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Lebanese Foreign Ministry Issues 2nd Summons for Iranian Ambassador

Foreign Minister Youssef Raji during the meeting in Cairo (Markaziah)
Foreign Minister Youssef Raji during the meeting in Cairo (Markaziah)
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Lebanese Foreign Ministry Issues 2nd Summons for Iranian Ambassador

Foreign Minister Youssef Raji during the meeting in Cairo (Markaziah)
Foreign Minister Youssef Raji during the meeting in Cairo (Markaziah)

Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has set a new date for Iranian Ambassador Mojtaba Amani to appear after he declined an earlier summons over his controversial remarks criticizing discussions about disarming Hezbollah.

The ambassador had been scheduled to visit the ministry on Wednesday but apologized for not attending.

Foreign Minister Youssef Raji had initially summoned Amani to the ministry on Tuesday in protest over his recent statements. In Raji’s absence abroad, the ambassador was expected to receive Lebanon’s official position from the ministry’s secretary general. However, Amani did not show up, later telling Lebanon’s Al Jadeed TV that while he had received the summons, he had excused himself from attending and had yet to be informed of a new date.

He stressed that Iran “respects whatever agreement the Lebanese people reach” regarding Hezbollah’s weapons, asserting that Tehran does not impose its views on Lebanese domestic affairs.

Later in the day, Markaziah News Agency reported that the Foreign Ministry had indeed set a new appointment for Amani, although it did not disclose the date.

The controversy stems from a post Amani made last Friday on X, in which he wrote: “The disarmament project is a clear conspiracy against nations.”

He added: “We in the Islamic Republic of Iran are fully aware of the dangers of this conspiracy and the threat it poses to the security of the peoples in the region. We warn others not to fall into the trap laid by the enemies.”

Amani also stressed that maintaining deterrence capability is “the first line of defense for sovereignty and independence, and it must not be compromised.”

On Wednesday, Raji reiterated that the new Lebanese government “adheres to a clear policy aimed at asserting the state’s sovereignty over all its territory, ensuring that arms are solely in the hands of the state, and that it alone holds the authority to decide on matters of war and peace.”

He also underscored commitment to the National Pact, the Taif Agreement, and genuine power-sharing between Lebanon’s communities, saying these principles are essential for national unity and effective participation.

Speaking at the meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo, Raji addressed what he called Israel’s continued aggression against Lebanon.

According to a statement from the Foreign Ministry, Raji said: “The world has witnessed Lebanon’s full commitment to the ceasefire declaration. However, Israel insists on undermining the agreement and continues to violate Lebanon’s sovereignty on a daily basis.”

He reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to peaceful and diplomatic solutions, including full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, and stressed that Lebanon’s legitimate security institutions, particularly the Lebanese Army, are determined to carry out their national duties.

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Arab World

Israel Pushes Beyond ‘Yellow Line’ in Lebanon, Seeks to Dismantle Hezbollah Infrastructure and Bolster Negotiating Leverage

Residents walk amid buildings destroyed by Israeli bombardment in the city of Tyre, Lebanon (dpa). 
Residents walk amid buildings destroyed by Israeli bombardment in the city of Tyre, Lebanon (dpa). 
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Israel Pushes Beyond ‘Yellow Line’ in Lebanon, Seeks to Dismantle Hezbollah Infrastructure and Bolster Negotiating Leverage

Residents walk amid buildings destroyed by Israeli bombardment in the city of Tyre, Lebanon (dpa). 
Residents walk amid buildings destroyed by Israeli bombardment in the city of Tyre, Lebanon (dpa). 

Israel’s latest advance beyond the self-declared “Yellow Line” in southern Lebanon has raised questions about whether the expansion is driven solely by military objectives or also reflects broader political calculations, particularly as it coincides with reports of a US-Iran agreement that would include a comprehensive ceasefire in Lebanon.

On Saturday, Israeli forces made fresh gains along both the western and eastern fronts beyond the Yellow Line. Troops advanced toward the outskirts of Majdal Zoun following four days of artillery and air strikes, while forces also pushed into Kfartebnit, reaching the approaches to the strategically important Ali al-Taher Heights, which overlook the city of Nabatieh and much of the surrounding region.

The “Yellow Line” is the term adopted by the Israeli military in spring 2026 for a belt of territory inside southern Lebanon that it considers a military buffer zone, similar to the model previously employed in Gaza. The zone extends roughly 4 to 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory and encompasses about 55 border towns and villages.

