US threatens ICC sanctions
over Trump investigations
December 10th, 9:25pm
(PressTV)
The US administration is demanding the International Criminal
Court (ICC) -------- modify its founding statute to prevent any
investigations into President Donald Trump and his top
officials, threatening new US sanctions on the court
if it does not.
A Trump administration official..... speaking anonymously, stated
that new sanctions would be imposed on the ICC if its demands
aren't met. Sanctioning the court would significantly escalate
the US campaign against the ICC.
The US has requested the court to cease investigations into
Israeli leaders regarding the Gaza genocide --- and formally
conclude a probe into US military actions in Afghanistan.
Failure to comply ---- may result in additional sanctions
against ICC officials and potentially the court itself.
ICC judges issued arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli minister for military
affairs Yoav Gallant last November for war crimes and
crimes against humanity during the Gaza genocide.
On November 21st, 2024, after investigating war crimes and
crimes against humanity, the ICC issued arrest warrants
for Netanyahu and Gallant ----- for the war crime of
starvation as a method of warfare -- and the
crimes against humanity --- of murder,
persecution - and other inhumane
acts during the Gaza genocide.
The ICC, a permanent war crimes tribunal with 125 member
states, has faced longstanding scorn from US officials who
argue it infringes upon national sovereignty. The Trump
administration fears... that investigations could
escalate... after Trump's presidency ends
in 2029.
In March 2020, ICC prosecutors opened an investigation in
Afghanistan that included possible crimes by US troops.
The court has since deprioritized its investigation
but has not formally concluded it.
The ICC’s deputy prosecutors noted --- they have not received
any requests regarding US actions in Venezuela, where the
US military has conducted strikes against suspected drug
trafficking vessels.
"There is growing concern..... that in 2029 - the ICC will turn
its attention to the president, to the vice president, to the
secretary of war and others --- and pursue prosecutions
against them," the Trump administration official said.
"That is unacceptable, and we
will not allow it to happen."
The White House has not yet commented on these developments,
and amending the Rome Statute would require the support of
two-thirds of ratifying countries, making such changes
complex and slow-moving.
The ICC deputy prosecutor has condemned Washington ----- for
imposing punitive measures on the court’s judges for issuing
arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Minister of
Military Affairs, Yoav Gallant, over Israeli warcrimes.
The United States is not a party to the Rome Statute that
established the ICC in 2002 as a court of last resort,
with the power to prosecute heads of state.
"Amendments to the Rome Statute are within the prerogative of
States Parties," the ICC's public affairs unit, which speaks on
behalf of the court and its presidency, said in response to
Reuters' questions.
Since Israel ---- launched its genocidal assault on Gaza
on October 7th, 2023, it has killed more than 70,000
Palestinians .....and injured over 171,000 others,
most of them women and children.
______________________________
Fuel-smuggling ship seized
in Persian Gulf waters
December 19th, 7:22pm
(PressTV)
Iran has seized an Eswatini-flagged vessel in the Persian
Gulf on charges of transporting smuggled fuel.
Iran has seized a foreign vessel carrying smuggled fuel in the
Persian Gulf - as part of a broader crackdown on the illegal
yet lucrative trade of subsidized Iranian fuel in the region.
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said in
a Wednesday statement that its naval forces had
confiscated an Eswatini-flagged vessel
transporting 0.35 million litres of
smuggled diesel.
General Heidar Honarian, commander of the IRGC Navy’s Second
Zone, said the seizure was carried out under a judicial order,
adding that the vessel’s cargo was being unloaded at the
southwestern port of Bushehr.
Honarian added that 13 crew members - nationals of India and
a neighbouring country — were arrested during the operation.
Iran has stepped up efforts to curb the smuggling of Iranian-made
oil products in the Persian Gulf. These products, mainly motor
fuels ---- are illegally shipped to Arab states in the region,
where fuel prices can be more than 20 times higher
than those inside Iran.
The IRGC announced in mid-November, that it had seized a
Marshall Islands-flagged tanker..... outside Iran’s territorial
waters in the Persian Gulf for carrying unauthorized cargo.
Subsequent reports... indicated that the tanker had been
transporting some 30,000 metric tons of Iranian-owned
petrochemical materials.
The Iranian authorities released the tanker
four days later --- after offloading its cargo.
________________________________________
UN warns unexploded Israeli ordnance
poses great risk to Gaza children
(as if they didn't know !!!!!!!)
