#Hassan Valley

[mysterioushimachal]

Explore Hassan Valley (Green Valley) Shimla: Nature, Adventure, and Relaxation

[wrestlingmgc]

OVW Heavyweight Champion Mark Magnus

[dashligne]

Morocco: 🌴🕌 A Journey Through Culture and Beauty

🌍 Plan your Moroccan escape now and experience the magic: 🐪✨ #VisitMorocco #MoroccoTravel #SaharaAdventure #ExploreMarrakech #DiscoverMorocco

🏜️ The Sahara Desert: Embark on an unforgettable adventure with a camel ride 🐪 across the golden dunes of Merzouga and spend a night in a desert camp under a blanket of stars

🌍 Plan your Moroccan escape now and experience the magic: 🐪✨ #VisitMorocco #MoroccoTravel #SaharaAdventure #ExploreMarrakech #DiscoverMorocco

🌊 Chefchaouen’s Blue Streets: Discover the charm of the Blue Pearl of Morocco, with its picturesque alleyways and scenic mountain views.

🏰 Fez’s Rich Heritage: Wander through the historic Medina of Fez, home to the world’s oldest university, Al Quaraouiyine 🕌.

[komsomolka]

Nasrallah was killed because he was unrelenting in his support for Palestine. Unlike every other Arab leader, Nasrallah had led the fight against Israel twice, which led to its defeat: first, when Israel was forced to withdraw from Lebanon in 2000 and second when Israel could not vanquish Hezbollah in 2006. The man who defeated Israel was finally killed on September 27, 2024, along with thousands of his fellow Lebanese. [...]

In the Lebanese coastal city of Sur (Tyre), unknown people bombed a number of restaurants that serve alcohol in late 2012. I went down to talk to some of the owners of these restaurants and of a brewery, all of whom told me that they had been visited by people from Hezbollah who offered to pay for the damages even though the attacks were not by their members. Nasrallah had said that though he opposed the consumption of alcohol, he did not believe that Lebanese society must conform to the social views of any group but should learn to tolerate the mores of each other.

For all the talk of Nasrallah and antisemitism, it would be worth considering that it was Hezbollah under Nasrallah that helped the reconstruction of Beirut’s Maghen Abraham Synagogue. “[It] is a religious place of worship,” Nasrallah said, “and its restoration is welcome,” stated Arab News. It is this attitude that partly led to Nasrallah telling Julian Assange during a discussion about Palestine in 2012 that “the only solution is the establishment of one state—one state on the land on Palestine in which the Muslims and the Jews and the Christians live in peace in a democratic state. Any other solution will simply not be viable, and it won’t be sustained.”

When Israel, with US support, began its bombardment of Lebanon in 2006, it appeared certain that Hezbollah would be demolished. But it withstood the attack and counterattacked Israel. Years earlier, friends in the Arab states would ask me, “Why can’t we produce a Hugo Chávez?” meaning why could they not have a leader who would stand up against the interference of the West and the occupation of the Palestinians by Israel. During the 2006 war, these same people began to say that Nasrallah was their Chávez, that he was the incarnation of Gamal Abdel Nasser. The fact that Hezbollah was not destroyed and was able to stand up for itself proved to large sections of the Arab world that Israel lost that war.

The victory is partly attributed to Nasrallah’s ability to convert Hezbollah from a military force into an integral part of the “resistance society” (mujtama’ al-muqawama) in large parts of Lebanon; this resistance society shaped the worldview of the villages of southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, where they committed themselves to the long-term struggle to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the Israeli interventions in southern Lebanon. It is this resistance community that defines Hezbollah’s endurance rather than the thousands of missiles it has hidden away in tunnels across Lebanon’s southern region. The Israelis tried to kill Nasrallah many times during and after 2006 but did not succeed. He would often talk about how one of his speeches was his last since it was unclear when the Israelis might succeed.

The assassination of Nasrallah produced a sense of shock across Lebanon because a view had been growing that he could not be killed. But Nasrallah was a man, and human beings die one way or the other. Robert Fisk asked him to explain what it meant to prepare for martyrdom, according to a 2001 article by him. “Imagine you are in a sauna,” Nasrallah said. “It is very hot but you know that in the next room there is air conditioning, an armchair, classical music, and a cocktail.” That would have been his attitude when the Israeli bombs landed.

[girlactionfigure]

⚠️ HEZBOLLAH MISSILE ATTACK ON HAIFA PROMPTS; ISRAEL DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY ⚠️

⚠️ For the first time since the 2006 Lebanon War, Hezbollah launched missiles directly at Haifa, forcing 300,000 Israelis to seek shelter. Rockets hit the area near Haifa University, marking a significant escalation in hostilities.

⚠️ Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, Chief of the General Staff of the IDF, provided an update from the IDF’s Underground Operations Center. He stated that the IDF has initiated a proactive offensive operation targeting Hezbollah’s combat infrastructure, which has been developed over the past two decades. Halevi emphasized that the objective is to create conditions for the safe return of northern Israel's residents.

