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Israel Reviews Post-War Plans for Gaza

Palestinians search for survivors or victims among the rubble in Fallujah in the Jabalia camp in the Gaza Strip after an Israeli strike (EPA)
Palestinians search for survivors or victims among the rubble in Fallujah in the Jabalia camp in the Gaza Strip after an Israeli strike (EPA)
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Israel Reviews Post-War Plans for Gaza

Palestinians search for survivors or victims among the rubble in Fallujah in the Jabalia camp in the Gaza Strip after an Israeli strike (EPA)
Palestinians search for survivors or victims among the rubble in Fallujah in the Jabalia camp in the Gaza Strip after an Israeli strike (EPA)

The Israeli government has established two ministerial committees to formulate a position regarding the future of the Gaza Strip after the war.

Several Israeli plans were made public, including one discussing the deportation of Gazans to Egypt’s Sinai, which was met with an angry Egyptian response.

Political sources in Tel Aviv said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made it clear that thoughtful decisions must be made, criticizing the "irresponsible" leaks.

The sources confirmed that Netanyahu took this step after he understood that the US administration was concerned about the deportation of Gazans to Sinai and the angry Egyptian and Jordanian responses.

US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf arrived in Israel to prepare for the upcoming visit of State Secretary Antony Blinken.

Blinken is due to arrive for a Middle Eastern tour on Friday.

Leaf said the war must have a clear political goal, so that Israel's allies are clear on their support.

Washington hoped the concerned parties would agree on a formulation that would pave the way for a political process leading to a solution.

Recent leaks revealed several plans to displace the residents of Gaza. One project was prepared by the Ministry of Intelligence, and the other by the Misgav Institute, led by Meir Ben-Shabbat.

Ben-Shabbat spent ten years working as Netanyahu's aide and envoy for special missions. The Prime Minister then appointed him as head of the National Security Council and assigned him to the Abraham Accords.

The first plan discussed deporting Gazans to Egyptian cities, while the second aimed to send them to the Sinai desert, with the option of absorbing large groups into Western countries.

Both schemes aim to push the people of Gaza by force to the Strip's southern region until there isn't enough food, water, or medicine and then they are pushed to the Egyptian Sinai.

Egypt will be forced to open the Rafah crossing and receive them.

The Ministry's plan does not address the fate of the Gaza Strip. However, the plan issued by Misgav Institute discussed destroying the infrastructure in the enclave and turning the region into an Israeli tourist area.

The paper issued by the Ministry aims to influence the Palestinians, seeking they'd view Hamas as the cause of their woes. It also plans to ensure they'd remember for generations that whoever inflicts such a deep wound on Israel will pay a heavy price, such as losing land and homeland and not just lives.

On Friday, the US Secretary will visit Tel Aviv and several regional countries as part of a new Middle Eastern tour as the war waged by Israel on the Gaza Strip enters its fifth week.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters that Blinken “will travel to Israel on Friday for meetings with members of the Israeli government and then will make other stops in the region."

According to political sources in Tel Aviv, the meetings with Leaf indicated that Blinken intends to review the war's course and its compatibility with the US vision.

They noted that Blinken's discussions with Israeli officials would reiterate the goal of retrieving the hostages, striking a fatal blow at Hamas, monitoring fuel entrance into the Gaza Strip, and saving hospitals.

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Arab World

Trial Week Opens for Assad-Era Figures, Including Syria’s Former Grand Mufti Hassoun

People gather outside the Palace of Justice, on the day of a trial session of Atef Najib, a brigadier general and former head of the Political Security Department in Daraa during Syria's ousted President Bashar al-Assad's rule, who is accused of committing war crimes, in Damascus, Syria, April 26, 2026. (Reuters)
People gather outside the Palace of Justice, on the day of a trial session of Atef Najib, a brigadier general and former head of the Political Security Department in Daraa during Syria's ousted President Bashar al-Assad's rule, who is accused of committing war crimes, in Damascus, Syria, April 26, 2026. (Reuters)
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Trial Week Opens for Assad-Era Figures, Including Syria’s Former Grand Mufti Hassoun

People gather outside the Palace of Justice, on the day of a trial session of Atef Najib, a brigadier general and former head of the Political Security Department in Daraa during Syria's ousted President Bashar al-Assad's rule, who is accused of committing war crimes, in Damascus, Syria, April 26, 2026. (Reuters)
People gather outside the Palace of Justice, on the day of a trial session of Atef Najib, a brigadier general and former head of the Political Security Department in Daraa during Syria's ousted President Bashar al-Assad's rule, who is accused of committing war crimes, in Damascus, Syria, April 26, 2026. (Reuters)

A series of new trials involving defendants accused of crimes against Syrians during the rule of former President Bashar al-Assad is set to begin this week, as authorities move to accelerate the country’s transitional justice process amid mounting public pressure for accountability.