December 10th, 7:19pm
(PressTV)
Julius Van der Walt, Chief of the UN Mine Action Service
(UNMAS) in the occupied Palestinian Territory, warns
that unexploded ordnance left behind after Israel’s
two-year genocidal war on the Gaza Strip poses
a grave threat to civilians returning home,
with children most at risk.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Van der Walt said
that the systematic Israeli attacks have contaminated
much of the densely populated besieged enclave
with explosive remnants.
Given the impossibility of wholly avoiding these remnants
under current conditions, he warned residents returning
to their homes to exercise extreme caution and report
any suspicious or movable objects immediately.
The UN official also said that there is no comprehensive data
on the full extent of explosive contamination in Gaza. Since
the Mine Action Programme began operations in October
2023, it has already identified 650 hazardous items.
Van der Walt emphasized that Gaza’s small geographical area
and high population density make the risk particularly acute
compared with other conflict zones.
He also warned that the remaining war remnants are seriously
hampering humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts.
Israel’s genocidal campaign has left much of Gaza in ruins.
Thousands of airstrikes, combined with ground incursions
and controlled demolitions, have damaged or destroyed
over 123,000 buildings across the besieged strip.
The rubble is laced with unexploded ordnance:
bombs, missiles, rockets, and artillery shells
that failed to detonate.
Meanwhile, living conditions for Gaza’s more than two million
residents remain dire. Most Palestinians are sheltering in
tents pitched in overcrowded displacement camps and
navigating streets still strewn with debris.
Since the Israeli regime launched its genocidal war on Gaza on
October 7, 2023, it has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians,
including 21,000 children, and wounded 171,000 others.
Despite a ceasefire that began on October 10, Israel’s war on
Gaza continues unabated, with more than 600 violations of
the ceasefire reported in the last few weeks.
Israel has killed more than 360 Palestinians since the truce
went into effect, according to Gaza's authorities. Among
the dead are at least 70 children, UNICEF reports.
___________________________________
Israel - not willing to implement
ceasefire deal: Hamas official
December 10th, 7:15pm
(PressTV)
A senior Hamas official says the Israeli regime has not shown
a “meaningful willingness” to implement the first phase of
the ceasefire agreement, amid claims that the talks for
the second phase are making progress.
"The Israeli occupation has so far shown no meaningful
willingness to implement the first phase of the
ceasefire agreement," Osama Hamdan
told Ultra Palestine on Tuesday.
He said the mediators -------- including the US
should ensure that Israel abides by the deal.
His remarks on Israel’s failure to abide by the deal came
after a US official said Washington was preparing to
announce a transition into the second phase of
the plan in the coming weeks.
Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also said
the second phase is "close", and he is expected to
discuss it during his upcoming meeting with US
President Donald Trump at the White House
before the end of the month.
The second phase of Trump's 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan
concerns disarming Hamas, the further withdrawal of
Israeli forces, the unveiling of a new governing body
in Gaza, and the launching of an “International
Stabilization Force” in the strip.
Hamdan noted that the second phase “requires a comprehensive
national agreement and detailed dialogue on the issues on the
table” among all the Palestinian factions, adding that none
of these issues can be discussed ---- without a clear
national consensus.
"We hope all factions, including Fatah, will meet together, because
refraining from engaging in national issues --- does not reflect
national responsibility. At this stage --- it is expected that
we rise above minor disputes in the face of the larger
cause that concerns the Palestinian situation as
a whole."
Regarding Hamas' disarmament, Hamdan underscored
the Palestinian people’s right to resistance and its
means, noting -- that the establishment of an
independent, sovereign Palestinian state,
capable of defending its land & people
------ will eliminate the need for other
institutions to possess weapons.
“We have clearly affirmed that when a sovereign Palestinian
state, which is [able to] defend its land and people - and
possesses the means of defense, is established, it is
natural - for everyone who defends the Palestinian
people - to be involved in the official institution
concerned with that, and at this time we will
not need any other non-official institutions
to defend the land and people, under the
framework of the independent state."
The official also said... the Palestinian people do not
need “a guardian” and are capable of administering
their own affairs. “Therefore, it is unacceptable for
the Palestinian people to be placed under any
guardianship, nor is it acceptable for the
will of another party to be imposed
upon them.”
He said the role of any international forces to be deployed
to Gaza “must be limited to protecting the Palestinian
people and preventing” the resumption of Israel’s
genocide in Gaza.