⚠️ Defense Minister Yoav Gallant supported this statement, saying the IDF is systematically dismantling Hezbollah's military capabilities, built over 20 years. Gallant highlighted that Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, now stands isolated as entire units of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force have been neutralized and tens of thousands of rockets destroyed. His comments came during a visit to the IDF Operations Directorate’s command room.

⚠️ In light of the growing conflict, a state of emergency has been declared throughout Israel, according to Israel Hayom. 

◾ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the Lebanese people directly, clarifying that Israel’s conflict is with Hezbollah, not the Lebanese population.

◾ Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared that Israel will now "change the rules of the game," signaling a shift in military strategy moving forward.

◾ Meanwhile, the Pentagon remains uncertain whether Israel is preparing for a ground incursion into Lebanon, but it acknowledges that Hezbollah's actions have escalated the situation.

⚠️ The IDF has begun dropping leaflets in southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley, urging Lebanese civilians to evacuate the areas. Additionally, Reuters reported that Jordan has suspended all flights to Beirut until further notice.

[houseofpurplestars]

Meanwhile in the west bank:

🚨 The IOF has invaded #Tulkarem, opening fire and targeting residents with gas bombs.

In #Nablus, the IOF is sending reinforcements in preparation for the demolition of the home of martyr Muath Al-Masri, who was assassinated in May in an operation that included over 200 IOF soldiers, following his operation with martyr Hassan Qatnani that killed three settlers in the Jordan Valley.

🚨 Documentation of the IOF bulldozer that caught fire after it was targeted with an explosive device in Nour Shams camp, #Tulkarem (Video 1).

Fierce armed clashes are continuing in the camp, as well as in #Nablus (Video 2), where the IOF has invaded to demolish the home of martyr Muath Al-Masri.

🚨 Local sources report that Star of David ambulances are present in Nour Shams camp in #Tulkarem as the IOF attempts to withdraw it's damaged bulldozer, amid fierce and ongoing armed clashes with the resistance.

🚨 The IOF abducted liberated prisoner Hisham Abu Hawwash from his home in Dura, #AlKhalil.

Hisham Abu Hawwash, 42 years old, was liberated from zionist prisoners after his victorious 141-day-long hunger strike in January 2022 following his abduction without charge or trial in October 2020.

t.me/PalestineResist

[dutifullynuttywitch]

Starlit night

Wake the Dead 

Art by the wonderful @lilyoffandoms

Pairing: Troy Hassan x Eva Archer (f!mc)  

Rating: Teen (fluff) 

@choicesjanuary2024 prompt: Aurora (day 8)

Word count: 1,187 

Summary:  Several years before the events in Wake the Dead, Troy surprises Eva with a late-night outing within the confines of the Tower. 

A/N: In this story Eva is 17, in her last year at school. Troy is about 2 years older and just recently started working at the supply depot. 

Eva tosses and turns around on her lumpy mattress, sleep elusive. She had gotten expelled. Again. Gotten into a fight with her sister over it. Again.  

“Eva, for crying out loud, it’s the second time this month! You have got to be more careful. You know how things are here.” 

“But Brynn, I don’t get why we can’t even talk about how things were, before. Maybe if we knew more, we could make this place a bit better for everyone.” 

Brynn sighs “I know you mean well, lil sis, but the leaders of the Tower are clear about the rules, whether we agree with them or not. And trust me, we don’t want to get kicked out into the wilderness.” 

She sighs, trying to will herself to sleep. Maybe she should hold her tongue more, but it infuriates her that the Tower leaders only care about teaching them the basics for survival – any form of critical thinking frowned upon, worse, punished. 

Toc. Toc.  

A knock on the door shakes her from her reverie. She opens a crack to find a grinning Troy. 

“What the hell, Troy? It’s the middle of the night!” She whispers, glancing back to make sure Brynn hasn’t stirred. 

“You don’t say! Come on, I have something to show you. You’re gonna like it.” He winks. 

“I’m in enough trouble as it is. Can’t it wait until tomorrow?” 

“Afraid not, it’s kind of a middle of the night thing.” He grins wider. “And, we’ve gotta go now if we don’t want to get caught. So, what’dya say, Archer, up for a little adventure?” 

She frowns at him, but her curiosity is piqued.  

“Wait a sec.” 

She shuts the door on his pleased face and quickly pulls on a sweater, sweatpants and boots. She grabs a flashlight and sneaks out into the dark hallway, glancing one last time at Brynn’s sleeping form.  

She’s so gonna kill me. 

As soon as she shuts the door, Troy takes her hand, leading them down several service hallways then up a series of rickety fire exit stairs. They duck into the shadows a few times to avoid patrolling guards. 

“So where exactly are you taking me?” She whispers as they continue to climb ever higher. 