According to Radif Mustafa, director of the Accountability Department at the National Commission for Transitional Justice, proceedings opened on Monday with the trial of Abdul Nasser Barraq, a former security informant.

Hearings are scheduled to continue Tuesday with the case of Atef Najib, while Wednesday will see the first session in the trial of Wassim al-Assad. On Thursday, proceedings are due to begin against former Grand Mufti Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, widely known among regime opponents as the “Mufti of the Barrel Bombs.”

The trials come after days of demonstrations across several Syrian provinces, where protesters demanded accountability for former regime enforcers and collaborators, commonly referred to as “shabbiha”.

What began as scattered protests has evolved into a sustained daily movement calling for faster implementation of transitional justice measures.

The Syrian government has acknowledged the protesters’ “legitimate demands,” stressing that justice must be achieved through the rule of law rather than public anger.

Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine al-Baba said authorities remain committed to pursuing all individuals implicated in crimes committed under the former regime.

Atef Najib, a brigadier general and former head of the Political Security Department in Daraa during Syria's ousted President Bashar al-Assad's rule, who is accused of committing war crimes, attends a trial session at the Palace of Justice, in Damascus, Syria, April 26, 2026. (Reuters)

The Interior Ministry recently disclosed that nearly 3,700 former military personnel and regime loyalists have been detained by security forces. The announcement was presented as evidence of the government’s determination to continue pursuing suspects linked to past abuses.

At a press conference last week, al-Baba said the ministry’s Counterterrorism Directorate was holding 5,989 detainees from various ranks associated with the former regime.

Separately, the Ministry of Justice announced the creation of specialized judicial chambers dedicated to transitional justice cases in courthouses across Syria.

The move follows a meeting in Damascus on Sunday between Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais and provincial attorneys general to discuss ways of accelerating legal proceedings against those accused of serious crimes.

Under the new mechanism, complainants will file cases directly with designated public prosecutors. Investigating judges will gather evidence before cases are referred to criminal courts, a process intended to speed up proceedings and respond to public demands for accountability.

Al-Wais said the ministry is preparing a broader package of reforms, including updates to judicial legislation, amendments to existing laws, the establishment of a unified national registry of violations under judicial supervision, and specialized training for investigators handling war-crimes cases in cooperation with international experts.

The ministry also plans to strengthen coordination with the National Commission for Transitional Justice, the National Commission for Missing Persons, and civil society organizations.

Arab World

Officials Reject Handing Lebanon over to Iran’s Influence

Displaced people make their way back to their homes in southern Lebanon following an interim deal between the US and Iran, in Sidon, Lebanon, June 21, 2026. (Reuters)
Displaced people make their way back to their homes in southern Lebanon following an interim deal between the US and Iran, in Sidon, Lebanon, June 21, 2026. (Reuters)
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Officials Reject Handing Lebanon over to Iran’s Influence

Displaced people make their way back to their homes in southern Lebanon following an interim deal between the US and Iran, in Sidon, Lebanon, June 21, 2026. (Reuters)
Displaced people make their way back to their homes in southern Lebanon following an interim deal between the US and Iran, in Sidon, Lebanon, June 21, 2026. (Reuters)

Officials in Lebanon were vocal about firmly rejecting that their country being tied to Iran as Washington and Tehran carry out negotiations about ending the conflict in the region.

The officials, who are largely opposed to Iran-backed Hezbollah, said the current phase demands support to the Lebanese state as the sole authority in any negotiations, rejecting Iranian attempts to include Lebanon in its negotiations with the US.

In an open letter to US Vice President JD Vance, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said the greatest form of backing to Lebanon lies in supporting the state and its legitimate institutions as the sole national authorities.

Any negotiations or discussions about Lebanon should be held with the state alone, keeping Iran “permanently” away from the Lebanese file, he urged.

He added that the rise of a “sovereign, free and capable” state that can provide stability for all Lebanese people lies in supporting the state in imposing its authority throughout Lebanese territories, restricting the possession of weapons to the legitimate institutions and ending Hezbollah’s military and security presence.

Kataeb leader Sami Gemayel warned said that Iran was “trying to save what remains of Hezbollah’s” military power “so that it can use it whenever needed and whenever it is in danger.”

Speaking at a press conference, he stressed: “Lebanon sacrificed ten times what Iran did during the war as confirmed by Iranian parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.”

“The Lebanese state must demonstrate to the world that it exists and that it speaks and acts. It is time for the Lebanese army to implement decisions. No more excuses,” he added.

“No matter the outcomes of the negotiations, we will not coexist with Hezbollah,” he declared. “They must commit to the conditions of the Lebanese state. The majority of the Lebanese people are not prepared to live as hostages to Hezbollah.”

