Eye on Extremism: July 14, 2025
Top Stories
Reuters: PKK disarmament opens new page for Turkey, Erdogan says
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday called for full support of the disarmament of Kurdish militants that began with a handover of the first batch of weapons by Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) forces, a step he said opened a new page for the country. Thirty PKK militants burned their weapons at the mouth of a cave in northern Iraq on Friday, marking a symbolic but significant step toward ending a decades-long insurgency against Turkey. After a series of failed peace efforts, the new initiative could pave the way for Ankara to end an insurgency that has killed over 40,000 people, burdened the economy and wrought deep social and political divisions in Turkey and the wider region.
Jerusalem Post: Trump says he hopes for Gaza deal within a week
US President Donald Trump said Sunday he hoped talks for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will be "straightened out" this week. The US is backing a 60-day ceasefire with a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals from parts of Gaza, and talks to end the conflict. Trump told reporters, "We are talking and hopefully we're going to get that straightened out over the next week." On Tuesday night, following a dinner at the White House in Washington, Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a second meeting, The Jerusalem Post previously reported. Later, Netanyahu disclosed that the meeting with Trump was focused on efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages held captive in Gaza and to destroy Hamas's military capabilities.
CEP Mentions
Times Radio video interview with CEP Senior Advisor Amb. Edmund Fitton-Brown on Houthis
“The reality is that the Houthis can’t be defeated from the air alone.” Trump’s best bet to defeat the Houthis means supporting the anti-Houthi forces in Yemen, says former British ambassador to Yemen Edmund Fitton Brown.
Daily Mail: The disturbing world of child brides
Edmund Fitton Brown, the UK's Ambassador to Yemen between 2015 and 2017, told MailOnline that before the war, it was common for young girls, 'often below the age of 10', to be married to men many decades older than them. He said he recalled hearing of girls as young as eight being married. 'Part of the incentive was economic, easing financial burdens on the family. Also for protection and to create a family alliance.' 'All of these drivers have been growing stronger.'
Splinter: A Wave of Terrorism-Related Arrests Hits London
The Russian Imperial Movement, according to the Counter Extremism Project, is a “a fascist group based in St. Petersburg, Russia, that seeks to create a ‘mono-ethnic state’ led by a ‘Russian autocratic monarchy…’” It is “best known for having members and sympathizers linked to violent activity abroad,” while “its militant branch, the Imperial Legion, reportedly has sent fighters to Ukraine, Syria, and Libya.” It allegedly runs training courses on “bomb-making, marksmanship, combat medicine, and small group tactics such as assaulting and clearing buildings.”
Analysis
ICCT: The Islamic State in 2025: an Evolving Threat Facing a Waning Global Response
As of 2025, the Islamic State no longer controls significant territory in the Middle East, but its threat persists globally. Through a hybrid organisational model that balances regional autonomy with centralised oversight, the Islamic State remains lethal, resilient, and adaptive. This short read examines its structural evolution, geographic expansion, digital operations, the implications of waning international counterterrorism efforts amid great power competition, and why this dynamic has created a strategic paradox.
ECFR: Harmattan hazards: How coastal west Africa can escape the Sahel’s fate
Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Togo are under pressure from two threats: jihadists and putschists. In these west African coastal states, armed Islamist groups increasingly cross northern borders, wreaking havoc. Civilian governments are struggling to counter them, increasing the risk of political upheaval and coups. European leaders can help stabilise coastal west Africa while avoiding the mistakes made in the Sahel. They can do so by replacing fragmented, reactive policies with a coordinated European strategy that streamlines aid, empowers regional solutions, builds trust through joint civilian-led initiatives and counters disinformation.
ADL: Status Report: Antisemitism in America after Boulder
In the wake of the recent spate of violent incidents against Jewish Americans, the ADL Center for Antisemitism Research conducted a survey to assess the national mood toward antisemitism. The findings paint a complex portrait: most Americans strongly oppose antisemitism and want to see action taken against it, and yet many harbor extreme anti-Jewish views—including some who justify or excuse violence against Jews. Key findings include: While almost 87% of adults would not want to work with someone who celebrated the attacks, 24% find the violence understandable, with 13% saying the attackers were justified.