Retired Brig. Gen. Mounir Shehadeh said military operations beyond the Yellow Line are concentrated in Kfartebnit, Zawtar al-Sharqiya, Yahmar al-Shaqif, Arnoun, and the Beaufort Castle area.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Shehadeh argued that Israel is “racing against time” because it believes any US-Iran agreement could force an end to hostilities. As a result, he said, Israel is seeking to advance as far as possible before negotiations begin, allowing it to bargain from a position of strength.

He noted a distinction between villages entered by Israeli troops and those brought under operational control. Some communities have been incorporated into what Israel describes as a security zone, where residents are barred from returning and where Israeli forces maintain control through surveillance and firepower, even without a permanent troop presence.

According to Shehadeh, Israeli-controlled areas now extend between 5 and 10 kilometers inside Lebanese territory and include villages whose residents have been prohibited from returning.

Israel’s stated goal, Shehadeh underlined, is to push Hezbollah forces farther from its northern border, prevent future cross-border attacks on Galilee communities, destroy military infrastructure and weapons stockpiles, and establish a buffer zone to protect border settlements.

Its unstated objectives, however, may be broader. These include creating a new security belt resembling the zone Israel occupied between 1982 and 2000, turning border villages into sparsely populated areas that would make it difficult for Hezbollah to reestablish itself, and securing strategic high ground and transportation corridors. Such gains could provide Israel with significant leverage in future negotiations involving Lebanon and the postwar regional order.

For his part, Dr. Riad Kahwaji, defense and security analyst, said Israel is advancing along three separate axes, primarily to eliminate Hezbollah infrastructure, some of it located beyond the Yellow Line.

The eastern axis runs from Beaufort Castle through Kfartebnit and the Ali al-Taher Heights, placing Israeli forces in a position overlooking Nabatieh and potentially opening the way toward the Iqlim al-Tuffah region, where Hezbollah is believed to maintain tunnel networks.

The central axis stretches north of Bint Jbeil and Tebnine toward Ghandouriyeh in an effort to encircle Wadi al-Hujayr, long regarded as a key defensive zone and another suspected tunnel hub.

The western axis centers on Majdal Zoun and extends toward Qlayleh, potentially bringing Israeli forces closer to the approaches of the coastal city of Tyre.

Arab World

Palestinian Prisoner Dies After 25 Years in Israeli Jail

A Palestinian prisoner is released from an Israeli prison as part of a prisoner exchange deal last year. (AP)
A Palestinian prisoner is released from an Israeli prison as part of a prisoner exchange deal last year. (AP)
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Palestinian Prisoner Dies After 25 Years in Israeli Jail

A Palestinian prisoner is released from an Israeli prison as part of a prisoner exchange deal last year. (AP)
A Palestinian prisoner is released from an Israeli prison as part of a prisoner exchange deal last year. (AP)

Israeli authorities have informed the family of Imad Sarhan, a 47-year-old Palestinian prisoner from Haifa, that he died in Gilboa Prison after suffering what officials described as a heart attack. No further details were provided.

The death is the latest in a growing number of prisoner fatalities reported since the outbreak of the Gaza war on Oct. 7, 2023.

In a joint statement, the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Club said Sarhan had been imprisoned since 2001 and was serving a life sentence.

The organizations said he was subjected to lengthy and harsh interrogations during the early years of his detention, including systematic torture that left lasting health complications and contributed to a gradual deterioration in his condition. They also cited repeated periods of solitary confinement.

According to the statement, Sarhan developed chronic cardiovascular illnesses during his imprisonment, including heart, arterial and vascular diseases, as well as high blood pressure.

His health deteriorated to the point that he needed a wheelchair in recent years.

The groups said Sarhan was a victim of medical negligence and abusive prison policies, stressing that his death reflected broader conditions facing Palestinian prisoners, particularly since the start of the Gaza war.

Human rights groups and Palestinian prisoner advocates have repeatedly pointed to worsening conditions in Israeli prisons over the past two years, including restrictions on medical care, overcrowding, harsh disciplinary measures, and limited contact with families.

The Palestinian Prisoners Club has also raised concerns about outbreaks of scabies among detainees, accusing Israeli prison authorities of maintaining conditions that facilitate the spread of disease by limiting access to cleaning supplies, showers, and fresh clothing.

Prison conditions worsened after Itamar Ben-Gvir became Israel’s national security minister in late 2022. Ben-Gvir claimed that prisoners had been receiving excessive privileges and ordered stricter regulations, including reductions in food allocations, shower time, outdoor recreation, and family visits.

Palestinian organizations said those restrictions intensified significantly after October 2023.

