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France: Committed to Supporting the Rise of a New Lebanon

President-elect Joseph Aoun met on Wednesday at the Baabda Palace with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen (EPA).
President-elect Joseph Aoun met on Wednesday at the Baabda Palace with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen (EPA).
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France: Committed to Supporting the Rise of a New Lebanon

President-elect Joseph Aoun met on Wednesday at the Baabda Palace with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen (EPA).
President-elect Joseph Aoun met on Wednesday at the Baabda Palace with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen (EPA).

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to deliver three key messages during his upcoming visit to Lebanon on Friday, focusing on the nation’s sovereignty, economic reform, and preservation of unity. This marks Macron’s third trip to Lebanon following the 2020 Beirut port explosion, underscoring Paris’ ongoing engagement with Lebanon during its political and economic crises.
Macron will arrive in Beirut accompanied by a small delegation, including Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu, special envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian, parliamentarians, and individuals with strong ties to Lebanon.
His agenda includes meetings with President Joseph Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, and Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam. Discussions will also extend to UNIFIL leaders and French and American officers overseeing the ceasefire monitoring team, focusing on Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon and expanding the Lebanese army’s role in the region.
According to Elysee sources, France prioritizes Lebanon’s sovereignty, emphasizing the importance of empowering the state to control its borders, reclaim its territory, and implement UN Resolution 1701. Paris views the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) as central to this goal, providing them with equipment, training, and logistical support. Macron is also urging Israel and Hezbollah to adhere to commitments for Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
The sources added that France’s approach extends to engaging with regional actors. Barrot recently stressed to Syrian officials the need to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty, prevent smuggling, and maintain regional stability. These discussions echo themes raised during Mikati’s recent visit to Syria, as Paris seeks to address cross-border issues that threaten Lebanon’s security.
Macron’s visit also aims to address the role of Hezbollah within Lebanon. French officials encourage the group to transition into a political entity, fully integrating into the democratic process. They argue that Hezbollah’s declining military capacity, exacerbated by regional changes such as the weakening of the Assad regime, presents an opportunity for this transformation.
Macron’s previous engagements with Hezbollah during 2020 roundtable talks emphasized disarmament and inclusion in Lebanon’s political framework. France believes this shift is essential for restoring institutional functionality and preserving Lebanon’s unity, the sources underlined.
Macron’s third focus is on Lebanon’s economic recovery. The sources at the Elysee noted that France is advocating for structural reforms as a foundation for rebuilding the economy, beginning with an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Paris has made it clear that international aid depends on Lebanon restoring global confidence through transparency, anti-corruption measures, and economic restructuring.
While French officials did not confirm plans for an international conference to aid Lebanon, they indicated that Paris is prepared to mobilize global support if reforms are implemented. France also continues to coordinate closely with Saudi Arabia and the United States to develop a shared vision for Lebanon’s recovery, the sources concluded.

 

 

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Arab World

US Embassy in Baghdad Warns of Attacks in City over Next 24-48 Hours

A view of the US Embassy in Baghdad (archival - Reuters)
A view of the US Embassy in Baghdad (archival - Reuters)
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US Embassy in Baghdad Warns of Attacks in City over Next 24-48 Hours

A view of the US Embassy in Baghdad (archival - Reuters)
A view of the US Embassy in Baghdad (archival - Reuters)

The US embassy in Baghdad warned Thursday that pro-Iran armed groups in Iraq may attack the city in the coming one or two days.

"Iraqi terrorist militia groups aligned with Iran may intend to conduct attacks in central Baghdad in the next 24-48 hours," the embassy said in a statement on X, again urging Americans in the country to leave immediately.

Arab World

Strike in Darfur Kills Senior Figure in RSF-backed Government

Osama Hassan, a leader in the “Taasis” coalition, who was killed in a strike on his home in the city of Nyala (Taasis coalition). 
Osama Hassan, a leader in the “Taasis” coalition, who was killed in a strike on his home in the city of Nyala (Taasis coalition). 
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Strike in Darfur Kills Senior Figure in RSF-backed Government

Osama Hassan, a leader in the “Taasis” coalition, who was killed in a strike on his home in the city of Nyala (Taasis coalition). 
Osama Hassan, a leader in the “Taasis” coalition, who was killed in a strike on his home in the city of Nyala (Taasis coalition). 

A senior figure in a Sudanese coalition that formed a government backed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) was killed in a strike by the Sudanese army on his home in Nyala, South Darfur, late Tuesday, while Health Minister Alaaeldin Naqd and others survived.

Mohamed Hassan al-Taishi, prime minister of the “Taasis” government, said in a statement that an army drone targeted Osama Hassan, a member of the coalition’s leadership body, killing him instantly and seriously wounding four of his aides, two of them critically.

Al-Taishi strongly condemned the killing, describing it as “the beginning of a dangerous pattern of political assassinations targeting civilian and democratic leaders”.

He said targeting the home of a civilian political leader in a populated area constituted “a flagrant violation of international and humanitarian law and moral norms” and undermined any real chance for a ceasefire or a peaceful settlement.

He called on the international community, rights groups and the United Nations to open “an independent, transparent and urgent international investigation” to establish the circumstances of the attack and hold those responsible accountable.

Major blow

The killing of Hassan in Nyala, a stronghold of the Taasis administration, is seen as one of the most significant blows dealt to the RSF, raising expectations the conflict could enter a new phase marked by the targeting of leaders on both sides.