United States
Nextgov: DHS intelligence office halts staff cuts after stakeholder backlash
The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis has briefly paused plans to terminate most of its employees following pushback from law enforcement associations and Jewish community groups, according to two people familiar with the matter. The pause comes after Nextgov/FCW first reported I&A’s initial plans to shed about 75% of its staff. I&A is one of 18 units in the U.S. intelligence community and one of two housed under DHS, the other being Coast Guard Intelligence. The intel office was assembled shortly after the September 11 terrorist attacks to disseminate threat information to state, local, tribal and territorial governments across the country.
A divided federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., on Friday tossed out an agreement that would have allowed 9/11 terror mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to plead guilty in another failed effort to end a years-long legal saga surrounding the military prosecution of men held at Guantánamo Bay. The 2-1 D.C. Circuit appeals court decision upheld then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s decision to undo the plea deal approved by military lawyers and senior Pentagon staff.
Politico: DOJ pressures DC’s Bowser over antisemitism ‘crisis’ in Washington
The Trump administration is launching another offensive against Washington, D.C. — a city President Donald Trump has long insulted and sought to overhaul — this time over allegations of a “lukewarm” response from D.C. officials to rising threats of antisemitism in the nation’s capital. Leo Terrell, the chair of the Department of Justice’s Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, slammed Mayor Muriel Bowser for her “lukewarm response” to a “crisis” of antisemitism in the city in a series of posts to his X account this week.
Politico: State Department official defends canceling visas of pro-Palestinian academics
A top State Department official vigorously defended the Trump administration’s drive to cancel the visas of pro-Palestinian academics, arguing that the effort does not abridge free speech and targets students who are supporting terrorism or promoting antisemitism.
Vox: America is finally moving past its post-9/11 security theater
On Tuesday, the TSA — a federal agency not known for its generosity — gave American travelers a gift: They will no longer have to take off their shoes when going through airport security. “I think most Americans will be very excited to see they will be able to keep their shoes on,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The statement was, somewhat unusually for Noem, absolutely true.
The Bowdoin College chapter of radical group Students for Justice in Palestine, co-founded by socialist NYC mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, went to bat for a terrorist convicted of deadly bombings in Israel — and was then later booted out of the US for immigration fraud. Rasmieh Yousef Odeh, 70, was convicted for a pair of bombings in Israel she helped execute in 1969 — one at a Supersol supermarket that killed two college students and a second at the British Consulate in the country.
Fox 19: Muslim chaplain’s name appears on terrorism watch list, lawsuit claims
A lawsuit filed by a Muslim chaplain, who is currently in ICE detainment, says he believes his name wrongfully appears on the FBI’s terrorist watch list. Ayman Soliman came to the U.S. from Egypt in 2014 as a refugee seeking asylum following the political unrest happening in his country.
Canada
Afghanistan International: Canada Backs ICC Arrest Warrants For Senior Taliban Leaders
Canada has voiced its support for the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to issue arrest warrants for two senior Taliban leaders, saying it stands behind efforts to hold the group’s leadership accountable for crimes against humanity. In a statement to Afghanistan International on Friday, Canada reiterated its concern over widespread human rights violations in Afghanistan, particularly those targeting women and girls under Taliban rule.
Global News: Quebec terrorism suspects didn’t get guns and ammo from us: Canadian Forces
The four Quebec City area men whom the RCMP arrested last week in relation to an alleged terrorism plot did not get their weapons, ammunition or explosives from the Canadian Armed Forces. The Canadian military made that statement early Monday morning, hours before the four suspects are scheduled to appear in Quebec court for their latest hearings.
Brazil
Le Monde: Brazil's far right is divided over Trump's threats
The US president's interference in Brazilian affairs, after he announced that he would raise tariffs on Brazilian goods to 50% in protest against the trial of Jair Bolsonaro, has fallen far short of uniting conservatives. Many insist it is necessary 'to set politics aside.'