The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Prisoners Club said the prison system has since adopted harsher policies involving abuse, starvation, medical neglect, and prolonged isolation.

They criticized the continued restrictions on monitoring visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross and limits on communication between prisoners and their families.

According to the groups, Sarhan’s death raises the number of Palestinian prisoners whose deaths have been announced since the start of the Gaza war to 90. They said the total number of prisoner deaths documented since 1967 now stands at 327.

The organizations held Israeli authorities fully responsible for Sarhan’s death and renewed calls for international legal action and accountability.

As of June 2026, they said, more than 9,400 Palestinians were being held in Israeli prisons, including 3,324 administrative detainees and 1,316 prisoners classified by Israel as “unlawful combatants.”

Arab World

The Economy in the Occupied West Bank Is Being Dismantled by Israel, Report Says

Palestinian farm workers harvest grape vines at the Samer Hamdan vineyards in the village of Beit Hasan on the outskirts of the Jordan Valley, east of Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on June 13, 2026. (AFP)
Palestinian farm workers harvest grape vines at the Samer Hamdan vineyards in the village of Beit Hasan on the outskirts of the Jordan Valley, east of Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on June 13, 2026. (AFP)
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The Economy in the Occupied West Bank Is Being Dismantled by Israel, Report Says

Palestinian farm workers harvest grape vines at the Samer Hamdan vineyards in the village of Beit Hasan on the outskirts of the Jordan Valley, east of Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on June 13, 2026. (AFP)
Palestinian farm workers harvest grape vines at the Samer Hamdan vineyards in the village of Beit Hasan on the outskirts of the Jordan Valley, east of Nablus in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on June 13, 2026. (AFP)

The economy in the West Bank is teetering toward collapse as Israel maintains a web of restrictions that limit opportunities for Palestinians living under long-term military occupation, according to a new report from a leading conflict tracker.

The International Crisis Group says that Israeli measures restricting movement, withholding revenue and taking land are not only crippling the Palestinian economy but also fueling deep instability.

“The economic conditions necessary for any Palestinian future other than permanent subjugation are being dismantled,” it says.

The report, based on interviews with Palestinian business leaders, mayors and government officials, details the financial crisis afflicting companies, households and the internationally backed Palestinian Authority, which administers cities and towns in the West Bank.

It says Israeli policies suggest a concerted effort to “advance Israel’s own declared goal of extending its control and preventing a Palestinian state from emerging.”

Throughout decades of military occupation, the Palestinian economy has been hobbled by checkpoints and military gates that curtail movement of people and goods.

Households and businesses have relied heavily on jobs and imports tied to Israel, and faced restrictions on land and trade.

The roughly 3.4 million Palestinians living in the West Bank today face roughly 30% unemployment and have seen their economy contract substantially since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

After Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, Israel revoked work permits for most of the nearly 200,000 Palestinians who had worked there previously. Officials cited security but in effect, it deprived the Palestinian economy of nearly $400 million a month, or almost one-fourth of its overall economic output.

Many businesses today are struggling to pay workers, contractors and suppliers, with private companies seeing an estimated 50% decline in business since before the war, “reflecting tightened movement controls, disrupted supply chains and heightened uncertainty,” the report says.

“Palestinian society survives, but in a state of grinding immiseration. Absent remedies, the result will likely be a loss of hope and a growing risk of instability and greater violence,” it says.

As the occupied West Bank's largest employer and service provider, the Palestinian Authority is at the heart of the crisis. Government agencies have borrowed heavily to stay afloat as public sector workers go unpaid and infrastructure like roads and water lines crumble. The inability to fund public services is keeping patients out of hospitals and kids out of school.

Most of the PA's money comes from taxes collected on goods entering the West Bank through Israeli ports, because Palestinians do not control their own borders. But under hard-line ministers in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, Israel has withheld billions of dollars in owed tax revenue and unilaterally imposed deductions on the funds. No transfers have been made since May 2025.

Joost Hiltermann, International Crisis Group’s special adviser for the Middle East and North Africa, said the world’s focus on more than two years of war in Gaza had drawn attention away from the West Bank, but that changes taking place now could have arguably wider consequences for Palestinians’ future aspirations.

Hiltermann, who wrote the report, said Israeli officials, who exert considerable control over many of the policies in question, did not agree to be interviewed. But he noted disagreements within Netanyahu’s government, with settler leaders and security officials often clashing on how to manage the Palestinian economy.

“The security establishment doesn’t want the Palestinian Authority or economy to collapse because they would have to assume the burden of governing the territory in full after essentially destroying it,” he said.