“It’s a surprise.” 

“Troy.”  

“We’re almost there!” He winks. 

Sure enough, a few minutes later he stops them in front of a steel door high up one of the Tower’s outer walls. He pulls out a key from his pocket and unlocks, pushing it open with a flourish. 

They enter a small room stacked with dusty cases filled with weapons, munitions and other military equipment. At the far end, a small balcony overlooks the forest surrounding the Tower.

“Troy, what is this place?” 

“An ammunitions depot. They have a bunch of these scattered around the tower to defend against drones. And in case of security breaches from inside the tower, I wager… Only Blackstock’s most loyal have access keys.” 

“Look at you, the ultimate insider!” Eva smirks at her friend, punching him lightly on the shoulder. 

“Nah, I just know people who know people. The surprise is over here. Come, take a look.” Troy leads her towards the exposed balcony. 

She gasps as she takes in the scene.  

The balcony is perched high above the ground, providing a bird’s eye view of the hills and valleys surrounding the Tower.  

She looks out at the snow-covered mountains and valleys. Millions of twinkling stars lighting the night.  

Her breath catches as she notices bright shimmering lights in hues of green, blue and purple, dancing across the sky. 

“It’s beautiful.” She whispers, stunned. 

“Yeah. They call them northern lights. I read about them in some magazine. I was telling Sam and the guys about them, and she told me she’d seen these strange lights while out patrolling the past few nights. Convinced her to lend me the key to this place. It’s pretty amazing, I never thought we’d see them so far south.” 

“Isn’t Sam that brunette guard you’ve been flirting with?” Eva smirks, teasing. “You charmed her into lending you the keys?” 

“What can I say, I’m irresistible.” Troy grins, puffing out his chest.  

“If you say so, Hassan.” She smirks.

Eva looks out at the magical scenery, captivated. The aurora dance in the skies in an ethereal, pulsating rhythm, reflected on the white blanket of snow covering the fields and mountains.  

She shivers a little as a cold gust buffets their small balcony. Troy pulls out a blanket from his bag. He sits down on the ledge and beckons her over, wrapping them both snuggly.  

“You came prepared.” 

He shrugs “Figured it’d get cold out here.” 

They sit in companionable silence for a while, in awe at the delicate dancing ribbons of light. Relishing in the peace and quiet of the outside world. 

“One day, Troy, I’m going to see all this from outside the Tower. There’s got to be something better out there for us...” 

“I’m quite alright right here, thank you very much.” 

“For someone who spends an inordinate amount of time reading up on old world curio, you’re not even a little interested in seeing and experiencing it for yourself?” 

“Oh, believe me, I am. If it weren’t for the flesh eating freaks I’d be long gone… but let’s face it, I’m too good looking to die.” He flashes her one of his trademark grins. 

She chuckles, a twinkle in her eyes. 

“So, speaking of good looks, why d’ya invite little old me when you could be making out with the lovely Sam?” Eva asks him teasingly. 

“First of all, I don’t need any magical dancing lights to up my game with the ladies.”  

She scoffs.  

“Second, I heard you got expelled. I swear Blackstock’s goons are becoming unbearable. And it’s not just the school. It's harder and harder to get my hands on contraband, they’re really cracking down on everyone.” He sighs. “Anyway, I just figured you could use a friend and some cheering up.” 

“Thanks Troy, this is just about the nicest thing someone’s done for me.”  

She kisses him on the cheek before laying her head on his shoulder, gazing out to the skies once more. 

Troy hopes the darkness hides his blush.  

He wraps an arm around Eva, pulling her closer as they both take in the mesmerizing display. 

Maybe one day he’ll be brave enough to tell her how he feels. 

But tonight, he’s content he was able to brighten her night a little. 

[ptseti]

Before the Spartans… If you’re trying to explore the ancestral legacy of Egypt the know in 2025- the SoulFam expedition is running in June

For details check the link in the bio and make sure you follow @thesoulfam

But… At Beni Hassan are 4 of 39 circa 4000 year old tombs that show a thriving culture of physical exercise and competition. It shows some of the earliest depictions of martial arts like wrestling, and other disciplines like judo, taekwando and other martial arts that we’re typically told originate from the Far East. The history books would have you think Ancient Kemet was a secluded place when in truth it was a central and integral part of an expansive trade route that they owned and controlled for a long time.. that said, it was a metropolis, the people that formed & populated the Nile valley civilisation came from manny different parts of the continent bringing different practices, ideas, concepts , principles sciences, wisdoms that all merged together over years to give us Kemet - it should be no surprise to you that you see reflections of cultures that are alive to this day all over the continent - a perfect example is wrestling culture of west Africa particularly Senegal - did you know that ethnic groups in countries like Ghana, Nigeria, Mail, Mauritania, Cameroon, Niger, Benin & Togo claim East African origin in oral traditions…

[eretzyisrael]

by Seth Mandel

As we consider the nature of the astonishing events both in Gaza and in Lebanon over the past month, we should recognize this one clear fact: Israel spent the last year not only fighting a two-front war in real time but learning from its every step and every move how to win the war that had been thrust upon it. And now it is.