Colombia
Reuters: Bomb attack suspends pumping on Colombia's Cano Limon-Covenas pipeline
Colombia's Cano Limon-Covenas Oil Pipeline was bombed by unknown actors, operator Cenit said on Sunday, prompting the suspension of pumping between oil fields in the country's northeast and the Caribbean coast, where the oil is exported. The attack occurred in a rural area of Saravena, in the region of Arauca, according to Cenit, a subsidiary of majority-state-owned oil company Ecopetrol (ECO.CN),
France
Deutsche Welle: For France's far right, US ties demand careful balancing act
As President Donald Trump and his administration build ties with far-right parties across Europe, France's National Rally is offering a wary response to Washington's overtures, as it surges in the polls and hopes to finally clinch victory in the country's 2027 presidential election. Multiple factors are shaping the National Rally's cautious approach toward Trump and his MAGA movement, analysts say: from the French party's traditional, if fading, distrust of a "hegemonic" United States to the negative impact on France of US tariffs to strong antipathy toward Trump on the part of many French voters.’
July 12 will now be a national day of commemoration for Captain Alfred Dreyfus, as part of honouring the victory of "justice and truth against hatred and antisemitism," French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Saturday. The date was chosen to mark the day that Dreyfus was cleared of charges against him on July 12, 1906, a full twelve years after the so-called Dreyfus Affair began.
Germany
Deutsche Welle: Families of Israeli hostages in Gaza rally support in Berlin
In Berlin, the group is appealing to German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and others to provide more support. "We have received a lot of sympathy and hugs," says Liran Berman who has two brothers being held captive by Hamas. "But now it's time to act and apply more pressure." Liran Berman and the other relatives are pinning all their hopes on the ongoing ceasefire negotiations between Israel, the US, and Hamas. "We are in the middle of a crisis that we have never had in history. It is on governments, and I believe in diplomacy, to get to a deal," Efrat Machikawa told DW. Five of her relatives were held captive by Hamas at various stages, with four eventually released. A fifth relative was murdered. Efrat is working with other relatives who have come to Berlin to secure the release of the German-Israeli hostages.
Reuters: Isolated and fearing a ban, Germany's far-right tones down the rhetoric
Last weekend, Germany's far-right lawmakers vowed to dress smartly, minimise parliamentary cat-calling, and signed up to a short manifesto notably omitting a call for repatriation of some immigrants that helped fuel their February election success. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is trying a tactical pivot away from the mix of attention-grabbing shock policies and provocative rowdiness that helped it become the second-largest parliamentary party, in a bid to go more mainstream and translate popularity into power, political commentators and a party insider said.
Greece
The Israeli owner of a new kosher burger restaurant in Athens says pro-Palestinian vandals attacked his restaurant on Saturday night, spray-painting anti-Israel graffiti and warning the Greek staff not to move lest they be harmed.
Poland
Polish prosecutors launched a preliminary investigation after a far-right lawmaker described the gas chambers at the Auschwitz death camp as a “fake.” Grzegorz Braun, a member of the European Parliament, has previously been accused of antisemitism, and extinguished Hanukkah candles in parliament with a fire extinguisher in 2023.
TVP World: Nominee US ambassador to Poland joins condemnation of Polish far-right leader
The nominee for the role of U.S. ambassador to Poland, the Polish opposition leader, historians and a senior church leader have joined a chorus of condemnation after a far-right firebrand politician disrupted a memorial service commemorating the victims of an anti-Jewish pogrom and claimed that the gas chambers at Auschwitz were “fake.” Thomas Rose, the nominee U.S. ambassador to Poland, wrote on social media on Friday that the disruption of a commemoration of the 1941 Jedwabne pogrom the day before was shameful.
When Jews gathered this week for the anniversary of a World War II massacre in the Polish town of Jedwabne, they saw a new installation — one that denied a historical consensus about the grievous events that unfolded there. At the same time, a far-right lawmaker interrupted the memorial gathering — and triggered a police investigation by calling the gas chambers at Auschwitz “fake.”
Romania
Balkan Insight: Romanian President Criticised for Querying Law Targeting Far-Right Racists
Romanian President Nicusor Dan on Monday defended his decision to challenge a bill aimed at tightening the penalties for antisemitism and far-right propaganda before the Constitutional Court. Legal experts, historians and representatives of Romania’s small Jewish community have decried the move.
Spain
Reuters: Spain arrests eight after far-right groups and migrants clash
Spanish police have arrested eight people after three nights of clashes between far-right groups and North African migrants in a town in southeastern Spain, the government said on Monday. In one of Spain's worst such flare-ups of recent times, several dozen youths, some hooded, hurled glass bottles and other objects at riot police in Torre Pacheco on Sunday night, Reuters journalists saw.
