. But it was necessary to file a complaint about the attack on our land, assert our natural right to self-defense, and request a Security Council session. Because we are not members of the Council, we had to talk to member states to request that the session be held. 

China, Russia, and Algeria agreed. Russia submitted the request, and the session was held, but the US, Germany, Britain, and France did not allow a statement to be issued condemning Israel. The heads of our missions abroad were also active in informing the concerned countries that we would respond to the Zionist entity.

Due to these pressures, Israel denied it had attacked a diplomatic building and that those who were targeted were not diplomats. The consulate building, four of its five floors, were purchased 45 years ago and were designated for diplomatic work. It was indeed a diplomatic building.

After we assured the international community of our right to respond, some countries, such as the US, Germany, England, France, Canada, and Egypt, tried to convince us not to do so, and they confirmed their readiness to meet Iran’s requests. For example, some of these countries that were not previously willing to grant entry visas to our diplomats or officials suddenly decided to do so immediately.

When the US realized that we were serious, it sent a threat that if the response was launched from Iranian territory, it might attack Iran. Our response was that the US is not among our targets, but if it decides to involve itself in defense of Israel, we will respond by targeting it as well, and as you know, there are many American bases around us. 

Despite this, the US, Britain, France, and Germany insisted on the same message, yet our answer was that Israel crossed a red line. Then, they said, if we must respond, let it be from outside Iranian territory.

Why did they insist that the strike not be from inside Iran? Because for a long time, they have been assassinating our nuclear scientists and carrying out sabotage operations at the Natanz nuclear reactor. In the last six months alone, they have assassinated 18 members of our armed forces, and we have always responded through our allies [in the Axis of Resistance], but if we did that this time, we would lose face.

If Lebanese Hezbollah had responded to Israel, it could have bombed Beirut, and western powers would have seized upon this to say, ‘If this is a war between Iran and Israel, why did Hezbollah involve itself in it?’ They would also hold it responsible for the subsequent unrest in Lebanon.

Therefore, the insistence that the Iranian response should be through Iran’s allies was meant to distort Hezbollah’s reputation and unleash Israel to target it and other resistance forces in the region and to portray them as mercenaries of Iran. We read these western intentions well, and accordingly, the decision was taken to respond from within Iranian territory.

On the night of Eid al-Fitr, a meeting was held with the heads of diplomatic missions of the countries of the region, and we informed them that we are keen on good neighborliness, but if the US uses any of your countries to carry out action against us, we will strike the US bases on your lands.

This message was conveyed to Washington, and they realized that Iran was serious. They asked us to exercise restraint. The US, Germany, England, France, and Canada – these countries that support brutality and crime in the world and provide the weapons with which the people of Gaza are bombed – ask us to exercise restraint. 

[UK Foreign Secretary] David Cameron called the night after the Iranian attack and said he couldn’t sleep last night. This is the malicious British foreign secretary. Why? Because we sent 300 drones and missiles over the heads of the Israelis. The Iranian official who spoke to him said, ‘For six months, rockets have been falling on the people of Gaza, and you slept well every night.’ This is the same malicious Britain that encouraged the US to launch attacks on Yemen.

The important thing is coordination at all levels before responding, politically, diplomatically, and in the media. After the Leader [Ali Khamenei] affirmed in his Eid al-Fitr sermon that we will certainly discipline the enemy, messages came to us requesting that the response be proportionate and not forceful. 

Our answer was clear: that first, we would definitely strike Israel; second, that the attack would be direct from Iranian territory; and third, that the National Security Council decided that the response would be a deterrent.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan informed us that it had information that we would bomb the Israeli embassy in Baku, and they asked us not to carry out any action on their territory. I think this was a message that they could turn a blind eye to striking Israeli targets in a neighboring country, but we were already aware of that. 

The messages we received were not limited to the US and European countries, but we also received messages from some countries in the region. We tried to take advantage of the matter to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, and we told everyone that this might be a solution to the problem. 

They asked us whether a ceasefire in Gaza meant that we would refrain from responding. We answered that we would strike Israel in any case, but perhaps a decision like this would help reduce the severity of the attack. They asked that we give them a few days.

We asked our military forces to postpone the response for 24 hours and gave the countries of the world the opportunity to adhere to their obligations stipulated in international laws and for Israel to pledge not to attack Iranian forces and interests in the region and the world.

Regarding the Iranian request to conclude a permanent, complete, and immediate truce in the Gaza Strip: US President Joe Biden sent a message stating that he would work to achieve it himself, but he set a malicious condition, which is that the Palestinian resistance releases all Israeli prisoners in exchange for Israel releasing 900 Palestinian prisoners, after which the implementation of the truce begins. 

Of course, Hamas did not agree to the matter, and this was the correct decision. We understood that they [the Americans] are not serious about reaching a truce and that they are only looking to achieve their malign goals.

Everyone realized that we would attack Israel. The US, France, Britain, and even Italy harnessed all their military capabilities in Qatar, alongside the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. 

They equipped six missile launchers in the region’s waters with a range of between 2,000 and 3,000 kilometers. They harnessed all modern satellites and radars, moved 103 aircraft into the region’s airspace to strike our missiles, and placed all air defense systems under unified command under the supervision of the US to confront Iranian missiles in several stages. 

That is, if the Iranian missiles were able to pass any defense line, they would be targeted and shot down in the next.

What is interesting is that the German foreign minister, 24 hours before the Iranian operation was carried out, called us and was pleading that we not target Israel from inside Iranian territory. He said that our missiles would not be able to pass the obstacles and defense lines that they had prepared to intercept our missiles and that the US was using 70 drones in Iraq for that, and it would increase the number to 700.

They were monitoring the movements of our soldiers, missiles, and drones, and they believed that none of the Iranian missiles would reach Israel. They were confident that the missiles would not be able to penetrate air defense systems. 

At the Turkish Incirlik base, which includes 5,000 soldiers, a large number of AWACS planes and 15 jamming planes were harnessed to repel our attack.

As such, they were astonished at how Iran was able to evade the huge layers of defense they had activated, and what surprised them even more was that it took five and a half to seven hours for the drones to reach the Zionist entity, and their speed was not great, which meant that they were easy to shoot down.

Twenty-four hours before the operation, Washington sent a firm message stating that if we decided to attack Israel from our territory, they will respond militarily against Iran. This time, they did not talk about possibilities but rather said that they would definitely attack Iranian territory. Our answer was decisive, that we will definitely strike Israel from within our territories, and if you commit any mistake, we will target all your bases in the region.

We informed Saudi Arabia and the countries of the region that if Iranian territory is targeted from within your territory, we will definitely respond. Saudi Arabia announced that it would not allow any operation against Iran to be carried out from its territory, and the authorities in Cyprus also informed us of a similar message.

We knew that the Iraqi and Jordanian airspace was completely under US control. We thought about the Israeli targets that we were going to hit, and we faced two obstacles: the first was that their air defenses were very strong, and we had to find a way for our drones and missiles to pass them, and the second was not to take action that will lead to us being condemned. 

The decision was to strike two military targets: the first was the [Nevatim] airport from which the F-35 plane that bombed the Iranian consulate took off, and the second was an Israeli intelligence center in the Golan. By coincidence, the fighter jet that targeted the consulate fired its missiles from above this intelligence headquarters.

Our drones, numbering about 130, were launched, the majority of which belonged to us, and between two and three were sent by our allied forces. We also launched missiles carrying explosive warheads, a large number of which deflected the air defenses from their path. 

I will not talk much about the number of hits we targeted, but out of 17 missiles, 15 hit their targets, meaning 89 percent. The whole west was there, and we delivered an important message to the world.

In the aftermath of the operation, 15 countries contacted and said that they were seeking a ceasefire in Gaza and asked Israel not to respond. 

The British and German foreign ministers contacted us and said that international law does not include the term “punishment.” We answered them: If that does not exist in international law, why did you propose punishing Hamas after 7 October? The calls continued to ask whether we would attack Israel again. We said that if we were attacked, we would respond tenfold.

The countries of the region have now understood Iran’s capabilities and it seems that they will seek to significantly improve their relations with Iran. The Israelis realized that when the spirit of despair takes hold, as Ben Gurion says, ‘we will begin to fall down the slope that leads to the abyss,’ and this has become clear to the world. 

As the master of the resistance [Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah] expresses, ‘Israel is weaker than a spider’s web,’ and, God willing, this operation will be a deterrent against the assassinations that were occurring against us. Now, this is the only thing that Israel can do, and we must be more vigilant, and we must instill hope in the peoples of the region and not care about the rulers.

Mahmoud Nabavian’s account not only exposes the meticulous planning behind the Islamic Republic’s response but also reveals a resolve to defend sovereignty and impose a credible deterrence against future violations – at all costs. 

Tehran’s military response should be interpreted beyond the current regional war centered on Gaza and signals a broad recalibration of power dynamics in West Asia. As western and neighboring states assess the implications of Iran’s new assertive military posture, alliances, and strategies will require careful reconsideration.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Cradle.

SHOCKWAVES TO SHATTERED DEFENSES: THE MYTH OF ISRAELI SUPREMACY CRUMBLES

APRIL 24TH, 2024

Source

Syed Hasan Hasan

It’s difficult to overestimate the importance of the operation launched by Hamas and factions of the Palestinian Resistance on October 7, which forever annihilated the prestige of the Israeli army. Yet the strikes launched by Iran on April 13 and 14 are also truly historic.

For the first time, the backbone of the Axis of Resistance targeted Israel directly from its territory, launching the largest missile attack ever recorded against Israel and the largest drone attack in history. We have entered a whole new phase in the Arab-Israeli and Persian-Israeli conflict, and this is the final one as all the taboos have now been broken, and new equations have been established.

Israel’s deterrence capacity no longer exists. Since October 7, Hamas, Hezbollah, Ansar Allah and the Iraqi Resistance have shattered it. Still, these were Resistance movements, not a State with much more to lose. This direct action by Iran is all the more significant as Israel has been threatening to bomb Iran for decades without ever daring to do so, while Iran very quickly carried out its threats.

Iran launched its strike despite U.S. and Western threats, demonstrating unparalleled courage and a readiness to enter into a regional war and directly threatening the United States and its Arab vassals in the region with direct strikes in the event of interference. This audacity foiled the bluff of the Biden administration, which officially declared that it would not support an Israeli response from which it disassociated itself in advance.

Iran’s military prowess was clearly demonstrated. Despite the fact that this attack was known in advance and that the capabilities – both aviation and anti-missile defenses of no less than five military powers directly assisting Israel (the United States, Great Britain, France, Saudi Arabia and Jordan) were unable to stop Iran from striking Israeli territory. Israel’s defense systems were saturated, sirens sounded from north to south for hours, and yet at least twenty direct hits were recorded.

Iran demonstrated its moral superiority. It strictly applied Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which authorizes the use of force in self-defense, targeted only military targets (two air bases that were destroyed according to Iran and damaged according to Israel), and gave advance warning of its strike, which enabled the countries affected to close their airspace, thus protecting the civilian airliners that Israel had been endangering for days by massively jamming GPS signals throughout the region.

Finally, as Marwa Osman put it, the failure of Israel’s five layers of defense was compensated for by a sixth layer of media defense, with journalists repeating that Israel and its allies were able to intercept 99% of the projectiles. Given the impacts recorded, this would mean that Iran fired 1,000 to 2,000 drones and missiles, whereas all the Western data puts the figure below 500; the aim of this deceit was obviously to allow Israel to save face and enable it to claim victory as it supposedly was able to intercept 99% of the projectiles.

Sayed Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, said in 2007,

“Those who make threats should have realized that military threats or attacks against Iran – in the sense of hit-and-run attacks – are no longer possible. Those who invade us will have to suffer from the devastating consequences of their actions.“

While his statement has been mocked many times, particularly given the numerous Israeli attacks on Iranian bases in Syria that have cost the lives of many members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) with relative impunity, no one today doubts the seriousness of this assertion. When its territory is hit, as was the case with the blatant Israeli strike against its consulate in Damascus, the aggressor is hit directly. And from now on, as Hossein Salami, the Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC, stated following Iran’s attack, any open attack against Iranian interests will be met with the same retribution,

“We have established a new equation with the Zionist entity, responding directly from Iranian territory to any aggression on its part against Iranian interests, property, personalities and citizens in any part of the world. We have opened a new chapter in the confrontation with the enemy.“

This is a truly tectonic shift in the equations of power and deterrence. Those who play down the importance of the attack ignore its long-term political and strategic significance, which is in line with Iran’s vision, shared by the entire Axis of Resistance, of the form, scale and timing of the struggle against Israel. As Fadi Quran, the Campaign Director of Avaaz, pointed out following the attack,

The scale of Iran’s attack, the diversity of locations it targeted, and weapons it used forced Israel to uncover the majority of anti-missile technologies the U.S. and it have across the region. The Iranians did not use any weapons Israel didn’t know it had; it just used a lot of them. But the Iranians likely now have almost a full map of what Israel’s missile defense system looks like, as well as where in Jordan and the Gulf the U.S. has installations. It also knows how long it takes to prepare them, how Israeli society responds…etc.

“This is a huge strategic cost to Israel, while Arab regimes are now being blasted by their peoples, particularly the Jordanian monarchy, for not doing anything to protect Gazans but then going all out to protect Israel. Crucially, Iran can now reverse engineer all the intel gathered from this attack to make a much more deadly one credible. While the U.S. and Israel will have to re-design away from their current model which has been compromised. Its success in stopping this choreographed attack is thus still very costly.”

While Israel proved barely capable of defending itself, at an exorbitant cost of over a billion dollars no less, against an attack that was limited in scope, lacked the element of surprise and cost Iran a measly 35 million dollars, there is little doubt in anyone’s mind that in the event of a regional war, Israel’s defense capabilities would quickly be saturated, leaving its territory devastated and its population decimated. The Israeli population is now clearly aware of this, and the depopulation process that has already cost it hundreds of thousands of nationals since October 7 is only set to increase.

For their part, the Palestinian people, abandoned by the world and Arab regimes in particular, were able to enjoy a brief respite. Gaza experienced its first hours of calm since October 7 during this unforgettable night. Palestinians were able to let their joy burst forth when they saw the epic images of the Iranian missiles flying over the Knesset and the Al-Aqsa mosque before striking the hearts of those responsible for their mass slaughter.

Not unlike the psychological shock of October 7, that of the night of April 13 will forever be engraved in people’s consciences. It will galvanize the Resistance while speeding up the process of “reverse migration” of Israeli settlers who have lived through a night of terror and nightmare and are now convinced that their army is incapable of protecting them.

With the senseless act of attacking the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Netanyahu sought to escape the inevitable reality of the bitter military failure of the army of occupation, despite six months of genocide and destruction, and to restore Israel’s illusion of power. The result is the opposite of what he likely expected, with Israel weaker and more isolated than ever.

Israel now has only one choice: to end the war in Gaza or go forward with a suicidal escalation that will set the region ablaze. The United States has clearly announced its desire to calm tensions and reach a ceasefire. The question now is whether Netanyahu’s instinct for self-preservation (his political survival) will take over the general interest. This scenario would put the very existence of Israel at risk.

Editor’s Note: The author of this article has chosen to publish under a pseudonym. This decision stems from residing in a European country where expressing criticism of Israel has become increasingly challenging. Sadly, governmental crackdowns on activism have compelled the author and others to take this precaution to safeguard their ability to contribute to public discourse. We believe it is crucial to respect their decision while valuing the insights and perspectives they offer in their writing.

Precision over power: How Iran’s ‘obsolete’ missiles penetrated Israel’s air defense

APR 19, 2024

Source: The Cradle

Iran’s successful breach of Israel’s highly regarded air defenses, despite the multi-nation alliance that joined those defense efforts, ultimately served as an Iranian political message to Tel Aviv.

A Cradle Contributor

Iran’s 13 April retaliatory missile strike on Israel, dubbed Operation True Promise, managed to overcome the occupation state’s integrated air defense systems and external foreign support. 

The strike, intended to deter future actions by Israel against Iranian personnel and facilities, was notably executed to avoid casualties and serious damage. The operation was especially bold as it targeted Israel, an undeclared nuclear power.

Open-source intelligence from videos and photographs identified multiple warheads striking Ramon airbase in the Negev, not Nevatim, as previously reported, although the occupation army confirmed strikes on Nevatim and released images showing minor damage. This suggests a systematic failure of Israel’s lauded air defenses against those five missiles that hit their target, one after the other.

A look at the missiles used

As Brigadier-General Ali Hajizadeh, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force’s commander, later stated: 

We attacked Israel using obsolete weapons and minimal means. At this stage, we did not use Khorramshahr, Sejjil, Shahid Haj Qassem, Kheibar Shekan[-2], and Hypersonic-2 missiles.

So what missiles did Iran deploy from its significant domestically-produced arsenal, and why?

Ghadr: Despite being 20 years old, this missile proved effective by deploying decoy warheads to exhaust Israel’s Arrow-2 intercept capabilities. While traversing in space, the Ghadr releases about 10 decoy warheads to lure Arrow-2 to launch 10 interceptors each at all 10 Iranian decoys – draining the enemy’s munitions stock.

The images of Israeli interceptors responding to a range of “lights in the skies” were, in fact, often just firing at decoys. The actual Iranian warheads, if not differentiated by Arrow-2’s systems and destroyed by its interceptors, reached their targets.

The missile is still relevant in Iran’s arsenal as it can create additional targets for the enemy’s missile defenses and suppress the operation of large-area assets, such as airbases. 

Dezful: A compact, cost-effective missile with a 600 to 700-kilogram payload, apparently used specifically to strike at an Israeli intelligence base in the occupied northern Golan, demonstrating its strategic deployment within its range limits. 

This is a low-cost, single-stage precision missile weighing just about 6 tons, yet able to reach Israel – a revolutionary advancement for Iran when Dezful entered service five years ago – but not Nevatim, because its range is about 1,000 kilometers. 