Hamas political bureau member Hossam Badran on Tuesday
said the Gaza ceasefire plan cannot proceed to its second
phase as long as Israeli “violations” persist, urging the
mediators to pressure Israel to abide by the deal.
Badran said Israel should have reopened the Rafah crossing
with Egypt and increased the volume of aid entering Gaza.
Under the initial steps of the ceasefire plan, Israeli troops
withdrew to positions behind a so-called “Yellow Line”,
which runs down Gaza from north to south, though
they remain in control of over half the territory.
The Israeli military's chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, described
the so-called "Yellow Line" as “a new border line"
with Gaza.
Badran slammed Zamir’s comments, saying, “The statements...
clearly reveal the criminal occupation’s lack of commitment
to the ceasefire agreement.”
_________________________________________________
Israel - has killed thousands of Muslim women,
including those pregnant, in Palestine: Houthi
December 10th, 6:48pm
(PressTV)
The leader of Yemen’s Ansarullah resistance movement has
condemned the massacre of Palestinian women at the
hands of Israeli military forces, stressing that the
occupying Tel Aviv regime has gravely violated
their human dignity and committed heinous
crimes against them.
On the occasion... of the birthday anniversary of Hazrat Fatemeh
Zahra (SA), the beloved daughter of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH),
Abdul-Malik al-Houthi stated that Israeli occupation troops have
killed thousands of Palestinian women ------ including pregnant
ones, females under the age of legal adulthood, and elderly
individuals, across the occupied territories.
"Currently, the entire Muslim Ummah is facing one of its fiercest
and most dangerous, deceptive, soft wars, and the purpose is
people’s estrangement from their faith."
"This destructive soft war ......seeks to foster cultures and inflate
values which deviate Muslim nations from the path of true Islam,
lead them to the path of those who are misguided and incur the
wrath of Allah --- at last," Houthi said.
The Ansarullah chief noted -- that Muslims have suffered
tremendously from soft - then hard - warfare, and their
confusion, division, humiliation, and heavy reliance
on Western governments..... are a testament to
such a fact.
“The enemies have subdued most Muslim governments and
much of our Ummah. They have imposed their dictates,
seized Muslims’ natural wealth, constructed military
bases on their soil, and exploited their human
resources to advance their agendas,”
Houthi said.
The Ansarullah leader added that enemies have also robbed
Muslims of their human, moral, and Islamic essence to an
alarming degree – most clearly reflected in their stance
vis-à-vis the genocide of Palestinians.
Houthi criticized the failure of most Muslim and Arab
governments to take concrete action or adopt an
acceptable position.
“Much worse than inaction ----- is that certain Arab regimes have
offered financial, media, and intelligence support to the Zionist
enemy ----- whilst preventing their nations from taking up any
meaningful action for Palestinians,” he said.
Houthi also warned that most Muslims worldwide are
now going through a grave crisis — a collapse in
awareness, morals, and values.
“The Zionist enemy has grown so vicious against the Muslim
Ummah that it now seeks to impose an equation of total
violation --- and is targeting their livelihood, honour,
lands, sanctities and faith,” the Ansarullah
chief said.
He argued that hypocrites have consented to full dominance
of the Israeli enemy over all of West Asia, and aligned
themselves with it. “They have abandoned their
religion, dignity, freedom, and honour —
selling away all values for the
Zionist regime’s sake.”
Elsewhere in his remarks, Houthi took a swipe at Syria’s ruling
HTS regime, characterizing it as hypocritical, allied to the US,
and subservient to Israel.
“Among the most definite indications of the Zionist enemy’s
aggression and criminality --- is its continued violations of
international agreements, notably the ceasefire deals
in Lebanon and Gaza.”
“The Muslim Ummah...... must draw inspiration from noble
Islamic examples - men and women of high spirituality,
clear awareness, and meaningful influence to restore
their human dignity, faith-based pride --- and global
presence,” the Ansarullah chief pointed out.
Houthi said Muslims must undertake their missions of
promoting justice, defending the oppressed, and
confronting tyrants, rather than remaining
dependent on and submissive to
arrogant powers.
____________________________________
UNIFIL says Israeli forces fired
on peacekeepers in Lebanon
December 10th, 6:25pm
(PressTV)
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said Wednesday
that Israeli forces fired on its peacekeepers a day earlier in
the country's south, demanding the Israeli army "cease
aggressive behaviour".