Switzerland
A 36-year-old man from Kosovo and a second defendant, a 33-year-old with dual Swiss-North Macedonian citizenship, were arrested by Swiss authorities. The defendants were recently charged with terrorism-related crimes. Swiss authorities have published a broad announcement regarding the two accused, where they provide details about how they expanded terrorist activity and the methods of financing it.
United Kingdom
Reuters: BBC's Gaza documentary breached accuracy guideline, review finds
A BBC documentary about children's lives in Gaza narrated by the 13-year-old son of a Hamas official breached its editorial guidelines on accuracy, an internal review by the British public broadcaster said on Monday. The investigation, however, found there were no other breaches of the BBC's editorial guidelines, including on impartiality, and no evidence that outside interests "inappropriately impacted on the programme".
Reuters: UK police arrest scores of supporters of newly banned Palestinian protest group
British police arrested scores of supporters on Saturday of a pro-Palestinian protest group that was banned this month under anti-terrorism legislation. Police said they had arrested at least 41 people in London and 16 others in Manchester for showing support for the group Palestine Action. Campaign group Defend our Juries said 86 people had been arrested across the UK, with other protests held in Wales and Northern Ireland.
Afghanistan International: UK Supports ICC Warrants, Urges Accountability For Taliban Crimes
The United Kingdom has welcomed the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for senior Taliban leaders, calling it a step towards accountability for human rights abuses in Afghanistan. In a statement to Afghanistan International on Thursday, a spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said the UK stands with the people of Afghanistan and strongly opposes the Taliban’s treatment of women and girls.
Counter Terrorism Policing: Group convicted after Russian-ordered arson attack in London
Five men have been convicted for their involvement in a Russian-ordered arson attack on a London warehouse full of supplies destined for Ukraine. Approximately £1 million of damage was caused after two units in an industrial estate in Leyton were deliberately set alight on 20 March last year.
An Islamic summer camp for pre-teens in the UK may be a tool for extremism and radicalization, thus breaching the terrorism act, UK Lawyers for Israel warned on Sunday. The concerns relate to Camp Wilayah which is set to take place in Phasels Wood between 22 and 25 August. It is run by Ahlulbayt Islamic Mission (AIM) a UK based Shia Muslim organisation established in 2003.
Since it won last July’s general election, Britain’s Labour government has often had to compete for headlines — and votes — with the right-wing populist party, upstart Reform UK. Led by Nigel Farage — a supporter of US President Donald Trump, who admiringly dubbed him, “Mr. Brexit” — Reform has edged into the lead in the opinion polls, captured a formerly safe Labour seat in a special election, and won control of a slew of local authorities.
Afghanistan
Amnesty International has listed the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) issuance of arrest warrants for senior Taliban leaders as one of the most significant human rights achievements of the year. In a statement issued Monday, July 15, the rights organisation released a list of 29 human rights wins recorded in the first half of 2025 across countries including Afghanistan, Chile, Cameroon, Türkiye, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and Greece.
Khairullah Khairkhwa, Taliban’s Minister of Information and Culture, has claimed that the group has fulfilled all conditions necessary for international recognition and urged other countries to follow Russia’s lead in recognising Taliban. In an interview with the state-run Bakhtar News Agency, Khairkhwa said official recognition of the Taliban would have a positive impact on Afghanistan’s economy and help attract foreign investment.
Afghanistan International: Taliban Foreign Minister Thanks Qatar For Support At International Forums
Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with Mirdef Al-Qashouti, Qatar’s chargé d’affaires in Kabul, to discuss the strengthening of diplomatic relations and regional issues, the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday. During the meeting, Muttaqi described ties between the two countries as important and expressed gratitude for what he called Qatar’s “vital” role in supporting the Taliban at international forums and meetings.
Afghanistan Inernational: Taliban Arrest Six In Baghlan For Alleged Alcohol Consumption
Taliban authorities have arrested six individuals in Baghlan province on charges of consuming alcohol, according to a statement by the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. Saif-ul-Islam Khyber, spokesperson for the ministry, said the arrests took place in the village of Dara-e-Ashaqan in Tala wa Barfak district. The individuals were reportedly detained at a guesthouse while allegedly drinking alcohol.