Emad: Approximately a decade old, this was used to test Iran’s countermeasures against newer air defense systems like Israel’s Arrow-3 and the American SM-3. It releases inflatable decoys in space to evade interception before re-entry.

Kheibar-Shekan-1: (early model, not the Kheibar-Shekan-2): IRGC’s answer to Israel’s Arrow-3. Kheibar-Shekan-1 entered service with IRGC Aerospace Force in 2022. It counters Arrow-3 by flying on a “depressed trajectory.” 

During the terminal phase of its flight, the Kheibar-Shekan-1 performs aerodynamic maneuvers designed to evade interception from multiple defense systems, including Arrow, Patriot, and David’s Sling.

These maneuvers, likened to a boxer dodging punches, complicate the interception process by forcing defense systems to delay their responses or deploy multiple interceptors, reducing their overall effectiveness. 

The Kheibar-Shekan-1 forces missile defenses to launch in the “launch-on-remote” mode, meaning several interceptors are required against a single missile. The successful strikes attributed to this missile, as indicated by Israel – with nine confirmed hits – underline its effectiveness and represent a significant evolution in missile technology despite being a generation behind the most recent IRGC models.

Kheibar-Shekan-1’s maneuverability makes it the most likely candidate to have achieved the successful strikes captured by video imagery.

Iranian media has since quoted Hajizadeh saying, “At this stage, we did not use the Khorramshahr, Sejjil, Shahid Haj Qassem, Kheibar-Shekan[-2], and Hypersonic-2 missiles,” which are all part of Iran’s advanced missile arsenal. That does not necessarily preclude Iran’s use of the older Kheibar-Shekan-1 missile, which still appears to be the most likely Iranian missile used to achieve direct hits successively. 

‘Weaker than a spider’s web’ 

Despite Israel’s integrated air defense system, which is bolstered by data from a US monitoring station in the Negev Desert and 36-hour prior notification of the strike from Tehran, multiple Iranian missiles successfully struck their targets. 

The US station monitors Iranian missile launches, with the collected data intended to enhance Israel’s defensive response. But despite the support of a multi-nation coalition, which included Jordan defending its airspace and Saudi Arabia and the UAE providing intelligence, Israel’s defenses were breached.

While Israel engaged in GPS jamming before the Iranian attack, its efforts proved futile. Such “electronic warfare” measures cannot counter Iran’s ballistic missiles. Although older drone models are susceptible to this, Iran’s Shahed-136 drone models have been “hardened” against GPS jamming.

This is likely based on Russian experiences in the Ukrainian military theater that were shared with the IRGC Aerospace Force. IRGC’s missiles use “inertial guidance systems,” which rely on built-in guidance systems like gyroscopes and computers. 

An inertial guidance system receives input at and just after launch. At this point, it ceases to receive data from the IRGC launch base and relies solely on its onboard systems. That the missiles traveled 1,000 to 1,200 kilometers and struck targets with pinpoint accuracy guided solely by onboard systems is a superlative achievement by Iran. 

Israel’s defense credibility at stake 

Israel and its allies claim hundreds of missiles and drones were launched by Iran. However, estimates favorable to the Iranian side suggest only 50 to 60 missiles were launched, with 9 to 15 striking their designated targets. 

The Israeli military’s propagandist claim of a 99 percent interception rate would fall to about 50 or 60 percent if the above estimate is accurate. The Israeli claim on the number of missiles may be inflated if they are counting the decoys deployed by Ghadr missiles. If so, the picture would look much grimmer for Israel’s missile defense performance. 

Hence, to save face and contain escalation, a politically driven inflation of overall launches is evident. This is in line with US interests, which seek to prevent escalation by Israel. Whether Washington’s aim of containing the crisis would allow it to publish the true number is unclear, particularly if the Iranian salvo was small. If it were proven that a relatively small Iranian salvo managed to defeat a complex missile defense system, Israel would lose its aura of invincibility.

Sending a clear message 

The types and quantities of missiles Iran chose to use in this strike are not just military tactics but also political messages intended to demonstrate capabilities and expose vulnerabilities in Israel’s air defense systems. 

What is evident, though, is that once multiple Iranian warheads penetrate Israel’s air defense systems and strike critical targets, an equation-changing political-military event has occurred. This is to say, Iran made a powerful statement by breaking through Israel’s air defenses and doing so with older ballistic missiles.

In response to threats from Israel about targeting Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities, the resilience of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure poses a significant challenge to the occupation state’s conventional capabilities. 

Despite the drawbacks, the potential political gains from such an attack might be considered favorable by embattled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing, nationalist government. 

In contrast, Iran’s response to any Israeli attack on nuclear facilities like Natanz or Fordow would likely be intense, drawing on the full capabilities of the IRGC Aerospace Force. It would also – to the horror of Tel Aviv and Washington – potentially lead to a revision of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear doctrine – as was suggested on 18 April by Iran’s Nuclear Centers Protection and Security Corps, Brigadier General Ahmed Haq Talab. 

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Cradle.

From the ‘Battle of Dignity’ to the shield of shame: How Jordan has fallen

APR 16, 2024

Source

Amman’s collaboration with Tel Aviv peaked last Saturday with its shocking defense of Israeli territory from Iranian drones and missiles, a move that may prove fateful for the future of the Hashemite Kingdom.

(Photo Credit: The Cradle)

Khalil Harb

The most dangerous development during Iran’s massive 13 April retaliatory strike against Israel last weekend was the defensive military alliance – comprising the US, Britain, Jordan, and France – that coalesced to defend the occupation state.

Jordan has jumped to Israel’s full defense at a time when Arabs have never been more collectively outraged by its crimes.

Particularly notable was Jordan’s role in thwarting Iran’s incoming drones and missiles. The Hashemite Kingdom was the only Arab or Muslim state to act as Israel’s “firewall,” providing direct military protection for Tel Aviv within a multilateral, regional military framework.

Despite Amman’s long-standing pro-Israel stance, this sudden reassertion of its position is indicative of some broader shifts in military strategies across West Asia. 

Patterns and calculations of confrontations across West Asia will be readjusted to adapt to this new equation and others that have emerged in the region as alliances shift to and away from the west. 

That includes the Axis of Resistance, which will likely reassess the expected range of responses in a future confrontation, given that western anti-missile capabilities are well spread throughout strategic locations – strategic sites from the Ain al-Assad base in Anbar, Iraq, to the Al-Tanf base at the Syrian–Jordanian–Iraqi border and from the Mashabim base in the Negev desert to the King Faisal base in northwestern Jordan.

Strategic shifts

Over the years, the Jordanian government has dramatically shrunk its commitments to the Palestinian cause and “Arabism.” 

This can be traced from its 1968 “Battle of Dignity” against Israel to 5 November, when King Abdullah II boasted of his country’s “success” in airdropping medical aid to the Jordanian field hospital in the Gaza Strip, and now, quite stunningly, employing its air force to protect Israel’s security from retaliatory Iranian strikes. 

This shift is not merely a reactionary measure but the culmination of years of extensive security and military coordination with the occupation state, as highlighted by a Jordanian opposition activist speaking to The Cradle. This deep-seated integration into anti-missile and drone operations reflects a strategic evolution rather than a spontaneous response.

Eyewitness reports from multiple sources to The Cradle describe the audible presence of warplanes over the Amman region, followed by the sound of explosions hours later when overhead projectiles were intercepted and downed. 

One Jordanian witness relays that the suburb of Marj al-Hamam saw the most interceptions against Iranian drones and missiles, with debris reported across the area.

Jordanian writer and journalist Rania Jabari informs The Cradle that “citizens in Jordan have felt jammed on the GPS for about two weeks,” that is, since after the Israeli airstrike on Iran’s consulate in Damascus. 

Amid rising concerns about a swift Iranian counterattack through drone incursions, Israel reportedly initiated GPS jamming operations across several regional countries, including Jordan. 

Jabari suggests that this electronic interference might have precipitated the Jordanian Air Force’s readiness to intercept any unauthorized aerial objects in its airspace, given the potential risks to national security from mistakenly guiding Iranian drones into Jordanian territory.

However, the Jordanian opposition activist casts doubt on the capability of Jordan’s Air Force – equipped with only about 60 older F-16 and F-5 aircraft – to single-handedly manage the response against hundreds of Iranian drones and missiles destined for Israel.

Regional repercussions 

Supporting these suspicions, Israeli Channel 12 reported that Israeli fighter jets had intercepted drones launched by Iran in the airspace of Jordan and Syria. 

The day after the Iranian Operation True Promise, the Jordanian government issued a vague statement, only saying that “some unidentified flying objects that entered our airspace last night were dealt with and intercepted to prevent endangering the safety of our citizens and inhabited areas.”

The statement conspicuously omitted any mention of the scale of involvement of the Israeli Air Force or the nature and role of US fighter jets participating in the operation.

Given the limitations of Jordan’s aerial fleet and the extensive geographic area these planes need to cover – a “firewall” stretching approximately 1,500 kilometers from western Iran to the occupied territories of Palestine – the involvement of international forces seems credible. 

Additionally, Iraqi sources inform The Cradle that coalition forces had shot down about 30 drones and missiles over Iraq, with explosions heard in regions like Erbil, Najaf, Wasit, and Anbar. This indicates that a significant number of the drones and missiles traversed Jordanian skies, where they were intercepted before reaching their intended targets in Israel.

The role of the Jordanian Air Force is so significant that the Iranian Mehr news agency quoted an Iranian military source as saying, “Iran will monitor Jordanian movements, and if they cooperate with Israel, Jordan will be our next target.”

The source is said to have “warned Jordan and other countries in the region before the start of the attack against cooperating with the occupying entity.”

This statement seems to have aroused the ire of the Jordanian government. On Sunday, authorities summoned the Iranian ambassador in Amman to warn against Tehran’s “questioning of Jordan’s position.”

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi also issued a statement saying that his government would “intercept any drone or missile that breaches our airspace, whether Iranian or Israeli.” 

However, the Jordanian oppositionist questions the accuracy of Safadi’s statement, especially about his country’s readiness to confront a similar threat coming from Tel Aviv, noting numerous occasions when Israeli fighter jets infiltrated Jordanian airspace to carry out raids on Syria. 

A history of betraying Palestine  

Jordan’s historical antagonism towards Palestinian resistance dates back to the “Black September” massacres of 1970, aimed at expelling the PLO from the country – allegedly with the support of former King Hussein bin Talal, who reportedly received backing from Israel and the US.

During the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel’s Air Force shot down and destroyed dozens of Jordanian aircraft. Following the 1994 Amman–Tel Aviv peace agreement, the two states have struck multiple defense deals, including Israel supplying Jordan with F-16 jets and Cobra helicopters.

Since the 1970s, when Israel supported Jordan during the Palestinian revolt against King Hussein, the two air forces have not engaged in combat. Israeli belligerence persists despite this. On the eve of the 1991 Gulf War, when asked about potential opposition from the Jordanian Air Force should Israel strike Iraq, then-retired Air Force Commander Avihu Ben-Nun boldly stated, “There would be no more Jordanian Air Force.”

It is very likely, moreover, that the western militaries involved in Israel’s defense last weekend utilized Jordanian bases. For example, US troops are stationed at the Mashabim air base in the Negev desert, supporting operations like the Iron Dome system. 

Similarly, UK and French military forces are present at multiple strategic locations within Jordan, including the King Faisal Air Base in Al-Jafr and the Humaymah base near Aqaba, where they play roles in regional defense and run intelligence operations.

There are also French troops at King Faisal Air Base, known as Al-Ruwaished Base, which is close to Al-Tanf. From this base, activities involving espionage operations in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Iran are carried out through a state-of-the-art reconnaissance center, and its airport is believed to be used by both Israeli and US drones. 

Sacrificing Jordan’s stability for Israel’s security 

But Jordan’s relations and collaboration with Tel Aviv remain deeply unpopular among the country’s citizenry, with protestors amassing for weeks near the Israeli embassy in Amman – many of them subsequently subjected to repression and tight security restrictions by Jordanian authorities. 

Adding to the pressure on Amman, the Iraqi resistance faction, Kataib Hezbollah, announced earlier this month its readiness to arm “12,000 fighters with light and medium weapons, anti-armor launchers, tactical missiles, millions of bullets and tons of explosives, so that we can be united to defend our Palestinian brothers,” adding that it would seek to “cut off the [Jordan] land route that reaches the Zionist entity.”

By participating in the interception of Iranian drones, Jordan has made a significant contribution to alleviating some pressure off Israel, but one that comes with a much more significant domestic consequence for the stability of the kingdom. 

Will Amman’s blatant alignment with Tel Aviv in this context prove to be politically detrimental for its monarch? In years to come, this decision may be viewed as a strategic error of gargantuan proportions. For now, Jordan’s political future and its position in regional politics remain uncertain – certainly as Tel Aviv and Tehran gear up for further confrontations. 

King Abdallah can jump into the fray as he did last weekend and suffer through further waves of domestic and Arab outrage, or he can resolve to stay neutral and quiet – as many larger, more powerful neighbors chose to do – and let Iranians and Israelis adversaries fight their own battles.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Cradle.

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Existential war: Gaza to West Bank & Iran’s retaliation

15 Apr 2024

Source: Al Mayadeen English

At the heart of the Axis of Resistance is the struggle for a free Palestine, and all unfolding events are interconnected to serve that larger goal. (Illustrated by Hady Dbouq for Al Mayadeen English)

By Myriam Charabaty

The escalating confrontations in the West Bank are intricately linked to the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the Axis of Resistance’s support for Palestine, and Iran’s retaliatory operation, True Promise.

In recent months, the West Bank has witnessed a disturbing trend: a surge in attacks by settlers targeting Palestinian individuals and villages. While this pattern of aggression is not novel within the context of “Israel’s” policy of ethnic cleansing, its intensified manifestation, often concealed under the pretext of incidents such as the disappearance of a settler near Ramallah, underscores the volatile aftermath of Operation al-Aqsa Flood.

Amidst this backdrop, the launch of Operation al-Aqsa Flood emerges as a watershed moment that reaffirms the cause of Palestine as a central Arab and Islamic one, especially amid the existing critical juncture on the global scale.

Though carried out by the al-Qassam Brigades, this operation is like a sprout from the deep roots of the ongoing battle for Palestine’s freedom, led by what has become known as the Axis of Resistance.

Spanning from the Mashreq to the Maghreb (Orient to the Occident), across the breadth of the Arab and Islamic worlds, the events unfolding in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and throughout occupied Palestine have ignited a widespread response. These developments have set off a chain reaction, leading to escalations not only within the West Bank but also beyond, fueled by “Israel’s” “campaigns between wars.”

This campaign precipitated Iran’s remarkable retaliation following an Israeli assault on its consulate in Damascus. Understanding these unfolding events requires contextualizing them within the broader geopolitical landscape, where regional power dynamics intersect with longstanding conflicts and resistance movements.

Israeli settlers expelled under Resistance fire

Since October 7, the Israeli government has made public the displacement of over 250,000 Israeli settlers from their settlements. These settlements, largely constructed on land ethnically cleansed of its indigenous Palestinian and Arab communities, have become targets of Resistance operations spanning both northern and southern regions of occupied Palestine.

In the south, particularly in the Gaza envelope, where Palestinians besieged in the Gaza Strip once resided, a comprehensive evacuation has taken place after the Palestinian Resistance breached the Israeli separation walls and entered the settlements before showering its vicinity with missiles that have even reached “Tel Aviv” on multiple occasions.

The evacuation has significantly reduced the presence of settlers along the borders of the besieged Strip. Many settlers have relocated to central “Israel”, while others have scattered throughout the occupied territories. Some have chosen to return to their countries of origin, primarily in Europe or the Americas, based on their nationality prior to settling in “Israel”.

In the north, Resistance operations, spearheaded by Hezbollah and other factions, compelled Israeli settlers to evacuate settlements bordering Lebanon by a depth of 5 to 8 kilometers as reportedly revealed by Israeli journalists and Resistance sources.

While unprecedented since the so-called inception of “Israel”, these evacuations were anticipated. Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah previously underscored that in the next war with “Israel”, settlers would be forced to abandon their settlements, and while this is not even a widescale war, his words proved to be true once again. This strategic shift aims to bring the conflict to “Israel” rather than allow “Israel” to instigate hostilities against Lebanon, as it did in 2006 and 2000.

As Israeli deterrence erodes, it becomes increasingly apparent to settlers that they face an irreversible choice: either leave occupied Palestine or occupy another Palestinian home elsewhere in occupied Palestine.

Making up for what was lost on October 7

Israeli settlers faced a new reality following October 7, even vis-a-vis their daily life. Displaced settlers are now facing declining living standards after having initially migrated to “Israel” in pursuit of the material gains they had been promised once they settled in 

Instead, settlers are now struggling, not even to preserve their privileges against indigenous Palestinians, but to merely meet their daily needs as they lose their homes and the rest of the material gains they were promised at a time when the IOF has clearly failed to achieve any of its goals in the Strip or across the Northern Front – another issue which eliminates hope for Israeli settlers that things could get better in the foreseeable future.

IOF-backed Israeli settlers attacked several villages and towns in the occupied West Bank on Saturday and opened fire on Palestinians and their properties.

Among the villages targeted by the settlers were Duma, Baytin, Turmusaya, Atara, and Deir Dibwan east of the Ramallah and… pic.twitter.com/s8iawFvFyH

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) April 15, 2024

Moreover, with the erosion of Israeli deterrence, settlers, once assured of their superiority over other regional powers such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iran, to name a few, now seethe with fury at their expulsion from territories they occupied during the 1948 Nakba and the 1967 Six-Day War. This resentment has boiled over, leading to a surge in attacks on Palestinian residents of the West Bank, surpassing previous levels of violence and reoccurring at a more frequent rate.