Lebanese fishermen set fishing creels off the coast of Dbayeh, north of Beirut, on June 17, 2026. (AFP)

“Hezbollah’s weapons arsenal is the only obstacle preventing Lebanon’s revival. Land will not be liberated, the displaced will not return home and we will not live in peace as long as militias operate on our territories,” Gemayel said.

Reconstruction, the return of expatriates and creation of job opportunities are tied to the rise of the state and imposing state monopoly over arms, he went on to say.

MP Fouad Makhzoumi echoed Gemayel’s remarks, saying: “Real sovereignty is achieved through one state, one army, and one voice responsible for national decisions.”

Lebanon cannot reclaim its sovereignty and voice as long as Hezbollah’s weapons remain outside state control and as long as decisions of war and peace are taken outside legitimate institutions, he added.

The Saydet al-Jabal Gathering warned that Lebanon was facing a new attempt to usurp its voice through Iran’s insistence on using it as a bargaining chip in its negotiations with the US.

It accused Iran of seeking to obstruct the US-sponsored direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.

“The absolute national priority lies in the state claiming its complete sovereignty and decisions of war and peace,” he added. It must also insist on ensuring the success of its negotiations with Israel, away from foreign hegemony or dictates, to end the Israeli occupation.

“Keeping Lebanon’s fate attached to regional calculations does not in any way benefit the Lebanese people,” it stressed.

Meanwhile, over 400 Lebanese figures, including expatriates, launched an appeal to rally behind the state and its legitimate institutions.

The “Call to Save Lebanon” also backs the negotiations with Israel and rejects any foreign hegemony over Lebanon.

It threw its support behind President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in fulfilling their vows to impose state monopoly over arms and rejecting any partisan or foreign attempts to negotiate on Lebanon’s behalf.

Arab World

Gazans Flee Scorching Tents for a Polluted Sea

Tents housing displaced Palestinians stand amid summer heat in Gaza City, June 20, 2026. (Reuters)
Tents housing displaced Palestinians stand amid summer heat in Gaza City, June 20, 2026. (Reuters)
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Gazans Flee Scorching Tents for a Polluted Sea

Tents housing displaced Palestinians stand amid summer heat in Gaza City, June 20, 2026. (Reuters)
Tents housing displaced Palestinians stand amid summer heat in Gaza City, June 20, 2026. (Reuters)

Residents of the Gaza Strip have been flocking from suffocating tents to the territory's polluted Mediterranean shore to bathe and wash their clothes, as summer temperatures rise and fresh water remains hard to come by.

Nearly all Gaza's population was displaced during two years of war between Israel and Hamas, with Gazans now crammed into a narrow strip along the coast, mainly in tents and damaged buildings.

"The only outlet in the Gaza Strip, from north to south, is the sea," said Wadie al-Ras, 36, a displaced Palestinian standing on Gaza ‌City's shore.

"The tents ‌we have been staying in since the war ‌are ⁠a torment."

Before war with ⁠Israel broke out in October 2023, Gaza City's sandy beach was a favorite spot for locals to relax. Now it is their only refuge from the crammed, makeshift tents, which are a hotbed of bugs and disease.

Temperatures in Gaza range between 28 and 31 degrees Celsius in the mornings, and inside the tents, it feels far hotter.

The sea offers little comfort. The water is thick with sewage and waste, the ⁠result of a collapse of infrastructure that once served a population ‌of more than two million people.

"The seawater ‌is not clean. There's sewage in it, filled with dirt," said Shehab al-Suwaireki, 36, a ‌displaced father of six.

With no steady supply of fresh water, however, families have been ‌left with little choice.

"We go in and wash (clothes) and bathe then we get out," Suwaireki said. "In any case, germs are getting to our bodies."

Many water pumps have stopped working due to Israeli bombardment, while sewage stations, pumping facilities, and water treatment plants have all been ‌severely damaged, said Husni Muhanna, a spokesperson for the Gaza municipality.

"Residents resort to the beach despite all the dangers," Muhanna ⁠said.

The war began ⁠when Hamas-led fighters attacked Israel from Gaza on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages.

Israel responded with an all-out assault on Gaza that killed at least 73,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in the Hamas-controlled territory.

Despite an October 2025 truce, Israel has continued to carry out deadly attacks in Gaza, which it says aim to thwart imminent attacks by Hamas and other fighters. Hamas has so far rebuffed calls to lay down its arms in exchange for Israel withdrawing its troops.

Aid and basic essentials are scarce.

Nahed Hamouda, a 56-year-old father of four who has been displaced from Jabalia, north of Gaza City, said the tents were "like an oven".

"There's no electricity, no fan, no water, even the food is inedible," he said, as he sat fanning himself with a piece of cardboard.