The Afghanistan Journalists Centre has recorded at least 140 violations of press freedom in the first half of 2025, marking a 56 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Most incidents involved direct threats to media outlets and intimidation of journalists. In a report released Friday, 11 July, the centre said the Taliban have imposed new restrictions on visual media, particularly television, citing the enforcement of the “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” law. The ban on broadcasting images of living beings has expanded from five provinces to an additional 14.
Gaza Strip
Ten Hamas terrorists who were exiled to Gaza in the 2011 Shalit deal, including some behind the killing of Israelis, were killed in an airstrike last week in the Strip, the Shin Bet security agency and IDF announce. Most of those killed were members of Hamas’s so-called West Bank headquarters, a unit involved in recruiting terrorists and advancing attacks against Israel from or within the West Bank, the Shin Bet says.
Iran
Reuters: Iran says it will respond to reimposition of UN sanctions
Iran will react to any reimposition of United Nations sanctions over its nuclear programme, the country's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday, without elaborating on what actions Tehran might take. A French diplomatic source told Reuters last week that European powers would have to restore U.N. sanctions on Iran under the so-called "snapback mechanism" if there were no nuclear deal that guaranteed European security interests.
Associated Press: Iran says it would resume nuclear talks with US if guaranteed no further attacks
Iran’s foreign minister said Saturday that his country would accept a resumption of nuclear talks with the U.S. if there were assurances of no more attacks against it, state media reported. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a speech to Tehran-based foreign diplomats that Iran has always been ready and will be ready in the future for talks about its nuclear program, but, “assurance should be provided that in case of a resumption of talks, the trend will not lead to war.”
Iran International: Iran detains 21 Christian converts amid postwar crackdown, rights group says
Iran has arrested at least 21 Christian converts in recent weeks, with some facing charges under a new law targeting alleged collaboration with hostile states, a rights group said. The arrests, carried out by the Ministry of Intelligence, took place in Tehran, Rasht, Urmia, Kermanshah, Varamin, and Kerman, including one just before the recent war with Israel, according to the advocacy group Article 18.
Iran International: Iran files 50 cases over alleged ties to Israel, judiciary says
Iran’s judiciary has filed 50 cases in Tehran against individuals accused of collaborating with Israel, judiciary spokesman Asghar Jahangir said Saturday, pledging swift prosecution and no leniency. “Close cooperation and coordination between law enforcement and the judiciary led to the formation of around 50 cases in Tehran within less than two weeks,” Jahangir said at a press conference, adding that the charges involve “rumor-mongering” and spreading public anxiety.
Iran International: Iranian official posts image that appears to depict a nuclear strike on Israel
An advisor to Iran's parliament speaker has shared an image that seems to show a nuclear attack on Israel. Mehdi Mohammadi, a strategic adviser to Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, posted the image in an Instagram story on Saturday.
Israel
Times of Israel: From raids to ransom: Israel’s hostage policy has become Hamas’s sharpest weapon
Jerusalem’s commitment to returning its captives from enemy hands — espoused by prime ministers, IDF veterans, hostage families and religious scholars — is a constant throughout the Jewish state’s history. But how Israel frees its hostages has evolved during the country’s 77 years, from straightforward POW exchanges to dramatic rescues to, more recently, lopsided swaps that set hundreds of terrorists free. However, Israel didn’t always act this way. How did the Jewish state become accustomed to releasing masses of terrorists in exchange for a small number of hostages — even when doing so could place the lives of its citizens in peril?
Jerusalem Post: Security forces kill terrorist who took Emily Damari hostage to Gaza in his home
Security forces killed the terrorist who held Emily Damari hostage in mid-June, the IDF and Shin Bet announced in a joint statement on Monday. On June 19, the IDF and Shin Bet struck Muhammad Nasr Ali Quneita in the area of Gaza City. Quneita was a member of Hamas' Al-Furqan Battalions' military intelligence battalion, and infiltrated Israel on October 7. He held Emily Damari hostage in his home at the start of the war.
The Guardian: Depleted Hamas focuses on desperate new aim: capturing an Israeli soldier
As Hamas intensifies its insurgent campaign against Israeli forces in Gaza, it is focusing on a new aim: capturing an Israeli soldier. The capture of a soldier or their remains would offer significant new leverage for Hamas as indirect negotiations continue over a ceasefire deal, and have a major impact on public opinion in Israel. “This attempt failed. [But there is] no doubt Hamas will increase its attempts to take new hostages, including bodies of dead soldiers and civilians,” said Michael Milstein, the head of the Palestinian studies forum at Tel Aviv University.