Simultaneously, Israeli occupation influencers-turned-government officials like Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have spearheaded efforts to arm all settlers, going beyond the usual military program enforced upon Israeli settlers. The arming, which came under the guise of “fighting terrorism”, aims to revive historic terrorist Zionist organizations such as the Haganah, which conducted the initial Nakba in 1948, killing hundreds and thousands of Palestinians on purely racist grounds to occupy their homes and lands.

It’s crucial to recognize that “Israel’s” ethnic cleansing policies, which intensified notably after the events of Seif al-Quds in 2021 and further escalated following October 7, have emboldened settlers to perpetrate the same crimes of genocide as the Israeli occupation Forces are conducting the Gaza Strip [Over 33,000 martyrs] and the same crimes as the Haganah did in 1948.

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Since Friday evening, Israeli settlers have been storming several towns of the occupied West Bank, vandalizing and setting houses and vehicles on fire and physically assaulting Palestinian civilians. pic.twitter.com/OMFa9ZwP0E

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) April 15, 2024

Next stop on the path towards liberation: West Bank, East Bank

Looking for alternatives as the Israeli cities become overcrowded and the economy crumbles, settlers go stealing Palestinian homes and ethnically cleansing entire villages to accommodate their needs. This is not new, as we all remember the Israeli proverb put forward by the settler Yacob: “If I don’t steal it, someone else is gonna steal it.”

The killing of Palestinians and the destruction of their homes by settlers, under the protection of Israeli occupation forces, is fueling anger among the Palestinian people. This anger is exacerbated by the Israeli occupation government’s continuous announcement of new land seizures, extending over dozens of dunums in the West Bank, and even in al-Quds’ Sheikh Jarrah.

Coupled with widespread detention campaigns, assassinations, military raids, and other oppressive practices, this situation is pushing people toward embracing armed Resistance as the only means to achieve a free Palestine and live with dignity.

It is also important to note that in the West Bank, the Resistance has already begun establishing liberated zones, particularly across the triangle of hell: Jenin, Nablus, and Tulkarm. However, recent settler attacks have targeted areas in the Ramallah and Nablus governorates, farther from the refugee camps where the Resistance has garnered strong popular support and found a conducive environment to thrive.

This escalation is likely to ignite a widespread intifada across the West Bank, to expand the operation that was launched on October 7, bringing the war to the heart of occupied Palestine. This is especially likely given that the settler attacks are being conducted under the supervision of the IOF who have besieged multiple cities. These aggressions remain ongoing today, four days on, without stopping except when the Iranian missiles shook “Israel”.

The consequences of such an intifada, given its existential nature, may also provoke unrest across the East Bank of the Jordan River, where approximately 80% of the population is Palestinian.

Iran’s retaliation in context

In turn, Iran’s retaliation can be seen in the context of the West Bank and the historic struggle for the liberation of Palestine and the ending of Western hegemony in the region. This retaliation on Israeli-occupied Palestine consolidated the Axis of Resistance as a series of interconnected rings that had both the military capability and the strategic patience to coordinate operations to achieve a unified goal of an Israeli demise and ultimately US containment in the region.

As such, Iran’s successful cornering of the US and “Israel” in a well-calculated, below-threshold, but fully effective response, has underscored a new era in the struggle for the liberation of Palestine.

This meant that much like the Axis of Resistance did not leave the Gaza Strip and its Resistance alone, the West Bank Resistance would also have the support of the Axis.

The sky over the Dome of the Rock lights up with Iranian missiles striking "Israel".#Iran #Palestine pic.twitter.com/by4NqxgVHv

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) April 13, 2024

This new era grants the Palestinian Resistance a larger margin of operation and limits if not ends “Israel’s” renowned “Campaign Between Wars” which was started in 2013 to “address Iran’s growing threat” following the start of the war on Syria. This means that Israeli deterrence has fallen even deeper than it has on October 7 with Hamas and on October 8 with Hezbollah and later in the face of Yemen and others.

To better understand the depth of that, one must look at Iran’s unprecedented retaliation against “Israel” following an attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus. The retaliation, in fact, underscored the strategic maneuvering at play within the Axis of Resistance.

It stressed that beyond its primary objective of Palestinian liberation, this coalition seeks to dismantle the enduring legacies of colonialism and imperialism, epitomized by pivotal agreements like the Balfour Declaration, which allowed for the establishment of the Israeli occupation as a barrier “state” on occupied Palestinian soil with the aim of expansion and the Sykes-Picot Accords which partitioned the region into multi-purpose entities that serve colonialism.

Amidst escalating tensions and deepening geopolitical fault lines, it is impossible to understand unfolding events without delving into the complex and multifaceted dynamics of the existential war taking place at the heart of the Arab world; the war of the unmaking of the Sykes-Picot Accords.

In a more simplified way, one can explain the broader situation by saying that the Axis is determined to give the US and “Israel” a run for their money in the region. The Resistance movements in the region, backed by Iran and Syria, have one big mission: free Palestine and take down those pesky imperialist structures that have been causing trouble in the Arab and Islamic worlds.

Keep the big picture ahead, save your rage for the right time

Despite the ongoing genocide in which “Israel” has been targeting unarmed civilians, the Resistance continues to stand strong. It continues to conduct ambushes unimaginable by the Israeli occupation forces claiming their lives a dozen at a time.

As the leaders of the Palestinian Resistance have reportedly underscored, be it al-Qassam Brigades or al-Quds Brigades or others, Iran and the Axis of Resistance, especially Syria and Hezbollah, have played a key role in strengthening and transferring expertise to the Strip.

Much like in the Strip, the Axis of Resistance has no intention of allowing the West Bank and its Resistance to be wiped out and has a few tricks up its sleeve to turn the table on “Israel” and the West. 

In this context, it must be remembered that the struggle to liberate Palestine extends beyond the entity of Palestine as drawn by the Sykes-Picot Accords but involves the re-emergence of the historic Arab world with Palestine as the compass that has the ability to achieve that through the demise of the barrier “state” otherwise known as “Israel”.

In such situations, events unfold relatively quickly; however, there is no benefit in rushing liberation. Rather it is required to mature slowly in the sense that it becomes inevitable.

Read more: A century of colonialism crushed at the feet of Resistance

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War on Gaza

Why is Jordan cracking down on support for Gaza?

APR 10, 2024

Source

Support for the Palestinian cause, at an all-time high globally, is being actively suppressed by Jordanian authorities, under pressure to keep a lid on anti-Israel displays in the kingdom.

(Photo Credit: The Cradle)

Kit Klarenburg

For the past fortnight, thousands of Jordanians have taken to the streets of Amman, besieging the Israeli embassy, condemning the Gaza genocide, demanding the Hashemite Kingdom sever all ties with Tel Aviv – and, in particular, tearing up the country’s 1994 peace treaty with Israel. 

Jordanian security forces have met these protests with increasing severity, signaling the government’s unease with too much public criticism of Israel. Amidst the turmoil, Saudi Arabia – Jordan’s biggest Arab patron – watches warily, concerned that a surge in Palestinian solidarity might challenge its own regional dominance and sink all prospects of Riyadh’s normalization with Tel Aviv.

Banning ‘Palestine’

This includes banning Palestinian flags, keffiyehs, and banners from protests – a mirror of the restrictions imposed in several pro-US Arab states. Attendees are also subjected to invasive body searches and identification checks, and select individuals are barred from participating. 

The crackdowns seem to change by the day – one day, protesters are seen with their keffiyehs, and the next, they are not. The same goes for Palestinian flags. At times, they are visible in the throngs; with the flip of a switch, protesters resort to flashing the flag only on their mobile phones.

The public demonstrations are mainly confined to the heavily barricaded courtyard of Kaluti Mosque, situated near Amman’s evacuated Israeli embassy, and restricted to a duration of only two hours.

During the month of Ramadan, protests commence at 10 PM, following the conclusion of mass Taraweeh prayers. As one protester relates to The Cradle:

Police insist it needs to be over by midnight, then break it off violently or through intimidation if people refuse to leave. Greater restrictions are a huge deterrent to attending, especially having to show your ID – people worry it’ll somehow be used against them later. Due to the barriers, some people often can’t even get in, and those who do can’t move. It’s meant to demoralize us, trapping us in a cage and preventing us from breaking out into the streets.

The banning of Palestine’s flag is an especially sensitive escalation by Jordanian authorities. A small majority of the Jordanian population is Palestinian by birth. They consist of refugees from Palestine and their descendants, as well as residents of the West Bank during the period of Amman’s administration from 1948 to 1967.

As there is no census in the country, the precise figure is unknown. This may be by design, in order to diminish Palestine’s societal and political influence in the British-created Hashemite Kingdom.

A symbolic struggle intensifies 

In a hugely symbolic development, violence towards Palestine solidarity protesters in Amman reached its zenith on 30 March, Land Day, which commemorates a fateful date in 1976 when Zionist authorities first began formally confiscating Palestinian territory for settlement. 

Six unarmed Palestinians – including three women – were murdered that day by Israeli occupation forces, with hundreds more injured during subsequent clashes. Ever since then, Jordanian officials have attempted to calm the situation and present themselves as committed anti-Zionists.

In their response to the past week of protests, authorities in Amman have tried to strike a quiet balance. Government Communications Minister Muhannad Mubaidin has claimed that condemning Israel is a core national ethos, affirming Amman’s solidarity with Palestine and the citizens’ right to protest despite “violations” committed by a minority of demonstrators.

Yet, as one anonymous Jordanian activist tells The Cradle, “many of us think this is just talk.” After all, many protesters arrested over the past two weeks remain in “administrative detention,” and formal restrictions on the protests have only ratcheted since 30 March.

The X account of the “Jordanian Youth Gathering for the Support of the Resistance” lists the names and photographs of 54 protesters they allege are currently being detained by Jordanian security forces. For supporting Palestine, they remain behind bars during the official Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Jordan’s Palestinian identity crisis 

In September 1970, in response to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) using Jordan as a highly effective staging ground for strikes upon the occupation state, Jordanian forces began attacking cities, including Amman, with a substantial fedayeen presence. 

Commonly known as Black September, events that month spiraled into what was effectively a civil war, with Palestinians and Jordanians on both sides of the divide. Several protesters who spoke to The Cradle note the obvious parallels between then and now, with one saying banning symbols of Palestine solidarity “seems insane,” given the historical context of such actions in Amman.

Activists also say that accusations against Palestine solidarity protesters in Jordan of serving “foreign agendas” and being directed by overseas actors have reached unprecedented levels. 

Although blaming the ‘Other’ is an age-old tactic of authorities to dispel dissent among populations, several activists tell The Cradle it has reached “shocking” and unprecedented levels this time round. The cast of characters who stand accused include the Muslim Brotherhood, Iran, Hamas, and even the west.

Despite these accusations, the protests have a genuine international component, fostering a spirit of unity among Palestine solidarity activists across West Asia, including Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Oman. 

“People in Cairo were chanting against [Jordan’s King] Abdullah II a few days ago, while we chanted against [Egyptian President Abdel Fattah] al-Sisi. We call on each other to rise!” a Jordanian protester proudly tells The Cradle. Such scenes are absolute anathema to various governments within and outside West Asia.

Israel’s counterstrategy

This growing Arab solidarity with Palestine has not gone unnoticed by Israel, which is acutely aware of the horrendous reputational impact its Gaza genocide is having overseas. A leaked US State Department memo has revealed Tel Aviv is recruiting “influencers to help target social media users” in Europe and North America, and “Egypt, Jordan, and Gulf Arab countries” to highlight purported Hamas atrocities. 

Accordingly, open-source investigation platform EekadFacts has exposed a number of X accounts, reportedly based in Jordan, posting relentless anti-Hamas messaging.

These cloak-and-dagger activities have done nothing to quell Palestine solidarity in any corner of the world and have thrown pro-US Arab allies, particularly Saudi Arabia, for a loop.

Riyadh’s role 

As Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar forcefully noted on 4 April, Riyadh has “launched its press and electronic flies to defend the Hashemite throne” – ironic, given that in 2021, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) attempted to overthrow King Abdullah II and install his brother, Prince Hamzah, as regent. The coup plotters, it should be noted, remain on trial in Amman today.

A largely forgotten component of that failed putsch was Israel’s central involvement. As Al-Akhbar observed, Bin Salman is desperate to crush Palestine solidarity, for such activity interferes with his long-term “ambition to normalize relations with Israel, as a way to obtain American guarantees for the security and safety of the Saudi regime.” 

This includes US acquiescence to the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Riyadh and US assistance in establishing nuclear infrastructure that includes a nuclear fuel circuit on Saudi territory – both longtime Saudi demands.

Riyadh and Tel Aviv were on the verge of normalizing relations when Operation Al-Aqsa Flood struck, followed by the brutal assault on Gaza.

Israel’s military blitzkrieg made normalization an untenable proposition. While initially, MbS suggested it was off the table, this was clearly an expedient fudge to uphold his claim that the kingdom “represents the heart of the Muslim world” and “senses the hopes and pains of Muslims everywhere, strives to achieve unity, cooperation and solidarity in our Muslim world.” 

By January, he had reversed course, openly and repeatedly expressing “interest” in “recognition” of Tel Aviv – provided Israel agrees to advance the two-state solution and build a “renewed” Palestinian Authority that can, presumably, garner the support of actual Palestinians.

Concurrently, Riyadh has been meeting with representatives of Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, and UAE to hammer out a “joint plan” for Gaza, post-war. It would see the brutal, collaborationist, British-trained Palestinian Authority take over as the territory’s undisputed ruler, with Hamas frozen out of all official offices and agencies. 

It is a proposition neither Palestinian freedom fighters nor Palestine solidarity activists the world over are likely to accept.

Scoring a self-goal? Lebanon’s Christians and the war in Gaza

MAR 27, 2024

(Photo Credit: The Cradle)

Ever since 8 October, when Hezbollah rallied militarily to support the Palestinian resistance in Gaza in their war against Israel, Lebanese Christian political leaders have taken a firm stance opposing the entanglement of the Shia powerhouse – or any other Lebanese faction – in the region’s myriad conflicts. 

Notable figures among these are former President Michel Aoun and Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) leader Gebran Bassil – both long-term Christian allies of Hezbollah since 2006, who now vocally oppose efforts to unite forces in support of Palestine. Even influential figures like the head of Lebanon’s Maronite Church, Patriarch Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, echo this sentiment.

Samir Geagea, leader of the right-wing, pro-US Lebanese Forces, never one to mince words, accused Hezbollah of seeking to “obtain the presidency and Lebanon’s government in return for withdrawing weapons from the border” with Israel. Anyone thinking of a bargain involving the presidency and the border situation, Geagea said, would be “dreaming.”

According to Geagea – who served 11 years in prison for the 1994 bombing of a church and the assassination of top Lebanese political officials and their families – Hezbollah “does not want to engage in a war, but only wants to garner internal gains, while Iran wants to garner additional gains at the regional level.”

The former warlord stressed that “putting Lebanon in the barrel of the cannon will not benefit the Palestinian cause but will bring us total destruction.” 

Lebanon’s political deadlock

For his part, Samy Gemayel, Head of the Kataeb Party, claims:

Hezbollah deceives both Lebanese and Palestinians when it pretends to open a support front in the Gaza war. However, this front practically has no impact on the situation in Gaza … Any barter that protects Israel’s security at the expense of handing over Beirut to Hezbollah … Anyone who thinks that such a settlement will pass is mistaken, as we will be in the face of any new settlement that threatens our future in Lebanon.

It should be noted that the Kataeb and Lebanese Forces parties (the latter existed initially as the military wing of the former) fired the first bullet in Lebanon’s 15-year civil war at Palestinian civilians and are responsible for the notorious Sabra and Shatila refugee camp massacre, in which thousands of Palestinians were gunned down over three days, all while Israeli choppers lit the night skies overhead.

Today, Lebanese political analyst Wael Najm says the country’s political parties are in limbo, “awaiting the outcome of the battle in Gaza and the confrontations in southern Lebanon. Thus, the movement in the presidential file has been frozen.”

These accusations from Lebanon’s Christian leaders come despite Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah stressing that his party would not seek to achieve political gains in Lebanon based on the results of the Gaza war.

As FPM member Rindala Jabbour tells The Cradle:

Hezbollah does not exert its military power in Lebanese internal politics. If it wanted to use its surplus power, it would have done so after the 2006 war, and there have been many opportunities to do so. Hezbollah does not impose its power. Otherwise, there would be many different equations. It would have imposed many things it wanted.

“I don’t think we are any longer in the era of political Shiism, Maronism, or even Sunnism. I think we [Lebanon] have passed those stages,” she adds.

Maronites for the Moqawama 

Highlighting the interconnectedness of regional dynamics, Jabbour says, “There is an awareness that what is happening in Palestine, Syria, and the encirclement countries will inevitably affect Lebanon,” and that many Christians will ultimately support the fight against Israeli aggression. 

Many Christians support the resistance because they know it has a fundamental role in protecting Lebanon and has given the country a deterrent force. This group knows that there are consequences and repercussions of the Palestinian war on Lebanon, especially if the Palestinian resistance is defeated and Israel achieves its goals.

Jabbour clarifies her party’s position: “By separating the squares, we mean not to put Lebanon in a crisis in which it cannot bear the repercussions. The Free Patriotic Movement is indeed with the separation of squares, but it appreciates the wisdom of the resistance in dealing with the different issues.”

There is a point of view that supports the resistance, but it expresses its fear of provoking an Israeli war and giving an excuse for Israel to invade Lebanon. Especially since Lebanon currently can’t handle any war.

Jabbour laments the shortcomings of some Christians who distance themselves from the resistance, expressing concerns that their words and actions may inadvertently align with Israel’s interests, as was the case with the Phalangists during the Lebanese Civil War. 

