Israeli ex-security chiefs urge Trump to help end Gaza war
"It is our professional judgement that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel," the former officials wrote in an open letter shared with the media on Monday, calling on Trump to "steer" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decisions.
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LBCI
2 hours ago
- LBCI
Occupation or siege? Israel's leadership split on Gaza strategy
Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian Israel's military establishment has entered a new standoff with the political leadership following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to pursue the occupation of Gaza. Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir canceled a planned visit to Washington and, according to leaked internal discussions, stated that he would not issue orders for the army to occupy Gaza. He reportedly added that if forced to implement the decision, he would resign. In response, Netanyahu convened a limited security meeting at his office with ministers Israel Katz and Ron Dermer, Chief of Staff Zamir, and Operations Directorate head Itzik Cohen, aiming to finalize the nature of military operations in Gaza — whether to launch a full occupation or adopt Zamir's alternative: encirclement combined with targeted strikes. Ministers Katz and Itamar Ben-Gvir escalated tensions ahead of the meeting, pressuring the army chief. Katz insisted that the chief of staff is obligated to carry out decisions made by the political leadership, while Ben-Gvir publicly demanded that Zamir implement the Gaza occupation plan. Zamir, instead, recommended focused operations in central Gaza refugee camps, along with the establishment of a security cordon aimed at wearing down Hamas and prioritizing the safety of hostages. He argued that the failure to eliminate Hamas after 22 months of war would not be resolved through the occupation of Gaza. Amid these diverging positions, expectations are growing for a possible compromise between the political and military leadership. Some political and security officials believe Netanyahu floated the 'Gaza occupation' proposal as a tactical move — both to pressure Hamas into advancing toward a deal on his terms and to appease members of his coalition who view occupation as the only path to defeating Hamas.
Nahar Net
4 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Qassem refuses to commit to arms handover while Israel continues attacks
Qassem refuses to commit to arms handover while Israel continues attacks Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem said Tuesday his group would not accept any timetable on handing over its weapons to the Lebanese state while Israeli strikes continue, as the government held a session on the issue. "Any timetable presented for implementation under... Israeli aggression cannot be agreed to," Qassem said in a televised address, urging the state to develop "plans to face the pressure and threats" and not to "deprive the resistance (Hezbollah) of its capacities and strength." "The resistance is fine, strong and dignified, its supporters are resilient and coherent, and its fighters are ready to offer the dearest sacrifices," Qassem added. The Iran-backed Hezbollah emerged badly weakened from more than a year of hostilities with Israel, including two months of all-out war that saw its arsenal pummeled and a slew of senior commanders killed, among them leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Long the strongest political force in Lebanon -- with detractors accusing it of using the threat of its weaponry to impose its will on domestic decisions -- Hezbollah has also seen that influence diminish since the conflict. Israel has kept up regular raids on Lebanon despite the November truce, mostly saying it is striking Hezbollah targets, and has threatened to keep doing so until the group has been disarmed. "Are we being asked to engage in dialogue, or to surrender our weapons without dialogue?" Qassem said. "We cannot accept Lebanon committing to gradually giving up its strength while all the strength cards remain in the hands of the Israeli enemy," he added. Qassem also criticized a recent proposal presented by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack on disarming the group. "Whoever looks at the deal Barrack brought doesn't find an agreement but dictates," he said, arguing that "it removes the strength and capabilities of Hezbollah and Lebanon entirely." Hezbollah is the only faction that kept its weapons after Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, doing so in the name of "resistance" against Israel, which occupied the country's south until 2000. Last month, Barrack urged Lebanon to "act now" to impose a state weapons monopoly. A Lebanese official with knowledge of the talks told AFP that "Washington is pressuring Lebanon to make Hezbollah hand over its weapons according to a timetable, but without (the U.S.) providing any guarantees." President Joseph Aoun last week said Lebanon was committed to removing "weapons from all armed groups including Hezbollah" and seeing them surrendered to the Lebanese Army. Lebanon is at "a crucial stage" and must choose "between collapse and stability," Aoun had said, linking international support for the crisis-hit country to disarming the group. In his speech, Qassem said that "we do not agree to any new deal other than the existing deal between the Lebanese state and the Israeli entity," referring to the November ceasefire. Qassem also warned Israel against launching any new "large-scale aggression." 'Israel's interest is not to widen the aggression because if they expand, the resistance will defend, the army will defend and the people will defend,' Qassem said. "This defense will lead to the fall of missiles inside the Israeli entity,' he added. Before discussing the fate of its weapons, which it considers a matter of domestic defense strategy, Hezbollah has demanded that reconstruction of areas destroyed during the war begin, and that Israel stop its attacks, withdraw from five areas it occupies and release Lebanese prisoners.