Jerusalem Post: Military action following lack of hostage deal: Netanyahu’s path forward in Gaza
The intensified IDF actions in Gaza over the weekend can be seen as the continuation of negotiations by other means. Despite expectations that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington would culminate in a ceasefire agreement with Hamas, no deal emerged. Israeli and Hamas teams had engaged in a week of “proximity talks” in Doha, and US President Donald Trump had issued upbeat messages suggesting an agreement was just around the corner. Yet the talks stalled in Doha, and Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff – who had been expected to fly there to help finalize the deal – stayed home.
Reuters: Netanyahu aide faces indictment over Gaza leak
An aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces indictment on security charges pending a hearing, Israel's attorney general has said, for allegedly leaking top secret military information during Israel's war in Gaza. Netanyahu's close adviser, Jonatan Urich, has denied any wrongdoing in the case, which legal authorities began investigating in late 2024.
Reuters: Gaza truce talks faltering over withdrawal; 17 reported killed in latest shooting near aid
Progress is stalling at talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza, with the sides divided over the extent of Israeli forces' withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave, Palestinian and Israeli sources familiar with the negotiations in Doha said on Saturday. The indirect talks over a U.S. proposal for a 60-day ceasefire continued throughout Saturday, an Israeli official told Reuters, seven days since talks began. U.S. President Donald Trump has said he hoped for a breakthrough soon based on a new U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal.
Reuters: US citizen killed in West Bank settler attack
A Palestinian American man was beaten to death by settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and a second man was shot dead, the Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement, in a confrontation overnight. U.S. citizen Sayafollah Musallet, 20, also known as Saif, was severely beaten in the incident on Friday evening in Sinjil, north of Ramallah, the ministry said. Hussein Al-Shalabi, 23 was shot in the chest.
Jerusalem Post: IDF announces deaths of senior Hamas, PIJ terrorists in Gaza over past two weeks
The IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) have conducted joint operations to kill terrorists from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in Gaza over the past two weeks, naming nine senior terrorists who were killed during this period in an announcement by the military on Sunday.
Jordan
Arab News: Jordan, EU sign security pact to tackle serious crime, terrorism
Jordan and the EU have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at bolstering efforts to combat organized crime and terrorism across borders, the Jordan News Agency reported. The working arrangements were signed between Jordan’s Public Security Directorate and the EU Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, or Europol, on Thursday.
Lebanon
Naharnet: Aoun vows to preserve Lebanon's 'territorial integrity'
President Joseph Aoun on Monday pledged to preserve Lebanon’s territorial integrity, in the wake of the storm of controversy sparked by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack’s latest remarks about Lebanon and Syria. “Lebanon’s territorial integrity is a national principle that is enshrined in the constitution and protected by the Lebanese Army and the will of the Lebanese who have offered sacrifices throughout the years to preserve it,” Aoun said.
Naharnet: Hezbollah and FPM respond to Barrack's remarks
MP Ibrahim al-Moussawi of Hezbollah said U.S. envoy Tom Barrack’s latest remarks about Lebanon risking being swallowed by regional forces were “not surprising at all,” accusing Washington of having “evil plots.” He added that Barrack’s “bizarre” statement “contradicts with the simplest rules of logic and the principles of politics and diplomacy,” adding that it reflects “dangerous intentions and clearly unveils the features of the American-Zionist scheme planned for the region in general and Lebanon in particular.”
Lebanon: Gemayel files complaint against Hezbollah official over threats to civil peace
Kataeb leader Sami Gemayel filed Monday a complaint against Faisal Shukr, a senior Hezbollah official in the Bekaa region. The complaint alleges that Shukr's public speech on July 6, 2025, during Hezbollah's Ashoura procession, included direct threats to kill those who call for disarming the party, incitement to violence, and sectarian rhetoric.
Syria
Israel’s army said Monday it has struck military tanks in southern Syria, where government forces and Bedouin tribes clashed with Druze militias. Dozens of people have been killed in the fighting between local militias and clans in Syria ’s Sweida province. Government security forces that were sent to restore order Monday also clashed with local armed groups.