Writer and researcher Qasem Qassir explains to The Cradle that many critics of Hezbollah’s battle on the southern border are so caught up in Lebanon’s endless, internal political squabbles that they can’t see the forest for the trees: 

Hezbollah confirms, through all of its officials, that participation in the war has to do with confronting the Israeli enemy and supporting the Palestinian people and has nothing to do with any internal issue, regardless of the results of the war and its connotations. Hezbollah further confirms that with the implementation of the Taif Agreement and with the internal dialogue on all files, including the presidential file, no amendment will be put forward to the system and that it respects the Lebanese formula.

The Taif Agreement, for those uninitiated in Lebanon’s sect-based political system, is the 1989 deal struck between feuding Lebanese warlords to end the country’s 1975–1990 Civil War, in which all sides endorsed a plan to divide parliamentary seats equally between Muslims and Christians. 

Concerning the negative repercussions that could impact Lebanese Christians in the widening regional war, Qassir believes that “First and foremost, the Israeli danger is a danger to all of Lebanon, not only to Palestine or Gaza, and there is an Israeli objective to displace Palestinians to Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon. Therefore, it is important to support the resistance and face Israel,” regardless of one’s views on the region’s Iran-led Axis of Resistance.

Gaza affects Lebanon

A recent survey conducted by the Jewish People’s Policy Institute revealed that 63 percent of Israelis believe that their military should attack Hezbollah with full force at the first available opportunity or after the war in Gaza subsides. These results are consistent with the official Israeli rhetoric calling for the invasion of Lebanon – irrespective of whether a lasting ceasefire is struck with Gaza. 

Speaking to The Cradle, Palestinian political analyst Iyad al-Qara laments the shortsightedness of Lebanon’s naysayers: “The positions of some Christian parties, unfortunately, were negative, both regarding the resistance operations in southern Lebanon and those they had during the Gaza war. This is surprising.”

“If Gaza falls, this could be a prelude to the occupation of Lebanon,” he warns. Qara further points out:

The steadfastness of Gaza helps protect Lebanon from Israel’s attacks. Therefore, Christians should not look at the current conflict from the perspective of disagreements and wars with some Palestinians, especially since the circumstances are different from before. They must reconsider their position because the victory of Gaza is a victory for both Lebanon and Palestine. Thus, their position should be more positive.

“The Israeli army’s attempts to displace people from Gaza will continue, whether optional or mandatory,” Qara concludes. 

In this context, extremist Israeli activist Daniella Weiss, the “godmother” of the Zionist settler movement, which for the first time in Israel’s history has powerful cabinet members representing its interests at every level, recently told CNN: “No Arab, I’m speaking about more than two million Arabs. They will not stay there. We Jews will be in Gaza … 500 families have already signed up to resettle in Gaza.”

Be careful what you wish for 

According to UNRWA, there are 1.2 million Palestinians in the Rafah area, south of Gaza, who are currently surviving in catastrophic humanitarian conditions.

A report by Lebanese academic and researcher Abbas Assi, published on the Carnegie Endowment For International Peace website, states, “The Christian community in Lebanon has several concerns about the ongoing war. They fear that if Israel defeats Hamas, it may be tempted to launch a full-scale war on Hezbollah in Lebanon, further impacting the already fragile Lebanese economy.”

Moreover, they worry that Israel’s success in deporting Palestinians from Gaza could impede the return of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon to their homeland, and their naturalization in Lebanon would become inevitable. As a result, the power of the Christian minority, which is already grappling with a demographic decline, would be further weakened.

Lebanese journalist Ghassan Saoud says the Lebanese Church is now working to mitigate negative fallout by crafting a national document in cooperation with several Christian political parties. Among the paper’s goals is “to be frank with others about concerns (among Christians in particular) in a calm, rational, and sober language, far from street hooliganism.” 

In the final analysis, the war on Gaza should not be allowed to negatively impact Lebanon’s political fabric – especially during a period of insecurity. 

Rather than banking on the downfall of Palestinian resistance or envisioning a post-Hezbollah Lebanon, Lebanon’s Christian politicos should consider the broader, more immediate ramifications of the growing regional conflict. The loss of Gaza could fundamentally alter their position in West Asia, with the refugee crisis exacerbating their demographic minority status in Lebanon. 

This could potentially necessitate amendments to the Taif Agreement to align with Lebanon’s evolving demographic and political reality. Consequently, Christian political leaders – particularly those aligned with anti-Hezbollah foreign states – are advised to weigh these issues carefully before lashing out at Lebanon’s resistance, the country’s only safeguard against Israel.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Cradle.

Live from ‘Eilat’ port, Dimitri Lascaris details impact of Yemeni ops

 March 19, 2024

Source: Dimitri Lascaris

An aerial view of the “Eilat-Ashkelon” oil terminal at “Israel’s” southern Red Sea port city of “Eilat’, occupied Umm Rashrash, occupied Palestine, on February 9, 2021. (AFP)

By Al Mayadeen English

Dimitri Lascaris’ report on the Israeli occupation’s port settlement of “Eilat” reveals the severe impact of the Yemeni Armed Forces’ operations on the Israeli occupation’s economy.

Dimitri Lascaris, a Canadian lawyer and journalist, visited the Israeli occupation’s port settlement of “Eilat” on March 17 through 18 and reported that the Yemeni operations conducted by the Yemeni Armed Forces have indeed left the port settlement devoid of any cargo ships.

“There are no cargo ships here, no tankers [visible],” said Lascaris.

According to Lascaris, “All indications” point to the fact that “the attacks on Red Sea shipping by the Ansar Allah movement continued to have dramatic impacts on this particular port facility.”

The Canadian lawyer further underscored that the settlement is “far away from the major population centers of Israel,” adding that “it’s also not served by rail, at least not yet.”

This means that the Red Sea blockade against the Israeli occupation and in defense of the Gaza Strip has actually choked the settlement, which had no way around due to the lack of rail routes.

Through “Eilat”, “Israel” imports vehicles from Asia and delivers and temporarily stores oil cargo.

“There is almost no one on those beaches,” Lascaris reported, adding that there is “no indication of any tourism here.” Even kiosks and shops appear to be shut down, at this time of year, on a Sunday.

This is especially significant given that “Eilat” has been dubbed by Israeli media as a touristic destination.

“It certainly does seem quiet here.”

My latest:

I just visited Israel’s Red Sea port to see how attacks on commercial shipping by Yemen’s Ansar Allah (supporters of God) had affected maritime traffic to and from Eilat, Israel.

Based on what I saw, Ansar Allah has had a devastating impact.https://t.co/937Me8KiV0…

— Dimitri Lascaris (@dimitrilascaris) March 19, 2024

Discussing the topic of the Israeli occupation’s economy, the journalist said that in the first two months of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, the economy has shrunk by 20%, adding that “it may well have shrunk further since then.”

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The journalist referred to a statement by the head of the port facility in December 2023, saying, “Maritime traffic in Eilat had plummeted by some 85% due to the attacks.”

Lascaris, who chose to remain in “Eilat” overnight, also reported “no commercial shipping activity whatsoever in Israeli waters or at the Israeli port.”

Concluding his report, Lascaris proclaimed, “If Israel and its backers are seriously interested in bringing an end to the severe damage to the Israeli economy, there’s one simple, straightforward, and morally correct course of action to pursue in that regard, and that is to put a stop to the genocidal assault on Gaza and, frankly, the criminal assaults on the West Bank as well.”

YAF hit US oil tanker, ‘Eilat’

Earlier on Tuesday, the spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF), Brigadier General Yahya Saree, announced that the YAF Navy targeted the American oil tanker MADO in the Red Sea using appropriate naval missiles.

“Our forces fired several winged missiles at Israeli targets in the Umm al-Rashrash region in southern occupied Palestine,” he added.

He stressed that these operations come in support of the Palestinian people, who are still facing Israeli aggression and siege, and in response to the US and British aggression on Yemen.

Al-Houthi: Our ops. hit Indian Ocean, to be expanded to Cape Route

Meanwhile, the leader of the Yemeni Ansar Allah movement, Sayyed Abdul al-Malik al-Houthi, declared on March 14 that the Yemeni Armed Forces are heading toward expanding the scope of their operations conducted against the Israeli occupation forces’ war on the Gaza Strip.

Sayyed al-Houthi’s announcement will reverberate across global politics, as he underlined that the YAF is heading toward launching attacks on vessels in the Indian Ocean that have been redirected toward the Cape of Good Hope Route, following attacks on merchant and military vessels affiliated with the tripartite Alliance of Evil of the United States, the United Kingdom, and “Israel”.

Avoiding missile and drone attacks from the Yemeni Navy in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, ships heading toward Israeli-occupied ports have opted for the longer route of circling the African continent, paralyzing the Israeli-occupied port in Um al-Rashrash or “Eilat”.

“Our Yemeni Armed Forces will carry on the Battle of the Promised Conquest and Holy Jihad in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza,” the leader of the Ansar Allah emphasized on Thursday. 

“Operations targeting Israeli-affiliated vessels and ships affiliated with the American and British sides are ongoing with high effectiveness,” he revealed.

Read more: YAF target US tanker in Red Sea: Saree

---

War on Gaza

Sayyed Nasrallah: ‘Israel’ to pay with blood for civilian deaths

16 Feb 2024

Source: Al Mayadeen English

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah speaks on a screen via a video link during a ceremony to mark the anniversary of the martyrdom of Hezbollah leaders, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, February 16, 2024 (AP)

By Al Mayadeen English

Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah underlines that the Israeli occupation’s crimes in southern Lebanon will be responded to in kind and that Hezbollah will not only strike military sites.

The Israeli occupation will pay with blood for its killing of civilians in southern Lebanon, as this is a sensitive issue for the Resistance and a red line that was crossed, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said during a speech on Friday to commemorate the fallen leaders of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon.

“The aggression on Nabatieh and al-Sawaneh is a momentous development in the ongoing confrontation because it targeted civilians,” he underlined, stressing that the Israeli occupation killed civilians intentionally. 

“The enemy will pay with blood for its shedding of our women and children’s blood in Nabatieh and al-Sawaneh,” he stressed.

“Civilians are a sensitive issue, and the enemy must understand that it has gone too far if it gets to killing our civilians,” the Lebanese Resistance leader affirmed, noting that the occupation deliberately killed civilians to force the Resistance to halt its operations, as “all the pressures exerted since October 7 had the goal of shutting down the southern front.”

“Bombing ‘Kiryat Shmona’ with dozens of Katyusha rockets and several Falaq missiles is a preliminary response,” Sayyed Nasrallah underlined.

The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon – Hezbollah continued on Thursday targeting Israeli military sites and settlements in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza and the Palestinian Resistance, as well as in response to the Israeli occupation’s attacks on Lebanese villages and civilian homes in southern Lebanon. 

The Islamic Resistance issued a brief statement announcing that its fighters targeted the Israeli settlement of “Kiryat Shmona” with dozens of Katyusha rockets as an initial response to the massacres in Nabatieh and al-Sawaneh.

Furthermore, the fighters of the resistance targeted the Samaqa site with missiles, with several direct hits confirmed.

The Islamic Resistance also declared that its fighters, using suitable weapons, attacked espionage equipment at the Marj, al-Raheb, and al-Naqoura locations in addition to the Ruweisat al-Alam site in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms.

While lamenting the loss of civilian life, Sayyed Nasrallah went on to underline that military casualties were a natural part of any battle of liberation. “We are at the heart of a battle that spans over 100km, and the martyrdom of Resistance fighters is part of this battle,” he said.

As he went on to vow that the Resistance would retaliate against the Israeli occupation, he said the response to the massacre in southern Lebanon “must be an escalation in jihadist work on the battlefront,” warning the Israeli occupation that the Resistance has a massive missile power that would allow it to strike Israeli targets from “Kiryat Shmona” all the way to “Eilat”.

Capitulation is not an option

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addressed the minority calling for the Resistance to halt its operations and allow for the continuation of the bloodshed in Gaza, saying capitulation “bears a great, devastating cost that could even become existential.”

“Capitulation means subservience and humiliation, and it will allow for violations of our elders, our youth, our women, and our property,” he explained.

In a similar vein and in light of the Arab and Islamic worlds allowing Gaza to be violated as they stood idle, Sayyed Nasrallah asked: “Is it not humiliating and a symbol of weakness that entire states ruling over 2 billion Muslims are unable to administer medicine and food to the people of Gaza?”

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Speaking further on internal Lebanese issues, he pledged that the Resistance’s arms “are not to be used for altering the Lebanese political regime or constitution and imposing a sectarian status quo in the country.”

Moreover, he said the Resistance’s arms “are to protect Lebanon, and the land borders are demarcated; the only way any negotiations take place will be on the basis of exiting our Lebanese soil.” 

“The US is preventing the Lebanese Army from having adequate arms and missiles for defending Lebanon and deterring any aggression on it,” he added.

US to blame for the bloodshed

If an investigation is opened into October 7, Sayyed Nasrallah said, “the basis for the moral and legal pretexts Netanyahu and Biden are using for their goal of destroying Hamas will collapse.”

“Many people have fallen for the historic Israeli false narrative regarding October 7, including countries that claim to be friendly with Hamas,” he said. “The Palestinian Resistance has been subjected since October 7 to the worst humiliation and smear campaigns any Resistance movement has been subjected to in our contemporary history.”

“The worst case of hypocrisy witnessed by the world today is the stance of the US administration regarding what is going on in Gaza,” he further said, noting that if Washington were to stop arming the Israeli occupation, “the war on Gaza will stop whether Netanyahu wills it or not.”

“The United States is more insistent than “Israel” on the destruction of Hamas,” Sayyed Nasrallah added, holding the US responsible for “every drop of blood in the region, while Israeli officials are mere tools used in this bloodshed.”

“[Israeli Security Minister Yoav] Gallant has nearly gone mad,” he jokingly said about the Israeli official. “He’s talking about [striking] 50km [deep into Lebanon] and [striking] Beirut. It appears that he forgot that the Resistance – he might be [having a mental breakdown] and he forgot, although we have addressed this several times – has major precision missile capabilities.”

Resistance sole option

“The Resistance in Lebanon and Palestine broke Israeli deterrence and destroyed its image while shifting the balance of power by establishing a deterrent,” he added.

The Israeli occupation’s goal of the siege on Gaza prior to October 7, was to kill all of Gaza silently while the world stood idle.

“The goal of the Israeli occupation is to expel all the people of the West Bank to Jordan, the people of Gaza to Egypt, and the people of the occupied Palestinian territories to Lebanon,” he underlined.

“It is our responsibility to prevent the displacement of Palestinians, which requires a major confrontation,” he added.

“No matter how much we praise it, we will not be able to describe the legendary Resistance in Gaza and the historic resilience of the people of Gaza,” Sayyed Nasrallah said, commending all Gazans for their steadfastness.

Further stressing that the Lebanese Resistance was acting in solidarity with the people of Palestine, he said: “The Israelis and Americans did not think that the Resistance in Lebanon would have the bravery or the will to launch a front in support of Gaza.”

“Our goal in the Axis of Resistance as peoples, states, and Resistance fighters was and will remain the defeat of the enemy,” he said. “The enemy’s defeat is by foiling its plans,” he further stressed.

“The goal of the Axis of Resistance is inflicting the largest amount of losses on the enemy during this battle to force it to withdraw,” he explained.

Finally, commenting on the ongoing negotiations between the Palestinian Resistance and the Israeli occupation, Sayyed Nasrallah said, “The parties involved in political negotiations are the Palestinian Resistance factions that delegated Hamas, and we have no hand in the ongoing talks.”

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Operation Al Aqsa Flood

Pentagon’s Tower 22 ‘logistics support base’ is secretly drone base

February 11, 2024

Source: The Intercept

What was described by the Pentagon as a “logistics support base” turns out to be a secret drone base for long-range surveillance of fighters in neighboring Syria and Iraq and for conducting airstrikes.

The US military base, Tower 22, in Jordan in October 2023 (Planet Labs LBC / AP)

By Al Mayadeen English

The Pentagon calls the US base in Jordan, Tower 22, a “logistics support base” – however, in reality, the area in which three US troops were killed last month is more than what it seems. 

The Intercept reported that Tower 22 is secretly a drone base for long-range surveillance of whom the US perceives as “insurgents” in neighboring Syria and Iraq and to conduct airstrikes, according to two US military sources, while it also represents a staging facility for special operations forces and is a medevac helicopter home base.

Talking to The Intercept, an Air Force airman, whose unit was recently stationed at the base, said, “To call Tower 22 a logistics support base is complete bullshit,” as logistics was only a minor part – or a disguise – to merely deliver food and fuel to the nearby al-Tanf base.

“The main purpose of Tower 22 is to operate drones to spy on insurgents in Iraq and Syria, for targeting purposes,” the airman added, noting, “The main objective I witnessed was taking out targets.”

Read next: Two US occupation bases in Deir Ezzor targeted with missiles, drones

The base was known, as per the anonymous airman, for providing targeting intel to other Air Force assets in Jordan, such as Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, to conduct airstrikes on said targets.

One story, citing unnamed officials, says that the drone attack that killed the three troops was able to enter Tower 22 after being mistakenly identified as a friendly drone returning to the base. The Intercept later discovered that the base did not have adequate air defense.

A report by Politico two weeks ago detailed how the drone managed to evade detection by trailing behind a US drone that was returning to the base in Jordan at the same time. 

‘This is not what it looks like’

Interviews conducted with defense sources and experts paint a clear image of Tower 22’s real purpose to support hostilities with what the US calls “Iran-backed groups”, but the Defense Department is still adamant that this is part of its war on ISIS. 

US forces continue to exist in Syria under the basis of Operation Inherent Resolve, the name which the Pentagon selected for the campaign against ISIS that began in 2014, but experts reveal that the alleged “counter-ISIS” mission the US claims to be conducting is not the main focus.