I don’t need to rehearse it all for you, but I will, because it’s just so…exhilarating. The elimination of Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah since 1992, brought to a climax a period of daring Israeli actions that included, but are not limited to:

—the assassination in the spring of leaders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Tehran’s most elite military unit, in a building in Syria.

—Israel’s use of some kind of science-fictional weapon we normies still don’t have a bead on against an Iranian site after the ineffectual missile attack Iran launched in response to the Syria killing—a clear message to the mullahs that Israel possesses terrifying capabilities Tehran cannot predict and that therefore Iran would be wise not to try and find out. And it hasn’t.

—the assassination inside Tehran in an apartment complex owned and run by the mullahs of Hamas’s leader, Ismail Haniyeh—a plan so daring and melodramatically implausible it seemed to have been lifted from the pages of one of Daniel Silva’s glorious Gabriel Allon novels.

—the trapping of senior Hamas leadership in a corner of the city of Rafah following a months-long halt outside this southernmost point in Gaza—a pause largely due to the historically embarrassing pressure exerted by an increasingly pusillanimous and morally impotent Biden administration and its fear of an electoral blowback in one state out of 50 in a country generally extremely supportive of Israel’s efforts.

—the relentless grinding down of Hamas to the point that in the past week Israel is now openly declaring that Hamas no longer functions as a military but has been downgraded into some kind of counterinsurgency at best.

—Operation Grim Beeper, in which Israel wounded or took off the fighting map literally thousands of Hezbollah operatives in a single second, followed a day later by the same attack on the secondary communications devices Hezbollah resorted to with their pagers blown up.

—Operation Northern Arrows, a series of Israeli strikes that did more damage to Hezbollah’s colossal missile stash in six hours than it had done in the 34 days Israel had fought Hezbollah in a conventional war in 2006. In a day’s time, the Israeli airforce hit 1,600 sites in Southern Lebanon and the Bekaa valley.

—The picking-off of Hezbollah leaders systematically wherever and whenever they have been accessible for such elimination, beginning with military commander Fuad Shukr and reaching its apex on Friday with 83 tons dropped directly on the head of Hamas’s command-and-control superbunker—killing Hassan Nasrallah, the world’s most destructive terrorist over the past 32 years, thus decapitating Hezbollah, an enemy of Israel, the United States, and the Jewish people worldwide for four decades.

—the continuing elimination of Hezbollah leaders following Nasrallah’s death, three so far, demonstrating that the decapitation of Hezbollah is not going to be followed any time soon with any kind of regeneration.

And after I finish writing this and before you begin reading it, more will have happened to boost Israel’s side of the war-fighting ledger. And if you had told me just a month ago at the end of August that I would be writing these words at the end of September, I would have thought you mad.

Just one month ago, Israel had plunged into a despair deeper than it had experienced at any time after October 7 when the nation learned that six hostages, including the Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, had been murdered just minutes before they might have been rescued. Throughout Israel and the Jewish world, even some hawks found themselves all but ready to give up the fight because the continued plight of the hostages had just become too great to bear. A ceasefire was needed. Bring them home now.

The problem wasn’t an Israeli unwillingness to achieve a ceasefire. The Netanyahu government and its negotiators  accepted general ceasefire terms at multiple moments over the summer. Rather it was Hamas that would not proffer any kind of hostage return that even the United States, which wanted the ceasefire desperately, could view as minimally acceptable. But Israelis and Jews around the world had, without even knowing it really, been surviving on a kind of desperate optimism that things were really going to work out in a movie-ending sort of way. The loss of that optimism was soul-crushing and once again threatened to turn Israel inside out against itself even as the war was not won.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah was firing rockets, killing Druze children, and keeping the North depopulated. Israeli military leaders and Israelis have long known they would not be spared from directly engaging in this war on the northern border. But a country in mourning and a Jewish people worldwide overwhelmed by a degree of open hostility toward us most of us had never known could hardly bear the thought of that second front. Not to mention Yemen. Not to mention Iran.

Which is why September 2024 may go down in the annals of Jewish history as the time our people looked despair in the face and refused to submit to it. Israel said, through the proper democratic vehicle of the Jewish state’s duly elected government, that it would no longer hold itself back in hopes of a deal that would not emerge or tie an arm behind its back to manage a relationship with the United States when the U.S.’s position in all these matters had become all but inexplicable in its inconstancy.

The Netanyahu government acted, and with a kind of determination and confidence that has breathed new strength and a new sense of resolve into the Jewish people. Whatever the divisions and concerns and cautions inside the corridors of power about the astonishing onslaught of Israel against the Iran Axis of Evil, the fact is Israel stared into the abyss and said, “Not today. Not this week. Not this month. Not ever.”