It is the latest such attack reported by the peacekeepers in
southern Lebanon, where UNIFIL acts as a buffer between
Israel and Lebanon and has been working with Lebanon's
army ......to support the 2024 truce between Israel and
the Arab country.
"Yesterday, peacekeepers in vehicles patrolling the Blue Line
were fired upon by IDF soldiers in a Merkava tank," a UNIFIL
statement said, referring to the de facto border.
"One ten-round burst of machine-gun fire was fired above
the convoy, and four further ten-round bursts were fired
nearby," AFP quoted the statement as saying.
It said that both the peacekeepers and the Israeli tank were
in Lebanese territory at the time of the incident and that
the Israeli military had been informed of the location
and timing of the peacekeeping patrol in advance.
"Peacekeepers asked the IDF to stop firing through UNIFIL's
liaison channels... Fortunately, no one was injured," it said.
UNIFIL said in November that Israeli soldiers shot at its troops
in the south. Israel's military said it mistook blue helmets for
"suspects" and fired warning shots.
In October, UNIFIL said one of its members was wounded by an
Israeli grenade dropped near a UN position in the same region,
the third incident of its kind in just over a month.
"Attacks on or near peacekeepers, are serious violations of UN
Security Council Resolution 1701," UNIFIL said on Wednesday
- referring to the 2006 resolution that formed the basis of the
November 2024 truce.
"We call on the IDF to cease aggressive behaviour and attacks
on or near peacekeepers working to rebuild stability along
the Blue Line," the peacekeepers said.
Israel carries out regular attacks on Lebanon in violation of the
truce. Last month, UNFIL said that more than 10,000 Israeli
air and ground violations were recorded ------- since the
ceasefire took effect.
Israel has also kept troops in five southern Lebanon
areas, breaching the ceasefire deal that demanded
a full Israeli withdrawal.
________________________________________
Israel approves 764 illegal West Bank
settler units amid rising violence
against Palestinians
December 10th, 3:44pm
(PressTV)
Israel has given final approval for 764 new settlement units
in the occupied West Bank - escalating tensions as settler
attacks against Palestinians have surged in recent weeks.
The announcement came on Wednesday from Israel’s far-
right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, who described
the construction as part of a “strategic process of
strengthening the settlements and ensuring
continuity of life, security, and growth.”
Since assuming office in late 2022, Smotrich said, the Israeli
regime has approved more than 51,000 housing units in the
occupied territories.
The move --- drew immediate condemnation from Palestinian
officials and the international community, with Wasel Abu
Yousef, a member of the PLO’s Executive Committee,
saying, “All the settlements are illegal…and they
are contrary to all the resolutions of
international legitimacy.”
Most countries of the world consider Israeli settlements
on occupied land, illegal under international law, citing
numerous UN Security Council resolutions - and have
called for an immediate halt to settlement activity.
Israel has allocated more than $830 million to the creation
and expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank.
These expansions come amid a sharp rise in settler violence
across the occupied West Bank. According to UN reports,
at least 264 incidents targeting Palestinians in the West
Bank were recorded in October alone ---- the highest
monthly total since the UN began tracking such
incidents in 2006.
The attacks include assaults by settlers, and raids by the
Israeli military, which have surged since Israel launched
its genocidal war in Gaza in October 2023.
The violence intensified during the Palestinian
olive harvest in October and early November.
Human rights monitors warn that Palestinians face growing
threats to life, displacement, and violence, as settlement
expansion and military operations --------- continue to
destabilize the region.
________________________________
MP Khalil: Funds --- Have Been Allocated
to Launch the Reconstruction Process
December 10th, 3:13pm
(al Manar)
MPs Ali Hasan Khalil, a member of the “Liberation and
Development” bloc, and Hasan Fadlallah, a member
of the “Loyalty to the Resistance” bloc, held a
joint press conference.. at the Parliament
building -------after the conclusion of the
Finance & Budget Committee session.
Khalil stated, “Today, the Finance Committee ----- provided an
opportunity to address the most sensitive and crucial issue:
the plight of those affected by ongoing Israeli aggression
against our country, which has persisted for over a year,
and its catastrophic consequences in some areas due
to widespread destruction and displacement in
numerous villages along the front lines.”
He added, “The discussion was responsible, with MPs
- unanimously recognizing the sensitivity and critical
nature of this matter. This is essential for bolstering
social stability for most Lebanese citizens, not just
those directly impacted, as the repercussions of
this aggression have had a profound impact
across the entire nation.”