Brian Finucane, a former State Department legal advisor and now with the think-tank International Crisis Group which works to prevent and resolve wars, said, “Whatever they’re doing there, there’s very little evidence that it’s counter-ISIS.”

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Read more: Rising calls for Gaza ceasefire in US after attack on base in Jordan

It is worth noting that ISIS, as former President Donald Trump said in 2018, is the main reason why they should be there, as he said: “We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there,” later announcing that he would withdraw US troops from the region.

However, Finucane explains that Trump was overpowered by hawks like national security advisor at the time, John Bolton, who was trying his best to keep troops there with a new target in mind: Iran.

Even though Tower 22 may have provided logistics like food and fuel for training at al-Tanf, a Pentagon inspector general report last year discovered “no kinetic engagements,” or combat incidents, by coalition forces at al-Tanf in any way present, knowing that the lack of combat at the larger base shows a lesser role for both bases in the fight against ISIS.

“If Tanf doesn’t have a counter-ISIS function, it’s hard to see how a support facility for Tanf does,” Finucane said.

This particular operation on Tower 22 sparked a wave of outrage in the US, with some high-ranking officials calling on US President Joe Biden to nuke Iran. 

Biden has blamed “radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq,” referring to the Resistance in Iraq which announced earlier this month that they would escalate their attacks after the US conducted several raids in Iraq and assassinated a military official in central Baghdad.

The US President also reaffirmed that the US forces are now “still gathering the facts of this attack,” stressing, “We will carry on their commitment to fight terrorism. And have no doubt — we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner our choosing.”

Oil, power and cash

The Intercept previously reported that the group that claimed responsibility for the Tower 22 attack that killed three troops stated that it was due to US support for “Israel’s” genocide in Gaza. 

With that, the White House maintains that conflicts in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen are all distinct from one another and happen to be emerging coincidentally, contradicting evidence indicating that US support for “Israel” in the Gaza genocide has contributed to regional instability and violence.

Finucane clarifies that “the counter-ISIS mission is the only legal basis there is for the U.S. to be there… There’s no legal basis to have U.S. troops in Syria to be countering Iran.”

The US argues that its presence in the region – be it in Jordan, Iraq, or Syria – is for “defense purposes” against groups like ISIS, but it remains clear that their presence is only a means to an end – oil, money, and hegemony. 

Read next: US occupation loots tons of Syrian oil, smuggles them into Iraq

These airbases have reportedly been used to violate the sovereignty of Iraq and Syria. In the Syrian Arab Republic, the US military is officially considered an occupying force, while the government in Iraq is working on ending a previously agreed mandate with the US.

The US can either deepen its involvement in Middle Eastern conflicts or recognize the futility of repeating past mistakes. To avoid new conflicts, Washington must reject escalation, cease fueling the Gaza war, and end its unwanted military presence in the region.

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GAZA LIVE BLOG: Israeli Bombing Kills Scores | Biden: Israel’s Response ‘Over the Top’ | US Bombs Yemen | Israel Steals Hundreds of Bodies – Day 126

February 9, 2024

Majority of the casualties in the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza are women and children. (Photo: via Eye on Palestine)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

US President Joe Biden said that Israel’s response in Gaza has been “over the top” and said he is seeking a “sustained pause in the fighting”  to help the civilian population in the Strip.

Israeli occupation forces continue to pound Gaza by air, land and sea, killing scores of Palestinians, while Israeli media confirm the seizure of hundreds of bodies, which were transferred to Israel.

UNICEF warns against the escalation of fighting in the southern city of Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of people are seeking shelter.

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 27,947 Palestinians have been killed, and 67,459 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

LATEST UPDATES

Friday, February 9, 5:00 pm (GMT+2)

PRCS: We lost contact with our staff at Al Amal Hospital in Khan Yunis after the occupation stormed the hospital.

AL-JAZEERA: Jordanian security prevents demonstrators from reaching the crossing between Jordan and Israel

INDIA: News reports said that India had delivered more than 20 locally manufactured drones to Israel.

ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Netanyahu instructed the army to prepare a dual plan to evacuate the Palestinians and crush the Hamas brigades in Rafah.

ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Netanyahu instructed the army to prepare a dual plan to evacuate the Palestinians and crush the Hamas brigades in Rafah.

FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG: https://t.co/4Q1wACJ6Lt pic.twitter.com/UcIAD4BAQK

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) February 9, 2024

Friday, February 9, 4:00 pm (GMT+2)

WFP: The people of Gaza are living in a humanitarian catastrophe.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Violent clashes between are taking place between the Resistance and the occupation forces, and that he heard explosions and gunfire in the vicinity of Al Awda Schools in Abasan Al Kabira, east of Khan Yunis.

PENTAGON: Austin discussed with Gallant the post-war period in Gaza
HEZBOLLAH: Our fighters destroyed an Israeli Merkava tank that was targeted at the Al-Baghdadi site.

Friday, February 9, 2:40 pm (GMT+2)

ISRAEL HAYOM: An Israeli delegation arrived to Cairo to discuss the deal.
PRCS: Israeli occupation forces stormed the association’s Al-Amal Hospital in the city of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip.
YEDIOTH AHRONOTH: Netanyahu has criticized the army for its slow progress in Gaza.

🚨Urgent: Occupation forces raid PRCS Al-Amal Hospital in #KhanYunis. #Gaza #NotATarget ❌

— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) February 9, 2024

AL-JAZEERA: Two missiles were fired from southern Lebanon towards an Israeli position in the Galilee finger in northern Israel.
UNICEF: Gaza is witnessing the worst levels of child malnutrition in the world.
SYRIAN NEWS AGENCY: Our air defense confronted enemy targets in the vicinity of Damascus.

Friday, February 9, 1:40 pm (GMT+2)

GAZA GOVERNMENT MEDIA OFFICE: Famine is worsening in the north of the Strip.
FINANCIAL TIMES: The disagreement between Netanyahu and Blinken includes issues of the next phase of the war and ways to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: An Israeli drone bombed a house in the town of Markaba and the vicinity of the town of Yahmar in southern Lebanon.

GAZA GOVERNMENT MEDIA OFFICE: Famine is worsening in the north of the Strip.

FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG:https://t.co/4Q1wACJ6Lt pic.twitter.com/l5wipnnUnU

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) February 9, 2024

AL-QUDS BRIGADES: We are engaged in fierce clashes west of Khan Yunis.
PENTAGON: We are still evaluating retaliatory strikes for the killing of our soldiers.
MAYOR OF KIRYAT SHMONA: “More than 21,000 have been displaced from their homes and will not return until security is restored.”

Friday, February 9, 12:30 pm (GMT+2)
HEZBOLLAH: We targeted “espionage equipment in the Duviv Barracks with appropriate weapons and achieved a direct hit.”
IRAN: We attach great importance to the security of navigation in the Red Sea. Stopping the Israeli attack on Gaza will create conditions for restoring stability in the Red Sea.
AL-JAZEERA: Israeli aircraft launched a raid near Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis.

AL-JAZEERA: Israeli aircraft launched a raid near Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis.

FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG:https://t.co/4Q1wACJ6Lt pic.twitter.com/v2aWkiG9Zr

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) February 9, 2024

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: A Palestinian was killed by occupation sniper bullets outside the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, bringing the number of martyrs in the city to 8 since this morning.

Friday, February 9, 11:00 am (GMT+2)
GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY: 27,947 Palestinians have been killed, and 67,459 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY: 27,947 Palestinians have been killed, and 67,459 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.

FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG:https://t.co/4Q1wACJ6Lt pic.twitter.com/hLd1HEEAId

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) February 9, 2024

Friday, February 9, 10:30 am (GMT+2)

ISRAELI MEDIA: 3 soldiers were transferred to Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, Negev, after sustaining serious injuries in battles in the Gaza Strip.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: 7 displaced people who were forced by the Israeli occupation forces to leave two schools in Khan Yunis camp were killed.
UNICEF: An escalation of fighting in Rafah would represent another devastating turn in the war, and could claim the lives of thousands.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: 15 Palestinians were killed and dozens injured in the Israeli bombing of homes in Deir al-Balah and al-Zawaida in the central Gaza Strip since Thursday evening.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: 15 Palestinians were killed and dozens injured in the Israeli bombing of homes in Deir al-Balah and al-Zawaida in the central Gaza Strip since Thursday evening.

FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG:https://t.co/4Q1wACJ6Lt pic.twitter.com/wWV1U7VVPW

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) February 9, 2024

Friday, February 9, 09:00 am (GMT+2)
HAARETZ: Blinken’s visit revealed the depth of the dispute with Netanyahu.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: An elderly man and a young man were killed by Israeli occupation snipers in the vicinity of Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip.
Friday, February 9, 08:00 am (GMT+2)
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: The occupation forces displaced people to leave two schools in Khan Yunis.
ISRAELI MEDIA: The army transported about 350 bodies of Palestinians from Gaza as part of its search for the bodies of detained Israelis.
Friday, February 9, 07:00 am (GMT+2)
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Israeli bombing targets a house in Jabaliya al-Balad.
Friday, February 9, 06:00 am (GMT+2)
US SENATOR WARREN: Biden’s memorandum sets conditions on aid to Israel and countries that receive US military aid.
NORTHERN IRELAND PM: Hamas will ultimately be a partner in peace in the Middle East. Dialogue is the only way to end the conflict in the Middle East.

NORTHERN IRELAND PM: Hamas will ultimately be a partner in peace in the Middle East. Dialogue is the only way to end the conflict in the Middle East.

FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG:https://t.co/4Q1wACJ6Lt pic.twitter.com/AbLwZLYYPG

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) February 9, 2024

US MEDIA: US President Joe Biden issued a memorandum requiring governments that receive US weapons to provide written guarantees of compliance with international and US law.
Friday, February 9, 05:00 am (GMT+2)
BIDEN: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi did not initially want to open the Rafah crossing gate for aid to enter Gaza, but he spoke to him and convinced him to open it.
US ARMY: Our forces launched 7 strikes on Thursday against Houthi targets.
Friday, February 9, 04:00 am (GMT+2)
BIDEN: I am of the opinion that the Israeli response in Gaza has been “over the top”.
Friday, February 9, 03:00 am (GMT+2)
AL-JAZEERA: The death toll resulting from the Israeli bombing of Rafah has risen to 8 including 3 children.

AL-JAZEERA: The death toll resulting from the Israeli bombing of Rafah has risen to 8 including 3 children.

FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG:https://t.co/4Q1wACJ6Lt pic.twitter.com/x9HXLkZ86k

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) February 9, 2024

Friday, February 9, 02:00 am (GMT+2)
AL-JAZEERA:
6 people, including 3 children, were killed in an Israeli bombing of two houses in Rafah, south of Gaza.
5 people, including 3 children, were killed in an Israeli bombing that targeted two homes in the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Four Palestinians were killed and injured in an Israeli bombing that targeted a kindergarten housing displaced people in the town of Al-Zawaida in the central Gaza Strip.
US STATE DEPARTMENT: Blinken and his Saudi counterpart pledged to continue close coordination to increase aid to Gaza.
Friday, February 9, 01:00 am (GMT+2)
AL-JAZEERA: There were casualties in an Israeli bombing that targeted a kindergarten in the Al-Zawaida area in the central Gaza Strip.
HEZBOLLAH: We targeted the headquarters of the 2nd Infantry Brigade at the Ain Zeitim base with dozens of Katyusha rockets.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: Violent explosions resulted from the Resistance’s response to the occupation’s attempts to advance under heavy fire cover in the center of Gaza City.

PALESTINIAN MEDIA: A Palestinian woman was killed and others were injured in an Israeli bombing that targeted a house in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, and rescue teams are searching for missing persons.

AL-JAZEERA: There were casualties in an Israeli bombing that… pic.twitter.com/rBwX6dPupA

— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) February 9, 2024

YEDIOTH AHRONOTH: Blinken felt that Netanyahu was seeking confrontation with Washington over the Palestinian issue.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA: A Palestinian woman was killed and others were injured in an Israeli bombing that targeted a house in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, and rescue teams are searching for missing persons.
AL-JAZEERA: 30 missiles were fired from southern Lebanon towards Israeli positions in Upper Galilee.
Friday, February 9, 12:00 am (GMT+2)
GLOBES: Moody’s is likely to lower Israel’s credit rating on Friday.
PALESTINIAN MEDIA:
Violent clashes and intense bombing in the southwestern areas of Gaza City.
Violent Israeli bombardment shook the city of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
Thursday, February 8, 9:30 pm (GMT+2)
BERNIE SANDERS: The US Senate is considering granting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu $14 billion to continue the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza.
(The Palestine Chronicle)

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The enemy within: Arab states that trade with Israel

JAN 31, 2024

West Asian exports to Israel have skyrocketed since 2020. These are the Arab and Muslim governments that put goods on Israeli shelves, despite their public stances supporting Gaza.

Photo Credit: The Cradle

Mohamad Hasan Sweidan

Israeli import data reveals that a number of Arab countries play a significant role in buoying the occupation state’s trade volume, despite attempts by other regional nations to weaken Israel’s economy. 

Since this decade’s onset, Israeli ports have been teeming with the arrival of goods from across the region. Each shipment not only boosts the occupation state’s economy, but also weaves a narrative that goes beyond trade statistics as these economic interactions carry a hidden stream of political significance.

Although not an Arab country, Turkiye was the first Muslim state to establish diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv, and today leads the pack of West Asian states boosting Israeli imports. In 2020 alone, the value of Turkish exports spiked to $5.7 billion, constituting 6.2 percent of total Israeli imports that year. 

Iron and steel ($1.06 billion), plastics ($464.67 million), electrical and electronic equipment ($346.83  million), vehicles ($331.48  million), machinery ($298.89 million), metals ($261.66 million),  and building materials ($188.39 million) form the cornerstone of Turkish exports to the Zionist entity. 

In second place is the UAE, which normalized ties with Tel Aviv as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020, and was the first Arab state to sign a free-trade agreement (2022) with Israel as part of a plan to boost mutual trade to $10 billion annually. The Persian Gulf state’s exports were valued at $1.89 billion in 2022, accounting for 2.1 percent of all Israeli imports. 

Particularly intriguing is the 1543 percent surge in the value of Emirati exports to Israel since the normalization agreement. Noteworthy export categories include precious metals and stones ($525.32 million), iron and steel ($483.95 million), electrical and electronic equipment ($210.71 million), and oil ($94.55 million).

Business as usual 

Taking third place is Jordan, whose exports to Israel in 2022 reached $469.25 million, a massive 489 percent increase from 2018. Key export categories from the Hashemite Kingdom include plastics ($135.2 million), electrical and electronic equipment ($127.93 million), and iron and steel ($74.35 million).

As for Egypt, the first Arab state to make peace with and recognize Israel, its 2022 exports to the occupation state amounted to $179.31 million. Notable export categories include inorganic chemicals, precious metals compounds ($61.15 million), building materials ($14.26 million), foodstuffs ($12.78 million), and plastics ($11.32 million).

Surprisingly, in fifth place is Algeria, with Israel-bound exports reaching $21.38 million in 2022, the majority of which are inorganic chemicals, precious metals compounds, and isotopes. The revelation of trade relations between Algeria and Israel by the UN database raises questions about Algeria’s long-held stance against normalization, including its criminalization two years ago.

Morocco stands in sixth place, with exports to Israel amounting to $17.92 million in 2022, predominantly composed of foodstuffs. Rabat resumed diplomatic and trade relations with Israel as part of the 2020 accords. 

Finally, Bahrain’s exports to Israel in 2022 reached $10.58 million, reflecting an astounding 12,083 percent increase from 2020, the year of the normalization agreement between Manama and Tel Aviv. Key exports include aluminum ($8.78 million) and iron and steel ($2.62 million).

As such, the combined exports of West Asian countries to Israel surged by $4,359.530,000 between 2020 and 2022, marking an increase of almost 111 percent.

Israeli Energy Imports

Israel depends heavily on oil and natural gas for its power generation, with these sources constituting 80 percent of its total energy supply. It is a net exporter of natural gas, having sent 9.4 billion cubic meters abroad in 2022, with 6.5 billion cubic meters going to Egypt and 2.9 billion cubic meters to Jordan.

In contrast, Israel imports all its oil supply, and consumes approximately 220 thousand barrels per day. Of this, 62 percent comes from two Muslim-majority countries, namely Kazakhstan (93 thousand barrels) and Azerbaijan (45 thousand barrels). The remainder is sourced from West African countries, including Gabon, Nigeria, and Angola, in addition to Brazil, and an undisclosed amount is transported illegally from Iraqi Kurdistan.

To facilitate the import of most of Israel’s oil, the Turkish port of Ceyhan in southeastern Turkiye plays a crucial role. It serves as a loading point for oil tankers carrying crude from Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan through the Caspian Sea via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. Tankers also transport oil from Iraqi Kurdistan along the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the ports of Haifa and Ashkelon.

Oil tankers arrive in the occupied state via two main seaports: the aforementioned Ashkelon, equipped with 22 tanks holding 11 million barrels, and Eilat in the south, with 16 large oil tanks capable of holding about 1.4 million cubic meters of oil. The latter has seen an 85 percent fall in activity amid increased naval operations executed by Yemen’s Ansarallah-aligned forces in the Red Sea against vessels bound for Israel.

Approximately 180,000 barrels per day reach Ashkelon, from where internal pipelines transport the oil to the ports of Ashdod and Haifa. Both ports have oil refineries with capacities of 100,000 and 197,000 barrels per day, respectively. Additionally, a pipeline connects Ashkelon and Eilat, traversing the Negev desert with a capacity of 1.2 million barrels per day.

Despite the growing tensions and sharp rhetoric by some regional states toward Israel since its military assault on the Gaza Strip commenced, trade activity remains largely uninterrupted. Turkiye, despite calling Israel a “terrorist” state, contributes heavily to Israel’s economic well-being by helping Tel Aviv circumvent the Yemeni blockade, increasing its overall exports to Israel, and playing a pivotal role in oil transportation. 