[mariacallous]

In less than a week, Israel has managed to significantly degrade Hezbollah’s military capabilities, communications systems, and chain of command. First, exploding pagers and walkie-talkies undermined the group’s ability to communicate. Then came the assassination of operations commander Ibrahim Aqil on Friday—along with 14 top Radwan Force commanders—which was a major setback for the Lebanese militant group’s top leadership and command unit, the Jihad Council. From the founding members of Hezbollah’s military structure, only Ali Karaki survives today.

This escalation comes after Israeli leaders decided to confront the continuous threat to the country’s north posed by Hezbollah. Last Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet decided to set a new war goal: the safe return of Israeli residents to the country’s north.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah is not conceding, however. In a speech given on Sept. 19, Nasrallah doubled down on attacking Israel’s north. Despite his acknowledgement of Israel’s technological advances, the leader of Hezbollah refused to back down and threated that “no military escalation, no killings, no assassinations, and no all-out war can return residents to the border.”

Immediately after his speech, Israel struck approximately 30 Hezbollah rocket launchers and infrastructure sites, which contained approximately 150 launcher barrels, according to a spokesperson from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The IDF also hit Hezbollah’s weapons storage facilities in multiple areas in southern Lebanon, followed by more intense strikes over the weekend, with Israel claiming on Saturday that it had eliminated 400 rocket launchers across southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley. The scale of these strikes indicates Israel’s appetite for escalation and willingness to widen the circle of targets.

Despite the calls to go all in, an Israeli decision to launch a full-scale war or land incursion has not been made yet. Such a decision would bring the country and its civilian infrastructure much damage, especially if Hezbollah unleashes its most advanced missiles. It seems that Israel is determined to push Hezbollah to change its strategy and revisit its involvement in the conflict, which the group initiated on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after the Hamas attacks on Israel.

Hezbollah now faces a choice: to preserve what is left of its military assets and leadership, or to maintain its threat over the north of Israel.

The losses that Hezbollah suffered last week were immense, but the group lost the deterrence battle months ago. Since last October—when Hezbollah decided to attack Israel in support of Hamas—Israel has been successful at degrading the group’s military capabilities with precise targeted attacks, and it has done so largely without causing many civilian casualties. In the past year, Israel has killed more than 500 people—most of them Hezbollah militants— including top and elite commanders, such as Wissam al-Tawil, Taleb Abdullah, Fuad Shukr, and others.

In addition, Hezbollah’s military infrastructure south of the Litani River has been demolished, along with a large number of its weapons depots and military infrastructure across Lebanon. The group’s responses focused mostly on the north of Israel, targeting military bases and infrastructure while mostly avoiding civilian casualties, major cities, and civilian infrastructure.

At the beginning of the war, the goal of Hezbollah and Iran—the group’s main backer—was to reap the benefits from any political or diplomatic solution that would end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. But along the way, they managed to achieve an unprecedented feat—to move the buffer zone from the south of Lebanon to the north of Israel. Around 60,000 Israelis remain internally displaced, and Hezbollah has communicated this to its constituency as the biggest ever achievement against Israel. It will be very difficult to walk back from this.

If Israel widens the circle of targets to hit advanced military assets, such as the facilities that store and produce precision-guided missiles, Hezbollah might revisit its threat to the north. Today, the group is walking a very thin line between its assets and its threats, and the question is how many more losses it can endure.

Israel sees this as an opportunity to push further—and raise the price for Hezbollah until it becomes unbearable. Although a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah is a real possibility, both parties still prefer a diplomatic solution. Israel is trying to keep its attacks targeted, and Hezbollah is trying hard not to provoke Israel or be forced to use and waste its most valuable military assets—namely, precision missiles—which Iran regards as an insurance policy.

Indeed, Israel could be escalating today to avoid war; that is, to push Hezbollah to accept the only diplomatic solution on the table—the one presented by Amos Hochstein (the U.S. envoy for international energy affairs) to delink Lebanon from Gaza and implement U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. This means that Hezbollah will have to accept a separate cease-fire agreement, withdraw its military presence to north of the Litani River, roughly 18 miles away from the border, and allow displaced Israelis to return safely to the north.

Until last week, Israel and Hezbollah had been walking a very thin line between a full-scale war and a calculated pattern of attacks and responses.

Hezbollah lost military infrastructure, commanders, and weapons, but most importantly, it lost security and trust among its ranks. After every assassination or strike, and specifically with the mass explosions of pagers and radios, Hezbollah now fears more in-depth infiltration in its ranks by the Israeli intelligence agencies. And its militants lost trust in their own, fearing that anyone could be an Israeli spy.

The group also lost trust in technology and has no reliable communications system that it could rely on for any military response or war. The only way left is verbal communications, which its leaders resorted to when the in-person meeting between Akil and the Radwan Forces was scheduled—and then hit by an Israeli strike. The level of infiltration is deeper than they know.