He said, “Today’s achievement is the result of the insistence
of most of the participating MPs from the ‘Loyalty to the
Resistance’ and ‘Liberation and Development’ blocs,
and the positive response from His Excellency the
Minister of Finance in allocating funds to launch
the reconstruction process, & allocating funds
to the Council of the South ------ for its area
of operation ---- and to the Higher Relief
Commission for its operational area.”
“These funds..... will address some issues related
to housing people. This sum... is certainly not
substantial, but it marks the beginning --
of this major national effort.”
For his part, MP Hasan Fadlallah said, “This, will
certainly help to alleviate some of the suffering.”
He added, “It is true that the reconstruction project requires
large sums of money, but the Lebanese government and
state cannot remain spectators waiting for money to
come from abroad. We are with all the assistance
provided to Lebanon, and we welcome all of the
unconditional and non-politicized assistance
provided for reconstruction, but at the same
time ------ there is a responsibility on the
Lebanese state towards its people.”
Source: Al-Manar English Website
_________________________________
Revealed: US company Palantir
contributed to Israel’s 2024
'pager attacks' in Lebanon
December 10th, 2:56pm
(Press TV)
A new book has revealed that Israel used technologies from
the US AI surveillance firm Palantir - in its deadly pager and
walkie-talkie terrorist attacks in Lebanon in 2024.
New York Times journalist Michael Steinberger
revealed Palantir's involvement in the attacks
in Karp’s new biography.
In the book, The Philosopher in the Valley: Alex Karp, Palantir,
and the Rise of the Surveillance State -- Steinberger writes
that prior to Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, “the Mossad
had been using Palantir technology.”
The Shin Bet internal spy agency and the Israeli military, the
author said, “sought to obtain Palantir’s software in the
wake of October 7th.”
“The demand for Palantir’s assistance was so great that the
company dispatched a team of engineers from London to
help get Israeli users online,” Steinberger said.
“Palantir ended up having to rent a second-floor building that
housed its Tel Aviv office, to accommodate the intelligence
analysts who needed tutorials.”
Steinberger said, “Its software was used by
the Israeli military in several raids in Gaza.”
“The company’s technology was deployed by the Israelis during
military operations in Lebanon in 2024 that decimated
Hezbollah’s top leadership.”
“It was also used in Operation Grim Beeper, in which hundreds of
Hezbollah fighters were injured and maimed when their pagers
and walkie-talkies exploded (the Israelis had booby trapped
the devices).”
At least 42 people, including two children, were killed, and more
than 3,400 others suffered mostly debilitating injuries... in the
explosions of September 18 and 19, 2024.
The regime assassinated Hezbollah’s former secretary
general, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and several other
high-profile figures in the movement.
At the time, the United Nations said the pager and walkie-talkie
attacks constituted “war crimes.” Even former CIA director
Leon Panetta said, “I don’t think there’s any question
that it’s a form of terrorism.”
Francesca Albanese, the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur
on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian
territory, has documented Palantir’s role in the genocide
in Gaza.
“In January 2024, Palantir announced a new strategic partnership
with Israel and held a board meeting in Tel Aviv ‘in solidarity’;
in April 2025, Palantir’s Chief Executive Officer responded
to accusations that Palantir had killed Palestinians in
Gaza by saying, ‘mostly terrorists, that’s true.’”
“Both incidents are indicative of executive-level knowledge
and purpose --- vis-à-vis the unlawful use of force by Israel,
and failure to prevent such acts or withdraw involvement.”
In a recent interview, the former head of the Mossad, Yossi
Cohen, claimed Israel has similar “booby-trapped and spy-
manipulated equipment” in “all the countries you
can imagine.”
Analysts say the involvement of a company as influential as
Palantir in the terrorist attacks, makes these comments
all the more troubling.
_____________________________________
Three IRGC soldiers killed ----- in
terrorist attack in southern Iran
December 10th, 1:45pm
(PressTV)
Three members of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps
(IRGC) Ground Force were killed on Wednesday in an
attack by “terrorist and hostile groups” near the
border region of Lar, close to Zahedan in
southeastern Iran.
According to a statement released by the IRGC’s Quds
Regional HQ, the troops were targeted while on duty
protecting Iran’s southeastern borders.
IRGC forces have launched a manhunt in the region, it said.
“Operations to track down and confront the attackers
are currently underway,” the statement added.