Despite the war on Gaza, Turkish exports grew from 319.5 million dollars in November 2023 to 430.6 million dollars in December — higher even than the 408.3 million dollars exported in July, prior to the 7 October Al-Aqsa Flood operation.

Exports to Israel from the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, and Morocco are hardly surprising: these are the Arab states most vested in championing regional policies that serve the interests of the occupation state. The more surprising connection, however, is the trade relations — however minimal — between Algeria and Israel. 

To understand the true positions of states means to skip over the official rhetoric and examine the economic ties that politics often conceals.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Cradle.

Blair Gaza plan is to ‘complete Balfour Declaration’, presidency warns

January 1, 2024

Source: Agencies

By Al Mayadeen English

The Palestinian presidency expresses strong rejection of the Israeli plot to forcibly displace Palestinians in a plan to be executed by former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The Palestinian Presidency warned of attempts to “complete the Balfour Declaration” after reports that the Israeli occupation entity delegated former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to convince Arab countries to receive forcibly displaced Palestinians from Gaza.

This follows Blair’s recent visit to occupied Palestine last week, during which he reportedly engaged in undisclosed meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz.

The discussions centered around the possibility of appointing the former UK Prime Minister as a “mediator” between “Tel Aviv” and some Arab governments to persuade them to “take in Gazan refugees” in post-war planning developed by the occupying entity.

Read more: UNRWA accuses “Israel” of preparing Gaza residents expulsion to Egypt

In a statement, the Presidency expressed strong rejection of this measure, announcing that Blair is considered to be “an unwelcome person in the Palestinian territories.”

“We will demand that the British government not allow this meddling with the fate and future of the Palestinian people, and we will also demand that the Secretary-General of the United Nations do what is possible in order not to allow such actions that violate international law and international legitimacy, which is considered an interference and an endeavor that only serves Israel’s interests and harms the Palestinian people and their rights by pushing them to abandon their land,” the statement read.

“It seems that Tony Blair is completing the Balfour Declaration issued by the British government with American involvement, which led to the catastrophe of the Palestinian people and started dozens of wars in the region,” it added.

Read more: 83% of Israelis support ethnic cleansing of Gazans: Survey

Intensify genocide of Palestinians

On its part, the Palestinian Foreign Ministery called on Blair not to take part in “Israel’s” plot.

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The Ministry said in a statement that it “is following with great interest what was reported by the Hebrew media regarding Tony Blair heading a team to work for the voluntary evacuation of Palestinian citizens from the Gaza Strip, and holding meetings and consultations with some countries to explore their position regarding receiving Palestinian refugees, which was greatly welcomed by the fascist Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and other extremists.”

Read more: ‘Israel’ killed 22,000 Palestinians, including at least 9,000 children

It added that it “hopes that Tony Blair will not be involved in committing this crime, which falls within the framework of the Israeli government’s plans to intensify genocide and forced displacement of the Palestinians.”

The statement emphasized that should these reports prove accurate, it views this action as “hostile to the Palestinian people and their rights in their homeland, a flagrant violation of international law, and hostile to humanity.” It cautioned that those responsible for this action will be subject to accountability.

Consequently, the Foreign Ministry declared its intent to discuss this significant matter with Arab, Islamic, and friendly nations, seeking to address it through various means, including legal avenues.

Selling illusions

Since day one of the war on the Strip, the occupation entity’s top officials publicly declared that one of the objectives was to forcefully displace its residents to other countries, most notably Jordan and Egypt.

This plan saw the Israeli army carry out the bloodiest aggression since WW2 on the besieged Strip, which included the killing of nearly 22,000 Palestinians, most of whom were children and women, and the mass destruction of homes, hospitals, schools, and other vital infrastructure necessary for survival.

Netanyahu claimed last week that the occupation is in contact with countries to persuade them to agree to take in Palestinian “refugees from Gaza,” Israeli media reported, citing the premier as telling members of his Likud Party.

At the time, Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas commented on the Israeli Prime Minister’s remarks, saying his plan to pass a “voluntary immigration” scheme for the people from the Gaza Strip is ridiculous and aims to compensate for the Israeli war failure.

“Netanyahu is trying to sell illusions to prolong the aggression after he and his army failed to achieve their goals,” the party said.

“Our Palestinian people affirmed their decisive stance by rejecting deportation and displacement, and that there is no emigration and no choice but to remain steadfast on our land.”

Nevertheless, every effort to execute this plan encountered the resilience of the Palestinian people in Gaza. Hundreds of thousands among them steadfastly declined to vacate the northern Strip, opting instead to stay in their homes, even in the face of the catastrophic conditions imposed by the entity and the daily ongoing massacres.

Furthermore, the plot to forcefully displace Palestinians was criticized by “Israel’s” main allies, including the United States, and countries that are supposed to “host the refugees” such as Jordan and Egypt.

---

Operation Al Aqsa Flood

وقف العمليات الكبيرة لا يعني وقف الحرب وعملية تهجير السكان مستمرة

خطة إسرائيلية – أميركية لـ«ما قبل اليوم التالي»

 الجمعة 15 كانون الأول 2023

(أ ف ب )

 ابراهيم الأمين

يؤخذ على إسرائيل أنها لا تمتلك تصوراً لليوم التالي للحرب. حتى الولايات المتحدة والغرب الداعم لها، يناقشون مع قادة الاحتلال، بصيغة أنه يجب أن يكون هناك تصور واضح لمرحلة ما بعد الحرب. لكن كل هؤلاء يعرفون أن الحرب التي شنّها العدوّ رغماً عنه، لم تنطلق بتصور مسبق حول أهدافها القابلة للتحقق. وهي مثّلت رداً انتقامياً مهولاً، وترافق مع نقاش لدى قيادة العدو حول أهدافه وفقاً لمجريات الميدان. لكن العدوّ قال منذ اليوم الأول، إنه يشن حرباً يهدف من خلالها الى إنهاء التهديد العسكري الذي تمثّله المقاومة في قطاع غزة، ما جعل تصوّر العدوّ لتنفيذ المهمة عبارة عن أمر واحد: طرد السكان من غزة!هذا الهدف المجنون، هو خيار واقعي وعقلاني بالنسبة إلى قيادة العدو، كونه يمثّل جوهر ما تمثّله حركة الاستيطان التي قامت عليها إسرائيل. وهي الحركة المستمرة في الضفة الغربية اليوم، وفكرتها بسيطة للغاية: احشر السكان وأخضعهم، ثم ادفعهم إلى المغادرة طوعاً أو غصباً عند الاضطرار. وهذا ما يحصل في الضفة الغربية، برغم كل الاتفاقات والمعاهدات وخلافه من التفاصيل المتصلة بالتسويات بين السلطة الفلسطينية وكيان العدو.
يشن العدو حملته العسكرية المجنونة. وما تحقق حتى اللحظة بالنسبة إليه لا يمثّل الا القليل من سلّة أهدافه. وبينما يواجه معضلة كبيرة في تحقيق هدف سحق المقاومة وانتزاع حرية أسراه بالقوة، فهو نجح جزئياً في معركة تحويل القطاع الى مكان غير صالح للعيش. وقد دمّر حتى الآن ثلث المباني السكنية، كما أخرج من الخدمة أكثر من 90 في المئة من المرافق المدنية والخدمية للدولة وحتى للقطاع الخاص. في سياق خطته لدفع أبناء القطاع للبحث عن مكان آخر للعيش فيه.

«ما قبل اليوم التالي»

وقد ورد الى جهات فلسطينية بازرة، أن إسرائيل تعتبر نفسها معنيّة الآن بخطة «ما قبل اليوم التالي»، وهي تتصرف على أنها لن تكون عرضةً لأي ضغط جدّي من جانب الغرب طوال الفترة المقبلة. وهي تتصرف وفق معطيات تشير الى خطة عمل تستمر لفترة طويلة من الزمن، وليس لأسبايع قليلة فقط. ويقول مسؤول فلسطيني لـ»الأخبار» إن العدو يفكر في إعادة التعامل مع قطاع غزة عسكرياً وأمنياً بطريقة مختلفة بعد الذي واجهه في الشهرين الماضيين. ويضيف: العدوّ يقوم الآن بتجارب عملانية لأجل اختيار الأماكن التي يقدر على التمركز فيها من دون أن يعرّض قواته لخطر دائم، وأنه، في المقابل، يعزّز عمله الأمني لأجل القيام بضربات عسكرية ذات طابع أمني، ويعمل بالتعاون مع الغرب على أكبر عملية إحاطة استخبارية لكل شيء في القطاع، ويسعى إلى تحصيل معطيات تفيده في الوصول الى أماكن يوجد فيها أسرى، أو اصطياد القادة البارزين في حركة حماس، وبقية فصائل المقاومة. وأشار المسؤول نفسه الى أن الجهد الذي يقوم به العدو في إحدى مناطق خان يونس الآن، ينطلق من «قناعة» بأن هذه المنطقة يوجد فيها قادة أساسيون في «حماس»، كما يعتقد أنها المكان الذي يحتجز فيه أبرز ضباطه وجنوده من الأسرى.

كلام المسؤول الفلسطيني، تشرحه مصادر ديبلوماسية عربية مقيمة في القاهرة، تحت عنوان «التفكير العملاني الجديد حيال مستقبل القطاع». وتقول هذه المصادر إنه تفكير يتخذ طابعاً إنسانياً بالعلن، لكنه يستبطن تصوراً سياسياً وأمنياً. وتكشف هذه المصادر عن «خطة متكاملة» عرضت أخيراً على السلطات المصرية ممثلة بمندوبين عن وزير المخابرات العامة اللواء عباس كامل، وبحضور مسؤولين من الولايات المتحدة وإسرائيل. وأن الخطة تحظى الى جانب دعم أميركا وإسرائيل بدعم مباشر من بريطانيا وفرنسا وألمانيا، وتؤدّي فيها الأردن والإمارات العربية المتحدة وتركيا دوراً كبيراً.

مشاركة مصرية وأردنية وتركية وإماراتية في تغطية النزوح القسري

وتقول المصادر إن مشاركة كل هذه الدول ستكون تحت عنوان الدعم الإنساني، وإن الخطة الجديدة وضعت بعد فشل المحاولة الأولى، التي حاول فيها مبعوث الإدارة الأميركية للشؤون الإنسانية ديفيد ساترفيلد فرض إقامة مخيم كبير على الشاطئ الجنوبي الغربي للقطاع، يكون تحت سلطة الأمم المتحدة، لاستيعاب نحو مليون فلسطيني من أبناء شمال غزة. وقد جاء موقف الأمم المتحدة مفاجئاً للجانب الأميركي، من خلال إعلان أمينها العام أنطونيو غوتيريش رفضه الفكرة، ثم تولّي مساعده للشؤون الإنسانية مارتن غريفيت شرح مخاطر الفكرة. وكذلك عملت لين هاستينغز منسقة الأمم المتحدة للشؤون الإنسانية في الأراضي المحتلة، على إبلاغ الجهات الإسرائيلية العاملة على الأرض برفض الفكرة لاعتبارات كثيرة. وأدى ذلك الى حملة شنتها الولايات المتحدة وإسرائيل ضدهم، على فريق الأمم المتحدة، وصلت إلى حد إبعاد هاستينغز من القدس بعد سحب الإقامة منها. وقالت المصادر إن الذي حصل هو تخلّي الأميركيين والإسرائيليين عن خطة «المنطقة الإنسانية الآمنة» التي كان يفترض أن تقام في منطقة المواصي على الشاطئ الجنوبي الغربي للقطاع. ومع استمرار العمليات العسكرية المجنونة، عاد العدوّ، بدعم من ساترفيلد، لوضع خطة جديدة، تقضي بإقامة «تجمّعات إنسانية آمنة» في عدة مناطق من جنوب القطاع، تكون خاضعة أمنياً لرقابة مباشرة من قوات الاحتلال، ويصار الى وضع الناس فيها ضمن خطة طويلة الأمد، ولو قالوا في العلن إنها «مرحلة مؤقتة الى حين انتهاء الحرب والتفاهم على طريقة إدارة القطاع من جديد».

بنود خطة ساترفيلد للتهجير داخل القطاع

وفق معلومات خاصة بـ»الأخبار» فإن البرنامج الذي يقوده الديبلوماسي الأميركي ديفيد ساترفيلد يشتمل على خطوات عملانية؛ من بينها ما تقوم به قوات الاحتلال نفسها، وكذلك بالنسبة إلى أدوار الآخرين.
وبحسب المعلومات، فإن الإجراءات العملانية الهادفة الى تحقيق هذا البرنامج تشمل الآتي:

أولاً: أبلغت إسرائيل جميع الأطراف أنها لن تغادر قطاع غزة حتى ولو توقف إطلاق النار، الى حين حصولها على ضمانات عملانية بنزع سلاح المقاومة ومنع حماس من إدارة الوضع المدني في القطاع.

ثانياً: أن إسرائيل في حال اضطرّت، تحت الضغط، إلى وقف العمليات الواسعة، فستلجأ الى وقف الغارات المفتوحة والقصف العشوائي، مقابل برنامج عمليات خاصة، كبيرة أو صغيرة، والتي لا تستثني أي مكان تعتقد إسرائيل أنه مقرّ للمقاومين وقياداتهم أو مراكز احتجاز الأسرى الإسرائيليين.

ثالثاً: سوف يبقى قرار إقفال شمال غزة قائماً، ولن يجري السماح تحت أي ظرف بإعادة ترميم القطاعات المدنية، ولا بتشغيل أي مرافق صحية أو خدماتية أو إنسانية، كما سيبقى الشمال ممنوعاً من استقبال المساعدات، وأن ما سيتمّ الموافقة على دخوله هو مجرد إغاثات غذائية محدودة.

رابعاً: استمرار عملية الإبعاد لمن بقي من سكان غزة باتجاه الجنوب، وأن قوات الاحتلال عمدت في الأماكن التي توغّلت فيها، ووجدت فيها مواطنين فلسطينين، الى اعتقال الرجال وإذلالهم، وإطلاق سراح بعضهم، لأجل أن يبلغوا بقية السكان بأنهم غير مرغوب في بقائهم في منازلهم، وأن كل من تراه إسرائيل موجوداً في أيّ منزل في شمال القطاع، سوف تعمد الى إبعاد النساء والأولاد جنوباً واعتقال الرجال بمعزل عن أعمارهم وأوضاعهم.

خامساً: شنّ عملية تدمير وتهجير في مناطق وسط وجنوب القطاع شبيهة بما حصل في الشمال، ودفع الناس جميعاً صوب شريط يلفّ القطاع من جهة الجنوب والغرب، ويمتد من أقصى نقطة في شرق رفح، باتجاه منطقة دير البلح في شمال القسم الجنوبي من القطاع.

سادساً: سوف يتم إقفال كل الطرقات التي يتحرّك عليها المواطنون في جميع أنحاء القطاع، وسوف يكون الطريق الوحيد المفتوح الى هذا الشريط عبر طريق واحد يمتدّ من أقصى نقطة في شرق رفح حتى دير البلح، لكن من جهة البحر فقط (انظر الخريطة).

سابعاً: سوف يتم إنشاء ثلاث مناطق رئيسية لتجمّعات النازحين، واحدة في منطقة دير البلح وتتسع لنحو 200 ألف إنسان، وثانية في منطقة المواصي (جنوب غرب القطاع) وتتسع لنحو 800 ألف مواطن، وثالثة في الشريط الحدودي لرفح مع الأراضي المحتلة ومصر، وتتسع أيضاً لـ 800 ألف مواطن، مع مركز رابع في منطقة محاذية لجنوب شرق مدينة خان يونس.

ثامناً: تشير الخطة الإسرائيلية – الأميركية، الى أن الدعم الإنساني في هذه البقع سوف يتم من خلال برنامج تشرف عليه لجنة تضم الى جانب إسرائيل، كلاً من: الولايات المتحدة الأميركية، بريطانيا، مصر، تركيا، الأردن ودولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة.

وأشار المرجع الى أن المؤسف هو أن الدول الأوروبية والعربية المشاركة في المفاوضات تسهّل للعدو خطته، كاشفاً أن ساترفيلد يقول بأنه حصل على موافقة الإمارات لأن تكون هي الطرف الأساسي الموجود في «المنطقة الإنسانية» في رفح، وأنها ستعمل بالتعاون مع الأردنيين على إدارة الوضع الصحي والمعيشي في هذه المنطقة. وسوف يقوم الجانبان الأردني والإماراتي ببناء مستشفيات ميدانية مؤقتة في هذه المنطقة. ويقول المرجع: لقد حصل فعلياً أن جهزت دولة الإمارات العتاد اللوجستي الخاص بهذه المهمة، وهي أدخلت بالفعل كمية من الشاحنات الى تلك المنطقة. وأن النقاش مع إسرائيل انتهى الى تفاهم بأن المساعدات الآتية من الأردن أو التي تقدمها الإمارات تمر عبر معبر كرم أبو سالم الى هذه المنطقة.

أما تركيا، فسوف تقوم بدور أساسيّ في منطقة المواصي الواقعة في جنوب غرب القطاع وبالقرب من الشاطئ. وسوف يكون هناك دور أساسي لبريطانيا، وسوف يصار الى البتّ بمسألة إقامة مستشفى عام على الشاطئ المقابل لهذهالمنطقة، مع شرط بأن لا يصار الى بناء أي مرافق دائمة في تلك المنطقة، بل يصار في مرحلة أولى الى استقدام نحو 200 ألف خيمة خاصة بالعائلات لوضعها هناك، وأن الولايات المتحدة ستقدم مساعدة مالية لبناء مرافق بنى تحتيىة وخدماتية في هذه المنطقة.