Jerusalem Post: US Syria envoy puts pressure on US-backed Kurdish forces
US Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack has a clear message for the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. “So there’s a big sentiment that because they were our partners, we owe them. The question is what do we owe them? We don’t owe them the ability to have their own independent government within a government,” he said on Friday. The new comments from Barrack form part of a larger context as he has tried to work with the Syrian government and also encourage the integration of the SDF. This process began in March when SDF leader Mazloum Abdi flew to Damascus and signed a deal with the new president of Syria Ahmed al-Shara’a. The US military has backed the SDF in this process.
UnHerd: Will Syria’s jihadis go rogue? Foreign fighters could upend al-Sharaa’s revolution
When I arrived in Damascus, mere weeks after Assad fell, there wasn’t a single foreign fighter in sight. The country’s new ruler, Ahmed al-Sharaa, once known to the world by his jihadist nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, made sure that the capital’s checkpoints were manned by Syrian provincials. It seemed like he wanted to reassure Damascenes frightened by decades of Assad propaganda, real and imagined, about the deeds of foreign jihadists. He wanted to show the world that Assad’s downfall was a nationalist victory, not a jihadi one.
Six members of Syria's security forces have been killed in the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, a security source told Reuters, after they deployed to halt deadly sectarian clashes that local media reported had resumed on Monday. Sunday's fighting between Druze militiamen and Bedouin tribal fighters was the first time that sectarian violence erupted inside the city of Sweida itself, following months of tensions in the broader province.
Reuters: More than 30 killed in sectarian clashes in Syria's Sweida, interior ministry says
More than 30 people were killed and 100 injured in armed clashes in Syria's predominantly Druze city of Sweida, the Syrian interior ministry said early on Monday, in the latest bout of sectarian clashes. The violence erupted after a wave of kidnappings, including the abduction of a Druze merchant on Friday on the highway linking Damascus to Sweida, witnesses said.
Reuters: Exclusive: UN report sees no active Syrian state links to Al Qaeda
United Nations sanctions monitors have seen no "active ties" this year between Al Qaeda and the Islamist group leading Syria's interim government, an unpublished U.N. report said, a finding that could strengthen an expected U.S. push for removing U.N. sanctions on Syria. The report, seen by Reuters on Thursday, is likely to be published this month.
Turkey
New York Times: Kurdish Fighters Burn Weapons in Step Toward Peace With Turkey
Dozens of Kurdish fighters from Turkey publicly burned their weapons on Friday during a ceremony to demonstrate that their insurgent group was giving up its decades-long armed struggle against Turkey. It was the first concrete sign of disarmament in a peace process started last year to end a conflict that has killed more than 40,000 people over four decades. If successful, the process could end Turkey’s most serious domestic security threat and give a political win to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Yemen
Reuters: Rescued crew of Greek ship sank by Houthis taken to Saudi Arabia
Ten mariners rescued after Houthi militants sank a Greek ship last week have arrived in Saudi Arabia, maritime security sources said on Monday, after rescuers ended their search for the remaining crew. The rescue mission began on Wednesday when the Iran-aligned group sank the Liberia-flagged Eternity C cargo ship, with 22 crew and three armed guards on board, after attacking the vessel with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades over two consecutive days.
Australia
A “groundswell” of Labor rank-and-file members are urging the government to reject key recommendations from the federal antisemitism envoy, according to an internal lobby group, urging a focus on anti-racism education rather than more contentious ideas such as stripping funding from universities and arts bodies. Labor Friends of Palestine, an internal campaign group of members and politicians, said it was concerned about anti-Jewish hatred, but would be troubled about wider adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s contested definition of antisemitism, as recommended by Jillian Segal in a wide-ranging plan last week.
Technology
New York Times: Hacker Impersonating Elmo Makes Antisemitic X Posts
A hacker shared a string of racist and antisemitic posts from the X account of Elmo, the fuzzy red monster from “Sesame Street,” the owner and producer of the children’s show said on Sunday. The posts, on a verified account with more than 600,000 followers, contained racial slurs, antisemitic language and commentary about President Trump and the so-called Epstein files, the remaining investigative documents of the sex-trafficking investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. The posts were removed shortly after they were published on Sunday afternoon.
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