Sistan and Baluchestan province, bordering Pakistan, has
faced frequent terrorist attacks targeting both civilians
and security forces.. in recent years.
Terrorist groups carrying out attacks on Iranian interests in
the southeastern and southwestern parts of the country..
are thought to have ties to foreign intelligence agencies.
The so-called Jaish al-Adl terrorist group has taken responsibility
for many attacks, including one in August that killed five Iranian
policemen. A month earlier, in July, terrorists had stormed a
courthouse in the province, leaving six people dead.
The most devastating attack in recent years occurred in February
2019, when a Jaish al-Adl suicide bombing targeted an IRGC bus
convoy, killing 27 members of the force.
______________________________________
Lebanon’s Mechanism ----- Under Strategic
Assault: The Battlefield Behind the Table
December 10th, 12:54pm
(al Manar)
When Washington’s envoys began shuttling into Beirut with
threats disguised as timelines, and diplomacy wrapped in
ultimatums, it became clear that Lebanon was no longer
dealing with negotiations in the conventional sense. It
was facing a US–Israeli attempt to re calibrate the
rules of the conflict ---- under the banner of a
“mechanism” that was never meant to
bear such weight.
The sudden appointment of a civilian diplomat to head Lebanon’s
delegation was not the beginning of this story—it was simply the
first visible crack in a pressure campaign designed to bend the
country’s security architecture, its political balance, and its
negotiating ceiling.
What now hangs over Lebanon is not a technical debate about
representation, but a strategic question: Which battlefield -
military or diplomatic - is Lebanon being pushed toward?
A Procedural Move
Beirut - initially - presented the appointment of Simon Karam
as a mere administrative modification – an attempt to ease
communication or relieve pressure on the military. But
nothing about the timing or the geopolitical climate
supports that interpretation.
Introducing a civilian into what had been a purely military
– security structure came just as Washington was
intensifying its efforts --- to broaden the
mechanism’s scope, nudging it.....
toward political and economic
files ---- that lie far outside
the narrow mandate of
Resolution 1701.
‘Israel’, for its part, barely bothered with subtlety. After the latest
session, its Prime Minister’s office announced: that discussions
included “potential economic cooperation” --- between the two
sides - language that not only contradicts Lebanon’s declared
priorities ---------- but signals a calculated attempt to drag the
negotiation into new territory.
The divergence, is no longer semantic. It reflects two competing
visions: Lebanon’s insistence on stabilizing the border, versus
a US–Israeli project to convert the mechanism into a forum
for “normalization by increments.”
This attempted re-engineering of the process, has unfolded
alongside persistent Israeli military pressure. For months,
Israeli officials and media have floated deadlines, hinted
at “closing windows,” and threatened operations that
could begin “within days.”
Lebanon didn’t have to wait long for proof
A day after the latest negotiation meeting, Israeli forces struck
Odeisseh, Khiam, Jabal Safi, and Wadi Aazza — acts that
immediately contradicted any claim of de-escalation.
These were not tactical interruptions; they were messages.
‘Israel’ intends to negotiate with Lebanon -- while actively
reshaping the battlefield that frames those negotiations.
Dialogue under such conditions is
not dialogue. It is stress-testing.
Berri’s Red Lines
Amid this charged landscape, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s
position has served as one of the few institutional guardrails.
His stance — no expansion of the mechanism’s scope, no
introduction of political files, no negotiations under fire,
and no steps resembling normalization — anchors the
Lebanese position to the core purpose of the talks:
implementing the ceasefire, not renegotiating
the Lebanese–Israeli relationship.
Speaker Berri underscored a crucial asymmetry: Lebanon has
complied fully with its obligations under the October 27
framework, while ‘Israel’ has violated almost all of its
commitments. Allowing the mechanism to drift into
a political process while the Israeli occupation
continues its strikes would not expand
options for Lebanon — it would
collapse them.
Barrak’s Remarkable Pivot: Signal or Mirage?
Into this tense environment stepped US envoy Thomas Barrak
with a statement that surprised even seasoned observers:
disarming Hezbollah by force --- is “not achievable,” any
durable formula must be political ------- and a unilateral
Israeli operation would carry “severe consequences.”
Given Barrak’s previously hawkish tone, the
shift could mean one of several things:
1. A tactical pause, designed to calm
Beirut before renewed pressure.
2. A diplomatic carrot, offered in exchange for
Lebanon’s adjustment of its delegation.