Additionally, Hezbollah has lost the trust of its own community. If it cannot protect itself, many are asking, then how can it protect its constituency and supporters? It will be very difficult to assure its community of safety and security while walking—and exploding—among them. Worse still, the group is no longer Iran’s success story in the region.

The fact that Israel could kill Shukr and Akil in the middle of their stronghold in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh is a big breach. However, what is a lot more troubling for Hezbollah’s leadership is its loss of the element of surprise, which has always been part of its military strategy. Israel knew exactly when and how Hezbollah was planning to retaliate for Shukr in August, as the IDF launched a preemptive strike against the group’s infrastructure, including the launchers it had prepared for the operation.

All these losses, in addition to the group’s incapacity thus far to conduct an effective military response against Israel, is both humiliating and embarrassing for Hezbollah. But on the military level, it is worse: Hezbollah is more deterred than ever.

The group could eventually recover from these losses, rebuild its communication network, counter Israeli intelligence, and regain trust among its community. But this is all going to take a long time, a luxury that Hezbollah might not be able to afford.

Today, any response to Israel’s escalation requires the militant group to resolve the following concerns:

First, without a proper communications system, Hezbollah cannot coordinate on targeting, responses, or logistics. It also cannot easily use verbal or written communications—similar to the system that Hamas is currently using inside Gaza’s tunnels. Lebanon is much bigger, and without an efficient and fast communication system, Hezbollah’s military capability to conduct war is largely diminished.

Second, many top Hezbollah officials have been killed or injured. The pagers that exploded hit many of the group’s senior and mid-level operatives. The shipment contained 5,000 pagers, and Hezbollah’s fighting force alone has been independently estimated to comprise at least 20,000 militants. Pagers were provided to officials and fighters with special skills and missions; that is, those who need to be protected. Families of Hezbollah members of Lebanon’s parliament and high-ranking commanders, in addition to high-level security personnel, were among the casualties—not to mention Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon, who was reportedly in close proximity to an exploding device.

Finally, Hezbollah still hasn’t figured out how deeply infiltrated by Israeli intelligence it is. Sources close to its inner circle have told Foreign Policy that the group’s leaders are looking into every single piece of electronic gear they own, and that they are worried that their cars, motorcycles, and even their advanced missile factories are booby-trapped and could go off any minute.

The group will have to conduct an in-depth investigation to make sure that other items have not been infiltrated or compromised by the Israelis, which will take weeks. And if Hezbollah fears that its missiles facilities are booby-trapped or monitored, it will be logistically very difficult to safely move these weapons in order to launch them.

The Israeli government seems to think that Hezbollah’s setbacks are a good opportunity for the IDF to launch a war to further erode the group’s capabilities. But a war similar to that of 2006 might cause Israel real damage without leading to the elimination of the Hezbollah threat. Moreover, it could lead to more international isolation and more civilian casualties on both sides, as well as risk a regional war from multiple fronts.

What the IDF and its external intelligence agency, Mossad, have achieved in the past week has been very effective. There is no need for a full-scale war that would cause civilian losses, bring back “axis of resistance” rhetoric, and unite regional and international public opinion against Israel.

Until a long-term solution is reached, the best-case scenario is for Hezbollah to accept a separate cease-fire, disconnected from the war in Gaza. Diplomatic messaging from the United States and its allies needs to focus on this objective and pressure Hezbollah to delink the two fronts. For Iran and Hezbollah, nothing is more important than their military assets—especially precision missiles.

U.S. diplomatic efforts need to take advantage of Hezbollah’s vulnerability. In addition to forcing the group to accept a separate cease-fire, negotiations should be focused on preventing a full-scale war, allowing residents from both sides to return home, and undermining Hezbollah’s and Iran’s narratives of victory and resistance.

U.N. Resolution 1701 is not sustainable because it does not include punitive measures, and Hezbollah will eventually violate it. Therefore, a long-term policy will have to be designed after a cease-fire is achieved in order to contain Hezbollah in Lebanon—a policy that will address interrupting its weapons supply routes from Tehran via Iraq and Syria as well as help the Lebanese state regain its sovereignty when it comes to decisions of war and peace.

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Seth J. Frantzman

Syria is still divided. Turkey occupies part of the north and has used the former Syrian rebel groups to fight Kurds, primarily the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who control eastern Syria. Meanwhile, HTS controls Idlib in northern Syria. The Syrian regime controls the major cities in the west: Hama, Homs, and Damascus.

Aleppo is now vulnerable. This shows the unintended consequences of Iran’s policy.

Tehran backed Hamas, which led to the October 7 attack of Gaza border communities. Iran asked Hezbollah to strike Israel that day in the North, and Hezbollah began its attacks the next day.

Israel had to focus on Hamas during most of the last year, but in September, the Jewish state shifted its focus to fight Hezbollah.

