Syria’s Al-Sharaa dismisses Trump’s proposal for military intervention in Lebanon
US President Donald Trump announced mid-June that he discussed with Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa the possibility of Syria’s military intervention in Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah.
Trump claimed that by tasking Syria with this mission, he aims to stop the mass killing committed by Israel during its attempts to dismantle the Lebanese resistance movement.
“I’ll tell you what, Israel is fighting Hezbollah too long and too many people are being killed, and you don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you are looking for somebody, because there are a lot of people in those apartment houses and they are not all Hezbollah, that I can tell you. And I suggested to Israel to let Syria take care of Hezbollah, cuz to be honest with you, I think they’d do a better job of doing it.” The US President said on the sidelines of the G7 Summit.
The proposal of the US President was, however, interpreted as another attempt by the US to ignite division and sectarian strife in the West Asia region, and to restore the balance of power that shifted during the recent regional war.
Syria’s new rulers have for long adopted a hostile position towards Hezbollah and Iran, due to their support for Syria’s former President Bashar al-Assad. The transitional leadership in Syria, which is known for its extremist background, has also promoted anti-Shia rhetoric since it took over Syria in December 2024. Shia Islam is the religious doctrine followed by the Iranian leadership, Hezbollah, and other actors within the Axis of Resistance.
Board member removed from CPJ after criticizing exclusion of some Gaza journalists from its death toll
Dr. Nika Soon-Shiong accused the organization of partiality after it excluded some Palestinian journalists from its death tolls based on their alleged affiliations.
Israel shells southern Syria after Al-Sharaa refuses to intervene in Lebanon
The move was perceived by observers as an attempt to pressure Syria’s interim government, after Al-Sharaa demonstrated openness to dialogue with Hezbollah.
All Global Sumud convoy activists released after one-month detention in Libya
The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) announced on Wednesday, June 24, that all the humanitarian volunteers from its Gaza-bound land convoy have been released. The ten volunteers (known as the Sirte 10) were "unlawfully kidnapped" in late May by the Haftar-affiliated Libyan Arab Armed Forces (LAAF) in Libya’s eastern city of Benghazi.
The abduction of the GSF human rights defenders provoked an international outcry, demanding their immediate release after reports revealed that they were subjected to mistreatment by their captors.
In protest against the dire inhumane conditions they experienced in detention, the volunteers, who include medical doctors, educators, and journalists, went on a life-threatening “dry” hunger strike, refusing both food and water for several days.
A global hunger strike was also organized by dozens of activists from 13 countries in solidarity with the kidnapped volunteers.
The freedom of the apprehended activists was celebrated globally as a victory of international solidarity, the pressure from the families of the detained activists, social, political and human rights organizations, trade unions, and all the people who demanded their appearance alive and their immediate release.
Israel assassinates another journalist in Gaza
According to the IFJ, at least 236 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed since Israel began its genocidal aggression on Gaza on October 7, 2023.
We broke the ‘Greater Israel’ project, says Lebanese resistance leader Sheikh Naim Qassem
The inclusion of Lebanon in the US-Iran deal is a victory, said the Hezbollah leader, although Israel has continued to attack the southern part of the country on a daily basis.
Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya appears in court for the first time after 18 months of arbitrary detention
Abu Safiya maintained that he was only doing his job “in accordance with international law and humanitarian standards,” when he was detained and demanded his immediate release.
Global Sumud activists continue hunger strike despite exacerbating conditions in Libya
The crisis has provoked an international outcry, demanding the immediate release of the apprehended activists, who have reportedly been mistreated.