وحول الدور الفرنسي، قالت المصادر إن باريس لا تجد ترحيباً من أحد. حتى المستشفى الذي أقامته في منطقة العريش، يوجد فيه اليوم 20 جريحاً فقط، لأن مصر لم تسمح بنقل أعداد كبيرة من الجرحى الى داخل أراضيها، والكل يعرف بأن المستشفيات المصرية في منطقة العريش قادرة على استقبال كل ما تقول فرنسا إنها مستعدة للقيام به.

مصر غاضبة… فقط!

بينما يقول زوار عواصم خليجية إن ملك الأردن عبد الله الثاني كان في غاية الذعر من ملف التهجير، فإن هؤلاء يتحدثون بقلق عن الموقف المصري الذي لا يجدون فيه سقفاً مرتفعاً، من شأنه تعطيل برامج العدو. وقال أحد هؤلاء: عندما جاء أنتوني بلينكن للاجتماع مع وزراء الخارجية العرب في عمان، كان قد سبقه وزير الخارجية الأردني أيمن الصفدي في اتصالات جعلت موقف السعودية ومصر أكثر تشدداً. وقال المصدر نفسه إن الأردن تحدث بلهجة مختلفة عن كل ما سبق، وإن أحد الزوار الأجانب سأل الملك عبد الله عن سبب حدّته، فأجاب الأخير بأن مجرّد نجاح ولو جزئي لخطة تهجير أبناء غزة، فإن اليوم التالي سيكون عبارة عن تهجير مئات ألوف الفلسطينيين من الضفة الغربية الى الأردن، مشيراً الى عمليات تهجير تحصل لعشرات العائلات الذين يعيشون بالقرب من المستوطنات والذين يتم الدفع بهم نحو المناطق «أ» و»ب». ونقل عنه أيضاً أن حرب غزة ستنتهي وقد صار أمامنا أمر واقع تمثّل في وجود آلاف العائلات الفلسطينية المبعدة قسراً عن منازلها في الضفة الغربية. وأن الجنون الذي يسيطر على حركة المستوطنين قد يفتح الأمر على ما هو أخطر.
وبحسب المصدر نفسه، فإن الأنظار توجّهت صوب القاهرة التي أعلنت على لسان رئيسها مرات عديدة رفضها تهجير أبناء غزة. لكن العاملين على الأرض لا يلمسون هذا التشدد في طريقة تعامل المصريين مع ملف المساعدات الإنسانية.
وروى المصدر أنه في مرحلة أولى من العمليات العسكرية الإسرائيلية في جنوب القطاع، لجأ جيش الاحتلال الى رمي منشورات للمواطنين الفلسطينيين تطلب إليهم الانتقال الى منطقة رفح وإلى المناطق القريبة من الحدود مع مصر، ما استدعى اجتماعاً سريعاً بين ضباط مصريين وآخرين من جيش الاحتلال الذين وعدوا بتعديل مضمون المنشور، ليصار بعده الى نشر خريطة المربعات التي تطلب فيها قوات الاحتلال من سكان الجنوب التوجه إليها باعتبارها مناطق آمنة.
ومع ذلك، فإن المصريين لم يبادروا الى خطوات تظهر تمسكهم ببقاء أبناء القطاع في منازلهم، وإنه كان بمقدور مصر، مرات كثيرة، ممارسة الضغط العملاني لأجل إدخال كميات أكبر من المساعدات وعدد أكبر من الشاحنات الى داخل القطاع. ولكن الجانب المصري تنازل لطلبات العدو حيال التفتيش المسبق الذي أعاق عملية نقل المساعدات. كما أن الجانب المصري لم يقبل بفتح الباب لانتقال المئات من الجرحى للعلاج في مستشفيات مصرية أو في دول أخرى.
وقال المرجع إن المصريين الغاضبين من ازدياد عدد النازحين الفلسطينيين في منطقة رفح يضغطون لأجل إقامة المنطقة الرابعة بالقرب من خان يونس، ويبدو أنهم حصلوا على موافقة مبدئية على إقامة مربع في تلك المنطقة، يكون خاضعاً لإشرافهم لناحية توزيع المساعدات الإنسانية. وبما يسمح بتقليص عدد النازحين من «خان يونس الكبرى» الى منطقة رفح.

الذكاء الاصطناعي و«تفييش» الغزيين
في كثير من روايات أبناء شمال غزة عن رحلتهم الى الجنوب عبر شارع صلاح الدين، يرد الكثير من الكلام عن طريقة تصرف جنود الاحتلال الذين انتشروا بدباباتهم ونقاطهم العسكرية في بعض مفاصل الطريق. وكان العدو يطلب الى المارين على الطريق الالتفات نحو وجود قواته طوال الطريق، وعدم النظر الى الجانب الآخر من الطريق. وقد فسر البعض الخطوة بأن هدفها عدم جعل الناس يشاهدون عشرات الجثث الملقاة على الجهة الأخرى من الطريق.
لكن مصدراً في الصليب الأحمر الدولي، رفض الكشف عن اسمه، قال لـ»الأخبار» إن ما يحصل عملياً هو أن قوات الاحتلال وضعت على بعض نقاطها العسكرية، على طول الطريق، كاميرات خاصة مرتبطة بجهاز يعمل وفق مبدأ الذكاء الاصطناعي، وكانت تقوم بعملية مسح بصري لوجه وطول وطبيعة جسم الذين يمرون على الطريق.
وقال المصدر إن قيادات عسكرية إسرائيلية لم تنف رغبتها في إنجاز عملية شاملة لجميع أبناء القطاع، وهي تستهدف التمييز بين المدنيين والعسكريين، استناداً الى بنك معلومات لديها حول عناصر المقاومة. وقالت بأن هذه الخطوة سوف تبقى جزءاً من عمل قوات خاصة في جيش الاحتلال، حتى في مرحلة نقل النازحين الى المربعات التي يجري التخطيط لها.

وبحسب المصدر نفسه، فإن اسرائيل تبدو مهتمة أكثر من أي وقت بعملية «تفييش» لجميع أبناء القطاع، وأن الهدف منها ليس حصر العدد الفعلي للسكان ومن بقي منهم في مناطق الشمال أو رفض مغادرة منزله في مناطق الجنوب، بل ربط هذه الخطوة ببرامج المساعدات التي ستقدم للعائلات النازحة الى المربعات المذكورة.
ويبدو أن قوات العدو تسعى أيضاً الى تشكيل قوائم خاصة بمن تفترضهم مقاتلين يمكن أن يكونوا قد عبروا مع المدنيين، وأنها فعلت الأمر بطريقة مكثفة خلال أيام الهدنة، لأجل مراقبة عناصر المقاومة الذين كان لهم دور في عمليات تبادل الأسرى والمعتقلين، إذ إن قوات الاحتلال تشكّ في أن هناك عمليات انتقال بين شمال القطاع وجنوبه، أو أن هذه العملية لا تتمّ فقط من تحت الأرض.

من ملف : خطة إسرائيلية – أميركية لـ«ما قبل اليوم التالي»

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Global Strike for Gaza: The World Stands against Israeli Genocide

December 11, 2023

Illustrative photo shared on social media symbolizes united stance in solidarity with Gaza.

Activists in Palestine and across the world have called for a global strike on Monday to demand an immediate ceasefire as the Israeli occupation continues its aggression on Gaza.

The objective of the campaign, entitled “Strike for Gaza”, is to put pressure on governments throughout the world to take meaningful action to stop the ongoing Israeli massacres, which largely target civilians, especially children and women in the besieged enclave.

The call for the strike has been given by the National and Islamic Forces, a coalition of major Palestinian factions, to Palestinians across the occupied West Bank and supporters across the world to participate in a strike that would include “all aspects of public life” in a show of solidarity amid relentless Israeli attacks.

“We expect the entire globe to join the strike, which comes in the context of a broad international movement involving influential figures. This movement stands against the open genocide in Gaza, the ethnic cleansing and the colonial settlement in the West Bank,” said a statement released by the coalition.

The strike is intended to halt the flow of life and economic activity in all countries through urging people to shut educational facilities, commercial businesses, and various workplaces. This may contribute to everyone feeling personally harmed by the war.

Nationwide Strike in Lebanon

Lebanon was among the Arab countries which swiftly responded to the strike call on Sunday. Prime Minister Najib Mikati made the decision in response to a global call for a strike “in solidarity with Gaza and the Palestinian people, including our fellow citizens in Gaza and the border villages of Lebanon,” secretary-general of Lebanon’s Council of Ministers, Mahmoud Mekkiya announced in a statement.

For his part, Minister of Education Abbas Halabi said that the private and public schools, technical institutes, and universities would close “to express solidarity with the Palestinian people, who are facing extermination, displacement, and murder.”

Talking to Al-Manar on Monday morning, Hasan Hijazi, Head of Hezbollah’s Liberal Professions Unit, said that most of the syndicates across Lebanon have called on its members to abide by the strike.

Hijazi affirmed the important role of the liberal professions in pressing the public opinion over a certain cause or affair.

Photos and videos circulated on social media showed several cities across Lebanon, including the capital, Beirut, and the southern port city of Sidon observing the general strike in solidarity with Palestinian people.

West Bank

Palestinian cities including Al-Quds, as well as West Bank cities: Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin, Al-Khalil (Hebron), have observed the strike, with streets being empty and shops being shut.

تغطية صحفية: "التزام كامل بالإضراب في بلدة العيزرية شرقي القدس المحتلَّة بالإضراب الشامل". pic.twitter.com/pKzszKdWVw

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) December 11, 2023

Meanwhile, Famous groups such as the ‘Palestinian Youth Movement Worldwide,’ ‘Sumoud Palestinian Movement,’ and the ‘Palestinian Activism Group in America’ have joined the campaign. Participants stress the importance of mobilizing supporters for the Palestinian cause and taking serious action to halt the unprecedented tragedy.

تغطية صحفية: "جانب من الالتزام بالإضراب الشامل في البلدة القديمة، بمدينة نابلس". pic.twitter.com/8mzByX1a05

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) December 11, 2023

Jordan and Turkey

On the other hand, Jordanian cities, especially the capital, Amman, abided by the strike in protest of the ongoing Israeli genocide campaign in Gaza.

https://twitter.com/AoR3138/status/1734124308438335721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1734124308438335721%7Ctwgr%5Ee4e14f910be7e2c3175b782d30676438a49f420c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fenglish.almanar.com.lb%2F1999197

Shops inthe Turkey’s Istanbul also heeded the call for a global strike in protest against the ongoing Israeli genocidal war on Gaza.

The Esenyurt district in Istanbul, Turkey, is currently experiencing a widespread strike in opposition to the continuing Israeli genocide campaign in #Gaza. #StrikeForGaza pic.twitter.com/HXly0dUl1H

— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) December 11, 2023

US and Canada

Meanwhile, activists in the US and Canada have called for general strike to protest the Israeli aggression which has killed so far nearly 18,000 Gazans and injured more than 49,200 others.

The Canadian activist, Cheryl Benson, emphasized the importance of committing to the strike, stating as reported by media outlets: ‘We need a global strike. Everyone will leave work until the ceasefire is achieved,’ adding, ‘That will affect their pockets.’

Source: Al-Manar English Website

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A comprehensive strike from the north to the south, called for by activists from around the world, in support of Gaza

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Global strike in solidarity with Gaza

December 11, 2023

Source: Al Mayadeen

A man walks by closed shops at Bourj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp, the LED sign reads “Al-Aqsa flood, Gaza is winning” Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, December 11, 2023. (AP)

Local communities in the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey answered the call for a general strike in solidarity with Gaza.

By Al Mayadeen English

A strike in solidarity with Gaza began on Monday morning, encompassing many countries around the world in condemnation of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Strip which has persisted for 66 days, resulting in the deaths of approximately 18,000, 70% of whom are women and children.

#Strike_for_Gaza was the most trending hashtag internationally. 

The general strike comes after the United States used its veto power against a Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

The strike for Gaza stands as a silent condemnation of the massacres being committed by the occupation forces.#StrikeForGaza pic.twitter.com/h9sQjokNdh

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) December 11, 2023

Palestine

The global strike in solidarity with Gaza swept through the Palestinian towns of the West Bank. Universities, banks, and shops were closed amid popular calls to continue the confrontation with the occupation in all regions, streets, and squares.

Public transportation witnessed a strike on all routes, and citizens’ movement was minimal. Factories and plants also closed their doors.

Read more: Mass protest in London for Gaza ceasefire

Lebanon

Lebanon adhered to the global call for a general strike in support of Gaza. Barely any movement was observed in the streets of the capital, Beirut, and other Lebanese cities, in solidarity with Gaza, the Palestinian people, and the southern Lebanese villages.

Public and private schools, banks, public administrations, and several private corporations closed in compliance with the government’s decision to join the general strike.

The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates announced that it had closed its offices in Lebanon and its Lebanese missions abroad, in accordance with the memorandum of the Council of Ministers. 

Saida city is the third-largest city in Lebanon, it's located in south of Lebanon.
This is how the streets of saida, look today amid calls for a global one-day strike in protest of the ongoing Israeli genocide campaign in Gaza.#StrikeForGaza pic.twitter.com/ihsuiSeS97

— نيرڨانا (@nirvana_lb) December 11, 2023

Jordan

In Jordan, the call for a global strike popularly resonated with the locals. The general strike was observed in the capital, Amman, and the province of Irbid (north), where a large number of businesses closed, and banners indicating their striking for Gaza were displayed.

There was a noticeable decrease in traffic and the number of students heading to schools, reflecting the level of compliance with the strike. The hashtag “#الإضراب_الشامل” (General Strike) was the most trending hashtag in Jordan.

الالتزام بالاضراب في مدينة العقبة يتجاوز ٩٠٪
لأول مرة في حياتي بشوف السوق مغلق بالكامل#الإضراب_العام #StrikeForGaza pic.twitter.com/lUSeayVvOA

— Mohammad Shakeeb (@aboshouk95) December 11, 2023

Turkey

The strike resonated as far as Turkey. A significant number of markets and shops were noticed to have closed down in rejection of the ongoing genocide campaign.

Istanbul is more meaningful today, says @EbuUbeyde_571 as the city heeds the global call to #StrikeForGaza and end the israeli genocide https://t.co/pnKLq4u4gq

— Sarah Wilkinson (@swilkinsonbc) December 11, 2023

Earlier today, six Palestinians were martyred in an Israeli airstrike on a residential apartment belonging to the al-Sobh family in Tal al-Sultan in Rafah, which also resulted in multiple injuries among survivors. 

In another airstrike on a house in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, “Israel” killed 5 Palestinians, including 3 children, while numerous injuries were transported to al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital following an Israeli attack on another house in al-Bossa in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza. 

Israeli artillery also shelled several areas in Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip.

Read more: Dozens of casualties, mostly children, arriving at Gaza hospitals

A comprehensive strike called for by activists from around the world in solidarity with Gaza 2023-12-11

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Operation Al Aqsa Flood

No prisoner exchange until aggression on Gaza ends: Hamas official

December 3, 2023

Source: Al Mayadeen

Senior Hamas official, Zaher Jabarin, speaks to Al Mayadeen TV during an interview held on December 2, 2023. (Archive) 

By Al Mayadeen English

Speaking to Al Mayadeen, Hamas official Zaher Jabarin addresses several points regarding the aggression on Gaza and reiterates the movement’s position on key issues.

A member of the Hamas movement political bureau, who is the head of the detainees, wounded, and martyrs files in the Hamas movement, Zaher Jabarin, called on all world powers to end the occupation of the land of Palestine and al-Quds, during an interview for Al Mayadeen.

“We are ready to pay the price for freedom, and we will not accept anything less than our independence,” the senior Hamas official emphasized.

On the prisoners-captives exchange negotiations headed by Qatar, Jabarin told Al Mayadeen that “efforts have not been halted, and [Qataris] are working to curb the Israeli aggression against Gaza.”

He also revealed that the movement had acquired information that indicated that the Israeli occupation would renew its aggression on the Gaza Strip following the exchange of civilian Israeli captives for Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli prisons.

Jabarin said the movement will work to achieve the “sovereign demands” of its people, adding that they are currently battling for the liberation of Palestinians.

In this context, the senior official confirmed to Al Mayadeen that the movement offered to hand over all elderly captives, over the age of 60, in exchange for all Palestinian prisoners of the same demographic. He also reiterated that “there will be no prisoner exchange [deal] as long as the Israeli aggression on Gaza continues.”

On this point, Jabarin said the “ruling class in the Zionist entity has [direct interest] in extending the aggression against Gaza, because once it stops,” Israeli officials will be pushed out of office and “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be imprisoned,” due to the occupation’s failure to prevent the events that unfolded on October 7, which constituted an “intelligence failure at all security, political, and military levels.”

Jabarin stressed that Israeli officials will be heading “to the ash heap of history.”

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Read more: Israeli military announces commander in Gaza Division killed in Oct. 7

Jabarin addresses regional developments

The Hamas official, through Al Mayadeen, saluted the Resistance in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen, calling on all Arab and Islamic countries to engage in the fight against the Israeli occupation.

“An Arab country receiving the President of the Zionist entity, at this time, weighs heavily on us, and it is irrational,” Jabarin explained, in reference to Isaac Herzog’s visit to the United Arab Emirates.

On another note, Jabarin slammed US Vice President, Kamala Harris, who said Hamas should be uprooted from Gaza, saying, “If she wants to uproot Hamas, she must uproot 75% of the Palestinian people.”

On the buffer zone that the occupation seeks to establish in the Gaza Strip, after its harrowing October 7 defeat, Jabarin said the movement “will thwart any attempt to establish a buffer zone in Gaza,” stressing that there can be “no security solution to the Palestinian” cause.​

Earlier on Saturday, Reuters revealed that “Israel” informed several Arab countries of its desire to establish a buffer zone inside the Gaza Strip after its war on the Strip ends, citing its wish to prevent any future attacks.