Hezbollah has now lost many fighters and a large portion of its arsenal. The new ceasefire lets it have some breathing space, but it is in no way capable of helping Damascus.

Hezbollah’s new leader Naim Qassem is also not Hassan Nasrallah, who was a friend of Soleimani. Now, they and other Iranian-backed figures are all dead. Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was killed alongside Soleimani in a US airstrike in Baghdad in 2020. The major Iranian axis players are now removed from the border. This has weakened the Syrian regime.

History had other plans for the Syrian regime

UP UNTIL a week ago, the Syrian regime thought history was going its way. It had normalized ties with Egypt and several key Gulf states. Iran’s diplomats were making major inroads in the region, including in Egypt and the Gulf. Iran had joined BRICS and was working closely with Russia. Tehran was sending Russia drones and had also prodded militias in Iraq and Yemen to attack Israel.

Iran believed Israel was isolated, but now Tehran may be struggling. Syria’s regime is the jewel in Iran’s crown. It is a major asset, and its weakness makes the Islamic Republic vulnerable.

Tehran uses Syria to move weapons to Hezbollah. Israel has vowed not to let Hezbollah rearm. Iraqi militias, backed by Iran, are also key to Tehran’s strategy. They may move to Syria now to help the regime in the Aleppo battle. These militias include Kataib Hezbollah, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, and others. They have an influence in the middle of the Euphrates River Valley, which is called the MERV. On the eastern side of the MERV are US forces and the SDF. The SDF is the main group that controls eastern Syria and is backed by the US in the fight against ISIS.

The crisis in Aleppo could force the Syrian regime to strip defenses elsewhere in the country. This could help ISIS or could lead Iraqi militias to move into areas of Syria.

Those militias could end up threatening the Golan as well as US forces in Syria, as they have in the past. This is important and comes as incoming US President-elect Donald Trump is preparing to take office. Trump had sought to withdraw American forces from Syria in 2018 and 2019. This means many fronts are in play in the region.

What began on October 7 with the Hamas attack and Iran mobilizing militias for a seven-front war against Israel could backfire for Iran. However, Tehran is still trying to harm Israel, especially by moving weapons to the West Bank to help its proxies there. Israel thwarted one Iranian-backed smuggling attempt over the past week. This means that the Islamic Republic is still trying to set things aflame. However, Iran must now watch what is happening in Aleppo.

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Morocco: 🌇🌟 A Blend of Culture, Beauty, and Adventure

Morocco: 🌴🕌 A Journey Through Culture and Beauty

Morocco in December is a captivating blend of vibrant culture, breathtaking landscapes, and historical wonders.

🏙️ Marrakech’s Timeless Souks: Explore the bustling markets of Jemaa el-Fnaa, where you’ll find everything from aromatic spices to handmade crafts. Don’t miss the stunning Majorelle Garden 🌺.

🏜️ The Sahara Desert: Embark on an unforgettable adventure with a camel ride 🐪 across the golden dunes of Merzouga and spend a night in a desert camp under a blanket of stars.

🌊 Chefchaouen’s Blue Streets: Discover the charm of the Blue Pearl of Morocco, with its picturesque alleyways and scenic mountain views.

🏰 Fez’s Rich Heritage: Wander through the historic Medina of Fez, home to the world’s oldest university, Al Quaraouiyine 🕌.

🌍 Plan your Moroccan escape now and experience the magic 🐪✨ #VisitMorocco #MoroccoTravel #SaharaAdventure #ExploreMarrakech

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Thousands of people are wounded when Hezbollah's new PAGERS simultaneously explode across Lebanon, killing eight and sparking mass panic, with sources blaming Israel

Thousands of people have been wounded in Lebanon this afternoon after pagers used by Hezbollah fighters to communicate exploded, so far killing eight, including an eight-year-old girl. 

The wave of sudden and unexpected detonations, which began around 3:45pm local time (1345 GMT) and lasted roughly an hour, has so far maimed over 2,750 Hezbollah members and civilians, giving way to widespread panic and chaotic scenes across Beirut’s southern suburbs, the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon. 

Victims were seen sporting significant wounds as they lay on the ground surrounded by terrified bystanders in images shared to social media and broadcast by Lebanese and Israeli networks. 

Yet more harrowing clips taken inside Lebanese hospitals showed how some unfortunate victims sustained massive head injuries, gaping wounds in their legs and abdomen, or had their hands blown off by the powerful explosions. 

At least two Hezbollah fighters - one of whom is the son of Lebanese parliament member Ali Ammar - and a 10-year-old girl were confirmed dead by multiple security sources and a family member, according to AFP. A spokesperson for the proscribed terror group has since said that Hassan Nasrallah, the group's chief, was not harmed in the blasts. 

Hezbollah says that Israel is 'fully responsible' for the simultaneous explosion, warning that the nation would be punished. 