3. A reluctant admission that ‘Israel’ cannot change
the balance of power in Lebanon through force.
Regardless of intent, Barrak’s comments undercut the core
assumption driving Israeli escalation — that pressure
alone can redefine Lebanon’s internal security logic.
Mission Drift: Lebanon’s Greatest Negotiating Risk
Lebanon now......... faces a subtler danger
than military escalation: negotiation drift.
History shows that once the structure of a delegation changes,
the agenda is rarely far behind. If political and economic files
seep into the mechanism — intentionally or by inertia —
Lebanon could find itself bargaining over matters
it cannot afford to discuss under duress.
The echoes of 1983 are faint but real. Then, too, the country
was pressured into negotiations framed as “necessary for
stability” --- only to find itself cornered into a deeply
unpopular agreement. Today’s regional context
is different, but the methodology — military
pressure, diplomatic urgency, and
incremental agenda expansion
— is uncomfortably familiar.
The country stands at a crossroads
defined by overlapping pressures:
– Israeli violations and open threats of war.
– American attempts to widen the diplomatic track.
– A fragile domestic arena easily disrupted by missteps.
– And a mechanism ----- at risk of being
turned into a stealth political platform.
The challenge is therefore not administrative; it is existential.
The country must protect the boundaries of its negotiating
mandate, before the boundaries are redefined by others.
Ultimately, the battle over Lebanon’s negotiating delegation
has never been about titles or formalities. It has been
about testing - whether the country can be nudged
— through intimidation, ultimatums, or diplomatic
engineering - into accepting a framework that
ignores the strategic truth of the conflict.
The central miscalculation in Washington and Tel Aviv is the
belief that Lebanon’s security equation can be rewritten by
side-lining the actor that enforces it. For nearly four
decades, deterrence — not paperwork — has
kept the border from collapsing. Israel’s
hesitation to widen the conflict is
not courtesy; it is cost.
Any arrangement that pretends otherwise, is
not a peace process - it is a political fiction.
Lebanon is not choosing between negotiation and confrontation.
It is choosing between negotiation anchored in sovereignty
and negotiation crafted to erode it. One path preserves
the balance of power that has prevented ‘Israel’ from
shaping Lebanon by force; the other, dismantles it
piece by piece.
In the coming months, the decisive factor will not be
the composition of delegations or the elegance of
communiqués. It will be... Lebanon’s ability to
assert a simple, immovable principle of its
modern history: deterrence -- is not a
concession — it is the foundation
upon which — any workable
settlement must rest.
Any diplomatic architecture that ignores this
reality, however polished, is destined to fail.
Source: Al-Manar English Website
____________________________________
Prisoners’ Media Office: ‘Israel’ Continues
to Detain 32 Gaza Prisoners After
Sentence Completion
December 10th, 12:11pm
(al Manar)
The Prisoners’ Media Office in occupied Palestine stated on
Wednesday that the Israeli occupation authorities continue
to detain 32 prisoners from the Gaza Strip, despite the
official expiration of their sentences ----- months
or even years ago.
In a press statement, the office asserted that ‘Israel’s’
classification of these detainees as “unlawful
combatants” .....allows for their ongoing
imprisonment without charge, trial,
or a new judicial ruling.
It condemned this practice as a blatant violation of
the Fourth Geneva Convention - and a war crime
under international law.
The office further highlighted that prisoners from Gaza are
systematically denied family visits and access to legal
counsel - with no information provided about their
conditions or whereabouts. It warned that their
situation is approaching the threshold of
enforced disappearance ----- stating:
“Absence, isolation -- and official
silence prolong their suffering.”
This report follows an earlier disclosure by ‘Israel’s’ Public
Defender’s Office, cited by The Wall Street Journal on
October 4, detailing a sharp deterioration in the
conditions of Palestinian prisoners since
October 7, 2023.
That report documented issues of
severe overcrowding, and near-
daily beatings.
Source: Agencies (translated and
edited by Al-Manar English Website)
_____________________________________________
Lebanese President Aoun Meets Sultan
of Oman, Joint Statement Calls for
Halt of Israeli Aggression
December 10th, 9:22am
(al Manar)
On Wednesday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, held
another meeting with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq
on the second day of his official visit to the sultanate,
with a joint statement being released calling for the
halting of Israeli aggression on Lebanon.
The meeting took place at Al Alam Palace, Muscat, with
Lebanese and Omani delegation members attending.