Nahar Net
4 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Shiite ministers walk out as cabinet tasks army with drafting plan to restrict arms before Aug. 31
by Naharnet Newsdesk 05 August 2025, 21:28 Lebanon's government on Tuesday tasked the army with developing a plan to restrict arms to the state by year end, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said, an unprecedented move that paves the way for disarming Hezbollah. The government "tasked the Lebanese Army with setting an implementation plan to restrict weapons" to the army and other government forces "before the end of this year," with the plan to be presented to the cabinet by the end of this month, Salam told a press conference after a nearly six-hour cabinet session headed by President Joseph Aoun. Environment Minister Tamara al-Zein of the Amal Movement and Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine of Hezbollah had walked out of the cabinet session shortly before its end in protest at its decisions. State Minister for Administrative Development Fadi Makki meanwhile voiced reservations over the part related to setting a timetable before the army presents its proposal and before the continuation of discussions in the presence of all parties in the next cabinet session. Finance Minister Yassine Jaber of the Amal Movement and Labor Minister Mohammad Haidar of Hezbollah did not attend the session due to their presence outside the country. Salam also announced that Cabinet would discuss the latest U.S. paper in its session on Thursday. The Iran-backed Hezbollah emerged badly weakened from more than a year of hostilities with Israel, including two months of all-out war that saw its arsenal pummelled and a slew of senior commanders killed, among them leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. Long the strongest political force in Lebanon -- with detractors accusing it of using the threat of its weaponry to impose its will on domestic decisions -- Hezbollah has also seen that influence diminish since the conflict. Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem, in a televised address while the cabinet meeting was underway, said the Iran-backed group would not disarm while Israeli attacks continue. "Any timetable presented for implementation under... Israeli aggression cannot be agreed to," he said. Israel has kept up regular raids on Lebanon despite the November truce, mostly saying it is striking Hezbollah targets, and has threatened to keep doing so until the group has been disarmed. Qassem also criticized a recent proposal presented by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack on disarming the group. Hezbollah is the only faction that kept its weapons after Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, doing so in the name of "resistance" against Israel, which occupied the country's south until 2000. Last month, Barrack urged Lebanon to "act now" to impose a state weapons monopoly. A Lebanese official with knowledge of the talks told AFP that "Washington is pressuring Lebanon to make Hezbollah hand over its weapons according to a timetable, but without (the U.S.) providing any guarantees." The group will not surrender its weapons "without something in return -- the Americans know this well," the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity. Aoun last week said Lebanon was committed to removing "weapons from all armed groups including Hezbollah" and seeing them surrendered to the Lebanese Army. Lebanon is at "a crucial stage" and must choose "between collapse and stability," Aoun had said, linking international support for the crisis-hit country to disarming the group. Before discussing the fate of its weapons, which it considers a matter of domestic defense strategy, Hezbollah has demanded that reconstruction of areas destroyed during the war begin, and that Israel stop its attacks, withdraw from five areas it occupies and release Lebanese prisoners. But analysts say Hezbollah's options for pressing its demands are more limited since the conflict. According to David Wood from the International Crisis Group, Hezbollah could apply pressure to the government by saying "that the (disarmament) decision doesn't represent Lebanon's national interests." It could also encourage its supporters to demonstrate, but any violent escalation "that Hezbollah's leadership deliberately plans and calls for is still a pretty unlikely scenario," he said, noting a domestic confrontation was "not in Hezbollah's interest." However, with the government pushing for disarmament and Hezbollah demanding concessions first, Wood said a diplomatic track could run into an impasse.