Hassan headed the Democratic Alliance for Social Justice party and was considered a leading candidate for the youth and sports portfolio in the Taasis administration.

Pro-army media outlets reported his death shortly before it was officially confirmed by Taasis authorities.

RSF reaction

The presidential council of the Taasis government, headed by RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, known as Hemedti, also mourned Hassan.

In a statement posted on Facebook, it said he was targeted by a Turkish-made Akinci drone that struck his home.

The council described Hassan as “a prominent national figure who contributed effectively to the struggle and was a staunch defender of the causes of freedom and justice, and an example of steadfastness in principle”.

The Sudanese army rarely claims direct responsibility for strikes it carries out on cities in Darfur controlled by the RSF, while the group maintains strict silence regarding its losses.

Since the outbreak of war in April 2023, the Sudanese army and the RSF have exchanged near-daily drone attacks.

 

 

Arab World

Surging Terrorism by Israeli Settlers in West Bank Condemned but Unpunished

While so-called "Jewish terrorism" has drawn widespread condemnation both in Israel and abroad, little has been done to curb it. JAAFAR ASHTIYEH / AFP
While so-called "Jewish terrorism" has drawn widespread condemnation both in Israel and abroad, little has been done to curb it. JAAFAR ASHTIYEH / AFP
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Surging Terrorism by Israeli Settlers in West Bank Condemned but Unpunished

While so-called "Jewish terrorism" has drawn widespread condemnation both in Israel and abroad, little has been done to curb it. JAAFAR ASHTIYEH / AFP
While so-called "Jewish terrorism" has drawn widespread condemnation both in Israel and abroad, little has been done to curb it. JAAFAR ASHTIYEH / AFP

Violence by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank has reached unprecedented levels since the start of the war with Iran, with NGOs and opposition figures denouncing an environment of impunity.

While so-called "Jewish terrorism" has drawn widespread condemnation both in Israel and abroad, little has been done to curb it, said AFP.

Assaults by violent settlers against Palestinians have been carried out for years, often to the indifference of mainstream Israeli society.

But the recent surge has prompted criticism from influential rabbis, settler leaders and even military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, who described the attacks as "morally and ethically unacceptable".

According to Reem Cohen, a researcher at the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), "there has been an increase in acts of Jewish terrorism since the start of the war with Iran", along with a rise in "the severity of the acts".

In an interview with AFP, Cohen, who authored a report on the issue in January, denounced the impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators.

"The Israeli government and security forces... have not responded with determination," Cohen wrote in his report.

One of the first measures taken by Defense Minister Israel Katz upon assuming office in 2024 was to cancel administrative detention -- a form of virtually unlimited custody -- for Israeli suspects of violent crimes in the West Bank. It was maintained for Palestinians.

At least six Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the beginning of March in violence attributed to extremist settlers.

That figure for the whole of 2024 stood at five, according to UN data.

"Jewish terrorism against Palestinians in the West Bank has evolved from marginal, local incidents into a widespread phenomenon that occurs as part of a fight for control of the territory and an increasing effort to uproot Palestinian presence," Cohen wrote.

- 'Ideological support' -

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. Excluding east Jerusalem, more than 500,000 Israelis now live there in settlements considered illegal by the UN, among some three million Palestinians.

Settlement building in the territory has continued under every Israeli government since the occupation began.

But it has accelerated significantly under the current coalition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which contains far-right parties and is considered one of the most right-wing in Israeli history.

It has surged even more since the October 7, 2023 attack by the Palestinian movement Hamas that triggered the Gaza war.

After the outbreak of the second intifada, the Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s, groups of radicalized settlers living outside formal settlements, known as the "hilltop youth", pursued what they called a "price tag" policy, carrying out random revenge attacks on Palestinians after every anti-Israeli assault.

Since October 7, such violence has become a daily occurrence, "with the ideological support of certain members of the government", Cohen said, in a reference to far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

During the ongoing war with Iran, the head of the left-wing Democrats party, Yair Golan, accused the government of "supporting Jewish terrorism" and harming Israel's security by forcing the army to "put out fires (the government had) lit" in the West Bank.

Videos posted on social media, sometimes by the perpetrators themselves, show hundreds of young men -- often masked and armed with sticks or automatic weapons -- entering Palestinian villages to sow terror.

- 'Hilltop barbarians' -

Violent settlers have with increased frequency torched Palestinians' homes, uprooted their olive trees and killed their cattle.

In a recent investigation into these groups, which operate mainly in rural areas near the cities of Nablus in the northern West Bank and Hebron in the south, the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth called them "hilltop barbarians".

Since October 7, settlers have established more than 175 farms and outposts in the West Bank with the tacit consent of Israeli authorities.

Though illegal under Israeli law, these outposts are meant to create facts on the ground and receive protection from the army, according to the NGO Peace Now.

The hardcore "hilltop youth" reject all authority and espouse a theocratic and anti-democratic vision of Jewish sovereignty over the West Bank -- with any means to achieve it deemed legitimate.

According to several Israeli media outlets, Netanyahu recently requested that the army take action against the extremists, whom he publicly condemned in November, saying they were not representative of the settler movement.

According to the INSS, "90 percent of settler violence cases in the West Bank are closed without indictments", and Israeli soldiers, instead of arresting the culprits, at times take part in the assaults.