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Mohammad Hassan, a 27-year-old father of three, died on K2 after falling off a sheer edge at the top of the area known as the 'bottleneck', which is around 8200 metres high. Photo / Adventure Alpine Guides

“If he had been a Westerner, he would have been rescued immediately. There is a double standard here. If I or any other Westerner had been lying there, everything would have been done to save them. Everyone would have had to turn back to bring the injured person back down to the valley … I’m just saying there was no rescue operation initiated, and that’s really very, very tragic, because that’s actually the most normal thing one would do in a situation like that.” —Wilhelm Steindl

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Hassan Nasrallah : Life and History

Hassan Nasrallah was a Lebanese cleric and politician who served as the secretary-general of Hezbollah, a Shia Islamist political party and militia, from 1992 until his assassination in late 2024. Born into a Shia family in the suburbs of Beirut in 1960, Nasrallah finished his education in Tyre, when he briefly joined the Amal Movement, and afterward at a Shia seminary in Baalbek. He later studied and taught at an Amal school. Nasrallah joined Hezbollah, which was formed to fight the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon. After a brief period of religious studies in Iran, Nasrallah returned to Lebanon and became Hezbollah's leader after his predecessor, Abbas al-Musawi, was assassinated by an Israeli airstrike in 1992. Under Nasrallah's leadership, Hezbollah acquired rockets with a longer range, which allowed them to strike at northern Israel. After Israel suffered heavy casualties during its 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon, it withdrew its forces in 2000, which greatly increased Hezbollah's popularity in the region, and bolstered Hezbollah's position within Lebanon. Hezbollah cultivated Nasrallah's media image as a charismatic authority, though this image was later weakened.  Hezbollah's role in ambushing an Israeli border patrol unit leading up to the 2006 Lebanon War was subject to criticism, though he projected the end of the war as a Lebanese and Arab victory. During the Syrian civil war, Hezbollah fought on the side of the Syrian government against what Nasrallah termed "Islamist extremists". Nasrallah also promoted the "Axis of Resistance", an informal coalition of Iran-backed groups focused on opposing Israel and the United States. After the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, Hezbollah engaged in the war against Israel, resulting in an ongoing conflict that impacted both sides of the border. On 27 September 2024, Israel assassinated Nasrallah when its air force struck the group's headquarters. 

Early life and education

Hassan Nasrallah was born the ninth of ten children into a Shia family in Bourj Hammoud, Matn District (an eastern suburb of Beirut), on 31 August 1960. His father, Abdul Karim Nasrallah, was born in Bazourieh, a village in Jabal Amel (Southern Lebanon) located near Tyre, and worked as a fruit and vegetables seller. Although his family was not particularly religious, Hassan was interested in theological studies. He attended the al-Najah school and later a public school in the predominantly Christian neighborhood of Sin el Fil. In 1975, the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War forced the family, including Nasrallah who was 15 at the time, to move to their ancestral home in Bazourieh, where Nasrallah completed his secondary education at the public school in Tyre. There, he briefly joined the Amal Movement, a Lebanese Shia political group. Nasrallah studied at the Shia seminary in the Beqaa Valley town of Baalbek. The school followed the teachings of Iraqi Shi'ite scholar Mohammad Baqir al-Sadr, who founded the Dawa movement in Najaf, Iraq during the early 1960s. In 1976, at 16, Nasrallah traveled to Iraq where he was admitted into al-Sadr's seminary in Najaf. It is said that Al-Sadr recognized Nasrallah's qualities and Al-Sadr is quoted as saying "I scent in you the aroma of leadership; you are one of the Ansar [followers] of the Mahdi...". 

Nasrallah was expelled from Iraq, along with dozens of other Lebanese students in 1978. Al-Sadr was imprisoned, tortured, and brutally murdered.  Nasrallah was forced to return to Lebanon in 1979, by that time having completed the first part of his study, as Saddam Hussein was expelling many Shia, including the future Iranian supreme leader, Ruhollah Khomeini, and Abbas Musawi. Back in Lebanon, Nasrallah studied and taught at the school of Amal's leader Abbas al-Musawi, later being selected as Amal's political delegate in Beqaa, and making him a member of the central political office. Around the same time, in 1980, Al-Sadr was executed by Hussein. On 27 September 2024, the Israeli Air Force launched an airstrike on Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut, reportedly targeting Nasrallah. At least six people were killed and over 90 injured following the strike, with several missing. The following day, the IDF stated that Nasrallah had died in the strike; Hezbollah and Lebanese authorities later confirmed his death. The Economist wrote that his death would "reshape" Lebanon and the Middle East in ways which "would have been unthinkable a year ago" and that the next leader of Hezbollah would face the "most precarious moment" in the organization's history owing to Israel's destruction of almost their entire leadership. The Economist felt the Lebanese public perceived the group as "humiliated" and had come to resent their domination of Lebanese politics.

Courtesy : Wikipedia