According to sources, “Israel” has communicated its plans to Egypt and Jordan, as well as the UAE. Additionally, Saudi Arabia, which has not established official ties with “Israel”, has been informed, along with Turkey.

The governments of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey have not responded to Reuters‘ requests for comments. Attempts to reach Jordanian officials for comments were unsuccessful, according to the news agency.

Read more: Al-Sinwar publicly spoke of a ‘Flood’ one year before October 7

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Operation Al Aqsa Flood

Solidarity for Gaza: Millions Surge Worldwide on Al-Aqsa Flood Friday (Videos)

October 14, 2023

Thousands take to streets in Yemen’s Saada in solidarity with Palestine on Al-Aqsa Flood Friday (October 13, 2023).

Nearly a week following the profound surge of Palestinian resistance, which sent shockwaves through the Israeli enemy, retaliation for the latter’s brutal assault on the Gaza Strip, targeting both structures and lives, alongside an oppressive blockade that left over two million Palestinians devoid of water, electricity, fuel, and access to aid, the world’s free people, spanning from Iran to Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq, and other nations, rallied in solidarity with Gaza’s people against the horrors of this injustice.

Millions of Muslims worldwide took to the streets to denounce the Israeli government’s brutal actions against the Palestinian population. Protests have erupted in various countries, including Iran, Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, and Jordan, with more anticipated as the day unfolds. These demonstrations were in response to a call by the Hamas resistance movement urging people to rally in support of Palestine.

Yemen:

Yemenis responded to the call for protests by pouring into the streets of Sa’ada, expressing their unwavering support for Palestine.

Saada Governorate organized massive demonstrations in which thousands of Yemenis took to the streets to affirm their backing for the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, prominently displaying the Palestinian flag and banners championing this cause.

Tens of thousands rally in Yemen in support of the Palestinian people and in protest of the Israeli aggression on #Gaza. pic.twitter.com/US4WaQTe9P

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) October 13, 2023

They chanted anti-occupation and anti-US slogans while pledging their readiness to assist Palestine actively.

Iraq:

Simultaneously, thousands of Iraqis converged in Tahrir Square at the heart of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. They answered the call of Mr. Muqtada al-Sadr, the leader of the Sadrist movement, who urged a million-strong demonstration in support of Palestine and solidarity with Gaza’s resistance.

WATCH: Massive number of people gather in Baghdad's Tahrir Square in Iraq in support of Palestine pic.twitter.com/5XkVu4aygJ

— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) October 13, 2023

Iraqis also voiced their support for Palestine with mass demonstrations in Tahrir Square. They chanted slogans denouncing the occupation and the United States while burning Israeli flags. Demonstrators displayed Iraqi and Palestinian flags, affirming their commitment to stand alongside the Palestinian people in their struggle against the Israeli regime.

Iran:

In Iran, tens of thousands participated in nationwide rallies, where they fervently chanted slogans in solidarity with the Palestinian cause and criticized both the United States and the Israeli government’s discriminatory policies. Notably, Iranian political figures also lent their presence to these protests.

Iran’s Islamic Propagation Organization issued a statement on Friday, praising what they termed the “intricate, hybrid, and heroic Operation al-Aqsa Flood.” They described it as a significant setback for the Israeli regime, marking an intelligence and military failure for the occupying force and a resounding victory for the resistance front.

Hundreds of thousands of Iranians stage protests to decry Israeli atrocities against Palestinians#GazaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/JDn8ccDVVX

— Palestine Highlights (@PalHighlight) October 13, 2023

According to the organization, this operation shifted the balance of power in favor of Palestinian resistance groups and underscored the strategic importance of liberating the holy city of al-Quds, both regionally and globally. The operation also shattered the Israeli ambition of territorial expansion and exposed the vulnerability of the Zionist regime.

The statement emphasized that the era of hit-and-run attacks was over, and any misstep by Israel could lead to the destruction of Tel Aviv and Haifa by the Islamic resistance front. The Israeli government’s indiscriminate bombing of mosques, schools, hospitals, and the killing of innocent civilians was decried.

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raeisi condemned Western support for Israeli crimes, declaring that countries backing the Zionist regime were complicit in its wrongdoing. He stressed that the legitimate demands and resistance of the Palestinian people would not wane despite such atrocities.

The Chief Commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Major General Hossein Salami, addressing a gathering in Tehran, described the Al-Aqsa Storm Operation as the “most significant failure of the Zionist regime since 1948 and a major victory for the Palestinian movement.” He highlighted the historical context of Israeli crimes against Palestinians, such as the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre, and declared this operation a “heavy defeat” for the Israeli government.

Jordan:

In Jordan, large crowds gathered at the border with occupied Palestine in an act of solidarity with Gaza’s resistance and to denounce the ongoing aggression against civilians.

Thousands of Jordanians embarked on a journey towards the Palestinian border on foot. However, the authorities closed “Ras al-Ain” Square in the center of Amman, where a massive demonstration was scheduled to express support for Gaza and the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.

Recent footage showed Jordanian police using tear gas to disperse the crowds. Jordan had prohibited protests near its border with Palestinian territories in light of Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.

Suppression of Jordanians by the police to prevent angry people from entering the occupied Palestinian territory

Jordan also hosts American soldiers on its territory and aids the genocide in Gaza pic.twitter.com/T45sMLR6zp

— Iran Observer (@IranObserver0) October 13, 2023

Qatar:

In the Qatari capital, Doha, hundreds of individuals gathered after Friday prayers to express solidarity with Palestine and the people of Gaza.

Thousands of Muslims in Qatar started protesting against the Israeli regime after the Friday Prayer pic.twitter.com/CWys22N76n

— Iran Observer (@IranObserver0) October 13, 2023

Tunisia

South Africa

Reports from Palestinian medical authorities indicated that over 1,500 people had lost their lives, with many more injured due to Israeli bombardments in the Gaza Strip. The widespread destruction of buildings, homes, and public facilities had taken a severe toll on the region.

Even in Palestine, people in several areas took to streets of Jenin, Al-Khalil, Beit Lahm and others to voice support to Gazans in their battle against the Israeli killing machine.

Source: Al-Manar English Website

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War of Economic Corridors: the India-Mideast-Europe ploy

SEP 25, 2023

Photo Credit: The Cradle

The India-Middle East-Europe transportation corridor may be the talk of the town, but it will likely go the way of the last three Asia-to-Europe connectivity projects touted by the west – to the dustbin. Here’s why.

Pepe Escobar

The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is a massive public diplomacy op launched at the recent G20 summit in New Delhi, complete with a memorandum of understanding signed on 9 September. 

Players include the US, India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the EU, with a special role for the latter’s top three powers Germany, France, and Italy. It’s a multimodal railway project, coupled with trans-shipments and with ancillary digital and electricity roads extending to Jordan and Israel. 

If this walks and talks like the collective west’s very late response to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched 10 years ago and celebrating a Belt and Road Forum in Beijing next month, that’s because it is. And yes, it is, above all, yet another American project to bypass China, to be claimed for crude electoral purposes as a meager foreign policy “success.”  

No one among the Global Majority remembers that the Americans came up with their own Silk Road plan way back in 2010. The concept came from the State Department’s Kurt Campbell and was sold by then-Secretary Hillary Clinton as her idea. History is implacable, it came down to nought.  

And no one among the Global Majority remembers the New Silk Road plan peddled by Poland, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Georgia in the early 2010s, complete with four troublesome trans-shipments in the Black Sea and the Caspian. History is implacable, this too came down to nought.   

In fact, very few among the Global Majority remember the $40 trillion US-sponsored Build Back Better World (BBBW, or B3W) global plan rolled out with great fanfare just two summers ago, focusing on “climate, health and health security, digital technology, and gender equity and equality.” 

A year later, at a G7 meeting, B3W had already shrunk to a $600 billion infrastructure-and-investment project. Of course, nothing was built. History really is implacable, it came down to nought. 

The same fate awaits IMEC, for a number of very specific reasons.

Map of The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC)

Pivoting to a black void 

The whole IMEC rationale rests on what writer and former Ambassador M.K. Bhadrakumar deliciously described as “conjuring up the Abraham Accords by the incantation of a Saudi-Israeli tango.”

This tango is Dead On Arrival; even the ghost of Piazzolla can’t revive it. For starters, one of the principals – Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman – has made it clear that Riyadh’s priorities are a new, energized Chinese-brokered relationship with Iran, with Turkiye, and with Syria after its return to the Arab League. 

Moreover, both Riyadh and its Emirati IMEC partner share immense trade, commerce, and energy interests with China, so they’re not going to do anything to upset Beijing.

At face value, IMEC proposes a joint drive by G7 and BRICS 11 nations. That’s the western method of seducing eternally-hedging India under Modi and US-allied Saudi Arabia and the UAE to its agenda. 

Its real intention, however, is not only to undermine BRI, but also the International North-South Transportation Corridor (INTSC), in which India is a major player alongside Russia and Iran.  

The game is quite crude and really quite obvious: a transportation corridor conceived to bypass the top three vectors of real Eurasia integration – and BRICS members China, Russia, and Iran – by dangling an enticing Divide and Rule carrot that promises Things That Cannot Be Delivered. 

The American neoliberal obsession at this stage of the New Great Game is, as always, all about Israel. Their goal is to make Haifa port viable and turn it into a key transportation hub between West Asia and Europe. Everything else is subordinated to this Israeli imperative. 

IMEC, in principle, will transit across West Asia to link India to Eastern and Western Europe – selling the fiction that India is a Global Pivot state and a Convergence of Civilizations. 

Nonsense. While India’s great dream is to become a pivot state, its best shot would be via the already up-and-running INTSC, which could open markets to New Delhi from Central Asia to the Caucasus. Otherwise, as a Global Pivot state, Russia is way ahead of India diplomatically, and China is way ahead in trade and connectivity. 

Comparisons between IMEC and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are futile. IMEC is a joke compared to this BRI flagship project: the $57.7 billion plan to build a railway over 3,000 km long linking Kashgar in Xinjiang to Gwadar in the Arabian Sea, which will connect to other overland BRI corridors heading toward Iran and Turkiye. 

This is a matter of national security for China. So bets can be made that the leadership in Beijing will have some discreet and serious conversations with the current fifth-columnists in power in Islamabad, before or during the Belt and Road Forum, to remind them of the relevant geostrategic, geoeconomic, and investment Facts.

So, what’s left for Indian trade in all of this? Not much. They already use the Suez Canal, a direct, tested route. There’s no incentive to even start contemplating being stuck in black voids across the vast desert expanses surrounding the Persian Gulf. 

One glaring problem, for example, is that almost 1,100 km of tracks are “missing” from the railway from Fujairah in the UAE to Haifa, 745 km “missing” from Jebel Ali in Dubai to Haifa, and 630 km “missing” from the railway from Abu Dhabi to Haifa. 

When all the missing links are added up, there’s over 3,000 km of railway still to be built. The Chinese, of course, can do this for breakfast and on a dime, but they are not part of this game. And there’s no evidence the IMEC gang plans to invite them. 

All eyes on Syunik 

In the War of Transportation Corridors charted in detail for The Cradle in June 2022, it becomes clear that intentions rarely meet reality. These grand projects are all about logistics, logistics, logistics – of course, intertwined with the three other key pillars: energy and energy resources, labor and manufacturing, and market/trade rules. 

Let’s examine a Central Asian example. Russia and three Central Asian “stans” – Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan – are launching a multimodal Southern Transportation Corridor which will bypass Kazakhstan. 

Why? After all, Kazakhstan, alongside Russia, is a key member of both the Eurasia Economic Union (EAEU) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). 

The reason is because this new corridor solves two key problems for Russia that arose with the west’s sanctions hysteria. It bypasses the Kazakh border, where everything going to Russia is scrutinized in excruciating detail. And a significant part of the cargo may now be transferred to the Russian port of Astrakhan in the Caspian. 

So Astana, which under western pressure has played a risky hedging game on Russia, may end up losing the status of a full-fledged transport hub in Central Asia and the Caspian Sea region. Kazakhstan is also part of BRI; the Chinese are already very much interested in the potential of this new corridor.    

In the Caucasus, the story is even more complex, and once again, it’s all about Divide and Rule. 

Two months ago, Russia, Iran, and Azerbaijan committed to building a single railway from Iran and its ports in the Persian Gulf through Azerbaijan, to be linked to the Russian-Eastern Europe railway system. 

This is a railway project on the scale of the Trans-Siberian – to connect Eastern Europe with Eastern Africa and South Asia, bypassing the Suez Canal and European ports. The INSTC on steroids, in fact. 

Guess what happened next? A provocation in Nagorno-Karabakh, with the deadly potential of involving not only Armenia and Azerbaijan but also Iran and Turkiye. 

Tehran has been crystal clear on its red lines: it will never allow a defeat of Armenia, with direct participation from Turkiye, which fully supports Azerbaijan.

Add to the incendiary mix are joint military exercises with the US in Armenia – which happens to be a member of the Russian-led CSTO – cast, for public consumption, as one of those seemingly innocent “partnership” NATO programs. 

This all spells out an IMEC subplot bound to undermine INTSC. Both Russia and Iran are fully aware of the former’s endemic weaknesses: political trouble between several participants, those “missing links” of track, and all important infrastructure still to be built. 

Turkish Sultan Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for his part, will never give up the Zangezur corridor across Syunik, the south Armenian province, which was envisaged by the 2020 armistice, linking Azerbaijan to Turkiye via the Azeri enclave of Nakhitchevan – that will run through Armenian territory.

Baku did threaten to attack southern Armenia if the Zangezur corridor was not facilitated by Yerevan. So Syunik is the next big unresolved deal in this riddle. Tehran, it must be noted, will go no holds barred to prevent a Turkish-Israeli-NATO corridor cutting Iran off from Armenia, Georgia, the Black Sea, and Russia. That would be the reality if this NATO-tinted coalition grabs Syunik. 

Today, Erdogan and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev meet in the Nakhchivan enclave between Turkiye, Armenia, and Iran to start a gas pipeline and open a military production complex.   

The Sultan knows that Zangezur may finally allow Turkiye to be linked to China via a corridor that will transit the Turkic world, in Azerbaijan and the Caspian. This would also allow the collective west to go even bolder on Divide and Rule against Russia and Iran. 

Is the IMEC another far-fetched western fantasy? The place to watch is Syunik.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Cradle.

• B3W
• BBBW

Lebanon Will Become Syrian Refugees’ Transit Stage into Europe: Report

September 18, 2023

Source: Al-Manar English Website

The United States of America decided in 2011 to destroy a politically and economically independent nation just because it does not comply with US administration’s policies in the Middle East.

USA ordered most of the world countries to dispatch terrorists in order to fight the safe civilians and army soldiers in Syria in 2011. Since the military war failed to subdue Syria, the operators in Washington escalated the pressures by passing a law that bans any economic cooperation with Damascus.

As a result of around 13 years of a terrorist war and an economic siege, the Syrian people suffered harsh living conditions deteriorating on a daily basis.

The Syrian laymen found themselves obliged to search for a source of an acceptable income even it costs them to take the risk of crossing the borders illegally and dangerously (via illegitimate boats).

Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan were their main destination before they moved into Europe and other continents.

In the case of Lebanon, the situation was very dramatic since it has been suffering from an unprecedented socioeconomic situation in addition to fragile infrastructure and public services.

Around 2 million Syrian refugees in the 10452-square-kilometer small country with a population of 4 millions makes the Lebanese situation harsher.as the percentage of the Syrian refugees out of the total population is expected to be much higher during the upcoming years.

Thus, the overburdened nation finds itself obliged to seek a solution for this dilemma as the US administration and the European Union have rejected all the proposals to let the refugees back to their homeland.

The Lebanese caretaker government held last Monday a session to discuss the Syrian refugees crisis, assigning the foreign minister, Abdullah Abou Habib, to lead an official delegation to Syria to discuss the issue of the displaced.

After the session, the Minister of Culture Mohammad Al-Mortada published via X platform a post that explains the decisions of the Lebanese government, indicating that Lebanon has got fed up with the NGOs preventing the return of the Syrian refugees.

Al-Mortada warned that such organization would be dissolved, hinting that Lebanon would not be able to prevent boats carrying the Syrian refugees into Europe.

لمن لم يفهم من "المجتمع الدولي"ما تقرّر في جلسة اليوم، خذْ علماً بالاهمّ:
١- اليوم جرى انذار ادواتكم، اي "المنظّمات غير الحكومية" ان لبنان طفح كيله منهم ولن يرضى ان يستمر ارضاً مستباحةً من قبلهم وان عليهم ان يخضعوا للتنسيق والرقابة وإلاّ سيجري سحب العلم والخبر وحلّهم….عجّل… pic.twitter.com/qoeqxSP10S

— القاضي محمد وسام المرتضى وزير الثقافة (@JugeMMourtada) September 11, 2023

Two days later, Abou Habib contacted his Syrian counterpart, Faisal Mekdad. They agreed to hold a meeting between them shortly upon Minister Bou Habib’s return from New York, where he will participate alongside Premier Najib Mikati in the work of the United Nations General Assembly, and will meet there with the Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister, who will represent his country in UN meetings.

Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdallah Bou Habib (photo from archive).

The Syrian Foreign Minister welcomed the visit of Minister Bou Habib and the accompanying delegation to Damascus, expressing his readiness for all cooperation that falls in the interest of the two countries.

The Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs Hector Hajjar told Al-Manar that Europe will recognize that Lebanon will be the transit stage of the Syrian refugees, adding that Lebanon will not be able to provide the displaced with the suitable living conditions.

Hajjar pointed out that the European states, mainly Cyprus, have notified the Lebanese authorities about their worries pertaining the flock of Syrian refugees into Europe illegally by sea or legally through airports.

Lebanese caretaker social affairs minister Hector Hajjar

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