The second round of discussions continued on topics of
common interest, and several points were agreed upon.
The two leaders affirmed -- their determination to expand
cooperation and coordination “in the political, economic,
investment, banking, tourism, transport and logistics
fields, in a way that benefits both countries and
peoples,” a joint statement released after
the meeting read.
“In the context of regional developments, both sides expressed
their deep concern regarding the continued Israeli attacks on
Lebanese territory and the occupation of Arab lands, which
constitutes a clear violation of Resolution 1701 --- and
international legitimacy resolutions,” the statement
read, calling for “an immediate end to these
attacks and a complete withdrawal from
all occupied Lebanese and
Arab territories.”
“We support efforts aimed at de-escalation, stabilization,
facilitating the return of displaced people and
reconstruction,” the joint statement noted.
Visit Details
Before leaving Al Alam Palace, President Aoun wrote on the
palace’s Golden Record: “I am delighted to visit today the
magnificent Al Alam Palace, a monument steeped in
history, standing proudly in the heart of old Muscat,
a witness to significant political events and high-
level meetings, that brought together leaders
from the region and the world.”
“For decades, this palace has been a symbol of Omani wisdom
and its approach based on dialogue and understanding, and a
destination for diplomatic meetings that have contributed to
consolidating stability and strengthening bridges of
cooperation between countries,” President Aoun
wrote on Al Alam Palace’s Golden Record.
Members of the Lebanese delegation.. then held meetings
with their Omani counterparts, Lebanese media reported.
Aoun arrived in Muscat on Tuesday, heading a
formal delegation for a two-day official visit
to Oman.
Sultan Haitham bin Tariq.. personally welcomed him at the
Sultan’s Airport, along with a high-level Omani delegation
that included the Deputy Prime Minister for Defense
Affairs, the Ministers of the Royal Court, Interior,
Foreign Affairs, and Labour, as well as
senior officials.
Lebanon’s newly appointed ambassador to Oman, Majdi
Ramadan, and embassy staff .....were also present.
After a brief reception at the airport, Aoun and Sultan
Haitham proceeded to Al Alam Palace for the official
welcome ceremony and first round of bilateral talks.
Source: Al-Manar English Website
________________________________________
Hamas ----- Warns of Storm Repercussions
in Gaza, Calls for Urgent Relief Operation
December 10th, 9:15am
(al Manar)
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem has warned of the
severe repercussions of a new weather system
expected to hit the Gaza Strip.
He emphasized that the tents currently sheltering displaced
people are unsuitable for rain or winter cold, a situation
exacerbated by Israeli restrictions on fuel imports.
Qassem stated that the catastrophic humanitarian conditions
in the Strip “necessitate an urgent relief operation and the
provision of adequate and suitable shelters .........by all
relevant parties.”
He further stressed the need to compel ‘Israel’ to implement
the humanitarian relief protocols outlined in the January
2025 agreement, which were reaffirmed --- in the
October 2025 agreement.
“Our people in the Gaza Strip continue to be subjected to an
ongoing genocide through various means, including the
sustained siege -- the prevention of adequate shelter
materials, the restriction of humanitarian aid, and
the closure of crossings,” Qassem added.
“This places the international community before
its urgent moral and political responsibilities
toward the civilian population.”
The warning comes after heavy rainfall last night flooded tents
in displacement camps following the arrival of a polar storm.
The inundation has left families homeless, facing harsh
cold ....without adequate resources or shelter.
In a related context, Mahmoud Bassal, spokesperson for Gaza’s
Civil Defense, detailed the anticipated dangers of the deep
depression. He said the situation “will be extremely
difficult in the Strip, where thousands have been
killed as a result of the Israeli genocide and
which is suffering from collapse .....on
all levels.”
Bassal warned that camps, shelters, and dilapidated
buildings “will suffer extensive damage and could
collapse, resulting in casualties.”
He explained -- that shelters in low-lying areas ''will be
completely submerged, and there will be no way to
absorb the volume of rainwater.'' He added that
the Strip ''will be flooded due to the expected
heavy rainfall, given the existing collapse
in all aspects of life.''
“The insane war -- has partially stopped, but it is returning
in another form through flooding, cold, torrents, and
collapses,” Bassal concluded. “It is time - for the
international community and organizations to
take action to pressure ------ for the entry of
caravans into the Strip and their humane
placement ------ establishing a basic
infrastructure for them.”
Source: Al-Manar English Website
and Palestinian media
